UCLA launches free multimedia resource
A free online textbook developed by UCLA educators aims to make Asian American and Pacific Islander history more accessible to students through videos, archival materials and interactive storytelling.
The project grew out of both California’s push toward ethnic studies education and the rise in anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project's co-editors say AAPI histories remain invisible in mainstream curricula. The team behind the textbook plans to expand the number of chapters to 50. They're also seeking to raise another $5 million to keep the platform sustainable and pay for teacher training programs.
A rich trove of Asian American and Pacific Islander history lives in academic journals and university library stacks that many students don’t know how to tap into. , the online platform combines written chapters, archival documents and artwork with videos and podcast clips, geared at students in high school and up, along with their teachers.
“It’s the largest collection of Asian American and Pacific Islander histories in one location — free and open access for anyone with an Internet connection,” said Karen Umemoto, director of the UCLA center and one of the project’s co-editors. The textbook officially launched this month — Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month — after some six years of development with contributions from more than 100 authors and curriculum developers from across the country.
Designed with the TikTok generation in mind, the platform is optimized for phones and tablets for easy scrolling.
“A lot of young people, of course, are really into TikTok videos and Instagram posts,” Umemoto said. “So we thought, 'Let’s leverage that. '”The project was seeded in 2020 when Umemoto and co-editor and fellow UCLA professor Kelly Fong began drafting proposals chapter by chapter.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and a surge in anti-Asian hate incidents.
“There’s so many people who have no idea who we are, where we come from, how we got here,” Umemoto said. The textbook grew into a $12 million project, supported through a mix of state funding, grants and private donations. Much of the textbook does focus on AAPI history in California, like the Filipino farmworker movement and Vietnamese refugee communities in Orange County.
Umemoto said the textbook is for anyone to use as needed, but a major goal is helping educators incorporate AAPI perspectives into existing courses.
“We’re so woefully invisible and underrepresented in educational curricula,” she said, noting that there are few teachers to instruct from lived experience. Just The plan is to offer everything from two-day in-person teacher workshops to national webinars in partnership with teachers unions. Even with the project’s launch, organizers say their work continues with raising funds for teacher training, as well as outreach and operations.
"I'm a professor not trained in doing startups or ed tech projects, and so I didn't realize how much it would take just to keep the lights on," Umemoto said. The project arrives amid charged political debates over how race and identity are taught in schools. Umemoto acknowledged that some critics view ethnic studies as divisive, but she said the goal of the textbook is the opposite. For Umemoto, the work is deeply personal.
She said she grew up knowing her parents and grandparents had been forced into camps during World War II, but did not fully understand the broader history behind the incarceration of Japanese Americans until later in life. Ultimately, she hopes the textbook helps students better understand both themselves and one another.
“In all my years of teaching, there has not been a student who has left the classroom unchanged,” Umemoto said. “If we want to deal with the problems of polarization, we need to start in the classroom. "Food halls make for an easy, affordable place to satisfy cravings — especially in SoCal, where diverse selections of dishes reign supreme. These spaces fill a void much deeper than our appetites.
They bring new life to old storefronts, factories or even airfields, and can offer a way to keep dollars within the community by becoming a hub for local businesses. Whether you and your friends are looking for a brunch spot to cater to everyone's palates, or taking a trip to the historic, food halls make for an easy, affordable place to satisfy cravings — especially in SoCal, where diverse selections of dishes reign supreme.
But these spaces fill a void much deeper than our appetites. They bring new life to old storefronts, factories or even airfields , and can offer a way to keep dollars within the community by becoming a hub for local businesses. Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Monday.is an open-air food hall in downtown Montebello that feels like a party.
The 8,500-square-foot space currently has five eateries, or"concepts" as they're known in the restaurant industry, and hosts live DJs every Friday night and Sunday during brunch. They also host Open Vinyl Night on the second and forth Tuesday of every month, where patrons get $2 off beers and margaritas from, which offers classic al pastor, grilled chicken and slow-cooked carnitas tacos, as well as specialty flavors like vegan tacos with whiskil sautéed in coconut milk, and Pork Belly Cochinita Pibil Tacos, perfect for those who crave crispy, slow-roasted pork with a hint of sweetness.
Los Taquero Mucho participates in BLVD's incubator program, run by co-founders Barney and Evelyn Santos. The program offers mentorship to local entrepreneurs until they can set up shop permanently.. Its mission is to invest in retail and hospitality projects that ignite economic development and revitalization in Black and brown neighborhoods.
"Blvd Mrkt is our first project," Barney Santos wrote in a text message. "It was our social proof to prove to banks, investors and cities that a socially conscious business model could exist in a traditionally overlooked area. "also has a spot in the BLVD courtyard, offering handmade pupusas with filling choices such as shrimp with spinach and cheese, and tender beef birria with a side of consommé, onions and cilantro.
