VOL 40 NO 16 | APRIL 17 – APRIL 23, 2021

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FREE 39 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Bystander intervention: Matsuyama becomes first How to combat harassment Japanese in Masters green jacket

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

With the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, a lot of people have been wondering what they can do to help.

Many are afraid to speak up when something happens, or just unsure how to go about it. “Bystander Intervention,” a training aimed at stopping “anti-Asian American and xenophobic harassment” offers advice, positing that there is always “at least one thing” we all can do.

The training is currently offered online until May 17. Sponsored

by Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago, CAIR-Chicago, and Hollaback!, the sessions last approximately one hour and provide five possible responses to harassment,

AP Photo/Gregory Bull

By DOUG FERGUSON

A culturally competent trainer conducts each session

which the presenters call the “5 D’s”: Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, and Direct.

This mindful, culturally competent training is facilitated by any of several

individuals, including Tamer Y. Abouzeid, staff attorney for CAIRChicago, a Muslim civil rights see BYSTANDER on 7

Andrew Yang: The New York City mayoral candidate to beat

Hideki Matsuyama of Japan celebrates after putting on the champion’s green jacket after winning the Masters golf tournament on April 11 in Augusta, Ga.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The pressure was even more than Hideki Matsuyama could have imagined when he stood on the first tee on April 11 at Augusta National. So was the emotion when he walked off the 18th green as the first Masters champion from golf-mad Japan.

First book on Vincent Chin murder

By Samantha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Photo by Sonya Sones

When Paula Yoo accepted a job at the Detroit News in 1993, her friends asked her if she was scared.

It had been 11 years since the murder of Vincent Chin, but his name was still spoken among her fellow Paula Yoo Asian American journalists.

In 1982, two white men killed Chin while he was out for his bachelor party. This was during a time when anti-Asian sentiments were particularly high. The influx of Japanese cars at the time hit the American auto industry hard and the men who beat Chin to death, Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz, were

■

see YOO on 9

Photos from yangforny.com

see MATSUYAMA on 11

Yang supporters at a rally

Andrew Yang speaking with New York citizens

About 10 weeks before the June 22 Democratic primary that is likely to determine the next mayor of New York city, four candidates currently make up the top tier of contenders, according to available polling and interviews with elected officials and party strategists— Andrew Yang, the undisputed poll leader; Eric Adams, the Brooklyn borough president; City Comptroller Scott Stringer; and Maya D. Wiley, a former counsel to Mayor Bill de Blasio and a former MSNBC analyst.

In a survey released by Fontas Advisors and Core Decision Analytics in March, Yang was the top choice of 16% of respondents, followed by 10% for Eric

Adams. Everyone else was in the single digits. The Yang campaign’s private polling shows him with 25% of the vote and Adams with 15%.

The Yang campaign’s polling also shows Yang winning 49% of the Asian vote, with the other candidates in the single digits.

Yang, who campaigned unsuccessfully for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, is one of more than two dozen candidates who have filed papers to run to succeed the city’s term-limited Mayor de Blasio. see YANG on 3

THE INSIDE STORY COMMUNITY NEWS Andrew Lee will lead antiracism efforts 2

PUBLISHER’S BLOG Life after lockdown 5

ON THE SHELF ‘Sansei Rocker’ highlights Asian American subculture amidst civil rights movement  6

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

APRIL 17 – APRIL 23, 2021

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

39 YEARS

Andrew Lee will lead anti-racism efforts Seattle Children’s Hospital’s First Chief Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer

By Nina Huang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Seattle Children’s Hospital’s first vice president and chief equity, diversity, and inclusion officer, Andrew Lee, is ready to address anti-racism through engagement.

Before his career in equity, diversity, and inclusion, Lee was raised in a very traditional Asian household and then when he left to go to school, he embraced the American culture, and that duality has shaped who he is today.

Immigrant roots and values

Being part of a South Korean immigrant family in southern California, Lee grew up in humble beginnings and didn’t have much, but he always had his family, which was very important to him. They valued education and working hard.

And work hard, he did. He earned a doctorate degree in Psychology from Alliant University’s California School of Professional Psychology and completed his master’s degrees from University of Southern California (Master of Health Administration) and University of San Diego (Master of Clinical Psychology).

“As an immigrant family growing up in the United States, you have to navigate the duality of the cultures.

As a child, I always had to juggle those two pieces,” he said.

He attributes his ability to juggle different views and navigate different cultures to helping him understand the challenges of many folks that are different from him.

In addition to looking up to his parents as heroes, Lee also looks up to everyday people that he sees and reads about. For example, the grandmother from San Francisco, Xiao Zhen Xie, who was brutally attacked.

“She really saw the greater good of needing to make

Andrew Lee

sure that this wouldn’t happen to others. She donated the GoFundMe donations to address the hate that’s happening. People like her really inspire me.”

Others like Xiao are people that Lee draws strength from, and even his colleagues who share personal stories of discrimination or challenges that they’ve had in their lives.

Lee’s mother was a teacher who’s now retired, and his father was in community work—bringing people together.

“The world I grew up in was always about giving back to the less fortunate and underserved—this helped my world views as well,” he said.

Advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion at Seattle Children’s

For two decades, Lee has had the opportunity to advance this work and help develop it from the ground up for organizations. As of February 2021, he started

his new role and will be focused on the Anti-Racism Organizational Change (AROC) and Accelerated Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan for Children’s, among other initiatives.

Prior to Children’s, Lee held similar roles at WellStar Health System, the largest health system in the state of Georgia, as well as Advocate Health Care, the largest health system in Illinois.

“Engagement is going to be key because this work cannot happen in a bubble or silo. When everyone comes together and makes that collective impact, the more impact there is to build and foster an inclusive environment,” he said.

“There is a level of deliberate action that takes time to get people engaged in the journey so they can start to see positive change happening across the organization. It will be a challenge in the beginning as we engage more people, but the more we roll it out to other departments and divisions, then it’ll become a positive role that the organization will play in this work,” he said.

Lee’s predecessors have worked on making Children’s a more inclusive workplace, but Children’s wanted to make it consistent and leverage data to drive equitable change.

“I’m familiar with how to integrate it into organizations from the ground up, but it doesn’t happen by default.

This is a change management process you have to go through wherever you are,” he said.

