VOL 35 NO 7 | FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

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

VOL 35 NO 7

FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

FREE 34 YEARS YOUR VOICE

HAPPY

L u n a r n e w

8 12 13 A LUV INFOGRAPHIC FASHION PICTORIAL YEAR OF THE MONKEY 3 10 2 WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? THE ORIGINS OF UNCOMMON NEW YEAR TRADITIONS

FOR ALL CHINESE ZODIAC ANIMALS!

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FAMOUS PEOPLE SOME ARE MONKEYS, TOO!

NWAW’S LUNAR NEW YEAR SHOW!

MUST-EATS ’NUFF SAID, REALLY

SEE HOW BELLEVUE IS CELEBRATING IT

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

Image by Stacy Nguyen/NWAW

y e a r

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FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

■ LUNAR NEW YEAR

Bellevue Square ushers in Year of Monkey with celebration

By Nina Huang Northwest Asian Weekly

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Photos by Stacy Nguyen, Assunta Ng/NWAW

For the fifth year in a row, the Bellevue Collection will be hosting its annual Lunar New Year celebration at Bellevue Square’s center court on Feb. 20 from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Decorations have already started to go up in all three facilities: Bellevue Place, Lincoln Square, and Bellevue Square.

Jennifer Leavitt, Bellevue Collection’s vice president of marketing, explained that the decorations are a way for the visitors to “really get a sense of the spirit of celebration.”

This year’s event will feature more performances than those of previous years.

Visitors can expect hands-on arts and crafts activities, beautiful displays, lion and dragon dances, and more for everyone in the family. There will be an area where people can participate in the art of Chinese calligraphy, which has been a popular attraction in the past celebrations.

In addition, Din Tai Fung will also provide samples during the event. There will also be opportunities for the visitors to take photos with performers in their colorful and beautiful costumes.

Leavitt explained that the lion dance is probably the fan favorite because it holds everyone’s attention right away with all its color and energy.

In addition, performances will include dancers of different ages performing various cultural dances. Stores will also get involved in the celebration by decorating their store-

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Asian-owned, Asian-themed, and Asian-decorated businesses in (or near) the Bellevue Collection: 1. Fresh N More 2.

Moksha Indian Cuisine 3. P.F. Chang’s China Bistro 4. The Tateuchi Center 5. HSBC bank 6. Blue C Sushi 7. Forever 21 8. Crate and Barrel’s Lunar New Year display 9. Red Mango 10. Na Hoku 11. Uniqlo 12. Din Tai Fung 13. Panda Express

fronts and windows.

The Bellevue Collection could see up to 40,000 visitors on a typical Saturday. Since this is a special event, Leavitt expects a larger

number throughout the day.

“This is a diverse community, and people come to celebrate their heritage. There is a wonderful mix of people who attend the event

for different reasons; to understand the Lunar New Year, or to see beautiful exhibits, art, and dance,” Leavitt said.

“We couldn’t have done it without the help of our community partners. They always bring the participants, and a lot of hard work and coordination of sponsorships are done by the organizations and associations,” she said.

The Seattle Chinese Culture and Arts Association, Taiwan Benevolent Association of America, and the Overseas Community Affairs Council plan the event together.

Gillian Lamont, marketing communications coordinator, said that the stores get involved in the festivities as well.

“We start in advance to help them better understand the actual tradition of the new year, like what things are important, what the colors mean, and what the cultural traditions are.”

The celebration is also an educational opportunity for the tenants.

“It’s a really fun family experience, and {see BELLEVUE cont’d on page 17}

34 YEARS YOUR VOICE

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FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

■ LUNAR NEW YEAR

Life and love with the Chinese zodiac Dragon: 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012

Monkey: 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016

Ox: 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009

Snake: 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013

Rooster: 1921, 1933, 1945 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005

Tiger: 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010

Horse: 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014

Dog: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006

Rabbit: 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011

Sheep: 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015

Pig: 1923, 1935, 1947 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007

x people e party, O h t f o and e if ool head ys the l eping a c e Not alwa k t s. a m t e a l prob ast gre out your b are at le a k l a t to you listening

Rat peop le proba bly didn’t school b talk to y ecause t ou in hig hey were h too popu lar and a rtistic.

T RA

outgoing optimistic highly adaptable easily liked creative

Art museum

diligent honest ambitious cautious patient

stubborn greedy devious eager for power loves to gossip

e tend to er peopl ig T t u b , y hard hteous. s and rig hem fool t u l o l e a g c a y r cou Some ma elves as ee thems blindly s

R TIGE

Skydiving

confident friendly brave sensitive charming

impetuous irritable overindulgent boastful stubborn

Dragon p eople ar e vivacio will outl us, healt ive you in hy, and th a post-ap ey ocalyptic world.

ho

rs

powerful kind-hearted successful healthy enterprising

You can confess murder t they will o Rabbit take that people, a secret t nd o their g rave.

lucky kind-hearted gentle loyal judicious

ROCK-CLIMBING

clever active energetic fashionable popular

superficial prone to melancholy overly discreet generous honest

n

pliable attractive agile sympathetic wise

fiery selfish arrogant over-confident hypocritical

steadfast considerate analytical sweet calm

greedy arrogant self-indulgent lazy sneaky

sn a

SHEEP

slow pessimistic short-sighted unrealistic shy

hiking

ules, making r g up lly love a e r d showin e n l a p , o s e e p l u r r e t g Roos enforcin g rules, followin on time. to things

do

g

intelligent skillful humorous quick competitive

egotistical tricky restless snobby sloppy

roo st

sense of justice brave forthright loyal moral

self-aggrandizing unrealistic bad judgement extravagant rigid

self-righteous cold critical socially awkward wishy-washy

tolerant warm friendly faithful helpful

naive over-reliant easily angered materialistic overly nice

er

Scavenger Hunts

Pig peopl e are gre at to par because tner up w they will ith in tas do all th ks e work.

ant your tly just w s e n o h e l r.

Dog peop . Foreve riendship f d n a e v lo

watching netflix on the couch

punctual loyal independent honest organized

ke

salsa dancing

y ke Improv shows

it

Trivia nights

Sheep pe ople lov e talking smell th about st e flower opping to s — befo re they a ctually d o it.

Monkey p eople ar e the mo pee your st likely pants lau to make y ghing. ou

mo

rabb

ho are hotties w e ik -l n o m. chamele fear the ople are down or m ‘e Snake pe k c o L h money. good wit

conceited lazy tactless quick-tempered over-confident

ho g types w e outgoin r a e l p o . ath Horse pe to the de ork you w t u o l il w

e

Wine-tasting

immovable narrow-minded indifferent prejudiced not good at communication

go n dra Sporting Events

ox

pig

volunteering at animal shelters

Infographic by Han Bui/NWAW

Rat: 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008

asianweekly northwest

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FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

■ COMMUNITY NEWS Facing East owner charged with avoiding tax payment of almost $400K Yu-Ling Wong, the majority owner of Taiwanese restaurant Facing East, was charged with first-degree theft and tax fraud by Bob Ferguson, Washington state’s attorney general on Feb. 5.

She was charged for avoiding the payment of $394,835 in state sales tax through the use of an illegal software tool, according to the attorney general.

Among other discrepancies, auditors picked out signs of the alleged fraud by noticing that only about 7 percent of Facing East’s sales from 2010 to 2013 were in cash, which is unusual compared to the industry average of 22 to 30 percent. Wong had been investigated for a year regarding this alleged fraud sales payment.

