VOL 33 NO 18 | APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

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VOL 33 NO 18

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

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THEATER ‘Impenetrable’ questions beauty » P. 8

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Costumed invaders land in downtown Seattle!

White House to honor Batayola as a ‘champion’

Super Mario was jumping around Seattle downtown and yes, Batman was eating at Subway among thousands of interesting and strange characters flooding last weekend.

Sakura-Con estimates more than 20,000 people attended this year’s conference on April 18 through April 20 at the Washington State Convention Center. This is the largest anime convention in the Northwest, and is the eighth largest North American anime convention as of 2013, according to Delahanty from AnimeCons.com.

Dressing up as your favorite anime character, video game character, or comic book hero was the norm when attending Sakura-Con. It claimed 80 percent of attendees were in costume for at least one day at the convention.

What do people say about Sakura-Con’s cosplay?

“Too much fantasy. Weird costumes. Weird people.”

“What the heck is cosplay about?”

The majority of Baby Boomers and

Photo by John Liu/NWAW

By John Liu Northwest Asian Weekly

Women of Color Empowered honors ‘Rising Stars’

By Sue Misao Northwest Asian Weekly

accessories to represent a specific character

Teresita Batayola, CEO of International Community Health Services (ICHS), is one of 11 “Champions of Change” from across the nation being honored by the White House and the U.S.

{see SAKURA-CON cont’d on page 16}

{see BATAYOLA cont’d on page 16}

Jann Lee, Ayane, and Kasumi from the video game "Dead or Alive" strike a pose at Sakura-Con.

Generation Xers are lost on the costume thing. “Cosplay” is short for “costume play.” It is a performance art or hobby in which participants wear costumes and use

Teresita Batayola

Tomo Nakayama: From Grand Hallway to Seattle’s Great Hall

By Signe Predmore Northwest Asian Weekly

Annya Pintak

Courtney Gregoire

Sara E. Asatiani

Erica Buckley

Mavis Orr

Mia Gregerson

Monisha Harrell

Rebecca Saldana

Sahar Fathi

Tera Beach

Seiko Yamashita

Women of Color Empowered is a nonprofit organization founded in 1996 by the Northwest Asian Weekly. The organization consists of professional women who want to enhance the

quality of life for women of all races and backgrounds by supporting one another through programs and events that foster {see WOC cont’d on page 15}

Photo by Sue Misao

Andrea CortesBeltran

These days, you might catch snatches of guitar and piano melodies in odd corners of Town Hall at all hours, not only during their music programming.

“We’ll be taking a meeting in the lobby and hear this beautiful music coming down the hall because he’s composing on the piano,” said Stesha Brandon, Town Hall’s program director.

The source of that music is Tomo Nakayama, Town Hall’s current artist-in-residence.

Nakayama, originally from Kochi, Japan, has been a fixture of the Seattle arts scene for years.

While he’s played with several local bands, including Sera Cahoone and the Maldives, he’s probably best known for Grand Hallway, the chamber pop music project he led from 2005 to 2013.

Tomo Nakayama fills the Great Hall inside Seattle’s Town Hall with piano music.

{see NAKAYAMA cont’d on page 13}

The Inside Story NAMES Celebrations & honors » P. 2

■

MOVIE Katsuhiro Otomo’s ‘Short Piece’ » P. 7

WORLD Tragedy in S. Korea sea » P. 9

COMMENTARY Small biz reacts to $15/hour proposal » P. 10

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asianweekly northwest

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APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS Filipino women celebrate 4 yrs.

Rep. Habib to run for Senate

was a fine art major in Seoul, Korea before immigrating to the United States in 1999. She lives in Seattle, where she is an associate at Callison’s Seattle headquarters. She has a BA and MA in interior design from Washington State University. 

State Representative Cyrus Habib has announced his candidacy for the 48th District State Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Rodney Tom. Habib grew up in Bellevue, the son of immigrants, and graduated from Bellevue Public Schools. At age 8, he lost his sight to a rare form of childhood Rep. Cyrus Habib cancer, but went on to become a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and a Yale Law School graduate, before returning to the Eastside to launch a legal career.

Habib was named one of 12 “legislators to watch” this year nationwide by Governing Magazine. He serves on the Rules Committee, is vice chair of the Technology and Economic Development Committee, and is on the Business and Financial Services and Transportation committees. 

Photo by Nenita Garcia

Interim names Akita director

Dancers, from left: Rose Ayson Velascxo, Margie Sarandi, Ellie Navarette, Emma Ygona-Parrish, Marian Ygona, instructor Dulce Mendoza Jenck, Lucy Simpson, and Adeline Dover.

Kate Lee best young designer Seattle architecture and design firm Callison announced that associate Kate Kyung-ha Lee has been named to Visual Merchandising + Store Design’s (VMSD) Designer Dozen for 2014. Lee was recognized as one of 12 emerging stars (age 35 or under) across the country to be among the best and brightest Kate Lee young designers in retail this year.

Lee’s projects include Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack, Harvey Nichols (U.K.), Hyundai (Korea), Fubon Momo (Taipei), and New Yaohan Department Store (Macau). She

Korean Americans honor three

Jenny Li and Tomio Moriguchi, Andrea Akita, and Sue Taoka at the Interim Gala.

Interim Community Development Association celebrated its 45th anniversary with a Sapphire Gala on April 12 at the Seattle Mariott. The event raised $130,000.

During the gala, Interim announced that Andrea Akita is the organization’s new executive director.

Akita has more than 20 years experience working to end homelessness and help build culturally rich communities.

She earned her master’s degrees from UCLA in urban & regional planning and public administration. She also has a degree in culinary arts from Seattle Culinary Academy.

At the gala, Sue Taoka was given the “Bob Santos Leadership in Sustainability Award.” She is an executive vice president at Craft3. She has worked at the International District Improvement Association, SCIDpda, and Interim. She was also deputy chief of staff for Mayor Norm Rice Tomio Moriguchi, chairman of the board of Uwajimaya, was given the “Distinguished Service Award.” He was a founding member of the International District Improvement Association. (See related story, page 10.) 

Photo by Assunta Ng/NWAW

The Filipino American Women’s Organization of Yakima Valley celebrated the group’s fourth anniversary on April 6 at a gala at the Yakima Arboretum. Over 200 family members and friends gathered for a potluck, a talk on women’s health

by Dr. Hipolito M. Custodio, information on Typhoon Yolanda, and entertainment by dancers.

The 85-member group provides support, service, and education to the Filipino American community of the Yakima Valley. 

From left: Kwang Synn, Cheryl Lee, John Chun, Andy Hwang, and Hyeok Kim.

The Korean American Coalition of Washington hosted a reception to celebrate the appointments of Seattle Deputy Mayor Hyeok Kim, Federal Way Chief of Police Andy Hwang, and King County Superior Court Judge John Chun.

The reception was held at the O’Asian Kitchen and Lounge in Seattle. 

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32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ community news

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

3

The Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA) will bring together youth, community leaders, elected officials, and commissioners to celebrate its 40th anniversary on May 15, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in SeaTac (formerly the Holiday Inn), at 17338 International Blvd. The anniversary event will honor the commission’s legacy, accomplishments, and vision for the future through performances, storytelling, and youth voices.

Lori Matsukawa of King 5 News will emcee the event, which will feature Gov. Jay Inslee and performances by the Filipino Youth Activities Drill Team and Taiko Drummers & Tautua. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. The dinner buffet is at 6 p.m. The program begins at 6:30 p.m.

The hotel is walking distance from the SeaTac Light Rail station. Hotel parking with validation will be available for $5.

On Feb. 26, 1974, the 43rd Washington State Legislature formally created the Washington State Commission on Asian American Affairs as a state agency, with the mission “to improve the well-being of Asian Pacific Americans by ensuring their access to participation in the fields of government, business, education, and other areas.” In 1995, Gov. Mike Lowry signed a bill to change the Commission’s name to The State of Washington Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs to include Pacific Islanders.  Space at the event is limited. Reserve a spot

by May 2 at 360-725-5667 or amy.van@capaa. wa.gov.

Choose May 6 to give big The Seattle Foundation hosts a one-day, online charitable giving event in which it will add a prorated portion to any donation given to one of the participating nonprofits on its website: www. seattlefoundation.org. You can donate between midnight and midnight on Tuesday, May 6.

Some organizations that may be of particular interest to the API community include: Asian Counseling and Referral Service Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Foundation Cambodian Cultural Alliance of Washington Chinese Information and Service Center Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project Executive Development Institute Filipino Community of Seattle Helping Link India Association of Western Washington InterIm Community Development Association International Community Health Services Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington Kin On Community Health Care Lao Heritage Foundation, Pacific Northwest Chapter National Asian Pacific Center on Aging Nikkei Concerns Nisei Veterans Committee, Inc. OneAmerica Refugee Women’s Alliance Seattle Chinatown International District PDA Vietnamese Friendship Association WA Asian Pacific Islander Community Services Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience 

Photo courtesy of CAPAA

APA commission celebrates 40 years

On Feb. 26, 1974, the 43rd Washington State Legislature formally created the Washington State Commission on Asian American Affairs as a state agency. In 1995, Gov. Mike Lowry signed a bill to change the Commission’s name to The State of Washington Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs to include Pacific Islanders.

asianweekly northwest

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APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

■ world news

Everest avalanche a reminder of annual risks Sherpas face

By Binaj Gurubacharya and Tim Sullivan Associated Press

KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) – The rescuers moved quickly, minutes after the first block of ice tore loose from Mount Everest and started an avalanche that roared down the mountain on April 18, ripping through teams of guides hauling gear.

But they couldn’t get there quickly enough. No one can move that fast. Not even the people who have spent their lives in Everest’s shadow, and who have spent years working on the world’s highest peak.

By the next evening, the bodies of 13 Sherpa guides had been taken from the mountain. Three more are missing and presumed dead. Hospitals in Katmandu were treating four survivors of the avalanche for broken bones, punctured lungs,

and other injuries.

It was the deadliest disaster ever on Mount Everest.

Survivors recalled scenes of panic and chaos, describing how they dug through snow with their hands and ice axes in hopes of finding their friends alive.

For the Sherpas, the once-obscure mountain people whose name has become synonymous with Everest, and whose entire culture has been changed by decades of working as guides and porters for wealthy foreigners, it was a brutal reminder of the risks they face.

Many gathered at the Boudha Monastery in Katmandu,

where prayers were said for the dead.

