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FREE EST. 1974 —SEATTLE VOLUME 43, NUMBER 13 — JULY 6, 2016 – JULY 19, 2016
: M T M T S S S S I I E V E I V W T I H C W T T A RH BOR C O N T A A R L D R N O A O N LEA S F B E O N Y C R A E G I L V E THE GO N THE NEWSPAPER OF NORTHWEST ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COMMUNITIES. FIND YOUR INSPIRASIAN.
E OMIN G D E M L I S
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CID PUBLIC SAFETY SURVEY SHOWS FLAW IN SPD CRIME DATA STRATEGY | PAGE 7
AN
2 — July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
IE OPINION
Why we need to keep talking about Peter Liang By Christina Twu Seattle Globalist Since #Asians4BlackLives took off last year, Asian Americans have been taking a much needed look at ourselves, our places in U.S. history and what we stand for as racial justice advocates of the Asian diaspora. Last week, I had the privilege of joining #Asians4BlackLives from across the United States and Canada for a story-gathering session at the Allied Media Conference in Detroit. Together, we saw the big picture materialize around intersecting Asian and Black histories in the United States. Using Timeline, we started compiling the events that built up to the #Asians4BlackLives movement. Where did it really begin in U.S. history? The conversation started with two Asian men in 1922 and 1923 being denied U.S. citizenship. So they took their separate cases to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that they could legally pass as white. A generation removed from the Chinese Exclusion Act, which was passed in 1882, the Naturalization Act of 1906 mandated that only those of white or African descent could become U.S. citizens. Asians learned how to survive in a paradigm of white supremacy by connecting to whiteness and distancing from blackness. We can see the residue of this misguidance a few months ago when some Chinese American activists painted former New York City police officer Peter Liang as a young victim of a biased court system. A jury found Liang guilty of manslaughter in the death of Akai Gurley, an unarmed black man who was shot while passing through a stairwell when Liang and his partner were conducting a vertical patrol. A New York Post op-ed called Liang a scapegoat, opening with an agonizing comparison of Liang’s conviction to the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American engineer beaten to death in Michigan. Chin was killed by a Chrysler factory supervisor Ron Ebens and his stepson Michael Nitz, who mistook him for Japanese, and in lieu of prison time, got off on probation and a $3,000 fine. This unwitting anti-black push and racial distancing by protesters of the Liang verdict ultimately resulted in no prison time for the former police officer this April. Regardless of what the circumstances of Gurley’s shooting were, Liang’s freedom denies Gurley and his family justice. After the Allied Media Conference discussion on Asian and black U.S. histories,
IE STAFF
Established in 1974, the International Examiner is the only non-profit pan-Asian American and Pacific Islander 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.
Seattle activist JM Wong addresses the crowd as part of a counter-protest at a rally supporting former NYPD officer Peter Liang. (Photo by Alex Garland.)
some of us visited the grave site of Vincent Chin. As an ancestor-abiding Chinese woman, it was hard to know what to say to Vincent exactly. It’s been 34 years since his murder, and his family must grapple every day with the injustice that Vincent’s murderers never saw a day in prison. As Vincent’s niece Annie Tan put it best in a Medium article, her uncle has much more in common with Akai Gurley than Peter Liang—a profound and timely
reminder of how Vincent’s legacy is honored through #BlackLivesMatter. What really got me, though, is when Detroit community leader Soh Suzuki, our tour guide who visits Chin’s gravestone regularly, shared his personal connection to Chin. Suzuki’s parents were among the car company employees who moved from Japan to Detroit in the ’80s. With the rise of Japanese car manufacturers, anti-Japanese sentiment was high in the once booming Motor City. “It was because of my family that Vincent Chin was killed,” said Suzuki. Chin’s murder was utter violence. A case of racial profiling and mistaken identity. No matter what divisive narratives suggest, Asian and black communities are still united by racism—though we are looking at it from very different places. And we’re all living beneficiaries of Asianblack coalition building, from celebrated moments in the Asian activist canon like Asian ally-ship in the Black Panther Party,
to the union of James Boggs and Grace Lee Boggs’ prescient contribution to political movements. Just like these milestones we recount now, how we talk about Peter Liang as Chinese Americans, Asian Americans, and people of color is a part of our American history, and will define our collective identity whether we want it to or not. Let’s keep talking about Peter Liang and the possibility that a young, Asian American NYPD officer killed an unarmed black man. He took a man’s life away from a family and a community. Period. How can you begin to rationalize or qualify that? Join me and Pacific Rim Solidarity Network (PARISOL) in a discussion about Peter Liang on Saturday, July 9 at Bethany United Church of Christ in Beacon Hill. RSVP and find more details at on the Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/ events/290422077974771/.
Letter to the Editor: Public safety issues in the CID require immediate attention I hope this letter to the editor will shine a light for our City representatives on the desperate need for greater safety in our Chinatown-International District community. As someone who lives and works in this neighborhood, the safety of both my person and my property are threatened on a regular basis. I do not have time to report every incident to the police, but last Friday morning I was really shaken up so I decided to take the 10+ minutes necessary to wait on hold on the Seattle Police Department non-emergency line in order to speak with a sympathetic staff member who sent an officer. At about 9:00 a.m. on June 13, as I was waiting at the crosswalk on the SE corner of the 5th Avenue S and S Jackson Street intersection, a woman lunged violently at me, screaming, “Get the f**k out of here, c**t!” and called me a “ch*nk” and a number of other racial slurs. This woman frequently loiters at intersections and sidewalks along 5th Avenue S and S Jackson Street, and appears to be experiencing homelessness, untreated mental illness, and/or drug addiction. This was deeply upsetting and I was late to work.
IE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ron Chew, President Gary Iwamoto, Secretary Arlene Oki, At-Large Jordan Wong, At-Large Edgar Batayola, At-Large Heidi Park, At-Large COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER Lexi Potter lexi@iexaminer.org
BUSINESS MANAGER Ellen Suzuki finance@iexaminer.org
DISTRIBUTORS Joshua Kelso Makayla Dorn Maryross Olanday Tiger Song Billy Chow
After this incident, I am committed to reporting crimes and safety violations in our community. I did not report all of them previously because, as is the case for many residents of this neighborhood, I get a sense of apathy from the city, and sometimes feel resigned to these conditions. Our community houses a number of elders with limited English language proficiency, which also acts as a barrier for incident reporting. Below are some other incidents which I have personally witnessed: • Public urination, defecation, nudity, and possibly masturbation. A pile of human diarrhea on the sidewalk outside of my apartment and a restaurant. • Hungry people digging through the dumpsters outside of apartment buildings and local businesses, leaving litter overflowing into the alleys. This occurs every day, at all hours. • In December, someone shattered my driver-side car window, popped the hood, and stole my brand-new car battery. I was told this was likely done to provide heat for one of the many tents that are popping up like dandelions along our sidewalks. There are no safe overnight parking options in this neighborhood.
EDITOR IN CHIEF Travis Quezon
INTERN Anakin Fung
editor@iexaminer.org
CONTRIBUTORS Bob Shimabukuro Christina Twu Jill Witsoe Pinky Gupta Imana Gunawan Yayoi Winfrey Roxanne Ray Nalini Iyer Richard Gurtiza Bob Santos Jashua Talosig Cindy Domingo Leilani Leach Jill Mangaliman Sharon Maeda
NEWS EDITOR Izumi Hansen news@iexaminer.org
ARTS EDITOR Alan Chong Lau
arts@iexaminer.org
DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR Rhea Panela rheapanela@iexaminer.org
CHIEF COPY EDITOR Anna Carriveau STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Isaac Liu STAFF WRITERS Chetanya Robinson Alia Marsha
• A man testing car handles in the InterIm CDA lot under the I-5 overpass in an attempt to break in. • At least once a week walking the streets of the ID during daylight hours: panhandling, public inebriation, and broken glass from alcohol bottles on the street, catcalling and unwelcome sexual advances, intimidation, loitering, and public nudity. Chronic, systemic issues that city leadership will take years to resolve do not address critical and immediate public safety needs. Without greater resource allocation from the city now (not in 5 years), the residents of the CID will continue to be homebound as soon as the sun sets, be verbally, physically, and sexually harassed, and experience trepidation doing simple daily tasks like walking to work or to the parking lot. I love this community and would hate to feel pressured to find housing elsewhere due to continuing threats to my safety. I hope the public servants whose campaigns we supported will remember their duty to in turn support us. Our community is hurting and desperately needs immediate, drastic help. Chris International District resident
International Examiner 409 Maynard Ave. S. #203 Seattle, WA 98104 Tel: (206) 624-3925 Fax: (206) 624-3046 Website: www.iexaminer.org
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INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016 — 3
IE OPINION
Fo' Real * By Bob Shimabukuro
The greatness of America lies in its future, not in its past, Part II By Bob Shimabukuro IE Columnist “America has the worst (human rights) record in the world!” —Zenshu Shimabukuro, … 1953, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57, ’59—’62, when he died. “America has the greatest Constitution in the world!” —Zenshu Shimabukuro, 1958. *** The reason my dad changed his tune in 1958 was that the “Hawai‘i Seven,” who had been serving time for violations of the Smith Act, were set free by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The court ruled that the abstract teaching of communism did not constitute conspiracy to overthrow the government by force or violence as defined by the Smith Act. That decision was instrumental in affecting his thoughts about America. Dad followed local, national, and international politics and shared his thoughts about the world in family conversations, especially around the dinner table. He was happy that day. He thought America had a chance to redeem itself. *** A year ago, for an Independence Day column, I wrote about my dad and his thoughts about America. This year, with the death of my Zen Uncle a week ago, along side the current anti-immigrant, exclusionary, frightening thoughts being expressed today, I thought a conversation
with Zen Uncle was a most appropriate July 4 article this year.
Zen Tokuda 1914-2016
Zen Tokuda: “What you doing now, Bob?” Bob: “Some woodworking, making furniture. Some writing, editing. Some community organizing.” “Oh yeah? What dat, community organizing?” “Sort of like labor organizing. But instead, get folks to work together for family, relatives, friends, village, you know, community, like kenjinkai.” “Oh, like organizing workers, only not workers.” “Yeah.” “So, you, like what, leadah?” “No, more like teachah.” “Oh dat’s good. Because sometimes labor leadahs, you gotta watch ‘em. Dey just as bad as bosses. Steal from workers too.” “Yeah, sometimes teachahs no good too. Gotta watch out.” “Gotta watch out from odda side too?” “What odda side?” “Well, I wen’ hang around with some of da Hawai‘i Seven folks. Then stopped hangin’ around. They went jail, you know.” “Yeah, I know. Then good thing you stop hanging around, yah?”
Zen Uncle. • Courtesy Photo
And we laughed. And then I said: “Yeah, sometimes, we have to watch out from odda side too.” “Then you bettah watch out good, OK?” “Yeah, Uncle. No worry.” Zen Uncle was a pipefitter. Had some good stories. Lively sense of humor. And very creative. When I was 13-14 years old, he showed me his very old car patched together with parts from other things. He had replaced his broken radiator with a refrigerator unit that he attached to the engine. I also remember going into “the big house” when I was much younger, where none of the kids were supposed to go. But being very curious about why we couldn’t go there I once snuck in and saw a bathroom that was really strange. There were pipes attached to the walls in all kinds of configurations, but they were
not attached to any water intake so I could not understand what they were for. Some were towel holders, I reasoned, but why were there vertical bars? The terrible part of this was I couldn’t ask anybody what these were, because I wasn’t supposed to have gone there. Well, I’ll stop here. This is beginning to sound like a Smarter Balanced Test story question I once read, about a girl who went into her grandmother’s bedroom and “borrowed a baseball” signed by Babe Ruth and played with it. It was followed by questions about what the little girl should have done or learned about other people’s property. Maybe you all could help me finish this story and we’ll send the questions to Arne Duncan. See if he could pass the test. He’s never answered any of the other questions I’ve asked. It’s been a tough haul this past year. To hear that Zen Uncle had died Sunday (Father’s Day) hit me hard. As I’ve said much too often over the last few months, “Even when you know someone’s going to die soon, it still hurts when he/she does.” Thank you Zen Uncle (and Kiyoko Auntie too), for all your stories, and all the help you’ve given our family. One good thing about this, is that our families will be getting together in Hawai‘i in mid-July for services for both Zen Uncle and my brother Tom. We’ll also probably share our memories of Kiyoko Auntie, who died a few months ago.
St. Jude: Finding cures and saving children around the world By Jill Witsoe St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital The fight against childhood cancer is a global challenge. There are an estimated 175,000 newly diagnosed cases of childhood cancer worldwide each year. Cancer is emerging as a major cause of childhood death in the developing regions of Asia, South and Central America, northwest Africa and the Middle East. In the United States, cancer remains the No. 1 cause of death by disease of children older than 1. Although improved therapy has increased survival rates for children with cancer, more than 70 percent of the world’s children with cancer do not have access to modern treatment. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life- threatening diseases. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children here in Seattle, the United States and around the world. In addition to making its research results available, St. Jude has developed partnerships to extend
our knowledge to institutions around the world. At St. Jude, we believe in giving every child the best chance of a cure. By freely sharing knowledge, technology, and research data, we are saving the lives of children both in our clinics, and around the world. For more than 20 years, the St. Jude International Outreach Program has improved global survival rates for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. • The St. Jude International Outreach Program’s mission is to improve the survival rate of children with cancer and other lifethreatening diseases worldwide, through the sharing of knowledge, technology and organizational skills. • St. Jude has 25 partners in 19 countries in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, South America, the Eastern Mediterranean region and Asia. • St. Jude Cure4Kids offers an online forum where more than 170 international groups meet regularly. Registration is free to pediatric health care professionals, scientists and researchers. More than 41, 000 health care professionals from 160 countries are registered users.
