International Examiner May 21, 2014

The country’s premier nonprofit pan-Asian newspaper

First and third Wednesdays each month.

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

FREE EST. 1974 —SEATTLE VOLUME 41, NUMBER 10 — MAY 21, 2014 – JUNE 3, 2014

THE NEWSPAPER OF NORTHWEST ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COMMUNITIES. FIND YOUR INSPIRASIAN.

BARELY HERE:

FIGHTING SILENCE WITH STORIES

EMBRACING DIVERSITY, CELEBRATING ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

REMEMBERING KARIN HIGA | 12

API FLICKS AT SIFF | 13

HONORING A NISEI STUDENT OF THE PAST | 6

2 — May 21, 2014 – June 3, 2014

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

IE OPINION

Honoring Ron Chew: A lifetime of achievements continues

By Dean Wong IE Contributor

The following is a speech that introduced Ron Chew at the International Examiner’s 40th Anniversary Gala at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue on May 17.

I’ve known Ron Chew for at least 40 years.

Ron and I had a Chinatown connection even before we met each other. Ron’s father was a popular waiter at the Hong Kong Restaurant. Ron worked there as a bus boy. Next door at the Re-New Cleaners, I helped my mother run her laundry. During all that time we had never met. Both our parents worked their jobs for well over 30 years and, in doing so, were institutions in the Chinese community.

In our own way, through journalism, Ron and I served the community also.

We finally hooked up at the University of Washington’s School of Communications in the mid-1970s. When I met Ron, he wrote for the Daily newspaper on a typewriter, which was the standard technology at the time. When Ron became editor of the International Examiner, I joined the volunteer staff.

Ron Chew is a former editor of the International Examiner and an avid runner. • Courtesy Photos

Ron had a vision to build a new museum in the historic East Kong Yick building.

Achieving this vision was perhaps his greatest accomplishment. There in the Chinatown International District, in a four-story brick building full of history, the museum stands as a statement about the vision of Asian Pacific Americans in the Pacific Northwest. Each year thousands of school children visit the museum to learn about our history and culture and in doing so, makes this world a better place for all.

The Examiner entered the computer age in the early 1980s thanks to Greg Tuai. I recall Ron spending time with writers going over their stories and showing them the edits to their articles.

Being an excellent news reporter, Ron was able to teach people how to write and Now Ron is director of the ICHS communicate effectively. He had become Foundation, raising money to keep the a patient teacher of the craft.

International Community Health Services Under Ron’s leadership, the Examiner clinic operating and expanding its clinic brought in many writers, illustrators, locations. There is no more critical service and photographers. Besides providing that can be provided to a community than news and information to the community, quality, affordable, culturally relevant training young journalists was a key role healthcare. that the newspaper provided under Ron’s I want to introduce Ron’s sons, Cian, 18, editorship. and Kino, 16.

As director of the Wing Luke Museum, I wrote a story about Ron’s father Gregory Ron turned the museum into a communitybased institution that brought people from and described him as Chinatown’s favorite all the Asian groups to create exhibits that waiters because he made customers at the Hong Kong restaurant feel welcome. told their own stories.

IE STAFF

Established in 1974, the International Examiner is the only non-profit pan-Asian American media organization in the country. Named after the International District in Seattle, the “IE” strives to create awareness within and for our APA communities. 622 South Washington Street, Seattle, WA 98104. (206) 6243925. iexaminer@iexaminer.org.

IE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gary Iwamoto, Vice President Arlene Oki Andy Yip Jacqueline Wu Steve Kipp

Customers asked to be seated in his area.

He was respected by the entire Chinatown community. Ron has displayed this same quality throughout his career and earned this same respect.

Point, Utah to commemorate the accomplishment. The Chinese were not invited to attend and be part of history.

There were 12,000 Chinese railroad workers who endured racism each day.

Ron is a very determined person and he Some died doing the most dangerous jobs. may have got that from his mother, Gim They were not included in the picture.

Ha. If Ron worked on those railroads, he would have demanded that the Chinese At the age of 70, she retired from the be part of the ceremony. That’s the type sewing factories and signed up for English of person Ron is. That is why he is being classes at Seattle Central. During one honored today. bad snowstorm, the community college canceled classes. Unaware of this, Ron’s mom walked to the bus stop and waited for it, arriving late. She made it to school for her English class, but was very upset when she found the school closed. She felt if she could get there in the snow, teachers could too.

Ron’s lifework has been to ensure that the stories of Asian Pacific Americans are told, that our history is preserved, future generations thrive, and that our community has the freedom, justice, and equality it deserves.

As an International Examiner Lifetime In everything Ron does, he is determined Achievement winner myself, I can say that to be successful in his mission to serve the Ron is not done achieving greatness. community in whatever capacity. Or he Dr. Martin Luther King said: “I have would take a stand to defend what is right. a dream.” Ron is not done dreaming of a On May 10, 1879, the transcontinental better world for us all. We are all fortunate railroad was completed and a historic because Ron’s lifetime of achievements picture was taken at Promontory continues.

ARTS EDITOR Alan Chong Lau

iexaminer@iexaminer.org

PROOFREADER Anna Carriveau

CONTRIBUTORS Dean Wong Steve Kofahi ryan@RN2.co Ann Lindwall ADVISOR Jacob Chin HERITAGE SPECIALIST Ron Chew Angelo Salgado Eleanor Boba Tarissa A.M. Matsumoto DEVELOPMENT MANAGER VIDEOGRAPHER Shin Yu Pai Kathy Ho Tuyen Kim Than Russell Leong advertising@iexaminer.org Yayoi Winfrey LOGISTICS COORDINATOR BUSINESS MANAGER Holly Martinez Ellen Suzuki Cover Photo by: INTERN finance@iexaminer.org Angelo Salgado Chelsee Yee EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Travis Quezon Vowel Chu editor@iexaminer.org CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ryan Catabay

International Examiner 622 S. Washington St. Seattle, WA 98104 Tel: (206) 624-3925 Fax: (206) 624-3046 Website: www.iexaminer.org

Have the IE delivered to your doorstep $35 a year, $60 for two years—24 indepth issues a year!

Go to www.iexaminer. org and click on the “Subscribe” button or mail a check to: 622 S. Washington St., Seattle, WA 98104.

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

May 21, 2014 – June 3, 2014 — 3

IE OPINION

International Examiner 40 years strong: Looking back as I lean forward

By Alan Chong Lau IE Arts Editor

How I became a community journalist

I remember it to this day. The poet Lawson Inada had just written me saying he had just seen a fantastic Japanese American jazz musician (Kiyoshi Tokunaga) in a local club in Oregon who not only played bass, but trumpet and piano as well. At that time in the early ’80s, not much was known about the Asian American involvement in jazz like there is now.

I had not yet learned about noted record producer Harry Lin who had produced classic Commodores sides with Billie Holiday or Japanese American jazz musicians playing in clubs in Japan and the rest of Asia before the second World War. Or Hawaiian slack key guitarists and ukelele players like Sol Ho‘opi‘i who toured Europe and the United States and appeared in scores of movies. Or the big bands who played for teenagers in Japanese American internment camps.

Or boppers like Richie Kamuca or Paul Togawa who played and recorded during the ’50s. And I didn’t know a thing about famed Bay Area Jazz disk jockey and record producer Herb Wong.

So I thought an Asian American jazz musician was almost like a mirage.

I remember bounding up the steps to the then-second floor office of the International Examiner and meeting editor Ron Chew, still brimming over with a novice enthusiasm. Ron listened to me gush about this discovery of an Asian American jazz musician and how he was coming to a Seattle club and how someone should interview him for the paper with patience.

He looked me back in the eye, smiled, and fired back his response: “Hey, why don’t you do it?”

That is how I learned how Ron was able to keep and continually recruit and replenish a multi-talented staff and how I became a community journalist. I remember how he and Mayumi Tsutakawa and other friends, with patience, pored over my story with suggestions on how to make it better. When everyone was finished, my story looked like a battlefield strewn with comments and lots of red ink.

But I was welcomed and I learned.

I also grew to appreciate the talents of the wily “Uncle” Ron who nurtured and knew how to get people involved without them knowing it. Because of his ability to encourage volunteers, he soon had a talented crew of people like Gary Iwamoto, Bob Shimabukuro, Sue Chin, David Takami, Ken Mochizuki, and so many others writing for him. He also had the talents of graphic designers and illustrators like Jesse Reyes, Anne Mori, Jeff Hanada, and Michelle Kumata and photographers like Dean Wong who would later also become a fine writer as well.

“Why don’t you do it?” was just another way for Ron to recruit talent and keep them interested.

When I was in my first year in college, you had to declare a major right away. I remember standing in a line at Chico State College (now Chico State University) in Northern California when a clerk asked me, “What do you like to do?”

When I said, “I like to write,” she put down “journalism” as my major without asking me another question. I never did too well in the classes back then, but now it feels as though that college clerk could foretell my future because here I am, some 40-odd years later, seated at a desk working on a story for a newspaper.

One neighborhood, one world

One thing I’ve noticed throughout the years is how demographics have shifted, making for a fluid dispersal of Asian Americans throughout the region.

Initially our newspaper was based on telling the news of the neighborhood and the people who lived here. But as years and generations have gone by, we find that people live everywhere and not just one neighborhood.

“It’s a small world” is no longer a saying, it’s a reality. Asian Americans not only live in neighborhoods, they live in the suburbs, the countryside, and every conceivable place in the world.

This puts the onus on us as a newspaper to not only cover “the” neighborhood but the neighborhoods around the city, the country, and the world. In short, we must acknowledge the fact that we live in a global society where one single act can affect all and a careless stone tossed in the water can send ripples across the planet. This doesn’t change our priorities or responsibilities to be a conduit for our people’s voices to be heard, it only amplifies them. So the “International” in our title now means many things and takes on various meanings.

The limited vision of ethnic journalism?

A few years ago I seem to recall one of our staff writers quitting, bemoaning the fact that writing for an Asian American newspaper was too limiting. But I like to see it another way. Let’s flip the equation and theorize that since Asian Americans live everywhere and do all kinds of things, that writing through that perspective is just another way of seeing the world.

One recent feature started with an interview with a photographer who was South Asian and lived on the Eastside.

He became fascinated with the arctic region and documented the area for the Smithsonian. Inevitably, his interests included the changing of the seasons, the natural environment and the native peoples who populated the region. As he traveled, he began to see the dire effects that pollution had on the planet with the northern region being the barometer to sound the alarm. So a simple interview turned into a feature on the environment

as our writer interviewed him, reviewed a book of essays he had edited, and covered a show at the Whatcom Museum about how global warming was melting glaciers at an alarming rate.

I think as a newspaper using an ethnic lens, we see the world differently with concerns that affect us as a people. Nobody wants the mainstream media to describe who we are in broad sweeping generalizations.

That’s why I feel it will always be important that we have our own voice to tell our own stories Lau that resist easy categorization, misinformation, and stereotype. As one of the staff members that has been here the longest, I feel like I am simultaneously looking forward as I look back. I have seen countless writers and staff learn the ropes of journalism here and then go out into the world. It makes for a fluid, fluctuating, and sometimes-precarious situation as people come and go. But it also insures that countless generations learn the importance of journalism and have a community mouthpiece in which we can accurately reflect the problems, hopes, and aspirations of our people.

