VOL 38 NO 15 | APRIL 6 - APRIL 12, 2019

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37 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Making room for business at Seattle’s decision-making table

By Joshua Holland NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

port of employers and strongly advocated for their active engagement in creating solutions that go beyond being the City of Seattle’s ATM. “We have to change the narrative,” said Strickland. “When a lot of people think of business, they think of a handful of large global companies that take the headlines, and they don’t look deeper into the fact that [there are also] companies doing good work in the community. And there are a lot of companies whose names we don’t know, who are doing good work as well.”

Photo provided by Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce

At a time when some Seattle business leaders feel embattled by local government, many have started to ask, is there a seat for them at the table when it comes to helping to solve some of the region’s most pressing issues, like creating new housing and reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness?

At a recent Rotary Club of Seattle meeting, Marilyn Strickland, president and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, delivered ­­ a speech to a crowd of Rotarians where she answered the questions on the minds of many business leaders.

As the leader of an organization representing more than 2,000 Seattle area companies, Strickland is bullish in her sup-

Two Asian American female students win Amazon scholarship

By Stacy Nguyen NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

An unpopular head tax

Referring back to her arrival in Seattle in 2018, when the city was deeply embroiled in a debate about reintroducing the head tax, Strickland wasn’t shy in

Photo from Amazon

VOL 38 NO 15 APRIL 6 – APRIL 12, 2019

see STRICKLAND on 11

Marilyn Strickland

Annie Vo (left) with her computer science teacher

THIS ISSUE IS SUPPORTED BY

This week, Amazon announced the 100 recipients of its inaugural Future Engineer scholarships, which supports college-bound seniors in underrepresented and underserved communities. Three students from Washington state earned scholarships, two of whom are Asian: Annie Vo from Franklin High School and Hyeong Jeong “Ace” Choi of Matt Grant Olympia High School. The third recipient is Parker Landsman of Orcas Island High School.

SPORTS 7 An ode to Ichiro, who will be missed dearly

A&E  8

BLOG  10

J-pop group coming to Seattle

A unique restaurant and its new staff and leader

AdaptiLab founders James Wu (left) and Allen Lu

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Becoming an entrepreneur is like a trapeze artist performing without a net. One wrong move can cause a catastrophe. Yet, many take the leap without the fear of falling.

While the City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Intelligence Advisory does not collect demographic data from business owners, they did indicate that, according to the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Entrepreneurs, in 2016, the number of Asian-owned businesses in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area was increas-

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Geo Quibuyen and Chera Amlag, owners of Hood Famous Bakery

ing. Even with the increase, only 15.1 percent of firms were Asian-owned.

What is notable is that the statistics also show a slight increase of Asian-owned businesses

with “less than 2 years” in business.

“It’s rewarding to see your own ideas turn into reality,” said Lawrence Pang, a current director and the former president of the Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce. “I see

Photo from Amazon Hyeong Jeong “Ace” Choi

Mitra Raman works from her computer in the Special Occasions Catering kitchen on placing orders for her start-up company, Buttermilk.

Photo from Jason Tan

Photo from Hood Famous Bakery

Photo from AdaptiLab

Photo by Lyndsey Brollini

From machine learning to cheesecakes, entrepreneurs tell their stories of assuming the risk

Jason Tan, CEO of Sift

see ENTREPRENEURS on 12

Winners of this scholarship receive access to computer science camps and classes as well as scholarships and internships at Amazon. A scholarship gives students $10,000 a year for four years to students pursuing a computer science degree.

Vo is graduating from Franklin this year and is set to attend the University of Pennsylvania. She is executive treasurer for her school’s associated student body (ASB). Vo is also treasurer of the Asian Student see SCHOLARSHIP on 5

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37 YEARS

APRIL 6 – APRIL 12, 2019

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS

UW Quad cherry blossoms reached Grandmothers Against Gun peak bloom this week Violence raises $10,000

The iconic cherry trees in the University of Washington (UW)’s quad have reached peak bloom, and last weekend was prime viewing time to see the blossoms. Peak bloom is when at least 70 percent of the blossoms have emerged.

The amount of daylight and favorable temperatures are the two most important factors that determine bloom timing, said Sara Shores, UW arborist. If it stays cool, with little rain or wind, the blossoms could stay on the trees for as long as two or three weeks.

This year, peak bloom is about a week or two later than usual, probably because of the record-breaking snowstorm and cooler temperatures this winter, Shores said.

The 29 large cherry trees in the quad are about 86 years old and healthy. A number of other cherry trees live across campus, but the species in the quad, somei-yoshino, usually blooms before the others each season. Each species has its own typical bloom time.

Also, note that the Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cultural Festival will take place April 26–28 at Seattle Center Festál. 

City of Seattle welcome new leaders Bobby Lee and Dr. Amarah Khan Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced that she will nominate Bobby Lee as the next director of the City’s Office of Economic Development. Lee currently serves as the director of economic development for the City of Portland. Prior to his service Bobby Lee with the City of Portland, Lee served in the Office of Governor Kate Brown as the regional solutions coordinator, where he led an integrated team focused on solving the state’s economic and community development challenges. In addition to working in the private

Photo from City of Seattle

Photo from Becky Chan/NWAW

Photo from GAGV

On March 26, Grandmothers Against Gun Violence (GAGV) put on a reception and program featuring Dr. Hahrie Han, an Anton Vonk Professor of Political the Mothers Against Gun Violence Science and En- At event, from left: Hahrie Han, Winona vironmental Poli- Hollins-Hauge, and Kiku Hayashi tics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Han specializes in civic and political participation, collective action, organizing, and social change. This reception took place at the Northwest African American Museum.

The event raised over $10,000 and was attended by 200.

Founded in January 2013, Grandmothers Against Gun Violence is a social welfare organization with nearly 1,200 members and a vision to make the world a safer place for children. 

sector and for advocacy organizations, including Oregon’s largest workforce development agency, Lee also previously served on the City Council in Eugene, Ore. Durkan is also nominating Amarah Khan as the first-ever director of the City’s newly created Office of the Employee Ombud.

Khan currently serves as the director of equity and inclusive practices at the Renton School District.

Prior to that, she served as the asAmarah Khan sociate director for global diversity initiatives at Oregon State University. Khan spent her early career working as a humanitarian aid worker across South Asia and the United States. She is an international development scholar with extensive background in conflict management and peace studies. 

Photo from City of Seattle

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Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra welcomes new chair The Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra (SYSO) is bidding a farewell to Alice Ikeda, its current chair of the board, and it is saying hello to Christine Chang, Alice Ikeda Christine Chang its next board chair. Chang is slated to take over for Ikeda in June.

Chang currently serves on the board of directors. She is a violinist and also the parent of a budding violinist. As a student, Chang performed with her local youth symphony in upstate New York and has been a professional violinist in her local symphony orchestra. She studied violin and earned a degree in computer science from Stanford University. She also has a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School.

Ikeda joined the SYSO board in 2015 and was a member of SYSO when she was a student. She is a journalist, in front of and behind the camera, having co-produced many PBS documentaries. She currently co-owns a production agency, Ikeda/Vanderburg Productions. 

APRIL 6 – APRIL 12, 2019

YOUR VOICE

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

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Photo from City of Seattle

Constantine, Durkan, and Seattle Foundation announce first-ever $1 million regional census fund

Former U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke (center) with King County Executive Dow Constantine (left of Locke), Seattle City Council member Lorena González, and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan at Census announcement

Joined by community members at Seattle’s El Centro de la Raza, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, and Seattle Foundation President and CEO Tony Mestres created the first-ever Regional Census Fund (RCF) to provide $1 million in funding to help community organizations prepare for the 2020 Census, which will be conducted next year in 2020.

The RCF is a $1 million pooled fund that will allocate money to Seattle and King County-based community organizations to help fund outreach and other activities for the U.S. 2020 Census. Seattle Foundation established the RCF with $500,000, and King County and the City of Seattle each contributed $250,000. This is the first-ever partnership between King County, the City of Seattle,

and Seattle Foundation to fund Census outreach.

The Census is supposed to count everyone in an area, regardless of immigration status. The federal government is attempting to add a “citizenship question” to the Census, which has not been included on the Census form for almost 70 years.

The last-minute addition of this question appears to be the federal government’s attempt to politicize the Census and deter people from participating, which jeopardizes a complete 2020 Census count and could potentially harm immigrant-dense communities. This is one of the primary reasons why Seattle Foundation, see CENSUS on 6

Congress members return from U.S.–China Working Group Trip to China

Three new international services to Asia debuts at Sea-Tac Airport

Congress members Rick Larsen (D– WA) and Darin LaHood (R–IL) are co-chairs of the U.S.–China Working Group (USCWG) and led a bipartisan congressional delegation trip to China over the last week. The six-member delegation traveled to Hong Kong, Beijing, and Hangzhou to engage with

high-level Chinese and U.S. officials, as well as American businesses operating in China.

“I created the U.S.-China Working Group to provide members an opportunity to learn more about and discuss issues

The Port of Seattle, which overseas Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, welcomed the inaugural non-stop flight of three new international services on March 31 and April 1.

