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WEEK OF MARCH 7, 2024
VOLUME 97 | ISSUE 14
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Asian representation in film matters
Colorado Universal Preschool is an obstacle course for many BY ABIGAIL WIEGMANN AND JONATHAN PETER UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO NEWS CORPS
showcasing the good films coming out of Asia and the USA that are depicting our stories and our experiences, not the experiences Hollywood thinks we have, or experiences they think will be funny or entertaining at our community’s expense. I hope there are many childhood memories being made with good films that showcase the power and talent of Asian actors and filmmakers, and I hope our film festival is a leading connection to those memories.”
With the school year in full swing, 4-year-old preschool students and their families have had to jump through the hoops of getting their kids into a good Kindergarten. It is a world where it can be confusing for families to find quality providers for their children. The state is now involved in helping open doors, giving access to more families, but its quality tracking system, called Colorado Shines, isn’t necessarily as helpful as it promises. Mindy Tipton, director of Treasureland Preschool in Denver, opted into the state’s program, Colorado Universal Pre-K program, commonly called UPK, because it helps alleviate costs for some families at her school. At Treasureland, a preschool student who attends 20 hours per week is considered full-time and the UPK program subsidizes 15 of those hours, meaning families are responsible for a quarter of what they would be without the program. “We felt like that was a real value for a significant number of our families; to be able to serve them financially and partner with them,” Tipton said. “We wanted to be able to do that, we wanted to be able to help our families.” According to 2022-2023 data from the Colorado Preschool Program, 18,902 children received state funding before attending Kindergarten. An additional 28,000 children were assisted last school year. Going forward, the state hopes to reach even greater numbers. National Institute of Early Education Research statistics from 2021 show that only 20% of 4 year olds in Colorado were enrolled in a pre-Kindergarten program in the 2020-2021 year, ranking 26th in the country.
SEE FILM, P4
SEE UNIVERSAL, P2
A still from “You & Me & Me,” a feel-good coming-of-age film that is showing at this year’s Colorado Dragon Boat Film FestiCOURTESY OF COLORADO DRAGON BOAT val.
Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival returns for 9th annual event BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Growing up in the 1990s, Colorado Dragon Boat CEO Sara Moore remembers the depiction of Asian characters in American cinema as being untrue and riddled with harmful stereotypes.
The brainy Asian nerd, the heavily exaggerated accents, and the strict Asian parents are just a few that Moore recalls. As an adult, she looked back at films of the past, and realized how harmful and unfair those roles were for the community and the actors involved. “Today, we have made huge strides in ensuring these harmful stereotypes are no longer being exploited,” said Moore. “This is one of the reasons the Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival was created – to ensure that we are
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