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36 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Bring back affirmative action?

ICHIRO RETURNS TO MARINERS » see 7

FOREIGN WIVES LIVING IN FEAR

GOSSIP IS CLOSING » see 2

Credit: Sharon Chang

“Asians are not a monolithic demographic.

Just because a sliver of that might have money and access to privilege – [does] that mean that we should actually sacrifice everybody else under that demographic, so that that privileged sector can maintain that privilege? I don’t think so.”

— Sen. Bob Hasegawa

AT THE MOVIES » see 8

API Chaya’s 23rd annual candlelight vigil on March 1 remembered the lives of Susana Remerata Blackwell (bottom), and her friends Phoebe Dizon (top), and Veronica Laureta (middle). The women were murdered by Blackwell’s estranged husband in 1995 in the King County Courthouse, during the couple’s divorce proceedings. Blackwell was pregnant at the time.

By Carolyn Bick NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Business owner Tony Au wants to make one thing very clear: he is all for the repeal of Initiative 200.

“It is actually a negative impact to our community, and the Chinese community,” the hair salon and real estate investor said. “[If Tony Au I-200 is repealed,] I can see a lot more opportunity for the minority, and more fair chances.”

By Carolyn Bick NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Shortly after he came to Washington to serve as the Consul General of Japan in Seattle, Yoichiro Yamada learned that there were literally hundreds of women asking for the consulate’s help to escape domestic abuse situations. “[Our attorney] said the number of such inquiries and requests for help amounts to anything between 100 and 200 a year … and that is a big number,” Yamada said. “It has been

see I-200 on 16

see FOREIGN WIVES on 6

“[Our attorney] said the number of such inquiries and requests for help amounts to anything between 100 and 200 a year … and that is a big number. It has been like this for many, many years.”

— Yoichiro Yamada Consul General of Japan

CHINA MAKES HISTORIC MOVE TO ALLOW XI TO RULE INDEFINITELY » see 5

BLOG » see 10

Clock runs out in Olympia on bill to aid SeaTac Area mobile home residents

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Residents of The Firs Mobile Home Park received bad news from the state capitol in Olympia as a bill granting financial assistance to residents of the SeaTac site fell short of a vote before the end of the legislative session on March 2.

“It’s sad,” noted state Rep. Cindy

■

Ryu. Relocating the residents could mean moving 200 miles away to another mobile home park, children changing schools, and parents needing to find new jobs. “It tears the fabric of communities,” said Ryu, who chairs the Community, Development, Housing and Tribal Affairs Committee.

City of SeaTac Councilmember see MOBILE HOME on 16

The Firs mobile home park

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2

36 YEARS

MARCH 17 – MARCH 23, 2018

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS

Credit: Prachi Verma Photography

Holi celebration

A family poses for a photo after getting color bombed.

It was a sea of colors on March 3 at Bellevue Downtown Park.

Hundreds gathered to mark Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors — which marks the arrival of spring.

During the event, participants threw organic color on each other while dancing to Bollywood music.

Hosted by the nonprofit Child Rights and You (CRY), the money raised from the event will help and support underprivileged children.  Photo by Assunta Ng

Tea art specialist

Key Club members gathered at Hing Hay Park on March 11.

are one,” at Hing Hay Park. They told the Northwest Asian Weekly that they were preparing for an upcoming national convention.

Key Club is a student-led, high school organization.

According to its website, its members make the world a better place through service. 

Yin Na

Kinokuniya in Seattle hosted Yin Na on March 10 — a tea art specialist from Chongqing, and author of “Tea Art of China.”

She explained the varieties of tea plants that thrive in each region, along with the different processing traditions, tea ceremonies, and ancient customs unique to each region in China.

Yin Na also provided tea tasting of a variety Tea brewing demonstration of top Chinese teas and demonstrated how to brew the perfect cup of tea. 

Gossip closing

Key Club rally

The Northwest Asian Weekly caught sight of a rally on March 11, held by members of the Key Club.

Approximately 50 high school students chanted, “We

BETO YARCE Ventures Nonprofit

Photo by Han Bui

Karen Matsuda is one of six inductees into the 2018 Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame recognizes the dedication and achievements of Washington state registered nurses who have made significant lifetime accomplishments in the nursing profession.

Karen Matsuda Her friends say Matsuda was the only Asian nurse to reach the level of Deputy Regional Health Administrator for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region X (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington).

A third-generation Japanese, who was born in Fresno, Calif., Matsuda has also been inducted into the Seattle Pacific University School of Nursing Hall of Fame and received the University of Washington Distinguished Alumnus Award. 

Photo by Assunta Ng

Matsuda Hall of Fame induction

Gossip Espresso & Tea is reportedly closing its doors at the end of March. Located at 651 South King Street, Gossip opened in 2000. Its website says, “Our single shop in Seattle’s International District has become one of the most well-known bubble tea hot spots in the whole downtown.” 

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

MARCH 17 – MARCH 23, 2018

3

Man arrested following double stabbing in ID Police arrested a 36-year-old man after a stabbing on March 8 in Hing Hay Park.

According to eyewitnesses, the suspect and two other men were arguing in front of the park entrance to the Bush Hotel around 9 a.m., when the suspect pulled out a knife and started attacking. Officers responded to the 911 calls and officers from both the West and East Precinct responded.

Police found two victims, ages 63 and 50, nearby. The first victim had been stabbed multiple times, once in the chest, while One of two victims being wheeled on a gurney by medics.

The police and ambulance response at Hing Hay Park. the other had a slash wound to his face.

Both men were transported to Harborview Medical Center.

Staff can be reached at knife on him. Multiple witnesses positively investigation of assault.  Officers located the suspect outside of identified the man as the suspect, and he info@nwasianweekly.com.

Four Seas and detained him. He still had the was booked into the King County Jail for

On Medicaid? Amazon offers recipients a Prime discount NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon has taken another step to woo low-income shoppers to its site and away from rival Walmart.

The online retailer opened its discounted $5.99-a-month Prime membership on March 7 to people on Medicaid, giving it an even bigger pool of potential shoppers who may otherwise have been unable to pay the standard fee.

Since June, Amazon has offered the same Prime discount to people using food stamps or other government

assistance through an Electronic Benefit Transfer card.

Adding Medicaid recipients makes Prime, and its expedited shipping for no extra cost, accessible to more people, Amazon said.

Industry analysts believe Amazon is maneuvering both to expand its Prime membership numbers, and to go after people whose first shopping destination may be Walmart.

Nearly 70 million people are enrolled in Medicaid, which provides health coverage to low-income people and

those with disabilities. More than 42 million participate in the food stamps program, through what is now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Amazon.com Inc. declined to say how many people signed up for Prime under the EBT card expansion, but Aaron Perrine, who oversees the program, says those that did sign up kept the service and were engaged Prime users. see PRIME on 14

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asianweekly northwest

4

MARCH 17 – MARCH 23, 2018

36 YEARS

■ NATIONAL NEWS

Chloe Kim gets her own Barbie doll

By The Associated Press

Chloe Kim

Barbie marked International Women’s Day earlier this month by honoring some of the inspiring women of the present and the past.

The brand announced on March 7—a day before International Women’s day—that it chose 17 modern-day and historic role models to honor with a doll in their likeness.

The 14 new honorees of the brand’s “Shero” program are: Patty Jenkins, director of “Wonder Woman;” Chloe Kim, who won an Olympic gold medal in snowboarding last month at age 17; Bindi Irwin, the Australian conservationist; British boxing champion Nicola Adams; Turkish windsurfing champion

Caring for ‘chosen family’ gains ground in sick-leave laws

By JENNIFER PELTZ ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK (AP) — Yee Won Chong had just been diagnosed with cancer.

His relatives were half a world away in Malaysia and couldn’t care for him. So he turned to the friends he considers his “chosen family.’’

“There was no question,’’ says his longtime housemate Brooks Nelson, a Portland, Oregon, charity executive who used his own sick days to accompany Chong to doctor’s appointments. “That’s what family does.’’

Arrangements like theirs have quietly been gaining political recognition.

In the last two years, Arizona , Rhode Island and the three biggest U.S. cities — New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — have passed laws that let workers use sick days to care for anyone who’s like family to them. Similar laws also passed in Austin , Texas, just last month and St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2016. Millions of federal employees and contractors also have the benefit.

To some business interests, such laws put bosses in the awkward position of figuring out who’s the “equivalent’’ of family. But to Chong, the policies simply “catch up with the ways people are related to each other.’’

At 46, the nonprofit-organization consultant has had romantic partners but also forged bonds with people in homes he has shared and in his circle of liberal activists.

Still, as he asked for help dealing with cancer, he wondered: “Am I imposing on them?’’

His friends didn’t see it that way.

Roberta Hunte readily kept Chong company at chemotherapy, recalling her friends’ support when her mother had cancer. Andrei Joseph, who flew in to help Chong recuperate from surgery, is a cancer survivor and part of a couple whose home Chong shared for years in Brookline, Massachusetts.

“What kind of person would I be if I didn’t go in his time of need?’’ says Joseph, a retired teacher.