• St. Jude International Visitors Program provides specific training at St. Jude to selected visiting international health care professionals to fill specific needs at their patient institutions. Each year, about 120 health care professionals visit St. Jude through the program. These have included oncology/hematology and infectious disease physicians, surgeons, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, psychologists/psychiatrists, nutritionists, dentists, pathologists, laboratory technologists and physical therapists, representing more than 40 nations. What can you do locally to help? The local Seattle field office for ALSAC/ St. Jude Children’s Resarch Hosptial is the Pacific Northwest regional fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude and our sole mission is to raise the funds and awareness necessary to operate the hospital. Local support for regional events does make a difference—no family ever pays St. Jude for anything, for treatment, travel, food, or housing. St. Jude is the only pediatric research center where families never pay for treatement not covered by insurance—so they can focus on the treatment of their child and not have to worry about bills. The office facilitates many different types
of fundraising events, such as the upcoming 2016 Seattle St. Jude Walk Run to End Childhood Cancer at the Seattle Center. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and supporters in nearly 60 communities nationwide will lace up their sneakers to participate in the inaugural St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer. Join the fight on September 17 to help St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital reach a day when no child dies from cancer. Visit stjude.org/walkrun and register today. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90 percent in the next decade. We won’t stop until no child dies from cancer; but we need your help. Our time frame is urgent— our mission is critical. We are asking you to rally in the Seattle community in support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to raise funds and awareness at the 2016 Seattle St. Jude Walk Run to End Childhood Cancer Saturday, September 17. Together, we can take huge steps towards our mission of finding cures and saving children worldwide. Have questions or interested in becoming involved? Contact: Jill K Witsoe| Jill.Witsoe@ stjude.org.
4 — July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
IE NEWS
SPD updates CID community on Donnie Chin murder investigation By Alia Marsha IE Staff Writer
District Emergency Center—in response to the lack of resources provided by the city to address public safety in the neighborhood.
At a public meeting organized by Washington State Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos and International District Emergency Center (IDEC) on June 23, almost a year after the unsolved murder of community leader Donnie Chin, the Seattle Police Department said that it is closer than it has ever been to making an arrest regarding the murder investigation. The meeting—a follow up to a similar public safety meeting last November with the purpose of encouraging communication between SPD and the community about the murder investigation—drew about 100 Chinatown-International District (CID) community members to the Nagomi Tea House. They were joined by SPD Chief of Police Kathleen O’Toole (who had not made it to the previous meeting), City Councilmember Bruce Harrell, King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, as well as Chin’s family.
During the Q&A session, Batayola said that having increased police presence was not enough. “There are so many public safety issues in our community. [There’s] a big hole that Donnie left because he was so vigilant in terms of not letting things pile up and get to this crisis,” Batayola said. “The impact of losing him is so much bigger.”
Community leader “Uncle” Bob Santos and several others stressed the importance of not only the need for police visibility in the neighborhood, but for O’Toole and police officers to make efforts to get to know the community members better. “Uncle” Bob recalled seeing some officers in Eastern Café who Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos stands in front as SPD Chief Kathleen O’Toole addresses the audience at a June 23 did not even make eye contact with him. public safety meeting to update the community on Donnie Chin’s murder investigation. • Photo by Isaac Liu Other comments shared at the meeting When the meeting turned into a Q&A about his life’s work, what Donnie Chin reiterated the community’s general lack session, frustration ran high not only dedicated his entire life to, and ultimately of trust toward the SPD, which O’Toole toward the investigation and the SPD, but died for: public safety in the SCID.” said she hoped to fix. also regarding the issue of homelessness Teresita Batayola said that employees at “It’s a work in progress, thank you in the CID and its impact on residents, International Community Health Services for your patience,” O’Toole said. But we businesses, and service providers. (ICHS), where she is the chief executive hope that over time, you’ll know that our
In her opening remarks, Santos said that 11 months after Donnie’s murder the community has not been able to heal because of the lack of answers provided by SPD. Afterwards, O’Toole gave an update Karen Yoshitomi, executive director of on the investigation but emphasized the the Japanese Cultural and Community importance of holding back most of the Center of Washington, read aloud a letter information to avoid jeopardizing the case. describing her disappointment toward the “We are in a much better place than mayor and the lack of attention paid by day one, and in a better place since Seattle’s leaders on the unique challenges November,” O’Toole said. The two lead that the neighborhood has been facing. detectives in this case knew Donnie for a “Last week I attended a ceremony long time and are “representatives of the for the renaming of a park in the Seattle API community,” she added. Chinatown International District to the O’Toole said that even though the SPD Donnie Chin International Children’s had yet to have a suspect in custody, it Park,” Yoshitomi said, reading from the had “very good leads” and that the case is letter. “I made the effort to attend because “materializing.” I was hoping that Mayor Murray would O’Toole said that there will be more acknowledge why the renaming of the police officers on bikes patrolling the park was so important. If it’s possible to CID in the near future. Those officers will feel hope leave your body, then that was be some of the 200 new officers Mayor surely what I felt after the mayor’s brief Ed Murray said Seattle is hiring during speech on that day. One sentence about his annual State of the City address in how Donnie died. Worse, not one word February.
On June 23, Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos led a tour under the I-5 freeway and through the CID. Roughly 25 people including SPD Chief Kathleen O’Toole participated in a tour of the neighborhood. • Photo by Isaac Liu
officer, were becoming too afraid for their hearts are in the right place and we’ll safety to come to work. continue to work with you to solve this Terry Nicholas of The American case and to make this neighborhood safer Legion’s Cathay Post #186 shared the and more vibrant.” same sentiment on the increasing sense of As the meeting drew to a close, Rep. danger in the neighborhood. Santos said that the responsibility to “The neighborhood’s now become the foster a better relationship between the wild wild west,” Nicholas said. “We’re all SPD and the CID community—such worried about being hit by a stray bullet as organizing meetings like this one— down here, young people at night running should have fallen on the SPD. She also suggested that the SPD consider up and down the streets.” supporting IDEC, Donnie Chin’s legacy, Some attributed to the rising crime by allocating money from its budget rate and decreasing sense of safety of toward the organization. the neighborhood to the hole left in the The meeting ended about 20 minutes community since Chin’s death. Chin had earlier than scheduled, and Rep. Santos been responding to emergencies around invited all of the elected officials in the community since the late ’60s— the room to tour some parts of the first under the name Asians for Unity Emergency Squad and later International neighborhood to see with their own eyes the extent of the homelessness problem.
Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos leads a public safety tour of the CID. SPD Chief Kathleen O’Toole listens. • Photo by Isaac Liu
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016 — 5
IE NEWS
Mayor issues Chinatown-ID public safety action plan nearly one year after Donnie Chin murder IE News Services On Friday, July 1, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray issued the “Mayor’s Chinatown/ International District Public Safety Action Plan” six months after he first convened the Chinatown-International District Public Safety Task Force and almost one year after the murder of community activist Donnie Chin. The community’s reaction to the murder of Chin, who spent his life protecting the neighborhood and trying to keep the community safe, led to renewed calls for the city to recognize the International District’s longstanding public safety concerns. The task force was assembled by the city following the release of a public safety packet put together in September 2015 by International District community members to lay out their concerns and offer suggestions to improve public safety. The packet included 34 letters given to Murray and the city council with the purpose of urging the city to take action. Murray’s action plan was based on the task force’s recommendations, which were released to the public today. Task force members included: Maiko Winkler-Chin (co-chair), Tam Nguyen, (co-chair), Sharyne Shiu-Thornton, David Leong, Richard Mar, Minh-Duc Nguyen, Sue May Ho, Sheila Burrus, I-Miun Liu, Sokha Danh, Abdi Mohamed, Zamzam Mohamed, Larry Larson, Greg Garcia, Paul Murakami, Ron Chew, Sonny Nguyen, Karen Yoshitomi, and Alan Lai. To read the Task Force recommendations, visit http://goo.gl/nZReUK. Over the last six months, task force members were instructed by the city not to disclose the task force’s discussions and penultimate recommendations to the mayor. The final release of the mayor’s action plan and task force recommendations to the public comes as concerns by the International District community over public safety have
On June 23, Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos lead a tour of the ID after a meeting on public safety. Roughly 25 people including SPD Chief Kathleen O’Toole participated in this walk. • Photo by Isaac Liu
grown. For decades, the community has called on the city to address evolving, yet constant, manifestations of the same core public safety issues: a lack of police presence, the need for better emergency response, and problems with drugs and general safety late at night. To read the mayor’s action plan, visit http://goo.gl/DOM1FT A statement from the mayor highlighted four key elements from the action plan identified for early action: • Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist—This one-year pilot creates a new civilian position at the Seattle Police Department that will be trained in national best practices around community policing and will be the city’s point to implement strategies to address the most acute criminal activities afflicting the neighborhood. • Neighborhood-Based Public Safety Coordinator—The Department of Neighborhoods will provide matching funds for a position based in the neighborhood to
provide public safety coordination between city departments and the residents and organizations in the International District. • Public Safety Steering Committee— City employees and community members will identify key public safety projects to implement in the next 12-18 months, which will be measured and monitored for concrete outcomes. • Improved Police Communication and Responsiveness—The Seattle Police Department will increase positive police engagement and relationship-building within the community with additional and redeployed staff, improve 911 responsiveness and language capabilities, and ensure that police patrols maintain high visibility in the neighborhood. “Thank you to the many community members who contributed their time to this public safety task force and for their commitment to the neighborhood. Donnie [Chin] was one of the people who taught us that it requires more than police presence in a neighborhood to address public safety,”
Murray said in a statement. “The neglect that the Chinatown-International District feels did not occur overnight, but I am committing our City to work with the community to address these issues so that we preserve this wonderful, vibrant, diverse and historic neighborhood.” The mayor also announced that the city will launch a new intensive litter cleanup program piloted in the ChinatownInternational District and Ballard. The mayor said Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) will increase litter pick-up with bi-weekly clean-up crews, install more trash bins on the street, and increase community engagement to speed response to illegal dumping. The mayor said there were significant impacts of heavy litter on quality of life in the neighborhood and a strong correlation between heavy litter and public safety concerns. Murray also said he instructed the Office of Planning & Community Development (OPCD) and Department of Neighborhoods (DON) to work closely with the new Public Safety Steering Committee to guide the development and planning of infrastructure investments, as well as monitoring related issues that need immediate coordination. “Chinatown-International District is a unique cultural environment that faces distinct public safety and infrastructure challenges,” said Maiko Winkler-Chin, executive director of the Seattle ChinatownInternational District Preservation and Development Authority and task force co-chair, in a statement. “For decades, our neighborhood has felt that it has not had the same access to City resources and services as other neighborhoods. Community members, especially recent immigrants and our seniors, often feel disconnected. These task force recommendations and the mayor’s action plan are intended to build new bridges while making our neighborhood safer and even more vibrant.”
Alaska Legislature honors Tatsuda Grocery’s 100-year anniversary IE News Services In April, the Alaska Legislature joined the Alaskan communities of Ketchikan and Saxman in honoring the Tatsuda family on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of their grocery store, Tatsuda Grocery. Founded in Ketchikan in 1916 by Sen and Jimmie Tatsuda, Jimmie’s Grocery was located in “Indian Town” on the south side of Ketchikan Creek. Before the grocery opened, Sen had to walk a long way into town to buy groceries, so she started buying extra goods and selling bread, milk, and eggs to her neighbors. The first grocery was located at 415 Stedman Street with the young family living above the store. It was a small family operation with all the children helping. The store thrived in part from the patronage of the Native population, who appreciated that this was the only grocery store in town that allowed them to purchase groceries on credit.
At the beginning of World War II, the family was forcibly relocated with other Japanese-Americans to Idaho on very short notice. Sons Charlie, Jimmy, and William, all Ketchikan High School graduates, served in the U.S. Armed Forces while their families were held under guard in relocation camps. The store property was looked after by friends while they were away. After the war, the family returned to Ketchikan and their grocery business resumed. Shortly afterward, the store building burned down in January 1947 and the business relocated to 339 Stedman St. Sons William and Jimmy joined the business and later took over when Jimmie Sr. passed away in the 1960s. The store continued to sell groceries to the locals and the fishing fleet and provided mail order groceries to the area’s logging camps. In 1974, Tatsuda’s 10,000 square foot supermarket opened for business and in
Bill Tatsuda and his daughter, Katherine Tatsuda. • Courtesy Photo
1983, a self-service gas station, “Gas At Last,” was constructed adjacent to the store. In 1989, the supermarket was again enlarged to accommodate the growing needs of Ketchikan and Saxman residents. William Jr.’s daughter, Katherine Tatsuda, began working for the company in 1996 after
graduating from Ketchikan High School. She became a shareholder in 2009, and now is Secretary, Chief Operation Officer and Store Manager. In 2015, in anticipation of Tatsuda’s 100Year Anniversary, Tatsuda’s Supermarket underwent a multi-million dollar upgrade. The business currently has 22 full-time employees, and is doing business as Tatsuda’s IGA. Following a “Never say No” policy regarding requests for donations, Tatsuda’s has contributed to local youth and adult sports programs, school fundraising activities, non-profits of all kinds, and family emergencies. Tatsuda’s offers senior discounts and free delivery to senior citizens who can call in their orders instead of having to come to the store. Tatsuda’s pays 100% of health insurance premiums for its employees and pays above union scale to most of its associates.
