Category: Community

On Wednesday, April 10, a group of journalists from foreign news organizations and foreign diplomats was permitted access to a madrasa in Pakistan that was the alleged target of air strike by the Indian military, Reuters reported. The Indian government had claimed that it killed several hundred “terrorists,” Reuters noted. The madrasa is on a hilltop in the Jaba village area, near Balakot. Reuters explained that some visitors expected to clarify several details, especially regarding India’s claim that the air strike was a success and hit a major terror training camp, or if they missed the madrasa and instead landed in the hills, as Pakistan has said. Another aspect was if the madrasa “was a cover” for Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The organisation claimed responsibility for the February 14 suicide bombing that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel, after which India mounted the air strike.

However, the diplomats and reporters did not have sufficient time to address these queries. They were only permitted into the madrasa’s main building, and “were hurried away by the army, which organised the trip, after less than half an hour. Those arriving by vehicle had even less time,” Reuters stated, adding that they were also only permitted a limited interaction with the madrasa’s teachers and students, which ranged from young to older teenagers. When questioned about this, army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor said that Pakistan did not have anything to hide, and that reporters could come to stay for a night or even a month in the future. He denied that JeM had recently used the madrasa, and indicated that “If there was a relationship it was a long time ago,” Reuters stated.

At least three diplomats told Reuters that “it was very difficult to draw any firm conclusions because of the six-week delay in gaining access and the restricted time allowed to look around.” One Western diplomat said, “I don’t think the site was hit but I still can’t be 100 percent after today,” adding, “As to whether JeM were here – they may have been but I can’t determine that from this either.” The group was “shown craters that the allegedly wayward missiles had created on the surrounding hillsides” on its way up to the madrasa compound, Reuters reported.

The group of diplomats and journalists did not see any indication that there had been construction work to remove structures, or build new ones, Reuters noted, adding that vegetation also did not seem display any signs of being hit by a missile attack. Satellite images have suggested that the primary buildings on the hill seemed to be in the same condition as they were prior to the air strike.  For the complete Reuters piece, go here.

Chicago IL: March 17th, 2019 marked the event of the Naperville Mayoral Candidates forum for the Indian-American community by The Voice of Indian-American Voters (VIA). VIA is a non-partisan platform for civic engagement of Indian-Americans. VIA The founding members of the group are prominent business persons and community leaders Dr Bharat Barai, Mr Sanjjeev Singh & Dr. Anuja Gupta. “We felt there was a need for a Non-Partisan group that promoted the civic engagement of the Indian-Americans in the area” said the founders. The top goals of the group include seeking a better level of engagement with elected officials, creating a more informed voter base and increasing the participation of Indian-Americans in the election process.

The Naperville Mayoral Candidates Forum was the third event organized by the group, the first being a Chicago Mayoral candidates forum and the second the Schaumburg Mayoral & Trustee Candidates Forum. The event was attended by Steve Chirico current mayor of Naperville running for re-election. His opponent Rocky Caylor cancelled his attendance at the last minute thru email communication. “We wanted to present both candidates so the Indian-American community could make a truly informed decision. Rocky Caylor dropping out at the last minute speaks volumes of his regard for the community and his commitment to keep his word” said VIA Founder Sanjjeev Singh.

The Leadership Team of the group includes about 20 prominent citizens & community leaders of local organizations who feel passionate about the cause including Gulzar Singh president Pan Oceanic Inc, Nimish Jani trustee Schaumburg Township, Kanti S Patel president Gujarat Cultural Society, Vidya Joshi secretary Bruhan Mumbai Maharashtra, Syed Hussaini vice-president of commercial loans at Wintrust Bank, Khaja Moinuddin trustee Hanover Township, Ulka Nagarkar member Maharashtra Mandal, Girish Kapur member United Punjabi Association, Shree Guruswamy member Chicago Andhra Association, Vandana Jhingan TV Asia, Keerthi Ravoorie member Indian-American Democrat Org, Savi Singh, Deepti Suri, Dr Rahul Deepankar, Ashfaq Hussain & Gladson Verghese past-president Indian-American Democrat Organization.