For the year ahead, Lee has plans to leverage the existing infrastructure that others before him have established. He also plans to look through the lens of qualitative and quantitative data to understand where they’re headed. He will be partnering with staff and physicians to gain their feedback, conduct forums see LEE on 11

YOUR VOICE

■ COMMUNITY HEALTH

APRIL 17 – APRIL 23, 2021

What you need to know about COVID

Stay home when possible, stay healthy As counties around the state begin to reopen, remember: It’s still safest to stay home. If you go out, stay six feet apart, wear a face covering and wash your hands.

Stay local. Fewer, safer interactions are crucial.

Get tested if you feel ill If you feel any symptoms of COVID-19, contact your health provider to schedule a test. Stay home and keep yourself separated from other people and animals in your home. Symptoms can include fever, fatigue, nausea, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, headaches or sudden loss of smell and taste.

For test locations, go to: doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/COVID19/ TestingforCOVID19/TestingLocations Can I go outside?

Yes. In fact, being outside is good for you. Just remember to stay at least six feet away from others, stay local and avoid crowds.

How can I protect myself if I go out?

Staying home is still safest, but if you go out, stay at least six feet away from others, wear a face covering and wash your hands frequently. Stay close to home to avoid spreading COVID-19 across county lines.

regions are approved for reopening, some smaller group gatherings are allowed. If you spend time with anyone outside your immediate household, continue staying 6 feet apart, wear cloth face coverings and wash your hands frequently.

Should I cancel my vacation plans?

Non-essential travel is discouraged.

If you do travel, stay 6 feet from others and wear a cloth face covering. Be sure to check the status and conditions of the location you’re traveling to.

I’m nervous about seeing my doctor in person. Is it safe?

Yes, if your provider is open it’s because they have all the safety protocols in place to keep patients and staff safe. You can call your healthcare provider to confirm they are seeing patients for non-emergency services.

State COVID-19 information hotline 1-800-525-0127 1-888-856-5816 (if first number is busy) 6 a.m.–10 p.m. Monday 6 a.m.–6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and on observed state holidays.

You can also text the word “Coronavirus” to 211-211 to receive information and updates on your phone wherever you are.

Can my family or friends come visit?

Outdoor social gatherings up to 6 people are allowed in Phase 1 regions. As counties/

Go anytime to coronavirus.wa.gov.

YANG from 1

a human-centered economy, return to fact-based governance, and create an accessible healthcare system. We need to do all this while enacting accountable and smart policing, building affordable housing, closing our city’s digital divide, modernizing transportation and city services, and more.” 

On his campaign website, Yang said the way he sees New York City “breaks my heart.”

“I am running for mayor because I see a crisis—and I believe I can help.

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3

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

Woman accused of threatening Vietnamese American neighbor SEATTLE (AP) — A suburban Seattle woman accused of threatening her Vietnamese American neighbor has been arrested and charged with a hate crime, prosecutors said.

The neighbor of Jan Myers in Shoreline said Myers had acted erratically and yelled racial slurs at her for years, The Seattle Times reported.

On April 5, “these anti-Asian racial slurs escalated to threatening behavior,” prosecutors said.

Myers that day referred to the neighbor as “slant eye,” and yelled “Hey Miss Vietnam . You're not going to live very long,” according to the charges.

Police said the neighbor recorded video that documented the confrontation.

Myers had complained previously

that the neighbors’ cat had defecated on her lawn, police said. In an interview with deputies, she denied making threats or calling the neighbor “Miss Vietnam.” Police said the statements “were inconsistent with what the video showed.”

Myers was released on her own recognizance after an initial court hearing. She is scheduled to attend an arraignment April 22.

The allegations are the latest in a national spike in anti-Asian hate crimes.

This was the 11th hate-crime case filed

by King County prosecutors this year, with four involving victims identified as Asian American and/or Pacific Islanders, prosecutors said. 

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asianweekly northwest

APRIL 17 – APRIL 23, 2021

39 YEARS

■ COMMENTARY

An anthology for our times

By Mike Dillon FOR NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY A few weeks after the Biden inauguration, a Japanese American friend was accosted in an Everett pharmacy by a pair of 30-somethings. They told him to go back home. In his case, that would have meant the small town in eastern Washington where he grew up.

These covid-scapegoating days remind the rest of America that Asian Americans, and other targeted populations—depending on the hallucinatory mood of the moment—live downstream from a toxic flow.

“Hate is a lack of imagination,” British novelist Graham Greene wrote. Among other factors, hatred, like war, is the spawn of an inner dearth, which our right-wing outrage machine unflaggingly fills and profits from. I believe it was Hannah Arendt, chronicler of authoritarianism, who chillingly observed that people who believe anything will do anything.

In February 2020, Raven Chronicles Press, a Seattle-area nonprofit, published a powerful anthology, “Take a Stand: Art Against Hate,” that expands the universe of the moral imagination. Editors Anna Balint, Thomas Hubbard, and Phoebe Bosché, well-known in Northwest literary circles, produced an urgent book for our times.

I had thought, naively, that the anthology’s urgency would recede after the election. I was wrong, of course. I know now that “Take a Stand” is more necessary than ever.

The salvific pulse of human decency beats throughout its 368 pages, featuring 117 writers and 53 artists, ranging from a Pulitzer Prize winning poet to young voices from the streets.

Before turning to books, Raven Chronicles published one of the best, socially-conscious literary magazines in the country. For nearly three decades, numerous Pacific Northwest writers, poets, and artists with Asian roots appeared in its pages, including Koon Woon, Shawn Wong, Sharon Hashimoto, Mira Chieko Shimabukuro, Mayumi

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR APR 13

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Tsutakawa, Holly Yasui, and a host of others.

“Take a Stand” takes on hate in all of its manifestations, as in a wonderfully succinct poem from Edward Ahern in which he nails hate as our “most pernicious consort,” and concludes: It flourishes despite agonized exterminators,/an eye we refuse to pluck out.

These lines from Seattle’s It flourishes despite agonized exterminators,/an eye we refuse to pluck out, dedicated to Ivanka Trump, a Jewish convert, confronts entitlement with a mirror: Ivanka, in a different time and place,/you and your children are squeezed into/cattle cars destined for Nazi death camps…Religion is your crime. Matsuda was born inside the Minidoka prison camp during World War II. Ancestry was the family’s crime.

