May 3, 2017 International Examiner

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

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May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017 — 1

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FREE EST. 1974—SEATTLE VOLUME 44, NUMBER 9 — May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017 THE NEWSPAPER OF THE NORTHWEST ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COMMUNITIES. FIND YOUR INSPIRASIAN.

CID Public Safety Coordinator is ready to engage

By Chetanya Robinson IE Assistant Editor In late March, Sonny Nguyen was hired by the Chinatown International District Public Safety Steering Committee as public safety coordinator for the neighborhood.

Nguyen’s hiring came after a succession of community-led efforts to address the neighborhood’s decades-old public safety problems. Following the murder of longtime CID public safety champion Donnie Chin in 2015 during a shooting between rival gangs, Mayor Ed Murray assembled a public safety task force in early 2016 to come up with recommendations for improving public safety.

Nguyen was one of 19 members of that task force, which released a report with a list of recommendations that helped shape the Mayor’s July 2016 CID public safety action plan.

Nguyen’s job as neighborhood public safety coordinator was one of three positions created by the Mayor’s action plan.

The others were the Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist with the Seattle Police Department—a position held by Vicky Li—and for a Community Projects Manager with the City’s Department of Neighborhoods, held by Ben Han. Nguyen, age 26, has a background in community engagement through the Washington Bus Fellowship, and as a founding member of API Food Fight Club, an organizing coalition for young APIs. Nguyen is a few weeks into his new job, which will be funded for two years. In an interview with the International Examiner (edited for length and clarity), Nguyen spoke about what they’ve been up to so far on the job, the reasons for the CID’s public safety problems, and why they think the neighborhood doesn’t deserve its NIMBY reputation.

IE: What does your job as public safety coordinator involve?

Sonny Nguyen: Out of the Mayor’s public safety task force, there was a huge list of recommendations. Along with my job, there are two other positions that were cre-

Former Gov. Mike Lowry at the 2014 ICHS Bloom Gala. • Courtesy Photo

API community mourns death of civil liberties champion Mike Lowry

By Ron Chew IE Contributor

Sonny Nguyen. • Photo by Chetanya Robinson

ated for public safety in this neighborhood.

One is focusing someone at the department of neighborhoods to public safety in this neighborhood, and that is Ben Han. And then Vicky Li got hired as the Seattle Police Department Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist—working with SPD, working with the City, and then me working with the community and all of us working together to move forward the recommendations created by the task force last year.

So a lot of that is meeting with folks and doing these kind of boring behind the scenes things, but what I’m most excited about is meeting with the community and figuring out what they want me to do. I work for the entire community. So actually starting this week I’m going all around Little Saigon to meet all the business owners and to get their ideas of what’s going to make a better, safer neighborhood for them so that I can incorporate that into my work plan.

SONNY: Continued on page 5 . . .

Former Washington Governor Mike Lowry, an early champion of redress payments for Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II and a passionate supporter of universal health care, passed away on Monday at the age of 78.

Lowry was a much admired friend of the Asian American community during his long political career, which included serving as U.S. Representative for the Seventh District from 1979 to 1989 and Governor from 1993 to 1997.

In 1979, as a first term Congressman, Lowry introduced the first piece of legislation to call for direct monetary reparations to Japanese Americans sent to concentration camps during World War II. Although the bill was unsuccessful, it paved the way for eventual passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.

“Redress was not a very popular subject during that time,” Tomio Moriguchi, a leader of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) during that time, recalled. “He was a colleague of Norm Mineta and several other Japanese Americans in the

Congress. None of them felt comfortable taking a stand on the issue. I remember that Norm said, ‘Mike was the one who taught me about redress.’ Mike was the spiritual leader of the redress movement.”

Lowry appointed Ruthann Kurose, a Seattle activist, as one of the very first Asian American legislative aides in the U.S. Congress. She worked closely with him on coordinating his legislative efforts with community grassroots lobbying.

Lowry also hired Bob Santos, long-time champion of the International District, to work as an aide in his Congressional office after Santos lost a bid for a seat on the King County Council in 1984.

Commenting on Lowry’s death, Karen Seriguchi, former Northwest Regional Director of the JACL, said, “I felt that we lost someone who gave us hope that we actually had a chance of passing redress.

He was the sole supporter who carried our cause in the early days. I don’t know what would have happened if he had not been around for us.”

In 1993, As Governor, Lowry signed a bill calling for universal health care, although it never fully went into effect. But he continued his passionate support for affordable care even after his retirement.

LOWRY: Continued on page 5 . . .

2 — May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

IE OPINION

Family 2.0: An API LGBTQ Gathering open to all

By Sarah Baker Special to the IE Set to take place on Saturday, May 20 at North Seattle College, Family 2.0: An API LGBTQ Gathering (Family 2.0 for short) is the second event of its kind.

Preceded by Family in 2015, Family 2.0 is a full-day conference that is geared toward Asian Pacific Islander LGBTQIA+ identified individuals, their families, and allies. Completely free and open to any who would like to attend, this event has been sponsored in part by Seattle Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), North Seattle College, JACL National, State Farm, Interplay, NQAPIA, Okaeri, as well as a number of individual donors.

Although this event is free, we ask that folks pre-register to give an accurate headcount for food and materials. Doors open at 9:00 a.m. Parking is ample and free.

For more information and registration, visit apifamilyevent.com.

The History of Family The concept for Family was originally started by the Seattle JACL in 2014.

As the second national organization to support marriage equality (after the ACLU), the JACL has always been a strong advocate and ally of the LGBTQIA+ community.

The Seattle JACL recognized the need for a culturally relevant API LGBTQIA+ support group in the Seattle area, and thus the idea for Family sparked.

What started as a small community meeting at the Panama Hotel Tea Room, the first Family conference soon took wing and was successfully implemented in June 2015. With over 100 people in attendance spanning across 5 states and Canada, participants praised the welcoming and inclusive space that Family provided.

From Marsha Aizumi, Author of Two Spirits One Heart: “Attending an Asian American LGBTQ event like Family with my son and daughter-in-law, we were able to see people like us, so we didn’t feel so all alone and shared our stories of moving through fear,

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Established in 1974, the International Examiner is the only non-profit pan-Asian and Pacific Islander 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. 409 Maynard Ave. S. #203, Seattle, WA 98104. (206) 624-3925. iexaminer@iexaminer.org.

sadness, and shame to unconditional love and acceptance, which continued to bring healing to our lives. The Family event also gave me, a mother, hope that more families will support their children and more allies will become visible voices for my son and the LGBTQ community.”

What to look forward to at Family 2.0 Family 2.0 is made possible by over 15 community groups and organizations.

Hosting a total of eight workshops and a resource fair, folks are traveling from across the country to make Family 2.0 a reality. Attendees will be provided breakfast and lunch, and there will be allgender restrooms available.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Lydia X. Z. Brown. Hailing from the East Coast, Lydia is a “writer, dreamer, activist/organizer, and speaker/ educator” (autistichoya. com). Identity and experiences that Lydia holds are, “autistic, and multiply otherwise neurodivergent and disabled, queer, asexual-spectrum, genderqueer/non-binary, and sometimes read as feminine, transnationally and transracially adopted East Asian person of color […].” Speaking from within these intersections, Lydia will share about their life and how converging identities impact our experiences within society.

Workshops will be hosted in two blocks of four in the morning and afternoon.

Themes and hosting organizations include: Family Acceptance (by NQAPIA), LGBTQ Immigrant History (presented by the JACL National Youth/Student Council), Coming Out As An Adult ( by PFLAG), The Soul Loves the Body (by Interplay), Trans 101 (by the Ingersoll Gender Center), Asian Transgender Conversations (by Stonewall Youth), Immigrant Voices (by API Chaya), and Queer Muslim group, Noor.

Participating organizations in the resource fair include: Seattle JACL, Trikone, API Chaya, Noor, North Seattle College Gender and Equity Center, Seattle Counseling Services, ICHS, Gay City,

IE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ron Chew, President Heidi Park, Vice President Gary Iwamoto, Secretary Arlene Oki, At-Large Jordan Wong, At-Large Edgar Batayola, At-Large Lexie Rodriguez, At-Large Peggy Lynch, At-Large Nam Le, At-Large

PFLAG, NQAPIA, Indian Association of Western WA, and more. We are also excited to announce that Hepatitis Education Project will be offering free and confidential on-site hepatitis testing.

The day will be concluded with a drag show, performed by Miss Saigon Brown and her fabulous dancers.

What Happens After Family?

Moving past the May 20 event, the Seattle JACL hopes to continue the momentum of Family 2.0 by hosting a regular API LGBTQIA+ support group in a centralized location in Seattle (most likely close to the ID or South Seattle).

Attendees of the conference will be encouraged to sign up for an e-mail list and will be contacted regarding future meetings.

Current Seattle JACL President Sarah E. Baker has chaired both Family and Family 2.0. For any questions FAQ: about the event or future support group Q: I’m not API or LGBTQIA+ meetings, please email her directly at: identified, should I still come? apilgbtqevent@gmail.com.

Announcement: City approves $1 million legal defense fund for immigrants IE News Services On April 28, the City of Seattle passed an ordinance to create a $1 million legal defense fund to help immigrants who can’t afford to hire their own legal help.

The legal defense fund will be available this summer and will be administered by the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. It will take the form of contracts that community organizations can apply for.

The fund will help these organizations hire immigration attorneys, legal staff, and services to aid immigrants who are detained and those facing deportation.

Unlike in other courts, people in immigration proceedings do not have the right to a court-appointed attorney.

The idea was first proposed at the end of March, just after the City announced

EDITOR IN CHIEF Travis Quezon editor@iexaminer.org

ASSISTANT EDITOR Chetanya Robinson news@iexaminer.org

ARTS EDITOR Alan Chong Lau arts@iexaminer.org

COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER Lexi Potter

DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR Anakin Fung

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STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Isaac Liu

BUSINESS MANAGER Ellen Suzuki

COPY EDITOR Anna Carriveau

DIGITAL MEDIA INTERN Kai Eng

CONTRIBUTORS Ester Kim Sarah Baker

finance@iexaminer.org

A: Yes! All we ask is that you come with an open mind and an open heart. All are welcome.

Q: I have food allergies, can that be accommodated?

A: In the registration page there is a space to let us know about any food allergies or other accommodations you may need. We are going to do our best to make sure everyone is happy!

Q: Is the conference ADA accessible?

A: Absolutely! We want everyone to participate.

Q: I don’t drive, how do I get there?

A: North Seattle College is a short walk from the Northgate Transit Center and is located on major bus lines.