Current mayor Steve Chirico spoke at length about the initiatives that he implemented in his first 4 years term as mayor. Reduction of crime and creating a wider tax base from small businesses were major factors in the new rankings of Naperville as the Best Place of Live and the Best Place to Raise a Family in 2018. “One of the important changes made by our police department was based on the connection between crime & mental illness. By recognizing that 70% of criminal actions are related to mental illness we were able to introduce measures that targeted the root cause of the problem. Incarcerating mentally ill individuals was not the solution to the problem. In Naperville we have several steps in place to recognize and address the role of mental illness in crime” said mayor Steve Chirico.

The South Asian Studies Association (SASA), the 13-year old alliance of scholars, as well as leaders of academia, business, NGOs, and philanthropy, devoted its annual weekend conference to shine a spotlight on South Asia’s diverse peoples, cultures, histories, challenges, and opportunities.

Close to 100 attendees gathered for SASA 2019 – Taking South Asia to the World, at Claremont McKenna College, in Claremont, California, March 1-3. Attendees came from around the United States and other parts of the world, to listen to 65 scholarly presentations within 16 panel sessions, as well as three major SASA Plenary Sessions.

Additionally, presentation of SASA’s prestigious annual Exemplar Awards were made to three individuals representing Academic Achievement, Business Leadership, and Community Service.

The 2019 Exemplar Award for Community Service was presented to Dr. Sudhir Parikh, noted physician, publisher, philanthropist, business and civic leader, who has previously received India’s Padma Shri and Pravasi Bharatiya awards, as well as the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Dr. Parikh is CEO of Parikh Worldwide Media and ITV Gold, as well as CEO of Centers for Allergy and Asthma.

In his speech read out at the conference, Dr. Parikh urged all those present to take up community service as an ambition they would pursue just as they are ambitious about other goals, noting, “The beauty of Community Service is that it can be pursued at any time in one’s life …. identify your interest – an area that you feel passionately about – children, women, men, economic development, religion, health, job creation, skills training — I am only naming a few of the many, many areas where you could direct your community service activities.”

“I hope that all of you present here have ambitions for doing Community Service?” Parikh’s speech which was read out at the event, went on to ask, adding, “Because ambition is a tool for change. It is a good quality to have ambition even in the field of service. Look around you in your neighborhood, in your town, city, state and national level, as well as the international level. Opportunities are waiting for you to take on.”

The 2019 Exemplar Award for Academic Achievement was presented to scholar Sudha Pai, Ph.D., president of India’s Policy Research and Management Network, who also delivered the SASA 2019 Academic Keynote Address.

The 2109 Exemplar Award for Business Leadership went to Andy Kaplan, longtime President of Sony Pictures Television Networks, credited with building Sony’s networks in India into marketplace leadership, and taking Sony’s India networks across South Asia and worldwide, the press release said.

“SASA 2019 included the most diverse array of academic papers and presenters in our history. From ancient and contemporary geopolitics, to religions and meditation, to economics and the environment, there were indeed topics of great scholarship, interest and value for all attendees, SASA Chairman and CEO Ken Silverman is quoted saying in a press release.

The three plenary sessions were the highlight of the conference. They looked at the application of artificial intelligence in addressing research in higher education, especially across South Asia, led by Claremont McKenna President Hiram Chodosh; insightful looks at both personal and planetary wellness, jointly led by Dr. Christopher Chapple of Loyola Marymount University and Rafiq Dossani, Ph.D., of the RAND Corporation’s Center for Asia Pacific Policy; and an assessment of the streaming media revolution across South Asia, led by US-India media attorney, Arnold Peter, and featuring media experts from the two countries.

In addition, the SASA Conference’s Arts Festival featured visual and performing arts from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

Location, location, location. Half of buying a home is finding where you want to live. You may have found your dream house, but it might not be in your dream location.

Here’s how you can find the perfect neighborhood:

Check It Out Online
Look up what people are saying about the neighborhood you’re interested in. Do people actually enjoy living there? What do they like and dislike about it?

