INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
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August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016 — 1
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2 — August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
IE OPINION
Memories of Donnie Chin One year later
The International Examiner asked the community to share their memories of Donnie Chin. What follows are some of the responses. Please visit iexaminer.org and see future issues of the IE for more memories. And please continue to share your memories of Donnie by emailing editor@iexaminer.org.
Chris Potter:
Shortly after I began working at the Wing Luke Museum, Donnie walked through the front door to the visitor services desk, silently handed me a USPS priority mail envelope that read “To Chris, From Donnie” with an ever-so-faint mysterious grin, and walked out. I opened it up to find a copy of Art and Doug Chin’s Chinese in Washington State. As a person of mixed ethnic heritage, I have often felt a creeping sense that I don’t belong. Donnie was the first person to truly welcome and accept me as a Chinese American, and a full member of this community. He was a deeply generous and thoughtful person, frequently gifting history books and items from Sun May Co. to young employees in the neighborhood. He recognized the importance of passing on his experiences and helping grow the next generation of advocates for this community. He also had a funny habit of delivering these gifts in free shipping materials from the Maynard post office—the kind you take away to put your mail in, then bring back, weigh and pay. Sometimes I wonder how many envelopes and boxes they produced for him to locally hand-deliver.
IE STAFF
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.
PART II
Elaine Ishihara:
Donnie often sent out emails to the IDEC crew on Father’s Day and Mother’s Day. Here is one of Donnie’s Father’s Day emails: From: “Donnie Chin” Sent: Sunday, June 16, 2013 12:12:59 AM Subject: Our Father’s Day From all of us at IDEC to all the dads who work here and the dads who made it possible that we enjoy the freedoms that we have. Our fathers ... they came to America ... They wanted a better life for their families. Some came from untold poverty, war torn homes, burned-out villages, dry farm land. They arrived to find the hopes and dreams they heard about in mud choked streets. Long working hours in red hot kitchens, freezing cold fish plants, under the sun on farms, the darkness of the hulls of liberty ships, early mornings or late nights cleaning hotels and toilets ... harsh conditions trying to make a living in the land of the “free and the brave.” Some were barred from going to school, becoming citizens, voting. When called upon to defend the nation— they fought against those who would harm us. Some went overseas to battle Nazis, Imperialists, Terrorists. Those who did not return are etched in stone and in our memories. They knew that freedom isn’t ever free. Back in America ... they fought against racism and injustice. They fought for better schools, living and working conditions, bilingual services, voting rights. Our fathers worked long hours for little pay trying to support their family. They taught us to stand up for what was right. Fight against what was wrong. We all owe our fathers more than they will ever know. To our fathers who are here and to those that are a memory, we are still here trying to do the right thing, right here at IDEC. Thanks for everything dad, this day and everyday you are in our thoughts. For this Father’s Day—remember the dads overseas fighting the war and standing the line in the DMZ.
IE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ron Chew, President Gary Iwamoto, Secretary Arlene Oki, At-Large Jordan Wong, At-Large Edgar Batayola, At-Large Heidi Park, At-Large COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER Lexi Potter lexi@iexaminer.org
BUSINESS MANAGER Ellen Suzuki finance@iexaminer.org
DISTRIBUTORS Joshua Kelso Makayla Dorn Maryross Olanday Tiger Song
Donnie Chin accepts a Golden Circle award from OCA Greater Seattle in 2014. • Photo by Han Eckelberg
Jean Baumgardner:
Though I have known for a long time that I wanted to work in community health, it has been hard to put into words exactly why. But when standing at the community meeting last year sharing in the collective shock and pain over Donnie’s death, I found myself remembering the beautiful lessons about community that Donnie exemplified. It’s hard to know how to write about Donnie. How do you put a person like him into words? I don’t think you can comprehend how large a person’s physical life is until they are gone and the enormity of it sinks in. I remember so vividly the tour Donnie took us on. I had been in the ID many times before but Donnie made it come alive. He had this knack for telling history with a mix of vivid passion and profanity telling stories about racial injustice and the legacy of people in the ID who would otherwise be forgotten. He was the one who introduced us to the ID and moreover to the community. He welcomed us, he oriented us, he shared with us the history of the community. As an outsider, he weaved together a beautiful picture of what the ID meant and helped me understand the context from which our patients come. Moreover, it was evident that he was a vital part of holding this web of interconnectedness together. People like Donnie don’t exist anymore. I feel a pain from his passing not only because
EDITOR IN CHIEF Travis Quezon editor@iexaminer.org
NEWS EDITOR Izumi Hansen news@iexaminer.org
ARTS EDITOR Alan Chong Lau
arts@iexaminer.org
DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR Rhea Panela rheapanela@iexaminer.org
CHIEF COPY EDITOR Anna Carriveau STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Isaac Liu
STAFF WRITERS Chetanya Robinson Alia Marsha INTERNS Anakin Fung Rosida Mohamathno CONTRIBUTORS Taylor McAvoy Pinky Gupta Alia Marsha Kelsey Hamlin Beia Giebel Ruth Vincent Bharti Kirchner Misa Shikuma Laura Simeon Leonard Rifas Nalini Iyer Nan Ma Chizu Omori
of what he meant to me in the short time I knew him, but moreover, for what he stood for and what he meant to the community. He was the community storyteller, historian, secret keeper, mentor, police officer, first responder. He was Donnie. He didn’t even need his last name, he was just a figure, somebody who was known to everybody. The week before as we were leaving the clinic we heard noise coming from Donnie’s alley. It was music, people, art, and food. It was community. And it was beautiful. Donnie welcomed us, gave me a big plate of delicious meat, we talked for a bit, and then moved on to let him get to the umpteen other people who wanted to say hi. That’s my last memory of him. And I’m sure there were thousands more stories of the big and small acts of kindness he did for others. I want them to be catalogued just like the history he so carefully kept of the ID. He had an unquenchable drive to keep the community together and safe at all cost, against all odds. He was raw, real, he brought the streets to life and made the walls of old buildings whisper stories of the past. What is community? Sometimes it’s hard to put into words until you feel the profound loss of one of its members, when you lose its pulse, when you feel the emptiness, and struggle to put into words what that one person meant to so many. Thank you Donnie. You will be forever missed and always remembered.
Roselee Tang:
Donnie was a kind man who was always watching over everybody at ICHS. When I was getting off from work during the winter, I saw him on the street. He stopped me and asked where I was going. I said I was going to my car so he escorted me to my car. Because of him, I felt safe. He was always accessible and helpful to the clinic. Whenever we called 911 to transport a patient to the hospital, he arrived to the scene before EMS. Donnie devoted his life to the community. He was the greatest. It is hard to find someone like him.
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INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016 — 3
IE NEWS
Asian Americans show political clout at the DNC By Anthony Advincula New America Media
by APIA Vote, Asian American voters gave 62 percent favorability rating for Hillary Clinton and 26 percent for Donald Trump.
As Asian American elected officials and community leaders took the stage in Philadelphia at the Democratic National Convention, they demonstrated the formidable presence and political force of Asian American voters on the nation’s electoral decision-making process.
The survey also revealed that Asian American voters are progressive on most issues, including the Affordable Care Act, gun control, environmental protection, and increasing government spending to make higher education affordable.
With the effects of exclusionary rhetoric in this year’s election campaigns, the survey indicated that Asian American registered voters, including Independents, will not vote for candidates with anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim views.
Measured by the growing Asian electorate—which is projected to double from almost 6 million in 2016 to 12.2 million in 2040—and the increasing number of Asian American congressional candidates, Asian voters can now shape and influence the elections, according to the Asian American Pacific and Islander (AAPI) Vote.
“We have dramatically increased our voting registration across the country,” U.S. Representative Judy Chu of California said July 25 at a gathering of AAPI leaders and Democratic delegates. “In Nevada, Virginia, and even Pennsylvania, we are the swing votes.” The fastest growing ethnic group in the United States for nearly two decades, the Asian population is now reaching about 17 million, according to the latest data from Asian American Pacific Islander [APIA], and is contributing about $1.1 trillion to the American economy.
There has also been a spike in the number of Asian Americans seeking congressional seats in the last six years—from 10 in 2010
U.S. Representative Judy Chu speaks at the Democratic National Convention in July. • Photo by By Anthony Advincula
to 30 in 2012. This year, the AAPI Vote added, there are 40 Asian Americans vying for a congressional seat across the country.
“We are no longer at the table for the menu; we are a significant part of the electorate,” said U.S. Representative Michael Honda. “There will be more [Asian] faces, I promise, that you’ll see in the political scene.” Sayu Bhojwani, founder and president of the New American Leaders Project, a movement that trains and inspires immigrant leaders of all racial and ethnic backgrounds to run for office, said that the more
first and second-generation Asian Americans will be in the ballot, the more it will strengthen the community and make the government better responsive to achieve a robust democracy. “I encourage you [Asian Americans] to run for office,” Bhojwani added, “and I want you to look at what the electoral environment would be in 2020, 2024 and beyond. That’s the only way we’re going to change the conversation.”
Showing a major shift in party identification towards the Democratic Party, according to a national survey released last month
Celebrity Constance Wu, the young Chinese American actress playing the lead role in ABC Television Network’s Fresh Off the Boat, also showed her support for Clinton and the Democratic Party, pushing Asian voters to be counted in November elections. “It’s very important for us, for young Asian Americans to go out and vote, especially in these complex situations,” Wu said. “I’m saying this even though I’m not a political person.”
Mee Moua, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, said that it is a crucial time for Asian American voters to be recognized, heard and acknowledged. “Anybody who ignores our community,” Moua said, “does it at their own peril.”
