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THE ASIAN AMERICAN HOUR has gotten bigger - we are now on the air weekly on public radio WAIF-CINCINNATI 88.3 FM and our broadcast time has moved to prime-time THE ASIAN AMERICAN HOUR CONTINUES 14 YEARS ON THE AIR WITH WAIF 88.3 FM - Date of First Broadcast: 6/7/2001 THE ASIAN AMERICAN HOUR will continue to feature talk, and music, and other good things with a discernable slant towards Asian American affairs, immigration, and many other issues of interest to our community-at-large. THE ASIAN AMERICAN HOUR is produced and hosted by Charleston Wang with Mary Joan Reutter as co-host, together with our distinguished guests. So, tune in to THE ASIAN AMERICAN HOUR on WAIF-CINCINNATI 88.3 FM. every Monday 5-6 PM. Get the latest on the Asian American community in Cincinnati, the fast growing & mobile community in the Tri-state. After listening to the THE ASIAN AMERICAN HOUR, e-mail us direct feedback and thoughts by clicking here. If you or a friend wish to be a guest on THE ASIAN AMERICAN HOUR, please let us know. Tune in to THE ASIAN AMERICAN HOUR every Monday 5 - 6 PM on WAIF 88.3 FM Cincinnati on the air, or listen Via internet streaming audio from anywhere in the world by clicking here. |
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August 3, 2015 - Ms. Leila Kubesch August 10, 2015-Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki August 17, 2015 - Fighting the Scourge of Heroin August 24, 2015 - Birthright Citizenship & the 14th Amendment |
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A WIN IN THE U.S. SIXTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS. On August 18, 2014 in Nifadev v. Holder, (Case No. 13-3704/4222
6th Cir. 2014), the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held that Mikheil B. Nifadev has proven his claim that he
had suffered persecution by reason of his Russian ethnicity at the hands of the security and regular police of Uzbekistan. The
Court vacated the decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) in Washington, D.C. which had denied Mr. Nifadev asylum,
and the Court remanded the case with additional instructions to the United States Attorney General, including that the BIA should
determine whether the BIA should also reconsider its denial of Nifadev’s application for withholding of removal and protection
under Convention Against Torture (abbreviated CAT for Convention Against Torture And Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment of the United Nations) in light of the opinion of the Court. The Sixth Circuit opinion essentially and
explicitly held that "[b]ecause the IJ [Immigration Judge] appears to have erred in her determination that Nifadev did not suffer
past persecution and because the IJ clearly misinterpreted Nifadev’s credible testimony regarding the ethnic animus of the
Uzbekistan security officials, we find that Nifadev has made out a credible case of being a refugee under the definitions of 8 U.S.
C. § 1158(b)(1)(A)." [Emphasis added]. The United States Immigration Court in Cleveland, Ohio, had initially found Mr. Nifadev
and his witnesses to be credible but declined to grant asylum because it erroneously determined that Mr. Nifadev had NOT
suffered persecution. Shown in photograph on the right is Mr. Mikheil B. Nifadev with Charleston C. K. Wang, Esq. who
represented Mr. Nifadev during trial and both appeals. To read the complete opinion, please click here.
6th Cir. 2014), the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held that Mikheil B. Nifadev has proven his claim that he
had suffered persecution by reason of his Russian ethnicity at the hands of the security and regular police of Uzbekistan. The
Court vacated the decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) in Washington, D.C. which had denied Mr. Nifadev asylum,
and the Court remanded the case with additional instructions to the United States Attorney General, including that the BIA should
determine whether the BIA should also reconsider its denial of Nifadev’s application for withholding of removal and protection
under Convention Against Torture (abbreviated CAT for Convention Against Torture And Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment of the United Nations) in light of the opinion of the Court. The Sixth Circuit opinion essentially and
explicitly held that "[b]ecause the IJ [Immigration Judge] appears to have erred in her determination that Nifadev did not suffer
past persecution and because the IJ clearly misinterpreted Nifadev’s credible testimony regarding the ethnic animus of the
Uzbekistan security officials, we find that Nifadev has made out a credible case of being a refugee under the definitions of 8 U.S.
