VOL 40 NO 4 | JANUARY 23 – JANUARY 29, 2021

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

VOL 40 NO 4 JANUARY 23 – JANUARY 29, 2021

FREE 39 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Congressman Ted Lieu led impeachment against Trump

THE INSIDE STORY NAMES IN THE NEWS First dose of Pfizer vaccine distributed to Kin On  2

By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Ted Lieu, a member of Congress representing California’s 33rd district, played a key role in the second impeachment of Donald Trump.

In an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times, Lieu, an immigrant from Taiwan, wrote, “I was in my office on the fourth floor of the Cannon House Office Building on Jan. 6 when the Capitol Police entered around 1:15 p.m. to tell me and my chief of staff to evacuate immediately. The officers were running through each floor banging on office doors. They recommended that I remove the pin on my suit jacket that designates me as a member of Congress.”

He then detailed being taken to an underground tunnel and “watching the horror unfold on TV.”

BUSINESS Companies often want consultants’ help with diversity — for free  3

PUBLISHER’S BLOG Young girls making an impact 5 AT THE MOVIES Bling Empire: sparks criticism for being what it is: a reality TV show 6

Rep. Ted Lieu

see LIEU on 12

Seahawks Nathan Chen wins fifth straight US Figure Skating title employee

■

Miyasato fired after child porn arrest

AP Photo/John Locher

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Dick Button has always been the measuring stick for American men figure skaters. And no wonder, with seven straight U.S. titles and two Olympic gold medals.

Nathan Chen has leapt into Button territory.

Even with an error at the beginning of his free skate, Chen was unbeatable on Jan. 17, winning his fifth straight U.S. Figure Skating Championship.

Not since Button won each title from 1946-52 has any American man had such a streak of success. Throw in two world championships and being unbeaten since not medaling at the 2018 Olympics, and Chen already has a resume for the ages.

At age 21.

“It’s incredible to try to follow in his footsteps,” Chen said of Button. “It means the world. Dick is a true skating icon, and it just feels incredible to be trying to chase something that someone like that has done. I’m nowhere near the level he was at, but it’s just cool to be able to be even mentioned in his sort of realm of legendness.”

The fact is, in this country at least, Chen is pretty much competing against himself.

“Ultimately it comes down to the fact that everyone is capable of doing it,” he said, “but I still want to focus on what I’m capable of doing myself and just being able to try to improve on myself.”

First-place finisher Nathan Chen poses with his medal in the men's championship at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, on Jan. 17 in Las Vegas.

Aaron Miyasato

Chen pretty much ignored the rough beginning of his free skate, when he put his hands down and stepped out of a quad lutz. He hit four more quads, three in combination, and a triple axel deep into his program. There was a fluidity to his choreography and spins, and his 322.28 points were unmatchable by anybody in the field.

“I was a little timid today. Honestly that’s on me,” Chen said. “I feel like I

didn’t really tackle my elements. I was focusing on conserving energy. That’s not the right approach. I think that’s what caused the first element to have an error. The rest of the program I was trying to make sure I stayed on my feet.

That was my mindset throughout the program.

“Wasn’t really exactly the skate I’d

Seattle Seahawks security manager Aaron Miyasato was arrested on child pornography charges on Jan. 12.

The Seahawks released a statement saying that Miyasato was no longer employed with the team following the arrest.

“We are aware of the situation and in accordance with the NFL personal conduct policy, we have notified the league of his

see CHEN on 12

see MIYASATO on 9

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

2

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

JANUARY 23 – JANUARY 29, 2021

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS First dose of Pfizer vaccine distributed to Kin On

Committee.

Kwon was elected to a one-year term and he will play a key role among a diverse group of local leaders in shaping NLC’s policy positions and advocating on behalf of America’s cities and towns before Congress. 

drawing you back to Shiro’s,” Esquire said. 

WA secretary of health visits ICHS

The first dose of the Pfizer vaccine was distributed to Kin On residents and staff on Jan. 8.

Kin On CEO Min Chang said 80% of residents and 60% of staff across two facilities received a vaccination on Jan. 8.

“It was a smooth process... thanks to Walgreens and our team,” said Chang. “This is a good first step for Kin On, and we are encouraged that the vaccine is here finally.”

The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses, 21 days apart. Kin On will have two more clinics, one on Jan. 29 and the other in February, where doses of the vaccine will be administered.

Chang hopes to encourage more staff to sign up to receive the vaccine, which is voluntary.

They are also working on getting their home care aides, which serve the community’s vulnerable populations, vaccinated at the earliest opportunity. 

Shiro’s Sushi in Belltown was recently named in Esquire magazine’s 100 restaurants America can’t afford to lose.

Opened in 1994 by master sushi chef Shiro Kashiba, the restaurant touts itself as the first Edomae sushi restaurant in Seattle.

Chef Shiro himself left in 2016 to start Sushi Kashiba.

“You can roam the world emptying your wallet at hipster omakase temples, if that is your jam, but if you really deeply love the ritual and tradition of Edomae-style sushi, chances are that something keeps

Photo provided by ICHS

Photo from Shiro’s Sushi

Photo provided by Kin On

Shiro’s Sushi makes Esquire’s list

ICHS leaders met with Dr. Umair A. Shah at the International District clinic for a discussion on the next phases in Washington state’s vaccine rollout.

International Community Health Services (ICHS) welcomed Dr. Umair A. Shah, Washington state secretary of health, to the health center’s International District Clinic on Jan. 12.

The meeting opened opportunities for ICHS to raise issues as staff and providers look ahead to the next phases of Washington state’s vaccine rollout.

ICHS received the first doses of the Moderna vaccine on Dec. 23, vaccinating frontline health workers and residents in its senior congregate care facility, ICHS Legacy House.

Teresita Batayola, ICHS CEO, called the meeting “a productive step in coordinating public, private, and community efforts to make sure we inform and reach everyone.” 

Michelle Pham is Helsell Fetterman’s first Asian American partner

Michelle Pham has been named the newest partner at Helsell Fetterman, the firm’s first Asian American partner.

Pham has Michelle Pham been practicing law for 9 years and joined the firm in 2017. A native of Houston, Michelle received her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and her law degree from Seattle University School of Law in 2011.

Pham is also active in the community—serving as chair of the Litigation Section of the Washington State Bar Association.

She previously served as president of the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Washington, cochair of the Joint Asian Judicial Evaluation Committee, and board chair of the Vietnamese Friendship Association. 

Peter Kwon reappointed to NLC committee

Deputy Mayor Peter Kwon

SeaTac Deputy Mayor Peter Kwon has been appointed to the National League of Cities (NLC) 2021 Transportation and Infrastructure Federal Advocacy

PLAN WITH CONFIDENCE Seattle Service Resumes from March 2021*

We are pleased to announce the return of Seattle — Tokyo (Narita) service from March 2021* with connections to select cities beyond.

Travelers with essential needs can plan with confidence with our flexible change policy and enhanced JAL FLYSAFE measures.

For terms & conditions and the latest schedules, visit www.jal.com.

Flight Schedule Flight No.

