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VOL 38 NO 3 JANUARY 12 – JANUARY 18, 2019
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37 YEARS YOUR VOICE
Brokering a deal with success
Harrell won’t seek reelection By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Photo by Janice Nesamani
Seattle City Council President Bruce Harrell announced on Jan. 8 that he won’t seek reelection when his term expires at the end of 2019. Harrell was first elected to City Council in 2007, and will have served three total terms when he steps down this year.
Mei Young in her office
By Janice Nesamani NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY A quest for better education brought Mei Young to the United States. Since then, she seized every opportunity and worked hard to build a powerful real estate firm on Seattle’s Eastside, employing 25 agents. MY International is a boutique enterprise that deals in high-end residential and commercial properties and is now entering new construction.
Humble beginnings
Mei Young was a native of Chongqing, a populous city on the Yangtze river in Southwest China. “My father was a devoted Communist party member, who worked for the Chinese revenue service and my mother a housewife. That meant a strict upbringing, a focus on education, and discipline for me and my siblings,” Young said.
Photo by Hollywood Foreign Press Association
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The Golden Globes have long had a reputation for being Hollywood’s most rollicking awards show, but Jan. 6’s proceedings began with a tender moment of reflection amid the romp and the revelry. “I said yes to the fear of being on this stage tonight because I wanted to be here, to look out onto this audience and witness this moment of change,” the Killing Eve star Sandra Oh said as she closed out the opening monologue alongside her co-host, the comedian Andy Samberg. The first person of Asian descent ever to host the Globes, Oh also shouted out the earning power of Crazy Rich Asians, joked about Asian moms being difficult to impress, and directed the cameras to focus on her own (beaming) mother in
■
see HARRELL on 6
Police review video of fatal New Year’s Eve shooting
see YOUNG on 12
Sandra Oh hosts and also wins at the Golden Globes
After winning the category of BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA for her role in “Killing Eve,” actress Sandra Oh poses backstage in the press room with her Golden Globe Award.
Bruce Harrell
see GOLDEN GLOBES on 14
Iosia Faletogo
SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle police say they have recovered and are reviewing video of the New Year’s Eve shooting death by a Seattle police officer of a Samoan man who officers say pulled a gun following a traffic stop. His longtime girlfriend identified the victim as 36-year-old Iosia Faletogo. She said the couple have two young sons. A Seattle Police Force Investigation see FALETOGO on 13
SPORTS » 7
BLOG » 10 HALL OF FAME/SHAME »9
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37 YEARS
JANUARY 12 – JANUARY 18, 2019
■ COMMUNITY NEWS
Free waterfront shuttle extended hours By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Nora Chan (2nd from right) sent this message, “Our great appreciation to Downtown Seattle Association, WSDOT, Commute Seattle and waterfront stakeholders for our brand new connection from Chinatown to the water front!”
Seattle and the Downtown Seattle Association. It is part of the Alaskan Way Viaduct Parking Mitigation Program, designed to compensate for navigation difficulties during waterfront construction, State Route 99 tunnel construction, and viaduct demolition.
With the Alaskan Way Viaduct’s permanent closure, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced earlier this month that the Free Waterfront Shuttle, which offers two routes linking the downtown core, Pioneer Square Seattle and Seattle’s historic waterfront — will expand to better serve morning commuters. The north-south loop will begin operations at 6 a.m. on weekdays. Hours still start at 10 a.m. on weekends (and every day for the east loop). Three lines intersect near the Aquarium. The north-south loop connects Chinatown-International District, Link Station, King Street Station, Ferry Terminal, and Seattle Center to different locations along the waterfront. The free shuttle service began last summer — brought to you by the WSDOT-funded DowntownSeattleParking.com and managed by Commute
For more information, route maps and real-time arrivals visit downtownseattlepark ing.com/ shuttle. Staff can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
Open to all seniors who need a little assistance. Every day is a celebration of peace and harmony. Enjoy a unique community with distinctive amenities, activities and Asian cuisine, that enrich residents’ lives. Families are happy they have entrusted their loved ones to the compassionate care staff at Aegis Gardens. “From the first moment we walked through the door the management and staff has been supportive, caring and compassionate. They have gone above and beyond to make sure my mother-in-law feels welcome and cared for. They treat her like family.... It’s obvious that the devoted management and staff genuinely care for the residents (and family). Thanks to everyone for making this place special.” — Susan
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asianweekly northwest
YOUR VOICE
■ COMMUNITY NEWS
JANUARY 12 – JANUARY 18, 2019
3
Jiu-jitsu move may be lifesaver for trauma victims
“Knee mount” maneuver reduces blood-flow velocity in major arteries, pilot test shows
A martial-arts maneuver can reduce blood loss in someone who has sustained a significant wound, suggests a small, proof-of-concept study. The findings were published Jan. 6 in Emergency Medicine Journal. The lead author was Nathan White, an associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine in Seattle. It was White who, while being subdued in a jiu-jitsu training class, recognized that the pressure being applied to his abdomen might decrease blood flow to his legs. The maneuver, called “knee mount,” “knee-ride,” or “knee on belly,” is used to pin an opponent to the ground. “This mirrors the effect of devices we’re using to rescue trauma patients who are bleeding badly from the pelvis or legs,” White said, identifying two such devices: an inflatable balloon threaded into the aorta via catheter and a belt-like abdominal tourniquet with an inflatable bladder to increase compression. White wanted to test the knee-mount’s efficacy for reducing blood flow at the abdomen, shoulder, and groin (along the inguinal ligament, not compressing genitals, he clarified). Two UW undergrads, a man and woman, were recruited to first learn and then repeatedly apply the knee mount to 11 healthy adult subjects: nine men, two women. Ultrasound technology measured mean arterial blood flow velocity (centimeters per second) in the brachial and femoral arteries, before and after compression. At each vascular compression point, the technique significantly decreased blood flow velocity from the baseline measure: Shoulder (measured brachial artery): 97.5 percent average reduction; achieved total occlusion (100 percent
Dr. Nathan White demos a knee-mount on the mock victim's shoulder, which slowed blood flow to the arm. (Photo by Randy Carnell)
blockage of blood flow) 73 percent of time Groin (measured femoral artery): 78 percent average reduction; achieved total occlusion 55 percent of time Abdomen (measured femoral artery): 35 percent average
Spokane Valley company to open factory in Vietnam SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. (AP) — A Spokane Valley company will open a factory in Vietnam as a hedge against any future trade dispute between the United States and China. Key Tronic Corp. produces electronics for other companies at factories in the United States, China, and Mexico. The Spokesman-Review reported on Jan. 2 that more of the company’s electronic components made in China and eventually sold in the United States are
subject to tariffs, because of the Trump administration’s trade policies. The new factory will allow Key Tronic to shift some of its production from China to Vietnam, reducing manufacturing costs and avoiding some tariffs. Key Tronic plans to open the new factory in July. Key Tronic employs about 5,500 people worldwide, including 250 at its Spokane Valley headquarters.
Blue C Sushi closes all locations By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Eater magazine reports that Seattlebased sushi chain Blue C Sushi laid off all its staff in an email sent over the weekend, announcing the closure of all locations. In the email, Madison Holdings, Inc., the company that owns Blue C, cited, “unexpected financial and other circumstances.”
An email from a Blue C employee to Eater said that the termination email was sent at 10:45 p.m. on Jan. 6, almost two hours after the restaurants closed. The employee said that not even the manager on duty knew. It’s unclear how many employees are affected by the sudden shutter, but it’s likely in the hundreds — on LinkedIn, Madison Holdings is listed as having between 200 and 500 employees.
reduction; achieved total occlusion 9 percent of time “With slight modifications to the jiu-jitsu maneuver, this technique achieved an average of 70 percent reduction of blood flow across the three locations, which we think is significant,” White said. White is an emergency medicine physician at Harborview Medical Center, the Pacific Northwest’s busiest trauma center. He is well acquainted with the national “Stop the Bleed” effort to educate community members about how to aid victims in mass-casualty events. Citizen participants are taught how to apply a tourniquet. “It’s great that people want to know how to save lives,” White said. “But the problem is that most people don’t carry tourniquets with them. Why not just drop a knee onto a vascular pressure point to slow or stop the bleeding?” Previous research has shown that a tourniquet takes 60 to 87 seconds to apply. White’s study of blood flow velocity indicates that one liter of blood can be lost every minute from a femoral artery. “In any of these life-saving courses to stop bleeding, they teach you to compress a wound with your hands. But studies have shown that people fatigue while applying pressure for, say, three or four minutes until paramedics arrive. The knee ride uses your full body weight, so we think it delivers more pressure with less chance of fatigue.” If future research validates initial findings, White said, perhaps “Drop the Knee” could complement the “Stop the Bleed” instruction.