C. § 1158(b)(1)(A)." [Emphasis added]. The United States Immigration Court in Cleveland, Ohio, had initially found Mr. Nifadev
and his witnesses to be credible but declined to grant asylum because it erroneously determined that Mr. Nifadev had NOT
suffered persecution. Shown in photograph on the right is Mr. Mikheil B. Nifadev with Charleston C. K. Wang, Esq. who
represented Mr. Nifadev during trial and both appeals. To read the complete opinion, please click here.
| HEARING FROM GIANTS OF CIVIL RIGHTS IN CINCINNATI AND AMERICA |
| WITH JUDGE NATHANIEL JONES & MARIAN SPENCER, FORMER VICE MAYOR OF CINCINNATI |
| (October 24, 1920- December 31, 2014) |
Where Was the Second Amendment When
Mr. John Crawford III Needed It Most?
The Walmart silent surveillance video seems to show an man wandering up
and down an aisle talking on his cell phone. In one hand he was waving what
appeared to be a rifle and at no one in particular. The video ends with
armed police officers rushing towards the man who falls to the ground. We
now know that the man was a 22 year old African American who had entered
the store to shop. At the time he was fatally shot, he was talking to his
girlfriend on the cell and did not appear to have heard any police warnings to
surrender. The "rifle" turned out to be a toy he had taken from a display
shelf, a pellet gun which was already out of its box.
The Walmart store is located in Beavercreek, a suburb of Dayton, Ohio.
Respecting firearms, Ohio is an open-carry state - this means a law abiding
citizen has the right to carry a rifle or handgun openly in public without
breaking the law and a police permit is required only for concealed carry.
Stores such as Kroger has gone on record as welcoming shoppers who
choose to carry firearms and has declined to restrict guns inside their stores.
The right of the people to keep and bear arms in the United States is so
cherished a right that it is enshrined in the Second Amendment, albeit for the
reason that "a well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free
state." So, the question remains of why was Mr. John Crawford III shot to
death?
The Ohio special prosecutor explained that "the officers had just been trained
in responding to active shooters two weeks before, and were taught to be
aggressive." In today's law enforcement thinking, an "active shooter" is
defined by the U S Department of Homeland Security as "an individual
actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and
populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms(s) and there is
no pattern or method to their selection of victims." Was John Crawford III an
active shooter who required aggressive police response?
The police had been summoned by a telephone call by another shopper who
reported that there “was a gentleman walking around with a gun in the store,”
that “he’s like pointing it at people” and the man appeared to be "loading
what looked like a rifle," and was “waving it back and forth.” He also reported
that the man was African American. Other than this one caller who later
retracted some of his statements, no one else has apparently come forward
to complain of having been threatened by Mr. Crawford. Ironically, the other
fatal victim was a woman shopper who died from a heart attack after the
police had opened fire.
In conclusion, I would like to return to the Second Amendment guarantee of
the right to keep and bear arms. Unless the owner of a store imposes
additional restrictions, a law abiding citizen has the right under Ohio law and
the U S Constitution to carry a rifle openly in public. The citizen is not
breaking any law and certainly may not be arrested (unless, for example, for
entering a restricted premise such as bar or concealed carry in a church).
The supreme irony is that Mr. Crawford was not even carrying a firearm and
did not appear to pretend to threaten anyone with the toy gun he had picked
up from a department store shelf. One is left bewildered, saddened, and
wondering whether is there any other reason to deprive him of life?
Respectfully submitted, Mr. Crawford died on August 5, 2014.
Charleston C. K. Wang, First published in WANGNEWS in January 2015.
Mr. John Crawford III Needed It Most?
