November 18, 2008 by Chinatown Blogger.

The Asian American Resource Workshop is holding an event for author Michael Liu’s new book: “The Snake Dance of Asian American Activism: Community, Vision, and Power“.  This event will also serve as the annual membership meeting for the Asian American Resource Workshop. (Download PDF Snake Dance Flyer)

The mission of the Asian American Resource Workshop is to work for the empowerment of the Asian Pacific American community to achieve its full participation in the U.S. society. We are a member-based organization that seeks to document the diverse Asian Pacific American histories, experiences, and social conditions. Our resource and activities are used to respond to current Asian Pacific American issues and to promote Asian Pacific American identity.

Amazon’s description:
This text reinterprets a misunderstood epoch of the Asian American experience, the Asian American movement (AAM). The authors address the AAM’s dramatic impact on the direction of Asian American political and social activity beginning in the 1960s, particularly in terms of neighborhood redevelopment, civil rights, international solidarity, and the Jesse Jackson presidential campaigns. They argue that the movement became the vehicle to bring Asian American communities into the mainstream of civil life.

Date: Saturday, November 22, 2008
Time: 11:00 am-1:00 pm
Location: Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, 38 Ash St. Boston, MA

If you cannot attend, but would like a signed copy of book, please contact or RSVP by Wednesday, November 19 to (617) 426-5313 or email workshop@aarw.org

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November 7, 2008 by Chinatown Blogger.

The Boston Metro published an article on Nov 5, 2008 that, “…some voters in Chinatown were perplexed by a sample ballot that was being passed out apparently by an advocacy group to those waiting in line at The Metropolitan building on Oak Street.”

Then, a visitor to the Chinatown Blog, posted this comment : “As a Chinatown resident, I was very displeased to find that the ’sample ballot’ handed out while I waited in line to vote yesterday was actually ILLEGAL propaganda being distributed to voters. The ’sample ballots’ were already filled-in, and I saw voters using the samples as references for their votes! They were being handed out by an ‘advocacy’ group. I plan to do whatever it takes to bring attention to the illegal actions of the group.”

The Chinatown Blogger sent an email to the commenter if he had a copy of the sample ballot, whether if he knew which “advocacy group” they were from, and that he should forward any formal complaints to the City of Boston’s Elections Department. So far, this commenter has not replied.

Without some form of evidence and with such a short paragraph by the Metro newspaper as is their standard,  accusations of “illegal actions” may be too premature and even unwarranted unless there is clear evidence. To find out more on what actually happened, the Chinatown Blogger sent out inquiries by email and made some phone calls to investigate. The word is that Sample Ballots were distributed by the City of Boston legally to assist in voter education and registration, particularly to help communities with large limited-English speaking voters. The ballots are marked clearly as SAMPLE BALLOT and cannot be used as an actual ballot in the voting booths.

In regards to passing of literature outside of the voting booths, the law stipulates that campaign workers/volunteers can pass out literature to voters as long as the workers are 150 feet away from the voting booths. However, due to the density of Boston streets, sometimes 150 feet is not possible and at the Metropolitan voting place at 38 Oak Street, the poll workers/volunteers were instructed to stay outside of the courtyard beyond the metal gates.

From my inquiries, the director of the Chinese Progressive Association, a community organization based in Chinatown, wrote a response:

“Lydia Lowe, Director, Chinese Progressive Association
Reports on Tuesday’s election in the Chinatown Blog, Boston Globe and the Metro referred to potentially illegal electioneering by “an advocacy group.” One report charged that two volunteers of this organization were telling people whom to vote for in Chinese close to the polls, and another report claimed that the advocacy group was distributing sample ballots with bubbles filled in for all races but the presidency.

