VOL 39 NO 52 | DECEMBER 26 – DECEMBER 31, 2020

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 746 Seattle, WA

VOL 39 NO 52 DECEMBER 26 – DECEMBER 31, 2020

Top 10

Asian American achievements of 2020 2. Asian Americans made history again this election

By Nina Huang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

FREE 38 YEARS YOUR VOICE

American elected to Pennsylvania’s state senate.

In a turbulent year of ups and downs — mostly downs — there were still a few bright spots within the Asian and Asian American community that stood out. Here are our top 10 Asian and Asian American achievements of 2020.

1. Kamala Harris and many firsts

Jenifer Rajkumar Adrian Tam

Democrat Adrian Tam becomes the only openly gay Asian American in Hawaii’s House of Representatives.

Tam beat Nicholas Ochs, a leader of the Hawaii chapter of the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group, with 63%t of the vote.

Democrats Jenifer Rajkumar and Zohran Mamdani made history when they became the first South Asians voted into the lower house of the New York state legislature.

Marilyn Strickland

Alex Lee

Democrat Marilyn Strickland, a former mayor of Tacoma, will be the first Black person to represent the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Idaho, and Oregon) in Congress and will be the first Korean American woman ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

District race. At 25, he’ll become California’s youngest Asian American state legislator ever, the first openly bisexual state legislator, and the first Gen Z assembly member.

Vice President elect Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris became the first Black and Indian American woman to become the vice president-elect with the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. She made history again when she and President-Elect Joseph Biden were named Time’s Person of the Year. Harris is the first vice president to be featured on the cover and be named Time’s Person of the Year.

Jocelyn Yow

Francesca Hong

Nikil Saval

Democrat Nikil Saval becomes the first South Asian

Democrat restaurateur and activist Francesca Hong won the 76th Assembly District — becoming the first Asian American to serve in the Wisconsin state Legislature.

Mai Vang

Democrat Mai Vang became the first Asian woman to be elected to the Sacramento City Council.

Democrat Alex Lee won California’s 25th Assembly

Inslee halts the breakup of TacomaPierce County Health Department

Dr. Anthony Chen

■

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Gov. Jay Inslee has stopped an effort to dissolve the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department by signing a proclamation Dec. 14 that pauses the termination of health departments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This proclamation puts a pause, in effect, on efforts to terminate a health district or a city-county health department, such as what is currently taking place in Pierce County,” Inslee said at a news

conference.

Members of the Pierce County Council proposed earlier this month to end the decades-long partnership between the county and the City of Tacoma. It is currently independent of the county. The proposal put forth was reportedly aimed at putting every member of Pierce County Council on the Health Department’s board. (There are currently three councilmembers on the board.) see CHEN on 5

Democrat Jocelyn Yow became the youngest woman of color to be sworn in as the mayor of Eastvale in Riverside County in California.

Republican Michelle Steel flipped California’s 48th see ASIAN AMERICANS on 9

THE INSIDE STORY

NAMES IN THE NEWS 2

2020 RETROSPECTIVE 3

TOP 10 SPORTS 6

TOP 10 READS 7

WORLD NEWS 5

PUBLISHER’S BLOG 8

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

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asianweekly northwest

38 YEARS

DECEMBER 26 – DECEMBER 31, 2020

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS

Facade of Terry’s Kitchen

This winter, and after months of construction and years of planning, Friends of Little Saigon opened its Little Saigon Creative space with a virtual grand opening and 3D tour. The creative space also serves as the new headquarters of Friends of Little Saigon and is located in Seattle’s Little Saigon neighborhood at 1227 S. Weller St. The space also is home to the brand new Hello Em Coffee & Roastery, owned and operated by Yenvy Pham and Nghia Bui. 

Kitchen. As of press time, 399 donors have helped Terry’s Kitchen meet its goal, with $100,169 raised.

To donate to Terry’s Kitchen, visit gofundme.com/f/ support-terrys-kitchen. 

Support Terry’s Kitchen through GoFundMe effort Terry’s Kitchen, owned by Terry Takeuchi, is a neighborhood and community gathering spot and has been serving up comfort food for the past three-and-ahalf years. Like many other small family-run businesses, Terry’s Kitchen has suffered greatly since the beginning of the pandemic. A GoFundMe for Terry’s Kitchen was created by Patti Shimomura, Jan and Glenn Gokami, Jana and Donald Yamamoto, and Steve and Jolene Louie. The goal was to raise $100,000 for Terry’s

Ethiopians march through ID to bring attention to Tigray

ICHS lanches free high-volume COVID-19 test site in Eastside

Photo from ICHS’s Instagram

The new Little Saigon Creative space

site in the Eastside in an expanding effort to control the spread of COVID-19 in east King County and along the I-90 corridor, as local cases continue to spike. Nearly 600 people registered for a test on its first day. About 25 ICHS team members were on-site to ensure a successful opening.

The test site is operated by ICHS and hosted by Bellevue College, with support from King County and the City of Bellevue. It is located at Bellevue College, 2645 145th Ave. S.E., Bellevue. The entrance is on 148th Ave. S.E. Drive-thru and limited walk-up testing is available. The test site is available via the 221, 226, 228, 245, and 271 bus lines.

ICHS’s team members administer tests at their Eastside free high-volume test site

On Dec. 15, International Community Health Services (ICHS) launched the first free high-volume test

Photo by John Liu/NWAW

Photo from FLS’s Instagram

Photo from Google Maps

Friends of Little Saigon opens new creative space

Ethiopian demonstrators in the ID on Dec. 18

Ethiopian supporters of the Tigray region marched down South Jackson Street on Dec. 18 to bring attention to the war initiated by Ethiopia Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed. On Nov. 4, Ahmed ordered the start of a military offensive against Tigray, the northernmost part of Ethiopia, citing that he wanted to unify the country by increasing federal power and minimizing the autonomy of regional governments. 

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asianweekly northwest

3

A gift of hope a December 2020 omoide

By Joan Seko SPECIAL TO NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Joan Seko

Jingle bells! Jingle bells!

It is a week before Christmas, and all through our nation, faces are covered in masks.

Masks that cover not only our faces, but our unhappiness and disdain. People wait for a gift of hope to celebrate the coming holiday season.

This change began at the beginning of the year in January. A world-wide pandemic changed our way of thinking and living.

A deadly respiratory infection called coronavirus spread rapidly through the world. It was fueled like gasoline poured onto a fire — with no end.

Summer came with some reprieve. Restaurants and bars reopened with fixed numbers of customers. Food pick-up service continued. Beauty salons gave much needed haircuts. Scientists said the open air was better than enclosed spaces.

Planes were grounded with limited service. Travel was not recommended, but not everyone heeded. Borders were closed to people from entering or leaving the United States of America.

Cars sat in garages and driveways — filled with low price fuel with no place to go.

