VOL 39 NO 17 | APRIL 25 – MAY 1, 2020

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38 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Locke among finalists for Sisters, Bellevue College’s interim president mother

Former Gov. Gary Locke

Dr. Yoshiko Harden

Dr. Raúl Rodríguez

BELLEVUE — The Board of Trustees of Bellevue College announced on April 22 three finalists to be considered for the college’s interim president position—former Gov. Gary Locke, Dr. Yoshiko Harden, and Dr. Raúl Rodríguez.

Harden serves as the vice president for Student Services at Seattle Central College and in the past, worked in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Bellevue College. see BELLEVUE COLLEGE on 4

N95 mask, other protective equipment, invented by Asians

Peter Tsai

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought Peter Tsai, the material scientist and engineer who developed the N95 mask’s virus-blocking technology, out of retirement to study safe ways to disinfect the single-use masks for reuse —nearly 30 years after his invention.

“I just want to help people, and just do my job,” Tsai told NPR in a recent interview.

With N95s in short supply,

some medical personnel are resorting to sterilization methods typically used to expunge the virus, like alcohol and bleach, which can degrade the integrity of the masks.

Tsai—who retired from the University of Tennessee last year after more than 30 years of teaching—says that researchers racing to find safe methods to sterilize the masks have been flooding his

inbox, asking questions about his patented technology.

Among those seeking his expertise is a team of volunteer researchers at universities and organizations across the United States, looking at potential solutions for N95 mask decontamination. Since mid-March, N95DECON, as the collective is called, has experimented with heat, a type of ultraviolet light and hydrogen peroxide vapor.

But it was Chinese Malaysian Dr. Wu Lien Teh who designed a face mask that eventuDr. Wu Lien Teh ally became the N95 mask.

In 1910, when a contagious pneumonic plague was ravaging northeastern China,

An old photograph showing medical workers wearing Dr Wu’s cotton-gauze mask. (Wellcome Library pic)

Wu, a Cambridge scholar who was nominated for the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1935, concluded that the disease traveled through the air. So he adapted something he had seen in England. He began instructing doctors, nurses, patients, and members of the public to wear masks using layers of cotton and gauze.

His peers were reluctant to take his mask seriously. One French doctor, Dr. Gerald

die from COVID-19 Condolences continue to pour in for a woman who contracted COVID-19 and died, along with her sister and mother.

Regina Lee, 58, is the first known Costco employee in the United States to die of COVID-19.

She worked for 20 years as a Costco Regina Lim Lee travel agent and continued to go to the office because the company did not allow employees to work from home.

She collapsed at her home in Everett on the night of March 15, after picking up an extra shift the day before, during which she coughed so much that she struggled to catch her breath. She died the see LEE on 11

Racist stickers left on Chinatown businesses

see INVENTORS on 12

Photo by John Liu

Seattle Cherry Blossom Festival goes virtual

Festival attendees trying on kimonos in 2018

SEATTLE — The Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival is going virtual this year. The annual festival seeks to deepen understanding, exchange ideas and advance the cultural contributions and achievements of the Japanese American community.

The festival, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., April 2426, will include online performances and martial arts, exhibits and demonstrations,

hands-on activities and Japanese culinary demonstrations.

The opening ceremony will be streamed live on April 24 at 11 a.m., with Festival Honorary Co-Chairs City of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Yoichiro Yamada, Consul General of Japan in Seattle.

To view the program details and participate in the virtual festival, go to cherryblossomfest.org. 

Stickers found in the Chinatown-International District (ID)

The Seattle Police Department (SPD)’s Bias Crimes Unit is investigating after three men appeared to target Asian American-owned businesses in the Chinatown-International District (ID) with jingoistic stickers.

The three men, who were wearing face coverings and dark sunglasses, were reportedly seen placing the stickers on businesses throughout the ID on April 12. Police believe the men may be Publisher's Blog  6

■

I think “Tigertail” is a snoozefest, but you may like it a lot!  7

Book Recommendations  8

see STICKERS on 10

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38 YEARS

APRIL 25 – MAY 1, 2020

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS InterIm food distribution

Photo by George Liu

California in 1974, a position she would hold until 2011 when she retired due to declining health.

Kenneth Inouye, who was JACL’s national president from 2004-2006, called Kawagoe an inspiration.

“She always maintained a positive attitude and she encouraged many young people to become/stay involved with JACL. Her mentorship of... youth ...helped to create a new generation of dedicated JACLers.” 

Sen. Nguyen is Seattle University’s Alumnus of the Year

Volunteers at Hing Hay Park, preparing to distribute food on April 17

InterIm handed out food to approximately 900 Chinatown-International District residents on April 17, across 11 buildings.

Thirty-five volunteers, including state Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, Seattle police officers, community supporters, and people from neighborhood organizations, helped to distribute close to 700 pounds of food. This was Santos’ third time volunteering for this event. 

Helen Kawagoe, 2-Time JACL national president, dies

Helen Kawagoe, who served two terms as national president of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) from 1996-2000, has died. She was 92.

Kawagoe was only the second woman named to the JACL presidency (after Helen Kawagoe Lillian Kimura), and she had already been the first Japanese American woman in the continental United States to hold a municipal office when elected as City Clerk in Carson,

State Sen. Joe Nguyen was named Seattle University’s Alumnus of the Year.

For the past 35 years, Seattle University has celebrated extraordinary alumni and members of the community who exemplify the university’s Jesuit values and excel in areas of leadership, professional achievement, and community service.

State Sen. Joe Nguyen Nguyen, from the class of 2006, is the first person of color to win a senate seat in Washington state’s 34th District and the first Vietnamese American state senator.

“Joe won his senate seat by being smart, dedicated, and relentless in meeting his future constituents,” said friend DJ Weidner and president-elect of the Alumni Board of Governors. “The district and state are better served for it.

I can think of no better example of servant-leadership.” 

ICHS chief dental officer

Dr. Samantha Lee-Chiu began her new role as International Community Health Services (ICHS)’ interim chief dental officer on April 20. Lee-Chiu first joined ICHS as the Bellevue Clinic assistant dental director in 2018. Prior to that, she was with Neighborcare Health for 14 years as a practitioner performing comprehensive dentistry, diagnosing, preventative,

restorative, periodontics, endodontic, and prosthodontics.

