VOL 40 NO 48 | NOVEMBER 27 – DECEMBER 3, 2021

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

VOL 40 NO 48 NOVEMBER 27 – DECEMBER 3, 2021

FREE 39 YEARS YOUR VOICE

DNA testing toolkit reunites first cousins

Photo provided by Annie Nguyen

By Nina Huang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Annie Nguyen (left) and Kalena Johnson

PUBLISHER’S BLOG The turkey that changed my life  10

Kalena Johnson received a 23andme kit back in 2019 as a Christmas gift, but she sat on it for a while because she thought the man who was her father at the time had passed away. But when she was back at home in Seattle visiting family, her mom and older half-sister did an Ancestry. com kit. Her sister made her do it, too, and she waited about two months to get the results back. Through those results, she found out her true ethnicity. Her whole life, she thought she

was half Filipino, but the results showed that she was actually half-Vietnamese. That was her first revelation. She was super pumped about the results because she grew up in White Center, where there was a huge Vietnamese population. “I was always kind of sad because I didn’t have a connection to the Filipino community, but at the same time, I didn’t know I was Vietnamese. I didn’t feel like I could truly be a part of those events and culture, but when I got my results, I was strangely ecstatic— see DNA on 12

A tale of two mayors

Newcastle City Council race headed for recount Irigon trails by 7 votes By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY One of two tight races involving AAPI candidates is headed for a recount. As of press time, only seven votes separates Newcastle City Council Position No. 6 candidates Frank Irigon from Paul Charbonneau—Charbonneau has the lead. Frank Irigon King County Elections (KCE) Communications Officer Halei Watkins told the Northwest Asian Weekly, “As of right now, we have the Newcastle race as within mandatory hand recount range.” The thresholds for what triggers a mandatory recount and what kind are: Machine: A difference of less than 2,000 votes AND also less than ½ of 1% of the total number of votes for both candidates. see NEWCASTLE on 11

Photo by Assunta Ng

Sawant recall election

Recall Sawant supporters held signs on Nov. 20 in Little Saigon, on the three corners of the intersection of South Jackson St., and Rainier Ave. S. From left: Roberta Wood and A. Amundson

Victoria Woodwards

Bruce Harrell

By Janice Nesamani NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

bringing businesses and jobs to Tacoma are high on her agenda. “The blessing and challenge of being reelected is that you don’t stop, you just keep right on going,” Woodards said. Her second run comes at a crucial time for a city that is trying to balance affordable housing with a real

King County Elections (KCE) mailed ballots on Nov. 17 to over 76,000 registered voters in Seattle City Council District 3 for the Dec. 7 election to recall Kshama Sawant. Only voters registered in Seattle City Council District 3 are eligible to vote.

see MAYORS on 11

see SAWANT on 13

RINGING IN A NEW TERM For Mayor of Tacoma Victoria Woodards, being elected to a second term is the opportunity to continue to do the work. And there is a lot of work as the city recovers from Covid—addressing affordability, homelessness, and

WE SUPPORT RECALL SAWANT The Seattle Times editorial board supports Sawant’s recall

WHY

May 7, 2021.

1. Used City Resources Illegally. Sawant used city resources to support a ballot initiative and failed to comply with the public disclosure requirements related to such support. She admitted guilt to this charge on

2. Violated State Orders Protecting Public Safety. Sawant disregarded a state order related to Covid-19 safety by admitting hundreds of people into city hall on June 9, 2020, when it was closed to the public.

3. Violated the Confidentiality Law. Led a protest march to Seattle Mayor Jenny Dukan’s private residence, the location of which Sawant knows is protected under State Confidentiality Laws. The above three charges to recall Kshama Sawant were unanimously upheld by the Washington State Supreme Court in April this year. In doing so, the Supreme Court declared that

Sawant’s action rose to the level of malfeasance, misfeasance, or violation of her oath of office. Furthermore, Sawant’s voting records shows her grossly ignoring the safety of all citizens living in the City of Seattle, especially those living in the ChinatownInternational District. We lost enormous business opportunities due to deteriorating public safety. Non-stop crimes, such as endless break-ins, graffiti, and many other

property damage has made this part of town a miserable place to live. We shall remove Kshama Sawant and replace her with a person who can really represent our neighborhood. Information sources: The Seattle Times and Recall Kshama Sawant website, sawantrecall.org

Paid by Citizens for Safe Neighborhood  1100 N 115th St., #105, Seattle, WA 98133

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


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