As we became isolated, the

economy slowed. People began to lose jobs and hope. Small companies closed and only essential businesses remained open: hospitals, drugstores, doctor’s offices, grocery stores, dentist offices, gas stations, delivery companies, and banks. People learned to work from home, while big companies continued to thrive, and citizens survived or died.

Demonstrations erupted against the police due to police brutality caught on videos.

George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, is killed by the police in Minneapolis.

Signs and T-shirts with “Black Life Matters” appear. Peaceful demonstrators turn into mobs — breaking windows and stealing from destroyed businesses — causing havoc and fear.

Schools open and close and again reopen and close. Classes go viral and teachers use com-

puters to educate the homebound students.

Social distancing becomes mandatory. Standing six feet apart becomes the norm. People rush past strangers at the grocery store. Floor decals show where it is safe to stand. Washing hands, wearing masks, and isolation keeps families and friends apart.

No large gatherings to spread the virus is a must. Will the public follow the rules and help halt this horrific pandemic? Unfortunately, not everyone believes there is a need.

Thousands of people stand in food lines waiting for staples they once took for granted. Embarrassed, but a need to feed their families, keep them asking for necessary help. Food is rapidly disappearing as the line grows.

Donations are much needed to refill the empty shelves.

The presidential election is over. Joe Biden and his vice

president-elect, Kamala Harris, are waiting for their inauguration. President Donald Trump is still claiming the voting was illegal, and says he won.

Our Christmas gift has hopefully arrived. New vaccines from biopharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, Moderna, AstaZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson have made a significant breakthrough. The frontline workers will be the first to be vaccinated, as well as the elderly in nursing homes. The determination of who will be vaccinated next will be hard to resolve. We need to thank all the people that volunteered to be test cases that led to these new vaccines. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your sacrifice.

It is a week before Christmas and the pandemic is rising. Wave after wave see OMOIDE on 9

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

ACRS’s Ready to Work program starts next month Are you an immigrant who wants to get a job but needs to improve your English and job skills?

Enroll in Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS)’s Ready to Work (RTW), a free comprehensive program serving people with very limited English to overcome language barriers, gain digital literacy skills,

find meaningful employment, and achieve economic self-sufficiency. Due to COVID-19, RTW classes are now held online, and students are provided a computer.

RTW meets Monday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to noon for 10 weeks. New classes start every quarter in January, April, July, and October. 

Important Chinatown-ID personal safety tips

By Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area SPECIAL TO NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA) recommends that everyone complies with Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-athome order, but we understand that there are a few circumstances in which you will need to leave your house. Here are some personal safety tips for those who are essential workers or need to go grocery shopping.

General tips

Pay close attention to the uncomfortable feelings that often warn us of potential danger. Trust your gut. If you feel that a situation feels ‘wrong,’ move away from the situation that is making you feel uncomfortable by moving across the street or changing the direction you are headed.

Carry minimal items; overloading yourself can make you appear as an easy target.

Safety on the streets

Pay close attention to your surroundings and avoid shortcuts with little to no eyes on the streets.

Make eye contact with people, but do not stare.

Give enough eye contact to let them know that you

know they are there and that you can identify them if necessary.

Walk confidently to show that you are not an easy target.

Carry your cellphone on you instead of a purse or backpack. That way, if your bag/pack is stolen, you can still call for 911.

If you feel that a car or person is following you, walk into the nearest business and stay where others can see you.

If you are confronted

Look out for your surroundings and run towards a street with more pedestrians or traffic, scream to bring attention from passersby, and/or fight back enough for an opportunity to run.

If someone demands your property and implies that they have a weapon, do not resist. Objects are not worth getting injured or possibly killed.

If you are attacked, make as much noise as possible. Yell, scream, call for help, etc. As soon as you have some distance, run away and call 911 to report the crime as soon as possible Do not pursue your attacker.  More information about CIDBIA can be found at cidbia.org.

To participate in RTW, new students must complete an assessment and meet certain qualifications.

For more information, contact ACRS Employment Case Manager Getu Hunde at getuh@acrs.org or 206-805-8950.

Registration now open for ICHS Lunar New Year virtual 5k race Last week, ICHS Foundation opened registration for its annual 2021 Lunar New Year 5k, which will take place Feb. 12–18. In 2021, there will be a new format, which provides more flexibility for participation.

Registrants will choose their own course and personal day to race. This encourages safely physically distancing during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

All race proceeds will fund patient health services for families who could not otherwise afford them.

“It’s been a tough year, and ICHS has been on the frontlines caring for patients and our communities,” says Ron Chew, ICHS Foundation Director. “This event is a way for us all to celebrate a new, better year ahead and support our patients.”

The Lunar New Year Virtual 5k is open to all ages.

Participants run or walk the course of their choice.

Registration is $35 with an early bird discounted price of $30 ending Jan. 12, 2021. Attendees under 14 or 65 and older can participate for free. 

4

asianweekly northwest

38 YEARS

DECEMBER 26 – DECEMBER 31, 2020

■ NATIONAL NEWS California’s growth rate at record low as more people leave

By Adam Beam THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — More people are leaving California than moving here, continuing a trend that coupled with fewer births has slowed the growth rate in the nation’s most populous state to a record low amid a pandemic that is reshaping its future.

Officially, California added 21,200 people from July 1, 2019, to July 1, 2020, increasing the state’s population a paltry 0.05% to 39.78 million people — still by far the most of any state.

But the bigger news from Dec. 16’s new population estimate was that 135,600 more people left the state than moved here. It’s only the 12th time since 1900 the state has had a net migration loss, and the third largest ever recorded.

California became a state in 1850 after a gold rush spurred a massive migration of people moving west to seek their fortune. The state boomed again following World War II because of the aerospace and defense industry, and again in the 1980s and early 1990s as technology companies made Silicon Valley a household name.

That growth slowed for the first time in the mid-1990s after the United States cut back on its aerospace spending following the end of the Cold War. It happened again during the leadup to the Great Recession in the late 2000s. New population estimates released Wednesday by the state Department of Finance show it’s now happening a third time, as California recorded its third consecutive year of net migration loss.

The reasons why aren’t yet fully understood. In recent weeks, a string of high-profile business leaders have announced they are leaving California for states with lower taxes and fewer regulations — including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and the headquarters of tech giants Oracle and Hewlett-Packard, whose roots trace back to the founding of Silicon Valley.

A niche industry has emerged around the trend, with real estate agents starting websites like “exitcalifornia.org” and “leavingthebayarea.com” as the state’s median home price hit a record high of more than $712,000 in September.

“With COVID and a lot of tech companies allowing people to work remotely, it’s certainly opened up the door for a lot of people to consider making the move out of California,” said Scott Fuller, a real estate agent whose business is aimed at helping people leave California — something he did in June when he moved his family to Arizona. “We’re seeing a lot more high-income earners who are actively planning an exit strategy.”

Matt Frinzi carried out his exit strategy on Tuesday, when he finished packing up his BMW X3 and left his home in San Francisco for Reno, Nevada — a state that does not have an income tax. Frinzi has lived in California for 25 years, saying when he moved to San Francisco in the 1990s, he thought it as “the premiere city in the United States.”

