VOL 40 NO 40 | OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021

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

VOL 40 NO 40 OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021

FREE 39 YEARS YOUR VOICE

City roils Black and Asian race relations community by funding shelter in Keiro Photo by George Liu

Unity in Voices panel:

From left: Darrell Powell, Toshiko Hasegawa, Jesse Wineberry, Jonathan Sposato, Lua Pritchard, Monique Ming Laven, and Nate Miles.

By Juliet Fang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Noriko Nasu, a Japanese language high school teacher, was knocked unconscious when an African American man hit her in the face with a rock-filled sock in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (CID) in February. The man, Sean Holdip, pleaded not guilty to

second-degree assault. Nasu’s story of racial violence is one of many against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community that has risen to new levels during the pandemic and further, a grisly reminder of the historically tense relationship between AAPI and Black communities in America. see UNITY IN VOICES on 12

Photo provided by Edmonds Chamber of Commerce

Fundraising underway to help Asian owned-businesses affected by fire

The owner of Qin Xi’an Noodles gets a check from the WISH foundation.

Janice Lee, project manager of the ACLT Community Home at Keiro, runs through a presentation about culturallyresponsive care.

By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

The Edmonds Chamber Foundation is raising money for businesses that were damaged in a fire.

The Plum Tree Plaza—a cultural hub for Asian Americans along Highway 99 in Edmonds—burned on Sept. 11.

On Sept. 16, the foundation, via its WISH fund, presented a $1,000 check to restaurant owner Bufeng Gao. Her restaurant, Qin Xi’an Noodles, was one of the most badly damaged in the fire.

Gao immigrated to Washington in 2016 from China—she considered the see ARSON on 15

There was really only one moment when the moderator for Africatown relaxed and smiled.

In the course of two community engagement meetings, on Sep. 16 and 23, during which the nonprofit laid out its plans to convert the former Keiro nursing home into a homeless shelter, almost all of the community feedback was negative. But when the president of the Seattle Judo Club, David Fukuhara, said he’d like to welcome Africatown to the neighborhood, the moderator’s eyes filled with tears.

Fukuhara went on to say that when another nonprofit, Casa Latina, which helps Latino immigrants, moved into the neighborhood, his father explained to him why they should support it, against community opposition.

“It wasn’t too long ago those same arguments were being used against the Japanese,” his father told him.

“I can’t in good conscience oppose it.”

Fukuhara added, now speaking to the Africatown leaders, “If you’re successful, we’re all going to benefit.”

While the moment was anomalous, its intensity underscored the tensions and stakes surrounding the project.

The challenges are in some ways even greater than see AFRICATOWN on 11

THE INSIDE STORY

WAYNE’S WORLDS Li Ziqi – Martha Stewart on steroids  4

■

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT “Blush” short: A tribute to the healing power of love and art  7

COMMUNITY NEWS ‘We were them’: Vietnamese Americans help Afghan refugees  8

COMMUNITY NEWS Scott Oki backs AAPI Victory Alliance Think Tank  9

PUBLISHER’S BLOG Mistakes to avoid in college  10

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

2

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS Asian Hall of Fame 2021 inductees

Clapton and Bob Marley; Ren Hanami, national chairman of the SAG-AFTRA Asian Pacific American Media Committee; Ken Jeong, comedian; Sumi Jo, the first Asian musician nominated for an Academy Award Best Original Song; Nancy Kwan, cinema icon who was the first Asian to grace LIFE Magazine; Brandon Lee (in memoriam), actor and son of Asian Hall of Fame inductee Bruce Lee; Dr. Linda Liau; a neurosurgeon who pioneered a brain cancer vaccine; and Indra Nooyi, the first Indian to be inducted and former CEO of PepsiCo. The induction ceremony will be held virtually on Nov. 13. Established in 2004, Asian Hall of Fame advances equality by elevating Asian contributions in national and international narratives. 

Bar association honors John C. Yang

Ten distinguished icons from the United States and worldwide will be inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame for their legacy, philanthropy, and inter-racial equity.

Class of 2021 inductees are (in last name alphabetical order): Steve Aoki, the first Asian DJ producer to achieve global recognition in electronic dance music; Tani Cantil-Sakauye, the first Filipino American woman Chief Justice of California; Phil Chen, bass guitarist who has recorded with Eric

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) announced on Sept. 15 that it will award one of its Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Awards to Asian Americans Advancing Justice’s President and Executive Director John C. Yang.

“The award is given to John C. Yang those who have demonstrated vision, courage, and tenacity that have resulted in substantial and lasting contributions to the AAPI legal profession, as well as the broader AAPI community,” a news release stated.

Yang is an attorney with over 25 years of policy, litigation, and corporate expertise. He served in the Obama administration as senior advisor for Trade and Strategic Initiatives at the U.S. Department of Commerce and co-founded the Asian Pacific American

Legal Resource Center. 

Karen Tei Yamashita to receive honorary National Book Award

The National Book Foundation announced on Sept.

10 that Karen Tei Yamashita has been awarded its medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters (DCAL), a prize with a $10,000 cash award.

The 70-year-old Yamashita is an author and playwright who in such Karen Tei Yamashita fiction (and meta-fiction) as “I Hotel” and “Tropic of Orange’” employs multiple perspectives and narrative styles. The foundation praised her work as “expansive and innovative” and “genre-defying.”

Yamashita and Maxine Hong Kingston are the only Asian Americans to receive the award in its 34-year history. Rare among DCAL winners, Yamashita does not publish through one of the New York houses, but with the Minneapolis-based nonprofit Coffee House Press. 

HUD awards $3.3 to KWA

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Office of Multifamily Housing Programs announced on Sept. 22 that it has awarded $3.3 million to the Korean Women’s Association (KWA) in Tacoma. The money will go towards supporting the development of new affordable multifamily rental housing, along with ongoing project rental assistance for very low-income seniors. Nationally, HUD awarded $143 million to nonprofit organizations across the country. 

Building stronger communities At JPMorgan Chase, we know how important your community is to you and your family.

We are taking actions to increase equity, affordability and access to housing for communities of color by: • Creating new home purchase loans and helping people with their closing costs and down payments • Helping thousands of families achieve lower mortgage payments through refinancing loans • Financing affordable rental units through new loans, capital improvements and other efforts To learn more visit, jpmorganchase.com/pathforward

© 2021 JPMorgan Chase & Co.

YOUR VOICE

■ HEALTH

OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021

asianweekly northwest

3

DOH hosts panel on vaccine information

By Nicholas Pasion NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY As high amounts of COVID-19 cases remain constant, intensive care units remain full and vaccination campaigns stagnate, doctors say getting vaccinated has become a “civic responsibility.”

Three doctors met over a Zoom panel hosted by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) on Sept.

23 to discuss vaccine misinformation and the importance of getting vaccinated Larry Corey, the president and director emeritus at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute, said remaining unvaccinated can harm people around you, as they risk infecting at-risk individuals with the virus.

The Delta variant accounts for 100% of new COVID-19 cases in Washington state, according to the DOH. Corey said the Delta variant is eight times as transmissible as previous coronavirus strains, and the U.S. is seeing about 1,900 COVID-19 related deaths a day, which means preventing serious illness with the vaccine is more important than ever.

“This is preventable death, vaccine preventable death,” he said. “And we have an incredible tool and we’re not using it, and it’s an individual tragedy to see this happen.”

Corey said mRNA vaccines, which teach your immune system how to better identify and fight the virus, are no longer “experimental” and have been given to

getting vaccinated has become a "civic responsibility" hundreds of millions of individuals who are now better equipped to fight the virus.

He added a common myth about the vaccine is that it can alter an individual’s DNA, he said this myth is false and the immune response the vaccine produces does not enter cells’ DNA. Corey also said no vaccine is not “infallible,” and breakthrough infections are inevitable, but he said the COVID-19 vaccines offer historically high levels of immunity, which help individuals fight a deadly virus. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Pfizer vaccine was 88% effective at preventing symptomatic illness from the Delta variant.

“Against Delta, it is the best tool that we have,” Corey said.

Daniel Getz, the chief medical officer at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Holy Family Hospital, said individuals should verify articles they see online by looking at the citations to see if they are drawn from trustworthy sources, like the New England Journal of Medicine or Lansing.

“I’ve had patients bring the articles that were very anti-vaccine and I read them first, and I’m like wait, this is kind of convincing, and then you start digging into the details and it’s entirely false.

There’s nothing accurate about it or true,” he said. “I think it’s really important that when you try and read something critically, follow the citations.”

According to the New York Times, as of Sept. 27, 67% of Washington state residents are fully vaccinated, but high vaccination rates are disproportionately concentrated in the urban areas of Western Washington. In the eastern part of the state, vaccination rates remain low.

Getz said it’s unfortunate that vaccines, a life saving medicine, have been politicized.

