August 16, 2017 International Examiner

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017 — 1

2 — August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

IE OPINION

CID community input could alter Seattle housing market

By Nicholas Nolin IE Columnist Before implementing the Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the City of Seattle provided an opportunity for public comment that ended Monday, August 7.

After the feedback has been collected and reviewed, the final proposal will be determined by fall 2017. There probably won’t be another opportunity for public input until next summer, when City Council will vote on the proposal.

The EIS has the potential to drastically alter the Seattle housing market and play a pivotal role in determining how the City reaches its goal of creating 50,000 housing units over the next 10 years. However, it is worth noting that certain communities won’t be directly affected. Seattle’s Downtown, South Lake Union, Uptown, and the University District are subject to separate MHA plans.

While the Chinatown-International District (CID) is not included under the purview of the EIS, members of the community were still able to provide feedback. While public comment has ended, input from CID community members will be valuable in the future (such as next summer, when the Council votes on the proposal). Councilmember Lisa Herbold said: “The Chinatown International District community should absolutely comment on the Citywide EIS if they are … [concerned] about the displacement impacts of development.” Seattleites will have the ability to put forward “an unequivocal refutation of the statement that ‘increasing development capacity and encouraging market rate development in high displacement neighborhoods is in itself an anti-displacement strategy,’” Herbold said.

The EIS can be read in its entirety online. The document essentially lays out the three strategies the City is considering to increase the amount of available housing.

The three alternatives include a plan of no action, and two differing action plans.

While the three options have some things in common, there are also significant differences.

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Established in 1974, the International Examiner is the only non-profit pan-Asian and Pacific Islander American media organization in the country. Named after the International District in Seattle, the “IE” strives to create awareness within and for our APA communities. 409 Maynard Ave. S. #203, Seattle, WA 98104. (206) 624-3925. iexaminer@iexaminer.org.

Historic Chinatown Gate • Photo credit: ZhengZhou/ Wikipedia Commons

Alternative 1, the “No Action” plan, would basically be a continuation of the status quo. According to the EIS, the existing zoning laws would be used to guide “redevelopment, demolition and new construction projects.” This alternative fails to adopt new zoning legislation, and would also prevent the expansion of urban village boundaries. The expected outcome when it comes to total household growth over the next twenty years would be approximately 45,000 new units within the designated study area, and 76,000 throughout the entire city. The number of income-restricted affordable housing units within the study area over this time would number just over 200.

Alternative 2 would result in new zonings laws and expand the boundaries of urban villages. Its key figures include the creation of nearly 63,000 new homes in the study area over the next two decades, with a total of 95,000 units throughout the city and 5,700 income-restricted affordable housing units.

Alternative 3 would also see the adoption of new zonings laws and larger urban villages. Its numbers more closely resemble those of Alternative 2 by producing 62,900 new units in the study area with 95,000 total homes city wide along with 5,600 income-restricted affordable housing units.

Although Alternatives 2 and 3 result in nearly identical numbers, the main difference between them is the extent to which they concentrate growth in areas vulnerable to displacement risk. In other words, whereas Alternative 2 seeks to create housing stock in a more uniform manner regardless of a community’s

IE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ron Chew, President Gary Iwamoto, Secretary Arlene Oki, At-Large Jordan Wong, At-Large Edgar Batayola, At-Large Lexie Rodriguez, At-Large Peggy Lynch, At-Large Nam Le, At-Large COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER Lexi Potter lexi@iexaminer.org

BUSINESS MANAGER Ellen Suzuki finance@iexaminer.org

DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Heidi Park heidi@iexaminer.org

socioeconomic standing, Alternative 3 takes socioeconomics into consideration.

Under Alternative 3, communities considered to have a higher risk of displacement (Rainier Beach, Othello, Columbia City and the Central District, among others) would see less intense growth.

However, while both action alternatives would see the bulk of income-restricted affordable unit growth occur in areas with high access opportunity (more or less a proxy for a community’s overall desirability), Alternative 2 would create nearly 700 more affordable housing units in areas at high risk of displacement.

For those concerned about the development of affordable housing throughout Seattle, it is important to note that compared to Alternative 1, alternatives 2 and

3 are expected to produce 28 times the amount of rent and income-restricted units.

To get a more complete understanding of the three alternatives and their potential impacts on the Seattle housing market, read the draft EIS for yourself.

While everyone’s preferred course of action depends on their own set of values, one inescapable truth that confronts us all: in order to have your values reflected in the final proposal, your voice needs to be heard by City Council first.

Information on the EIS can be found at www.seattle.gov/hala/about/mandatoryhousing-affordability-(mha)/mha-citywide-eis.

On August 14, 2017, King County Executive Dow Constantine visited the Chinatown International District, showing his support of health centers’ role providing immigrant, refugee, low income, and underserved communities with affordable health care. Constantine was at International Community Health Services (ICHS) to meet with ICHS CEO Teresita Batayola during National Health Center Week, which highlights the value of community health centers nationwide. • Courtesy Photo

EDITOR IN CHIEF Travis Quezon editor@iexaminer.org

ASSISTANT EDITOR Chetanya Robinson news@iexaminer.org

ARTS EDITOR Alan Chong Lau arts@iexaminer.org

CONTRIBUTORS Nicholis Nolin Lyra Fontaine Chris Juergens Brenda Neth Kamna Shastri Taylor McAvoy Yayoi Winfrey Hazel Lozano Aya Bisbee Maisy Chan

Roxanne Ray Kazuko Nakane Kin On DISTRIBUTORS Joshua Kelso Makayla Dorn Maryross Olanday Antonia Dorn Kristen Navaluna Kat Punzalan Eli Savitt Christina Nguyen Stephany Hernandez Vincent Dy INTERNS Kanami Yamashita Christine Smet CVA COORDINATOR Ngoc Dinh cva@iexaminer.org

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COMMUNITY

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017 — 3

Announcements Rep. Santos, IDEC will host community Little Saigon Crosswalk Launch Party update on the Donnie Chin murder on August 27 investigation on August 23 A Little Saigon Crosswalk Launch Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos (D-Seattle) and International District Emergency Center (IDEC) will be hosting a community meeting on Wednesday, August 23 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Nagomi Tea House (519 6th Ave S #200, Seattle, WA 98104).

The purpose of the meeting is to update the community on the latest information about the Donnie Chin murder investigation and the future plans for IDEC.

Party will be happening on August 27 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. during the Celebrate Little Saigon 2017: Banh Mi Fest.

Upcoming performances and topics Americans in the educational system, and will feature a Q&A panel featuring three include: University of Washington students as well August 16—Ethno-Tek (Asian American as two keynote speakers for the night. stories) A stage presentation will take place “Beyond the Numbers” is open to the August 23—Paul de Barros (Jackson at 12:30 p.m. at Summit Public School: public and will have food, performances, Street After Hours) workshops, and more.

Sierry (1025 S King St.). A ribbon cutting will take place at 1:00 p.m. at the 12th and August 30—Dr. Marie Wong (Chinatown For more information, visit www.

Jackson intersection. facebook.com/events/1672269192815240. Hotels)

Seattle Police Deputy Chief Carmen SEAeD event to focus on Southeast Best will be attending. King County Asians and education Councilmember Joe McDermott and The Southeast Asian American Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell Education Coalition (SEAeD) will be have been invited. hosting “Beyond the Numbers: Education Donnie Chin was the founder and of SEAs,” a community event that director of IDEC. He was shot and killed emphasizes the importance of education on July 23, 2015 as he was responding to a in Southeast Asian communities. This reported dispute.

SEAeD event will take place August 25

Sharon Maeda comes out of retirement to lead Rainier Valley Radio as station manager IE News Services Community leader and activist Sharon Maeda has recently come out of retirement to join Rainier Valley Radio/KVRU as its first station manager.

Maeda has been the president of Spectra Communications, Inc.; Associate General Secretary of Mission Communications on the General Board of Global Ministries for the United Methodist Church in New York; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; the CEO/Executive Director of Pacifica Foundation. She was also the general manager of KRABFM for Jack Straw Memorial Foundation and spent three years at KCTS/9 as a director and producer.

Maeda currently sits on the board of Public Radio Satellite Interconnection System Charitable Trust (NPR Satellite system).

She is currently gearing up to launch Rainier Valley Radio/KVRU, a listener-

from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Filipino and a longtime advocate for the Filipino community and an active member of the Community Center.

The event will discuss the struggles Filipino American National Historical and triumphs of several Southeast Asian Society (FANHS).

sponsored public radio station that emerged when the FCC opened up Low Power FM (LPFM) licenses in 2013.

SEED, a nonprofit organization in the RainiSharon Maeda er Valley applied for a license to bring community radio to the Rainier Valley.

Rainier Valley Radio/KVRU has a mission to inform, educate, and entertain through locally created and communitysupported programming, reflecting principles of public interest and cultural diversity.

For more information, visit KVRU. org. The station will begin testing this September and launching on the dial at 105.7FM on October 5. An open house is scheduled for October 7.

Correction In the article, “Two years after his death, community vigil keeps Donnie Chin’s legacy alive,” in the International Examiner’s August 2, 2017 print edition, Melissa Wong was incorrectly referred to as Donnie Chin’s daughter.

The error was caught prior to getting the article online, but, unfortunately, was not caught in the editing and copy editing process for the print edition.

We at the International Examiner regret the error and sincerely apologize to Melissa Wong and Donnie Chin’s family.

While Donnie Chin did not have children, there were many of “Donnie’s kids”—young people in the Chinatown International District who were mentored and looked after by Chin. Melissa Wong was one of “Donnie’s kids.”

On top of being a hero, a leader, and a protector, Chin dedicated his life to looking after so many children of the neighborhood.

Launch party and new campaign to promote bilingualism

September 6—Ken Workman (tentatively), Duwamish leader and a descendant of Chief Seattle

OneAmerica will be hosting their ACLF seeks nominees for awards Speak Your Language launch event on celebrating exceptional API leaders Thursday, August 24 at 6:00 p.m. at the The Asian Pacific Islander CommuniSouthside Commons (3518 S Edmunds St, ty Leadership Foundation (ACLF) NomSeattle, WA 98118). ination Committee will select three API The Speak Your Language campaign leaders for their three annual awards: seeks to promote the cognitive, social, the Kip Tokuda, the “Uncle Bob” Sanand professional benefits of bilingualism, tos, and the ACLF Distinguished Alumwhile distributing information about state ni awards. ACLF asks that community resources for dual language learners. The members help find and highlight exceplaunch event will be the kick off to the tional leaders by nominating them. campaign.

Nominations are open from August RSVP by visiting goo.gl/forms/ 1 to August 25, 2017. Candidates may N1t53jXyHGRmr3tV2.

For more be nominated by visiting https://goo.gl/ information, visit www.facebook.com/ rjmWTH.. events/456604828050471.

The Kip Tokuda award takes its name from an individual who dedicated 21 Progress to host training on suphis life to advancing and uplifting the porting undocumented APIs voices of underserved or marginalized 21 Progress will be hosting “Thrive! communities. Kip’s legacy continues on Building Solidarity with Undocumented through ACLF in the work that it does API Folx,” a training on how to support and the family that it fosters. undocumented API individuals and The “Uncle Bob” Santos Mentorship the narrative of who is considered award is ACLF’s newest award, undocumented. established in 2016 in Uncle Bob’s This event is free and will take place on Thursday, August 17 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at 21 Progress (409 Maynard Ave S, Ste 202, Seattle, Washington 98104).

memory with 2017 being the first year it will be awarded. Beyond all his leadership and his accomplishments, Uncle Bob was a leader of leaders who took many aspiring activists and For more information, visit www. community members under his wing facebook.com/events/1393144440761176. at the grassroots level of movements and gave them the experience and mentorship to become the leaders in the Storytelling Series in Hing Hay Park community that they are today.

August 9 through September 6

The Wing Luke Museum and InterIm Community Development Association are collaborating on a storytelling series called, “It Happened Here: 5 Tales of Maynard Ave and King Street,” at Hing Hay Park.

Hing Hay Park sits at an intersection of many community stories: Filipino, African American, Native American, Japanese American, and, of course, Chinese American. Each of these experiences has left its mark on the neighborhood. Five speakers will relate their own stories or the stories of others who have lived, worked, or played at the intersection of Maynard Avenue and King Street. Speakers include historians, storytellers, activists and academics.

Maria Batayola was the first speaker on August 9. Batayola was a cofounder of Theatrical Ensemble of Asians (TEA),

The Alumni Achievement Award recognizes and honors an outstanding CLP alumni in their achievements and contributions to the API community since graduating from the program.

4 — August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

NEWS

Election results for August primary: Mayor, City Council, School Board, Port

By Chetanya Robinson IE Assistant Editor

whole city), with 64 percent of the vote.

It’s a seat González held for one term since she was first elected in 2015. In the November general election she will compete with Pat Murakami, who came in second in the primary with almost 20 percent of the vote.

This November, for the first time in 91 years, Seattle will elect a woman for mayor. The King County primary elections on August 1 narrowed the candidates for mayor down to Jenny Durkan, (leading with nearly 28 percent of the vote), and in second place, Cary Moon, with 17.6 percent of the vote (32,504 votes).

Nikkita Oliver holds a close third place, with 31,282 votes (16.96 percent of the vote). Just 1,222 votes separate Moon and Oliver—but because this is more than the amount of votes yet to be counted, it’s almost guaranteed Moon will continue to the general election in November. Oliver’s only hope of catching up to Moon was an automatic recount; this is required when two candidates are separated by 2,000 or fewer votes, and also a margin of 0.5 percent of the total votes for the two candidates. As the Seattle Weekly reported, this would require Oliver to pick up around 1,000 more votes to close the gap to within 0.5 percent. This is unlikely to happen, as it’s doubtful that many new votes will

Boxes of special election ballots returned to King County Elections in 2014 • Photo by King County

be counted at all. At press time, Oliver has not conceded and Moon has not declared victory.

The two leading candidates for City Council position 8 (a position representing the whole city) are Teresa Mosqueda, leading with 31.6 percent of the votes, followed by Jon Grant, with nearly 27 percent.

Councilmember Lorena González leads the race for City Council position 9 (another at-large position representing the

on August 1: Districts 4, 5 and 7. Eden Mack (over 70 percent of the vote) and Herbert J. Camet, Jr. (7.75 percent of the vote) will advance to the November general election. The winners of District 5 are Zachary Pullin DeWolf (47.36 percent of the vote) and Omar Vasquez (17.54 perThe Port of Seattle is governed by cent). District 7 is led by Betty Patu (68.41 five elected commissioners who serve percent of the vote) and Chelsea Byers (21 four-year terms. Three positions in the percent).

Port of Seattle were up for election on A few state legislative positions were August 1: Commissioner Positions 1, 3, also on the primary ballot. One race and 4. The two winners in the primary could dramatically transform Washingelection for Position 1 are John Creigh- ton state politics, as it could cause the ton (with 32.75 percent of the vote) and Republican Party to lose control of the Ryan Calkins (31.76 percent of the vote). state Senate. If this happens, WashingPosition 2 winners are Stephanie Bow- ton would join just six other states in the man (with 51 percent of the vote) and country with a House, Senate, and GovAhmed Abdi (32.69 percent of the vote). ernorship all controlled by Democrats.