Departure

Arrival

JL067/AA8445

Seattle 12:30

JL068/AA8446

Narita

18:30

LIMITED-TIME OFFER JAL COVID-19 COVER

Operation

Aircraft

Narita 16:00 (Next Day)

Wed/Fri/Sun

JAL SKY SUITE 787

Seattle 10:30

Tue/Thu/Sat

JAL SKY SUITE 787

* Above schedules for 3/3 ~ 3/27/21 (NRT departure from 3/2), and subject to gov’t approval. SEA departures/arrivals will be 1 hour later between 3/14 and 3/27/21. Schedule and equipment subject to change. Flights operated by JAL and marketed by JAL and American Airlines (AA).

www.jal.com

YOUR VOICE

JANUARY 23 – JANUARY 29, 2021

asianweekly northwest

■ BUSINESS Companies often want consultants’ help with diversity — for free Since last year’s protests against institutional racism, more companies have reached out to Deondre James and his two business partners, seeking their help in recruiting and retaining employees of color.

As inquiries to their staffing firm have increased, however, so has something else, James said: the number of companies unprepared or unwilling to pay for their services.

It’s a phenomenon reported by many people of color who specialize in diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, work. While companies are increasingly seeking consultants who can help them stamp out racism in the workplace, or make their workplace culture less hostile to people of color, they’re not always willing to spend the money and time it takes to achieve those goals, according to eight DEI professionals of color from Washington state who spoke to Crosscut.

“I think the companies feel like they need to do something to make a change, but they don’t really want to put the work in,” said Ahmad Corner, one of James’ partners in Access2, a Seattle-based firm that focuses on recruitment and development of job candidates of color.

In one recent example, Corner, James and their partner, Rubelyn Chu, said they were asked to “audition” for a shot at a longterm recruitment contract at a major tech company in the Seattle area.

Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut

By Melissa Santos / Crosscut.com REPUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION

From left: Ahmad Corner, Rubelyn Chu, and Dre James of Access2 recruiting firm on Dec. 16, 2020, in SeaTac. The firm recently did recruiting work for a tech company that was looking to improve its outreach and hiring of candidates of color. The company then disappeared and didn’t pay the firm for the recruiting work. The firm says it also received requests from other companies for recruiting services, but the companies then said they didn’t have the budget to pay the firm.

The three business partners referred a Black candidate, who ended up interviewing as a finalist for a management position at the company, they said.

But after that interview, the tech company suddenly went silent, and all talk of future work evaporated, they said.

In the end, the company benefited from free recruiting work that normally would have cost about $8,000, Chu estimated.

James, Chu and Corner didn’t want to name the tech company in this article, saying that doing so could burn bridges and hurt their ability to grow their business.

But it wasn’t an isolated incident.

Since last summer, when the death of George Floyd sparked worldwide protests against police brutality and racism, James estimates 10 to 15 companies have asked for Access2’s help in building a more di-

3

verse workforce, without having any budget in place to pay for that recruiting assistance.

“The moment we say, ‘Hey, do you have a budget for our work?’ That’s when we lose communication,” said James, who added that building up Access2’s network of job candidates took significant time and effort.

“That’s when they say, ‘Hey, we’re OK with knee-jerk reactions on fixing equity, but we’re not OK with paying for it,’” James said.

Other consultants are noticing similar patterns.

Kimberly Harden, the founder and CEO of a Seattle-based DEI consulting firm that bears her name, said she has seen roughly a 50% increase in demand for her services since Floyd’s death.

At the same time, she said, people continue to underestimate the amount of work that goes into analyzing a company’s problems with racial equity and coming up with solutions.

“I have had people who will ask the price, and you tell them what your price is, and they say, ‘Oh, that’s too much,’” said Harden, who is also an instructor in Seattle University’s communication department.

“And then the answer is, ‘You aren’t prepared to do this work.’”

Effenus Henderson, the co-founder of the nonprofit Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion, said companies often look see CONSULTANTS on 10

4

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

JANUARY 23 – JANUARY 29, 2021

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR JAN

14-31

21

VIRTUAL MOCHI TSUKI For details, please visit https://bijac.org/ mochi-tsuki-2021-virtual-event

ROTARY CLUB OF SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT WITH ANA MARI CAUCE, PRESIDENT OF UW 11: 30 a.m.

Zoom Meeting Link: https://bit.ly/2CgAVht seattleidrotary.org

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

FEB

2 THE WASHINGTON STATE CHINA RELATIONS COUNCIL 40TH ANNUAL GALA 6-7:30 p.m.

Register at http://bit.ly/3qqmWci

■ IN MEMORY OF ...

Seattle mayor seeks Tai Tung matriarch passes new member for International Special Review District Board SEATTLE — Mayor Jenny Durkan wants community members to apply for an open position on the International Special Review District (ISRD) Board. The sevenmember board reviews façade alterations, signs, new construction, changes of use, and street improvements, and makes recommendations to the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods director for all properties within the ISRD. The goals of the board are to maintain architectural character, cultural heritage, social diversity, and, through the use of historic preservation, enhance the economic climate.

The open position is one of two seats on the board that are filled by mayoral

appointment. Individuals who have an architectural background and an interest in historic preservation and/or familiarity with the Chinatown-International District are encouraged to apply.

Board meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 4:30 p.m. for one to three hours. Board members serve without compensation.

Interested applicants must be Seattle residents. Send a letter of interest and resume by Feb. 5 to rebecca.frestedt@ seattle.gov and reference the International Special Review District in the subject line.

For more information, call Rebecca Frestedt at (206) 684-0226. 

ADVERTISE STATEWIDE with a $325 classified listing or $1,575 for a display ad. Call this newspaper or 360-344-2938 for details.

ATTENTION: Auto Injury Victims. If you have suffered a serious injury in an auto accident, call us! Our attorneys have the experience to get you the full compensation you deserve! Call now: 877-925-1476.

Chan Liu Sui-Ching died Her family is holding a pubon Jan. 15, 2021. She was 102 lic viewing at Sunset Hills on years old.

Jan. 27 from 2–5 p.m.

Born in Taishan, China, In lieu of flowers, donations she immigrated to the Unitcan be made to Kin On Nursed States in 1968 and worked ing Home, Swedish Hospital, at her family restaurant, Tai or any other organization in Tung, until her retirement.

Chan Liu Sui-Ching’s memory.

Her family said she was well Founded in 1935, the Chans loved by everyone, and that Chan Liu Sui-Ching have owned Tai Tung for people enjoyed her presence, over eight decades. It is the integrity, loyalty, and company. Her hob- oldest Chinese restaurant in Seattle’s bies included knitting, traveling, and play- Chinatown International District.  ing mahjong.

■ BRIEFLY

2021 Minoru Yasui Student contest

The Minoru Yasui Student Contest has announced its 2021 essay competition on Refugee and Immigrant Experiences.

“We celebrate the ideas and opinions of students in grades 6 through 12 and challenge them to write an original and thoughtful essay exploring refugee or immigrant experiences,” a news release stated. “Their essay should also demonstrate an understanding of the life and legacy of Minoru Yasui, who

spent over 40 years as a dedicated leader serving diverse and often marginalized communities.”

“Students are encouraged to research and share meaningful stories about the conditions, challenges, and support experienced by immigrants and refugees coming to the United States.”