Christina Nguyen Cliff Cawthon Lalaine Ignao Lauren Pongan Jasmin Eng Jefferson Mendoza Yayoi Winfrey Vriti Wadha Roxanne Ray Nalini Iyer Clarissa Grimes Soyon Im DISTRIBUTORS Joshua Kelso Makayla Dorn Maryross Olanday Rachtha Danh Antonia Dorn Kristen Navaluna Kat Punzalan

it would sue the Trump administration over threats to cut funding to sanctuary cities. According to a statement from the City, the measure is intended to help combat the Trump administration’s policies toward immigrants and refugees. These policies, the City says, will most likely increase the number of people who need legal services.

The City cited a study by the American Immigration Council, which found that immigrants who were represented in court were up to 10 times more likely to obtain relief than those without representation, and that those in detention who were able to have a custody hearing were four times more likely to be released from detention.

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COMMUNITY VOICES

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017 — 3

A legacy left for the next generation to carry on

By Christina Nguyen IE Contributor Our elders before us left their legacy for the world so that the next generation can pick up what they left off. Given the climate of the world we are in right now, we use our voices to lift up other voices that are rarely heard. Sometimes, we haven’t learned about the elders that have left a legacy before they passed away. I dedicate this artwork to Grace Lee Boggs, Yuri Kochiyama, and Dolores Huerta. A few of the many powerful women of color who remind us to go against the grain and raise our voices to advocate against social injustice. They remind us to stand up, speak, build solidarity, resist, and pave a way for the next generation to learn from.

Grace Lee Boggs (June 27, 1915–October 5, 2015) “You cannot change any society unless you take responsibility for it, unless you see yourself as belonging to it and responsible for changing it. To make a revolution, people must not only struggle against institutions. They must make a philosophical/spiritual leap and become more ‘human’ human beings. In order to change/transform the world, they must change/transform themselves.”

—Grace Lee Boggs Grace Lee Boggs was a community activist, writer, philosopher, and public speaker from Detroit. Boggs was a daughter of Chinese immigrants. Boggs’ legacy was establishing community organizations that created urban gardens throughout the city of Detroit, marching in the political movement against racism, and lecturing widely on human/ civil rights. She wrote books about her transforming vision of a revolution in America and published writings such as Revolution and Evolution in the Twentieth Century.

Yuri Kochiyama (May 19, 1921–June 1, 2014) “Remember that consciousness is power. Consciousness is education and knowledge. Consciousness is becoming aware. It is the perfect vehicle for students.

Consciousness-raising is pertinent for power, and be sure that power will not be abusively used, but used for building trust and goodwill domestically and internationally. Tomorrow’s world is yours to build. So, transform yourself first. ...

Drawing by Christina Nguyen

Because you are young and have dreams and want to do something meaningful, that in itself, makes you our future and our hope. Keep expanding your horizon, decolonize your mind, and cross borders.”

—Yuri Kochiyama Yuri Kochiyama was an activist and freedom fighter. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Kochiyama was forced to relocate to incarceration camps during World War II. After WWII, she and her husband Bill Kochiyama moved to New York where she got involved with the civil rights movement working alongside the Black Panther Party and Malcolm X—she was there by his side when he was shot and killed. Later, in the 1980s, she pushed

for a public apology from the government Dolores Huerta is a feminist, labor rights during the Redress movement. activist, and speaker. Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers, which advocated for better working conditions for farm workers Dolores Huerta in California. She led the boycott against (April 10, 1930–Present) the grape industry for better working “The great social justice changes in conditions and created the enactment of our country have happened when people the Agricultural Labor Relations Act. The came together, organized, and took direct act helped grant better wages/ conditions action. It is this right that sustains and and right to organize for farm workers. nurtures our democracy today. The civil She worked alongside Cesar Chavez as the rights movement, the labor movement, two worked closely to fight for liberation the women’s movement, and the equality and the labor rights movement. Huerta movement for our LGBTQ brothers and later branched off to challenge the gender sisters are all manifestations of these inequalities/discrimination in the farm rights.” workers movement.

—Dolores Huerta

4 — May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

IE NEWS

Ai-jen Poo and the race for a better elderly healthcare time to care for their elders and that the importance of caring and ‘ohana holds a strong value that should become a model for other places in the United States.

More often than not, families choose to care for their elders instead of sending them to a nursing home. Poo mentioned that in other parts of the world, unlike in Hawai‘i, people have neglected to care for older adults.

By Lalaine Ignao IE Contributor “Every eight seconds, someone living in the United States turns 65,” Asian American activist Ai-jen Poo said during her speech at a public policy forum at Chaminade University of Honolulu in mid-February this year.

Noted as one of Time magazine’s “Top 100 Influential People” in 2012, Poo serves as director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance as well as codirector of the Caring Across Generations Campaign. Poo advocates for the need to care for elders, and hopes to open people’s minds to the idea of caregiving.

The Kupuna Caregivers program helps working families receive the care they need to keep their elderly loved ones at home. This also allows healthcare professionals to have more promising job opportunities with better pay.

Throughout the talk, Poo emphasized the need for people and families to continue to care for their elders and to change the healthcare industry. “Seventyfive percent of our workforce earns less than $50,000 a year and people are living Ai-jen Poo paycheck to paycheck,” she said. This investing in the level of bold solution includes many healthcare professionals. that we need in order to support working Low wages affect families and their families,” Poo said. ability to provide the health care that their Poo believes that Hawai‘i has the elderly loved ones need. ability to change the game for elderly By the year 2020, Poo said, there will healthcare. During the Public Policy be 300,000 people over the age of 60 Forum at Chaminade, she described the living in Hawai‘i. islands as a diverse melting pot that all “Hawai‘i is also aging and living share a common bond of familial beliefs longer, and it is also poised to become the and practices. Poo noted that people first state in the country that is actually of various cultures in Hawai‘i take the

Caregivers aren’t paid enough for the hard work they do, according to Poo. Homecare workers earn a median income of only $13,000 per year, as a result of unpredictable and part-time hours on top of being underpaid.

Poo explained that many who choose to become caregivers sacrifice their time, whether it involves caring for their own elders or going out into various communities to care for strangers.

Care” bills (SB534 and HB607), which are working their way through the Hawaii State Legislature, would provide the funding for this movement.

If passed, the Kupuna Care Program would help pay for homemaking services, elderly care, and any service that would continue to allow the elderly to live at home. “There are estimates that by the year 2030 ... because of the huge demand on the part of working families in this country, that care jobs will become the the largest single occupation in the workforce,” Poo said.

“These are the jobs of the future.”

Throughout the Q&A portion of the forum, many audience members said a wage of $70 per day would be too low.

Others were skeptical about pouring money into initiative that might not even work. Poo emphasized that as an activist, it’s often necessary to prioritize. Too often, people prioritize money rather than solving important issues. Many don’t realize the realities of healthcare and the fact that the elderly are being neglected. Poo’s book, The Age of Dignity, educates people about the need for caregiving and the importance of providing holistic care.

During the Public Policy Forum, Poo discussed the Kupuna Caregivers program, an initiative that would pave The United States’ elderly population the way for these caregivers to receive has become our fastest growing benefits. She spoke about a proposed demographics, highlighting a need for wage of $70 a day that would help pay for people to find value in caring for them. the caregivers’ services. The “Kupuna

Burgess proposes legislation to regulate Short Term Rentals

By Cliff Cawthon IE Contributor

• The proposal establishes enforcement mechanisms for regulatory regime.

new Examiner that “the fast growth of this Airbnb conversions in downtown [and nearby areas] means hundreds of units The conversation over the effects Burgess went on to state that this would are being taken off the long-term rental of Airbnb on the housing market in market, pushing people who want to live Seattle continues with proposed Short- not prevent a homeowner, or someone downtown out to the edges.”

Term Rental (STR) legislation from who is subletting a unit, from using an The Puget Sound Sage study breaks Councilmember Tim Burgess. Last application like Airbnb or HomeAway. com to rent out their available unit for down how many units are in which year, the City Council began to consider extra money.

According to Burgess, this neighborhoods of the city. While regulations on such STRs in response to legislation, “struck the right balance” the CID only had 9, Airbnb counts their effects on housing stock in Seattle, between addressing concerns that it as apart of the downtown area. where affordable units are decreasing. short-term rentals were taking potential Perhaps unsurprisingly, the highest Councilmember Burgess, chair of affordable or market-rate units out of concentration of Airbnb units in the the City Council’s Affordable Housing, the housing stock in Seattle, versus city in 2016 was in the downtown area, Neighborhoods, and Finance Committee depriving potential participants of according to the report.

(AHNF), explained the components of income.

In June 2016, as the Seattle Times the revised proposal in a statement: After an attempt in 2016, this new reports, a number of Airbnb hosts • Anyone may provide their primary draft, created with public and industry flooded Councilmember Burgess’ residence and one additional unit as a input, will be considered by the committee meeting to voice their short-term rental, without limitation of Council’s AHNF committee in June. concerns about regulation. A number of nights per year.

The regulation of these short-term these hosts feared any regulation would • All short-term rental operators rentals is a lesser-known way of tackling restrict their ability to use the flexible obtain a City regulatory license. For the epidemic of housing shortages across rental service and deprive them of what those who don’t reside in the property the city, particularly in the Chinatown they argue is much needed income. and own multiple properties, must International District. A 2016 report For the CID, however, Greenwich obtain a business license as well.

by Puget Sound Sage examined how also said that other dynamics are at • STR operators must adhere to Airbnb and other short-term rentals play. Most of the properties being used building codes and regulations applied would contribute to inflating housing by short-term rentals are whole unit and multi-unit properties (i.e. houses to other rental units in order to protect prices and displacement. the safety of owners, guests and Howard Greenwich, the Senior or multi-room apartments), according neighbors.

Policy Adviser at Puget Sound Sage, to Greenwich. However, “several key wrote in a message to the International properties are selling and targeted

for rehab or brand new construction,” he said. “The rapid pace of property transfer and building permits happening in the ID is alarming, and displacement pressures are increasing.”

Greenwich posits that a number of the units in these new developments could be turned into short-term rentals in order to keep them at capacity. And whether it’s hotels or residential units, that practice may drive up the costs of housing.

Councilmember Burgess’ long brief includes a map showing where STR’s are prevalent in the city, and a number of listings completely cover the CID and other areas sensitive to displacement.

Between 2013 and 2015, the map shows an exponential increase in number of available units. Short-term rentals are often more profitable for landlords than long-term units, despite the potential of abuse by short term guests.

