VOL 37 NO 5 | JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

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

VOL 37 NO 5 JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

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36 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Photo by Lyndsey Brollini/NWAW

Japanese American allies march with the indigenous community during Seattle’s Women’s March

By Lyndsey Brollini NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Indigenous people and allies leading the Seattle Women’s March on Jan. 20 to raise awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

SHARON MAEDA

The sound of drums to the Women Warrior song beat through everyone’s ears who observed the Women’s March on Jan. 20.

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) led the

march in an effort to call attention to what it said is an epidemic of violence against indigenous women. Spectators saw the indigenous community dressed in red to honor MMIW, while others wore pink hats. The MMIW awareness aims to find justice and highlight cases see WOMEN’S MARCH on 15

back from retirement seeking to make a difference

Deputy Mayor

Shefali Ranganathan

Photo by Jason Cruz/NWAW

brings passion and purpose

By Jessica Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Sharon Maeda retired and spent some of her time watching television news on her couch.

After the November 2016 presidential election, she knew

she had to get off the couch and do something — which led her back to radio.

“I felt like I needed to do something in the media again,” explained Maeda. “I just couldn’t sit there all day watching see MAEDA on 16

I’m sitting on the other side of the table, hoping fervently that my recorder is working because I don’t want to miss anything that Shefali Ranganathan is saying. Seattle’s deputy mayor is engaging,

see RANGANATHAN on 13

APA Legislative Day Photo courtesy of Sam Le, Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs

Sharon Maeda (left) with program manager Maurice Jones, Jr.

interesting, and knowledgeable. Immediately upon sitting down with her, one is filled with a strong sense of her integrity, while her confidence about who she is, where she comes from, and what she brings to the table, is not only inspiring, but also reassuring.

BABY BOY! Gov. Inslee meeting with members of APIC on Jan. 23

By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

■

HYEOK KIM AND SON, MARC READ MORE ON PAGE 6

The Asian Pacific Islander Coalition (APIC) of King, Pierce, Snohomish, Yakima, and Spokane counties met with Gov. Jay Inslee and state legislators in Olympia on

Jan. 23, as part of the 2018 APA Legislative Day. This is an annual event and an opportunity for the state’s Asian American and Pacific Islander communities to voice their concerns and highlight issues important to see LEGISLATIVE on 15

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asianweekly northwest

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■ NAMES IN THE NEWS Photo provided by Seattle Rotary Club

Locke on #MeToo panel

The award was presented in a ceremony at the museum on Jan. 17, by Emmanuel Lebrun-Damiens, Consul General of France, based in San Francisco.

In receiving this award, Ishikawa joins a prestigious group of artists, writers, scholars, and producers recognized for fostering French arts and culture.

Ishikawa has been with SAM since 1990. She is also an adjunct professor in the Department of History of Art at the University of Washington in Seattle. 

ICHS ranked Washington’s No. 1 community health center From left: Natalie Brand (moderator), Kari Tupper, Mona Lee Locke, and Wendy Gillihan.

Mona Lee Locke, the former first lady of Washington state, along with Kari Tupper and Wendy Gillihan, took part in a Jan. 19 panel at the Seattle Rotary Club to discuss the widespread prevalence of sexual assault and harassment, especially in the workplace.

Locke recounted a boss who insisted she work in his hotel room while he was not fully dressed, and a boss who kept putting his hand on her leg.

Now vice president of Strategy and Business Development for MG2 Design, Locke said, “For those of you who have companies, you need to get the message out that if you are harassed, you will be supported — not to get rid of a problem, but because that is your value.” 

SAM curator Ishikawa honored

Dr. Chiyo Ishikawa

36 YEARS

JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

Seattle Art Museum (SAM) announced that Dr. Chiyo Ishikawa, SAM’s Susan Brotman Deputy Director for Art and Curator of European Painting and Sculpture, has been awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French Minister of Culture.

and service. That has included new advances in customizing passengers’ needs at all stages of the airport experience, including the check-in counter, lounges, and at the boarding gate.

Yuji Hirako, president and CEO of ANA, said, “This has been a remarkable year for ANA as we continued to expand internationally, deliver the Yuji Hirako highest level of customer service, and differentiate ourselves in the competitive airline industry.” 

Duckworth will become first senator to give birth while in office

The Washington Health Alliance’s Community Checkup recently ranked International Community Health Services (ICHS) among the state’s top performers for excellence in care for Medicaid-insured patients. In 2016, 59 percent of ICHS patients were insured under Medicaid.

ICHS was compared to other community health clinics, medical groups, and hospitals across Washington.

Among the areas where ICHS demonstrated excellence in treating Medicaid patients was in the effective treatment of heart disease, diabetes, and colon, cervical, and breast cancer screenings. 

ANA wins Airline of the Year award

All Nippon Airways (ANA) was the recipient of Air Transport World (ATW)’s 2018 Airline of the Year award — the second time in five years that the airline has received this prestigious award.

ATW cited ANA for several top accomplishments, built on a record of outstanding safety, performance, innovation,

Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois announced on Jan. 23 that she is pregnant with her second child.

The Democratic senator is due in late April — just weeks after her 50th birthday — and she will be the first sitting senator to give birth while in office.

“Bryan and I are thrilled that our family is Sen. Tammy Duckworth getting a little bit bigger, and (daughter) Abigail is ecstatic to welcome her baby sister home this spring,” Duckworth said in a statement.

Abigail was born in November 2014 while Duckworth served in the House.

Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who lost both her legs during combat in 2004, was born in Thailand. 

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asianweekly northwest

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

3

Alaska Airlines and APCC still seeks funding Luly Yang reveal new uniforms At APCC’s 20th anniversary gala (2016), an audience member throws himself on stage, collecting cash, while Executive Director Faaluaina “Lua” Pritchard performs a samoan Taualuga dance.

Photo by Ingrid Barrentine

By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Seattle designer Luly Yang taking the stage after the Jan. 18 fashion show.

By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY SEATTLE — Alaska Airlines showcased — for the first time — the new uniforms they’ll soon be wearing, designed by Seattle’s own Luly Yang.

The uniforms were crafted for Alaska’s pilots,

flight attendants, and those who work inside and outside airports.

More than two years of planning, testing, and preparation led to a fashion show on Jan. 18 inside Alaska’s Sea-Tac hangar for the big unveil of the see YANG on 12

The Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) will get $250,000 from the state towards building its new facility in the Point Ruston neighborhood in Tacoma.

Board Vice President Belinda Louie told the Northwest Asian Weekly that Gov. Jay Inslee included the money in the most recent state budget.

APCC is still working to secure the land and collaborating with several agents to raise a “couple million” more.

APCC marked its 21st anniversary in 2017 and is currently located in South Tacoma.

Once a month, APCC holds a “Taste of Asia” event where participants can

learn to cook traditional foods from various countries.

And on Feb. 10, it will hold its 20th annual New Year celebration.

With the new facility, it intends to accommodate 47 countries and cultures in rooms dedicated to showcasing art and artifacts. Plans also include a full grocery store, eight food courts, low-income senior housing, and rooms for demonstrations and other activities. Construction of the building is expected to create hundreds of jobs.

According to its website, the APCC attracts about 400,000 visits a year.  To donate to this project, go to asiapacif icculturalcenter.org/ buildingfund.

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YOUR VOICE

asianweekly northwest

4

JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

36 YEARS

■ WORLD NEWS

Not all South Koreans are happy about unified hockey team

By KIM TONG-HYUNG ASSOCIATED PRESS SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Koreans seem generally happy they’ll see the North Koreans at their Olympics, but aren’t as pleased about sharing a team with them.

The agreement between the war-separated rivals to field a unified women’s ice hockey team at February’s Winter Olympics has triggered a debate in South Korea, where there’s no longer strong public clamor for reunification or for using sports to make political statements.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who views the Pyeongchang Games as an opportunity to improve relations following a year of tension over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, said the unified team would provide a “historically grand moment’’ once it appears on ice.

