VOL 40 NO 49 | DECEMBER 4 - DECEMBER 10, 2021 by Northwest Asian Weekly

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

VOL 40 NO 49 DECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 10, 2021

FREE 39 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Small business owners awarded $1 million

Community members demand that Sawant gets recalled

Photos from Kamonegi and Viet-Wah

Chinese community members hold a rally in support of recalling Kshama Sawant on Nov. 28 at the intersection of S. Jackson St. and Rainier Ave. S. (Photo by Tony Au)

Kamonegi (left) and Viet-Wah (above) are among local businesses that were awarded grants through the Comcast RISE program

Comcast announced on Nov. 22 that it awarded $1 million in total grants to more than 100 small businesses owned by people of color in King and Pierce Counties.

The recipients are among nearly 6,700 entrepreneurs nationwide who have been selected through the Comcast RISE program, which provides marketing, technology, and capital support

to small business owners. Comcast RISE, which stands for Representation, Investment, Strength, and Empowerment, is part of Project UP, a comprehensive initiative

to advance digital equity and help provide underrepresented small business owners with

New Twitter CEO steps from behind the scenes to high profile By Barbara Ortutay THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

(see COMCAST on 12)

PNB School student Zeheng Huang is the Prince

Pacific Northwest Ballet School student Zeheng Huang as the Prince in a scene from George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, choreographed by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo © Angela Sterling.

Zeheng Huang has been picked to play the Prince for the Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB)’s Nutcracker, now showing through Dec. 28 at McCaw Hall. “He may be one of the very few Asian males for the character,” his mother Lilian Chen told the Northwest Asian Weekly. There had been several Asian female dancers in the past for the Nutcracker. A student at Denny International Middle School, Huang, 12, has been dancing with the PNB since he was 8-years old. Chen said her son would dance

and jump in the house as if he was on stage. PNB came to the Seattle Public Schools to recruit students a few years ago. After an audition,Huang was picked to enroll in the PNB with a scholarship. Recently, Huang was invited to try out for the Nutcracker role. Huang didn’t expect to be picked. But his mother knew he would be because he is passionate about ballet and practices often at home. Huang is one of the two alternates for the prince role. Huang has also performed in other shows prior to Nutcracker. 

One year later, millions use WA Notify to stop the spread of COVID-19 The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is celebrating a successful year of WA Notify, the state’s exposure notification app. More than 2.62 million people have enabled it—accounting for more than 43% of all smartphone users in the

■

state. “WA Notify has been a very successful innovation for our state, and we’re proud of the team at the Department of Health who helped create a tech-based solution that contributed to the greater good as we fought—and continue to

fight—this pandemic,” said Washington state Secretary of Health Umair A. Shah. The WA Notify app does not collect data about who the users are, where they go, or who they are near. (see COVID on 12)

To do outreach, WA Notify translated its materials into different languages.

New Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal

Newly named Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has emerged from behind the scenes to take over one of Silicon Valley’s highest-profile and politically volatile jobs. But his prior lack of name recognition coupled with a solid technical background appears to be what some big company backers were looking for to lead Twitter out of its current morass. A 37-year-old immigrant from India, Agrawal comes from outside the ranks of celebrity CEOs, which include the man he’s replacing, Jack Dorsey, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk of SpaceX and Tesla. Those brand-name company founders and leaders have often been in the news—and on Twitter—for exploits beyond the day-to-day running of their companies. Having served as Twitter’s chief technology officer for the last four years, Agrawal’s appointment was seen by Wall Street as a choice (see TWITTER on 12)

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

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

DECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 10, 2021

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS

Photos provided by ACRS

Jerry Lee of MG2 (right) and friends delivering roast chicken.

Coloretti tapped as OMB deputy President Joe Biden announced on Nov. 24 that he is nominating Nani Coloretti to serve as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). If confirmed by the Senate, Coloretti, who is Filipino American, would become one of the highestranking Asian Americans in Nani Coloretti the Biden administration. Coloretti is currently senior vice president at the Urban Institute think tank and she previously served as deputy secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama administration. The head of the Office of Management and Budget is tasked with putting together the administration's budget and overseeing a wide range of logistical and regulatory issues across the federal government. 

Chew recognized by PRSA

The line of people waiting for roast chickens outside the ACRS food bank.

MG2 made its annual donation of roast chickens on Nov. 19 to the Asian Counseling & Referral Service (ACRS) food bank. The annual chicken drive is now in its 13th year. This year, 450 roast chickens and red envelopes were donated—prompting one of the longest lines that the ACRS food bank has seen in awhile. MG2 also delivered 160 roast chickens to the South Seattle Senior Service Center on Nov. 24. 

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)’s Puget Sound Chapter has named the recipients of its 2021 professional awards, and Ron Chew received its Hugh Smith Community Service Award. This award was established in 1997 to recognize a Puget Sound area public relations Ron Chew professional who has demonstrated outstanding citizenship by contributing his or her public relations expertise to an important community issue or nonprofit organization. Chew was formerly an editor of the International Examiner and executive director of the Wing Luke Asian Museum. 

BTS stamp their authority on American Music Awards

Photo credit

Annual roast chicken delivery

BTS accepts the award for artist of the year at the American Music Awards on Nov. 21. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

South Korean superstars BTS were crowned artist of the year at the American Music Awards on Nov. 21. The band was also named favorite pop duo or group and got the favorite pop song award for “Butter.” “Seven boys from Korea, united by love for music, met the love and support from all the armies all over the world,” said BTS’s RM after the group won the artist of the year for the first time. “This whole thing is a miracle. Seriously, we would never take this for granted.” 

Ohtani is AL MVP Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels was announced as the American League’s Most Valuable Player on Nov. 18. Ohtani is the second Japanese-born player honored. The other was the Seattle Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki in 2001. Ohtani is the 11th former AL Rookie of the Year Award winner (2018) to go Shoehei Ohtani on to win an MVP Award. “I’m extremely happy,” Ohtani said through his interpreter on MLB Network’s award show telecast. “It’s something I was shooting for, obviously. I think any player is as long as they’re playing baseball professionally.” 

Your health can ALWAYS use a boost. COVID-19 booster doses are recommended for everyone regardless of which vaccination you received. If you have questions or want to schedule a vaccine appointment, call 206-684-CITY (2489), Monday - Saturday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm www.seattle.gov/vaccine

COVID-19 vaccinations are FREE & no identification card is required.