“The mountains are a death trap,” said Norbu Tshering, a 50-year-old Sherpa and mountain guide who now lives mostly in Katmandu. With his white hair and dark, wrinkled skin, he looked far older than his age. In hands roughened by years of tough work, he worked a string of Buddhist prayer beads.

“But we have no other work, and most of our people take up this profession, which has now become a tradition for all of us,” he said.

The avalanche happened early in the morning at about 5,800 meters (19,000 feet), as Sherpa guides were hauling gear through the Khumbu icefall, a treacherous terrain of crevasses and enormous chunks of ice. The men were near an area known to climbers as the “popcorn field,” because {see NEPAL cont’d on page 12}

■ community news My Time in Oso — Part 2 —

By Thao Tran Special to the Northwest Asian Weekly

Thao Tran

The Oso mudslide tragedy caused Thao Tran to reflect upon his connection with the town, and the 20 years he spent with the North Fork Stillaguamish River, which runs through the town. This is the second of two parts.

At 3:45 p.m., I received a call from my friend Russell, who lives a few miles east of Oso, along Stillaguamish. “Did you hear the news? It’s really bad up here…the mudslide…we are stranded and the highway is buried…keep your prayers for us.”

How did I miss so much in a short window of time? It took me scouring the news to process Russell’s revelation.

Russell and his family have survived, but the fact that so many died and some remain missing is incomprehensible.

I met Russell two years ago while fishing on the Stillaguamish. That day, I approached the river on the opposite side of where Russell was standing hip deep in the water. I asked him, “How’s the fishing?” He replied, “Apparently, I am good luck because people around me have hooked fished all day, but me.” I smiled while making the first cast. Lo and behold, I felt the headshake and eventual run of a powerful steelhead. Every steelhead feels like a folklore encounter (my plumber recently joked that he’s gotten so desperate to catch a steelhead that he’s used a magnet at the end of his line). When you hook a steelhead, it requires your complete attention. A steelhead is magical to catch because they are elusive, and once they are hooked, they hit an acrobatic and powerful switch to snap off the fishing line or throw the hook.

While the steelhead thrashed in the pool, Russell laughed, “What did I tell you? See, I am lucky.” I was beaming, “Yes, you are lucky.” The following three and half hours became my most memorable day on the river. I proceeded to hook as many steelhead as my usual entire season. To put things in perspective, if a fly fisher hooks one steelhead per trip, that is

considered a good day. One can go through months of fishing without hooking a steelhead. It took me four years to catch my first steelhead. I asked Russell to help me remember that experience and if anyone ever questioned it, he is to be my living proof.

Another week passed by and I found Russell wading hip deep right where I stood the week before. Immediately, we reintroduced ourselves. Russell is in his mid 20s and has a tall, slender build. When he shared that he’s a Marine, I didn’t think much of it. He proceeds to tell me that he served in the U.S. Marines of Lima Company from Ohio. Then his story becomes more intriguing. Russell enlisted in the Marines in the wake of the Sept. 11 attack. He was 17, and it was from a deep sense of duty and patriotism that he served his country. It is unfathomable to think what he personally endured as a result.

He told me about the Battle of Haditha, in which 21 members of his unit died from insurgent attacks. His platoon was the heaviest hit unit in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He {see OSO cont’d on page 12}

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ BRIEFLY

Lakewood fest to honor many Asian cultures The Lakewood Sister Cities Association (LSCA) is hosting its annual Sister Cities International Festival from April 25 to April 27.

This year, Okinawa City will be highlighted through the festival’s main performances. In past years, Lakewood’s additional sister cities of Bauang, Danzhou, and Gimhae were highlighted. The event will take place at the Pierce College Fort Steilacoom campus at 9401 Farwest Drive S.W. in Lakewood.

The free, family-friendly event will honor the rich cultures of the Philippines, China, Korea, Japan, and more. Activities will include cultural entertainment, art exhibits, and international cuisines. There will also be arts and crafts vendors touting jewelry, art, and other goods. There will be a public market featuring arts and crafts and ethnic food vendors, and a kids’ corner with face

painting, calligraphy lessons, origami, and more.

“We’re so proud to once again host the Sister Cities International Festival,” says Ellie Chambers-Grady, economic development manager for the City of Lakewood. “This event is a fantastic way to showcase and celebrate Lakewood’s diversity with our community members.”

The feature act is a special performance by members of the renowned Miyagi-Ryu Minoruno Kai-Megumi Matsuda Dance Institute from Okinawa City, Japan. Other entertainment includes performers and troupes from Korea, Guam, India, Thailand, Samoa, Afghanistan, Philippines, and Ireland.  A full schedule of activities and performances, as well as a list of vendors, can be found at www.lsca.us.

■ HEALTH

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

5

Nonwhites have more high blood pressure

By Jae Hong, MD, Summit Cardiology, UW Northwest Hospital It’s hard to believe, but today, Jae Hong about 76.4 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with high blood pressure. Some studies have shown that Asian Americans, along with African Americans, Mexican Americans, American Indians and native Hawaiians are at a greater risk of high blood pressure than Caucasians. Although heredity plays a major role, this is partly due to higher rates of obesity and diabetes. There are also gender-related risk patterns: more men are at risk of high blood pressure until age 45, from ages 45 to 64 both men and women are at equal risk, and after age 65 more women are at risk. Hypertension can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and death if not treated appropriately. You can’t control your age, sex, race, and family history, but you can reduce the risk of high blood pressure through diet, exercise, and regular blood pressure screenings.

Poor diet and inadequate physical activity are the two factors that you can correct to reduce your hypertension. Many know to avoid diets high in calories, fats, and sugars, but a less known fact is that salty diets can be as dangerous to heart health. Most children and adolescents today eat too much salt (more than 1,500 mg per day), putting them at risk for cardiovascular diseases as they get older. Too much sodium in the diet may also lead to increased risk for stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer, and kidney disease. Poor diet and lack of exercise make it easier to become overweight or obese, and this can increase your risk of high blood pressure. Physical activity itself, even for those at a healthy weight, is important in that it improves overall heart health and circulation.

Knowing your numbers is another great way to reduce your risk of high blood pressure. Starting at age 20, the

American Heart Association recommends a blood pressure screening at your regular healthcare visit or once every two years, if your blood pressure is higher than 120/80 mmHg. A single high reading does not necessarily mean that you have high blood pressure. However, if readings are regularly above that threshold, you may be diagnosed with prehypertension. It is time to make lifestyle changes to avoid hypertension (regular readings at 140/90 or above), which would often require major lifestyle changes and may require medications. For people 60 years or older, there is strong evidence to treating blood pressure greater than 150/90 mmHg. Many people are unaware of how easy it is to get a blood pressure reading besides at doctor visits. Most pharmacies and many health fairs have either kiosks or blood pressure cuffs available for free blood pressure screenings.

The National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) and the American Heart Association are hosting the Senior Wellness Fair on Wednesday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the International District/ Chinatown Community Center, located at 719 8th Ave. S. in Seattle. The event is free with a light heart-healthy lunch provided.

It will be a great way to join friends and get to know important health numbers by taking advantage of free readings for blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, and body mass index (a measure of body fat based on height and weight). I’ll be there with pharmacist Nancy Lee to talk about the seven keys to a healthy heart and discuss herbal medicines. There will be Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese translators available.  For more information about the Senior Wellness Fair, contact Wendy Zheng at the American Heart Association, 206-8348654, or Nelson Tang at NAPCA, 206-3225272.

Dr. Jae Hong is an interventional cardiologist at UW Northwest Hospital in Seattle, and volunteers for the American Heart Association’s Health Equity program.

Assunta Ng

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asianweekly northwest

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APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR THU 4/24

WHAT: Lecture giving by author Julie Otsuka, “When the Emperor was Divine,” with Q&A afterwards WHERE: Green River Community College, 12401 S.E. 320th St., Auburn WHEN: 7:30-8:45 p.m.

COST: $10 WHAT: Informal Discussion with U.S. Small Business Administrator Maria Contreras WHERE: Rainier Square Conference Center, 1301 5th Ave., Seattle WHEN: 5:30-7 p.m.

RSVP: harryc@seattlechamber. com, 206-389-7215

THU 4/24 & FRI 4/25 WHAT: Comedian Hari Kondabolu performs WHERE: Eclectic Theater, 1214 10th Ave., Seattle

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.

COST: $7–$10 INFO: 206-679-3271

FRI 4/25 WHAT: “Yoni Ki Baat” (a South Asian adaptation of “The Vagina Monologues”) WHERE: Seattle Asian Art Museum, 1400 E. Prospect St., Seattle WHEN: 7–8:30 p.m.

COST: $15–$20 INFO: 206-654-3100 WHAT: “From Typhoon Haiyan to Large-Scale Mining” a report back performance and discussion by 17 community members who traveled to the Philippines WHERE: Southside Commons, 3518 S. Edmunds St., Seattle WHEN: 8 p.m.

COST: $10–$15 INFO: 206-406-6927

■ BRIEFLY

Tasveer fest celebrates South Asian women

Tasveer, a nonprofit organization that brings independent and progressive South Asian films and artists to the Pacific Northwest, will present the 9th Aaina, a South Asian Women’s festival, at the Seattle Asian Art Museum on April 25–April 27.

One of the highlights of Aaina is “Yoni Ki Baat,” a South Asian adaptation of “The Vagina Monologues.” The play, co-directed by Alpa Dave and Rumela Ganguly, is a collection of frank, authentic, bold, and powerful stories that are sourced, written, and narrated by local South Asian women. It has sparked dialogue about shame, sex, abuse, identity, and love for the past nine years.

This year’s guest of honor is newly elected councilmember Kshama Sawant, who will attend the Saturday night performance. Sunday’s performance will be attended by journalist Sarah Stuteville, who covers a weekly column on the Pacific Northwest’s international connections that is shared by Seattle Globalist and The Seattle Times.

The festival will also include Gupshup, showcasing the paintings, sketches, and glassworks of local artists, “Youth Voices,” and a “Community Speaks” forum. On Saturday evening, there will be a wine and cheese reception.  For tickets and more information, visit aaina. tasveer.org.

FRI 4/25 THRU SUN 4/27 WHAT: South Asian Women’s Focus Festival WHERE: Seattle Asian Art Museum, 1400 E. Prospect St., Seattle WHEN: Friday & Saturday: 7–9 p.m., Sunday: 3–5 p.m.

COST: $15–$20 INFO: 206-349-4478

SAT 4/26 WHAT: Sukiyaki dinner and cultural program to raise funds for local charities WHERE: Japanese Baptist Church, 160 Broadway, Seattle WHEN: Dinner 4–7 p.m., program 7 p.m.

