December 6, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

December 6, 2017 – December 19, 2017 — 1

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As Cambodia cracks down on democracy, local Cambodian Americans feel silenced

By Julia-Grace Sanders IE Contributor As the Cambodian government cracks down on democracy and freedom of expression, the question of how the U.S. government should relate to the Kingdom has become more contentious than ever.

Cambodian Americans in Washington state, the third largest such community in the country, are feeling shut out of the discussions around U.S.-Cambodia relations.

The U.S. has repeatedly expressed concern after the Cambodian Supreme Court dissolved the main political opposition party in the country, arrested its leader, and cracked down on free speech and independent newspapers. This month, the U.S. terminated support for the Cambodian National Election Committee and released a statement calling for the Cambodian government to reverse its actions. In early November, Senator Ted Cruz issued a statement pledging to ban top Cambodian officials from travelling to the U.S. unless jailed opposition leader Kem Sokha is released.

In Washington state, State Sen. Doug Ericksen (R-Ferndale) met with the Ambassador of the Royal Embassy of Cambodia on October 31 in Olympia without reaching out to the community of some 26,000 Cambodian-Americans living in the state of Washington.

Sameth Mell, a 35-year-old Cambodian refugee who arrived in Seattle with his family in 1985, said he’s disappointed the local Cambodian American community hasn’t been included when it comes to the U.S. government’s relations with Cambodia. “I think that the most important thing is to make sure that amidst all of this back and forth between the U.S. and Cambodia, is that the people most impacted are taken into consideration,” Mell said.

For his part, Ericksen said it’s normal practice not to advertise meetings in Olympia to the public, and that his meeting with the ambassador happened at the last minute. “We represent everybody here, all of the communities in Washington,” Senator Ericksen said. “I’m just a representative in Whatcom county.”

After President Donald Trump attended the U.S.-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit and the East Asia Summit, the U.S. Mission to the ASEAN released a statement in mid-November expressing “strong concerns about recent steps that challenge [Cambodia’s]

William A. Heidt, U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, during a blessing ceremony in July 2017 at the Wat Dhammacakkaram Cambodian Buddhist temple in Beacon Hill neighborhood • Photo by Bunthay Cheam

democratic progress, including restrictions on the free press, civil society, and the political opposition.” The statement also says “unfounded accusations and criticisms of the United States, including U.S. diplomats in Cambodia, contradict the spirit of improved and productive bilateral relations between our two countries.”

Two days after the statement was published, the Cambodian Supreme Court ruled to dissolve the country’s main opposition party. The court’s decision was the latest setback for democracy in Cambodia. It comes after the arrest of opposition leader Kem Sokha, widely considered to be politically motivated, and the forced closure of independent media such as the Cambodia Daily, the U.S.-funded Radio Free Asia and Voice of America.

“It’s disheartening to see freedom of expression and things like that being encroached upon, these are American

values,” said 37-year-old Bunthay Cheam, who came to the U.S. from a refugee camp in Thailand when he was a year old.

“It’s the same as if a reporter came into the Cambodian community and did a story on Cambodians and didn’t consult one Cambodian,” he said. “I see it as the same thing. Anything Cambodian related, someone from the community should be consulted or at least asked to be there.”

Chanhthi Sonthi, a seamstress who moved to the U.S. in 2008, also laments a lack of community engagement for Cambodian Americans in Washington.

“Gatherings that happen once in a while usually include charities and require people to donate money,” she said. “This pushes out the community even more.”

More community engagement could help Cambodians facing political repression in Cambodia, she said. “Through gathering we could come up with a plan that we could send to the Senator through our group

representatives asking for aid in certain issues, and, or give suggestions to us that could possibly put us a step closer to the solution,” she said.

Early in November, Senator Ted Cruz called for opposition leader Kem Sokha to be released. But without community outreach, Mell says Cambodian-American interests aren’t being presented in the backand-forth between the U.S. and Cambodia.

“If Senator Ted Cruz really felt for the Cambodian people, maybe he should work to stop the deportations of Cambodian Americans.” More than 550 Cambodian Americans that have been deported to Cambodia since 2002, with at least 100 more rounded up for deportation.

“I just don’t want a white person to describe or paint a picture of what is happening in Cambodia,” said Mell. “If anything, Cambodian people should be at the table to talk about how they feel and provide ideas and solutions.”

2 — December 6, 2017 – December 19, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

COMMUNITY VOICES

The pain of separation, an immigrant’s account of the holiday season Pathways to Health

By International Community Health Services While the holidays are a time to unite, enjoy traditions and make memories, they pass for many immigrants accompanied by loneliness, isolation and the pain of separation from loved ones. The buzz of the season can feel overwhelming and depressing to those unable to celebrate togetherness.

“I never grew up celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas but I feel jealous when I see people decorating their houses and getting ready for celebrations with their families,” said “Bal” an Indian immigrant who did not wish to use her real name. She has lived in Seattle for 10 years. “I want so much to feel that excitement.”

Seattle’s winters are already full of painful reminders for Bal. She feels the lack of family support when her daughters must walk home from school in the dark. “I worry for them and wish their grandparents were here to greet them when they get home. This is not how I grew up but this is something I have to accept about living in America.”

Traditional Indian foods play a role in Diwali celebrations. • Courtesy Photo

A lack of health insurance means Bal is unlikely to seek a medical consultation for depression or stress. She feels helpless that nothing can change her circumstances.

“Moving back to India is not an option and they cannot come here,” she said.

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Established in 1974, the International Examiner is the only non-profit pan-Asian and Pacific Islander American media organization in the country. Named after the International District in Seattle, the “IE” strives to create awareness within and for our APA communities. 409 Maynard Ave. S. #203, Seattle, WA 98104. (206) 624-3925. iexaminer@iexaminer.org.

therapists are here to help. They serve children, teens and adults, and will recognize your unique cultural practices to work with you to come up with the best possible treatment plan.”

Westrich has seen this many times.

“Everyone is looking for a connection.

People are away from families and communities and that’s hard to replace,” she said. “We encourage people to come to ICHS’ Eastside community kitchen, which promotes healthy eating in a social venue. They often share stories of what they like to cook and eat. It nearly always goes back to something they grew up doing. It’s like they are nostalgic for the past and they feel closer to home to connect and share stories with others going through the same thing. It’s good for them!”

For more information about culturally respectful and affordable health care, and ICHS’ behavioral health services and community programs, call (206) 788-3700.

“It is my dream for the whole family to go to India together over Diwali, so my girls can see what it’s really like. Be with my family and friends and watch fireworks together,” said Bal. “I don’t know if and when it will ever happen, but it’s something I pray for every year.”

“Any life event is more stressful for an immigrant,” said Blanca Westrich, community advocate coordinator at International Community Health Services (ICHS), which provides health services to “If you know someone who is feeling many refugees and immigrants. “Adapting to a different culture, new language, depressed and low please support them,” job insecurity, separation from family and said Westrich. “ICHS doctors and friends are stressors that take a toll. The process of transition and its impact can last for years.”

The holidays remind Bal of the pressure to be a whole extended family for her children. “My husband and I have to be the parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles for our girls,” she said. “They Bal shares memories of Diwali, a Hindu have no one else here.” celebration that is India’s biggest festival.

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, I Her eyes widen and her face animates am thankful for coming to America. We with a smile. “We would feel excited made a choice to come here so now I try for weeks before Diwali,” she said. “My to adjust and I even make a special meal mother would start cooking Indian sweets for my family on Thanksgiving,” she said. and we would clean our home till it was The traditional Thanksgiving meal is not spotless.” an option for Bal’s vegetarian family, but they enjoy the Indian food she substitutes, even though, as a restaurant worker, she usually works and does not join them.

“I’m still working, but I try to make sure the children don’t feel left out.”

