Wah Lum Academy

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Community Spotlight: Asian American businesses and organizations make an impact in Malden

May 23, 2021 Saliha Bayrak 0

A look at Wah Lum Academy, District Kitchen, and the Chinese Culture Connection. By Saliha Bayrak and Kyla Denisevich. Photos by Keren He. What started off as martial arts lessons in the driveway of Mai Du 15 years ago is now the nationally renowned Wah Lum Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy in Malden and Quincy. Lined with a diverse array of businesses and organizations, Malden is a microcosm of a culturally rich world. Many of these locations are owned and operated by Asian Americans — entrepreneurs and community leaders like Du who are shaping the city to reflect their culture. Asians are the second-largest ethnic group in the city, comprising 22.5 percent of the population. Asian Americans have made unmeasurable contributions to the city and played a significant role in the community, which sometimes goes under appreciated. Denzil Mohammed directs the Immigrant Learning Center’s Public Education Institute, which works to educate Americans about the contributions of immigrants. “More than 11% of immigrant Asians in the U.S. are self-employed, meaning they’re entrepreneurs, they have some […]

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An honest conversation of Ferguson and beyond

January 9, 2015 karengarden 0

On Saturday, December 13, 2014, Mai Du, of Wah Lum Academy in Malden, brought a call to action from the community. Du hosted a forum entitled “An Honest Conversation of Ferguson and Beyond.” She wanted teens and children to speak their thoughts on the happenings of late, and to get more involved. The group of about 75 people consisted of teens, younger children and adults. The program was facilitated by a group of teens. In the beginning, large blank papers were placed around the room for participants to place stick-ums on, according to categories including fears, hopes and questions, etc. The leaders reviewed what had happened in Ferguson, with the known facts. Then participants were given a pre-determined subject to discuss in small groups of six.  People were grouped with diverse ages, races and ethnicities. The groups were given about 20 minutes to discuss among themselves. Then, all joined again in the large group to share what came out of the small groups. These groups met three-to-four times with different questions, and would again join […]