Come meet our team and learn how you can get involved! Please join us to meet the AECOM/Aecon team (Federal Way Transit Constructors) and learn about design and construction subcontracting opportunities for the Federal Way Link Extension Design-Build project extending the existing light rail system 7.8Ǧmiles south from the Angle Lake Station in the City of SeaTac to the Federal Way Transit Center (FWTC), including three new stations with aerial facilities at Kent/Des Moines, Star Lake and FWTC and Guideway types including aerial, at-grade and retained cut and fill. Federal Way Transit Constructors S/DBE Outreach Event Project: Sound Transit, Federal Way Link Extension (FWLE) Design-Build Project, RFQ No. RTA/CN 0009-17 When: Wednesday, January 16, 2019 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Where: Federal Way Community Center, 876 333rd Street, Federal Way, WA 98003 Federal Way Transit Constructors is committed to the local community and will actively engage, identify and support training for potential small business firms and workers to participate on this project in a significant way. Our members have successfully implemented disadvantaged and small business programs that meet and exceed project goals and develop meaningful participation for local Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) and small businesses. Our team will reach out to local small and disadvantaged businesses to augment its self-performance capacity and utilize local and specialty subcontractors for a variety of tasks. To submit qualifications or expressions of interest, please visit: www.federalwaytransitconstructors.com or call Natasha Inglis at (925) 202-3291 or natasha.inglis@aecom.com An Equal Opportunity Employer
asianweekly northwest
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JANUARY 12 – JANUARY 18, 2019
37 YEARS
■ WORLD NEWS
Malaysia’s king abdicates in unexpected and rare move KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian King Sultan Muhammad V abdicated on Jan. 6 in an unexpected move, after just two years on the throne. The palace said in a statement that the 49-year-old ruler had resigned as Malaysia’s 15th king with immediate effect, cutting short his five-year term. No reason was given in the statement. It marked the first abdication in the nation’s history. Sultan Muhammad V, ruler of northeast Kelantan state, took his oath of office in December 2016, becoming one of Malaysia’s youngest constitutional monarchs. He is said to have married a 25-year-old former Russian beauty queen in November while on a two-month medical leave. Reports in Russian and British media and on social media featured pictures of the wedding, which reportedly took place in Moscow. Neither the sultan, the palace nor the government
Malaysian King Sultan Muhammad V
had officially confirmed the wedding. Speculation that Sultan Muhammad V would step down emerged this past week, shortly after he returned from his leave, but Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said that he was unaware of any abdication plans. Under a unique system maintained since Malaysia’s independence from Britain in 1957, nine hereditary state rulers take turns as the country’s king for five-year terms. The Council of Rulers is expected to meet soon to pick the next king. The monarch’s role is largely ceremonial, since administrative power is vested in the prime minister and parliament. But the monarch is highly regarded, particularly among the ethnic Malay Muslim majority, as the supreme upholder of Malay tradition.
■ NATIONAL NEWS
California man gets Oregon man who made racists remarks life in prison for murdering in-laws allowed to teach again LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Southern California man has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his in-laws who were visiting from China. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office says 46-year-old Caminero Wang was sentenced on Jan. 2 to life without possibility of parole plus 50 years to life. A jury found Wang guilty of two counts of first-degree murder on Oct. 1. The jury also found true a special
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circumstance allegation of multiple murders and special allegations of using a handgun which caused great bodily injury and death. According to evidence presented in court, victims Shu Zhang and Aiping Diao were slain in Wang’s home. Both victims were 60 years old. Deputy District Attorney Kelsey McKeever-Unger said Wang had previously threatened his wife’s life and the lives of her parents.
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BEND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon teacher who lost his teaching license after state education officials say he used racist nicknames and made derogatory comments toward students has been allowed to teach again. The Bulletin reports the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission issued a new license that allows former BendLa Pine Schools music instructor Jeffrey Simmons to be a substitute teacher. Simmons lost his teaching license in 2013 following an investigation.
State education officials found that Simmons used racist nicknames for students, including calling a student of Asian descent “chopsticks,’’ “potsticker’’ and “cheap Chinese labor.’’ He also made demeaning comments about students’ weight and sexual orientation. The newspaper could not reach Simmons for comment. The commission is imposing four years of probation, requiring Simmons to complete two graduate-level courses on diversity and inclusion.
asianweekly northwest
YOUR VOICE
JANUARY 12 – JANUARY 18, 2019
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■ WORLD NEWS Waning iPhone demand highlights Chinese consumer anxiety By JOE McDONALD AP BUSINESS WRITER BEIJING (AP) — Apple Inc.’s $1,000 iPhone is a tough sell to consumers in China unnerved by an economic slump and the trade war with the U.S. CEO Tim Cook said in a Jan. 2 letter to shareholders that demand for iPhones is waning and revenue for the last quarter of 2018 will fall CEO Tim Cook well below projections, a decrease he traced mainly to China. The iPhone is Apple’s biggest product, accounting for about 60 percent of its revenue in the July-September quarter, the latest reported. Its stock fell 9 percent in morning trading on Jan. 3, wiping out about $67 billion in market value. Apple is the latest company grappling with increasing Chinese consumer anxiety. Other brand names such as Ford Motor Co. and jeweler Tiffany & Co. already have reported abrupt declines in sales to Chinese buyers. China still is one of the fastest-growing economies, with 2018’s expansion forecast at about 6.5 percent. But China’s tariff fight with the U.S. and an avalanche of bad news about tumbling auto and real estate sales are undermining consumer confidence after two decades of almost unbroken rapid growth. “It’s definitely worrying,’’ said China specialist David Dollar, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “Overall, consumption growth is slowing down in China.’’ The Apple news shows how vulnerable many big U.S. companies are to a slowdown in China, especially as the world’s two biggest economies seek to settle a contentious trade dispute. “It’s not going to be just Apple,’’ Kevin Hassett, chairman of the White Council of Economic Advisers, told CNN.
He said many companies have a lot of sales in China and will “be watching their earnings downgraded next year until we get a deal with China. And I think that puts a lot of pressure on China to make a deal.’’ Emily Li, a 37-year-old advertising designer in Beijing, said she is putting off replacing her care or making other major purchases. “People are worried about losing jobs,’’ she said. Weakness in Chinese demand is especially painful for Apple and other smartphone makers. China accounts for one-third of the industry’s global handset shipments. Shipments in China fell 10 percent from a year earlier to 103 million handsets in the quarter ending in September, according to research firm IDC. It expects last year’s total Chinese purchases to shrink by 8 percent to 9 percent compared with 2016. The belt-tightening in the world’s second-largest economy is bedeviling global industries, including autos and designer clothing, that count on China to drive sales growth. The trade war with Washington has shaken a “sense of China’s invincibility,’’ said Mark Natkin, managing director of Marbridge Consulting, a research firm in Beijing. Chinese are waking up to the fact that their economy is vulnerable to the uncertainties of the global economy, he said. The slump is a setback for the ruling Communist Party’s efforts to nurture self-sustaining, consumer-driven economic growth and wean China from its reliance on exports and investment. China’s third-quarter economic growth of 6.5 percent was stronger than most other major economies, but the country’s lowest since the 2008 global crisis. The deceleration partly reflects a deliberate government campaign to rein in China’s high debt levels. At the same time, Beijing has sought to relieve the economic pain with higher government spending. “They’re trying to aim at a very fine target,’’ said Dollar, a former World Bank and U.S. Treasury Department official. “They want to see the economy slow down, but they don’t want to see it slow down too much.’’
China reported last week that factory activity shrank in December for the first time in more than two years. And auto sales in the biggest global market are on track for their first annual decline in three decades after plunging 16 percent in November. Soft real estate sales have forced developers to cut prices. Overall, export growth decelerated to 5.4 percent over a year earlier, less than half October’s 12.6 percent rate. Sales to the U.S. market have held up despite President Donald Trump’s punitive tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods, rising 12.9 percent in November over a year earlier. But that was thanks partly to exporters rushing to beat further American duty increases — a trend that is starting to fade. Apple’s setback also highlights another challenge: increasingly capable Chinese competitors whose products cost less. In smartphones, that includes Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi. Some are priced as low as 500 yuan ($70). Others have beaten the American giant to market with features Chinese users want, such as phones that can use separate carriers for voice and data. That has eroded the iPhone’s cachet and customers’ willingness to pay premium prices. “I think 10,000 yuan ($1,400) for an iPhone is too much,’’ said Vivian Yang, a manager at a Beijing technology company. “Nobody needs such a phone.’’ Yuan Yuan, a 26-year-old employee of a social media company in Beijing, reflects the pressures on urban professionals squeezed by rising living costs and job uncertainty. Yuan said his monthly income fluctuates between 3,000 and 10,000 yuan ($425 and $1,400) and only covers living expenses. As a university student, Yuan had an iPhone paid for by his parents. But once he had to buy his own, he switched to a lower-priced Xiaomi. “I have no plans to buy an apartment, a car or any other major items,’’ Yuan said.