She points out that though social media is a good way to keep connected with family, it’s still not the real feeling. “You can’t smell the food through the phone,” she said.

Bal feels her children are robbed of the excitement for both Diwali and American holidays. “We have gained a lot by coming to America but we have lost something too. Celebrations and holidays are a big part of being Indian,” she said. “I feel they are never really excited for Diwali as it’s not a day off school and it’s just our family here. No uncles and aunties come over to give sweets and gifts. When you don’t do something fully it can feel like you are not doing anything at all.”

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About ICHS Founded in 1973, ICHS is a nonprofit community health center offering affordable primary medical and dental care, acupuncture, laboratory, pharmacy, behavioral health, WIC, and health education services. ICHS’ four full-service medical, dental, and vision clinics—located in Seattle’s International District and Holly Park neighborhoods; and in the cities of Bellevue and Shoreline—serve nearly 29,000 patients each year. As the only community health center in Washington primarily serving Asians and Pacific Islanders, ICHS provides care in over 50 languages and dialects annually. ICHS is committed to improving the health of medically-underserved communities by providing affordable and in-language health care. For more information, please visit: www.ichs.com.

Tips to beat holiday blues

• Make time for yourself • Limit alcohol • Exercise • Eat healthy and limit those sugars • Get outside during the daylight • Meet up with friends and family • Volunteer in the community, get connected • Get some sleep

EDITOR IN CHIEF Travis Quezon editor@iexaminer.org

MANAGING EDITOR Chetanya Robinson news@iexaminer.org

ARTS EDITOR Alan Chong Lau arts@iexaminer.org

CONTRIBUTORS Julia-Grace Sanders Cliff Cawthon Bunthay Cheam Aiden Walker Roxanne Ray Yayoi Winfrey Elvis Irizarry Fei Wu Huang Nan Ma Naomi Brown

DISTRIBUTORS Joshua Kelso Makayla Dorn Maryross Olanday Antonia Dorn Kristen Navaluna Kat Punzalan Eli Savitt Stephany Hernandez Vincent Dy Raleigh Haavig FELLOWS Annie Kuo Bunthay Cheam John Phoenix Leapai Nick Turner

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ARTS

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

December 6, 2017 – December 19, 2017 — 3

Experimental essay book evokes the wordless art of mimes

By Roxanne Ray IE Contributor

But that project just made Wen hungry for more. “When I dug into the archives at the New York Performing Arts Library and realized how heady, articulate, contradictory, and emotive Marceau was in his speech, it turned into a book instead,” she said. “At its heart, it’s still a similar project, now using words instead of sound to evoke a wordless art.”

How much can there be to say about silence? According to writer Shawn Wen, a lot.

In A Twenty Minute Silence Followed by Applause, Wen offers us an experimental book-length essay on the renowned mime Marcel Marceau, playing with form much as Marceau played with human expression.

Ironically, this writing project led Wen away from the written word.

“This book contends with movement, bodily expression, and mortality,” she said. “Over the course of writing, I began to pay more attention to my own body.”

The freedom to try out literary experimentation was hard won. “I’ve wanted to be a writer since I started reading, but I wasn’t sure what form it would take,” Wen said. “It wasn’t until I first came upon lyric essays in college that a window opened for me. It seemed so malleable, so playful, so freeing.”

This lyricism was unlike the writing she had imagined as a child. “A few weeks ago, I was walking on the shore of a lake where I saw a child in a bathing suit journaling furiously,” Wen recalled. “It cracked me up, not because it reminded me of me at that age, but because that was how I pictured myself back then.”

the words. And Barba makes some complex formal moves that the reader can grasp immediately. How does he do it?”

Wen has sought for answers in disparate places, including radio. “I was drawn to radio’s immediacy,” she said.

Wen felt drawn to literary charac“I liked the idea of speaking into a miters, as well. “My childhood role modcrophone and those words then ringing els were fictional characters: Felicity, out into the world.”

Daria, and Jo March—the Winona RyLive radio also showed Wen the craft der version,” she said. “I gravitated towards them because they were ballsy, of constructing those words to speak. bookish, and kind. And they all fre- “Radio was also a great writing teachquently disappointed their parents, er,” she said. “It taught me to study husomething with which I was intimately man speech, to listen for breath, rhythm, and silence.” familiar.”

More recently, Wen has admired Andrês Barba, particularly his work Such Small Hands. “Clear, bright prose rendered to chilling effect,” she said.

“Each line is so pretty, I would read and reread sentences, sometimes mouthing

And silence was the great impetus for Wen’s book. “Yes, this project started as a joke, ‘mime radio,’” she admitted. “I wanted to use sound to toy with the idea of silence. So I interviewed mimes and made audio recordings of mime performances.”

“In-person events are funny,” she said.

“Don’t live readings seem to contradict the original purpose of printed materials? But whatever. I like them.”

Wen seems to revel in the contrast.

“Writing a book requires such sustained attention, isolation, and energy,” she said. “Now, shepherding this book to its audience is a joy.”

She plans to balance her book readings with her current full-time job, and hopes to visit the Pacific Northwest in January 2018.

While she hopes to inspire interest in Marceau and the phenomenon of silence, she’s less inclined to see herself as a role model for other writers.

Wen concedes that this progression “I am terrible at taking other people’s may result from her own experiences advice,” she said. “I have to make my as much as from Marceau’s. “Maybe own mistakes.” that has to do with getting older,” But if pressed to offer advice to those she said. “I used to take my body for granted, like it was a suitcase that who aspire to the writing life? “I supcarries my brain from one space to pose I would tell young people to trust another. Now I consider its sensory themselves,” Wen said. “They’ll figure experiences, its strengths and weak- out their own ways.” nesses, its shape in space. I see my For more information, visit www. body now as more of an instrument.” sarabandebooks.org/all-titles/a-twenJust like Marceau did. t y-minute-silence-followed-by- ap In keeping with this, Wen plans to plause-shawn-wen. share her book with live audiences.

YOUR OPINION COUNTS Please share your concerns, your solutions, and your voices.

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Monthly Health Tip from Amerigroup Tip: Healthy Habits

• Don’t drive, watch television or talk on Eat only until you’re not hungry and then the phone while you eat. This helps you focus push the plate away. Don’t stuff yourself.

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• Use alternatives to eating when you’re before as a reminder to walk or work out in not hungry—take a walk, play a game, read a Write down what you eat. the morning. book or call a friend.

• Record how much, when and why.

Set goals you can achieve.

Do your grocery shopping on a full For example, what do you eat when • Aim for eating more vegetables and fewer stomach. you’re stressed out? high-calorie foods.

• This will help you make healthier food Record your physical activity.

Don’t “up-size” your favorite drink. choices, rather than grabbing over-processed • How long, how often and how hard • 32 oz. of regular soda has up to 400 high-calorie foods, which can be hard to resist do you work out? calories! Choose water or a diet drink instead. when your stomach is empty.

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4 — December 6, 2017 – December 19, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

NEWS

CID community members discuss affordability, displacement with Councilmember Harris-Talley

By Cliff Cawthon IE Contributor The Chinatown International District (CID) Coalition (also known as Humbows Not Hotels) hosted a community meeting with Seattle City Councilmember Kirsten HarrisTalley on November 19. Forty community members came to the meeting to discuss their concerns about development-driven displacement in the CID. Last year, CID Coalition co-founder Cynthia Brothers wrote a piece in the Seattle Globalist about the rapid pace of development in the neighborhood and how it might lead to displacement.

For Brothers, this is exemplified by a proposed 14-story hotel and condo mixed use facility planned at 8th Avenue and S Lane Street.

Members of the CID Coalition and others are concerned that these developments would erase much of the neighborhood’s cultural character and affordability.

The CID is one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, residents of the neighborhood make $45,000 less per year than Seattle’s median household income of $80,000. Affordability is an especially pressing issue for many limited-income elderly residents and low-income workers.

This has been viewed as an existential threat by many as the City Council approved

an upzone for the CID this summer. An upzone is a zoning change which allows developers to build taller. In exchange, the City can force the developers to either set aside seven percent of their housing as “affordable,” or else pay into an affordable housing fund managed by the City.

This is the Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) policy, one of the recommendations in former Mayor Ed Murray’s signature Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) When the upzone was slated for the CID neighborhood, many members of the CID Coalition members and residents of the neighborhood either testified against it, saying it wouldn’t go far enough in guaranteeing affordability in the neighborhood. “[My grandmother] likes to walk around and play mahjong in the neighborhood,” said Tiffany Chan, an activist with the CID Coalition. Many of the CID Coalition members are young people with a strong cultural connection to the community, or who have elderly relatives who live in the community.

Matt Chung, one of the older activists, said: “When I was a kid, Chinatown was where we’d always go ... this is still the most important part of the city to me. ... Without Chinatown we have no say [in Seattle].”

Councilmember Kirsten Harris-Talley, who co-sponsored the event, expressed a deep concern for keeping unique voices present in the CID present to facilitate equitable development.

The CID Coalition meeting with City Council member Kirsten Harris-Talley • Photo by Cliff Cawthon

“I’ve seen with all of the rapid changes and conversations that have been happening around the city … [Seattle] having a history of segregation and a community that has had to do it for themselves .. impacts immigrant and refugee folks for whom English may not be a primary language, and the systems that we’ve had have disproportionately put them outside of the conversation.”

The meeting began with some introductory information about nine other projects in the neighborhood, such as Koda Condos (which will build more than 200 market-rate condos), before the room broke up into various groups. The tables included youth and elders, neighborhood residents and advocates. The organizers posed simple questions about their

vision for what the CID neighborhood could look like in the future.

Community members returned from the breakout groups with an emphasis on protecting and expanding affordable housing, addressing labor-inequality, anti-Blackness and translation services. The need for translation often poses a major obstacle to many members of this community, according to T.W. Wang, the Cantonese translator at the front of the room. Wang shared his story of discrimination and exclusion when he rented a room in the Bush Asia hotel apartments. According to Wang, hot water was unavailable at the hotel for a long time. He struggled to exercise his rights, because interpreting the law required proficiency in English.

The CID Coalition ended the meeting by addressing the group’s needs with a larger vision of community ownership. Brothers of the Coalition and of the online art and anti-displacement blog Vanishing Seattle, described this potential solution as community ownership. “Getting land out of the speculative market, and getting that land and resources back into the community as a way for the community to set the agenda … and be given resources and support by the City,” she said.

The CID Coaliton’s next community meeting happens January 25—the location is to be determined. Councilmember Kirsten HarrisTalley is also hosting a community forum on Saturday, November 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Southside Commons at 3518 S Edmunds St, Seattle, WA 98118.

Local artist Che adds Neddy Award to list of achievements

By Bunthay Cheam IE Contributor Multidisciplinary Korean American artist Che Sehyun is the latest recipient of the 2017 Neddy Award, one of two bestowed with the honor. In it’s 21st year, the Neddy Artist Award is stewarded by the Cornish College of the Arts and is one of the largest artist endowments in the state of Washington with two $25,000 awards given annually.

The award was established by the family of Seattle painter and teacher Robert E. “Ned” Behnke, who is the namesake of the award.

Sehyun was also a 2016 Artist Trust Fellow.

Sehyun’s impact in the Puget Sound area as a social activist and artist has been noted for years but he insists that it took him quite a while to believe that he was deserving of being labeled an “artist.”

“Growing up, I didn’t really have a lot of close friends.” says Sehyun, opening up a 2014 Tedx Talk in 2014 at the University of Washington. “I didn’t feel like people could understand my life.”

Sehyun’s grew up in public housing in the affluent Eastside, attending Bellevue High School where he dealt with racism and bullying. These were a couple factors he attributes to his lack of confidence in believing in his art. “I grew up in a rich white area,” he says. “People treated me bad and picked on me for the simple fact that I was Asian.”

After high school, Sehyun attended the University of Washington. “Before this [attending UW] I never had friends who weren’t white.” It was there that he began to discover his roots and understood how his

Artist Che Sehyun (left) • Courtesy photo

life was directly affected by the conflicts in Asia over the course of the 20th century. “I learned all these things about my heritage, things that weren’t taught in any textbooks going to public school in Bellevue,” Sehyun says. This discovery of his ancestral background and understanding of the role the United States played on the Korean peninsula and around the world catapulted Sehyun into social activism.

One of the most pivotal points in his college years was his participation in a campaign to get the University of Washington to divest from investments that directly funded U.S. military presence on the Korean Peninsula. Continued growth of U.S. military bases had resulted in evictions of residents living within the zone of expansion.

After getting the University of Washington to come to the table through protests, panel discussions, student rallies, and marches, Seyhun received a letter from the Office

of Budget & Planning stating that they would not divest because “the UW does not make investments based on social issues but based on financial return.”

Seyhun says he felt defeated: “A whole year was down the drain and after all that was said than done, there was more said than done.”

Discouraged, Sehyun decided to change course. “I stopped joining activists group ... and took time to reflect,” Sehyun says in that same 2014 Tedx Talk. At this point, he decided that more confrontational modes of effecting change such as marching, rallying, and protesting weren’t going to be as effective stating that it, “doesn’t have a lasting effect on many people ... it fades away quick.”

He needed something that would leave an imprint on people’s hearts and minds.

It was then that he decided to change tactics and play the long game which included community organizing and mentoring youth, among many other things, “working with youth and movement building makes so much more sense to me because people in power seem to only listen to power, which for immigrants, refugees, and other POC (People of Color) communities is usually in numbers.”

Art was also a vehicle that he believed would be a more effective way to create that lasting imprint.

Using his native Korean roots to guide his newfound path, Sehyun’s life entered a renaissance of sorts where he taught himself how to compose music, and got into photography and film as his way of expressing himself and creating change. This, he believed, would have a more lasting imprint on peo-

ple’s minds and therefore be more effective in making societal change.

In 2013, he wrote “SOBEBA” (So Breathe Easy & Be Aware), one of his most impactful pieces of work to date. What began as a core lesson plan in a youth program he taught took on a life of its own and eventually evolved into a song with a music video in tow. In addition to positive feedback from his peers, Sehyun also credits SOBEBA’s success with, “heal(ing) my child self and the trauma…” affirmations that has led him to believe that artistry was his true calling. Since then, Sehyun has received numerous accolades from his work in addition to spearheading community organizing strategies including youth mentorship programs and workshops around organizing communities of color.

Sehyun is currently curating a new body of work called The G’MA Project which started out as composition of songs he made with his Grandma. “She was bored and I wanted to entertain her so I started to play the piano.”

Seyhun wanted to create a project that would compel the audience to reconnect with their roots in order to, “understand yourself and others … true power is know what you’re good at and cultivating your gift. That’s the greatest thing you can give society.” Seyhun hopes that the project that will be a catalyst for listeners to reach out to their roots, stressing that, “the wisdom that our elders carry is precious.”

The 2017 Neddy Awards Exhibition will take place between January 27 to February 24 at Studio E in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood. A reception will take place on opening night where Sehyun will be a featured performing artist.

COMMUNITY

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

December 6, 2017 – December 19, 2017 — 5

Poke in Seattle: Different from Hawai‘i, but exploding in popularity

By Aidan Walker IE Contributor Only a couple of blocks from the monorail in Belltown, people sit huddled around tables made of barrels eating colorful fish from bowls with chopsticks.

Ukulele music plays from the speakers in the small restaurant.

The food is poke, the Hawaiian dish based on raw marinated fish with rice and toppings.

In the past few years in Seattle, people have been lining up all the way down the block at poke restaurants all over the city for a bowl of the customizable delicacy.

