INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
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May 16 – June 5, 2018 — 1
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State Senate candidate would be first person of color representing 34th district By Kelsey Hamlin IE Contributor Some know Joe Nguyen as a familiar face because he’s operated in the background of Seattle’s community and politics for so long. Now, he’s deciding to emerge out front, running for a seat in the state Senate representing Washington’s 34th District. “It’s never really been about me,” Nguyen said of his decision to run. “There’s already great leaders, advocates and organizations in this community doing work. I don’t want to be arrogant and say I’m the one organizing all of these efforts.” Nguyen’s cohort of family and friends had been abuzz for a while, predicting his drift into the political arena. What ultimately pushed the decision: Sen. Sharon Nelson (D-Maury Island) deciding to retire. “Nobody actually thought Sharon Nelson was going to retire,” Nguyen said. “I was working with a group of folks to potentially gear up to run for office in the next two years. So it wasn’t a shock to folks. The shock was running this soon.” It’s been 23 years since this particular Senate seat was open. Usually, when representatives or senators retire, they do so midway through their term so the party can choose who fills the position without a district-wide election.
A dancer at the Celebrate Asia pre-concert performance at Benaroya Hall in 201.1 • Photo courtesy of the Thai Cultural Society
Photo courtesy of Joe Nguyen
Legislature, despite the district’s diversity. “It’s not that people at the table don’t care,” he said. “It’s just that if you don’t have representation, it’s hard to get an advocate.” When it comes to politics and leadership in official governmental roles, Nguyen felt strongly that it’s largely inaccessible to everyday working-class people, much less those in poverty. According to statistics from the U.S. Census, 40.6 million Americans, or 12.7 percent, lived in poverty in 2016.
“You’ve got to take your shot when it’s “People I’ve talked to said they’re open,” Nguyen said. pumped by this, not just because they’re exThe U.S. economy and Washington cited for me as a candidate, but it also gives state’s growing income inequality require them hope they can run as well,” Nguyen immediate action, Nguyen believes. He said. “So representation matters. To me, one feels an urgency to address them. “We need of the key aspects of leadership isn’t what people who are going to make bold deci- you yourself can achieve; it’s how you can sions that reflect the people,” Nguyen said. empower the people around you to succeed “Affordability isn’t just a talking point for as well. And I think making the sacrifice me. It was a lived experience growing up and running is part of that experience.” as refugees.” Now that he’s running for office, Nguyen barely sleeps. He wakes up at nearly 5 a.m. Nguyen’s parents are refugees from Vietevery day and tends to go to sleep around 1 nam. Growing up, his family relied on social services and welfare. Nguyen remem- a.m. Most of his energy is spent on making bered sleeping on a dirty mattress in the calls to close friends, family and communibasement when he was a kid because his ty members to gain their backing. Nguyen family had so many people in their house estimates he’ll need around $130,000 for an effective campaign, including paying staff. who they helped transition to America. Nguyen notes there’s never been a person of color representing the 34th District in the
NGUYEN: Continued on page 2 . . .
Thai Society contemplates future in preservation of Thai performing arts By Annie Kuo IE Fellow A cultural phenomenon is currently sweeping through Thailand due to the popularity of the Thai period TV drama, “Buppesannivas” (“Love Destiny”). The series, shot in places such as the ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya, has led many Thais to don traditional attire to work, school – even the supermarket – and visit historical sites. This new interest in ancient Thai history has flipped the script on modern Thailand’s penchant for commercialism and Western culture. The late King Rama IX, Bhumibol Adulyadej, was Western-educated and played the saxophone, which led to many Thais’ interest in Western entertainment. However, his daughter, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, loved playing Thai classical music, making it acceptable for people to appreciate the old styles – and for girls to play the instruments. The throwback interest is fresh encouragement for the Thai Cultural Society, which for four decades now has endeavored to preserve, promote and protect the Thai culture and heritage through the performing arts. “Our culture is good, priceless and
has value,” says Pilaivan Britton, Thai Cultural Society’s founder and director. She reminds other Thais, “Don’t forget our great heritage, even when you live here and your children grow up here.” The group fulfills an important mission among the Puget Sound Thai immigrant community by preserving and representing Thai culture – not only to Americans but to each other. It tries to bring master musicians, including the artists of Thailand, every year to inspire younger members with authentic Thai performing arts. The question remains, however, how the group will sustain its mission as members age and as second generation members grow up and move away.
Understanding the roots The Chao Phraya, “river of kings,” flows through the capital city of Bangkok, extends in every direction, and reaches the Gulf of Thailand. It is the namesake of the Chaopraya Ensemble, the Thai Cultural Society’s first performing group which started in 1976. Britton started the Chaopraya Ensemble after the departure of Jareanchai Chonpairoj, a UW doctoral PERFORMING ARTS: Continued on page 4 . . .
2 — May 16 – June 5, 2018
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
Nguyen running for vacant 34th District Senate seat . . . NGUYEN: Continued from page 1
His spending priorities include funding education, transportation and access to healthcare, with education as “the number one thing.” He theorized a Healthcare for All model, shared between California, Oregon and Washington as one big pool.
