Latest news with #Asian-Americans
New York Post
21-06-2025
- New York Post
Assistant principal at Queens high school accused of harassing 13 Asian girls
An assistant principal who served as the 'sexual harassment prevention' liaison at a top Queens public school was removed after 13 girls accused him of creepy behavior and comments, The Post has learned. Hector L. Diaz — also the 'Respect for All' liaison at Queens High School for the Sciences at York College — commented that girls looked dressed for 'the club,' used racial stereotypes about Asian-Americans, grabbed a girl's arm, and rubbed another's back, according to incidents described for investigators. One of the city Department of Education's elite specialized high schools, QHSS is located on a CUNY campus in Jamaica with 498 students — 81% of them Asian. Advertisement 'His lack of professionalism and inappropriate behavior has impacted my friends, peers and close-knit community of students,' Kiki Zou,17, a QHSS senior told Principal Ana De Jesus in an April 17 email. A student government leader sent the principal a litany of 10 complaints by female classmates over the past school year, with girls saying Diaz made them feel not only uncomfortable, but 'threatened and scared.' 5 Hector Diaz served as the high school's 'Sexual Harassment Prevention' and 'Respect for All' liaisons. Obtained by the New York Post Advertisement Excerpts include: 'Mr. Diaz randomly stopped us and abruptly asked in the hallway if we were going to the club as a joke, seeing how we were dressed. . . . It was just loose comments like those that made it known to us that he crossed professional boundaries and went out of his way to comment on students' looks and mannerisms.' 'Mr. Diaz was recruiting students for color guard. My friend and I were interested in joining but had a conflict of schedule. As we were leaving school, we bumped into Mr. Diaz who said he would be more than happy to train us on the spot. The two of us were led into an empty lecture hall where he observed us through various drills. Throughout the uncomfortable training, he made various inappropriate comments like 'all the Asian Francis girls [referring to Francis Lewis HS] would die to be on drill team.' 'I said hello [to Diaz] as a formal gesture like I do with every teacher and staff member. But he stopped me and began to have a conversation which I didn't mind at all. However, he shifted his hand towards my back and rubbed my back. I didn't consent to any teacher, especially male teachers, touching me like that.' Advertisement 'Mr. Diaz told me if my parents found out that I'm in a relationship, they would deport me . . . I felt really bad how he was being so racist towards me by making that comparison.' 'Mr. Diaz signed me up for a trip without my parents' or my consent. And when he saw me in the hallways he asked me if I was going on the trip. And he tried to lay a hand on me. I remember I was extremely uncomfortable after that day, and every time I walk into the school I have to check to see if he's around. I no longer feel safe on school grounds.' 'I remember clearly said, 'Wow you look so pretty' in a really weird tone and started approaching me, trying to get into a close distance. I had to avoid him by leaving that area of the gym with my friend but he kept chasing after us. . . . He physically grabbed my friend by the arm and started questioning us even though we told him we don't feel comfortable.' 'A few weeks ago I went to the counselor for my schedule. When I was about to leave, he blocked the door frame of the office, leaned in very close and started asking me about my personal life, like my family members, where I live, and even where I go for extracurricular classes. I felt deeply threatened and scared, and extremely uncomfortable.' Advertisement In other alleged incidents, Diaz texted a senior who had not given him her phone number, and told members of a club about their school funding, 'You're lucky I like you girls.' 5 Queens HS for the Sciences at York College, located on the CUNY campus, is one of NYC's specialized high schools. RICHARD HARBUS A student who told De Jesus about the incidents said the principal promised to discuss them with the superintendent, but the student never heard back. The student forwarded classmates' complaints to the Special Commissioner of Investigation for city schools. The SCI has opened nine cases against Diaz since 2023, including seven this year, but did not investigate any, a spokesman said. Instead, SCI referred the complaints to the DOE's own Office of Special Investigations, and one to the DOE's Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management. 5 Assistant principal Hector Diaz accompanied students from QHHS on a trip to Spain last year. Obtained by the New York Post Diaz, 54, holds state certification as a pre-K to Grade 6 elementary teacher, and as a school building leader. Advertisement In 2009, Diaz was named a dean and several years later an interim assistant principal in The Bronx at the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation, which the DOE shut down after an 18-year-old student fatally stabbed Matthew McCree, 15, during a class in 2017. Diaz then joined a DOE group of assistant principals without permanent jobs, records show. 5 The DOE removed Hector Diaz from QHHS this month in response to complaints by 13 students of harassing comments and behavior. Obtained by the New York Post Diaz 'is no longer part of our community,' QHSS principal De Jesus told families in a June 17 email. 'While I am not at liberty to share information with you, know that I take any issue of concern, small or large, including allegations, very seriously and as an agent of the Department of Education I am required to take specific actions.' Advertisement DOE officials refused to say whether Diaz is still working with students at another school. 5 Hector Diaz, at rear behind a QHHS student holding an award; Principal Ana De Jesus, second from right; with other assistant principals and guidance counselors. Obtained by the New York Post 'This alleged behavior is absolutely unacceptable,' a DOE spokesperson said. 'Any and all forms of harassment have no place in our schools. Thorough investigations are ongoing and appropriate action will be taken upon completion.' Reached by phone, Diaz declined to comment and hung up.
