波士頓雜誌選出100名最有影響力波士頓人 陳玉珍、Candice Wu上榜

               (Boston Orange 周菊子整理報導)波士頓環球報(Boston Globe)的波士頓雜誌，今日發表「最有影響力的100名波士頓人」，其中有2名華人，1人為波士頓華埠社區熟悉的華人錢進會主任陳玉珍，另1人為時裝店店東Candice Wu。                                                                     在這100人中，影響力排名第1的波士頓的疫苗製造者。撰文的David S. Bernstein指出，那是因為疫苗對去年情況有著比任何一個人都更大的影響，莫德納(Moderna)的執行長Stéphane Bancel和主席Noubar Afeyan的成就，也因此無人能及。                                                                                                                                                                                                                     在這100人中，包括排名第3的聯邦眾議員普莉斯來(Ayanna Pressley)，排名第4的麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)，排名第5的東方銀行主席暨執行長Bob Rivers，第8位起的聯邦參議員沃倫(Elizabeth Warren)，薩福克建築公司主席暨執行長John Fish，卡夫特集團董事長Jonathan Kraft，前愛默生學院校長，即將為波士頓基金會董事長的Lee Pelton，大波士頓商會董事長暨執行長Jim Rooney，麻州總檢察長奚莉(Maura Healey)，排名第16的麻州眾議會議長Ron Mariano等知名人物。                                                                                                                                                                                            名列最有影響力波士頓人榜的這2名華人，波士頓雜誌各有簡短介紹。  

               該文稱，很不幸的，陳玉珍最近的大部分工作，都是在倡議保護本地亞裔社區，對抗日益增加的反亞裔仇恨，以及新冠病毒危機的破壞性影響。單只是過去一年，華人前進會為家庭籌集了緊急資金，倡議住宅穩定，防止驅逐，爭取保護打工人，以免他們流離失所。之所以可能做到這一點，很大程度上是因為陳玉珍在過去這些時日中和市政府領導，勞工組織，慈善基金建立了密切關係。                                                                                        關於Candice Wu，該文稱2020年證明絕對沒有什麼事能夠讓Candice Wu的新娘禮服王國走岔路。儘管新冠病毒對新娘領域行業有著毀滅性影響，她那位於南端的店舖還遇上一次水災，作品經常登上全國性主要時尚雜誌的這位設計家，卻能夠推出一系列新作品，還奪得2020波士頓時尚獎的最佳時裝/正式設計師。至於店鋪嘛，去年秋天，她又開了嶄新的一家。

波士頓代市長Kim Janey錄影恭賀亞美傳統月 稱攜手制止反亞裔仇恨

波士頓代市長Kim Janey於5月1日下午4點06分，在推特上發佈長1分19秒視頻，稱5月是亞裔傳統月。

    視頻中，Kim Janey第二句話就直指重點，讓我們攜手制止反亞裔仇恨。

接下來，Kim Janey才說慶祝亞裔傳統月，誌記波士頓及全美亞裔在
文化及歷史上的貢獻，說明波士頓華埠(Chinatown)是全美第三大。

Kim Janey稱波士頓市內有許多亞裔社區，包括多徹斯特有越南裔，
其他地方有印度，柬埔寨，菲律賓，日本，韓國，台灣，巴基斯坦
等不同的亞裔社區。相信受到角逐市長大位競爭對手之一的吳弭
是台灣人後代的影響，Kim Janey在細數族裔時，竟然沒有提華裔，
反而點出台灣。她既而強調想要扶持在醫護領域工作者，感謝他們
在新冠疫情期間為大眾服務。今日和每一天，大家都要一起來慶祝
亞美傳統。

(以前所有圖片均為視頻截圖，https://twitter.com/i/status/1388585656604037127)

大學沙龍今晚(4/30)談針對亞裔的仇恨犯罪:美國聯邦調查局23年的數據告訴我們什麼

 

波士頓市府請公眾提意見 減輕自然災害

City of Boston Seeks Public Input for Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan Update