Lee-Chiu received her Doctor of Dental Surgery in 2001 from the University of Washington, School of Dentistry. Her BS in zoology was also with the University of Washington. 

Dr. Samantha Lee-Chiu

Miss England returns to work as doctor during coronavirus pandemic

Bhasha Mukherjee

Bhasha Mukherjee, who was crowned Miss England in August 2019, has returned to the United Kingdom from overseas charity work to continue her career as a doctor amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 24-year-old had been in India. As the coronavirus situation worsened in the UK, Mukherjee contacted the management team at her old hospital to let them know that she

wanted to return to work.

“There’s no better time for me to be Miss England and helping England at a time of need,” she said.

Mukherjee self-isolated for two weeks before returning to work as a doctor. She specializes in respiratory medicine, but said doctors are currently being rotated to wherever they are needed. 

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YOUR VOICE

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

APRIL 25 – MAY 1, 2020

asianweekly northwest

3

The unexpected impacts of COVID-19 on Asian Americans

By Joshua Holland NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

A recent report by the Asian Pacific Policy Planning Council found 350 direct incidents of discrimination against Asian Americans since March 19, more than a month into the COVID-19 pandemic. For many Asian Americans, the current health crisis has unleashed a new boldness in how openly people are displaying harassment and discrimination.

The general anti-Asian sentiment has seeped its way into a number of Asian-owned businesses, including restaurants, bars, and even your local fish market. This has impacted communities in traditional Chinatowns around the United States, leaving many owners and workers— who are often first-generation Americans—in a bind.

“The immigrant community tends to be much more a small business community,” said Sung Yeon, Executive Director of National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum. “Not many of them are coming to the U.S. to work in large corporations and...the economic impact is felt very deeply because of the concentration of immigrants who have invested in small businesses, and later on top of that, the racism that some of our community are experiencing because of COVID-19.”

While Asian Americans make up a smaller portion of the U.S. undocumented immigrant population in comparison to people from Central and South America, they do exist.

For instance, a report from the Department of Homeland Security revealed 1 in 8 Koreans are undocumented.

This same undocumented population faces barriers to health care during the pandemic with much of the U.S. healthcare system connected to employment or citizenship status. A report by Kaiser Family Foundation revealed

Uninsured Rates for the Nonelderly Population by Race and Ethnicity, 2010-2018

nearly half of uninsured Asian Americans are not citizens and 23% of lawfully present immigrants are also uninsured.

With the evolving nature of the pandemic and government rules changing frequently, information has become a lifeline for small businesses struggling to stay open. Much of these resources and support given to immigrant communities often don’t come in all languages spoken, leaving many confused about what is permitted or not.

“In Chicago where I am based, the governor of Illinois made an announcement on a Friday, that Monday, close of business, all restaurants could not run dine-in service anymore,” said Yeon. “Monday afternoon, I went down to a Korean restaurant with my family and ordered takeout.

While there, I started talking to the owner and he didn’t understand the term ‘close of business.’ He thought he couldn’t have dine-in service during the day, so he turned away all of his customers who came in for lunch that Monday.”

The economic impact on owners and employees is

particularly hard with many surviving on small profit margins and paychecks. Every day they remain closed and every day people aren’t out and spending money is hurting small businesses. It’s also having a disproportionate impact on Asian American women who are often overrepresented in the most poorly paid jobs in the nation.

Immigrant activists are calling for more to be done to support vulnerable members of the Asian American community.

“With language access issues, it’s important that as opportunities come up for relief and support and all that, if the info isn’t available for them in their language, especially for small businesses, it can be really difficult for them to navigate and understand how to take advantage of programs,” said Yeon. “If folks are looking to support organizations that are supporting smaller businesses and organizations, they should look at donating to organizations that are providing direct support to Asian Americans.”  Joshua can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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asianweekly northwest

APRIL 25 – MAY 1, 2020

■ COMMUNITY NEWS Call for action! Stand with Gary Locke

Former U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke

Former U.S. Ambassador, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and Washington Gov. Gary Locke was shown in a Trump campaign ad which insinuated he was a Chinese official just because he is ethnically Chinese and standing next to a Chinese flag. Locke says, “This is racial profiling at its worst.”

Chinese Americans have been vilified as perpetual foreigners, from the Chinese Exclusion Act to the COVID-19 virus. The insidious portrayal of Gary Locke as a

foreigner can instigate attacks against Asian Americans. We must not be silent.

Stand together with Gary Locke. Stand united against those who sow racial division.

Stand for racial justice. “Asian Americans are American. Period.”

Let’s mobilize with at least 5000 signatures and show our strength. Stand with us!  Sign the petition SV99McG2CF

at:

http://chng.it/

■ NATIONAL NEWS

38 YEARS

Grant for organizations hit hard by COVID-19 JPMorgan Chase announced earlier this month a $1.25 million grant to benefit Seattle’s Craft3 and the Rainier Valley Community Development Fund.

Both organizations have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and this funding will help them to provide support to vulnerable small businesses in the Puget Sound area. 

Poll: Americans sour on China amid pandemic, broader rivalry

By MATTHEW LEE AP DIPLOMATIC WRITER WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans are increasingly hostile to China as the coronavirus pandemic wreaks havoc on the U.S. and global economies and after three years of Trump administration antagonism toward the country.

The nationwide poll released on April 21 was conducted last month by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center. It found that two-thirds of those surveyed had an unfavorable view of China. That’s the most since the center first asked the question 15 years ago and a significant jump of 20 percentage points since President Donald Trump entered the White House in 2017. The results suggest that Americans are receptive to the Trump administration’s broad antagonism toward China, which has increased in recent weeks over criticism of Beijing’s handling of the COVID-19 outbreak that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

The poll suggests the change is so far not directly linked to

BELLEVUE COLLEGE from 1 Rodríguez is currently the interim president at East Los Angeles College.

