PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 746 Seattle, WA
VOL 40 NO 37 SEPTEMBER 11 – SEPTEMBER 17, 2021 FREE 39 YEARS YOUR VOICE
Hesitancy in the age of COVID-19 By Vivian Nguyen NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Sean Li Cheah comes from a family of medical professionals, and for her entire life, she’s been surrounded by the practice of science and medicine. Still, she chose to not get the COVID-19 vaccine. “I believe in science,” said Cheah. “But because our body can produce antibodies, I believe that my natural antibodies are more reliable than whatever could be available in a human-made vaccine.” Cheah is one of many people locally and across the nation who are questioning or speaking out against the vaccine. Although their reasons vary and are deeply personal, this demographic is becoming increasingly more vocal about their hesitation or opposition. “It’s easy to oversimplify and collapse see HEALTH on 9
‘Shang-Chi’ blasts records with Labor Day weekend debut
Joshua Liao, UW Medicine internal medicine physician
Courtesy of Parkview Services
AAPIs face housing crisis
By JAKE COYLE AP FILM WRITER NEW YORK (AP) — On what’s traditionally one of the sleepiest weekends at the movies, the Marvel film “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” smashed the record for Labor Day openings with an estimated $71.4 million in ticket sales, giving a box office reeling from the recent coronavirus surge a huge lift heading into the fall season. The Friday-to-Sunday gross for “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” Marvel’s first film led by an Asian superhero, ranks as one of the best debuts of the pandemic,
trailing only the previous Marvel film, “Black Widow” ($80.3 million in July). Overseas, it pulled in $56.2 million in key markets such as France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Japan. As of press time, “Shang Chi” has made close to $150 million globally. The Walt Disney Co. opted to release “Shang-Chi” only in theaters where it will have an exclusive 45-day run. The strong opening of “ShangChi”—forecasts had been closer to $50 million—was a major relief for Hollywood, which had seen jittery releases the last few weeks during see SHANG-CHI on 9
Cecilia Yap (left) and Shirley Xu (right), two HUD-certified housing counselors recently hired by Parkview Services.
By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are facing housing emergencies both as renters and as homeowners, according to agencies that provide support. Reasons for the crisis, which has exploded over the last several years, include burgeoning housing prices, the increasing scarcity of affordable housing, cultural barriers, and the continuation of redlining, albeit in a different form. Social service providers predict the expiration of federal moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures, coupled with the end of certain Covid-related social security benefits, will cause a “landslide” of housing disasters for
■
AAPIs. “Due to the limited supply of public housing, a lot of our clients are renting from individual homeowners,” said Karia Wong, Family Resource Coordinator at Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC). CISC helps immigrants apply for housing. It also provides information to seniors and families for housing information and assistance. “During the past 18 months, housing markets are skyrocketing upwards across the country, including most of the popular communities for AAPI immigrants. As a result, there is an increasing number of AAPI renters who need to look for housing because see HOUSING on 10
COMMUNITY NEWS Man injured in CID shooting 3
AT THE MOVIES “Shang-Chi”: blends action, authority, and authenticity 5
PUBLISHER’S BLOG Learning to live with Covid and thrive 6
SPORTS The Layup Drill 7
412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104 • t. 206.223.5559 • f. 206.223.0626 • editor@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com