BOSTON - Friday, April 30, 2021 -The City of Boston’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is updating Boston’s 2014 Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (NHMP). The NHMP will identify projects to reduce the potential impacts from natural hazards like severe winter weather, flooding, and extreme heat. The planning process will focus on severity, probability, location, historical occurrences, climate change, and risk, with the goal of documenting past successes and challenges to better develop solutions for tomorrow. Equity and environmental justice considerations are key parts of this process. The City is being diligent and intentional about the makeup of this plan so that it reflects the diverse communities within our neighborhoods. The City recognizes overlaps between the NHMP update and related planning processes and is coordinating with projects and initiatives including Climate Ready Boston and the ongoing Heat Resilience Planning Study. “As Mayor of a coastal city, ensuring our communities are resilient from major threats is a key priority for my administration,” said Mayor Janey. “From flooding to extreme temperatures, we are committed to working with our residents to create innovative solutions to keep our city strong and resilient in the future.”  The City is seeking input from residents, which is vital to ensure the planning process is representative. Given COVID-19 restrictions, the City will be sharing resources to connect online, and will conduct two virtual public meetings in May and June to keep the community informed. You can take the following steps today to help the City plan for a more resilient future: Take an online survey to share your experiences of extreme events and ideas to increase resilience, available in English, Español, 简体中文, Kreyòl ayisyen, Tiếng Việt, Kriolu di Kabu Verdi.  Visit the project webpage for the latest information and a fact sheet, available in English, Español, 简体中文, Kreyòl ayisyen, Tiếng Việt, Kriolu di Kabu Verdi RSVP at tinyurl.com/BostonNHMPrsvp for our virtual public meeting on May 5th at 6:00 PM. Translation and interpretation are available at no cost in Español, 简体中文, Kreyòl ayisyen, Tiếng Việt, Kriolu di Kabu Verdi, but please contact us one week before the event to make arrangements in your preferred language (EngageOEM@boston.gov, LCA@boston.gov). For emergency alerts, including cold-weather alerts, residents are encouraged to sign up for Alert Boston.  Follow OEM on Twitter (@AlertBoston) and Facebook (City of Boston Office of Emergency Management), and the hashtags #ResilientBoston #BostonNHMP The NHMP update is funded by the Federal Emergency Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), which provides technical and financial support for state, tribal, and local governments to reduce risk and the potential impact of future disasters. The NHMP update will maintain the City’s eligibility for FEMA grant funding to continue protecting Boston against natural hazards. If you have any questions or would like to receive updates on this project, please contact EngageOEM@boston.gov.

波士頓市社區保存委員會撥款500萬元幫助首次購屋者

Mayor Kim Janey Announces the Community Preservation Committee Awarded $5 million to the ONE+Boston First Time Homebuyer Program The new funding will increase homeownership rates in Boston’s neighborhoods

 

