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37 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Father still hopes to see daughter, abducted three years ago Two weeks ago, he finally put his child’s car seat away. Elisha Edwin had kept it in the car for three years, although it had remained empty. His daughter was 3 years old when she was abducted. Now, after another three years, she is 6 years old.

“It’s always been me and my daughter,” said Edwin, 43, a nurse who works in a retirement home.

“I left the car seat there because that was where she was sitting when I dropped her off.”

The last time he saw his daughter, Rachel, was March 17, 2016, when he left her with her mother at a movie theater in Kent Station.

“I kissed my daughter and she kissed me back, and she said, ‘See

you soon, daddy,’ and that was it,” said Edwin, a tall man with an air of bafflement.

“She was going to turn 4 in September,” he said. “She didn’t know what was coming.”

After three years of constant legal struggles, Edwin’s former girlfriend, Katrina Lacdao, had obtained the right to take their daughter on a two-week trip to the Philippines, claiming that her father was ill, according to Edwin.

For three years, Lacdao and her mother had been threatening to take the child out of the country, he said. But King County Superior Court family law commissioner Mark Hillman granted the right for her to travel with Rachel six months in advance of the trip.

Hillman, in his court order of Sept. 16, 2015, stipulated that upon

Photos courtesy of Elisha Edwin

By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

 Rachel Edwin at 3 while still in the U.S.; Elisha Edwin in his office at work where she used to play

see EDWIN on 16

Members of iStand Parent Network protest last year during an “Embassy Walk” to embassies of countries with abducted U.S. minors



Seattle Chinese Garden wants to keep the momentum going after generous donation In West Seattle, on the grounds of South Seattle College, is a verdant tribute to U.S.-Chinese relations.

Wandering the peaceful grounds, one can hardly believe there is such a thing as a trade war, or that our two countries have ever not been friends. Inside of the Sichuanstyle courtyard, you might

think you’re not in the United States anymore. Instead, perhaps you are in Seattle’s sister city, Chongqing, China.

Almost. But it’s not quite that way. Seattle Chinese Garden is a green gateway between both countries, both cities, and both cultures. Yet it’s barely begun to blossom.

There are big plans for the future of the Garden, which see SEATTLE CHINESE GARDEN on 15

Blinded by the Light review 7 Photo by Kai Curry

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Paige Miller, Vice President (Fundraising) stands with Garden Manager, Julian Leung, by Song Mei Pavilion at Seattle Chinese Garden.

King County election certified The results for the Aug. 6 primary election were officially certified on Aug. 20. There were no significant changes in the results.

Here are the AAPI candidates (in italics) who will face off in the Nov. 5 general election.

■

CITY

PORT Port of Seattle, Commissioner Position 2 Sam Cho 124,593 31.11 % Grant Degginger 98,117 24.5 %

SCHOOL Mercer Island School Board, Position 5 Tam Dinh 3,890 56.95 % John Rivera-Dirks 1,921 28.13 %

City of Bellevue, Council Position 1 John Stokes 14,469 61.15 % Holly Zhang 4,634 19.58 % City of Bellevue, Council Position 5 Janice Zahn 16,122 67.65 % Mark Wilson 3,750 15.74 % City of Burien Council, Position 6 Sofia Aragon 4,768 55.54 % Debi Wagner 3,287 38.29 % City of Kent Council, Position 3 Les Thomas 5,991 37.76 % Hira Singh Bhullar 5,833 36.76 %

Forging justice in a divided nation 9

City of Lake Forest Park Council, Position 6 Tom French 1,864 49.92 % Tracy Furutani 1,060 28.39 % City of Seattle Council, District 3 Kshama Sawant 12,088 36.71 % Egan Orion 7,078 21.49 % City of Shoreline Council, Position 4 David Chen 6,276 49.55 % Doris McConnell 4,119 32.52 %

Is I-1000 unfair to Asian kids?  11

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37 YEARS

AUGUST 24 – AUGUST 30, 2019

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS Michelle Cheng joins Frye Art Museum

Paper Tigers filming Sunisa Lee

said.

Her ultimate goal of competing at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is less than one year away. 

South Asian Spelling Bee winner Photo by John Liu

The Frye Art Museum announced on Aug. 14 its appointment of Michelle Cheng to the newly created role of Director of Education and Community Partnerships.

Prior to joining the Frye, Cheng worked on an award-winning education team at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum as the manager of IntegrationMichelle Cheng Level Education Programs.

“The Frye offers such a variety of ways for people of different backgrounds and interests to engage in and connect with art and its transformative power,” says Cheng. “I am looking forward to joining the community here in Seattle, working on projects with, by, and for diverse voices.”

Cheng holds a B.A. in Art History and Comparative Literature from Binghamton University and an M.A. in Art + Design Education from Rhode Island School of Design. 

winner. Flipe and flype are variant spellings according to Merriam-Webster’s Third Unabridged Dictionary. Flipe means to strip off by or as if by peeling.

The SAS Bee was open to children up to 14 years of age and was held in five regional centers across the United States. Over 600 spellers from those centers participated from which 15 finalists took the stage at the finals. 

Sunisa Lee sets sights on 2020 Olympics

Sixteen-year-old Sunisa Lee, of St. Paul, Minn. took second place at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships on Aug. 11, outscoring and outperforming a handful of world medalists.

Lee first tried the sport at age 6. A family friend knew a coach at Midwest Gymnastics Center and suggested she enroll. Lee has been at the club ever since.

Lee is believed to be the first Hmong American gymnast to make a national team, and next year could become the first to make an Olympic team.

“I’ve been training for it my whole life and I just want to do it for the Hmong community and my family and my coaches because they’ve given everything for me,” Lee

2019 National Champion Navneeth Murali (National Champion) of Edison, New Jersey

Navneeth Murali of Edison, N.J., was the national winner of the 2019 South Asian Spelling (SAS) Bee held Aug. 13 in New Jersey.

Murali, 13, spelled flype as flipe, yet was declared a

We got a glimpse of filming on Aug. 16 in Seattle’s Chinatown, of the independent movie, “Paper Tigers.”

Last year, The Paper Tigers’ team ran a Kickstarter campaign that raised $124,000 to finance the movie.

Writer and director Bao Tran, and producers Al’n Duong and Daniel Gildark, have ties to Seattle, along with other members of the film crew.

The movie is about a dead-beat dad, an insurance scammer, and an MMA coach who find themselves in the middle of a gang war when they must avenge their Kung Fu master’s death.

To learn more or support The Paper Tigers movie, visit thepapertigersmovie.com. 

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YOUR VOICE

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

AUGUST 24 – AUGUST 30, 2019

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Health officials warn restaurant customers about Hep A case

LYNNWOOD, Wash. (AP) — Public health officials say customers who ate at a Lynnwood restaurant that was shut down because of a Hepatitis A infection could be at risk of contracting the virus.

KOMO-TV reports the Snohomish Health District allowed Ashiya Teriyaki to reopen on Aug. 16, after forcing its closure two days prior due to a food worker there who

had contracted the highly infectious liver disease.

The health department was notified by the worker’s health provider.

Hepatitis A is spread from person-to-person contact and is a result of fecal contamination.

Authorities say those who ate at the restaurant between August 2 and August 15 may be exposed and should seek

Eric Lin jailed for threats against Florida Hispanics MIAMI (AP) — A Maryland man is jailed in Seattle after the FBI said he made a series of social media threats against Hispanics in the Miami area.

Court records show 35-year-old Eric Lin had an initial court hearing on Aug. 19 in Seattle federal court on a charge of interstate transmission of threatening communication.

Lin has not yet entered a plea.

An FBI complaint in Miami says Lin sent messages via see LIN on 11 Eric Lin

medical treatment or evaluation.

Symptoms can last weeks or longer and include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dark urine, or jaundice. 

Lt. Gov. Habib to climb Kilimanjaro

By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Washington’s Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib will be making a personal trip to the highest point in Africa—the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

He will be making the most of his climb by raising donations for Boundless Washington, an outdoor leadership development program for young people with physical and sensory disabilities in Washington State. Habib has been blind since a very young age.

Created through a partnership between the Office of the Lt. Governor and the Association of Washington Generals, Boundless Washington is see HABIB on 11

Vandalism arrest

By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Police have arrested a man who was spotted breaking windows in the Chinatown International District (CID) on the 500 block of 5th Avenue South on Aug. 9.

As officers arrived on scene, see VANDALISM on 11

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AUGUST 24 – AUGUST 30, 2019

37 YEARS

■ NATIONAL NEWS

Report: Levi’s, Wrangler, Lee seamstresses harassed, abused

By MARTHA MENDOZA ASSOCIATED PRESS Women sewing blue jeans for Levi’s, Wrangler, Lee, and The Children’s Place faced sexual harassment and genderbased violence and some were coerced into having sex with supervisors to keep their jobs in African factories, labor rights groups say.

In response to the revelations, the brands have agreed to bring in outside oversight and enforcement for more than 10,000 workers at five Lesotho factories, according to a report from the Washington-based Worker Rights Consortium released on Aug. 15.