In addition to being the former governor of Washington state, Locke was U.S. Secretary of Commerce and U.S.

the coronavirus outbreak, that the Trump administration’s trade war with China and relentless criticism of its policies may be having that effect. The upward trend in negative views began in 2019, and the survey did not find changing attitudes toward China over the course of March, when the virus outbreak was rapidly progressing.

“Since President Donald Trump took office in 2017, his approach to U.S.-China relations has included increased pressure via tariffs and trade war rhetoric, and now, with the onset of an unprecedented pandemic, the stage has been set for both sides to cast aspersions on the other,’’ the authors said.

The poll of 1,000 Americans found unfavorable opinions of China are shared across party lines, with about 70% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents and 60% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents holding them. In addition, the poll shows that about 90% of those surveyed see growing Chinese power and influence as a threat.

At the same time, with both the U.S. and Chinese

economies reeling from the pandemic, the poll found that Americans recognize that the United States is the world’s leading economic power and the world’s leading military power. A significant majority, 91%, believe that the world is better off with American rather than Chinese leadership.

The survey also found that about 90% of Americans see growing Chinese influence and power as a threat, with 62% of those saying it is a “major threat.’’ And, while the total seeing China as a threat has not changed since 2018, the percentage viewing China as a “major threat’’ has jumped 14 percentage points in the past two years, according to the results.

The poll was conducted throughout March when the impact of the virus pandemic was beginning to be recognized around the world. However, the findings do not suggest that Americans’ opinions of China worsened as the month went on, with the negative views expressed early in the month matching those later in the month, according to the authors. 

Ambassador to China.

“We’re pleased and excited to present three extremely qualified candidates for the position of interim president of Bellevue College,” said Rich Fukutaki, Board Chair.

You may recall that Bellevue College removed its president, Dr. Jerry Weber in March, along with

VP of Advancement, Dr. Gayle Barge, following an outrage over an altered mural of the Japanese American incarceration. 

View the solution on page 10

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APRIL 25 – MAY 1, 2020

YOUR VOICE

■ PICTORIAL

asianweekly northwest

SOCIAL DISTANCING Customers stand apart from each other outside Lam’s Seafood Market.

Alaina building legos, trying karaoke, and having her own tea party.

Kids making their own sushi at home. Felicity, Evan, Sydney, Kiley, Jaden, and Kelly.

Uwajimaya customers line up, 6 feet apart, waiting to get inside.

From top left and clockwise: Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion, Lang Lang, Lady Gaga, and John Legend (not pictured) performed in “One World: Together at Home.” The virtual music festival raised nearly $128 million for COVID-19 relief.

Teddy bears grace the window of this Montlake home, for children on scavenger hunts.

WE’D LOVE TO SEE HOW YOU PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING. PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO(S) WITH A CAPTION TO EDITOR@ NWASIANWEEKLY.COM.

King’s Barbecue House restaurant clientele, wait outside rather than inside.

Lifelong Recreation Seattle Parks and Recreation

Arts, Fitness and Social Opportunities for Ages 50+ We are Seattle Parks and Recreation, programs for ages 50+ offering arts, fitness and social opportunities for older adults in 26 Seattle Community Centers. Due to the COVID-19 virus, our in-person programs are suspended at this time, but we are offering online fitness classes featuring some of our great instructors, virtual field trips and more.

Please visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LifelongRecreationSPR/, search Lifelong Recreation on www.seattle.gov or watch our videos on The Seattle Channel.

We look forward to meeting you in person when the circumstances allow! For more information or to request to be added to our e-newsletter call Anne at 206-310-8163.

310-8163 Call 206-684-7484 Scholarships Available! www.seattle.gov/parks/find/ lifelong-recreation

Signs on a supermarket floor direct customers to walk only one way, to avoid crowding.

President Trump and officials practice social distancing at a White House news conference on April 16.

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asianweekly northwest

38 YEARS

APRIL 25 – MAY 1, 2020

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

WWII vet’s aging miracle at 103 Coronavirus is worse than WWII, he says

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Gene Moy assumed his 103rd birthday celebration would be quiet during the coronavirus pandemic. He was wrong...

A World War II veteran, Moy usually marks his birthdays by dancing with several ladies, followed by a feast in a Chinese restaurant with friends and family. Women would line up to wait for their turn to dance with him. Moy could tango, waltz, cha-cha, swing dance, and more...

Cari Murotani, one of Moy’s long-time dance partners, refused to let Moy glide by his birthday this year without a bang. At first, Moy’s children said to wait out the pandemic.

Murotani, who organized the last six of Moy’s birthday parties, convinced his children to go ahead with a surprise because of Moy’s age.

“No one knows what’s going to happen. Time is of essence,” she said.

In less than a week, Moy’s family and Murotani organized a

to interview him. Corey went inside his dad’s house early and pulled down the window blinds so Moy couldn’t see friends gathering outside, and they were loud.

When Moy walked out the front door with Corey, he was shocked.

“I am surprised and overwhelmed,” he said. Moy looked happy and appreciative of the parade.

Age makes no difference in forging friendships. Murotani

adores Moy for being a remarkable and independent person, even though he’s more than a century old. Last year, Murotani made Moy’s 102nd birthday special by arranging him to dance with another 102-year-old, Myrtle Royse. ”Cari is one of my best friends,” he told the Asian Weekly, even though “I am 25 years older” than Murotani. see BLOG on 12

Gene Moy inside his house, holding his birthday sign. Photo provided by Cari Murotani

A parade of cars. Photo by Assunta Ng.

parade of cars carrying birthday signs and balloons to drive by

Moy’s house on Beacon Hill.

On April 8, 25 cars showed up, honking, people shouting happy birthday greetings, even a police car joining in, driven by Captain Eric Sano. Three media outlets showed up, including KING 5, KIRO 7, and the Northwest Asian Weekly. It was quite a tribute.

Moy’s son Corey fooled him by telling him that Mimi Gan, a freelance journalist, wanted Myrtle Royse and Gene Moy. Photo provided by Cari Murotani

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APRIL 25 – MAY 1, 2020

YOUR VOICE

■ AT THE MOVIES

asianweekly northwest

7

I think “Tigertail” is a snoozefest, but you may like it a lot!