In statement given to KUOW last year, AirBnB said that they “have legal and privacy concerns” due to a previous requirement that the company turn over a list of their hosts in the city. The most recent proposed legislation would simply require hosts to register. The company hasn’t yet issued an updated statement.

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017 — 5

IE NEWS

New public safety coordinator seeks community-driven solutions to crime . . . SONNY: Continued from page 1

IE: What have you heard from people so far about what they want for public safety in the neighborhood?

SN: I think in this neighborhood, homelessness is a big concern for folks, and while I think there’s a narrative in a lot of different media outlets in our city that kind of paints the CID as this very NIMBY neighborhood, most of the folks I’ve talked to are very compassionate. They want to figure out how to help folks who have nowhere else to go while also making sure that everyone in this neighborhood is taken care of—everyone including the homeless folks. So meeting the manager of Uwajimaya and hearing that he’s very much interested in strengthening his security team’s approach to getting service providers to come to folks who may need those services before just calling the police or trying to send them to jail or anything. Meeting with folks who have folks camping out in their doorways and hearing them say they want to figure out, how do we get them somewhere more permanent that is less risky for both the business and the person.

So definitely the homelessness, and also this neighborhood is very poorly-lit, it’s very dark at night, folks feel really scared walking around, and have been for years, I think for as long as I have been hanging out in the district, it’s been “you’re not supposed to come here after dark.” But there’s a lighting study being done to figure out how we can best address that and fix the lighting issues in the neighborhood.

IE: Last September, the City Council heard testimony about a proposal that would give residents of homeless encampments more time before the encampments were cleared. Many CID residents then and now were concerned about this proposal, and framed the growth of homelessness in the neighborhood as a threat. At the time, you gave testimony criticizing the City for pitting APIs against the homeless; one marginalized group against another.

Do you think there’s still a culture of doing this—pitting marginalized groups against one another—in the City? And what do you see as your role in mending relationships between CID residents and the homeless?

SN: I think it’s the culture of our society, right? It makes a more interesting story when it’s like one of the most impoverished neighborhood in the community fighting against another highly impoverished community.

So after that City Council testimony I got a lot of flak from folks all across the city, but what I strongly believe is that we all want the same thing. We all want there to be fewer homeless people, and we all want them in stable housing, we all want them to be healthy and we all want this neighborhood to be healthy—and we just have different ideas of how to get there. The neighborhood was hurting, the neighborhood was at a loss, we didn’t have the resources, we didn’t have the support to figure out, what do we do with this massive amount of homelessness?

It was overnight, right? Nickelsville gets shut down, then within a few weeks the Jungle gets cleared out and everyone gets

Sonny Nguyen is the new public safety coordinator in the CID. • Photo by Chetanya Robinson

pushed into the neighborhood—and we don’t know what to do because we don’t have a lot of homeless services in the neighborhood. And I understand that as a reaction—like, get them out. That was a very strong reaction for a lot of folks. And I think part of my role is figuring out, how do we work as one big community all together to build a safer neighborhood?

Donnie was very invested in the homeless population in the ID, too. He knew folks by name, he knew where they camped out, and he wasn’t interested in just pushing people around or moving them from place to place—he was interested in figuring out, how do we get them to get their needs met, how do we reach out to different service providers that come into the neighborhood to make sure that they have the option of a shelter or know how to get into transitional housing. So I think that’s going to be a lot of what I do, is making sure that those referrals are being made, that folks know what their options are and that there’s coordinated outreach coming to them to talk to them about where they can go.

IE: There’s the recent controversy over the new homeless Navigation Center being built in Little Saigon, which Friends of Little Saigon said was done without much communication or input from the neighborhood. What are your thoughts on this?

SN: I think the Friends of Little Saigon have been leading a really strong and really smart effort to figure out how we best prepare for the Navigation Center. A lot of that is getting the City to recognize that you can’t just drop these things into our neighborhood anymore. That we need to be able to plan for this, we need to figure out, how do we make sure that folks coming into the neighborhood are invested and ready to be good neighbors too?

IE: What do you think are the sources of the CID’s public safety problems? People have blamed homelessness, and not long ago, the hookah lounges. You’ve said both of these are not the real sources of the problem. What are the real sources of the problem?

SN: I think it’s a lack of strong infrastructure in the neighborhood. Both physical infrastructure like lighting, sidewalks. There are poor police response times—there’s just a lot of need in this neighborhood that hasn’t been met yet. And I also think that one of the issues with having what’s effectively a

that [InterIm CDA] and [SCIDpda] and the data that they’ve released, our neighborhood severely underreports crimes, both violent and nonviolent here. And while I will be the first to admit that police response times are not great in this neighborhood, and, you know, I’ve called police and they didn’t show up at all or showed up hours later, it’s still very vital we make those calls so that they know that we’re paying attention and that we see these things happening in the neighborhood. So even if they’re not addressed in the same night, they’d know that like, there’s chronic drug dealing going on at these corners of the neighborhood.

IE: Are there things you want to change about how the city, or other public or private agencies approach public safety in the neighborhood?

SN: One of my big things is that putting more police in the neighborhood isn’t the solution. I think it’s a tactic, but it’s not the end-all, be-all of public safety in our neighborhood. That we really need to do our best to work across all agencies with the city, with everyone who comes through this neighborhood, lives in this neighborhood, works in this neighborhood, to build a stronger, more vibrant community that looks out for each other and knows each other. That folks aren’t just coming in for Dragonfest but that the CID’s a place that folks want to come to regularly, that the new Hing Hay Park is being utilized and activated and there’s events happening, that this is a real cultural touchstone for the City.

IE: Your position is for two years— what happens after that?

SN: The funding from the City lasts for two years and then after that we’ll see what happens next. My goal is to get as much as I can done in two years, and hopefully if this contract doesn’t continue or if I don’t continue in this same role, that in the two years I have given the neighborhood the tools it needs to be able to advocate for itself. So even if I’m not around to help them figure out, what do I do about sharps that I find in my business bathroom, that they know who to call about that or how to make sure that those things are addressed.

restaurant neighborhood is that there aren’t as many folks who are as invested. I live in Queen Anne, so when people come to Queen Anne, that feels like part of their city, that feels like something that they all care about, even if they’re just passing through.

And I think that’s something that we don’t really have in the International District. As folks from outside the district come in, either passing through for Seahawks games or whatever, there’s not the same kind of investment. And trying to figure out, how do we strengthen our community by engaging them, by getting folks to meet their neighbors, by building that level of community engagement together. How do we get the rest of the City to buy into that and realize this is a valuable part of their city as well, and that we all need to take care of it together?

IE: What about the problem of organized crime in the neighborhood—Donnie Chin was killed in the crossfire of a shooting between rival gangs. What, if anything, are the solutions to this problem?

SN: So two resources in our neighborhood are the east precinct and west precinct community police teams. I met with the CPT officers for the International District, and then the one for Little Saigon. They To read the entire interview, visit both assured me that violent crime is pretty rare in our neighborhood, even compared iexaminer.org. to other neighborhoods across the city. So things like that are kind of like one-offs. We don’t see a lot of gang activity anymore. I think in the ’90s [it was a] huge issue in our neighborhood, and the further back you go, the bigger organized crime was as a prob. . . LOWRY: Continued from page 1 lem. And I think the city and the police did a very good job and are doing a good job of keeping violent crime fairly low in our He faithfully attended the International neighborhood.

Community Health Services annual gala, which helps raise money to support Some of the other big crime issues are uncompensated care for low-income around drug use and drug dealing. And patients. that’s a hard one to address from a community side, because folks who are dealing ICHS CEO Teresita Batayola said drugs in our community usually aren’t the Lowry’s leadership as Governor “was a folks who are living here or invested highly breakthrough in living up to health care in our community. So far I’ve been deferas a right. It established our state as one of ring to the police and learning more about the better states in providing affordable what tactics they’re using, what’s working, health care to those who need it while what’s not working, and how do we as a providing consumer protections.” community better report what we see. And I She said she was deeply saddened by think that’s the biggest thing, and one of my Lowry’s death. “He was a true visionary biggest tasks is trying to get this community who strategized across parties and to report the crimes that we see. Looking worked hard to realize his vision,” she back at the past few public safety surveys said.

Lowry passes away at 78

6 — May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

IE COMMUNITY

Tuesday Scarves showcases new line of tie-dye kimonos, scarves

By Jasmin Eng IE Contributor If you open the door to Tuesday Scarves you’ll find owner and founder Rian Robinson crafting away at her windowfront work space. Her sewing machine resides in the right corner of the shop nestled by a rack of freshly dyed kimonos, perfectly situated by the shop’s window to capture sunlight—and the curious eyes of visitors and residents alike in the International District.

When Robinson isn’t experimenting with new dyes in her backroom or mixing and matching scarf patterns in the front, you can find her at a local or West Coast craft fair. Her shop Tuesday Scarves has boothed at highly competitive fairs and markets including the Fremont Market, Urban Craft Uprising, Renegade Craft Fair, West Coast Craft in San Francisco, Unique LA, and various craft fairs in Portland, Oregon and Los Angeles, California.

Although Tuesday Scarves is named after the classic ’50s bombshell actress, Tuesday Weld, the shop’s name came from more practical roots.

“I saw her wearing beautiful scarves and wraps and it’s an easy name to pronounce and spell,” said Robinson with a laugh, “And I didn’t want to put too much pressure on it so I went with my first instinct and that was that.” Tuesday Scarves has been up and running for seven years: five years on Etsy, two years in its International District home, and two more years on the way with the recent signing of a new lease.

A designer, creative, maker, and fourth generation half-Japanese American, Robinson is no stranger to the arts and graduated from the University of Washington in ceramics.

Tuesday Scarves founder and owner Rian Robinson has a proud line of kimonos and scarves showcasing a range of techniques. • Photo by Jasmin Eng

“From ceramics I did a lot of work with glazes and I think there’s a correlation between glazes and fabrics, there’s a science. So it just seemed to be a natural progression,” said Robinson. Her prowess for pattern play led to the creation of Tuesday Scarves with a dedication to finding intriguing fabric, textures, and designs to put together, like fluffy faux fur and woodsy buffalo check to bright polka dots and hypnotic geo prints.

“That’s why I started my business initially, I feel like with accessories it’s a lot easier for Seattlites to add colors as opposed to wearing a lot of color,” said Robinson. “I know we love our gray and black, and I’ve seen a few people branch out! I feel like I’m adding a little bit of color to Seattle, and it’s surprising me that people love it.”