COST: Dinner $9–$14, cultural program is free INFO: jbcseattle.org/special.html

WHAT: “Yoni Ki Baat” (a South Asian adaptation of “The Vagina Monologues”) WHERE: Seattle Asian Art Museum, 1400 E. Prospect St., Seattle WHEN: 7–8:30 p.m.

COST: $15–$20 INFO: 206-654-3100 WHAT: Art Workshop, “A Day in the Life of Asian Pacific America” WHERE: Wing Luke Asian Museum, 719 S. King St., Seattle WHEN: 11 a.m.

COST: Free INFO: www.wingluke.org WHAT: Heritage Dinner, “Pig Cheeks, Pomelo Peels, and Olive: A Chinese American Pioneer” WHERE: Four Seas, 714 S. King St., Seattle WHEN: 6 p.m.

COST: $45/general, $35/member INFO: 206-623-5124

SUN 4/27 WHAT: “Yoni Ki Baat” (a South Asian adaptation of “The Vagina Monologues”) WHERE: Seattle Asian Art Museum, 1400 E. Prospect St., Seattle WHEN: 3–4:30 p.m.

COST: $15–$20 INFO: 206-654-3100

TUE 4/29 WHAT: “Scratch Night” with Artist in Residence Tomo Nakayama WHERE: Seattle Town Hall, enter on Eighth Ave. WHEN: 7:30-9 p.m.

INFO: tomonakayama.tumblr. com

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

■ AT THE MOVIES

7

“Short Peace” Three little films in one

By Andrew Hamlin Northwest Asian Weekly In 1995, anime director Katsuhiro Otomo masterminded an omnibus film called “Memories,” consisting of three unrelated segments from three directors, including Otomo himself. His master plan was to showcase emerging talent in anime. The other two directors were Tensai Okamura and Koji Morimoto, both of whom have gone on to long, distinguished careers.

Otomo’s new film, “Short Peace,” works in much the same way, although of course, with new talent. After a short opening segment for the titles, the action progresses into “Possessions,” directed by Shuhei Morita. This segment began as a film unto itself, and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Short.

“Possessions” concerns a solitary male traveler, from olden times in Japan (judging by his dress), who becomes lost in a savage rainstorm and seeks shelter in what appears to be an abandoned hut. It will prove to be the most amazing night of his life, as spectacular visions come to him. Will he find his way out and accomplish his elusive task?

“Possessions” uses three-dimensional animation for the traveler’s head and body, which at times looks a bit out-ofplace and cheap. Its strength comes in the wildness of the visions. Like Will Vinton’s pioneering claymation short, “Closed Mondays,” the central character mostly stays in one confined space, while the rest of the action comes to him. The wildness of the action contains some impressive notions about steadfastness and respect.

“Combustible” is the segment directed by Otomo

himself. It too is set far back in Japan’s past and addresses a young man who wishes to be a fireman, a young woman who loves him, and the tragedy that befalls them both.

This segment opens with a long pan from right to left, establishing the setting, characters, and conflicts in one deft stroke. Otomo makes masterful use of darkness and near-darkness (as Morita does for “Possessions”), and the climactic nighttime firefight accentuates pulsing red on

top of solid black. It’s a sad but impressive narrative.

“Gambo” is directed by Hiroaki Ando, with crucial contributions from Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, who worked on the character designs. In a remote village (once again, in old times), a huge red demon carries off women one by one to create its unspeakable devil-spawn. Gambo, a spirit in the form of a huge polar bear, must stop the evil before the last female is lost.

This segment contains both graphic violence and sexual content, reminding us that some anime is not for children.

The climactic fight between the supernatural beasts forms the most impressive action sequence in the film.

The final segment is “A Farewell to Arms,” directed by Hajime Katoki. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, it follows a group of soldiers battling to the death with a cybernetic tank, against the background of a ruined city.

Anime is often strong and rich on futuristic settings, armor, weapons, etc. “A Farewell to Arms” makes a fine example of all of the above. It also blends action with suspense and comedy, together with a surprisingly sober kick at the end. The soldiers have turned themselves halfway mechanical to fight mechanical adversaries. Have they become, then, indistinguishable from the enemy?

And how did this horror start in the first place?

At just short of 70 minutes, “Short Peace” does feel short. One more segment might have been advisable.

What’s on screen, though, makes a solid introduction to the anime directors of tomorrow.  “Short Peace” plays April 24, 25, and 27 at the Grand Illusion Cinema, located at 1403 N.E. 50th St. in Seattle’s University District. For prices and show times, call 206523-3935 or visit www.grandillusioncinema.org.

Andrew Hamlin can be reached at info@nwasianweekly. com.

Rising Stars: Young Female Professionals Making a Difference Honorees

Sponsors

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PLANNING COMMITTEE: Alia Marsha, Bonnie Miller, Charlene Grinolds, Chayuda Overby, Connie Sugahara, Diane Martin, Francine Griggs, Kathy Purcell, Leny Valerio-Buford, Winona Hollins-Hauge and Assunta Ng RESERVATIONS FOR LUNCHEON: Discounted price of $35 if purchased

by April 29. Full price of $45 after April 29. Walk-ins $50. Student price of $25 with I.D. before April 29; $30 after April 29; student walk-ins $35. No tickets will be mailed; confirmation is by e-mail only. $350 for a table. To sponsor the event including logo online and print and table is $1,000. (For details, visit womenofcolorempowered.com). Men are welcome!

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asianweekly northwest

8

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

■ arts & entertainment

Photos by Rick Wong

“Impenetrable” dissects beauty

From left, Lisa Marie Nakamura, Ruth Yeo-Peterman, Kathy Hsieh, and Sara Javkhian perform in “Impenetrable.”

Ruth Yeo-Peterman explains how to wear a hijab in “Impenetrable.”

By Irfan Shariff Northwest Asian Weekly

panels, with arrows targeting the eyes, hands, hair, legs, and other concerning body parts. No, this isn’t a cadaver, but it may as well be. This is SIS Productions’ reimagining of a suburban Chicago billboard that raised a community battle in 2007. The events surrounding the billboard and ensuing outrage are the backdrop for McCullough’s play.

The play opens with the serene Talya (Ruth Yeo-Peterman) showing us how to wear the hijab, the traditional headscarf donned by Muslim women. She has Muslim ancestry, but is not Muslim — so why does she wear the hijab?

Talya, one of the four female protagonists (all cast as Asian American), is the epitome of youthful beauty. She was a model and now a medical student. She is bright, yet cerebral. An ex-boyfriend once called her “impenetrable” because of the walls she puts up. Throughout the narrative, we learn Talya is the model on the billboard. The photo, taken by her nowestranged friend Pete (Shane Regan), was sold to the Parisian-raised Arab American spa owner Mourad (Erwin Galan) to be used in his marketing materials.

“Impenetrable” is non-linear, but that doesn’t mean it’s unapproachable.

The unique format takes on a series of monologues and competing plotlines that are pieced together as the billboard is exposed to the public. Until that moment, characters speak directly to the audience and exchange dialogue infrequently. They are comedic, sometimes flat, but matterof-fact and make you empathize with their personal neuroses. But as the billboard is raised, the pace speeds up leading to an overwhelming revelation.

Characters like Andie (Lisa Marie

In SIS Productions’ West Coast premiere of Chicago playwright Mia McCullough’s “Impenetrable,” we are forced to examine the notion of feminine beauty. We come to the conclusion that society is obsessed with

beauty, whether “big is beautiful,” “beauty is relative,” or that “beauty is burdensome.”

We all have our opinions. “Impenetrable” asks you to question your ideals.

When the audience seats itself, it immediately comes face-to-face with a large painting of a beautiful bikini-clad woman. The painting is sliced up into four

Nakamura), the gregarious and snarky coffee shop manager, and Julie (Kathy Hsieh), the quintessential soccer mom, are polar opposites of each other, both socially and physically. Julie’s daughter and Barbie doll, Cari (Sara Javkhlan), breathes fresh air to the production. Cari is a meek, bookworm who is bullied at school and spends too much time with her mother, who in turn spends too much time at the spa and orders over-complicated drinks at the coffee shop.

“Impenetrable” is brimming with themes and stereotypes to break down. At times, there is too much to handle, but the poignancy that these characters exude is not. We all feel like this. SIS Productions and director Charles Waxberg’s choice of using an all Asian American female cast (unlike the world premiere production) speaks this universality.

The production is part of SIS Productions’ Celebrate Women! Campaign. It hopes to inspire all people, regardless of gender, age, or ethnic background, to re-envision the value of women in our culture.  “Impenetrable” runs through May 3 at West of Lenin, located at 203 N 36th Street.

Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Saturday, April 26 at 4 p.m., Monday, April 28 at 8 p.m., and Thursday, May 1 at 8 p.m.

For more information, visit https://www. facebook.com/sisproductions.

To donate to the Celebrate Women! campaign, visit http://kck.st/O6Ixnm.

Irfan Shariff can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

H lland Happening 2014 Viering Koningsdag

(Celebrating King’s Day)

32630 State Route 20 Oak Harbor, WA 98277

Get Your ROYAL Klomp On! april 25-27 • Carnival • Street Fair • Dutch Dinner • Grand Parade • Klompen Canal Races • Entertainment Stages

For More Information, Please Visit Online at www. HollandHappening.org

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ WORLD NEWS

Photo provided by Korea Coast Guard

Acts of bravery emerge from pilloried ship crew

A maritime police helicopter attempts to rescue passengers onboard South Korean ferry 'Sewol' which capsized off Jindo April 16.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) – Indonesia has the will and the funds to stage the 2019 Asian Games, a government minister confirmed Sunday as regional organizers scrambled for a host to replace Vietnam.

The 2019 event was due to be staged in Hanoi, but the Vietnamese government last week announced it would withdraw as host, citing a lack of money and the potential damage to its reputation if the event — second only to the Summer Olympics in terms of the number of athletes

Probe urged over ‘Billy,’ missing Thai environment activist

By Thanyarat Doksone Associated Press

MOKPO, South Korea (AP) – As the ferry sank, some crew members gave their lifejackets to passengers. One refused to leave until she shepherded students off the ship, and was later found dead. Others worked from rescue boats to break windows with hammers and pull trapped people to safety.

Nearly a week after the sinking of the South Korean ferry, with rising outrage over a death count that could eventually top 300, the public verdict against the crew of the Sewol has been savage and quick. “Cowards!” social media users howled. “Unforgivable, murderous,” President Park Geun-hye said of the captain and some crew.

