VOL 37 NO 2 | JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

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VOL 37 NO 2 JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

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36 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Top 10 national stories in 2017 affecting AAPIs

The UW undergrad won Miss India USA! What she plans to do next.

SHREE SAINI » 7

TOP 10 PHOTOS » 8 The coolest photos from 2017

Compiled by Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

In September, President Donald Trump began dismantling Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protected hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children.

Trump gave Congress six months to act before recipients’ work permits begin to expire.

Many DACA beneficiaries say they worry they will be forced to take lower-wage, under-the-table jobs and will be unable to pay for college or help their families financially.

Each day that Congress delays acting on the Dream Act from now until March 5, 2018, approximately 122 people will lose their DACA protection.

2. Harvard threatened with lawsuit over Asian American admissions

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) threatened to sue Harvard University to obtain a trove of records as part of an investigation into the university’s admissions practices, following a lawsuit from a group of Asian American students.

Harvard turned over those records, spanning many years, in December. The DOJ inquiry was related to a federal lawsuit filed by a group of students in 2014 alleging Harvard limits the number of Asian Americans it admits each year.

■

FASHION SHOW » 9

3. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee dies

San Francisco’s first Asian American mayor died in December from a heart attack.

Born in Seattle, Edwin Mah Lee attended Franklin High School and earned his law degree at the University of California, Berkeley.

He was appointed mayor of San Francisco in 2011. Of the names tossed about as possible interim successors to Mayor Gavin Newsom, Lee’s seemed to emerge at the last minute. His appointment was historic and unexpected.

4. Filipino WWII veterans awarded Congressional Gold Medal

In October, Filipino veterans of World War II were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, 75 years after they joined with the United States to defeat Japan.

More than 250,000 Filipino soldiers served in World War II, including more than 57,000 who died. After the war ended, President Harry Truman signed laws that stripped away promises of benefits and citizenship for Filipino veterans.

Only recently have the veterans won back some concessions and acknowledgment, including the gold medal — the nation’s highest civilian award.

5. Candidates targeted in racist flyers win

Three Asian American candidates targeted by racist campaign attacks won New Jersey elections

Rock Me Fabulous at the ACRS holiday party

in November.

Ravi Bhalla was elected Hoboken’s first Sikh mayor, and Jerry Shi and Falguni Patel won seats on the school board in Edison.

Bhalla had been the subject of anonymously distributed flyers that labeled him a terrorist.

Publisher Ng on her recent trip: “It was meant to be.“

PUBLISHER’S BLOG » 10

Seattle pays tribute to Ed Lee Shi and Patel were targeted by mailers that read “Make Edison Great Again” and “the Chinese and Indians are taking over our town.”

It called for the candidates to be deported.

6. Passenger dragged off United flight

Photo by Joshua Holland

1. DACA program rescinded

Lee family together on stage during the ceremony

In April, 69-year-old Dr. David Dao, a Vietnamese American, suffered a concussion, broken nose, damaged sinuses, and lost two front teeth when he was violently dragged off a flight to make room for United personnel.

Video of the bleeding doctor went viral online and sparked international outrage.

The airline had asked Dao to leave his seat in order to allow four United staff members to get from Chicago to Louisville, Ky. see TOP 10 on 15

By Joshua Holland NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY On the last Saturday of 2017, hundreds gathered at Franklin High School to celebrate the life of Edwin Mah Lee, beloved mayor of San Francisco, Franklin High graduate, and true product of the best Seattle has to offer. Lee passed away unexpectedly in San Francisco on Dec. 12, 2017.

The Seattle ceremony followed a larger ceremony held a few weeks earlier in San Francisco, where thousands of sup-

porters, friends, and a who’s who of California politics gathered at the City Hall rotunda for the memorial service. It was truly a tribute to the kind of person Lee was in life.

Regardless of the time or day, Lee made time for people.

Whether it was a nephew touring San Francisco, his mom visiting to see the Chinese New Year parade, or a community member dropping by to speak with him about a local issue, he always made time. Relationships were important to Lee. see LEE on 13

412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104 • t. 206.223.5559 • f. 206.223.0626 • info@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com

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2

36 YEARS

JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS Jon Sonoda of ICHS passes way

legal scholar in the fields of criminal law and criminal procedure.

Her work specializes in the intersection of crime with psychology and implicit racial and gender bias.

Richardson succeeds UCI Law’s founding dean, renowned constitutional law scholar Erwin Chemerinsky. 

NW Asian Weekly Foundation endowment

James Ho confirmed to Fifth Circuit Court

Jon Sonoda

International Community Health Center (ICHS) pharmacy manager Jon Sonoda passed away on Dec. 23. Sonoda led ICHS’ three service pharmacies at the agency’s Chinatown, Shoreline, and Holly Park locations.

ICHS Foundation director Ron Chew said Jon’s generosity extended into the realm of charitable giving.

“During our year-end fundraising campaign, he would come by my office and say, ‘Ron, give me a form. Who should I made a check out to?’ I never even had to ask. That’s the kind of person he was.”

A Celebration of Life will be at the Wing Luke Museum on Jan. 27. All are welcome.

Sonoda is survived by his wife, Zoe. She has asked that charitable donations in Sonoda’s memory go to the ICHS Foundation. 

Seattle artist honored

Seattle-based artist Naoko Morisawa was chosen as one of the recipients of The Individual Artist Award 2017 by The Santo Foundation, a nonprofit that recognizes and assist the careers of individual Naoko Morisawa artists.

Morisawa received $1,000.

The winners were selected by Elyse A. Gonzales, who is Assistant Director and Curator of Exhibitions at the Art, Design & Architecture Museum, at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Since 2009, The Santo Foundation has awarded nearly $200,000 directly to working artists, while also providing additional in kind support and underwritten individual art exhibitions. 

The U.S. Senate voted on Dec. 14 to confirm James Ho as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Ho is the first Asian Pacific American to serve on the Fifth Circuit and the sixth active Asian Pacific American federal appellate judge.

“James Ho is nationally recognized for his legal acumen and James Ho we congratulate him on his historic confirmation,” said Pankit J. Doshi, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

Most recently, Ho was the first Asian Pacific American ever appointed to serve as the solicitor general of Texas, the state’s chief appellate and Supreme Court litigator. 

Dean Mia Tuan (left) and Assunta Ng

On Dec. 7, Northwest Asian Weekly founder Assunta Ng met with Dean Mia Tuan at the University of Washington (UW) College of Education. Ng signed the Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation’s (our nonprofit arm) $100,000 endowment to support undergraduate students at the UW College of Education. The funds were raised throughout 2017 in conjunction with the Asian Weekly’s 35th anniversary celebration. The scholarships will prioritize students who have financial need and also those who are first in their families to attend college. 

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◄

Richardson becomes dean at UC Irvine

ASSUNTA & NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY — 35 YEARS, A RETROSPECTIVE

► DRAGONFEST TRASHION SHOW 2017

◄

L. Song Richardson

On Dec. 22, the University of California at Irvine (UCI) School of Law named L. Song Richardson as its newest dean.

Richardson, who is Black and Asian American, becomes the only woman of color to currently hold the deanship of a high-ranking law school.

A graduate of Harvard College and Yale Law School, Richardson is a renowned

NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY’S 35TH ANNIVERSARY GALA FUNDRAISER

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YOUR VOICE

JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

■ WAYNE’S WORLDS

3

The perfect, much too perfect Christmas tree

By Wayne Chan NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Another Christmas and year has come and gone, and I have a confession — we bought our first artificial Christmas tree.

First, I take you back to 1991, to my first Christmas as a married man. We lived in a small townhome, and despite the very modest size of our home, I was determined to show my new bride Maya, who was born and raised in Taiwan, what a traditional holiday Christmas was all about. Of course, the first order of business was getting a real, live, Christmas tree.

The idea of getting our first live tree might bring up visions of bundling ourselves up in goose down winter coats, trekking up to a local tree farm who supplies us with steaming hot mugs of apple cider while we stroll along the rows of snow-flecked trees, and listening to yuletide tunes in search of our perfect, newlywed Christmas tree.

Not exactly.

Living in sunny Southern California, the experience was a bit more, shall I say, temperate?

There would be no goose down winter coats. If I recall, I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt that read something like, “My other car is a surfboard.” There would be no walking to any tree merchants. We would be driving my beat-up truck with the air conditioning on high blast, wearing sunglasses with each of us sipping on our own 32-ounce ice teas that we picked up at the 7/11 store on the way to the Home Depot that was selling Christmas trees in the parking lot. No yuletide music

either. But I did hear someone blaring the Grateful Dead from his car, as he was backing up to buy some fertilizer.

But, aesthetics aside, it didn’t matter. This would be our first Christmas together, and I wanted to make it a good one. That meant buying the biggest tree on the lot.

The thing is, when you are first married, especially for the groom, you are still basically in the dating phase of the relationship. You’ve spent the last year courting your soonto-be wife, trying to impress her, and even though you’re now married and made everything legal, there’s still a part of you that wants to make sure that she’s made the right decision.

