VOL 38 NO 29 | JULY 13 - JULY 19, 2019 by Northwest Asian Weekly

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VOL 38 NO 29 JULY 13 – JULY 19, 2019

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37 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Bellevue teen petitions Panda Express

HONG KONG — When hundreds of protesters in Hong Kong swarmed into the legislature’s main building on July 1, they stood on lawmakers’ desks in the main legislative chamber, painted over the territory’s emblem high up on a wooden wall, and wrote slogans calling for a democratic election of the city’s leader and denouncing now-suspended

extradition legislation that sparked the protests. Many protestors wore yellow and white helmets, face masks, and the black T-shirts that have become their uniform. Then one man stood out when he decided to unmask himself. Brian Leung Kai-ping, 25, shouted, “The more people here, the safer we are. Let’s stay and occupy the chamber, we can’t lose anymore,” urging fellow see LEUNG on 13

Screencap from YouTube

By Staﬀ NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Brian Leung Kai-ping

Photo by Becky Chan

Photo by Jason Liu

UW doctoral student unmasks during Hong Kong protest

Isha Sangani works on her petition to Panda Express

By Becky Chan NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Her name in Gujarati, which means the one who protects. Isha Sangani, living up to her name, wants to protect wildlife, Puget Sound, and its people. The Newport High School student started a petition in January on Change.org with “Dear Panda Express: We Don’t Want Your Single Use Plastic.” So far, over 2,500 people have signed the petition. And she wants more. https://www.change.org/p/panda-express-end-single-useplastics

JEREMY LIN  7

HELPING ADOPTEES  8

ASSUNTA’S REUNION 9

NORA CHAN  10

Seattle police body camera video shows shooting in Chinatown Screencap from SPD’s video

SEATTLE (AP) — Newly released body camera video shows how Seattle police opened fire on a woman in the Chinatown-International District as a gun flies through the air. The shooting happened the night of July 3, as officers responded to 911 calls reporting a woman firing a handgun into the air near 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street. Officers arrived a few minutes later SPD body camera footage from July 3. Woman’s handgun

■

see SHOOTING on 15

see PLASTIC on 12

Prominent developer, Koh, dies By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Local developer James Koh has died. He was 93 years old. A devoted Buddhist and former Boeing engineer, Koh died of complications from a stroke on July 6. Born and raised in Guangdong, China, Koh was Chiuchou. He

James Koh

earned his bachelor’s degree from National Taiwan University. see KOH on 15

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37 YEARS

JULY 13 – JULY 19, 2019

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS

Sy Pharmacy opens

Photo by George Liu

District 2 candidate forum

Photo by John Liu

Asian Secret Service oﬃcer

Ari Hoﬀman (standing) with District 2 Seattle City Council candidates at a June 27 candidate forum in the ID.

Oﬃcer Alta Lauren Gunawan

Secret Service officer Alta Lauren Gunawan is the first female and first Asian American on the service’s motorcycle division. Yes, THAT Secret Service. The next time you see President Trump’s or Vice President Pence’s motorcade, Gunawan might well be riding alongside them on her motorcycle. Gunawan, 30, is the first female officer in the U.S. Secret Service Motorcade Division’s highly selective 14-person

The Advisory Council for the International District Chinatown Community Center hosted a candidates forum for District 2 Seattle City Council candidates on June 27. All seven current candidates for District 2 attended, including Ari Hoﬀman, Chris Peguero, Henry Clay Dennison, Mark Solomon, Omari Tahir-Garrett, Phyllis Porter, and Tammy Morales. About 75 people attended. There were translators on hand for Mandarin and Cantonese speakers. Each candidate answered questions from the community, ranging from homelessness, displacement concerns, public safety, safe injection sites, and police hiring practices to encourage language skills that match community needs. 

Sy Pharmacy and Wellness held its grand opening celebration on June 29, with appearances from state Sen. Bob Hasegawa, state Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Director Andres Mantilla, former Chief Community Engagement Oﬃcer of Providence Health & Services Dan Dixon, Ethnic Chamber President Martha Lee, and Chinese Chamber President Dennis Su. Founder Phuong Sy has been a pharmacist for a local retail pharmacy for almost 10 years. “Through the years of serving my community members, I realized the community could be better served in many ways. As a result, I decided to open Sy Pharmacy and Wellness to provide more unique personalized services to the community, than is found in a traditional retail pharmacy in Rainier Valley,” Sy said. 

unit. She is also the ﬁrst Asian American woman to join the division. “My dad is 100 percent Indonesian. My mom is all sorts of mixed everything. Being mixed is awesome,” Gunawan told NBC News. “I’m proud to be Asian American.” While she says her ethnicity did not create any hurdles, being a woman who’s 5’4” did present some challenges. Gunawan ridees a bike that weighs more than seven times her own weight. 