Postcards alone can be expensive, at 45 cents per stamp, then printing costs, then multiplied by tens of thousands of people in a district. Sending just one round of postcards can add up to $15,000. AccessIf elected, he promised to remain acing Washington’s democratic database also countable to his constituents. He pointed to costs money. Sen. Rebeca Saldaña (D-Seattle ) as a mod“That’s kind of why you don’t see work- el for accountability. Alongside remaining ing class, regular people running for of- accountable is actually knowing what each fice,” Nguyen said. “What I’m trying to do district wants done. Nguyen feels confident is raise enough money to get us going and he understands the 34th District and its then be very frugal in how we go about our communities. business and then hope we can get to that “We’re going to knock on doors that hispath. We’ve been very successful so far in torically haven’t been knocked on,” he said. terms of initial outreach and fundraising as- “In campaigning, everyone talks about pect that I think we’ll be able to plead our knocking on the ‘three out of four,’ or ‘four case.” out of four’ — those are the people who are Nguyen, who has worked at well-paying expected to come out to vote. We’re going jobs and currently works at Microsoft, feels to do that, but we’re going to have a team of volunteers knocking on the doors of people fortunate to have the means. who have been left out of the process. So With the help of his staffers, Nguyen Vietnamese people, Cambodian people, wants to run a grassroots campaign. Many Asian Americans, Latinx community, Afof his campaigners are familiar names in rican American community. We’re making Seattle politics, including Michael Charles, sure we’re going to be very culturally comSera Day, Michael Fertakis and Kathy Al- petent in terms of how we do outreach: Not len. just throw an event, invite somebody and “The focus of it is kind of being young, hope that they come. We’re actually going scrappy and hungry,” Nguyen said. “But to go out and meet them right where they at the same time, we are very strategic in are.” acknowledging there are rules to this game On an important note, Nguyen would be that we need to be aware of.” a beginner. Most of his work has been in This isn’t the first time in the past year that a Seattleite has opted for a grassrootsoriented campaign. Nikkita Oliver ran for Seattle Mayor, made it past primaries, and ended up in third place. Despite her loss, she still runs much of the talk in Seattle politics, and manages the infamous Peoples Party which hosts candidate debates, asking everyday people’s challenging questions and removing candidates’ abilities to maneuver around them.
(D-Beacon Hill). There was already one candidate debate held before the May 14 filing deadline. Nguyen will compete with candidates Shannon Braddock, Lois Schipper, Sofia Aragon, and Lem Charleston. Despite the competition, Nguyen reiterates that his campaign isn’t about him.
work of giants that have come before me, leverage their work and also kind of partner with them. I think oftentimes campaigns are top-down, where they try to come in and do things. I want to be the exact opposite. I acknowledge there’s already great leaders in this area, and I want to partner “I don’t want to be arrogant to think that with them and augment them to help supI’m the one mobilizing all of these folks,” port their work.” he said. “I’m not. I’m going to rely on the
local Seattle politics, most of which is democratic, liberal, or progressive in comparison to other areas of the state. Moving to the Legislature requires an ability to forge a path down which conservatives can also walk.
National politics “kind of drives a wedge in the discussion we have will always be there,” Nguyen. “But I’d rather focus on the things I know we all care about, which is basically taking care of regular people Legislators must be accountable to the in Washington state to ensure we all have public, Nguyen said. “There’s this fallacy access to the same opportunities everyone of being busy, where people think that just else does.” because they’re busy they’re doing good After the Nov. 2017 elections, Washingwork,” he said. “How do we make sure ton’s Senate became democratically-conwe’re spending this money in an appropri- trolled by just one seat. Nguyen has received ate way?” the public endorsements of Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Sen. Bob Hasegawa
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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.
IE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ron Chew, President Gary Iwamoto, Secretary Peggy Lynch, Treasurer Arlene Oki, At-Large Sokha Danh At-Large Nam Le, At-Large COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER Lexi Potter lexi@iexaminer.org BUSINESS MANAGER Ellen Suzuki finance@iexaminer.org FELLOWSHIP STAFF Bif Brigman Mitsue Cook
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INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
May 16 – June 5, 2018 — 3
Tacoma establishes Commission on Immigrants and Refugees Affairs By Bunthay Cheam IE Fellow
“give to others by drawing on different parts of my life.”
On April 10, 2018, the city of Tacoma passed a resolution appointing 11 members to the Commission on Immigrants and Refugees Affairs. This follows a December 13, 2017, resolution establishing the need to create the commission. “[The] purpose of the Commission is to better engage Tacoma’s immigrant and refugee communities and to work with community partners to identify and advance positive outcomes for members of this population.” The resolution was sponsored by Councilmember Keith Blocker, who represents District 3.
Mok, who works at Sound Outreach, a local nonprofit in the Hilltop neighborhood of Tacoma, speaks multiple languages and has lived all over the world, giving him a unique multi- geographic and ethnic life experience.
