#nbcasianamerica

[traktivist]

Thank you to @nbcasianamerica & @cessemi for including TRAKTIVIST in their recent article that highlights some of the musical accomplishments in 2018 from our Artists, including @mitskileaks @jparkitrighthere @hayleykiyoko @illmindproducer @tokimonsta @milckmusic & @jbrekkie . Read the full article, link in bio • • “It’s definitely a combination of multiple of things that happened in the same year,” Richie Menchavez, founder of Traktivist Radio, which spotlights Asian-American musicians, said. “It’s definitely a bit of luck, but it’s definitely the result of just years and years of people’s work here in the United States, Canada and just globally. It’s not like the music hasn’t been there before. And it’s not like Asian Americans haven’t been creating great content. … 2018 was just a big visible year.” • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • #nbcasianamerica #2018 #diversity #representation #asianamerican #asianamericans #asianamericanmusic #traktivist #music #hiphop #rb #soul #electronic #pop#alternative #rock #indie #edm #broadway #asian #Mitski #JaPark #HayleyKiyoko #illmind #TOKiMONSTA #MILCK #JapaneseBreakfast https://www.instagram.com/p/BsD08EtHFSp/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=9qibijivh7q2

[jujhdapunjab]

Taxes Policies

India has a lot to learn from the way economic policies are undergoing a change in America.

At a time when socialism for the corporate is the reigning mantra, the US President Joe Biden showed tremendous political courage to ensure that the billionaires pay their fair share in taxes. After publicly denouncing the Trickle Down theory a few weeks back, which as we all know forms the very basis of the floundering neoliberal economics, this is also the first time that an American President has made an effort to bring the billionaire’s within a reasonable tax ambit.

President Biden’s monumental initiative I hope triggers the G-20 leadership to suitably amend the tax laws within their countries. Since a disproportionate tax code adds to growing inequality, which leads to the death of one person every four seconds while the 10 richest people globally were adding $ 1.3 billion to their wealth every day as an Oxfam report had brought out, the immediate need to tame the tax laws becomes obvious.

The Billionaire Minimum Income Tax as it is called was part of the budget proposals for the next fiscal that the US President delivered. It proposes a minimum of 20 per cent tax on the wealthiest American households whose worth exceeds $100 million. “The 20 per cent minimum tax applies to only top one-hundredth of the top 1 per cent,”

President Biden said in his budget speech, adding: “The Billionaire Minimum Tax is fair and it raises $360 billion that can be used to lower costs of families and cut the deficit.” Taxing the billionaire wealth has always been considered impermissible and treated more like a taboo. All previous attempts to impose a tax code on the Richie rich, including a Democrat-backed proposal in October last, fell through. Even now it is not sure whether President Biden’s proposal will sail through the US Congress, but one has to admire the audacity and fearlessness demonstrated by the US President who, setting aside the political ramifications that may arise, has decided to take the bull by the horn.

“The tax code currently offers special treatment for the types of income that wealthy people enjoy,” the President remarked. And let’s not forget; sometimes back billionaire investor Warren Buffet had pointed to the glaring anomaly in tax laws that makes his secretary pay twice the tax than what he paid. He himself paid an effective tax of 0.1 per cent between 2014 and 2018. Even now, workers pay more than twice the tax on their incomes compared to the wealthy. This is not simply an aberration but in reality is unjust and cruel to the millions who somehow struggle to survive and still pay their tax dues. To give you an example of the economic inequality that these abnormal tax laws lead to: During the first 19 months of the pandemic almost 89 million American had lost their jobs. And yet, the top 1 per cent of the Americans in Oct 2021 had as much wealth as the middle class, comprising 60 per cent of the population.

According to Forbes magazine quoting the White House Office of Management and Budget and the Council of Economic Advisors the top 400 billionaires paid an average tax of 8.2 per cent on their income, which was far less than what an average American citizen paid. Another estimate by the US Department of the Treasury works out that last year alone $163 billion in taxes was unpaid by the top 1 per cent.

The wealthiest don’t live on a fat pay check every month. Their income is from stocks. But since the government doesn’t tax the increase in value of stock holding until these are sold, meaning taxing the capital gains, the Billionaire Minimum Tax will include unrealised gains from stocks and bonds. But as Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) explains:& quote; Billionaires don't need to sell assets to benefit from their increased value: they can live off money borrowed at cheap rates secured against their rising fortunes. And when all those wealth gains are passed along to the next generation, they entirely disappear for tax purposes. Quote; The new tax regime will hopefully target this loophole. Effectively, the Billionaire Minimum Tax will cover 0.01 per cent of the top 1 per cent of the wealthiest Americans. Even this is sure to raise a chorus with many calling it punitive.

Nevertheless, the ATF has worked out that ever since the pandemic began, the collective wealth of billionaires soared by $1.7 trillion, a steep jump of 57 per cent but they paid almost nothing by way of tax. To illustrate, take a look at how billionaire Jeff Bezos continues to amass wealth without paying his rightful share in taxes. According to Senator Bernie Sanders, Bezos owns a $500 million yacht, a $23 million mansion with 35 bathrooms and a rocket ship to blast a comedian in outer space.