Here’s the entire, devastating poem titled “Threat” by Kathleen Stanik. Somewhere/in a detention center/along the southern border/a janitor removes rosaries/from the see DILLON on 7

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO PROPOSERS Proposals will be received for KC000146, ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR MARYMOOR PARK STORMWATER IMPROVEMENTS; by King County Procurement and Payables Section until 12:00 PM on 5/5/2021.

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YOUR VOICE

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

APRIL 17 – APRIL 23, 2021

asianweekly northwest

5

Life after lockdown

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

“Let’s have lunch,” said my friends after I told them I got my COVID vaccine.

Before saying “yes,” I have pondered some practical tips after lockdown.

We have all missed our friends after months of isolation. We can’t wait to see them face-to-face. Some consider sitting next to outsiders as “intimate,” as there is no social distancing in restaurants. “Intimate” or not, I do terribly miss laughing and gossiping together with my friends, looking them in their eyes, and seeing their faces.

We think we are safe after being inoculated.

But it’s not 100% foolproof when death and infection rates are climbing up in many states.

What should we do? Do we not go out?

Can we not have fun? Yes, we can go out and have fun. We deserve it after being locked down for over a year. However, we need to ponder how we can do it while protecting ourselves and other people as COVID now has many variants, which are highly contagious.

Go slow

There is no hurry to accomplish everything you want to do. After all, you were able to put everything on hold for a year. It’s okay to do one thing at a time!

When in haste, you make mistakes that you may regret for the rest of your life. Just take time to plan and think it through.

While I love to dine with friends, I wouldn’t schedule them back-to-back. I designate every Friday at noon for dining out. That means I dine out only once a week with people outside my household. And I would not compromise my schedule. Lunch is what I prefer and not dinner, so it won't affect my bedtime. My health is top priority.

Rethink everything

Develop a new mindset, making wellness your goal. Even if you have been vaccinated, you can still get sick, perhaps not with COVID, but with other illnesses.

Take great care of yourself and your loved ones. Some hospitals are so overwhelmed with COVID patients that you might not be able to have the surgery and care you need.

Think of the protection you need when you dine out or travel.

business acquaintance. His secretary did check with him. Yes, she said. We shouldn’t have to wonder during the meeting whether or not he is.

If they have not had the vaccine yet, ask when they plan to do it. That way, you can set up dates with them later. Or you and your friends would need to have masks on when you are together. It’s not a good idea to dine together though.

Dine out

Travel plans

“Have you been vaccinated?”

It‘s smart to ask your friends if they have been inoculated when you plan to go out with them. It’s not a rude question, it‘s a life-and-death one. You have the right to ask so you can decide who to go out with or not. I posed the question to an important

be uncomfortable dining indoors with a big group. That means I will not attend a big party unless Gov. Jay Inslee says it’s safe to do so. When Hong Kong, a city with a population of 7 million, first opened up, the limit was four people per table, plus social distancing. Perhaps, in a couple more months, six people to a table will be safe.

When I was dining with two friends last week, the table next to us was empty.

After we finished eating and were talking, the hostess brought in a table of five guests next to us, too close. I got up and said goodbye. Now, I have a new rule. Don’t sit in a restaurant for more than one and a half hours. The longer you sit, the more you increase your risk.

The other day, my husband and I dined out. The hostess took us to the bar instead of the dining room. I got it. Management wanted to entice us to order drinks and also make the restaurant look more full from the outside window. I said no. Its dining room had few guests, and I felt at ease.

Although I was excited to dine with my friends in a restaurant on April 9, I made sure that our party had no more than four people. I had not dined with anyone besides my family for months. And I will

The Center for Disease Control advises that we shouldn’t travel now unless it’s for essential purposes. But most people don’t listen. Sea-Tac Airport had over 2,500 passengers in one day in March. On Easter Sunday, there were over 6 million travelers nationwide.

Despite the fact that I am sick and tired of being stuck in Seattle for 16 months, see BLOG on 8

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asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

APRIL 17 – APRIL 23, 2021

■ ON THE SHELF

‘Sansei Rocker’ highlights Asian American subculture amidst civil rights movement

By Samantha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

When Harry Manaka was in the band Somethin’ Else, they played for crowds of 500-600 people—the majority of whom were Asian American.

This was back in the mid-1960s when he was at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Somethin’ Else performed at dances put on by different fraternities, sororities, and student clubs at his school as well as other colleges in the

area, such as the University of Southern California. But one thing all these groups had in common was that they were Asian American—the clubs were often defined by ethnicities (usually Chinese, Filipino, or Japanese).

“It was an Asian thing,” Manaka, who was born in Monterey, California and grew up in Long Beach, California, said about the dances.

In addition, Manaka and fellow musician, the late David Jingu, later owned Baby Lion Supper Club, a nightclub that was open to everyone, but had a primarily Asian American clientele.

Nowadays, when the 74-yearold Sammamish resident tells his grandchildren—he has three between 5 and 12 years old—about those days, they’re flabbergasted. Because in an increasingly diverse world, where people of all cultures, creeds, and backgrounds often come together, those types of primarily Asian spaces don’t really exist anymore.

“It’s never been replicated again,” Manaka said about the era.

And while it may have never been replicated, that era has been recollected in Manaka’s book, “Chronicles of a Sansei Rocker,” which came out just after Thanksgiving 2020.

The silver lining of a pandemic

The book started out as just an item

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Harry Manaka

on Manaka’s bucket list. Writing a book has been on his list year after year, but he usually wouldn't have any time—and what would he write about anyway?

Then COVID-19 hit and the world basically came to a standstill. And all of a sudden, as his wife told him, Manaka couldn’t use the “no time” excuse anymore.

Initially, Manaka just planned on writing a manuscript of his thoughts on that era. But he quickly realized he couldn’t write about that time without including the perspectives of his former bandmates, friends, and members of other bands who were also around at the

time. Thanks to the internet and social media—as well as the aforementioned pandemic that had everyone at home—it wasn't difficult to connect with people.

And oftentimes, after speaking with them, they would recommend and connect Manaka to other people to interview. He ended up speaking with about 40-45 people, many of whom also sent him photos and other paraphernalia from that time. They also often followed up with additional stories after their initial conversations with Manaka.