Miami Herald
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Rivian Is Missing Out on a Key Demographic
In a crowded landscape that includes legacy automakers, as well as rival startups like Rivian and Lucid, Tesla is still top dog when it comes to American electric vehicle sales. According to data from Kelley Blue Book and Cox Automotive, Tesla sales are eclipsing those of its competitors, even as it records an 8.6% year-over-year drop from last year. In Q1 2025, Tesla managed to move 128,100 of its EVs, while its closest competitor; Ford, sold just 22,550 vehicles in the same period. However, one brand that has posted lower growth numbers than Tesla is the outdoorsy-focused Rivian. According to KBB and Cox, its meager 8,553 sales in Q1 2025 means that it recorded a whopping 37.1% year-over-year sales drop, higher than established names like Kia. In 2024, it managed to sell 51,579 vehicles, a 3% jump from that in 2023, but at the same time, Tesla managed to move over 1.8 million vehicles. According to a recent study by S&P Global Mobility, Rivian's is struggling to connect and resonate with Asian-American buyers in the United States. According to results from Q1 2025, Asian households represent just 7.2% of all the new cars that were registered. However, what stands out is that Tesla and Tesla alone captured a huge chunk of this key demographic, with its vehicles capturing nearly 27.2% of Asian-American drivers. Additionally, Asian-American households made up 12.7% of all electric vehicle (EV) sales that aren't from Tesla or Rivian. Asian-Americans are buying EVs, and the majority are buying Teslas. However, this shows that Rivian struggles to gain a foothold with this demographic, as just 13.7% of its sales are made to Asian-American households. One significant factor that S&P researchers Kent Chiu and Steve Giordano identified is the lack of diverse models on the Rivian lineup. Though the more compact R2 SUV is on the way and the hatchback-styled R3 is set to release in the future, Rivian only sells two models, the R1T and the R1S; the former being a pickup truck, a segment where Asian buyers are close to nonexistent. According to S&P data, Asian-Americans accounted for just 2.3% of all full-size pickup truck sales in the U.S., the same segment that the Rivian R1T and contemporary gas-powered rivals like the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 compete in. But even in the electric pickup market, Rivian falls short. Despite the Tesla Cybertruck's unconventional design alienating "real truck guys" and "truck bros," it's hitting with Asian-American Tesla fans. According to S&P, nearly a quarter (24%, to be exact) of Cybertrucks were sold to Asian-American buyers, while just 8% of Asian-Americans bought a Rivian R1T. Despite this, S&P identified that Rivian faces challenges that extend beyond what kind of cars it wants to sell, as Tesla's deeper appeal is something much more skin-deep. According to data scraped by S&P researchers, some Asian-American buyers are particularly drawn to brands with a very strong premium brand image and companies known for their technological capabilities, which not only explains a gravitational pull towards Tesla but also established luxury car names in the gas-powered space. Their data shows that Asian-American buyers also like some of Tesla's German luxury rivals; 28.3% of sales for the Mercedes EQS SUV can be attributed to Asian households, while 25.5% of BMW iX sales came from the same demographic. More remarkably, S&P also found that 33% of Tesla Model X sales were made to Asian-American buyers. I am Asian-American, and even as someone within this large and diverse diaspora that lives in the NY Metro Area, one of the largest hotbeds for EV ownership growth in the United States, this study does ring somewhat true from an anecdotal point of view. I slightly disagree with the idea that vanity or a perceived luxury image significantly influences Tesla's reputation within the Asian-American community. However, the appeal of a practical car with low maintenance costs, the widespread and convenient Supercharger network, and a buying experience without traditional franchised dealers are significant advantages for people of all walks of life, Asian or not. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Sightlines' art exhibit highlights Asian-American influence in the DC experience
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — An exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum gives a new perspective on the rich history and influence of Asian-Americans in the District and beyond. Prominent pastor notified books loaned to African American museum may be returned amid review Moving through time, space and place, the 'Sightlines' exhibit sits just steps away from the iconic Friendship Archway in Chinatown, it's a reminder that Asian-American history in the DMV goes far beyond what can be seen from the street. 'It just seemed so perfect to mount an exhibition talking not just about Chinatown, but just the ways that Asian Americans have contributed to the built and cultural environment of our nation's capital,' said Yao-Fen You, the acting director of the Asian Pacific American Center. She helped bring the exhibit to life before its opening last fall. 