BOSTON - Friday, April 30, 2021 - Building on her commitment to equity and stable housing in Boston, Mayor Kim Janey today announced that the City's Community Preservation Committee (CPC) awarded $5 million, for inclusion in the FY’21 funding round of the Community Preservation Act (CPA) to the Boston Home Center’s ONE+Boston First-Time Homebuyer Program. The ONE+Boston program gives income-qualified, first-time Boston homebuyers a greater ability to purchase a home in Boston by combining a discount on a low-interest rate mortgage product with down payment/closing assistance. The ONE+Boston program includes the City’s first affordable mortgage product to be created specifically for low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers who currently live in Boston.  The vote on the Mayor's recommended slate of projects for Community Preservation Funding was approved by the Boston City Council on Wednesday, March 31st. This additional funding will create more homeownership opportunities for low- and middle-income families and families of color. The ONE+Boston program was created by a partnership between the City of Boston, the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP), the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA), and several participating banks.  “The ONE+Boston program creates opportunities to make the dream of owning a home a reality for many Boston residents,” said Mayor Janey. “I want to thank the Community Preservation Committee for their support to expand the ONE+Boston Homebuying Program for qualified first-time homebuyers. The ability for families to purchase a home for a lower rate will increase generational wealth and help address income disparity, thus creating pathways for equity and wealth building in our communities.” The City of Boston funds generated from the Community Preservation Act will finance a permanent reduction in the interest rate of a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and offer downpayment/closing cost assistance for income-eligible residents buying their first home within Boston. The interest-rate reduction means new homebuyers can afford a larger mortgage at a lower monthly payment that is still affordable to them, and ultimately, translates into more buying power for the new homebuyer. Five of the Boston Home Center’s Participating Lenders currently offer the Boston ONE+ Program: Boston Private Bank, Santander, Cambridge Trust, Citizens Bank, and the City of Boston Credit Union.  “Thousands of Boston families, including mine, have benefited from the then Soft Second, now the ONE+ program, which was originally developed 30 years ago to address racial disparities in lending,” said Symone Crawford, Director of Homeownership Education for MAHA. “Today, we are excited to build on that program with Mayor Janey, MHP, and participating banks which will help Boston residents buy in Boston and will help us make progress in closing the racial homeownership gap."  ONE+Boston was created to enhance the purchasing power of first-time homebuyers earning less than 100% of Area Median Income (AMI), or $95,200 for a two-person household. Homes purchased through this program may be market-rate, or income-restricted.  “Thanks to the commitment of CPA funds, ONE+Boston will expand our ability to help moderate-income households and people of color,” said Elliot Schmiedl, MHP’s homeownership director. “We’re thrilled to partner with Mayor Janey and the Boston Home Center to help more people build wealth through homeownership in Boston.” Since ONE+Boston was rolled out in June 2020, the Boston Home Center has received and processed more than 240 applications, and more than 70 Boston residents have successfully purchased new homes. Of these new homebuyers, more than 70% of those helped by the ONE+Mortgage Program are households of color, and 60% of the new homebuyers earned at or below 80% of AMI or $76,200 for a two-person household. "As a first time home buyer nothing is more stressful than navigating the home buying process." said Gisell Bello, a resident of Roxbury buying a home in Hyde Park. "The ONE+ Program and the Boston Home Center gave me the support, knowledge, and funding to help me purchase a beautiful new home for my family in a neighborhood I love. I would not have been able to buy this home without this program and the help of Urban Edge throughout the buying process. My children and I are so happy with the outcome. I can't thank the Boston Home Center and Mayor Janey enough for their commitment to the ONE+ Program."  The ONE+Boston program is one of several city resources available to first-time homebuyers in Boston. Through the Boston Home Center, the City’s one-stop-shop for homebuyers and homeowners, residents can receive assistance in purchasing, improving, and keeping their home through a suite of resources including training, financial help and counseling to first-time homebuyers, guidance, and funding for homeowners for home improvements, and counseling to help families avoid foreclosure. The Home Center also markets homes developed for income-eligible, first-time homebuyers.  For more information about how to apply for the ONE+Boston program, go here. About the Department of Neighborhood Development (DND) The Department of Neighborhood Development is responsible for housing people experiencing homelessness, developing affordable housing, and ensuring that renters and homeowners can find, maintain, and stay in their homes. As part of the ongoing coronavirus response, the Office of Housing Stability is also conducting tenant’s rights workshops to educate residents about the eviction moratorium and their rights. The Boston Home Center continues to provide down payment assistance to first-time home buyers and home repairs for seniors and low-income residents. The Supportive Housing Division works with various partners around the city to rapidly house individuals who are experiencing homelessness. For more information, please visit the DND website. About the Community Preservation Act (CPA) After Boston voters adopted the CPA in November 2016, the City created a Community Preservation Fund. This fund is capitalized primarily by a one percent property tax-based surcharge on residential and business property tax bills that began in July 2017. The City uses this revenue to fund initiatives consistent with statewide CPA guidelines: affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space and public recreation. The funding of any project requires a recommendation from the Community Preservation Committee and appropriation by the City. For more information, please visit the Community Preservation webpage.