6 — July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
IE NEWS
The June 21 Chinatown-International District public safety meeting at IDEA Space. • Photo by Chetanya Robinson
CID public safety meeting: Fowler leaves precinct, ‘monk’ scams, assaults on the rise By Chetanya Robinson IE Staff Writer At the monthly Chinatown-International District public safety meeting on June 21, community members, representatives of city and neighborhood groups, and two police officers discussed the latest concerns in the neighborhood, as well as recent trends in crime and safety. Most people at the meeting were regular attendees, according to Jamie Lee, manager of IDEA Space, who facilitated the meeting. A notable exception was Captain Chris Fowler, commander of the West Precinct with the Seattle Police Department. The meeting started with the news that a homeless man with mental health issues, who was a common source of complaints in the neighborhood, was recently arrested, and will most likely be away from the neighborhood for the foreseeable future. The man could often be found asking for change outside Uwajimaya and Oasis. Officer Carry Godeke of the West Precinct described a common scam CID residents might encounter, in which people dressed as Buddhist monks sell bracelets or necklaces at high prices and ask for money. On one occasion, Godeke said, one of these people tried to snatch money from someone. Fowler mentioned that he would transferring out of the precinct by around July 10, and would make sure his successor will be up to date on community needs. Fowler described the current neighborhood policing strategy as priority-based, which means community members should pick the spots that need the most focus. Fowler then outlined some trends in crime. There had been an uptick in aggravated assaults, he said. “I think as we deal more with some of our homeless concerns, it’s going to stress that population, and unfortunately one of the results of that is that it becomes a territorial concern,” he said. On the topic of shootings in the area, Fowler said they can usually be classified into two types: domestic violence with mental health issues, or gang related, in which rival gangs clash over territory, or retaliate against someone who hasn’t paid them. Fowler said the police are focusing on Rainier Valley, where gang disputes originate rather than the CID where they often end up. Crime is on a downward trend this year, according to Fowler, including shootings.
The mayor’s public safety task force was also discussed. Fowler said that one of the task force’s recommendations was to combine Little Saigon and the CID into one precinct. Fowler said more work needed to be done to see how this could work strategically. Task force members are tentatively scheduled to present to Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez’s committee on July 13. Bill Lee of InterIm CDA gave a report on the Danny Woo Garden, saying there seemed to be signs of increased prostitution and drug use. Community members also discussed their concerns with the growing homeless population under I-5 and the best strategies to handle the situation. Mikel Kowalcyk, an outreach coordinator with LEAD Screening, noted that there are agencies with outreach workers that can help, including the Union Gospel Mission and DESC Host.
Following a months-long campaign by API community activists, the park on Seventh and Lane in the International District was officially named after the late Donnie Chin on June 17. Mayor Ed Murray signed a resolution that day to officially name the park “Donnie Chin International Children’s Park.” • Photo by City of Seattle
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016 — 7
IE NEWS
CID public safety survey shows flaw in SPD crime data strategy By Alia Marsha IE Staff Writer When pressed on developing strategies for addressing the community’s public safety concerns in the ChinatownInternational District (CID), Seattle Police Department officials have said that police are guided by crime data—and that community concerns don’t usually line up with the data. According to police data, for example, the biggest rise in crime in the CID comes in the form of car prowls. But this year’s public safety survey conducted by the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda) and InterIm CDA points to what members of the community have long suspected: SPD’s data is flawed. Crimes such as drug dealing, guns being fired in the neighborhood, and violent crimes often go unreported because a majority of CID residents don’t call 911. According to the survey, over 50% of respondents indicated that they witnessed either a non-violent or violent crime in the CID. Of those who reported witnessing non-violent crimes, 72.9% said they did not report it to the police. The most common reason for non-reporting was that they did not expect any follow through by the police (40.4%), followed by thinking that police couldn’t do anything (31.9%). Of those who reported witnessing violent crimes, 59.5% did not report the crime to police. The top two reasons for not reporting violent crimes were that someone else called (40%) or because they did not expect any follow through by the police (31.9%). The survey also pointed to a high proportion of Chinese and English speakers who do not call 911 (73.5% and 76.5% respectively) when they witness non-violent crimes. Similarly, a high proportion of both groups do not call 911 when they witness violent crimes as well (61.5% for Chinese speakers and 56.5% for English speakers). After conducting and analyzing the responses to this year’s survey, SCIDpda and InterIm CDA came up with a list of recommendations to improve safety conditions in the neighborhood. Recommendations included educating community members about reporting crime, developing a culturally responsive protocal for SPD to serve the neighborhood to address the gap in data-driven practices that are not responsive to communities of color, and seeking long-term engagement and financial support for other programs and public spaces in the CID. In April, SCIDpda and InterIm CDA presented the survey results and their recommendations to Mayor Ed Murray’s Chinatown-International District Public Safety Task Force, comprised of 19 CID business owners and community leaders. The task force in turn presented its recommendations to Murray in June. On July 1, Mayor Murray released his action plan, which included a promise to improve police communication and responsiveness in the CID through new efforts on engaging the community, improving 911 responsiveness and language capabilities, and ensuring that police patrols maintain high visibility.
SCIDpda & InterIm CDA Public Safety Recommendations A. Support a “Safe Place” style program accessible in the Chinatown-International District (CID) to learn about personal safety, emergency preparedness and help community members report non-violent and violent crimes. B. Create designated times and spaces for law enforcement to interact with community members in the CID to learn from one another in order to build trust and understand the unique challenges of the community and supporting longterm relationship building. C. Develop a culturally responsive protocol that delineates how the Seattle Police Department will serve and respond to the CID in the absense of compelling 911 data by placing value on community driven partnerships to help address the gap in data-driven practices that are not responsive to communities of color.
D. Implement an analysis of community outreach practices performed by SPD with the CID and immigrant and refugee communities, while also utilizing the Race & Social Justice toolkit to strengthen training and engagement strategies. Continually evaluate community outreach practices performed by SPD and develop and implement institutional changes that adequately serve immigrant and refugee communities. E. Provide support and resources to the International District Emergency Center to evaluate its programs and strategize the organization’s next steps moving forward. F. Leverage Data from the CID Public Safety Survey to inform SPD’s Micro Community Policing Plan for CID and Little Saigon with measurable and timely reporting outcomes for improving neighborhood public safety conditions. G. Partner with social and behavioral health services that specialize in multicultural settings to develop programming to address the chronic stress and mental health of residents and community residents in the CID impacted negatively by their feelings of being unsafe and their limited access to resources. H. Participate in and support long term initiatives in the neighborhood that have a critical public safety component. This includes engagement and financial support (for both development, maintenance, and activation) of public spaces in the CID.
Photo by Travis Quezon
Links between health and neighborhood safety
A new focus of this year’s public safety survey was the impact of safety to one’s stress and anxiety level. CID residents, workers, and visitors provided 334 responses. Out of 320 people who responded to the statement that their stress and anxiety were due to the neighborhood being unsafe, only 30% said they completely disagree. Valerie Tran, BUILD Health Program manager at InterIm CDA, said that this portion of the survey helped them to understand the links between health and neighborhood safety. For example, some residents are afraid of going outside of their apartments in certain hours of the day, which leads to sedentary behaviors that can cause depression, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. “We’re not making any causal links that public safety is causing all these issues, we know that it’s one contributor to causing people to be stressed and be sedentary,” Tran said. “If we do want to protect our neighborhood’s health, both physical and mental, we need to look at public safety as one of the things we can address to improve our health.”
In coming up with their recommendations to the mayor and the task force, SCIDpda and InterIm CDA, assisted by criminal justice students from Seattle University, also looked at the CID’s 911 incident response data for 2015. Sokha Danh, formerly of SCIDpda and now the Neighborhood Safety Advocate at the Public Defender Association, said that data collected from the public safety survey gave the 911 incident response report more nuance. There are various reasons why many crimes in the CID go unreported, one of which, Danh said, is the immigrant, refugee, and low income communities’ long historical fear and distrust of police officers. Danh said that the survey could help SPD and the City of Seattle understand the CID better. “I don’t think the data-driven information captured by SPD is reflective of our community,” Danh said. “How is that data-driven information practice, although it seems objective and unbiased, reflective and how is that really working out in our community? I think one of the goals of the survey is to say, ‘Hey look, we have data too. You wanna be data-driven? We can help you be data-driven.’”
Public safety is the city’s responsibility
Donnie Chin, the founder and leader the International District Emergency Center (IDEC), was murdered in the CID in July 2015. For decades, Chin provided medical aid and other forms of support in both emergency and nonemergency situations to address a need in the neighborhood due to a lack of resources provided by the city. Tran said that one of the things SCIDpda and InterIm CDA did while putting together their recommendations was to find ways to relieve IDEC of such a huge responsibility to take care of the neighborhood. That responsibility, they said, really belongs to the city. “There’s a lot of conversations [about how Chin’s work as a civilian] was enabling police to not do their job. It was enabling a lot of city departments to not step up and actually address this neighborhood the way that it should be,” said Jamie Lee, IDEA Space Program Manager at SCIDpda. At a June 23 meeting organized by Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos and IDEC to update the community on Chin’s murder investigation, SPD Chief Kathleen O’Toole said that the majority of 200 new police officers will be stationed in Downtown and the CID to help increase visibility. The public safety survey saw a difference of opinion regarding police presence in the neighborhood among different age groups. According to the survey, only 14.9% of respondents aged 19 to 35 years old at least somewhat agreed that the police keep CID safe. Meanwhile, 28% of respondents aged 55 years old and older said they at least somewhat agree that the police keep the CID safe. The recommendations made from the public safety survey do not suggest concrete and detailed plans in which SPD should interact with members of the CID community, but Lee said that the point stressed in the list of recommendations is that a better relationship between SPD and the community needs to be improved. Meanwhile, Tran said that the city and SPD need to understand the nuances of the CID community: how it perceives and responds to safety issues. “If the City is really invested in getting to better understand the nuances of this neighborhood, seeing them invest and placing value in this kind of communitydriven data collection is really important,” Tran said. Unlike previous years, the 2016 public safety survey was conducted online on Survey Monkey and through disseminating paper copies of the survey to residential buildings and businesses in Chinese, Vietnamese, and English. In the future, SCIDpda and InterIm CDA said they hope to refine the survey by reducing the number of questions down from 46 to make it easier for people to respond and finish the survey. The two organizations also hope to start the survey-gathering process sooner next year. Tran said she considered this year’s collaborative effort successful. “The [mayor’s public safety] task force is over, but our work continues,” Danh said.