Google the crime statistics for the area; safety should be top of mind. If you have kids, look up schools in the area. How are they rated? Social media platforms like Facebook and Nextdoor also offer a great window into the ins and outs of your potential neighborhood.

Scout It Out
Literally. Do drive-bys, and do them at different times of the day to get a feel for the neighborhood. Is there a soccer field or baseball diamond close by? You’ll want to know before it’s too late whether cars will be lined up on your street every weekend. What’s that nearby intersection like during rush hour? Is there a grocery store close by? The more questions you can answer before moving in, the more confident you’ll feel when it’s time to put down an offer.

How Far Is Your Potential Home From Your Job?
A long commute has the potential to become an everyday stressor. If you take the bus, look up the route and times. If you drive, check out the route during your normal commute times on Google Maps.

Do Your Research on Property Taxes
Property taxes greatly differ from one region to the next and could majorly impact your cost of living. Do your due diligence and make sure you can afford the area you want to live in. Check out other costs of living while your at it—think utilities and food prices.

The 15% & Growing Campaign gathered nearly 300 community members, service providers, advocates, and elected allies yesterday at 12:00 PM on the steps of City Hall for the 11th Annual Asian Pacific American (APA) City Advocacy Day to demand equitable funding for the APA community. The 15% & Growing Campaign, led by the Coalition for Asian American Children & Families (CACF), unites over 45 Asian-led and serving organizations in New York City to advocate for a fair budget.

Despite its growth, the APA community now representing over 15% of NYC does not receive sufficient resources.  In FY 2019, APA organizations received only 5.06% of all discretionary funding despite the communities’ growth and vast needs. This lack of resources serve as barriers to education, health care, employment, civic participation, and other factors critical for the APA community to become fully contributing members of New York City. Culturally competent and language accessible services provided by community organizations are both effective and impactful in meeting the communities’ needs. The Campaign’s FY 2020 Budget Priorities are to restore and expand initiatives that address the following issue areas:  1) Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund (CCNSF), 2) Children and Youth Services, 3) Older Adult Services, 4) Immigrant Services, 5) Health and Well-being, 6) Housing and Economic Security, 7) Violence Prevention and Intervention, and 8) Workforce Development.

“As the highly diverse APA community grows across the City, the need for more culturally competent and language accessible services grows as well,” said Vanessa Leung, Co-Executive Director  of the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families . “Contrary to the model minority myth, APAs face the highest rates of poverty and linguistic isolation across New York City. Today, we stand united as an APA community with our allies in City Council to demand fair funding for our communities.”

Anita Gundanna, Co-Executive Director of the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, said, “Asian-led community organizations across New York City provide the most effective culturally competent and language accessible services that have the largest impact in addressing the needs of our community.  However, our organizations continue to experience growing wait lists and rising costs to sustain vital services for our communities.”

“The 15% growing campaign recognizes the simple truth that, despite being one of the fastest growing populations in New York, the Asian Pacific American community receives minimal resources from City Hall,” said Council Member Margaret S. Chin, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Aging (District 1). “A fair New York City means a budget which produces equitable outcomes for its diverse population. I stand with the hundreds of community members, service providers, fellow elected officials, and the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families in calling on this Administration to provide the funding our community deserves.”

“Our Asian Pacific American families need additional resources from the city,” said Council Member Daniel Dromm, Chair of the FinanceCommittee (District 25). “APAs are one of the fastest growing communities in NYC They have greatly enriched our city yet many APAs are living their lives in the margins of society. As elected officials, we must adequately fund the grass roots organizations who work around the clock to reach these at-risk community members. While I am proud to have successfully fought for increased funding for APA-led service providers over the years, much more work remains to be done. I will continue to stand with the 15% and Growing Campaign to advocate for more dollars for APA organizations.”

“I am pleased to join the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families for Asian Pacific American Advocacy Day. I have been honored to work with many of the coalition members, to allocate discretionary funds, and to join the fight for funding for the outstanding social service organizations that serve the residents of Eastern Queens and neighborhoods across the City,” said Council Member Barry S. Grodenchik, Chair of the Committee on Parks and Recreation (District 23).

