The Asian Reporter

National Voter Registration Day 2026

National Voter Registration Day is today, September 15, 2026! Registering to vote is the first step in taking part in the democratic process and having your voice heard at the ballot box.

To register, or to learn more, visit:
www.nationalvoterregistrationday.org
apiavote.org/register

K-Pop Day at the Thorns!

I-5 Southbound 24/7 closure

Beginning Friday, Sept. 11, Interstate 5 South though the Rose Quarter corridor is closed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The construction closure is expected to continue for up to five weeks (roughly October 16). (The actual I-5 closure dates are subject to change.)
The goal of the construction is safety and congestion improvements where I-5, I-84, and I-405 converge and for the reconnection project of the Albina neighborhood.

MORE INFO:
www.i5rosequarter.or
E-mail: [email protected]
ODOT phone: (503) 470-3127

To submit noise complaints, call (503) 276-7808.

The new edition of The Asian Reporter is available online!
Visit www.asianreporter.com/completepaper.htm for this issue’s features, including:

◦ The living care for ancestors and wandering spirits at Malaysia’s Hungry Ghost Festival
◦ A Tibetan cooperative keeps a centuries-old weaving tradition alive
◦ Top U.S. doctors offer updated flu and COVID vaccine recommendations, aiming to ease confusion
◦ Dear You, a migration tale shot in a southern Chinese dialect, gets buzz abroad
◦ Comedian Jenny Yang uses a comedy tour to uplift immigrants, one grocery store at a time
◦ From robot dogs to helpers, robotics ambitions put on display
… and more!

Dear You, a migration tale shot in a southern Chinese dialect, gets buzz abroad
By Huizhong Wu and Jintamas Saksornchai
The Associated Press
www.asianreporter.com/film/2026/09-dear.htm
September 7, 2026

BANGKOK — The buzziest film in China this year was shot almost entirely in a southern Chinese dialect that most Chinese viewers need subtitles to understand.
Yet Dear You has become China’s second-highest-grossing film of the year. Now it is heading overseas, part of a broader wave of Chinese cultural exports.
Dear You was shot mostly in Teochew, a dialect spoken in Guangdong’s Shantou region. Set among the Teochew immigrant community in Bangkok, it tells the story of people who left China in search of work to support their families. Made on a low budget, it features a cast of mostly unknown actors.
The film provides a glimpse into the centuries-long history of Chinese migration to Southeast Asia. It has succeeded in making this little-discussed history visible to a wider audience, threading the fine needle of passing official censorship requirements, experts say, while telling a compelling story.
As of August, the movie had grossed about 269 million yuan ($40 million) at the Chinese box office. It was released in Thailand in early August after being shown in Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia. It is being released in the U.S. this month.

China is increasing its soft power with cultural exports
The film’s popularity comes as Chinese culture and consumer brands have been gaining global cachet — from collectible Labubu dolls to “Chinamaxxing,” a social media trend of embracing aspects of the Chinese lifestyle.
The Chinese government began promoting the film as it became a hit and prepared for its international release.
The Chinese consul in Sydney said at a June screening of the film that it “reflects the Chinese nation’s virtues of diligence, kindness, courage, and unity.”
The movie aligns with Beijing’s broader goal of “telling China’s stories well,” highlighting themes of friendship, tradition, and family, including motherhood and kinship, said Belinda He, an assistant professor of East Asian cinema and media studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
China’s ambassador to Thailand presented the film at a special screening in July and again at a red carpet event last month.
“We’re grateful to Guangdong for making such a wonderful film,” Chinese ambassador Zhang Jiangwei said at the red carpet event, which was attended by officials from Guangdong’s Information Office. “Stories about ordinary people and simple, genuine emotions can be even more moving. This film is an excellent vehicle for telling China’s story well.”

Chinese migration to Southeast Asia has been ongoing for centuries
The film first resonated in Malaysia and Singapore because it showcases a history that’s rarely featured in mainstream films.
Chinese migration to Southeast Asia dates back centuries, with many migrants coming from the Guangdong and Fujian provinces in southern China. Many worked as laborers in building projects in an era of western colonial rule across much of Asia.
The film starts with a young man trying to find his grandfather, Deng Musheng, in hopes of getting a loan to repay his debts. In the family lore, there was supposedly a wealthy grandfather in Thailand, who left his young wife and children behind in China and never came back.
Using an address on an old remittance letter his grandfather had sent, he meets people who became part of his grandfather’s life in Bangkok, uncovering the mystery of why his grandfather never returned.
The film’s director, Lan Hongchun, wrote in a column for the People’s Daily, a state media outlet, that he grew up hearing stories from his grandmother about people she knew migrating to Bangkok, and wanted to tell these stories in film.