8 — July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
The Rite of Passage By Richard Gurtiza Special to the IE The history of the Alaska Cannery Workers Union is a classic portrayal of workers overcoming extreme challenges while retaining their dignity and identity. I have been associated with International Longshore and Warehouse Union / Inlandboatmen’s Union Local 37 since 1977 and have been privy to the many challenges and milestones that have occurred. The idea of working in an Alaska cannery can bring about a wide array of images. I know that some people may have a more explicit or jaded view of this experience, especially those who’ve had connection with the industry. Many folks may be indifferent about this narrative on the labor struggle but there is no denying its existence. The focal point to this story is based on Filipino migrants who were the third wave of API Alaska cannery workers. “Alaskeros” is the term used to identify this specific group of Filipino migrant cannery workers. This was an important chapter in Filipino-American history and has been a compilation of classic accounts of this workforce’s journey from the agricultural fields of central California, Washington, and Oregon to the salmon canneries of Alaska. The thought of working in an Alaska cannery could elicit images of an outdoor adventure or a stimulating retreat, but for many it was more a basic means of survival. I cannot claim to know exactly how the pioneer manongs (e.g. elder Filipino men) felt during their tenure working in the Alaska seafood industry but I do have a good idea of how they managed to endure the difficult and dangerous circumstances of their chosen profession during their time working in the canneries. I worked with many of the manongs in Alaska during the 1970s. I considered it a privilege to be able to work alongside these men who had so much wisdom and experience from the grueling years of working under an oppressive and toxic system of racism in the fields and
Conditions in the fish house were cold, wet, and dangerous. • Photo by Gene Viernes, IBU Region 37 collection
canneries. These manongs had to endure the injustices and inequalities in a period of social change that was engulfing the entire nation. The destiny of these proud men had been predetermined by their immigration status and their migratory existence of working in the fields in the lower 48 to the fish house floors of an Alaska cannery. These men suffered the indignities of a system that fostered mistreatment and the exploitation of a class of workers who were incredulously self-determined and dedicated to their craft. Throughout the years, the transition of different minority groups has become more commonplace within the Alaska seafood industry, which has become somewhat more of a standardized diverse workforce. The present day number of Filipino workers is well below 50% and may in some plants be nonexistent. In most salmon processing plants, Filipinos would typically be found working
in the fish house (e.g. department where the fish is headed and gutted). The current generation of cannery workers are a microcosm of today’s society and the changing demographic of an industry. The manongs have long been gone, but their legacy still lingers in the annals of labor history and with those who know the story of these brave and courageous men. Today the work still remains difficult but safety standards are in place and enforced. Although the living and dining conditions have been integrated there still remains some latent and discreet practices of favoritism and racial discrimination. The future of the Alaska seafood industry is constantly changing and evolving to the point where the sustainability of the resource can lead to positive outcomes for all parties. The vitality and future of the industry is dependent on our adapting to the effects of global warming. The devastating consequences of our actions to the oceans’ ecosystems, especially the
rise in sea level and water temperature, are well known. Government regulators will need to continue the enforcement of National and International Exclusive Economic Zones that establish fishing limits and regulate the excessive harvesting that may occur by overzealous groups looking to game the system. All stakeholders will need to work in collaboration to meet these challenges to ensure the long-term future of the resource. Environmental concerns will continue to be the most tenuous factor in preserving the Alaska seafood industry. The Union has transitioned through the years from being a very radical militant organization to a more typical rank and file union. This conversion has been predicated on the imminent consolidation of the Alaska seafood industry and the evolving dynamics of the workforce. The current generation of seafood workers and seafood companies will need to work in partnership to determine the fate of the industry. The original pioneer Asian Pacific Islander groups that once dominated the cannery landscape have found its rightful place in the annals of human determination. They will forever be remembered as a group of workers who overcame enormous obstacles in a tremendously corrupt system. The saga of this provocative group of Filipino “manongs” and their unrelenting spirit will never be lost but will forever be remembered as one of the most heralded labor struggles in U.S. history. In the words of Local 37’s member and Editor of the 1952 yearbook: “We do not take democracy for granted. We feel it grow in our working together— many millions of us working toward a common purpose. If it took us several decades of sacrifice to arrive at this faith, it is because it took us that long to know what part of America is ours.” —Carlos Bulosan March 6, 1943 Saturday Evening Post titled, Freedom from Want
Announcement
FANHS presents Vietnam veteran oral history project in Yakima IE News Services
On May 28, Filipino American veterans from Yakima Valley met at the Filipino Community Hall in Wapato, Wash. to record their first-hand experiences in Vietnam as part of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) Yakama Chapter 26 Oral History Project in collaboration with FANHS Greater Seattle Chapter and FANHS National, both based in Seattle. “Filipino American war veterans were silent for many years but were now ready to share their war-time experiences through the Oral History Project,” FANHS said in a statement. Beverly Inay Krous, whose brother, Christopher Inay, died while serving in Vietnam and is a Purple Heart recipient,
participated in the project. Beverly spoke of when her family and the community heard the news of her brother’s death and shared their reactions and responses. Participants also included: Vince Visaya, Sammy Miranda, Larry Umipig, David Ventura, Ted Divina, Mike Antonio, and Pete Sotelo. Vince Visaya, Oral History Project Coordinator for the FANHS Yakama Chapter, worked closely with Cathy Bryant, John Ragudas, and Ben Presas from the Greater Seattle FANHS chapter in conjunction with Dr. Dorothy Cordova and FANHS National in this statewide collaborative effort. Visaya spoke about the link to patriotism and military service and displayed a WWII veterans’ photo taken from the 1952 Filipino Community Hall Dedication Program; their fathers and uncles were in this photo.
Left to right: Larry Umipig, Mike Antonio, Beverly Inay Krous, Vince Visaya, David Ventura, Sammy Miranda, Ted Divina, John Ragudas, and Pete Sotelo. • Photo by Stephen Viernes
The Yakima Chapter’s 26 members have started a list of Filipino-American veterans who served in Vietnam; these veterans will be invited to record their first-hand experiences in future OHP sessions.
FANHS said the historical significance of this project is that Yakima Valley has the highest number of servicemen serving in Vietnam who died, the highest fatality rate per population in the nation.
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016 — 9
Memories of Gene Viernes and Silme Domingo: Good friends and community activists fighting for reforms By Bob Santos Special to the IE When I started to think back to those times when I socialized and worked with Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes, other memories began to filter through my mind. I started to reminisce about my connections with the Local 37 (ILWU), the cannery workers union, my time as a member, and meeting the Filipino union leadership through the years. Here is this travel log. Gene Navarro was the Union Dispatcher when I was hired in 1951. He and his wife Marie, a blonde white lady, owned a house on Jefferson Street near 16th Avenue. The couple were raising their own family at the time but were also raising foster children that included Mark, Marlene, and Geraldine Sison. Our little gang of Pinoy kids would visit the Navarro home to check out Marlene and Geraldine. Marie was always very welcoming but Gene was a pretty savvy guy so he knew our intentions. When my father, Sammy Santos the former boxing hero in the community, approached Navarro about dispatching me to Alaska I was sent to the cannery in Ugashik on Bristal Bay in 1951 and ’52, where I also met Carlos Bulosan. When the young American-born workers (i.e. John Mina, Buster Narranjo, Ben Simon, Roy Hashimoto, and me) voiced our concerns about how the meals being served in the Filipino bunk house were not
Silme Domingo (left) and Gene Viernes (right). • Courtesy Photos
on par with the meals being served in the white bunk house, we were told to report our complaint to our shop stewart. Of couse our complaint never got beyond the shop stewart—our complaint died and we didn’t pursue the issue. Looking back then as high school students we weren’t ready nor did we have the courage to rock the boat. In early 1973, I was invited to a meeting by Tyree Scott of the United Construction Workers Association (UCWA). At the meeting at the UCWA offices on 15th Avenue on Capital Hill were Tyree Scott and Michael Woo from UCWA; Nemesio Domingo Jr., activist and cannery worker; Rami Arditi, an attorney; Michael Fox, an attorney representing UCWA; and me. Tyree and Michael led the discussion of the possibility of forming an association similar to the UCWA to
fight for reforms in the seafood industry. After a few more meetings led by Tyree and Nemesio and the Alaska Cannery Workers Association was formed. Silme Domingo and Michael Woo were sent by ACWA to Alaska to document the deplorable conditions the mostly Filipino cannery workers were forced to live and work under. Silme and Michael were accepted as college students doing research for term papers. While in Alaska they were able to meet and collaborate their findings with Gene Viernes, a young outspoken critic of working conditions he worked under for six straight years. Because of the development of the ID Community Health Center, the Denise Louie Early Childhood Center, and Milwaukee
Hotel preservation I was unable to continue working with ACWA but continued my support of the new association. While building the Danny Woo Garden in 1975, Inter*Im staff put out a request for volunteers from our local nonprofits to help get the garden ready for the planting season. Staff members and volunteers showed up from Asian Counseling & Referral Service, the ID Community Health Center, the ID Emergency Center, El Centro, the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, and Local 37. When Gene Viernes arrived, he grabbed a wheelbarrow and filled it to the brim with gravel for the drainage system. He must have made 20 trips that day hauling gravel from the staging area at 7th and Main up the hill to the garden. Keep in mind he grew up on a farm in Wapato, Washington. Silme, on the other hand, would drive his maroon Monte Carlo down the narrow road to the top terrace and proceed to direct traffic of trucks up and down the narrow road. He never broke a sweat nor got his hands dirty. These guys and the rest of the new officers of Local 37 were involved in the fire watch detail at the Milwaukee Hotel, Silme was a board member of the International Drop In Center, while Gene wrote articles for the International Examiner and was actually in the process of writing a book about the canneries in Alaska. They both held court across the street from their office on 8th Ave in the lounge of the Four Seas Resturant. I spent many hours socializing with my good friends.
In Review: Delano Manongs, a story of Filipino perseverance By Joshua Talosig IE Contributor Day by day, people go about their lives, often unaware of who and what came before them. The stories of previous generations, and the contributions they’ve made, have shaped our present day in ways we are often unaware of. Delano Manongs, a half-hour documentary by Marissa Aroy that covers the Delano Grape Strike of 1965, aims to rectify this. By the time it’s over, it succeeds in bringing to light the formation of a historical movement, and putting an unforgettable Filipino face on the plight of the workers. Delano Manongs starts out fairly simple: soft, old-timey piano music plays as old footage and photographs grace the screen with images of Filipino men working the fields. A voiceover explains what a “manong” is to the uninitiated: It’s a Filipino term for a man, distinct because of his age. The men of Delano, California, like all the other early Filipino immigrants, came over to the United States in the 1920’s and ’30s in search of opportunity. They were perpetual bachelors, as the women stayed in the Philippines, and interracial marriage was banned. But they loved to dress up
and visit the dance halls, and then go back for justice flash on screen. But we also the next day to their life as migrant farm see them get beaten down, as policemen workers. To the film’s credit, the manongs come. The growers pull scare tactics, and are easy to empathize with—their history go so far as to hire Mexican farm workers is told with delicacy. They truly come to pick up the work the Filipinos refused across as real people. to do. It’s a sad point in this story, and for Alas, the film does all the momentum not waste time in they built up, to see it getting to the conflict come crashing down is so explicit in their lives: heartbreaking. the inequality and But Itliong had unfair wages forced the initiative. Many on them. From their viewers will find arrival, Filipinos had faced discrimination themselves rooting in the United States, for him by the time he arranges a meeting and the disregard for with Cesar Chavez, their wellbeing as farm workers was a part of Larry Itliong and Cesar Chavez in Delano Manongs. advocate of Mexican this. So they fought farm worker rights, and asks for a show of solidarity—a concept back. But first, the documentary turns to Larry very relevant to the API community Itliong. A ferocious, vigilant Filipino today. How can different communities of worker, he appears in this story like its color uplift each other? How can we band main character—a figurehead of the farm together to create greater change? Itliong worker struggle. As the movement erupts, had the right idea, and Chavez, along with the focus on this man further personalizes fellow advocate Dolores Huerta, helped to unite their communities together and the Filipino nature of it all. strike as one. Framed with expertise tension, the film What came about was the now famous covers the day of September 7, 1965, where union of the United Farm Workers. The the workers made the definite decision to strike. And they did. Images of Filipino boycott of grapes led to a huge countrywide men holding microphones and shouting movement, demanding a contract granting
fair rights to the farm workers. In 1970, the contract was granted. All seemed well—but, in its last few minutes, the film deconstructs that notion. These days, the United Farm Workers movement is mainly recognized as a Mexican one, and Larry Itliong is not a household name despite his work and association with Cesar Chavez. As history would have it, the focus of the movement was not on the Filipinos, which the manongs personally felt was dismissive of their contributions. Even worse, the contract did not favor them, and many lost their jobs and homes. The union was formed, and change had come, but it was not the true outcome they wanted. After all they’ve been through, this portion of the story was particularly disheartening to hear. But it doesn’t end there. The Filipino community is alive and well, and the documentary notes that we all do our part in sharing the story of the manongs. Recognition breeds respect, which they absolutely deserve. Anyone watching will feel the same. It would have been lovely to view a longer, even more in depth version of Delano Manongs, but in its half hour of coverage is the beautiful story of Filipino perseverance.
10 — July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
We can all honor Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes by continuing to work at the service of the people
Gene might have done. But, its not hard to assume some things.
By Sharon Maeda Special to the IE I am a man happy to exist at this moment / happy because when one puts one’s heart, reason and will / to work at the service of the people / one feels the happiness of that which begins to be reborn. Victor Jara, Chilean artist, activist, and folksinger
On June 27, 2016, Victor Jara’s executioner was finally found liable in a Florida court for the 1973 murder under the reign of terror of Chilean dictator, Augusto Pinochet.
When I heard the news, my first thought was “finally,” and my second thought was of Silme Domingo. Back in the ’70s I had a poster of a Victor Jara poem on my office wall; Silme often commented on the poem above and Jara’s brutal death. He could not have known that just a few years later, he, too, would be assassinated by orders from another dictator, Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines.
It’s a sobering thought to realize that it’s been 35 years since Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes were brutally murdered in their Seattle union hall. But, for those of you who did not know them, were not part of API activism of the day, or were not born yet: Other than a horrible moment in history, what does it mean today?
Silme Domingo
Gene Viernes
Had Silme and Gene lived, both would have continued to “… serve the people.” Gene might have continued working for justice in labor. By now, he would probably have influenced a generation of young activists and written a number of books, including on U.S. involvement with the brutal dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. After becoming a national labor leader and recognized labor historian, he might have come home to Seattle to finish his career holding the Harry Bridges chair at the UW Center for Labor Studies.
Silme would have continued in the the death penalty—not even when it was their loved ones murdered. It is a matter of struggle too, but he might have gone into electoral politics. I remember teasing After the murders, other Local 37 conscience. him about wearing a suit and carrying reformers wore bullet proof vests, didn’t You don’t have to be a gun expert to a briefcase. We talked about needing know who they could trust, and became focused on the Committee for Justice know that a semi-automatic sub-machine to work across different sectors; he had for Domingo & Viernes, a decade-long gun has nothing to do with recreational that ability to talk to anyone. And he had struggle for justice. They were elected to game hunting or Second Amendment a quirky—sometimes bawdy—sense of leadership positions in and beyond Local rights. Certain models of guns should humor that could get hearty laughs from not be manufactured for public use. And, his ideological opponents. As I drove off 37 ... but the murders affected them all. certain people should not be able to buy to a new job in Los Angeles, I yelled out The ILWU International never sent guns, period. the window, “Hey, maybe you should run the fact-finding delegation to investigate for mayor!” He smiled and waved. That The two gunmen who killed Silme and Marcos’ treatment of organized labor in was the last time I saw him just months Gene were known thugs. No background the Philippines. Had they gone and found before his death. He would have been check or waiting period would have kept the atrocities being committed against a great mayor—and the first Filipino them from getting the guns—which were labor unions, they might have come back American mayor of a major U.S. city. later proven to be legally purchased by and refused to load/unload cargo to/from Tony Baruso, the then-president of Local Whether we knew Silme or Gene or the Philippines and the Marcos regime might have collapsed 4-5 years earlier. 37. But, with a smaller caliber hand gun, not, we can all honor them by continuing “…to work at the service of the people.” That would have saved countless lives in survival might have been possible.
Union Leadership
It’s important to remember heroes who walked the streets of the ChinatownInternational District who fought the the Philippines. And, there would have Kingdome, who struggled for justice for been no exile in Hawai‘i for the Marcos family; even his friend President Ronald workers and for people of color. Reagan could not have offered him refuge I knew Silme from when he was a here in the United States. UW student activist, often leading study groups as well as being on the front lines Guns & the Death Penalty of political action. I knew Gene mostly The United States is part of a shrinking through his writing at the International Examiner. I know that they both put their number of countries that still allow the “... hearts, reason and will to work at the death penalty. The Domingo and Viernes service of the people.” Their murders had families did not ask for the death penalty. In fact, they consistently argued against far reaching implications.
Friends and family of Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes on stage during the Wall of Martyrs ceremony in the Philippines. On stage (second from right) beside Cindy Domingo (far right) is former Philippine Senator Walden Bello. • Photo by Sharon Maeda
Tony Baruso, who organized the plot to kill Silme and Gene at the behest of Sharon Maeda is a frequent IE his pal, Philippines dictator Ferdinand contributor who coordinated the Marcos, died of natural causes alone in his national media coverage of the prison cell in 2008. successful wrongful death case against It’s not an exaggeration to say that these the Marcos Regime. In November, 2011, two local activists had a national and she accompanied the Domingo and global reach. The loss of young lives taken Viernes families to Quezon City for the too soon is devastating to loved ones, the unveiling of the first two Americans, loss of natural leaders who could have Silme and Gene’s names being added to changed the lives of many is incalculable. the Wall of Martyrs dedicated to leader It’s impossible to know what Silme and victims of the Marcos dictatorship.
Gene Viernes’ brother, Stan, touching Gene’s name on the Wall of Martyrs in Quezon City. • Photo by Sharon Maeda
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016 — 11
Filipino Revolutionaries: In honor of Gene Viernes and Silme Domingo By Jill Mangaliman Special to the IE According to Google, to be revolutionary is: “involving or causing a complete or dramatic change.”
The first time I learned about Gene Viernes and Silme Domingo, I was attending the Filipino Revolutionary History Tour led by an anti-imperialist Filipino grassroots organization Bayan USA Pacific Northwest. Our tour guide, Joaquin Uy, took us from the Eastern Hotel where migrant workers such as writer and worker organizer Carlos Bulosan resided to the former headquarters of Local 37 ILWU, the place where Gene and Silme were murdered by an assassin connected to Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos. I remember I got chills as he told the story and we stood at the sidewalk where the scene had happened. My friend’s daughter Diwa was playing right there on the spot where Gene died.
At that time, I admit I knew very little about Gene and Silme. Actually I did not know much about Filipino Activism History in general. We aren’t taught this history in school, and with the lack of representation of Asian and Pacific Islanders in Hollywood and leadership positions, it’s difficult to access pride in being Fil-Am, let alone a Filipino Revolutionary. I began to dig deeper. I took educational workshops with BAYAN, read books like Philippine Revolution and Society and The Cry and the Dedication, and spent hours on the UW Civil Rights and Labor History Project website. I learned that Gene Viernes was a farmworker kid from Yakima and that Silme was a city boy, that this urban and rural combination was a winning one. I learned how Filipino farmworkers initiated the Delano Grapes strike and how that led to collaboration with the Latino farmworkers; Larry Itliong and the Cesar Chavez went on to found the United Farmworkers Union (UFW).
Similarly today, Got Green works with our sister organization, Community to Community, to build an urban and rural partnership as we know our economies and struggles are connected to each other. That’s why we support the Boycott Driscoll Berries campaign and organizing efforts of the independent farmworker union, Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ). On July 11, there will be a march to commemorate the four-year anniversary of when FUJ voted to strike due to wage theft and child exploitation and 500 farmworkers walked off the fields. This strike has since become national and international with the San Quitin, Mexico farmworkers joining the strike last year. I was hungry to learn more, so I started to ask elders and fellow organizers in the community. The most I have learned were from the stories of Michael Woo,
veteran organizer and founder of Got Green. One day at the office he made a comment: “You and your friends remind me of Gene.” When I asked “how so?” he replied that we always found creative ways to make the work fun and involve many people. According to Woo, Gene was a jokester, enjoyed organizing, and loved the community. Woo told me about his family trip to Alaska to visit the place where he worked in the canneries and where they first became friends. There was a look of sadness in his eyes as he talked about his old friends.
Woo proceeded to show me faded issues of No Separate Peace, a grassroots newspaper that Gene and Silme were involved with, including other leaders from Legacy of Equality, Leadership and Organizing (LELO) like Tyree Scott and Lynn and Cindy Domingo. The wrinkled pages held black and white photographs of past days, but familiar sights of protests against injustice and community planning meetings that I partake in my daily life. All of this was weighing on my mind when I went on my last exposure trip to the Philippines in 2014. While in Quezon City I attended an event at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani (Wall of Heroes or Martrys) to remember those who were killed protesting Martial Law and the Marcos Regime. They wanted a revolution, a complete change of power and culture, and to be truly liberated from imperialist forces. But they haven’t received this revolution, yet.
Walking around the Bantayog Memorial Center, I happened to see Gene and Silme’s names inscribed on the wall of martyrs. I learned that they were the first and only revolutionaries overseas honored on the wall of martyrs. I lit a candle and paid my respects. Even though I have never met them, Gene and Silme’s memories seemed to live on with those who worked and organized alongside them. Their Kasamas—in the past, present, and next generation—has kept the movement work alive. Learning about my history helped me strive to become a well-rounded leader. One that can learn from the past, look forward to the future, and be grounded in the community.
Standing at the wall of martyrs, I thanked Gene and Silme. I thought, how wonderful it was to see myself in the revolutionaries who came before me and how wonderful it would be someday for all of us to see ourselves as revolutionaries. Visit the University of Washington Civil Rights and Labor History Project to learn about Silme Domingo and Gene by visiting depts.washington.edu/civilr/. Learn more about Boycott Driscolls and Familias Unidas por la Justicia and the 4-year anniversary march on July 11 in Burlington by visiting https:// boycottsakumaberries.com/.
Gene Viernes and Silme Domingo’s names are inscribed on the Wall of Martyrs in Quezon City to remember those who were killed protesting Martial Law and the Marcos Regime. • Photo by Jill Mangaliman
NATSU MATSURI O U T D O O R S U M M E R F E S T I VA L
at UWAJIMAYA SEATTLE 600 5th Ave S - Now on South Weller St
Sat., July 9th & Sun., July 10th Food Booths, Japanese Taiko Drumming, A Lion Dance Performance, Eating Contests, A Visit From Hello Kitty, Children’s Games and More! Visit www.uwajimaya.com for full line up.
12 — July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
Domingo and Viernes scholarship memorializes social justice legacy By Leilani Leach IE Contributor Born in Yakima, graduated from Wapato High School. Fathers who worked in the Alaskan canneries. Family from Seattle and attended the University of Washington. A passion for international social justice. Some of these descriptions apply to Gene Viernes, some to Silme Domingo, but all apply to the first recipient of the scholarship named in their honor. Yet without receiving the memorial scholarship five years ago, Stephanie Velasco might never have learned their story and the similarities she shared with them.
Velasco became the first recipient of the $5,500 Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes Scholarship in Labor Studies in 2011. The graduating high school senior and class valedictorian was about to be a firstgeneration college student at the University of Washington. Her father, uncles, and grandfather had worked in the canneries, but when she received the award at a dinner marking the 30th anniversary of their deaths, it was the first time Velasco really learned about the labor activists. “It’s weird that I’d never heard of them before that,” she said. “Just knowing all the similarities, just knowing the hardships they went through, inspired me that I shouldn’t let anything stop me.” Velasco said she hadn’t realized “what great leaders they were and the danger they were in.” After receiving the scholarship award, Velasco researched and read more about the labor activists. She was struck by the difficult and racist conditions of the canneries, how only white workers had fruits and vegetables to eat, or their own rooms.
Stephanie Velasco, back left, on a recent volunteering trip to Nicaragua. • Courtesy Photo
Gene Viernes and Silme Domingo were working to change corrupt practices in the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union when they were assassinated.
Her advice to future scholarship made it a good fit for the scholarship, he recipients: Research Gene and Silme more. said.
“They followed through and fought for Funding came from the union, and Gurtiza called it “a way to give back” to something they were passionate about, members and their families, honoring their and I think that just relates to students in general, as well,” Velasco said. On the afternoon of June 1, 1981, Viernes legacy as well. and Domingo were gunned down by gang In addition to remembering them and He emphasized the activists’ pursuit of members while working at the Pioneer higher education. Viernes attended Central letting others know about the pair, Velasco Square hall of the ILWU Local 37. Washington University and studied history said students could “implement that same They were both just 29 years old. Later and ethnic studies, while Domingo went to drive and determination in their studies.” investigations linked the assassination the University of Washington and majored She emphasized the importance of to ILWU Local 37 leader Tony Baruso, in political science. having a passion for what you’re studying, with financial backing by Filipino dictator This spring, Velasco graduated from and not being afraid to switch majors. Ferdinand Marcos. UW with a bachelor’s degree in business After entering college with plans to study Inlandboatman’s Union/ILWU Local 37 administration and marketing. She Regional Director Rich Gurtiza worked also minored in Spanish, and received medicine, Velasco realized after the first alongside Viernes and Domingo. He said a certificate of international studies in few classes that her interests lay elsewhere. Her love of Spanish and travel led to the he hoped recipients of their memorial business. certificate of international business (CISB) scholarship, along with the general public, Velasco wasted no time getting to work program. would acknowledge their legacy and their on her dreams of international social work focus on civil rights and social justice. “I was so surprised, [the Foster School after graduation. She flew to Nicaragua of Business is] very competitive and I was “Those attributes hopefully carry on the night after donning her cap and gown, with those who receive the scholarship, and helped build sanitation facilities for relieved to get in,” she said. [and they] acknowledge these things are Global Brigades, an international nonprofit Working on events for CISB led her to important,” Gurtiza said. focused on health and economic inequality. focus on marketing. Last year, Velasco sat on the executive board of CISB student The University of Washington, with its She’s passionate about education, Harry Bridges Center of Labor Studies, healthcare and helping families in poverty. leadership, serving as VP of Social Media. Velasco said she was “super grateful” for “My dream job would be working at an receiving the scholarship. international nonprofit,” Velasco said. She said knowing about Filipinos from While the 23-year-old currently works as a similar background, and their dedication, a bookkeeping assistant, she’s in the midst inspired her to continue with her dreams of the interview process to join the Peace “no matter how hard things get.” Corps and volunteer in Nicaragua, where The award also served as a catalyst to she’d work with communities on education learning more about her family. and entrepreneurship. “The scholarship was a great reason Velasco also recently began volunteering with Social Venture Partners, a global to make my dad talk, and learn about his philanthropy organization. She assists with background,” Velasco said. marketing and social media for the Seattle Students who apply for the scholarship Fast Pitch contest, in which Puget Sound need to demonstrate financial need and businesses, nonprofit agencies and students be accepted to the UW. The 2016 winner present ideas to solve social problems. of the Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes Scholarship in Labor Studies has yet to be announced.
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016 — 13
Viernes family memories of life in Alaska and Yakima Valley The following are excerpts from Facebook posts written by the Stan Viernes and Stephen Viernes, brothers of Gene Viernes who worked with Gene and their father in the Alaska canneries. These posts were written as a way of documenting the Filipino American experience in Alaska and Yakima Valley.
Stan Viernes:
We would head to Naknek in June, so Gene was 15 years 10 months old when he first went to Alaska. That was about the time we moved out to the river. I remember the first summer he came home. I had spent the summer swimming and was well tanned. I came home one day to find Gene sleeping on the couch. He was white as a sheet. Not too much later he left with Dad on second season to Ketchikan, so he never did get much of a tan that year. I’m not sure what Gene did his first two years, but given his size I’m sure he started on the sliming tables. Dad was always a fish house guy. Gene probably moved to the butcher line his second year. He was there his third year when I first went and seemed like a veteran. I started at the sliming table, but had started growing by then. Those sliming tables were about mid-thigh for me, so I spent the work day hunched over, wet and cold. I remember waking up at 4:00 a.m., picking up a #1 at the McKitchen and heading out with my sliming knife in hand. We would work till 7 and head up the hill for breakfast. Back to work till noon, then back up the hill for lunch. Back to work till 5 then up the hill for dinner. Back to work till we finished the day’s fish which was usually around 10:00 p.m. We would clean the fish house till about midnight and then back up the hill to the bunkhouse again. Less than 4 hours of sleep then back for the next day at 4 again. That was the schedule during the fish run. Pulling eggs was done by the female workers, so if Gene pulled any salmon roe it would have been to break the monotony of butchering, occasionally. The salmon roe went down a chute and then over to the egg house next door. The Japanese crew processed the eggs with the help of the rest of the female crew. When the fish run just started and when it was slowing
down was when Gene, I, and other young buffalos would help out at the egg house. Gene was well liked by the Japanese crew and female crew and was therefore the de facto, young buffalo, foreman at the egg house. Making wooden egg crates was like making tomato flats, so we Wapato Farm Boys were highly recruited because we could also nail them shut with a tap and a single hatchet swing per nail. Just like at the packing shed on the farm. I’ll share more about my 2-4 years in the fish house later. ***
When salmon exited the butchering line, if it still had a blood vein or any fins it passed to the sliming stations (6 per line if I remember right). They would fall off the conveyor belt into our industrial size sinks. We would grab one, clean it up and send it on the lower belt back to the line heading upstairs to Stephen and the canners. Our most important acces-
sory was our wet stone (never forget it or lose it), because unless you keep your knife sharp at all times you are working twice as hard. If you didn’t become an expert at sharpening your knife very quickly, you would be buried in salmon and would work twice as hard again catching up. Also, you had to be careful not to cut off too much meat when you took off a fin. Old man Brindle would have a heart attack if he found any meat not heading to the canning line. Earned every penny I made and then signed my check over to my Dad. Say What? That’s what we used to do in the Gene Viernes old days young ones. Family First and then my Dad gave me spending money and gas the rest of the year. It was a good life.
Stephen Viernes:
I just remember Gene telling me how he enjoyed pulling eggs. He always wanted to be better than anyone at everything he did. Some memories to attest as to how he was: He worked on the farms, worked hard. I remember how he lived in the cabin at Teddy Arreola’s farm on Lateral A and West Wapato. He could have been picked
up but that what he wanted to do. Very independent. Uncle Ted just loved him. Working for the Japanese brother by the last name of Uchida. They loved how he worked. Or working for Uncle Roy Baldoz. He would go to the warehouse and start at 8:00 a.m. That late since the farmers don’t deliver yet. He would work till 9:00 p.m. at night and then drive the truck to Seattle to deliver vegetables. Come home and sleep a short while and then go back into the warehouse. He was an animal! I knew when he worked for UPS in Seattle, he had a route on 2nd Avenue downtown area. He would haul ass getting everything done and get off early. Basically almost running. He didn’t have to keep working. If I remember right he got paid regardless of how long it took. Of course look how he wrestled, He wrestled many a champions and beat many of them. How can someone wrestle the eventual state champion and beat him with a dislocated shoulder. He was unbeaten and met this guy from a much bigger school system. AC Davis AAA vs Wapato AA. Otherwise he would have been Wapato’s first state champion in 1969. He was amazing to watch wrestle. I knew Dad loved to watch him. I wish dad would have been able to watch him wrestle when he won the Washington State Community College Wrestling Championships in 1971. It must have been amazing because there was great competiion. He was the most valuable wrestler in that tournament. He had a natural weight of something like 145 to 150 lbs and wrestled 118 lbs. They won’t let you lose that kind of weight now days. Of course there is also documented history of how when he volunteered at the park in Seattle’s Chinatown. How he would run with the wheel barrow and do twice the work of anybody else. Course that was the farm boy in him. Amazing young man that was always an inspiration!
14 — July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
IE NEWS
Unionized janitors and their supporters march downtown on May 13, 2016 to raise awareness of their working conditions as SEIU local 6, Seattle’s janitor union, entered negotiations for a new contract in early June. • Photo by Izumi Hansen
Union janitors rally for new contract, request safer workloads, fair wage By Izumi Hansen IE News Editor
Local unionized janitors entered negotiations for a new contract earlier this month. SEIU Local 6 entered the negotiations requesting $15 minimum wage, safer workloads, and keeping family medical benefits. The previous contract expires June 30. Earlier this month, King County Council proclaimed June 15 as “Justice for Janitors Day” in King County. Justice for Janitors rallies were held in downtown Seattle on June 17 and May 13.
At the rally on May 13, unionized janitors and their supporters walked throughout downtown to buildings with non-unionized and unionized janitors. About 100 people came to the rally.
“We are demanding to be paid a fair wage,” SEIU Local 6 president Sergio Salinas told the crowd. “We are not begging.” In addition to 3,000 janitors, SEIU6 represents over 2,000 security officers and airport and stadium workers in Washington. Union organizers said janitors have been asked to clean more space during a shift, resulting in more injuries. They say that the increase in cleaning space along with the prosperity of building owners in Seattle have not resulted in an increase in compensation. City council member Lisa Herbold spoke at the rally. “Janitors are being
asked to work harder and harder,” she said. “Those speed ups are causing more and more injuries.”
In a 2014 report to state representatives from the Washington State Bureau of Labor and Industries, janitorial work had one of the highest rates of injury claims and costs among the the 313 industries recognized by Washington state. The report said that while women comprise only about onethird of janitorial workers nationwide, women filed more than 53 percent of the compensable injury claims for Washington janitorial workers from 2003 to 2012. The report also found that newly employed janitors who were in their job for less than a year suffered the most workplace injuries. A third of the claims came from janitors who spoke a language other than English. The report could not determine if limiting the area cleaned by janitors during a shift was a health hazard.
The rallies in Seattle were part of the Justice for Janitors national movement. The movement originated in Denver three decades ago and gained traction in Los Angeles during the 1990s.
Visi Cariaso, a retired janitor and long-time union advocate, said that she had seen an increase in workload for janitors and a decrease in janitorial staff. “To work this job you have to be a fighter,” said Cariaso. “If you work together then you can accomplish more.”
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016 — 15
IE NEWS
Boycott berries?
A third generation Sakuma Brothers worker weighs in By Elizabeth Alvarado Seattle Globalist Sakuma Brothers Farms in Burlington was the first place my father worked when he came to the U.S. from Mexico at age 17. It’s where he met my mom, who migrated seasonally with my grandparents from Texas to California to Washington to pick berries. It’s also the first place I ever worked, starting when I was 12 years old. Growing up, the farm had a three-week summer program where kids 12 and up could go out and pick berries and earn a little bit of cash. If you’ve never picked berries before, let me tell you, it’s not an easy job. You’re literally down in the dirt for long hours under the burning sun. Definitely not the ideal way a 12-yearold wants to spend her first weeks of summer vacation. My mom would always remind me that this was a good opportunity to experience what it means to work hard. It builds character, she said. In those three weeks I made $86 working six-hour weekdays. No, not $86 a day — that was for the entire three weeks. Since it was so little, my mom let me keep the money, but only after reminding me that when she was my age most of what she earned went directly to her parents to help the family. My next experience working for Sakuma Brothers came when I was 16. I worked out in the field as a checker — I would weigh the berries workers brought back from the fields, and scan in the number of pounds picked for their paychecks. Many of them had their children out there helping. Then when I was unable to find a job the summer after my freshman year of college at the University of Washington my mom dragged me back to Sakuma Brothers to apply to work in their processing plant. I was posted in the freezer, where I’d spend hours picking out the bad blueberries as they came down conveyor belt. I stood beside one of my friends on the line that summer, complaining incessantly about how horrible it was — how I felt like a robot doing the same mechanical motions for hours on end. ‘A natural distrust’ While I was there during the summer of 2014, workers won a $850,000 wage-and-hour settlement from Sakuma Brothers over improper logging of hours and rest breaks. At the same time, talk was spreading amongst the workers about a group called Familias Unidas Por La Justicia (Families United for Justice or FUJ) which would fight for better treatment by the company. Founded the previous year by a Ramon Torres, a former worker, the group is still pressing for a union contract, a guaranteed $15-perhour wage and better working conditions. You might have heard of this movement — Torres hopes you have. Currently, FUJ is encouraging consumers and retailers to boycott of Sakuma Brothers, which is one of the largest berry farms in Washington, and their main distributor, Driscoll’s Berries. FUJ wants to represent the hundreds of workers in legally binding contract negotiations with the company. But Washington state law doesn’t provide a framework for farm-
Elizabeth Alvarado’s mother working on the blueberry line at Sakuma Brothers in the 1990s • Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth Alvarado
worker unions, and the company is pushing back, saying the FUJ doesn’t have the support of all of the workers. Danny Weeden is the new CEO of the company. Last March he took over for Steve Sakuma, the third generation of a Japanese American family that’s been farming in Washington for over a century. Sakuma Brothers management doesn’t typically give interviews. But Weeden agreed to speak with me, probably because he knows my family, particularly my uncle, Jorge Morado, who works there as a mechanic fixing machinery for tractors and farm trucks. He framed the dispute as a need for the company to protect workers who weren’t interested in representation from FUJ. “[Some workers] don’t like these activists groups because they say they’re intimidating and disruptive. That was very concerning to me because I want our workers to feel safe and that this is a safe place,” Weeden said. “I think they have a natural distrust because of maybe how they’ve been treated in other places… So I want to work on building that trust.” He says it’s not labor conditions that are the problem, it’s the media. As word about the farm workers’ struggles at Sakuma continue spread online, Weeden says they carry false information about what conditions are really like at the farm. “If any of the things said by these groups were true I’d be against it, but who wouldn’t? But they’re not true,” said Weeden. “It’s disheartening that these groups can just continue to create this hubbub that’s 90 percent based on lies or things that happened 3-4 years ago. It’s not anywhere near the truth of what’s going on today.” But Ramon Torres, the founder of FUJ, says it’s Sakuma Brothers that isn’t being honest. “Yeah, maybe it’s lies for them. And if what we’re saying is lies, what do they say about our demands for breaks, including lunch – we didn’t have those. What do they say about the ripped couches and dead rats in the cabins?” said Torres in reference to the housing for workers provided by the company. Fighting for $15 In the proposed contract, FUJ is also asking for a medical plan for all workers, to be paid for by the company, a prohibition against children under 17 years old working in the field, negotiable and equitable hiring and firing practices,
a pesticide safety committee with union representation, union representation in the development of supervisor training program, and a union label on all harvested products. But the central point of conflict for both parties arises through Sakuma’s new wage program. In theory it allows workers to earn up to $40 an hour, depending on how much they pick. But the minimum hourly rate is far lower. Weeden acknowledged that during last year’s listening session, where workers were given the opportunity to voice their concerns, they didn’t understand how exactly the program worked — they just knew they were making good money. However, Torres isn’t buying the sentiment that workers are pleased with the wage system. “If that were true, do you think people would be fighting it? It’s hard work. If they’re saying they can earn up to $40 an hour that would mean they’d be picking 100 pounds per hour. That’s impossible,” said Torres. “I have members from the union that worked there last year and none of them made more than $25 an hour.” Torres and FUJ want to get rid of the piecework payment system altogether and instead want a guaranteed $15 per hour for all workers. Torres also says that FUJ had previously been negotiating with the Sakumas, but ever since Weeden came in he’s refused to talk to them. Weeden counters that he hesitates to sit down and talk with the activists because he’s unsure if he can trust them. “What is your real motivation and do you really care about the workers?… I know I do, but do you?” said Weeden. “If they acted differently, seemed more trustworthy then maybe I could feel comfortable talking to them.” Rallies down the coast Until their demands are met, Torres says FUJ will continue promoting the boycott. In March he and a group of representatives from FUJ travelled around California to raise awareness about the situation at Sakuma Brothers and build connections with other farmworker groups. But they didn’t always find support. They joined aggrieved workers from San Quintín, Mexico, who also supply the Driscoll’s brand, to promote the boycott at the annual Cesar Chavez farmworker march in Salinas. But the representatives of the United Farm Workers, the largest farmworker union in the country, removed UFW flag’s from the stage before they spoke, and asked marchers not to carry ‘Boycott Driscoll’s’ banners. Currently, many stores in Seattle and around the state continue to carry Driscoll’s Berries, which is the largest berry distributor in the world. A May 7th FUJ protest against Driscoll’s at the Costco in Burlington made national news on Democracy Now! FUJ has also applied pressure through actions at Whole Foods stores, Driscoll’s headquarters in Watsonville, California, and at Sakuma Brothers Farms itself. Many consumers have signed on for the boycott, and some stores seem to have acquiesced as well but none of the several stores I called were willing to talk about it. “In short, we do not sell berries from Sakuma,” said Susanna Schultz, marketing di-
rector of Central Co-op a store known for it’s labor consciousness. But she didn’t want to say more. Other retailers like Costco declined my requests for comment. Next up, Torres says FUJ is planning a trip to the East Coast to spread the word about Sakuma Brothers and the Driscoll’s boycott. “We want Sakuma to do the right thing,” said Torres. “This is all we’re fighting for. Now, we simply want [the contract] signed.” Families divided It’s easy to ignore how much work goes into getting the berries we eat. Most of us just go to the store and buy them without ever thinking about the people who pick them. No one does it because they love the job. Workers return year after year because they need the money and they don’t have many other opportunities. At least that’s how it was for my grandparents. Having had so much family history with Sakuma Brothers myself,I know how hard the work is. But I still don’t know what to think about the company. Both Torres and Weeden claim to be standing for the workers and protecting them against each other. Rank and file Sakuma Brothers employees can be found supporting both sides. My uncle Jorge, who used to be the strawberry crop manager for Sakuma, says that many felt pressured to join FUJ. “Many of the workers come from the same state in Mexico, so I think a lot of them felt peer pressured. I had a couple workers tell me they were more interested in working than getting involved in the politics,” he said. While my uncle believes the company goes above and beyond to take care of their workers, other’s in my family reason that pressure on Sakuma Brothers is helping — that before FUJ came along the company didn’t treat the workers as well. Another family member who used to work there pointed out that they didn’t provide pickers breaks and were told that if they didn’t come to work every day they would be forced to move out of the company housing. Of course, all of this happened before Weeden came along, and those complaints were supposed to be settled in the 2014 lawsuit. But if Weeden is right that the company has the workers’ best interest at heart, then why are they still facing so many problems with labor activists? I certainly don’t have all the answers. But the things proposed in FUJ’s contract definitely don’t seem out of line with the rights every worker should have, and are things I would want if I was still working there. I’ve been fortunate enough to have options — I’m in college now and I know I won’t be working at Sakuma Brothers for the rest of my life. But it’s important to pay attention to the issues of those who will. I always remember my mom putting things in perspective when I’d complain about the work. “You don’t realize how lucky you are,” my mom would tell me. “You only have to do this for the summer. Some people have to do this all year long for the rest of their lives.” This story was originally published by The Seattle Globalist.