By Stacy Nguyen NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

“Tigertail” is a drama about a stoic and stern Taiwanese father who is emotionally estranged from his daughter.

The film, which was released on April 10 by Netflix, flicks back and forth between the present day and the past to contextualize why this man is the way that he is.

And it’s totally dull.

It pains me to say that because I am a big fan of “Tigertail” director, writer, and producer Alan Yang, whose other work include “Master of None” and “Forever.”

Bright spots: Tzi Ma and visuals The father, Pin-Jui, is portrayed by Tzi Ma, a Hong Kong-born actor that you will definitely recognize. He’s prolific and appears in a lot of supporting roles in series such as “The Man in the High Castle,” “24,” and “The Farewell.”

In “Tigertail” though, Ma gets to carry the total weight of the film and imbues Pin-Jui with a depth in just a look or a stare.

“Tigertail” is also just beautiful to look at, in which each shot is carefully composed and blocked so that people fit neatly in doorways, juxtaposed with the structures around them, and are imbued with washes of color. The scenes that take place in the past, in Taiwan, have a photographic quality that is nostalgic and classiclooking.

And sometimes it’s like, enough already.

Not-so-bright spots: the visuals, child actors, and dialogue Yang’s eye for beautifully composed shots shines

through in “Tigertail,” but often the shots linger too long and look too contrived. This could be my bias, because I tend to gravitate toward gritty truthfulness rather than artful honesty.

Like, in one scene, Pin-Jui is having a really difficult conversation with his daughter, Angela (Christine Ko), and the shot is composed with him in the foreground and her a blur in the background. And he is standing with his back to her. I couldn’t settle into the scene because it just looked so unnatural-yet-beautiful.

I just don’t know how often other people have entire arguments with their dads to his back? But maybe I’ve been doing it wrong.

“Tigertail” has so many moments like that, moments in which it tries to convey something real and heavy, but it just looks too pretty that your brain is like, “Wait, this is not real. And those are actors!”

What doesn’t help the feeling of unnaturalness are the child actors who play the younger versions of PinJui and his lost love, Yuan. I am not really about giving passes to young actors for not being masters of their craft when people like Dakota Fanning exist, so when young Pin-Jui was delivering his lines expressing that he hallucinated his mother and father because he misses them so much, I couldn’t get far into it. I was just like, “Nope! This child does not miss his mother at all!”

FOR OUR SCHOOLS

Lastly, there is the dialogue. I feel like if you are going to write a screenplay with sparse dialogue—when people do talk, the dialogue has to be completely on point.

There’s an unintentional awkwardness with the dialogue though. Sometimes people say stuff that I don’t think human beings actually say to one another. Like, sentences are too neat and too perfect and too poetic— lacking these quirks that convey humanness. Sometimes sentences explain too much.

Like in a flashback, Pin-Jui’s love (Yo-Hsing Fang) tells him there’s a song that’s been stuck in her head all day. She tells him it’s a song by Otis Redding, which is shocking because this Taiwanese girl does not look like an Otis Redding fan at all. And then she sings this English-language song acapella all beautiful as hell, and it’s like, oh, this impoverished girl memorized the English language lyrics to this song by an American Black man? Okay? And then Pin-Jui joins in the song and starts singing like he knows all the lyrics and can speak English too even though he is poverty-stricken AF, so I don’t know, maybe he’s a savant?

Stuff like that happens a lot in this film. It’s hard to stay in the story when these things happen because it feels like the film tries too hard to be artful and deep, see TIGERTAIL on 10

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asianweekly northwest

38 YEARS

APRIL 25 – MAY 1, 2020

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Book recommendations

By Samantha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Egg Drop Dead

By Vivien Chien St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 2020

Ho-Lee Noodle Shop is taking its business to the next level. This comes in the form of catering. And the restaurant’s first job is the fancy birthday party of one, Donna Feng, the owner of Asia Village, where Ho-Lee is located. As challenging as the job may be, it becomes even more difficult when one of the domestic workers is found dead in the pool.

Enter Lana Lee, restaurant manager and amateur detective extraordinaire. Before the police arrived on the scene, Donna entrusted a terracotta soldier-shaped thumb drive to Lana. Now Lana, who has developed a reputation in the community for solving crimes, is investigating a digital and real world filled with secrets, including Donna’s earlier life in China.

“Egg Drop” is the fifth installation of Chien’s Noodle Shop Mystery series and a continuation of Lana’s adventures in amateur sleuthing. And while she has

come a long way from her first mystery, readers will see Lana’s confidence waver when she finds herself discussing the case with her boyfriend, Cleveland Police Det. Adam Trudeau, and working with a private investigator. I can already see the latter relationship developing in future installations of the series and am very much looking forward to seeing it.

Chien also brings Lana’s ex-boyfriend, the one who sent her in a downward spiral that brought her back to the noodle shop in the first place, back into her life.

Warren’s reappearance takes Lana back to that dark place and we see her work to not return to it, something many of us can relate to when faced with our past demons.

In addition to Lana, Chien has done a great job with developing the secondary characters in Lana’s life—from her friend Kimmy Tran (my favorite character), who assists in the investigation (in her own way), to Lana’s roommate and best friend Megan, who we see struggling with some career issues of her own. For someone who has been with the series since it began, it has been enjoyable to see how these characters’ lives have moved forward.

The Impossible Girl

By Lydia Kang Lake Union Publishing, 2018 It’s 1850 in Manhattan and Cora Lee, the bastard daughter of a wealthy socialite and nameless Chinese immigrant, can blend in with the rich just as easily as she can slip into the slums and graveyards of the city, unnoticed.

As the only female resurrectionist in the state, Cora has made a name for herself procuring bodies with the strangest anomalies—which anatomists, museums, and medical schools will pay good money for. But Cora isn’t doing this just for the money. Her job is a way to keep track of anyone who may be looking for her. Because she is the impossible girl, the girl born with two hearts, she is a legend and top prize among grave robbers and anatomists.

Wicked Fox

By Kat Cho G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2019

When a string of murders unfolds, the victims being individuals with strange anomalies, Cora realizes it is only a matter of time that someone comes after her and she has to figure out who she can really trust.

