By: A Policy Observer Introduction On July 3, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed the One Big and Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) by a vote of 218 to 214. The following day, on Independence Day, the President officially signed it into law. Spanning areas including taxation, social welfare, green energy, and immigration enforcement,Continue reading “Who Wins, Who Loses? — A Preliminary Look at the One Big and Beautiful Bill Act”
Category Archives: English Articles
A Map of Belonging: The Identity Struggles Across Ethnic America
Identity & Ethnicity Series (Part 1) Through the Lens of Chinese Americans, a Look at Immigrant and Indigenous Identity Journeys By Voices In Between Series Introduction｜Living in the “In-Between” In a country shaped by waves of migration and complex histories, the question “Who am I?” is rarely simple.For immigrants and ethnic minorities in the U.S.,Continue reading “A Map of Belonging: The Identity Struggles Across Ethnic America”
Highest Health Spending in the World, Yet No Universal Coverage in America
— 17.2% of GDP Spent on Healthcare, Yet Tens of Millions Remain Uninsured In 2024, healthcare spending in the United States once again reached a staggering 17.2% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the highest in the world. This means that the U.S. spends more on healthcare than any other country on earth. Yet paradoxically,Continue reading “Highest Health Spending in the World, Yet No Universal Coverage in America”
Holding a Green Card, But Shut Out of Care
— A Chinese Immigrant Father’s Reflection on the ‘One Big and Beautiful Bill Act’ On July 4th, as fireworks lit up the sky and my child waved a small flag, I found myself unable to celebrate. Just the day before, Congress passed the “One Big and Beautiful Bill Act”(OBBBA), and the President signed it intoContinue reading “Holding a Green Card, But Shut Out of Care”
Who Are the Real Winners?
— A Middle-Class Perspective on the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” On July 3, 2025, the U.S. Congress narrowly passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) by a vote of 218 to 214. The very next day—Independence Day, July 4th—the President signed the bill into law, turning a symbolic holiday moment into a politicalContinue reading “Who Are the Real Winners?”
Beyond the Fireworks: A Reflection from Chinese Americans on Independence Day
As fireworks prepare to light up the night sky, as red, white, and blue flags flutter across the streets, and as people gather to celebrate the founding of the United States—we are here, too. But at this moment, our hearts may not be entirely in the celebration. As Chinese Americans, standing on the eve ofContinue reading “Beyond the Fireworks: A Reflection from Chinese Americans on Independence Day”
Our Fourth of July: Finding Identity Between BBQ and Sticky Rice Dumplings
Every July 4th, a strange blend of aromas drifts from our backyard—grilled steak sizzling over charcoal, and the sweet scent of sticky rice dumplings steaming on the stove. This is how my family celebrates Independence Day: half burgers and popcorn, half salted egg yolk and lotus seed paste. As a child, I often wondered whyContinue reading “Our Fourth of July: Finding Identity Between BBQ and Sticky Rice Dumplings”
The Child’s Flag, the Parents’ Silence
My daughter received a small American flag outside the grocery store the weekend before the Fourth of July. “They said I can stick it in the garden or take it to the picnic,” she told me, clutching the little plastic flag like it was something ceremonial. When we got home, she placed it carefully inContinue reading “The Child’s Flag, the Parents’ Silence”
The Price of Freedom: As We Celebrate Independence, Who’s Really Paying?
As the flags wave and fireworks prepare to light up the night sky, we once again raise our glasses to celebrate the birth of freedom. But amid this ritual of “independence” and “self-determination,” have we noticed that, as consumers, we may be footing the bill for a different, less glamorous kind of freedom? Tariffs haven’tContinue reading “The Price of Freedom: As We Celebrate Independence, Who’s Really Paying?”
Independence Day Doesn’t Belong to Everyone: A Declaration Still Unfinished
By One Voice Every Fourth of July, fireworks streak across the night sky, the Stars and Stripes flutter in the wind, and the scent of barbecue fills the sidewalks. People raise their glasses to freedom, celebrating the birth of a young nation that, in 1776, declared its break from empire and its belief that “allContinue reading “Independence Day Doesn’t Belong to Everyone: A Declaration Still Unfinished”