“I wouldn’t give you a nickel for it now,” he said.

Frinzi said he came from a working class immigrant family in New Jersey, building a nice life in the medical business. Now, with some in the state Legislature pushing for a new “wealth tax” on the state’s highest earners, Frinzi said it was time to leave. The coronavirus pandemic furthered his resolve to move, he said, because of “government overreach,” including the state ordering businesses like restaurants and hair salons to close.

“You’re going to think I’m a right-wing kook. I’m really not. I’m a reasonable Republican,” he said. “I believe in the Constitution of the United States, and it’s unrecognizable in the state of California, particularly in San Francisco.”

But while it’s fashionable to blame California’s taxes and policies for its recent exodus, state officials say the more likely culprit is the pandemic and the migration patterns of the state’s large community of international immigrants.

Walter Schwarm, a demographer with the state Department of Finance, said California’s net increase from international immigration has fallen every year since 2017,

shortly after President Donald Trump took office and put in place policies that made it more difficult and expensive for people to legally move to the United States.

Plus, people who move to the United States from other countries often come to California first, but don’t settle here, Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer said.

“They have migrated to other states and other regions in the country because of either family ties or because there have been larger communities in certain areas of the country that reflect the home countries from which they came,” he said, pointing to the large Hmong population in Minnesota as an example.

But immigration and emigration are not the sole reasons for California’s slowing growth. The data shows more people are dying and fewer people are having children. That’s partly because California’s population is getting older, leaving fewer people who are more likely to have kids.

“We’re missing 100,000 people that would normally be there every year because the birth rate has slowed down,” Schwarm said.

But it’s also likely more people are dying because of the pandemic. From 2017 to 2020, the number of deaths in California grew by an average of 4,800 deaths per year. But this year, California’s deaths increased by 12,800.

California had reported a total of 6,163 coronavirus deaths on July 1, a number that has since grown to 21,481 as of Tuesday.

State officials base their population estimates on a number of sources, including birth and death counts, the number of new driver’s licenses and address changes, school enrollments, and federal income tax returns.

This year’s estimate is shakier than usual because several of those data sources were affected by the response to the coronavirus pandemic, including changing or extending deadlines for some taxes and license renewals. The state will likely revise this estimate next year based on new information. 

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DECEMBER 26 – DECEMBER 31, 2020

YOUR VOICE

■ WORLD NEWS

asianweekly northwest

5

Poor countries face long wait for vaccines despite promises

By Maria Cheng and Aniruddha Ghosal THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW DELHI (AP) — With Americans, Britons, and Canadians rolling up their sleeves to receive coronavirus vaccines, the route out of the pandemic now seems clear to many in the West, even if the rollout will take many months. But for poorer countries, the road will be far longer and rougher.

The ambitious initiative

known as COVAX, created to ensure the entire world has access to COVID-19 vaccines, has secured only a fraction of the 2 billion doses it hopes to buy over the next year. It has yet to confirm any actual deals to ship out vaccines and is short on cash.

The virus that has killed more than 1.6 million people has exposed vast inequities between countries, as fragile health systems and smaller economies were often hit harder. COVAX was set up by the World Health

Organization (WHO), vaccines alliance GAVI and CEPI, a global coalition to fight epidemics, to avoid the international stampede for vaccines that has accompanied past outbreaks and would reinforce those imbalances.

But now some experts say the chances that coronavirus shots will be shared fairly between rich nations and the rest are fading fast. With vaccine supplies currently limited, developed see VACCINES on 9

CHEN from 1 The plan was met with concern and requests to reconsider, but the council voted to move forward and was scheduled to make a final vote on Dec. 15, before Inslee stepped in, KNKX reported.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department released a statement Dec. 14, thanking those who have advocated for the agency “remaining an independent, neutral, public health department.”

“His (Inslee’s) action to place a pause on any change to the governance structure of a joint city-county health department or district means we can put all of our attention on saving lives, educating people about how to prevent COVID-19, and supporting Department of Health’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan,” the statement said. “We will continue to stay focused on COVID-19 no matter what.”

Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s director is Dr. Anthony Chen. Earlier, he told KING 5 News that the proposal to disband the health agency partnership came as a surprise and that politics should not play a role in public health.

“We're in the middle of a pandemic. I don't know why we’re disrupting this right now,” he said at the beginning of the month. 

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO PROPOSERS Proposals will be received for KC000019, Work Order PM Services for HMC Maleng Building Single Patient Rooms; by King County Procurement and Payables Section until 12:00 PM on January 12, 2021.

There is a 15% minimum requirement for King County Certified Small Contractor and Supplier (SCS) firms on this contract.

Northwest Asian Weekly contributed to this report.

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asianweekly northwest

38 YEARS

DECEMBER 26 – DECEMBER 31, 2020

■ TOP 10 SPORTS

The Layup Drill’s Top 10 of 2020

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY It has been a year like no other in sports. With the pandemic ravaging across the world, sports have had to adjust to the closures.

Sports leagues shut down in the spring and its return has come with caution and without fans for the most part.

The Summer Olympics in Tokyo were delayed a year and it’s still not known whether Japan can hold the event in 2021. The Masters was delayed until November, the NBA and WNBA played in “bubbles” in Florida, and Major League Baseball played an abbreviated schedule. (Noteworthy though is the fact that the Seattle Storm won its 4th WNBA title.)

Still, 2020 saw some great moments by many Asian athletes. Here is a list of the top 10.

10. MATT DUMBA

9. YOUNGHOE KOO

verted his leg skills to football.

8. JALEN GREEN

curred less than a week after his wife gave birth to their first child.

6. KYLER MURRAY

on the side until she finally received a paid coaching gig as an assistant at MIT. “It’s an important part of who I am, period. I take a lot of pride in being Indian American,” Raman said in an interview with her alma mater Tufts.

4. ERIK SPOELSTRA

The Minnesota North Stars defenseman became the face of the Black Lives Matter movement in the NHL. He was also the face of the league as it returned to play from the pandemic this year. Dumba became an inaugural executive board member of the Hockey Diversity Alliance whose goal is to address intolerance and racism in hockey. Dumba’s mother is Filipino.

The Atlanta Falcons placekicker had a breakout year as he was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl. The Georgia Southern product re-signed with the Falcons this past offseason and had one of the best years for a kicker in the league. He was selected NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November. He’s made 35 of 36 field goals this season. Originally from South Korea, Koo grew up playing soccer and con-

This 18-year-old from California decided to turn pro and took advantage of an NBA program, where he would play in its developmental league instead of going to college. Green was one of the top players in high school basketball and had his pick of elite college programs.

Green, whose mother is Filipino, decided to turn down college in favor of heading to the pros. This past April, Green signed a one-year deal with the NBA developmental program worth $500,000.

Green has played internationally for Team USA, but has expressed an interest to represent the Philippines in future international competitions.

