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36 YEARS YOUR VOICE
The Seattle Times has Large shoes to fill By Nina Huang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Photo by Nina Huang
After nearly 37 years working at The Seattle Times, the city’s “voice of reason,” Jerry Large, has retired. Friends and family celebrated his illustrious journalism career on Friday, Apr. 6, at the Northwest African American Museum. Born in Clovis, N.M. in 1954, Large and his two brothers were raised by a single mother. Growing up poor with a small number of Black and Asian folks in a largely Native American and Mexican community, Large observed those groups as occupying different niches, and he wondered why different racial groups occupied different spaces. He wanted to write about those topics to help others understand why that happens and why it’s possible for everyone to have better outcomes in their lives. Large has a B.A. in Journalism from New Mexico State University. Prior to The Times, he worked for the Clovis News-Journal, the see LARGE on 16 MOVIES REVIEW » see 7
THE ART OF SURVIVAL » see 8
THE GREAT LEAP » see 9
PUBLISHER’S BLOG » see 10
Photo by Bing Branigin
Daniel Akaka, first Native Hawaiian in Congress, dies at 93
Senator Daniel Akaka (right) meets with Filipino World War II veterans (from left) Guillermo Rumingan, Celestino Almeda, and Joaquin Tejada after a Senate hearing in 1998.
By CALEB JONES ASSOCIATED PRESS HONOLULU (AP) — Former Sen. Daniel Kahikina Akaka, the first Native Hawaiian elect-
■
ed to Congress who served for more than three decades, died on April 6. He was 93. Akaka died in Honolulu after see AKAKA on 15
Children of Korematsu, Hirabayashi, Yasui file Supreme Court brief challenging Trump travel ban Photo provided by DiscoverNikkei.org
VOL 37 NO 16 APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2018
Karen Korematsu (left), Holly Yasui, and Jay Hirabayashi, children of Fred Korematsu, Minoru Yasui and Gordon Hirabayashi. | Photo taken by Tracy Kumono Photography
By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY SEATTLE — Seattle University School of Law’s Korematsu Center for Law and Equality joined an amicus curiae group in filing a U.S. Supreme Court brief on April 5, supporting the challengers in the ongoing Muslim travel ban litigation. The amici include the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality (Korematsu Center), the children of those who challenged orders that led to the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, civil rights organizations, and national bar associations of color.
Oral arguments will take place on April 25. The “Presidential Proclamation” at issue is the third iteration of the Trump administration’s travel ban. Opponents say it violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, as well as the Immigration and Nationality Act. The amicus group wants the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Presidential Proclamation for violation of the Constitution. In three wartime cases — Hirabayashi, Yasui, and Korematsu — the Supreme Court chose to defer to the president and the military in times of war, rather than on individual determinations of see TRAVEL BAN on 12
43 Cambodians convicted of felonies depor ted By SOPHENG CHEANG ASSOCIATED PRESS PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Forty-three Cambodians arrived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, on April 5, after being deported from the United States under a law allowing the repatriation of immigrants who have committed felony crimes and have not become U.S. citizens. The group is the largest to be sent to Cambodia under a 2002 bilateral agreement. More than 500 other Cambodians have already been repatriated. The program is controversial because it breaks up families, and in some cases the returnees have never lived in Cambodia, having been the children of refugees who fled to camps in Thailand to escape the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime that ruled Cambodia in 1975-79. Critics of the deportation policy say many of those convicted fell into crime as a result of social dislocation. The returnees are seen as having
difficulty reintegrating into Cambodian society because many have spent most of their lives in the United States. Two Cambodians exconvicts on March 30 received pardons from California Gov. Jerry Brown, at least temporarily removing the risk they might Prime Minister Hun Sen be deported. Gen. Dim Ra, a senior immigration police officer overseeing the returnees, said the group that arrived included three women. He said any returnees who still have family members in Cambodia will live with their relatives, and those who do not will receive vocational training by a private group funded by the U.S. government see DEPORTATION on 5
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36 YEARS
APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2018
■ NAMES IN THE NEWS Sen. Tammy Duckworth has given birth to a baby girl, making her the first U.S. senator to give birth while in office. The Illinois Democrat announced she delivered her second daughter, Maile Pearl Bowlsbey, on April 9. Her office says Duckworth is recovering well and asked for privacy. Duckworth, a 50-year-old veteran who lost her legs in the Iraq War, is one of only Sen. Tammy Duckworth 10 lawmakers who have given birth while in Congress. Her first daughter, Abigail, was born in 2014. Duckworth says Maile is named after her husband’s great aunt, who was an Army officer and nurse in World War II.
New UW Bothell communications director
The University of Washington (UW) Bothell has named Maria Lamarca Anderson as its new director of communications. Lamarca Anderson has more than 25 years of experience in professional communications and public engagement in higher education, corporations, public agencies, and nonprofits. Maria Lamarca Anderson For the past five years, Lamarca Anderson has been in the communications office at Seattle Colleges, the district office for Seattle Central, North Seattle, and South Seattle colleges. Her past professional experience includes positions with Youth Eastside Services, KING 5 and KIRO 7 television stations, Flying House Productions, Northwest Harvest, LapLink.com, and the Everett Mall.
Gene Moy’s 101st birthday
is returning to Seattle on May 3 at KeyArena. In addition to WE Day Seattle Co-Chairs Ciara and Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin of the Seattle Seahawks and Ann Curry, will share their passion for change and motivate young people to continue to take action to affect positive change in their communities and around the world. WE Day Seattle is free of charge to students and educators across Washington. Photo provided by Cari Murotani
Sen. Tammy Duckworth has record-setting baby
Surrounded by friends, Gene Moy gets ready to cut his birthday cake.
Over 100 people gathered at the Renton Senior Activity Center on April 5, to celebrate Gene Moy’s 101st birthday. The main highlight of the party — dancing, which is Moy’s favorite past time. Born in Toishan, China, in 1917, Moy came to the United States with his father in 1931. He lived in Lewiston, Idaho before he moved to Seattle. Moy learned how to dance at the United Service Organization, when he served from 1941 to 1946 in the Pacific. He picked up dancing again in 1982 after he retired. Though Moy lost his wife a few months ago, his partner for 65 years, he’s never alone out on the dance floor.
Doug Baldwin, Ann Curry part of WE Day Seattle lineup
Ciara
Russell Wilson
Doug Baldwin
Ann Curry
Next ACRS executive director announced
Michael Byun has been appointed to helm of Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS), effective Dec. 3, 2018. Diane Narasaki’s retirement will be effective Dec. 2. She announced it a year in advance to ensure a smooth transition, and to celebrate ACRS’ 45th anniversary with the community at the Oct. 27 gala before her departure. Byun — a native Wash- Michael Byun ingtonian — is currently the Chief Executive Officer for ASIA, Ohio’s largest health and social services agency serving Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders (AAPI), and other immigrant and refugee communities. Along with Narasaki in 2014, Byun was appointed by President Barack Obama to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Byun said, “I’m humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve this incredible community and this organization.” He said Narasaki’s visionary and strategic leadership means he has inherited “a strong, influential, and mighty institution that will continue our community’s important and vital work.”
Organizers announced on April 5 the initial lineup for WE Day Seattle — a youth empowerment event — which
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asianweekly northwest
YOUR VOICE
■ COMMUNITY NEWS
APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2018
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Washington’s apple and cherry industry wary of trade war By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS ASSOCIATED PRESS SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Cherry and apple growers in Washington state are worried their exports to China will be hurt by a trade war that escalated on April 2, when that
country raised import duties on a $3 billion list of products. China buys Washington-grown cherries, apples, and pears, which are all included in the trade dispute. Kate Woods, a vice president of the Northwest Horticultural Council in Yakima, Wash., says they hope the issue is resolved before cherry harvest begins in June.
The council handles international trade issues for the agriculture industries in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. China is the top export market for Washington cherries, buying 2.9 million cases worth $127 million per year. China also bought about $50 million worth of apples and $1.5 million worth of pears from Washington last year.
More suspicious packages may be tied to Seattle area man SEATTLE (AP) — The FBI says they’ve found five more suspicious packages that they suspect may have been sent by a Seattle area man, who was charged late last month with the shipment of explosive materials. Thanh Cong Phan, 43, of Everett, was charged in federal court in Seattle after multiple government agencies and military installations around the nation’s capital received packages containing black powder. KOMO reports an FBI spokeswoman in Seattle said there have now been
Thanh Cong Phan
Oregon producers waiting to see the effect of China tariffs EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Some of Oregon’s agricultural producers are waiting to see the effect trade disputes between the United States and China will have on their products. China announced on April 1 that it would put extra tariffs of up to 25 percent on certain U.S. products, such as fruits and nuts, including a 15 percent tariff on hazelnuts. Aside from hazelnuts, that move would also affect pears, berries, apples, and wine, the Register-Guard reported. China is Oregon’s fourth-largest importer of agriculture products, behind South Korea, Canada, and Japan. “Our assumption is there will be some effect,’’ Alexis Taylor, director of the state Department of Agriculture, said. “What is unknown is whether Chinese consumers will be willing to pay more for our products, or if our competitors in the market will take the market share our Oregon companies have worked hard to establish.’’ Oregon is the country’s leading hazelnut producers, according to the state agricultural department. More than half of the state’s crops are
exported. China accounts for only a fraction of the state’s wine export, the Oregon Wine Board said. In 2016, only 2,475 out of 65,515 cases of wine were exported to China, the wine board said. Because China already had a 25 percent tariff on hazelnuts, Oregon hazelnut producers have found a workaround for China tariffs, said Larry George, a member of the Hazelnut Marketing Board of Oregon. Instead of shipping hazelnuts directly to China, George said they sell to other Asia buyers who can get their product to China. “It doesn’t appear to hurt us, George said of the tariff increase. “We’re actually viewing this as an opportunity to have a broader discussion about tariffs.’’ Hazelnut farmers are hoping the United States and China can come to an agreement that will lower tariffs for the crop, he said. Oregon Wine Board spokeswoman Sally Murdoch doesn’t think the new tariffs will have much effect on the Oregon wine industry either, at least for now. “That may change over time if they remain in place or escalate,’’ she said.
18 similar packages received at various government facilities. No packages have exploded, but at least one item was confirmed through lab testing to have contained explosive powder. Authorities say Phan sent it March 16 from a U.S. Postal Service kiosk in Mill Creek, north of Seattle. Phan’s public defender couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
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APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2018
36 YEARS
■ NATIONAL NEWS
California city to pay $2M to family of man shot by police LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Long Beach will pay $2 million to the family of a mentally disabled man who was killed by police at an arcade three years ago. Attorneys for the family of Mharloun Saycon announced on April 4 that the City Council had settled a civil rights lawsuit. The lawyers filed court papers in March to have the case dismissed. Saycon was shot several times after police answered reports of a disturbance at Looff ’s Lite-A-Line gaming parlor.
Officers said they shot the 39-year-old after he refused to drop a knife. His family argued that Saycon wasn’t a threat and alleged that police used excessive force and were ill-equipped to handle someone with a mental illness. The Long Beach Press-Telegram says the city didn’t acknowledge any wrongdoing in the settlement.
Mharloun Saycon
US seizes pot-growing houses tied to Chinabased criminals By DON THOMPSON ASSOCIATED PRESS SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Hundreds of federal and local law enforcement agents have seized roughly 100 Northern California houses purchased with money wired to the United States by a Chinese-based crime organization and used to grow massive amounts of marijuana illegally, authorities said last week. The raids culminate a monthslong investigation focusing on dozens of Chinese nationals who bought homes in seven counties. Most of the buyers were in the country legally and came from as far away as Georgia, Illinois New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott said. Much of the pot was shipped back to those states through Atlanta, Chicago and New York City. The drug is legal in California but requires permits to grow and can’t be sent across state lines. It is still banned by the U.S. government. Black-market pot farms are often set up in the inland region where authorities carried out the raids because it’s cheaper than the San Francisco Bay Area. “This criminal organization has put a tremendous amount of equity into these homes through these wire transfers coming in from China and elsewhere,’’ Scott said in an interview with The Associated Press. “We’re going to take it. We’re going to take the house. We’re going to take the equity.’’ None of the buyers was arrested as authorities seized the houses in what the U.S. Department of Justice called one of the largest residential forfeiture
operations ever. Prosecutors will now ask judges to transfer ownership to the U.S. government. Authorities were trying to learn if the buyers were brought to the United States for the purpose of buying the houses and were indebted to the criminal organization. They are not ruling out criminal charges but have filed none at this stage of the investigation. Down payments were financed by money wired from Fujian Province in China, authorities said. Many of the transfers stayed just below the $50,000 limit imposed by the Chinese government. The buyers generally used the same Sacramento real estate agents, borrowed from private lenders who usually charge higher interest rates and require larger down payments than traditional banks, and used straw buyers who purchased the properties on behalf of the real owners. A message left with the Chinese consulate general’s office in San Francisco was not immediately returned. The federal crackdown on the illegal pot operations comes as California is months into creating the world’s largest legal marijuana market amid uncertainty about whether the U.S. government will try to shut it down. More than 500 officers, including SWAT teams, fanned out over two days to search and seize about 75 houses and two real estate businesses. The remaining 25 houses were raided previously. They seized more than 36,000 marijuana plants, 253 pounds of processed marijuana, at least $68,500 see POT-GROWING on 11
La Crosse teen celebrates title of Miss Hmong America By EMILY PYREK LA CROSSE TRIBUNE LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) — Ka Bao Vue began breaking barriers the first time she stepped on stage last December. The 19-year-old Central High School graduate and first-time entrant in the Miss Hmong America Pageant was convinced she didn’t fit the mold of pageant queen, insecure about her appearance. “I was hoping they would judge on my personality and what I could give back to the community, but I thought I would be judged on my looks,’’ said Vue, who was overcome with emotion when she was declared the winner of the competition. “When I got the title I think I proved everyone wrong — the stigma of needing a nice figure isn’t true.’’ The La Crosse Tribune reports that vivacious and headstrong, Vue has continued to challenge preconceptions since her Dec. 31 crowning in Green Bay, after two days and five rounds of competition. Open to women and girls 16 and
Ka Bao Vue
older from across the country, Miss Hmong America was founded in 2012, and Vue, who competed against four others, is the first La Crosse resident to claim the title and the only member of the national Vue clan to win. Vue, who celebrated her win March 31 with 800 guests, was also named Miss Congeniality and Most Talented. For her talent portion, Vue, leader of a traditional Hmong dance group at the Hmong Culture and see MISS HMONG AMERICA on 6
Survey: Asians are the least obese demographic in NYC NEW YORK — On March 29, the New York City Department of Health issued its first report that compares health behaviors and outcomes among different Asian populations in the city, as well as against overall measures for all New York residents. An estimated 1.2 million people in the city identify as Asian, or 14 percent of the city’s population. It found that New York’s Asian population are the city’s thinnest demographic group. Just 36 percent of Asians say they are overweight or
obese, compared with 51 percent of whites, 66 percent of Blacks, and 68 percent of Latinos. Broken down further, Korean Americans have the lowest overweight/obesity rate, with just one in five saying they were too heavy. Among the Chinese, the rate was 30 percent, and with Filipinos, it was 33 percent. South Asians (Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Nepali) had weight similar to whites, with half reporting being obese or overweight, the survey found.
Part of the reason that Asian New Yorkers have stayed so trim may have stemmed from the fact they stay away from booze. Asians had the lowest rate of binge drinking — about one in 10 — compared with 24 percent for whites, 18 percent for Latinos, and 13 percent for Blacks. About 14 percent of Asians smoke. But Asian men were five times more likely to smoke than women — 23 percent versus 4 percent.
asianweekly northwest
YOUR VOICE
APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2018
■ WORLD NEWS
5
Studio Ghibli co-founder, director Isao Takahata dies at 82 By YURI KAGEYAMA ASSOCIATED PRESS TOKYO (AP) — Isao Takahata, cofounder of the prestigious Japanese animator Studio Ghibli that stuck to a hand-drawn “manga’’ look in the face of digital filmIsao Takahata making, has died. He was 82. Takahata started Ghibli with Oscarwinning animator Hayao Miyazaki in 1985, hoping to create Japan’s Disney, and helped shape the style and voice of what became one of the world’s most respected
animation studios as well as this nation’s prized cultural export. He directed “Grave of the Fireflies,’’ a tragic tale about wartime childhood, and produced some of the studio’s films, including Miyazaki’s 1984 “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind,’’ which tells the horror of environmental disaster through a story about a princess. Takahata died on April 5 of lung cancer at a Tokyo hospital, according to a studio statement. He was fully aware how the floating sumie-brush sketches of faint pastel in his works stood as a stylistic challenge to Hollywood’s computer-graphics cartoons. In a 2015 interview with The Associated see TAKAHATA on 12 “My Neighbor Totoro” is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten
DEPORTATION from 1 before being integrated into Cambodian society. The deportation policy has hurt already cool relations between Cambodia and the United States. Prime Minister Hun Sen said in April last year that he wanted to amend the 2002 pact with Washington that allowed the implementation of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, meant to combat illegal immigration and terrorism. Hun Sen, who has led Cambodia for more than three decades, said the agreement should be reviewed on “humanitarian” grounds because it splits up families settled in the United States. Calls to review the act were first raised in 2016 by Cambodian officials, who asked that
it be renegotiated or suspended to ease the reintegration problem. Cambodia then slowed or stopped accepting the return of Cambodian deportees. In response, the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia stopped issuing visas in September last year to senior Cambodian foreign ministry officials and their families, an action initiated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It said the suspension was implemented under U.S. immigration law in response to Cambodia’s refusal to accept back its nationals whom the U.S. wants to repatriate. Similar actions were taken for the same reason against Eritrea, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Cambodia in retaliation suspended missions by U.S. military-led teams searching for the remains of Americans
missing in action from the Vietnam War. The U.S. government lists 48 Americans still unaccounted for in Cambodia. In February this year, a U.S. State Department official said the visa sanctions on top Cambodian foreign affairs officials could be lifted “in the near future” if the Cambodian government follows through on promises to begin accepting deportees again. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Carl Risch said during a visit to Cambodia that Cambodian officials had been “very supportive in trying to improve the process.”
KING COUNTY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ADVERTISEMENT Statements of Qualifications will be received for E00534E18, On-Call Environmental Services for King County Road Services Division; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 12:00 PM on April 23, 2018. Total Estimated Price: $350,000 UDBE PARTICIPATION: Underutilized Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (UDBE) participation for this federally-funded work shall be at least 7% of the contract total. SUMMARY OF WORK: This work is funded, in part, by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and applicable federal requirements apply. Project work may include but is not limited to planning, research, analysis, data collection, mitigation development, monitoring, and permitting activities. Estimated start date of project is October 2018. Estimated completion date of project is October 2019. AMERICANS WITH DISABILTIES ACT (ADA): King County, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), commits to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, in all of its programs and activities. TITLE VI COMPLIANCE: King County in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs of the Department
of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all proposers that it will affirmatively insure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises as defined at 49 CFR Part 26 will be afforded full opportunity to submit proposals in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin or sex in consideration for an award. Consultants are advised that federally funded projects will be held to Federal EEO requirements. Consultants will be held to King County’s ADA and Civil Rights provisions. Dates of publication in the Seattle Times: March 30, 2018 and April 6, 2018. King County, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all Proposers that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit proposals in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award. All solicitation documents are published at: https:// procurement.kingcounty.gov/procurement_ovr/login. aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fprocurement_ovr%2fdefault.aspx Contact: Esther Decker, 206-263-9323, esther.decker@ kingcounty.gov
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APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2018
36 YEARS
■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR APRIL 13
KAREN KOREMATSU, “THE JAPANESE AMERICAN INCARCERATION: CIVIL LIBERTIES AND UPHOLDING THE RULE OF LAW, THEN AND NOW” Seattle University Pigott Auditorium 8:30 a.m. bit.ly/KorematsuEvent THROUGH APRIL 13
NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE AND SEATTLE CENTER PRESENT, “OUR BIG NEIGHBORHOOD MOVIN’ AROUND THE WORLD” Seattle Center 11 a.m.