麻州撥款七千萬元推暑期學習計畫

 Baker-Polito Administration Launches Summer Learning Programs, More Than $70 Million in Funding for Schools and Community Partners Across the Commonwealth 

CANTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced the establishment of summer learning opportunities and the availability of more than $70 million in funding for school districts and community organizations to offer summer learning and recreational programs that will help students, who have been impacted by a year of remote and hybrid learning, grow academically and socially.

Students at every grade level will have opportunities to take part in a mix of academic and recreational programs offered at schools, after-school providers, community colleges and recreation sites. Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Education Secretary James Peyser and Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley made the announcement while visiting Galvin Middle School in Canton, where school officials are planning to boost learning opportunities for students this summer.

All middle schools in the Commonwealth were required to return to full time in-person learning this week. Elementary schools returned on April 5, and high schools will be required to return by May 17.

“Our administration has long maintained that children are best served academically, socially and emotionally when learning in-person and in the classroom,” said Governor Baker. “After a challenging school year for students, teachers and staff, the focus must now shift to recouping any learning loss experienced remotely to ensure that our children are equipped for success in the classroom and beyond.”

“As students and teachers return to the routine of learning in classrooms, it is time to partner with schools and communities across the Commonwealth to provide opportunities to students in all grades to learn and have fun this summer,” said Lt. Governor Polito. “To support this effort, our administration has developed several options schools can choose from and will make funding available to cover the costs.”

“As important as this summer will be to jumpstarting educational recovery, we must all embrace the reality that this will not be a one-and-done project,” said Education Secretary James Peyser. “It will be a challenge we will continue work to resolve for both individual children and our public education system as a whole.”

“We are providing students access to academics as well as enrichment opportunities to help them grow and keep connected to school this summer,” said Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley. “I hope all districts across the Commonwealth take advantage of these programs and this funding the Administration has made available.”

Acceleration Academies

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will help school districts launch Acceleration Academies, which allow students to learn and build skills working intensively on one subject in small, hands-on learning environments with excellent teachers.

Students benefit from small class sizes, longer uninterrupted instructional blocks, individualized attention, project-based lessons and teacher flexibility for learning time. The Baker-Polito Administration will commit up to $25 million in grants for districts to operate Acceleration Academies using federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Response (ESSER) discretionary funds. This will be a multi-year program that the Department anticipates will impact more than 50,000 students statewide each year.

Acceleration Academies will include: 

• Early Literacy Academies for incoming kindergarteners, rising 1^st and 2^nd graders; and

• Math Acceleration Academies for rising 3^rd and 4^th graders, as well as 8^th and 10^th graders.

Summer School Matching Grants

DESE will also offer summer school matching grants, up to $15 million in federal ESSER funds, for school districts to offer 4-to-6-week, in-person programs with a mix of in-person academic and recreational activities. The Department is making these funds available to schools to enhance or expand their existing summer programs while also including mental health services and additional supports for students with individualized education plans and English learners.

Summer Acceleration to College

High school graduates from the Class of 2021 will be able to participate in Summer Acceleration to College, a new program that provides recent graduates access to credit-bearing math and English courses at no cost to them as they prepare for college.

Fourteen community colleges in the Commonwealth will participate in this program, expected to be funded at $1 million. 

Summer Step Up

The Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) will support school districts to offer Summer Step Up, a new program aimed at giving extra support to young learners entering school in the fall.

Young children, who have had limited in-school experiences due to the pandemic, will be able to take part in summer learning opportunities developed in conjunction with community partners to help prepare them for school. With pre-school and kindergarten enrollments down over the last year, Summer Step Up is an opportunity to engage young learners and accelerate learning while smoothing the transition to in-person learning for young children to provide them a stronger foundation for academic success. The Administration will commit up to $10 million to this program.

In addition to these programs, the Baker-Polito Administration will: 

• Provide early literacy tutoring grants this summer and during the 2021-22 school year, funded at $10 million.