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asianweekly northwest
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JANUARY 12 – JANUARY 18, 2019
37 YEARS
■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR JAN 10
SOUTHEAST ASIA BY SEATTLE FILM FESTIVAL 2018 UW, Thomson Hall Room 101 5-7:30 p.m. Free admission seac@uw.edu SHARON H. CHANG, “HAPA TALES AND OTHER LIES” Third Place Books Seward Park, 5041 Wilson Ave. S., Seattle 7-8:30 p.m. TEACHER’S NIGHT OUT Wing Luke Museum, 719 S. King St., Seattle 5:30-7 p.m. RSVP at https://bit.ly/2QBrLSB
11 ENGLISH LUNCHEON WITH DR. BEIJING MEN, “SUBLINGUAL DIAGNOSIS AND YOUR HEALTH” China Harbor Restaurant, 2040 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. seattlechinesechamber.org
12 2019 KUMAMOTO KENJIN KAI NEW YEAR PARTY 3001 24th Ave. S., Seattle
11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
FILM SCREENING, “ALLEGIANCE” Nisei Vets Hall, 1212 S. King St., Seattle 4-7 p.m.
13 DOCUMENTARY SCREENING, “HOUSES FOR PEACE: EXPLORING THE LEGACY OF FLOYD SCHMOE” University of Washington, Kane Hall 120 2 p.m. aes@uw.edu STREET A POP UP Dynasty Room, 714 S. King St., Seattle 5-9 p.m.
14 APA LEGISLATIVE DAY COMMUNITY BRIEFING ACRS, 3639 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S., Seattle 5:30-7:30 p.m.
17 COCKTAILS & KARAOKE FOR THE SEATTLE ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL Kona Kitchen, 8501 5th Ave. N.E., Seattle 7-11 p.m.
HARRELL from 1 He also served as acting mayor in September 2017, after then-mayor Ed Murray stepped down amid allegations of sexual abuse.
CITY OF SEATTLE UNITY DAY CELEBRATING REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Ave., Seattle 7 p.m.
Alaskan Way, Pier 59, Seattle seattleaquarium.org
$175/ticket nikkeiconcerns.ejoinme.org
23
7-17
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THE ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER COALITION WILL HOST ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LOBBY DAY Washington State Capitol, Olympia 10 a.m.-3 p.m. apicwa@gmail.com 206-695-7582
“140 LBS. — HOW BEAUTY KILLED MY MOTHER” BY SUSAN LIEU Theatre Off Jackson, 409 7th Ave. S., Seattle 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. Tickets at https:// theatreoffjackson.org/ event/4778/140-lbs
26 & 27
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TET IN SEATTLE Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St., Seattle 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
CHIBI CHIBI CON 2019 The Evergreen State College, 2700 Evergreen Parkway NW, Olympia 12 p.m.
SEATTLE COLLEGES PRESENTS 46TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY CELEBRATION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. Mount Zion Baptist Church, 1634 19th Ave., Seattle 12-1:30 p.m. RSVP at https:// go.seattlecolleges.edu/form/ MLK
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27
MIRAI - SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS Uptown Cinemas, 511 Queen Anne Ave. N., Seattle 11 a.m.-1 p.m. siff.net TIMELESS TAIWAN: TRAIN TO FORMOSA Husky Union Building, 4001 E. Stevens Way N.E., Seattle 3-8 p.m.
19-21
FUKUOKA KENJINKAI HOSTS 2019 MOCHITSUKI Japanese Cultural & Community Center, 1414 S. Weller St., Seattle 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
FEB 2
“HONU BY THE SEA” PERFORMS AT SEATTLE AQUARIUM’S HAWAII WEEKEND Seattle Aquarium, 1483
KEIRO NORTHWEST’S 3RD ANNUAL LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION Hyatt Regency Lake Washington
“I have been honored to serve the people of Seattle and thank the many community partners, city employees, organizations, family and friends who began this journey with me in 2007, and have worked with me to make our city better,” Harrell said in a news release.
LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION, “YEAR OF THE PIG” Hing Hay Park, 423 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 52ND ANNUAL LUNAR NEW YEAR GALA University of Washington 5:30-9:30 p.m. NWAW & SCP PRESENTS 10TH ANNUAL LUNAR NEW YEAR COSTUME CONTEST Two contests to enter: Pig Mask and Costume Contest Northwest Asian Weekly office, 412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle 11 a.m. Contests for everyone. No age limit.
On Jan. 7, community organizer Tammy Morales announced she would be going after Harrell’s seat. She also ran against Harrell in 2015, losing by only 344 votes.
View the solution on page 14
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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 info@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com
asianweekly northwest
YOUR VOICE
JANUARY 12 – JANUARY 18, 2019
■ SPORTS
7
The Layup Drill
By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Welcome to another edition of The Layup Drill. It’s 2019 and we hope to be covering more sports featuring Asian athletes.
Mariners sign Japanese star pitcher The 2019 Seattle Mariners will look much different than last year’s team, which came close to making the playoffs. The team traded away or did not sign a lot of its stars we have come to know over the past couple years, including James Paxton, Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz, and Nelson Cruz. The Mariners have adopted a strategy of attempting to trade away stars with heavy contracts in favor of younger, promising talent. The only problem with this is that it ensures the team will be taking a step back from winning and a shot at the playoffs. On New Year’s Eve, Mariners fans were given a glimmer of hope, or at least someone to watch next season, as the team reached a deal with Yusei Kikuchi. The 27-year-old left-handed pitcher looks to be the central focus of a pitching group looking for a leader after Paxton was traded to the New York Yankees. Kikuchi played 8 seasons in Japan for the Seibu Lions, where he was the 2017 runner-up for the Sawamura Award, the Japanese equivalent to the Major League Baseball’s Cy Young Award, the distinction going to the league’s best pitcher. With the Mariners predicted to not compete for the playoffs in the next two years, Kikuchi seems like a pitcher that Seattle will look to grow with and possibly be a player to promote. Kikuchi is not projected as high of a prospect as last year’s Shohei Ohtani, whom the M’s courted. He eventually chose the Los Angeles Angels instead of Seattle. Yet, Kikuchi could turn out to be a solid pitcher like Hisashi Iwakuma. At his introductory press conference, Kikuchi spoke in English to the assembled media, a rarity with past Japanese stars playing for the Mariners. “Hi everyone, my name is Yusei Kikuchi of the Seattle Mariners,” he said, starting off the press conference. Kikuchi had worked on his English and although he had an interpreter there to translate questions, it was clear he understood what was being said. He explained that he dreamed of playing in Major League Baseball since he was 15 years old, and
Yusei Kikuchi
he thanked his Japanese team for allowing him to come to America to play. Kikuchi signed a four-year contract with an option to extend to seven years. If nothing else, he is someone to watch during a season projected to be a downer.
Gonzaga’s Hachimura projected to be a top NBA pick When Rui Hachimura got to Spokane, Wash. to play college basketball for Gonzaga, he did not speak much English. His mother is Japanese and his father Rui Hachimura is from Benin. He grew up in Japan playing basketball and baseball. In April 2015, he signed on to play for Gonzaga and was considered one of the best international players to go play in college. He became just the fifth Japanese-born male to play NCAA Men’s Basketball. Hachimura adapted with the help of his teammates. He figured out American slang with the help of rap lyrics from songs played in the locker room. In classes, he learned to play charades with his professors to communicate. Yet, he had trouble with the language barrier, when coaches tried to communicate offensive plays and defensive strategies, which presented a big hurdle. He did not play in the 2017 National Championship Game when the Bulldogs played North Carolina.