“The vaccine is vastly safer than getting COVID,” he said. “One thing that we’ve seen in our hospital—and this is a general myth about COVID—is that COVID doesn’t affect people that are young and healthy. COVID is only a disease of people that have medical comorbidities.

That’s entirely false.”

Anisa Ibrahim, a medical doctor at Harborview Pediatrics Clinic, said marginalized communities, who have been damaged by vaccines in the past, may feel hesitant about getting vaccinated because of their traumatic history. She said she has tried education campaigns to help communities make “informed decisions” and encourage vaccination.

“As we were getting to different segments of the population the concerns changed, so therefore our messaging, and our partnerships, and our strategies also had to change to make sure that we were answering the questions that needed to be answered,” she said.

Ibrahim added that another common misconception is that the vaccine is unsafe for pregnant and breastfeeding women. She said all vaccines have been proven to be safe for new parents.

Ibrahim also said the best way to encourage vaccination to a hesitant individual is to have conversations with patients and answer any vaccination questions, which will increase trust between a doctor and someone who is vaccine hesitant.

“The first step is really building that trusting relationship and knowing that we are here to answer questions, we’re here to have a conversation, it is not a...place of judgment or alienating people who have not yet chosen to get vaccinated,” she said. “We’re coming from a place of wanting to truly answer questions because we truly do believe that getting vaccinated is safe, it’s effective, and this is one of the best ways to keep our communities safe.”  This‌ ‌health‌ ‌series‌ ‌is‌ ‌made‌ ‌possible‌ ‌by‌ ‌funding‌ ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌Washington‌ ‌Department‌ ‌of‌ ‌Health,‌ ‌ which‌ ‌has‌ ‌no‌ ‌editorial‌ ‌input‌ ‌or‌ ‌oversight‌ ‌of‌ ‌this‌ ‌content.‌

4

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021

■ WAYNE’S WORLDS

Li Ziqi – Martha Stewart on steroids

By Wayne Chan NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Who would have ever thought that a global pandemic could lead to feelings of complete inadequacy?

As is the case with just about everyone, I have been home a lot the last 18 months.

And as is the case for many of us, being home a lot means having a lot of time for home improvements around the house.

Things in the house that seemed perfectly fine when we weren’t stuck at home are suddenly completely intolerable now.

Now, I will be the first to admit that my home improvement skills are minimal at best, but that hasn’t stopped me from bringing attention to even the slightest accomplishments I’ve achieved to my lovely wife, Maya.

“Sweetie,” I call out to Maya.

“You know that smoke detector that was beeping in the family room? I got the ladder out and replaced the battery.

Problem solved. That was all me, baby.”

I’m not expecting a home improvement award for my efforts mind you, but times are tough. You do what you have to do to get some recognition, right?

Anyway, the other change in our life during our isolation at home has been watching more TV, and that has led me to discover the wonder of Li Ziqi. Li Ziqi is a Chinese video blogger who posts videos on various social media outlets in China and abroad showcasing her cooking and handiwork skills. She has amassed a huge following, with her videos being viewed billions of times.

I would have never watched any of her videos but sadly, I am not in control of the TV remote. Maya has that responsibility.

On the rare occasions I have access to the remote, I zero in on whatever programming that displays the maximum

number of explosions per episode.

Anyways, getting back to Li Ziqi, watching the first few videos, I was fairly nonplussed at what I was seeing.

She plucked various vegetables from her garden and cooked them up in a giant wok. I mean, serene and beautiful, but no big deal.

But, a few videos in, you start seeing the true extent of her skills. She makes a tofu dish, but she picks the soybeans first and makes the tofu first. In another video, she makes a corn dish, but first

starts off planting a field of corn, raising the corn, harvesting it all by herself, and then making the corn dish.

Watching one video of her preparing to paint a portrait, I remark to Maya, “She’s just going to paint? Do we really have to watch this? I think there’s a Vin Diesel movie with lots of explosions on right now.”

As Li Ziqi prepares to paint, she starts off by making her own paint using various berries and other materials. Continuing on with my efforts to change the channel

to more explosion-centric programming, I slyly remark to Maya, “OK, she makes her own paint—fine, but I’d be more impressed if she painted on a paper canvas that she created herself.” Which, of course, is exactly what she proceeded to do—she produced her own canvas using pulp from wood that she had grown on her own and even hand made her own paint brushes using horse hair.

Suddenly, my changing the batteries of the smoke detector doesn’t seem nearly as impressive anymore.

One of the latest videos I’ve watched of Li Ziqi shows her sewing together a beautiful silk dress completely handmade, and I would be remiss not to mention that the silk she used was produced only after she raised the silk worms which produced the silk, which she then turned into silk thread.

I blame Li Ziqi for my feelings of inadequacy. Now all of a sudden, I question everything I do. For example, we have a small pizza oven in our backyard. Last week, I made my own pizza, but after watching Li Ziqi, I started questioning myself. I didn’t raise the cows that produced the milk for the mozzarella. I didn’t grow the wheat and harvest it to make the pizza crust. I didn’t even grow the tomatoes for the pizza sauce. My sauce came from a (gasp!) can.

To add insult to injury, I bought my outdoor pizza oven. Li Ziqi has an outdoor oven, too, but the difference is, she built her own clay oven herself and heats it with wood that she gathered.

Maya asked me to hang a painting in our bedroom this afternoon. I don’t know if I’m up for this.  Wayne can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received for KC000330, West Point Treatment Plant Capital Program Construction Work Order; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, via the E-Procurement system, until 1:00 pm on October 19, 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: 8% of the Contract Price.

There is a Voluntary Women Business Enterprise (WBE) Goal: 4% of the Contract Price.

Brief Scope: The purpose of the Contract is to deliver small to medium-sized asset management projects at the West Point Treatment Plant. All work is location based at the Plant. The work will be multi-disciplinary, including mechanical, electrical, instrumentation/controls, and civil/structural work. The work will take place within an operating wastewater treatment facility.

Estimated contract price: $15,000,000 Pre-Bid(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

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021

asianweekly northwest

5

AAPI groups file amicus brief in support of Roe v. Wade The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) and Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC (Advancing Justice – AAJC) filed an amicus brief, urging the nation’s highest court on Sept. 20, to reject a call by the state of Mississippi to overturn Roe v.

Wade and allow individual states to ban or end the legal right to abortion.

The amicus, or the “friend of the court” brief, represents 29 community and civil rights organizations, as well as bar associations, representing the interests of Asian American and Pacific

Islander women in the case of Dobbs v.

Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

The Dobbs case is a challenge, brought by the independent and sole abortion care provider in Mississippi, represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights, to the state’s 2018 ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

“Our brief focuses solely on the experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander women in the United States,” said Sung Yeon Choimorrow, executive director ofNAPAWF. “We know that abortion access is

Social justice grants

The Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning is accepting applications for a new Youth-Led Social Justice Mini-Grant, which will invest up to $100,000 toward youth-led social justice projects. The purpose is to address hate and bias toward Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI), Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual communities.

Grants of $500-$8,000 per applicant will be awarded through a noncompetitive process.

The grant was first announced in March 2021 by Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and the Seattle City Council in response to increased hate crimes and bias that continue to harm Seattle’s AAPI community.

This grant will invest in and amplify

the voices of passionate youth leaders in Seattle advocating for anti-racism, antidiscrimination, and positive change.

Seattle Youth Commissioner and Holy Names Academy student Samara Wijesekera said, “I’m super excited about the [grant] to address hate and bias in our community. It’s very important to have the youth of the city engaged in community initiatives to get support and encourage youth-led change, which will be more sustainable for generations to come.”

Seattle youth, ages 12-24, are eligible to apply in either a written or video format. The deadline to apply is at 5 p.m. on Oct. 25. 

For more information, go to tinyurl.com/ SeaSJYouthGrant.

already difficult for AAPI women.

The cultural stigma and shame that comes with talking about abortion, let alone getting one, is compounded with significant language and economic barriers that can make accessing abortion care a harrowing and terrifying experience,” said Choimorrow. “This is especially true for AAPI women who are over-represented in low-paying, service jobs and are more likely to not have health care coverage to begin with.”

In 2020, AAPI women experienced the highest rates of long-term unemployment

among minority women since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overturning Roe v. Wade will effectively end legal abortion in at least 22 states, several of which are home to large and growing AAPI communities.

For instance, the AAPI population in Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina has grown 138%, 128%, and 154%, respectively, since 2000.

A full copy of the amicus brief is available at napawf.org/dobbsbrief. 

Seattle Council OKs rule for 6 months’ notice of rent hikes SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle landlords must soon provide six months’ notice of rent hikes and, in some cases, pay tenants who move following a large rent increase.

The Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Council approved Sawant two bills on Sept.

28. They are the latest of new landlordtenant regulations including bans on some evictions and the right to a lawyer for lowincome tenants facing eviction, The Seattle Times reported.