For more information on contest details, go to minoruyasuilegacy.org/ student-contest. 

View the solution on page 10

Assunta Ng

Account Executives

John Liu

rebecca@nwasianweekly.com

Ruth Bayang

kelly@nwasianweekly.com

Publisher assunta@nwasianweekly.com Associate Publisher john@nwasianweekly.com Editor editor@nwasianweekly.com

Han Bui Layout & Web Editor han@nwasianweekly.com

Rebecca Ip Kelly Liao John Liu

john@nwasianweekly.com

George Hira

ghira@nwasianweekly.com

The only weekly English-language newspaper serving Washington’s Asian community. The NW Asian Weekly has one simple goal: “To empower the Asian community.”

The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject any advertisement, letter or article.

Subscriptions cost $40 for 52 weeks of the NW Asian Weekly and $30 for 52 weeks of the Seattle Chinese Post. The NW Asian Weekly owns the copyright for all its content. All rights reserved. No part of this paper may be reprinted without permission.

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

JANUARY 23 – JANUARY 29, 2021

YOUR VOICE

asianweekly northwest

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG Creating futures for others, while breaking stereotypes

5

At 16, Rebecca Yeung has already built two houses for the poor.

Beyond her compassion, Yeung’s story has lessons on the pursuit of science, breaking stereotypes for girls, nurturing passions in unconventional hobbies, including building a homemade spacecraft, and more.

A 10th grader at Lakeside High School and only 5 feet tall, Yeung is also the coxswain of her varsity rowing team. She “calls and commands the crew what to do,” Yeung said, even though many teammates are much bigger and taller than her.

Yeung hammers, nails, and navigates a power saw like a pro.

The first tiny house she and her younger sister, Kimberly, built was three years ago for Lower Income Housing Institute (LIHI).

Kimberly recently turned 14 years old.

“We were blown away to find out how young they are,” said Sharon Lee, CEO of LIHI. “It was great to see their use of

Photos provided by Winston Yeung

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Kimberly and friend apply tar paper to the roof of the tiny house.

hand and power tools. I love the photos of them on the roof putting the shingles on!”

What steered the Yeung girls to participate in LIHI’s Tiny Houses? Their curiosity led to asking questions. And more questioning ignited their desire to explore and be a part of the solution for the homeless.

Four years ago, Yeung’s dad, Winston, drove them to their usual weekend martial arts class in Chinatown-International District. They saw Nickelsville’s Tiny Houses. Yeung began asking questions about the project.

Winston connected the girls with LIHI. So began their involvement in constructing tiny houses. LIHI provides training to volunteers.

From start to finish, the Yeungs learned how to design, study blueprints, use the tools, paint, and lay floors. Also, they learned how to implement COVID-19 safety practices, while completing construction.

The girls “demonstrated their dedication,” said Lee. “Their enthusiasm is unsurpassed. The houses turned out well. They’re beautiful tiny houses!”

Year of the Ox

celebration

WE WANT TO SEE PHOTOS

of your Lunar New Year costume

Attire should be culturally relevant to the Lunar New Year Celebration and photos must be your own.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Winner gets a stuffed ox from one of our sponsors and a highlighted photo in the Northwest Asian Weekly newspaper on Feb. 28.

Adults & children are welcome to participate. Please submit photos to info@nwasianweekly.com by Feb. 20.

No virtual celebration.

Rebecca and Kimberly brought in their friends to help throughout the different phases of the project.

“Even little kids can help,” Yeung said. “And if they can help at least one person off the street, it’s satisfying.”

The Tiny House experience has been positive, not only for the Yeungs, but for their friends and families. The Yeungs ended up recruiting dozens of friends, including 9 family members, to help build more houses. It was

inspiring to watch LIHI’s video showing how the Yeungs and their friends assembled one of the houses. Many of the volunteers were adolescent girls.

Yeung said building one tiny house is a lot of work, but she learned a lot “and it’s a lot of fun” because she got to hangout with see YEUNG on 11

6

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

JANUARY 23 – JANUARY 29, 2021

■ AT THE MOVIES

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Netflix has been receiving a lot of criticism lately for its lineup.

No less “Bling Empire,” which premiered Jan. 15. An Asian version of the Kardashians, this reality television series has been slammed for being racist and thrown in with the movie, “Crazy Rich Asians,” as an unfortunate trend of Hollywood depicting Asians and Asian Americans only as rich people behaving badly.

The question out there is if this is the type of celebrity AAPIs wanted? I argue there are a lot of types of shows out there and this is just one of them. It’s the price of fame.

Yes, from advertising, the trail-

er, and even if you stuck to the first episode, you might surmise “Bling Empire” consists of stereotypes, racism, and rampant fakeness. The premise of the show is that “crazy rich Asians” are real (didn’t Kevin Kwan tell us that?) and that a few of these crazy rich Asians live in Los Angeles. It’s set up as a tribal thing right away. A tribe of richness and Asian-ness.

They all know each other. They don’t fight, fibs Kane Lim, child of an oil and shopping mall dynasty, living in the U.S. to escape responsibility across the pond. They are party animals that use money as one way to buy happiness, suggests Christine Chiu, who is not shy to tell us her husband is descended from a Song emperor.

There are all the accoutrements in

Photos courtesy of Netflix

sparks criticism for being what it is: a reality TV show Weapons heiress Anna Shay (left) attends Christine Chiu’s Chinese New Year celebration on Rodeo Drive.

Kane Lim in front of his shoe collection.

the show you would expect—limousines, rollicking nightlife, and plastic surgery. There is bling.

But once you get deeper into the show, not only is it difficult to find anything riotously offensive, but it’s also difficult to say there aren’t redeemable qualities. True, there’s a lot of gratuitous showing off of beautiful bodies and beau-

tiful clothes. There are way too many tiaras. There are occasional tacky comments peppered in, mainly by Kane, such as, “Are you calling me fat? Prosperous.

That’s what we call it in Mandarin,” or that Chinese people are good at math—possibly the most un-PC statement in the entire first season and even he sounds uninvested in it.

There are also true explanations, such as that people from Asian countries like to remove their shoes at the door and wear house slippers. Or that Asian societies pressure women to bear male children. If anyone is stereotyped, it’s rich people. Or Kelly’s “passionate Latin lover,” Andrew.

Kelly Mi Li and her “Latin lover”, Andrew, have a tumultuous relationship.