Acknowledging the “equivalent’’ of

Workers don’t get extra

Cagla Kubat; French Michelin-starred chef Helene Darroze; Chinese volleyball champion Hui Ruoqi; German fashion designer Leyla Piedayesh; Mexican golfer Lorena Ochoa; Polish author and journalist Martyna Wojciechowska; Italian soccer player Sara Gama; Chinese actress and philanthropist Xiaotong Guan; Chinese ballerina Yuan Yuan Tan; and Vicky Martin Berrocal, Spanish designer and entrepreneur.

“Barbie’s message — to show girls that they can be anything — is something I can get behind,” Kim, 17, said in a media statement. “I’m so honored to be considered a role model and want girls to know that they can be athletic and girly at the same time!” 

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sick days for family – “equivalent” care; it’s just a way they can use their allotted time. It’s not yet clear whether the broad definition spurs workers to take more of their sick days.

family relationships is rooted in a 1969 regulation about federal employees’ leave for military funerals in the thick of the Vietnam War. A 1994 law extended the “equivalent’’ definition to federal workers’ sick time, and a 2015 presidential order did the same for many federal contractors. The more recent state and local measures cover an estimated 10 million private-sector and government workers, says Wendy ChunHoon of Family Values at Work, a paid sick leave advocacy group.

Workers don’t get extra sick days for family-“equivalent’’ care; it’s just a way they can use their allotted time. It’s not yet clear whether the broad definition spurs workers to take more of their sick days.

Much of the impetus for chosen-familyfriendly sick leave laws has come from gay people. But New York City got complaints about workers being denied sick leave to care for aunts and a fiancée before its law was broadened last fall, consumer affairs Commissioner Lorelei Salas said.

Wil Darcangelo’s chosen family is one he never envisioned when he moved into a studio at a Fitchburg, Massachusetts, home five years ago in exchange for carpentry work.

The household now includes him and his husband; a 22-year-old blind woman with autism they legally adopted last summer; his husband’s stroke-stricken ex-partner; see SICK-LEAVE on 12

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

MARCH 17 – MARCH 23, 2018

■ WORLD NEWS

5

China makes historic move to allow Xi to rule indefinitely

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN ASSOCIATED PRESS BEIJING (AP) — China’s rubber-stamp lawmakers passed a historic constitutional amendment on March 11, abolishing a presidential two-term limit that will enable Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely.

The amendment upends a system enacted by former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1982 to prevent a return to the bloody excesses of a lifelong dictatorship typified by Mao Zedong’s chaotic 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution.

“This marks the biggest regression in China’s legal system since the reform and opening-up era of the 1980s,’’ said Zhang Lifan, an independent Beijing-based political commentator.

“I’m afraid that this will all be written into our history in the future,’’ Zhang said.

Voting among the National People’s Congress’ nearly 3,000 hand-picked delegates began in the mid-afternoon, with Xi leading members of the Communist Party’s sevenmember all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee in casting their votes. He placed his orange ballot paper in a red box bearing the official seal of state placed front and center on the stage inside the cavernous hall.

Rank-and-file deputies then rose to vote on the floor of the hall as jaunty instrumental music played. Ten minutes later, the process

“This marks the biggest regression in China’s legal system since the reform and opening-up era of the 1980s. I’m afraid that this will all be written into our history in the future.’’

— Zhang Lifan had ended and delegates were asked to return to their seats while the votes were counted.

Shortly after 3:50 p.m., the results were read out over the public address system and flashed briefly on a screen in the hall. The delegates voted 2,958 in favor, with two opposed, three abstaining and one vote invalidated.

“The constitutional amendment item has passed,’’ the announcer declared to polite applause.

The 64-year-old Xi appeared to show little emotion, remaining in his seat with other deputies to listen to a report on the work of the congress delivered by its outgoing chairman.

The slide toward one-man rule under Xi has fueled concern that Beijing is eroding efforts to guard against the excesses of autocratic leadership and make economic regulation more stable and predictable.

The head of the legislature’s legal affairs committee, Shen Chunyao, dismissed such concerns as “speculation that is ungrounded and without basis.’’

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Shen told reporters the party has accumulated extensive experience over its 90-year history that has led to a system of orderly succession to “maintain the vitality and long-term stability of the party and the people.’’

“We believe in the future that we will continue with this path and discover an even brighter future,’’ Shen said.

The amendment also inserted Xi’s personal political philosophy into the preamble of the constitution and phrasing that emphasizes the leadership of the ruling Communist Party.

“It is rare nowadays to see a country with a constitution that emphasizes the constitutional position of any one political party,’’ said Zhang, the political commentator.

In a sign of the issue’s sensitivity, government censors have aggressively scrubbed social media of expressions ranging from “I disagree’’ to “Xi Zedong.’’ A number of prominent Chinese figures have publicly protested the move, despite the risk of official

retaliation.

Officials have said the abolishing of the presidential term limits is aimed only at bringing the office of the president in line with Xi’s other positions atop the Communist Party and the Central Military Commission, which do not impose term limits.

While some scholars questioned the wisdom of the move, others said they saw value in sending the message that Xi would be setting policy for many years to come.

“In fact, the more Xi Jinping’s position is consolidated and the longer his governing time is to last, the more secure it is for the continuity of the policies,’’ said Liu Jiangyong, a professor at Renmin University’s School of International Relations.

The move is widely seen as the culmination of Xi’s efforts since being appointed leader of the party in 2012 to concentrate power in his own hands and defy norms of collective leadership established over the past two decades. Xi has appointed himself to head bodies that oversee national security, finance, economic reform and other major initiatives, effectively sidelining the party’s No. 2 figure, Premier Li Keqiang.

It has crushed faint hopes for political reforms among China’s embattled liberal scholars and activists, who now fear even greater repression. China allows no political see XI on 13

asianweekly northwest

6

MARCH 17 – MARCH 23, 2018

36 YEARS

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR MAR 15

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DROP-IN SESSION ON NORTHGATE PED/BIKE FOREIGN WIVES from 1 like this for many, many years.”

But the abuse these women face isn’t specific only to Japanese wives who have come to the United States. It is pervasive amongst wives of foreign nationals both in and out of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

However, their plight has received less attention, because they are often green card holders, Yamada said. Their legal status is only threatened if they divorce their husbands — which is one of the ways their husbands keep them compliant and quiet.

Since learning about the problem, Yamada said he has been reaching out to organizations and legislators to try to win state-funded assistance for the women who call the consulate.

The office is there to provide assistance to Japanese nationals, he said, so, beyond fighting against a glaring human rights violation, it is “in the legitimate interest of our office to talk about this issue, and discuss this, particularly with the State Legislature.”

API Chaya is another resource that is working on the ground within the AAPI community to help people out of domestic violence situations. It also works to end sex trafficking within the community. API Chaya Director Joanne Alcantara said that while immigrant men may also experience violence at the hands of a partner, it is usually immigrant women who

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are subject to the often literal blows, especially if they lack English skills and don’t have family in the country. This helps to keep them isolated and quiet, two key factors in keeping these women under their oppressors’ control.

But abuse doesn’t always involve direct physical violence, Alcantara said. She recalled a woman who was filmed for the organization’s gala last year, whose initial meeting with the man she had been arranged to marry went well. But after they were married, that changed.

“He would just abandon her for days, weeks, however long at a time in their apartment,” Alcantara said. “She wouldn’t have access to getting food. She wouldn’t have access to going anywhere. She wouldn’t have access to taking care of herself, really, because she didn’t have a job, she didn’t have friends, she didn’t have a bus pass, and so she was just kind of stuck in this apartment.”

The abuser may also focus on a victim’s specific fears, Alcantara said. In many of the cases the consulate handles, it is the fear of never seeing one’s children again. Yamada said many of the women who reach out to the consulate have been threatened with deportation, if they divorce their husbands, so they often choose to stay and continue to suffer abuse, rather than escape and risk the loss of their children.

Because they are so desperate not to lose their children, these women may also inadvertently make themselves

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indigent, Yamada said. If they work up the courage to file for divorce, with plans to take their children with them back to Japan, their husbands may engage attorneys who threaten them with the loss of custody of their children, unless they sign over their legal rights to the property acquired while married. Under Washington state law, parties who divorce are entitled to equal halves of any assets acquired, during the time of the marriage. But if these women do not know this — or even if they do — the idea of losing custody of their children frightens some into relinquishing all property and funds, effectively leaving them impoverished and unable to care for themselves, much less their children, Yamada said.

“She becomes a food stamp collector, or she goes to church to receive food. She uses the shelter or sometimes I’ve heard that she is homeless,” Yamada said. “She sometimes has to resort to prostitution, because that is the only way to raise cash. … They are very powerless.”  API Chaya’s helpline number is 877-922-4292 or 206-3250325, and accepts calls between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The Japanese Consulate may be reached at 206-682-9107.

Carolyn can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

View the solution on page 14

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

■ SPORTS

MARCH 17 – MARCH 23, 2018

7

The Layup Drill

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Welcome to another edition of The Layup Drill. In this month’s column, we take a look back at the Winter Olympics and a new Sounders player. But first, is the return of Ichiro!