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

After 4 years as pawn in US–China game, Seattle man is finally home Photo from the Associated Press U.S. citizen Daniel Hsu, seen here in a Shanghai, China apartment in 2020, fought for four years to escape China. The Seattle resident was barred from leaving despite having committed no crime, a pawn in a geopolitical game between two giant superpowers.

would be sent back to China. China’s ability to make deals by effectively taking people like Hsu hostage has raised concerns that Beijing may feel emboldened to double down on the practice. “There’s no deterrent imposed

on Beijing to doing it again,” said Sophie Richardson, China Director at Human Rights Watch. “The problem is if you took the truly principled road, a lot of people (see HSU on 11)

The owner of Vital T Leaf said someone set fire to his shop on Nov. 27. Ben Chen told the Northwest Asian Weekly, “Almost every other night, there were homeless people sleeping in the entrance...I don’t think they set fire on my shop intentionally.” But Chen said The burned facade of Vital the flames spread T Leaf inside the shop, ruining his tea sets and other equipment. The battery on Chen’s surveillance camera was dead. “But it doesn’t matter as these suspects can get away with everything.” Chen said the only consolation is that his landlord has agreed to let him put a fence outside his shop—which he had requested previously but was denied. Chen’s storefront has been broken into twice within a month. “Several neighbors and friends came to ask what they can do to help? They are thoughtful, but actually they can’t do much. The police can’t do much.” No word on whether insurance will cover any of his losses. 

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Tea shop set on fire

By Erika Kinetz ASSOCIATED PRESS BRUSSELS (AP) — Daniel Hsu, a U.S. citizen, fought for four years to escape China. The Seattle resident was barred from leaving despite having committed no crime. Then in November, just four days before a virtual meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Hsu was told to prepare to go home. He had less than 48 hours. “It was a total rush,” he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from his home in Seattle. Hsu knew nothing of the horsetrading going on between China and the U.S. in the build-up to the three-plus hour video meeting between Biden and Xi on Nov. 15. Both countries appeared to be trying to dial back tensions in their fractious relationship, and Hsu had become a bargaining chip. He could return to Seattle, and seven Chinese nationals who were convicted of crimes in the U.S.

asianweekly northwest

Photo by Assunta Ng/NWAW

YOUR VOICE

DECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 10, 2021

asianweekly northwest

DECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 10, 2021

39 YEARS

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

DEC

New ISRD Board member wanted

ESTELA ORTEGA AT SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT ROTARY 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Free on Zoom For Zoom meeting link email club at rotaryofseattleid@gmail.com

3 SEATAC’S ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING FESTIVAL Seatac Community Center, 13735 24th Ave. S., SeaTac 5:45-8:30 p.m.

4 CAPAA’S 2021 PEOPLE OF COLOR LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT 10 a.m.-12 p.m. capaa.wa.gov For registration link, go to capaa.wa.gov/join-us-for-ournovember-board-meeting

8 APDA MEETING WITH REPS. HARRIS, HACKNEY, AND SENN Zoom meeting 8:30 a.m. Pre-register at bit.ly/3lnI4jl

10 AAPI UNITY CELEBRATION FOR MAYOR-ELECT BRUCE HARRELL Joyale Seafood Restaurant, 900 S. Jackson, Seattle 5:30-8:30 p.m. $45 Register by Dec. 7, at https://bit.ly/30xLRTy

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

If you have an architectural background and an interest in historic preservation and/or familiarity with the Chinatown-International District, you are encouraged to apply for an open position on the International Special Review District (ISRD) Board. The seven-member board reviews facade alterations, signs, new construction, changes of use, and street improvements, and makes recommendations to the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods director for all properties within the ISRD. Applications, letters, and resumes

must be sent by Dec. 20 to rebecca. frestedt@seattle.gov referencing the International Special Review District in the subject line. To submit a paper copy, send to: Rebecca Frestedt International Special Review District Seattle Department of Neighborhoods P.O. Box 94649 Seattle, WA, 98124-4649  For more information, contact Rebecca Frestedt at (206) 684-0226.

14 SEATTLE CITY CLUB DIALOGUE ACROSS DIFFERENCES, WITH PRAMILA JAYAPAL, ANEELAH AFZALI, AND OTHERS 12 p.m. Online event $0-$75 bit.ly/3pevxQh

16 CLUB MEETING WITH WARREN ALLEN ON TOPIC “THE SENTENCING PROJECT” 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Free on Zoom For Zoom meeting link, contact at rotaryofseattleid@gmail.com

View the solution on page 10

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The only weekly English-language newspaper serving Washington’s Asian community. The NW Asian Weekly has one simple goal: “To empower the Asian community.” The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject any advertisement, letter or article. Subscriptions cost $40 for 52 weeks of the NW Asian Weekly and $30 for 52 weeks of the Seattle Chinese Post. The NW Asian Weekly owns the copyright for all its content. All rights reserved. No part of this paper may be reprinted without permission. 412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104 • t. 206.223.5559 editor@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com

DECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 10, 2021

YOUR VOICE

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

asianweekly northwest

A -P O P ! E N T E R T A IN M E N T N EWS T H A T W IL L N O T E N R IC H Y O U R L IF E WHATSOEVER !

Miyazaki is a BAMF and new ‘Avatar’ seems to have learned from M. Night Shyamalan's sins By Stacy Nguyen NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY In this column, we will revisit the past a few times in order to understand the context of the present. I know that sounds all deep and stuff, but I assure you, it is not. We’re mostly going to be talking about how people of color, especially Asians, get to be multifaceted, fully fleshed people now.

‘SQUID GAME’ SEASON 2 STILL NOT CONFIRMED, NETFLIX ACTING COY, WHY THO? Y’all, I can’t get my brother to watch “Squid Game.” He says that he doesn’t like allegorical violence that darkly reflects the cold reality of our capitalistic culture and the connected expendability of human beings. And it’s like, how do you not like that? Anyway, my brother’s bad taste aside, this South Korean drama happens to be the most watched show on Netflix of all time (of all time!). According to Variety, it pulled in 1.65 billion hours of viewing in its first month (Variety says that’s the equivalent of 182,000 years, and I believe them.). And yet season 2 is not yet a done deal

at Netflix. Reportedly, the possibility of it is still being discussed between Netflix and “Squid Game” director Hwang Donghyuk, which I frankly find to be ridiculous and maybe racist? Like, this is the platform that dug into its deep pockets to renew gems “Lucifer” and “Iron Fist.” But according to the Guardian, Hwang has not received a windfall from Netflix from his incredible success and his incredible creativity. “I’m not that rich,” he told the publication. “But I do have enough. I have enough to put food on the table. And it’s not like Netflix is paying me a bonus. Netflix paid me according to the original contract.” Netflix, will you do the right thing and pay this Korean man at least half of what you pay mediocre white dudes to make terrible movies about zombies?