The Position 4 primary winners are Pe- The race that will decide this is for Legter Steinbrueck (with nearly 24 percent islative District No. 45, which includes of the vote) and Preeti Shridhar (nearly Kirkland, Duvall, and Sammamish. The 25 percent of the vote). two leading candidates are Manka DhThe Seattle School Board is made up ingra (with 51.48 percent of the vote) of seven elected members who serve and Jinyoung Lee Englund (with 41.44 four-year terms. Three positions for percent of the vote). Both will face off the School Board were up for election in November for the general election.

Forever the Foreigner—‘Disturbing’ Rise in Hate Crimes Targeting Asian Americans But even with the reported increase, experts say the figures are likely higher as many victims do not report encounters to authorities, while local law enforcement may sometimes decide against charging an incident as a hate crime.

By Chetanya Robinson IE Contributor Marcus Choi was walking his dogs in the Bitter Lake neighborhood in North Seattle when he heard a man shouting behind him. “I turn around and he’s right up in my space with his forehead on mine,” Choi said, recalling the incident.

“And then he’s yelling at me, he’s like, ‘You’re going to prison just like all the rest of you and your passports are gonna be taken away.’”

The Interurban Trail in north Seattle • Photo by Chetanya Robinson

The man’s verbal abuse continued. As Choi, who is Korean American, shouted Seattle, and that he’s never experienced back at him, the man’s demeanor became such blatant racism. more alarming.

“My sense of racism being out there “He has his hand in his pocket like is more at the top of my mind now. I’m he has a weapon or something, and he’s kind of more expecting it now,” he said. threatening violence against me,” Choi Nationwide, there’s been a rise in hate said. crimes and hate incidents, a majority Choi eventually returned home, but, of them targeting African Americans still angry over the incident, he decided and Latinos. Other groups, including to return to area with camera in hand, Muslim Americans, Sikhs, and members hoping to get a picture of the man who of the LGBTQ community have also accosted him. seen increases in hate crimes, often in “I don’t tolerate racism, especially in major urban centers. my own neighborhood,” Choi wrote in a John Yang is president and executive Facebook post a few days later, which he director of the advocacy group Asian titled “The Bigot of Bitter Lake.”

Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC).

Choi eventually found the man— He says while they’ve gotten less Caucasian, in his mid-30s—on an urban attention, attacks targeting Asians and hiking trail, and snapped the picture. Asian Americans have also risen. “We This started an argument, and it seemed are seeing quite a number … higher than to Choi the man wanted to fight. Choi we have seen in the past, and disturbing exposed his face to see if the man would in terms of the scope, geographically, in fact hit him, which he did, knocking and the types that we have seen.”

Choi’s glasses off and dislodging one of AAJC started a website, the lenses.

StandAgainstHatred.org, to track antiChoi called the police, but by the time Asian hate incidents. The goal of the site is to raise awareness of such attacks, which are they arrived, the man had left. sometimes overlooked in media coverage.

Choi says he’s lived in cities from Yang says hate incidents against Boulder to San Francisco, Chicago and Asians are often driven by political New York before recently moving to

In Choi’s case, while the attacker was never apprehended by police, his experience might qualify as “malicious harassment,” which is the legal term for a hate crime. Malicious harassment can include threats, physical injury, or destroying the property of someone because of their perceived race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, and other categories.

Such cases can be challenging to pursue, according to Detective Beth Wareing, who investigates bias crimes at the SPD. “One of the problems we often face with malicious harassment crimes is that they tend to be between strangers,” Wareing said. “They are opportunistic, The man who Marcus Choi said assaulted him on the Interurban Trail in north Seattle • Photo from they are incidents where the victim is Marcus Choi’s Facebook post surprised and just may not have time to register what’s happened before the rhetoric, including Trump repeatedly person is gone. They can happen in singling out China and North Korea isolated areas or areas where there just during the campaign. “Asian Americans happens to be no video.” are viewed as foreigners oftentimes, Yang of AAJC notes that even noneven if they are 100 percent American citizens, and do everything that so-called criminal incidents can still harm people’s physical, mental, and emotional health. normal Americans do.”

By tracking hate incidents, Yang’s Incidents of anti-Asian hate reported organization intends to help dispel the from around the country range from myth that Asian Americans “have no very serious crimes (including murder), worries or that they are somehow soto bullying, verbal assaults and hate called fully-integrated into the United speech.

States,” assumptions Yang says are part The Seattle Police Department (SPD) of the “model minority” myth. tracks bias incidents, both criminal and “The bottom line is that Asian non-criminal. Data shows around a 25 Americans are seen as foreigners, and percent increase in such incidents in for that reason they’re singled out,” Yang 2016. said.

NEWS

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017 — 5

Moving toward a safer CID: Survey results show improved safety, continued systemic barriers

By Lyra Fontaine IE Contributor

Context matters

Public safety in the Chinatown-International District (CID) has dominated community conversations in the past two years since International District Emergency Center founder and community leader Donnie Chin was murdered in July 2015.

Recent findings from the 2017 Chinatown International District public safety survey indicate improved perceptions of safety and cleanliness compared to last year. However, data also shows that many people don’t report crimes, and most respondents experience safety-related stress and anxiety. This shows that persistent systematic barriers remain.

The Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation Authority (SCIDpda) and InterIm Community Development Association (InterIm CDA) conducted the survey this spring and analyzed the results with Seattle University. On August 9, Jamie Lee, SCIDpda IDEA Space Program Manager, and Valerie Tran, InterIm CDA Healthy Communities Program Manager, presented findings and recommendations to the City Council Committee on Gender Equity, Safe Communities, and New Americans.

Councilmember Lorena González (far right) listens as Valerie Tran of InterimCDA and Jamie Lee of SCIDpda present on the Chinatown International District public safety survey at City Hall on August 9, 2017 • Photo by Travis Quezon

Recommendations

Recommendations from InterIm CDA and SCIDpda included continuing efforts to support community-police relations, maintaining support for street cleaning and sanitation, supporting community-gathered data and analysis, supporting existing neighborhood health and social service providers, and en“I think a lot of things happen each year couraging trainings on homelessness, mental that changes people’s perceptions,” Lee said. health and chemical dependency in the CID. “If we look at next year, there might be differ“From one year to the next, you’re going to ent reasons people respond the way they do.” see slight improvements but that is not justification to stop a recommendation,” Tran said. Community efforts lead to city “Some of these have been working but let’s think further on how we can continue imple- involvement menting these recommendations.”

After Chin’s death, community organizAnother recommendation was to support ers urged the City to respond to the neighthe CID public safety task force and action borhood’s public safety concerns. A CID Public Safety Task Force was formed and plan.

“I want to be supportive and continue to be supportive of this really important public safety work,” said Lorena González, chair of Gender Equity, Safe Communities, and New Americans Committee, at the meeting. “I am really excited about making sure it continues to be sustainable.

“Especially with the mayoral administra... We are seeing trends moving in the right tion changing, we wanted to make it clear to direction.” the council that it’s up to them to carry on the Next, Lee and Tran will present the surpublic safety action plan,” Tran said. “With vey findings to the Public Safety Steering a lot of the different planning initiatives that Committee and the neighborhood public are happening in the CID lately, it’s important safety meeting on August 15, and to the that public safety continues to rise to the foreCID Forum on August 22. front of community conversations.”

Improvement, but still more work to do

The survey’s key findings included improved perceptions of neighborhood safety and cleanliness. Thirty-eight percent of respondents said they “agree” or “somewhat agree” that the neighborhood is safer than one year ago (a 19 percent increase from 2016) and 64 percent of respondents indicated trust in police.

However, findings also showed that many respondents still do not report when they witness violent or non-violent crime. Also, trust in police varies based on English language proficiency, and most respondents (68.4 percent) continue to experience stress or anxiety due to feeling unsafe in the neighborhood.

met for seven months before sending recommendations to Mayor Ed Murray. The Tran and Lee said it’s important to be 2016 public safety survey results informed aware of how results are impacted by the time Murray’s action plan for the CID. of year the survey was conducted and how The 2016 survey found that many people community concerns and events leading up witness crime but do not report it, that nonto the survey influence the outcome. violent crime is pervasive, and police-com“When we did the 2016 survey, I think munity relations need improvement. The there was a lot of emotion, anxiety, and stress survey also found that most residents report following [Donnie] Chin’s murder and that feeling anxiety and stress related to neighborwas at the height of the encampment, so peo- hood safety, and that cultural factors play a ple had a lot of public safety concerns,” Tran role in residents not reporting crime. Survey said. “This year, the survey was taken after respondents also noted that the CID lacks a the encampments had been cleared out and safe place to go in case of emergencies. a lot of different public safety initiatives had The survey also found gaps in Seattle Pobeen put in place.” lice Department crime data from 911 calls.

For example, Tran said, people may perRecommendations included recognizing ceive improved cleanliness because the encampments under the I-5 freeway in the CID alternative types of community data related have since been removed as a response to task to safety, establishing times for police and force recommendations. And responses could community members to interact, developing have been different if the survey questions a culturally-responsive protocol for policewere distributed after the announcement that community relations, and investing in CID the Navigation Center would be situated in mental health services and long-term plans for neighborhood public spaces. the Little Saigon neighborhood.

Increased police presence is only one way to improve safety and perceptions of safety, Lee said. “We are hoping that [the next mayor] will take time to learn about the groundwork that has happened over the past two years and how that’s important to gain momentum, not only for making change but for making the community believe that change can happen.”

City funding

This year, the survey had 423 responses in English, Vietnamese, and Chinese—about 100 more responses than last year. Findings will be translated into Chinese and Vietnamese and distributed across the neighborhood in the coming weeks, in the hope of reaching everyone who completed the survey. Last The top reasons for not reporting crimes year, the survey was only disseminated elecwere not believing the police would follow up, tronically and in English. not wanting to get involved, and thinking the Survey administers received funding police couldn’t do anything. from the City this year, unlike in previous Because public safety has been at the fore- years. front of community conversations, people The City provided $20,000 per year in may view safety as improving because it’s befunding to support administering culturaling addressed, Lee said. “I think we still have ly-competent CID public safety surveys for a long way to go in terms of moving policing 2017 and 2018. The funding recognized the to responding to community needs and conimportance of the survey’s data in informcerns, versus 911 being the method of doing ing the city’s policy decisions on CID pubit,” Lee said, adding that the process of imlic safety issues. Funding was also provided proving public safety takes time. by the BUILD Health Challenge.

Although trends indicate that safety perLee and Tran said the funds allow for ceptions are improving, 62 percent of responmore in-depth questions and data analysis dents (the same percentage as last year) said as well as resources to translate the survey, they “somewhat disagree,” “disagree,” or distribute it door-to-door to every business “neither agree nor disagree” about whether in the CID, and examine how the data restreets and public areas are safer. lates to other work.

Due to community efforts and task force recommendations, Lee noted that 2017 funding was secured for the survey, sanitation in the CID, staffing for public safety coordinator Sonny Nguyen, the Danny Woo Community Garden, and Department of Neighborhoods, and Seattle Police Department positions that work closely with the CID to address public safety issues.

“Nobody can replace Donnie [Chin] and it needs to be us as a community working together to address public safety,” Lee said.

6 — August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

NEWS

Reaction to Resolution 31754 shows strength, solidarity of API Community

By Chris Juergens IE Contributor

On August 7 at 2:00 p.m., around 25 API community members gathered at a Seattle City Council meeting on short notice to show solidarity with Seattle’s Filipino American community. Their message to the Council was clear: The Council’s deletion of “Manilatown” in Resolution 31754 was unacceptable, as it ignored the desires and historic contributions of Filipino Americans to the Chinatown International District (CID). They demanded that “Filipino Town” be added back in to the resolution in the place of “Manilatown.” The reference to “Manilatown” was deleted in a key sentence in the resolution: “WHEREAS, the area known as Chinatown/International District (C/ID) includes the neighborhoods of Chinatown, Japantown, “historic Manilatown” and Little Saigon.”

The purpose of Resolution 31754 was to ensure that, as revitalization and changes occur in the CID, the City ensures that long-term residents can maintain access to affordable housing. By protecting the needs of long-term residents, the goal is to maintain the CID as a cultural center for the entire API community and each sub-group within that community.

Ultimately, the mistake made in Resolution 31754 also became an opportunity for the Filipino American and API community as a whole to show their strength and unity. A forceful letter to the Council signed by “Concerned Peoples for Filipino History in the Seattle CID” presented the case for why the deletion of “Manilatown” was both incorrect and offensive. At the Council meeting, nine API community members spoke to the Council to express their outrage at the deletion and how it ignored Filipino contributions to Se-

together very well. ICHS [International Community Health Services] is one example ...

ACRS [Asian Counseling and Referral Service] is another.” Wong said Seattle has more Pan Asian organizing than in San Francisco, where she’s from.

“[the Council’s action] wasn’t perfect. But, at the end of the day, the Council was very responsive in a short amount of time. They listened, owned the issue, and on September 5, will be passing a resolution to recognize Filipinos in Chinatown ID.”

Frank Irigon, Filipino American leader and a board member at OCA Greater Seattle, agreed with Wong’s assessment. Irigon said that in the API community “there is more unity than division. There is no rift. ... There has always been a Pan Asian movement in Seattle.” Irigon cited ICHS and Pan Members of the Concerned Peoples for Filipino Asian newspapers as evidence of the comHistory in the Seattle CID at City Council • Courtesy photo munity’s solidarity. Irigon compared Seattle’s Pan Asian community to the situation in Los attle and the CID. Filipino American former Angeles, where “you find more discrete comCity Council member Dolores Sibonga shared munity centers” based upon individual Asian at the meeting that her family first came to ethnicities. the CID in the 1920s. Her family, along with The Council was unanimously apologetic many other Filipinos, ran restaurants and about it’s mistake. Councilmember Ron Johnsmall business in the neighborhood. Many Filipinos also came to the CID and Seattle as son said: “We were acting in good faith but laborers, and according to Sibonga were at the we were moving swiftly, and in those swift “forefront of the labor union movement on the moments we don’t always get it right. This is one of those instances where we did not get it West Coast.” right.” Seattle Met reported that a September While most speakers at the Council were 5 City Council meeting has been scheduled Filipino Americans, Chinese American Doro- in which it’s likely the resolution will be corthy Wong of the Chinese Information Service rected.

Center (CISC) spoke forcefully in support of Members of the Filipino American and the demands of the Filipino community that broader API communities were cautiously the City should honor the contributions of optimistic about the Council’s response.

Filipinos in the CID and Seattle. Wong told Devin Cabanilla, coordinator of Concerned the Council that the “Manilatown” deletion Peoples for Filipino History in the Seattle ignores “what the Filipinos have done [historCID, said the “apology was a good step but ically].” In an interview with the International until they have put time to correct the resoluExaminer, Wong said, “our organization tion,” neither he, his organization, nor the Fili[CISC] is supportive of Filipino concerns.” pino American community will be satisfied.

