''AsianWeek'' was America's first and largest English language print and on-line publication serving
Asian Americans
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous people ...
.
The news organization played an important role nationally and in the San Francisco Bay Area as the “Voice of Asian America”. It provided news coverage across all Asian ethnic groups.
''AsianWeeks nature was reflected in its name -- both its weekly frequency and its focus on a pan-ethnic Asian identity, as the only all English publication serving the Asian community.
''AsianWeek'' was one of the newspapers owned and operated by the
Fang family of San Francisco, with others including the
San Francisco Independent
The ''San Francisco Independent'' was the largest non-daily newspaper in the United States. It helped to popularize the free newspaper as a business model at the beginning of the 21st century, and also rescued the ''San Francisco Examiner'' from ...
and the
San Francisco Examiner
The ''San Francisco Examiner'' is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and published since 1863.
Once self-dubbed the "Monarch of the Dailies" by then-owner William Randolph Hearst, and flagship of the Hearst Corporat ...
. It was founded by
John Fang
John Ta Chuan Fang ( 27 May 1924 – 27 April 1992) was an American businessman, publisher, and writer based in San Francisco. He was the founder of '' Chinatown Handy Guide'' and ''AsianWeek''.
Early life
Fang was born in Shanghai, China in 1924 ...
in 1979 and helmed by long-time ''AsianWeek'' President James Fang from 1993-2009.
''AsianWeek'' headquarters were located in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
's
Chinatown
A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...
. It stopped publishing a weekly print edition in 2009, and on-line publication ceased in 2012. ''AsianWeek'' still publishes occasional special editions and community organizing activity has continued with the AsianWeek Foundation.
History
''AsianWeek'' was the largest and longest established English language newsweekly for Asian Pacific Americans. In 1965, after the
Hart-Celler Immigration Act ended over 80 years of race-based exclusion of immigrants from Asia, the United States for the first time experienced an influx of Asian immigration. From a total of 878,000 Asians in America in 1960, to U.S. Census estimates of 21.4 million in 2016, more than 95% of Asian Pacific Islanders would arrive or be born in the United States after passage of the 1965 Immigration Act.
Realizing the need to provide a voice for this newly emerging Asian Pacific America,
John Fang
John Ta Chuan Fang ( 27 May 1924 – 27 April 1992) was an American businessman, publisher, and writer based in San Francisco. He was the founder of '' Chinatown Handy Guide'' and ''AsianWeek''.
Early life
Fang was born in Shanghai, China in 1924 ...
, founded ''AsianWeek'' newspaper in 1979 in San Francisco.
Prior to ''AsianWeek'', Fang was editor and publisher of the Young China Daily, a Chinese-language newspaper affiliated with Taiwan’s then-Nationalist government.
Fang had also published the
Chinatown Handy Guide
The ''Chinatown Handy Guide'' was one of the early Chinatown tour books published by a Chinese American author anWorldCat, World Catalog. It was published in four different geographic editions tailored to the largest established Chinatowns in Amer ...
in multiple U.S. cities. Over two years of planning before ''AsianWeek's'' pilot issue was published in August 1979, Fang’s brain trust included legendary Chinatown publicist H. K. Wong, writer Charles Leong, former aide to Congressman Phil Burton (and the first Chinese Postmaster of a U.S. city) Lim P. Lee, and society columnist Carolyn Gan.
The newspaper started as all-subscription based and has always been published in tabloid size format. In 1995 ''AsianWeek'' was redesigned as a newspaper magazine-style tabloid with full color cover and color graphics throughout. The paper also went to free distribution and launched its website, www.asianweek.com, the following year.
AsianWeek reached its high mark in circulation of 58,000 copies in 2003.
In November 2004, ''AsianWeek'' celebrated its 25th Anniversary of publication. “For the last 25 years, ''AsianWeek'' has been the mirror of our community, showing our triumphs and shortcomings, serving as both the face and conscience of Asian America”, ''AsianWeek'' President James Fang wrote in his commemorative essay. “''AsianWeek'' has acted as a forum in advocating for those Asian Americans who were defenseless and voiceless in the face of an uncaring power. Whether it was in bringing much-needed national and decisive exposure to the killing of
Vincent Chin or in demanding justice for
Wen Ho Lee
Wen Ho Lee or Li Wenho (; born December 21, 1939) is a Taiwanese-American scientist who worked for the University of California at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. He created simulations of nuclear explosions for the purposes of ...
and Capt.
James Yee, the strength of ''AsianWeek'' has been its unequivocal eagerness to support our community.”
On August 20, 2007, ''AsianWeek'' launched a completely redesigned version of their website that is no longer live as of April 2011.
In March of 2008, the AsianWeek Foundation was launched as a sister entity for organizing in the Asian community. In January 2009, ''AsianWeek'' ceased operations. AsianWeek Foundation community work continued, and occasional special sections are still published today, for example during Asian Pacific Heritage Month in May and in collaboration with organizations like AARP.
Editorial Focus
''Asian Week'' provided “a documentary record of many important events that have affected the Asian American community.”