• Launch a new K-8 Math Acceleration program to help teachers increase student learning over the summer and throughout the school year.

• Expand the Biggest Winner Math Challenge – which was piloted last summer – to serve approximately 2,500 gifted math students, costing approximately $2.5 million.

• Offer college courses over the summer for rising high school juniors and seniors who are enrolled in approved Early College programs, costing approximately $1 million.

• Help camps and community organizations expand educational enrichment as part of their existing summer programs by making at least $3 million in funding available.

To learn more, please contact DESESummerProgramming@mass.gov. 

空服員協會會長背書支持 吳弭宣佈設立勞工賦能長計畫

Candidate for Mayor Michelle Wu Receives Endorsement of Sara Nelson, President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, and Unveils Plan for Cabinet-Level Worker Empowerment Chief 

Photo by Chutze Chou

Press release from Michelle Wu's campaign team

Sara Nelson, President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
endorse Michelle Wu for Mayor of Boston. Photo by Chutze Chou

Boston, MA— City Councilor At-Large and Candidate for Mayor Michelle Wu was joined today by labor leaders Sara Nelson, President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Tom Mari, Secretary Treasurer of Teamsters Local 25, and Timothy Lasker, President of OPEIU Local 453, to unveil a new proposal to establish a cabinet-level Worker Empowerment Chief. They were also joined by Cambridge City Councilor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler and Brookline Select Board Member Raul Fernandez.

In recent years, the City of Boston has taken steps to legislate worker protections, but without protocols in place to proactively investigate and enforce has continued to see tragic and preventable fatalities. The responsibility for supporting workers and enforcing labor standards, as well as investing in workforce development, is currently spread across several City departments, resulting in a lack of coordination and accountability. 

As Mayor, Michelle will create a Cabinet-level Chief of Worker Empowerment with oversight and resources to advance working Bostonians -- ensuring transparency and accountability for wage theft, workplace safety, and other labor law violators; partnering with workers’ centers, unions, and community organizations to empower reporting and coordinate resources for workers to know their rights; setting policy to create sustainable career pathways in the new economy, especially for gig workers, care workers, and green jobs, and holding the city accountable to its own contracting laws. Read the full proposal HERE.

“In this pivotal moment, our economic recovery must center working families through building healthy, safe, and resilient communities. I have always been proud to stand with workers and labor unions to fight for equity, fair wages, and safe working conditions across our city. As Mayor, I will direct every resource in city government toward supporting our working families and coordinating our services for full accountability. It’s beyond time to create a cabinet-level Chief of Worker Empowerment to close gaps, elevate the dignity of work, and advance the well-being of all Boston workers and our communities,” said Michelle Wu.

“Michelle Wu’s leadership embodies Boston’s revolutionary spirit,” said Sara Nelson, President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. “Her commitment to workers’ rights, affordable housing, a free MBTA, and climate leadership, are a bold vision that will move the city forward. As we recover from this pandemic, her plan to create a new Cabinet-level Chief of Worker Empowerment should be a model for cities across the country. I stand fully behind Michelle Wu and her vision for a stronger Boston.”

“Throughout Michelle Wu’s career on the Council, her support has not wavered for our members. Teamsters Local 25 and the Rest of the Labor Movement have fought hard for the Middle Class to be able to not only live and work in the City of Boston…but thrive in the City of Boston. Michelle has not and will not waver in her commitment to Teamsters Local 25 and Organized Labor and will continue to fight side by side with us for these common values,” said Tom Mari, Secretary Treasurer of Teamsters Local 25.

“Michelle Wu’s proposal to establish a Cabinet Position of Chief of Worker Empowerment shows her commitment to focus on critical issues at the workplace.  It will create a more transparent process in negotiating future contracts within the government and the private sector to achieve better pay and benefits and a more diversified workforce. In the long run this will create a more efficient and productive workplace environment,” said Timothy W. Lasker, President/Business Agent of OPEIU Local 453.