For Manaka, reconnecting with old friends—some of whom he hadn’t been in touch with for five decades—and making new friends was his favorite part of writing “Sansei Rocker” and the silver lining of the pandemic.

It took a mere nine months—from the time he began writing to when he received the first shipment of books to sell—for Manaka to write and publish “Sansei Rocker.”

Enough room for everyone

Music came into Manaka’s life at a young age.

At the encouragement of his parents, he started piano lessons in third or fourth grade.

“I kind of liked it,” he said, though he wasn’t a big fan of the classical music see SANSEI ROCKER on 10

APRIL 17 – APRIL 23, 2021

YOUR VOICE BYSTANDER from 1 organization whose mission is to “fight bigotry and promote tolerance.” Abouzeid starts his session by establishing his allyhood with Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). A victim of suspicion himself after the terrorist attacks of 9-11, he is aware of the impact on AAPIs of the uptick in harassment due to the coronavirus and the approbation that hate groups feel they have been given from people in powerful positions.

To a packed house of up to 500 attendees, Abouzeid explains that there is a spectrum of racism, and while some forms might seem less traumatic than others, “all forms still…bleed into one another and lead into one another. This is like a swimming pool with different depths. Even though it’s three feet here, six feet here, and 12 feet here, we’re all swimming in the same water. So even though some [types of harassment] may feel less or more serious…any of these things can cause trauma. People evolve from staring, to using the words ‘kung flu,’ to bullying someone at school or work.” An example of a “lesser” form of disrespect might be assuming that an Asian American was not born here, while a more “serious” form could be graffiti, spitting, or outright assault—something we all have seen too much of lately.

DILLON from 4 trash,/photographs them/so they will not be forgotten./Discarded, it was said,/for the safety of the others. The facing page features a photograph by Tom Kiefer: a humble, confiscated wrist rosary lies on a black background; the rosary shines out of the soul’s darkest night, its luminosity more durable than officialdom’s rote cruelties.

The last poem in the anthology, by Ellery

asianweekly northwest

So what do we do when we witness this?

According to a poll, one of the common reasons people don’t act is that they just don’t know what to do. People of color, in particular, might be afraid the perpetrator will turn on them, too, while white people might worry that the person they want to help will view them negatively as a “white savior.” There is also the “bystander effect”—if no one else is stepping forward, neither will I. All of these are addressed by the 5 D’s—each offering at least one thing we can do.

The training explains the “D’s” in detail and gives use-case scenarios, drawn from real incidents of racism and harassment, to help attendees decipher which response each person might choose in different types of situations. Here are the “5 D’s” in a nutshell.

“Distract” means to come up with a way to disturb the harasser’s train of thought.

“Use a distraction to act like a pair of scissors,” Abouzeid explains. “Cut the string and it doesn’t reconnect. Deescalate by sucking the attention away.” For instance, you might ask for directions or drop something.

“Delegate” means to look for help. If you are not comfortable stepping forward yourself, which would be the fifth “D,” “Direct”—then find a manager or someone who might take the initiative. In this case,

it is important to be careful when seeking out help from the police, Abouzeid warns, as some victims of harassment do not want the attention of the police or might fear even more trouble from the police than what they are already experiencing.

The third “D,” “Document,” prevalent in this digital era, is to record what is going on. Documentation comes in handy later when everyone is questioning what really happened.

And the fourth “D,” “Delay,” means follow up with the person who experienced the harassment. Talk to them. Ask how they are. Show your support. A little can mean a lot. According to Abouzeid, research shows that “even things as little as a knowing glance can reduce trauma when it comes to harassment or disrespect—letting them know “I saw that” or “I’m sorry about what happened”—just that can reduce the trauma someone experiences and deals with.”

Key to this conversation are three things.

One, always be aware of the needs of the victim of the harassment. You might think you are helping by posting on your Facebook page what happened, when in fact it is hurting them more every time they see the incident shared.

Two, be safe. Don’t act outside of your own comfort zone or do something that you feel might be dangerous. Acting “directly,” for instance, is the most likely to cause

escalation instead of de-escalation, so be sure you are assessing the situation and choose the “D” that best works for you in that moment. This decision will become easier with practice and awareness.

Which leads to the third big takeaway: It’s okay to respond in whatever way you are able. Your response might be just one of the “D’s” or a combination.

“We want to always give each other, and ourselves, some slack when it comes to seeing something and maybe not feeling comfortable doing one thing or feeling more comfortable doing something directly, versus indirectly, or vice versa,” Abouzeid emphasizes. “It’s important to give grace and space to other people who, we hope, are also listening to themselves…and not judge people who have not been intervening.”

The end result of this training might be, though, for those who might have hesitated to act before, or didn’t know how to, an increase in confidence that yes, there is something you can do. 

Akers, entitled “Any Moment There Could be a Swerve in a Different Direction,” turns to the environment, another target of the morally abridged. There was a moment when shooting egrets for feathers became wrong./ There was a moment when the Wilderness Act/changed the lives of billions of blades of grass. Akers imagines a better way of being: A swerve smells astringent, like wind off the sea;/ it tastes red, the way Red Hot peppermints burn in your

mouth. She ends with: it looks like a coyote, crossing the freeway to go home.

I think of my Japanese American friend, a tireless activist for human dignity. He was in the Everett pharmacy that day to pick up medicine for a mutual friend, who is white, and who has a terminal condition.

I realize “Take a Stand: Art Against Hate” has a shelf life with no expiration date. But my friend’s presence reminds me, as I am reminded by “Take a Stand,”

that the best angels of human nature are as strong as our times demand.

And our times are making deep demands. 

To sign up for one of the trainings, go to advancingjustice-chicago.org/what-wedo/bystander-intervention-trainings.

Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Mike Dillon is former publisher of Pacific Publishing Co. in Seattle and is on the Raven Chronicles Press board of directors.

How do the approved

vaccine options compare?

The three current COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the U.S. are Pfizer-BioNtech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

How effective are they?

All three vaccines more than meet the 50 percent effectiveness threshold required by the FDA.

How many Potential side effects shots?

7

Pfizer-BioNTech

Moderna

Johnson & Johnson

Two shots are required, 21 days apart.

Two shots are required, 28 days apart.

One shot required.

