VOL 36 NO 21 | MAY 20 – MAY 26, 2017

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 746 Seattle, WA

VOL 36 NO 21

MAY 20 – MAY 26, 2017

Broken promises torment Filipino Veterans 75 years to right a tragic wrong

Photo by Arlene Dennistoun/NWAW

Blue Compass’ Christine Jung talks Seattle Hackathon and humanitarianism

FREE 35 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Christine Chung

By Tim Gruver NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY We have only 24 hours each day to choose what news we read and that includes our country’s decision makers. Each morning, American officials across the country are handed a single briefing in see JUNG on 13

STARS ON ICE The two Chens headline the 2017 Stars on Ice tour » see 8

Joe Taton, Sr., 101, surrounded by daughters Elizabeth, Desirae, grandson Solomon, and one of Taton’s caregivers.

By Arlene Kiyomi Dennistoun NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Four-hundred-fifty people filled the Renton Pavilion on Saturday, May 13 for a fundraiser with a $25,000 goal to buy replicas of Congressional Gold

By LYNN THOMPSON SEATTLE TIMES

Publisher Ng reflects on what made the day so special » see 10

EDITORIAL Apparently it’s wrong to have an opinion, as the new Miss USA found out. » see 11

■

in 1941.

The Renton event also commemorated Asian Pacific Islander Month, Memorial Day, the 75th Anniversary of the Bataan Death March, and the passage of S1555 see FILVET on 12

Quiet Washington teen finds confidence, award from governor

A MOTHER’S DAY TO REMEMBER

COMMUNITY » 2 CALENDAR » 6 SUDOKU » 6 ASTROLOGY » 13

Medals for the Filipino Veterans (FilVet) of World War II. These men remain unrecognized for their wartime military service 75 years ago. Their service included guerilla warfare and enduring the brutal Bataan Death March in the Philippines after the Japanese attacked

Moses Shiong and Gov. Jay Inslee

BELLEVUE, Wash. (AP) — Moses Shiong didn’t feel supported at home.

His parents, Hmong refugees from Laos, didn’t seem to understand their American son. He said they were disappointed that he wasn’t a traditional first son, strong, showing no weakness. His mentors said the parents didn’t seem to notice him withdrawing, locking himself in his room to cry.

By his sophomore year of high school he was skipping first-period English, too exhausted mentally and emotionally, he said, from arguments at home. When his father had a heart attack and could no longer work, Shiong blamed himself and doubled his hours at a Bellevue pizza restaurant to help his family financially.

Shiong, 17, said he had suicidal thoughts, but knew he couldn’t

abandon his sister, who was five years younger.

“I wanted her to have a better future. That was a huge motivation for me,” he said.

Last month, Shiong stood beside Gov. Jay Inslee, honored as one of the 13 finalists for the state Boys & Girls Youth of the Year Award, given to the high-school senior who most embodies the club’s values of leadership, service, academic excellence and healthy lifestyles.

Shiong credits the turnaround in his life to the staff at the Bellevue Boys & Girls Club, where he’d attended after-school programs since he was in kindergarten. At the club, he said, he found adults willing to listen and offer support.

One, Masao Yamada, director of the club’s Keystone Leadership Program for high-school students, became a see SHIONG on 15

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35 YEARS

MAY 20 – MAY 26, 2017

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS 2017 Bloom Gala

held at the Sheraton Hotel on May 10.

Several awards were handed out, including the Lifetime Achievement Award to Battalion Chief Mike Nakamichi and the Compassionate Service Award to the late community leader Donnie Chin. 

ton State and India Trade Relations Action Committee. 

Celebrate Asia

From left: Maria Batayola, ICHS CEO Teresita Batayola, Rep. Sharon Santos, Sen. Bob Hasegawa, Ruthann Kurose, and Benson Wong.

The 2017 Bloom Gala on May 6 raised more than $218,000 for International Community Health Services (ICHS) — a record-breaking amount according to Nancy Lee, Vice President of the ICHS Foundation Board.

The money will go toward supporting uncompensated patient care delivered within ICHS clinics. Last year, ICHS provided $1.3 million in care to low-income patients who could not afford to pay for services.

Also at the event, Dr. Allen Muramoto and Country Doctor Community Health Centers were recognized with the 2017 Bamboo Awards for Health. 

Seattle Fire Department Awards Luncheon

Donnie Chin posthumous honor

Battalion Chief Mike Nakamichi

Seattle Fire Department employees and members of the community were honored at the Annual Awards Luncheon

Preeti Shridhar threw her hat into the ring on May 9 for Port Commission, and promises to represent all of the people of King County.

“I will ensure that our regional economy remains strong and the Port continues to lead in the aviation, maritime, and tourism industries,” said Shridhar.

“Our region’s working Preeti Shridhar class must be protected while we develop career pathways for young people and recent arrivals to create an economy that works for everyone.”

Shridhar works for the City of Renton. She also helped to launch the City of Seattle’s Climate Protection Initiative and introduced the City’s recycling and water conservation programs. 

Debadutta Dash’s new job

Debadutta Dash has joined the Olympia University of Business & Technology (OUBT) as its Public Relations Officer and Director of Community Outreach.

Dash was a 2015 candidate for the Position 5 seat on the Seattle City Council. The Indian American, who came to Debadutta Dash the U.S. from India in 1996, has served as a commissioner on the Washington State Commission on Asian and Pacific American Affairs and is founding co-chair of the Washing-

Photo by George Liu/NWAW

Photo provided by ICHS

Preeti Shridhar jumps into Port Commission race

The Seattle Symphony’s Celebrate Asia performance on May 12 featured movie music by famous Japanese composers as well as a second half dedicated solely to the music of Grammy® and Academy Award® winner A.R. Rahman. The artist made a special appearance at the program. This is the ninth annual Celebrate Asia concert — which highlights the rich musical traditions of Seattle’s vibrant Asian communities. 

ArtsFund’s 29th Annual Celebration

Nearly 1,000 people attended the ArtsFund’s 29th annual celebration on May 4 at the Westin Seattle.

Glenn Kawasaki, a biotech entrepreneur and philanthropist, was honored with the Outstanding Contribution in the Arts award. Kawasaki currently serves on the boards Mari Horita, CEO of ArtsFund or advisory boards of Pacific (left) with Glenn Kawasaki, Northwest Ballet, Spectrum Outstanding Contribution in the Arts awardee.

Dance Theatre, zoe | juniper, and Khambatta Dance Company, and is the Board President of Velocity Dance Center.

He is also a Founding Trustee of Seattle Dance Project and Whim W’Him, and a former Trustee of ArtsFund. 

trashion fashion

$250 and more in prizes Please fill out all the fields below: Name: ___________________________________ _________________________________________ Address: _________________________________

NWAW’s 2017 FASHION DESIGN CONTEST

THE OBJECTIVE: Design a wearable outfit or garment that incorporates recycled materials and/or NWAW/Seattle Chinese Post newspapers.

Entries due {JULY 3} Trashion Show {JULY 15}

_________________________________________ Phone: ___________________________________ E-mail: ___________________________________ _________________________________________ Brief description of your design: _______________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ ________________________________________

TO ENTER, SEND: — Your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address.

— Up to to 3 photographs of your design — A brief description of your work Entries can be directed to RSVP@NWASIANWEEKLY.COM or mailed to: Northwest Asian Weekly Attn: Trashion Fashion 412 Maynard South Seattle, WA 98104 (Multiple entries and all ages welcomed!)

Designer: _________________________________ Model: ___________________________________

TITLE SPONSOR

CO-CHAIR: Gei Chan PLANNING COMMITTEE: Belinda Louie, Matt Chan, Andrea Chow, Max Chan, Stacy Nguyen, John Liu, and Assunta Ng

Finalists will be announced in the NWAW’s {JULY 9} issue. *Finalists must be available to showcase their designs on {JULY 15} at Chinatown/International District Dragon Fest to be eligible for prizes. Arrival/rehearsal at 11 a.m. Show at 1:30 p.m.

Rain or shine.

PRIZES: First Place: $250 + goodies + announcement in NWAW/SCP Second Place: $150 + goodies + announcement in NWAW/SCP Third Place: $100 + goodies + announcement in NWAW/SCP Honorable Mentions: Announcements in NWAW/SCP *If you need newsprint for your design, please come to the Asian Weekly’s office at 412 Maynard Avenue South to pick up back issues.

2015 1st place winner julie stone & Karissa Lew ► bit.ly/23vQmIK

2016 1st place winner rebecca bartenetti ► vimeo.com/175177387

YOUR VOICE

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

MAY 20 – MAY 26, 2017

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FBI: Seattle officer, Laotian community leader, helped run marijuana to Baltimore

By GENE JOHNSON ASSOCIATED PRESS SEATTLE (AP) — A Seattle police officer has been charged with helping to smuggle hundreds of pounds of marijuana to Baltimore.

Alex Chapackdee, a 44-year-old patrol officer who’s been with the department since 2000, was arrested on May 6. According to a federal criminal complaint unsealed on May 8, he is one of four men charged with conspiring to distribute marijuana. Authorities say he is the brother-inlaw of the group’s ringleader.

“While [it is] always disturbing to investigate one of our own, I am proud of the detectives and commanders who worked diligently on this case,” Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole said in a written statement.

“Officer Chapackdee’s conduct is disgraceful and disappointing.

While he will have his due process in the courts, I hope these charges demonstrate to our community that SPD will not tolerate corrupt behavior in our ranks.”

The FBI said Chapackdee made several trips last fall in which he drove the marijuana to Baltimore in his recreational vehicle, met up with other conspirators, and then drove back with cash proceeds. Alex Chapackdee The complaint says he then deposited close to $20,000 in cash into his bank account.

Chapackdee’s attorney, David Gehrke, said he wouldn’t

comment on allegations before seeing the government’s evidence. However, he said the arrest has been extremely difficult for Chapackdee, whom he described as a wellrespected officer, as well as for Chapackdee’s wife and four children.

“This is a huge fall from grace, an embarrassment,” Gehrke said.