Which means, something as seemingly simple as buying a Christmas tree needs to be a gargantuan task, because you are about to buy a gargantuan Christmas tree.

It didn’t matter that our little townhome was completely unsuitable for a 12-foot Christmas tree. It didn’t matter that once the tree was set up, it would actually scratch our ceiling and knock down some of the popcorn texture on it. You rationalize that all that popcorn just makes it look like snow.

It also didn’t matter that I forgot to consider that I was putting this gargantuan tree on a stand that I used for trees when I was single, which was basically designed to hold up any tree, so long as that tree was no more than three feet tall.

And let’s not forget that since I had spent my entire holiday budget on this tree, I no longer had any money for additional ornaments to decorate this tree, which meant that I decorated the tree with the ornaments I had from the aforementioned three-foot tall single guy Christmas tree. What ornaments I

had wasn’t enough.

So, what did my gargantuan tree look like? Have you ever seen those wooden ships encased in a glass bottle and wondered, “How did they get that thing in that bottle?” That’s what our tree looked like in our little house. Just add far too few ornaments on the bottom half of the tree (I couldn’t afford a ladder) and some wires attached from the tree to the wall to keep the tree from falling over from the too small tree stand, from the breeze created by anyone who happened to walk past it. I think you’ve got the picture.

If you think that one experience would dampen my enthusiasm for getting a live Christmas tree every year, you’re right, but it did take a while.

In the years that passed, the tree has gotten a bit smaller every year, while the house has gotten bigger, and the ornaments have multiplied. And now that we have three kids, the quest to get the perfect tree has been taken on by the kids.

The branches aren’t even on that tree! We need more ornaments on this side! There’s no room for presents over here!

It’s been 26 years from that first tree, and I give up. This last Christmas, it was an artificial tree. It’s easy to set up, easy to put away, and it already had lights! What’s not to love?

My son Tyler had the answer: I don’t like it. It’s too perfect!

Someone help me.  Wayne can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

■ EDUCATION

Harvard releases early admissions decisions

By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Harvard released the early decisions numbers for the class of 2022 in early December, and out of 6,630 total applicants, 964 received acceptances, The Harvard Crimson reported.

The admission rate held flat this year with a 14.5 percent acceptance rate, even though Harvard received more early

applicants for the class of 2022 than in past years.

The largest increase for a racial or ethnic group year over year was for Asian Americans, whose acceptance rate jumped from 21.7 percent a year before, to 24.2 percent. Harvard is currently facing a lawsuit alleging discrimination in admissions practices related to Asian Americans. The Department of Justice indicated it would investigate the matter.

Blacks comprised 13.9 percent of early admits, Latinos

comprised 9.8 percent, and Native Americans/Native Hawaiians comprised 1.8 percent.

Harvard is an early action school, meaning that students can apply only to one school early, and have until May to decide if they want to accept. This policy differs from early decision, which requires a student to attend a school if they gain admission.

Regular decision Harvard applicants will find out their admissions status in the spring. 

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JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

36 YEARS

■ NATIONAL NEWS

Chinese woman gets 22 years in prison for killing daughter Ming Ming Chen

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — A Chinese woman accused of killing her 5-year-old daughter in a fit of anger has been sentenced on Dec. 28 to 22 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges in Ohio.

Thirty-year-old Ming Ming Chen was charged with murder, but Stark County prosecutors changed that to involuntary manslaughter under a plea deal.

Chen also pleaded guilty to evidence-tampering, corpse abuse, child endangerment and obstructing justice.

Her attorney says Chen lived in a violent household but takes responsibility for the death of Ashley Zhao.

The girl’s body was found hidden in the family’s

Survivor of World War II Bataan Death March dies at 100

By JANIE HAR ASSOCIATED PRESS SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A San Francisco Bay Area man who survived the infamous 1942 Bataan Death March and symbolized the thousands of unheralded Filipinos who fought alongside American Ramon Regalado forces during World War II has died. He was 100.

Ramon Regalado died Dec. 16 in El Cerrito, California, said Cecilia I. Gaerlan, executive director of the Bataan Legacy Historical Society, which has fought to honor Regalado and others. She did not have a cause of death.

“He really embodied the qualities of the greatest generation and love for country,” she said.

Regalado was born in 1917 in the Philippines. He was a machine gun operator with the Philippine Scouts under U.S. Army Forces when troops were forced to surrender in 1942 to the Japanese after a grueling three-month battle.

The prisoners were forced to march some 65 miles to a camp. Many died during the Bataan Death March, killed

by Japanese soldiers or simply unable to

make the trek. The majority of the troops were Filipino.

Regalado survived and slipped away with two others — all of them sick with malaria. They encountered a farmer who cared for them, but only Regalado lived.

Afterward, he joined a guerrilla resistance movement against the Japanese and later moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to work as a civilian for the U.S. military.

In his later years, he gave countless interviews to promote the wartime heroics of Filipinos, who were promised benefits and U.S. citizenship but saw those promises disappear after the war ended.

More than 250,000 Filipino soldiers served with U.S. troops in World War II, including more than 57,000 who died.

The veterans have won back some concessions, including lump-sum payments as part of the 2009 economic stimulus package.

In an October ceremony in Washington, D.C., remaining Filipino veterans of World War II were awarded the coveted Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian award.

Gaerlan said Regalado did not make the trip due to poor health, but he got his medal in December in an intensive care unit in Richmond, California.

He is survived by his wife Marcelina, five children and many grandchildren. 

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North Canton restaurant after she was reported missing last January. Authorities alleged that Chen repeatedly hit the girl and that Chen’s husband helped to hide the body.

Chen’s husband earlier pleaded guilty to charges including obstructing justice and corpse abuse. 

Changes to Phoenix Chinese Cultural Center blocked for now PHOENIX (AP) — A three-judge panel of the Arizona Appeals Court has blocked — at least for now — lower court rulings that would let a construction company make changes to the distinct exterior of Phoenix’s Chinese Cultural Center.

The judges on Dec. 27 stayed enforcement of a Dec. 1 Maricopa Superior Court decision lifting restrictions on the commercial complex, a move that could have allowed alterations to begin.

Members of the Asian community say

the center’s Chinese-style exterior design should be preserved.

True North Companies has sought to renovate 98 of the 103 condominium units it owns at the site. Proposed renovations include overhauling the center’s iconic tile roof and prayer garden.

The owners of a restaurant in the complex appealed the Dec. 1 decision, arguing that renovation plans would drive away customers. 

Retiring refugee leader to visit immigrants’ home countries

By DAVE KOLPACK ASSOCIATED PRESS FARGO, N.D. (AP) — He has been the middleman in North Dakota’s refugee resettlement program for nearly three decades, helping thousands of refugees and other immigrants navigate their journey to U.S. citizenship. Now Tri Phan wants to see their native countries, such as Nepal, Bhutan and Sierra Leone.

Phan — himself a former refugee who spent three years in a North Vietnamese prison camp after serving as a tank commander for the South Vietnamese military — has been a longtime adviser for newcomers from dozens of countries. He retired from Lutheran Social Services in Fargo, the state’s lone resettlement agency, at the end of the December 2017.

“I would love to travel,” said Phan, who is moving to California with his wife to be close to their three grown children and their grandchildren. “It would be interesting to visit these places I have heard so much about.”

As a proportion of its population, the Fargo area takes in more refugees than most American cities. Phan arrived in North Dakota in the early 1990s, when the state was experiencing an influx of refugees from Southeast Asia. He began working as a bilingual case manager at

Lutheran Social Services before working his way up to supervisor of immigration services.

“Tri Phan, he came here as a refugee,” said Mariam Bassoma, a onetime refugee and one of Phan’s co-workers. “For the longest time he worked two jobs. He never complains and he never gets tired. He just makes you feel like you can do it too.”

Shirley Dykshoorn, a Lutheran Social Services vice president, figures Phan handled an average of 500 to 600 cases a year. That adds up to about 14,000 people he assisted with processing, technical assistance, counseling and testing for citizenship.

Phan helped Abdiwali Sharif-Abdinasir move to North Dakota from Somalia in 2004, several years after his first application was filed. Later, after SharifAbdinasir traveled to Kenya to get married, Phan managed the process for Sharif-Abdinasir’s wife, who was granted a visa after about 14 months.

“I would give Tri Phan a hard time,” Sharif-Abdinasir said, adding that he would ask Phan: “’When is she coming?”’

“He was really patient with me. I think the city of Fargo should give him an award because of how many refugees he has helped bring here.” see PHAN cont’d on 14

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

■ WORLD NEWS

5

China offers tax break to keep investors after US changes

By JOE McDONALD AP BUSINESS WRITER BEIJING (AP) — China is responding to Washington’s tax overhaul by offering foreign companies a break on Chinese taxes in a bid to retain investment.