Wong also praised the broader unity of the Community leader Maria Batayola wrote API community. “The API community does in an email to the International Examiner that not have a rift,” she said. “API groups work

Dorothy Wong of CISC echoed these sentiments, saying she was happy with the Council’s initial apologies but that “it’s not over until it’s over.” She reiterated that the proper language acknowledging Filipino contributions must be put back into Resolution 31754.

Irigon was optimistic and praised the Council. “I was impressed with the Council and Council President Harrell,” Irigon said.

“They could’ve gaveled us down [at the meeting] but didn’t. They took responsibility for their actions.”

The reactions from Seattle’s Filipino community and the larger API community showed that community leaders and politicians must be sensitive and respectful when writing legislation.

Lorie Young, a speaker at the August 7 Council meeting and a Filipino American on the board of the Filipino Community Center of Seattle echoed this idea. Recognizing the historic contributions and proper place of Filipinos in the CID and Seattle gives the community “future rights going forward,” Young said.

As Cabanilla said: “If our name isn’t there [in legislation], preference can be given to other ethnic groups. The legislation speaks to future placement outside of the CID as well and limits our place at the table. If we are written out of this law, we will probably be written out of others as well.” Cabanilla argued that “a community should be able to define a name, not an individual.”

Breaking Silences: Dr. Pata Suyemoto, mental health activist, takes the high road

By Brenda Kay Neth IE Contributor Dr. Pata Suyemoto is no newcomer to mental health issues. As a teenager, she faced stigma after attempting to take her own life. At 16, her parents were willing to get her medical help for her chronic depression, but there was still the unspoken rule of “no airing of dirty laundry” to anyone else. Her father, who was Japanese American, and her mother, who was Caucasian, faced their own issues. According to Suyemoto, her father never spoke of his incarceration during World War II as a Japanese American in Utah, yet the intergenerational trauma was there. Her mother dealt with her own bipolar illness while Suyemoto was growing up. Suyemoto herself also lives with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) Suyemoto, who has worked as a diversity coach and holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Pennsylvania, said that “coming out” to her students as someone experiencing mental illness was more difficult than discussing her life as a biracial, bisexual, woman.

Suyemoto has been interviewed by Psychology Today and The Boston Globe about her perspective on living with mental illness.

Today, Suyemoto declares herself a mental health activist, although she abhors the common term “consumer” when identifying her mental health issues. She said she has used both Western medicine and Eastern methodology to embrace her illness, and is also a Reiki Master.

to art. She is co-founder of the Breaking Silences project, based in Boston, which uses presentations and workshops to demonstrate the stigma young API women face. A 10-minute performance and a 30-minute presentation engage audiences and open up what are normally taboo discussions.

“So many people have thanked me for talking about suicide. So many young [API] women are dying by suicide. [API] women between the ages of 15-24 years old have the second highest suicide rate. Native Americans have the highest suicide rate,” Suyemoto said.

Part of the performance uses humor to counter the dreaded “conversations” that come up when others see someone struggling with a mental health issue. Suyemoto set the scene in our conversation by demonstrating that often when outsiders see the problem, they say to the person, “You look awful!” to which the comeback is, “You look awful too!”

This segment of the show is called “What not to say.”

Also within the 30-minute presentation, Suyemoto discusses the “model minority” myth, where Asian Americans labelled as being the most successful and most educated when compared with other minority groups— despite there being great disparities and struggles within the diversity of the Asian Pacific Islander community. This “modeling” creates intense pressure, specifically around getting high grades and being “academic” for young API women. This perception of “making it,” according to Suyemoto, does not stop the anShe is also an avid bicyclist and teacher, guish of young API women who may experieducating others in “everything she loves,” ence “othering,” and feeling like they are alfrom English, Sign Language, and bicycling, ways trying to fit in. Suyemoto explained this

via the abrasive questions such as “Where are ciation (NAAPIMHA) and the National Netyou from?” work to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral “The question, “What are you? “ means you Health (NNED) have aligned in training and are “othered,” Suyemoto said. If mental illness funding to present an eight-week course titled is also included with these stigmas, even more “Achieving Whole Health: Mind, Body, and Spirit.” Suyemoto teaches this course, which fear and isolation is involved. she gears toward API women. Through this “An oppressed group of people do not want course, individuals work together to find a balto add to the oppres- ance in their whole being, a format that Suysion.” Suyemoto said. emoto says API women are more responsive Suyemoto said she to than individual visits to a behavioral mental and co-founder Chris- health agency. tina Chan started the Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) programs, Breaking Silences a national evidence-based suicide prevention project as a fill-in training, have also benefited from Suyemoto’s presentation several awareness. Suyemoto said she helped augyears ago for the Na- ment an intervention format that is more apDr. Pata Suyemoto • tional Organization plicable to API communities than the standard Photo credit: Leah C-S of Women (NOW) training given to QPR trainees. Rather than a Photography conference. She said direct inquiry to a suffering API person, such they wanted to combine forces in bringing as “Are you suicidal?” the question should be their own experiences to the stage to help oth- reframed as something like, “Do you have a ers. The two have also created workshops as close friend you can talk to?” Suyemoto said part of their work. They are also in the pro- this is because culturally in the API commucess of collecting interviews that share lived nities, it is disrespectful to speak out about experience from API women who have mental difficulties to elders or authority. But a best health challenges. Suyemoto said she hopes to friend can act in the intervention on behalf of create a book from these in the future, if she the person suffering. can get the funding.

For Suyemoto, the willingness to disclose What distinguishes suicide prevention inter- one’s mental illness is a turning point. She said vention methods for API women versus women once a person opens up, there is no turning of other cultures? Suyemoto said in order to back, and there needs to be “risk assessment” answer that question, more concrete research when making the decision to come out. For is needed on the variety of API needs within her, disclosing her mental illness was part of communities. But unfortunately, this is not a the healing process. “I was ready,” she said. “I high priority for government funding. thought about it long and hard. It takes a lot of Suyemoto notes that the National American courage. You have the fear, and do it anyway.

Asian Pacific Islander Mental Health Asso- You know it’s the right thing.”

COMMUNITY VOICES PRESENTED BY SAINT MARTIN’S UNIVERSITY

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017 — 7

8 — August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

COMMUNITY VOICES PRESENTED BY KIN ON

Kin On responds to the needs of the Asian community

By Lillian Young Kin On Within Asian cultures, it has been a strong tradition for families to care for their own.

It is very common for parents and grandparents to continue living with their adult children, especially when care options that cater specifically to the needs of the Asian community were lacking.

The idea of a nursing home in Seattle to care for non-English speaking Chinese elderly first surfaced in 1985. Despite the concerns about whether the community would embrace the concept much less support it, a group of community leaders formed the Chinese Nursing Home Society as a response to the need for a culturally-appropriate nursing facility for Chinese seniors. In 1987, they launched Kin On Nursing Home.

“There were moments of doubt, but also a great sense of responsibility,” said Sam Wan, director of Kin On from the beginning, thirty years ago. “The community came together to do it right.”

When Kin On was formed, it leased a space and became the first Chinese nursing home operated by the Chinese community in the nation. It reached capacity with a rapidly growing waiting list within a few years of operations. After a $3 million capital campaign with the slogan “Building Our Own,” Kin On was able to build its own facility. The establishment of its 100-bed, long-term nursing facility in 1996 resulted in Kin On becoming the first nursing home in the nation owned and operated by the Chinese community.

“It was a huge celebration in our community,” Wan said. “Even the local TV station came to see this one-of-a-kind nursing facility.”

Wan remembers the open house was filled with hundreds of community members to appreciate their accomplishment and they stayed for a long time “checking out their new home.”

“It was a sense of pride and a sense of belonging,” he said.

Kin On continued to grow and expand its services throughout the years. But when given a choice, many elders prefer to age in place in their own home.

Kin On provides a holistic continuum of care for Asian elders and families. • Courtesy Photo

In response to a growing number of elderly Asians wishing to maintain their independence and preserve quality of life in a family environment, Kin On created home care and caregiver support services.

Kin On’s home care program started twenty years ago, serving over 200 Asian families in King County every year. Carrie Lam, Kin On Home Care Director, said the personal care assistants are trained bilingual professionals providing much-needed assistance to the elderly.

“They go to the clients’ home to offer assistance with daily living, housekeeping, errands, and personal hygiene,” said Lam. “And the need for in-home care is growing every day.”

Studies show that most adults — nearly 80 percent — who need long-term care live at home or in community settings, and only 32 percent of caregivers report their loved one gets paid help from aides, housekeepers, or other people paid to help them. One in three caregivers have no help at all—paid or unpaid.

With an aging population, there are more people staying at home and living with chronic disease. But oftentimes there is not enough formal support for caregivers.

“We realize the burden and challenges to take care of a loved one at home,” said

Michael Woo, Kin On Care Network Director. “We want people to know we are here to help.”

Kin On’s Family Caregiver Support team actively offers counseling, education, referrals, and respite care to give caregivers the help they need. The organization also provides educational and support courses such as Powerful Tools for Caregivers and Chronic Disease Self-Management Education courses. Topics include taking good care of yourself, identifying and reducing personal stress, and communicating effectively with family, friends, and health professionals.

“We are trying to educate as many people in the community as possible,” Woo said.

Despite years of diminishing public funding, the threat of repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and challenges posed by a complex healthcare system, Kin On has remained steadfast in its mission to serve the elderly along the aging continuum. In 2000s, Kin On began an organization-wide effort to reposition the organization and its services including changes in service delivery and plans for programmatic and facility expansion.

Kin On’s capital campaign, “Creating an Aging-Friendly Community,” was launched in 2014. Phase I of the expansion project

includes the addition of a community center and an expanded wing for rehabilitation (rehab) care. With the increase in service capacity, the organization hopes to take a whole team approach to helping the Asian community age well both at home and in their care.

“We want to serve the population at all stages of their individual aging processes,” Wan said.

Kin On Healthy Living Program, which is now offered at the new community center located on the lower floor of the nursing facility, aims to keeps adults, aged 50+, socially, mentally, and physically active and engaged as they age. An array of activities such as Mahjong, table tennis, dancing, arts and crafts, cooking, and health education classes are offered at two Kin On community centers in South Seattle and Bellevue Crossroads.

The expanded short-term rehabilitative and special care services work closely with each patient and their family members to customize care plans and discharge process. Wan said the goal is to help the injured restore and improve functionality, reduce pain, and increase mobility for better strength and balance to transition home.

“We want to help older adults make the most out of life, helping them not to simply exist, but to thrive in a caring and welcoming environment,” he said.

Kin On is currently in the second phase of the project: to build an assisted living facility and adult family home. It will provide additional residential care options that are affordable and culturally sensitive to Asian elders. When completed, Kin On will be transformed from a standalone nursing home to an aging-friendly campus.

As Asians and Asian-Americans make up the largest minority and immigrant group in King County, Wan said it is the Kin On vision to continue meeting the community needs in a culturally and linguistically sensitive manner while providing seamless access to healthcare resources and facilities.

“We are committed to providing accessible and affordable healthcare and services to the Asian community,” said Wan. “Kin On is dedicated to serve our community, no matter where they might be along the aging continuum.”

Preventative healthcare programs increase wellbeing of participants

By Kamna Shastri IE Contributor As adults age, they are likely to face chronic health problems. Eighty percent of aging adults have at least one chronic health condition, for example diabetes, arthritis, or heart problems. According to a fact sheet from the National Council on Aging, two thirds of healthcare costs go towards treating chronic diseases—but less than one percent of healthcare dollars are put towards preventative health care.

Preventative care can be a powerful tool to manage chronic stress and to combat the lack of independence that can come with having such health conditions. Considering how beneficial preventative care can be for both patient wellness and reducing health care costs, Stanford University and the National Council on Aging partnered together to create a series of workshop materials that centers around the country can use to teach patients how to manage chronic diseases.

The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) is offered in many different community settings, health centers, libraries, and churches. The program is taught as a workshop, with peers who have gone through the relevant health issues helping teach management techniques and skills.

The workshops are designed to Michael Woo provide techniques to manage frustration and fatigue, improve flexibility, use medication, as well as effective communication with friends and family and how to evaluate new treatments.

The classes are participatory, and encourage communication amongst participation. Kin On is one of the organizations in Washington State licensed to administer the CDSMP. Kin On, an organization primarily serving API community elders, offers the program in partnership with various organizations including the Washington State Chinese Cancer Network Association (WSCCNA).

Michael Woo is the Kin On Care Network Director. He says many people take part in the program for both social and health reasons.

“Most participants are motivated by their desire to maintain or improve their own health,” Woo wrote in an email. “Many also enjoy the sense of camaraderie and support developed through the workshop.”

A common thread in participants’ comments is the positive influence of their peers.

One participant from a 2015 workshop named Mimi wrote: “It was a great support group. I appreciate having a group to cheer me on and walk with me. The two-hour sessions comprised valuable instruction, small and large group discussions, and break time. The time flew by quickly. It is a small investment of time, but well worth it.”

Other participants’ comments emphasized the valuable nature of the program’s investment in peer support. Participants shared experiences and ideas with one another, and took part in discussions that augmented the

practical health management techniques the instructors provided.

The program can not only lead to positive, qualitative benefits for participants, but also saves dollars. According to the National Council on Aging, the CDSMP saves $714 in emergency room visits for every person who participants in the program nationwide.

Beyond the fiscal impact of the program, its emphasis on peer support and preventative care is an important step towards holistic health, especially as people age.

As Woo of Kin On wrote in an email: “Practicing preventive health care and effective disease self-management are important ingredients in maintaining or improving our overall well-being, so it will increase our chances to continue to live independently and to do the things that we enjoy doing.”

Contact Kin On at (206) 556-2237 or healthliving@kinon.org for CDSMP class schedule.

COMMUNITY VOICES PRESENTED BY KIN ON

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017 — 9

New development in South Seattle offers crucial residential care options for Asian seniors

By Lillian Young Kin On

About Kin On Assisted Living Facility and Adult Family Home

Imagine an aging loved one who is still mentally and physically capable, but cannot manage all of the tasks of independent living.

He or she may not require the services of a nursing home but may want help with some daily activities, such as cooking, housekeeping, and transportation. Indeed, local and national surveys indicate that seniors prefer to stay at home for as long as possible, rather than moving from place to place as they age.

Assisted living facilities accommodate the aging population by providing safety and appropriate methods of care, while allowing a high degree of independence in a safe and socially stimulating environment.

In order to adapt to the rapidly-changing economic and healthcare environment, Kin On is in the process of completing the final phase of its capital expansion to offer housing Staff, board members, and project developers celebrated the groundbreaking of Kin On’s new supportive options with personalized support services so housing project on July 11, 2017. • Courtesy Photo that seniors can healthily and happily “age in place”. ample in the community and the among our a day. Residents of the assisted living apartments and adult family home can also access “The new project will fulfill a need that is industry peers. growing in the community,” said Steven LiTo Liang, it is both challenging and reward- the myriad of healthy living activities in the ang, Kin On Supportive Housing Director. ing to be involved in long-term care. Coming community center on the Kin On campus.

