VOL 38 NO 24 | JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019 by Northwest Asian Weekly

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 746 Seattle, WA

VOL 38 NO 24 JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019

FREE

37 YEARS YOUR VOICE

A business owner’s ﬁght with the state Kim Nguyen said she feels targeted Photo provided by Kim Nguyen

By Carolyn Bick NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Kim Nguyen (back row, second from left) with students as they cut a senior citizen’s hair.

Each day, Vietnamese immigrant Kim Nguyen opens the doors to her beauty school in Chinatown. Each day, she teaches students, many of them immigrants themselves, the practice of cosmetology, so they may start their own careers here. And each day, she worries that the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) is going to send yet another inspector to try to close down her school. A little less than two years ago, in 2017, the DOL

see VUU on 16

Community battles over future of Bush Garden building

AT THE MOVIES Movies reviews 7

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

“Always be My Maybe”

Photo by George Liu

“Godzilla”

“Ms. Purple”

told the 42-year-old beauty school owner and mother of three that she was being placed on probation, and had to remedy what it stated were repeated health and safety violations that scored her a 63 out of 100, and that she failed to remedy the violations in a follow-up inspection the following month. In addition to working to correct the violations cited, Nguyen paid a $1,000 fine and traveled on her own down to Olympia to sign a letter in English— not her first language—agreeing to more frequent

Tony Au (right) with Dennis Su. Su, president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, held up a document signed in 1983 by the late Bob Santos saying that housing in Chinatown should be developed for all income levels. Su and three other architects did the research on future development.

Supporters and opponents of the new Bush Garden development, called Jasmine, packed Hirabayashi Place on May 28. Although no formal decision would be made at the International Special Review District (ISRD) board meeting, both sides urged their respective supporters to show up. Jasmine, a 17-story development consisting of micro retail, affordable housing units, and market-rate condos, would be the plan for the Bush Garden property (formerly Elgin Hotel) and nearby vacant warehouse at 614-

620 Maynard Avenue South. It is the brainchild of James Wong, founder of Vibrant Cities. A Chinese immigrant, Wong was raised on Beacon Hill. He graduated from Cleveland High School and the University of Washington. Wong and his father had worked in Chinatown restaurants. Wong worked for China Gate and other Chinese restaurants. While there are those that support Jasmine for its design of enhancing cultural preservation, opponents reject it, saying it is not in character with the district. Supporters said Jasmine will see BUSH GARDEN on 15

National Spelling Bee ends in 8-way tie RECYCLING Waste Less in Seattle  10

■

EDITORIAL Lori Matsukawa  11

By BEN NUCKOLS OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — There were warning signs throughout a marathon day of spelling that this Scripps National Spelling Bee would not conclude like any other in the event’s 94-year history. Rishik Gandharsi sensed it as he stepped to the microphone for the ninth round of the prime-time finals on the night of May 30, when he was one of eight spellers remaining onstage. “Just out of curiosity,” Rishik asked pronouncer Jacques Bailly, “do you happen to know what time it is?” It was 11:18 p.m. Fortyfive minutes later, Rishik see SPELLING BEE on 11

AP Photo/Susan Walsh

“Late Night”

Co-champions of the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee. From left: Shruthika Padhy, 13, of Cherry Hill, N.J., Erin Howard, 14, of Huntsville, Ala., Rishik Gandhasri, 13, of San Jose, Calif., Christopher Serrao, 13, of Whitehouse Station, N.J., Saketh Sundar, 13, of Clarksville, Md., Sohum Sukhatankar, 13, of Dallas, Texas, Rohan Raja, 13, of Irving, Texas, and Abhijay Kodali, 12, of Flower Mound, Texas.

412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104 • t. 206.223.5559 • f. 206.223.0626 • info@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com

asianweekly northwest

37 YEARS

JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS Neighborhood House has selected its next executive director. Janice Deguchi, chair of the Asian Pacific Directors Coalition and executive director of Community for Youth, has decades of experience as a nonprofit executive leader. The outgoing executive director, Mark Okazaki, said, “I’ve known Janice for Janice Deguchi almost 30 years through her work experience and community involvement.” He said he is “very excited to pass the baton on.” Deguchi grew up and still lives on Beacon Hill, attended Seattle Public Schools, graduated from the University of Washington, and then got her master’s degree from Seattle University. She will start her new role in September. 

held a protest against gentrification and displacement on May 31. It was part of the “Coast to Coast Chinatowns Against Displacement: Week of Action” to resist eviction, exclusion, and cultural loss. The protestors gathered at Hing Hay Park and across Seattle’s Chinatown. The CID Coalition is a grassroots group of community organizers dedicated to fighting displacement, centering the needs of the community in neighborhood decisions, and standing in solidarity with other groups who are fighting displacement. 

CID Coalition protest Guests and organizers at Taste of Formosa

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Oﬃce in Seattle hosted “Taste of Formosa” on May 24—to celebrate the partnership that Taiwan and the United States have built over the past four decades. “Taste of Formosa” featured Taiwanese cuisine and dessert prepared by famous chefs who came all the way from Taiwan and local Taiwanese restaurant “Facing East.” The food was paired with the world-renowned Taiwan tea and KAVALAN single malt whiskey. Attendees were also treated to a live cooking demonstration and tea ceremony. 

Photo by John Liu

2019 Building Bridges Across Nations

Taste of Formosa

Photo by Rebecca Ip

Janice Deguchi named as next Neighborhood House executive director

Photo provided by Debadutta Dash

From left: Debadutta Dash, Prof. R. Poovendran (Chair, UWECE), Habib Habib, Justice Steve González (honoree), Bharti Sonawala, Saurabh Sonawala (honoree), Arnav Mariwala, Ambassador Sanjay Panda, Vibhav Mariwala, Rita Meher (honoree), Judge Ketu Shah(honoree) and Teresa Berntsen (honoree).

On May 30, the Washington State and India Trade Relations Action Committee (WASITRAC) and the University of Washington (UW) Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering held its 2019 Building Bridges Across the Nations Awards ceremony. Consul General of India, Ambassador Sanjay Panda, was the keynote speaker. The late Hemant Sonawala, a UW alumnus, was given the Lifetime Achievement Award. His son and granddaughter were there to receive it. Sonawala graduated in 1961 and was honored for bridging business and technology relationships with Washington, India, and the UW. Tasveer founder Rita Meher, Washington Supreme Court Justice Steven Gonzalez, King County Superior Court Judge Ketu Shah, and Washington Department of Licensing Director Teresa Berntsen were also honored. 

The Chinatown-International District (CID) Coalition

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

Seattle mayor, police chief announce additional steps to improve public safety SEATTLE — Following a neighborhood tour of Capitol Hill on May 28, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Chief of Police Carmen Best announced additional steps by the City of Seattle to improve public safety in communities across Seattle. The ongoing emphasis of Seattle Police Department (SPD) patrols that began in May in seven neighborhoods across Seattle — including Chinatown-International

District — will continue and will be reevaluated later in June. “We will continue to address criminal behavior in these target neighborhoods and monitor needs in other areas. Regular operations and criminal investigations will continue throughout the city,” said Best. On May 2, SPD began focused operations in seven areas based on community input and data analysis, which

Reception for API leaders

Immigrant and Refugee Commission seeks new members SEATTLE — The City of Seattle Immigrant and Refugee Commission is looking for qualified and committed candidates to fill six current vacancies. The duties include advising the mayor, Seattle City Council, and City departments and offices on ways to enhance and improve access to City services and resources for immigrants and refugees, as well as strengthening opportunities for immigrants and refugees to participate in civic life. Commission members also encourage dialogue and understanding among the various immigrant and refugee communities, and the larger Seattle community, and advocating on their behalf, and help to provide outreach and community feedback to the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs.

correspond with community improvements by City departments. “Public safety is essential for Seattle’s economy, and especially Seattle’s neighborhood small businesses. The City is committed to partnering with businesses to hear their concerns and find solutions to the problems they see every day,” said Office of Economic Development Acting Director Bobby Lee. 

Serving on the commission is an unpaid volunteer position. Commission members must commit to a minimum of 10 hours per month to commission work, including monthly commission meetings, and to actively participating in at least one committee. Members are appointed to two-year terms, with the option of reappointment for two more terms.  Applications will be accepted through June 17. Send your resume, cover letter, two references, and a short bio about yourself to oira@seattle.gov. Include the words “Commissioner Application” on the subject line. For questions, call (206) 615-0195 or check out the Commission’s website at seattle.gov/immigrantand-refugee-commission.

The Asian Pacific Directors Coalition is holding a reception on June 13 for API leaders in executive leadership positions. This is an opportunity to meet API cabinet and directors in state and local government. So far, organizers are expecting the following to attend: • Toshiko Hasegawa – Executive Director, Commission on APA Affairs • Bobby Lee – Director, City of Seattle Office of Economic Development • Mami Hara – CEO/General Manager, Seattle Public Utilities • Mariko Lockhart – Director, City of Seattle Office of Civil Rights • Michelle Chen – Legal Counsel, Mayor Jenny Durkan The reception will run from 6–8 p.m. at Hing Hay Coworks. 

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asianweekly northwest

JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019

37 YEARS

■ NATIONAL NEWS

Man guilty of defrauding Apple out of 1,500 iPhones Quan Jiang sent hundreds of broken ‘iPhones’ to Apple for replacements

By Associated Press SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A Chinese national in Oregon sent hundreds of supposedly broken iPhones to Apple over two years, and got replacements under warranty of almost 1,500 devices. The other big problem, federal prosecutors say, is that

the iPhones he sent were fake. He now faces three years in prison and a fine under a plea agreement after pleading guilty to trafficking in counterfeit goods. Quan Jiang, 30, a former engineering student at a community college in Albany, Oregon, pleaded guilty on May 22. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Portland said Jiang would import the counterfeit devices from Hong Kong and

submit them to Apple in exchange for genuine warranty replacement phones to be sold on the Chinese market. Jiang imported more than 2,000 inoperable counterfeit iPhones. He obtained approximately 1,500 genuine replacement iPhones, each with an approximate resale value of $600. 

