Bye-bye, Beijing!

Posted on May 1, 2019October 28, 2025 by Jess

After seven years in China, I’ve decided it’s time to spend some time on the other side of the Pacific.… Read more Bye-bye, Beijing!

Myanmar

Posted on May 24, 2018October 24, 2018 by Jess

Burma by bus in 2016 and 2017

Peru

Posted on July 23, 2015April 16, 2019 by Jess

Photos from Peru taken in July 2015

Xinjiang

Posted on December 2, 2014October 23, 2018 by Jess

Photos from Xinjiang, China taken in November 2014

Beijing Beginnings

Posted on September 3, 2014April 16, 2019 by Jess

I spent my first year in Beijing improving my Chinese and writing for The Beijinger. I covered the latest celebrity Weibo… Read more Beijing Beginnings

WWII’s Nisei Translators

Posted on October 3, 2012October 23, 2018 by Jess

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, U.S. military leaders realized they needed lots of Japanese translators — and fast. They… Read more WWII’s Nisei Translators

Keeping Faith

Posted on August 4, 2012October 23, 2018 by Jess

Religion and language shape culture, so for immigrants coming to the United States, foreign tongues and unfamiliar worship services can… Read more Keeping Faith

Nicollet Island: A History

Posted on August 3, 2012October 23, 2018 by Jess

Nicollet Island is the only inhabited island in the Mississippi. The Minneapolis oasis has been home to gilded-age tycoons, bootleggers,… Read more Nicollet Island: A History

Yesterday’s Utopia

Posted on March 3, 2012October 23, 2018 by Jess

For those who have only seen them from the highway, they are the “crack stacks.” But for an idealistic group… Read more Yesterday’s Utopia

Fighting Teen Pregnancy in Minnesota

Posted on January 20, 2012October 28, 2018 by Jess

While Minnesota has one of the lowest overall teen birth rates in the nation, the numbers are less encouraging for teens… Read more Fighting Teen Pregnancy in Minnesota