New airlines beginning service include

see WORKING GROUP on 11

see SEA-TAC AIRPORT on 13

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APRIL 6 – APRIL 12, 2019

37 YEARS

■ NATIONAL NEWS Investigation outcome: Florida to get tougher on massage-parlor sex?

By Mike Schneider and Terry Spencer THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — When Florida authorities shut down 10 massage spas last month and charged hundreds of men with buying sex, they broke a longstanding pattern of meting out minor charges and punishment for owners, letting patrons off scot-free and turning a mostly blind eye to signs of human trafficking.

An Associated Press review of state records over the past decade shows that while police officers and sheriff’s deputies in Florida have investigated hundreds of individual massage parlors within their own counties for illegal sexual activity, it was usually low-level massage

therapists who were arrested, while owners mostly were exempted or charged with misdemeanors resulting in fines and probation. Johns usually were not charged at all.

In stark contrast, the investigation announced last month spanned several jurisdictions between Palm Beach and Orlando and focused heavily on the possibility of widespread human trafficking. Several spa owners, most of them women originally from China, were charged with felony racketeering and money laundering and could face years in prison.

Authorities also charged 300 men accused of being patrons, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and former Citigroup President John Havens.

Authorities say Kraft was twice recorded on video engaging

East coast center hosts karate classes for kids with autism

By Gayla Cawley THE DAILY ITEM LYNN, Mass. (AP) — It might seem counterintuitive to some that kids with autism can benefit from karate, because children on the spectrum sometimes

struggle with self-control, according to Susan Gilroy, director of the autism support center at Northeast Arc. But for the past 11 years, East Coast Karate & Aerobic Fitness Center, located see KARATE on 14

KING COUNTY NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received for C01351C19, FOSS RIVER BRIDGE NO. 2605A; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 1:30 PM on 04/16/2019. Late bids will not be accepted.

Scope of Work: This project provides for the improvement of Foss River Bridge No. 2605A in King County by cleaning and painting approximately 4,320 square feet of metal surface on this through truss bridge, painting the existing bridge rail posts on all spans, and other work, all in accordance with the attached Plans, these Special Provisions, the Standard Specifications, the KCRDCS, and the APWA/WSDOT Standard Plans for Road, Bridge, and Municipal Construction.

Estimated contract price: $307,000 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

in and then paying for sex acts at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa, located in a shopping center in Jupiter. Both men have denied wrongdoing.

Florida has more than 8,600 licensed massage therapy establishments. It’s difficult to know how many of them sell sex, based on the records. Nationwide, the anti-trafficking advocacy group Polaris estimates there are 9,000 massage establishments with therapists who are trafficked from other places and forced to provide sex acts.

The AP reviewed records from more than 150 Florida Department of Health cases involving massage parlors whose licenses had been revoked, suspended, or voluntarily

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APRIL 6 – APRIL 12, 2019

YOUR VOICE

■ WORLD NEWS

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New era of Japan’s next emperor to be called ‘Reiwa,’ or pursuing harmony

By Mari Yamaguchi TOKYO (AP) — The era of Japan’s next emperor, which begins May 1, will be named “Reiwa,” connoting pursuit of harmony, the government said Monday, April 1 after selecting the phrase from ancient Japanese poetry instead of Chinese classics as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promotes national pride.

The current “Heisei,” or “achieving peace,” era will end with Emperor Akihito’s abdication on April 30. His son, Naruhito, is to ascend the throne the following day.

While a growing number of Japanese prefer the Western calendar over the Japanese system in a highly digitalized and globalized society, era names are still widely used in government and business documents and on calendars. Many people use them to identify generations and historical periods.

The choice had been kept strictly secret ahead of Monday’s announcement.

Abe said the two characters were taken from a poem about plum blossoms in the “Manyoshu,” a 7th century poetry collection, and means that “culture is born and nurtured as the people’s hearts are beautifully drawn together.” He said “Manyoshu” is Japan’s oldest collection of poetry written by both royals and ordinary people, and it was appropriate to choose the name from a book symbolizing Japan’s rich culture and tradition.

Abe said the government selected the name “with hopes of making Japan a nation where every person can achieve dreams, like the plum flowers that bloom beautifully after a severe winter to signal the start of spring.”

The first character of the era name, “rei,” also means “good” or “beautiful,” while the second, “wa” could mean “peace,” ″harmony,” or “mild” as in the introduction to a Manyoshu section with poems about plum flowers. “It is now the good month in early spring, the air is fresh and wind is soft. The plums blossoms are like the white powder of a beauty before a mirror, the fragrance like that which follows the sachet of a SCHOLARSHIP from 1 Association and Key Club, and is a member of the National Honor Society. In addition, she plays tennis and is varsity co-captain.

Choi, originally from Seoul, moved to Olympia at age 9. She is also set to graduate this year and plans to attend the University of Pennsylvania. She is part of the organizing team for Olympia High School’s upcoming TEDx event on the Doppler effect, the goal of which is to talk about things often missed and

noble lady,” it says, describing a scene at a party where people open their hearts.

The break from 1,400 years of drawing era names from Chinese classics was expected from Abe’s conservative government, which is often hawkish toward China. Abe and his strongest supporters have campaigned to bolster national pride, which they say was lost because of war guilt taught during the U.S. occupation after Japan’s World War II defeat.

Abe also has been pushing to restore an authoritative image of the emperor.

“We hope [the era name] will be widely accepted by the people and deeply rooted as part of their daily lives,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said in announcing the name, written with two Chinese characters in black ink calligraphy on a white background.

The announcement gives the government, businesses, and people only a month to adjust to a change that affects many parts of Japanese society, even though the system is not compulsory and the emperor has no political power under Japan’s postwar constitution.

Under a 1979 law, a panel of experts on classical Chinese and Japanese literature was appointed in mid-March to nominate names that met strict criteria, including being easy to read and write, but not common.

The nominations were presented first to nine outside experts, including Nobel Prize-winning stem-cell scientist Shinya Yamanaka and award-winning novelist Mariko Hayashi, to present their views and narrow the selection before final approval by the Cabinet.

Although some names nominated in the past have come from Japanese classics, none was ever chosen.

“I think the first adoption of an era name drawn from Japanese classics under the Abe government, which has the strong backing of conservatives, seems to be quite significant,” said Eiichi Miyashiro, an era name expert and senior editorial staff member at the Asahi newspaper.

talk about things from a different perspective, according to the team’s TED.com page. She first learned computer science last summer at a summer program.

“Having always loved problem-solving, I fell in love with it immediately as I wrote and debugged programs,” said Choi.

“The most decisive factor that really convinced me to pursue comp sci in college was the realization that comp sci could be applied to almost everything that we see today. Its real-world values showed to me the

TAITUNG

Taking the name from a Japanese book stresses the country’s identity, and Manyoshu is a great choice because it is an anthology that documents the people’s own voices, Robert Campbell, head of the National Institute of Japanese Literature in Tokyo, said in an interview with public broadcaster NHK. Discussing and guessing the new era name in advance was not considered a taboo this time because Akihito is abdicating, a highly unusual step. Era name changes are also a time for many Japanese to reflect on the outgoing and incoming periods.

“Many Japanese people don’t think of an emperor when they mention an era name. Changes in eras are a rare occasion when people realize the link between the era name and the emperor,” Miyashiro said.

The new name seemed well-received.

Office worker Yoshiko Sugita, 50, said she liked the name’s second character, “wa,” which means peace or harmony. “I hope that harmony and peace will also continue in this new era,” she said.

Akihito’s Heisei era was the first without war in Japan’s modern history, but is also remembered as a period of lost years caused by economic deflation and natural disasters.

Heisei was the first era name decided by the government under the postwar constitution and the emperor had no say over the choice. Still, the government, with its highly secretive and sensitive handling of the process, underscored that “the emperor has power in an invisible, subtle way,” said Hirohito Suzuki, a Toyo University sociologist.

Era name changes create a host of business opportunities.

Anything dubbed “last of Heisei” attracts Akihito fans, while others wait to submit marriage certificates or file other official registrations until the new era starts. Analysts say the era change, which will extend Japan’s “Golden Week” holiday period to 10 days with the addition of May 1, could buoy tourism and other recreational spending.  AP journalist Haruka Nuga contributed to this report.

huge impact that I could make on our society as a computer scientist.”

“In the future, I plan on becoming a software engineer at a tech company and partaking in projects that involve working newly emerging technologies, like machine learning,” added Choi. “However, my long-term goal is to create an educational program through which students living in underdeveloped countries will have an opportunity to deepen their understanding of computers and technology in general. I would

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APRIL 6 – APRIL 12, 2019

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR APR 4

MINIDOKA FILM SCREENING NVC Memorial Hall, 1212 S. King St., Seattle 10–11 a.m.