Facing East opened in downtown Bellevue in 2007. According to Wong, she created the menu borrowing influences from food vendors in the streets of Taiwan.

“I’m trying to recreate here most things that people eat in Taiwan,” said Wong, according to Seattle Weekly News in 2007.

In an interview with 425 Magazine, in 2013, Wong said that she flies back to Taiwan regularly to get ideas for her restaurant by taking cooking lessons from local chefs.

According to the complaint filed on Feb. 5, Wong used a zapper associated with a program called Profitek. A zapper is software designed to erase certain types of cash

Photo by Kasey Lau/NWAW

By Emiri Aoki and Stacy Nguyen Northwest Asian Weekly

When it opened in 2007 in Bellevue, Facing East was known for bringing the Taiwanese “pork burger,” or gua bao, the Greater Seattle area.

The so-called zapper software is illegal to use in Washington state. transactions and creates false sales books.

The so-called zapper software is illegal to use in Washington state.

The Profitek software was created by InfoSpec Systems Inc., a software company based in Vancouver, Canada. According to

its website, Profitek specializes in “point-ofsale (POS) solutions for the hospitality and retail industries.”

InfoSpec Systems Inc’s president is Pius Chan. According to a 2013 report from Globe and Mail, the British Columbia Court

of Appeal stated that Chan sold zappers along with Profitek, knowing the programs would facilitate tax evasion.

While initially convicted, InfoSpec Systems Inc., appealed in 2013, arguing that the sale of software designed to facilitate tax evasion is not fraud itself.

According to CTV News, legislation banning sale suppression tools passed in Canada, and went into effect Jan. 1, 2014.

In 2013, Washington state passed a law that made “automated sales suppression devices, phantom-ware, electronic cash registers or point of sale systems used with automated sales suppression devices or phantom-ware, and any property constituting proceeds traceable” illegal (RCW 82.32.290).

Wong admitted to the use of the software at the end of each month to delete cash transactions in a computer, and gave up a USB drive that contains the software to authorities, according to the complaint by the attorney general.

The complaint also said that Wong told the attorney general’s office that the money removed from the sales books was used to pay kitchen staff under the table.

Wong can be imprisoned for 43 to 57 months (3 years and 7 months to 4 years and 9 months), with an additional 10 years, if the court finds aggravating circumstances, according to the attorney general’s office.  Emiri Aoki and Stacy Nguyen can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

Thank you for your support.

We couldn’t have done it without you.

SPONSORS

Buckley & Associates ▪ Seattle Family Regional Center ▪ Ying Kam Chan Eng Fidelity Accounting Tax Service ▪ Ron Chow Faye Hong ▪ Lee & Lee, PS ▪ Walsh Design ▪ Dr. Douglas Louie ▪ Gei and Matt Chan ▪ Kwan Louie ▪ Zhou Nam ▪ Jerry and Charlene Lee ▪ Mimi G. Gates Real Homes Realty ▪ Bellevue Embroidery ▪ Felicity Wang ▪ Vi Mar MASTER OF CEREMONIES

Nelson Lee

Show organizer Gei Chan

JUDGES Herb Bridge — Co-chair of Ben Bridge Jeweler Mimi Gates — Emeritus Executive Director of Seattle Art Museum Miriam Lisco — Walsh Design Vi Mar — Former President of Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce

PRIZE SPONSORS

MODELS

Ben Bridge, Fortune Casino, Dim Sum King, Modern Trading, Judy Lui, Northwest Asian Weekly, Seattle Chinese Post, Elizabeth Younger, Pho Cyclo Cafe, Lee & Lee, PS

Jerry Lee, Charlene Lee, Starla Sampaco, Althea Chow, Kian Liddell, Sage Liddell, Denise Quach, Ruby Luke, Max Reikosley, Tracy Tram Nguyen, Daniel Nguyen, Gabi Goyette, Michael Clawson, Marielle Goyette, Wanxia Ye, Lucy Meng, Xiao Ming, Dawn Cheung, Khuyen Do, Gwen Huynh, Ying Hui Chen, Ying Kam Chan Eng, Andrea Louie, Jenny Yang, Angela Ng, Joanne Chan, McKenna Coleman, Taylor Coleman, Avi Spillers, Tran To, Shut Ming Chen, and Li Wen Chen

HONORARY COMMITTEE Herb Bridge, Mimi Gates, Vi Mar, Miriam Lisco, Faye Hong, Ken Tao, Kwan Louie, Melissa Milburn, Thu Ngo, and Gary Tang

PLANNING COMMITTEE Gei Chan, Evelyn Hou, Belinda Louie, Joseph Fong, Matt Chan, John Liu, Rebecca Ip, and Stacy Nguyen

VOLUNTEERS Naomi Barry, Pat Wakazuru, Merrily Taniguchi, Max A. Chan, Andre Chow, Eugene Tagawa, Chris Barry, Pauline Lau, Van Vong, and Chris Barry

Models Charlene and Jerry Lee

Performer Bob Santos

Emcee Nelson Lee

Lunar New Year Fashion Show Contest

Celebrate with Style

Presented by Northwest Asian Weekly/Seattle Chinese Post and Foundation

February 6 ▪ House of Hong Restaurant Watch the video of the fashion show at bit.ly/1o0f94s

34 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ education

FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

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Community and commissions want to tackle unequal student discipline

Around fifty parents, youths, educators, and community members attended a Saturday afternoon event at El Centro de la Raza in Seattle Jan. 30 to discuss unfair school discipline practices, especially the unequal distribution of suspensions and expulsions among students of color in Washington state’s school system.

To encourage local community discussions on this problem, which contributes to the national problem of a school-to-prison pipeline, three Washington state commissions and a White House initiative sponsored the Education Roundtable on School Discipline.

The Commission on African American Affairs (CAAA), the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA), and the Commission on Hispanic Affairs (CHA) organized the event, in partnership with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI).

The current state of things Courtney Chappell, regional director of the White House initiative, stressed the importance of addressing discriminatory school discipline, as well as bullying and lowgraduation rates. The Obama administration is providing resources and services to respond at the national level.

Photos by Ador Pereda Yano

By Ador Pereda Yano Northwest Asian Weekly

James Smith, from the Commission on African American Affairs

Frieda Takamura, from the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs

Uriel Iñiguez, executive director of CHA, who welcomed the community to the event, stated the basic problem — students of color are being suspended or expelled disproportionately and are not receiving the educational support they need in order to succeed. He said that there are enough studies and that action from the parents, teachers, and the community are needed now to resolve student discipline issues in the schools.

The Washington state data presented during the event by Mike Brunet, board president of Washington Appleseed, which conducts the school system studies, confirmed the stark situation confronting students of color.

Statewide discipline data from the 2012–13 school year showed that Black students are 2.73 times more likely to be expelled than their white peers, while American Indian students are 2.11 times more likely to be expelled than white students. Latino students and Native

Hawaiians/Pacific Islander students are, respectively, 1.72 and 1.39 times more likely to be expelled than their white counterparts.

Brunet stressed that the majority of disciplinary incidents are for non-violent student behaviors, but minor incidents can result in significant school days missed by students.

Linking social behavior to success During the 2012–13 school year, Washington state students missed a total of 130,000 days of school due to exclusionary discipline, mostly short-term suspensions.

The data provided by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction also showed not just racial disparity but excessive disciplinary actions toward low-income students and Special Education students.