Coffee lovers can get an Oaxacan Mocha at Cafe Santo, or stop by Cold Pizza for a wood-fired slice.lives on Highway 39, also known as Beach Boulevard, in Stanton. This 40,000-square-foot space is an eclectic mix of more than 20 food and drink concepts and retailers. There are three outdoor patios and five murals, plus an arcade, tattoo shop and photo booth.
Food options cover everything from, where you can grab a coffee or matcha latte, or try one of their signature drinks like the Iced Vienna, a combination of milk with caramelly demerara sugar and your choice of matcha or espresso, topped with sweet cream and garnished with sea salt. The result is a drink that's smooth and not too sweet. , a recent addition to Rodeo, offers Korean corn dogs and fluffy egg sandwiches on crispy, house-baked milk bread.
Try the bulgogi option with spicy mayo for a savory kick. If you crave a cocktail, venture over to, which also serves craft beer. Or just sit on one of their sun-filled patios while you decide what to try. Monday and Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.is a 17,000-square-foot food hall that pays homage to Long Beach's aviation history.
It sits on former Boeing Co. land where military and commercial aircraft were built. Today, it serves as a dining destination at theThis space currently has a mix of 14 food concepts and two retail shops. Patrons can enjoy local favorites outside their flagship locations, like the Joe's Special bagel sandwich fromInside, there are vintage pictures of aircraft that were built at the site, and a wall of clocks showing the time in cities named Long Beach across the country.
A Pan Am Hawaii travel poster and a TWA Spain travel poster at the patio of The Hangar food hall. Outside, you'll find patio seating with umbrellas where you can sit and watch the occasional plane fly overhead. Or sit and enjoy the adjacent display of towering Pan Am and TWA posters promoting travel to Hawaii, Spain and Paris.sits in the Figueroa corridor of South L.A. , and is known for its focus on community, art and culture.
From rotating art exhibits to colorful tiled tabletops, this space feels like it was made to nurture creativity. There are meeting rooms to rent starting at $25 an hour. It's a space where locals can bring their laptop to work or study, or have a long conversation with a friend, with bites from six acclaimed restaurants.for Michelin-starred seafood dishes like Erizo — velvety sea urchin laid atop a bed of tender scallop ceviche. The combination is fresh, flavorful and oceanic.
Tip: If you can swing it, come on a weekday to avoid a long line, or order ahead.for a Spicy Pineapple Juice with a gingery kick, or go for the classic pairing of Hot Oaxacan Chocolate, made with your choice of water or milk, and light-as-air conchas crowned with a solid layer of vanilla or chocolate streusel. Chris “Captain” Campbell has been dealing in pinball and arcade games for more than 25 years.
He opened his giant auction warehouse in Anaheim in 2008. Vinyl records and cassette tapes are nice and all, but when it comes to '80s nostalgia, few things make a bigger statement — or at least take up as much space — as arcade games and pinball machines.
Campbell founded the O.C. business in 2008, but he’s been in the trade for more than 25 years, having auctioned off, or directly sold,"tens of thousands" of the machines. Auctions take place around every four to six weeks — both in-person and online. The priciest pinball he auctioned off was for around $48,000. And he recently sold a 1990 arcade game for $70,000.
Currently, Captain says he has about 1,200 machines in his inventory — housed in about 40,000 square feet of space. On Sunday, a special lot of about.
"When he's played concerts, some of the equipment that he has on stage with him are arcade games," Captain said. Along with the machines, a handful of musical equipment owned by Adams will also go under the hammer, including aCaptain said the things that get brought into his auction warehouse still blow his mind"almost every day.
" He's seen his share of Ms. Pac-Man and Donkey Kong — mainstream and highly collectible coin-operated games — but he's also gotten his hands on lesser-known titles like. It's a 1983 game where one or two players shoot down aliens to protect a spaceship. It used a special magnifying lens to create its fisheye look.
"What makes it so cool is some of these games were very prototypical. Companies were trying different things," he said.
"It's just a different-looking game. " Then there are pinball machines, evolving from their electromechanical beginnings in the '50s, to their early solid-state transition in the '80s, to their ongoing technological evolution today — both multifaceted and singular in all their forms. "The one cool thing that melds them all together is the idea of mechanical and electronic playing together," he said. "But the main part of pinball that makes it so nice is it's still very visceral.
" One of his wows is the"Black Knight" trilogy — machines made by legendary pinball designer Steve Ritchie that were released in 1980, 1989 and 2019. Captain said the machines feature super-fast shooting, great gameplay and, for the 2019 version, a soundtrack created by Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian.
"It's not super rare, but it's like one of my favorites because it's an in-your-face pinball machine, you know? " he said. "I'm fortunate enough that I — the captain — get to be around them, play them, know a little bit about them, learn more about them," he said. "And I love to buy, sell and trade just like everybody else.
"If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less. People in the float for Pigeon's Roller Skate Shop roll past during the 41st annual Long Beach Pride Parade along Ocean Boulevard. The Long Beach Pride Parade is Sunday.