AP Photo/ G. Newman Lowrance

Ichiro returns to Mariners

Seattle Mariners Ichiro Suzuki file photo from 2012.

In somewhat of a surprise, the Seattle Mariners re-signed Ichiro Suzuki to the team. Ichiro will help out a much-maligned outfielding corps. When we last saw Ichiro at Safeco Field, it was last season when he was with the Miami Marlins. In what many thought would be his last at-bat in Seattle, he hit a home run. For most Mariners fans, we thought that was the end of the book on one of the greatest players to play in Seattle.

But, it looks like it was the end of a chapter, not the book. The Marlins released the 44-year-old this past offseason and Ichiro is still looking to play. Seattle has had injuries to its outfield and with need for some backup, Ichiro was on the Mariners’ radar once again.

After a professional career in Japan and 11 years with the Mariners, Ichiro was traded from Seattle to the New York Yankees in 2012. He played for the Yankees for two years and then went to Miami, where he spent 2015-2017. With the Marlins, he collected his 3,000th hit in Major League Baseball.

The contract is just for the 2018 season, although there is speculation that if the Mariners’ outfielders get healthy, Ichiro may make an early exit. Of course, if he rekindles his magic with the Mariners, he might give

fans one last season of memories.

Kim delivers gold for U.S., star of Olympics

The Winter Olympics took place last month in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Despite concerns over tensions with their neighbors from the north, the games served as a time in which North and South Korea put aside the politics to participate in the games together.

The unification, if only for the Olympics, between the contingent of North Korean athletes and South Koreans showed the power of athletic sports.

As for the Americans, the star of the Olympics was Southern California teenager Chloe Kim. Despite being 17 years old, it seemed like the fans had been waiting for years to see her participate in the Olympics.

Kim came as advertised, as she blew away her competition in the snowboard halfpipe.

She became the youngest female to win an Olympic gold medal.

The win was all the more special because Kim’s parents are from South Korea.

Television cameras caught Kim’s evervigilant father waiting for her at the bottom of the mountain, as he has done for all her competitions. Kim appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated after her victory. She will be on the Wheaties cereal box, which is usually dedicated to the best Olympic athlete for the United States. It’s clear that she was the darling of the 2018 Winter Games.

Kim was nervous for the competition, but noted some comfort food help. She tweeted

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see SPORTS on 13

asianweekly northwest

8

36 YEARS

MARCH 17 – MARCH 23, 2018

■ AT THE MOVIES

“A Brighter Summer Day” Sad saga, secret Seattle connection

By Andrew Hamlin NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY It begins simply enough, with a concerned parent wondering to school faculty, why his son, a good student, did poorly on a test. It ends four hours later in murder, madness, the destruction of lives, and the loss of hope.

Edward Yang’s epic film “A Brighter Summer Day,” released in 1991 but set in Taiwan about 30 years earlier, rapidly earned a place in the pantheon of Taiwanese cinema. Oddly enough, though, says Aaron Dean from Northwest Film Forum, a lot of people don’t realize Yang’s strong Seattle connections.

Dean, who masterminded the Northwest Film Forum’s revival of the film this month, says we don’t know exactly when Yang arrived in town, but it was some time in 1976 or 1977, and he spent several years here working on microcomputers and defense software.

“It was in Seattle that Yang became a regular attendee of the Harvard Exit Theatre, now gone, sadly, where he discovered [Werner] Herzog’s film ‘Aguirre, the Wrath of God,’ as well as Michelangelo Antonioni and works of the French New Wave and the Italian Neorealists,” said Dean. “Yang spent

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Think all Asians look alike? You’re racist!

(JK, but you def need more Asian friends)

more time in Seattle than anywhere else, and he had a love for the city, even wanting to someday come back and make something here. There are a number of photos of Yang wearing a vintage Seahawks jacket.”

Of the seven feature films Yang completed before his death, from cancer, in 2007, “A Brighter Summer Day” is by far the longest (it’s usually shown in two two-hour chunks), and his only story not set in present-day Taipei. “[The film] stands as Yang’s only period piece,” confirmed Dean. “All of Yang’s other work focused on the lives of urban citizens of Taipei.”

The teenagers in the movie play pranks, break the law in small ways, run with glee to avoid police and other authority figures. It seems harmless enough at first. But over the long stretch, malevolence begins to build up. Early 1960s teen culture is run by street gangs, each one eager to defend its turf and encroach on enemy territory. They preen and pose for each other, for enjoyment and intimidation.

But with the win-or-die mentality as an underlying tone, blood is bound to spill.

Yang also included an important subplot about one teen’s father, who

gets swept up in a police investigation and accused of being a Communist, with ties to the mainland. He’s innocent of anything substantial and he’s no traitor. But the police attention will leave a stain on his reputation.

Casting a critical eye at teen violence and police heavy-handedness carried some risk, even for a film set in the past. Still, explained Dean, the film was something special for Taiwan.

To shoot it, Yang had the biggest budget of any Taiwanese film in history at the time it was released. But even so, adjusted for inflation and converted, it was still only made for $1.5 million USD. “Taiwanese film, at that time, was still done very minimally, even when the works were large in scope. Small crews, fewer lights, few takes, so on.

[This film] was privately funded, made up of Yang and his crew’s own funds (his previous film ‘The Terrorizers’ was successful at the Taiwanese box office) and some private investment.

All of the music was used without license, which was one reason it took considerable time for the film to make it to the United States.”

That music, while only used for see MOVIES on 14

EHIME

JAPAN FOOD FAIR March 14-20, 2018 at Seattle & Bellevue

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RICE CRACKERS

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Enjoy exclusive products from Japan’s Ehime Prefecture! The Fair will feature citrus products, seafood and seafood snacks, natto, mochi and much more!

Plus, don’t miss your chance to watch a live tuna cutting performance at our Bellevue store on Saturday, March 17th at 2pm.

Marie Tran

Mirai Nagasu

By Stacy Nguyen NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

college professor in charge of molding young minds cannot say what is in her heart without people getting it twisted.

This month, we learn that social media is powerful. Because of social media, a

see A-POP on 15

Meet Mikyan!

Ehime Prefecture’s adorable mascot Mikyan!

Seattle:

3/14, 3/15, 3/19 •12:00 pm 3/16 • 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm 3/18 • 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm

Bellevue: 3/17 • 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm

® ®

MARCH 17 – MARCH 23, 2018

T hank You !

PHOTOS BY SAM LE | NWAW

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

9

The Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce would like to thank many organizations and individuals for making our Lunar New Year Dinner a success at the China Harbor Restaurant on Mar. 1.

— Felicity Wang President, Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce

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asianweekly northwest

10

MARCH 17 – MARCH 23, 2018

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

36 YEARS

The legacy of Tetsuden Kashima Photo by Assunta Ng

KASHIMA’S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH (EDITED)

Yoichiro Yamada (left) and Tetsu Kashima

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Photo by Assunta Ng

Here is good news for fans of the University of Washington (UW)’s cherry trees: they will blossom next week, according to a UW news release. The iconic 31 cherry trees at the UW Quad, a gift from Japan in 1912, symbolized the friendship between the United States and Japan. If you pay attention, many more cherry trees were planted, extending to Drumheller Fountain. Those trees were the result of Tetsu Kashima’s leadership in 2014.

Kashima, professor emeritus of American Ethnic Studies, is the recipient of this year’s Order of the Rising Sun, Gold rays with Rosette, which was handed out on Mar. 9 at the Japanese Consul General’s residence.

He was recognized for “his contributions to the advancement of Japanese and Japanese Americans in the United States,” said Yoichiro Yamada, Consul General of Japan. The award was announced last November.

Attendees of the March 9 award ceremony.

“Dr. Kashima has devoted his academic career to understanding Japanese American sociology and history in America,” said Yamada.

“His pioneering work in Asian American Studies has been recognized both nationally and internationally, especially in the areas of Japanese American incarceration and internment during WWII, Japanese American values and interpersonal relations, and Japanese American religiosity.”

Kashima, an author, has published “Buddhism in America: The Social Organization of an Ethnic Religious Institution” and “Judgment Without Trial: Japanese American Imprisonment During World War II,” in addition to several journal articles.

Kashima has also taught in Japan, as a visiting professor at both Ryukoku University in Kyoto and Yamaguchi National University.

Born in California, Kashima, who received his Ph.D. in Sociology see BLOG on 15

I recall that as 4-year-old Nisei, or American-born Japanese American, that I was sitting in Mr. Katayama’s lap while watching the Friday-night outdoors movie at the War Relocation Authority’s Topaz, UT, concentration camp in 1944 or 1945. I still smile when I recall this memory because Mrs. Katayama was sitting next to us and feeding me lots of candy.

The Katayamas’, along with most Issei, or 1st generation Japanese resident aliens, tried all they could to make life ‘regular’ for the young children in the center to protect us from the horrendous life-draining daily life that the adult Issei and older Nisei faced. After all, WE had been forced from our homes and sent to desolate areas and placed behind barb wire fences for an indeterminate time period without due process of law.