A panel of agency representatives moderated by Sara Franklin, a member of the CAAA, shared information about available resources and services at the state and federal levels that aim to protect the rights of students and their families. Wanda Billingsley, an experienced educator who is the director of Title 1 and learning assistance programs in Federal Way, described a federally supported framework called Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) that reinforces the linkage between social behavior success and academic success. In addition, Billingsley stressed that there is a real need for honest discussions about race and knowing how to recognize biases in the school system.

Panelist Sukien Luu, supervisory attorney in the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education, presented a guide for parents and student advocates filing complaints of discrimination in schools.

She described the process for investigating complaints within her region, which includes Washington state, Alaska, and Hawaii. Her team of attorneys and investigators also performs compliance reviews to ensure that school districts and educational institutions getting funding from the U.S. Department of Education are not implementing discriminatory policies. She said her office is looking seriously at the “school-to-prison pipeline” problem. {see EDUCATION cont’d on page 14}

asianweekly northwest

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FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

■ COMMUNITY calendar FRI 2/12

H WHAT: Stevens Pass

Lunar New Year Celebration WHERE: Stevens Pass Summit Stevens Pass, US Hwy. 2, Skykomish WHEN: 4–10 p.m.

COST: night tickets, 50 percent off INFO: bit.ly/1PpOPHe

FRI 2/12 & SAT 2/13 WHAT: Heartfulness Meditation’s free meditation event WHERE: 1934 108th Ave. N.E., Bellevue WHEN: 4–5 p.m.

COST: free INFO: 541-41-HEART, seattle. wa@heartfullness.org

FRI 2/12 & SAT 2/20 WHAT: CulturalFest International Expo WHERE: UW, Husky Union Building WHEN: 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m.

COST: free INFO: fiuts.org/culturalfestexpo

SAT 2/13

H WHAT: Lunar New

Year in Seattle’s Chinatown International District WHERE: The Wing, 719 S. King St., Seattle

WHEN: 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

INFO: wingluke.org, 206-6235124

H WHAT: Asia Pacific

Cultural Center Presents Indonesia, 18th Annual New Year Celebration WHERE: Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall, 2727 E. D Street, Tacoma WHEN: 10:30 a.m. –6 p.m.

COST: Free INFO: 253-383-3900, apcc96. org

H WHAT: Tacoma

Celebrates the “Year of the Monkey,” 2016 Lunar New Year Celebration WHERE: Yakima Ave. and S. 38th St., Tacoma WHEN: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

COST: free INFO: cityoftacoma.org

H WHAT: Northwest Asian

Weekly’s Kids Parade Contest WHERE: Northwest Asian Weekly’s office, 412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle WHEN: Noon REGISTRATION: required by 1:15 p.m.

INFO: 206-223-5559

WHAT: Black History Month Celebration at the MOHAI WHERE: MOHAI, 860 Terry Ave. N., Seattle WHEN: 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

COST: $7

WHAT: Poets Against Hate, 58 poets will read their works WHERE: Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Level 1, Microsoft Auditorium, Seattle WHEN: 2–5 p.m.

COST: free INFO: 206-386-4636 WHAT: First Hill Streetcar Community Celebration WHERE: 8th Ave. & King St., Seattle WHEN: 9:30–11 a.m., photo opportunity with streetcar; 10:30 a.m., lion dance COST: free rides through Feb. 15 INFO: seattlestreetcar.org

SAT 2/13–SUN 2/14

H WHAT: 20th Annual Tet

INFO: annextheatre.org

SUN 2/28

THU 2/18

H WHAT: Seattle Lee Family

WHAT: History Café: “Queer People of Color Artistry Explored” WHERE: MOHAI, Compass Café, 860 Terry Ave. N., Seattle WHEN: 6:30–7:30 p.m.

FRI 2/19 WHAT: “Seattle’s Vibrant Ethnic Media Community,” panel event WHERE: KCTS Studios, 401 Mercer St., Seattle WHEN: 9:30–11:30 a.m.

RSVP: bit.ly/1PQAF2l

FRI 2/19–SUN 2/21

in Seattle, Lunar New Year Celebration WHERE: Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St., Seattle WHEN: 11 a.m.–7 p.m.

COST: Free INFO: seattlecenter.com/festal

WHAT: Seattle Asian American Film Festival WHERE: Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle INFO: seattleaaff.org

TUEs & WEDs, THRU 2/17

WHAT: Minidoka Pilgrimage Day of Remembrance Taiko Concert WHERE: Seattle University, Pigott Hall, 901 12th Ave., Seattle WHEN: 1 p.m.

WHAT: “Do It For Umma,” a surreal comedic detective story WHERE: Annex Theatre, 1100 E. Pike St., Fl 2nd, Seattle WHEN: 7:30 p.m.

COST: $5–$10

SUN 2/21

Association Chinese New Year Spring Banquet WHERE: House of Hong Restaurant, 409 8th Ave. S., Seattle WHEN: 6 p.m.

INFO: sleewoo@yahoo.com

FRI 3/4, SAT 3/5, AND SUN 3/6 WHAT: Japanese literature public reading, “Sons” WHERE: UW, Jones Playhouse, Seattle WHEN: Fri–Sat, 7:30 p.m., Sun, 2 p.m.

COST: $8–$10 TICKETS: 206-543-4880 INFO: drama.uw.edu/ performances

SAT 3/5 WHAT: Asia Pacific Cultural Center Presents Tea Experience: Korea WHERE: Asia Pacific Cultural Center, 4851 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma WHEN: 10 a.m.

COST: $10 INFO: asiapacificculturalcenter.org/ teaexperience

H = Lunar New Year event

WA Chinese Language and Arts Competition Registration Deadline: March 2, 2016 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m., March 20, 2016 Chief Sealth International High School Age Divisions:  Grades K-2  Grades 3-5  Grades 6-8  Grades 9-12 Competition Categories:  Group Poetry Recitation  Individual Poetry Recitation  Public Speaking  Story Telling  Drawing  Chinese Singing  Talent Show  Chinese Chess  China Knowledge Bowl  Chinese Language Arts For more information, please visit www.culturalexploration.org

Happy Lunar New Year, from my family to yours. May the Year of the Monkey be a year of innovation, education, health and prosperity for all.

— Congressman Adam Smith Democrat, 9th district

34 YEARS YOUR VOICE

FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

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■ lunar new year Monkey Year predicts fire and disease!

By Louise Watt Associated Press

Image by Stacy Nguyen/NWAW

BEIJING (AP) — The new Chinese year is the one to go bananas over. On Feb. 8, the zodiac calendar enters the Year of the Monkey — the ninth of 12 animal signs. Plastic monkeys are adorning shopping centers and office buildings, and government departments have been giving out toy monkeys.

Having a baby in the Year of the Monkey is generally thought to be more auspicious than in that of its predecessor, the sheep, and the cute creature is in any case largely beloved by the masses for its playful and human-like characteristics, despite a penchant for stealing food.

The new lunar year is already boosting a fighting style that imitates the movements of a monkey. It also offers an excuse to cash

in on China’s most famous monkey — Sun Wukong, or the Monkey King — a fabled demon-slayer.

Less happily, feng shui predictions foresee fire, disease, and volatile stocks.

Here’s a look at what mischief the Year of the Monkey may have in store.

MISCHIEF Those born in the Year of the Monkey are held to be playful, mischievous, and clever — much like a monkey.