“We have a vision to create a vibrant, healthy, from a background in housing management, Liang sees a future of choices and options. and independent community and we want he has the experience and knowledge to help He believes current residents and future resiour residents to feel happy, secure, and com- create this new service at Kin On. dents will be able to tailor their care exactly fortable in the aging process.”

“We face many challenges such as fund- the way they want it, and Kin On will conKin On seeks to create more options for ing shortage, changes in policies, and the tinue to provide excellent care to the comseniors and families through culturally-sen- demands of the market and consumers,” he munity. sitive, affordable housing with services, and said. “I am hoping to bring new ideas and “We envision Kin On to be the preferred offering a comprehensive continuum of care fresh perspective on the industry.” destination for Asian seniors in the greater no matter where one is in his or her life stage The project includes a 20-unit assisted liv- Seattle area,” he said. and aging process.

Located adjacent to the existing Kin On ing apartments with shared dining and activAs the traditional ideas of aging services ity spaces, and an adult family home featur- Rehab & Care Center in Columbia City of are being revamped and challenged, how ing six private rooms with private baths, a South Seattle, the new assisted living apartpeople age is up to the individual preferences. shared kitchen, dining, and living room area, ments and the adult family home are expectLiang believes Kin On can be a shining ex- and access to a universal caretaker, 24-hours ed to open fall of 2018.

The Assisted Living Facility will enable residents to maintain their privacy while providing communal options for socializing and gathering. Socialization within this small community is encouraged, as communal meals will be provided in a community room that is designated for activities, visitation, and taking meals as a group. If residents desire more opportunities to socialize or learn, they will have easy access to the Community Center, due to the user-friendly set-up of the aging-friendly campus. The Assisted Living Facility will best benefit those who desire a limited degree of personalized care.

The Adult Family Home will be inspired by The Green House Project which was created in 2003 by Dr. Bill Thomas. As of February 2015, there were 174 completed Green House homes on 40 campuses in 27 states, with another 186 in development. “The Green House concept is widely recognized as the most comprehensive effort to reinvent the nursing home,” according to the New York Times. A Green House home is created to mirror the same feeling and experience someone receives from living in their own home. It is warm and personal due to the small number of elders living in the home. Each individual has the comfort of private rooms and bathrooms but also the family-like atmosphere of open common spaces. Again, if residents desire more opportunities to socialize or learn, they will have easy access to the Community Center.

A rendering of the Kin On Assisted Living Facility from the northwest perspective.

10 — August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

NEWS PRESENTED BY KIN ON

As King County elderly population increases, API elders face unique challenges

By Kamna Shastri IE Contributor Within the next 20 years, the percentage of King County residents who are elderly will grow from 18 percent to 25 percent. Asian Pacific Islander elders will be one of the fastestgrowing subgroups. The increase is due to the aging baby-boomer generation, as well as an increased life expectancy. There are numerous challenges that come with growing old, but those challenges have larger impacts for health care systems and communities when the population of elderly increases.

The elderly face barriers when it comes to transportation, affordability, and housing, as well as social engagement. In a city where affordability is a concern for people of all ages, the elderly—aged 65 and over—are particularly affected by increased housing prices, especially those living on a fixed income, whether that’s investment funds after retirement, or living off social security.

Irene Stewart, project manager for a City initiative called Age-Friendly Seattle, says this is a common occurrence in metropolitan areas across the country, but Seattle’s housing boom has exacerbated the issue of affordability of the elderly here.

The Age-Friendly Seattle initiative aims to study challenges like these, evaluating where the City stands in its accessibility for and inclusion of elderly people. Stewart says the project is currently in the assessment phase and will come up with a plan by the end of the year, to implement between 2018 and 2021.

Stewart also pointed out the gap in quality of life for elderly residents based on race and ethnicity. Twenty-eight percent of American Indian and Alaskan Natives; 18 percent of Blacks, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders; and 17 percent of Asians and Latinos live in poverty compared to 7 percent of whites, according to 2013 data from Aging and Disability Services for Seattle and King County.

“We look at respect and social inclusion and within that we look at ageism and racism and so that is why we are looking at those factors and trying to figure out how we will do things differently,” Stewart said. “The City of Seattle already has a pretty extensive race and social justice initiative and that is something that we are constantly striving toward.”

Stewart says there are eight aspects that contribute to a good quality of life for elders.

Three are related to the built environment— namely housing and transportation—while the other five are largely social: civic and social participation, respect and social inclusion, communication and information, and community and health services.

Research shows that two things are a constant when making sure people live better as they age; physical activity and social connection. “So that is one reason why social participation is one of the key elements of agefriendly communities,” she said.

When it comes to the intersection of race and aging, social connections can be harder to come by. Sam Wan, CEO of Kin On, said elders in the API community have additional social and cultural challenges as they navigate growing old in the United States.

“In the old country, people respect elders.

So when they immigrate to this country ... they basically have to become dependent on the children,” said Wan. When elders have historically enjoyed respect and are honored, according to Wan, they can feel helpless in a society that doesn’t value them in the same way, adding an extra level of adjustment to navigate.

These social and cultural stresses can add to how elders manage health issues, especially as they try to understand a complicated and often foreign healthcare system.

“I believe our API elders immigrants who rely on Medicaid continue to be challenged with access—capacity and proximity—to high-quality, coordinated, culturally sensi-

tive, and language-specific health care services across the care continuum,” said Jeffrey Hattori, CEO of Keiro Northwest, in an email.

This is where institutions like Kin On and Keiro Northwest—which both offer care, assisted living, and health services for the aging API community—can address health as well as social needs in a culturally-competent way.

Wan said it’s important to make sure people know about the kinds of resources that agencies like Kin On and Keiro can offer, especially when it comes to helping elders navigate the U.S. healthcare system. He said that unlike in their home countries, API elders struggle with reaching out for help and end up delaying treatment as a result. He emphasizes the value of preventative care and treatment so that elders can make sense of their health needs and can be equipped with resources and tools.

“In general, the healthcare policies address the symptoms of the sickness,” said Wan. “They will not come to play in terms of helping you out unless you have health problems or if you have an episode that puts you in the hospital.” He clarified that it is certainly important to take care of those who already have preexisting health issues, but that not enough resources are invested in educating and preparing the “young old.”

Wan explains how the aging population (age 65 and older) is split into three groups.

The “young old” range from 60–75, the “middle old” 75–85, and the “old old” 85 and older.

Wan suggests that the young old have a special capability to help those in the older groups, creating a kind of accountability model where the elderly help one another while also benefiting from community resources.

“They [the young old] can actually be a very contributing group to the overall population. I think sometimes society defines once you retire, you are basically not contributing much,” Wan said. He wants to look at how to “empower” and “energize” the young old

so they can be prepared and support those in other age groups. This also creates a form of preparedness where once the young old group ages up they already have the tools and resources to navigate healthcare systems and their own healthcare needs.

“The aging of the population is unavoidable, but we can be prepared? I think actually make use of their experience, and while they have time they can help out and also be prepared [so] they can avoid some of the potential health issues down the road,” Wan said.

Hattori sees a three-pronged approach or “Triple Aim” to addressing the healthcare gaps and needs for API elderly by allowing for optimal clinical outcomes, cost containment, and customer satisfaction. “A way to achieve this is to provide care and services in the least institutional and high-cost settings,” he said in an email. “Home and community based services (e.g., care managers, home care/health, adult day social/health, transportation, meals) as well as Assisted Living are two major components that needs to grow and integrate with primary care, mental health, acute and post-acute care.” Keiro Northwest has created healthcare programs, such as assisted living, home care, social day programs and wellness workshops, that support aging adults to stay in the comfort of their homes for as long as possible.

These kinds of models for care and service are useful when considering a local and worldwide increase of an aging population.

Stewart observed that in our youth-focused society, the idea of aging, and in particularly the elderly, are under-valued. She says the goal of aging services and the Age Friendly Seattle initiative is to change the negative ways people typically think about growing old.

“We’d really love to see anything that will break down the walls so that people of all ages not only respect their elders but want to become their elders,” she said.

Benefits of Donating IRA Distributions to Charity

By David Lee If you’ve accumulated a significant amount of money in traditional and rollover individual retirement accounts (IRAs), you may want to consider tax-efficient strategies that can reduce your tax burden and benefit your favored charities. IRAs may create tax challenges when you begin taking distributions, which are subject to income tax. So how can you turn IRA distributions into charitable donations and reduce your tax burden?

IRAs, regardless of whether the owners itemize their deductions. However, distributions from employer-sponsored retirement plans, including SIMPLE IRA plans and simplified employee pension (SEP) plans, are not eligible.

Multiple tax benefits The QCD approach creates a variety of potential tax benefits, including: • Using a standard deduction. Because the QCD excludes income from the IRA distribution and can offset other taxable income.

• Retaining full benefit of itemized deductions and personal exemptions.

If you make a charitable contribution, a QCD allows you to avoid declaring a large IRA donation as income. Therefore, you won’t inflate your income to higher levels that could impact your An IRA owner, age 70 1/2 or over, ability to itemize deductions and percan directly transfer up to $100,000 sonal exemptions. tax-free per year to an eligible charity.

• Other tax benefits. Keeping income This option, first available in 2006, lower through direct distributions from can be used for distributions from IRAs to charities may help: One tax-efficient way to make charitable contributions is through a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). A QCD directs your IRA custodian to make a transfer of funds from your traditional IRA directly to a qualified charity.

o Reduce taxes on a portion of A QCD can satisfy your required your Social Security benefits; distribution obligations in any given o Reduce Medicare Part B pre- year, resulting in potential tax savings. mium payments;

As you consider a planning strategy that includes QCDs, consult with o Claim other qualified deducyour financial advisor to be sure tions the charity can qualify for a direct distribution from your IRA.

Meeting required distribution rules

Another important tax advantage of qualified charitable distributions is that you can use the strategy to satisfy required minimum distribution (RMD) rules each tax year. After you reach age 70 1/2, you are required to take distributions from traditional IRAs.

David Lee is a Financial Advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. in Mercer Island, WA. He specializes in fee-based financial planning and wealth management.

To contact him, go to https://www. ameripriseadvisors.com/david.lee

Neither Ameriprise Financial nor its affiliates or representatives may provide tax or legal advice. Consult your tax advisor or attorney regarding specific tax issues.

Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2017 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

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NEWS PRESENTED BY KIN ON

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017 — 11

Sam Wan announces retirement as CEO of Kin On

By Ron Chew IE Contributor After nearly 28 years at the helm of Kin On—helping build the first Chinese nursing home in the Pacific Northwest and establishing other senior care services—Sam Wan will step down as the agency’s CEO at the end of this year.

Wan’s long tenure and success as an Asian American non-profit executive is a tribute to his low-key, steady leadership and his ability to capture and hold together the talents of a strong loyal base of local Chinese American volunteers.

Wan, 64, said he’s retiring after having achieved his goal of building Kin On’s 100bed nursing home, a broad spectrum of inhome care services and “healthy living” activities at the agency’s 52,000-square-foot facility in Southeast Seattle. Meanwhile, planning is well underway for construction of senior housing—20 units of “assisted living supportive housing” and an adult family home with six private rooms—adjacent to the nursing home, to be completed in 2018. A new partnership has also been launched with International Community Health Services to build a comprehensive care facility on Beacon Hill to allow nursing home-eligible seniors to “age in place” in their residences.

“Most of the pieces of our future program and vision are now in place,” Wan said. “The direction is set. I felt this was a good time to step down and allow time for a new generation of leadership.”

Wan said his retirement will coincide with his wife’s plans to retire as a nurse at Swedish Medical Center early next year.

Wan credits the success of Kin On to long-time Chinese American pioneers such as Ben Woo, Ark Chin, Ed Wong, Anne Wing, and Jeni Fung who served on the Board of Directors, contributing countless volunteer hours, especially during the early years when the concept of a skilled nursing facility serving the non-English-speaking Chinese elderly was not fully understood or embraced by the community.

“That generation of pioneers who helped set up Kin On—I have the greatest amount of respect for them,” Wan said. “They were

Kin On CEO Sam Wan will be retiring after 28 years at the helm of Kin On. • Photo by Dean Wong

incredible. I learned a lot from them. They set the tone. They had integrity and a strong sense of accountability and helped us establish instant credibility. If I mentioned their names, people would say, ‘Oh, we know them. This project must be okay.’

Jeni Fung, now 92, recalled: “We were all on the same page. We were the collegeeducated generation. We were intensely committed to finding a way to take care of that older generation that we saw every day, living in isolation in Chinatown. We believed we should be able to do something lasting to help them. They had been through so much.”

Wan first joined Kin On in 1987, taking a leave of absence from his position as a human services planner at the Seattle Division on Aging (now Seattle Aging and Disability Services) to help plan the start-up of a nursing home for Seattle’s aging Chinese

Kin On CEO Sam Wan and the first staff of Kin On Health Care Center in 1987. • Courtesy Photo

American population. He recalled spending his first six months in a temporary office provided by the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce.

“It was upstairs in a room with no heat and two desks,” he said, smiling at the memory. “It was at 508½ Seventh Avenue South. It was very modest.”

Wan then spent the next three months at Seattle Keiro, the Japanese American nursing home that had opened over a decade earlier, learning from administrator Russ Akiyama. “At the time, I had no experience in how to set up the operation, but Russ opened up his books and said, ‘Take a look.

Take what you need.’ That was very helpful.”

Fred Yee, a management analyst with the Social Security Administration, came aboard as executive director of Kin On in January, 1988, one year after the Chinese nursing home opened its doors and admitted its first resident. Yee stayed in that position for three years, until the 63bed facility became fully occupied. Sam returned as executive director in 1991.

Meanwhile, Yee joined the Kin On board of directors, serving as president from 1996 to 1998.

“I came back to Kin On when we decided to build our own facility,” Wan said. “Before, we were leasing a facility from Keiro.

Our plan was to build a new $11.5 million facility, which included a $3.5 million capital campaign. We had received a $8 million loan guarantee from HUD. “When I came back in 1991, I didn’t have any idea how long I would be staying. But I knew that I was committed to staying as long as I was needed and doing whatever it took to get the operation on a stable footing for a few years. I knew that this was where my career would be.”

What has been Sam’s biggest challenge over the years? Fundraising? Board development? Operations? Gaining community support?

“All those things,” Wan said. “In the beginning, there was a question of whether the community would send their parents and relatives to a facility like Kin On. It was a new operation. How do they trust that we know what we’re doing?

“On the operations side, this was something we had never done before. If we didn’t have the support of Keiro, this would have been very difficult. For me, I also had to learn how to do the day-to-day operation.”

The unconditional support of key board members was crucial, Wan said.

“Ark Chin told me, ‘Sam, all you need to do is to do the best you can with the operation. Take care of the elders. Let me worry about the money.’ He kept his promise. I kept my side. Ben Woo always had the best interests of the community in mind. He made sure that we weren’t distracted and that we kept our focus on our sole mission of senior care. Ed Wong made sure we were responsible and did our due diligence. Anne Wing helped out wherever she was needed.

She brought in friends as volunteers. Gary Locke helped on the political side.”