7. MIKE MAGPAYO

Murray is the second-year quarterback out of Oklahoma and is the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals.

Murray, whose mother is Korean, led the Cardinals to an overtime win over the Seahawks back in October. His exceptional play at the beginning of the season led many to believe that he could garner consideration for the Most Valuable Player of the NFL. The highlight of his season thus far was a last-ditch, “Hail Murray” from the 50-yard line into the hands of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in the endzone to win a game against the Buffalo Bills. Murray even filed a trademark for the great play, “Hail Murray.”

5. SONIA RAMAN

One of the longest tenured coaches in the NBA, Spoelstra made an unexpected return to the NBA Finals this season. As the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat withstood the strange return to playing basketball games, as the players were kept in a ‘bubble’ in Orlando, Florida. Making the NBA Finals (the longer you won, the longer you stayed in), the Heat spent almost five months in the ‘bubble’ away from home.

Although the Heat came up short against the Los Angeles Lakers this fall, Spoelstra’s ability to motivate and manage his team showed fans why he is one of the best coaches in the league.

3. NAOMI OSAKA

Leaving a career in real estate, Magpayo followed his dream of coaching.

He coached high school while he worked and soon found himself as an assistant coach in the college ranks after he dedicated his career to it. He became the very first Asian American head coach of a Division I school when he took the helm at University of California, Riverside this past summer.

Magpayo scored his first win as head coach against the Washington Huskies this past November. The win oc-

The former women’s college basketball coach at MIT, Raman became the first Indian woman to be appointed assistant coach of an NBA team.

Raman will be an assistant for the Memphis Grizzlies this season. The former corporate attorney took a roundabout path to coaching. She played collegiate basketball at Tufts and returned to be an assistant while going to law school at Boston College.

Similar to Magpayo, she worked while coaching

The Black Lives Matter protests this summer brought many together at a time when an unknown pandemic kept many apart. The BLM movement was aided through the visibility of see SPORTS on 12

YOUR VOICE

■ TOP 10 BOOKS

DECEMBER 26 – DECEMBER 31, 2020

asianweekly northwest

7

NW Asian Weekly’s top 10 reads of 2020

By Samantha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

“THE IMPOSSIBLE GIRL”

By Lydia Kang Lake Union Publishing, 2018

Well readers, another year has gone by and goodness, what a year it’s been.

With most of our regular day-to-day activities now confined to our homes, escapism took on a whole new meaning.

So here are my top 10 reads (in no particular order) that helped me — and hopefully, you — take a break from the reality that was 2020.

“SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW”

By Maurene Goo Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019

don’t have to be the best football player or the best actor. You just have to be yourself and that’s enough.

Pancholy does a great job of portraying a young person’s struggles with stress, obsessive compulsive disorder, and sexuality in an ageappropriate way for younger readers to understand.

“INTERIOR CHINATOWN”

By Charles Yu Pantheon, 2020

An anxious K-pop star and a directionless tabloid photographer, brought together by a search for a burger. Lucky and Jack meet the same night she sneaks out of her hotel and he sneaks into that same hotel. What follows is an adventure that changes the path of both teens’ lives.

While the characters’ circumstances are extreme, “Somewhere” chronicles that point in many peoples’ lives: on the brink of adulthood and trying to figure out what that means. Lucky and Jack challenge each other to think about what they want out of life and to go for it.

Yes, this is a fun, light-hearted story about a whirlwind romance between two young people, but it’s a romantic comedy with depth. Goo touches on more serious topics, such as mental health, as we see the toll K-pop stardom has on Lucky. Through Lucky’s inner musings, Goo plants seeds for readers who might be struggling to consider getting help.

“THE BEST AT IT”

By Maulik Pancholy Balzer + Bray, 2019 Rahul Kapoor is about to enter seventh grade and middle school in his small Indiana town. Sensing the boy’s growing anxiety, Rahul’s grandfather, Bhai, advises him to find one thing he’s really good at and to excel at it.

This advice leads the young Indian American boy — with the help of his best friend Chelsea — on a quest to figure out that one thing. As expected, hilarity ensues but so does heartbreak as Rahul tries different activities and doesn’t always succeed. But the lesson Pancholy leaves readers with is that you

Willis Wu is not a leading man — not even in his own life story. In his mind, he’s Generic Asian Man, though sometimes he plays other roles, such as Disgraced Son. The dream is to be Kung Fu Guy, the pinnacle role for an Asian man (though still a secondary character). Everyone believes this. The only one who doesn’t is Willis’ mother, who tells him to “be more.”

Admittedly, “Interior” can be a bit confusing to read initially. The story switches between a TV or movie script style and narrative storytelling. But that’s how Yu differentiates between Willis’ real life and when he’s playing a role. Have I confused you even more?

Well, trust me, you just have to read it to understand.

“Interior” is also told from a secondperson point of view, a creative technique that will have readers thinking about how there could be more to life than playing bit roles in someone else’s story.

Cora Lee, the bastard daughter of a wealthy socialite and nameless Chinese immigrant, is the only female resurrectionist in the state of New York in 1850 and she’s making a name for herself. But she’s not going around Manhattan procuring bodies with the strangest anomalies for the money. She’s keeping track of anyone who may be looking for her: the impossible girl, born with two hearts and the top prize among grave robbers and anatomists.

And when a string of murders unfolds, the victims all individuals with strange anomalies, Cora knows it’s just a matter of time before the murderer finds her. Kang weaves a great mystery, filled with plot twists and red herrings, that will have readers guessing who the killer is and who Cora can and cannot trust.

“Impossible Girl” gives readers a glimpse into the world before modern medicine, where people dug up dead bodies for aspiring doctors to study.

Kang also shows readers what a difference gender can make as Cora often dresses up as her ‘twin brother’ Jacob for her job, proving anyone is capable of anything, but not everyone is given the same opportunities to show us.

“ARU SHAH AND THE TREE OF WISHES”

By Roshani Chokshi Rick Riordan Presents, 2020

The war between good and evil is coming and Aru Shah and her Pandava soul sisters are preparing to fight. And in this third installment of Chokshi’s Pandava series, the ‘Potatoes’ (read the book and it’ll make sense) are on a rescue mission to save their newest Pandava sisters. But according to a prophecy, one of the Pandava sisters is not true.

Regular readers of my column won’t be surprised to see another Pandava adventure on my top-10 reading list.

The series may be written for middle readers, but Chokshi’s writing strikes a great balance and appeals to readers of all ages — myself included.

While a lot of the story is focused on their latest quest, readers will also see how Aru and the gang have grown into their abilities and as a team. The soul sisters — as well as Aiden and Rudy, the two boys who join them on their journey — are all multifaceted characters with their own strengths and insecurities. And it’s great to see them come together to support each other as they work toward a common goal.

