This year's Gerber Baby is a Filipino kid from a first generation family
‘Beef,’ ‘Fire Island,’ 7 Asian actors receive 2023 Emmy nominations
“Asian Americans recorded the fastest population growth rate among all racial and ethnic groups in the United States, study finds.”
While this statistic may seem optimistic, there’s more to the story. The growth of the Asian American population in the U.S. has occurred in tandem with increased reports of discrimination and violence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak.
As our community grows, we are getting louder, we are telling our authentic stories…and we are making news headlines.
📰 The Headlines
This year's Gerber Baby is a military kid from a first generation family — Maddie Mendoza's parents both have roots in the Philippines, and her dad has served in the U.S. military for 16 years.
The new Gerber Baby was revealed on TODAY, and winner Madison Mendoza is a smiley baby who comes from a proud military family.
“She’s very adventurous,” mom Crystal Mendoza told TODAY, as Maddie cooed happily in her lap and gazed at the cameras.
While her sweet smile won over the Gerber judges, her parents also want people to know she has a strong spirit and a mind of her own. When she was born, she had trouble breathing and needed supplemental oxygen. After a few nights, she apparently decided she’d had enough oxygen, tore off her tubes and breathed just fine.
“She was able to tell us when she was ready to go home,” dad Jun Mendoza told TODAY in an interview before the broadcast from his office in Colorado Springs. “That kind of aligned with her adventurous, independent spirit.”
‘Beef,’ ‘Fire Island,’ 7 Asian actors receive 2023 Emmy nominations — The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place on Sept. 18
This year’s Primetime Emmy Award nominees were recently announced, with Asian nominees including Kumail Nanjiani, Padma Lakshmi, Ali Wong, Steven Yeun and Joel Kim Booster, among others.
Television Academy Chair Frank Scherma and “Community” star Yvette Nicole Brown announced the full list of nominees for the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, set to be held on Sept. 18, during a livestream on Wednesday.
Netflix’s dark comedy “Beef,” which stars Ali Wong and Steven Yeun, received 13 nominations in total.
Besides the cast members of “Beef,” other actors who received nominations include “Welcome to Chippendales” star Kumail Nanjiani, who is going up against Yeun for outstanding lead actor in a limited series or TV movie; Iranian American actor Arian Moayed, who was nominated for outstanding guest actor in a drama series for his appearance in HBO’s “Succession”; “Top Chef” host Padma Lakshmi, who was nominated for outstanding host for a reality or competition program; and “Fire Island” writer Joel Kim Booster, who was nominated for outstanding writing for a limited or anthology series or TV movie.
Asian Americans feel particularly targeted by new laws criminalizing those who assist voters — In a number of states, language barriers already hamper access to the ballot for AAPIs. The new laws in mostly Republican-led states are seen by many voting groups as another form of voter suppression.
For a century, the League of Women Voters in Florida formed bonds with marginalized residents by helping them register to vote — and, in recent years, those efforts have extended to the growing Asian American and Asian immigrant communities.
But a state law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May would have forced the group to alter its strategy.
The legislation would have imposed a $50,000 fine on third-party voter registration organizations if the staff or volunteers who handle or collect the forms have been convicted of a felony or are not U.S. citizens.
A federal judge blocked the provision this week. But its passage reflects the effort by DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate, and other GOP leaders to crack down on access to the ballot. Florida is one of at least six states, including Georgia and Texas, where Republicans have enacted voting rules since 2021 that created or boosted criminal penalties and fines for individuals and groups that assist voters. Several of those laws are also facing legal challenges.
💫 Breaking records
Olivia Rodrigo — The 20-year-old singer-songwriter becomes the 1st Filipino American to grace a Vogue US cover.
Shohei Ohtani — The two-way MLB Star made his 100th hit during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday and sets the record with his 3rd consecutive season of at least 100 hits and 100 strikeouts.
🐣 Newcomers
Naomi Osaka’s new baby — Japanese tennis star and four-time Grand Slam singles champion Naomi Osaka has given birth to a baby girl with her rapper boyfriend Cordae.
‘Top Chef’s new host — The new host of “Top Chef” will be a familiar face: Kristen Kish, who won the Bravo culinary competition in Season 10. Bravo announced July 11 that Kish will join Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons at the judges’ table for Season 21, which takes place in Wisconsin.
📽️ What We’re Watching
✍️, Lea @ Crushing the Myth