What does the world look like as reported on the pages of California's growing ethnic newspapers? PNS monitors the Chinese-, Spanish-, Vietnamese-, Japanese, Korean, Arabic-language news media as well as English-language newcomer and native-born ethnic press published and/or distributed widely in California. "Gleanings from the Ethnic Media" is a regular weekly column compiled by Emil Guillermo, host of "NCM: New California Media TV" (seen on PBS station KCSM-TV60 in the Bay Area); assisted by Pacific News Service and the NCM Network. Just as the alternative news media connected the disaffected populations in the 1960s, so in the 1990s the ethnic media connects the new ethnic majority communities of California -- to one another and to the larger public forum.

IMPEACHMENT A DISGRACEFUL PERFORMANCE: The ethnic media continues to respond to the impeachment, with most editorials echoing popular support for Clinton. "It is hurtful and sad to see, hear, and read what the House and Senate Republicans are doing to our country. In the space of a few weeks they have done what no foreign enemy country has ever managed to do: bring down in disgrace our institutions, the American people and our country," writes La Prensa (San Diego). "This disgraceful performance by Congressional Republicans shames us all. Our country has suffered serious wounds delivered not by our enemies but by a small group of politicians who rushed to judgment of the President of the United States regardless of the consequences or of the greater good of our country... The world now sees America in disgrace. Its unity torn asunder by malicious, short sighted politicians who are determined to put themselves above country, and the good of the nation."

BROWN'S WHITE TOWN: Peter Chi, head of the Chinese-American Association of Commerce lauds the "new political climate" in San Francisco's Chinatown, but fears the window for multi-cultural political power may be a short one in a report in the Sing Tao Daily (San Francisco).

While encouraged by an empowered and active Chinese community, Chi says at this point "no one is in a position to monopolize the Chinese vote," and that Mayor Willie Brown is still the dominant political figure. But Chi says the bigger problem may be that many Chinese-Americans, as well as other Asian-Americans and African-Americans are leaving the city for cheaper housing elsewhere, especially in the East Bay. The time will soon come, he says, when San Francisco voters will once again be mainly white.

PATELS IN CHAINS TELL ALL: A survey of Indian hotel franchise owners reveals that nearly half are unhappy with their decision to purchase a franchise reports India West (San Leandro, Ca.). The survey by the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), cited widespread dissatisfaction among franchise owners, the majority of whom have found franchising unprofitable. 98 percent of the Indian motel owners, operating familiar chain motels, such as Days Inn, Best Western, and Holiday Inn, complained that hotel chains practice a scheme called "cross branding," which pits franchisees against one another. AAHOA, whose members number 3,000 nationwide, believes Indian hoteliers are getting a raw deal.

SUDANESE FASHION RISK: In the Islamic world, the "politics of clothing" has become a fighting issue, responsible for the rifts that have developed in the ruling Islamic Salvation Front reports Sudanese observer Assir Sayid Ahmad in As-Sharq al-Ausat (London).

Laws about wearing proper Islamic clothing have been on the books of this largely Muslim country for years. But recently some officials have decided to enforce them especially at airports and in universities. If Muslims are not properly clothed when arriving by air they won't be allowed into the country even with a valid visa. If Muslim women students don't wear the right head covering they'll be expelled.

Assir Sayid Ahmed believes the whole issue is more politics than religion. The hard-liners, he writes, are out to get Dr. Hassan Al-Turabi, the country's chief force for domestic and international reconciliation.

BLACK OUT, BROWN OUT: Owners of Black media outlets have complained for decades that advertisers discriminate against them. Now the Final Call (Chicago) reports of a study released this month by the FCC which confirms that advertisers often exclude radio stations serving Black and Latino audiences from their ad schedules, and pay them less than other stations when they are included, even when the non-white stations have larger audiences.

BULLYING KOREAN-STYLE: Picking on one particular student in school for abuse and ridicule has become a major social problem in Korea. Even the president Kim Dae-Jung has ordered a "stop" to such activities, the Korea Times (San Francisco) reports. It's called "Wang Tha" in Korean slang. "Wang" means king. "Tha" means "to isolate." It happens when a whole class of 50 or more students turn against one student, sometimes in acts involving violence. Victims run the gamut from the mousy, weak child to the top students. Wang Tha has become so severe it has led to suicide.

HO HO HO?: Thoi Bao (San Jose, Ca.) and other Vietnamese papers in America are pondering the story of Tran Van Truong, a small businessman in the part of Santa Ana county known as "Little Saigon." Truong recently put up a picture of Ho Chi Minh next to a flag of communist Vietnam at his small appliance shop, and claimed it was his free speech right. It turned out to be "financial suicide." Many in what is known as the largest Vietnamese exile community abroad were offended. They likened Truong's actions to putting up Hitler's picture in the middle of a Jewish community. Protesters succeeded in getting Truong's landlord to take him to court. A Superior Court judge even ordered Truong to take it down. The Vietnamese media continue to speculate on Truong's motives (e.g., was he a communist agent, or just a nut?). Surprisingly, there was little visible support anywhere in the community for the immigrant's right to free speech.

DO YOU WAHOO?: Native American leaders are upset as Chief Wahoo, the big-toothed Cleveland Indian baseball mascot takes to the road, reports Indian Country Today (Eureka, Ca.). Ohio Governor George Voinovich has signed legislation into law expanding the use of vanity plates to include sports team mascots and logos. It's enough to turn Wahoo into a road warrior. "This government action takes the issue to a far more serious and significant level," said Robert Roche, director of the American Indian Movement Confederation of Ohio. "The Legislature's endorsement is government sanctioning, endorsement and sponsorship of racism at its worst. This is entirely unacceptable." Sports commissions will now be formed and charged with distributing revenues and approving images for the license plates. But Roche intends to challenge the constitutionality of the license plates.