As the different immigrant and refugee communities grapple with the Trump Administration’s hardline approach to enforcing immigration law, some commission members believe that the current climate creates a perfect storm for these communities, who might not have otherwise crossed paths, The Commission’s responsibilities to share resources and collaborate to will be to work specifically with issues improve and advocate as a unit. impacting the immigrant and refugee “During a time when we need to come community of Tacoma, acting as an together more than ever, the city of Taadvisory body to Tacoma legislators coma recognizes the impact of immiand policy makers. Each member who grants and refugees on its community… is nominated must be appointed by a We are only as strong as our commumajority vote by Tacoma City Council. nities, and this commission is a critical Each commissioner will serve a three- piece to ensure we all have the opporyear term and must live or have strong tunity to thrive together,” said commisties in Tacoma. The Commission’s ad- sioner Silong Chhun. ministrative support will come from Chhun is a life-long resident of TacoTacoma’s Office of Equity and Human ma’s eastside and also sits on the MetRights. ro Parks Arts and Heritage Advisory The commission was also created with the intent of working to capture representation from all communities in Tacoma, including age groups. “We’re one of the first commissions that designated a youth position,” says Alison Beason. The resolution establishing the commission designates that one spot be a youth or young adult under the age of 25.
huge step, commissioner Mok cautions that the impact remains to be seen. “Even though we now have a Commission on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs and we also have a supportive City Council, it will take a lot of effort Council. While the community recognizes the to transform goodwill and supportive “For these matters, it’s not only im- establishment of the commission as a speeches into policy ideas.” portant for us to bring our own opinion or experiences but to also be able to listen to other experiences in the [other] communities and what’s occurring [there]. I haven’t been able to be a part of something where I can go on and listen to someone else’s experiences,” Ramos.
“We have people who have a backRamos also mentions that the estabground in Cambodia, the Congo, Hong lishment of the commission marks the Kong, Colombia,” adds Beason. first time the struggle of the immigrant Understanding that the community and refugee communities have reached this commission seeks to represents a place where they can directly influincludes many people who may not be ence city policy. comfortable identifying themselves into “Having seen that we’ve had the specific categories, the application pro- detention center [Northwest Detencess doesn’t require applicants to self tion Center] in Tacoma for so long… I identify in certain areas including gen- thought this was a pivotal moment for der and citizenship status. us to make a difference in the commuAccording to the 2010 census, 13 percent of Tacoma residents are foreign born. However, Alison Beason who is a policy analyst for the city of Tacoma and advisor to the commission cautions against relying on those numbers. “It’s hard to get an accurate count due to the fact that some people don’t want to selfidentify that information,” said Beason.
Although she was born in the United States and is a citizen, Maria Villalpando Ramos, one of the commissioners, isn’t immune to the trauma of being on the receiving end of US immigration policy. ““My father was deported when I was five,” she says. “Although I was born here… my mom was undocumented most of her life, I definitely feel the undocumented struggle… going through that experience with my mother made me see all those other issues that immigration [policy] creates.”
Commissioner Silong Chhun poses with family following his confirmation. • Photo by Bunthay Cheam
what does that mean, what are [we] going to do? How are we a welcoming city if we don’t even understand the people we are trying to welcome and include?” said Beason when talking about why the city helped create the commission.
FOUND
ON SOUND TRANSIT:
nity. There’s groups outside of the detention center that protest [but] there hasn’t been anything like a commission to say, ‘city council, here...this is what our community is thinking.” The Northwest Detention Center is the largest holding center in the region for people accused of violating immigration law. Established in 2004, it is operated by the Geo Group, a company specializing in for-profit prisons and contracted by the Department of Homeland Security, to hold prisoners under its jurisdiction. The detention center has a population of 1,575 inmates. In 2015, Tacoma City Council declared that Tacoma is a Welcoming City under the Welcoming America Program and renewed that commitment again on September 13, 2017, by passing a new proclamation.
“We contribute to the Welcoming Commissioner Jefferson Mok seeks to Cities program. What does that define, use his platform on the commission to
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4 — May 16 – June 5, 2018
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
Thai Cultural Society preserving traditional performance arts . . . THAI SOCIETY: Continued from page 1
student in ethnomusicology who invited locals to learn the Thai performing arts through his group called Siam Sangkit. When Chonpairoj, who specialized in the music of Thailand’s Isaan (Northeastern) culture, finished his PhD and moved back to Thailand, Britton carried the torch. She was joined by the late Allan Swenson, whom she met 20 years earlier when Swenson was a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand. Swenson actively performed with the Thai Cultural Society until his passing two years ago. The Chaopraya Ensemble performs Thai classical and folk music on traditional Thai instruments and dances ranging from regional, lively folk styles to graceful, stylish court dances. In 2002, the ensemble earned a spot on King County Arts Commission’s Touring Arts Roster – achieved through the tutelage of Thaworn Sripong, one of Thailand’s master musicians on the wooden xylophone. The Thai Cultural Society officially formed in 2001, with the intention of providing opportunity for second generation Thais to learn and maintain their ancestral culture and heritage through music and dance. Composed of 25 rotating members, depending on the season and size of shows, the Society is an evolving mass of families and new friends, united by a passion to share
Performance of the Ramayana at ACT Theater in Seattle in 2012. • Photo courtesy of Thai Cultural Society
Thai culture through traditional and modern dance and music. The Society’s original core of close friends have observed its organic evolution into an all-encompassing representation of Thai culture across three groups. The second group is the Bong Lang Ruam Jai Band, the house band of Washington state’s largest Thai temple in Auburn, which plays a mix of energetic village party, dance, and folk music. Made of community members – including white Americans Lee Sledd and Adam Porter – who have a passion for Southeast Asian music, the band is named after a standing xylophone (bonglang) used in the Isaan region of
Thailand and performs with regional instruments like the pin (a three-stringed instrument similar to a guitar), the long drums, the khaen (a multi-chambered bamboo instrument), and various percussion instruments. The third group, Wayside Band, formed in 2017 to play more modern pop and folk music, blending “electrical modern” instruments with traditional instruments such as the klui (flute), ranat (xylophone used in the Chaopraya Ensemble), and the kim (a stringed musical instrument derived from the Persian Santur).
Future considerations At the group’s jam sessions, the older members let it be known they have health and aging issues. Just shaking hands with founding member Su Vathanaprida elicts from her a gentle reminder to be gentle, as her hand is recovering from a fracture. At another, the group presented Chare Vathanaprida’s husband, a man of many musical talents and instruments, with an 81st birthday cake. Britton herself has suffered a couple heart ailments. The group now takes a rehearsal hiatus when its retired members retreat from the bitter Seattle winter to balmy Thailand, then resumes after they’ve returned to do their April taxes. The Thai Cultural Society does not have any paid staff. Group attire and instruments have largely been purchased out of pocket, with some support from small performance fees. Britton has been considering an application for nonprofit
Thai dancer in Auburn in 2012. • Photo courtesy of Thai Cultural Society
status, which would enable the group to apply for grants, including a capacitybuilding grant for the future and ideally an allowance for nonprofit consulting. “Here in the U.S., children learn piano, violin, viola, and theater… many times they are not interested in traditional Thai culture,” Britton laments. “But we want them to have the opportunity, and we’re willing to show the Americans too.” Britton’s daughter Teresa Snope studied with a Thai master musician as a teenager and performed with the group before moving out of state. The group welcomes new members and is willing to train. Just like Swenson, Sledd and Porter demonstrate that Thai heritage is not necessary – just genuine interest in the culture. “We are proud of our culture, so people that join our group must subscribe to the same belief,” says Vathanaprida. “We are not out for ourselves but for the love of the arts and country.” The Thai Cultural Society will perform at the University District Street Fair on May 19 and at Northwest Folklife on May 27. For the first time in their 17 years performing at Folklife, they will stage a Thai traditional wedding. www. thaiculturalsociety.com
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
May 16 – June 5, 2018 — 5
Filipino American jazz musician Jon Irabagon’s unchartered funhouse-mirrored Elysium By Theodore S. Gonzalves IE Contributor Jon Irabagon is busy these days. And for jazz fans, that’s a good thing. The Chicago-born Filipino American saxophonist puts out challenging music with some of the most accomplished players in the world of creative music. The International Examiner caught up with him to talk about what it means to play, write, and perform on your own terms. “There was definitely music in the household all the time,” Irabagon says about growing up. “Standards, country ‘n’ western, elevator music, pop, R&B. There was a lot of variety, which has appeared in my music. But the hardcore jazz and bebop, I had to later seek out when I was in high school.” At DePaul University, he majored in music business and minoring in journalism while his parents continued to support his move to jazz music’s big leagues: New York City. He knew where he could get more training and he sought out just the right person for the job: Dick Oatts, lead saxophonist for the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and instructor at the Manhattan School of Music. Irabagon earned a master’s degree there. He had the When I was a kid, when we would get a support of his parents the entire time. “I box of pastillas, we would devour it. It was lucky in that regard,” Jon says. was like my favorite thing ever. It seemed Working in one of the most competitive appropriate that I dedicate something [on environments for professional the album].” improvisers, Jon kept pace. His work paid off when he won the 2008 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Sax Competition. The victory was probably even sweeter given that the judges for that event were at the top of their craft: Jane Ira Bloom, Jimmy Heath, Greg Osby, David Sanchez, and Wayne Shorter.
We talked about the second of his Outright! Albums, Unhinged, and how he’s worked in oblique references to his cultural identity. The song “Lola Pastillas” has been incorrectly described by at least one music reviewer as a tango. Sure, it has a great Latin groove, but it’s less Buenos Aires in origin and more like something you’d hear in Havana or Manila. While Jon composed it as a tune that could be played with a steady tempo, the Unhinged version allows for his players to state parts of the melody, fall apart into a free section, and then come back together again. It’s close to how conversations at loud Filipino family parties go sometimes – something holds the attention of the crowd for a while before the room slides into chaos for a bit. Irabagon says, “I was preparing for this album and writing that tune in particular when I went to the Philippines [in 2011]. They took us to this place where a woman was making pastillas [a candy usually made with milk and sugar], and she’s had that job for like 50 years. She had all of her flavors there, all different kinds.
Photo courtesy of Jon Irabagon
drummer Barry Altschul and bassist freaks like “the man who breathes fire Mark Helias. through a brass tube,” or “the man with Irabagon is also writing music for a limbs within limbs on drums.” woodwind quintet “to expand the palette” while also doing research for his solo sopranino record, Inaction is An Action. “I’m setting up a bunch of challenges for myself, trying to expand the reach of the music.”