The Walmart silent surveillance video seems to show an man wandering up
and down an aisle talking on his cell phone. In one hand he was waving what
appeared to be a rifle and at no one in particular. The video ends with
armed police officers rushing towards the man who falls to the ground. We
now know that the man was a 22 year old African American who had entered
the store to shop. At the time he was fatally shot, he was talking to his
girlfriend on the cell and did not appear to have heard any police warnings to
surrender. The "rifle" turned out to be a toy he had taken from a display
shelf, a pellet gun which was already out of its box.
The Walmart store is located in Beavercreek, a suburb of Dayton, Ohio.
Respecting firearms, Ohio is an open-carry state - this means a law abiding
citizen has the right to carry a rifle or handgun openly in public without
breaking the law and a police permit is required only for concealed carry.
Stores such as Kroger has gone on record as welcoming shoppers who
choose to carry firearms and has declined to restrict guns inside their stores.
The right of the people to keep and bear arms in the United States is so
cherished a right that it is enshrined in the Second Amendment, albeit for the
reason that "a well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free
state." So, the question remains of why was Mr. John Crawford III shot to
death?
The Ohio special prosecutor explained that "the officers had just been trained
in responding to active shooters two weeks before, and were taught to be
aggressive." In today's law enforcement thinking, an "active shooter" is
defined by the U S Department of Homeland Security as "an individual
actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and
populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms(s) and there is
no pattern or method to their selection of victims." Was John Crawford III an
active shooter who required aggressive police response?
The police had been summoned by a telephone call by another shopper who
reported that there “was a gentleman walking around with a gun in the store,”
that “he’s like pointing it at people” and the man appeared to be "loading
what looked like a rifle," and was “waving it back and forth.” He also reported
that the man was African American. Other than this one caller who later
retracted some of his statements, no one else has apparently come forward
to complain of having been threatened by Mr. Crawford. Ironically, the other
fatal victim was a woman shopper who died from a heart attack after the
police had opened fire.
In conclusion, I would like to return to the Second Amendment guarantee of
the right to keep and bear arms. Unless the owner of a store imposes
additional restrictions, a law abiding citizen has the right under Ohio law and
the U S Constitution to carry a rifle openly in public. The citizen is not
breaking any law and certainly may not be arrested (unless, for example, for
entering a restricted premise such as bar or concealed carry in a church).
The supreme irony is that Mr. Crawford was not even carrying a firearm and
did not appear to pretend to threaten anyone with the toy gun he had picked
up from a department store shelf. One is left bewildered, saddened, and
wondering whether is there any other reason to deprive him of life?
Respectfully submitted, Mr. Crawford died on August 5, 2014.
Charleston C. K. Wang, First published in WANGNEWS in January 2015.
A LETTER FROM AN ASIAN AMERICAN
I experienced both harassment from Oakland police, when I was living there and survived a "knock-out" group attack by some young and I mean young (baby-faced teenagers ages from around 13
to 18), similar to the attack on Pat Mahaney.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ohio-man-beaten-teens-year-dies-article-1.1399794
So, I experienced both side of the coin, one was harassment from Oakland police officer. As I was practicing my Kung Fu at Lake Merrit, they decided to practice their horse ridding skills, in the area
that I was occupying, when they originally were on the bottom of the hill. I don't know why they made the decision to go up the hill and practice their horses through my workout area. The lady officer
actually came close to me and said something like "get out of the way" as she rode her horse past me. I said something like "no way, I was here first b*tch." An older male officer came by me
afterwards and said: "If you get robbed or assaulted, don't come looking for us." I was very much pissed off and wanted to cuss him out, but held my tongue. That occurred during the summertime,
when I did my morning exercise in the parks.