Some fled the ferry, including the captain, but not all. At least seven of the 29 crew members are missing or dead, and several of those who survived stayed on or near the ship to help passengers.

“His last words were, ‘I’m on my way to save the kids,’” Ahn So-hyun told reporters of what her husband, missing crew member Yang Dae-hong, told her by cell phone as the ship began to sink Wednesday. He was referring to the 323 high school students on the ferry, which was carrying a total of 476

BANGKOK (AP) – Thai authorities were urged April 21 to investigate the disappearance of an environmental activist who has worked to help ethnic Karen villagers report on illegal activity around Thailand’s largest national park.

Por Cha Lee Rakcharoen, known as “Billy,” was detained briefly in the park on April 17 for carrying illegal wild honey, but was released and has not been seen since. At the time, he had been heading to meet villagers and activists in preparation for a lawsuit that would accuse park officials of burning and destroying the homes and property of more than 20 families in the area.

Kaengkrachan National Park, neighboring Myanmar in Phetchaburi Province, is mostly rainforest with a variety of bird and mammal species. It’s had problems with illegal logging and wildlife poaching.

Park chief Chaiwat Limlikitaksorn said Billy was released because the honey he was allegedly carrying was deemed a petty offense.

A park intern, Issara Seuksahet, told The Associated Press by phone from Chaiwat’s office that Billy was seen riding a yellow motorcycle in the rain after he was released.

Police Col. Woradet Suanklaai said his office was investigating, but Billy’s whereabouts remained unknown. Billy’s wife and a group of villagers met April 21 with the police and the Phetchaburi provincial governor to call for them to solve the case.

National Human Rights Commissioner Niran Pitakwachara also called on authorities to find the activist.

“Billy is not an ordinary villager who simply went missing. He is a key Karen activist who is fighting in a case in the Administrative Court, and it’s the job of the government and the administrative officials to find out where he might be, whether he is being tortured or even killed,” Niran said.

Human Rights Watch also expressed concern for Billy’s disappearance and said the park chief, Chaiwat, was being investigated for allegedly masterminding the killing of an activist from Billy’s activism network in 2011, who had helped ethnic Karen villagers report on abuses, violence, illegal logging, and poaching allegedly committed by park officials.

Chaiwat has not been suspended from duty as required under disciplinary regulations regarding officials under criminal investigation, Human Rights Watch said. “Chaiwat’s presence at the national park has been a cause of fear among local activists and villagers, particularly those involved in lawsuits against him,” it added. 

{see KOREA cont’d on page 13}

competing — was a flop.

Indonesia, with the largest economy in Southeast Asia, was runnerup in the initial bidding process for the games.

“We have been waiting for this opportunity for decades and don’t want to wait for another decade,” Indonesia’s youth and sport minister Roy Suryo told The Associated Press late Sunday. “Indonesia is ready and there will be no problem with funds.”

Suryo said the games could be held in Surabaya, the country’s second largest city. {see ASIAN GAMES cont’d on page 16}

KING COUNTY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ADVERTISEMENT King County is requesting Proposals from qualified firms interested in providing consulting services for a Value Pricing Pilot Program to catalyze the development of a priced marketplace for leased park & ride spaces in underutilized multifamily (MF) parking lots near high capacity transit services.

The Request for Proposals, all addenda and current document holder’s list are available on the internet 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

9

By Youkyung Lee and Foster Klug Associated Press

Vietnam withdraws, so Indonesia wants to host 2019 Asian Games

By Niniek Karmini Associated Press

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

$200,000 to $250,000. The total estimated price of all remaining phases is $150,000 to $200,000.

The period of performance for Phase I is estimated to be one (1) year. The period of performance of all remaining phases is estimated to be two (2) years.

Contract Title: Park & Ride Pricing in Multifamily Developments Number: P00155P14 Proposals due: May 9, 2014 Time: 5:00 p.m.

Pre-proposal Meeting: April 29, 2014 Time: 3:30 p.m.

Location: Room 121, 401 Fifth Avenue, Chinook Building, Seattle, WA SUMMARY OF WORK: This work is funded, in part, by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and applicable federal requirements apply. The County requires consulting services to support implementation of a grant from the Federal

Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Value Pricing Pilot Program to catalyze the development of a priced marketplace for leased park & ride spaces in underutilized multifamily (MF) parking lots near high capacity transit services.

SUBCONSULTANT OPPORTUNITIES: No specific subconsulting opportunities have been identified for this contract.

QUESTIONS: Questions concerning this solicitation should be directed to Ruth Williamson, Contract Specialist at 206-263-9333, ruth. williamson@kingcounty.gov, 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.

asianweekly northwest

10

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

■ COMMENTARY

OPINION

Ethnic business community says ‘no’ to $15 minimum wage hike proposal

Although Seattle’s proposed $15/hour minimum wage increase has been publicly debated since last fall, we local ethnic and immigrant small business owners have just begun to realize the negative impact the wage hike will have on our businesses and on our employees. For months, we tried to ignore it. In the meantime, groups like $15 Now and the labor unions spoke on behalf of our traditionally quiet and underrepresented communities.

These groups argue Seattle’s proposed 61 percent minimum wage increase will bring large-scale economic benefits to over 100,000 low-wage workers, many of whom are women and minorities. On the surface, the wage increase will put more money into our pockets.

But the proposed hike also will have many unintended consequences for our small businesses.

First, we would need to reduce our work force and hire only highly skilled employees. Over 10 percent of lowwage workers in Seattle do not speak English well. Right now, we hire many recent immigrants who would not likely be able to find other work in such a competitive market. At

Photo by Assunta Ng/NWAW

By The Ethnic Community Coalition

From left: Hector Pang, Zane Fitch, David Leong, Lawrence Pang, Julie Pham, Yen Lam, and Susanna Tran.

$15/hour, we would have to reduce our staff and only hire skilled, experienced workers who speak English fluently.

Second, we would upgrade our technology and use machines to do some work formerly done by hand. For example, the people you see packing produce at Lam’s

Seafood in Little Saigon would be replaced by automation.

Third, we would halt plans to expand our businesses in Seattle. Ethnic communities have been moving outside Seattle for years because of the city’s rising prices. This proposal would accelerate the migration of minorities from Seattle to the surrounding areas, a trend shown in the 2010 Census.

Fourth, we would have to raise prices on an already price-sensitive community. Tam Nguyen of Tamarind Tree estimated he would pay $45,500 each month in additional wages and taxes. “Even with a 30 percent price increase, how can I afford that?” said Nguyen. Washington Restaurant Association’s survey of 400 restaurant owners showed the wage hike would mean 82 percent of restaurants would raise prices, 69 percent would lay off some staff, and 45 percent would close business, declare bankruptcy, or close a location.

Ethnic restaurant owners and shopkeepers, such as Tamarind Tree and Lam’s Seafood, will be disproportionately impacted. The University of Washington research {see $15/HOUR cont’d on page 14}

■ publisher’s blog

Photos by Assunta Ng/NWAW

Tomio Moriguchi — A gifted leader

Dicky Mar congratulates Robert Murray and Josephine Tamayo Murray at the Interim CDA gala, after Robert bid $2,800 and won a trip for two to Hawaii.

Jenny and Tomio Moriguchi took home some nice artwork from Interim CDA.

An origami tree was the table centerpiece at the Interim gala.

Samoan dancers paraded down to the dining room at the Interim gala.

Uwajimaya chairman Tomio Moriguchi is not all about business. He is a determined leader who fights for important causes for the community.

Martha Choe, chief administrative officer for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, praised Tomio for his engagement with citizens in the community. Tomio’s community involvement is extensive. From culture to education, business to nonprofit, Asian to mainstream community projects, Tomio has done it all during his 40-plus years of dedication. He is passionate about making our community stronger and Asian Americans supporting one another.

Tomio knew a long time ago that leaders cannot lead alone. Partnership is key to the community’s growth and maturity. He and his friends, including Vera Ing, Bill Ishii, and many others, founded and served together in different community organizations. He was one of the founders and a board member of Nikkei Concerns, an organization that serves the varying needs of older adults and

their families of Japanese and Asian descent through many facilities and services.

Tomio’s ability to build bridges is a rare gift. He loves to see the community creating a movement for different projects. Without him, there would be no Kin On (Chinese nursing home). He approached the Chinese community to lease the old home of Keiro, a Japanese nursing home. Before, no one in the Chinese community had thought about starting a nursing home. It was too big of an idea and investment for the community to dream of doing. Today, Kin On not only has a new facility, it has a long waiting list as well.

As one of the seven siblings of the Moriguchi family, Tomio isn’t the oldest son in the family. If not for his intelligence, temperament, and leadership, he wouldn’t be asked to lead the family business. He was the CEO of Uwajimaya for 30 years. Before he took over the business, he was a Boeing engineer. The family knew he could grow the business. But Tomio’s motivation was

simple. He just wanted to help his parents who were working too hard.

Tomio is also generous. He supports many community causes. He would pledge as much as $100,000 to a nonprofit organization. I once served with him on the University of Washington Foster School of Business fundraising committee for the Asian American student scholarship endowment. He wrote a personal check for $5,000 for the event, in addition to buying a table and selling tables.

Outsiders might not be aware that Tomio owns the North American Post and the Soy Sauce. He’s a newspaper junkie. His wife once told me that he reads the Asian Weekly line by line from the front to the last page.

And he even saves old copies of the Asian Weekly.

Congratulations to Tomio on his most recent award from the Interim-CDA first service award, which he received on April 12 at the Waterfront Marriott Hotel. Among his many accolades, the Northwest Asian Weekly named him as one of the most influential Asian Americans in the 20th century in Washington state, along with former Ambassador Gary Locke, the late Wing Luke, and 20 others.

LeadingAge of Washington will recognize Tomio’s accomplishments and leadership at its annual awards luncheon this June.

As Jeff Hattori, Nikkei Concerns CEO, praised his vision, intelligence, compassion, and humbleness, we also thank Tomio for his commitment, humor, and service above self. 

Want to get the inside scoop on the latest happenings of Seattle’s Asian American community? Follow Publisher Assunta Ng’s blog at nwasianweekly.com under the Opinion section.

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

11

OPINION

■ COMMENTARY

High-skilled immigration reform will benefit both United States and Asia

By Curtis S. Chin Northwest Asian Weekly

DENPASAR, INDONESIA – The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor might, in Emma Lazarus’ famous poem, once have welcomed “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, [and] the wretched Curtis Chin refuse,” but that doesn’t seem to be the language coming out of Washington these days — at least not how we hear it out in Southeast Asia, where U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to visit at the end of April.