On “Silent Smile,” the bass starts off the track quietly and out of tempo. Over the course of 10 minutes, the players state a deceptively simple phrase. By the end, dozens of musicians slowly crescendo In the tradition of other musicians like into a dramatic scene. Charles Mingus, Max Roach, Jon Jang, “I also wanted to make sure there was Mark Izu, and Francis Wong, Irabagon an element of fun in the studio,” Irabagon started his own record label, Irrabagast, says. “I wanted to share that fun with as a result of “knowing that maybe as many people as possible. I wrote this the kind of music that I want to make four-bar tune [which] repeats. It circles in isn’t mainstream-friendly. Trying to on itself. I wanted to feature the bass on compromise my music was never part of something, so compositionally it starts off the equation.” Half of the label’s 10 releases low and quiet and eventually, 30 people are Irabagon’s while the rest feature a come and join a huge live sound. I had to bright palette of American creative music figure how to get from one place to the by trumpeter Brandon Lee, the Uptown other. All my friends came to the studio; I Jazz Tentet, baritone saxophonist Anders bought some beers. We were all hanging Svanoe, and contrabass clarinetist Josh out. We were going to rehearse this a Sinton. couple of times. I told people they could Irabagon’s latest release, Dr. Quixotic’s follow these changes, or they could ignore Traveling Exotics, grabs your attention them altogether. For me, that’s a lot of fun initially with Colin Batty’s artwork, because you can get a sense of someone’s which is reminiscent of late-19th century personality. Every time I listen to that “freak shows.” Filipinos were no stranger track, I hear something new. We packed to these displays that melded scientific that studio. It was one of the highlights of curiosity with popular entertainment. that whole recording session.” While the U.S.-Philippine war bloodied Jon’s schedule is packed with touring dates with several bands, including trumpeter-composer Dave Douglas; the spunky quintet, Mostly Other People Doing the Killing; appearances with guitarist and composer Mary Halvorson; percussionist Mike Pride’s From Bacteria to Boys; and his own group, Outright!.
the archipelago at the beginning of the twentieth century, thousands of Filipinos were featured at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition as newly acquired living specimens on hundreds of acres in what is how St. Louis’ Forest Park.
The album’s liner notes take the form of a barker’s pitch on the midway, calling He also leads a trio that features veteran out to passersby to check out the musical
The vibe on the album is hard-charging fun. Irabagon points out “the confident experimentation, stylistic breadth and imagination [that bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Rudy Royston] bring to the table is life-affirming and motivational, and I wanted that spirit to permeate through the whole CD…. The songs are intricate and tricky. Odd meters and quirky melodies abound, but the overall feeling is bristling energy and risk-taking.” Speaking of risks, maybe that’s why Irabagon publishes his work under the moniker, “F Magellan.” It takes a risky spirit to try to circumnavigate the globe as Ferdinand Magellan did, only to be cut down in the Philippines’ shallow waters by Datu Lapu-Lapu. Working on this album “has given [Irabagon] even more ideas for where we can steer this group in the future.”
6 — May 16 – June 5, 2018
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
UW students share culture at 22nd annual Khmer New Year Show By Ammara Touch IE Contributor “If you eat prul fish, don’t throw away the scales. If you eat prah fish, don’t throw away the gills. If you make prah fish head soup, don’t forget to put in sour sudahn fruit.” This famous Khmer saying originates from Thoun Chey, a popular Khmer folktale that follows a young village boy’s journey as a servant to the king to establish equality among the rich and the poor through his wit. This folktale was one of the many acts featured in the Khmer Student Association’s (KhSA) annual New Year Show at the University of Washington held on Saturday, May 5. Running on its 22nd year, the event boasted over 700 guests from all around the Seattle region who came to celebrate a night of Khmer culture through live performances of theatrical storytelling, traditional dances, and cuisine. Students dressed in bright kbens and kramas, adorned with golden headdresses and ornaments. They performed acts such as hte ceremonial blessing ritual to the rice harvest dance, emphasizing the significance of farming to the Khmer people, and Robam Trot, the donation dance meant to remove the bad karma from the old year for a fresh start in the new. In between, student actors narrated the life of Thoun Chey using a combination of Khmer and
Janthria Sapearn plays Thoun Chey, a servant who becomes savior of Cambodia through his cunning, intelligence and charisma to fight for equality.
The yeak, or ogres, traps the deer in Robam Trot, or traditional donation dance, which is meant to bring in good luck for the new year while closing the old. • All photos by Tiffany Wong
English, allowing both younger and older folks – Khmer and non-Khmer – to appreciate the show, and evoking laughter from the crowd. In addition to the performances, the recognition of the KhSA scholarship recipients highlighted the association’s other goals of addressing the high level of financial need, barriers to higher education and the significant educational achievement gap among Khmer Americans. This year, three $1,000 scholarships were awarded to high school seniors from Mt. Tahoma, Cascade and Evergreen High School. KhSA’s New Year Show and the organization itself was not just meant to share and celebrate Khmer culture, but to also empower, unite and inspire the Khmer community. The New Year Show is more than simply an annual celebration of a Khmer holiday, and this complexity can be seen through the dedication of the passionate KhSA officers and members. “The Khmer New Year Show means we are able to close the gap between our generations and communities because we are able
to come together,” says Melissa Ouk, KhSA cultural chair. She believes that activities such as this that give a platform for underrepresented students to use their voices not only helps with transparency, but solidarity. “The thing with our community and connections is that it’s very lost – we’re always so separated…and it’s hard for us Cambodians even in America. We have to help each other. We all have that same goal and vision, and the more people we have, the stronger we’ll be.” Davies Chan, KhSA Activities Coordinator, has similar thoughts. In addition to solidarity, he sees the value in expression. “The trauma of the past tells us we can’t be Khmer, that we have to be secretive or ashamed of it. With this type of exposure, it really opens [our] chance for expression.” Chan states it’s about holding pride for Khmer identity, staying true to one’s roots and values, and ultimately not being afraid to be vulnerable to the dark history surrounding the culture. Culture and identity are central to the struggle of Khmer youth today, and it ex-
plains the unrelenting drive of these individuals to emphasize its significance in their lives. “The show is important because of preservation. The community will only get smaller without preservation of what [culture] we have. One day it’s going to go away,” says Sopheak Neak, KhSA VicePresident. Acknowledging these facts made this event worth all the stress, the hours upon hours of exhaustive work and investment of energy for the officers. It was fitting for this year’s play to be on Thoun Chey, in a representation of not just culture, but also advocacy. His saying about the fish explains the necessary coexistence between a country and its people, represented by the fish and scales respectively, who, in order to survive, need gills or a system that promotes equality and equity for all. In a fish head soup where the head signifies the individuals of power and influence, there must also be machoo sundahn or the educated who, as dreamers, artists, and scholars, will enhance the country’s wellbeing as he helped to do. Such a tale models traits of grit and intelligence, but also serves as a reminder of how the Khmer community, as with the individuals of KhSA, continues to seek pathways of empowerment to uplift the youth of today, fight against oppression as well as the trauma of genocide, revive a fading culture, and ultimately be earth-shakers like Thoun Chey.