Alongside the shop’s signature scarves, Robinson has added a new kid on the block to the Tuesday Scaves collection: tie-dye kimonos. In the spring of 2016, Robinson began experimenting with tie-dye scraps and scarves; honing in on her personal technique and utilizing the chemistry of the dye.

“Some of my best-selling prints of the dyed fabrics came from the process, of learning along the way, and embracing the mistakes and figuring out how to make them repeatable and beautiful,” said Robinson.

Robinson now has a proud line of brilliantly tie-dyed kimonos and scarves showcasing a range of techniques from cascading ombré on billowing robes to electrifying splatters on structured raw silk. Her wide variety of silhouettes are mindfully designed to be body inclusive

(no size tags here) and cut in a way that wastes no fabric.

“Bodies come in all shapes and sizes.

Sometimes it’s not about size, it’s about sizes and having more shapes is a little more inclusive in a way, because you don’t have to put a size on it.” Plus, all of her kimono dyes are environmentally friendly and—for all of you no-fuss folks out there—totally machine washable.

As she pours a batch of dye into a scarf-filled pitcher, Robinson speaks on her tie-dye technique: “It’s not a precise technique. None of the techniques are precise, it’s a little bit organic—and that’s how I’ve always been I think.”

You can contact Rian Robinson and shop Tuesday Scarves at 608 Maynard Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104 or by visiting tuesdayshop.com.

Navigation Center delayed, Friends of Little Saigon forms task force IE News Services At the end of April, Friends of Little Saigon announced that the City would delay opening a new low-barrier homeless shelter known as the Navigation Center, until the project receives further input from the community. Renovations on the Pearl Warren Building, on 12th Avenue South—which is owned by the Seattle Indian Services Commission—will continue, but the Navigation Center won’t begin its program “until a detailed plan is vetted and approved by the community,” according to a statement on the Friends of Little Saigon website.

Friends of Little Saigon has now assembled a task force to advocate for the community’s concerns and create a “space for concerned community members to bring questions and feedback.” The task force is concerned with “the negative safety, public health, economic, and cultural impacts on Little Saigon and CID communities.”

The Seattle Times reports that the City still plans to open the center in the summer, with a City official telling the Times that no date had yet been set. According to the

Protestors supporting greater engagement with the Little Saigon community display their signs outside of the City of Seattle Council Chambers on March 6, 2017. • Photo by Lexi Potter

Times, this City official “would not say if the opening of the shelter hinges on the community’s approval.”

For its part, Friends of Little Saigon does not explicitly endorse the Navigation Center. According to the statement on its website, “Although the Community Taskforce is proactively addressing the public safety,

public health, economic, and cultural impacts and concerns, this effort does not suggest the community’s support for the operation of the Navigation Center in the CID neighborhood.”

The Navigation Center is planned as an experimental shelter for the homeless modelled on a type of low-barrier shelter in San

Francisco. It’s designed to help 75 people at a time transition to permanent housing.

Unlike most homeless shelters in Seattle, it would allow people to enter and leave as they chose without losing their beds, and would also allow partners, pets and possessions, which most shelters in Seattle forbid.

When the City first announced that the project would be located in Little Saigon, and that a seven-month lease had been signed, members of the community were surprised. As the South Seattle Emerald reports, although the City had been negotiating the project for months, the official announcement was the first the community had heard about it.

In early March, members of the Little Saigon community protested at City Hall over a lack of communication with the community.

“It’s not about the Navigation Center, it’s not about homelessness,” said Quynh Pham, president of Friends of Little Saigon to the City Council. “This issue is about respecting the public process and respecting our voices.”

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017 — 7

IE NEWS

For the love of rugby: America’s ‘Sleeping Giant’ “They live below the poverty line”

By Jefferson Mendoza IE Contributor HONG KONG S.A.R., CHINA—The hallowed turf of the Hong Kong Stadium was filled with high drama for USA Men’s Eagles at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens tournament, ending in fourth place finish in the Hong Kong cup final against Australia, 26-19.

Over 120,000 spectators watched USA along with 28 other teams with fervor during the three-day world rugby event.

For USA, this year has been a journey of having to constantly push through despite various challenges from a tough start, disruptive pre-seasons, to a few sabbaticals—the squad is galvanized.

“This year is kind of setting the foundation for the next three years,” said Mike Friday, USA Rugby Sevens Head Coach, during a training session prior to the start of the Hong Kong Sevens tournament and an avid advocate of re-engineering the rugby program into American schools.

“We’ve got new players in and we’ve got existing players to build the foundation around. So it has been a transition both on the pitch and also off the pitch.”

The squad is currently ranked fifth in the World Rugby Series standings.

Psalm 144:1 The U.S. squad may see more of Hawaiian-born Psalm Wooching, who is based in Seattle.

According to Friday, Wooching had attended the squad’s training camp and already possesses the rugby equivalent.

Part of the “Seattle Boys,” Wooching is the recent recruit of the Seattle Saracens in the BC Premier League.

Wooching made headlines last February 2017 when he opted out of being a potential NFL player to pursue his love for rugby instead. Wooching played as an outside linebacker for the Washington Huskies before changing gears.

In an email interview, Wooching described his passion for the sport that is deeply rooted in his values.

The USA Men’s Eagles competed at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens tournament in April. • Photo

by Jefferson Mendoza

“The brotherhood and chemistry you build with your teammates is amazing. ... You are all equal out on the pitch. It’s not like football where the quarterback or running back gets all the glory. Rugby is a sport that most [people] on the field can do whether that is running the ball, tackling, and so on,” he said.

Friday said players like Wooching with American football experiences make it easier to change their techniques. But above all, this also helps widen the pool of talent for USA rugby.

“If we could now magnify that, we could have significant numbers of those athletes ... there’s an alternative to being an NFL star. You could be an Olympian,” said Friday.

Asked about what Wooching learned from his training camp, he said: “I have managed to revamp my knowledge of rugby and to get more into the technical side of it. Not just the physicality and power but to know when to hit the rucks and when to shoot up on defense. Little things like

Players from Seattle represent a core group on the USA rugby squad. • Photo by Jefferson Mendoza

that. My strength is my aggression and line running. I can apply that to both 15’s and 7’s, which is something that I took out of football and transitioned it into rugby.”

With the verse Psalm 144:1 tattooed on him, Wooching also has his eyes set for the next Olympics.

Rugby is considered to be America’s ‘Sleeping Giant’ due to its growing popularity. Yet it has not reached the same level of support compared to American football or basketball—something that Friday wants to change.

“We need to find a way to ensure that we got a program that is sustainable.

And allows us [to have] the conveyor belt moving along ... we’ve got this athletic ability in the United States. But to unlock that, we need to ensure that it sits in high schools and colleges,” said Friday.

Unlike teams such as South Africa and Britain with established programs and budgets that are able to cater for a bigger squad, Friday said the U.S. squad doesn’t have a proper one. His players live on stipends and “live below the poverty line.”

American flags were seen on stands on all four corners of the Hong Kong stadium.

Cheers from kids and adults alike were heard as they waited patiently for their favorite players’ autographs and photo-ops.

The Eagles recently played at the Singapore Sevens where they finished second against Canada, 19-26.

And for the first time in the United States, Rugby World Cup Sevens will be held in San Francisco in 2018.

8 — May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

IE ARTS

Wing Luke screening reexamines Who Killed Vincent Chin?

By Yayoi L. Winfrey IE Contributor Thirty-five years ago, a young Chinese American living in Detroit was beaten to death by two white, laid-off auto workers at Chrysler enraged over encroaching Japanese car manufacturers. Public outrage soon followed when the men were handed mere months of probation for their heinous crime. This month, Wing Luke Museum screens the documentary Who Killed Vincent Chin? Co-director Renee Tajima-Pena, who will participate in a post-screening Q&A, talked about the film with the International Examiner.

International Examiner: Why is this film released in 1987 still important today?

Renee Tajima-Pena: Asian Americans are really at a turning point, and the Vincent Chin story is a part of our history that speaks loudly and clearly into our future. Asian Americans are an emerging social force, not only by our growing numbers, but because of the role we play Renee Tajima-Pena in the paradigm of race in an increasingly polarized nation. On the one hand, we endure the marker of race. We can’t avoid it, we’re marked as different, the other. There was never any question for Vincent Chin’s mother, Lily. She was convinced that Vincent was killed because he was Chinese. Today, Asians continue to be targeted by racial violence, in particular South Asians—the killing of Srinivas Kuchibhotla in Olathe, Kansas and the shooting of a Sikh man in Washington State are only among the most recent incidents.

But Asian Americans also benefit from racial privilege and the myth of the model minority, vis-a-vis African American and Latinx communities.

Many Asian Americans, including new immigrants, do not know the history of racism in the U.S. and how intertwined we are with the legacy of racism towards other groups. Any flashpoint issue today—such as deportations, threats to civil liberties, as well as racial violence—resonate in the Asian American story. The Exclusion Act of 1882 was the first time the U.S. marked a race for exclusion. When I hear of an undocumented mother of four with no criminal history being seized for deportation when she showed up for her immigration, I think of my grandfather who could not be naturalized for the first 50 years he lived in America.

He had to check in with Immigration every year with character references from his employers, some of whom were downright nasty. And, of course, my [Japanese] family was imprisoned without due process during World War II. At the same time, the Black movement for equality changed the lives of Asian Americans. Asian

Lily Chin speaks at a news conference in 1983 at historic Cameron House in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Those present included Rev. Jesse Jackson who came to show support for the national campaign to seek Justice for Vincent Chin. • Photo Courtesy of Wing Luke Museum

Americans went to segregated schools, they couldn’t intermarry with whites in many states. An “Asiatic Barred Zone” excluded us from immigrating to the U.S. until 1965. My family settled in our neighborhoods, not because we loved the houses but because of racial covenants and redlining. We do not face those barriers to equality because of the Civil Rights movement. The fact that Vincent’s killers, Ron Ebens and Mike Nitz, were charged under federal hate crime laws is because of that movement for equality, fought by African Americans and people of color.

So the Vincent Chin story is a part of that legacy. We can never forget. I’m involved with a new multi-arts initiative, the Nikkei Democracy Project, which uses the Japanese American imprisonment story and exposes current threats to the Constitutional rights of targeted Americans. Our first video by the filmmaker Tad Nakamura, Pilgrimage Remix, ends with these lines: “When American democracy betrays one group, it betrays us all.” That’s why the Vincent Chin story remains crucial today.

IE: What significant changes have occurred since Chin’s death?