Fred Yee noted that Wan had a unique set of talents as one of the few bilingual individuals with a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Washington in the mid 1970s. “He played a role in inspiring a couple generations of young people going into the field of social work,” Yee said.

Rani Cheung, operations support manager at Kin On, has known Wan for over 30 years. “I have witnessed how Sam led Kin On develop from a small leased nursing facility on 24th Avenue South into today’s campus which offers a wide range of services for the Asian elderly,” she said. “Sam did it because he is a leader with a vision. I appreciate Sam for his trust and support, as a colleague and as a friend.”

Adds Michael Woo, another long-time employee, who now directs the agency’s community care network, “In the numerous occasions that I had to confer with Sam on the needs of our clients, Sam’s counsel to me had always been to spare no expense to understand and to address those concerns.

It is sad to see Sam retire, but I believe he will continue serving the community and Kin On in other ways.”

Kin On’s 32nd Anniversary Gala happens on September 30, 2017 at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue. The program includes a raffle with prizes, live auction, special recognitions, live entertainment, and more.

Former U.S. Ambassador and Washington Governor Gary Locke is welcomed back as the honorary chair.

Net proceeds from this year’s gala will help complete the Kin On Expansion Project to construct a brand new assisted living facility and adult family home. Successfully completing this project will enable Kin On to transform from a standalone nursing facility into an aging-friendly campus.

Registration and reception begin at 5:00 p.m. The Gala Program starts at 6:30 p.m.

12 — August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017

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COMMUNITY VOICES PRESENTED BY KIN ON

Bridging generation gaps with Mahjong

By Kristin Tan Kin On The sound of tiles clacking against each other is punctuated by the sound of “Pung!,” uproarious laughter, and goodnatured teasing. Another successful Kin On Mahjong Night is under way.

The idea of Mahjong Night started in 2012 when a few community members got together to play the ancient Chinese tile game with Kin On’s nursing home residents. Although the residents loved to play Mahjong and enjoyed seeing new, younger faces across the table, it was difficult for young people and community members to commit to spending their Thursday nights at a nursing home.

In 2014, we revamped the program to better engage with the untapped communities. Mahjong Night slowly gained traction as we provide food, prizes, and opportunities to both network with other professionals as well as to connect with elderly friends and relatives. This unique Mahjong Night not only reaches nursing home residents but also attracts recent transplants looking to get involved in the community but do not know where to start. It is a place where younger people can spend time with residents and to learn about Kin On’s mission of providing culturally relevant health care and programs for the Asian community, while socializing, eating great food, and gaining wisdom from older generations.

We also created a post-Mahjong Night happy hour, Late Night Bites, in which

Kin On’s Mahjong Night connects generations, attracting an average of 70 participants each night. • Courtesy Photo

attendees continue the fun and make community connections after the games ended.

Mahjong Night has morphed into a smashing success, becoming one of Kin On’s most anticipated and well-attended community programs with an average of 70 participants. Each evening is sponsored by local organizations, businesses, and families. As most people do not have a reason for visiting nursing homes or interacting with seniors outside of their own

family, Kin On’s Mahjong Night provides Join us for our next Mahjong Night on a special opportunity for them to learn Aug. 24 from 6:45 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. about aging gracefully and Asian culture, Hosted by C.A.C.A. Seattle and while helping form inter-generational bonds Sponsored by the Luu Family in loving between young professionals and nursing memory of Mr. Hoa Luu. home residents.

Mr. Hoa Luu was a Kin On resident and We invite YOU. Come eat, learn, and enjoyed playing Mahjong with friends play Mahjong at these inter-generational and families. In loving memory of him, the tables at Kin On as we build a new type of Luu Family is sponsoring the upcoming community—one where age and language Mahjong Night as August was Mr. Hoa barriers do not exist and where a simple game Luu’s birth month. can bring diverse groups of people together.

An aging population means more employment opportunities

By Jean Wong Kin On

is the economic drivers. With more millennial and younger people moving home. Having a closer proximity to jobs and opportunity are keys to success.

It was Shakespeare who said, “With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.”

Americans are living longer. According to a 2010 Pew Research Center study, beginning on January 1, 2011 until the end of 2030 for 19 years, there will be 10,000 Baby Boomers reaching age 65 every single day. That is roughly 70 million seniors gained or 18% of the total U.S. population.

With an extended lifespan, there are more health concerns for this aging population. So what is aging services and who are the men and women taking caring of your loved ones?

Many begin their service by becoming nurses and most of them start with being certified nursing assistants (CNA). This profession usually requires a five-week training at a CNA school, one week practicum at a sponsoring nursing facility, and a passing score for a state sanctioned test. Often times, the CNA certification is a first step toward a rewarding nursing career, including registered nurse (RN) and nurse practitioner (NP), or other healthcare related programs at universities and colleges. Some programs require their students to have had 2,000 plus hours of in-service training, which being a CNA qualifies for.

of care ranging from social programs such as dancing, knitting, computer classes, and group travel, to home care, assisted living, and full on skilled nursing care. Inside the doors of aging services are many careers.

The social fabric of our society has been changing and reversing. From the same Pew study, it finds that single person living household is on the rise while many are going back to living in a multiple generational home.

In 2008, 16% of all American households have at least two generations of adults or are living with a grandparent, up from 12% in 1980. This trend is perhaps only going to However, nursing is not the only way grow larger as people live longer. someone can become a bona fide aging The National Aging in Place Council services healthcare practitioner. Inside today’s aging services, there is a continuum (NAIPC) says more than 90 percent of older adults would prefer to age in place rather than

A traditional RN with just a two-year Associate Degree can make good starting wages. Some RN careers now are hybrid with healthcare technologies and business administration. Newer dual degrees such as Master in Business Administration and Master of Science in Nursing are being formed concurrently to meet the seed of change in our communities. These types of alternative RN jobs often lead to more advance level of career practice in healthcare management or administration. Skills learned in the Kin On nursing staff. • Courtesy Photo different function areas are transferrable.

Thus irrespective of where the population and move to senior housing. Living arrangements society decide to age and thrive now and later, will get increasingly complicated as millions there will always be a need for human capital. of older adults are living alone. While the Technology is making complex tasks cost of living and the drive for aging services much easier. However, only humans are healthcare will continue to rise as well. Both sophisticated enough to approach challenges older adults and the younger generations have when empathy and interpersonal interaction to figure out how to take care of each other and comes into play. The need for high-quality thrive in their household and communities. social services and medical rehabilitative In recent years, according to data collected support that creatively and proactively address at the U.S. Census Bureau, population in the needs of the aging populations will only major cities increased. Besides the food, continue to grow, creating a greater demand culture, sports, and the night life is the overall for professionals with specialized knowledge, quality of life with better healthcare centers. and expertise in aging. The robots can come Having the ease and access to good healthcare help but humans will take the lead. practitioners is an essential part of good Thank you to the men and women who care health, good living. The practitioners enable for our loved ones every day. Let the wrinkle people to have the freedom of choice to be lines around the eyes encapsulate the light alone or be with an extended family. The other within them as we age joyously.

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August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017 — 13

Amid fears of nuclear war, a community still gathers for peace

By Taylor McAvoy IE Contributor More than a thousand people of diverse backgrounds stood in solemnity on Green lake’s northwestern shore, lanterns lighting each face in an orange glow.

The Toro Nagashi is a lantern floating ceremony to commemorate the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings 72 years ago. In the adaptation of the Japanese Buddhist ritual, the lanterns represent the souls of the dead as they float out to sea.

From Hiroshima to Hope has done the Toro Nagashi ceremony since 1984. It started in partnership with the Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility and now has 23 sponsoring organizations.

Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) was founded by physicians in Boston who realized prevention was the only treatment for nuclear tragedy. The organization’s branch in Washington (WPSR) co-founded from Hiroshima to Hope in 1984.

A large cluster of paper lanterns formed together off the dock and drifted out onto the lake. • Photo by Taylor McAvoy

Mary Hanson, a member of the planning much fear usually come with not knowing the committee overseeing the lanterns said truth.” participation and awareness of the event has Hoku hopes events like these lead people to grown from 300 attendees to more than one a deeper level of understanding and a sense of thousand. community despite language differences.

“Having a ceremony like this, not as a Calligraphy stations for the lanterns lined political statement but something of more the edges of the grass before the stage but not contemplative thinking where people could be moved to make changes,” Founding member only in Japanese. Sutinder Chawla and Joti and former chair of the planning committee Selchan wrote calligraphy in Punjabi.

Martha Brice said. “To remind us of the Block print artist Yoshiko Yamamoto said people who have died from conflict and to the multi-cultural event at Greenlake makes commit ourselves to nonviolent resolution of it unique. Yamamoto created her third block conflict on all levels of society.” print for the event Peace Forever depicting a The program began with Emcee Tomo Hoku. mother and daughter placing their lanterns in She said the Asian American community still the water. faces challenges of discrimination, anger, and Yamamoto said the inspiration for the fear. design struck her when one year at Hiroshima “We live in such a diverse community,” she to Hope, her daughter waded into the water said. So much anger, so much anxiety and so

with other young people from the community playing at every gathering since the to help guide the lanterns. Her two daughters beginning. volunteered ever since.

“I hope that someday we will not need to For Yamamoto, the ceremony is about have a memorial,” group leader Stan Shikuma creating an atmosphere of peace and inclusion. said. “Instead it will be a celebration that we “For me, it’s about creating a place where achieved nuclear disarmament and world we can all gather without being divided by peace.” politics,”

she said. “It’s about uniting people by our common need for peace and harmony.”

Brothers Senji Kanaeda and Gilberto Perez of the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist temple lead a blessing of the event as a part of their Peace Walk for a nuclear free future.

Following the performances, Keynote speaker Tom Ikeda, executive director of the Densho project documenting the stories of Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during World War II, took the stage. Ikeda spoke about hope that exists in each individual and has the capacity to change the world one community at a time.

“When I think about our country and what Singers and performances followed we are faced with today, my hope is that the including Seattle Kokon Taiko, a Japanese human spirit in each of us can rise above our drum performance group who has been own concerns and think about each other,” he said.

Brothers Senji Kanaeda and Gilberto Perez of the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist temple lead a blessing. • Photo Taylor McAvoy

Kaitlyn Avila chose harmony and happiness for her lantern. Her and her family are visiting from California and decided to attend. • Photo Taylor McAvoy

Volunteers help place the first few lanterns into the water at Greenlake. • Photo Taylor McAvoy

Seattle Kokon Taiko performs on stage. • Photo Taylor McAvoy

14 — August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017

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Films: Columbus, Adventurers, In This Corner of the World all land in Seattle

By Yayoi L. Winfrey IE Contributor In the film Columbus, the city where Jin (John Cho) travels to is actually located in Indiana and not Ohio as most would surmise. Leaving his home in Seoul, the Korean American arrives in town after his father collapses while giving a lecture.

Not particularly happy about being summoned from his translator job, Jin rents a room in a lavish but prim Victorian-style B&B in order to be near his hospitalized dad, an architecture scholar.

Bored and perturbed at having to play the role of the filial son, he wanders aimlessly until he meets an effervescent library assistant, Casey (Haley Lu Richardson), over a cigarette and architecture. Casey has a crush on a co-worker played by Rory Culkin, a distracting bit of casting because he looks so eerily like his brother, Macaulay.

While Jin is a 40-something professional, Casey is a recent high school grad caring for her recovering meth-addicted mother. The opposite of uptight Jin, Casey is generally carefree except when it comes to safeguarding her mother. Hovering, she agonizes over every phone call to her mom that goes unanswered while Jin hardly even visits his comatose dad. Jin even wishes his father would die sooner than later to spare him a trip back to Korea only to have to return to Columbus for funeral arrangements when he does finally pass away.

The waiting takes its toll on him, but Casey proves to be a good diversion. Her obsession with architecture begins to overtake Jin as he accompanies her on treks to view the town’s many wondrous structures. Who knew buildings could be so sexy? But while the two bond over their shared grief, each mourning their parent in their own way, they don’t quite connect.

Known for his video essays, Korean American director Kogonada genuinely portrays these two families in crises. He also puts John Cho’s nude buttocks on display, although that’s not as shocking as the sheer volume of cigarettes the two protagonists inhale in their pursuit of architectural delights.

‘Columbus’ opened August 11 at SIFF Cinema Uptown. *** Living up to its title, The Adventurers features Hong Kong “Cantopop” singer-actor Andy Lau as Zhang, a smooth criminal zigzagging his way across Europe in pursuit of a treasured necklace.

Newly released after serving five years in prison, Zhang should be steering clear of any trouble brewing on the horizon. But even with the French cop who put him away, tailing him; in fact, meeting him at the penitentiary gate with a ride offer, Zhang can’t wait to attempt his next heist.

Vaguely he wonders who ratted him out to the police, but otherwise he’s too busy planning an exploit with his partner-incrime, Po, played by hot Taiwanese actor Tony Yo-ning Yang. With his pouty lips and boyish good looks, Po is unbelievably clueless about women. So when Red Ye (Shu Qi) shows up slurping a lollipop and offering her help, he naturally stumbles

in an effort to seduce her. Po’s real talent, it turns out, is in operating gadgetry and hacking complex security systems. He even has a little device called Spidey that behaves like a robotic spider.

The prerequisite action scenes with car chases and car crashes are all there as is the violence, although it’s pretty subdued considering an early scene where someone’s unfortunate severed tongue is displayed in a jar.

From Prague to Kiev to Cannes, the thieving trio is inexplicably never at a loss for expensive props like helicopters that appear out of nowhere. While they have no visible benefactor, they never lack for arms or accoutrements, beautiful ball gowns or even a live prop dog for Red Ye. Directed by Stephen Fung (real-life husband of Shu Qi) the film is definitely adventurous. Oddly, Fung has the actors often speaking English which they do awkwardly. It’s especially noticeable with Zhang’s ex-fiancee, Amber (Jingchu Zhang), as she’s tasked with some of the most dramatic dialogue, often hesitating between words that should meld faster yet rushing where words should be isolated.

Interestingly, it’s the French actors who are most inept at expressing themselves in a foreign language.

‘The Adventurers’ screens August 18 at Regal Cinemas Meridian 16. *** Last November, a review of “In This Corner of the World” appeared in the International Examiner at goo.gl/Vsdizf.

At the time, there was no general release date. However, this incredible film will now screen in Seattle.

A beautifully hand-drawn animation, it showcases the brutal reality of war. Only 18 years old, Suzu is offered for marriage to the Hojo family who are in need of a bride for their son. There’s lots of work to be done on their farm near Hiroshima and Suzu would be suitable to assist with crop production as well as housekeeping. Even though she possesses incredible artistic abilities, and sketches in any spare moment she steals, Suzu is expected to cook, sew and clean like all women at the time.

Then, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor and Suzu’s life is changed forever. Her husband dons a uniform for the Imperial Navy and American bombs are dropped on their town.

But nothing prepares them for the final destruction of nearby Hiroshima.

