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VOL 41 NO 10 MARCH 5 – MARCH 11, 2022
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New ISRD board tackles Jasmine saga By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Image from Otak Design Team
SEATTLE — The fifth International Special Review District (ISRD) board meeting—about the Jasmine project on 614 Maynard Avenue South—appeared to move the project forward. Though no formal action or final vote was made at the Feb. 22 Zoom meeting—which lasted nearly three hours—the majority of the board said they agree with the project vision and that they support the community room proposal on the first and second floors. Jasmine—a project by Vibrant Cities—is a proposed 17-story building at the site of the historic, and now vacated, Bush Garden Restaurant. Bush Garden will relocate to a new building within the Chinatown-International see ISRD on 16
Artist rendering of the proposed Jasmine tower (middle)
King County youth discuss various advocacy avenues at community event By Kimmy Li NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Young Asian small business owners and creatives gathered in early February at Pass the Mic, an Asian Counseling and Referral Services (ACRS) youth forum event, to discuss with other youth in attendance how they have used their creative outlets to promote social justice in their communities. The event was organized by the Civic Engagement Youth Organizing Team as a space open
to all King County youth to voice their thoughts and deliberate important issues and changes they would like to see as a collective community. “Protesting and lobbying are super valid forms of civic engagement, but so is creating, right?” said Mimi To, a team member of the ACRS Youth Team. “The intention behind Pass the Mic was to show that activism doesn’t take one form.” Student speakers were invited see ACRS on 15 Tianna Andresen wears one of her bucket hats that she created for Barkada Baby.
Joël Barraquiel Tan
Social justice advocate and nonprofit executive Joël Barraquiel Tan has been hired as the new executive director of the Wing Luke Museum, capping a yearlong national search led by Wing Luke board of directors co-presidents Ellen Ferguson and Jill Nishi, who also co-chaired the search committee. The job was promoted with a salary range of $155,000 to $180,000. Barraquiel Tan becomes the first queer director, first foreign-born, and first director of Filipino descent to lead the museum in its 54-year history. Barraquiel Tan, who will be moving from Hawaii, will attend the Wing Luke’s gala on March 13 at the Sheraton Grand Seattle. His first day on the job will be April 15. “Why would I want to leave one of the most beautiful places on the planet for this job?” see WING LUKE on 16
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s son dies Microsoft Corp. told its executive staff in an email this week that Zain Nadella, son of Chief Executive Officer Satya, died on Feb. 28. He was 26 years old and had been born with cerebral palsy. Last year, Seattle’s Children’s Hospital, where Zain received much of his treatment, joined with Nadella and his wife Anu to establish the Zain Nadella Endowed Chair in
Pediatric Neurosciences, as part of Seattle Children’s Center for Integrative Brain Research. “Zain will be remembered for his eclectic taste in music, his bright sunny smile and the immense joy he brought to his family and all those who loved him,” Jeff Sperring, CEO of Children’s Hospital, wrote in a message to his Board, which was shared with Microsoft executives.
Seattle Children’s Hospital
By Chris S. Nishiwaki NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
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Photo from Tianna Andresen
Joël Barraquiel Tan joins Wing Luke as executive director
Zain Nadella with sister, Tara.
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