Investigators began looking into him after a confidential source reported that his brother-in-law had been paying him $10,000 a month to keep an eye on marijuana grow houses and to provide him with information about lawenforcement activities, the complaint said.

Seattle police say Chapackdee is on unpaid leave. A magistrate judge ordered him held in custody pending a hearing. 

Julie Locke remembrance

By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 20 for Julie Locke (Bo Kam Ng), the mother of former Washington governor Gary Locke.

She died on April 6 in her home at age 90, after battling Parkinson’s for 40 years.

The third oldest among 10 children, Julie was born in Hong Kong. In 1947, she was introduced to Jimmy Locke, who served with the U.S. Army in Europe during World

War II. The two soon married and moved to Seattle.

Julie partnered with Jimmy in running Sadie’s Cafe in the Pike Place Market in the 1950s and then Florentia Street Grocery in 1960 until their retirement 22 years later.

Julie specialized in traditional Julie Locke Chinese dishes, including dim sum delicacies, and she had a passion for sewing and knitting.

She is survived by her children Marian (Peter) Monwai, Gary Locke, Jannie (Edward) Chow, Jeffrey (Doris) Locke, and Rita (Joe) Yoshihara, 15 grandchildren, 8 greatgrandchildren, four brothers, and one sister.

The memorial service will be held at the Chinese Baptist Church at 5801 Beacon Ave. S., Seattle at 11:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Kin On Nursing Home, 4416 S. Brandon, Seattle, or Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, 2053 152nd Ave. N.E., Redmond. 

IN MEMORY of ABE and HELEN LUM

The card that takes you everywhere.

The ORCA card makes it easy to get around on Link light rail, Sounder trains, buses and ferries. Learn more at soundtransit.org/orca.

Our beloved husband and father Abe Lum passed away peacefully on March 6, 2017 at age 89 after a long illness. He is survived by his children Dean (Gayle), Todd, Angela Domingo (Joe), Laurel (Jeff), grandchildren Derek, Taylor and Alexi, and many relatives and friends. He was born in Seattle, raised in “Garlic Gulch” and attended Garfield High School and art school at Cornish. He was a fixture in the Seattle Chinatown/International District as the original co-owner of the Four Seas Restaurant, and was involved in countless civic, community and charitable causes. He was President of the Seattle Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, served many years as a Seafair Commodore and was extremely active on behalf of Kiwanis, Kin On Nursing Home, Seattle Chinese Garden Society and many other organizations. He loved golf and raised thousands of dollars for charities holding the Four Seas Invitational Golf Tournament at Jefferson Park. In his later years, he taught putting for the Bogey Bear Golf Foundation to youth and seniors. He loved his family, the latest fashion, skinny ties, jazz music, Hawaiian shirts, fast convertibles, great food and lively company. A Celebration of Life was held at 11 am on Saturday, March 25, 2017 at the Wing Luke Asian Museum. In lieu of flowers, memorials should be made to Kin On.

Our mother Helen Chin Lum passed away peacefully on April 14, 2017, at age 89, less than 45 days after the passing of our father and her beloved husband of 65 years Abe G. Lum. March 17 would have marked their 66th wedding anniversary. Our mother lived a life of family, love and caring.

She was born in Seattle, attended Rainier Elementary and Garfield High School and worked as a marine insurance underwriter for T.W. Rice & Co. She raised four children while Abe helped found and run the Four Seas Restaurant in Seattle’s Chinatown/ International District. She loved getting together with family and friends, quilting and volunteering her time for many organizations, including the Gee How Oak Tin family association, Kin On Nursing Home and the Seattle Chinese Garden Society. She is survived by her children Dean (Gayle), Todd, Angela (Joe), Laurel (Jeff) and grandchildren Derek, Taylor and Alexi. A private family service was held. In lieu of flowers, remembrances should be sent to Kin On.

asianweekly northwest

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MAY 20 – MAY 26, 2017

35 YEARS

■ NATIONAL NEWS

Deaf Japanese tourist claims mistreatment at Hawaii airport

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER ASSOCIATED PRESS

HONOLULU (AP) — A deaf Japanese tourist was illegally denied a sign-language interpreter while she was detained and interrogated after landing at the Honolulu International Airport, the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii said in a discrimination complaint.

The ACLU said on May 11 it filed the complaint last month with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Her name is redacted from a copy of the complaint the ACLU provided. She fears retaliation by immigration officials, the ACLU said.

She arrived in Honolulu on the morning of Jan. 31 to visit her boyfriend. Customs and Border Protection officials took her into an office to question her about her past as an international student in the United States, according to the complaint.

She requested an American Sign Language interpreter, but during hours of questioning she was forced to commu-

nicate by lip-reading and writing in English, the complaint said. In the late afternoon, she was handcuffed and taken to the Honolulu Federal Detention Center, where she was put into a cell overnight. “She was handcuffed behind her back, so there was no way for her to use her hands,” the complaint said. “When detaining deaf individuals, it is appropriate to modify handcuffing practices to allow such individuals to use their hands to communicate with signs or in writing.”

That’s equivalent to silencing her, said Mateo Caballero, legal director for ACLU of Hawaii. “She was treated like a criminal,” he said.

Customs and Border Protection received the complaint and will address the accusations after an investigation, agency spokesman Jaime Ruiz Mateo Caballero said in a statement, adding that accusations of mistreating travelers with a disability are taken seriously. Officers “receive extensive training in disabil-

ity awareness and treat all travelers with disabilities with dignity, respect and professionalism,” the statement said.

At the airport, customs officials took away her cell phone, so she wasn’t able to alert her boyfriend, who waited 12 hours for her at a cafe near the airport, the complaint said.

At the detention center, which is near the airport, she again asked for an American Sign Language interpreter, but didn’t receive one, the complaint said. Instead, staff members tried to ask her questions by using a Japanese translator on the phone, but the woman can’t hear people talking on the phone, the complaint said.

“She felt humiliated,” the complaint said.

The Bureau of Prisons, which oversees the detention center, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

The next day, she was taken to the airport for a flight back to Japan and her cell phone was returned. That’s when she was finally able to let her family in Japan and her boyfriend know where she was, the complaint said. ■

Officials: Chinese women brought to Texas for prostitution

Ling Yu and Hang Zheng

WACO, Texas (AP) — Central Texas authorities arrested two people last week who they say arranged for Chinese women to be brought to Texas and other states so that they would work as prostitutes.

An arrest affidavit obtained by the Waco Tribune-Herald shows that a McLennan

Mochi ice cream sold at Trader Joe’s recalled

County sheriff’s detective in September responded to an online ad promoting an “Asian female escort.”

The detective found a woman who was staying at a Waco hotel after she flew from Hong Kong to Houston.

Authorities say she was one of about 15

Have a story idea that you think would fit perfectly in Northwest Asian Weekly?

We want to know about it.

Send it to us at info@nwasianweekly.com.

TAITUNG R E S TA U R A N T

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mikawaya has recalled a batch of its chocolate mochi ice cream sold at Trader Joe’s stores because the product contains peanuts, the ice cream maker said on May 11.

Peanuts are not listed as an ingredient on the boxes of Japanese-style ice cream dessert with a coating of pounded sticky rice.

People who have an allergy to peanuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they eat the product, the Los Angeles based company said in a statement.

The ice cream is sold at Trader Joe’s locations across the U.S. but Mikawaya spokesman Russell Barnet did not know how many boxes were affected or the locations of the stores where the ice cream was sent.

No allergic reactions or illnesses have been reported, Mikawaya said.

Customers can return mochi ice cream with the code “LOT 090-17” for full refunds. 

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Chinese women brought to work as prostitutes in Texas, New York and elsewhere.

Ling Yu and Hang Zheng both were being held at the McLennan County jail on a charge of engaging in organized crime.

Online jail records don’t indicate attorneys for the pair. 

MAY 20 – MAY 26, 2017

YOUR VOICE

■ WORLD NEWS

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China-Golden Visas

By NOMAAN MERCHANT ASSOCIATED PRESS

BEIJING (AP) — When the sister of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner promoted investment in her family’s new skyscraper from a Beijing hotel ballroom

stage earlier this month, she was pitching a controversial American visa program that’s proven irresistible to tens of thousands of Chinese.

More than 100,000 Chinese have poured at least $24 billion in the last decade into “golden visa” programs across the world that offer residence in exchange for investment, an Associated Press analysis has found. Nowhere is Chinese demand greater than in the United States, which has taken in at least $7.7 billion and issued more than 40,000 visas to Chinese investors and their families in the past decade, the AP found.

The Chinese investors flocking to these programs are people like Jenny Liu, a doctoral student in the coastal city of Nanjing, who sold her apartment two years ago and moved in with her parents. She used the money from the sale to invest $500,000 in a hotel project in the United States. If the

project creates enough jobs in two years, she’ll get a prized “green card” and a pathway for a less stressful education for her 9-year-old son.

“My son has a lot of homework to do every day, but I don’t think he has learned a lot from school,” Liu said. “I hope he can actually pick up some useful knowledge or skills rather than only learn how to pass tests.”

The flood of investors reflects how China’s rise has catapulted tens of millions of families into the middle class. But at the same time, it shows how these families are increasingly becoming restless as cities remain choked by smog, home prices multiply and schools impose ever-greater pressure on children. They also feel insecure about being able to protect their property and savings. see GOLDEN VISAS on 14

Zhang Yimou says ‘Great Wall’ story may have been too weak

By LOUISE WATT ASSOCIATED PRESS

BEIJING (AP) — Zhang Yimou says the disappointing U.S. performance of the biggest budget China-U.S. co-production to date, “The Great Wall,” may have been down to a weak story, but he hopes other filmmakers won’t be put off from attempting such ambitious Hollywood-Chinese collaboration.

“The actors are all very good; (star) Matt Damon and everyone was splendid,” the acclaimed director told The Associated Press. “Probably the story is a bit weak, or the timing of it wasn’t right, or we didn’t do a very good job in making the film. There could be many reasons.”

Zhang spoke amid preparations for the Beijing opening of the stage play “2047 Apologue,” which he described as a “conceptual performance” linking Chinese traditional culture with an imagined future of how humans will interact with technology.

Producers of “The Great Wall” had hoped the movie with a $150 million production budget could buck the trend of China-U.S. co-productions failing to make a splash in both markets, at a time when movie makers wrestle with how to appeal to Chinese and Western audiences at the same time.

The script for the 3-D adventure fantasy that has Damon and Chinese warriors fighting monsters with China’s iconic Great Wall as protection took Hollywood seven years to develop. Zhang added elements of Chinese culture and his opulent visual style, seen in the romantic kung fu drama “House of Flying Daggers” and the 2008 Beijing Olympics ceremonies.

“The Great Wall” has pulled in a disappointing $45 million in the U.S. since its February release, though it has earned $332 million globally. In China,

where it was released in December, it made $171 million, making it the eighthhighest earner in the country last year.

The movie was made by Legendary East, the Chinese arm of Legendary Entertainment, a Hollywood studio now owned by Chinese real estate and theater chain developer Wanda Group. Other companies behind the movie include the state-owned China Film Group Corp.; Le Vision Pictures, a private film company affiliated with Chinese tech firm LeEco; and Hollywood’s Universal Pictures.

Zhang said “The Great Wall” marked a milestone in the collaboration of Chinese and Hollywood producers.

“As the Chinese saying goes, ‘all beginnings are hard.’ I feel that this beginning is valuable. I hope that there will be more cooperation like this, that people won’t stop just because the result wasn’t so good,” Zhang said.

Pressed on whether he would attempt a

Chinese-Hollywood co-production again, the director said: “It doesn’t have to be me. I hope more people will collaborate like this.”

Zhang’s new, much smaller-scale endeavor aims to start a conversation about the relationship between people and technology, and where this relationship is heading. He called “2047 Apologue” a “conceptual performance, because it’s not a show or a story.” Instead, he has hired Chinese folk art performers and companies from Europe and the U.S. to supply technology such as drones and robotic arms for the hourlong show that is broken into several “fragments.” It will be performed at the National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing from June 1618, and then tour several Chinese cities. It is slated to play in Edinburgh in August, as well as other countries that haven’t been confirmed yet, the publicity team says.

“Humankind has been so smart in developing technology that kills; the

Americans are especially strong in that, right?” said Zhang. “When technology has become weapons that help us to kill, what is the relationship between it and us? Will it be used on you one day?”

He said his inspiration for the theme could have come from wanting his children to spend less time on computers, something he never did as a child.

One of the performers, Peking Opera star Qiu Jirong, said that people were increasingly depending on technology, such as using their phones rather than a bank card to make payments, and “2047 Apologue” “is telling you that this is a threat, too.”

He said his eight-minute dance performance involves a menacing laser that is out to kill him. “I want to escape, but can’t,” said Qiu. “When you think about it, humans made these things, and have released them.

“I think these things are people’s desires, and people are doomed in their desires.” 

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MAY 20 – MAY 26, 2017

35 YEARS

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR MAY 18

HAPPY HOUR FOOD WALK Seattle’s ChinatownInternational District 4 p.m.

LANTERN NIGHT UW, The Quad 7:30 p.m. $3/lantern

19 UPDATE OF HEALTH CARE POLICY IN OUR STATE AND NATION WITH DR. ROGER STARK, WPC’S HEALTH CARE POLICY ANALYST China Harbor Restaurant, 2040 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle 11:30 a.m.

20 SEATTLE CENTER FESTÁL: A GLIMPSE OF CHINACHINESE CULTURE AND ARTS FESTIVAL Seattle Center, Armory Free admission chinaartandculture.org INTERIMCDA’S 2017 GALA DINNER & AUCTION, “SUSTAINING LEGACY. BUILDING COMMUNITY. AFFECTING CHANGE.” Seattle Design Center, 5701 6th Ave. S., Seattle 5:30 p.m. $150/ticket, $1,500/table of 10, $750/table of 5 interimicda.org

FAMILY 2.0 AN API LGBTQ GATHERING North Seattle College, 9600 College Way N., Seattle 9:30 a.m. jacl.wufoo.com/forms/ z3zm0fx11qk7bq/ FILIPINO NIGHT 2017 UW, Kane Hall, 1410 N.E. Campus Parkway, Seattle 6 p.m. $5–$10

21 SPRING FESTIVAL HARAMATSURI Seattle University Campion Hall, 914 E. Jefferson St., Seattle 12 p.m.

C.A.C.A. SEATTLE LODGE’S ANNUAL DINNER China Harbor Restaurant 5:30 p.m. $35/ticket cacaseattle.org

23 ART IN THE US-JAPAN RELATIONSHIP: PRESERVING THE FLOATING WORLD Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave., Seattle 6 p.m. $15–$25 jassw.info/event-2503305 MICHAEL MAINE’S CID YELP EVENT Hing Hay Park 2 p.m.

27 HELPING TO SEED AND GROW CROPS AND

■ BRIEFLY

MAINTAIN DANNY WOO GARDEN Danny Woo Children’s Garden, 310 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle 9 a.m.

Free admission festalpagdiriwang.com

UW BOTHELL VSA PRESENTS, “LOTUS IN FULL BLOOM” UW of Bothell, 18115 Campus Way N.E., Bothell 5 p.m. $10–$12 uwbvsa@gmail.com

SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL UW, Meany Hall Studio 267 5 p.m.

28

THE HANDICRAFTS OF GUJARAT WITH MARILYN ROMATKA & COURTNEY NEVITT Phinney Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle 1 p.m. $15–$20 friendsofasianart.org

6TH ANNUAL PRIDE ASIA Hing Hay Park, 423 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle 12 p.m.

JUNE

Hepatitis Awareness Month

6

By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

11

The month of May is Hepatitis Awareness Month and the International Community Health Service (ICHS) wants to you take action, especially if you are part of the Asian American and immigrant communities.

Though we only make up 5 percent of the total U.S. population, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders account for half of Americans living with chronic hepatitis B infection. Two out of three are unaware of the health risk they carry.

Hepatitis B is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver. Acute hepatitis B, a short-term illness, may make you sick with flu-like symptoms before you feel better.

Without proper screening and diagnosis, chronic hepatitis B is a long-term ticking time bomb. An apparently healthy body can be infected for years, even decades.

Left untreated, it can lead to cirrhosis, liver damage, liver failure, or liver cancer.

15

3

45TH ANNUAL FRIENDSHIP DINNER & AUCTION, “BRAVING THE NEW WAVE” Bell Harbor International Conference Center, 2211 Alaskan Way, Pier 66, Seattle 5:30 p.m.

RSVP by May 15 $145/person cisc-seattle.org MABUHAY MAJESTY Seattle Center 3 p.m.

3&4 SEATTLE CENTER FESTÁL: PAGDIRIWANG PHILIPPINE FESTIVAL Seattle Center, Armory and Mural Amphitheatre

BUILDING MOMENTUM FOR OUR NEXT 200 HOMES Edgewater Hotel, The Olympic Ballroom, 2411 Alaskan Way, Seattle 6 p.m.

JULY 7

Get tested

LOCAL EVENT WITH AUTHOR LISA KO OF, “THE LEAVERS” Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 Tenth Ave., Seattle 7 p.m. michael@algonquin.com 212-614-5639

May 19 is National Hepatitis Testing Day. ICHS offers hepatitis B screenings and immunizations at its clinic locations in the Chinatown-International District, Holly Park, Shoreline, and Bellevue. The results of the simple blood test will tell you whether you may be infected, protected, or still at risk for future infection. 

View the solution on page 14

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MAY 20 – MAY 26, 2017

YOUR VOICE

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

asianweekly northwest

7

Joanne and Bruce Asian Hall of Fame Harrell receive UW’s inducts 2017 class 2017 Odegaard Award

Photo by George Liu/NWAW

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Joanne and Bruce Harrell with family

REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM VIEWPOINT MAGAZINE SEATTLE – University of Washington (UW) Regent Joanne Harrell and Seattle City Council President Bruce Harrell have been named the 2017 recipients of the UW’s Charles E. Odegaard Award.

The award was presented at the 47th annual Celebration event hosted by the UW Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D) and Friends of the Educational

Opportunity Program (FEOP) on May 16, at the Husky Union Building on the UW Seattle campus.

Established in 1973, the Odegaard award honors individuals whose leadership in the community exemplifies the former UW president’s work on behalf of diversity.

It is the only University and communityselected award, and is regarded as the highest achievement in diversity at the UW. see HARRELL on 15

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A former Major League Baseball player, an actor, an engineer, and a Silicon Valley executive were honored on Saturday night, May 13 at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle. The Asian Hall of Fame inducted its 2017 honorees, which benefits the Robert Chinn Foundation.

Johnny Damon, Daniel Dae Kim, Duy-Loan Le, and Sonita Lontoh were present at the dinner to acknowledge their achievements. The Asian Hall of Fame is a national recognition event for Asian Pacific Americans highlighting heritage, culture, and achievements of the APA population. The Robert Chinn Foundation supports programs and initiatives that lead to the enhancement of the civic, economic, educational, and cultural quality of life in diverse communities.

Duy-Loan Le immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in the spring of 1975, when her home country was torn apart.

She arrived in Houston, Texas at the age of 12 and spoke no English. At 16, she was valedictorian of her high school class.

She then went on to graduate magna cum laude at the University of Texas at Austin.

She went on to a remarkable career at Texas Instruments, where she started as a design engineer and worked her way up.

After Texas Instruments was sold, she transferred to Micron. She was elected as a Texas Instrument Fellow in 1999 and Senior Fellow in 2002. She was the only woman in

Texas Instruments’ history to be named a TI Senior Fellow, which is the highest elected technical title.

Sonita Lontoh is an executive at Siemens, a global industries conglomerate. She is known as a technology executive with expertise in the Internet of Things (IoT), ‘Smart’ Connected Energy/Devices, and Green Technology. She serves as a mentor for TechWomen, a U.S. Department of State’s women-in-technology initiative originally launched by former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “I don’t view it as an honor for myself, but rather, as an honor for the hard, work commitment and trailblazing that has been done by so many other accomplished Asian American brothers and sisters before and around me,” said Lontoh.

Daniel Dae Kim is best known for his role see ASIAN HALL OF FAME on 16

asianweekly northwest

8

35 YEARS

MAY 20 – MAY 26, 2017

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Olympic hopefuls coming to Seattle

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Nathan and Karen Chen are not related, but they think that the questions about their common last names are funny. “I haven’t been asked that a lot, but it’s been brought up before,” said Karen. “It’s funny.” Nathan also thinks the comparisons of brothersister are funny.

Their parents have become friends as the two have trained and competed in the same circles. They also look to study medicine in college. Also, both won the U.S. Nationals this year and are Olympic hopefuls with bigger plans of earning medals at next year’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The two are featured on a nationwide tour, ‘Stars on Ice,’ which comes to Seattle’s KeyArena on Saturday, May 20. In the past, figure skating Olympic champions Kristi Yamaguchi, Scott Hamilton, and Tara Lipinski have participated in the exhibition, which gives fans a glimpse of some of the best skaters in the world. Nathan and Karen hope to continue the tradition of Olympic champions participating in the tour.

Nathan started ice skating when he was just 3 years old. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, his two brothers and two sisters were involved in skating and he was destined to play hockey. But his parents, who emigrated from China, thought it would be best that he learned how to skate first so he took skate lessons at a public rink.

“I progressed really quickly,” Nathan stated of his start in ice skating. Teachers remarked that Nathan picked up skating faster than others. He didn’t think anything of his ease on the ice. Encouraged by his parents and teachers, he started competing at a young age.

Nathan did play hockey for six years, but realized that ice skating was his passion.

He is known for his quadruple (or quad) jump on the ice. The jump (and landing) requires skaters to have enough speed for the jump and then propel themselves up in the air fast enough to make four revolutions in under one second. They then have to land gracefully and without falling, which

“I dreamed of this when I was a kid. To know it’s so close and to know I have a shot out there, it would be just amazing.”

— Karen Chen scary. You’re going to fall and you just have to get back up and keep going.”

“For me, spins come quite naturally. I do remember when starting out that spinning was crazy.”

Karen also won the 2017 U.S. Nationals this past January. She also has a fourth place finish at the World Championships this year.

When not on tour, Karen skates out of Riverside, Calif. She skates six days a week for three to four hours a day and also works out off the ice for one to two hours per day.

Karen has a younger brother who also is a figure skater.

In her off time, Karen likes to draw, paint, and journal. She likes to write about her thoughts and believes it is a good routine to get into, to express and center herself.

“I dreamed of this when I was a kid,” Karen said of the opportunity to represent the United States in the Olympics. “To know it’s so close and to know I have a shot out there, it would be just amazing.”

Just like Nathan, Karen is graduating from high school this year and it’s likely she may take next year off for the Olympics before thinking about colleges. ■

Karen Chen

Nathan Chen

is easier said than done.

The landing requires that they withstand momentary impact forces between eight and 10 times their body weight, stop rotating, land, and continue with their routine.

Nathan recalls first trying the jump at age 13. But after unsuccessful attempts, he decided to put it on the shelf. “I ate it so hard,” laughed Nathan of his challenges with attempting the difficult technical jump.

Nathan got over the fear of falling as he realized it was a necessity for competition.

At 16, he began attempting the jump once again and started to succeed with it.

His hard work has paid off. Nathan became the only skater to manage five quadruple jumps in a single program earlier this year. This helped him become the 2017 U.S. National Champion among the many accolades for the young skater. His quadheavy program is one of the things that will help him stand out when he competes for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team and hopefully in the Olympics in South Korea next year. “It would be a dream come true,” Nathan said of the opportunity to represent

the United States in the Olympic Games.

When not on tour, Nathan trains in Long Beach, Calif. The 18-year-old is completing online courses to graduate from high school and will likely take a year off next year for the Olympics before entering college.

Karen was born in Fremont, Calif. Her parents moved to the United States from Taiwan. Chen’s start in ice skating seemed very ordinary at the age of 4.

“One day, my parents decided to take me to the ice rink,” recalled Karen. She recalls being very shy when she was young and skating helped. “I felt less shy and had a lot of fun.” She did not officially start competing in ice skating events until she For more information on their appearances was 6 years old. In addition to ice skating, for ‘Stars on Ice,’ visit starsonice.com or Karen was involved in ballet and dance. ticketmaster.com for tickets. They will be in Like Nathan, Karen incorporates Seattle on May 20 and then in Wenatchee multiple jumps in her routines. “I think the on May 21. first part of it is learning not to be afraid and giving it all to the jump,” explained Karen Jason can be reached at of how she first became comfortable with info@nwasianweekly.com. the jump. Although she does not regularly perform quad jumps like Nathan, she had to perfect her jumps. “At first, it’s Every definitely Thursday 10 am - 2 pm @ South Lake Union (201 Terry at rotating spots around Western Washington.

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YOUR VOICE

■ AT THE MOVIES

MAY 20 – MAY 26, 2017

asianweekly northwest

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SIFF 2017: Confrontation, desperation, disorientation, and fish bubble guns

By Andrew Hamlin NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

“By the Time It Gets Dark”

No throughline. No reliable story. A crucial exchange done over, early and late in the running, with totally different actors and sets. Plotlines which start out strong and peter out.

Seemingly random footage scattered throughout, especially towards the end.

If any of that bothers you, skip “By the Time It Gets Dark,” Anocha Suwichakornpong’s second feature. But I’m imploring you, don’t skip it. Few films motor further down that path “beyond narrative,” as Roger Ebert wrote about “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Few films insist on their own terms so insistently. But Suwichakornpong has as much of a right to create her own language on-screen.

Unlike “2001,” this picture stays earthbound, another exercise in the venturesome, often nonlinear style of Thai filmmaking pioneered by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Much of it concerns the 1976 Thammasat University massacre and government troops opening fire on student protestors. Parts of this were recreated with the sinister implication that actors

playing soldiers can become as cruel as actual soldiers — all a matter of encouraged, unsupervised power. But the massacre itself is only referred to in words. Which prove enough.

A street peddler with a transparent soap-bubble gun in the shape of a fish, drifts through. He pulls his trigger and bubbles spill in unruly clouds out the plastic fish mouth. The film seems “2001” cosmic for such moments, but keep track of that young woman wandering through every situation.

She’s always cleaning up somebody else’s mess. Some rich mess-maker. Kubrick, or for that matter Weerasethakul, never tipped such a hat to the working hands of the world.

• May 29 – SIFF Cinema Uptown, 7:30 p.m.

• June 1 – Pacific Place, 9:30 p.m.

“Come, Together”

Korean director Shin Dong-il plays with shadows — not physical shadows so much, although he’s got a solid sense for shifting light within a defined space — but inner shadows, storm clouds passing over seemingly-normal personalities. He starts “Come, Together” with a small family. The father swiftly loses his middle-management job, although with a slyness peculiar to this upcoming director, we never learn exactly

what he was supposed to be doing before he’s no longer doing it. He suffers the same humiliation and emasculation we’d expect in the West. But from his understandable emotions, strange and violent tendrils start to sprout.

The wife works selling credit cards to people who do not want them. This job requires her to smile all the time no matter what she’s feeling, and to lie a lot. When she’s caught in lies and improper procedure, she either admits all or denies all and keeps on doing what she’s doing. Only a sociopath could keep this up. She tries, but she’s no sociopath.

And the teenage daughter needs to go to college, to get away from her parents and everything else. Her admission hangs by a thread — nothing comes easy in Korean society. Eventually she plots to improve her chances. If you think you see a happy ending at the end of this one, think twice. Storm clouds, they eventually roll back over.

• May 30 – Shoreline Community College, 8:45 p.m.

• June 3 – SIFF Cinema Uptown, 9 p.m.

• June 4 – SIFF Cinema Uptown, 11 a.m. see SIFF on 12

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asianweekly northwest

10

35 YEARS

MAY 20 – MAY 26, 2017

OPINION

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

Serendipity is the spice for life

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

This year, Mother’s Day was surreal. My eldest son Jason, who has worked in Hong Kong for over a decade, came home … for another reason.

Our nephew is getting married on May 20. I have to confess, I pushed him to attend the wedding. I just wanted him to come home. Although he was born in Seattle, he hadn’t been back in six years.

Our Hong Kong relatives will arrive here the day before the wedding. Jason chose to fly back a week before the wedding.

Only a few days before, I realized that he would be back to celebrate Mother’s Day with me. I felt blessed and happy.

This time, it wasn’t just his voice on a phone call during the wee hours of the day that he wished me “Happy Mother’s Day.” He said it in person — and with a big smile and hug.

Every year, I dream of having my two sons with me for Mother’s Day. I got my wish this year. It was also special for us as a family — it was our (my husband and I and two sons) first reunion in six years. Yes, my husband and I have visited our son in Hong Kong many times, but we have never brought our younger son, John, along. And we often stay in hotels, so we didn’t have much “living at home” interaction except dining together. That’s the price we pay for being in the news business. We take our vacations separately because we need someone at the office, to manage not so much the editorial aspects, but the operation itself, such as accounting, distributions, and personnel.

When we learned the date of Jason’s return, we worked and worked to make our home less messy. What have we done to his room since he’s been gone? Piling up junk. It has been served as our dumping ground since he left Seattle over a decade ago. And yes, we invaded his closet with our own clothes.

John took away the nice blanket that Jason left on his bed. The

Sun hat

teamed up with T he terrarium John make to his friend malfunctioned desk lamp had to be replaced, along with the broken chairs in our dining room. We were just too busy and comfortable with our old stuff. The truth is, we couldn’t care less. I didn’t notice we had been sitting on squeaky, fabrictorn chairs in the past few years. Jason would complain if he sees things unfixed. This time, we gave ourselves an ultimatum — get everything done before he set foot in the house.

And it was a joy to make his room nice and homey again.

On Mother’s Day

When I was reading the paper in the morning, my kids from behind said, “Happy Mother’s Day.” Their voices made my heart melt.

They handed me flowers, a stylish sun hat (yes, I am the hat lady), and a beautiful greeting card, saying, “Mom, More Loved every day. More appreciated every year.”

Then came another surprise — John teamed up with his friend making me a terrarium. One glance at the plant, and

KING COUNTY NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received for C01157C17, Brightwater Secondary Foam Management System; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 1:30 PM on June 1, 2017.

Late bids will not be accepted.

The work of this contract primarily includes the furnishing and installation of a Secondary Foam Management System in the Brightwater Treatment Plant. The work is to be installed in the Aeration Basins and associated Scum channel. The system primarily consists of new C3 piping, spray nozzles, piping and headers for each aeration basin and associated scum channel and installation of electrical panels and cabling for connection to an Owner Furnished pump and VFD and pipe heat tracing and all other work defined in the Contract Documents Estimated contract price: $614,000 Pre-Bid Conference: May 23, 2017, 1:00PM, Operations Center, Brightwater Treatment Plant, 22505 WA-9, Woodinville, WA 98072. A site tour will be conducted immediately following the conference. Hardhats, safety boots, and safety glasses are required for site tour.

Complete Invitation to Bid Documents, including all project details, specifications, and contact information are available on our web page at: https://procurement.kingcounty.gov/ procurement_ovr/default.aspx

Fruit platter I could imagine all the heart, creativity effort, and love that went into the gift. Then, a large fruit plate with 16 kinds of fruits, was unwrapped on the dining table by John’s friend.

Impressed by the color and presentation, we munched on them right away. I have never received so many Mother’s Day gifts in my life.

Adventure with my sons

It has been an adventure with Jason at home the past week. I was astonished how he differs from our eating habits.

“Don’t you have butter?” my son asked. He cooked us a delicious steak with butter, garlic, fresh peppers, and other spices. That must be a generational thing. I eat butter only once a week when I attend my Rotary Club meeting downtown.

“Do you have white sugar?” he asked. Another surprise.

“No, son, we haven’t bought white sugar for our house in a see BLOG on 16

MAY 20 – MAY 26, 2017

YOUR VOICE

asianweekly northwest

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OPINION

■ EDITORIAL Zero tolerance for diversity of thought Am I the only one confused over the “controversy” of the newly-crowned Miss USA’s comments on healthcare?

Kára McCullough was crowned Miss USA on May 14. She is Black, is a chemist for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, volunteers her time to teach children about science, and is the seventh foreign-born Miss USA. Clearly, she is incredibly smart and she has been called one of the most intelligent contestants the competition has ever had. And as evidenced by the social media backlash, she’s not allowed to have an opinion on healthcare and feminism.

McCullough was asked during the Q&A portion of the pageant — “Do you think affordable health care for all U.S. citizens is a right or a privilege and why?”

“I’m definitely going to say it’s a privilege,” McCullough responded. “As a government employee, I am granted healthcare. And I see firsthand that for one to have healthcare, you need to have jobs. So therefore, we need to continue to cultivate this environment that we’re given the opportunities to have health-

Kára McCullough

care, as well as jobs to all the American citizens worldwide.”

The same went for her answer about being

■ COMMENTARY

A snapshot of the life of activist, writer, and Seattle community leader Cindy Domingo

By Cindy Domingo My family has been involved with Alaska cannery workers since my father immigrated to the United States in the 1920s. We Cindy Domingo are a family of three generations of workers, which is not unusual in Seattle’s Filipino community. By the 1970s, about one out of five Filipino families on the West Coast sent a family member to labor in an Alaskan cannery, making the cannery workers’ union central to the development of the West Coast Filipino community.

My brothers Silme and Nemesio formed the Alaska Cannery Workers Association (ACWA) to help make the union accountable to its workers. I collaborated with them and others through ACWA to educate the Filipino community about the discrimination and the inhumane working and living conditions that Filipinos and other people of color and women encountered in the canneries. The industry conflated race with skill in order to justify unequal treatment of whites and nonwhites. White employees typically worked as managers or machinists (“beach gang” workers unloading fish from ships), while nonwhites were restricted to the most grueling and lowest-paid positions— sorting, cleaning, cutting, and canning the salmon. ACWA helped file three class action lawsuits against such inequalities and won two of them.

The 1970s were a very important time when Asian Americans became more politicized through the Vietnam War and various identity movements. The Union of Democratic Filipinos (KDP), a radical

organization based in the U.S. Filipino community, originated as a result of these campaigns. Silme was a founding member of the Seattle KDP chapter in 1974 because of his leading role in Seattle’s Asian American movement. I shortly thereafter followed him and joined the KDP, which first took a stand against martial law as the Philippines was then under the dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos. Eventually, I joined the KDP national staff in Oakland, Calif., performing educational work and guiding KDP chapters around the country. Over the almost 15 years of the KDP’s existence, the organization became well-known for its leadership in the anti-dictatorship movement and the struggle against racism toward the Filipino community.

My brother Silme Domingo and his colleague Gene Viernes were murdered on June 1, 1981, as a result of their work as trade unionists and anti-Marcos activists.

It didn’t take my family and the KDP more than 48 hours to understand that the Marcos dictatorship was responsible for their assassinations. It took us until 1989 to prove our case in a federal district court. But when we won, we became the first plaintiffs to hold a foreign dictator accountable for the murders of U.S. citizens. We were awarded a $23.5 million settlement against the defendants.

After the murders, my brother Nemesio and I helped form the Committee for Justice for Domingo and Viernes (CJDV) in Seattle. I eventually became the National Coordinator leading the global efforts to gain justice for their killings. I traveled across the United States and the Philippines (after the Marcoses fled in 1986) serving as the spokesperson for our justice efforts. To this day, I continue to educate and write about these experiences, hoping to ensure that Silme and Gene’s important work is never

a feminist: “So as a woman scientist in the government, I’d like to lately transpose the word feminism to equalism,” McCullough said as the audience cheered. “I don’t really want to consider myself — try not to consider myself like this die-hard, you know, like, ‘Oh, I don’t really care about men.’ But one thing I’m gonna say, though, is women, we are just as equal as men when it comes to opportunity in the workplace.”

McCullough made the media rounds on May 16 to clarify that she actually thinks healthcare is a “right,” and not a “privilege” — as she originally stated.

“I am privileged to have healthcare and I do believe that it should be a right,” the 25-yearold told Good Morning America. “I hope and pray moving forward that healthcare is a right for all worldwide.”

McCullough explained that her initial healthcare remarks were merely an attempt at getting people to see where she was coming from, as an insured governmental employee.

“Having a job, I have to look at healthcare like

it is a privilege,” McCullough said.

I, for one, am disappointed that McCullough felt the need to backtrack, that she felt pressured to waiver from her original answer. Are we as a society so close-minded that an opinion that differs from ours becomes “wrong”? What happened to diversity and celebrating differences? It appears that when it comes to diversity of thought, there is little tolerance.

One male Twitter user wrote, “It’s always funny when dumb broads try to sound smart.” Way to dismiss a woman because she dares to have an opinion that you disagree with. Classy.

I guess it’s not enough to be an accomplished woman in a tough male-dominated field, and to be smart — you must also voice opinions that don’t offend anyone. And heaven forbid that you have a brain and can form your own opinion!

Don’t listen to them, Kara! And I’m rooting for you in the upcoming Miss Universe contest. 

NOTICE OF A CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING REZONES AND AMENDMENTS TO THE SEATTLE MUNICIPAL CODE AFFECTING PROPERTY IN THE CHINATOWN-INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT (Council Bill 118959).

THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2017, at 6:00 p.m.

City Council Chambers, Seattle City Hall, Floor 2 600 Fourth Avenue, Seattle WA 98104 The City Council’s Planning, Land Use and Zoning (PLUZ) Committee will hold a public hearing to take comments on Council Bill 118959, which proposes changes to land use and zoning regulations affecting property in Chinatown-International District by rezoning land in the Chinatown-International District (CID) to implement Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) requirements.

The legislation would require new commercial or multi-family development in the affected zones to contribute to affordable housing by including affordable housing within the development or paying into a fund that will support development of affordable housing. To offset this requirement, the legislation would also add height (ranging from 10 to 30 feet, approximately one to three stories) or additional floor area for buildings in zones where the MHA requirements would apply.

The City’s zoning rules for development in the CID also allows for incentive zoning. Incentive zoning is a land use tool that enables developers to achieve extra floor area when they provide public amenities and benefits like contributions to affordable childcare, public open spaces, investments in public amenities, and purchasing development rights from historic buildings.

The Council may consider the following amendments to the legislation, and is also seeking public comment on these potential changes: • Amending the boundaries of the Design Review Boards to include the all areas within the CID in the boundary for the Downtown Design Review Board.

• Extending the boundary of the Special Review District east of Interstate 5 to include the blocks between 12th Avenue S and Rainier Avenue S and the blocks between S Jackson Street and S Main Street to Include all property in the CID in the International Special Review District.

• Exempting projects containing significant amounts of affordable housing from requirements of the incentive zoning program to gain more floor area and height. Such projects could achieve the maximum floor area and height permitted under the zoning without providing Downtown amenities or purchasing Transfer of Development Rights from South Downtown historic buildings or public open space.

Copies of Council Bill 118959 may be obtained from the City Clerk’s Office at 600 4th Avenue, Floor 3. The Clerk’s Office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and may also be reached at Clerk@Seattle.Gov. You may also view the proposals online at https://seattle.legistar. com/Legislation.aspx. Search for Record number “CB 118959”.

Questions regarding the proposal may be directed to Brennon Staley of the Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) at 206-684-4625 or via email at brennon.staley@seattle.gov or to Lish Whitson of the City Council Central Staff at (206) 684-8148 or via email at lish.whitson@seattle.gov.

City staff will be available to answer questions at 5:30 p.m. For those who wish to provide comment, sign-up sheets will be available starting at 5:30 p.m. Public comment will be limited to 2 minutes per person (time needed for translation is not included in time limit). The public hearing will begin at 6 p.m., with a short presentation on the proposal.

Childcare will be provided. Translation and interpretation will be provided in Cantonese, Mandarin, and Vietnamese.

Written comments on the proposal will be accepted through 5:00 p.m. on June 1, 2017. Please send comments to Spencer Williams in Councilmember Rob Johnson’s office, via e-mail at: spencer.williams@ seattle.gov, or by mail to: Councilmember Rob Johnson Seattle City Council 600 4th Avenue, 2nd Floor PO BOX 34025 Seattle, WA 98124-4025 All comments received are considered public records

forgotten. For example, I participated in writing a chapter in Mila De Guzman’s book Women Against Marcos, which details the roles of female anti-Marcos activists and the CJDV leaders. Additionally, during the fall of 2017, the University of Washington Press will release an anthology of stories by KDP members titled Memoirs of a Movement: An

Anthology of the Union of the Democratic Filipinos, which I edited with Rene Ciria Cruz and Bruce Occena. Despite these efforts, the significance of our unprecedented judicial victory and Silme and Gene’s important activist legacy remain unknown to many. see DOMINGO on 13

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MAY 20 – MAY 26, 2017

35 YEARS

■ NATIONAL NEWS Chinese American WWII veteran, 95

By Dorbina Lim Bishop Seventy-four years ago on May 19, 1943, at age 21, my father Bin Wai Lim, a San Francisco-born Chinese American, enlisted in the United States Army. On that day, he took a physical exam and an IQ test. On Jan. 11, 1944, he was deployed overseas. He certainly remembers that Sunday morning on Dec. 7, 1941 — learning of the surprise bombing at Pearl Harbor. People on the mainland, especially on the West Coast, felt fearful.

Bin was honorably discharged on Jan. 11, 1946 at the rank of Staff Sergeant of the 1157th Signal Service Company.

He served in the army for two years, seven months, and 23 days. After the war ended, Lim left China by ship departing from Shanghai to Seattle, and took a bus to Camp Beale and arriving at 11 p.m. He continued onward to his home in San Francisco, where he was reunited with his wife and siblings. The aircraft carrier from Shanghai was very slow because it zig-zagged to avoid possible torpedoes. Soldiers slept nine bunks high on the carrier.

In 1943, Bin joined the Signal Corps assigned to the U.S. Army Air Corps, known today as the U.S. Air Force.

He completed his radio, electronics, and communications training in Springfield, Ill. and in Virginia. He completed his U.S. Signal Corp Training at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.

Bin became a corporal in six months and staff sergeant in nine months. His military specialty was in communication for airborne units. Most of his work was in electronics and servicing technical electronics for landlines, communication, airplane instruments, commerce for

FILVET from 1 — the bill that after 75 years, awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to WWII FilVets.

The Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP)’s goal is to distribute replicas of the civilian medals to WWII FilVets or their surviving family members. Time is running out for these veterans. The youngest of the estimated 16,000 – 18,000 veterans still alive are in their 90s. There were only about five or six veterans in the elegantly decorated hall on Saturday.

Joe Taton, Sr., at 101 years of age, sat in his wheelchair, blind, surrounded by his family, and grinned happily while daughters Desirae and Elizabeth, and grandson Solomon lovingly talked about Taton’s positive attitude despite being ignored for his military service.

Taton served in the United States Army as a Staff Sergeant, is a Korean War veteran, and survived the Bataan Death March and being held prisoner of a war camp. His daughter Desirae said Taton never really talked about the details of his wartime experience. Taton only mentioned being poked and prodded by his captors’ bayonets because of recurring nightmares.

Desirae was angry when she heard about Taton’s treatment. “How can another human being be so cruel? Even animals have rights.”

In December 2009, President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Act provided a one-time payment of $15,000 to FilVets living in the United States and $9,000 to others living outside of the United States.

In a sad twist of fate, Taton failed to qualify for compensation because he was wanted by the Japanese and served under an alias.

Taton’s family said the FilVets never got the recognition, honor, and respect they deserve. Taton’s grandson Solomon said that despite surviving the horrors of the Bataan Death March, Taton still speaks of nothing but peace, putting family first, and doesn’t believe in anyone saying, “I can’t.”

He reminds his family that if you don’t try,

convoy received orders to divert to South Africa. Once there, his Company waited two months to receive further instructions. Bin finally received the new orders to go to the CBI Theater (China, Burma, and India), rather than Europe.

The convoy went to Bombay, India. Then, Bin’s company traveled to Burma and Yunnan Province in China via the Burma Road. In the last year of the war, he was primarily in the Kunming area (the capital of Yunnan Province and very mountainous). He performed communications work for the 14th Air Force (successor to the famed Flying Tigers).

Also, he delivered messages to people of the villages.

In China, Bin often feared he could be mistaken by Chinese snipers as Japanese. Fortunately, that fear was never realized.

After the War

Bin Wai Lim's 95th birthday with daughter Dorbina and husband

control tower, and landing systems on the airfield.

During World War II, Bin’s company was ordered to sail to the European Theater. The convoy was attacked by German U-boats. To evade the threat by the U-boats, Bin’s

how would you know you can’t?

Ret. Brigadier General Oscar Hilman is the Director of Region 8, which sponsored the fundraiser and includes Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Idaho. Hilman served 35 years in the U.S. Army and acknowledged there had been a lack of leadership in the FilVet community, which contributed to the length of time getting FilVets the honor and recognition they deserve. The tragedy is FilVet survivors are dying. Two passed away this month, and the number of survivors gets smaller every year.

After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, they attacked the Philippines on Dec. 8. President Franklin D. Roosevelt directed General Douglas MacArthur to draft Filipino men and to build an army, explained Hilman. Roosevelt signed a 1941 Executive Order incorporating the Philippine Commonwealth Army into the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). Roosevelt’s order promised U.S. citizenship and full U.S. veterans’ benefits, enticing 100,000 Filipinos to enlist, and they were sworn in as members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

But the infamous Rescission Act of 1946 stripped the FilVets of all promises, which saved the U.S. government about $3 billion.

President Harry Truman balked at first and vetoed the bill. But Congress persisted, and Truman ultimately signed a second nearly identical bill breaking every promise made to FilVets.

Lourdes Alvarado-Ramos, Washington State Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs, thinks compensation to the FilVets is taking so long because people view the veterans as foreigners. “We have to put this skunk on the table. Racial bias existed in the past and continues today.”

When asked about the difficulties of getting recognition under the new administration, Alvarado-Ramos responded with hearty laughter.

Ret. U.S. Army Major General Antonio Taguba, National Chair of the FilVetREP, said the Congressional Gold Medal is “a solace of sorts — a consolation,” after the torment FilVets have experienced.

Bin and his wife started a family. They have seven children known as the 7D’s since each of their names begin with the letter “D.” Today, Bin is divorced and has 11 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren.

After the war, he worked two jobs since he had a large family. During the day, he worked at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard as a civilian doing electronics work on aircraft carriers and submarines, including the USS Kitty Hawk.

Bin received many Service Awards and Outstanding Service Awards from the Naval Shipyard. He worked at Hunters Point Shipyard, Oakland Shipyard, and Alameda Shipyard, all located in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In 1980, Bin retired. He had spent 38-and-a-half years serving Uncle Sam. 

As far as the one-time $15,000 payment to FilVets in the United States, it doesn’t even cover the cost of a typical burial. “If you do the math, it works out to 62 cents a day.” There are still about 4,000 FilVets appealing the denial of payments. Taguba said perhaps the last act of Congress would be to publicly recognize the contributions of the FilVets and apologize for its broken promises.

It’s personal for Taguba. His father was a FilVet who survived the Bataan Death March and died in 2011. Many FilVets continue to be denied payment because they lack proof of service due to aliases they had to use during the war. Some were granted U.S. citizenship because they had adequate documents proving their military service — yet those same documents were not enough to receive benefits from Veterans Affairs.

Taguba said the story about a 1973 fire in St. Louis destroying military service records is a myth. “None of those records were destroyed.” Taguba is stoic, but his compassion is unmistakable when he said the entire burden of proof falls on the shoulders of 90- and 100-year-old FilVets.

Many are on their third round of appeals and will die before they see any benefits.

Taguba personally helped a FilVet from San Francisco about five years ago.

Taguba found and provided the name of the FilVet’s commander, two witnesses, the name of the unit he served under, and the area of service. But the records misspelled the FilVet’s name — it was off by two letters. The veteran is appealing for a third time, but Taguba said he wouldn’t win because the witnesses have since died. And tragically, so will the FilVet because he’s close to 100 years old.

Taguba gave the first check to a FilVet who was 101 years old. But the amount is so insignificant and is nearly meaningless.

“It’s the piece of paper — the record of recognition of their service to the country and righting a wrong” of broken promises that these veterans seek. ■ Arlene can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com

SIFF from 9

“After the Storm”

Hirokazu Koreeda likes to examine families, or to be more precise, x-ray families. He can’t derive any great insight from having skeletons walk through his movies, of course, so he invites us to be patient, to stay with his characters until we understand their inner life. It helps that he can get to the inner life quickly, deftly, and artfully. This latest from him concerns, if we read the SIFF literature, a bad father who gets a second chance with his young son when a typhoon traps them together. Well, with all due respect and love to SIFF and SIFF literature, this one’s mostly about the Dad. He’s a bad Dad. Of course, that is part and parcel with being a bad human being. Not horrible, not vengeful, not bloodthirsty. Just lazy, with an offhand knack for avoiding hard work.

He was a promising writer. Now he’s a private detective in training, a job which consists of, mostly, sitting in parked cars waiting for your marks to make mistakes.

“After the Storm” moves slowly but meticulously. Since the main character’s halfway likeable, the audience gets reeled in, which is how Koreeda gets us to ponder our own hard questions. Do we take advantage of family? Do we settle for less than our best? Have we looked long and hard at how our dreams will not come true, how we probably aren’t as smart/funny/sexy/dynamic as we fancy ourselves? He won’t win friends that way.

He may influence people.  • May 19 – SIFF Cinema Uptown, 7 p.m.

• May 20 – SIFF Cinema Egyptian, 4 p.m.

Andrew Hamlin can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Thank you for recycling this newspaper!

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

MAY 20 – MAY 26, 2017

asianweekly northwest

13

Predictions and advice for the week of May 20–May 26, 2017

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat — While it may seem slower at the beginning, taking the time to read the directions will actually speed up the process later on.

Dragon — A recent series of discoveries could lead you toward that which you have been searching for all along.

Monkey — There is a logical sequence of actions that should be taken. However, it may require some forethought on your part.

Ox — Although the safer option seems less risky, there is also something to be lost by going with the more predictable choice.

Snake — To avoid the time and expense of amassing a large collection, try instead to acquire just those few pieces that have meaning to you.

Rooster — Recognizing the signs early on could help you to avoid some obstacles that would otherwise stand in your way.

Tiger — As the strength of old bonds are tested, you should find that consistency is something to be appreciated.

Horse — There is a chance that all your preparations will be for naught when an unexpected variable enters the picture.

Dog — Don’t make the same mistake twice. If you see something that should be corrected, address it sooner rather than later.

Rabbit — Ruffled feathers may need to be smoothed over. A sincere gesture is a good start provided it is coupled with follow-up in kind.

Goat — As you cannot anticipate every outcome, there is a point where you will just have to go with your best guess.

Pig — As your turn comes near, you can choose to partake or wait for another opportunity further down the line.

What’s your animal sign?

Rat 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 Ox 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 Tiger 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 Rabbit 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 Dragon 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 Snake 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 Horse 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 Goat 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 Monkey 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 Rooster 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 Dog 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006 Pig 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007

*The year ends on the first new moon of the following year. For those born in January and February, please take care when determining your sign.

JUNG from 1 the form of a printed booklet, detailing the news and information they need to know.

Curating what our country’s higher-ups read is no easy task. This year’s annual ExpeditionHacks is looking for the next generation of problem solvers to broaden the diversity of news stories that reach our leaders’ eyes.

Hosted by information strategy company Blue Compass, LLC from Saturday, May 20 through Sunday, May 21, the competition sees teams of up to five from around the country coding solutions to real-time computer simulations related to tracking social media news at Seattle’s Impact Hub. “The event got together to build things for other people, entrepreneurs, thought leaders,” said Blue Compass President Christine Jung. “The idea of the hackathon was to solutions to common problems.”

Each team will make a two to three minute presentation and the winning champions will walk away with a grand prize of $10,000. The first runner-up will receive $1,000.

Two more prizes of $500 will go to solutions the crowd favorite .

The competition is sponsored by the U.S. National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, whose duties include

gathering strategic intelligence critical to counterterrorism, cyber security, and natural disaster relief.

According to Jung, this year’s judges were selected to represent the hackathon’s emphasis on academics, technology, and local government.

“The ultimate goal of the hackathon is to get work and licensing for teams that participate,” Jung said. “The most valuable feedback that participants can receive is from judges and recruiters.”

The hackathon’s judges are Nathalie Steinmetz, ; software developer Jeffrey Scott from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; data scientist and tech community organizer Eloisa Tran, Executive D of Ada Developer Academy, Cynthia Tee; and Amazon business intelligence engineer Terry Kong.

While the vast majority of the hackathon’s past participants have been college-age students according to Jung, she hopes that the hackathon’s grand prize money — a $6,000 increase from last year’s $4,000 grand prize — attracts more experienced professionals as well.

“At worst, we’ll still see the best students come out,” Jung said.

Jung, who was inspired to help combat human trafficking after attending a two-day conference on the subject hosted by Catholic University in 2015, allocated much of Blue Compass’ resources to help authorities track online

transactions and communications within the industry.

According to a report by the International Labor Organization, human traffickers exploit an estimated 21 million victims around the world, making as much as $150 billion a year. Up to 14.2 million are exploited labor and 4.5 million are exploited for sexual services.

“There’s a lot of stuff we do to help governments innovate and connect with innovators,” Jung said.

“There are a lot of things in information technology that are transferable to other industries, like human rights groups and human trafficking. We can collect data for agencies handling the prosecution side of it, connecting one branch of government to another and helping federal authorities to work with local law enforcement.”

Blue Compass is sponsoring eight more hackathons this year, including its next stop in San Antonio, Texas on June 3. Jung hopes that the competition brings even more minds together to help build the future of the information industry.

“We’re really excited about the caliber of talent this year will bring,” Jung said. “We’re hoping to gain a lot of people attracted to a environment. There are a lot of exciting opportunities to network and meet new people, and we’re excited to see what comes out of [the hackathon].” ■ Tim can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

DOMINGO from 11 Today, besides my full-time job as Chief of Staff for a King County Councilmember, I am an active leader/organizer in my local, national, and international communities, championing many different and critical issues. Recently, I traveled to the Philippines as an election observer, and I continue to participate in the U.S.-based Philippine solidarity movement. Current Filipino politician Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr.’s refusal to acknowledge the human rights violations under his father’s dictatorship makes our cause relevant once again, among other reasons. In addition to my love for the Philippines, I have made Cuba my other home, leading delegations of visitors, especially women, to learn about the advancements of female leaders under the Cuban revolution. Lastly, the election of the 45th U.S. president has incited me and others to form a statewide coalition to advance a human rights agenda in light of the hostility and attacks people are now facing in the United States and worldwide.  Cindy Domingo is the Legislative Aide to King County Councilmember Larry Gossett.

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asianweekly northwest

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MAY 20 – MAY 26, 2017

GOLDEN VISAS from 5 Their money goes toward government bonds, businesses, mountain ski resorts, new schools and real estate projects, including a Trump-branded tower in New Jersey built by the Kushner Companies, once run by Jared Kushner, now a White House senior adviser. But the industry is murky, loosely regulated and sometimes fraud-ridden — in the U.S., federal regulators have linked the EB-5 visa program to fraud cases involving more than $1 billion in investment in the last four years.

The EB-5 program and many others like it market heavily in China.

China’s “golden visa” investors are part of a wave characterized not by poverty, persecution or war, but by people with steady jobs and homes who are pursuing happiness that’s eluded them in their homeland.

Key to their spending power is China’s real estate boom. Real estate prices in China’s largest cities have more than tripled in the last decade, with prices in Beijing rising by an average of 25 percent a year during that time. Since late 2015 alone, Beijing’s home prices have jumped

35 YEARS

63 percent, making a 1,300 square-foot (120 square-meter) apartment worth more than $1 million.

A family that gained ownership of an ordinary apartment more than a decade ago can now sell it for the price of a “golden visa.” And as their dissatisfaction with China’s problems grows, more families are choosing to do so.

The AP obtained data from officials in 13 countries on how many Chinese have used their investor programs since 2007. To estimate money spent, the AP multiplied the numbers of Chinese investors in each country by the minimum investment required, making the AP’s figures for each country an undercount.

The market leader is the United States’ EB-5 program, which gives green cards to anyone who invests $500,000 in a business that creates or saves at least 10 jobs. But Portugal has drawn $1.7 billion over four years from Chinese investors willing to buy property to support its faltering real estate market. Spain and Greece offer similar programs. Chinese have bought the most visas in all three countries.

The EB-5 program has been heavily criticized by government watchdogs and

targeted by lawmakers of both parties in Congress, who say it promotes fraud and helps developers building megaprojects more than struggling communities.

Defenders of EB-5 say it creates jobs and provides vital funding for projects across the United States, from massive developments in New York to hotels, restaurants and small businesses in the Midwest and on the West Coast.

Nicole Meyer, Kushner’s sister, appeared this month at events in Beijing and Shanghai to promote One Journal Square, a New Jersey tower project planned by the Kushner family that would be partially funded through EB-5 investment. The presentation included a photo of Trump and vague promises that the project had “government support” and was “founded by celebrity developers.”

The company later apologized for any implication that her brother was supporting the project, and Meyer pulled out of a scheduled presentation in China this past weekend. The White House said Kushner would follow conflict of interest policies and that Trump and Congress would review “all the various visa programs” in due course.

Many Chinese are well aware of the

risks involved, but invest anyway.

Du Juan attended a seminar in Beijing held by an investment group pitching ski resorts and other projects. Her primary focus is getting her 10-year-old daughter enrolled soon in an American school.

“I don’t worry about the $500,000, but I worry about the loss of time,” Du said. “I am afraid that we’ll be unable to get the visa when we need it.” ■

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asianweekly northwest

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“Congratulations to the Northwest Asian Weekly on its 35th Anniversary. The professionalism and the many hours of work has sustained the weekly for all these years. The Asian Weekly has been a very valuable asset for the ChinatownInternational District. They have committed to many more years of publishing by purchasing the old theater and remodeling it into the Asian Weekly facility. They have never faltered in keeping the ID unique.”

— Tosh Okamoto

From left: Pat Suyama, Mark Hidaka, and Steve Suyama

The only weekly English-edition newspaper serving the Asian community in the state of Washington for 35 years.

“I still remember Assunta Ng coming in to solicit advertisements when she first started the Seattle Chinese Post 35 years ago… I wanted to support her because it’s good for the Chinese community to have a newspaper. We have been here since the 1960s and many of our customers are Chinese. Although I can’t read Chinese, City Produce has been advertising since then, and never stops. I read the Northwest Asian Weekly. Supporting the newspaper is supporting the community.”

— Pat Suyama, Owner of City Produce

Send in your thoughts to editor@nwasianweekly.com.

Join us for our 35th Anniversary Celebration dinner on Oct. 21 at China Harbor restaurant. For tickets, please go to http://35nwawf.bpt.me, or email rsvp@nwasianweekly.com, or call 206-223-0623. To sponsor the event, contact Assunta Ng at assunta@nwasianweekly.com. For more info, visit nwasianweekly.com/35years.

team, and Kirby Collins, my roommate. I love fishing and Doug Martin and I would fish after games on Saturday night and on Sunday after film. Forty years later, these core friendships are strong and intact. That was one of the best gifts the University gave me.

HARRELL from 7

Two shining examples of diversity at UW

Tell us about your college experience.

What do you think about students now?

Photo by George Liu/NWAW

It’s early evening at the Harrell house. Bruce is in the living room on his cellphone discussing business when Joanne comes to the door fresh after a run through Seward Park.

Everyone removes their shoes, following a practice set

by Bruce’s mother, Rose, a Japanese American who spent part of her childhood interned at Minidoka. After the war she met Clayton Harrell, a classmate at Garfield High. They made their home in the Mount Baker neighborhood. Bruce also attended Garfield, where he graduated valedictorian. He enrolled in the UW on a football scholarship.

Joanne grew up in a military family living in Washington, D.C., before her father retired to Tacoma. She graduated from Wilson High. Enrolling at UW and studying communication and business led her to a career in the technology and nonprofit sectors. From her time as a student, she has sought different ways to support her communities, including serving on the UW Board of Regents since 2009.

Joanne Harrell and Seattle City Council President Bruce Harrell

Joanne: Out of deciding what I didn’t want to do, I focused on what did I want to do. When I started at the UW, I was going to go to medical school. But by my junior year I decided I wanted to be more people centered. Communications turned out to be a good fit.

When I look at my life I feel such gratitude and appreciation for the University. One of the roles of a university is to provide social mobility and access. In my case, I think our University did a very good job.

Bruce: I was on a football scholarship. I would always spend the fall quarter practicing and playing and then catching up on my credits during the winter. As an athlete you’re always busy. I was a political science major with plans to go to law school. I knew I wanted to be a lawyer since I was 12. I wanted to do something where I could effect

change.

SHIONG from 1

allowed me to express myself.”

father figure to him, counseling him on how to avoid conflicts at home and offering him opportunities to volunteer, first within the club and then in the community.

Shiong responded by holding every office in the leadership group, from treasurer to president. He volunteered to work with numerous nonprofit organizations, clearing invasive species for EarthCorps, helping shoppers at the local food bank, passing out bottles of water to participants in walk-athons and at the Big Climb at the Columbia Tower.

He joined club outings to college campuses in the state and for the first time, he said, his own future began to open up.

The club also took the high-school students to meet with local business leaders. They learned about the companies, about the leaders’ own paths to achievement and the role mentors had played in their lives.

Yamada took Shiong and another student to Atlanta for a Boys & Girls Club seminar in poetry and the spoken word. In the end, he went from flunking English to finding an outlet for his feelings through writing.

“He more than just helped me,” Shiong said of his mentor.

“No matter what he was doing, he always had time for me. He

A life transformed

What was campus like?

Joanne: This was still a time when the Black Panthers were on campus. It was turbulent. The Ethnic Cultural Center was a very important convening place. Even now, years later as a regent, that’s still there in the back of my head: Students need a place where they are comfortable and can convene.

Back then there was an emerging Hispanic and Latino movement as well. I remember the protests and learning about Chavez [in support of farmworkers] and taking part in the lettuce boycott. Even back then we were multicultural.

Bruce: The University was a great place to make friends.

Of course Joanne is my best friend, but two of my male best friends are Doug Martin, who was on the football

In the process, Yamada said, the discouraged, introverted boy blossomed into a young man willing to extend himself to help others.

At the governor’s mansion in Olympia, Inslee presented Shiong with the Governor’s Award for Community Service, in recognition of the more than 750 volunteer hours he’d logged over the previous three years.

The next night, the 13 finalists presented their own stories to an audience of more than 200 at the Bell Harbor Conference Center in Seattle. Scanning the program, Shiong said his stomach knotted up. The finalists went in alphabetical order by club. Bellevue was first.

He said he took a deep breath, lifted the microphone off the podium and started moving across the stage, finding the rhythm in his words.

The boy who had trouble speaking up for himself performed a spoken-word poem of his journey from the child who was rarely comforted or heard, to finding protection among the “armored knights” of the Boys & Girls Club staff.

“I killed it!” he said.

He didn’t win, but at the end of the ceremony, he was

Joanne: Students now are facing very real fears and concerns. I approach things with compassion, and I seek to connect. As a regent, that’s how I look at my role. I love it when students come to us [the board]. They bring such passion and energy—and sometimes anger. But it’s so important for them to come to us. That’s how we learn. It’s wonderful to have seen one side as a student and now to see the other side. As a student I never thought I would be a regent.

Last year, students came to the board asking that the University divest from coal. I told them, “We are willing to go through this journey with you, we will partner in analyzing the divestment.” And we did. I want to help them learn to trust in the process, to engage and go in and work with the people inside.

If you could go back and talk to your student self, what would you say?

Joanne: Some things that I did worked well. I was disciplined, focused and very school oriented. But it is important to look more broadly than what is right next to you. Join student government. That is a wonderful way to become aware of your potential to impact change. I would also say, “Be bold. Remember the importance of confidence and always engage in positive self-talk.”

Bruce: I was always in a hurry. I was in a rush to graduate.

In a rush to finish law school. I would say, “Enjoy the moment. There is so much around you, you should want to slow up and drink it all in.” — Hannelore Sudermann 

surrounded by people from the audience who congratulated him on his performance.

“I never thought I could speak in front of so many people,” he said.

Following his June graduation, Shiong plans to attend Bellevue College so he can remain close to home and support his sister. After two years, he said, he’d like to transfer to a fouryear university and earn a degree in education or counseling.

Having served in every position on his club’s leadership team, he now holds the title of club ambassador. He testified in Olympia before a legislative committee on a bill to support mentorship programs. In the coming weeks, he will introduce the club’s programs and goals to the Bellevue City Council, the Bellevue Rotary Club and the Bellevue School Board.

“It’s impressive, really impressive,” said Ryan Scott, vice president of Bellevue Boys & Girls Club. “We’re really proud that he can represent us.”

Shiong also started a new program at the club called “Be Heard,” with a goal of reaching out to the quiet kids who might lack the confidence to speak out themselves.

“Maybe they think they’re not important. Maybe they haven’t gotten the opportunity to express themselves. We want to tell them, `You’re important. We need you,’?” Shiong said. ■

asianweekly northwest

16

35 YEARS

MAY 20 – MAY 26, 2017

long time,” I replied. I avoid eating processed sugar because it’s unhealthy. We have only honey at home.

When we went grocery shopping, Jason grabbed a box of chocolate chip cookies. I don’t know how long it has been since we stocked cookies in our kitchen. All our snacks are protein bars, drinks, and dark chocolate. The next thing he asked for … bacon. Fortunately, he cooked the bacon perfectly, by getting rid of all the fat. Yum! “You don’t have cream (for coffee),” he said.

“We don’t use cream for coffee, just 2 percent milk,” I replied. How I envy him that he’s fearless when it comes to food! He doesn’t worry about calories or fats. When you are young, you can get away with everything. I have to watch out for everything I eat. So we bought all the unhealthy ingredients he likes to cook for us.

My son’s week in Seattle was well spent. He also celebrated Father’s Day with his dad, sort of. The two went to Vancouver B.C. together. One night, he went to the Mariners’ game with his brother. It turned out to be a “miracle” game. The Mariners won at the last second after losing the last four games. Jason probably brought the team luck. Okay, I admit I exaggerate.

How else can I explain the Mariners’ incredible victory?

We took walks in the International District to show him all the latest growth in the community, including the latest homeless camp development around Dearborn Avenue South — all eye-opening for him.

Giving back

To pay it forward for having my sons present on Mother’s

Photos by Assunta Ng/NWAW

BLOG from 10

Snappy Dragon Restaurant’s owner Judy Fu

Alaskan king crab dinner at the Ocean Star restaurant.

Day, I decided to pay tribute to another mother. Judy Fu, owner of Snappy Dragon Restaurant, has been supportive of us for a long time. Her restaurant is doing well, and her clients are usually Caucasians living in the neighborhood. She doesn’t need any advertisements. Still, she calls us every Lunar New Year to place an ad.

We surprised her on Saturday with flowers and also dined at her restaurant. It’s good to see her in great shape. I am lucky to have customers like her.

work.”

If she only knew the rewards of raising them. There is no smooth ride in life. Sure, there are tremendous sacrifices, heartaches, and headaches raising kids.

But to be able to experience the unconditional love between a parent and a child is worthwhile and amazing — it is the greatest, unselfish love. Parents would do anything for their kids, and don’t expect anything in return. But the love between a man and woman is more often conditional.

I feel my friend is missing out in life for rejecting children.

I hope she changes her mind. 

Having kids

One of my young girl friends has decided not to have kids after marriage. “Too much pressure,” she said, “and too much

Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

ASIAN HALL OF FAME from 7 as Jin Soo Kwon on the hit TV series “Lost.” He was a part of the cast that earned a 2006 Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble. Currently, he plays Detective Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly on the CBS series “Hawaii Five-O.” In addition, Kim will serve as executive producer of a new ABC series, “The Good Doctor,” through his production company, 3AD. The premise of the show is based on a South Korean format in which a young surgeon with Savant syndrome is recruited to a surgical unit at a prestigious hospital.

Since Kim shoots “Hawaii Five-O,” he is not able to visit his sister who lives in Portland, Ore. In his acceptance speech, he noted how fortunate he was that his sister came up to see him receive the honor.

Damon is best known as a center fielder for the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. He played a total of 18 seasons in the major leagues.

He also was a part of the 2013 Thailand National Baseball team that attempted to qualify for the World Baseball Classic. Damon noted that his mother, who is Thai, was as proud of him to represent Thailand as she was with his play in the major leagues. Damon was a two-time All-Star and won a World Series with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. Babe Ruth is the only other player to have won World Series rings with the two rival franchises.

Damon notes that his mother instilled the values and traditions of her birthplace in his life. “I have constant reminders every day of her journey and love for Thailand.”

“My Thai heritage has given me a positive attitude,” said Damon in his acceptance speech.

“She taught me true values.” As part of the night, Damon auctioned off two bats he used when he played for the Yankees and Red Sox. He joked, “I apologize for beating up on Seattle all those years,” referring to the times he played against the Mariners.

The evening featured a cocktail hour and entertainment from the Morning Star Korean Cultural Center. The program was emceed by King 5 news anchor Mimi Jung and a live auction was carried out by King 5 Evening host Jim Dever.

Among its other accomplishments this year, the Robert Chinn Foundation installed a new Asian Hall of Fame exhibit at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at the beginning of May. The exhibit is located in the South Satellite Terminal. ■ To see photos from the evening, visit facebook. com/AsianHallofFame. For more on the Robert Chinn Foundation, visit robertchinnfoundation. org.

Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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