The measure announced on Dec. 28 is Beijing’s first major

reaction to the U.S. decision to cut corporate tax rates. It follows a flurry of promises by communist leaders to spur growth in the slowing, state-dominated economy by opening more industries wider to foreign companies.

Foreign companies will be exempt from withholding taxes on profits they re-invest in industries specified by Beijing, the Finance Ministry and tax agency announced. It is retroactive

to Jan. 1, 2017, meaning companies would receive a refund on taxes paid this year.

Beijing wants to “attract foreign investors after a host of countries unveiled similar measures to lure foreign and domestic investment,” the official Xinhua News Agency said. see TAX BREAK on 15

China’s 2017 movie Secret Sauce? Kim ticket sales rise Jong Un applies science 13.5 percent to kimchi-making BEIJING (AP) — China’s total domestic movie ticket sales rose 13.5 percent in 2017 to $8.6 billion, a state news agency said on Jan. 1.

The top-grossing title was the mainland-made action picture “Wolf Warrior 2,” which took in $875 million, the Xinhua News Agency said, citing data from the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

China is the second-largest global

film market and is narrowing the gap with the United States, where last year’s domestic box office is estimated to have declined 2.6 percent from 2016 to $11.1 billion.

Mainland-made movies accounted for 54 percent of 2017 ticket sales, or $4.6 billion, according to Xinhua.

The No. 2-grossing title was the Hollywood action movie “The Fate of the Furious.” 

In strife-torn Myanmar, love trumps hate for a rare couple

By TODD PITMAN and ESTHER HTUSAN ASSOCIATED PRESS THETKABYIN, Myanmar (AP) — In her dreams, Setara walks hand in hand with her Muslim husband through the streets of the seaside Myanmar town they grew up in. They visit old friends, share a meal with family, dip their toes into the warm surf of the Bay of Bengal.

But in the hate-filled reality of the world they live in, Setara can only do these things alone — when she takes off her Islamic veil and crosses through a pair of checkpoints into the predominantly Buddhist state capital, where her government will not allow the love of her life to set foot.

That’s because Setara’s husband is an ethnic Rohingya Muslim, a group the United Nations has called one of the most persecuted on the planet. Setara, meanwhile, was born a Buddhist and part of the ethnic Rakhine, who despise the Rohingya and see them as foreign invaders from Bangladesh.

Marriage between the two communities is extraordinarily rare.

It’s also risky in a nation where security forces have driven more

than 730,000 Rohingya into exile since 2016, carried out large-scale massacres and burned hundreds of villages in a campaign the U.N. and human rights groups have described as “ethnic cleansing.”

In Sittwe, Setara tells no one she is married to a Rohingya. Because “if they knew, they would kill me right away. So I’m always careful.”

The 24-year-old’s fears are not exaggerated. Even Rohingya who have ventured into Sittwe on rare trips escorted by police in recent months have been attacked by mobs and killed. Hard-line Buddhists regularly march through the city’s crumbling streets, past ruined mosques that have been closed since June 2012, when the Rakhine burned most Rohingya homes and drove more than 120,000 into camps for the displaced.

Setara, then a widow, met her husband, Mohammad, about eight months later at a market on the edge of a Rohingya village where she had come to sell vegetables. Rakhine traders, who can travel freely, regularly sell goods to Rohingya at marked-up prices.

They exchanged phone numbers see SETARA on 13

By ERIC TALMADGE ASSOCIATED PRESS PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Kim Jong Un wants to turn the art of kimchi-making into a science. And the North Korean leader is putting his money where his mouth is.

On the outskirts of Pyongyang, surrounded by snow-covered farms and greenhouses, stands one of Kim’s latest pet projects, the Ryugyong Kimchi Factory, which produces 4,200 tons of the iconic Korean pickled vegetable dish a year.

The shiny new facility replaces an older factory

and opened in June last year after getting Kim’s final seal of approval, according to manager Paek Mi Hye. The factory is intended to showcase Kim’s efforts to boost North Korea’s domestic economy and produce more, and better, consumer products. His strategy, known as “byungjin,” aims to simultaneously develop the national economy and North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

North Korea’s repeated underground nuclear see KIM CHI on 11

asianweekly northwest

6

JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

36 YEARS

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR JAN 5

WRONGFUL DEATH LAW AMENDMENT CAMPAIGN LAUNCH 21 Progress 409 Maynard Ave. S. Ste. 202, Seattle 6 p.m.

6 TASTE OF JAPAN (OSHOGATSU) PARTY JCCCW 1414 S Weller St., Seattle 12 p.m.

RSVP at taharas@comcast.net

7 JAPANESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY MOCHITSUKI Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial 4192 Eagle Harbor Dr NE, Bainbridge Island 11 a.m.

THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM APPRECIATION A DRAGON DAY 305 Harrison St., Seattle 10 a.m. thechildrensmuseum.org

10 COMMUNITY BRIEFING KING COUNTY APIC ACRS 3639 Martin Luther King Jr.

Way S., Seattle 5:30 p.m.

10–31 HURAITI MANA IS NOW OFFERING A COMBINED ORI TAHITI & HULA DANCE CLASS IN TRADITIONALLY WOMEN’S STYLE DANCE 1225 S. Weller St., Seattle 5:30–6:30 p.m. for youth (5-11 years old) 6:30–7:30 p.m. for young adult (12+) 7:30–8:30 p.m. for intermediate adult Free huraitimana.com/danceclasses

12 WORLD’S LEADING CHINESE TROUPE, THE GOLDEN DRAGON ACROBATS Performing Arts and Event Center 8 p.m.

253-835-7010, fwpaec.org 45TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY CELEBRATION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. Mount Zion Baptist Church 1634 19th Ave., Seattle 12 p.m. seattlecolleges.edu ENGLISH LUNCHEON: “BECKY CHAN: AN UNCHARTED PATH - FROM IMMIGRANT TO FBI AGENT” China Harbor Restaurant 2040 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle 11:30 a.m.

13 DINNER TO CELEBRATE THREE NEWLY ELECTED

OFFICIALS: SEATTLE MAYOR JENNY DURKAN, KING COUNTY SHERIFF MITZI JOHANKNECHT, AND FEDERAL WAY COUNCIL MEMBER HOANG TRAN Joy Palace Restaurant 6030 Martin Luther King Way S., Seattle 6 p.m.

206-556-6995 peter.truong@kingcounty.gov

BLACK LIVES MATTER — LET BLACK LIBERATION RING Westlake Park 401 Pine St., Seattle 6 p.m.

16 FOOD FOR THOUGHT: IDENTITY AND CULTURE IN EDUCATION Seattle World School 1700 E. Union St., Seattle 5:30 p.m.

17 EXECUTIVE SPEAKER SERIES: SEATTLE’S CONSCIOUS FOOD SCENE Microsoft Event Center at the Seattle Metro Chamber, 1301 5th Ave. Ste. 1500, Seattle 12 p.m.

21 & 22

20

TET FESTIVAL Seattle Center, Fisher Pavilion 11 a.m. tetinseattle.org

NEIGHBORHOOD VOICES: STORIES OF IMMIGRANTS & COMMUNITIES IN THE ID Wing Luke Museum 719 S. King St., Seattle 2 p.m.

RSVP at 206-624-5633, extension 4136 jeffh@cisc-seattle.org

15 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION, “TAKE A KNEE FOR JUSTICE” Garfield High School, 23rd & Jefferson Opportunity fair: 8:30 a.m.

Workshops: 9:30 a.m.

Rally: 11 a.m. mlkseattle.org, 206-786-2763

$45–$70 206-389-7311

SEATTLE WOMEN’S MARCH 2.0 — 2018 Cal Anderson Park, Seattle 10 a.m.

21 F THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION

Wing Luke Museum 719 S. King St., Seattle 11 a.m. wingluke.org

F WESTMINSTER CHAPEL’S 8TH ANNUAL

LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION Westminster Chapel, 13646 N.E. 24th St., Bellevue westminster.org

F LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION Co Lam Buddhist Temple 3503 S. Graham St., Seattle 206-723-4741

23 F LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION AND DRAGON

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

7

Washington’s crowning glory!

By Janice Nesamani NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Miss India USA 2017 Shree Saini is a success story crafted with resilience and sheer will. The 21-year-old Washington resident has decided to dedicate her life to service.

When Shree Saini was about 3 years old, she watched contestants of an international beauty pageant take the stage in beautiful gowns, and use their words and actions to bring about positive change around them. She too dreamt of taking center stage to win a crown one day and even told a teacher about her goal. On Dec. 17, 2017, Saini’s dream came true. She was crowned Miss India USA at a pageant held in New Jersey.

The United States became home for Saini at the age of 7 when her parents moved to Moses Lake, Wash. from Punjab, India.

Back in India, ‘Shree’ is used as a term of respect and loosely translates to radiance.