“Why are we doing this? We are clearly two different countries and it’s better if things stay that way. I don’t want a unified team or a unification flag. Why can’t we just let the North Koreans march under their own flag?’’

— Heo Doo-won

Other reconciliatory gestures the Koreas have agreed to for the Olympics include a joint march under a blueand-white “unification’’ flag during the Feb. 9 opening

China’s birthrate dropped despite allowing 2-child families BEIJING (AP) — The birthrate in China fell last year despite the country easing its family planning policies and allowing all couples to have two children, a result parents say of the stresses of urban life.

There were 17.2 million births in the country last year, down from 17.9 million in 2016, the National Bureau of Statistics reported on Jan. 18. With almost 1.4 billion people, China has the world’s largest population but it is aging fast even before reaching its expected peak of 1.45 billion in 2029.

China changed its longstanding onechild policy in 2015 in hopes of increasing the size of the younger working population that will eventually have to support their elders. The number of births rose nearly 8 percent in 2016, with nearly half of the

babies born to couples who already had a child.

That appears to have been a one-time increase, however, with couple’s decisions to not have a second child affected by the trend toward later marriage, the desire for smaller families and concerns about the high cost of raising children.

Studies have predicted the loosening of the one-child policy would bring only a relatively small increase in population growth. Experts have recommended the country increase its retirement age to address an expected labor shortage and declining economic vitality.

The burden of looking after aging parents is one reason not to have a second see BIRTHRATE on 14

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ceremony and a pair of performances by a visiting North Korean art troupe. The joint march and the unified hockey team were approved on Jan. 20 by the International Olympic Committee, which allowed 22 North Korean athletes to take part in the games in exceptional entries given to the North.

Not all South Koreans are in the mood. There are apparently few objections to the North Korean presence at the Olympics itself, which likely ensures that the country holds off any significant weapons test or other aggressive acts that would risk disrupting the games.

Many South Koreans believe their government went too far by pushing athletes into a “political show’’ that will likely become meaningless once the lull in tensions breaks down after the Olympics. see KOREA on 12

Japan city uses emergency system to recall blowfish packages

By MARI YAMAGUCHI ASSOCIATED PRESS TOKYO (AP) — A city in central Japan used its emergency loudspeaker system in an attempt to recall four packages of blowfish meat after discovering a fifth one contained the potentially deadly liver.

No one has died. The fish, known as fugu, is an expensive winter delicacy but requires a license to prepare because of the dangers of mishandling. The fugu’s liver is mostly toxic and banned.

Regional health officials said a supermarket in Gamagori sold five packages of assorted blowfish meat on Jan. 15. The inclusion of the liver in the package could have contaminated the other meat with the fugu poison. Health officials say fugu poison

cannot be removed by washing or cooking.

Health authorities found that the store had see BLOWFISH on 12

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

5

■ NATIONAL NEWS Apple makes significant investment in Malala’s education fund NEW YORK — Apple has announced it would make a significant investment in the Malala Fund, a charity that helps girls worldwide gain access to education, according to media reports.

The fund was created by Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai to support the right of every girl to have access to 12 years of free, safe and quality education.

Apple will become the fund’s first Laureate partner and the company said that its support would allow the fund

to double the number of grants it awards and to extend funding to programs in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Nigeria.

The initial goal is to extend secondary educational opportunities to more than 100,000 girls. But Apple did not reveal how much money it was pledging to the organization.

Yousafzai met with Apple CEO Tim Cook in Beirut on Jan. 20 where they talked with students and visited the home of three girls.

Cook will also join the Malala Fund leadership council.

“I am grateful that Apple knows the value of investing in girls and is joining Malala Fund in the fight to ensure all girls can learn and lead without fear,” Yousafzai said in a statement.

“We believe that education is a great equalizing force, and we share Malala Fund’s commitment to give every girl an opportunity to go to school,” Cook said in a statement. 

Authorities say Texas couple ambushed, slain, robbed

Southern Californians charged with Chinese export scheme

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two Southern California men have been arrested on federal charges that they illegally exported computer chips with military applications to China.

The U.S. attorney's office says part-time Los Angeles resident Yi-Chi Shih and Kiet Ahn Mai of Pasadena were arrested on Jan. 19.

Federal prosecutors say the men

SPRING, Texas (AP) — Investigators say a Houston-area husband and wife were ambushed and killed during a home robbery and the suspects later returned several times to the shooting scene.

On Jan. 16, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office released security video in the search for suspects in the deaths of Bao and Jenny Lam. Deputies found the victims the night of Jan. 13 in their ransacked home in Spring

after their son was unable to reach his parents.

Security video shows an SUV approaching the subdivision entrance the night of Jan. 11. Two men crawled under a gate. Authorities believe the Lams drove home and were attacked in their garage.

Guns and other valuables were taken, plus a Porsche Panamera that was found on Jan. 14 in a parking lot. Investigators believe the suspects returned to the home several times before the victims were found. 

conspired to have a U.S. company make special high-speed computer chips that were illegally exported to a Chinese company connected to Shih.

Authorities say the chips have a number of commercial and military uses, including radar and electronic warfare applications.

If they are convicted, the two men could face years in federal prison. 

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asianweekly northwest

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JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

36 YEARS

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR JAN 25

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL HAPPY HOUR 2018 Perkins Coie, 1201 Third Ave. Ste. 4900, Seattle 5:30 p.m. $20-$30 206-389-7311 GREATER SEATTLE CHINESE CHAMBER COMMERCE’S REAL ESTATE SEMINAR, “IS THE NEXT REAL ESTATE BUBBLE COMING TO SEATTLE SOON? Bellevue City Hall 450 110th Ave. N.E., Bellevue 7 p.m.

Register at https://goo.gl/rtM1uJ 2018 CHINATOWN-ID KICKOFF Hing Hay Coworks 409B Maynard Ave. S., Seattle 4:30 p.m.

THROUGH JANUARY 26

SOUTHEAST ASIA X SEATTLE FILM FESTIVAL Jackson School of International Studies at UW Thomson Hall 101, Seattle 4:30 p.m.

27 KING DONUTS GRAND OPENING 9232 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle 10 a.m.

28

31

TAP-SEA: JANUARY VOLUNTEER Farestart, 700 Virginia St., Seattle 10 a.m.

ASIA TALKS: AHN JUN ON THE VERGE Seattle Art Museum 7 p.m. seattleartmuseum.org

CORPORATE EXECUTIVE BRIEFING SERIES, “WASHINGTON STATE INVESTMENT INSIGHTS: CHINA AND THE WORLD,” WITH SPEAKER ALLISON CLARK K&L Gates LLP 925 Fourth Ave. Ste. 2900, Seattle 11:30 a.m. wscrc.org MG2’S FIRST SERIES OF THE YEAR, “PHILANTHROPY & ARTS” MG2, 1101 2nd Ave. #100, Seattle 5:30 p.m. seattlechamber.com

30 PUB NIGHT TALK, “THE MALHEUR OCCUPATION & PUBLIC LANDS IN THE AMERICAN WEST” McMenamins Anderson School, Hayne’s Hall, 18607 Bothell Way N.E., Bothell 7 p.m. lmans@uw.edu

MARC from 1 Seattle’s former deputy mayor Hyeok Kim and her husband Michael Parham welcomed the birth of their baby, Marc Edward Kim Parham, on Jan. 18, also the 89th

6

THROUGH JANUARY 31

29

11

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“BUSINESS IN ASIA IN THE NEW YEAR - SPOTLIGHT: CHINA, JAPAN AND KOREA” Bellevue City Hall 6:30 p.m. asia2018.eventbrite.com

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STORYTELLING STRATEGIES FOR DISMANTLING RACISM Centilia Cultural Center 1660 S. Roberto Maestas Festival St., Seattle 9:30 a.m.

3 SEATTLE UNITED FOR IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES MEGA-WORKSHOP Seattle Center Exhibition Hall,

ALUNAR NEW YEAR

CELEBRATION: YEAR OF THE DOG Seattle’s ChinatownInternational District 11 a.m. cidbia.org

ANWAW’S 9TH ANNUAL

NEW YEAR CELEBRATION FEATURING THE BEAUTIFUL AND COLORFUL COUNTRY OF KOREA Tacoma Dome 11 a.m.–6 p.m. apcc96.org

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SEATTLE SYMPHONY PRESENTS 10TH ANNUAL CELEBRATE ASIA CONCERT Seattle Symphony 200 University St., Seattle 2:30 p.m. seattlesymphony.org

LUNAR NEW YEAR COSTUME CONTEST 412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle Registration at 11 a.m.

Parade at 1 p.m. nwasianweekly.com

NEW YEAR WITH A FULL DAY OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY Wing Luke Museum 719 S. King St., Seattle 11 a.m. wingluke.org

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AEGIS GARDENS GRAND OPENING 13056 SE 76th St., Newcastle 1 p.m.

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________________________

birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He weighed 6 pounds, 7 ounces, and he was 19.25 long.

On Jan. 19, Kim wrote on her Facebook wall, “Baby Marc received a special and unexpected call of congratulations from President Barack Obama!”

ASSOCIATION CHINESE NEW YEAR BANQUET House of Hong Restaurant 6 p.m.

HAVE AN EVENT TO PROMOTE? Please send us the details to info@nwasianweekly.com.

Marc was named to honor Parham’s brother, father, and Kim’s family name.

Parham said both mom and baby are doing well. 

View the solution on page 14

ASSUNTA NG

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JOHN LIU

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The only weekly English-language newspaper serving Washington’s Asian community. The NW Asian Weekly has one simple goal: “To empower the Asian community.”

The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject any advertisement, letter or article.

Subscriptions cost $40 for 52 weeks of the NW Asian Weekly and $30 for 52 weeks of the Seattle Chinese Post. The NW Asian Weekly owns the copyright for all its content. All rights reserved. No part of this paper may be reprinted without permission.

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asianweekly northwest

JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

■ HEALTH

7

An authentic experience

By Nina Huang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

CEO Dwayne Clark

Aegis Living founder and CEO Dwayne Clark continues to make an impact in the senior living business — this time for the

Asian community.

The idea of having a Chinese-themed facility came to Clark about 16 years ago after the first Chinese Aegis community was built in Fremont, Calif. The team had done extensive research on potential locations and the Seattle area has long been a magnet for Asians, said Meng Lo, Aegis Gardens’ general manager.

With hotel experience under his belt, Lo was brought on nearly two years ago to help run the new Aegis Gardens facility in Newcastle.

Former Washington state governor and United States ambassador to China, Gary Locke was present at the groundbreaking on July 30, 2015.

Aegis Gardens cost over $50 million and

■ ON THE SHELF

BOOK REVIEW Better Together

8 Ways Working with Women Leads to Extraordinary Products and Profits

By Jonathan Sposato

was built on 7.5 acres of land. The building itself occupies just 2.5 acres and is licensed to house up to 140 residents. Lo mentioned that they wanted the rest of the five acres of land to remain as wetlands.

As the first Aegis facility converted from a regular assisted living community into an Aegis Chinese community, Aegis Gardens holds some unique characteristics.

Aegis Gardens has a multicultural center attached to the main building, as well as a banquet room and a bilingual preschool that will be managed by the Chinese Information Services Center. The banquet room has already been used by other groups in the community, such as the Chamber of Commerce, the City of Newcastle, and the YMCA.

Photo by Stacy Nguyen Jonathan Sposato

There are many things companies can do to be successful, from streamlining processes to recruiting prospective employees at top colleges and universities in the country.

In addition to working to make sure they have the best possible employees, companies can also look at who they are hiring.

In “Better Together,” Jonathan Sposato does this by looking at how bringing more women into any given industry — with an emphasis on promoting them into leadership positions — can be beneficial for a business.

While women make up half of the world’s population, there are only 24 female CEOs at Fortune 500 companies in the United States. When I read this, I was surprised by the low number, but I wasn’t exactly shocked.

I admit that when I first picked up this book, I was a bit skeptical about what Sposato — a man — had to say about gender equality. I expected a little bit see SPOSATO on 12

see AEGIS on 15

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“We open it up to everybody and we want them to be there. This is one of the directions that we want to take — we’re not just an assisted living facility, we are a community for the community,” Lo said.

Lo said that construction took longer than originally planned because after the plot of land was purchased, the team discovered a creek that ran through the middle of the property.

Coincidentally enough, the name of that creek was China Creek. In the 1800s, Chinese immigrants came to the United States to build railroads from the East Coast to the West Coast. Upon completion of the railroads, some of these migrants became

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YOUR VOICE

asianweekly northwest

8

36 YEARS

JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

開業慶典

Aegis Gardens Grand Opening Event Saturday, February 10th, 2018, 1:00 to 4:00 pm food, entertainment, and tours of our new community Valet parking available

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

9

University groups keeping indigenous languages alive

By KATHERINE LONG THE SEATTLE TIMES

SEATTLE (AP) — When Alyssa Johnston and members of her tribe speak to one another in Quinault, they are often moved to tears by the knowledge that, at the turn of the century, the language was all but dead.

The last person who spoke fluent Quinault passed away in 1996. By using recordings of those who spoke the language in the 1960s, a handful of people in the Olympic Peninsula tribe are slowly and painstakingly piecing it back together — and teaching it to a new generation.

Last year, Johnston was the first person in recent memory to earn a world-language credit at the University of Washington by showing she had achieved “intermediate low-level proficiency” in that language.

“It’s everything to me,” Johnston said of the importance of reviving her tribe’s native tongue. “Language is culture,” she said, and the tribe “right now is literally making history” by bringing it back.

That history is also being written on the UW’s Seattle campus.

Every two weeks, two separate groups gather around a table in one building or another to practice one of two indigenous languages: Southern Lushootseed, the common tongue of the Native American tribes that lived in this region, and Hawaiian, the native language of the indigenous people of Hawaii.

Chris Teuton, chair of American Indian Studies at the UW, hopes students eventually will be able to learn both those languages in for-credit courses, joining the 55 other languages already taught by the university.

In the meantime, the informal classes are a labor of love for the volunteers who teach them. Nancy Jo Bob, a

and time of action, said UW English Professor Colette Moore, who is taking part in the language table.

“By the time a speaker gets to the subject in a Lushootseed sentence,” she said, “he or she has already given a lot of other information.”

The language’s history in the Puget Sound area dates back thousands of years. English, in contrast, has been spoken around here for fewer than 250.

“Sometimes it can be a perspective shift for students to see English as an immigrant language,” Moore added, “but, of course, it is.”

Forced English

member of the Lummi Nation, and Tami Kay Hohn, of the Puyallup Tribe, both drive up from Auburn every month to offer several hours of language instruction, using a system they devised that helps students think and speak in complete sentences from the outset.

Lushootseed was revived by Upper Skagit author, teacher and linguist Vi Hilbert, who died in 2008 at the age of 90.

Hilbert taught Lushootseed for credit at the UW until her retirement in 1988, and it has been taught intermittently at the university since then, along with Navajo and Yakama.

Lushootseed’s sentence structure is different from English, and includes sounds that don’t exist in English.

“It’s like my tongue is tap-dancing,” one speaker marveled during a recent language table session.

Sentences start with a verb, rather than a subject, and the form the verb takes, gives information about the manner

America’s past is threaded with a long, ugly history of white settlers separating Native Americans from their languages and cultures. In the 1900s, many Native American children were sent to boarding schools, where they were forced to speak only English.

Johnston, of the Quinault tribe, says her grandfather spoke the language, and her mother asked him to teach it to her. But he refused — the older generation feared their children wouldn’t be successful if they spoke a Native American language, she said.

“By revitalizing languages, that’s part of the healing process,” said Teuton, who is Cherokee and began learning that language at the University of North Carolina, where he taught before he came to the UW. “We are trying to recover from that colonial history.”