“Many people say people born in the Year of the Monkey are smart and have a very good imagination, but it is thought that their chances of achieving success are not very good, as they are less capable of executing things,” said Beijing resident {see MONKEY cont’d on page 18}

■ WORLD NEWS Angelina Jolie’s film ‘Unbroken’ finally opens in Japan more than a year later Photo from Universal Pictures

By Yuri Kageyama Associated Press

“Unbroken” (2014) movie poster

TOKYO (AP) — Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken” opened Feb. 6, more than a year after the rest of the world, in Japan, where the main character endures as a prisoner of war and where some have called for a boycott of the movie.

There were concerns that right-wing extremists may try to disrupt the opening. But the crowd at Theatre Image Forum in Tokyo, a small theater that specializes in independent films and documentaries, was peaceful, appearing engrossed in the film, flinching at the torture scenes and sympathizing with the hero, Louis Zamperini.

The distributor said in a statement that it decided to go ahead with the showing because

various views on war should be expressed, and because it was unnatural for a movie about Japan not to be shown in the country.

A publicity official said the company had received some angry calls when it first announced the film’s showing in October.

Other than that, nothing unusual happened, and the film is scheduled to be shown in other theaters throughout Japan.

“Unbroken” is based on the true story of Zamperini, an Olympic athlete who gets shot down in a U.S. bomber and survives by floating in the ocean on an inflatable boat, but gets captured by the Japanese. He survives horrible torture in World War II camps until Japan’s defeat in 1945.

Much of the negative chatter on social media in Japan about “Unbroken,” which

still continues to some extent, alleges that the movie is “anti-Japanese.”

Many taking offense at the film are outraged that the book on which the movie is based mentions that Japanese soldiers engaged in cannibalism, although the film does not touch on the subject at all. Some historians say some Japanese soldiers did engage in cannibalism.

The anger over “Unbroken” has brewed despite Japan boasting a long list of directors who made distinguished anti-war movies, including Akira Kurosawa and Kihachi Okamoto. Nagisa Oshima’s “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence,” starring David Bowie, has a plot similar to “Unbroken,” taking place in a POW camp. {see UNBROKEN cont’d on page 16}

Assunta Ng

Account Executives

John Liu

rebecca@nwasianweekly.com

Stacy Nguyen

kelly@nwasianweekly.com

Publisher assunta@nwasianweekly.com Associate Publisher john@nwasianweekly.com Editor editor@nwasianweekly.com

Han Bui

Rebecca Ip Kelly Liao John Liu

john@nwasianweekly.com

Layout Editor/Webmaster han@nwasianweekly.com

The only weekly English-language newspaper serving Washington’s Asian community. The NW Asian Weekly has one simple goal: “To empower the Asian community.”

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asianweekly northwest

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FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

■ LUNAR NEW YEAR

The hidden origins of well-known Chinese New Year traditions that one would see during the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Ever wondered why red is considered a lucky color during Chinese New Year? Or why people collect money in red envelopes?

Chinese New Year has long been a celebration of tradition for Chinese families to bring in the new year, and many of these customs originated from fascinating Chinese folklore and stories.

University of Washington student Yushen Li grew up in China’s Guangdong province. Liu learned about the Chinese New Year traditions from family and Chinese literature. She shared the story of Nian (translates as “year”) and how this beast’s visit to a Chinese village started the new year.

Red envelopes

Image by Stacy Nguyen/NWAW

By Nina Huang Northwest Asian Weekly

The Legend of Nian Nian slept through the year and would only visit a village every year around the same time looking for food. Villagers were scared and didn’t know what to do with him, but they knew he feared three things: the color red, fire, and loud noises.

Lijiao Serven, a Chinese in-

“The legend of the Nian monster”

structor who hails from Liaoning, which is part of northeast China, explained that the villagers thought, “Maybe if we have all of this in the village, then the beast won’t come here.”

The villagers decorated the town with the color red, with fire everywhere, and set off fireworks to scare off the beast. They repeated the same ritual the following year, and the tradition has since been

passed down from generation to generation, which was how the celebration of “Guo Nian” originated.

Because of Nian’s fears, the color red, lanterns, and firecrackers are the most common elements

Liu described getting red envelopes as the “best part of the new year.”

“Yia sui qian” or protection money was a way to bribe the Chinese gods during the new year.

Older people believed that when the year changes, a god would come and take children away. Giving money to the god was a way of buying protection. Now it’s become a custom to give children money in these red envelopes.

Growing up, Serven heard a different version of the red envelope story. She said there would be a devil-like monster that would come out and touch the foreheads of children. These kids would get fevers the next day, and the parents wanted to find a way to protect their kids from the beast. The parents tried to stay up at night to protect the children, but they would fall asleep, so they put metal money under the kids’ pillows. Back {see ORIGINS cont’d on page 17}

34 YEARS YOUR VOICE

FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

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asianweekly northwest

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FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

Lunar New Year done up in style Prizes were provided through generous sponsors and donors: Fortune Casino, Northwest Asian Weekly, Ben Bridge, and Lee & Lee, PS

1st: Model Starla Sampaco, Miss Teen USA 2014; ensemble by Gei Chan 2nd: Luck Ngi Musical Club 3rd: Kian Liddell, Sage Liddell, Angela Ng, McKenna Coleman, Taylor Coleman, Avi Spillers Audience’s best outfit: Lucy Meng Audience’s best model: Andrea Louie

View the video of our show at bit.ly/1o0f94s

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1 4

2

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National Beauty

Chinese Oriental Performing Arts Group

1. Winners and sponsors 2. Guests models 3. Prizes 4. Luck Ngi Musical Club performers 5. Judges, Miriam Lisco, Vi Mar, Mimi Gates, Herb Bridge 6. Jerry Lee 7. All contestants 8. Ruby Luke 9. Starla Sampaco 10. Lucy Meng 11. Dawn Cheung 12. Wanxie Ye 13. Andrea Louie

Photos by George Liu, Stacy Nguyen, Eugene Tagawa, and Evelyn Hou

On Feb. 6, Northwest Asian Weekly and the Seattle Chinese post threw their inaugural Lunar New Year Fashion Show and Contest at the House of Hong.

34 YEARS YOUR VOICE

FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

Photos by George Liu, Stacy Nguyen, Eugene Tagawa, and Evelyn Hou

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FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

■ LUNAR NEW YEAR

The year of charisma and talent Celebs exemplify their monkey sign in notable and surprising ways

By Jocelyn Moore Northwest Asian Weekly

comedies and dramas, to thrillers, Tom Hanks has gone through an array of roles since the 1970s to becoming an award-winning actor.

Notably, when he spotted a student’s ID card in Central Park recently, he went to extra lengths to track down the student by launching a viral campaign on Twitter.

Way back when China’s Jade Emperor held the Great Race to determine the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, three animals stood before a river that separated them from the finish line. The monkey, who wittily picked out lengthy branches as makeshift paddles, helped the sheep and the rooster cross the river on a raft together and claimed ninth place.

As the star of 2016, the monkey is said to be adventurous, brilliant, adaptable, vivacious, and driven — traits shared by many famous people.

Humor

Monkeys are known for their athletic abilities. Retired Houston Rockets center Yao Ming and twotime Olympic medalist figure skater Michelle Kwan have demonstrated great agility in their respective fields. Even the 11-year-old LeBron James Jr. has shown natural talent in basketball as a gifted passer, just like his father.