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Gonzaga fell to the Tar Heels that day. As a result, Hachimura made a diligent effort to learn English. He attempted to speak English at every chance, waiving off the opportunities to speak in his native language. He also used Netflix as an unofficial way to learn the English language. After his first year at Gonzaga, Hachimura transformed from a reserved person of few words to being more outgoing, as he gained confidence in his English. The newfound confidence translated to
more time on the court, where he showed his ability. Hachimura has been a breakout star this season and figures to be a top pick in this June’s NBA Draft. If picked this spring, he would be one of a handful of Japanese players to play in the NBA and the only one to be drafted by an NBA team. His best performance this season came when Gonzaga defeated then #1 team in the nation, Duke, at the Maui Invitational in Hawaii last November. Hachimura was the top performer in one of the biggest games of the young season and overshadowed a Duke team sprinkled with other projected top NBA draft prospects. He scored 20 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, as the Bulldogs beat the Blue Devils 89-87. In early December, Hachimura sunk a last-minute jumper to end a University of Washington upset bid at Gonzaga, 81-79. Hachimura is the central figure of Gonzaga’s offense, as he’s averaging 21 points a game. Since his troubled freshman year where he averaged just 4 minutes a game, Hachimura is averaging 30 as a junior. After playing for the Zags this season, and likely declaring to forego his last season to play in the NBA, Hachimura has more basketball to play. He is a part of the Japanese national team, as it attempts to make a bid to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics, which will take place in Tokyo. Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
asianweekly northwest
8
37 YEARS
JANUARY 12 – JANUARY 18, 2019
■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Upcoming Paper Tigers film represents local API community By Jessica Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Photo credit to Al’n Duong.
There may be debates as to how to keep the momentum going after the success of the Crazy Rich Asians movie. What is not up for debate is that to encourage equal representation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (APIs) in Hollywood, the momentum must continue. The Paper Tigers, slated to shoot in 2019, intends to further propel the movement by representing the local and international API community in a tribute to kung fu and Seattle. “There’s no other project like The Paper Tigers, especially in Seattle,” says one of the film’s producers, Al’n Duong. “We want to make our hometown proud, but we need their support.”
Photo credit to Gianna Isabella.
Director Tran and action director Ken Quitugua run through an action sequence in Seattle’s Canton Alley.
Director Tran and producer Duong presenting the proof of concept trailer at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
Making an independent film is not easy. Particularly if, rather than being a Hollywood formula, your film has heart and soul and represents a minority population. In 2018, The Paper Tigers’ team ran a Kickstarter campaign — one of the most successful film Kickstarters in Seattle history — for which the film’s creators are thankful. “To me, Kickstarter was a public sign that we have people that are supporting and came out and showed up for it,” writer and director Bao Tran said. “That was the
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biggest inspiration.” The film’s proof of concept was also presented at Cannes Frontières Platform, demonstrating international appeal. Yet more is needed.
Why support The Paper Tigers?
First, it’s local and it’s API. Several members of the film’s team call Seattle home. Writer Tran, a child of Vietnamese see TRAN on 11
asianweekly northwest
YOUR VOICE
JANUARY 12 – JANUARY 18, 2019
■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT API Hall of Fame/Shame, because it’s hard to say only nice things about people
SANDRA OH
HASAN MINHAJ CARY FUKUNAGA
4. Cary Fukunaga
5. Hasan Minhaj
Man, 2018 was a fun year for Asian-y stuff. I feel like there’s been a shift. It used to be that we’d featured the same ol’ entertainers year after year — like Bai Ling, who was a hot mess that we constantly had to talk a lot about at one point — because there were so few API entertainers. Now, there are so many, and it was hard to narrow it down to the five “greatest” winners and losers. I use the term greatest loosely. It’s really the greatest in my heart. I tried to squeeze Dwayne Johnson in here, because I am obsessed with him. But sadly, he actually didn’t do enough in 2018. He needs to step it up in 2019. Okay, I am talking too much about this man. Let’s move on:
MICHELLE YEOH
DOMEE SHI
THE WINNERS!
By Stacy Nguyen NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
If there’s someone I am predicting is poised to really break out in 2019, it’s Hasan Minhaj. He is a comedian, former “Daily Show” correspondent, and, last year, became the host of “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj” on Netflix, making him the very first Indian American to host a weekly talk show. He’s young and spry at 33 and while his film credits are a little sparse, you might recognize him as one of the comedians featured in an episode of Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.” The episode was dull and Seinfeld, who is a cranky comedy snob still mostly known for making a TV show in the 90s, didn’t seem to ‘get’ Minhaj — which definitely means that Minhaj is relevant and interesting. Keep your eye on this guy!
Cary Fukunaga is a fourth generation Japanese American and is an Asian American film director whose genre is not action. It’s like, yes, we need and have adrenaline-pumping directors like Justin Lin, Jon M. Chu, and James Wan — but we also need artsy fartsy prestige directors like Fukunaga, who has helmed such projects like the first season of HBO’s “True Detective” and, in 2018, brought the much talked about “Maniac,” a dark dramedy, to Netflix. Also in 2018, it was announced that Fukunaga was hired to direct the next James Bond film. Super legit.
3. “Bao”
Pixar’s “Bao” is an animated short film by Domee Shi. Shi is Chinese Canadian, from Toronto. She was the first see HALL OF FAME on 13
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY / SEATTLE CHINESE POST PRESENTS 10TH ANNUAL no age limit!
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2019
WIN $$$ IN THE YEAR OF THE PIG MAKE A PIG MASK — Size (an adult or child can wear it) — It can cover the entire face — Be creative with all types of colorful materials — It can show happy, sad, or funny emotions — Must be displayed or worn by a model at the contest
Please submit completed application through one of the following methods:
PRIZES First ($300), Second ($200), Third ($100) + prizes for honorable mentions
Mail: Northwest Asian Weekly Lunar New Year Costume Contest 412 Maynard Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98104 Name:
Make a Pig Mask or be a part of the Costume Contest or enter both contests! LUNAR NEW YEAR COSTUME CONTEST — Contestants’ attire should be culturally relevant to the Lunar New Year Celebration PRIZES First ($100), Second ($75), Third ($50)
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9
Costume Parade Schedule: • 11 AM — Registration • 12:30 PM — Line up • 1 PM — Parade begins • 1:30 PM — Parade winners announced • Start from Northwest Asian Weekly’s front door, march to main stage • Contestants must be present at the announcement of finalists (1:30 PM). • Finalists will be lined up in numerical order. • The first 20 registered will get a gift. Registration/Sign-Up: • You may pre-register for the contest by filling out this application and sending it in or sign-up on the day of the contest (Saturday, February 9) beginning at
11 a.m. at the registration table. Registration table will be located in front of Seattle Chinese Post/Northwest Asian Weekly – 412 Maynard Ave S. • Contestants must sign-in at the registration table 30 minutes prior to parade. Rules/Guidelines: • You are welcome to participate in both contests: pig mask and costume contest. The costume contest will begin first, followed by the pig mask contest. • Adults & children are welcome to participate • Parents are welcome to accompany their children during the Parade • All contestants will be given a contestant number for order of Parade lineup • Contestants must be present to win
asianweekly northwest
10
37 YEARS
JANUARY 12 – JANUARY 18, 2019
■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG
Photos by George Liu
Crazy New Year in Australia People in ponchos outside the Opera House, waiting for the fireworks.
By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Visiting Australia has always been on my bucket list, but not its New Year’s fireworks. It’s a god-send that I witnessed the fireworks, it was most spectacular. It isn’t a secret that Sydney invests lots of effort and money on its annual show, yet outsiders are unaware of it. The price to see it up close could cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars. I almost missed it... Frankly, I was more fascinated by New Zealand’s scenic beauty after watching the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies. So we decided on a cruise to New Zealand with the side benefit of seeing Australia, since they are close to one another. The cruise’s last stop was in Sydney on Dec. 30. Even after we booked the cruise a few months ago, we had no clue that we could see the New Year’s fireworks show. When my husband George told me that he had difficulty finding a hotel in Sydney and that rooms for Dec. 30 and 31 were sold out, a sudden revelation dawned on me. “It must be the New Year’s Eve fireworks,” I beamed. We never planned to see it. Yet, we were at the right place at the right time! The challenge was, finding a hotel at a good location. I emailed my former high school classmate in Sydney that I would be in town, to see if she would be interested in seeing the fireworks together, and perhaps, help me get a room. “It’s crazy here on New Year’s Eve,” she responded. “How about we meet after Jan. 1?” Clearly, we had to rely on ourselves. And we had no other strategies. So we improvised! Just how crazy is that? We soon found out. Although our discovery about the possibility of enjoying the fireworks was exciting, the chances of seeing it was slim.
