During his junior year at UC Berkeley, Charles Yan, an underground rapper under the moniker Chow Mane, had to research about his family business history for a class. As one of the only second-generation Asian-Americans in his predominately white class, Yan tried to weasel his way out of the assignment, explaining to his white classmates, […]
The Word
A Day in the Life of an “Angel”
“I’ve always dealt with climate change issues and the aftermath of climate change, but now that it’s in Puerto Rico it makes everything that I work hard for 10 times more important,” said Angel Morales, a 16-year-old community organizer for the United Puerto Ricans’ Organization of Sunset Park (UPROSE). The organization partnered with the Climate […]
Local students vote to ban Columbus Day
Twenty-six out of 30 fifth graders in Manhattan’s P.S. 3 in the West Village, voted to ban Columbus Day yesterday. The 10 and 11-year-old students agreed that Christopher Columbus no longer deserves to be hailed as an American hero The students gained their knowledge of the history of Christopher Columbus’s pillage into the “New World” […]
From Bangkok to New York: A Muay Thai Champion Settles Down in Manhattan
As he stepped onto the gym floor in a brown t-shirt, Coban Lookchaomaesaitong would not look like a five-time Muay Thai world champion to most. A broad smile creased his tanned features every other instant as he patiently instructed a beginner class about kicks. You could pass him in a downtown bodega and not notice […]
TABu: The Next Best Way to Pay for Your Drink
If you find yourself in a sleek, black-glass modern bar, a quintessence of 21st century New York nightlife, you might sense a slight discrepancy in its aesthetics when it comes time to pay. Once the bartender lugs out the clunky index card box of credit cards, her frantic shuffling for your card, though warranted, interrupts […]
Holiday Nostalgia Train
The Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Holiday “Nostalgia” Train is another reminder of the holiday spirit in the city. The train rolls down on the tracks between Second Avenue and Queens Plaza along the M line every Sunday through Christmas (November 27th, December 4th, 11th , 18th ). The train is made up of eight R1/9 subway […]
Is New York truly a bike-friendly city?
When I came back to New York in August after spending three months away, one of the first things I noticed was the increase in bike lanes. As someone who enjoys biking, I thought to myself: “That’s great! Now biking in the city is safer and I can finally get a Citi Bike membership,” which, conveniently, […]
Fight Night
There’s a buzz in the air of Queens Theatre. It’s 7 PM on a Saturday night, and rap is blaring through the speakers on either side of the stage. The crowd has just settled into their plush red theater seats. Their eyes gradually begin to fixate on the red boxing ring in the center of […]
Hare Krishna Movement
For most New Yorkers, passing by the orange sari-clad, dancing and singing people in Union Square or on the subway grounds is a normal sight. For the unaccustomed, it comes across as a curious scene. The clanging of bells, the beat of the drum and the rising chant of Hare Krishna often stop people in […]