A chorus of voices dying to be heard

Sometimes I feel like our coverage of Asian Pacific Americans, at times, tends to be dominated by our coverage of those groups with larger demographics. But there are myriad voices out there dying to be heard. And as a newspaper, I think we must find a way to include their stories in our newspaper. The story of Pacific Islanders, South Asians, indigenous people, Southeast Asians, and even people from regions like Afghanistan and the Middle East must be brought into the mix.

I think we have that responsibility as an ethnic newspaper. The challenge is to find people with skills in reporting on those areas or to train them as writers to report on what issues are important to their people and constituency.

A tip of the hat to the women

One thing I have noted is the sheer tenacity, patience, and responsibility of the women who write for the International Examiner and hold down staff positions.

If it hadn’t been for their willingness to work on numerous issues and cover stories for this paper (especially in the arts), we would not be celebrating our 40th anniversary. So just a note of thanks, deep respect, and appreciation to the women.

Thoughts of an arts subversive

I might say there are two abiding passions that have kept me here involved in community journalism. I grew up as a young student learning about my identity during the turbulent era of student demonstrations in the late ’60s

and early ’70s. At San Francisco State, we as students would meet off campus at teacher’s houses as we all tried to honor the student strike and demand for ethnic studies. The days of those struggles left a lasting imprint on my consciousness as a younger person that it was of essential importance that we are not alone, that we come from a culture and a history.

It was imperative that we give back to the community in some shape or form.

Writing for this newspaper is one way I found to give back. As a working poet and artist, I feel that arts and culture is a vital part of any community. To me, it represents the heart, soul, and spirit of a people. Art can literally change you. So I have found that coverage of the arts is an essential weave in the fabric of our lives.

To this end, I have strived to encourage an appreciation of the arts in our community by our coverage.

Arts is where you find it

It is a daunting task to cover all the arts in depth but we try to get a fair sampling. Unfortunately, much to the disappointment of people in the arts, we cannot cover every conceivable creative act of every Asian American artist out there every time. And while we try to be supportive, we still have to be critical.

Some people automatically feel that since they are Asian American and we are an Asian American community paper that we should automatically give them a stamp of approval. But it doesn’t always work like that. I have to give each writer respect and allow them to sort out what their own response. In other words, I can’t tell them what to think.

What we try to do is use each genre and media as a stepping-stone or platform to air wider specific issues that may be of interest to readers. For example, a book on the tsunami in Japan might lead to a full feature on the issue with interviews and stories connected to the same theme.

Although we always try and support local artists, I also believe our readers are curious about what artists outside our region are doing as well. To this end, I try and tap the talents of friends/ writers to cover events along the West and East Coasts or even in Asia. As a writer I believe literature deserves more coverage than the occasional book review so we created Pacific Reader, a twiceyearly look at books by or about Asian Americans and new titles on Asia in the adult and young adult/kids categories.

Where are we going?

The International Examiner still has a crucial role to play in giving voice to our community. I am hopeful that each succeeding generation will step up, answer the call and realize that this paper does not belong to any one person or generation but is a forum for our people to give voice to their concerns. If people realize this, I am hopeful that the tradition of ethnic journalism will prosper and thrive for generations to come.

4 — May 21, 2014 – June 3, 2014

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

IE OPINION

Acting SSA commissioner gets push back on office closures, needs more

By Steve Kofahl Guest Columnist A couple of years ago, Carolyn Colvin, Acting Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner, told American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) that the Agency was getting very little “push back” when SSA decided to close field offices. Some of us took that as a challenge, and our efforts are finally beginning to bear fruit. Nowhere have community and elected leaders challenged SSA’s office closures as strongly as we have in Seattle.

Works Washington, and an impressive comprehensive, transparent policies coalition of International District regarding field office closings, including community leaders have led the charge. data on specific populations impacted by On January 14 of this year, we office closures and plans to mitigate the received the following message from effects of closures. The Commissioner is Sen. Patty Murray’s State Director, Brian directed to submit a report to the House Kristjansson: “Senator Murray worked and Senate Appropriations Committees to include report language addressing within 90 days of enactment of this Social Security Administration office act on its policies and procedures for consolidations and closures in the closing and consolidatring field offices, omnibus appropriations bill that will including any policies and procedures be voted on this week in the House and related to assessing the community Senate. The Appropriations Committee impacts of closing or consolidating staff originally included some basic offices, and the metrics used to calculate language requiring a study on the office short- and long-term cost savings. In closure process, but we worked to beef up addition, the Commissioner is directed the language to address some of the social to provide a readily available public justice issues we have been discussing. As notice of proposed field office closures we continue the conversation about the to ensure that impacted communities Seattle Social Security office, I want you are aware of proposed changes and to know the concerns you have expressed allow an opportunity for public input to the delegation are being heard—and on the proposed changes and possible are influencing national policy going mitigation to ensure continued access to SSA services.” forward.”

Twenty-one months ago, two accessible community offices were closed and consolidated into the Jackson Federal Building, where significant access barriers prevent the disabled, the poor, and those with limited English language proficiency from receiving Social Security benefits. We fought the decision for one year prior to the closures, and we are still fighting, pressing SSA to re-establish a Unfortunately, SSA has arrogantly The report language reads: branch office or contact station that can continued, unabated and without meeting properly serve all residents of South and “Field Office Closings. Concerns these Congressional expectations, to Central Seattle. PSARA, Social Security remain that in recent years SSA has lacked announce additional office closures.

Kingston and Amherst in New York, and Barstow and Redlands in California, are the latest communities threatened with field office closures. Senator Chuck Shumer objected to the Kingston announcement in a press conference, and an angry Congressman Brian Higgins did the same on behalf of his Amherst constituents. The Barstow City Council passed a resolution opposing the closure of their office. Mr. Higgins took it a step further by introducing a bill on February 5th that would codify and strengthen the requirements of the report language so that SSA would have no choice but to satisfy the desires of Congress. The Higgins Bill is HR 3997.

Please ask your representative in the House of Representatives to sign-on as a co-sponsor, and urge your Senators to introduce companion legislation.

Steve Kofahl is President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) 3937, and an Executive Board member of Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action (PSARA). Reprinted with permission of The Retiree Advocate, a monthly publication of PSARA.

First female Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole selected Chelsee Yee IE Staff Contributor

Former Seattle chief John Diaz announced his retirement April 2013 after a three-year tenure. Under his leadership, U.S. Justice Department launched an eightmonth investigation, finding that officers had too often escalated situations using unnecessary excessive force. There were also concerns raised about biased policing.

After an extensive national search and public outreach for a new leader to oversee 1,300 officers that have been struggling to carry out a reform agreement under federal oversight, Mayor Ed Murray has finally made his choice for Seattle’s next police O’Toole, 60, served as Boston’s first fechief: former Boston police commissioner male police commissioner from 2004 to and inspector general for Ireland’s national 2006 before completing a six-year term as police force Kathleen O’Toole. chief of an oversight body responsible for O’Toole was nominated Monday, May reforms in the Irish national police force.

19, beating two of her male co-finalists: She has recently worked with the DeElk Grove, California, Police Chief Robert partment of Justice as a Joint Compliance Lehner and Mesa, Arizona, Police Chief Expert in monitoring the implementation Frank Milstead. of a settlement agreement in East Haven, The nomination now goes to the City Connecticut to determine whether the poCouncil for confirmation. Once approved, lice department is complying with a federal O’Toole said she plans to bring the sense mandate to curtail false arrests, discrimiof urgency required to begin reforming the natory policing and excessive force, pardepartment as her top priority. She would ticularly against Latinos. be Seattle’s first female police chief.

In Seattle, O’Toole will enter a similar “I have a passion for this stuff. I have a situation where the city’s police departpassion for public service and a passion for ment is under serious federal and public policing,” O’Toole told The Seattle Times scrutiny for reform in excessive force and earlier this month. biased policing.

O’Toole also said that the department Speaking after Murray’s announcement, needs to restore pride among its members O’Toole outlined four themes she plans to following a series of scandals and prob- implement as she moves into the chief posilems that led to federal oversight. tion: public trust, crime and quality of life, “Nobody dislikes rogue cops more than department pride, and “good business.” good cops,” O’Toole said. “If people make The City Council is expected to finalize honest mistakes we’ll stand by them.” her appointment by the end of June.

The International Examiner website is now updated daily.

Visit iexaminer.org every day!

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

May 21, 2014 – June 3, 2014 — 5

IE NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT

A scene from Stateless, by Duc H. Nguyen.

May 23: ‘Stateless’ tells stories of Vietnamese refugees in the Philippines Courtesy Photo

ID Spring Roll heats things up on May 30

By Vowel Chu IE Staff Contributor

This year’s ID Spring Roll, which is the organization’s signature fundraiser, Seattle Chinatown International happens Friday, May 30, from 6:30 p.m.

District Preservation and Development to 8:00 p.m. at Wing Luke Museum.

Authority (SCIDpda) is a neighborhoodTomo Nakayama, a musician born based community developer that was in Kochi, Japan and raised in Seattle, started by the community in 1975 “to Washington, will be performing at this preserve, promote and develop the Seattle year’s ID Spring Roll.

Chinatown International District as a Tickets for the event can be purchased vibrant community and unique ethnic online here. The ticket includes access to neighborhood.” SCIDpda has had a a Pan-Asian buffet, two complimentary long history of success in increasing drinks, and complimentary lot parking neighborhood sustainability through for the first 75 ticket purchasers. innovative programs and projects that For more info, visit idspringroll.org. balance development and preservation.

CATCH THE IE ON SOCIAL MEDIA Keep up with the latest news, announcements, and info by following the International Examiner on Twitter @iexaminer.

Also catch editor Travis Quezon on Twitter @TravisQuezon. And be sure to stop by our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ internationalexaminer.

By Vowel Chu IE Staff Contributor

A screening of Stateless, a documentary that takes a stark look at the lives of stateless Vietnamese, happens at 7:00 p.m. on May 23 at the University of Washington’s Ethnic Cultural Theater (3940 Brooklyn Ave., Seattle WA).

years while awaiting a rare opportunity for resettlement in the United States.

Stateless features refugees like Nguyen Phuc Trong, who has unsuccessfully attempted to escape from Vietnam numerous times since 1975 and is still seeking asylum today. Also, the film features lawyer and activist Trinh Hoi and his legal aid center team, The documentary is produced by Emmy who helped nearly 2,000 Vietnamese “longAward-winning filmmaker Duc H. Nguyen, stayers” resolve the legal limbo that has renwho follows stories of several Vietnamese dered them stateless. refugees in the Philippines. The refugees For more information, visit http://jsis. have been living as stateless people for 16 washington.edu/events.

Machete attack in the International District Chelsee Yee IE Staff Contributor

Witnesses described the attacker as a black male, 6-feet-2-inches tall, short hair and clean shaven, wearing a long sleeved Police are still searching for the man beige shirt and dark pants. who reportedly attacked another man The machete was described as having a with a machete on May 8 in Seattle’s silver blade with a decorative red handle.