Native American knowledge, he said, “is really grounded in our language — the grounding of stories, our storytelling traditions, our words for the natural world, words that describe our social relations.” see LANGUAGES on 14

NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY / SEATTLE CHINESE POST PRESENTS 9TH ANNUAL LUNAR NEW YEAR COSTUME CONTEST

SUNDAY, FEB 11, 2018

CHINATOWN-INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVAL

no age limit!

Please submit completed application through one of the following methods: Mail: Northwest Asian Weekly Lunar New Year Costume Contest 412 Maynard Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98104 Name:

________________________________________________________

School Name: ___________________________________________Age: ________ Profession: ________________________________________________________ Phone:

________________________________________________________

E-mail:

________________________________________________________

Contestants must adhere to all rules and regulations. Contest officials will remove any contestant failing to cooperate with officials or failing to comply with the rules and regulations. If you have any questions, please contact Northwest Asian Weekly at 206.223.5559 or via email at rsvp@nwasianweekly.com.

Costume Parade Schedule: • 11 AM — Registration • 12:30 PM — Line up • 1 PM — Parade begins • 1:30 PM — Parade winners announced • Start from Northwest Asian Weekly’s front door, march to main stage • Contestants must be present at the announcement of finalists (1:30 PM).

• Finalists will be lined up in numerical order.

• The first 20 registered will get a gift.

SPONSORs

Registration/Sign-Up: • You may pre-register for the contest by filling out this application and sending it in or sign-up on the day of the contest (Sunday, February 11) beginning at 11 a.m. at the registration table. Registration table will be located in front of Seattle Chinese Post/Northwest Asian Weekly – 412 Maynard Ave S. • Contestants must sign-in at the registration table 30 minutes prior to parade.

Rules/Guidelines: • Adults & children are welcome to participate • Parents are welcome to accompany their children during the Parade • All contestants will be given a contestant number for order of Parade lineup • Contestants’ attire should be culturally relevant to the Lunar New Year Celebration Judging: • All contestants will be judged by the provided judging criteria.

• Prizes will be awarded to First ($150), Second ($100), and Third ($50) Place Winners, Publisher Award ($100) (an organization which has the most participants), and 15 Honorable mentions will receive a gift bag.

• All decisions made by competition judges are final.

COMMUNITY SPONSORs JIM DOANE

FOR MORE INFO, GO TO CIDBIA.ORG

asianweekly northwest

10

36 YEARS

JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

■PUBLISHER’S BLOG

Amazon Go’s storefront

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY This week’s media spotlight is on Amazon. Its Go store, in downtown Seattle, needs no cashiers. You check your smartphone through the store’s entrance with an app, and you can buy groceries.

I am not surprised that technology has brought us to this stage. But the advancement of technology has its price on humankind. There’s no question that Go is convenient for busy people. Yet, my ďŹ rst reaction was “alarmâ€? and “sighs.â€?

It’s clear that Amazon wants it all. It’s not enough that it is successful in book sales and other merchandise, which are necessary in our daily lives. Amazon aims

at conquering the world. It doesn’t matter that it has killed many local bookstores and mom-and-pop businesses.

In the name of innovation and market share, Amazon pushes hard in the grocery business with its delivery service. When Uwajimaya teamed up with Amazon, providing its groceries for delivery service, it was well received. But not for long. Soon, Amazon bought Whole Foods and now it has opened Go, revealing its ambitious course, taking over the grocery business.

How much will it hurt Asian grocery stores? Historically, the Asian community has invested heavily in the grocery and restaurant businesses for important reasons. Because of discrimination, Asian Americans couldn’t get well-paid jobs.

When they get work, they don’t get the Amazon’s philosophy promotions they deserve. So many end up While you and I may not see opportunities, starting their own businesses, ďŹ rst, as a Amazon sees its 50,000 employees in mode of survival. Secondly, it serves as a Seattle and in other cities as gold. If they ladder for economic prosperity and perhaps can make money from their employees, why upward mobility. not? Never mind that it’s going to wipe out Over the past 150 years, Asian grocery other competitors if their employees shop stores have raised multiple generations, exclusively at their own stores, and dine at providing thousands of jobs and livelihoods. Amazon-owned properties around South Ask around and you’ll discover many Asian Lake Union. Does it occur to Amazon that families and their ancestors are and were sometimes, it needs to leave some room for owners and partners of supermarkets. other businesses to beneďŹ t from its growth Asian restaurants and grocery store besides creating jobs? Let Seattleites and businesses are interrelated. Many Asian small businesses share a piece of the pie, restaurants rely on Asian grocery stores for a win-win for everyone. Let us be joyous their supplies. If the Asian supermarkets with the presence of Amazon in our are not doing well, they simply cut certain neighborhood, and not worry or fear that it supplies, and it will affect the restaurant is going to wipe us out one day. business, especially in the International District (ID). With Amazon Go, it will especially impact major Asian stores. Only the smaller niche stores can survive by selling specialty items, and having early and late hours.

Years ago, my relatives would give me Chinese groceries especially Lunar New Year merchandise Red bean rice cake at Uwajimaya whenever I visited Hong Kong, for fear that it wouldn’t be available in America. “Stop,â€? I My editor has a different view. She thinks told my relatives, “You be surprised ‌ the we shouldn’t be concerned at all. “The pie Asian grocery stores have everything you is inďŹ nite and expands to meet everyone’s guys have.â€? My tip for Asian stores, your needs. There is plenty for everybody.â€? niche is going to help you survive. see AMAZON GO on next page

Enjoy a weekend-long celebration of the Year of the Dog in Seattle’s historic Chinatown-International District

Celebrate Lunar New Year with a full day of activities for the whole family! A lion dance will bless The Wing from 11 – 11:30am. Then take a passport journey through the Museum for more fun and entertainment!

/

Celebrate the Year of the Dog with dragon and lion dances, cultural entertainment, and the $3 Food Walk!

 ������ ­€

Photo by George Liu

Photo by George Liu

Amazon Go, a blessing or curse?

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

■ EDITORIAL

11

Diversity isn’t just Black and white This year’s Oscar nominations, which were announced on Jan. 23, had some significant gaps.

Headlines touted the nominations as “diverse,” as several Black actors received nominations — Mary J. Blige in Mudbound, Octavia Spencer in The Shape of Water, Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out, and Denzel Washington for his role in Roman J. Israel, Esq. So Hollywood avoided another #OscarsSoWhite scandal. But here’s a news flash. Diversity does not mean only Black actors.

Asians and Latinos were shut out of acting categories completely!

Hong Chau was snubbed for her role in Downsizing, a nomination many had assumed was a lock given the strength of her performance as a Vietnamese refugee.

Throughout its history, the Academy has been notorious for overlooking both Asian and Latino talent. Actors of Asian descent have nabbed just 1 percent of all Oscar acting nods. What’s more, white actors have been nominated several times for playing characters of color, like Luise Rainer, who portrayed Chinese farmer O-Lan in “The Good Earth,” a very early example of #whitewashing.

While a smattering of Asian actors have been nominated in the last decade or so — Rinko Kikuchi (Babel), Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai), and Dev Patel (Lion ) come to mind — Ben Kingsley (Gandhi), Haing S. Ngor (The Killing Fields), and Miyoshi Umeki (Sayonara) are the only Asian actors ever to win an Oscar for acting.

No, we Asians don’t expect “participation trophies.” But you can’t win unless you’re nominated, and Academy recognition often comes with familiarity. And of course, there will continue to be no nominations for Asians if there aren’t any roles written for Asians, and Asians are actually cast as Asians.

A 2017 study showed that the majority of 100 top films in 2016 didn’t feature any Asian or Latino characters at all. It also found that over approximately the last decade, there’s been no “meaningful” increase in how many people of color are portrayed in popular films.

Of Chau, co-star Matt Damon said, “Every director will see how incredible she is in ‘Downsizing’ and will be falling all over themselves to try and work with her.”

So how about it Hollywood? You can do better. 

not just for the convenience, but because they don’t have to deal with people. This is a disadvantage in life. Automation is one of the reasons why young people have trouble in relating to other people. A study has found that 60 percent of our youth have awkward social skills.

AMAZON GO from previous page Assuming the pie is big enough for everyone, competition will be keen. Eventually, consumers win. So will Amazon.

My son reminded me that by criticizing Amazon in this article, it will only hand the e-commerce giant more publicity. Research has found that any publicity, even negative, is better than none at all. Being in the news business, I am aware of that. I just need to voice my disapproval.

Photo by George Liu

Am I ungrateful?

The cashiers

Anytime I visit a supermarket, I like interacting with the cashiers. It’s rarely a long conversation, especially when the store has lines. Mostly, it is a quick nod and “hi.” But the smile of many cashiers is part of the reason I enjoy walking to Uwajimaya and other ID stores. It’s part of my daily routine and exercise. Many already know me and often remind me what’s on sale.

Five years ago, I used to dash in and out of grocery stores. I carried with me a piece of paper, knowing what to pick up. The time I saved, gave me more time to work.

Then, I realized, “What’s the hurry?” I was not living in the moment. Gradually, I changed my habit. These days, I take the time to browse and shop for my dinner every night.

It’s my time to break away from work and I focus on the moment of learning about new products — and how they can improve my health.

For several years, I was buying the wrong kind of seaweed, my daily snack. It never occurred to me to

Lunar New Year food section at Lam’s Seafood

read the label. As long as it was crispy, it satisfied me. One day, an Uwajimaya staff member, who happened to be at the seaweed section, advised me, “Get the one with less salt.” I didn’t realize the difference in the salt content can be as much as 60 percent.

Another time, I was complaining to a grocery store clerk that the Grade A large eggs were just normal sized, not large. For some reason, Grade A large eggs have shrunk to Grade AA size of what they were in 2016. Is there something wrong with the chickens? Still, the grocery stores charge just as much for the smaller eggs. The clerk opened each box of different brands to check the size and agreed with me. Then, she found a box of large sized eggs and handed them to me. Incredible service!

I know many young people would enjoy shopping at Go,

TAITUNG

I have been an Amazon customer for a while. My son has an Amazon Prime account and he orders things for me which I can’t buy from nearby retail stores. My principle is to spread the wealth. Make sure you support your neighborhood stores. Don’t just look at the price. I choose stores like Costco and Target too.

Amazon has been good to the Asian Weekly. It has knocked on our doors, and purchased many big advertisements last year for recruitment. For that, I am grateful. Some might say that I should not complain.

I don’t think it would be healthy for Seattle if I shut my mouth. I presume Amazon desires to have honest feedback and exchange of ideas since it is in the news business, too.

Amazon bought the Washington Post in 2013.

Or Amazon would argue, if they don’t do it, someone else will. It’s a valid argument. We can’t stop progress, can we? It’s coming whether we like it or not. So we should accept a dog eat dog world, is that it?  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

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asianweekly northwest

12

JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

YANG from 3 new, West Coast-inspired uniforms.

Employees walked the runway, modeling over 90 garments and accessories.

Yang met face-to-face with employees across the system.

Overwhelmingly, the top requests from employees were more pockets and designs that look great on all body shapes and sizes, as well as performance over a range of climates. The collection is designed to be layered so that employees can self-regulate comfort while working in the freezing temperatures of Barrow, Alaska, to the balmier weather of Mexico.

KOREA from 4 Kim Hye-jin, a 39-year-old music instructor, said that South Korea was repeating an “outdated approach’’ in using sports diplomacy. She said that the previous unified teams and joint marches between the rivals never paved the way for sustained, meaningful engagement.

“We are always repeating meaningless things and North Korea isn’t a country that will change easily,’’ she said.

Plus, she said, a unified team takes away opportunities from South Korean athletes who have been working hard to prepare for the Olympics.

Heo Doo-won, a 40-year-old schoolteacher, didn’t care for the reconciliatory gestures at all.

“Why are we doing this?’’ he asked. “We are clearly two different countries and it’s better if things stay that way. I don’t want a unified team or a unification flag. Why can’t we just let the North Koreans march under their own flag?’’

While the liberal Moon remains a popular president nine months into his term, the controversy over the hockey team factored in his approval rating dipping below 70 percent for the first time in four months, according to a Gallup Korea report on Friday.

Many people sympathize with the South Korean athletes who would likely be sacrificing opportunities for the North’s players, who are considered less skilled and experienced. The IOC approved an expanded roster of 35 instead of 22 for the joint team, but only the normal number will be allowed to suit up for each game and three of them must be North Korean.

The South Korean team’s Canadian coach, Sarah Murray, has expressed concerns over chemistry.

“Adding somebody so close to the Olympics is a little bit dangerous just for team chemistry because the girls have been together for so long,’’ she said.

SPOSATO from 7 of condescension and a whole lot of mansplaining.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised

by Sposato’s approach. He acknowledges that his gender could be a reason to discount what he has to say. But he also points to his background as a person of color who grew up in a biracial family, as someone who understands what it can be like to be part of a marginalized group.

But drawing from experiences can only get you so far — especially given the subject matter. So in addition to sharing anecdotes from his own experiences with the women he has worked with throughout his career, Sposato also uses data gathered through research and various studies. He even admits when his own biases and preconceived notions have led him to believe one thing or another about women, only to be proven wrong.

This was refreshing because Sposato does more than just pay lip service to the conversation around gender equality.

He shows that not only is having more women in the workplace and in leadership positions the right thing to do from a social standpoint, it is also beneficial to companies from a business standpoint — and has the numbers and figures to back it up. Having that information can be key for those who may be skeptical about the need for gender equality or who may think we are already there (newsflash: we’re not).

The solutions Sposato suggests in “Better Together” are practical and

36 YEARS

Her focus on fit and function enabled additional touches, including water resistant materials, activewear fabrics, longer shirt tails that don’t untuck from skirts and trousers, and flexible textiles that move with the body.

She called it one of the most complex and rewarding challenges of her career.

“With 45 sizes per style and 13 very distinct work groups, this was the ultimate puzzle to solve,” Yang said.

“We just want our employees to love what they wear… we’re well on our way there,” said Sangita Woerner, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of marketing.

Justin Fitzgerald, a flight attendant who worked for Virgin America and now Alaska Airlines, said, “The

Virgin America uniform has been such a sleek and modern look that I thought it would be so hard to top.”

“Seeing Luly’s designs brought to life has been super exciting! Ms. Yang has taken a lot of our input and has created a very cool, classic yet modern, West Coast vibe!”

The uniforms made their official debut this week, with 130 employee weartesters — from flight attendants, pilots, customer service agents, and lounge employees — putting the uniforms through their paces for the next 60 days. 

Choi Hyuk, a 40-year-old office worker, blamed the government for failing to properly communicate with the players and for excessively politicizing sports.

Choi pointed to the comments of Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, who was forced to apologize after saying that the South Korean women’s hockey team was out of “medal range’’ anyway while defending the government’s decision to create the unified team.

“South Korea’s elite sports have always been based on nationalism,’’ Choi said, referring to a decades-long system that rewards Olympic medal winners with lifelong cash payments and exemption from military duties that are mandatory for most able-bodied men.

“Isn’t it funny that the same country is now asking athletes to cut back on their playing time and embrace changes that would make them less likely to win?’’

The reconciliation mood between the Koreas began after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in a New Year’s speech that he was willing to send a delegation to the Olympics.

Some experts view Kim’s overture as an attempt to weaken U.S.-led international sanctions against the North and buy time to further advance his nuclear weapons program. Last year, North Korea carried out its sixth and biggest nuclear test and test-fired three intercontinental ballistic missiles. It has shown no willingness to give up its ambitions.

Still, many experts think Moon’s government made the right move in jumping at the opportunity to resume contact with North Korea after nearly two years of diplomatic stalemate and animosity.