There are also many anti-immigration messages and stereotypes voiced in Thailand about the Lao or the Burmese, and in Singapore about Indonesians and Malay, that find echoes in the unfortunate language of a divided Washington of today.

For numerous countries in the Asia-Pacific region, immigration remains a contentious issue, as it is in the United States. Consider Australia’s controversial efforts to intercept at sea a new generation of “boat people” fleeing impoverished, strife-torn nations. Or reflect on Japan’s own much-documented immigration laws effectively barring many ethnic Koreans from becoming citizens, despite years of living, and indeed being born, in that country.

Even in the nation best known as a land of immigrants and their descendants — the United States — the debate rages on. Both Obama and his predecessor George W. Bush were unable to move a recalcitrant Congress, split between Republicans and Democrats, to act.

As I have argued, however, on CNBC and elsewhere, there is at least one area where all U.S. political parties should be able to come together for some meaningful, nearterm action. That is focusing on the untapped potential of the many skilled men and women who have already come to the United States through legal channels. This includes tens of thousands from India, China, and elsewhere in Asia.

Unfortunately, this issue has generally been overlooked amidst the focus on the flow of unauthorized, low-skilled immigrants into the United States — the vast majority of them from south of the U.S. border, but also including numerous unskilled immigrants from Asia and elsewhere.

The language of immigration today also is increasingly politicized, adding little to a constructive discussion, such as illegal vs. undocumented and amnesty vs. a path to citizenship.

In the slow-to-no-growth global economy, whether in the United States, Europe, or Southeast Asia, politicians too often fear the consequences of action, not inaction.

Some worry about the impact on core labor constituencies of potential competition by low-wage immigrants. Others ponder what numerous new citizens of Asian and Latino

■ letters

origin will mean for future U.S. elections.

Yet, this larger, ongoing U.S. debate — and admittedly an important one — on immigration should not stand in the way of making smaller-scale updates to what has been the traditional path forward for many seeking the American Dream.

For skilled immigrants who were doctors, lawyers, or other professionals in their countries of origin, first jobs in the United States typically take little to no advantage of their full skill-set, given licensing or accreditation requirements. The anecdotes are legion and legend, such as the taxi driver from India who was once an engineer, or the nanny from the Philippines who had long worked as a nurse back home.

The story is as old as America. Immigrants sacrifice, and ultimately succeed in building better lives for their children, if not themselves. That was certainly the story shared among many in my own family as some 120 people, descendants of Chinese immigrants of many decades past, came together last August in Seattle for our first-ever family reunion.

And like many a Pacific Northwest family, the occupations and preoccupations were varied, from Seattle public school teacher to Boeing engineer, to my own recent service as one of the few U.S. ambassadors of Chinese heritage.

By some counts, I am the fourth. Gary Locke, the former U.S. Ambassador to China, U.S. Commerce Secretary and Washington state governor, is the fifth.

Many in our extended family gathered again earlier this year in Yakima to remember and celebrate the life of a great-aunt, Jade Hong Chin, who recently passed away and who had immigrated to the United States in 1947 to be with her husband, Calvin, after WWII had separated them. Her tale and the tales of others, of immigrant life, separation and coming together, and becoming American, will not change and will be echoed by many in the future.

But what could well change, with bipartisan support in Washington, is support for an effort focusing first on immigrant integration, separate and distinct from the contentious issue of immigrant admissions.

Addressing the ongoing “brain waste” of an estimated 1.5 million college-educated immigrants, either unemployed or employed in relatively unskilled jobs, will help America better utilize the nation’s diversity of human capital. This should not detract from the critical challenge of job creation and ensuring all Americans, regardless of immigration status, can build careers in today’s economy.

The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute — a Washington, D.C. think tank focused on analysis of the movement of people worldwide — has noted America’s uneven progress in integrating skilled immigrants. Policy implications could include a greater focus on state workforce agency partnerships, advancing accredited work-skills

training, and English language programs. At the federal level, incentives could well be provided for more effective bridging programs for America’s underutilized talent.

One such program doing so, supported by World Education Services — a research organization focused on international education and credential evaluation and on whose board I sit — is aptly called “pathways to success.”

This effort includes seminars offering practical advice and resources to skilled immigrants on how to further pursue education, obtain professional licensing or certification, and find suitable employment in the United States.

Last December, the United States marked the anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. That original act of Congress had singled out an ethnic group for immigration exclusion, prohibited legal Chinese immigrants from becoming naturalized citizens, and relegated them to second-class status.

Those times thankfully are behind us, even though some may well raise fears about new waves of immigrants hitting the shores of an ever-changing America. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed a sweeping immigration reform bill into law. In 2006, President George W. Bush became the first to address the nation from the Oval Office on primetime TV on immigration — a reform effort that ultimately failed. Just this month, his brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, was criticized by some for what were seen by others as more welcoming comments on immigration.

Today, America again has the opportunity to mend a broken system and set an example for Asia-Pacific nations that are also struggling with how best to welcome strangers to their shores and perhaps one day to turn them into new citizens. In his remarks during his upcoming trip to Asia, Obama may well choose to acknowledge the contributions of the many Americans who themselves or whose ancestors once called Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, or somewhere else in the region, home.

An even better tribute would include the U.S. president and Congress putting politics aside and focusing on ensuring that skilled immigrants can fully utilize their talents and education toward building an even stronger America. This might be a small step forward, but it can help build trust that will be critical for a larger deal. Highskilled immigration reform will benefit the United States and its economy, as well as the many Asians seeking legally to build better lives there, and also provide a shining example to Asia that progress can still be made even on the most difficult issues.  Curtis S. Chin, a former U.S. Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank under Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush (2007-2010), is managing director of advisory firm RiverPeak Group, LLC. Follow him on Twitter at @CurtisSChin.

$15 is not the answer

$15 costs jobs

The following letters to KIRO TV were sent to the Northwest Asian Weekly for publication.

Dear KIRO TV,

Dear KIRO TV, Thank you for your piece on the minimum wage raise in Seattle and how it can affect the immigrant community and businesses. We have not heard the side of the minimum wage opposition and how it will hurt the immigrant community and businesses. I am a small business owner and very concerned about my employees, my community, and my business. There is much complexity to this debate.

We want to close the gap on income inequality, but raising the minimum wage is not the answer. The unintended consequences are that many who are earning minimum wage are entry workers, immigrants, less skilled, and inexperienced workers. They will now have an even harder

chance in the job market if the minimum wage goes up to $15/hour. In theory, it is noble, but the economics of it does not help many people that they intend to help. It will hurt the ones they intend to help the most. Large businesses that have millions and billions of dollars can endure this devastation, but not small businesses, in which a minimum wage hike of 61 percent will cause businesses like mine to cut staff, invest in automation, relocate, or just close our doors. Business is already hard enough, and I just don’t think I can endure this minimum wage hike. Please continue to cover segments like you did to bring different perspectives to the mayor’s office, council members, and citizens.  Thank you,

I saw your news piece about the minimum wage raise in Seattle and how it will affect the immigrant community. I really appreciated your perspective and reporting angle on this issue, as it highlights a very complex problem within my community that has not been highlighted by this debate.

The minimum wage raise will cost jobs within the immigrant community and will push many small immigrant business owners out of business. This issue has to be addressed by the mayor’s office and the council members.

Hopefully, news segment like yours will highlight this and bring attention to the debate. 

— Yen Lam

— Tim Pham

asianweekly northwest

12

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

{NEPAL cont’d from page 4} of its bulging ice, when an enormous piece broke away from a high glacier and came tumbling down the mountain, setting off an avalanche of ice, according to the website of International Mountain Guides, an Ashford, Washingtonbased company that had a team that witnessed the disaster.

Nepalese tourism officials said the guides had been fixing ropes — using clamps and special screws to attach miles of nylon cord used by the streams of climbers who begin heading for the summit this time of year. But guiding companies said the ropes had already been laid down, and the Sherpas were carrying loads of tents, oxygen tanks, and other gear to the higher camps used by climbers as they approach the summit.

Special teams — known on Everest as the icefall doctors — had also already been through the Khumbu, fixing lines and rigging aluminum ladders over crevasses. They were quickly called back after the avalanche to start building a new path, though climbing had been halted for at least a couple of days.

International Mountain Guides said on its website that many climbers had been pleased by the icefall doctors’ work this year, since lines had been fixed in an area “that is normally not so exposed to the frequent slides.”

When the avalanche hit, dozens of climbers and guides raced from the base camp — the mini-city of nylon and prayer flags and nightly parties built every year for its hundreds of temporary residents — in search of survivors, said Prakash Adhikari of the Himalayan Rescue Association, which has a medical team at the camp.

But while the icefall is barely 500 meters (547 yards) higher than base camp, it can easily take a couple of hours to reach the popcorn field, even for the strongest climbers.

It’s unclear whether any of the dead could have been saved, even with immediate rescue. Many probably died instantly, hit by blocks of ice that can easily be larger than a car.

A day after the disaster, many Sherpa guides spoke of their work in ways that reflect the complexities of poor people working in a deeply hazardous place.

The work is dangerous — a year rarely passes without at least one death on Everest — but the Sherpas, who were once among the poorest and most isolated people of Nepal, also now have schools, cell phones, and their own middle class.

All that is the result of the economy of Mount Everest, which brings tens of millions of dollars to Nepal every year.

“We have no problem with what we do. It is a job which helps feed our families, sends our children to school,” Dawa Dorje, 28, a mountain guide from Everest’s foothills, said in Katmandu, where he was picking up equipment for clients.

“We make more money than most of the people in the {OSO cont’d from page 4} witnessed fellow soldiers being blown up. On the day he returned from war, his first child was born and he named him Daniel after his close friend and fellow soldier who was killed by enemy fire. Upon his return from service, he and his wife Erin decided to move from Mission Viejo, Calif., to start their lives anew.

Russell’s story moved me. I wanted to help him catch a steelhead. That would be me giving him a small Band-Aid for his heroism and service to our country. I am now the old-timer, possessing more information than I can impart in a day regarding steelhead.

I knew that Russell could be a competent fly fisherman if he acquired the right information.

I asked Russ to hand me his rod to assess his setup. I immediately replaced his leader and fly with what I was using. Then made a cast for him to show him a quality placement of the fly where the fish would be holding. Once I handed him the rod, I told him to repeat that process and to trust his setup. Within 30 minutes, I saw Russell raising his rod for a quick hook set and a steelhead bursts out of the rapids and cart-wheeled on the surface.

It is gratifying to share knowledge that can bring so much joy to another person!