Tajima-Pena: Today, we are in a far stronger position to protect our human rights and civil rights. The justice for Vincent Chin campaign galvanized a whole generation of Asian American leaders—people like the activist and journalist Helen Zia in Detroit, who is a key figure in the film; Frank Wu was a kid growing up in Detroit’s Chinese American community, and he became a leading civil rights attorney and educator, as has Stewart Kwoh, the founder of Advancing Justice. There are so many stories of champions of equality who cut their teeth in the Vincent Chin movement. The Asian American community got organized.

Not too long afterwards, a Vietnamese college student was murdered in Florida. Unlike the Vincent Chin case,

when his killers were tried there were Asian American advocates there in court monitoring the proceedings.

When Joseph Ileto was murdered by a white supremacist in the San Fernando Valley, the family already knew of the Vincent Chin case and had been involved in the campaign for justice. And there were Asian American organizations making sure that the authorities considered the racial components of the murder. Keep in mind that before the Vincent Chin case, Asian Americans were not protected by civil rights hate crime legislation.

The Vincent Chin case was also a wake-up call to Asian Americans who bought into the model minority myth and believed we were somehow immune from racism, that it was only a Black or brown problem. I think that is a common fallacy of some Asian Americans today, that we’ve somehow “made it.” But the history of the U.S. is a racialized one, going back to before our founding fathers. Asian Americans have always been a part of that debate: Who is an American? What color is an American?

IE: ls it possible for another Vincent Chin to happen today?

Tajima-Pena: At the time, Asian Americans were not protected by hate crime laws. But the Vincent Chin case helped to change that. Asian Americans were looked at as being a model minority, with no problems—a people who were accepted in society. That was a false narrative, of course. Fake news! I give a lot of credit to Asian American scholars who have uncovered the real history of Asian Americans. It’s a fascinating and startling history of how our lives have been intertwined with the history of race in America. That’s our story. I grew up thinking we existed on the margins, that we were this tiny minority that floated around the big American stories. But, in fact, we’ve been smack in the middle of the American story all along. It took our historians and our scholars to bring it to light.

IE: Do young Asian Americans understand the impact of Vincent Chin’s murder?

Tajima-Pena: I meet a lot of young Asian Americans who are taking Asian American studies courses and fighting for ethnic studies at their schools, and really active in movements for change. They have a very sophisticated understanding of the meaning of the Vincent Chin story. With that being said, we have to work hard to make sure new generations are exposed to our history and stories like Vincent’s.

Film festivals, screenings, heritage month events, ethnic studies courses ... everything we do insures our story is told.

IE: Looking back, is there anything you’d have done differently in making this film?

Taima-Pena: The film is of its time.

I still travel with the film to talk to audiences—I’ve been doing a lot of these events this year because of the 35th anniversary of his death. And one reason I want to have this conversation is because I think it’s important that the Vincent Chin story is not fossilized in the 1980s, but we understand it through a contemporary lens. Recently, Asian Americans in New York were conflating Vincent Chin with the NYPD officer Peter Liang, who was convicted of the killing of Akai Gurley in New York. I do not agree with that juxtaposition at all. As Vincent’s niece, Annie Tan, wrote in a powerful piece in Medium.com, Vincent had far more in common with the victim Akai Gurley than Officer Liang. I don’t think we can essentialize race. Justice does not mean “Just Us.” But these are really important conversations to have, and the context of history is absolutely crucial. The Vincent Chin story is a mainstay of our history as Asian Americans, but it is not locked in time. It is a story that lives, and that we learn from.

‘Who Killed Vincent Chin?’ screens on May 13 at 1:30 p.m. at Wing Luke Museum. For more information, visit www.wingluke.org/vincent-chin.

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017 — 9

IE ARTS

For multidisciplinary artist Kat Larson, art is a healing process

By Vriti Wadhwa IE Contributor A faceless being stands still in a floral pink gown, completely covered from head to toe. Wearing a wooden headpiece, it walks around different areas on Earth as a visitor—in the mountains, surrounded by nature, even indoors. Over time, its spirit slowly begins fading away due to the deficit of love and compassion here on Earth.

This is the synopsis of The Ghost from Vega series by Seattle-based artist Kat Larson. In conversation with Frye Museum’s manager of public programs, Negarra Kudumu, Larson provided insight on art and self expression at the Town Hall Seattle.

Ursula Rose Brown, Larson’s friend and model for the work, had to depict the concept while having her face completely covered.

“I was wearing the costume, in the middle of nowhere,” Brown said. “I feel like when we went to nature, it was cool to think about Kat’s story and represent it.”

These series of videos and photography are meant to show Larson’s identity of inner self and vulnerability. Larson brings concepts of space, myth, life and death cycles to her artwork.

“My artwork is influenced through one universal energy that flows through everything,” Larson said.

Artist Kat Larson discusses artwork about her identity incorporated with aspects of energy healing with Negarra Kudumu, Frye Museum’s manager of public programs, on April 12 in Town Hall Seattle. • Photo by Vriti Wadhwa

Her multidisciplinary artwork includes printmaking, painting and sculptures, yet mainly focuses on performance-related installations and “video-painting.” She started off as a painter, but felt limited in that medium. Inspired by British singer Brian Eno’s song “Video Painting,” she decided to add layering of paintings in a video-like format rather than simply using paper or canvas.

After the death of a friend and family member, Larson felt the need to rejuvenate and she began practicing the art of reiki, a Japanese stress-reduction technique that also involves healing.

“Art is such a healing process for me,” Larson said. “It offers a piece of mind, clarity, confidence, and self acceptance.”

Larson found the parallel between art and healing when she was a guest visitor at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle. Larson was giving guided meditation techniques to participants, when she then asked to them translate their meditative experiences on paper as a visual element.

More than just using art as a healing mechanism, her paintings have created spaces for emotional experiences to be shared with audiences. Her focus is to create a connection with the audience in order to make it a more communal experience, one that is universally understood.

Swaying her long black hair as a paintbrush on canvas to represent her youth and femininity, staying still in a glass box of bees in order to understand purpose and the endless range of possibilities in life, or even incorporating pig blood as a sign of life and death cycles, Larson has explored and experimented with different objects in her artwork.

“Collecting dead bees teaches me tangible lessons,” Larson said. “Each bee has a purpose and follows through with that purpose for the sake of their colony.”

Larson said that the Seattle art scene has become more inclusive for women since she started out in 2000, which has opened the

door to more feminine themes of healing and nurturance.

“There’s more female allies now,” Larson said. “Back then I felt isolated, I wanted to talk about the difference of being a female artist with others all the time.”

Art therapy dates back to much earlier years, where people have used pictures, stories, dances, and various art forms as energy healing processes. Psychological studies have demonstrated the impact of art therapy in healing a large spectrum of health illnesses including anxiety, trauma and stress. It can help change patterns of heart rates and brain waves, keeping people calm and focused.

Sarah Panda, meditation instructor at yoga and meditation center Art of Living in Seattle, agrees with Larson’s views on art.

“Artwork is about creativity, and meditation takes you to that source of creativity and inspiration,” Panda said. “A lot of times people experience different and unique ideas during their daily meditation practices.”

For her upcoming projects, Larson wants to focus on space. She visualizes a church located on a cliff, where one walks through a tunnel leading to a doorway. There, an amphitheatre-like structure stands amidst blue skies and complete nature.

“Art is not just space, it’s a movement,” Larson said. “It brings people together with meaningful conversation.”

10 — May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

IE COMMUNITY

Announcements Spring Bash on Friday, May 5 The Filipino American Educators of Washington presents Spring Bash on Friday, May 5 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Rainier Beach Community Club (6038 Pilgrim St., Seattle, WA 98118). There will be a light dinner, cultural performances, and door prizes. Tickets are $15 for 13-year-olds to adults and $10 for 5-to12-year-olds. All proceeds will benefit the FAEW Scholarship Fund. For tickets and more info, email faew1972@gmail.com.

API Heritage Month Celebration on May 7 The 2017 Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration happens on Sunday, May 7 from 11:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Seattle Center Armory’s Center House Stage. Admission is free for this family-friendly event.

The API Heritage Month Celebration at Seattle Center is a one-of-a-kind event that showcases the culture, traditions, and history of APIs through dance, music, and art. There will be children’s activities, a hum bow eating contest, and a cultural display of nations. For more information, visit apiheritage.com.

Helping Link open house on May 10 Helping Link/Một Dấu Nối is holding an open house May 10 for GiveBIG 2017.

Together with Seattle Foundation, Helping Support the IE, GiveBIG through May 9 Link is raising money through the annual Please consider donating to support GiveBIG fundraiser to support and empower our Vietnamese community. the International Examiner this GiveBIG The event happens on May 10 from 5:00 to season. Pledges can be made now through 9:00 p.m. at Helping Link (1032 S Jackson midnight on May 9.

Street, Suite C, Seattle, WA 98104).

The IE has been a hub for Asian-Pacific Islander community activism since the Celebrate Asia—Special appearance by 1970s. We are dedicated to helping young writers of color develop their journalism A.R. Rahman on May 12 skills, and creating a more informed API Celebrate Asia happens on May 12 at S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium community by sharing diverse stories. at Benaroya Hall. The pre-concert from We report on API issues that often aren’t 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. features Samuel covered by mainstream media. And, our & Althea Stroum in the Grand Lobby; stories have changed how policymakers Aleksa Manila as emcee; Janelle Bel Isle: engage with the API community. Please Central Asian Dance Demo; Tony Fan & support the International Examiner Ilana Ruben: Tango demo with audience participation and the Duoc Su Lion Dance Team.

The concert at 7:00 p.m. at S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium features award-winning composer A.R. Rahman’s The Flying Lotus. The program will also feature film music from noted Japanese composers including Toru Takemitsu’s score for Lantern Festival of the Waves.

For more information, visit www. seattlesymphony.org/concer ttickets/ calendar/2016-2017/symphony/celebrateasia.

by visiting www.givebigseattle.org/ iexaminer. For more information, visit iexaminer.org.

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017 — 11

IE ARTS

Sunil Yapa’s debut novel brings to life the 1999 WTO protests in Seattle

By Nalini Iyer IE Contributor For those of us who have lived in Seattle for a while, the memories of November 30, 1999—when the Battle for Seattle took place and thousands of protesters organized against the WTO ministerial meetings to resist globalization—are etched in our minds. Sunil Yapa’s debut novel, Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist, revisits that historic day to capture the events from the perspective of several characters—Victor, a 19-year-old black man; Chief Bishop, the embattled chief of police and Victor’s stepfather; Ju and Park, two police officers who bring memories of other cities and difficult policing moments; King and John Henry, two non-violent activists; and Charles Wickramasinghe, the Sri Lankan finance minister and delegate to the WTO. Victor is the main focus of the narrative.

