VOL 40 NO 39 | SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2021 by Northwest Asian Weekly

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VOL 40 NO 39 SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2021

FREE 39 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Helen Lam, chief vaccinator for ICHS, stands outside the student union at Green River College hoping people will come.

Minseok Shin, a student from South Korea, is vaccinated at the ICHS/Green River College clinic.

By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Kikuye Hayashi

Kikuye Hayashi of Seattle died on Sept. 13. She was 78 years old. “Kiku was one of a kind,” Bill Tashima, a friend of Hayashi, told the Northwest Asian Weekly. “She was a good friend and, in spite of her busy schedule, she always found time for me.” Hayashi was born on Dec. 17, 1942, in Rohwer, Arkansas, a World War II Japanese American incarceration camp. After graduating from the University of Washington, she began a 30-plus year career with Boeing. She was a passionate community volunteer, serving on multiple boards, including ACRS, Neighborhood House, JACL, and the food bank at see HAYASHI on 14

COMMUNITY NEWS Seattle mayor announces $50M to create new affordable housing  8

PUBLISHER’S BLOG Amuse yourself during covid  10

Photo courtesy of PICA-WA

Photo by Mahlon Meyer

Remembering Two communities living Kiku Hayashi different pandemics

The long, wide, resounding student union was empty. Inside, several nurses, a check-in attendant sitting beside a table, and a college representative were all waiting. But

A vaccine clinic put on by the Pacific Islander Community Association (PICA-WA).

so far, only a handful of people have shown up to get a vaccine. “I’m so disappointed,” said Helen Lam, the chief vaccinator for the International Community Health see ICHS on 15

Grants for BIPOC-owned businesses As part of its $100 million commitment to advance social justice and equity, Comcast announced on Sept. 14 that it will award $1 million in grants to 100 small businesses owned by people of color in King and Pierce Counties, as well as technology and marketing resources to eligible businesses in the area. King and Pierce Counties are among six markets that also include Oakland, Houston, Miami, the Twin Cities, and Washington, D.C. that were selected to award a $10,000 grant to 100 local businesses from the Comcast RISE Investment Fund, for a total of $5 million across 600 businesses. To be eligible, the business must have been in operation for three years or more, with 1 to 25 employees, and is at least 51% minority-owned.

David Mandapat

see COMCAST on 14

Why get the COVID vaccine now?

“So we can go out and hang with friends again.” Everyone ages 12 and older is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is safe, easy, and free - no insurance or appointment needed.

KingCounty.gov/vaccine

■

audrey, fl ynn, & no va ce n tr al di st ri ct

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

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2021

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS Washington State Book Awards 2021 winner

spots as Trotter’s in Chicago, Contra in New York, and Mugaritz in Spain, in addition to stints in Denmark, Japan, and Australia. Earlier this year, Canlis hired its first-ever female executive head chef, Aisha Ibrahim, to lead the kitchen. Both Ibrahim and Violago are of Filipino descent. 

Mooncakes for seniors

Photo by George Liu

From E.J. Koh’s Twitter page

From left: Manjusha Kulkarni, Russell Jeung, and Cynthia Choi

E.J. Koh

Washington State Book Awards, which honors outstanding books written by Washington state authors, named E.J. Koh of Seattle, the winner of its Biography/ Memoir award. Koh translated her mother’s Korean letters into English and incorporated them into her memoir, ‘The Magical Language of Others,’ which was published in 2020. 

Violago becomes the first woman to lead Canlis’ wine program

Canlis recently hired renowned sommelier Linda Milagros Violago to run the restaurant’s wine service, replacing Nelson Daquip, who left in May. Violago is now the first woman in Canlis’s 71-yearold history to head up the award-winning program, which Linda Milagros Violago consists of seven sommeliers and around 22,000 bottles. The Winnipeg-born Violago has traveled far and wide during her hospitality career, working at such acclaimed

Volunteers hand out boxes of mooncakes to Chinatown seniors

Volunteers helped to distribute 500 boxes of mooncakes to Chinatown seniors last week in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Entrepreneurs Peter Pang and Jin Zhang donated the mooncakes. The donation and distribution was coordinated by Seniors in Action Foundation. It’s one of the organization’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations on Sept. 19 at Joyale Restaurant. King County Dow Constantine handed out proclamations and thank-you letters to organizers and donors. 

Stop AAPI hate leaders named to TIME’s annual list

TIME has named Stop AAPI Hate co-founders, Cynthia Choi, Manjusha Kulkarni, and Russell Jeung to the 2021 TIME 100 annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. “It is a great honor to be recognized for this award among this list of influential leaders,“ said Kulkarni, who is also the executive director of Asian Pacific Policy and Plan-

ning Council. “This work would not be possible without the bravery and strength of our respondents and the AAPI community at large, and we want to thank them for their willingness to speak out against injustice. This award is a testament to the fact that our advocacy work is being valued, and it validates our fight against Anti-Asian hate.” The list, now in its eighteenth year, recognizes the impact, innovation and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals. 

KIRO 7 interviews Chinatown leaders

From left: Essex Porter, Tony Au, James Wong, Anna Hau, Peter Frerichs, and Dr. Xiao Ming.

KIRO 7’s Essex Porter interviewed Chinatown leaders on Sept. 20 about Seattle possibly getting its first mayor of Asian heritage in Bruce Harrell. The segment is expected to air in October. 

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SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2021

YOUR VOICE

■ BUSINESS

asianweekly northwest

Upcoming digital workshop and seminar series to support BIPOC businesses By Leslie Lum and Judith Paquette BELLEVUE COLLEGE There is huge buzz about the impact of the pandemic on business startups. In 2020, 4.3 million businesses were started, a 24% increase over 2019. At the end of July 2021, the uptick was even bigger with a 41% increase over 2020. What is even more exciting is that these new entrepreneurs are more likely to be Black, Latinx, and female with the proportion of Black businesses more than tripling and women businesses almost doubling. Could it be that there is a silver lining to the pandemic? The rate of entrepreneurship had been in long-term decline pre-Covid, a troubling trend as startups create jobs, foster innovation, and make the economy more diverse. This huge increase in business startups has people hoping that a turnaround has come and our country is back on track to being the entrepreneurial hotspot of the world and, more importantly, that BIPOC businesses are included. We got a taste of this new vibrancy when we offered Innovation Lab in fall 2020. All of the 10 businesses who signed up for the class were of color. Seven of the 10 were women. They were eager to learn how they could move their businesses to the next level. Innovation Lab was conceived as part of an entrepreneurial ecosystem to nurture new businesses. Five cities (Kirkland, Bellevue, Redmond, Renton, and Issaquah) on the Eastside and the Port of Seattle could see that the pandemic was closing down businesses. Stimulus funding could help older, bigger businesses, but new businesses really had no support. Three years ago, they had formed a consortium called Startup 425 to jumpstart entrepreneurship and now engaged the two of us to develop a solution to recovery post Covid. It helped that we had a two-decade involvement with the UW Foster Consulting and Business Development Center, which has been incredibly successful working with underserved businesses and has a proven knowledge base. But entrepreneurs need more than knowledge. They need to be motivated and take action. We incorporated mentors and expert advisors who participated pro

Yavnika Khanna

Daniel Ingitaraj K

bono. Together, we mounted a pilot Innovation Lab with 10 businesses. The results with two API businesses in the pilot were nothing short of miraculous. Yavnika Khanna is the founder and Chief Impact Officer of Impactika Consulting LLC, a digital marketing, strategy, and social change consulting firm. She says, “I got introduced to a great set of mentors, teachers, and real-world change makers who were enthusiastic about making a difference through business. Every week, I was in the company of do-gooders who are looking to improve, learn more, and build a local network. My business has doubled since I took Innovation Lab.” Daniel Ingitaraj K, co-founder and CEO of docu3C, recounts how the pandemic took a massive hit on his company’s sales as the world moved to “remote everything” and changed forever their way of doing business. Businesses had to pivot to digital models. He says that Innovation Lab was probably one of the best things that happened to them during the pandemic. “They made us think critically about our business model, our customer segment, our value proposition using the Business Model Canvas—which was honestly a breath of fresh air for us to think strategically about our business.” They moved quickly to adapt themselves and help their customers adapt to the remote world. The results have been astounding. The first quarter of 2021 was their best ever. They are currently doubling their employee count to meet customer demand and, if all goes well,

they are looking at a 125% to 150% increase over 2020. These success stories are all the more amazing because data shows that 130,000 more businesses closed during the pandemic, which compounded an already dismal survival rate—only half of businesses make it to five years. Projections are that the shutdowns will be even higher in 2021. Unfortunately, the story does not end here. Research done by Gusto shows that there are higher signs of stress from BIPOC business owners. While 51% of all businesses think they will fail within

