VOL 41 NO 41 | OCTOBER 8 – OCTOBER 14, 2022

Remembering Tommy Quan Tai Tung patriarch

Court denies new trial in death of Wangsheng Leng

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

A federal court denied the motion for a new trial on behalf of the estate of a 66-year-old Issaquah man that suffered a broken neck at the hands of Issaquah Police Department (IPD) when they responded to an alleged domestic dispute call at his home in 2018. In a civil trial in June 2022, a jury decided that officers Michael Lucht and Kylen Whittom did not use excessive force on Wangsheng Leng.

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Tommy Quan, owner of Tai Tung Restaurant, died before his 89th birth day on Sept. 23. The cause of his death

was “old age,” said his brother, Harry Chan.

A popular host and flamboyant char acter, Quan knew how to entertain his

see QUAN on 12

Homeless shelter expansion slowed

“Obviously, we disagree and are heartbroken by the jury’s verdict in the case; it is a miscarriage of justice,” stated David B. Owens, one of the attorneys for the family. “No words can adequately describe the pain that the death of Wangsheng Leng has caused this family, now even more painful by the result of this trial. The family appreciates privacy in these difficult times.”

see LENG on 15

By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

There is no privacy inside ward F. The stalls are wide open with no doors or screens. Even the tiny dress ers are made of transparent plastic. So as we pass, we see not only cots and blankets, but the actual belongings in side the drawers—coffee creamer in plastic bottles, for instance.

This vision of the future of home lessness, to the uninitiated, can seem frightening.

Granted, compared to almost any other shelter, the converted hospital ward is luxurious.

On a tour of the homeless shelter at the edge of the Chinatown-Inter national District (CID) this week, reporters saw a vast, echoing cavern

see EXPANSION on 14

Expanded homeless shelter said to violate law

By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

The expanded home less shelter near the Chi natown-International District (CID) has not been through a State En vironmental Policy Act (SEPA) review, making it illegal, according to three people with knowledge of the site and the required process. SEPA mandates an evaluation of commu nity impacts, necessary mitigations, and provides opportunities for the pub lic to potentially overturn the project.

Two of the people spoke to the Northwest Asian Weekly on the condition of anonymi ty to protect themselves from retaliation as whis tleblowers. The third is a member of the CID Pub lic Safety Council.

According to all three, although the site is pri marily a county project, it

receives funding from the City of Seattle for opera tions while the City’s De partment of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) has oversight over its permitting, meaning that there are countless ways the City could stop it from opening.

In an email, the direc tor of media relations and permit coordination for the SDCI, Bryan Stevens, confirmed that the City

had oversight over the site.

“Since this property is within the Seattle city limits, any new proposal will be subject to Seattle’s local regulations and per mitting requirements,” he wrote.

Stevens also acknowl edged that a SEPA review had not been completed.

Tommy Quan cooked at Tai Tung’s kitchen

Diagram of location of shelters in one mile radius around CID

Photo provided by Mahlon Meyer

Photo provided by Lillian Woo

Photo provided by LIHI

A photo of Wangshen Leng taken in downtown Issaquah.

Photo courtesy of Loevy & Loevy Attorneys at Law

■ NAMES IN THE

Seattle Colleges names RimandoChareunsap as interim chancellor

Rosie Rimando-Cha reunsap has been an nounced as Seattle Colleges interim chancellor as Seattle Colleges seeks out a per manent chancellor. Riman do-Chareunsap replaces Shouan Pan, who resigned from Seattle Colleges, leav ing Aug. 1. Rimando-Chareunsap has more than 20 years of experi ence leading in higher educa tion, most of those in a variety of roles at Seattle Colleges. She has served as president of South Seattle College for the past four years, and she serves the entire district as vice chancellor

Ikeda awarded Ethnic Heritage Council award

The Ethnic Heritage Council of the Pacif ic Northwest (EHC) an nounced 2022 award recip ients who will be honored at their annual awards cere mony on Nov. 5. at the MLK F.A.M.E. Community Cen ter.

Tom Ikeda, founder and immediate past executive director of Densho, will be honored with the Aspasia Phoutrides Pulakis Memorial Award, along with Georgia S. McDade, author, poet and essayist. This award was established in 1983 for significant contributions to an ethnic community and to the community

EHC

award

founding member

C.A.C.A. Seattle and the American Legion Cathay Post #186 honor military service members

At a press conference on Sept. 28 with #UniformAccess, a coalition of advocacy groups for women veterans, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Tammy Duckworth (DIL), Richard Blumenthal ( D-CT), and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and U.S. Representative Veronica Escobar (D-TX16) spoke against Republican efforts to restrict abortion and stated they won’t stop working to protect reproductive rights

On Sept. 17, C.A.C.A. Seattle and the American Legion Cathay Post #186 honored Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) military service members and first responders with the first AAPI Hometown Hero Celebration luncheon. The event took place at Terry’s Kitchen in Bellevue.

Seattle, Federal Way, Kent, Lake Stevens, Mountlake Terrace and Mukilteo police officers, Snohomish South County firefighters, Washington State Patrol, Navy Reservists, Army, FBI, U.S. Secret Service, EMTs, and their families were among the Heroes celebrated. Over 125 people attended.

our veterans and servicemembers so they can get the

and where they

Members of the Honorary Planning Committee in attendance included Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, Washington State Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos, Brigadier General Oscar Hilman – US Army (Ret), and Federal Way Chief of Police Andy Hwang. Other Asian elected officials representing Bellevue, Eastside, Mountlake Terrace, and Seattle also attended to support AAPI Heroes.

Murray, Duckworth, Blumenthal, Hirono, Escobar rally with servicemembers and veterans to defend access to reproductive care

Photo

Seattle

Sen. Patty Murray addresses audience at a Sept. 28 press conference as Sen. Tammy Duckworth (left of Murray), Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (far left), and supporters look on.

AAPI Hometown Heroes 2022

Rosie Rimando-Chareunsap

Tom Ikeda

Photo from Sen. Patty Murray’s team

Photo by Mike Nakamura

Free eye exams and prescription eyeglasses offered for those in need Oct. 20-23

The Seattle/King County Clinic returns to Seattle Center for a seventh year, from Oct. 20–23, with free eye exams and prescription eyeglasses for those who struggle to access or afford eye care.

According to Washington Healthcare Access Alliance, vision care is one of the scarcest health services in the state for people in need—so as the Clinic approaches, organizers are focusing on patient outreach to make certain those in need are aware of this opportunity.

Led by Seattle Center and Seattle Center Foundation, Seattle/King

County Clinic brings together healthcare organizations, civic agencies, nonprofits and private businesses to transform Seattle Center facilities into a vision care operation. Licensed healthcare professionals and general support volunteers donate their time and expertise with a goal of helping more than 1,000 people in need during the four-day period.

Seattle/King County Clinic is open to everyone, and it is not restricted to residents of Seattle or King County—however, tickets are limited, and participants are

admitted for service on a first come, first served basis.

Organizers open the facility and begin to distribute free admission tickets in Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center (corner of 2nd Ave. North & Thomas Street/Lenny Wilkens Way) each day beginning at 6 a.m., with the doors to the Clinic opening at 7:30 a.m. Once the Clinic opens, patients are escorted to the service facility and admitted by ticket number to be registered and receive free eye care. If prescription

Born on Jan. 1, 1927, Lip Mar recently passed peacefully on Sept. 23 at the age of 95.

Mar enlisted in the Navy in 1945, serving as a hospital corpsman and served as commander for the American Legion Cathay Post 186 for two terms. Mar and his partner, Joe Louie, opened Chopsticks restaurant in 1963 in Edmonds until he sold the restaurant in 1992. Mar had a generous spirit and lived a full life

that included traveling, golfing, and enjoying time with family and friends.

Services will be held on Friday, Oct. 7 at 11:30 a.m. at Japanese Presbyterian Church (1801 24th Ave S, Seattle). Gravesite services will follow at Evergreen Washelli (11111 Aurora Ave N, Seattle).

Mar is survived by his loving wife of nearly 50 years, Jean Mar, his daughter, Cindy Ikeda

(Glen Ikeda), grandchildren, Paul Ikeda (Nichole Ikeda) and Leslie Ikeda (Garrett Sato), and great grandchildren, Amara and Maki Ikeda. He is also survived by his sister, Lilyan Leong, and many nieces and nephews. Lip was preceded in death by his parents, Mar F. Kim and Mar Yen Moy, his brothers Hughie, Dick, Ling, Dan, and Hoover Mar, and his sisters Maye Luke and Lonnie Yee. 

Photo by Auston James via City of

from the Mar family

SPD investigating after five people injured in multiple shootings, including one in CID

The morning of Sunday, Oct. 2, police responded to multiple shootings that resulted in five people being shot throughout the city.

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) and Seattle Fire Department responded to the 4300 block of University Way Northeast for a report of shots fired with multiple people injured at 1 a.m. Sunday. Officers were patrolling the area and heard the shots. Officers quickly arrived and found four people with non-life threatening injuries.

Witnesses told police two men got into a fight outside of a well-known bar when one man produced a weapon and fired 3-5 rounds. The shooter fled before officers arrived. Police searched the area but were unable to find the suspect.

At 2:35 a.m. Sunday, police responded to multiple reports of shots fired in the 700 block of South Lane Street in the Chinatown-International District (CID). Officers located approximately 29 shell casings, two live rounds, and bullet fragments. The scene extended approximately one block north and one

block west of the 700 block S. Lane St. Four vehicles and two buildings sustained gunshot damage.

The Gun Violence Reduction Unit will be conducting a follow-up investigation.

At 2:39 a.m. Sunday, police responded to reports of a shot fired in the 500 block of 2nd Avenue. Officers arrived and were unable to find any victims or witnesses to the shooting. Minutes later, a man walked into Harborview Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the leg. Additional officers interviewed the victim and he told officers that he had been shot by an unknown man.

The victim went on to say he was attempting to break up a fight when one of the involved men pulled out a gun and shot him.

No arrests have been made in any of these cases and all remain active investigations. If you have any information that may help solve these cases, please call the Seattle Police tip line at 206-233-5000.

King County Council approves proposal to expand hate crime reporting system

On Sept. 27, the King County Council unanimously approved legislation that will create a new community-based Stop Hate hotline and online portal, expanding reporting access to victims of hate crimes. This proposal comes as a response to a surge in hate crimes across King County since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If we are to more fully respond to the unprecedented surge in hate crimes we’ve seen in King County, we need to provide more pathways for victims of these dehumanizing crimes to report them,” Councilmember Reagan Dunn, who wrote the proposal, said. “Without boosting reporting rates, we only allow crimes of hate and bias to proliferate—and no one in King County should live in threat of retaliation or even danger due to their race, religion, beliefs, appearance, or any other differences that exist among us.”

The new hotline and web-based reporting options build on the work of the King County Coalition Against Hate and Bias, which gathers data on hate crime incidents through its Hate and Bias

Incident Response Survey. That survey has reported 560 hate crime incidents since its formation in mid-2020.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office has also found that since the start of the pandemic, reported hate crimes have surged significantly above the pre-COVID average, peaking at a 157% increase in filed hate crime cases in February 2021.

Despite this rise in filed hate crime cases, incidents of hate crime are known to be significantly underreported.

With today's approval, King County will begin developing a plan to implement the Stop Hate Hotline and web portal. This effort will be led by King County’s Office of Equity and Social Justice in partnership with the Coalition Against Hate and Bias and the Department of Community and Health Services.

The workgroup will convene by Nov. 1, 2022 and deliver its plan for the reporting system and awareness campaign to the King County Council by May 2, 2023.

NOTICE OF ELECTION

submitting

the Department of Neighborhoods at any time of the year

Registration forms are available

rebecca.frestedt@seattle.gov.

for

Voter eligibility is limited to those

• There shall be one vote

• Registered voters

older.

the

Nearly $20 million awarded will expand citizenship preparation services in 30 states

On Sept. 29, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) awarded nearly $20 million in grants to 66 organizations in 35 states to help prepare lawful permanent residents and those with a clear pathway to lawful permanent residency for naturalization. USCIS focused this year on reaching remote, underserved, and/or isolated communities per Executive Order 14012, Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and

Inclusion Efforts for New Americans, and corresponding Interagency Strategy on Promoting Naturalization. The grants were made possible thanks to funding provided by Congress, which doubled the funding available for fiscal year 2022.

These grants provide funding to organizations that prepare immigrants for naturalization and promote civic integration through increased knowledge of English, U.S. history, and civics. In addition to the traditional programs that

fund citizenship and English acquisition classes, these expanded grants will include opportunities for creative and innovative approaches to preparing immigrants for naturalization. Grants were also made available to fund regional or statewide hubs: citizenship support networks that build capacity among their affiliates to provide direct services to immigrants.

“We are committed to educating remote, underserved, and vulnerable populations about the benefits of citizenship, and

about the naturalization process,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “Through the USCIS grants program, we ensure that community organizations can equip immigrants with the tools they need to be successful throughout their journey to become new U.S. citizens and beyond.”

For additional information on the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program, visit uscis.gov/grants or email citizenshipgrantprogram@uscis.dhs.gov.

Larsen, Beyer, and Chu introduce legislation to restore Fulbright exchanges with China

Reps. Rick Larsen (WA-02), Don Beyer (VA-08), and Judy Chu (CA-27) recently introduced the Restoring Fulbright Exchanges with China and Hong Kong Act. In 2020, President Trump signed an executive order to end Fulbright exchanges both to and from China and Hong Kong.

“Restoring Fulbright exchanges with China and Hong Kong will help the United States build its China expertise, strengthen people-to-people ties, and give Chinese

participants an opportunity to experience the real United States and the benefits of academic freedom,” said Larsen, a co-chair of the bipartisan U.S.–China Working Group and author of a China White Paper published in December 2021.

“Fulbright volunteers represent the United States abroad and forge connections with everyday people, even in countries where official relations are strained,” said Chu. “The decision by the Trump administration to end

Fulbright exchanges with mainland China and Hong Kong was short-sighted and intended only to worsen U.S.–China diplomatic relations. The Restoring Fulbright Exchanges with China and Hong Kong Act will give Fulbright exchange students from across the United States the chance to return to China and Hong Kong again, helping to advance U.S. interests diplomatically by improving communication and understanding between our countries.”

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program enables graduate students, young professionals, and artists from the United States and abroad to research and study abroad and in the United States for one year or longer at universities or other appropriate institutions.

For more information on the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, visit foreign. fulbrightonline.org.

CAR TO

NOW THRU 2/19/2023

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

10/6/2022 - 11/19/2022

VIRTUAL ART: BODIES OF LAND | ANN LEDA SHAPIRO & HANAKO O’LEARY

ArtXchange Gallery, 512 First Ave S, Seattle Tuesday –Saturday, 11 AM –5:30 PM artxchange.org

10/8/2022 - 1/15/2023

EXHIBIT: SRIJON CHOWDHURY: SAME OLD SONG

Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Ave., Seattle

Admission is free Wed-Sun: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

10/14/2022 - 9/18/2023

RESISTERS: A LEGACY OF MOVEMENT FROM THE JAPANESE AMERICAN INCARCERATION

The Wing Luke Museum, 719 S. King St., Seattle Thu-Sun, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. wingluke.org

OCT 6-9

JOIN US IN CAMBODIA TO EXPERIENCE A WEEK-LONG JOURNEY TO THE UNIQUE CAMBODIAN CULTURE maxglobalexp.org

6

GOODWILL ON-THE-SPOT HIRING EVENT

Goodwill stores in Lynnwood, Ballard, South Everett, Redmond, Juanita, Edmonds, and its Everett Outlet 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

7

RE-ELECT SENATOR JOE NGUYEN AND REP. MY-LINH THAI

Little Saigon Creative, 1227 S Weller St Suite A, Seattle

6-8 p.m.

RSVP at https://bit. ly/3SDp1QK

8 & 9

SEATTLE CENTER FESTÁL’S TURKFEST

Seattle Center Armory Food & Event Hall

Oct. 8, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 9, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

9

A FAMILY-FRIENDLY 5K/10K, “ALASKA AIRLINES DAWG DASH,” SUPPORTING UWAA’S GENERAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Through UW’s Iconic Seattle Campus

9 a.m. Register at washington.edu/alumni/ dawgdash

14 & 15

PREMIUM PRICES FOR YOUR CHINESE ANTIQUES, APPRAISAL EVENT

Free appraisals

Hilton Bellevue, 300 112th Ave. SE, Bellevue 9 a.m.-6 p.m. orientalheritageinc.com

20

AMERICAN ART: THE STORIES WE CARRY, EXHIBIT PREMIERE

Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave., Seattle seattleartmuseum.org

20-23

FREE EYE EXAMS & PRESCRIPTION EYEGLASSES

NOV 3

TERRI NAKAMURA, AUTHOR OF “BLOGGING IN INSTAGRAM”

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. For zoom link, contact rotaryofseattleid@gmail.com

STG PRESENTS MIYAVI

15CISC’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY FRIENDSHIP GALA

The Westin Bellevue, 600 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue 5:30 p.m. cisc-seattle.ejoinme. org/50thGala

17

COMMUNITY HEALTH PLAN OF WASHINGTON FREE EVENT IN CID

International District/ Chinatown Community Center, 719 8th Ave. S., Seattle 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

JAPANESE FOLK SINGER ICHIKO AOBA PERFORMS

Neptune Theatre, 1303 NE 45th Street, Seattle Tickets at ticketmaster.com/ venue/123797

19

WASHIN KAI PRESENTS, “WHAT IS HAIKU?”

UW, Kane Hall 210 7-8:30 p.m.

Register at events.uw.edu/WhatisHaiku

OFFERED FOR PEOPLE IN NEED

Seattle Center

First-come, first-served Free service

More info at seattlecenter.org/ patients 206-684-7200

24

PEACETREES VIETNAM’S 27TH ANNIVERSARY VIRTUAL CELEBRATION 6-7 p.m. Register at peacetreesvietnam.org

29

KWA CELEBRATE 50TH JUBILEE Hotel Murano Pavilion, Tacoma 5 p.m. Tickets at kwacares.ejoinme. org/tickets

WALK FOR RECONCILIATION AGAINST RACISM Union Station Tacoma 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. RSVP at info@crpftacoma.org

Neumos, 925 E Pike St, Seattle 8 p.m. $28-$35 stgpresents.org

5

FREE WORKSHOP, “DIVERSITY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT”

Renton, WA

8:15 a.m.-3:30 p.m. RSVP required at rentonwa. gov/valleypolicecareers

THE ETHNIC HERITAGE COUNCIL OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TO ANNOUNCE THIS YEAR’S AWARD RECIPIENTS TO BE HONORED AT THE ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY & RECEPTION

MLK F.A.M.E. Community Center, 3201 E. Republican Street, Seattle 2-5 p.m. $35/ticket Tickets at https://bit. ly/3Meu3Rq

BUNKA NO HI, JAPANESE CULTURE DAY FESTIVAL JCCCW, 1414 S. Weller St., Seattle 11 a.m.-5 pm jcccw.org

Account Executives

a romcom with an

lens

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

“I forgot this was coming out today. That made me happy,” said the ticket taker as I went inside to watch “Bros,” marketed as a “boy meets bro love story,” which was released Sept. 30 to major theaters everywhere. The “major” part is important. As I sat in the theater watching other movie-goers find their seats, I wondered if it was still scary for a gay person to “come out” in both meanings of the phrase, by showing up to view a gay film. Because this is mainstream. This is AMC and Regal. This is not art house. And that’s what you’re doing, isn’t it? Announcing you are LGBTQ+, or side with LGBTQ+, when you buy a ticket for this film? I mean, it was just two days ago as I’m writing this that a man admitted to stalking gay men on Grindr in order to murder and dismember them.

Yeah. Sit with that. I’m not trying to be a downer here but to highlight how vital films like “Bros” are. If art reflects and influences life—which it does—then it recommends, predicts, and demonstrates values we might emulate—such as acceptance and tolerance of the LGBTQ+ community. Even if, as you

hear in the trailer, “Gay sex was more fun when straight people were not okay with it,” it’s still not something you see often in Hollywood films. Not “Legends of the Fall”style romantic sex. Not lying in bed talking naturally afterwards. Not play fighting before. Nope. None of this has been released to the mainstream as a gay version—until now.

I said previously that “Fire Island” was “the first all-LGBTQ-casted” film for a “major studio,” not “Bros,” as they had claimed in early advertising. But maybe “Bros” is the first major mainstream LGBTQ+ film, more because of who’s involved and who it might draw to the theater. That’s sad to say, yes, because it could be a race thing, at least in part. The major cast members in “Fire Island”—Bowen Yang and Joel Kim Booster—are Asian. The major cast members in “Bros”—Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane—are white. The director of “Fire Island,” Andrew Ahn, is Asian. The director of “Bros,” Nicholas Stoller, is white. Stoller is famous for, um, bro movies like “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek.”

see BROS on 13

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

“Don’t Worry Darling” A SURPRISE

Presenting: An article about “Don’t Worry Darling” that is actually about the movie and not about whether the four main stars are talking to each other and why.

“Don’t Worry Darling,” re leased to theaters on Sept. 23, is Olivia Wilde’s second full-length feature as a director (the first be ing “Booksmart” in 2019). Wilde stars in the film as Bunny, along side Florence Pugh as Alice, Harry Styles as Jack, and Chris Pine as Frank. I’m leaving out a large cast here, including Gem ma Chan (more about her later!), as these four are the only people we’ve heard about for the past several weeks, it seems, and for which reason I barely wanted to see the actual film. I’m so glad I did, though, because it’s worth all of the hype it did not get.

It seems we stood and talk ed like this before/We looked at each other in the same way then/ But I can’t remember where or when/The clothes you’re wear ing are the clothes you wore/The smile you are smiling you were smiling then/But I can’t remem ber where or when.

Cue 1930s music on a scratchy phonograph in a too-good-tobe-true (‘cause it always is, isn’t it?) 50s style world. BTW, con text changes everything. The same song (featured here) that gives “When Harry Met Sally” a kicked-back, fall-in-New-York vibe, ends this movie with a freaked out, viewing-everyoneduring-your-drive-home-withgreat-suspicion vibe.

Alice is married to Jack. They live an idyllic life in an idyllic neighborhood next to several other couples who live the same idyllic life, all thanks to what is called Victory Project—which Frank runs and where the men work. Alice and Jack seem to be truly in love (you’re looking for the cracks right away), and are teased about the fact that their passion does not include chil dren (the most desirable child being male, and every woman should desire one or two or sev en). Everyone drives gorgeous old-fashioned cars and dress es and drinks à la “Mad Men.” Every night is a party. The men always come home to a freshly coiffed wife who hands them a drink (the first of many; I don’t think they drink anything but alcohol), and all is well as long as everyone stays “discrete” and “in control.” What’s the opposite of control? Chaos. Frank is not a fan of chaos.

Every morning after the hus bands leave, the women go about their traditional house wife chores (these are the most

Photos courtesy of New Line Cinema.

Shelley (Gemma Chan) is a power wife.

Ballet under the tutelage of Shelley (Gemma Chan) is way creepier than ballet normally should be.

ON

Possession gone wrong

By Samantha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

“Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor“

By Xiran Jay Zhao Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2022

Zachary Ying doesn’t know much about his Chinese heritage. His single mom is too busy working to make ends meet to share anything and he’s only ever learned about Western history and myths in school (something many of us can confirm). So when the 12-year-old learns that he was born to host the spirit of the First Emperor of China—and has to seal the leaking portal to the Chinese underworld before the upcoming Ghost Month blows it wide open—he’s woefully unprepared.

Things go wrong almost immediately when the First Emperor fails to possess Zack’s body and instead binds himself to Zack’s AR gaming headset. This leads to demons capturing Zack’s mother’s soul— giving the mission even more urgency as he may lose her forever.

“Zachary Ying” is an adventure story about a boy who has always worried about others’ opinions and learns the strength of letting those worries go and believing in himself. As the book progresses, it’s great to see Zack come into his own, find his voice, and stand up for himself and others. This growing confidence comes from having one of history’s most infamous tyrants offering

nonstop commentary in his headset, as well as spending time with Simon and Melissa— the two other kids he’s joined on this quest, who are also (properly bonded) hosts to two other famous Chinese emperors.

Part of Zack’s wanting to fit in so badly is because not only does he come from an immigrant background, he’s also Muslim and part of an ethnic minority group in China. In addition, his father was killed by the Chinese government for speaking up for their community. Zhao does a great

job of balancing facts like these as well as about Chinese history and mythology, with a fun story that will have readers smiling all through the book while wanting to learn more about these different figures, legends, and moments in history.

“Black Water Sister”

By Zen Cho Ace, 2021

Life for Jessamyn Teoh could be better.

Closeted, broke, and unemployed, she’s moving back to Malaysia with her parents—a country she hasn’t been back to in years. And when she starts hearing a new voice in her head and learns it’s the ghost of her estranged grandmother, things just go downhill from there.

When she was alive, Jess’ Ah Ma was a spirit medium for a deity called the Black Water Sister. Now in death, Ah Ma is

VIOLATE LAW from 1

“The County is lead on SEPA review for this project, which we understand to be in process,” he added.

Such conditions leave power in the hands of the City.

“Mayor [Bruce] Harrell and the City Coun cil have the power to stop this,” said one of the people with knowledge of the process.

According to public records, the City is planning to spend more than $12 million in its 2022–2023 budget to support the new shelter, which is at 1000–1050 Sixth Avenue South, 831 Seattle Boulevard, and 831 Air port Way South.

A stopgap measure

The site was never meant to be more than a temporary measure to respond to the pan demic. Soon after the COVID-19 outbreak reached Seattle, authorities were struggling to find sites for mass quarantining. The first site was in North Bend, followed by one in Shoreline. A site on the Eastside and the cur rent site of the proposed expanded shelter fol lowed, bringing the total to four.

But when the pandemic largely ended, King County asked the City if it could station a shelter there on a trial basis.

“It was always intended to be temporary; anything beyond that would have required more public process,” said one of the persons who has knowledge of the proceedings.

Precedents of failure and struggle

The history of the county’s failed and oner ous attempts to position shelters in suburbs of Seattle are an indication of how slipshod and illegitimate are its current efforts to expand and make permanent the temporary shelter near the CID, according to the two persons with knowledge of the site and the process.

In Bellevue, it took almost a decade to pro cess the siting of a men’s shelter. It also re quired the rewriting of the city’s code.

During the first segment of the pandem ic, congregate homeless shelters constricted operations and the county moved the entire population of the Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) shelter to the Renton Red Lion hotel, in downtown Renton.

Crime skyrocketed. One local man came home to find one of the new Red Lion ten ants in his house apparently carrying off his 2-year-old daughter. There were concerns about increased transmission of COVID-19 since many of the new dwellers in the Red Lion were observed by community members not to take any precautions.

The Renton City Council passed an ordi nance noting that the County’s decision to

Provided by King County

Now, however, the County has de clared the expansion of the shelter is not COVID-related.

“So under what authority is it being done?” asked one of the sources.

Zoning issues

Gary Lee, a member of the CID Pub lic Safety Council, said some of the pro posed expansion may not be congruent with the City’s municipal code.

The future expansion, with some of the proposed uses, appears to be in vi olation because the City has stated that zoning code amendments are required before proceeding with them, he said.

The SDCI acknowledged zoning would need to be changed.

“This property is in an industrial com mercial zone. After the SEPA process is complete, the City Council would need to pass a land use code amendment to permit expanded uses,” said Stevens.

However, in response to another ques tion, he clarified that zoning might allow short-term encampments.

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

Sealed bids will be received for KC000694, Tier 3 Guardrail Preservation; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, via the E-Procurement system, until 1:30pm on 10/20/2022. Late bids will not be accepted. The public bid opening will only be conducted on-line following the Bid Close Date and Time; see Section 00 10 00 for details.

There is a 15% minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement on this contract.

There is a 15% minimum requirement for King County Certified Small Contractors and Suppliers (SCS) on this contract.

King County, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 USC 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

Brief Scope: This project provides for the improvement of various roadways in King County by removing existing guardrail and end terminals and installing new guardrail, guardrail anchors, end terminal section, transition section, bridge rail, bridge deck reinforcement, bridge pedestrian rail, bridge sidewalk end ramps, beam guardrail reflectors, removal of trees, limbing trees, grinding stumps, installing mailbox supports, removing roadside obstructions, and other work.

Estimated contract price: $1,422,450

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

Complete Invitation to Bid Documents, including all project details, specifications, and contact information are available on our web page at: https://kingcounty.gov/procurement/supplierportal

move the occupants of the downtown shelter into the Red Lion was unautho rized and illegal, according to Renton’s zoning. The council also noted that Renton was a highly diverse communi ty, representing multiple communities of color.

“This experience in Renton is an in dication how you can’t just slap down a new shelter without any public process,” said one of the people with extensive knowledge of the process.

A state of emergency ended

The King County Regional Homeless Authority has described the new home less hub as an “expanded” shelter, indi cating that roughly 150 new beds will be added to the existing site and also spaces for RVs and mini dwellings. But, as with the placement of a shelter in Renton, the original site was undertaken while the State, County, and City of Seattle were acting under emergency COVID de crees.

Gov. Jay Inslee lifted the state of emergency last month. And the City and County have let their emergency decrees lapse.

Stevens said the City of Seattle has “not yet rescinded the order.”

“There are several different uses that could describe the services associated with homeless shelters or transitional support. Community centers and family support centers are some of those uses, but other categories of use may also ap ply,” he said. “Separately, transitional encampments may be allowed in this zone and other zones in Seattle, per sec tion SMC 23.42.054 or 23.42.056.”

Actionable?

The second person with knowledge of the process and the site said that while the shelter has always been a County project, the City now has multiple ways of halting it.

The Seattle City Council must approve funding. The SDCI must approve per mits and zoning. The mayor has a vote on the regional homeless authority.

“Just because it’s County dollars doesn’t mean this expanded use doesn’t have to meet current City zoning,” said one of the people with knowledge of the process.

Moreover, both persons said, the fail ure to conduct the required SEPA pro cess leaves the County open to a lawsuit.

Both the Seattle City Council and the King County Council are reviewing and debating the budgets that were submit ted, respectively, to them by the county executive and the mayor.

Mahlon can be contacted at info@nwasianweekly.com.

customers with one-liners like a comedi an. Sometimes, he sounded tough. What had lied beneath his serious face at times, though, was boldness with a heart of gold. He was an unusual entrepreneur and pioneer whose contributions spanned two countries, the United States and China.

Quan’s China projects

In 1972, President Nixon made his first trip to China, which shocked the world. The purpose was to end China’s isolation. But it was challenging for China to open itself without capital, resources, know-how, and a road map.

Enter a group of devoted Chinese Amer icans, Quan included. They were born in China, raised in America, and wanted to help the country they came from.

Quan was in Hong Kong in 1979 and, by happenstance, met a friend who told him to visit China. So he did. Upon visiting his native village, Taishan, China the following year, Quan discovered that China was in ter rible condition, backwards, and poor. The village had no roads in many places. Where there were roads, they were old and broken. In between, there were small ponds without bridges to connect the roads. Quan com plained to his brother that people couldn’t find food because there were no grocery stores or restaurants to buy food.

Initially, Quan just wanted to help his rel atives.

“China needed a lot of help then,” ex plained Chan.

Quan once told Chan when he was head ing to China, “If you don’t hear me for days, you go to the embassy and report me miss ing.”

For years, Quan was going back and forth between China and Seattle. Over time though, he stayed in China longer and came home less. Under the name of his new com pany in China, also called Tai Tung, Quan rebuilt his native village by developing a mandarin orange farm, an aloe plantation, and a tree farm. His company manufactured aloe products and constructed his own hous es. He created hundreds of jobs for the local community.

lage. Known as the Orange King of Guang dong, Quan was so successful that the Pre mier of China Zhao Ziyang led a delegation to visit Quan in Taishan. He was awarded the highest reward for his humanitarian acts in China: Honorary Citizen of Jiangmen City by the People’s Government of Jiang men in 1993. In 1997, he was awarded Hon orary Citizen of Taishan City by the People’s Government of Taishan.

However, in the 1990s, the orange farm was infested with yellow bugs that were kill ing all the trees.

“He took care of me and we never fought, not even once. He taught me how to run a business. He showed me how to talk to cus tomers. He said that ‘if you treat the cus tomers right, no matter what face they are, they will be okay.’ He also taught me how to drink and gamble, like going to casinos. He once told me that you need to learn the good and the bad. And we had a great time.”

Quan loved to cook and his dishes were always yummy, according to his kids, Aldis and Lillian. Some of his favorite dishes to cook for the family were beef stew, curry chicken, and tuna casserole. But he was se cretive about the ingredients and even up un til recently, his family members still do not know the recipes.

“We tried to replicate the beef stew and tuna casserole, but it is never as good as my dad’s,” said Woo. And he could tell what in gredient was lacking in the casserole after taking a bite, ‘Not enough milk,’ he would say.”

You all need to pay me now as you don’t have any credit with my company.”

Quan actually saved our inaugural issue. Thank you, Tommy! Forever we are grateful!

Quan’s history

Born in Taishan and the oldest of five chil dren, Quan arrived in the United States with his grandmother in 1950 at age 15 to achieve the American Dream. He adopted immigration pa pers with the last name Quan. (His actual last name was Chan in Chinese.)

He attended Broadway Edison for ESL class es to improve his English, and then Garfield High School.

When Quan first started, the 300 acres he envisioned developing were considered useless by the local government and farm ers. Although he wasn’t a farmer and didn’t know anything about farming before he re turned to China, he proved naysayers wrong by growing the best mandarins from his 12,000 trees, according to Chan. Quan also raised a pig farm to provide fertilizers for his agriculture and set up a fish pond for irriga tion purposes.

The fruits were exported to Hong Kong and Canada, said Chan, but didn’t make much money. (There was lots of spoilage during the export.)

Quan even donated money to build roads, a school that instructed primary to high school students (even when his partners backed out), and a children’s park for the vil

Quan overcame challenges because he felt that God led him to China to help the villagers, according to his daughter Lillian Woo—because why else would he start an orange farm when he knew absolutely noth ing about growing oranges? These trees take many years to grow, her father knew, but once matured, they could be used to build high-end furniture, wrote Woo. While he knew the trees would not be tall enough to be cut down during his lifetime, he want ed the investment to be passed down to his grandchildren—it would be his legacy from him to them.

Quan’s investment in China might be close to $400,000 then (close to $1 million today), Chan said. “My brother was the type of person who wanted to ‘go, go, go’ when he was committed to something. He did ask us if it was fine to send him money to contin ue his dreams in China.”

“We will back you up,” replied Chan at the time. “The family will back you up.”

Back and forth between Seattle and Taishan

For the past four decades, Quan continued to go back and forth between China and Se attle for his successful business ventures. He partnered with his best friend, Doug Jewett, former Seattle City Attorney and mayoral candidate. The late political guru Ruth Woo was Jewett’s campaign manager when he ran for City Attorney. Her husband, Ben, in troduced Quan to Jewett.

“If you spent any time around Tommy, you realized how exceptionally smart he was,” said Jewett, even though “he didn’t have a formal education.” Jewett said Quan’s pow ers of observation were immense, especially when it came to U.S.-China relations. Quan could articulate a lot about government pol icies, the differences between the U.S. and China, and “things you were not expecting. He had a world view that made him both un usual, and very interesting to be with.”

Quan talked Jewett and his wife, Susan, into going to China with him in 1984 and they stayed in his house that he built in his village. Later, Jewett returned to China with a business delegation and his family spent two months during the summer of 1988 liv ing with Quan in the village. Jewett said it was the best summer of his life. Quan and Jewett started an aloe skin care and juice business together that has grown to be a ma jor domestic Chinese Brand (AloeDerma). Quan the man

“I learned a lot from Tommy,” said Chan.

“Tommy was a people person,” said Ling Chinn, a family friend and Tai Tung’s land lord. “When you put him behind the count er at Tai Tung, he became alive because he liked his customers. … He loved his family, but most of all, [he loved] his brother Har ry. He once told me that Harry was his best brother and partner he ever had. …[Quan] was a legend in his time. He will be missed in the community.”

I met Quan in January 1982, two weeks before I launched the first Chinese-language newspaper in the Pacific Northwest. I had seen lines of people waiting to get into Tai Tung Restaurant. My assumption was, “If business is good, he has money to adver tise.” My naiveness was pathetic, laughable, and inexcusable.

Without doing any research on the busi ness or the owner, I just walked right in the restaurant without anyone in the commu nity vowing for my credibility. “Who’s the boss?” I asked a waiter.

“There.” The waiter pointed to a tall man with a stern face. I had never seen the guy before. All I knew was his name. Meeting Quan was an education in and of itself to a young woman who knew nothing about starting a business.

“Mr. Quan, I am going to start the first Chinese newspaper in the community,” I said. “I’d like for you to advertise in the Se attle Chinese Post.”

Silence.

I tried to make small talk, but clearly, I failed as I didn’t even have the skill to do so.

“I have never advertised my business,” he said. “For 30 years running the business, I have not advertised.” His implication was that he hadn’t advertised, and yet his restau rant was doing great.

I was speechless. And I didn’t know how to overcome his objection. I was flunking at being a salesperson. At that moment, I realized that the guy who never advertised would lose face if he were to start (if he did the opposite of his business practice).

So I asked him, “Do you agree that it is a good thing for the community to have a Chinese newspaper?”

He agreed.

I changed course. “This is not an adver tisement,” I told him.

“It’s not?” he said.

“It’s a congratulatory message,” I ex plained.

That made sense to him. And then he ac tually told me what to put in, as content.

“How much is half a page?” he asked. “Let me write you a check.”

The rest is history.

Quan had taught me to go bold in my sales pitches. To support us, he broke his own rule, revealing his true kindness and humanity. He was the first advertiser to give me a big ad, while many other advertisers only ordered business-card-size ads. And even though I was really the one who had zero credit and credibility, I told the other advertisers, “Tommy Quan paid me first.

A veteran, Quan had fought in the Korean War. Quan served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955. He was stationed at Ft. Lewis, Ft. Hood, and Ft. Bliss. After basic training, he was as signed to the Eighth Army Division and sent to Korea. He credited the Army for teaching him discipline, improving his English, and teaching him how to get along with other people.

Quan started working in the kitchen of his family restaurant, Tai Tung, afterward. An en trepreneur, Quan bought shares from his grand father to buy the family restaurant and be one of the owners. Later, he opened two other restau rants, Chinese Village in Federal Way and Tommy Q’s in Renton. In addition, he opened a snack bar at the Hyak Snoqualmie Ski lodge, a noodle company, and also owned a racehorse.

Quan returned to Seattle in 2019 for medical reasons. Yet, nothing could stop him from going to Tai Tung daily to help at the restaurant. You would often find him behind the counter chat ting and laughing with the customers, taking orders, and more. He loved Tai Tung and seeing his family there, especially his brother Harry.

Quan is survived by five children: (Adam), Aldis, (Ayn), Lillian (Scott), Diana (Keith), and Allison (Angela). Quan joins his wife Judy and daughter Elinore in Heaven. He is also survived by his sisters Kam, Nora, Leila, and brother Harry, his new wife, Katie, and his youngest daughter Mary, 16 grandchildren, two great-granddaughters, and many nephews and nieces.

Special viewing will be held on Oct. 19, 4-8 p.m. at Sunset Hills Memorial Park & Funeral Home.

Celebration of life will be held on Oct. 20, 11 a.m. at Sunset Hills Memorial Park & Funeral Home.

Assunta Ng can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

Quan with his daughter Lillian.

Quan with his brother Harry Chan in their orange farm in Taishan, China

Photo provided by Lillian Woo

Photo provided by Harry Chan

Predictions and advice for the week of October 8–14, 2022

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat—Instead of staying in something that doesn’t work, leaving for opportunity is a better game plan for success.

Ox—Aligning your goals with your values is quite important, as those will come into conflict if you don’t.

Tiger—When you are about to tackle an undesirable task, think of a way to reward yourself when you are done.

Rabbit—You were lucky to be given a heads up about what is to come. Use the lead time to prepare.

WHAT’S YOUR ANIMAL SIGN?

Dragon—If you know you have a blind spot, then it is imperative that you take steps to look for potential issues.

Snake—Don’t worry about temporarily halting the project if it is not headed in the right direction. Do stop and reassess.

Horse—A worthwhile endeavor is likely going to require extra effort, which you need to be fully present for.

Goat—Does it seem like you are right back where you started? Remember that experience is quite valuable.

Monkey—Unsure of what awaits you? Before you open the door, try to figure out what you are letting in.

Rooster—It will take some time for the dust to settle, but when it does, the landscape may appear quite different.

Dog—Taking stock of what you have now is a good way to determine the things you will need going forward.

Pig—If you are trying to wrap things up, then stay focused as going off on tangents will prolong the process.

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

BROS from 8

The point is there’s a built audience here for “Bros” that “Fire Island” didn’t have and which could give it more box office power and ultimately, staying power in making being gay mainstream.

Also—and I’m not criticizing “Fire Island” at all, I adored it— the idea of “Bros,” I think, is to show us more of “normal” gay life. In “Fire Island,” they are on vacation. It’s no holds barred, be everything you can’t be back home.

In “Bros,” they are home, living their everyday lives. There is a wealth of commentary on modern dating which could apply to straight people—“hook up” culture is everywhere—but in “Bros,” it applies to LGBTQ+ folks. One of my favorite parts is when Bobby (Eichner) describes single life as having, on one hand, tons of great friends you would never have sex with, and on the

other hand, shallow Grindr hook up sex, which still somehow gives you the “warm fuzzies” the next day, and from these two poles, you piece together a life. Yes. That is exactly what modern dating is like.

Bobby is looking for love but doesn’t know it. He and many gay men have become so defensive and put up so many walls that finding romance is difficult.

There are lots of jokes about “are we dating?” and making a pact to stay together for “three months” and then “re-evaluate.” Everyone is afraid of commitment and being vulnerable—although there are steady gay couples around them.

Both Bobby and his love interest, Aaron (Macfarlane), are insecure.

Bobby because Aaron is a “bro”—he’s buff and everyone he has sex with is buff—and Aaron because Bobby is intelligent and outspoken. Neither think they are worthy of real love.

This movie is really smart. And funny. There’s a ton of tongue

in cheek at itself, at gay culture, at prior movies the “Bros” team have been involved in. Bobby is the head of an LGBTQ+ museum in New York. FYI, the timeline of the actual American LGBTQ+ Museum in New York is about the same, or a little behind, the one in the movie. Did I say movies can influence us? In real life, the museum has not yet opened. In “Bros,” the museum does open Beforehand, they are debating what the exhibits could be. Bobby is very loud and controversial. For instance, he wants to proclaim that Abraham Lincoln was gay, based on a collection of letters.

The museum staff consists of one representative of each of the letters in LGBT and Q. There is a lot of making fun of each other’s stereotypes and fighting for equal representation. (“They cannot stop voguing!” Bobby complains at a club.) While there is humor there, the interactions reveal the struggle to be seen and heard. The group is frustrated with how

Wanda, played by Miss Lawrence, a well-known Atlanta drag queen, spouts pacifist sound bites, ie. “I hear you and I support you,” until Wanda admits that in fact, she has so much anger inside that if she let it out, she would “kill every one of you.” It’s hilarious, extremely on point, and extremely sad.

Something that comes up a lot is how things are better. There is an older generation, such as the owner of the BnB Bobby and Aaron visit in “P-Town” (Provincetown, a popular LGBTQ+ resort alongside Fire Island), who mentions how many of his friends are dead (from the AIDS epidemic, no doubt). Bobby admits he’s jealous today’s gays get to grow up with “Glee,” but there is still a ton of censure as well, of gays hiding their true selves, of being asked to “tone it down,” of not following their dreams if those dreams seem “too gay.” There are also a lot of familiar romcom tropes translated into boy meets bro scenarios, which is a beautiful thing. Although the main

couple is white, there is an “okay” amount of diversity in the cast. Bowen Yang reappears as a rich gay man the museum is begging for funding and even though his role is more of a cameo, he milks it for all its worth. “You’re too old to go in the pool. Goodbye!”

I would be amiss if I didn’t mention one more thing. We all know of the #loveislove campaign, a well-meaning effort to support gay marriage and gay culture amongst non-gays.

In “Bros,” though, they insist that #loveisnotlove. Gay love is not straight love. It is different. Humans are a kaleidoscope. “My story is not your story,” says Bobby. “Go write your own damn story.”

Bro. Word up. 

“Bros” is playing at your local theaters.

Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

SHELF

determined to settle a score against a business magnate who has offended the god (and Ah Ma, for various reasons), and she’s recruited Jess (against her will) to help her. Drawn into a world of gods, ghosts, and family secrets, Jess has to figure out how to deal with a vengeful god and perhaps an even more vengeful grandmother who has no compunction about spying on Jess’ personal life, and using Jess’s body to commit felonies. I really enjoyed seeing Jess grow stronger and more confident in herself to gain more agency over her body and her life—and not just how it relates to the spirits possessing her.

Life with family in any culture is complicated. And in “Black Water Sister,” Cho shows how family can be just as complicated (if not more so) in death. Jess’ mother and Ah Ma had a strained relationship and the revelations Jess has as she learns why are both surprising and humorous (at least to me). When you take away the

supernatural elements, you get a story about three generations of women who are learning how to speak to each other—something I understood because the relationship between mothers and daughters are complex, Asian or otherwise.

Throughout the story, Cho includes stories about various Chinese gods, some of which I had known about, though I mostly hadn’t. I really enjoyed learning about the different deities and what they represent. I also appreciated how Cho humanized the deities with personalities and qualities readers would recognize in their fellow human beings (I particularly enjoyed the deity who had no qualms sharing his thoughts on his offerings).

“Nuclear Family”

By Joseph Han Counterpoint, 2022

Things are going well for Mr. and Mrs. Cho. They’re close to realizing their dream of franchising their Korean plate lunch

restaurants, Cho’s Delicatessen, across Hawai’i (a visit from Guy Fieri helped boost their profile). Their daughter Grace is working for them while she finishes up her final year of college and their son Jacob just moved to Seoul to teach English. Then a viral video shows Jacob attempting—and failing—to cross the Korean demilitarized zone, and nothing can protect the Chos from the fallout. Suspicion leads to waning restaurant sales, and each member deals with it all differently. From Grace getting more and more stoned, as her family becomes more and more undone, to Mr. Cho snapping at everyone, they all fear Jacob, detained by the South Korean government, will never be able to return home.

But what nobody knows is that Jacob has been possessed by the ghost of his lost maternal grandfather, whose wish is to cross the divide and find the family he left behind in the north.

Jumping to and from different characters’

perspectives and set in the months leading up to the 2018 nuclear missile false alarm, “Nuclear Family” is the story of a family confronting the things they don’t know about each other, as well as about themselves. And while so many points of view can sometimes get confusing, I enjoyed it. Reading how the different characters each reacted and responded to the situation helped paint a better picture of everything that is happening throughout the book.

Although the Chos’ separation from Daniel is the main plot, Han also explores the separations the family has experienced over the decades and for generations. This is a theme many people—especially those with immigrant backgrounds—can relate to. Han’s approach is heartfelt and at times, hilarious—reminding us there’s beauty and light, even in the darkest of times. 

Samantha can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

EXPANSION from 1

filled with these stalls, where unhoused people are meant to live for indeter minate periods of time. The tour was arranged by the office of King County Executive Dow Constantine, which has been criticized for not doing enough out reach to the CID about plans to expand the shelter complex.

The director of the King County Depart ment of Community and Human Services, Leo Flor, who led the tour, said it was im portant for people to recognize what they had done and not “make assumptions.”

Indeed, the greatest difference between this shelter and past shelters is space. For merly a car dealership, the vast vaulted building is so tall that echoes are lost in the shadowy ceiling above the lights.

Advocates for the new shelter say that it provides so much space, compared with past shelters, that people will be able to finally sleep without worrying about their belongings being stolen or their persons being harassed or attacked.

It also provides much greater protec tion for its residents against the spread of contagious diseases.

Flor emphasized the space as we stood inside the cavernous hall with stalls stretching almost out of eyesight, it seemed. He described it as a paradigm shift over older congregate shelters.

“People are not packed together,” he said. “We used to have to get as many people as possible into as little space as possible.”

But critics say that studies and reports on the national level have condemned Seattle and King County as having a broken system which relies too heavily on shelters, rather than moving people on to more permanent housing.

Flor said the shelter was originally de signed for COVID-19 patients but was never used for that purpose. It opened in 2020 during a season of superflu and when people were suffering from wild

EYE EXAMS from 3

eyeglasses are ordered, they will be distributed in early December.

Seattle/King County Clinic

Face masks are required, though

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fire smoke inhalation.

Since November 2020, the Salvation Army has been operating it as a home less shelter. In May, the King Coun ty Council voted to take over the lease when it expires next month. The county has signed on for a five-year lease.

Supporters of the shelter say that it is not meant for people to live there long term, just long enough for them to get off the streets and begin the recovery process that will eventually lead to more stable, long-term housing.

But Flor cited statistics that made it sound like at least some of those living there were establishing themselves in relatively permanent ways.

One-third of the 170 people living in the shelter are employed, he said.

One man with a ponytail and carry ing a coffee cup meandered down the hallway between stalls, causing the Sal vation Army staff to tell the television cameramen to turn off their cameras to protect his privacy.

Besides this man’s appearance, the stalls had been emptied of people before the media tour.

Supporters of the facility point to the large number of bathrooms it has. They say this will give people the chance to take showers.

pricing,

a week.

$30.

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Seattle/King County Clinic

The facility has 43 bathrooms.

Flor repeatedly said that if you provide unhoused people with bathrooms, they will use them. “People would always prefer to have a place to go when there is a bathroom,” he said.

There has been heavy criticism of un housed people urinating and defecating on property in the CID and other areas But it was still not immediately clear how safe residents of the shelter would feel.

Flor did not respond to a question about the lack of walls for the stalls, leav ing them open.

Nor was it immediately clear how res idents would be kept safe while inside.

A fact sheet handed out at the end of the tour said the site would continue to be staffed by security around the clock, seven days a week.

But there were no security guards in side the shelter, only outside, checking visitors in and out.

Still, supporters of the shelter say such issues would likely be resolved by in dividual service providers as they take over various aspects of running the shel ter.

Meanwhile, expansion of the shelter has apparently been delayed. A fact sheet previously shared with the Northwest Asian Weekly in August slated expan

sion of the shelter “to be completed by the fall of 2022.”

But Flor pushed the timeline back.

A sobering station, the first part of the expansion, will be put in, at the earliest, in the beginning of next year.

A high acuity behavioral center, for those suffering the most trauma, will come later and does not yet have a ser vice provider to run it.

The entire expansion is expected to be completed by spring of next year.

But the plans are fluid.

Originally, the county planned to offer space for about 50 RVs. That has now been scaled back to a service center for four to five RVs at a time.

“They will come in; we’ll repair them for free, and they can cycle out,” said Flor. Flor also offered up a plan for how to clear the unauthorized tent encampment on the side of the shelter.

During an exhibition of tiny “pallet” homes—the size of backyard sheds—he said these dwellings would first be offered to those living in the encampment, encourag ing them to move.