Coverage of Asian American issues included the killing of
Vincent Chin, Asian American
college admissions
University admission or college admission is the process through which students enter tertiary education at universities and colleges. Systems vary widely from country to country, and sometimes from institution to institution.
In many countries, ...
, and quotas on Chinese students in competitive
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
school assignments.
Activism in politics
One of the paper’s most important focus areas for editorial coverage and advocacy was to increase representation of Asian Pacific Islanders in elected office.
The front page of ''AsianWeek's'' premier issue blasted the headline “Democrats and Republicans Voice the Same Opinion: It’s time for More Asian Americans to Enter Politics.”
Beginning in 1984, ''AsianWeek'' began attending and covering the Democratic and Republican National Conventions every four years. ''AsianWeek's'' coverage was bipartisan including the publication of special sections for each of the political party’s conventions. ''AsianWeek'' was often the only Asian media outlet to conduct exclusive interviews with the eventual presidential party nominees.
After the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, ''AsianWeek'' launched the Potstickers column written by Samson Wong as the first American political insider column focusing on Asian Pacific Islanders.
U.S Census
In 1977, the same year Fang began making plans for ''AsianWeek'', the United States Office of Management and Budget ordered the U.S. Census Bureau and federal agencies to create a pan-ethnic Asian category, “Asian or Pacific Islander”. Prior to that, data was only collected in five sub-categories (Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Hawaiian). As the 1980 U.S. Census results were released, ''AsianWeek'' offered extensive editorial coverage in its pages which included special sections full of tables and figures.
''AsianWeek'' continued its focus on Asian Pacific Islander demographics throughout the publication’s history. After the 1990 Census, ''AsianWeek'' published a booklet, Asians in America: 1990 Census.
In the spring of 2003,''AsianWeek'' partnered with the University of California at Los Angeles’ Asian American studies department to co-publish a book focused on 2000 U.S. Census data, titled The new Face of Asian Pacific America: Numbers, Diversity, and Change in the 21st Century.
Asians in American society
Much of ''AsianWeek's'' coverage highlighted Asian Pacific Islanders participating in all the different aspects of American society. As ''AsianWeek's'' Editor-in-chief Samson Wong (2001-2008) described it: “Beyond our common history and heritage, we’re also looking to identify our common futures as citizens in this country.”
''AsianWeek'' often published features or special sections on Asian American involvement in specific fields, for example, “Asian Americans going for the Gold” in the 2004 Olympic games; “Asian American War Heroes”, a listing of all the Asian Americans killed in action from the Afghanistan war, and “The 25 Most Influential APA Hollywood Pioneers". AsianWeek covered the founding of many Asian American organizations such as the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum. ''AsianWeek'' also helped start the National Association of Asian Publishers which was founded on the sidelines of the Newspaper Association of America annual marketing conference in 2008.
Books published by ''AsianWeek'' include the ''New Faces of Asian Pacific America'' (see above), and ''Amok'', a compilation of columnist Emil Guillermo, which won the
American Book Award
The American Book Award is an American literary award that annually recognizes a set of books and people for "outstanding literary achievement". According to the 2010 awards press release, it is "a writers' award given by other writers" and "the ...
in 2000.
Major sections
Opinion
The Opinion section included ''AsianWeek's'' Letters to the Editor, Emil Guillermo's column "Amok", and a community contributed article, "Voices".
Emil Guillermo
Emil Guillermo is an American print and broadcast journalist, commentator and humorist. His column, "Emil Amok", appeared for more than 14 years in ''AsianWeek''—at one time, the most widely read and largest circulating Asian American newsweekly ...
has been a journalist for more than 30 years. After ten years in television news, Guillermo became host of NPR's ''All Things Considered'', in 1989. After leaving NPR, Guillermo worked as press secretary and speechwriter for then congressman
Norman Mineta
Norman Yoshio Mineta ( ja, 峯田 良雄, November 12, 1931 – May 3, 2022) was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, Mineta served in the United States Cabinet for Presidents Bill Clinton, a Democrat, and George W. Bush, a ...
. He returned to media as a local television and radio talk show host in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, Sacramento, and San Francisco. As a writer, Guillermo has contributed jokes for
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 2009 ...
's monologues. His written often satirical commentaries have appeared in newspapers throughout the country. His book, published by AsianWeek ''Amok'', is a compilation of his columns and won the
American Book Award
The American Book Award is an American literary award that annually recognizes a set of books and people for "outstanding literary achievement". According to the 2010 awards press release, it is "a writers' award given by other writers" and "the ...
in 2000. Guillermo is also the winner of both a California Newspaper Publishers Association Award and a National Inland Press Association Award for his mainstream newspaper work. He has won awards from the Radio-TV News Directors Association,
Society of Professional Journalists
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. It was established on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University,2009 SPJ Annual Report, letter ...
, the
Asian American Journalists Association
The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational and professional organization based in San Francisco, California with more than 1,500 members and 21 chapters across the United States and Asia. The current presi ...
, and has been nominated for local TV Emmy Awards. A native San Franciscan, Guillermo graduated from Lowell High School and Harvard College.