‘AVATAR’ LIVE-ACTION IS COMING … THIS TIME WITH FEWER WHITE PEOPLE, THANK GOD Okay, I can’t believe it’s been more than a decade since “The Last Airbender” came (see APOP on 10)

King County Fire Department hosts diversity workshop By Nicholas Pasion NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY The King County Fire Department is hosting a diversity and equity workshop to recruit more minorities to the department. The King County Fire Chiefs Association (KCFA), a leadership board that promotes fire prevention through legislation and education of the fire service and the general public, will host a firefighter recruitment and diversity workshop on Dec. 11. The workshop will host about 120 people in a daylong event that will feature a keynote speaker and several breakout sessions that will prepare participants for the fire department application process. “That’s kind of our goal is to get more candidates, diverse candidates that are out there to give them the opportunity to learn more about what it takes to apply, or what are the first steps of what’s involved,” said Eric Hicks, the vice president of KCFA and the Fire Chief at King County Fire Protection District 20. The workshop’s breakout sessions will cover application requirements like a physical abilities test, a psychological assessment, and a background check. Hicks said the sessions were designed

Fire Chief Eric Hicks

to ease the application process, which can help remove barriers that may have historically barred members of the BIPOC community, women, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community from applying to the fire department. “It’s really being involved in the community. You’ve got to have boots on the ground to really get out there, recruit people of color and women to this profession.” Hicks said it is important for a fire department to “get out to the community,” so they can best serve the people living in it. He said fire departments (see KCFA on 9)

Miyazaki

New Poison Ivy

Season 2 coming?

asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

DECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 10, 2021

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Melber’s ‘Pearl Harbor’ highlights Japanese perspective and paints fuller picture of WWII By Samantha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Dec. 7 marks the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. And while it’s been eight decades since the Japanese attacked the Oahu naval base, comprehensive information about Japan’s role in World War II is still hard to find in the west. Takuma Melber is working to address this with his book, “Pearl Harbor: Japan’s Attack and America’s Entry into World War II.” The book, originally released in German in 2016 and translated into English last year, centers the Japanese perspective—a point of view that is often missing from western history books—providing a fuller account of the war, its background, and consequences. For Melber, a lecturer at Heidelberg University’s Centre for Transcultural Studies in Heidelberg, Germany, his interest in highlighting the Japanese side of the war comes—in part—from his half-Japanese, half-German heritage. Born and raised in Germany, Melber learned a lot about the Germans’ role in the war in school. The country’s educational system doesn’t shy away from

events that don’t put Germany in the best light, such as Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, the Holocaust, and the atrocities the country was responsible for during the war. Growing up, Melber also learned about World War II from his German relatives, who told him stories about his late grandfather who fought in the war and died when Melber was very young. He also had German schoolmates who shared stories about their grandfathers who fought in the war. But learning about the Japanese side of the war was more difficult. Melber said in Europe, as well as

in the United States, the world history that is taught in school tends to be very western-centric. Students learn very little Asian or African history and what they do learn, he said, is from a western perspective—usually starting with colonialism. So information about Japan’s role in World War II can be difficult to come by, Melber said. And even though his Japanese grandfather was also a soldier, serving in the Japanese military, he also died when Melber was very young and much of his story has been lost. Melber said many of the Japanese accounts of the war— and what is taught in Japanese schools—contain a victim narrative, focusing on events such as the United States’ bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, rather than cases in which the Japanese were perpetrators of violence. Melber said there may be a cultural element in play here, with the Japanese not wanting to lose face and admitting to something that would make them look bad, but in his opinion, this approach is completely lacking. And this is what prompted his desire to learn more and share what he’s learned to paint a fuller picture

■ NATIONAL NEWS

which gives a more well-rounded picture of the war, Melber hopes readers learn to think beyond the black and white and realize nobody is all good or all bad. “I think we can learn from this for nowadays and also for the future,” he said. For American and other non-Japanese readers, Melber said it’s important for them to learn the Asian side of World War II, and for Japanese readers, it’s important to get a more complete account of the war. In general, Melber said there needs to be more voices and points of views included in the story and hopes that his book contributes to the international research of World War II—because it is an international story. He said people tend to think too nationalistically, but if they had less of an “us versus them” mentality and were really willing to work together as one world community, global issues like climate change would be easier to solve.  Samantha can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

LOWER GREEN RIVER CORRIDOR

Lawyer: Someone to be held responsible in death of Filipino American student LAS VEGAS (AP) — Attorneys for the family of a University of Nevada, Las Vegas student who collapsed after fighting in a Nov. 19 fraternity charity boxing match and died days before his 21st birthday said his death should not have happened. “We intend to hold someone or multiple parties responsible,” attorney Nick Lasso said of an investigation that he and attorney Ryan Zimmer launched following the death of Nathan Tyler Valencia, a Filipino American. Valencia, 20, had been hospitalized since Nov. 19 after collapsing while taking part as a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon in Kappa Sigma Fraternity’s “Fight Night.” He died on Nov. 23 of head injuries, the Clark County coroner’s office said, and the death was ruled a homicide. Las Vegas police said in a statement that investigators found “no information that there is any criminality on the part of the venue” that hosted the boxing match. The department referred questions about the event to the Nevada Athletic Commission as the regulator of “unarmed combat events and promoters associated with unarmed combat.” Commission Executive Director Bob Bennett did not immediately respond to

of the war, with an emphasis on the Japanese perspective. In “Pearl Harbor,” Melber wanted to tell the story of the battle from Japanese actors’ side— from soldiers and pilots, to diplomats and politicians. It wasn’t an easy task. Direct sources such as oral histories and interviews with survivors were not available. “It can become tricky,” Melber admitted about trying to talk to Japanese people about World War II and Pearl Harbor, specifically. In addition, many Japanese written sources are not translated into western languages or the translations are not complete. Despite this, and his book’s very specific focus, Melber worked to present an objective and thoroughly researched account—relying on secondary sources—to deepen readers’ understanding of the battle that led to the United States to join World War II. One takeaway Melber had from his research was how factors such as Japan’s war with China, starting in 1937, and the United States’ oil embargo at the time hit the country hard and led Japanese leaders at the time to feel they had no choice but to attack the United States. With information like this,