9:05-9:30 am

a year without support, a much larger proportion of BIPOC businesses—73% of Black owners and 71% of AAPI owners—feel the same way. There are a number of partners in this region who are determined to make this surge in BIPOC entrepreneurship an inflection point and not a blip. Moving BIPOC businesses towards digital maturity is a huge part of survival in the new normal. This training to get more digital (no matter where business is) has been developed and offered at Boost, a one-day workshop on Saturday, Sept. 25. Boost is chock full of strategies and tools to help small businesses get their stories online. You will hear from three superstar BIPOC CEOs, Brandon Ting, Ana Castro, and Lewis Rudd, about their amazing growth, fueled, in large part, by a great digital strategy. Three promising, emerging businesses led by BIPOC women will show how they transformed their businesses quickly. Online powerhouses, Google and Facebook, will be presenting. They and other generous sponsors are making this workshop available free of charge to businesses.  Register at https://app.brazenconnect. com/events/xBE1E.

SESSION 1 OVERVIEW OF GOING DIGITAL WITH YOUR STORY

Professors Leslie Lum and Judith Paquette Bellevue College talk about the importance of digital tools CEOs of successful businesses tell you how they 9.30-10.30 am SESSION 2 REACHING YOUR CUSTOMERS WITH succeeded during Covid YOUR STORY THE ONLY Brandon Ting, CEO, Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya WAY YOU CAN…ONLINE Ana Castro, Founder, The Salvadorean Bakery Lewis Rudd, CEO, Ezell’s Famous Chicken Google explains digital essentials 10.30-11.00 am SESSION 3 Google

11.00 – 11.30 am SESSION 4 LEARN AND TRANSFORM TO GET YOUR STORY OUT TO MORE CUSTOMERS 11.30 am-12.00 pm SESSION 5 Facebook 12.00-3.00 pm

Emerging businesses talk about their use of important digital tools: Anita Robertson, CEO, MakeReady Services Dr. Ebony Blackmon-Humphrey, Caritas Critical Case Management Jessica Kravitz, Krueger Beck Law LLC Facebook– Social Media

VENDOR/PARTNER FAIR Boost has brought key players together in one place. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect.

Tuition for 20 businesses is generously funded by Startup 425

Businesses who successfully complete Innovation Lab will be given assistance finding access to funding by our partner, Business Impact Northwest.

Innovation Lab Class Series – Customized Seminars In addition to the basics of money, markets, and management, Innovation Lab teaches business owners ways to adapt to the changing economic environment created by the COVID-19 pandemic by helping them achieve digital advancement. All businesses are assigned a mentor and expert speakers are called in for every session. The Fall 2021 Innovation Lab will be held on Zoom®. For More Information: https://youtu.be/-b8-vtvu4n8 October 9 (Saturday): 9am - 1pm October 14 (Thursday): 5pm - 7pm

October 23 (Saturday): 9am - 1pm October 28 (Thursday): 5pm - 7pm

Apply Today: https://forms.gle/XBsN3Vhqw5jbCkQ48

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2021

■ NATIONAL NEWS

Boston getting mayor of color as Wu, Essaibi George advance By STEVE LeBLANC ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOSTON (AP) — For the first time in 200 years, Boston voters have narrowed the field of mayoral candidates to two women of color who will face off against each other in November. City Councilors Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George topped the five-person race in the Sept. 14 preliminary runoff. They bested acting Mayor Kim Janey, City Councilor Andrea Campbell and John Barros, the city’s former economic development chief. All five were candidates of color—a major shift away from two centuries of Boston politics dominated by white men. Wu’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan. Essaibi George describes herself as a first generation Arab Polish-American. Whoever wins on Nov. 2 will make history in a city

Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George

that has never elected a woman or Asian American mayor. For the past 200 years, the office has been held exclusively by white men. Wu and Essaibi George’s advancement to the general election ushers in a new era for the city which has wrestled with racial and ethnic strife. Essaibi George said she was confident she could pose a significant challenge to Wu in November. “I am so grateful to you showing up not just tonight but showing up for the last eight months,” she told supporters. Wu spoke to reporters outside Boston City Hall on Sept. 15. “This is the moment in Boston that our campaign and see BOSTON on 14

Pandemic tie to vision issues seen in Chinese kids’ study By LINDSEY TANNER AP MEDICAL WRITER Research suggests vision problems increased among Chinese schoolchildren during pandemic restrictions and online learning, and eye specialists think the same

may have happened in U.S. kids. A report published on Sept. 16 in JAMA Ophthalmology is the latest to show the trend and the results echo those of two earlier Chinese studies. Researchers from Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou compared data from eye exams given a year

Vandalism at Sikh temple investigated as possible hate crime FEDERAL WAY, Wash. (AP) — Police are searching for a man they say vandalized a Sikh temple south of Seattle in what’s being investigated as a possible hate crime. Several portable electronic devices were stolen during the Sept. 17 break-in at the Khalsa Gurmat Center in Federal Way. The building houses religious, educational and social services for local Sikh residents. The suspect was seen on surveillance video damaging the center’s main hall and prayer area, KOMO-TV reported.

No one from the center was present at the time. Investigators were trying to determine if the incident was a hate crime, Federal Way Police Department Cmdr. Kurt Schwan said. 

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apart to about 2,000 children, starting in second grade. Half the children were tested twice before the pandemic, in late 2018 and a year later. The others were tested in late 2019 and again late last year, several months after see KIDS’ STUDY on 13

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received for KC000315, North Mercer Island Interceptor and Enatai Interceptor Upgrade-Conveyance Improvements; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, via the E-Procurement system, until 1:30PM on 11/3/2021. Late bids will not be accepted. The public bid opening will only be conducted on-line following the Bid Close Date and Time; see Section 00 10 00 for details. There is a 15% minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement on this contract. There is a Voluntary Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Goal: 10% of the Contract Price. There is a Voluntary Women Business Enterprise (WBE) Goal: 4% of the Contract Price. Brief Scope: The purpose of this project is to install gravity and inverted siphon sewer conveyance piping (including underwater and horizontal directional drilling installation), sewer force main piping, sliplining, and cured-in-place piping for gravity sewer rehabilitation, along with maintenance hole rehabilitation, associated sewage diversion/flow-splitting structures and odor control facilities, all for the purpose of conveying waste water from the North Mercer Pump Station on Mercer Island to the Sweyolocken Pump Station in Bellevue. Estimated contract price: $52,417,000.00 MANDATORY Pre-Bid/Site Tours(s): Please see Section 00 10 00 for details. Prospective bidders can view more details at: https:// kingcounty.gov/procurement/solicitations Complete Invitation to Bid Documents, including all project details, specifications, and contact information are available on our web page at: https://kingcounty.gov/procurement/ supplierportal

YOUR VOICE

■ WORLD NEWS

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2021

asianweekly northwest

Boxer-senator Manny Pacquiao to run for Philippine president MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine boxing icon and senator Manny Pacquiao says he will run for president in the 2022 elections. Pacquiao accepted the nomination of his PDPLaban party at its national convention on Sept. 19, saying that the Filipino people have been waiting

Manny Pacquiao

for a change of government. “I am a fighter, and I will always be a fighter inside and outside the ring,” Pacquiao, 42, said in his speech. “We need government to serve our people with

integrity, compassion and transparency,” he added. Pacquiao is the president of the PDP-Laban faction led by him and Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. Another faction of the same party earlier this month nominated President Rodrigo Duterte to be its vice presidential candidate, and Duterte’s former aide, Sen. Bong Go, as its presidential nominee. Duterte, who is forbidden by the constitution from seeking a second six-year term, has accepted the nomination, but Go has declined to run for president. Duterte has led a brutal campaign against illegal drugs, and said last week he would rather “die first” before facing an international tribunal, the day after the International Criminal Court announced it would investigate allegations of crimes against humanity linked to the crackdown that has left thousands dead.