Councilmember Kshama Sawant

sponsored the proposals, saying they will help ‘to mitigate the harm that is going to be experienced by renters because of skyrocketing rents.’

Property owners argued the measures could push small-scale operators to sell their rentals.

The council approved a bill requiring 180 days’ notice of rent increases with a 7-1 vote.

Landlords are currently required to give 60 days’ notice for rent increases.

Councilmember Alex Pedersen voted no, saying the bill should exempt landlords with a small number of properties.

Councilmember Debora Juarez was absent.

The relocation assistance bill passed unanimously.

That bill will require landlords to pay equal to three months of rent for low-income tenants who move after rent increases of 10% or more.

During public comment, most speakers spoke in support of the new laws.

“I’ve moved eight times in 10 years and this is because landlords keep raising my rent a crazy, exorbitant amount,”’ said Heather Steiner Landlords argued the bills amounted to rent control.

“Each of these bills is excessive in every way,” said landlord MariLyn Yim. After a brief reprieve during the pandemic, Seattle tenants are again seeing rents go up.

For tenants signing new leases, Seattle rents this month are up 12% from the same time last year and have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, according to Apartment List. 

6

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR OCT 1-24 TASVEER SOUTH ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL 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 EMPOWERING ASIAN AMERICANS: WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP WITH JILL NISHI, MARY YU, AND NICOLE SHANAHAN Tahoma Room, University of Puget Sound 10-11:30 a.m.

Registration required for in-person or virtual attendance, please register at https://bit.ly/2YcgoFE

6-12 UWAJIMAYA’S 93RD ANNIVERSARY 10% off storewide, even on sale prices

7

14

DOUG BALDWIN AT RENTON ROTARY CLUB 12-1:30 p.m.

Fairwood Golf and Country Club, Renton $20 rentonrotarysecretary@ gmail.com

CRAZY WOKE ASIANS, ONE NIGHT ONLY 7:30-10 p.m.

Unexpected Productions Improv $25 unexpectedproductions.org

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 THROUGH NOV 20

BETWEEN AND WITHIN: NEW WORK BY JIYOUNG CHUNG ArtXchange Gallery, 512 First Ave. S., Seattle 5-8 p.m. artxchange.org

12 U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS: TRENDS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S. Business 5-6 p.m.

Register at https://bit.ly/3CXon8C

6

seattleidrotary.org

15 FRIDAY NIGHT FRIGHTS Seatac Community Center, 13735 24th Ave. S., SeaTac 6 p.m.

16 & 17 NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE PRESENTS 8TH ANNUAL SEATTLE CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Streaming at nwfolklife.org/ scf

19 VIRTUAL COOKING DEMONSTRATION WITH CHEF SHOTA NAKAJIMA AS PART OF UWAJIMAYA’S 93RD ANNIVERSARY 6:30 p.m. facebook.com/Uwajimaya

29 SEATTLE ASIAN ART MUSEUM 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Seattle Asian Art Museum Free admission Advanced registration required volunteerparktrust.org/event/ saam-free-fridays/all IT’S A GREAT PUMPKIN NIGHT Seatac Community Center, 13735 24th Ave. S., SeaTac 6-9 p.m.

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

ASIA PACIFIC CULTURAL CENTER’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 5:30 p.m.

Greater Tacoma Convention Center asiapacificculturalcenter.org THE HOLIDAY BAZAAR Seatac Community Center, 13735 24th Ave. S., SeaTac 9 a.m.-3p.m.

26 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/ saam-free-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

View the solution on page 14

Assunta Ng

Account Executives

John Liu

kelly@nwasianweekly.com

Ruth Bayang

john@nwasianweekly.com

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

Han Bui Layout & Web Editor han@nwasianweekly.com

Kelly Liao John Liu

George Hira

ghira@nwasianweekly.com

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

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

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

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

OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021

YOUR VOICE

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

asianweekly northwest

7

Courtesy: Joe Mateo

Courtesy: Apple Original Films & Skydance Animation

“Blush” short: A tribute to the healing power of love and art

In “Blush,” our space traveler learns of the power of love.

“Blush” writer and director Joe Mateo, with wife, Mary Ann (left), and their daughters Joey Ann (right) and Mina (center).

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

a lot of ‘new,’” Mateo admitted to the Weekly. “It was scary. I feel like Mary Ann has been inspiring me all through my career. I’m emotional to think about it. Even now that she’s not here, she’s still inspiring me to push myself…I never dreamt about becoming a director, but I feel like this is a story that’s worth telling and it’s taken me out of my comfort zone, trying all these different things. It’s exciting.”

As a child in Dondo, Manila, Philippines, Mateo loved to watch 80s cartoons, such as “GI Joe” and “Transformers.”

In art, we expect some pieces of the artist. But we don’t expect the whole artist.

In the inaugural short from Skydance Animation and Apple Original Films, “Blush,” the whole artist is what we get. A first-time directorial effort by Emmy-award winning animator Joe Mateo, “Blush” is a tribute to his wife, Mary Ann, who passed from cancer. It is a tribute to love and the rebirth love brings.

The project was a rebirth of sorts for Mateo, who moved to Skydance after almost 30 years of work for Disney animation. He and Mary Ann had worked at Disney together—Mary Ann in consumer products—and it was she who had actually let him know that Disney had an opening for an animator back in the day.

It is still she that motivates him today to try new projects, such as “Blush,” and to put himself out there, personally, in a way that is somewhat rare.

“Being a first-time director, there was

“I wasn't hesitant at all when I got the vaccine. I wanted to protect myself and family so we can enjoy Sounders games in person.”

Duane N., Seattle, WA

“I remember wanting to be a comic book artist,” he said. But he never thought he would end up at Disney within a year of moving to the United States.

“You don’t even dream about that kind of stuff. That was too much to dream about.” Mateo’s family was supportive of his move into art and animation; and Disney, Mateo thought, was supportive of diversity throughout his career there, where he worked on such films as “Pocahontas,” see BLUSH on 13

8

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021

■ COMMUNITY NEWS ‘We were them’: Vietnamese Americans help Afghan refugees

By AMY TAXIN ASSOCIATED PRESS

AP Photo/Ted S. Warren Thuy Do, left, and her husband, Jesse Robbins, right, talk with Abdul, center, on Sept. 20, about a minor plumbing issue in the vacant rental home owned by the couple that they have provided Abdul—who worked as a mechanic before leaving Kabul, Afghanistan about a month ago—as a place to live with his family until they can find more permanent housing.

country’s 2 million Vietnamese Americans and driven some elders to open up about their harrowing departures to younger generations for the first time.

It has also spurred many Vietnamese Americans to donate

M

le

T O

chil

O

r

en’s

C

F

O

B

L0 ES T I V A, 2 E

2

O

T

H

d

E

F

M E H O

M

R

O

see AFGHAN REFUGEES on 13

1

tary flights out of Kabul evoked memories for many Vietnamese Americans of their own attempts to escape a falling Saigon more than four decades ago. The crisis in Afghanistan has reopened painful wounds for many of the

t

newly arriving Afghans in need of a place to stay.

“We were them 40 years ago,” Do said. “With the fall of Saigon in 1975, this was us.”

Television images of Afghans vying for spots on U.S. mili-

s e at

WESTMINSTER, Calif. (AP) — In the faces of Afghans desperate to leave their country after U.S. forces withdrew, Thuy Do sees her own family, decades earlier and thousands of miles away.

A 39-year-old doctor in Seattle, Washington, Do remembers hearing how her parents sought to leave Saigon after Vietnam fell to communist rule in 1975 and the American military airlifted out allies in the final hours. It took years for her family to finally get out of the country, after several failed attempts, and make their way to the United States, carrying two sets of clothes a piece and a combined $300.

When they finally arrived, she was 9 years old.

These stories and early memories drove Do and her husband Jesse Robbins to reach out to assist Afghans fleeing their country now. The couple has a vacant rental home and decided to offer it up to refugee resettlement groups, which furnished it for

money to refugee resettlement groups and raise their hands to help by providing housing, furniture, and legal assistance to newly arriving Afghans. Less tangible but still essential, some also said they want to offer critical guidance they know refugees and new immigrants need: how to shop at a supermarket, enroll kids in school, and drive a car in the United States.

Since the Vietnam War, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese have come to the United States, settling in communities from California to Virginia. Today, Vietnamese Americans are the sixth-largest immigrant group in the United States. Many settled in California’s Orange County after arriving initially at the nearby Camp Pendleton military base and today have a strong voice in local politics.

“We lived through this and we can’t help but feel that we are brethren in our common experience,”

R

7 1 6 - 1

NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE PRESENTS

8TH ANNUAL SEATTLE CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL OCTOBER 16-17, 2021 11AM-3PM STREAMING AT NWFOLKLIFE.ORG/SCF Join us for virtual music, workshops, stories, and more!