While Bezos gained $ 81 billion in wealth during the pandemic, the new tax code will make him fork out $ 35 billion as per preliminary estimates. Let’s shift to India. The World Inequality Report 2022 rates India amongst the most unequal countries in the world. It finds that the top 10 per cent in India holding 57 per cent of the national income whiles the top 1 per cent has 22 per cent. To make it a little more understandable, the report finds that the top 10 per cent earns 96 times more income than the average of the bottom 50 per cent. As I said earlier, one factor that plays a significant role in accumulating wealth at the top is the favourable tax structure for the rich.

In his book ‘An Unkept Promise: What derailed the Indian Economy’ journalist and researcher Prasanna Mohanty says that corporations with higher profits exceeding Rs 500-crore pay less effective tax compared with companies making profits in the range of Rs 50-cr to Rs 100-cr.This is in addition to the huge stimulus packages, colossal bad debt write-offs and massive incentives in the name of growth.

Further, in Sept 2019, India reduced the corporate tax by Rs 1.45-lakh crore, and that too at a time when Nobel laureate Paul Krugman had clearly explained in his columns that the corporate tax cuts the former US President Donald Trump had brought in earlier had failed to create employment and nor did it boost industrial production. On the contrary, much of these sops were used for stock buyback and for jump in salaries and bonuses for the top management.

India therefore has a lot to learn from the way economic policies are undergoing a change in America. This will help reduce fiscal deficits and provide resources for development. I am only hoping that in the years to come, US expands the Billionaire Minimum Tax to cover the entire top 1 per cent, and the G-20 leadership too sees merit and rewrite the domestic tax laws. #

By Devinder Sharma:

[immigrationnewsdigest]

More than 20 AAPI organizations call on President Biden to further protect the community ahead of the release of findings of an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus. https://t.co/WngMwIw0yh

— NBC Asian America (@NBCAsianAmerica) Aug 22, 2021

[viviansong]

For @viceworldnews I wrote a feature examining anti-Asian hate in Europe, and how its colonial past in Asia (think the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Macau...) and post-war histories have led us to this point, where the hate has become visceral and violent. Though some things are nearly universal (turns out variations of "ching chong chang" are as common in Canada and the US as it is here) Asians in Europe face very distinct and unique challenges that make gaslighting a regular occurrence. Writing and reporting this piece meant a lot to me. Grateful to have it out in the world. Link in bio @nextshark @stopasianhate @asianvoiceseurope @asian.raisins @ajcf_fr @asiatiquesdefrance @collectifasiatiqueantiraciste @stop_asiaphobie @racisme_antiasiatique @nbcasianamerica @asiangermany #stopasianhate #stopasianhatecrimes #stopasianracism #aapi #asiansforblacklives #asiandiaspora (at Paris, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/CN7dLBLBMJb/?igshid=o98lcckngfa8

[wesleywoomusic]

So. We're on the @nbcnews homepage today. So that's cool. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO INTERVIEW IN THAT BIO LINK!!!!! . . . . . . . #nbc #nbcasianamerica #asianamerica #asianamerican #nbcstudios #stereotype #stereotypes #oakland #oaklandish #oaklandart #oaklandlove #oaklandmusic #oaklandloveit #oaklandishome #oaklandpride #lakemerritt #lakemerrittwalk #funk #soul #soulrevival #motown #motownsoul #guitar @nbcasianamerica (at Watershed Sound)

[dangerousdivas6-blog]

http://home.runrivernorth.com

BLOG #3 Music for the Asian American Soul

           Run River North, formerly called Monsters Calling Home, is an indie rock band that formed back in 2011. Its six band members, Alex Hwang, Jennifer Rim, John Chong, Daniel Chae, Sally Kang, and Joseph Chun all happen to be second generation Korean American.  In a short documentary released by NBC Asian America, RRN’s lead singer, Alex Hwang, claims that they came together as a band in order to spark “conversation for immigrant family kids to talk about, or just to have some kind of space” where they can explore and express their Asian American history and identity. And that is one of the reasons as to why I love this band so much.

          I actually first found out about this band last Spring semester of 2016 when I was working on a project for my AFRS 256 Hiphop Workshop class. I happened to stumble upon Run River North as I was conducting research on Asian American musicians/bands, and from the moment I heard their song called “Monsters Calling Home”, I was hooked! I’m the type of person that’s always looking for new music, and I especially love when I find songs that inspire and move me. The song “Monsters Calling Home” essentially talks about a Korean American immigrant’s journey to the United States and the struggles they had to face in moving to a new country. I strongly related to this song, because, I, myself, am an immigrant. Some of the lyrics that really hit home for me were:

Digging for worth in A land under a foreign sun.