Jessica Guh honored

Dr. Jessica Guh of International Community Health Services (ICHS) earned the Brent Oldham Teacher of the Year Award at the Swedish Cherry Hill Family Medicine Residency graduation on June 21. The Dr. Jessica Guh award recognizes exceptional physician teachers who positively contribute to family medicine education. Guh was recognized for her outstanding teaching style, as well as her leadership and development of Swedish Cherry Hill’s antiracism curriculum. She led the way in teaching about race, implicit bias, and anti-racism. 

Photo by Assunta Ng

New Rotary president

Share a Cultural Connection Rich in culture, tradition, and a sense of belonging.

Our Asian-inspired assisted living and memory care community is perfect for those who share a connection through tradition, language, and cuisine. Aegis Gardens brings you a culturally authentic lifestyle celebrating Asian cultures with no detail overlooked.

LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST We understand the smallest detail can make the biggest difference in the lives of our residents. Our chefs prepare traditional cuisine that is not only delicious but also creates a sense of belonging and familiarity. Our residents find joy in our intergenerational programs where they share their years of wisdom with preschool children at our adjacent Stan Head Cultural Center. Together, we look forward to the possibilities of each new day.

Call to schedule a tour. 425-786-0143 Kim Moore (left) and Cindy Runger

Kim Moore took over as president of the Rotary Club of Seattle on July 10. Former president Cindy Runger passed the gavel to Moore in the club’s most recent meeting. For the past 100 years, the Rotary Club of Seattle has played an instrumental role in helping to develop the international organization and to meet the needs of deserving people in our community and elsewhere. 

A Welcoming Gathering Place Our Stan Head Cultural Center offers daily events and classes or the opportunity to host your event to remember. www.stanheadculturalcenter.com

YOUR VOICE

asianweekly northwest

JULY 13 – JULY 19, 2019

Photos courtesy of Aegis Gardens

■ COMMUNITY NEWS As health care costs rise, caregivers face cultural challenges

Residents practice calligraphy with local students.

Local community members practice the fan dance in the Stan Head Cultural Center.

Community members come in to Stan Head Cultural Center for ping pong.

By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

taken by entrepreneurs in a society where the cost of care for seniors is becoming prohibitively expensive. Washington state last year ranked 19th nationwide for the most expensive nursing homes in America, according to a study by Seniorliving.org. The average monthly cost of a private room in Washington is $9,817. By contrast, the most expensive cost for a private room in the nation was in Alaska, topping out at $29,291 per month. While Aegis Gardens’ rates, predicated on a combination of room rental and care fees, are not in that astronomical range. The costs are “comparable to other communities” in the region, said Community Relations Manager Cecilia Yap. Facing such steep costs, industry leaders have catered to niche populations with speciﬁc cultural and linguistic needs. Aegis Living, the parent company of Aegis Gardens, opened an Asian-themed assisted living and memory care community near San Francisco in 2001 that quickly ﬁlled up. In Florida, an Indian entrepreneur opened a retirement community for the Indian population in 2008, according to

National Public Radio. Aegis Gardens in Newcastle opened a little over a year ago with staﬀ that spoke multiple Asian languages and dialects, as well as English. Asian residents chose the assisted living and memory community for its ethnic focus. Many of its non-Asian residents were also attracted by its Asian-themed programs and food. Residents take Chinese painting, calligraphy, and watercolor classes alongside students from local Chinese schools, who come as volunteers. Residents also interact with children from a preschool operated on site by the Chinese Information Services Center, celebrating holidays, making crafts, and telling stories together. “The residents feel comfortable about trying new things or making mistakes because the kids are there learning with them,” said Yap. On a recent Saturday, a dozen residents joined several

To hug or not to hug, that is the question. Nancy Lee, the life enrichment director at Aegis Gardens, an Asian-themed retirement community in Newcastle, Wash., has to decide daily when and how to hug Asian residents. Hugging and touching, especially in public, is frowned upon in Asian culture. But physical contact is vital to emotional and physical health, particularly among seniors, say experts. “In the beginning, I always look at body language,” said Lee, who is in charge of leading residents in exercise, cultural and social activities, and brain health games on a daily basis. “As I develop my relationships with my residents, I make small contact day by day, such as reaching out for their hand when inviting them to an activity or putting my hand on their backs as I walk with them to the next activity,” she added. Lee’s challenge is one of the complexities of running a retirement community for a niche population, an approach

see AEGIS on 15

asianweekly northwest

JULY 13 – JULY 19, 2019

37 YEARS

■ NATIONAL NEWS

Justice Department presses for census citizenship question By MARK SHERMAN and JILL COLVIN ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department says it will press its search for legal grounds to force the inclusion of a citizenship question on the 2020 census, hours after President Donald Trump said he is “very seriously’’ considering an executive order to get the question on the form. Trump said his administration is exploring a number of legal options, but the Justice Department did not say

