LETTER FROM READER 

■LETTER Reader responds to article on mass business exodus from Chinatown

As a formerly homeless resident of Chinatown who has in the last year been blessed with permanent housing and an actual way to deal with my life-long substance abuse issue that caused me to be homeless, I feel that it’s important to say that we are all responsible for our own decisions and minimizing someone’s responsibility for their actions only emboldens them and others.

I truly feel terrible about what I have seen happen to these businesses that have been here for generations who have been hit so hard by this overwhelming tidal wave of drug addiction and mental illness being condensed into one small area.

Ironically, these people who have had their business so negatively impacted by this were the most kind and generous to me when I was homeless. Many times, they fed me and helped me with other things I needed, completely out of the kindness of their hearts. It’s my opinion that you can explain or minimize guilt however you choose but the bottom line is, no one has the right to endanger anyone else’s personal safety or their right to work hard and support their loved ones.

I take full responsibility for my actions when I was actively using in the street and was just as much a part of the problem as anyone else and for that I am sorry, yet mere words are why we are all in this mess together, whether through unfulfilled promises or just people plainly wanting to blame others for their actions.

I sincerely wish there was some way to change all of this and save Chinatown but as much as it hurts me to say, the problems are now so systemic that only complete change in every aspect of the word would be necessary and until the powers that be are willing to make some unpopular but desperately needed changes, things will go on as as they have. 

— John Ronnfeld

To see other letters about CID homelessness and public safety issues, go to https://bit.ly/3NwAjEv

DENTISTRY from 10

“There were those along the way who frowned upon the length of my journey, but the way I looked at it, I was going to be whatever age I would be and be a dentist vs. be that age and not be one.”

While attending dental school, Yamashiro visited an aunt in Tacoma, and decided to move here.

“I love Seattle…I say, ‘I love Seattle’ out loud to myself as I’m out and about exploring Seattle’s parks, urban walks, and hikes with my rescue dog, Harry-san…I think we live in one of the most beautiful places on earth, surrounded by mountains and water. And Seattle has the best foods!”

Yamashiro is often in the Chinatown-International District. You might see her playing taiko.

“Around eight years ago, I was having a sushi lunch in Seattle. Playing on their screen were taiko drummers! Watching taiko performers made me want to learn how to play.” She joined Seattle Kokon Taiko, who have started performing live again after COVID-19 lockdowns.

“We couldn’t be happier to be performing again for our community.” This passion for learning informs everything Yamashiro does, be it dentistry or playing taiko, flamenco guitar, or ukulele.

“My dad taught himself how to play the ukulele. It was rare for him to be without it. He took it with him everywhere…Once, as he played his ukulele, he said to me, ‘If you know how to play, you’ll never feel lonely.’” Living far from her family, Yamashiro takes this to heart.

People wonder how she could have traded Hilo for Seattle, yet she feels at home here.

“Hilo is the rainy side of the Big Island, where rain clouds hover over Hilo, unable to get over the mountain. It rains way more in Hilo than it does in Seattle.”

She also knows that, while they might not have understood at first her passion for dentistry or her relocation to the Mainland, her family backs her.

“I have my parents to thank for their sacrifices and for giving me the support to pursue whatever it was that I wanted…When your parents provide you with a safety net, you feel like you can do anything in the world because if you fail, you can always come home.”

As Yamashiro recalls, growing up, they didn’t have much but her parents, who have now passed, “had the biggest hearts.” Her dad’s parents were from Okinawa, and her mom’s father was from Japan, while her mom’s mother was born in Hawai’i. Yamashiro is the youngest of three older sisters who live in Hilo.

“My mom was the best cook. Our favorite was her fried chicken. I remember we could each have only two chicken wings. We were sure to not miss a piece and ate our share to the bone!”

This strong family background has made Yamashiro’s practice something like a family, too. When you walk in, you will be greeted cheerfully by staff, and by Yamashiro’s rescue dog, Harry, who stays in her office and behind reception. There will be loyal clients in the lobby and the reassuring rhythm of professionals at work in clean procedure rooms.

“I always wanted a holistic dentist,” said patient Michelle Mui. “Dr. Y provides non-toxic treatments for dental procedures. She is very patient and detail-oriented. I travel over 28 miles to see Dr. Y...I felt that Dr. Y really listens to me and does her best to meet my needs.”

“There’s nothing to lose by going for what calls to you, no matter what age,” said Yamashiro.

Ecologic Dentistry—The Natural Choice is open three days a week in Bonney Lake. 

Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

HOLLYWOOD CHINESE from 9

circumstances, why an actor chooses a particular role, whether that be economic or artistic. Christopher Lee, if he wouldn’t do [Fu Manchu], then the cast and crew [working with him] wouldn’t have the jobs.

“But that doesn’t excuse the effects of yellowface, how it denied the Chinese actors the chance to take on these roles at that time. How it perpetuated a certain look and a certain set of mannerisms that we see as audience members.”

The series begins Nov. 4 with a screening of “Hollywood Chinese” itself. Dong himself leads a post-screening discussion, moderated by Academy Museum Director and President Jacqueline Stewart.

Other highlights of the series include the evening of Nov. 5, when James Hong, 93 years old and celebrating an astounding 68 years in acting, appears in person for a screening of two of his most famous films, “Big Trouble In Little China and “Black Widow.”

The final program, for Nov. 27, features female Chinese Americans taking matters into their own hands outside Hollywood.

“The Arch” had a female Hollywood star, Lisa Lu, and a female director, Tang Shu Shuen, but was shot in Hong Kong. Joan Chen, frustrated with contemporary Hollywood conditions, went to mainland China and Tibet to shoot “Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl,” a devastating tale of China’s cultural revolution that landed her in trouble with Chinese censors. Chen herself will lead a post-screening conversation.

Asked which films in the series represented the most crucial turning points, Dong singled out “Flower Drum Song” and “The Joy Luck Club.”

“Flower Drum Song,” elaborated Dong, marked the first time “where there was a majority Asian American cast of Asian characters. It was about contemporary Chinese Americans, but it was also a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. So that was pretty impactful, I think, for the American public to see that.

“And it took until ‘Joy Luck Club’ for [a majority Asian cast] to happen again. From 1961 to 1993, you do the math! That was not only critically acclaimed, but was a box office success. That had the majority Asian American cast, and definitely about contemporary Chinese American characters.” 

For more detailed information on the “Hollywood Chinese: The First 100 Years” series, visit academymuseum.org/ en/programs/series/hollywood-chinesethe-first-100-years.

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

Proposals will be received for KC000704, Program Management & Owner Advisory Services for Mouth of Duwamish Program; by King County Procurement and Payables Section until 12:00 PM on November 22, 2022. This contract includes submittal of an Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) Innovation Plan. The ESJ Innovation Plan details the approach, strategies, and actionable steps to maximize the participation of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women Business Enterprise (WBE) firms. MBE and WBE firms must be certified by the State of Washington Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises. Small Contractor and Supplier (SCS) goals also apply. Total Estimated Price for Phase 1: $3,700,000

Total Estimated Price for all Phases: $25,000,000

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

Contact: Melissa Jordan, mejordan@ kingcounty.gov, (206) 263-4005

Predictions and advice for the week of November 5–11, 2022

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat—You could attract what you put out there, so do make an effort to put your best foot forward. Dragon—If someone else had been taking the lead, you could soon be called to take a more pivotal role.

Ox—Although it is easy to assume, what you see on the outside may not show what is going on within.

Tiger—Sometimes change is so gradual that you hardly notice. When you do, aim to go forward instead of moving backwards.

Rabbit—It was hard to ignore the doubts, but your diligence and research will pay you unexpected dividends. Snake—Content to go on as you had been? Don’t let complacency keep you from making a necessary switch.

Horse—Are you trying to plug back in after some time away? Ease back in at a pace that works for you.

Goat—Holding on to some outdated notions? Embrace change rather than waiting for it to catch up with you. Monkey—It might not amount to much now, but every little bit saved could eventually add up to quite a bit.

Rooster—Getting everyone on the same page can be challenging, but you have the skills to make it happen.

Dog—Don’t sacrifice comfort for style. If you feel good, that will show, as opposed to discomfort.

Pig—There is much happening behind the scenes. Luckily you are well positioned to know what is coming.

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, 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 care when determining your sign.

AAPI from 1

surpass by a wide margin an already high level of voting during the 2020 elections, despite the fact many factors that precipitated the robust response are now missing.

Moreover, issues that motivate AAPI voters are both surprising and multitudinous, with priorities varying across sub-ethnic groups.

The poll, undertaken by Garin-Hart-Yang Research, was one of the first attempts to tackle differences among the many communities that are broadly considered part of the AAPI camp, according to Brad Jenkins, president and CEO of the AAPI Victory Fund.