The labor rights group investigated Taiwan-based Nien Hsing Textile factories in Lesotho—a poor, mountainous kingdom encircled by South Africa—after hearing from

a number of sources that women who sew, sand, wash and add rivets to blue jeans and other clothes were facing gender-based violence.

Managers and supervisors forced many female workers into sexual relationships in exchange for job security or promotions, the report says. In dozens of interviews, the women described a pattern of abuse and harassment, including inappropriate touching, sexual demands and crude comments.

When the workers objected, they faced discrimination and retaliation, the report says. The factory managers also fought union organizing, it says.

While most of the employees are from Lesotho, managers were both locals and foreign. And female workers told investigators even male colleagues were molesting them.

“Male workers like touching females in a way that is not

appropriate,’’ one worker said.

“The foreign national managers slap women’s buttocks and touch their breasts. They sometimes take them home for sex,’’ another worker said.

Their testimony in the report is anonymous to protect their privacy.

Levi Strauss & Co. vice president of sustainability Michael Kobori said that as soon as the company received the Worker Rights Consortium report it told Nien Hsing “that this would not be tolerated and required them to develop a corrective action plan.’’ A spokesperson for The Children’s Place said it informed the firm that their ongoing relationship “depends on effectuating significant and sustained changes.’’ see LEVI on 14

John Lee is a LA City Councilman-elect LOS ANGELES—For the first time ever, the Los Angeles City Council will likely have two Asian Americans serving at the same time.

Longtime council aide John Lee was recognized by the city council on Aug. 14 as the Councilman-elect for northwestern San Fernando Valley’s 12th District seat following a special election against Loraine Lundquist.

“This has been an interesting four months, and now that the campaigning is over, I’m ready to get down here and start the work,” Lee said in the Council Chamber.

Lee was the chief of staff to the last councilman, Mitchell Englander, and he is the third Asian American and the second Korean American to ever be elected to the Los Angeles City Council.

John Lee

Rep. Ted Lieu emerges as congressional Trump critic

By AVERY YANG ASSOCIATED PRESS WA S H I N G T O N (AP) — Last month, one of the most confrontational congressional voices against President Donald Trump and his immigration policies directly questioned Rep. Ted Lieu a top Border Patrol officer about why a 3-year-old girl was detained and separated from her grandmother when they tried to cross the border into Texas.

“Do you know any 3-year-olds that are criminal or national security threats to the United States?’’ Rep. Ted Lieu, a California Democrat, asked Border Patrol Chief Brian Hastings.

Hastings quietly responded: “No, I don’t.’’

Lieu’s highlighting of the case of the young girl, who was reunited with her family after about six weeks, was personal.

He and his parents, George and Kerry Lieu, immigrated from Taiwan to the U.S. when Lieu was 3. And following Trump’s election in 2016, Lieu has emerged as a frequent and high-profile critic of the president and many of his followers.

He said in an interview he hopes to

use his enhanced profile and aggressive stances to help defeat Trump next year. Lieu represents the liberal 33rd Congressional District in California that includes Beverly Hills, Malibu and Santa Monica—but believes he can sway people outside Democratic Party strongholds to vote against the president.

“I’m not going to be able to convince a die-hard Trump supporter not to support the president, I’m just trying to convince everyone else,’’ he said. “I think if you look at the xenophobic policies of the Trump administration, it sows division among Americans. It has inflicted cruelty on children and it has lowered America’s standing in the world.’’

Lieu, 50, goes after the president and his policies on Twitter, graphically criticizing Trump and his supporters on issues ranging from border policy to Trump’s behavior.

Earlier this month, a Trump tweet about the mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, prompted Lieu to respond: “Can you please stop being a jerk for a few hours and pay respects to the victim, families and law enforcement, without simultaneously attacking others? You are the President of the United States. Act like it.’’

Despite his constant railing against Trump, Lieu’s mother said he never see LIEU on 12

David Ryu, a Democrat and Korean American, also serves on the city council.

Although the race is nonpartisan, District 12— an area that includes Chatsworth, Northridge, Porter Ranch, Granada Hills and West Hills — has traditionally leaned Republican.

Lee is a Republican. 

YOUR VOICE

■ WORLD NEWS

AUGUST 24 – AUGUST 30, 2019

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Police keep low profile at huge, peaceful Hong Kong protest HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong streets were turned into rivers of umbrellas on Aug. 18 as hundreds of thousands of people marched through heavy rain down a major road in the Chinese territory, where massive pro-democracy demonstrations have become a regular weekend activity.

Organizers said at least 1.7 million participated, though the police estimate was far lower.

The assembly was peaceful, with no reports of violence, making for a rare

calm weekend in a protest movement that has been marked by violent clashes with police. Law enforcement officers kept a low profile, with no riot police seen from the procession’s main routes. When stragglers convened outside a government complex in the late evening, other protesters urged them to go home.

Demonstrators who were shining laser pointers at a government building were convinced to leave, prompting applause from others in the group.

“We hope to see whether the government gives a response to this peaceful protest,’’

Screencap from ABC YouTube video

By KELVIN CHAN and YANAN WANG ASSOCIATED PRESS

see HONG KONG on 15

Cathay Pacific CEO resigns Indonesian firm cancels after Beijing pressure Chinese loan for its Trump project

By FADLAN SYAM and NINIEK KARMINI ASSOCIATED PRESS JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s son and his Indonesian business partner said on Aug. 13 that a theme park that also features a Trump hotel and condos will no longer have Chinese financing.

In a move that alarmed Trump critics, MNC Land, the Indonesian company that is developing the theme park owned by Indonesian billionaire Hary Tanoesoedibjo, said in May that it had hired a subsidiary of Chinese stateowned Metallurgical Corp. of China to build the park in its West Java Lido City development just outside Jakarta.

“The theme park has nothing to do with the Trump Organization, we have to make it clear,’’ Tanoesoedibjo said at a news conference in the capital that was also attended by Donald Trump Jr. to introduce the launch of Trump Residences in West Java and Bali.

Tanoesoedibjo said his company and a Chinese bank had discussed a loan for his theme park.

“It was done by our team, but finally we dropped it,’’ he said, without elaborating.

News reports said a Chinese government-backed $500 million loan for the project had been signed, but that was denied by the company in May. see TRUMP PROJECT on 12

HONG KONG (AP) — The CEO of Cathay Pacific Airways, one of Hong Kong’s most prominent companies, resigned on Aug. 16 following pressure by Beijing on the carrier over participation by some of its employees in anti-government protests.

Rupert Hogg Rupert Hogg became the highestprofile corporate casualty of official Chinese pressure on foreign and Hong Kong companies to support the ruling Communist Party’s position against the protesters.

Beijing jolted companies when it warned Cathay Pacific employees who “support or take part in illegal protests’’

would be barred from flying to or over the mainland.

Cathay Pacific said a pilot who was charged with rioting was removed from flying duties.

Hong Kong is in its third month of protests that started in opposition to a proposed extradition law but have expanded to include demands for a more democratic system.

Cathay Pacific needs new management to “reset confidence’’ because its commitment to safety and security were “called into question,’’ the company chairman, John Slosar, said in a statement.

Hogg resigned to “to take responsibility as a leader of the company in view of recent events,’’ the statement said. see HOGG on 13

KING COUNTY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ADVERTISEMENT Proposals will be received for P00255P19, Construction Management and Inspection Services for RapidRide H Line Construction; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 12:00 PM on September 9, 2019.

Total Estimated Price: $2,000,000 This contract is funded by the Federal Transit Administration. There is a 15% minimum requirement for Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises Certified Federal Small Business Enterprise (SBE) firms on this contract.

King County, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all Proposers that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit proposals in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

All solicitation documents are published at: https://procurement.kingcounty. gov/procurement_ovr/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fprocurement_ovr%2fdefault. aspx Contact: Alice Phoenix, alice.phoenix@kingcounty.gov, 206-263-9311

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AUGUST 24 – AUGUST 30, 2019

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR AUG 22

ONLY IN SEATTLE - COMMERCIAL BLOCK WATCH AND SUMMER SOCIAL King Street Station, Large conference room top floor, 303 S. Jackson St., Seattle 1:30-3 p.m. https://bit.ly/2KWToA7 AREN’T ASIANS ALL ALIKE? DISCUSSION ON ASIAN IDENTITY ShiftUp, 600 N. 36th St. #400, Seattle 6:30-8 p.m.

22-25 KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE Kent Station 2 p.m.

Free admission Reserve seats at theatrebattery.org

23 FAANPS GOES TO THE MARINERS T-Mobile Park, 1250 1st Ave. S., Seattle 5-10 p.m.

FILIPINO HERITAGE NIGHT TICKET SPECIAL T-Mobile Park, 1250 1st Ave. S., Seattle 7:10-10:10 p.m. mlb.com KAWABE HOUSE GARDEN PARTY/ HEALTH FAIR 2019 Kawabe Memorial House, basement 3-5 p.m.

24

MAHOU SHOUJO DAY 2019 Red Lion Hotel, 11211 Main St., Bellevue 12-6 p.m. tickettailor.com FREE CINEMATIC ENTERTAINMENT, “BLACK PANTHER” Seattle Center, Mural Amphitheatre 9 p.m.