Director Katabuchi Sunao painstakingly recreated the exact streets of that era from maps and the memories of some remaining elderly survivors. He was also careful to only include dishes that were eaten at that time in history. But beyond the authenticity and brilliant illustrations, the film is firmly focused on innocent civilians—those who are powerless in determining whether war is waged or not, suffering through the casualties of their friends and families, their own injuries, the daily rationing of basic foods, and just the weariness from never knowing when it’s going to be over, if ever.

‘In This Corner of the World’ screens August 18 at SIFF Cinema Uptown, Cinemark Lincoln Square, Regal Thornton Place.

August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017 — 15

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An extraordinary playscape: The Donnie Chin International Children’s Park

By Hazel Lozano IE Contributor Extraordinary Playscapes, a new exhibit at the Center for Architecture and Design (CfAD), shows how designers are engaging diverse communities to translate play objectives into meaningful, state-of-the-art environments. The Donnie Chin International Children’s Park is one of 30 parks highlighted, including parks from the Pacific Northwest and around the world.

Joey Ing, the architect who first designed the park, didn’t originally plan to include a dragon in the park. His design incorporated the yin-yang symbol and an umbrella with glowing LED lights to shade parkgoers. But Ing left the design of the centerpiece up to Gerry Tsutakawa, who at the time was just beginning to follow in the footsteps of his father, sculptor George Tsutakawa.

In the late ’70s, CID community leaders Bob Santos, Donnie Chin, and others approached the Seattle Parks Department about creating a park for children in the neighborhood. They were looking at a former parking lot at the corner of 7th Avenue South and South Lane Street which was donated to the Parks Department (SPD), possibly by Dennis and Millie Su, according to information from the SPD. From 1980 to 1981, Ing’s park design was finished and opened to the public. It featured a mountain with bridge, walls shielding the park from the street, Gerry Tsutakawa’s inviting dragon, Ing’s glowing umbrella, and bamboo to obscure the bright bubble-gum pink building next door. It became a fixture of the neighborhood, and won Ing an environmental award from King County.

INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S PARK, 2007-2016

This 0.2-acre parcel is often overlooked by tourists and even most Seattleites, as it’s just off the main drag in the CID. Those casually strolling through the neighborhood might miss it, but the park, which was renamed in 2016 to honor Donnie Chin’s activism and devotion to the neighborhood children, is itself a foundation for community in the CID. But the park has yet another name: it was affectionately called “Dragon Park” by the now-big kids who grew up with it.

One such big kid is Liana Woo, who built many childhood memories in Dragon Park.

When Woo moved to the CID as an adult, she was dismayed to find that the International Children’s Park of her childhood had fallen into disrepair, and was often host to drug deals. Woo made it her mission to revitalize the park for future generations. She soon met Stella Chao, then Executive Director of the International District Housing Association, who connected Woo to Joyce Pisnanont, who worked at the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda) and the Wilderness Inner-City Leadership Development (WILD) Program, a youth-mentorship program.

In 2007, Woo and Pisnanont formed the Friends of International Children’s Park (FICP) and co-chaired a steering committee staffed with representatives from the different ethnic groups that live in and utilize the International District. They proposed a ren-

Donnie Chin International Children’s Park

ovation of Dragon Park to “bring the children back to Children’s Park,” and brought in Jeff Hou, a UW architecture professor, who worked with the WILD program to mentor youth in design processes. With grant money from the City and community fundraising, the group began what would become a five-year community engagement in park design.

Hou and the WILD youth held multiple design-preference sessions with community groups from Legacy House senior housing, Denise Louie Education Center, Donnie Chin, members of the neighborhood at-large including Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Filipino, Latino, and Ethiopian community members, and Ing, who was very welcoming and supportive of the redesign. “I was hoping that it would turn out to be very successful,” Ing said.

Hou’s team used visual surveys and translators to bridge the language gap, and soon found clear priorities: Kids wanted to play, teens wanted a place to take their date, and adults wanted … a place to take their date.

In 2008, Karen Kiest was hired on to make the redesign a reality. Kiest and her team wanted to honor Ing’s original design, while incorporating the desires expressed by the community. “This is the best project we’ve ever done with community, and it wasn’t because we’re really good at engaging with the community—the community was really engaged,” said Kiest of the process. “And so they had regular meetings that had things that were fun. A lot of them happened in the park.”

The park, opened in 2012, is divided into several stages, each offering an entirely different space for parkgoers: a playset for kids, boulders shaded by trees, an accessible ramp circling the park, a walkway that’s open to the street, three new pieces of playful art by Stuart Nakamura, the umbrella, and of course the beloved dragon sculpture, revived by Gerry Tsutakawa. A keen eye might even spot a subtle reimagining of the yin-yang symbol that was originally central in the park.

MORE ABOUT EXTRAORDINARY PLAYSCAPES AND CFAD

The Center for Architecture and Design (CfAD) is a one-year-old Pioneer Square venue formed by the partnership of the Seattle Architecture Foundation, American Institute of Architects (AIA) Seattle, Design & Public, and AIA Washington. According to Molly Michals, head of public relations at the Center, the CfAD aims to educate the public on the importance of design as an art form, and to engage the public in conversations about design and architecture in Seattle.

“Design shouldn’t be something that happens in an exclusive environment, behind closed doors with a group of experts,” said Lisa Richmond, Executive Director of AIA Seattle and founder of Design & Public.

“Design is something that should be happening collaboratively with people who are experts of their own lived experience participating in that process.”

The exhibit originally premiered at AIA Boston and was brought here by the Seattle chapter of AIA. Vinita Sidhu led a six-person curatorial team in moving the Boston exhibit here, editing, and expanding it to include parks in the Pacific Northwest and around the world. There are 13 international examples on display, plus 10 Pacific Northwest parks, totaling almost 30 parks from around the world. The exhibit also includes a “History of Play” timeline that takes the viewer from the first German kindergarten to the contemporary designs, which address a need to get kids outside and moving. The Center also invited local artists to create a few playful pieces of art that both adults and kids can interact with.

According to Sidhu and Michals, the Seattle team sought parks that exhibited a unique response to play, sustainability, and nature. Sidhu described the 10 chosen Pacific Northwest parks as having strong elements of “nature play”: natural features like native vegetation, rocks and water were incorporated into the designs, encouraging kids to create individualized experiences in the park.

The Donnie Chin International Children’s Park stood out to the team because of these elements and its deeply community-focused design process, which incorporated the full spectrum of age groups in the International District, from the Denise Louie daycare center to the seniors at nearby Legacy House.

How many people does it take to make a multi-functional park that can serve multiple generations of family members, across multiple language barriers? An entire neighborhood of CID citizen advocates, Seattle designers and architects came together to answer that question from 2007 to 2012.

When the Donnie Chin International Children’s Park re-opened in 2012, it was clear that the time was well spent.

On any given day, you might see a city employee enjoying their solitary lunch under Ing’s (non-glowing) umbrella, a barbecue potluck, musicians performing, seniors taking a stroll, grandparents eating lunch while their grandkids play in the play area, or kids from nearby. “They can have a slide, things that they can climb on. This is the only children’s park they can walk to,” said Abby Lin, after-school and summer program coordinator at the Chinese Information Service Center a block away.

Thanks to its friends and neighbors, the children are back at the Children’s Park.

Extraordinary Playscapes runs through September 2 at the Center for Architecture and Design at 1010 Western Avenue. More info can be found here: https://cfadseattle. org/aia-seattle/extraordinary-playscapes.

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August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017 — 17

Gook tells the complex story of the L.A. Riots from a Korean American perspective

By Aya Bisbee IE Contributor

to take things for granted, and I knew how hard it was out there.

Justin Chon’s Sundance award-winning film, Gook, is set during the 1992 Los Angeles Riots and looking back twenty-five years later, it is still extremely relevant. Gook is inspired by the experience of Chon’s family during the riots and is presented from a Korean American perspective, one which Chon felt was underrepresented and important to put forth.

On April 29, 1992, four officers who had been captured on video brutally beating Rodney King, an African American man, were acquitted. Following the shocking verdict, civil unrest erupted in the South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles, a predominantly African American community.

Over the course of five days, businesses were looted, buildings went up in flames, and violence was committed against people.

Unrest was motivated by growing outrage over the police force’s brutality and racist practices in the community, and by other forms of racial and economic oppression. Tensions also existed between African Americans and Koreans, particularly Korean store owners in the South Central neighborhood.

AB: The film was heavily inspired by your own family’s experience during the riots. Could you talk more about your experience? What was your childhood like? After the riots, how did your life and perspective change?

The film centers around two Korean American brothers, Eli (Chon) and Daniel (David So), who run a shoe store in South Central, L.A. Kamilla, a young African American girl, becomes friends with the brothers and spends time at the shoe store despite the opposition of her older brother, Keith (Curtiss Cook Jr.). Throughout the film, Kamilla’s innocence and sincerity allow her to form interracial bonds between communities with strained relationships. Kamilla, played by emerging actress Simone Baker, expresses a hope for harmony and love to prevail.

Through intimate moments between characters, Gook captures the complexities of the time and explores tensions in relationships between friends, family, and neighbors. The film encourages us to think about the United States today and how we have and have not progressed. Following a screening of the film, Chon emphasized the need for social change and the importance of listening to one another.

Justin Chon’s film has the power to open up difficult and powerful dialogues. As the film portrays complex and relatable characters each struggling to survive, it contributes a necessary human side to events which many young people, including myself, have only read about. Gook is a profound film worth seeing and will be returning to Seattle in Regal Cinemas this August 2017.

JC: Kids are resilient and I think I was the same. I just had a great time growing up and I had a good childhood. But I don’t think you can really process it the way an adult does. The thoughts that run through your mind aren’t the things that adults think about. It’s more like does this mean I have to move schools or does this mean I have to make new friends or what does this mean? But as a kid, it was eye-opening. And after the riots, going into my dad’s business, one time I found in his drawer there was a gun. But as a kid, I think it’s different from experiencing it and someone looking from the outside. They’re like “oh wow, that’s so traumatizing”. And for me, you just move on, you just keep moving. But then as an adult, you look at the event and you process it differently and you think about it very differently. I think that’s why I made the film.

AB: When did you begin to think you wanted to make this film?

JC: I had been bouncing the idea around for a few years and our producing partner kept pushing me to make it. But then ultimately, I heard that these other L.A. riots films were being made and I thought that was great, but I got ahold of some of the scripts and I didn’t feel like the Korean side of the story was accurately portrayed, or not just accurate, just like represented in a way that I thought was the way I saw it. It was out of necessity. I’m excited to see those films as well. I truly, deeply respect those filmmakers, but I think it’s just different perspectives on the event. I think it’s important that everybody -- that there can be a Korean side to it, an African-American side to it, you know. It’s just being part of the conversation.

AB: Unconventional families play a large part in the film. What is the significance of this concept for you? Why are these relationships something that was important for you to portray in your film?

JC: Because it’s just the way I see America.

While Chon was in town for the Seattle International Film Festival, I got a chance to I think America is so diverse, in major cities sit down with him to learn more about the at least -- not so much everywhere. And I just wanted to represent what my outlook on how film. the United States is. And I just love stories Aya Bisbee: Could you talk a bit about about families, I love stories about friendyour inspiration for making this film? ship. There’s universal things that everyone Justin Chon: I was eleven when the can relate to and connect with. Making film riots happened. My dad had a business in for me is about making people have conversaParamount and we got looted the fourth tions afterwards. And people think it was an day. It was something that we, my family, unorthodox pairing, but my answer to that is dealt with and it was an interesting time just take a look at this film and it’s not weird at -- interesting dynamic for me because we all. It’s actually quite natural and those are the lived in the suburbs, but my dad would reasons I wanted to center around this unconcome in everyday because he wanted us, ventional family dynamic. me and my sister, to go to good public AB: What was it like to have your father schools. So it was kind of a weird time in the film? Did that start conversations for because nobody else was going through you? what I was going through, so I felt very JC: My dad’s old school and he was very alone during the event. But I think it helped me to be less sheltered and more confused why I wanted to make a film about well-rounded as a child because I tried not the riots because he just felt like it was a trau-

matic part of our history. He didn’t understand why you’d want to revisit that. But my dad was an actor in Korea. He acted from when he was ten to about twenty-five, so it was an opportunity for me to work on that level, as artists. And it was really cool to see how he approached the work. He’s very much an actor. He asked the right questions, and had concerns about the right things. That’s something that no one can take away from me, is some of the scenes that we shot in the film.

AB: In the process of making this film, how did you learn and grow? What do you take away from the process?

JC: I think for growth, it’s just a continuous thing. I don’t think you ever get there, so it’s just part of the journey in my artistic endeavors as a creator. It’s very empowering to know that I can make something outside of just being an actor because that’s my first love, acting. And you know, it’s just encouraging that I can make something from nothing, and make it be impactful, and say something, and contribute to the Asian-American narrative.

AB: What have the responses to the film been so far? What discussions has the film been sparking?

JC: We premiered at Sundance and it’s gotten a great response and we won the Audience Award. We also screened at my hometown festival, the L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival, and that’s always been sort of like home base for me.

It was really well received and that was really encouraging as well. The conversations that it has started is like where are we now? It’s been 25 years. This is kind of a good milestone to see how we’ve progressed, but also to point out the things that we haven’t progressed in and talk about race and conflict that exists now. It’s just a good way to start all sorts of different conversations. And I hope that in the film, that’s what people take away, is that there’s a lot of different things to talk about. It’s not just racial conflict, it’s also intergenerational, it’s also police brutality, it’s also family dynamics, the way we sort of look at the diversity of the United States. I hope that people can find a lot of different things to talk about.

AB: The character of Kamilla, played by Simone Baker, in the film presents a sense of innocence and hope for interracial relationships and solidarity. Where do you see hope for solidarity and social change in the world we live in today? Can the arts (film, music, performing arts, etc.) be a platform for communities to come together, to dialogue, to heal?

JC: I think that’s the power of film is that it can mean different things to different people.

In the bigger arena of art, in general, whether it be music or paintings or whatever, it’s supposed to reflect or say something that someone wants to say. Whatever it’s about, adolescence or dying or death, or whether it’s about romantic relationships, I think that’s the power of art. You can express in many different ways and it’s important. Because the first thing people do -- used to do a long time ago is when they wanted to take control of a society, they’d burn all the books and destroy the paintings. If they want to demolish someone’s history, they destroy their art and I think there’s a reason.

Because it’s powerful and it gives hope and if

there’s any chance for hope, I think art can do that for people.

AB: Talk about your own transformation and our communities. What have you seen?

Can you tell our readers what changes you have seen/experienced since the riots?

JC: I’m not exactly like a scholar or an academic. I think there’s people who can really talk about this stuff and I’ve been on panels with them and they have vast knowledge about like race relations. But I mean in terms of Black and Korean, the tension that existed back then no longer exists in these neighborhoods. It was a rough time because a lot of these Korean people came into these neighborhoods and made money because Ralph’s and bigger chains didn’t want to come into the hood. They didn’t know that they -- there was no liaison really to tell them you need to assimilate, you need to be a part of the community, you can’t just make money and leave.