Like Marty, Russell found Oso and the Stillaguamish Valley to make a new home.

He still suffers from nightmares of war and PTSD is his constant battle. He’s worked hard daily to recover from PTSD and to suppress the anxiety and delusions that confront him, by fishing and gardening in the comforts of his Cascade Mountain home. Oso has become his haven. He had dedicated his life to healing, raising his family, and tending his garden and animals.

The Oso mudslide means there is no long period of recovery for Russell. He flies the

country. If the foreigners did not come, then we would be out of a job. They need us and we need them — it is a win-win situation,” he said.

While the average annual income in Nepal is just $700, a high-altitude Sherpa guide can make $5,000 during the three-month climbing season. Climbers, meanwhile, can pay $100,000 for a chance to reach the summit.

And some of what happens on the mountain, Dorje noted, comes down to sheer luck.

“There have been concerns why so many Nepali Sherpas were killed in the avalanche. But they were there at the wrong time. If the avalanche had struck a few days later (when climbing teams begin working their way up Everest), then there could have been many foreign fatalities, too,” he said.

However, on well-traveled, high-prestige climbs like Everest, the Sherpas are the ones who go first up the mountain.

They break the deep snow, lay the fixed ropes, and carry the heaviest loads. They face avalanches, altitude sickness, lack of oxygen, and brutal cold.

“The risks for Sherpas on the mountain are twice that of the Western climbers,” said Nima Tenzing, a 30-year-old guide who also runs a shop for trekking gear in Katmandu.

Still, he shows no resentment.

“Death and injury on the mountain is part of our lives now.

We have lost many of our people to the mountain. But we have to pull ourselves together and continue our work,” he said.

In the days following the avalanche, several Sherpas already have quit while others are still deciding whether to boycott climbing following the avalanche, said Ang Tshering of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

Funerals began April 21.

“After losing so many of our brothers and friends, it is just not possible for many of them to continue,” said Pasang Sherpa, who was not among those caught in the avalanche.

“So many of us are scared, our family members are scared and asking us to return.”

The Sherpas have expressed anger that there has not been a bigger response from Nepal’s government, which profits from the permit fees charged to the climbing expeditions.

The government has announced an emergency aid of 40,000 rupees ($415) for the families of the deceased climbers. On April 21, Deputy Prime Minister Prakash Man Singh said the government is working to help the Sherpas.

“It is not true the government does not care,” he said. “We have been working with rescue from the very beginning. We will do what we can, keeping with the standard practice to provide compensation.”

Tshering said there were about 400 foreign climbers from

same American flag that he flew halfstaff in Iraq and at his house in memory of his fallen comrades. That same flag is now flown as tribute to those fallen in Oso. Russell never would have guessed that his veteran experience in dealing with trauma would now be needed to help his community and family at home.

Steelhead Haven near Oso, where the mudslide occurred, is a retreat and a place of small rebellion from the big city life. It’s the kind of place where you can focus on

39 expedition teams on the mountain and equal number of Sherpa guides, along with many more support staff, such as cooks, cleaners, and porters in the base camp.

The Tourism Ministry, which handles the mountaineering affairs, said it has not been told of any cancellations by expedition teams, said Maddhu Sunan Burlakoti, head of the Nepalese government’s mountaineering department.

Without the guides, it would be near impossible for the expedition teams to continue.

According to the Himalayan Times, the Sherpas are demanding the following: • Increment of immediate relief announced for avalanche victims • Provide Rs 1 million each to families of deceased and to those critically hurt who cannot rejoin mountaineering activities, and cover all expenses for treatment of the injured • Set up a memorial park in the name of the deceased in Kathmandu • Set up mountaineering relief fund with 30 percent of royalty collected from issuing permits to different mountains • Double the insurance amount to the mountaineering workers • Provide additional chopper rescue to mountaineering support staff if insurance fails to cover the cost • Provide perks and salaries, except summit bonus, through concerned agencies to Sherpas if they want to call off climbing this season • Manage chopper to bring logistics and equipment from different camps if mountaineers decide to abandon climbing this season • Don’t take action against SPCC icefall doctors if they refuse to fix ropes and ladders on the route this season • Let the expedition members to call off this season’s climbing if they wish so Attempts to reach the 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) peak of Everest were expected to start next month.

Nepal’s tight-knit climbing community has been left reeling and struggling to make sense of the disaster — an accident the climbers say could have happened to any one of them.

Hundreds of people, both foreigners and Sherpas, have died trying to reach the world’s highest peak. About a quarter of them were killed in avalanches, climbing officials say.

The worst recorded disaster on Everest had been a fierce blizzard on May 11, 1996, that caused the deaths of eight climbers, including famed mountaineer Rob Hall, and was later memorialized in a book, “Into Thin Air,” by Jon Krakauer. 

your family, and only the “bare essentials of life” as Henry David Thoreau once said.

The Oso landslide reinforced for me that we are all survivors. There is a pinch in the stomach, a bit of agony that is stirred with sadness by what happened. Any of us could have stood in the path of the mudslide on the North Fork Stillaguamish River. And whether we overcame illness, evaded acts of God or self-inflictions — we are only guaranteed the moment. It is our acts of gratitude and love that define our strong

community. This is why we marvel at the unity of the Stillaguamish Valley residents, as they aid each other while coping and recovering from the tragedy.

Undoubtedly, out of the disaster, Oso will rebuild stronger. Steelhead Drive will be cleared again, and I will continue to visit my friends and the river that runs through the revered town. 

Thao Tran can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

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32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ astrology

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

13

For the week of April 26–May 2, 2014

By Sun Lee Chang Rat — Flying high on a recent accomplishment?

Instead of stopping there, continue the trend by building on your success.

Dragon — Don’t worry about doing anything fancy when you invite your friends over. They want to see you, not watch you fret over the food or decor.

Monkey — Taking in the sights of your own city or town can be fun, but sharing it with a loved one can elevate the experience to another level.

Ox — Why settle for good enough, when you can do more? Push yourself to do your best when it counts.

Snake — Running short on time for exercise?

Incorporate fitness in small increments into your day, by taking the stairs or parking farther away than normal.

Rooster — Hiding something that you are embarrassed about? You may be surprised that it is not as big a deal as you think.

Horse — It can be all too easy to be bothered by comparisons. You don’t always need to keep up with what someone else is doing.

Dog — Trying to plan a special outing for your family?

It doesn’t have to be far away to be memorable.

Tiger — Finding the positive takes just as much work as seeing the negative. You just have to choose to channel your energies in that direction.

Rabbit — Are you thinking about getting a new pet?

Ask yourself whether you have the time and energy that it will take to take care of one.

Goat — Avoid the urge to overindulge today. Just because a little is good doesn’t mean that more is better.

Pig — You want things to stay the same, but change is constant. Embrace, rather than fight, what is to come.

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 Monkey 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004 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.

{KOREA cont’d from page 9} people.

More than 100 people are confirmed dead and nearly 200 more are still missing. Relatives, as well as many other South Koreans, are enraged, lashing out at what they see as a botched rescue operation and, most vehemently, at the captain. He and two crew members have been arrested, accused of negligence and abandoning people in need. Six other crew members have been detained — two of them on Tuesday — though prosecutors have yet to obtain arrest warrants for them.

Captain Lee Joon-seok told passengers to stay in their cabins as the ferry listed and filled with water, then took at least half an hour to order an evacuation and apparently escaped on one of the first rescue boats.

But passengers recall moments of quiet bravery from the crew. Passenger Koo Bon-hee, 36, told The Associated Press that there were not enough life jackets for everyone in the area on the third floor, where he and others waited. So crew members — two men and two women — didn’t wear any so that all the passengers could have one.

One of the first bodies recovered after the ferry sank was 22-year-old crew member Park Ji-young, who helped students evacuate until the last minute, even though she wasn’t wearing a life vest, South Korean media reported.

Witnesses told Yonhap news agency that she told students that crew members must stay on the ship until everyone else leaves, and that she would follow them after helping {NAKAYAMA cont’d from page 1} The influence of the Northwest environment resonates through the band’s delicate, theatrical songs, which have titles like “Seward Park,” “Raindrops,” and “North Cascades.”

Tomo is also known for his acting debut in Seattle director Lynn Shelton’s film, “Touchy Feely,” which was nominated for a Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival last year. In the movie, Nakayama plays a love-struck barista, a role that was inspired by his actual circumstances at the time.

Since dissolving Grand Hallway last year, Nakayama has been working on a solo album that he hopes to release this autumn.

“I’m interested in a more minimalist approach this time around, focusing on the most essential elements to convey the idea of the song,” he said of his latest work. “I’m selfrecording everything as I write in order to capture each idea in its most immediate form.”

Tomo wrote and recorded songs in state parks over the winter, including Cama Beach and Wallace Falls. Just as he was looking for his next site, the residency invitation from Town Hall appeared.

“The timing was perfect,” said Nakayama. “It’s been interesting going from the really pastoral, bucolic setting of a state park to an urban, historic setting like Town Hall and seeing how that change in scenery informs the songwriting.”

Tomo has apparently taken well to the new environment.

He says that he’s written more songs there in the past two

passengers.

Crew members describe a rending dilemma as the ship went down. The late evacuation order meant that by the time the crew got off the bridge, the tilt of the ship was so great they could barely walk, let alone rescue passengers. Should they flee the sinking ship or risk their lives to save others trapped below?

Oh Yong-seok, a 57-year-old helmsman, said he and four crew members worked from nearby boats to smash windows on the sinking ferry, dragging six passengers stuck in cabins to safety.

Oh said that a first mate — who is detained — used his knowledge of the ship’s layout to help direct rescuers as they worked to pull passengers off onto rescue boats. He said he and his colleagues remained at sea trying to help until an official who appeared to be from the coast guard asked them to head to land.

His eyes welling with tears, Oh said it breaks his heart to watch news of rescue attempts from a hospital room, where he’s being treated for an injury to his foot. He’s tormented over the likely deaths of children who are about the same age as his own.

“We did hard work, but no media are talking about that,” he said. “Instead, they say all crew members fled.”

Yang, the missing crew member, was dedicated to his job, said friend Lee Joung-hwa, a celebrity manager who met Yang six years ago on the ferry during an event she had organized there.

“He was the type of guy who cared for the customers of

the ferries from the moment they stepped on board,” Lee said in an interview at the gymnasium in Jindo. She traveled there out of concern for her friend.

Some crew members said they feel they cannot discuss their efforts to help because the public is so enraged.