In “Impossible Girl,” Kang shows readers a world many may not have known. Before modern medicine, it was regular practice for people to dig up the dead in order for aspiring doctors to study the human body. Kang does a great job of showing readers that process and some of the steps people in Cora’s line of work would take to procure a body.

Cora is a strong young woman who does what she has to do in order to survive, even dressing up as her “twin brother” Jacob. Readers will see how differently the two “siblings” are treated merely on the basis of their gender.

Through this duality, Kang shows how anyone is capable of anything, but we may not realize this because not everyone is given the same opportunities to prove themselves.

Kang also weaves a great mystery, filled with plot twists and red herrings that will have readers guessing who Cora can and cannot trust.

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Gu Miyoung has a secret. The 18-yearold is a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men every full moon in order to survive. But because so few people believe in the old folk tales anymore and there are so many evil men no one will miss, modern day Seoul, South Korea is the ideal place for her to hunt.

After feeding one full moon, Miyoung ends up saving Jihoon, a human boy who is being attacked by a goblin in the forest.

In mid-rescue, Miyoung loses her fox bead, her gumiho soul, in the process.

After seeing her nine tails while saving him, Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than your average girl. Although he recalls the stories of the gumiho and the danger they pose to men, he is still drawn to her and the two slowly become friends (and eventually more).

“Wicked Fox” is a story about what it means to be there for the people in your life. As we follow Miyoung and Jihoon, see SHELF on 10

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APRIL 25 – MAY 1, 2020

YOUR VOICE

■ EDITORIAL

asianweekly northwest

9

Trump scapegoating immigrants again President Donald Trump tweeted on April 20, “In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration.”

He offered no details as to what immigration programs might be affected by the order. But according to the New York Times, the order would temporarily bar “the provision of new green cards and work visas,” which means the administration will “no longer approve any applications from foreigners to live and work in the United States for an undetermined period of time.”

Due to the pandemic, almost all visa processing by the State Department, including immigrant visas, has been suspended for weeks. It’s unknown how much of an impact the new order will have.

Trump has taken credit for his restrictions on travel to the United States from China and hard-hit European countries, arguing it contributed to slowing the spread

of the coronavirus in the United States. And Trump has won some support from conservative Republican lawmakers for his proposal, which was framed as saving jobs for Americans as unemployment rises during the pandemic.

What about when America reopens? Will it also reopen to immigrants? Trump’s tweets send a doubly damaging message: Immigrants are both a health risk and an economic risk.

Sen. Kamala Harris blasted Trump’s announcement as xenophobic. The former Democratic presidential candidate said Trump “failed to take this crisis seriously from day 1,” and that Trump is “shamelessly politicizing this pandemic to double down on his anti-immigrant agenda.”

Let’s remind Trump that immigrants account for nearly half of the U.S. workforce with a science or engineering doctorate, including 60% of workers in computer and mathematical sciences. One in four doctors and one in eight registered nurses are immigrants.

And let’s not forget the 2019 study by New American Economy that found that immigrants and the children of immigrants founded 45% of Fortune 500 companies in the United States, amassing $6.1 trillion in annual revenue in 2018.

Let’s not allow Trump to distract from efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic or divide this country even further through this executive order. 

■ COMMUNITY NEWS Reader pleads for more widespread COVID-19 testing

We are not revealing the identity of this person for privacy reasons

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see TESTING on 11

University of Washington model: Washington could start safely reopening May 18

State recalls 12,000 COVID-19 test kits due to possible contamination

SEATTLE (AP) — Modelers at the University of Washington are starting to tackle a big question as the arc of the novel coronavirus pandemic appears to be flattening in places like Washington state: When will it be safe to begin loosening restrictions keeping the virus in check?

According to the UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), Washington could cross that threshold the week of May 18, the Seattle Times reported. Estimates for other states range from as early as May 4 to as late as the end of June, based on the local status of the epidemic.

The latest projections are an outgrowth of IHME’s continued work to forecast the scope of the epidemic in every state and in

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) said it was alerted on April 17 by UW Medicine to discontinue use of a recently-procured batch of COVID-19 specimen collection kits that UW Medicine believed may have a quality control issue. As a result, DOH recalled approximately 12,000 kits sent to local health jurisdictions, tribal nations, and state agency partners across the state.

“Though the quality control issue has only been observed in a small number of tubes of viral transport media (VTM), we adhere to the highest quality standards for COVID-19 testing in Washington

several other countries. They come as the group’s work, which has been influential from the White House to statehouses, is attracting criticism from some disease experts.

In a media briefing on April 17, IHME Director Dr. Chris Murray cautioned that the potential “opening dates’’ represent a first take and are likely to change as more information comes in from individual states. Among the key variables are whether deaths are likely to drop sharply once they peak, or whether—as seems to be occurring in New York— they will plateau and decrease slowly.

Another main factor will be how soon see REOPENING on 11

state,” said Secretary of Health John Wiesman. “We are working with our partners to have them discard the product and will work to replace them as quickly as we can.”

VTM is the fluid that preserves a specimen during transport, such as one collected via nasal swab from a person being tested for COVID-19.

Some of the vials of VTM were an unusual color, which prompted UW Medicine to reach out to DOH to work together to investigate potential contamination. DOH officials believe there is no health risk to patients, as the VTM does not come in contact with patients during a COVID-19 test. 

10

asianweekly northwest

APRIL 25 – MAY 1, 2020

STICKERS from 1 associated with a white nationalist hate group.

Community members scraped off most of the stickers and contacted police. In recent weeks, Seattle police have

SHELF from 8 we see how their relationships with their parents (or lack thereof) has affected their relationships with others and how they live their lives. Miyoung and Jihoon are complex characters who are dealing with more than your average teenagers—even when you take out the supernatural elements. They have both been hurt by those who are supposed to love them and while this may make them slow to truly let people in, they are still open to the possibilities

TIGERTAIL from 7 and so the effect is actually that the viewer withdraws.

Asian American-ness It’s been reported that this movie is based on Yang’s father’s life. I can see the really good intentions of this movie—like how it wants to delve into generational

38 YEARS

received other reports from members of the Asian American community, who believe they have been targeted because of their race. The department continues to investigate these cases, and encourages anyone who believes they have been the victim of bias to call 911. 

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 4.

and Cho does a great job of showing what can come out of that.

“Wicked Fox” also delves into Korean folklore, introducing many readers to the legend of the gumiho.

Prior to reading this, I had not known much (read: anything) about Korean folklore and thoroughly enjoyed the mythology behind the gumiho.  Samantha can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

trauma and how it wants to give dignity to the first generation, as personified by Pin-Jui. But I think my issue with this film is that it largely feels like a retread of stories that have already been told. It’s a “grandpa gets off the boat” story. That is, it’s a story about an Asian individual who suffers a life of political oppression and poverty, who immigrates to America to seek out the American Dream—only to

find that the American Dream is a huge let down. They are then doomed to a second life of hard work, in which the proceeding generation will reap the benefits, but oh snap, there’s a cultural and generational gap between parents and child, and they just don’t get each other because they never talk to each other. By the end of the movie, father reaches out to child or child reaches out to father—or they both reach for each other simultaneously

and a greater understanding, however modest, signifies an optimistic future and WE HAVE HEARD THIS STORY SO MANY TIMES ALREADY. There’s a blandness to this beautiful-ass movie that makes it totally forgettable.  Stacy can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.

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Outdoor Research is hiring multiple positions with our new face mask production department, we are looking for Operators, Quality control Lead, and shipping and receiving. We offer great benefits. For a additional information, please contact our HR depart- Northwest Asian Weekly is acceptment 206-467-8197, or visit our ing applications for freelance company website www.outdoorwriters. Email: Ruth Bayang research.com editor@nwasianweekly.com.

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KING COUNTY NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received for C01428C20, Alki Administration Building Roof Replacement; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, via email, at procurement.submittals@kingcounty. gov , until 1:30 PM on May 7, 2020. Late bids will not be accepted.

Brief Scope: The work for the Alki Wet Weather Treatment Station Administration Building roofs shall include, but is not limited to, the removal and disposal of the existing built-up roofing system, as well as installation of new wood block curbing for HVAC Duct supports, polyisocyanurate insulation, cover board, Hot Modified roofing

system, curbing, flashing, sheet metal, coping, and metal drain baskets.

Estimated contract price: $169,000 Pre-Bid(s): A pre-bid conference/site tour is not scheduled.

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

APRIL 25 – MAY 1, 2020

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

asianweekly northwest

11

Predictions and advice for the week of April 25–May 1, 2020

By Sun Lee Chang Rat — While the content of your message is quite important, pay close attention to how it is delivered.

Dragon — If you don’t know what lies ahead, it is best to go slow and be prepared for multiple scenarios.

Monkey — It’s not enough just to be in the same room. To really connect, you have to engage the other person.

Ox — Powerful things can come in small packages. Don’t underestimate something just because of its size.

Snake — The information you seek is within your grasp, but you must continue on to be able to reach it.

Rooster — Listen to your natural instincts, as you have a knack for throwing things together that end up working well.

Tiger — A certain amount can be helpful, but too much can have the opposite effect. More isn’t necessarily better.

Horse — From the outside, it might seem like luck, but you make your own opportunities by seeking out what is available.

Dog — This time around, you aren’t in the driver’s seat, but you can still influence the direction that you are headed.

Rabbit — You are not satisfied until you know the answer. That curiosity will lead to an unexpected discovery.

Goat — Is looking at the whole picture a bit overwhelming? If so, break it down into smaller, more digestible pieces.

Pig — Do you forge a new path or head down a familiar trail? It all depends on your appetite for adventure.

WHAT’S YOUR ANIMAL SIGN? RAT 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 OX 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 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 from 1 following day.

Her mother, Susie, 82, and sister, Willa, 60, who lived with her, also came down with the disease and died on March 27 and 29, respectively.

Regina Lee’s death came less than two weeks after Costco CEO Craig Jelinek Susie Chin Lee reportedly emailed workers at the company's campus in Issaquah, that allowing them to work at home would be unfair to colleagues at its stores who couldn't do so. “[Regina] was one of the sweetest souls you could ever know,” co-worker Sarah Snyder wrote on Facebook. “Costco corporate has long made the mistake of trying to treat an office the same as a physical warehouse. They are not the same environment at all and it was foolish in my opinion for them not to close the office much earlier.”

TESTING from 9 widespread testing for it.

I started having symptoms in midMarch, and the health care system in the Seattle area was definitely not ready for the rise in cases at that time.

Unless I had severe symptoms, I could not seem to find a way to be tested. I tried navigating the healthcare system as best as I could, and it did not matter that I have good health insurance, have the time to call and wait on hold, and am fluent in English to understand what is being said.

I got the runaround no matter where I tried to go and ask for resources and help.

I happen to work for a public utility, and am on the Washington State Department of Health (DOH)’s list of "essential business/employees. I thought that would be my ticket to a test. I wanted to know if I had it, so I could take appropriate action to keep myself and co-workers safe, and know when I could safely return to work for essential business. But I was told time and again that I would not, or could not, be tested.

Virginia Mason, where my primary care physician is, told me they ran out of tests and did not know when they would

After Lee's death, Costco began allowing corporate employees to work from home.

Too little, too late, said Regina’s brother, Raymond.

He told BuzzFeed News that his sisters were getting Willa Lim Lee ready to retire and they had just paid off the mortgage on their home. Willa worked for Verax Biomedical as a trainer director for more than 20 years Rev Bergquist wrote on Regina’s obituary page, “Regina was a soft spoken, thoughtful, kind, endearing, humorous and a very generous person.

Always so giving and being a big sister to me.”

Sally Keene said Regina “was a person who’d notice and compliment your new haircut first thing, bought your cookies at every bake sale, she’s always cheerful even when it’s storming outside, and she was a friend to all of us who knew her.” 

get more. This was during the time when larger health systems, such as University of Washington and Kaiser, were receiving tests according to local news outlets. But the smaller systems did not appear to be receiving any resources.

After a week and a half of navigating a maze of bureaucracy with calls to my insurance company, the King County Public Health hotline, the DOH hotline, my primary care doctor's office, and two additional virtual health apps, I was finally able to see a doctor at an urgent care office that was in my insurance network.

By then, it was Day 10 since I had first noticed symptoms of fever, body aches and fatigue, and shortness of breath. By then, my fever had subsided. Although I am an essential worker, and should be tested if I had symptoms, I was told by the doctor that I could not be tested. I was told to go home. I was told that per CDC guidelines, I could go back to work when my symptoms had been gone for at least 72 hours.

While my fever was gone, I still had shortness of breath. Just because I did not have a fever anymore, I did not know if I was now considered to be “asymptomatic,

REOPENING from 9 states can quickly diagnose and isolate newly infected people and everyone they have come in contact with. States that bolster their health departments and expand testing capacity might be able to start opening up sooner, Murray said.

The dates represent the modelers’ best estimate of when the daily new infection rate in each state will drop below one per 1 million people.

IHME’s modeling has been criticized for being too optimistic and too pessimistic. Earlier estimates that as many as 90,000 Americans could die have been scaled back to about 60,000, while the swings in some states have been more extreme.

In Washington, IHME initially estimated as many as 1,400 people could die from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The model is being updated every three days as new data comes in, and the most recent estimate puts Washington’s death toll at about 855. 

but still infectious.” By then, I was able to telecommute for work, I am one of the lucky ones who can do that. However, if I needed to go into work to get paid, then I would have — no fever and no cough, right?

Unless there is widespread and immediate testing when you begin having symptoms, and then are tested again later to see if you are negative, I, and many others in similar situations, will never truly know if we had COVID-19, and when we are done potentially spreading the virus to others.

Before my symptoms began, I had not been in contact with anyone who was visibly sick or coughing a lot. I never have had respiratory issues in the past.

What is scary is how contagious this virus is compared to other illnesses. I consider myself to be a pretty healthy person, but even a mild case of any type of respiratory distress will kick your butt.

Because I had symptoms, I started selfisolating and acting as if I had COVID-19.

I refrained from seeing my parents, who are in the high-risk population.

It has been just over a month since my symptoms first started. I thought I was fine last week. I went for longer walks

in my neighborhood, up steep hills, and found some stairs to climb a few sets to test my lungs. I am not back to normal quite yet. There are times when I am fine, then out of the blue, I feel like I need to breathe more deeply to get enough oxygen, and my heart races.

Hindsight is always 20/20, and while Washington state acted quicker than other states, I believe the state should have isolated and enacted stay-at-home measures much sooner.

In this country, we like to think of independence and freedom for oneself, but now is the time to think about the greater good of others, and to help keep each other healthy. The economy needs healthy people. It is not about just me, it is about our loved ones and others out there who are vulnerable. I was reminded of this recently, to put things in perspective for our stay-at-home orders.

Anne Frank and seven other people hid in a 450-square-foot attic for 761 days, quietly trying to remain undiscovered to stay alive. We can all do our part to keep everyone safe and spend a few weeks at home. We will get through this, but we must do that together. 

asianweekly

38 YEARS

APRIL 25 – MAY 1, 2020

INVENTORS from 1 Mesny, dismissed him in a racist manner, saying, “What can we expect from a Chinaman?” Mesny went on to work in a hospital without a mask and caught the plague himself, dying shortly after.

Meantime, aerosol boxes, as reported on April 3 in the New England Journal of Medicine, have emerged as an innovative solution to protect clinicians from exposure during the critical procedure of intubating patients with COVID-19.

The Aerosol Box is a transparent cube made of acrylic or polycarbonate that covers a patient’s head during endotracheal intubation, a necessary

procedure for infected COVID-19 patients who suffer respiratory failure.

It has two holes on one side through which physicians can insert their hands to perform the procedure while being shielded from the patient’s respiratory droplets.

The aerosol box is the brainchild of Lai Hsien-yung, an anesthesiologist in Taiwan, according to Focus Taiwan. Lai has registered his product, but makes it available for free to humanitarian organizations on the condition that it not be sold commercially.

“It all started when my friends in the medical field in China asked me in January to design something to give

additional protection to medical workers in facilities that were running out of resources,” Lai wrote in Chinese on his Facebook page.

“But now, most of the inquiries I get about the box are coming from my friends in the United States,” Lai said.

Lai designed the Aerosol Box not to make a profit, but to have it used in an emergency in these difficult times, and it therefore did not have to be sophisticated, he said.

The device can essentially be made in about a half an hour at a cost of roughly $66 by any acrylic factory, he said. 

Photo from Aerosol Box

12

northwest

Lai Hsien-yung demonstrates the procedure using the aerosol box.

BLOG from 6

provided his wife and four kids with a decent living.

On coronavirus (COVID-19)

Develop memory skills

Moy was supposed to be honored with a Congressional Gold Medal, along with other Chinese American veterans last September. He was disappointed that it got delayed to this April, and then delayed again due to COVID-19.

Both his son and daughter had planned to accompany Moy to Washington, D.C. for the ceremony. The event was postponed, and Moy’s children never received airfare refunds.

Moy served in the army as a cook. He filled out an enlistment application stating that he was a cook, and he was instantly assigned to cook. Later, he was promoted to mess sergeant, in charge of a unit of over 120 people.

Compared to WWII, coronavirus is worse, Moy said.

“It’s nothing like I had ever seen,“ he said, although he lived through the Great Depression and other crises in the United States. “You can’t get out (of your house with the virus),” and no other disasters had locked us down, he said.

His son drove him out last week to Chinatown to eat, and he was shocked.

“All restaurants were closed,” he said. “It’s unusual. It’s terrible. It never happened before, sad.”

Since the pandemic, Moy rarely goes out, and friends cannot visit him. Even at his age, he is independent and lives by himself. He misses socializing and driving to senior centers to dance with friends. Fortunately, his three sons and daughter take turns to visit him, clean his house, and bring him food.

On aging

“My dad is amazing,” said Corey. He recalled his family doctor told him when Moy was 100 years old that his dad “should have no problems between 100 and 105 (years old.) Now at 103, halfway between 100 and 105, I look at him, he still looks the same.”

Moy has been diligent in working out since the stayat-home policy. Whatever fitness equipment Moy finds at home, he would use it, according to his son. He would ride on an old exercise bike for an hour a couple times a week.

And he also lifts weights.

Moy defies statistics that women live longer than men by six to eight years, according to the World Health Organization. Moy’s wife died two years ago of Alzheimer’s at the age of 95, and Moy took care of her during her illness.

Research has found that longevity has only 25% to do with genetics. Lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise, and smoking habits, according to Scientific American Magazine, play a bigger role. Moy’s parents died in their 60s, so his longevity has little to do with DNA. Longevity is not about how wealthy you are, it’s about lifestyle. A New York Times article said, “The right mix of steps to improve habits and public health could help people live longer, regardless of how much money they make.”

Thrive in independence

Moy still drives and cooks for himself. He drove before the pandemic. From his Beacon Hill home, he would drive two to three times a week to different senior centers for ballroom dancing.

You might take driving for granted. Seniors who stop driving experience “lower life satisfaction, poorer adjustment, loneliness, and lower activity levels,” according to Seniorsite.com. In fact, my friend’s parent said she’d rather die than stop driving.

Moy’s diet

“What do you eat?” is the common question Moy gets, as many friends are curious about his secrets to sustaining a long life!

Another reason for Moy’s longevity is that he sleeps about eight hours every night. Sleep is vital to our brain’s health and memory. Studies have shown that a lack of sleep over a long period of time can cause dementia and Alzheimer’s among seniors.

Nine years ago, Moy wasn’t able to sleep. So he thought of ways to conquer his insomnia. “Instead of counting sheep like most folks, I count capitals.”

He is still interested in learning new things. He committed state capitals and presidents to memory.

“Ask me about any president, 50 states or their capitals, I can tell you,” he said. I tested him with state capitals, and he just threw out answers like a student’s speedy recitation for an exam.

Moy’s most important longevity factor Gene Moy with daughter Jadina (left) and friend Cari Murotani

“I eat what you eat,” he would say laughing. Is he eating anything special or consuming magic pills?

Moy said he eats a combination of Chinese and American food. He makes breakfast for himself every day... American-style, consisting of oatmeal and pancakes, and sometimes, bacon and eggs. I don’t know if pancakes are good for your health, but eggs and oatmeal are. In addition to fiber, oatmeal is rich in thiamin, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, selenium, and iron. An egg is fuel for the brain. Our body appreciates routines and a steady lifestyle.

His key job in the family was being the chef. He has been the cook ever since he got married, and still cooks himself breakfast every morning.

“My wife liked it, naturally,” he said. The couple was married for seven decades.

A study found that people who cook at home up to five times a week were 47% more likely to still be alive after 10 years, according to Cambridge University’s journal, Public Health Nutrition. Cooking is exercising dexterity of hands and feet during cutting, frying, and washing ingredients.

And don’t underestimate grocery shopping. It keeps our bodies and brains active, by dealing with a variety of products with new and old information, economics, and planning. Picking up fresh items is quite a skill. I can never distinguish between the best and not so fresh melons.

Moy cooks Chinese and American food, such as steaks, pan-fried shrimp with shells on, and salty fish, steamed with minced pork.

“I would chew the taste of the (shrimp) shell, and spit it out,” he said in an Asian Weekly interview in 2016. Ah, the guy is a foodie, striving on taste. So his diet isn’t really health-oriented, since he doesn’t really lean heavily on vegetables or fresh food.

Moy’s background

Born in Toishan, China in 1917, Moy came to the United States with his father in 1931. He lived in Lewiston, Idaho before he moved to Seattle. Where did Moy get his cooking skills? After he joined the army, he started his own Chinese restaurant, New China Café, with three other partners. He found the chef’s 12-hour shift draining, so he quit.

Although he dropped out of high school, he applied for a job at Boeing. He was instantly hired as a mechanic and toolmaker, and he stayed for 28 years until he retired in 1982. His career might not have been high-profile, but it

Perhaps the most important contributor to Moy’s longevity is dancing, which provides exercise, balance, and coordination. Socializing is key to longevity. Isolation destroys life. It has been proven that cognitive impairment is less likely in people who are socially active, and it staves off memory loss.

Moy learned how to dance at the United Service Organization, which provided entertainment for the military when he served from 1941 to 1946 in the Pacific.

He picked up dancing again in 1982 after he retired.

“Dancing is good exercise and fun,” he said. “I hate (other) exercises. I don’t get tired when dancing, but I do when I walk.” It’s important to find a form of exercise that you enjoy, so you can keep doing it.

Ballroom dancing strengthens the heart, in addition to leg and arm muscles. Moy was often the star at senior dancing events because very few men know how to ballroom dance, and even fewer can do it well. There are too many women who love to dance, but not enough male partners.

Moy is in command on the dance floor as shown in how he leads his partner. He told the Asian Weekly that he is proud that he has never collapsed into other dancers, even in a crowded room. It exercises Moy mentally and physically.

Last year, arthritis hit Moy, and he felt dizziness and weakness in his leg. Moy has been getting treatment. But it doesn’t affect his posture—standing straight and looking fit and alert. Moy told Corey that when he dances, he does not feel dizzy at all. It shows that the right fitness program will heal us and diminish pain.

By now, you realize that Moy’s successful aging is not a mystery. His active lifestyle, dancing with joy, loving life, discipline, and meaningful routines explains how he can easily swing through to 103 years old.

We cannot reverse aging, but we can adopt an active lifestyle and a wonderful circle of friends like Moy to extend our lives. Moy is looking forward to his Washington, D.C. trip to receive his Congressional Gold Medal. May Congress speed up the ceremony. It will mean a lot not only to Chinese American veterans, but veterans of other wars.

The message is, we honor our veterans in good times and bad.

This story contains part of the interview we published on Moy in 2016 on his 99th birthday. It’s a privilege to cover Moy‘s 103rd birthday. We are thrilled to feature stories about friendship in our community, including ordinary and extraordinary people. And most of all, we yearn for stories of humanity, especially in this horror-and-despair-stricken pandemic, and Moy’s story is truly inspirational.  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.