Hidden Houston Video

A true melting pot: Inside Alief, one of Houston's most diverse Super Neighborhoods

Janie Yao says that much of her own Chinese heritage she learned through dance. As the director of Mitsi Dancing School, located in Alief, teaching art forms of her homeland has expanded her own awareness of the 56 ethnic groups, dialects, food, music and costuming that thrives in her country — and here in Houston.

Stepping outside of dance class, it takes just one glance over at the commercial plaza on Bellaire Boulevard that houses the 28-year-old studio to discover that the same overwhelming diversity exists next door, literally.

Kubo's Cafe Sushi serves up traditional Japanese delicacies and street food, not the usual fare found at fusion eateries that modernize the cuisine, and Tofu & BBQ House is a Korean establishment that specializes in Korean barbecue, tofu soups and kimchi-inspired dishes like kimchi pancakes — just to offer two examples.

The Alief Super Neighborhood #25, nestled between Westpark Tollway on the north and Beltway 8 on the east, is where many immigrants settle: 42 percent of the residents were born outside of the United States, much higher than the average rate of 28 percent in other parts of Houston.

In this Hidden Houston profile video, watch as business owners, students and restaurateurs talk about the neighborhood, the area's growth patterns and their passion for Alief. Click on the photo (above) or here to watch the video, produced by Houston's Voice.

Editor's note: Hidden Houston, an interactive multimedia series, aims to reveal the many things that are unique about the Bayou City and its surrounding areas.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”