Since the Chinese Progressive Association (CPA) was the main non-profit advocacy group distributing literature outside at the polls yesterday, I want to clarify that none of our staff or representatives took part in any such electioneering. CPA conducted strictly non-partisan activity focused on distributing flyers opposed to Question One, provided a poster-sized version of a blank sample ballot that was fully translated into Chinese (including Chinese transliterations of candidate names), set up chairs all along the waiting line to accommodate elderly voters, and provided transportation to the polls from several elderly housing developments. CPA took no position on any of the candidates, and CPA representatives would never tell voters whom to select. We always distribute blank sample ballots, which are fully bilingual, in advance of the election, in order to allow Chinese-speaking voters to prepare and mark their own selections so that they have their own “key” to use when they enter the voting booth.

From what I observed, other campaign volunteers encouraged support for one candidate or another, and there was indeed a campaign piece in circulation that used a replica of the sample ballot and marked a slate of choices, but I believe all of this campaigning occurred legally, outside of the Metropolitan courtyard, an area determined by the warden to be a sufficient distance from the poll entrance.”

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November 3, 2008 by Chinatown Blogger.

 
Current photo of Hudson Street. Beyond the wall is the Albany Street/Surface Road ramp to I-93 and I-90.

The information in this post was graciously given to this site by Mitrophan Chin, a Chinese parishioner researching on the history of churches. This was the email (edited) sent by Mitrophan:

“I found out that there used to be Orthodox churches  on Hudson St… and they have since been relocated elsewhere after the Chinese immigrants took over the Syrian immigrant communities on that street. For the interest of your readers, here are their current location and websites, if you’re interested in creating some historical page on what is today is known as the Chinatown Gateway before any highway construction was done in the area… I myself am a Chinese parishioner of St Mary’s in Cambridge, MA and i frequently come to Chinatown for dimsum and visits of in-laws. -Mitrophan Chin”

The Chinatown/South Cove neighborhood was at one time an area of tidal flats. Different immigrant groups had settled in the area including the Irish, Jews, and Syrians. The center for the Irish community was the St. James Church on Albany Street and which later moved to Harrison Avenue. In the 1950s, the east side of Hudson Street was demolished to make way for highways.

Here are excerpts taken from the text of each church’s website.  Many thanks Mitrophan for sending the links:

1) St. George Syrian Orthodox, 32 Hudson, now at 55 Emmonsdale Road, West Roxbury

Photo taken from www.stgeorgeofboston.org

Founded in 1900, Father George Maloof of Deir el Ghazelle arrived in Boston and established the Chapel of St. George in his home at 6 Oxford Street. As the Orthodox population increased, the community moved to a larger facility at 38 Edinboro Street and then to 32 Hudson Street.

2) St. John of Damascus, Syrian Orthodox, 68 Hudson now at 300 West St., Dedham

Photo taken from www.stjohnd.org

The History of the Church of St. John of Damascus, in the United States dates back to the early 1900s. Our forbears, who emigrated to the United States from the Middle East, particularly from Damascus, Syria and Beirut, Lebanon brought with them the faith of their heritage. The migration, which was motivated in the aftermath of the Turkish persecutions, brought these freedom loving people to the shores of America. The majority of those who landed in Massachusetts settled in the South End of Boston, and were of the Eastern Orthodox faith.

These pilgrims had many trials and tribulations which they had to overcome, one of which was the language barrier. Still, the dire need for a Church facility was a primary focus of this community, and in 1914, the Society of St. John of Damascus purchased its first piece of real estate, a house on 68 Hudson Street in Boston. The facility on Hudson Street housed the Pastor, Father Solomon Faineny and his family on the first floor, and the basement was fashioned into a church for worship.

3) St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Syrian Orthodox Antiochian Church  Hudson near Oak St. now at 8 Inman St, Cambridge

The Church of St. Mary’s came into existence in 1928. It was founded by a group of families who had been parishioners of the Church of St. John of Damascus. This energetic group of families banded together to further the growth of the Orthodox Faith. These faithful and courageous individuals formed and organized the Antiochian Society of St. Mary’s Church, constituted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The first assemblage of the founders was held at the Greek Orthodox Church on Union Park Street, Boston. It was learned that the City of Boston had recently closed a school building at 119 Hudson Street, Boston, and that the city was seeking a buyer. Arrangements were made shortly thereafter to purchase the building, and to renovate the structure to serve as a Church.

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