Contrary to what her name implies, Saini was bullied as a child in her Eastern Washington school, where she was the only brown Indian girl with wild dark hair. “Bullied and singled out by classmates, I’d run home crying to my mother every day,” Saini said. “My mum counseled me each day and asked me to be strong,” she added. Instead of becoming a negative person, Saini turned to books and began journaling. “That’s where I found my peace and the strength to face my bullies,” Saini said. She has amassed 15 journals and goes through them for inspiration. Her habit of journaling has seen her write several articles for various causes.

In the face of bullying, Saini chose to focus on her grades and excel in her passion on the dance floor. Life also decided to throw another challenge at her when she was diagnosed with a heart problem as a 12-year-old.

She had a pacemaker implanted to regulate her heartbeat. Not one to be deterred, Saini went on to master five different dance forms.

At the pageant, she won the talent round by choreographing and performing a piece that showed how she overcame her challenges and evolved into the person she is today.

Having discovered that the act of bullying stems from a lack of understanding or personal insecurities early on, Saini has made it her mission to fight against bullying and encouraging people to become the best versions of themselves. She does this through the many articles she writes, speeches she gives, fundraising, and volunteering for causes.

“Over the years, several of my peers from school have gotten in touch with me to apologize for their behavior,” Saini said. She wants to dedicate her life to service. “I want to eliminate human trafficking from society and have also contributed to emotional wellbeing in our education system,” Saini, who also creates awareness about heart health, added.

The 21-year-old is a full-time student at the University of Washington. She is pursuing business and public administration degrees with courses taken at Harvard, Yale, and Stanford.

She has worked towards and supported the cause of having Washington state understand and include education on emotional health in schools. The emotional learning curriculum will be added to schools in the state by July 1, 2018.

The Miss India USA pageant is one of the most see MISS INDIA on 15

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asianweekly northwest

8

■ PICTORIAL

36 YEARS

JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

TOP 10 PHOTOS OF 2017 Photo taken by George Liu in “Fool’s Destiny (an eclipse) in stanza prose”

Photo taken by Sam Le in “Seattle rally against “Muslim ban”

Photo taken by George Liu in Blog, “Want to visit Buckingham Palace? It’s easy.”

Photo taken by Vivian Huang in “Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration”

Photo taken by Naomi Ishisaka in Pictorial, “The biggest march through Chinatown”

Photo taken by George Liu in Blog, “Travel inspires you to be wise”

Photo taken by George Liu in Blog, “The worst and best of Beacon Hill”

Photo taken by George Liu in Blog, “Discovering Hamburg”

Photo taken by Rebecca Ip in Pictorial, “Welcome and Congratulations, Mayor Jenny Durkan” Photo taken by Andrew Okada in Pictorial, “May Day Rallies”

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

■ PICTORIAL

ROCK ME FABULOUS

FASHION SHOW BY GARY TANG. PHOTOS BY TAM VO.

5

Fashion Show, “Rock Me Fabulous,” by Gary Tang at the ACRS Holiday Party on December 15, 2017 at Feast Buffet in Renton.

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18 16 1. Fashion designer Gary Tang 2. Model Victor Loo in ACRS logo shirt 3. Model Younseon Lee in Floral long sleeve shirt 4. Model Quynh Le in White long evening gown 5. Model Tiare Chanel in White organza kimono 6. Model Angelina Lee in 1950s cardigan and skirt combo 7. Model Hanh H. in Sequined Middle Eastern inspired jogger 8.Model Annie Ng in Metallic party wear 9. Model Max Reikosky in Black kimono

17

10. Model Sehee Shin in Winter 11. (A & B) Model Traci Saeyang in Trench coat created from tote bags 12. Model Nate Baum in Black motif shirt 13. Model Christopher Delong in Japanese family crest long sleeve shirt 14. Model Elisa Del Roasario in Summer 15. Model Victor Loo in Autumn 16. Model Sandy Yang in Spring 17. Model Don Le in Red sport coat and wool shorts 18. Model Nguyen Tran in Shirt with message ‘Chic Happens’

9

asianweekly northwest

10

36 YEARS

JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

Does fate matter?

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

to transform unexpected and expected events into wonder, excitement, and hope, feel simple pleasures, and experience warmth and Do you believe in fate? kindness from other human beings, is a tragIf fate plays no part in my life, how do I edy. No, I am not mad at her. I just wish I explain what happened to me during my could have helped to ease her pain. A witful Hong Kong trip last month? We were sup- leader, she read my palm years ago and said posed to stop over in Bali, Indonesia. But that I would be successful one day. A deBali’s volcanic eruption ended my desire for pressed teenager then out of a broken home, sunny weather and beautiful beaches. I could I believed her and began to see light in my plan for another option. But then, planning future. duties for a community celebration dinner The only good thing was that the three of for newly-elected Mayor Jenny Durkan ac- us old friends had tea at a cafe underneath cidentally landed on our laps before my trip. her building, catching up on old times.

Many friends knew that I didn’t want to Little did I know that my classmate’s rejecplan another dinner right after a demanding tion would not be the worst part of the day.

Asian Weekly 35th anniversary gala. Yet, During our dinner at a Vietnamese restauhow could I refuse when the event was for rant, I turned on my cell phone to take photos the community? of the entrees, and a text message appeared.

My husband suggested that we could go to “Nursing Home called. Mom has problem Macau or China on Dec. 23 for a few days and has to go to hospital...Do you have your during our two-week stay in Hong Kong. HK phone no. as contact?” It was a message Why I wasn’t interested at the time was from my brother in Texas, an hour prior. The puzzling, as if I had the premonition that I nursing home folks didn’t have my contact needed to stay. information, so they called him.

What seemed to be a predictable and quiet Every morning in Hong Kong, I visited my Christmas Eve dinner in Hong Kong turned mom at the nursing home. She has Alzheimout to be a day of suspense, rejection, and er’s, and she didn’t recognize me at first. fright. As I reflected on those events, God With a lot of explanation and coaching, she had arranged it in such a way that I would be grasped a little. On the morning of Dec. 24, in Hong Kong the whole time, to take care of she was fine. She even gestured me to look an unexpected crisis. at the man sitting across from her, who had tears in his eyes. He was moved to see that DEC. 24 mom and I were holding hands, I assumed.

He had no visitors.

Mom even kissed my hand from time to time, and held my hand to her face. She even touched my face.

She would laugh and giggle so hard with me that she cried. For many moments, we switched roles from parent to child. I was the parent, protector, comforter, and her the child, the weak and in need. The role reversal is obvious: Mom likes being fed.

Ingredients for the specially prepared soup at Megan’s Kitchen.

So I did it often. What It was the Christmas Eve that I would nev- satisfied me was that I was able to rise to the er forget. My husband’s former high school occasion. classmate invited us for lunch with his family A beauty for most of her life, my mom, at Megan’s Kitchen, a restaurant famous for now 87 years old, is so frail and worn out. Is Chinese hot pot. this what my future will be? What can we all The restaurant presented us with an in- do while aging so that we can maintain our credible lunch, but not from the menu. The quality of life? host and owner were good friends. The soup Actually, there was a list of Chinese text was prepared with more than 10 different in- messages on my phone. One was from the gredients. It was one of the best Christmas nursing home staff. meals I ever had. I enjoyed the feast, not real“Grandma has fever, and her face was izing it would be the best part of the day. Af- pale. We decided to send her to the hospital.” ter lunch, I was keen to visit my former high Another message was about the hospital she school classmate, who was suffering from was sent to. I am not the type who checks my depression. All my childhood friends were messages every second. Never in my wildest delighted to see me, and I thought she would, dreams did I think that my mom would be in too. I was wrong. the hospital.

We haven’t seen each other for three years.

It’s a good thing my son was present. He I thought I would cheer her up. I never got drove us to the hospital. When we arrived the chance. She didn’t want to see us (me at the Eastern District hospital, we found and two other classmates). No matter how out that my mom was transferred to another many times I begged, rung the doorbell, and hospital because the first hospital was full. knocked hard on her door, she wouldn’t open So my son drove us to another hospital in her door, although she had agreed earlier to Wan Chai in another part of town. I wasn’t our visit. upset that the nursing home didn’t give me It was a little annoying when I knew she the correct information. I was just happy that was home. Either my persuasive powers I found my mom later. weren’t strong enough to convince her to Her face was as white as a ghost, and her open the door or it took too much courage hands were trembling violently as if she were for her to face us. For people who suffer from having a seizure. Although her appearance depression, anything can trigger anxiety and shook me, I tried to hold her hand and calm sadness. Their challenge is that they’re con- her. Mom said, “I am dying.” stantly feeling overwhelmed. Their inability “How do you feel?” I asked while trying to

still her trembling hands.

“I am tired and I feel like urinating,” she replied. I told the nurse.

“It’s okay to urinate since she has a diaper,” said the nurse. Old age can affect a person’s ability to control his/ her bowels and bladder.

Hence, diapers are used.

“Why are her hands shaking?” I asked the nurse.

“I am going to put on an oxygen tube and it will help her,” she said.