“Despite being one of the fastest growing communities in New York City, the Asian Pacific American community is still one of the least funded. This is unacceptable, and what it translates into is insufficient resources across a range of critical services and programs: immigration, healthcare, education, employment, and civic engagement for our APA community,” said City Council Member Carlos Menchaca, Chair of the Committee on Immigration (District 38). “If we are truly an inclusive and fair city, we must ensure that the City’s budget and funding accurately reflect the needs of all our immigrant communities – including our APA community – and the local community-based organizations who serve them. I applaud the 15% & Growing Campaign for its on-going advocacy, and I am proud to stand with the Campaign in calling for more equitable funding for the APA community and APA serving organizations.”

The 15% & Growing Campaign continues to work with and urge the City Council to address the lack of resources to the underserved APA community through City Council controlled funding. City Council discretionary funding is a crucial resource for small community based organizations and often the first city funding organizations can access.

Members of the 15% & Growing Campaign met with over 20 City Council Members and urged them to provide resources to the most vulnerable APA New Yorkers including immigrants and low-income families, seniors, children, youth and women. Three impactful initiatives highlighted in the day’s legislative meetings and rally, among others, were:

Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund. For the past five fiscal years, the New York City Council allocated funds to the Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund, which addresses the need for capacity-building resources for nonprofit organizations serving primarily communities of color (including Asian, Latinx, and African American communities as well as emerging immigrant groups). For FY 2020, we are requesting the City Council for an enhancement of this initiative to $5 million.

Access Health NYC. Almost 15% of APAs in NYC ages 18 and over are uninsured and over a majority (89%) of uninsured APAs are foreign-born. Health care access problems are exacerbated in the APA community by immigration status-related challenges and fears, language barriers, cultural stigmas, and low utilization of primary and preventive care. The 15% & Growing Campaign is calling on City Council to continue supporting the Access Health NYC initiative by restoring it at $2.5 million. This initiative helps train and inform disenfranchised New Yorkers on their health rights and options.

Domestic Violence and Empowerment Initiative (DoVE). We call on City Council to restore $9.305 million for DoVE funding that supports prevention, empowerment workshops, comprehensive service referrals, and legal advocacy to survivors of domestic violence. These funds are critical to support the work of APA and immigrant-serving organizations whose work with survivors of violence is made more complex with challenges around immigration status, language accessibility, and bridging cultural and other divides.

Nearly 25% of Asian Americans live in poverty in New York City, the highest poverty rate across all ethnic groups in the City. Those struggling with poverty are also more likely to be recently arrived immigrants, and limited English proficient individuals, children, and seniors. The City must continue to increase funding and support for the services that promote the health, well-being, educational, and economic vitality of our most vulnerable New Yorkers.

Rawaa Nancy Albilal, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Arab-American Family Support Center said, “The Arab-American Family Support Center is proud to stand with all immigrants and refugees, including the growing Asian Pacific American communities. It is essential that we provide a platform to uplift the voices and choices of our richly diverse neighbors so they have the resources they need to thrive.”

“According to a recent scholarly study, only 4 percent of series regulars on TV last year were Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders—and more than half of those shows were canceled. We need the opportunity to have our voices heard, our faces seen, and our stories told in popular media,” said Lisa Gold, Executive Director of the Asian American Arts Alliance. “I’m grateful to the 15% and Growing Campaign for helping to bring visibility and equity to the APA community.”

“With immigrant workers comprising almost 50% of the city’s workforce, investing in on-ramps to Career Pathways Programs are essential for the city’s workforce development system to be inclusive and impactful,” said Jennifer Sun, Co-Executive Director of Asian Americans for Equality. “We urge the Mayor and City Council to fund bridge programs designed to provide immigrant job-seekers with the integrated pre-literacy classes, skills training, and case management required to help them move from low-wage to living wage jobs.”

“Indo-Caribbeans and South Asians are among the most underserved communities in New York City, and face some of greatest threats of gentrification, displacement and loss of livelihoods. We witness everyday community members who are unable to stay in the neighborhoods they built or are forced to shutter businesses because of sky-rocketing rents. It is critical that the City significantly increase the supports and resources necessary to keep immigrant neighborhoods stable and thriving,” said Annetta Seecharran, Executive Director of Chhaya Community Development Corporation.