The Katayamas lost all their worldly goods, as did many other Issei. Their crime? They looked like the enemy — as did the NISEI. However, American citizens of German and Italian ancestry were not so treated even though we were at war with their ancestral homeland.

This forced removal and incarceration into primitive prisons without charge, trial, or adjudication was personally traumatic. That is, when I started teaching in 1974 at the University of California, Santa Barbara, invariably my Sansei, or 3rd generation Japanese American students, would ask me to talk more about the “camps” as we called them then.

When I asked these students why they didn’t ask their parents, they invariably replied that their parents would not talk about their camp experience except for the lousy food and weather. This was such a prevalent occurrence that I wrote a journal article in 1980 titled “Japanese American Internees Return, 1945-1955: Readjustment and Social Amnesia.”

HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED First: Where once little was available about the World War II incarceration camps, except for a few academic tomes, now there are hundreds of books: stories, plays, poetry, memoirs, histories, social science analysis, and lots more. There is no longer a “social amnesia” about this American tragedy.

Second: Where once the government used euphemisms to hide the horror and cruelty of the incarceration with innocuous words, such as “evacuation,” “relocation,” and “assembly centers,” now the people are becoming accustomed to more accurate terms, such as “concentration camps,” “incarceration,” and “citizen isolation centers.”

Third: Once the centers holding pre-designated “trouble-some” aliens — comparatively fewer Japanese, German, and Italians — were never discussed or recognized. Now such centers, which are conceptually different from the incarceration camps and called internment camps were located in places, such as “Lordsburg, NM,” “Santa Fe, NM,” and “Seagoville, TX.” Here, Issei men and women and families were sequestered until the end of the war. However, at the “Crystal City, TX” internment camp, various internees were not released until 1947, or two years after the end of World War II. These are but three change examples. Other significant actions include, of course, the Redress campaign, coupled with a token symbolic monetary payment, the 1988 Civil Liberties Act, the awarding of Presidential Medals of Freedom to Gordon Hirabayashi, Fred Korematsu, and Minoru Yasui, and the 2011 Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Nisei soldiers who served in the European and the Pacific theater of war.

These significant changes were the end results of the work and dedication of many, many present day persons working to correct the World War II tragedy.

So now we come to today. My desire is to have my honor be given to all of you and to the University of Washington at all levels: from the Board of Regents, the UW President, Provosts, Deans, Chairpersons of Departments such as the Library, and especially to the American Ethnic Studies and all the University’s staff personnel for supporting our Asian American endeavors -- with encouragement, advice, and assistance.

The University of Washington is a place with a large heart to match its very highly regarded academic and research reputation.

And I also believe that major credit must be given to all the Issei who suffered through the incarceration and internment experience, such as Mr. and Mrs. Katayama. Their display of courage and compassion was extraordinary during the catastrophic days of World War II. I believe that their ability to withstand the hardships originated from their Meiji cultural values. These values were later transmitted to the Nisei generation to be resolute, resilient, and resourceful in meeting the incarceration camp experience and later life’s challenges.

Thus, I am proud of my Japanese heritage, and proud to be an American.”

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

■ EDITORIAL

MARCH 17 – MARCH 23, 2018

11

Reading, writing, arithmetic, and revolvers?

A recent NBC News/SurveyMonkey poll showed the majority of Americans don’t want to arm teachers, but 42 percent of people said they should.

Conversations around gun legislation and school safety programs have ignited across the country in response to a high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., in which 17 people were killed.

On Feb. 28, Republican lawmakers in the Washington State Legislature introduced a bill that would allow school administrators, and in some cases teachers, to carry firearms in classrooms. SB 6622 allows for concealed weapons to be carried on campus by qualified adults, but does not require it.

Sen. Phil Fortunato (R-Auburn) is the bill’s prime sponsor. He pointed to the Toppenish School District that implemented a concealed carry program in response to the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Conn. in 2012. The policy arms only administrators, not teachers.

The day after the Parkland shooting, Rep. Dan Kristiansen (R-Snohomish) proposed arming teachers who

are already trained to use firearms, during a Republican leadership media availability.

Another proposal to address the school shooting threat has drawn bipartisan support. SB 6618, sponsored by Sen. Barbara Bailey (R-Oak Harbor), would require every school in Washington state, public and private, to employ at least one licensed mental health counselor. The bill is meant to encourage communication between students, counselors, and teachers.

Gov. Jay Inslee confronted President Donald Trump on Feb. 26 during a meeting with state governors at the White House to discuss gun violence issues.

Inslee said, “Educators should educate and they should not be foist upon this responsibility of packing heat in first grade classes.”

On March 13, a teacher accidentally discharged a firearm while teaching a public safety class at a Seaside, Calif. high school. A 17-year-old student was injured by a bullet fragment or by debris that fell off the ceiling, police said.

The teacher is also a reserve police officer trained in

firearm use — which seems to negate the argument for “good guys with guns.”

Are guns for teachers really the answer anyway? What kind of gun? Where should they keep it? Holstered on their bodies? In their desks? Are they expected to add gun training to the other tasks they are already required to do?

Would you feel better if your child has a teacher who is armed? What if the teacher has a bad day?

If more guns could solve this problem, Florida and Florida’s schools would be the safest in the nation. In that state, according to its Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, nearly 2 million people are permitted to carry concealed weapons. There have been three mass shootings, in which four or more people have been killed in a single incident, in Florida since 2016.

Until we stop fetishizing guns in the name of freedom, our children and citizens will continue to be victims of mass shootings. 

■ LETTERS

Reader feedback on Feb. 24 issue

Dear Editor, I like to grab your paper each week for some articles the mainstream media largely forgets, plus the sudoku puzzle helps pass a bit more time in my day. But you should be more judicious with your editing, because the Feb. 24 issue had some colossally moronic editorials.

First you had a nigh-worthless “review” of Black Panther, where the first line is about how the unnamed author doesn’t want to criticize — one wonders why s/he wrote the article at all then, and why they were afraid to attach their name to it. Historically, there was a period of time when films featuring black casts were green lit – the 1970s. The budgets were smaller, but what is Black Panther except big-budgets-Blacksploitation? The plot is the same as half of the Marvel movies, merely a retelling of the Fisher King Story, just with fresh faces and costumes. African Americans will continue to be treated harshly in real life America, while Disney collects their dollars for seeing this

self-fulfilment movie. Disney is merely pandering to an untapped market, the same as with “Coco,” a movie which had its main conflict rest on illegal immigration, a topic so on-the-nose I’m surprised there wasn’t public outcry, as if that’s the only story you can tell about Mexicans? If you want the Hollywood version of Asian heroes, they already made “Green Hornet.” I’ll stick to “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” its plot is driven by women who decide their own fates and share the majority of the screentime, with all points of view having validity.

As for the next commentary, about arming teachers, you failed to mention that the NRA says guns are the answer to every problem, nor did you mention that they get major funding from gun sellers, so of course they want more people to buy guns.

Mr. Su also claims that armed teachers in Israel stopped attacks, yet did not cite a specific incident. And “good guys” with guns were present at this latest Florida shooting, yet the cop hid and waited for backup. Same as

with the recent Vegas massacre. Mr. Su also claims that all shooters are “infantile young men,” yet he would rather we put them down like dogs, instead of trying to counsel them into maturing? His bio at the end also says “he had to be his own first responder and that defense starts with self.” Why do we not let all students arm themselves then?

Why should they rely on a teacher for protection, instead of themselves? Teachers can be bullies too, or have bad aim and miss the shooter and multiply a disaster, plus when SWAT arrive, they have many more variables. Why not look to the example of Australia’s disarmament program from the 1990s? Do they have school massacres? Perhaps the problem is with American society, and changing nothing hasn’t changed our results. “Good guys” with guns enforced 9066.  — Barry Mishka

Open letter to Golden West College

By Bettie Sing Luke MULTICULTURAL DIVERSITY TRAINER SEATTLE A very disturbing anti-Asian incident was brought to my attention and verified by the LA Times in a March 5th article.

Bettie Sing Luke This offensive encounter occurred in Long Beach, Calif., where an Asian American couple, Tony Kao and his wife, and daughter, were subjected to an unprovoked verbal attack by a “European American” woman, Tarin Frances Olson.

Video of this insulting and hostile action shows Olson telling a couple to “go back to your home country.” She does not recognize the Kao family members are indeed in their home country — the USA! It is particularly disturbing to learn that this blatant bigoted and racist behavior came from a college professor and counselor at your institute of higher education. Olson’s

behavior impacts the reputation of your learning institution.

In my years as a diversity trainer for educators, I observed a common behavior of whites. If they have had very limited experience and relationships with people of other cultures, they see people of color as “foreigners” who do not belong and harbor ill intent.

This is a dangerous perspective to bring into the classroom, as it influences what and how a topic is taught, level of support to students, and grading practices — while favoring white students. Olson’s beliefs are damaging to students.