To be a successful poke restaurant the poke must be served quickly, as raw fish doesn’t keep long. Vincent Tanzil, the owner of FOB Poke Bar in Belltown, said making a good impression is the key to keeping business moving.

“You have to keep a good price point,” said Tanzil. “You’ve gotta have people like you.”

FOB Poke Bar opened its doors to the public in March. It was part of the wave of poke restaurants that opened across Seattle in the last two years. There are now more than 14 poke restaurants just in the Seattle area, with many more open in Bellevue, Renton and Issaquah.

“I think there is poke everywhere because it is easy,” Tanzil, said. “There’s no cooking in the kitchen.”

Tanzil and his two brothers came to the United States from Indonesia. They lived in Los Angeles and worked as sushi chefs before moving to Seattle.

“I saw poke bowls starting to get popular in L.A. and saw an opportunity in Seattle,” Tanzil said.

FOB Poke Bar’s name is a twist on the derogatory phrase “fresh off the boat,” in reference to immigrants who have just arrived in the United States. Tanzil wants to give the term a positive connotation, one that in evokes individuality, as well as the freshness of the fish that goes into their poke bowls.

Pechanda Von places a scoop of pickled ginger into an ahi poke bowl with white rice and cucumber salad at goPoké in Seattle’s International District on Oct. 29. Poke bowls consist of raw marinated fish on a bed of rice with toppings that the customer gets to choose • Photo by Aidan Walker

The poke bowls available at FOB Poke Bar focus on variety—what Tanzil calls California style poke. These bowls are served as a mix of rice and fresh salad. The fish goes on top, and is surrounded by toppings of pickled ginger, seaweed, artificial crab salad, fresh fish roe and more.

The focus on variety and options is a staple of continental U.S. poke restaurants, but the Poke served outside of Hawai‘i is different than the island version, said Tiffany Tang, who originally came from Hawai‘i.

“The most garnish poke gets in Hawai‘i is a little bit of ginger or seaweed, and that’s it, the focus is on freshness and the fish itself,” Tang said.

Tang came to Seattle to study engineering in 2014. When she lived in Hawai‘i, she would often get fresh poke from small neighborhood spots with friends after school.

The word “poke” means “to slice” or “to cut into pieces” in the Hawaiian language.

Poke in Hawai‘i is simply cubed fish that

has been marinated and seasoned. It can be bought by the pound in supermarkets, and when it is served as a meal in a restaurant it comes as cold fish over hot rice.

“You don’t really realise the food and culture are unique until you move away,” Tang said. She is often disappointed with poke made in the continental U.S., and opts to buy sashimi-grade fish from Uwajimaya to prepare it herself. “‘Mainland’ poke has more of a focus on aesthetic,” Tang said, pulling up pictures on her phone of extravagant poke bowls with many colored toppings, and then contrasting these with pictures from her neighborhood poke shop on O‘ahu. The poke there is modest—fish on rice, served in a styrofoam to go container. goPoké, a restaurant in the Chinatown International District that opened last December, aims to bring the flavor of Hawai‘i to Seattle. They serve poke bowls with a colorful presentation, but they also sell poke by the pound.

Like FOB Poke Bar, goPoké is owned by three brothers, Bayley, Michael, and Trinh Le. The restaurant sits on a corner right by Hing Hay Park, and has a clean, plain decor and atmosphere inside. A sign with their green logo of a fish shaped bowl swings on a pole on the corner of the building.

“We chose the ID because it’s a meeting place,” Le said. “We wanted to disrupt the idea that the ID was just for Chinese food.”

Le envisions his restaurant as a community hotspot, a place where Hawaiians can go to eat food and to feel nostalgic.

Le explained that the name goPoké comes from Hawaiian pidgin English, a dialect that has elements of both the English and Hawaiian languages.

“Hawaiians speak with pidgin, so things are short,” Le said. “So instead of saying go to the store, we say go store, so, go poke.”

In the Hawaiian language, there is no accent mark on the “e” in poke, but the brothers at goPoké chose to include one. Michael Le explained that so often it is mispronounced as the verb “to poke” that they added the accent to clear up the confusion.

“I have noticed that places will misspell poke, sometimes adding an accent over the ‘e’—this isn’t correct because we don’t have this symbol in our language,” said Natalie Bruecher, a Seattleite with Native Hawaiian, or Kānaka Maoli heritage.

With or without the accent mark, poke has made its way into the mainstream and exploded in popularity.

“Places in L.A. are starting to close because there are too many poke places,” Tanzil said.

Poke is still going strong in Seattle. Small neighborhood spots like the 45th Stop N Shop and Poke Bar in Wallingford regularly have a line out the door, and down the block on the weekends.

“In Hawai‘i, we would sell the fish door to door,” Le said. “We’re not restaurant people, we’re just people people.”

Announcements Hiroshima to Hope celebration

‘First They Killed My Father’ film screening

Hiroshima to Hope will celebrate the International Campaign to Abolish NuInterested in learning more about Camclear Weapons winning the Nobel Peace bodia and the Khmer Rouge regime? Here Prize at the Leif Erikson Lodge, 2245 NW are two film screenings to pay attention to 57th St., Seattle, WA 98107 on Sunday, this week.

December 10. Doors open 6:00 p.m. The On Wednesday, December 6, the Rajana program runs from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Society and Southeast Asia Center at the This event is free and open to the pub- University of Washington are hosting a film lic. RSVP at wpsr.org. screening of First They Killed My Father, a The celebration will feature music from historical film about the Khmer Rouge rethe Seattle Peace Chorus and Marcia and gime, at Mt Baker Village Apt Community Room, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 pm.

Mrs. Takamura on koto.

sameth@mtbakerhousing.org. You can find David Leong won Position #1 for a the event on Facebook here.

Business owner, Property owner, or EmAlso, on Thursday, December 7, the South- ployee. east Asia Center at the University of WashRuss Williams won Position #2 for Resington is hosting a screening of The Missing ident, Tenant, or Community Participant.

Picture at the Henry Art Gallery from 6:30 Tom Cheng won Position #4 for Resip.m. to 8:30 p.m. The film is filmmaker Rident, Tenant, or Community Participant. thy Panh’s personal quest to re-imagine his childhood memories. From the time when the The newly elected candidates will start Khmer Rouge ruled over Cambodia between their first terms in December.

1975 and 1979, the only recorded artifacts that remain are propaganda footage. Panh uses beautifully sculpted clay figurines and elaborate dioramas to recreate the missing images from his memory. His recollections of his family and friends before and after the regime’s rule are poignantly told through a narrator’s poetic voice.

The screening will feature Lok Pou Rithy Panh, an internationally acclaimed • Bruce Amundson, President of WA Cambodian filmmaker with films such as Physicians for Social Responsibility S-21 Killing Machine, Oscar-nominated • Michael Ramos, Executive Director of The Missing Picture and his current coInternational Special Review District The Church Council of Greater Seattle production of First They Killed My Faannual board election results • Stan Shikuma of Seattle Kokon Taiko ther, with author Luong Ung and co-producer Angelina Jolie.

The annual election for the Interna• Kim Nesselquist, Consul of Norway tional Special Review District Board was There will be an opportunity for a Q&A For more information, visit fromhiro- with him after the film. There is limited held on Tuesday, November 21. Three poshimatohope.org. seating; to RSVP, contact Sameth Mell at sitions were up for election this year, and the results are as follows: Remarks from local leaders include:

6 — December 6, 2017 – December 19, 2017

PACIFIC READER

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

Children’s Pacific Reader 2017: Kids books aren’t for kids alone

In the world of literature, books for kids and young adults are sometimes given short shrift by us adults. But images and stories are building blocks to a child’s imagination and the teenage years are when one begins to get an idea of who you are and what you might become.

I remember as a child how I hated Chinese school. It was enough to get through elementary school with a teacher who couldn’t even pronounce my name but then to be forced to trudge upstairs to my grandma’s kitchen for some exercises tracing Chinese characters and repeating Chinese phrases seemed to add insult to injury. The one saving grace? My grandmother was wise enough to serve us instructional dessert for the last course. We always ended our lessons with “art hour” in which we (my sister and I) were allowed to draw or paint whatever we wanted. At that stage in my life, it wasn’t Chinese landscapes I was drawn to. Instead I would do my darndest to create my best imitation of the Sunday funnies. I would paint Dennis the Menace in the most lurid colors I could conceive of, the brighter, the better. Looking back at it now, this little hour helped me learn how to tell a story by shaping words and images to form a narrative.

It’s the holidays and what better way to end it than to have a round up of some of the year’s new books in children’s and young adult literature. Here you’ll find author interviews and a look at this year’s new titles. Encourage your children to read or read with them. You might open a door to their dreams and stir their imagination. Welcome to our 2017 Pacific Reader review of books for kids and young adults. Happy holidays!

—Alan Chong Lau, IE Arts editor

Can you find my robot’s arm is delightful

Yak and Dove a story about friendship

By Fei Wu Huang IE Contributor

By Fei Wu Huang IE Contributor

Nobody likes it when you lose something that is valuable to you. It sometimes drives you crazy thinking where you might have left it. That is the case in Can you find my robot’s arm? by illustrator Chihiro Takeuchi.

Two unlikeliest of friends come together in Yak And Dove by illustrator Esmé Shapiro. It’s a whimsical and delightful story about learning the ups and downs of friendship. Yak and Dove begin their story by contemplating what it would be like if they were twins. This idea sparks a fight between the two, as both of them realize that they have nothing in common with each other.

The story is set in a world populated by robots. A robot awakens one morning to find that one of his arms has gone missing.

Determined not to give up, the robot and his friend are sent on a search party around their home to find his missing arm. During their small adventure, the robot’s friend comes up with a clever idea of convincing the robot of using many alternatives in place of his original arm as they had no luck finding the robot’s arm along the way.

The robot’s friend tried everything that it thought might be a perfect fit for his friend. But still, the robot insisted that none of those items would make for a good arm. They were left clueless while asking themselves where the arm could be. The duo then decide to widen their search radius and explore outside their house.

They scour the garden, the amusement park, the library, even a sweet shop, just to cite a few. But still no arm in sight.

Will Robot ever find his dearly loved arm? As the day become night, both the robot and his friend decided that it was best for them to head home and accept the inevitable of his arm being gone forever.

With the thought of that in the back of the robot’s robotic mind, the robot decides to take the good with the bad and settles on a replacement and discovers that it is not such a bad choice.

This story is a delight for robot lovers and a story that will leave readers laughing as the ending reveals the unlikeliest of locations for the robot’s missing arm.

After their fallout, Yak finds himself stumbling upon another friend of his, the Marmot, in the hopes that his furry friend can help him solve his problem.

They decide to hold an audition in order to find a friend that Yak is interested in.

After explaining to Marmot what he is looking for in a friend, Yak comes to find out that none of the contestants that performed in the talent show met his expectations.

When asked if there are any more contestants for the talent show, Marmot doesn’t hesitate to say that there is only one more left. Much to Yak’s surprise, it was furry friend Dove who happens to be singing Yak‘s favorite song. Yak comes to the realization that he and Dove do have things in common and they care about one another. As the story continues into the third and final stage, they are given more opportunities to learn more about each other when Yak is growing a garden. Dove decides to show up but he decides to bring anything and everything that is the opposite. Dove decides to leave Yak again but soon realizes that differences in personalities shouldn’t be the reason for friends to be separated. Reunited again, both Yak and Dove come to an appreciation and understanding for each other’s differences and learn a valuable lesson in friendship.

The Bear Who Wasn’t There brings laughter for all readers

By Fei Wu Huang IE Contributor The Bear Who Wasn’t There is sure to bring out the laughter and giggles in readers of all levels as the hunt for a missing bear takes center stage.

Featuring an attention-hogging duck, an embarrassed giraffe, a pun-spouting hare, an outraged reptile, a plethora of whacky avians and one bewildered author and illustrator, this book is as amusing as it is original. Readers quickly come to find out that they’re being lead to all the wrong places.

The search begins with the duck who tries everything he can to make us believe that a story of a duck is far more interesting than that of a missing bear through his commentary and antics. This idea, however, is used as the linchpin of this crazy search. From page to page, we come across funny and awkward situations, but still no bear. The reader encounters a giraffe using the toilet followed by the duck performing a magic trick on a moose.

bare hare” and “a bear here.” Through all the chaos that is taking place, a monkey figures out a bright idea and calls for everybody to be front and center. But to no avail—there is still no bear present, and a duck who is still interested in a story about a duck. As the search continues, the reader realize that the footprints on several of the book’s pages eventually lead to the unlikeliest of locations for a bear.

The concept for this cleverly-executed picture book is imaginative, particularly The book even features word play as since it is carried out all the way through the animals confuse a boar with a bear, the book, and it is a joy for anyone that a pear with a bear, and the phrases “a loves animals.

PACIFIC READER

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

December 6, 2017 – December 19, 2017 — 7

This is Just a Test is more than just a coming-of-age story

By Emma Brown IE Contributor I don’t necessarily have much in common with David Da-Wei Horowitz, protagonist of Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang’s story This is Just a Test. I’m too young to remember the ‘80’s, the setting for his worries about surviving both junior high school and the Cold War, and too old to remember how exactly my brain was working when I was thirteen. But like David, who is half Chinese and half Jewish, I’m a person with parents from different races. I understand the feeling of having “dual identities” (and perhaps sometimes identities that “duel”, too), and I think the book’s message is an important and under-championed one: valuing multiple parts of your identity doesn’t make you a lesser half of either, but a whole of both.

The sources of conflict in David’s life come from a number of pretty unique sources. Of course there’s the pressure of his Bar Mitzvah, struggles with friends on the ladder of junior high social hierarchy, and dealing with a crush—certainly the worries of boys in many places and times.

But life is more specifically complicated by David’s Jewish and Chinese grandmothers, who seem intent on waging passive aggressive cultural warfare, and anxiety about America and Russia, who seem possible of actually annihilating one another.

Sometimes I was impressed by David’s refreshing emotional maturity in navigating his troubles, and other times I felt Rosenberg and Shang wrote him some lines that I wouldn’t have swallowed even as a thirteen-year-old. But what made his life most dimensional and interesting to read about was the authors’ depiction of his family.

Siblings, parents, and grand-parents aren’t usually given a lot of care in young adult fiction, perhaps because they’re the source of tradition, rules, and deeply uncool attention during teenage years. But David’s grandmothers, though they sometimes approach caricature during their disagreements, clearly have meaningful history, different ways of expressing their love, and senses of humor. Through David’s eyes we can understand how they in turn put pressure on his parents, and that if David sometimes feels alone in his multicultural corner, so too does his sister. It was refreshing to read about a young boy learning to claim his identity, a familiar coming-of-age theme, but also learning to express empathy.

Rosenberg and Shang’s warm, mostly realistic handling of David’s multicultural family speaks for their comprehensive understanding of the struggles of identity they depict, and makes David a unique and relatable role model of a character.

8 — December 6, 2017 – December 19, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

ARTS

‘Dreams’ kingdom to the afterlife brings intrigue

underground, yet these delightful images (wine vessel) Western Han (206 BCE–8 do hold very well and are a wonder to CE) and Jade Pendant with an s-shaped observe.

Dragon Western Han (206 BCE–8 CE), The second section, Dreams of Eternity both created with unique craftsmanship focuses on how important the afterlife was and detail on jade stones of a soft creamfor the Western Han Dynasty. As Willow color with slight blotches of black and Weilan Hai, China Institute Gallery brown.

“To be for one day entirely at leisure is to be for one day an immortal.”

—Chinese proverb A first for New York City’s China Institute Gallery and 10 years in the making, Dreams of the Kings: A Jade Suit for Eternity, Treasures of the Han Dynasty from Xuzhou is one show that will captivate as much as endure in the mind of the viewer.

Consisting of four sections—The King’s Guards, Dreams of Eternity, Rapt

by Jade and Life in the Afterlife, this exhibition surveys the unique customs and beliefs on life and death within one of China’s golden eras: the Western Han Dynasty. In 201 BC, the first emperor of this period, named Lui Bang, decided to appoint his younger brother as first of a line of twelve generational kings to rule the Chu kingdom in a span of 209 years, which ended in 8 CE. With special tax waivers and imperial protectorate rights, the elite managed to live quite lavishly and when deceased, its kings were buried in fancy tombs carved inside rocky hills.

After time and many lootings, a number of treasures were found though recent excavations, artifacts that displayed the Chu king’s great influence and the firm belief of immortality and the hereafter.

This exhibition brings together many of these ideas and more, thus vividly portraying the way and life of this unique culture and period.

Director would say: “People during the Han Dynasty regarded death as birth and longed for immortality—to prepare for the afterlife, they constructed their tombs to be eternal residences.”

Earthenware “Feiji” cavalryman figure, Western Han (206 BCE–8 CE) Excavated from the pits of the terracotta warriors at Shizishan, Xuszhou.

This quickly came to mind while gazing at Jade Burial Suit with Gold Thread, Western Han (206 BCE–8 CE) created out of thousands of pristine jade squares, carefully laced together with fine gold thread—a robotic-like image that seems to be at peace with itself and the afterworld it was about to enter. Excavated around 1994-95 from the tomb of the King of Chu at Shizishan, this unique piece is really the crown jewel of the exhibition— forever majestic in its presence and yet quite otherworldly for its time.

visceral image of the stern, upright soldier and his horse at full attention. The term feiji refers to the stark fierceness and pronounced swiftness conveyed by the Chu Kingdom’s cavalry troops and it certainly shows very well in this courageous disThe third section, Rapt by Jade speaks play. of the importance of jade during the The same holds true for the Weapon- Han Dynasty. Its worship dates back the bearing earthenware tomb figurines, Neolithic period, when it was used in Western Han (206 BCE–8 CE), an sacrificial rites. It was believed that jade interesting group of four delicately robed was formed by the refined essence of court guards, all standing quite erect yet Heaven and Earth and thus containing in a humbling bow, with right arms bend a special mystic power. Jade was also upwards and holding what would have ground into a powder to be used as been a spear staff. Their facial expressions medicine as well. is of great attention and respect to the task One of the first two quite fascinating The first of the four sections is called at hand; the brown patina is very evident objects seen upon entering was Jade zhi The King’s Guards. As customary, it was of the times which the figures were common to have earthenware warrior figures buried within the Chu royal mausoleums to serve as protectors and guardians of the buried king. Most Han pottery figures were made with gray clay, shaped in molds and fired at a high temperature. Once completed, they are then painted in vivid colors and each figure is enhanced with unique details (facial features, costume ornaments, armors, etc.).

One of these works, entitled Earthenware “Feiji” cavalryman figure, Western Han (206 BC –8 CE), is complex in its display, all parts created into separate units and then attached together to create this

The fourth and final section, Life in the Afterlife presents everyday objects to be used in the afterlife—from bronze vessels, bathing utensils to belt buckles. Based on the customs of the deceased while living, they felt that it was important to live in the manner born during the afterlife as well—anticipating eternal life to be lived at its fullest. The elegant Gold Belt Buckle (with prongs) is quite grand in its appearance—heads of dogs and dragons positioned around swirling images—all done in a very detail and ornate manner.

On the other hand, Gift bronze fang (square wine container) excavated in 1995, though a basic item, has a great rustic, gold-like appearance that radiates quite well, with its dragon-head face protruding as handles.

To say that it would be too much to take in when viewing this exhibition would be an understatement. The long and rich history on view is what makes it most unique and intriguing—and certainly one worth visiting more than once.

The exhibition will travel and be on display at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri from December 2017 til April 2018.

Jade Burial Suit with Gold Thread, Western Han (206 BCE – 8 CE) Excavated from the tomb of the King of Chu at Shizishan, 1994-1995.

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

ARTS

December 6, 2017 – December 19, 2017 — 9

Festivals honor API filmmakers, feature wealth of new films

By Yayoi L. Winfrey IE Contributor

One gripping documentary about Pacific Islanders was Island Soldier.

Directed by Nathan Fitch, it showcases the disproportionately high numbers of Micronesians dying in combat after joining the U.S. military. Following one family’s tragedy, the filmmakers travel from the island of Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia to Afghanistan where son Sapuro is deployed. Other families are also featured in the search for answers to why Micronesians volunteer to serve without earning veterans benefits like Americans, or being allowed to vote in U.S. elections.

Their bleak economy is one factor, yet their tropical environment suffers without succeeding generations available to help maintain traditional methods of sustainable farming and fishing.

A hyperactive month for the film industry, November saw festivals and events galore occurring at several locations.

The U.S.-China Film Summit hosted

by Asia Society took place November 1 at L.A.’s Skirball Cultural Center. There, one of four Lifetime Achievement Award winners, actor/director Feng Xiaogang (Kung Fu Hustle, Monkey King, Big Shot’s Funeral), shared the stage with celebrated writer Yan Geling (Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl, The Flowers of War).

Besides touting Xiaogang’s upcoming film, Youth, about a People’s Liberation Army dance troupe, they also discussed Hollywood-China co-productions.

Director, producer, and graceful globetrotter Ankie Lau, representing her current hometown of Munich, appeared at the reception following.

Meanwhile, between November 1–8 in nearby Santa Monica, the American Film Market offered films for sale from 80 countries. Incredible stories of perseverance, both past and present, were displayed in two Filipino movies.

In the documentary, Sunday Beauty Queen, domestic workers in Hong Kong enter beauty pageants on their one day off, Sunday. Otherwise, they endure the drudgery of housekeeping six days a week without the benefit of sleeping in a room of their own or sharing meals with the families they prepare them for.

Sadly, raising their employers’ children means they’re unable to see their own left behind in the Philippines, usually under the care of a relative. A moving tale of the exploitation of vulnerable working women, this film captures their effervescence at being allowed to feel human for one day by donning elaborate costumes and posing prettily onstage.

Heneral Luna is a fascinating retelling of history; the story of a real-life general who helped lead a guerrilla resistance against American invaders during the Philippine-American War. Although the filmmakers admit taking liberties with the original narrative, it’s still based on facts about the temperamental Antonio Luna who adored his mother while fighting ferociously for his country.

Relentlessly loyal to his nation, he admonished Filipinos for killing each other in favor of capital gains offered by U.S. annexation. In one tense scene, Luna bellows, “How dare Americans take our freedom when they fought so furiously for theirs!” John Arcilla is perfectly cast in the lead as are those in supporting roles. Grossing some $250 million at the box office, this film reportedly instilled pride in Pinoys worldwide.

AFM also hosted several Roundtables including, “The Changing Hong Kong Movie Scene: What is New, How and Why?” Felix Tsang, Sales and Acquisitions Manager of Golden Scene Company, Ltd., informed the audience that, “The new generation of Hong Kong filmmakers came about because

Island Soldier

of the film boom in the Chinese market in the mid-2000’s. All the established filmmakers went to make movies there.”

While the panel event was wellorganized, the reception following was not when several angry invitees argued with gatekeepers denying them access because they hadn’t RSVP’d— something not mentioned in their emailed invitations.

In contrast, Thailand’s Department of International Trade and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce, offered its usual warm and welcoming pageantry at its annual party. Besides featuring Her Royal Highness Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi, a trio of colorful dancers performed and a scrumptious buffet of Thai delicacies was served.

Other Asian countries at AFM included Japan at their JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) pavilion, and China at theirs. At the Wow Maxx kiosk, Aiko Tamashiro offered a rundown of Japanese films seeking U.S. distribution while discussing her family’s intriguing Japanese-Peruvian roots.

Enticing filmmakers to shoot in their countries, several film commissioners participated in the Location Expo including Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), Film Development Council of the Philippines, Myanmar Film Commission, Taipei Film Commission, and Thailand Film Office. South Korea also promoted their animation industry at a private booth.

As AFM ended, the American Film Institute launched its film festival November 9–16 in Hollywood. One notable short narrative was China’s foreign-language contender for the Oscar, A Gentle Night.

Winner of the prestigious Cannes’ Palme d’Or, the 15-minute film is a tension-filled tale of a mother frantically searching for her missing teenage daughter. As her husband remains unruffled, she grows desperate, beseeching police to find her child. Inspired by a true story, the film stars former Chinese Opera performer, Li Shuxian. The award-winning writer/director Qiu Yang

is unsurprisingly mentored by legendary Hsiao-Hsien Hou (The Assassin).

Meanwhile, the 37th annual Hawai‘i International film Festival opened in Honolulu on November 2, spanning three islands through November 19. Featuring special spotlights on films from China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and Taiwan, HIFF is one of the most Asian-centric festivals in America.

Lastly, a recent release that didn’t appear at any festival is South Korea’s The Swindlers featuring Yoo Ji-tae, Hyun Bin, Bae Seong-woo, Park Sungwoong and Nana. Like a bloody maze, this violent narrative weaves a tangled story of betrayal and revenge. Twists and turns abound as criminals and cops seek to swindle one another. But the biggest swindle comes at the film’s conclusion when the ending you thought would appear, doesn’t.

‘The Swindlers’ opens 12/1, Cinemark Century Federal Way, AMC Loews Alderwood Mall 16 Lynnwood

10 — December 6, 2017 – December 19, 2017

Arts & Culture Asia Pacific Cultural Center 4851 So. Tacoma Way Tacoma, WA 98409 Ph: 253-383-3900 Fx: 253-292-1551 faalua@comcast.net www.asiapacificculturalcenter.org Bridging communities and generations through arts, culture, education and business.

Friends of Asian Art Association (FA3) P.O. Box 15404 Seattle, WA 98115 206-522-5438 friendsofasianart2@gmail.com www.friendsofasianart.org To advance understanding, appreciation and support for Asian arts and cultures, the Friends of Asian Art Association provides and supports programs, activities and materials that reflect the arts and cultures of countries that make up the broad and diverse spectrum of Asia.

Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington 1414 S Weller Street Seattle, WA 98144 Ph: 206-568-7114 admin@jcccw.org www.jcccw.org JCCCW is committed to preserving, promoting, and sharing Japanese and Japanese American culture and heritage.

Programs: Japanese Language School | Cultural Events | Library | Resale Store | Internship & Volunteer Opportunities | Historical Exhibitions | Rental Space RAJANA Society Seattle, WA 206-979-3206 sameth@rajanasociety.org

RAJANA Society is an Arts & Civics project focusing on civic engagement and bridging cultural divides with the Cambodian Diaspora.

Civil Rights & Advocacy Organization of Chinese Americans Asian Pacific American Advocates Greater Seattle Chapter P.O. Box 14141 Seattle, WA 98114

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Homelessness Services

Professional & Leadership Development

YouthCare 2500 NE 54th Street Seattle, WA 98105 206-694-4500 info@youthcare.org www.youthcare.org

Working to prevent and end youth homelessness with services including meals, shelter, housing, job training, education, and more.

Homeownership Services HomeSight 5117 Rainier Ave S Seattle, WA 98118 ph: 206-723-4355 fx: 206-760-4210 www.homesightwa.org NMLS#49289 HomeSight creates homeownership opportunities through first mortgage lending, down payment assistance, real estate development, homebuyer education, and counseling.

Housing Services

Executive Development Institute 310 – 120th Ave NE. Suite A102 Bellevue, WA Ph: 425-467-9365 edi@ediorg.org • www.ediorg.org EDI offers culturally relevant leadership development programs.

WE MAKE LEADERS Fostering future leaders through education, networking and community NAAAP Seattle services for Asian American Queen Anne Station professionals and entreP.O. Box 19888 preneurs.

Seattle, WA 98109 Facebook: NAAAP-Seattle info@naaapseattle.org Twitter: twitter.com/naaapwww.naaapseattle.org seattle

Senior Services The Kin On Team is ready to serve YOU! www.kinon.org

InterIm Community Development Association 310 Maynard Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104 Ph: 206-624-1802 Services: 601 S King St, Ph: 206-623-5132 Interimicda.org Multilingual community building: affordable housing, housing counseling, homelessness prevention, advocacy, teen leadership, and the Danny Woo Community Garden.

Kawabe Memorial House 221 18th Ave S Seattle, WA 98144 ph: 206-322-4550 connie.devaney@gmail.com We provide affordable, safe, culturally sensitive housing and support services to people aged 62 and older.

Immigration Services

Denise Louie Education Center 206-767-8223 info@deniselouie.org www.deniselouie.org

Offering home visiting services for children birth to 3 and full & part-day multicultural preschool education for ages 3 to 5 in the International District, Beacon Hill and Rainier Beach.

Washington New Americans Program OneAmerica 1225 S. Weller St., Suite 430 Seattle, WA 98144 Are you a lawful permanent resident? The Washington New Americans program can help you complete your application for U.S. citizenship. Low-cost and free services available – please call our hotline or visit www.wanewamericans.org.

Text or call: 206-926-3924 Email: wna@weareoneamerica.org Website: www.wanewamericans.org

Social & Health Services Asian Counseling & Referral Service 3639 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S Seattle, WA 98144 ph: 206-695-7600 fx: 206-695-7606 events@acrs.org www.acrs.org ACRS offers multilingual, behavioral health and social services to Asian Pacific Americans and other low-income people in King County.

APICAT 601 S King St. Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-682-1668 www.apicat.org Addressing tobacco, marijuana prevention and control and other health disparities in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.

Cathay Post #186 of The American Legion Supporting veterans for over 70 years Accepting new members—contact us today to learn more! (206) 355-4422 P.O. Box 3281 Seattle, WA 98144-3281 cathaypost@hotmail.com

www.ocaseattle.org

Education

Southeast Seattle Senior Center 4655 S. Holly St., Seattle, WA 98118 ph: 206-722-0317 fax: 206-722-2768 kateh@seniorservices.org www.sessc.org Daytime activities center providing activities social services, trips, and community for seniors and South Seattle neighbors. We have weaving, Tai Chi, indoor beach-ball, yoga, dance, senior-oriented computer classes, trips to the casino, and serve scratch cooked lunch. Open Monday through Friday, 8:30-4. Our thrift store next door is open Mon-Fri 10-2, Sat 10-4. This sweet center has services and fun for the health and well-being of boomers and beyond. Check us out on Facebook or our website.

Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs GA Bldg., 210 11th Ave SW, Suite 301A Olympia, WA 98504 ph: (360) 725-5667 www.facebook.com/wacapaa capaa@capaa.wa.gov www.capaa.wa.gov Statewide liaison between government and APA communities. Monitors and informs the public about legislative issues.

Seattle Chinatown/International District Preservation and Development Authority ph: 206-624-8929 fx: 206-467-6376 info@scidpda.org Housing, property management and community development.

OCA—Greater Seattle Chapter was formed in 1995 and since that time it has been serving the Greater Seattle Chinese and Asian Pacific American community as well as other communities in the Pacific Northwest.

It is recognized in the local community for its advocacy of civil and voting rights as well as its sponsorship of community activities and events.

Senior Services

Keiro Northwest 1601 E Yesler Way, Seattle, WA 98122 ph: 206-323-7100 www.keironorthwest.org rehabilitation care | skilled nursing | assisted living | home care | senior day care | meal delivery | transportation | continuing education | catering services

Legacy House

803 South Lane Street Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-292-5184 fx: 206-838-3057 info@legacyhouse.org www.scidpda.org/programs/legacyhouse. aspx Services offered: Assisted Living, Adult Day Services, meal programs for lowincome seniors.

Chinese Information & Service Center 611 S Lane St, Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-624-5633 fax: 206-624-5634 info@cisc-seattle.org www.cisc-seattle.org Creating opportunities for Asian immigrants and their families to succeed by helping them make the transition to a new life while keeping later generations in touch with their rich heritage.

Want to join the Community Resource Directory? Contact lexi@iexaminer.org

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Social & Health Services

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

December 6, 2017 – December 19, 2017 — 11

Since 1935

Tai Tung Restaurant International District Medical & Dental Clinic 720 8th Avenue S, Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-788-3700 email: info@ichs.com website: www.ichs.com

Banquet Facilities - Catering - Delivery

Bellevue Medical & Dental Clinic 1050 140th Avenue NE, Bellevue, WA 98005 ph: 425-373-3000 Shoreline Medical & Dental Clinic 16549 Aurora Avenue N, Shoreline, WA 98133 ph: 206-533-2600 Holly Park Medical & Dental Clinic 3815 S Othello St, Seattle, WA 98118 ph: 206-788-3500 The largest Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community health center in Washington state, ICHS provides medical, dental, behavioral health and pharmacy care with multilingual doctors, nurses and staff experienced in meeting the needs of King County’s diverse and multicultural communities. All are welcome and sliding fee scales are available for uninsured patients.

7301 Beacon Ave S Seattle, WA 98108 ph: 206-587-3735 fax: 206-748-0282 www.idicseniorcenter.org info@idicseniorcenter.org

Come Enjoy the Oldest Chinese Restaurant in Town!

IDIC is a nonprofit human services organization that offers wellness and social service programs to Filipinos and API communities.

655 S King St, Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 622-7372

Parking & Transportation Services

Mon-Thurs 11am-10:30pm Fri-Sat 11am-12am Sun 11am-10pm

206-624-3426 transia@aol.com Merchants Parking provides convenient and affordable community parking. Transia provides community transportation: para-transportation services, shuttle services, and field trips in and out of Chinatown/International District, and King County.

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Answers to this puzzle are on Wednesday, December 20.

12 — December 6, 2017 – December 19, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

NEWS

Jenny Durkan sworn in as Seattle mayor: ‘I will not forget Donnie Chin’

By Chetanya Robinson IE Managing Editor Jenny Durkan was sworn in as Seattle’s first lesbian mayor and first woman mayor in 92 years at a ceremony in the Wing Luke Museum on Tuesday. Previous mayoral swearing-in ceremonies took place at City Hall, but Durkan had five ceremonies throughout the city on November 28: In Rainier Valley, West Seattle, Phinney Ridge and Lake City. “I’m breaking with tradition. That surprises you, right?” Durkan said at the Wing Luke. “I wanted to bring City Hall to you.”

In a speech, she promised to uphold a campaign promise she’d made to the neighborhood: “I will not forget Donnie Chin,” she said, to enthusiastic cheers and applause.

Chin, who worked for decades as a caretaker of the neighborhood, responding to thousands of emergencies, was fatally shot in July 2015. His murder remains unsolved. Durkan recalled meeting Chin on a few occasions. “It is amazing that this person knew everybody—their stories, their families, who they were,” she said. One of the first briefings Durkan will receive as mayor will be the Donnie Chin case, she said. “We will keep you informed. We know that that was the loss not just of a person, but of a part of this community, and I will keep it in the forefront.”

The Wing Luke Museum location was carefully chosen. In her speech, Durkan pointed to the museum’s namesake, the late trailblazing Chinese American politician Wing Luke, as an example of how minority communities have fought against racism and discrimination. She noted that Luke, the first Asian American person elected in the Northwest and the first person of color elected to the Seattle City Council, was born in China because his father—who had lived and owned a business in Seattle—was forced out of the country by the Chinese Exclusion Act. Durkan pointed to another example of racial prejudice: The incarceration of

Former U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan (left) is sworn in as mayor of Seattle at the Wing Luke Museum. The oath was administered by Ruthann Kurose (right) • Photo by Chetanya Robinson

thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II, which mostly wiped away that community from Seattle. Ruthann Kurose, a longtime political and social justice activist, administered the oath of office for Durkan. Her mother Aki Kurose was incarcerated in Minidoka concentration camp.

Durkan chose the stop in the CID to sign an executive order reaffirming Seattle’s commitment to its Race and Social Justice Initiative. Earlier in the day at the Ethiopian Community Center in Rainier Valley, she signed an executive order to help low-income people with rental assistance. The CID “stands for race and social justice equity,” she said.

Durkan alluded to Seattle’s status as a sanctuary city, which will not comply with federal orders to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants. “We are a city that welcomes and protects its immigrants and refugees and no one will stop us from doing that,” Durkan said.

“And while we are not spoiling for a

A drummer from the Chief Seattle Club performs a song honoring Native people who couldn’t be present that day. • Photo by Chetanya Robinson

fight, we will not back down from what is right.”

Over 60 people attended the swearing in, including former Washington Governor Christine Gregoire and Former Seattle City Councilmember David Della (who was appointed a member of Durkan’s 61-person transition team).

City Council President (and mayor-forfive-days) Bruce Harrell, who represents the CID in his District 2, introduced Durkan, joking that it was his swearing-in ceremony. Durkan grabbed him by the shoulders and quipped, “You got your chance.”

Harrell noted that Durkan’s election was “history in the making,” and praised Durkan’s personal qualities of perseverance. “I have no doubt she will be one of the most effective mayors this city will ever know in its history,” Harrell said.

CID community advocates and residents also attended.

Before the ceremony, Pradeepta Upadhyay, director of InterIm Community

Development Association (CDA), said she would like to know Durkan’s plan to prevent displacement in the CID. “Are we making the ID affordable for the really low income seniors and residents of the community that want to continue to live here?” She hopes a Durkan administration can address aspects of displacement that go beyond just affordable housing, something InterIm CDA has already been working on for 48 years.

When Durkan was on the campaign campaign trail, Faye Hong, former owner of the House of Hong restaurant, introduced her to community organizations in the CID to hear their concerns. Before the ceremony, Hong said he hopes Durkan will address public safety and cleanliness in the neighborhood.

“There’s too many homeless people, our families are afraid to come down here,” he said. “We want the mayor to kind of try to keep it safe here.”

Bereket Kiros, board member of Coalition of Immigrants, Refugees and Communities of Color (CIRCC), said displacement and gentrification in Rainier Valley is an issue he hopes to see improve with Durkan in office. “Access to affordable housing, childcare and transportation—my hope is she will do better than her predecessor,” he said. He hoped Durkan will hold true to her promises. “In the campaign … she promised so many things to work with the community,” Kiros said. He hopes Durkan will “listen to the needs of the community and try to act accordingly.”

In her speech, Durkan addressed displacement and gentrification, which have long been existential issues for the CID. “Our city has grown so rapidly that too many people are being left out,” she said.

“Too many people have been pushed out and left behind.”

Durkan quoted the only other female mayor Seattle has ever had: Bertha Knight Landes. Landes would say, “Seattle needed to be made a larger home,” where people feel welcome, Durkan said.

“I think we have to bring that back.”

Mayor Durkan signs an executive order reaffirming Seattle’s commitment to the Race and Social Justice Initiative • Photo by Chetanya Robinson