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Honolulu, HI – The number of Japanese visitors in Hawaii hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels, which is weighing heavily on the state’s economy. While the yen’s recent rebound eased the burden of traveling for the Japanese tourists, three years of Covid restrictions in Japan – even after they’ve been lifted – seem to overshadow this […]
COVID-19 Pandemic
A virtual tourism experience in ZEPETO
Danavel Wenz Torres, a 25-year-old living in the Philippines, went to the airport to travel to Paris on an ordinary day in March. She turned on the camera and started vlogging. Masks were not required, and no one checked if she was vaccinated. After spending a while at the airport, pretending to wait for her […]
Outraged Chinese diasporas protest against the zero-COVID policy
If you went to the New York Halloween parade this year, did you see a group of 30 people dressed up in white medical suits and holding signs with Chinese characters? The long-going zero-COVID policy and violence against citizens in China have aroused anger of the Chinese diasporas. Most of the protesters were students and […]
Rylee Jean Ebsen Q & A
Storytelling came naturally to the award-winning filmmaker Rylee Jean Ebsen, who is the granddaughter of TV star Buddy Ebsen and comedian Stan Freberg, and also a graduate of NYU Film. She has directed commercials for the world’s largest brands, including Disney, Amazon, and Google. She was also one of the first employees at Snapchat, which […]
One Million Voices Rally: A fight for immigrant suffrage
Listen to this story as it appeared on WNYU here. Immigrant New Yorkers deserve a voice in their city. A super-majority has been secured on Introduction 1867, which would expand the right to vote in municipal elections to immigrant New Yorkers with legal permanent resident status or work authorization. To celebrate this achievement, on June […]
A Taste of Tijuana
Welcome to Los Mariscos—Manhattan’s hidden trace of Tijuana and Baja California. In this fast-paced feature package, I cover the restaurant’s cultural charm and examine its response to the pandemic.
Waving Goodbye to Latino’s Kiss-and-Hug Culture
With the uptick in social distancing guidelines and public health measures, Hispanics are experiencing a drastic shift in their ingrained customs, particularly in the traditional “kiss-and-hug” culture. Though greeting each other from afar may seem like a feasible alternative, Latinos across the country—from Miami to New York City to Los Angeles—know that the abrazo and […]
Year of the Ox: Our Hope for a Year of Hope
Will this year’s toned-down celebration permanently tamper with Chinese traditions? How are people virtually celebrating the Year of the Ox? How have traditions been modified?
Yeast, Water, and a Dash of Crisis: How a NYC bakery manager navigated the pandemic
In the autumn of 2020, Sarah Vitale, the bakery manager at She Wolf Bakery, would arrive at work at around five or six in the morning. She jump-started the day with an array of tasks, reviewing the orders put in by the bakery’s wholesale customers, checking inventory, and shaping baguettes in the kitchen. Each workday […]
A Return To Vibrancy: A Look At Dayton’s Latest Restoration Project
Nine buildings, taking up 500,000 square feet in Dayton’s central business district, have lay dormant for decades. With multiple setbacks over the years from financial stress and negotiations, as well as the changing of project leadership, it finally celebrated the grand opening for just one area, the Hub, in March of 2021. This virtual ceremony […]