Here is a quote from Olson to the media. “If you would like to have a full normal interview about the displacement of European Americans, then I gladly am available to enlighten the public.” This statement is clear evidence that Olson was not merely having a bad day. Instead, she holds a deep-seated fear and resentment for displacement by people of a different culture.

Fear and resentment was pervasive in government and society when 120,000 Japanese Americans in 1942 were forced into internment camps during WWII. Fear

and resentment was pervasive with vigilante groups in California, called the “Sons of the Golden West,” during the 1880s when they beat, killed, and drove Chinese workers out of town.

Fear and resentment was pervasive when our national government and community politics enacted the 1882 Exclusion Laws against the Chinese coming to America — even though the Statue of Liberty had a different message.

The outrageous fear and resentment demonstrated by Olson’s racist actions is not safe for students at Golden West College. Her position of power can be inappropriately used against students. Olson’s views are along the lines of white supremacist thoughts, which is not healthy and should not be associated with your learning institution. Businesses have fired employees for blatantly racist behavior, so I am hoping Golden West College will do the right thing. Tarin Frances Olson should be fired.  See related story on page 15.

asianweekly northwest

12

MARCH 17 – MARCH 23, 2018

■ NATIONAL NEWS

YOUR VOICE

36 YEARS

■ ASTROLOGY

Hawaii woman charged in sexual assaults of Japanese student

Predictions and advice for

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat — Don’t assume that you know more than the other side. To underestimate is to give someone else the advantage.

Rika Shimizu

HONOLULU (AP) — A woman who recruited international students for study programs in Hawaii has been charged with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old Japanese exchange student, authorities said.

On March 8, An Oahu grand jury indicted 36-year-old Rika Shimizu on five counts of second-degree sexual assault and four counts of fourth-degree sexual assault.

Shimizu operated a boarding home for Japanese students who were attending school in Honolulu. Shimizu, of Japan, is in Hawaii on a visa, prosecutors said.

She assaulted a boarder beginning in October and lasting until February while the

Dragon — incrementa ripple.

Snake — T Ox — While your persistence isn’t always you must appreciated, it will nonetheless garner the results boy was bedridden for several weeks from a raped her if he reported the assaults, according Avoid getti that you seek.

to the court documents. She also threatened to head injury, authorities said.

Honolulu police arrested Shimizu on March get him expelled from school and the exchange Horse — Tiger — Avoid making quick judgments this week.

6 after the boy reported the assaults. bail program. beauty in e Instead,Her a thoughtful, measured approach should Mickyposition.

Yamatani, the boy’s attorney, told was set at $600,000. that insigh leave you in a much better State Public Defender Jack Tonaki, whose the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the teen have been reported his mother. She then office represented Shimizu,Rabbit declined to new — Making friendsthe canassaults be quiteto daunting a friend, andeffthe boy was taken out comment when reached by The Associated Goat — at times.

You mightcontacted be surprised by how ective of the boarding house.

Press. mystery? W a smile and good eye contact can be. try to fill in “This is a case of sheer betrayal of the trust The boy told police that Shimizu assaulted What’s your animal sign? this victim and his family endowed on this him at least 10 times, according to court 1912, 1924, 1960, 1972, 1984,said.

1996, 2008 Ox 1925, 1937, 1 woman,’’ Yamatani “Instead of1913, providing documents. The boy’s Rat injury had left1936, him1948, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999,environment, 2011 Dragon 1916, a healthy and nurturing the 1928, incapacitated, unable toRabbit go to 1915, the bathroom Horse 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966,engaged 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 Goatof 1919, alone, prepare meals or change clothes. defendant in sexual assaults this1931, 19 1921, 1933, 1945,minor 1957, child.’’

1969, 1981,  1993, 2005, 2017 Dog 1922, 1934, 1 Shimizu had threatenedRooster to claim the boy had

*The year ends on the first new moon of the following year. For those born in Janu

Filipino American becomes first ever 湖 double EGOT winner

includes being more intentional abo hiring workers. The priority hire polic for minority communities to access which was recently adopted as well, no economic opportunities. Over the requires Port of Seattle contract holde last few years, the Port of Seattle’s to hire from disadvantaged zip codes contracting for minority- and women- King County, and it places an empha owned business has been about 5 percent. on hiring minorities and women. Pr to the Goldberg. adoption of the policy, gene bring these numbers the Port DeGeneres, Lopez won in the Best Original SongTocategory Brooks, Ritaup, Moreno, and Whoopi contractors last year spent time soliciting feedback 自1 after “Let It Go” beat “Happy” from “Despicable Me 2”, Not only that, but with a third Grammyhad and few Tonyhiring alreadyguidelin In the last few years, the Port h from minority communities, asking how “The Moon Song” from “Her” and “Ordinary Love” from to his name, Lopez is halfway to being a triple EGOT also provided on-the-job training a it could improve.

“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.” winner. apprentice Lastwas February, “Traditionally, we’ve measured Lopez is now the only person in the world who has ever Lopez’s father is part-Filipino as hisprograms. grandfather authorized $1.2 million towards diversity and contracting primarily by received two of all four major awards — Emmy, Grammy, pure Filipino, while his grandmother was part-Filipino and the ne at in womenand minority-owned two years of training.

Oscar, and Tony (EGOT). There are currently looking 12 people part-Scottish-American.

The Port is also looking to the young business (WMBE) participation in large an elite club of artists who have EGOTs — including Mel capital construction projects like the generation and targeting high schoo third runway or north satellite contracts,” This exposure provides students w said Commissioner Stephanie Bowman. valuable on-the-job training a experiential learning thinkingthink about other Houser, co-owner of Hawthorne Auto Clinic in“Portwide, Portland. we’re Institution tank.

He suggests simply lettingopportunities. workers Former intern Emile Gauvin discover items as well, such where we get But some business groups and employment lawyers are use sick time to care for themselves or “another.’’ an meaning opportunity at Fisherman’s boxed lunches order offiit’s ce paper for the wary of managing sick time around the “equivalent’’ of or However worded, of chosen family Termin while he was a student at Aviation Hi example.

While it might not sound like a seems clear to Jana Clark, who is looking forward to seeing family.

School.

The opportunity allowed h lot, it adds up.”

“This open-ended provision, which defies any definition Rhode Island’s law take effect in July. ‧陵 to gain real world experience, whi In January, the Port of Seattle passed After a stint in graduate school, Clark, who is 30 and or parameters, is priceless’’ to sick-time slackers, says ‧墓 eventually led him to a full-time job w a new policy with the intent of tripling Michael Soltis, a Connecticut lawyer who tracks paid sick starting a job at a university, returned to Providence last the Port, where he works today as a do the number of contracts it holds with leave laws. Lisa Horn of the Society for Human Resource summer because of her chosen family there. The friends WMBEssays and tying of Port help performance one another in ways asspecialist. big as opening homes when Management, a major association of HR professionals, “The Port has been great to m directors to goals they’re expected to meet everyday as dropping off 1554 the language “raises a host of concerns’’ about its meaning. someone needs to stay, and as said Gauvin.

“They’re invested in terms of diversity in contracting.

This Others see better ways to be inclusive. “Who gets to soup when someone’s sick.

BOWMAN from 1

Lak

By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY LOS ANGELES — Robert Lopez made history on March 3 when he and his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez won an Oscar for “Let It Go” from the hit Disney animated movie, “Frozen.”

During the 86th Academy Awards hosted by Ellen

SICK-LEAVE from 4 a British expat who helps aides care for the ex-partner and plays music with Darcangelo and his daughter; and the 72-year-old homeowner.

“Our system works for us, but only in spite of the way the larger system works,’’ says Darcangelo, 48, a church spiritual coordinator whose flexible hours allow him to fill in care gaps.

Regardless of laws, some employers let employees use sick or “personal’’ days to care for whomever they choose.

“I don’t need to know or research or see a birth certificate, a wedding certificate. We’re dealing with adults,’’ says Jim

☆西

2

decide who’s the ‘equivalent of family?’’’ asks Richard V. Reeves, a senior fellow in economics at the Brookings

KING COUNTY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ADVERTISEMENT Sealed bids will be received for C01146C17, West Point Treatment Plant - Dry Polymer Feeder Replacements; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 1:30 PM on March 29, 2018. Late bids will not be accepted.

Scope of Work: (1) Demolition of existing dry polymer feeder skid units; (2) Procure, test and install two pneumatic dry polymer feeder skid units; (3) Procure and install two specified wetting heads; (4) Relocate two existing diverter valves; (5) Provide required documentation; (6) Provide Professional Engineering services; (7) All other work as described or shown.

Estimated contract price: $329,600.

MANDATORY Pre-Bid Conferences & Site Tours: March 20, 2018 at 10:00 a.m., and March 21, 2018 at 9:00 a.m.; WPTP Annex Conference Room, (next to Administration Bldg.), West Point Treatment Plant, 1400 Discovery Park Blvd., Seattle, WA 98199. Site tours will be conducted immediately following the conference. Hardhats and safety boots are recommended for site tour. FAILURE TO ATTEND AT LEAST ONE OF THE MANDATORY MEETINGS AND SITE TOURS WILL RESULT IN A NON-RESPONSIVE BID DETERMINATION. A sign-in sheet will provide evidence of attendance. It is your responsibility to ensure you sign in and out.

There is a 10% minimum requirement for King County Certified Small Contractors and Suppliers (SCS) on this contract.

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

“Just the same kinds of things,’’ she says, “a family member might do.’’ 

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

MARCH 17 – MARCH 23, 2018

■ ASTROLOGY

13

Predictions and advice for the week of March 17–23, 2018

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat — Are you on the fast track or holding steady?

If the latter, then you may want to consider a slight change in strategy.

Dragon — Looking for a challenge to spur your interest? You won’t have to look too far from home to find it.

Monkey — You could be piling on to avoid seeing what is at the bottom. Once you peel back the layers, then the real work begins.

Ox — Do you have a tendency to take on too much at once? Just because you are able to do it, doesn’t mean that you should.

Snake — Are you so busy helping others that you don’t leave enough time for yourself? Taking care of yourself will allow you to give from a position of strength.

Rooster — Is your lack of experience holding you back? A willingness to learn and then seeking out those opportunities should allow you to propel yourself.

Horse — While you are an idealist at heart, you are also quite aware of practical matters. Both will combine to give you the best outcome.

Dog — Just knowing the solution isn’t enough.

You must take the next step of actually applying what you know.

Goat — If there is an issue that you just can’t let go of, then you will find a way to advocate for it in your own way.

Pig — In an ever-changing landscape, you need to be aware of your surroundings in order to figure out where you stand.

Tiger — You are approaching a milestone. Rather than seeing it as the end of an era, view it as the beginning of a new one.

Rabbit — Have you been holding your ambition in check? Spreading your wings could allow you to soar higher than ever before.

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, 2018 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.

SPORTS from 7 that she had Churros before competing. Certainly, her time competing in the X Games and other competitions helped her on such a big stage. One can expect to see Kim in many more Olympic games before she retires. Kim’s success should bring her lucrative commercials and media opportunities.

Nathan Chen was another medal hopeful. However, his subpar performance in the team competition and then his errors during the short competition were signs that this wasn’t his time. Chen did earn a bronze medal in the figure skating team event. Also, earning bronze as part of the team were Mirai Nagasu, Maia Shibutani, and Alex Shibutani.

Chen placed 17th in the short program, which put him out of position for a gold medal when factoring in the long program. Fortunately for Chen, he was able to pull himself together for a memorable free skate performance, where he pulled off five quadruple jumps. He placed first in the program. Chen was able to surge back in the competition to finish in a respectable fifth in the men’s individual competition. The gold medal went to Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan, who had flawless performances in the short program and free skate.

In women’s figure skating, Nagasu became the first American woman ever to land a triple axel in Olympic competition. She earned bronze in the team event and placed 10th in the individual competition. It was a great comeback for Nagasu, who was edged out of the 2014 Olympics after competing in Vancouver at the 2010 Olympics.

Alex and Maia Shibutani earned bronze medals in the team event and in the pairs event of ice dancing. The brother-sister duo are the second sibling duo to earn an Olympic medal and the first from the United States. The Shibutanis also were the first duo of Asian descent to earn an ice dancing medal. Alex, 26, and Maia, 23, started skating together in 2004. It was their second Olympics, but for the “ShibSibs,” it was the first Olympic medals.

J.R. Celski and Aaron Tran represented the United States in short track speed skating. This was Tran’s first Olympics and he skated to a 10th-place finish in the 1,500 meter short-track speed skating event. The 21-year-old was happy with his performance, as it was his best showing on “a much bigger stage than usual.” In a down year for the short track speed skating team, the Federal Way native did his best in front of friends and family who traveled to watch his debut. Celski, a three-time Olympian from Federal Way and three-time medalist, did not fare well this year. The

27-year-old, whose mother is Filipino, did not advance to the final round of the three events.

Sounders sign Korean defender

The Seattle Sounders opened play in March and with the hopes of returning to the MLS Cup for the third year in a row, the team signed Korean defender Kim Kee-Hee. The team acquired Kim, who spent the last two seasons with a soccer team in Shanghai, China, last month.

Kim is a defensive specialist. He made 45 appearances with the Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese Super League.

The 28-year-old is originally from South Korea and has played for the South Korean national team. He played with former Sounders forward Obafemi Martins in China and was informed about the great fans and atmosphere in Seattle.

“I played with Obafemi Martins in China and he put in a lot of good words for Seattle,” Kim told reporters during his initial meeting with Seattle media.

Kim did not play in the Sounders’ opening season debut, but you can expect him to compete for playing time.  Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

XI from 5 opposition in any form and has relentlessly persecuted independent groups seeking greater civic participation. Leading Chinese officials have meanwhile repeatedly rejected any chance of adopting Western-style separation of powers or multiparty democracy.

To be sure, Xi’s confident, populist leadership style and tough attitude toward official corruption have won him a significant degree of popular support.

Zhao Minglin, 32, a vice president of an investment firm in Beijing, said it was easier for Xi to carry out his ambitious vision of raising living standards in China if more power were concentrated in his hands.

“I will definitely support this constitutional amendment and this government. This is a powerful and strong government,’’ Zhao said. He added, however, that he was concerned that the public discourse lacked a space for dissenting voices. 

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NOTICE

METROPOLITAN KING COUNTY COUNCIL LEGISLATIVE ANALYST Closes: March 26, 2018 at 11:59 pm Salary Range: $79,898.42$101,275.82 (DOQ) The Council is searching for a Legislative Policy Analyst to support the King County Council’s policy work. This position is a member of a team responsible for leading or conducting public policy and fiscal analysis for the King County Council and council committees that provide critical support and assist elected officials in making policy decisions for King County residents.

The Council is looking for candidates who have a passion for the legislative process, are creative and intellectually curious, have strong analytical, problem solving and communication skills, and a desire to work as part of a team To apply online, go to www.kingcounty.gov/jobs A King County application is required to be considered for this opportunity. Interested applicants must complete the supplemental questions and submit a resume and letter of interest with your application.

MARCH 17 – MARCH 23, 2018

EMPLOYMENT

36 YEARS

NOTICE

INVITATION FOR BID Mechanical and Electrical Upgrades at Heritage Park Apartments

Outdoor Research is hiring experienced fulltime sewing operators, especially Flatseam, Coverstitch, and Single needle machine operators. This position will be eligible for medical insurance and paid vacation benefits.

Please come apply in person at 2203 1st Ave S. Seattle, WA 98134 or fax resume to 206-467-0374 or email jobs@orgear.com

King County Housing Authority (KCHA)’s Weatherization Department is soliciting bids from qualified firms to replace seventy-seven (77) existing fan controls with humidistat switches with integrated automatic run programming and to replace the light switches and face plates to match; along with alternates to install seventy-seven (77) ¾ ton Ductless Heat pumps, seventy-seven (77) Wireless Thermostats, and seventy-seven (77) through wall ERV’s at Heritage Park Apartments, 9834 N.E. 190th St, Bothell, WA 98011. Sealed bids are due at 2:00 pm, March 29, 2018. A pre-bid meeting will be held on Thursday, March 22, 2018 at 10:30 am at Heritage Park Apartments, 9834 N.E. 190th St, Bothell, WA 98011. Attendance at the Pre-Bid meeting is strongly encouraged of all potential bidders. Failure to attend the pre-bid meeting will not relieve the firm of any responsibility for information provided during the pre-bid meeting. Bid documents may be downloaded from the KCHA website, (https://www.kcha.org/business/ weatherization/), mailed or picked up at KCHA’s office, 700 Andover Park West, Suite D, Seattle, WA. For documents or questions contact Jesse Bennet at (206) 2141258 or jesseb@kcha.org.

GRAFFITI REMOVAL TECHNICIAN Well established company with great BENEFITS, starting wage is $18/hr. with opportunity to advance. Patrolling and removing graffiti throughout the city; training provided on all equipment and chemicals. Clean WA DL driving record required!

Please send your resume to roberthaggard@ goodbyegraffitiusa.com Japanese restaurant in downtown Bellevue. looking for teppanyaki chef,sushi chef,server, and kitchen helper. Must speak English. Call 4255337773.

NOTICE

Senior Studio apartments in Pike Market accepting applications for waitlist. Please call 206-682-9307 9am-4pm Monday through Friday for more information.

EMPLOYMENT

Executive Director Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC) Headquartered in Seattle’s Chinatown/International District, CISC is a 45-year-old non-profit agency providing full range of human services to immigrant communities. CISC is seeking an Executive Director to lead the agency to a new level of success. This is an exceptional opportunity for a visionary leader with a passion for serving the community.

Responsibilities: Developing and implementing long range strategic plans and initiatives, developing strategic relationships, leadership and management of the agency.

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent and 5+ years of executive level management experience. Knowledge and experience in fundraising, securing grants, managing a $6 million budget. A demonstrated success functioning in the Asian cultural environment, human services background with multi-ethnic communities, and bi-lingual preferred.

Send cover letter and resume by March 30, 2018 to: CISC Executive Director Search, 611 South Lane Street, Seattle, WA 98104 or email to Kevin Chan atkevinc@ cisc-seattle.org

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received by the King County Procurement Services Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 2:00 PM of bid opening date for the following listed bids.

To download a document, go to our web page at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/procurement. King County encourages minority business enterprise participation. King County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its programs, services, and employment opportunities.

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PRIME from 3 To apply for the discounted Prime, Medicaid recipients need to take a photo of their Medicaid card and upload it to the site. The $5.99-a-month price compares to the regular $12.99 pay-by-month option and is nearly $30 cheaper than

the $99-annual-fee plan.

Besides two-day shipping, Medicaid receipts will get Prime’s other perks, such as access to Amazon’s video and music streaming services.

Avi Greengart, an industry analyst at GlobalData, said the discount could be helpful to Medicaid recipients with

MOVIES from 8 certain sequences, leaves a palpable impression. The young folks take to the stage (some skilled, others not so much) to render such early rock and roll classics as “Angel Baby.” A cult of Elvis is strong, kids eager to dress like him, sing like him, and in a short sequence from which the film gets its name, struggling to decipher the half-sung, half-spoken lyrics to Elvis’ early hit “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”

Rock music in the film, said Dean, “represents many things: Invading American popular culture, escape from disorientation from the youth characters (but ultimately increasing those feelings), either through cool idols (and gods) like Elvis, or through a narrow/idealized view of the hope America may offer, and so on. Ultimately, the film allows such music and culture to exist both as a force of joy and a force of confusion…

“More than anything, the film is a testament to cinema’s

medical issues who can’t make it to the store to buy heavy items, such as laundry detergent, or who can’t spend more than $25 on every order to qualify for free shipping.

“They are enabling people who otherwise would be priced out,” said Greengart. 

ability to act as a tool of communal reckoning. Its function isn’t simply to tell a story, or be a formal exercise: It is truly meant as a historical document, both for the people who lived it to never forget where they came from, and where they’re going, and the same even more so for those distant from it, like us. It’s a film that shows, thoroughly, how violence can arise, how not just an individual but a generation, a society, can become lost. And that that may even be a necessity of history, but one we should continue to learn from.” 

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 6.

“A Brighter Summer Day” plays March 18-19 at the Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Avenue. For prices, showtimes, and other information, visit nwfilmforum.org/films/a-brighter-summerday-edward-yang.

Andrew can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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MARCH 17 – MARCH 23, 2018

A-POP from 8 Because of social media, we don’t need to be in Vegas to see a beautiful Asian man dance like an angel. Because of social media, we all now know that Kelly Marie Tran and Mirai Nagasu are like, not the same person even though they have different names, different occupations, and are different ethnicities.

College professor tells Asians to go home and people freak out Golden West College professor Tarin Olson was taking what probably started out as a pleasant stroll in her Long Beach neighborhood when she stumbled across Tony Kao and his wife walking with their young daughter — and none of them looked white.

So Olson told them to “go back to your home country,” thinking Tarin Olson it was no big deal because truth is truth, but then the Kaos started filming her on a phone and kept asking her what she meant by her comment. Olson was really disturbed that her privacy was being violated, so she repeatedly told them to turn the phone off. But they kept filming her and asking her what she meant when she told them to go back to their home country, telling her that they are actually all American born and raised.

Olson couldn’t take it anymore and ended the altercation by first saying, “I never voted!” And then clarifying, “I never voted for you!”

Kao’s video became viral. And Olson explained herself in an email to the Daily Pilot. She wrote that she was “not in a good place emotionally after receiving so many disgusting emails ... for something that wasn’t even racist and was then skewed by a guy named Tony who filmed me without my permission.” She told CBS Los Angeles that her students know she is not a racist and that her words have been twisted. She would like to have a full normal interview about the “displacement of European Americans,” so that she can enlighten the public on this very pressing issue.

Stay strong, Tarin.

Hey, it’s 2018. It’s okay to think that Asian guys are fine AF now.

Guys, there’s an API Magic Mike dancer and we all need to gather all of our cousins, our aunties, uncles, moms, and dads, and we all need to buy tickets to the Las Vegas show, so that these production companies know that Asians go nuts and will spend money whenever they see a hot Asian dancer take off some of his clothes tastefully to tight choreography and Ginuwine’s greatest hit. We need more of this! Buy your ticket right now!

Patrick Packing is Filipino and the first Asian American dancer to join the Magic Mike cast since its April 2017

debut. Before Packing started his stint last month, women were apparently constantly going up to the other dancers and asking them why there wasn’t an Asian guy in the dance revue. That’s right, ladies!

In an interview with 90.3 KAZU in Monterey, Calif., Patrick Packing Packing said that he is constantly surprised by the intensity and enthusiasm of Asian audience members. He told KAZU, “I’d say eight out of 10 times, I get them standing up, just clapping in my face, saying, ‘I’m proud of you! Thank you!’”

So cute. Can we please start a movement in which Magic Mike dancer is the new doctor, in terms of ‘making it’ Asian-style?

I’m so sick of Jared Leto There’s an awkwardly sycophantic, totally serious profile on Jared Leto out there that really fixates on his elfin features, his spacey intensity that apparently evokes cult leader — and this feature’s title asks, “Is there anything Jared Leto can’t do?”

Well, he cannot convincingly play a Yakuza, I’ll tell you that.

Jared Leto was the guy who mailed his coworkers dead rats and used condoms while he was working on “Suicide Squad” (a movie that was generally panned) because Jared Leto thinks it’s cool that he’s such a tortured artist, but actually, he is just real melodramatic.

This month, Leto stars in “The Outsider,” a Netflix film about a white American soldier (Leto) imprisoned in Japan after the end of World War II. He saves his Yakuza cell mate’s life. And then he joins the Yakuza, because that makes sense. Because the general sense we have about Yakuza in popular culture is that they def have open membership. Leto’s character goes on to become probably the best Yakuza there ever was, because on TV, white people tend to do Asian stuff better than actual Asians, especially Japanese stuff.

This movie is getting raked over the coals. It has terrible reviews. Leto and Netflix are keeping real mum on the whitewashing accusations, which is probably smart of them.

Kelly Marie Tran and Mirai Nagasu get mistaken for each other at Oscars “Star Wars” actor Kelly Marie Tran and Olympic figure skater Mirai Nagasu made the fatal mistake of both being Asian, both being female, and both wearing blue dresses at the Oscars. Someone at Getty Images probably uploaded pictures and wrote captions in a hurry, mistaking these two women for one another multiple times in images.

Every time something like this happens, I’m pretty forgiving. I’m basically like, aw, that caption writer probably has no Asian friends, maybe because she’s

‘Black Panther’ senior visual designer is Filipino!

Anthony Francisco is a senior visual designer at Marvel Studios, and I bet his parents are not proud of him because he’s not a doctor, but his team freaking made some of the costumes in “Black Panther,” so who cares about his parents’ pride!

Guided by director Ryan Coogler’s vision for Wakanda, Francisco and his team were Anthony Francisco in charge of visually designing costumes worn by Dora Milaje, the all-female personal guard of Wakanda’s ruler. (Guys, you just have to watch the movie. I can’t explain it better than this.) The visual designs were then fabricated by costume designer Ruth Carter.

Francisco of course drew from Pan-African traditions — according to NBC News, from the Ndebele tribe and Maasai warriors. But he also brought in some Filipino influences, such as textile textures and clothing worn by the Igorot ethnic group.

Francisco, who grew up in the Philippines and moved to the United States as a teenager, told NBC News, “I never thought I could be a voice for the Asian American community. Even my old classmates in the Philippines saw my name in the news, and I didn’t know that it made it that far.”  Stacy Nguyen can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.

Photo by Assunta Ng Yamada (left) presenting the Order of the Rising Sun.

According to Jeffrey M. Riedinger, vice provost for global affairs, Kashima worked quietly behind the scenes with the Consul General of Japan to further beautify the campus through a gift of 34 cherry trees.

These new trees symbolize the continued relations between Japan and the United States, along with the 120-year history of Japanese and Japanese American students at the UW. Kashima attributed the success of many of those projects to the Japanese American

15

socially awkward or maybe because she grew up in white suburbia, went to a state school inland, and maybe it just never happened for her, you know?

Back in 2011, Heather Lucas, Joan Chiao, and Ken Paller of the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University did a crap ton of research on “successful versus unsuccessful encoding for same-race and other-race faces.”

Brain electrical activity was recorded in experiments and to really over-simplify, the researchers found that same-race faces were rated as more distinctive than other-race faces, which were rated as more stereotypical. Whether a face is distinctive or stereotypical influences memory recall.

Research has shown that this effect diminishes with exposure — a 2003 study with Black and white participants show a subset of Black participants who were great at recognizing white faces. It turned out that the Black students had a lot of inter-race contact with whites through university.

So I’m saying, the Getty Images caption writer probably has no Asian friends. She probably needs to look inside herself and do some self-examination.

BLOG from 10 from the University of California at San Diego, has been a UW professor since 1976.

He was the Director of Asian American Studies until the program was combined with the African American Studies program and the Center for Chicano Studies, to form the Department of American Ethnic Studies in 1986.

At the UW, he has contributed to promoting reconciliation, justice, and recognition for those affected by the internment. From establishing the annual Day of Remembrance in 1997, to reflecting upon the signing of Executive Order 9066, to the Long Journey Home ceremony in 2008, Kashima was determined to recognize significant events that were long overdue.

In 2008, honorary degrees were bestowed upon 449 former Japanese American UW students who were unable to complete their studies as a result of their incarceration.

Former UW President Mark Emmert presided. He said later at another occasion, “That was an excellent idea,” and regretted that the UW didn’t think of the idea sooner.

Kashima also helped to organize the 2014 celebration at the UW to commemorate the centennial of Japan’s gifting of cherry blossom trees.

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

community. For instance, he pointed out that it was Diane Atachi who started the Cherry Blossom Tree Centennial Commemoration in 2013, but left UW later.

Kashima continued the project.

Asked what he is most proud of among his list of accomplishments, Kashima said, “My honest response is to say that I cannot make such a ranking. All are memorable in different ways and all stand out with their distinctive, very positive attributes.”

“The most distinctive one, and one

for which the credit belongs to the many, many persons from the UW and the Seattle Japanese American community would be the ‘UW Long Journey Home: UW Nikkei Students 1941-1942-2008 program.”

On May 18, 2008, the UW conferred 449 honorary baccalaureate degrees to all Nisei men and women whose education was summarily terminated, and for which they were removed from the UW because of a World War II military order. The event was attended by over 100 former students, and their spouses, relatives, children, grandchildren, and well-wishers. All 449 Nisei became true Huskies and officially welcomed into the UW class of 2008. This redress of a WWII wrong was duplicated later at the University of California and the California State college systems, and the University of British Columbia. The UW Long Journey Home event received considerable national and international news coverage.

I still think the cherry trees will put UW on the global map for many generations to come.

Thank You, Kashima San.  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

asianweekly northwest

16

36 YEARS

MARCH 17 – MARCH 23, 2018

Peter Kwon personally made phone calls to senators to push for a vote to the very end of the legislative session. But the efforts did not land a vote for approval. House Bill 1884 would have provided financial relocation assistance for low-income residents of mobile home parks like The Firs when they are displaced by landowners. The proposed legislation would amend current legislation which does not allow for adequate relocation assistance.

The owner of the land plans to evict the park’s 170 residents, including 90 children, from this 68-space mobile home site. In its stead, the land owner, Jong Soo Park, seeks to redevelop to capitalize on the economic boom. This may mean a commercial property, such as a hotel or an apartment building. He has offered $2,000 for each lot owner in the park.

Currently, they pay $500 per month.

The state has offered $2.5 million toward the purchase of The Firs in an effort to save the homes. However, for 6.67-acre plot, the amount is far less than the $10.7 million fair-market value for the land. A February 2018 appraisal includes the note, “[T]he subject's current use is not its highest and best use.” The King County Housing Authority (KCHA) estimated an additional $2-$3 million in infrastructure upgrades as well.

Kwon estimates costs could grow to $16 million. Only if there is another buyer seeking to purchase the land for the value, plus the estimated additional costs and the owner approves of the sales term, would The Firs be saved. “It’s a symbolic gesture that provides false hope,” said Kwon of the $2.5 million offer.

“It just doesn’t pencil out,” added Ryu. Helping owners keep the parks open and profitable is a hard question to answer during a period of growth. The balance between affordable housing and a private landowner’s right to capitalize on an opportunity are at odds in this situation.

There are apartment buildings owned by the KCHA near the site of The Firs which might be available to the residents.

However, according to Kwon, many of The Firs tenants do not want to move there.

I-200 from 1 With the exception of King County and Seattle, I-200 was enacted in Washington state in 1998, and prohibits preferential treatment based on race or gender.

Opponents of the law argue that it has hurt minority communities, citing statistics ranging from a significant decline in college acceptance rates for First Nations people, to a decrease in government contracts with minorities from 13 percent in 1998 to just 3 percent today.

The push to repeal the initiative is headed, in part, by Democratic Sen. Bob Hasegawa. While the repeal of I-200 is officially dead for this legislative session, that doesn’t mean it won’t make a comeback.

Hasegawa said that all communities of color, including the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, suffer under I-200. He compared it to young children standing on boxes, trying to see over a fence. Some of the children aren’t as tall as others, and need taller boxes to stand on to see over the fence. Likewise, different minority groups need different levels of assistance when it comes to academia and business.

For the AAPI community, the current law translates into loss of business, Hasegawa said. Other than “a couple of architectural firms or engineering firms,” he said he can’t think of any AAPI-owned companies that contract with the state of Washington, and that “there are any number of opportunities small businesses in our community would have, were it not for I-200.”

But not all in the AAPI community are behind the effort to repeal I-200. Linda Yang and her husband, Wenjie Shi, are part of a grassroots organization called Washington Asians For Equality that is against repealing the law.

Yang said that a repeal would hurt the AAPI community, particularly in the realm of education. According to a Princeton University study, cited on the organization’s website, under the current law, “Asian American students need to score 280 SAT points higher than African

Photo by Stacy Nguyen

MOBILE HOME from 1

Peter Kwon

Kwon first learned of the evictions in 2016, when residents showed up at a city council meeting. Kwon met with the homeowner’s association at The Firs, its residents, and the Tenants Union of Washington state to discuss what the city could do. The residents wanted to remain at The Firs. But, if that was not possible, they wanted to be able to find adequate housing in addition to financial assistance for the relocation.

Kwon indicated that the current law in Washington allows payment to mobile home owners for relocation. It pays $7,500 per single-section home and $12,500 per multi-section home.

However, if a landowner provides payments for relocation, the amount is deducted from the state payment. For instance, the

American students to be accepted at elite universities.” If the law is repealed, Yang said, AAPIs would have to score even higher.

Moreover, she said, graduation rates show that AAPI students are benefitting from the current law, because it places everyone on equal footing in the eyes of academic institutions, where they focus on “the best and brightest” — which is what higher education is all about, she contended.

“If we look at the graduation rates for the 2010 cohort, Asian Pacific students have the highest graduation rate,” Yang said, citing statistics for Washington state from the National Center for Education Statistics. “So why would you want to enforce the racial quota, to cap them?

Only because they work hard? They work hard, they want to get … merit-based admissions. … And when they go into college, they have the highest graduation rate. That tells you what? That they should be there.”

But a 2006 study, entitled “Affirmative Action in Washington State,” shows that minority admissions to college, including admissions of AAPIs, declined the year after I-200 was passed. In some cases, the declines were in the double digits, though the study notes that this decline was lower in the AAPI community.

Yang also thinks that the drop in AAPI representation in business ventures and government contracts is being blown out of proportion, and that it’s not as bad as people like Au and Hasegawa say it is.

She said many people she has spoken with in the AAPI community are just as upset as she, and feel as though Hasegawa and other legislators who support the bill are doing wrong by their constituents. “We are all Asian. United we stand, divided we fall.”

Shi agreed, saying that AAPIs are already largely ignored on a national level, and “it’s the same in Olympia,” where Hasegawa and the rest of the Washington state legislature are based.

Hasegawa takes a different view of the AAPI community, and believes that those who are “threatened” by the push to repeal

$2,000 proposed to be paid by Park would decrease the $7,500 to $5,500. In addition, the current payout by the state would be given to the homeowner in order to move or demolish the mobile home. It cannot go toward the first and last month’s rent or a down payment on a residence.

“House Bill 1884 was the only one to help The Firs,” stated Kwon. “There was no opposition to the bill.” According to Ryu, the bill was a “Kumbaya moment” for residents and owners, tenants and landlords, as all parties seemed to agree on the parameters of the proposed bill. The bill would allow for assistance for displaced residence of mobile home parks to utilize money to relocate. They could use the state money to pay to demolish the mobile home, and use it toward rent or a down payment for a new residence.

But Ryu noted opposition from some Republicans regarding the source of funding for the bill and a proposal that the new bill be limited only to those 55 years and older. “The problem with this is that while it would help the elderly, it would not help families,” explained Ryu. In lieu of the legislative attempts, the homeowner’s association of The Firs have filed a lawsuit against the City of SeaTac. It claims that the proper process for notifying the residents of the eviction were not followed according to the law. This includes the allegation of improperly translated documents into Spanish, as English is a second language for most.

Ryu hopes that the bill will pass in the next legislative session in 2019, so that future displaced mobile home residents might benefit.

But the residents at The Firs face an uncertain future.

“I completely feel anguish for residents of The Firs.”  Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

the law are those with privilege.

“Asians are not a monolithic demographic.

Just because a sliver of that might have money and access to privilege – [does] that mean that we should actually sacrifice everybody else under that demographic, so that that

Cindy Ryu

privileged sector can maintain that privilege?

I don’t think so,” Hasegawa said.  Carolyn can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.