PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 746 Seattle, WA
VOL 39 NO 48 NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2020
FREE 38 YEARS YOUR VOICE
Photos provided by Uwajimaya
Uwajimaya remodel in the time of COVID-19
Newly remodeled seafood department
By Vivian Nguyen NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY For two decades, the Asian supermarket Uwajimaya has stood guard in its current location on 5th Avenue South and South Dearborn Street, which sits on the south border of the International District. With its prominent, blue entryway sign and intricate
Seattle store’s new southern-facing entry
flower logo, the flagship store drew out-oftown visitors and locals alike. Now, with its year-long renovation complete, patrons will see a new entryway sign above the store’s southern entrance— one that features a red, sans-serif font with wider kerning next to a new, six-sided floral-inspired logo with undulating curves. The new signage represents a shift in
how Uwajimaya, in existence since 1928, wants to modernize its brand. “We had an opportunity to look at our brand and how we’re talking to customers,” said Uwajimaya CEO Denise Moriguchi. “We want to make sure we’re staying relevant long-term, and the sign’s a small but visible piece of how we’re adapting to current times.”
Division over homelessness threatens new Keiro plan
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WA school district apologizes for excluding Asians as POC
unhoused is inhumane.” Such a split is one potential obstacle to the ambitious plan, announced this month by King County Equity Now (KCEN), a Black-led consortium of businesses and advocacy groups, to ask the city government to buy the Keiro Rehabilitation and Care Center building from Shelter Holdings so that it can establish a homeless shelter. The Keiro building was sold for $11 million a year ago to the Bellevue-based real estate company after its parent company, Keiro Northwest, ran see KEIRO on 12
see THURSTON on 3
Photo courtesy of K. Wyking Garrett
An abandoned, empty syringe with the word “Safety” on it appears several times in a local newscast. But Matt Chan, a member of the Chinatown-International District (CID) Night Watch, sees them everywhere when he makes his rounds with the team. “There’s a real split in the CID about homelessness,” he told the Northwest Asian Weekly. “Business owners are concerned about the impact of the encampments on their sales, and a number of young people think sweeping the
see UWAJIMAYA on 10
A school district in Washington that has 16,000 students has apologized for lumping Asian American students with white people. The North Thurston Public Schools excluded Asian American students as people of color in its latest equity report, called “Monitoring Student Growth.” The “students of color” included “Black, Latinx, Native American, Pacific Islander, and Multi-Racial Students” and the study measured their “persistent opportunity gaps.” Many Asian Americans were upset and, consequently, the district issued an apology. The school district said the study was to help underperforming groups by “eliminating achievement and opportunity gaps.” “Upon reflection and response by members of the Asian American community, we will change how we look at achievement
A project that could serve as a model for Keiro as affordable housing: the Liberty Bank Building
By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
THE PROJECT The store’s remodel started in November 2019 with an anticipated 11-month timeline. Led by Uwajimaya’s Development Manager Miye Moriguchi (Denise and Miye are cousins), the supermarket chain partnered with Hoshide Wanzer Architects
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