206-825-4169 nps.gov

5 ONEAMERICA’S 2019 CELEBRATION: PEOPLE LIKE US The Westin, 1900 5th Ave., Seattle 5:30–11:30 p.m. secure.actblue.com CHING MING FESTIVAL, IN REMEMBRANCE AND CELEBRATION OF OUR ANCESTORS Evergreen Washelli Cemetery, 11111 N. Aurora Ave., Seattle 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

RSVP at 206-207-1457 chingmingseattle.com

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CHIBI CHIBI CON The Evergreen State College, 2700 Evergreen Pkwy NW, Olympia 12 p.m. fanguru.app.link

UP BEAT ON JACKSON, “LAURA LOVE WITH TERRY HUNT” Ernestine Anderson Place, 2010 S. Jackson St., Seattle 206-957-8067 lihi.org

CHING MING FESTIVAL, IN REMEMBRANCE AND CELEBRATION OF OUR ANCESTORS Greenwood Memorial Park, 350 Monroe Ave. N.E., Renton 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Sunset Hills Memorial Park, 1215 145th Place S.E., Bellevue RSVP at 206-207-1457 chingmingseattle.com “TRUE TALES OF PUGET SOUND” WITH AUTHOR DOROTHY WILHELM, ABOUT JAPANESE INTERNMENT Neely Mansion, 12303 S.E. Auburn-Black Diamond Road, Auburn 1-4 p.m.

37 YEARS

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GRAND OPENING JUNE LEONARD PLACE, 48 AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS IN RENTON 215 Whitworth Ave. S., Renton 2 p.m.

NATURALIZATION CEREMONY The Seattle Public Library, Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Level 1, Microsoft Auditorium 2-3 p.m.

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6-12 NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE AND SEATTLE CENTER PRESENT MOVIN’ AROUND THE WORLD: SPRING Seattle Center Armory 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. nwfolklife.org/obn

7 NEVER AGAIN IS NOW: THE ART & ACTIVISM OF MILLENNIAL NIKKEI Wing Luke Museum, 719 S. King St., Seattle 12:30–2 p.m.

CENSUS from 3 King County, and the City of Seattle are partnering with community members to act urgently to ensure a complete, safe, and fair Census count.

“Seattle’s community-based organizations are trusted by the communities they serve, and the RCF will help them do the important work of reaching out to community, building trust, and preparing for the 2020 Census,” said Durkan.

“Our country is still grappling with its history of exclusion and systemic racism in which people have deliberately not been counted, or been counted as less than a whole person, to dehumanize them and take away their resources.

Despite what this president thinks, in Seattle, we know that everyone counts, and everyone deserves to be counted. We will stand up for all of Seattle.”

“As former President Barack Obama’s Commerce Secretary, I was tasked with overseeing the 2010 Census.

Achieving a complete, safe, and fair Census count requires a level of care and dedication that we’re just not seeing from President Trump and his top appointees,” said former Washington State Governor Gary Locke. “It’s going to take important local partnerships, like the RCF, to ensure our communities are counted safely and accurately.”

The RCF will help community-based organizations conduct outreach to historically undercounted populations,

such as communities of color, immigrants and refugees, young children, Native communities, LGBTQ people, renters, students, and people experiencing homelessness.

This is the first time the United States decennial Census will be administered primarily online, leading to further challenges in counting under-resourced communities.

Immigrants account for 22 percent of King County’s population, with 27 percent of King County residents speaking a language other than English at home. King County’s immigrant population grew 74 percent between 2000 and 2017. Additionally, King County has recently hit a new immigration milestone, as now more than half a million residents are foreign-born. 

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APRIL 6 – APRIL 12, 2019

YOUR VOICE

■ SPORTS

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My ode to Ichiro THE LAYUP DRILL

The Seattle Mariners and Oakland A’s opened the 2019 Major League Baseball season in Tokyo, Japan. The visit to Japan was memorable, as Ichiro Suzuki decided that the right place to finish out his career was where it all started.

A superstar in Japan Ichiro’s return to Japan came with much fanfare. A revered hero in the country, media and fans took pictures and videos of his every movement on the field. They applauded every fly ball caught during practice — he even treated the public to an almost behind-the-back catch of a ball.

(Though Ichiro dropped the ball, everyone still applauded the effort.)

Initially in this opener against the A’s, some fans did not know whether this was the final game for Ichiro or if he would return for the second game. However, their question was answered when Ichiro was pulled from the game halfway through, signifying his retirement, as a “present” to the fans in attendance. (Ichiro was also substituted prior to the start of an inning to the surprise of many.)

Drawing such attention like this for one player is not common, and it threw the polite Japanese fans off. But when fans realized that Ichiro was leaving the game, many immediately showed their respect.

While it was not his official farewell, it was a goodbye to fans that would likely see him in uniform for the last time. It was a nice way to make the sellout crowd in attendance happy.

Officially the end On the second day of the short two-game series, Ichiro announced that the final game in Japan would be the final game of his career. Stoic as always though, Ichiro played the game as if it was just another day.

Late in the game, he stepped up to the plate with a runner in scoring position, and the game tied. He was given the opportunity to drive home the go-ahead run, which would be the storybook ending that everyone wanted.

The sold-out crowd at the Tokyo Dome cheered Ichiro as he walked up to the plate and was dead silent when he was at-bat.

Ichiro fouled off multiple balls with twostrikes on him, avoiding a strikeout for his last at-bat. He was able to hit a ball to the shortstop and, try as he may to invoke the hustle and speed of his past self, he could not beat the throw to first base.

Despite being out, fans cheered wildly and stood with applause for their hero.

The next inning, the Mariners took out Ichiro prior to its start. They allowed him to run out to his familiar right field position one last time to warm up. Then, Mariners Manager Scott Servais made the change to bring in rookie Braden Bishop, a former University of Washington standout, to replace the 45-year-old. The rest of the Mariners players on the field came into the dugout so that Ichiro was alone to soak up the adoration of the crowd.

The game stopped so that teammates could congratulate Ichiro and his Hall of Fame career.

Ichiro’s Legacy During his major league career, which started after a stellar seven years playing professionally in Japan, Ichiro amassed 3,089 hits and a .311 batting average. Of his 18 years spent in the major leagues, Ichiro played most with the Mariners, but also had stops with the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins.

He will be remembered as an icon in Japan and a superstar to most in Seattle sports. He remained a mysterious sports figure due to the fact that he never directly spoke with the media, as he always used an interpreter. Yet, Ichiro does speak Spanish and English and converses regularly with other players.

Personally, I recall, at a Mariners fan meet-and-greet, that he was very cordial and introduced himself to me and my sons as if we didn’t know his celebrity status.

Just to be next to him, there was a feeling that he was a superstar. While he may not have been an outgoing figure, Ichiro led by example, with his precision, work ethic, and dedication to the craft of baseball, especially the art of hitting. He will be remembered for playing with the Mariners and in Major League Baseball lore.

As Ichiro went through the line of Mariners players in his final goodbye game, he said bye to Yusei Kikuchi, who formally bowed before moving aside in tears.

Ichiro gave him a pat on the arm, as if to say, “Don’t take it so hard, kid.”

But one of the reasons why Kikuchi chose to play for the Mariners was due to “Mr. Ichiro,” as he referred to him. He had patterned his play after Ichiro and his boyhood dream of playing with him had come true. And, it was ending as soon as it was starting.

Kikuchi, along with many of the Japanese fans in attendance, shed a tear for the end of an era. Perhaps it was fitting that Ichiro’s last game was the very first major league start for Kikuchi, who was the starting pitcher in the game.

He pitched almost five innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run, while striking out three Athletics. While it was his first start, you might think to yourself that what he’ll remember the most was Ichiro retiring over his pitching performance.

The Mariners ended up winning the game in extra innings. After the game, Ichiro took a victory lap to celebrate the end of his career, to another standing ovation from the fans.

Ichiro’s departure from the Mariners seemed to be a long goodbye. Many had believed that the last time we would see Ichiro play baseball was his 2017 appearance at then-Safeco Field, when he was part of the Miami Marlins. That day, in his very last at-bat in the top of the ninth, Ichiro hit a home run into right field.

Maybe that would’ve been a fitting end to his career in Seattle.

But then he was re-signed last year by the Mariners, as the team was in need of outfield help. Unfortunately, Ichiro did not show the same crafty hitting skills as he did in the 2000s, when it seemed as though see ICHIRO on 13

Photo from Jason Cruz

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Jason Cruz, his sons Cooper (left, age 5, at the time the photo was taken) and Jacob (7, at the time), and Ichiro at a Mariners game

asianweekly northwest

8

37 YEARS

APRIL 6 – APRIL 12, 2019

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Perfume pop, presence, Coming to Seattle April 10 personality, plus!

By Andrew Hamlin NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY The Japanese pop girl group Perfume conquered their native country, branched out to international touring, and became the first J-Pop group ever to be booked at California’s prestigious Coachella Festival. They’re also performing at the Paramount Theatre on April 10.

Perfume is made up of Ayano Omoto, known as Nocchi, Ayaka Nishiwaki, known as a-chan, and Yuka Kashino, known as Kashiyuka — and creeping fame isn’t diverting them far from where they came from. According to the members of Perfume, a lot of their amazing history goes back to a ghost in a lavatory.

As a-chan put it, casting back to their childhoods at the Actor’s School Hiroshima, a performing arts school in Hiroshima, “On the day of the talent show, there was a handicap toilet next to our dressing room. We were all saying that there’s a ghost in there. Nocchi and I were there ’til the very end to check out that ghost. I thought, this girl wants to see the ghost like me.”

The Actor’s School Hiroshima, like similar institutions in Japan, was expressly designed as a talent academy to nurture young talent and produce acts tailor-made for the national stage. As the ghost story might tell you, though, the members of Perfume girls had — from the beginning — their own way of looking at life, which informs them to this day.