We started too late in the game. Had we known earlier, we wouldn’t have had time to do it either, due to our demanding job, including organizing a 300-person event for the Northwest Asian Weekly prior to the trip. However, that insight led my husband to zero in on hotels next to the fireworks, Sydney’s harbor. After many emails back and forth with the hotel manager, we got a room that was about a 10-minute walk from the Opera House. The only reason why we got a room was, we asked for four nights. The hotels turned away anyone who booked for only two nights. Unfortunately, our room wouldn’t be facing the fireworks, even though our hotel was in the heart of the celebration. We had no choice but to wait until we arrived to navigate the situation. I wouldn’t advise anyone to do so if you intend to see the fireworks.
Yes, it was crazy!
The frenzy started early for some tourists who paid for their spot two years in advance, as well as restaurants on the harbor and the Sydney Opera House. Close to 2 million people watched the fireworks. An unusual rainstorm, which hasn’t happened in at least two decades, almost spoiled the event. You could imagine the chaos before and after the show with folks arriving and leaving, jamming every street for hours. People from all over the world descended in Sydney just for the fireworks. We met couples from all over Europe, and many Aussies from other states. Even on some public grounds, you had to pay. Those ideal spots included certain parts of the Sydney Botanical Garden for $335 per person. There was also the Opera House, from $795 (US $568)
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asianweekly northwest
YOUR VOICE
JANUARY 12 – JANUARY 18, 2019
■ EDITORIAL
11
We need grown-ups Fighting for advantage in the government shutdown battle, President Donald Trump used a prime-time address on Jan. 8 to convince Americans that he needs billions of dollars from Congress for his long-promised border wall to resolve security and humanitarian problems he contends have reached a crisis pitch. As of press time, the partial federal government shutdown is in its 19th day. According to estimates from the office of U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy, some 420,000 federal employees are working without pay — these include 41,000 federal law enforcement and correctional officers. Some 53,000 Transportation Safety Administration employees are working without pay, as are 54,000 Customs and Border Protection agents and officers. Roughly 380,000 federal
employees have been furloughed. For weeks, Trump has dug in on a signature campaign promise to his base voters, the pledge to build an impregnable “beautiful” wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. But now his self-proclaimed deal-making skills are being put to the test. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who made the televised rebuttal along with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, calls any such wall “an immorality,” and says her caucus won’t give a dime toward it. Both sides are playing to their base and it has real-life consequences. The fact that Trump is losing the shutdown fight in the court of public opinion shouldn’t be a surprise. He came into the negotiations in a rather weak position. Before the
shutdown, Americans opposed the border by about a 10to-20 point margin. There’s no sign that’s changed in the latest polling. His other problem is that he is less popular than his main adversary, Pelosi. That’s quite a feat given that congressional leaders (by virtue of leading an unpopular branch of government) are usually unpopular. This hurts his ability to potentially win the shutdown by making it a popularity contest between two politicians. Bottom line: Before any more harm is done, someone needs to repair our broken government. We need more grown-ups in Washington, D.C. — elected officials who are willing to put the good of the country before political calculation.
TRAN from 8
unique things about The Paper Tigers is that the main characters are middle aged. Okumoto has helped with outreach towards actors in that age range. “He cares about the project,” continues Tran. “He cares about the portrayal of Asian men and the dearth of roles [for Asian Americans], so I think he sees the value.” Which brings us to the second reason to support the film: the story. The Paper Tigers encompasses two things Seattleites love, kung fu and the underdog. The film approaches these topics in ways that are regional and individualistic, yet representative of the API community. The film honors the Asian kung fu tradition, and at the same time tells the story from an immigrant perspective, with “characters that don’t speak with accents,” says Tran. Plus, the film ups the ante: “I think a lot of times, we think of kung fu as a genre that is hokey,” explains Tran. “There’s a lot of cultural baggage with it. We see dubbing and all this low quality, low rent type of acting, but the physical abilities are without doubt. We wanted to…really put a spotlight on that, but also with a story and good acting and performances.” The filmmakers are devotees of kung fu movies since their childhoods, and in no way mean to make light of them. The point is to develop a story with a local perspective, and put an extra human spin on it. What would it be like for three kung fu practitioners, living in Seattle, well into their middle age, with families and jobs, to find that they must avenge their slain kung fu master? And one of the three is Black, adding more insight into kung fu in the United States. Tran said, “Our idea was that kung fu is part of their lives, just like kids going to play baseball or whatnot, but their hobby happens to be kung fu, so that’s the situation
we want to portray, and not just make an exotic thing out of it. It’s just part of their lives and it makes them who they are.” The film and its creators aim to continue the discussion as to what it means to be an API. There is a lot of pressure when a film featuring a minority cast comes out to represent, to be the “end all be all,” to tell everyone’s story at once. Tran insists that while it is inevitable as an Asian American to tell a story from an Asian American perspective, each person should also be able to tell an individual story. And the Asian American experience is not the same as the Asian experience. “When we start talking about a movement or how we can move the ball forward together, it releases the burden on a lot of us so that we’re not having to represent all things and all people,” Tran says. “We need to shift the narrative so it shows a different perspective.” Some films come with hype and some come with heart. Both fuel a movement. Seattle has a chance this year to make a mark on API and minority representation in Hollywood. Initial filming of The Paper Tigers saw locals come out to offer funding, food, and production locations. There is more to come. Tran emphasizes that the role of the community in making a film such as this is huge. “There’s so many things that go into it. So many moving parts. We need as much help as we can get.”
immigrants, grew up in North Seattle and attended Seattle University. A lifelong love of film took Tran to Vietnam as part of a wave of API artists that, due to the cold shoulder in Hollywood, decide to go abroad to jump-start their careers. While in Vietnam, Tran worked as an editor on two films of note. One, called Cho Lon, garnered attention due to being banned for controversial content, and the other, a film called Jackpot, was a Vietnam Oscar submission. Along with Tran, other members of the film team have ties to Seattle, such as producers Duong and Daniel Gildark. “It’s a way of a homecoming to grab people to be able to come back home and make the film,” says Tran. “There are a lot of nice ohana ties there.” Seattle is challenged by its location—between Los Angeles and Vancouver, Canada, two movie towns. Why not create a thriving film industry here? Tran said, “I think it comes from people here that make a commitment to want to show and portray this city and community. And it’s a different look. To be honest, our Chinatown is much better looking than LA’s. I’ll throw down the gauntlet on that. There’s a lot of footage. This region is gorgeous. We’ve got a lot of great hidden treasures here.” Local industry veteran Yuji Okumoto, known for Karate Kid Part II, and owner of Seattle restaurant Kona Kitchen, has also joined The Paper Tigers as a producer. Says Tran, “[Okumoto] has probably more film experience than all of us combined…and he’s been such a…stabilizing presence in the team and also being able to be that face and the ambassador towards Asian American actors.” One of the
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JANUARY 12 – JANUARY 18, 2019
YOUNG from 1 Growing up, Young always wanted to be the best. “Being competitive is in my nature. I have two brothers and was the best at school,” she said. Young calls herself a typical Capricorn — hardworking, determined, and loyal. “That’s part of my personality. It’s a good thing, but sometimes I can be too much of a perfectionist. I try to balance the two,” she said. While in Beijing, Young thought of coming to the United States and made the move to the University of North Dakota, where she completed a Masters degree in Psychological Counseling. “I wanted to do something business-related and thought of getting an MBA. However, my friends and mentors advised me to work for a few years. That got me thinking about where to move. I didn’t want to stay in a cold, snowy place,” she said.
Move to Seattle
“I really wanted to come to Seattle, I didn’t have a second choice,” Young said. There were several reasons — the first was Bill Gates’ 1994 Hawaiian wedding that garnered immense media attention. “I learned that Gates was the founder of Microsoft and came from Seattle. I also watched ‘Sleepless in Seattle’,’” she said. What made her move were the views of Seattle during flights back home for the holidays. “I always had to change planes in Seattle. The bird’s eye view of Lake Washington, Mount Rainier, and the cityscape blew me away,” Young said. “Then, I heard it rains a lot in Seattle and was won over. I like the rain — it makes the air clean and creates a romantic atmosphere,” she said. So, Young packed her bags and drove from Grand Forks to Seattle in 1997. Young soon found an apartment in the University District and began working as a project manager at a healthcare company, but didn’t find the work challenging enough. “It was not something I could settle down with. I spoke to some friends, who were long-term Seattleites, that told me about Seattle’s good real estate market. That clicked and I quit my job, studied for my license, and got my license right away,” she said. Young began working at Windermere and then moved to John L. Scott on Mercer Island, where she learned the ropes.