Washington primary results are in, voters say ‘yes’ to housing levy IE News Services With the primaries finished the first week of August, the votes have been tallied and the candidates are moving on to the general decided. This year’s federal election for District 7 representative was a stiff race. State Sen. Pramila Jayapal (D) and State Rep. Brady Piñero Walkinshaw (D), passing King County Council President Joe McDermott by a two percent difference, will go head-to-head in the general election. Incumbent Sen. Patty Murray (D) and Chris Vance (R) will continue to the general election for the federal senate position. For state elections, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) and Bill Bryant (R) will continue to the general for Washington governor while State Sen. Cyrus Habib (D) and Marty McClendon (R) are in the running for Lieutenant Governor. Seven other state offices are up for election this year. Former Seattle City Council Member Tina Podlodowski (D) and current Secretary of State Kim Wyman (R) passed the primaries for the position of Secretary of State. For State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Erin Jones and State Rep. Chris Reykdal will continue to the general election. Sen. Mark Miloscia (R) and Pat (Patrice) McCarthy (D) will race for State Auditor after the current auditor Troy Kelley
did not seek re-election in the midst of a money laundering scandal. Mike Kreidler (D) and Richard Schrock (R) will move to the general for the position of Insurance Commissioner and Steve McLaughlin (R) and Hilary Franz (D) will continue to the general election for Commissioner of Public Lands. Current Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D) garnered almost 73% of the vote, and he and Joshua B. Trumbull (L) will move on to the general election for the position. The state legislative district primaries happened without much hullabaloo. Incumbent State Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos (D) and John Dickinson (No Party) will continue to the general election for the first representative position in District 37 while incumbent state Rep. Eric Pettigrew (D) and Tamra Smilanich (Non-Partisan) vie for position two. All positions in District 11 are up for election. Incumbent State Sen. Bob Hasegawa (D) and Dennis Price (L) will go for the senate position and incumbent State Rep. Zack Hudgins (D) will go against Erin Smith Aboudara (R) for the first representative position. Incumbent Rep. Steve Bergquist (D) is unchallenged for the second representative position. For Justice Position 5 on the Washington Supreme Court, incumbent Chief Judge Barbara Madsen and Greg Zempel will continue to the general election, while in the King County
Superior Court Judge Position 44 race, Cathy Moore and Eric Newman will move on. At the city level, Initiative No. 123, which would create an elevated park where the viaduct is, did not pass with 83% of voters choosing “No.” Seattle City Initiative No. 123, which would create an elevated park where the viaduct is, did not pass with 83% of voters choosing “No.” Proposition 1 to renew a levy on property tax for affordable housing passed with 71% of the vote. The primary focus of the housing levy is to fund affordable rental housing for low-income Seattle residents. The housing serves people with disabilities, seniors, families with
children, formerly homeless individuals and families, and people working in lowwage jobs who might otherwise live far from the city. Levy funds can be used throughout the city for new construction of affordable housing or for preservation and improvements to existing buildings. Proposition 1 calls for $290 million spanning 7 years. The median cost to Seattle homeowners, according to the city, is $122/year or $10.17/month (based on assessed value of $480,000). Oct. 10 is the deadline to register to vote or update registrations online or by mail for the general election. Ballots will be mailed out October 21 for the general election on November 8.
YOUR OPINION COUNTS Please share your concerns, your solutions, and your voices. Send a letter to the editor to editor@iexaminer.org with the subject line “Letter to the Editor.”
4 — August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
IE COMMUNITY
Tuyen Than talks about the API Food Fight Club’s first-ever CID Block Party and Arts Walk By Anna Carriveau IE Contributor
API Food Fight Club, a group of young, progressive API American organizers, dedicated to improving community through art, food, history, and social justice, will be holding their first-ever CID Block Party and Arts Walk in the International District on Sunday, August 28 from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. In the making for over a year, the cultural event will celebrate young artists on the rise in the community by featuring an exciting lineup of musicians and DJs, local artists, food trucks, and more. The International Examiner had the pleasure of catching up with Tuyen Than, a member of the API Food Fight Club, who helped plan Awkwafina the event. She went into detail about the nearing occasion and how it all came into understood that this was a collective being. effort we were working towards together. International Examiner: What was the IE: Can you tell me more about the inspiration behind throwing a CID Block event’s special guests and happenings? Party? Than: Our event’s special guests are: Tuyen Than: We Awkwafina, Shawn Wasabi, Kero One, wanted to see more Sendai Era, Tomo Nakayama, and Tele representation of the Fresco. We’re really excited about our Asian American expespecial guests, because this is the first time rience in a community Awkwafina has ever performed in Seattle. we spend most of our Awkwafina recently released a project time in. Chinatownshe had with Margaret Cho called “Green International District Tea.” Than is still a hub for all IE: What kind of artists will be things Asian American. As the community ages, the next generation of Asian Ameri- participating in the arts walk? cans take its place. We wanted to use this Than: We have Crystal Anguay, Derek block party as an entry point for Asian Pa- Dizon (“kalu arts”), and some other artists cific Americans to see themselves in this we can’t name yet. community. IE: What kind of food and vendors We saw this block party as a catalyst will be at the event? for community connectivity and public Than: At our event, we’ll only be safety. In light of the Donnie Chin murder, having up to two food trucks, because we and the increasing lack of public safety in the Chinatown-International District—we want to encourage people to support the wondered, how do we encourage public local restaurants in the neighborhood. In safety without increasing the police addition, Friends of Little Saigon is also presence? What can we do as a community hosting their 6th annual Celebrate Little to feel safer in our community? This is an Saigon festival a block away from our amazing event, because it’s for us, by us, event with food from local restaurants, a pho eating contest, and a beer garden. and celebrates us. IE: Can you tell me more about the IE: API Food Fight Club has been API Food Fight Club and how others planning this event for over a year. Can you briefly describe what that process has can get involved if they are interested? been like for you and your members? Than: API Food Fight Club is a Than: The challenge of planning this network of community organizers who event is we’re all volunteers who have like to eat food and fight crime. It started fulltime jobs. Initially, we separated out as an idea between a group of friends, the event planning process into 4 which then evolved into “why not turn committees— logistics, marketing, this into a real thing?” If you want to get programming, and something else. Then involved, contact us through our website we reached out to our network to see who at apifoodfightclub.com or cidblockparty. would be interested in being part of the com. Email us at hello@apifoodfightclub. com. committees. We’d also like to thank our sponsors and Over the course of the year, we would supporters for making this event happen: meet once a week to discuss what needs to be done and to make sure we’re on track. Pacific Medical Center, Sound Transit, Throughout this event planning process, Wave G, SCIDpda, Hing Hay Coworks, we were extremely collaborative and Interim CDA, and the International Examiner.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. • Photo by Gage Skidmore
SEIU’s Luisa Blue responds to Trump proposal to ban immigration from Philippines In response to Donald Trump’s suggestion that the United States ban immigration from countries such as the Philippines, SEIU Executive Vice President Luisa Blue, a Filipina whose parents emigrated from the Philippines, released the following statement:
“Donald Trump disrespects Filipinos and exposes his own ignorance and racism by calling for a ban on immigration from the Philippines. His lack of appreciation of the contributions Filipino laborers have made to this country is shocking. Since the 1920s, Filipinos have immigrated to this country to work on farms and in the fishing canneries of the Pacific Northwest, helping to build our nation’s agriculture and fishing industries. Today Filipino immigrants are a driving force in the healthcare industry, working as healthcare professionals saving lives and providing quality care. I’m concerned that Trump continues to expand on the hateful rhetoric during his campaign for president,
and I can only imagine what he will do if he wins. It’s time for Filipino Americans and other Asian American and Pacific Islanders Luisa Blue to join together and use our strength at the ballot box to make sure that we defeat Donald Trump in November and elect Hillary Clinton, who stands with Filipino Americans and all working families.”
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016 — 5
IE COMMUNITY
Asian Americans in the media: Derek Wing shares a PR perspective
By Taylor McAvoy IE Contributor Derek Wing was the winner of the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Puget Sound Region 2015 Hugh Smith Community Service Award and is the only Asian American to win in the award’s 18year history. Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) executive director Diane Narasaki nominated Wing for the award to recognize his efforts in public relations. Wing was a board member of ACRS for three years before stepping down to spend more time with his children. But he is still actively involved with the organization, having helped emcee for various fundraising galas and Walk for Rice in June. Wing was also the only Asian American man to anchor his own show consistently until Ryan Yamamoto started as an Anchor at KOMO4-TV. Wing left journalism in June 2007 for work in public relations. He has since worked as the senior associate director of media and public relations at Bastyr University, where he received a merit award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District VIII in January 2016 for speechwriting. Wing is currently the communications manager and spokesperson for PEMCO Insurance in the greater Seattle area. The International Examiner caught up with Wing to talk about journalism, Asian Americans in the media, and public relations. International Examiner: What made you first realize that you wanted to be a journalist? Derek Wing: I’ve always been a fan of reading newspapers, specifically sports sections. … So when it came time to go back
to school, I was thinking about, what is it that I like to do, which is write, and what is it that people think that I’m pretty good at, which is writing, so journalism would make total sense. It was sort of through happenstance when I was applying for what kind of journalism—I just checked off the broadcast box because I thought it would be fun. IE: What does being Asian American in the media mean to you? Wing: It’s funny because when I got into journalism I had no idea how rare it was for Asian American males to be in the business as anchors let alone reporters. ... It means a lot. I think I became sort of a role model to future generations and I took that responsibility very seriously. It was something that I wanted to do and I wanted to show that Asian American men are able to do these kinds of jobs. IE: What challenges did you face? Wing: I think in a lot of ways, news directors, people who hire anchors and reporters might not have known what to make of me or maybe they didn’t envision an Asian American man in that role because they’d never seen one in that role before. IE: What drove the change from broadcast journalism to your work in public relations and communications? Wing: I think what really drove me to make a change was to have a better worklife balance. When you work in broadcast journalism, there are a lot of expectations and demands on your time. ... I tell people I chose life over work. IE: What did you enjoy the most about working with the Asian Pacific Center on Aging and Bastyr University? Wing: I think what I liked the most about it was giving a voice to the voiceless. Both of those organizations didn’t have some-
Derek Wing. • Photo by Eric Salzer
body who had my skillset. ... I helped to put them on the map in some ways. IE: What is your opinion about working with PEMCO insurance as an Asian American and a PR and communications professional? Wing: I don’t even know if they thought about this but this is something as an Asian American that I thought about ... to be the “face of a company” is a huge responsibility. And for a company that isn’t an “Asian company,” to put somebody of Asian American descent as a spokesperson I think speaks a lot to their willingness to take chances, their willingness to be open, their willingness to try new things. I think that the way people think about other people, people who are not like them, is heavily based on what they see in media, in the news, in the movies. And so if there isn’t an accurate representation it can lead to misconceptions. IE: Why did you get involved with ACRS? Wing: In the Asian American community that’s supported me throughout every
step of my career, it’s really important for me to give back. IE: What inspires you about ACRS? Wing: I think it’s helping folks that can’t help themselves. A lot of Asian Americans are immigrants and so not only do they face language barriers but they face cultural barriers. They don’t know what life is like in America and ACRS does a good job of helping them navigate an unknown landscape. To know that there are folks that are willing to help those in need is a really nice feeling. IE: How does Walk for Rice fit into your work with ACRS? Wing: It’s a great event to be a part of. It’s great to help those who can’t help themselves. ... It’s hard enough to be a newcomer in this country, I think it’s really hard to ask for help. ... And it’s especially hard when you ask for help and then you don’t get what you want or what you need. IE: What is your opinion on the fact that you are the only Asian American to win the Hugh Smith award in its 18-year history? Wing: I think that because I’ve been kind of the only one for so much of my career, I’m sort of getting used to it. It’s something that I take a lot of pride in; it’s something that I hope inspires other people. IE: What is your best advice for young journalists and media professionals? Wing: Everything that’s put in front of you in an opportunity. Every step along the way and every experience that a person has, a positive can be taken from it. The advice that I gave to one of my mentees many years ago was do what you love and the money will follow because I think that when you have an incredible amount of passion for what you do it totally shows in your work.
