VOL 41 NO 42 | OCTOBER 15 – OCTOBER 21, 2022

Secretary of State Hobbs talks to local leaders to get out the vote

Bellevue neighborhood wary of a rezoning plan

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

A panel of local community leaders gathered at a luncheon on Oct. 10 to discuss ways to get voters to the ballot box. Washington State Secretary of State Steven Hobbs was the featured guest as he discussed his office’s role in ensuring election security as the November 2022 midterm election nears.

Hobbs is looking to retain his position as the state’s Secretary of State, which he was appointed to by Gov. Jay Inslee last November when Kim Wyman departed to work for President Biden’s administration.

Hobbs discussed issues his office faces with election security, cyberattacks, misinformation, and ways in which his office can get out correct and accurate messaging about voting.

Due to a multitude of accusations by former President Donald Trump, election security, fraudulent voting, and a faulty voting process were prevalent talking points in 2020. The former president’s false narrative that the election for the U.S. Presidency was “rigged” resonated with his supporters and caused turmoil in national, state, and local elections.

“I never thought I would see the level of misinformation and violence in my own country,” Hobbs said of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the nation’s capital based on lies spread by the former president.

Hobbs touts experience handling election security. He currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Washington Army National Guard where he has helped oversee elections in Kosovo and Iraq. In his time as

By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Longtime Chinese and Indian immigrants in Bellevue were surprised by an announcement in early September that the city planned to initiate its new affordable housing strategy in their neighborhood.

At a meeting on Sept. 14, dozens of residents of the Somerset and Factoria area showed up to ask the city for more time to evaluate the impacts. Many said the city had not done sufficient outreach about the strategy, which allows religious institutions that satisfy certain criteria to sell their land for affordable housing development

Seattle launches storefront repair fund to support small businesses

SEATTLE – Mayor Bruce Harrell, Councilmember Sara Nelson, and the Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) announced on Oct. 5 the launch of the Storefront Repair Fund, which leverages nearly $2 million dollars of federal funding to repair or reimburse damage to small business storefronts.

Through the Storefront Repair Fund, small business owners can apply for grants up to $2,000 to repair current property damage or receive reimbursement for costs paid out of pocket for past damages that occurred on or after Jan. 1, 2021.

Applications will open on Oct. 18.

“Seattle’s small businesses have faced many challenges over the last two years, and we owe it to them to provide meaningful tools that help solve real problems and drive forward progress,” said Harrell. “Economic development, beautification efforts, and creating welcoming, activated spaces are all critical components of our holistic public safety strategy. This new Storefront Repair Fund will provide

Various damaged storefronts in the Chinatown-International District.

Photos by Assunta Ng

Holy Cross Lutheran Church

A dialogue with Secretary of State Steve Hobbs is organized by Northwest Asian Weekly at Joyale Restaurant.

Photo by Mahlon Meyer

Photo provided by Jason Liu

Vote

■ NAMES IN

Gabriel is first Filipina American to win Miss USA

Paint, King County Metro, MTV, Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, and Whole Foods Market.

The “Double Take” exhibition is on display through Dec. 16 on the third floor of Lynnwood Hall at 20000 68th Ave. W, Lynnwood.

$150K for Fred Hutch cancer research

On Oct. 10, the

Miss Texas R’Bonney Gabriel made history on Oct. 3 as the first Filipina American to be crowned Miss USA.

Gabriel, 28, of San Antonio, Texas, will go on to represent the U.S. next year at the Miss Universe pageant. Gabriel said she designed her dress to pay tribute to her heritage and parents.

“My mom is from Beaumont, Texas, and my father is from the Philippines,” Gabriel wrote in an Instagram post. “They got married in Manila, Philippines. I hand-painted the same flower design from my mother’s wedding dress onto my sleeves and tied in a traditional Maria Clara Filipina collar shape. I have immense gratitude for the [opportunities] my parents provided me and wanted to express my love to them through this.”

Her win coincides with Filipino American History Month, which started in October.  Minh Carrico’s work featured at Edmonds College Art Gallery

The Edmonds College Art Gallery’s fall exhibit showcases the work of Minh Carrico, an Edmonds College instructor and chair for photography and visual communications.

The exhibit, titled “Double Take,” surveys Carrico’s home life while sheltering in place during the pandemic.

“Double Take is a site-responsive, timebased, multimedia installation exploring the confluence between intentional play and mindful observation,” Carrico said. “It also examines gender representation and challenges the expectations placed upon Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.”

Carrico’s clients and commissions include Annie Leibovitz Studio, Benjamin Moore

over 20

Eden Woon is new president of AmCham Hong Kong

Dr. Eden Woon has assumed his role as pres ident of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (Am Cham HK) as of Sept. 1.

Woon is a former Se attleite and previously served as executive di rector of the Washington State China Relations Council. He was also vice president of Starbucks in China.

Woon spent his child hood in Hong Kong and received his BA degree from the University of Iowa and his MA, MS,

from the University of

Minh Carrico

From left: MG2 President Russ Hazzard, Fred Hutch Associate Director of Philanthropic Gifts Whitney Hazzard, Dr. Cyrus Ghajar, MG2 Executive Director Jerry Lee, and MG2 CEO Mitch Smith.

Dr. Eden Woon

CID community unites in opposition to proposed SODO shelter

Open letter to Smith family about SoDo shelter lease

Hi Mr. Smith,

I hope this message finds you well. My name is Tanya Woo and I grew up in the Chinatown-International District (CID) in my dad’s building— the Historic Louisa Hotel. When he passed away, I continued my family legacy and redeveloped this building into 84 workforce apartment units and seven commercial spaces. This project is much smaller in scale compared to all your current projects. Your company and your family are committed to creating a vital, vibrant, and compelling future for Seattle. Your principles of sustainable development, smart growth, increased density, and transformational place-

making are true. You have been involved with some amazing projects that have done a lot of good to many communities! Our community was very excited when we heard there were plans to develop that area around Airport Way and 4th Avenue. It would have revitalized our neighborhood!

King County had entered into a two-year lease with you for that property during the pandemic and are now saying that if they hadn’t renewed that lease and leased a larger area for five years for $54 million, you would have forced them to close down that shelter. Is that true? They imply that they were forced into it and since they have this land now, they will enlarge the shelter. Did you know

they are doing all this with minimal outreach and engagement with the community? They did not consider the concentration of poverty in that area nor the impacts of such a project on a minority neighborhood filled with immigrants and refugees with limited speaking abilities.

From a social justice and racial equality perspective, we do not believe that the current tenant on that property shares your perceived values and principles. I am requesting a meeting with you and your team to chat about the active harm being done to our community. I feel like perhaps you did not realize the systemic

Plea for a more equitable solution

By CAPAA

Dear Executive Constantine and Councilmember McDermott,

The Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA) is concerned about the impact of proposed developments in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (CID), as well as the process leading to their implementation.

CAPAA’s role is to improve the lives of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (ANHPI) Washingtonians by identifying and examining issues affecting ANHPI communities and promoting changes to policy and programs that will improve their quality of life. The legislature has also charged

CAPAA under RCW 43.117.080 with establishing relationships with local governments as necessary to promote equal opportunities and benefits for ANHPI Washingtonians. Members of our diverse ANHPI communities from across Washington state have voiced concerns about proposed developments in and near the CID with propensity to damage the historical integrity and the vitality of this neighborhood.

The CID has long served as a cultural anchor for ANHPI communities statewide.

Washington was once rich with historic Chinatowns in Pierce, Spokane, and Yakima Counties.

Due to a history of systemic racism, exclusion, and erasure, Seattle’s CID is now the only remaining Chinatown

Stop the cycle of harm on the CID

To King County Executive Dow Constantine & County Council members,

The Chinatown-International District (CID) is too familiar with this lack of government engagement and accountability with publicly funded projects. The Seattle Navigation Center is a prime example and still impacting the CID, specifically Little Saigon, today.

As a local community organization, the Friends of Little Saigon (FLS) first received news of the SODO Enhanced Shelter through email in late March. This email included a facts sheet and a note to circulate it around. No further communications came out after this. As the information got to the CID Public Safety Council, they requested that King County attend the monthly meeting to present on the project. This meeting occurred in June. Although there was dialogue and questions were raised, it was not clear how the County would engage the broader community.

Earlier this year, FLS called together community members along with the City, County, and State to collaboratively work on immediate and long-term solutions to the violence and criminal issues happening at the corner of 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street. We met every other week to talk through issues, concerns, and recommend solutions. One of the outcomes of the biweekly Little Saigon safety meetings was a Neighborhood Safety Model. This model focused on community collaboration, coordinated outreach and services, and the partnership amongst all stakeholders involved, including

Open letter to Land Use Committee

By Gary Lee Seattle CID Public Safety Committee Co-founder of the Friends of Seattle CID

It’s budget time, and we realize you all are very busy. But we urgently request that you sponsor or initiate an emergency land use moratorium in order to have time to study the zoning in and around the ChinatownInternational District (CID) boundaries relating to homeless shelters and associated services.

CID (Chinatown, Japantown, Little Saigon) residents and businesses are newly aware of a proposed expansion of the SODO homeless shelter on 6th Avenue South. It doesn’t make sense because at least 15 homeless shelters, and at least that many service providers, are already within walking distance. Since the siting of the Navigation Center, and the concentration of other shelters around the CID, the quality of life, vitality, and public safety of the neighborhood have deteriorated significantly over the past five years.

in Washington state and the Pacific Northwest. People of Asian ancestry from various walks of life have built businesses and homes in the CID, defining the neighborhood as a vibrant showcase of ANHPI heritage and history, with art, restaurants, festivals, and cultural institutions such as the Wing Luke Museum. If Washington wants to keep its promise as a welcoming place for minorities and immigrants, then we must keep the CID strong. We must break a cycle of systemic racism whereby minorities are displaced from their historic homes and businesses.

CAPAA’s concerns stem partly from our Sept. 17 public board meeting where we heard Commissioners and

see CAPAA on 17

Zoning regulations for homeless shelters, for example, do not have any spacing or concentration standards, other than Transitional Encampments (i.e. tiny house villages) which cannot be within one mile of each other. The lack of regulatory standards has resulted in the unintentional (or intentional) consequence of over concentration of these uses in, and around the CID, such that it has become a severe public safety issue, as expressed by Police Chief Diaz, in his Sept. 21 interview on KING 5. He said, “Maybe we should take a step back, and really evaluate how much level of service is in this area, because another

Why us?

To Seattle City Council,

Please do not fund the SODO mega shelter in the budget, the Chinatown-International District (CID) is already heavily burdened with the amount of shelters already in the area. There’s no safety plan in place to deal with the possible influx of unhoused residents and what associates with it (drugs, prostitutions, theft, assaults, robberies, homicides to name a few).

government. But at none of these meetings did we hear about this expanded shelter or about the services planned a couple blocks down the street.

The Little Saigon community, your regional constituents are frustrated by the lack of attention and coordination around this SODO Enhanced Shelter. It makes us question the months of engagement and relationship building we were doing with the various agencies involved, specifically with King County.

As a community, we recognize the need for an emergency response during this health and safety crisis, but it needs to be done in a way that is culturally competent, effective, and collaborative. The process thus far has not taken into consideration the community it is impacting and has only exacerbated the problem. With high numbers of concentrated crimes and people experiencing homelessness, coupled with low-income seniors, families, and small businesses that lack access to culturally competent services, leads to further disenfranchisement of our community’s ability to break out of this cycle of poverty and thrive as a community.

We are in alliance with our community members who are calling for more extensive community engagement from the County and to start discussions around mitigating community impacts. The Navigation Center Community Response Plan completed in 2017 is a place to start. The CID has been through this before and continues to see

The safety of the residents and constituents should be paramount. Over the past five years since the DESC Navigation Center was put in place, the area of 12th and Weller has become a major crime spot, with previously mentioned crimes with the latest homicide happening in broad daylight on Sept. 22.

Now this SODO shelter will be seven times as large and bring in more of this nexus into the area, draining the resources of the city services and hearts of the hard working residents of the CID.

Police Chief Adrian Diaz has mentioned that they should take a step back and evaluate how much level of services is in the area, and adding another one could permanently damage the neighborhood. He also mentioned that he doesn’t have enough officers to ensure the safety of this area. The area has the largest number of shots fired called in the city. What will happen if a stray round hits an innocent bystander? Do we not matter? There should be equitable allocation to all neighborhoods in the county, not dumped in one area.

A lot of the council has promoted and advocated for the advancement of minority communities, and here you have one of the largest minority communities that has struggled before the pandemic, scraped by during the pandemic, and finally somewhat emerging out of it only to get beaten down again with these proposed social plans. Why put in the budget something that

Comcast grants for small businesses for $10,000

By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Margie Haywood had $64 in her bank account when she said to her husband, “I’m sorry, our life savings, it’s all gone.”

A small business owner who rented out work and event space with business solutions, she had been cheated by a partner, and now no one would lease her space for less than the first six to eight months’ rent, which was around $150,000.

“They hadn’t even checked my credit rating, all they knew was that I was a Black woman,” she told the Northwest Asian Weekly.

Then a blessing intervened.

With one day before the deadline, a friend texted her an application for a $10,000 grant given by Comcast to small businesses owned by people of color and women.

“The questions weren’t exhaustive,” she said. “There were a few technical ones about my business, but mostly I just told my story.”

When she, along with 99 other small business owners, was selected last year, it helped her rebuild her business.

REMEDYING SOCIAL INEQUITY IN COVID LOSSES

The grants are part of Comcast’s efforts to make a dent in the vast inequity in our society, particularly since COVID-19 decimated minority-owned businesses at a much higher rate than mainstream businesses.

From February to April of 2020, 41% of Black-owned businesses closed. For Latinoowned businesses, 32% shut down. While for Asian-owned businesses, 25% failed.

Yet the national average of small business closures was 21%.

As for women-owned businesses, the picture is equally dire. Nationally, 42% of businesses are owned by women with 1,800 new ones being formed every day.

But they are growing at only half the pace of male-owned businesses because they can’t get access to the same capital and resources.

At a news conference last month held jointly by Comcast, the cities of Seattle and Tacoma, and other civic and business organizations, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell

said the grants would help to alleviate the increasing social inequities in a region that is “resource rich.”

Speaking at Work and Play Lounge, the business reestablished by Haywood, Harrell said, “Decision makers like Comcast are giving back.”

Comcast Vice President of External Affairs Marianne Bichsel said, “Although we are based in Philadelphia, we are committed to helping women and people of color in the Seattle-Tacoma area…We encourage small businesses to apply.”

After Margie, who spoke later, gave a

summary of her story, she broke down in tears and hugged Bichsel (Margie prefers to be referred to by her first name).

And yet there are more than cash grants.

Comcast is supplying grants, marketing services, and technical upgrades. Cash grants of $10,000 will be given to 100 local businesses, totaling a contribution of $1 million.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF GRANTS

Ian Story, a retailer of artistically designed men’s wear, was decimated by COVID-19 when his main distributor shut down.

“Everyone shut down,” he said.

Like Margie, Story’s business represented a major risk to all he owned, his family, and was undertaken after a somewhat desperate but determined and calculated decision to cast out on his own.

After 35 years in the retail business, his company asked him to re-merchandise its products—come up with a new design and branding.

Story had been observing customer needs and likes for decades.

But when he presented his concept, which involved fun, summer-themed graphic designs superimposed on t-shirts, swim trunks, and more formal men’s wear, others in the company held back.

His designs included flamingoes, ice cream sandwiches, palm trees, pineapples, magnolia leaves, and other motifs printed on clothing.

“But my vision did not sync up with others of the company, so we parted ways,” he said in an interview.

At first, he sought a partner, but finally decided to go it alone. So he financed it

Margie Haywood, owner of the Work and Play Lounge, holds a facsimile of the check awarded by the Comcast grant.

NOW THROUGH 2/19/2023

EXHIBIT, “WE ARE CHANGING THE TIDE: COMMUNITY POWER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE”

The Wing Luke Museum, 719 S. King St., Seattle Thu-Sun, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. wingluke.org/we-are-changing-the-tide

NOW THROUGH 11/19/2022

VIRTUAL ART: BODIES OF LAND | ANN LEDA SHAPIRO & HANAKO O’LEARY

ArtXchange Gallery, 512 First Ave S, Seattle Tuesday –Saturday, 11 AM –5:30 PM artxchange.org

NOW THROUGH 1/15/2023

EXHIBIT: SRIJON CHOWDHURY: SAME OLD SONG

Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Ave., Seattle Admission is free Wed-Sun: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 10/14/2022 - 9/18/2023

RESISTERS: A LEGACY OF MOVEMENT FROM THE JAPANESE AMERICAN INCARCERATION

The Wing Luke Museum, 719 S. King St., Seattle Thu-Sun, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. wingluke.org

OCT 14 & 15

PREMIUM PRICES FOR YOUR CHINESE ANTIQUES, APPRAISAL EVENT

Free appraisals Hilton Bellevue, 300 112th Ave. SE, Bellevue 9 a.m.-6 p.m. orientalheritageinc.com

15

CISC’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY FRIENDSHIP GALA

The Westin Bellevue, 600 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue 5:30 p.m. cisc-seattle.ejoinme.org/50thGala

17

COMMUNITY HEALTH PLAN OF WASHINGTON FREE EVENT IN CID

International District/Chinatown Community Center, 719 8th Ave. S., Seattle

11 a.m.-12 p.m.

JAPANESE FOLK SINGER ICHIKO AOBA PERFORMS

Neptune Theatre, 1303 NE 45th Street, Seattle

Tickets at ticketmaster.com/ venue/123797

19

WASHIN KAI PRESENTS, “WHAT IS HAIKU?”

UW, Kane Hall 210 7-8:30 p.m. Register at events.uw.edu/WhatisHaiku

20

AMERICAN ART: THE STORIES WE CARRY, EXHIBIT PREMIERE

Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave., Seattle seattleartmuseum.org

20-23

FREE EYE EXAMS & PRESCRIPTION EYEGLASSES OFFERED FOR PEOPLE IN NEED Seattle Center

First-come, first-served Free service

More info at seattlecenter.org/ patients 206-684-7200

24

PEACETREES VIETNAM’S

27TH ANNIVERSARY VIRTUAL CELEBRATION

6-7 p.m.

Register at peacetreesvietnam.org

29

KWA CELEBRATE 50TH JUBILEE

Hotel Murano Pavilion, Tacoma 5 p.m.

Tickets at kwacares.ejoinme.org/ tickets

WALK FOR RECONCILIATION AGAINST RACISM Union Station Tacoma 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. RSVP at info@crpftacoma.org

NOV

3

TERRI NAKAMURA, AUTHOR OF “BLOGGING IN INSTAGRAM”

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. For zoom link, contact rotaryofseattleid@gmail.com

STG PRESENTS MIYAVI

Neumos, 925 E Pike St, Seattle 8 p.m. $28-$35 stgpresents.org

5

FREE WORKSHOP, “DIVERSITY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT”

Renton, WA

8:15 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

RSVP required at rentonwa.gov/ valleypolicecareers

THE ETHNIC HERITAGE COUNCIL OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TO ANNOUNCE THIS YEAR’S AWARD RECIPIENTS TO BE HONORED AT THE ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY & RECEPTION

MLK F.A.M.E. Community Center, 3201 E. Republican Street, Seattle 2-5 p.m. $35/ticket Tickets at https://bit.ly/3Meu3Rq

BUNKA NO HI, JAPANESE CULTURE DAY FESTIVAL

JCCCW, 1414 S. Weller St., Seattle 11 a.m.-5 pm 425-370-9676 SAIGURU5686@GMAIL.COM

AssuntA

Account Executives

Cremations readied for Thai day care massacre victims

By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA ASSOCIATED PRESS

UTHAI SAWAN, Thailand (AP) — Makeshift furnaces made of clay bricks were built on Oct. 10 on the grounds of Buddhist temples in a small town in northeastern Thailand on the eve of the cremation of the young victims of a day care center massacre by a former policeman.

The brutal gun and and knife attack on Oct. 6 on the Young Children’s Development Center in Uthai Sawan left 36 people dead, including 24 young children. It was the biggest mass killing by an individual in the country’s history.

Phra Kru Adisal Kijjanuwat, abbot of the Rat Samakee temple, around 2 miles from the scene of the bloodshed,

said 19 victims would be cremated in a group ceremony, bringing an end to a three-day mourning ceremony for the families.

He said the bodies would be cremated at the same time on charcoal-fueled open-air pyres to spare the families from having to wait long hours for successive ceremonies to be completed.

“We only have one furnace at the temple and we wouldn’t be able to cremate all victims at the same time, and I do not wish for any family to have to wait for a lengthy cremation process,” Adisal said.

“After seeing their grief, I thought it would be better if we can hold the ceremony at the same time and that all relatives can go through this final stage of this painful event together,” he said.

The monk said temporary furnaces were also being installed at two other nearby temples that will account for the remaining victims. He said that five families have chosen to host their funeral services separately from the group ones.

Police identified the perpetrator of the massacre as Panya Kamrap, 34, a police sergeant fired earlier this year after being charged with a drug offense.

A clear motive for the killings may never be determined after Panya took his own life, but police say they consider his financial and marital problems, as well as his history of drug use, to be factors.

Panya was cremated on Oct. 8 in a neighboring province after temples in Uthai Sawan refused to host his funeral, Thai media reported.

Intentionally set fires in CID, Pioneer Square

The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) and Seattle Police Department (SPD) said they have recently seen an uptick in intentionally set fires in the vicinity of the ChinatownInternational District (CID) and Pioneer Square. Most of the fires have occurred in dumpster receptacles and recycling bins near businesses.

On Oct. 2, the fire department responded to a fire in a business that was closed, undergoing a remodel. Most of the fires have occurred between the hours of 2 a.m. and 8 a.m.

Fire investigators are working closely with the SPD’s Arson and Bomb Squad to share information regarding the ongoing investigations.

In light of these recent events, SFD and SPD are urging the public to immediately call 911 if you see someone setting an illegal fire, and to take steps to reduce the chance of a fire occurring at your home or business.

List of intentionally set fires on Oct. 2:

• 5th Ave. S. and S. King St. — dumpster fire

• 1000 block of S. Jackson St. — fire in a business that was closed and undergoing a remodel

• 1st Ave. S. and S. King St. — rubbish fire

• 1st Ave. S. and S. King St. — rubbish fire

• Alaskan Way S. and S. King St. — set fire on an electric scooter

• Alaskan Way S. and S. King St. — rubbish fire

• 10th Ave. S. and S. Jackson St. — dumpster fire

As Cantonese language wanes, efforts grow to preserve it

By Terry Tang, Haven Daley, and Sylvia Hui THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—Three decades ago, finding opportunities to learn Cantonese in San Francisco wasn’t hard. But today in the city that’s drawn Cantonese speakers from South China for over 150 years, there’s fear that political and social upheaval are diminishing a language that is a cultural touchstone.

The Chinese government’s push for wider use of Mandarin—already the national language, spoken by 1 billion people—along with the country’s changing migration patterns have contributed to an undeniable shift away from Cantonese. It’s a change that has reverberated from East to West.

From the United States to the United Kingdom and beyond, there’s worry among native and second-generation Cantonese speakers about preserving the language, spoken by some 85 million people worldwide. They fear their children can’t communicate with elderly relatives. Or worse, the Cantonese language and culture won’t survive another generation.

Ceci Pang, a former kindergarten teacher, runs classes for children at Rainbow Seeds Cantonese school in London. Most of her students are from families with mixed heritage.

“Many [parents] want their kids to be able to communicate with their grandparents,” she said. “It’s just so hard here, there are so few learning resources and lots of parents get frustrated and give up. That’s usually the point the parents

come to me.”

In the U.K., as in the U.S., most primary and secondary schools offering Chinese teach Mandarin. That’s left many migrant families struggling to find ways to pass on their heritage.

Some turn to social media for advice and camaraderie—a Facebook group called “Cantonese Parents” has thousands of members sharing tips on everything from Cantonese books to YouTube videos. Some organize local Cantonese family meet-ups, while others seek out Cantonese tutors.

Pang said she hasn’t noticed many explicit concerns about Cantonese dying

see CANTONESE on 16

Chinese billionaire Richard Liu settles U.S. rape allegation

By Amy Forliti THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Chinese bil lionaire and JD.com founder Richard Liu agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by a former University of Minnesota student who alleged he raped her in her Minne apolis apartment after a night of dinner and drinks with wealthy Chinese execu tives in 2018, attorneys for both sides an nounced late Saturday, Oct. 1.

A settlement amount was not disclosed.

Richard Liu, who stepped down as the CEO of Beijing-based e-commerce company JD.com this year amid increased government scrutiny of China’s technology industry, has denied raping the woman, Jingyao Liu, and prosecutors never filed criminal charges. A joint statement from attorneys for both sides called the encounter “a misunderstanding.”

“The incident between Ms. Jingyao Liu and Mr. Richard Liu in Minnesota in 2018 resulted in a misunderstanding that has consumed substantial public attention and brought profound suffering to the parties and their families,“ the joint statement said. “Today, the parties agreed to set aside their differences, and settle their legal dispute in order to avoid further pain and suffering caused by the lawsuit.”

The settlement was announced just two days before the civil trial was set to begin Oct. 2 in a Minneapolis courtroom. A jury of seven men and five women were picked to hear the case.

Richard Liu is a celebrity in China, part of a generation of entrepreneurs

who created the country’s internet, e-commerce, mobile phone, and other technology industries since the late 1990s. Forbes estimated his wealth at $10.9 billion.

Jingyao Liu alleges the attack happened in 2018 while Richard Liu was in Minneapolis for a weeklong residency in the University of Minnesota’s doctor of business administration China program, geared toward high-level executives in China.

Jingyao Liu, a Chinese citizen, was at the university on a student visa and was a volunteer in the program at the time. The Associated Press does not generally name people alleging sexual assault, but Jingyao Liu has agreed to be identified publicly.

Jingyao Liu was 21 and Richard Liu was in his mid-40s at the time, the lawsuit said. They are not related.

San Francisco lane to be renamed for Thai man killed in 2021

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—A street in San Francisco was renamed Oct. 1 in honor of an 84-year-old Thai grandfather killed in a brutal attack that galvanized Asian Americans reeling from a surge in physical and verbal assaults during the pandemic.

A short lane in a neighborhood will

be called “Vicha Ratanapakdee Way” and celebrated at an afternoon gathering attracting hundreds of people. Speakers included Ratanapakdee’s daughter, Monthanus Ratanapakdee, and actor Daniel Dae Kim.

Vicha Ratanapakdee was on his usual

morning walk in January 2021 when authorities say Antoine Watson, 19 years old at the time, charged at him and knocked him to the ground. Ratanapakdee died two days later, never regaining consciousness.

His death has become a symbol in the national movement to end hate against

Asian Americans. Asians in America have long been subject to prejudice, but the attacks escalated after the coronavirus first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China.

Watson is on trial for murder.

Richard Liu in 2018, at the World Economic Forum

Photo from World Economic Forum

Photo by Karolina Grabowska

Vaccines keep our children safe from COVID-19

By ICHS

We each have a responsibility to ensure that those around us are protected. We reduce COVID-19 transmission by being vaccinated, and protecting ourselves, our loved ones, and our community.

The COVID-19 vaccines are safe for us and for our children. The vaccines are effective at reducing COVID-19-related serious illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths even in young children under 5. However, just over 8% of eligible babies and toddlers nationwide have received their first dose.

Overall, pediatric vaccination rates vary widely across states, ranging from 2% to 32% having received their first dose. Washington state is at 14%.

Public health experts and officials worry that we are leaving the nation’s youngest children at unnecessary risk as another potential fall or winter COVID-19 infection wave approaches.

Dr. Lakshmi Deepa Yerram, chief medical officer at International Community Health Services (ICHS), stresses the importance of why parents should get their children vaccinated.

Vaccination saves lives

“The first and foremost thing is that the

vaccine helps prevent kids from getting COVID-19. There are no two ways around that,” Dr. Yerram said. “Although we know that COVID-19 in children is sometimes milder than what we see in adults, some kids infected with the coronavirus can get severe lung infections, become very sick, and require hospitalizations. We read reports on children unfortunately passing away from this infection.”

Children who get vaccinated also

prevent or reduce the spread of the virus to others in their household who may be immunocompromised. And, vaccination helps stop other variants from emerging.

“As long as the virus can transmit easily between unvaccinated children and adults, we are giving the new variants a chance to emerge,” Dr. Yerram said. “So the best way to stop that is to make sure everyone who can get vaccinated gets vaccinated.”

Safety first

One question that has been on almost everyone’s mind from the start is if the COVID-19 vaccines are safe. Dr. Yerram assures they have been thoroughly tested and ultimately cleared for use. No steps were skipped in the interest of urgency—all clinical trials followed standard protocols. Side effects, if they do exist, are minimal.

“When you take all of these points into account, we know this vaccine is safe. We know this is going to make our lives better and easier. We know it's going to reduce the variants from emerging, and we know it is going to keep our kids safe. I don't see any other way of how I can stress why it is important for every child, including those five and under, to get this vaccine.”

With kids returning to the classroom, vaccination plays an even more important role. While schools have done a good job of implementing measures such as improved ventilation, physical distancing, proper hand-washing, masking when appropriate, and “stay at home when sick” policies, vaccination just adds another level of protection.

Outreach efforts to communities of color

Certain populations have been

Photo provided by ICHS

Reginald the Vampire sucked away my will to live

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

“Reginald the Vampire,” which aired Oct. 5 on SYFY, is not worthy of its intentions. Unfortunately as well, the titular lead, Jacob Batalon (Spiderman’s sidekick), does not convincingly carry the show. Blame it on the writing and directing, maybe, because in person, Batalon is charismatic. For him, this opportunity is impactful.

“Being the lead of something was more my dream. Being a vampire is adding topping to the great ice cream that I’m having…It’s a really fun part and I’m so happy that I get to do it,” Batalon said in a press interview.

Based off of the “Fat Vampire” books by Johnny B. Truant, “Reginald” lacks in comic timing and sense. I lost five hours of my life watching the first five episodes and there’s no vampire around to give them back (that’s not an invitation, you vampires!). Who is the audience? I’m not sure. Em Haine, who plays Reginald’s love interest, has commented that SYFY viewers have been generous. I can see how the juvenile humor could be amusing, but the goriness is so over-the-top that it might not be for kids. Not that the gore is “realistic.”

Just crazy gratuitous. There are blood-slathered sex orgies, the vampire’s drink each other’s blood (that’s a new one—is there nutritional value or just kinky?), Reggie is starving for blood cuz he’s too inept to kill for it, which is sweet, but…he drinks it out of a jar instead or pours it over his ice cream. G-R-O-S-S.

“It’s such a tried and true classic genre…but our take on it is so different and unique, and absolutely ridiculous at times, that you can’t help but laugh and have fun, but also it does have its own unique world…what our vampires can do, what they can’t do, it builds its own universe in that sense,” Aren Buchholz, who plays Reginald’s supervisor and tormentor, explained to press.

It’s true the show has its own approach to the genre. Sadly, it carries onto TV the same problem some readers felt the books have: “inconsistent tone.” I can handle blood but it makes no sense with the rest of the show.

Reggie works at “Slushy Shack,” a candy-colored place where the “slushies” look like alien goo and where Reggie’s “sire,” Maurice, who is supposed to be “cool” (played by Mandela van Peebles), likes to go. Really? None of this matches with the dark side of the

Courtesy: SYFY and ComicCon San Diego.

Pumpkins all the way

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

If you’ve hated pumpkins for the first half of your life, you may be surprised that this fruit can delight you in the second half of your life. I belong to the latter. I can’t tell you how multi-dimensional the squash is.

Like many immigrants, I didn’t venture out to buy the orange fruit myself. Pumpkin pies were introduced to me during Thanksgiving, and I rejected it instantly. People put too much sugar in the pie, and kill the real flavor of the pumpkin. I could only taste the sugar and not the pumpkin, which was completely dissolved in the sugar. So, if you want to enjoy the benefits of consuming pumpkin, forget about the pies.

Since my recent interest is in studying the nutritional value of different types of food, the pumpkin’s health merits are fascinating. Its versatility is incomparable. It is low in calories, sodium, and saturated fat. It is high in fiber and water content. Best of all, it is good for your heart. It is a vital source of antioxidants. It is great for eye sight because of its excellent source of vitamin A, its beta carotene content, vitamin C, and potassium, which are anti-aging properties. If you want youthful skin, try pumpkins. Most importantly, it can strengthen your bones and lower inflammation of your joints. What I love most is, it is a happy fruit as it helps to lower depression. Amazingly, even the tiny pumpkin seeds contain healthy fats, protein, fiber, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and antioxidants. As for the claim that it can improve fertility for men, hmmm, I don’t know about that.

My daughter-in-law told me that pumpkins can be eaten even after a year if you keep them in a cool place. So if you carve them for Halloween, don’t just throw them away afterwards. You can cook them afterwards for your dinner. Even the tiny cute pumpkins. Yes, you can cook them. Really! My daughter-in-law said so. I have never done that before. But it is good to experiment.

If you want to be creative with pumpkin cooking, you

can make a meat stew with pumpkins, pumpkin soup, and even pumpkin fried rice. These dishes are tasty, bringing out the pumpkin flavor. I have eaten pumpkin baked fried rice, which is fried rice inside the pumpkin after you take out the seeds. Bake them in slow heat for the rice to absorb the pumpkin juice for half an hour or more, it tastes like heaven.

Preparing pumpkin dishes like stew takes a lot of time, since you have to boil it first to get it cooked before you get its meat out. I paid my cleaning lady to make pumpkin soup for me and it was delightful and yummy. She also did a wonderful job in cooking spareribs with pumpkins.

You can be fancy in fixing pumpkins. Recently, my son raved about a pumpkin spice latte he bought from Tous Les Jours bakery in the Chinatown-International District. You see, pumpkins can be mixed with almost anything.

This time of the year, pumpkins are seen everywhere. Get your pumpkins from your neighborhood grocery stores. And spread the good news to your friends that pumpkins are not just a silly squash. Have fun with them for food, decoration, play, and art. Pumpkin is the spice of life, you just have to make full use of

Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

LEE from 4

one (shelter) could really create an impact, just by permanently damaging that neighborhood.”

With Chief Diaz’s statement on the over concentration of homeless shelter/services in and around the CID, and the fact that there are no density or spacing controls of these uses, the CID residents and businesses respectfully request that you adopt an emergency land use moratorium on all new land use applications for homeless shelters/ services within a half mile of the CID boundary in order to study the unintended consequences of not having spacing

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or concentration standards for these types of uses, and to provide some amendments regarding these uses so this does not happen here, or to any other neighborhood in the future.

We urgently need your help in this matter, as you have helped others regarding a mobile home park, as expressed in the linked articles below. If you truly care about the CID community, you will urgently take the necessary steps to enact an emergency moratorium to study this problem and provide an equitable solution for the CID historic neighborhood. This neighborhood is at a breaking point and will surely die if more shelters are added and

expanded. Just consider the crime statistics, the highest of Seattle’s neighborhoods, with the eighth homicide occurring just last week.

A temporary surge in police activity in the CID will not solve the problem. The problem is the zoning code. Your committee can stop the unintended consequences of poor Land Use planning that has been slowly killing the CID.

Please let me know if I am missing any procedural steps or requirements to have the Land Use Committee publicly consider this request at one of your Committee meetings for consideration and vote by the full City Council. 

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BLOG from previous page

Pumpkins decoration in the city of Federal Way

Photos by Assunta Ng

Pumpkin crème brûlée by Tracy Luu

BELLEVUE from 1

and changes the zoning in such neighborhoods. Currently, zoning in their neighborhood allows only single-family housing.

The response of city officials, both to these concerns and to questions about outreach in general, seemed to point to a certain level of disconnect between the two sides.

City officials, in an interview with Northwest Asian Weekly and in written statements, also said they had done outreach in the months prior to the September meeting, when the city’s planning commission recommended that the city council pass the rezoning amendment.

Moreover, the officials said they had stepped up their efforts to engage the community over recent years.

However, in earlier meetings during the summer, outreach efforts appeared to be less effective in reaching a diversity of residents. And some longtime residents originally from China said officials seemed to be acting upon stereotypes about them.

The strategy

Officials said that the current strategy, which has identified 25 sites for conversion, is only one part of a grand plan to build affordable housing in Bellevue first articulated in 2017.

Emil King, assistant director of community development for the City of Bellevue, said there are a plethora of units either already built or planned.

“Of the 5,000 some odd affordable housing units on the ground and in the pipeline, there’s just a small share that is in Factoria and Somerset,” he said.

The new outreach to religious institutions in Bellevue as potential sites for affordable housing came after a state law passed in 2019 with this approach, said King.

While the city has already partnered with religious institutions in the past, with this new strategy, the city offers density bonuses to encourage the sale of such land. That means developers can build more units on property that may originally be zoned for only single-family dwellings. In the Factoria/Somerset project, the developer will have the right to build 7.5 units per acre, which will result in an as-yet-undetermined combination of duplexes, triplexes, or townhomes, and possibly a community center.

“If that space were to be used in the future for some kind of permanent homeless shelter, there would be a different land use process it would have to follow,” said Michelle DeGrand, deputy communications officer for the city.

Habitat for Humanity is the potential developer, said officials.

“We’re still working through who would own and operate the space,” said Brett D’Antonio, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Seattle-King and Kittitas Counties. “However, it will be a space for use by the Habitat homeowners in this development or by members of the Holy Cross community.”

If Habitat developed the housing, families would go through the mortgage application process to qualify for a monthly payment they can afford, said D’Antonio. Through the help of donors, Habitat would cover the rest.

“Habitat Partner Families are invested in their new home and the community,” he added.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church did not respond to emailed questions.

“Little notice”

At the Sept. 14 meeting, residents of the surrounding com munity said they were concerned about an increase in traffic, the lack of knowledge about how this development would im pact their community and adjacent schools, and not having been given enough time to evaluate the project. Residents said they had received notice from the city during the first week of September—only shortly before the meeting.

Officials said there had been meetings both in June and July and they could not understand why concerned community members did not come then.

In remarks at an earlier meeting, Gwen Rousseau, a senior planner with the department of community development, said mailings about the project had been sent out to everyone living within 500 feet of each of the 25 churches prior to the first meeting on June 22.

“On June 16, a courtesy notice of application and public meeting was mailed to all 500 households within 500 feet of the original 25 qualifying sites,” she said.

The subsequent meeting was held six days later. Only one community member showed up to address the planning commission about the new strategy.

Rousseau said that “interested parties” were then emailed, on June 27, about the next meeting, a virtual session, which was held on July 27. She noted that “just over 20” people showed up.

This time, it was two community members—one of them the same as from the previous meeting—who showed up to address the new strategy, according to the minutes. Neither appeared to be Asian.

One of the residents expressed concern that the strategy would divide the city by wealth distribution, stating that the new projects were all located in relatively less affluent areas of the city.

“What Bellevue is doing is heading toward socioeconomic red lining in the name of compassion and providing affordable housing. The city is looking at clustering affordable housing in the most affordable neighborhoods,” said the resident. “Lake Hills has nine of the properties, and the other targets are Eastgate, Crossroads, and Factoria. Two of the properties listed as Somerset are for all practical purposes located in Factoria. The impacts of clustering are clear.”

City officials said they are not clustering the new projects and must depend on the criteria that church sites must meet. These include being near existing zoning for multifamily or commercial properties and near high-frequency transit.

They also said religious institutions were not forced to take the offer. The city is funding outreach to the churches.

A disconnect?

Longtime Chinese immigrants living in the vicinity say they do not know if they overlooked the earlier notice in June. However, they say that it was not just them, but their neighbors that were surprised in September when they heard of the development.

At the Sept. 14 meeting, it was residents of different ethnicities, white, Indian, and Chinese, who expressed dismay over what they said was the seeming lack of notice given. None mentioned the earlier meetings.

“We were not aware of this, and then we were not given enough time to make a decision,” said one woman, who asked that her name be withheld. “If they do not get any response

from us, aren't they supposed to check if the message has reached us instead of defaulting to no objections from us?"

City officials said they sincerely want to continue to improve their communication with the Chinese community.

“In my 20 years at the city, the diversity of the city has increased tremendously and the way we do outreach and some of our goals definitely have changed,” said King. “We’re trying to continue to raise the bar to push out to community members who might not understand government or might not know how to even get the materials.”

Bellevue’s population is 37.5% Asian, according to the U.S. Census. The percentage of its foreign-born population increased from 13% in 1999 to 39% in 2015, according to the city.

But some Chinese immigrants say the city may still be operating under stereotypes about them that are either out of date or not accurate.

Mike McCormick Huentelman, assistant director of neighborhood services at the City of Bellevue, said that every community is surprised when there is new development.

“I would say that is not unique to our Chinese community. It also happens across different neighborhoods around many projects,” he said. “When people first find out about a project, the first time they hear about it, they’re surprised. They’re reacting against something. They feel like, ‘Oh my Gosh, where did this come from, how is it impacting me or my surrounding neighborhood?’” he said during the interview.

Many Chinese immigrants on the Eastside rely on WeChat for information, and in some cases this does cause a proliferation of worries among them. In many cases, however, their reliance on the Chinese social media platform facilitates political and civic engagement with the city.

Three individuals who spoke to Northwest Asian Weekly about the development have lived in Bellevue for decades, are graduates of elite universities in China and the U.S., and are longtime civic activists who regularly attend and follow government activities.

“That’s a stereotype about Asian people,” said the one who asked for anonymity, in response to Huentelman’s statement. “In the past, we were not accustomed to participate in this kind of thing because of our background, but now we have totally changed, we protest.”

“And even if that were true, isn’t he supposed to do something to help with our community?” this resident said.

More resources coming

For immigrants who have more recently arrived, the city offers various outreach services and interpretation. But officials did not seem aware of the relative paucity of interpreted materials, when compared to the City of Seattle, for instance.

Officials said that a mini “city hall” that is located in Factoria Mall offers services in nine languages to help immigrants with city business. But the services are available in five languages, when requested, according to the website, which is available only in English.

Officials say budget demands have not allowed them to translate all materials into other languages.

The city is putting together a Frequently Asked Questions list for the new affordable housing strategy that will be translated and put online within weeks, said DeGrand. 

Mahlon can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

Proposals will be received for KC000696, Work Order Engineering and Related Services for Bus Stop Improvements for Metro Transit Department; by King County Procurement and Payables Section until 12:00 PM on November 2, 2022.

This contract is funded by the Federal Transit Administration. There is a 20% minimum requirement for Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises Certified Federal Small Business

Enterprise (SBE) firms on this contract.

King County intends to award two contracts from this RFP.

Total Estimated Price: $1,000,000 (each)

King County, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all Proposers that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement,

disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit proposals in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

Prospective proposers can view more details at: https://kingcounty.gov/ procurement/solicitations

Contact: Alice Phoenix, alice.phoenix@ kingcounty.gov, 206-263-9311.

Predictions and advice for the week of October 15–21, 2022

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat—Avoid going all in until you get a better sense of what you are getting yourself into.

Ox—Although your first few forays weren’t as fruitful as you had hoped, remember that you have to start somewhere.

Tiger—Do your words line up with your actions recently? Someone important could be paying attention.

Rabbit—Rather than changing things around at the last moment, stay consistent with what you have planned.

WHAT’S YOUR ANIMAL SIGN?

Dragon—You could run into some moderate delays, but there are other things you can do in the meantime.

Snake—While you may be nervous, you have a few tried and true recipes for success at your disposal.

Horse—You have done your part. Exercise patience while waiting for others to come through on their end of the deal.

Goat—Relishing a moment to yourself for once? Try to incorporate breaks like this more regularly into your routine.

Monkey—While a time of transition could be somewhat uncomfortable, it is nonetheless a temporary situation.

Rooster—You might not know what to do with it right away, but having good information could prove very useful.

Dog—Someone close to you has a pleasant surprise for you. It will be revealed to you soon.

Pig—As swiftly as things are moving along, you can still put on the brakes if you need to.

RAT 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 OX 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 TIGER 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 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

COMCAST GRANTS from 5

entirely with his own savings, found a graphic designer, and created his first line that he subsequently took to a trade show in Las Vegas.

He called it Public Art Apparel.

“There was some response, it was small, but it was a beginning,” he said.

From there, over the next six years, he developed relationships with specialty shops around the nation. His business, in an extremely competitive market like Seattle’s, had barely reached sustainability.

Then COVID hit.

Story initially applied for a cash grant but was not among the final 100 selected by Comcast last year. However, he instead received a grant from the company for marketing assistance.

A representative walked him through the process of creating a TV commercial for his company.

Comcast then provided $6,000 for buying airtime between November and January.

A company expert coached him on prepar ing slides and voice overs for the ad.

“It was awesome,” he said.

AFTER DISASTER, EASY TO APPLY

Margie had also taken a bold, life-chang ing step when she decided to start her own business.

Coming from a very difficult background of poverty and seeing the disparate impact of the criminal justice system, she had decided to become an advocate and a social worker. But in 2015, two of her children were stricken by a serious accident. And, while in the hospital, watching them recover, she realized she wanted to pursue a dream. She closed her computer and started planning.

By 2018, she was putting on social events where different groups of city dwellers came

together for what she called “instant commu nity.”

At one event, community members came to a themed gathering called “the Roaring Twenties,” where they dressed up in peri od costumes and danced and watched “The Great Gatsby.”

Children were invited, too, and also en couraged to dress up.

“We never targeted any one community,” she said.

Another event, called “Mingle by the Sea,” was held at the Seattle Aquarium.

“We had people coming on date nights, people proposing,” she said.

She also started a space where people could come and work on business projects while receiving support in both technical and emotional ways.

The design, unlike coffee shops, was meant to encourage community, warmth, and empowerment.

Users can book space in advance, so they

have seating. They make their own espres sos in any manner they want using any of the multiple ingredients available. There is healthy food and comfort food. The space is warmer than coffee shops, which are inten tionally cold to keep customers from staying long, said Haywood. Besides, there is con ference space, podcast space and equipment, and even technical and consulting services on site.

“We welcome you by name,” she said.

But in 2019, Margie had signed a lease with a woman who used a legal maneuver to make Margie responsible for her debts.

By the time Margie was able to halt the proceedings, and a judge had ruled in her favor, nine months had passed, and she was drained of resources.

“She put me through every hoop possible, she weaponized the legal process,” said Mar gie.

In the end, Margie had to sell off much of her furniture from the space. The rest—be

cause they could not afford storage—was carefully wrapped by her husband and put in a hand-made storage shed he built in the backyard with the help of a friend.

Today, as you walk into Work Play Lounge, you can see it along the walls and in the pri vate and public spaces—lush purple couches, long, inviting tables, and office equipment.

On the day a reporter visited, there were fresh bagels set out on a counter.

Margie gives the following advice for those who are considering applying for a grant but might be hesitating:

“Tell your story, tell the truth about your journey, that’s what is going to help you get the grant.”

The grant, she said, “gives me a fighting chance to increase my marketing efforts.

WHO CAN APPLY

The criteria for applying for a Comcast grant include:

A business must be owned by a person who identifies as either a person of color or a woman.

A business must have under 25 full-time and part-time employees.

A business must have been in operation for at least three years.

A business address must be in the City of Seattle or Tacoma.

The applications are open now and due no later than Oct. 16.

“We don’t want people to wait,” said Dave Mandapat, director of marketing for Com cast, in an interview. “People need the money now.”

Results will be announced before the end of the year.

To apply, go to comcastrise.com. Mahlon can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

ADVERTISE

DONATE

ELIMINATE

PREPARE

A collection of shirts by Public Art Apparel, a company founded by Ian Story, who received a grant from Comcast.

Photo courtesy of Ian Story

CLASSIFIEDS

Thank You

LITTLE SAIGON from 4

the harm it has caused the community when our local government chooses to bypass a thoughtful process. The Response Plan demonstrates the level of community engagement needed, clarifies the issues and concerns with the project, highlights the impact on the community, and provides recommendations for mitigation measures.

FLS requests that the County work towards

CANTONESE from 8

repairing these relationships in the CID, acknowledge the concerns and harm this project has on the community, and work towards strategies to mitigate the impacts in the CID.

Sincerely, — Quynh Pham Executive Director Friends of Little Saigon

RANDY from 4

not shown a proven cost benefit, because I’m sure the cost is not only monetary, and the cost of CID residents/businesses/patrons should be also considered. Again, why us?

Randy Wo-Eng

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as a language. But, she said, that may change as more Hong Kong migrants settle in the U.K. Britain opened its doors last year in response to China’s crackdown on civil liberties in the city. Since then, thousands of Hong Kong families have fled to the U.K.

“I think in a few years, when more and more Hong Kong families settle here, there may be more parents worried about their children rejecting Cantonese altogether as they become so immersed in the English environment,” she said.

In China, concerns have been voiced for years about a decline in Cantonese, spoken in southeastern China’s Guangdong province and the cities of Hong Kong and Macao. Promoting Mandarin was written into China’s constitution in 1982. A suggestion in 2010 to increase Mandarin programs on a Cantonese TV channel caused such a public backlash in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong, that the government was forced to give reassurance that Mandarin would not replace Cantonese.

Guangzhou, formerly known as Canton, is considered the birthplace of Cantonese. But today it is a hub of manufacturing and tech jobs attracting Mandarin speakers. Nowadays many young people can only understand Cantonese, but don’t speak the language.

While Cantonese is not dominant in people’s lives as it used to be, it’s too early to say the language is in crisis in Guangzhou. It’s still spoken in homes and among friends, and there are Cantonese TV channels as well as Cantonese announcements on public transport.

In contrast, Cantonese has maintained its primacy in Hong Kong. It’s the city’s lingua franca, used by 90% of the population, said Lau Chaak-ming, assistant professor of linguistics at the Education University of Hong Kong.

“Everyone who comes to Hong Kong needs to learn some Cantonese. And in order to succeed in most of the careers in Hong Kong, you need to speak fluent Cantonese,” said Lau, who started an online Cantonese dictionary in 2014 to help people better learn the language.

While most classes in Hong Kong’s schools are still taught in Cantonese, many have added Mandarin to their curriculum as Beijing tries to strengthen its grip over the

semi-autonomous city. The arrival of mainland Chinese for work or education has also boosted Mandarin, and more Hong Kong residents have learned to speak Mandarin to do business with the mainland.

But such changes have not eroded Cantonese, Lau said. “Cantonese has never been stronger in Hong Kong,” he said.

That’s a far cry from the U.S., where even in San Francisco there are few opportunities to pursue Cantonese in high school and beyond. The San Francisco Unified School District has Cantonese and Mandarin immersion programs for preK-8th grades. But in high school, Mandarin is the only option for studying Chinese for foreign language credits.

In 1990, when Grace Yu was hired at City College of San Francisco, there were four Cantonese instructors and a dozen Cantonese classes offered each year. But for the past six years, Yu has been the lone Cantonese professor, teaching only three classes per year.

“Vacancies were not replaced with Cantonese instructors. Instead they hired Mandarin instructors,” said Yu.

She described her situation as “kind of lonely.“

Still, there is a glimmer of hope. One of City College’s trustees—who grew up speaking Cantonese—proposed a resolution to preserve the Cantonese program with at least one instructor. The board approved it this spring.

“Cantonese classes will not be canceled if I retire,” Yu said.

Like Yu, Sik Lee Dennig was the lone Cantonese lecturer at Stanford University until she retired last year. After more than 20 years, the school opted not to renew her contract, which effectively eliminated the Cantonese language program. A “save Cantonese” petition prompted an endowment. But the university would only restore half the classes.

That prompted Dennig to strike out on her own and start a nonprofit, the Cantonese Alliance, to help teachers and interested learners worldwide. The online resource includes podcasts, videos, and handouts, as well as Cantonese pop music and comic books.

“Cantonese is not a dialect of Mandarin” as some people mistakenly think, Dennig said recently over a Cantonese dim sum meal of pork and shrimp dumplings.

Cantonese can be especially challenging to learn. In

writing, Mandarin and Cantonese use the same Chinese characters. But spoken, the tonal languages— where even the subtlest word inflection can change the meaning—are not similar or interchangeable.

Mandarin has four basic tones. Cantonese has nine, which can be difficult to differentiate.

Meanwhile, independent Chinese schools are helping fill the void as Cantonese-speaking communities grow—and not just in Chinatowns.

Aleyda Poe has been overseeing the Cantonese kindergarten at Merit Chinese School in Plano, Texas, for over a decade. Initially a parent who enrolled her two sons to pass along her cultural roots, she is now doing that for other families.

“I hope it’s not a dying language,“ Poe said. “But you know, we’ll do our part and see how long they’ll

Associated Press news assistant Caroline Chen in Beijing and video producer Katie Tam in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

Senator Patty Murray for supporting Hydropower to Fight Climate Change and Keep Energy Costs Low.

Richard Liu, also known as Liu Qiangdong, was arrested on suspicion of felony rape in August 2018, but prosecutors said the case had “profound evidentiary problems” and declined to file criminal charges.

Jingyao Liu sued Richard Liu and JD.com in 2019, alleging sexual assault and battery, along with false imprisonment.

The case drew widespread attention at a time when the #MeToo movement was gaining traction in China. Richard Liu’s supporters and opponents waged aggressive public relations campaigns on Chinese social media. Censors shut down some accounts that supported Jingyao Liu for “violating regulations.”

Jingyao Liu said in her lawsuit that she had to withdraw from classes in fall 2018 and seek counseling and treatment. Her attorney said she has since graduated but has posttraumatic stress disorder. She sought compensatory as well as punitive damages from Richard Liu.

VACCINES from 10

disproportionately affected by COVID-19, for various reasons. For example, cultural and racial disparities resulted in a level of mistrust of the healthcare community.

“We have to remember that these diverse communities often come from places where there has been distress. There have been issues with lack of access to healthcare and stigmas and stereotypes around poor

SMALL BUSINESSES from 1

Her lawsuit said she was seeking more than $50,000, a standard figure that must be listed in Minnesota if a plaintiff intends to seek any larger amount. She was expected to ask a jury to award much more.

On the night of the alleged attack, according to the lawsuit, Richard Liu and other executives went to a Japanese restaurant in Minneapolis and one of the men invited Jingyao Liu at Richard Liu’s request.

She felt coerced to drink as the powerful men toasted her, and Richard Liu said she would dishonor him if she did not join in, her lawsuit claimed.

According to text messages reviewed by The Associated Press and Jingyao Liu’s interviews with police, she said that after the dinner, Richard Liu pulled her into a limousine and groped her despite her protests. She said he raped her at her apartment. At one point, she texted a friend: “I begged him don’t. But he didn’t listen.”

Her friend notified the police, who went to her apartment. Jingyao Liu told one officer, “I was raped but not that kind of rape,” according to police. When asked to explain, she

hygiene and carrying disease,” notes Dr. Yerram. “The general distrust that comes with governmental organizations and structured medicine leads to the hesitancy among the populations we serve.”

As a result, communication has become a main focus at ICHS. The health center has worked to make it easy for community members to get vaccinated. Information is disseminated via community outreach, social media, radio, podcasts, short

tangible relief to small business owners to help them move from recovery to revitalization.”

Businesses can apply up to two times if they experience more than one incident of vandalism to their storefront. To apply, businesses must provide two out of three of the following documentation with their application:

• Police Report number

• Photos of damages

• Receipts for repairs completed or estimates for current damage

Bilingual staff are available to answer questions and help

WOO from 4

changed the subject and said Richard Liu was famous and she was afraid. She told the officer that the sex was “spontaneous” and she did not want police to get involved.

Police said they released Richard Liu because “it was unclear if a crime had actually taken place.“ In a later interview with an investigator, Richard Liu said the sex was consensual and the woman “enjoyed the whole process very much.”

Jingyao Liu told a police sergeant that she wanted to talk with Richard Liu’s attorney and threatened to go to the media if she did not, according to police. Richard Liu’s former attorney recorded the phone call, in which Jingyao Liu said she didn’t want the case to be in the newspaper and “I just need payment money and apologize and that’s all.”

A recording of the phone call was expected to be played as evidence at trial. Surveillance videos from the restaurant, the restaurant’s exterior, and the halls of the woman’s apartment complex were also expected to be played for jurors.

videos, and interviews. ICHS ensures that community members are able to receive information in their spoken language—of which there are over 70 different languages in the ICHS network.

ICHS offers vaccinations during routine clinic visits, at vaccination sites, through its pharmacies, and pop-up clinics throughout the community (grocery stores, religious institutions, community centers, schools).

has been an all-hands-on-deck effort, per

applicants complete their applications in Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese. Support in additional languages is available through the language line.

To request translation or interpretation services, businesses can call (206) 684-8090 and note the following information in their voicemail: name, phone number, preferred language, and the type of support needed.

Reduced foot traffic and increased vandalism combined have taken a significant toll on business and property owners throughout the pandemic. In addition to the financial burden of property damages, increasing instances of vandalism to storefront facades have deterred many small business owners from filing insurance claims due to concern of a steep increase in insurance premiums and renewals. Feedback from business owners, business district leaders, and community

CAPAA from 4

racism we’ve had to endure with King County and a history of forced high impact projects. That includes I-5, all the stadiums, and Sound Transit, going back as far as the first Chinatown.

I believe your family history and our community history has been intertwined for hundreds of years. The Smith Tower sits on the borders of the second Chinatown. The first Chinatown sat at the waterfront and we have been pushed to where we are now—the third and final Chinatown. The land that you own which you have leased to King County stands to displace our community and promotes redlining.

We’d love to meet with you to discuss this further. Please send me a couple of dates and times and we can meet at a place of your choosing or I would love for you to come visit us in Chinatown for a neighborhood tour.

Thank you,

— Tanya Woo

Friends of Seattle Chinatown International District

Dr. Yerram. “By making sure proper information gets out and by ensuring they can get vaccines, as they get ready to get vaccinated, we have continued to make sure our patients can reap the benefits of the vaccines currently available for COVID-19.”

Go to ichs.com/covid-19-vaccine-appointments to learn more.

stakeholders elevated the need for immediate help from the city to help implement strategies that support businesses impacted by property vandalism.

In addition to the Storefront Repair Fund, OED has partially funded pilot programs created by business district partners in Pioneer Square, Chinatown-International District, and the U District. Using city funding, including Neighborhood Economic Recovery Funds, OED partners have allocated resources to help businesses repair shattered windows and other façade vandalism.

For more information on eligibility requirements and how to apply for a Storefront Repair Fund grant, go to seattle.gov/office-of-economic-development/small-business/ small-business-programs/storefront-repair-fund.

community members from across the state express their concerns about plans in the CID to demolish historic buildings in order to expand the Sound Transit center, and to concentrate homeless shelters in and around the CID in a volume disproportionate to any other neighborhood in Seattle and King County. Community members are asking why the County is placing an unequal and heavy burden on this vulnerable neighborhood to alleviate countywide transit and homelessness challenges, and doing so without gaining prior community input. Community members worry that these developments will eviscerate the character of the neighborhood and exacerbate existing socio-economic disparities.

Of particular concern for community members is the community engagement process—or lack thereof—that treats directly impacted communities as an afterthought. Considering community input and using it to inform an approach to address our regional challenges will only lead to better strategies and more equitable outcomes. Disregarding input, or not creating a meaningful avenue for it to be provided in the first place, does harm to vulnerable communities and people historically excluded from decision-making processes. The Metropolitan King County Council recently held a meeting to discuss the “megaplex” shelter project but did not provide translation services for over 200 Cantonese speakers. This type of inadequate engagement threatens to repeat historical injustices, as a form of displacement and disenfranchisement of minority businesses and homes akin to redlining and internment.

We implore your offices to suspend project advancement until there has been a robust community input process. Facilitate an inclusive process to plan

a more equitable solution to addressing the needs of all the populations directly involved, including CID residents, businesses, and those experiencing homelessness. It is imperative these community members all have their needs met.

Sincerely,

—Toshiko Hasegawa Executive Director

—Nam Nguyen Chair

Cc:

CAPAA 1st Vice Chair Lydia Moira Faitalia (King County)

CAPAA 2nd Vice Chair Julio Diaz (King County)

CAPAA Commissioner/Port of Seattle Commissioner Sam Cho (King County)

CAPAA Commissioner Lalita Uppala (King County)

CAPAA Commissioner Ekkarath Sisavatdy (King County)

CAPAA Commissioner Va’eomatoka Valu (King County)

CAPAA Commissioner Kendall Kosai (Pierce County)

CAPAA Commissioner Chongsun Abbott (Pierce County)

CAPAA Commissioner/Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu (Whatcom County)

CAPAA Commissioner Carrie Huie Pascua (Yakima County)

CAPAA Commissioner Ping Ping (Spokane County)

KOPI SOH’s ‘Looking After the Ashes’

highlights Peranakan culture through superstitions and taboos

By Samatha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Halloween is a time for ghosts, ghouls, and other things that go bump in the night.

And while the holiday is observed more in the Western world, superstitions, old wives’ tales, and taboos are universal— and every culture has its own stories.

Growing up in Malaysia, Kopi Soh was surrounded by them: If you eat while laying down, you’ll turn into a snake. Eat all your rice, or your future husband’s face will be full of pimples and pockmarks. If you swallow watermelon seeds, a watermelon plant will grow out of your mouth. Don’t play by storm drains or else you’ll be confronted by a big-breasted woman with the power to doom you.

In her book, “Looking After the Ashes” (2021), a semi-biographical fictional story available to purchase on Amazon, Kopi recounts these stories and more—which she heard daily from members of her Peranakan family.

A WAY TO COPE WITH HOMESICKNESS

The book’s origins date back to when Kopi immigrated to North America in 1992. Prior to this move, she had never left Malaysia—not even to visit bordering countries—and the only thing she knew about the United States was based on TV shows she watched, like “Dallas.” This gave her the impression that she needed to drink wine (even though she didn’t drink alcohol) and wear evening gowns all the time— because that’s what Americans did, Kopi said about her early assumptions, with a laugh. Her initial perceptions of the country were wrong but she was still alone in a new place, and especially missing her father. So to cope with her homesickness, Kopi started keeping a journal in which she wrote down the different tales he and others told her, to remind her of home.

That journal was meant for Kopi’s eyes only and filled with stories rooted in her Peranakan culture. Peranakan, she said, refers to an ethnic group of people who were born locally in Malaysia but are not indigenous to the country—though, she pointed out that there are other Peranakans throughout Southeast Asia, such as in Thailand, and those cultures are also different from hers. As time went on, Kopi, who now lives in California, saw her culture eroding. Members of the younger generation didn’t speak their specific Penang/Hokkien dialect and were unaware of the superstitions and taboos rooted in their culture.

PRESERVING HER CULTURE

So Kopi started sharing the stories with her son, who would ask, “Mom, you grew up like that?” With her U.S.-born son interested in these stories, Kopi thought others might find them interesting as well, and it might start a dialogue between older and younger generations like it did with her and her son (her son helped with the editing for “Ashes”). It was also a way for her to preserve part of her Peranakan culture.

Although it’s been three decades since she lived in Malaysia, Kopi said those superstitions and stories are still with her. They even influence some of her behavior as an adult. For example, Kopi said whenever she stays at a hotel, before she enters her room for the first time, she always knocks and makes any spirits inside aware of her entering and occupying the room.

“It’s something I still do,” she said, adding that she did this as recently as a few weeks ago.

Whether or not the superstitions are true, Kopi said

Above: Illustration from “Looking After the Ashes”

Right: A model holding a copy of “Looking After the Ashes”

most of their origins are rooted in logic. Watermelon seeds can get into your appendix or be choking hazards—especially for young children. And making spirits aware of you before entering a hotel room is about respecting a space and inanimate objects.

A LOVE FOR HALLOWEEN CANDY AND GHOST STORIES

Since she moved to the United States, Kopi hasn’t thought much about Western superstitions such as how walking under a ladder or having a black cat cross your path will bring you bad luck, but she does love this time of year and always looks forward to Halloween, especially when her son was younger and went trickor-treating.

“It was time for my candy stash to be replenished,”

Kopi admitted with a laugh, adding that it worked out since her son doesn’t really have a sweet tooth like her.

And with Halloween just a few weeks away, Northwest Asian Weekly asked Kopi to name some of her favorite Asian authors of ghost stories. One is Malaysian author Zen Cho, who is based in the United Kingdom and wrote “Black Water Sister.” She also recommended fellow Malaysians Tunku Halim, who has written a number of ghost and horror stories for adults as well as students, and Yangsze Choo, author of “The Ghost Bride,” which was recently adapted into a show for Netflix.  Samantha can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Images provided by Kopi Soh

Secretary of State, he’s also led efforts to curb the threat of cyber attacks domestic and foreign that might impact elections within the state, and worked with all of the county auditors in the state to provide security support and vot er education.

Hobbs stated that his office needs to do a better job of getting out the message of voting and how elections work. He discussed the reasons why some ballots are not counted and believes that edu cating the public on some primary issues would be helpful. He noted that voters need to sign their bal lot. Ballots do not get counted if voters do not sign it. Hobbs stated that since cursive is not taught in schools anymore, some younger voters’ scribbles and scratches on signature lines are not counted. He indicated that simply printing your name legibly would suffice on the line.

His office is also looking at ways to enhance ballot curing. This involves notifying a voter that has a ballot that will not be counted. This can be cured if the voter makes the appropriate cor rection. This method takes a long time which may mean that those votes will not be counted even if cured.

The discussion with Hobbs helped community leaders ad

dress election integrity issues.

“This was great information,” said Paul Tabayoyon, a communi ty leader in the Yakima Valley in Wapato, Washington. “[A]s com munity leaders, we are always looking for additional informa tion and some form of guidance to put our organization in a more organized manner.” Tabayoyon is an outreach coordinator for the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of Yakima County, a communi ty-based organization.

“It's important that we hear these things (issues of disinforma tion regarding voting), because if

we don’t, we may neglect talking about these things.” He noted that there have been instances of dis information where unidentified groups have been telling citizens in the Latino community not to vote in the November election. There were no reasons given, but it left Tabayoyon wondering why an organization would not want a community of people to vote. In order to educate the population, he said that they have put togeth er commercials on the radio and television in Yakima. They are looking to put the commercials and ads in Spanish to make sure

that they reach everyone in the area. He’s also helping to coordi nate a “Ballot Reviewing” Party, where the community comes to gether to talk and learn about the candidates.

“In some of the rural commu nities, you do not see a lot of poli ticians circulate as they do in city centers.”

“I think like any other culture, it’s all across the board,” Taba yoyon said about the amount of interest people in his community have in politics. There are con servative voters, there are liberal voters, but Tabayoyon says they

all have one thing in common.

“They all share family values,” noting that their interests are vest ed in how certain decisions are made by government leaders.

He also noted that the young people in Wapato have shown an interest.

“In the last couple years, a lot of kids want to be involved.” He noted this is due in part due to the isolation in COVID.

In fact, getting the younger gen eration to come out to vote was an important message stressed by Hobbs. In order to engage young er people, Hobbs proposes the gamification of the election pro cess. He is working on a mobile game application which would in clude civics questions to educate kids from middle school through high school about the basics of voting. He also is looking into a table top game for those interest ed in those types of games. Other ways of becoming more visible to the younger generation is by hav ing a booth at Emerald City Com ic Con and reaching out to sports teams such as the Seahawks and the Kraken.

Election Day is Nov. 8.

Visit sos.wa.gov/elections/ dates-and-deadlines for more information.

Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

VAMPIRE from 11

show and the baddie vampires. One moment you’re goofing around in an after-school special and the next a vampire is ripping someone’s head off. It’s not a pleasing juxtaposition. It’s not “oh, there’s a dark underworld to what we think is our everyday life.” It’s two different stories.

Reggie does not work at Slushy Shack in the books. How he gets “turned” is different as well. In the show, it’s brought on by relentless bullying he receives from nearly everyone, regarding his weight. This is one of the show’s main agendas.

“Comedy is born on pain. Things are funniest when they shed light on the tough reality that is universal that we all share,” said Marguerite Hanna, who plays Reginald’s binary coworker. I agree with her words, but it has to be based on, yeah, reality. I admit I have not been everywhere and done everything, but I have never in my life witnessed this much adult fat-shaming of anyone. Who does this? Frat boys maybe. Almost everyone at Slushy Shack would be fired for harassment in today’s workplace.

The constant fat shaming in the show felt like…fat shaming…not an effort to combat it. The show fails to rise up to the level of intention of its cast.

“My favorite part of this show is [the] …heartfelt themes that we hit on,” Haine told press. “The show is a message…about inclusivity and finding yourself and really questioning what does it mean to belong and where do I belong?”

The thing is that it’s a given in the show that Reggie is fat, but not in a good way. They present a compensation, not holistic self-love. What else can you do, Reggie? You’ve got a big brain! How about “love the whole me?” I mean, he does need to grow up. He could learn some table manners, be more assertive, and stop working at Slushy Shack just cuz he likes a girl.

“There are real consequences when you can’t love yourself and those consequences don’t just affect you but the people that you care about most,” explained Hanna, and this is the most successful theme.

Being a vampire happens at the wrong time for Reginald, but also the right time since it provides the enhancement he needs to break out of his shell. But I don’t feel the least bit envious. Batalon tries to be funny, or the script does, but the delivery is weird, with a pause before everything he does and says. The show needs to SPEED THE F—UP. An hour per episode is torture. Once in a while, something amusing and well-timed occurs, ie. Reggie and Maurice run into a vampire they thought was “dead”: “You’re alive?” “Technically nobody here is alive.” Ba ha.

And the vampire “rules” don’t make sense. The vampires are super snobs who avoid turning anyone who doesn’t meet their appearance and fitness requirements. Once you are turned, you can’t change anything about yourself, so Reggie is “doomed” to be overweight forever. Yet he still has to “train” for a vampire “test” of some sort (they have this whole bureaucracy). What is he training for? He can’t get muscles. He can’t lose weight. Can he get faster? No comprende.

As far as representation, there’s Batalon, Filipino American, there’s “Mike,” played by Ryan Jinn, and there’s “Nikki,” the Asian femme fatale Harley Quinn-esque giddy killer, played by Christin Park. I was a bit uncomfortable with what seemed to be Mike’s major purpose as eye candy. He is blatantly objectified. I thought, “We’re there already? We’ve gone from no decent roles for male Asian actors to eye candy?” Nikki turns out to have an appealing soft side that is unexpectedly brought out in episode five. It was the only subplot of the series that I enjoyed.

The cast, who are immeasurably more interesting in person, have big dreams for “Reginald” and it’s too bad the show doesn’t live up to them. “The metaphors that we use vampirism for….[are like] American society today,” Batalon told the Weekly. “We portray them as these beautiful Hollywood standardlooking people who are not as deep. Having me…who doesn’t look like a Hollywood leading man type and who is a thoughtful person…enigmatic and all over the place, I think it’s important to know that…it’s not just one thing of [being] a vampire.” If we needed to know that. I’m not sure we did! I’m happy

Batalon in this non-standard role,

and I hope it continues, for the

of all non-typical-Hollywood or vampire types

Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

A dialogue with Secretary of State Steve Hobbs is organized by Northwest Asian Weekly at Joyale Restaurant.

Photo provided by Jason Liu