VOL 38 NO 9 | FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2019 by Northwest Asian Weekly

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

VOL 38 NO 9 FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2019

FREE

37 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Oscar-nominated One Small Step pays tribute to dream chasers and unsung heroes By Evangeline Cafe NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

NAMES IN THE NEWS API peeps in the news

A dream took flight as a starry-eyed child sat in front of a television set, reveling in the glow of images flashing on-screen. The opening scene of “One Small Step” exudes the same wonder that drew co-director Bobby Pontillas to his lifelong passion. For Pontillas, an ordinary childhood ritual gave rise to an extraordinary dream. “I was really attached to watching cartoons when I was young,” said Pontillas. “I just liked drawing on the living room floor in front of the TV, not being disturbed for hours.” As an only child raised by his mother, Pontillas spent a lot of time keeping himself entertained. “It was just me and my mom. Drawing is one of the things that I latched onto early on,” he said. “You can sort of get lost in it, like reading a good book.” Pontillas was born in Guam, but spent much of his childhood in Bremerton, Wash. His mother, Corazon Pontillas, had emigrated from the Philippines to serve in the U.S. Navy. “As a young boy, he was already into drawing just about anything,” said Corazon Pontillas. She remembers when other people started taking note of her son’s work. When he was in junior high, without his mother’s

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AT THE MOVIES

Why we loved Alita: Battle Angel

»8

ON THE SHELF

Books featuring love stories

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Bobby Pontillas on his drawing tablet

knowledge, Pontillas entered one of his drawings into a contest. “When we went to a comic store, a man at the counter said that a fellow Bremertonian had won a drawing contest and that it was featured in the comic book,” she said. “Bobby scanned it, and, to his surprise, it was his

Byun returns home to continue a career of advocacy By Jessica Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Michael Byun is happy to be home and part of an organization that has been at the forefront of advocacy for Washington’s Asian American and Paciﬁc Islander (AAPI) community for 45 years. As the newly installed executive director for Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS), Byun is mindful that he has stepped into a position of honor and obligation. “My main goal in coming in … as executive director is to honor the incredible work that has been done before I came onboard and also to honor the incredible team here [and] the amazing support that we receive from our communities.”

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drawing.” Pontillas graduated from Central Kitsap High School in 1997. As his friends were preparing to enter college or the military, Pontillas felt unsure of what to do with his see PONTILLAS on 13

PUBLISHER’S BLOG

Eating out in the Chinatown-ID and why it’s so awesome

» 10

Immigration or citizenship status could be added to antidiscrimination law By Emma Epperly WNPA OLYMPIA NEWS BUREAU

Michael Byun

Byun is not one of those people that’s going to make changes just see BYUN on 5

Senate legislation would add citizenship or immigration status to the “law against discrimination.” The law against discrimination currently outlaws discrimination against individuals based on race, creed, color, national origin, families with children, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, age, veterans status, or disability. The bill does not diﬀerentiate immigration or citizenship status from the areas in which see IMMIGRATION on 15

412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104 • t. 206.223.5559 • f. 206.223.0626 • info@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com

asianweekly northwest

37 YEARS

FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2019

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS 40th anniversary of NBA championship

Photo by George Liu

Van graduated from the University of Dayton School of Law. She worked for a Seattle law firm as an associate attorney and partner before starting her own firm, KKV LAW/Law Office of Kim-Khanh T. Van, PLLC. Van is currently a member of the Washington State Bar Association and she volunteers her time as a pro bono attorney for the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project and King County Bar Association. In her spare time, Van enjoys attending services at Cao Dai Temples, cultural festivals, fundraising for nonprofits, and hiking and attending sporting events with her family. 

In back row: Jack Sikma, Tom LaGarde, Dennis Awtrey, Paul Salis, Wally Walker, and Dick Synder. Front row: Jerry Lee, Gary Locke, Fred Brown, Lenny Wilkens, Gus Williams, and King County Executive Dow Constantine.

Surviving members of the 1978-79 SuperSonics returned to Seattle for a 40th year anniversary reunion of their NBA championship. Former Governor Gary Locke welcomed the team at Chihuly Gardens on Feb. 7, at an event emceed by Mimi Gan. Just two starters, Jack Sikma and Gus Williams, are still living. They were joined by Coach Lenny Wilkens and reserves Fred Brown, Paul Silas, Tom LaGarde, Dennis Awtrey, Dick Snyder and Wally Walker. The team was aslo honored during the 84th annual MTRWestern Seattle Sports Star of the Year Awards on Feb. 7. 

Van running for Renton City Council

Kim-Khanh Van, an attorney and married mother of two, is running for a Renton City Council seat. Kim-Khanh Van A refugee from Vietnam, Van said she is running “because I want to make every one of our neighborhoods safe — it’s unacceptable that we now live in one of the top 10 most unsafe places in the state.”

Shin Lim wins America’s Got Talent

Shin Lim, a Canadian American magician, earned the ﬁrst-place trophy on the ﬁnale of the 2019 “America’s Got Talent: The Champions” on Feb. 18 Lim was already ecstatic when he won the AGT title back in September 2018. Now, months later, his card tricks have once again led him to victory. Filipino American singer Angelica Hale failed to advance to the Top 5. “Well guys, I didn’t make it this time, but that’s ok! This was an amazingly fun run & I’m so happy to have made it this far!” the 11-year-old singer wrote in a tweet.

Marcus Naylor swearing-in

Marcus Naylor was sworn in last month as a judge for King County’s Northeast District Court in Redmond. Naylor started his public defense work at the Northwest

Defenders Association as a licensed legal intern in 1992, before the agency was a part of King County. When he left King County in late December, he capped 27 years in public defense. Naylor sees his new Judge Marcus Naylor position as a continuation of what he has long done and always loved. “I went into public defense as a way to touch people’s lives,” he said. “I see a judicial position as a way to continue to have an impact.” Born in Seoul, South Korea, he was adopted at age 9 by William and Dorothy Naylor of Willmar, Minn. Naylor is married and has two children. 

Lunar New Year celebrations at Sea-Tac Airport

Photo provided by Port of Seattle

Sea-Tac Airport got into the Lunar New Year spirit on Feb. 19 with a kickoﬀ celebration. The airport celebrated the forthcoming openings of Caﬀe D’arte and Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen, both locally and Asian-owned concessionaires at the new North Satellite Modernization Project. It was followed by a performance by the Mak Fai Washington Kung Fu Club Lion Dance Team, and red envelopes were handed out to travelers. 

DUE TO SNOW, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO MARCH 2! NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY & NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY FOUNDATION PRESENTS 10TH ANNUAL

win $$$ in the year of the pig

no age limit!

SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2019 MAKE A PIG MASK — Size (an adult or child can wear it) — It can cover the entire face — Be creative with all types of colorful materials — It can show happy, sad, or funny emotions — Must be displayed or worn by a model at the contest PRIZES First ($300), Second ($200), Third ($100) + prizes for honorable mentions

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

School Name: ___________________________________________Age: ________ Profession: ________________________________________________________ Phone:

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E-mail:

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I am entering contest for:

 Pig Mask

 Costume

 Both Contests

Please send your photo of entry by February 1, 2019 to rsvp@nwasianweekly.com. Contestants must adhere to all rules and regulations. Contest officials will remove any contestant failing to cooperate with officials or failing to comply with the rules and regulations. If you have any questions, please contact Northwest Asian Weekly at 206.223.5559 or via email at rsvp@nwasianweekly.com. FOR MORE INFO, GO TO CIDBIA.ORG, NWASIANWEEKLY.COM/EVENTS

Registration/Sign-Up: • You may pre-register for the contest by filling out this application and sending it in or sign-up on the day of the contest (Saturday, March 2) beginning at

SPONSORS

Name:

Costume Parade Schedule: • 11 AM — Registration • 12:30 PM — Line up • 1 PM — Parade begins • 1:30 PM — Parade winners announced • Start from Northwest Asian Weekly’s front door, march to main stage • Contestants must be present at the announcement of finalists (1:30 PM). • Finalists will be lined up in numerical order. • The first 20 registered will get a gift.