Jury selection begins at trial of Chinese scholar’s slaying By MICHAEL TARM AP LEGAL AFFAIRS WRITER CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge began vetting would-be jurors on June 3 in the death-penalty trial of a former University of Illinois physics student charged with kidnapping, torturing and killing a visiting Chinese scholar. Brendt Christensen, 29, looked on in a dress shirt from a defense table as the judge put initial questions to jurors. If a jury ends up convicting him for killing 26-year-old Yingying Zhang — who aspired to become a professor to help out her working-class family in China — the trial would then enter a death-penalty phase. When Judge James Shadid asked one potential juror why she was against executions, she replied: “God doesn’t want us to take revenge,’’ Champaign’s News-Gazette reported. Those who categorically oppose capital punishment or who

believe it should be imposed on someone convicted of killing without expectation can’t serve as jurors in federal deathpenalty cases. They’ll be dismissed. Zhang’s parents were among those at the central Illinois courthouse in Peoria. The father was in court, while the mother was in an overflow room, the News-Gazette reported. They traveled from China last month and were initially expected to watch remotely from a closed-circuit video at a courthouse near the university’s Champaign campus. Zhang’s mother, Lifeng Ye, told ABC News in a recent interview about her reaction when she heard of Christensen’s arrest, saying, “I wanted to kill him at the time.’’ “I cannot believe there is such an evil person among us in this world.’’ Zhang’s father, Ronggao Zhang, added. “I think he should definitely get the death penalty.’’ Zhang disappeared June 9, 2017, as she ran late to sign an apartment lease off campus in Urbana, 140 miles southwest

■ IN MEMORY OF ... June 8 memorial for Ron Mamiya Former Seattle Municipal Court Ron Mamiya died from cancer on May 26. He was 70 years old. A memorial service celebrating his life will be held on June 8 at Seattle Buddhist Church on 1427 South Main Street in Seattle. Born in 1949 to Yoshi and George Mamiya, Ron was the eldest of three sons. He was born and raised in Seattle. Ron grew up on Beacon Hill, and attended Franklin High School, the University of Washington, and Gonzaga University. Ron went into private practice in Seattle and was appointed as a Municipal Court

Judge in 1980. He served as a judge until his retirement in 2010. His family said he stayed strong, hopeful, and positive throughout his battle with prostate cancer, even up until the last days. Ron is survived by his mother, Yoshi Mamiya; his brothers, Guy and Rick Mamiya; sister-in-law, Linda Mamiya; his sons Matt Mamiya and Tyler Mamiya; daughters-in-law Lucy Mamiya and Molly Mamiya; and his beloved granddaughter, Isabella. He is also survived by his former wife, Melanie Schafer, the mother of his children. 

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of Chicago. She’d just missed a bus when Christensen lured her into his car, prosecutors say. He was arrested June 30, his birthday, and pleaded not guilty to kidnapping resulting in death. Prosecutors haven’t offered details about how they think Christensen killed Zhang, but they offered clues last week in an exhibits list that includes a baseball bat and apparent blood stains in Christensen’s apartment. The trial was moved to Peoria out of concern that intense feelings about the case in the Champaign-Urbana area could make it harder to pick a jury that could give Christensen a fair trial. Other potential jurors said they agreed with the death penalty in principle but said they may feel uncomfortable about having the power to apply it. Nearly all those questioned see ZHANG on 14

Thời gian Góp ý Mở ra cho Công chúng về việc Dọn dẹp Tiếp diễn cho Phân xưởng Boeing 2 Cơ quan Bảo vệ Môi trường hiện đang mở ra một giai đoạn góp ý cho công chúng về giai đoạn dọn dẹp tiếp theo tại Phân xưởng Boeing 2, từ ngày 17 tháng 6 - 1 tháng 8, năm 2019. Quá Trình: Phân xưởng Boeing 2, ở bờ phía đông của sông Duwamish và East Marginal Way, Seattle, là một phần của Trang web Superfund đường nước hạ Nguồn Duwamish. Phân xưởng Boeing 2 bị nhiễm nhiều loại hóa chất nguy hiểm trong quá trình sản xuất máy bay. Đã được xác định là một “điểm nóng” để hành động sớm, việc dọn dẹp hầu như đã hoàn tất. Theo lệnh về pháp lý, Boeing đã đệ trình một kế hoạch đề xuất cho phần còn lại. EPA đã đưa ra một quyết định thăm dò về đề xuất của Boeing. Giai đoạn góp ý này là để thu thập ý kiến đóng góp của công chúng về cả kế hoạch đề xuất của Boeing và quyết định của EPA. Cả kế hoạch và quyết định có thể được thay đổi dựa trên góp ý của công chúng. Để biết thêm thông tin: Đề xuất của Boeing, phản hồi của EPA, một tờ thông tin và các tài liệu khác có sẵn trên trang web của EPA. https://www.epa.gov/superfund/lower-duwamish Tài liệu cũng có sẵn để xem xét tại các địa điểm sau đây: South Park Branch U.S. EPA Region 10 Seattle Public Library First Floor Library 8604 Eighth Avenue S. 1200 Sixth Avenue Seattle, WA 98108 Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 615-1688 (206) 553-1289 Để gửi ý kiến bằng văn bản hoặc đặt các câu hỏi kỹ thuật hãy gửi đến: Dave Bartus, RCRA Project Coordinator, U.S. EPA Region 10 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 155, 15-H04, Seattle, WA 98101 bartus.dave@epa.gov hoặc (206) 553-2804 Người dùng TDD hoặc TTY có thể gọi Dịch vụ Tiếp vận Liên bang theo số 800-877-8339. Sau đó, vui lòng cho tổng đài viên số điện thoại của Dave Bartus: (206) 553-2804.

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019

■ WORLD NEWS

Artists who’ve dared to broach Tiananmen pushed into shadows

By YANAN WANG ASSOCIATED PRESS BEIJING (AP) — It has been three months since Chinese rock musician Li Zhi disappeared from public view. First, an upcoming tour was canceled and his social media accounts were taken down. Then his music was removed from all of China’s major streaming sites—as if his career had never existed at all. Li is an outspoken artist who performs folk rock. He sang pensive ballads about social ills, and unlike most entertainers in China, dared to broach the taboo subject of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests that ended in bloodshed on June 4, 1989. “Now this square is my grave,’’ Li sang. “Everything is just a dream.’’ China’s ruling Communist Party has pushed people like Li into the shadows as it braces for the 30th anniversary of the military crackdown. Hundreds, if not thousands, are estimated to have died on the night of June 3 and in the early hours of June 4. The party’s effort to scrub any mention of the movement has been consistent through the decades since then and ramps up before major anniversaries every five years. This year, the trade war with the U.S. has added to government skittishness about instability. “They are certainly nervous,’’ said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a political science professor at Hong Kong Baptist University. “Under (President) Xi Jinping, no stone will be left unturned.’’ Many of the actions appear aimed at eliminating any risk of individuals speaking out, however small their platforms. Bilibili, a Chinese video streaming site, announced that its popular real-time comments feature will be disabled until June 6 for “system upgrades.’’ Chinese Human Rights Defenders, an advocacy group, said 13 people have either been detained or taken away from their homes in connection with the anniversary. Among them are several artists who recently embarked on a “national conscience exhibit tour’’ and a filmmaker who was detained after tweeting images of a liquor bottle commemorating June 4. The bottle’s label featured a play on words using “baijiu,’’ China’s signature grain alcohol, and the Chinese words for 89, or “bajiu.’’ A court convicted four people involved in designing the bottle in April. Foreign companies are not immune.

Apple Music has removed from its Chinese streaming service a song by Hong Kong singer Jackie Cheung that references the Tiananmen crackdown. Tat Ming Pair, a Hong Kong duo, have been deleted entirely from the app. They released a song this month called “Remembering is a Crime’’ in memory of the protests. Wikipedia also announced this month that the online encyclopedia is no longer accessible in China. While the Chineselanguage version has been blocked since 2015, most other languages could previously be viewed, Wikipedia said. The disappearance of Li, the musician, has left fans searching for answers. On Feb. 20, the official Weibo social media account for the 40-year-old’s concert tour posted a photograph of its team in front of a truck about to embark on scheduled performances in Sichuan province in China’s southwest. Just two days later, however, the account posted an image of a hand wearing what appeared to be a hospital wrist band and the words: “Very sorry.’’ The next post, published the same day, announced without explanation that the tour was canceled and that ticket purchasers would shortly receive a refund. Fans flooded the comment section with wishes for a speedy recovery. But the suggestion that a health issue was behind the cancellations was later thrown into doubt. A statement published in April by Sichuan’s culture department said it had “urgently halted’’ concert plans for a “well-known singer with improper conduct’’ who was previously slated for 23 performances—the same number of concerts which Li had scheduled in the province. It said 18,000 tickets were fully refunded. Authorities in China regularly use “improper conduct’’ to describe political transgressions. Around the same time, Li’s presence on the Chinese internet was completely erased. An April 21 central government directive ordered all websites to delete any audio or video content relating to five of Li’s songs, according to China Digital Times, an organization that publishes leaked censorship instructions. The Associated Press could not independently verify the authenticity of the directive. “There’s pretty much a consensus’’ among those working in the industry that Li’s disappearance from public view is due to the sensitive anniversary, said a music industry professional who spoke on

condition of anonymity because of fear of government retribution. “He did a number of songs that were considered politically risky, making references to June 4, 1989, and so he’s been out of the picture,’’ the industry professional said. The AP could not confirm Li’s current whereabouts. His company and record label did not respond to repeated interview requests. Li’s songs alluding to the Tiananmen Square protests—“The Square,’’ “The Spring of 1990’’ and “The Goddess,’’ in honor of the Goddess of Democracy that students erected—were part of his earlier works. In recent years, the bespectacled singer has avoided making public political statements, focusing more on promoting his performances. In 2015, the state-run China Daily newspaper published a profile of Li, describing him as a performer who easily sells out concerts. After years of working as an independent artist, he signed last fall with Taihe Music Group, a major Chinese record label. Fans who knew Li as a largely apolitical entertainer expressed bewilderment online about his disappearance. Others made veiled references to China’s internet censorship. On Zhihu, a question-and-answer website similar to Quora, one user wrote that people posed questions every day about what might

have happened to Li, but these posts always disappeared the next morning “as if nothing had happened at all.’’ Another user said, “I don’t dare to say it, nor do I dare to ask.’’ A fan who has been sharing Li’s music on his personal account spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because he feared his employers would punish him for discussing the subject. “Everyone knows the reason for Li Zhi’s disappearance,’’ the fan said. “But I’m sorry, I can’t tell you, because I follow China’s laws and also hope that Li Zhi can return.’’ Quoting one of Li’s lyrics, the fan added, “The world will be all right.’’ Fans continue to circulate videos of Li’s performances online. His complete discography has been uploaded onto filesharing websites, with back-up links in case the original ones are shuttered. Some users shared tribute art, including a black T-shirt with the words “improper conduct.’’ A few years ago, in a performance in Taiwan, Li bounced around on stage, strumming his guitar and repeating a chorus in apparent tribute to the spirit of Chinese propaganda. “The people don’t need freedom,’’ he sang energetically. “This is the best era!’’ the crowd roared back. “The people don’t need freedom.’’ “This is the best era!’’ 

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asianweekly northwest

JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019

37 YEARS

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR THRU

6/30 8

POP-UP SHOP, “GODZILLA STORE INVASION” Kinokuniya Bookstore, 525 S. Weller St., Seattle

JUN 6

KIN ON’S SUMMER MAHJONG NIGHT Kin On, 4416 S. Brandon St., Seattle 6:30-9 p.m. ARTIST/AUTHOR TALK: WORLDS BEYOND HERE Wing Luke Museum, 719 S. King St., Seattle 6-8 p.m.

7 HOW TWO HOURS IN GUANGZHOU CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER, IMPRESSION OF CHINA THROUGH THE EYES OF AMERICAN JOURNALIST Aegis Garden, 13056 SE 76th St., Newcastle Register at https://conta.cc/2VnD8eq FRIENDS FOR JANICE ZAHN FOR BELLEVUE CITY COUNCIL China Harbor Restaurant, 2040 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle 6 p.m. RSVP at 425-200-5525

NYMLI 2020 CENSUS AND ELECTIONS TRAINING ACRS, 3639 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S., Seattle 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

12 TAP-SEA: JUNE TAPPY HOUR Henry’s Tavern, 500 Bellevue Way NE Ste. 310, Bellevue 6-9 p.m.

13 ARTIST RECEPTION FOR ELIAICHI KIMARO Northwest Encaustic, 7143 44th Ave. S.W., Seattle 6-9 p.m. FOOD AND FASHION MAKERS NIGHT BENEFITING FOOD INNOVATION NETWORK AND REFUGEE ARTISAN INITIATIVE Blaine Memorial UMC, 3001 24th Ave. S., Seattle 6-8:30 p.m. $20-$25 eventbrite.com

15 STARS OF THE EAST Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center, 31510 Pete von Reichbauer Way S., Federal Way 7-9 p.m. $30-$40 fwpaec.org SWEET & SAVORY BAKE SALE Kin On, 4416 S. Brandon St., Seattle 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY KICKOFF TO ELECT PREETI SHRIDHAR FOR PORT OF SEATTLE 6011 142nd CT SE, Bellevue 3:30-5 p.m. RSVP to madison@ katherinebobmanconsulting. com or 206-395-9840 preetiforport.com

A GLIMPSE OF CHINA Seattle Center 11 a.m.-6 p.m. chinaartsandculture.org ATTEND A WEBINAR ON HOW TO APPLY TO EHLS (ENGLISH FOR HERITAGE LANGUAGE SPEAKERS) Full scholarships are available for US citizens who have a college degree and are native speakers of Arabic, Azerbaijani, Balochi, Dari, Farsi, Hindi, Kazakh, Korean, Kurdish, Kyrgyz, Mandarin, Pashto, Punjabi, Tajik, Thai, Urdu, Uzbek, and Vietnamese 12-1 p.m. Register at ehlsprogram.org 202-687-4455

21 MAX LAM, “FRONTYARD OF HEAVEN” ARTIST RECEPTION Alma Mater Tacoma, 1322 Fawcett Ave., Tacoma 7-10 p.m. ticketﬂy.com

SEATTLE NIGHT MARKET: ASIA South Lake Union Saturday Market, 139 9th Ave. N., Seattle

11 a.m.-7 p.m.

SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL Broadway Performance Hall, Seattle 8-11 p.m. goldstar.com

29 & 30 2019 JAPAN FAIR Meydenbauer Center, 11100 N.E. 6th St., Bellevue 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on June 29 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on June 30 japanfairus.org

2019 WALK FOR RICE Seward Park, Seattle 9 a.m.-1 p.m. walkforrice.org

4-10 p.m.

SEATTLE’S FIRST COLLABORATION OF SLAM POETS AND ACTORS ON STAGE Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, 104 17th Ave. S., Seattle 6-8 p.m. mindovermattertheatre. brownpapertickets.com

22, 23 & 26

28 2019 SCIDPDA SUMMER BASH Dynasty Room, 714 S. King St., Seattle 5-9 p.m. tickettailor.com

SEATTLE DRAGON FEST Seattle’s C-ID

FILIPINO AMERICAN FRIENDSHIP DAY Doctor Jose P. Rizal Park, 1008 12th Ave. S., Seattle 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

SEATTLE’S 2ND ANNUAL TAIWANESE AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL SIFF Cinema Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave. N., Seattle Details of movies and showtimes, visit seataﬀ.org

JUL

SAMOA CULTURAL DAY Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall, 2727 E. D St., Tacoma 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. apcc96.org

12 44TH ANNUAL PIG ROAST Danny Woo Community Garden, 620 S. Main St., Seattle 4-7 p.m. dannywoogarden.org

13 SEATTLE CHINESE WOMEN’S CLUB’S SUMMER PICNIC Renton Gene Coulon Park 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. seattlechinesewomensclub. com

View the solution on page 14

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The only weekly English-language newspaper serving Washington’s Asian community. The NW Asian Weekly has one simple goal: “To empower the Asian community.” The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject any advertisement, letter or article. Subscriptions cost $40 for 52 weeks of the NW Asian Weekly and $30 for 52 weeks of the Seattle Chinese Post. The NW Asian Weekly owns the copyright for all its content. All rights reserved. No part of this paper may be reprinted without permission. 412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104 • t. 206.223.5559 info@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019

■ AT THE MOVIES

Always Be My Maybe

OH MY GODZILLA!

Boring!

By John Liu NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY By Vivian Nguyen NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Surprise! There’s another new Netflix film that’s out — and this time, it’s a romantic comedy. “Always Be My Maybe” stars comedian

Ali Wong, best known for her Netflix comedy specials “Baby Cobra” and “Hard Knock Wife,” and Randall Park, who currently stars in the ABC sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat.” The screenplay was written see MAYBE on 12

SIFF Reviews

“MS. PURPLE” “LATE NIGHT”

“Ms. Purple”

By Vivian Nguyen NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

“Ms. Purple” Director, writer, and YouTube personality Justin Chon, best known for his critically-acclaimed film “Gook,” is hitting the festival circuit with his latest project, “Ms. Purple.” Set in Los Angeles, the film follows Kacie, a young Korean American who struggles to make ends meet as a Koreatown karaoke

hostess (“doumi”) while taking care of her comatose father. Kacie reconnects with her older brother Carey as the film explores their difficult relationship in the final days of their father’s life. “Ms. Purple” is a haunting indie drama that’s ultimately a family story — one that explores the complexities of filial duty, as well as sibling relationships. This is also one of those films where the stunning cinematography turns the city itself into see SIFF on 12

Godzilla: King of the Monsters, directed by Michael Dougherty, is the sequel to Godzilla, which came out in 2014. Do not worry if you have not seen the previous Godzilla. King of the Monsters will spend some time at the beginning to get you up to speed. Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) currently works for a secret organization

called Monarch, which is in charge of monitoring monsters, known as Titans, found on Earth. Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown), Emma’s daughter, is there to support her mom’s research. They both witness the birth of Mothra, a gigantic moth, which quickly becomes aggressive. Luckily, Emma is able to calm Mothra by using a device that emits a special Titan see GODZILLA on 12

asianweekly northwest

37 YEARS

JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Constance Wu seems humble A-pop! Asian-y stuff in popular culture

By Stacy Nguyen NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY While the “Crazy Rich Asians” fever pitch was happening last summer, I was very withholding in my appreciation, very careful and moderated. I like to think it was because a part of me intuited that nearly a year later, we would be watching Constance Wu try to torch the show that first gave her a shot at mainstream success. Ha! Before we get to that, let’s first tackle the continuing unfair rap that durian, the king of all fruits, always gets!

OMG, Asians, be careful not to get persecuted by the man for your forbidden love

According to Chinese video website Pear Video, a Chinese man ate durian, got pulled over for his erratic

driving, was given a breathalyzer test, failed it, and then he protested, stating that he was not drunk on alcohol. Just drunk on loving a complicated fruit. The man stated that the only thing he consumed was durian before driving. The police probably heckled him for this, but they also probably weren’t laughing anymore when the dude’s blood test came back negative for alcohol. The cops did their own informal test with durian, eating the fruit and then blowing into their breathalyzers. It turns out that, for them, durian did actually raise their blood alcohol level! *Not verified with actual science, so don’t try this with Seattle Police. But if someone has a breathalyzer they want to lend me …

Luxury brands continue needing to apologize because accidental Brownface is a legit epidemic in the fashion world. Not too long ago, I wrote about how Dolce & Gabbana tried to hawk its thousand-dollar wares by featuring a Chinese model engulfed in tired old stereotypes, stuffing her face with spaghetti using chopsticks. Well, not one to be outdone, last month, Gucci released its blue “Indy Full Turban” out into the world, the vibe of which is what comedian Hasan Minhaj straightforwardly described as “white dudes in turbans.” The turban was listed at $790 at Nordstrom because that seems reasonable. People naturally freaked out—over the cultural insensitivity and also the audacious cost of this ridiculous turban. Nordstrom was like, OMG OOPSIE! and pulled the turban from its website right away and issued

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an apology. Gucci, however, has not apologized as far as I know. Good for them, for sticking to their racist guns.

Tiger Woods’ former swing coach ‘guesses’ that his casual sexism and racism makes ‘people feel bad’ Hank Haney has a golf-oriented radio show on SiriusXM—for now— and was heard saying just crazy old white man things on-air, on May 29. Speaking to his co-host, Steve Johnson, Haney starts off by predicting that the U.S. Women’s Open would be won by “a Korean,” before he admits Hank Haney that he cannot name any Korean golfers because why learn people’s names even though it’s kind of his job to know, right? And then Haney doubles down by saying that it’s not really people he takes issue with, it’s women specifically. He’s like, “I couldn’t name you, like, six players on the LPGA Tour,” because who cares about women’s golf, right? Haney started getting heat from his audience while still on the air, so he starts digging himself into a deeper hole: “I’m getting blown up a bit … I can’t remember what I said … I guess people are taking this as racially insensitive. … So I’m gonna apologize right now if I offended people. … I guess I said something that made people feel bad.” LOL, I hope he loses his job. see A-POP on 13

JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019

YOUR VOICE

LIHI

asianweekly northwest

Providing Affordable Housing in Seattle New Apartments & Retail Coming to Little Saigon Under construction at 1253 S. Jackson Street (by Rainier Ave. S.) is a new six story mixed-use building sponsored by the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI). An Lạc Apartments will include 69 new affordable studios, onebedroom and two-bedroom apartments for families and individuals. The building will be completed in March 2020 with pre-leasing to start in January. Two retail storefronts facing Jackson Street are available for lease to small businesses. One space is 789 square feet and the other is 918 square feet. For retail leasing information contact: Steven Strickland at 206-957-8055 steven.strickland@lihi.org.

Rendering by Runberg Architecture Group

“Walsh is fortunate to partner with LIHI for over two decades building affordable housing for those in need. We are proud to have served LIHI on 17 buildings, and excited to have the opportunity to construct new affordable housing in the historic Little Saigon neighborhood of the International District. An Lạc Apartments will have 69 units for individuals and families. We look forward to continuing our partnership with LIHI on projects that preserve and support community.” Bill Reid, President, Walsh Construction Co.

Photo: Michael Walmsley

Ernestine Anderson Place. 2010 S. Jackson St. Named in honor of the Central Area’s own legendary jazz singer. The Jackson Street corridor used to be the musical heart of Seattle.

The Tony Lee. 2820 NE 127th St. in Lake City. Named in honor of Tony Lee, a civil rights advocate & champion for low income families, people of color, refugees & immigrants.

“With all the recent market-rate developments announced in the ID, we are pleased to add 69 affordable apartments in Little Saigon,” said Sharon Lee, LIHI Executive Director. “New retail along Jackson Street plus offices for our staff in back of the retail will add additional vibrancy to the neighborhood. Our main office will be relocating from Belltown. We thank the following funders who made this new complex possible: Seattle Office of Housing, King County, Boston Capital, Banner Bank, Washington State Housing Finance Commission and Wyncote Foundation NW.” In Vietnamese, An Lạc means peace, tranquility, contentment, happiness. The architect for An Lạc Apartments is Runberg Architecture Group. The building sits at the gateway to Little Saigon. The sixth floor corner community room is designed to glow at night like a lantern. The contractor is Walsh Construction Co. The firm’s Seattle office is located in the ID and Walsh has constructed many buildings for LIHI including Cheryl Chow Court, Ernestine Anderson Place, The Tony Lee, Abbey Lincoln Court, June Leonard Place and others.

Photo: William Wright Photography

Just Opened! June Leonard Place. 215 Whitworth Ave. S. In Renton. Named in honor of the late State Representative June Leonard, a Renton civic leader and founder of Renton Area Youth & Family Services (RAYS).

Photo: Whitney Rearick

Cheryl Chow Court. 2014 NW 57th St. in Ballard. Named in honor of former Seattle City Councilmember and affordable housing champion Cheryl Chow.

Photo: Michael Walmsley

Abbey Lincoln Court. 2020 S. Jackson St. Named in honor of Abbey Lincoln, an American jazz vocalist, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist.

wwwLIHI.org

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asianweekly northwest

■ RECYCLING

37 YEARS

JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019

April Dickinson shows oﬀ her bags and jars. When dining out, April Dickinson brings her own chopsticks, napkins, and container to take leftovers home.

April Dickinson ate with her hands. She was dining out with her family and forgot to bring her personal set of reusable utensils. Refusing to use the disposable utensils at the restaurant, Dickinson improvised. As a member of the Seattle Zero Waste (SZW) group, a growing community of 1,800 likeminded people who are passionate about reducing waste, Dickinson is committed to less-waste and more-sustainable living. “Zero waste,” a lifestyle movement devoted to reducing consumption and generating less trash, was popularized by Bea Johnson, a native of France living in California. Johnson is the author of the book “Zero Waste Home” and is considered a pioneer of the movement. The New York Times called her the “high priestess of waste-free living” — her family of four generates a jar of trash in a year. Dickinson, a Seattle native who lives in Shoreline, said her trash “doesn’t fit in a cute little jar.” Since beginning her zero-waste journey, Dickinson’s family of four downsized from using Seattle Public Utilities’ standard size 32-gallon container to their current micro 12-gallon one. She is okay that her family may never reach trashjar status. “We aim to live in balance with our planet and its people, and we are making progress toward that goal,” said Dickinson. Ed Humes wrote in his book “Garbology” that America’s trash output is 7.1 pounds per person per day, 365 days a year. The United States has 5 percent of the world’s population, but creates 25 percent of the waste. Gone are the era when things were repaired, not replaced. Goods now are produced to be disposable. Consumption drives the market. Garbage becomes the measure of economic success, but with an environmental cost. According to National Geographic, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch “spans waters from the West Coast of North America to Japan.” The debris accumulates because much of it is non-biodegradable plastic. They do break down into tiny bits of microplastics, making a cloudy soup, which is fed to the marine life. The food chain moves up and into our system. In 2016, after seeing an episode of the CNN documentary series “Inside Man,” Dickinson embarked on a waste less mission for her family. The episode, “United States of Trash” by filmmaker Morgan Spurlock of “Supersize Me” fame

brought an awareness of the waste stream to Dickinson. “What happens to the trash?” asked Dickinson. “It doesn’t just disappear.” The U.S. spends more money on waste management than anything else, wrote Humes in “Garbology.” Humes advocates materials-management instead of wastemanagement. “The system is messed up that we have to create a whole infrastructure to deal with throwaways,” Dickinson mused. A mother of two boys, 7 and 3, Dickinson works part-time at the Washington State Budget & Policy Center. She said her partner is less enthusiastic about her cause but is supportive. To begin her journey, she conducted an audit of her family’s trash, looking to see where she could reduce. Now she shops bulk and brings her own containers, even for take-outs. She uses a coffee bag until it’s torn, then patches the hole to extend its lifespan. No plastic for her. Single-use plastic is a sin to zero-wasters. In fact, single use anything is a sin. Dickinson made her own produce bags to go along with the jars she saved. She plans meals so she doesn’t waste food. She said her family is eating better and spending less. But to the chagrin of her Chinese mom, Dickinson only allows thrift shop toys or clothes for her boys. And she reuses birthday cards. “Consumption is the root of the problem,” says Dickinson. She flinched at the thought of being complicit. A member of a Buy Nothing group, she loves the idea of a circular economy in which there is a balance between human needs and planetary boundaries. Elly Trinh is also seeking a balance between the two. A friend said Trinh “works hard in being eco-effective.” Trinh is a member of both SZW and Zero Waste Saigon in Vietnam. Trinh’s interest in the waste stream started when she was a young girl growing up in Vietnam. At family outings she would collect and take home the trash to throw away. But she realizes now that there is no “away.” The trash was just being moved. Zero Waste Saigon is comprised of locals and expats living in Vietnam. Trinh said the group recently did a flash mob where they queued up with their own containers and straws at a bubble tea shop in Saigon. After getting a degree in business at Seattle University, Trinh worked in the corporate world for three months and hated it. She wanted to combine her business and

skills to pursue a career in sustainability. Meanwhile, she accepted a job with a caterer. Her first day on the catering job at a golf tournament, her first task was to dispose of a tray of 25 muffins. “It was tough because they were perfectly good muffins. It was so wasteful.” Elly Trinh reuses a snack bag She took a bite from and twist tie. She is saving those each one before she plastic stickers for future use. trashed them. Trinh said, “There is money in marketing to entice people to buy, buy, buy.” Product designs are often flawed and made not to be reusable, unlike in nature. The more we throw away, the more we need to buy. Consumption also plays into Adelia Yee washes and reuses the psychology of these plastic bags. human behavior that life appears to be better when one can indulge in convenience.”

REFUSE Say no to ﬂyers, cheap giveaways, and singleuse items that will end up in the trash. When you refuse, there is less demand on the resource required in making more. REDUCE Pare down and reduce your consumption. Simplify.

Photo by Becky Chan

Photo provided by April Dickinson

By Becky Chan NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Photo by Becky Chan

Waste less in Seattle

REUSE (AND REPAIR) Stop spending money on disposables. Instead of tissues, use handkerchiefs; cloth napkins instead of paper. Look around your home and be creative. RECYCLE Sort properly and ensure the recyclables are empty, clean, and dry. ROT Compost your kitchen scraps.

see WASTE LESS on 14

WEEKLY SPECIALS June 5-11, 2019

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“Huy Fong” (17 oz)

Fresh!

SRIRACHA CHILI SAUCE

LONG BEANS

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2.09

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MANILA MANGOES

HEAD ON PRAWNS

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COCONUT MILK

1.19

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5.99 lb

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ALASKAN TRUE COD FILLET

“Longevity” (14 oz)

CONDENSED MILK

2.99

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Boneless

PORK BUTT ROAST

2.49 lb

7.99 lb

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TAMARIND SOUP MIX

2/$1

Boneless & Skinless

CHICKEN THIGHS

1.99 lb

“Excellent” (16 oz)

DRIED NOODLE Bihon or Pancit Canton

“Richin” (16 oz)

BANANA LEAF

DELI

2.79

From our deli Cooler

Frozen

“Richin” (8 oz)

.89

FRIED GARLIC

4.39

“Richin” (8 oz)

FRIED ONION

5.99

“Nora Kitchen” (58-75 g)

INSTANT PORRIDGE or DESSERT Assorted Variety

1.29

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“O’Tasty” (6 pc)

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5.99

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Hawaiian steam buns with assorted fillings 3 pack

6 pack

4.79

9.19 From our Sushi Case

FUTOMAKI and INARI COMBO 3 pcs each of Traditional Favorites! 6 pc

6.49

All Seafood & Produce subject to availability due to changes in season or adverse weather conditions.

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To See All of our Weekly Specials, Recipes, Store Events and Announcements, visit www.uwajimaya.com

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019

■ EDITORIAL

Lori Matsukawa’s legacy

By Ruth Bayang

Lori Matsukawa has announced she will retire. The pioneer and trailblazer in television news will appear one last time as KING 5 anchor on June 14. Born and raised in Hawaii, Matsukawa first considered a career in journalism during her year as Miss Teenage America in 1974. “Imagine,” she thought, “getting paid to travel to cool places and talk to people!” She passed on a job offer at the Los Angeles Times to be an anchor and reporter in Redding, Calif., followed by a stint in Portland, Ore. and then landing a job in Seattle. She joined KING 5 in 1983. There were few Asian American women on the air in TV news at the time. Among

SPELLING BEE from 1 was a champion. So was Erin Howard. So were Saketh Sundar, Shruthika Padhy, Sohum Sukhantankar, Abhijay Kodali, Christopher Serrao and, finally, Rohan Raja. The eight co-champions closed out the bee by spelling 47 consecutive words correctly. All eight received the full winner’s freight of $50,000 in cash and a new, custom-designed trophy, because Scripps simply could not come up with words difficult enough to challenge them. There was plenty of concern after the bee ended in ties three years in a row, from 2014-2016, that the very best spellers might be too good for the bee. Scripps came up with a written tiebreaker test of both spelling and vocabulary, a solution no one was thrilled about. After two years in which the test wasn’t needed, bee officials decided it was too burdensome on the spellers and got rid of it. The rules going into this year’s bee called for, at most, three co-champions. A contingency plan for even more winners was developed on the fly on the afternoon of May 30, after bee officials evaluated spellers’ performance in the early final rounds. It took 5½ hours to narrow the field from 50 kids to 16. “We are closely connected to the difficulty level at the program, so we are quite aware of the rising level of competition. This does not actually surprise us at all,” said Paige Kimble, the bee’s executive director. “We didn’t go into the competition not knowing that this was a possibility and not having a plan.” Bailly, the longtime pronouncer and the beloved public face of the bee, broke the news to a stunned crowd in a convention center ballroom outside Washington after the eight eventual champs had gone through two consecutive perfect rounds. “Champion spellers, we are now in uncharted territory,” Bailly said. “We do have plenty of words remaining on our list. But we will soon run out of words that will possibly challenge you, the most phenomenal collection of super spellers in the history of this competition.” There would be three rounds, Bailly said, and anyone who got through them would be a champion. No one came close to missing a word. For the winners, fatigue was the only real concern. Shruthika staggered to the microphone for her last few words and greeted Bailly with a wan, hoarse voice.

them were Connie Chung, former CBS Evening News anchor, and Wendy Tokuda, a Seattle native and former KPIX anchor in San Francisco. “I looked up to them as people I could emulate, people who looked like me, working in big cities.” There was a time when the Northwest Asian Weekly would publish job announcements whenever a local television station hired on-air talent of Asian American descent. Now, it’s not such an anomaly anymore, so we’ve stopped. That’s progress, and Lori Matsukawa led the way. In the Seattle market, Lori Matsukawa was the Jean Enersen for Asian American women. In a 1999 interview with The Seattle Times, Matsukawa said, “I was part of that wave where it was very vogue to hire a woman. But I think there were concerns over hiring an Asian American woman. Connie Chung was the only big one at the time. It was like, weekends and mornings are fine, but do you want a woman of color as your primetime

“I’m very glad they stopped where they did,” said Shruthika, a 13-year-old from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. “I feel like there was no better way to do it,” said Saketh, who’s also 13 and lives in Clarksville, Maryland. “I don’t know if I would’ve won if they kept going. I was super tired because it was like 12:00, and I was exhausted.” Kimble has long insisted that Scripps would never subject spellers to an endurance contest, and she had no regrets about the way it ended. “Look at these kids. They worked so hard and they achieved so much,” Kimble said. “I think it’s the best night ever for the bee.” But there were murmurs of discontent among the ex-spellers and spelling experts in the crowd. The words, they said, were just too easy. Naysa Modi, last year’s runner-up who surprisingly missed out on the finals this year because of her written test score, was in tears as the confetti fell. She said the winners were deserving, but the final words weren’t tough enough for them, or her. Among the words that earned spellers a share of the title: “auslaut,” “palama,” “cernuous” and “odylic.” “This would never happen at my bee,” said Rahul Walia, founder of the South

standard-bearer for the station?” Today, Asian American women are the faces you see on primetime television in Seattle. In addition to Matsukawa, there’s Molly Shen and Mary Nam on KOMO 4, and Monique Ming Laven and Siemny Kim on KIRO 7. Thank you, Lori, for carving a path for other Asian American women and journalists to follow. As an Asian American journalist, it’s very satisfying to see faces like mine represented in Seattle. As we celebrate this progress, we must remember not to be complacent. Behind the scenes, there have always been plenty of Asian Americans working as writers, producers, directors, photographers, editors, and assignment editors. But to make real change, Asian Americans need to advance to positions where the real power lies—as news managers and media executives. 

Asian Spelling Bee, where Sohum defeated Abhijay for the title last year. He said Scripps was just scratching the surface of words that could confuse or trip up elite competitors. The South Asian bee and the North South Foundation bee, national competitions available to spellers only of South Asian descent, are among the many reasons Indian Americans have come to dominate the Scripps bee over the past two decades. Erin was the first champion without South Asian heritage since Evan O’Dorney in 2007. “I never expected for this to happen. I was convinced that the bell was going to ring on me at some point today, but for some reason it did not,” said Erin, a 14-yearold from Huntsville, Alabama. “This is the culmination of the past six years of my life. So frankly, I just can’t believe that I’m here right now.” The majority of the spellers had personal coaches, and 13 of the 16 used word lists and study materials compiled by ex-spellers Shobha Dasari and her younger brother, Shourav. Shobha, who’s 18 and will go to Stanford in the fall, said the proliferation of private coaches and online study guides has simplified speller preparation, but she still

gave credit to the champions. “The kids still have to put in the work,” Shobha said. Three of the champions are from the Dallas area, perhaps the most competitive region in the country: Sohum, Abhijay and Rohan. New Jersey had two champs, in Christopher and Shruthika. Rishik, from San Jose, California, was the only one of the self-proclaimed “octo-champs” from the West Coast. Perhaps the speller who had the oddest experience was Simone Kaplan, the last kid to misspell a word. Simone, a 13-yearold from Davie, Florida, who dazzled the crowd by shouting out definitions and obscure roots, finished ninth, but she also turned out to be the runner-up. Simone is in seventh grade, which means next year is her final year of eligibility. Champions are barred from defending their titles, so she wouldn’t have to face any of the kids who beat her. But she’s not sure if she’ll try again, because she was satisfied with her performance. “I do feel that this is a strange occurrence,” Simone said in an attempt to sum up the night. “A tiebreaker test could have potentially come in handy. 

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asianweekly northwest

JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019

GODZILLA from 7 frequency called Orca. All of a sudden, Jonah Alan (Charles Dance), who runs an eco-terrorist organization, shows up to steal the Orca and kidnaps Emma and Madison. Jonah has a diabolical plan to use the Orca to control the Titans. Monarch’s remaining scientists Dr. Rick Stanton (Bradley Whitford), Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins), Dr. Sam Coleman (Thomas Middleditch), Dr. Ilene Chen (Ziyi Zhang), and Dr. Ishirō Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) head out to find Dr. Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler), Emma’s ex-husband, to assist in rescuing Emma and Madison. After Mark lost his son in 2014, he left Monarch to photograph wolves in the wilderness. Colonel Diane Foster (Aisha Hinds) leads Monarch’s security division. Eventually, Godzilla shows up. Ghidorah busts loose. Then Titans all over the world come out of hibernation to destroy the world. If crazy Kaiju fights is what you want, then Godzilla fans will be right at home. However with a total of 17 titans, I was expecting some pretty epic battles. Nope. The Titans introduced in the trailer, including Mothra, Rodin,

MAYBE from 7 by Wong, Park, and writer Michael Golamco, with “Fresh Off the Boat” showrunner Nahnatchka Khan at the helm as director. Set initially in San Francisco, the movie opens with Sasha (Wong) and Marcus (Park) as children. The first 10 minutes shows a charming scene between young Sasha and Marcus, which builds to a montage of the characters throughout their adolescence, and comes to a head in an awkward sexual encounter gone awry in their late teens. Though this incident is the impetus for the characters’ fallout, these first 10 minutes felt forced. Park and Wong know comedy, and they do that well, but a serious family event forces the two to briefly turn on their drama chops. And it felt hokey. The film’s beginning generally came across as a contrived attempt at getting the viewer to care about these characters as adults. In the present day, Sasha and Marcus lead incredibly different lives in Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively. Sasha becomes a famous chef known for her inventive, “transcendental” Asian fusion cuisine (seriously, the best moments in this movie poke fun at America’s foodie culture), while Marcus lives at home, works for his father’s A/C

37 YEARS

Ghidorah, and Godzilla, get most of the monster screen time, and the other 13 Titans have been relegated to small cameos and being shown on computer screens. Sorry for the spoiler! I enjoyed the monster designs, but monster battles are very dark. The worst part is that they cut between the monster battles and humans trying to survive the Titan’s rampage, and this ruins the pacing. Even some Godzilla fans were not satisfied with the Titan battles. Now let us talk about those humans that make up the remainder of the movie. This part is dogged with action movie tropes. There are so many bad decisions being made left and right by multiple people. A critical weapon is left on a table unguarded just begging to be stolen. Monsters growl menacingly at humans and waste time, rather than just using their main weapon immediately. Every scenario with Mark is ridiculous. The science team and military would be analyzing a situation and come to a conclusion. Then Mark would step in, do his own thing, and it would always be the best solution. Godzilla fans wish the humans were cut out of the movie entirely; I wish the humans had a better storyline. There is a lot of fluff in this movie so that does not leave

much time for the Asian actors in Godzilla. Dr. Ilene Chen has a few lines, but there is one confusing scene that will leave you scratching your head. Dr. Ishirō Serizawa has a bigger role in the movie and a “very important mission,” but will also leave you scratching your head afterwards. To top it all off, Dr. Stanton will throw out one liners like when Chen says, “They call him Ghidorah.” Stanton will reply, “Did she say gonorrhea?” I’m serious, that was really a joke in the movie, and he will throw out unfunny one-liners multiple times and ruin the mood. If you just want to see Godzilla and other Titans fight and can tune out the human drama, you are going to enjoy this movie. If not, you should pass. I hope to God-zilla, Godzilla vs Kong will be much better when it comes out in March 2020! 

company, and serves as front-man for his fledgling rock band “Hello Peril.” A new restaurant opening brings Sasha back home to San Francisco, and ultimately back into Marcus’ life. Much of the film presents obstacles to further the will-they-won’t-they dynamic, while playing off the beloved rom-com trope of introducing two characters living contrasting lives. The movie shined most when it delivered quick, one-line zingers, or when it was purposefully satirical. The best scene happens when Marcus, his hippie girlfriend (Vivian Bang), Sasha, and Keanu Reeves (portraying a pretentious, overzealous version of himself) are dining in a high-end, avant-garde restaurant. The scene allows Park and Wong to play off each other in a comical, organic way, while cementing the fact that Marcus and Sasha live in two different worlds. It’s worth mentioning that Reeves is hilarious in his cameo, and his scenes have been so memorable that they’ve already been meme-ified across the internet. While Park and Wong have amazing comedic chemistry— perhaps honed from their time spent on “Fresh Off the Boat,” where Wong was previously a writer—their romantic chemistry never felt genuine. It’s not because they didn’t vibe with each other; it’s more that their chemistry always came across as great pals instead of lovers.

The film has clear winks to Asian American viewers. From a band named “Hello Peril”—a clever joke that aims to reclaim Yellow Peril—to a “Stay Angry” t-shirt donned by Marcus that gives a shout out to the popular blog Angry Asian Man, this was definitely a rom-com made by Asian Americans for Asian Americans. In an interview with The Atlantic, Wong and Park shared that “they wanted to tell a distinctly Asian American love story,” one that reflected their upbringings and experiences. And they’ve achieved that. Though some of the presented Asian parent stereotypes were hammy, the everyday references, like how Koreans love to use scissors to cut food, or the simple conversation that unfolds over a dim sum meal, were the moments where it genuinely felt more relatable. With two major Asian American leads that have been killing it in recent years, I wanted to like “Always Be My Maybe” more. I feel like I’m supposed to like it more. But outside of its witty zingers, feminist slant, and cultural references for Asian Americans, this was otherwise a conventional, formulaic rom-com. But perhaps that’s the point — that we’ve finally reached a place where mediocre Asian American romcoms are now acceptable in mainstream media. 

John can be reached at john@nwasianweekly.com.

“Always Be My Maybe” is now streaming on Netﬂix.

Molly Patel (Kaling) — an Indian American, community college-educated woman to shake up the white, maledominated writers’ room. The result is a smart, hilarious, and refreshing workplace comedy. And while it dives into social issues like sexism and white privilege, what this film does best is its examination of ageing women, specifically in the entertainment business. This is thanks in part to the nuanced performance that Thompson delivers. Kaling, who also doubles as the movie’s screenwriter, wrote “Late Night” with Thompson in mind — despite having never met her. It’s an understatement to say that this turned out to be a most successful partnership. 

SIFF from 7 its own character. From the sweeping cityscape views to the seedy underbelly of karaoke rooms, Los Angeles comes alive through its portrayal in this film. “Ms. Purple” is set to be released in theaters in September.

“Late Night” Billed as SIFF’s Centerpiece Gala this year, “Late Night” touts an impressive cast including renowned actors Emma Thompson (“Sense and Sensibility, “Love Actually”) and Mindy Kaling (“The Office,” “The Mindy Project”). The movie follows Katherine Newbury (Thompson), who plays a revered late-night talk show host who, after 28 years, faces the threat of losing her show

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is playing at a theater near you.

“Late Night”

“Late Night” premieres in theaters on June 7. due to irrelevance and the threat of younger competition. Thompson is forced to take on a diversity hire named

Vivian Nguyen can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

KING COUNTY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ADVERTISEMENT Proposals will be received for E00613E19, NE Woodinville Duvall Road near NE 172nd Street Culvert Replacement; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 12:00 PM on June 19, 2019. Total Estimated Price for Phase 1: $230,000 Total Estimated Price for all Phases: $260,000 There is a 5% minimum requirement for King County Certiﬁed Small Contractor and Supplier (SCS) ﬁrms on this contract. All solicitation documents are published at: https://procurement.kingcounty.gov/procurement_ ovr/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fprocurement_ovr%2fdefault.aspx Contact: Lourdes Bonifacio, lbonifacio@kingcounty.gov, 206-263-3259

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

asianweekly northwest

JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019

Predictions and advice for the week of June 8–14, 2019 By Sun Lee Chang Rat — As much as you would like to, changing the past simply isn’t an option. That said, you are in control of how you choose to move forward.

Dragon — If you have an objective in mind, don’t wait for someone else to set the agenda. Craft a plan to reach your goal.

Monkey — A complicated procedure will require your complete attention. To be at the top of your game, get plenty of rest the night before.

Ox — A shared burden can be a catalyst for forging a new bond that is even stronger than what was there before.

Snake — Recent developments could throw oﬀ a delicate balance. Remaining calm will help you get things back on track.

Rooster — To ﬂourish, constant tending will likely be required. If this level of maintenance is too much for you, reconsider taking it on in the ﬁrst place.

Tiger — Is there someone taking too much of your time? It would be in your interest to deﬁne the extent to which you are willing to assist.

Horse — Although you are conﬁdent of the current trajectory, it still makes sense to have a backup plan in case the unexpected occurs.

Rabbit — Does it seem as though you are just along for the ride? Be an active participant by volunteering to jump in the driver’s seat.

Goat — When facing a less than appealing task, a reward for ﬁnishing can be just enough motivation to get you going.

Dog — A quick changeover can be diﬃcult to adjust to. Instead of lamenting what is gone, focus on the positive aspects of the situation and what it can be in the future. Pig — You have found an opening, but it’s not exactly what you had been looking for. If it doesn’t suit you, don’t be afraid to let it go.

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.

A-POP from 8

Kodi Lee wows on ‘America’s Got Talent’ During the season premiere of “America’s Got Talent,” 22-year-old Korean American contestant Kodi Lee, who is blind and autistic, brought judges to tears through his amazingly soulful rendition of Donny Hathaway‘s “A Song for You.” Judge Gabrielle Union pressed the Golden Buzzer after Lee’s performance, which means that he will automatically advance to the live shows, and we will not get to see him on our TVs for a little while. I sincerely hope that Lee doesn’t become just “inspirational porn” for the ableists (aka pretty much all of us). BTW, my title for this section is so bland because I was scared of accidentally being viewed as a jerk, which definitely makes me kind of a jerk.

‘Blue’s Clues’ reboot coming to Nickelodeon “Blue’s Clues & You” is an updated version of “Blue Clues,” which featured an animated blue dog and originally premiered on Nickelodeon in 1996 with host Steven Michael Burns. Burns’ performance on the original show used to creep me out so much, but then, I was never in the right demographic for it. In the course of Googling info about him for this write-up, I pretty much learned that he’s a cool guy, and I was creeped out by him for no legit reason. The new show is oriented at the preschool crowd and helps kids learn through crafts, drawing, songs, and performances. The new host of “Blue’s Clues & You” is Filipino American Joshua Dela Cruz, who previously appeared on Disney’s “Aladdin” on Broadway, as the understudy for Aladdin. The new “Blue’s Clues” will premiere in November.

Marie Kondo to release children’s book Here’s more news for all the parents of young children out there. Tidying up genius Marie Kondo is coming out with a kids’ book this November, titled “Kiki & Jax: The LifeChanging Magic of Friendship.” The book

will also demonstrate the KonMari method of sparking joy through decluttering. It’s the exact sort of thing that I really hate, so it’s definitely the exact kind of thing that we should probably be teaching young kids. So yay!

Zuckerberg’s head of security is probably a scumbag, probably said racist and sexist stuff about Dr. Priscilla Chan Two former staffers of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s personal security detail went on record at the end of last month, blasting Zuckerberg’s head of security, Liam Booth, for sexual harassment as well as for making racist and derogatory remarks against Zuckerberg’s wife, Priscilla Chan. Chan is unfortunately often known as the Facebook guy’s wife, but she is really awesome in her own right. She could’ve done nothing for the entirety of her adult life, but instead, she is a freaking Ivy League-educated medical doctor and philanthropist. Booth is a former U.S. Secret Service agent who worked under President Barack Obama. Referring to Chan, he allegedly said, “She’s a woman and Asian, and Asians have no peripheral vision,” according to CNET. Additionally, he allegedly also made repeated transphobic, homophobic, and anti-Black remarks. The former staffers stated that they reported Booth’s misconduct to the managing director of Zuckerberg’s private office, but he failed to take action, which sounds about right.

Constance Wu blazing trails, showing white people what Asians already know about ourselves: We are all 16-year-old boys sometimes On May 10, Constance Wu acted like a 16-year-old upper-middle class Asian American boy from the suburbs, who got a Lexus IS 300 for his birthday instead of a Lexus IS 350 F Sport and went nuts on his hardworking parents for being so freaking stupid and devoid of taste. And it was a pretty amazing meltdown. May 10 was the day that ABC announced that it was renewing “Fresh Off the Boat” (FOTB) for another season. Wu went bezerk publicly because she forgot that a TV show is a steady job that pays the salaries of dozens of people who have families to feed and kids to put through college. Rather, she was really wrapped up in the fact that her show’s renewal meant that she could not take her “Crazy Rich Asians” fame and parlay it into the artsy fartsy film career of her dreams. On social media, she wrote, “So upset right now that I’m literally crying. Ugh. F**k.”

And then she followed that up with, “F**king hell.” And then she backtracked on her ungracious comment in the most problematic way, showing us that she is not the perfect Asian representation hero we have been asking for, but the one that we need. Wu wrote an incredibly long, really self-important, selfaggrandizing apology post. Here are some highlights: “Playing Jessica (on FOTB) is fun and easy and pleasant … so obviously I don’t dislike doing a show that is fun and easy and pleasant. But in general, I’ve always sought artistic challenge over comfort and ease.” Also this: “I know it’s a huge privilege that I even HAVE options … but if one has privilege, they ought to use that privilege as best they can. For me — that means pushing myself artistically.” And this: “I appreciate those who have given me the space and faith to believe what I say about both parts of my heart. Thank you. It is meaningful when you make the choice to believe women.” I like that Wu referred to her privilege and how she is using it for the betterment of society, like making us see her in grittier, non-family-friendly roles. I also like how Wu invoked #MeToo with that last statement about how we should believe women. Like, we should believe women when they say they have been sexually assaulted. And we should also believe women who throw temper tantrums when they don’t get what they want and later call it wanting to push themselves artistically. They are totally the same thing. Two of Wu’s FOTB co-stars were asked about the incident. Randall Park, who plays her on-screen husband, was asked during the premiere of his new film with Ali Wong, “Always Be My Maybe.” He jokingly said, “Oh come on man, this is my night. You’re really going to bring that up on my night?” Ian Chen, who plays Wu’s youngest onscreen son, is an impossible class act and said, “I understand why Constance would have these certain feelings, but I don’t think she intentionally was being selfish. Constance is a really talented actress, and it’s great working with her.” Hey, did Chen kinda low-key say that Wu was being unintentionally selfish? OMG, show me your ways, you sly little angel.  Stacy Nguyen can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.

asianweekly northwest

EMPLOYMENT

JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019

EMPLOYMENT

37 YEARS

EMPLOYMENT Wok Chef High-End Asian restaurant looking wok chef to work immediately, Little English ok, Hard working person, team work. Will pay well. Full healthcare, vacation and bonus. Call 206-790-2811

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ZHANG from 4 had previously heard about the case. Illinois abolished capital punishment in 2011, but it is available under federal law. Twelve jurors and six alternates are being selected from an initial jury pool of more than 400, with Shadid saying he hoped to question 32 each day. Seventy vetted potential jurors will be chosen before opening statements — the defense and prosecution

Kitsap Transit Deckhand (as needed) Starting pay: $31.65/hr. Perform deckhand duties on an as needed basis. Req: HS diploma/GED and at least three months exp. as a deckhand on a small passenger ferry vessel (at least 65ft). Job details + appl.: http://kitsaptransit. appone.com/. Deadline: 4:00 PM, 6/28/19, EEO/AA Want to be a part of the NWAW team? Northwest Asian Weekly is accepting applications for freelance writers. Flexible hours. Journalism degree preferred but not required. Send resume and writing samples to: Ruth Bayang editor@nwasianweekly.com.

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can each dismiss any 20 without giving a reason. Complicating the task of prosecutors is that Zhang’s body hasn’t been found. They’ll point to Zhang’s blood and that a cadaversniffing dog indicated a dead body had been in Christensen’s apartment that she’s dead. Zhang’s mother told ABC News she now hopes to learn Christensen didn’t take her daughter’s life. “I hope he would give my daughter back to me,’’ she said. 

CORRECTION

In the story titled, “Bush Garden plans new home at Uncle Bob’s Place” in the May 25 edition of the Northwest Asian Weekly, we inadvertently omitted a quote from Pradeepta Upadhyay, executive director of InterIm CDA, about the decision for the move. For the updated story, go to http://shorturl.at/fgoJX

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 6.

WASTE LESS from 10 Drying on Adelia Yee’s counter-top are plastic bags that she has washed and will re-use. She doesn’t mind the inconvenience of cleaning them. Although a new comer to the SZW group, Yee, a Seattleite and a central operations manager at the University of Washington, began washing and reusing plastic bags 20 years ago. “I am Chinese. It is against my nature to throw perfectly reusable bags away,” says Yee. “Besides, the environment is going to hell in a handbasket” While in her 20s,’ Yee wrote to an airline admonishing the company for not using recyclable cups. She also once wrote on a

comment card at Red Robin telling the restaurant not to give out plastic straws. That’s when plastic straws were still legal. Since joining the SZW group, Yee mindfully shops to avoid buying, as much as possible, items wrapped in plastic. Like Dickinson, Yee also prides herself as an active member of the Buy Nothing group, where members post items and give them away for free. She proudly showed off a beautiful dining room set she got from her Buy Nothing group. “Behavior change to consume less takes time,” says Trinh. “It’s better to have a million people to do zero-waste imperfectly than several to do it perfectly.”  Becky can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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BUSH GARDEN from 1 enhance vibrancy and safety of the area. Opponents criticized its affordability with high-priced condos. Another issue both sides disagree on—what to save from the Bush Garden property.

Supporters

A “dead corner” was how Pang Qiu Fang depicted the area where Bush Garden is currently located (Maynard Avenue and Lane Street). “No one lives there, no businesses and it is dirty … and unsanitary. We, the seniors, rarely walk around that part of Chinatown out of fear and crime. Seniors have been robbed at that corner. Now, I heard that James Wong who has ...generations working [in Chinatown], wants to invest here. I am excited about this. He can develop elsewhere like Bellevue and yet, he chooses to come back and give back to the community.” Pang, 87, spoke in Cantonese on behalf of the 30-plus seniors at the meeting, who were all dressed in white T-shirts with the slogan, “Yes Jasmine.”

30+ seniors wearing white T-shirts with the slogan, “Yes Jasmine.”

Aware of the fact that the Denise Louie Early Childhood Center is founded by the late community leader-activist Bob Santos, Susan Yang, executive director, hasn’t attended many of these community meetings about the development. She is concerned about the safety of the children, parents, and families in the International District (ID). Compared to the hotel development across from her day care, Yang said she favors Jasmine. “Vibrant Cities has the best interest at heart [in providing housing and businesses in the ID].” Erin Demmon, who represented the 50-unit tenants’ association of Pacific Rim Center on 10th Avenue South, said she is happy with the project design and “the beautiful fusion of the modern and new architecture.” “The [Jasmine] project revitalizes an underutilized and unsafe area for the betterment of our community, especially for the elderly residents who have stated that they don’t feel safe on the streets of their own neighborhood,” read Brien Chow, a trustee, from a letter of support signed by Chong Wa Benevolent Association (CWBA) President Kevin Lee. It also creates “economic opportunities for immigrant families and entrepreneurs,” Chow said. Both Chow and Tomio Moriguchi, former Uwajimaya chairman and ID resident, agreed that “mixed income residents … can support local businesses.” CWBA is the “oldest and largest Chinatown organization in the state,” said Chow. It “is the umbrella organization for many Chinese family associations and clubs.” Jasmine is endorsed by more than 25 Chinatown organizations, and their letters of support were presented to the ISRD on May 28. Many Chinatown leaders had met in April to organize support for Jasmine at the House of Hong.

Opponents

Frank Irigon, representing Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), opposes Jasmine. “ISRD is charged with preserving the ID’s unique historic, cultural Asian American character. It pains me that you are not concerned at all with affordability—apartments and retail spaces … provided by the Jasmine project.“ Irigon said OCA and its allies will continue to oppose the project until Jasmine can ensure there will be no displacement of residents and businesses. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., “OCA is dedicated to the political, economical, and social welfare of Asian Americans,” said Irigon. Leslie Morishita of InterIm Community Development Association, who didn’t get a chance to speak, sent Northwest Asian Weekly a statement. “Given its historic and cultural significance, we feel the Bush Garden building should be preserved and restored. That it’s being considered for demolition to make way for a project that is so jarringly out of scale and incompatible with its context is especially dismaying. Once this piece of our community’s history is gone, it’s gone for good. Also, we remain

JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019

asianweekly northwest

gravely concerned about displacement pressures in the neighborhood that large scale speculative developments like the Jasmine project are fueling.” Cynthia Brothers, of Asian heritage, also spoke out against Jasmine on the affordability issue.

Is the building safe?

The activists and preservationists would like to preserve the Bush Opponents applauding their speakers. Garden property because of its history. “The proposed east and north walls have low ductility and will experience project is counter to ISRD’s goals and objectives that address brittle failure that may result in building collapse and possible preservation and rehabilitation,” according to the letter loss of life.” submitted by Eugenia Woo of Historic Seattle. “In our opinion, Eugenia Woo, of Historic Seattle, argued that the building the Bush Garden building is no worse shape than others in the ID. The building can be holds significant cultural rehabilitated, she said. and historic values and The Bush Garden building is not a historical building, but deserves proper treatment it’s right next to a building in the Chinatown ID designated …The proposed new historic district. construction project is out Zhong said the building next door, the New Central building of scale and not compatible (part of the historic district), is in much better condition, with the district.” compared to Bush Garden. However, Joan Seko, When asked if more Bush Garden walls could be saved, the original owner of Bush Zhong expressed concerns about what could happen in an Garden, wrote it shouldn’t earthquake, and doesn’t recommend saving more than the be saved. Seko held her own west wall. Zhong said he has “to be responsible for public wedding at the restaurant in safety. I have to speak the truth.” the 1950s, and she and her family once lived on the ISRD’s role upper level of the property. Established in 1973 by the City of Seattle, the ISRD’s goal is “The current structural to preserve the ID’s unique Asian American character and to condition of the building, as encourage rehabilitation of areas for housing and pedestrianI understand it, is unsafe,” oriented businesses. wrote Seko in a letter to On the agenda sheet for the May 28 meeting, it printed “the the ISRD. “We shouldn‘t force the preservation of an unsafe board does not have jurisdiction over affordability levels or building with many structural issues.” Seko supports the individual tenants.” Jasmine project. The board’s purview is on the principal use, demolition, “We need to honor our past and embrace our future with massing, and exterior design of the proposed redevelopment infinite possibilities,” she wrote. “Bush Garden Restaurant and site. and the building has served our family and community well for many decades. But it is time for change. We should Lost in translation support construction of a better building and a better future The meeting lasted over three hours. The seven supporters for our community. I am excited to see the next chapter of the of Jasmine signed up early to speak. They were followed by building, that will invite more residents of all incomes to the three speakers from the opposing side. The ISRD extended neighborhood and offer small retail spaces so immigrants and the comment period from 25 to 50 minutes. young entrepreneurs can run a successful business to support Another reason for the long meeting was because the their families.” comments were translated for the non-English speakers. Bruce Zhong, a structural engineer and partner of DCI Bilingual Chinese speakers complained about the Engineers, was hired by Jasmine to look into its building’s translator’s accuracy. In one instance, the translator safety. The report stated that Bush Garden was built in 1910 as interpreted a speaker’s stance as supporting Jasmine, when he a single-story building with a basement. The second and third was actually opposing. The translator was confused between floors were added around 1913. the two organizations’ official names: Chinese Chamber of Zhong’s findings showed that the ”columns and basement Commerce and Chong Wa Benevolent Association. And he wall footings were originally designed for a one-story didn‘t provide the official Chinese name for Organization of building. They were not big enough to support the current Chinese Americans. three-story structure. The existing column footing size is only In the beginning, he couldn’t distinguish between Bush 50 percent of what it should be.” Due to the bad waterproofing, Garden and Bush Hotel in English. moisture has rotted many wood joists on all floors. The report Woo suggested that the future board meetings should have called it “a very dangerous situation. That’s why the restaurant an interpreter who is neutral. floor feels soft and not level. This is due to damaged joists and Rebecca Frestedt of the ISRD said several community the settled foundation.” members expressed concerns over the translator. She said “The second floor has rain water damage. The floor is the City contracted with a translation company with previous deflecting and soft. We don’t recommend anyone walk over success. But because of the complaints from the May 28 the center areas.” meeting, that particular translator will not be used again for Zhong also studied the walls. ISRD meetings.  “The west wall is in better condition compared to the other three sides … and is salvageable with new strong back Assunta can be reached at support,” according to the report. The other three sides are in assunta@nwasianweekly.com. bad condition, “broken and bent … with loose corners. The

ISRD boardmembers

Photos by George Liu

YOUR VOICE

asianweekly northwest

37 YEARS

JUNE 8 – JUNE 14, 2019

VUU from 1

Kim Nguyen (third from left) posing with her students.

does not cut school customers’ hair. Arias wrote in her report that Nguyen was away from the school for five minutes, but Nguyen and her students said she was only away for a maximum of two or three minutes, reappearing “instantly with all the supplies in hand when the inspector was about to inspect.” “We saw they both say hi to each other,” the students’ letter reads. While the law states that licensed instructors “must be physically present where students are training,” Nguyen said she couldn’t very well have taken all seven students outside into the parking lot with her, and then ferried them all back inside. That would have needlessly disrupted their training. Calling Giannini into the room, while Nguyen was outside, would have created the same problem for Giannini’s student. Nevertheless, DOL flagged Nguyen, and she has once again found herself facing another two years of operating on tenterhooks. It wasn’t the first time Arias had visited the school. She and her colleague Elizabeth Melia were the inspectors who did the follow-up inspection of the school in August 2017, a month after the July inspection that scored Nguyen a 63. According to a statement by customer Todd Hansen, who was getting his back waxed at the time, Melia “entered the Facial [sic] room without knocking on the door, and made everyone stop working, and then I had to leave the room and go downstairs without my shirt on until she was done with her inspection.” “This took quite a long time, and I felt very uncomfortable while all this was going on,” Hansen’s statement continues. “I really feel as though the way the inspectors handled their duties hampered the schools [sic] business, and that they could have done this inspection without putting a stop to everyone [sic] work.” Department spokesperson Christine Anthony said inspectors are not supposed to tell customers to leave, either before or after the inspection. “That is not the role of the inspector,” Anthony said in an email. Over the last two years, Nguyen

estimated she has been subjected to six or seven inspections, all of which she has passed. Normally, Anthony said in a phone interview, beauty schools and salons are inspected once every two years. However, the agreement Nguyen signed consented to being inspected more frequently. Some of the violations for which Nguyen was initially flagged in July 2017 seemed needlessly “nit-picky,” Todd Myers of the Washington State Policy Center said. Myers has been working to try to help Nguyen with her case. For instance, the July 2017 DOL inspector Tom Fite flagged a brand-new, empty spray bottle, because it hadn’t been labeled. “I said, ‘Sir, if you want, I have to label the container water or lotion, it’s just empty – should I write, ‘empty bottle?’” Nguyen recalled asking Fite. Of the total 15 violations listed from July 2017, Melia and Arias listed seven uncorrected offenses, according to the DOL’s statement of charges. Some of these violations include used nail files and buffers at students’ stations; hair on a clipper; uncovered, clean tools; and storing a mobile phone with clean tools. The newest probation order revokes Nguyen’s license for a period of five years, but gives her a two-year stay on the revocation. The order also fines her business $1,000—though Nguyen said her lawyer has negotiated that fine down to $500—and once again subjects her to more frequent inspections, the number of which is not listed. It states that she must pass all safety and sanitation inspections for the next two years, or the department

may immediately revoke her license, thereby shutting down her school. The minimum score a beauty school may receive to pass an inspection is 86. If the beauty school passes all these requirements over the two-year timespan, and does not incur any further violations, the probation order will be lifted. As with the 2017 probation order, the newest one is in English. At the time she signed the 2017 letter, Nguyen said she didn’t fully understand what she was signing, and that she wished she had had a lawyer present. She said department personnel did not offer her a copy of the letter in Vietnamese, nor did they offer to provide her with a translator. The letter itself asks the signatory if they want translation services provided, but it does so in English. In her email, Anthony said the department will “provide translated documents upon request,” but would not say if the translation services were verbally offered. She only said that the request is “part of the inspector checklist, and are always available.” Similarly, Nguyen said, the inspectors who have shown up periodically over the last two years have always conducted their inspections in English, and never offered to provide a translator – which, according to Anthony, they should have done and should be doing. “Yes, inspectors offer translation services prior to inspections,” Anthony said in an email. When asked when the inspectors are supposed to offer a translator, Anthony repeated,

Carolyn can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Photos provided by Kim Nguyen

inspections for two years, and giving inspectors the power to shut down her business again for any health and safety violation they found. Since then, Nguyen has passed all her inspections. Her most recent one netted her a perfect score of 100. But the DOL is now trying to force Nguyen to sign a similar probation letter—also in English. However, the 2018 violation cited has been disputed by multiple witnesses, and Nguyen says what the DOL is doing is harassment, rather than its actual job. According to an inspection report from January 2018, a student told DOL inspector Carole Arias that neither a licensed instructor nor Nguyen was present in the beauty school at the time some of her students were practicing on customers, but that Nguyen was on her way. Though a senior cosmetologist, Phi Nhut Nguyen, was present, and had a license to practice cosmetology, the inspector wrote that he had not taken his exams to become a licensed instructor. The report stated that his 505 hours spent learning at the beauty school to become a licensed instructor had expired in 2015. However, it does not directly state that he was teaching the seven students in the room. The official statement of charges also claimed he was conducting a haircut at the time of her inspection. However, according to Nguyen’s rebuttal letter, the student actually told Arias that Nguyen was just outside in the parking lot gathering some supplies from her car, which was parked right in front of the school, when Arias walked into the school. Nguyen’s students also wrote a rebuttal letter of their own, which supported this claim. There was also a licensed instructor, Thuy Giannini, in a different room training another student in facials. In their rebuttal letter, Nguyen’s students said they did not recall Arias ever asking if there was another instructor at the school, so they were surprised to see she claimed there was no licensed instructor present. “We do not think that Carol [sic] even walked through the entire school since she did not have the correct head counts,” the students’ letter reads. Giannini’s letter contests Arias’ statement, too. Giannini said she didn’t see Arias, at the time, because she was in the facial room, teaching another student, which appears to back up the assertion that Arias didn’t do a complete walkthrough of the school. “Inspector Carol [sic] should have done her walkthrough more completely and thoroughly, and every other student who was at school that day can be a witness. Since I am a licensed instructor for the school, the accusation that the students did not have an instructor on the premise [sic] is not true,” Giannini’s letter reads. Furthermore, while he operates independently out of the school, the students and Nguyen assert that Phi Nhut Nguyen was not cutting hair or working at the time of Arias’ visit. In his own rebuttal letter, Phi Nhut Nguyen said he operates his own business, and

“Again, the translator request is part of the inspector checklist and is always available.” She did not clarify if a person is verbally notified that they may request translation services. The inspectors also presented Nguyen with findings in English. She said the department did not offer to provide her with a copy of the findings in Vietnamese. Anthony said a translated copy is available upon request. Nguyen said she feels targeted for being an immigrant competing with more expensive American beauty schools, and also feels harassed by the DOL for onpaper violations that, in practice, were not actual problems. She is worried, she said, not only about the future of her business, but also about her students, a majority of whom do not speak English. “If they go to American schools, they cannot pass the tests,” Nguyen said. On May 31, Nguyen received a letter stating that she would have to appear in court in Tacoma in August. The letter, written in English, came without any other explanation. She had to call her lawyer, Douglas Brown of Abelson Herron Halpern LLP, for clarification about what it meant. If she does not settle with the DOL, they will take her to court, she said, per her lawyer. The letter wasn’t a certainty, just a possibility. But to Nguyen, because the letter was unclear on that point, it felt like intimidation—a threat. Brown declined to comment on the record. Anthony said the department cannot discuss the case, because it’s still an open case. However, she said that the inspections are designed to help Nguyen. Nguyen disagrees. She said she doesn’t feel supported or helped, just needlessly scrutinized in a way that makes it difficult for her business and her students to thrive. “[The DOL] are doing it totally wrong. This is harmful to my business. … They say, ‘This is helping the business.’ No way,” Nguyen said. “Every time they come to my business, it’s always ‘We’re gonna help your business.’ I don’t think so. They cause us trouble, and we cannot focus on business.” Nguyen has not signed the newest letter, and is still in the process of negotiation. 

Students and customers at Vuu’s Beauty School.