International District.

The attacker fled the scene on foot, The victim, a 62-year-old man, was reportedly heading east toward I-5 from bleeding from wounds to the shoulder and Kobe Terrace Park. Officers searched the abdomen when officers and medics arrived area using a K-9 dog but were unable to at the scene near 7th Ave and S Main St. find the suspect.

The victim refused to provide any Anyone with more information is asked information about the attack and was taken to call 911. to Harborview Medical Center to treat his injuries, according to a police report.

Announcing the closing of our waitlist Effective 1 May 2014, the waiting list for units in the Bart Harvey apartments, 430 Minor Avenue N, Seattle 98109, is c l o s e d.

EQ U A L H O U S I N G O P P O RT U N I T Y

BH_WaitlistClosedAd_IntlExaminer.indd 1

5/2/14 7:34 AM

6 — May 21, 2014 – June 3, 2014

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

IE NEWS

1942 Nisei student Yeiko Ogata remembered with honorary degree

By Ann F. Lindwall IE Guest Contributor Northwest University (NU) posthumously awarded an honorary bachelor’s degree at its May 10 commencement to Yeiko Ogata, their fi rst Japanese American student. Research on the school’s multicultural history was revealed during the ceremony, including how NU assisted Ogata in defiance of popular anti-Japanese sentiment during WWII. The following is an account of the event by Ann F. Lindwall:

Yeiko Ogata officially became a graduate of Northwest University (Kirkland, Washington) on May 10, 2014, and I felt so honored to be at her graduation ceremony. The auditorium at Overlake Christian Church in Redmond was filled with much younger graduates and their families that morning, but the only one I could think of was Yeiko, who is receiving her degree 72 years later.

As I sat in my seat in Devin Cabanilla’s family section, I opened the program to see the listing of the programs events, and there it was, Yeiko’s name listed to receive a posthumous BA degree. Tears welled up in my eyes for a woman I never met yet felt like I knew. That day, I was part of her family.

Ogata was born in Wapato, Washington, in 1921 to Rinzo and Toriye Ogata.

Her childhood was spent in Helena, Montana. Yeiko sought education in Christian ministry and by 1942 was attending what was then called Northwest Bible Institute in Seattle’s Roosevelt neighborhood.

Lori Ogata, Yeiko’s niece, told me: “Auntie Yeiko passed away before we had a chance to meet. It appears Devin’s thorough research of the NU archives dug up photos I had never seen! Nor did I know Auntie had even attended college.

Cabanilla discovered her story while doing some research in the university’s archives. He found Ogata as a student in Minneapolis, and it was verified that she was a transfer student there and finished a t h re e -yea r diploma in m i n i s t r y.

“It is a wonderful blessing to see total Yeiko would have graduated in Seattle if it weren’t for the internment as a result of strangers research personal stories and seek out honors for those who cannot or World War II in 1942, Cabanilla said.

could not, given the turbulent times so long ago but not forgotten.”

Sitting in my seat at the graduation ceremony, waiting for Yeiko to receive her honor, I felt so anxious, as if she were my own relative, yet sad that it had been such a long time. The president of the university, Dr. Joseph Castleberry, explained Yeiko’s story and relationship with NU. And at Cabanilla’s suggestion, he petitioned the Board of Directors of the university to confer a posthumous four-year Bachelor of Arts degree on Ogata. The Board unanimously accepted.

“When Devin brought me the beginnings of Yeiko’s story, I just had to find out what happened to her,” Castleberry said. “When we found her picture in Minneapolis with her heroic brothers, I broke down and cried. I knew we had to find out everything we could about her story and tell the world about it.”

Cabanilla went up to the stage to receive the degree that will be sent to surviving family members.

“It really has been an honor for me to bring Yeiko’s story out and also to have our school recognize her and her Japanese American history,” Cabanilla said.

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

May 21, 2014 – June 3, 2014 — 7

IE COMMENTARY

Story design concepts by Angelo Salgado, Abdirahman Mohamed, Jessi Magraw, and Michael Somanje. • Photo by Angelo Salgado

Barely Here: Fighting Silence with Stories Embracing diversity, celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

By Jacob Chin, Angelo Salgado, and Jacqueline Wu IE Contributors “What is education for?”

—Grace Lee Boggs Not all Asian Pacific Islander groups are the same. But at the University of Washington, Asian Pacific Islander communities are treated as a whole static number when enacting decisions that affect individual Asian Pacific Islander groups.

In November 2013, the UW Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity ended their Southeast Asian recruiter position due to budget decisions. The Southeast Asian recruiter position had been intended to be temporary despite requests by the community to make it permanent.

Southeast Asian recruitment is currently the responsibility of the Pacific Islander recruiter.

Currently, “Asians” make up 25 to 27 percent of UW’s Seattle campus population while “Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders” make up 0.98 percent. The categories “Asian” and “Hawaiian/Pacific Islander” can be problematic for decision making on campus. Both categories can encompass Cambodians, Chamorros, Chinese, Filipinos, Hawaiians, Indians, Japanese, Khmer, Koreans, Pakistani,

Samoans, Tongans, Vietnamese, and any of the distinct and diverse Asian Pacific Islander populations.

Grouping all Asians and Pacific Islanders in this instance erases the experiences and challenges of each group for administrators making decisions on diversity. It’s a problem that arises whenever a clear understanding of diversity is not applied.

According to a 2011 nation-wide study

by Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the educational attainment from 2007 to 2009 for Asian Americans who obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher is 49 Chin, percent, compared to 31 percent of people identified as white. It’s a statistic that fits the stereotype of Asian Americans being a “model minority.” However, when looking at Asian American educational attainment broken down by ethnic group, the numbers tell a different story. Southeast Asians were much less likely to have obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher— the educational attainment was 27 percent for Vietnamese, 14 percent for Hmong, 14

percent for Cambodians, and 12 percent for Laotians. In the same study, only 17 percent of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Understanding the implications of diversity is essential for Asian Pacific Islanders, who are one of the fastest growing populations in the United States with a growth of more than 40 percent between 2000 and 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Diversity is more than just skin deep.

Diversity is the celebration • ado Wu, and Salg of difference, the ek Dizon Photo by Der aggregation of many different voices, and the heralding of a multitude of different stories, all coming together as one community. It is not the elimination of difference but the accentuation of difference.

context of marginalized groups. The next step is actively bridging the gap between the past and present to ensure a fair tomorrow. Diversity cannot be accomplished overnight or through the efforts of one individual or even a group of individuals. Diversity is a collaborative effort from students, administrators, and the community that holds all parties accountable and must be reassessed and reevaluated continuously.

We are three self-identified Asian American individuals at UW, from three distinct backgrounds. In conjunction with Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month, we’ve come together to celebrate the great diversity among Asian Pacific Islanders by engaging in a conversation with the community about diversity and how it is practiced on the UW campus.

The practice and implementation of diversity on a public college campus is not exclusive to the college, but to the community the college represents. The University of Washington is supposed to educate, socialize, and inspire students to become the next leaders for our community. This is a campus that Seattle’s Asian Pacific Islander Diversity in practice does not community is invested in and believes in. necessarily mean ensuring that all students The goal is not simply to raise a quota are treated the same. A first necessary step for the Asian Pacific Islander community is acknowledging the social and historical

DIVERSITY: Continued on page 8 . . .

8 — May 21, 2014 – June 3, 2014

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

IE COMMENTARY . . . DIVERSITY: Continued from page 7

on campus but to recognize the differences and give historically disadvantaged groups a fair opportunity for higher education.

This is done by not only reaching out to the Asian Pacific Islander community, but also by sustaining retention programs to maintain students. Through valuing different stories and spaces, meaningful relationships with students can be cultivated.

What is education for?

In our society, education is overwhelmingly seen as a monetary investment. This view turns education into a commodity with value being placed on the prospective dollar amounts made from a degree. We disagree.

In presenting differing stories from the monolithic narratives of “Asian” and “Pacific Islander” we hope to demonstrate just how valuable education is to understanding identity. We reached our conclusion after listening to the personal stories of students experiencing culture shock and facing challenges at UW. How students adjusted to the university supports our idea that education is a transformative process rather than just a simple investment of time, energy, and money.

The following voices do not represent all students on campus. Nonetheless, these voices are a starting point to begin talking about diversity. What you will read here focuses on Asian American and Pacific Islander student testimonies. Graphic by the Asian Law Caucus, member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice.

Not Just Another Statistic: ʻAsian Americanʼ not a monolithic term

By Jacob Chin IE Contributor To be an Asian American or Pacific Islander at the University of Washington Seattle Campus is to be a statistic. Asians make up over a quarter of the population of the UW student body—27.44 percent as of Fall enrollment. This means that one in four students at the UW will identify as having some kind of Asian ancestry, a large number to be sure. Just by looking at this number alone, one can argue that Asians are no longer underrepresented at UW’s Seattle Campus. This would be true if not for the fact that the category “Asian” encompasses an extremely large range of students.

In disaggregating the data, the largest representation of Asians in this category were “Other Asians” sitting at 9.12 percent, followed by Chinese at 5.43 percent, Koreans at 4.39 percent, Vietnamese at 3.05 percent, Filipinos at 2.57 percent, and then followed by a host of other Asian ethnic groups. To be blunt, no single Asian ethnic group is overrepresented in UW Seattle. Even within the “Asian” category, there isn’t an over-represented group. The fact that the largest population of Asians on campus are “Other Asians” is another argument against overrepresentation. This subcategory within the Asian category is extremely confusing.

Further, these numbers do not make any distinction between generations in college or income levels and whether a student is an immigrant, refugee, or American born.

And yet these numbers treat all Asians as the same. This is an injustice. The term “Asian American” is not a monolithic term; it is an identification used to unify and empower without losing the diversity that makes us great. None of our stories fit the narrative of “Asian.”

Below are student responses to two main questions. First, we asked students to give us their definition of diversity. Second, we asked to hear about how being Asian American has affected their lives. Of

the 11 interviews conducted, six student history is made every single day with responses were used to highlight the every passing moment. It is something complexity within the category of “Asian.” ever-moving, ever-changing, and alive. It is always personal. It is always present.

Defining diversity These two questions asked for the Diversity is by no means an easy word personal histories of our interviewees. In to define. As another disclaimer, in no way, essence, we were asking questions about shape, or form are we trying to say our their identities. definition of diversity is the only definition.