But a lot of that has changed. I think in terms of police brutality it’s gotten worse. Our police force is just so militarized and the amount of force, the type of force that’s used. But it’s hard to say. I don’t know. I’ve never walked a mile in a police officer’s shoes, but from what I see, whatever we’re doing now, I don’t know if it’s working. It’s just -- that’s why my movie exists is for people to talk about it. I don’t know what the answer is. I have no answers. It’s more for people to discuss and maybe the film reaches the right people to cause them to take action.

I don’t think that’s my fight, to fight that fight.

It’s more of like to start the conversation, but in terms of progression I feel like it’s progressed a lot in terms of accepting -- at least people are talking about these things. When there’s whitewashing happening or when there’s hate crimes, like gay hate crimes, at least it’s on the news now. Before, it was like an afterthought.

So in that way, I think we’ve progressed.

AB: Looking forward for you, what else would you like to do with this film or what other projects are you hoping to work on?

JC: I’m writing something right now with this guy, Sal Paskowitz who wrote Age of Adaline. I’m doing a book adaptation right now, called Counting by 7s, that I’m really excited about. I just want to continue to make films from my lens, and make diverse films. It doesn’t necessarily have to be Asian-American, but I think no matter what I make, it’ll go through my instrument, my system, so it’ll be through my perspective. But I hope to also continue to make Asian American films as well.

And also I’m acting in an ABC show called Deception. We start shooting in September, but I think it’ll be mid-season show, so look out for Deception. And [Gook] comes out August 18th in Arclight Hollywood, and then it’ll expand out to Regal Cinemas in major cities.

It’ll be in Seattle August 25th, so I think it’d be really awesome if people… You know, that’s the other thing I want to say, because this is an Asian publication, right? I think it’s important to point out problems, but I also think it’s important to support the people who are trying to do something about it. If you want Hollywood to represent you, you have to show that financially, it’s a worthwhile endeavor. When films made by Asian-American filmmakers about Asian Americans come out, we really need to vote with our dollars and our wallets because that’ll show Hollywood that we have buying power and we’re interested in seeing stories about Asian Americans or Asians, in general. So I think it’s really important that people come out, not because it’s my film, but because it’s a good message to Hollywood that it’s important.

18 — August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

ARTS

Seattle Center’s Terracotta Warriors exhibit is sure to impress children and adults alike

By Maisy Chan IE Contributor The Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor are a national treasure in China. A selection of the warriors are on display at the Pacific Science Center at Seattle Center. It’s an exhibit that’s sure to impress adults and children alike.

The Terracotta Warriors are an army of clay figures entombed in a gigantic archeological site associated with the First Emperor of the First Imperial Dynasty in Chinese history.

The imperial tomb and the terracotta warriors are as revered in China as the Great Wall in Beijing and the boat ride through the Colorful Caves in Guilin, China. The warriors rest at an archeological site in the city of X’ian in Shaanxi Province in central China.

An IMAX film accompanies the exhibit of the warriors and artifacts of tools and archery and charioteering. The film “Mysteries of China” puts forth the story and history of this exhibit to the audience.

The tomb of the terracotta clay warriors was first discovered in 1974 by farmers digging a well. They uncovered a piece of the site and took the remnant to a museum. Ensuing efforts concluded that the pieces they found dated back to over 2,000 years in history. Through ongoing excavation efforts and

The Terracotta Warriors exhibit is on display through September 4, 2017. • Photo courtesy of the Pacific Science Center

research through scholarship of historical records, they dated the tomb of soldiers and other artifacts to the Qin Dynasty.

The Qin Dynasty is credited as the first time China was unified, establishing the foundation for today’s modern China. Before the ruling figure—Shi Huang of Qin—China in the third century B.C. E. was a collection of warring factions of disparate imperial rul-

ers. But Shi Huang excelled in war strategies and innovations, dominated his enemies, and founded the first Imperial Dynasty of China, the Qin Dynasty. He was then renamed as Qin Shihuangdi, meaning the First Emperor of Qin. After the IMAX movie, the audience tours the core of the exhibit, which consists of real Terracotta Warriors from the archeological site in X’ian. Aside from the clay soldiers, there are artifacts entombed along with the clay army.

It’s a fascinating experience seeing these soldiers. For one thing, no two of the soldiers’ faces are exactly alike. The comportment and facial expressions of each of the approximately 6,000 Terracotta Warriors are ‘unique’.

And the extent of this site almost appears immeasurable. There are about ten ‘pits’ in the whole archeological site. The Terracotta Warriors is only one pit among the ten.

To date, the tomb of Qin Shihuangdi proper remains untouched, perhaps waiting for the technology and science capable of uncovering his tomb without destroying it in the excavation process.

Besides the history, the exhibit takes effort to elucidate the science behind these clay warriors. It is hypothesized that these soldiers were originally painted with colors. But as time went on and in excavation, the colors

faded away. The colors on the soldiers, and on the artifacts such as common vessels, are made colorful with chemicals. For instance, barium copper silicate painted on clay yields the color purple, “Han Purple”. Another example is Shihuangdi’s personal characteristics. It is legend that he sought elixirs throughout the kingdom for immortality. And in the meanwhile until he found the magic potion, he ingested mercury regularly. Legend has it that he died from mercury poisoning in 210 B.C. Archaeologists and historians studying this site with historical records offer a view of Shihuangdi’s tomb filled with jewels and gold, elixirs and rivers of mercury. In his legacy, he was able to unify the country and standardize the currency, weight and measurement systems and a establish a writing system for an early China.

The ‘mystery’ of this tomb is that after Shihuangdi was buried, the tomb lay unknown for centuries until 1974.

The exhibit gears itself towards children’s fascination with the history and the science of the Terracotta Warriors, who come from another time and another culture. Children visiting might also take in the Planetarium shows and the Laser Dome.

The Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor is on exhibit April 8 to September 4, 2017 at the Pacific Science Center at Seattle Center.

Photographer Bruce Tom focuses his camera on the unique moments in dance performances

By Roxanne Ray IE Contributor Photography is both a passion and a profession for Bruce Tom, who specializes in both dance photography and photojournalism for the arts community.

While both of these photographic practices involve capturing images with a camera, Tom has found that, depending on what he’s shooting, the work can be strikingly different in purpose and satisfaction. “I’m certain that every photographer’s experience is unique,” he said, “but my challenge has always been maintaining that separation between what I do for my soul and what I do for money.”

Tom’s interest in photography stems from family tradition. “My father was a bit of shutterbug in my childhood,” he said. “I shot my first photograph on his camera when I was age five.”

When he turned ten, Tom decided he wanted a camera of his own. “I had spotted a camera promotion on the back of a cereal box, the kind where you send in a couple of cereal box tops as proof of purchase and two dollars, and they send you a camera,” he said. “My Kodak Hawkeye Pocket Instamatic arrived, and I went straight to work.”

Photography became a way for Tom to engage in social connection while also developing independence. “I soon discovered that I could make my friends laugh, and simultaneously annoy my family with my photography,” he said. “My family was pretty conservative, and my photography was something that couldn’t be controlled. There was something empowering about this.”

Developing a career in photography hasn’t always felt empowering to Tom, though. “I even once applied for a position as one of those

photographers who stood at the finish line at a horse race in the event of a disputed finish,” he said. “I even photographed Barbie dolls for Barbie collectors.”

Such jobs may pay the bills, but Tom recognizes other value in creating photographic images. “Getting paid is still a challenge to this day, but it’s pretty clear to me now what I truly enjoy and feel passionately about, and what I should not do for the sake of money,” he said. “I am aware that this is a privilege to be able to continue working as a photographer, surround myself with people who I love and admire, to witness and experience things that most people don’t get to see, and learn something new every day.”

It is these sentiments, along with an appreciation of music, that led Tom to dance photography. “I finished art school in San Francisco, and moved to Seattle in the 90s just as the music scene was taking off,” Tom said. “I found myself freelancing doing both live music photography and album cover design for a local record company called Loosegroove.”

This opportunity opened a number of doors for Tom. “Much of the music was punkinspired, and the music dictated my style of photography that at the time was fast, uncontrolled and wild,” he said. “I was told by many of my friends that I seemed to have a knack for capturing fast, live action.”

And this led Tom to dance photography, first for the local performance group Degenerate Art Ensemble. “One of DAE’s performers, Crow Nishimura, is a trained butoh dancer, and her style of dance can be best described as weirdly ethereal, hypnotic, and then suddenly explosive,” Tom said. “Her movement still represents a serious challenge for me to capture requiring baseball-batter-like reflexes and the stamina of a ninja.”

From Cafe Nordo’s To Savor Tomorrow(2016).

From left to right are actors Alyssa Norling as Joyce, Sara Porkalob as Jiang Ping, and Heather Refvem as Linda. • Photo by Bruce Tom

These physical skills are the foundation for the photographer’s eye. “Beyond quick reflexes, I believe [some] of the challenges of dance photography are being true to the artist’s vision,” Tom said. “The photos should never look less than the piece, but should also try and capture moments that the performers often don’t realize themselves.”

Rather than an outsider to these performances, Tom feels his role is integral to illuminating the work. “I tend to see the camera

as performing with a dancer or as a partner rather than as an intrusive spectator,” Tom said. “Each performer brings their own unique set of challenges, and it’s important to discover, even if they don’t know it themselves, what are the characteristics that make them unique.”

This process of illumination has also been a means of discovery. “It made me realize that butoh dance can require much more concentration and thoughtfulness than your average modern-dance piece,” he said.

This interiority of the butoh dancer evokes an unusual physicalization on stage. “Butoh dance can be unflinchingly grotesque and absurd,” Tom said. “It’s not choreography, but a set of evolving imagery that isn’t followed by waded through as one moves through a dream or psychedelic experience. These are worlds within worlds to me: macroscopic to microscopic.”

But Tom’s interest in these inner worlds of dance doesn’t exclude a concern for the larger world stage, and his photojournalism doesn’t shy away from politics. “I’m primarily concerned with social justice these days,” he said.

“I’ve been photographing marches and protests, and standing with people who I feel that President Donald Trump is unfairly targeting, people with hopes and dreams, and willing to bravely voice their opposition.”

Combining art and politics is Tom’s favored way of serving multiple audiences and constituencies. “As Trump attempts to wear down the First Amendment by befuddling the press with lies, it becomes even more critical for artists to express their dissent, and encourage the truth to rise above all the misinformation,” he said. “I hope that my documentation will serve to remind people of their humanity.”

ARTS

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017 — 19

Documentary reveals that the forcible harvesting of organs from prisoners of conscience in China is ongoing

By Misa Shikuma IE Contributor For many Americans, having the tiny red heart on our driver’s license designating us organ donors is no big deal. Though the wait lists are notoriously long, we have a system in place that attempts to match the patients with the greatest need with organs from the recently deceased. But, what if instead of months and years, patients could be guaranteed a new organ within a week? The catch is that the organ was forcibly taken, and the operation essentially an execution for the so-called donor. As much as it may sound like the premise of a B-grade film, for persecuted practitioners of Falun Gong and other prisoners of conscience in China, it’s a reality.

Documentarian Leon Lee earned a Peabody Award for his 2014 film Human Harvest, which shed light on China’s billion-dollar organ transplantation industry and the human rights abuses that maintain it. With significant input from Canadian Nobel Peace Prize nominees David Kilgour, activist and former MP, and human rights attorney David Matas, the documentary scrutinizes the issue from all angles. Sources used in the film range from Taiwanese patients who traveled to mainland China and unwittingly paid for illegally harvested organs and the wife of a doctor who for years performed such ‘pillaging’ operations, to activists and clips from state-sponsored news broadcasts.

Less a religion than a spiritually-guided lifestyle that promotes healthy living, meditation and gentle exercises, Falun

tissue compatibility; the math and statistics are explained further in the documentary but suffice it to say that the numbers didn’t add up). Kilgour and Matas launched an independent investigation, uncovering the horrors that persist to this day.

Human Harvest (2014), directed by Leon Lee

Gong first came to prominence in early 1992. With the state healthcare system in shambles, the government first welcomed the movement because of the potential benefits it could offer citizens, for example by promoting abstinence from alcohol and tobacco. However, when popularity spiked dramatically—threatening, in the government’s eyes, the Communist Party in power—officials began cracking down on Falun Gong practitioners. In 1999, riots erupted in earnest, with practitioners being arrested and beaten in the streets.

Not long after the Chinese government’s push to eradicate Falun Gong, the number of transplantations nationwide skyrocketed, jumping from around 3,000 in 1997 to over 12,000 in 2004, with waiting times of one to four weeks advertised on hospital websites.

This seemingly incredible feat by a nation that, at the time, lacked a national donor registry system, drew suspicion from the international community. (Successful transplants rely not only on blood type compatibility but also

The Chinese government was less than helpful in participating with the Canadian team; thanks to previous experience they knew that any official or organized visits would be useless because officials would be sure to stage the scene. Instead, Kilgour and Matas gathered a team of Mandarin speakers and called transplant centers around the country posing as potential patients. Suspiciously short wait times quoted over the phone were consistent with those posted online, and when pressed, some hospital staff confirmed that organs did come from Falun Gong practitioners.

Further confirmation exists in the testimony of individuals who were a part of the system before fleeing the country. In the film, the ex-wife of a neurosurgeon recalls the inner turmoil he experienced being paid a handsome salary to harvest corneas from Falun Gong practitioners and incinerate the bodies afterward. A former guard at a military hospital is still haunted by the time he was present in the operating room when a female practitioner, already raped and violated while incarcerated, died on the table. The surgery to harvest her organs was her execution, and no anesthesia was administered. Her last words, despite the agony and inhumanity she experienced, were “Falun Gong is good.”

Present at a recent screening of Human Harvest at Stanford University, Falun Gong

practitioner David Bu recalls serving time in a labor camp near Beijing, where he and other so-called prisoners of conscience were blood typed and closely monitored because, as Kilgour and Matas discovered, persecuted individuals comprise the live organ bank upon which China’s transplantation industry thrives. Falun Gong practitioners are considered the most desirable “donors” because of their healthy lifestyles.

Since the release of Kilgour and Matas’ initial report in 2006, global awareness of this severe civil rights violation has increased, and other nations are beginning to take actions against it. Israel and Spain, for example, have since outlawed organ transplant tourism, punishing those who go to China for that purpose. And yet, the practice of forced organ harvesting persists, primarily targeting Falun Gong practitioners but also Uyghurs, Tibetans and House Christians.

Last year, Kilgour and Matas collaborated with investigative writer Ethan Gutmann to produce an updated report, stating that the Communist Party, state institutions, the health system, hospitals and professionals are all complicit in the crime of organ pillaging. China, deflective as always, has offered little to no transparency as far as their transplant community and industry are concerned. But, as an emerging global superpower with a reputation to uphold, the time seems ripe for others, including the United States, to increase the pressure to halt this practice for good.

Shannon Koyano wants to make her city a destination for comedy

By Roxanne Ray IE Contributor Shannon Koyano does it all. She’s a single mother who works by day and graces comedy stages by night.

Comedy has been a lifelong passion for Koyano. “I’ve always loved comedy movies and watching SNL and other sketch shows when I was growing up,” she said. “I thought stand-up was boring as a kid until I saw Richard Pryor’s stand-up on TV in the eighth grade.”