Later on, in the winter time, a group of eight to ten of young African American baby faced teenagers asked me for some money, I was carrying a backpack and wearing a heavy coat. I told them that
I didn't have any and proceeded to walk home. This occurred after a long day at work. A big baby faced (12 or 13 year old) did a flying scissors kick on me and brought me down. The gang of
young thugs proceeded to kick and punch me. I initially did not fight back, thinking that "what would the media report"? Since I vividly remembered what happened during the LA Riots....Asians:
Korean, Japanese, Chinese as well as whites were targets of rage by the black community due to the negative biased media reporting of the woman Korean shop owner who shot the "innocent 12
year old black girl" - unfortunately the news just showed soundbites or clips of the video, but not the whole video. The Korean shop owner was probably about 4 foot tall and dwarfed to the big
African-American 12 year old. The videos did not show the girl stealing, but a physical fight started when asked to pay for some bottled juice. The shop owner claimed she reacted in self-defense
and shot the "12 year old." I imagined what the news would spin on me. Would they say an adult Asian man with martial arts background beat up a group of black kids?
However, since I was on the ground and receiving a lot of punches and kicks to my head and body - God was gracious to give me a vision of my young son. This was not the time to "turn the other
cheek" but the time to fight back! I had to fight for my life as well as consider the future of my family. What would have happened if they actually beat me to death? Who would take care of my
family? Would the African-American community rise up and protest against their youthful thugs? - I don't think so!
You may think that I am against blacks and white cops due to my experiences, however I remember the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. what matters most is not the color of the skin but the actions
Thug culture glamorizes violence, disrespect for authority, gangs, disrespect for women, for police, etc., There are many respectable people in the African American community, however, I do not
hear many of them denounce the thuggish behavior of their teens, and take self responsibility for their own actions - especially if they are perceived as a threat.
Coming back to Cincinnati, I have experienced racial profiling by police (in the Tristate) and calmly stated my right to free speech, as well as requesting that they provide a warrant if they wanted to
search my car. I also remember a couple years back of a couple young African American men that target Chinese restaurant workers and robbed them of their money. I do not believe that
everything is racially motivated, unless they state: "This is for Trayvon" or something similar before a person is attacked. I also question the federal government involvement in both Trayvon Martin
and Michael Brown case and wonder if it were you or me that was attacked by a group of young black thugs or shot by a policeman if the Department of Justice would do an investigation on our
case. - I seriously doubt that. I do believe that both the president and head of the DOJ got involved because of their race, there are many incidences of black on white crime that is not reported
widely on national TV and there are no protests and looting due to that. I did not hear Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Obama, or Eric Holder condemn the knock out game against victims of
Vietnamese descent. I guess Asian lives do not matter.
http://www.kmov.com/news/local/St-Louis-man-gets-life-sentence-in-fatal-knockout-game-attack-205791291.html
A Letter from an Asian-American. Opinions expressed are that of the author.
| AMONG THE GIANTS |
| WITH JUDGE S. ARTHUR SPIEGEL |
Pursuant to the Sixth Circuit opinion, the BIA on January 5, 2015, ordered the Immigration Court to grant asylum to Mr. Nifadev.
To read the BIA order, please click here.
To read the BIA order, please click here.
JULY 4th IN THE CITY OF MONTGOMERY, OHIO
| THE VILLAGE OF SILVERTON, OHIO SAYING GOOD-BYE TO OFFICER SONNY KIM |
Cincinnati Police Officer Sonny Kim was killed while responding to a citizen's call on July 19, 2015. He was 48 and is interred at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery
May angels surround him, and saints welcome him in peace.
POSSIBILITIES
Reflections On Life In the Turn Lane
By Beverly Jones - January 3, 2015
There! I have done it. I typed 2015 for the first time. No bells rang, no winds blew. Just another date. Except,
no – it is not. Since we seem to be a stock-taking species – and since everywhere I look there are reviews of
the past year and hopes for a new year – I, too, am drawn into this game. I don’t want this time to slide by – as
if it is just like going to the grocery store – one event more or less like every other one.
