PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 746 Seattle, WA
VOL 40 NO 28 JULY 10 – JULY 16, 2021
FREE 39 YEARS YOUR VOICE
Boba cafe destroyed AAPI community
shows support for Bruce Harrell
Photo from Young Cho’s GoFundMe page
Owner: all my life savings
By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY An early morning fire on July 5 destroyed multiple businesses in White Center, including a brand new boba tea cafe that was set to have a grand opening later this month. Sharon Lei, one of the owners of Nuggi Boba and Bingsu, told KIRO 7, “This is my first business… all my savings. I sold my car for this.” Lei and Young Cho have created a GoFundMe page to help them rebuild their cafe. Cho wrote, “We have been working tirelessly for months to bring the community of White Center something special to add to the multitude of other great locally owned businesses…. The shop is a complete loss,
and it is heartbreaking to see everything disappear into ash and rubble.” Cho added, “We wanted to create a safe space for all to come and be a part of, as our lives move forward from the pandemic. Hopefully, with your help we will be able to rebuild, count our blessings and move forward with a community space to share our laughs and enjoy each other.” The flames started in the basement of The Lumber Yard Bar and spread. Investigators believe it was accidental and not caused by fireworks. In addition to The Lumber Yard Bar, White Center’s first LGBTQ bar, other businesses impacted include La Típica Oaxaqueña, a Mexican grocery store; Rat City Tattoo; and see BOBA on 14
Photo by Assunta Ng
Rubble after fire ripped through Nuggi Boba Cafe on July 5.
Doug Baldwin (right) introduced Bruce Harrell at a June 30 fundraiser.
By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Changing the narrative on the Chinatown-International District so that it gets prioritized, not overlooked. That statement was met with resounding applause on July 1 at China Harbor Restaurant—where approximately 200 supporters of
CID murals: Past, present, and future in one By Andrew Hamlin NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Cindy Wong has lived in Seattle almost her whole life. She’s a University of Washington graduate, a mother, a writer, and a businesswoman. The new project she’s spearheaded will stand visible to anyone passing through the Chinatown-International District (C-ID), and hopefully, inspire anyone who sees it, to feel and think. In collaboration with two Cindy Wong’s Starhug mural
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Seattle mayoral candidate Bruce Harrell gathered for a fundraiser organized by local Asian leaders. Harrell, who is Black and Japanese, was introduced by former Seattle Seahawk Doug Baldwin as a “get things done kind of person.” Attendees of the event, touted as “Building a Great Seattle Together,” were also treated to a martial arts see HARRELL on 15
THE INSIDE STORY SPORTS The Layup Drill 8
PUBLISHER’S BLOG Navigating postpandemic life 9
ON THE SHELF ‘Minor Feelings’: reckons with Asian American consciousness in a major way 10
see CID MURALS on 15
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