However, mom was resisting the tube around Wong Hoi Sai (Mom) at the hospital. her nose. She kept pullThe laboratory report would take more than ing the tube out and wouldn’t listen. She was paranoid that some- four days since it was a holiday. When would one was trying to kill her. The nurse had no she be out of the hospital? “Don’t know,” the choice but to tie her hands to the bed. Mom’s nurse said, “the doctor is on vacation.”

The visitors’ hours was 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 uniform had strings attached so the nurse would tie her to her bed. When I left, it was p.m. The hospital has strict regulations. Doors about 11 p.m. I felt distraught to see my mom would open exactly at 11:30, and all the visiin such a terrible state. I wasn’t sure if she tors rushed in. Mom was one of six patients in her ward. There were about 10 emergency would survive. wards for seniors. Only five or six nurses and aides took care of more than 50 seniors.

DEC. 25 I don’t know how my mom could sleep.

The next morning, mom looked like a new person — no more whiteness on her face. She was surrounded by the moaning and There were no tubes in her nose. With a lit- groaning of other patients, the noise of the tle pink on her face, mom smiled at me. She oxygen tanks, the 24-hour lighting, male showed me the needle on her hand. The nurse patients in the seniors’ ward, the doorless said it was antibiotics. Bacteria were found in room, divided by only curtains, the bustling her blood and urine. It’s not unusual for sesee BLOG on 14 niors to be infected with all kinds of diseases.

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

■ COMMENTARY

11

2018: The year of being mindful Happy New Year. If you are like most people, you want 2018 to be better than 2017. You may have goals to spend more time with loved ones, improve your health, make more money, or take that dream vacation.

You may even have monthly, weekly, and daily goals — the must-do action items to take, in order to achieve what you want.

Here’s the kicker: There is not enough action in the world to compensate for not being mindful.

What exactly do I mean “by mindful”?

Some describe it as “sharpening the axe” — being deliberate at the beginning of each day to quiet your mind through meditation. “Sharpening the axe” so you don’t have to work as hard to cut the proverbial trees down. Starting each day right so any challenges you face, you will be able

to do so with more ease and less stress.

Some call it “being in the zone.” Haven’t you had days where everything just worked out perfectly? You encountered green lights at every stop, there was no line at the place where you buy coffee, you are just in a good mood all day and everything worked in your favor? Then there are days when nothing seems to go right. The old saying, “When it rains, it pours.”

It all begins with quieting the mind at the beginning of the day. And done with enough regularity, you can actually shape your day, your life. Efforting — doing something you don’t want to do, but feel like you have to — is too hard.

When you quiet your mind, you receive inspiration, which will fuel any action you take. And that action won’t feel like work. Instead, it will flow, feel like fun and exhilaration,

and it will be easy. Who doesn’t prefer ease over stress?

Mindfulness also includes being aware of how you feel.

When you start to have a thought or feeling you don’t like, you have the power to change it by shifting your focus. Often times, the worst thing one can do is to be so consumed in a problem, you can’t see the forest for the trees. Shifting your focus away to something that’s working well in your life, to be in a state of appreciation, can bring you a solution.

I was resistant to meditation when I first began in the spring of 2017. I accept more and more now that action will get me only so far. Mindfulness is the nitrous that will fuel any action I take. I invite you to join me. It takes only 15 minutes at the beginning of your day. 

■ LETTERS

Reader concerned Uwajimaya response about proposed cell phone transmitters I read with dismay about the Moriguchis’ plan to grant access to the rooftop on the Publix Apartments to install cellular panel antennae and peripheral cell transmitters.

I share the concern of the 'concerned citizen' who resides in the ID/Chinatown, who wrote about this matter.

I just called the Uwajimaya

KIM CHI from 5 tests and launches of long-range missiles that could conceivably reach the U.S. mainland have brought more sanctions down on the North than ever before. But outside experts believe the country — while still struggling in many areas — is showing signs of modest economic growth and improved agricultural production. It could be just a year or two away from having an operational, nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile.

Applied science, according to the North’s policymakers, is absolutely essential on all fronts.

Kim has transformed the Pyongyang

administrative office to voice my shared concern and opposition, and to say I would no longer patronize Uwajimaya if this is accomplished.  Sincerely, — Patricia Fong

skyline with high-rise apartments to house his prized rocket scientists and nuclear engineers, and Paek repeatedly stressed while giving a tour of the facility to The Associated Press how even an ancient delicacy like kimchi can benefit from scientific innovation.

Paek, who accompanied Kim on his “onthe-spot guidance” visits, said the factory has 150 workers but is for the most part automated.

She said the primary objective of the factory is to operate in a “scientific manner at every stage.” In kimchi-making, that means inspections all along the production line to ensure quality and hygiene. The factory boasts of a one-of-a-kind “kimchi

Our position and statement remains the same — and no official access has been granted to any wireless provider.

As long time business owners and community members of Seattle and the Chinatown International District, Uwajimaya and the Moriguchi family are fully committed to the wellbeing of our community, residents, employees, and customers.

Our responsibility is not taken lightly, and we thoughtfully scrutinize the business decisions we make, utilizing independent professional experts when needed, to ensure our decisions follow all required procedures, rules and codes and bring a positive benefit to our community, including the health and safety of our neighborhood. 

THANK YOU FOR RECYCLING THIS NEWSPAPER!

analyzer” to maintain the proper levels of saltiness and lactic acid — its signature ingredient.

Koreans North and South have been making kimchi for generations, often passing family recipes down from mother to daughter or mother-in-law to daughterin-law.

In 2015, UNESCO added kimchi to its “intangible cultural heritage of humanity” list, noting that the traditional sharing of know-how and materials to prepare large quantities of kimchi for the winter months “boosts cooperation among families, villages and communities, contributing to social cohesion.”

Paek acknowledged that some people

might resist giving up the cherished tradition of communal kimchi-making.

“But they also recognize the quality and reliability of our factory-made product,” she said.

The factory produces eight kimchi products, from the very spicy staple “tong kimchi,” which has a red tint and is made of whole cabbages, to a milder variety designed for children. Its kimchi products are distributed to restaurants and grocery stores around Pyongyang.

“This is the model,” Paek said. “Other factories like ours are being planned in every province.” 

This newspaper participates in a statewide classified ad program sponsored by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, a statewide association of weekly newspapers. The program allows classified advertisers to submit ads for publication in participating weeklies throughout the state in compliance with the following rules. You may submit an ad for the statewide program through this newspaper or in person to the WNPA office. The rate is $275 for up to 25 words, plus $10 per word over 25 words. WNPA reserves the right to edit all ad copy submitted and to refuse to accept any ad submitted for the statewide program. WNPA, therefore, does not guarantee that every ad will be run in every newspaper. WNPA will, on request, for a fee of $40, provide information on which newspapers run a particular ad within a 30-day period. Substantive typographical error (wrong address, telephone number, name or price) will result in a “make good”, in which a corrected ad will be run the following week. WNPA incurs no other liability for errors in publication.

Want to be a part of our team?

Northwest Asian Weekly is accepting applications for freelance writers.

Should be interested in politics, business, education, health, arts and/or food articles. Flexible hours. Send resume and writing samples to: Ruth Bayang at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

asianweekly northwest

12

JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

A-POP from 7 lucrative day job because he had principles and was fed up with making 10 to 15 percent less than his white coworkers, stepped into the role of Ben Daimio, who is Japanese American, in the “Hellboy” reboot (due out in 2019), and brought an adaption of Korean drama “Good Doctor” to American audiences; the American series is a breakout hit.

Daniel Dae Kim has a career spanning more than 25 years working in an industry that has been pretty inhospitable to Asians.

I keep saying his entire name every time I refer to him because that’s how much respect this man should be afforded.

3. Constance Wu Constance Wu is currently in a number of high-profile projects and has gotten a lot of buzz in the press. She plays the matriarch in ABC’s “Fresh Off the Boat,” a sitcom with an all-Asian main cast — the first of its kind in 20 years since Margaret Cho’s “All-American Girl” (1994). “Fresh Off the Boat” is now in its fourth season.

(Noteworthy: “Fresh Off the Boat” is an adaptation of Eddie Huang’s memoir and created by Nahnatchka Khan, who is second gen Iranian.)

Wu is also the lead in the upcoming “Crazy Rich Asians,” a movie adaption of Kevin Kwan’s super popular 2013 novel of the same name, based on Asians who are, you guessed it, rich AF. “Crazy Rich Asians” will get a worldwide release and is directed by powerhouse director of popcorn flicks, Jon M. Chu. I’m saying that this movie isn’t being set up as an indie darling.

It’s gonna be like “Sweet Home Alabama”!

But set in Singapore.

2. Mindy Kaling This year, Mindy Kaling completed the run of her TV show, “The Mindy Project,” which aired its finale on Hulu on Nov. 14, 2017 after six seasons. “The Mindy Project,” a rom-com about an OB/GYN who wants to have it all (career, husband, kids), was created by, written by, and starred Kaling.

