PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 746 Seattle, WA
VOL 38 NO 21 MAY 18 – MAY 24, 2019
FREE
37 YEARS YOUR VOICE
Photo provided by Al Young
A paper son’s journey to Gold Mountain
From left: Connie Young-Yu, and Seattleites Bettie Luke, Harry Chan, and Al Young. (Al and Connie are siblings and direct descendants of a Chinese railroad worker).
Descendants of Chinese railroad workers.
By Kevin S. Lee NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
See related articles on 10. Promontory Point, the spot where the two railroads joined.
The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once wrote, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” My journey to Promontory Summit
in Utah to attend the Golden Spike’s 150th Anniversary began with a flight from Sea-Tac airport to Salt Lake City. The Golden Spike’s 150th events celebrate the contributions of the nearly 20,000 immigrant workers from different continents and cultures who helped to complete the first
Transcontinental Railroad, nearly 150 years ago. Among them, historians estimate over 15,000 Chinese worked on the railroad during construction. The conference celebrating the Golden Spike’s 150th Anniversary see GOLDEN SPIKE on 15
Local TV legend Lori Matsukawa announces retirement from KING 5 By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
RECYCLING Where does Seattle’s recycling go? 3
SIFF 2019 Films produced or directed by, and featuring APIs 7 Lori Matsukawa
KING 5’s beloved anchor of 36 years, Lori Matsukawa, is retiring. She will sign off on June 14 and KING 5 will air a one-hour special on that day, sharing memories, photos, videos, and stories about Matsukawa. “What a pleasure it’s been to work at KING 5—a legacy station,” Matsukawa said when asked to sum up her career. “I always tell people the best part of being a television journalist is being able to tell the stories of the people who call the Northwest home.” “I am so sad to see Lori leave the industry. She was one of the first people I met when I
arrived at KING 5 nearly 30 years ago,” said Mona Locke, Washington’s former first lady and former KING 5 reporter. Locke called Matsukawa “an icon, a champion of Asian American causes, and a model of cool, calm, and collected when on-air and under pressure. Lori has been an amazing role model who has paved the way for so many Asian American journalists.” “Lori Matsukawa is a shining star in the Asian community,” Assunta Ng, publisher of the Northwest Asian Weekly, said. “Very few mainstream Asian American journalists are as connected to our community as she is. see MATSUKAWA on 16
Keiro board hopes to save assisted living
■
PICTORIAL A celebration of Chinese railroad workers 10
By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY As he walked up the stairs to his small office, his whole body bent forward as if in pain. “I’ve been crying about this goddamned closure,” said Tomio Moriguchi, who founded Keiro Northwest, a nursing home for the Japanese community in Seattle, over 40 years ago, along with a group of half a dozen coevals. It was meant to sustain the
aging Japanese Americans that had been interned in concentration camps—like his own family—and those that had fought for their new country and eventually become a home for future generations. Now that vision may be coming to a close. Keiro announced on May 8 that it was operating with a loss of $300,000 per month, citing mostly Medicaid shortfalls, and that it had no other option but to shut down see KEIRO on 11
Photo by Mahlon Meyer
CHANGING PARADIGMS CAPAA’s Toshiko Hasegawa sets new standards 8
A packed auditorium at Stroum Jewish Community Center listens to Keiro board on May 14.
412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104 • t. 206.223.5559 • f. 206.223.0626 • info@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com