Pacquiao has accused the administration of Durterte, his former ally, of making corruption worse in the Philippines. To critics who question his qualifications, the famous boxer has said his experience of personal hardships will better equip him to understand people’s suffering—and fight poverty and corruption. “In my whole life, I have not backed down on any fight,” Pacquiao said. He warned politicians whom he holds responsible for corruption “will soon end in jail together.” The rival party faction supporting Duterte earlier said it will petition the Commission on Elections to declare Pacquiao and his allies illegitimate officers of the ruling party. 

Cambodia vaccinating 6-to-11year-olds before schools reopen By SOPHENG CHEANG ASSOCIATED PRESS PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia began vaccinating 6-to-11year-olds on Sept. 17 so students can safely return to schools that have been closed for months due to the coronavirus. Prime Minister Hun Sen inaugurated the campaign to vaccinate Prime Minister Hun Sen

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the children, speaking live on state television and his Facebook page as his grandchildren and young family members of other senior officials were shown being given their jabs. “To protect children’s health and their lives is our duty because we want to make sure that once they go back to their schools, these children and their teachers are safe from COVID-19,” Hun Sen declared. Cambodia already has been vaccinating older children, and Hun Sen said he ordered health officials to study if children ages 3 to 5 can also be vaccinated. No date has been announced for schools to reopen. Nearly 72% of Cambodia’s almost 17 million people have received at least one COVID-19 shot since vaccinations began in February. China’s Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines account for most inoculations.

Hun Sen, 69, who has been fully vaccinated and received a booster shot on Sept. 14, said Cambodia’s priority in recovering from the pandemic is reopening the education sector, followed by allowing service industries, including domestic tourism, to resume activities. He said Cambodia is considering reopening to fully vaccinated foreign tourists in the near future. The tourism sector is vitally important for the country’s economy, he said, and Chinese visitors are expected to be the biggest group of arrivals once Cambodia reopens. Hun Sen said while Cambodia’s rate of coronavirus infections continues to be high, it appears to be slowing due to vaccination levels, which are higher than most other countries in Southeast Asia. 

asianweekly northwest

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR SEP 23

NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY’S UNITY IN VOICES EVENT, BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN BLACK AND ASIAN COMMUNITIES 5-7 p.m. Joyale Seafood Restaurant, Seattle (Also a virtual event) Free admission with proof of vaccination Register at: nwasianweekly.com/events

24 SEATTLE ASIAN ART MUSEUM FREE FIRST FRIDAY 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Seattle Asian Art Museum Free admission Advanced registration required volunteerparktrust.org/event/saamfree-fridays/all

25 ASIA PACIFIC CULTURAL CENTER CHUSEOK CELEBRATION 11 a.m.-5 p.m. APCC 4851 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma Or online at facebook.com/ AsiaPacificCulturalCenter

OCT 1-24 TASVEER SOUTH ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL

39 YEARS

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2021

Northwest Film Forum tasveer.org

2 2021 ACRS VIRTUAL BENEFIT GALA 5:30 p.m. Livestream at: acrs.org youtube.com/user/ACRSNews facebook.com/ACRSOnline Bid in online auction or donate: acrs.org/2021auction For more info, events@acrs.org

6-12 UWAJIMAYA’S 93RD ANNIVERSARY Facebook live virtual cooking demonstration with chef Shota Nakajima Time and date TBA

DOUG BALDWIN AT RENTON ROTARY CLUB 12-1:30 p.m. Fairwood Golf and Country Club, Renton $20 rentonrotarysecretary@gmail.com 2021 SCIDPDA ANNUAL FUNDRAISER 6-7 p.m. Free to attend bit.ly/scidpda2021 MICHAEL SHIOSAKI AT SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT ROTARY 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Contact club member or email club for Zoom meeting link at rotaryofseattleid@gmail.com seattleidrotary.org

CRAZY WOKE ASIANS, ONE NIGHT ONLY 7:30-10 p.m. Unexpected Productions Improv $25 unexpectedproductions.org

SEATTLE ASIAN ART MUSEUM FREE FIRST FRIDAY 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Seattle Asian Art Museum Free admission Advanced registration required volunteerparktrust.org/event/saamfree-fridays/all

21 MINH-DUC NGUYEN AT SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT ROTARY 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Contact club member or email club for Zoom meeting link at rotaryofseattleid@gmail.com seattleidrotary.org

29 SEATTLE ASIAN ART MUSEUM 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Seattle Asian Art Museum Free admission Advanced registration required volunteerparktrust.org/event/saamfree-fridays/all

NOV

DEC 12

RONNY CHIENG, STAND UP COMEDY 7:30 p.m. The Neptune Theatre, Seattle $28-$33.50 stgpresents.org

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4-14 VANCOUVER ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL Vancouver, BC, Canada vaff.org

6 ASIA PACIFIC CULTURAL CENTER’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 5:30 p.m. Greater Tacoma Convention Center asiapacificculturalcenter.org

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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

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2021

YOUR VOICE

asianweekly northwest

■ WORLD NEWS With no tourist handouts, hungry Bali monkeys raid homes SANGEH, Indonesia (AP) — Deprived of their preferred food source—the bananas, peanuts and other goodies brought in by tourists now kept away by the coronavirus—hungry monkeys on the resort island of Bali have taken to raiding villagers’ homes in their search for something tasty. Villagers in Sangeh say the gray long-tailed macaques have been venturing out from a sanctuary about 500 yards away to hang out on their roofs and await the right time to swoop down and snatch a snack. Worried that the sporadic sorties will escalate into an all-out monkey assault on the village, residents have been taking fruit, peanuts and other food to the Sangeh Monkey Forest to try to placate the primates. “We are afraid that the hungry monkeys will turn wild and vicious,” villager Saskara Gustu Alit said. About 600 of the macaques live in the forest sanctuary, swinging from the tall nutmeg trees and leaping about the famous Pura Bukit Sari temple, and are considered sacred. In normal times the protected jungle area in the southeast of the Indonesian island is popular among local residents for wedding photos, as well as among international visitors. The relatively tame monkeys can be easily coaxed to sit on a shoulder or lap for a peanut or two. Ordinarily, tourism is the main source of income for Bali’s 4 million residents, who welcomed more than 5 million foreign visitors annually before the pandemic.

Photo by Ruth Bayang

By FIRDIA LISNAWATI and NINIEK KARMINI ASSOCIATED PRESS

A monkey at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud, Indonesia

The Sangeh Monkey Forest typically had about 6,000 visitors a month, but as the pandemic spread last year and international travel dropped off dramatically, that number dropped to about 500. Since July, when Indonesia banned all foreign travelers to the island and shut the sanctuary to local residents as well, there has been nobody. Not only has that meant nobody bringing in extra food for the monkeys, the sanctuary has also lost out on its admission fees and is running low on money to purchase food for them, said operations manager Made Mohon. The donations from villagers have helped, but they are also feeling the economic pinch and are gradually giving less and less, he said. “This prolonged pandemic is beyond our expectations,”

Made Mohon said, “Food for monkeys has become a problem.” Food costs run about $60 a day, Made Mohon said, for 440 pounds of cassava, the monkeys’ staple food, and 22 pounds of bananas. The macaque is an omnivore and can eat a variety of animals and plants found in the jungle, but those in the Sangeh Monkey Forest have had enough contact with humans over the years that they seem to prefer other things. And they’re not afraid to take matters into their own hands, Gustu Alit said. Frequently, monkeys wander into the village and sit on roofs, occasionally removing tiles and dropping them to the ground. When villagers put out daily religious offerings of food on their terraces, the monkeys jump down and make off with them. “A few days ago I attended a traditional ceremony at a temple near the Sangeh forest,” Gustu Alit said. “When I parked my car and took out two plastic bags containing food and flowers as offerings, two monkeys suddenly appeared and grabbed it all and ran into the forest very fast.” Normally, the monkeys spend all day interacting with visitors—stealing sunglasses and water bottles, pulling at clothes, jumping on shoulders—and Gustu Alit theorizes that more than just being hungry, they’re bored. “That’s why I have urged villagers here to come to the forest to play with the monkeys and offer them food,” he said. “I think they need to interact with humans as often as possible so that they do not go wild.” 