The original trio was not, unlike many acts from such CS_ORCA_Ads_NWAsianWeekly5x7_Print.pdf

1

2/18/19

Photo from Perfume

Searching for ghosts and finding friends

Members of J-pop group Perfume

academies, put together at the command of the talent agencies who work closely with the faculty. They formed the group in 2000 because they were close friends and wanted to

express that friendship. see PERFUME on 16

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APRIL 6 – APRIL 12, 2019

YOUR VOICE

■ AT THE MOVIES

asianweekly northwest

9

“The Fate of Lee Khan”

Photos from Northwest Film

shows badass females here to say

Screen captures from “The Fate of Lee Khan”

By Andrew Hamlin NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY King Hu, master of the wuxia (“martial heroes”) form of historical-epic Chinese martial arts film, had considerable cachet after his film, “A Touch of Zen,” finished in 1971.

His next full-length project, “The Fate of Lee Khan,” would take the fists-and-feet fury in another direction.

“The Fate of Lee Khan,” released in 1973 and coming soon as a reissue to the Northwest Film Forum in Seattle, featured women in most of the lead roles, showcasing the acting and fighting talents of several ladies on their way up in the industry, or who were already at the top. So having many women up front was a rarity in such films, and Hu made the most of his cast.

“I became aware of the film in research with regards to upcoming restorations,” said Northwest Film Forum programmer Amanda Salazar, who put the film into the

Forum’s schedule. “The distributor Film Movement, had just announced the new 2k restoration.”

Salazar watched the film from her own home, to size it up. She was instantly impressed, although, she allowed, it will surely look even better on the Forum’s big screen.

“My initial thought was, ‘Badass!’” she enthused.

“Seeing a group of women run, operate, and fight within the setting of an inn was so fun and dynamic. The story, the costumes, and of course, the martial arts choreography [from Hong Kong legend Sammo Hung] is incredible.”

The story, written by Hu himself with Chung Wang, concerns Lee Khan (played by Tien Feng), an official working for Mongolian Emperor Yuan of the Yuan Dynasty. He procures the battle map of the Chinese rebel army, which, if delivered to his superiors, guarantees them success against the rebels, who fight to restore the rival Han dynasty.

A crack team of Chinese resistance fighters moves in to

foil Khan. They get unlikely help from an undercover allfemale gang working within Khan’s ranks to undermine him.

The female leads include Li Li-hua, daughter of a famous Beijing Opera actor who herself studied the performance and acrobatic traditions of Beijing Opera from an early age; Angela Mao, aka “Lady Whirlwind,” raised on acrobatics and hapkido, discovered and put into movies when she was just 17; and Feng Hsu, who bounced between Hong Kong and Taiwan, getting her breakout role in King Hu’s earlier movie “A Touch of Zen.” “This is another great film within Hu’s canon of work,” said Salazar. What I particularly like about this one is the setting for most of the movie: The inn. It provides a cramped but dynamic space for the characters to interact within, so the story is easy to follow, but also tense.” see LEE KHAN on 13

ECCC & Seattle Office of Labor Standards

English–Chinese Labor Laws & Business MEET AND GREET IN THE COMMUNITY We are growing, so come meet the neighbors and learn about sustainable business practices, such as labor laws for business owners and managers!

Light snacks will be provided. Certificates and prizes will be given out for participation.

SEATTLE LABOR STANDARDS WORKSHOPS (OLS) AT BUSINESS IMPACT NW (1437 S JACKSON ST) “Doing Business In Seattle: 2019 Labor Standards” April 17, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

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June 27, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

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Lunch & Learn Wednesday, April 3, 2019 12–1 p.m. at WeWorks South Lake Union Secure Scheduling, with snacks Tuesday, April 9, 2019 2–3 p.m.

Northgate Mall Conference room The Law, and a Breakfast Meet and Greet Thursday, April 11, 2019 9–10 a.m.

Lake City Community Center (English, Amharic, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese asistance available)

Chinese & English Hotels and Restaurants meet and greet with City Labor Laws Thursday, April 18, 2019 at 2–4 p.m.

House of Hong Beauty and Business Pop Up! Learn about sustainable business through City of Seattle Labor Laws.

Thursday, April 25, 2019 at 4–6 p.m.

Location TBD (check the link below!)

Register: http://bit.ly/ ecccolsevents419 Contact us at ECCCEvents888@ gmail.com or 805-850-3268 with questions.

asianweekly northwest

10

37 YEARS

APRIL 6 – APRIL 12, 2019

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

Inspirations at Imperial Garden

Photos by George Liu/NWAW

New leader, new team

From left: Hongjin Yi, Dr. Xiao Ming, and Jimmy Leung

A celebration, hosted by Hongjin Yi

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

and new, it was his idea for his boss to host the dinner. What is unusual is that while Yee only worked there for a short time, his boss listened.

“I want you to meet my new boss,” Yee said to me. “He’s young and very successful in China. He just bought Imperial Garden Restaurant [inside the Great Wall Mall].”

Yee, former president of the Yee Family

It was more than a Lunar New Year dinner, and this is not the story that I intended to write.

Stone Yee, a former restaurant owner, invited some community leaders to dine at his new employer’s restaurant. It’s not

unusual for someone who was once a boss to work for someone else, especially when he didn’t enjoy dealing with pressure and an excessive workload.

News spread fast of the change.

As soon as Yee sold his restaurant, he was approached to be a dim sum chef for Imperial Garden Restaurant in Kent.

Although Yee is one of several chefs there

Association, could have retired after selling his restaurant and lived comfortably for the rest of his life. I was curious as to why he respects this new owner so much.

When I arrived at Imperial Garden, I got my answer. Hongjin Yi, chairman of New Century Youth Food and Beverage see IMPERIAL GARDEN on 15

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APRIL 6 – APRIL 12, 2019

YOUR VOICE

■ EDITORIAL

asianweekly northwest

11

Diversity in business critical, now more than ever

One of the biggest blind spots in the U.S. workforce today is environments in which one mode of thinking is seen as the “right” way. Lack of diversity in thought and perspectives is one of the most dangerous enemies of achieving company or organizational goals.

When we talk about diversity, we often default to ethnic and racial diversity — which are very important — but really, what we should aim at is something more comprehensive: diversity in thought and politics as well as gender, race, culture, and the multitude of other ways people can identify.

We have to look beyond “visual” diversity.

According to a 2016 study from Fenwick and West, the largest 150 Silicon Valley public companies averaged only 14 percent women directors and averaged only 0.8 percent women executive officers. Furthermore, nearly 58 percent of main boards of companies in the Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index currently have no individuals who are ethnic minorities.

Diversity matters though. According to a McKinsey & Company report on why diversity matters, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity outperform their competitors by 15 percent and those in the top quartile for ethnic diversity outperform their competitors by 35 percent.

Diversity requires from companies and organizations not only sincerity and beliefs, but actually a lot of effort and even money in recruitment and reaching out. Influential and powerful corporate boards pay members as much as $20,000 to over $50,000 a year, plus stock options, but frequently have little diversity. Even the most progressive Fortune 500 boards reflect no more than two white women

or one Black male out of 10 or 15 board members.

Asian Americans are often left out of these visible, prestigious, and paid board positions. The excuse often is that there are no qualified Asian Americans. But just take a look at the number of Asian American professors with doctorate degrees at the University of Washington, in both science and arts! You will be amazed at the number. We just have to seek out qualified candidates.

Further, after Council President Bruce Harrell steps down, the Seattle City Council will have one less Asian American perspective — in a city with Asian and Asian Americans as the largest racial minority.

Usually, people of color are at the bottom of the economic ladder. The richest people are statistically white males. With this context, it’s more important than ever to create programs and initiatives that lift up people of color economically.

The leaders that we have in top positions need to lift up people and promote more people of color as well as personally groom people of color to hold top-tier positions.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen. Studies have shown that white people typically promote other white people — they promote sameness in background, thought, and point of view.

Also, even the few people of color on top don’t necessarily promote or mentor their own people. Look around. If a leader’s seconds- or thirds-in-command aren’t people of color, then that person is not a champion of diversity at all.

If you look at the recent scandal involving actor Lori Loughlin buying her daughters’ way into college, we get the message that if you are rich, you can buy your way into

universities. At top schools, there are not enough Black students, and people who do what Loughlin did take spots away from deserving students of color.

People like to talk a lot about promoting diversity, but we have not done enough. People also sometimes have give up halfway — because it’s honestly not easy to implement.

Think about it. In work, we like to work with people who agree with us. That’s human nature.

But often, it’s the people who don’t look like us, that have the diverging perspective that will challenge us to all grow.

We don’t currently have a culture in which we are taught to fully appreciate dissent and conflict, so we shy away and stick with our “tribe members” only. There is a lot of retraining and relearning to be done, in Seattle, Washington state, and across the country. We have to do a better job starting now.

You know who is leading by example? We’d like to give a shoutout to Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan who, soon after taking office, named two Asian Americans — Mike Fong and Shefali Ranganathan — as her deputy mayors.

Ranganathan is also female.