On Monday, February 4, 2008, ''AsianWeek'' launched a new daily blog by Guillermo. Guillermo is already the most widely read APA columnist, and his new daily commentary will remark on timely and fascinating stories and ideas that affect the broad APA community. The blog was available online a
“It will be a place readers can get my take on the issues that concern them”, said Guillermo, whose column, “Amok” has appeared in ''AsianWeek'' over the last 14 years. “And it will be a place where they can share their ideas with others. Consider it the
water cooler
A water dispenser, known as water cooler (if used for cooling only), is a machine that dispenses and often also cools or heats up water with a refrigeration unit. It is commonly located near the restroom due to closer access to plumbing. A drain ...
for APAs across the country”.
Nation and World
The Nation and World section included "Washington Journal" authored by columnist Phil Tajitsu Nash. It covered topics such as the
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...
Torch Relay protests in San Francisco to national issues that affect the Asian American community.
Nash is the CEO and co-founder of Nash Interactive. He has provided commentary to
BBC World News
BBC World News is an international English-language pay television network, operated under the ''BBC Global News Limited'' division of the BBC, which is a public corporation of the UK government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and S ...
radio and other news outlets, and served as host of a nationally broadcast weekly public radio program reporting on the
U.S. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
. Nash practiced law in New York and New Jersey, and taught law at
Georgetown University Law Center
The Georgetown University Law Center (Georgetown Law) is the law school of Georgetown University, a private research university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law school in the United States by enrollment and ...
. He testified before the United States Congress on behalf of the
Japanese American redress movement, and has also served as a strategist, lobbyist, and litigator.
Bay and California
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, ''AsianWeek'' dedicated a section to issues and timely news items that are relevant to the Bay Area's Asian American community.
Arts and Entertainment
The Arts and Entertainment section included "Asian Eats", "AskQ" and "The Yin-Yang with Lisa Lee".
Asian Eats column provided an inside look at the Bay Area's Asian American cuisine. Formerly known as "Picky Eater" the column covers price, environment, customer service, cleanliness, menu selection, and taste of the Bay Area's most popular restaurants.
''AsianWeek's'' AskQ was an advice column to reflect everyday life in Asian Pacific America. It included readers’ questions and solicited queries. Q is a 30-something urban male who is "happily partnered—a manager by profession, a writer by desire", according to the column.
The "Yin-Yang" column was authored by Lisa Lee, an ''AsianWeek'' columnist.= who offered "a provocative look into the arts and entertainment industry. The Yin-yang Blog brings you up to date with Asian-American celebrity news, gossip and more."
Community Events
''AsianWeek'' newspaper is also involved in a wide array of community activities. Committed to promoting and participating in events that celebrate the diversity the Asian-American community, the publication plays an active role in sponsoring and hosting community events, spreading health awareness on
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is an infectious disease caused by the ''Hepatitis B virus'' (HBV) that affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. It can cause both acute and chronic infection.
Many people have no symptoms during an initial infection. Fo ...
, and promoting cross-cultural and interracial cooperation with major outdoor events in San Francisco, including the
Castro Street Fair
The 'Castro Street Fair'' is a San Francisco LGBT street festival and fair usually held on the first Sunday in October in the Castro neighborhood, the main gay neighborhood and social center in the city. The fair features multiples stages with li ...
,
Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival Street Fair,
Haight-Ashbury Street Fair and
Nihonmachi Street Fair. ''AsianWeek'' is also on the planning committee for the
Asian Heritage Street Celebration
The Asian Heritage Street Celebration is an Asian American event held in San Francisco, California. The Street Celebration is organized by the non-profit AsianWeek
''AsianWeek'' was America's first and largest English language print and on-line ...
,
Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival, and
Pistahan Filipino Parade and Festival.
Controversies
Kenneth Eng
''AsianWeek'' was severely criticized for publishing ''Why I Hate Blacks'' on February 23, 2007, a column by freelance writer Kenneth Eng. Prior to this incident, ''AsianWeek'' published other inflammatory race-themed columns by Eng, including: ''Proof that Whites Inherently Hate Us'' and ''Why I Hate Asians''. Several Asian-American organizations called for an apology, as well as a repudiation of the columnist and his views, and circulated an online petition to that effect.
''AsianWeek'' published a front-page apology in its February 28 issue, severed all ties with Eng, held various public forums, and declared that it was reviewing its editorial policy. ''AsianWeek'' also published in its March 16 issue of "Voices" an article titled "I'm Afraid and Feel Helpless" to tacitly repudiate all of Kenneth Eng's work without making any statements of its own that could add fuel to the fire. Then in late March 2007, ''AsianWeek'' quietly made editorial staff changes, evidenced in the masthead of its March 30 issue. Former editor-in-chief Samson Wong's title became Senior Editorial Consultant and Ted Fang, formerly editor-at-large, became Editor and Publisher.
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References
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Asian-American culture in California
Asian-American mass media
Newspapers established in 1979
Publications disestablished in 2009
Newspapers published in San Francisco
Asian-American press
Online newspapers with defunct print editions
Chinatown, San Francisco
1979 establishments in California
Weekly newspapers published in California