The film also resonates with Thai Chinese viewers
The plot revolves around “qiaopi,” remittance letters used by Chinese immigrants to send money and news back home. Many workers who could not write Chinese relied on scribes to compose the letters.
Scenes set in the centralized offices where the scribes worked, called “poy kuan,” were directly out of the childhood of 74-year-old Sathien Tuntipaiboontana.
“I connected emotionally with that part of the film quite strongly,” he said after watching the first screening of the film in a Bangkok theater with his older sisters and sisters-in-law. Among them was his eldest sister, who is 89 and needed help climbing the stairs to the cinema.
Their father had immigrated to Bangkok from China in search of work, leaving behind a wife and children. He ended up remarrying and never returned to China. But Sathien’s family continued to send remittances to the family left behind in China.
Thitikorn Phanprayoon, a third-generation Thai Chinese, said he decided to see the film after hearing Teochew, the Chinese dialect he speaks at home, in the trailer. It surprised him since most Chinese films are in Mandarin. He plans to return with his parents.
“I felt like I was sitting at home,” he said. “It felt like my family was performing in the movie in front of me.”

AP writer Fu Ting contributed to this story from Washington, D.C.

Photo credits:
BREAKOUT FILM. In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a woman takes photos during a special screening of the Chinese film Dear You in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The buzziest film in China this year was shot almost entirely in a southern Chinese dialect that most Chinese viewers need subtitles to understand. Yet Dear You has become China’s second-highest-grossing film of the year. Now it is heading overseas, part of a broader wave of Chinese cultural exports. (Chen Zeguo/Xinhua via AP)

MIGRATION TALE. Viewers take a selfie in front of an advertisement for Dear You during its premiere in Jakarta, Indonesia, on August 5, 2026. (Agung Kuncahya B./Xinhua via AP)

A Tibetan cooperative keeps a centuries-old weaving tradition alive
www.asianreporter.com/stories/2026/int09d-26.htm
September 7, 2026

SHANNAN, Tibet (AP) — More than a dozen men and women sit at wooden looms, sliding shuttles through rows of wool yarn before pulling each thread tight. They repeat it again and again as they weave Pulu, the traditional woolen fabric that has clothed people on the Tibetan plateau for centuries.
They work at the Ethnic Huaji Handwoven Cooperative in Shannan, where artisans are trying to preserve one of Tibet’s oldest weaving traditions while creating jobs for local residents.
Founded in 2008 by Tibetan artisan Pasang, the cooperative employs more than 100 local residents, including some people with disabilities, while teaching younger Tibetans a craft that he feared was disappearing.
The cooperative specializes in Zeter, a finer variety of Pulu made from especially soft wool from the necks and backs of sheep. He said the finer wool makes the yarn more difficult to spin than that used for ordinary Pulu.
Pasang said that because Zeter is lighter, softer, and more delicate than ordinary Pulu, it was presented as a tribute from Tibet to the Chinese imperial court during the Ming dynasty.
Pasang said he learned the craft from his parents at a time when fewer than 10 people still knew how to weave Zeter.
He added that the craft has been recognized as part of China’s national intangible cultural heritage, and that he hopes younger generations will continue practicing it.
The wool comes from sheep raised around Shannan, about 12,100 feet above sea level.
Statues of Tibet’s 7th century King Songtsen Gampo and his Chinese bride, Princess Wencheng, stand at the center of the workshop, surrounded by wooden looms. According to local tradition, the weaving craft dates to when Princess Wencheng introduced weaving techniques to Tibet after marrying the king.
In Chinese official history, their marriage symbolizes the historical ties between Tibet and China. “It integrated Tibetan and Chinese cultures,” Pasang said about the fabric’s history.
The Associated Press joined a government-organized trip to Lhasa and Shannan in July, which included visits to the cooperative, palaces, Buddhist temples, tourist sites, an eldercare center, and local businesses.
Next to the workshop, a small showroom displays scarves, shawls, jackets, bags, and other products made from Pulu and Zeter. Pasang said most sales are in Tibet, although customers also come from elsewhere in China.
Tsering Yangchen has been working for seven years in the cooperative. The 80-year-old woman moved from another county and said she struggled to find work before joining the workshop, where instructors taught her and others how to weave. She said Pulu is more than just a product she weaves.
“We usually wear them,” she added. “They are made from pure wool.”

Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang contributed.

TIBETAN TRADITION. A worker pulls wool into yarn at the Ethnic Huaji Handwoven Cooperative in Shannan, as seen during a government-organized trip for foreign journalists to Lhasa and Shannan in July. The cooperative is trying to preserve one of Tibet’s oldest weaving traditions while creating jobs for local residents. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

CONTINUING CRAFT. Workers weave Pulu, a traditional wooden fabric, into clothing at wooden looms near statues of Princess Wencheng and Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo at the Ethnic Huaji Handwoven Cooperative in Shannan on July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Top U.S. doctors offer updated flu and COVID vaccine recommendations, aiming to ease confusion
By Lauran Neergaard
AP Medical Writer
www.asianreporter.com/stories/national/2026/09-shots.htm
September 7, 2026

Leading U.S. medical groups are urging people to get updated flu and COVID-19 vaccinations this fall, banding together to issue shot guidelines — and highlight the science behind them — saying they hope to ease confusion caused by the Trump administration’s changing advice.
Flu vaccinations are beginning and COVID-19 shots are starting to arrive after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved this year’s updated versions. Winter also brings another vaccine-preventable risk called RSV. Exactly who should get one or all of these vaccines, and when?
That advice usually comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with help from its independent advisers. But despite no new scientific evidence, Trump health officials last year began pulling back on some longstanding recommendations for fall virus protection and routine children’s vaccinations. And that advisory panel, which influences state and insurance vaccine policies, is caught in a court battle. The CDC didn’t respond to questions about any new fall guidance but suggested on its website that doctors follow last year’s flu recommendations.
Doctors’ groups are filling the gap: the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the Infectious Diseases Society of America each released vaccination guidelines for their patient populations.
“There’s been a lot of confusion and chaos regarding vaccine recommendations,” said Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, of the American Medical Association.
All the groups’ recommendations plus evidence on shot safety and effectiveness are being posted on websites so “the public has clear, consistent, science-based guidance even while the federal process is in flux,” Fryhofer said.

Just about everyone should get vaccinated against flu
Just about everybody starting at age 6 months needs a flu vaccination, the medical societies agree. But flu is particularly dangerous for people 65 and older, pregnant women, young children, and people of any age who have chronic health problems, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and weak immune systems. The last two flu seasons were especially harsh, with unusually high numbers of child deaths — the vast majority of them in unvaccinated kids.
The vaccines don’t block all flu infections but they do help prevent the worst outcomes, decreasing older adults’ hospitalizations by 31%, according to the Vaccine Integrity Project, a public health group based at the University of Minnesota. Its analysis was published in the medical journal JAMA.

Here’s how to pick from the multiple flu vaccine options
Three “enhanced” flu vaccines are designed to better protect seniors. The American Academy of Family Physicians urges them to choose one — “but do not delay your vaccination if that one’s not available,” said AAFP’s Dr. Sarah Nosal.
There’s a new choice this year for people ages 50 and older, the first flu vaccine made with the same mRNA technology that was key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic. One study found Moderna’s mFlusiva was 27% more effective against symptomatic illness among 50- to 64-year-olds than a standard shot. The FDA just approved the new option and the company expects some doses to be available soon at certain pharmacies.
The shot-averse could choose a nasal spray, FluMist, if they’re ages 2 to 49 and meet other health criteria.