Announcements Dimsum Dialogue with C. Winter Han Celebrate Little Saigon on August 28 Pride ASIA and The Seattle Public Library present Dimsum Dialogue, a book reading by C Winter Han on Monday, August 22 at 6:00 p.m. at the Capitol Hill Branch library (425 Harvard Ave. E, Seattle, WA 98102).
Han is a former editor of the International Examiner and is the author of Geisha of a Different Kind: Race & Sexuality in Gaysian America. He is currently a sociology professor at Middlebury College. Han will be reading excerpts of the book and then there will be a dynamic panel discussion with Antonio Perez (Young Asian Men’s Study), Gaysha Starr (First Asian Empress of Seattle), Nhan Thai (former president of Queer & Asian) and Tanya Rachinee (First Trans Miss Gay API International). This Q&A with the author and guests will be moderated by Aleksa Manila (Miss Gay Filipino 2001 and former Community Facilitator of Young Asian Men’s Study—YAMS).
The 6th Annual Celebrate Little Saigon—Café Sữa Đá Edition happens Sunday, August 28 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Little Saigon. Celebrate Little Saigon is a community festival that brings together Vietnamese American food, culture, and entertainment. This year, Friends of Little Saigon is celebrating the delicious and symbolic flavors of Café Sữa Đá, aka Vietnamese Iced Coffee. They’ve also joined together with Vietnamese American performing artists to bring you traditional and modern Vietnamese pop music. There will be activities for the very young of age and the young at heart including the Family Pavilion with inflatable activities and games, as well as pho and dessert eating contests. A 21+ Outdoor Beer Garden will also be featured.
Explore Your Parks—Mock Election on August 23
International Community Health Services (ICHS) and Seattle Parks and
Recreation are holding an event titled “Explore Your Parks: Chinatown— International District” on August 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Donnie Chin International Children’s Park (700 S Lane St. Seattle, WA 98104). There will be a mock election that is free and open to families.
New CAPAA appointments
Last month, Gov. Jay Inslee announced the reappointment of Commissioners Ty Tufono and Lynette Finau and appointed Nam Nguyen and Roslyn Monique Leon Guerrero to the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA).
Nguyen is Assistant Attorney General currently representing the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems. Prior to working at the Attorney General’s Office, Nguyen worked in private practice in Bellevue, WA, and Houston, TX. He graduated from Boston University School of Law in 2010. After law school, Nguyen volunteered in Bayou La Batre, AL to help address the economic and social problems
caused by the BP Oil Spill. Nguyen grew up in the Seattle area. He currently lives in Tumwater, WA.
Guerrero is of Chamorro descent and was born and raised on the island of Saipan, in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). In 2010, she moved to Vancouver, WA. She has over 15 years of experience working in education and outreaching to Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Guerrero has been employed at Clark College since 2010. She currently works in the Office of Diversity and Equity where she monitors, manages and supports the Diversity Center and the Lead of the office. She also does outreach, recruitment and retention of AAPIs at Clark College. She is the advisor of the Asian Pacific Islanders Club that leads events, education, and outreach for AAPIs at Clark College and the greater Clark County community. She works with many organizations and boards in Southwest Washington focusing on AAPIs.
6 — August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
IE ARTS
Wing Luke textile exhibit showcases textiles in human life By Ruth Vincent IE Contributor
A room swathed in cloth invites us into the George Tsutakawa Gallery at the Wing Luke Museum to contemplate the relationship between textiles and the Asian American experience. Everything has been Material for Scissors to Shape is a very long exhibit title, but creates a metaphor for what happens when humans interact with textiles whether on the personal or commercial level.
Namita Gupta Wiggers, its curator, uses this line from Pablo Neruda’s poem “Ode to Scissors” to bring together the work of three conceptual artists who explore this interaction. These Asian Pacific American artists, all of them teachers of art, investigate a variety of issues in distinctly different ways. Their works are paired with artifacts and oral history from the Wing’s collections in an effort to make connections and expand the topics of textile interaction.
Surabhi Ghosh’s installation “A Hair’s Breadth, The Unfurled Sea” is a long piece of Indian homespun cloth that loops across the ceiling, down the wall and across the floor. It is an endless sari printed in scaly patterns that evoke the celestial serpent who floats on a sea of milk and supports both the universe and Vishnu. Hanging from the ceiling are deep blue strands that allude to the hair of Draupadi, the possessor of that endless sari. Exploration of mythology can lead down many paths and, by using a popular Indian comic book form, Ghosh distills important themes. Interpreting Hindu myths in patterned textiles, she speaks of the strength of women maintaining their dignity while being in a vulnerable position. And on the broader scale she reflects on infinity and human finiteness through the creation of repeating interlocking patterns. There are many ways of exploring and expressing cultural identity and doing so through patterning textiles is one of the more complex approaches.
Stephanie Syjuco creates large-scale spectacles of collected cultural objects, cumulative archives, and temporary vending installations, often with an active public component that invites viewers to directly participate as producers or distributors.
Our next encounter with the role of textiles in human life deals with how culturally-significant textiles have been usurped by the consumer residing far away from the maker. Two displayed photographs, digitally printed on vinyl, are of the artist, Stephanie Syjuco. She essentially creates a collage on her body of import-store materials in a very imaginative way. These photos bring to mind the objectification of cultures that are represented only by these tourist pieces. A length of woven cloth comes to symbolize the ideal of “the noble native.” Her “Cargo Cults” series refers to the time when Pacific Island natives during World War II came across mysterious American goods dropped from the sky and made use of them in ways not dreamed of by their originators. Syjuco reminds us of how goods from one culture can be appropriated by another and used as new cultural signifiers, sometimes in a creative way, but more often in a compartmentalized stereotypical manner.
The third artist’s work, “A Mend: A Collection of Scraps from Local Seamstresses and Tailors,” is a denim web, sewn together from the hems and lower pant legs of jeans, that drapes down the wall and falls onto the floor. Just as these remnants of a quintessential American garment are left behind, they touch upon the plight of marginalized garment workers striving for the American dream. The piece is part of Aram Han Sifuentes’ project to interview immigrant tailors and seamstresses about their repetitive work for low wages. We learn a little from her accompanying chart about the lives of immigrants who, although they make a semblance of a livelihood, don’t have the opportunity to express their identities or culture in the manufacture of textiles. Unlike the production seamstress the artist can choose the materials, methods and time to let the fabrics talk, recounting a wide range of human narratives. Paired with Sifuentes’ exhibit is the oral history video “If Tired Hands Could Talk,” which brings alive the very human production factor of those textile items we use every day. The Wing’s 2000-2001 interviews with garment factory and residential textile workers reveal the difficult lives of those in the industry that has now been outsourced. Of all the pieces from the collection paired with artists’ work this video is most integral to the artist’s subject.
Closing out the exhibition is the education section “Call and Response” where a number of exquisite garments are displayed from the museum’s collections— jackets, shirts and hats burgeoning with embroidery and mirror-work on finely woven fabric from silk to fiber made from pineapple leaves.
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016 — 7
IE NEWS
Cathay Post #186 to celebrate 70 years, honor WWII veterans By Kelsey Hamlin IE Contributor Following World War II, a man named David Woo created Cathay Post #186 as a hub for returning ChineseAmerican veterans. Now the group is celebrating its 70th anniversary and honoring its Chinese World War II vets who are quickly passing. The anniversary will take place in the form of a luncheon on August 24. “Senior members wanted to do something special,” explained Lloyd Hara, a Cathay Post member and 70th anniversary organizer. “Unfortunate thing is some of them are very ill and can’t make it.” The oldest member of the Post is 99 year-old Gene Moy. All in all, there are approximately 20 members who are WWII veterans. During the luncheon, there will be recognition of scholarship winners, community leader speeches, and a special preview of a documentary on the Cathay Post. Over the course of 2015, the International Examiner and OCAGreater Seattle worked together filming interviews with surviving Cathay Post WWII veterans. These will be used in the one-hour documentary being created by Tuyen Kim Tuyen, a media producer and videographer at Highline College. Ron Chew—president of the International Examiner board of directors, and ICHS Foundation director—has also been helping create the series. While the anniversary is definitely a deserved moment of celebration, it is also a reminder that membership is dwindling as people grow older. “One of the issues, especially for a Post like this which primarily was started by Chinese-Americans,” Hara said, “is since the draft, since Vietnam, very few Chinese-Americans have gone on active duty or volunteered. ... So as a consequence, it decreases your pool of potential applicants.” Indeed, even though the Post has 50 members, only approximately 10 of them are regulars. What’s more, their youngest member is in their middleto late-50s. “But, ya know, we’re gonna try,” Hara contended. “The post has been around for 70 years and has done a lot of good for the community over the years, and I think that’s an important element of ensuring the Post continues on.” In fact, Cathay Post #186 has given scholarships to high school students
Cathay Post #186 also holds a Memorial Day program every year, honoring the 10 Chinese Americans from Seattle who gave their lives during World War II. They place wreaths and the Chinese American war memorial in Hing Hay Park. • Archival Photo
and needy veterans. They’ve also done parades, spaghetti feeds, and pretty much anything else they can do to bring the community together. They even contributed $100,000 to the Wing Luke Museum in 2007. The Post also holds a Memorial Day program every year, honoring the 10 Chinese Americans from Seattle who gave their lives during World War II. They place wreaths and the Chinese American war memorial in Hing Hay Park. While there are approximately 95 Posts within 100 miles of Seattle, it hasn’t always been that way, and they weren’t always inclusive. Woo, the Post’s founder, was an aerial gunner pilot who was shot down in Germany during WWII. He served more than two years in German prison camps and eventually returned to Seattle. He found he wasn’t really welcome at other Posts where discrimination and racism prevented Asian American veterans from joining. So Woo created Cathay Post #186, and he helped other returning ChineseAmerican veterans petition for their wives in China to join their husbands on U.S. soil. It was a time when, after WWII, men and women in their 20s had common experiences impacted or directly parallelling wartime. They were just starting out their life careers, and the Post was one way of getting to know each other for social bonds and support. “At that time, it was very, very important for a lot of the young Chinese-Americans that came back to get re-acclimated back into civilian life,” Hara said. “So the Post played an important role during that transition.”
Initially, however, fellow Korean and Vietnamese veterans weren’t yet included in #186, although they are now. But despite the step to include more communities into the Post, it’s still a topic of struggle because its roots are so strong. “I think there has been an element that always felt the Post should be a Chinese American Post,” Hara said. “Part of it is, if you really wanna grow, you have to get out of that mode, quite frankly, because that isn’t where the veterans are.” Because the Post operates under the American Legion, members have to be veterans, but if its membership keeps dwindling, the same umbrella organization can deactivate the Post. But age isn’t the only thing holding Cathay Post #186 back. Donations
are also a struggle. There’s also the fact that of the American Legion Posts that seem to be doing okay, many are located in small communities like the one in Sedro-Woolley, Wash. In those cases, the Posts are one of the more social places in town out of a small number of options. Compare that to the smorgasbord of social activities in Seattle, and it makes a Post like #186 drown in the noise of options. Plus many more veterans or activeduty men and women are Filipino and Southeast Asians, according to Hara. “So you have to be moving in that direction,” he said. “And the irony is, they used to have a Filipino Post that was fostered by WWII vets, and they’ve disbanded because all the members died basically. And hopefully we don’t go the same way.” He proposed forming some alliances with other people and other groups to make it work. But “the most important thing is preserving our legacy,” said Post Commander Jack Pang last year. Since Cathay Post 186 members may begin to feel forgotten as time goes on—in part due to the inevitability of aging, but by no means a reason that should dictate the Post’s extinction—the community should do something about it. To learn more or join the Cathay Post, #186 of the American Legion, please contact Post Commander Terry Nicholas at (206) 355-4422.
Lloyd Hara, former King County Assessor and an officer of the Cathay Post (right), delivers the keynote speech acknowleging the sacrifices of Chinese Americans who died in service of the United States. Monday, May 27, 2013. • Photo by Johnny Valdez y Uno.
8 — August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
IE ARTS
Bleachbear—Asian American teens are back with Cowboy Movie Star By Beia Giebel IE Contributor In 2012, two sisters named Tigerlily and Bird Cooley, with their cousin, Emiko Gantt, formed a band. At ages 12 and 14, they went up on stage at the University District Fair and have been soaring ever since. As the EMP Museum put it, “Bleachbear is the perfect juxtaposition of fragile and badass.” These Seattleraised girls have managed to capture a unique, indie-rock sound in their music, and are coming back this summer with a new release titled, Cowboy Movie Star. With Bird on the drums, Emiko playing the bass, and Tigerlily with the guitar, they worked with producer Kurt Block to impress their audience yet again. The band’s lead singer, co-producer, and songwriter, Tigerlily Cooley, took some time with the International Examiner to answer some of their listeners’ most burning questions. International Examiner: How have your fans and family influenced your group and how has music influenced you? Tigerlily Cooley: It has made me a much more confident individual. When we began, we were all terrified to perform onstage. I spent the first two years
... covering my arms with song lyrics in case I forgot them onstage. But after playing more than 80 shows, I can say I’ve overcome that stage fright purely from experience. As a young female in the rock industry, you have to learn to stand up for yourself. ... You have to develop a thick skin and view rejection as inspiration to work harder rather than [as] a personal insult. We’re lucky to have family who has always supported our musical
aspirations and [we are also thankful for our] amazing fans. Whenever things get tough, they are the ones who inspire us to keep making music. IE: What makes this EP different from other music you have released? TC: This EP will be our second release. We released our debut album Lost Parade when we were 13 and 15, so one difference is simply that we are older now and thus were more intentional with how we wanted this EP to sound. I’d say the songwriting is more cohesive and the instrumentation is more complex. We played around with different bass and guitar effects on this EP, added some guitar solos, and replaced the glockenspiel featured on Lost Parade with a Wurlitzer organ to achieve a more retro sound. We’re really excited about how it turned out.
IE: What musical artists inspire you? TC: Our musical inspirations are constantly fluctuating. When writing Cowboy Movie Star I was listening to a lot of Arctic Monkeys, Best Coast, and The Ronettes. We’ve always been big Beatles and Radiohead fans, however. *** Keep up to date with Bleachbear performance schedules on Instagram (@ bleachbearband) and Facebook. Cowboy Movie Star is available on iTunes, Spotify, and Bandcamp. Their debut EP, Lost Parade, is also available digitally, but as Tigerlily says, “If you want to purchase a physical CD however, you will have to come to one of our concerts; we are always happy to sign them!” In addition, Bleachbear hopes to film a music video soon, and next summer they plan on touring the West Coast— cover songs are lined up for recording too. Nonetheless, this trio has nothing stopping them with only the stars and moon shining above them, and they will continue to move youth like me. For more information, visit www. bleachbear.com.
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016 — 9
10 — August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016
DONATE to NAFCON’S Typhoon Relief Program For info on how to donate, visit nafconusa.org.
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016 — 11
IE NEWS
Highlighting bullying prevention efforts for the API Community The following is a statement from Doua Thor, executive director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, made during the fifth Annual Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Summit in Washington D.C. on August 12: Every day, kids of all ages experience bullying in schools across the country. In the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, this problem is often compounded by cultural, religious, and linguistic barriers that can make it harder for AAPI youth to seek and receive help. Anecdotal evidence has shown that certain AAPI groups—including South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Micronesian, LGBT, immigrant, and limited English proficient youth—are more likely to be the targets of bullying. And in some areas, bullying of AAPI students can be shockingly common. To help address this problem, in November 2014, during the fifth anniversary of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the federal government formed an interagency AAPI Bullying Prevention Task Force (AAPI Task Force). The AAPI Task Force strives to learn more about the experiences of AAPI students facing bullying and how the federal gov-
ernment can help. The AAPI Task Force comprises representatives from the U.S. Department of Education, which includes the White House Initiative on AAPIs and the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and the U.S. Department of Justice. Through the AAPI Task Force, federal experts in civil rights, language access, education, community relations, public health, mental health, and data have worked closely with community stakeholders to:
Today, during the fifth annual Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Summit, I’m proud to announce the release of a report highlighting the experiences of AAPI students facing bullying around the country. The Summit will convene federal officials and community members to discuss strategies to combat bullying particularly in high-risk populations, including Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian students.
Over the last two years, the AAPI Task Force conducted nationwide outreach to students, families, community members, • Identify barriers to reporting bullying advocacy groups, and community-based and harassment organizations. The AAPI Task Force host• Understand obstacles to full and equal ed 29 listening sessions across the country, and conducted an informational survey that access to remedial and support resources collected responses from 30 community• Analyze data on bullying and harass- based organizations. ment in the AAPI community Through its outreach, the AAPI Task • Improve the federal government’s out- Force has gained key insights: reach and resources
• Students from all AAPI communities are subjected to bullying and harassment of all types.
• AAPI students are bullied by a range of other students, including other AAPI students and students of other backgrounds. • Circumstances of bullying often include, but are not limited to: limited English proficiency, cultural stereotypes, national origin and immigrant generation, and religion and religious attire.
• Many AAPI students and parents are not aware of resources and avenues of remediation available at the local, state, and federal levels.
The work of the AAPI Task Force has shed light on the important need to address bullying in the AAPI community and strategies to tailor outreach to this community. As we close out the AAPI Task Force’s work, let us recommit ourselves to continue working toward achieving real solutions to preventing and ending bullying for all. Doua Thor is the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, which is housed within the U.S. Department of Education.
12 — August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
PACIFIC READER
Pacific Reader 2016
PART II
The Partition of India, Astro Boy & Sewing As Therapy OR How Books Get Us Into The World Welcome to the second part of Pacific Reader, our annual summer review of books. We start it off with several feature stories and then conclude with our usual assortment of book reviews. The Partition of India in 1947 after the British Indian Empire was dissolved led to the creation and formation of India and Pakistan. Thousands of people were killed in the retributive genocide between religious groups as diverse as Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and many others in this massive shift from colonial empire to independent countries. It is now considered the largest mass migration in human history. We take a look at a unique museum in Berkeley, California trying to record the oral history of that cataclysmic event before all the informants have passed away and a new anthology of essays on that landmark in history co-edited by local writer Nalini Iyer. Astro Boy (known as Mighty Atom in its native country) is as popular in Japan as Superman is in the United States. Yet for years, Osamu Tezuka, the creator of that series (1952-68) and often referred to in his home country as the “godfather of manga” was little known in America. That is gradually changing with the English translations of his many books and a new translation of what amounts to a biography of his life. Besides manga, Tezuka worked as a cartoonist, animator, film producer, medical doctor, and activist. We talk to the English translator, writer, and Japanese manga specialist Frederik L. Schodt about the multi-faceted activities of the man many call the “Walt Disney of Japan.” There are literally dozens of books on sewing full of diagrams and instructions for new patterns, but local writer Sanae Ishida (Little Kunoichi, the Ninja Girl) has pulled off something entirely different in Sewing Happiness (Sasquatch Books). In a more holistic approach, besides the patterns—she uses a personal narrative to suggest how the very act of sewing itself can be a healing act that promotes good health and, yes, happiness. We talk to the author about her philosophy. Enjoy your summer and wherever you go, keep a book handy. —Alan Chong Lau, IE Arts Editor and coordinator of Pacific Reader
Partition of India revisited Tomine’s Killing and Dying is a journey worth embarking on
By Bharti Kirchner IE Contributor Nearly 70 years ago, the Indian subcontinent was divided by the departing British occupiers into two nation states: Hindumajority India and Muslim-dominated Pakistan. The tumultuous event triggered sectarian violence and caused one of the biggest mass migrations in history, resulting in death and destruction on a scale never seen before. This human tragedy, documented in the following decades in the form of novels, essays, memoirs, and poems, now constitutes what is known as Partition literature. Adding to the richness of this trove is Revisiting India’s Partition, a newly released essay collection containing 19 pieces. This volume, a scholarly exploration of the long-term socio-political effects of the Partition, boasts a local connection. Nalini Iyer, professor at Seattle University and an International Examiner contributor, co-edited it along with two other academics, Amaritjit Singh and Rahul K. Gairola. Their mission is to dissect other Partition literature, widen the focus with which the heartbreaking narratives are viewed, and address those regions and issues that have not received sufficient attention. In “The Long Shadow of 1947” by Ilyas Chattha, the central issue is Kashmir, one of the still-contested regions, often called “unfinished business.” Mass violence and forced displacement continues there even
today due to the wars fought between India and Pakistan on its soil. One benefit of this continuous turmoil, however, as Chattha points out, is the unification of the citizens, who now hold on to their Kashmiri identities much more strongly. In “Difficult Choices: Work, Family, and Displaced Women in Partition Writings,” Debali Mookerjea-Leonard discusses the status of middle-class Bengali Hindu women in the post-partition period. Long considered dutiful daughters, wives, and mothers, these women had to step into the role of wage earners out of economic necessity. This disrupted family ties and initiated displacements of another sort. “The Never-Ending Partition: Pakistan’s SelfIdentification Dilemma” by Amber Fatima Riaz examines Pakistan’s development as a nation and refutes the common perception that the country is about to implode. Whereas a singular identity—one country, one religion, one voice—have proven to be a myth, Riaz holds out the hope that the country’s future may lie in the recognition and strengthening of its diverse regional identities. These accomplished essays, despite their academic leanings, can benefit serious readers in furthering their knowledge of the subcontinent or be used as reference material. Novelist, book critic, and cookbooks author Bharti Kirchner’s sixth novel Goddess of Fire was recently released.
By Misa Shikuma IE Contributor With Killing and Dying, Adrian Tomine’s latest compilation of graphic novel vignettes, the author continues to push the limits of the medium with eclectic stories about the human experience that are alternately poignant, darkly humorous and relatable. Part of the “Optic Nerve” series that Tomine first began self-publishing as a teenager, Killing and Dying continues what has become a tangible evolution of the artist’s work and style. Almost evenly split between words and pictures, the graphic novel has a distinctive literary sensibility, and yet retains the strong visual pull that has fueled his successful career. Placing seemingly normal individuals in improbable situations, Tomine explores themes including identity, love, loss, and family through the prism of a cynical worldview counterbalanced by moments of humor and levity. A certain helplessness tends to pervade the struggles of the protagonists, and yet through some expedient storytelling, the author still manages to imbue some optimism. In a word, the stories of Killing and Dying might be described as quirky, but not at all in a diminutive sense. “A Brief History of the Art Form Known as ‘Hortisculpture’” follows a father determined to establish a new art form. In “Amber Sweet,” a young woman grapples with the consequences of bearing strong physical
resemblance to a popular internet porn star. “Go Owls” centers on the unlikely relationship between two strangers who meet at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. “Translated, from the Japanese,” beautifully conveys the emotional nuances of returning home. “Killing and Dying,” the titular story, focuses on a father and daughter struggling to continue in the aftermath of a tragedy. While “Intruders” deals with the difficulty in moving on after the conclusion of a relationship. Collectively the stories epitomize Tomine’s style, and yet the book also shows off his versatility in both illustration and exposition. A treat for both longtime fans and those just getting introduced to the graphic novelist, Killing and Dying is a journey worth embarking on.
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016 — 13
PACIFIC READER
‘God of manga’ Osamu Tezuka a multi-faceted artist By Leonard Rifas IE Contributor Osamu Tezuka was revered during his lifetime as the manga no kami-sama—the “God of manga.” More than any other individual, he was responsible for the rise of Japanese comics (manga) and animation (anime) in post-war Japan. He achieved this fame by creating a flood of popular and critically acclaimed works. In his lifetime he drew about 150,000 pages of comics and created over 60 animated works. He became a popular cartoonist at a young age, but persisted in his education, graduating from medical school, completing a dissertation, and becoming a licensed physician. Eventually, he had to choose what he loved best, and went with manga and anime instead of medicine. Shortly after Tezuka died at the age of 60 in 1989, his “sub-chief assistant,” Toshio Ban, with research and drawing help from Tezuka Productions, serialized a manga-format biography of Tezuka. This great, thick work, The Osamu Tezuka Story, has now been made available in English, introduced and translated by Frederik L. Schodt. Fred Schodt occasionally served as Tezuka’s personal interpreter, and has translated a number of Tezuka’s works. His own books include one about Tezuka’s most famous character, The Astro Boy Essays. In 1983, he wrote the path-breaking book Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics, for which Tezuka wrote the foreword. Fred is also an old friend of mine. I am happy that he has agreed to be interviewed about The Osamu Tezuka Story. We stitched the following together from our email correspondence. Leonard Rifas: It seems clear that a cartoonist who drew 150,000 pages of comics and also loved to read and watch movies would not have enough time to also have an adventurous, dramatic personal life. Nevertheless, I was able to read this 900 page book (which describes Tezuka’s life but says very little about the stories that he told) without slowing down. What do you think makes Tezuka’s life interesting? Fred Schodt: The drama comes, I think, in seeing how he was able to pursue his dreams for the comic book medium, and for animation, to such an extreme degree. In retrospect, it’s quite amazing that he not only accomplished so much, but that he did so in a relatively short time. Conversely, given his life-style, it’s amazing that he lived as long as he did. LR: Several great manga-format autobiographies of Japanese cartoonists have been republished in English, but this is the first book I’ve seen in which one cartoonist draws a full-length biography of another. Did Tezuka create any manga about his own life? FS: Tezuka was really too busy to create a true manga autobiography, but as the book mentions, several of his stories are very autobiographical in nature. Kami no toride (“Paper Fortress”) is a good example, for in it he describes (with only some exaggeration) what happened to him in World War II. Later on, he also created a story, Hidamari no Ki (“A Tree in the Sun”), which, while partly fictionalized, is about his ancestors. People who read Tezuka’s manga in depth, and know his life story, can also often spot
autobiographical passages in otherwise fictional works. As far as I know, Tezuka wrote only one book about his life, and that was Boku wa Mangaka (“I am a Manga Artist”), but he wrote numerous articles, some of which were incorporated into other books, about his life. This is probably as close as we can get to a posthumous autobiography, since it is created by his former sub-chief assistant, with the help of the company and the imprimatur of Tezuka the family, and is narrated by one of his most beloved characters—Higeoyaji, or “Mustachio.” LR: I thought it was beautifully done. Has Tezuka Productions continued to create other new manga in Tezuka’s style? FS: Unfortunately, after The Osamu Tezuka Story, the Tezuka Productions manga department was disbanded. The company has recently licensed other artists to do works based on Tezuka’s characters, but these artists are not part of the Tezuka Productions manga department. One hallmark of Japanese manga that is quite different from American comics is that the creators usually are the only ones who draw their manga. In other words, when the artist dies, that is usually the end of new manga works using their characters, etc. Animation is a little bit different, since it is such a group activity to begin with. For example, as many American fans know, there have been multiple iterations of Astro Boy animation created, for both television and the big screen, in the wake of Tezuka’s death. LR: As someone who has become a fan of Tezuka’s manga, I was surprised that the book seemed to repeatedly reduce his manga to something that he did for money that he could use to support his ambition to make animated cartoons. Was drawing children’s story manga really a better-paying job than the other things he could have been doing? FS: Given that Tezuka was often in the top category of artists, in what was called the “chôjabanzuke” (published “list of richest people,” or tax payers), manga were highly lucrative for Tezuka. Unlike the United States in those days, in Japan manga artists owned the copyright to their own works and not only received payment for each page they drew, but also royalties for sales of each compiled paperback volume (usually 10% of list price, in a land where royalties are calculated based on print runs, not on sold copies). LR: The book never explains how much he was getting paid per page or why he didn’t draw fewer pages for higher prices. Did he ever bargain for a higher page rate? FS: Tezuka himself didn’t have to bargain. He had savvy managers who could do this. Unlike lesser artists, Tezuka was able to pit publishers against each other, in effect jacking up his pay. As the book shows very well, the main problem he had was to find time to draw all the stories he committed to drawing for so many different publishers. LR: I thought that Tezuka’s story seemed like a cautionary tale about the life of a “workaholic,” but the book
seemed to present it as though Tezuka had provided an enviable model for how to live. Did Japanese of his generation not have a word for isogobamaware? FS: In reading the story, you may recall that there is one section where he is warned to slow down by a colleague at an award ceremony. But obviously, not enough people cautioned him. One thing that’s important to remember is that most of the story takes place during Japan’s high economic growth period. In those days, the Japanese economy (and especially the manga business) were like an escalator that kept speeding up. There was no incentive to slow down, and hard work was glorified, especially among men, to an extent that is hard to believe in today’s recessionary environment. For Tezuka’s generation, and among those who had miraculously survived a terrible war, the glorification of hard work was especially intense. One valid criticism of Tezuka, I think, is that he helped glorify over-work, and as a result many younger artists who idolized him and at one point or another were his protégés also died early deaths. Shôtarô Ishinomori, Hiroshi Fujimoto, and several others, all died around 60. LR: You’d think that with his medical training, he might have realized that he was pushing things too hard. FS: Since Tezuka was a licensed physician, I think that he always assumed that he knew how to take care of himself, and
how much he could physically stand. Those around him probably assumed (as ridiculous as it seems in hindsight) that he knew best. LR: The book describes Tezuka as performing seemingly superhuman feats of cartooning, such as dictating one comics story while he was drawing another; doing a 20-portrait caricature based on short-term memory of a group photograph; and drawing upside down. Did you ever see him do anything like that? FS: No, but on one trip to Florida for a documentary being made at Disney World, I did see what seemed superhuman to me. The film crew from Japan who were following Tezuka were so exhausted that, on the shoot, one of the gaffer-lighting people (supporting what was probably a 10K light) actually fell asleep on his feet, his knees suddenly buckling. I had never witnessed anything like this before. That night after dinner, Tezuka, who probably had not slept for a couple of days, wished me a good sleep, retreated to his hotel room. In the morning, when I saw him, he handed me a bunch of pages that he wanted sent to Japan. He had stayed up all night, working on them, doing not only pencil drafts, but inking the main characters and giving directions to his staff back in Japan. He was smiling as usual, as if it were all completely normal. If I were Tezuka, I would have already been in the hospital by then. TEZUKA: Continued on page 14 . . .
14 — August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
PACIFIC READER . . . TEZUKA: Continued from page 13
LR: Many pages of this book show editors following Tezuka around or camping in his offices to get him to finish the pages he had promised to do for them. As a comics publisher myself, the thing that most puzzled me in this story was how could Tezuka’s publishers afford to hire editors to follow him around? FS: This is a good question, and it follows along with others that often occur to me, and some other non-Japanese, when visiting Japan—such as, how in the world can so many tiny little bars and eateries that seat only about eight people at a time possibly thrive in a place like Tokyo, when by American economic standards it should not be remotely possible. My answer is basically that I don’t know the reason, and can only speculate. In the case of the publishing world it may have something to do with the fact that the publishing model in Japan is very different than it is in the United States, and whether through the distribution system or the tax code, publishers are in some ways more cushioned. LR: That was some cushion! The book shows as many as eight editors at a time, who seemed to have no other responsibilities than to sit around while he finished pages for their competitors before he got to drawing theirs. FS: In Tezuka’s day, it’s also important to realize that manga magazines and books were a gold mine for publishers, and this was especially true of anything created by Tezuka. He was not the only manga artist whom publishers would confine to hotel rooms and hound, but he could often sell more magazines and books than anyone else, so he got extra attention, and as you can see from the book, he learned to depend upon it. LR: Yes, he says several times in this book that he gets his best ideas when under pressure, and he seemed to have concluded from this that he should be under maximum pressure at all times. FS: Without editors hounding him, Tezuka couldn’t get his work done. As a result, many editors also hated being assigned to him. It’s important to note that in those days editors were not only assigned to manga artists. Even successful novelists were also often confined to hotels and hounded by editors. LR: If I remember correctly, when Tezuka was in San Francisco in 1981, you told me that an editor had followed him all the way to the United States to make sure that he completed his assigned pages! FS: It’s true that an editor once flew to America to get Tezuka to finish an episode of Phoenix. I was amazed by this when it happened, since I was with him, and I’ve never forgotten how awkward it was for the editor. Tezuka was enjoying himself far too much on his trip, and he had to be confined to his room in the Mark Hopkins hotel in San Francisco, as I recall. But in the hierarchical context of Japanese culture, for a young editor to pressure the “God of Manga” this way was extremely difficult, and I’m sure the editor felt as though he was going to develop ulcers. For the magazine then serializing Phoenix, it was nearly a life-or-death situation. If Tezuka had not come through with the pages they needed, even if they had had some sort of emergency replacement ready to fill the space, Tezuka’s fans would have been outraged. LR: I met Tezuka just one time, when he was on that tour as a “Manga Ambas-
sador” in 1981. I know that you have no memory of this, but back then you told me that he wanted to meet me to see about having his manga republished in the United States. (With my republications of Keiji Nakazawa’s manga about the Hiroshima bomb, I was the only person in the U.S. republishing manga in American comics format at that time.) After watching a screening of his new film Phoenix 2772 at Berkeley’s Pacific Film Archive, we met at the Top of the Mark hotel bar in San Francisco, just Tezuka, you, your girlfriend Peg, and myself. I watched a fuzzy, web-posted version of Phoenix 2772 a few days ago. Now, after 35 years, having watched it a second time, I remember more clearly that one of the reasons I was embarrassed to meet Tezuka that night was that I had trouble thinking of a single nice thing to say about his movie. If I could see him now, I’d still have trouble thinking of anything nice to say about that movie. FS: Phoenix 2772 was a bit awkward, wasn’t it? But whenever I see it, I’m always amazed at the opening scenes showing the futuristic city with constantly changing camera perspective. It’s simple now, with computer graphics, but in those days, that scene was quite remarkable in animation, since it was all hand-done. LR: The book said that Tezuka rebelled against the idea that anything was impossible. All I remember of my conversation with him was that I basically told him that having his work distributed in comic book format in America at that time was impossible. (Now that I think of it, way back then, the only manga of his that I
had seen was probably the short sample you had included in your book Manga! Manga!) Do you know if he ever tried to find a more receptive American publisher to republish his work? FS: I’m sure that Tezuka wanted his manga work published in America, and I know that it was terribly disappointing to him that there seemed to be so little interest in any of it. He really believed in manga as a kind of Esperanto, or international language. Not too long after Tezuka died, I remembered visiting Viz, in San Francisco, with Takayuki Matsutani, Tezuka’s former manager and now the president of Tezuka Productions. They were one of the first U.S./ Japanese companies to start issuing manga in translation. We tried to interest them in publishing Phoenix, but had no success. I believe I may have translated the first work of Tezuka’s published in English— Crime and Punishment, in 1990, but it was only issued in Japan. In the United States, one of the first Tezuka works to appear was Adolf, published by Viz, in 1993. Publication of Phoenix in English in America did not start until 2002, nearly 13 years after Tezuka’s death, and nearly 20 years after that translated sample first appeared in Manga! Manga! LR: I was interested to see that The Osamu Tezuka Story had so many pages in the book about the making of the film Phoenix 2772 and about his tour of America with it. I liked the part where a woman at UCLA responds to that film by asking about “sexual discrimination” in Japan. She’d probably been waiting to ask that since the first minutes of the film, where young Godo controls his sexy robot with a
somewhat phallic-looking remote control. FS: The scene in UCLA is very much the way I remembered it. There are always people who ask about depictions of women in manga/anime, and there are always people who ask why they all look Caucasian. LR: You appear in this book in one panel where you had accompanied Tezuka to his meeting with Ward Kimball, one of the legendary animators of Walt Disney’s cartoons. I remember that you had been thrilled to meet Ward Kimball, and what I remember of your impression of him was captured in a napkin drawing reproduced in the book. It showed Donald Duck (drawn by Kimball) flipping off Jiminy Cricket (drawn by Tezuka.) If you could have chosen one panel of Tezuka’s life to make your cameo appearance in this book, would you have chosen this same one? FS: I think it was perfect. The panel in the book where I appear is based on a photograph taken by my friend, the animator Shin’ichi Suzuki. I’m somewhat embarrassed today by the hippie-esque way I dressed then, but it brings back many fond memories. As I recall, Ward Kimball not only had model trains in a huge shed in his backyard, but perhaps a real train, too. LR: It seems that most fans of manga are closely attuned to what is current and not to the history of the form. Even my manga-loving students usually arrive at my classes with little idea of who Osamu Tezuka was. FS: For American fans, I would venture to say that the most popular Japanese manga works are those which are also currently on U.S. television or available on-line as animation, and the focus is generally in real-time works. In other words, American fans want to see the same new shows that Japanese fans are enjoying and talking about. Having said that, Tezuka’s manga is remarkably popular in Japan today, in both e-book and paper format. His most popular work, Black Jack, about an outlaw physician, has sold over 45 million copies. Of course, many older readers love to read Tezuka’s work, partly for nostalgic reasons, but for many young people, it is something they are discovering for the first time, and it is quite fresh. LR: The Osamu Tezuka Story is packed with names of people and comics that I do not know, and yet the energetic, graphic story-telling pulled me right through it. Still, I think it would appeal mostly to people who have enjoyed some of Tezuka’s manga or anime. For someone not already familiar with his works, what would you recommend as a good place to begin? FS: One of my all-time favorite manga series is Phoenix, especially the fourth volume, 鳳凰 (Hô-ô), or “Karma” in English. You can read a snippet of it in Manga! Manga! It’s a work that got me hooked on Japanese manga and showed me new possibilities for the comics medium. For children, many of the later episodes of the Mighty Atom, or Astro Boy, manga, are really delightful. The earliest works, which are now over 60 years old, are a bit too wordy for young children. In addition to adults, and works for both boys and girls who are already reading quite a bit, Tezuka also created several manga for the younger set, such as Unico. In Japan, as mentioned, Tezuka’s most popular work is Black Jack, a fascinating and totally unique series about an unlicensed surgeon, but it may be a bit gruesome for young American children!
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016 — 15
PACIFIC READER
Life lessons, inspiration to be found in Sewing Happiness By Laura Simeon IE Contributor Seattle author, Sanae Ishida (Little Kunoichi, The Ninja Girl and Little Bigfoot, 2015), offers an unusual and appealing blend of personal memoir, guidance for balanced living, and elegantly designed sewing projects in her latest publication, Sewing Happiness: A Year of Simple Projects for Living Well (Sasquatch, 2016). An active online presence thanks to her regular blog entries (sanaeishida.com) and Instagram feed (www.instagram. com/sanaeishida), Ishida offers readers an intimate view of some of her most vulnerable moments—and, most importantly—shares the wisdom she has acquired through these struggles. Divided by season, you will find among the 20 projects a stylish Origami Pillow in the Summer section, a darling Starter Dress for a little girl in the Fall, a Fortune Cookie Advent Calendar for Winter, and a classic Sashiko Trivet for Spring. While the book does cover some sewing basics, rather than offering detailed patterns and minute step-by-step directions, Ishida’s approach is one that fosters exploration, risk-taking, persistence, and nudging yourself to go outside your comfort zone. We sat down in a café one Saturday morning to discuss her journey. While her book is visually stunning— Sewing Happiness conveys an aesthetic she describes as “Japanese meets Scandinavian meets French.” What makes it stand out from other textile arts books is her underlying philosophy explained through several personal essays. Before you even get to the patterns, you are encouraged to embrace a mindset that lets go of perfection as a goal. Raised in a home teeming with opportunities for creative pursuits and acceptance of process over product, Ishida nevertheless embraced a workaholic perfectionism that ultimately took a tremendous toll on her health, relationships and career. Seeing everything in her life fall apart at once as she was felled by an autoimmune disorder, fired from her prestigious job, and saw her most important relationships faltering—in other words, facing down failure, her greatest fear—Ishida realized that she had to reassess all the strategies that formerly seemed to guarantee success. Two of the most startling and valuable takeaways she articulates are: not waiting to start things until you feel like doing them and embracing constraints. In a society where happiness is often framed as doing what you want, and in which casting off limitations and boundaries is seen
cycling more has been good for their health and the environment. Overall, being forced to slow down has led to a pace of life that they enjoy greatly and could not have anticipated before their experiment began.
Mothering, insights from crisis
as the path to freedom and fulfilment, this might seem like strange advice. However, Ishida talked about realizing that, at the very lowest point in her life when she had the least energy to do so, she simply had to change. The Power of Habits by Charles Duhigg introduced her to the concept of “keystone habits,” or singular new behaviors that have a ripple effect that is much larger than you might anticipate.
Road to recovery
Ishida set off on her road to recovery with baby steps that she summarizes as “sleep, walk, chop” (p. 49): prioritizing getting enough rest; then, as her energy began to return, doing something active every day, even if it was simply a walk around the block; and adding vegetables to each meal. Initially she didn’t necessarily feel like doing any of these things, but by making them habits, something that she would do every day whether she felt like it or not, they became integral parts of her life that she didn’t have to actively make decisions about. As sleep, exercise, and cooking from scratch improved her physical health, Ishida began to think about ways to heal her spirit. Recognizing that creative pursuits fed her soul, she returned to sewing, in particular,
starting a blog to share her creations, which in turn sparked connections with like-minded women in the blogosphere. She writes that finding this path required her to listen to her intuition, which she learned “needs ample space and silence and time and gentle play to be heard above the din of “should”’ (p. 33). Slowing down and creating beautiful things by hand also helped Ishida strengthen the bonds with her family and friends that were neglected during her workaholic stage. In a delightful twist, engaging in something that brought her joy led to a book contract that at first seemed like a dream come true: it could be anything she wanted! She had free rein to put her vision into print in any way she wished ... and yet she felt stymied and paralyzed. Where to begin? By setting a few parameters for the book—a color palette, an overall look, projects that did not rely on paper patterns—she was able to channel her energy in a productive way. Similarly, the constraints of living without a car for the past six months has forced Ishida’s family to make careful choices about where they go and how they spend their time. Using public transportation and carpooling with friends has strengthened bonds with their community, and walking and
Mothering is a central part of Ishida’s identity, and here too the insights from her crisis have led her to make different choices than she may have otherwise. The section in her book on letting go of expectations will likely touch a chord with many, as Ishida describes struggling with unrealistic beauty standards, and recognizing that for her daughter’s sake she had to accept and appreciate her body. Sewing clothes that looked and felt beautiful— and that made her happy to wear— became the ultimate goal, rather than simply trying to look thinner. Ishida talked about the wonderful example provided by her mother who, despite the financial struggles of immigrant life and raising three children— never stopped painting. As a child, Ishida and her siblings would watch their mother paint, absorbing the idea that motherhood, even in trying circumstances, does not necessarily mean putting your own artistic life on hold. She was also allowed as a child to be bored, and this boredom fueled creativity as she and her friends invented wildly imaginative games. Bearing this in mind, Ishida and her husband have been mindful about their daughter’s extracurricular activities, supporting her in pursuing her affinity for music, but not worrying if she isn’t productively occupied every moment of every day. Carving out the time to experiment, create, fail, and try again, as well as to connect with other people without the aid of digital devices, forms the bedrock of their lives. Creativity, to Ishida, is not about the status of owning highly-priced handcrafted artisanal items or about the external validation of engaging in competition with other artists. For her it’s about living a life of integrity, expressing her values in a way that brings joy to herself and others, making rather than simply consuming, adding beauty to the world rather than sitting and scrolling on digital screens, and stretching both her practical skills and her inner tolerance for making mistakes and going out on a limb. Those who enjoy sewing will find much inspiration in Sewing Happiness, but even if you never intend to try any of the projects, Ishida’s essays pose deceptively simple questions that have the potential to spark tremendous change for the better.