Several road closures are scheduled and parking will be impacted along and near the parade route.by the city on Friday — hours before kickoff. The city said festival organizers failed to provide the required safety documentation. The parade will start at Ocean Boulevard and Lindero Avenue and travel along the Ocean Boulevard coastline to Alamitos Avenue in Downtown Long Beach. Roads will close and parking will be restricted starting hours before the parade.
Streets are expected to reopen by 2 p.m.Ocean Boulevard from Redondo to Atlantic AvenuesThe following streets will be closed to traffic during their designated times: 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. — Ocean Boulevard between Redondo and Lindero, including side streets on the north and south side of Ocean Boulevard8 a.m. and 2 p.m. — Ocean Boulevard between Lindero and Atlantic, including all side streets on the north and south side of Ocean Boulevardsays that parking will be available at the Long Beach Convention Center at 400 E. Seaside Way. Accessible parking and viewing will be available at Junipero and First Street, near Bixby Park.in Downtown Long Beach.
After you exit, it's roughly a 10-minute walk down Ocean Boulevard to the parade festivities at Marina Green Park. Harvey Weinstein's latest sex crimes trial ended with a hung jury Friday, on the third day of deliberations. It was the second time in a year a jury was unable to reach a verdict on the same charge. The mistrial concludes a month-long trial that was quieter than Weinstein's previous court appearances, with a diminished media presence and less public attention.
Earlier this year, Weinstein hired a new legal team, including high-profile criminal defense attorneys such as Marc Agnifilo, known for representing Luigi Mangione and Sean"Diddy" Combs. Harvey Weinstein's latest sex crimes trial ended with a hung jury Friday, on the third day of deliberations.came to define the #MeToo movement , and he was first convicted of assaulting Jessica Mann in 2020. The former aspiring actress testified Weinstein raped her at a DoubleTree hotel in Manhattan in 2013.
But that verdict, along with another charge, was, Weinstein was found guilty on one count of a criminal sexual act in the first degree and not guilty on another. But a third charge, of raping Mann, ended in a mistrial after the jury foreperson declined to return to deliberations, citing concerns for his safety. Weinstein had returned to court for a third New York trial in April, this one focusing on Mann's allegations.
But on Friday morning, Judge Curtis Farber received a note from jurors stating they were unable to reach a unanimous decision. Farber then read jurors a modifiedJurors soon responded with another note restating their position.
"We feel that no one is going to change where they stand," it said. Nine jurors fell on the side of not guilty; three supported a guilty verdict, Weinstein's lawyers told press outside of the courtroom. Outside of court, 55-year-old juror Rick Treese said that the group diverged on"where we actually had facts.
" He told reporters,"We didn't have enough facts to grasp onto, so it was emotion. " People in the group"had varying emotions about it based on experience in life. " "Everybody respected each other. Everybody respected their backgrounds.
It was very civil. I feel certain that we dug into it enough.
" Another juror, Josh Hadar, said his vote was for"not guilty," in part because he felt there might be parts of Mann's testimony that were"fabricated. " "I think the prevailing thought was that the witness had a lot of inconsistencies in her story," he said. The mistrial concludes a month-long trial that was quieter than Weinstein's previous court appearances, with a diminished media presence and less public attention.
Earlier this year, Weinstein hired a new legal team, including high-profile criminal defense attorneys such as Marc Agnifilo, known for representing Luigi Mangione and Sean"Diddy" Combs. Defense attorneys argued that Mann and the then-married Weinstein had a consensual, on-again, off-again relationship over many years. But Mann testified that on that 2013 morning at the DoubleTree hotel, Weinstein"command" her to undress and penetrated her despite Mann repeatedly saying"no." Weinstein has denied all allegations of sexual assault.
Agnifilo said outside court on Friday,"It's our job not just to win this case. There is an entire legal knot that needs to be untangled. And we're going to start untangling that knot strand by strand with the New York case and then the California case. So this really is just a first step.
" He said that this latest mistrial might not be"the win wanted, but it's a win. ""For nearly a decade, Jessica Mann has fought for justice. Over the course of many weeks during three separate trials, she relived unthinkably painful experiences in front of complete strangers," the statement said.
"Her perseverance and bravery are inspiring to the members of my office, and more importantly, to survivors everywhere. " Weinstein's lawyers have said that he is in poor health. He used a wheelchair in court and did not testify on the stand in this trial, nor during any of his previous criminal cases. At one point during jury deliberations, Judge Farber announced Weinstein could not appear in court due to complaints of"chest pains.
" Weinstein has given a limited number of interviews from prison, including with far-right podcaster Candace Owens and the Daily Mail. Most recently, he spoke with The Hollywood Reporter from Rikers Island. ,"I apologized to them generally. You can't call them when you're in a trial with them.
But I'll say it here today: I apologize to those women. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been with them in the first place. I misled them.
" Citing his health issues, including bone marrow cancer, Weinstein said,"I'm dying here. And the DA's idea is probably to have me dying in prison. But I am dying. "
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