Arcadia city officials are cracking down on "maternity tourism" boarding houses by dedicating a full-time police detective to investigate the issue. Maternity or birth tourism is a phenomenon in which women, often from China, pay a handsome fee to have their babies in the United States, so the children can be citizens. While that is not illegal, at least five establishments have been shut down for violations, such as unlawfully operating boarding house businesses in residential zones.
An ancient Chinese maternity tradition, from the Sung Dynasty (960-1275 AD), known as "Zuo Yue Zi," is translated as "doing the month."It refers to the care of a Chinese woman during the first month after giving birth. The practice is explained here by Wei-Chen Tung, a former registered nurse at Arcadia Methodist Hospital and now an assistant professor of nursing at University of Nevada, Reno. The practice requires new mothers to follow a strict diet and rest for 3-4 weeks following a pregnancy. Tung says a lot of Chinese women still practice this, so hospitals should be aware of this part of Chinese culture. Maternity tourists--women who want to come to the United States to give birth to a full-fledged American citizen, have given rise to businesses that cater to them, such as the maternity home that was shut down in the 1300 block of South Palm Avenue in San Gabriel on March 8. It had been 5 townhomes illegally converted into a maternity home.
Arcadia Police close 13 maternity homes in a crackdown months after a full-time detective was assigned to address calls about pregnant Asian women living in groups at residences around the city. The pregnant Asian women come to the U.S. so their babies receive U.S. citizenship. Detective James Trabbie became the quality-of-life detective.
Dwight Chang of Arcadia is owner of a house on the 1300 block of South Palm Avenue in San Gabriel. The building has been operating as a makeshift maternity ward with 10 newborns and about 12 Chinese nationals, crammed into an illegally converted townhouse. Chang has been warned twice before for operating a business that primarily caters to Asian "maternity tourists." Chang denied any wrongdoing and was fined $800 for building code violations. Children born on American soil automatically become United States citizens, under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Maternity tourism caters to wealthy Taiwanese, Chinese and Koreans. Throughout the past decade, similar set-ups have been uncovered in Rowland Heights, Hacienda Heights, New York, and Quebec.
Steve and Yan-Fen Lin, a couple possibly of Arcadia, have been running the illegally modified townhome in San Gabriel, owned by Dwight Chang of Arcadia, as a maternity home for Asian tourists. They violated building codes for setting up a makeshift maternity ward.
Rosemary Harry is a volunteer who has made nearly 3000 crocheted hats in the past five years for infants at the maternity unit at Arcadia Methodist Hospital. She has arthritis but loves knitting and crocheting.
Three women were violently robbed in a span of a week in the 99 Ranch Market parking lot at 1300 S. Golden West Avenue. In two of the incidents, a passenger leaned out of a car to grab purses, and in the other incident, two men pushed a woman to the ground, kicked her in the face and stole her purse.
Arcadia voters will consider whether or not to ban "safe and sane" fireworks. The sale of fireworks has been the local American Legion Post's chief source of funds. Arcadia property owners have suffered over a quarter of a million dollars in property damage from fireworks over the past six years.
The city council has decided to appropriate $35,000 toward the design of a light rail bridge over Santa Anita Avenue. This is to pay for early design work needed for an environmental impact report. The bridge project is expected to cost the city $10.7 million which may come from a bond. The Construction Authority would pay $18.4 million bringing total bridge cost to $29.1 million.
Eight people standing or mounted on mule in front of large American flag which is hanging from a wire. Group apparently was on an excursion to Mt. Wilson. The three men on the right are all identified as McCoys across the face of the photo.
Thirty young women are the finalists for the 2009 Rose Parade Queen and Court. Four girls are from Arcadia High School. They are Stephanie Lagace, Courtney Lee, Lauren Valenzuela and Samantha Power.
Six men shoveling sand as part of cleaning up following construction at Santa Anita Assembly Center for the Japanese. Four ladies are seen coming down stairs.
The County Board is willing to reinstate former Probation Department chief Kenneth Kirkpatrick who was fired in 1974 for alleged incompetence. Kirkpatrick has won three court decisions over the past six years in his attempts to be reinstated.
Hidden away just north of Arcadia's Santa Anita golf course parking lot are the Santa Anita Greens, which provide a wide range of activities for 139 men and women in the Bowling Green Club.
Photo taken by TABER (studio) shows 31 of Elias J. Baldwin's African-American employees. Elias J. Baldwin hired them from the south in 1886 to come work on the Baldwin Ranch. There seems to be only one man in photo. All others are women and children. They are standing next to a building with a long porch; doors and windows open off of it. San Gabriel Mountains are seen in background.
Circus Vargas will be coming to Santa Anita Park for the first time this fall. It will run for 11 days starting Thanksgiving Day in the southwest parking lot. It is an animal-free circus.