Shifting priorities

It was found, among AAPI voters in general, that while bigoted rhetoric from the Trump White House and anti-Asian hate crimes had motivated voters in the past, today’s voters are mostly concerned with issues of financial security.

“A majority of [AAPI] voters are most motivated by issues that affect the cost of living,” putting their concerns on par with every other group polled, according to the survey.

AAPI voters also shared the popular belief that many of the Biden administration’s initiatives would increase economic wellbeing. These included expanded access to health care, guaranteed social security, paid sick and family leave, and universal child and elderly care.

Still, a key take-away from the polling is the crucial role younger AAPI voters will play, said Jenkins.

Take voter turnout. During the pandemic, more people from AAPI communities voted in part because of the increase in mail-in ballots, the extensions offered, and other mitigating efforts.

Now over half (53%) of AAPI voters plan to vote in person.

But when it comes to younger voters, aged 18-34, the number rises to 60%.

Even on issues traditionally thought to engage mostly older voters, such as drug pricing reform, a tsunami of younger AAPI voters supports such initiatives—such as capping monthly insulin charges or allowing Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies.

Those between 18-34 are 79% in favor of these initiatives, while an older contingent, of those between 50-64, are actually slightly less enthusiastic, with 73% endorsing these policies.

Also reflecting the power of the younger generation, which tends to be more politically active, recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings weigh heavily into the calculus of AAPI voters.

Gun control is now the third most important issue. This is followed by a widespread commitment to candidates that support abortion rights—69% prefer them while only 18% would support a nationwide ban on abortion.

Likewise, most AAPI voters are opposed to any Republican plans to ban books from school libraries.

Roughly three out of four, or 75%, endorsed the statement that they wanted to give their children “an honest and accurate education so that they are prepared to succeed in a diverse society.”

Still, Democratic candidates do not hold sole sway over AAPI voters.

In fact, while the community traditionally supports Democrats, there has been a slight drop in such support and a simultaneous rise in support for Republican candidates, however slight.

In 2020, 56% of AAPI voters supported Democrats. In 2022, that fell to 51%.

As for Republicans, in 2020, 34% of AAAI voters showed support. This year, that has increased to 36%.

In areas of traditional Democrat strength, such as environmental conservation, abortion, and gun control, AAPI voters support Democrats by wide margins.

But in areas such as immigration, the economy, and the cost of living, Republicans are pulling ahead by narrow margins.

Polling sub-ethnic groups

AAPI Victory Fund, a political action committee for the AAPI community, was founded seven years ago by a group that included the late Norman Mineta, the first Asian American to hold a Cabinet position.

The fund’s commissioning of the poll, along with a handful of other advocacy groups, was intended to derive specific data not only about AAPI preferences in general but the many sub-ethnic groups under the overall umbrella.

The poll focused on the battleground states of Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada. But it initially found that only 15% of voter data in these states was divisible into sub-ethnic categories.

Voter outreach varies so much, depending on different communities, that the data was unhelpful.

“It doesn’t tell much if it just says someone is Asian,” said Jenkins. “But it tells a lot if it says someone is Indian American or Filipino American.”

AAPI Victory Fund and its partners hired Catalyst to clarify the data through data modeling, which included making phone calls and checking public records.

Some of the variegated results revealed that although the AAPI community is highly motivated to vote overall, the least motivated were East Asians who completed the survey in their native language—a sign of language barriers.

Also, it was found that across East Asian, Southeast Asian, and South Asian voters, the single most unifying issue was health care and prescription drug prices.

From the outside in

Jenkins, who ended up running Will Ferrell’s production company, before launching his own, said he first joined Obama’s campaign as a volunteer because, “I saw my own story in then-Senator Obama’s story.”

With a Black father and a Korean American mother, as a child, he did not feel accepted in either world.

“I grew up an outsider,” he said.

A year ago, he was asked to become president and CEO of the AAPI Victory Fund.

For a community that was largely left out of the conversation until recently, “polling is one of the biggest things we did this year,” he said. 

Mahlon can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

PINK GORILLA from 1

of Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, and Yu-Gi-Oh cards (over $1,000), and $346 in cash.

Owners told KOMO-TV it’s the first time in 17 years there has been an armed robbery, though the store has been broken into four times in the last six months.

Cody Spencer said, “I work almost every single day of the week and it’s things like this—the break-ins, armed robberies that completely make you think what I am doing, like what the hell is the point.”

Police still haven’t caught the robber. 

SIM from 1

He is the city’s first Chinese Canadian mayor and the leader of the newly formed ABC Vancouver party which wants to hire 100 new police officers and 100 mental health nurses as part of a community approach to policing.

Born to Chinese immigrants and raised in Vancouver, Sim has a business degree and previously worked as an accountant and investment banker. He also co-founded two Vancouver-based companies—Rosemary Rocksalt and Nurse Next Door, with over 8000 team members, Nurse Next Door now serves over 200 locations across three countries.

Sim first entered politics in 2018 and had an unsuccessful first run for mayor.

He is married to Teena Gupta and they have four sons. 

NOTICE

Request for Proposals

King County Housing Authority is issuing a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) from qualified applicants for Cleaning and Decluttering Services. To submit an application, view the RFPs on our website: https://www.kcha. org/business/professional/open/. Applications due on Friday, November 11, 2022 at 4:30 PM.

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FLOYD’S KILLING from 11

that team. Frank is an experienced attorney who also won a guilty plea in the case of Lois Riess, a Minnesota woman who became notorious for killing her husband in 2018, then killing a woman in Florida and assuming her identity before she was captured.

Schleicher is a former federal prosecutor who led the prosecution of the man who admitted to the 1989 kidnapping and killing of Jacob Wetterling, whose initial disappearance helped inspire a 1994 federal law requiring states to establish sex offender registries.

Defense

Kueng, who is Black, was the youngest of the four officers at the scene and a rookie, just days on the job. His personnel file, which says he speaks, reads and writes Russian, did not list any disciplinary actions. At his federal trial, he testified that he deferred to Chauvin because Chauvin was his senior officer and that is what he had been trained to do.

His attorney, Tom Plunkett, represented another former Minneapolis police officer in a high-profile case. Mohamed Noor was convicted in the 2017 fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, who had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault.

Thao, who is Hmong American, was Chauvin’s partner the day of Floyd’s killing and an eight-year veteran. City records showed six complaints against Thao, and he was the subject of a 2017 federal lawsuit accusing him and another officer of excessive force.

During his federal trial, Thao testified that on the day of Floyd’s arrest, he served as “a human traffic cone” to keep traffic away from the other officers. He said his role was crowd control, and he presumed Floyd was breathing.

His attorney, Bob Paule, was a public defender before he started his own practice. His website says he obtained a rare notguilty verdict for a murder defendant via a mental illness defense. He also said he was part of a team that got 23 murder charges dismissed in another case, after challenging that prosecutors acted with misconduct during grand jury proceedings.

George Floyd

Floyd, 46, moved to Minneapolis from Houston several years before his death in hopes of finding work but had lost his job as a restaurant bouncer due to COVID-19. On May 25, 2020, an employee at a Minneapolis grocery store called the police saying Floyd tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill.

His girlfriend, Courteney Ross, tearfully testified at Chauvin’s trial that she met Floyd in 2017 at a Salvation Army shelter, and that she and Floyd both struggled with addiction to opioids. She said he suffered an overdose in March 2020, but then had been clean for many weeks. She said she suspected he began using again about two weeks before his death because his behavior changed. She said both she and Floyd “tried really hard to break that addiction many times.”

One of Floyd’s brothers, Philonise Floyd, testified at Chauvin’s trial that George Floyd was a leader in the family, and that they grew up poor in Houston’s Third Ward.

“He used to make the best banana mayonnaise sandwiches,” Philonise Floyd recalled, saying: “George couldn’t cook. He couldn’t boil water.”

The jury

A jury of 16 Hennepin County residents will be picked to hear the evidence, and 12 will ultimately deliberate. Their names will be kept confidential until further court order. Hundreds of jurors were summoned, and sent a 17-page questionnaire to gauge their experiences and thoughts on issues including civil rights, policing and their overall trust of officers. 

ISRD from 1

locate his businesses in the neighborhood to support the community and sense of belonging. Issues of safety and displacement are important to him. He wants to make sure that the neighborhood’s history is not forgotten. He is currently serving his first term on the Board.

Tanya Woo grew up in the CID community. She and her family are part of the Louisa Hotel ownership group. She was involved with the rehabilitation of the building and the preservation of the historic jazz murals. She is active in the community, volunteering for several organizations, including the CID Community Watch. She is a current member of the King County Landmarks Commission. She wants to serve on the Board to help preserve the CID’s cultural legacy, while also being mindful about how the built environment is used today and how decision-making impacts the future of the neighborhood.

Chuo-Han (Hugo) Yang works in the neighborhood. He has two years of residential project development experience and more than five years of real estate development experience with a civil engineering background. He believes his experience will benefit the Board and help the CID to thrive.

Two candidates are seeking Position #5 for At-Large

Jane Gei Chan is a long-time advocate for the CID who has been active with issues that impact the neighborhood, including Sound Transit station planning and the proposed SODO shelter. She is a Cantonese-speaker who understands what residents and businesses face. She is a supporter of the Wing Luke Asian Museum and has participated in the CID night patrols. She would like to serve on the Board to help make sure the neighborhood remains vibrant and to preserve the deep historical roots of the Asian American community.

Nella Kwan has been active with the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce since 2013. She has helped host and serve as master of ceremonies for community events and family associations. She is a board member of Kin On, a representative for Seafair, and a member of the Seattle Center’s Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. She considers the CID her second home and wishes to continue to apply her knowledge, understanding of the community, and unbiased insight and perspectives to her work with the ISRD Board. She speaks Mandarin and Cantonese. She is currently serving her first term on the Board.

The current board members are Lizzy Baskerville (Vice-Chair), Ryan Gilbert, Nella Kwan, Adrian Lam, Michael Le, Andy Yip (Chair), and Ming Zhang. Kwan and Le’s terms will end on Nov. 30. Since an election could not be held in 2020, candidates elected to Positions #3 and #5 in 2021 are serving only a one-year term to retain staggered term limits. 

TAN DUN from 5

Downing of Hyperacuity and Eric Hanson of Blueplanet VR, the short film of about 12 minutes was supported in large part by Mimi Gates, who sits on the board of the Dunhuang Foundation, and who helped the creators compile incredible footage which the audience will enjoy in full surround sound and 3D. In this way, viewers will be able to see the beautiful art of the caves in a way that perhaps not even a visitor in person would be able to enjoy. At your leisure, and minus the intense journey to the caves, and any interrupting tourists, viewers will be enraptured by up-close and personal images of the interior of several major caves in the Mogao complex.

Finally, “Ghost Opera,” also at Octave 9, realizes Tan Dun’s ideal of becoming a shaman of both eastern and western art and spirituality. A quartet made up of Andy Liang and Mae Lin on violin, Olivia Chew on viola, and Eric Han on cello, the “Opera” calls to mind both Bach and Shakespeare, as well as Chinese Opera. Accompanying music will include Carrie Wang on pipa, and sound effects with stones, water, and paper, meant to create, according to the Symphony and Tan Dun, “a dialogue between past and future, nature and spirit.”

Taken altogether, “The Musical World of Tan Dun” offers as immersive an experience into the natural world and Buddhist theology as Tan Dun himself would have had composing each piece. 

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 6.

FIRE from 6

And as the cooler, fall weather arrives, concerns are growing that these fires are going to occur more frequently.

Journalist Jonathan Choe posted a video on his Twitter account (@choeshow) showing the flames burning trees along the I-5 corridor near 8th Avenue South and South Weller Street on Oct. 23.

Several tents were torched, along with nearby trees, and no one was hurt.

The building that used to house Tsue Chong Company is close by. Building owner Tim Louie told the Northwest Asian Weekly that he intends to sell the property as the situation has not improved.

We reported in July a petition by the neighborhood to ask the Washington State Department of Transportation and the City of Seattle to clear the land after a different fire in the homeless encampment behind the length of the block.

Louie told us that “nothing has been done so far.”

Kim Ngan of Vuu’s Beauty School describes her business location as being the “beginning of the homeless village” and that “it’s a horrible time” to be a business owner being surrounded by homelessness.

She said they “are not homeless anymore, they are criminals.”

The fire on Oct. 23 burned approximately 500 square feet of the encampment with flames reaching 30 feet high, according to the Seattle Fire Department (SFD).

The SFD also said no private property was damaged and that there was nothing suspicious about the fire. 

PHOTOS BY JOHN LIU

find us on youtube

youtube.com/watch?v=qEkk1EyJ0Qc

A brief discussion of Washington State 2022 Election Challenges with Washington’s Secretary of State, Steve Hobbs.

youtube.com/watch?v=rbRpW5NZnMw&t

Seattle celebrates 1st Asian Mayor Bruce Harrell at Joyale Seafood Restaurant.

youtube.com/watch?v=VE9BA7KkbKc&t

The Story of Seattle Chinatown International District Murals details events from the pandemic, to anti-Asian hate, protests against police brutality, vandalism, and ultimately triumph when a community united.