Saying things like Chinese New Year is better than “white new year” because you get money seems like what an Asian might really say. Maybe the problem for some is having these inside see BLING EMPIRE on 12

Presented by Northwest Asian Weekly and Foundation

Community Health Excellence Awa Award rd HONOREES

SPONSORS

ORGANIZATIONS

DIAMOND SPONSORS

 Kin On

 ICHS

 ACRS Mental Health Department INDIVIDUALS  Nigel Lo, Former Kin On CEO  Keith Koga, Assistant Nursing Manager  B Imei Hsu, Licensed Mental Health Counselor & RN  Dr. Edward Leonard  Dr. Peter Hashisaki  Gayle Robinson, PhD, MN, BSN, RN  Dr. Arooj Simmonds  Kristy Carrington, Chief Nursing Officer  Rachel Wang Martinez, MHA, BSN, RN-BC  Roxanne Garcia, Neighborcare Health Administrator  Ray Tong, Occupational Therapist  Kia Truong, Health Center Manager, Bellevue Clinic  Tram Le, Health Center Manager, Holly Park Clinic  Rattana Chaokhote, Clinical Care Services Director

 Dr. Anthony Chen Director of Health  Winnie Lee Physician Assistant Assistant Medical Director  Scott Sato, Physician Assistant  Vy Pham, Physician  Leovelyn Tamayo Lead Medical Assistant  Missy Cruz Emergency Room Technician  Winona Hauge Radio Host, Health Resource  Rose Kim, Care Counselor

GOLD SPONSOR

SILVER SPONSOR

COMMUNITY SPONSOR

JIM DOANE Honoree profiles will be featured in a special issue on Feb. 4. Virtual celebration will be on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 4-5 p.m. Zoom link meeting: http://bit. ly/3qwXfqy. For more info, email assunta@nwasianweekly.com

JANUARY 23 – JANUARY 29, 2021

YOUR VOICE

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

By JAKE COYLE AP FILM WRITER

asianweekly northwest

Ang Lee on ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ 20 years later

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s physically impossible to get to the forest fight scene that hovers atop slender bamboo trees in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’’ and not say out loud “Whoa.’’

Twenty years later, the exhilarating grace of Ang Lee’s martial-arts masterwork is just as breathtaking. The way figures glide across the water. The extraordinary lightness of it.

Its craft and choreography are only further evidence of a mantra uttered in the film: “A sword by itself rules nothing. It only comes alive in skilled hands.’’

Take that scene, where Chow Yun-fat and Zhang Ziyi clash in a dance across bamboo stalks. Asked what he remembers about shooting it, Lee doesn’t hesitate: The sweating. Not from heat but from the stress of suspending a few of Asia’s biggest movie stars high in the air, held aloft by cranes over a valley.

“You use very heavy ways to imitate lightness,’’ said Lee, speaking by phone from Taiwan during a recent trip from his home in New York. “Each actor hanging up there, you need 30 people down on the ground mimicking how the bamboo swings in the wind. I probably did about a third of what I wanted to do. The way you dream about a movie, it’s very difficult to make real.’’

Last month marked the 20th anniversary of the release of “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon,’’ an occasion being celebrated with a new limited-edition 4K UHD Bluray. It remains a movie unlike any other. An international co-production filmed in China and shot in Mandarin, it still ranks, easily, as the most successful non-English language film ever in the U.S. The $17-million movie grossed $128.1 million in North America.

Arguably more than any other film, “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’’ opened mainstream American moviegoers not just to a new genre known predominantly in Asia— the wuxia tradition—but to subtitled films in general. It set another record with 10 Academy Awards nominations, a mark since equaled by “Roma’’ and “Parasite.’’ “Crouching Tiger’’ took home four Oscars.

Did Lee feel that when Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite’’ became the first non-English language best-picture winner in February that he had helped pave the way?

“Yeah, I did,’’ says Lee, laughing. “I wouldn’t say it happened because of me. But as people paved the way for me, I paved the way for that movie. And that movie paved the way for future moviemakers and goers. We’re a community. We’re all part of a history.’’

“Crouching Tiger’’ is poised between worlds.

Its elegantly choreographed action scenes have the meter of poetry. Its conflicts between duty and freedom, master and disciple take on soulful dimensions—particularly in scenes with the film’s antagonist: the rebellious Jen Yu (Zhang), a commanding figure of feminist fury and empowerment who at the time drew comparisons to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Twenty years later, she still feels like a brilliant outlier in a male-dominated genre.

The film is a fusion of East and West, of Asian film history and Hollywood, of action movie and art house. Lee and writer-producer James Schamus—who together adapted Jane Austen in 1995—took to referring to it as “Sense and Sensibility’ with martial arts.’’

Over five months of prep and a five-month shoot across China, Lee agonized over the delicate balance of “Crouching Tiger.’’

“Halfway through our difficulties, I remember thinking this is a B-movie, supposedly. I’m fighting the genre, trying to make a great movie,’’ Lee says.

“I didn’t have experience in martial arts.

It’s a very special skill and cinematic sense, which I learned from the Hong Kong crew—the choreographer Yuen Wo-ping and the cinematographer Peter Pau. I learned so much about movie making. Not just about action, but about the essence of the medium.’’

Every project tends to become all-consuming for Lee, the protean director of “Life of Pi,’’ “Brokeback Mountain’’ and “The Ice Storm.’’

“Sometimes it feels like every movie is a lifetime,’’ he says, chuckling. But he considers “Crouching Tiger’’ his most difficult film. Not just for the technical challenges but because of the pressure he put on himself to capture the cinema

of his youth.

“It was the toughest movie and the toughest part of my life. Making a film in China in 1998, 1999 was pretty impossible. Usually in martial arts films, you just focus on fighting scenes,’’ Lee says. “I still wanted good fighting scenes. I also wanted a good art department, historical look, acting.

I was just too greedy. It was kind of my childhood fantasy. I joke that it’s a childhood fantasy and midlife crisis all clenched together.’’

That’s also what Lee ascribes the film’s success to: its sense of childlike wonderment.

“What I think people respond to is the innocence,’’ Lee says. “Putting yourself in an unknown situation, somehow you have a better chance to find that see LEE on 9

7

8

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

JANUARY 23 – JANUARY 29, 2021

■ WORLD NEWS

Chinese city reports coronavirus found on ice cream BEIJING (AP) — The coronavirus was found on ice cream produced in eastern China, prompting a recall of cartons from the same batch, according to the government.

The Daqiaodao Food Co., Ltd. in Tianjin, adjacent to Beijing, was sealed and its employees were being tested for the coronavirus, a city government statement said. There was

no indication anyone had contracted the virus from the ice cream.

Most of the 29,000 cartons in the batch had yet to be sold, the government said. It said 390 sold in Tianjin were being tracked down and authorities elsewhere were notified of sales to their areas.

The ingredients included New Zealand milk powder and whey

powder from Ukraine, the government said.

The Chinese government has suggested the disease, first detected in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019, came from abroad and has highlighted what it says are discoveries of the coronavirus on imported fish and other food, though foreign scientists are skeptical. 

Xi asks Starbucks’ Schultz to help repair US-China ties

By JOE McDONALD AP BUSINESS WRITER

the official Xinhua News Agency was a rare direct communication from China’s paramount leader to a foreign business figure. Schultz opened Starbucks’ first China outlet in 1999 and is a frequent visitor.

Xi wrote to Schultz “to encourage him and Starbucks to continue to play an active role in promoting Chinese-U.S. economic and trade cooperation and the development of bilateral relations,’’ Xinhua reported. No text of the letter was released.

In a statement issued on Jan. 15, Schultz didn’t directly address Xi’s request to help repair relations, instead saying it was “a great honor’’ to receive the letter from

BEIJING (AP) — President Xi Jinping is asking former CEO Howard Schultz of Starbucks to help repair U.S.Chinese relations that have plunged to their lowest level in Xi Jinping decades amid a tariff war and tension over technology and security.