Visit nwfolklife.org/scf for more information

YOUR VOICE

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021

asianweekly northwest

9

Scott Oki backs AAPI Victory Alliance Think Tank In an earlier life, Scott Oki helped Microsoft conquer the world. Today, in addition to owning several golf courses, Oki throws his weight and wealth behind charities and contributes his time as an advisor and board member for different organizations and nonprofits.

One of his latest causes is the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Victory Alliance Think Tank, which will focus on cultivating actionable policies, rooted in data, that impact the community under the leadership of Executive Director Varun Nikore.

Formerly known as AAPI Progressive Action, the AAPI Victory Alliance was started in 2017 by several of President Obama’s commissioners under the White House Initiative for AAPIs. “During the Trump years, these former appointees felt the need for an organization to help protect the rights of AAPIs when it seemed like there was an onslaught of negative rhetoric towards the community in actions that were trying to limit our freedoms in this country,” Nikore said.

“Our mission is to communicate to the AAPI community year-round agnostic of election,” Nikore said. The organization works to ensure AAPIs get the information

Photo provided by Scott Oki.

By Janice Nesamani NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

The fundraiser for the AAPI Victory Alliance Think Tank, hosted by Laurie and Scott Oki at their home, on Sept. 14.

they need to civically participate in the political process. It is also an activist organization that asks members to lobby for pro-AAPI policies to help democratize AAPI citizenship further.

“The Think Tank was an idea formulated last year, in 2021 we are trying to fill a gap in our political ecosystem and infrastructure for AAPIs in this country,” Nikore said.

“We have never had an AAPI Think Tank before and it was extremely important in the ecosystem because we need to come up with white papers and policy papers through an AAPI lens that could turn into legislation at the local or state level.”

The AAPI Victory Alliance was introduced to Oki by former Gov. Gary Locke in 2017.

“We approached [Oki] and asked him if he would be willing to open up his rolodex and house, and he and his wife Laurie were generous and kind enough to agree to host the fundraiser on Sept. 14,” Nikore said.

“They are very committed to the AAPI cause. See we are in the early days of the AAPI movement, and know that keeping the movement propelled with momentum needs ideas and policy prescriptions that could help serve our community better because the basis of anything we are trying to achieve in the country—to do more and learn more about the AAPI in the community,” Nikore said.

Pandemic fears that soared at the start of 2020 fanned flames of hate directed at Asians across the United States. While the Okis were fortunate not to have experienced hate directly, Scott was hit hard by a story he read in the New York Times.

“The paper reported an elderly woman was attacked on the streets while no one came to her assistance,” Oki said.

“That, to me, was a real eye opener. How could someone just stand by and not do anything?”

So, when Nikore called Oki and told him about the AAPI Think Tank, Oki was interested.

“I don’t know what my ongoing role is see THINK TANK on 15

U District in. m 42

Sea-Tac

Plane rides and prehistoric finds, now closer than ever.

From the region’s main airport to the behemoth wonders of the Burke Museum, three new Link light rail stations along the 1 Line are connecting neighborhoods like never before. Ride the newly expanded 1 Line starting October 2. northgatelink.com

ST 16096 SeaTac-UDistrict_NWAW_9.75x7.25_Oct2_eng_v2.indd 1

Pub/s: Northwest Asian Weekly

8/17/21 1:43 PM

Traffic: 9/10/21

Run Date: 9/30/21

Color: CMYK

Author: TH

10

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG Advice to college freshmen, then and now

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

No hurry

Photos by Assunta Ng

University of Washington history wall is displayed at the Suzzallo Library

A welcome banner hangs in the Red Square of the University of Washington

My grand nephew just enrolled as a freshman at the University of Washington (UW). Son, you picked the right place! However, you still have a million decisions to make, which can impact your life.

I was a Husky decades ago. In retrospect, I could have

done the opposite thing in some of my college experiences.

Like you, I wanted to graduate as soon as possible once I arrived at UW. “Tuition is expensive,” you said, “I want to graduate in three years.”

Common sense says it’s wise to hurry up, graduate, and save money. As an international student, paying three times more than local students, I thought it was smart to get my degree quickly and to not be a financial burden to my family.

Each quarter, I took a heavy load, 18 credits. My daily routine was to go to the library after class and after meals, with no exceptions. (Taking 12 credits was considered being a full-time student.) A former classmate took 12 credits every quarter. I called him a “lazy bum.” Another classmate took 20 credits (even though her family was one of the richest folks in Hong Kong), and our peers perceived her overload as “diligent.” She spent all her time studying and not playing! Did she enjoy her college days? You know the answer. I considered her a fool.

My advice to you, dear nephew: Take your time, enjoy your education. Your college journey is some of the most precious times. I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world. I took 18 credits each quarter, but at what expense?

By the end of my junior year, I had enough credits to graduate. Suddenly, I felt I was not ready to face the real world. I needed time to think about the next stage of my life. Fortunately, I already got a two-year scholarship, so I had the freedom to take classes that I enjoyed, including journalism, drama, and bowling. Yes, bowling. And I reduced the number of classes I took. Although I took seven credits for my last quarter at UW, I still had 18 credits more than the graduation requirement of 180 credits. The last two years of my college days were colorful, fun, and exciting.

You take 15 credits—smart decision—which is about the right load.

Starbucks vs. library

Students wait in line at a Starbucks store inside the Suzzallo Library

While it’s commendable for students who work and see BLOG on 14

YOUR VOICE

OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021

AFRICATOWN from 1 those facing the region’s so-far halting attempts to deal with homelessness. There were 11,751 persons experiencing homelessness in Seattle/King County as of January 2020. And the issue has caused ongoing problems in the Chinatown-International District (ID).

What makes the new shelter, to be run by Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT), even more controversial is a massive sense of betrayal on one side—Japanese American community leaders who built or contributed to the establishment of Keiro decades ago to care for their aging first-generation.

On the other is a grasping for community support and understanding by a young generation of Black activists who are grappling to put together a team to run a shelter to focus on caring for their community, which as in almost every other social determinant, is vastly overrepresented in the homeless population.

Adding to the challenge is a plan by the city that seems to be running on two separate tracks that could ultimately bring about a complication, if not a collision.

On one hand, the city has allocated up to $2,239,497 to fund the ACLT Community Home at Keiro through the end of this year. Next year, the King County Regional Homelessness Authority will fund the shelter until the end of 2022. But by the middle of next year, Africatown will have to reapply for funding for all its programs as part of a competitive process against other bidders.

But at the same time, according to Kevin Mundt, of the city’s department of human services, Africatown is also “in negotiations regarding the purchase of the property” from Shelter Holdings, the current owner. In an email, Mundt said Africatown was providing funding which could be bolstered by additional “proposed fund sources,” including the state’s Housing Trust Fund, Housing Finance Commission, and the City of Seattle’s Office of Housing.

He implied financing will be closed in the coming weeks.

Asked if Africatown could acquire the property but then lose funding in a little over a year to run the project, Mundt said he “didn’t have anything new to add” other than the details he had already provided about funding and acquisition.

Community feedback

Comments made by community members reflected not only feelings of outrage and betrayal but pointed to practical challenges the Africatown team is potentially facing.

Tomio Moriguchi, one of the founders of Keiro, in an email to the city and government officials, said he could not understand why the city had chosen to fund a shelter “tailored to meet the specific cultural needs of the Black community, even though the proposed shelter is to be located in the midst of a traditional Asian and Japanese community.”

Moriguchi mentioned that 30% of residents in the area were incarcerated without due process in 1942, referring to the concentration camps created for Japanese Americans during World War II. He also pointed to the many older Asians that live immediately adjacent to Keiro that could be impacted by a shelter.

“Why is the City pitting one community of color against another rather than promoting unity, cooperation and joint governance, programs, and property ownership?”

Moreover, Moriguchi’s dismay about the loss of Keiro, which closed in 2019, is widely reflected in the community.

He added that hundreds of people had volunteered through decades and donated millions of dollars to keep it going.

Shelter Holdings, which acquired the property for $11 million, was previously offering the building for sale at

$13.8 million after community opposition emerged to its proposed development of market-rate housing.

Africatown leaders said repeatedly they were hoping to create a community where all ethnic groups would thrive. At the same time, they and their supporters said that the shelter would be part of a project to fight against the broken systems and white supremacist institutions that had banished Blacks from the area and largely disenfranchised, if not destroyed, them.

K. Wyking Garrett, CEO of Africatown, said that while 25% of people experiencing homelessness are Black, Blacks make up only 7% of the area’s population. He said the ACLT Community Home at Keiro “would be the first Black homeless shelter of scale.” The shelter is for men only.

Other speakers organized by Africatown said such a change was necessary, not only to reverse generations of white supremacy ensconced in the shelter system, but to contribute to changing perceptions about Black men that prevented them from returning to the community.

“You see a Black man coming and all you see is danger—and that can’t be the thought,” said Zaneta Reid, of the Lived Experience Coalition, in a distraught manner.

She said Black men trying to return home would feel: “I’m back in my community and now I’m not wanted.”

Shelter operator concerns

For the city’s part, the crisis of homeless people along with the pandemic has created an acute urgency. In response to criticism that the Japanese American and Asian community, along with other local residents, had been excluded from the earlier planning process, and that there had been no competitive bidding, Mundt said that the city and Africatown had to move “quicker than normal in community engagement timelines.”

Yet Africatown leaders said they had reached out to the neighborhood and referred to the three community engagement sessions, on Sep. 16, 23, and 30.

Mundt said that the new shelter would supply up to 150 non-congregating spaces, to add to the hundreds of hotel rooms and other spaces where homeless people can shelter without an increased risk of infection from COVID-19.

Some community members expressed consternation at Africatown’s seeming lack of experience in running a homeless shelter.

“Why isn’t the city contracting to Low Income Housing Institute?” asked former Keiro board member Fred Kiga at the first meeting. “These are experienced providers.

You’re going to stand up on your own—that is a recipe for disaster.”

asianweekly northwest

Moriguchi, in an email, said, “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.”

He added that even those organizations that had experience were having trouble running shelters, and cited “the failed Navigation Center.”

Garrett emphasized that Africatown would be partnering with experienced providers, including the Salvation Army, Catholic Community Services, and the City of Seattle. But he also said that his organization would avoid some of the pitfalls troubling agencies that served those experiencing homelessness in traditional ways.

While Africatown is still assembling a team, he said the residents would be viewed as “assets” rather than “liabilities.” He also seemed to imply that the fact that it would be a Black-led team working with primarily Black residents would make a difference, although he did not elaborate in an email request.

In response to another email, Garrett said that despite the fact that Black people are significantly overrepresented in the homeless population, there is “an extreme deficit of effective culturally responsive services and resources.”

After giving a presentation about best practices and culturally responsive care during the first meeting, Janice Lee, the project manager, came back during the second meeting and said she had an MBA in health care management.

Most of the community comments, however, involved worries about the potential for increased danger to the community, drug use, trash, and the spread of the coronavirus.

Emiko Mizuki said there is heightened criminal activity in the area already.

“What measures will be taken to reduce this?” she asked.

“What assurances do we have about residents so they won’t exacerbate drug use?” asked Patty Fong, a community activist, who said there was an enormous amount of drugrelated activity in the neighborhood already. Fong, along with others, also lamented about the trash problem and worried there would be an increase.

Others asked if people living in cars across the street from the property would be eligible to move in.

The format of the meeting involved Africatown recording questions and concerns then responding to them either during the first session or the second. A third session, scheduled for Sep. 30, is slated to offer specific solutions.

Africatown leaders and partners offered some preliminary responses.

Garrett said that traditional measures, such as security cameras and patrols, were under discussion. But he said that community safety is based on mutual trust and building strong relationships, and he referenced block parties that the organization had been putting on for years.

One supporter said that drug use emerged from homelessness and was not its cause.

Lee, the project manager, said Africatown would be following CDC guidelines to prevent transmission of COVID-19.

The ACLT Community Home is slated to open midOctober.

The final community engagement session will be on Thursday, Sep. 30, 6-8 p.m. To register, go to: https://bit. ly/3E5j7B5.  An open house will be held on Oct. 14 from 1-4 pm.

Mahlon can be contacted at info@nwaweekly.com.

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received for KC000333, Press Brake and Mill Equipment Replacement; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, via the E-Procurement system, until 1:30 PM on October 12, 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 Invitation to Bid Section 00 10 00 for details.

There is a 8% minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement on this contract.

There is a Voluntary Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Goal: 6% of the Contract Price.

There is a Voluntary Women Business Enterprise (WBE) Goal: 3%

11

of the Contract Price.

The Work under this Contract includes the removal and replacement of an antiquated press brake and mill which are located within King County Metro’s Component Supply Center.

Estimated contract price: $415,000 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

12

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021

UNITY IN VOICES from 1 Five prominent leaders in the fight for AAPI-Black solidarity—Darrell Powell, treasurer of the Seattle King County NAACP; Jesse Wineberry of the Washington EQUITY NOW Alliance; Lua Pritchard, executive director of the Asia Pacific Cultural Center; Toshiko Hasegawa, executive director of Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs; and Jonathan Sposato, chairman and co-founder of GeekWire—spoke on a panel organized by the Northwest Asian Weekly on Sept.

23. Community leader Nate Miles and KIRO 7 anchor Monique Ming Laven facilitated the panel, “Unity in Voices: Where do we go from here?” discussing necessary steps to bridge the gap between these two communities.

Official crime statistics and other studies have revealed that three-quarters of offenders of anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents, from both before and during the pandemic, have been white. But viral videos circulated recently of AAPI being attacked have overwhelmingly featured Black perpetrators—severely obscuring the power of Black-AAPI solidarity in the fight for racial justice, and reigniting distrust between the two communities.

Powell said, “[The Black community knows] those [perpetrators of AAPI hate crimes] are bullies. They’re bullies, and they’re taking advantage of someone weaker.”

Powell also noted that, although police brutality against Black Americans and AAPI stem from a similar place of hate, the two groups experience traumas that are not of racial equivalence, possibly contributing to Black-AAPI strife.

“The African American community has every expectation that, if the police found [the Black Americans responsible for AAPI hate crimes], they would be prosecuted. But when we watched a police officer put his knee on the neck of a man for nine minutes, the [African American community] waited across the world, with bated breath, wondering if the officer would be let off free.”

Hasegawa spoke of another incident that contributed to distrust and misunderstanding.

“Business owners [in the CID] suffering from the first wave of COVID didn’t have insurance when the wave of so-called Black Lives Matter protesters came vandalizing their shops and

“... white firms that funded those startups didn’t

care that there weren’t any Black or Asian people around, and these companies became seeded in this racist and misogynistic environment ...”

— Darrell Powell

hurting their businesses [last summer],” said Hasegawa. “They did not have the information to recognize that these were anarchists, and now blame has been associated with a civil rights movement, pitting [Black and AAPI] communities against each other.”

This fundamental misunderstanding between the Black and AAPI communities is reflective of white supremacy, Powell noted.

“White supremacy is a perfected art.

It impacts us differently, but until we understand we all are in the same boat, we have tensions that arise between groups that are perceived to suffer more or less.” He pointed to housing segregation through redlining, unjust policing, and the creation of the “model minority” myth to justify denial of resources to Black and AAPI communities as particular examples of white supremacy marginalizing these groups.

“We suffer from the same things,” added Pritchard. “We share the same values. Working together is the only way we can survive in America.”

And despite recent divisions between the two communities, Black-AAPI solidarity has flourished in the United States. The tragedies of the past two years—from the gruesome murder of George Floyd to the many elderly AAPI men and women assaulted on city streets—have served as a means of bringing people of color together in America. Black and AAPI marched sideby-side in the fight for Black lives, and Black activist organizations such as the NAACP were prominent voices against the rising trend in AAPI hate crimes.

Younger generations, especially, stand at the forefront of advocacy through their use of social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

“We need to look to the youth, who are much more organized now in activism than just two decades ago,” said

Hasegawa. “They are leading thoughtful discussion about these complex race relations through translating their parents’ feelings and promoting open discussion amongst their peers.”

The past year has seen a proliferation of activism accounts such as @soyouwanttotalkabout or @ dearasianyouth on Instagram, both of which regularly post short, widely circulated infographical slides about topical social issues to inform social media users. Although this has led to an increase in awareness about sociopolitical issues amongst younger generations, tech veteran Sposato has reservations about the impact of social media advocacy.

“On social media, there is so little room, so little time for complexity, for nuance, and a fuller spectrum of understanding any single issue,” he argued. “People are either canonized or villainized very quickly based on little information, and with social media so heavily used by younger generations, misinformation can be an issue.”

Using social media, though, can also serve as a starting point of conversation between Black and AAPI communities.

“Being visual about the successes we have achieved together is a great place to begin the journey in understanding,” said Wineberry.

Powell also points to larger organizations, such as the technological industry, to make inclusiveness a priority at all points possible.

“The startup industry in tech is the most racist and misogynistic industry that I know. I know what it’s like to come out [of education] and have hope and possibility, only to see mediocre white folks succeed just because their buddies bring them in,” Powell said. “The reason why there aren’t any African Americans on boards is because there were no African Americans in the seed startup, and the white firms that funded those

startups didn’t care that there weren’t any Black or Asian people around, and these companies became seeded in this racist and misogynistic environment.”

“Now, these companies have grown and people are urging them to have more [diversity] on their boards. But it’s not in their DNA.” Indeed, Black people account for approximately 12% of the United States population, but hold only 3.2% of senior leadership roles at large companies, according to an analysis by the Center for Talent Innovation, despite the millions spent on corporate diversity efforts.

Sposato agreed that larger firms have a lot of work to do. He also points to the tech industry in particular as crucial in curbing social polarization in the fight for equal rights.

“We have a responsibility to come up with solutions to address the possible misinformation and demonization of different racial groups that can happen online. It’s incredibly important.”

All the panelists agree—only from a place of understanding and common ground can Black-AAPI communities move towards working together in solidarity.

When asked what actionable steps individuals can take to better encourage understanding between not only Black and AAPI communities, but BIPOC groups in general, the panelists offered up their recommendations.

“It’s not about blaming each other,” Pritchard said. “This is something bigger than any one of us. It’s all of us, and it takes two to tango.”

“Listen louder. Be kind,” said Sposato.

“Go to waequitynow.com,” said Wineberry. “Log on, sign your name, and it will urge Governor Jay Inslee to sign an executive order to unleash economic opportunity in education, jobs, and business in Washington state.”

“Don’t get your news off of social media,” Hasegawa recommended. “There is proactive misinformation intended to steer people in the wrong direction… We all have a role to play in safeguarding the fair treatment of all people.”

“Help facilitate change,” Powell concluded. “Help other folks who may not be as blessed as you... Go out and find a place to serve.”  Juliet can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received for Eastside Rail Corridor Regional Trail NE 8th Street Crossing, KC000346, by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, via the E-Procurement system until 1:30:59 PM on 11/2/2021. Late bids will not be accepted. The public bid opening will only be conducted on-line following the Bid Close Date and Time; see Invitation to Bid for details.

There is a 15% minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement on this contract.

There is a 10% Voluntary MBE goal on this contract.

There is a 6% Voluntary WBE goal on this contract.

This project provides for the improvement of Pedestrian traffic across NE 8th Street adjacent to the Sound Transit Wilburton Station along the former Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad line between approximately the extension of NE 6th Street and

the extension of NE 10th Street in King County by constructing a pedestrian overcrossing, and other work.

Estimated contract price: $13,272,028 MANDATORY Pre-Bid Conferences On-line: 10/6/2021, 11:00 AM. Bidders may attend by calling: +1 425-653-6586 Phone Conf ID: 663 479 554# Or via Microsoft Teams: Click here to join the meeting 10/8/2021, 9:00 AM. Bidders may attend by calling +1 425-653-6586 Phone Conf ID: 286 932 989 # Or via Microsoft Teams, join meeting at https://bit.ly/3mepwlr.

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.

OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

asianweekly northwest

13

Predictions and advice for the week of October 2–8, 2021

By Sun Lee Chang Rat—In a special situation, it would be advisable to follow a nuanced approach rather than strictly adhering to the rules.

Dragon—Take heed of the missteps of your predecessor, so as to avoid making the same mistakes yourself.

Monkey—Feeling more tired than usual this week? Instead of your regular routine, try going to bed a little earlier.

Ox—The sky’s the limit when you put your mind to something and follow through with the steps to achieve it.

Snake—You are well aware of the high stakes involved. Do more than just show up—be actively involved.

Rooster—If you see an extra effort being made, then by all means, call out what is being done well.

Tiger—Were you expecting one thing only to receive another? Luckily, it should all work out for the best.

Horse—Worried about the increased scrutiny of your work? The quality of what you do will speak for itself.

Dog—Do you spend a lot of time doing things for others? It’s important to allow yourself to recharge as well.

Rabbit—If you don’t choose, then the choice will be made for you. Cast your vote while it still counts.

Goat—Is something not making as much sense as it should? Leave it for now and come back to it later.

Pig—To the extent that you can, prepare in advance. That way, you can hit the ground running.

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.

AFGHAN REFUGEES from 8 Andrew Do, who fled Saigon with his family a day before it fell to communism and today chairs the county’s board of supervisors, said during a recent press conference in the area known as “Little Saigon.”

The U.S. had long announced plans to withdraw from Afghanistan after a 20year war. But the final exit was much more frantic, with more than 180 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members killed in an attack on the Kabul airport.

In the last two weeks of August, the U.S. evacuated 31,000 people from Afghanistan, three-quarters of them Afghans who supported American military efforts during the extensive operations. But many Afghan allies were left behind with no clear way out of the landlocked nation under strict Taliban control.

Similarly, many Vietnamese Americans recall how they couldn’t get out before the impending fall of Saigon to communism.

They stayed behind and faced long spells in re-education camps in retaliation for their allegiance to the Americans who had fought in their country. Once they were allowed to return to their families, many Vietnamese left and took small boats onto the seas, hoping to escape and survive.

For some families, the journey took

years and many failed attempts, which is why many Vietnamese Americans view the departure of the U.S. military from Afghanistan not as the end of the crisis, but the beginning.

“We have to remember now is the time to lay a foundation for a humanitarian crisis that may last long past the moment the last U.S. help leaves the Afghan Thanh Tan space,” said Thanh Tan, a Seattle filmmaker who started a group for Vietnamese Americans willing to house arriving Afghans. Her own family, she said, made the trip four years after the U.S. left Vietnam. “We have to be prepared because people will do whatever it takes to survive.”

Afghans arriving in the United States may have a special status for those who supported U.S. military operations, or may have been sponsored to come by relatives already here. Others are expected to arrive as refugees or seek permission to travel to the United States under a process known as humanitarian parole and apply for asylum or other legal protection once they are here.

For parole, Afghans need the support of a U.S. citizen or legal resident, and some Vietnamese Americans have signed up to sponsor people they have never met, said

BLUSH from 7 “Mulan,” and “Tangled.”

“Disney was pretty open and the animation [industry] in general was pretty diverse.”

In addition to his Emmy for the Disney short, “Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa,” Mateo has been nominated for an Emmy for “Bolt” and the follow-up to the first “Prep & Landing” called “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs.

Nice.” He has been there with us, kind of like Disney, all this time. Just like many Filipino animators that a lot of viewers are unaware of—and Mateo was himself.

“I remember back then thinking that there were a lot of unknown Filipino animators that I’d never heard their names before. When I got into animation, it was like, ‘Oh, there are these talented Filipinos that I didn’t know about….that have worked on all of the movies that I grew up watching.’”

Mateo added that the pandemic lockdowns and increased work from home have actually opened up the possibilities for working with more talent from around the world.

You may recognize a certain signature look of the hu-

Tuấn ĐinhJanelle, director of field at the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center.

He said a coalition of legal and community groups has secured sponsors for 2,000 Afghans seeking parole. His sister, Vy Dinh, said she’s sponsoring a family of 10, including women in danger for working in medicine and teaching. “As soon as he called, I said, ‘Yes, I am in,”’ she said.

Other efforts have focused on fundraising for refugee resettlement groups. Vietnamese and Afghan American artists held a benefit concert last month in Southern California to raise money to assist Afghan refugees. The event titled “United for Love” was broadcast on Vietnamese language television and raised more than $160,000, according to Saigon Broadcasting Television Network.

It also aired on Afghan American satellite television, said Bilal Askaryar, an Afghan American advocate and spokesperson for the #WelcomeWithDignity campaign aimed at supporting asylum seekers. “They saw the need. They saw the parallels,” Askaryar said. “It’s really powerful to see that they saw that link of common humanity between the Afghan community and the Vietnamese community. We’ve been really touched and inspired.”

Thi Do, an immigration attorney in Sacramento, California, said he is also doing

man characters in “Blush” from the “Prep & Landing” franchise. Their cheeks are pink and round. The adults are almost more childlike than the children. In “Blush,” they inhabit a space world not unlike that of “The Little Prince”—a tiny planet that’s really just a rock (and when you throw a rock, it comes back and hits you in the face).

On this planet, after a crash landing, our hero meets a mysterious female with glorious pink hair who has the ability to create and sustain life.

Enter Mary Ann. The metaphor that is Mateo’s life with his wife and daughters is not hard to identify. There is no spoiler in acknowledging that the short describes the family’s tragic encounter with cancer and its aftermath. This highly personal and moving material is treated with dignity and infused with love. Love radiates like the life-giving light that the female mother figure gives to the people and the world around her. Mateo has said many times in interviews that the loss of his wife, who he knew since college, was like losing his breath. But that he, like the man in “Blush,” and the two children they engendered, discovered life goes on.

Tiny cultural touches in “Blush” give us a glimpse into

what he can to help. He was a boy when Saigon fell and his father, who served in the South Vietnamese army, was sent to a reeducation camp. When he returned, the family set out by boat into the ocean, hoping to reach a country that would take them.

Do remembers how the boat bumped up against dead bodies floating on the water and how his father apologized for putting him and his siblings in danger before throwing overboard his ID and keys from Vietnam. “He said, ‘I would rather die here than go back there,”’ Do said. They eventually reached Thailand and Malaysia, both countries that forced them back out to sea until they got to Indonesia and were processed at a refugee camp.

Decades later, Do said he has helped people fleeing persecution in his work as a lawyer, but until now, nothing that has reminded him so much of Vietnam. He’s working with Afghan families who are filing petitions to bring their relatives here, but what happens next is complicated with no U.S. embassy in Kabul to process the papers and no guarantee the relatives will make it to a third country to get them.

“I see a lot of myself in those children who were running on the tarmac at the airport,” he said. 

Mateo’s upbringing, when his grandmother used to cut and serve mangoes precisely the way that the father does in the short, like an ice cream cone.

“It’s the Philippines’ national fruit. We grew up eating that,” Mateo told the Weekly. “The way he opens it from the top, I remember my grandma doing that so that there was a spot where we could hold and not get messy. But still, you can’t not be messy!”

We asked if there needed to be more tidbits such as this in movies, in art, today.

“I think so…There are so many different, colorful cultures and discovering all these new things—for me, it’s amazing…With Apple and Skydance, I think they’re very good at supporting diversity and the vision of the filmmakers and staying true to who they are, too.”  “Blush” debuts on Oct. 1 on Apple TV+, coinciding with Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Filipino American History Month.

Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

14

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021

CLASSIFIEDS EMPLOYMENT

Kitsap Transit Marine Mechanic Helper

Req: HS/GED & 3 mths exp in upkeep, servicing & repair of marine vessels & equipment. $30.89 $41.53 /hr + generous benefits.

Full time Cook/Deep Fryer Job details, appl. & benefits info position. Chinese Restaurant in at http://kitsaptransit.appone.com/.

South Everett. If interested, Deadline: 4:00 PM, 10/08/21 Call 206-503-8232 Email KITSAP TRANSIT IS AN EQUAL chinn@chinniescatering.com.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Fabric Cutter Experienced fabric cutter for Seat- Misty Mountain Mfg looking for 2 tle apparel manufacturer. people full-time sewing bags.

Full time. Contact Lanny at (206) Good benefits.

299-2667 Call Elaine (206) 763-6762 Sewing Machine Operator Entry level and/or experienced sewing machine operator for Seattle apparel manufacturer.

Full time. Contact Lanny at (206) 299-2667

Misty Mountain Mfg looking for experienced Fabric Cutter. Both lightweight and heavy fabric. Able to lift 50/+ lbs. Speaks some English would be preferred.

Good benefits.

Call Peter (206) 763-6762

Find NWAW on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram!

BLOG from 10 study simultaneously, it is not for every student. If you choose to work, what types of jobs should you work?

On your own, you have found a part-time job as a south Seattle Starbucks barista. Some of your family members are not thrilled even though you are excited about your new job.

Why not apply for a campus job, like at the UW library? It’s convenient and saves time, my relatives said.

My relatives in Hong Kong guessed that I would probably suggest you pick the library job.

I am pro-library. But what can you learn from shelving books, checking out books for others, and getting to read more books?

We have enough book reading from our classes. The advantage of working in the library is, it is a steady job. When no one shows up during the night shift, you have downtime to study.

What my relatives don’t understand is, you love drinking coffee. If you can get free coffee, good pay and tips, and learn to be a barista, it satisfies your needs immensely. The job would be a mental break from your classes. It’s not a job when you love your job. It’s also a means to see the real world and meet interesting people. You could always transfer to another Starbucks after working at one, perhaps one closer to UW. There’s a lot of potential.

Rather than following in your uncle’s footsteps (also a Husky) who used to work at the UW library, you venture out on your own to see the world and find a job you enjoy. It’s proof of your independence and adventurous spirit. Thumbs up for thinking outside the box.

Seeking attention might not be a bad thing

Seeking attention was never my intent. One can attribute that to my Asian cultural upbringing and personality. After

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

United Way of King County is Seek- United Way of King County is ing a Business Data Analyst Seeking a Community Impact Coordinator Job Summary: The Business Data Analyst will help improve business Job Summary: This position is processes by developing appropri- responsible for providing support to ate standard analysis documents Impact Managers and other UWKC and solutions leveraging central- Community Services Team staff in ized data. The position will also areas of grant making and contract provide data and reports, data development, as well as event, research, and quality assurance, volunteer, and data management and will support online workplace support. The position will also progiving campaigns via site produc- vide additional administrative suption and volunteer outreach. port to CST’s Operations Team as needed.

Annual salary range: $64,500 $68,500 DOE. The position is open Annual salary range: $62,500 until filled. $65,000 DOE. The position is open until filled.

Application Procedure: Please apply online at the UWKC Career Application Procedure: Please Center via the following link. https:// apply online at the UWKC Career phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf04/ats/careers/ Center via the following link. https:// v2/viewRequisition?org=UWOKC& phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf04/ats/careers/ cws=37&rid=187 v2/viewRequisition?org=UWOKC& cws=37&rid=197 United Way of King County works to build a community where all United Way of King County works people have homes, students to build a community where all graduate, and families are finan- people have homes, students cially stable. graduate, and families are financially stable.

volunteering for a few stories, I got a job as a UW Daily reporter during my senior year. A reporter’s byline creates visibility.

My reporter job led to another job—as a research assistant for the East Asia library. The job requires knowledge of the Chinese language. I was hired after my first interview. The head librarian, the late Karl Lo, called me up after seeing my byline and offered me a third-level student pay rate, instead of the first-level. I finished the research way ahead of time. Lo and I became friends after I graduated. You see, anything you do can shore you with other opportunities. So whatever you do, try to not just do a good job, but a great job.

Being a UW Daily reporter, you never know how readers respond to your stories. One time, I wrote an unfavorable story on the now defunct KRAB radio station. Its supporters wrote letters to condemn me and even protested in-person at the Daily’s office. I was scared.

“Wow, why do people take it so personally?” I thought. It’s just a student publication. I felt lucky that I barely missed the protesters. What I didn’t understand was when a journalist is able to arouse passionate readers with their writing, it is considered a success. When hate mail comes, some reporters perceive it as an honor—a rose and not a thorn!

Nephew, you might not be working for the Daily. But I recommend students to get involved in activities out of your comfort zone. Learn to be curious and care about UW, a remarkable institution. Get to know the president and as many distinguished professors as possible. Why and how are they outstanding? They are our role models.

A few years ago, I was appalled when one immigrant student couldn’t name UW President Ana Maria Cauce after studying there for one year.

It’s embarrassing she didn’t

Photo by Assunta Ng

EMPLOYMENT

LOOKING FOR 2 WOK CHEF - ok English - Great work ethic!

-Team work. Good Pay. -Both jobs with good benefits.

Call 206-227-8000

NOTICE

The 4Culture Recovery Fund is now open to support cultural organizations in King County who have suffered losses due to the pandemic. Apply by November 5. Visit 4Culture.org for more information.

Subscribe to the Northwest Asian Weekly for just $40 a year!

Name_____________________________________ Address ___________________________________ City _______________________State___________ Zip Code __________________________________ Phone ____________________________________ Mail to: NW Asian Weekly 412 Maynard Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98104 or call 206-223-0623

DONE RITE

CARPET CLEANING

206-487-8236

that easy. Now, there are so many available, and not enough students to take advantage of them. Just go to your department and check out those opportunities. UW is a big school and has much to offer. You never know unless you discover what is out there for you.

No drugs or alcohol know or didn’t care! What’s awful is, she may not be the only one!

Think about running for student office. I remember UW had elected more than one student body president of Asian descent. It may be fun to work for the Associate Students of the University of Washington.

Many of the student body jobs are paid positions. It has 60 employees.

Those can be dream jobs with good goals—having the desire to better the school and students’ welfare.

You can learn more about the campus and its system, and meet many friends who share the same values.

Studying abroad

UW has great partnerships and exchange programs with overseas universities. Some of my young friends had studied in Italy, Germany, and many other countries for a quarter or even a year in their junior year. All their living expenses and airfare are paid. It would be a wonderful education and travel experience. In my days, participating in exchange programs was not

Advertize in our Service Directory below.

Just $10 a week!

Minimum: 12 weeks for $120. Call John at 206223-0623 for more info.

Even in my younger days, I understood the dangers of drugs and alcohol. I would agree totally with your family that drugs should never be a part of your college life. As for alcohol, it’s a bad idea, too. I know it’s hard to resist under peer pressure. I never inhaled while I was in college, even though I was offered a few times. The smell of weed irritates me and alcohol irks my stomach. I made the right decision then, no drinking or smoking, and it served me well. When your mind is being distorted by drugs or alcohol, you do foolish things, which you might regret later. Just Google the number of tragedies caused by excessive smoking and drinking for college students, and you will understand. Now it’s time to practice saying “no” to alcohol and drugs.

Are grades the most important thing?

In my younger days, I thought so.

I would say, grades are important in college, but not the most important.

It depends where you are at, what

stage in college. I had friends who took certain classes just because they knew they could get a sure A, and not how much they could get out of the class.

I did not get an A from some of my classes, but I learned a lot and had deep satisfaction. Some of the eye-opening classes were Native American history and history of India.

Having good grades is important because it got me into UW. It also helped me to get my scholarships for my junior and senior years. I don’t worry about you at all. So far, you seem to make the right choices.

Develop diverse friendships

The first day you landed in Seattle, we took you along for lunch with my Black friend. Later, we went to dinner at a restaurant and I accidentally bumped into another Black friend.

My circle of friends are my sounding board for critical issues.

I couldn’t run the Northwest Asian Weekly without diverse viewpoints and support. I have set an example for you and hope you appreciate diversity as much as I do. Recently, I saw a photo of you with many UW friends of different ethnic groups. I like what I saw. Young man, another thumbs up for you.  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 6.

ARSON from 1 restaurant her key to a new beginning in America.

“The Edmonds Chamber Foundation is saddened to see so many great local businesses hurt by this tragic fire,” said Lillyan Hendershot, president of the Edmonds Chamber Foundation board.

“We hope this $1,000 grant will assist Qin Xi’an Noodles in starting to rebuild and recover from this tragedy.”

“The Edmonds Chamber Foundation has the capacity to provide three WISH Fund grants immediately, but our hope is to provide grants to all 14 businesses,” said Greg Urban, president & CEO of the Edmonds Chamber.

WISH stands for “When Inconvenient Stuff Happens.” It’s a community relief program to help small businesses recover after a disaster.

Someone set the plaza on fire on the morning of Sept. 11. Witnesses reported smoke and flames around 5:35 a.m. at

THINK TANK from 9 going to be. I’m getting old and my batteries need recharging, but I am getting involved in ways that surprise me,” Oki said.

For example, former congressman Mike Honda asked Oki to get involved in a committee that will sponsor a new bill on education.

“I have always cared about reforming public education,” Oki said.

In 2009, Oki wrote a book called “Outrageous Learning: An Education Manifesto.”

“If you read my thoughts in that book, you will realize that nothing has changed in the public education system since and that is unfortunate.”

A reason for his involvement with the AAPI Victory Alliance Think Tank is to ensure the same doesn’t happen with AAPI issues.

“We need a unified vision and that is not going to happen by itself,” Oki said. “It’s going to take an organization, hopefully the AAPI Victory Alliance Think Tank, that not only provides a unified vision but a well-articulated strategy.”

As someone who predicted and grew Microsoft’s international business, Oki said, “In my business days, I always said that without a good strategy, achieving goals will be elusive. This Think Tank can provide the vision, strategy, and the goals.”

One of the ways the Think Tank plans to do this is through promoting innovative, data-driven policies that focus on topics that AAPI communities care about.

While claiming his knowledge of technology is ancient, Oki thinks today we have tools at our disposal that will help in promoting innovative data-driven policies.

“First, we have all these high-tech platforms, whether it’s WiFi, cellular, or the internet, improving and increasing throughput which makes data transfers much faster.”

“My son Nicholas works as a computer programmer for Tableau, which is a part of Salesforce. Tableau captures data and presents it in an easy-to-see fashion,” Oki said. “Tools like these certainly help present and develop policies that are data driven,” he added.

Speaking about the fundraiser, Oki noticed it was attended by the broader AAPI community, which included Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Indian ethnicities, among others.

“I invited these people knowing not everyone was from the left or right of the

OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021 the L-shaped strip mall. Crews battled for about 40 minutes before getting the fire under control. Nobody was injured.

Many of the businesses in the strip mall were owned by Asian Americans. It was home to five restaurants, including Qin Xi’an Noodles, a tutoring center, a dentist’s office, a beauty school, a salon, and an antique store, and one of the area’s only Indonesian grocery stores, Waroeng Jajanan. They shared an attic space, and each one sustained either flame, smoke, or water damage.

Investigators determined the fire to be arson and police are seeking tips to identify the arsonist. Anybody with information is asked to call Edmonds police at 425-771-0212 or email policetips@edmondswa.gov.  Donations to the WISH Fund are tax-deductible. If you are interested in donating, go to edmondschamberfoundation.org/wishfund.

political aisle. Yet, they all cared about issues facing the AAPI community and concluded that we need a think tank to address things like hate,” Oki said. “That alone shows this is not a left or a right issue, it affects both sides of the aisle.”

Oki observes anti-Asian sentiment is based on a four-letter word: hate.

“It is a very visceral word and is unacceptable in any context,” Oki said.

“It doesn’t matter which minority you are dealing with, not only within the Asian community but more broadly the Hispanic or Black community. There simply is no room for this four-letter word.”

Oki hopes vision, strategy, and putting data behind the issues to help achieve well-articulated goals will help Asian individuals run for office.

“I would like to see more diversity in public office. They are the ones who have the ability to shape policy that impacts the broader community.”

Nikore feels that a core embodiment of leadership is really knowing who your community is, understanding how to speak to various members whether they are Pacific Islanders, native Hawaiians, Iranian Americans, or Chinese Americans, to know who they are, how they think and their drivers for civic engagement.

“Today, we are interested in four areas of research—misinformation or disinformation, voting rights to learn continued impediments to further voting and how voting rights restrictions will impact our community, climate change and gun violence prevention,” Nikore said.

“The last two and to an extent voting rights—are not typically viewed as core AAPI issues but they are starting to change,” Nikore said. “We’d like to have a seat at the table and provide more input on how climate and guns affect our community members.”

Oki feels a great education plays an important role and he offered an opinion on the education system in the U.S. “It’s unfortunate we still have to import so many H1B1 people to fill many high-tech jobs. If you don’t have a math background, you’re not going to get very far in the high-tech sector.”

He feels that if someone wanted to tackle our public education system, it is a huge undertaking, but the rewards would also be huge.

“It’s a big if. If we can do things, that will result in an insanely great public education system.”

He points out that today, among the 25 largest education systems in the world,

asianweekly northwest

15

Photo by Han Bui

YOUR VOICE

The Plum Tree Plaza

The owners of Qin and Waroeng Jajanan also have GoFundMe pages.

Go to: https://bit.ly/3m6WiVd and gofundme.com/f/help-waroeng-jajanan.

the U.S. ranks dead last, and we should be ashamed of that, but people are unaware of so much.

“How many people know that about half of the teachers that teach math and science in our schools don’t have degrees in math and science?” Oki asked. “While Costco operates on a 10% overhead, our public school system operates on a 30-40% overhead. We have plenty of money in the system—it’s just ill spent.”

He opines that quality education is a cornerstone for long-term positive effects.

“If we don’t change public education, the future in my opinion is very bleak.”

As for helping the AAPI Victory Alliance Think Tank gain momentum, Oki

feels the easy thing to do to get involved is to simply donate. you can make a donation on the organization’s website at aapivictoryalliance.com/think-tank.

The AAPI Victory Alliance Think Tank hopes to raise a million dollars by hosting fundraisers across the U.S. Oki said, “It’s going to take money. It is the organization’s hope to raise a million dollars to begin the process of hiring the people who can think through some of the issues that need to be addressed.”  Janice can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Weekly Specials Prices Valid September 29-October 5, 2021

House Foods

Premium Tofu

Fresh!

Kinogushi Soft, Medium Firm or Firm. 19 oz

Chinese Eggplant 1.58 lb

1.69

Black Bean Tofu

Tofu Cooked with Black Bean Garlic Sauce. A Delicious Vegetarian Entree! From our Deli Cooler

6.99 lb

Wang

Corn Dog

Frozen. Mozzarella Cheese & Fish Sausage or Mozzarella Cheese & Rice Cake. 5 pk

6.99

Ahi Tuna Block Cut from the Loins of the Highest Grade Yellowfin Tuna. Ready to Slice and Eat

Pork Loin Roast 3.99 lb

23.99 lb

Kikkoman

Sriracha Mayonnaise 8.5 oz

2.49

Lee Kum Kee

Mabo Tofu Sauce

Medium Hot or Hot. 2.5 oz

.99

To see all of our weekly specials, visit uwajimaya.com s es aetat ltet l •e b•e l l b e veul el e •v ur ee n t•o n r e• n bt eoanv e •r t obn e a v e r t o n

•

jim m u wu aw j iam a ya ay a . c. coom

16

asianweekly northwest

OCTOBER 2 – OCTOBER 8, 2021

Why get the COVID vaccine now?

”Because after vaccination we can reduce the danger.”

“These vaccines all have a scientific basis. It’s to protect yourself and others, and we should work as one. Vaccination is like “killing two birds with one stone”: you can protect yourself, your family, and even all of humanity.” - Alan The COVID vaccine is safe, easy and free.

Go to kingcounty.gov/vaccine or scan the QR code to get informed and find a vaccination location near you.

If you have a loved one who has questions about the COVID vaccine, talk with them about it. A conversation with you could save their life.

Alan

Chinese Information and Service Center Advisor

KingCounty.gov/vaccine

39 YEARS