One crew member under investigation, an engineer, locked himself in a hotel room in Mokpo on Monday after telling fellow crew members that he would kill himself, senior prosecutor Ahn Sang-don said. Police found a rope when they entered the room, but the engineer appeared to be unhurt, Ahn said.

The engineer was among the two crew members detained Tuesday, prosecutor Yang Jung-jin said. He had been held by the coast guard on Monday, but Ahn said then it was for his own safety.

Crew members are also struggling to understand why the captain, who some called kind-hearted, didn’t stay on the ship longer or help oversee rescue operations.

Oh said the captain tripped while the ship was listing and crashed into an iron door. Oh said he thought Lee might have left the ferry when he did because he was badly injured.

He was surprised then to see in television footage that the captain was walking without much problem.

“The captain should have stayed there,” Oh said, “even if it meant his death.” 

months than in the previous year.

“Just having access to such a beautiful building and their Steinway pianos, and having the time to really focus on my music has been a tremendous gift,” Nakayama said.

The residency program at Town Hall began in the fall of 2012. Two sets of artists- and scholars-in-residency are chosen each year, in the fall and spring. The scholar-inresidence this spring is the Rainier Scholars, a nonprofit that helps high-achieving students of color make it to college.

Brandon said the residencies are part of the institution’s general effort “to subvert the normal performance paradigm, where people sit passively in the audience to watch a performance or lecture.” Artists-in-residence are encouraged to attend Town Hall programs as audience members, particularly those outside their own genre or interests, but also to publicly present their own work and their “findings” from their time in residence.

Residents are chosen by a team of Town Hall administrators who look at up-and-coming artists doing interesting work, especially those that could benefit from a little support.

“Tomo has been an ideal resident,” said Brandon. “Each artist makes it their own, and the program is open-ended for just that sort of thing, but he has really taken it to heart.

He’s been in the building at all times of day, to attend programming, but also to work here.”

At the start of the residency, Tomo was given a set of keys and a schedule of events, so he knows when the various rooms will be in use. Other than that, he can come and go as he pleases to write and record his songs.

Aside from using the building as a workspace, Nakayama has found inspiration in the cultural programming he’s attended. For instance, fiction writer George Saunders’ thoughts on the process of finding one’s creative voice resonated strongly with Tomo.

“I could relate with the peculiar feeling of discovery, of realizing that the thing that makes you most unique are often right in front of your face, and not that remarkable in your own eyes,” Nakayama writes in his blog.

He also found relatable aspects of the Urban Poverty Forum and Supreme Court Chief Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s presentation, as well as a program on the life of Kurt Cobain.

“By listening to each other’s stories, we find common hopes and struggles that make us human,” Nakayama writes. “George Saunders had a great quote on this, “Reading softens the borders between ‘you’ and ‘me.’”

This softening of the borders, and development of empathy towards others, seems to be the common thread in the programs I’ve attended so far at Town Hall.”

On Tuesday, April 29, Nakayama will take the stage at Town Hall himself. He’s hosting a Scratch Night, where he will debut some of the songs he’s been working on, and also hold a discussion on songwriting with three of his favorite local musicians — Kevin Murphy of The Moondoggies, Hanna Benn of Pollens, and Grant Olsen of Gold Leaves and Arthur&Yu. Afterwards, the party will move to Capitol Hill Cider for an interactive open mic night. Tomo says he hopes the evening will be “a fun, informative, and free-flowing event” that will “demystify the [songwriting] process a little bit for people.” 

Associated Press writers Jung-yoon Choi in Seoul, Gillian Wong in Jindo, South Korea, and Hyung-jin Kim in Mokpo, South Korea, contributed to this report.

asianweekly northwest

14

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

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{$15/HOUR cont’d from page 10} commissioned by the city’s Income Inequality Advisory Committee reported most jobs that pay less than $15/hour are in the accommodation and food industry (63 percent) and in retail trade (48 percent).

According to the 2007 U.S. Census survey of business owners, Asians and Asian Americans own a 24 percent share of the accommodation and food industry market in Seattle and 19 percent of retail trade. This is relatively high, considering Asians comprise less than 14 percent of the city’s population.

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Since wage compression will likely result, it is still unclear to what degree the income gap between minorities and whites will close.

Moreover, the extra income will not necessarily stay in Seattle to stimulate its economy — 40 percent of low-wage workers in Seattle live outside the city.

With all these reasons, why did we ethnic small business owners wait until now to rally against this proposed wage hike?

Because we were afraid to talk openly with each other and with our employees — it’s not in our culture to make waves. We feared we would be accused of not wanting to improve the lives of our workers.

We feared being bullied and boycotted.

Our fear clouded our ability to use the greatest weapon this country can give us: our voice.

Now, we’ve come together to say “no” to the proposed $15/hour minimum wage that would become effective next January. We need to determine a sustainable approach to economic growth that will be a win-win for both employees and employers, and that will respect the diversity of our city.  Zane Fitch, Day Spring & Fitch Funeral Home Taylor Hoang, Pho Cyclo Cafe Yen Lam, Lam’s Seafood David Leong, Acquabar Lawrence Pang, Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber Julie Pham, Northwest Vietnamese News Angela Shen, Savour Seattle Tours Susanna Tran, Tony’s Bakery & West Coast Commercial Realty

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

{WOC cont’d from page 1} self-improvement and networking skills, by providing opportunities to build crosscultural and multi-generational relationships, and promoting community services.

This is the 18th year that Women of Color Empowered has hosted a luncheon recognizing extraordinary women who have achieved career success while making a positive impact on their profession and local community. The women who are this year’s “Rising Stars — Young Female Professionals Making a Difference” will be honored Friday, May 2, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at China Harbor Restaurant in Seattle. “Rising Star” is defined as a woman in her early 40s or younger who is growing quickly in importance and/or prominence in her field.

Andrea Ximena Cortés-Beltrán Andrea was born in Austin, Texas, and raised in Guadalajara. Cortés-Beltrán dreamed of being a teacher, and became a certified ESL teacher at age 17. She earned an engineering degree at Universidad del Valle de Atemajac, and soon after moved to Seattle. Through the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), she planned and executed STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) activities for students and encouraged them to go to college. She earned a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering in 2012 from the University of Washington.

She is an Executive Development Institute alumna, and currently works as an industrial engineer at The Boeing Company. She enjoys volunteering for Boeing’s community events that promote diversity and inclusion.

Annya Pintak In September 2012, Pintak joined Global to Local to develop and implement the Connection Desk, a volunteer program that connects HealthPoint patients and South King County community members to social resources that will support their overall health and wellbeing. She now serves as the program manager for the Connection Desk and also the Affordable Care Act In-Person Assister Program for Global to Local.

She has experience working with immigrant populations as a program assistant for a “Parents and Tots Program” in Vancouver, B.C., as a research assistant for the Center for Alternative Medicine at the Boston Medical Center, and as a community health mentor at the Seattle World School, mentoring local immigrant and refugee adolescents on a variety of health topics.

Pintak believes in community-based strategies as an appropriate and effective method to address health and social issues for vulnerable populations in low resource communities locally. Pintak holds a BA in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia and a MSW from the University of Washington. She speaks Indonesian and Spanish.

Courtney Gregoire Washingtonian, A third-generation Courtney Gregoire brings substantial international trade experience from both the public and private sectors to the Port of Seattle, where she was appointed commissioner in February.

Gregoire currently works as an attorney for Microsoft, focusing on unfair competition and international trade, and serves on the Seattle Community Colleges board of trustees. Previously, she served as the first director of the National Export Initiative at the U.S. Department of Commerce for President Obama. She was named deputy chief of staff for the department in 2011.

Before joining the Obama Administration, she served as legislative director and chief counsel for U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell.

She graduated from Willamette University in Salem, Ore., and received her law degree from Harvard Law School.

Erica Buckley Erica Buckley is an associate attorney at Buckley & Associates located in Seattle’s International District. In her five years of practice, she has successfully resolved over 250 cases and collected millions of dollars for her clients.

Buckley’s other passion is volunteer work. She has donated many hours of pro bono work helping those who cannot afford legal representation. She is a member of the Junior League of Seattle, and the Treehouse Young Professionals board, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of foster children.

Buckley graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Tufts University in Medford, Mass., and from the University of San Diego School of Law. She is admitted to practice law in Washington and California and is a member of multiple professional organizations, including the National Bar Association, the Loren Miller Bar Association, Washington State Association for Justice, and others.

She was born and raised in Tacoma and currently lives in West Seattle.

Marci Nakano Marci is the Program & Events manager for the Executive Development Institute (EDI), a nonprofit organization that provides leadership development training for Asian Pacific Islander and Hispanic professionals in the Pacific Northwest. Prior to EDI, she was an audit manager at Deloitte & Touche.

She was responsible for financial statement and internal control audits for such clients as Boeing, Sellen Construction, Tacoma Public Utilities, and Itron.

Nakano graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in accounting and a minor in Japanese. She is a fourthgeneration Japanese American and was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii. She is a member of Seattle Rotary #4, the largest Rotary Club in the world.

Mavis Orr As regional director of operations for Panda Express, Orr oversees the dayto-day operations of 54 locations in the states of Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

She started her Panda journey in 2003 as a general manager in Northgate Mall in Seattle and quickly rose through the ranks, serving in leadership positions such as training leader, multi-unit manager, and area coach of operations. In 2011, she became regional director and now leads more than 800 associates.

Recently, Orr proudly completed her first half marathon in Seattle and has not stopped there. She is registered for two more half marathons this year in Vancouver, B.C. and Seattle.

Orr is a graduate of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a bachelor of science degree in hotel and food service management. She has lived in Hong Kong, Cyprus, and Germany, and has traveled to more than 20 countries and 100 cities. She and her husband, Geoff, live in Issaquah.

Mia Gregerson Mia Gregerson is a first-term member of the state House of Representatives from the 33rd Legislative District. A Democrat, she is vice chair of the House Committee on Local Government and also serves on the Community Development, Housing, and Tribal Affairs Committee and the Higher Education Committee. In the 2014 legislative session she successfully sponsored bills to increase protection for homeowners facing foreclosure, to bring more efficiency to state colleges and universities, to promote taxpayer fairness, and to safeguard benefits for public-safety workers.

Before her appointment to the House by the King County Council in late 2013 to complete an unexpired term, Gregerson served as a council member and deputy

mayor for the city of SeaTac. While on the council, she served on the executive board of the Puget Sound Regional Council, the board of directors for Sound Cities Association, and other regional committees.