The children call bitter words Of a strange tongue

            Those words accurately express the type of the culture shock I experienced when I first moved from the Philippines to California back in 2006. My parents decided to come here in order to gain better jobs which would then give me and my sister more opportunities for a brighter future. We were never well-off back in the Philippines, so my dad worked really hard in order to provide a better life for our family. 

           So in that way, I really loved how I was able to connect with Run River North’s music. They helped me to feel validated as an Asian American immigrant, and I’m sure that many of you would be able to relate to their music as well. So I encourage you all to check them out too, whether you like indie music or not! I feel as though the messages they convey through their songs are really important in helping us Asian Americans acknowledge and learn more about our own racial identities. 

Link to NBC Asian America’s documentary & article! (http://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/run-river-north-making-music-sharing-stories-identity-immigrant-families-n644881)

~Marianne Alvarez

[weavinghand]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Weaving Hand - Est. 2006 (@weavinghand)

Thank You @heyallysonrae @nbcasianamerica @nbcnews for this beautiful video! 🙏🏽😊! #Repost @heyallysonrae with @get_repost ・・・ With #FilipinoAmericanHistoryMonth coming up, I’m happy to share my first video producer piece with @nbcasianamerica: Meet @cynthiaalbertoweaver of @weavinghand, a NY-based weaving studio and arts center that honors traditional Philippine weaving techniques, materials & textiles. 🇵🇭🇵🇭 via @nbcnews nbcnews.to/2QQb2rq https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn_5aMzhII9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1e6li12h77qe

[itskendrickkim2001]

Representation matters. This is a good thing. Credit to @nbcasianamerica and here is the link to the article. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/sesame-street-makes-history-adding-first-asian-american-muppet-cast-rcna5569 this is great news https://www.instagram.com/p/CWUZGASJOAR/?utm_medium=tumblr

[nocccdapia]

This great news. Credit to @nbcasianamerica and check out this article and Info https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/sesame-street-makes-history-adding-first-asian-american-muppet-cast-rcna5569 https://www.instagram.com/p/CWUYzzTJSHN/?utm_medium=tumblr

[paulvato]

Debunking Asian Stereotypes Presents: Asian Actors, Our Why? I’m very excited to be a part of this great room coming up on @clubhouse at 3:30pm PST TODAY, Saturday July 31, 2021. I hope that you can join us. @kissmymike20 @hiromiacts @dhanishkolar @torakim @menziestalent @timothylincolnng @janelukpicard @paulvato @liveloveactangel @megumi_morino @vwc316 @kennethtynanactor @alisonwong_xo @variety @enews @laistpics @sagaftra @cbsentdiversity @nbcasianamerica @stopasianhate @stopasianhateuk @clubhouseasianprofessionals (at Hollywood, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSAMeVRJke7/?utm_medium=tumblr

[jujhdapunjab]

Jujhda Punjab member Dr. Devinder Sharma talking about sustainable farming practices. Delivering the Inaugural address today at a National Workshop at the Panjab University, Chandigarh, I urged the participants to understand how agriculture has been gradually drawn into an industrial web. We have discarded the sustainable farming practices over the years, and have replaced them with industrial practices. Giving an example, I said the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) at Los Banos in the Philippines had sometimes back in a study acknowledged that there is no difference in the productivity of paddy if we the seed is broadcast or if we transplant. If that is true, why were we asked to shift from direct sowing to transplantation? Gave a number of other examples to drive home the point that sustainable farming practices that have been discarded were time tested and in tune with environmental safeguards.

[immigrationnewsdigest]

“I feel personally sad at the missed opportunities to share with our audiences what anti-Asian racism looks and feels like and the impact that it has on us,” Jean Yoon says in her first interview since “Kim’s Convenience” ended. https://t.co/pzcWIvzPLK

— NBC Asian America (@NBCAsianAmerica) Jul 21, 2021

[news247worldpressposts]

#Breaking: 3 children and their grandmother died in a fire near #Houston during a power outage

#Breaking: 3 children and their grandmother died in a fire near #Houston during a power outage

https://twitter.com/NBCAsianAmerica/status/1364628718489116677?s=20 Source: Twitter

[itskendrickkim2001]

Wonderful 💯❤️👍, post credit to @nbcasianamerica and read this article: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/sesame-street-makes-history-adding-first-asian-american-muppet-cast-rcna5569 https://www.instagram.com/p/CWUY7h9pDnd/?utm_medium=tumblr

[icedancegems]

02.28.18

[allehsu]

Grateful to all the individuals and organizations who continued to share the @nbcnews @nbcasianamerica article on @kearnystreetworkshop and our #apature2019 arts festival. And forever grateful to @jasonbayani @artistwritermodel @papalodownagency @saleah_whiteflower @karthikramen. Shout outs to @polinatai @asiancreativenetwork_ and friends @bingchen @iamcarlinjames @rachelparkties for your shares, likes, loves, and comments on FB. #latepost #january #january2020 #january1st #facebook #api #asianamerican #film #filmmaker #arts #womeninfilm #representationmatters #directedbywomen https://www.instagram.com/p/CGGcFUDJbxt/?igshid=6sm3f3i4chhb