exactly what options remain now that the Supreme Court has barred the question at least temporarily. The government has already begun the process of printing the census questionnaire without that question. The administration’s focus on asking broadly about citizenship for the first time since 1950 reflects the enormous political stakes and potential costs in the oncea-decade population count that determines the allocation of seats in the House of Representatives for the next 10 years and the distribution of some $675 billion in federal spending. It also reflects Trump’s interest in reshaping how

congressional districts are drawn. “You need it for Congress, for districting,’’ he said. “How many people are there? Are they citizens? Are they not citizens? You need it for many reasons.’’ Districts now are based on the total population. Some Republicans want them based on the population of eligible voters, a change that could disadvantage Democrats by excluding immigrants. The Supreme Court has left open the issue of whether districts based only on the population see CITIZENSHIP on 11

Seized North Korean ship sought for American student’s death

Orange ﬁreball lighting Florida sky was Chinese space junk

By JIM MUSTIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS

By KELLI KENNEDY ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK (AP) — The parents of Otto Warmbier have ﬁled a claim for a seized North Korean cargo ship, seeking to collect on a multimillion-dollar judgment awarded in the American college student’s death. The Warmbiers ﬁled court papers on

July 3 in New York federal court saying they have a right to the assets after North Korea failed to respond to a wrongful death claim that accused it of abducting Warmbier, who had traveled there for a guided tour ahead of a study abroad program in Hong Kong. The Warmbiers say their son was see WARMBIER on 14

RAGIN' VIET-CAJUN

Saturday, July 20th 12pm - 12am Pho Bac Sup Shop & Boat 1240 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98144 Tickets : https://vietcajunseattle.bpt.me Scan Me!

Summer pop-up celebrating food and community. Proceeds go to Little Saigon creative space. Thanks to our partners & sponsors Crawﬁsh King · Pho Bac Sup Shop · Thach Real Estate Group · Vulcan Inc · Macrina Bakery · JW Architects · Interpret This Inc · Trichome · Wing Luke Museum · Intracorp NW · Laﬁtte

MIAMI (AP) — Conspiracy theorists took to social media in a flurry of excitement on July 3 after a mysterious flying object resembling an orange fireball streaked across the Florida sky. The American Meteor Society reported two dozen sightings from Jacksonville

to Key West after midnight and tweeted there’s “no real explanation yet.’’ Even the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office joined in on the fun after receiving reports about the mysterious lights, posting on social media that “we were not invaded last night by Martians, but we appreciate the level of confidence you see SPACE JUNK on 13

YOUR VOICE

■ WORLD NEWS

asianweekly northwest

JULY 13 – JULY 19, 2019

Chinese official: Pig fever outbreak ‘complicated and grim’ By SAM McNEIL ASSOCIATED PRESS BEIJING (AP) — The death toll from a disease outbreak in China’s pig herds that has pushed up global pork prices has risen to 1.2 million animals, but its spread has “significantly slowed,’’ a deputy agriculture minister said. Authorities are stepping up efforts to contain African swine fever but the situation is “complicated and grim,’’ Yu Kangzhen told a news conference. He said the government is developing a vaccine but that work has “a long way to

go.’’ Pork is China’s staple meat and the country produces and consumes two-thirds of the world’s pigs. Bans imposed on shipping pigs out of infected areas since outbreaks began in August have caused shortages in major cities. Importers are ﬁlling the gap by purchasing more abroad, pushing up prices in Asia and Europe. The virus doesn’t harm humans but is fatal and spreads quickly among pigs. It spread from Africa to Europe and Russia before reaching China. Since then, 144 outbreaks have been reported in 32 of China’s 34 provinces, according

to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. “The outbreak of swine fever in China has signiﬁcantly slowed,’’ said Yu. “This is an indisputable fact.’’ However, he said some local authorities have failed to report or contain outbreaks. Yu rejected a report by the Reuters news agency that local authorities only report half of China’s outbreaks. “We cannot promise that it never happens,’’ but if it does, “we will punish it strictly and immediately,’’ he said. 