“In order to advance our community, and become a truly equitable and immigrant-inclusive city, we need to invest more in initiatives like Geriatric Mental Health, Senior Centers for Immigrant Populations, Adult Literacy, COMPASS, and other senior and immigrant services. And more Asian-led and serving organizations must be designated funding from these initiatives,” said Wayne Ho, President & CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council, Inc. “During these turbulent times, the Mayor’s Office and City Council should continue to increase resources for immigrant communities, especially legal services and workforce development programs. New York City must address the inequity of resources available to the Asian American community to ensure immigrants and their families across generations have an equal opportunity to thrive.”

Stephanie Lau, Assistant Executive Director of CMP, said, “As the Asian community continues to grow in size and geographically, our need for culturally competent and linguistically available services grows as well. CMP looks forward to Advocacy Day to engage in meaningful dialogue with our elected officials and colleagues alike.”

“Despite continued support from City Council, the APA community still faces numerous challenges every day. The APA community has the highest uninsured rates in healthcare, and roughly one in four APA seniors (23%) live in poverty. Moreover, the APA community has the highest rate of linguistic isolation in NYC, at 42%. The reasons behind such high instances of poverty, isolation and uninsured rates are complex. APA individuals are faced with social, cultural and linguistic barriers, have a limited knowledge of healthcare and social services, and have a general lack of trust in the system that result in very low utilization of city services. To protect this vulnerable population, we need to secure vital services such as mental health counseling, meals on wheels, and senior job training. It is more important than ever that the City Council continue its support for CBOs in providing such vital services to the under-served APA population,” said Eunhye Grace Kim, Assistant Director, Public Health and Research Center of The Korean Community Service of Metropolitan New York, Inc.

Khamarin Nhann, Campaign Director of Mekong NYC, said, “Mekong NYC serves and organizes the Southeast Asian community in the Bronx and throughout NYC. We are here today with all of these amazing leaders and organizations that are on the ground and providing much needed direct services and advocating on behalf of vulnerable communities. Community-based organizations like Mekong NYC are on the front lines and see the direct impacts of the Social Determinants of Health. This is much more then lack of resources, but actually address root causes and understanding the importance of social and economic issues impacting our overall health. We need to uplift all voices and narratives of our communities, which includes immigrants, refugees, undocumented, and citizens of our great city. We need the support from elected officials to continue in supporting the 15% and Growing Campaign to provide resources for organizations on the ground to provide vital services. We are not just the communities safety net, but we are playing a role in building community power.”

“In addition to Asian Pacific Americans being the fastest growing population from the federal to city level, we also have the highest foreign born population, the fastest growing senior population, the highest rates of poverty for the working age population since 2007, and the highest rates of limited English proficiency and linguistic isolation,” said John Park, Executive Director of MinKwon Center for Community Action. “This contributes directly to the unique challenges faced by APA led community based organizations, and we need a common sense budget where resource allocations match the actual needs of our communities.”

“CBOs, like Sapna NYC, are uniquely qualified to serve APA immigrant communities in NYC. Non-profits of color that emerge from within the communities they serve are some of the most effective service providers. However, it’s essential that the City continues to grow the CCNSF to help build the capacity of these smaller non-profits to help train staff, enhance systems, and build leadership,” said Diya Basu-Sen, Executive Director of Sapna NYC.

“As an organization that provides crucial services in health outreach and education to marginalized immigrant communities through City Council funding, SACSS has first-hand experience of how vital these programs are. Communities rely on organizations like ours to offer language accessible and culturally competent services that many city agencies do not provide. It is imperative that the City Council ensures the expansion of funds so that these services are not curtailed,” said Sudha Acharya, Executive Director of South Asian Council for Social Services.

“Turning Point for Women and Families works with Muslim youth and hopes that the City Council will increase its support for youth programs in New York City’s Asian American communities. We know that our youth trust and feel more empowered when folks who support them look like them, and we hope that the City will continue to invest in organizations that are investing in our City’s future,” said Tazmin H. Uddin, Youth Program Coordinator of Turning Point for Women and Families.