Outspoken and forwardthinking Having foresight and being

Image by Stacy Nguyen/NWAW

Athletic and agile

outspoken are qualities shared by many female monkey leaders.

Eleanor Roosevelt was a lifelong advocate of civil rights for Black Americans, Asian Americans, women, and refugees. Tsai Ingwen, the first female president of

Taiwan who will take office this May, attended the largest gay pride parade in Taiwan last year in support of marriage equality. Both leaders stood firmly by controversial stances of their respective times.

Driven and adaptable Determination and adaptability are essential qualities to get to the top of the rollercoaster ride that is Hollywood. From romantic

Monkeys are also well-known for their sense of humor and diverse interests. Jason Segel is a freelance wedding minister when he is not busy acting. He officiated a wedding ceremony in 2010 after a couple placed ‘help wanted’ pictures of him in his hometown. Also, Channing Tatum was a stripper before he was an actor. His exhibitionist streak is a prized quality in many monkeys.

Musical talent It should not be a surprise that monkeys are funky folks. Zooey Deschanel, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, and Celine Dion have all earned the spotlight in the music industry with their ability to sing, dance, and/or act. {see CELEBS cont’d on page 19}

34 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ LUNAR NEW YEAR

FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

13

Foods you may not know but should eat for Lunar New Year!

By Greg Young Northwest Asian Weekly

to their shape and color, which represents a gold bar.

The Lunar New Year is an ancient holiday that takes the tradition of partying down with your relatives back thousands of years. Here are some of the foods that different Asian cultures eat during their celebrations.

Long noodles represent longevity. For an extra long life, don’t break the noodles.

CHINA — THE SPRING FESTIVAL Dumplings

Dumplings are a famous delicacy that go back centuries and are a staple of the Spring Festival. Dumplings surged in popularity during the Qing Dynasty when dumpling restaurants were as ubiquitous as coffee shops today, and their prominence has remained.

Symbolically, dumplings are more than just food.

They promote good luck. In some areas, they are called jiaozi, which is very similar to the word used for money, so serving them is believed to bring good wealth. Avoid dumplings that contain sauerkraut, as it may bring a difficult future. Also, don’t serve dumplings in a circular pattern, which suggests life will go in circles, taking you nowhere.

Spring rolls

Not to be confused with the Americanized egg rolls that are typically crusty and deep fried, Chinese spring rolls are thinner on the outside and are filled with much healthier ingredients. Spring rolls actually got their name because they’re traditionally eaten during the Spring Festival. They are also symbolic of wealth, due

Long noodles

Fish

Another food representing money, the word for fish sounds similar to the word for surplus in Chinese (yú). Fish should be served at the end of dinner, with the head of the fish facing the heads of distinguished guests or elders, showing respect.

Beer

This doesn’t really have anything to do with symbolism or luck (depending on perspective at least), but Tsingtao (pronounced “ching-dao”) is the most famous beer in China, hitting the market in 1903. It remains one of the best selling beers in the world. It’s also the beer of choice for Chinese New Year, with sales skyrocketing during this time, though that may change soon. Today, the top-selling beer in the world, doubling that of Budweiser worldwide, can only be found in China: Snow.

TIBET — LOSAR

xoi banh tet

buuz

chhaang

khapse

Khapse

An absolute requirement for the proper celebration of the Tibetan New Year. It’s a dish that’s normally {see FOODS cont’d on page 15}

oseti

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FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

OPINION

In the last week, news broke that the attorney general’s office is going after Facing East, a very popular Taiwanese restaurant in Bellevue, and its owner YuLing Wong for alleged sales tax evasion.

(Read our story on this on page 4 of this issue.)

Wong is accused of pocketing nearly $400,000 in sales tax from her restaurant earnings through the use of sales suppression software that was made illegal in Washington state in 2013. The software company, based in Canada, is headed

by Pius Chan, who has had his share of negative press in regard to the software.

Dealing in cash is a common practice among Asians. Many of us have stepped into a small grocery store or a restaurant in the International District only to find a “cash only” sign posted near registers.

Part of this practice is due to the fact that East Asian people, frankly, just prefer to pay in cash. It’s a cultural tick. According to a Marketplace.org report, people in the United States pay in cash only one-third of the time. In China, people pay in cash 95 percent of the time.

What fuels this behavior is lack of trust in systems — between customer and business owners — and between consumers and banks. One way to think of it is: Why wouldn’t someone else copy down your credit card number and use it to

{EDUCATION cont’d from page 5} At the state level, Jennifer Harris from the Washington state governor’s Office of the Education Ombuds suggested how best to pursue complaints about school discipline incidents in the state. She suggested addressing behavioral challenges early before serious incidents occur.

Documentation is also very important, and for a thorough investigation of an incident, the student interview must be included to get the student’s side of the facts. Beyond school discipline problems, the Education Ombuds office also encourages parents to document and report harassment, intimidation, and bullying incidents.

What should be done During the second half of the education roundtable, members of the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight & Accountability Committee (EOGOAC), a state-mandated taskforce in the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), discussed their key recommendations, which then led to a group discussion with the community attending the event.

Committee co-chair Frieda Takamura stressed that school discipline is not a single issue existing in a vacuum. She said that it is a part of a larger system and that there must be a change in the whole school culture.

Takamura criticized the prevailing attitude that students are “problems” to be dealt with. She instead emphasized the idea that students are “assets.”

For example, multilingual students bring valuable language skills to schools they attend so these students’ skills should be nurtured, not diminished into an Englishonly language requirement. As part of changing the culture of schools, Takamura also mentioned the need for recruiting, hiring, and retaining teachers and staff of color.

Photo by Kasey Lau/NWAW

■ EDITORIAL Facing East sets bad example for Asians

Shaved ice desserts from Facing East

buy anything they want?

Additionally, Asian cultures steeped in Confucianism do not like the idea of debt — and credit cards are basically symbols of money owed.

Of course, like with many things, there can be a dark side to preponderances. Many Asian businesses — especially restaurants — have a reputation of dealing with cashonly sales so that they can underreport their

earnings and save on paying taxes, which is what Facing East is being accused of.

What is especially disheartening about this incident is that the business in question is one that deviates from the negative and stereotypical image that many people have of “Asian businesses.” Facing East is situated near the luxe area of downtown Bellevue, near the shopping center. Also, ever since they opened their doors in 2007,

James Smith, another taskforce committee for classrooms with students of color and not member, highlighted key Washington effectively preparing them to be culturally state data on school suspensions, but he responsive. Another community member also stressed that the data collected do not suggested recruiting other students as show effects of institutional racism, of volunteers to make other kids feel welcome homelessness, and other attributes that affect and supported in class. student behavior and performance. He also Near the end of the community pointed out the need for disaggregated data, discussions, there was an emotional appeal which reveal disparities within a diverse for the school policy makers to not just group such as Asian Americans. “talk the talk, but walk the walk.” This Smith explained that the taskforce focused involves funding and hiring much-needed on two categories of discipline, staff to provide students of color with mandatory (incidents involving guns, not just academic support but culturally knives, and drugs) and discretionary competent social support. Another attendee (behavioral issues). He pointed out that expressed that if kids feel rejected, they will Washington State has the highest number not flourish. One community participant of students referred to the juvenile justice system for non-criminal acts. Smith reiterated that the school-to-prison pipeline has to stop; his committee has recommended the elimination of suspension and expulsion at the elementary school level.