The perks of diversity and inclusion are almost too great to enumerate. Not only does diversity and inclusion foster creativity, innovation, better decision-making, and stronger teams — it also has a long-reaching effect. We spend a third of our lives working, so the people that we are around for those significant hours every day are greatly influential to our thinking and our perspectives. 

STRICKLAND from 1

Homelessness and compassion

sometimes need ongoing care akin to assisted-living.

discussing her point of view when it comes to how City Council has engaged with business on solving regional issues.

“We knew the tax was unpopular — there were 46,000 signatures collected against it in just a month,” said Strickland.

“But that wasn’t about businesses saying we don’t care about vulnerable people or we don’t believe we need more housing.

It was about wanting accountability about how current funds are spent and seeing a tangible plan for how the money would be used. The business community has been supportive of raising revenue. We supported Sound Transit 3. We supported an affordable housing Levy. We supported a school levy. So you can’t say that we don’t support things. We just need to know where the money is being spent and how effective it will be.”

Strickland believes this stems from a breakdown of trust in the relationship between city government and its community.

Strickland comes from government herself. She served two terms as the mayor of Tacoma, in which she championed the role of local government as being focused on the nuts and bolts of basic governing — such as infrastructure, safety, and cleanliness of the city.

At the Rotary Club meeting, Strickland also encouraged the audience to think hard about not questioning the limits of compassion and the need to make some hard decisions about how to address issues related to mental health and drug use that are sometimes connected to people who are experiencing homelessness.

As she recounted her own past experience engaging with the difficult subject matter of helping people experiencing homelessness in Tacoma, Strickland admitted it’s not a quick fix solution. “In Tacoma, we created what we called stability sites — giant FEMA tents with supervision, security, showers, washers and dryers, running water, and a place for people to store their goods,” said Strickland. “Now the truth is people didn’t come to the stability sites and then go right out of homelessness a month or even six months later. But at least getting them off the streets and into a stability site is more humane than letting people live on the streets in squalor.”

Adding further weight to the conversation, Strickland pointed to the dire need for effective solutions to help people specifically with mental health issues. Citing the current state of the mental health system we have today, she asked the audience to keep in mind that some people experiencing homelessness and suffering from mental health issues will

WORKING GROUP from 3

MASSAGE PARLOR from 4

regarding China and the U.S.–China relationship,” said Larsen. “As a representative from Washington state, I am particularly concerned with the current trade discussions because the largest number of exports from the state go to China. Forty percent of jobs in the state depend on trade. In Snohomish County, where I was born and raised, 60 percent of all jobs are tied to trade.”

During the first stop in Hong Kong, the delegation met with Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau, U.S. Consul General Kurt Tong, and the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong to discuss the current business climate for American businesses operating in Hong Kong and ongoing commercial exchanges.

In addition, the delegation met with Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, who is the most senior elected official in Hong Kong, as well as numerous members of the Legislature in Hong Kong.

In Hangzhou, the delegation met with executives at Walt Disney, Boeing, Changan Ford Motor Company, and Wanxiang Group to hear about challenges facing American firms doing business in China. The group also toured the Alibaba headquarters.

The delegation also met with U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad and the American Chamber of Commerce China to discuss the business climate in China and ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries. 

surrendered in the past decade.

Of the spas that lost their licenses, almost 40 percent had massage therapists involved in sexual activity, the AP found. Sex cases were found statewide, in 26 of the state’s 67 counties, with the tourism-heavy Orlando area having the most.

Few of the cases resulted in charges of human trafficking, and those that did ended with only minor punishments.

In 2017, Mi Cha Jones, owner of the Jee Jee spa in Miami Beach, was charged with two felony counts of human trafficking and one felony count of deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution. Jones was sentenced to only two years of probation after pleading guilty to the latter count in 2018.

Nearly five years ago, investigators found clear evidence of prostitution and a potential sign of human trafficking — women living on the premises — at the O Asian Wellness Spa and Massage in Boca Raton. The spa’s owner was facing a minimum of four years and maximum of 35 years in prison, but was sentenced to only nine months in jail and probation after a plea deal. None of the johns who patronized the parlor were charged at all.

In 2013, an inspector found three rooms with beds, clothes, computers, cellphones, desks, and a refrigerator full of food at Serenity Massage in Tampa. The owner admitted massage therapists were living there, but was ultimately only fined. There was no indication any investigation into human trafficking was ever launched.

Florida Department of Health spokesman Brad Dalton said revoking a spa’s license is the most severe punishment available to the department’s Board of Massage Therapy. “Any action

Hope and optimism

Having previously worked in both the public and private sector, Strickland seemed optimistic about the possibility of real collaboration.

Harking back again to her experience as mayor of Tacoma, she shared with the audience how she collaborated with the Tacoma Chamber to pass the City’s first transportation measure in 40 years. She helped to raise Tacoma school’s graduation rate to 87 percent, up from 55 percent, by getting Tacoma government organizations to partner with the business community, those in philanthropy, and others to improve outcomes for children in Tacoma.

“When Seattle moved to district elections, there was an opportunity for people to show their commitment to the nuts and bolts of government,” said Strickland. “2019 is an important election. We hope you show up and choose people who are thoughtful, open minded, and are willing to have a rational conversation with people of all sides and backgrounds.”  Joshua can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

above that would have to come from law enforcement,” Dalton said.

A tougher stance is being championed by Martin County Sheriff William Snyder, whose agency spearheaded the current investigation after receiving a tip from a state health investigator.

“When I saw the videos of the women being used … I began to change my whole thoughts and view of it,” said Snyder, a former state lawmaker who sponsored a 2012 bill that made human trafficking illegal in Florida. He was elected sheriff that same year.

Still, it remains to be seen whether anything will truly change.

No one has yet been charged with human trafficking, something Snyder said can be difficult to prove, especially if women don’t testify against their abusers. He said many of the women fear deportation, even though they could be eligible for a visa if they cooperated. They also fear traffickers will harm their families back home, he said.

And while hundreds of men identified as johns have been accused, Kraft and others have been charged only with misdemeanors that prosecutors have offered to drop if they agree to participate in a diversion program. Jail time for johns, what Snyder sees as the “holistic” answer to stemming human trafficking, looks highly unlikely.

Still, the sheriff says he hopes the national spotlight that has shone on the Kraft case will make other potential clients think twice before risking a visit to an illicit massage parlor.

“I have come to understand that as long as there is a demand, there will be a supply,” he said. “Even if the demand diminishes microscopically and a few women in some forlorn province in China are not enticed to come here under false pretenses and trafficked, it will all be worthwhile.” 

asianweekly northwest

12

APRIL 6 – APRIL 12, 2019

ENTREPRENEURS from 1 no particular reason why more Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans shouldn’t become an entrepreneur! … race [should have] no bearing on whether one should be entrepreneur.”

While there is admittedly stability in working at an established company, four Asian American entrepreneurs took the leap into entrepreneurship and explained why the risk worked out for them. Asian Americans may not typically be known as ‘entrepreneurs’ in popular culture, but all involved wanted to create something on their own, and all have received support from family and friends.

Best friends start tech company James Wu and Allen Lu met while at Tyee Middle School in Bellevue, where both played saxophone in the school band, and have been best friends ever since. They are now spearheading their own venture, AdaptiLab, and are one of the many Asian American entrepreneurs that are making calculated risks in launching businesses.

The two went to Newport High School in Bellevue and ventured to the East Coast for college. Both graduated from their respective schools a year early. Wu graduated with a double major in computer science and statistics from Duke, while Lu went to Carnegie Mellon, where he majored in computer science with a minor in machine learning and language technologies.

For Wu and Lu, their business acumen, experience, and contacts supercede their age.

Wu, 21, and Lu, 22, are young but decided to jump on an opportunity they saw in their industry. While in school, they performed research on machine learning and were planning on attending doctorate programs in computer science.

Machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence, is the scientific study of algorithms and statistical models that computer systems use to effectively perform a specific task without using explicit instructions, relying on patterns and inference instead.

Wu and Lu participated in an incubator at Duke that focused on projects related to machine learning.

According to its founders, AdaptiLab is a business-to-business company using datadriven software solutions to solve the biggest problems in the machine learning and data science talent pipelines. The company recently launched the first coding interview platform for assessing machine learning and data science candidates.

“Our product automatically grades code for data analysis, feature engineering, model training, and algorithm tasks,” Wu wrote in an email to the Northwest Asian Weekly.

The product increases worker efficiency through streamlining the process for hiring candidates.

“The idea and vision [for AdaptiLab] did not begin until June 2018,” said Wu. “We knew our second year in college that we were the right team to work together.”

Both stated that their parents have been supportive about their decision to start their own business, instead of entering academia.

“For me personally, my parents were pretty cool about it,” said Lu. “Technically [though], we are in our senior year. This year is our ‘freebie.’”

The company, based in Seattle, has received funding through angel investors and Techstars. The latter provides an accelerated program which helps advise young promising companies with financial, human, and intellectual capital to fuel the success of their business. This year, AdaptiLab was chosen as one of the companies to go through the program.

As a result, the daunting task of finding funding for a young company has been made a little easier.

37 YEARS

“We’re in a pretty lucky spot in our lives.

Obviously that we now have funding, there is less of a concern about a steady income, and [we] can focus on building out our company. We both love learning new things, and it continues to challenge us every day,” said Wu. While there still might be apprehension of not knowing what the future holds, both are enjoying the ride.

“You’re going into the jungle,” explained Lu. “It’s a little bit scary. There’s quite a bit involved. If we graduated and went into the industry, we’d have stable jobs.” But he added, “I like not knowing. Every day I do something new.”

the stereotypes for the second generation with immigrant parents is to have stability in income and vocation. But Raman explained that she is creating things for the next generation. While it’s been stressful to create the business, she has found a connection with a community and a demographic that she is serving.

For more information on The Buttermilk Company, visit thebuttermilkco.com.

The freestyle rapper heads tech firm

Jason Tan lists freestyle rap as one of his interests. It is something that he’s picked up For more information on AdaptiLab, visit and been doing for eight years and countadaptilab.net. ing. He’s been known to share a verse or two with his employees. “It’s important to have Former Amazon worker finds creative hobbies,” said the head of Sift, a Bay comfort in comfort food Area-based tech firm.

Tan was born in Taiwan and moved to the According to a 2018 article in the Seattle United States with his family, relocating to Business Magazine, Seattle ranks second as Mercer Island when he was 12. “My impresthe top location for female entrepreneurs. sion of America was that the only cities that One of those entrepreneurs gave up her mattered were New York, Los Angeles, and steady employment in the tech sector to do Chicago. Seattle was very foreign to me.” something completely different: starting an However, Tan grew to love the area. He atonline food ordering business. tended the University of Washington (UW) Mitra Raman followed the traditional path when he was just 15 through the UW Acadof a job in the software engineering industry emy of Young Scholars, a prestigious earlyafter attending Carnegie Mellon, studying college entrance program.

“I think it was an unexpected choice,” computer science. She worked at Amazon after graduating in 2014, but knew that she Tan said. He had thought of going to “brand name” schools like Harvard, Stanford, or wanted to do more.

“I always knew I wanted to start my own MIT. “It changed my philosophies,” Tan said business.” Raman recalled she kept a note- of going to the UW. “Success can be found book full of ideas for ventures. Raman’s idea anywhere you can go.” for The Buttermilk Company came when Despite his youth, Tan enjoyed his time she asked her mother about her favorite at the UW. He graduated cum laude in 2006 food, rasam, a South Indian dish. with a degree in computer engineering with Her mom told her the ingredients and to a math focus. After graduation, he worked just add hot water and she’d be “good to go.” at Zillow, a small startup at the time with Raman’s idea was born. around 60 workers. However, the startup “I realized there was a small community world was not his target. “My decision to to serve,” explained Raman. It was not until work at Zillow was born out of failure,” a year later that The Buttermilk Company said Tan. “I bombed all of my interviews at was born. In South India, buttermilk and Google, Facebook, and Microsoft. It forced rice is a common comfort food dish and it’s me to consider the road less taken.” also Raman’s favorite comfort food. The “I really believed that the critical path to company is a meal-delivery business which success was landing at a big company. As I offers healthy meals prepared by just adding look back now, the opposite could not have hot water. The tag line for the company is, been more true.”

“Real Indian food, real fast.”

In 2011, Tan founded Sift, a digital trust The recipes are crowdsourced to guaran- and safety company. The company protects tee authenticity and bring awareness to a businesses from “bad actors” (i.e., chargegroup of mostly immigrants who have honed backs, fake accounts, spam, account takethe art of their traditional food. overs, etc.). Its customers include LinkedIn, “I had no experience in the food industry, Twitter, Airbnb, Match.com, and other reand it was so different from software engi- tailers, financial services, marketplaces, and neering,” said Raman of the large learning content sites. curve that she had to master to start her busiLast year, it raised $53 million in a round ness. “I started it very, very small instead of of funding, which raised the total funding to launching full force.” the $107 million mark. The company now Raman continued to work at Amazon, has 200 employees with offices in San Frandipping into her savings to get her compa- cisco and Seattle. ny off of the ground. At a certain point, she Tan’s decision to start his own company realized a shift in priorities and interest in was for a “very selfish reason,” he admits. her newfound company, rather than the tech “I really believe you have so many hours in world. a day and life is short. You should spend it She quit her job at Amazon last spring with people you enjoy, that challenge you to build The Buttermilk Company. Raman and learn from.” was chosen to participate in Y Combinator, In starting the company, Tan has enjoyed a well-known startup accelerator自1872年起服務西北岸社區 program in watching the evolution of the “tribe,” as he Silicon Valley. She spent three months非營利獨立協會 with described his employees. While he doesn’t the program, refining her business and look- interview every new employee, he knows ing at ways to compete in the meal kit deliv- that the criteria for hiring are based on his ery business. beliefs.

While excited about The Buttermilk Company, Raman was concerned about starting For more on Sift, you can visit sift.com. the new business. “I was very anxious for a while,” said Raman of the first year of being From pop-up to Hood Famous a full-time entrepreneur. “It’s been crazy.

UW grads Chera Amlag and her husband, Lots of highs, lots of lows.”

The Buttermilk Company started with Geo Quibuyen, ran a monthly pop-up dinone part-time employee and now has grown ner series entitled, “Food & Sh*t” for three to two employees and four contractors. She years, spanning from 2013 to 2016. One of ‧骨灰靈位 creations crafted with Filipino and notes that one of the greatest ‧陵墓地下室 challenges as Chera’s flavors, the ube cheesecake, an entrepreneur is the hiring ‧墓碑、紀念碑 process, find- Asian-Pacific ‧土葬福地 ing people to go in on her mission, who have became a popular item.

In 2014, Hood Famous Bakeshop was the same passion and work ethic.

Raman stated that the support from her born as a way to wholesale her popular “We produced cheesecakes for family has been amazing. She recognizes 1554 15th Ave dessert.

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wholesale accounts from a shared commissary kitchen, and Uwajimaya was our first account,” wrote Geo Quibuyen in an email to the Northwest Asian Weekly. “We added more accounts and more cheesecake flavors and by early 2016, we began to outgrow the kitchen and began to look into building our own production kitchen and small retail space. In late 2017, we began looking for a second location with seating, and scouted Chinatown-International District as our dream location. By early 2018, we thankfully secured a space and began planning buildout throughout the year.”

The Hood Famous name is based on the original dessert from the pop-up dinners, Chera’s Hood Famous Ube Cheesecake.

“We honestly couldn’t run the business without the support of friends and family,” Quibuyen said. “They’ve been so helpful not just in vocal encouragement and wordof-mouth, but also directly being involved in so many ways. Our first staff members were family and friends, most of whom remain working with the business today.”

Newcomers to the food industry, Amlag and Quibuyen had some apprehension about starting Hood Famous. “We are relatively new to the food industry and have had to learn how it works very quickly. We’re very aware of the food industry’s high failure rate. Chera and I go back and forth between being very calculated, very risk-averse on one hand, and on the other, taking leaps of faith and making high-risk decisions.”

Despite the knowledge of the failure rate in the food industry, neither are deterred.

“As the children of immigrants, we’re inspired by risk,” explained Quibuyen. “The risk that both of our parents took in leaving their homeland to pursue economic opportunities is something we’ve inherited and while pursuing a business is certainly risky, it pales in comparison [to our parents’ experiences]. We’re definitely aware of the risks of entrepreneurship, and we hope to honor our families’ sacrifices by creating opportunities for ourselves, our families, and our community.”

To find out more about Hood Famous Bakery, visit hoodfamousbakeshop.com.

As for those who have yet to take the big leap? Pang has this to say to business-minded APIs: “Be prepared to work five times harder [than you ever have before] and be prepared to get no pay. But your first bucket of gold is in front of you — stretch out your hands long and far enough, and you will reach it.”

Jason Cruz can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

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APRIL 6 – APRIL 12, 2019

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

asianweekly northwest

13

Predictions and advice for the week of April 6–12, 2019

By Sun Lee Chang Rat — Choose your words carefully in a delicate situation. A new insight might be worth sharing, but merely restating the obvious isn’t particularly helpful.

Dragon — Are you disappointed with a less than enthusiastic response? Despite the lackluster initial reactions, the one that really matters is at the end.

Monkey — Someone that you hold in high esteem will ask you to join their team. As you consider your options, don’t underestimate what you have to offer.

Ox — If you haven’t heard any updates in a while, it would be a good idea to check in. There could be additional information available.

Snake — Your goal is in sight, but there are clearly some obstacles that must be overcome. Study the scene for the best path before making your way through.

Rooster — Take reasonable steps to protect your privacy, even if you think you have little to nothing to hide. There is no gain in showing it all.

Tiger — Have your duties expanded far beyond what was initially asked of you? As you pick up the slack, others will soon follow your lead.

Rabbit — A chance to reconnect is not one that you take lightly. Your efforts to facilitate it will be well worth what you receive in return.

Horse — Are you a little nervous about how quiet it is at the moment? Instead of worrying about what is around the corner, try to enjoy the current reprieve.

Goat — Ignoring a recent misstep won’t make it go away. Simply acknowledging it could make major inroads in diluting its impact.

Dog — A temporary solution will work for a while, but you should be on the lookout for a permanent fix before it is too late.

Pig — You have quite a bit of leverage, which can be used to negotiate a better deal. Don’t wait too long to use it, as it could diminish down the line.

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, 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.

LEE KHAN from 9 King Hu had, to his credit, used dynamic and selfsufficient women in lead roles before. But this particular combination, working together as a team, left two distinct impressions reverberating down successive decades. First,

ICHIRO from 7 he would reach base every game via a line drive, chopper, or beating out an infield hit.

So the Mariners made the unusual decision of taking Ichiro off of the roster and making him a “special assistant.”

Still, if you attended Mariners games, you could see him in his uniform and taking batting practice, making us wonder, will we see Ichiro again? I like to think that Ichiro will remain a part of the Mariners organization in some capacity. While his career may be over, you can tell that Ichiro still loves the game.

While he has recognized that his special skills may not be there at 45, he still has an affection for being in the batter’s box and taking batting practice.

Ichiro may be second to only Ken Griffey, Jr.

fighting females were here to stay. Second, they demanded, and deserved, as much respect and as much exposure, as producers and directors could give them. Action movies would never be the same.  “The Fate of Lee Khan” plays April 10–12 at the Northwest

as the most popular Mariner in team history.

Ichiro may have more of a global following, especially in Japan where he is the premier baseball player.

He was not the biggest or most outspoken, he was simply one of the best. Ichiro stood out to many Asian fans because he was them. He was not the daunting physical specimen with hulking muscles or a towering figure with overbearing power. He was quick, precise and exciting.

And while there have been great baseball players that have come to the United States from Japan, Ichiro may be the most well-known, most popular, and best to compete in the major leagues.  Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly. com

CORRECTION In last week’s pictorial on The Wing’s annual fundraiser (page 8-9), we incorrectly stated that Rep. Eric Pettigrew’s wife is Jada Pettigrew. His wife is actually Nicole Pettigrew. We apologize for this mistake.

Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle. For prices, tickets, and showtimes, visit nwfilmforum.org/films/fate-of-leekhan-king-hu.

Andrew can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

SEA-TAC AIRPORT from 3 Japan Airlines to Tokyo-Narita, Cathay Pacific Airways to Hong Kong, and Delta Air Lines’ nonstop service to Osaka.

The event programs for the debut of these services include a ribbing cutting, ceremonial roast pig, lion dance, and more.

The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is ranked as the eighth busiest U.S. airport, serving nearly 49.8 million passengers and more than 432,315 metric tons of air cargo in 2018. It has 32 airlines serving 91 nonstop domestic and 29 international destinations, including Canada, Mexico, and seasonal operations. 

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KING COUNTY NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received for C01303C18, Montlake Hub Capital Improvements; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 1:30 PM on April 18, 2019. Late bids will not be accepted.

The Work includes improvements of two (2) bus zones in the City of Seattle, including reconstruction of the UW Stadium plaza. The Work also includes modifications of roadways, traffic signals and channelization to facilitate bus movements.

Estimated contract price: $3,300,000 Pre-Bid: April 10, 2019 @ 2:00 p.m., Room 4C, King Street Center, 201 South Jackson St., Seattle WA 98104. A site tour is not scheduled.

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

There is a 15% 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

asianweekly northwest

14

APRIL 6 – APRIL 12, 2019

37 YEARS

King County Housing Authority * 600 ANDOVER PARK WEST * SEATTLE, WA 98188

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KARATE from 4 on Union Street, has been offering classes for kids with autism, which parents say has helped their children with discipline, respect, and concentration.

On Sunday, a group of nine children, ranging from 6 to 12 years old, were taking part in a karate class, practicing their punches on a heavy bag, learning Japanese terminology, and maneuvering through different stances under the instruction of the center’s owner, Master Lou Hopkins, and its program director, Mary Panagopoulos.

The nine kids who participated in the class on Sunday are clients of Northeast Arc, an organization that helps people with disabilities become full participants in the communities north of Boston, while also providing support for their families.

Gilroy said Northeast Arc is covering half of the cost for the six-week program for the nine kids, which means the organization picks up $80 of the $160 tab for each child, with the parents paying the rest.

“The benefit karate could offer kids is it could be as easy as starting to listen and stay in stance,” Gilroy said. “My guess is the children feel proud when they participate in something other kids are participating in.”

The partnership began about a dozen years ago when Hopkins and

FOR VENDOR:

King County Housing Authority

Asphalt Replacement at Multiple Properties BID DUE DATE:

April 23rd, 2019 at 2:00 PM

REQUEST FOR BIDS King County Housing Authority (KCHA) is seeking qualified contractors interested in submitting Bids for the asphalt replacement at multiple properties in King County. Work includes 2-inch grinding and asphalt replacement and curb replacement at locations indicated on the plans and marked at the properties and other work described in project manual. There is an optional pre-bid meeting at the properties beginning on April 9th, 2019; the meeting will begin at 12:00 p.m. at Heritage Park Apartments, 9834 NE 190th St, Bothell, WA 98011; 1:00 PM – Friendly Village Mobile Home Park, 18425 NE 95th St, Redmond, WA 98052; and 2:00 PM – Timberwood Apartments, 3809 148th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98007. The next properties will be viewed on April 10th, 2019 at 11:00 AM – Fairwood Apartments, 14300 SE 171st Way, Renton, WA 98058; 12:00 PM – Vantage Glen Mobile Home Park, 18100 107th Place SE, Renton, WA 98055; 1:00 PM – Southwood Square Apartments, 26224 106th Pl SE, Kent, WA 98030; and 2:00 PM – Parkwood Apartments, 26435 104th Ave SE, Kent, WA 98030. Five properties will be viewed on April 11th, 2019 at 10:00 AM - Woodridge Park Apartments, 12400 28th Ave S, Burien, WA 98168; 11:00 AM – Aspen Ridge Apartments, 12601 68th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98178; 12:00 PM – Carriage House Apartments, 3602 S 180th St, SeaTac, WA 98188; 1:00 PM – Windsor Heights Apartments, 17229 32nd Ave S, SeaTac, WA

Panagopoulos, a retired special education teacher who worked in Lynn Public Schools, approached Northeast Arc about how they thought children with autism could benefit from participating in a specialized, adaptive class.

Often, parents of children with autism are nervous about taking their kids out into the community and can get stuck at home. Activities such as the karate classes are about encouraging families to try new things, according to Gilroy.

Recreation and leisure is “so important” for those on the spectrum, Gilroy said, because when the kids grow into adults, they have lots of time on their hands, as they’re often underemployed.

“If they have more leisure skills, that makes for a much more interesting life,” she said.

Marcia Gaudette said the class is worth the 30-minute drive from her Melrose home for the benefits it brings to her 6-year-old son, Victor. Her son struggles with directions and she thought karate could help. A big component of the class is following instructions.

“I expect that he will be able to listen more when I talk to him,” Gaudette said.

“I have difficulty when I ask him to do something for me.”

Tsering Lama, a Revere resident, said his 8-year-old son, Konchop, seems to be enjoying the classes. He never complains about going and he’s learning about

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KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received by the King County Procurement Services Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 2:00 PM of bid opening date for the following listed bids.

To download a document, go to our web page at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/procurement. King County encourages minority business enterprise participation. King County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its programs, services, and employment opportunities.

1040-19-JDH OPENS: April 18, 2019 Pre-manufactured Unisex ADA Restrooms Pre-proposal Conference: April 04, 2019 at 2:00 PM, Chinook Building, 3rd Floor, Room 328, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 Conference Call: 1-206-263-8114 Conference ID: 13149 1073-19-JAS OPENS: April 25, 2019 Clincher Inmate Identification Products and Supplies 1037-19-JDH OPENS: April 23, 2019 Stored Value Bank Cards, eGifts/Codes and Gift Cards 1301-18-ALP OPENS: April 25, 2019 Unarmed Security Patrol Services Pre-proposal Conference: April 10, 2019 at 10:00 AM, King County Road Services, Building C, 155 Monroe Ave NE, Renton, WA 98056

interacting with friends and other people.

Lama said he never thought about karate being beneficial for kids with autism until he found out about the classes. He thought it would be helpful for Konchop, because karate teaches discipline and respect.

Panagopoulos said she and Hopkins called Northeast Arc about wanting to create a special education karate program after getting a lot of parents of kids with autism calling and asking about placing their children into regular karate. When that’s the case, she said, a lot of the time, those kids struggle and it leads to failure.

“Master Hopkins has been working in karate for over 50 years and the knowledge and skill set he has to work with this group is just amazing,” Panagopoulos said. “We do a lot of calisthenics, which strengthens muscle coordination and works them up to being independent. Each class builds onto the next.”

There’s a lot of repetition and skill in karate, she said, which is about movement and following directions. The kids also improve their social skills by working together and learning how to be kind to one another.

Sunday’s class included help from several assistant instructors, young adults on the spectrum, such as 23-year-old Jeremy Nisbet, who has been taking the classes at East Coast Karate since he was 13 and now competes in tournaments, according to his mother, Jennifer Nisbet,

who lives in Swampscott.

East Coast offers classes for kids and young adults with autism.

Jennifer Nisbet said she’s seen a marked change in her son since he’s been taking the classes. It’s been the best thing for him, she said, as the instructors push the kids and young adults, but also give them time to learn.

Karate has helped with his concentration and taught him to respect others. In addition, Nisbet said her son enjoys being an assistant instructor and helping with the kids.

“He loves being a role model,” she said. “He looks forward to it.” 

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asianweekly northwest

15

IMPERIAL GARDEN from 10

Beijing duck

Duck is roasted using a special stove

restaurateur) realize gracious employers are hard to find. Tang recommended Yi to hire Yee. With pride, Yi showed me a video clip of Tang and Yee’s skills, speed, and dexterity in making dim sum.

During the dinner, Yee and Tang repeatedly encouraged the guests to hold their events at their restaurant. I couldn’t believe it — Yee and Tang’s commitment and loyalty to Yi even though they have worked together for only a short time. The bond between the boss and team is the envy of many in the restaurant business. It also reflects a successful working relationship between Mandarin and Cantonese-speaking Chinese in this community, which is unique because sometimes, it can pose hurdles.

The dinner

The challenge of many Chinese restaurants is dinnertime. Most dim sum restaurants have decent business during lunch hour, and Imperial Garden is pretty popular.

On weekends, there are lines.

What Imperial Garden offers is its new specialty, authentic Beijing duck. Yi hired a team of chefs from Beijing who have years of experience in cooking Beijing duck. A special stove was installed to roast the bird, to preserve its natural flavor.

The duck was the highlight of our dinner. The young chef from Beijing told me that he has been roasting duck for the past 15 years, since he was 18 years old. He sliced the duck with precision. What we would regularly do at home, is chop the bird into random pieces.

His craftsmanship was revealed in his finished product — each piece laid out the shape of a bird on the plate.

Seattle’s Beijing duck has been Americanized — it’s marinated and then deep-fried. Then, it’s served with a white Chinese bun (bao). “That’s backward,” said Jimmy Leung, one of the guests, complaining about Seattle’s oldfashioned way of preparing Beijing duck.

Leung appreciated the authentic style at Imperial Garden — the duck has no marinade, and it is served with thin pancake, not bao.

Instead, two kinds of sauces were on the table for guests to spoon in and place on the duck meat, before wrapping it with the thin pancake.

Tony Au, another guest, said, “I enjoy the duck because it is light, tasty, with little grease and no MSG. In today’s world, what we

A chef carves the roasted duck

What I like about the chef is how he wore gloves and a face mask — sanitary!

Two sauces: a sweet one and a plum sauce

Salad

eat affects our health. I like to eat simple and healthy food. The other dishes are also light with good wok energy (for the stir-fried dishes).”

Dr. Xiao Ming said, “We are fortunate to eat the authentic Beijing duck here. What Imperial Garden did is exactly the way China cooks the duck. I also enjoy the desserts, which is different from other restaurants. My dream is that Seattle’s Chinese food would excel and beat Vancouver B.C.’s Chinese cuisine.”

After consuming many pieces of duck, I didn’t have room to eat much else. I seconded what Au said, I prefer to eat Beijing duck

Delicious dishes, from top left, clockwise: crab, geoduck, veggie combo, beef, and steamed live fish

preserved in its natural flavor. It was my first time in many years that I ate the real thing in Seattle.

Initially, I tried to get out of the dinner due to the freezing weather on Feb. 7. But Au said, “No, you can’t. You have to come.” I am glad I did. And I would be back for sure with my friends for both dinner and dim sum.

I have not stepped foot in Imperial

Sweet dumplings

Garden for the past few years. The dinner was unexpectedly pleasant.

The restaurant has a lot of potential.

Its challenge is all the competition in the area.

It takes a village to run a successful operation. And Yi has an A team. What it needs now is to spread the word that Imperial Garden is now under new ownership and management with its goal for excellence. Its leaders’ new vision and its team’s energy and dedication seem to be in sync.  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

Dessert

Photos by George Liu/NWAW

Management Co. Ltd., bought Imperial Garden last October.

His company owns 40 restaurants in China, and plans to open 10 more. Imperial Garden is his first expansion in the United States.

And he is only 45 years old.

Normally, the chefs would prepare the dinner, while the guests and bosses ate. But not here. Yee and another experienced dim sum chef, Jimmy Tang, both sat down next to Yi and another executive, at the same table, wining and dining with us. Tang had worked in a Chinatown restaurant for 13 years.

The chefs were in their casual clothes, not in their chef uniforms.

At the table, you couldn’t tell who’s the boss and who’s not.

They mingled like friends without hierarchies separating them. I can’t imagine most restaurateurs dining with their chefs, letting them drink red wine, and eating crab, geoducks, and Beijing duck, hosting a group of community leaders. It was a first for me.

I remember my college days when I was a waitress. A Chinese restaurant owner, also a chef, deducted $1 from my paycheck to pay for my dinner while working.

(I used to wonder, did I really eat that much? How could some people be so petty?)

So I couldn’t believe my eyes when I was at Imperial Garden.

A man as successful as Yi is so down-to-earth with his kitchen staff. On the other hand, you could say Yi is smart. He knows he needs to rely on his team to make Imperial Garden great. Meanness is a bad strategy, especially in the restaurant business.

Enthusiastically, Yee and Tang raved about his boss’ incredible story. “My boss is my role model,” Tang said.

Growing up in a poor Chinese village, Yi left home at a young age to go to Beijing for a better life. Yi said he sold Chinese donuts at Tiananmen Square in 1989 to survive. After that, he started a very small restaurant. The rest is history. Yi’s humble beginnings probably has affected the way he treats his people.

So why Seattle?

Yi said he was so inspired by Starbucks’ success story that he set his eyes on Seattle. There are more than 3,300 Starbucks locations in China, and they are growing rapidly. For sure, it has enhanced his appreciation towards Starbucks now that its founder, Howard Schultz, is pondering a run for the United States presidency.

Once Yi landed in Seattle, he was delighted with the city.

He aims to expand in our state.

Already, he has studied Seattle’s Chinatown–International District and downtown. “I’d like to make Imperial Garden successful first, and then expand to other parts of the area.”

How many more restaurants does he want to open in King County? Five more, he said. His answer reflects confidence not only in the county, but his company’s ability to establish its footprint in America.

The admiration between the employer and employees is mutual at Imperial Garden. Being in the restaurant industry for decades, Yee and Tang (also a former

Guests of Hongjin Yi cheers in celebration

asianweekly northwest

16

37 YEARS

APRIL 6 – APRIL 12, 2019

PERFUME from 8 “When I met a-chan…I was really shy and couldn’t really express myself in front of others,” recalled Kashiyuka. “When we found out we were the same age, a-chan came to me and shook my hand. That was shocking because she was so outgoing and exact opposite of me.”

Those two formed the first lineup of Perfume, with a third friend, Yuka Kawashima, known as Kawayuka. She left after about a year, paving the way for Nocchi to join the group.

Nocchi, by her own admission, admired the group even when she wasn’t a member.

“Back then, hip hop and diva music were trendy, so everyone tried to perform like grown-ups,” she recalled. “But Perfume tried to be themselves and they were really cute. That was my first impression.”

Nationwide superstardom didn’t happen overnight. But the trio worked hard in their native Hiroshima before moving to Tokyo where they met record producer and songwriter Yasutaka Nakata, who’s masterminded their studio sound, starting in 2003.

Their first four albums all went platinum in Japan, and the two most recent ones, including last year’s “Future Pop,” have gone gold. The band eventually signed with Universal Music Japan to push their presence into global markets.

Their first visit to America coincided with the premiere of the “Cars 2” movie, from 2011, which featured their song, “Polyrhythm.”

Cultural differences

Photo from Perfume

National success

Members of J-pop group Perfume

Finding success on a new continent, in a different country, presents many challenges.

However, the members of Perfume also stumbled on a lot of perks.

In Nocchi’s words, “The french fries we had at Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel were amazing!”

“I liked that sweet potato ones, too!” a-chan chimed in, laughing. “I would live in the U.S. just for those french fries!”

When asked the obvious ways in which America differs from Japan, all three had

strong opinions.

“Everyone’s a lot taller and bigger,” a-chan ventured.

“Americans are full of self-expression,” added Kashiyuka. “Everyone has so much energy, and they’re not afraid of expressing themselves.”

“People say hi to you at the register and when you walk into the store which is very nice,” concluded Nocchi.

The members of Perfume admitted that they’ve never visited Seattle before, but

they do know about the Seattle Mariners.

And since they do ads for Tully’s Coffee back home, they look forward to a tour of the Mariners headquarters, if they can manage it.

“Everyone here [in Japan] has heard of the city,” summed up Nocchi. “Seattle is famous for coffee.”  Andrew Hamlin can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

New owner Mr. Yi (center) with management and chefs Crispy Shrimp with Honey Sauce

Beijing Duck

Healthy Green Salad

Chinese Gourmet Dining Authentic

Beef and Fried Rice

Original

• Reserve your party and all your celebratory receptions at Imperial Garden. Join us for birthday parties, business meetings, wedding receptions, and more!

• Our dining room can hold over 200 people.

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK HOURS: • Reserve your events for the whole year at MON FRI 10 AM - 9 PM Imperial Garden. You will receive premium SAT & SUN 9:30 AM - 9 PM service and a fine dining experience. ◎ 18230 EAST VALLEY HWY., SUITE 116, KENT, WA 98032

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