Breaking ground
“It was my first year at Windermere and luckily I connected with a builder in U-District who had a 20-unit condominium. He interviewed me, and I thought it was a great opportunity. I promised to sell all 20 units within a year and I did,” Young said. After that, Young began thinking about starting her own firm, but felt she was still green and waited. In 2001, Young learned that Seattle and Chongqing were sister cities and decided to take up community service. She served as a Washington State China Relations Council board member and was president for the SeattleChongqing Sister Cities Association. Young also served as a representative for the Seattle-Dalian Trade Association. “We fostered economic exchange between the two cities. At the time, the administration of the Port of Seattle and Port of Dalian agreed on a sister port relationship. “I worked with then-Mayor of Bellevue Conrad Lee and we visited Dalian four times. We drafted the memorandum of the City of Bellevue and Dalian, laying the groundwork to ensure the two cities connected, learned, and benefited from each other,” she said. This work earned Young a trusted mentor in Lee, who she admired for his efforts. She also worked to organize former Ambassador Gary Locke’s 2008 visit to Qingdao. “I enjoyed community service, but realized it really was the framework for real economic partnership between two
37 YEARS
regions. I then shifted my focus to real estate and felt it was time to start my own real estate firm,” Young said. Young’s confidence was boosted by her experience of working with government entities, companies, and private individuals and the timing coincided with an economic turnaround. “There was a high demand for real estate. Many Chinese were flocking to the region, so I thought maybe it was really time to start my own firm,” she said. “In Chinese, there is a proverb that says time, opportunity, and resources all have to work together. And that’s what happened,” she added.
Starting small
Young began small. “Early on, I decided to engage very few agents and not get stressed by expanding too fast. Now, the company has grown to employ 25 agents and operates in three main categories,” she said. Young’s firm has a three-line business. A major part of it is brokerage and some property management, the second is construction, and the third is commercial, which they started last year. MY International started in 2013 and took off in 2014. In 2018, Young estimates sales crossed $150 million. “I have a great team that works hard and smart, offering great customer service and a great client management system. That has pushed us to this level. I am thankful to my team and my community for their support and encouragement,” she said. Feeling the need for an academic perspective on real estate, Young completed the Commercial Real Estate Program in 2014 at the University of Washington (UW), becoming a Husky alumnus. “I wear two hats in my business, I’m a broker but also the owner. I manage agents, administration, accounting, and training. My agents operate more on the residential side with sales and listings, while my role is focused on new construction, land acquisition, entitlement, permits, and getting raw land ready for new construction,” Young said. New construction is where her expertise lies.
Future prospects
Young’s firm has three lots and got a permit for one of them in November 2018. “We are speaking with a builder and going forward with new construction on Mercer Island. It is more high-end. One will break ground in late February, one in spring, and the third in 2020. On these projects, either my firm has made an investment or worked with partner investors. All three will enter the presale phase in 2019,” she said. “This is something I am proud of,” she said, inviting those interested to get in touch with her assistant manager Gia Guo at gia@myirealestate.com. As for the future, she is looking mainly at Mercer Island and probably West Bellevue. “We probably will bring on more partners. Now, we are working with some potential investors on multi-family projects,” she said. “I always say once I have 30 agents, it’s enough. We are a boutique firm with our own brand on the eastside, on the other side, there is a franchise,” Young said. She wants to stay small to be more efficient. “If a good agent comes along, I may still recruit them as part of the team, which is cohesive, has a good corporate culture, and provides a good platform,” she said. On the new construction side, Young hopes to get into more building sites, perhaps on a larger scale with six-eight residential community lots.
Real estate in Seattle
Speaking of real estate in Seattle, Young said, “I follow trends, not headlines because statistics are important. She recounts positive impressions at a recent Certified Commercial Investment Member seminar, where the speaker was her UW instructor.
“Matthew Garner is a respected national and local real estate expert and forecaster. Everything I heard was positive,” Young said. She mentions that while the community has heard about a recession after 2020 at the national level, it is a normal and minor adjustment. “Unemployment is below 4 percent and we added about 50,000 jobs this last quarter. Seattle is on top of all 10 indices at the national level. Real estate is solid here,” Young said. When confronted with reports of a slowdown in the property market, Young cites a few reasons. “The first is seasonal. It’s winter when there is always more inventory, fewer sales, and prices tend to get beat up a little. Secondly, inventory went up by 68 percent in October compared to 2017,” she said. When inventory goes up, Young believes there are fewer buyers and listings sit on the market a little longer. “A listing is taking two months to sell, but that’s normal and fast compared to the national average of four months. Two months is not a bad number. In Seattle, we are nervous because we have been spoiled with two-digit appreciation and multiple offers over the last six years,” she said. Young calls this a minor adjustment. “People began to think a listing has to be sold in two weeks at full price or more, that is not true for a healthy market. Now that we are getting a normal market, nobody should be nervous. That is why you should not follow headlines, but trends and statistics,” she said, adding that she is happy with the way things are. Young points out that Seattle is one of the top three cities in the United States and top five in the world to invest in real estate. “With the micro-economic statistics, we are healthy and there is a real need for real estate, it’s not speculation. You don’t have to flip houses, quick-in-quick-out. In many of those cases, you don’t make money, but if you want to invest and stay long-term, Seattle is the best place,” she added.
Striking a balance
Working in a demanding field is hard but Young, who also has a teenage son, knew that going in. “I warned myself that I needed to be 100 percent devoted. You need to work hard and play less,” she said. Young comforts herself with the idea that perhaps in five years, she will have more time for leisure. “This year, I told my friends and family that with the new construction, I won’t be able to travel and asked them not to plan any vacations,” she added. What keeps Young balanced is exercise, her love for football, and tennis. “I never miss a game. I watch college football either at Husky Stadium or on TV. I’m also a big Seahawks fan,” she said. “I go to Bellevue Club every other day to work out. Exercise balances me physically and mentally. I also play tennis and love it. Before bed, I walk around in my neighborhood for at least 30 minutes. I never miss it. It keeps me calm,” she said. While Young and her agents have helped many find perfect homes, she reveals she built her home on Mercer Island in 2008. “I bought the tear-down bungalow from my neighbor, Howard Behar of Starbucks and rebuilt it from scratch. It has beautiful views of the Seattle skyline, Seward Park, and Lake Washington and is located at the very northwest tip of Mercer Island. Mine is the best place to see the Blue Angels air show,” she said. Young also mentions her vacation home in Indianola, north of Bainbridge Island. “It is an oceanfront property and very peaceful. I like the community and spend a lot of time there in summer. The two together, make my dream home,” she said. Janice can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
KING COUNTY NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received for C01324C18 KCIA South End Security Infrastructure; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 1:30 PM on January 24, 2019. Late bids will not be accepted. Installation of power and communication conduit, handholes, ductbanks, ITT cabinet and camera pole. Estimated contract price: $917,573 Pre-Bid Conference and Site Tour:
January 16, 2019, 9:00 a.m., King County International Airport 7277 Perimeter Rd. S. Seattle, WA 98108. There is a 5% minimum requirement for King County Certified Small Contractors and Suppliers (SCS) on this contract. Complete Invitation to Bid Documents, including all project details, specifications, and contact information are available on our web page at: https://procurement. kingcounty.gov/procurement_ovr/default. aspx
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YOUR VOICE
JANUARY 12 – JANUARY 18, 2019
■ ASTROLOGY
13
Predictions and advice for the week of January 12–January 18, 2019 By Sun Lee Chang Rat — Acting in a timely manner could mean the difference between taking advantage of an opportunity versus letting it slip away.
Dragon — Beware of relying on someone who is prone to exaggeration, as the information they provide could be inaccurate.
Monkey — With a sharp eye for detail, you are able to spot loose ends quickly. To your credit, you are also able to address them just as swiftly.
Ox — Give yourself a chance to at least try for what you want. Have faith in your ability to come through when it counts.
Snake — Are you moving too fast for comfort? Slowing down to a more manageable pace will help you to stay in motion longer.
Rooster — Well intentioned words of advice could be taken as criticism. Try seeing things from the recipient’s perspective.
Tiger — It can be difficult for you to separate yourself from the noise around you. Some time away could help you to feel more centered.
Horse — It is hard to know if something has the right fit, unless you try it on. Eventually, you will find what you are seeking.
Dog — Have your meetings been less than productive recently? Perhaps setting some ground rules upfront will keep them on track.
Rabbit — Your even temper is perfectly suited to your new role. Those who follow you will appreciate the sense of calm you bring.
Goat — Avoid making a rash decision as you get caught up in the excitement, especially if it has long-term ramifications.
Pig — Are you dancing around an issue that you are not yet ready to go toe-to-toe with? Take the lead before someone else does.
WHAT’S YOUR ANIMAL SIGN? RAT 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 OX 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 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
*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.
Team has convened to look into the shooting, which occurred on Dec. 31 at about 5 p.m. Police stopped Faletogo’s vehicle, headed northbound on Aurora. Police have still not said what prompted them to pull him over. Authorities say Faletogo stopped, but then jumped out of the vehicle and ran west across the Aurora southbound lanes. Three officers caught up with him and a struggle ensued, police said. Police say he was shot when he produced a gun. “He did not deserve to be slaughtered like an animal
in the street,” said Kerina Ngauamo, Faletogo’s aunt, at a news conference on Jan. 4. The Seattle Police Officers Guild, the union representing more than 1,300 officers and sergeants, issued a statement, calling Faletogo a “convicted and violent felon” who repeatedly failed to comply with warnings from officers. “His refusal to obey their commands escalated the situation and forced the officers to defend themselves,” the statement said. Joseph Seia, a Pacific Islander community organizer and commissioner on the Community Police Commission in Seattle, has been supporting Faletogo’s family.
“The family has still not been given the opportunity to visit with Iosia’s full body due to financial cost. Because of the gun shot wound, the funeral home has to prepare his head before visitations. Part of Samoan mourning is to grieve collectively and have the relatives speak with the body as if they were still here and they haven’t had that chance.”
HALL OF FAME from 9
THE LOSERS!
woman at Pixar to direct a short film. Bao is a super cute, super relatable film about a couple of empty nesters whose homemade dumpling comes to life and becomes a little surrogate child to them (much like Pinocchio, without all of the lying). Even though Bao is a dumpling, he and his parents still go through all of the growing pains as Bao moves from childhood to adulthood. “Bao” was shown right before “Incredibles 2,” which — some say — makes “Bao” the most watched Asian film of 2018. What you do think? Agree? (The other contender is, of course, “Crazy Rich Asians.”) Shi’s currently in the early stages of developing her debut feature. Can’t wait!
5. Places that refuse to serve beverages/ fro-yo to people of color
3. Albert Einstein and other white dudes we previously thought were real heroic
FALETOGO from 1
2. Sandra Oh
Man, this woman is a gem. After toiling in Hollywood for long years and kicking ass at her craft the entire time, white people finally gave her props in 2018, when Sandra Oh became the first Asian American woman to be nominated for lead actress in a drama for her work in BBC America’s “Killing Eve.” Well, Oh didn’t win an Emmy. She was really classy and cool about it, so that means I will just be bitter for the both of us. (Oh did win a Golden Globe recently and broke all kinds of records. But I don’t care. It still does not erase the pain of the Emmy loss.) We better see more of Oh in 2019. Or I will burn this place down to the ground.
1. “Crazy Rich Asians”
Man, I really didn’t want to put “Crazy Rich Asians” as the number one positive Asian thing that happened in pop culture in 2018 — because I am sick of watching you guys cry over rom-com tropes and overanalyze the crap out of the mahjong scene on social media. However, because I am a fair and reasonable person of the people — I gotta go with what the people want. And you guys really loved this movie! It was a watershed moment for Asian representation. It has propelled the careers of Awkwafina, Constance Wu, and Henry Golding forward — and perhaps most wonderful of all, it reminded us of what a world treasure Michelle Yeoh is.
In May of 2018, Starbucks decided to close all of its North American stores to teach its employees about racial sensitivity, after a reputation-smacking incident in which a white female store manager at a Philadelphia store called the police and had two Black men arrested for being Black. No, I’m joking. Reportedly, it was because they were trespassing. (No, for real. It was because of the color of their skin.) Then in November of 2018, a Menchie’s fro-yo chain here in Kirkland called the police because a Black man was being Black. The store owner, Ramon Cruz, who is Asian, was not at the store at the time of the incident, but he called the police on behalf of his two white female employees. And in December, a bunch of Starbucks employees put that racial sensitivity training to good use by writing “Chang” on the cup of a retired Filipino American Air Force veteran. The man’s real name is actually Johncarl Festejo. We should stop going to Starbucks, guys.
4. Roseanne Barr
Man, in 2018, Roseanne Barr taught us how crazy it looks to soar really high on conservative values — before bringing it all crashing down by going on Twitter and reminding people that conservative values involve a big dash of racism. Barr’s “Roseanne” TV show revival was just slaughtering when it was on air. It broke records. It did better than its previous series finale did. Then Barr tweeted about Valerie Jarrett, former Obama aide, comparing this Black woman to an ape. “Roseanne” was swiftly cancelled. Barr was fired. Everything came crashing down. (BTW, before this happened, we could kind of see the precursor to it. Barr threw some weird shade at Asian people and Black people on her show. When I saw it, I was like, “What is the point of this?” And then when Barr lost her job, I was like, “Oh, she’s racist. Makes sense.”)
A GoFundMe page has been set up at gofundme.com/ memorial-fundraiser-for-iosia-slim-faletogo.
Man, never meet your idols. Princeton University Press released “The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein: The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922-1923” last year. And I know, your hackles are already raised because every time you read the words Far East, it’s like people might as well be saying Oriental Land. I know. Look, this man was obviously brilliant in ways I cannot even comprehend because I am not great at math. But he also wrote this stuff about Chinese children: “[They are] spiritless and obtuse.” He also wrote that it will be “a pity if these Chinese supplant all other races.” He also said China was a herd-like nation full of robots and not actual people. He also wrote that he couldn’t tell the difference between men and women. Just general racist stuff like that.
2. “The Simpsons”
Once upon a time, comedian Hari Kondabolu made a documentary film about what it was like for Indian Americans like himself to grow up and only have Apu from “The Simpsons” be the only representation of Indians for the longest time. Like, valid point of view, right? Just about everyone associated with “The Simpsons” got real butthurt about it. Hank Azaria, a white man who portrays Apu in an exaggerated fake Indian accent, was a coward and refused to talk about his role in this whole thing for the longest time. “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening was majorly defensive and basically talked about how he’s being persecuted by overly sensitive people of color just because he’s a truthteller. He basically said the normal sort of thing powerful white guys say when people give them just a tiny bit of criticism.
1. Donald Trump
I’m not gonna even explain this one. You already know why this guy sucks. Stacy can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.
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GOLDEN GLOBES from 1 the audience. Oh took aim at the trend of whitewashing in a pointed joke about Crazy Rich Asians, calling the blockbuster “the first studio film with an Asian American lead since Ghost in the Shell and Aloha.” Emma Stone, who drew ire for playing a character of Chinese descent in the latter film, shouted “I’m sorry!” from the audience. Later in the ceremony, after winning her own Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Drama Series, Oh again embraced sincerity, nodding to her parents. “There are two people here tonight that I’m so grateful that they’re here with me. I’d like to thank my mother and my father,” she said tearily before addressing them in Korean: “Mom, Dad, I love you.” The Golden Globe was Oh’s first (and only the second win for any Asian performer) in that category. Oh, Constance Wu, and Darren Criss, who is half-Filipino, were the Asian acting nominees this year. The Golden Globe Awards felt like a major evolution from its 2015 broadcast, when comedian Margaret Cho’s appearance as a North Korean film journalist who spoke in heavily accented English was slammed by some as awkward and racist. Cho was the only Asian on stage the entire evening. ‘ The Jan. 6 show had a decidedly different feel, with Oh as co-host and the rom-com “Crazy Rich Asians’’ up
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for two nominations. The recognition feels like a seismic shift for Asians and Asian Americans in Hollywood after decades of struggling to get starring roles while dealing with stereotypes and “whitewashing.’’ The last time the Globes honored an all-Asian film at that level was the 1961 musical “Flower Drum Song,’’ which was nominated in the same categories as “Crazy Rich Asians’’: best comedy or musical and best performance by an actress in a musical or comedy. The Globes has doled out nearly 1,000 film and TV acting trophies in its 76-year history, including for now defunct categories like best juvenile performance and “new star of the year.’’ Of all those wins, 10 have gone to performers of Asian descent, including Oh. Chris Tashima, a member of the Academy Asians Action Committee, an informal group of Asian and Pacific Islander members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, believes the recognition has made more people aware that the success of “Crazy Rich Asians’’ wasn’t a fluke. “Just to be nominated, to establish that sort of foothold, everything is proving what we’ve always said: ‘Give us a shot,’’’ Tashima said. “We can be commercial. It doesn’t have to be a white, male lead all the time.’’ Ellen Huang, senior director of diversity for the SAG-AFTRA, said it’s clear that there’s a market value for making movies and shows that are diverse and well-crafted.
