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VOL 41 NO 47 NOVEMBER 19 – NOVEMBER 25, 2022
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Steel beats Chen City’s public safety meeting in California veers from safety needs but
Courtesy: Chong Wa
“a good start”
Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.)
Jay Chen
Community members at the Nov. 10 public safety meeting in the CID.
Republicans won in California’s 45th District, which is anchored in Orange County. The Associated Press called the race on Nov. 14 though official results will take longer. “I am humbled that voters have given me the opportunity
to continue to fight for them in Washington, D.C.,” Rep. Michelle Steel said in a statement. Steel, a South Korean immigrant was re-elected for a second term in Congress, beating Democrat
By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
see CHEN/STEEL on 14
It’s hard to know from a photo if Matt Chan’s amazed and outraged look is from his cancer diagnosis or from what he is hearing at a public safety meeting put on by the Mayor’s office. The flat, fatigued, and blasted look on his face is like
that of a man who’s sat back down, stunned, after trying to get up unsuccessfully. It might represent the feelings of the community. Throughout the long months of protests and meetings that Chan helped lead, he struggled with a tumor on his kidney that then spread to his lungs. see PUBLIC SAFETY on 15
Filipino candidates Mejia, Bonta win in California Nabeela Syed flipped GOP district in Illinois INDIAN AMERICAN TO BECOME THE STATE’S YOUNGEST LAWMAKER Nabeela Syed, a 23-year-old Muslim woman of Indian origin, was elected to the Illinois General Assembly in the recent midterm elections.
A Democrat, Nabeela defeated Republican incumbent Chris Bos. see SYED on 14
THE INSIDE STORY NAMES IN THE NEWS 2 TAN DUN’S “BUDDHA PASSION” 8 “THE MENU” 9 HIRO YAMAMOTO HONORED AT ASIAN HALL OF FAME 10 BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS 11 ASTROLOGY 13
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Kenneth Mejia, L.A.controller
Rob Bonta, CA Attorney General
32-year-old Kenneth Mejia took to his social media accounts to announce his victory. “WE DID IT! WE WON BY 23 POINTS! FIRST CPA as City Controller FIRST Filipino elected official in LA FIRST AAPI citywide elected official FIRST POC as City Controller in over 100 years more to come!” he wrote. Mejia held a 21-point lead over City Councilmember Paul Koretz when Koretz conceded last week. “Coming from a minority background makes you more empathetic about the people you’re fighting for,” Mejia told NBC.
A former organizer for the L.A. Tenants Union, Mejia ran on a progressive platform centered around decriminalizing homelessness and holding the police and other city departments accountable. He’s pledged to audit the cost of homeless encampment sweeps and make recommendations on alternative responses that prioritize housing and services. “We want to change the system against which community organizers are fighting and make it better for working-class people,” he said. Filipino Americans are also celebrating see MEJIA/BONTA on 6
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