'For us it's about unearthing those facts that, really, people haven't known about. I just like to think of it as telling a more fuller history,' said You. Sightlines is designed to give a different perspective and something new to look at from every angle, highlighting the intersectionality of the city experience and the impact of Asian-American culture in the District. The exhibit is home to three main stories: Making Place, Transforming Tradition and Visualizing Identity. A lot of the highlighted history is very recent, with some pieces from the 21st century, and others back to the 1960s and 1970s. 'I think what's great is that we had people come in and they're so excited, not only to see themselves, but to see their friends,' said You of some of the photographs included in the exhibit. It also celebrates artists like Alfred H. Liu, who designed the iconic Friendship Arch, and takes a closer look at what could have been. A sketch shows a design for an unrealized project called the Far East Trade Center. 'This is something that was never built,' said You, walking through the exhibit. 'He wanted it to be built on top of the Chinatown Metro station.' The drawings, sculptures and artwork highlighted in Sightlines go far beyond what's on display within the exhibit's walls. It includes a map of street art and murals by Javanese-American artist MISS CHELOVE, Cita Sadeli, and how to find them across the District. 'I think with each exhibition, you can never explore something to the depth that a curator ever wants to,' said You. 'There's only so much visitors can handle. The idea is that you are invited to explore more to whet your appetite. Right. We're just so excited that we have had this opportunity to introduce, not only the DMV audience, but also tourists coming from all over America to sort of just looking at DC in a very different way.' She and her team are also looking forward to another exhibit opening up at the American History Museum this fall, specifically highlighting the Filipino-American experience. 'Sightlines' is expected to stay on display through Nov. 30, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
South China Morning Post
04-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month's growth over 5 decades
It has been almost 50 years since the United States government established that Asian-Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and their accomplishments should be recognised annually across the nation. Advertisement What started as just one week in May has evolved over the decades into a month-long tribute in cities big and small. The nature of celebrations has also evolved. Asian-American and Pacific Islander or Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is not just about showcasing food and fashion, but hard subjects like grief and social justice. Drummers mark the start of the 2025 Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at an event organised by the Laotian American Society in Atlanta, in the US state of Georgia. Photo: Instagram/sabaideeatlanta 'I think the visibility and increased participation of organisations in Asian Pacific Heritage Month activities is also an indication of the increasing voice of Asian-American and Pacific Islanders in civic life more generally,' said Karen Umemoto, director of the Asian-American Studies Centre at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Advertisement 'And also an indication of the spaces that we've come to collectively enter to be able to create those.'
The Star
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Poll finds quarter of non-Asian Americans consider Chinese-Americans a possible threat
One in four non-Asian Americans regard Chinese-Americans as a potential threat, especially related to national security, while four in 10 fear that Asian-Americans have greater allegiance to their countries of origin than to the United States, according to a poll released on Thursday. The results from an Asian American Foundation survey come as US-China relations plummet and add to concerns in the diverse community about the ability to assimilate at a time of growing social tension. 'The poll underscores a troubling and ongoing disconnect between how Asian-Americans are perceived and how we actually experience life,' said Norman Chen, the foundation's chief executive, citing a rising societal belief in the stereotype of the 'perpetual foreigner'. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. 'That has real consequences for our safety, sense of belonging and pathways to prosperity in this country,' Chen added. The foundation has conducted the 'Socially Tracking of Asian Americans in the United States' (Staatus) survey since 2021 in a bid to monitor American perceptions, blunt discrimination and expand outreach. The 4,909 survey respondents included 1,373 Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders and the rest non-Asians from a range of ethnic, racial, educational and income backgrounds. Where relevant, respondents were not asked to weigh in on their own group. Among the survey's findings, some 63 per cent of Asian-Americans reported feeling unsafe in day-to-day situations and fearful they would be victims of discrimination through at least the end of this decade, twice the level for whites. The polling comes amid growing xenophobia and intolerance in American society as US President Donald Trump's administration and its supporters upend tradition and set new standards for national loyalty, migration, racial dynamics, education and citizenship – including rights enshrined in the constitution for those born in the US. 'The increased positioning of China as an enemy in political discourse clouds perceptions of all Chinese Americans,' the survey's authors wrote. 'This mistrust can lead to hate and violence.' The percentage of non-Asian respondents who believed that Asian-Americans are more loyal to their countries of origin than the US has doubled since 2021 – driven by a range of stated concerns over national security, different cultures and values, their impact on the job market, public health worries and their admission to elite universities. 'It's always easier to blame the 'other' when we don't know about it,' said Ophelia Chong, Los Angeles-based co-founder of Asian Americans for Cannabis Education, an advocacy group. 'Unfortunately, the present administration is not helping that. It's deflection, creating a fear of others.' There were some signs of progress. A majority of non-Asian Americans, for example, expressed support for learning more about Asian history, racism and discrimination in school. And 90 per cent signalled interest in spending more time in Chinatowns and other ethnic enclaves. But those views did not necessarily align with perceptions the community held, the survey found. More than six in 10 Asian-Americans reported feeling unsafe in some part of their daily lives over the past year, including half who said they had been insulted; more than a third who reported being harassed or threatened; and one in seven who told of physical attacks. Most saw little prospect of their situations improving any time soon. 'There's a perception that everything's fine,' said Sruthi Chandrasekaran, who helped lead the study. 'This obviously shows us that there's so much more that needs to be done.' The community also appears to have a branding problem as 'the model minority'. Non-Asian largely describe Asian-Americans as 'smart', 'hard-working' and 'good at maths', stereotypes that discount the group's enormous diversity; that have been used as a divisive cudgel against other minorities; and that create unrealistic expectations, even mental health problems, in individuals. The flip side of this is the stereotype that Asians are less likely to be leaders in US society and the workplace compared to whites – a situation that Asian-Americans refer to as the 'bamboo ceiling' – in sync with perceptions that Asian-Americans are highly competent but insular and not always likeable or socially adept. 'This combination of perceptions creates a complex mix of admiration, resentment and envy,' the survey's authors said. Another long-standing Asian-American concern has been their treatment as a 'perpetual foreigner' in American society, even if their families have lived in the US for generations, and a racist 'yellow peril' trope that those originating in East Asia represent a threat to Western civilisation. The survey also found that just 44 per cent of non-Asian Americans thought the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II was wrong. 'Both the yellow peril and model minorities stereotypes have been used to cast suspicion on the loyalty of Asian immigrants and Asian-Americans during times of international tensions with Asian countries,' the report said. 'This has led to discrimination, hate and violence during World War II, the Vietnam war, after 9/11 and most recently the Covid-19 pandemic.' To the extent views of ethnic and racial communities are shaped by prominent individuals and media, the survey found that Asian-Americans left a pretty faint footprint. One in four non-Asian Americans said they had no personal relationship with an Asian-American, while four in 10 could not name a famous one Among those who could, martial artist film stars Jackie Chan – who is not American – and Bruce Lee, who died a half-century ago, led, followed by the 2024 presidential candidate, former US vice-president Kamala Harris, at just 11, 6 and 4 per cent respectively. Similarly, a like amount were unable to name a movie with an Asian-American character. Among younger Americans, however, Japanese anime and South Korean K-dramas and K-pop were influential. 'You have films like Crazy Rich Asians , so they're starting to break through,' said David Lei, a San Francisco-based board member of the Chinese Historical Society of America who moved to the US from Taiwan when he was seven. 'If you look at the credits at the end of movies, the Asians have moved into Hollywood,' Lei added. 'It will naturally change in the next decade.' Nor does the ill-fitting 'Asian-American' demographic, often shorthand for the Asian-American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community, accurately reflect the communities' expansive diversity, the survey found. Representing at least 20 different countries from Japan to Cambodia, the demographic accounts for more than 24 million people, some 7 per cent of the US population. And while Asian men are strongly represented in well-paid tech fields, the community also has the nation's widest income disparity, with below-average benchmarks for female Asian-Americans and huge numbers of low-wage workers in cooking, manicurist and healthcare jobs. 'The way the US-China relationship has been has really determined the American opinion of Chinese people,' said Casey Ly, Taiwanese-American co-founder of Bloom Brand, a Los Angeles-based vape company. Ly added that African-Americans and other minorities faced at least as much discrimination. 'The vast majority of non-Asians don't really have a lot of contact with Chinese people – or Chinese culture.' More from South China Morning Post: For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2025.