In an annual policy report last week, South Korea’s Unification Ministry said it aims to use the Olympics as an opportunity to re-establish regular dialogue with North Korea. The resumption of inter-Korean talks is crucial

for the policies of Moon, who wants Seoul in the driver’s seat in international efforts to deal with the North Korean nuclear threat.

The Koreas sent joint teams to major international sporting events twice in 1991, and had their athletes march together in the opening and closing ceremonies of several sporting events in the 2000s, including the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics.

While the previous moves had little diplomatic impact, similar gestures would carry more meaning in an Olympics held on South Korean soil and amid higher stakes in regional security, said Yongchul Chung, a sports education professor at Seoul’s Sogang University.

“Fielding a unified team is very meaningful — the biggest fruit that can come from the Pyeongchang Olympics is a message of peace between the Koreas,’’ Chung said.

“It’s not like the players wouldn’t understand the historic significance of what they are involved in.’’

But it has become harder to get South Koreans excited for unified teams and joint marches when North Korea’s increasingly aggressive weapons tests and the South’s own evolvement as an economy and society continue to erode the public’s enthusiasm for reunification.

In a survey of 1,200 adults released by Seoul National University in October, 53.8 percent of the respondents said they supported the idea of reunification. This represented a steep drop from the 63.8 percent measured in 2007, when the school started the annual survey.

“I think it will be emotionally moving to watch the athletes of both Koreas march under the same flag during the opening ceremony as we come from the same nation,’’ said Oh Ju-yeon, a 46-year-old housewife. “But after the games, there will be bitterness from realizing that nothing’s really going to change.’’ 

Staff can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

implementable. And when you think BLOWFISH from 4 about it, while they might require a bit of a change in way of thinking, they are not been selling the liver of the particular kind of that difficult. When you boil it down, it’s blowfish, called “yorito fugu,’’ or blunthead just a matter of not only treating women puffer, for years, saying it’s nearly non-toxic, equally, but acknowledging the fact health ministry official Yohei Ohashi said. No that centuries of societal expectations health problems have been reported from past actually have them at a disadvantage — consumption of the liver sold at the store, he often in ways we don’t even realize. said.

Sposato also includes anecdotes from The illegal sales surfaced on Jan. 15 when women in various industries at the end a buyer of one package took it to a health of each chapter. These “Straight Talk” center. With four other packages sold but sections offer insight into what life unaccounted for, city officials alerted residents is like for a working woman. As the title implies, the women give it to the readers straight. They share personal experiences and often raise questions or point things out that I wouldn’t have considered. And if I, as a woman, wouldn’t have thought of them, these points could easily be overlooked自1872年起服務西北岸社區 by a MEET SINGLES RIGHT man. These short anecdotes offer the NOW! No paid operators, reader some extra food for thought as 非營利獨立協會 just real people like you. they read through Sposato’s suggested Browse greetings, exchange solutions.

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via the emergency loudspeakers normally used for earthquakes and other disasters. Two packages have since been returned.

The health ministry ordered the store to recall all the blowfish packages and suspend their sale, but the store told officials that it will no longer sell blowfish, Ohashi said.

Dozens of people are poisoned by fugu every year. Last year, 31 people were poisoned, though none of them fatally. 

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YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

asianweekly northwest

JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

13

Predictions and advice for the week of January 27–February 2, 2018

By Sun Lee Chang Rat — Good advice means nothing if it is not taken to heart. The sooner you do, the faster you will see the benefits from it.

Dragon — A quick tally tells you something is slightly off. Thankfully, you still have enough time to make the necessary corrections.

Monkey — A truly fresh start will require you to change your mindset, as well as letting go of that which has held you back before.

Ox — Although you are quite capable of juggling multiple tasks, there are times when a singular focus may be necessary.

Snake — Even though the incentive offered to you is appealing, there are other intangibles that you are not ready to give up in order to pursue it.

Rooster — An old favorite brings you a measure of comfort when desired, which you can thankfully draw from when you need it.

Tiger — When the pieces start to connect together, the whole picture should emerge. Don’t be surprised if it isn’t quite what you imagined.

Horse — After much searching, you are now in an ideal position to see what is going on. This should lead to your next adventure.

Dog — It might not be pretty now, but you are making headway. Don’t judge it now, as the end result will speak for itself.

Rabbit — Choosing one direction over another could put in motion some significant changes, but the potential benefits should be well worth it.

Goat — Both successes and mistakes of the past are behind you, so use them as inspirations for setting goals for the future.

Pig — Rather than being intimidated by it, you are very much intrigued and excited about what is brewing around the corner.

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.

RANGANATHAN from 1 Mayor Jenny Durkan announced her transitional team in November 2017, and in December, Ranganathan’s position, as Deputy Mayor of External Relations, became official.

Ranganathan is one of three deputy mayors, the senior deputy mayor being Mike Fong, and David Moseley is the deputy mayor for Operations. She comes to the mayor’s team from Transportation Choice Coalition, where she was executive director, and where she spearheaded innovative city initiatives such as Orca Lift, a project which serves as a sample of her approach.

“The Orca Lift was a creative partnership. It was the Transit Riders Union. It was the homelessness advocates. It was Kate Joncas, who ran the Downtown Seattle Association. This unlikely group of people came together and said, ‘You know what? If we want to truly give people an additional tool in their tool box of economic opportunity, it’s making transit more affordable.”

Ranganathan is enthusiastic about alternative ways of looking at things that people from different backgrounds, and different departments in the City, can come up with when they work together. This type of policy-making is something that she believes Seattle, in particular, excels at.

“We are really good at trying things outside the box…there’s a reason that Amazon, Microsoft, all started here. It’s because, I think, people are willing to take risks, and it’s not just ‘we’ll take risks for the sake of taking risks,’ it’s innovating and taking a risk to solve sticky problems.”

Despite the Deputy Mayor’s conviction, know-how, and solid credentials, her appointment has come under fire in recent days. While Ranganathan is not the youngest member of the mayor’s team, and has distinguished herself time and again — she was awarded the “40 Under 40” award by the Puget Sound Business Journal — Ranganathan has nevertheless been criticized for not having the proper sort of experience for the position.

As Durkan has stated, the diversity of her team is very important, but this might not be the sort of diversity that one imagines. While ethnic background is important to the lived experience that Ranganathan, as an Indian American, brings to the Mayor’s office, what is equally if not more important is her career and life experience.

“I think that’s what enriches the conversation, because there is a value that comes with experience, and then there is also the fresh perspective … You look at the mayor’s team and it’s the full range.”

Born in the southern Chennai region of India, Ranganathan was one of two daughters and one son in a household that was rather untraditional by Indian standards. Her father, as well as both of her grandmothers, were very forward-thinking in terms of the roles of men and women, and encouraged Ranganathan to be the same. When speaking of her grandmothers, Ranganathan explains that their independence reminded her not to let cultural barriers affect her life decisions. Growing up in a family that encouraged Ranganathan to think, “I can do whatever I want to do” versus, “You can only do X, Y, or Z” was, she said, hugely impactful.

“There was never that, ‘Oh, you can’t do that.’”

Ranganathan came to the United States on the verge of 9-11, in August of 2001. It was a trial by fire, a time when her

character was further forged, this time by her schooling and her friends.

“It was a very challenging time to be a person of color … and I think, overnight, I grew up. You have this perception of what the U.S. is and that is shattered in many ways — and I think it was for America, too … it was a lot of learning for me.

It was also a great exercise in tolerance and understanding of someone else’s perspective.”

It was during this time that Ranganathan came to fully appreciate the importance of public transportation and urban infrastructure, two areas that had grown to be of increasing interest to her in her degree field of environmental science.

“Everyone needs to get somewhere, and in cities that have good public transportation, it can make or break, right? I’d think about infrastructure and how it can create barriers to opportunity or pathways to opportunity.” She brought this same understanding to Seattle, and now she is bringing it to the mayor’s team, where she is excited about being positioned in such a way that will allow her to help improve some of the areas that are most troublesome for the Emerald City.

Upon news of her appointment to the mayor’s team, Ranganathan’s father proudly stated in an Indian newspaper that he hoped his daughter would serve as a role model to other women, not only in India, but in other countries. Ranganathan laughs affectionately when she hears this.

“I think of it in terms of, I have a young daughter, and I want her to grow up the way I did.” Ranganathan explains that her desire is that her daughter, and any man or woman, sees in her a role model of “hard work, integrity, and a sense of it has to be deeper than just the job.” She realizes that “there are not very many people that look like me” in the political sphere of the United States (though the numbers are growing), and she hopes that her presence will allow others to believe that there are more options out there.

Says Ranganathan, “I’ve had a chance to talk with people [in City Hall] over the past month and a half. People deeply care about this work and they want to make a difference, and I think that it’s, ‘How can we get that message out?’ Not just for girls, but for everyone. I am living proof that you can be passionate, but also bring to bear the resources of the City to actually solve problems.”

Ranganathan is enthusiastic about the love that her colleagues in City Hall feel towards the City of Seattle, and especially

Durkan.

“There is a genuine love that she has for this city [that] you can’t fake. She deeply cares about what happens here. I don’t think she has any illusions about the challenges, but I think she brings to it not just the policy focus, but the deep love for the City that expresses itself as, ‘I want to do what I can in my term and be able to improve people’s lives.’”

When asked how Seattle could continue to be a leader and role model in these trying times, Ranganathan answered, “Standing up for an inclusive, welcoming city is just the right thing to do. There is nothing political about it, but it is political. What is the phrase? ‘Love thy neighbor.’ People are at risk. Mayor Durkan [is] willing to stand up to President Trump… our policies should be run by our values, and if one of our values is to be safe and welcoming, then how does that live in terms of our actions? And I think that’s what you’re seeing here. It’s not a political stunt … Everyone wants to belong. And I think that … as we have these policy debates, we mustn’t forget that people are at the center of those conversations, always.”

Outside of work, Ranganathan said she and her family “live to eat!” “My favorite neighborhood is the International District.

We love to try new food.” She explained her appreciation for the way that food unites people, and how even cultures that appear to have very little else in common, can come together over food. “Food is such a uniting thing.”

Unity. Connection. Caring. We are in good hands. Jessica can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

asianweekly northwest

14

JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

36 YEARS

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BIRTHRATE from 4 child, said housewife Zeng Jialin, who was waiting to pick up her 6-year-old son outside a school in downtown Beijing last week.

“They helped us look after one child, but we would have to babysit the second one ourselves. Also, there would be so

many things to take care of in terms of time management, economic conditions and pressure,’’ Zeng said.

Wang Jianjun, the father of an 8-year-old boy, said he was undecided about having another child, but time and financial concerns weighed heavily.

“Helping with schoolwork takes a lot of time. And until the young one is 2, mother won’t be able to work which

LANGUAGES from 9 Language is also a vital cultural connection for many Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, said Manuhuia Barcham, a UW lecturer who helped organize the Hawaiian language table.

Barcham hopes to also start one for Samoan and Chamorro, which is spoken in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Both Pacific Islander and Native American populations have low levels of enrollment in higher education, and part of the goal of teaching languages is to make the UW “a more open and friendly space for our youth and our community,” he said.

Among the state’s other higher-education institutions, Lushootseed has been taught at Pacific Lutheran University and at the UW Tacoma, as part of a summer institute. Wenatchee Valley College in Omak teaches Salish; the Northwest Indian College in Bellingham teaches Native American languages.

Credit requirement

Johnston learned Quinault from Cosette Terry-itewaste, a linguist who is her tribe’s most fluent speaker, and who was able to administer the test that allowed Johnston to get UW credit for knowing that language.

The UW requires entering students to have completed two

means a big loss of income that we’re not prepared for,’’ Wang said.

China enacted its one-child policy in 1979, enforced with fines and in some cases state-mandated abortions. The expected future reduction in the working-age population is exacerbated by a skewed male-female birth ratio resulting from the traditional preference for male offspring. 

years of a foreign language in high school, and to take a third quarter while in college — or to demonstrate that they have acquired “intermediate low-level proficiency” in a language other than English.

The university had to create a new way to test proficiency in languages that are not commonly taught.

“This provides an academic incentive and establishes it as an equal language, a world language,” said Russell Hugo, a linguist in the UW’s language learning center. “Hopefully more students can do this, so we can build stronger ties of support and recognition” for local indigenous languages.

Because she lives on the Olympic Peninsula and works full time with two young children at home, Johnston earned her undergraduate degree from the UW mostly online. She’s certified as a language apprentice, and she will be helping the Quinault tribe launch family language classes in January.

While some tribal members grew up knowing the Quinault words for colors and other nouns, these language classes aim to teach them how to have simple conversations.

“It’s amazing how it’s been almost lost,” Johnston said. “I can feel it getting back to normal, and that’s a really sacred thing.” 

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YOUR VOICE

JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

coal miners. One of the mines where they worked was in Newcastle.

On Sept. 11, 1885, there was a racial riot at the mines at Coal Creek, where the Chinese miners lived. As a result, they resettled at a small stream flowing west of Lake Boren. They rebuilt their huts and it became a small Chinese village. Ultimately, this area became known as China Creek, Lo said.

In order to continue with construction, Aegis Living worked with the City of Newcastle and Army Corps of Engineers to redirect the creek around the perimeter of the property, which delayed the timeline.

Nevertheless, the building was constructed and decorating the facility was a lengthy process. Clark wanted the building to reflect Chinese culture. Clark and the chief designer, Cynthia Mennella, visited Shanghai several times and eventually shipped over seven containers of furniture.

This process of acquiring decor was tedious because everything had to be stored in a warehouse until they were ready to be shipped to Newcastle.

Also, they were particular about finding art that reflected an authentic Chinese experience. For example, there are several paintings of Chinese opera stars in the facility’s cinema room.

Lo said the facility incorporated many Chinese cultural

Photo from Aegis Living

AEGIS from 7

designs, including the cascading waterfall near the main entrance that includes the five main elements of feng shui: water, fire, wood, earth, and metal.

In fact, the team gathered a group of Chinese seniors and feng shui masters to carefully provide input in designing the building.

In addition, when you walk into the building, you will see 1,000 origami paper cranes, which is another reflection of Asian culture. Lo said that cranes are auspicious in both Chinese and Japanese cultures, as they represent longevity.

And when you walk into the private dining room, there is an old-fashioned Korean chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Clark bought it to represent the Korean heritage.

Recently, Aegis Gardens won the prestigious 2017 Senior

WOMEN’S MARCH from 1

15

Housing News Architecture and Design Award. Ankrom Moisan Architects designed the community to combine both Pacific Northwest craftsmanship and an East Asian aesthetic.

“Even though you see a lot of Chinese things that reflects beauty of Chinese culture, there are also a lot of other things that are Asian in our community,” Lo said.

Another important aspect of Chinese culture is eating and Lo said his favorite aspect of the facility was the food.

“What we did was we designed the kitchen so it could do the kind of meals we wanted to do, that was important.

You can’t wing Chinese food, it has to be fresh, authentic and have all the right spices, otherwise it won’t taste the same,” Lo said.

The kitchen has special cooking equipment like steamers and woks that wouldn’t be as commonly found in Western cooking. In addition, they have a barbecue station for roast meats, as well as a noodle and congee bar.

“As we get older, we want to eat the food that we grew up eating. There’s a mix of Shanghainese, Guangdong, and Szechuan dishes. We try not to be too spicy and we have a pretty good mix of chefs on the team,” Lo said.  The grand opening of Aegis Gardens Newcastle will take place on Feb. 10, just in time for Chinese New Year.

Nina can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Photo by Lyndsey Brollini

LEGISLATIVE from 1

that don’t get the proper attention from the public, law enforcement, and government.

The families of MMIW led the march with the Indigenous Sisters Resistance.

A ceremony before the march started at 9 a.m. at Cal Anderson park to honor the indigenous women taken from their families.

After the ceremony, the indigenous community lined up at the front to begin the march. People wore their roaches, cedar hats, and other regalia. Drums and rattles were brought to play throughout the march. The smell of sage carried through the air.

Senji Kanaeda, a Japanese Buddhist monk living on Bainbridge Island, brought his uchiwa daiko drum to the march and drummed with the other indigenous people to the beat of the Women Warrior song. His friend Gilberto Perez, who was born in Cuba and grew up in New York City, joined him. They, among other allies, marched to support these women whose voices are often silenced or not heard.

“Women’s march is a very significant event for me because of their possibility to realize world peace,” said Kanaeda.

“Indigenous people’s past and their historical sufferings and experiences had been connected to the character and foundation of the U.S. I believe their wish and prayer should be at center if America will realize peace and nonviolence.”

Once the march started, the crowd moving in from all sides separated people in the indigenous community, as they tried to move towards the front to join the rest of their group.

“I felt like a lot of people didn’t understand that the intention was to have indigenous people lead [the march],” said Bethany Narita, a Yonsei 4th generation Japanese American.

Some security members guided the indigenous people to the front, while

others linked arms and weaved through the crowd.

Narita and fellow marchers saw the fight to get back to the front as representative of the struggle for indigenous voices to be heard.

Last year, Narita marched with a contingent of women of color and families organized by a Filipino organization and other Asian American organizations. She has been very intentional about marching with people of color.

Both years, Narita carried a sign saying, “Not your model minority.” While she recognized that as a “model minority,” she may have more opportunities than other minorities, there is still a perpetual mindset that she is a foreigner.

One sign reading “Immigrants make America great” had Narita thinking about her dual role of welcoming new people, but also respecting the people of this land.

“How do you stand with immigrants, but also recognize we’re on stolen land and support indigenous people?” said Narita.

Kanaeda agreed. “This issue must be connected to their history and situation.”

It was important for Narita to recognize the land and whose it really was, and marching with the indigenous community was her way of showing support.

“As a Japanese American woman,” said Narita, “I try to stand in solidarity with other communities of color that have seen oppression.”

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, who tweeted a selfie with other marchers, posted that it was inspiring to see so many marchers out for the second year in a row, calling it a “year of action.”

Seattle police say the event was mostly peaceful. One man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.  Lyndsey can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Photos courtesy of Sam Le/Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs

Buddhist monks Senji Kanaeda, left, and Gilberto Perez, right, play Japanese uchiwa daiko drums and march with the indigenous community leading the Women’s March.

APIC representatives with Gov. Inslee

Diane Narasaki (center)

the AAPI community.

One of the top concerns was education. As the Legislature works to fund basic education in accordance with the McCleary court order, APIC said it must, at the same time, begin to address the opportunity gap.

“Our state has one of the worst opportunity/ achievement gaps in the country that must be addressed by driving more targeted resources — financial and talent — to school and students that have been historically underserved,” it said in a combined statement.

APIC also condemned the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies.

It urged the Legislature to pass SB 5689/ HB 1985 — which would establish a statewide policy supporting Washington state’s economy and immigrants’ role in the workplace.

APIC also wants the Legislature to provide adequate funding for 2020 census outreach to ensure cultural and linguistic accessibility for all Washington residents, and publicly oppose the inclusion of a question about citizenship status.

The group commended Inslee’s affirmation

that Washington state welcomes refugees and immigrants, and applauded Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s aggressive legal challenges against the Trump administration’s executive orders.

A bill to change a 100-year-old state law that partially prevented the families of international students in the fatal Ride the Ducks crash in 2015 from receiving wrongful death compensation, got a mention.

Two amendments correcting the law have been sponsored by Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos and Sen. Bob Hasegawa, HB 2262 and SB 6015, respectively.

APIC also urged the Legislature to correct what it calls “one of the gravest injustices which prohibit many Pacific Islanders, including residents from the Marshall Islands, from being eligible for the Medicaid program.” It wants the Legislature to enact a state funded subsidy program for these Pacific Islanders.

APIC also touched on climate change, funding for mental health, and reestablishing affirmative action in Washington state. 

asianweekly northwest

16

JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 2, 2018

36 YEARS

television news.” The election of President Donald Trump brought Maeda to the noncommercial, nonprofit KVRU 105.6 FM radio in the Rainier Valley. The station is a listenersponsored public radio station, which will focus on public interest and cultural diversity with a specific interest to the Rainier Valley neighborhood.

Maeda was executive director of Pacifica Radio in the 1980s and station manager of the now-defunct KRAB-FM in Seattle. Her years as a community activist will help the startup radio station formulate its content in properly serving the surrounding community. “I wanted to be at a place to give other people a voice,” said Maeda of her wish to come out of retirement.

KVRU was the idea of Southeast Effective Development of Seattle. It ran a three-year capital campaign to fund the station. Unlike other low-fi stations in the city, the space it currently resides was specifically built to be a radio station, which includes soundproof rooms for studios. It also has upto-date technology to edit and produce shows. The station hopes to have local musicians come in for live shows.

Nestled right off of Rainier Avenue in the Genesee/Mt. Baker neighborhood sits the KVRU first floor office front, in a mixed-use building, which houses low-income families above. The station offices are still a work in progress, but it is up and running with the necessary capabilities of most radio stations. It has a functioning studio, with another larger studio intended for musical groups coming in the near future. There is also an editing room for producers to finalize their content.

KVRU is one of the many “low-powered” local radio stations that have sprouted up across the city of Seattle. This new way of communication was recently a subject of a New York Times article, with many of these stations learning on the fly as they seek different ways to fill their airwaves for content.

Maeda displayed the radio antenna, which sits on the roof of the building. Similar to other low-power stations, the area of reach varies, but the strongest signal occurs within a threeand-a-half-mile span of the station. From the rooftop, the high-rise buildings of downtown Seattle are in the distance.

Maeda noted that the station’s signal can reach those in office buildings due to the unfettered space between the antenna and the buildings. She has driven around to test its reach. KVRU can be heard from as far north as Fremont, and east to almost Duvall along the I-90 corridor. Reception is spotty on Beacon Hill as hills are not good for stations.

◄

Photo by Jason Cruz/NWAW

MAEDA from 1

Sharon Maeda in studio

Washington state has the second-highest concentration of low-powered radio stations among the nation’s 15 most populous states, per the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Maeda joined KVRU late last summer as the deadline approached for KVRU to hit the airwaves. When she first saw the studio, she knew that she could help out. “I knew I could do something with this.” The job is part-time, but her work with the station far exceeds 20 hours per week. It’s common for her to put in 60-hour work weeks doing a facet of things.

“Starting from scratch involves a whole lot,” said Maeda. At the beginning, she had to secure licenses to ensure that they could play music. They purchased about 700 songs, mainly R&B and jazz. Maeda indicated that this helps create time for the station to develop its own programing. She also had to start marketing, fundraising, and other behind-the-scenes radio business, which many outsiders do not see. Maeda notes that there are a variety of legal issues that broadcasters must know to ensure that they are not in violation of FCC rules.

The station will be holding workshops to train potential hosts to ensure they comply with FCC rules and the station’s own

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policies.

In addition to over the air management, Maeda applies for grants on behalf of the station. KVRU operates as a nonprofit and has a limited budget that is supplemented through grants.

As a listener-sponsored station, there is a balancing act in ensuring that it invests its limited budget wisely, while asking the base to support its efforts.

The station has two employees thus far, with a rotation of about 30 volunteers helping out in a variety of ways. A radio leadership council will shape the programming to coincide with the mission in serving the community. Currently, the station produces extended public service announcements, which focus on pressing issues within the community.

Maeda intends to stay with the radio station until it is stable and in a position to hand it off to someone else. But in the meantime, she is continuing her work within the community.

And finding a reason to stay off the couch.  For more information on the station, visit kvru.org.

Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.