By Greg Young Northwest Asian Weekly Soybeans could be considered the king of beans. For over 5000 years soybeans have been cultivated and used as a source of food and drugs. Emperor Shen-nung of China said soybeans are one of five sacred plants, along with rice, corn, and barley. The 20th century found versatile ways […]
Stories from a second home
By Samantha Pak Northwest Asian Weekly The Celestials By Karen Shepard Tin House Books, 2013 In June 1870, Calvin Sampson hired 75 Chinese laborers in North Adams, Mass. to work at his factory. What the men didn’t know was that they were strikebreakers, or part of what Sampson called his “Chinese experiment.” The influx of […]
Muslim Hindu punk rock bands defy and emphasize tradition
WAYLAND, Massachusetts (AP) — Artwork from India’s Punjab state decorates the Ray family home. A Johann Sebastian Bach statue sits on a piano. But in the basement — cluttered with wires, old concert fliers, and drawings — 25-year-old Arjun Ray is fighting distortion from his electric guitar.