Kaling currently has another show in the works, “Champions,” about a gym owner who struggles to grow up, until his son shows up at his door. Kaling serves as executive producer and also occasional guest star. She’s too busy to star in a TV vehicle full-time because she is in huge movies, y’all.

In 2018, you can see her in Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” directed by Ava DuVernay and also starring Oprah and Reese Witherspoon. Kaling will also be in “Ocean’s 8,” an all-female kinda-reboot of the “Ocean’s” heist movie franchise.

Good God, this woman has so much money.

1. Riz Ahmed aka Riz MC Riz Ahmed goes by two names, depending on whether he’s being talked about as an actor or a rapper and half of the duo, “Swet Shop Boys.” He is sooo multitalented.

Ahmed is a man who started his career just murdering people in underground rap battles and is currently walking around so white-people legit, having won a Primetime Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a limited series or movie, for “The Night Of” (2017).

Besides acting in critically acclaimed indie films, Riz will soon take a blockbuster turn in “Venom,” a “Spider-Man” spin-off starring Tom Hardy as famed Peter Parker antagonist, Eddie Brock.

I don’t know what role Ahmed is inhabiting because the internet won’t tell me, ‘cause it’s all apparently super secret, but I’m just excited to watch Ahmed beat people half to death on-screen.

Oh, and Ahmed was also in “Rogue One.” I don’t care that much about the “Star Wars” franchise, but I know you do. So that’s why it gets a mention.

HALL OF FAME HONORABLE MENTIONS: JUSTIN LIN AND DWAYNE JOHNSON Johnson’s mom hails from Samoan chiefs and his dad is a famous Black Nova Scotian wrestler. Johnson’s filmography is so lengthy that it has its own Wikipedia page. I couldn’t include him in the top five because it’s such low-hanging fruit, and he’s more API-adjacent than he is full-on API, but really, what makes up someone’s identity anyway?

This year, the Rock was in “Baywatch” and “Jumanji” and “The Fate of the Furious.” He will soon team up with OG “Furious” director Justin Lin, for the ninth and tenth films in the franchise. They are both also super rich.

TOP 5 A-POP HALL OF SHAMERS I know what you’re really here for. It’s for the shame. Let’s go!

5. United Airlines Dr. David Dao unwittingly became a viral star when he was filmed by a fellow passenger being forcibly dragged from a United Airlines flight headed to Louisville on April 9, 2017. The flight was overbooked — no one volunteered to get off the plane — so United staff called law enforcement and started picking people off, Hunger Games-style.

Dao refused to go quietly into the night.

For his troubles, he suffered blood down his face, missing teeth, and a concussion.

In a bizarrely self-destructive decision, United victim-blamed publicly and said that Dao kinda deserved it because he was belligerent. Dao also learned — the hard way — that it’s not easy being a Snapchat star. A bunch of dirty laundry about his past was written about in the press, which basically taught me that only saints deserve empathy when they get punched in the face and dragged off of planes.

Weeks later though, Dao received hush money from United, aka a settlement. The sum was undisclosed, but I bet it qualified as “handsome.”

4. George Takei Northwest Asian Weekly has been covering George Takei since its inception.

In the past, he was referred to as Hikaru Sulu, then an outspoken champion against our history of Japanese incarceration during World War II. The Weekly also covered his wedding to his husband, Brad Takei, and his LGBTQ activism.

So it’s pretty sad to witness Takei being accused of sexual assault by former model and actor Scott R. Brunton, an event that Brunton says took place in 1981. Brunton was 23 at the time of the alleged incident.

Takei denies the allegation, but he can’t seem to do so very elegantly. In October (right before the assault accusation), Takei

36 YEARS was on Howard Stern’s radio show basically stating that it was no big deal to grab people who are afraid or skittish by the genitals.

Takei later backtracked and said his comments were taken out of context and he was joking on the show, but I listened to the clip and all I heard was Stern actually trying to give Takei so many opportunities to give himself an out, and Takei just burying himself and saying that what he did wasn’t about “power” (therefore it was not in the dicey realm of assault or harassment).

And then on Twitter, Takei blamed Russian bots for the traction Brunton’s story gained. He said Putin hates him because he heroically criticized Putin’s LGBT policies — but George will not be cowed.

To be clear, Takei is not on this list just because of the assault allegation. He’s on this list because he was accused and then tried to shift the blame to Russian internet robots, because that’s a sensitive way to respond to assault allegations.

3. Athletes who get so passionate during sporting events that their passion spills forth in chink-eye gestures Man, I get it. Competition and testosterone are heady and intense and when you go full man-mode, you just can’t be culpable for what happens. I know that when I’m balling so hard and someone fouls me, I also just lose my mind when the Asian ref totally makes an asinine call. My first instinct is also to pull my eyes back with my fingers so that the ref knows exactly what I don’t like about him.

Just kidding. I don’t know what that’s like at all, but it is kind of an epidemic, not just this year, but all the time. Just imagine how hard it is to be Jeremy Lin sometimes.

I wrote about Guilherme Clezar and Robert Kenedy Nunes Nascimento a few months ago. They were upset about something while performing their professional duties and showed their displeasure with a gesture that every Asian knows if they were ever school-aged and went to an elementary with more than five non-Asian kids. It’s possible that being a professional athlete is one of the rare jobs in the world where you can racistly be a total dick to someone and then maybe have a whole arena clap for you.

Also semi-recently, Astros’ first baseman Yuli Gurriel was suspended five 2018 games for doing the chink-eye gesture at the Yankees’ Yu Darvish, who is ethnically Japanese and Iranian. To be fair, Gurriel did try to apologize to Darvish really soon after the game. But Darvish was like, nah man, it’s okay. It doesn’t bother me. And I totally don’t want to have a conversation with you.

Darvish said it through his interpreter.

And I editorialized a little bit.

Do you think that was a burn? Was that a really awesome, classy snub?

2. Cultural misappropriation Cultural appropriation is often inevitable and sometimes even very positive. It’s how a subset of Asians got really, really good at breakdancing.

Other times though, it is pretty gross — usually when the looming white culture in power tries to adopt some cultural practice that they think is cute and quirky and then in turn, make it into some monstrosity that deeply influences what we see as societal norms and archetypes. I think this is why Blackface is still in the top 10 of Halloween costumes for the 20-something crowd.

This year, we learned that C.B. Cebulski, Marvel’s new editor-in-chief who is white,

wrote under the pseudonym Akira Yoshida in 2005 and 2006. He tried to hide this for a long time until he was caught. When he was caught, he tried to say it was no big deal and forgot to talk about how he exploited diversity to further his career. Go figure.

This year, we also had to deal with watching a white guy be really bad at martial arts and spout made-up Asian-y wisdom in “Iron Fist” and “The Defenders.”

(Infamously, there’s a clip out there of a 35-second fight scene that required a frantic 56 cuts to disguise actor Finn Jones’ lack of training). People keep telling me it’s not misappropriation because Iron Fist was a real Marvel superhero.

Guys, you are ridic. Also see: Shang-Chi.

1. Whitewashing Whitewashing is a natural extension of cultural misappropriation. I like to think that it’s when cultural misappropriation goes hard and really wants to get an A-plus on its report card.

Whitewashing is when you take a character that definitely is or telegraphs strongly as “Asian” and you make that person lily white because you want to make more money. Whitewashing is not always simple and the perpetrators are not always obvious. Sometimes people like to blame the Chinese or the Japanese for the whitewashing that happens because those global markets are so white-supreme-y. I think that’s problematic — to simply blame the Japanese and Chinese because we don’t want to look inside ourselves and see how we are more than complicit.

Like, I don’t think a powerful Chinese person (a man, obviously I meant a man) ever held a gun against Matt Damon’s head and was like, “You have to save the Great Wall, Matt!” I don’t think a Japanese man ever did the same to Tom Cruise back in 2003 and was like, “You are the last Samurai, Tom!” A lot of assumptions we make are kind of faulty and based on marketing and hundreds of years of societal norms in which one race tends to rise above all the rest, and I drive a Honda because I was told that the fact of the matter is that it’s the best, most reliable, and safest car on the market — ever. You know what I mean?

Hall of shame honorable mention: Airbnb host who told her Asian American guest to GTFO Guys, remember when, earlier this year, Tami Barker, Airbnb host extraordinaire, found out that the woman renting her cabin was pigmented? Barker cancelled the reservation and was like, “I wouldn’t rent it to u if u were the last person on earth. One word says it all. Asian,” and she was also like, “It’s why we have Trump. I will not allow this country to be told what to do by foreigners.”

For her forthrightness, Barker had to pay $5,000 in damages for racial discrimination and take a college-level course in Asian American studies.

You know what is crazy? Barker was a teacher. An English language teacher at Mt. San Jacinto College through spring 2017!

This goes to show that sometimes people tasked with helping immigrants in this country have pretty insidious viewpoints lurking underneath the helpful demeanor they show to the rest of the world.