The latest on COVID-19 vaccines
COVID-19 shots once were recommended for just about everyone by federal health agencies, but like last year, the FDA has only formally approved them for higher-risk people — those ages 65 and older or younger people with at least one health condition that increases their risk.
Still, the family physicians recommend all adults get a COVID-19 vaccination, especially seniors and those with other risk factors. Adults 65 and older should get a fall dose and then a second dose six months later, as immunity wanes over time, Nosal said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a COVID-19 shot for all children ages 6 months to 23 months, and for older kids with high-risk conditions. It also supports vaccination for any child whose parent wishes it.
With millions of shots administered, there’s no evidence that coronavirus vaccination during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage or other problems, “so please get the vaccine,” said ACOG’s Dr. Christina Davidson.
Depending on age, people can choose a shot from Moderna, Pfizer, or the only non-mRNA version from Novavax and Sanofi.
Just like with flu vaccines, these shots are better at preventing severe disease than mild cases. The Vaccine Integrity Project said last fall’s COVID-19 shots cut the risk of hospitalization by 53% in seniors and slashed emergency room visits for very young children.
Common side effects for flu and COVID-19 vaccines are mild and temporary, such as sore arms, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, and mild fever. They occurred somewhat more often with the new mFlusiva than with standard flu shots.
Here’s where you can get vaccinated
While pediatricians and some clinics offer both flu and coronavirus shots, they’re most common in pharmacies.
For COVID-19 shots, states have more pharmacy rules. For example, Walgreens says it offers those shots without a prescription in all but two states, Arizona and Oregon, but can provide doses for children as young as 3 in some states while others have higher age limits.
Medicare covers the fall shots and most private health insurers say they plan to continue doing so through 2027.
How to time your vaccination
October is ideal for a flu vaccine, as influenza typically starts spreading in November. COVID-19 tends to rise in late summer, as it is now, and again after the winter holidays. Fryhofer says it’s fine to time the coronavirus shot a few weeks ahead of an event you wouldn’t want to miss because of illness, like a special trip or get-together.
RSV is a nuisance for many, but it can be deadly for some
RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, typically is a cold-like nuisance during the fall, winter, and early spring. But it can be severe, even life-threatening, for infants and older adults.
The family physicians recommend a one-time vaccination for adults 75 and older, people 50 to 74 who are at increased risk, or younger people with weak immune systems.
It’s also recommended during late pregnancy to protect infants born during RSV season. Separately, the pediatricians recommend a vaccine-like medication for those infants whose moms weren’t vaccinated and some other high-risk babies.

The Associated Press’ health and science coverage receives financial support from The AP Fund for Journalism and private foundations. AP is solely responsible for content.

Photo credit:
PHYSICIAN RECOMMENDATIONS. A certified medical assistant holds a syringe for a flu vaccine at a clinic in Seattle. Leading U.S. medical groups are urging people to get updated flu and COVID-19 vaccinations this fall, banding together to issue shot guidelines — and highlight the science behind them — saying they hope to ease confusion caused by the Trump administration’s changing advice. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

From robot dogs to helpers, robotics ambitions put on display
By E. Eduardo Castillo
The Associated Press
www.asianreporter.com/stories/2026/int09c-26.htm
September 7, 2026

BEIJING — Do you want to see whether a robot can fold a piece of cloth? Interested in getting a robot dog or even a humanoid robot that could offer some emotional support? Or perhaps you just want to watch robots boxing and dancing? Come to Beijing.
China held the 2026 World Robot Conference in August, with companies showcasing the country’s expanding robotics industry as it looks to move the technology beyond demonstrations and into factories and other real-world applications.
Organizers say around 3,000 products were showcased during the five-day event. Despite the conference’s name, there was no sign of other countries exhibiting.
One of the main attractions during the opening was the booth of Unitree, one of China’s leading humanoid robot makers, where some of its models boxed and danced. One even played ping pong with a human opponent.
The opening of the conference coincided with Unitree’s stock market debut in Shanghai.
The conference came weeks after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission announced a ban on imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters, citing national security risks, in a move targeting China. The prohibition also covers new imports of quadruped robots, often referred to as four-legged robot dogs. The agency said advanced robots could pose cybersecurity and other national security risks.
UBTECH, another of China’s leading robotics companies, brought several industrial models to the conference. Some demonstrated tasks such as moving components around as they might on a factory floor.
But among those drawing the most attention were humanoid robots with lifelike faces, promoted for emotional care.
Jiao Jichao, deputy president of UBTECH Robotics, said one of its emotional-care humanoids can talk, make various facial expressions, rotate its neck, and move its hands. And it is available to individual buyers. The price: 168,000 yuan (more than $24,000).
But despite the increasingly sophisticated displays, experts say many humanoid robots remain more impressive as performers than as practical workers.
Several companies showcased helper robots equipped with mechanical arms and hands. At one booth, a robot attempted a seemingly simple household chore: folding a shirt. After several minutes of trying, it couldn’t do it.

Photo credits:
ROBOT SHOWCASE. Visitors watch a humanoid robot at a booth during the World Robot Conference at the Beiren Yichuang International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Beijing. Organizers say around 3,000 products were showcased during the five-day event. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

WORLD ROBOT CONFERENCE. A model shows her fancy dressed-up robotic dogs during the robot conference. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

ROBOTIC AMBITIONS. A child plays soccer with a robot during the robot conference. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)