“MIRACLE CREEK”

By Angie Kim Sarah Crichton Books, 2019

Miracle Submarine in Miracle Creek, Virginia is a hyperbaric chamber used to treat anything from autism to infertility. It’s owned and run by Korean immigrants Pak and Young Yoo and things are going well until one day, the chamber explodes and a woman and an 8-year-old boy are killed. And it’s clear that the explosion was no accident.

“Miracle Creek” takes place a year later as the lead suspect is put on trial.

At first glance, it might appear obvious who the perpetrator is, but as the story goes on, we realize people aren’t always who they seem. Told from various characters’ points of views, Kim does a great job of weaving in twists and turns throughout this courtroom thriller and you’ll be wondering whodunnit until the end. It takes a really talented writer to have readers second-guessing themselves and changing their opinions without even knowing it.

see SHELF on 11

8

asianweekly northwest

38 YEARS

DECEMBER 26 – DECEMBER 31, 2020

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

How to have holiday fun during a hard year

Photo by LIlian Young Groceries gathered by volunteers, going to seniors in need

Gift baskets that we donate for end-of-year fundraisers. My staff helped me pull these together.

“To get joy, you have to give joy,” said Chopra. While I am not a big fan of attending virtual fundraising events, we do our part to support our community by donating gift baskets for auctions. I have fun shopping for exotic food items for the baskets. My artistic staff helped me with wrapping and using recycled ribbons to decorate the baskets.

Photo by Assunta Ng

delivered groceries to 400 Chinatown residents on Dec. 20. Organized by Anna Hou, president of Seniors in Action Foundation, generous donors (including an anonymous businessman), Kin On, International Community Health Services, and volunteers were recruited, including Sr. Deputy Mayor Mike Fong, to deliver to a few CID apartment buildings.

Tree or no tree

Photo by Assunta Ng

Photo by Assunta Ng

Sr. Deputy Mayor Mike Fong delivering donations to a few CID apartment buildings

We are glad that we can support Asian stores and to give back simultaneously.

Presently, Uwajimaya’s saki gift sets are good items for our future gift baskets.

Baking fun

Additionally, Jerry Lee and volunteering friends picked up roasted chickens and delivered them directly to ACRS, where the Washington State National Guard unloaded the vans on

Photo by Assunta Ng

There are so many ways to prepare fish and fish heads!

My new favorite dish during this pandemic are salmon fish heads. Did you know that they are full of secrets for beauty, with tons of collagens and calcium for your skin and bones?

Guess how much each head costs?

Under $3.00.

There are so many ways to prepare fish and fish heads!

Typical Americans throw away the heads and bones of a fish. What a mistake!

They are the most delicious parts. I am often thrilled to find fresh fish heads at Asian supermarkets. How do you know it’s fresh? Its bright color and protruding, not sunken, eyes.

Usually, one salmon fish head is good enough to make soups for four people or one steamed dish. You can also deep-fry fish heads. The fish guys’ service at many Asian stores is terrific. They would cut them up into small pieces so my husband could steam the head with scallions and ginger. We don’t have the right knife to chop bones at home. (Well, perhaps, we are also a little lazy.) In Asian cooking, steamed fish heads or fish hot pot are delicacies.

Have you noticed the stamps

Festive stamps that make me smile

Volunteers gather donations for seniors in need

Photo by John Liu

Volunteering Delivering groceries to seniors has now become a need in the ChinatownInternational District (CID). Many seniors don’t dare to go outside their apartment due to COVID. Several volunteers

My daughter-in-law Tracy’s baking often delights me. Once, her bun had the face of a bear. Last week, her bread instantly made me laugh — the face of a lion made with shredded pork. She

Fish head

Photo by Assunta Ng

From left: Terry Mar, NFL Super Bowl champion and Seahawk Cliff Avril, Yale Wong, and Joyce Mar distribute the first of 500 chickens to ACRS’s food bank

Adorable pastry by my daughter-in-law, Tracy

Photo by Assunta Ng

“Am I going to decorate my house and a Christmas tree?” asked Joan Seko, an author. “The only one that will see my decorations will be me,” she wrote.

I didn’t have a tree at home for the past three Christmases because I had no time.

The pause made the process of shopping for a live tree (instead of digging up our faux tree in the storage) a novelty. I got excited. Even though my husband and I are empty nesters and the only ones to enjoy the tree, it’s important for us to maintain traditions to create a sense of normalcy.

Tree decorating was therapeutic. It brought back memories from ornaments I made and the bliss I felt when I found a cute panda in a Seattle shop ages ago. But the best part came a week later. When we decided to raise our window curtains, the tree lights were reflected on the glass, shining like stars in the universe. What a sight!

Photo from Jerry Lee

Each bag contained Chinese sausages, cookies, sauces, and first aid kits.

knew that I loved this kind of bun. What surprises me is how she exceeds my expectations every time with her food presentations.

Photo by Assunta Ng

Donating gift baskets Photo by George Liu

It’s going to be hell for the next three months, some say, as COVID-19 deaths can spike up to as many as 500,000 after the holidays.

What astounds me is that I am so used to bad news in 2020 that learning this didn’t affect me.

Disappointment, numbness, and bitterness are not normal parts of my emotions though. What is in me is a sense of overwhelming gratitude in spite of our recent challenges (which include the sudden death of a staff member’s mother and our office being flooded five days before Thanksgiving). I have evolved — with the ability to cheer myself up in a lockdown during the holidays. Being able to “be perpetually surprised” in life is a state of wellbeing, according to Deepak Chopra, author and meditation guru. It is the opposite of emotionlessness and coldness. I am constantly in awe of the things I do, see, and receive. When you receive blessings, you have to do your part to spread joy to others including strangers. Every day, I have discovered childlike bliss, and marveled at myself for being able to let go and have fun.

Dec. 18. ACRS is delivering the chicken and other staples to 500 families. Mary Knell of Wells Fargo donated 500 lucky red paper envelopes, to go along with the chicken.

Photo by Assunta Ng

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

A cake my daughter-in-law Tracy made.

Her creativity astounds me

During past holidays, I never bothered to look at the stamps when I received mail in December. I often threw away the envelopes without noticing what was in front of me. This year though, I noticed see BLOG on 12

DECEMBER 26 – DECEMBER 31, 2020

YOUR VOICE ASIAN AMERICANS from 1 District, which encompasses most of the Orange County coast. She will be one of the first Korean American women to serve in U.S. Congress.

Republican Young Kim won a congressional seat in Orange County’s 39th Congressional District.

3. Asia’s impressive COVID-19 response

Asian countries and citystates like Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore have generated global praise and envy from other countries for their impressive responses to the global pandemic. Having learned from the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak of 2003, these governments were better prepared for COVID-19.

For instance, in Taiwan, government officials rapidly produced and implemented a task list, and ramped up mask production early on. Experts say that closing Taiwan’s borders early and tightly regulating travel have made a tremendous impact fighting the virus.

Here in the United States, Asians, especially Asian immigrants, were among the first to adopt judicious COVID response strategies such as mask-wearing, hand-washing, and social distancing, showing that there is always much to be learned from the Asian community, at home and abroad.

4. Panda gives birth

A little black and white miracle was born in August at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, DC. Zookeepers were surprised to find out that giant panda Mei Xiang had tissue consistent with fetal development during her ultrasound a week before she gave birth to Xiao Qi Ji (“little miracle” in Chinese).

Cheers to some paw-sitive and cute news for 2020.

5. Dave Chang wins $1 million

Famed chef David Chang became the first celebrity to win $1 million on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for Southern Smoke Foundation, a nonprofit that provides crisis relief organization for people in the food and beverage industry. With the help of his friend and ESPN jour-

VACCINES from 5 countries, some of which helped fund the research with taxpayer money, are under tremendous pressure to protect their own populations and are buying up shots. Meanwhile, some poorer countries that signed up for the initiative are looking for alternatives because of fears it won’t deliver.

“It’s simple math,” said Arnaud Bernaert, head of global health at the World Economic Forum. Of the approximately 12 billion doses the pharmaceutical industry is expected to produce next year, about 9 billion shots have already been reserved by rich countries. “COVAX has not secured enough doses, and the way the situation may unfold is they will probably only get these doses fairly late.“ To date, COVAX’s only confirmed, legally binding agreement is for up to 200 million doses, though that includes an option to order several times that number of additional doses, GAVI spokesman James Fulker said.

It has agreements for another 500 million vaccines, but those are not legally binding.

The 200 million doses will come from the Serum Institute of India, the company that will likely make a large portion of the coronavirus shots destined for the developing world. CEO Adar Poonawalla says it has a confirmed order for 100 million doses each of a vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca and one from Novovax.

“We don’t have anything beyond that in writing,” he told The Associated Press. “If they want more, they’ll have to place more orders.”

He said the lack of commitment from COVAX will mean a much longer wait for people in developing countries. Poonawalla also noted that his company’s first priority would be making shots for India, which has suggested it wants at least 300 million vaccines. It’s likely India would not be able to take all of those at once, but a big order could delay the distribution of vaccines for other parts of the developing world, Poonawalla said.

Asked last week about why the Serum Institute was only contracted to produce 200 million vaccines for COVAX, WHO’s Dr. Bruce Aylward said they would go back to the company “to make sure they have the assurances they need.” He said the Serum Institute was “absolutely crucial to the supply of many vaccines.”

Potentially further slowing down the process is that neither the AstraZeneca vaccine nor the Novovax one has

OMOIDE from 3 follow without letup. The world watches thousands of people dying — leaving grieving loved ones and friends. We will remember this

nalist Mina Kimes (a fellow Korean American), they answered the million dollar question correctly.

Chang was asked to name the first U.S. president to have electricity in the White House.

6. Fifteen-year-old Gintanjali Rao was named Time’s “Kid of the Year”

Gintanjali Rao was named Time magazine’s first-ever Kid of the Year. She uses technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying. She is on a mission to create a global community of young innovators to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Rao was chosen from more than 5,000 nominees.

7. Asians who are out of this world

Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi successfully completed NASA’s first commercial crew program flight, as part of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft Resilience.

Jonny Kim will be the first Korean American to join a NASA mission in space. The 36-year-old, who

was once a Navy Seal and a doctor, will also be part of NASA’s 2024 missions to walk on the moon.

Aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman announced that they would name their new spacecraft after the late Kalpana Chawla (S.S. Kalpana Chawla), who was the first Indian-born woman to fly into space.

8. Asians making statements in the literary scene

Taiwanese American Charles Yu won this year’s National Book Award for Fiction for “Interior Chinatown.” The novel tackles on-screen Asian representation and stereotypes. The book has also been longlisted for the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction and was also a finalist or shortlisted for the Prix Médicis étranger award. This is Yu’s fourth book.

In addition, the Whiting Foundation has awarded Ling Ma as one of 10 emerging writers and also with $50,000, for “Severance,” her fictional debut novel about a zombie pandemic.

On the nonfiction side, the Whiting Foundation awarded Jia

been licensed by any regulatory agency yet — and any injection distributed by COVAX will likely need WHO approval. COVAX does not have any supplies of the two vaccines that appear to be most effective so far — the Pfizer-BioNTech shot and the Moderna one. The United Kingdom has already begun giving the Pfizer vaccine, and the United States and Canada are rolling it out this week. Some Gulf countries have also authorized it.

Still, GAVI said they “aim to start rolling out safe and effective vaccines to COVAX (member countries) at scale within the first and second quarters of the New Year.”

Even with vaccines in hand, the rollouts will take many months in rich countries, and many developing ones are facing serious logistical challenges that will add to delays, noted Dr. Gagandeep Kang, an infectious diseases expert at the Christian Medical College at Vellore in southern India.

Senior officials at the WHO have acknowledged privately that attempts to fairly allocate vaccines through the initiative are flawed, despite publicly lauding its success.

“The whole call for global solidarity has mostly been lost,” said Dr. Katherine O’Brien, WHO’s vaccines chief, during a recent internal discussion, a recording of which was obtained by the AP. Asked to clarify her remarks, O’Brien said in an email that “every country should have access to COVID-19 vaccines, as early as feasible.“ Adding to COVAX’s difficulties, O’Brien noted at a news conference this month that it was still $5 billion short to buy the doses it’s planning to obtain next year.

According to a report GAVI issued ahead of a meeting this week, the alliance itself concluded that the risk COVAX will fail is “very high,” saying it was “established in record time and has to navigate unchartered territory.”

John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, criticized Western countries for buying up the global vaccine supply “in excess of their needs while we in Africa are still struggling with the COVAX (effort).”

With no certainty about which shots would work, governments scrambled in recent months to sign multiple deals to ensure their citizens would have at least some COVID-19 injections. Canada, for example, bought nearly 200 million vaccines — enough to cover its population of 38 million about five times over.

Nkengasong called the idea that people in rich countries would get immunized while Africans go without “a moral

year of 2020 forever. 2020 has given us much sadness and unforgettable memories.

My question now is am I going to decorate my house and a Christmas tree? I am wondering, because the

asianweekly

only one that will see my decorations will be me.  Joan Seko can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

northwest

9

Tolentino with the honors.

9. Overdue recognition for Chinese American veterans

An estimated 20,000 Chinese Americans who fought under the American flag during World War II have been given official recognition by the U.S. Congress for their patriotism and service. They were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, which is the highest honor that Congress can award.

10. Carvey Ehren Maigue wins sustainability award

Carvey Ehren Maigue, a 27-year-old engineering student from Mapua University in the Philippines, became the first-ever winner of James Dyson Award’s Sustainability Award. He invented a technology, AuREUS, or Aurora Renewable Energy and UV Sequestration, that turns spoiled, damaged crops into solar panels.

He beat out 1,700 other entries from 27 countries and won the £30,000 (USD $39,931) cash prize.  Nina can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

issue.”

Beyond the ethics, experts note that failing to protect people in the developing world will leave a reservoir of coronavirus that could spark new outbreaks at any time.

Amid fears COVAX can’t deliver, some developing countries are pulling out entirely or seeking their own private deals. Earlier this month, the tiny Pacific island nation of Palau announced it was abandoning the initiative and would get donated vaccines from the United States instead. Other low and middle-income countries, including Malaysia, Peru, and Bangladesh, have stayed in the initiative but also recently inked their own deals with drugmakers as a Plan B. Anban Pillay of the South African Ministry of Health said that joining COVAX was just a stop-gap measure before signing bilateral deals with pharmaceutical companies.

Kate Elder, vaccines policy adviser at Doctors Without Borders, said “it’s increasingly looking like the ship has sailed on equitable vaccine distribution” — and GAVI, WHO, and others need to discuss how to increase vaccine manufacturing.

To that end, South Africa and India have asked the World Trade Organization to waive some provisions regulating intellectual property rights to make it easier for manufacturers in poor countries to make COVID-19 drugs and vaccines. But many rich countries are reluctant to do that.

As more countries in the West authorize the vaccine, “the difference between people in rich countries getting vaccinated and the lack of any vaccines for the developing world will become quite stark,” said Anna Marriott, health policy manager at Oxfam. “And it will only prolong the pandemic.”  Cheng reported from Toronto. Associated Press writers Cara Anna in Nairobi; Lori Hinnant in Paris; Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Julhas Alham in Dhaka, Bangladesh; Victoria Milko in Jakarta, Indonesia; Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Krishan Francis in Colombo, Sri Lanka, contributed to this report.

10

asianweekly northwest

38 YEARS

DECEMBER 26 – DECEMBER 31, 2020

CLASSIFIED KInG CoUnty FlooD ContRol DIStRICt Chief engineer $112,856 - $151,779 Annual

Administrative manager/Clerk of the Board $79,902 - $107,459 Annually Closes: January 14, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. oppoRtUnIty: The King County Flood Control District is seeking to fill an Administrative Manager/Clerk of the Board position. This is a full-time, overtime exempt, at-will position. The work schedule is typically monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Under the current Covid-19 directives, almost all operations are conducted remotely.

The Administrative Manager/Clerk of the Board position contributes to the King County Flood Control District by performing a variety of clerk and administrative support functions. The incumbent will have the opportunity to showcase their ability to multitask and prioritize tasks, apply excellent time management skills, demonstrate well-developed organizational skills, pay attention to detail, utilize great verbal and written communication skills, and employ professional discretion in an environment dedicated to serving the public’s needs.

This position will remain open until filled however, the screening process will move quickly. In order to be considered for the first round of interviews please submit your application materials no later than January 5, 2021 before 11:59 pm.

The King County Flood Control District is looking for a highly skilled and motivated individual, to conduct engineering review, technical oversight and quality control for the implementation of the King County Flood Control capital improvement projects and operating work programs. The Chief Engineer analyzes and reviews technical engineering, project and program work from service providers who implement river and floodplain management projects and programs on behalf of the King County Flood Control District.

to Apply: to ensure that your application is received and properly processed, the subject line of your email must be Application – Administrative manager Clerk of the Board.

the successful candidate is a leader with a proven track record of using environmentally sensitive techniques used in river and floodplain management projects in the Pacific Northwest. This is an exciting opportunity to join the King County Flood Control District staff and play a role in improving levee protection, flood water conveyance and capacity and foster effective partnerships with communities within King County.

This position requires a self-starter with a keen political acumen and experience working with service providers, local jurisdictions, tribes, and other parties to identify and prioritize projects and programs for implementation and ensure the Flood Control District understands the broad spectrum of issues facing the County, as well as the people they serve. The Chief Engineer is a salaried, at-will, overtime exempt classification that reports directly to the Executive Director but is responsive to all members of the Board of Supervisors.

Interested candidates should apply immediately by sending a comprehensive resume, and a compelling cover letter of interest to: KCCOUNCILHR@kingcounty.gov

HoW to Apply: To apply and view a complete job announcement and apply, go to www.kingcounty.gov/jobs

this position is open to all qualified candidates. King County is supporting this recruitment in collaboration with the King County Flood Control District. For a complete job announcement please go to the King County careers page at: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/kingcounty

to be considered, applications must include: A King County application is required to be considered for this opportunity. Interested applicants must • A letter of interest detailing your qualifications and experience for this position including: complete the supplemental questions and submit a resume and letter of interest with your application.

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DECEMBER 26 – DECEMBER 31, 2020

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

asianweekly northwest

11

Predictions and advice for the week of December 26–31, 2020

By Sun Lee Chang Rat—Cooperation is a two-way street. You must be willing to give as much as you are receiving.

Dragon—Harness the power you have by playing to your strengths. Take full advantage of what you are able to do.

Monkey—If the opportunity arises for you to bargain for a better position, then by all means do so with confidence.

Ox—When your margin for error is low, check your work as you go. It will help you catch errors early.

Snake—Avoid going to one extreme to the other. Instead, strive to take a more balanced or moderate approach.

Rooster—A temporary calm should allow you to recharge. Soon you’ll be able to return to the action at your best.

Tiger—Listen to the entire message, not just part of it. Otherwise, you may miss something important.

Horse—Own up to a mistake if you’ve made one. You will be on the fast track to make it right.

Dog—You are not afraid to go off the beaten path. This could lead to quite an interesting adventure.

Rabbit—There could be more going on behind the scenes than you are aware of. Don’t assume you have full visibility.

Goat—Running around a lot, but not making much forward progress? Come up with a plan and focus your efforts.

Pig—Blending the old with the new can breathe life into something that you had initially considered discarding.

WHAT’S YOUR ANIMAL SIGN? RAT 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 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, 2018 PIG 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019

*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.

SHELF from 7 “HAUNTED HEROINE”

By Sarah Kuhn DAW, 2020

Team Tanaka/Jupiter is back and their numbers are growing. Evie Tanaka has just found out she’s pregnant and she’s thrilled. Really. Except she’s also feeling a little uncertain as well. But she has to put her self doubt on hold while she and Aveda Jupiter go undercover at Evie’s alma mater to investigate a string of mysterious “hauntings” that are hurting students.

I’ll be the first to admit I can be a pretty predictable reader — I like what I like. So, it should be no surprise that Kuhn’s latest installment in her Heroine Complex series made this list. This is her fourth novel about the Asian American superheroines in San Francisco and my favorite book in the series so far.

Over the course of the series, Kuhn has done a great job of portraying the characters’ dysfunctional, codependent and unhealthy relationships and how they’ve worked —and continue to work — through their issues to get to a more stable place. I’ve loved seeing the team grow and can’t wait to see what new adventures unfold in future books.

“EVA EVERGREEN, SEMIMAGICAL WITCH”

By Julie Abe Little, Brown Books, 2020

Like many young people in her position, Eva Evergreen wants nothing more than to earn her Novice Witch rank before her 13th birthday.

But as the daughter of one of the most powerful witches in the realm, Eva’s got a lot to prove. Unfortunately, she’s only got a pinch of magic, which doesn’t even work half the time.

So when she lands in Auteri, the locals are underwhelmed. They need a powerful witch to help them weather the biggest magical storm in history coming their way — not a semimagical girl who falls asleep when she overuses her powers.

Eva is a clever young girl readers of all ages can root for. Her limited abilities don’t stop her from trying her best to help others and she refuses to be dismissed or ignored. All of the young people in this story prove age means nothing when it comes to getting something done or making a change.

just wants to move on, but not everyone has reached that point. The only one in their group who seems to have moved on is Junu, their not-so-favorite dokkaebi, or goblin.

While Somin and Junu are drawn to each other, they can’t figure out the attraction between them as last year’s events prove to be just the beginning of their troubles.

“Vicious Spirits” picks up shortly after the events of “Wicked Fox,” Cho’s first book — during which Miyoung, a nine-tailed fox from Korean folklore that feeds on men called a gumiho, lost the source of her power, her fox bead. As a result, a hole has been torn between the world of the living and the world of the dead. So ghosts are appearing all over Seoul and Somin and her friends have to fix it.

Cho does a great job of weaving a budding romance with the paranormal and an adventure to save the world. She pulls readers deeper into the world of Korean mythology, giving them just enough of a taste to leave them wanting more.

“VICIOUS SPIRITS”

By Kat Cho G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books, 2020 Somin and her friends have just gone through a traumatic year. She

“THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE OF A BOLLYWOOD STAR”

By Vaseem Khan Mulholland Books, 2017

Retired police inspector-turned-private-detective Chopra has been tasked with finding Vikram “Vicky” Verma — Bollywood’s biggest upand-coming star — who has disappeared while working on what’s said to be the most expensive film in industry history. While on the case, Chopra uncovers feuds, death threats, and bad financial decisions that prove many have motives for wanting Vicky out of the way.

And where Chopra is, his baby elephant sidekick, Ganesha, is sure to follow. This petite pachyderm is my favorite character in the series, intelligent but also a baby prone to petulance and throwing tantrums when he doesn’t get his way.

Who wouldn’t want to see that?

In addition, “Bollywood Star” brings readers into the world of India’s transgender community, or eunuchs. Khan does a great job of reminding readers that they are human just like the rest of us, with hopes and dreams, same as everyone else — something we should all take care to remember at the end of the day.  Samantha can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 4.

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asianweekly northwest

SPORTS from 6 many athletes that spoke out in public, on social media, and with their actions. One of those athletes was tennis star Naomi Osaka. Osaka, who is half Black and half Japanese, used her social media presence to voice her support for the BLM movement.

She also attended marches in support of the movement after the death of George Floyd.

During the U.S. Open, she wore face masks with the names of individuals that were victims of racial injustice. Osaka won the U.S. Open. She later said that the names on each mask were motivation for her to win.

38 YEARS

DECEMBER 26 – DECEMBER 31, 2020 2. COLLIN MORIKAWA

PGA event. He became the third youngest PGA Championship winner since World War II. He won the event with an incredible eagle on the 16th hole of the final round of the tournament. At only 23, expect more from the Japanese American golfer.

in a position of authority and management where it was the norm for a white male with lesser credentials to dominate, Ng persevered. She has interviewed and been on the short list for many general manager positions including the Seattle Mariners.

Yet, she had been turned down each time. In 2003, a Sports Illustrated article earmarked her for being a top executive to look out for in the near future. It just took her 17 years for someone to finally realize her value.

1. KIM NG

This 23-year-old University of Cal-Berkeley alum won the PGA Championship this past August in his debut in the tournament championship. It was just his second appearance in a major

Finally. This longtime Major League Baseball executive was appointed General Manager of the Miami Marlins in November, marking the first time that a woman, and an Asian American, has ever had the spot in professional sports. Ng started her career with the Chicago White Sox in 1991 after graduating from the University of Chicago, where she played collegiate softball. She moved her way through

the ranks earning distinction for her work ethic and her tenacity in negotiations. She worked for both the Los Angeles Dodger and New York Yankees in assistant general manager roles.

Despite the glass ceiling and the stigma that a woman, and an Asian American, did not belong

Here’s hoping that 2021 brings us more sports memories and perhaps a return to watch in person.  Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

BLOG from 8 the beautiful stamps, which make me smile.

The Christmas stamps are just gorgeous. Here’s a tip: take a photo of the envelopes with stamps you like during the pandemic or even save them. 2020 is a year you will never forget. And stamps are part of our history in this exceptional year.

The chocolate challenge

412 MAYNARD AVE. S., SEATTLE, WA 98104 | 206-223-5559 | NWASIANWEEKLY.COM

Nomination Form Honoring health care workers Outstanding health care individuals including administrators, nurses, doctors, pharmacists, janitors, etc.

Goal: To recognize outstanding Asian and BIPOC healthcare workers who have made significant contributions to his/her field during COVID-19. If any Asian and BIPOC employees in your organization have done an outstanding job exhibiting resilience, compassion, and going beyond her/his job responsibilities, you can nominate her/him. Limit to three nominees in each organization. Nominees will be recognized in a special issue of Northwest Asian Weekly and Seattle Chinese Post on Jan. 21, and Jan. 28, 2021.

Deadline: Dec. 28, 2020 for nomination

Photo by Assunta Ng

Winners will be picked based on his/her leadership, innovations, mobilization of resources and manpower, mental health work, etc.

Award Ceremony: Feb. 4, 5-6 p.m. Live Facebook award ceremony.

Fran’s Chocolates

Health experts have long claimed that eating dark chocolate can enhance longevity. With dark chocolate, you never have to worry about gaining weight. I usually eat a lot of chocolate desserts during Christmas, dining in different places. But this year, we couldn’t go anywhere. What’s the remedy?

Last month, I posed a chocolate challenge for myself to find out which dark chocolate brand I liked best. Eating chocolate has been one of my vices since I was a teenager. I didn’t have much money to buy chocolate then. Now quality chocolate comes at a much more reasonable price. I used to consume See’s Candy, Frango, and Seattle Chocolates. Lately, I experimented with 15 brands of dark chocolates to choose one that is not as sweet. Time after time, I found myself craving, again and again, Fran’s Chocolate. Fran’s is a local company. The 72% Ecuadorian dark chocolate is just right for my taste buds, not too bitter or sugary.

I am ecstatic to have found the chocolate I love. However, being a chocolate lover, I have never refused chocolate of any kind when offered my way, no matter how sweet it is.  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

Plaques and Chinatown International-District restaurant certificates will be mailed, or you may pick up at the Northwest Asian Weekly office, 412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104.

For any questions, please contact Assunta Ng at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

Name: Organization: Reasons for Nomination: Nominee’s Name: Nominee’s Phone Number: Nominee’s Email: Nominator’s Name: Nominator’s Phone Number: Nominator’s Email:

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