A letter from Xi to Schultz reported by

Weekly Specials

China’s president.

Schultz said Xi was replying to a letter Schultz recently sent him along with a Chinese-language edition of his book, “From the Ground Up: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America.’’

Xinhua reported that Schultz congratulated Xi on “the completion of a well-off society’’ under his leadership.

Schultz didn’t release a copy of his letter to Xi, but he said he shared his respect for the Chinese people and culture.

In his statement, Schultz said he has formed many close relationships with Starbucks’ employees in China, which is Starbucks’ biggest market outside the

United States. It has 4,700 stores and 58,000 employees in almost 190 Chinese cities.

“I truly believe Starbucks best days are ahead in China and that the values of creativity, compassion, community and hard work will guide the company toward an even greater business and community contribution, while continuing to build common ground for cooperation between our two countries,’’ Schultz said in his statement.

Starbucks said it had no comment.

Schultz stepped down as Starbucks’ CEO in 2017 and retired as chairman of the see STARBUCKS on 11

In memory of Chan Liu Sui-Ching 1918—2021

JANUARY 20-26, 2021

MANILA STEAMER CLAMS

Sangaria (6.76 oz)

ASSORTED RAMUNE

Live! Ideal for Hot Pot. Locally Grown and Delivered Directly to our Stores!

Single

6.99 lb

1.19

*

6 pk

6.99

*

*Seattle: Sweetened Beverage Tax Applies

Holy Bee’s Bakery

BASQUE BURNT CHEESECAKE SLICES

WHOLE PORK SPARERIBS

4.49 ea

COCONUT MILK

.99

YU CHOY SUM

2.49 lb

1.98 lb

Shirakiku (15 lb)

Lotte (9 pc)

Medium Grain White Rice

Party Pack

CALROSE RICE

Richin (13.5 oz)

Fresh!

14.99

CHOCO PIE

5.49

To see all of our weekly specials, visit uwajimaya.com seattle

•

bellevue

•

renton

•

beaverton

•

uwajimaya.com

Chan Liu Sui-Ching was born on December 2, 1918, and passed away peacefully on January 15, 2021. Her family included her husband, Chan Dar Gui, her sister and best friend, Chan Lui Chui-Ping, and her brother, Lui Wah Ching. She is survived by her children Tommy, Kim, Nora, Harry, Leila, their spouses, 20 grandchildren, 47 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren.

She was born in Taishan, China and moved to Hong Kong in 1945, where she and her older sister/best friend raised their children. In 1968 she immigrated to the United States and worked at the family restaurant, Tai Tung, until her retirement.

Chan Liu Sui-Ching was well-loved by everyone. People enjoyed her presence, integrity, loyalty and company. Her hobbies included cooking, knitting, storytelling, traveling, and playing Mah Jong.

She was dedicated to her family and cherished spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She blessed the world with her strength, wisdom, courage, generosity, and kindness for over 102 years.

Her legacy and memories will remain in our hearts forever.

Please join our family for a public viewing at Sunset Hills on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 from 2:00 to 5:00 pm.

A private family celebration of Ms. Chan Liu Sui-Ching’s life will take place on Thursday, January 28, 2021 at 1:00 pm at the Sunset Hills Funeral Home in Bellevue, Washington.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Kin On Nursing Home, Swedish Hospital, or any other organization in Ms. Chan Liu Sui-Ching’s memory.

JANUARY 23 – JANUARY 29, 2021

YOUR VOICE

■ EDITORIAL

asianweekly northwest

9

Embrace a new beginning

“Together we shall write an American story of hope, not fear, of unity, not division. Of light, not darkness. A story of decency and dignity, love and healing, greatness and goodness.”

That was part of Joe Biden’s inaugural address as he took his Oath of Office and became the 46th President of the United States at 8:48 a.m. Pacific time on Jan. 20.

The previous night, Biden, his wife Dr. Jill Biden, along with Kamala Harris, now the Vice President and her husband, Doug Emhoff, hosted a ceremony where 400 lights were lit around the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool to honor the 400,000 people in the U.S. who have died from COVID-19.

The ceremony came on the last full day of Donald Trump’s presidency, and exactly one year to the day after the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in the United States.

Harris breaks ground as the first woman, first Asian American, and first Black woman to ever hold the vice presidency.

“This is a truly meaningful moment in history for our country, including for so many women, people of color and immigrants,” said fellow South Asian Rep. Pramila Jayapal.

For some, it might feel like waking up from a nightmare that lasted four years. For others, it might feel like

LEE from 7 innocence. It’s the reason we go to the theater.’’

In recent years, Lee has remade himself as a digital convert, in pursuit of a new kind of cinema—“which I have not found,’’ he adds, laughing—that includes high frame rate, 3-D and other innovations that he believes

disappointment in the changing of the guard. Whatever the case for you, we must remember that we all have one thing in common—we all want the same thing. We all want to live and go about our lives in peace, to love and be loved, to be safe, for our loved ones to be safe, and to experience joy and fulfillment.

While we may disagree on how to get there, let’s not lose sight of the importance of diversity of thought, and contrast.

We cannot fully appreciate joy without sorrow, or health without sickness.

Let’s choose to see this new administration as an opportunity to focus on common ground, on love. To focus on solutions, not problems.

are the future of film. While some of the results have been fascinating, his forays into digital—2019’s “Gemini Man,’’ 2016’s “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk’’— haven’t been received well. Lee says he’s still brooding, still curious.

“I don’t want to give up just yet,’’ Lee says. “The movie gods have been very great to me. As long as I

In his book, “Love is Letting Go of Fear,” Gerald Jampolsky wrote, “We are always expressing either Love or fear.

Fear is really a call for help, and therefore a request for Love.”

In his inaugural speech, Biden said, “May this be the story that guides us, the story that inspires and the stories that tell ages yet to come that we answered the call of history. We met the moment, democracy and hope, truth and justice did not die on our watch but thrived, that America secured liberty at home and stood once again as a beacon to the world.” 

can, I’ll do my service—whether digitally or if someday I go back to making something on a flat screen. But I think the way I view things has changed, and I have to be honest with that. At the end of the day, honesty is very important. You might get blamed for it, you might fail, but a part of you has to keep honest and fresh. I just hope the whole career is like a never-ending film school.’’ 

MIYASATO from 1 arrest. This individual is no longer employed by our organization.”

According to court documents, Miysato amassed a collection of 25,000 images of child sexual abuse and admitted to chatting online with a person he believed to be 13 years old and requesting “naughty” images of her.

Miyasato, 41, told the arresting officer that he has struggled with what he called “an addiction” for a very long time and maybe this was the push he needed to receive help.

Miyasato faced two firstdegree charges, one concerning the distribution of images of child exploitation, and one concerning the possession of said images, according to court documents.

His bail was set at $50,000, and his arraignment was set for Jan. 21. 

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received by the King County Procurement Services Section through the County’s E-Procurement system for the following listed bids.

Instructions on how to submit a bid electronically, view any current bid opportunities, express interest, communicate with the Buyer via Message app and/or successfully submit a bid through the E-Procurement system prior to the Close date and time indicated in the solicitation are provided on the County’s

website or by following this link: https:// www.kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/finance/ procurement/Documents/E-Procurement_ Supplier_Solicitation_User_Guide_ Rev1_2020_Final_11062020.ashx?la=en King County encourages minority business enterprise participation. King County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its programs, services, and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

KC000067 OPENS: 02/09/2021

Public Engagement and Incentive Distribution Services Pre-Proposal Conference: Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 2:00 PM. Zoom https:// kingcounty.zoom.us/j/95336908670 Conference Call: +1 253 215 8782 Webinar ID: 95336908670 KC000070 OPENS: 01/29/2021 Mass Care Support Trailers

10

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

JANUARY 23 – JANUARY 29, 2021

CLASSIFIED employmeNT

The Washington State Housing Finance Commission is recruiting for a Director of Asset management & Compliance to manage and direct the statewide strategic development and tactical implementation of the long-term preservation and compliance of affordable housing projects financed by the Commission. Please visit our website @ wshfc.org/admin/ careers.htm for complete job announcement and application procedures. State of Washington, EOE.

employmeNT

The office Coordinator will ensure that the organization’s office operations, fundraising activities, and garden events are efficient, accurate and smooth.

The position works closely with board members, garden employees, and volunteers. Mandarin and Cantonese required. Please send cover letter and resume to president@seattlechinesegarden. org.

Find NWAW on social media on Facebook, Twitter Instagram!

Advertize in our Service Directory below. Just $10 a week! Minimum: 12 weeks for $120.

Call John at 206223-0623 for more info.

Get your Classified Ad here now! Place a 6 line classified ad for just $30! $5 per line and ad runs for a week. Deadline Tuesday.

Circulation: Over 9000!

Call 206-223-0623 and ask for John.

Subscribe to the Northwest Asian Weekly $40 Name_________________________ Address _______________________ City _________________State____ Zip Code ______________________ Phone ________________________ Mail to: NW Asian Weekly 412 Maynard Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98104 or call 206-223-0623

The American Legion Cathay Post 186

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Serving the community since 1946

cathaypost@hotmail.com

DONE RITE

PSYCHIC READINGS BY DIANA

206-487-8236

(917) 344-9249

I can help you in all matters of life Love. Career. Luck. Family. Etc. Have you found your potential soulmate/twin Flame? Do you feel unlucky? I am gifted psychic 27 yrs exp. I will help where others have failed.

Immediate results.

CARPET CLEANING $1,000/DAY

HONG LAW FIRM, PLLC

(737) 200-1055

Bankruptcy Chapter 7  Personal Injury Landlord-Tenant  Simple Wills

POSSIBLE ONLINE!

www.retirenow2018.com

CONSULTANTS from 3 for quick fixes to address deeply ingrained problems with race and equity, but those efforts rarely lead to long-term changes.

“I call it performative,” said Henderson, a former chief diversity officer at Weyerhaeuser who now runs his own DEI consulting firm. “They want consultants to help them put together a training course on implicit bias, for instance, or some help setting up an employee resource group. Yet they have not set up the time to do what I call the heavy-lifting work, which is, ‘Why are you doing this?’”

He said a good diversity and inclusion plan requires labor-intensive work, such as conducting employee surveys, combing through a company’s turnover and compensation data, and reviewing human resource practices to suggest changes.

That’s not a one-day process, or even a one-month process, said Cheryl Ingram, the founder and CEO of Diverse City, a DEI consulting firm based in Seattle.

“They’ll say, ‘Oh, we only need you for three months,’ ” Ingram said. ‘And we are saying, ‘Based on where you are right now, you need a year, or maybe more.’ ” Often, people try to haggle, offering less compensation than is reasonable, Ingram said. After spending time shadowing white consultants who charged

substantially more, she thinks racial bias plays a role in those negotiations.

“My firm is mostly comprised of underrepresented populations,” Ingram said. “People see us and think, even unconsciously, that they shouldn’t pay us as much.”

Other times, a company will solicit a proposal for how to improve workplace equity and inclusion, then try to implement those ideas on their own, without hiring the person who came up with the plan in the first place, said Ruchika Tulshyan, an adjunct lecturer of communication at Seattle University.

Tulshyan, who also advises companies on diversity and inclusion strategy, said that’s one sign that diversity, equity and inclusion work remains undervalued compared with other kinds of consulting services.

“If I came in and said, ‘I am going to come up with a new technology solution for your organization,’ or provide finance or management consulting— they recognize all that as expertise,” said Tulshyan, whose book, “The Diversity Advantage,” focuses on the benefits of gender equity in the workplace.

“But they don’t recognize DEI in quite the same way.”

In some cases, companies avoid investing in diversity, equity and inclusion by asking their employees of color to take on that work, even if those employees don’t have a background in it, Tulshyan said.

Crystal Fincher, a Black political consultant, said she’s been called on by some of her clients to do indepth DEI audits, which are outside her realm of expertise, and it’s awkward.

“It’s basically, ‘You are here doing work, how about doing this DEI stuff, too? How about helping us with our race problem?’” said Fincher, who is based in Kent. “And there’s the assumption that I want to do that and I am the best person to do that. And usually the answer to both of those things is, I’m not.”

She summarized the issue as people saying, “Oh, they’re Black, so I can get them to do that, right?”

While Fincher considers racial equity a core value that’s expressed in her work, that’s different from being a trained DEI consultant, she said.

“If you actually care about this, you would care about having some-

206-856-8291  honglegal@gmail.com

Frank S. Hong, Attorney at Law avvo.com

one who has the expertise,” Fincher said.

Lately, though, more people are presenting themselves as DEI experts who lack qualifications, Henderson said. He said that can make it more difficult for experienced, trained DEI professionals to get paid what they are worth.

To help address that issue, Henderson has spent the last few years working with the International Organization for Standardization to develop worldwide standards for diversity, equity and inclusion work.

Those standards are expected to be published in the coming weeks.

Harden, the DEI consultant who teaches at Seattle University, said she has managed to avoid some issues with potential clients by conducting 30-minute introductory sessions with them. That helps her gauge how serious they are about making changes to their

» PERSONAL INJURY

» WRONGFUL DEATH

» AIRLINE DISASTERS

» DOG BITES

» BICYCLE ACCIDENTS

» PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS

Mandarin, Cantonese & Korean Interpreter available

206-625-9104

WEBSITE: HLG.LAWYER

organization.

Christina Blocker, a Tacoma-based DEI consultant, said she often starts out by managing her clients’ expectations, telling them, “We’re not going to achieve the world in a few months. We’re definitely not going to achieve it in a year, but here is how we get started.”

For James, Chu and Corner, however, it’s past time for companies to start backing up their public commitments to racial equity with real dollars.

For now, Chu said, she and her partners plan to start using nondisclosure agreements during more of their early conversations with clients.

That way, she said, they can protect some of their recruitment strategies and ideas—and, hopefully, avoid getting taken advantage of in the future. 

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 4.

JANUARY 23 – JANUARY 29, 2021

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

asianweekly northwest

11

Predictions and advice for the week of January 23–29, 2021

By Sun Lee Chang Rat—Are you not quite sold on a new idea?

As you get deeper in, you will notice some significant benefits.

Dragon—No one would accuse you of being shy with your opinions. Just remember to balance the good with the bad.

Monkey—Not only do you stop to smell the roses, you grow them, too. Creating a pleasing environment is within your grasp.

Ox—Instead of reacting immediately, first determine what move would best serve your interests.

Snake—Expectations are running high and you don’t want to disappoint anyone. Avoid putting too much pressure on yourself.

Rooster—Rather than downplaying what sets you apart, use it to distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack.

Tiger—You are not afraid to go against the grain, but be prepared for the feedback that might generate as a result.

Horse—If you have concerns about how the situation is unfolding, bring it to the table for discussion.

Dog—Fulfilling a long-held duty is its own reward. Having given much, you are close to completing your goal.

Rabbit—Before your enthusiasm for a difficult project starts to wane, get as much done as you are able.

Goat—Is the leverage you had not as strong as it used to be? This is not the time to become complacent.

Pig—Faced with the choice between something you want versus what you need, choose the road of least regret.

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, 2021 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.

STARBUCKS from 8 company in 2018. He briefly considered running for president as an independent in 2019.

Xinhua gave no indication whether the

YEUNG from 5 her friends. All the construction was done outside on weekends and after school.

“It’s manual labor and doesn’t require much thinking,” she said.

The Yeungs on raising girls

The Yeungs have had their share of fame from their science projects, like photographing the totality of a solar eclipse and launching a homemade craft to the edge of space. Major networks interviewed them, and ABC’s “Good Morning America” called the Yeungs “the solar sisters.” They even got to go to the White House. The Gates Foundation also invited them to be panelists with other female scientists.

What kind of parenting philosophy and style do the Yeung parents have on raising their daughters?

“I’m not sure what parenting style we have,” said Winston, an entrepreneur.

“I think we value experiences over possessions, and emphasize effort over achievement.”

Winston was quick to point out that the girls were the ones to come up with most of the ideas, including the spacecraft idea after seeing Youtube videos. Although “they didn’t invent the balloon launch idea,” Winston said, they showed interest in it. As parents, he and his wife did “what we could to support” their interest.

Both Winston and his wife, Jennifer, have bachelor of science degrees, and Jennifer has two master’s degrees.

“We don’t really have training” in the daughters’ projects, “but we do all enjoy doing family projects.”

The family doesn’t have sons.

However, Winston said, “We wouldn’t trade our daughters for anything. Of course boys and girls naturally differ

letter reflected an initiative to ask American corporate leaders to help change policy after President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

Economists and political analysts say Biden is likely to try to revive cooperation with Beijing over North Korea and other

in certain ways, but we think both girls and boys should be taught the same values: confidence, respect, compassion, curiosity, inclusion. Helping LIHI build a couple of tiny houses was actually a great way to encourage the development of these values!”

The couple’s goal is to raise “independent thinkers and have their own minds! We just kind of follow along and provide support when they need it.”

The projects were “really driven by the girls,” said Winston. “It’s pretty cool and I am proud of them,” he said.

Although Winston didn’t take any credit in encouraging his daughters to participate in daunting projects, he and his wife deserve credit for supporting their daughters to go after adventures and bold projects. The fact is, his daughters are fearless when tackling unknown territories, which even adults would consider unthinkable.

The tiny houses were built in the family’s garage. The garage was also the birthplace of many projects, including a storage bench, canoe, and the spaceship (which flew 20,000 miles into space), four years ago. Their spaceship project made it all the way to the White House’s annual science fair in 2016. It was President Obama’s favorite project, according to the White House photographer Pete Souza’s Instagram post. Winston said his daughters did all the math calculations for the spacecraft.

How many women like me, several years older, are weak in math and science, scared to touch power tools, and nervous about anything that has to do with construction? My trick is to delegate my husband or son to do the work. I say, “Hey, fix this,” when anything goes wrong at home. In hindsight, it’s a bad idea for women to develop irrational fears and misconceptions about home repairs and heavy equipment. The truth

political issues. But few changes on trade are expected due to widespread frustration in Washington over China’s human rights record and accusations of technology theft.

The Cabinet press office didn’t immediately respond to questions about

is, I am also lazy to learn. But the Yeung girls are often hungry for new knowledge and discovery.

Their success in turning ideas into reality empowers them not only to be free and introspective thinkers, but it gives them confidence and skills that they need in real life.

Some parents, myself included, are quick to assign gender roles too early in their kids’ lives, especially for families that have both sons and daughters. As a parent who has daughters only, Winston could just ignore gender issues at home.

I was always expected to do household chores when I was a little girl, while my brother was spared from them. It was also a different era back then.

There is no study that shows male and female brains differ and that “men are biologically better suited for math and science,” according to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a CNN commentator, neurologist, and author of “Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age.” There is certainly no rule that says “girls shouldn’t do what boys do or vice versa.”

It reminds me of what author Maya Angelou said.

“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels...You’ve got to go out and kick ass.”

Rebecca and Kimberly are not trying to kick ass. Their goal is not to prove someone wrong. They just want to satisfy their curiosity, believe in themselves, and make a difference. By doing so, they have become role models for all to experiment with new things and make mistakes.

Like Yeung said on ABC, “Don’t give up because even if some people tell you not to do this, even if something goes wrong, keep going and persevere.”  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

what Xi wanted Schultz to do and whether he contacted other American business leaders. 

One third of LIHI’s volunteer force are women. They help to construct the tiny houses and set up the villages. There are carpenters and volunteer leaders who oversee and guide them.

On site at the villages, Stephanie Colbert and Guy Astley train volunteers on construction and safety. Both have decades of experience teaching pre-apprentices and students in vocational programs.

So people who have never picked up a hammer or power tool can learn from them.

LIHI’s goal is to build 300 to 400 more tiny houses this year.

It is looking for more volunteers and donors. They also have a large workshop in SoDo so volunteers can build tiny houses indoors without getting wet. LIHI welcomes volunteers of all ages. Families with children are welcome.

The cost for materials for each tiny house is $2,500. Donors can contribute to the cost of a quarter, a half, or a whole tiny house and they will be recognized by a plaque on the tiny house. If they want to honor someone special, like a loved one, a relative, or a teacher, it can be done.

The transportation cost to move a tiny house to a village is about $200.

Over 500 tiny houses have been built so far in Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia. LIHI is currently sponsoring 12 tiny house villages and it hopes to grow this to 20 villages.

For more information, go to LIHI. org.

12

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

JANUARY 23 – JANUARY 29, 2021

BLING EMPIRE from 6 jokes exposed. For the most part, the cast of “Bling Empire” is pretty normal, and I assert most of them are not even crazy rich. They shop for themselves. They have immigration stories, non-traditional families, and working mothers. I’m positive Eleanor Young would not approve.

Early claims have been that “Bling Empire” is unrelatable to most people, yet that’s not really the case. Income-wise, maybe. But the show has a soft side, which might keep audiences coming back. At first, the most awkward member of the tribe is newcomer Kevin Kreider, who professes that he likes being around other Asians, as when he was in Philadelphia. He stood out as one of the only Asians people knew. But Kreider is not exactly a “regular guy”—he’s a model. And he’s adopted. He’s never been to a Chinese New Year party. He has a hard time being related to by anyone. Yet his quest to be accepted and learn more about himself is endearing and human. So, too, is DJ Kim Lee’s search for her real father, Kelly’s fears about whether or not Andrew really loves her, and Christine’s hesitation about having more children.