While these were our most specific The definition we came to took the three questions, we asked these questions with of us an entire afternoon of going back the intent of allowing our interviewees and forth coupled with our backgrounds to answer however they chose to. This in the field of American Ethnic Studies. was done to eliminate as much of an This means that despite having three influence we had upon their answers as experienced and knowledgeable we could. That said, there was never a individuals who have devoted countless single interviewee with the same story as hours to studying and experiencing any of the others. The only detail-specific diversity, diversity is a concept we’re still similarities within these stories were grasping to understand ourselves. the ways in which forms of institutional When we decided to ask students we oppression affected their lives. interviewed to define diversity, we received Two common themes among the a range of different definitions that varied responses were identity issues and in scope and depth. A common theme marginalization. The identity-based issues across the board with all interviews is that were in regards to feelings about being diversity is more than just what any of our Asian American. Our interviewees all interviewees looked like. Many of our expressed displeasure or experience in interviewees acknowledged that diversity dealing with the idea they are somehow included ways of thought and ideologies half-Asian and half-American. To clarify, on top of race and ethnicity. More often as a Chinese American I do not know than not, our interviewees knew what they what it means to be Chinese or American, meant but had a hard time putting words but I do know what it means to be Chinese to meanings. It became apparent that all American. Our identities are not halves interviewees had difficulty coming up but wholes. The “Asian” cannot be with a definition. separated from the “American” just as the This question was not meant to provoke “American” cannot be separated from the any specific response or answer, but an “Asian.” earnest reflection upon a word that too Many of our interviewees expressed a often is used as some sort of gaudy party sense of tokenization whether in coming decoration. This was by far the most to the UW or before then. This form of difficult question we asked during our marginalization is a common experience interviews. We deliberately chose to leave among people of color, not just Asian it as open as possible so our interviewees Americans. Tokenization was expressed would then have the freedom to answer in in numerous interviews in varying degrees the manner they chose to. from outright recognition to alluding heavily to being tokenized.

Being Asian American Once again, these six students are History is almost always seen as a study in no way representative of the entire of what has already come and gone. This Asian student population enrolled at UW view treats history as something static, Seattle. These students are representative unchanging, and, thus, dead. However, of the voices and stories that get lost when

“Asian” is widely applied in broad strokes.

As representatives ourselves, we felt it was necessary to highlight and celebrate these overlooked voices. To be Asian American is to be a part of a long history filled with diverse people and stories.

Varsha Govindaraju

Indian American

Photos by Angelo Salgado

Varsha Govindaraju Indian American Law, Societies and Justice/Anthropology Major Junior

How do you define diversity?

I define diversity as the multiple unique intersections of privilege and oppression based on identities that shape the way you interact with the world and the world interacts with you.

Describe your experience as an Asian American. How do you think being Asian American has colored your life?

My family went through a lot as immigrants with family abroad, having no support system in America, and trying to figure out how to be brown in a white country.

How hasn’t it colored my life?

Everything is different because I’m brown. I don’t fit into categories of white STATISTIC: Continued on page 9 . . .

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

May 21, 2014 – June 3, 2014 — 9

IE COMMENTARY . . . STATISTIC: Continued from page 8

or brown, American or Indian. I can’t be a part of the Indian community because my language, accent, gestures, mannerisms all betray me. I can’t be a part of the white community because look at me, who the hell would think I’m white? No one. It’s been really hard trying to figure out the hyphens that surround my identity, while paying respect to a history, understanding my desires aren’t always mine, and that life itself is formed in these tensions.

I joined the Marine Corp in the first place, is because I didn’t want my ethnicity … to be the factor that I won’t be able to do things in life. So that’s one of the reasons I’m here at UW because I know that there are not so many of us around that are successful.

American you’re like, “Am I a person of color?” I don’t know, because people are telling me I’m not because some people have gained these privileges but there’s still things I have to deal with everyday. I’m never going to be considered and seen and have the same things as a white person does.

education background, their hobbies, how they look, how they talk, what they do, just everything in general and whatever makes that person unique would contribute to this whole aspect of diversity.

Nasiroh Mathno Cham Muslim American Environmental Science and Resource Management Major Junior

Growing up in an essentially white community, a small town, that in part has defined a lot of my Asian [experience]. … I never really recognized how important it was until I came to college. Because in high school I hung out with essentially no Asians, I didn’t really recognize the importance and special weight of being Asian. I think that growing up as a token Asian, coming to college it was a culture shock. It’s weird because it’s a culture shock within my own culture. Growing up, being Korean American was kind of a home thing. My language, what I ate, my morals, my habits, they were all maybe reinforced at home. ... But coming here I felt more comfortable, first initially, around white people, because I had just grown up with white people. I almost didn’t prefer being around Asian Americans. I had always been used to the token Asian girl. Being just a part of the larger “Asian” community was something I wasn’t really used to or seeked.

How would you define diversity?

Christina Xiao Chinese American

Litthideth Phansiri Laotian American

Christina Xiao Chinese American Informatics Major Junior

How would you define diversity?

Litthideth Phansiri Laotian American Intended Computer Science/Informatics Major Transfer Sophomore

How would you define diversity?

The way I define diversity is one, look at my background, there’s only a certain percentage of Laotians where I grew up.

In high school there was maybe about two or three including me. I joined the Marine Corp and only met a handful of Laotians throughout the entire Marine Corp, whereas the population of the Marine Corp is supposed to reflect that of the United States.

So, meeting and interacting with different people from all races down to where you grown up is what I consider diversity.

Describe your experience as an Asian American. How do you think being Asian American has colored your life?

[Being Asian American has colored my life] because I’m Laotian, and because there are not so many of us. Going to school, I actually had no Laotian family members that went to school with me in the same grade. So I didn’t actually talk with any of them unless I knew they were Laotian. My brothers on the other hand always had some type of cousin that went in the same grade as them, so they were able to hang out, you know, stay connected. Me, I definitely had to branch out because there were none. And then during the summer when I was growing up, in high school, I spent most of my time in Kansas University, trying to do something to better myself. My other brothers were hanging out with the cousins and doing things with them.

So, in the long run, I knew that for me to be successful is to break away from ethnicity pretty much. I mean, although I know where I came from, the only way for me to be successful was to move past that and try to accomplish something better than who I am.

I knew I needed to break away so that’s why

I would define diversity as all of the different identities a person holds and how all of those different identities sort of shape how the world sees them and how they see the world. And how they interact with the world and how the world interacts with them. That varies a lot for every person.

You can draw some similarities between the same ethnic groups, or genders, or socio-economic status. You can draw some similarities between groups, but really every person holds a different set of identities and that really shapes how they see the world.

It’s really important to value the different perspectives that people bring and hold different sets of identities. And they have different perspectives and it allows them to see different problems and different issues within our society. Drawing on that different perspective you can come up with different solutions and you can come up with new solutions, more innovative solutions, more creative and effective solutions that actually benefit everyone instead of a majority.”

Diversity is a very tough subject because it has to deal with background, race, and history, and all these different things. So, I wouldn’t be able to define diversity, because I’m still confused by that word.

Describe your experience as an Asian American. How do you think being Asian American has colored your life?

Being Asian American. Being raised in South Seattle, where there is a Cham Asian American community, even if it’s not the same ethnic community, they’re also really well connected. I grew up with a very good sense of pride of where I’m from as an individual, not just as a quote on quote “Asian” I guess, but as an individual of my own ethnic group and being a part of a bigger community. I grew up with a really strong sense of where I am, where I come from, the history of what happened to my parents and a lot of people like them. So coming from South Seattle, that community of Asian America shaped me now into being very grounded in who I am. Then coming to UW, it kind of changed from being very grounded to being kind of like a statistic in a way—where you’re the minority and you’re kind of the token minority that they kind of want to parade every so often.

Geomarc Manahan Panelo Filipino

Geomarc Manahan Panelo Filipino American Ethnic Studies Junior

How would you define diversity?

Describe your experience as an Asian American. How do you think being Asian American has colored your life?

One thing that’s frustrating about being an Asian American, because we are seen as being the model minority, is that in some ways as an Asian American you aren’t even allowed to identify as a person of color even though you face some of the same discriminations. So because some Asian Americans have gained certain privileges it kind of polarizes you and puts you on the opposite side of people of color. You aren’t even allowed to identify with that struggle because we have gained some of those privileges. … And because it’s that huge category of Asian American, that means no Asian American can identify in that way.

That’s absolutely false because there are a lot of Asian Americans within that huge category that still are facing huge barriers.

That has been hard because as an Asian

Describe your experience as an Asian American. How do you think being Asian American has colored your life?

Minna Kim

Korean American

Minna Kim Korean American Law, Society, and Justice/Political Science major Junior

How would you define diversity?

I don’t think diversity is always just defined by race or ethnicity. There is just an extent. Since I grew up in the country, coming from the country to the city, even that in itself there’s such diverse people ... and I would say diversity would be the various elements of people’s lives that define a person. Whether that be their race, their

Diversity means being different, but still able to harmoniously live together. People might not understand each other well but there is that respect with everyone living together. ... It’s embracing everyone’s culture, color, tradition.

Describe your experience as an Asian American. How do you think being Asian American has colored your life?

I can go back to my experience being Filipino in Riverridge. Being the new Filipino, being, I wouldn’t say bullied, but I got teased a lot there. Looking back now, when I first started college, I [told] myself that I’m going to prove them wrong. I’m not this Filipino they thought [I was] because they can’t really define me. My whole experience there affected how I wanted to be when I grow up, which is to be a professor and be a person to educate people about Asian American experiences. I want people to understand and learn about how Asians are so diverse and we all have different experiences coming and living here.

10 — May 21, 2014 – June 3, 2014

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

IE COMMENTARY

Making Waves: Students compensating for what administration lacks

By Jacqueline Wu IE Contributor The conflation of Pacific Islanders and Asians masks the unique issues and problems that Pacific Islanders experience. Although the two groups historically interacted with one another, Pacific Islanders share a different experience with the United States than Asians. U.S. military presence continues to exist throughout many Pacific Islander regions, including Guam, American Samoa, and the Marianas.

However, many Americans are unaware of the multiple “unincorporated territories” that exist. Coined in the Supreme Court’s Downes v. Bidwell, unincorporated territories are “foreign to the U.S. in a domestic sense,” where U.S. rule is extended to these spaces but the Constitution does not apply. In other words, U.S. presence in the Pacific is a continuing form of colonization.

These “unincorporated territories” are invisible to the United States but significant to the experiences of many Pacific Islanders. Moving to Lacey, Washington from Guam, Brianne Ramos recounts having to often explain to other people “where Guam is … even though it’s a territory of the United States.”

Ramos is a Chamorro and Filipino fourth year student studying Medical Anthropology and Global Health. She is the president of the Micronesian Islands Club (MIC).

Pacific Islanders. (Currently, there is no statistical information for the ethnic breakdown of faculty or staff members.)

But more importantly, the dearth of classes that focuses on Pacific Islanders emphasize the lack of appreciation and value of Pacific Islander heritage and peoples on campus. At the UW, there is no department, major, or program that focuses on Pacific Islanders.

What message is being sent to Pacific Islander students when the student body population is less than 1 percent? When there are only three faculty members who can potentially identify as Pacific Islander? When the administration is not taking a proactive stance in cultivating a space for Pacific Islanders? What message is being sent to Pacific Islander students?

Brianne Ramos

Chamorro and Filipino

Pacific Islanders depicts an institutional are the programs that retain historically uphill struggle for Pacific Islander disadvantaged students. Without proper students on campus. administrative support, the burden is However, it is these Pacific Islander carried on by student leaders. students who are at the forefront of creating and making social change at the UW. Student organizations, like PSA and MIC, offer opportunities for Pacific Islander students to cultivate shared learning, leadership, and community.

Both MIC and PSA organize events such as Micronesian Night and Polynesian Day to promote campus visibility.