Aya Tasaki, Manager, Policy and Advocacy of Womankind, said, “Womankind has continued to serve Asian survivors of gender-based violence for close to four decades. We know from experience that the journey to truly rise above trauma is complex, and that a support system with linguistic and cultural humility is critical. Today the most vulnerable of our clients are pushed into the cross-hairs of heightened attacks. Now is the time, more than ever, for New York City to invest in Asian-led, Asian-serving organizations because we are the ones who best serve, heal, and amplify the voices of our communities with dignity. We are the ones who will never stop doing the work, because these are our communities, our families, our homes – and we are here to stay.”

The following City Council Members joined the 15% and Growing Campaign in solidarity and called for greater funding equity to the APA community: Council Member Daniel Dromm, Council Member Barry Grodenchik, Council Member Ben Kallos, Council Member Brad Lander, Council Member Mark Levine, Council Member Carlos Menchaca, and Council Member Bill Perkins.

Organizations who attended the press rally:

Arab-American Family Support Center

Asian American Arts Alliance

Asian American/Asian Research Institute-CUNY

Asian Americans for Equality

CMP

Charles B. Wang Community Health Center

Chinese-American Planning Council, Inc.

Chinese Progressive Association

Chhaya Community Development Corporation

Coalition for Asian American Children and Families

Filipino American Human Services, Inc.

Homecrest Community Services

Indochina Sino-American Community Center

Japanese American Social Services, Inc.

Japanese American Association of New York

Korean American Family Service Center

Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York

Leviathan Lab

Mekong NYC

MinKwon Center for Community Action

NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health

Sakhi for South Asian Women

Sapna NYC

South Asian Council for Social Services

South Asian Youth Action

Turning Point for Women and Families

United Chinese Association of Brooklyn

Womankind

Women for Afghan Women

The 15% & Growing Campaign is comprised of over 45 Asian led and serving organizations in New York City aiming for the State and City governments to have fair, inclusive budgets that protect the most vulnerable Asian Pacific American New Yorkers. Campaign members employ thousands of New Yorkers and serve hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.

Adhikaar ▪ Alliance of South Asian American Labor ▪ Andolan – Organizing South Asian Workers ▪ Apex for Youth* ▪ APICHA Community Health Center* ▪ Arab-American Family Support Center ▪ Asian American Arts Alliance* ▪ Asian American/Asian Institute of New York – CUNY ▪ Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund ▪ Asian Americans for Equality* ▪ Asian Outreach Clinic, Child Center of New York ▪ Asian Youth Center of NY ▪ Center for the Integration and Advancement of New Americans* ▪ Chhaya CDC ▪ CMP* ▪ Chinese-American Family Alliance for Mental Health ▪ Chinese-American Planning Council* ▪ Chinese Progressive Association ▪ Coalition for Asian American Children & Families (lead) ▪ Council of Peoples Organization ▪ Damayan Migrant Workers Association ▪ DRUM – South Asian Organizing Center ▪ Filipino American Human Services, Inc. ▪ Greater Chinatown Community Association ▪ Hamilton Madison House ▪ Homecrest Community Services ▪ Indo-Caribbean Alliance ▪ Indochina Sino American Community Center ▪ Immigrant Social Services ▪ Japanese American Association of New York* ▪ Japanese American Social Services, Inc. ▪ Korean American Family Service Center ▪ Korean American League for Civic Action ▪ Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Inc*. ▪ Korean Family Counseling and Research Center ▪ Lower East Side Family Union ▪ MAAWS for Global Welfare, Inc. ▪ Mekong NYC ▪ MinKwon Center for Community Action* ▪ New York Coalition for Asian American Mental Health ▪ NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health ▪ NYU South Asian Health Initiative ▪ Sakhi for South Asian Women ▪ Sapna NYC ▪ Sikh Coalition ▪ South Asian Council for Social Services* ▪ South Asian Youth Action* ▪ Turning Point for Women and Families ▪ United Chinese Association of Brooklyn ▪ United Sikhs ▪ Womankind* ▪ Women for Afghan Women ▪ YWCA of Queens.