SAAFF’S C-ID SUMMER CINEMA SERIES Hing Hay Park 7:30 p.m.

Full schedule at seattleaaff.org/2019 FILIPINO HERITAGE DAY Neely Mansion, 12303 SE Auburn Black Diamond Road, Auburn 11 a.m.-4 p.m. neelymansion.org BARRIO FIESTA, A CELEBRATION OF THE FILIPINO CULTURE WITH ENTERTAINMENT, FOOD TRUCKS, ACTIVITIES, AND MORE Barrio Fiesta Edmonds, 8713 220th St. SW, Edmonds 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

24 & 25 TIBET FEST Seattle Center 9 a.m.

25 SAKÉ 101 - A TASTE OF JAPAN Saké Nomi, 76 S. Washington St., Seattle 3-4:30 p.m. $25/members $35/non-members friendsofasianart.org

37 YEARS

SUMMER VOYAGES Sponge Issaquah Center, 22525 SE 64th Place #140, Issaquah 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. spongeschool.com TAP-SEA: SUMMER BBQ Luther Burbank Park, 2040 84th Ave. S.E., Mercer Island 11 a.m.-2 p.m. impactflow.com

Steve Chan stabbed on college campus

Police looking for suspect

29 JO KOY: JUST KIDDING WORLD TOUR Snoqualmie Casino, 37500 SE North Bend Way, Snoqualmie 7:30 p.m.

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5, 6, 7 CLASSIC CHINESE DANCE DRAMA, “THE BUTTERFLY LOVERS” McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St., Seattle 7:30 p.m.

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6 PING PONG TOURNAMENT Hing Hay Park, 423 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle 2-5:30 p.m.

FULLERTON, Calif.—Police are looking for a man who stabbed a retired administrator of California State University, Fullerton.

The victim, 57-year-old Steven Shek Keung Chan, was found with several stab wounds in a parking lot on campus just before 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 20. Police said he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The suspect is described as an Asian man with black hair in his mid 20’s. Police said he wore a black windbreaker and black pants at the time of the attack.

During the course of the investigation, a backpack, believed to have been left by the suspect, was located underneath the Chan’s vehicle. Inside the backpack, police found an incendiary device, along with numerous items that were consistent with a kidnapping attempt or plot, including zip ties, wigs, and other disguise materials, as well as a knife (that was not used in the homicide). Investigators believe that Chan was specifically targeted in this attack.

Chan recently returned as a special consultant after retiring as director of budget and finance and student services for extended education in 2017, the Los Angeles Times reported.

In a letter to students, faculty and staff, university President Framroze Virjee called the attack “tragic and senseless.” 

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AUGUST 24 – AUGUST 30, 2019

YOUR VOICE

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

asianweekly northwest

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Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Blinded by the Light shows that “everybody’s got a hungry heart”

Bruce Springsteen (center) makes a surprise appearance at the film screening at Asbury Park, Springsteen's hometown.

Javed (played by Viveik Kalra) woos Eliza (played by Nell Williams) with the words and music of Springsteen in Blinded by the Light.

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Photo by Kai Curry

“Hopefully what I can do is give through my film a collective hug to people,” states Gurinder Chadha, producer, director, and script writer for “Blinded by the Light,” the new film based on the memoir by Sarfraz Manzoor, who also worked on the script. The film depicts a catalyzing moment in the life of Pakistani British teenager, Javed, when he discovers the music of Bruce Springsteen.

“The Boss,” as Springsteen is called, helps Javed navigate conflict with his conservative father, and the tensions of living in small-town England during the 1980s, which included high unemployment and anti-immigrant backlash.

While it sounds dim (and familiar), the film is actually quite hopeful as Javed struggles to follow his own path.

“Blinded by the Light” is the latest of a series of rock-music-based films that have come out recently. I’m mentioning this to warn you that the characters will break into song and dance at points. It’s a fun tribute to the music, and the elation that music can bring, especially in one’s teens. The musical sequences drive home the impression Springsteen’s music is making on Javed. However, they do run on a bit. Considering that’s the only grouse I have, and it’s a grouse about a fully understandable indulgence, then it’s barely a problem at all.

Writer Sarfraz Manzoor in Seattle to promote the film Blinded by the Light.

The Boss gave his blessing to the movie, which Manzoor and Chadha acquired not in small part due to the groundwork Manzoor had laid over the years as a MAJOR fan. As depicted in the film, Manzoor was introduced to Springsteen’s music in 1987.

“I became a full-on fan,” he said. “I went to every single Bruce Springsteen concert in the country — so that was a lot!” In total, see BLINDED on 12

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37 YEARS

AUGUST 24 – AUGUST 30, 2019

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

"THE BUTTERFLY LOVERS" DANCE CONCERT SURE TO DELIGHT A DIVERSE AUDIENCE

Coming soon to Seattle will be the firstever performance in the United States of the Chinese classic tale, “The Butterfly Lovers,” told in dance by the Beijing Dance Academy, under the direction and choreography of Li Hengda from Bellevue’s Hengda Dance Academy. The performance will combine the world-famous talent of Beijing Dance Academy’s dancers, and Li’s trademark mélange of Chinese and Western dance.

Put together, this upcoming version of “The Butterfly Lovers” promises to please a wide range of viewers, and put a new spin on the ancient story.

“The Butterfly Lovers” is one of the four greatest Chinese folk tales selected during a 1920s folk movement in China. The story is notable for its tragic element, its romance, and its strong heroine. As those familiar with the story know, “The Butterfly Lovers” tells the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, two lovers who would rather die than live without each other. The two meet in school where Zhu is pretending to be a boy in order to gain an education. When she finds out her parents have betrothed her to someone else, she reveals herself to Liang. The two enjoy only a short time together before Zhu, a dutiful daughter, succumbs to her parents’

Courtesy of Li HengDa

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Liang ShanBo and Zhu YingTai share a happy moment in The Butterfly Lovers.

wishes. Liang dies from a broken heart. Not long after, while on her way to the home of her new husband, Zhu passes her lover’s

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grave. Too overcome to carry on, she joins him there. As the story goes, the heavens open, and the two lovers transform into butterflies, thereby to spend eternity together.

It’s a stirring story, and one that Li has interpreted in a new way by combining elements of both Chinese and Western dance.

“I really wanted to use movement that is classical Chinese,” said Li. “But for the structure, I wanted to try something more Western…[In] traditional Chinese choreography, they ‘tell’ a lot of the story, but it’s not like a movie that can make you understand. So in this one, we focused on the feeling…and used this to catch the audience, who will follow the artist and the feeling…also, they can see the physical movement.”

As Li points out, Chinese classical dance can be focused on narrative; whereas, Western dance, especially modern dance, is more interested in the expression of feeling. Chinese classical dance is formal in the way that Western ballet can be formal. However, there are differences, such as the use in Chinese dance of martial arts and acrobatics. Li, whose background includes the Beijing Dance Academy and the Pacific Northwest Ballet, is fluent in Chinese and Western dance, which uniquely allows him to introduce new ways of considering dance to varied audiences.

In his 2014 production of The Dream of Golden Crown, the director of the Chinese National Acrobatic Troupe thanked Li for “improving our Chinese acrobats to an art form—it’s not only acrobatics.”

Li’s versatility allows him to incorporate innovative methods, which he uses in “The Butterfly Lovers,” such as coordinating the colors of the costumes with the phases of the narrative. Add to this the consummate professionalism of the Beijing Dance Academy performers, and you have a show that is guaranteed to please. Per Li, the performers dancing the roles of Liang and Zhu are senior dancers with many awards under their belts. He emphasizes that dancers at the Beijing Dance Academy are

the best of the best from all around China.

Who better to introduce Seattle audiences to this famous Chinese love story?

According to its website, the Academy is “the only institution of higher learning for professional dance education in China, as well as the largest prestigious dance school with comprehensive concentrations in the world.” It is called “the cradle of dancers.”

It is these dancers who have taken on Li’s challenge of combining Chinese classical movement with Western emotive gesture, and who are charged with demonstrating the deep passion of the main characters, one of whom does not fit into a neat category. In Li’s view, Zhu is rebellious (she disguises herself as a boy, she pursues a forbidden love); yet for Li, Zhu also represents the four qualities of a worthy person: Xiao (filial), Dao (follows the right path), Zhong (loyal), and Yi (acts with principle).

“This lady is perfect,” says Li. “Not meaning that her beauty is perfect, but that her XiaoDaoZhongYi is perfect. She agrees with her parents—I can marry whoever you want me to marry, because you are my parents…She also promises her lover, we can die someday [and be together]. If we cannot be together [on earth], we can love together in heaven.”

Li assures that “The Butterfly Lovers” will be easily understandable. He explains that the story will be divided into the customary four parts. The first part tells of the early days of friendship, and blossoming, but hidden, love. “The boy is thinking, oh, we are good friends! The girl is thinking, oh, I love you, but I cannot tell you! This is a challenge for the dancers.”

The second part initiates when Zhu receives word that she must marry another, and Liang accompanies her home, or in Chinese, ShiBaLing XiangSong (the 18mile walk home). The distance is specified because on the one hand, it is short, and on the other, long, because the lovers deliberately extend it.

“They go back and forth because they don’t want to separate.” During this second part, Zhu reveals herself as a girl and the two express their love for one another. The challenge for the dancers during part two, explains Li, is acting out the clues that Zhu gives to the initially clueless Liang.

Part three is comprised of the preparations for Zhu’s wedding, while part four culminates in death and rebirth.

Ultimately, the story is hopeful, promising as it does eternal love. With Li’s artistry and the breath-taking talent of the Beijing Dance Academy, they deliver a new take on this old story, in a first-time-ever performance tour in the United States. The performance is sure to inspire and delight.

“In China they say: If talking doesn’t show your feeling well enough, you can sing. If singing doesn’t show your feeling well enough, you can dance! Dance is the top way to show feeling,” Li says.  “The Butterfly Lovers” performances at McCaw Hall will be held from Sept.

5-7. For tickets, go to ticketmaster. com, asianperformingarts.org, or call 425-830-8054.

Kai can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

YOUR VOICE

■ ON THE SHELF

AUGUST 24 – AUGUST 30, 2019

asianweekly northwest

Practical Equality: Forging Justice in a Divided Nation

By Chris Juergens NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Port Townsend native and Taiwanese American Robert Tsai’s 2019 book “Practical Equality: Forging Justice in a Divided Nation” discusses how lawyers and activists can utilize the court system to achieve equality and right historical wrongs in an era where the courts are becoming more conservative.

Tsai, a law professor at American University in Washington, D.C., spoke with the Northwest Asian Weekly about the key themes in his book, current legal cases relevant to immigrants, growing up in Port Townsend as an Asian American, and what distinguishes his legal philosophy from conservative jurists.

Tsai’s core thesis is that legal advocates should argue that Trump’s travel ban, the current disenfranchisement of felons, and other xenophobic, rascist, and discriminatory policies violate constitutional rights. Tsai contrasts this legal approach with the much harder task of trying to prove that a law is discriminatory against a given group. Even with Trump’s travel ban, which excludes citizens from primarily Muslim nations from entering the United States on the basis of religion, it is hard to prove in court—especially with conservative jurists—that it was made with the explicit intent to single out Muslims.

Tsai’s approach is a middle way, which in his book he describes as “another path forward through the usual tangle of lofty ideals and loss-cutting expediency.” He says that it is a “form of pragmatism […] to find other ways of doing justice when we have trouble agreeing to do it explicitly.”

Tsai cites the successful challenges to New York’s stop and frisk rule and a 1934 Mississipi case where a Black defendent admitted to a crime under torture which was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Rather than try and prove that law enforcement and the judicial system singled out and mistreated an entire group of people, it was easier to prove that citizens were deprived of other rights.

Cases like New York’s stop and frisk and the use of torture to extract a confession were found to violate Constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure and cruel punishment.

Tsai writes that “fairness can be a close approximation of equality in many situations, even if it’s not exactly the same.” In other words, minorities who receive discriminatory treatment can more easily prove they were unfairly treated through the denial of their rights without saying they were treated this way because they were minorities.

When asked about the rights of non-U.S. citizens, Tsai said that U.S. courts have ruled that people in the United States are entitled to some level of due process. He said that the 14th Amendment, in theory, should apply to all people in the United States regardless of their immigration status, even if their protection might not be to the same level as that of a citizen. The 14th Amendment guarantees every person— without mentioning citizenship—equal protection under the law.

In regards to the current situation at the U.S. border, where migrants have been separated from their children and detained for long periods, Tsai said that technically,

Robert Tsai

the 14th Amendment should apply to migrants. But he was quick to point out that where migrants are detained may make a difference.

He stated that Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the newest member of the U.S. Supreme Court, has in past cases, when he was a lower court judge, said that where a noncitizen was apprehended matters in regards to the protection under the Constitution.

“It is definitely a complicated question,” Tsai stated.

While discussing his childhood, Tsai said he “basically grew up white” since there was almost no Asian American presence outside his home in Port Townsend at the time. He ate American food at school and participated in mainstream American cultural events. It was not until he went to college in southern California and interacted with many Asian Americans where he realized his identity as part of an Asian American community.

Tsai’s current research keeps him firmly rooted in the Northwest, even if he lives and works on the East Coast.

He is researching and writing about the “Tacoma Method,” which was first used in Tacoma to expel Chinese immigrants en masse in 1885. The “Tacoma Method” was subsequently replicated in towns throughout the Northwest to aggressively expel Chinese immigrants.

The Northwest Asian Weekly concluded its discussion with Tsai by asking what distinguishes him from conservative jurists like Trump-appointees Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

“Trump started his campaign by denouncing Muslims and Hispanic people [...] Where I part ways [with these jurists] is that they are far more willing to blind themselves to nefarious motives [of the Trump administration],” Tsai said. “I would have asked where is your evidence of a threat [from people from nations included in the travel ban]. I would be much more skeptical of this administration’s claims. ” Tsai’s book is a must-read for any concerned citizen, for both the layperson and legal scholar alike. For those without a legal background, the book is very readable and draws attention to critical rights all people have in the United States. For the legal scholar, the book helps devise practical legal strategies in the age of Trump and a conservative U.S. Supreme Court.

As such, the book refreshingly does not assume that future cases regarding equality for immigrants and minorities are already

lost. Rather, the book highlights the importance of creating sound, practical arguments tailored to the current Supreme Court justices.  Chris can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly. com.

10th Annual Ethnic Media Candidates Meet n Greet with local ethnic media and multicultural business leaders

Thursday, September 19, 2019 Joyale Seafood Restaurant 900 S Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104 5-7 pm ABOUT SEA BEEZ Sea Beez strives to empower ethnic and minority, immigrant and refugee communities by organizing capacity-building workshops and networking opportunities for local ethnic media outlets, which in turn can create stronger forums for these ethnic communities throughout Seattle.

Have questions or want to participate?

Email Lourdes Tsukada via email juliephamnvn@gmail.com or call her cell 206-334-5200 and leave a message.

The event is free. Please register your RSVP to juliephamnvn@gmail.com.

If you prefer, call 206-334-5200 and leave a message.

9

asianweekly northwest

10

37 YEARS

AUGUST 24 – AUGUST 30, 2019

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

Encountering a fake writer

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Embellishing resumes are nothing new.

When someone claims she writes for a news organization for two years, but hasn’t— that’s not an embellishment—it’s a lie.

The news organization is us—the Northwest Asian Weekly. We found out recently what happened—much to our disbelief and surprise. Apparently, it has been on Fanny Aung’s (not her real name) social media account for a while. How did she get caught? She applied for a press pass for an event. The organizer emailed us, asking when an article will be published.

We told the organizer that Aung has never written for us. We were shocked. So was the organizer.

If you say Aung is an imposter, I would agree. If you call her “a deceiver, fabricator, cheater, pretender, or faker,” I would not dispute any of those.

I suppose “fake writer” is a more accurate description of Aung. She imagines that she writes and has been published, but she never has been. Writers who work diligently, even though they might not be strong writers, often impress me. I admire the effort and resilience, and those who have improved over time. If she had approached and pitched us her story idea, it might have been a different outcome. Yet, she chose to lie.

“How dare she?” was not my reaction when I found out. I wasn’t angry at all.

Frankly, I was more curious about why she did what she did.

From a photo she posted on social media, she is Asian and young. When I was her age, in my late 20s, I already had a baby and bought our first house. Is the Northwest Asian Weekly so prestigious that someone decided to scheme to get her foot in the door for jobs and juicy assignments? Being a writer is not a glamorous career, unless you have published many bestsellers and readers are dying for your autograph, packing venues for your readings. Writing is hard work, period. It can be a lonely adventure, demanding devotion, focus, and discipline.

Does she know that?

I thought about the characteristics of a fake writer. I wanted to meet and talk to Aung. Was she remorseful? Should I give her another chance? I sensed she had more troubles in her life than just falling into a fake writer. So I waited to hear from her...

Our actions

“Don’t waste time on Aung,” one staff member advised. “Tell our attorney to send her a letter.”

“Call her first, ” I told my editor.

“Did you know that you have committed fraud?” my editor called and confronted Aung. Embarrassed, she was completely caught off guard. My editor also asked her to explain her actions to the publisher, me.

The next day, Aung disconnected her phone number.

One staff member drafted a harsh letter, condemning and demanding that she delete her false statements immediately on social media. I never sent that email. Nor did I have my attorney send her a nasty warning.

A week later, Aung emailed me and asked for a meeting. But at 1:58 a.m. on the day of the meeting, she emailed to cancel. I guess it takes courage for someone to face the consequences of her behavior when she was definitely guilty. Would we meet face to face?

The meeting

Never did I scream or pressure Aung in

my emails, even though she canceled our meeting. Patiently, I bid my time. Another week drifted by. Finally, she meandered to our office, and was early for our appointment.

What was her excuse? Personal trauma had driven her over the edge, she told me in tears. And she had proof, court papers revealing that she was a victim of abuse. A conflicted soul, she was trying to explore venues to hide herself, as well as get attention.

She apologized for the trouble she caused.

Instantly, I accepted her apology. When she was comfortable, I invited my staff to join us. Not even once did we threaten or scold her.

Some might think we were too lenient.

Perhaps. It was never my intent to ruin her life. Everyone was young once and made stupid choices. I did foolish things when I was her age, but nothing compared to this.

She complained about an organization she volunteered for for a decade, and never received any recognition. This hurt her. For someone who is young and vulnerable like Aung, she desperately needs affirmation from her peers and elderly. I learned a long time ago that most people know how to take, but seldom give. How often do we show appreciation and kindness towards others and acknowledge their contributions? If you have, good. But always, you and I can do more.

My goal is to help her learn and move forward for the future. And my advice for her is to focus on people other than herself. Do good work to serve others, to strengthen her ability and confidence. Remind yourself not to expect credit. It makes us much happier.

Overthinking can get ourselves into trouble. Beware when your thoughts are stuck and confused. When I get stuck, I go for walks, enjoying trees and water to distract myself. Exercise will immediately release my stress and my brain will build endorphins instead of experiencing negative emotions. After a while, I feel so much better not only physically, but emotionally.

The worst thing is to dwell on and torture yourself with aimless thoughts of the past: Who did what to you. But if you write, frustrations, fantasy, agony, and anger can be channeled as motivation. Writing also clarifies your thinking and empowers you.

Those emotions become your imagination, cooking up story ideas, inspiration of images dashing across the pages, and words flowing out of your brain—that’s how we write.

Not always lucrative

Does Aung really want to be a writer? I have news for her.

Unless you are established, writers receive little financial reward. Relying solely on freelancing, it can be tough to make a living.

There are success stories though. The Asian Weekly has been a stepping stone for some. Our former writer, Patricia Tanumihardja, landed a contract for a book after the Asian Weekly published her interview with Sasquatch Publishing. We were so proud to see her book, “Farm to

Table Asian Secrets,” published. Then, she wrote her second cookbook, “The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook,” for the same publisher. Some writers and editors have found jobs as editors and journalists for big mainstream media and tech companies.

Most of our current writers have another full-time job to support their passion for writing for the Asian Weekly. I’ve always wished we can pay them more because they deserve it. Their reward is meeting fascinating people who they otherwise would not be able to in their normal life.

Their satisfaction is seeing their work published, or serving the Asian community.

The internet has made it possible for their work to exist forever. That lasting legacy is powerful and empowering.

Another piece of motivation for our writers is receiving journalism awards, such as the ones from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. It is intense competition with hundreds of weeklies and thousands of entries from all over the state, judged by other Publishers Associations in New York and Louisiana.

In addition, we give $50 per story to each writer who wins. Besides recognizing them in the Asian Weekly, we pay for their tickets at the awards ceremony banquet.

It’s always a thrill when Asian Weekly’s name and the writers are announced when we win. The most exciting moment is winning first prize with the writer’s name and Asian Weekly’s name flashed on the screen.

The writing award is so appealing that see BLOG on 13

AUGUST 24 – AUGUST 30, 2019

YOUR VOICE

■ COMMENTARY

asianweekly northwest

11

Initiative 1000 is unfair to Asian children and divides our community

By Yvonne Kinoshita Ward SPECIAL TO THE NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Driven by political insiders, Asians here are facing a disturbing threat to their children’s future: the movement to deny Asian children Yvonne Kinoshita Ward educational opportunities and government employment.

This threat is through Initiative 1000 (on your ballot as Referendum 88), which would implement quotas and caps by race for college admissions, public employment, and government contracting.

For now, in Washington, such discrimination is illegal under our Civil Rights Act. But government and corporate

insiders want to repeal those rights through Initiative 1000 (I-1000). This represents the ultimate betrayal to our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents who worked so hard and endured harsh racism just to make better lives for their children. We must honor those sacrifices by ensuring Asian children are not denied the dignity, the fairness, and the respect our elders earned for them. We must reject I-1000.

I-1000 legalizes anti-Asian bias through quotes and caps The lawsuit against Harvard disclosed what Asian families knew: Colleges and universities discriminate against Asians. Under Harvard’s affirmative action policy, Asians are not invited unless their SAT scores are at least 300 points higher than other groups. Harvard then caps the number of Asians for admission. And even though Asian applicants score significantly higher than all other groups in every objective category, they have the lowest admission rate. The same is happening through medical

school affirmative action policies, where other groups are admitted up to 10 times the rate as Asians with the same MCAT and GPA scores.

If I-1000 passes, anti-Asian discrimination will be legalized here through Harvard-style quotas and caps, which the powerful insiders behind I-1000 concealed in hidden loopholes. Agencies will count students and employees by race, decide which races get favored status, set targets for those races, and make college admission and employment decisions in favor of those races. These are, by definition, quotas. They will be implemented at every level of government. Bureaucrats will be empowered to decide whom to include and exclude from colleges, universities, and government employment based upon favored race status.

Asians know exactly what that means. We have often see INITIATIVE 1000 on 13

LIN from 3

HABIB from 3

VANDALISM from 3

Facebook between May and August to a Hispanic woman he knows, threatening her and her family, expressing support for Adolf Hitler, and calling for the extermination of Spanish-speaking people and other ethnic groups.

The FBI says Lin, of Clarksburg, Maryland, was arrested on Aug. 16 in Seattle on the federal charges filed in Miami.

Lin has a bail hearing next week in Seattle. 

set to launch this winter. The two-year program consists of six major expeditions each year throughout the state in which students take part in hiking, camping, skiing, and other outdoor activities.

You can support the program by sponsoring Habib’s Kilimanjaro climb at boundlesswa.org/new-page.

Boundless Washington said 100 percent of your fully taxdeductible donation will go to the program. 

eyewitnesses told dispatchers that the man caught a ride on a pedicab. Sgt. David Adams spotted a pedicab driver who told him the man threatened to stab him, causing the driver to pick up a piece of cement in an effort to defend himself. The driver said the suspect ran away but officers arrested him a block away.

The man, 58, was booked into King County Jail for investigation of property damage as well as harassment.

There have been a string of vandalism incidents involving someone breaking glass windows and doors at C-ID businesses in the past month and a half.

When asked if this arrest was related, Seattle police spokesman Patrick Michaud told the Northwest Asian Weekly, “While the incidents do appear similar, the other cases are still under investigation. Once detectives have evidence back from the crime lab, we will be able to say for sure if they are in fact linked.” 

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asianweekly northwest

12

AUGUST 24 – AUGUST 30, 2019

TRUMP PROJECT from 5 “It has nothing to do with Trump,’’ Trump Jr. said.

“Obviously he (Tanoesoedibjo) has got a large development, and the two have nothing to do with each other.’’

The property owner signed a deal four years earlier for the development to include a Trump-branded hotel along with a golf course, country club, luxury condominiums, mansions, and villas—billed in its promotional material as “Trump Residences.’’ Together with a theme park, hotels, shops, homes and a dining and entertainment district that MNC is developing on its own, this first stage of “Lido

LIEU from 4 showed such aggressiveness earlier in life, describing her son as a quiet man who never talked back to his parents and never mistreated his younger brother.

“His personality in real life and his personality on Twitter are completely different,’’ Lieu’s mother Kerry said in Chinese. “You look at Ted, he’s quiet. He would never physically fight anyone. But, he will fight back against injustice.’’

Lieu’s criticism of Trump stands out even in overwhelmingly Democratic California.

“If you were to ask me to list the California members of Congress who are the most virulent on social media in regularly condemning the president at every possible moment, I think Ted Lieu would have to be the top of that list,’’ said Harmeet Dhillon, the national committeewoman of the Republican National Committee for California.

Lieu’s mother and father after arriving in the U.S. sold gifts and jewelry, then opened a gift store, and eventually grew the business to 10 establishments. Lieu worked for

BLINDED from 7 including outside Britain, Manzoor saw the Boss “about 150 times.” And Manzoor was not a wallflower. “In that time, I was often at the front,” he recalled. “Because I was there at the front so much, he got to recognize me…and because there weren’t that many Asian Springsteen fans, I was quite visible. He would always point and smile. So we had some kind of a connection.”

Flash forward. “I sent the script to him and three weeks later, we got word from him and his basic words were, ‘I’m all good with this.’ That’s all he said…That’s all we needed!”

There’s a chemistry between Manzoor, Chadha, and Springsteen that is beyond fandom. There is mutual respect and common ground. Their friendship seems to represent what the film is saying: music, and shared humanity, can bring us together, regardless of each of our backgrounds. For Manzoor, that has been one of the most amazing things about sharing his story.

In Los Angeles, a viewer said, “I’ve never connected with any film as much as I’ve connected with yours.” Manzoor was surprised. “You’re an LA dude in your 20s! How can you say this about a film set [in the 1980s] about a Pakistani family?”

Someone else said to him, “I’m Korean and I can see my dad in your dad.” For Manzoor, this is humbling. “It’s not just about me telling my story. It’s about other people seeing something in themselves in the story.”

37 YEARS

City’’ is to occupy 7,413 acres.

Trump Residences in Lido alone sits on a 865-acre plot that can be accessed directly through the newly opened Bocimi highway from Indonesia’s capital.

The two groups are also working together on the 250acre Trump International Resort, Golf Club and Residences located near Bali’s sacred Hindu temple of Tanah Lot. They promise breathtaking views and a super-sized golf course overlooking the temple.

The two Trump Residences projects in West Java and Bali are to cost about $1.7 billion. The Trump Organization will manage the properties under an agreement made with

MNC Land in 2015, before Trump was elected.

Even though Trump’s involvement in the project predated his election, both deals raised concerns that foreign governments could influence his administration, which has been in a bitter trade war with China.

“My father is not at all involved, and he won’t make decisions that affect a country based on a real estate deal,’’ said Trump Jr., who is executive vice president of the Trump Organization. “We should be very ... very clear about that.’’

Tanoesoedibjo said the projects are basically funded by his group of companies. 

free for them during breaks from studying computer science and political science at Stanford University.

His ROTC service paid for his degree and he was supposed to serve in the military after graduating, but an eye exam revealed worsening vision, meaning he could have avoided military service even after the military paid for his higher education. But Lieu decided to serve four years in the Air Force as a military lawyer and is still in the reserves.

“He wanted to give back to his country,’’ Kerry Lieu said. “This country has given us so much.’’

Lieu entered politics as a councilman in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance and was elected to the state Legislature in 2005, where he pushed bills to help renters and expand environmental protections.

Lieu said it’s wrong to suggest that all Democrats in the U.S. House are as far to the left as GOP critics suggest they are.

“The incoming freshman class is overwhelmingly much more moderate than prior classes,’’ he said. “And if you look at the legislation that has passed the House of

Representatives, it’s been moderate legislation.’’

He calls himself a progressive and was the first member of Congress to endorse Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif. for president, citing her experience as California’s former attorney general.

“We’ve worked together on a number of issues including criminal justice reform and bail reform,’’ Lieu said. “When I authored the first law in a nation to ban gay conversion therapy, she defended that in court before the federal district court as well as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.’’

Lieu once had journalism aspirations and hoped to become an op-ed columnist, saying “one of the coolest days of my life was in 1999 when I got an op-ed published in The Washington Post.’’

His tweets read like condensed editorials “in six sentences or less,’’ he said.

His mother sees it as natural that her son’s writing helped turned him into an online presence.

Se said he is “like his father. They don’t talk much, but they’re great with the pen.’’ 

Music is a common denominator. was expected, anyone who has ever turned Manzoor and the film say it well. to music for consolation, should be able to “The message of this film is that music— relate. If you can listen to the lyrics (they art—doesn’t respect boundaries of race provide them for you — no excuse!) and or religion or nationality.” It’s a message watch the way the music inspires Javed, that Manzoor and Chadha believe applies then you should “get” the movie. “The film equally well today as it did to Thatcher’s is fundamentally about the power of music Britain. “We’re in very divided times right and words to change a life,” explained now,” remarked Manzoor. “There are a lot Manzoor. “But that doesn’t have to be of people who are choosing to focus on Bruce. For me, it was Bruce! For somebody the different…choosing to treat others in a else, it could be a totally different artist… way that puts them against other people… It’s about that excitement you feel when [Blinded by the Light is] a period film you’re 16…There is something about when which actually feels quite timely.” you listen to music at that time and you just Chadha knew she wanted to do a film feel amazing.” that addressed that divisiveness. “…Brexit To take it a step further, does it matter happened, in 2016, the vote happened, if you’re Pakistani? It’s clear from the and all of the sudden…there was a lot of audience’s response that people relate to xenophobia…I saw a breakdown all around Javed, so the answer is no. At one point me and it was terrifying…I thought, what in the movie, after Javed remarks, “I can I do about this? I need to do something. thought I was British,” Javed’s father says, I put my fears, my frustration, and my “You will always be Pakistani. You will anger of what I was seeing around me [into never be British.” Recent immigrants can the film]. I wanted to show an alternative, understand wanting to absorb the culture a world that was much more inclusive and of your adoptive country, while also joyful than what I was seeing.” As Chadha wanting to honor your family. And all of us explained, “So much of Springsteen’s work can respond to the racism depicted in the is about ordinary people, people struggling, film (which goes both ways) — and want trying to make a living…people who have it to stop. helped build society but aren’t given the “Blinded by the Light” doesn’t credit for it, but [Springsteen] also hoped necessarily offer answers, but it does offer they could find their promised land within an alternative. Manzoor remembered that struggle. That was just such a beautiful telling himself as a teenager, “You’ve only way of looking at the world.” got one life.” Did he want to spend that life 自1872年起服務西北岸社區 So did it have to be Springsteen? Yes doing what his parents wanted or would 非營利獨立協會 and no. Anyone who has ever felt trapped, he strike out on his own? Looking back especially as a teenager, anyone who ever now, Manzoor said, “My whole thing has wanted to do something different than what been…to try to have it all…I kind of want

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my family on board, too. Part of that is being empathetic…and part of it is sticking true to your guns…In the film, [Javed] quotes Bruce and he says, ‘If dreams came true, wouldn’t that be nice? But this ain’t no dream you’re living through tonight. If you want it, you take it, and you pay the price.’”

The dream, and the price, is often somewhere between separation and assimilation.

“It’s quite moving when you see a story of someone trying to make it work,” said Chadha. “And that’s what I think makes it universal because we’ve all been there…

The world belongs to those of us who have multiple identities, multiple languages.

That’s the future.”  Kai can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

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YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

asianweekly northwest

13

Predictions and advice for the week of August 24–30, 2019

By Sun Lee Chang Rat — No matter how clear your objective was at the beginning, additional factors are now involved. It would make sense to shift your plans accordingly.

Ox — Success might be fleeting for some, but once it has been attained, yours will be enduring.

Tiger — Too many people trying to coordinate a singular project could give rise to unnecessary conflict. Start with a small group and enlist more only if needed.

Rabbit — Make the most out of an early warning by using it as the impetus to formulate a thoughtful strategy going forward.

Dragon — Rather than peaking early, you realize that the best is yet to come. Your positive outlook should generate its own kind of luck.

Snake — Do you feel as if you have been down this road before? If your last approach didn’t work, try a different one this time around.

Horse — Knowing what is coming is a huge advantage and it should give you a substantial boost over a competitor.

Goat — Has a recent occurrence sparked a series of unintended consequences? You have the power to turn the tide.

Monkey — Keeping in sync with your partner might not always be so easy. A change in rhythm should be readily identifiable if you are paying attention.

Rooster — The hype may bear little resemblance to the real thing. Reserve judgment until you are able to see for yourself in person.

Dog — Something that is relatively simple to put in motion could be difficult to undo or reverse. Do your homework before you decide to go ahead.

Pig — The tides seem to be turning your way after some initial struggle. You should be able to make substantial headway in the near future.

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.

INITIATIVE 1000 from 11 been the group excluded by those in power.

I-1000 will legalize such discrimination by using an insider-filled government agency to enforce caps against us. It is unfair to deny our children educational and employment opportunities because they are Asian. While we as parents have attained educations and jobs, our children have not and they will be the ones to feel the full impact of Asian discrimination if I-1000 passes. We must stand up and reject I-1000.

I-1000 divides us

I-1000 is divisive, pitting race against race. It is even splitting our own community: Asian insiders are attacking Asians who oppose I-1000, condemning them personally and marginalizing them as outsiders. This is what I-1000 does, just as a proposal. Imagine what will happen if it passes. We must reject I-1000.

We can be quiet no longer

Asians are disregarded as the quiet stepchild of the civil rights movement. We have always supported equal treatment for all, yet when we face discrimination, we are ignored. None of the so-called civil

BLOG from 10 one writer, Stacy Nguyen, has specifically stated that she wants only potentially award-winning assignments. There is good and bad in that rationale. The good thing is, she wants challenging or investigative assignments. And the bad side is, she limits herself in the kind of stories which appear to be routine, but could turn into an exciting assignment in the process.

Interviewing requires skills to probe, a keen mind to detect the truth and what’s not. Frequently, writing a community story is like solving a mystery—finding the cause and effect, obvious and hidden impacts, and who are the actual players in the plot. But the challenge doesn’t end there. The writer’s skills can make or break a story or sometimes, the Asian Weekly.

The craft requires many rewrites.

Reworking concepts, messages, words, and lines are often needed to make the whole story click. For me, the rewrite is

rights groups supporting I-1000 stood up for us in the face of racism in education, such as at Harvard. In fact, the ACLU even applauded that discrimination.

Those groups have dismissed us in the past, and now they expect us to support discrimination against our children. To this we must say no. In honor of those who came before us who sacrificed so much, and on behalf of our children who have done nothing wrong to warrant discrimination, we must stand our ground and fight this prejudice. We must take our stand at the ballot box because there, the anti-Asian Establishment cannot ignore us. With your ballot in hand, focus on our children’s future, their right to dignity, their right to fairness, and their fundamental right to respect.

Reject racism. Reject I-1000.

Yvonne Kinoshita Ward is past president of the Asian Bar Association of Washington and past chair of the Washington Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs. She was twice named a Top Contributor to the Asian Community by the Northwest Asian Weekly and was awarded the Washington State Association for Justice Carl J. Maxey Award for promoting diversity in the legal profession. 

the most fun and best part of the process.

It’s pure joy for me—just me alone with the computer. Every word I change creates magic. Sometimes, those words dance before my eyes easily. Sometimes, it rips me apart just to search for the one right word. When I nail it, no words could describe my bliss.

By now, Aung might grasp a writer’s challenges. Lots of sweat, blood, and tears go into producing great essays, poems, articles, or novels. Enduring countless rejects are part of the process. It can be bittersweet too, when readers share how much they enjoy reading your work after you gave it all to produce your finest. And I would be delighted someday if Aung can find her voice. This incident is just a small bump on her journey to pursue her writing dream.

In any case, I have forgiven her. May she find her passion whatever it is, and live with dignity, integrity, and conviction.  Assunta may be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

HOGG from 5 Cathay Pacific—which began a SeattleHong Kong route in March—serves more than 200 destinations in Asia, Europe and the Americas. It has 33,000 employees.

Its parent, Cathay Pacific Group, also owns Dragonair, Air Hong Kong and HK Express.

Slosar said that Cathay Pacific didn’t tell its employees what to think, but that position shifted following China’s warning.

On Aug. 12, Hogg threatened employees with penalties including possible firing if they took part in “illegal protests.’’

Hong Kong was promised a “high degree of autonomy’’—a system dubbed “one country, two systems’’ by Beijing—when the former British colony returned to China in 1997.

Government critics say that is being eroded by Hong Kong leaders and the Communist Party.

“Cathay Pacific is fully committed to

Hong Kong under the principle of `one country, two systems’ as enshrined in the Basic Law. We are confident that Hong Kong will have a great future,’’ Slosar said in the statement.

Other companies also have been caught up in nationalist passions.

Fashion brands Givenchy, Versace, and Coach apologized after Chinese social media users criticized them for selling T-shirts that showed Hong Kong, as well as the Chinese territory of Macau and selfruled Taiwan, as separate countries.

Taiwan split with the mainland in a civil war in 1949 but Beijing claims the island as its territory and is pressuring companies to say it is part of China.

Last year, 20 airlines including British Airways, Lufthansa and Air Canada changed their websites to call Taiwan part of China under orders from the Chinese regulator. The White House called the demand “Orwellian nonsense.’’ 

asianweekly northwest

14

AUGUST 24 – AUGUST 30, 2019

LEVI from 4 Levi’s, The Children’s Place and Kontoor Brands, maker of Wrangler and Lee jeans, said in a joint statement they want all workers, especially women, to feel “safe, valued and empowered.’’

The U.S. companies are funding a two-year program, in collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development, that establishes an independent investigative group where factory workers can raise concerns.

Factory owner Nien Hsing has agreed to work with Lesothobased unions and women’s rights organizations to develop a code of conduct and enforcement actions.

“We strive to ensure a safe and secure workplace for all workers in our factories,’’ Nien Hsing Chairman Richard Chen said in a written statement.

Besides its mills and manufacturing facilities in Lesotho, the company also has facilities in Mexico, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

About 80 percent of garment makers around the world are women, according to the Global Fund for Women.

As awareness of sexual harassment and abuse has soared with the #MeToo movement in recent years, women’s rights groups have pressured apparel makers in Asia to end genderbased violence.

The Global Fund has been working for several years in South Asia to improve workplace conditions at apparel makers in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Myanmar, and Vietnam, teaching female garment workers about their workplace rights.

Rola Abimourched, a senior program director at the Worker Rights Consortium, said the Lesotho agreement should serve as a model for the rest of the apparel industry to prevent abuse and harassment.

“Hopefully this is something others will see and build on, so we can collectively make an impact far beyond any single country,’’ she said. 

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Folkloric carp statue, peony trees, and Rose of Sharon bushes at Seattle Chinese Garden.

Future location of what will be the lotus pond and teahouse at Seattle Chinese Garden.

SEATTLE CHINESE GARDEN from 1

will be a place of community and gathering. It will be unique to the Garden as it stands now in that it will provide an indoor versus an outdoor space for quiet contemplation or convivial socializing. A small kitchen will be onsite to offer light meals and tea, while catering will also be available for groups up to 40 (eventually, the Garden plan includes a banquet hall which will accommodate around 150 people).

Imagine if you will, visiting the peaceful grounds of the Garden in the winter-time, and enjoying a hot cup of tea inside a traditional, Sichuan-style building with a charming lotus pond, and in the background, the Emerald City. As Miller pointed out, there are very few garden spaces in the area which offer an indoor space that attracts visitors yearround.

“You come to a public garden in Seattle in November and it’s chilly and damp! If you can go inside and spend an hour with your hands on your tea cup and warm up, then it is a nice experience!”

As many know, the Chinese tea experience is not the same as that of other countries, such as Japan. While the Chinese do have ceremonial aspects to the enjoyment of tea, in general, having tea in China is a more social, less formal event. At a Japanese teahouse, nothing but making tea occurs. At the Garden teahouse, other garden activities will be offered, such as calligraphy or painting classes, martial arts demonstrations, or music performances.

Community members will be able to reserve the premises for events, and seasonal celebrations will occur.

If, as is hoped, this recent donation gets the ball rolling, Miller predicts it will take at least 18 months to complete the teahouse. As part of Seattle’s partnership with Chongqing, the Chinese sister city will provide the skilled craftsmen to build the Sichuan-style architecture. As Miller explained, the tile work and other intricacies of the Garden structures, such as the sweeping awnings over the doorways particular to the Sichuan region, are hard to come by outside of China.

“The skill that it takes to do this — there isn’t anybody in the U.S. …it’s not something you can source here.”

The visiting artisans also provide more opportunity for

is the only Sichuan-style garden outside of China. Since the first structure, the Song Mei Pavilion, was dedicated in 1999, a Knowing Spring Courtyard has been added, along with the Chan Education Center, which provides a home base for administrative staff, Garden course offerings, and yearly festivities. Landscaping, such as a stand of peony trees, has taken place using plants found in China, especially in Sichuan and famous scenic spots, such as sacred mountain, Emei, and Chongqing’s Erling Park.

Visiting the Garden as it is now gives a tantalizing hint at the grander vision.

Recently, the Garden received a generous donation of $1 million dollars to put towards its next planned structure — the teahouse. The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, was described by Paige Miller, Garden Board of Directors and Vice President (Fundraising), as “someone of Chinese heritage who wants to see Chinese art, culture and values passed on to the next generation — and who is impatient to see the teahouse built.” It’s a start. A big chunk of the $8 million total that is anticipated to complete the project.

Why a teahouse and why now?

At a recent fundraiser, Miller provided this motivation, “[The Garden] is the place to teach our children and community about the people and ways of the second most powerful nation on Earth…No other relationship between two nations will be more important in this century. No other relationship is now more at risk of going sideways…

Seattle has been a leader in connecting with China, and this Garden has been a leader in that effort. Now, more than ever, we need to remind people of our region’s leadership role and to re-dedicate ourselves to being this bridge between our two countries and our two peoples.”

Similarly to how, even in the midst of international conflict, individual citizens may strive to express their shared humanity, learn about each other, and allow their relationships to grow, so too does the Garden need nurturing to fully blossom into the symbol of friendship and mutual respect that it is meant to be. The teahouse, in particular,

HONG KONG from 5 said Michael Leung, a 24-year-old who was ushering his fellow demonstrators away.

“If we get a negative response, we cannot control the next (gathering).’’

Organizer Bonnie Leung of the Civil Human Rights Front said earlier in the day that she hoped there would be no “chaotic situations.’’

“We hope we can show the world that Hong Kong people can be totally peaceful,’’ she said.

The Civil Human Rights Frontáhad organized three previous massive marches in Hong Kong since June. The movement, however, has been increasingly marked by clashes with police as demonstrators vent their frustrations over what they perceive to be the government’s blatant refusal to respond to their demands.

“Peace is the No. 1 priority today,’’ said Kiki Ma, a 28-year-old accountant who participated in the march. “We want to show that we aren’t like the government.’’

While police granted approval for the rally, they didn’t approve an accompanying march. Demonstrators nevertheless fanned out and filled the streets, as there was not

enough space at the designated assembly area.

Public transit trains did not stop at stations near the assembly because of overcrowding.

Jimmy Shan of the Civil Human Rights Front said the group estimated that at least 1.7 million took part in the rally. He said the figure did not include those who were not able to make it to Victoria Park—where the march began—due to traffic constraints.

Police, whose crowd figures are generally lower than the organizers’ estimates, said the turnout at the assigned location and during the designated time period was 128,000. Many protesters, however, did not follow the pre-approved guidelines laid out by the authorities.

In Beijing, You Wenze, a spokesman for China’s ceremonial legislature, condemned statements from U.S. lawmakers supportive of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.

You called the lawmakers’ comments “a gross violation of the spirit of the rule of law, a blatant double standard and a gross interference in China’s internal affairs.’’

He said that Hong Kong’s 7.5 million people and the Chinese population as a whole rejected the actions of a “very small

asianweekly northwest

15

Photos by Kai Curry

AUGUST 24 – AUGUST 30, 2019

YOUR VOICE

Knowing the Spring Courtyard at Seattle Chinese Garden.

education, when the Garden invites school children to view the work as it is in progress, as has been done previously.

“It’s a really great way to teach people about China,” Miller emphasized. “Both people of Chinese heritage who want to pass it on to the next generation, and people like me who aren’t of Chinese heritage but really want to understand the culture.”

One building, one lily pond, and one peony tree at a time, the Garden is taking shape. The recent donation has catapulted the teahouse project into the realm of possibility.

Miller hopes that this donation will inspire others to follow suit, especially in this time of tension between our two nations.

“There have been other fraught times at the national level,” she reminded at the Garden’s fundraiser. “And that is when the City of Seattle and this Garden have stepped forward to continue to engage, to continue to teach folks here about Chinese people and their rich heritage of arts and learning, to continue to connect to our friends abroad.”

A donor board stands outside the Knowing the Spring Courtyard, demonstrating the generosity of previous givers. Now, the Garden needs help again, to fulfill its mission, as they describe it, of “enriching the quality of life in the Pacific Northwest, by providing a beautiful ‘coming together space’ in Sichuan style, [that] will strengthen the region’s global community and citizenship.”

The Seattle Chinese Garden is open all year. To volunteer at the Garden or to donate funds, please contact Paige R. Miller at (206) 369-3746, paige.r.miller@outlook.com; or Mason Blacher at (206) 329-3882, mblacher@mjba.com.

You can also contact the Garden’s main office at (206) 9345219. Staff is on hand to assist in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.  Kai can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

group of violent protesters’’ as well as “any interference of foreign forces.’’

You did not mention any specific lawmaker, but numerous U.S. senators and Congress members, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have affirmed the U.S. commitment to human rights and urged Hong Kong’s government to end the standoff.

Congress also has the power to pass legislation affecting Hong Kong’s relationship with the U.S. in ways that could further erode the territory’s reputation for stability and rule of law. That includes the recent reintroduction of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act in Congress, which would among its other provisions require the secretary of state to issue an annual certification of Hong Kong’s autonomy to justify special treatment afforded to the city.

More directly, President Donald Trump could simply issue an executive order suspending Hong Kong’s special trading status with the U.S., a move that could have a devastating effect on the local economy at a time when Beijing and Washington are engaged in a bitter trade war.

A former British colony, Hong Kong

was returned to Beijing in 1997 under the framework of “one country, two systems,’’ which promised residents certain democratic rights not afforded to people in mainland China. But some Hong Kongers have accused the Communist Partyruled central government of eroding their freedoms in recent years.

The protest movement’s demands include the resignation of Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, democratic elections and an independent investigation into police use of force.

Harley Ho, a 20-year-old social work student who attended the Aug. 18 rally, said protesters were undeterred by the rain and would not rest until their demands were met.

“We will stand here, we will take action until they respond to us,’’ she said. “In the rain, our spirit becomes stronger.’’

Members of China’s paramilitary People’s Armed Police force have been training for days across the border in Shenzhen, fueling speculation that they could be sent in to suppress the protests. The Hong Kong police, however, have said they are capable of handling the demonstrations. 

asianweekly northwest

37 YEARS

AUGUST 24 – AUGUST 30, 2019

Photos courtesy of Elisha Edwin

Photo by Atlas Shipping

16

Elisha Edwin protesting with other iStand members in 2018.

Elisha Edwin with Sen. Maria Cantwell in 2018.

EDWIN from 1

on his behalf to the ambassador of the Philippines.

With the help of iStand, Edwin also met with an official at the embassy who listened to his story, but promised nothing.

Finally, in May of this year, he held a protest outside the embassy holding a picture of Rachel.

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department, also contacted by Edwin, has been seeking to establish the welfare of Rachel in the Philippines.

U.S. embassy officials in Manila tried to reach out to Lacdao in May, after having obtained her whereabouts. But Lacdao, a U.S. citizen, has the right to refuse contact, said Edwin.

“Following several unsuccessful attempts on May 2, 3, and 6 to contact U.S. citizen minor Rachel Edwin and her mother Katrina Jean Lacdao, Consular staff formally requested the assistance of DSWD to establish contact,” said a welfare report dated May 8 from the U.S. embassy in Manila.

DSWD refers to the Philippines’ Department of Social Welfare and Development.

On May 8, a social worker from DSWD reached Katrina’s mother, Catalina, who said that Rachel was “physically healthy, enrolled in swimming and Taekwondo lessons, and goes to church every Sunday.

She is given nutritious foods and has complete vitamins. Rachel plays and reads books with her neighbors.”

“When the DSWD social worker requested to speak with Rachel’s mother, the maternal grandmother declined and shared the mother’s wish to refuse all contact from Elisha Edwin, including sharing a current picture of Rachel,” said the report.

their return, the child’s passport be handed over to Edwin.

“After the mother returns from the Philippines, mother shall hand over the passport of the child to the father and he shall maintain the passport pending further court order,” read the order.

But they never returned. Edwin soon came to believe the abduction had been carefully planned. He found Lacdao had quit her job sometime in advance. Her house was up for sale. And all her things were moved out. He suspects relatives assisted her.

Edwin immediately reported the abduction to the police, the National Center for Missing Children and the FBI. And he soon found an organization of other parents whose children had been abducted by spouses or partners.

Child abductions

He learned that there are over 1,000 similar child abductions reported in the United States each year. Usually such abductions take place in the midst of divorces, said Edwin, where one party doesn’t want to pay child support or simply wants to steal the kids.

Edwin claims he paid child and medical support from the beginning, even ceding his overtime hours to Lacdao, so she could have an extended maternity leave.

But he says the problems started with Lacdao’s mother, who exerted tremendous influence over her daughter. Mother and daughter had been living together until the mother learned Lacdao was pregnant, said Edwin.

When the mother, Catalina, learned her daughter had gotten pregnant with a Black man, said Edwin, the mother was furious, called the unborn child “the n-word,” moved out, and abandoned her daughter.

Three months after the birth, however, they reconciled. And Catalina persuaded her daughter to break up with Edwin, he said.

Catalina had brought Lacdao to the United States from the Philippines when she was a minor. Now she would persuade her to return to the Philippines with her young daughter, said Edwin.

The Philippines was not a party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction of 1980, so that traditional U.S. law enforcement held no sway there.

By this time, having failed to return after two weeks with their daughter, Lacdao was already a fugitive, having violated Hillman’s court order.

But there seemed nothing Edwin could do.

A network tries to help

Eventually, he found the organization, iStand Parent Network, which was founded by parents in similar situations.

The organization introduced Edwin to Sen. Maria Cantwell, who wrote a letter

Dr. Noelle Hunter, president of the iStand Parent Network board, whose daughter was abducted to Mali and returned after 3 years, with Elisha Edwin in 2018.

Edwin.

But he was optimistic.

“Well, she’s still got her smile,” he said.

“She’s still got her smile. She’s just a happy child.”

As of press time, Rachel’s mother was unreachable for comment.

An uncertain future

Edwin worries that growing up in the Philippines, Rachel faces ongoing discrimination because of her darker skin color.

But Vicente L. Rafael, a history professor at the University of Washington who studies the Philippines, wrote in an email that Rachel would face “no more discrimination than any small town or major city in the U.S.” “Dark skinned people face discrimination, but not as intensely as [in] the U.S. or Europe.

The Philippines does not have a history of slavery and Jim Crow, nor state-sanctioned segregation nor white supremacist groups seeking to expel immigrants. In short,

Rachel Edwin at 3 in the U.S, (left), then at 6 (right) in the Philippines with mother Katrina Lacdao.

conditions are dramatically different for dark skinned people in the Philippines as compared to the U.S.,” wrote Rafael.

In the end, though, Edwin believes Rachel still has a much better future in the United States than in the Philippines, where one in 10 women head to other places, such as Singapore or the Middle East to work as domestic helpers and are often abused, according to scholars and news reports.

“It hasn’t been easy, knowing that your child is somewhere in a country where she has no future. And you’re here. She could have a better life,” said Edwin.

Asked about himself, he said, “What I’m going through is very hurting and saddening, this whole thing has swallowed my life.”

“But I’m trying to be open-minded and live my life one day at a time and hoping that I’ll get that phone call from my daughter or from the Philippines telling me we have your daughter here on the phone.”  Mahlon can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

A new strategy

Edwin was, however, able to obtain a photo of Rachel—as she is now—to share with the State Department, he said.

After three years of not seeing her, he hired a shipping company that regularly sends packages to the Philippines to send a box of school clothes, books, and other supplies to his daughter.

He had previously sent one by DHL. But this company, Atlas, distinguishes itself by guaranteeing it will take a photo of the recipient of the package and send that photo back to the sender as proof of delivery.

Edwin made out the package to his daughter, who could not sign for it as a minor, in the care of her mother, he said.

When they received the package, the company snapped the photo and sent it to Edwin.

It showed Rachel standing in front of her mother. Her mother appeared to be holding Rachel’s head from either side with her hands while the girl grimaced.

“I see the changes that she is going through, between the pictures I took before she left and the picture now, there is a big change, a really big change,” said

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