The Northwest Angkor Dance Troupe performs Robam Tivea Propey, which epitomizes peace, friendship and respect among kin.
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INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
May 16 – June 5, 2018 — 7
Artist Angel ‘Moonyeka’ Alviar-Langley awarded Arc Artist Grant By Clarissa Gines IE Contributor
back burner simply to just center my basic needs (food, water, shelter, therapy)”. For Alviar-Langley, receiving the Arc Artist Angel ‘Moonyeka’ Alviar-Langley grant gives her permission to fully step awarded $10,000 Arc Artist Grant into her power and manifest the various Angel ‘Moonyeka’ Alviar-Langley, the projects she has fully, with no financial energetic 22-year old street styles per- restraint. forming artist, educator and activist, was Alviar-Langley’s impressive resume inrecently selected as one of four individu- cludes being a choreographer and dancer als who make up 4Culture’s first cohort for Au Collective, a dance collective that of Arc Artist Fellows. The fellowship brings people of color, femmes, womxn, was open to artists with physical, devel- trans and queer folks to the forefront; a opmental, cognitive, intellectual and/or teaching artist for Arts Corps and Specemotional disabilities. trum Dance Theater; and a dance coach This significant grant will allow Alviar- for Lil Brown Girls Club, to name a few. Langley to realize her work in a way that As a dancer, she uses her art as a way to is well resourced, without the strain or ur- heal and connect to folks. As a collaboragency of financial scarcity. This freedom tor, she looks to bring in folks from her will enable her to expand on a few proj- communities that she wants to support. ects she has underway, including What’s One of her current projects, What’s Poppin’ Ladiez?! and In the White Frame, Poppin’ Ladiez?!, is a movement Alviaras well as cover basic costs of being an Langley founded as a direct response to artist and attending various conferences the heavily male-dominated, popping and across the U.S. this summer, including the street styles dance community. It started Urban Bush Women’s Summer Leader- as an event series and ethnographic reship Institute at Arizona State University search project that provided a platform and Ladies in Hip Hop in New York. for women of color to clap back and share She states that, “this money came at their stories through dance, emceeing, a time where I was about to sacrifice on DJing, and teaching. some dream projects of mine because... With part of the Arc Artist grant, she well...capitalism was being way demand- is looking to expand What’s Poppin’ Laing. And as a disabled person with chron- diez?! into a low-cost or free mentorship ic fatigue and pain, my spoons are so program for young women and girls of limited. I was going to put my art on the
Photo courtesy of Angel ‘Moonyeka’ Alviar-Langley
Multiracial Asian Children in a Post-Racial World, and her own experience as a mixed race Filipinx-American, she calls into action the critical analysis of white On top of that, she is gearing up for the framing, and how their identities are rapremiere of her performance piece, In the cialized in a white world through dance White Frame, which will be showcased and movement. at On the Boards in the NW New Works Alviar-Langley addresses the racial diFestival on June 8-10. The piece explores chotomies that she deals with as a mixed the multiracial experience in a post-racial race individual, and the idea of mixed America. Influenced by Joe R. Feagin’s race folks as being “other.” In the White theory of the white racial frame, Sharon Frame will also travel to Portland to be H. Chang’s book, Raising Mixed Race: featured in Risk/Reward’s 2018 Festival of New Performance, June 30-July 1. color, and to bring her students to the Ladies in Hip Hop conference with her so they can see and witness other women in the street styles dance community.
There’s no stopping Alviar-Langley – she’s unapologetically claiming her space, and doing it on her own terms while being a mentor and role model to young girls. Through dance and activism, she is realizing a world that is inclusive and celebrates her and her community. Catch Alviar-Langley’s premiere of “In the White Frame” in the NW New Works Festival at On the Boards June 8-10, and in the 2018 Festival of New Performance at Risk/Reward in Portland June 29-July 1. To learn more about Alviar-Langley and her upcoming projects, visit www. moonyeka.com.
Join the IE Team! Do you love being involved in the API community, and enjoy working in a small team? Are you excited about using your sales experience to help a nonproÞt thrive? Are you creative, with a can-do attitude and eagerness to chip in wherever needed? If this is you, please apply for the fulltime staff position of Community Relations Manager. This role provides critical support for the IE, managing our advertising relationships and print distribution, while also contributing to event planning, fundraising & a range of other tasks. For full description visit iexaminer.org. To apply, send cover letter & resume to editor@iexaminer.org by June 6.
8 — May 16 – June 5, 2018
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
Jiro Yonezawa takes an ancient material in a new direction by Susan Kunimatsu IE Contributor
ushu, a center of bamboo production. But in 1989, he and his American wife moved to Portland, Oregon. He spent the next 18 years building a successful career as an artist, internationally recognized for highly developed technique and innovative design.
Jiro Yonezawa is a master artist in the centuries-old techniques of Japanese basketry. Over the course of a 40-year career in Japan and the U.S., he has pushed the boundaries of the art form as part of a larger movement to elevate traditional crafts to the level of fine art. With his current show, New Works in Bamboo, on view at Traver Gallery, Yonezawa has crossed the line from basket maker to sculptor. Of the dozen works in the show, all but one are hollow ovoids, some over two feet tall or long, formed of swirling strips of bamboo. Displayed against dark walls and pedestals, they are brightly lit from above. Their bright red or deep yellow lacquered surfaces glow and they appear to float above their own shadows. The abstract forms reveal sources of inspiration in their titles, some whimsical (Rikishi, Sumo Wrestler); conceptual (Uchu, Space); sensual (Harukaze, Spring Wind); or contemplative (Kaseki, Fossil). Yonezawa’s mastery of traditional materials, techniques, and forms is integral to this distinctly contemporary work. The swooping, flowing lines feel like the brushstrokes of a sumi painting. Strips of bamboo wrap around each other, crossing over and under to enclose volume and create structure as they would in a conventional basket. But the skill to coax bamboo into irregular improvised shapes such as these is only gained through years of
Innovation was not historically welcome in Japanese craft, but artisans there and in North America were realizing that if basket-making and other traditional crafts were to survive, they would have to rise above their role as makers of functional objects to attain equal status with painters and sculptors. Pieces Yonezawa created during those years were visual metaphors for this transformation: bamboo vessels woven in traditional twill patterns, augmented with cedar roots, a material indigenous to Oregon, swirling above and around their surfaces. In 2007, he moved back to Japan, reestablishing his studio in Kyushu. But rather than revert to tradition, the move seemed to liberate him even further. In this new work, the freely flowing lines of the bamboo become the basket/object, Photos courtesy of Traver Gallery and Jiro Yonezawa. • Photos by Jiro Yonezawa defining the shape and dispensing with the function, at once breaking ground and experience with the material. Yonezawa has incorporated non-Japanese plant fisustaining tradition. starts with whole stalks of madake, the bers and industrial materials; this body of Jiro Yonezawa: New Works in Bamboo giant timber bamboo favored by master work marks a return to his material roots, basket makers. He ages the bamboo, then even as it breaks free of traditional basket is at Traver Gallery in downtown Seattle through June 2. cuts and splits it into strips for weaving. shapes. The inner faces are dyed matte black. Yonezawa learned his craft in the oldAfter weaving, the outer surfaces are fin- school manner, spending years as an apished with urushi lacquer. In the past, he prentice to a master basket maker in Ky-
Cafe Nordo’s Smoked! is “A damn good time” By Roxanne Ray IE Contributor
like film noir detectives or gunslingers. In all honesty, it’s just a damn good time.”
Tagavilla says that despite the added pressure of performing as a dinner server as well as an actor. “I’ve never worked as a server in my life except anytime I’m doing a Nordo show,” he said. “I’m always anxious because of my stage fright but serving food to people without spilling an entire tray on them is a special kind of Tagavilla describes the Stranger as horror.” deeply rooted in the American western But after so many roles with Café tradition. “The Stranger is a character Nordo, Tagavilla is up for the challenge. “I that Clint Eastwood made famous in come from the sketch comedy and improv spaghetti westerns and that’s who the school, so I’m always looking for new character is modeled after,” Tagavilla ways to connect physically and mentally said, “a mysterious anti-hero who walks with my scene partner,” he said. into town seemingly just minding his own business but then gets caught up in the Connecting means more to Tagavilla social hierarchy and politics of the area.” than speaking and projecting. “Listening But Tagavilla emphasizes that the is the absolute most important trait,” he Stranger is no mere passive bystander. said, “and without it, scenes look and “He’s a bit of a prankster and enjoys feel lifeless. I try to always be attuned getting reactions out of people,” he said. to nuances in the energy of the room and “He’s an alpha male who has no problem my scene partner and adapt accordingly.” dealing with the consequences of his And this is more important than ever, in a restaurant-styled venue in which actions if he’s pushed.” performance and dinner coincide. Smoked! is Tagavilla’s sixth production Smoked! runs from May 3 to July 1 with Café Nordo. “I keep going back to at Café Nordo, 109 South Main Street, them because they’re willing to cast Seattle. me,” he said. “Also, the archetypes are something I don’t come across too often In the good ol’ days of American cowboy westerns, Asian Americans were never seen in the role of the cowboy. But Café Nordo’s Smoked! changes all that: in this local dinner theater show, local actor Ray Tagavilla plays the role of the prototypical cowboy, the Stranger.
Photo courtesy of Cafe Nordo
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
May 16 – June 5, 2018 — 9
West coast caravan spotlights human rights abuses in the Philippines By Madeline Coats IE Contributor Approximately 50 people cheered the kickoff of The People’s Caravan on May 1 to highlight human rights abuses under the regime of Philippine President Duterte. The caravan, which was heading to Portland, plans to stop in other major cities on the West Coast. The goal of the caravan is to spread solidarity, to stop killings, to end U.S. military support and to prevent tyranny in the Philippines. Rally participants said an estimated 20,000 poor Filipinos and religious leaders have become victims in Duterte’s attacks on his people. Malaya is Filipino for “free.” The Malaya Movement is a U.S. movement for democracy in the Philippines. The campaign is partnered with The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, a broad network of organizations concerned about the human rights situation in the Philippines. One of the coordinators for the coalition in the Pacific Northwest, Rhondalei Gabuat, explained that their goal is to tell Americans where their tax money is going, how militarization is affecting the Philippines and what the relationship is between President Trump and Duterte. “This is to educate folks and to bring in witnesses to what’s happening in real life,” said Gabuat. With the People’s Caravan, Gabuat hopes to spread awareness about day-to-day life in the Philippines, as well as about oppression that she says is caused by the U.S. government. Gabuat said a recent example of repression involved a 25-year-old activist from Mindanao, an island in the southeastern Philippines. Jerome Succor Aba was denied entry to the United States on April 18 and sent back to the Philippines. Gabuat said that Aba had been denied access to the United States because of his activism in the Philippines. Aba was supposed to be in Seattle on May 1 to share his perspective about being Filipino.
“I am getting on the bus, not only as a supporter of this movement, but as a sign of solidarity to build with the folks that are coming from the Philippines,” said Gabuat. She explained that traveling is a great opportunity to connect with people and to broaden participation in their movement. According to Gabuat, the long-term goal is to grow the movement and prove that anyone can get involved. As grassroots activists with no funding from big organizations, they support themselves. “We believe in the work that we do, and we know that the systems are not going to change for the better” by themselves, Gabuat said. Secretariat of the Malaya Movement, Donna Denina, said Duterte has unleashed “three wars” against the Filipino people. One war is on the indigenous people of Mindanao, Denina said. “It’s primarily Muslims.” Duterte has declared martial law in Mindanao, which has caused thousands of people to be displaced. The second conflict is the war on the poor, otherwise known as the war on drugs. Dennis said that anyone accused of using drugs, which are primarily impoverished people, would be immediately killed. The final war is against the community organizers and movements that are fighting for change in society. The driver of the People’s Caravan bus, Joe Keating, was simply an activist with a bus when he heard about the human rights situation in the Philippines. “It’s an honor to be able to help a community that has a dire need to stop the killing that’s going on in the Philippines,” Keating said. Keating’s bus, titled “Cool,” received a fresh paint job before departing on the caravan. The recently adapted logo, “It’s cool…fighting for good,” appeared on the side of the bus as it pulled away from the rally in Seattle on May Day.
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Advocates for peace and justice in the Philippines board a bus to travel down the West Coast. • Photo by Madeline Coats
10 — May 16 – June 5, 2018
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY
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INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
May 16 – June 5, 2018 — 11
Novel Music of the Ghosts is a journey of pain, loss, love and healing after the Cambodian Genocide By Joshua Talosig IE Examiner Vaddey Ratner’s Music of the Ghosts, an intricately written novel about the lives lost and warped by the Cambodian Genocide, is teeming with many facets. At times it’s a stark recollection of the impact of trauma, while at other times it’s a rumination on love and family. However, what makes Ratner’s work special is exemplified by the quote: “This is how one should always reenter the world from whatever sojourn, he thinks. With music.” The novel follows the lives of two protagonists. The first is Teera, a woman who was able to flee Cambodia and come to the U.S. as a young girl, yet she lost nearly everything in the process – including her parents. Now, as an adult, she returns back to her homeland to meet a mysterious man who has written a letter to her which beckons her back. This man, the Old Musician, claims to have known her father, whose activity has been a mystery to Teera ever since childhood. Chapters flow back and forth between the two perspectives, each one providing an intimate look into their lives and the burdens they bear. To Ratner’s great credit, these two characters feel simply alive, their journeys compelling and their insights poignant. Often heartbreaking, Music of the Ghosts excels in crafting a narrative that brings to justice the pain and sorrow that the Cambodian Genocide has wrought over the last few decades.
Special mention must be given to Ratner’s description of Cambodia itself. Lovingly written, the country’s culture and landscapes are described with an incredible level of care and attention. Although the turmoil of war and violence has marked Cambodia, the novel does not shy away from bringing to light the land’s beauty and value. Like the characters, the complicated yet unabashedly bold portrayal of the country is among the forefront of factors that make this story stand out. The novel notably has a slow pace to it that speedier readers may not easily come to terms with. Passages weave in and out through different points of view through various points in time, and the story as a whole places its focus on heavy and deliberate introspection. While its slowness does not deter from its overall impact, readers should take note about the pace of the book and whether they are fine with it to continue on through its 300+ pages. Undoubtedly, Ratner has created a work of art. Music of the Ghosts makes no apologies for its unflinching representation of the violence that had overtaken Cambodia years prior, nor does it resign in portraying the country or the characters within its pages as perfectly fine now. Healing, growth and moving on are a task that are only afforded for the living, who themselves often live with burden and guilt. But, if one is to return from whatever hardship they’ve experienced, there is always a way. Whether that be through music, family, love, communication, or a combination of them all.
12 — May 16 – June 5, 2018
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER