No more Punjabi classes at Sacramento State + California virtual events: Your AAPI Newsletter
It is Thursday, May 28, and this is The Sacramento Bee’s AAPI weekly newsletter.
Here’s a recap of the stories I recently covered and issues I’m following:
Sacramento State University has stopped offering Punjabi language classes for the fall semester. The college is the only one in the California State University 23-campus system to offer the courses.
Students and the community found out about the cancellation when one student who tried to register for the class failed to find it on the class registration platform.
Nearly 10,000 people have signed a petition to call for the class to be reinstated.
In other news
“They bring it here!” Man threatens, harasses, spits on Asians, Washington cops say [The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.)]
Asian American COVID-19 death rate in San Francisco concerning, researchers say [NBC News]
New York City launches $100,000 effort to combat anti-Asian discrimination in COVID-19 era [ABC News]
The coronavirus is threatening diversity in academia. Colleges are laying off their adjunct faculty, who mostly are women and people of color. [NBC News]
7 artists share what Asian Pacific American Heritage Month means to them [Forbes]
Asian snacks are more popular than ever in America. Here’s what that says about Asian-Americans [Refinery 29]
ABC30 salutes Michael Yang on Asian Pacific American Heritage Month [ABC 30 (Fresno)]
Billions in coronavirus aid will go to farms. But farmers say it’s not enough to keep them afloat [CalMatters]
In CA: Essential workers shouldn’t be deported, immigration attorney says [USA Today]
Decision not to extend Pa. vote-by-mail deadline could lower AAPI turnout [NBC News]
Personal essay by an immunologist: Am I the enemy or the hero? [McSweeney’s]
For events in California, OCA Sacramento is organizing a virtual wine tasting event with with Rod Moniz of Moniz Family Wines on Friday at 6 p.m. to celebrate the Asian American Pacific Heritage Month.
The Asian American Journalist Association is hosting a virtual town hall on the rising bias and harassment against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic Saturday at 10 a.m. Panelists include actors Tzi Ma and George Takei, Assemblyman David Chiu and Asian American studies professor Russell Jeung, among others.
Are you working on the front lines in some way to help with the containment of COVID-19, or are contributing to the health and well-being of our community? Please reach out to me at tyu@sacbee.com. I’d love to do a story on you!
That’s it for this week’s newsletter. Thanks for reading, stay safe and hang in there!
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This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 10:33 AM.