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“While the industry is moving in the right direction, there is room for improvement — particularly in the casting of leading roles,’’ Huang said in a statement. Oh’s hosting gig for the Globes seems almost karmic. She, Tashima, and other Asian Academy members met with the Academy about jokes host Chris Rock told at the 2016 Oscars at the expense of Asians. For one bit, he paraded three Asian children as the accountants who tally the ballots, relying on the stereotype that Asians are good at math. Tashima remembers how Oh spoke passionately about it. “She just wanted to hit home that the response to it was completely emotional, how it hit her personally,’’ he said. The 58-year-old actor and director, who won an Oscar in 1998 for best live action short, said another sign of a page turning is what he’s hearing from fellow actors and writers. “Everyone now is like ‘Oh, where’s that Asian project you had that we rejected? Let’s read that script,’’’ Tashima said. Actor Derek Mio, who recently snagged the lead in the second season of the AMC series “The Terror,’’ believes more Asian-centric projects are getting greenlit. He credits more showrunners and people behind the camera for putting “old ways of thinking’’ into check. “It was just only a matter of time where Asians would get their time, like Latinos and African-Americans as well,’’ Mio said.
In “The Terror,’’ the Japanese American actor will play a young man looking into a series of bizarre deaths in a Japanese American community during World War II. One of the creators and executive producers is Alexander Woo, who is Chinese American, and the cast is primarily Asian, including “Star Trek’’ veteran George Takei who will serve as a consultant. Mio recognizes that older generations didn’t have the same opportunities he does. “They were all kind of chipping away at the machine to kind of make way for the younger generations to kind of break through that,’’ he said. “Now we’re having this watershed moment with more authentic storytelling.’’
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Photos by George Liu
YOUR VOICE
AUSTRALIA from 10 each to $2,200 (US $1,571), which also included the opera show, a 5-course dinner, and fireworks). There was a spot for $200 (US $143) each on a cruise, $753 (US $538) for a family of four (standing room) at the Wharf, and $89 (US $64) for a family of four on a lawn. Those queues began as early as the morning, even for paid spots. Every step outside and inside the Opera House cost you money. All the hotels’ top floor view decks or skyline restaurants were booked months ago. Our hotel closed their doors as early as 4:30 p.m., blocking any walk-ins. Several roads were closed, blocked, or fenced hours before the event; ferries were shut down hours before; terms of agreement for good behavior for pedestrians were posted on the streets; and hundreds of public toilets and garbage bins were set up on every corner. Security was tight with guards everywhere. The New Year’s holiday coincided with the Aussie students’ long summer break, lasting six weeks to two months. Remember, their school year is the reverse of ours since Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere. Their winter is our summer.
How we got front-row seats
When we arrived at the hotel, the concierge said nothing was available except the Opera House’s foyer, which cost $795 (US $568). For my husband and me, it would be $1,136 U.S. Ouch, that’s expensive! It included the fireworks, from 7 p.m. to midnight, and unlimited champagne, beer, and appetizers. As we don’t drink alcohol, we couldn’t maximize our benefits. I knew if I walked away, I would regret it later. We flew more than 6,000 miles for this, and there won’t be a second chance to visit this part of the world again. Travel guru Rick Steve said, you shouldn’t sacrifice time for money, meaning you might lose out if you are looking for better deals. So we bought the tickets. It turned out we made a good decision. On our way to the event, rain poured after 7 p.m. for more than half an hour, although it was sunny and hot in the daytime. Had we paid for less expensive tickets, like those standing at the Wharf, we would be completely wet standing for six hours, and we would probably get sick. While walking from our hotel, we had to stop at one point outside another hotel because the rain was so ferocious. Our coats, my Nike shoes, and socks were soaked, even though we had an umbrella. It was pitiful to watch women wearing heels and sequined gowns, roaming like ducks trying to speed up, but couldn’t. (I did bring a pair of heels along.) Everyone had to walk, you couldn’t drive there as the roads were closed to automobiles. The rain slowed down a little after 8 p.m., but we could still feel the drizzle from time to time. The Opera House had several parties going on. My estimate was there were over 5,000 people attending. The Opera House provided guests with ponchos for those watching the fireworks in the open space. There were rules in all those parties: you got in, you couldn’t get out. Once you got out, you couldn’t get back in. The Opera House even printed on the ticket that there would be no refunds if the event was cancelled.
so it was free and convenient. There was a disadvantage though. The British woman who sat next to me at the show mentioned that the sound effect made the whole show more interesting because the sound was in synch with the fireworks, like an orchestra. There was also the music, a tribute to Aretha Franklin. You just had to be there to appreciate the magnitude of those magical moments. Most nations’ fireworks were held from much smaller spans and lower heights, such as Seattle’s Space Needle to Moscow’s Ferris Wheel, or New York’s Times Square at 49 feet. Those weak focal points produce not only a small but less exhilarating impact. Mind you, Sydney’s bridge holds an 8-lane road, in addition to its capacity for trains, pedestrians, and bike lanes. The bridge was used as an anchor to produce the show, was out-of-this-world. Over 2 billion people watched Sydney’s fireworks, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Those few seconds of the “blast” on television had made an impact on many, including me. Sydney is 19 hours ahead of Seattle, the third country to usher in the New Year with a bang, following Samoa and Auckland, New Zealand. Do we even care about those two countries’ fireworks? One London couple said Sydney’s was so much better than London’s fireworks. For the show, 8.5 tonnes (equal to 9.37 tons) of fireworks were used. One Aussie at the show told me, it cost about $25 million (AUD). Seattle’s July 4 fireworks at Gas Works Park doesn’t even come close. When the show was over, local and international guests I met at the party, raved about the show. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said one British woman. Although the American had been to Australia 10 times to see relatives, this was the first time ever he saw the fireworks. Wow, it was our first time as well, and we got to see it in the front-row of the iconic Opera House. I felt invigorated and blessed with this incredible gift on the first day of 2019.
Sydney Opera House dinner
When we were in New Zealand, we met a Chinese family from Bellevue, who would be dining at the Sydney Opera House restaurant, Bennelong, on Dec. 30. “It’s quite a famous restaurant,” he said. “How can we get in?” I asked. “Our friend made reservations for us,” he replied. “I
think it’s a little late to do that now. It’s hard to get in.” “Really?” I reacted with a tinge of skepticism, as well as defiance. In my head, defiance overruled. Once we arrived in Sydney, I forgot my desire to dine at Bennelong. Our hotel concierge said we could book a concert (tribute to the Beatles), opera, and a tour. Surprisingly, the tour was quite full on Jan. 1, even though it was offered every 15 minutes in different languages, including Chinese and Korean. So we booked a tour on Jan. 2 at 5 p.m., the day before we left. At 6 p.m., the tour was over. “Where are we going to eat (dinner)?” George asked. Bennelong’s name reappeared in my consciousness. “Here,” I replied. “We have no reservations?” George said. “Just follow me,” I replied. We passed by the restaurant sign during the tour. We wandered into the restaurant. “Do you have a reservation?” the manager asked. “No,” I said. “Are you going to see the opera?” he asked. “No,” I said. “We just finished the tour.” “You have two choices, the $145 (AUD) for three courses in the bigger section of the dining room or the casual dining (close to the bar),” he pointed to the menu. “You can watch how the chefs prepare the dishes for the casual dinner.” I didn’t like sitting at the bar. The manager pushed us to take the $145 meal. I insisted on the casual dining experience and he conceded. He told the hostess to sit us away from the bar, a nice upper section. “You have to finish the dinner by 7:15.” “I am sure we will be done by then,” I answered. Our bill was less than $80 (AUD) for three courses. And we got to dine at one of the finest restaurants in Sydney at the spur of the moment, Who said it can’t be done? Again, I wouldn’t advise you to do so. The lesson from my trip is that, forget assumptions, you have to try even when the door is closed. If you stay home, nothing will happen. If you are at the right place at the right time, things will happen, and luck will work its magic. Sydney New Year’s fireworks 2019 at https://goo.gl/kCKzCt Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.
On our flight back, one American guy said, no U.S. city can top Sydney’s New Year’s fireworks. Who can beat Sydney’s location — its 1.5-mile-long and 440-foot-tall Harbor Bridge? No words or photos could do justice to the dramatic synchronizing fireworks, lights, color, sound, and music effects from the bridge, Opera House, and several other points. You would agree if you watch my fireworks video. The American said he watched it from his relatives’ home,
Photos by George Liu
Why Sydney fireworks are superior
People leaving after the fireworks show
asianweekly northwest
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JANUARY 12 – JANUARY 18, 2019
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37 YEARS