Michelle has a long record of standing up for workers’ rights. In 2014, she passed the Healthcare Equity Ordinance, prohibiting discrimination in health care coverage for City employees based on gender identity. In 2015, she passed the Paid Parental Leave Ordinance, providing six weeks of paid leave for new moms and dads working for the City. Her Communications Access Ordinance, passed in 2016, guarantees translation and interpretation for residents with limited English proficiency, and assistive technology for residents with hearing or visual impairments to access City services. She also filed legislation to require a Fair Work Week for workers at city-contracted companies. 

Michelle is proud to be endorsed in the Mayor’s race by Teamsters Local 25, OPEIU Local 453 and the Alliance of Unions at the MBTA, and has the most labor endorsements in the race.

Councilor Wu’s proposal for a Cabinet-level Chief of Worker Empowerment follows her bold vision to close the childcare gap, transform our public schools, Boston Green New Deal and Just Recovery Plan, Food Justice Agenda, Digital Equity Agenda and more. 

紐英崙客家鄉親"上課" 羅烈師談傳統創新文化形成

陽明交通大學客家文化教授羅烈師。

            (Boston Orange)陽明交通大學客家文化教授羅烈師在為紐英崙客家鄉親會講談「傳統、創新與認同：客家民俗節慶介紹」時，直言文化的根本離不開人們的真實生活，輾轉相傳，因地制宜後，追究客家起源，不如探討客家形成的原因。

                        紐英崙客家鄉親會近期舉辦過多場客家文化起源講座，陸續有行政院客家委員會2019年客家終身貢獻獎得主朱真一，臺灣國立聯合大學客家研究學院院長林本炫，旁徵博引闡述，稱客家血源尚無定論，讓紐英崙客家鄉親深覺上了堂大課。

  紐英崙客家鄉親會會長宋玉琴。

               從清華大學取得人類學博士學位時，博士論文題目就是「台灣客家之形成」，目前在陽明交通大學擔任客家文化教授的羅烈師，以32頁簡報，綜述客家文化中天公與伯公等傳統，桐花祭，客家十二大節慶與六堆運動會，以及義民嘉年華所展現的民俗慶祝創新與認同。

            羅烈師指出，文化是生活方式的總和，包含物質條件，社會體制和精神等各種層面，民俗與節慶都涉及文化中的整合與認同，客家民俗節慶融合了漢文化，自有其特殊性。

他還進一步從不同角度解說客家民俗，在他會後提供的簡報上還註明，物質方面有民間美術，飲食，服飾，建築，風俗方面有家族、社會制度，婚喪祭祀，遊戲，舞蹈，音樂，宗教方面有民間信仰，靈魂轉世，妖怪，占卜，巫術，民俗療法，以及口傳文學的民間故事，神話，傳說，諺語，繞口令，歌謠等。

  紐英崙客家鄉親會前會長周一男夫婦。

             若以新窯灣年度儀式來談傳統，從政月十五繞境，許福，清明，慈悲娘娘聖誕，中緣盂蘭勝會，到十二月初一的還福，這些節慶時序，無論是從馬來西亞或台灣苗栗，基本同一脈絡，從水耕農業的運作，形成社會體制，並以伯公祭祀烘托出天地人之間的三合一關係。

               

紐英倫客家鄉親們聚會聽講。

近年來，台灣已從農業轉為工商為主的社會，為吸引年輕世代傳承，就出現了桐花祭，六堆運動會等創新形式的節慶活動。關於客家人也出現新論述，包括認為平埔族客家人中有很多是平埔族和當年占領台灣者所繁衍的後代等等。羅烈師認為，就像小時候他接受的教育讓他認為自己是炎黃子孫，但他的子女卻不這麼認為，「我們是什麼人」的認同和我們接受了什麼教育有很大關係。羅烈師以之為例的說，人們因此不必對民俗節慶過分執著，情境不同，文化會也自然的流動，創新。

               會末討論時，紐英崙客家鄉親會前會長周一男饒有興趣的追問客家緣起，事蹟。現任會長宋玉琴預告該會將於5月15日舉行年會。