14 2018 SPRING LU’AU — PACIFIC ISLAND FOOD, DANCE, AND MUSIC Wheelock Student Center N. 15th St. and N. Alder St.
5 p.m. tickets.pugetsound.edu
14 -15 INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FRIENDSHIP FESTIVAL Seattle Center 305 Harrison St., Seattle 11 a.m. childrensfest.tacawa.org
15 FILIPINO WORLD WAR II CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL AWARDS CEREMONY Renton Pavilion Event Center, 233 Burnett Ave. S., Renton 1 p.m. filvetrep.org
20 -22 2018 SEATTLE CHERRY BLOSSOM AND JAPANESE CULTURAL FESTIVAL Seattle Center 305 Harrison St., Seattle 10 a.m.
ASIA TALKS: THE SOCIAL LIFE OF INKSTONES, WITH DOROTHY KO Seattle Art Museum 7 p.m.
BEYOND 50: DREAMS TAKE WING Wing Luke Museum 719 S. King St., Seattle 5 p.m.
21-22
19
TASVEER’S SOUTH ASIAN INTERNATIONAL DOCUFEST Seattle University tasveer.org
HAPPY HOUR FOOD WALK Seattle’s Chinatown-ID 4 p.m.
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MISS HMONG AMERICA from 4 Community Agency, sang in Hmong and danced, and during the question session, she noted the thing she would like to remove from the world is hate. Vue is using her platform to inch toward that goal, advocating on behalf of LGBT teens and raising awareness of domestic violence, both largely ignored or taboo issues in the Hmong community. “We don’t really acknowledge it,’’ Vue said. “We need to be more open-minded.’’ After the pageant, Vue created a video, “The Strong Project,’’ featuring Hmong girls and women sharing stories about their battles with bullies, low self-esteem, body image and sexuality, in hopes of sparking connections and understanding. Her aunt, Mao Linda Vue, who struggled to come out as bisexual, was among those filmed and is “so proud’’ of Vue’s quest to promote tolerance. “She is incredible inside and out,’’ said Mao Linda, who
2018 INTERIM CDA GALA, “BUILDING COMMUNITY POWER TOGETHER” Bell Harbor Conference Center 2211 Alaskan Way, Seattle 5:30 p.m. interimicda.org
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CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT CASE FILES: A TREASURE TROVE OF ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS
28
Kin On, 4416 S. Brandon St., Seattle 12:30 p.m. chineseexclusionfiles.com
ANNUAL SUKIYAKI DINNER Japanese Baptist Church 160 Broadway, Seattle Take-out at 12 p.m. Dine-in at 4 p.m. Program at 6:30 p.m. $15/adult, $10/children jbcseattle.org
FOOD FOR THOUGHT, “GENDER BIAS IN THE MEDIA” Women’s University Club 1105 Sixth Ave., Seattle 5:30 p.m. womenanddemocracy.org
27 2018 THRIVE LEADERSHIP AWARDS WITH KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND HONOREES DR. K. ULLAS KARANTH AND DR. KRITHI K. KARANTH Four Seasons Hotel 99 Union St., Seattle 6 p.m. thrive.rsvp@zoo.org 206-548-2422
organized the celebration at the Moose Lodge, decorated in white and purple. The event featured a dance led by Vue, speeches and Khi Tes, a tradition where guests tied a white string around Vue’s wrist and sharing a blessing. Vue, who has seven brothers and considers herself a bit of tomboy, calls her mother an inspiration, and was touched by the support of her family, who were in turn overwhelmed by her accomplishment. “Words can’t express — to me, proud is an understatement,’’ said her father, Chao Vue. “I was skeptical about her entering — she definitely proved me wrong, and proved everyone else wrong. For the community and our family, winning this prestigious crown means a lot.’’ Among Vue’s goals, in addition to enrolling in the Salon Professional Academy and continuing her photography, are leading a youth program at the HCC, where “kids have a safe place to build sisterhood and friendship,’’ instilling confidence in girls of all body types, remaining active
SPRING CLEAN 2018 High Hay Park 9 a.m. 206-382-1197 monica@scidbia.org 206-557-2504 rachthad@scidbia.org Register at bit.ly/20SpringClean
in Hmong festivals and encouraging kids and teens to embrace their tradition cultural and the Hmong language. She hopes to visit Laos and Thailand someday, distributing blankets and school supplies. “My heritage is everything, it’s who I am,’’ said Vue, a first-generation American who is near fluent in Hmong. “It’s important to keep that with me.’’ Avee Xiong, 9, one of Vue’s dance students, says her teacher is a good role model, always nice but challenging her dancers to improve. Chao has no doubt his ambitious daughter will continue to inspire her peers and future generations, including during events and programs throughout the upcoming year on behalf of Miss Hmong America. “She is open-minded and she has a good heart,’’ Chao said. “She sets a standard for all the girls and, I think, all the boys too.’’
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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. 412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104 • t. 206.223.5559 info@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com
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YOUR VOICE
■ AT THE MOVIES A transcendent family portrait in “Oxhide II”
By Andrew Hamlin NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY A man finishes his work for the day. His wife and his daughter join him. They make dinner. And that, objectively, is about all that occurs during Jiayin Liu’s second feature film, “Oxhide II.” Over 132 minutes, we watch the family, as the evening meal progresses from scratch ingredients and groceries brought home, to shaping small dumplings, planting meat-and-chives filling inside the dumplings, cooking the dumplings in a wok, clearing the table, and sitting down to eat. Sounds boring? Guess again. Because dinner and its preparation are all Jiayan Liu needs to show mastery on several fronts at once. “Oxhide II” works as a portrait
of her family. It works as a portrait of a certain segment of modern Chinese life. It works as transcendence, because in its intense focus on a seemingly-simple task, it shows the task to have an inner life of its own. The Liu family brings the task to life, but they don’t quite control it, physically or metaphysically. They shape it, as they shape the dumplings, but beyond a certain point, the task begins to shape them as well. Liu was born in Beijing in 1981. She won admittance to the prestigious Beijing Film Academy, and for her graduation project, she put together the original “Oxhide” film. This was 110 minutes long, and combined elements of documentary filmmaking and dramatic, scripted film. see OXHIDE II on 13
APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2018
Dream Empire Deception, disillusion in modern China
By Andrew Hamlin NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY “Foreign faces wanted, little-to-no experience wanted. Apply any time. Big money!” Well, that’s not actually, factually, the advertisement which David Borenstein, an American citizen living and studying in China, responded to. But he saw an ad with pretty much that content, and he applied. And his documentary forms the end result. Borenstein lived, circa 2010, in or around Chongqing (formerly rendered in the West as Chungkung). And Chongqing, at that time,
was in the midst of a housing boom virtually unprecedented in human history. Entire cities were going up, and land speculators were entirely confident that they could find more than enough people to fill those cities. But they needed something to entice prospective homeowners. A kind of window dressing. And that’s where foreigners come in. Borenstein understands that this huge story is best told through the eyes of one person, and he’s found a fine emissary of the tale in his former employer, a young woman see DREAM EMPIRE on 15
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7
Look for these Canadian brands at your local Chinese grocery store. 以下優良 加 拿 大 品牌產品於各 大華人 超 市 有售
asianweekly northwest
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■ PICTORIAL The Cambodian American Council held Art of Survival event on April 7 — the second event in a series called Remembering the Past, Welcoming the Future. This series was initially created in 2015 to mark 40 years since the Cambodian Genocide and to support the healing process for survivors and their families. This event was free and open to the public.
36 YEARS
APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2018
THE ART OF
SURVIVAL
PHOTOS BY SAM LE
The Art of Survival event t-shirts
Emcees Silong Chhun and Chantha Malavy Banks
CCH Dance Troupe Traditional Khmer Dance
Northwest Angkor Dance Troupe
UW Student and event organizer Bunthay Cheam
Sopheap Soum and Venerable Prenz Sa Nguon leading in opening ceremony
Chefs of the event being introduced
Volunteers serving lunch
Dinner being served
CAPAA Commissioner Tam Dinh, CACC of Washington Panuk Sin, and Seattle Deputy Mayor Shefali Ranganathan
asianweekly northwest
YOUR VOICE
■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2018
9
The Great Leap doesn’t quite take off The Great Leap by Lauren Yee, currently debuting at the Seattle Repertory Theater, is a classic case of a wellmeaning story biting off more than it can chew. It is a noble attempt to memorialize the protests at Tiananmen Square in 1989, and an interesting attempt to showcase a little-known basketball friendship game that took place at the same time between the United States and China. The parallel plotlines are set up competently in the beginning, and the characters are well defined. Yet, attempts to tie everything together in the second act lead to everything falling apart. The play just does not have the unifying thread that it needs. Instead, it has a loose cannon. The loose cannon in the play is the main character, Manford. Well, we think he is the main character. About 70 percent of the way through, we start to think the Chinese coach, Wen Chang, is the main character — and it is Wen Chang who sends us off at the end in a manner most emphatic. It’s not a good sign when the audience isn’t sure who the main character is — or when they thought they knew — and suddenly did not. It’s one thing to divide the play in half, perhaps, as some stories do, and tell one character’s story in the first half, and the other character’s story in the second half — but this is not what happens. Instead, the plot starts leaning towards Wen Chang, yet not conspicuously enough to realize he’s taking over until the end. This could be an intriguing effect if it weren’t combined with so many other surprises. The loose cannon has a surprise motivation. People fool us. We think they want one thing and all along they wanted something else. People, and protagonists, have ulterior
Photo by AdamsVisCom
By Jessica Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Manford (played by Linden Tailor) persuading the U.S. coach (played by Bob Ari) to allow him on the team.
motives. The trouble with The Great Leap is that Manford tries to hang onto two motivations — the one he starts with, and of which we are thoroughly convinced: that he wants to play basketball; and the one he surprises us with, of wanting to resolve long-lost questions about his birth by taking advantage of a trip to China, to play basketball. Which motivation is it? Does he want to play basketball or does he want to confront his past? Is it possible to do both at once? Sure! Yet in this case, as we will discuss in a moment, it’s not possible without an element of fantasy that is not present, and which would be required for Manford to achieve these dual goals. The two motivations, and thus the plotline that supports them, are convenient, but don’t work. The loose cannon defies reality and the Chinese authorities. It’s a tribute to the solid storytelling of the first half of the play, when Manford turns up AWOL from practice in the second half, we are stunned. Where is he?
Actor Soon-Tek Oh dies
George Peppard and Soon-Tek Oh in One More Train to Rob (1971)
LOS ANGELES — Trailblazing Asian American actor Soon-Tek Oh died on April 4 after a battle with Alzheimer’s. He was 85. Soon-Tek Oh, born in what is now South Korea, provided the voice of Fa Zhou, Mulan’s father in Disney’s 1998 animated feature. He also acted in numerous television series throughout his career, beginning in the 1960s with credits on series like It Takes a Thief and I Spy and spanning the 1990s with repeat appearances on shows including Hawaii Five-O, M*A*S*H, and Charlie’s Angels. He also had roles in Magnum, P.I.,
Cagney & Lacey, and Hill Street Blues and the mini-series East of Eden. In 1974, Oh appeared as Lieutenant Hip in the James Bond movie, “Man With the Golden Gun.” Oh was a founder of the East West Players, one of the first Asian American theater companies in the United States, which helped pave the way for other theater companies that followed. Notable alumni include BD Wong, John Cho, Daniel Dae Kim, and Kal Penn.
The entire first act centers on Manford’s relentless efforts to get onto the team that is going to China, and now he’s gone? This is where the plot gets reminiscent of Forrest Gump, yet it’s too unexpected — and no precedent has been set — for the audience to quite go along. Manford simply appears in opportune places at opportune times in order to move the plot forward. And he does so in the middle of the Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing. There’s a running joke that Manford gets into places by the back or service door. It’s a funny joke, yet it’s just not possible for an American wearing a flamboyant U.S. team uniform, to go wherever he needs to go in that time and place. No matter which door he uses. The loose cannon is out of context. Every other character in the play is very much of their time. They walk and talk and dress the parts. All of them. And this is a great asset. Unfortunately, Manford throws off the mojo of the team by being presented in a way that was probably unlikely for a young Chinese American of the 1980s. In the question and answer period after the play, an audience member pointed out that Manford was extremely disrespectful to his elders, and that this did not seem realistic for the time (maybe not even for today’s time). The answer given was that the intention had been to concentrate on Manford’s other character traits, such as his spunkiness and determination. Again, this could be achieved if an element of fantasy were entered into the storyline. There are many over-the-top, fun elements of the play, such as the bold black and white backdrops and intense stops and starts to the action. It is also very humorous. If these elements were further exaggerated, the play’s weaknesses could become strengths. If the audience wasn’t so tied to believing — seeped in historical information from the see GREAT LEAP on 14
asianweekly northwest
10
36 YEARS
APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2018
■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG
What Panama Canal says about America
Some travel to escape, others to refresh themselves. Those are my goals, too. I am not hunting for inspiration. But my recent trip to the Panama Canal was quite inspiring. My appreciation towards the United States peaks, not on Thanksgiving Day or July 4 — it’s when I travel overseas. Did you know that the United States, under President Teddy Roosevelt, built and completed the canal in 1914 in 10 years, and the United States returned control of the canal to Panama in 1999? President Donald Trump would likely say, “Whoa, no way, we spent so much money on the canal, we should own it.” Or, he would say, “That’s a bad deal. Why would we pay for it in the first place?” The canal would never have happened if Trump were president at the time. Or he would want the money back, plus interest. Known as one of the seven wonders of the modern world, the 48-mile Panama Canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The mastery of the engineering of the canal is eye-opening and amazing. The sacrifices of workers, including the nearly 6,000 who died during construction, are indescribable. The canal benefits not only America, but the world. Without it, ships would have to sail hundreds of miles to go around Cape Horn, at the southern tip of South America, to transport from one ocean to the other. The French started construction in 1881, but abandoned the project. The United States took over, and brought it to completion. My friend Yoshi Minegishi said, had it not been for the canal, the United States couldn’t have won World War II. It would have been costly and time-consuming for the United States to transfer supplies to Europe to fight against the Germans. Guess how much America spent on constructing the canal? Billions. Why doesn’t the United States own the canal? Roosevelt took on the project with the intent of returning ownership rights back to Panama. To prepare for a smooth transition, a team of Americans were stationed there for two decades, since 1977. A second and bigger canal was built
Photos by George Liu
By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
it was manually-run. Chaos reigned in the city. Dust kicked up in the air and it was not a pretty sight. During the last four miles, our driver turned to a narrow, unpaved one-lane road. It was so bumpy that it was like China in the late 1990s. We often joked about China then, you saw a beautiful house ahead of you, but you couldn’t get there as there weren’t any roads in between. About two-thirds of the way, there was a loud noise and the back of the car drooped so low, that it almost touched the ground. The taxi broke down because the road was so rough. It would take years for Limon to build an infrastructure with an efficient transportation system and functionable roads. The taxi driver told us that China is see BLOG on 15
On the way to Panama Canal, cruise ship passes through a newly-constructed bridge, which will connect between North and South America. The bridge is invested and built by Chinese with America consultants.
in 2016 for supertankers, and with 30 to 40 ships crossing every day, it provides over $1 billion in revenue to Panama’s economy. What a significant contribution the United States made to the world! Too bad President Trump is obsessed with building a wall between Mexico and the United States! Can’t he think of something more constructive, meaningful, and valuable globally like the Panama Canal? Had it not been for the leadership and wisdom of President Roosevelt, the canal might have taken another generation to finish. It is a triumph for U.S. foreign policy objectives in strengthening our interest abroad and domestically. The strategy of soft power influence overseas, instead of hard military power, is effective. After the Panama Canal, we continued out to journey on a cruise to Limon, Costa Rica. I thought that by carrying cash, it would eliminate a lot of problems on our trip. My assumptions were deeply flawed. The problems we encountered was nothing we could have anticipated. At Limon, we hired a taxi to go to the rainforest — about 10 miles from our destination. That’s not far, I thought. It should be easy to get to, within 10 minutes, on most freeways. How naive! The so-called freeway in Limon is just a regular road with only two lanes for two-way traffic, like the road we drive around Lake Union — except it had
more than 100 trucks moving around us. I wondered why so many of them were tank trucks carrying gas. Soon, we passed by an oil refinery right on the roadside. In Seattle, that would violate the city code. Citizens have zero protection walking by. But numerous foreign countries don’t care about its people or the environment as long as the factory makes money. Not a lot of traffic signs were seen on the road. When there was one, it looked like
In Limon, our taxi broke down, and driver called for help.
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asianweekly northwest
YOUR VOICE
APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2018
■ EDITORIAL
11
Dismissing minority-led shows By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Numerous viewers condemned the recently revived TV series Roseanne over a scene in an episode last week. John Goodman’s character, Dan Conner, tells Roseanne they “missed all the shows about Black and Asian families” because they fell asleep in between Wheel of Fortune and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, referencing ABC’s other minority-led sitcoms Black-ish and
Fresh Off the Boat. “They’re just like us,” Roseanne Barr’s character responded. “There, now you’re all caught up.” Among those who weren’t pleased with the joke was Kelvin Yu, a Taiwanese American and former Fresh Off the Boat writer. He wrote in a series of tweets that “at the very least, it’s reductive and belittling.” “But the real kicker is when Roseanne says: ‘They’re just like us. There, now you’re all caught up.’ Which implies that the point of any Kelvin Yu show about a minority family is simply to normalize them,” Yu wrote. “That’s it. The stories, the humor, the characters ... not important.” He continued, “Then you take ALLLLLL of that and put it in the mouth of an avowed Trump supporter (not the actress--the CHARACTER of Roseanne) and you have one stinky little sh** sandwich of a joke that ABC allowed to
■ COMMENTARY
be served in their own restaurant. It’s a big deal.” Yu is largely correct. The joke may not have offended some people, but ABC aired the episode less than a month after shelving an episode of Black-ish, citing “creative differences” with the series’ creator Kenya Barris. ABC previously praised the critically acclaimed series for its deft handling of controversial topics, but for some reason, they thought this particular episode — about kneeling athletes and political divide in the country — crossed the line. Since then, Barris has tried to get out of his ABC contract, so he can move to Netflix. But we all know the real reason ABC didn’t air the episode: It made white people uncomfortable. And this particular joke aired on Roseanne because it was funny only to white people. Ruth can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.
■ LETTER
Automatic Voter Registration Reader praises mobile park closing coverage By Derek Lum APACEVOTES COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
It has been a historic session in the Washington state legislature. Four laws passed this year that will make Washington one of states with the strongest access for voters. APACEvotes worked to pass one of these laws, Automatic Voter Registration (AVR). Through this new law, the voter registration process is simpler for many people. If you get an Enhanced Driver’s License, you will be automatically registered to vote or your information will be updated. Another way citizens will be registered to vote is if you sign up for health insurance with the Healthcare Benefits Exchange. You will be presented with a registration form that has already been electronically filled in for you, and you can choose to turn it in. This simplified process will help more people get their ballot, and more people hopefully will vote. This law will help increase our AAPI voice in the democratic process. Merely half of all eligible AAPIs are registered to vote in Washington. Language barriers, lack of trust in government, and not understanding the voting process have kept our voting participation low. Our issues and faces are not represented in government. Our community is 60
POT-GROWING from 4 in cash and 15 firearms, including one that had been stolen. They also seized generators, one of which was strong enough to power three normal homes. Most of the suburban houses were valued at $300,000 to $500,000, though some were in rural areas and some in more upscale neighborhoods. Black-market pot operations have been a widespread problem in Northern California for at least a dozen years. Sacramento officials have estimated that there might be as many as 1,000 illegal grow houses in California’s capital city. Suburban tract homes are transformed with high intensity lights and irrigation pipes, gutted to add
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percent first generation immigrants, and many are impoverished. Economic survival leaves little time for civic engagement. However, this voting law will help us establish a pattern of voting all across our community. People who vote tend to vote again and children of voters also tend to vote regularly. In my work in Olympia, I was often one of a few AAPIs in the room. I would often have to speak for our entire diverse community in my conversations with legislators and testimonies before committees on the AVR law. Luckily, there were supportive AAPI legislators, such as Senator Hasegawa, Representatives Gregerson, Santos, and Ryu, as well as other friendly legislators and staff there to encourage me. We cannot be afraid to speak our truth to our governing officials. Visiting in-person is the most powerful way to influence the positions of the legislators, but emailing them or writing them letters are also effective. Please pay attention to the issues and speak out on those you care about! There are many organizations that help our AAPI communities advocate for what we care about. One of them is APACEvotes. Please visit us at APACEvotes. org and email us to get involved at info@apace-wa. org. We need your passion and time!
ventilation pipes and air filtration systems to vent the tell-tale smell through the attic, and stacked with tables full of marijuana plants that could produce multiple crops each year. “It’s like industrial agriculture,’’ Scott said. Authorities often are alerted when the houses catch fire because of illegal electrical hookups or when they are found to be using extraordinary amounts of electricity to power the equipment.
Dear Editor, I thoroughly enjoyed the enlightenment from your article “Clock runs out in Olympia on bill to aid SeaTac Area mobile home residents” (March 16, 2018) because it presents an all too common scenario in Washington state, where county government doesn’t give a damn about the lives of working class people of Latino heritage. It’s a clear cut case of racism. Period. It’s easier for county and state government officials to push around the working poor with zero political or economic voice in their affairs, rather than address systemic problems of routine abuse within government infrastructure. The article highlights overt forms of NIMBYism from so-called progressives who reinforce segregation and economic hardships through relocation programs to keep Latinos out of sight and out of mind. In essence, county and state government officials deem it’s more acceptable to have Latinos work in low-paying jobs, rather than live in the same community because the mostly white decision
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makers do not value the lives of Latinos as much as whites. Case in point: The fact the state had offered only a pittance of $2.5 million towards the purchase of the The Firs mobile home park, rather than its fair market value of $10.7 million for the 6.67-acre site. To add insult to injury, lawmakers didn’t even enforce existing laws to pay mobile home owners the $7,500 per single home and $12,500 for multi section ones because they thought it was “too much” trouble to pay people for uprooting their lives and moving 200 miles elsewhere. I would like to see the homeowners of the The Firs mobile home park receive proper redress in their lawsuit against the City of SeaTac for its unlawful eviction of hard working families. Hopefully, this lesson in civic government will galvanize mobile home owners to take charge of their economic and political futures. Sincerely, — Elisabeth Guerry Seattle, Washington
asianweekly northwest
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APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2018
36 YEARS
■ WAYNE’S WORLDS
Too much of a good thing
Living in Seattle or near a major metropolitan area, you’ve no doubt seen it — brightly colored bicycles parked randomly on street corners, unchained to any bike stands, and absent any chains or traditional locks to keep them secure. It’s called “Bike Share” — anyone with a smartphone can sign up for any number of bike share companies through a dedicated app, find a nearby bike, assign it for your own use, and ride away to your desired destination. Seems like an environmentally friendly, winwin solution for everyone, right? Well, even the best ideas can backfire without a little common sense. Take China’s bike share situation. It turns out that a number of companies in China have gone all in with the bike share business. They’ve set up shop in many of China’s largest cities and if you’ve ever gone to China, it seems like a perfect solution to streets packed with cars, adding to major pollution and congestion problems. Give the people access to bikes, and at least for some trips, you save a car trip? What could go
TAKAHATA from 5 Press, Takahata talked about how Edo-era woodblock-print artists like Hokusai had the understanding of Western-style perspective and the use of light, but they purposely chose to depict reality with lines, and in a flat way, with minimal shading. That, he said, was at the heart of Japanese manga, or comics. “It is about the essence that’s behind the drawing,’’ he said at Ghibli’s picturesque office in suburban Tokyo. “We want to express reality without an overly realistic depiction, and that’s about appealing to the human imagination.’’ His 1982 rendition of “Gauche the Cellist,’’ a classic by early 20th century poetwriter Kenji Miyazawa, was inspired by oil paintings. When he spoke of computer graphics or other digital techniques like 3D, he practically said the terms with a scoff. He said Ghibli strove to fuse Japanese and Western filmmaking styles. In the interview, Takahata confessed to an almost love-hate relationship with Miyazaki because their works were so different. He said he tries not to talk about Miyazaki’s works because he would have to be honest,
wrong? It seems that China’s bike share companies have watched the movie “Field of Dreams” a few too many times, because they seem to be working under the guideline of, “If you build it, they will come.” Tens of thousands of bikes, perhaps millions of them, have been produced and strewn about all over Shanghai and other large Chinese cities. So many of these bikes sit around unused, that the local authorities have begun stockpiling the bikes in empty lots just to keep pedestrian walkways open for the public. The piles of bikes have actually become a mountain of bikes, filling up empty lots, parks, any spare inch of storage space. Some of the bike share companies have gone out of business because they’ve run out of money after having produced so many bikes that go unused. So, here’s my question. Maybe I’m missing something, but let’s say you’re the inventory manager in charge of one of these bike share companies. You walk outside with one of your bicycle procurement managers to inspect your current stock of bikes. You walk past a field stocked with your bikes, stacked on top of each other 15 feet high and the size
and then he would end up getting critical, and he didn’t want conflict with an artist he so respected. His last film, “The Tale of The Princess Kaguya,’’ based on a Japanese folktale, was nominated for a 2015 Oscar for best animation feature, although it did not win. He is also known for the 1970s Japanese TV series “Heidi, Girl of the Alps,’’ based on the book by Swiss author Johanna Spyri. A native of Mie Prefecture, Takahata was a graduate of the University of Tokyo and initially worked at Toei, one of Japan’s major film and animation studios. Although he did not win an Oscar, Takahata won many other awards, including those from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the Lorcano International Film Festival. There was an outpouring of international mourning. Pixar’s Lee Unkrich, director of “Toy Story 3,’’ said Takahata influenced Michael Arndt’s script for “Little Miss Sunshine,’’ a road trip comedy about a family of losers trying to
of a football field. You have to watch your step, as you step over a few of them to avoid the possibility of a bicycle avalanche. At some point during your inspection while walking past basically a battalion of bikes, wouldn’t it make sense for you to turn to your colleague and say, “You know Bill… do you think we might have enough bikes out there now?” And yes, I realize a manager for a bike share company in China is not likely to be named “Bill,” but I’ve always thought the name “Bill” was kind of funny, so there you go… Maybe a manager really did ask Bill that very question, but if they did, Bill obviously didn’t agree and might have replied, “Are you kidding? I can still see the sun! We need more bikes!” Some things are better left unexplained, I guess. I’m just glad with all the times I’ve gone to China, I haven’t seen that many all-youcan-eat restaurants. If they do this with a bike business, can you imagine what a dumpling restaurant might do? Wayne can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
Photo by Han Bui
By Wayne Chan NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
A bike randomly parked on the street in Seattle’s ID
survive. “’Grave of the Fireflies’ is an amazing, emotional film. And ‘My Neighbors the Yamadas’ is incredibly charming,’’ Unkrich said in a tweet from his verified account. “My Neighbors the Yamadas’’ chronicled the daily vignettes of the Yamada family, in a humorous way, evoking a comic-strip style. Strong female characters were a Takahata trademark. Princess Kaguya, in his adaptation, is a lively free-spirited young woman who spurns the advances of boorish samurai men, choosing to hold her own. The ending, which is part of the original fairy tale, has her taking off in an extraterrestrial canopy to the moon, still single, as the elderly couple, her doting earthling adoptive parents, watch in sorrow and horror. Takahata was planning to do a film about exploited girls, forced to work as nannies with infants strapped on their backs. Most lullabies in Japan were not for parents singing babies to sleep, but for such young women, crying out
about their suffering, Takahata had said. Although his films were often fantasies, he was a realist, insisting, for instance, on genuine musical instruments being played that matched what was depicted on the screen. He was gentle but also a perfectionist, grilling his voice actors till the tone and character interpretations were just right. All his stories, he said, held the message of urging everyone to live life to their fullest, to be all they can be, not bogged down by petty concerns like money and prestige. “This earth is a good place, not because there is eternity,’’ he said. “All must come to an end in death. But in a cycle, repeated over and over, there will always be those who come after us.’’ Toshio Suzuki, a producer at Studio Ghibli, said Miyazaki and he were discussing a big farewell ceremony for Takahata for May 15, organized by the studio. Details were still undecided. “There was so much more he wanted to do, it must be heartbreaking,’’ Suzuki said.
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TRAVEL BAN from 1 guilt or innocence. The brief argues that “Hirabayashi, Yasui, and Korematsu are powerful reminders not only of the need for constant vigilance in protecting our fundamental values, but also of the essential role of the courts as a check on abuses of government power, especially during times of national and international stress.” Professor Robert S. Chang, executive director of the Korematsu Center, said, “When Gordon Hirabayashi, Minori Yasui, and Fred Korematsu stood before the Supreme Court to defend the fundamental freedoms of our democracy, they did so largely alone. Today, I’m proud to stand with Jay Hirabayashi, Holly Yasui, and Karen Korematsu and this coalition of civil rights organizations and bar associations of color, representing thousands of lawyers.” Staff can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
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asianweekly northwest
YOUR VOICE
APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2018
■ ASTROLOGY
13
Predictions and advice for the week of April 14–20, 2018 By Sun Lee Chang
Rat — Minimize the distractions as you try to tackle a complicated matter. As long as you can zero in, you should be able to make short work of it. Ox — Although your initial inclination might be to cast a wide net, the reverse is actually true for what you are dealing with now. Tiger — Are there some areas where you and your partner do not see eye to eye? It is not always desirable nor necessary to be in complete agreement on all things. Rabbit — Switching one problem for another isn’t what you intended. Be honest with yourself about what is really at issue.
Dragon — Don’t take for granted that which is truly valuable. Start from a position of appreciation and see where that leads you.
Monkey — There is no shortage of things that need to be done, but make an effort to be in the moment when you are with someone special.
Snake — An ever-changing situation calls for you to be ready to act on a moment’s notice. It is important that you stay tuned in to what is going on.
Rooster — A well-intended gesture should be one that shows your level of concern without being a burden to the one who receives it.
Horse — The pieces that you have put into play are about to pay dividends. Be careful what you do with the proceeds.
Dog — You have held your tongue until now, but there is something that needs to be said. Just remember that once it is said, you can’t take it back.
Goat — Don’t let your doubts stand in the way of what you want. Believing that you can is the first step in making it so.
Pig — Does it seem like you are stuck in a bit of a rut lately? Whether temporary or permanent, perhaps it is time to consider a change of scenery.
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.
OXHIDE II from 7 “Oxhide” is a portrait of Liu’s family, playing scripted versions of themselves, set in the cramped Beijing apartment that the director shares with Zaiping Liu, her father, and Huifen Liu, her mother. (The family cat appears in both films, but, being a cat, wanders in and out and around, to suit itself — though it’s quick to jump at edible tidbits.) Zaiping Liu works with his hands to create customcrafted bags and other leather goods from oxhide. Business is not good. Business has not been good for some time. The family’s slow slide into financial jeopardy formed the spine of the film, but the main point was to spend time with these three people, to find out what they meant to each other, and how they expressed their feelings. Director Liu shot “Oxhide” using only 22 different shots (a Hollywood film of similar length would typically have more than 100), and she never moved her digital camera during any one particular shot. For “Oxhide II,” featuring her family, their apartment, and the cat, once again, she sets herself an ever harder formal task. Over 132 minutes, she uses only nine shots, moving at 45-degree angles around a central point. The family apartment is so very cramped, that moving
the camera at all feels like a major revelation — just when we’ve gotten used to one vantage point, over 20 minutes or so, another one comes along to make our head spin. But the director understands what she’s doing. Working with one setting, and virtually without a budget, she finds such ways to startle, and challenge, the audience’s perceptions. She chooses her shots carefully, but she isn’t concerned about conventional shots, or conventional storytelling. The first thing we see is Zaiping Liu working oxhide at his worktable, which doubles as the family dining table. We don’t know who he is, where he is, or what kind of work he’s doing. But we follow him very closely. With patience, and a little faith, we figure out what’s going on. Some shots don’t show faces for long periods. But we don’t need to see faces to figure out personalities. The voices, when they come in, tell a story. And more than anything else in the film, the hands tell a story. Zaiping Liu has a particular way of working his materials. And the director often positions at least two pairs of hands in a single shot. We can figure out emotional states from the way two hands snap off small pieces from a larger length of dough, or pluck chives, or chop meat. And slowly, intricately, we learn what’s going on in this family. The daughter wants to learn cooking and cooking preparation, but she’s worried that she’ll never get anything
right. The mother is worried about the father. The father struggles to not show what he’s feeling. But it becomes apparent that he’s worried about all of them. And finally, they all worry about the people working in the father’s shop — people never shown, only discussed. But if the father’s shop goes under, the little family won’t be the only ones in serious trouble. And nothing about the film, formally, seems surprising. The family finishes the preparation, by which point they’ve become real and even cherished to the viewer. The meal that took an hour or more to prepare is eaten in 10 or 15 minutes. And the family leaves the room, to whatever space they have left over. We’re pretty sure it isn’t much. They’ll sleep, probably. The camera shows the table, which has become a character of its own in this up-close saga. Perhaps Jiayin Liu can make a third film bringing this level of concentration, passion, and richness in simplicity, to their new day. “Oxhide II” plays April 14 at Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle. For prices, showtimes, and other information, visit nwfilmforum.org/films/home-moviesoxhide-ii-niupi-er. Andrew can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
KING COUNTY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ADVERTISEMENT Proposals will be received for P00232P18, On-Call Archaeological Consulting Services for King County Road Services Division; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 12:00 PM on April 30, 2018. Total Estimated Price: $500,000 (each) King County intends to award two contracts from this RFP. UDBE PARTICIPATION: Underutilized Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (UDBE) participation for this federally-funded work shall be at least 0% of the contract total. SUMMARY OF WORK: This work may be funded, in part, by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and applicable federal requirements apply. The purpose of this contract is to provide professional cultural resource consulting services, which may include but are not limited to background screenings, archaeological surveys, archaeological evaluations, archaeological data recovery, archival research, historic building and structure evaluations, tribal consultation, and construction monitoring. AMERICANS WITH DISABILTIES ACT (ADA): King County, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), commits to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, in all of its programs and activities. TITLE VI COMPLIANCE: King County in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant
to such Act, hereby notifies all proposers that it will affirmatively insure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises as defined at 49 CFR Part 26 will be afforded full opportunity to submit proposals in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin or sex in consideration for an award. Consultants are advised that federally funded projects will be held to Federal EEO requirements. Consultants will be held to King County’s ADA and Civil Rights provisions. The contractor, subrecipient, or subcontractor shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex in the performance of this contract. The contractor shall carry out applicable requirements of 49 CFR Part 26 in the award and administration of USDOT-assisted contracts. Failure by the contractor to carry out these requirements is a material breach of this contract which may result in the termination of this contract or such other remedy as the recipient deems appropriate, which may include, but is not limited to: (1) Withholding monthly progress payments; (2) Assessing sanctions; (3) Liquidated damages, or (4) Disqualifying the contractor from future bidding as non-responsible. Dates of publication in the Seattle Times: April 11, 2018 and April 18, 2018. All solicitation documents are published at: https:// procurement.kingcounty.gov/procurement_ovr/login. aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fprocurement_ovr%2fdefault.aspx Contact: Esther Decker, 206-263-9323, esther.decker@kingcounty. gov
asianweekly northwest
14
EmPLOYmENT
APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2018
EmPLOYmENT
EmPLOYmENT
Captain
(Full-time, part-time, on-call and waitlist)
KING COUNTY AUDITOR’S OFFICE Communications Specialist Closes: April 25, 2018 at 11:59 pm Salary Range: $67,970 - $91,412 (DOQ) The Auditor’s Office is looking for a visual and communications professional to translate the office’s analytical work into digestible, engaging graphics; make all products of the Auditor’s Office professional, attractive, and informative; develop and maintain the Auditor’s Office web page and social media channels; and serve as primary backup to the Administrative Manager. For full description visit https://www. kingcounty.gov/depts/auditor.aspx. To apply online, go to www.kingcounty.gov/jobs. Submit a King County application form, resume, and letter of interest detailing your background, describing how you meet or exceed the position requirements, and what you might add to office culture.
Salary range $7342 - $9873/mo. ($42 -$56/hr.). Job Duties: Master of a small ferry vessel, resp. for operating the vessel safely and reliably. Also resp. for leading emergency ops per USCG regs. Job details, appl. incl. benefits info: http://kitsaptransit.appone. com/. Open until filled. EEO/AA Administrative Assistant II PSRC is seeking an Administrative Assistant II for the Regional Planning Division. Please see our job announcement at www.psrc. org. PSRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
NOTICE
36 YEARS
KCHA will accept Bids from Qualified General Contractors for the Boulevard manor Apts – Roof Replacement project located in Burien, WA. See website for details at www.kcha.org/business/construction/open/
NOTICE
ness, education, health, arts and/or food articles. Flexible hours. Send resume and writing samples to: Ruth Bayang, NW Asian Weekly, PO Box 3468, Seattle, WA 98114 or email editor@nwasianweekly.com
Northwest Asian Weekly is always looking for Asian American community news. If you are the host or an attendee of an API fundraiser, e-mail us a big photo, event highlights, and the amount of money raised. We are also looking for news about APIs in new jobs and APIs getting public recognition and awards. Please send materials to info@nwasianweekly.com with “names in the news” as the subject line.
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GREAT LEAP from 9 get-go and gobbling up factual details — and instead was allowed to suspend its disbelief entirely and free float like a time traveler, we might have all been able to achieve that great leap. Make Manford completely out of his time. Make him someone who can go wherever he wants during a military crackdown in Communist China. Or make him and his story completely real. The Great Leap is two stories attempting to be one. It’s a story about Tiananmen. And it’s a story about basketball. Both stories are excellent
Photo by Jessica Kai Curry
NOTICE
EmPLOYmENT
FIRST PUBLICATION Chinese Information and Service Center is looking for a F/T Case manKing County Housing Authority ager in providing comprehensive in-home care service to eligible disabled Plumbing Replacement at Cascadian Apartments, Buildings adults and seniors through assessment, care plan development and onK&m going case monitoring. Bachelor degree in social work or related human BID DUE DATE: services plus 2 years of social services experiences, or preferably Master may 1st, 2018 at 2:00 Pm degree in social work plus 1 year of social service experience. Fluent REQUEST FOR BIDS Chinese (Cantonese) and English required, valid WA driver license, own King County Housing Authority (KCHA) is seeking qualified contractors car and insurance and ability to use computer in daily work required. interested in submitting Bids for the plumbing replacement at Cascadian $41,600 per year plus benefits. See job description on our website www. Apartments, Buildings K & M. Renovations include, but are not limited cisc-seattle.org. Cover letter and resume to CISC, 611 South Lane St., to, the replacement of existing plumbing pipe with PEX piping and other work described in project manual. The property is located at 15517 NE Seattle, WA 98104 attention HR or email 12th St., Bellevue, WA 98007. There is an optional pre-bid meeting at <kevinc@cisc-seattle.org>. the property on April 19th, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. Bid packets are available for download on KCHA’s website at http://www.kcha.org/business/construction/open/. This will be a Sealed Bid; all Bids must be received in KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON a Sealed Envelope marked as “Bid Documents: Cascadian Apartments NOTICE TO BIDDERS Plumbing Replacement, Buildings K & M”. All Bids must be received and Sealed bids will be received by the King County Procurement Sertime and date stamped at KCHA no later than the stated due date and vices Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until time. No Bids will be accepted after that date and time. No Fax or Email Bids will be accepted For questions, please contact Cristy Thompson 2:00 PM of bid opening date for the following listed bids. via email at cristyt@kcha.org or phone at 206.574.1232. The estimate To download a document, go to our web page at: http://www.kingis $300,000.00. county.gov/procurement. King County encourages minority business enterprise participation. King County does not discriminate Freelance writers on the basis of disability in its programs, services, and employment opportunities. Northwest Asian Weekly is accepting applications for 1086-18-VLN OPENS: April 26, 2018 freelance writers. Should be interested in politics, busiFull Service Communications Agency
on their own. Both stories merit being told. The events at Tiananmen Square in particular deserve a place on the stage in this day and age when many people have forgotten about what happened there, or have never heard of it. Unfortunately, the two stories do not mesh convincingly, but are rather a convenient construct put together with the best of intentions that is blown apart by the loose cannon of a main character that is neither believable, nor fantastically unbelievable!
SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 6.
Jessica Kai can be reached at info@northwestasianweekly.com.
The Great Leap debuts at Seattle Repertory Theater in March and April
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APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2018
Photo by George Liu A cargo ship enters through the smaller original canal from the Atlantic Ocean
investing in Limon to build roads. Perhaps it could speed up the process, but it will still take decades for Limon to have what we have in Washington state. We waited for an hour under the hot sun before another taxi arrived. Still, we considered ourselves fortunate. A woman we met on the ship broke her knee during an excursion the day before. When our ship arrived at Limon, she thought she could go to a hospital for an X-ray. “Impossible,” the ship doctor said. The hospital is three hours away from the terminal. What!? That’s incredible! The City of Limon, with a population of over 58,000, is part of Limon Province (population of over 380,000). Yet, there is only one and only hospital in the whole province. Seattle’s population is about 700,000, and we have many hospitals, such as Harborview, University, Group Health, Swedish, Virginia Mason, and Northwest Hospital. I can list just as many health institutions on the Eastside. We are so lucky! Don’t even talk about safety. In Jamaica, the ship had warned us to be careful. Security is bad at Falmouth, Jamaica. Don’t talk to strangers. Act low-key. You shouldn’t take any taxis unless it is government-approved, according to the ship’s instructions. When the first taxi arrived, the driver argued with a government official. He wanted to pick up other customers on the way to the waterfalls. That could endanger us. So the official told him to get out of the gated area. In the United States, I have visited many places, and I
being hospitalized for several months, said Jon Yoshimura, the senator’s former communications director. The Democrat served 14 years in the U.S. House before he was appointed to replace Sen. Spark Matsunaga, who died of cancer in spring 1990. Akaka won election that fall for the rest of Matsunaga’s term, and voters sent him back for consecutive terms until 2012, when he chose not to seek re-election. His legislative style was described as low-key, a characterization he embraced. “I have a Hawaiian style of dealing with my colleagues,’’ he said. Akaka developed a reputation as a congenial legislator who made many friends while making few waves in pressing the interests of the 50th state. “Senator Daniel Kahikina Akaka embodied the aloha spirit,’’ Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii said in a statement. “He dedicated his life to serving the people of Hawaii as an educator, and in the U.S. Army, state government, the U.S. House, and the U.S. Senate. In Congress, Senator Akaka’s care, empathy, and collegiality served as an example for us all.’’ In 1996, Akaka sponsored federal legislation that ultimately resulted in Medals of Honor — the Army’s highest honor for bravery — for 22 Asian American soldiers
15
DREAM EMPIRE from 7
BLOG from 10
AKAKA from 1
asianweekly northwest
YOUR VOICE
always felt safe. Years ago, I was in New York, and I wanted to go to Harlem. Friends told me not to go. But I did. Nothing happened. I felt safe all the way. Many friends have complained about traveling to Asia, for fear of using unsanitary toilets. Even though China is rich and advanced now, their toilets are unbearable for Westerners. China has done an amazing job in building a high-speed rail system, constructing beautiful roads, and building many magnificent facilities. Why can’t China invest just a little money to improve their toilets? While many tourists said they love China, many are reluctant to return after horrible experiences with their restrooms. I am always impressed that the United States is so generous. Not only are there clean public toilet facilities, especially in our parks, but toilet paper is provided as well. Not many countries do that. In Europe, you have to pay to use the restrooms. So many have said that they would rather pay for a clean toilet than using a free dirty toilet. I can bemoan about unpleasant situations while traveling in foreign countries. I can also go on and on about what we have in the United States, which is often missing in other countries. Then we realize how much we have taken for granted … We are so blessed. It’s wonderful to come home. Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.
who fought during World War II. Those soldiers included the late Sen. Daniel Inouye, who was severely wounded in Italy while serving with the famed Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Both Inouye and Akaka led the way in Congress to fight for legislation that would restore full benefits promised by the U.S. government when Filipino soldiers were recruited in 1941. “We are deeply saddened that an ardent advocate and courageous champion of Filipino World War II veterans has died,” says Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret), chairman of the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project. “The Filipino American community is immensely grateful for all his dedicated efforts… to restore the honor and dignity of our veterans, who were stripped of their rights and benefits by the 1946 Rescission Act.” Akaka once said his main accomplishment in Congress was obtaining federal funds for Hawaii for education, energy and Native Hawaiian programs. In the 2006 general election, the then82-year-old senator stressed the value of his Senate seniority and his opposition to the war in Iraq. Akaka went on to become chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. He expanded his harsh criticism of the George W. Bush administration, getting
named Yana Yang. Yang co-founded and co-controlled a company devoted to finding foreigners, and putting them in front of Chinese who would hopefully buy into the real estate boom. The foreigners lent respectability and an air of class to the proceedings, although their entire presentation, as Borenstein admits with a mixture of laughter and resignation, depended on elaborate lies. He’d take out his clarinet and his alto saxophone and perform country music, or rock music, or folk music, or whatever the Chinese imagined such things would sound like in the West. We see and hear him struggling though an instrumental arrangement of what sounds suspiciously like the Eagles’ “Hotel California.” He was supposed to be a famous musician, and part of a famous band. He readily admits he was never a famous musician, and he was never more than mediocre on either of his instruments. But in the warped looking-glass world of foreigners-for-hire, he could be famous. The folks who watched him alongside other “famous” performers (singers, dancers, rappers) from the United States and elsewhere, didn’t seem to notice or care. The filmmaker makes a warm and amiable companion. But the emotional core of the story lies with Yana Yang, who shows up in the big city, and rapidly gets caught up in the go-go-go hysteria of the times. She co-founds a foreigner-service company with an enigmatic Chinese gentleman known only as “Jimmy.” She’s warm, charming, and canny. Business runs well for quite a while. Borenstein recalls that a single gig — whether he played music, or just stood around dressed up as a full-dress soldier complete with looming bearskin hat — would earn him about twice what he paid in monthly rent. And there were plenty of gigs. But as the cynics and realists among us observe, every bubble has to burst. There came a day when the new housing was not selling. And the director gives us long shots of buildings never sold, never inhabited. Instant ghost towns. And Yana Yang reaches a point where she can no longer run her professional life on lies. The bubble’s bursting take its toll. But it isn’t only that. She’s learned, the hard way, that she’s expected to do anything to close a deal. No questions asked. No hesitation. And she gets to the point where she cannot keep cutting off pieces of her dignity, and her soul, that way. Yang’s personal story then matches the story of the bubble and the burst: Wild enthusiasm, self-congratulations, giddiness; then seeping doubt, slowdowns, shutdowns, the bitter and sad end of the dream. Borenstein doesn’t render as larger than life and doesn’t need to. The surrounding story is already larger than life. But one woman’s hopes, one woman’s hard work, and one woman’s failure is enough to practically break your heart. “Dream Empire” plays April 13 at Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle. For prices, showtimes, and other information, visit nwfilmforum.org/films/bydesign-2018-dreamempire. Andrew can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
involved in a number of issues with a more aggressive congressional staff. A World War II veteran, Akaka often stressed the hidden damage of war, including mental illness among veterans. “As we work to meet the needs of all returning service members,’’ Akaka said, “we must pay close attention to the full range of war wounds, from eye trauma and damage to service members’ hearing, to (post-traumatic stress disorder) and depression, to burn injuries.’’ Akaka gained the most attention for his fight to pass legislation that carried his name. The Hawaiian Recognition Bill, known widely as the Akaka Bill, was intended to give Native Hawaiians the same recognition as Native Americans and Alaska Natives. Opponents called it unconstitutional favoritism toward one race even though it had broad bipartisan support in Hawaii, a state where no ethnic group makes up the majority of residents. Even some Native Hawaiians expressed doubts, arguing it would give the federal government too much immunity from their claims regarding land or other issues. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi remembered Akaka as a strong advocate for all Native people. “Daniel Akaka was a clarion voice for
the rights and needs of Native peoples, ensuring that our commitment to Tribal nations and Native Hawaiians was never forgotten,’’ Pelosi said in a statement. Akaka’s first foray into elective politics was an unsuccessful primary race for lieutenant governor in 1974. He eventually became a special assistant to then-Gov. George Ariyoshi. Two years later, Akaka easily won election in Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District — encompassing rural Oahu and the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, Molokai and Niihau — and was re-elected six more times with at least 86 percent of the vote. Born in 1924, Akaka grew up in a devoutly Christian home in Honolulu. He was the youngest of eight children of a Native Hawaiian mother and a Hawaiian-Chinese father. After serving in the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II, Akaka earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education at the University of Hawaii. He was a public school teacher, principal and program specialist for 18 years before becoming director of the Hawaii Office of Economic Opportunity in 1971. Akaka is survived by his wife, Mary Mildred “Millie’’ Chong, four sons, a daughter and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
asianweekly northwest
16
36 YEARS
APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2018
LARGE from 1 Farmington, New Mexico Daily Times, the El Paso Times, and the Oakland Tribune. He joined The Seattle Times as an editor in 1981 and has been a columnist since 1993. He has written about 1,000 columns for The Seattle Times. “My first career goal was to get a job,” Large joked. Like many folks, Large accidentally got into journalism when he got attention for his writing in the high school newspaper. He enjoyed writing stories that got a lot of reaction. Before Large’s first column at the Times, he sent a few samples to the editor, but his wife gave him some valuable feedback before he did that. “Be present,” she advised. “People have to know they’re listening to Jerry Large and not just a random journalist. That was really great advice and helped me rethink how I want to approach the column. The consequence was that I decided to write about what I would like,” he said. Large’s first column introduced himself to the world by talking about his son’s birth, and how that affected him and changed his perception of the world. The column set the tone for his future columns — Large was going to write about serious, but also human issues and personal things. His most memorable pieces were often the human-focused stories. Large once wrote about an older woman who made neck pillows for the homeless because she saw them sleeping uncomfortably on the streets. He said it was incredible to hear how the woman had the ability to show such empathy, even after the personal struggles she experienced.
Loud and proud
Large’s proudest accomplishment has been to create the columns and figure out how to do that in a way that accomplishes the goals he set — invite people to think about things differently, and to offer context to help understand issues that people are wrestling with. “Like Black women and hair, it turns out that everybody in every group has hair issues, political issues and about appearances. It was a conversation starter that I really enjoyed,” he said. Both Large and his wife Carey Quan Gelernter, who is half Jewish and half Chinese American, were journalists and had a desire to make a difference in the world, especially around issues of race and class. They met in 1977 while working at El Paso Times. Growing up in a multicultural household helped the family connect to their roots. They have one son, Tao, who is a Ph.D. student studying chemistry at Stanford University.
What’s next?
Large’s retirement priority is to take it easy and to let his brain rest for awhile, and let the next steps develop naturally. He plans to do a lot of reading, learning, traveling, volunteering, and more writing, eventually. Gelernter is still working part-time as the editor of Lakeside School’s alumni magazine. “Eventually, she’ll join me on the senior train,” Large joked. Though the couple have done a fair bit of traveling, Large said they have an extremely long list of places to visit, like New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, and South America. Years ago, Large took a three-month fiction writing program, and that reenergized his writing. It persuaded him to think that maybe he could try writing fiction. Large has been inspired by many writers, including Walter Mosley, Octavia Butler, Molly Ivins, and Mike Royko. “It’s one of those things that you don't get
Photos by Nina Huang
Starting out
A strong turnout for Large’s farewell at the Northwest African American Museum.
out of your system entirely,” he said.
The community celebrates Large’s career
At Large’s retirement party, held at the Northwest African American Museum, friends and family got to share their favorite memories. People described Large as intelligent, well-read, quiet, patient, a lover of learning and history, and a wonderful father and husband. The Seattle Times’ Sharon Pian Chan started working with Large in 1999 as an intern. Chan described Large as a cross between Atticus Finch and Morgan Freeman, except shorter. Large is gentle like Finch and wise like the characters that Freeman plays, she said. “Jerry reflects the conscience of the city. He’s so caring and he takes care of the underrepresented communities and reminds us when we’re drifting where our conscience points us to,” she said. Chan said Large was an example and role model for journalists of color. He had his own column and was incredibly generous with his time with young journalists like Chan. “I don’t think there are that many African American male columnists in the country who still are saying what needs to be said. Jerry really blazed that trail for other African American writers in the country,” she said. “That’s a loss for the community. I believe that when old warriors die, new warriors step up to fill their place. I’m excited to see who that will be at The Seattle Times,” she said. A rising warrior is South Seattle Emerald editor-in-chief Marcus Harrison Green, who recalled the challenges of growing up in the public school system in Rainier Beach. People told Green, who’s Black, that he was dumb and that he wasn’t going to amount to anything, but Large was an inspiration to Green. They met in person several years ago and Large told Green that he was a good writer and that the sky was the limit. Green thanked Large for everything that he has done for him to blaze the trail for the next generation of Black journalists in the city. “[Large] is probably the only journalist left at the Times that brings race and class analysis to his column,” said Cindy Domingo, a community activist who has known Large for over 20 years. “He is very connected with those populations that are disenfranchised and have had historical struggles and barriers with discrimination, and that’s why we’ll miss him very much.” Large’s impact on the Black community was significant, said former assistant managing editor at The Seattle Times, Carole Carmichael. “He celebrated and acknowledged that community. He taught non-African Americans about the community when it was invisible in many ways. His column had a
newsroom. Mainstream newspapers began to hire more people who weren’t white, but the numbers never really got that high. They climbed a bit when there was money to spend, but when newspapers cut back, newsrooms changed again because people had different priorities,” Large said. Having a thick skin is a necessity in a public facing role. There had been a number of times when Large wrote about race related to police shootings that have pushed people’s buttons. “The negative tends to be vitriolic, that’s just part of my job knowing that I’ll attract that kind of negative attention. It’s not pleasant to know that I struck a nerve. I’m much happier when I hear that they hadn’t considered a perspective,” he said. Large used to respond to all of the emails he received, but the feedback has gotten worse with the political climate. The negativity detracted from everything else he’s trying to accomplish, so he focuses his time on responding to those with real questions and concerns, to achieve his goals and for the sake of his mental health.
Leaving a Large legacy
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huge impact because he paved the way and said, ‘Here’s what you need to know and why it’s important you embrace this community.’” Carmichael described Large’s writing as warm and welcoming. “He speaks directly to you and he pulls you in. He doesn’t try to talk down to you and he tries to help you to join forces with him. You also learn to look from someone else’s perspective. In writing, that’s different to achieve and he does it with such grace.” Former Seattle mayor Norm Rice echoed Carmichael’s thoughts and described Large as a clarion and a clear voice. “He brings reason to the table. He calls you to justice and when Jerry opines or gets involved in something, you know he’s pointing us in the right direction,” Rice said. The Seattle Times publisher Frank Blethen called Large’s column his “morning coffee companion.” “I’m really going to miss not hearing Jerry in the mornings, that voice in my ear.” Some of Large’s best work in the last decade was about the terrible fault lines related to race, gender, and economic issues in the country. Blethen praised Large for his strong voice, deep research, and authoritative reporting. Over the years, Large has received some prestigious journalism awards, including the Dr. Samuel E. Kelly Award for contributions to diversity, RESULTS International Cameron Duncan Media Award for reporting on poverty, Faith Action Network Justice Leadership Award, and more.
What will Large miss the most about working? His journalistic superpowers. “Because I’m a journalist, people will sit and patiently share things with me. They willingly share aspects of their lives and I try to be careful when I write about people sharing their lives,” Large said. He’ll also miss being in a room full of journalists who are inquisitive and interested in the world, and the opportunity to share with everyone about something excited he read. What he won’t miss? The pressure. “In journalism, you have to let things go after a while. If I try to achieve perfection, I’d still be working on my first column, but I want to feel really good about it. I don’t want errors or my thinking to be faulty. I want to say something that is worth people’s time reading, that’s something I take very seriously and it’s very difficult, so I have to retire after awhile,” he said. Large hopes that his legacy was that he made it OK for people to think about things that might’ve been uncomfortable to them. “That I tried hard to acknowledge our common humanity and to talk about our differences as products of history, social constructs, and of behaviors that we can all change if we want to. We don’t have to put each other in boxes, and we can acknowledge who we all are and not apply judgments that are detrimental to people based on appearances or other features that we think really matter. But in the end, it doesn’t and shouldn’t,” he said. Nina Huang can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
Overcoming odds and staying resilient
With the highs of his careers, there were also some hardships. “There has been progress, but it’s still the same. When I started, it was rare to see a Black person in the
A tribute to Jerry Large