Pain at injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, chills and fever

Pain at injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, joint pain and chills

Pain at injection site, headache, fatigue and muscle pain

AARP is fighting to protect the health of Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders 50+ and their families by providing trusted information and resources surrounding COVID-19.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccination at aarp.org/vaccineinfo

8

asianweekly northwest

BLOG from 5

Photo from SeaTac Airport’s Instagram

I convinced myself to travel later, “Be patient. Be wise.”

If you are over 65, don’t be ambitious.

Pick somewhere closer to home to enjoy a change of scenery. Make your stay shorter.

I will not travel to Egypt now, even though it is an exciting place to be. Don’t venture to a strange land, where language might be an issue. Be less adventurous for now, for safety’s sake and your peace of mind.

For the young people who are fed up with lockdown—did you hear the recent COVID spike affects the 20 to 40 age group? So don’t think you are immune.

Proceed with caution anywhere you go.

It’s not a bad idea to wear double masks when you travel.

Be flexible

The pandemic changes everything from home to work to public. Most of my employees do remote work. Prior to COVID, I would not have agreed to that arrangement. But now, the word “can’t” is not in my vocabulary. My employees like it, and I kind of like it, too. It’s more relaxed for everyone, especially for those who have families, and live outside Seattle. Some employees actually work more as they send me their articles on weekends. Remote work actually enhances productivity.

But I do miss my interactions and collaboration with them. For instance, if I need help with technology, I always go

to my teacher, Han Bui, layout editor of Northwest Asian Weekly. If I need help in brainstorming ideas, I go to everyone in the office.

Yet, the office is as bare and silent as an abandoned warehouse. In the past, visitors and readers enjoyed dropping by. Now, we won’t let anyone in. Our mail slot becomes our transactional tool for any ads or letters they send us. When we chat, we have to do it outside the office. Our conversations are usually brief. These days, it’s easier to talk on the phone than face-to-face.

I am surprised and grateful that we can accomplish so much through Zoom meetings, computers, and cell phones. Despite obstacles, we have found innovations to get things done.

Grateful for everything

I know the feeling that everyone has of wanting to get out as much as possible. The only reason I don‘t mind staying home patiently is that I am grateful for everything I have and can do so much during the pandemic.

I am grateful to have a job and my employees can keep their jobs.

“Work can cure almost anything,” stated Nobel Prize author Ernest Hemingway.

Imagine if I don’t have a purpose, I could hardly survive.

I am also grateful that my family and loved ones are safe. I consider myself fortunate without the stress of having to apply for all types of assistance, since I’ve received my social security checks recently.

Creativity

It might be madness some days during COVID, but creativity certainly helps me to pull through the challenges. We have learned that there’s more than one way to do things. COVID is the best time to think outside the box.

Being a journalist, I am blessed with

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writing tasks every week.

Writing is an expression of creativity. It boosts mental and emotional skills. With the production of the Asian Weekly, I love being part of the layout process.

Laying out a newspaper is like creating an artwork— not with paint, but with headlines, photos, content, and graphics as materials.

It’s the most artistic and fun role in the Asian Weekly, which can highlight or downplay a story. I don’t do the layout, but my input is evident. My job is to improve the product so I make several changes on the print and less on the online version (pretty standard by itself).

One time, I literally turned the paper upside down, a story inside was switched to the front, and another one shifted down the page. So glad my people are patient with me as I made as many as 13 changes in one

issue. It’s nothing personal.

I serve as another pair of eyes. However, I review the issue like a regular and often critical reader, and not as a publisher. If I don’t understand it, how could we expect readers to be able to follow!

Even when I make my bed and fold my blankets, I think of numerous ways to turn a mundane task into an art. Cooking is a wonderful way to develop creativity.

Rearranging your home furniture and decor from time to time is stimulating and smart living. You don’t have to be an artist to do art. So make art in your daily life, and you will feel amazing.

Madness won’t be here for too long, so hang in there a little longer.  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

YOUR VOICE

APRIL 17 – APRIL 23, 2021

The only place in the book where readers learn Yoo’s personal opinion on the case is in the afterword.

As thorough as she was with her research, Yoo said it was also heartbreaking because everyone she spoke with cried or at least teared up during their interviews.

“They’ve had to live with this trauma for so long,” she said. “They were reliving it.”

Yoo was also able to speak with one of Chin’s killers, Ebens, for an off-therecord conversation.

“I cried in the car afterwards,” she said, adding that she was grateful he let her in because Ebens didn’t have to.

YOO from 1 a Chrysler plant supervisor and laid-off autoworker, respectively. They allegedly assumed Chin—who was Chinese American—was of Japanese descent, used racial slurs when they attacked him, and blamed him for the success of Japan’s auto industry. Ebens and Nitz ended up pleading guilty to manslaughter and receiving only a $3,000 fine and three years’ probation.

“I was a little nervous,” Yoo said about moving to the Motor City. In addition to being Korean American, Yoo, who lived and worked in Detroit for two years, also drove a Nissan at the time—a Japanese car, although hers was made in the United States.

Even though she arrived in Detroit more than a decade after Chin’s murder, Yoo was always interested in his story. That interest has culminated in her new book, “From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement,” the firstever full-length book to tell the story around the case.

The book comes out April 20 and is an extensively researched account of Chin’s murder, the trial and verdicts, and the outrage sparked by Ebens’ and Nitz’s lenient sentences. That outrage led to protests and a federal civil rights trial— the first involving a crime against an Asian American—and galvanized what became known as the Asian American movement.

“From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry” is categorized as young adult nonfiction, but Yoo said her reporting in the book would be no different if she had written the story for the New York Times. This being said, the “spine” of the book is a young man named Jared, whose mother was engaged to Chin. Short vignettes featuring Jared and his coming-of-age journey as he unearths his connection to Chin are sprinkled between each of the book’s six sections.

Heartbreaking research

While Yoo has put down her reporter’s notebook, her journalism background

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO PROPOSERS Proposals will be received for KC000085, Work Order Planning Services for King County International Airport;

by King County Procurement and Payables Section until 12:00 PM on 5/04/2021.

There is a 15% minimum requirement for King County Certified Small Contractor and Supplier (SCS) firms on this contract.

Total Estimated Price: $1,000,000 (each) King County intends to award two contracts from this RFP. Prospective proposers can view more details at: https:// kingcounty.gov/procurement/ solicitations Contact: Taylor Lee, talee@kingcounty.gov, 206263-3173

Justice versus legal accuracy

has helped her as an author (fiction and no-fiction), TV writer/producer, and feature screenwriter. She has a tendency to overreport and underwrite.