Happy New Year!  Stacy Nguyen can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

■ ASTROLOGY

13

Predictions and advice for the week of January 6–January 12, 2017

By Sun Lee Chang Rat — Despite a few misgivings, you are ready to take the plunge, as there is more to be gained than lost.

Dragon — Now that you have had a taste of what is to come, there is no doubt left in your mind that this is the direction you need to go.

Monkey — Forcing an association that you do not want is not advisable. Rather pare down to those who you really enjoy being around.

Ox — Although you enjoy the company of others, it is essential that you carve out time for yourself as well.

Snake — Has it been difficult to connect with someone that you have been trying to reach recently? Perhaps you should seek another method of contact.

Rooster — You have found an outlet for your feelings that is both productive and rewarding.

That should guide your next move.

Tiger — An all or nothing approach doesn’t leave much room for compromise. Good things may come when you meet halfway.

Rabbit — Don’t let someone rush you into a decision that you are not ready to make. You will know when the moment is right.

Horse — The building phase isn’t necessarily going to be pretty, but don’t let that stop you. It’s a part of the process.

Goat — Although a new set of rules can be daunting at first, as you familiarize yourself, it will become much less so.

Dog — If there is anyone who is not defined by a label, that is you. Your unique talents can be used to reach extraordinary places.

Pig — As you search for something that you hope will impress, look no further than a reinvented old favorite that should win you raves.

What’s your animal sign?

Rat 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 Ox 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 Tiger 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 Rabbit 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 Dragon 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 Snake 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 Horse 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 Goat 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 Monkey 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 Rooster 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 Dog 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006 Pig 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007

*The year ends on the first new moon of the following year. For those born in January and February, please take care when determining your sign.

SETARA from 5 and she began visiting him at a pharmacy he ran nearby. Mohammad, 32, bought her small gifts, teased her to make her laugh and took her for rides on his motorbike.

He was amazed to meet a Rakhine woman who didn’t treat a Rohingya any differently than her own. He told her he loved her.

Setara felt the same way. She thought he was the kindest man she had ever known.

But when she told her family — after much reluctance — that she was dating a Rohingya man, they became enraged. Her brother beat her severely. They told her she could not go back.

Then, her family kicked her out.

The move pushed her closer to Mohammad. In late 2013, she converted to Islam and they married in a small Islamic ceremony held before local religious leaders. No one from Setara’s family attended.

In the years since, Setara has reconciled with her three sisters. But she has never been able to return home. Her parents passed away when she was young, and the brother who helped raise them all still refuses to speak to her. Residents of her old neighborhood have also made clear she is no longer welcome; they call her a “Kalar’s wife.”

Kalar is a derogatory word for Muslims that is frequently used in Myanmar.

Mohammad characterizes their relationship in much the same way his wife does. “She sees me as a human being and I see her as a human being, and it’s that simple,” he said, when asked how they had overcome the huge societal obstacles to marry.

Mohammad is a quiet man with a calm manner; Setara is more outspoken. They are a couple clearly in love, glancing at each other and smiling as they talk. The AP is identifying them by their first names only for their protection.

They live in a Rohingya village adjacent to a network of Muslim displaced camps, with Setara’s 2-year-old niece and her 9-year-old daughter from her first marriage. Setara says the Rohingya have welcomed her warmly, as one of their own. But she misses her old friends and her old life.

While Mohammad, like all Rohingya, is not permitted by the government to travel, Setara makes regular trips to Sittwe, about half an hour away, to buy supplies for the small pharmacy and shop they run beside their home.

Before going, though, she smears a pale cosmetic paste on her cheeks called “thanaka,” which is commonly used by Buddhists in Myanmar. She takes off her veil and puts on a blouse. And she never forgets to bring her national identification card, which includes a critical line indicating she is Buddhist. Without it, she could never cross the checkpoints — one manned by police, the other by soldiers — to town.

The contrast between the two worlds is startling. The Rohingya side is dry and dusty,

devoid of trees and filled with despair, with little to do. The Buddhist side is lush, with schools and a university, paved roads, a karaoke bar and restaurants that serve wine by the sea.

In Sittwe’s main market, Setara visits friends and sometimes her sisters. But she also overhears Rakhine gossiping about the latest news, and cursing the Rohingya.

Sometimes she goes to the beach, where teens hang out at seaside cafes on plastic chairs, and watches the sun go down. But when she thinks about her husband — the fact that he cannot be there — her thoughts turn dark, and she wonders “if our lives will just end like this.”

“I always wish I could go out with my husband and go to the fun places in town ... especially when I see other couples going around,” Setara said. “I just want to cry sometimes.”

Mohammad imagines the same, impossible trips. But he also worries each time she goes. “I worry something might happen, that someone might find out she’s a Muslim, that she’s married to me,” he said.

Both said they want children of their own because they love each other. But they know it would not be easy for a child, who would be half Rohingya and not recognized as a Burmese citizen.

The marriage has given Setara a profound insight into life in the camps for the Rohingya displaced.

“It’s just like hell,” she said. “They have no hope. They have no medical treatment. People are more and more scared.”

Since Rohingya insurgents staged dozens of attacks in the northern half of Rakhine state that triggered a major backlash by security forces in late August, life in the south, where Setara and her husband live, has stayed calm but only gotten harder.

International aid for displaced camps has been held up by authorities, and humanitarian workers have been forced to scale back visits. Hussein said the government has also stopped Rohingya from fishing, a critical source of income, until they accept “national verification cards” which identify them as “Bengalis.” Many have resisted because they insist on being identified as Rohingya, a term the government does not recognize.

In her despair, Setara sometimes tells her husband she is going to leave. When he begs her to “stop saying that,” she tells him she doesn’t mean it.

“It doesn’t mean that I don’t love him. I just don’t like the way we have to live here,” she said.

“I keep telling myself every day that I need to be strong .... but sometimes I just want to fly away.”

Still, she says, that is something she will never do. “The future for the Rohingya is bad,” she said.

“But I will never leave ... it is my destiny to be here, to be with my husband.” 

LEE from 1 On one particular occasion, Seattle Deputy Mayor Michael Fong recalled being warmly welcomed by Lee into the mayor’s office with his family, while visiting San Francisco on vacation.

“He was always smiling and showed a genuine kindness in meeting my grandmother, uncle, and aunts,” said Fong. “For my grandmother in particular, there was an overwhelming sense of pride. For 30 years, they’d never stepped foot in a city hall. For once, it felt clear they felt a sense of belonging.”

Lee was the pride of many Asian and Chinese Americans. He was the first Asian American mayor of a truly major U.S. city. As mayor, Lee was committed to creating a welcoming atmosphere for Asian Americans and other minorities. He felt it was his responsibility to create a sense of belonging and hope for those who felt like second-class citizens in their own city and country.

Lee cared deeply about San Francisco and Seattle. While he spent many years in San Francisco, he was very proud of his Seattle roots.

He visited his family and mother frequently.

“Ed never forgot where he came from. Connection to family and longtime friends were very important to him,” said Linna Kitamura, Lee’s sister.

“He would always ask when visiting to drive by our old house on Beacon Hill where we grew up and Franklin High School because those were his roots. He’d also ask how mom is doing and would ensure she was in good hands.”

As mayor of San Francisco, Lee was universally credited for dramatically helping to reshape the city. When he took office in 2012, San Francisco was reeling from the Great Recession. Unemployment was at 10 percent, and many companies were fleeing the city.

While in office, Lee’s administration oversaw the creation of thousands of new jobs, unemployment became almost nonexistent, and companies set up shop in once blighted areas — helping transform San Francisco into the high tech capital it is today.

Many Bay Area civic leaders often

quipped, “Silicon Valley moved north because of Lee.” Prior to becoming mayor, Lee was the city administrator, the public sector equivalent to a chief operating officer. The position provided him the ability to direct large purchasing dollars to support small minority business. In this role, he gladly worked behind the scenes to make big impacts on communities.

Lee didn’t want to become mayor initially. He had to be convinced to submit his name to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors after Mayor Gavin Newsom became Lieutenant Governor of California. After he was elected, Lee was convinced by community groups to run for his first full term. Ultimately, what convinced Lee wasn’t the power or status the position offered, it was the opportunity to serve his community in a more profound way.

“From a young age, my brother recognized the inequalities people face and the struggles people have, and he wanted to change that for a lot of people,” said Kitamura. “It was his mission to make lives better for other people.”

As one of his brothers recalled, Lee was fond of working with his counterparts in other cities to forge a progressive agenda to deal with problems and challenges that large U.S. cities face. His family’s beginnings in public housing made him particularly sensitive and aware of the issues surrounding housing and homelessness. He created San Francisco’s first department on homelessness and vowed to build more housing for low-income people.

“Throughout his career and even after he became mayor of San Francisco, Lee remained the same Lee from Seattle that his friends and family have come to love,” said former Governor Gary Locke, who also attended Franklin High. “He was humble, warm hearted, hardworking, compassionate, and honest.”