16 — August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
PACIFIC READER
The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye
Sonney Liew’s graphic novel weaves history, art masterfully By Leonard Rifas IE Contributor A book may have many layers, but unless it can be enjoyed on a superficial level, that book will not be read, and those layers will remain undiscovered. Sonny Liew’s graphic novel, The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, has been able to attract an outpouring of rapturous praise from both around the world and within Liew’s adopted nation of Singapore because, its author has created an enjoyable story. That he has many things going on at once in this book cannot escape the attention of even the most casual reader, and because Liew has interwoven these different materials so masterfully, most reviewers (both professional and amateur) have found the results deeply enjoyable. In graphic novels, the artwork creates the most immediate impressions. In this case, the liveliness and variety of the drawings do not merely serve the narrative, but also exist as the heart of it. Like Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics, this book uses comics as a means of expression for talking about comics as a subject matter. The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye tells the story of Singapore’s history, as it had found expression through the title character’s long cartooning career. Its original Singapore publisher, Epigram Books, introduces The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye as “a biography showcasing the life and work of Chan Hock Chye, a pioneering but largely forgotten comics artist in Singapore.” That publisher’s website links to a 2 ½ minute promotional video, in which we see Chan Hock Chye (intercut with fuzzy, old footage) playing a children’s game that is described in the book, working at his drawing table, visiting a bookstore, looking out over the city, walking down the street, visiting the gates of Chung Cheng High School, and back in his studio. It all adds up to an elaborate ruse. Although the old man in the videos closely resembles the old man that the book presents as Charlie Chan Hock Chye, that old cartoonist and all of his works were invented by the young cartoonist Sonny Liew. For convenience, I will discuss the fictional Charlie Chan Hock Chye as if he were a real person who did the things that the book shows him doing.
The book begins with Chan being interviewed at the age of 72 in 2010, and then republishes his precocious, localized, giant-robot story, which he had drawn when he was 16 in 1954. We see Chan’s drawings change radically over the years, as he creates various comics fashioned after the work of several great cartoonists, mostly world-famous Americans, including Harvey Kurtzman, Walt Kelly, Frank Miller, and Carl Barks. Those familiar with comics history can marvel at how expertly Liew has been able to reproduce their different styles. Appreciating The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, however, does not require such background knowledge. I can attest to this, based on my pleasure in reading Chan’s giant robot stories which, as I learned only later, copy
the look and theme of Mitsuteru Yokoyama’s manga Tetsujin 28-gō (a.k.a. Gigantor.) Just as Liew’s book does not require background knowledge about comics history, it does not require background knowledge about the history of Singapore. The book functions as an introduction to Singapore’s history, and the graphic novel format helps to make this information both absorbing and understandable. At the same time, the overt fictionalization (for example, by introducing that giant fighting robot into the story of the May 13, 1954 confrontation between police and students) keeps the reader both alert and entertained. Captions provide a few annotations where necessary to distinguish facts from fictions.
By following Charlie Chan Hock Chye’s life story, the reader is introduced to an almost encyclopedic catalog of the professional barriers that cartoonists face, many of which seem universal and some of which seem specific to Singapore. A reader unfamiliar with Singapore cartooning might conclude from this long series of obstacles that Liew had invented his character on a blank slate because local cartooning about local political issues had been so difficult as to become impossible. (This was almost true, but not entirely.) Those with more background knowledge will recognize cameo appearances of the Singaporean cartoon character Mr. Kiasu, characters from the autobiographical comics of the cartoonist Lat in neighboring Malaysia, and other local references. Perhaps partly because Liew began his work on this graphic novel with the larger format of a traditional art book in mind, I ended up reading The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye through a Fresnel lens (one of those flat, rectangular, plastic magnifying lenses that they sell in office supply stories). This not only made the book easier to read (the type gets pretty small in places), but made me feel immersed in the story in a different way, as the lens brought out the strong sense of three-dimensional space in Liew’s drawings. The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye received a lot of valuable publicity when Singapore’s National Arts Council withdrew its publishing grant for this graphic novel a day before its launch date, and demanded its money back. The Council later explained that Liew’s version of Singapore’s history “potentially undermines the authority or legitimacy of the Government and its public institutions, and thus breaches our funding guidelines.” News coverage of this decision did not explain why such government support had been needed in the first place. The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye has achieved well-deserved commercial and critical success, appearing on the New York Times’ list of bestsellers and winning the title of “Book of the Year” at the Singapore Book Awards this May. Nevertheless, if its author had had to depend entirely on decisions of profit-driven publishers to support such an ambitious, labor-intensive, lavishly-produced project, this story of Singapore would have remained untold.
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016 — 17
PACIFIC READER
The Association of Small Bombs is a novel for our times By Nalini Iyer IE Contributor
We live in times where daily news reports include stories of bomb blasts and terrorist attacks across the globe. In 2014 over 32,000 people had died in terrorist attacks around the world; that number had increased from 18,111 in 2013, an 80% increase according to the Global Terrorism Index.
Karan Mahajan’s novel, The Association of Small Bombs, explores one “small” bomb attack in 1996 in a market in New Delhi—this is not a thriller about the good guys and the bad guys and tracking down the criminals; this is a novel that explores the impact of the bombing on the people involved in such an attack—the victims, their families, the bombers. How do people survive the meaningless death of their children from a random act of terror? What motivates people to set off bombs? How is a terrorist made? What happens to survivors? What is justice? Will some political conflicts just keep festering? These questions underlie this brilliant novel as Mahajan examines the lives of a group of people who are all tied
First, the two boys, Tushar and Nakul Khurana, the victims. They and their friend, Mansoor, were in the market to pick up a repaired TV when the bomb went off killing them. Mansoor survives with a few broken bones but carries deep psychic scars from the event. Second, Vikas and Deepa Khurana, the parents of the boys who died, are a moderately talented film maker and a cake maker engaged in a middle class struggle within a neoliberal economy—their lives are drastically changed by the bomb. Their guilt, their search for justice, the cracks that develop in their marriage over time are central to this narrative.
Third, the bomb makers, Shockie and Malik, their political agendas, their ideology, the utterly dismal shape of their everyday lives give us insights into the humans behind terror attacks and their motivations. encounters as an adult with Ayub a Finally, Mansoor, the surviving friend peace activist whose ideology changes and his challenges both physically and dramatically. These stories make up emotionally with the bombing and his the novel which is simultaneously an exploration of the psycho-social impacts
Girl in Glass a heartbreaking, honest look at human life By Nan Ma IE Contributor
In February 2014 at an AOL town hall meeting, CEO Tim Armstrong cites “distressed babies” as the reason that the company has decided to cut the retirement benefits of its employees: We had two AOL-ers that had distressed babies that were born that we paid a million dollars each to make sure those babies were OK in general. And those are the things that add up into our benefits cost. So when we had the final decision about what benefits to cut because of the increased healthcare costs, we made the decision, and I made the decision, to basically change the 401(k) plan.
Armstrong’s rationale set off a fiery media discussion of workplace gender discrimination, corporate accounting, and medical privacy. The mother of one of the “distressed babies,” novelist Deanna Fei, counters Armstrong’s narrative that reduces babies to monetary figures first with a piece that she has written for Slate and now with her memoir Girl in Glass.
Fei’s memoir begins as a private recounting of her painful and bewildering delivery of her second child, Mila, who was born prematurely at 26 weeks into Fei’s pregnancy and weighed 1 pound and 9 ounces at birth. Confused and shocked by the unexpected turn of an
of terror attacks across time and also a searing analysis of the failure of postcolonial nation states to provide full citizenship rights and economic opportunities for all its citizens regardless of religion, region, or language.
to the bombing at the market carried out by a Kashmiri militant group.
otherwise smooth pregnancy, Fei soon found herself immersed in grief and guilt, as she struggled with making sense of Mila’s premature birth (which one doctor called “catastrophic”), attending Mila’s intensive care, healing from the physical and emotional trauma of a caesarian, and taking care of her energetic 13-month-old son. While Mila lay in her NICU isolette fighting for her life, Fei was often troubled by her own lingering doubt of whether Mila was meant to live.
Armstrong’s comments at the town hall meeting, a year after Mila was released from the NICU, propelled Fei and her husband’s personal struggles and pain into public debate. Fei’s writing, too, turns from private reflection into a contemplation of the larger history of neonatology and the interplay between politics, economics, the health care system, and medical ethics and practices. In turns heartbreaking and haunting, Girl in Glass offers a movingly honest look at the ambivalence that sometimes comes with motherly love and underscores the public, historical, and political dimension of neonatal care. Fei’s courageous narrative invites us to observe the simultaneous uncertainty, fragility, and resilience of human life and urges us to question the social norms that shape our understanding of childbirth.
Mahajan’s narrative is starkly realistic and his facility with description remarkable. Here is how he describes the market just before the bomb goes off in the opening chapter: “A formless swamp of shacks, it bubbled here and there with faces and rolling carts and sloping beggars. It probably held four seasons at once in its gigantic span, all of them hot. When you got from one end of the market to the other, the wooden carts with their shiny aluminum wheels had so rearranged themselves that the market you were in was technically no longer the market you had entered: a Heisenbergian nightmare of motion and ambiguity.” With such an opening chapter about “ A good bombing” which “begins everywhere at once” it is hard to put the novel down. This is definitely a novel for our times if we want to go beyond daily news headlines and numbers of dead and wounded in terrorist attacks.
Gasa Gasa Girl is insightful By Chizu Omori IE Contributor Anybody who has experienced a trauma like being incarcerated for a lengthy time for no reason other than ancestry will carry wounds for a long time, maybe for a lifetime. For Japanese Americans who did experience this trauma, the road to understanding and dealing with this trauma has often been long and painful given that their reentry back into American society that entailed a great deal of denial and silence. For survival’s sake, it was necessary to fit in and work hard to regain a foothold, to reestablish lives in the society that had thrown them out. And so rethinking one’s life experiences comes slowly and haltingly.
Lily Nakai Havey who spent 4 years in the camps as a young girl, turned to art to express and understand her history. She found herself doing paintings that depicted fragments of those memories, like flying getas, those wooden clogs that were made by inmates to move through mud and dusty landscapes in the camps, and a little girl in a kimono up against a guard tower with soldiers carrying guns. As she tried to explain her artwork, she found that she needed to explain more and more, and this resulted in
her writing Gasa Gasa Girl Goes to Camp: A Nisei Youth Behinda a World War II Fence. It is a memoir, full of stories that she remembered of her family and of her growing up under the bizarre circumstances of imprisonment in a desert. The title, Gasa Gasa Girl, describes her personality as a kid, gasa gasa indicating someone who moves nervously and quickly, as opposed to slow and deliberate. And indeed she was one who got into trouble because of her curiosity and her quick style. Trying to live a normal life under such abnormal circumstances became a constant struggle, with everyone crammed into flimsy 21 foot by 21 foot barrack rooms. These are memories filtered through the mind of an adult, so she acknowledges that they may not be totally accurate, but what do we all have as adults but our own version of what and how things happened? Nakai Havey has retained these stories and memories as her own and with the artwork, which she says have been healing and cathartic, she comes to grips with her experiences and their meaning for her. In this way, her work, her personal journey, provide a window into the experiences of all camp inmates, particularly of women and young girls, of a period of her early adoIescence. In this way, Gasa Gasa Girl Goes to Camp provides valuable insights and more light on the complexities of life in the camps.
18 — August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
IE COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY Arts & Culture
Professional & Leadership Development
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.
Education For more information: Ph: 206-767-8223 Email: info@deniselouie.org Website: 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.
Housing Services HomeSight 5117 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118 ph: 206-723-4355 fx: 206-760-4210 www.homesightwa.org HomeSight creates homeownership opportunities through real estate development, home buyer education and counseling, and lending.
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: housing & parking, housing/ asset counseling, projects, teen leadership and gardening programs.
Executive Development Institute 310 – 120th Ave NE. Suite A102 Bellevue, WA Ph. 425-467-9365 • Fax: 425-467-1244 Email: edi@ediorg.org • Website: www.ediorg.org EDI offers culturally relevant leadership development programs.
Senior Services
Social & Health Services
Cathay Post #186 of The American Legion Supporting veterans for over 70 years Accepting new members - contact us today to learn more! P.O. Box 3281 Seattle, WA 98144-3281 Email: cathaypost@hotmail.com Phone: (206) 762-4058
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
International District Medical & Dental Clinic 720 8th Avenue S, Seattle, WA 98114 ph: 206-788-3700 email: info@ichs.com website: www.ichs.com
We make leadeRS Queen Anne Station, P.O. Box 19888, Seattle, WA 98109 info@naaapseattle.org, www.naaapseattle.org Fostering future leaders through education, networking and community services for Asian American professionals and entrepreneurs. Facebook: NAAAP-Seattle Twitter: twitter.com/naaapseattle
Senior Services Horizon House
900 University St Seattle, WA 98101 ph: 206-382-3100 fx: 206-382-3213 marketinginfo@horizonhouse.org www.horizonhouse.org A welcoming community in downtown Seattle, offering seniors vibrant activities, independent or assisted living, and memory care.
The Kin On Team is ready to serve YOU! www.kinon.org
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, seniororiented 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.
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 lowincome people in King County.
601 S King St. Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-682-1668 website www.apicat.org Address tobacco control and other health justice issues in the Asian American/Pacific Islander communities.
Kawabe Memorial House 221 18th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144 ph: 206-322-4550 fx: 206-329-3330 connie.devaney@gmail.com We provide affordable, safe, culturally sensitive housing and support services to people aged 62 and older.
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 ICHS is a non-profit medical and dental center that provides health care to low income Asian, Pacific Islanders, immigrants and refugees in Washington State. Fearless Asians for Immigration Reforms (FAIR!) ph: 206-578-1255 Info@ItShouldBeFair.com www.ItShouldBeFair.com
Free and confidential support for undocumented Asians and Pacific Islanders. DACA screenings, financial assistance, legal help, scholarships, DACA renewals, and consultations for service providers. Benefits include: work permit, $$ for school, protection from deportation, driver’s license.
7301 Beacon Ave S Seattle, WA 98108 ph: 206-587-3735 fax: 206-748-0282 www.idicseniorcenter.org info@idicseniorcenter.org IDIC is a nonprofit human services organization that offers wellness and social service programs to Filipinos and API communities. ph: 206-624-3426 transia@aol.com
Merchants Parking provides 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.
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.
Legal Services
Organization of Chinese Americans Asian Pacific American Advocates Greater Seattle Chapter P.O. Box 14141 Seattle, WA 98114 www.ocaseattle.org
Legacy House
Public Interest Law Group, PLLC 705 Second Avenue, Suite 1000, Seattle WA 98104 Ph: 206-838-1800 Email: info@pilg.org www.pilg.org PILG attorneys Hank Balson, Wendy Chen, and Nancy Chupp provide information, advice, and representation in areas such as employment discrimination, unpaid wages, and other violations of workers’ rights.
convenient and affordable community parking. Transia provides community transportation: para-transit services, shuttle services, and field trips in and out of Chinatown/International District, and South King County.
803 South Lane Street Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-292-5184 fx: 206-838-3057 info@legacyhouse.org www.scidpda.org/programs/legacyhouse.aspx Description of organization/services offered: Assisted Living, Adult Day Services, meal programs for lowincome seniors.
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.
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. 2500 NE 54th Street Seattle, WA 98105 ph: 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.
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INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016 — 19
IE NEWS
CACA to organize against Ride the Ducks’ use of discriminatory law By Alia Marsha The International Examiner
sisters, or brothers, who may be dependent upon the deceased person for support, and who are resident within the United States at The Chinese American Citizens Alliance the time of his or her death. (CACA) is looking to organize against the The Ride the Ducks of Seattle argues Ride the Ducks company, which cited a that the Kim family is ineligible to recover 100-year-old discriminatory law to throw a wrongful death damages as it does not satisfy wrongful death lawsuit resulting from a crash the residency requirement of statute. The that killed five international students from motion was joined by the Ride the Ducks Asia last September. International in March and Washington State The parents of Ha Ram Kim, both residents Attorney General Bob Ferguson in May. of South Korea, filed the wrongful death “In defending this case, we are simply lawsuit against the company in December after its amphibious tourist vehicle crashed following the state laws that govern these sorts into a charter bus last September. On the of actions. We take absolutely no position bus were dozens of international students, on the merit of the law; that is solely on the including Kim, on a tour around Seattle province of the Washington State legislature,” before they were supposed to start their wrote Patricia K. Buchanan, the lawyer classes at North Seattle College the following representing Ride the Ducks of Seattle at Patterson Buchanan Fobes & Leitch, in a week. statement. In February, the Ride the Ducks of Seattle The Washington State Legislature added company, represented by the law firm Patterson the statute in 1917. Ming-Ming TungBuchanan Fobes & Leitch, responded with a letter demanding withdrawal of the lawsuit. Edelman, the founder and president of the The letter cites Washington state wrongful Seattle chapter of CACA, said that the use of the statute in this case is outrageous. death statute, RCW 4.20.020: “It was 100 years ago and at the time it was Every such action shall be for the benefit of the wife, husband, state registered domestic a racist environment, and it was wrong. We partner, child or children, including need to acknowledge that and repeal the law. I stepchildren, of the person whose death shall think that’s the right thing to do. Just like what have been so caused. If there be no wife, they did finally after 60 years of the [Chinese] husband, state registered domestic partner, Exclusion Act,” said Tung-Edelman. The Chinese Exclusion Act, signed in 1882, or such child or children, such action may be maintained for the benefit of the parents, was a federal law banning the immigration
of Chinese laborers into the United States. It was in the midst of one of the most restrictive immigration policies that the group that preceded CACA was born in 1895. The group changed its name to the Chinese American Citizen Alliance in 1915.
It is amazing in 21st century Washington that a tour company which relies upon foreign tourists as customers would take the position in federal court that it is immune from paying damages when it kills a foreign tourist because her family Tung-Edelman said CACA Seattle is taking is foreign,” Schroeder wrote in an email. a lead on organizing against the Ride the Schroeder wrote that normally, in Ducks of Seattle to repeal the statute, which such a wrongful death claim, a family she said is unconstitutional. So far, she has member of a victim, like Kim’s father reached out to one local group to collaborate for example, will describe the loss of in this effort. love and companionship, the destruction “We need people who understand the of the parent-child relationship, and the Washington state laws and help repeal permanent emotional distress and trauma. this. That’s why I’m looking forward to see who can be our ally. Who are the ones who understand the process? We want awareness about what’s going on,” said Tung-Edelman. “In the API community, this was affecting us more than 100 years ago and it’s affecting us now. We need to gather the voices in our community as a strong one voice to say, this is wrong and we need to repeal this.”
Tung-Edelman said this law baffles her, especially since Washington state attracts a lot of tourists and international students every year. William Schroeder, the Spokane-based lawyer representing the Kim family, echoed Tung-Edelman’s sentiment. “Seattle Duck is a tour company that actively seeks foreign tourists as clients.
“But, by operation of the foreigner exclusions, because Mr. Kim resides in Korea, his trauma and emotional distress simply do not count, and indeed his claim does not exist merely because he is a foreign resident,” Schroeder wrote.
According to the lawsuit, Kim’s parents flew from South Korea as soon as they heard the news about the crash. They held her hand as she died from her injuries. Four other international students were killed in the crash, and many more people injured.
Employment
Accounting
Senior Accounting Clerk Washington State Convention Center (WSCC) is accepting applications for the position of Senior Accounting Clerk. This position processes all event related and facility invoices in accordance with executed license agreements and amendments, reconciles monthly Accounts Receivable balance sheet accounts, and prepares sales and B&O tax reports for final review. Requirements: AA degree and 3 years of accounts receivable or general accounting and clerical experience. Visit www.wscc.com for further info or to download an application. Applications are also available at the WSCC Service Entrance, 9th and Pike, Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. WSCC application must be completed for consideration. Jobline: (206) 694-5039. EOE.
EVENT MANAGER Washington State Convention Center (WSCC) is accepting applications for the position of EVENT MANAGER 2. This position is responsible for the successful coordination of assigned events within the facility. Working directly with WSCC clients and Service Partners, the Event Manager communicates the needs of the client to other WSCC departments and ensures compliance with the event contract. Required Qualifications: BA/BS degree and three (3) years experience within the hospitality/convention meetings industry. Prefer at least two (2) years experience coordinating major, complex events. Visit www.wscc.com for further info or to download an application. Applications are also available at the WSCC Service Entrance, 9th and Pike, Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. WSCC application must be completed for consideration. Jobline: (206) 694-5039. EOE.
Answers to this puzzle are on Wednesday, September 7.
20 — August 17, 2016 – September 6, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER