Asian Avenue Magazine - June 2016

magazine

asian avenue Connecting Cultures Linking Lives

June 2016 Volume 11 Issue 6

THINGS TO DO THIS

SUMMER

LIBERTI JEWELRY WITH A PURPOSE

BURMESE REFUGEES

PHOTOGRAPHER ANGELA BUCKLEY SHARES THEIR STORY

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Dearest readers,

magazine

It is with excitement and a hint of disbelief that I write to you in the 120th edition of Asian Avenue. We launched in July 2006 and will be celebrating our ten-year anniversary next month! Wow! Has it really been ten years?

We look forward to walking down memory lane as we reminisce on the great stories we have shared and amazing people we have met!

In this issue, we present “things to do in Colorado this summer.” Ideas include attending the cultural festivals such as Cherry Blossom Festival June 18-19 and Colorado Dragon Boat Festival July 30-31, to walking through the farmers’ markets to dressing up in cosplay. Next month, the Colorado Lion Dance Competition celebrates its second year with lion dance teams competing from around the world. Don’t miss out on this cultural and educational event!

As an alumna of the University of Colorado Denver, I want to congratulate all of the students who were recognized for outstanding leadership and service with the Peggy Lore Leadership Scholarship and the AAPI Alumni Scholarship. Read more about their personal experiences overcoming obstacles and growing in their leadership and passion to help the community.

Kudos to Joann, Lah, Johnnie, Lien, Alex and Kieu!

Having worked at CAHEP, a medical clinic serving the immigrant and refugee population, I am passionate about supporting our refugee communities in Colorado. I was happy to hear about Jill Toffa and Angie Buckley working together to change the lives of Burmese women in Colorado. We share a few of local photographer Angie’s beautiful photos in this issue and the rest will be presented and eventually archived at History Colorado. Similarly, when I discovered Liberti Jewelry, I wanted to make sure they were featured in Asian Avenue. Take a look at the gorgeous, handmade jewelry inspired by a socially conscious effort to employ and empower refugees resettled in the U.S. Amazing business founded by Pam Norton here in Denver!

Lastly, congrats to our friends at Colorado Dragon Boat Festival for hosting the first Asian Film Festival in Denver! What a great weekend of films, art and community—Denver thanks you!

Annie Guo, President Asian Avenue magazine | www.asianavemag.com | aguo@asianavemag.com

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June 2016 | President’s Note

asian avenue staff & support Publisher & Founder: Christina Yutai Guo President: Annie Guo Editorial and Marketing Manager: Sarah Shirazi Senior Designer: C.G. Yao Graphic Designer/Photographer: Anastasia Yagolnik Copy Editor: Jaime Marston Cook Staff Writer: Patricia Kaowthumrong Staff Writer: Mary Jeneverre Schultz Staff Writer: Brenda Velasquez Marketing Coordinator: Chun Guo Marketing Coordinator: Mai Choua Lee Photographer: Trang Luong Intern: Akemi Tsutsui

advisors group General Counsel: Michael C. Song Patty Coutts, Donna LaVigne, Nestor J. Mercado, Sum C. Nguyen, Alok Sarwal, Tom Shieh, John Yee, Nai-Li Yee, George N. Yoshida

contributing writers Gil Asakawa, Tony Huynh, Jamie Jennings, Tom Shieh, John Webber

contributing photographers Gil Asakawa, Angela Buckley, Jamie Jennings

on the cover We put together a list of ideas to keep you busy and happy this summer! Enjoy the great culture, music, food and activities Colorado has to offer! One event you don’t want to miss is the 16th annual Colorado Dragon Boat Festival at Sloan’s Lake on July 30-31!

Visit www.cdbf.org.

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CONTENTS

june2016

EVENTS

8

Event calendar

9

16

Second annual Colorado Lion Dance Competition on July 2, 2016

RISING STARS

10

CU Denver student leaders receive Peggy Lore Leadership Scholarship for being active in the AAPI community

COLORADO COMMUNITY

12

Local photographer Angela Buckley shares the stories of Burmese refugees to be archived at History Colorado

HANDCRAFTED JEWELRY

14

Liberti is a lifestyle brand that creates

exquisite jewelry with an impact, while

employing and empowering U.S. refugees

COVER STORY THINGS TO DO THIS SUMMER IN COLORADO Festivals and conventions and hikes, oh

my! Here are some ideas to experience the

music, food and culture Colorado has to

offer. Enjoy the summer while it lasts!

16

CHEF’S MENU

22

How to make the summer dish: Papaya salad

BETTER LIVING

24

25

12

Summer sun means swimsuits!

Learn how to get a six pack

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Denver gathers to congratulate the new president of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Tsai Ing-wen

ASIAN AVENUE MAGAZINE, INC. P.O. Box 221748 Denver, CO 80222-1748 | Tel: 303.937.6888 E-mail: info@asianavemag.com | www.asianavemag.com 6

June 2016 | Table of Contents

27

Children’s Day Festival in Colorado Springs shares Japanese culture through activities including origami, calligraphy and fashion Colorado Dragon Boat Festival introduces Denver’s first Asian Film Festival with seven fantastic films

BOOK REVIEW

29

The Translation of Love by Lynne Kutsukake weaves a heart-rending tale of the truth about post-World War II Japan

In his lifestyle column, Tom Shieh shares why ‘A’ students often end up working for ‘C’ students. Can you guess why?

ON SCENE

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22 Find us @AsianAveMag

#AsianAveMag

M

E T R O

D

E N V E R

FARMERS ’ M ARKET 9

Saturdays

SOUTHWEST PLAZA

Thursdays

Sundays

Saturdays

HIGHLANDS RANCH

Wednesdays

BROADRIDGE PLAZA

MAY 7 - OCTOBER 29 JUNE 16 - OCTOBER 13 MAY 8 - OCTOBER 30 AKEWOOD ITTLETON Southeast Parking Lot Broadway and Ridge Rd. Highlands Ranch Town Ctr. Wadsworth & Bowles JUNE 18 - OCTOBER 1 9288 Dorchester St. 6905 S. Broadway JUNE 15 - OCTOBER 12 8am-2pm or Sellout 10am-2pm or Sellout Aspen Grove Lifestyle Ctr. 10am-2pm or Sellout 9077 W Alameda Ave Alameda & Garrison 7301 S. Santa Fe Dr. (Mile Hi Church) 10am-2pm or Sellout 10am-2pm or Sellout

L

L

Check out our great recipes online!

For more information call the Metro Denver Farmers’ Market Hotline

303-887-FARM

www.denverfarmersmarket.com

events upcoming Metro Denver Farmers’ Market

Wednesdays, Thursdays and Weekends Now thru October

Southwest Plaza, Lakewood, Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Wheat Ridge Cost: Free For more info on hours and locations, see page 7 or visit: www.denverfarmersmarket.com.

Metro Denver Farmers’ Market began over thirty years ago in downtown Denver in an Auraria campus parking lot, on Saturdays only. Today the market has five locations in the Metro Denver area. The market aims to bring the freshest, local produce directly to you. All locations are part of the SNAP Program and accept EBT card for payment!

Animals Out of Paper Thru Sunday, June 5

Fri-Sat 7:30pm | Sat 2pm | Sun 2pm

Award Ceremony + Brunch Saturday, June 11, 10am - 12pm

Empress Seafood Restaurant 2825 W Alameda Ave, Denver, CO 80219 Tickets: $30 General | $20 Students Purchase tickets: asianavemag.ticketleap.com/heroes Or make check payable to CACEN and send to: CACEN | PO Box 221748 | Denver, CO 80222

Award ceremony will honor the 2016 Asian American Heroes of Colorado: Lily Shen, Pam Sweetser, Eun Moredock, Giselle Rushford, Ramina Kashani and Bryan Yee during a banquet dim sum brunch. Come to hear their stories; come to get inspired!

Saturday, July 2, 1pm to 7pm

21st Annual Philippine Festival Saturday, June 11, 11am to 5pm

Filipino-American Community of Colorado 1900 Harlan St. Edgewater, CO 80214 Cost: Free and open to the public For more information or to become a vendor, visit www.coloradofilipinos.org.

Colorado Teachings of His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama Thursday, June 23 at 8am

Coors Events Center 950 Regent Dr, Boulder, CO 80309 Cost: $65 general | $35 bleacher seating Ordained monks and nuns are entitled to a free ticket to attend For more info and tickets, visit: www.dalailamacolorado.com.

Organized by the Tibetan Association of Colorado, University of Colorado Student Government and Cultural Events Board, His Holiness will be giving a teaching on “Eight verses of training the mind.” The verses describe practices that cultivate the path such as compassion, altruism and aspiration. The eighth verse describe practices that are directed toward cultivating the wisdom aspect of the path.

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June 2016 | Upcoming Events

Organized by the Tri-State Buddhist Temple, the 44th annual Cherry Blossom Festival is fun for the the whole family. Check out the vast offerings of the two day festival including live entertainment of taiko and aikido, vendor booths, a variety of eats and treats including spam musubi and sushi, and more!

Regis University, Mountain View Room 3333 Regis Blvd. Denver, CO 80221 Cost: Free For more info, visit: coliondancecomp.weebly.com.

Tickets: $26 at the door With advance reservations: $23 adults, $20 seniors/students, $20 per person for groups 6+ Theatre Esprit Asia Box Office: 720-492-9479 For more info, visit www.theatre-esprit-asia.org.

2016 Asian American Heroes of CO

Saturday, June 18- Sunday, June 19

Lawrence Street, between 19th and 20th streets Downtown Denver Cost: Free For a complete schedule and other details, visit: www.cherryblossomdenver.org.

Colorado Lion Dance Competition

FACC is excited to celebrate its 21st annual Philippine Festival with live performances from Filipino cultural groups and local talents. There will be a variety of tasty Filipino food on site, supporting locally owned vendors. And best of all, the festival is a family oriented atmosphere!

Theatre Espirit Asia presents Animals Out of Paper

by Rajiv Joseph directed by Sam Wood. World class origamist Ilana is blocked, artistically and emotionally. Enters fan, dweebish high school math teacher Andy, who persuades her to mentor Suresh, a troubled genius student with attitude to spare, who also happens to be an origami prodigy. In this dramedy, playwright Joseph (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo) employs the art of paper folding as a metaphor of how this cast of three have enfolded their lives into a labyrinth of creases from which they seek a center as well as an exit.

44th Annual Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival

The Colorado International Lion Dance Competition provides education about lion dance to the public and community building for lion dance troupes around the world. Teams will compete for a $1,500 first place prize and champion title. Workshops for the public will take place on July 3 and 4.

g

2nd annual

Colorado Lion Dance Competition

L

ion dance has always been seen during the Lunar New Year months and special occasions. Lions bless businesses, weddings, and help bring luck to many people.

However, these occasions only show a part of what lion dancers can do. In Colorado, the Colorado Lion Dance Competition pushes lion dancers to their full potential.

The Colorado Lion Dance Competition, a rising national lion dance event in Denver, is launching its second annual competition on Saturday, July 2, 2016. The national competition showcases lion dance teams from all 50 states competing for the national lion dance trophy. The competing teams this year include three teams from California, one from New England, local teams, and more.

The teams will compete for a $1,500 prize and the title of Colorado National Lion Dance Champion.

The competition also aims to educate younger generation Asian audiences and the general public about the sport of lion dancing.

The competition hosts hope that the competition will educate and open audience’s eyes.

“At first, you think lion dance is only done by kids, looks like a dragon, or only used for special events,” says Peter K. Pham, “However, it is an event that exceeds people’s assumptions. Lion dance takes years to learn and is a sport that requires lots of mental and physical skills!”

In order to make lion dance mainstream, the competition will teach workshops about the origins of lion dance, its significance, and other general information about the sport.

By John Webber

IMPORTANT COMPETITION INFORMATION

Competition date: Saturday, July 2

Teams are introduced and opening ceremony begins at 1pm Competition ends at 7pm

Regis University, Mountain View Room 3333 Regis Blvd. Denver, CO 80221

Workshop Days: July 3-4 Learn how to lion dance from the basics to advanced classes. Beginner classes are open to the public, intermediate and advanced classes are for advanced lion dance to avoid injury.

For more information on classes or the competition, visit the Colorado Lion Dance Competition website:

coliondancecomp.weebly.com Facebook:

www.facebook.com/Colorado-Lion-Dance-Competition

Facebook event page:

www.facebook.com/events/894305497292030

Contact Peter K Pham mingdeliondance@gmail.com 720-490-2368 Special Event | asian avenue magazine

9

University of Colorado Denver student leaders awarded scholarships In 2015, three students were awarded the Peggy Lore Leadership Scholarship: Joann Doan, Lah Say Wah and Johnnie Nguyen. They were recognized as leaders who are actively involved in the AAPI community and in activism related to social justice issues.

Students were selected based on an essay where they shared an obstacle they overcame. “The purpose of asking this question is to dispel the perception that many AAPI students do not have challenges. We need to debunk he model minority myth and the Peggy Lore Leadership scholarship recipients illustrate the variety of financial, emotional and academic challenges that our AAPI students face,” says Soyon Bueno Program Director of Asian American Student Services.

“Due to the model minority myth, there are not as many scholarships for AAPI students or they may not be included in scholarships for underrepresented populations. This was the impetus for the Peggy Lore Leadership scholarship, to award students who are AAPI and active in the AAPI community. We also wanted to honor Peggy Lore, the former Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Success who served as the director for Asian American Student Services for over 20 years while serving as a director for multiple other offices.”

AGE 20 ETHNICITY Vietnamese HOMETOWN Seattle, WA MAJOR Communications, senior graduating fall 2016 Throughout my time at the University of Colorado Denver, I have been an active member of the Vietnamese Student Association, Asian Student Alliance, Korean Student Alliance, Minority Association of Pre-Health Students, and Council of Asian Students Leaders. My first year at the university was during Fall of 2014, I was lucky enough to be the public relation’s officer for the Minority Association of Pre-Heath Students. In the fall of 2015, I became the president of Minority Association of Pre-Health Students.

Joann Doan

It has been an honor to receive this scholarship, especially being one of the first students to receive it which makes it even more memorable for me. I have been working to help pay for my education, and I was able to use the scholarship towards my education for the fall 2015 semester.

After graduating, I plan to obtain a masters degree. I want to eventually work abroad for a while and travel the world at some point in my life!

AGE 24 ETHNICITY Karen HOMETOWN Mae La Refugee Camp, Thailand

MAJOR Graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public health Despite all the difficulties faced in a refugee camp—poverty, hunger, and violence, moving to America was one of the biggest obstacles my family and I had to face. We came to America not knowing the language, the culture, or society. I did not speak any English, however I managed to learn the 26 letters of the alphabet, but as soon as I was proud of my small accomplishment I was bullied for how I spoke. My life experiences have shaped me into the person I am today. It has motivated me to help others by sharing my story with those who are going through similar struggles. I encourage them to be positive and to reach for their dreams because hard work does pay off. I may not have the money to share with my community, but I do have valuable time that I can use to help others.

Lah Say Wah

This scholarship opened a door for me to be able to build relationships with other Asian ethnicities. I completed an unpaid internship with Community Campus Partnership at the University of Colorado Anschutz last summer. I am currently in Thailand interning for an agency that supports victims of sex trafficking. When I come back, I hope to continue in a masters program.

AGE 20 ETHNICITY Vietnamese HOMETOWN Denver, CO MAJOR Political science, sophomore Receiving this scholarship meant that there were people in this world who believed in me.

Growing up as an Asian American, there were so many moments of doubt and insecurities that deprived me from being confident in my own worth and success. But knowing that there were individuals in my community willing to invest into students such as myself through this scholarship, truly empowered me to work harder and climb the highest mountains. I used this scholarship money to help support me in my 2015 Summer internship in US Secretary Tom Vilsack’s office partnered with the White House Initiative on Asian American Pacific Islanders.

Johnnie Nguyen 10

June 2016 | Rising Stars

I want to advocate for those who are restricted to expression because I see the importance for engaging opinions in a society. I have this ambition to take on leadership roles and represent a large group of individuals. I build my lifestyle to be a trustworthy, dependable, and purposeful individual. My future plans would be to get my law degree and continue being a voice for the voiceless on a bigger scale. I dream to one day hold a position of leadership where I can optimize my story and experience to make the greatest impact for the communities around me.

The CU Denver Asian American Student Services (AASS) office, CU Denver Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Alumni Association, university affiliates are organizing the Peggy Lore Leadership Scholarship Fund. A $25,000 endowment being established under Peggy Lore’s name. The endowment will allow CU Denver to award scholarships to outstanding student leaders actively involved in the AAPI community, such as these six. Please learn more and donate at www.cufund.org/peggy-lore-scholarship-fund.

2016 recipients were awarded on May 5, 2016 at the Asian American Student Services and Council of Asian American Leaders end of the year ceremony. Lien Luong and Alex Pongphachanxay received the AAPI alumni scholarship and Kieu Phan received the Peggy Lore Leadership Scholarship.

AGE 22 ETHNICITY Vietnamese HOMETOWN Austin, TX MAJOR Pre-nursing Psychology, senior graduating fall 2016 Growing up, I watched my mom struggle through so many obstacles; obstacles like learning English, finding a job and providing for her four kids without any help. My mom never once complained about our situation. In fact all she ever said was that we should be grateful for everything that we have. She showed me the meaning of hard work. Watching her work her entire life taught me that no matter what happens as long as you work hard then you can overcome any problems in your life. Today, I know the meaning of a strong work ethic and I try my hardest to put 110% in everything that I do, because I’ve learned that a great work ethic speaks louder then any word on a resume.

Lien Luong

Being a recipient of this scholarship, has shown me the importance of being apart of a community. Getting this scholarship has encourage me to be even more involved in the CU Denver AAPI community. I want to be able to give the gift that I was given, which was recognition and comfort to a student who needs it in the future. This scholarship is important to me because it showed me what it is like to be a part of a community that cares. Thank you to everyone who was a part of this amazing award - I really appreciate it.

AGE 21 ETHNICITY Lao HOMETOWN Aurora, CO MAJOR International Studies, senior graduating fall 2017

Alex

Pongphachanxay

The obstacles in my life have pushed me into becoming the leader I am today. Beginning next fall, I will serve as the president of the student body at CU-Denver. One of my greatest accomplishments has been building up CU Denver’s Asian Student Alliance (ASA). Together, we hosted the very first statewide mixer for all ASA’s in the state of Colorado. I played a part in establishing ASA as a well-known Asian American organization at the University of Colorado at Denver and the state of Colorado. I learned that sometimes taking a chance is way better than not taking one at all. I learned that I can be a leader. I learned that anyone can do what ever they want as long as they work for it. My obstacles have helped me understand the true virtue of hard work.

They taught me a lot of things but the most important one is that it taught me as an Asian American leader - I can make in impact.

This scholarship is important to me because it shows that the work I have done for my university and community is being acknowledged. It also really helps alleviate some financial burdens.

A student living check to check, I am very grateful. I am very humbled receiving this award.

AGE 21 ETHNICITY Vietnamese HOMETOWN Denver, CO MAJOR Biology/Pre-Dental, senior graduating spring 2017 In 1987, my parents immigrated to the United States from Hue, Vietnam in hopes of escaping the communism to pursue a better life. Picking up low-wage jobs such as shucking oysters, butchering pork, or working in a factory is what they did to make ends meet. Working long, strenuous hours eliminated the option of attending school for themselves. A lifelong goal of mine is to be kind and help everyone and anyone because we do not know the battles they are fighting.

Kieu Phan

Besides the monetary value of the scholarship alleviating the stress of school expenses, the other half of the award valued for who I am matters more. I always believed what I am doing in life is nothing special. Going to school, going to work, taking care of the family, tutoring, being involved in student orgs, and etc. is my ordinary life. When others encouraged me to apply for the Peggy Lore Scholarship, I was hesitant. I know there are far greater leaders than me that deserve the scholarship, but I decided to take a chance on it. I am very grateful that my efforts are acknowledged, and this “extraordinary life” of giving back continues.

University of Colorado Denver students | asian avenue magazine

11

Photos by Angela Buckley

Local photographer Angela Buckley shares the stories of Burmese refugees to be archived at History Colorado

By Annie Guo | Asian Avenue magazine “No one choses what situation they are born into and refugees have experienced highly intense situations in which I cannot fathom,” says Angie Buckley.

“These families made great sacrifices to come to a country where they do not speak the language fluently, their best option for safety is to leave many loved ones behind and their culture. Though they make a choice to come to America with the great hope for a better, safer life here, the personal sacrifice of what they must leave behind is equally emotional.”

Having learned more about Colorado’s Burmese community from Jill Toffa, who teaches English to the refugees, Buckley became interested in sharing their stories. She approached History Colorado’s Curator of Photography, Megan Friedel, who explained the museum needed to broaden the representation of the people in its collection of 1 million photographs.

She shared that although 31% of Colorado residents are non-white, History Colorado’s photography collection had very few other groups represented.

12

June 2016 | Colorado Community

“When I told her about Jill Toffa teaching English to the Burmese refugees, Megan was extremely interested and excited to learn more about their story here in Colorado,” says Buckley.

“We invited Jill to the museum and as they say, the rest is history! Or it will literally, be history. The future citizens of our state will have access to these archives for many decades and will know our state, Colorado, hosted and helped refugees.”

Buckley recognizes the great work of Toffa.

She says, “Jill Toffa is my ‘Denver Hero’ as she has worked with the refugees for the past 9 years! She is amazing and so dedicated to these families. My part in the endeavor is an observer to share this story and educate our fellow Colorado citizens about the refugees in hopes to bring more understanding, empathy and opportunities to them.”

Refugees love to use Facebook Through spending time with the refugees, Buckley learned how much they use Facebook. Buckley reflects, “It is my main method

to communicating with them. It is fun sharing photos and of course, stickers. I believe it is the way they are able to stay in communication with their families very far away.”

When Buckley first began photographing the Burmese families, it brought back memories of her own childhood living in an apartment with her Thai mother.

“We took off our shoes at the entrance, had a rice cooker always filled with delicious white rice, and other numerous details that were similar to my childhood lifestyle.”

Buckley also learned that refugees receive a special, legal status in the U.S. that helps them integrate and start a new life. “This special status is absolutely essential and helpful to these families,” she says.

“As I became friends with some of the women, they share so many values we do: they love their children, they want their children to get a great education and with good health care.”

Buckley notes, “Refugees living in America do not get much media attention and therefore, many people like myself are surprised when we

Angie Authai Buckley

“

Refugees living in America do not get much media attention and therefore, many people like myself are surprised when we finally learn we host thousands of refugees. These families went through hell to get here and now face intense transitional challenges.

finally learn we host thousands of refugees.”

“These families went through hell to get here and now face intense transitional challenges. Can you imagine yourself, here in the U.S. trying to survive through a violent situation, forced to move to Asia, giving up your life and leaving family behind and on top of it all, not speak the language? That is a small idea of what it is like to be a refugee.”

Buckley’s hope is to provide more understanding about their situation, help them transition and encourage more cooperation from the fellow citizens in Denver.

Buckley’s passion stems from her personal connection to the immigrant experience Buckley and her sister, Lava Sheets, grew up with a hard-working mother from Thailand (Ubon Ratchathani) in the small, college town of Athens, Ohio. Their predominantly Caucasian family is made up of Appalachian Baptists. She and her sister were the first to go to college.

“I attended Ohio University for my bachelor’s in photography and then got my master’s in photography from Arizona State University with a Graduate Fellowship from New York University,” Buckley says. “College changed my life for the better and now as a college administrator, it is my passion to help our Denver youth. I am currently trying to help two refugee sisters enroll in college and want to see them through graduation.”

Buckley’s mother met her father at the end of the Vietnam War. She was flown to the U.S. while pregnant, before he returned.

Photos to be displayed at History Colorado The photographs will be in the permanent digital collection and available to the public for educational purposes.

“It is important for educators and schools in the remote, distant areas of Colorado to have access online to tell their students about this wonderful, unique group of people here in Colorado,” says Buckley.

Her future plan is to keep photographing them although, her time will be more limited as she recently accepted a full-time opportunity working in the College of Arts & Media at CU Denver.

“I can only imagine the shock my mother went through. The reality was my father’s Appalachian family was not the most welcoming to my mother.”

Buckley continues, “They were not use to people who are non-white since they were in a predominantly white, rural region. I remember my grandfather making racist comments about “the Japs” because he was in WWII.” Buckley’s sister remembers another aunt saying that their mom spoke ‘jungle language and therefore they should never learn or speak the language (Buckley and her sister had spoke some Thai when they were young).

“Some of my family—my oldest cousins, aunt and uncle—were very nice to my mom and they were intrigued with her Thai food and it really helped as a child who felt ‘in-between’ two cultures.”

In graduate school, Buckley visited Myanmar, Burma with her mother and sister, which also intrigued her about the local Burmese community.

Meet Angie, Jill and refugee families at History Colorado event On Thursday, Sept. 22 at 10:30 a.m., Buckley and Toffa will be present a public lecture at History Colorado, 1200 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203. You are invited to see and hear the stories about working with these Burmese women and understand why dedicating this time has been so important.

“We truly hope you make the time to come to our only public lecture about these amazing, resident and kind people,” says Buckley.

Strengthening the cultural roots of our families and for our kids Buckley’s sister recently had her wedding in Thailand, where they have been able to reconnect with their Thai family through Facebook.

“It has been incredible ‘seeing them’ on a daily basis through social media. It is the best tool we can currently use to feel closer to them,” says Buckley. Her two young kids are highly interested in their Thai background and eager to learn more about the culture and are ready to embrace it.

“Being a parent inspires me to dream of a better world for my kids and to participate in creating and maintaining this better world.

The more we learn about other groups—outside our own demographic—in Denver, the more we can maximize on our experiences to keep creating a beautiful, safe community for all to enjoy.”

Angela Buckley Photography www.angiebuckley.com

Burmese Refugees | asian avenue magazine

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1923 Market St., Denver, CO 80202

www.libertiusa.com #FreeToLiveTheDream

Liberti: jewelry with a purpose

P

amela Norton is the founder and CEO of Liberti, a lifestyle brand of handmade accessories that empower vulnerable resettled refugees in the U.S. The vision for Liberti began more than five years ago when Norton first volunteered to help with refugee assimilation once they had arrived in the U.S. This eye-opening experience gave her such insight into how difficult it is to come to a country after spending years in a refugee camp.

Every year refugees leave their homelands and legally obtain their place in our country. They are immediately thrust into a whole new world and expected to assimilate into this different way of life and hit the ground running.

They arrive with only the clothes on their back and virtually no skills or money to get them started in trying to create a new life. It is with gratitude and honor to our own immigrant families that inspired a desire in her to “pay it forward” and assist in refugee assimilation in America today and launch Liberti.

DID YOU KNOW… over the last ten years, an average of 75,000 refugees leave their homelands annually to escape persecution and legally arrive in the U.S.?

They come for an opportunity for a better life. In a land created from immigrants and refugees, the U.S. has provid-

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June 2016 | Handmade Jewelry

ed a haven for families fleeing war and persecution to rebuild their lives. The vast majority of Americans today can trace a family history of persecution or desperation that triggered their arrival in the U.S. Based in Denver, Liberti is a lifestyle brand for the socially conscious consumer featuring beautiful accessories and jewelry authentically handcrafted in America that inspire vulnerable resettled refugees in the U.S. There is a growing appetite for goods that are sustainable and ethically sourced. There’s just something more distinctive about products that have forgone the overbearing trend of mass production and instead embody craftsmanship and individualism while supporting a positive societal change you can stand behind.

Liberi’s mission is to provide opportunities for resettled refugees that enable them to truly become free to live the American dream. Liberti’s desire is to help spread love and beauty through distinctive, meaningful products. These elegant handcrafted pieces reflect and enhance a woman’s inner and outer beauty. By doing so, they not only provide unique opportunities to this vulnerable popu-

lation, but also make our country and the world a better place to live. Liberti is dedicated to integrating American refugees in all aspects of their business and providing on-the-job training and career building opportunities, to ensure growth and professional development. Eventually, they hope to give all employees the opportunity to become shareholders in the company they are helping to build.

Liberti’s newest collection the <1% Collection seeks to raise awareness for the less than one percent of refugees worldwide who are fortunate enough to escape the hardships of refugee camps, and for the 99 percent who remain behind.

Liberti developed six <1% uniquely designed pieces that are handcrafted with the less than one symbol. By purchasing a piece in this collection each person becomes a part of their mission of love, hope, and change by wearing and sharing the collection to help empower the <1% in their journey.

Go to www.libertiusa.com and use the special code ASIANAVENUE for

25% off any order over $40

FACC's 21st PHILIPPINE FESTIVAL

Summer is here! Our parks will soon be bustling with picnics and volleyball every weekend. It is time to get out of our houses and enjoy the sun! Here are some ideas on how to experience the culture, outdoors and activities Colorado has to offer!

Summer

HIKES

THINGS TO DO THIS

HANGING LAKE You’ve seen it in pictures! You may have hiked it before or even gotten engaged here! But seeing the lake is worth it every time! Hanging Lake is one of the most popular hikes in Colorado, located in Glenwood Canyon, about 7 miles east of Glenwood Springs. The hike is 2.5 miles round trip and 2 hours of hiking time.

CHAUTAUQUA PARK Located in Boulder, Chautauqua Park has a number of scenic trails, but the most popular is the Chautauqua Trail. It goes up the meadow toward the flatirons with 440 feet of elevation gain in 0.6 miles and the views are breathtaking!

RED ROCK CANYON OPEN SPACE Red Rock Canyon Open Space is located between Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs. The trails along the canyons and ridges of red rock provide great views of Garden of the Gods and invites everyone— cyclists, kids, climbers, dogs.

FARMERS MARKETS METRO DENVER FARMERS MARKET This is the oldest farmers market in the Denver area with locations at Southwest Plaza, Lakewood, Highlands Ranch, Littleton and Broadride Plaza. The farmers market’s aim is to bring the freshest, local produce directly to you. All locations are part of the SNAP Program and accept EBT card for payment!

Vendors include: Domenico Farms, Forté Farms, Galicia Farms, Martindale Farms, Mazzotti Farms and Greenhouses, Mumms Farms, Rocky Mountain Rice Company, Snow Creek Ranch, and Styria Bakery II. Visit them at any of their locations to enjoy fresh produce and learn new recipes for the kitchen!

303-887-FARM See locations at: www.denverfarmersmarket.com

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June 2016 | Cover Story

CHERRY CREEK FRESH MARKET The Cherry Creek Fresh Market is devoted to Colorado producers. Shopping here helps local family farmers stay in business, preserves quality local food sources for Colorado while using fewer resources, and most importantly, provides you with access to the freshest and most nutritious produce available. Get some just-popped kettle corn or a fresh-made tamale, mingle with the crowd and start shopping!

E. First Ave. & University Blvd.

Denver, CO 80206 303-442-1837 www.coloradofreshmarkets.com

NAN DESU KAN (NDK) - ANIME CONVENTION SEPTEMBER 2-4 | SHERATON DENVER DOWNTOWN Anime is a style of Japanese film and television animation that has become popular in U.S. pop culture. Nan Desu Kan (NDK), the largest anime convention in the Rocky Mountain region (excluding Texas), provides a diverse mix of numerous cultural panels, musical guests, games, dances, workshops, art showings and auctions, as well as screenings of new and classic anime. Nan Desu Kan is sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Anime Association.

For many, NDK is a time to prepare costumes to dress in cosplay of favorite characters. Enter in the cosplay contest and be recognized for your craftsmanship! The convention will feature a J-pop dance and NDK for music lovers, as well as anime music videos submitted by attendees.

POP CULTURE

DENVER COMIC CON JUNE 17-19 | COLORADO CONVENTION CENTER Denver Comic Con (DCC) is a 3-day, family-friendly pop culture fan extravaganza, featuring the best in pop culture entertainment. DCC is a program of the Colorado nonprofit Pop Culture Classroom, whose mission is to inspire a love of learning, to increase literacy, celebrate diversity and build community through pop culture education.

DCC has become one of the most attended pop culture conventions in America. The popularity is due in part because of its robust schedule of programming—more than 300 hours of sessions during which artists, creators, celebrities and industry experts talk about their craft and their creations—as well as its family-friendly mission and environment. The largest portion of the show floor is dedicated to teens and children with activities designed to engage kids in education through pop culture.

Learn more: www.denvercomiccon.com

RONNY CHIENG AT COMEDY WORKS AUGUST 25-28 | DOWNTOWN LARIMER SQUARE Comedian Ronny Chieng is coming to Denver! He won the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Best Newcomer Award in 2012 for “The Ron Way.” In 2012 and 2013 Ronny performed at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, as well as two seasons at the SOHO Theater in London, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Ronny was named one of the top 10 hottest comedians by The Age & Herald Sun in Melbourne. His second show, “Can You Do This? No You Can’t”, sold out in advance at the MICF. He has been on many TV series in both Australia and the UK and is correspondent for Comedy Central’s, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah”.

PUZZLES

COMEDY

Learn more: www.ndkdenver.org PUZZAH! - PUZZLE ROOMS Ranked #1 in Fun & Games on TripAdvisor Puzzle rooms popping up across town! They are thematic spaces filled with engaging and thought provoking puzzles. You work together with your team to complete the mission in the room as fast as you can.

One of our favorites is Puzzah! in downtown Denver on Blake Street. Each game at Puzzah! is designed to respond to your team’s actions. As you play, the mission adapts to the pace of your team to give you a tailored experience. Your booking is a private experience and you will not be playing with strangers! Use your wits and creativity to beat the game together!

303-534-5477 Learn more: www.puzzah.com

Chieng toured his 2014 one-hour stand-up special, “Chieng Reaction”, adding shows in Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney. He was awarded the prestigious Director’s Choice Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2014, and Best of the Fest at the Sydney Comedy Festival 2014.

Get tickets: www.comedyworks.com/comedians/ronny-chieng Things To Do This Summer | asian avenue magazine

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ASIAN FESTIVALS 21ST ANNUAL PHILIPPINE FESTIVAL JUNE 11, 11AM - 5PM FILIPINO-AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF COLORADO

44TH ANNUAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL AKA SAKURA MATSURI JUNE 18-19 | SAKURA SQUARE DOWNTOWN DENVER

The Filipino-American Community of Colorado is excited to celebrate its 21st annual Philippine Festival, “Your Passport to the Philippines,” with live performances from Filipino cultural groups and local talents. There will be a variety of tasty Filipino food on site, supporting locally owned vendors. And best of all, the festival is a family oriented atmosphere!

Organized by the Tri-State Buddhist Temple, the 44th annual Cherry Blossom Festival is fun for the the whole family. Check out the vast offerings of the two day festival including live entertainment of taiko and aikido, vendor booths, a variety of eats and treats including spam musubi and sushi, and more!

Filipino-American Community of Colorado 1900 Harlan St. Edgewater, CO 80214 Cost: Free and open to the public For more information or to become a vendor, visit www.coloradofilipinos.org.

16TH ANNUAL COLORADO DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL JULY 30-31 | SLOAN’S LAKE PARK

20TH ANNUAL BOULDER ASIAN FESTIVAL AUGUST 13-14 | BOULDER’S PEARL STREET

The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival (CDBF) features pan-Asian culture and athletic competition with over 100 performances on five stages of both traditional and contemporary Asian culture, vendors in a merchandise Marketplace and two Taste of Asia food courts serving a variety of authentic Asian cuisines, and the thrilling ancient sport of dragon boat racing! CDBF has become the most recognized and celebrated Asian American/ Pacific Islander cultural event in the Rocky Mountain region.

Join the 20,500 expected attendance at the annual Boulder Asian Festival on the world-famous Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder. The festival will feature Asian and Pacific Island themed booths, live cultural performances, martial arts and crafts. The Boulder Asian Festival is an eco-friendly, “zero-waste” event. Join in on the fun of the music, dance and food now in its 20th year. The Boulder Asian Pacific Alliance sponsors this festival to bring together the various communities to celebrate and share their culture and heritage with the citizens in the greater Boulder/Denver area.

Colorado Dragon Boat Festival Sloan’s Lake Park Park at Sports Authority Field at Mile High for $5 per vehicle and take FREE shuttle Cost: Free and open to the public For more information, visit www.cdbf.org

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Cherry Blossom Festival Lawrence Street, between 19th and 20th streets Downtown Denver Cost: Free and open to the public For more information, visit: www.cherryblossomdenver.org.

June 2016 | Cover Story

Boulder Asian Festival 1300 Block of Pearl Street, Boulder, CO Cost: Free and open to the public For more information, visit www.bapaweb.org.

CULTURAL FESTIVALS

DENVER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL JULY 23, 10AM - 8PM DENVER’S CIVIC CENTER PARK

2016 AURORA GLOBAL FEST AUGUST 20, 1PM - 7PM AURORA’S CITY HALL

A TASTE OF COLORADO SEPTEMBER 2-5 DENVER’S CIVIC CENTER PARK

The first annual Denver International Festival will be on Saturday, July 23!

This FREE community event will feature 30+ restaurants and food trucks, vendors, beer garden, live music and dance performances, DJs and live interactive art. This family friendly festival will also feature cultural displays, games, health and wellness activities, and a kid’s village. Join for an action packed day of health and wellness activities including Yoga, Tai Chi, Futbol, Cricket and the Denver International Olympic style relay race.

Fantastic flavors, cultural experiences and artistic expression abound at Global Fest in Aurora presented by the City of Aurora. Inspire your taste buds with flavors from around the world! Lace up your shoes, you’ll explore cultures at this global village then tap your toes to the beat at our two entertainment stages! Be enchanted by cultural dance, global musical entertainers. The World Beer Market will offer five different beverages with brewing techniques and flavors from around the world.

A Taste of Colorado stands proud as the end-of the summer celebration of community pride and spirit in the Denver region. Over 500,000 people make the four-day Festival their Labor Day Weekend celebration and enjoy the offerings of over 50 area food establishments, 275 marketplace artisans and vendors, and educational programs promoting the diverse cultural and western heritage of the region — all for no admission fee. From country to feisty rock-n-roll, the outdoor stages will be on fire with entertainment.

Learn more: www.internationalfest.org

Learn more: www.auroragov.org/ ThingsToDo/Events/GlobalFest

Learn more: www.atasteofcolorado.com

Did you know about the Mile High Culture Pass?

It is a great way to visit a number of Denver’s attractions!

With the Culture Pass, you’ll receive admission to some of the city’s most fascinating attractions, all for the bargain, “Mile High” price of $52.80 (a savings of more than $25) or three attractions of your choice for $25 (a savings of $12).

Over the course of five consecutive days, the $52.80 pass will admit visitors to all seven participating attractions. Or the $25 pass will admit visitors to three participating attractions of their choice over the course of three consecutive days. The pass is activated at the first attraction visited.

MILE HIGH CULTURE PASS More Savings When you buy the culture pass, you can also enjoy the following deals: • Denver B-cycle: 50 percent-off the city’s bike sharing program • Molly Brown House Museum and Byers-Evans House Museum: Discounted admission • Denver Firefighters Museum: Children 12 and under receive free admission • The Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (The CELL): 2 for 1 admission • Butterfly Pavilion: Discounted admission

Participating Attractions • Clyfford Still Museum • Denver Art Museum • Denver Botanic Gardens • Denver Museum of Nature & Science • Denver Zoo • History Colorado Center • Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art Get the pass: www.denver.org/things-to-do/mile-high-culture-pass Things To Do This Summer | asian avenue magazine

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MUSIC

GLOBAL DANCE FESTIVAL JULY 8-10 | RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE Nestled in the Rocky Mountain foothills stands a symbol of nature’s unparalleled majesty. Red Rocks is a geologically formed, open-air amphitheatre that is not duplicated anywhere in the world. With Mother Nature as the architect, the design of the amphitheatre consists of two, three hundred-foot monoliths (Ship Rock and Creation Rock). On a special weekend each year, Red Rocks is home to one of the largest music festivals in the Rocky Mountain United States, Global Dance Festival.

Every summer the world’s premier dance music artists travel to Colorado to play for thousands of music enthusiasts under the open sky at Red Rocks. With over 20 years of combined nightlife experience, Ha Hau and Kostas Kouremenos, created GDF to celebrate the evolution of electronic music. The show has evolved into a massive gathering of people from all over the United States. It is the only event of its kind in the Rocky Mountains. Over the years, fans have gathered to listen to the sounds of the world’s greatest electronic music artists including Tiesto, Paul Van Dyk, Armin Van Buuren, BT, Paul Oakenfold, Ferry Corsten, Sasha, John Digweed, Benny Benassi and many more. This show is a stunning spectacle featuring stateof-the-art lights and lasers that accompany every beat from the best sound system in Colorado.

Global Dance Festival is excited to celebrate its 13th anniversary with three days of electronic music on July 8th, 9th, and 10th!

Learn more and get tickets: www.globaldancefestival.com

8801 N. Pecos St. Federal Heights, CO 80260 (303) 427-SURF (7873)

2016 artists: Above & Beyond DJ SNAKE Knife Party Dash Berlin W&W Anna Lunoe AutoErotique Brillz Cash Cash Ephwurd Hermitude ACKAL And more to be announced...

Check out our Online Ticket Specials! www.waterworldcolorado.com

TWO NEW ATTRACTIONS!

Cowabunga Beach will be the first ever boogie-boarding wave pool.

Turtle Bay is a mini wave pool for toddlers and preschoolers with gentle waves, a waterfall and turtle-themed spray features.

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June 2016 | Cover Story

Golden Shanghai Asian Restaurant

● The Best Chinese Restaurant by 710 AM Restaurant Show ● The Best Chinese Restaurant by the 1430 KEZW Restaurant Show ● Voted 2007 Top 100 Chinese Restaurant in the US

1412 S. Parker Rd. A-134 Denver, CO 80231 (303) 743-7666 (303)743-9079 (303)743-8210

E

Papaya Salad

very Southeast Asian country has its own version of green papaya salad, although it originates from Laos. The Lao version, tam mak hung veers toward favoring spicy and salty, while the Thai version, som tam is sweet, sour, spicy, and a little salty. Some recipes will substitute the green papaya for carrots. Other common additions to this salad include cabbage and green beans. Try this simple Lao spicy green papaya salad recipe; it’s the perfect side dish to bring to a summer BBQ!

Ingredients

(serves 4)

• 2 cup shredded green papaya • 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes

• 1 lemon or lime • 4 Thai chili peppers • 3 cloves garlic • 1 Tbsp fish sauce • 1 tsp shrimp paste • 1 tsp salt • 1 tsp sugar

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June 2016 | Chef’s Menu

Method

#1 Prep

ingredients in advance by washing and shredding the green papaya and washing and halving the tomatoes. You can use vegetable shredder, peeler, or spiraling device to prepare the papaya (depends on preference and what tools you have available).

#2 Grind the garlic and chilies together using a large mortar and pestle. Add shrimp and crab paste and continue mixing.

#3 In a large bowl, mix the papaya, tomatoes, fish

sauce, one freshly squeezed lemon or lime and the mixture of garlic and chilies. Adjust to your taste; it should be sweet, sour, salty and hot. Garnish with pork rinds or crushed peanuts (optional).

How to get a six pack

By Tony Huynh

Tony Huynh is a blogger, podcaster, and fitness enthusiast who helps people get the body they want at: www.thefitasianman.com Twitter/Snapchat/Instagram - TheFitAsianMan

With summer around the corner, a popular topic that comes up is how to get six-pack abs. People want to know if there will be swimsuits involved at outdoor events, so they won’t have to be embarrassed to join. If that sounds like you, then I hope you’ll find these tips helpful.

So, you want to know how to get sixpack abs? It ALL boils down to getting leaner. Period.

Your abs won’t show unless you have less fat. No amount of crunches, sit-ups, planks, leg lifts, and/or flag poles will get your abs to show if your body fat is too high.

Now, I’m not saying core exercises don’t have their place, but people do them for all the wrong reasons. Building a stronger core is very beneficial, and can give you a more impressive look in your abdominal area when you do lean out.

I won’t leave you hanging though. Here are a couple things you need to know when it comes to how to get a six pack: First, if you’ve been trying to get a six pack, but haven’t had any luck, figure out why. Chances are, it’s something to do with your nutrition.

When it comes to losing body fat, nutrition is 90% of the game. Before you go and starve yourself, there is a much better way to approach this.

Track your macros. I know it may seem like a daunting task, but nowadays, if you can snap a picture of a barcode and use a food scale, you can track your macros.

I like to use an app called MyFitnessPal to track my macros. It’s easy to use, has a pretty large database, and it’s free.

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June 2016 | Fitness + Health

Spend a week tracking what you eat and drink. You will be surprised by what you see.

Weigh yourself at the beginning of the week. Once you’ve tracked your macros for the week, weigh yourself again. If you gained weight, than you’re taking in too many calories. Lost weight? Then you’re on the right track.

Stayed the same? Congratulations, you found your maintenance calories. This is a very simplified approach to nutrition.

The composition of protein, carbs, fats, and fiber in your diet are also important.

Use an online calculator, such as www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator, which is a popular one.

Next, do more cardio. There comes a point where you can either drop your calories or add more cardio. If you’re in a place, where you don’t want to drop any more calories, than the only way to further move the needle in the short term is to increase your cardio.

I recommend high intensity intervals when it comes to cardio as much as possible (I broke down how to do this is last month’s issue), but if you aren’t recovering from your workouts very well, you can use moderate intensity cardio in its place. Pick something you enjoy that gets your heart rate up. It makes it a whole lot easier.

Now that you are armed with these tips, you are on your way to getting those washboard abs. This article isn’t about trying to sell you any secrets, because there are no secrets.

Get in there, do the work, and stay consistent. Before you know it, you’ll see results.

FREE HOUSE MARGARITA with this ad. Offer Expires June 30, 2016.

Why ‘A’ students often end up working for ‘C’ students

By Tom Shieh

A

s Asians, it’s part of our culture and upbringing to get good grades. With this school semester concluding and many of our students graduating, we often find those with a high GPA not necessarily converting that classroom success into the career success that we envisioned. In the world of business, academic prowess doesn’t always guarantee success.

Robert Kiyosaki – The New York Times best-selling author – perfectly captures this in his famous quote: ‘A’ students work for ‘C’ students.

Some of the most prominent business leaders of recent times are people who didn’t particularly excel in school.

For instance, Richard Branson (Virgin), dropped out of school aged just 15 – due to dyslexia. Steve Jobs (Apple) and Michael Dell (Dell Computers) never finished college. Bill Gates (Microsoft) and Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) dropped out of Harvard and Stanford, respectively, to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.

Social and Leadership Skills The main reason why ‘A’ students struggle in the business world is a lack of social and leadership skills. Most academic whiz kids tend to be socially awkward. The lack of social skills means

that ‘A’ students often cannot form the networks which are essential to succeed in entrepreneurship or business ownership. They are more comfortable working in specialized roles where their intellectual prowess is best suited.

The ‘C’ students tend to be more equipped with social and leadership skills. They develop these skills mostly because they are more sociable. These students tend to be outgoing – and more engaged in school life. All this enables them to cultivate the interpersonal skills which are essential for entrepreneurship and business leadership.

Dealing With Failure School offers academically weak students one distinct advantage: it teaches them how to cope with failure.

At one point or another, ‘C’ students often fail something i.e. an assignment, a test, an exam, etc. They have to deal with the pain of disappointment, and then pick themselves up and try again.

‘A’ students rarely have to deal with failure. This is because they are smart.

Some are so smart that they can get high grades with minimum effort.

Unfortunately, this teaches them an unrealistic expectation of life. They grow up imagining that things come easy.

They also grow up ill-equipped to handle failure.

The Persistence Factor ‘C’ students typically learn the virtue of persistence much earlier in life. This arises from having to face failure in school.

Because they aren’t smart, such students often have to redo assignments, or tests in order to get better grades. Some even have to repeat classes. As such, they learn to follow W.E. Hickson’s famous advice “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again”.

Smart students often don’t get an opportunity to learn how to persist.

This arises from their sheer brilliance. As such, they don’t learn how to work hard, persist and fight for their success.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that we should intentionally be content as ‘C’ students. In fact, we should all strive to be ‘A’ students. It just means we can also integrate some of the qualities and attributes of both groups so that we can enjoy success both in the classroom and outside the classroom.

Connect with Tom: linkedin.com/in/tomshieh facebook.com/tomshieh

Better Living | asian avenue magazine

25

Denver celebrates Republic of China’s (Taiwan) president

Left to right: Christina Yutai Guo, Publisher of Asian Avenue magazine; Congressman Mike Coffman; Lily Shen, Asian American Heroes Award recipient; Cathy Noon, Mayor of Centennial; Joe Jefferson, Mayor of Englewood join the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office to celebrate President Tsai Ing-Wen’s inauguration.

JERRY CHANG Director General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Denver

TSAI ING-WEN President of the Republic of China (Taiwan)

Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was sworn in as the Republic of China’s first female president on May 20. She is only the second person from outside the Kuomintang to rule the country in its history. Chen Chien-jen is vice president of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

To celebrate Taiwan’s new president and vice president, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Denver, hosted a party on May 21 at the Director General, Jerry Chang’s house. He shared remarks about the Republic of China’s (Taiwan) current situation and relationship with the U.S. Attendees included Congressman Mike Coffman, Mayor Cathy Noon, Mayor Joe Jefferson and other distinguished guests in the Taiwanese and American communities of Denver.

Children’s Day Festival in Colorado Springs shared Japanese culture On May 7, the Japan-America Society of Southern Colorado (JASSC) hosted the annual Children’s Day Festival at the Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center at Colorado College.

Children’s Day is a holiday in Japan that has been celebrated for generations now. What was originally Boys’ Day was changed to Children’s Day in 1948 to celebrate health and growth of kids.

Koinobori, or cloth carp streamers, are generally displayed inside and outside of buildings and houses during Children’s Day to bring good luck and fortune for the children on the inside.

The members of JASSC sponsored the event in order to introduce Japanese culture and activities to the families in the Colorado Springs area. The activities that JASSC provided for the children included origami, calligraphy, Mother’s Day card making, and decorative carp making. The children also had several opportunities to learn traditional Japanese games like kendama and darumaotoshi, as well as modern Japanese culture through anime and manga.

Live entertainment was also included, with a martial arts demonstration of traditional karate and iaijutsu (swordsmanship), as well as several Japanese dance performances.

The final event that took place was a gala children’s fashion show where children were able to dress up in kimono and yukata to show to the audience members. This year over 100 children and families participated in these various events, making it an overall great success. JASSC members hope that more families will attend in the years to come.

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June 2016 | On Scene

Article and photos by Jamie Jennings

Colorado Dragon Film Festival brings seven Asian films to Denver The first Colorado Dragon Film Festival opened on May 20 with a sold-out VIP reception and screening of “Uzumasa Limelight,” a Japanese film about an aging actor whose career was spent playing anonymous soldiers who get killed in sword fights. Based on a real-life actor (with the lead played by that actor, Seizo Fukumoto), as well as director Ken Ochiai’s love of Charlie Chaplin’s film “Limelight,” it’s a moving, funny and exciting feature film.

The VIP reception included food, performances by Denver Taiko drummers and Denver Buddhist Temple Minyo Kai dancers, and the screening was followed by a Q&A featuring film critic Jason Suzuki speaking with director Ochiai.

Ochiai was a good sport and used a “boken” -- a wooden practice sword -- to see which au-

dience members could come up with the most creative ways to breathe their last breath.

The first Colorado Dragon Film Festival’s second day was chockfull of not just great films but also great performances and food.

Artists Kenny Lee Young, Atomic Gracie and Doug Yoshimura played for attendees and volunteers in between movies, and staff and volunteers sold Asian snacks and fresh popcorn. During lunch, Little India’s food truck, a staple at Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, was on hand.

The films began with an anime, “Wolf Children,” and a lot of kids and adults came early to make Wolf Ears to wear during the film.

Other films included “Plastic Paradise,” a cautionary documentary about the amount of deadly plastic garbage floating in the world’s

oceans, then “Winning Girl,” an inspiring documentary that followed a Guamanian/Hawaiian girl for four years on her quest for Olympic gold medals in Judo and wrestling, a second showing of “Uzumasa Limelight” with director Ken Ochiai holding a contest for audience members to die creatively, followed by a Q&A, and then an action comedy, “Awesome Asian Bad Guys.”

Two final films -- both fine documentaries -- were shown on May 22, “Changing Season: On the Masumoto Family Farm” followed by “Off the Menu: Asian America,” about how AAPIs adapt their traditional cuisine to suit American tastes. Attendees received discount coupons for local restaurants, and Kokoro served a sampling of sushi. For more information, visit: www.cdfilm.org.

Article and photos by Gil Asakawa

For more information call 720-873-6243 or visit our website today at: www.ColoEggDonor.com William Schoolcraft, MD • Eric Surrey, MD • Debra Minjarez, MD Robert Gustofson, MD • Jennifer Brown, MD

Mile-High Events | asian avenue magazine

27

USCIS to implement Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program Beginning June 8, 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will allow certain Filipino World War II veteran family members who are beneficiaries of approved family-based immigrant visa petitions an opportunity to receive a discretionary grant of parole on a case-by-case basis, so that they may come to the United States as they wait for their immigrant visa to become available.

This parole policy was announced in the White House report, Modernizing and Streamlining Our Legal Immigration System for the 21st Century. An estimated 2,000 to 6,000 Filipino-American World War II veterans are living in the United States today. Among other things, this policy will enable many eligible individuals to provide support and care to their aging veteran family members who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.

“The Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program honors the thousands of Filipinos who bravely enlisted to fight for the United States during World War II,” USCIS Director León Rodríguez said. “This policy will allow certain Filipino-American family members awaiting immigrant-visa issuance to come to the United States and be with their loved ones. For many, it will also allow them to provide support and care for elderly veterans or their surviving spouses.”

For more information, visit www.uscis.gov.

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June 2016 | National News

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Book Review THE TRANSLATION OF LOVE

By Lynne Kutsukaka Reviewed by Mary Jeneverre Schultz

H

istory books do not often share a complete view of the aftermath of Japanese internment following World War II. Japanese-Americans from the United States and Canada suffered tremendously, and often experienced the pains of repatriation after the war.

Written as historical fiction, The Translation of Love is brought to life by librarian and author Lynne Kutsukake.

Her debut novel weaves a tale of tragedy through the interconnections among strangers.

As a Japanese-Canadian, Kutsukake makes clever use of the tale of the famous General MacArthur. He would engage his staff to answer multitudes of letters mailed to him from Japanese people, most often asking for help.

During the Allied Occupation of Japan, General MacArthur received more than 500,000 letters of rage, gratitude and complaint. Rumor has it that MacArthur read every letter he received from the Japanese people.

These letters captured the true essence of Japan’s attempt to make sense of devastating loss and hope for recovery in the aftermath of war.

Hard realities are revealed in Kutsukake’s book, such as Japan having forced students to adapt to a Western curriculum, wartime babies often abandoned in alleyways, and young women led reluctantly into Tokyo’s red-light district to eke out a living. Most American history textbooks leave out these details of World War II. Kutsukake’s main character, 13-year-old JapaneseCanadian Aya Simamura, elicits compassion and sympathy as her story unfolds. Because of her awkwardness and lack of skill with the Japanese language, she struggles to make friends when she and her father resettle in Japan.

Desperation can bring courage, especially during war times. In 1947 Tokyo, Aya translates a letter for her only friend at school, Fumi Tanaka, begging MacArthur to help find Fumi’s lost older sister. Smaller side stories also unfold, such as the tendency of Japanese women to gravitate towards American service men and dreams of moving to America, and the sad truth of abandoned mixed-race babies.

Kutsukake weaves a heart-rending tale of the truth about post-World War II Japan that is so often missed in history books. Drawing on years of research, she presents a side of war rarely seen: that of the newly conquered and newly arrived, trying to find their way.

Title: The Translation of Love Author: Lynne Kutsukake Publisher: Doubleday Publication: April 5, 2016 Price: $25.95 ISBN: 9780385540674

About the author Lynne Kutsukake is a thirdgeneration Japanese-Canadian.

Her family, much like Aya’s, was interned during World War II. She has always been interested in the powerful impact of war on the Japanese who lived on both sides of the Pacific. She lives in Toronto, translating and studying Japanese literature.

Follow her on Twitter at @LynneKutsukake

Book Review | asian avenue magazine

29

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