Since then, Koyano has found inspiration from a wide range of comedy. “I’m inspired by web series that have been made into sitcoms like Broad City and Awkward Black Girl,” she said. “I also love blockbuster stars like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Melissa McCarthy.”

But she didn’t get to the stage overnight.

“I’d secretly wanted to do comedy for almost eight years before starting. I love making people laugh!” Koyano said. “But I had terrible stage fright.”

So she started small. “I was a co-producer alongside Morgan Dusatko, on a podcast called Morgan’s Martini Hour,” Koyano said.

“It was a relationship advice variety show and much of our banter was comedic.”

This gave Koyano the confidence to take the next step. “Doing the podcast helped ease my nervousness when speaking into a microphone,” she said. “I finally went to an open mic with a friend of mine who also wanted to try it.”

Still, the transition from duo to solo comedian wasn’t easy. “It seemed absolutely terrifying and I still don’t know how I actually ever got up on that stage the first time,” she said. “But I did it and got laughs and immediately became addicted.”

This caliber of production has brought the Odd Babes team numerous challenges, Koyano reports. “Difficulties in producing are wide and varied!” she said. “Booking the people we want. Trying to promote it. Making sure we sell a lot of tickets. Making sure our audience has a great time and keeps coming back. Paying for everything.”

That was four and half years ago, and since then, Koyano has had no trouble finding material for her shows. “My most memorable stand-up bits have always been about my real life,” she said, “jokes about my father born in an internment camp, jokes about my kids doing crazy things, my relationship with my boyfriend Andy Miller who also does standup.”

Koyano also got over her shyness and has enjoyed her interactions with her spectators. “I don’t often interact with the audience while I’m on stage, but I’ve had many wild interactions after performing,” she said. “People wanting pictures with me, asking me out. Recently a hair stylist asked me to be a hair model after seeing me do stand-up, and I totally took her up on it and made a friend!”

Along the way, Koyano has worked to balance her comedy with her other responsibilities. “My life is one big challenge!” she said.

“Finding time to do stand-up while working and being a single mom is very difficult.”

Luckily, Koyano can draw on the support of her family. “I often have to make hard choices.

Sometimes I have to sacrifice time with my children to do this,” she said. “But my mother once told me not to give up on my dream to do stand-up, because one day my children will look up to me as a source of inspiration when it comes to following your dreams.”

Seattle stand-up comic Shannon Koyano performing in 2015 • Photo courtesy of Shannon Koyano Comedy, Youtube

In return, Koyano works to return that support to other emerging comics in Seattle.

“Danielle K.L. Gregoire approached me almost a year ago to be a producer of a thoughtful hate-free comedy show,” she said.

“She didn’t have a name or date set. She just knew what kind of show she wanted and that it should be at The Royal Room in Columbia City, Seattle.”

It didn’t take long for this trio to develop a working plan. “Danielle, Aisha Farhoud, and I came together to create what is now Odd Babes Productions,” she said, “with the focus on bringing queer, trans, people of color, women, and allies to the stage who deserve to be on a quality show that pays them well and helps boost their career locally and give this kind of comedy to this city that craves it.”

But Koyano credits her fellow producers and says that all the work and stress is worth it. “I want Seattle to be a big draw in terms of both being successful at stand-up and also for building a huge appetite for it audiencewise,” Koyano said. “I want Seattle to be a destination city when it comes to pursuing stand-up comedy. I don’t want people to feel they need to move to NY or LA to ‘make it.’”

Seattle won’t be Koyano’s last stop, though.

“I want to travel more and do stand-up all over the country,” she said. “I want to do television and web shows.”

And she wants to give back to the next generation. “I want to develop a program to give teens access to learning how to do sketch and stand-up,” she said. “I love teaching and I love working with kids.”

This is because she sees comedy not as frivolous fun, but rather, as critical for healthy living. “Making people laugh is therapeutic,” she said. “It is what makes strangers into friends. It brings us together. Laughter is medicinal!”

In short, Koyano’s vision of stand-up comedy is nothing but expansive. “It’s in my blood,” she said. “There’s no stopping me now!”

20 — August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017

ARTS

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

In an era of hot-headed leaders, Japanese film collective offers up anti-war movies NOddIN and their work. I think that each member has his/her own unique story to tell about how they became a member. NOddIN has put together exhibits, screenings, and talks for the past several years and those activities have united us from time to time while each member has been active in their own artistic and political work.

By Yayoi L. Winfrey IE Contributor As angry words are used like weapons by today’s leaders of countries possessing nuclear arsenals, cooler heads will prevail at Northwest Film Forum on August 18. On that night, the venue will host a screening featuring a dozen anti-war movies made by the Japanbased film collective, NOddIN. Besides watching films, the audience will also be treated to a Q&A with visiting artists, followed by a sushi and sake reception.

Seattle resident Etsuko Ichikawa moved from Tokyo in 1993 to attend Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood. A member of NOddIN, she talks, below, about her own work and the collective’s purpose.

Yayoi L. Winfrey: How did you came up with the name NOddIN? Etsuko Ichikawa: NOddIN is NIPPON, which means Japan, flipped upside down. It is our intent to look at Japan with a changed mindset, and it is our commitment to change our way of seeing and making films as filmmakers.

This directly relates to the values shift that we experienced after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011.

YW: Do you consider yourself an activist?

EI: Yes, I do. I don’t see myself as an activist who campaigns or raises a voice on every imminent social problem;

YW: What is the common cause among those in your group?

Photo courtesy of NOddIN

however, I act upon some issues that concern me deeply and try to convey my messages through my art. This practice has been reflected in my artwork, socially engaged projects and films.

YW: How many filmmakers are members of the collective?

EI: We currently have 28 claimed members and half of these are filmmakers. The other members are a collection of creative professionals; including film producers, art directors, copywriters, artists and actors.

EI: I’d like to share NOddIN’s philosophy as the answer to this question: en.noddin.jp/philosophy.

YW: You started out as a visual artist. How important do you think that experience was in shaping you as a filmmaker?

EI: It’s extremely important and, in fact, I can’t think of visual art and film separately as they are intertwined in my

YW: How did you all find out about each other and organize yourselves?

EI: I believe that we have found each other by expressing our concerns over nuclear issues after the Fukushima disaster. In my case, one of the members reached out to me after seeing my film “Echo at Satsop” and invited me to join. I was thrilled to learn about

Photo courtesy of NOddIN

Photo courtesy of NOddIN

creative approach. I see filmmaking as one of the most powerful and versatile tools for visual storytelling.

YW: What do you hope the audience takes away from watching your short film Echo at Satsop?

EI: In general, I would like to leave a lot of space for anyone who encounters my work to just feel it. With “Echo at Satsop”, there are no spoken words in the film but an incredible echo was captured.

It would be wonderful if viewers could sense something unspoken/intangible that resonates in each one of us. I made “Echo at Satsop” out of necessity for healing and prayer. Through capturing dripping water and decaying sound, I wanted to connect Washington/ America and Fukushima/Japan as we are all connected by wave/wavelength.

Catch NOddIN at Northwest Film Forum on August 18 at 7:00 p.m.

ARTS

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017 — 21

Walking the art aisles—a stroll through Seattle Art Fair

By Kazuko Nakane IE Contributor

Even though I’ve been writing about art for years, I still remember what the late Nisei painter, Frank Okada told me. He said he became a painter because he believed the world of art is fair, judged solely by quality, regardless of race. One look at the recent sky-rocketing monetary value of artwork today makes me wonder if what he said can survive.

Thanks to Paul Allen and others, Seattle has caught up with the global art scene since 2015. In recent years, the art market has become prosperous, and a calendar can be filled with International Art Fairs happening in major cities year-round in the U.S. and around the world. Unlike venues such as the Venice Biennale or Documenta of Kassel, which bill themselves as presenters of art that is not for sale, the Art Fair is the dealers’ commercial venue. Seattle Art Fair includes many local galleries and galleries from other cities, as well as galleries from the Pacific Rim, Canada, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, and a few from Europe. Among these nearly 100 galleries, the quality of the art is extremely variable. Overall, the fair has kept up a good standard thanks to local galleries, as well as major galleries from New York and beyond, which bring museum-quality works of art.

Running an art gallery is a risky business, but Allan Stone Projects in New York has survived since 1960. The original owner, Allen Stone, used to help stretch canvases for one of his painters, Kazuko Inoue, who came to New York in the 1960s.

But that was in the good old days when gallery owners and artists were often friends as much as they were partners in business.

The highly-established Michael Rosenfeld Gallery in New York represents many prominent American artists of the 20th century. The late Filipino American artist Alfonso Ossorio, a friend of Jackson Pollock, is one of them. Ossorio’s work is distinct. He named his assemblage of shell, bone, glass, jewelry, and driftwood with the religious-sounding title of “Congregations.” The work remotely reminds me of a mural by the late Val Laigo, a local Filipino American artist.

Bookstein Projects in New York specializes in the “formalism” school of art that came after Abstract Expressionism, and particularly from the students of Hans Hoffman.

The artist, Hiroyuki Hamada, came to New York from Japan when he was 18 years old, and has pursued his art under the influence of that American art movement. The name of the Tamarind Institute located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, sounds familiar. And it’s no wonder that since it opened in 1960, this institution continues to have an established reputation for its lithography printmaking process. I learned they made a film on Matsumi Kanemitsu (friends called him Mike), which is available on Youtube. He was a Nisei painter who taught at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles from 1971 to 1983.

And we can’t forget that the Pacific Northwest has rich history of Asian and Asian American art. There are many familiar faces in local galleries: Erica Sanada, Patti Warashina, Calvin Ma & Kyung Min Park at Abmeyer +Wood Fine Art, Jason Hirata & Akio Takamori at James Harris, Diem Chau & Saya Moriyasu & Thuy-van Vu at G. Gibson, Roger Shimomura, Frank Okada at Greg Kucera, Etsuko Ichikawa

at Winston Wachter Fine Art, and Gerard Tsutakawa & many prominent historical Asian American artists such as Paul Horiuchi, George Tsutakawa and Johsel Namkung at Woodside/Braseth. Many Japanese and some Korean print artists (such as prominent Korean artist Lee Chul Soo) are represented at Davidson Galleries.

Seattle Art Fair is a global art market, where the mega-art dealers of world art join in business. Gagosian Gallery, in New York and beyond, is owned by Larry Gagosian, known as one of the most powerful dealers in the art world. He has guided wealthy art collectors.

Pace Gallery, celebrating its 50th year in New York and beyond, represents Maya Lin and prominent Japanese artists Yoshimoto Nara, Hiroshi Sugimoto and rising young artists at this fair. David Zwirner in New York & London has a large reputation as well. Born in Germany as the son of an art dealer, Zwirner takes a traditional approach to nurturing artists while surviving fierce competition among other mega art dealers involving large sums of money. He represents singular artists such as Ruth Asawa, On Kawara and Yayoi Kusama.

Strangely, the interest for the top contemporary artists in China and South Asia has risen higher in recent years, but they are not represented at this fair.

There are galleries that focus on Asian (with Asian American) contemporary artists.

Whitestone Gallery in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Hollywood and Taipei celebrates its 50th anniversary. The gallery focuses on artists from the Gutai movement after World War II in Japan, representing many Japanese artists of that generation, including small works by Yayoi Kusama. NanHai Art from Millbrae, California represents Chinese and Chinese

American artists, who find their root in traditional Chinese aesthetics. Sundaram Tagore Gallery in New York, Hong Kong and Singapore seeks artists who materialize the aesthetic of a more meditative nature. The owner is a descendent of Rabindranath Tagore, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.

The fair evokes a strange mixture of a belief in art as well as the business end of selling it. Perrotin in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo represents many Asian artists, including Takashi Murakami, and manages a website store to sell products ibncluding books, prints and small items. There are quite a few smallscale art galleries, particularly from Asia, owned and managed by a single person.

One owner said his gallery has survived almost entirely due to art fairs. The lone owner of MA2 gallery in Tokyo brought the work of a mature multimedia artist, Ken Matsubara. He creates digital images in water contained in a series of metal bowls entitled, “Moon Bowl.” He contemplates each image and takes a year to perfect it all. The fair can be an overwhelming and mind-numbing experience to the casual visitor unless one is selective and knows what one is looking for.

Even though the fair is a moneymaking business, no gallery can survive without having an eye for art. Even at this fair, I never lost my pleasure of the encounter and the discovery of something new through direct communication with art. The fact is that real art exists, indifferent to the powerful influence of its monetary value and the trends that control that value.

22 — August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017

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

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

RAJANA Society Seattle, WA 206-979-3206 sameth@rajanasociety.org

RAJANA Society is an Arts & Civics project focusing on civic engagement and bridging cultural divides with the Cambodian Diaspora.

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

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

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

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

COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

Homelessness Services

Professional & Leadership Development

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

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

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

Housing Services 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: affordable housing, housing counseling, homelessness prevention, advocacy, teen leadership, and the Danny Woo Community Garden.

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

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

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

Senior Services

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

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

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

Immigration Services

Washington New Americans Program OneAmerica 1225 S. Weller St., Suite 430 Seattle, WA 98144 Are you a lawful permanent resident? The Washington New Americans program can help you complete your application for U.S. citizenship. Low-cost and free services available – please call our hotline or visit www.wanewamericans.org.

Phone: 1-877-926-3924 Email: wna@weareoneamerica.org Website: www.wanewamericans.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

Want to join the Community Resource Directory? Contact lexi@iexaminer.org

Senior Services

Keiro Northwest 1601 E Yesler Way, Seattle, WA 98122 ph: 206-323-7100 www.keironorthwest.org rehabilitation care | skilled nursing | assisted living | home care | senior day care | meal delivery | transportation | continuing education | catering services

Legacy House

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

Chinese Information & Service Center 611 S Lane St, Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-624-5633 fax: 206-624-5634 info@cisc-seattle.org www.cisc-seattle.org Creating opportunities for Asian immigrants and their families to succeed by helping them make the transition to a new life while keeping later generations in touch with their rich heritage.

COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY

Social & Health Services

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017 — 23

Since 1935

Tai Tung Restaurant International District Medical & Dental Clinic 720 8th Avenue S, Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-788-3700 email: info@ichs.com website: www.ichs.com

Banquet Facilities - Catering - Delivery

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 The largest Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community health center in Washington state, ICHS provides medical, dental, behavioral health and pharmacy care with multilingual doctors, nurses and staff experienced in meeting the needs of King County’s diverse and multicultural communities. All are welcome and sliding fee scales are available for uninsured patients.

7301 Beacon Ave S Seattle, WA 98108 ph: 206-587-3735 fax: 206-748-0282 www.idicseniorcenter.org info@idicseniorcenter.org

Come Enjoy the Oldest Chinese Restaurant in Town!

IDIC is a nonprofit human services organization that offers wellness and social service programs to Filipinos and API communities.

655 S King St, Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 622-7372

Parking & Transportation Services

Mon-Thurs 11am-10:30pm Fri-Sat 11am-12am Sun 11am-10pm

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

iexaminer.org/ classifieds

Answers to this puzzle are on Wednesday, September 6.

24 — August 16, 2017 – September 5, 2017

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER