Capital One Impact Initiative
Veterans across the country are struggling to find stable housing. This affordable housing community is ensuring Los Angeles vets have a place to call home.
02.13.21
Courtesy of Creative Commons
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After years of service as a military nurse in the naval Marine Corps, Los Angeles, California-resident Rhonda Jackson became one of the 37,000 retired veterans in the U.S. who are currently experiencing homelessness — roughly eight percent of the entire homeless population.
"I was living in a one-bedroom apartment with no heat for two years," Jackson said. "The Department of Veterans Affairs was doing everything they could to help but I was not in a good situation."
One day in 2019, Jackson felt a sudden sense of hope for a better living arrangement when she caught wind of the ongoing construction of Veteran's Village in Carson, California — a 51-unit affordable housing development with one, two and three-bedroom apartments and supportive services to residents through a partnership with U.S.VETS.
Her feelings of hope quickly blossomed into a vision for her future when she learned that Veteran's Village was taking applications for residents to move in later that year after construction was complete.
"I was entered into a lottery and I just said to myself, 'Okay, this is going to work out,'" Jackson said. "The next thing I knew, I had won the lottery — in more ways than one."
<p>Communities like Veteran's Village are contributing to the national decline in homeless veterans. <u><a href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2019-AHAR-Part-1.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">According to The Department of Housing and Urban Development</a></u>, 793 fewer veterans experienced homelessness between 2018 and 2019.</p><p>That drop continued a steady decline over the past decade, as the number of veterans experiencing homelessness <u><a href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2019-AHAR-Part-1.pdf" target="_blank">has fallen nearly 50 percent</a></u> since 2009.<br></p><p><a target="_blank"></a>National Equity Fund (NEF), a nonprofit LIHTC syndicator and partner to Capital One, brought Veteran's Village to the bank, which responded by providing a $14.3 million construction loan and $15.6 million long-term equity investment through the purchase of low-income housing tax credits.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
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<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Courtesy of Thomas Safran & Associates </small></p><p>"Everyone deserves safe, secure, stable housing — especially the heroes that protect our rights and freedoms," says David Musial, a Capital One Senior Director of the Bank's Community Finance team, which specializes in financing affordable housing. "We are honored to be able to support communities like Veteran's Village as stable affordable housing is fundamental to physical and financial health and access to opportunity."<br></p><p>Veteran's Village strives to be more than just an affordable housing development. Its staff functions as a support system to help residents navigate their individual situations to ensure that each resident is equipped with the tools they need to thrive.</p><p>"Through the support of Capital One, we were able to provide much-needed housing for U.S. Veterans," said Amy Hyde of Thomas Safran & Associates, an affordable housing development and management organization whose properties include Veteran's Village. "Our goal is to enrich the lives of the people who reside in our buildings and Capital One's funding is helping us do just that," Hyde said.</p><p>For Jackson, that goal is realized through the sense of community throughout Veteran's Village.</p><p>"It's home for people who served their country and want to serve each other," Jackson said. "We take care of each other and we look out for each other. We're a family here."</p><p>In addition to supporting housing for veterans, Capital One supports affordable housing for residents throughout the Los Angeles area, including <u><a href="https://nationalcore.org/communities/vista-grande-court/" target="_blank">Vista Grande Court</a></u>, an affordable development that supports people over 60 years of age and Palo Verde Apartments, which includes 49 affordable units with 25 reserved for formerly homeless veterans and their families.</p><p>Capital One's support to affordable housing communities in Los Angeles comes as part of its larger <u><a href="http://capital.one/2Gl20C3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Capital One Impact Initiative</a><a href="http://capital.one/2Gl20C3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">,</a></u> an initial $200 million, multi-year commitment to advancing socioeconomic mobility through advocating for an inclusive society, building thriving communities and creating financial tools that enrich lives.</p><p>Jackson said that while she is grateful for her living arrangement at Veteran's Village, there is a long road ahead in ensuring that every veteran has access to stable housing.</p><p>"I pray that there will be more communities like this built because there are so many of my veteran brothers and sisters on the streets that don't even realize their living situation doesn't have to be the way it currently is," Jackson said.</p>
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Princess Diana said strong women are seen as a threat. Meghan and Oprah prove they are.
03.09.21
Like millions of others, I tuned in last night to watch Oprah Winfrey's interview with (former) Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Although watching "The Crown" has admittedly piqued my curiosity about the Royal Family, I've never had any particular interest in following the drama in real life. As inconsequential as the un-royaling of Harry and Meghan is to me personally, it's a historically and socially significant development.
The story touches so many hot buttons at once—power, wealth, tradition, sexism, racism, colonialism, family drama, freedom, security, and the media. But as I sat and watched the first hour of just Oprah and Meghan Markle talking, I was struck by the simple significance of what I was seeing.
Here were two Black women, one who had battled sexism and racism in her industry and broke countless barriers to create her own empire, and one who has battled racism and sexism to protect her babies, whose royal lineage can be traced back through 1,200 years of rule over the British Empire. And the conversation these women were having had the power to take down—or at least do real damage to—one of the longest-standing monarchies in the world.
Whoa.
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</div><p>It's not that I have some desire to take down the Queen—both Harry and Meghan were very clear that Queen Elizabeth has been good to them—but the institution of the monarchy and the various branches of that institution are steeped in colonialism, racism, and sexism that has long been glossed over in the name of reverence and respect for royalty. What force could possibly make a dent in such an institution? </p><p>Apparently, Meghan Markle. But she's not doing it alone.</p><p>As Oprah asked her about the things we're all curious about, I thought with awe about the generations of Black women who had fought and endured in order for these two women to be sitting there, alone in front of the cameras, with the wrapt attention of millions. That history was palpable throughout the interview.<br></p><div class="rm-shortcode shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed" data-rm-shortcode-id="00b53814773c90240f4b39b962ccb794" id="bf2db">
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<div style="margin:1em 0">Dear .@Oprah ... two words for you tonight. THANK YOU! - on behalf of every person who has endured silent pain, Bla… https://t.co/TFYaBVGliS</div> — Jotaka Eaddy (@Jotaka Eaddy)
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</div><p>When Harry joined in, backing up what Meghan said and sharing his own perspective as a lifelong member of the Royal Family, another woman entered the picture. One thing that came through most clearly in the joint interview was that Harry is <em>so</em> his mother's son.<br></p><p>Princess Diana rocked the royal boat by not conforming to what the palace wanted her to be when she was married to Prince Charles. She stood up for herself, and though much of the world loved her for it, the hounding of the paparazzi and the lack of support from the Royal Family was incredibly difficult. </p><p>"I think every strong woman in history has had to walk down a similar path," Diana said. "And I think it's the strength that causes the confusion and the fear. Why is she strong? Where does she get it from? Where is she taking it? Where is she going to use it?"</p><div class="rm-shortcode shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed" data-rm-shortcode-id="dd8935e8bf146ca6b3775af595a60081" id="abe09">
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</div><p>Diana's butler has pointed out how <a href="https://www.insider.com/princess-diana-butler-paul-burrell-says-clash-meghan-markle-2020-5" target="_blank">similar Meghan is to Diana in personality,</a> going so far as to say he thinks the two would have clashed if Diana were still alive because they are both strong, independent women. He said that similarity is what drew Harry to Meghan. And now Harry has given Meghan the support and defense that his mother never got from the Royal Family.<br></p><p>Diana set the stage for that. She left money for each of her sons in her will—despite the fact that they were royals and would financially always be taken care of—which Harry says enabled the couple to pay for security for their family after the Royal Family cut off security following their stepping back from senior Royal Family member duties. </p><p>"I think she saw it coming." Harry said. "I certainly felt her presence throughout this whole process."</p><div class="rm-shortcode shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed" data-rm-shortcode-id="2edc1d9fbc24efd4b8b6703b0e0646cd" id="d24f3">
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</div><p>So we have a strong woman who isn't willing to put up with the constant attacks from the British press, who bravely asked for help when she became suicidal, and who walked away from the bullshit when it became clear that a long-standing institution wasn't going to change. </p><p>We have a strong woman who built her own platform and offered this couple the opportunity to share their story on the world stage. </p><p>We have a strong woman who raised a son to celebrate strong women and who had the wisdom to prepare him for something she sensed but couldn't exactly foresee. <br></p><p>What I saw in that interview was the power of three women calling one of the most powerful institutions in the world to account, and the entire world listening to them. That's exactly the disruption of the status quo that such institutions have always feared. That's the threat that strong women actually pose. And it's a glorious thing to witness. </p><p>The whole interview is worth watching. If you missed it, you can watch the whole thing for free on the CBS website <a href="https://www.cbs.com/shows/oprah-with-meghan-and-harry-a-cbs-primetime-special/video/i6UW_WTQjLrEeOoObMmlwrFLTTypvuZm/cbs-presents-oprah-with-meghan-and-harry-a-primetime-special/" target="_blank">here.</a> </p>
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This International Women’s Day, Tory Burch and Upworthy Are Celebrating Empowered Women Making a Difference
03.08.21
Tory Burch
Courtesy of Tory Burch
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This March marks one year since the start of the pandemic… and it's been an incredibly difficult year: Over 500,000 people have died and hundreds of thousands have lost their jobs. But the pandemic's economic downturn has been disproportionately affecting women because they are more likely to work in hard-hit industries, such as hospitality or entertainment, and many of them have been forced to leave their jobs due to the lack of childcare.
But throughout all that hardship, women have, over and over again, found ways to help one another and solve problems.
"Around the world, women have stepped up and found ways to help where it is needed most," says Tory Burch, an entrepreneur who started her own business in 2004.
Burch knows a thing or two about empowering women: After seeing the many obstacles that women in business face — even before the pandemic — she created the Tory Burch Foundation in 2009 to empower women entrepreneurs.
And now, for International Women's Day, her company is launching a global campaign with Upworthy to celebrate the women around the world who give back and create real change in their communities.
"I hope the creativity and resilience of these women, and the amazing ways they have found to have real impact, will inspire and energize others as much as they have me," Burch says.
This year's Empowered Women certainly are inspiring:
Shalini SamtaniCourtesy of Shalini Samtani
Take, for example, Shalini Samtani. When her daughter was diagnosed with a rare immune disorder, she spent a lot of time in the hospital, which caused her to quickly realize that there wasn't a single company in the toy industry servicing the physical or emotional needs of the 3 million hospitalized children across America every year. She was determined to change that — so she created The Spread the Joy Foundation to deliver free play kits to pediatric patients all around the country.
Varsha YajmanCourtesy of Varsha Yajman
Varsha Yajman is another one of this year's nominees. She is just 18 years old, and yet she has been diligently fighting to build awareness and action for climate justice for the last seven years by leading school strikes, working as a paralegal with Equity Generations Lawyers, and speaking to CEOs from Siemen's and several big Australian banks at AGMs.
Caitlin MurphyCourtesy of Caitlin Murphy
Caitlin Murphy, meanwhile, stepped up in a big way during the pandemic by pivoting her business — Global Gateway Logistics — to secure and transport over 2 million masks to hospitals and senior care facilities across the country. She also created the Gateway for Good program, which purchased and donated 10,000 KN95 masks for local small businesses, charities, cancer patients and their families, immunocompromised, and churches in the area.
Simone GordonCourtesy of Simone Gordon
Simone Gordon, a domestic violence survivor and single mom, wanted to pay it forward after she received help getting essentials and tuition assistance — so she created the Instagram account @TheBlackFairyGodMotherOfficial and nonprofit to provide direct assistance to families in need. During the pandemic alone, they have raised over $50,000 for families and they have provided emergency assistance — in the form of groceries — for numerous women and families of color.
Victoria SanusiCourtesy of Victoria Sanusi
Victoria Sanusi started Black Gals Livin' with her friend Jas and the podcast has been an incredibly powerful way of destigmatizing mental health for numerous listeners. The podcast quickly surpassed a million listens, was featured on Michaela Coel's "I May Destroy You," won podcast of the year at the Brown Sugar Awards, and was named one of Elle Magazine's best podcasts of 2020.
And Upworthy and the Tory Burch are just getting started. They are still searching the globe for more extraordinary women who are making an impact in their communities.
Do you know one? If you do, nominate her now. If she's selected, she could receive $5,000 to give to a nonprofit of her choice through the Tory Burch Foundation. Submissions are being accepted on a rolling basis — and one Empowered woman will be selected each month starting in April.
Nominate her now at www.toryburch.com/empoweredwomen.
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When 59 children died on Christmas Eve 1913, the world cried with the town of Calumet, Michigan.
Woody Guthrie sang about this little-known piece of history.
10.18.19
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A one-man drill operation
In July 1913, over 7,000 miners struck the C&H Copper Mining Company in Calumet, Michigan. It was largely the usual issues of people who worked for a big company during a time when capitalists ran roughshod over their workers — a time when monopolies were a way of life. Strikers' demands included pay raises, an end to child labor, and safer conditions including an end to one-man drill operations, as well as support beams in the mines (which mine owners didn't want because support beams were costly but miners killed in cave-ins “do not cost us anything.")
<center><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTQ5MjUzMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxOTMyMzk1Mn0.i8_dT1r2gx844nzYmxxdAyodsVuPfuP40Zj9qcZdByk/img.jpg?width=980" id="b0317" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2175297821daa6208ae99df0cf28e01b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"><p> <em>Italian Hall, Calumet</em></p></center><p> Six months without work left many miner families with little food for the holidays and no money for presents, so the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Western Federation of Miners held a Christmas party for the kids. 500 children and 200 adults showed up that day, Christmas Eve 1913. It was held on the second floor of Calumet's Italian Hall; the only way in and out was a very steep stairway.</p><p> As darkness fell and people began to go home to their family celebrations, some of the children gathered around the stage as presents were passed out — for many, it would be the only gift they'd receive this year. In the middle of this festive celebration, someone — possibly more than one person — opened the door at the bottom of the staircase and yelled, “FIRE!"</p><p> Chaos ensued. As everybody headed down the stairs to the exit, the door was blocked from the outside, and children and adults were trampled, then suffocated, by the throng of bodies trying to escape the “fire" — which didn't actually exist.</p><center><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTQ5MjUzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxOTQ0NzIzMX0.nMm5l5QXnREICGy3UM7JkQcjtFaSkKOtVsDuyV_b4qo/img.jpg?width=980" id="51853" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b92daf54f97203734a462a4bd8b55bd2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"><p> <em>Some of the children who died that day</em></p></center><p> In all, 73 people, including 59 children, died, most of them Finnish immigrants. The youngest was Rafael Lesar, 2.5 years old. The oldest was Kate Pitteri, 66 years old. Some families lost all of their children, like Frank and Josepa Klarich, who buried their three daughters, Kristina (11), Maria (9), and Katarina (7). Their little crosses are lined up in a row over their graves in a cemetery west of Calumet.</p><center><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTQ5MjUzNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxODAxMjYyNH0.SI3UrU1gb4qPsm3i06ThJ3jqeq7WskcX05mjkVJdbQI/img.jpg?width=980" id="e73bc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="33ef744998d1282ecf1bd8d78101c1ce" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></center><p> The culprits who yelled into the hall that day to start the tragedy were never identified, but it's widely suspected that it was allies of mine management or the owners who did so to disrupt the miners' party. Nobody was ever prosecuted or even arrested for causing the massacre. It is always thus: Those with money and power control the narrative, silence the truth, and thwart justice.</p><center><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTQ5MjUzNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODc3MDU5Mn0.AcJVvBr_b7E8D07NmmrNiksVgAqev4AwDn-DWkaq1i4/img.jpg?width=980" id="467ba" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c11495bd6ce8ad710755285028e183b7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></center><center><em>The funeral procession</em></center><p> Italian Hall was demolished in the 1980s, but especially during the holiday season, the people of Calumet still talk of that night, 100 years ago, when so many innocents perished.</p><center><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTQ5MjUzNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NTIzMTQzOX0.v6KpX1DN8qS2rpfTVngcSirEqqOanU133D0TnkLtlsI/img.jpg?width=980" id="17fd8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0da6b4f84be2d42076e91006a57fb46a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"><p> <em>What's left of Italian Hall — the archway</em></p></center><p> Partly because a lot of miners left Calumet behind after this tragedy, the strike didn't accomplish what the miners wanted. However, it's considered a turning point for union strength in Michigan's Copper Country.</p><p> In 1941, Woody Guthrie got an idea for a song about the tragedy, which he called “1913 Massacre." Ella Reeve “Mother" Bloor's eyewitness account in her 1940 book, “We Are Many," inspired him. Mother Bloor was a labor organizer who was active in the Western Federation of Miners, the union that represented the people who were on strike in Calumet.</p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ef2d4b5a691131d331cc643e0f779446"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oz7oguguIZE?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p> <strong> </strong></p><center><strong>"1913 Massacre"</strong><p> <strong>Words and music by Woody Guthrie</strong></p><p> Take a trip with me in 1913, <br> To Calumet, Michigan, in the copper country. <br> I will take you to a place called Italian Hall, <br> Where the miners are having their big Christmas ball.<br><br><br></p><p> I will take you in a door and up a high stairs, <br> Singing and dancing is heard everywhere, <br> I will let you shake hands with the people you see, <br> And watch the kids dance around the big Christmas tree.<br><br><br></p><p> You ask about work and you ask about pay, <br> They'll tell you they make less than a dollar a day, <br> Working the copper claims, risking their lives, <br> So it's fun to spend Christmas with children and wives.<br><br><br></p><p> There's talking and laughing and songs in the air, <br> And the spirit of Christmas is there everywhere, <br> Before you know it you're friends with us all, <br> And you're dancing around and around in the hall.<br><br><br></p><p> Well a little girl sits down by the Christmas tree lights, <br> To play the piano so you gotta keep quiet, <br> To hear all this fun you would not realize, <br> That the copper boss' thug men are milling outside.<br><br><br></p><p> The copper boss' thugs stuck their heads in the door, <br> One of them yelled and he screamed, "there's a fire," <br> A lady she hollered, "there's no such a thing. <br> Keep on with your party, there's no such thing."<br><br><br></p><p> A few people rushed and it was only a few, <br> "It's just the thugs and the scabs fooling you," <br> A man grabbed his daughter and carried her down, <br> But the thugs held the door and he could not get out.<br><br><br></p><p> And then others followed, a hundred or more, <br> But most everybody remained on the floor, <br> The gun thugs they laughed at their murderous joke, <br> While the children were smothered on the stairs by the door.<br><br><br></p><p> Such a terrible sight I never did see, <br> We carried our children back up to their tree, <br> The scabs outside still laughed at their spree, <br> And the children that died there were seventy-three.<br><br><br></p><p> The piano played a slow funeral tune, <br> And the town was lit up by a cold Christmas moon, <br> The parents they cried and the miners they moaned, <br> "See what your greed for money has done."<br><br><br></p></center>
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8-yr-old Alan Kim gave an adorably moving acceptance speech at the Critics' Choice Awards
03.08.21
Few child actors ever get to star in an award-winning film, much less win a prestigious award for their performance. That fact appeared to hit home for 8-year-old Alan Kim, as he broke down in tears accepting his Critics' Choice Award for Best Young Actor/Actress, making for one of the sweetest moments in awards show history.
Kim showed up to the awards (virtually, of course) decked out in a tuxedo, and his parents had even laid out a red carpet in their entryway to give him a taste of the real awards show experience. When his name was announced as the Critics' Choice winner for his role in the film "Minari," his reaction was priceless.
Grinning from ear to ear, Kim started off his acceptance speech by thanking "the critics who voted" and his family. But as soon as he started naming his family members, he burst into tears. "Oh my goodness, I'm crying," he said. Through sobs, he kept going with his list, naming members of the cast, the production company, and the crew that worked on the film.
"I hope I will be in other movies," he added. Then, the cutest—he pinched his own cheeks and asked, "Is this a dream? I hope it's not a dream."
<p>Finally, he said "Thank you" in Korean before pulling himself together and giving a smile and victorious arm raise.</p><p>Watch:</p>
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<div style="margin:1em 0">#Minari star Alan S. Kim's wins the #CriticsChoice for Best Young Actor/Actress https://t.co/L4riEFxQze</div> — Film Updates (@Film Updates)
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<p>People loved Kim's sweet authenticity and raw show of emotion. </p>
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<div style="margin:1em 0">@actkay @sammie_purcell8 Absolutely! "I hope I'll be in another movie soon" was just so honest and precious haha. D… https://t.co/qCPNQEX7f6</div> — Hussein Hammouda (@Hussein Hammouda)
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<div style="margin:1em 0">@Haleybobz @sammie_purcell8 ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ GIVE. HIM. EVERY. AWARD!</div> — taylor (@taylor)
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<p>The film he was in, "Minari," also won the evening's award for Best Foreign Language Film. The movie had also been nominated in the Best Picture category, and though it didn't win, the nomination itself was notable after the film had been excluded from the category at the Golden Globes. <br></p><p>Though the film is an American story set in Arkansas, stars American actors, was directed by an American director, and was produced by an American production company, the fact that the film was more than 50% of the film's dialogue was in Korean made it only eligible for the Foreign Language category at the Golden Globes. That exclusion <a href="https://variety.com/2020/film/news/minari-foreign-language-film-golden-globes-1234874332/" target="_blank">prompted an outcry </a>for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to change their film category qualifications.</p>
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<div style="margin:1em 0">I have not seen a more American film than #Minari this year. It's a story about an immigrant family, IN America, pu… https://t.co/BpxcH7oyhL</div> — Lulu Wang (@Lulu Wang)
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<p>"Minari" tells the story of a Korean-American immigrant family that moves from California to Arkansas, and is an example of the authentic Asian-American representation that's <a href="https://www.scholarsandstorytellers.com/representation-blogs/diversity-in-hollywood-how-to-write-asian-characters-more-effectively" target="_blank">long been missing</a> from American films. Classifying it as foreign simply because the ratio of English to Korean language wasn't English enough reflects an outdated view of what it means to be American, as telling true American stories often involves such immigrant transitions. It also reeks of Eurocentric bias when <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361748/trivia" target="_blank">only 30% of the film</a> "Inglorious Bastards" was in English—with the rest of the film being in German, French, and Italian—and yet it wasn't categorized as a foreign language film like "Minari" was.</p><p>At any rate, the awards for the film are a win for authentic representation, and Alan Kim's acceptance speech is a win for us all. </p><p>Thank you, Alan, for showing us what a pure heart and genuine gratitude look like. </p>
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