“You can take the girl out of the newspaper but you can’t take the newspaper out of the girl,” she said, adding that by leaving no stone unturned, she knows she can stand by her work and be confident that what she writes is authentic and accurate—even in a genre such as science fiction, in which anything can happen, her writing is grounded in a reality that makes sense in that universe.

No one can truly be objective on a topic, but Yoo believes it is possible to be fair. And that was her goal with “From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry.” Her over researching—or “Yoo diligence” as her friends call it—is evident as she combed through court transcripts and contemporary news accounts and interviewed people from all aspects of the case—not just the attorneys (on both sides) and those close to Chin, but others such as the activists who protested after the sentencing and the emergency room nurse who treated him. Yoo wants readers to read the story, with all the evidence she’s presented, and like a trial jury, come up with their own conclusions on the case.

“From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry” has taught Yoo that compassion and justice are not mutually exclusive.

You can be compassionate toward a perpetrator and still be angry that justice had not been served, she said.

Yoo also learned that there’s a difference between justice and being legally accurate to the letter.

This was another legacy of Chin’s case. It revealed flaws in the justice system. Now in Michigan, prosecutors are required to be present at hearings for manslaughter cases. They hadn’t been prior and with Michigan formerly nicknamed the murder capital of the nation, the sheer volume of cases made it physically impossible for them to attend all of their hearings. And in the case of Chin’s murder trial, Yoo said this led the judge to make a decision based on limited information, but was still considered legally sound.

History repeating itself

When Yoo was in her 20s, she realized how little she had learned about Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history and so she went to the bookstore to supplement her incomplete education.

This is one of the reasons her other writing includes nonfiction children’s stories about historical AAPI figures.

“These books need to be taught in schools,” she said, adding that they’re

asianweekly northwest

9

especially needed to wake up non-AAPIs to the racism and micro and macro aggressions AAPIs have experienced and are still experiencing.

The parallels between Chin’s murder and the rise of anti-AAPI hate and violence amid the pandemic is not lost on Yoo. She said what happened to the auto industry in Detroit was terrible— people lost their jobs and suffered great financial losses. But that did not excuse ignorant people trying to find Asian faces for scapegoats—just as it doesn’t excuse people nowadays blaming AAPIs for COVID-19.

“It’s so infuriating,” she said. “It breaks my heart that young people today are not surprised (at the rise in anti-AAPI hate and violence).”

As a member of Generation X, Yoo said her younger self was optimistic that things would change as she got older. She doesn’t want to be cynical, choosing to view the glass as half full. But she can’t help express her frustration at how long society has to go in terms of racial equity and justice.

“It’s getting harder and harder to ignore the empty air in the glass,” she admits.

A legacy of solidarity

Chin’s murder may have been a battle loss, but Yoo said AAPIs have not yet lost the war for racial equity and justice.

Just as the AAPIs are speaking out against the violence and hate the community is currently experiencing, people made their voices heard in the aftermath of Chin’s murder as well.

Included in these fights has been support from other groups. And this solidarity of different communities coming together to fight white supremacy and systemic racism needs to be celebrated.

In her research for “From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry,” Yoo learned how the Black and Latinx communities, as well as churches and synagogues, stood with AAPIs in their fight for justice—just as they stand with AAPIs today.

“It was so inspiring to see,” Yoo said.  Samantha can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

10

asianweekly northwest

APRIL 17 – APRIL 23, 2021

39 YEARS

CLASSIFIEDS To: Julie Renee Novak: I have started a court case by filing a petition.

You must respond in writing if you want the court to consider your side. Deadline! Your Response must be filed and served within 60 days of the date this Summons is published April 11, 2021. If you do not file and serve your Response or a Notice of Appearance by the deadline: No one has to notify you about other hearings in this case, and The court may approve the requests in the Petition without hearing your side (called a default judgment).

Follow these steps: 1. Read the Petition and any other documents that were filed at court with this Summons.

Those documents explain what the other party is asking for.

2. Fill out a Response on this for FL Divorce 211, Response to Petition about a Marriage.

3. Serve (give) a copy of your Response to the person who filed this Summons at the address below, and to any other parties. You may use certified mail with return receipt requested. For more information on how to serve, read Superior Court Civil Rule 5.

4. File your original Response with the court clerk at this address: Superior Court Clerk, King County 516 3rd Ave Seattle, Washington 98104 5. Lawyer not required: It is a good idea to talk to a lawyer, but you may file and serve your Response without one Person filing this Summons or his/her lawyer fills out below: March 9, 2021 - Khaled Youseff Ali. I agree to accept legal papers for this case at the following address (this does not have to be your home address): 15127 NE 24th Street, Suite 314 Redmond, Washington 98052

EmPLOYmENT

EmPLOYmENT

SUmmONS

mETROPOLITAN KING COUNTY COUNCIL Senior LEGISLATIVE ANALYST Closes: April 26, 2021 at 11:59 pm Salary Range: $110,098.56 - $139,556.35 The Council is seeking to hire one or more Senior Legislative Analysts. The successful candidates will have a strong background in policy analysis and will be able to navigate complex and controversial policy initiatives to support the Metropolitan King County Council and its committees.

Senior Legislative Analysts conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis of legislation and policy issues, including fiscal impacts, consequences, and associated risks, and presents analysis in public meetings. The positions we are looking to hire will be generalist policy analysts.

These positions are salaried, overtime-exempt classifications, and members of the Teamsters Local 117.

HOW TO APPLY: To apply and view a complete job announcement and apply, go to www.kingcounty.gov/jobs Interested applicants must complete the supplemental questions and submit a resume and letter of interest highlighting your qualifications for this position.

EmPLOYmENT

NOTICE

WOK CHEF Need wok chef for upscale restaurant. Little English is fine. Good work ethnic. Team work. Good Pay. Full healthcare, vacation and bonus. Call 206-227-8000.

KCHA will accept Bids from Qualified General Contractors for the munro manor Waste Lines project located in Burien, WA. See website for details at www.kcha. org/business/construction/open/

Now Hiring Property manager for the I-D. Seeking a business oriented, energetic, personable individual to join our team. Prior apartment management experience a must.

