

'Do I Make Myself Small?'
As Islamophobia takes toll on many American Muslims, CAIR attorneys see time of worry...and hope
Adam Smith
Mar 27
Editorial: Stop the Spread of Fear, Hate
Forces are hard at work trying to spread fear of the other. These forces, whether they be from elected officials in high places — the president, congressmen, governors — or lurking in online forums in the “Bluest” cities and towns in Massachusetts can have real consequences for people just trying to live their lives. People can face unnecessary investigation, be detained and face threat of deportation, or miss opportunities they are entitled to, like access to good housing or
Adam Smith
Mar 27


Envisioning Chinatown as Temple, Art Group Invites You on 'Pilgrimage'
A group of area artists and historians are planning to connect the dots between historic places around Boston and their direct link to Chinatown today. “I think what this exhibition is trying to do is offer a space for us to remember who are the people who came before us — especially thinking about Chinatown’s history and memories,” said theater artist Wenxuan Xue, a co-curator for the diverse exhibit, “Temple of Our Ancestral Dreams” hosted by the Pao Arts Center from April
Adam Smith
Mar 27


Praise Shadows Sees New Light in Downtown Boston Gallery
I n his 1934 book In Praise of Shadows, author Jun'ichirō Tanizaki writes, “Our ancestors, forced to live in dark rooms, presently came to discover beauty in shadows.” For Yng-Ru Chen, Tanizaki’s words inspired her to establish her art gallery, Praise Shadows. They served as “the basis to form my own thoughts about opportunities for artists,” Chen said. “I recognized the many needs my artist friends had.” Much as how Tanizaki saw beauty in the shadows, Praise Shadows looked f
Esther Wang
Mar 27
Letter to the Editor: Chiune Sugihara Deserves Precise Praise
From Arlette Liwer: Y our recent editorial titled, “What Would Chiune Sugihara Do?” invokes the story of the Japanese diplomat who issued transit visas to Jewish refugees in Kaunas in 1940, a history that directly affected my own family. Sugihara’s actions remain an extraordinary example of moral courage during one of history’s darkest moments. For that reason, his story deserves to be presented with care and historical accuracy. The editorial states that Sugihara issued visa
Sampan Editor
Mar 27


'Busing the Buffer Zone' Turns Chinatown Mothers' Boycott History Into Art, Theater
The exhibit “Busing the Buffer Zone” uses art and theater to explore the experience of Chinatown mothers who boycotted busing of students in Boston Public Schools in 1975. The exhibition, which includes a play by Christina R. Chan and an exhibition at the Pao Arts Center, runs through March 28. The stage readings are slated for March 28 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Pao Arts Center. An open rehearsal is March 20.
Daria Mohan Zhang
Mar 13


Disease Expert: Keep Watch for TB, a Growing Global Concern
As World Tuberculosis Day approaches on March 24, Sampan is spreading the word about this sometimes fatal disease. We recently spoke with Dr. Tine Vindenes, chief of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Tufts Medical Center. Dr. Vindenes also co-directs the Tuberculosis Clinic at Tufts.
Adam Smith
Mar 13
The Fires This Time: Hughes, Baldwin, Coates, and the Uncertain Path Ahead
T hrough the smoke and gasoline of the literal fires that raged through cities like Washington, DC, and Atlanta as a result of the civil unrest in the wake of George Floyd’s May 25th 2020 murder at the literal knee of state-sanctioned legal justice, and through the similar apocalyptic scenes that have hit Minneapolis (in 2020 and 2026) and Los Angeles in the midst of an occupation by federal agents, we hear voices and see faces. The revolution is being televised. Truth is out


Editorial: What Would Chiune Sugihara Do?
Chiune Sugihara defied orders from Tokyo and in an elaborate scheme he issued as many visas as his tired hands could stamp to allow refugees a shot at escape.
Adam Smith
Mar 13
Tufts Medical Center Grants Over $1.7M to Boston Nonprofit Groups
Tufts Medical Center has awarded more than $1.7 million in grants to nine Boston-based nonprofit organizations, including several in Chinatown. The medical center says the grants will be used over three years to address “unmet” health and health access needs that were highlighted in its 2026-2028 Community Health Needs Assessment. Through the grants, the community groups will support culturally competent behavioral health, social-emotional wellness, and substance use disorder
AACA Development
Mar 13
'Rock' Book Dresses Down Fascist Fashions
Daniel Rachel’s remarkable This Ain’t Rock and Roll: Pop Music, the Swastika, and the Third Reich shows that from the brutal brilliance of Leni Reifenstahl’s “Triumph of the Will” to the ghoulish strutting of Marilyn Manson’s “The Golden Age of Grotesque,” the fashion horrors of Hitler’s Third Reich have never fully gone away. And in a time when many are drawing comparisons between mass immigration raids and the Nazis, the book seems more relevant than ever. Rachel clarifies


‘Operation Catch of the Day’ in Maine May Have Ended, but Fear and Trauma Remain
Advocates say 'Operation Catch of the Day' caused lasting trauma and fear for many in Maine's minority and immigrant communities.
Adam Smith
Mar 12


Artist Daphne Xu Captures Story of Busing in New Greenway Exhibit
Daphne Xu’s new project “Boston Busing in Chinatown, 1975,” a photographic installation, just opened early this month along the Greenway, near the Chinatown Gate.
Daria Mohan Zhang
Mar 2


A Higher Calling
At the Josiah Quincy Elementary and Upper Schools located in the heart of Chinatown, Bak-Fun Wong is known as a “living legend.”
Esther Wang
Feb 27


Reclaiming Lost Histories: Exhibit Tells Story of Three Old Neighborhoods
he permanent exhibit, “Reclaiming History — A Journey Through Three Neighborhoods,” will officially open at the Josiah Quincy Upper School on April 27.
Adam Smith
Feb 27


Panethnic Pourovers: 'We Are Truly Here to Help People'
Part library, part cultural center and part hangout, group says it is for all A fter feeling burnt out from her job as a software engineer a few years ago, Emily Goroza decided that she needed a change. At the same time, she realized how privileged she was to work in the corporate world. Then it struck her: She wanted to find a way to work that also allowed her to give back to the community. So, in 2023, Goroza, alongside a close friend and her now fiancé, started Panethnic P
Liam Crampton
Feb 27


Writer Windy Pham Bridges Cultures, One Page at a Time
The Magic of Tết is one of the 10 works Windy Pham has published in her series of bilingual children books, aiming to celebrate Vietnamese heritage through highlighting the culture and language.
Esther Wang
Feb 27


A Gracious Spark of ‘Creativitry’
Playwright Stan Lai talks with Sampan.


Flying High
College basketball star Pat Dickert's injury opened unexpected doors: studying and living in Taiwan, coaching in China, and playing in Norway.
Shangcao Yuan
Feb 16


Brookline to Palestine: Local Activist Tells Her Story
Trudi Frost, along with another Asian American, Irene Cho, were the focus of a little publicized campaign to get the two women freed from Israeli detention, where they were held from Dec. 12 to about Dec. 19, partly in an Israeli prison for women. T
Adam Smith
Feb 14