Valencia, 20, had been hospitalized since Nov. 19 after collapsing while taking part as a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon in Kappa Sigma Fraternity’s “Fight Night.” He died on Nov. 23 ... messages from The Associated Press. “We just keep finding safety failure after safety failure,” Lasso told AP after appearing in a CNN interview with Zimmer and Valencia’s parents, Cynthia and Michael Valencia of Las Vegas. Cynthia Valencia told CNN her son had no previous boxing experience but that he wanted to participate because the event was for charity. Lasso declined to comment about the (see VALENCIA on 10)

FLOOD HAZARD MANAGEMENT PLAN

PROGRAMMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT SCOPING AND PUBLIC MEETINGS Tell us what you think about flood risk in the Lower Green River Corridor and help shape an important environmental study.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Scoping: December 1, 2021 to January 14, 2022 Virtual public meeting: January 6, 2022 Scan code or go to LowerGreenSEPA.org

HOW TO PROVIDE COMMENTS

Online: LowerGreenSEPA.org Email: lowergreensepa@kingcounty.gov Mail: King County Flood Control District Michelle Clark, Responsible SEPA Official 516 3rd Avenue, Room 1200; Seattle, WA 98104 Virtual meeting: January 6, 2022 (see LowerGreenSEPA.org for more)

516 Third Avenue, Room 1200, Seattle, WA 98104

YOUR VOICE

■ WAYNE’S WORLDS

DECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 10, 2021

asianweekly northwest

123

Defund Sesame Street! By Wayne Chan NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY I had no idea that Sesame Street was such a subversive, governmentcontrolled, woke monster designed at brainwashing our children at the most impressionable period of their lives. At least that’s the takeaway I’m getting after watching the political commentary coming from Matt Schlapp, the president of the Conservative Political Action Committee and Ted Cruz, an actual, real-life Senator of the United States of America. As a middle-aged man, I haven’t watched a single episode of Sesame Street in 52 years. My kids haven’t watched it in 18 years. Apparently, I’ve missed a lot of destabilizing propaganda in the last 52 years… if you’re to believe the hyperbolic levels of outrage coming from these two politicians. If you listen to them, I shouldn’t be concerned by climate change, the Covid epidemic, the January 6 insurrection, or other global threats. No no…I need to be up in arms over Big Bird and JiYoung. Senator Cruz is accusing Big Bird of “government propaganda” after the radical fowl had the audacity to say he got his COVID-19 shot. And Mr. Schlapp is calling for defunding Sesame Street of any government funding after the introduction of a new muppet character. YiYoung is, <gasp!>, Korean American. I don’t want to paraphrase Mr. Schlapp’s outrage. These are some of his comments. What race is Ernie is Bert (sic)? You are insane PBS and we should stop funding you. We all loved Bert and Ernie without the foggiest idea of the racial demographic they may have represented. Afterall, Ernie is orange. The taxpayers deserve a big rebate. If PBS and NPR want to be in arms in the socialist movement, they need to pay their own way. I have to face the real possibility that my not having watched children’s television programming for several decades has led me to the false belief that Sesame Street is only interested in our children’s health and welfare. This whole “growing up” period of

Illustration by Wayne Chan

my life may have led me astray. I may need to reevaluate some of the common notions I’ve had about Sesame Street all this time. Once you go down this rabbit hole, you come up with all sorts of revelations. Elmo only refers to himself in third person, like “Elmo likes to paint!” I had no idea Sesame Street was intent on promoting narcissistic behavior. Big Bird is a six foot tall bird walking around wild on the streets of Sesame. No enclosure, no license to possess a wild animal. Apparently Sesame Street is promoting anarchy in the streets. Oscar the grouch is homeless and lives in a trash can. Has the Sanitation Department been notified of this? What if the sanitation truck inadvertently dumps Oscar into the trash heap? Who is liable? The Cookie Monster only eats cookies. What kind of message is this sending to our children about our dietary needs? I demand equal time from Sesame Street and that they introduce a new character called “The Salad Beast”. I could go on. But suffice it to say, Mr. Schlapp and Senator Cruz, you have my full support. You keep on criticizing children’s education shows. I mean, that’s why we voted for you, right? 

Senator Cruz is accusing Big Bird of “government propaganda” after the radical fowl had the audacity to say he got his COVID-19 shot.

Wayne can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Tweet from Sesame Streeet introducing Ji-Young

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asianweekly northwest

39 YEARS

DECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 10, 2021

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

A special Thanksgiving despite COVID The contrast between past and present

VIvian Nguyen with newborn Charlotte

Peking duck Baron‘s

Decorative lights ou tside Bellevue Square

Photos by Assunta Ng/NWAW

g the Jason Cruz visitin ng his ldi ho d an ce offi NWAW of goodies award and bag

Seattle Center‘s Christmas train station

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY COVID-19 slammed us with two different Thanksgivings, one deadlier than the other. Even with the delta and other variants in 2021, I feel relieved after getting the vaccine. And lately, with the booster shot, I am even more hopeful about this year than the last. What a difference a year makes! Last year’s Thanksgiving was lonely—just me and my old man dining together, we didn’t see anyone, and had zero activities during the four-day weekend. It was like a dark cloud with the daily rise of deaths, sickness, and shutdowns. We went to Seattle Center. It was closed and hardly anyone was there. Nevertheless, we felt grateful that our family survived the pandemic. And the Northwest Asian Weekly never missed an issue. Despite the fact our country hasn’t completely eliminated or recovered from COVID, this year’s Thanksgiving was a breath of fresh air. I was wrong last December…I thought COVID would be gone by now. But no, we have COVID variants, each seemingly worse than the last. I thought we would be back to normal. Instead, we have the new normal. My office hasn’t reopened and none of my employees are dying to return, including me… Thank God, social isolation is not part of the COVID requirement this year. We decided to get together with friends and family during Thanksgiving with caution. No big gatherings, only intimate affairs. How wonderful to be able to dine in restaurants with some slight adjustments, such as showing your vaccination card before you enter and with your mask on. If you forget to bring

your mask, as I often do, don’t panic. The restaurant can always give you one. So we celebrated by eating out for three fabulous meals, twice in Chinatown for dinner and dim sum with a friend, and once in Bellevue. We can travel, too. We can plan a little more with our lives, even though there are COVID restrictions. That’s still heaven compared to last year—literally, we locked ourselves inside our home most of the time.