The characters divulge vulnerabilities about their pasts and their relationships that provide an endearing counterpoint to the flash and frivolity of the rest of their lives. At first, I suspected that the inclusion of one of the most outrageous characters, Anna Shay, a half-Russian, half-Japanese

CHEN from 1 like to have, but at least I was able to stand up on all the rest of the jumps and I guess move on from here.”

His main challengers couldn’t stand up throughout their free skates, and Vincent Zhou’s 291.38 total wasn’t in the same stratosphere as Chen. Zhou popped a quad flip and fell on a quad lutz, but the 2018 Olympian still held on to second place.

LIEU from 1 “It was there, sheltering in place, fearing what a mob incited by Trump would do next, that Rep. [David] Cicilline [of Rhode Island] and I decided that we were going to try to impeach the president. Again.”

By a 232-197 vote, the Democraticcontrolled House of Representatives decided on Jan. 13 to impeach Trump a second time. Ten Republican lawmakers, including Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse of Washington state, voted in support of the article of impeachment.

“Impeachment and conviction would prevent Trump from ever menacing our country again through an elected position,” Lieu wrote. “Our article of impeachment specifically provides for ‘disqualification to hold and enjoy any office.’ And removal through impeachment would strip Trump of taxpayer-funded benefits like a pension, health insurance, office space, and staff.”

Lieu will serve as an impeachment manager during Trump’s pending Senate trial. A date for the trial—the first of a president no longer in office— has not yet been set.

For Trump to be convicted in the Senate, a two-thirds majority of senators must vote in favor. That means all 50 members of the Senate’s Democratic caucus and at least 17 Republicans would have to vote against the president.

No president has ever been convicted in a Senate trial, and GOP Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah is the only senator in U.S. history to have supported the conviction of a president from that lawmaker’s own party. Romney cast

weapons heiress (yes, that’s a stereotype), could be racist in that she, the part-European with dyed blonde hair, often plays the foil to others when they are acting immature or inconsiderate. But after a while, the tribe coalesces satisfyingly, and they all hold their own.

Some have complained that they can’t tell if the show is real or fake. I would ask how is this new to the genre? It could be the complaints are really about reality TV shows, not this particular reality TV show. Is how the people are portrayed “true”? I don’t know. Are the Kardashians true?

Critics have said, too, that they don’t want to see only rich Asians portrayed on the screen. The big question being: Is this the type of Hollywood exposure that AAPIs wanted?

Have AAPIs “made it” because they get their own reality show? I would add, “like everyone else?”

For better or for worse, viewers like gawking at rich people. The fact that they want to gawk at Asian rich people is, in a way, a compliment. There are TV shows and movies out there that depict “regular” AAPIs, such as Apple’s effort at diversity with Little America or Kim’s Convenience, about Korean grocers, also on Netflix. There is Awkwafina visiting her dying grandmother in The Farewell. And Randall Park, playing a guy who works in air conditioning and raps in a neighborhood band in “Always Be My Maybe.”

Normal and relatable get an indie award and pulled from the lineup because no one is watching. Sensationalism and extravagance get views.

“I’m really not happy with myself for throwing away my first 300-point opportunity like that,” Zhou said. “But all the same, this competition is still a great experience and lots of positives as well.”

Jason Brown, the final competitor at these fan-less nationals at the Orleans Arena—they were moved from San Jose, California, due to the COVID-19 pandemic—stayed in third place at 276.92 points.

that vote last year, during Trump’s first impeachment trial, which ended in acquittal on Feb. 5, 2020.

Lieu has called out Republican leadership in the Senate for not moving quicker to start the trial. Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is reportedly open to voting to convict Trump but dismissed the idea of starting the trial before the Senate reconvened on Jan. 19—one day before Joe Biden took office.

Lieu has been an outspoken critic of Trump and has made a virtual art form out of trolling him on Twitter— Trump’s favorite medium. In 2017, at the beginning of Trump’s presidency, Lieu’s personal Twitter account (@tedlieu) had fewer than 10,000 followers. It has since exploded to 1.5 million. The official @reptedlieu account is managed by his staff and is more restrained.

Lieu’s @tedlieu account often tweets in the style and language of Trump, with capital letters, exclamation points, and parentheses.

Lieu’s wife, Betty, told the Washington Post, “One of the reasons I married him was his sense of humor.”

Lieu’s family moved from Taiwan to the United States when he was 3. Lieu studied computer science at Stanford and he got his law degree from Georgetown Law School. He’s a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and a former military prosecutor.

“I previously served on active duty in the United States military, because I believe America is an exceptional country. I never thought that there would be an attempted coup that was incited by our very own commander in chief,” Lieu said. 

Tacky comments said by someone who is Asian himself seem to hint at insecurities he might have about his own position in the world, rather than make “Bling Empire” a racist show. People behaving extravagantly, or just being annoying, is not racist, though it could be a stereotype of the LA rich. Yes, it is worrying that the people on the show might be taken as the standard for all AAPIs and spark racism from non-Asians and have-nots because the participants are frivolous and rich. Those haters are not the people who are going to look deeply anyway. In fact, there is a lot to connect with in “Bling Empire,” and a lot to help make AAPIs relatable to those who, like Kevin, haven’t spent enough time in their company.

There are other shows out there but shows like “Bling Empire” get attention. It is a product of an industry that feeds the market what it wants. What the public can do is urge Hollywood, and everyone, to keep exploring, keep storytelling, and keep including. The release of “Crazy Rich Asians” was celebrated as a good thing. Now “Bling Empire” is being accused of being too much. Asking for equal exposure, yet only wanting to expose the bits you like, is not fair. If AAPIs want to go mainstream, it’s going to include reality TV—and that could be a good thing, too.  Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Chen, Zhou and Brown were chosen to the U.S. team for March’s worlds in Stockholm—if it is held.

Chen fell all over the ice in the short program at the Pyeongchang Games, then was spectacular in winning the free skate to begin what now is nearly three years of being on the top step of the medals podium. He won the 2018 worlds—twotime Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu was injured and skipped them—and then took worlds again in 2019.

But the coronavirus pandemic caused cancellation of last year’s worlds in Montreal, as well as this season’s Grand Prix final. Only at Skate America in October was Chen able to strut his stuff.

So it’s understandable and excusable if he wasn’t at his peak. And really no matter, too.

“Super thrilled with the results,” he said. 

The Story of Seattle Chinatown International District Murals The Northwest Asian Weekly, in cooperation with Empower Video Production, created a video memorializing the 2020 collaboration between artists and community after protests against police brutality and rioting.

Shot by Nuk Suwanchote and edited by Minh Le of Empower Video Production, "The Story of Seattle Chinatown International District Murals" details the events from the pandemic, to vandalism, and triumph when a community united, that led up to the living art gallery throughout the CID. To watch "The Story of Seattle Chinatown International District Murals," go to youtube.com/watch?v=VE9BA7KkbKc