Make a Pig Mask or be a part of the Costume Contest or enter both contests! LUNAR NEW YEAR COSTUME CONTEST — Contestants’ attire should be culturally relevant to the Lunar New Year Celebration PRIZES First ($100), Second ($75), Third ($50)

11 a.m. at the registration table. Registration table will be located in front of Seattle Chinese Post/Northwest Asian Weekly – 412 Maynard Ave S. • Contestants must sign-in at the registration table 30 minutes prior to parade. Rules/Guidelines: • You are welcome to participate in both contests: pig mask and costume contest. The costume contest will begin first, followed by the pig mask contest. • Adults & children are welcome to participate • Parents are welcome to accompany their children during the Parade • All contestants will be given a contestant number for order of Parade lineup • Contestants must be present to win

community SPONSORs JIM DOANE

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2019

■ COMMUNITY NEWS Lawmakers seek permanent solution to the homeless crisis A group of 11 Democratic lawmakers aims to address the rights of homeless people and their ability to survive in public. Rep. Mia Gregerson, the primary sponsor of House Bill 1591, said she seeks to create a more permanent solution to the homeless crisis instead of quick-ﬁx laws. HB 1591 would prohibit a homeless person from being

subject to civil or criminal penalties by law enforcement for having no reasonable alternative other than living in a public space. The bill would also permit the right to a reasonable expectation of privacy in one’s personal property. “Chronically, homeless people are frequently burdened with civil infractions and criminal charges related to

homelessness,” said Gregerson at a public hearing on Feb. 12. “Research proves that it is far more expensive to criminalize homelessness than it is to pursue non-punitive alternatives, such as low-barrier shelters, permanent supportive housing, and mental health and substance abuse treatment.” 

Lawsuit challenging the certification of Initiative 1000 A lawsuit challenging the certification of Initiative 1000 has been filed in Thurston County Superior Court by Kan Qiu, president of American Coalition for Equality (ACE), and two other members of the organization. I-1000 intends to bring back race-based discrimination, which has been banned since 1998 when nearly 59 percent of voters in Washington state voted to pass Initiative 200. The legal action names Secretary of State Kim Wyman as a defendant. “The sponsors of I-1000 attached a sticker altering the front of the different

initiative petitions after the petitions were signed and before turning them in as supporting I-1000. The Secretary of State wrongly counted the signatures on those diﬀerent initiative petitions as valid signatures in support of I-1000,” Qiu said. He added, “We can’t allow the Secretary of State to set this bad precedent and rock the foundation of our initiative process.” According to the ﬁled court documents, there are other issues ranging from questionable signatures, to the validity of their sampling practice. 

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO BIDDERS

PROMOTE YOUR REGIONAL EVENT statewide with a $325 classiﬁed listing or $1,575 for a display ad. Call this newspaper or 360-344-2938 for details.

Sealed bids will be received for C01228C18, 55th Avenue South at Bingamon Creek (Culvert Replacement); by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 1:30 PM on 2/26/19. Late bids will not be accepted. Scope of Work: This project provides for the improvement of 55th Avenue and the Bingamon Creek Culvert in King County by clearing and grubbing, grading, surfacing, paving with HMA, culvert excavation, providing and installing a precast concrete box culvert, retaining wall excavation, installing structural earth retaining walls, channel excavation, relocating a tributary stream, erosion control, seeding and mulching, planting, paint stripe, streambed restoration, detour signing, temporary traﬃc control, and other work, all in accordance with the Contract Documents. Estimated contract price: $1,410,000 There is a 10% minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement on this contract. There is a 10% minimum Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Requirement. Complete Invitation to Bid Documents, including all project details, speciﬁcations, and contact information are available on our web page at: https://procurement.kingcounty.gov/procurement_ovr/default.aspx

asianweekly northwest

FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2019

37 YEARS

■ WORLD NEWS

Abe mum on Trump’s claim of nomination for Nobel Peace Prize By HARUKA NUGA ASSOCIATED PRESS

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

and criticism in Japan.

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe kept quiet on Feb. 18 over President Donald Trump’s claim that he had nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, but praised him and emphasized he did not deny doing so. Trump’s assertion on Feb. 15 that Abe had nominated him for the honor and sent him a copy of the letter has raised questions

Questioned in parliament, Abe praised Trump for his dealings with North Korea but said, “In light of the Nobel committee’s policy of not disclosing recommenders and nominees for 50 years, I decline to comment.’’ Neither the prime minister nor his spokesman denied Trump’s comment. “I never said I didn’t’’ nominate him, Abe said in response to a follow-up question by Yuichiro Tamaki, a lawmaker for the opposition Democratic Party for the People. Tamaki said in a tweet on Feb. 18 that he was concerned such a nomination would “send the wrong message to North Korea and the rest of international society.’’ Junya Ogawa, another opposition lawmaker, cited various policies and actions by Trump that he said ran contrary to the spirit of the peace prize, calling the nomination “an embarrassment for Japan.’’

In responding to Tamaki’s questions in parliament, Abe lauded Trump for meeting with Kim and working to resolve the crisis over North Korea’s nuclear program and missile tests. Trump had also addressed Japan’s concerns over past abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korea, Abe said, adding “he and the entire White House also actively cooperated in resolving the issue.’’ “I highly praise President Trump’s leadership,’’ Abe said. Trump’s claim that Abe had sent him a “beautiful copy’’ of a letter sent to the Nobel committee could not be immediately veriﬁed. Nor could a report on Feb. 17 by the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, citing unidentiﬁed government sources, that Abe had nominated Trump at the U.S. president’s request. see NOBEL PEACE PRIZE on 14

Japanese same-sex couples sue for equal marital rights By MARI YAMAGUCHI ASSOCIATED PRESS

TOKYO (AP) — Thirteen gay couples filed Japan’s first lawsuit challenging the country’s rejection of same-sex marriage earlier this month, arguing the denial violates their constitutional right to equality. Six couples holding banners saying “Marriage For All Japan’’ walked into Tokyo District Court to file their cases against the government, with similar cases filed by three couples in Osaka, one couple in Nagoya and three couples in Sapporo. Plaintiff Kenji Aiba, standing next to his partner Ken Kozumi, told reporters he would “fight this war together with sexual minorities all around Japan.’’

Lake View Cemetery Seattle’s Pioneer Cemetery Est. 1872 An Independent, NonProfit Association

Aiba and Kozumi have held onto a marriage certificate they signed at their wedding party in 2013, anticipating Japan would emulate other advanced nations and legalize same-sex unions. That day has yet to come, and legally they are just friends even though they’ve lived as a married couple for more than five years. So they decided to act rather than waiting. “Right now we are both in good health and able to work, but what if either of us has an accident or becomes ill? We are not allowed to be each other’s guarantors for medical treatment, or to be each other’s heir,’’ Kozumi, a 45-year-old office worker, said in a recent interview with his partner Aiba, 40. “Progress in Japan has been too slow.’’

Ten Japanese municipalities have enacted “partnership’’ ordinances for same-sex couples to make it easier for them to rent apartments together, among other things, but they are not legally binding. In a society where pressure for conformity is strong, many gay people hide their sexuality, fearing prejudice at home, school or work. The obstacles are even higher for transgender people in the highly gender-specific society. The Supreme Court last month upheld a law that effectively requires transgender people to be sterilized before they can have their gender changed on official documents. The LGBTQ equal rights movement has lagged behind in Japan because people who are silently not conforming to conventional notions of sexuality have

Traditional SidebySide Monument Properties

206-322-1582

1554 15th Ave East (North Capitol Hill)

see MARITAL RIGHTS on 12

2019 Washington State Chinese Language and Talent Competition and the 12th annual “Chinese Bridge Chinese Proﬁciency Competition for Foreign High School Students” SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2019 / 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM Chief Sealth International High School 2600 SW Thistle Street, Seattle, WA 98126

*Award ceremony immediately after at the Chief Sealth International High School auditorium The competition is divided into the 4 divisions 1. Lower Elementary (Grades K-2) 2. Upper Elementary (Grades 3-5) 3. Middle School (Grades 6-8) 4. High School (Grades 9-12) Competing Activities include Poetry Recitation, Talent Show, Chinese Singing, Chinese Language Arts, Drawing, Story Telling, China Knowledge Bowl, Chinese Chess, Public Speaking and “Chinese Bridge” All About China written test

Featuring

been so marginalized that the issue hasn’t been considered a human rights problem, experts say. “Many people don’t even think of a possibility that their neighbors, colleagues or classmates may be sexual minorities,’’ said Mizuho Fukushima, a lawyer-turnedlawmaker and an expert on gender and human rights issues. “And the pressure to follow a conservative family model, in which heterosexual couples are supposed to marry and have children, is still strong.’’ Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his ultraconservative supporters have campaigned to restore a paternalistic society based on heterosexual marriages. The government has restarted moral education class at