Thank You! Proclamation from Mayor Jenny Durkan

Greetings from Gov. Jay Inslee

To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, Seniors in Action organized a special event on Sept. 19 at Joyale Restaurant. We’d like to thank several Chinese community organizations and dignitaries for attending our event. Despite their busy schedules, we appreciate the presence of King County Executive Dow Constantine; Deputy Seattle Mayor David Mosley; former Senior Deputy Seattle Mayor Mike Fong; former Seattle City Council President and mayoral candidate Bruce Harrell; Seattle City Council candidate Sara Nelson; Sen. Bob Hasegawa; Toshiko Hasegawa, executive director of Washington State Commission on Asian American Affairs; and others. We were fortunate to have the generosity of Peter Pang and Jin Zhang of B. and L. Trading Company and Universal App. And Co. for donating 500 boxes of mooncakes to Chinatown elderly residents. Thanks to the volunteers, we delivered all the mooncakes earlier for the seniors. Due to the forecast of bad weather, we couldn’t hold an event at Hing Hay Park. We are grateful to many volunteers who have contributed tremendously to make this event a success. They are Tony Au, Andy Yip and Nella Kwan, Karen Lu, and all the board members of the Seniors in Action Foundation. — Anna Hau President Seniors in Action Foundation

Proclamation from King County Executive Dow Constantine

asianweekly northwest

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2021

39 YEARS

SEATTLE — Mayor Jenny Durkan announced on Sept. 20 the first round of joint state and local investments of $50 million to rapidly create new income- and rent-restricted housing in Seattle. The 165 new homes across three new buildings will be ready for tenants this fall and will serve individuals and young adults experiencing homelessness or at extreme risk of homelessness. Seattle’s local investment of $25 million is matched by funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce’s new Rapid Capital Housing Acquisition program. In June 2021, the City Council passed and Durkan signed a joint proposal that included $28.5 million from the American Rescue Plan for the acquisition of housing. This is the first round of acquisitions, with more announcements expected in the coming weeks to leverage the $28.5 million in the Seattle Rescue Plan. The first round of awards announced for the City’s Rapid Acquisition funds will be used to acquire and convert to affordable housing three newly constructed buildings located in Capitol Hill.

Two of the buildings acquired will be owned and operated by the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI). The third property will be owned by LIHI and operated by YouthCare. LIHI Director Sharon Lee said, “The purchase of three new buildings with 165 units on Capitol Hill will provide permanent supportive housing for 180 homeless people, including singles and couples. Thankfully, the State Legislature and the City of Seattle recognized the unique opportunity presented by the downturn in the real estate market to buy market rate apartments to house our homeless neighbors. LIHI will be offering affordable studio apartments to people transitioning out of tiny houses and emergency shelters. Each building will include live-in staff and on-site case managers to provide supportive services.” To facilitate future building acquisitions and continue responding to the need for permanent affordable housing in Seattle, the Office of Housing will continue to accept applications for funding on a rolling basis. Durkan

Photo provided by LIHI

■ COMMUNITY NEWS Seattle mayor announces $50M to create new affordable housing

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan with Office of Housing Director Emily Alvarado, CM Andrew Lewis, and LIHI Executive Director Sharon Lee at the Boylston Apartments, one of three newly constructed apartments that LIHI will acquire with funding from the City of Seattle and the State Dept. of Commerce.

has announced 1,300 new units of affordable housing, expected to open beginning this

fall, which includes units created through an innovative pilot program announced last year. 

YOUR VOICE

■ ON THE SHELF

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2021

asianweekly northwest

Short stories about the AAPI experience By Samantha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Afterparties

By Anthony Veasna So Ecco, 2021 A high school badminton coach past his prime tries to beat his team’s star player at the game. A mother and her two teenage daughters work at their 24hour donut shop. Two drunk brothers at a wedding afterparty try to expose their uncle for snubbing the bride and groom. A young boy learns his mother survived a racist mass shooting at her elementary school. These are just a few of the characters included in So’s collection of short stories, “Afterparties.” Taking place within the same Cambodian American community in an unnamed city in California, So gives readers an intimate glimpse into a group we’ve rarely seen on the page. Up until now, stories about the Khmer experience in the United States have been almost exclusively about the Khmer Rouge— and that’s when those stories even get told at all. What is refreshing about So’s stories is that he shows there’s more to Cambodians than surviving a genocide. That trauma may be in the background, but that’s not the only thing that defines his characters, who are the children of refugees. They’re queer, flawed, and messy, foul-mouthed and have their own dreams and ambitions. So does a great job of balancing the serious with the light

hearted that makes up a generation of young people doing their best to carve a path for themselves after their elders have survived so much hardship. One thing I especially appreciated was how none of them fell into the second-generation trope of being ashamed of their roots. They never wanted to be anything but Khmer—struggles and all. As a Cambodian American, I may relate to the AAPI characters I read in the stories for this column in a broader sense, but this was the first time I’ve seen specific experiences and references on the page that might as well have been pulled from my life. From the older

generation giving the main characters grief and the insistence that there’s a difference between being Chinese and Chinese Cambodian (because there is), to Hennessy being the liquor of choice and beef sticks as standard fare at every Cambodian gathering, I have never felt so seen in literature.

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings

Edited by Ellen Oh and Elise Chapman Greenwillow Books, 2018 Every culture has its own fairy tales and folklore. From star-crossed lovers and meddling immortals, to

feigned identities, battles of wits, and dire beginnings, Asian cultures are no different. In “A Thousand Beginnings and Endings,” we get a collection of 15 short stories from 15 authors who have reimagined myths and legends from various Asian cultures, including Chinese, Hmong, Vietnamese, Punjabi, Filipino, and Japanese. A mountain falls in love with a mortal man. A teenager suspects her father has been replaced by an android. A young woman follows in her mother’s footsteps see BOOK REVIEW on 12

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2021

Photos by Assunta Ng

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

Amuse Norwegian cruise ship on Seattle’s waterfront

yourself

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Amidst Covid stress, horrible news, and tragedies, I try to design steps to amuse myself to maintain my mental balance. I found it…accidentally… It leads me to the question, “What’s the most effective mode to destress?” HaHAHaHaHAha!!! Laughter. You might challenge me, “There’s nothing funny about Covid!” And there’s nothing funny about people dying from Covid. It should be the emotions of grief and sadness. I agree. But we can’t live in agony forever. It will kill us fast. What helps us to heal and rebound? Laughter. Smile. Joy. The benefits of laughter are enormous. Aside from destressing our body, laughter keeps me sane during this painful and unusual period. To laugh and smile more than ever during Covid might sound insensitive to many. However, we need to for survival purposes. Laughter makes me feel hopeful, positive, and looking forward to

covid

during

Kiku Hayashi’s handmade cards

greeting the sunshine in the morning and ready for the demanding schedule of the day. Another benefit is “Laughter always gets more laughter,” wrote Rotarian Bala Murthy, in the Rotary magazine. “Even with people we are meeting for the first time, it creates bonding.” I used to laugh whenever our company received great business deals. The pandemic has changed the way I perceive the definition of joy. Now, I experience joy in greater latitude—big and small dimensions, things I could or couldn’t see but imagine, pleasures of the past, present and future, joy of anticipation, experiences of the beautiful and ugly. Pleasant surprises light up my day. A baby’s laugh brings me joy (which I watch on YouTube). Good news enhances my whole attitude. And I frequently seek those incredible stories and moments so I could feel awe and wonder. (We had many amazing stories last week, still vivid in my mind). There are ways you can achieve laughter, you just have to put it into practice. You know all the principles.

Turning tears into joy

My friend Kiku Hayashi died recently. My first reaction was shock and sadness. Then I remembered all the good things she had done in life and her funny stories. A few years back, someone asked her to subscribe to my competitor’s paper. Instead, she mailed me a check to subscribe to the Northwest Asian Weekly. Her relentless loyalty brought me laughter. Her lovely cards made me smile. I enjoyed her sense of humor and exuberance for life. She always said, “I never say ‘no’ to a free meal.” No one appreciated food more than she did. Kiku always brought fun to the parties I organized. I miss you, Kiku.

Laugh at yourself

The other day, I rushed out the door for a meeting. But I stopped and hurried back to my home because I thought I forgot something. I couldn’t remember what see BLOG on 13

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SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2021

YOUR VOICE

■ LETTER

asianweekly northwest

Letter to Seattle’s Human Services Department

Good afternoon, Mr. Mundt: I’m writing today regarding City of Seattle’s funding for the proposed enhanced shelter to be operated by Africatown at the former Keiro Nursing Home site. I’m dismayed to learn that the City of Seattle, waving honest democratic budget practices and under the guise of COVID-19 restrictions, has decided to fund an organization to operate a homeless shelter that has no experience operating a homeless shelter. Even organizations with experience operating homeless shelters are finding it difficult to manage their operations under the current conditions. We only need to look at the failed Navigation Center as an example. In addition, the City is encouraging this much-needed program that will be tailored to meet the specific cultural needs of the Black community, even though this proposed shelter is to be located in the midst of a traditional Asian and Japanese community, which has lived and owned property there since the early 1900s. A community where 30% of its residents were incarcerated without due process in 1942, a community with many Asian churches, a long-

standing Japanese martial arts center, and many other social and Asian cultural programs. Also unaddressed, there is great concern for the safety of over 250 senior residents of Midori, Wisteria, and Kawabe housing in the neighborhood. Why is the City pitting one community of color against another, rather than promoting unity, cooperation and joint governance, program and property ownership? The City also hired people to promote this program by using terms such as “inclusive” while in the same breath saying don’t fight it because it’s a “done deal.” So much for requested honest community feedback Members of the Japanese and Asian community would like an explanation of why Africatown, an organization with no experience whatsoever running a homeless shelter, was chosen to operate this homeless shelter in our neighborhood, South of the Canal, with a sole source contract and without an RFP process? Given the importance of this land to the Japanese and Asian community, we would also like to understand why

we were not consulted initially on this possible agreement and what the City hopes to accomplish by excluding the Asian community from the planning and decision-making process. Many Japanese lost their homes and property on this block in World War II, but this is still our important community. Therefore, we want to have a say in the future development of the Keiro nursing home property and surrounding area. I look forward to hearing back from you.  Sincerely, — Tomio Moriguchi CC: State Sen. Bob Hasegawa, State Rep. Sharon Tomiko-Santos, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, Seattle City Council Members, and Seattle Mayoral candidate Bruce Harrell.

HAYASHI from 1 St Mary’s, donating time and money, and attending countless fundraisers and banquets. “The community lost that rare person, the volunteer who shows up for everything,” said Tashima. A staunch Democrat, Hayashi was also active in political campaigns and was given a lifetime achievement award by the Metropolitan Democratic Club of Seattle for her work. “It is with a smile and fondness of heart that I recall how feisty and fun it was to sit on the board of the Women of Color Empowered Board with my sister in the movement for peace and justice,” said Winona Hollins Hauge. “Her brilliance and commitment to social justice and bridging the gap between the Asian and African American community will always be remembered.” Sharon Sobers-Outlaw also served on the Women of Color Empowered Board with Hayashi. “Definitely my sister who

The cards made with rubber stamps, was created by Kiku Hayashi.

referred to herself as an Asian Queen. She will truly be missed.” Hayashi was an avid reader as evidenced by her massive book collection, especially cookbooks, which she generously shared with those around her. She also had a love of fine china, silverware, and crystal. Her exquisite taste, love of shopping, and the quest for a bargain allowed her to surround herself with beautiful things. Her beautiful handcrafted cards will be cherished by many. “Kiku had great artistic talent,

especially with papercraft,” said Leslie Lum. “I looked forward to the holidays because I would receive a beautiful handmade card with intricate stamping and usually a joke about cats. It makes me smile just thinking about it.” “I just loved her,” said Rosa Melendez. “She had very little filter, she said what she thought… you always knew where you stood with Kiku.” Char Grinolds echoed that sentiment. “[Kiku] was such a forthright

and giving person. She did so much for the community and I truly will miss her.” Kiku was predeceased by her father Shibo Hayashi and brother Joseph Hayashi. She is survived by her 98-year-old mother Kimiye, siblings Elizabeth Frisch (Doug), Katie Kiyonaga (Gary), and Michael Hayashi (Sylvia) and sister-in-law Doris Hayashi; nieces and nephews - Joe Hayashi (Jenny), Sarah Myhre (Paul), Jenny Garr (Rob), Adam Kiyonaga, Case Kiyonaga,

and Michael Frisch (Anna); aunts, uncle, and many cousins. Her beloved kitty Little LuLu has been adopted by a family friend. Hayashi’s family said amid the current restrictions, it will be difficult to organize a gala memorial “worthy of her memory” until sometime in spring. “In the meantime, we ask you to be like Kiku,” they wrote in an obituary. “Buy some fresh flowers at Trader Joe’s, donate time and money to a deserving community organization, volunteer for a worthy (Democratic) campaign, share a meal with friends, pour some wine into a fine crystal goblet and toast to the loving memory of our dear Kiku.” 

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received for KC000342, Civil / Structural Construction Work Order 2021-2022; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, via the E-Procurement system, until 1:30 pm on 10/06/2021. Late bids will not be accepted. The public bid opening will only be conducted on-line following the Bid Close Date and Time; see Section 00 10 00 for details. There is a 5% minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement on this contract. There is a Voluntary Minority Business

Enterprise (MBE) Goal: 10% of the Contract Price. There is a Voluntary Women Business Enterprise (WBE) Goal: 6% of the Contract Price. Brief Scope: The work under this Contract includes furnishing all labor, tools, equipment, materials, incidentals, superintendents, subcontractor coordination and overhead to perform various civil and structural repairs, replacement, minor modifications and safety improvements in the Wastewater Treatment

Division. The work requires principally civil/ structural and related trades. Associated subcontractors may be required. Estimated contract price: $3,000,000 Prospective bidders can view more details at: https://kingcounty.gov/procurement/ solicitations Complete Invitation to Bid Documents, including all project details, specifications, and contact information are available on our web page at: https://kingcounty.gov/ procurement/supplierportal

asianweekly northwest

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2021

■ NATIONAL NEWS K-pop stars BTS dip into global diplomacy at UN gathering By SALLY HO ASSOCIATED PRESS It was a United Nations speech that got attention like few others—a plug for vaccines, young people and the earth’s well being from superstar K-pop band BTS. Addressing the stage for a sustainability event, the seven-member musical juggernaut appeared before the renowned green-marbled backdrop in the General Assembly hall on Sept. 20 to help promote U.N. goals for 2030 including ending extreme poverty, preserving the planet and achieving gender equality. “Every choice we make is the beginning of change, not the end,” said RM, the band’s leader. South Korean President Moon Jaein introduced the pop stars as special presidential envoys and an “exceptionally

outstanding group of young men who are connecting with the youth across the world.” The gravity of the moment wasn’t lost on the musicians standing before world leaders and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Nerves were evident when band member Jimin stumbled over his words while talking about young people trying to

navigate the pandemic. Jimin apologized before taking a breath to recollect himself. It was a moment that prompted the “BTS ARMY” of fans to rally behind him in a show of support on social media. The artists took turns on stage during their seven-minute speech. But it wasn’t all about U.N. goals. The group also unveiled a new music video for

39 YEARS

its current hit single “Permission to Dance,” which was filmed at U.N. Headquarters in New York. The singers crooned, “Don’t need to talk the talk, just walk the walk,” while dancing their way from the General Assembly hall to the garden overlooking the East River. Since its debut in 2013, BTS has garnered global recognition for its self-produced music and activism, which also includes publicly calling out anti-Asian racism. The band topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart three times in 2020, and was nominated for prominent music awards like Billboard Music Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. The Sept. 20 speech marked the group’s second appearance at the U.N. The band took part in an event in 2018, when RM spoke about its work with UNICEF. 

Jin Young Ko wins rain-shortened Cambia Portland Classic WEST LINN, Ore. (AP) — Jin Young Ko won the rain-shortened Cambia Portland Classic on Sept. 19 for her second victory in her last three LPGA Tour starts. Making her first start since the Tokyo Olympics, the secondround South Korean player closed with a bogey-free 3-under 69 at Oregon Golf Club for a four-stroke Jin Young Ko victory over Jeongeun Lee and Su Oh. Ko finished at 11-under 205. Play was washed out on Sept. 18 because of rain and the

BOOK REVIEW from 9 to help ghosts cross over to their final resting place. In these retellings, the authors have taken the originals—whether they’re actual stories or just cultural traditions— and added their personal twists. Some even reflect their personal backgrounds, which was fun to read. I also appreciated the variety of genres explored in this collection, which ranged from science fiction and fantasy, to contemporary and romance. I love a good retelling of the classics, and “Beginnings and Endings” is no exception. And while retellings of Western fairy tales like “Cinderella” and “Snow White,” as well as classics from Shakespeare and Jane Austen, are plentiful, it was refreshing to read a collection of reimagined stories from different cultures—especially cultures whose folklore may not get much attention in the Western world. The tales may be different from what we’re familiar with, and there’s not always a happily ever after, but that’s okay. Like any good myth or legend, the stories often serve as lessons we can apply to our own lives. Following each story is a brief note from the author explaining the source material and sometimes, their own personal connections to the tales. Not only does this collection introduce readers to these cultures and their mythologies, but in some cases, they’re

event was cut from 72 to 54 holes. Ko took the lead on Sept. 17 with a 67. Ko said. “I had a lot of missed shots and I had a lot of missed chipping or something, so I had to make great par saves, but I made it. She took a break after the Olympics, skipping the major Women’s British Open. “I spent a great time in Korea after the Olympics, maybe over six or seven weeks,” Ko said. “I had a lot of practice with my same coach and I had a lot of workouts, three times or four times each week.” Ko also won the Volunteers of America Classic in Texas in early July. The two-time major champion has nine LPGA

also introducing readers to authors they probably haven’t read before.

How to Pronounce Knife: Stories

By Souvankham Thammavongsa Little, Brown and Company, 2020 Two siblings discover the joys of trickor-treating. An ex-boxer starts working at his sister’s nail salon. A woman grows obsessed with country singer Randy Travis. A young girl and her best friend imagine what it would be like to be rich. These are just a few of the characters in Thammavongsa’s collection of short stories. Despite being in different stages of life and different life circumstances, they all have a few things in common. As they move through life, amidst their disappointments, acts of defiance, and love affairs, readers see their hopes and their desire to just find a place to belong. Thammavongsa’s characters reflect her Laotian background—a culture, despite its proximity to my own heritage, I don’t know much about (and I’m sure I’m not the only one). She doesn’t delve too deeply into the Laotian American experience, but does occasionally make references to the characters being refugees and trying to establish a life in their new country. While I would have liked to see more specificity in this regard, I appreciated Thammavongsa’s narrow focus on each of the individual protagonists in her stories. In doing this, she makes them more relatable—whether they’re school-aged children or senior

Tour victories. Lee and Oh each shot 69. Perrine Delacour was fourth at 5 under after a 69. Patty Tavatanakit (69) was 4 under with Esther Henseleit (70) and Carlota Ciganda (73). Gemma Dryburgh, a stroke behind Ko entering the round, had a 76 to drop into a tie for eighth at 3 under. The tournament was shifted from Edgewater Country Club to Oregon Golf Club in June because of safety concerns about a homeless encampment bordering Edgewater. “This course was really amazing—fairways and greens are really perfect,” Ko said. 

citizens—showing readers that they’re not any different from the rest of us. Thammavongsa’s language is fairly minimal, but it doesn’t feel like anything is missing from her stories. If anything, it actually adds to the intimacy we feel as readers, with the characters. We feel

as if we know them already and have a shorthand with them like we do with those we are closest with.  Samantha can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2021

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

asianweekly northwest

Predictions and advice for the week of September 25–October 1, 2021 By Sun Lee Chang Rat—Avoid turning a suggestion into a lecture. Be brief and to the point to make the biggest impact.

Dragon—Having reached a crossroads, you are met with a choice. Seek the good and that is what you will find.

Monkey—Instead of waiting to be told to do the right thing, take the initiative to do what should be done.

Ox—Lack of organization could cost you precious time. Create a plan that will help you to stay focused.

Snake—You have the opportunity to set the tone for your team. Be the leader that you would want for yourself.

Rooster—Do you feel like you are just scratching the surface? If you are interested, take the time to delve deeper.

Tiger—Although you are eager to see results, be patient to give the roots of your labor a chance to grow.

Horse—If you and your partner aren’t quite in sync, a reset could be just what you both need.

Dog—Not sure how to react to a developing situation? Wait until the dust settles before you decide what to do.

Rabbit—Following a pattern doesn’t always make sense. A different outcome will require you to forge your own path.

Goat—To your relief, you’re gaining traction on a new project. Get ready for the pace to pick up even more.

Pig—Even if you can guess what is about to be said, listen carefully. There is meaning beyond just the actual words.

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.

KIDS’ STUDY from 4 schools shut down and Chinese authorities imposed quarantines and lockdowns. Initial tests of both groups done before the pandemic showed nearsightedness about the same—about 7% of second graders. It increased in both groups, but went up more in those retested late last year. By third grade, about 20% of them were nearsighted compared with 13% of those tested again before the pandemic. The study lacked information on how much time kids in both groups spent online or doing other work that might strain the eyes, a limitation the researchers acknowledged.

BLOG from 10 I forgot. Wow, one gaze into the mirror and I saw myself and couldn’t stop laughing. I didn’t have any eyebrows. I forgot to paint my eyebrows as part of my make-up routine. My magical eyebrow pencil changed my face from an imperfect woman to a decentlooking person. So, don’t take yourself so seriously. Whatever happens to you, laugh first. The Dalai Lama’s nickname is laughing Buddha, even though his exiled life has been tough. He always smiles and laughs a lot when he talks to people. Then I recognize it’s also my husband’s characteristic. He often chuckles at my missteps and other nonsense, and I used to get mad at him. With the pandemic, a good laugh is a healing strategy and also a good defense against Covid.

Forgive easily

If you hold grudges, you can’t be a happy person. I remember what my friend said, “Everyone is my friend. No one is my enemy.” His positive attitude always reminds me to be generous. Never let your ego get in your intent to forgive. Never forget to say “sorry” when you are wrong. Sometimes, I say sorry even though I know I am right as I know it will make someone feel better. Remember all the good things people have done for you. Forget all the nasty acts people did to you. It’s easier said than done. But try anyway. You might not be able to accomplish it immediately. But over time,

But a journal editorial said the results and those from earlier studies “should prompt parents, schools and governmental agencies to recognize the potential value of providing children with outdoor activity time and monitoring how much time is spent on near work.” Nearsightedness, formally called myopia, affects about 30% of the world’s population and evidence shows it has been steadily increasing over the past 20 years. It is an eye-focusing problem that makes distant objects look blurry and can often be fixed with eyeglasses. The condition can be inherited but habits can affect who develops it. Evidence suggests those who spend lots of time working at computers, reading or doing other close visual work are at risk.

it’s not as hard as you think. It will be better for your health. Negative emotions such as rage, depression, and anxiety can wreak havoc on your immune system and cells. Some of our detractors are now our supporters. They read our stories diligently. What else could I ask for?

Celebrate the milestones of others

As we age, the inevitable happens— several of our friends and loved ones die, without getting the chance to say goodbye. Living with regret is agony. If there’s an opportunity, you can help celebrate your loved ones’ birthday, anniversary, and accomplishment. Be a part of their milestones by suggesting or initiating the celebration. It brings us happiness and laughter to share sweet things in life. Those memories will be with us forever because we are the ones who make things happen.

Save the happy news

I know I blogged that people tend to remember negative things more than positives in their lives. We have to change that. Start a journal for happy news. Write down all the marvelous narratives in our lives, especially before and during Covid. I would include all my travel experiences with great photos. Our trips to Australia and New Zealand and Iguazu Falls in Brazil and Argentina will always remind me of how magnificent those trips were. The fireworks in Sydney on New Year’s

Noreen Shaikh, a myopia specialist at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, called the Chinese research solid and said Lurie researchers are investigating any changes in nearsightedness among U.S. children during the pandemic. “Anecdotally, there definitely seems to be an increase—particularly in younger children,” Shaikh said. Her colleague, Lurie optometrist Magdalena Stec, noted that there are ways to help reduce eye strain, including lots of outdoor time and practicing the “20/20/20” vision rule—after 20 minutes of focusing close-up, looking away for 20 seconds at something 20 feet away. 

Eve was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Iguazu Falls is so much more beautiful and grand than Niagara Falls. Those fabulous videos made me relive all our adventures again. This exercise will remind us to smile and laugh when we reread them in the future. Last week was a fantastic week not just for the Asian community, but for me as a journalist. I love to report good news. Emma Rachucanu, of Chinese and Romanian descent, won the U.S. Open, and her opponent, Leylah Fernandez, is also Asian. Shang-Chi, starring Chinese Canadian Simu Liu, is a hit in Asia (except China) and the U.S. China has not released the movie yet. For two consecutive weeks, it was the No. 1 movie in the box-office in the U.S and Canada.

Give praise lavishly

During Covid, we had limited face-toface interactions with friends. I cherish all the in-person meetings. You never know who will show up. I don’t know if it has anything to do with the pandemic, but I tend to remember all the good things people have done for us during those encounters. I make sure I thank them in person when there is time. I want them to know that I notice their contributions. It’s a way to reinforce people to do good work for the community.

Get out and taste life

Because of Covid, lots of people would rather stay home. It’s hard to experience joy and laughter when you have to shelter

in place. After my husband and I got vaccinated, we went out more. With our masks and vaccination, it protects us and other people. Last weekend, we visited Olympic Sculpture Park. Cruise ships were docking along the waterfront. Lots of passengers were checking in the ships. Although we were just observers, we were delighted to see many groups of people getting on board with happy faces. It’s wonderful to see family reunions and friends being so excited on their long-awaited trip because of Covid. Knowing that the Norwegian cruise requires passengers to have their vaccination two weeks prior to boarding is a relief. I wouldn’t want so many unvaccinated folks to visit Seattle. The cruise business reflects a bit of normalcy after months of lockdown. This is important not only for our economy, but for my mental well-being. We might not be completely back to normal. We are getting there…one day at a time.

Contagious laugh

The late Phil Smart Sr. gave every Rotarian of his club a laughing gadget. It was filled with laughter from young cancer patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital. The kids’ laughter was loud and contagious— so much fun laughing that anyone hearing it would desire to laugh instantly. I click it often. Thank you, Phil.  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2021

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Commercial Retail/Office LOOKING FOR 2 WOK CHeF Building For Sale Stanwood WA - ok English - Great work ethic! Two Attached Buildings - Two Tax -Team work. Good Pay. Parcels. Extensive upgrades and -Both jobs with good benefits. improvements throughout. Buld- Call 206-227-8000 ing: 7,895 sq ft, Lot: 8,712 sq ft, Complete remodel. 2006 - Partial Senior/Principal Planner remodel in 2010/2015, 4 Rest- PSRC is seeking a Senior/Princirooms - ADA Accessible. Perfect pal Planner for the Transportation for owner/operator or investor. Planning Division. Please see our New - UV Purifying System in job announcement at https://www. HVAC Units for both buildings. psrc.org/about/careers. PSRC is New Gibbs Roof 2013, Security an Equal Opportunity Employer. Camera System . New Exterior siding/paint 2017 . Large Commercial Kitchen with Level 1 Hood, 3 Classifieds are $5 Bars. Current Tenants: Loco Billy’s per line and run for Wild Moon Saloon [Also for sale separately] a week. Please send and Dapper Barber Shop. www. me your ad for a quote. stanwoodcommercialbuilding.info Reach 9000 readers a For more information or a tour Contact: Cathy Shelly: 206.714.8984 week! Deadline every or Shelley Michael: 206.778.3003 Tuesday 12PM. Email The Shelly Group HS ION Realty Group to john@nwasian

Mentor educator – Would you like a Career in early Childhood education? Consider joining the innovative education team at Our Beginning School in Fremont. Working with us is a career as opposed to a job. Our compensation, work-life balance and deep benefits package make Our Beginning a place to grow your professional roots. As a large and thriving school with an educational program based on the Reggio Emilia pedagogy, our teachers work in teams to educate close to two-hundred students ranging from infants to Kindergarten age. Our Beginning has multi-lingual classrooms that focus on English, Mandarin and Spanish. In addition, Our Beginning is committed to student health, providing a fully operational restaurant/kitchen and a spectacular chef and culinary team who produce fully organic Whole Foods Plant-Based meals for our students. Are you new to the field of education or a seasoned teacher? We offer a mentoring program and are hiring new educators who are just starting their teaching careers as well as those with classroom leadership experience. We are interested in meeting you! Consider becoming part of the faculty at this this generative school. Your career is here! Contact information: Email your resume and cover letter to careers@ourbeginning.com Our Beginning is an EOE employer

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Beginning Oct. 1 through Oct. 14, eligible small businesses can apply for these grants at ComcastRISE.com. Winners will be notified in November. Mandapat assured the Northwest Asian Weekly that the application process will be streamlined, when asked how many hoops a business owner will have to jump through. And if a business owner has limited English skills, Mandapat said Comcast is producing how-to videos in a variety of languages, including Chinese (traditional and simplified), Hmong, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. The application itself is in English only, Mandapat said. He added that Comcast will do how-to workshops if there’s enough demand. Comcast has partnered with several organizations to help spread the word of these grants. Mandapat said, “We have engaged virtually all of our

long-standing community impact partners, including Seattle Goodwill, Asian Counseling and Referral Service, El Centro de la Raza, as well as multiple chambers, including the Seattle Southside Chamber, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, and other hyperlocal and multicultural chambers to help drive awareness.” In addition to the Investment Fund, Comcast RISE, which stands for “Representation, Investment, Strength, and Empowerment,” provides the opportunity for businesses to apply for marketing services, a TV media campaign, and advertising and marketing consultations, and technology makeovers. This is the second round of grants announced by the Comcast RISE Investment Fund. The first round— announced back in April—provided $5 million in grants to people of color-owned small businesses in Philadelphia, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, and Detroit. 

in an acting capacity after former Mayor Marty Walsh stepped down to become President Joe Biden’s labor secretary. “I want to congratulate Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George on their victories this evening,“ Janey said in a statement. “This was a spirited and historic race, and I wish them both luck in the final election.” There had been an effort among some leaders in the Black community to rally around a single candidate to ensure that at least one Black mayoral hopeful could claim one of the two top slots. All of the candidates were Democrats. Mayoral races in Boston do not include party primaries. Wu was elected to the Boston City Council in 2013 at age 28, becoming the first Asian American woman to serve on the council. In 2016, she was elected city council president by her colleagues in a unanimous vote, becoming the first woman of color to serve as president. Essaibi George won a series of key endorsements during the race including from unions representing

firefighters, nurses and emergency medical technicians. She also won the backing of former Boston Police Commissioner William Gross. Essaibi George grew up in the city’s Dorchester neighborhood and taught in the Boston Public Schools. She was elected to the city council in 2015. Her father immigrated to the United States from Tunisia in 1972. Her mother was born in a displaced persons’ camp in Germany of Polish parents. The November contest could also be a test of whether voters in a city long dominated by parochial neighborhood and ethnic politics are ready to tap someone like Wu, who grew up in Chicago. Wu moved to Boston to attend Harvard University and Harvard Law School and studied under U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, then a law professor. She’s the only candidate not born in Boston. 

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Applicants will be evaluated and selected based on “the impact of COVID-19 and the recent civil unrest on the business, their families, and their communities,” David Mandapat, marketing director at Comcast, told the Northwest Asian Weekly. “We’re also taking into consideration how the business was able to pivot and continue forward, and how they were able to bring the communities up around them.” Small businesses owned by people of color have been some of the hardest hit. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, between February and April 2020, the number of active Black-owned businesses declined by 41%, Latinx-owned businesses declined by 32%, and Asianowned businesses dropped by 25%, versus just 21% for the general population.

BOSTON from 4 our coalition has been calling for for a long time,” she said. “We got in this race over a year ago—actually exactly a year ago today—to ensure that Boston would step up to meet this moment.” Essaibi George in her victory speech said the mayor of Boston can’t unilaterally restore rent control—a jab at Wu, who wants to revive a version of rent control, or rent stabilization, which was banned statewide by a 1994 ballot question. Wu pushed back, saying she’s addressed tough challenges during her years as a city councilor. “We took on issues that people said were pie in the sky, would be impossible to accomplish but by building coalitions, working across all levels of government and continuing to bring community members to the table, we knocked those down, one by one,” she said. Earlier this year, Janey became the first Black Bostonian and first woman to occupy the city’s top office

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YOUR VOICE ICHS from 1 Services (ICHS). Lam had led her team to Green River College in Auburn, in South King County, last month for the first of a possible three pop-up clinics. “If we get enough people, we’ll be back,” she said. But by early afternoon, as the sun began to slant across the cold, empty floors of the hall, the prospects were not looking good. The lack of response, after the school and ICHS had publicized the day-long event, was an indication of one of the key challenges facing health care workers during the pandemic. Vaccination rates, particularly for Asian Americans, while high in urban areas, are lower in rural parts of the state. And yet one community presents a stark contrast. For Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NH/ PI), case rates, hospitalizations, and deaths are constant across the region. They are the highest of any marginalized group. “We have been experiencing a different pandemic,” said Joseph Seia, executive director and founder of Pacific Islander Community Association. “Every single one of us knows at least one person who has died of Covid.” But the successes each group has found in protecting itself from the coronavirus have come from a parallel history. Although leaders from both communities emphasize the importance of disaggregating data for the two groups in the pandemic, their approaches to preserving themselves have been similar, said Dr. Lakshmi Deepa Yerram, interim chief medical officer at ICHS. Marginalized groups, because they were not part of the mainstream, were forced to develop their own organizations that have proven valuable to promote vaccination, she said. Besides formal organizations promoting inoculation, such as ICHS, vaccination drives among Asians and Asian Americans have been successful when paired with cultural meccas. Pop-up clinics held in Uwajimaya or Viet-Wah, for instance, have been huge successes, said Lam. “When we hold our clinics in the city or the suburbs, we can also go in advance to farmers markets, restaurants, and other places and spread the word,” she said. “Out here, there’s no place for us to go.” Seia faced a different challenge. It was the start of the pandemic and elders in his community were dying faster

than in any other group. Even today, after a mass vaccination campaign that resulted in the highest rates of vaccination among any community, the statistics of the disease and people dying are still astonishing. The average death rate per 100,000 for NH/PI, adjusted for age, is 403.7—nearly double that for Latinos, which is 230.9, and Blacks, which is 214.1, according to a Sep. 9 report by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). Seia’s organization had started out as a support group for families that were victims of police violence. But when he began to organize to confront the pandemic, he found the very glue that held the community together presented difficulties for his efforts. There are 64,000 NH/PI in the state, the third-highest population after Hawaii and California. Many of the elders were bound together through their churches. And mainstream discussions pitting the Bible against science were worrying elders. “Scripture can be weaponized,” said Seia. But he encouraged the churches to return to their cultural values, which involve caring for the group as a whole. He and church leaders found scriptural passages to support this concept—and encourage vaccination. In January of last year, they joined with Swedish for a pop-up clinic, one of several. Another challenge was language. There are only two Pacific Islander doctors in the state, said Seia. He arranged clinics equipped with outreach workers that spoke 12 of the NH/PI languages. Those include native Hawaiian, Marshallese, Chuukese, Fijian, Kosraean, Samoan, Chamorro, and others. He also worked with the DOH to translate materials into those languages. His group grew from one staff member—himself—last year, to 28 members this year. Now, over 90% of NH/PI are vaccinated, he said. But hospitalizations and deaths still remain high. The number of comorbidities, a result of centuries of neglect by the mainstream health care system, still remains higher than any other group, he said. “We are 11 times more likely to be hospitalized and five times more likely to die than the rest of the population taken together.” More recently, Seia’s organization entered into an ongoing relationship with Harborview for clinics to be held

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO PROPOSERS Proposals will be received for KC000339, Architectural, Engineering and Related Services for East Side Passenger Integration; by King County Procurement and Payables Section until 12:00 PM on October 13, 2021. This contract is funded by the Federal Transit Administration. There is a 15% minimum requirement for Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises Certified Federal Small Business Enterprise (SBE) firms on this contract. Total Estimated Price for Phase 1: $2,965,000 Total Estimated Price for all Phases: $4,715,000 King County, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all Proposers that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit proposals in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award. This AGREEMENT is subject to the appropriations of the State of Washington. Prospective proposers can view more details at: https:// kingcounty.gov/procurement/solicitations Contact: Alice Phoenix, alice.phoenix@kingcounty.gov, 206-2639311

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several times a month. “We didn’t want to have to keep begging health care providers for help,” he said. Back in the ICHS clinic at Green River College, Lam was talking about another time when practically no one showed up. That time, however, the challenge was entirely different, underscoring how complex the roadblocks are for marginalized groups to achieve safety. In Federal Way, she and her team had arranged for a clinic for Native Americans through a local organization that supports them. They brought 100 vaccines. No one showed up. “However, it was probably because of the heat, since it was 115 degrees that day, so people probably just wanted to find cool spots,” she said. But then a seeming miracle occurred—and her worries evaporated. An Asian student walked in the door. He was tall and lanky and slid down in a chair as the ICHS vaccinator finally had an arm into which to stick a needle. A few moments later, another Asian student sidled in. He also sat down without a word and accepted the shot. It turned out the two were students, both from South Korea, and had been living on campus for several months. They could not be vaccinated in their home country and had just received an email from the school. “There were no vaccines for young people when I left,” said Minseok Shin, 22. Both were from Seoul, and they had enrolled in the college for two years to study subjects like engineering and aeronautics. In many ways, they were exceptions to the phenomenon occurring in the state—as international students, they had come from a densely populated urban area to a rural countryside. The school is surrounded by pines and firs and, beyond that, farmland. But for Lam, it meant she had reached her quota. She could come back for another clinic in three weeks.  Mahlon can be contacted at info@nwaweekly.com. This health series is made possible by funding from the Washington Department of Health, which has no editorial input or oversight of this content.

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SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 1, 2021

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