He is a young black man who dropped out of school at 16 to experience the world and left his stepfather’s home after his mother died.

He is at the protest to sell weed so he can make enough money to buy his next plane ticket. Victor has too much love for the world and is soon drawn into the protests by King and volunteers to sit in at an intersection

bound to other protesters so the delegates cannot cross from their hotels to the convention center. John Henry, the leader of a non-violent protest group, locks himself in with Victor and helps him through the fear and pain of resisting escalating police violence. King, a street medic, who has survived her own traumas of sexual assault and border crossings, provides support to the protesters as she offers first aid to those who are facing chemical attacks from the police. Through these three characters, Yapa shows how onthe-ground solidarity develops and how activists plan and train for direct action. As all these Americans join forces to protest the exploitation of the Third World, there is some subtle questioning of who represents the Third World and why.

In contrast to the activists and their response to the problems of the developing nations is the interspersed narrative of Charles Wickramasinghe, a Sri Lankan minister, who has worked for five years traversing the globe seeking signatories who would support Sri Lanka’s entry into the World Trade Organization. He dreams

of modernizing a civil war-torn Sri Lanka and making it an economic player that does more than supply servants to the wealthy in other countries. When he tries to go from the hotel to the Convention Center to make his important meeting with President Clinton, the last needed signature for his petition, he is tear gassed and arrested.

His encounter with other arrested activists is a turning point in his understanding of the issues from the activists’ perspectives.

In Manichean opposition to the protesters are the police officers—Chief Bishop, Ju and Park. While the chief is mourning his dead wife and seeking his estranged son, he also remains entrenched in the belief that this was his city and he could handle the protesters. Ju and Park are scarred (both literally and metaphorically) by their experiences with the Rodney King riots in LA and the Oklahoma City bombing, respectively. These personal histories, then, become the catalyst for the escalation of police violence during the riots—the novelist finds motivation in fiction for the historical events.

While the novel recreates the tensions of the 1999 events and is at its best when it goes into the details of different actors’ emotions as the confrontation occurs, its limitation is that the family drama— the father-son tensions that pivot on the axis of race and policing—reduces the larger historical issues to a backdrop for the personal narrative. In an era of the Black Lives Matter movement which has drawn so much attention to the biases in policing, the familial drama runs the risk of suggesting that such police brutality is less about institutions and power and more about unresolved personal issues. The same problem occurs with the back story for Ju and Park—are we to excuse Park because he was a hero in Oklahoma City?

Even as this narrative looks back at antiglobalization movements prior to 9/11, this novel’s sensibility and appeal to the present -day audience may be in that in a post 9/11 world, in an era of rampant xenophobia and economic isolationism signaled by Brexit and the Trump agenda, we need to revisit our past for the lessons it offers.

Sunil Yapa will read in Seattle on May 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall Seattle as part of Seattle Arts and Lectures.

Chitrangada portrays a story of feminine power through Indian dance

By Roxanne Ray IE Contributor Local South Asian arts non-profit Pratidhwani again teams up with ACT Theatre, this time to present a sprawling Indian ballet with a cast of 40. Chitrangada, The Warrior Princess, written in 1892 by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, focuses on gender, love, and of course, the many faces of Indian dance.

In this piece, which resonates with both classical and contemporary elements, Princess Chitrangada must decide how to approach the man she loves, the warrior Arjuna, by choosing between her warrior persona and her fabricated feminine alterego.

Featuring eleven classical and contemporary Indian dance forms, this production of Chitrangada is an all-volunteer project which has been a year in the making. The show’s director, Moumita Bhattacharya, reports that preparations began last May, with auditions last September and October.

“Every person performs because they love dance and are ready to take precious time off from their lives to practice for six to ten hours a week over a four-month period,” Bhattacharya said.

Pratidhwani reports that selection for the show was an easy choice. “We had staged this show seven years ago at a small scale and it has been one of our best-received shows to date,” said Bhattacharya, who also serves as President of Pratidhwani. “The underlying theme of gender stereotypes and love is especially relevant in the times we live in.”

The group is happy to be staging this work at ACT, according to Bhattacharya.

“Over the years, we have partnered with ACT multiple times to bring South Asian arts to a mainstream Seattle audience,” she

said. “For a primarily volunteer-driven immigrant arts organization, reaching a mainstream audience is difficult, if not impossible, and ACT facilitates that by being a channel for presentation.”

Many members of this production have a long history with Chitrangada. “I first heard Chitrangada at the age of five, when my parents had acquired a vinyl record of the musical,” Bhattacharya said. “I grew up knowing the songs and the music and the story of Chitrangada, of a princess who fought all odds to gain her love, while not losing out on her innate sense of being.”

Over time, Bhattacharya’s appreciation for this ballet has changed. “For a girl of five, the music and the dance was beautiful,” she said. “Many decades later, while the music and the dance still stir the soul, it’s the essence of the story that captivates my senses.”

The show’s producer, Nitya Gupta, has likewise accompanied the show’s progression here in Seattle. “I wore several hats for Chitrangada in 2010, juggling between a producer, choreographer, actor, and dancer,” Gupta said. “It was then for the first time, Pratidhwani introduced Indian classical dance to our audience. The production received an overwhelming positive response.”

Actor Tanyee Kale, who plays the role of Kurupa in this new production, recalled the great experience of the 2010 production, and was enthusiastic about participating again.

“I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect and better show for me to get back to dancing and the stage after giving birth to my child,” she said.

The performers and artistic team all have decades of dance training and experience between them, led by director Bhattacharya, with 35 years of classical Indian dance experience.

Actor Anwesha Das, who plays the role of Surupa, is a professional Bharatanatyam dancer with twenty years of dancing experience. “I started learning Bharatanatyam from my Guru Urmila Sathyanarayanan in India in 1995,” Das said. “It has been enriching journey of discovery and is an integral part of my life.”

Yet despite these decades of experience, this show has been a process of discovery for Das. “My role entails a lot of expressive dance, so it has been a wonderful experience to get under the skin of the character who is going through a myriad of emotions,” she said.

Das’s character Surupa is the alter-ego of the title character, the warrior Chitrangada.

Surupa, in her bid to win the love of Arjuna, attempts to embody feminine charm. “Surupa is suffocating under the guise of eternal feminine beauty and ideal companionship, which is a façade,” Das said. “It pinches her to live under these veneers of lies, which hide her true identity of an intelligent and valorous woman.”

Guiding us through the journey of Chitrangada and Surupa are two narrators, played by actors Suchitra Mohan and Pushkara Chaganti. “I love telling stories,” Mohan said. “I get to go on stage every evening and tell people the story of a really powerful woman. What could be better than that?”

Chaganti concurs. “I love the fact that my character matches my natural personality,” she said. “I am naturally bubbly, energetic, and very good with telling stories filled with imagery and dance-like actions.”

Despite 17 years of experience dancing and teaching dance, Chaganti has also found this production to be a growth experience. “Normally, I am a dancer and choreographer in all the Pratidhwani shows,” she said. “However, this is my debut acting

experience and I have learned that staying on top of my lines, not paraphrasing, and making sure the entries and exits are in sync with the dances is just as important as giving a full-fledged performance on stage.”

Performing at ACT has added to the novelty of this production. “The biggest challenge in this show was tackling the 360-degree stage,” actor Kale said. “Rehearsals are always fun because, even though I have done this since 2009, every dance team brings with itself its own dynamic and its own energy.”

Likewise, the dynamic of the behind-thescenes team has also been illuminated for Gupta, now that she is focusing solely on the role of producer. “The director and producer are two sides of the same coin, where the director is responsible for everything on stage, and the producer is responsible for everything offstage,” she said. “My role as a producer is to oversee that every aspect of the production is running properly.”

She is particularly excited about new marketing and outreach avenues. “I have produced several shows in the last eight years, primarily for South Asian audiences,” she said. “This is the first time I have an opportunity to diversify the audience base.”

The vast number of women involved with this production seems to mirror the message of this show. “Chitrangada is a beautiful story of a woman who epitomizes feminine power,” said actor Anwesha Das. Director Bhattacharya agrees. “A woman can be whatever she wants to be,” she said.

“That is what Chitrangada stands for.”

‘Chitrangada’ runs from April 28 to May 20 at ACT Theatre, 700 Union Street, Seattle. For more information, visit www.acttheatre.org/Tickets/OnStage/Chitrangada.

12 — May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

IE ARTS

Good Girls Marry Doctors: What it means to be a South Asian American daughter

By Nalini Iyer IE Contributor

a challenging pregnancy that she never felt the biological clock tick, nor really wanted to be a mother. Motherhood isn’t quite what she wants and yet she continues her commitment to raise her now teenaged daughter. She writes, “My story is about being defeated, lost, and struggling while simultaneously celebrating, triumphing, and transforming.” In the “Politics of Being Political,” Piyali Bhattacharya, the editor of the anthology, shares her experiences of navigating parental expectations—familiarity with Indian culture, fluency in the mother tongue, good grades—until she discovered feminism in college. While her parents supported her desire to be a writer, her career as a journalist who wrote on Black Lives Matter and the Indian presence in Kashmir caused conflict with her parents. Yet, when she receives the contract to publish this book, her parents respect her desire to speak her truth.

In 1993, Aunt Lute Books published an anthology of South Asian American women’s writing, Our Feet Walk the Sky. This anthology is recognized as a pioneering one that helped articulate South Asian American women’s diverse experiences as first and secondgeneration immigrants, and for bringing that body of writing into dialogue with both Asian American women’s writing and South Asian women’s writing. In publishing Good Girls Marry Doctors, Aunt Lute makes yet another major contribution to South Asian American women’s writing, and this time the emphasis is on daughterhood. What does it mean to be born and raised within the South Asian American community? What are the cultural and familial expectations of daughters?

South Asian American women are expected to be high achievers in academics and in professional lives and yet to conform to familial and heteronormative expectations of marriage and motherhood. Twenty-six women writers take up the challenge of describing what it means to conform or break the boundaries of social expectations—what happens when daughters disobey.

The authors of these essays come from different religious and national backgrounds in South Asia. Triveni Gandhi explores her religious practices through family taboos on meat and alcohol and how she arrives at a personal religious philosophy after reflecting on her own experiences of Indian culture outside her family’s particular practices. Sayantani DasGupta’s “Good Girls Become Doctors” explodes the idea that Indian families force their children into medicine as a profession.

The daughter of a South Asian feminist and academic, DasGupta writes about growing up in a household where community-based activism for gender equality was part of the fabric of family life.

When as a college student DasGupta is considering her own professional

The above are some examples of the many thought-provoking essays that honestly (and sometimes painfully) explore balancing love and respect for parents and their culture, and finding oneself as a person who may not live up to those expectations. In other words, what are the costs of obedience and disobedience for South Asian daughters? In 1993, Our Feet Walk the Sky resonated deeply with me as a feminist Indian immigrant seeking to understand her experiences; twenty -four years later, Good Girls Marry Doctors speaks to me as the mother of two young women who are seeking their own understanding of what it means to be a South Asian American daughter.

Piyali Bhattacharya speaks with Anu Taranath about this book on May 9 at 7:00 p.m. at Elliott Bay Books.

path, she understands that her father urges her to become a doctor not because he is a patriarch but because he wants his daughter to never be dependent on another for her livelihood. Roksana Badruddoja’s “The Fantasy of a Normative Motherhood”

is a powerful essay on the author’s growing realization that the ideals of Bangladeshi American expectations of marriage and motherhood shackled her to a world that furthered capitalistic and heteronormative expectations. She writes candidly of her discovery during

Nalini Iyer is professor of English and the co-author/co-editor of three books including ‘Roots and Reflections: South Asians in the Pacific Northwest’ (2013) and ‘Revisiting India’s Partition: New Essays in Memory, Culture, and Politics’ (2016).

Romson Regarde Bustillo creates intricate works in Kingdom of Prophets

By Clarissa Gimes IE Contributor Romson Regarde Bustillo’s Kingdom of Prophets at Feast Arts Center in Tacoma is an intimate showcase of prints that uses a combination of techniques—collagraphs, intaglio, relief and serigraphy. The majority of his works are monoprints that are pulled from multiple master plates from diverse surfaces. His work is influenced by research and his family’s Filipino background and migration to the United States.

Each print, reminiscent of a dizzying topographic map, encapsulates a sense of movement and activity. The layers of lines and forms create intricate patterns that translates into a non-representational visual language. Woven through the layers are motifs that organically manifest. Most works are paired with short poems, which help provide some context. In one poem, he writes: Waking from the floor any doubt must be buried with my hands

I will brush my teeth quietly rinse gently run water briefly wet on my fingers dampen the edges of my eyes dry them with my undershirt muffle my gestures and go about unhurried as I scan for the door It is easy to get lost in the varying textures that are present in the works, navigating through each detail—each form within a form holding some sort of

visceral meaning. Each print encourages reflection and inquiry into how we interpret and engage with visual cues.

Kingdom of Prophets is an exquisite show that stimulates an examination of how we process and engage with information through visual motifs.

‘Romsom Regarde Bustillo: Kingdom of Prophets’ is on view at Feast Arts Center in Tacoma through May 13. For more information, visit www.feastarts. com.

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017 — 13

IE ARTS

Nadeshiko mixes Japanese WWII history into the present

By Roxanne Ray IE Contributor

by her experience as an actor. “In Seattle, I had been performing the play Within the Silence by Living Voices, about Japanese Keiko Green’s play Nadeshiko has internment camps,” she said. “I had heard traveled a long road, over the course of six that every seven minutes, we lose a WWII years, before its current production this survivor. That statistic hit me hard.”

April and May by Sound Theatre Company.

She highlights the telling of WWII history Throughout the play’s development, Green in the United States to the silence in Japan. changed many aspects of the characters “In Japan, the history and role of the country and the story, but always kept the thread of in WWII is still extremely shameful,” Green the influence of Craigslist, the mostly free said. “People have literally tried to erase that online ad listing, on contemporary life. “It history from textbooks. I wanted to write was always a bit of a love letter to Craigslist,” for a woman, now the titular Nadeshiko, Green said. “Craigslist was an incredible who decided to tell her story, even though resource for many of us, living in a strange she’s not ‘supposed to.’” city, providing us with an opportunity to Green describes her lead character as “an find long- or short-term jobs and housing. eclectic, funny, elderly woman who, at age Some of my best friends are roommates that fifteen, had the ‘volunteer’ job of waving I initially met through Craigslist.” goodbye to Tokkō pilots who were flying to Green came to realize the dramatic their deaths during WWII.” potential of this modern networking system.

For Green, this was one more example “What if there was a young woman who of the ways in which women are expected became a kind of ‘Craigslist Robin Hood,’ to engage in supportive, caring work for taking on all the gigs that no one else would others’ benefit. “It made me think of the do?” she asked. ways in which women through time take on After taking a break from Seattle and responsibility and the weight of others, how from theatre, Green returned to her idea often women can endure so much and still with some new influences. “All these ‘race never be the heroes of their own story,” she plays’ started coming out -- and they gave said. me some really complicated feelings,” she This theme was especially compelling for said. “Our experiences with race and gender, actor Ina Chang, who plays the title role of I felt, were being simplified by many of the Nadeshiko.

“The play has a lot to say about stories I was seeing.” how women accept or fight against the roles The contrast to Green’s own experience that are prescribed for them,” Chang said. motivated her to dive back into her writing.

Actor Greg Lyle-Newton, who plays “My Asian roots make me feel unique, the White-Haired Man, agrees. “As the strong, fetishized, under-estimated, father of a mixed-raced, adult daughter tokenized, and on and on,” Green said. “It’s so complex, and I still struggle to find the of Japanese descent who’s taught me a right vocabulary to discuss my relationship great deal about the obstacles she faces with my ethnicity, especially as a mixed every day as a person of color and has, in race artist. I wanted to tell a story about the fact, voiced the same concerns expressed assumptions that people make about others.” by the women characters Keiko depicts,” Lyle-Newton said, “I wanted to contribute Green was inspired to fold World War II toward opening up that dialogue myself and history into her play’s contemporary setting

hopefully furthering the conversation in a unit, more commonly known in the U.S. as frank, authentic way.” the Kamikaze pilots. “I have heard many This exploration is at the heart of the role stories about Japan during war through of Risa, a twenty-something woman played history textbooks, documentaries, as well by actor Maile Wong. “This character, and as stories from my Japanese grandfather this play is general, constantly challenges our while growing up,” Kenji said, “but in order assumptions about race, gender, sex… you to understand Toshio’s circumstances, I am name it,” Wong said. “Every day in rehearsal delving further into the stories of these pilots and the people of this town in which pushes me out of my comfort zone.” the story is based.”

Green emphasizes the collaborative Likewise, actor Mi Kang, who plays nature of this project with the play’s director, Kaytlin McIntyre, and the show’s dramaturg, the roles of Sue and Shoko, has immersed Sara Keats. “First and foremost, I’m there herself in research related to Nadeshiko’s to support Keiko’s writing and revising context. “My biggest challenge is to give process,” dramaturg Keats said. “I ask her Sue and Shoko justice,” Kang said. “They questions to help her figure out what to are two strong Asian American and Asian tweak in the play and offer ideas about how females, and they deserve to be portrayed with depth and not as caricatures of Asian to proceed.” women. To do that, I’m exploring and Green has found Keats’s feedback helpful. researching what their lives are like.”

“It’s a continuous process,” she said. “Last Keats’s role as dramaturg for Nadeshiko year, I wrote as my heart told me. Since also provides support for the audience. then, I did a significant amount of research, “There will be a program note, as well as and worked with dramaturg Sara Keats and some research materials online,” Keats the director Kaytlin McIntyre to explore the said.

“Additionally, there may be some story.” talkbacks after a few performances.”

As dramaturg, Keats also supports the Beyond these particular materials and entire artistic team. “I also do a lot of events, Keats notes that the Umbrella research, in this case, in collaboration with the assistant director, to help the actors and Project, the new play development and designers understand the world of the play,” resource sharing organization that she coshe said. “For this play, that means a lot of founded, is a developing partner on this research about cam girls and WWII Japan.” production of Nadeshiko. “I think new plays like Nadeshiko are important because The actors have found Keats’s efforts they widen our understanding of what it helpful in dealing with the challenges of means and has meant to be a person in the performing in Green’s play. Actor Josh Kenji, world,” Keats said. “Our current political who plays Toshio, a World War II Tokkō climate calls for empathy and engagement, pilot, reports that “the most challenging and the theatre is a great place to practice aspects of portraying Toshio is that he is a that.” character from a time and place that is very ‘Nadeshiko’ runs from April 13 to May different from our own.”

7 at the Center Theatre at Seattle Center Kenji found it necessary to delve into Armory, 305 Harrison Street, Seattle. history to understand the position of the For more information visit http://www.

Japanese Tokkō pilot, which is abbreviated soundtheatrecompany.org/2017-season/ from Tokubetsu Kōgekitai, or special attack nadeshiko.

Park portrays Korean American experience with touches of Jane Eyre

By Soyon Im IE Contributor Much has been said about Re Jane, Patricia Park’s enjoyable first novel, as being a Korean American retelling of Jane Eyre.

There are a few similarities—the main characters in both books are orphans and as adults, they become nannies, entering households that introduce them to a different class of people. The year is 2000, and Jane Re, who finds herself unemployed after graduating from college, is desperate to escape the clutches of her aunt and uncle, their cramped produce store, and the gossipy community church, where everyone seems to pity her for not having real parents or a real job.

“In Flushing your personal business was communal property,” writes Park.

While her best friend Eunice takes off for a job at Google, Jane steps beneath her expectations and resorts to working as a nanny. The work transports her from the immigrant culture of Flushing to a hyper-PC academic, feminist household in Brooklyn, where sugar, beef and nonorganic produce are forbidden. Beth Mazer, the professorial, no-makeup-wearing matron of the household isn’t a horrible boss, but her overly good intentions and frequent bouts of feminist whitesplaining border on suffocating.

That the narrator doesn’t make more fun of this situation seems like a missed opportunity, but Jane is earnest and tries to please her new boss while disliking her. She is also more often awkward than confident and doesn’t realize how attractive she can be to others. At times, Beth’s

seven-year-old adopted Chinese daughter, Devon, seems to possess more confidence than Jane.

Overall, the book is an enjoyable read, especially later as it takes us into yet another setting—that of Seoul, Korea—where Jane traces her family roots. The plot moves with the desires and self-questioning thoughts of a young woman. Jane makes mistakes, but you often admire her for not being afraid to try new things and live life in a vulnerable, uncertain place.

Patricia Park appears on Thursday, May 11 at 7:30pm with fellow writer Sunil Yapa as part of the “Sherman Alexie Loves” series as sponsored by Seattle Arts & Lectures at Town Hall Seattle. by the way this could run in our may 3 issue as well along with the sunil yapa book review.

