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It could cost half million dollars to remove toilet-y trolley stop

By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Photo by Ruth Bayang/NWAW

SEATTLE — Rampant drinking, urinating, defecating, IV drug use, crack and meth pipe smoking — those are among the complaints from people who work and commute around a decommissioned trolley stop on 5th Avenue and Jackson Street in the Chinatown–International District.

Now, Sound Transit wants to get rid of the trolley stop.

Spokeswoman Kimberly Reason said that on Sept. 27, the Sound Transit Board approved to pay $56,000 to David Evans and Associates to survey, design, and engineer the removal of the station, and to restore the curb line.

Sound Transit, the City of Seattle, and King County Metro are contributing $10 million each to a $30 million collaborative project for improving mobility in downtown Seattle and in the region. see TROLLEY on 15

The Jackson Street trolley stop has been a messy nuisance for community members, attracting criminal activity and creating unsanitary conditions. Sound Transit is exploring the removal of this stop.

County wants more accountability in use of deadly force Inquest process to be reformed, Tommy Le case affected

By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY SEATTLE — King County Executive Dow Constantine signed an executive order on Oct. 3, making substantial reforms to the county’s inquest process for reviewing incidents involving use of deadly force by police. The changes are intended to increase accountability and transparency.

Currently, there are nine pending inquests, including the shooting death of Tommy Le — the teen was shot and killed just hours see LE on 6

Will robots replace SESEC addresses Southeast Seattle’s education disparities human labor?

Expert explains

By Sam Le NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Despite the overwhelming economic growth Seattle has experienced after the recession of 2008, the divergence of Seattle’s richest and poorest neighborhoods have grown drastically. The difference in economic growth, capital investments, and community development have left Southeast

Photo by Janice Nesamani/NWAW

UN’s Nikki Haley to leave in latest Trump shake-up Dr. Kai Fu Lee discusses the future of AI and how it will affect humanity.

By Zeke Miller, Deb Riechmann and Jonathan Lemire

By Janice Nesamani NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

AmazonGo and its technology that watches and checks us out as we shop, is our first nudge into a world where artificial intelligence (AI) replaces a routine human job.

It is this world, in which machines capable of learning and repeating repetitive human actions, that AI researcher, businessman,

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the latest shakeup for President Donald Trump’s turbulent administration, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley abruptly announced on Oct. 9 she is resigning at the end of the year,

see AI WAVE on 16

see HALEY on 15

Amazon opened its first cashierless store in Seattle in January 2018, and by the end of 2021, the company announced plans for 3,000 stores across the United States, sending the retail world scrambling. For many,

■

Seattle lagging behind, especially within the realm of education and opportunities for students. Now, the Southeast Seattle Education Coalition (SESEC) aims to improve the schools in the area so all students succeed and families are empowered.

SESEC is a coalition that represents communitybased organizations, local educators, schools, see SESEC on 12

AT THE MOVIES Musings on life and birth in Taiwanese film »7

PICTORIAL Political candidates meet with local ethnic media » 9

FOOD What I ate for dinner to cure myself from gluttony » 10 Nikki Haley

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asianweekly northwest

36 YEARS

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS King Co Exec appoints Khandelwal

Executive Dow Constantine appointed Anita Khandelwal on Oct. 3 to serve as the director of King County Department of Public Defense. She has served as the interim director since July.

“I listened to employees and stakeholders who wanted a change at Public Defense, and I am conAnita Khandelwal vinced Anita can best fulfill its mission to serve some of the most vulnerable people in our region — people who are personally affected by institutional racism, poverty, mental illness, and marginalization,” said Constantine.

Khandelwal served as the department’s deputy director of law and policy before she was appointed as the interim director. She joined the department in November 2015 and has been practicing law for more than a decade. She earned her law degree from Yale University. 

Patsy Surh O’Connell receives Governor’s Heritage Award

Patsy Surh O’Connell was chosen to receive the Governor’s Heritage Award for an Individual as part of the 2018 Governor’s Arts & Heritage Awards (GAHA).

The awards recognize individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to the creative and cultural vitality of Washington state.

“These are the highest cultural awards given

by the governor,” said Karen Hanan, ArtsWA Executive Director. “Patsy has done so much to deserve this award.”

A celebration of all the honorees’ achievements at the annual GAHA dinner will be held on Nov. 27. 

Inslee appoints Tamayo Murray

Josephine Tamayo Murray

Governor Jay Inslee recently appointed Josephine Tamayo Murray to the Economic Development Finance Authority board.

Tamayo Murray is the vice president for Public Policy in Seattle.

According to her LinkedIn profile, she has received a Certificate of Completion from Harvard and a master’s in Social Work from the University of Washington. 

Baranwal nominated to key Trump administration post

President Donald Trump announced on Oct. 3 his intent to nominate Rita Baranwal of Pennsylvania to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Nuclear Energy) at the U.S. Department of Energy.

Baranwal currently serves as the Director of the Gateway for Rita Baranwal Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear initiative at the Department of Energy.

Baranwal earned her B.A. in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. 

EDI celebrates 25 years of leadership development training On Oct. 6, the Executive Development Institute (EDI) celebrated its 25th anniversary with a dinner and auction. EDI is a nonprofit that trains and develops Asian/

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At the event EDI bestowed cofounder Vanna Novak with a lifetime achievement award. Novak is a professional speaker and trainer and created EDI with the late Ted Yamamura.

About 250 people attended the event and $130,000 was raised for EDI. 

Photo by George Liu/NWAW

OCTOBER 13 – OCTOBER 19, 2018

EDI Director of Programs Colleen Yamaguchi presents EDI’s lifetime achievement award to Vanna Novak.

Kalahi Dance Company performs

Photo by Assunta Ng/NWAW

2

Kalahi Dance Company performers during downtime.

The Kalahi Dance Company — part of the Filipino Community of Greater Seattle’s Family Academy program — performed at Westlake Center on Sept. 29. The Kalahi Dance Company promotes family participation and involvement in the education of children. It empowers families and students to be proactive in community and school affairs. 

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YOUR VOICE

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

OCTOBER 13 – OCTOBER 19, 2018

3

Photos by Sam Le/NWAW

Local restaurant becomes model for RainWise

Young's Restaurant on 16th and Cambridge Ave. The first business to complete the RainWise program

Visible is one of three 530 gallon cisterns that assist the owners of Young's Restaurant in controlling the stormwater flow

Ella Young's family at the ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the RainWise project

By Sam Le NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

to store and control the spillover rate of stormwater, and prevent sewers from overflowing, hillsides from erosion, and bodies of water from flooding.

Jo Sullivan, the King County program manager for RainWise, said, “The program is a great way for private property owners to become a part of a solution for the stormwater overflow problem.” The program also made it a priority to ensure that immigrants, refugees, and communities of color were informed and educated about the program. Often with programs and projects that involve applications, inspections, and contracting, communities of color, especially those with limited English skills, are overlooked and underserved. ECOSS, an environmental education nonprofit, played a key role for the RainWise program, as they are able to bring on both clients and contractors from communities of color.

King County and SPU have partnered with communitybased organizations, such as ECOSS, in order to ensure that the RainWise program has equitable access. Sullivan continued. “So to make that the solution is equitable, it was important to work with organizations such as ECOSS, who are established in working with the different communities of color.”

“When it starts to rain, we have issues of leaks and flooding on the roof and in the parking lot, which causes me to worry as there could be many costly issues if we don’t solve it,” shared Ella Young, owner of Young’s Restaurant.

“After learning about the RainWise program and how the rebate could help solve our problems and reduce cost, I asked if we could do the program.” The installation of

On 16th Avenue Southwest and Cambridge Avenue, Young’s Restaurant, a Chinese family-owned café, has become the first commercial site to complete the RainWise program. It celebrated the milestone with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Oct. 4. Young’s Restaurant partnered with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), King County, and Environmental Coalition of South Seattle (ECOSS) — showing that both large scale and individual problems can be solved by the cooperation between private owners, local government, and community-based organizations.

The RainWise program is a rebate program funded by SPU and King County where individual homeowners or businesses apply to have cisterns and rain gardens installed

see RAINWISE on 12

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OCTOBER 13 – OCTOBER 19, 2018

36 YEARS

■ NATIONAL NEWS

2 young California women face different paths to U.S. House

By Michael R. Blood THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two women in their 30s from different political parties are new arrivals on the California political scene, each trying to engineer a remarkable achievement on Election Day — defeating an established congressman.

Democrat Katie Hill is promising to end politics as usual in a district that cuts through suburbs and high desert in northern Los Angeles County. Republican Elizabeth Heng says she will be a new voice in Congress for a hardscrabble stretch of California’s farm belt.

The first-time candidates are part of a millennial vanguard making its mark in a state known for its graying political leadership — outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown, at 80, is the

Katie Hill

nation’s oldest governor, and Dianne Feinstein, 85, is the oldest U.S. senator.

But their promises for change in Washington mean very different things.

Sacramento man charged in international pot growing scheme SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A Sacramento man has been indicted on charges of international money laundering and manufacturing marijuana.

U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott says 38-year-old Daniel Zhu’s charges relate to a scheme by a Chinese-based crime organization to grow marijuana in California illegally.

Authorities earlier this year seized about 100 Northern California homes involved in the crime ring. Officials say the marijuana was being shipped to other U.S.

Elizabeth Heng

states. Marijuana is legal in California but growing it requires a permit and it cannot be shipped over state lines.

The indictment was unsealed on Oct. 5.

It says he grew marijuana at three locations and was involved in receiving international money wires from China to purchase California real estate used to grow marijuana.

Attorney David Fischer said his client was aware for months that charges were pending. 

In an election season shaped by divisions over President Donald Trump’s agenda, the (hash)MeToo movement and the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court hearings, Heng is focusing on ending poverty in her Fresno-area 16th District that is among the poorest in the state. Democratic Rep. Jim Costa has represented the area since 2005.

Hill wants to advance her party’s plans to take control of the House by replacing Rep. Steve Knight, who’s seeking a third term in the 25th District, the last Republican-held House seat in strongly Democratic Los Angeles County. She promotes universal health care and counts Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren among her supporters.

Across California, Republicans face the challenge of defending their shrinking turf in a state where Trump see US HOUSE on 14

Brokers of Portland condo building target buyers in Asia

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A condominium building under construction in Portland is planning to market more than a quarter of its units to Asian buyers.

The real-estate brokers tasked with selling units in the TwentyTwenty building in northeast Portland expect to offer up to 45 of the 162 units to buyers from countries that include China, Japan, and Singapore, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported on Oct. 1.

Asian buyers have become a significant force in larger West Coast cities, with Chinese buyers accounting for $30.4 billion in U.S. real estate over the last year, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Buyers in Asia have mostly bypassed Portland, but the city’s home prices could become increasingly attractive.

About half of targeted buyers in Asia see PORTLAND CONDO on 13

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

OCTOBER 13 – OCTOBER 19, 2018

5

■ WORLD NEWS Alibaba’s Jack Ma says U.S.-China trade war could last 20 years GENEVA (AP) — Alibaba founder Jack Ma that the trade dispute between the U.S. and China could last 20 years. But he expressed hope that a solution could be reached as a trade war would “hurt everybody.’’

The Chinese e-commerce billionaire also questioned the focus Jack Ma among some on trade deficits, calling it a relic of the 20th century. U.S. President Donald Trump has long decried the U.S.’s whopping deficit with China.

“When trade stops, sometimes the war starts. So

trade is the way to stop wars,” Ma said at a World Trade Organization seminar. “Trade is the way to build up trust.

It’s not the weapon to fight against each other.”

He said trade conflict would not only hurt the U.S. and China but other countries’ small businesses. The standoff, he added, “may last 20 years, unfortunately.’’

Overall, Ma expressed bullishness about trade, but said it needed to be protected from regulators.

“Today we see Made in China, Made in America, Made in Switzerland or Made in Geneva: 2030 will see Made in Internet.” More than 85 percent of business will be e-commerce, he said.

Alibaba Group is the world’s biggest e-commerce company by value of the goods that pass across its platforms.

A key part of its business is connecting American

retailers with Chinese suppliers, many of them small producers of furniture, handbags, tools and household appliances. The United States is an important market for Chinese businesses and Washington’s tariff increases have been a hit.

The Trump administration has imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of Chinese goods, prompting retaliation from Beijing.

Ma, 54, is one of China’s most prominent and outspoken business leaders. He announced last month he will step down as Alibaba’s chairman next September but will stay on as a member of the Alibaba Partnership, a group that retains control of the company through their right to nominate a majority of its board of directors. 

2 Chinese bishops participating in Vatican synod for first time ever

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Two bishops from China were at the Vatican during the first week of October for a global meeting of bishops in the first tangible sign of the breakthrough deal between the Vatican and Beijing over bishop nominations.

Bishops Guo Jincai of Chengde and Yang Xiaoting participated, at the invitation of Pope Francis.

It’s the first time that bishops from mainland China have participated in a synod, the regular gathering of bishops at the Vatican to discuss pressing issues facing the Catholic

Wife says Interpol officer sent knife image as danger signal

By John Leicester and Gillian Wong THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LYON, France (AP) — The missing president of the police agency Interpol sent his wife an image of a knife immediately before he disappeared in China, which she believes was his way of saying that he was in danger.

Grace Meng detailed the chilling final exchange of messages with her husband, Meng Hongwei, to reporters on Oct. 7 in the French city of Lyon, where Interpol is based.

Apparently confi rming her fears for his safety: China announced less than an hour after she spoke that Meng was under investigation on suspicion of unspecified legal violations, making the vice minister for public security and Interpol chief the latest high-profi le official to be swept up in a government crackdown.

The disciplinary organ of China’s ruling Communist Party said in a brief statement on its website, Meng was “suspected of violating the law and is currently under the monitoring and investigation’’ of China’s

new anti-corruption body, the National Supervision Commission.

The statement was the first official word on the 64-year-old Meng’s fate. In Lyon, meanwhile, his wife was speaking for the first time about his disappearance.

She said she hadn’t heard from her husband since Sept. 25. Using his Interpol telephone, he sent her the knife image that day, four minutes after he sent a message saying, “Wait for my call.’’

She said the call never came and she does not know what happened to him.

Of the knife image, she said: “I think he means he is in danger.” She said he was in China when he sent the message.

“This is the last, last message from my husband,’’ she said. “After that I have no call and he disappeared.’’

Mrs. Meng was accompanied to the hotel where she held her press conference by two French police officers who were assigned to look after her.

She wouldn’t speculate on her husband’s current whereabouts. She said he regularly traveled back and forth between Lyon and see INTERPOL on 13

Church.

Last month, the Vatican and China inked a deal over nominating bishops. Details haven’t been released, but Francis says it involves a process of dialogue, including to nominate candidates, but that he has the final say. 

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36 YEARS

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR OCT 11

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Xuyen Le, Tommy’s aunt and spokesperson for the Le family, said in a statement that the family is pleased with the changes announced in the inquest process.

“Our many concerns and efforts, echoed by so many in King County communities, were heard and seen.” It goes on to say, “We encourage King County Executive Dow Constantine and the King County Sheriff to take the next honorable step, and replace future Sheriff ‘internal investigations’ regarding the use of deadly force, with independent investigations conducted by a neutral party. Only then, will the communities and constituents of King County be fully satisfied that truth will prevail.”

Le’s inquest and eight others will be restarted early next year, Constantine said.

Critics have argued that the current system is one-sided since families of the deceased couldn’t call their own witnesses, submit evidence, or even address the jury.

The changes — expected to be in place by March — mean the process will focus more on whether cops followed policy and training, and less on whether the officer had a reasonable fear for their life.

The executive order made the following changes:

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A pool of retired judges will serve as pro tem Inquest Administrators to oversee the process. King County Superior Court will provide a courtroom as required by state law.

A staff attorney hired on a pro tem basis will assist. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will no longer serve as a neutral facilitator. The prosecuting attorney’s office will continue to serve an administrative role, assembling the investigative files, and making the recommendation to the Executive to order an inquest, as required by County Charter.

Officials from the investigating agency will offer testimony about the facts of the event. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will no longer have the power to subpoena the responsible officer, and that officer cannot be compelled to testify.

Separately, the chief law enforcement officer of the involved agency (or their designee) will testify about the department’s use of force policy and training.

RCW requires a jury of no more than six, and no less than four. Jurors will be asked to determine the facts and circumstances surrounding the death. Instead of being asked whether the officer had reason to fear for their life, jurors will now be asked to determine whether the officer’s actions complied with department training and policy.

Involved parties may call expert witnesses, such as medical examiners and ballistics experts.

Diane Narasaki, executive director of Asian Counseling

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and Referral Services, applauded the changes.

“I thank Executive Constantine for answering our call to action and for signing these meaningful reforms into law,” she said.

Narasaki, however, takes issue with the King County Sheriff’s Office’s Use of Force Review Board findings in August that Le’s shooting was justified.

On Oct. 4, she, along with a coalition of community groups and leaders, sent a citizen complaint to Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht.

“From the time of Tommy Le’s death, the Sheriff’s office has at best obfuscated the circumstances of his death, and at worst, misled the public about how it transpired.”

The complaint said that nowhere in the report does it indicate that Le died from bullets to the back.

“We request a review and analysis of the processes, policies, and conclusions referenced in this report by the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight,” the complaint said. (Read the full complaint on page 11).

In an email to the Northwest Asian Weekly regarding the complaint, the Sheriff’s office said “We won’t be making any further comments at this time because it’s important to the Sheriff that she respond directly to the authors of the letter first, before sharing that information with the media.”  Ruth can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

■ AT THE MOVIES

OCTOBER 13 – OCTOBER 19, 2018

7

Photos from Darren Culture & Creativity, Haze Films

Taiwan’s “Bao Bao” film is a concerto for four hearts

By Andrew Hamlin NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Taiwanese director Guang-cheng Shie shot several short films, sometimes as a director, sometimes as a producer, writer or sound recordist. With his debut feature film “Bao Bao,” he brings us the sprawling story of a baby, four parents, and the strife, with heartbreak, it took to produce a single tiny human being.

The film opens with Cindy (played by Emmie Rays) on a train, alone. We aren’t sure where she is, where she’s going, or why she’s taking this trip. As the film progresses, we

gradually learn answers to these questions.

But director Shie, working from a script by I.-Han Teng, stages the action in a series of flashbacks, returning every now and then to the present. The approach can become confusing at first, but over time, the story and the film’s distinct rhythms become clear.

Cindy and her wife Joanne (Huan-Ru Ke) come from Taipei, but they live in London, largely because the much-older Joanne commands a prestigious job there. Life is good, with Joanne’s money and the lugubrious London nightlife to spend it on.

But the couple wants a child. Enter a pair of

Asian gay men, Charles and Tim (Yukihiko Kageyama and Li-Yun Tsai), also making their way in London. The two couples become friends, and the women propose using the men’s sperm to make a child all four of them can share.

The plan seems simple enough. The men will furnish sperm, and Cindy will bear the child (it’s tacitly understood that Joanne’s past the age where she could safely carry to term). But all too quickly, issues of who will raise the offspring, who will have primary custody of the child, and who will get to see the child the most, rear up.

One underlying instability through the

whole movie lies in the lesbian couple’s interplay. Joanne’s tough and confident at business, and the leather jacket she wears outside the office symbolizes her self-image as fundamentally tough. She’s accustomed to giving orders and having them obeyed without question. Time after time, she lays down the law to Cindy, and Cindy nods her head and goes along with the plan.

But Joanne doesn’t stop to think about what Cindy’s thinking and feeling under the surface. And all too soon, the consequences see BAO BAO on 13

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36 YEARS

OCTOBER 13 – OCTOBER 19, 2018

■ TECHNOLOGY

Will flying soon cars take off?

Japan’s government hopes so TOKYO (AP) — Electric drones booked through smartphones pick people up from office rooftops, shortening travel time by hours, reducing the need for parking and clearing smog from the air.

This vision of the future is driving the Japanese government’s “flying car’’ project. Major carrier All Nippon Airways, electronics company NEC Corp. and more than a dozen other companies and academic experts hope to have a road map ready by the year’s end.

“This is such a totally new sector Japan has a good chance for not falling behind,” said Fumiaki Ebihara, the government official in charge of the project.

Nobody believes people are going to be zipping around in flying cars any time soon. Many hurdles remain, such as battery life, the need for regulations and, of course, safety concerns. But dozens of similar projects are popping up around the world. The prototypes so far are less like traditional cars and more like drones big enough to hold people.

A flying car is defined as an aircraft that’s electric, or hybrid electric, with driverless capabilities, that can land and takeoff vertically.

They are often called EVtol, which stands for “electric vertical takeoff and landing’’

Photo by Koji Ueda/AP

By Yuri Kageyama THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tsubasa Nakamura, project leader of Cartivator, third from left, watches the flight of the test model of the flying car on a former school ground in Toyota, central Japan, as another member operates the remote control. The model took off several times, hovering at eye level for a few seconds, before falling to the ground.

aircraft.

The flying car concepts promise to be better than helicopters, which are expensive to maintain, noisy to fly and require trained pilots, Ebihara and other proponents say.

“You may think of ‘Back to the Future,’ ‘Gundam,’ or ‘Doraemon,’ ” Ebihara said, referring to vehicles of flight in a Hollywood film and in Japanese cartoons featuring robots. “Up to now, it was just a dream, but with innovations in motors and batteries, it’s time for it to become real.”

Google, drone company Ehang and car manufacturer Geely in China, and Volkswagen AG of Germany have invested in flying car technology.

Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. said they had nothing to say about flying cars, but Toyota Motor Corp. recently invested $500 million in working with Uber on self-driving technology for the ride-hailing service. Toyota group companies have also invested 42.5 million yen ($375,000) in a Japanese startup,

Cartivator, that is working on a flying car.

The hope is to fly up and light the torch at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but it’s unclear it will meet that goal: At a demonstration last year, the device crashed after it rose to slightly higher than eye level. A video of a more recent demonstration suggests it’s now flying more stably, though it’s being tested indoors, unmanned and chained so it won’t fly away.

There are plenty of skeptics.

Elon Musk, chief executive of electric car maker Tesla Inc., says even toy drones are noisy and blow a lot of air, which means anything that would be “1,000 times heavier’’ isn’t practical.

“If you want a flying car, just put wheels on a helicopter,’’ he said in a recent interview with podcast host and comedian Joe Rogan on YouTube. “Your neighbors are not going to be happy if you land a flying car in your backyard or on your rooftop.’’

Though the Japanese government has resisted Uber’s efforts to offer ridehailing services in Japan, limiting it to partnerships with taxi companies, it has eagerly embraced the U.S. company’s work on EVtol machines.

Uber says it is considering Tokyo as its first launch city for affordable flights via its UberAir service. It says Los Angeles and Dallas, Texas, and locations in Australia, see DRONES on 15

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

OCTOBER 13 – OCTOBER 19, 2018

■ PICTORIAL

9

Photos by Sam Le/NWAW

9th Annual Ethnic Media Candidates Meet and Greet

Seabeez group photo, featuring local ethnic media representatives

Dozens of candidates attended the 9th Annual Ethnic Media Candidates Meet and Greet on Sept. 24 at Joyale Seafood Restaurant. It was an opportunity for 19 political candidates to meet with the local ethnic media and multicultural businesses.  State Sen. Patty Kuderer, 48th district

State Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, 37th district

Candidate for state senate Joe Nguyen, 34th district

State Rep. Tana Senn, 41st district

Candidate for state senate Savio Pham, 38th district

Everett Herald Publisher and Sound Publishing head, Josh O’Connor with Joyale Seafood Restaurant’s owner Lori Choi.

Sound and Joyale were sponsors of this event.

asianweekly northwest

10

36 YEARS

OCTOBER 13 – OCTOBER 19, 2018

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

Did you know dinner made from International District ingredients cures effects of overeating?

We go to Uwajimaya for fresh ingredients — here’s their seafood department.

so much that I’d like to share it with you.

The meal

I do it Chinese-style, so we never really consider any dish as the main course. To me, every course has its own importance, contributing to the balance and beauty of the dinner. We serve five items for dinner, but only two of them require much work.

We shop at Uwajimaya for ingredients. It’s smart to visit the seafood department first, as it is sometimes quite busy and a popular site for shoppers. It is also one of my favorite stops. Its variety and

quality of seafood is top-notch.

If you are not feeling your best, fish is the safest choice. Studies have found that eating fish at least twice a week will provide you with the needed nutrients, such as omega 3 fats, proteins, and other minerals and vitamins. Most importantly, research has shown that eating fish may decrease the chance of having Alzheimer’s.

Also, it is easy to digest.

There are a lot of choices at Uwajimaya. But my husband and I bought about a pound of sea bass for dinner.

Sea bass is known for its smooth texture. Even if you overcook it, its smoothness is still present. For two

Photo by Assunta Ng/NWAW

Have your ever gotten sick from overeating? I did this past week.

Overeating is not my usual game. Self-control is one of my merits. Here is what happened though: four nights in a row, I was feasting on rich salmon, chicken, steak, and plenty of goodies at community events, which always serve dinner late. I am the type who always answers hunger, especially when my stomach roars.

Once my dinnertime passes, I easily wolf down food unconsciously.

There was also a family celebration with a fantastic lunch, munching on pasta and seafood in the midst of all of that. That’s an extravagant meal. And sorry, discipline just slipped out of my mind. I finally paid the price — literally sick from excessive eating and rich meals — too many calories. In addition, my work is forever demanding. Stress compounded with overeating caused my body to just collapse. It’s happened before. What did I do to recover?

Not Pepto-Bismol! A simple formula to nurse my body back to health is cooking dinner after shopping in the International District for ingredients.

Put a stop to unhealthy indulgences.

You would think simple food and cooking is not as appetizing. Wrong.

The dinner was yummy. I enjoyed it

Photo by George Liu/NWAW

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Home cooked dinner that I made! You can see a sampling of sea bass, yam leaves, satsuma-imo yams, black beans, and golden grape tomatoes on my plate.

people, we couldn’t possibly eat that much fish in one sitting since we have other dishes. We bought a big piece so we can save half for the next dinner. It’s quite a bit of work

to steam the fish, and cut all the ginger and green onion. Since the fish was so fresh, we never felt that it was see BLOG on 12

THANK YOU! For keeping our communities engaged!

Senator Bob Hasegawa

Rep. Cindy Ryu

State Senator 11th LD

State Representative 32nd LD

Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos

Senator Manka Dhingra

State Representative 37th LD

State Senator 45th LD

Rep. Mia Su-Ling Gregerson State Representative 33rd LD

Rep. Vandana Slatter

State Representative 48th LD

Now more than ever, our community needs your participation.

Please vote and make sure everyone in your family votes on November 6.

Paid for by: People for Mia, PO Box 297 – Seahurst, WA, 98062

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

OCTOBER 13 – OCTOBER 19, 2018

■ EDITORIAL

11

Kavanaugh confirmed, sad day for America

Oct. 6 was a sad day for America. On Oct. 6, members of the U.S. Senate voted 50 to 48 — almost entirely along party lines — to confirm Brett Kavanaugh as a U.S. Supreme Court justice.

In a statement, Asian Americans Advancing Justice called the confirmation “an affront to the impartial judicial system that protects the civil and human rights Brett Kavanaugh of individuals as well as our belief that everyone has a right to live free from violence.”

According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, over 23 percent of Asian and Pacific Islander women living in the United States have experienced some form of sexual violence. These women will be even further marginalized by a Supreme Court with now two members who have been publicly and credibly accused of sexual misconduct.

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) said in a statement that she fears the confirmation will have a chilling effect on survivors of sexual assault coming forward.

“We all witnessed Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s powerful testimony, yet by confirming Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, Senate Republicans are sending a message to women, girls, and sexual assault survivors everywhere that their experiences and stories, while believable, don’t

matter and are easily ignored.”

Hirono also tweeted, “I’m left with anger and determination, just like millions of people across the country.”

Since Donald Trump took office, our rights have been eroded by attacks on health care access, immigrants’ rights, and the environment. Additionally, this current court will be deciding cases involving women’s rights, affirmative action, the death penalty, LGBTQ rights, immigrant rights, and a host of others that will have a significant impact communities of color.

The U.S. Supreme Court is supposed to be the champion of the Constitution and the final arbiter of the law.

Unfortunately, a justice such as Kavanaugh will only make it harder for our communities to protect our rights. 

■ LETTER

Commmunity leaders level complaint against use of deadly force, seek justice for Tommy Le

Dear Sheriff Johanknecht, We are writing to submit a citizen complaint regarding the 8/22/18 report and conclusion reached by the Use of Force Review Board in the 6/14/17 death by bullets to the back of Tommy Le by King County Sheriff Caesar Molina in the City of Burien.

From the time of Tommy Le’s death, the Sheriff ’s office has at best obfuscated the circumstances of his death, and at worst, misled the public about how it transpired.

The Sheriff ’s office initially reported that Tommy Le was shot while charging Deputies with a knife. Only after further inquiry by reporters did it transpire that Tommy Le was unarmed and shot in the back while holding a pen, not a knife.

The Sheriff’s office seems to have gone to some lengths to further obfuscate this

situation, by indicating that after Tommy Le was killed, law enforcement personnel went to his lodgings and found knives. There is no evidence that any of the knives were used

by Tommy Le to threaten others. It would be unusual to go to almost any lodging and not find any knives. Showing photos of the knives to witnesses who already believed he had a knife rather than a pen does not produce convincing evidence that he had a knife at some point rather than a pen; he was shot and killed while holding a pen.

The report indicates that even if it had been known that Tommy Le had only a pen, rather than a knife, the outcome may have been the same, as a pen could be wielded as an improvised weapon. We do not find this argument to be one worthy of exonerating those responsible for Tommy’s death; the skill necessary to use a pen as a deadly

weapon against alert, trained, and armed law enforcement professionals outnumbering the slight 120-pound 5'4" young man would exceed an ordinary lay person’s skills; Tommy Le was clearly not in his right mind, and not behaving as a trained assassin.

The effort to control the narrative to defend the Deputies and blame Tommy Le for his own death continues. Nowhere in the report is it indicated that Tommy Le died from bullets to the back. We see no reason why this report which would customarily be issued following the inquest, was released, if not as an attempt to continue to control a misleading and unjust narrative.

We request a review and analysis of the processes, policies, and conclusions referenced in this report by the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight. 

Sincerely, Diane Narasaki and Tony Lee Co-Chairs, Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of King County Diane Narasaki Executive Director, Asian Counseling and Referral Service Linh Thai Founder and Director, Vietnamese Community Leadership Institute Marcos Martinez Executive Director, Casa Latina Rich Stolz Executive Director, OneAmerica Lisa Daugaard Director, Public Defender Association Estela Ortega Executive Director, El Centro de la Raza

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asianweekly northwest

12

OCTOBER 13 – OCTOBER 19, 2018

BLOG from 10 leftovers for the next day.

Then we ventured off to the produce section to buy our favorite tomatoes, the yellow kind, not the red. Called the golden grape tomatoes from Mexico, they taste wonderful, and we eat them fresh.

I used to like the red baby tomatoes. Not since I found the golden grapes. I never enjoy tomatoes that are way too sweet like the red ones, as if they were melted with honey. Golden grape has a natural sweetness and tastes really fresh. Normally, I would devour about six to eight tiny tomatoes with my dinner.

Need I say more about the benefits of eating tomatoes? They have antioxidants and slow down aging. And they don’t need to be cooked. Also, anytime you place tomatoes with your other dishes, the color enhances the look of your dinner plates.

We never intended for the meal to be a vegetarian-focused dinner, but that’s what happen. It’s okay because vegetables are great for you!

Next to the tomatoes was the yam section. I didn‘t know what kind of yam it was, it had a pretty burgundy color. It was so good I went back later to find out the name of this yam. It SESEC from 1 parents, and community members.

“The coalition is one of the places we make the effort to organize cross-racially and not be siloed,” shared Erin Okuno, the executive director of SESEC. “I joined as the first full-time staff member around four years ago. The coalition’s boundaries are the areas south of I-90 and east of I-5, which are the areas where people of color are the majority.” SESEC’s boundaries include the Beacon Hill, Columbia City, and Rainier Beach neighborhoods, with high percentages of Asian American, Black, and Latino communities.

“We try to bring in people together to figure out what conversations we need to have around educational justice, and center it on the needs and perspectives of communities of color.” Okuno shared that SESEC holds monthly meetings where different issues are presented and discussed.

“These meetings are a great place to learn about what’s going on in the community,” said Okuno. “We put effort into making these meetings consistent, where a lot of the people attending come from small to large organizations that serve communities of color.”

Previous topics and discussion items have included

36 YEARS

was satsuma-imo yams. We like to experiment with different produce so we bought one. To preserve its original taste, we cut it into half and boiled the whole thing. Cutting it into half shortens the cooking time. After boiling for 20 minutes, we took it out from the pot and ate it with the skin, without any seasoning. We enjoyed its natural sweetness. We ate the skin because of its vitamins. I ate about four slices and I loved it.

Ah, the yam leaves. One of my staff members, who rents a small plot from the Danny Woo Garden in the ID, plucked yam leaves from the garden. I was fortunate to know someone who loves to garden and who will supply me with fresh veggies frequently. I stir-fried the leaves with ginger and garlic. It was splendid. You probably assume that I have a secret ingredient. No, I don’t. All I added was some salt. If the ingredients are fresh, your job as a cook is half way done. You don’t need to add too much fancy sauces for food to taste fabulous.

Another comfort food I bought was a can of black beans.

Yes, it’s not fresh. But it tasted pretty good. When I was a child, I hated beans. Now, I love them because I learned to appreciate them as one of my food sources. Beans aids in digestion and provides important nutrients. Beans are also filling, so I don’t need to eat a lot of rice. Mixing brown rice with

black beans is palatable and nourishing. It’s my favorite dinner dish.

Most folks are surprised that we busy people have time to cook at home. I enjoy cooking. It’s therapeutic. However, it’s just that I don’t like to do the prep work, including cutting and washing the ingredients, and also doing the dishes afterwards. I’m so glad that my husband doesn’t mind doing all that. I fill the title of being the head chef, and my husband is the sous chef doing all the dirty work involved in preparing dinner. Perhaps, I trained him well. Or perhaps, he spoils me. Or he’s actually a talented cook, waiting to be discovered. Many men are great cooks, but just too lazy to cook. I have to admit, there are some dishes my husband is far better at preparing than I am, like steaming the fish in the microwave.

Go experiment with all kinds of ingredients from Uwajimaya with your family, and cook together as a family.

After all, cooking is about teamwork. In anything you do, teamwork wins. Have fun cooking. 

race, immigration, school registration, and parent-teacher relationships.

“Around five or six years ago, SESEC started out at the grassroots level to start providing narratives and stories to the data, in order to provide a true reflection of the communities’ challenges and struggles,” Okuno explained about SESEC’s formation. Data from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2011 showed that five Southeast Seattle schools were ranked among the lowest in performance throughout the state.

“Community leaders and organizations, such as Vu Le, the Filipino Community of Seattle, and others, saw that unless we do something, our students are going to be left behind.”

“Communities of color in Southeast Seattle are strong and pull strength from the cultural richness and diversity of each other, but there is still a lack in the systems to bring in monetary and capital investments. It is unfair when systems only recognize the strengths of certain communities and not others,”Okuno said, on how Southeast Seattle communities have been misrepresented.

SESEC encourages communities and parents to be actively involved and support those who do not have the resources or access to do so. This support has allowed SESEC to address issues such as data disaggregation and educate the public on

levies.

Okuno talked about the partnership between SESEC and the Chinese Information & Service Center (CISC) in addressing transparency of data with the community. Data collected and analyzed by SESEC through surveys was shared with the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities to ensure that the data matched the narratives of the community.

“Teasing out exactly what we wanted to do with the data and why we collected it in the first place was one of the biggest concerns of the community. We worked with CISC and the Seattle Public Schools to host listening sessions for lawmakers and stakeholders to understand the data and narratives behind them. During the sessions, parents put together specific asks and recommendations on how to work with the API community and communities of color in general.”

SESEC continues to elevate the voices of immigrants, refugees, and communities of color. Meetings are held monthly at the Rainier Avenue Church. 

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Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly. com.

For more information, visit sesecwa.org.

Sam Le can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

RAINWISE from 3 three 530 gallon cisterns and a revamped gutter system gave relief to Young, as their roof and parking lot situation are now under control.

At the ribbon cutting ceremony, the success of the project was celebrated as Young’s Restaurant becomes a model for the RainWise program for landscaping contractors and other businesses to learn about the opportunity. King County and ECOSS staff were present to congratulate Young’s Restaurant on the completion of the three-year project. Remarks made in English, Vietnamese, and Cantonese

highlighted the involvement of ECOSS in ensuring language access and outreach.

“We are lucky to have this program,” said Young. “It didn’t only fix the flooding and leaking problems, but we can also capture the water to do other things, like growing herbs and tomatoes. I’m glad that we have this program, and that there is funding to do it.”  For more information, visit seattle.gov/util/ rainwise.

Sam Le can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

OCTOBER 13 – OCTOBER 19, 2018

■ ASTROLOGY

13

Predictions and advice for the week of October 13–19, 2018

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat — Are you bringing in more than you have room for? Rather than increasing what you have, focus on taking out the extraneous items.

Dragon — Are you looking ahead for the next challenge quite frequently? Perhaps it is a sign that you have outgrown your current position.

Monkey — When helping a friend, it can be hard to avoid taking on their problem as your own.

Establish clear boundaries and adhere to them.

Ox — You often take on many roles, but it is important that you don’t lose yourself in the process. Make it a priority to be true to yourself.

Snake — A shared experience can go far in bringing you closer together with someone you love. Devote the time and attention necessary to make it meaningful.

Rooster — Looking for something out of the ordinary? Instead of searching in the usual places, you may have to go off the beaten path.

Tiger — Ideally, the facts will speak for themselves.

However, beware of the influence of the messenger that delivers the details.

Rabbit — An unexpected turn could be a blessing in disguise, provided that you keep an open mind about where things will end up.

Horse — By listening carefully to what is being said, you will be able to come up with a solution that is pleasing to all sides.

Goat — If you are finding it difficult to completely ignore a craving, perhaps it might be better just to indulge or satisfy it a little bit and move on.

Dog — If the pieces are not falling into place the way you like, then don’t be afraid to start over. That is better than continuing in the wrong direction.

Pig — While you were initially hesitant to get involved, the decision to move forward should be met with enthusiasm from those around you.

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.

PORTLAND CONDO from 4 for the condos would likely be investors, said broker Michael Zhang of Cascade Sotheby’s International Realty.

Most of these buyers would likely hire a property manager and rent out the units, but some might hold on to the condos as additional homes, he said.

The Portland building is expected to be completed next year. Its one-bedroom units will start at $300,000, and its two-bedroom units at $500,000 — prices Zhang said might

interest buyers in China.

The China government has recently restricted the flow of Chinese cash out of the country, making it difficult for investors to wire enough money to purchase multimilliondollar properties.

“To get $3 million, it takes forever,” Zhang said. “To get half a million, it’s reasonable.”

But most buyers in China haven’t heard of Portland or even the state.

“They say, ‘What? Ohio?’ ” Zhang said. “I have to sell

BAO BAO from 7

INTERPOL from 5

of this set in.

The gay men also demonstrate disparities in their personalities, but have less trouble staying on the same page. One of them will act up and act goofy, while the other one grins and shakes his head. They sometimes annoy each other, and the women, in this fashion, but they have an easier time relating to one another. Forces outside the relationship itself, intrude on them. Shame, and family expectations.

The story moves back and forth between London and Taipei as it moves back and forth in time, to the point where we don’t know, sometimes, where a scene is set until someone speaks, or a landmark comes into view. This reinforces the feeling of being lost, that Cindy experiences when she finally decides to sit up and think for herself.

The story finds its resolution, after a great deal of heartto-heart talk, and some heartbreak. The story’s tendencies toward unlikely extremes, to force its talking points, sometimes seem awkward. When the characters just talk, though, whether hiding from conflict or newly determined to resolve conflict at any cost, it’ll remind you (like it or not) of talks you’ve had as you’ve made your own way. 

China for his job. He had been on a three-country tour, to Norway, Sweden and Serbia, for Interpol before his latest trip back to China, she said.

Before he shared the knife image, she said she had sent him a photo of two animal figurines, one of a bear and another of a horse, meant to represent their two children; one of them loves horses, she said, and the other “looks like the bear.”

She said they were in daily contact during his trip before he went missing in China.

Asked if she believed that he has been arrested, Grace Meng said: “In China, what happened, I’m not sure.’’

She would not allow reporters to show her face, saying she feared for her own safety and the safety of her children.

Her voice trembled with emotion as she read a prepared statement.

“From now on, I have gone from sorrow and fear to the pursuit of truth, justice and responsibility toward history,’’ she said. “For the husband whom I deeply love, for my young children, for the people of my motherland, for all the wives and children’s husbands and fathers to no longer disappear.”

“Bao Bao” shows on Sunday, Oct. 14, at 2:15 p.m., at the SIFF Cinema Egyptian, 805 East Pine Street, as a presentation of TWIST: The Seattle Queer Film Festival. For prices and additional information, visit threedollarbillcinema.org.

Andrew can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

them the lifestyle. I have to sell them on Portland, Oregon.”

Brokers in Vancouver, British Columbia, have long targeted Asian buyers, leading to a flood of international homebuyers and raising concerns about increased housing prices.

Seattle then experienced a boom in overseas investment interest after Vancouver implemented taxes targeting foreign buyers. 

The appeal by Meng’s wife for justice and fairness echoed pleas from the families of scores of people who fell afoul of the Chinese Communist Party under President Xi Jinping’s rule. Some of them might have been pursued by Chinese authorities under Meng’s watch.

Such targets, who have been subject to arbitrary detention and made unexplained disappearances, include pro-democracy activists, human rights lawyers, officials accused of graft or political disloyalty and the estimated one million ethnic minority Muslims who have vanished into internment camps in the country’s far west.

Xi, China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, has overseen a harsh crackdown on civil society that is aimed at squelching dissent and activism among lawyers and rights advocates.

He has also used a popular and wide-ranging anticorruption campaign to boost supervision of the party and as a powerful weapon with which to purge his political opponents.

Meng is China’s vice minister of public security as well as president of the International Criminal Police Organization. The Lyon-based international police agency said it had used law enforcement channels to inquire with China about Meng’s status. 

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asianweekly northwest

14

OCTOBER 13 – OCTOBER 19, 2018

US HOUSE from 4 is unpopular and the party’s registration numbers have plummeted. Democrats hold a 3.7 million voter registration edge, and independents now narrowly outnumber Republicans.

Democrats are trying to pick up 23 seats nationwide to win control of the House. Part of their effort involves targeting a string of Republican-held districts in California carried by Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, including Knight’s district and four wholly or partly in Orange County, an expanse of suburbs, freeways and beaches that was once a byword for Republican power.

Those races include Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher against Democrat Harley Rouda in the 48th District and GOP Rep. Mimi Walters and Democrat Katie Porter in the adjacent 45th District.

The retirements of longtime Republican Reps. Darrell Issa and Ed Royce have given Democrats hope in their districts, the 39th and 49th.

In the Central Valley, Democrat Josh Harder is seeking to take down Republican Rep. Jeff Denham in the 10th District, where Democrats hold a slight registration edge, while Democrat T.J. Cox is trying to oust Republican Rep. David Valadao in the 21st District.

And in the most Republican district in Southern California — the mainly San Diego County 50th — Rep. Duncan Hunter is under indictment on corruption charges and faces a far-closerthan-expected challenge from first-time candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar, 29.

Heng is a longshot but she likely represents the California GOP’s best chance to win a Democratic seat. She faced off with Costa in the June primary and got 47 percent of the vote, surprisingly close for a little-known, first-time candidate running against an incumbent.

Heng is the type of candidate the aging GOP has long sought: a youthful racial minority. She’s 33 and her parents came to the U.S.

in the early 1980s after fleeing violence in their native Cambodia.

The former congressional aide to Royce and small-business owner has earned GOP comparisons to Democratic rising star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the 28-year-old who engineered an upset of 10-term U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley in a New York City Democratic primary.

In California’s primary, Heng finished just 4,400 votes behind Costa. The district, however, has a heavy Democratic tilt and Costa led in fundraising by a 10-to-1 margin at the end of June, the most recent data available.

Heng is undeterred. She said voters are eager for change. She calls the immigration system broken and is open to the possibility of building a wall as part of a comprehensive solution that strengthens border security. She supports the president but also breaks with the White House on issues like tariffs, which she said hurt the district’s farmers.

“I am my own woman,’’ she said.

Costa, who earlier spent a quarter-century in the Legislature, has started to run ads criticizing Heng for a spotty voting record in prior elections, a sign the contest might be growing more competitive.

Meantime, Hill is running in a closely divided swing district where Democrats hold a slight registration edge. Knight’s family has been involved in local politics for decades — a high school is named after his father, a former legislator and test pilot.

Knight, a former Los Angeles police officer, carried the district in 2016 even as Clinton won there by nearly 7 points. In the district, “those people know him,’’ says Knight’s campaign consultant, Matt Rexroad. “There is more than party label going on.’’

Hill, 30, who worked as an executive for a group providing services for the homeless, is a local, too. Her centrist brand of politics reflects the home she grew up in: Her Republican father, a police officer, had never voted for a Democrat before her primary.

Her mother, a Democrat, is a nurse.

She says any immigration policy must start with securing

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the nation’s borders, echoing a familiar Republican refrain. She’s a gun owner. Hill laments difficulties faced by small businesses and also backs universal health care. Her endorsements run from firefighters to unions to Equality California, an LGBT advocacy organization. Hill is married and openly bisexual.

In a politically moderate district, “I believe very strongly that you are responsible for representing your entire community,’’ she said in an interview.

Knight has been stressing his ability to work across the aisle, too, noting that most of his legislation has attracted bipartisan support. In the 2016 election, he mostly kept his distance from Trump but eventually said he voted for him. 

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TROLLEY from 1 The $56,000 for the platform removal study and design will come out of Sound Transit’s $10 million share. $56,000 is not the demolition price. It’s only the cost to prepare to demolish.

“No, no, no,” said John Poston, who works at the nearby Union Market. “Unless they’re taking it out of the (Seattle City) Council’s pockets or the mayor’s.

They need to quit taking money from the people.” Poston said he’d rather see money spent on helping the homeless.

Yao Yu, owner of Maxang Deli, didn’t share his opinion on the price tag. But he said removing the platform would allow for vehicles to turn onto Jackson more easily.

“Better that they spend the money here (Chinatown) than elsewhere,” he said.

Reason described David Evans and Associates as “an on-call consultant” with Sound Transit, and that the decision to hire them was a cost-efficient means to proceed with the study as quickly as possible.

The demolition is one of many preplanned projects as part of a program formerly known as One Center City (OCC).

Other projects include the replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the new Center City streetcar line — all to increase mobility through the greater Seattle downtown area. Reason said the OCC plan is to demolish the stop by the end of this year, and that putting the engineering study out to bid would have been costly and time-consuming.

There’s no cost for the actual demolition yet, but in May, an online update for OCC showed a potential price of $414,000.

Reason said the City of Seattle, King County Metro Transit, and Sound Transit are splitting the $414,000 cost equally three ways.

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

OCTOBER 13 – OCTOBER 19, 2018 The City requires any entity seeking to construct or demolish a structure to complete its street-use permitting process. In addition, Sound Transit must follow the City’s required International Special Review District (ISRD) process, since the Chinatown–International District is a historic district.

ISRD coordinator Rebecca Frestedt said the board received an application for the removal of the station and restoration of the roadway and curb in February. After getting additional information in March, and again in August, the board got a project briefing on Sept. 11.

“Once I receive the additional information needed to complete the application, namely details about the existing conditions and restoration plans, the application will be scheduled for review by the ISRD board at the next available board meeting,” said Frestedt.

Across the street from the trolley stop is the International District/Chinatown Station. Sound Transit and its partners hope the demolition will help make the area more hospitable. Reason said there have been numerous reports of women being harrassed “by groups of inebriated men who hang out daily on the trolley platform.”

She said the stop’s removal will “improve the public realm and make the International District-Chinatown transit hub a safe and friendly place to live, visit, and work.”

The trolley, named for former City Councilman George Benson, opened in 1982 and was extended to 5th and Jackson in 1990. The service ended in 2005 to make room for the Seattle Art Museum’s new Olympic Sculpture Park, which demolished the trolley-maintenance building.  Ruth can be reached at info@nwasian weekly.com.

HALEY from 1 raising fresh questions about the Trump team and about the outspoken diplomat’s own political ambitions.

The news blindsided some key U.S. allies and many congressional Republicans involved in foreign policy matters. And it came less than a month before congressional elections, thwarting White House efforts to project an image of stability, with the loss of one of the highest-profile women in the administration at a time when women’s votes are being vigorously pursued.

But Haley, the former South Carolina governor who’s the daughter of Indian immigrants, has often been an unpredictable and independent force in the Trump administration. At times she has offered strikingly different perspectives on world events from her more isolationistminded boss.

A smiling Haley announced her decision at an Oval Office meeting alongside the president, bringing up her own political prospects even as she underscored her continued support for Trump. Without prompting from reporters, she said she had no plans to run for president “in 2020” and would campaign for Trump.

Haley, who is 46 and not personally wealthy, hinted in her resignation letter to Trump that she is headed to the private sector.

“I have given everything I’ve got these last eight years,” she said, referring to her six years as governor as well as her time at the U.N. “And I do think it’s good to rotate in other people who can put that same energy and power into it.”

Trump was asked why the announcement was made now since Haley is staying until the end of the year.

Instead of answering directly, he recounted how she has had to work on tough issues, such as Iran and North Korea.

White House officials had sought to put a hold on Trump’s record-setting turnover in the run-up to the Nov. 6 elections, with aides being asked months ago to step down or commit to stay through Election Day to avoid adding to a sense of turmoil.

Still, the prospect of post-midterm changes continues to hang over the West Wing, and Haley’s exit was one that has been discussed, according to a senior administration official not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations.

A number of officials speculated that the timing was

DRONES from 8 Brazil, France and India are other possible locations.

Unlike regular airplanes, with their aerodynamic design and two wings, Uber’s “Elevate’’ structures look like small jets with several propellers on top. The company says it plans flight demonstrations as soon as 2020 and a commercial service by 2023.

Uber’s vision calls for using heliports on rooftops, but new multi-floored construction similar to parking lots for cars will likely be needed to accommodate EVtol aircraft if the service takes off.

Unmanned drones are legal in Japan, the U.S. and other countries, but there are restrictions on where they can be flown and requirements for getting approval in advance. In Japan, drone flyers can be licensed if they take classes. There is no requirement like drivers licenses for cars.

Flying passengers over populated areas would take a quantum leap in technology, overhauling aviation regulations and air traffic safety controls, along with major efforts both to ensure safety and convince people it’s safe.

Uber said at a recent presentation in Tokyo that it envisions a route between the city’s two international airports, among others.

“This is not a rich person’s toy. This is a mass market solution,’’ said Adam Warmoth, product manager at Uber Elevate.

Concepts for flying cars vary greatly.

Some resemble vehicles with several propellers on top while others look more like a boat with a seat over the propellers.

Ebihara, the flying-car chief at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, says Japan is on board for “Blade Runner’’ style travel — despite

meant to preserve the ambassador’s own political future.

A post in the Trump administration has proven to be a rickety stepping-stone to either lucrative private sector work or hopes for higher office, and the risk to those ambitions might only increase after the elections if Democrats make significant gains in Congress.

Trump said Haley first discussed leaving with him six months ago. The senior official noted that their conversation coincided with the appointments of Mike Pompeo as secretary of state and John Bolton as national security adviser in an earlier upending of top foreign policy officials.

Haley had expressed some frustration that her voice had been diminished as the two men became the aggressive new faces of Trump’s international policy, the official said.

More recently, there was the awkward moment at the U.N., when Trump’s boasting of American economic strength under his leadership brought laughter at a General Assembly session. He insisted later that the delegates were laughing with him, not at him.

The six-month timeline also coincides with a high-profile spat between Haley and the White House in April, when she drew the president’s ire for previewing in a television appearance the administration’s planned imposition of a new round of sanctions on Russia. When the sanctions never materialized, White House officials said the plans had changed without Haley being briefed, and economic adviser Larry Kudlow suggested she was confused.

“I don’t get confused,” Haley said in a sharply worded response to the West Wing.

Haley was appointed to the U.N. post in November 2016 and last month coordinated Trump’s second trip to the United Nations, including his first time chairing the Security Council.

A rookie to international politics, the former South Carolina governor was an unusual pick for to be U.N. envoy.

“It was a blessing to go into the U.N. every day with body armor,” Haley said, saying her job was to defend America on the world stage.

At the U.N., she helped spearhead the administration’s efforts to combat what it alleged to be anti-American and anti-Israel actions by the international body, including the U.S. decision to leave the Human Rights Council and to stop funding the U.N. agency for Palestinian Refugees.

Haley also secured three successively tougher Security

15

its plentiful, efficient and well developed public transportation.

Japan’s auto and electronics industries have the technology and ability to produce super-light materials that could give the nation an edge in the flying car business, he said.

Just as the automobile vanquished horse-drawn carriages, moving shortdistance transport into the air could in theory bring a sea change in how people live, Ebihara said, pointing to the sky outside the ministry building to stress how empty it was compared to the streets below.

Flying also has the allure of a bird’s eye view, the stuff of drone videos increasingly used in filmmaking, tourism promotion and journalism.

Atsushi Taguchi, a “drone grapher,’’ as specialists in drone video are called, expects test flights can be carried out even if flying cars won’t become a reality for years since the basic technology for stable flying already exists with recent advances in sensors, robotics and digital cameras.

A growing labor shortage in deliveries in Japan is adding to the pressures to realize such technology, though there are risks, said Taguchi, who teaches at the Tokyo film school Digital Hollywood.

The propellers on commercially sold drones today are dangerous, and some of his students have lost fingers with improper flying. The bigger propellers needed for vertical flight would increase the hazards and might need to be covered.

The devices might need parachutes to soften crash landings, or might have to explode into small bits to ensure pieces hitting the ground would be smaller.

“I think one of the biggest hurdles is safety,’’ said Taguchi. “And anything that flies will by definition crash.’’ 

Council sanction resolutions against North Korea — which the administration has credited with bringing Kim Jong Un to the negotiating table — and an arms embargo against South Sudan. But under Haley’s tenure at the U.N., the U.S. has faced strong opposition from Russia when it comes to addressing the seven-year-old war in Syria, and frustration from European allies over reimposing nuclear sanctions against Iran.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One he was considering five candidates for Haley’s job and that a successor would be named in two to three weeks — or maybe sooner. Among those under consideration, Trump said, is former deputy national security adviser Dina Powell.

Trump told reporters that he has heard his daughter Ivanka Trump’s name discussed for the post, but said if he selected her he’d be accused of nepotism.

In a tweet, the presidential senior adviser and eldest daughter praised Haley, saying Trump will “nominate a formidable replacement for Ambassador.”

She added: “That replacement will not be me.”

U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell’s name has also been floated for the post, but Trump suggested he’d rather keep him in his current post “because he’s doing such a good job.”

Haley clashed with then-candidate Trump during the 2016 campaign, denouncing “the siren call of the angriest voices” that disrespected America’s immigrants. Trump tweeted that “The people of South Carolina are embarrassed by Nikki Haley.”

Haley has one child in college and another approaching college age, and she has the potential to make much more money in the business world. She reported owing between $500,000 and $1 million on financial disclosures filed as part of her nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The debts included a personal mortgage of between $250,001 and $500,000, according to the report with the Office of Government Ethics.

Before she was named by Trump to her U.N. post, Haley was elected the first female governor of South Carolina. She was re-elected in 2014. As governor, she developed a national reputation as a racial conciliator who helped lead the effort to bring down the Confederate flag at the Statehouse and helped guide the state through one of its darkest moments, the massacre at a black church. 

asianweekly northwest

36 YEARS

OCTOBER 13 – OCTOBER 19, 2018

AI WAVE from 1 and investor Dr. Kai Fu Lee tries to help us prepare for and navigate, through his new book “AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley and the New World Order.” Recently, Lee spoke about his book at The Collective, a private club in South Lake Union. Lee’s publishers told him someone else would write the book better, he joked, but would do well if he put China in the title.

Lee, an extremely prominent figure in China, came to the United States from Taiwan. He went to Carnegie Mellon where he developed a speech recognition system for his thesis. Lee then worked with Apple, moved to Microsoft as Corporate Vice President of its Interactive Services Division in Redmond and started Microsoft Research Labs in China. He earned the favor of Bill Gates and later the company’s wrath when he left to join Google in 2005 and open a research center for the company in China.

“I see the AI tidal wave coming, and mankind is not prepared for it. I also see a lot of other books, which have their value and shortcomings — perhaps the author is not an expert in the space or perhaps they take too pessimistic an outlook. Knowing what I know, connecting the dots, I thought I may be the right person to write the book, and can start waking people, companies, and government officials up to the things they should be thinking about,” Lee, who founded and heads venture capital firm Sinovation Ventures, said.

Living in Seattle, we’re aware of this tidal wave. While we may not grasp the full meaning of its implications, terms such as data mining are familiar. We vaguely recognize they will transform the way we live, thanks to our IT environment and news about software that mimics speech — replete with fillers and human affectations — or driverless vehicles that deliver groceries to your doorstep. One of Lee’s aims in the book is to help us understand how this technology evolved, developed in the United States and

China, and how it will transform our lives.

What sets his tone apart is a straightforward narration of the massive disruption AI will bring without tones of hype or panic that often accompany it.

“The hype may be over the next one to three years, because sometimes technologies don’t change as much as we hope in a short time. Given 10-15 years, AI is certainly not a hype, but will bring a lot of wealth, change the nature of many industries, and eradicate a lot of jobs,” Lee said.

As for the panic, AI’s movement into our physical world causes, he said, “I don’t think we have to panic. Some issues are not imminent and some like technological singularity and super intelligence concerns are not real. We will know when they become closer to real because between the time that the technology is invented and becomes pervasive, it takes 5-10 years,” he added.

Lee alludes to the fact that today we are in the stage of deep learning and its massive change, but points out it was invented 10 years ago.

“It took 10 years for us to figure out how to make it work in medicine or face recognition. So, there is no need to panic, but we have to start to wake up,” he said.

From copycat to technology leader The fact that Lee is respected in the field, is clear from the number of (mostly Asian) young software professionals in the audience. Some refer to him as ‘teacher’ and ask questions about AI, its future, and China’s role in it. His book has generated interest as Lee acknowledges how China’s internet companies began as imitators, developed and have evolved into distinct business models.

“Companies in China are no longer copycats, I think that Silicon Valley frowns too much on copying. There are multiple interpretations of copying — infringement,

“I think a utilitarian enablement approach will get AI going faster, but regulations will prevent a disaster. Governments should ask how to balance these two. The other is how to plan to deal with the necessary shift of wealth and transition of jobs that is needed given the disparity of wealth in the economy, loss of routine jobs, and how to start to evolve education, so we are ready for an AI enabled future,” he said.

Photo by Han Bui/NWAW

16

AmazonGo cameras have been installed on the ceiling to read code on food labels.

stealing IP, and other illegal things I mention in the book are things we have to say no to.”

Lee clarified, however, he finds nothing wrong with melding good ideas.

“Silicon Valley prides itself too much on its unique model of information to the extent that they think other models are not worth it. If Silicon Valley continues to think that way, it will pay a very dear price because there will be entrepreneurs who discover Chinese business models, which at this stage and given their evolution, are every bit worthy of Harvard Business School case studies,” he said.

Giving us a glimpse of the immense evolution and scale of Chinese businesses, Lee talks of Alibaba, a better model of eBay. He mentions WeChat that started out as a Chinese version of WhatsApp, but now has over 900 million users. Those familiar with it agreed it had evolved into a better product, enabling money transfers with a security system that uses a phone camera instead of questions about your favorite football team.

Lee also mentions Meituan that began as a Groupon imitator, but evolved to change the way people eat in China and has a current valuation of more than $50 billion by employing an army of people who deliver food from restaurants on battery-operated scooters.

“These models have incredible high ambition, high risk, and incredible operational excellence. That is one way to innovate and change people’s lives. Another way is to be Steve Jobs and be brilliant. Both are possible and if we deny the other one exists, we are not being intellectually honest,” Lee said.

“Think about how we learn art or music, it always began by copying. You emulate a piece of music or art and if you are really good, you eventually emerge with your own style. There is nothing wrong with copying as a first step to learn and people have to be less harsh on China for the early stages — not IP infringement.”

He reasons that, at the time Google was founded, internet penetration in the United States was 150 times larger than in China.

“How were people going to innovate with such few users. You have to copy, and the ones that copy legally, I think to look down upon them is not right,” he said.

A global approach Lee estimates 40 percent of human jobs will be impacted as AI enters the physical world. At a time when a globalized response could help us learn and deal with an AI future faster, countries and societies seem more insular. Lee agreed and said, “That is the trend globally and I think it is not good, but each country has their own ideas and merits. If each shares its best practices — Europe on the protection of privacy, Switzerland and Japan on the value of craftsmanship, and Korea on the value of gifted education — we will be okay.”

When it comes to an AI future, Lee advocates a balance between enablement and regulation.

Notes for the next generation Growing up in a world where AI will displace routine jobs will be hard on young adults and Lee recognizes this. He has two daughters who are pursuing careers in the Arts.

He believes people should first become aware of what AI is capable of, so they can use it as a tool to build a profession with an AI-human symbiosis.

“If AI will displace most jobs, then it’s about reskilling and moving onto the next type of job that is safer from AI displacement. That’s the tactical part,” Lee said.

The strategic part he believes is following your heart and doing what you love.

“AI taking routine jobs away from us means we can do something interesting and creative and contribute to the world,” he said. He believes young people should spend more time on emotional intelligence.

“That’s one thing AI cannot do, that everyone can. It may or may not be possible to train creativity. If people are young, it may be a little easier, but if you are 30, it may not be your strength or may be education has stifled it. But the ability to have compassion, communicate, and work as a team member is going to become even more important,” he said.

Lee stresses the importance of soft skills in the workplace.

“The single, most important skill I learnt is how to be trusted and much of that is based on soft skills. A lot of young people focus too much on using their phones, rather than talking to people. The time has come for us to realize that connecting with other humans is not only a way to find and keep a good job, but also something that fulfills our inner needs. Communicating with other people, whether its gaining trust, working together, comforting or helping people, will make us grow and feel better as humans.

Doing routine jobs won’t do that,” he said.

As someone who came to the United States from Taiwan as a young boy, Lee feels it is important for young Asians in the United States to be true to themselves.

“I don’t think it’s right to just meld into the environment. America is striving hard to create greater respect for diversity and I think that it is better to sharpen areas where you are strong and be true to yourself, rather than fake something that fits in. Understanding one’s environment is important,” he said.

His second pointer is to learn how to make sure you are reaching out and grasping every opportunity. “Many Asians wait for opportunities to happen, but it doesn’t work that way in America. You must make sure people know what you’ve done, what you stand for, and your skill set so, when the opportunity comes, it comes to you. I think being too passive is a challenge. We need to be more assertive, seeking the next step rather than thinking that someone will decide the next step for you.”

The last point he makes is that we have to really give before we take.

“The way that you become trusted and respected is by being generous and not being too pragmatic. Trust is built by taking the initiative to give without asking in return — it’s the spirit of ‘pay it forward.’ If people apply that, they will realize that this provides the biggest dividends.”  Janice can be reached nwasianweekly.com.

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