Dr. Sheng Chang has completed his three month term as mayor of Arcadia. For this centennial year, the position of mayor is a under rotation plan approved by the city council. Gary Kovacic will now be mayor for the next three months. Dr. Sheng Chang was honored as Arcadia's first Chinese-American mayor.
John Wuo was named the new mayor of Arcadia on Tuesday, April 19. He is the first Asian-American to be appointed to serve in the position for a full year. He wants to build a community auditorium.
Arcadia Mayor Dr. Sheng Chang said he plans to sue two business partners for libel over their charges that he embezzled money from the Access IPA medical group. Dr. Araceli Chanbonpin and Dr. Azucena Porrai charged in a letter that Chang improperly closed a savings account in the company's name at Bank of East Asia. The amount in the account was $421,483.59. Chang, who is president of Access IPA, said he moved the funds to Preferred Bank to establish more banking relationships for the company. When the other two doctors objected, Chang said he moved the money back to the Bank of East Asia.
Asians make up more than 47% of the city's total population of 53,421. The largest group is Chinese-American. John Wuo discusses what makes Arcadia such an attractive city for Asians.
Harry Lee, a 73-year-old Chinese American sheriff from Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, is visiting Arcadia as part of a fundraising tour for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Deputy Disaster Relief Fund. He will be attending the Oak Tree Racing Association's Mid-Autumn Festival luncheon.
Dr. Loretta Huang, President of the Chinese American Education Association of Southern California, presents Arcadia City Council member Gary Kovacic with a service award.
For the first time, the majority of the candidates in this April's City Council elections are Chinese immigrants. Seven candidates are vying for the three open seats. The candidates are Mayor John Wuo, Sheng Chang, Sho Tay, Shao Hua Wen, Peter Amundson, Bob Harbicht, and Pamela Blackwood.
According to Chester Zahn, gastroenterologist at Methodist Hospital, Chinese Americans have higher rates of colon cancer than other Americans. The American Cancer Society is teaming with Asian American advertising agencies to educate Chinese Americans about colon cancer screenings.
Chinese American Business Association community speakers David Lee and Kirk King of Arcadia talk about how Chinese are reticent to protest the immigration reforms, but they are deeply divided on the issues.
This article is a continuation of a special report about the Asian communities in transition in the San Gabriel Valley. Observers think Asians are blending Asian and American influences into forging a distinct Asian-American identity. A chart shows Asian population becoming majority in many San Gabriel Valley cities.
A special report on the Asian population of the San Gabriel Valley. Arcadia is a city with an Asian population near or above 50 percent. A chart shows Asian presence in the San Gabriel Valley and the percentage who speak English "not well" or "not at all."
This article traces Chinese history in the San Gabriel and Los Angeles County areas back to the late 1840s. Many early Chinese Americans washed laundry, harvested crops, packed oranges, crushed grapes and dug water trenches.
A report by the Asian Pacific American Legal Center found that Asian Americans in Southern California lag behind the general population in voter turnout. The report also provides city-specific electorate and turnout numbers. Asian American voters in Alhambra, Arcadia, and Rosemead made up roughly one-third of the electorate.
A Westfield poll shows four candidates in close contention for three seats in Tuesday's City Council election. The top four contenders are ex-Council members Sheng Chang and Bob Harbicht, current mayor John Wuo, and newcomer Peter Amundson.