300+ apartment units and commercial. Please send your resume to mwkapts@gmail.com

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SANSEI ROCKER from 6 he had to play.

Manaka was more of a rock and roll kid and once he started trying to play popular music on the piano, his love for music really started to bloom. As he got older and started listening to bands, he wanted to play in a band as well.

That finally happened when he got to college. Manaka, who started at UCLA in 1964, was a regular at the Asian American dances on the weekends. This was at a time when live bands still performed at such events and Manaka was the guy who always hung out afterwards to pick the band members’ brains, describing himself as “the perpetual wannabe.” The bands in question started out as primarily Latinx. But within a year or two, they started including one or two Asian members and soon, all-Asian bands started playing at the dances.

Manaka joined Somethin’ Else in 1966 after two members left— one had been drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, while the other left to pursue a teaching career after graduating college. When he learned this, Manaka approached the group’s guitarist and told him he played keyboard. They sat down to play together and Manaka became a member of Somethin’ Else.

Like their contemporaries, Somethin’ Else was a cover band, mainly playing R&B and Motown hits.

“It was kind of a battle of who can cover the song the best,” Manaka said.

But as the saying goes, “a rising tide lifts all boats.” The Asian American dances were so popular that Manaka said there was enough room for all of their bands to play a gig every weekend.

Movements of acceptance

KING COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT CHIEF ENGINEER $112,856 - $151,779 ANNUAL This position will remain open until filled however, the screening process will move quickly. Please submit your application materials as soon as possible to be considered by the screening panel.

The King County Flood Control District is looking for a highly skilled and motivated individual, to conduct engineering review, technical oversight and quality control for the implementation of the King County Flood Control capital improvement projects and operating work programs. The Chief Engineer analyzes and reviews technical engineering, project and program work from service providers who implement river and floodplain management projects and programs on behalf of the King County Flood Control District.

The successful candidate is a leader with a proven track record of using environmentally sensitive techniques used in river and floodplain management projects in the Pacific Northwest. This is an exciting opportunity to join the King County Flood Control District staff and play a role in improving levee protection, flood water conveyance and capacity and foster effective partnerships with communities within King County.

This position requires a self-starter with a keen political acumen and experience working with service providers, local jurisdictions, tribes, and other parties to identify and prioritize projects and programs for implementation and ensure the Flood Control District understands the broad spectrum of issues facing the County, as well as the people they serve. The Chief Engineer is a salaried, at-will, overtime exempt classification that reports directly to the Executive Director but is responsive to all members of the Board of Supervisors.

TO APPLY: To ensure that your application is received and properly processed, the subject line of your email must be Application - Chief Engineer.

Interested candidates should apply immediately by sending a comprehensive resume, and a compelling cover letter of interest to: KCCOUNCILHR@kingcounty.gov To be considered, applications must include: · A letter of interest detailing your qualifications and experience for this position including: 1. Whether you are: a) a Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the State of Washington or b) a Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) from another state with the ability to obtain a P.E. license in the State of Washington within six (6) months of employment.

2. Demonstrated success in a professional role where you were required to communicate complex technical issues to elected officials, the public, or non-technical audiences.

3. Your experience writing and/or administering consultant and/or construction contracts. Include your role in the contract administration. · A comprehensive resume with a chronological history of your related experience.

Cover letters and resumes should be submitted as soon as possible for consideration by the screening panel. It is in an applicant’s best interest to submit materials as soon as possible.

Please contact: Tracy Calderon at 206-477-0979, KCCOUNCILHR@kingcounty.gov A complete at: Chief Engineer job description Confidential inquiries are welcomed.

This subculture of Asian America came in the midst of the civil rights movement. Manaka said he and his peers were going to school at a time when there was a lot of activism calling out what was wrong with the country, which triggered the rise of the Asian American movement.

Manaka said these movements brought together people of different ethnicities and backgrounds who interacted on a regular basis and realized they had more in common with each other than differences. Somethin’ Else and their fellow bands were a reflection of this, with their memberships of Asian, Black, and

Latinx musicians.

Manaka also saw his family’s opinions shift during this time as they came to see Black and Latinx people as regular people. He recalls the first time his grandmother met Somethin’ Else’s Black singer (the band was made up of Asian, Black, and Latinx members). Manaka said she went from initially being “horrified” to loving his friend.

While there is still much prejudice in the world, it’s not something Manaka sees in his children.

“I’d like to think that I had something to do with it,” he said, adding that his first exposure to people with different backgrounds came when he was at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, the only integrated school in the Long Beach Unified School District at the time. As a student, he learned to appreciate other people’s cultures and that was where he was first introduced to R&B, Motown, and Latinx music.

Resonating with readers

Since “Sansei Rocker” was released, Manaka has received countless letters and emails from readers who related to his experiences. He truly appreciates these messages and the fact that people would take the time to not just read his book, but to also handwrite (in some cases) him a letter to share their memories.

Manaka’s also been invited to Zoom book clubs— from the other side of the country—who have read his book.

And like those he interviewed for the book, readers have shared their stories, sent him photos, posters, matchbooks, and other paraphernalia of that era— enough for a second “Sansei Rocker.”

“I could probably write another book,” Manaka said.  Samantha can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 4.

APRIL 17 – APRIL 23, 2021

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

asianweekly northwest

11

Predictions and advice for the week of April 17–23, 2021

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat—Committing too many resources to a single venture is not advisable, especially when attempting to minimize risk.

Dragon—Even though it is tempting to take a shortcut, a worthwhile pursuit will require time and effort.

Monkey—Why spend time on a hobby that is no longer enjoyable? Put it aside in favor of something fun and interesting.

Ox—Do you care about the issue or do you just want to be right? If the latter, consider letting it go.

Snake—A well-meaning gesture could be misinterpreted. Think about how it might be perceived by the receiving party.

Rooster—You are sensitive to the needs of those around you, but that does not mean you are responsible for them.

Tiger—As much as you want to hold on to the familiar, some changes will be well worth the initial discomfiture.

Horse—Turn an ordinary item into something quite special. Use your creativity to turn things up a notch.

Dog—Don’t let yourself fall to the bottom of your list of priorities. It is important to take care of yourself.

Rabbit—Are you making the situation better or adding fuel to the fire? Be honest about the role you are playing.