American teens have a lot on their minds. Substantial shares point to anxiety and depression, bullying, and drug and alcohol use (and abuse) as major problems among people their age, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of youth ages 13 to 17.

How common are these and other experiences among U.S. teens? We reviewed the most recent available data from government and academic researchers to find out:

Anxiety and depression

Serious mental stress is a fact of life for many American teens. In the new survey, seven-in-ten teens say anxiety and depression are major problems among their peers – a concern that’s shared by mental health researchers and clinicians.

Data on the prevalence of anxiety disorders is hard to come by among teens specifically. But 7% of youths ages 3 to 17 had such a condition in 2016-17, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health. Serious depression, meanwhile, has been on the rise among teens for the past several years, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an ongoing project of the federal Department of Health and Human Services. In 2016, 12.8% of youths ages 12 to 17 had experienced a major depressive episode in the past year, up from 8% as recently as 2010. For 9% of youths in 2016, their depression caused severe impairment. Fewer than half of youths with major depression said they’d been treated for it in the past year.

Alcohol and drugs

Anxiety and depression aren’t the only concerns for U.S. teens. Smaller though still substantial shares of teens in the Pew Research Center survey say drug addiction (51%) and alcohol consumption (45%) are major problems among their peers.

Fewer teens these days are drinking alcohol, according to the University of Michigan’s long-running Monitoring the Future survey, which tracks attitudes, values and behaviors of American youths, including their use of various legal and illicit substances. Last year, 30.2% of 12th-graders and 18.6% of 10th-graders had consumed alcohol in the past 30 days. Two decades earlier, those figures were 52% and 38.8%, respectively. (In the Center’s new survey, 16% of teens said they felt “a lot” or “some” pressure to drink alcohol.)

But the Michigan survey also found that, despite some ups and downs, use of marijuana (or its derivative, hashish) among 12th-graders is nearly as high as it was two decades ago. Last year, 22.2% reported using marijuana in the past 30 days, versus 22.8% in 1998. Past-month marijuana use among 10th-graders has declined a bit over that same period, from 18.7% to 16.7%, but is up from 14% in 2016.

Marijuana was by far the most commonly used drug among teens last year, as it has been for decades.  While more than 10% of 12th-graders reported using some illicit drug other than marijuana in the late 1990s and early 2000s, that figure had fallen to 6% by last year.

The Michigan researchers noted that vaping, of both nicotine and marijuana, has jumped in popularity in the past few years. In 2018, 20.9% of 12th-graders and 16.1% of 10th-graders reported vaping nicotine in the past 30 days, about double the 2017 levels. By comparison, only 7.6% of 12th-graders and 4.2% of 10th-graders had smoked a cigarette in that time. And 7.5% of 12-graders and 7% of 10th-graders said they’d vaped marijuana within the past month, up from 4.9% and 4.3%, respectively, in 2017.

Bullying and cyberbullying

Issues of personal safety also are on U.S. teens’ minds. The Center’s survey found that 55% of teens said bullying was a major problem among their peers, while a third called gangs a major problem.

Bullying rates have held steady in recent years, according to a survey of youth risk behaviors by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About a fifth of high school students (19% in 2017) reported being bullied on school property in the past 12 months, and 14.9% said they’d experienced cyberbullying (via texts, social media or other digital means) in the previous year. In both cases, girls, younger students, and students who identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual were more likely to say they’d been bullied.

Gangs

As for gangs, the share of students ages 12 to 18 who said gangs were present at their school fell from 20.1% in 2001 to 10.7% in 2015, according to a report on school safety from the federal departments of Education and Justice. Black and Hispanic students, as well as students in urban schools, were most likely to report the presence of gangs at school, but even for those groups the shares reporting this fell sharply between 2001 and 2015, the most recent year for which data are available.

Poverty

Four-in-ten teens say poverty is a major problem among their peers, according to the Center’s new report. In 2017, about 2.2 million 15- to 17-year-olds (17.6%) were living in households with incomes below the poverty level – up from 16.3% in 2009, but down from 18.9% in 2014, based on our analysis of Census data. Black teens were more than twice as likely as white teens to live in households below the poverty level (30.4% versus 14%); however, the share of white teens in below-poverty-level households had risen from 2009 (when it was 12.1%), while the share of black teens in below-poverty-level households was almost unchanged.

Teen pregnancy

Far fewer U.S. teens are having to juggle adolescence and parenthood, as teen births continue their long-term decline. Among 15- to 19-year-olds, the overall birthrate has fallen by two-thirds since 1991 – from 61.8 live births per 1,000 women to 20.3 in 2016, according to the CDC. All racial and ethnic groups have witnessed teen-birthrate declines of varying degrees: Among non-Hispanic blacks, for example, the rate fell from 118.2 live births per 1,000 in 1991 to 29.3 in 2016.

February 10th 2019 marked the Chicago Mayoral Candidates Forum for the Indian-American community presented by the Voice of Indian-American (VIA) Voters in Chicago, IL. VIA Voters is a non-partisan platform for civic engagement of Indian-Americans in Chicagoland & nationally. The founding members of the group are prominent business persons and community leaders Dr Bharat Barai, Mr Sanjjeev Singh & Dr. Anuja Gupta. “We felt there was a need for a Non-Partisan group that promoted the civic engagement of the Indian-Americans in the area” said the founders. The top goals of the group include seeking a better level of engagement with elected officials, creating a more informed voter base and increasing the participation of Indian-Americans in the election process.

 The Chicago Mayoral Candidates Forum was the first event organized by the group. The event was attended by 7 mayoral candidates and 350 community members at the Taft Highschool in Chicago, IL. Drawing attention from the Chicago mayoral candidates and the community for this cause was a great accomplishment by the founders and their team. “As a new organization it was a bit challenging to get commitment from the mayoral candidates, but our persistence and hard-work paid off with 7 of the 9 candidates we invited to attend the forum” said VIA Founder Sanjjeev Singh. In attendance were Paul Valas past CEO Chicago Public Schools, Garry McCarthy past chief of Chicago Police Dept, Gery Chico past president Chicago Public Schools—, Bob Foretti Attorney, Amara Enyia Director Austin Chamber of Commerce, La Shawn Ford Chicago State Representative and Jon Kozlar Attorney

The Leadership Team of the group includes 18-20 prominent citizens & community leaders of local organizations who feel passionate about the cause including Gulzar Singh president Pan Oceanic Inc, Nimish Jani trustee Schaumburg Township, Kanti S Patel president Gujarat Cultural Society, Vidya Joshi secretary Bruhan Mumbai Maharashtra, Syed Hussaini vice-president of commercial loans at Wintrust Bank, Khaja Moinuddin trustee Hanover Township, Ulka Nagarkar member Maharashtra Mandal, Girish Kapur member United Punjabi Association, Shree Guruswamy member Chicago Andhra Association, Vandana Jhingan TV Asia, Keerthi Ravoorie member Indian-American Democrat Org, Savi Singh, Deepti Suri, Dr Rahul Deepankar, Ashfaq Hussain & Gladson Verghese past-president Indian-American Democrat Organization.

The Forum was moderated by Rishi Agrawal, an attorney & candidate for Cook County judge. Questions presented to the candidates included a wide range of topics important to the Chicago election such as high violent crimes, economic opportunities, Chicago’s infamous pay to play culture and education disparity in Chicago. The candidates were first given a chance to present their agenda followed by questions directed to specific candidates regarding topics they represented. “Chicago crime can only change when the city hall culture changes. Corruption starts at the top here and has got to change before anything else” said candidate Garry McCarthy past police chief of Chicago Police Department. Candidate Jon Kozlar, an attorney and the youngest running candidate at 30 years of age said, “In order for Chicago to change we need a new administration which is not burdened by baggage from the past. I bring that fresh perspective to the race”. Candidate Paul Valas past-superintendent of Chicago Public Schools said “The disparity of teachers and funding for schools in Chicago is incomprehensible. Every child deserves a fair chance for a decent education in the country”