16 — July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
IE ARTS
Crowd-funded United States of China at Hale’s Palladium By Roxanne Ray IE Contributor
Terrorism is put on trial in playwright Nickolas Vassili’s latest production of his play The United States of China. After public staged readings in December 2014, the play has been revised and will be presented in a fully-staged version at Hale’s Palladium. The play centers around the trial of Miriam Hopkins, who had previously committed terrorism against America, and now is accused of doing the same against America’s new “owner,” China, after the United States failed to fulfill an accord to pay off its debt to China within two years. According to Vassili, also a decades-long director who will also be directing this piece, The United States of China began as a kernel of an idea. “One day three-anda-half years ago, I looked out on a street corner and saw a large group of homeless people living in ramshackle tents with cardboard mattresses and felt so disgusted that it set this in motion,” Vassili said. Initially, Vassili’s creative process was difficult. “I did a lot of research about the Chinese judicial system and their prison system,” he said. “The writing process was slow and at times laborious, until the characters in the story began to come alive and from then on, it was a creative joy.” The actors in the play have also enjoyed the process of rehearsal and discovery. Stephen Sumida, who plays the Judge and who recently retired as a University of Washington American Ethnic Studies professor, welcomed the opportunity.
“Since I’m not dependent on professional work as an actor to support myself, I can pick and choose auditions I want to try,” Sumida said. “I chose to audition for Nickolas’s play.” After performing in the 2014 staged reading, Sumida was pleased to see Vassili’s revisions to the play. “Now, in 2016, Nickolas asked if I’d return as the Judge this Sumida time in a fully staged, revised version of his play,” he said. “I agreed, with pleasure.” Sumida said he believes his character gives the play balance. “The Chinese Judge in The United States of China interests me because he’s ‘dignified,’ to begin with, and he’s also silly,” he said. “He’s the comic relief in an intensely serious play, in how he enjoys his knowledge and boundless memories of American movies, TV shows, and bits of pop culture.” But even the Judge’s humor carries an underlying current of seriousness in regard to the Unites States’ relationship to China. “In the play, he spontaneously interrupts the courtroom proceedings with his memories of movies and TV. Where’s the ‘dignity’ in this? His interruptions are references to cultural history that has become international, global,” Sumida explained. “His interruptions are like the references to historical precedents in Chinese and other Asian story-tellings and historical epics. This character is really a character. I like that.” As the Judge, Sumida’s character oversees the entire cast of participants, including the
audience as courtroom spectators who are privy not just to the legal proceedings, but also to the inner thoughts of the characters. “The actions committed by the defendant are of the past, and the final act of her punishment for her terrorism first against her America and American people and then against China and Chinese people is her having to dig up from her psyche, memories, and passions the reasons and motivations for those past actions,” Sumida said. “This is what the play ‘really’ is about: a severe self-examination that Vassili is urging us each and all to perform in our time in a nation wrenched by political polarization.” Actor Cindy Chen, who plays the Stenographer, agreed that this play has motivated her to consider new viewpoints. “In a culture full of remakes, reboots, and Chen other forms of essential plagiarism, this play is the most original, refreshing piece of work that I have ever been in,” Chen said. Chen also said her character illustrates the balance sought by the play, to focus on both personal and global questions. “As the Stenographer appointed by the court in the play,” she said, “the difficulties that I struggle with as the character involve maintaining a professional demeanor under the law and keeping my own personal feelings to myself regarding the defendant in question.” Likewise, Chris Wong’s character foregrounds the struggle between the order of large institutions and the chaos of
human motivations. “I play George Ming, the court administrator, who supposedly is in charge of the court, but things begin to unravel all over the place,” Wong said. “Technically, this support character helps provide information to move the plot along. But I get to chew the scenery and be a mad dog in just about every scene I’m in.” Beyond the play’s focus on the relationship between the United States and China, there’s a sense from the artistic team involved that this play is a metWong aphor for today’s national and local power struggles, wherein artistic freedom of expression remains a key mechanism for resistance. “The play touches on uncomfortable, hot-button subjects like racism, terrorism, corporate greed, and a loss of national identity,” Wong said. “The arts are the last bastion of freedom and liberty.” With the enthusiasm of the artistic team and success at raising over 50 percent of the production costs through an Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign, Vassili has further hopes for this play. “We’re doing a video,” he said, “and hope to get it to Hollywood as a feature film.” ‘The United States of China’ runs from July 7 to 10 at the Palladium at Hale’s Brewery, 4301 Leary Way NW, Seattle. For tickets and more information, visit http://www. brownpapertickets. com/ event/2563208.
Bharti Kirchner’s Goddess of Fire an engaging look into history By Nalini Iyer IE Contributor Bharti Kirchner and her writing are well-known to Seattle audiences. The IndoAmerican author of five previous novels, four cookbooks, and numerous essays on travel, food, and books is a familiar figure at book readings, writers’ workshops, and community events in the region. Her popularity was apparent at the recent Seattle Public Library event featuring her new novel, Goddess of Fire, which drew a large audience and enthusiastic questions from many who had been eagerly awaiting this new work. Unlike her previous novels which are set in contemporary times, this latest is a historical novel set in 17th century India. At the same time, there
are some familiar elements in this work as well—a strong female protagonist who overcomes hardships, detailed descriptions of places and people, and a well-paced narrative. The novel opens with Moorti, a young Bengali widow, about to be burned in her husband’s funeral pyre by villainous relatives. As she struggles against them, she is rescued by an Englishman, Job Charnock, a factor at the East India Company. An improbable story line is it? Not quite as this is based on historical fact. Job Charnock was an important player in the fortunes of the East India
Company in Bengal and was helping them establish trade in saltpeter and textiles and managing relationships with a hostile Mughal emperor and resistance from local rulers. Historians have noted that Charnock did marry an Indian woman who may have been rescued from a funeral pyre. Little else is known about her except that she was renamed Maria and the couple had four children. Charnock is credited with founding Calcutta (or Kolkata as it is known today) which eventually became the capital of British India. Bharti Kirchner imaginatively reconstructs Moorti/Maria’s life and explores
how two people vastly different in social status, race, class, religion, and language come together. Theirs is a romantic story interrupted by war, illness, and political intrigue. The narrative includes a cast of diverse characters—cooks and servants, Indian merchants, a local queen, English traders, English women in search of husbands, soldiers. Maria survives and thrives and in her evolution we see some of the same traits as Kirchner’s earlier women characters who are resilient. This novel is engaging and brings American readers into an era of Indian history that is relatively unknown in this country. The plotting is deft and keeps readers wanting to know what happens next. That, of course, is what many readers look for in a novel.
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016 — 17
IE ARTS
API films: Joyful Yo-Yo Ma, gloom in ‘Wailing,’ love ‘Right Now’ In California, a debate on By Yayoi L. Winfrey IE Contributor At the tender age of seven, cellist YoYo Ma entertained President Kennedy at the White House. Since then, the worldrenowned musician has accumulated a glut of awards including 18 Grammys. Yet, his solo accomplishments failed to satisfy his desire to expand his repertoire. So, he formed an ensemble of musicians gathered from around the globe. Collectively, they’re the subject of the documentary, The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. Perhaps it was his birth in Paris to Chinese parents, followed by growing up in New York, that endowed Ma with such a worldly vision. At just four years old, he began playing cello with his professor father. After attending Juilliard and graduating from Harvard, he launched a career performing with various orchestras and releasing dozens of albums. But in 2000, Ma began touring with a virtual United Nations of musical ambassadors. From singers to composers to musicians and visual artists, this collection of culture-crossing entertainers features the sweet sounds of traditional instruments from over 20 countries. Besides its focus on music, the film also showcases the participants’ heritages such as footage of vibrant dancers or skilled craftsmen, or performers like the Chinese shadow puppeteers. Some of it’s quite spectacular. Unfortunately, the viewer is allowed only quick glimpses of it as the film urgently returns to the intoxicating music each time. Some of the more dominant personalities are Wu Man from China, who plays and teaches the pipa, Kinan Azmeh, a clarinetist from Syria, and a highly energized Spanish bagpiper named Cristina Pato. But it’s the sad tale of Kurdish Iranian Kayhan Kalhor, who plays the kamancheh, a bowl-shaped stringed instrument, that’s the most riveting. Escaping Iran during the revolution of 1979, he returned 30 years later—only to encounter the uprising of 2009. Each member of the Silk Road Ensemble contributes a part of their history through unique melodies that epitomizes their own native country. The result is a fusion of fresh sounds, filled with joy. ‘The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble’ opened 6/24 at SIFF Cinema Uptown. *** On the other hand, gloom and doom abounds in the feature narrative The Wailing. There’s something horrifying going on in a small Korean village and it all started when a strange Japanese man showed up. But even as the dead bodies pile up around the residents, they act as if they’re sleepwalking; slow to catch on and even slower to take action. Two clueless cops arrive at the first terrifying murder scene where a man has killed his entire family and sits in the yard, drenched in their blood. At first, the cops suspect he ate some bad mushrooms, but then one of them—Jong-gu (Kwak Dowon)—visits him at the hospital and sees
the unfortunate fellow thrashing about, as if possessed, until he breaks his own neck. As more deaths occur, the cops go after “The Jap”—as their prime suspect is derogatorily referred to throughout the entire film. Creeping around the woods at night, Jong-gu and his partner nose around the suspect’s shack, destroying his property and ignoring his due process rights. They also stumble on developed photographs of the recent dead, which is interesting considering most cameras are digital these days and there doesn’t seem to be a photo processing shop in town that would serve “The Jap” anyway. Before long, Jong-gu’s own daughter begins to behave strangely. A shaman is summoned and, in one of the film’s best scenes, conducts a rhythmic ritual to rid the evil spirit. Or, is it a ghost they’re after, like “The Jap” is accused of being? And, if he is a ghost, why has he been spotted on his haunches gnawing away at corpses, that in turn attempt to bite the necks of others, such as a vampire would? When the shaman is attacked by another shaman, things get really crazy. Perhaps Satan is the deviant they’re after, suggests the nephew of one of the cops—a Catholic priest in training. Beautifully shot scenes of the lush countryside help create an ominous veil. The film is so gorgeous to look at that the audience can’t help but feel that something bad is about to happen. The unnamed actress in the role of Jong-gu’s daughter is eerily convincing as his possessed child. As for “The Jap,” he’s played by Kunimura Jun, one of Japan’s most preeminent actors. ‘The Wailing’ opens July 8 at SIFF Cinema Uptown. *** In Right Now, Wrong Then, a Korean art house filmmaker experiments with romance. Arriving a day too early for his screening at a film festival, he shrugs off the adulation of a female festival organizer and goes sightseeing at a palace. There, he spots a young woman he feels drawn to. But she’s blasé, sipping her banana milk. However, after some idle talk, they discuss her paintings and she begins to show interest in him. She invites him to visit her studio to look at her work, while adamant about her new career as a complex artist versus the superficial model she used to be. And, even though he’s a famous filmmaker, she’s never heard of him. The two end up spending the day together, and seem to be mutually attracted until they meet with her friends and the filmmaker reveals something about his personal life. That’s when the movie ends—then, starts all over again. In the second version, it’s as if the filmmaker character, Ham Chun-su (Jung Jae-young), is the real filmmaker, real-life director Hong Sang-soo, as he changes the dialogue that, in turn, changes the action. It’s an interesting concept, but the burden’s on the actors to make it engaging. While Jung Jae-young is good at playing the awkward Ham Chun-su, it’s Kim Min-hee as Yoon Hee-jung and her nuanced facial expressions that are most impressive. ‘Right Now, Wrong Then opens July 14 at Northwest Film Forum.
teaching Indian history By Imana Gunawan IE Contributor
It’s no surprise nowdays that teaching history is not an objective practice given who gets to write history. In California, a contentious debate has been brewing about just how to teach the history of the South Asian region fairly and accurately as the state tries to update the state’s sixth and seventh grade textbooks. On one hand is a community of Indians and Hindu Americans who started a campaign called #DontEraseIndia. Beginning April 6, the advocacy group Hindu American Foundation (HAF) began a campaign to keep both the history of Hindu and India accurate in textbooks. On the other hand is a group that calls itself the South Asia Faculty Textbook Committee, consisting of South Asian scholars from Stanford, UC Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and UCLA, among others. HAF said its campaign was prompted by recent suggestions by the group in response to California Department of Education’s (CDE) effort to update the state’s history and social science curriculum. The faculty committee presented suggestions to change mentions of “India” and replace it with “South Asia,” and mentions of “Hinduism” to be replaced with “ancient Indian religion.” On May 17, a faculty group that favors keeping India and Hinduism in the current framework also submitted a document of recommendations to the CDE. This debate is still ongoing and has been for almost a decade. The textbook issue at hand will culminate in a vote by the state board of education on July 13 and 14, with several reviews by the Instructional Quality Commission and public comment periods prior to the vote on May 19 and 20. The commission is the body that reviews such changes and then makes recommendations to the state Board of Education. “India right now is undergoing … quite a few political changes. Academics here are divided how to understand not only Hinduism but also Indian history,” says Murali Balaji, HAF’s director of education and curriculum reform. “So their debates are spilling into the mainstream discourse including K-12 content. … Ideological conflicts within academia are spilling into mainstream.” The debate mirrors similar arguments being made in India, where Hindu nationalist governments have begun overhauls of textbooks in some states. Many people, from both Indian and Hindu communities as well as scholars, take the faculty group’s suggestion as erasing the Indian civilization or heritage’s contribution to modern history. “HAF is not opposed to the term South Asia as a geographical construct,” Balaji said. “However from a historical sense, the term India has always been used within time-specific periods … like ‘ancient India’ not the term ‘ancient South Asia.’” Under the proposed changes, “Early Civilizations of India” would be replaced with “Early Civilizations of South Asia.” And “In this unit students learn about ancient societies in India” would be
Photo: India’s News 24 reports on the fight in California. (@news24tvchannel on Twitter)
replaced with “In this unit students learn about ancient societies in South Asia.” Until 1947, the subcontinent itself was mainly referred to as India by way of its Persian Cognate “Hindu,” originating from the Indus river. However, the modern subcontinent does look different today following the partition of the British Indian Empire in 1947. What used to be referred to as India was split into two sovereign states: the Dominion of Pakistan (later split into modern-day Pakistan and Bangladesh, and the Union of India, now being modern-day India. “To use [‘South Asia’] in this way implies civilizational continuity between ‘Ancient South Asia’ and all of modern South Asia, which is an offense against both history and common sense,” wrote HAF’s Raman Khanna in The Aerogram. “The beliefs and culture of the Vedic people have little to do with the practices and beliefs of majorities in modern-day Pakistan or Bangladesh.” So far, a petition to keep the term “India” has garnered nearly 25,000 signatures. Many students and faculty members have also attended the IQC meetings on these curriculum changes to publicly testify. In a letter dated February 24 sent by the South Asia Faculty Textbook Committee in response to the petition, the group clarified that there seems to be no standardized usage across fields on whether to use the term “Ancient India,” “pre-modern South Asia,” or others. After reviewing, they said they opted to use a “context-dependent” approach when using the terms, “Ancient India,” “India,” “Indian subcontinent,” and “South Asia.” “‘Ancient India’ is common in the source material, when discussing the Indus Valley Civilization, we believe it will cause less confusion to students to refer to the ‘Early Civilization of South Asia’ or ‘Ancient South Asia’ because much of the Indus Valley is now in modern Pakistan,” the faculty committee wrote. “Conflating ‘Ancient India’ with the modern nation-state of India deprives students from learning about the shared civilizational heritage of India and Pakistan.” Thomas Hansen, a professor of anthropology and South Asian studies at Stanford University, has butted heads with HAF for more than a decade over how Indian history is taught in California. “Our duty is to make sure that the history is keeping with the scholarly research rather than give in to what a particular group wants,” he told the New York Times.
18 — July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
IE COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY Arts & Culture
Professional & Leadership Development
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.
Education 3327 Beacon Ave S. Seattle, WA 98144 ph: 206-725-9740 info@deniselouie.org www.deniselouie.org Multicultural preschool ages 3-5 years old. Now enrolling Private Pay full-day ($900/mo) and part-day classes ($500/mo) with locations at ID, Beacon Hill, and Rainier Beach.
Housing & Neighborhood Planning HomeSight 5117 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118 ph: 206-723-4355 fx: 206-760-4210 www.homesightwa.org HomeSight creates homeownership opportunities through real estate development, home buyer education and counseling, and lending.
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 fx: 206-329-3330 connie.devaney@gmail.com We provide affordable, safe, culturally sensitive housing and support services to people aged 62 and older.
Seattle Chinatown/International District Preservation and Development Authority ph: 206-624-8929 fx: 206-467-6376 info@scidpda.org
Executive Development Institute 310 – 120th Ave NE. Suite A102 Bellevue, WA Ph. 425-467-9365 • Fax: 425-467-1244 Email: edi@ediorg.org • Website: www.ediorg.org EDI offers culturally relevant leadership development programs.
Queen Anne Station, P.O. Box 19888, Seattle, WA 98109 info@naaapseattle.org, www.naaapseattle.org Fostering future leaders through education, networking and community services for Asian American professionals and entrepreneurs. Facebook: NAAAP-Seattle Twitter: twitter.com/naaapseattle
Senior Services Horizon House
900 University St Seattle, WA 98101 ph: 206-382-3100 fx: 206-382-3213 marketinginfo@horizonhouse.org www.horizonhouse.org A welcoming community in downtown Seattle, offering seniors vibrant activities, independent or assisted living, and memory care.
Community Care Network of Kin On
815 S Weller St, Suite 212, Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-652-2330 fx: 206-652-2344 contact@kinon.org www.kinon.org Provides home care, Alzheimer’s and caregiver support, community education and chronic care management; coordinates medical supply delivery for Asian/Chinese seniors and families in King County.
Social & Health Services
Cathay Post #186 of The American Legion Supporting veterans for over 70 years Accepting new members - contact us today to learn more! P.O. Box 3281 Seattle, WA 98144-3281 Email: cathaypost@hotmail.com Phone: (206) 762-4058
International District Medical & Dental Clinic 720 8th Avenue S, Seattle, WA 98114 ph: 206-788-3700 email: info@ichs.com website: www.ichs.com 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, seniororiented 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 lowincome people in King County.
601 S King St. Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-682-1668 website www.apicat.org Address tobacco control and other health justice issues in the Asian American/Pacific Islander communities.
Bellevue Medical & Dental Clinic 1050 140th Avenue NE, Bellevue, WA 98005 ph: 425-373-3000 Shoreline Medical & Dental Clinic 16549 Aurora Avenue N, Shoreline, WA 98133 ph: 206-533-2600 Holly Park Medical & Dental Clinic 3815 S Othello St, Seattle, WA 98118 ph: 206-788-3500 ICHS is a non-profit medical and dental center that provides health care to low income Asian, Pacific Islanders, immigrants and refugees in Washington State. Fearless Asians for Immigration Reforms (FAIR!) ph: 206-578-1255 Info@ItShouldBeFair.com www.ItShouldBeFair.com
Free and confidential support for undocumented Asians and Pacific Islanders. DACA screenings, financial assistance, legal help, scholarships, DACA renewals, and consultations for service providers. Benefits include: work permit, $$ for school, protection from deportation, driver’s license.
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. ph: 206-624-3426 transia@aol.com
Kin On Health Care Center
4416 S Brandon St, Seattle, WA 98118 ph: 206-721-3630 fx: 206-721-3626 contact@kinon.org www.kinon.org A 100-bed, Medicare and Medicaid certified, not-for-profit skilled nursing facility offering long-term skilled nursing and short-term rehab care for Asian/Chinese seniors.
Legacy House
Public Interest Law Group, PLLC 705 Second Avenue, Suite 1000, Seattle WA 98104 Ph: 206-838-1800 Email: info@pilg.org www.pilg.org PILG attorneys Hank Balson, Wendy Chen, and Nancy Chupp provide information, advice, and representation in areas such as employment discrimination, unpaid wages, and other violations of workers’ rights.
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
We make leadeRS
Housing, property management and community development.
Legal Services
Senior Services
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.
803 South Lane Street Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-292-5184 fx: 206-838-3057 info@legacyhouse.org www.scidpda.org/programs/legacyhouse.aspx
Merchants Parking provides convenient and affordable community parking. Transia provides community transportation: para-transit services, shuttle services, and field trips in and out of Chinatown/ International District, and South King County. Organization of Chinese Americans Asian Pacific American Advocates Greater Seattle Chapter P.O. Box 14141 Seattle, WA 98114 www.ocaseattle.org
Description of organization/services offered: Assisted Living, Adult Day Services, meal programs for low-income seniors. Medicaid accepted. 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.
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. 2500 NE 54th Street Seattle, WA 98105 ph: 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.
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Call Washington Apple Health at 1-855-WAFINDER (1-855-923-4633). Choose Amerigroup.
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016 — 19
IE COMMUNITY
Announcements rights organization that works toward Share your favorite memories in the realization of civil and human rights for all people. In particular, it works in celebration of Donnie Chin’s life The International Examiner is putting The International Examiner’s annual ensuring that Sikhs may freely practice Community Voice Awards (CVA) honors and enjoy their faith while fostering strong together a few pages in our July 20 issue to celebrate Donnie Chin’s life. We would exceptional Asian Pacific American ties within their local community. leaders who provide dedicated service Gail Nomura, Steve Sumida, and like to highlight the wonderful, generous, and inspiration to our local communities. Tetsuden Kashima for Lifetime and expressive person Donnie was with Honorees and their achievements will be Achievement—Combined, Nomura, stories and memories from folks in the celebrated at the 24th Annual Community Sumida, and Kashima have over a century community. Submit your story or memory Voice Awards & 42nd Anniversary Benefit of experience as professors. The three by emailing editor@iexaminer.org by Dinner on Thursday, September 22 from recently retired after long careers teaching Friday, July 15. Stories may also appear 5:30 .pm. to 8:30 p.m. at Joyale Restaurant Asian American studies at University of online. in the Chinatown-International District. Washington’s American Ethnic Studies Dragon Fest on July 16 and 17 department. We celebrate our 2016 CVA Winners: Take part in the largest pan-Asian Jill Mangaliman with the Tatsuo Asia Pacific Cultural Center for celebration in the Northwest the weekend Nakata Youth Award—Mangaliman is Excellence in Arts (APCC)—APCC is a nonprofit that aims to bridge communities a queer Filipino-American community of July 16 and 17 happening in the heart of and generations through art, culture, organizer and writer. Jill has organized Seattle’s historic Chinatown-International education and business. APCC also in local and national campaigns involving District. provides youth summer camps that teach health care equity, immigrant rights and This year’s Dragon Fest will feature cultural appreciation through arts, crafts, protecting social services and is currently non-stop cultural performances including the Executive Director of Got Green. and games for young APIs. Dragon and Lion dances, Japanese taiko drumming, martial arts demonstrations, the Viet Wah Group with the Community Jamie Lee for Excellence in Chinese Girls Drill Team, and more. For Business Award—Viet Wah Group was Community Service—Lee is the Program Manager for IDEA Space at SCIDPDA founded by Duc Tran in 1981. What started Seattle’s foodies the Annual $3 Food Walk and has volunteered with organizations as a tiny shop grew into a full-service returns with over 40 restaurants offering a like CISC and InterIm since 2005. She has grocery store. Altogether, their two stores wide array of international $3 bites. served on the board of WAPI Community and warehouse employ 80 people and For more information, visit cidbia.org. serve over 10,000 customers each week. Services for the past five years.
IE Announces Honorees for 2016 Community Voice Awards
Visit www.iexaminer.org/communityDr. Jasmit Singh for Excellence in Social Justice—Singh is the Founder of voice-awards for more information. The Sikh Coalition, a nationwide civil
Community Resource Fair
A resource fair is being held for the community on Thursday, July 7 at the Filipino Community Center. Free food, prizes, and family-friendly activities, and resources from local government and nonprofits. Learn more at https://www.facebook. com/events/1749614248655951/.
Employment Executive Assistant at ACRS Provides administrative, clerical, project support to Executive Dir and Board. Highly organized; attention to details, writing and note taking skills required. Experience organizing meetings, events. Cultural competence, experience working with Asian Pacific American community highly desirable. For more information, visit https://acrs. org/careers/current-openings/. Send resume & cover letter to: hr@acrs.org.
Pig Roast—Celebrate the Danny Woo Community Garden
The 41st Annual Celebration of the Danny Woo Community Garden and Ceremonial Pig Roast will take place on Friday, July 16, starting at 6:00 p.m. This free event will offer food and beverages donated by C-ID restaurants and residents, as well as speakers on how this community garden and others strengthen neighborhoods, promote food security and build community spirit. The garden celebration includes the preparation of the traditional pig roast that runs through the night and is served to the gardeners and their families on Saturday.
Anyone interested in volunteering for the event or seeking more information, should contact Jill Wasberg at jwasberg@ interimicda.org or visit http://www. dannywoogarden.org/pig-roast.html.
Operations
Night Operations Manager Washington State Convention Center (WSCC) is accepting applications for the position of Night Operations Manager. Position is responsible for the general oversight of staff from the custodial, building security and event set-up departments of the facility on the swing and graveyard shifts. Typical work schedule is Tuesday through Saturday, 8pm to 4:30am and is subject to change. Requirements: BA/BS degree and 3 years management or supervisory experience. Experience in hotel, convention center or public facility is preferred. Visit www.wscc.com for further info or to download an application. Applications are also available at the WSCC Service Entrance, 9th and Pike, Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. WSCC application must be completed for consideration. Jobline: (206) 694-5039. EOE.
Answers to this puzzle are on Wednesday, July 20.
20 — July 6, 2016 – July 19, 2016
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER