VOL 41 NO 36 | SEPTEMBER 3 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

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VOL 41 NO 36 SEPTEMBER 3 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

FREE 40 YEARS YOUR VOICE

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY The path Judge Janet Chung blazed for herself to serve on the bench has never been conventional.

And her story serves as inspiration for immigrants and women that, no matter how impossible the obstacles may seem, anything is possible.

Chung, 53, is the first Korean American female out of 22 judges in Washington state to serve on the Court of Appeals. Unlike many judges whose careers started from lower courts, Chung has never been a judge. Yet, her appointment to the Court of Appeals from Gov. Jay Inslee is only a step away from the Washington State Supreme Court. The three-person appeal court has the authority to reverse (overrule), remand, modify, or affirm the decision of the lower court.

Chung’s immigrant parents were

both physicians who were among the privileged few who were allowed into the U.S. from Korea in the early 1960s to help fill an American shortage of medical professionals at the time,” said Donald, Chung’s brother, at her swearing-in ceremony at the Wing Luke Asian Museum on Aug. 25.

But Chung didn’t follow in her parents’ footsteps to be a doctor.

Donald joked that his parents were present at the swearing-in ceremony “as testament to the fact that they have finally forgiven Janet for not going into medicine.”

Chung’s life adventures began at age 11. She wrote in her notebook, “My greatest ambition…in my life is to be a lawyer…I like the idea of standing up for what you think is right, and, also, for what others think…In that way, I would be able to help other people, ” according to Donald. see CHUNG on 16

Photo by Assunta Ng

An unconventional path for the first Korean female judge in higher court

Judge Janet Chung’s mother Helen helped Chung to put on her judge’s gown.

Surprise homeless Mariners, fans honor Ichiro shelter may bring hundreds more to the CID

Photo: Seattle Chinatown Block Watch

Through the foliage, in Hing Hay Park, we see a shirtless man put his arms around a woman. Nearby, a man blackened with soot, a cigarette butt in his fingers, reclines in shabby clothes in a pool of darkness under a tree. After we pass through, we turn and realize two of our numbers are missing. Two young women who joined the Seattle Chinatown Block Watch recently, both in sunglasses and jeans, are now gone.

“Where are they?” someone asks, looking back into the tangle of men now reforming, blocking the path behind us.

Then, finally, Gary Lee, one of the volunteers, sights one of them way back in the middle of the park, handing out A man sits slouched in a doorway in the CID

see HOMELESS SHELTER on 15

THE INSIDE STORY

EDUCATION Once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog  7

■

A&E Kolohe Kai: Reggae vibes by way of Hawaii  8

WORLD NEWS China adds postscript to ‘Minions’ showing crime doesn’t pay  9

AP Photo/John Froschauer

By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Former Seattle Mariners player Ichiro Suzuki is inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame during a ceremony before a baseball game between the Mariners and the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, in Seattle. Ichiro is a 10-time All-Star and American League Rookie of the Year in 2001.

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY The Seattle Mariners honored Ichiro Suzuki by inducting him into the Mariners Hall of Fame last weekend. The Japanese-born baseball icon who’s 5’11 and 175 pounds was just the 10th member of the team’s Hall of Fame and the only Asian.

The last weekend of August, the team held a celebration for Ichiro during the four-game home series with the Cleveland Guardians.

The Mariners won three of the four games. The team’s great performance this year evokes the

last time the Mariners were in the playoffs, in 2001, when Ichiro was a rookie for the team.

Ichiro played for the Mariners from 2001 to 2012 before being traded to the New York Yankees. Ichiro then signed a contract with the Miami Marlins and played for them for two years before returning to the Mariners in 2018. Suzuki played with the Mariners before retiring with the team during a game in Japan in 2019 at the beginning of the season. He was then given he role as “special assistant to the chairman” for the Mariners. see FANS on 12

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SEPTEMBER 3 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS

calendar. In attendance were state Sen. Bob Hasegawa, Chair of the King County Council Claudia Balducci, Bellevue Deputy Mayor Jared Nieuwenhuis, Bellevue City Councilmember Janice Zahn, King County Communications specialist James Bush, King County Park program manager Scott Thomas, and many community leaders.

Mazu is a goddess of the sea in China. Commemoration of Mazu is an important cultural bond that promotes family harmony, and social concord. 

Liu named to UW Bothell School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board Yajuan (Susan) Liu, CPA and principal of Hongxin Wealth & Tax Planning Group, has been appointed to the University of Washington Bothell School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board. The board provides strategic guidance, helps build external partnerships, and deepens the school’s relationship with the busiYajuan (Susan) Liu ness community.

Liu is an internationally recognized expert in international tax planning and tax compliance services to U.S. citizens, green card holders, and Chinese investors.

She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Nankai University, which is consistently ranked as one of the 10 best universities in China. Before starting Hongxin Wealth & Tax Planning Group in Bellevue in 2015, she worked for eight years at Microsoft and spent two years at Merrill Lynch as a financial advisor to high-net-worth clients. 

Michelle Yeoh to film award for excellence Toshiko Hasegawa (middle) receiving her award from her father, state Sen. Bob Hasegawa (left) and Eddie Rye Jr.

integrity, and humility in servant leadership.”

Kurose was a pacifist, similar to how Dr. King subscribed to non-violence. 

Mazu Day proclamation

Hasegawa presents Hasegawa with award Seattle Port Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa received the Aki Kurose Award for Public Service, on Aug. 28 from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Committee, in conjunction with the 59th anniversary of the March on Washington, D.C. for Jobs and Freedom, Her father, state Sen. Bob Hasegawa, presented her with the award, in what she called “a huge surprise” on Instagram.

She called him her “greatest role model for strength,

40 YEARS

Aug. 30 was the signing ceremony and Proclamation of Mazu Day by King County.

Mazu is celebrated annually on Sept. 9 of the lunar

Actress Michelle Yeoh is set to receive the 15th annual Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film from the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

The award, which benefits the festival’s year-round educational programs, will be presented to the “Everything Everywhere All At Once” star at a black-tie dinner taking Michelle Yeoh place at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, in Santa Barbara on Dec. 9.

This will mark the first time the honor is awarded since the passing of the screen legend that gives the prize its name.

“A well-deserved honor for the legendary and multitalented Michelle Yeoh,” said the late Kirk Douglas’ son, actor Michael Douglas. “She has been entertaining and thrilling us in films since the 1980s …… AND she does her own stunts!! Bravo Michelle!” 

YOUR VOICE

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

SEPTEMBER 3 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

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ACRS, Comcast, and TAF work to support mental health and digital access The most recent Healthy Youth Survey, done in part by Washington’s Department of Health, found that, in winter 2021, 45% of Washington’s 12th graders felt sad or hopeless. If you dive into the numbers, it gets more alarming. 69% of 10th graders reported they were nervous or anxious, over half have not been able to stop worrying, 18% had planned suicide, 8% had tried it, and 15% said they had no one to turn to (askhys.net). As students across the state prepare to go back to school, it is important to address challenges particular to this transitional time between full-blown pandemic and the new normal, when kids and adults alike still harbor trauma.

Asian Counseling and Referral Services (ACRS) and Comcast have partnered in advocating for mental health and wellness in our communities, a large piece of which has to do with communication.

During the pandemic, that meant doing so digitally.

“Many of our communities are

Screenshot by Kai Curry

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

From left: Moderator Amy HyunPak, TAF’s Sherry Williams, and ACRS’s MIchael Byun discuss what advocating for mental health and equal digital access looks like

still far behind on digital literacy,” said Michael Byun, executive director of ACRS. “Digital literacy for them is dialing and using the telephone to get connected, so certainly during this time, there was this real unraveling—and understanding—about how much of a gap many of our community folks were confronting.” ACRS was quick to pivot at the start of

COVID-19 lockdowns and so, while there was much that was disturbing about this time, Byun believed there was also much that was transforming.

“There have been moments of wonderful solutions, people acting quickly, communities acting quickly, families—with their resilience—acting quickly to get their older adults…figuring out

how to get on Zoom so that they could attend Cloud Bamboo.”

In an ACRS virtual “Lunch and Learn,” entitled “Wellness in a Digital World,” on Aug. 22, with Comcast and Technology Access Foundation (TAF), panelists shared their efforts to provide underserved communities the help they need, be it mental health services or technology. Originally

scheduled in May, during Mental Health Awareness Month, the talk was postponed out of respect for the victims of the mass shooting in Texas. As ACRS Development Director Martha Reyes announced then, “We want to prioritize your personal space and wellness and instead of pressing forward.” This act demonstrates an increasing understanding among certain organizations that taking time to sit with and acknowledge people’s mental and emotional state is vital. As it happened, the moving of the event to a few days before school starts, was equally appropriate.

The session kicked off with an informative video about a new digital literacy lab at ACRS, called The Lift Zone, sponsored by Comcast.

“It’s going to enable us to take the digital literacy class to a new level,” ACRS staff commented.

“This Lift Zone lab is kind of a microcosm of everything we’re trying to achieve in digital equity.” Why is digital equity and digital access important? It’s fundamentally about connection and relationships, and that’s why it’s see MENTAL HEALTH on 13

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SEPTEMBER 3 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

40 YEARS

■ COMMUNITY NEWS Zhang falls, dies at Mount Rainier Chun Hui Zhang, 52, of Surrey, British Columbia has fallen to his death on Mount Rainier.

He was reportedly on a private summit climb with friends on Aug. 22 when witnesses reported seeing him take a “substantial fall” on the Disappointment Cleaver route, the National Park Service said in a news release.

Mountain climbing guides and rangers failed to locate him, and he was found the next day with help from a helicopter.

Ben Welch, senior officer at Mount Rainier National Park, said officials did not know whether he was using a safety rope, which isn’t required.

Zhang was descending the mountain when two International Mountain Guides staffers preparing for a private, guided

climb saw him fall, according to Welch and to the park service statement.

The guides helped other climbers in the area get to safety, the statement said.

It took several unsuccessful attempts to find Zhang’s body, the service said. His remains were recovered on Aug. 23 by park rangers with the help of a National Park Service helicopter.

According to the park service, thousands of mountaineers reach the peak of Mount Rainier each year.

The Disappointment Cleaver-Ingraham Glacier Direct route is the most popular, representing 75% of all summit attempts.

Fifty percent of all Mount Rainier summit attempts are successful, with “climber fatigue” cited as the most common reason for turning back. 

■ NATIONAL NEWS

Woman arrested after racist rant, assault in restaurant lot

Esmeralda Upton

PLANO, Texas (AP) — A woman was arrested and faces a possible hate crime charge after she was captured on video in a racist rant and assault on women of South Asian descent in a suburban Dallas parking lot, in another disturbing example of anti-Asian violence seen across the U.S Plano police said in a Aug. 25 statement that Esmeralda Upton, 58, of Plano, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and terroristic threat charges. She was jailed with bond set at $10,000.

Rani Banerjee told Dallas TV station WFAA that she and three friends had just finished eating

dinner at a restaurant when Upton approached them in the parking lot.

“Suddenly, we heard this woman yelling at us and started coming toward us. We were shocked by the racial slurs that she used and combative attitude,” Banerjee said.

The Council on AmericanIslamic Relations condemned the attack.

“The level of vitriol and alleged physical assault against four Indian-American women in Plano is truly appalling,” Faizan Syed, executive director of CAIR-DFW, told the TV station.

“This type of hate has no place in North Texas, and we call on

law enforcement to investigate this incident as a hate crime.”

The police statement said the incident was being investigated as a hate crime. Jail officials had no attorney listed for Upton.

The confrontation happened shortly after 8 p.m. on Aug. 24. A widely circulated video showed Upton unleashing a profanity-laced rant on them, challenging their presence in the United States, threatening to shoot them and physically assaulting Banerjee, who was recording the confrontation on her phone.

Anti-Asian violence has risen sharply in recent years. Last year, six women of Asian descent

were among the eight killed in a shooting at massage businesses in and near Atlanta, heightening anger and fear among Asian Americans.

Earlier this month, a man accused of shooting three Asian American women at a salon in Dallas’ Koreatown was indicted on hate crime and other charges.

And a West Texas man was sentenced to 25 years in prison earlier in August for attacking an Asian family outside a Midland department store in 2020 because he thought they were Chinese and therefore responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. 

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO PROPOSERS Proposals will be received for KC000667, Construction Management

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Services for Lake Hills Interceptor Rehabilitation Phase II Project; by

certified by the State of Washington Office of Minority and Women’s

King County Procurement and Payables Section until 12:00 PM on

Business Enterprises.

10/05/2022.

This contract includes development and submittal of an Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) Innovation Plan. The ESJ Innovation Plan details the approach, strategies, and actionable steps that will be taken to maximize the participation of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women

Total Estimated Price: $775,643 Prospective proposers can view more details at: https://kingcounty.gov/ procurement/solicitations Contact: Debbie Hall, debhall@kingcounty.gov, 206-263-7873

SEPTEMBER 3 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

YOUR VOICE

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■ WORLD NEWS Protests in India against release of 11 convicted rapists

By BHUMIKA SARASWATI ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW DELHI (AP) — Hundreds of people held demonstrations on Aug. 27 in several parts of India to protest a recent government decision to free 11 men who had been jailed for life for gang raping a Muslim woman during India’s devastating 2002 re-

ligious riots.

The protesters in the country’s capital, New Delhi, chanted slogans and demanded the government in the western state of Gujarat rescind the decision. They also sang songs in solidarity with the victim.

Similar protests were also held in several other states.

The 11 men, released on suspended sentences on Aug. 15 when India celebrated 75 years of independence, were convicted in 2008 of rape, murder and unlawful assembly.

The victim, who is now in her 40s, recently said the decision by the Gujarat state government has left her numb and shaken her faith in justice.

The Associated Press generally doesn’t identify victims of sexual assault.

The victim was pregnant when she was

brutally gang raped in communal violence in 2002 in Gujarat, which saw over 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, killed in some of the worst religious riots India has experienced since its independence from Britain in 1947. Seven members of the woman’s family, including her three-year-old daughter, were also killed in the violence.

“The whole country should demand an answer directly from the prime minister of this country,” said Kavita Krishnan, a prominent activist.

Officials in Gujarat, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party holds power, have said that the convicts’ application for remission was granted because they had completed over 14 years in jail. The men were eligible under a 1992 remission policy that was in effect at the time of their conviction, officials said. A newer

version of the policy adopted in 2014 by the federal government prohibits remission release for those convicted of certain crimes, including rape and murder.

The riots have long hounded Modi, who was Gujarat’s top elected official at the time, amid allegations that authorities allowed and even encouraged the bloodshed. Modi has repeatedly denied having any role and the Supreme Court has said it found no evidence to prosecute him.

Asiya Qureshi, a young protester in New Delhi, said she participated in the demonstrations to seek justice for the victim.

“Modi gave a speech on 15th August on the safety and protection of women of India and the same day they released the rapists,” Qureshi said. “How am I safe in such a climate?“ 

Japan police chief to resign over Abe shooting death

By MARI YAMAGUCHI ASSOCIATED PRESS

National Police Agency Chief Itaru Nakamura

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s national police chief said he will resign to take responsibility over shortfalls in security that an investigation by his own agency showed did not adequately safeguard former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from a fatal shooting at a campaign speech in July.

National Police Agency Chief Itaru Nakamura’s announcement came as his agency released a report blaming flaws in police protection—from planning to guarding at the

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scene—that led to Abe’s assassination July 8 in Nara in western Japan.

Nakamura said he took the former prime minister’s death seriously and that he submitted his resignation to the National Public Safety Commission on Aug. 25.

“In order to fundamentally reexamine guarding and never let this happen, we need to have a new system,” Nakamura told a news conference as he announced his intention to step down.

Nakamura did not say when his resignation would be official. Japanese media reported that his resignation is expected to be approved.

The alleged gunman, Tetsuya Yamagami, was arrested at the scene and is currently under mental evaluation until late November.

Yamagami told police that he targeted Abe because of the former leader’s link to the Unification Church, which he hated.

Abe sent a video message last year to a group affiliated with the church, which experts say may have infuriated the shooting suspect.

In a 54-page investigative report released, the National Police Agency concluded that the protection plan for Abe neglected potential see JAPAN on 14

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SEPTEMBER 3 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

40 YEARS

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR THRU FEB 19, 2023 EXHIBIT, “WE ARE CHANGING THE TIDE: COMMUNITY POWER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE” The Wing Luke Museum, 719 S. King St., Seattle Thu-Sun, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. wingluke.org/we-are-changingthe-tide

SEP 1

CLUB MEETING WITH USHA SRINIVASAN, CLASSICAL INDIAN DANCER 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

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8 WHAT LAUGHTER TELLS US: ASIAN AMERICANS, COMEDY, AND BELONGING WITH MICHELLE LIU 7 p.m.

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YOUR VOICE

■ EDUCATION Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell (right) teases Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones for being a Franklin High graduate.

SEPTEMBER 3 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

asianweekly northwest

Once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog GARFIELD HIGH CELEBRATES CENTENNIAL From left: Bobbie Stern (class of 1960), Penny Fukui (class of 1961), and Frank Fukui (class of 1960).

By Samantha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY The pride of a Garfield High School (GHS) Bulldog doesn’t end at graduation—a statement that was evident on Aug. 27 as alumni from decades past filled the gymnasium for the school’s centennial celebration.

The event was several years in the making as the Seattle school’s actual centennial was in 2020, but due to the pandemic, the celebration had been delayed for two years and rescheduled five times from its original June 2020 date.

In the weeks leading up to the event, Lynn Jaffe, class of 1958 and event chair, admitted that while she was excited for the celebration to be finally happening, she was also looking forward to Aug. 28, the day after they pulled off the event.

“As you can imagine, we’re all tired,” she said with a laugh.

The all-day event included mini class reunions, musical performances by current students and alumni, as well as food trucks—some of which were owned by Garfield alumni, according to Jaffe. There was also a formal program, featuring a number of alumni speakers, with Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell as emcee. The second-generation Bulldog graduated from Garfield in 1976—not (contrary to popular belief)100 years ago, he joked to the sea of purple and white filling the stands.

“I told them I was all in,” Harrell said about his response to being asked to be involved in the event. “That’s how Bulldogs roll.”

A RICH LEGACY OF ALUMNI Other prominent Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) alumni, include former CEO and president of Uwajimaya Tomio Moriguchi and former owner of the International District’s Bush Garden, Joan Seko—both from the class of 1955 and whose time at Garfield overlapped with Harrell’s parents. Port of Seattle Ccommissioner Toshiko Grace Hasegawa (class of 2006) was also a Bulldog.

Non-AAPI GHS alumni include musician Jimi Hendrix and rapper Macklemore—though neither graduated as Bulldogs (the former dropped out in 1959 to join the military, while the latter graduated from Nathan Hale High School in 2001).

One of the school’s most wellknown alumni is famed music see BULLDOG on 10

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SEPTEMBER 3 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Kolohe Kai

Reggae vibes by way of Hawaii

By Andrew Hamlin NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Many musicians can recall their first guitar, their first keyboard, their first drum kit.

But for Hawaii’s reggae singer Kolohe Kai, coming to the Showbox SoDo on Sept. 17, music goes all the way back to preschool days.

“My most important memories growing up were of watching my dad play guitar and sing with my uncles and aunties,” remembered the singer, known as Roman de Peralta in civilian life. “I remember trying to play along with my drum set made up of juice cans, water bottles, and my chopsticks as drumsticks.

Photos by Harris Davis “I used to love listening to Hawaii Reggae Bands like Ekolu and Fiji, along with R&B legends, Boyz II Men. Those influences inspired my writing and singing style. Watching one of Michael Jackson’s concert DVDs in 2007, was the first time I dreamed of being a performer, and I told myself one day I’m gonna do this for my dream job. Little did I know a little over a year later, I’d be signed to a record label.” see KAI on 13

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

Legacy House and its people As the world adjusts to the new normal, many people may still be struggling to feel safe and grounded. Seniors in particular have had to be extra cautious of their health and wellbeing.

Ever since the first nursing home COVID-19 case in Kirkland in March of 2020, Washington state has taken measures to protect residents living in long-term care facilities by requiring strict safety precautions.

Seniors were recommended to stay put and many felt isolated.

The significant fear and hardship that seniors face daily can be such a burden already, yet the pandemic further isolated them from their family, friends, and each other, forcing many to deal with their challenges quietly and alone.

At International Community Health Services Legacy House Assisted Living, the residents know that no matter what they are going through, they are not alone. And each of them deserves to feel safe and cared for.

For the seniors who have made their way to Legacy House, the supportive, family-like community honors and reflects their cultural values. Legacy House staff promote healthy aging under attentive care by dedicated and knowledgeable staff who also speak multiple

Photo provided by ICHS

By Angel Chi ICHS

Joseph Tso stands in the doorway of his Legacy House room.

Asian languages and dialects.

Legacy House has become a safe haven for its residents, protecting them from the alarming impact of the pandemic and providing them with the best of care within an amazingly supportive community. see LEGACY HOUSE on 14

YOUR VOICE

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

SEPTEMBER 3 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

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ICHIRO’S influence celebrated by VIP baseball panel On Aug. 27, famed Seattle Mariners player Ichiro Suzuki was inducted into the Mariners’ Hall of Fame, the tenth on that list and the first Asian. Amidst many celebratory events over that weekend, Nisei Veterans Committee (NVC) hosted a panel just a few hours prior to the induction, “The Impact of Ichiro on Both Sides of the Pacific,” at which those who knew Ichiro well, and were instrumental in his coming to Seattle, talked about his legacy.

In the meeting hall at NVC, it felt like you were at the ballpark. Fans streamed in wearing their Mariners gear (mostly specific to Ichiro) and carrying Ichiro memorabilia, in the hopes of getting an autograph from one of the Mariners management. Hot dogs and chips were served, and even the Mariners Moose mascot showed up for a few minutes to clown around with the audience.

Players like Ichiro are our heroes, as much as Gilgamesh, Musashi, or Mulan. Whether you like baseball or not, there is no denying his mastery of see ICHIRO on 12

AP Photo/Stephen Brashear

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

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SEPTEMBER 3 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

■ WORLD NEWS China adds postscript to ‘Minions’ showing crime doesn’t pay BEIJING (AP) — The latest “Minions” movie subtly reinforces a message for Chinese audiences that viewers in other countries won’t see—Crime doesn’t pay.

A postscript added to the version in Chinese cinemas says a villainous character, who ends the movie as a free man, is later jailed for 20 years.

Foreign films have long been targeted in China for references to subjects sensitive to the ruling Communist Party, such as Taiwan, the Dalai Lama and human rights.

In recent years, China’s film board appears to have expanded its purview to ensure that films deliver the right message, and not one deemed harmful.

That can be a challenge in a movie in which the central character is a villain. “Minions: The Rise of Gru” is a prequel that tells the story of the early years of Gru, the bumbling criminal plotter of the “Despicable Me” animated series.

The solution: Add individual postscripts about the characters, a series of them, interspersed with the credits at the end.

One says that Wild Knuckles, an older, mentor-like villain to the

young Gru, was later bundled off to prison for 20 years because he tried to commit another crime. Before the credits, he simply drives off into a suburban horizon.

The postscript for Gru says he gives up evil, joins the good guys and, in his biggest accomplishment, is the father of three daughters.

The actual story, told in the original “Despicable Me” in 2010, is a bit more complicated. Gru adopts three orphan girls for his plot to steal the moon. But the adorable orphans, who see in him a dad, melt his icy heart.

Chinese movie bloggers pointed out the added postscripts in social media posts, drawing varying reactions. Some people said the additions were an overreaction to what is an animated comedy. Others said they demonstrated correct values, especially for kids.

“I think the ending with positive energy doesn’t have to exist at all,” said one cinema goer, Jenny Jian.

“It’s totally unnecessary.”

Positive energy is a catchphrase that emerged in China about a decade ago and has been promoted by the Communist Party to push for uplifting messages from the media

BULLDOG from 7 producer Quincy Jones (class of 1950).

Garfield’s performing arts center is even named after him. Jones—who knew Harrell’s parents and actually introduced the couple—served as the honorary chair of the centennial event, though at age 89 and with the ongoing pandemic, did not attend. Instead, he pre-recorded a video that was posted on the event’s website.

“There’s nothing that a graduate of Garfield High can’t accomplish,” Jones said in the video. “To this very day, I say with pride that I was a member of the student body who prowled the halls of Garfield in my youth. And I’m honored to be part of the rich legacy of Garfield High alumni.”

Speaking to the next and future generations of Bulldogs, Jones told them to remember that as much as they are the heart and soul of Garfield, they are also the “seeds of what our world can grow to be.”

“Remember to always do what you love and love what you do, and we’ll always be alright,” he said in the video.

MEMORIES During the formal program, the alumni speakers shared memories of their time at Garfield.

“I got to see the best of everyone,” Hasegawa, one of the speakers, said.

After leading the crowd in a cheer, the former Garfield cheerleader shared that while she was one of only a handful of Asian students at the time, her time at Garfield taught her to have pride in who she is. She learned how to build together

Members of Garfield High School’s graduating class of 1974 at one of the tables at the event.

as a community and how people can reach higher when they lift each other up. When you walk the halls of Garfield, you walk the halls of power, Hasegawa, the first Asian American woman to be elected to Port of Seattle in its more than 100-year history, said.

The school has also attracted big names outside of its student body, including then Senator, now former President Barack Obama, who spoke at Garfield during Hasegawa’s senior year. And back in 1961, Martin Luther King Jr. came to Garfield to speak as well.

“That was a highlight of my life,” said Carver Gayton, who graduated in 1956, and returned to Garfield as a teacher and was there when King made his speech.

And while the speakers shared good memories of their time at Garfield,

Harrell—whose own favorite memories include a math class taught by Thomas Bailey in which they also discussed other topics ranging from politics and the Vietnam War—acknowledged that not everyone has good memories. In response, Harrell said this was an opportunity for them to make new memories.

TRANSCENDING STEREOTYPES Located in the Central District in the center of Seattle, Garfield’s student body has represented all races, backgrounds, and walks of life. Harrell noted that while he attended, the school’s racial makeup seemed pretty evenly divided—he had friends of every race. This was reflected also in the school’s extracurricular activities as well as its faculty and staff.

and the arts, according to the China Media Project, which monitors media trends.

The China Film Administration, which oversees the film board, did not respond to faxed questions. The distributors, China Film Co, and Huaxia Film Distribution Co., did not respond to emails.

China doesn’t have a film rating system that assesses a movie’s suitability for different audiences.

Instead, authorities ask producers to delete or alter what they consider inappropriate before movies are approved for release.

“Minions: The Rise of Gru,” which has taken in 114 million yuan ($17 million) at the box since opening in China on Aug. 19, is hardly the first time Chinese authorities have altered a movie’s end.

In “Peppermint,” a 2018 movie about a vigilante, the main character is handcuffed to a hospital bed. A sympathetic detective slips her a key and, in the final scene, the bed is empty with the handcuffs swinging open on its railing.

The truncated Chinese version ends with her still in bed, before she gets the key. 

“[This] diversity in the truest sense... made it pretty cool actually,” Harrell said about his experience.

As a result of the school’s diverse population, a number of the speakers at the centennial event said this also meant that they weren’t afraid to have conversations about race, inequity, and other “difficult” topics.

“We transcend stereotypes,” student speaker Lakelle Bridges (class of 2023) said as she described the wide interests of Garfield students.

And while the school’s diversity and inclusion is a point of pride, there was one part of the population Bulldogs seemed to have some contempt for: the Franklin High School community. This was clear as Harrell constantly teased Seattle Public Schools Superintendent and Franklin alum Dr. Brent Jones (notably for his lack of purple attire), who was also one of the speakers at Saturday’s celebration.

But like Garfield folks, Jones wasn’t afraid to speak to difficult topics either, sharing his views on Bulldogs—from their penchant to self-identify as Bulldogs, to their competitiveness.

“They may not be the best, but they think they are the best,” he told the crowd and was met with a laugh.

Despite his affiliation with Garfield’s rival, Jones (who actually has a few Bulldogs in his administration as well as his family) described the school as a center of excellence, change, and innovation, going forward.

“If Garfield isn’t the flagship high school in the city, it’s one of them,” Jones said.  Samantha can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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■ WORLD NEWS US suspends Chinese airline flights in COVID-19 dispute BEIJING (AP) — The U.S. government is suspending 26 flights by Chinese airlines from the United States to China in a dispute over anti-virus controls after Beijing suspended flights by American carriers.

On Aug. 25, the Department of Transportation complained that Beijing violated an air travel agreement and treated airlines unfairly under a system that requires them to suspend flights if passengers test positive for COVID-19.

U.S. regulators suspended seven flights by Air China Ltd. from New York City and a total of 19 flights from Los Angeles by Air China, China Eastern Airlines Ltd., China Southern Airlines Ltd. and Xiamen Airlines Ltd., according to the Department of Transportation.

It said that was equal to the number of flights United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines were required to cancel under Beijing’s “circuit-breaker” system.

The ruling Communist Party’s “zero COVID” strategy aims to keep the virus out of China while other governments are shifting to living with the disease. That has kept case

numbers low but disrupted travel, manufacturing and trade. Beijing is easing travel curbs, but most foreign visitors still are barred from China.

Until Aug. 7, if up to nine passengers on a flight tested positive, a carrier could suspend a flight for two weeks or reduce the passengers it carried to 40% of the possible total, according to DoT. It said that since Aug. 7 airlines have been required to suspend a flight if the number of positive tests reaches 4% of passengers on one flight.

The agency complained that airlines face “undue culpability” for passengers who present negative test results before boarding but test positive after arriving in China.

China’s actions are “premised on circumstances wholly outside of the carriers’ control,” the U.S. statement said.

“We reserve the right to take additional action” if Beijing imposes “further circuit-breaker measures,” the statement said. 

Cambodia says it’s helping foreigners scammed by traffickers

By SOPHENG CHEANG ASSOCIATED PRESS PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia said on Aug. 19 that it is attempting to aid foreigners who have been victimized by human traffickers, after Taiwan said it is seeking to free more than 300 of its citizens who were lured to the Southeast Asian nation by organized crime groups.

The mostly well-educated young people were promised high wages for tech jobs, but then were forced to work in call centers, scamming mainly mainland Chinese into making payments for non-existent government fees or investment opportunities.

Interior Minister Sar Kheng said his ministry is launching a nationwide check of all foreigners living in Cambodia, aside from embassy personnel. He said it will search especially for foreigners who have been victimized by human traffickers.

He said police in two provinces, Kandal and Preah Sihanoukville, checked the status of foreigners residing or working at hotels, rented properties and casinos last week.

Sar Kheng said several people were arrested on suspicion of organizing human trafficking and some apparent

victims were taken into protection. Police were still trying to determine whether those who said they were victims were telling the truth, he said.

Sar Kheng did not specify how many people were rounded up or what their nationalities were, but confirmed that some foreigners told police that they had been attracted by what was portrayed as lawful jobs offering high salaries.

Upon arriving in Cambodia, however, they were forced to work illegally in jobs that were “not what they had agreed to,” Sar Kheng said.

Separately, Deputy National Police chief Gen. Chhay Sinarith said in recent years Cambodian authorities have uncovered numerous illegal online schemes that lured see CAMBODIA on 12

Panda twins born in China as species struggles for survival BEIJING (AP) — Twin giant pandas have been born at a breeding center in southwestern China, a sign of progress for the country’s unofficial national mascot as it struggles for survival amid climate change and loss of habitat.

The male and female cubs, born on Aug. 24 at the Qinling Panda Research Center in Shaanxi province, are the second pair of twins born to their mother, Qin Qin.

Another panda, Yong Yong, gave birth to twins at the center earlier this month.

Qin Qin was also born at the center and previously gave birth to twin females in 2020.

State media gave no word on the father, but Chinese veterinarians for years have been using artificial insemination to boost the population of the animals, which reproduce rarely in the wild and rely on a

diet of bamboo in the mountains of western China.

The efforts have paid off, with some captive-bred pandas being released into the wild. The population of wild pandas has ticked up gradually, reaching an estimated 1,800. About 500 others live in captivity in zoos and reserves, the majority in the mountainous, heavily forested province of Sichuan.

Encroachment on their land by farmers and industry has reduced the pandas’ space while cutting them off from other populations with which to breed.

Like much of central and western China, Sichuan has been hit by soaring summer temperatures and drought this year that have sparked forest fires and the withering of crops and forests, generally attributed to global climate change. 

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CAMBODIA from 11 illegal workers, and have arrested hundreds of people from China and Taiwan for involvement.

Scammers, mainly from China, have used Cambodia as a base for extorting money, Chhay Sinarith said.

On Aug. 19, Taiwan’s government said 333 of its citizens were stuck in Cambodia after being lured by crime

FANS from 1 Among the accolades during his career— Ichiro won the AL MVP and the Rookie of the Year in 2001, was an All-Star 10 times, and set a record for hits in a major league season with 262.

Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan idolized Ichiro Suzuki since he was a kid growing up in Northern California. In homage to his hero, his first at-bat on Friday night, he twirled his bat in the batter’s box and the left-handed Kwan held his bat in the air perpendicular to the ground with his right hand eyeing the pitcher. He then gave a subtle tug of the right short sleeve as Suzuki did in every at-bat.

The undersized Asian American is considered one of the best rookies in Major League Baseball and if not for Julio Rodriguez, could be the Rookie of the Year.

Kwan’s homage to his hero did not stop on Friday night as he got a hit and dove into the stands with reckless abandon to catch a foul ball off the bat of Cal Raleigh to keep the Guardians in the game.

ICHIRO from 9 the sport. Just like ancestors long ago that sat around the fire to listen to stories, we love to hear Ichiro’s exploits. How many seasons did he have over 200 hits? Ten in a row. How many All-Star games was he in? Also 10. Most hits in one season? 262.

The all-time high, breaking Pete Rose’s record. (There was a feud at the time, as Rose said Ichiro’s Japan hits didn’t count—but that was then.) 4,257 was the record against Rose’s 4,256 in 2016.

When Ichiro retired in 2019, his total was 4,387.

The point of the gathering was to pay tribute to and gain a better understanding of Ichiro’s impact on Japanese relations with the United States. NVC Commander Mike Yaguchi put on his best “sports announcer” voice to introduce moderator Lori Matsukawa, retired KING 5 anchor, and Japan’s Consul General in Seattle, Hisao Inagaki.

“Even if you are not familiar with baseball, you have probably heard about Ichiro,” said Inagaki, who admitted he had not known the full extent of Ichiro’s influence and achievements.

The audience was also given a refresher by Bob Whiting, who wrote a book specifically about Ichiro called, in short, “The Meaning of Ichiro.”

Due to Ichiro’s influence and his “cool factor,” as Inagaki described it, more Japanese players have since been brought to the United States, and Americans’ concept of the

40 YEARS

groups promising high wages for tech jobs, based on reports from families asking for help. The situation is complicated further because Cambodia is a close ally of China and refuses to recognize Taiwan or have any official contacts with the government in Taipei.

Taiwanese media have been reporting extensively on the plight of those trapped by the networks. Police at Taiwan’s main Taoyuan International Airport have been

patrolling with signs warning of the dangers of bogus offers of high salaries in Southeast Asia.

Taiwanese authorities have also been reaching out to travel agencies to uncover the scams, and more than a dozen people have been arrested over recruitment schemes that aimed to dupe young people into jobs advertised as high-paying positions in computer engineering and similar fields.

It has also become a political issue, with the minority Nationalist Party accusing the governing Democratic Progressive Party of inaction on the matter. Premier Su Tsengchang has called for diplomatic outreach and a crackdown on local criminal groups organizing the scams.

Nationalist Deputy Secretary General Lee Yen-hsiu said more public outreach is necessary to deal with the phony job offers. 

“I really admire how humble and how simple he was,” the rookie said of Suzuki.

“He was obviously one of the biggest superstars in Japan and he came here and did the same thing, but he never let it get too big,” Kwan said. “He took everything with great humor, real humility. That was something I really admired.” “[Ichiro] wasn’t hitting the big home runs, he wasn’t doing the big macho things, but he was getting the job done,” Kwan said to reporters. “They rolled him out every day and he succeeded. He was a superstar.

That was really big for my confidence growing up.”

Kwan recalls watching Japanese television highlights of Ichiro with his grandmother as a child. Even when Ichiro had a bad day, Japanese highlights would show his play.

Ichiro’s weekend included a fireworks night on Friday night with music curated

by Ichiro. Saturday night was the big night in which a ceremony was held prior to the game that officially inducted Suzuki into the Mariners Hall of Fame. The ceremony

included Ichiro’s wife Yumiko Fukushima, Ken Griffey, Jr., Edgar Martinez, and many more Mariners already in the prestigious club. A light-hearted moment of the ceremony included a congratulations from Ichiro’s two dogs on the big screen.

Known for speaking through an interpreter throughout the years as a player, Ichiro spoke to the 45,000-plus sold out crowd at T-Mobile Park in English.

“What’s up, Seattle?!” Ichrio shouted to the crowd to start off his speech, also given entirely in English. Many fans wore Ichiro shirts or jerseys in honor of the certified baseball rock star. “Even though I retired as an active player, baseball and Seattle have never left my heart,” said Suzuki. To this day, Suzuki still dresses in his Mariners uniform and the now-retired number 51. He regularly practices with the team and acts as a mentor for younger players despite the fact he pitches to hitters during batting practice, catches fly balls, and swings the bat himself. In fact, Suzuki wore his full uniform the night before to catch the ceremonial first pitch to surprise

a fan.

“Baseball will forever be my soul, and my mission is to keep helping both players and fans appreciate this special game,” said Ichiro in his speech.

In addition to the ceremony on Saturday, the following night was a special Ichiro Bobblehead day, which brought along another sellout crowd for a memorable weekend.

Despite being in the same ballpark as his boyhood hero, Kwan did not want to take away from his moment to introduce himself to Ichiro. However, he still had the opportunity to get an autographed jersey from Suzuki. According to Kwan, the jersey was immediately given to his parents, who traveled to Seattle for the series, for safekeeping. He told reporters that he would have it framed immediately and considered it “my prized possession.” 

Japanese in general has altered for the better. In return, Ichiro’s success here made American baseball even more popular in Japan.

“I think Ichiro deserves credit for promoting the United StatesJapan baseball exchange,” said Inagaki, who pointed out that this year of Ichiro’s induction into the Mariners’ Hall of Fame is also, fittingly, the 150year anniversary of American baseball’s introduction to Japan.

“Through baseball, Ichiro has promoted grassroots-level cultural exchange between Japan and the United States,” Inagaki went on. “He has laid the foundation for today’s deep cultural and economic ties and has promoted the friendship between Japan and the United States.”

No small kudos for the man who, when he came to Seattle, was called out for his stature, his unusual “crooked” stance, and for not speaking English (former Mariners international scout, Ted Heid, defended Ichiro by explaining that he knows English; he just doesn’t want to make mistakes). People wondered, could he hit the way fans and players in the U.S. liked? When Ichiro joined the Mariners, there were no “position players” from Japan, only pitchers, as Americans held the misbelief that “Japanese batters did not have what it takes,” shared Whiting. Put it this way, Ichiro hit a 90-milean hour pitch at age 15, and it just got better from there. The Mariners saw the magic in

Ichiro, and so did then owner, Hiroshi Yamauchi, who insisted to Chuck Armstrong, former Mariners president, that “if we did not sign Ichiro, we were all fired.”

Ichiro had what was described as “an explosive rookie year” in Seattle.

“Ichiro hit the ground running, literally, in 2001,” said Alvin Davis, 1997 Mariners Hall of Fame recipient. “All of us got used to the idea of having this greatness in the Seattle Mariners very quickly.” Ichiro went on to break multiple records. But he wasn’t a prima donna. He was a team player, exhibiting what the Japanese call “wa,” the spirit of togetherness.

“He would do anything you asked him to do…He was a very humble player and humble man,” said former Mariners manager and first Asian American Major League Baseball manager, Don Wakamatsu. “Even today…he works with the young kids. He’s out there…trying to give back…

Most Hall of Famers aren’t out there doing what he’s doing. That just shows his character and the love and dedication he had for his game. I don’t think I’ll ever see it again in my lifetime.”

We relish hearing that our heroes are superhuman—but we also like to know how they are human. Everyone in attendance could have listened to Ichiro’s achievements on repeat for hours, yet the highlight of the gathering was the storytelling and love of the game—and of Ichiro—that shone on everyone’s faces.

Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Heid, who once acted as Ichiro’s interpreter, humorously related a time when he wrongly called a “go ahead” home run, a “sayonara” home run, the incorrect term. “You have got to be a better translator,” Ichiro frankly told him, to which Heid, taking the diplomatic liberty that interpreter’s often take, told the press instead how “excited” Ichiro was. Meanwhile, Japanese media present were wondering if Heid was “going to quit the next day” (no, he didn’t). Wakamatsu called Ichiro “poetry in motion,” and Armstrong told of a time Ichiro hit a home run to win against the Yankees because “that’s what we needed.”

The room was full of Ichiro admirers, young and old, such as owner of 84 Yesler restaurant, Sam Takahashi, who sported his “lucky” Ichiro cap. It was poignantly evident how much Ichiro and Mariners baseball mean to Seattle, when another fan asked what was

the process in Ichiro’s leaving the Mariners in 2012? In a Mariners jersey and cap, he theorized, and Armstrong confirmed, Ichiro had been seeking—and deserved—a chance to play in the World Series, which was not in the cards for the Mariners at that time. (Ichiro returned and was with the Mariners when he retired).

“It was traumatic to fans when Ichiro was traded to the New York Yankees,” said the questioner, who added that Ichiro was “embedded deep in the hearts of all the fans.”

This was never truer than later that night when the fans chanted Ichiro’s name at the Mariners Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

“You can’t achieve your dreams all at once,” Ichiro has said. “You accumulate small things and one day you will be able to achieve unbelievable power.”  Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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■ ASTROLOGY

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Predictions and advice for the week of September 3–9, 2022

By Sun Lee Chang Dragon—Something that appeared tantalizing at first is now far less appealing. Luckily, there are other options available.

Monkey—Is someone looking to you for guidance?

Think about following your own good advice.

Ox—Are your current actions out of sync with what you had been saying? Consider a realignment to reconcile the two.

Snake—If you don’t want to give away or reveal your position, be careful how you react to new information.

Rooster—While you aren’t exactly where you thought you would be, it is no less desirable—just different.

Tiger—There is minimal benefit to going it alone. Don’t let pride keep you from accepting assistance.

Horse—A change in direction can be quite unsettling, so do give yourself some time to adjust.

Dog—A recent windfall should not be squandered. It could be useful down the line, if you are careful with it.

Rabbit—The effect of solid planning will be evident time and time again as you put that plan in motion.

Goat—Once you realize what is going on, there’s no turning back. Move on with the added confidence of newfound knowledge.

Pig—Something has drawn you back to your beginnings, which could very much inform what you decide to do next.

Rat—You have a goal in mind, but don’t lose sight of the true cost of pursuing your ambition.

WHAT’S YOUR ANIMAL SIGN? RAT 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 OX 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 TIGER 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 RABBIT 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 DRAGON 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 SNAKE 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 HORSE 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 GOAT 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 MONKEY 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 ROOSTER 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 DOG 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 PIG 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019

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

KAI from 8 De Peralta comes from a mixed family, featuring Filipino, Hawaiian, and Caucasian bloodlines. He credited his multiracial heritage for opening his heart as a singer and songwriter, helping him to see thoughts and emotions from different perspectives. Filipino and Pacific Islander communities, he emphasized, want to see people succeed and turn out in droves, both in person and online.

As for his stage name, he explained, “Kolohe means ‘Rascal’ and Kai means ‘Ocean’ or ‘Saltwater.’ As a kid, I was always a rascal playing pranks or having fun in some mischievous way. That was what my family would call me, ‘Kolohe.’

“Eventually when selecting a band name,

MENTAL HEALTH from 3 inseparable from mental health.

For youth, using a digital form of communication might be the best or only way to talk with them.

“Being more open to that form of engagement with youth is very important,” said ACRS Youth Development Director Leslie Stone.

“For example, for our QOLOR program (an LGBTQ youth program), our youth were sharing with us that they want to communicate on a certain platform where they feel that their identity is protected because a lot of our youth aren’t outed with their families…asking our youth what do they want, what do they need…listening to them, and being innovative.” Stone added, “It is really challenging to reach them right now.”

Digital access is one step. The next step is feeling comfortable enough to seek help in the first place. When it comes to mental health, a stigma remains.

“One of the biggest challenges… not just for youth but for a lot of people, is being…willing to say, yes, I would like to talk to someone,” said Dillon Nishimoto,

‘Kai’ was offered as an option to add to ‘Kolohe,’ by my ukulele player at the time.

‘Kolohe Kai’ fits my style as a surfer and songwriter so genuinely. I’m so grateful to represent playfulness, along with my love for the ocean.”

The original band members met circa 2007, in a high school class devoted to Polynesian music. They polished their chops at local talent shows, before following the singer when he inked his first record deal at age 17.

Since then, the band, with good friends going in and out of the lineup, has gone around the world playing their Hawaiianinflected reggae tunes.

“The best international show we ever played was One Love Fest 2017 in New Zealand,” he recalled. “We headlined an

ACRS Youth Clinical Manager.

“At ACRS, we recognize that a lot of us are coming from more interdependent communities and that’s a strength that we try to build on, that we are all doing this together…it can feel scary to share some of that vulnerability… it does require a little bit of a leap of faith.”

Finding support is crucial not only for the communities that organizations serve, but also within the organizations themselves, where staff, as Byun pointed out, are experiencing “second hand trauma.”

TAF Executive Director of Operations Sherry Williams has made it a requirement for employees to meet with her oneon-one. She reminds staff (and all of us) that we have a right to mental health days and that we should focus on self-care and staying connected.

“When it all falls down, if you don’t have relationships, you don’t have anything.” At the beginning of the pandemic, Williams shared that “the first thing that needed to happen was checking in and making sure people were okay.”

event of 30,000 people. Other bands at this festival were artists like Fiji, Rebel SoulJahz, The Green, Steel Pulse, and Six60. Unmistakably the most powerful event I’d ever experienced. “[Our] oddest story ever would be attempting to crowd surf 30,000 people at One Love Fest 2019, and falling off the inner tube twice. That was embarrassing.”

The new album “Hazel Eyes” consists mostly of older songs, handpicked by Kolohe Kai based on both their relevance to his life these days, and the relevance of each song’s message. He wrote “I Think You’re Beautiful,” for example, as an antibullying gambit.

He also threw in a rare cover version, Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely.”

“It is by far my favorite Stevie Wonder

She and her staff reached out to each other and students, as well as parents, “to make sure…their wellbeing and their mental health was okay.”

Lockdowns during the pandemic created a developmental interruption amongst kids.

“There’s been a significant social delay that happened with every single age group, that there’s two-years-plus of really key socialization, that we’ve had to learn how to figure out,” said Nishimoto. The crucial thing about ACRS and TAF is they specialize in BIPOC communities.

TAF supports K-12 students, and teachers, and works to ensure that students see teachers that look like them.

“We know that kids do better when they have people that look like them teaching them, who can understand who they are, where they come from, and what their culture is.” ACRS, too, provides that cultural piece, be it through culturally specific meals or classes. “Our agency and our department has multiple languages and cultural backgrounds,” shared Nishimoto. “A lot of young people

song and I hope I did it justice. We wanted to incorporate a mix of island sounds in it to bring a different and unique light to this masterpiece of a composition. Stevie is my dad’s favorite artist and I just always loved his music.”

Asked about future plans, he invoked the spirit of “aloha,” which means hello and goodbye in Hawaiian, but which native Hawaiians also use to mean friendly, welcoming, and warm.

“The band and I will continue to take our aloha, to places around the world, whether that be in New Zealand and Australia in February of next year or hopefully to the Philippines sometime next year.”  Andrew can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Suggested resources from the luncheon:

ACRS.ORG

TECHACCESS.ORG

HTTPS://BIT.LY/3TQ0L5G

VALLEYCITIES.ORG/MHFA and families prefer to work with someone they can connect with on that level.”

At the end of the luncheon, parents asked how to best serve their children. One participant shared that her college-aged daughter, who experienced a mental breakdown, was put into a “psych ward” by the university.

This action violated several key takeaways from the session, such as that one shouldn’t be forced into a mental health option one isn’t ready for, and that a safe

environment must first be present in order for healing to happen.

“They just wanted to give her medication, counseling, they couldn’t understand what my point was. I felt like I didn’t have a say,” this mother said. The family took their daughter out and took her home. “I come from a Korean background. We’re just going to love on her…and give her this safe space to grow.”  Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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LEGACY HOUSE from 8 JOSEPH TSO Legacy House resident Joseph Tso was born in China and moved to Taiwan at a young age. He was a district judge in Taiwan for 9 years before moving to California. He moved again and settled in Washington, where he owned a small coffee shop for 31 years. Then, he started having heart problems and trouble sleeping. That was when he recognized that he needed help, and why he began looking for an assisted living facility to move to. He feels grateful his wife found Legacy House.

In Tso’s heart, Legacy House has never only been just a location where he resides.

“Legacy House is beautiful not because of the facility,” Tso said. “It’s the heart!”

Ever since he moved in, Tso said he has been well cared for. He sleeps well, stays physically active, and eats more than he used to. Other residents were shocked when they saw that he was able to finish all of his food and even ask for seconds. Although he admits his sense of taste has decreased, he has felt an increasing sense of contentment and appreciation for what he has in life.

“Here, we are all receiving special treatment,” Tso said, “and the benefit is us!”

Shaoxin Hu Long ago, Legacy House resident Shaoxin Hu lived in Guangzhou as a housewife. She said life used to be much harder for her back then. After moving to the United States, she experienced cultural and language barriers that kept her mostly at home. Little did she know how much her life would change after moving into Legacy House.

“At Legacy House, it’s like a completely different world,” said Hu. In her bright, sun-lit room, you could see potted plants lined up against the window sill and hand crafted

JAPAN from 5 danger coming from behind him and merely focused on risks during his movement from the site of his speech to his vehicle.

Inadequacies in the command system, communication among several key police officials, as well as their attention in areas behind Abe at the campaign site led to their lack of attention on the suspect’s movement until it was too late.

None of the officers assigned to immediate protection of Abe caught the suspect until he was already 7 meters (yards) behind him where he took out his homemade double-barrel gun, which resembled a camera with a long lens, to blast his first shot that narrowly missed Abe. Up to that moment, none of the officers was aware of the suspect’s presence, or recognized the blast as a gunshot, the report said.

In just over two seconds, the suspect was only 5.3 meters (yards) behind Abe to fatally fire the second shot.

The report called for significant strengthening in both training and staffing of Japan’s dignitary protection, as well as revising police protection guidelines for the first time in about 30 years. It said the prefectural police’s Abe protection plan lacked a thorough safety evaluation and largely copied an earlier visit by another top party lawmaker.

The national police called for doubling dignitary protection staff in Tokyo, a greater supervisory role for the national police over prefectural staff, and use of digital technology and drones to bolster surveillance from above ground. The police agency

decorations hanging in every corner. Although the residents don’t have a kitchen or stove in their room, they get to have their own rice cookers. And Hu would often use it to make chicken soup with hers.

Here, she has everything she needs and more. Her favorite thing about living at Legacy House is the number of activities it offers. Hu feels as if she has become a student once again, learning to do everything from modified Tai Chi, mahjong, and making all kinds of arts and crafts.

When asked about her proudest accomplishment, she shared how happily surprised she was when she learned to play the piano.

Now, she said she is the happiest she has ever been.

MARTHA CHAN Legacy House resident Martha Chan immigrated to America with her family when she was around 5 years old.

She grew up in California and became a hairdresser before moving to Washington.

Having most of her family in Washington, she wanted to stay here as well. However, rent was expensive at her previous senior housing facility, so she was happy when she found Legacy House.

Chan said that she appreciates the helpful staff and personalized care. Legacy House has helped her make friends in the community and enjoy her own time and space watching TV and resting. On days that her sisters visit, she gets to go out with them. On other special occasions, she enjoys the cozy celebrations hosted by Legacy House staff.

“Legacy House is great,” said Chan. “Here, I feel safe.”

HOA VO Legacy House resident Hoa Vo was born in Vietnam. He came to America as a refugee in 1992.

He and his wife worked and lived in Washington state for years before they retired. Then, when the pandemic hit,

also proposed bullet-proof shields that are not yet used in Japan, a country known for strict gun control.

Abe’s family paid tribute to him in a private Buddhist ritual on Aug. 25 marking the 49th day since his assassination. His younger brother and former Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, and other senior party officials and ministers reportedly attended.

About 1,000 people, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, attended an earlier private funeral at a Tokyo temple days after his death.

Kishida’s government plans to hold a state funeral Sept. 27, a plan that has split public opinion amid growing criticisms over the governing party members’ cozy ties with the controversial Korean church. Kishida’s Cabinet is reportedly announcing a 250 million yen ($1.8 million) budget to invite 6,400 guests from in and outside Japan for the upcoming funeral.

The Unification Church, which was founded in South Korea in 1954 and came to Japan a decade later, has built close ties with a host of conservative lawmakers, many of them members of Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party on their shared interests of anti-communism.

Since the 1980s, the church has faced accusations of problematic recruiting and religious sales in Japan, and the governing party’s church ties have sent support ratings of Kishida’s Cabinet into a nosedive even after its recent shuffle.

In Nara, prefectural police chief Tomoaki Onizuka also expressed his intention to step down over Abe’s assassination.

both he and his wife got sick, and unfortunately, his wife succumbed to COVID-19.

Grief made it hard for him to return to his previous housing facility, so he asked his healthcare provider to help him find a new home. That’s when he found Legacy House.

He tells himself that he has to forget the sadness and move on, and living at Legacy House has helped with his journey towards a new found peace.

“One of my most joyful memories since the pandemic was Christmas at Legacy House,” said Vo, “where the staff came together and celebrated with us.”

Legacy House also provides him with activities to do every day, and his most routine exercise is Tai Chi. Vo looks like a pro when he does it: slow and swift movements that are grounded with his feet. He said he really enjoys it a lot.

Although most of the residents in Legacy House are Chinese, he also has Vietnamese friends in the building.

Sometimes, he would go out on nice days to visit his favorite Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants in the Chinatown-International District.

“I am very satisfied with everything that Legacy House has given me,” said Vo. At ICHS Legacy House Assisted Living, residents have opportunities for enriching and healthy aging. Activities and social interactions help elders connect with each other and continue to grow with age.

Even when they face new challenges, Legacy House can provide them with the care and support that they need.

Because here—“我們在乎.” “Chúng tôi quan tâm.” “We care."  Legacy House is currently accepting applications today.

Legacy House is a non-profit that accepts Medicaid. To learn more visit ICHS Legacy House webpage or call 206292-5184.

“I have been almost crushed by the seriousness of my responsibility“ in the former leader’s death, teary Onizuka said. “We will grit our teeth and endeavor in order to regain the public trust and be helpful to the people in the prefecture and across Japan.“ 

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 6.

YOUR VOICE

SEPTEMBER 3 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

fliers to the ping pong players.

“They’re new,” he says. “They have a lot of enthusiasm.”

In a moment, the risk passes. But the larger, long-term risk of the snuffing out of the very existence of the ChinatownInternational District (CID), which these young women are trying to protect, remains.

The fliers detail the establishment, by the city and county, of a new homeless center on the edge of the CID, adding 150 new beds, creating a total of 420 (not including around 100 more residents in micro units and RVs), on top of the area’s existing five shelters.

The establishment of the center, bringing unhoused people from all over the region into the neighborhood, was done with no community consultation although advocates say it will reduce the CID to ashes, given the myriad problems it is already facing.

“I wonder if they want to drive out all businesses and lower property prices,” speculates Lee. Others say it is simply centuries of racism by which the government cuts down people of color and their homes.

Still, others say the government has intentionally chosen a welcoming community and taken advantage of its diverse groups that live together without a common voice and no power.

For one of the young women on the block watch, there is another answer. Given the high levels of older people who live in the CID who don’t speak English and are not technologically savvy, there is little penetration of social media and thus an inability of the community to organize and protest as others have.

“We’re still reeling from the effects of the Navigation Center,” says Lee, referring to the homeless shelter that was put into the community in 2017, also with no real community input.

QUESTIONS ABOUT OUTREACH Leo Flor, director of the King County Department of Community and Human Services, in emailed comments, said that the 6,000 people sleeping on the streets of King County “requires bold action.”

As for outreach, “King County, City of Seattle, and the King County Regional Homeless Authority (KCRHA) connected with more than a dozen community groups before the lease was transmitted to the King County Council,” he said. The property has been leased to the Salvation Army, which operated the shelter on the premises. The lease expires in November.

Flor noted that KCRHA conducted two community meetings. One of them was in the CID. Lee, who is a member of the CID Public Safety Council, was present in July at a meeting of the Public Safety Forum, when the county “nonchalantly” announced the new shelter, he said.

“These meetings last about an hour, and the representative from the KCRHA just got up and, in less than 15 minutes, just said casually that there’s this done deal,” said Lee, in an interview.

“After the meeting, I thought, ‘Was I on vacation or something, how could I have missed something this big?’”

So he asked other members of the council.

“No one had heard of it,” he said.

THE AUTHORITIES’ RESPONSE For the county’s part, creation of the “expanded enhanced shelter and behavioral health services hub” is a way to deal with a situation that is already a fait accompli.

The site is already a shelter for 270 people.

And the expansion will occupy adjacent land that is currently an encampment of tents and tarpaulins.

“The creation of this project’s additional shelter will provide a resolution to the encampment,” said Flor.

Photo by Mahlon Meyer

HOMELESS SHELTER from 1

The Seattle Chinatown Block Watch hands out fliers to a shop owner.

It was not immediately clear how the KCRHA would clear the encampment prior to construction, nor persuade those living there to move elsewhere in the meantime.

Still, Anne Martens, senior director of external affairs and communications for KCRHA, in a news release, stated that KCRHA was already having success in the CID. It stated, “75 people living in the CID at Dearborn Avenue and I-5 in an encampment “have been transferred to shelter, lodging, inpatient treatment, and housing resources, thanks to an intensive 6-week collaborative effort.”

Funding was provided by the state legislature. The work involved the KCRHA, the state Department of Commerce, the Washington State Patrol, the Washington State Department of Transportation, the City of Seattle, and outreach providers PDA (JustCARE) and REACH. LARGER QUESTIONS But for members of the council, it was not just the way the authorities announced the new shelter that gave them pause, but the lack of notice. The announcement was made in July. The shelter is expected to open in the fall. Moreover, to some, the rationale was frightening.

Authorities said that they had chosen the site as a “last resort,” said Julie Nielsen, a member of the council who has worked in the CID for many years. When she questioned the police representative at the meeting about whether he knew how harmful the influx of hundreds of new unhoused people—and particularly those that prey on them—would be, she said he responded that he knew.

When seeking to verify this response with the Seattle Police Department [SPD], a spokesperson asked that we “contact the Mayor’s Office for further info ‘about a shelter.’”

WHAT WILL COME? The city is ponying up $5 million as part of a total $66.5 million to create a compound that will include a sobering center, micro housing units, an RV park, and that will add 150 beds to the total 270 beds already available. According to a news release from the county, people experiencing homelessness from downtown and other areas are the target.

Tanya Woo, a volunteer with the other neighborhood patrol, regularly hands out peanut butter sandwiches and bottled water to unhoused people in the CID. But last week, one of the volunteers next to her saw someone with a gun, so they left the encampment immediately.

She is worried about the increase of criminal activity, not particularly from any new unhoused residents, but from those that prey on them.

“We’ve seen the negative effects of the Navigation Center,” she said, referring to the homeless center installed in 2017 in the neighborhood despite vehement community opposition. “The drug deals that happen

outside the center, illegal encampments, prostitution, and violence. As one example, the Seattle Indian Health facility across the street went before the International Special Review District Board to construct a fence between their facility and these encampments because they were afraid of stray bullets hitting their employees.”

OUTCOMES Julie Neillsen knows this. After having worked with people experiencing homelessness for decades, she believes there has been a change in the last five years.

“It is harder to reach people, it is harder for them to come back,” she told the Northwest Asian Weekly.

But Nielsen knows from her own experience how things have changed—and her experience raises questions about the possible futility of the county’s approach.

Neilsen was 15 when she took to the streets due to family circumstances. She fortunately found a group of “punk rock” friends that protected and sustained her.

She worked as a cotton candy spinner and funnel cake fryer at the fairgrounds, counter person at a donut shop, and a marketeer distributing leaflets on cars in parking lots. By the time she was 16, she had her first apartment. Decades later, she sits in a furnished room with bright lights and tasteful furniture around her as she conducts an interview over the Internet.

She wonders if the difference today among some unhoused people is the prevalence of a new kind of meth. “People who use it for long periods are in a constant fight or flight mode,” she said. “Chinatown is a war zone.”

One of the questions community advocates have raised for the KCRHA is its rates of success and failure.

Martens said the Dearborn encampment was the third encampment that KCRHA and its partners have “resolved” as part of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Right of Way Safety Initiative.

CRIME But crime continues and grows. Instances of armed robbery, smashed buildings, feces smeared on businesses, older people being attacked, and unknown numbers of unhoused people being preyed upon by drug dealers, rapists and thieves continue and increase.

Jamie Housen is the director of communications for the Office of Mayor Bruce Harrell. The “SPD continues to maintain emphasis patrols at 12th and Jackson in Little Saigon, including at night,” he said in an email.

“However, the city continues to face a police staffing crisis which impacts how officers are deployed citywide. Harrell has put forward a comprehensive recruitment plan to try to bring more officers to Seattle, in addition to ongoing retention efforts.”

Still, say community advocates, the new shelter will only compound the problem.

The shelter, to encourage use by people who otherwise might be reluctant to be confined overnight, allows open ingress and

asianweekly northwest

15

egress. According to the KCRHA, this helps with healing.

“Enhanced shelter allows a person to stabilize without having to check out every morning and check back in every night and allows steady access to bathrooms, showers, and supportive services like healthcare,” states the news release.

But some who work and live in the community fear that means even more trouble in the CID. “Where do you think these people are going to roam during the day?” asked Nielsen.

“And more importantly, there are already criminal elements who come to prey on them. How is this not going to attract more?”

DISPLACEMENT Such sentiments might have been said of the Chinese not too long ago. Bettie Luke, another advocate, prepared a timeline starting with the destruction of the first Chinatown and the massacre of Chinese in Wyoming in the early 20th century, all the way down to Sound Transit’s recent plan to lop off a large portion of the CID for construction of a new transit hub, flooding the rest with truck traffic, street shutdowns, and pollution. Luke estimates 230 jobs will be lost and 27 businesses shuttered.