The next phase would involve placing more of the tiny pallet homes inside the encampment itself.

Workers from the King County Regional Homeless Authority (KCRHA) are already developing relation ships with those in the encampment to further such work, according to the fact sheet.

One of the tiny pallet homes had bars over the win dows. The other had smaller windows the size of a large dinner plate.

When asked if the media tour was a recognition that KCRHA had not done enough outreach to the CID, Flor bristled. “I want you here to see what we’re doing here,” he said. “We have to start with a common understanding of what works rather than what they think ...” But his re marks faded out with the rush of cars and trucks on the freeways overhead.

Mahlon can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

made

the clinic provide $20 million in direct services to 23,000

more about Seattle/King County Clinic at seattlecenter.org/skcclinic or

calling 206-684-7200. Donations

accepted at seattlecenter.org/

Photo by Mahlon Meyer/NWAW

Leo Flor, director

DON’T WORRY from 9

content and best dressed window washers and bathtub scrubbers you have ever seen in your life), all the while listening—apparent ly willingly, so it’s no “1984”—to radio propaganda about potential and vision and loyalty and mission. “What are we doing? Changing the world!” Housework done, it’s time for a day of Hollywood-style leisure for the ladies, even though they are in the middle of the desert. They are trolleyed back and forth to well-heeled ballet class and then shopping, where they never pay for anything but just charge it to…. something. They don’t really know or care. All they know is that they never ask questions, such as about the one friend who goes crazy, nor about the mysterious project “head quarters” where they are forbidden to go. “The only thing they ask… is that we stay here where it’s safe.” Ballet class is run by Shelley, played by Chan, who we recently saw as “Sersi” in “Eternals” and

who is well known for her role as the impeccable “Astrid” in “Cra zy Rich Asians.” (Where is our sequel, by the way?) You begin to know something is up at the ballet class. First of all, all the other ladies are terrified of Shelley, and second of all, she chants, “There is beauty in control. There is grace in sym metry,” which is creepy, while the women go about their perfect rou tines.

You know that sooner or later someone new is going to start to fall apart, start to “see things that aren’t there,” to have “delusions,” to act “hysterical” (catchwords that have been used to gaslight women for centuries and are used the same way in the Victory Project to keep them in line). This time, it’s Alice. She starts having strange visions, but she also happens to witness a couple of things she shouldn’t have

(which are conveniently explained away into a new version). It’s not just Alice—Jack, too, has occa sional moments of “coming to” where he can’t remember why he chose his tie, like he wasn’t there when it happened—but it’s Alice that is the busybody and is bound to get herself in trouble. She can’t really know who to trust, but she does anyway, and estranges herself from best friend, Bunny, for “act ing like a child” and “sabotaging” her husband’s career and whatnot. She knows for sure, though, that she does not like Frank.

When you’re awake, the things you think/Come from the dreams you dream/Thought has wings/And lots of things/Are seldom what they seem.

There are a few tropes here, but they are done in a refreshing way. Ultimately, the question we are asked is, what will we pay or what will we do for happiness? And how do we know if happiness is real?

Just a hint: It helps if your vision of happiness is shared equally by

everyone around you. I won’t say more—this is a truly suspenseful movie and spoilers would ruin it. In the end, no one is who we think they are and there are lots of tricky and satisfying surprises. So try not to worry about who’s dating who, who stole whose man from whom, who refused to look at whom during the premiere, or whatever real/fake drama they’re going on about. It’s much more interesting to watch the fake/real movie and dis cover whether Alice escapes from the rabbit hole.

Some things that happen for the first time/Seem to be happening again/And so it seems that we have met before/And laughed before and loved before/But who knows where or when?

All lyrics from “Where or When” by Rodgers and Hart. “Don’t Wor ry Darling” is playing at local the aters.

Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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Attorneys for the City of Issaquah (also sued by the family) and the IPD did not return a request for comment.

Leng died in hospice care a month after the encounter with police officers. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide due to “blunt force injury to the neck,” which “occurred in circumstances involving the use of physical restraint.”

On Aug. 5, 2018, Issaquah police officers responded to a domestic disturbance call from 911. Liping Yang, Yeng’s wife of 40 years, indicated that once the officers were inside the home, the officers grabbed her husband who was “making nonsense noises” and pulled him toward a couch, where they pushed him face down and attempted to handcuff him, putting their weight on him to hold him down. Leng’s attorneys argued that the officers did not attempt to get an interpreter or confirm with 911 that the apartment they had gone to was the correct one.

Moreover, the family for the estate argues in court papers that the individual that called 911 was a neighbor that frequently called for emergency when there was none. The neighbor had told the 911 operator that there was a loud dispute involving a large Samoan man.

IPD officers argued that Leng was frail and had health problems, unknown to the officers, that contributed to his death. Attorneys for the officers also contended that he was acting erratic and making indecipherable noises. Officer accounts state that Leng was holding onto Yang when she opened the door and then when one of the officers attempted to enter the home, he lunged at the officer. According to court documents, Leng suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.

A language barrier may have been an issue which caused the fatal encounter. The couple had immigrated to Issaquah in 2010 from China. The couple spoke Mandarin; neither spoke English.

The death of Leng exemplifies the harsh reality of a police officer’s job and

the accountability that must come with it.

State Rep. My-Ly Thai hopes to introduce the Peace Officer Accountability Act to Washington state. According to the lawmaker, it would protect the constitutional rights of citizens while allowing a civil cause of action against peace officers.

The legislation would hold police officers accountable in civil actions for alleged misconduct. It would nullify the existing law of qualified immunity for police, which shields them from civil lawsuits arising out of constitutional rights violations.

Wangsheng Leng’s case would not have been affected by the proposed state law as his case was brought in federal court. Representative Thai’s proposed law would affect lawsuits brought in state court.

“[The proposed law] is meant to provide remedy for families to be heard,” said Thai. “It speaks to the reason why I ran, I wanted to hold the power structure in our society accountable.” She added that the bill “is about accountability. We’ve learned that after the initiative process, there are still cases out there who do not follow the law, so we need [legislative bill] 1202 as an accountability bill.”

The American Civil Liberties Union backs the bill stating, “It would incentivize departments to improve training and supervision and deter individual officers from engaging in police misconduct.”

The law is still finding its way through the legislative process in Olympia. It is being opposed by police departments and counties due to the belief that it would cause a glut of lawsuits.

In its motion for a new trial, Leng’s attorneys cited several factors which they determined were prejudicial to their case. This includes a claim that there was an introduction of pro-police bias through direction to potential jurors as the court asked several times whether they could give the officers a fair trial and not to assume they used force too quickly against Leng. Plaintiff attorneys also cite the fact that a jury instruction was not given to advise that Leng’s fragile, physical condition should not be factored into the alleged harm done

by the officers (a legal theory known as the “eggshell plaintiff”). The discussion over domestic violence was also believed to have prejudiced the trial verdict as attorneys for the estate claimed that defense attorneys stressed this issue which “unfairly inflamed the jury” according to lawyers.

In its order issued on Sept. 27, Judge Thomas Zilly denied the estate’s motion for a new trial. “[T]he Court is satisfied that plaintiff had a fair trial and that no miscarriage of justice will transire if the

verdict is left intact,” stated a portion of the order.

Owens indicated that he could not comment on what might happen next after the court’s denial. An appeal of the jury verdict could be made shortly after the court’s denial for a new trial but the parties have yet to make that determination. 

Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema.

Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Harry Styles) live a perfect life in Victory.