The scheme of looking back in order to see forward appeals to me. And since I’m weary of anything divisive I
look to see if there’s something in the past that could help bring my community – and others – to a more
harmonious, or at least, a more accommodating future. In other words, can we continue our forward march
toward justice and peace amid this era of toddlers shooting their mothers with guns lying around loose, and of
isolated and depressed teen-agers stepping in front of semis, or our too common police-public showdowns?
I found something: Cincinnati’s Ferguson-moment in 2001 when a young, unarmed black man, Timothy
Thomas, was killed by a white Cincinnati policeman. As I recall this sad event turned into marches and more
when the “powers” tried to manage the information released to the public to protect themselves.
Because of some creative and concerned folk, a community conversation evolved from this incident that had a
lasting, although not perfect, outcome for the city. The result of this explosive situation was not more marching
and more arrests and more artillery. The process of that conversation – where some 3,000 people
participated, fascinates me. It would seem to hold promise for other communities and it moved Cincinnati
toward greater compassion and justice at that time.
The outcome of that conversation was (is) called The Cincinnati Collaborative Agreement. The process that
created it was designed and organized by Jay Rothman and the Aria Group – consultants in conflict resolution.
This process was our version of South Africa’s Reconciliation Commission and taught those who
participated that democratic goals can actually create compromises and bring polarizing positions
into the open where serious citizens can whittle them down.
How it worked:
“Thus began one of the most remarkable aspects of the process – one that had never been done elsewhere,
according to Rothman. He and his colleagues turned Cincinnati into several identity groups: African Americans,
whites, youth, leaders of religious organizations and social service agencies, business and foundation leaders,
educators, police and their families, city employees, and other minority groups. They asked each group to give
them their vision of a future in which community-police relations were healed.
The groups met separately and in circles of 6 to 8 people expressed how they felt about the current crisis and
what they wanted to see for the future. What impressed me the most was how the “elected” leaders of each
group then formed a “fishbowl” and word-smithed a summary for the entire group.
I was in the education group and from 300 +/ people participating, 10 or so group leaders began writing
the recommendations by following Rothman’s prodding and questioning. The results were projected by
computer onto a large screen so everyone could see the wording.
People from the small groups sat behind their fishbowl “leader” and through sotto voice communications
acknowledged or disagreed with a conclusion. Changes were made right before our eyes. Consensus
ruled.
I have never forgotten the seriousness and intensity with which we all participated. We strangers
became a community.
At the end of that process for all the identity groups, negotiations began – legal, police, citizens - to carry out
the conclusions. This is where it almost broke down:
“At times the negotiators were close to quitting, which would have sent the lawsuit back to the courtroom, but
participatory democracy won out, Rothman says. Dozens of times he told them:“ We have to live up to the
mandate we were given by these 3500 people who asked us for some different future.” This is what ultimately
kept them working and reminded all the parties to be bigger than themselves.”
This was such an exhilarating process and result that I can’t help but think it could be used for other intractable
problems: our environmental and economic crises. In the absence of precipitating critical unrest
(marches and riots) over these issues, citizens would have to demand such a process be tried.
That’s my fantasy for the future: that participatory democracy could sit down, find out how we think
and feel about economic injustice and environmental devastation , set goals and keep working at
it till we have some concrete results. Cincinnati proved the lamb can lie down with the lion. Beverly Jones.
On June 2, 2015, the
Charleston & Shirley Wang
ESL Award was presented
to Mr. Shoyo Hakozaki,
graduating Senior of
Sycamore High School,
Hamilton County, Ohio. This
ESL Award is presented
annually to the outstanding
Sycamore graduate who
studied English as a
Second Language.
Charleston & Shirley Wang
ESL Award was presented
to Mr. Shoyo Hakozaki,
graduating Senior of
Sycamore High School,
Hamilton County, Ohio. This
ESL Award is presented
annually to the outstanding
Sycamore graduate who
studied English as a
Second Language.
QUESTION: WILL YOU NAME A STREET IN CINCINNATI IN HONOR OF OFFICER SONNY KIM?