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.

DID THE U.S. CHEAT?: In the aftermath of the U.S. Women's World Cup victory, some Chinese fans are crying foul, reports the Sing Tao Daily (San Francisco).

Hsien-hui Chen, an experienced soccer player living in the San Francisco Bay Area scrutinized a tape of the match in slow motion. "[I] watched it back and forth a couple of dozen times and am convinced Scurry fouled."

Soccer rules forbid the goalie to step forward before the kicker's foot touches the ball in a penalty kick. But Chen says Scurry did exactly that in all five instances. She advanced four steps before the successful catch that decided the fate of both teams. Scurry herself admitted to the fouling, according to reports in the mainstream media. But she was unrepentant. "It was not cheating as long as the referee didn't catch it," she said.

The news caused a near uproar among Chinese fans. "Americans are full of high-sounding words," said Yong Chen, an engineer working in the Silicon Valley, "but when they act, they act nothing but self-interest. Hell with honesty and law-as long as no one catches them."

Some in the community want action to be taken. Re-match or yield the Cup, said one fan. "The Chinese team had always been the underdog, therefore we must protest this time" to stop it from happening again, said Hsien-hui Chen. The two teams last met in the 1996 Summer Olympics, where the Americans won by another alleged false move and got the gold medal.

It is not known whether the Swiss referee was aware of Scurry's fouling. Action by authorities is unlikely. Even if something was done, the referee would be the only one penalized, and the match results would not be revoked.

SPORTS BLACKOUT: The American sports industry operates like a huge plantation‹ blacks and other minorities are utilized for their talents, but when it comes to ownership of sports franchises and teams and management of those teams, they are literally "whited out" (Final Call, Chicago). Data compiled by Rainbow/PUSH show that among the nation's 1,600 daily newspapers, only 15 have black sports columnists and only three have black sports editors. In the NFL, all 31 majority owners are white; but 66 percent of NFL players are black. Out of 31 NFL coaches, three are black. In the NBA, out of 192 players, 77 percent are black, but the majority of primary owners are white.

BUSH HABLA CALIFORNIA: In his first visit to California, Texas Governor and presidential candidate George W. Bush declared that he'll campaign intensely for the Latino vote and mend relations between the GOP and California Latinos reports La Opinion (Los Angeles). "It's important to have a candidate that can say 'voten por mi"'(vote for me), said Bush in Spanish during an exclusive interview for "Voz y voto" (Voice and Vote), a Opinion and KMEX TV 34 co-production. Bush supports NAFTA, claiming that the free trade accord has benefited both Mexico and the United States. He acknowledged, however, that it has created unemployment problems in Texas. To a question on border control strategies, Bush was vague: "Laws have to be applied in an equal and humane manner" and "I think in Texas we are doing a better job. I don't know how things are going in California." On bilingual education: He does not support "English only" but wants kids to learn English well. He is open to them learning "more than English."

ENTRY PAY: Starting July 1, foreigners entering Mexico will be required to pay a tariff if they venture more than 26 kilometers into Mexican territory and plan to stay in the country for more than 72 hours (La Opinion, Los Angeles) . The fee -- about $15 dollars -- will also be administered to people traveling through Mexico to other countries. With the tariff, the Mexican government hopes to raise more than $60 million by the end of the year -- paid for by four million visitors.

KILLING SPREE: Despite pleas for clemency, three men convicted of killing a Philippine policeman were executed last week, one after the other in Manila, reports the Philippine News (San Francisco). Since executions were resumed in February in the Philippines there have been five executions by lethal injection.

LUKEWARM ON SAME-SEX: Asian Pacific American advocacy groups, long-time foes of discrimination against immigrants, workers, and women, have been mostly silent on the issue of legalizing gay marriages, reports Asian Week (San Francisco). A ballot initiative to ban gay marriages has qualified for the statewide 2000 ballot. So far, only the Japanese American Citizens League has come out strongly against the measure. But it's still early. "We haven't' formally come out in opposition," said Rand Quinn of API Force. "I think all of us (Asian Pacific American) groups are opposed to it."