14 — May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017

Arts & Culture 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.

Friends of Asian Art Association (FA3) P.O. Box 15404 Seattle, WA 98115 206-522-5438 friendsofasianart2@gmail.com www.friendsofasianart.org To advance understanding, appreciation and support for Asian arts and cultures, the Friends of Asian Art Association provides and supports programs, activities and materials that reflect the arts and cultures of countries that make up the broad and diverse spectrum of Asia.

Civil Rights & Advocacy Organization of Chinese Americans Asian Pacific American Advocates Greater Seattle Chapter P.O. Box 14141 Seattle, WA 98114

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Homeownership Services

Professional & Leadership Development

HomeSight 5117 Rainier Ave S Seattle, WA 98118 ph: 206-723-4355 fx: 206-760-4210 www.homesightwa.org NMLS#49289 HomeSight creates homeownership opportunities through first mortgage lending, down payment assistance, real estate development, homebuyer education, and counseling.

Housing Services

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

WE MAKE LEADERS 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.

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

Fostering future leaders through education, networking and community NAAAP Seattle services for Asian American Queen Anne Station professionals and entreP.O. Box 19888 preneurs.

Seattle, WA 98109 Facebook: NAAAP-Seattle info@naaapseattle.org Twitter: twitter.com/naaapwww.naaapseattle.org seattle

Senior Services

www.ocaseattle.org

OCA—Greater Seattle Chapter was formed in 1995 and since that time it has been serving the Greater Seattle Chinese and Asian Pacific American community as well as other communities in the Pacific Northwest.

It is recognized in the local community for its advocacy of civil and voting rights as well as its sponsorship of community activities and events.

Education

Seattle Chinatown/International District Preservation and Development Authority ph: 206-624-8929 fx: 206-467-6376 info@scidpda.org Housing, property management and community development.

The Kin On Team is ready to serve YOU! www.kinon.org

Immigration Services

Senior Services Southeast Seattle Senior Center 4655 S. Holly St., Seattle, WA 98118 ph: 206-722-0317 fax: 206-722-2768 kateh@seniorservices.org www.sessc.org Daytime activities center providing activities social services, trips, and community for seniors and South Seattle neighbors. We have weaving, Tai Chi, indoor beach-ball, yoga, dance, senior-oriented computer classes, trips to the casino, and serve scratch cooked lunch. Open Monday through Friday, 8:30-4. Our thrift store next door is open Mon-Fri 10-2, Sat 10-4. This sweet center has services and fun for the health and well-being of boomers and beyond. Check us out on Facebook or our website.

Social & Health Services Asian Counseling & Referral Service 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 low-income people in King County.

APICAT 601 S King St. Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-682-1668 www.apicat.org Addressing tobacco, marijuana prevention and control and other health disparities in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.

Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs GA Bldg., 210 11th Ave SW, Suite 301A Olympia, WA 98504 ph: (360) 725-5667 www.facebook.com/wacapaa capaa@capaa.wa.gov www.capaa.wa.gov Statewide liaison between government and APA communities. Monitors and informs the public about legislative issues.

Denise Louie Education Center 206-767-8223 info@deniselouie.org www.deniselouie.org

Offering home visiting services for children birth to 3 and full & part-day multicultural preschool education for ages 3 to 5 in the International District, Beacon Hill and Rainier Beach.

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Phone: 1-877-926-3924 Email: wna@weareoneamerica.org Website: www.wanewamericans.org Keiro Northwest 1601 E Yesler Way, Seattle, WA 98122 ph: 206-323-7100 www.keironorthwest.org rehabilitation care | skilled nursing | assisted living | home care | senior day care | meal delivery | transportation | continuing education | catering services

Homelessness Services YouthCare 2500 NE 54th Street Seattle, WA 98105 206-694-4500 info@youthcare.org www.youthcare.org

Working to prevent and end youth homelessness with services including meals, shelter, housing, job training, education, and more.

Cathay Post #186 of The American Legion Supporting veterans for over 70 years Accepting new members—contact us today to learn more! (206) 355-4422 P.O. Box 3281 Seattle, WA 98144-3281 cathaypost@hotmail.com

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

Chinese Information & 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 Creating opportunities for Asian immigrants and their families to succeed by helping them make the transition to a new life while keeping later generations in touch with their rich heritage.

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Tai Tung Restaurant International District Medical & Dental Clinic 720 8th Avenue S, Seattle, WA 98114 ph: 206-788-3700 email: info@ichs.com website: www.ichs.com

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7301 Beacon Ave S Seattle, WA 98108 ph: 206-587-3735 fax: 206-748-0282 www.idicseniorcenter.org info@idicseniorcenter.org IDIC is a nonprofit human services organization that offers wellness and social service programs to Filipinos and API communities.

Parking & Transportation Services 206-624-3426 transia@aol.com Merchants Parking provides convenient and affordable community parking. Transia provides community transportation: para-transportation services, shuttle services, and field trips in and out of Chinatown/International District, and King County.

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Answers to this puzzle are on Wednesday, May 17.

May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017 — 15

16 — May 3, 2017 – May 16, 2017

COMMUNITY VOICES

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

Pathways To Health presented by ICHS Asian Americans must act to end Hepatitis B The following is a message from International Community Health Services.

There is a silent killer that disproportionately effects one in 12 Asian Americans and other immigrants. It is the leading cause of liver cancer, easily passed from pregnant mother to child and stealthily assaults entire families. Yet because there are often no symptoms, two out of three people with chronic hepatitis are unaware of the health risk they carry.

This hidden epidemic is caused by the hepatitis B virus. A disease causing inflammation of the liver, acute hepatitis B may or may not make a person sick with flulike symptoms before they feel better. For Asian Americans, the risk for developing chronic hepatitis is high because many are infected as infants. Without proper screening and diagnosis, chronic hepatitis B is a ticking time bomb—an apparently healthy body can be infected for years— even decades. Left untreated, it can lead to cirrhosis, liver damage, liver failure, or liver cancer.

Chia Wang MD, a leading expert on infectious diseases and a hepatitis specialty provider at International Community Health Services (ICHS), describes a problem that reaches deep into Seattle’s Asian American and immigrant communities.

“Though they only make up 5% of the total U.S. population, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders account for half of Americans living with chronic hepatitis B infection. Likewise, people from sub-Saharan Africa are also at a higher risk,” she said. “Because they experience more barriers to care, those in the immigrant community can be difficult to reach and are less likely to be diagnosed.”

Wang outlined the importance of breaking the silence. “Hepatitis B gets shoved under the rug by the very communities it impacts because of misperceptions, shame, and fear,” she said. “The lack of discussion can be deadly and needs to change. We must remove the stigma so people start talking.”

A first step is clearing up some common myths.

Myth No. 1: Hepatitis B causes easy-toidentify symptoms Most people do not experience any symptoms during the acute infection phase, although some may experience yellowing of the skin and eyes, dark urine, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. After initial infection some people will naturally clear the virus from their body, while others will go on to develop a long-term, or chronic, condition.

Myth No. 2: People without symptoms are “healthy carriers” People with chronic hepatitis B can otherwise appear active and healthy. The quiet nature of the disease is misleading as the more serious consequences are often irreversible by the time they are obvious.

Getting screened through a simple blood test, and getting treatment as recommended by a doctor is essential to long-term health and survival.

Myth No. 3: Hepatitis B is caused by poor hygiene Hepatitis B is not contracted from dirt or

Chia Wang, MD is an infectious diseases doctor who has worked at ICHS since 1999, seeing patients with chronic hepatitis B and C. She has been principal investigator on multiple grants focusing on the treatment and transmission of viral hepatitis, as well as on an NIH-funded ICHS project studying the use of health information technology to improve the care of hepatitis B patients. • Courtesy Photo

birth. Each struggled with the consequences of silence and misunderstanding in their own way.

Sponsored by ICHS and the Hepatitis B Coalition of Washington, the Seattle premiere is free to the public and includes a community forum and discussion at the New Holly Gathering Hall on May 23, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

ICHS offers hepatitis B screenings at its clinic locations in Chinatown-International District, Holly Park, Shoreline, and Bellevue. ICHS accepts most major insurance coverage plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, and turns no one away, regardless of ability to pay. There is a sliding fee scale for those who qualify.

About ICHS Founded in 1973, ICHS is a non-profit community health center offering affordable primary medical and dental care, acupuncture, laboratory, pharmacy, behavioral health, WIC, and health education services. ICHS’ four full-service medical and dental clinics— located in Seattle’s International District and Holly Park neighborhoods; and in the cities of Bellevue and Shoreline—serve nearly 29,000 patients each year. As the only community health center in Washington primarily serving Asians and Pacific Islanders, ICHS provides care in over 50 languages and dialects annually. ICHS is committed to improving the health of medically-underserved communities by providing affordable and in-language health care. For more information, please visit: www.ichs.com.

poor hygiene. It cannot be passed from food, utensils, or casual contact like hugging and kissing. Hepatitis B is passed from one person to another through blood or bodily fluids. While it can be contracted through sexual activity or shared needles, most immigrants with chronic hepatitis B are infected at birth or as an infant.

Myth No. 4: My doctor already did blood tests with me, I must not have it.

“Tests for chronic hepatitis B are not routine tests, and if you or your parents are immigrants from Asia, as well as Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Pacific Islands, you should ask your doctor to confirm that you have been screened,” said Wang.

Myth No. 5: We are already vaccinated so we don’t need to worry There is a highly effective hepatitis B vaccine that most children in the United States receive as infants. However, depending on when and where a person or their children are born, they may still be at risk. The vaccine prevents infection but if does not offer a cure or protection to those that already carry it.

May is Hepatitis Awareness Month “Asian American and immigrant communities need to start opening up, and start doing it now,” said Wang.

“The month of May is dedicated to hepatitis awareness, prevention, and screening. Celebrate it with three easy actions that may save your life or that of a loved one,” she said. “First, if you don’t know your chronic hepatitis B status, get screened by your doctor. Second, if you are not infected and not immune, ask your doctor for the hepatitis B vaccine. It is one of the few cancer-causing viral infections that can be prevented by a vaccine. And finally, a great way to gain some understanding about the problem and how it’s been allowed to persist among our minority communities is to go see Be About It.” A new documentary that explores key issues through the story of two families living with hepatitis B, Be About It, is produced by Christopher Wong, a former ABC anchor who is, himself, a chronic carrier. Both of the Asian American men featured in the film contracted the virus at Infographic by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention