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VOL 39 NO 36 SEPTEMBER 5 – SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 FREE 38 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Andrew Yang

Yuh-Line Niou

Tommy Le shooting investigation had “serious gaps”

Family lawyer contends KCSO cover-up

Photo by John Liu

Stand Up for AAPI Youth hopes to combat COVID-related racism Hudson Yang

Dien Ho, Tommy Le's mother, addresses the media on Sept. 2 at ACRS with the help of a translator. Husband Hoai Le (on Ho's right) also made some remarks.

Laura Talmu

Sarah Wan

Melissa Lee

Phil Ting

Sharon Tomiko Santos

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY “If you are an AAPI youth, we have your back.”

That’s the message from Laura Talmus, cofounder of Beyond Differences, at an Aug. 26 news conference to promote Stand Up for AAPI Youth.

In response to the sharp increase in racist

David Chiu

and hate incidents towards Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students in the United States since the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, Beyond Differences has partnered with San Francisco’s Community Youth Center (CYC) to create Stand Up for AAPI Youth, a free curriculum for schools this fall.

Youth leaders kicked off the conference by see AAPI YOUTH on 12

Public art murals slashed Photo provided by Sound Transit

Suspected racially motivated act

Mural installation in Federal Way as park of the Federal Way Link Extension construction on Aug. 21, 2020.

FEDERAL WAY — Vandals slashed dozens of temporary public art murals that were recently installed at the construction site of downtown Federal Way’s future light rail station. The murals include numerous depictions of people of color and the damage is suspected to have been racially motivated.

The slashed murals, which through

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collaboration with community groups were recently installed on the outside of construction fencing, include works by local artists Jasmine Iona Brown, Lauren Iida, Toka Valu, Tiffanny Hammonds, Sabah Al-Dhaher, and barry johnson. see PUBLIC ART MURALS on 12

By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Shot in the back and killed, just hours before his high school graduation.

An outside review of the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO)’s handling of the Tommy Le shooting investigation said it found “serious gaps.”

Le, 20, was shot and killed by a King County deputy in 2017.

“I miss my son so much,” Le’s mother Dien Ho said

through a translator at Sept. 2 news conference at ACRS. “He was such a good boy and never caused any trouble.”

“It’s been a long three years and a half for our family,” said Hoai Le, the victim’s father. “A piece of my heart is gone.”

Deputy Cesar Molina said he believed that Le was armed with a deadly weapon and that Le had already attacked someone with a knife. Turns out that Le had only a plastic pen.

Jeff Campiche, an attorney see LE on 4

New ICE head Tony Pham criticized by Asian American groups A California-based community organization that advances social justice and builds power with working class Vietnamese and immigrant communities, urged Tony Pham to close Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s migrant prison camps, if Pham “has any loyalty left to refugees.”

On Aug. 25, the Department of Homeland Security named Pham as the new leader of ICE. Pham is the top attorney at ICE in his role as principal legal adviser. He was born in Saigon and came to the United States as a refugee in the 1970s, according to his government biography. Pham became a U.S.

Tony Pham

citizen in 1985, following a decade in the country.

“When we came to this nation see PHAM on 10

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SEPTEMBER 5 – SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS Kaohsiung Branch Chief Mason Yu

Mason Yu assumed the position of Branch Chief of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT)’s Kaohsiung Branch Office in August 2020.

A native of Seattle, Yu joined the U.S. Department of State in 2001 and most recently served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Administration.

A native of Seattle, Yu gradMason Yu uated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Mass Communications, and earned a Master of Military Studies from the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College. He is married and has one child. 

Alan Lau exhibition

Ruth Woo Fellows video wins awards

A short video on the Ruth Woo Fellows program, produced by Eric Keto for KCTV, won two awards in the 2020 National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) Government Programming Awards.

KCTV won under the Community Awareness and Video Journalism categories.

King County’s Ruth Woo Emerging Leaders Fellowship is a full-time, year-long program for recent college graduates interested in starting a career in public service. The fellowship is named after the late Ruth Woo, who helped mentor people to become civic leaders. 

Local dance studio struggling “Quieter Days,” a solo exhibition by Alan Lau, is opening on Sept. 3.

Lau is a painter, poet, and journalist who was awarded the Mayor’s Arts Award by the City of Seattle in 2014.

In “Quieter Days,” Lau reflects on his recent years— time spent walking through a gentrifying neighborhood to his small Ballard studio, solitude as his wife cared for family members in Japan, and the glimpses of memory that surface during these times alone.

The exhibition runs through Oct. 24 at ArtXchange Gallery on 512 First Ave South in Seattle. 

Live2Dance Seattle—which seeks to promote Bollywood and Indian culture—has been hit hard due to

38 YEARS

COVID-19.

Its website states, “During these past 5 months, we’ve done everything we could to not just pivot our services, but also maintain sanity in our community and keep a positive outlook during these dark times. However, despite all of our efforts, our classes were just not enough to cover our soaring expenses. We are fighting for our survival today and seek help in any capacity. The funds raised will go towards settling our financial dues, rent, and utilities.”

To support Live2Dance, go to gofundme.com/f/live2dance-survival-campaign. 

CID Community art mural contest awards presentation

Winners of the recent CID Community art mural contest were honored in an Aug. 29 Facebook live event emceed by Geoteaming CEO John Chen.

Sponsored by Union Bank, DA LI Development USA, Ellen Ferguson, Albert Chun, Puget Sound Energy, Rocky Fong, China Harbor Restaurant, Jim Doane, and Ling Chinn, every winner got a CID restaurant certificate, and artists and the businesses where each winning mural was recognized, received a plaque.

Some of the artists shared their inspiration behind their creations. At the end of the live stream, artists, sponsors, and organizers turned on their cameras and waved their hands as a “standing ovation” to the artists.

To watch full livestream, please go to facebook.com/NorthwestAsianWeekly/videos. 

YOUR VOICE

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

SEPTEMBER 5 – SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

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Under fire from the Trump administration, WeChat binds Chinese American community

By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY WeChat has traditionally been used by the Chinese American community to keep in touch with relatives in China and form new social connections here, and used for almost every aspect of communication with other Chinese Americans.

For instance, it is used to relay messages from local school districts to new arrivals whose English was still rudimentary. All important announcements from the Bellevue School District and other nearby districts were translated into Chinese by Chinese American PTSA members and shared on WeChat.

“This would give them the confidence and courage to go back and look through their emails to find the original message in English,” said Lily Yin, a member of the Bellevue School District PTSA council.

The Trump administration, claiming that WeChat and another Chinese app, TikTok, are threats to national security, has threatened to ban them from the United States. Some prominent cultural figures contend that such a ban would sorely impact the Chinese overseas community by cutting them off from each other and their relatives and friends in China.

For instance, a popular Chinese Malaysian deejay, with a large following in Seattle, has recommended that all overseas Chinese boycott the move by renouncing all Apple products, which would no longer be allowed to carry the apps. In China, noted Dato Jonathan Lim, “WeChat is not just a communication tool, but is used for purchasing, eating, drinking, and playing video games.”

“This would not just be cutting off an app, it would be cutting off access to an entire economy,” he said in a recent video.

For others, WeChat has meant the opportunity to start a new career.

Using WeChat, Cecilia Yap, a community ambassador for an assisted living company on the Eastside, coordinated over 1,700 cultural events at a Cecilia Yap used WeChat to host cultural center for the over 1,700 cultural events for the local Chinese American Chinese American community on community, including the Eastside (Photo courtesy of singing competitions, Cecilia Yap) Chinese New Year celebrations, and Buddhist meditation and learning retreats. Some of the events brought in close to 500 people. But when the pandemic forced the closure of the community center, she switched gears and, with a background in finance, began to use WeChat to offer her services to community members that wanted to refinance their homes.

One feature that makes it appealing to Chinese users is its ability to scan the code of another user to make an instant connection, said Yap. That obviates the need to search by the spelling of a name, which can vary widely in English, she said.

Unlike popular American social media apps, WeChat does not have traditional advertisements. It does allow individuals to promote their own businesses, though.

But users can easily block any unwanted solicitation.

Healthcare pitfalls exposed

During the pandemic, WeChat was used by Chinese American doctors to identify major flaws within the

Chinese and U.S. healthcare systems and remedy them, according to leaders of local Chinese American medical and scientific organizations.

In both countries, Chinese and Chinese American doctors were able to skirt official Dr. Sherri Zhu, M.D., Ph.D., restrictions on information president of the Washington sharing and identify crucial Association of Chinese American Physicians. deficiencies in the way both Her organization shared sides approached treating the information on WeChat coronavirus, they said. between doctors and hospitals in both countries Use of WeChat in China (Photo courtesy of Sherri allowed Chinese doctors Zhu) to share their inexperience with the stringent protocols needed to create intensive care units to care for patients, according to these leaders. Later, as the pandemic spread in Washington state, the same doctors and scientists used WeChat to communicate with their counterparts in other parts of the United States and China to obtain desperately needed personal protective equipment (PPE). In both cases, sensitivities in both countries made it impossible to share such information publicly. In China, where the death of an ophthalmologist led to massive public outrage, authorities were reluctant to share challenges they were facing with ICU protocols, according to Sherri Zhu, the president of the Washington Association of Chinese American Physicians.

As it spread to the United States, Chinese American see WECHAT on 10

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SEPTEMBER 5 – SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

38 YEARS

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR SEP THROUGH OCT 24

“QUIETER DAYS,” A SOLO EXHIBITION BY ALAN LAU ArtXchange Gallery, 512 First Ave. S., Seattle Tue-Sat, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

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LE from 1 representing Le’s family, said a 2018 review board’s Use of Force Report was missing key forensic evidence, including the fact that Le was shot twice in the back.

The findings of a new review commissioned by Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO) and conducted by California-based OIR Group were released on Sept. 2, and echoes Campiche’s thoughts.

Report author Mike Gennaco said what concerns him the most is that KCSO stated publicly that even if deputies knew Le was holding a pen, the incident still might have ended in deadly force.

Gennaco said Le was not moving towards deputies and the fatal rounds fired were in Le’s back. The autopsy report described Le as 5 feet 4 inches and 123 pounds, and each of the three onscene deputies was considerably larger in height and weight.

The OIR also found that the deputy

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who shot Le was not interviewed until five weeks later, which is too long in Gennaco’s opinion. The report also criticized KCSO about its “obsession with whether Le had a knife when he aggressed the civilians” and that it “extended to KCSO’s public statements about the incident.”

OLEO said, “[KCSO] went to extraordinary measures... to advance the theory the Le had a knife at some point in the encounter… In subsequent press releases, [KCSO] included pictures of knives taken from Le’s home that were never connected to Le on the day of the incident.”

King County Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht rejected OIR’s stance that KCSO is unresponsive and uninterested in evaluating processes and seeking improvement. In a Sept. 2 news conference, she said the OIR report reflects outdated policy.

The incident took place under the former sheriff, John Urquhart, and Johanknecht said KCSO “has made a

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number of improvements in policy and process” since she took office in 2018.

Johanknecht did say she “fully understands how certain decisions about the release, or omission, of information to the media just after the shooting in 2017 undermined public trust. This administration cannot explain nor answer why those decisions were made by the previous sheriff, we can and do apologize for our own lapses in public information sharing.”

Campiche said the Use of Force Report was released under Johanknecht’s watch and accused KCSO of a “cover-up.”

“Finally, the truth of what really happened has come out,” said Le’s aunt, Xuyen Le. She said the family is grateful to OLEO and that they will continue to fight for justice. Le’s family has filed a civil-rights lawsuit against King County, Executive Dow Constantine, and Urquhart.

The OIR Group said it was not given the opportunity to talk with KCSO personnel responsible for the

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TASVEER’S VIRTUAL LITERATURE FESTIVAL For details of program, check out tasveer.org

investigation and review of the incident.

It was advised that the reason was the “fear of compromising” KCSO’s position in the ongoing litigation.

Another issue with KCSO’s review, OIR found, was the lack of a determination regarding the criminality of the shooting. It wrote, “In our twenty years of experience reviewing officerinvolved shootings, this is the first occasion we have encountered in which there has been no formal review of the deadly force’s legality.”

It goes on to say, “King County must have a process in place so that when a peace officer in the County shoots and injures or kills a member of the public, there is a prompt determination about the criminal legality of the use of deadly force.”

OLEO Director Deborah Jacobs hopes this new review can serve as a turning point.  Ruth can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

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YOUR VOICE

■ AT THE MOVIES

SEPTEMBER 5 – SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

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Bill and Ted are two unremarkable middle aged white guys and that’s okay!

By Stacy Nguyen NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Dude, I’m gonna cut right to the chase.

You will like this movie if you are: • A true fan of Keanu Reeves. I don’t mean “John Wick” Keanu. I mean “Point Break” Keanu. I’m talking “Dangerous Liaisons” Keanu.

• A person who was a 7-year-old boy or had the animal spirit of a 7-year-old boy in 1992.

• A fan of both “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” and “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey”—this one is a gimme, duh, but I’m more trying to slyly tell you that this third part occupies a good space in the trilogy and you don’t have to be scared it won’t live up to your memories.

“Bill & Ted Face the Music” was filmed before COVID-19 and has been released on streaming services as well as in theaters. Beyond Alex Winter and Reeves reprising their roles as Bill and Ted, the film also features the talents of Kristen Schaal, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Anthony Carrigan, Erinn Hayes, Jayma Mays, Holland Taylor, Kid Cudi, and Jillian Bell.

Yes, this latest installment features a lot of women and also Kid Cudi playing a

version of himself, being awesome.

There’s this meta-awareness of the passage of time in this update of “Bill & Ted,” a comedy franchise that revolves around the idea of time travel.

Back in 1989 with the first film, the country was coming out of eight years of Ronald Reagan’s presidency. The 1980s were a decade marked by social and political conservatism, American consumerism and materialism—and also the backlash and resistance against yuppie culture. That was also the decade that saw the rise of MTV, Madonna, Public Enemy, and Guns N’ Roses.

In the first film, Bill and Ted were prophesied to be these two world saviors

who would unite folks across time and space with their music—if only they could finish writing a history paper and pass history class so that Ted’s authoritarian jerk-dad doesn’t send him off to military school to beat toxic masculinity into him. In the first film, they successfully pass history because they travel through time in a magic phone booth and meet historical figures that they kidnap for their history presentation, which was a rousing success. Ted never gets shipped off to military school and the two friends end the movie comfortable in the belief that they will bring about world peace with their music.

And 2020 feels very far removed from

1989. It doesn’t fly as well these days to have a movie that features two whitepresenting saviors and no woman of import at all. The absence of people of color not only is conspicuous, but is also sometimes uncomfortable.

So 2020’s “Bill & Ted Face the Music” opens up with two pathetic-looking middle-aged white dudes (Reeves is Hapa, but in the universe of this film, he is white) playing their song at a wedding.

They have not amounted to the greatness that was prophesied for them. They are both in marriage counseling with their wives because of certain failures in meeting the expectations of adulthood.

And they use the phone booth time machine to search through different iterations of themselves, to figure out where it all went wrong and how to right the course of the ship.

This latest “Bill & Ted” film feels like light meta-commentary on white hetero cis maleness. With humor and nostalgia, it kinda tackles what it looks like when white boys at the center of their universe grow into white men who are pretty inconsequential to their world.

And the effect in this movie is pretty nice. The result is that there’s a whole lot more for women to do in the movie—Bill and Ted’s kids are two daughters who see BILL & TED on 11

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38 YEARS

SEPTEMBER 5 – SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

By Nina Huang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Patti Warashina in her studio

At 80, Patti Warashina has accomplished a lot and received many prestigious awards in her distinguished art career, but her latest achievement was the 2020 Visionary Award from the Smithsonian Institute. And,

this is the first time it’s been awarded to a ceramic artist.

Warashina almost went on a completely different path, had she not taken a career-changing art class in college.

Warashina grew up in Spokane and was raised by her mother, after her father passed when she was 10.

Warashina’s mother was a stay-at-home mom for a few years, but was also very artistic. Warashina remembers fondly of a large dollhouse that her mother made for her that she used to play with a lot. While her artistic influences came later, as a child, she was very interested in sports.

Her mother eventually worked at J.C. Penney in their display department and was able to get her creative juices flowing working with her colleagues.

Warashina’s father was a Japanese immigrant and his priority was to make sure his kids were educated.

“That was pretty unusual for my dad, who was a Japanese man, to have his daughters educated. We knew from the very beginning that we’d go to college. I prepared myself for that,” she said.

Warashina’s sister was a lab tech and planned to go into dental hygiene. Her brother was supposed to be a doctor. The family eventually moved to Seattle because there was a big Japanese community there.

Warashina had plans to go into medical tech or dental hygiene, but she ended up taking a drawing class during her freshman year, and loved it. In fact, it was taught

by Dow Constantine’s father, John. She took more art classes and never left.

“The material was just hypnotizing for me, I’d spend all my time in the art department. I snuck into the building as an undergrad and got to know the grad students. I decided to go to graduate school not knowing what I’d do with it,” she said.

After Warashina graduated with a ceramics degree, she got married and applied for a job in the Midwest.

Photos provided by Patti Warashina

Local artist, Patti Warashina, becomes first ceramic artist to receive 2020 Smithsonian Visionary Award

“Dreamer” in process 2020, installation 2021

There were only five ceramic jobs in the United States at the time. She found her way into teaching and it was a way to support her art. Along the way, she’s taught at Eastern Michigan University, Cornish College of the Arts, and the University of Washington.

In addition to local pieces in the Bellevue Art Museum and the Meydenbauer Center, her works are in the collection of the Museum of Arts and Design, New York, National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Warashina was also busy raising her two daughters during her career, but she still was able to keep up with her exhibition record.

“I was also interested in experimental ceramics at the time, it was really breaking out of the conservative mold,” she explained.

In the 1950s, the Bay Area became known for the front see WARASHINA on 11

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YOUR VOICE

■ AT THE MOVIES Netf lix’s

“AWAY”

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promotes diversity and working together to save the planet by leaving it

Beginning Sept. 4, we are going to Mars, again, or trying to, via the new Netflix series, “Away.” The show features a diverse cast exploring space in order to advance the promise of sustainable life here on Earth. In the series, we have already made it to the Moon, and have a base there, which serves as a lift off platform for the big journey to the Red Planet.

There is controversy from the beginning—political, personal, and technical. Will the crew make it? Will the spaceship make it? Will the planet make it? Is it worth it? These are the questions.

The diversity of the crew is not perhaps an exceptional “win” for Netflix, as it is common to feature an international space team derived of representatives from different countries; this need to satisfy political obligations takes care of diversity in a sense. However, the lead

Photos courtesy of Netflix

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Vivian Wu as Lu Wang and Ray Panthaki as Ram Arya at the helm in a scene from Away.

The commander, played by Hilary Swank, gives a rousing speech before liftoff to Mars.

character, played by Hilary Swank, as the commander and “mother hen” of the team, is still white, as are many of the other higher ups featured in the show, resulting in what could have been an afterthought feeling to the inclusion of team members from India and China, and a Black character, from Ghana by way of Britain. Could have been, but the show quickly dispels this.

comrades, and India is sort of in the middle. To offset this political and stereotypical construct and demonstrate that the inclusion of each team member is genuine, every effort is made by the show to give the characters depth and to endorse the diversity card even beyond the team itself. Not only are there characters of virtually every color and creed in the show, there are also characters with

The first thing that happens in the first episode is a protest that the commander is American. We are told that, since the United States spent the most money, it’s only right. At first, the characters fall into what one might consider traditional nationalistic relationships. The United States and Britain are friends, Russia and China team up with an unspoken understanding as

mental or physical disabilities— either from birth or as a result of a debilitating condition, such as the commander’s husband, who ends up in a wheelchair—and there is a prominent LGBTQ storyline.

The series can be commended for jumping quickly into every crew member’s story, making see AWAY on 11

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO BIDDERS Proposals will be received for E00685E20, Engineering Services for Fifteen Mile Creek Bridge No. 493C Replacement; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, via email at procurement.submittals@kingcounty.gov, until 12:00 PM on September 22, 2020.

UDBE PARTICIPATION: Underutilized Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (UDBE) participation for this federally-funded work shall be at least 11% of the contract total.

Total Estimated Price for Phase 1: $363,400 Total Estimated Price for all Phases: $403,400 SUMMARY OF WORK: This work is funded, in part, by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and applicable federal requirements apply. Description of Work: Replace existing structurally deficient bridge with new single span concrete bridge and reconstruct approaches. Estimated start date of project is January 1, 2021. Estimated completion date of project is November 30, 2022. King County reserves the right to amend the Agreement to add additional phases. The County also reserves the right to let the Agreement expire at the completion of Phase 1 and to select another consultant to perform the additional phases.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILTIES ACT (ADA): King County, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), commits to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, in all of its programs and activities.

TITLE VI COMPLIANCE: King County in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all proposers that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged busi-

ness enterprises as defined at 49 CFR Part 26 will be afforded full opportunity to submit proposals in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin or sex in consideration for an award. Consultants are advised that federally funded projects will be held to Federal EEO requirements. Consultants will be held to King County’s ADA and Civil Rights provisions.

The contractor, subrecipient, or subcontractor shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex in the performance of this contract. The contractor shall carry out applicable requirements of 49 CFR Part 26 in the award and administration of USDOT-assisted contracts. Failure by the contractor to carry out these requirements is a material breach of this contract which may result in the termination of this contract or such other remedy as the recipient deems appropriate, which may include, but is not limited to: (1) Withholding monthly progress payments; (2) Assessing sanctions; (3) Liquidated damages, or (4) Disqualifying the contractor from bidding as non-responsible.

Dates of publication in the Seattle Times: August 31, 2020 and September 8, 2020.

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: Regina Sparano, rsparano@kingcounty.gov, 206-4774807

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38 YEARS

SEPTEMBER 5 – SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

Facing criticism with ease and grace

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Screencap from CGTN

There are two extreme ways of dealing with criticism: President Trump’s or Pope Francis’ style. What’s the ideal roadmap?

Watching Trump at the Republican National Convention, you can see he is an expert in meanness, belittling, and attacking his opponents. At news conferences, he’s always deflecting criticism and scolding reporters for asking questions he doesn’t like. He doesn’t understand that the media is not there to give praise, but to get information by asking questions. Most of the time, he acts like a bully, by saying, “That’s a nasty question.”

It takes maturity and being forwardthinking to accept criticism. I don’t know what’s wrong with Trump’s brain.

Certainly, this is not the type of brain I want to have. On the other end of the spectrum is Pope Francis. During his visit to Africa, a French reporter handed him a copy of the book, “How America wanted to change the Pope.” The book explores how American conservatives undermine Pope Francis, according to the New York Times.

You would not have guessed the Pope’s response.

“An honor,” he said about Americans’ disapproval, including issues like migrants and his opposition to the death penalty.

Yes, he talked like a saint. Do we have to respond like Pope Francis when confronting criticism? No. But we can learn from his grace, and keep an open mind to engage in conversation with naysayers.

For some reason, our brain remembers the negative more than the positive, according to psychologists. Negative events seem to stay in our brain longer than positive ones, especially when we are sad or mad. I have been in the news business for close to four decades. Readers often remember our smallest mistakes from long ago, as if they happened yesterday.

Of course, we have readers who appreciate that we toil every week to come out with the best issue possible in print and online. The fact is, we are as good as our next issue. The

same goes for writers, you are only as good as the next story. That’s why we work hard on every single issue.

What can we do to counteract those negative emotions when faced with harsh criticism? Neurologist Daniel G. Amen, author of “Change our brain, Change our life,” has found there are programs to train your brain to be less depressed.

What have I learned about receiving and giving criticism? I would not recommend Trump’s way because you will never improve if you are defensive. Let’s start with how to criticize.

How powerful men judge

When Bill Gates founded Microsoft and became its chairman in his early 20s, he was young, powerful, and arrogant. He had no patience for people who were not on his level. If he didn’t like the ideas presented at

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meetings, he would quickly dismiss them, “That’s the most stupid idea I have ever heard.”

You can say he’s honest, blunt, or mean. But those words wound and shatter confidence, and burn bridges. Now, Gates is humble and speaks with diplomacy. What he does, is to connect his ideas to those who have proposed ideas and expand on them.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has his own style of rejecting ideas. It’s slightly better than Gates’ early years, but it’s similar to pouring cold water on his people. A team of more than 10 software engineers had worked days on a proposal. When they finally got a meeting with Bezos, they were excited. He came in and read the proposal.

In five minutes, Bezos got up and left. He said nothing. The engineers never heard back. Silence meant “No.”

A simple act of thoughtfulness

Bezos may have felt like he was too important to waste time explaining why he didn’t like the proposal. At the very least, he could have said before he exited, “Folks, thank you for trying.” Or have an aide to tell his people, “Keep innovating.” It’s a simple act of thoughtfulness and encouragement.

I have learned a long time ago that if you want to criticize, say something nice first.

Praise whenever you can so that when it’s time to criticize, it balances the negative.

Say thank you

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YOUR VOICE

■ COMMENTARY

SEPTEMBER 5 – SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

asianweekly northwest

9

The art of being

By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY As I start to resume my social life and re-engage with friends in real life after almost two months in relative pandemic isolation, a popular question seems to be, “What have you been doing?” or “What are you doing lately?”

Up until recently, my answer had been, “Not much.”

Now, I’m changing it to, “I’m not. I’m being.” And I sometimes get a puzzled look in response.

What is ‘being’? For me, it means being still. Not necessarily still physically, but still mentally and turning off the ‘monkey mind.’

We, as humans, tend to fill our day with things to do and the pandemic has been a blessing, in my opinion.

It has forced a lot of us to be with ourselves, to reflect,

and to look within. We are human beings, after all, not human doings.

Tending to my being means being kind to myself, and that means doing things for me, things that I love, things that nourish my soul—anything from quiet meditation, to lying in a hammock on my deck, to enjoying the water on a kayak, paddleboard, or boat, hiking on the plethora of trails available to us in the Puget Sound region, lending an ear to friends, reading a book, journaling, taking naps, listening to music, dancing to said music in my living room because my body feels like moving, driving on a whim to the ocean or anywhere scenic and remote, being in nature, getting a massage or manicure, exercising at home or the gym, dining out, adding small decorative touches to my home because it brings me joy, sharing some of these activities with friends—really focusing on self-care and my state of being.

Some of my friends aren’t comfortable meeting face to face. I spend time with friends who are.

I’ve reconnected with old friends, even made some new ones.

I’ve signed up for at least four online courses to stay sharp mentally and professionally. One of the courses was 12 weeks of learning to love yourself… a very interesting one that I highly recommend!

The underlying thread of all this has been to nourish my being. We attract to our lives who we are, what we think, what we speak, and who we’re being.

I suppose this is my version of ‘stop and smell the roses.’ I can’t control anything outside of my own life— the pandemic, politics, etc. so why stress about it? I focus only on what I can control.

Who are you being today? And how is your spirit? 

■ LETTER

Reader appreciates support for Black Lives Matter Dear Editor, My name is Debra Lyles-Mobley. I am a 65-year-old Black woman who was born in Seattle, and started out on 10th and Jefferson, near the Ruby Chow’s Chinese restaurant (no Black people were welcomed there).

Some of my fondest memories were going to Chinatown with my family, where I never felt unwelcomed. My dad exposed us to a neighborhood that had farmer’s markets before it became popular. The shops had the most peculiar things in big jars, people in various traditional dresses, and smells, sounds, and food to die for! That was Chinatown for me back in the early 1960s. I felt like I had been transported to another world! Any special occasion or family celebration would take place at the Hong Kong, Tai Tung, or Four Seas restaurants. My dad knew Harry (Chan)’s dad, so he was partial to Tai Tung, but after the fire at the Hong Kong restaurant, there was

no other choice when we took it to Chinatown for dinner.

There were two other Chinese restaurants that were located in the Central District, Chinese Foodway and Chinese Kitchen, but they were just for quickie takeouts and had nothing on the great food in Chinatown, when the older men were cooking in the kitchen. There were no women working in the restaurants back then. Then we got older, Harry’s dad died, and my dad died, too. Harry took over the restaurant, and my brothers, Kenny, Mark, and I, continued the tradition of celebrating whatever in Chinatown at Tai Tung. Now Harry’s daughters are working in the restaurant.

For years, I’ve always made it a point to pick up the Northwest Asian Weekly newspaper to read while I ate.

I have never been disappointed by the content of the paper. Your widespread reporting in both community and abroad, kept me informed and interested. So as I read through the June 6-June 12th issue (VOL 39, NO 23),

the LETTER article, “Asian American reader expresses support for Black Lives Matter” by MJ Santiago, and the EDITORIAL, “Journey back to our true selves,” by Ruth Bayang, really touched me....so much so that I felt the need to express my gratitude for your kind words of support, love, and acknowledgements. In the world that we are living in today, unless we come together as a community and realize that we are all people who want the same things in life for ourselves and our families, the world that we will leave to our children, grandchildren, and their children will reflect our failure as human beings. As Martin Luther King, Jr. so eloquently said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Stay safe, keep up the great reporting, and thank you again.  —Debra Lyles-Mobley

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VietRISE Executive Director Tracy La said, “For Pham to have been a Vietnamese refugee does not mean that he will lead ICE and treat immigrants and refugees with dignity and honor the human rights that they deserve…

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immigrants and refugees.”

In early August, ICE deported 30 Vietnamese immigrants to Vietnam. According to VietRISE, 12 were deported despite an agreement between the United States and Vietnam that no Vietnamese immigrants who resettled in the United States before July 1995 would be deported.

Phi Nguyen, the litigation director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice–Atlanta, told NBC, “Given that [Pham’s] already worked for ICE within this administration, and this administration has aggressively ramped up targeting of Southeast Asian refugee communities, we don’t feel optimistic that there will be a change in how ICE is run.” 

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 4.

WECHAT from 3 doctors again used WeChat to communicate with their wide network of colleagues about the lack of PPE in hospitals in Washington state. Admitting that in public, said one Chinese American doctor who asked for anonymity, would have gotten them fired, as reportedly happened with Ming Lin, an E.R. doctor in Bellingham.

Using the unique features of WeChat, Chinese American doctors were able to reach their counterparts in New York state, where the virus had not yet spread, and asked for assistance. They received several large crates of supplies that immediately went to frontline workers.

“Those were really life-saving supplies,” said Zhu, who

learned of the efforts from colleagues in her organization.

Meanwhile, as the pandemic spun out of control in Washington state, which soon became the epicenter in the country, Chinese American scientists, engineers, and software developers used WeChat to launch a massive fundraising effort that brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Mostly, however, most users—doctors and others alike—consistently use the app to check on relatives at home and abroad or track down friends.

“It’s the first thing I look at in the morning and the last thing I look at night,” said Zhu.  Mahlon can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

asianweekly northwest

11

Predictions and advice for the week of September 5–11, 2020

By Sun Lee Chang Rat—Some time spent away from the fray could give you much needed clarity for when you rejoin the action.

Dragon—Not sure which tool to use for the job at hand? While speed is important, accuracy is a higher priority.

Monkey—A concerning trend can be reversed if you catch it early enough. Don’t wait until it becomes a bigger issue.

Ox—Despite the lack of change on the surface, do not assume that applies to what is present underneath.

Snake—You definitely know how to make an entrance. Give as much consideration to your exit as well.

Rooster—Check to make sure you got what you asked for upfront, as you will have more leverage at that time.

Tiger—Not every argument is worth winning.

In the current game, choose your battles very carefully.

Horse—Are you finding that things are clicking into place this week? Use this momentum to your advantage.

Dog—Instead of lamenting a redo, seize on it as an opportunity to refashion more to your taste and preferences.

Rabbit—Is your view partially obstructed?

Check out what is going on at all levels before moving forward.

Goat—There is much to gain from simply asking the right question and following where it leads you.

Pig—A small gesture can have a big impact.

Don’t underestimate your power to contribute in a positive way.

WHAT’S YOUR ANIMAL SIGN? RAT 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 OX 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2020 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.

AWAY from 7 it clear from the start that each of them has a fascinating secret we will learn if we stay tuned (sometimes sooner than later—let’s just say not all of the secrets are super well hidden). There’s the Russian, Misha Popov, who plays with puppets and has some kind of drama going on with his wife and daughter. Or the Indian, Ram Arya, who is, at first, the commander’s biggest fan, but then in a moment of anger tells the others that he, too, has sacrificed to be there. Finally, there’s the Chinese crew member, Lu Wang, whose stoic surface and loyalty to her country, we just know, is hiding some kind of boiling passion and individualism underneath.

The Northwest Asian Weekly talked to Vivian Wu, who plays Lu Wang, and who was excited to return to U.S. screens after having spent the past decade or so primarily in the Chinese film and television industry. Wu, who started her career in China, got a foot up from her role in “The Last Emperor,” as well as “The Joy Luck Club,” where she played the tragic figure of the mother who poisons herself. “After ‘The Last Emperor,’ I moved to Hollywood to become a Hollywood professional actress,” Wu told the Weekly. “But the first 10 years…the majority of the roles I was offered were pretty one-dimensional Asian.”

Wu shared that the role of Lu was worth taking on because it was, finally, something different.

WARASHINA from 6 movement, and a fellow named Peter Voulkos started experimenting with sculptures, steel, metal, wood, and paintings.

“My work was really based on learning pottery.

We were told to not just dip it in a glaze, but told to decorate. We were encouraged to take a lot of drawings at the time. Surrealism drew me into the figures and my work was becoming very tight, I felt more comfortable looking at literal imagery, and that’s how I got into ceramics,” she explained.

Warashina mentioned that ceramics have evolved over the years—it went from being pretty conservative and mainly used for utilitarian ware, but Voulkos made it more experimental.

Warashina was also inspired by her then husband, Bob Sperry, who had worked on experimental ceramics and large-scale murals.

“My studio is my work and I treat it like going to work every day. I really enjoy it, I enjoy problem solving and one idea leads to another, I’m along this quest to discover what’s in your head,” she said.

“I felt Lu is unlike other Asian roles you see,” she said.

“This is a very multi-layered character with an emotional arc. She represents the new modern Chinese image and for me, it is very important to portray Chinese women in a positive light and this one is.”

While the composition of the crew in “Away,” at least on the surface, might be along certain obligatory political lines taken from real world national dynamics, Wu affirmed that the cast and the filming process was very sensitive to diversity.

“The shooting really proved that it was the right move… our creators, writers and directors were so open-minded.

Apart from acting, I was welcome to voice my creative input…I was able to bring in Chinese calligraphy, tai chi, all these authentic Chinese cultural things into the show.

It’s not the way I remembered Hollywood 12 years ago…

This is very refreshing and encouraging.”

Wu, who remembers Seattle from a part she once played as a mafia concubine, told the Weekly, “I do hope that the audience will like Lu as much as I did.” While we can’t give any spoilers, Wu agreed that, when it comes to Lu’s secret, “Stories like that need to be seen…the struggle between Lu’s sense of duty to her country, to the mission, to her family, and [it’s] the first time ever she has allowed herself to face her true authentic self. It’s amazing. This is a great love story. It’s very powerful…From the concubine to the astronaut, Vivian has come a long way.”

“Away” offers a message about empathy and working

What she’s currently working on depends on the period. She’s working on a visual diary right now, and the content is often influenced by the everchanging daily news.

“The next piece is my favorite, it’s like working on a puzzle. My ideas are generated through what I read or seen on TV. I’ll have four cups of coffee in the morning while reading the newspaper, and then once I’m energized, I just go,” she said.

In addition, she’s working on a very large outdoor piece in South Lake Union for a private company. She’s very excited to reveal it next year.

It’s going to be about 14 feet long in aluminum cast, similar to ceramic.

Warashina has a lot of projects going on at once. For example, she’s working on a series of cats and mostly experimental projects. She has a show coming up in California later this year.

She still has endless shows to look forward to, and there’s never a dull moment.  Nina can be contacted at info@nwasianweekly.com.

together that resounds in today’s fractured world. As the commander says at the press conference prior to launch from the Moon, “Getting to Mars might be the hardest thing that humankind has ever tried. It requires the best of us from all of us. And maybe it’s not our nature to work together. But the future demands otherwise. We will come together now in pursuit of a dream that was once thought to be impossible. If we can do this, we can do anything.”

Is it worth it? For Wu, yes. And for the crew? It remains to be seen. Perhaps it is up to each individual, as each crew member struggles with the sacrifices he or she has made to be there—and the same would have to be said for the audience. Ultimately, “Away” is about how much we value home—even when we go far, far away in order to save it. In the show, this mission to Mars is dubbed “humanity’s greatest mission.” The Weekly asked Wu if she agreed with that and why.

“I personally feel we are a curious race. Humans are curious and the Earth is beautiful, but at the same time, the Earth, we tend to see problems, which is also human.

We want to go out into space. It’s a dream. We live for hope and we live for dreams. We live for fantasies. As a Chinese person, I was told about the Moon. From a long, long time ago, there have been these fantasies about loved ones going to the Moon. I get it. We want to go to the Moon and Mars. Why not?”  Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

BILL & TED from 5 are basically the spitting images of their dads, played

by Weaving and Lundy-Paine.

The young women’s taste in music and their perspectives, as portrayed in the movie, is so much more broad and far-reaching than their fathers. They go on their own adventures, and rather than just meeting up with mostly white male historical figures, as Bill and Ted did in previous films, their daughters go through time to meet Jimi Hendrix and Louis Armstrong, Mozart, and also—really surprisingly, Ling Lun, legendary flutist and founder of music from ancient Chinese history.

Lastly, I would be remiss if

I didn’t talk about how Keanu Reeves is just legit a treasure and we need to protect him at all costs. While he and I both know he’s not the most gifted of actors, there’s something extra and special about him and the characters that he plays. He imbues them with this sensitivity or vulnerability that is intriguing and hard to pin down. In this movie, I love that he just loves his best friend —in a pure and positive way.

That just feels nice!  “Bill & Ted Face the Music” is out right now on streaming services and in theaters.

Stacy Nguyen can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.

12

asianweekly northwest

38 YEARS

SEPTEMBER 5 – SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

Photo provided by Toka Valu

Photos provided by Sound Transit

PUBLIC ART MURALS from 1

Murals vandalized Toka Valu

“I came into this realm of temporary public art as a starry eyed, full-ofenthusiasm kid from the islands as my

mom used to say. That kid was definitely deflated and awakened following the distasteful slashing of the murals,” said Valu. “However, this act only affirmed for me how important this work is in the

AAPI YOUTH from 1 repeating hateful words people had spoken to them and by sharing their fears.

“This virus is all your fault. No one wants to sit near you.

Get away. She may be from China. You’re from an Asian family. You might have it,” are what student Melissa Lee has heard recently.

For student Sammi Situ, these words rang in her head: “You shouldn’t be here. Why don’t you just go back to where you came from? Kung Flu. Chinese Virus. I’m scared for myself. I’m afraid for my family. I’m afraid to go back to school.”

“We could not stand by and do nothing,” Talmus said.…

“As a nation, we must stand up for our AAPI youth, who are the target of an insidious campaign of hate.”

The Stand Up for AAPI Youth curriculum is “a valuable tool for teachers to discuss and engage students in difficult and critical conversations and exercises about race, religion, gender identity, family traditions, immigration, and much more.” One of the biggest concerns of Beyond Differences and CYC is the increase in social isolation among young people, which Beyond Differences recognized 10 years ago, and which is only exacerbated by social distancing and the uptick in racism since COVID-19.

“Regardless of whether children live in a red state or a blue state, social isolation affects them all. Our country’s dedicated teachers see its drastic and painful results every day, whether through distance learning or in the classrooms,” said Talmus.

“I know so often that young people feel isolated, they feel alone, and that’s how bullies win,” said Phil Ting, a California assembly member. “When we have groups of people bullying us and attacking us, they want us to feel like we are alone. That we are by ourselves…This virtual gathering is a reminder that we are not by ourselves. That in fact there are a lot more of us than there are of them.”

To combat this loneliness, Stand Up for AAPI Youth

BLOG from 8 personally. We love letters to the editor, which condemn, scold, and tease us. And we appreciate critics who mean well, and help us to improve.

“Feedback is a gift,” states The Chief Happiness Officer Blog. That’s great advice.

Sometimes, those ideas from our critics are not new. We have actually thought about implementing them, except it might be too costly or impractical to do so with a small staff. Still, we love to hear from our readers and critics. When they take the time to give us feedback, we thank them. We never perceive them as enemies, but folks who care about our wellbeing.

Admitting mistakes is not a sign of weakness

Trump thinks that admitting mistakes makes you a loser. This win-lose mentality practially paralyzes not only his thinking, but his team. How can you make the best decision when you are biased? How can the team function effectively when you are allowed to say only good things and not the truth? Clarity is an asset and enhances problem-solving. Don’t be like Trump and

continued dialogue and advocacy for communities like the one I come from is.”

Sound Transit thinks the vandals struck on the night of Aug. 20. The agency is working with its security, the City

fosters cultural sharing. Former presidential candidate, Andrew Yang, now in his role as founder of Humanity Forward, is the parent of two young boys.

“We need to be investing in these types of skills for young people to understand what’s happening to them inside of their own minds…If we invest in these schoolbased programs, we can make an enormous difference for the next generation of Asian American kids coming of age so they don’t feel afraid to go to school, they don’t feel like their American-ness is in question, they feel like they’re at home, as they should, in their own classrooms, in their own schools.”

Young people hold leadership roles in both Beyond Differences and CYC and helped develop the Stand Up for AAPI Youth curriculum. CYC Executive Director Sarah Wan said, “The core of the curriculum is to build empathy and connection between students…It was so uplifting to see this firsthand on several occasions as the youth connected over their passion for social justice.” CYC is celebrating 50 years of advocacy for youth and their families, and during the conference, Ting announced that CYC had been chosen as the nonprofit of the year for California’s district 19.

Fresh Off the Boat celebrity teen, Hudson Yang, who joked he had permission from his teachers to be at the conference, also showed his solidarity with the cause.

“On the show, as a middle schooler, my character endured a lot of AAPI stereotypes…Luckily, that was all scripted, but today I’m upset to see the hate and attacks on my fellow AAPI teens and adults in real life, and I want to do something about it.”

Many attendees recounted bullying experiences from their childhoods.

“If I could count how many times I was called a Chink growing up, I’d have enough to fuel my next re-election campaign,” California assembly member David Chiu wryly commented. “The fact of the matter is, my high school classmates called everyone all sorts of horrible things…America is a work in progress. We know that

get defensive when you hear criticism.

Is it so important to be right all the time?

Sometimes, it’s best to keep your opinion to yourself. After critics give their comments, you may ask, “How can we move forward?”

Or “I haven’t thought about that. I will keep that in mind.”

Don’t take it personally

The worst thing you can do is react like Trump, and take everything personally.

Remember what Pope Francis said, “An honor.”

Just hold your tongue and smile. Breathe before you react. Don’t overreact. Let your brain have a pleasant response. Be grateful.

Smile. Tell yourself, it’s no big deal, and you can handle it.

Listen

It’s hard to listen especially when most criticisms are negative. The least you can do is to listen and decide if there is merit in the criticism.

Focus on results, rather than getting the credit

Years ago, an elected official said to me, politicians like to get credit in everything they do. Then, she said, “If community

of Federal Way, and the construction contractor to consider methods to protect the murals from further harm, including potential security and surveillance measures. Members of the community are encouraged to report any information about who perpetrated this crime.

“We won’t let this cowardly act of vandalism threaten people’s ability to benefit from the important work of these artists,” said Sound Transit Executive Director of Design, Engineering, and Construction Ron Lewis. “Following our nation’s long history of racism and unfair treatment of Black people and other people of color, it is critical for us to show our support for change. We are restoring the artwork and taking measures that seek to prevent any further disgraceful acts.” 

change will happen with every new generation and it has to happen. At a time when we’re combating not just the virus of COVID-19 but the virus of racism…we know that one of the significant challenges we’re facing is how all the things from our generation are impacting the next generation.”

One of the most moving retellings came from New York State assembly member, Yuh-Line Niou, the first Asian American ever elected to represent the district that includes New York City’s Chinatown. She shared something that happened in first grade. “[This girl] pulled me into the coat closet and had all of my classmates take turns spitting on me. Then, she threw my lunchbox into the boys’ bathroom…set the trash can on fire, set me on fire, set off the school alarm, and I peed myself, in a bathroom. These are things that happen to children, and it’s taught to them. It’s not something that they are born with…We can teach differently, and we can teach each other.”

Niou introduced Washington state Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, who Niou considered a mother, as Santos had mentored Niou during her first legislative internship.

Santos expressed her pride in Niou’s accomplishments and support for the new curriculum.

“I can’t wait to see Stand Up for AAPI Youth in my state because I believe every school in my state, and throughout the country, should benefit from adopting this program…

You are taking the voices that have been suppressed for years…for generations. You are bringing them to the fore.

And now I feel hopeful because of you.”  The news conference can be viewed at beyonddifferences. org/standup4aapiyouth. Schools interested in adopting the Stand Up for Youth curriculum can sign up at KnowYourClassmates.org.

Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com

members don’t mind who is getting credit, you will get done so much more.”

How does this advice fit into the theme of criticism? In many community projects, people get upset if they don’t get credit and attack people who got more credit.

The prize shouldn’t be just who didn’t get enough credit. The real prize is the result.

The project got done. The community is working together. The community has been lifted.

Saving face

If it is our mistake, we will admit it, and print a correction in the Asian Weekly. If it’s not, we find ways for the other party to save face, we have done that.

Decreasing negative impact

As I mentioned earlier, negative experiences remain in our mind longer, as it triggers stronger emotions, such as anger or grief. Bad memories affect our happiness. When we have fewer negative experiences in our lives, it will enhance our total wellbeing and emotional health.

The most important lesson I learned from criticisms is to move on quickly, and not dwell on the blame game. It destroys goodwill from all parties involved. And it

will not heal us. How can you do that?

Remember the merits of your critics

Don’t blame other people when something goes wrong. Instead, think of the good these people have contributed to you, your family, or your work. See the good in people. Appreciate them. It is a strength to be able to learn even from your least favorite people. Yes, I learn how not to be like them.

Experience every day with more moments of joy

To counter your bad experiences, several books on happiness suggest you do things to discover and savor small memories of joy and put them in your journal. How can you be depressed when you are blessed with so much in life!

In this pandemic, it’s easy to feel sorry for yourself and dwell on negative criticism.

Don’t let that happen to you. Count and write down all the praises you have been receiving. Smile.  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.