Lee’s family has setup the Ed M. Lee Community Fund in hopes of carrying on his memory and continuing to support the causes that he loved. For more information, go to edlee.org.  Joshua can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

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BLOG from 10 sounds of visitors talking and feeding their loved ones. Yet, Hong Kong hospitals are considered to be one of the best in Asia. Ironically, those standards wouldn’t be acceptable in America.

DEC. 26

Though nutritious, hospital food is never appealing, so I brought my mom food. Upon learning that my mom was in the hospital, my friends messaged me about an energy drink.

She liked the milk product and the bread, including a tuna

fish bun and corned beef bun I bought from different bakeries.

After two days, she accepted hospital food. I guess when you are hungry, you don’t have much choice.

DEC. 31

Saying goodbye to my mom was difficult. Her blank stare reminded me of how Alzheimer’s patients get lost in thoughts and reality. Perhaps, it’s good that she couldn’t comprehend that I was leaving her, going back to the United States, and wouldn’t be back until 2018.

Our cousin and her favorite grandson would be back from vacation in January to see mom. I was the unexpected stabled

force for mom while they were gone.

“It’s your mom’s blessings that you are home with her,” my friend said.

I was there when mom needed me. Consider it my blessing too, rather than fate that guided me.

And it worked so perfectly. Thank you, God, for giving me a meaningful vacation with my family and old friends in Hong Kong. Without a doubt, everything that happened in the past few weeks, was meant to be. Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 6.

PHAN cont’d from 4 Dykshoorn said managers tried to get Phan to stop coming into the office on weekends, to no avail. She said he saw clients even if they didn’t have appointments. He returned almost every message left via email, work phone or home phone. The only way he couldn’t be reached was by cellphone, because he’s never had one.

Phan, who turned 66 on Christmas Day, left Dykshoorn a “to-do” list for his department that stretches into 2019.

“He has taught everybody to fish, as the parable goes,” Dykshoorn said. “Nobody is going to be around forever, but he has trained and mentored and helped lots of people.”

Phan came to the U.S in 1990 to make a better life for his family more than a decade after his 1978 release from the

prison camp.

“There was a strong stigma against people who served in the old Republic of Vietnam and there were many job and work opportunities that would have been barred from myself and even my children if I had stayed there,” Phan said.

Phan said his experience at the prison camp taught him to appreciate life and make the most of his opportunities.

Sentenced to three years of hard labor and lucky to get one cup of rice per day to eat, his weight fell from 140 pounds to 100 pounds by the time he was released. His mother didn’t recognize him.

“I almost died. Now I feel alive,” he said. “Regardless of what happened in your life, you need to be strong and accept it.

Deal with it. The opportunity is right here.” 

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

TAX BREAK from 5

TOP 10 from 1

The exemption will apply to companies that re-invest profits in industries cited in government investment catalogues, the announcement said. Those include solar and wind power, “green farming” and other fledgling fields in which Beijing is trying to develop technology.

Supporters of the U.S. changes enacted in December say it will encourage investment in the United States. Governments including Canada and private sector analysts have warned that could draw money away from their economies.

It was unclear whether China’s tax break was significant enough to influence investment decisions in emerging industries in which foreign companies complain they are shut out of promising areas or face pressure to hand over technology to potential Chinese competitors.

China has long been among the top global destinations for investment but foreign enthusiasm is cooling. Surveys by business groups show companies are shifting emphasis to other Asian economies seen as more profitable or less restrictive.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ranks China 59th out of 62 countries in openness to foreign direct investment.

Chinese official data show foreign investment into this country grew just 1.9 percent in the January-October period over a year earlier but jumped up in November.

However, Chinese economists say that is a poor measure of foreign interest because the bulk of it is money brought home by Chinese companies and disguised as foreign investment to gain tax breaks.

China is a key market for autos, aircraft, smartphones, cosmetics and other goods. But Beijing bars foreign companies from fields including finance, telecoms and utilities.

In others, companies are required to work through local partners that might become competitors. 

Dao agreed to settle with United for an undisclosed sum.

7. Daniel Dae Kim replaces Ed Skrein in Hellboy reboot

Actor Ed Skrein dropped out of the upcoming Hellboy movie in response to complaints of whitewashing an Asian American character. That cleared the way for Daniel Dae Kim to play the role and also make a statement about representation in Hollywood.

Skrein, who is white, was initially cast as Ben Daimio, a military man who is Japanese American in the original comics. Amid an online outcry, Skrein vacated the role, saying he had been unaware of the character’s origins and was compelled to “do what I feel is right.”

MISS INDIA from 7 prestigious pageants for the Indian American community in the United States, and many of its former winners and participants have been able to cross over to Bollywood (the Hindi movie industry). Saini has already garnered interest among movie makers, but says it is too early to give out details. When asked about how she views the film industry, especially given

8. First male South Asian actor to win Emmy

Riz Ahmed became the first man of Asian descent, and the first Muslim actor, to win an acting award at the 2017 Emmy Awards in September.

The British actor of Pakistani descent won in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie category for his role in ‘The Night Of.’ He plays Nasir “Naz” Khan, a Pakistani/Iranian American college student accused of murdering a young woman. The show partly examines the brutal effects of racism within the criminal justice system.

9. First Asian to win the Indy 500

Takuma Sato became the first Asian winner of the Indianapolis 500 in May. After the race, Denver Post columnist Terry Frei tweeted that he was “very uncomfortable” with a Japanese driver winning the Indy 500 on the eve of the Memoriits limited roles for strong female characters, Saini is confident. “The film industry in India has evolved lately. There have been a lot of roles that I would be happy to play,” Saini said, adding, “I’d love to keep my options open in Bollywood and Hollywood and play on my strengths in both industries.” Taking a cautious approach, she and her parents are ensuring they do their homework and work with trustworthy and good people.

15

al Day holiday, when the country honors its war dead including those killed

by Japanese forces in World War II. Frei was fired from his job.

Sato said the support he received from people in light of the tweet made it “a positive.”

10. Movies with diverse casts make more money

A study released in June by the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) found that opening weekend box office for “truly diverse” films — defined as having a cast that is at least 30 percent non-white — outperforms releases that are not truly diverse.

The study examined 413 theatrical films released between January 2014 through December 2016, and found that for many of the highest-grossing movies in 2016 and 2015, non-white moviegoers made up nearly half of the opening weekend audience.  Ruth can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

Until the right opportunity comes along, Saini is keeping a level head. “The Miss India worldwide pageant is held in October and I have to prepare for that,” she said. However, until then, Saini is taking a little break. She is going back to university to celebrate her 22nd birthday and giving into a few gastronomic indulgences.  Janice can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY / SEATTLE CHINESE POST PRESENTS 9TH ANNUAL LUNAR NEW YEAR COSTUME CONTEST

SUNDAY, FEB 11, 2018

CHINATOWN-INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVAL

no age limit!

Please submit completed application through one of the following methods: Mail: Northwest Asian Weekly Lunar New Year Costume Contest 412 Maynard Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98104 Name:

________________________________________________________

School Name: ___________________________________________Age: ________ Profession: ________________________________________________________ Phone:

________________________________________________________

E-mail:

________________________________________________________

Contestants must adhere to all rules and regulations. Contest officials will remove any contestant failing to cooperate with officials or failing to comply with the rules and regulations. If you have any questions, please contact Northwest Asian Weekly at 206.223.5559 or via email at rsvp@nwasianweekly.com.

Costume Parade Schedule: • 11 AM — Registration • 12:30 PM — Line up • 1 PM — Parade begins • 2:15 PM — Parade winners announced • Start from Northwest Asian Weekly’s front door, march to main stage • Contestants must be present at the announcement of finalists (2:15 PM).

• Finalists will be lined up in numerical order.

• The first 20 registered will get a gift.

Registration/Sign-Up: • You may pre-register for the contest by filling out this application and sending it in or sign-up on the day of the contest (Sunday, February 11) beginning at 11 a.m. at the registration table. Registration table will be located in front of Seattle Chinese Post/Northwest Asian Weekly – 412 Maynard Ave S. • Contestants must sign-in at the registration table 30 minutes prior to parade.

SPONSOR

COMMUNITY SPONSOR JIM DOANE

Rules/Guidelines: • Adults & children are welcome to participate • Parents are welcome to accompany their children during the Parade • All contestants will be given a contestant number for order of Parade lineup • Contestants’ attire should be culturally relevant to the Lunar New Year Celebration Judging: • All contestants will be judged by the provided judging criteria.

• Prizes will be awarded to First ($150), Second ($100), and Third ($50) Place Winners, Publisher Award ($100) (an organization which has the most participants), and 15 Honorable mentions will receive a gift bag.

• All decisions made by competition judges are final.

FOR MORE INFO, GO TO CIDBIA.ORG

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JANUARY 6 – JANUARY 12, 2018

36 YEARS