As PSA president, Aleaga said Polynesian Day is “an outreach program for high school students to make a statement on the UW community and further out. There are PIs on campus and we are in higher education.”

There is a lack of perception, a lack of awareness of Pacific Islanders in the United States, and the UW is no exception.

amese, Hawaiian, Greek, German, Vietn n Rica to Puer and

Student-run programs, like Pacific Islander Partnership and Education (PIPE), are retention programs that involve study tables, peer mentorship, and on-campus community building.

Student organizations and student-led initiatives are creating programming and building communities, not the UW According to the U.S. Census Bureau, administration. the per capita income (the amount of one But where is the administration in individual makes over a year) for Native retaining and ensuring the success of PI Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) students? is $19,020, which pales in comparison to “Once students actually get into the total population ($27,100) and whites the University of Washington, the ($31,735). The educational attainment administration quickly forgets about for NHPIs to garner a bachelor’s degree them,” Ahana-Jamile said. is 17 percent, which is less than the Rather than education being a total population (28 percent) and white transformative process for students population (31 percent).

When reminded about the statistics on to grow and be inspired, education Pacific Islanders and education, Alina is becoming commodified, AhanaAleaga said: “It just defeats my heart. Jamile explained. The commodification I want to obtain higher education so I of education is evident in the lack of can do better, not only for me but for my funding for student organizations to family and my people.” Aleaga identifies sustain their programs.

When describing his experiences at UW, Taylor Paul Anuhea AhanaJamile said: “As a Pacific Islander, I feel invisible. I feel that a lot of the issues that my community goes through are invisible and that not a lot of people really care about it. … I feel that there’s not really, not truly a space here for Pacific Islanders.” Ahana-Jamile identifies as Hawaiian, Greek, German, Vietnamese, and Puerto Rican. He is in his fifth year studying American Ethnic Studies and Anthropology and is the Pacific Islander as Samoan, Pacific Islander, Polynesian, and Oceana. She is a third year student Student Commission (PISC) Director. studying American Ethnic Studies and There is no instituted space within the Anthropology. Aleaga is president of the UW for Pacific Islanders. Hawaiian and Polynesian Student Alliance (PSA).

Pacific Islanders comprise 0.98 percent Students like Aleaga enter the UW of the student body population. Within with expectations to do well and excel. the faculty, only three members who However, the combination of structural are “International Scholars” from the problems and pervading invisibility of Philippines can potentially identify as

“It’s really hard to balance that schedule between student organizing and also doing well in school,” Ramos said.

There is much to be done at UW to outreach, retain, and value Pacific Islander students. But one of the most impactful ways is to create a Pacific Islander Studies program, a space that truly values the real experiences of PIs. Pacific Islander students come to the UW to learn and gain a degree, but college also presents an opportunity for students to also learn their own histories and practice their culture.

Jamile Taylor Paul Anuhea Ahana-

Pacific Islanders are placed in this ambiguous area where they know about Photos by Jacqueline Wu U.S. history and culture, but the United There is no denying that education is States has no recognition or knowledge power; that accessing education leads to of Pacific Islanders.

“It was kind of a hard transition,” more opportunities and social mobility.

Ramos said. “To go from people who Education may not solve all problems look like you, understand your culture, that Pacific Islanders face, but it is a start to going somewhere where no one even for social justice. knew who you were.”

For leaders like Ramos, that burden is heavy.

Aleaga said about her time at UW: “It’s hard working with not that many resources. Each year, there’s less and less, you receive less resources.”

The lack of funding for student organizations, creates competition and division among communities and instability for student-led programs. Yet the paradox is that student organizations

Alina Aleaga

Samoan, Pacific Islander, Polynesian, Oceania

At the moment, Pacific Islander stories and experiences are excluded from the UW’s academic cannon. This type of exclusion sends messages to the Pacific Islander communities that their stories and experiences are not worth studying.

And although financial constraints will always be the retort to the lack of inaction by the administration, when will Pacific Islanders become a priority on campus?

Pacific Islander student leaders like Ahana-Jamile, Aleaga, and Ramos all agree upon the need for a Pacific Islander Studies program as a means of obtaining proper representation, valuation, and hope for educational success.

YOUR OPINION COUNTS Please share your concerns, your solutions, and your voices. Send a letter to the editor to editor@ iexaminer.org with the subject line “Letter to the Editor.”

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

May 21, 2014 – June 3, 2014 — 11

IE ARTS

Rising literary star Zubair Ahmed dazzles with City of Rivers

By Shin Yu Pai IE Contributor

work of writers like James Wright, Philip Levine, Larry Levis, Don Domanski, and Peter Everwine—authors who “write with a magic I don’t understand, a unique touch that defines their stitching of words … which is filled with longing, story, and surrender.”

At a recent event for the APRIL Literary Festival, 25-year-old poet Zubair Ahmed read from his literary debut to a packed house at the Blindfold Gallery on Capitol Hill. Conceived as a collection of poems about locating home, City of Rivers maps the psychogeography of Ahmed’s native Bangladesh, a country that the poet left while in his teens.

Ahmed guides his readers through alleys in Rayarbazaar, the fields of Aga Khan, and a tiny urban dwelling big enough to sleep eight people. The poet remembers the Dhaka suburb of Ashulia, before urban development: “A long stretch of dirt road / Cutting through a wide river / Which passed us on both sides / Like someone lost within us.”

In poems that span sky burials, power outages, and organ harvesting, Dhaka comes alive to form a strange legacy. In poems like “Measuring the Strength of a Sparrow’s Thigh,” a speaker unfolds an outdated map of East Bengal and East Pakistan while wearing a sibling’s handme-down shirt, which doesn’t fit.

In 2004, Ahmed’s family won the Diversity Visa lottery and made the decision to immigrate to the United States.

“For my parents, the win represented an opportunity to find a brighter future for their two children,” Ahmed said. “They could just see it—us becoming well educated men with stable jobs. A future not easy to build in Bangladesh.”

But the lottery win confused Ahmed, who felt estranged from his peers and spent his days at Dhaka’s fi rst gaming café.

Ahmed

strikingly different from Dhaka. We didn’t have a community—most south Asians lived in Irving, Plano or Dallas. We struggled to adjust.”

This tension is reflected in City of Rivers in works like “Minyard’s,” a short poem about grocery shopping in small-town Texas and encountering cops in a parking lot who make racist jokes. In a dry and barren landscape so markedly different from the damp and clamor of Dhaka, poems like “Driving at Night in Texas” highlight the isolation of cruising alone, past landmarks like Joe Pool Lake—a body of water that doesn’t know it’s man-made, its connection to a place or people.

In 2007, Ahmed left Texas to attend Stanford University. Though focused from a young age on pursuing a career as an economist or engineer, his intellectual curiosity bloomed in college. Ahmed realized his deep interest in the arts and humanities and fell in love with an Ahmed’s faminterdisciplina r y ily re-established approach to themselves in Dunlearning, “one that canville, a suburb of Dallas, Texas, where his paternal uncle blurred, even removed, the traditional lived. Relatives helped the new immi- boundaries of subjects.” grants learn the basics of American life, At Stanford, Ahmed enrolled in “like how tap water is drinkable and how creative writing courses taught by poet credit scores matter,” Ahmed said. His Michael McGriff. Burned out from parents secured jobs assembling cabinets over a decade of intense academic at a furniture factory, where they toiled study and exhausted from engineering for almost a decade. “Duncanville of- finals and projects, Ahmed found fered little more than a Walmart and was refuge in poetry. He began reading the “I was happy and 15 years old,” Ahmed said. “I made enough money from winning tournaments to buy pizza and soda. I laughed and lived.

I didn’t know if this could continue, and I didn’t want to deal with an uncertain future. In the end, I left with a ready heart.”

Since September 2013, Ahmed has called Seattle home. Opting to pursue professional opportunities outside of Silicon Valley, Ahmed now works as an engineer for Boeing.

“I felt friction at Silicon Valley, where ideas seem more important than people,” Ahmed said. “I wanted to maintain a solid work-life balance— something which is difficult to attain in the booming companies of the Valley.”

Recalling his former student, McGriff commented: “His works reminds me, in its own way, of the poetry of James Wright. There’s a deep emotional center to his work that is tempered by concise A newcomer to the city’s literary scene, imagery, leaps of imagination, and Ahmed shared the Hugo House stage strikingly original image-making.” earlier this spring during the Associated The poems that became his debut Writing Programs conference, with collection, City of Rivers, were written poets that included Victoria Chang, Dan primarily during Ahmed’s junior and Chelotti, and Carl Adamshick. With a senior years at Stanford. Between promising future in publishing ahead of 2010 and 2011, Ahmed shared nearly him, Ahmed remains committed fi rst to 200 poems with his mentor. McGriff his love for writing. compiled the poems into a manuscript “I wish for poetry to be my and submitted it to McSweeney’s, which published it in 2012 as one of the companion—I want to be by poetry’s inaugural titles in its new poetry series. side. Ready to disappear into its world, where creation and discovery play with “It’s simply a marvelous and mature imagination and emotion.” collection of poetry,” McGriff said.

“And, as far as fi rst books of poetry go, I can’t think of any other collections that hold a candle to City of Rivers. It’s a wonderful achievement.”

iexaminer.org

Change Your Altitude – On the Mt. Rainier Gondola

Crystal Mountain Resort is best known as a skiers paradise, but it’s more than just that. It’s memories waiting to be created. It’s family hikes, horseback rides, and never-ending photo opportunities. It’s scenic gondola rides and gourmet dining at what feels like the top of the world. It’s Mt. Rainier bigger and more beautiful than you’ve ever seen it. Crystal Mountain Resort is located just 6 miles from the Northeast entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park. Keep the mountain magic going and stay the night. Cozy hotels, condos and cabins tucked away at the base of the mountain make for the ideal relaxing or adventurous getaway.

Let’s connect: CrystalMountainResort.com CrystalMountain CrystalMt

also available at the WSCC Service rther info Entrance, 9th and Pike, Mon-Fri, 8am Apps are – 5pm. WSCC application must be completed for 2014 consideration.

Service 12 — May 21, – June 3,Jobline: 2014 n-Fri, 8:00 (206) 694-5039. EOE. p must be Position Logo: $12.00 206) 694- Regular Lines: $6.00 X 13 = $78 Bold Lines: 10.50 X 8 = $84.00

$114 50

onvention accepting of SALES include s master license

A or BS; se facility ordination rect exp ing filing s exp in adsheets. with an system.

ther info Apps are Service -Fri, 8:00 must be Position 206) 694-

$114 50

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

IE ARTS

TOTAL = $174

EMPLOYMENT

Parking Building Operating Engineer Washington State Convention Center Foreperson (WSCC), located in downtown Seattle, Washington State Convention Center is accepting applications for Parking (WSCC), located in downtown Cashier Part-Time (20 - 35 hours per Seattle, is accepting applications week). for a Building Operating Engineer Duties include Foreperson.

Duties include monitoring incoming operation, maintenance and repair vehicles, collecting parking fees & of EMCS & other building systems. providing customer service to WSCC guests. Requires HS diploma or GED Requires HS diploma or GED, & and one year of cashier experience.