According to Smith, disproportional editor@nwasianweekly.com discipline applies not just to male students but also female students of color. He questioned whether the way students wear their clothes or the way they talk in class are 自1872年起服務西北岸社區 really more important than students being 非營利獨立協會 removed from school and not learning.

He stated that peopel have an obligation to educate and serve all kids, that services and opportunities for them must be created, which will requireut-of-the-box thinking to ensure that institutional racism does not influence student discipline.

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business has boomed. There are long waits at all hours of the day it seems. It’s perplexing to us, that a business that is doing so well would greedily cheat taxpayers out of their money.

What’s also unfortunate is that another successful Chinese business person created the zapper software that abetted the tax fraud. This only serves to reinforce old and harmful stereotypes about Asians.

We believe that when immigrants come to this country and become very successful, they should use their influence and resources to contribute to the local community rather than take advantage of community members. 

pointed out the need for teacher and administration accountability regarding student disciplinary actions. Too much burden is put on the student and parents; the educational process must be balanced by policies that make teachers and administrators accountable.

Finally, a community participant, Sheila Stanton, crystallized the educational issue this way: People need to understand the students as children that everyone is responsible for. “You can’t teach them if you don’t love them.”  Ador Pereda Yano can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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34 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ astrology

FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

15

Advice and predictions for Feb. 13–19, 2016

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat — Although you see the finish line, you have not crossed it yet. Keep up your efforts until you have met your goal.

Dragon — As long as you’re indifferent, there will be little to no movement. You must first open your eyes and decide to see what is actually before you.

Monkey — No great mystery exists in what must be done. The most difficult task is simply deciding to follow through once you have started.

Ox — Your sense of humor has its place, but there are times where it pays to be serious rather than flippant about a sensitive matter.

Snake — There is strength in numbers, but it is by no means necessary. As long as your core is strong, the rest will follow.

Tiger — By its very nature, a hidden agenda is not obvious. To avoid being caught off guard, be careful whom you trust.

Horse — How you carry yourself will convey much to those who are looking. Take care to show no fear and the utmost confidence in what you are doing.

Rooster — Well-intentioned advice does not replace or even equate with thinking through the options on your own. In the end, you are in the best position to know your own heart.

Rabbit — You are fortunate to receive advance warning of an impending change. Use that knowledge to your full advantage.

Goat — Soon you should be getting what you have been asking for all along. Don’t be surprised if it falls short of expectations.

Dog — Once something has gone stale, it is unlikely that it will revert back to what it once was. Perhaps you need to make a shift towards a new area.

Pig — Any lingering doubts should soon be swept away as you begin to realize just what a great opportunity you have in your hands.

What’s your animal sign?

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

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

simmered burdock root, and sweetened black soybeans. Osechi are served in special boxes prepared for formal events, such as weddings called jubako, which resemble bento boxes. and the enthronement of a lama. A khapse is a kind of Tibetan cookie that’s salted and deep Mochi Japanese rice cakes traditionally made on fried. The most traditional khapse is a mukdung, which has the length and thickness of a New Year’s Eve and eaten on New Year’s Day. Mochi is made by boiling sticky rice in man’s forearm, and deep fried in butter. a bucket-like container. The rice is then patted with water by one person, then another Chhaang A beer made of barley, chhaang also serves person slams it repeatedly with a large mallet. as an important ingredient for other dishes The rice comes out in the form of a nice, soft, throughout Losar. It is also consumed in mas- delicious, rice dumpling. sive quantities by the whole family throughout MONGOLIA — TSAGAAN SAR the holidays. {FOODS cont’d from page 13}

Guthuk

Guthuk is a Tibetan soup that is unique to Losar. The soup itself is made with chhaang and a variety of meats and/or vegetables. But what makes this soup unique is that it’s accompanied with dumplings, or balls of dough, that contain one of nine items that are both symbolic to a person’s character or future. These dumplings are not meant to be eaten.

These nine items can be wool, wood, glass, sugar, coal, and sugar (though the items do vary) or they can be pieces of paper with an item written on it that equates to the symbolism. (After all, who would want a ball of dough with a piece of glass in it?)

If a diner receives one of these items like, say, a piece of coal, then it symbolizes that person to be black-hearted.

Meanwhile, if a person gets wood, then they are a warm-hearted person.

If a person gets a chili pepper, then they are a talkative person.

Glass is someone who is happy when there’s fun to be had, but disappears when there’s work to be done. And so on and etcetera.

Changkol

A sweet-ish soup that is made from chhaang and prepared on the first morning of Losar, with the mother and father getting up at 3 a.m. to prepare this soup, which they serve to the rest of the family in bed by 3:30 a.m.

Drothuk

A Tibetan porridge that can also be served as the first dish of Losar. This porridge is made with rice, butter, raisins, and a hearty serving of yak meat. (Beef can also be used.)

JAPAN — SHOGATSU (LUNAR NEW YEAR, PRIOR TO THE MEIJI PERIOD)

Osechi

Osechi is a special selection of dishes that the Japanese eat during their New Year celebration. The dish usually consists of seaweed, fish cakes, mashed sweet potato with chestnut,

Buuz and bansh

Mongolia is unique in their New Year food preparation. The family starts off by making a hundred to several thousand buuz (steamed dumplings) or bansh (boiled dumplings), and they prepare the food for friends and family.

Food consists of a variety of white and brown food. White food consists of dairy products, cookies, and alcohol made from mare’s milk, while brown food consists of meat, flour dumplings, and other alcohol.

Bituun and boov

The day before the New Year is called bituun, where there is a lot of “covered food,”

which is made up of items from the brown category covered by a layer of dough. Soon after that, they chow down on ceremonial bread called boov.

Mongolian families will devour the feast.

You always eat until you are full.

VIETNAM — TET Banh chung, banh tet, banh day

Banh chung is a square sticky rice loaf that sandwiches meat and mung bean filling wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. Banh tet is similar, but it hails from the South of Vietnam and it’s cylindrical. Banh chung is usually the rice cake of choice for tet since the wrap can endure Vietnam’s harsh weather. The green leaves also symbolize the earth.

The origin of banh chung can be traced to Hong Bang dynasty, thousands of years ago, when the Hung emperor ruled. The emperor held a cooking contest among his 21 sons to decide who would inherit the kingdom. The one who could fully satisfy his taste would win. Most princes set out on their journey to find special, exotic ingredients, except for Tiet Lieu, who was the poorest son since he lost his mother at a young age. Thanks to the help of a fairy in a dream, Tiet Lieu cooked two kinds of modest rice cakes made of humble ingredients: banh chung and banh day.

Others sneered at Tiet Lieu’s cakes, but the emperor was deeply impressed by the cakes’ special flavor. Tiet Lieu explained that the circular banh day symbolizes the sky and the square banh chung symbolizes the earth (the meat and the mung bean symbolizes the animals and the plants of the earth.). The emperor decided that Tiet Lieu was the winner and passed his throne onto him.

Gio and cha

Gio and cha are two different kinds of Vietnamese sausages that are usually boiled, though sometimes they are fried. Gio is basically head cheese made from pork. Cha is similar, but has a finer texture. They are both wrapped in banana leaves before steaming. These sausages are served with xoi and banh chung.

Xoi

Xoi is a sticky rice dish, and it is a staple of the tet holiday. Xoi comes in many different varieties, from savory to sweet. There are as many different xois as there are cooks in Vietnam. Xoi gac is a favorite because it is red in color, which symbolizes the luck and achievements for the new year.  Stacy Nguyen contributed to this report.