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: MARCH 4, 2019 Registration fee: $5 per person per competition event For more information, please visit www.culturalexploration.org or email ce2019competition@littlemastersclub.org SPONSORS Cultural Exploration of Greater China Foundation (CE), Confucius Institute of the State of Washington (CIWA), Chinese Language Teachers Association Washington State (CLTA-WA), Little Masters Club (LMC), Ofﬁce of Superintendent of Public Instruction World Languages Program (OSPI-WL), Chief Sealth International High School (CSIHS)

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2019

■ NATIONAL NEWS

Admissions bias lawsuit against Harvard in judge’s hands By COLLIN BINKLEY ASSOCIATED PRESS

“Harvard has yet to

BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge will now decide whether Harvard University intentionally discriminates against Asian American applicants, an allegation made in a 2014 lawsuit that was debated in a final round of arguments on Feb. 13. Lawyers for both sides clashed at Boston’s federal courthouse, largely recapping cases they made during a trial that ended in November. The case will be decided by U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs, although any ruling is expected to be appealed. The case carries implications for other U.S. schools that consider race in admissions decisions as a way to bring a diverse mix of students to campus. It has added fuel to a national debate about whether and how race should influence admissions. The lawsuit argues that Harvard’s admissions office holds Asian Americans to a higher standard and uses a subjective “personal rating’’ to limit their admission to the elite Ivy League school. Students for Fair Admissions, the group behind the lawsuit,

neutral explanation

BYUN from 1 to demonstrate that there’s a new person at the helm. He understands that, having been away from this region for 17 years, it is important in these beginning stages to listen and learn. That said, he comes from a lifetime of advocacy and plays an instrumental role at the head of another nonproﬁt, Asian Services in Action, Ohio’s largest health and social services agency for that state’s AAPI population. Byun knows what he’s doing, he knows the current social, economic, and political climate, and he knows Washington state. “I grew up in Puyallup on South Hill,” Byun said. “I went to school with Mimi Jung (KING 5) and Nick Harmer from Death Cab for Cutie. My roots are here.” In college, Byun spent a great deal of time in Seattle’s International District, working with pivotal members of the activist community, such as “Uncle Bob” Santos and Stella Chao. “I’ve worked in the basement over there by Maynard Avenue,” Byun related, describing impactful years spent on community programs addressing health issues, such as diabetes, breast and cervical cancer, and HIV/AIDS, and how these aﬀect the AAPI community. “My connection to community started in the late 1990s and I had the great fortune of working with some amazing folks at that time.” That included working alongside ACRS’ previous executive director, Diane Narasaki. “Those were the folks who I looked up to,” Byun said. “These are the individuals that I grew up admiring and being inspired by.” Byun has come home and he has already began taking the pulse of the region. Compared to Ohio, Byun said Seattle has a much more powerful infrastructure when it comes to organizations working for the AAPI community. “We have some amazing advocates and community-based social justice organizations that are addressing the needs of our community. The movement here is more sophisticated.” Byun was especially heartened by the recent AAPI Legislative Day, when advocates numbering around 1,000 convened in Olympia to speak up for issues important to the AAPI population. “It was a show of the force of the voice and

come up with any racefor the Asian penalty in the personal rating. No Harvard admission oﬃcer was willing to come here and testify as to why this is happening.’’ — Adam Mortara says students of Asian descent have the strongest academic records yet receive the lowest scores on the personal rating, which scores applicants on traits including “courage’’ and “likability.’’

power of our communities across the state,” he said. That doesn’t mean Byun thinks the work is easy. He recognizes the challenges under the current administration to already established AAPI residents, as well as recent immigrants and refugees. He’s extremely interested in the increasing difficulty of finding affordable housing, in the gentrification that is pushing Seattle residents further away from access to culturally and linguistically appropriate services. He is also motivated to ensure that the community ACRS serves has options when it comes to primary and behavioral care. “I’m very happy and confident that our organization continues to be on the frontlines of innovation in adapting and changing and being responsive to the community.” Byun said that ACRS has always valued a holistic approach to the wellbeing of families and individuals. “I’m excited about the opportunities that lie ahead in this landscape and very confident that ACRS, as well as other community partners, are going to be on the frontlines of exciting ways we deliver care to our community.” Seattle has grown, and so has Byun. He tells of a moment in his career when he considered entering the medical field. He was in his last semester of Physics in Ohio when he decided that veering off the path was not the right move, and that he wanted to renew his commitment to nonprofits and helping the AAPI community. “You go through months in your life trying out different things and recognizing that your true calling is this particular area that you’re inspired by, that you’re passionate about.” For this Korean American, whose parents came to the United States when he was a year old, life is about figuring out your true self, and that making sure you don’t leave any stones unturned is not a waste of time, it’s just part of the journey. Now, Byun identifies coming onboard at ACRS as a landmark moment of that journey. “The arrival to this position has been extremely important,” he said. “The milestone in my life. I am so grateful to the community who have fully embraced me and have provided me 100 percent support … I also am very honored that the community has given me the opportunity to continue the social justice work of ACRS.” Byun and his partner live in Belltown and

Harvard says it uses race only as one of many factors to choose from more than 40,000 applicants a year. It says race can only help, never hurt, an applicant’s chances of getting in. Lawyers for Students for Fair Admissions argued that Harvard’s admissions officers aren’t “evil’’ and may simply have “fallen prey to racial stereotyping,’’ but the group said their treatment of Asian Americans still amounts to intentional discrimination. Adam Mortara, a lawyer representing the group, said Harvard’s own admissions records show that students of Asian descent are treated differently from how students of other races are, yet the school has failed to provide any explanation. “Harvard has yet to come up with any race-neutral explanation for the Asian penalty in the personal rating,’’ he said. “No Harvard admission officer was willing to come here and testify as to why this is happening.’’ Harvard’s lawyers countered that the group failed to provide any direct evidence of discrimination. They noted that no students came forward during the trial to say they were wrongly rejected from the school.

are looking forward to making new friends, exploring the community, and trying out their teardrop camper in Washington’s great outdoors. There’s not a lot of time right now, though, for those types of pursuits. His home state and the AAPI community calls, and for Byun, it is a calling. “We are at a moment in time where we have an administration that conveys anti-im-

see HARVARD on 15 migrant, xenophobic rhetoric that is harmful in splitting our communities, not uniting our communities. In spite of the challenges, the tremendous will of this community and the strength of this community will prevail.”  Jessica Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

asianweekly northwest

FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2019

37 YEARS

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR FEB 21

CELEBRATE 2019 YEAR OF THE BOAR China Harbor Restaurant, 2040 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle 5:30 p.m. $65 seattlechinesechamber.org SAAFF 2019 OPENING NIGHT PARTY FT. JAPANESE BREAKFAST Washington Hall, 153 14th Ave., Seattle 9 p.m.-12 a.m. seattleaaﬀ.org

21-24 SEATTLE ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL Broadway Performance Hall and Northwest Film Forum For time, info, and tickets, go to seattleaaﬀ.org

22 MEET NAOKO MORISAWA AT AN ARTIST RECEPTION EDCC Gallery, 20000 68th Ave. W., Lynnwood 3-5 p.m. NOW THRU 11/29

OUTREACH & EDUCATION ACRS, 3639 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S., Seattle 8:30 p.m.

21ST ANNUAL ASIA PACIFIC NEW YEAR Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

CACA’S MONTHLY MEETING Horizon House Sky Lounge, 900 University St., Seattle 7-9 p.m. More info, contact Ming-Ming at littlebugmte@hotmail.com

“FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILDREN,” FILM SCREENING Nisei Veterans Hall, 1212 South King St., Seattle 2 p.m. sktaiko1@mac.com, 206-919-1465 UW LITTLE HONG KONG WITH FOOD, GAMES, AND PRIZES UW, Husky Union Building 4-8 p.m. thehubtix.universitytickets.com ITAIWAN 2019 HOSTED BY UW ITAIWAN GRADUATE STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION Keystone United Church of Christ, 5019 Keystone Pl. N., Seattle 5:30-8:30 p.m.

24 SEATTLE FIRST HILL LIONS CLUB PANCAKE BREAKFAST Kawabe Memorial House, 221 18th Ave. S., Seattle 8 a.m. kinon.secure.force.com

27 MARILYN STRICKLAND, CEO OF THE SEATTLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SPEAKING The Westin Seattle, 1900 5th Ave., Seattle 12-1:30 p.m.

MAR THRU

IRENE KUBOTA’S “MY CORNER OF THE WORLD” ARTIST RECEPTION Bryan Ohno Gallery, Seattle 6-8 p.m.

LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION Bellevue Square 11 a.m.-6 p.m. bellevuecollection.com/ lunarnewyear NATIONAL CACA ESSAY CONTEST Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave. SE, Mercer Island 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Registration deadline is March 1 Prizes: Seattle $100-$500, National $100-$1,000 Register at cacaseattle.org

NWAW & SCP PRESENTS 10TH ANNUAL LUNAR NEW YEAR COSTUME CONTEST Two contests to enter: Pig Mask and Costume Contest Northwest Asian Weekly oﬃce, 412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle 11 a.m. Contests for everyone. No age limit. Register online: nwasianweekly.com/events 206-223-5559

CIDBIA LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION AND FOOD WALK Seattle’s Chinatown/ International District 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Free admission

ENTER NOW: API’S CAN SING COMPETITION HOSTED BY API HERITAGE CELEBRATION $500 Top Prize Register at http://bit.ly/api19

14-17 EMERALD CITY COMIC CON 2019 Emerald City Comic Con, 800 Convention Place, Seattle emeraldcitycomiccon.com 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

AAJA SEATTLE LUNAR NEW YEAR BANQUET 2019 House of Hong Restaurant, 409 8th Ave. S., Seattle 6:30 p.m. $30-$50

RETURN TO THE STREET Dynasty Room, 714 S. King St., Seattle 5 p.m.

THRU

9 CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF “RISING SON,” A US SOLDIER’S SECRET AND HEROIC ROLE IN WORLD WAR II Kinokuniya, 525 S. Weller St., Seattle 1 p.m. 206-587-2477

10 JAPANESE FOLK TALES PERFORMED BY LORI WHALEY Kinokuniya, 525 S. Weller St., Seattle 2 p.m. & 4 p.m.

FREE CLASS TO HELP PREPARE FOR THE U.S. CITIZENSHIP TEST Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave. Level 4, Seattle 2-4 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. on Saturdays spl.org

23 2019 DINNER + AUCTION, “FACES OF AMERICANA” Embassy Suites King Street Ballroom, 255 S. King St., Seattle 5 p.m. $175 wingluke.org/2019auction

View the solution on page 14

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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

YOUR VOICE

asianweekly northwest

FEBRUARY 23 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MARCH 1, 2019

asianweekly northwest

37 YEARS

FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2019

■ AT THE MOVIES

Alita: Battle Angel is ready for battle but do enough people care?

By John Liu NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Good thing the movie title clarified that Alita was a Battle Angel because I had never heard of Alita before this movie. “Battle Angel Alita” is a Japanese cyberpunk manga created by Yukito Kishiro in 1990. The movie, titled “Alita: Battle Angel,” was originally announced in 2003, but was delayed because James Cameron did not believe the CG technology at the time was advanced enough. Meanwhile, Cameron continued work on Avatar, which became the highest grossing movie ever. In 2016, Robert Rodriguez was announced as the director and Cameron finally had time to co-produce. Usually movies that have been stuck in development for decades have a very small chance of being profitable. There was also a controversy over Alita’s large eyes in the initial trailer, but Cameron fixed the issue by enlarging the irises. Now Alita is finally in theaters! In the year 2563, an interplanetary war has left most of Earth in ruins. In the aftermath, only the wealthy city Zalem is left standing. Below Zalem is Iron City, a poor junkyard city with humans and cyborgs. Factories constantly ship goods up to Zalem and trash drops back down to Iron City. Not much else is known about Zalem, but some Iron City citizens make it their life’s goal of traveling to Zalem. One day, Dr. Dyson Ido is scavenging the landfill for cyborg parts when he finds an intact cyborg with a human brain. Ido is able to resurrect the cyborg, but she has no recollection of her past. Ido names her Alita, and she starts learning and “growing up” with a teenager mentality. Alita makes a new friend named Hugo who introduces her to Motorball, an ultra violent sport where you try to catch a ball, taking place in an arena, and make a shot into a hole, sort of like basketball. However, killing your competition is fair game. The prize for becoming the champion of Motorball is a trip to Zalem. As Alita learns more about her past, she also discovers the people around her have many secrets of their own. Alita uses Rosa Salazar’s voice and motion capture movements. Rosa did an

outstanding job showing Alita’s wonder and amazement at discovering the world and displaying the emotions of a teenager. This is important since we never get to see Rosa on screen. Christoph Waltz plays Dr. Ido, who is always fun to watch on screen and looks comfortable in his role as a father figure. Now let’s go over the Asian cast. Koyomi (Lana Condor) has a few lines and gets to hang out with Alita briefly. Kinuba (Leonard Wu) is a Motorball champion and has a cool action sequence. Master Clive Lee (Rick Yune) has a brief appearance in the bar. Kumaza (Alan Nguyen, from Seattle) had a brief Motorball role. I believe that’s the entire Asian cast! At least the movie is based off a Japanese manga. I did not forget about that. Alita also has a typical Hollywood love story: rushed and awkward. I later read in the manga that this was an integral part of Alita’s emotional growth, but I could do without it. Without a doubt, the cinematography was the best part. I saw the movie in IMAX 3D for the native 3D and aspect ratio opened up to 1.90:1 for select sequences. The action scenes were intense and gorgeous! Do not be fooled by the PG13 rating. This movie has decapitation, dismemberment, and one very disturbing death scene. Yes, I’m serious. Even though the violence is regarding cyborgs, who

either have no blood or spew blue blood, it feels like the movie should be rated R. Sadly this movie cost somewhere around $200 million to produce and made only $137 million worldwide so far, so it will need a lot of help just to break even. If you are looking for a fun action movie with awesome cinematography and a generic storyline, then

look no further!  Alita: Battle Angel is currently playing at local theaters. John can be reached at john@nwasianweekly.com.

WEEKLY SPECIALS February 20-26, 2019

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2019

■ ON THE SHELF

Book recommendations By Samantha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali By Sabina Khan Scholastic Press, 2019

back to Seattle. “Love and Lies” is a powerful story about a young woman who fights for who she is and who she loves. While there might be less drama if she just went along with her parents’ plan, it would mean denying who she is and Rukhsana just can’t do it. Her strength is unwavering despite the trauma she experiences. There are moments that can be difficult to read, as we see the measures Rukhsana’s parents take to try to steer her back onto the “right” path. The details of the extremes they go to may be different and specific to their religious and cultural background, but they are not that different from stories about parents forcing their gay children into conversion therapy. “Love and Lies” is just the same unfortunate story told through a different lens. Despite this darkness, Khan does a great job balancing the heartbreaking and the hopeful throughout the story. This is a story about love and the lengths people will go to in its name and we see that in the help Rukhsana receives from allies, both new and old, showing readers that all is not lost.

What Kind of Day At 17, Rukhsana Ali is in her senior year and can’t wait to graduate. Because come next fall, she is headed to Caltech with her girlfriend Ariana. She doesn’t plan to come out to her conservative Muslim parents until she’s in California and they’re back in Seattle, unable to really do anything about it. But then her mother catches her with Ariana and everything falls apart. Before she knows it, her parents whisk her oﬀ to Bangladesh under the guise that her grandmother has fallen ill. But once she gets there, it’s clear that Nani is not as ill as she was made to believe. The real purpose of the trip is for her parents to ﬁnd Rukhsana a husband. She is devastated at this turn of events, but while she’s still in Bangladesh, Nani gives Rukhsana her old diary. What she learns is just what she needs to take control and plan her escape

By Mina V. Esguerra Bright Girl Books, 2018 After dedicating years as a speechwriter for a Philippine senator, Ben Cacho suddenly ﬁnds himself in the midst of a political scandal, thrown under the bus and out of a job. Needless to say, it’s not a good day. Just wanting to forget any of it happened, Ben steps onto what he thinks is a shuttle ride home, but turns out to actually be a tour van of Manila. For Naya Llamas, having an extra person join her tour at the last minute was not part of her plans for the day. But it looks like Ben could use a bit of an escape from real life so she decides to let him stay. While they may not have gotten oﬀ to the best start, Ben and Naya connect and as the day continues, we see the beginnings of a romance.

“What Kind of Day” is a sweet love story told from both Ben’s and Naya’s points of view. As with any romance, we know they will end up together, but Esguerra does a great job showing readers how they get there. As a regular romance reader, I appreciated how she didn’t have this happen after Ben and Naya’s ﬁrst day together. It felt more realistic when they went their separate ways and dealt with their respective issues. Esguerra gives the characters time to do this, and we get to see them grow as individuals before they come together again. Naya and Ben are great characters individually and as a couple. While there is attraction, there is also respect between the two and it was nice to see how they supported each other through diﬃcult times. In addition to the characters, Esguerra does such a good job of describing Manila that will have readers wanting to visit the Philippine capital.

By Piper J. Drake Carina Press, 2018 At the end of a night working as a

Deadly Testimony security guard at a private party, all Lizzy Scott wants to do is relax in a nice bubble bath. This plan becomes derailed when she is forced to come to the rescue of one Kyle Yeun, a man who is under witness protection so he can testify about his former employer’s environmental misdeeds. Initially under the protection of local law enforcement agencies, the attack Lizzy saves him from shakes Kyle, as he realizes his former employers really want him to stay silent — for good. So he hires Safeguard, an elite security team that provides a whole range of protection services. Speciﬁcally, he hires Lizzy. Despite her initial reluctance, Lizzy takes on the job of protecting Kyle. And it proves to be anything but a simple job, as there are multiple threats and incidents against Kyle and those tasked with protecting him. “Deadly Testimony” is a fast-paced story see SHELF on 15

Wishing you and yours a safe, happy and healthy

LUNAR NEW YEAR Chief Carmen Best Seattle Police Department

asianweekly northwest

37 YEARS

FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2019

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

6 reasons you will enjoy dining in the Chinatown-ID likely say, “The Asian Weekly’s publisher is a disgrace to the Asian community. Such awful manners!” And if someone takes a photo and shames me on the internet, I would be doomed. Recently, I attended two Lunar New Year dinners and they both served crab. They must have thought that I don’t care for crab because I took a small piece, and refused a second one. On the contrary. I just have enough selfdiscipline to resist that yummy crab dish. There are a few reasons why I love to shop for food in the ID.

Multicultural foods

It’s not just Asian food available in the ID, which is made up of Chinatown, Japantown, and Little Saigon. There are other kinds of food, including cheese sandwiches, hamburgers, pizzas, and spaghetti. Did I say spaghetti? In fact, you can order spaghetti at Purple Dot. Diners know that Purple Dot serves dim sum, but you can also order spaghetti and meat sauce, French toast, and other non-Asian dishes. The selection of Asian cuisines available in the ID is bigger than in any other parts

Photo by Assunta Ng

see BLOG on 15

Photo by John Liu

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Congee, pizza, and roast duck from I.D. restaurants.

Compost so life goes on. Dim sum in the I.D.

During Seattle’s snow debacle, my friend almost depleted his food supply. He wasn’t the only one. Many people couldn’t get out of their homes to buy food for more than a week, when walls of snow surrounded neighborhoods. “Food is never my problem during snow days.” I laughed since I am an International District (ID) business owner and resident. I got out of my home even during the storm, and shopped for groceries in the ID. I frequently joke that the ID is my kitchen. It is. For the past 37 years of having an office in Chinatown, I have been blessed with delicious take-out for lunch, breakfast, and dinner. The restaurant that opens the earliest is Dim Sum King at 6:30 a.m. At one point in my life, the ID spoiled me so much that I became a lousy cook. My husband and sons used to rave about my cooking previously. Now, I enjoy cooking at home for different reasons, especially if I desire a low-fat and low-sodium meal. Another reason is, fresh ingredients are available in the ID, such as seafood, produce, and poultry. We eat fish —sea bass, salmon and black cod—at least thrice a week as it provides us with omega 3 fats. Once in a while, I crave crab stirfried with green onions, garlic, and ginger. Chinatown restaurants do an incredible job of cooking crab, stir-fried or steamed, with white sauce, black bean sauce, green onions, and scallions, gourmet broth or garlic. Still, I prefer to eat crab at home so I can use my fingers instead of chopsticks. Anyone can easily buy a live crab in the ID. When the employee at the store agrees to chop up the crab into small pieces, it makes my day. It’s hard to do so at home when my knives are blunt. Yeah, yeah, any professional chef would laugh at my kitchen— it’s amateurish and outdated. Frankly, I like to hide my embarrassing crab-eating. You have no idea — it gets very messy when I suck the juice from the crab legs or from the shell. Yes, you can hear my sucking and slurping. The louder the sound, the more I’m enjoying the crab. I delight myself by licking my tasty fingers clean. When I eat crab in a restaurant, other diners wouldn’t tolerate my behavior, and would

保護地球, 人人有責菜渣循環, 功德無量 - Alan Lai, community leader 社僑領袖黎秉倫

Happy Lunar New Year from Seattle Public Utilities!

Celebrating with a big meal? Don't forget to compost your food scraps.

西雅圖公用事業局恭祝各位

農曆新年萬事勝意! 食大餐慶新年? 不要忘記把菜渣循環再用.

Alan Lai

community leader

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2019

OMG, maybe I was wrong, and it’s our South Korean overlords we should worry about? A-pop! All Some things API in popular culture! By Stacy Nguyen NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Sometimes I like to be my own worst critic and read my column through the lens of a conservative white YouTube video commenter. I imagine all the ways I can be mocked and derided. And then I feel like I’m in crisis because maybe I shouldn’t ever say any of my feelings out loud. That feels especially true with the content in this month’s column. So let’s kick it oﬀ with how white people suck at travelling internationally!

White people will die in the apocalypse because they are picky eaters

Colton Underwood

The current bachelor on ABC’s “The Bachelor” is former pro football player Colton Underwood. He is blond, handsome, and really wholesome. Underwood, 26, is a virgin and has talked about it on the show and in past iterations of the franchise. He said he wants to remove some stigma from what is a personal choice. He also has never been out of the country and did so for the ﬁrst time on the show, which took him to Singapore, then Vietnam and Portugal. In Singapore, Underwood and his bevy of mostly-blond dates sampled Singaporean street food and freaked the hell out in the way that a lot of white, upper-middle class Americans do when they have to eat food that didn’t come from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. A female contestant and believer-of-true-love worried that eating pig feet will kill her. I wish it did. No, I’m kidding! That’s too dark, right?

Two female contestants rejected “Vietnamese Bachelor” to be with each other!

Minh Thu (left) and Truc Nhu (right)

Dude, in the course of Googling video clips on how Underwood’s visit to Singapore and Vietnam went, I stumbled upon this unbelievable clip from Vietnam’s version of

“The Bachelor.” In an episode that aired last fall, a woman, Minh Thu, started crying as she told the Bachelor, Nguyen Quoc Trung, that she went on the show to find love — and she did find what she was looking for. It’s not him (LOL, savage). Minh then turned around and confessed to her fellow contestant, Truc Nhu, that she loved her. Minh implored Truc to go home with her. Everyone around them was sobbing, and reportedly, the producers of the show were freaking out and going, OMG, what is happening right nowww? And they kept the cameras rolling. The two women embraced. Minh goes offscreen, and then Truc, who was massively shook, walked up to Nguyen with her rose and was like, trying to give it back. This dude totally tried to manipulate this woman into staying. I know this because I speak Vietnamese, and he spoke the Vietnamese language of males that I’m deeply familiar with. No, I’m kidding! Is that too dark? He said stuff about how she will really regret the crap out of her decision, if she were to leave. He told her that she has to consider carefully, because there are no take-backs. He told her that she was in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and not to squander it. Basically. She left! She went outside to talk to Minh. It was emotional as hell. They talked, and it was decided that they need to give each other more time because the claustrophobic nature of filming a reality show might be messing with their brains. Maybe it’s not really love. So Truc returned to the show for an additional two episodes — before she told Nguyen that she was basically sure that he was not the one. She loves Minh. It is real. And then she left the show again! And according to “Bachelor: Vietnam” executive producer Anh Tran, the two women are currently together. This is amazing. First, I cannot believe that this is the first time this has ever happened on camera. You’d think that after so many iterations and so many contestants, this would’ve happened already. I’m kind of proud that it happened in Vietnam for the first time. Secondly, Vietnam can be super conservative and its media are still censored. I’m surprised this episode aired the way it did. Good job, Vietnam!

OMG, [redacted] has the voice of an angel American producers yoinked the premise of a wacky South Korean singing reality show — in which c-level celebrities (think Frank Stallone, instead of Sylvester) put on gorgeous, elaborate costumes and sing cover songs live to an audience. At the end of the night, the audience votes on their favorite performance and the celebrity with the least amount of votes gets unmasked. In “The Masked Singer,” the celebrities may be professional athletes, comedians, models, or singers. (This seems kind of unfair, but I don’t care because I am here all day to watch a professional singer cover a Queen song in a monster costume.) The

show is hosted by Nick Cannon, whose cheerfulness is supplemented by a celebrity panel that is like, 50 percent API. Yeah, for real. The judges are: R&B crooner Robin Thicke — the best overall judge, knows stuff about singing. “Pop culture expert” Jenny McCarthy — about as useful as her anti-vaccine stance, clearly knows very little about Black performers. Comedian Dr. Ken Jeong — the most adorable and funniest judge, mugs for the camera a lot, but also makes this heartbreaking face when he feels empathy. Pop singer Nicole Scherzinger, classically trained singer, hilariously mean sometimes because she likes to low-key sneer and accuse people of not being professionally trained. Jeong is Korean and a medical doctor. Fun fact, his first name is actually Kendrick, not Kenneth. He has the same first name as a Pulitzer-winning rapper, and I love it. Scherzinger is of Native Hawaiian and Filipino descent.

My favorite performer-contestant is the Monster. My second fave is the Bee. Are you watching this show? Do you know who are under the masks? Should we discuss later? I’m completely obsessed. We go to press at Northwest Asian Weekly on Wednesday. That’s the same day that “The Masked Singer” airs. For the last month, I have a grueling work day, and then I go home and get emotional as I watch a man in a plushy costume just break my heart with his vocal inﬂections. It’s been great. Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that one of the previously ousted contestants was none other than Korean American Margaret Cho, who has a lovely karaoke voice, but is sadly no match against professional singers.

Speaking of Dr. Kendrick Jeong … I actually shouldn’t write his name like

that. It’s not good SEO. Yo, Dr. Ken Jeong has a new Netﬂix comedy special, “Ken Jeong: You Complete Me, Ho.” Ho is actually a reference to his wife, who is Vietnamese, whose last name is Ho. Warning: He is a potty-mouth. He refers to Kaiser Permanente as “Kaiser-*******Permanente.” Def watch! It is directed by “Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon M. Chu.

Who dat Asian? When I was growing up in the 1990s, you barely saw any Asians on TV. You saw Black people, Latinos, and then an entire ocean of whiteness. The landscape is so diﬀerent now. I mean, we’ve still got a ways to go before the people in front of and behind the camera matches the actual demographics of our country, but the number of Asian faces on my TV is shocking sometimes. So here’s a rundown of random Asians that I have spotted on my TV in the last month:

Greta Lee on Netﬂix’s “Russian Doll” Lee is Korean American and is one of those “funny actors.” Like, not really a comedian, but always plays parts that are a little bizarre and hilarious.

Bobby Lee and Lindsay Price on ABC’s “Splitting up Together” You must know Lee from those nights you used to stay up late, watching “MADtv.” You might know Price from the millions of supporting roles she has played over the years. I know her best as Eric’s Japanese girlfriend, Linda, for one episode of see A-POP on 12

asianweekly northwest

FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2019

MARITAL RIGHTS from 4 schools to teach children family values and good deeds. “Whether to allow same-sex marriage is an issue that aﬀects the foundation of how families should be in Japan, which requires an extremely careful examination,’’ Abe said in a statement last year. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has repeatedly come under ﬁre for making remarks deemed discriminating against LGBTQ people. In January, party veteran Katsuei Hirasawa said “a nation would collapse’’ if everyone became LGBTQ. Last year, another ruling lawmaker, Mio Sugita, was condemned after saying in a magazine that the government shouldn’t use tax money for the rights of LGBTQ individuals because they are “not productive.’’ But while the law and many lawmakers lag behind, public acceptance of sexual diversity and same-sex marriage has

A-POP from 11 “Boys Meets World.” In the episode, some tool at the mall says a racist slur to Linda, which makes her cry. The sight of her trauma teaches a very valuable lesson to the protagonist Corey, who up until then, had never heard of racism before because he is a privileged little white boy. Then, having fulﬁlled her duty, Linda is never heard from again.

37 YEARS

grown in Japan. According to an October, 2018 survey by the advertising agency Dentsu, more than 70 percent of the 6,229 respondents aged 20-59 said they support legalizing same-sex marriage. Some companies have adopted policies to extend employee beneﬁts to their same-sex partners. A few women’s universities have announced they will start accepting male-to-female transgender applicants, and some schools are allowing both boys and girls to choose between trousers and skirts. Increasingly, genderless public toilets are becoming available for “everyone.’’ Aiba said he feels a bit “scared’’ to go public and is worried about possible repercussions. But he and Kozumi decided to act on behalf of all their peers “who are too afraid of coming out because of discrimination and prejudice that we still face.’’ “It will be our dream comes true if our marriage

certiﬁcate is accepted one day,’’ Aiba said. “We want to make that happen.’’ Pressures for change are mounting. Japan’s refusal to issue spouse visas to partners of samesex couples legally married overseas is a growing problem, forcing them to temporarily live separately. A group of lawmakers is lobbying the Justice Ministry to consider a special visa for them. In August, The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, and its counterparts from Canada, Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, called for legalizing same sex marriages, , saying Japan’ loses out because talented LGBTQ people choose elsewhere to work. The primary goal of the lawsuit is to win marital equality for same-sex couples. But transgender people are also hoping for such a change, which would eliminate the need for anyone to be sterilized just so they can get married. 

Anthony Wong, Katie Leung, Tom Wu, and others in “White Dragon”

season, if the series gets renewed.

So, what’s Dwayne Johnson up to?

Grace Park on “A Million Little Things”

This show is called “Strangers” in Britain, and I guess it underwent a name change when it moved across the pond because Americans like for things to sound a touch racist always. “White Dragon” is a British TV crime drama on Amazon Prime about a white British professor who goes to Hong Kong to investigate the death of his wife there. You might know Leung as Cho Chang, Harry Potter’s Asian girlfriend in the “Harry Potter” movies. You might know Park from “Battlestar Galactica” or “Hawaii Five-0,” but I know her for her silence in response to news breaking about her association with a terrible sex slavery cult.

Will Yun Lee and Christina Chang on “The Good Doctor”

“The Good Doctor” was brought to us from South Korea by Daniel Dae Kim. Lee plays an ex-cop-turneddoctor. Chang is Taiwanese American and plays Dr. Lim. She’s a hometown lady! She graduated from the University of Washington. I’m currently really interested in her character’s relationship with Dr. Neil Melendez (played by Nicholas Gonzalez) because they competed for the same job and also because they are both goodlooking.

Justin H. Min, Ben/Number Six in “Umbrella Academy”

“Umbrella Academy” is an ensemble drama about a dysfunctional superhero family that premiered on Netflix on Feb. 15. The source material from Dark Horse Comics portray the Hargreaves family as all racially white, but the Netflix adaptation features a pretty diverse cast, including Min. Min is young and doesn’t have much acting credits (yet). He guest-starred in the fi rst season, but from the way it ended, I suspect he’ll feature prominently in the second

TAITUNG

Guys, our fave is really busy. This month: Dwayne Johnson brought “The Titan Games,” a sports reality competition inspired by Johnson’s workouts, to NBC. He teamed up with English comedian Stephen Merchant (the coupling seems a little odd, but that makes it endearing, right?) for “Fighting with my Family,” an indie film about the career of a female professional wrestler. The trailer for “Hobbs and Shaw,” a “Fast and Furious” spin-off starring Johnson and Jason Statham, was released. This movie will make gazillions. Also, reportedly, Johnson is good friends with Jon M. Chu, and was hurt he wasn’t in “Crazy Rich Asians.” The way Chu tells it to Access Hollywood, “The Rock did call me — he was mad that I didn’t call him for it. He was like, ‘We’re so proud, blah blah blah, why didn’t you call me for this?’” You know what I got from that? The Rock apparently selfidentifies as Asian-y enough to be in “Crazy Rich Asians.” I told you! #AsianAdjacent.  Stacy can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2019

■ ASTROLOGY

Predictions and advice for the week of February 23–March 1, 2019 By Sun Lee Chang Rat — You usually have no problem being forthcoming, except when it comes to matters of the heart. When you do share how you feel, it leaves a lasting impact.

Dragon — A curious coincidence has piqued your interest in an area that you have largely ignored until now. Some sleuthing on your part could yield a surprising discovery.

Ox — It is easy to get carried away when you are organizing a special celebration. Focus your energy on the areas that really matter.

Snake — Before you get too excited about a potential opportunity, try to look at it objectively. Don’t let your judgment be clouded by a sales pitch.

Tiger — The path you have traveled isn’t necessarily the smoothest, but you have accomplished much in your chosen route. Rabbit — Don’t let a small hiccup interrupt your progress. Put it behind you and go full steam ahead.

Horse — Does it seem like you have just scratched the surface and there is more to ﬁnd out? It will take time, but your patience will be well worth it. Goat — Go for the best quality that you can reasonably aﬀord. You may actually save by not having to replace it as often.

Monkey — An unexpected windfall may not necessarily happen again any time soon. So enjoy a little now, but save the bulk for later. Rooster — You are known for your generosity, but don’t allow others to take advantage of it. For the most part, the giving and receiving should be a twoway street. Dog — Does it seem like you are just going through the motions? Plan something, even if it is small, to look forward to at the end of the week. Pig — Are you trying to impress someone with your experience? If your time is limited, it would be a good idea to focus on the positive results.

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, 2019

*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.

PONTILLAS from 1 life. All he knew was that he loved to draw. Recognizing her son’s unrelenting passion, Corazon Pontillas researched art and technical colleges. She nudged her son to enroll at the Art Institute of Seattle, and he was surprised to have his mother’s backing. “Let’s be honest, it’s really hard to make it in the arts. My mom — I don’t know why — she didn’t have that stigma. She just kind of went with it, like a blind faith.” Corazon Pontillas didn’t want to discourage her son from following his passion. “I didn’t want to push him into a course that he didn’t like because I didn’t want him to blame me if he was not happy at what he was doing or learning,” she said. “So, I just supported him by enrolling him in art school, even when I didn’t know nothing about animation.” Art school gave Pontillas the rigor that he felt he needed. He was grateful for a tough teacher who pushed him as an artist. “When I was going through it, it was really hard. But those kinds of teachers instill a work ethic in you and call you out on your laziness.” That teacher was Abbott Smith. “The first advice to Bobby was that drawing is a language. To be good at something, particularly to be good in the arts, we must take command of our language,” said Smith. He also taught Pontillas that artists never stop learning. “A career in art isn’t about two years. It’s about a lifetime.” In 1999, Pontillas caught a showing of Disney’s animated feature film, Tarzan. The artwork of animator Glen Keane blew him away. “I feel like it was revolutionary in terms of animated films, where you’re moving through the jungle and experiencing your way with Tarzan,” said Pontillas. “It was exciting, that drawings could come to life — they can move, breathe, act, and sing! I decided at that point that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.” When Pontillas graduated from the Art Institute in the winter of 2000, he dedicated himself fully to making his Disney animation dream come true. But his dream didn’t lift off right away. Living in Seattle, Pontillas found work in the video game industry. He animated for ArenaNet on games such as “Guild

Wars 2,” but he couldn’t shake his passion for films. He enrolled in a two-year online course to spruce up his skills. In 2009, he scraped together a demo reel, submitted it to film studios, and crossed his fingers. But his dream was grounded. He endured a painful year of rejections. “I sent out my animation demo reel out to every major movie studio and was rejected from every single one,” he said. “It was super disheartening at first. The biggest thing I learned was to persevere; to be prepared for rejection but pick yourself back up and keep going if it’s really what you dream to do.” Pontillas sought feedback from professionals and improved his reel. By the end of the year, he landed his first animation gig in film. He moved to the East Coast and worked for Blue Sky Studios on “Ice Age: Continental Drift” and “Rio.” After gaining film experience, and missing the West Coast, Pontillas mustered the courage to send his latest demo reel to Disney. The stars aligned in 2011, when Pontillas was hired by Walt Disney Animation Studios. He moved to California and worked as an animator and character designer on Disney hit films, including “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Frozen,” “Big Hero 6,” “Feast,” “Zootopia,” “Moana,” and the “Tangled” television series. But after several incredible years at Disney, Pontillas’ dream began to take on a new direction. Shaofu Zhang, who also worked as a Disney animator, told him about an opportunity to start up an independent animation studio to be based in Burbank, Calif. and Wuhan, China.

The studio’s aim was to bridge eastern and western cultures through storytelling. The thought of leaving his dream job at Disney was scary, but Pontillas’ experience, and desire to keep learning, gave him the courage to take a leap of faith. “It was an amazing time! Disney will always be with me, and I’m still close friends with a lot of the animators there,” he said. In 2017, Pontillas became the art director for TAIKO. The studio’s first project, “One Small Step,” chronicles a Chinese American girl named Luna. The opening scene shows Luna nestled in front of her TV, captivated by a rocket launch on-screen. Luna sets out on a dream of becoming an astronaut. Luna’s father, who runs a humble shoe repair business, supports her every step of the way. His unconditional love endures as Luna faces tough obstacles in her path. “One Small Step” is produced by Zhang and co-directed by Andrew Chesworth, also a Disney alum. The CGI 3D-animated short film uses techniques in lighting and color to leverage its storytelling, preserving the feeling of a moving illustration. “One Small Step” is one of five films nominated for a 2019 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Pontillas said the film is a love letter to unsung heroes who support and inspire people chasing an impossible dream. “When we get tunnel-visioned into chasing a dream, it’s not a perfect road. It’s an awkward process, and it sometimes isolates friends, it isolates family members,” he said. Pontillas thanks his mother for

supporting his dream, even when she didn’t fully understand it. “I just want to say, ‘thank you for being there,’” he said. “For every accomplishment that our generation makes, our families made the sacrifice to even make that happen. That’s pretty selfless and humble.” The film also pays homage to mentors and teachers, like Smith. “I am very happy for Bobby. The work that TAIKO did on ‘One Small Step’ is amazing,” said Smith. “Well done.” Corazon Pontillas hopes that her light will continue to guide her son and she can’t wait to see what’s next in his journey. “As I tell my son often, I am so proud and happy of what he has become in the career he had chosen,” said Corazon. “I also would like to let him know how much I appreciate him by never failing to always mention me in all of his interviews and dedicating this short film to me and to our family.” To those who wish to launch a career in animation or rekindle a passion for art, Pontillas shares stellar advice. “I’ve always had setbacks. That’s the more realistic path. It’s not a straight path … it’s a winding path,” said Pontillas. “Hold close to what inspired you in the first place. Remember that starry-eyed newbie that was so passionate and grateful to get to be an artist!” The 91st Academy Awards ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 24. It will air live at 5:00 p.m. PT on ABC. Evangeline can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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EMPLOYMENT

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37 YEARS

EMPLOYMENT

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Assistant Planner

PSRC is seeking an Assistant Planner for the Regional Planning Division. Please see our job announcement at https://www. psrc.org/about/careers. PSRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Northwest Asian Weekly $40 for one year. Name__________________________ Address ________________________ City ___________________ State____ Zip Code ________________________ Phone __________________________ Mail to: NW Asian Weekly 412 Maynard Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98104

Sealed bids will be received by the King County Procurement Services Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 2:00 PM of bid opening date for the following listed bids. To download a document, go to our web page at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/procurement. King County encourages minority business enterprise participation. King County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its programs, services, and employment opportunities. 1284-18-MYP OPENS: March 14, 2019 Armored Truck Services Pre-proposal Conference: March 4, 2019 at 10:00 AM, Chinook Building, 3rd Floor, Room 310, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 9810 Conference Call: 206-263-8114 Conference ID: 811349 1031-19-JAS OPENS: March 21, 2019 Logo Installation and Removal Services Pre-proposal Conference: February 25, 2019 at 1:30 PM, Skype Only Conference Call: 206-263-8114 Conference ID: 5839038

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NOBEL PEACE PRIZE from 4 The government’s top spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, echoed Abe’s remarks in refusing further comment. The situation is awkward for Abe at a time when his government is under fire for allegedly manipulating data on wages to suggest his economic policies were yielding better results than was actually the case. “Being Trump’s closest friend among world leaders has not worked out too well for Abe,’’ said Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies at Temple University Japan. “He’s not making Abe look very good.’’ The U.S. is Japan’s ally and anchor for national defense and Abe has assiduously cultivated cordial ties with Trump. He was the first foreign leader to meet with Trump after he won the 2016 presidential election. The two share a love for golf and have teed off together both in Japan and the U.S. The halt to North Korean nuclear and missile tests since early last year has been a relief for Japan, which sits well within the range of its missiles and has sometimes had test rockets land in its territorial waters. Abe has been keen to claim progress in resolving the abduction dispute with North Korea, an important issue for his nationalist political base.

CONTACT JOHN TO PLACE AN AD ON CLASSIFIED PAGE 206-223-5559 JOHN@NWASIANWEEKLY.COM

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The deadline each year for Nobel Peace Prize nominations is midnight, Jan. 31. The Nobel committee’s website says there are 304 candidates for the 2019 prize, 219 individuals and 85 organizations. Former U.S. President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, his first year in office, for laying out a U.S. commitment to “seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.’’ Trump complained that Obama was in office “for about 15 seconds’’ before he was awarded the prize. Trump’s landmark June 2018 summit with Kim in Singapore was replete with pomp but thin on substance. The two leaders are due to meet later this month in Hanoi, Vietnam. The president’s comments drew speculation that South Korean President Moon Jae-in might have been the one who nominated the president, but his spokesman said he had not. Kim Eui-kyeom, Moon’s spokesman, said Moon believed Trump “has sufficient qualifications to win the Nobel Peace Prize’’ for his work toward peace between North and South Korea, which have yet to sign a peace treaty after their 195053 war. The Nobel committee chooses the recipient of the prize in early October by a majority vote. The prize is awarded on Dec. 10, in Oslo, Norway. 

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2019

Chinese spring-fried chicken from Ho Ho Restaurant. It was only $5 more. One time, I asked Ocean Star Restaurant to give me duck instead of chicken, and the bill increase was also reasonable.

BLOG from 10

No waiting

Variety and ﬂexibility

It’s family-friendly

Photo by Sam Le

Photo by Assunta Ng

desserts if you have a large party.

Since there are over 100 restaurants in the ID, I never want to wait for more than five minutes at any restaurant. Choices are a plus in the ID. The majority of the restaurants require no reservation. Just jump right in. The restaurants serve food quickly. It’s a good thing especially when you are hungry. Sometimes, the food comes too fast that I have to tell the wait staff to hold some dishes. While Japanese cuisine generally costs more than other Asian cuisines, you can find delicious Japanese food at great prices at Maneki Restaurant.

Oysters Rockefeller at Maneki

of the city. Just go to the Uwajimaya food court, you won’t be disappointed.

It stirs imagination

Two days ago, I had pizza, rice soup, and Chinese roast duck for lunch. The combination sounds weird. Not really. I just wanted pizza and roast duck. And they were all at my ﬁngertips. They were not only yummy, but all from the ID. First, I bought the pizza from World Pizza, then wandered a block down for half a roast duck at King’s BBQ, and a bowl of congee with pork and preserved egg at Fortune Garden Restaurant. The food was enough for me, my husband, and son.

Asian Weekly writers appreciation dinner at Ho Ho Restaurant

You can create any satisfying combinations of food between the East and West in the ID. It just makes eating so interesting.

The price is right

The cost of living in Seattle is high. But in the ID, food costs less compared to other parts of the city, especially in restaurants. If you want to treat a big group of friends, the restaurants here won’t break the bank. And you can often request complimentary

HARVARD from 5 “It’s not just that SFFA has failed to provide a smoking gun, they failed to ﬁnd evidence of a single victim of discrimination,’’ said Seth Waxman, a lawyer for Harvard. Students for Fair Admissions has previously said its 20,000 members include some Asian Americans who were unfairly denied admission from Harvard, but none were called to testify at trial. The Virginia-based group is led by Edward Blum, a legal strategist who unsuccessfully fought against the use of race

IMMIGRATION from 1 these groups are protected from discrimination. These areas include the right to employment, real estate transactions, credit transactions, and insurance transactions, among other areas. The human rights commission administers the statute currently, as policy they do not ask about citizenship or immigration status. Prime sponsor of Senate Bill 5165, Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, testiﬁed on the bill at the Senate Law and Justice Committee on Feb. 12. The bill was also sponsored by six other Democratic senators. “In all cases where we, as a state, have an ability to recognize people living in our state that are residents, that are

SHELF from 9 about two people who are thrown together into an intense situation and end up ﬁnding each other. It is fun to read the interactions between Kyle and Lizzy, as their relationship grows and we see them begin to actually mean something to each other. One thing I liked was how the role of the protector and protected are reversed, with the woman looking out for the man. Lizzy is a strong and capable woman with a few quirks to round her out, such as her love of disguises. But this is not to say Kyle is weak and

No place else in the city can provide you with such a wonderful variety of cuisine. Even though many restaurants are Chinese and Vietnamese, the food they offer, varies. You can create your own favorite stir-fried noodles by requesting different ingredients. The wait staff might charge a bit more money— but it’s reasonable. I once asked for boiled free-range chicken instead of

in admissions at the University of Texas, and who is now leading a similar lawsuit against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In deciding the case, Burroughs will have to weigh complex and competing statistical evidence presented by both sides. Students for Fair Admissions built its case around a Duke University professor’s analysis of Harvard admissions records. It concluded that the university’s personal rating works against Asian Americans while favoring black and Hispanic students.

paying taxes, that are employed, that are contributing to our economy — we want to make sure they are aﬀorded protections,” said Saldaña. The bill does give precedent to federal regulations based on immigration and citizenship status. This means that federal prohibitions on hiring illegal immigrants and similar laws still apply, but under the proposed bill, it would be illegal to discriminate against illegal immigrants if they are engaging in lawful behavior. Alex Hur, a representative from OneAmerica, an immigrant and refugee advocacy group, testiﬁed in support of the bill, stating that discrimination is not limited to those here illegally, but happens to people here legally at various stages of the immigration or citizenship process. 

can’t hold his own. Drake does a great job of balancing his vulnerability as he fears for his own life and that of his sister and nephew, with his contributions to the plans in keeping him safe. It was also nice to see Kyle, who is of Korean descent, break out of the stereotypical image of the emasculated Asian male. He is a multifaceted, well-rounded alpha male who our heroine is attracted to, but is also aware of his limitations and knows when to ask for help.  Samantha can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

If you have kids, ID restaurants are ideal. Most kids make noise, and ID restaurant owners will accommodate your family situation. It’s time to eat in the ID. Good luck on your food adventures.  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

Harvard provided a dueling analysis from a University of California, Berkeley economist who studied the same admissions records but found no evidence of discrimination. Burroughs, the judge, is not expected to make a decision immediately. Speaking to one of Harvard’s lawyers during the hearing on Feb. 13, she suggested that both sides have weaknesses in their arguments. “They have a no-victim problem,’’ Burroughs said, referring to Students for Fair Admissions, “but you have a personal rating problem.’’ 

asianweekly northwest

37 YEARS

FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2019

LUNAR NEW�YEAR C E L E B R AT I O N

PRE S E NTE D BY

MARCH 2 • BELLEVUE SQUARE • 11 AM - 6 PM Celebrate the cultural heritage of our community by welcoming in the 2019 Lunar New Year at The Bellevue Collection. Experience exciting traditional and contemporary cultural demonstrations including martial arts, music, dance and visual arts, samples from Din Tai Fung and Baron’s Xi’an Kitchen & Bar (limited time), and a Chinese Lion and Dragon parade to celebrate the YEAR OF THE PIG.

BELLEVUECOLLECTION.COM/LUNARNEW YE AR

#tbcLNY EVENT SPONSORS: COLUMBIA BANK EAST WEST BANK FIRST FINANCIAL NORTHWEST BANK

B E L L E V U E S Q UA R E

EVENT PARTNERS: Seattle Chinese Culture and Arts Association

B E L L E V U E P L AC E

The Overseas Community Affairs Council – Republic of China (Taiwan)

L I N CO L N S Q UA R E