Goat—A rare opportunity demands your attention. If handled correctly, it could turn out to be very beneficial.

Pig—A time crunch has forced you to be much more efficient than usual. Focus on what really matters to you.

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.

MATSUYAMA from 1 His arms securely inside the sleeves of the green jacket, he thrust them in the air.

Ten years after he made a sterling debut as the best amateur at the Masters, the 29-year-old Matsuyama claimed the ultimate prize and took his place in history.

Whether he’s Japan’s greatest player is not his concern.

“However, I’m the first to win a major,” he said through his interpreter. “And if that’s the bar, then I’ve set it.”

Staked to a four-shot lead, the nerves stayed with Matsuyama from the time he hit his opening tee shot into the trees to back-to-back birdies that led to a six-shot lead to a few nervous moments at the end when Xander Schauffele made a late run at him.

Only when he belted his drive down the 18th fairway and twirled the club in his hands could he feel this victory was in hand. He played so well for so long that three bogeys over the last four holes made this Masters look closer than it was.

He closed with a 1-over 73 for a one-shot victory over Masters rookie Will Zalatoris (70).

Schauffele ran off four straight birdies to get within two shots with three holes to play, only to hit 8-iron into the water on the par-3 16th for a triple bogey that ended his hopes. He shot a 72 with a triple bogey and a double bogey on his card and tied for third with Jordan Spieth (70).

Schauffele’s thoughts turned to the significance of what Matsuyama achieved. Schauffele’s mother was raised in Japan and his grandparents still live there.

“No one really wants to talk about how much pressure is on him,” Schauffele said. “You look at the media that follows him. You look at what he’s done in his career. He’s a top-ranked player with a ton of pressure on him, and that’s the hardest way to play. He’s able to do it.”

And he did it.

The emotion for a player who says so little was never

LEE from 2 and listening sessions, and develop an anti-racism organizational change plan which focuses and addresses gaps in the workplace and policies.

He also hopes to educate and integrate efforts into staff training to create equitable change to build deeper trust, but also maintain a commitment from the employees and physicians to make sure they provide quality care for all of their patients and the community.

more evident. Moments before Dustin Johnson helped him into the green jacket, Matsuyama needed no interpreter in Butler Cabin when he said in English, “I’m really happy.”

So masterful was this performance that Matsuyama stretched his lead to six shots on the back nine until a few moments of drama. With a four-shot lead, he went for the green in two on the par-5 15th and it bounded hard off the back slope and into the pond on the 16th hole.

Matsuyama did well to walk away with a bogey, and with Schauffele making a fourth straight birdie, the lead was down to two shots. And then it was over.

Schauffele was in the water. Matsuyama made a safe par on the 17th and ripped one down the middle of the 18th fairway. He made bogey from the bunker to finish at 10-under 278, soaking in the moment with a few thousand spectators on their feet to celebrate a career-changing moment.

Spieth has competed in Japan and has played alongside Matsuyama on his home turf. He could relate to having a four-shot lead, which Spieth had when he won the Masters in 2015. He can’t relate to the expectations of an entire country.

“He’s got a lot of pressure on himself,” Spieth said. “I remember the feeling on a four-shot lead, and he’s got Japan on his back and maybe Asia on his back. I can’t imagine how that was trying to sleep on that, even with somebody who’s had so much success.”

Matsuyama won for the 15th time worldwide, and it was his sixth PGA Tour title. He had gone 93 tournaments without winning, the longest drought for a Masters champion since 1987, and went to No. 14 in the world.

He becomes the second man from an Asian country to win a major. Y.E. Yang of South Korea won the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine over Tiger Woods. Matsuyama won in Japan as an amateur, and four times after he graduated college and turned pro in 2013.

His first PGA Tour victory was at the Memorial in 2014,

Current racial climate for Asians

Lee is residing in Atlanta, Georgia currently as he’s in the process of moving to Seattle. The spa shootings that took place last month hit too close to home.

“I worry about my immediate family, and I worry about my parents who live in California. It’s been very tough to navigate. We’re seeing it on the news on a daily basis, these attacks on people of Asian descent,” he said.

“You try to navigate your own feelings into what’s happening across the country,

prompting tournament host Jack Nicklaus to say, “I think you’ve just seen the start of what’s going to be truly one of your world’s great players over the next 10 to 15 years.”

That moment came on April 11.

Matsuyama is not big on emotion, and he speaks even less even when cornered after every round by the large contingent of Japanese media.

“I felt really good going to the first tee, until I stood on the first tee, and then it hit me that I’m in the last group of the Masters Tournament and I’m the leader by four strokes.

And then I was really nervous,” he said. “But I caught myself. And the plan today was just go out and do my best for 18 holes. And so that was my thought throughout the day, just keep doing my best.”

Matsuyama sent his opening tee shot into the trees right of the first fairway. He punched it under the trees from the pine straw, hit a soft pitch that rolled down the slope away from the pin and was happy to leave with bogey. Two groups ahead of him, Zalatoris opened with two straight birdies.

Just like that, the lead was down to one. Matsuyama quickly restored his cushion by making it through the toughest stretch on the front nine as everyone around him dropped shots. He had a five-shot lead at the turn, and Schauffele was the only one who had a serious chance at the end.

He is the first winner with a final round over par since Trevor Immelman in 2008. No matter. Matsuyama is the Masters champion, a major that defines his elite status in the game and gives Japan the biggest week it has ever had in April.

It started on April 3 when Tsubasa Kajitani won the second Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Matsuyama wasn’t around to see it, but he was well aware of it. All he wanted was to follow her path and made Japan proud. 

there’s a sense of vulnerability, a sense of hurt, and a sense of confusion,” he added.

Lee’s advice to other parents is to have the conversation about race and racism early on. He recommends talking about the history of Asians in this country, and talking about the positive things that each culture brings, leading into the qualities of what Asians bring to the U.S., but also having the conversation around the differences as well.

“Start early. Talking about race shouldn’t be something you don’t approach anymore. Race is front and

center, and we have to be able to talk about those things,” he said.

“I’m extremely humbled and honored to be in this position. I look forward to working with AAPI communities in Seattle to help navigate these challenging times. I’m also eager to collaborate with community leaders and address racism and hate as a whole with the community. I look forward to that and the collaboration and partnerships that will be created.”  Nina can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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