Greg Young can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

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{UNBROKEN cont’d from page 7} But some in Japan have also had a hard time coming to terms with the country’s brutal past of colonizing Asian neighbors and the barbaric acts carried out by the Imperial Army, such as the Rape of Nanjing, which began in 1937 and left 300,000 Chinese dead.

Similarly, they reject historical studies that show women from several Asian countries, especially Korea, were forced

into prostitution by the Japanese military. Some oppose the term “sex slave,” which the U.N. uses, preferring the euphemistic “comfort women.”

In “Unbroken,” Japanese characters do little but grunt, scream, punch, and kick.

Still, the film ends on a reconciliatory note, showing an elderly Zamperini proudly carrying the torch for the 1998 Nagano Olympics, and Japanese on the streets cheering.

As a young man, Zamperini had competed in the 1936

Berlin Olympics as a runner, and had hopes to go to the next games, set to be held in Tokyo. But by then, the war had started.

After seeing “Unbroken,” Katsuyuki Miyata, a member of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, said that the closing scene was the best part of the film.

“I’d heard it was an anti-Japanese movie,” Miyata said.

“But it was a good movie.” 

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34 YEARS YOUR VOICE {ORIGINS cont’d from page 8} then, China used metal money instead of paper.

The next day, they realized that the monster still came, but didn’t hurt the kids because of the brightness that projected from the money. And that was the story of “yia suei qian.”

“When I was little, I received money from my relatives, but since I started working, I started giving my elders money in hopes that they will have another good year,” Serven said.

Chinese New Year feasts Feasting is one of the most important aspects of celebrating the Chinese New Year. Liu explained that Chinese people eat dumplings during the Lunar New Year because it’s the shape of “yuan,” old Chinese money.

The Chinese translation of “jiao zi” also means “change of the year.”

She explained that on the fifth day of the New Year, people also eat dumplings, but they have to make sure some of the dumplings are left open.

“Normally you don’t want them to open them, but on the fifth day, you want a few of them to be open. This is called ‘puo wu,’” Liu said. Puo wu means to destroy anything that’s bad.

Serven said that people from the northern and southern parts of China eat different food during the Lunar New Year. She emphasized that Northeast Chinese families usually include the “must-haves,” which are dumplings, fish, and lots of meat. In Chinese, fish means surplus, and the common saying is “nien nien you yu,” which refers to having extra money year after year.

She also said that Southern Chinese folks typically eat rice cakes instead of dumplings.

The rice cakes symbolize a promotion in a job or the action of moving up.

In addition, colorful candies are also a common sight during Chinese New Year.

Liu explained that there’s also a tradition of leaving candies in the kitchen to appease the kitchen gods. “The reasons to put candy there is to sweeten the god’s mouth, so he won’t say anything bad when he goes to heaven,” Liu said.

Getting rid of bad spirits People clean their homes every year because they want to get rid of bad luck, Serven said.

Liu mentioned that families also put up red banners of Chinese phrases on their doors to keep evil spirits away. For example, some people put up a picture of the god Zhong Kuei, who captures all of the devils, on the door to scare off the evil spirits. Other common signage includes one of a boy and girl, which welcomes the god of wealth into people’s homes.

FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

{BELLEVUE cont’d from page 2} there’s such a genuine response from the community when they spend their time here, both as a visitor and as a participant, that’s what makes it so wonderful. These are people who are showing us their crafts and taking personal time to share with other people. That’s what you really feel when you’re there,” Leavitt said.

Because there is a huge Chinese customer base, made up of out-of-town visitors and local community members, it is important for the Bellevue Collection to learn more about the traditions to host celebrations. Leavitt explained that they had done other similar

events, and as things have progressed over the years, they continue to find different ways to connect with the community.

The Bellevue Collection hosts about 10 other annual events, including the Arts Fair with the Bellevue Art Museum, Fashion Week, and Snowflake Lane. They continue to look for new opportunities to host celebrations for the community.  For more info, visit lunarnewyear.bellevuecollection.com.

Nina Huang can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

Red for good luck Wearing red continues with the tradition to keep Nian away. Also, Serven recalled that people would wear their red clothes inside out for good luck if they were born the same zodiac animal as the current year. Since there are 12 zodiac animals, superstitious people believe that your birth year could be unlucky. If one were born in the year of the monkey, then they would wear red inside out on the first day of the new year. For example, Serven explained that her parents always wore red underwear and socks inside out if it was their year. The notion behind this superstition is that you would avoid bad luck by flipping the luck around.

So if you’re feeling like you need extra luck during Chinese New Year, clean your house, wear bright red colors, eat lots of fish and dumplings, and don’t be afraid to indulge in some candy.  Nina Huang can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

Northwest Asian Weekly / Seattle Chinese Post presents

Chinatown-International District Lunar New Year Celebration Kids’ Parade Contest ▪ Saturday, February 13, 2016

DIAMOND SPONSOR

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WHAT: Kids’ Parade Contest WHERE: 412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle EVENT DATE: Saturday, February 13 DEADLINE TO REGISTER: Noon on February 13

Children’s Parade Competition Schedule: • Noon—1:15 PM — Registration (each contestant gets a number) • 1 PM — Line up (outside NW Weekly’s office, 412 Maynard Ave. S., Chinatown/International District) • 1:15 PM — Judging begins • 1:30 PM — Parade begins • 2:10 PM — Parade winners announced • Contestants must be present at the announcement of results.

• Finalists will be lined up in numerical order.

• All contestants will receive a fortune cookie.

Registration/Sign-Up: • You may pre-register for the contest by filling out this application and sending it in or sign-up on the day of the contest. If register before February 11, contestants will get a prize after the event. Registration table will be located in front of Seattle Chinese Post/Northwest Asian Weekly – 412 Maynard Ave. S. • Contestants must sign-in at the registration table 15 minutes prior to parade.

Rules/Guidelines: • Kids ages 14 and under can participate in the contest • Parents are welcome to accompany their children during the Parade • Kids will be given a contestant number for the order of Parade lineup • Kids attire should be culturally relevant to the Lunar New Year Celebration Judging: • All contestants will be judged by the provided judging criteria.

• Prizes will be awarded to First ($100), Second ($50), and Third ($25) Place Winners, plus many other prizes.

• All decisions made by competition judges are final.

• Winners and finalists’ photos will be in NW Asian Weekly/Seattle Chinese Post print and online on Feb. 18.

Please submit completed application through one of the following methods: Mail: Northwest Asian Weekly Children’s Parade Contest 412 Maynard Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98104

Name:

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________________________________________________________

Name:_____________________________________

Age:___________

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

asianweekly northwest

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FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

{MONKEY cont’d from page 7} Wang Jinping, whose zodiac sign is the monkey.

As is customary when it is the year of one’s zodiac, Wang, who turns 60 this year, will be wearing red to ward off bad spirits. Ahead of the new lunar year, the museum manager was already wearing a red silk jacket in the style of those worn by officials more than a century ago at formal occasions, bought for him by his daughterin-law’s mother.

“My son and daughter-in-law also bought me four pairs of long red underwear, four red underpants, and four pairs of red socks,” he said. “Actually, I don’t think these are something people must wear, but, in my year, the Year of the Monkey, I must do things very prudently and cautiously.”

MORE BIRTHS EXPECTED This year, not only has China’s one-child policy been loosened to a two-child policy, but some superstitious Chinese will be raring to give birth. During the previous 12 months, the Year of the Sheep or Goat (it’s the same character in Chinese), some people were reluctant to have children as they considered the year inauspicious and believed sheep babies would be more likely followers than leaders.

According to China’s national statistics, there were 16.55 million births in 2015, compared with 16.87 million in 2014.

Some state media reports have attributed the drop in births last year to the Year of the Sheep.

FIRES AND VIRUSES Market ups and downs, fires, and viruses, the Year of the Monkey is predicted to have them all.

Hong Kong feng shui master Louis Wong foresees “a lot of fires happening

around the world, especially in the forests.

So we need to watch out for fire hazards,” he said. “Southeast Asia will see a lot of viruses or disease, so we need to be very careful about the Zika virus now.”

To enhance a couple’s relationship this year, Wong advises placing a pink crystal on the woman’s side of the bedroom and a purple crystal on the man’s side. He added, “And if we want them to have fewer quarrels and arguments, we can put a firecracker behind the door.” While watching out for fire risks, of course.

Wong cautioned that bad luck is more likely to befall those who are monkeys — “they need to be careful about their career and wealth” — and tigers — “they need to be careful about accidents, especially car accidents.”

Wong says the lucky signs in the coming year will be the dragon and rat. “For the people born in the Year of the Dragon, it will be good for their career and wealth, while for the rat, it is good for their relationships with people,” he said.

A Hong Kong brokerage that publishes a tongue-in-cheek annual feng shui report said the Chinese territory’s Hang Seng stock index would perform decently until a downward swing mid-year, followed by a recovery.

“Overall, it’s a year for slow, considered expansion, not for raucous monkey antics,” it advises.

The CLSA brokerage says U.S. presidential campaigner Donald Trump should watch his cash outflow and beware the “golden-tongued” Hillary Clinton, who was born in the Year of the Pig and is therefore a good pal of the monkey.

JUNGLE OUT THERE Also on the agenda: A revival in houquan, or monkey kung fu. Practitioners imitate monkey moves, in the same way as other forms of martial arts are based on

animals, such as tigers and white crane.

The monkey style dates back to China’s Western Han Dynasty around 200 B.C., said Chen Qifang, the head of Lin’an City Martial Arts Council in Zhejiang province.

“It’s a kind of kung fu that attempts to imitate a monkey’s lively, mischievous, and cute features with some of its typical moves like leaping, somersaulting, scratching ears, and looking around as if for peaches or to see if someone is attacking its territory.”

Because of its somersaults and other challenging moves, it’s not as popular as other styles, says Chen.

His organization has taught houquan in the past, but never seen as many primary school students sign up for it as in its latest class — almost 200.

“The coming Year of the Monkey may boost the resurgence of houquan, as it would be a lot of fun for the kids to show off some monkey moves at the family party during the Chinese New Year holiday,” he added.

Northwest Asian Weekly is always looking for Asian American community news. If you are the host or an attendee of an API fundraiser, e-mail us a big photo, event highlights, and the amount of money raised. We are also looking for news about APIs in new jobs and APIs getting public recognition and awards.

Please send materials to editor@ nwasianweekly.com with “names in the news” as the subject line.

TAITUNG R E S TA U R A N T

MONKEY BUSINESS The Year of the Monkey gives a littleneeded excuse to reference the much loved Monkey King character from the 16th century adventure novel “Journey to the West.” The supernatural Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong, accompanied a monk on a journey to retrieve sacred scriptures and the story has inspired countless TV shows and movies over the years.

“Unashamedly trying to capitalize on the new zodiac year, yet another Monkey King adaptation will be released on the first day of the lunar new year — Feb. 8. The 450 million yuan ($68 million) budget movie stars Aaron Kwok as Sun, Feng Shaofeng as the monk, and Gong Li playing the skeleton demon. 

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FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016

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{CELEBS cont’d from page 12}

Creativity Creativity is an undeniable trait among monkeys. From the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci to illusionist David Copperfield, monkeys have amazed crowds of their time with new ideas and creations.

Good looks Finally, many monkeys are incredibly good-looking. Ryan Gosling and Jake Gyllenhaal have won over the hearts of many with their bedazzling charms.

And who could forget Elizabeth Taylor, a goddess of her time and married eight times to seven different men. She also said the famous quote, “Big girls needs big diamonds.” She had the jewelry collection to back it up. She’s a wicked example of what good looks (and creativity and talent and outspokenness) can do.  Jocelyn Moore can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

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KING COUNTY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ADVERTISEMENT King County is requesting Proposals from qualified firms interested in providing engineering services associated with drainage design for sinkholes at the intersection of South 96th Street and 8th Avenue South (project A) and for South 96th Street between 4th Avenue South and 10th Avenue South (project B).

The Request for Proposals, all addenda and current document holder’s list are available at http://www.kingcounty.gov/procurement. The County will not mail, ship or fax RFPs and addenda.

Interested firms must register with the County at time of download and ensure that a valid contact email address is given. Notification of addenda will be sent to the registered email address. Failure to register will result in the Proposer not being notified of any addenda, which may result in rejection of the proposal.

The estimated price of Phase I of this contract is from $160,000 to $180,000. The total estimated price of all remaining phases is $400,000 to $496,000. The period of performance for Phase I is estimated to be 4 months. The period of performance of all remaining phases is estimated to be 1 year and 9 months. The total period of performance shall not exceed 2 years.

Contract Title: Engineering Services for Storm Sewer at South 96th Street between 4th Ave South and 10th Ave South Number: E00413E16 Proposals due: February 23, 2016

Time: 12:00 p.m.

Pre-proposal Meeting: February 9, 2016 Time: 2:30 p.m.

Location: Rooms 2A & 2B, KSC, 201 S Jackson St, Seattle WA 98104 SUMMARY OF WORK: This work is funded, in part, by King County, and in part, by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and applicable federal requirements apply. Project work may involve, but is not limited to, engineering services for alternatives evaluation, conceptual design, permits and agreements, public involvement, utility coordination, geotechnical investigation, civil engineering, drainage design, hazardous and contaminated soil, traffic engineering, and construction engineering services.

SUBCONSULTANT OPPORTUNITIES: Provided for informational purposes only, following are subconsulting opportunities that may be available on this Contract: conceptual design, permits and agreements, public involvement, geotechnical engineering, civil engineering, hazardous and contaminated soil analysis, traffic engineering, utility coordination, drainage design, and construction engineering.

It is King County policy that Certified Small Contractors and Suppliers (SCS) Firms have equitable opportunities to participate in the performance of professional services contracts issued by King County. King County encourages Proposers to make Certified SCS Firms aware of contracting opportunities to the full-

est extent practicable. A Directory of SCS Certified Firms is available at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/bdcc. Direct telephone inquiries to 206-2639731.

TITLE VI COMPLIANCE: King County in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat.

252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all proposers that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises as defined at 49 CFR Part 26 will be afforded full opportunity to submit proposals in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, national origin or sex in consideration for an award.

QUESTIONS: Questions concerning this solicitation should be directed to Mary Lee, Contract Specialist via email at mary.lee@kingcounty.gov or via telephone at 206-263-9381, TTY Relay: 711. The Proposer may be requested to submit the question in writing. No verbal answers by County personnel will be binding on the County.

This information is available in alternate formats for individuals with disabilities upon advance request by calling 206-263-9400, TTY Relay: 711.

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FEBRUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 19, 2016