Gregerson has been a surgical assistant and business manager in the dental field for more than 16 years. She has degrees from Highline Community College and the University of Washington. She is a native of Taiwan, adopted in infancy by an American couple who raised her in Washington state.

Monisha Harrell Monisha Harrell is a proud graduate of Garfield High School in Seattle, and attended college at Columbia University in New York City. After 10 years in New York, she returned home to Seattle and received her MBA from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business.

She owns and operates a small marketing firm, Rule Seven, focused on community outreach strategies, brand development and market research, and has worked on a number of political campaigns across King and Snohomish Counties.

Harrell has served as a board fellow for Lifelong AIDS Alliance, and currently serves on the boards for the Institute for a Democratic Future, the 21st Legislative District Democrats, and as board chair for Equal Rights Washington. Her past work experience includes roles at Amazon, Starbucks, JWT Specialized Communications, American Management Association, Sesame Street Home Video, and FX Television.

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

15

Environmental Law, and the Gonzaga Law Review.

Sara E. Asatiani Sara E. Asatiani, CRPS®, is currently a vice president of wealth management, financial planning specialist, and financial adviser at Morgan Stanley in Seattle, where she is also called the “CEO” — Chief Enthusiasm Officer.

Asatiani specializes in holistic financial planning for women. She is passionately dedicated to building confidence in her female clients to ensure “true security, independence, and peace of mind.”

Sara has been licensed since 1997 as a general securities representative Series 7, uniform state agent series 63, investment advisory agent 65 licenses, and holds a Washington State insurance license. She is a graduate of the University of Colorado, where she received her bachelor of science degree in finance in 1999.

Asatiani joined Morgan Stanley in 2000.

She is a Blue Chip council member, and has been recognized as a Pacesetter for Growth among her peers at Morgan Stanley.

Most recently in 2013, she co-founded W@MS, Women at Morgan Stanley, a board of professional women committed to education, empowerment, and ongoing transformative change for women in the community.

Rebecca Saldaña Rebecca Saldaña leads Puget Sound Sage’s Community Benefits and Development program focused on equitable transit oriented development. She connects Sage’s original research, policy smarts, and strategic campaign and coalition skills to community-led campaigns from the Rainier Beach Transit Justice Youth, Got Green’s Target Local Hire campaign, and the formation of South Communities Organizing for Regional/Racial Equity. She has also contributed her talent to broader policy wins, including the $15 minimum wage in SeaTac and a low-income fare for King County bus riders. From organizing for janitor and farm worker justice to serving as Congressman McDermott’s Labor & Housing Liaison, Saldaña brings more than 15 years of experience in building faith, labor, and community coalitions for economic and social change. A graduate of Seattle University, Saldaña was born and raised in Seattle.

Seiko Yamashita Seiko Yamashita is an adult mental health program clinical supervisor at Therapeutic Health Services. She holds a master of science degree in applied psychology, mental health counseling emphasis, from Eastern Washington University.

After graduating from EWU, Yamashita worked as a mental health case manager and a therapist for three years at Navos Mental Health Solutions on the older adult outreach community team. For the next six years, she was the lead clinician for that team. She worked five years for LifeWire as a therapist and the clinical director.

She developed the mental health and case management programs for LifeWire, and provided individual and group therapy for program participants, supervised other therapists and interns, and provided mental health consultation for domestic violence advocates — both in that agency and throughout King County.

Yamashita has provided workshops on mental health, aging, domestic violence, crisis intervention, sexual abuse, therapy with older adults, and the intersection between medical and psychological problems.

Sahar Fathi Sahar Fathi is a policy analyst for the Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. She has served as a legislative aide to Councilmember Mike O’Brien on the Seattle City Council and as a legal clerk for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Fathi graduated from the University of Washington Law School and is a member of the New York bar. She also earned a master’s degree in International Studies from the University of Washington, and graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California with a dual bachelor of arts in French and International Relations. Additionally, she attended the Sorbonne Université in Paris, France, on exchange from 2003 to 2004 and received a diploma in international and European law from the Université JeanMoulin in Lyon, France, in 2008.

Fathi has worked on immigrant and refugee issues for 10 years. She was named one of the “Smartest People in Seattle Politics” by The Stranger in 2013 and was named one of the “Seattle’s Smartest Global Women” by The Seattle Globalist in 2014.

Fathi is fluent in Farsi and French. She has been published in the Seattle Journal for Social Justice, the Seattle Journal of

Tera Beach Tera Beach is the deputy district director for Congressman Jim McDermott, and was the key staff person working with the Wing Luke Museum toward its designation by former Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar as a National Park Service Affiliated Area.

Congressman McDermott led a coalition of nine members of Congress who requested the Wing’s designation, a rare recognition of an Asian Pacific American site as one of America’s cultural treasures.

In her 15 years on Congressman McDermott’s staff, Beach has served as an essential connector for Seattle’s arts community with a senior member of Congress. She is also dedicated to the project to restore honor to the African American veterans of Fort Lawton, who were unjustly court martialed in 1944.

In her volunteer work, Beach mentors youth in global leadership skills and advocates against bullying, as part of One World Now, the Committee for Children, the World Affairs Council, and other community programs. While attending Ballard High School, she was a SeaFair ambassador who served as a member of the first post-conflict delegation of Americans to visit Vietnam. 

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APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2014

{BATAYOLA cont’d from page 1} Department of Health & Human Services for their work with Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in accessing health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Batayola will receive the honor on April 24 in Washington D.C., where she also will participate in a panel discussion on the “best practices” she and her colleagues used to ensure success in their endeavors to educate and enroll members of the API community in health care.

“I’m only one person — the face of the organization,” said Batayola. “Our success really relied on the staff, both in the clinic and out in the field, in educating people to get covered.”

“They all are champions,” she added.

Batayola also credited ICHS’s different partners in achieving their goals as they struggled with website glitches and language barriers, including the Asian Counseling and Referral Service, the Chinese Information and Service Center, several eastside-based entities, and others.

ICHS reached out to more than 14,000 people, said Batayola. The organization also assisted more than 10,000 people through the wahealthplanfinder.org process. So far, she said, they successfully enrolled 5,987 {ASIAN GAMES cont’d from page 9} But in a measure of the potential problems ahead, Indonesia Olympic Committee chairwoman Rita Subowo questioned whether the government had enough time to properly prepare.

“The government should realize that Surabaya will only be ready to host the Youth Games in 2021, not in 2019,” Subowo said She also noted that a new government would be elected later this year that might not agree to pay for the games, injecting more uncertainty into the bid.

Photo by John Liu/NWAW

and has grown in popularity in the last 20 years.

Talk about passion. Some attendees spend $1,000 on the material, and then spend 1,000-plus hours perfecting their costume. You think it’s crazy? It’s no different then an athlete spending thousands of dollars and practicing for hours trying to achieve perfection.

This was my first time at Sakura-Con. No, I didn’t “cosplay.” I was trying to figure out what to see. The last anime series I saw was around 10 years ago. After that, it was the latest U.S. release of Hayao Miyazaki’s cute and adorable animated movies like “Princess Mononoke” and “Spirited Away.”

The convention took up 10,000 square feet. The program schedule alone was 12 pages long. A whole exhibition hall was dedicated strictly to merchandising. I had some time to swing by the arcades, game and card-playing rooms, D&D, and sword demonstrations. More than a dozen rooms were showing continuous anime for hours on end. There was definitely something to do for everyone. The Wii Just Dance 2014 – Psy’s Gentleman was impressive.

What a cool sight to see all these cosplayers dancing together!

Photo by George Liu/NWAW

{SAKURA-CON cont’d from page 1}

Street Fighters Cammy, Chun Li and Sakura.

League of Legends costumes was quite popular at this year’s Sakura-Con. Here is Blood Moon Akali.

My friend David was demonstrating Iaido for the first time at Sakura-Con. I was not expecting many people to go since very few people usually show up at their competitions.

But when I entered the Exhibition Hall, there was a decent crowd of 40 people watching the Iaido demonstration. Laido’s ancient sword techniques appeal to attendees because of sword fighting in animes.

One of the demonstrators was in a full set of Samurai armor dating back to the 1800’s.

The ironic part was that while others at the convention were cosplaying, Emily was the real deal.

If Sakura-Con sounds familiar to those around Chinatown, that’s because a group of the participants have regularly held a costume contest and marched in the

Chinatown Parade, the 2014 Dragonfest, and the Chinatown Seafair Parade every year. If you can’t get enough of cosplay, be sure to stop by Chinatown for those events.

Maybe next year, I’ll dress up too to join the fun! 

people, although more are rolling in as the state continues to process the applications.

The Champions of Change program was created as “an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.”

ICHS is Washington state’s largest Asian and Pacific Islander nonprofit organization providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services including medical, dental, behavioral health, acupuncture, and health education services. With several bilingual in-person assisters, community advocates, and eligibility workers who work to actively help Asians and Pacific Islanders learn about health reform and apply for insurance, ICHS has also partnered with community-based organizations, faithbased organizations, grocery stores, community centers, and libraries to meet the community need.

According to the White House, the Affordable Care Act provides an opportunity to provide nearly 2 million uninsured Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with quality, affordable health care. In addition, eight out of 10 uninsured AAPIs may be eligible for financial assistance through Medicaid, CHIP, or tax credits in the Health Insurance

Marketplace. 

Access Services and Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, New York, N.Y.; Priscilla Huang, Action for Health Justice, Washington, D.C.; Amy Jones, Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association Coalition, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.; Manjusha P. Kulkarni, South Asian Network, Artesia, Calif.; Cathy Phan, Asian American Health Coalition–HOPE Clinic, Houston, Texas; Bruce Thao, Hmong American Partnership and Hmong National Development, St. Paul, Minn.; and Cathy Vue, Asian Services In Action, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.

The cost of hosting the event depends on how much infrastructure needs to be built or upgraded.

Vietnam would have needed to spend at least $500 million, economists and experts have said.

Subowo said an Olympic Council of Asia team would visit Indonesia early next month to assess its suitability to host the games.

Indonesia staged the Southeast Asia Games in 2011 and the Islamic Solidarity Games last year, both in Palembang, a city on Sumatra island. 

The “Champions of Change” ceremony will be live streamed at www.whitehouse. gov/live at 10:30 PST on Thursday, April 24.

The other 10 honorees are Sophie Duong, Nationwide Viet Radio, Falls Church, Va.; Howard J. Eng, Southwest Border Rural Health Research Center, Center for Rural Health, and the University of Arizona College of Public Health, Tucson, Ariz.; Minja Hong, Healthcare

John Liu can be reached at john@ nwasianweekly.com.

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