Woo, too, feels grimly aware of displacement. The imposition of the new shelter “shows a continued pattern of the city and county implementing projects near our community without addressing any of the impacts this will cause the community,” she said in an email. “I also believe they are taking advantage of our community believing that we will quietly accept this.”

DEHUMANIZATION As the group hands out fliers to store owners, who enthusiastically come out of their shops to greet them, a beggar with a wisp of hair standing like a small black cloud over his head, in rags, comes up asking for money. Bystanders waiting for their bubble tea watch impassively, their faces heavy.

No one has any cash.

The increasing presence of people lying in doorways or crouched on the sidewalk has another, more subtle effect on the community, said Richard Taylor, another member of the patrol.

Taylor, a former English professor who now lives with his wife in the Uwajimaya Village Apartments, said it may seem insensitive to worry about people who actually have housing when there are so many unhoused.

“But when you walk by someone who’s bleeding or lying on the ground and you turn away because there’s nothing you can do, it can be dehumanizing,” he said.

“Of course we want to help them,” said Woo. “But why do so many shelters have to go in the CID?” Flor stated that the KCRHA and its partners have had a region-wide approach with operations in Auburn, Bellevue, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kent, Kirkland, Redmond, Renton, SeaTac, Shoreline, and White Center. It was not immediately clear how many of these were related to isolating groups during the pandemic.

“The agencies involved will continue to partner with community-based organizations and residents in and around the area while service planning is underway,” he wrote. “We welcome partnership from the community to ensure the success of the project.”

A meeting will be held in Hing Hay Park on Thursday, Sept. 8, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. “to learn more, discuss next steps, and to hear the opinions of the community,” said Lee in a message.  Mahlon can be contacted at info@nwasianweekly.com.

16

asianweekly northwest

40 YEARS

SEPTEMBER 3 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

Judge Janet Chung’s parents, Oliver and Helen, help Chung with her gown

Judge Janet Chung’s parents, Oliver and Helen, help Chung with her gown

Photos by Assunta Ng

Justice Mary Yu swore-in Judge Janet Chung

Judge Janet Chung’s family

Photo courtesy of Mary Yu

Justice Mary Yu swore-in Judge Janet Chung

From left: Judges Janet Chung, Tana Lin, and John Chun

Judge Janet Chung’s siblings, Susan and Donald, shared stories of their Janet’s childhood

CHUNG from 1 How many of us knew what we wanted to do in life at that age? Perhaps, when we are much older. And if we knew what to do, the obvious choice would be determined by financial reward? Ahead of her youth, Chung thought of the impact she would affect instead.

That same year, Chung became an entrepreneur. She started her own bi-weekly publication to report on her family history and neighborhood events. As publisher, editor, and reporter, she even recruited her older sister and younger brother to write.

Despite the fact that Chung didn’t join the medical field, she drew inspiration from her parents‘ stories, especially her maternal grandmother, Halmony, who was widowed at 27.

She “worked as a single mother to raise her daughter,” said Donald. “She had to rely on her own resourcefulness and perseverance through two wars,” and “eventually send our mother to medical school.”

“She carries forward a legacy dedicated to creating opportunities,” said Chung’s sister, Susan.

Indeed, a legacy not only creates possibilities for marginalized people including immigrants, women of color, and LGBTQ, and herself, too. “I am interested in helping people to move through the system,” she said.

NOT THE USUAL CAREER PATH Born in Maryland, Chung was raised in Houston, Texas, and she received her bachelor’s degree from Yale University and her law degree from Columbia University School of Law. Most judges follow the conventional moves by running for lower courts, such as Municipal and Superior Court, or getting appointed.

Chung agreed that she has not taken a traditional route to get to where she is.

“I never thought of going through the superior court,” said Chung. She said the appeals court requires a different skill set, not trial experiences like picking juries and sentencing.

It’s not a requirement though. “Most of the judges were not trial judges,” said Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu, who was a former King County Superior Court judge. “It is only recently that governors are recognizing the importance of having judges at the appellate level” with other kinds of experience.

From being a law professor to legal counsel for nonprofit agencies, Chung’s experience spanned the private and public sector. But much of her career was in the nonprofit sector for public interest. She was the legal and legislative counsel at Legal Voice (formerly the Northwest Women’s Law Center).

Its mission is to advance and defend the rights of women and LGBTQ+ people in the Northwest, in the courts and in the legislature.

“Janet left her mark on the law in so many ways,” said attorney David Ward, who worked with Chung at Legal Voice. “She wrote statutes and won cases to protect the rights

From left: Judge Linda Lee (Court of Appeals), Justice Mary Yu (Supreme Court), Judge Janet Chung (Court of Appeals), Judge Linda Coburn (Court of Appeals), Judge Tana Lin (Federal Court - Western District of Washington), Judge John Chun (Federal Court - Western District of Washington).

of pregnant and parenting people. She helped to strengthen anti-discrimination protections and to make sure that more workers had the right to paid leave when they needed it. She protected the reproductive rights of people in Washington, Idaho, and other states in the Northwest.”

In an article from the Bar Bulletin, Jamila Johnson depicted Chung as a “policy maven” who has been an advocate for disadvantaged people, and “has been a regular in the rooms where cutting-edge policies are formed.”

Chung was also the advocacy director at the Columbia Legal Service (CLS), a state-wide agency. “Janet was an exceptional person, intelligent, hardworking, and committed to social justice,” said her former colleague Blanca Rodriguez, deputy director of Advocacy at CLS. “She was always supportive of me and other women lawyers.” She believes “diversity matters,” according to Rodriguez.

HOW WOMEN CAN GET WHAT THEY WANT Studies have found that “women of color often do not take positions unless they are asked or encouraged,” said Chung.

According to an MIT study by Prof. Danielle Li, women are less likely to ask for promotions.

In another study, Prof. Kelly Shue and co-authors have found that “women got higher performance ratings than men but were consistently—and incorrectly—judged as having less leadership potential.

Lack of confidence is an issue for women, said Chung.

“If younger attorneys can apply, why not me?” Chung said, while some women would respond, “I could never do that.”

She knew what her goal was and pursued it. She set her sights on the Appeal Court for a couple of years, and prepared herself to get appointed.

“Listening, asking questions,” said Chung, are important for women to get what they want.

“Stop being afraid to ask questions, and navigate how to be taken seriously,” she said. “Being credible, always learning.

Don’t need to pretend (you know everything). You have to put yourself out there. Get the information.”

Chung said, you may be surprised that others might not have the answer to everything.

“Sharing vulnerabilities is connecting.

“Find mentors to support you,” she said. “I have a lot (of mentors)…my colleagues, and Justice Yu is one of them.“ And the timing was right for Chung this year. When a couple of positions opened this year due to retirements, Chung was confident in galvanizing support and references, beating her competition. The governor’s office doesn’t often reveal the number of applicants competing for the job, and Chung guessed there were a dozen other candidates. And the outcome couldn’t be more satisfying as she is running unopposed in the November election, sparing the pain of running a campaign and getting her name introduced to voters. Chung is fulfilling retired Judge Marlin Appelwick’s term. She has to run again two years from now. Earlier, Chung said she had anxiety that she might have an opponent because “women,

and especially women of color, are seen as vulnerable.”

CHUNG, THE TEACHER What kind of teacher was Chung as a law professor in legal writing at the Seattle University Law School (SULS)? ”It’s one thing to receive a marked up document and have to figure it out on your own, and it’s a whole other thing when your legal writing professor sits down and works through the memo sentence by sentence,” wrote a former student, an immigrant woman of color, about Chung. “The time Judge Chung spent with me was life affirming.”

Chung’s job was to supervise interns and externs to develop them into lawyers.

“Judge Chung is a successful litigator and lobbyist; a passionate advocate for social justice...a teacher, mentor, and role model,” said Mimi Samuel, associate Professor of Lawyering Skills at the SULS. “She helped give [students] the tools that they would need to be successful in their law studies,” said Samuel.

NON-TRADITIONAL SWEARING-IN This was not a typical swearing-in ceremony for Chung and for the audience. It was not at a courthouse, but in the Chinatown-International District.

Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu swore Chung in, and Chung’s whole family including her parents helped her put on a robe while her sons, siblings, and partner shared the stage.

Never had I seen so many judges (close to 20) attending the swearing-in ceremony of a colleague. Several of them were from the Supreme Court, and Asian American judges were well represented in the room. It was an empowering experience for the audience as well as this reporter.

“Where do I want to be (for people) to understand my journey?” said Chung. The Wing Luke Museum flashed before her eyes. Many have never visited the Wing before.

“Bringing people to see our community,” said Chung and also “giving money back to the community,” were the reasons she picked the Wing.

Chung “could not have found a better location for her swearing-in ceremony, a museum dedicated to an Asian American who fought for civil rights and social justice,” said Rodriguez.

Chung had her official swearing-in much earlier. The ceremony at the Wing was designed for her family, colleagues, and community. From the venue to the catering, programmed to a diverse guest list of the powerful and ordinary, serious speeches to funny and heart-warming anecdotes, they were an indication of Chung’s personality and approach in her work. If that’s the case, we can expect she would have a very different perspective contributing to the Court of Appeals with humanity, lessons, and insights for generations to come.  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.