5 yrs. exp. as a bldg. operating or Applicants must be available to work stationary engineer; or any equivalent flexible hours including weekends, combination of training/exp.; City evenings and nights. of Seattle Steam Engineer Grade 2 license & City of Seattle Refrigeration Visit www.wscc.com for further info or Operator License. Prefer CFC to download an application. Apps are certification and knowledge of LEED also available at the WSCC Service certification process.

Entrance, 9th and Pike, Mon-Fri, 8am – 5pm. WSCC application must be Visit www.wscc.com for further info completed for consideration. Jobline: or to download an app. Apps are (206) 694-5039. EOE. also available at the WSCC Service Entrance, 9th and Pike, Mon-Fri, 8a Logo: $12.00 – 5p. WSCC app must be completed Regular Lines: $6.00 X 13 = $78 for consideration. Position is open until Bold Lines: 10.50 X 8 = $84.00 filled. Jobline: (206) 694-5039. EOE. TOTAL = $174 Logo: $12.00 Regular Lines: $6.00 X 19 = $114 Bold Lines: 10.50 X 6 = $63.00 TOTAL = $189.00 Building Operating Engineer Foreperson Washington State Convention Center (WSCC), located in downtown Seattle, is accepting applications for a Building Operating Engineer Foreperson.

Duties include operation, maintenance and repair of EMCS & other building systems.

Requires HS diploma or GED, & 5 yrs. exp. as a bldg. operating or stationary engineer; or any equivalent combination of training/exp.; City of Seattle Steam Engineer Grade 2 license & City of Seattle Refrigeration Operator License. Prefer CFC certification and knowledge of LEED certification process.

Visit www.wscc.com for further info or to download an app. Apps are also available at the WSCC Service Entrance, 9th and Pike, Mon-Fri, 8a – 5p. WSCC app must be completed for consideration. Position is open until filled. Jobline: (206) 694-5039. EOE. Logo: $12.00 Regular Lines: $6.00 X 19 = $114 Bold Lines: 10.50 X 6 = $63.00 TOTAL = $189.00

It was with sadness that I learned belatedly about the passing (back in November of 2013) of art curator Karin Higa. A New York friend had emailed me a few weeks back about a memorial to her in New York attended by friends and art activists from “Godzilla” (a New York-based Asian American Arts Collective in the ’90s) days. Higa was practically on the ground floor in the shaping and realization of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles and helped construct an Asian American art aesthetic in her curating of important historical shows such as “The View From Within: Japanese American Art from the Internment Camps, 1942-1945,” a look at the work of video artists Bruce and Norman Yonemoto; “Living in Color: The Art of Hideo Date,” a Masumi Hayashi retrospective, “George Nakashima: Nature, Form & Spirit”; and “Living Flowers: Ikebana and Contemporary Art.” She also co-curated an important traveling show entitled “One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now” that opened at Asia Society in New York. She was working on “Made in L.A. 2014” at the time of her death.

Higa was a strong presence and pioneer in the burgeoning field of Asian American art history and her presence will be strongly missed. Below we have reprinted an excerpt of Professor Art Hansen’s remembrance of Higa as well as a short comment by Russell Leong, former editor of Amerasia Journal—UCLA Asian American Studies Center who worked with Higa on one of her first exhibition catalogs. We thank Hansen and Leong for permission to reprint. We also thank Yoko Nishimura at JANM’s Discover Nikkei Website (DiscoverNikkei.org), where Hansen’s article originally appeared, for permission to reprint.

–Alan Chong Lau, IE Arts Editor

Memories of a colleague and friend: Karin Higa

By Arthur A. Hansen Guest Contributor

its official opening in 1992 and was now simultaneously completing an art history doctorate at UCLA while heading up the museum’s Curatorial Department. In our brief introductory exchange, Karin’s intelligence and professionalism shone through unmistakably. However, her manner struck me as being formally civil, bordering on brusqueness. I distinctly remember feeling that she was very probably not someone I would prefer to have as either a colleague or a supervisor.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, October 30, 2013, four current Japanese American National Museum (JANM) staff members and one past staffer emailed me about the death on the previous day of 47-year-old Karin Higa, the museum’s longtime and highly esteemed former senior curator.

Several of these messages included an attached remembrance of Karin by Laura Kina, an artist and associate professor of art at Chicago’s DePaul University, whose research focuses on contemporary visual art, Critical Mixed Race, and Asian American Studies. Like Karin, Laura was born in California and descended from Okinawan (Uchinanchu) American family roots. Confessing that she could not remember when she first met Karin, “as it seems that she has always been at the center of Asian American art and critical race art history,”

Laura clearly recalled their last encounter.

It occurred in the East Room of the White House on June 3, 2013, when both of them had been invited along with numerous other artists and curators of color by First Lady Michelle Obama for an event that the White House Historical Association organized “in celebration of American art.” Although Karin was stylishly outfitted, recollected Laura, the cancer then ravaging her body was betrayed to those in attendance by the loss of much of her hair, a general lessening of physical vitality, and an alarming thirst for water. Laura regretted that she had not availed herself of the opportunity presented on this propitious occasion to tell Karin how greatly she always admired her and how important she judged her to be. “She was honestly one of the smartest women I know,” observed Laura. “She seemed so invincible… I guess I just assumed she would beat this, that she’d still be here…

We are all going to miss her so much.”

As for my memories of Karin, they go back to the year 2000 when I was introduced to her at JANM by Darcie Iki, the coordinator of the museum’s Life History Program. Under Darcie’s able direction,

Higa

that program was then spearheading an ambitious four-city (Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Chicago) collaborative study (with me serving as an advisory scholar) entitled REgenerations Oral History Project: Rebuilding Japanese American Families, Communities, and Civil Rights in the Resettlement Era. Darcie had given me an advance briefing on Karin, in which she extolled her as a brilliant art historian, one who had been connected with JANM since

As it turned out, though, in less than two years Karin became both my colleague and my supervisor. This situation came about because, in the wake of the 9/11 catastrophe in 2001, I was persuaded to take a staff position with JANM. The person who did the persuading was Lloyd Inui. Knowing that I was on the precipice of entering the early retirement program at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), whereby I would maintain a half-time assignment with the History Department for the next five years before full retirement, Lloyd recommended HIGA: Continued on page 13 . . .

Karin Higa was a trenchant thinker with a compassionate sense of the relationship between a community and its art makers. We had worked on her first catalogue on Japanese Americans of the internment, where I provided some editorial assistance.

She was not ever taken in by trendy notions of a post racial, postmodern society because grass-roots ethnic history meant much to her—and provided the context for artists and art making under the shadows caused by a luminous sun blazing down on a guard tower and rows of flimsy wooden barracks under Heart Mountain.

We were Asians here, in America, she knew, and art making in the camps both inspired us and liberated us in a way that questioned those who put us in here.

Art was therefore not an end in itself but rather the beginning of a question and the beginning of spiritual freedom. And technique and aesthetics and craft, no matter how developed or elementary were secondary to knowing history.

This much I learned from Karin and to this day these notions inform my own thinking on art making.

—Russell Leong, former Editor of Amerasia Journal at UCLA Asian American Studies Center

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

IE ARTS

A or BS; seorfacility BS; erdination facility rect exp dination ing filing ect exp sngexp filingin adsheets. exp in with an dsheets. system. with an ystem. ther info Apps are her info Service pps are -Fri, 8:00 Service must be Fri, 8:00 Position must be 206) 694Position 06) 694-

an M.A. in fine arts from UCLA, who presided over the proceedings in the spirit of primus inter pares (first among equals). While she did not shy away from taking and defending strong stands on controversial and delicate issues, she invariably encouraged thoughtful, informed, and candid opinions from the rest of the staff so that policy decisions (such as the subjects for future museum exhibitions) were characteristically produced through a lively democratic process and endorsed by an operational group consensus. ...

. . . HIGA: Continued from page 12

that I use my free time to join forces with him at JANM, where he had been working since his early 1990s retirement as chair of California State University, Long Beach’s Asian and Asian American Studies Department. Since I had enjoyed a fruitful working relationship with JANM for many years in my dual capacity as director of the CSUF Oral History Program and its Japanese American Project, I readily accepted Lloyd’s offer.

Accordingly, he told me that I would be enfolded into the museum’s Curatorial Department and, like him, report to its One of our special points of connection very talented and dedicated leader, Karin Higa, for whom he professed the highest was that my wife Debbie and I got married and spent our honeymoon in 1977 on regard and affection.

Mount Desert Island (MDI), a magical ... place off the coast of Maine that Karin Where I really came to value Karin as knew very intimately as a result of her a consummate professional curator, an being a guest scholar there for many innovative and resourceful teacher/museum summers. We also returned there multiple administrator, and an altogether delightful times to refresh our marital vows and and compassionate human being was reinforce our bond of love. This situation during the Curatorial Department’s weekly led to a series of small yet very meaningful meetings. These gatherings were always MDI gifts being exchanged between Karin enacted in a comfortable environment, and us. We mailed Karin the last of these enlivened by friendly banter, and eased gifts during a short MDI vacation that we by assorted comfort snacks. Nonetheless, took just a month before her death. It was they were pervaded by a prevailing sense a 2014 MDI calendar featuring monthly of high, almost sanctified, importance. In artistic photographs of the island’s natural short, as with all consequential intellectual splendors. It was intended as a prophetic activity, there was an exquisite admixture sign that she would win her struggle with of playfulness and piety. Apart from Lloyd cancer and go on to add luster to her already and I, the two retired social science college dazzling career and friend-filled life. professors, the participants included the Although Karin’s scenario played out holder of a doctorate in folklore and another in history, two prospective recipients differently, she has made her powerful of doctorates in American Civilization claim on posterity, and those of us and history, and several others pursuing who had the good fortune to be her advanced degrees in a variety of disciplines colleague and friend will always cherish who had already published scholarly books, her memory and promote her legacy to others deprived of this extraordinary articles, or reviews. blessing.

The agenda for and the tone of these meetings was established by Karin, the holder of a B.A. from Columbia and

CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS

onvention accepting nvention f SALES ccepting include SALES s include master license master license

May 21, 2014 – June, 3 2014 — 13

EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT HELP WANTED

EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT

CLASSIFIEDS

Sales Coordinator Sales The Coordinator Washington State Convention The Washington Center (WSCC)Stateis Convention accepting Center (WSCC) is accepting applications for the position of SALES Parking applications for the position COORDINATOR. Dutiesof SALES include Washington Convention Center Parking COORDINATOR. Duties maintenanceState of the facility’s include master (WSCC), in downtown Washington State Convention Center maintenance the facility’s master schedulelocated ofof events and Seattle, license is accepting for Seattle, Parking (WSCC), located in downtown schedule ofapplications events and license agreements.

Part-Time (20 35 hours per isCashier accepting applications for Parking agreements. week).

Cashier Part-Time (20 35 hours per Requirements: Relevant BA or BS; week).

Requirements: Relevant BA orfacility BS; 2 yrs exp in hotel or multi-use Duties include monitoring incoming 2inyrsa exp in hotel or multi-use facility scheduling, event coordination vehicles, collecting parking fees exp & Duties include monitoring incoming inor a related scheduling, event position withcoordination direct providing customer service to WSCC vehicles, collecting parking fees & ormaintaining related position with direct filing exp a sales/scheduling guests.

Requires HS diploma orexp GED providing customer service to WSCC maintaining a system. sales/scheduling filingin and training 3 yrs and year system. ofHS cashier experience. guests.

Requires diploma GEDin and training 3spreadsheets. yrs orexp wordone processing and Applicants must be available to and one year of cashier experience. word processing Preference for and 1yr spreadsheets. exp withwork an flexible hours including Applicants must available to work Preference for be 1yr exp weekends, with an automated event scheduling system. evenings and nights. flexible hours including weekends, automated event scheduling system. evenings and nights.

Visit www.wscc.com for further info Visit www.wscc.com further infoinfo or Visit www.wscc.com for further or to download anfor app.

Apps are to download an application.

Apps are Visit www.wscc.com for further info or oralso to download an app.

Apps are available at the WSCC Service available the WSCC Service toalso download an at application.

Apps are also available at thePike, WSCC Service Entrance, 9th and Mon-Fri, 8:00 Entrance, 9th and Pike, Mon-Fri, 8am also available at the WSCC Service Entrance, 9thp.m. andWSCC Pike, Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 app must be – 5pm.

WSCC application be Entrance, 9thfor and Pike, Mon-Fri, 8am a.m.

– 5:00 p.m.

WSCC app must must be completed consideration.

Position for consideration.

Jobline: –completed application must be completed forfilled. consideration.

Position is5pm. openWSCC until Jobline: (206) 694(206) 694-5039.

EOE. completed forfilled. consideration.

Jobline: is5039. open until Jobline: (206) 694EOE. (206) EOE. 5039.694-5039.

EOE. Logo: $12.00 Logo: $12.00 Regular Lines: $6.00X X = $78 Logo: $12.00 Logo: $12.00 Regular Lines: $6.00 19 13 = $114 Bold Lines: 10.50 X 8 = $84.00 Regular Lines: $6.00 X 13 = Regular Lines: $6.00 = $114$78 Bold Lines: 10.50 X 5X =19$52.50 Bold Lines: 10.50 10.50X 5X= $52.50 8 = $84.00 Bold Lines:

EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT

Parking Parking Sales Coordinator Washington State Convention Center Washington State in Convention Center The Washington State Convention (WSCC), located downtown Seattle, (WSCC), located in downtown Seattle, Center (WSCC) is foraccepting is accepting applications Parking is accepting applications forof Parking applications for the position SALES Cashier Part-Time (20 - 35 hours per Cashier - 35 hours per COORDINATOR. Duties include week). Part-Time (20 week). maintenance of the facility’s master schedule of events and incoming license Duties include monitoring Duties include monitoring agreements. vehicles, collecting parkingincoming fees & vehicles, parking tofees & providing collecting customer service WSCC providing customer service to WSCC Requirements: Relevant BA or GED BS; guests. Requires HS diploma or guests.

Requires orfacility GED 2and yrs one exp in hotel or diploma multi-use year ofHS cashier experience. and year of cashier experience. in aone scheduling, event coordination Applicants must be available to work Applicants must be available to work or relatedhours position with direct exp flexible including weekends, flexible including weekends, maintaining sales/scheduling filing eveningshours anda nights. evenings and nights. and training system. 3 yrs exp in word processing andforspreadsheets.

Visit www.wscc.com further info or Visit www.wscc.com further info are or Preference for 1yrfor exp with an to download an application.

Apps to download an at application.

Apps are automated event scheduling system. also available the WSCC Service also available thePike, WSCC Service Entrance, 9that and Mon-Fri, 8am Entrance, 9th andapplication Pike, 8am Visit www.wscc.com forMon-Fri, further info – 5pm.

WSCC must be –or 5pm.

WSCC application must be to download an app. Apps are completed for consideration.

Jobline: completed for consideration. also at EOE. the WSCCJobline: Service (206)available 694-5039.

(206) 694-5039.

EOE. Entrance, 9th and Pike, Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m.

5:00 p.m. WSCC app must be Logo:– $12.00 Logo: $12.00 completed for consideration.

Regular Lines: $6.00 X 13Position = $78 Regular Lines: $6.00 $78 isBold openLines: until filled.

Jobline: (206) 69410.50 X X 8 13 = =$84.00 Bold 5039. Lines: EOE. 10.50 X 8 = $84.00 TOTAL = $174 TOTAL = $174 Logo: $12.00 Regular Lines: $6.00 X 19 = $114 Bold Lines: 10.50 X 5 = $52.50

Circling Back: The lineage in Brian Komei Dempster’s Topaz

By Tarisa A.M. Matsumoto IE Contributor In the poem “Migration,” Brian Komei Dempster writes: “Only when I circle back, can I continue beyond.” This seems to be the motivation behind Dempster’s debut book of poetry, Topaz.

As Dempster indicates throughout the collection, his family members were among the more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry who were forcibly removed from their homes during World War II and sent to internment camps.

Dempster’s family eventually ended up at the Topaz Incarceration Camp in Utah. The majority of his poems seek to understand the experiences that this family endured while they were incarcerated and the experiences that followed after the war.

And as part of this desire to understand his place in all of this family history, Dempster writes that he needs to first actually find the memories of his family.

In one of the poems, he writes about trying to get his grandmother to talk about her experiences, but she never directly answers his questions (“My Questions to Obachan, Her Answers”). Like many people who were taken to internment camps, his mother doesn’t want to speak of it.

So in a way, Topaz is Dempster’s way of uncovering the family memories, of circling back for them. He writes of prayer beads and steamer trunks, and the poems seem to be those beads, each a meditation on a memory. Or they fit into the symbolic steamer trunk that Dempster references throughout as if it were the container of a collection of “letters, photographs, fragments of stories” (from “Crossing”).

EMPLOYMENT It is clear from the book’s dedication and notes that Dempster’s focus is on his family, with brief connections to other focal points of Asian American history beyond the Japanese American internment.

Parking But the poems about his Center Washington State Convention family are the cornerstones (WSCC), located in downtown Seattle, is ofaccepting applicationsThe for Parking the collection.

Cashier - 35 hours per openingPart-Time poem, (20 “Topaz,” week). begins, “I am the prism/ refracting/your prison.”

Duties include monitoring For Dempster, he is the incoming vehicles, collecting prism, and throughparking him, fees & providing customer service to WSCC his ancestors’ experiences guests. Requires HS diploma or GED can be uncovered and and one year of cashier experience. remembered.

Applicants must be available to work flexible weekends, Therehoursareincluding stylistic evenings and nights. differences among the

poems; some are longer

Visit www.wscc.com for further or or narratives, some read like info letters tomeditations. download anBut application.

Apps are my favorite poems are also available at the WSCC Service the eight that are quite sparse, poems Entrance, 9th and Pike, Mon-Fri, 8am like “Topaz,” “Sheer,” and “Pearl.” These – 5pm. WSCC application must be minimalistic poems linger,Jobline: like those completed for consideration. fragments of memory (206) 694-5039.

EOE. that all of us try so

desperately to hold on to as time passes

and events Logo: $12.00are drawn further back into the past. These are $6.00 the poems that= Dempster Regular Lines: X 13 $78 uses Lines: to pull the narrative his $84.00 own family Bold 10.50 X 8of = TOTAL = $174

Dempster

together. And these are the poems that hold the collection together in a place that is solid and grounded, grounded in family and history, suffering and love.

Poet Brian Komei Dempster visits Seattle from the University of San Francisco where he teaches to read and talk about his debut book of poetry entitled “Topaz.” The book follows the influence of the internment camp experience amongst Japanese Americans and traces the ramifications through generations of a family and a people.

On May 31, Brian Komei Dempster will do a program entitled “Japanese American Impisonment & Resettlement: The Power of Our Intergenerational Stories” with presentations by Janet Sakamoto Baba and Atsushi Kiuchi from the Pacific Northwest writing project. 7:00 p.m. at NVC Memorial Hall at 1212 South King St. The event is Co-presented with the Nisei Veterans Committee, Densho, The Japanese American Legacy Project & Elliott Bay Book Company. On June 1 at 3:00 p.m., Dempster reads with fellow poet Janet Norman Knox at Eagle Harbor Books at 157 Winslow Way E. on Bainbridge Island.

On June 3, he will be at University Book Store (4326 University Way NE) at 6:00 p.m. in a reading entitled, “Asian Pacific American Poetry Across the Generations,” with poets Sharon Hashimoto, Arlene Kim and Alan Chong Lau with a special tribute reading of the poems of the late KimAn Lieberman. Finally on June 5 at 6:00 p.m., the poet collaborates with his musician father Stuart Dempster, artist mother Renko Ishida Dempster, and storyteller Dee Goto in the theatre at the Wing Luke Museum (719 South King St). For details on all of his events, visit briankomeidempster.com/events.

14 — May 21, 2014 – June 3, 2014

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

CLASSIFIEDS

IE COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY Arts & Culture

Professional & Leadership RENT Development

Asian Counseling & Referral Service

Asia Pacific Cultural Center 4851 So. Tacoma Way Tacoma, WA 98409 Ph: 253-383-3900 Fx: 253-292-1551 faalua@comcast.net www.asiapacificculturalcenter.org Bridging communities and generations through arts, culture, education and business.

1300 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 Ph: 206-654-3209 Fx: 206-654-3135 SAM connects art to life through special exhibitions, educational programs and installations drawn from its collection of approximately 25,000 objects. Through its three sites, SAM presents global perspectives, making the arts a part of everyday life for people of all ages, interests, backgrounds and cultures.

Education 3327 Beacon Ave S. Seattle, WA 98144 ph: 206-725-9740

3639 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S, Seattle, WA 98144 ph: 206-695-7600 fx: 206-695-7606 events@acrs.org www.acrs.org ACRS offers multilingual, behavioral health and social services to Asian Pacific Americans and other lowincome people in King County.

Executive Development Institute 310 – 120th Ave NE. Suite A102 Bellevue, WA Ph. 425-467-9365 • Fax: 425-467-1244 Email: edi@ediorg.org • Website: www.ediorg.org EDI offers culturally relevant leadership development programs.

WE MAKE LEADERS Queen Anne Station, P.O. Box 19888, Seattle, WA 98109 info@naaapseattle.org, www.naaapseattle.org Fostering future leaders through education, networking and community services for Asian American professionals and entrepreneurs.

Facebook: NAAAP-Seattle Twitter: twitter.com/naaapseattle

Senior Services

VNSF enables underprivileged students in Viet Nam to achieve success and happiness through education. We are looking for volunteers and board members to join the team and make a difference in the lives of kids in Vietnam.

Housing & Neighborhood Planning HomeSight 5117 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118 ph: 206-723-4355 fx: 206-760-4210 www.homesightwa.org HomeSight creates homeownership opportunities through real estate development, home buyer education and counseling, and lending.

Housing, property management and community development.

Total: $18

Don’t get take-out!

Have it Delivered!