Sweet news

The theme of Thanksgiving is to count your blessings. Being in the news business, I revel in hearing about sweet news. First, our freelance writer Vivian Nguyen gave birth to her baby girl three days after we visited her with gifts on Nov. 15. Perfect timing! Her due date was actually Thanksgiving Day. Apparently, babies don’t care about due dates. “Boom! Here I come.” The baby is the boss. What better gift for Thanksgiving than your own baby! It’s been two years since we saw each other, and I felt so lucky that we were able to see Vivian right before she gave birth. Thanksgiving is the best time to reconnect with old friends. My former high school classmate who lives in London texted me after she read my blog. We haven’t seen each other since 2015. Nor had we talked even once. I missed her voice. So I just picked up the phone and called without knowing if it was day or night in her city. I just wanted to connect with old friends. Although we only chatted for no more than 10 minutes, it delighted me to know that her 92-year-old mother, of Indian heritage, was visiting from Hong Kong and could beat her daughter

Tracy Luu’s turkey dru m sauce, squ ash, mush stick and thigh with rooms, pu and string mpkin sou beans, and p apple pie

in Chinese chess. I remember her mom vaguely, but fondly. My husband and I have talked to all family members and some friends including those across the oceans. Their clear voices lit up my spirit as if they were right next to me. I am grateful for the brilliant invention of the telephone and cell phone, especially thrilled that these calls have been made easy, affordable, and even free if you have WhatsApp on your phone. How lonesome and awful it would be without being able to hear from your loved ones during important holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s! Our writer Jason Cruz, who has been writing for us for close to two decades, came last week to claim his plaque, which he won on Oct. 8 from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. An attorney, he had been too busy to get his award. To show our appreciation, we filled his bag with Asian treats and chocolate. It was fun to shop for the bag. For every award, he received $50 in cash. Do the math on how much the check was. Cruz received five awards from his sports column and news stories.

Kids at work

We observed the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention Center) guidelines about large gatherings. Instead of one big family reunion, we had our first dinner with our nephew’s family on Thanksgiving eve at the Ho Ho Restaurant and had lobster. Our nephew and his wife hadn’t dined out at a restaurant for a long time. They loved all the entrees at Ho Ho and even took leftovers home, which was not much by the time we finished dinner. We haven’t seen our nephew’s kids for 22 months. They are now

three and one and a half years old. How much they have grown, and how fun it was to see them so happy, curious, alive, and behave mischievously. Endearing as they were by giving hugs and kisses, and holding you when they wanted to for one second, then at another moment, they were cranky and crying as they were hungry, tired, and sleepy. What was surprising was they felt so much at home visiting our office. I didn’t know one could play there. Our maze-like cubicles captured the kids’ imagination to hide and run around. They loved to play hide-andseek with me. Of all the functions my office has played for receiving dignitaries and organizing many big fundraising events, this is perhaps the most astonishing, positive purpose of my office during COVID. I haven’t heard so much loud laughter in our office since my employees left to work from home last year.

How to cook yummy turkey

I never expected turkey and its dark meat to be so yummy. My daughter-in-law Tracy did it again. She found the secrets of cooking turkey like a James Beard-award winning chef. “The technique is not to cook the whole turkey in the oven,” Tracy said. “The reason is, turkey breast takes much longer to cook. Instead of putting the whole turkey in the oven, chop the turkey into different parts and cook them when you want to eat.” That makes sense. You cook the whole thing and you end up with weeks of leftovers. During Thanksgiving, she baked a turkey drumstick and leg for us. It was mouth-watering the day we ate it, and even the leftovers were more delicious

o lvin at Ho H Aiden and A ant ur ta Res

the day after. The skin and meat were so juicy and sumptuous that I wouldn’t mind having turkey for dinner again soon. It changed my mind about the big bird. From now on, I would list turkey as a palatable dish if you cook it right.

Duck, too

Talking about birds, we had Peking duck with Tracy and my son John at Baron’s in Bellevue last Saturday. We were there for the first time. Friends have recommended the place, but it took us four years to go there since its opening. Why did it take us so long? Because it was more expensive at $78 than the Peking duck in Chinatown. One friend said, “It might be expensive, but you should go there at least once.” That sounds reasonable. If you dine on Monday, the price of the duck is $49. But we were always busy on Monday as we are working on Asian Weekly to go to press on Wednesday. That’s part of being in the news business. It dictates my schedule. The duck was yummy, too. Other dishes such as the sea bass, pea pod vine, and fried rice were equally well done. Right before we left, the waitress gave us a to-go box for duck bones. You see, Peking duck is about its crispy skin. When the duck is served, you have the skin and meat, but not the bones, which are fantastic to make broth. That’s nice to have especially for Tracy, a versatile chef who can create magic from even bones. It was a very special Thanksgiving this year, which I won’t forget. It reminds me not to take anything for granted in life. Thank you, thank you, and thank you God, for all the blessings.  Assunta Ng can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com

DECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 10, 2021

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

asianweekly northwest

Predictions and advice for the week of December 4–10, 2021 By Sun Lee Chang Rat — Too much of anything is not a good idea. Strive for balance and moderation whenever possible.

Dragon — It would serve your interest to be as succinct as possible. Avoid saying more than you need to.

Monkey — Are you falling into old patterns that aren’t particularly beneficial? Make a conscious choice to do better.

Ox — A flippant remark can be taken the wrong way. Depending on the situation, be careful what you say.

Snake —Despite appearances, not all is as it seems. You would do well to proceed with due caution.

Rooster — You tend to be risk averse, but are willing to make an exception for something you really care about.

Tiger — Even if you have natural talent, there is still room for improvement with regular and rigorous practice.

Horse — Unsure what to make of a sudden change of heart? Rather than guess, have an open discussion.

Dog — It can be a challenge to follow someone else’s lead. Only do so if you trust in their leadership.

Rabbit — Is there a perspective you had not considered before? Through engagement comes a new understanding.

Goat — Just when you think you have hit an obstacle, a positive outlook can help you to find a way around it.

Pig — There is an optimal window of time in which to take action. Once it passes, there is no going back.

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.

(KCFA from 5) may not reflect the demographics of the community, which can harm their services because minorities are more comfortable when they are represented in the department, so increasing diversity and recruiting minority groups to join the department can improve their services. “If you look throughout King County, you'll see that most fire departments don’t reflect the diversity within their community,” he said. “So, really, our goal is to provide access and information to qualified candidates throughout the area.” The 2020 U.S. Census found that 49.7% of King County is female, while 66.2% is white, 7.0% is Black, 19.7% is Asian, and 9.9% is Hispanic or Latino. A 2021 report from the KCFA said that nationally on average, fire departments are 95%

male and 83% white. The report stated that minorities routinely experience higher levels of discrimination in fire departments, which can lead to obstacles in advancement within the force. Hicks said that once they have hired more women, BIPOC, and members of LGBTQIA+ community to the force, administrators will have to make an active effort to be inclusive and respectful. He said department officials, like the assistant chief, will have to be “aggressive” in their tactics to ensure they are creating an open and inclusive environment. “We’ve got to be sure that we stay on top of things and have an open conversation,” he said. “We have to empower the people. They have to feel safe to bring things up to the administration if they can’t do it within the fire station itself.” Over 120 people have registered for

the Dec. 11 workshop—41% identify as female and 58% identify as members of the BIPOC community. While the workshop has hit its maximum occupancy, there is a waitlist where people can continue to sign-up. KCFA will continue to offer biannual diversity and equity workshops going forward to improve the diversity of the fire department. “We’re hoping that we give them the best information to take the first steps to start applying,” Hicks said.  To register for future workshops, go to kingcountyfirechiefs.org/king-countydiversity-and-recruitment-workshopevent-registration. Nicolas can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

Percentage of Fire Departments that are male

95% Percentage of Fire Departments that are white

83% Data from KCFA 2021 report

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39 YEARS

DECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 10, 2021

CLASSIFIEDS Subscribe to the Northwest Asian Weekly $40 for one year.

EMPLOYMENT WOK CHEF

- Dim Sum & Wok knowledge. - Decent English required - Great work ethic! - Team work. Good Pay. - Good benefits. Call 206-227-8000 Classifieds are $1 per 5 characters (about $5/ line) and run for a week. Please send me your ad for a quote. Reach 9000 readers a week! Deadline every Tuesday 12PM. Email to john@nwasianweekly. com

NOW HIRING Infant, Toddler, Preschool & Pre K

Lead, Assistant and Substitute Teachers Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA) is seeking to fill positions with energetic and enthusiastic individuals who will utilize our learning through play curriculum. Essential skills include being highly creative, organized and flexible. Effective communication for interacting with children and adults alike and the ability and desire to mentor and work collaboratively with co-workers is key.

NOW NOWHIRING HIRING

Infant, Toddler, Preschool & Pre K Infant, Toddler, Preschool Prestandard K Lead, Assistant and (CPR, and Must meet federal and state health & and safety and maintain credentials for Childcare Assistant first aid, HIV,and CPS Substitute Training, passTeachers TB test). Substitute Teachers.Lead, Refugee Womens’s Alliance (ReWA) is Minimum Qualification: Reflective id: 30 STARS Certification seekingPreferred to fillQualifications: positions with energetic and enthusiastic individuals B.A. degree in early childhood Education or related field. Experience volunteering working in our a multi-cultural environment with variousplay educational backgrounds. Bicultural/bilingual in who will orutilize learning through curriculum. Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, French. Omoro, Amharic, Eritrean, Somali, or Tigrinya. To apply: Visit Toour employment page at ReWA.org Apply: Visit our employment page at ReWA.org Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA) is seeking to fill positions with energetic and enthusiastic individuals who will utilize our learning through play curriculum. Essential skills include being highly creative, organized and flexible. Effective communication for interacting with children and adults alike and the ability and desire to mentor and work collaboratively with co-workers is key. Must meet federal and state health and safety standard and maintain credentials for Childcare (CPR, and first aid, HIV, CPS Training, pass TB test). Minimum Qualification: Reflective id: 30 STARS Certification

Preferred Qualifications: B.A. degree in early childhood Education or related field. Experience volunteering or working in a multi-cultural environment with various educational backgrounds. Bicultural/bilingual in Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, French. Omoro, Amharic, Eritrean, Somali, or Tigrinya.

To Apply: Visit our employment page at ReWA.org

(APOP from 5) out in 2010 and we had to put up with M. Night Shymalan being a sellout and a bunch of white people playing characters that were originally written based on East Asian and Inuit people. It’s like, wow, we are getting old and we will all die one day. Well, there’s a new version of “Avatar” coming! It’s in production right now! I think! Its showrunner is Albert Kim, and its cast includes zero white people, as far as I can tell. Aang will be played by Gordon Cormier (Filipinx), Katara is played by Kiawentiio Tarbell (Indigneous, Mohawk), Sokka is played by Ian Ousley (Indigneous, Cherokee), Prince Zuko is played by Dallas Liu (Chinese and Indonesian), and Firelord Ozai will be played by Daniel Dae Kim (Korean).

KAL PENN RELEASES MEMOIR, ANNOUNCES ENGAGEMENT TO PARTNER OF 11 YEARS In his memoir “You Can’t be Serious,” Kal Penn recounts stories of his really interesting life, from his acting career to

(VALENCIA from 6) Las Vegas police statement and said Nathan Valencia’s parents were not granting additional interviews. “Every precaution that could have been taken seems to have been thrown to the wayside,” Lasso told AP. “There’s no reason college students should be pitted against each where one of them is likely to be substantially injured as a result.” UNLV President Keith Whitfield said in a Nov. 26 statement that the campus mourned Valencia’s death and administrators planned “to review the incident and determine how

what it was like growing up South Asian to being an associate director of public engagement and intergovernmental affairs during the Obama administration. He also low-key drops the fact that he’s engaged to his partner of 11 years! Penn shares how he got with his partner, Josh, in his book. Apparently, Josh showed up to their first date with Coors Light and started watching Nascar on Penn’s TV. Penn was like WTF? And felt it was clear it wasn’t a good match. But then fast forward a couple months, and the both of them are spending weekends watching cars go around in circles over and over again. And 11 years later, they are negotiating whether or not to have a “bigass Indian wedding” or a small and private affair with just immediate family. I know I have no say in their relationship at all, but my vote is for bigass Indian wedding!

NICOLE KANG IS POISON IVY IN “BATWOMAN” SERIES The last time we saw a live-action Poison Ivy was when Uma Thurman played her in 1997’s critically panned “Batman and Robin.” And I don’t remember much about that movie, other than it being awful. So I

off-campus events like these can be as safe as possible.” A memorial vigil was held on Nov. 27, on what would have been Valencia’s birthday. The boxing event took place off-campus at the Sahara Event Center, a multi-use venue in Las Vegas. It was promoted by UNLV’s Kappa Sigma Fraternity. A weigh-in of boxers occurred on campus two days before the event. Kappa Sigma and Sahara Event Center representatives offered condolences to Valencia’s family and the university community but declined to comment about the investigation. 

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Mail to: NW Asian Weekly 412 Maynard Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98104 or call 206-223-0623

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just Googled Poison Ivy the character and this is what I learned: She’s a villain. She’s a villain because she loves plants more than people and wants to protect the environment. She is very smart and grew up with emotionally distant parents. She was ‘seduced’ by her professor, who injects her with poisons and toxins that turned her into Poison Ivy and drove her ‘insane.’ Yeah, clearly this lady sucks and is not a victim of predatory men at all. A 2.0 version of this character will be featured in the CW’s “Batwoman” series, and will be played by Nicole Kang, who is already on the show. Promo photos of this character have been released, and she looks awesome. Here’s hoping Kang’s version of this character isn’t randomly villainized for believing in climate change. We get enough of that IRL.

MIYAZAKI COMES OUT OF RETIREMENT TO DAZZLE AND BREAK OUR HEARTS AGAIN, HOPEFULLY Hayao Miyazaki’s last feature was 2013’s “The Wind Rises,” after which he announced that he was retiring due to age.

In case you’re only familiar with Miyazaki as the creator of the best animated films ever, ever, ever, ever—you should also know about all the f*cks he doesn’t give. He’s been a vocal critic of the animation industry, of Japan’s Prime Minister and military aggression, the U.S. involvement in the Iraq War—and he wants Japan to apologize to Korea and China for all the imperialist crap Japan has done to the people of those countries. Like, this guy is such a BAMF, you cannot even understand. And when asked why he was coming out of retirement at age 80 to direct a new film with Studio Ghibli, he told the New York Times: “Because I wanted to.” Because he wanted to! His new film is based on a 1937 Japanese novel by Genzaburo Yoshino, “How Do You Live?” It’s about a 15-year-old boy coping with his father’s recent death. Oh my God, just take my heartbreak already, man. Ugh. It’s gonna hurt so good. Can’t wait. But I will have to. There’s no release date. It will come out when he’s ready for it to, duh.  Stacy Nguyen can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 4

DECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 10, 2021

YOUR VOICE (HSU from 3) would still be sitting in arbitrary detention in China.” A U.S. official knowledgeable about the administration’s talks with Beijing told the AP that Hsu was not a “deliverable” for the Biden-Xi meeting and that what looked to some like a prisoner exchange was rather the product of long— and continuing—efforts to get Beijing to live up to its international obligations. The official wasn’t authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said he wasn’t clear on the details of Hsu’s case, but that China handled such matters according to established rules. “I would like to emphasize that all are equal under the law and the relevant Chinese organs handle such matters in accordance with the law and regulations,” Zhao said at a daily briefing on Nov. 24. “In the carrying out of such duties, there is no tolerance for interference, slander, or distortion.” Hsu told the AP he had been effectively held hostage by Chinese authorities seeking to convince his father to return to China and face justice for allegedly embezzling roughly $63,000 over 20 years ago. Hsu’s father said he is innocent and the target of a political vendetta. Under Chinese law, authorities have broad discretion

asianweekly northwest

Hsu told the AP he had been effectively held hostage by Chinese authorities seeking to convince his father to return to China and face justice for allegedly embezzling roughly $63,000 over 20 years ago. Hsu’s father said he is innocent and the target of a political vendetta.

to block Chinese citizens and foreign nationals from leaving the country. The U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K. have issued advisories warning people they can be prevented from leaving China arbitrarily. Hsu’s is not the first case of hostage diplomacy involving China. Hours after Canada released Meng Wanzhou—a powerful executive at Chinese tech giant Huawei who had faced a U.S. extradition request on charges of fraud—Beijing freed two Canadians detained in China on national security charges. China’s Foreign Ministry downplayed any connection with Meng’s case. The next day, two American siblings who— like Hsu—had been blocked from leaving China for years returned to the United States. Hsu’s luck didn’t change until the weeks leading up to the November video conference. Hsu said he got a call from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on the afternoon of Nov. 11. He was instructed to get to Guangzhou,

a southern Chinese megacity about 900 miles from his apartment in Shanghai, in time for a charter flight home early that Sunday morning. He went to see his 103-yearold grandmother. She cried when he told her he was leaving. “I could tell she was wondering if she’d see me again,” he said. Hsu never told his grandmother about his exit ban because he worried for her health. He never told her that he had been held for six months in solitary confinement, under constant surveillance, with lights that never went off. Or that his wife—also innocent of any crime—had also been blocked from leaving China until last year, for reasons that were never clear to them. As a consequence, their teenage daughter was effectively orphaned in Seattle for nearly three years. Sunday morning, Nov. 14, dawned in Guangzhou with a glorious blue sky. At the airport, Hsu walked across the tarmac toward a waiting Gulfstream 5 jet.

Hsu said he saw seven people disembark, though he didn’t know who they were. Only one—Xu Guojun, a former Chinese bank executive—was in handcuffs. China called Xu’s return a “major achievement” in China’s global anti-corruption fight. A federal court in Las Vegas had convicted the former Bank of China manager on conspiracy charges and he spent nearly 13 years in U.S. prison, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Two other returnees—Zhang Yujing and Lu Jing—tried to enter Mar-a-Lago in 2019. Another two—Wang Yuhao and Zhang Jielun—illegally photographed a naval air station in 2020. The final pair—Sun Yong and Tang Junliang—were convicted of financial crimes, according to DHS and Justice Department records. And then it was Hsu’s turn. He walked up 10 boarding stairs with a single suitcase and one carry-on. “That was really a relief,” Hsu

said. “I took a deep breath when I sat down in my chair.” Thanksgiving this year was a massive improvement on the holiday four years ago, which Hsu said he celebrated in solitary confinement in Hefei, where he managed to convince his minders to bring him a special meal of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Hsu spent the six-hour flight from Guangzhou to Guam reading “Dune” in Mandarin, playing video games, and chatting with a half dozen Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Then there was a three-hour layover in Guam, a seven-hour flight to Honolulu, a 24-hour layover in Hawaii, and a five-and-a-halfhour flight to Phoenix. In Phoenix, he switched to a commercial flight, which was delayed by nearly three hours. As Biden and Xi spoke of the need to avoid conflict, Hsu paced the airport, exhausted and aimless. “I tried to read a book or read something on my phone, I just can’t,” Hsu said. “I couldn’t focus on anything. I couldn’t wait to see my wife.” Finally, around 10 p.m., Hsu touched down in Seattle. A representative from the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs was waiting for him. So was his wife, Jodie Chen. “I just held her and gave her a hug,” Hsu said. “A very big one, very tight.” “Welcome home,” Chen said. 

PREPARE FOR WINTER WEATHER Help your neighbors. Stay warm. Prepare for cold weather. Get snow removal supplies. Prepare your first aid & emergency supplies. Learn the plowed routes. Be aware of the weather forecast. Learn more at seattle.gov/winterweather

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(COVID from 1) It uses privacy-preserving technology jointly developed by Google and Apple, with technical assistance and evaluation by the University of Washington. “If another WA Notify user you’ve been near in the last two weeks later tests positive for COVID-19 and follows the steps to anonymously notify others, you’ll get a notification on your phone that you’ve had a possible exposure,” said Bryant Thomas Karras M.D., Chief Informatics Officer at the Department of Health. “You only receive a notification if there is an exposure. So, no news is good news.”

39 YEARS

DECEMBER 4 – DECEMBER 10, 2021

Everyone who receives an exposure notification is provided guidance about what to do next based on their vaccination status and whether or not they are experiencing symptoms. This guidance is updated to align with current DOH guidance. Notifications do not contain any information about who tested positive or where the exposure may have happened. WA Notify can be enabled in iPhone settings (iPhone 5s or newer using iOS 12.5 or higher) or downloaded as an app from the Google Play Store for Android phones. Users can opt out at any time. WA Notify is available in more than 30 languages so as many Washington res-

(TWITTER from 1) of someone who will focus on ushering Twitter into what’s widely seen as the internet’s next era—the metaverse Agrawal is a ‘safe’ pick who should be looked upon favorably by investors,” wrote CFRA Research analyst Angelo Zino, who noted that Twitter shareholder Elliott Management Corp. had pressured Dorsey to step down. Elliott released a statement on Nov. 29 saying Agrawal and new board chairman Bret Taylor were the “right leaders for Twitter at this pivotal moment for the company.” Taylor is president and chief operating officer of the business software company Salesforce. Agrawal, whose name is pronounced (PUH-rag AH-gur-wahl), joins a growing cadre of Indian American CEOs of large tech companies, including Sundar Pichai of Google parent Alphabet, Microsoft’s

idents as possible can access this tool. “We are so proud of how quickly people in Washington adopted this valuable tool,” said Shah. “If you haven’t activated WA Notify yet, please consider doing so. It’s one more way to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our community from COVID-19.” To learn more, visit WANotify.org. This health series is made possible by funding from the Washington State Department of Health, which has no editorial input or oversight of this content.

Satya Nadella, and IBM’s Arvind Krishna. He joined San Francisco-based Twitter in 2011, when it had just 1,000 employees, and has been its chief technical officer since 2017. At the end of last year, the company had a workforce of 5,500. Agrawal previously worked at Microsoft, Yahoo, and AT&T in research roles. At Twitter, he’s worked on machine learning, revenue and consumer engineering and helping with audience growth. He studied at Stanford and the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. While Twitter has high-profile users like politicians and celebrities and is a favorite of journalists, its user base lags far behind old rivals like Facebook and YouTube and newer ones like TikTok. It has just over 200 million daily active users, a common industry metric. As CEO, Agrawal has to step beyond the technical details and deal with the

(COMCAST from 1) access to the digital tools and funding they need to thrive. Some of the AAPI businesses that will receive a $10,000 grant include: Kamonegi, Loak Toung Thai, Maneki, Chang Thai, Savor Seattle Food Tours, Sip Thai Bistro, Mi La Cay, Nhop Nhep, Viet-Wah, Pho V&V, and Bellden Café. Additional small businesses will receive marketing or technology support, such as a TV campaign, production of a TV commercial or consulting services from Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, or computer equipment, internet, voice, or cybersecurity services from Comcast Business.

In the year since its inception, Comcast RISE has awarded more than $11 million in grants and $50 million in in-kind support for marketing and technology services, impacting more than 6,700 entrepreneurs of color in 432 cities across 34 states. By the end of 2022, 13,000 businesses across the country are expected to benefit from the Comcast RISE initiative, either through the grant program or from the resources provided through Effectv and Comcast Business.  More information and the applications to apply for either the grant program or marketing and technology services are available at www.ComcastRISE. com.

As CEO, Agrawal has to step beyond the technical details and deal with the social and political issues Twitter and social media are struggling with. Those include misinformation, abuse and effects on mental health. social and political issues Twitter and social media are struggling with. Those include misinformation, abuse and effects on mental health. Agrawal got a fast introduction to life as CEO of a high-profile company that’s one of the central platforms for political speech online. Conservatives quickly unearthed a tweet he sent in 2010 that read “If they are not gonna make a distinction between muslims and extremists, then

why should I distinguish between white people and racists.” As some Twitter users pointed out, the 11-year-old tweet was quoting a segment on “The Daily Show,” which was referencing the firing of Juan Williams, who made a comment about being nervous about Muslims on an airplane. Twitter did not immediately respond to a message for comment on the tweet. 

AAPI Unity Celebration for Mayor-Elect Bruce Harrell Friday, December 10, 2021, 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM Joyale Seafood Restaurant, 900 So. Jackson, Seattle, WA 98104 Tickets: $45 per person

Tickets SOLD OUT

REGISTER: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aapi-unity-celebrationfor-mayor-elect-bruce-harrell-tickets-212057789557 must register no later than Dec. 7th

Parking in garage is limited; public transportation or carpooling strongly suggested / Festive or ethnic attire / COVID-19 Protocols: Vaccination cards or negative COVID test within 72 hours, fully masked during event

All are invited to celebrate Seattle Mayor-Elect Bruce Harrell, our first Asian American and second Black mayor!

Organizing Committee: Tomio Moriguchi, David Della, James Wong, Elaine Ikoma Ko, Misa Murohashi, Cindy Li, Tony Au

Sponsors: Uwajimaya, Vibrant Cities, Puget Sound Energy, Amazon, Chase Bank, NW Asian Weekly Foundation, North American Post, Le Brothers, DA LI Development USA, Viet Wah, HomeStreet Bank Labor donated

Questions? Email: cli@vibrantcities.com