• The Associated Press, Friday, January 2, 2009 10:15 AM

AsianWeek, an English-language Asian-American newspaper, is stopping publication due to declining readership and advertising revenue and a softening economy. The paper's last regular issue is Jan. 2, but special editions may be considered, says editor and publisher Ted Fang.

The 30-year-old San Francisco-based paper had a circulation of 60,000. Besides reporting the news, it hosted campaigns to fight hepatitis B, which disproportionately affects Asians, and held debates around immigration reform and voter registration.

By running in English, AsianWeek helped bridge differences in a community divided by ethnicity and language. "The closure is a big blow," says David Lee, head of a Chinese-American Voters group. "It was an important resource for bringing people together." Most Asian-Americans arrived in the U.S. since 1965 and they are the fastest growing ethnic group in the country, per the U.S. Census.

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