PO Box 14047, Seattle WA 98114 (206) 325.0325 (Helpline) info@apichaya.org www. apichaya.org API Chaya is dedicated to serving survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence and human trafficking in the Asian, South Asian and Pacific Islander communities. We offer multi-lingual services that are free and confidential.

815 S Weller St, Suite 212, Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-652-2330 fx: 206-652-2344 contact@kinon.org www.kinon.org Provides home care, Alzheimer’s and caregiver support, community education and chronic care management; coordinates medical supply delivery for Asian/Chinese seniors and families in King County.

Kin On Health Care Center

4416 S Brandon St, Seattle, WA 98118 ph: 206-721-3630 fx: 206-721-3626 contact@kinon.org www.kinon.org A 100-bed, Medicare and Medicaid certified, not-for-profit skilled nursing facility offering long-term skilled nursing and short-term rehab care for Asian/Chinese seniors.

Regular Bold Lin

TOTAL =

803 South Lane Street Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-292-5184 fx: 206-838-3057 info@legacyhouse.org www.scidpda.org/programs/legacyhouse.aspx Description of organization/services offered: Assisted Living, Adult Day Services, meal programs for low-income seniors.

Medicaid accepted.

Senior Community Service Employment Program ph: 206-322-5272 fx: 206-322-5387 www.napca.org Part-time training program for low income Asian Pacific Islanders age 55+ in Seattle/ King & Pierce Counties.

Shoreline Medical & Dental Clinic Coming in 2014!

ICHS is a non-profit medical and dental center that provides health care to low income Asian, Pacific Islanders, immigrants and refugees in Washington State.

Seattle Rotary Club Bill Nagel Meets Every Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

New Hong Kong Restaurant Bill.nagel@gmail.com http://www.seattleidrotary.org/ Improve the local community by engaging activities such as community improvement projects, scholarship opportunities, and undertakings that promote education.

1601 E Yesler Way, Seattle, WA 98122 ph: 206-323-7100 fx: 206-325-1502 www.nikkeiconcerns.org Rehabilitation & care center; assisted living community; senior activity program; continuing education.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER FOR $35/YEAR FOR 24 ISSUES! Please mail a check for $35 to the International Examiner or donate to: 622 S. Washington St., Seattle, WA 98104.Thank you for your contribution.

1501 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103 ph: 206-694-6700 fx: 206-694-6777 info@solid-ground.org www.solid-ground.org

Our programs help people meet their immediate needs and gain the skills and resources needed to reach solid ground and achieve their dreams.

www.merchants-parking-transia. org

Merchants Parking provides convenient & affordable community parking. Transia provides community transportation: para-transit van services, shuttle services and field trips in & out of Chinatown/ International District & South King County.

Get the plan that fits

Seattle ing indi tions tha to provid reliable through Program have ele to help build s promote build on come dr of $4,00 park for

See link partners Summe Proposa deadlin 16, 2014

International District Medical & Dental Clinic 720 8th Ave S, Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-788-3650 fax: 206-490-4011 email: info@ichs.com website: www.ichs.com

ph: 206-624-3426 Seattle Chinatown/International District Preservation and Development Authority ph: 206-624-8929 fx: 206-467-6376 info@scidpda.org

$6 X 3 lines = $18 Bold lines = $0

Community Care Network of Kin On

National Asian Pacific Center on Aging Kawabe Memorial House 221 18th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144 ph: 206-322-4550 fx: 206-329-3330 connie.devaney@gmail.com We provide affordable, safe, culturally sensitive housing and support services to people aged 62 and older.

Address tobacco control and other health justice issues in the Asian American/Pacific Islander communities.

Free 2008 Honda CBR1000RR. Wonderful bike. Runs Perfectly. (pakerjackie@yahoo.com) if interested.

CISC helps Asian immigrants make the transition to a new life while keeping later generations on touch with their rich heritage.

Legacy House InterIm Community Development Association 310 Maynard Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104 Ph: 206.624-1802 Services: 601 S King St, Ph: 206. 623-5132 Interimicda.org Multilingual community building: housing & parking, housing/ asset counseling, projects, teen leadership and gardening programs.

601 S King St. Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-682-1668 website www.apicat.org

FOR SALE

Chinese Information and Service Center 611 S Lane St, Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-624-5633 fax: 206-624-5634 info@cisc-seattle.org www.cisc-seattle.org

info@deniselouie.org www.deniselouie.org Multicultural preschool ages 3-5 years old. Now enrolling Private Pay full-day ($900/mo) and part-day classes ($500/mo) with locations at ID, Beacon Hill, and Rainier Beach.

P.O. Box 16016 Seattle, WA 98116 info@vnsf.org www.vnsf.org

WANTED SocialHELP & Health Services

Over 1,700 likes! www.facebook.com/internationalexaminer

www.myamerigroup.com/ó

Call Washington Apple Health at 1-855-WAFINDER (1-855-923-4633). Choose Amerigroup.

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

May 21, 2014 – June 3, 2014 — 15

IE NEWS

SIFFing for Asia: API offerings abound at this year’s festival

By Yayoi L. Winfrey IE Contributor Among the Asian offerings at this year’s Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) are movies featuring family, food, flying and filmmaking, including the following:

A touching comedy from the Philippines, The Bit Player stars Vilma Santos as Loida, the single mother of a college student. Struggling to make a living as a movie extra, she awakens in darkness, races to scrounge wardrobe from neighbors, taxis with her best friend, Venus, to a shrieking talent coordinator who crams them into a service van to the shoot’s location—all before sunrise. On the set of a television soap opera series, the director hustles to shoot on schedule while his producer scrimps on their already tight budget. Humorously engaging, the film also boasts a strong social consciousness that exposes trade secrets, like extras being treated like props. When food runs out, the last ones in line don’t get fed. When one faints in the heat, she’s dragged off set without pay.

As an aging woman with aspirations for that big break in order to finance her daughter’s education, Loida is stoically graceful. She never abandons hope even when it becomes clear that her job as an extra places her in the lowest caste of the cast. Screens May 21 and May 23.

city life turning decent country folks into souldepleted bourgeoisie. A Beijing architect, Chongyi (Qin Hao), has a meeting in Tokyo while his executive wife (Li Xiaoran) has an appointment in Paris. Unfortunately, their live-in nanny has already been promised a vacation. Enter grandpa (Li Baotian), the father that Chongyi has never forgiven for losing his daughter while visiting a bird shop. Likewise, viewers may never forgive Chongyi for finding the child who is so unlikable in the first third of the film that the director struggles to explain her transition from iPad brat to devoted granddaughter. Transporting grandpa’s caged 18-year-old Nightingale to free at grandma’s village grave, the two bond along their lush forest journey. Screens May 25.

Besides close-ups of scrumptious looking dishes, there’s little else in Final Recipe to hunger over. The outlandish back story about a famous TV chef (Chin Han) who no longer speaks to his restaurant owner father (Chang Tseng) even though grandpa raised his aspiring chef son (Henry Lau) is so farfetched that even the usually resilient Michelle Yeoh appears rigid in her role as a producer married to the famous chef. The premise of a major television food competition determining the best culinary artist elicits some nail biting moments. Alas, while the food is painstakingly photographed, the script didn’t benefit from A China-France co-production, The such minute attention. With both Singapore Nightingale makes a statement about decadent and Shanghai as locales, exotic scenery vies

with shiny stainless kitchens as the countdown begins. Even the actors look good enough to eat, although the movie would’ve benefited from more face time with comic relief Bobby Lee. Screens May 24, June 2, and June 4.

The first five minutes of 40 Days Of Silence almost describes its title. Nearly noiseless, the only audio heard is a woman’s ghostly voice asking Bibicha what has happened to her.

Slowly, the momentum builds, revealing a ritual called Chilla that overwhelms the family of females. Bibicha has left her mother to spend 40 speechless days with her grandmother and young cousin, Sharifa. Meanwhile, Sharifa’s mother, Khamida, has returned to the village she loathes from the city she loves, absently playing with her cell phone and refusing the requisite Islamic headscarf. This modest story unravels in Uzbekistan and features ethereal figures emerging from shadows, stark snowcovered hills and trees, wandering goats, and assorted foodstuffs served and prayed over. It’s a moody, moralistic tale made intriguing by the absence of men. Screens May 22.

Liar’s Dice refers to Nawazuddin’s (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) vocation of hustling gamblers in between halfheartedly helping a village woman find her construction worker husband in the city. Kamla (Geetanjali Thapa) lives with her daughter and pet goat in the Himalayas flanked by India and Tibet. After not hearing from her spouse in five months, she unwisely scoops up her child and goat, and heads out to search for him. Naively bumbling through a maze of soldiers, she encounters a mysterious man who’s been beaten and robbed of his guns. Soon, they form an uneasy alliance on the road; voyaging the panoramic country by bus, rickshaw, taxi or train, all for the purpose of locating Kamla’s missing husband.

While Nawazuddin inexplicably sticks around (Kamla has little money), and the ending

leaves loose ends, this study of the inhumane treatment of laborers is thought provoking.

Screens May 26, June 3, and June 5.

Absorbing and flawless in its execution, Remote Control is the story of a Mongolian teenager torn between old and new. Obsessed by the tale of a boy monk who was murdered for trying to fly with a parachute, Tsog sells milk in the city each day. At night, he returns to the constant bickering of his drunken father and cold-hearted stepmother. And, though he buys textbooks for his little brother’s education, the boy betrays him by selling a book of Tsog’s drawings for a horse ride and candy. Running away to the city and camping out on a rooftop, Tsog becomes intrigued with a young woman living in the high-rise across from him. While watching the building’s tenants with binoculars, he also switches their TV stations with a remote control. Learning that the woman has left her lover because of her fear of heights, he gets emotionally involved.

Lively music is a delightful accompaniment to metaphors of airplanes, balloons, kites and other flying objects. Screens May 22 and May 24.

Real–life, blind Taiwanese pianist Huang Yu-siang plays himself as a first-year college student majoring in music in Touch of the Light. Yet his skills as a concert level pianist makes it hard to imagine there’d be anything left for him to study. With a stern but overprotective mother, a slob of a roommate, several cruel classmates, and a pretty friend who’s inspired by Siang to pursue her love for dance, this film is surprisingly benign.

The music, though, is moving and the story is sweet. Screens May 22.

Whether it’s family, food, flying or filmmaking you desire, SIFF has an Asian movie for you.

Check back for Sudoku in the IE every issue! Answers to this puzzle are in the next issue on Wednesday, June 4.

16 — May 21, 2014 – June 3, 2014

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

So good, it could turn you into a morning person.

100% freshly grilled egg whites, melted white cheddar,* savory Canadian bacon, and an English muffin made with 8 grams of whole grain, all for just 250 calories. Add your favorite McCafé® Coffee and you’ll see the morning in a whole new light. And now you can get egg whites on any breakfast sandwich at McDonald’s.® It’s a fresh start on a brand new day. *Pasteurized process. At participating McDonald’s. © 2014 McDonald’s

2014 Job#:

NW_ACM_1421183

–––

Live:

visual

CD: ACD:

John Evans Studio Mgr.: Jim Casares Romeo Cervas Print Prod. Mgr.: Jim Casares