‘Wolf of Wall Street’ producer charged in Malaysian scandal KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — “The Wolf of Wall Street’’ producer and stepson of Malaysia’s former prime minister pleaded not guilty on July 5 to laundering $248 million from a state investment fund, becoming the third person in his family charged in the 1MDB scandal that helped end Najib Razak’s government last year. Riza Aziz was solemn as he appeared in court to be charged with receiving the illicit funds between 2011 and 2012 in the U.S. and Singapore. The charge sheets said the money was misappropriated from 1MDB and channeled into bank accounts of Riza’s company Red Granite Pictures Inc., which produced ﬁlms

including the Martin Scorsese-directed film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The 2013 film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including best picture. The money was transferred from Swiss bank accounts of two companies U.S. investigators identified as being linked to 1MDB into Red Granite’s accounts in the United States and Singapore, according to the charge sheets describing the evidence. Riza, 42, was released on bail. He was charged with five counts of money laundering and could face up to five years in prison, a fine or both, on each count if he is convicted. Najib set up the 1MDB fund to finance development in

Malaysia when he took office in 2009, but it accumulated billions in debts and U.S. investigators allege at least $4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by Najib’s associates. Public anger over the alleged corruption contributed to the shocking election defeat of Najib’s long-ruling coalition in May 2018, and the new government reopened investigations that had been stifled while Najib was in office. Najib is currently on trial for alleged criminal breach see WOLF on 13

asianweekly northwest

JULY 13 – JULY 19, 2019

37 YEARS

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR JUL 12

44TH ANNUAL PIG ROAST Danny Woo Community Garden, 620 S. Main St., Seattle 4-7 p.m. dannywoogarden.org PING PONG TOURNAMENT Hing Hay Park, 423 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle 2-5:30 p.m. 2 p.m. ENGLISH LUNCHEON, “THE PORT OF SEATTLE MAKING GLOBAL CONNECTIONS FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH” China Harbor Restaurant, 2040 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. seattlechinesechamber.org

LIGHTS FOR LIBERTY: SEATTLE NIHONMACHI Wisteria Park, Seattle Betsuin, 1427 S. Main St., Seattle 7-9 p.m. bit.ly/lightsforliberty

13 SEATTLE CHINESE WOMEN’S CLUB’S SUMMER PICNIC Renton Gene Coulon Park 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. seattlechinesewomensclub. com KIN ON’S TABLE TENNIS TOURNAMENT Crossroads Community Center 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. kinon.org

17 TAP-SEA PRESENTS: JULY GAME NIGHT 2019 699 John St., Seattle 6:30-9:30 p.m.

18 ALI WONG: THE MILK & MONEY TOUR Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle 7-10 p.m. stgpresents.org

JAMFEST 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY Wing Luke Museum, 719 S. King St., Seattle 5-9 p.m. wingluke.org

2019 SEATTLE BON ODORI Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple, 1427 S. Main St., Seattle 4-8 p.m.

MAYNARD ALLEY PARTY Maynard Alley, 670 S. King St., Seattle 5-8 p.m. HAPPY HOUR FOOD WALK Seattle’s Chinatown-ID 4-7 p.m.

RVC’S FELLOWS GRADUATION New Holly Gathering Hall, 7054 32nd Ave. S., Seattle 5-8:30 p.m. rainiervalleycorps.org

REDMOND MAYORAL CANDIDATE FORUM North Bellevue Community Center, 4063 148th Ave. N.E., Bellevue 5:30-8:30 p.m. cisc-seattle.org

FOOD TRUCK FEST 2019 Wright Park, 501 S. I St., Tacoma 12-8 p.m. metroparkstacoma.org BITE OF SEATTLE 2019 Seattle Center 11 a.m.-7 p.m. biteofseattle.com NATSU MATSURI OUTDOOR SUMMER FESTIVAL Uwajimaya, 5th Ave., Seattle 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

Night Market at Seahawks home games

Photo by George Liu

By Staﬀ NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Community Concessions open house on June 25

When the Seahawks return to CenturyLink Field for the 2019 NFL season, fans can expect to see a redesign of its Night Market. For restaurateurs who are new to the neighborhood and may not be aware of the opportunity, CenturyLink Field’s community concessions program was designed to pay homage to stadium neighbors and give back to the local restaurant community. “Our fans love food, and we are constantly looking for ways to provide unique options beyond traditional stadium cuisine,” said Opal Scott, director of concessions. So far, two Chinatown-International District vendors have signed on to participate. CenturyLink Field is also collaborating with vendors and restaurants from the

Pioneer Square and SoDo neighborhoods. “Participating in this program oﬀers the unique opportunity to be in front of nearly 70,000 fans who may not often travel to the stadium neighborhoods outside of coming to the game,” said Scott. “This is an excellent opportunity to create new customers, who may decide to try your restaurant after having your food at the stadium.” Scott said cost doesn’t have to be a prohibitive factor. “We encourage anyone interested to reach out to us and we will work with them on details,” she said. The lineup of restaurants and culinarians are on a rotating schedule throughout the year which provides numerous opportunities for local businesses to operate.  For more information, contact Opal Scott at OpalS@SeahawksFGH.com or call 206-808-8373.

View the solution on page 14

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JULY 13 – JULY 19, 2019

■ SPORTS

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Welcome to another edition of The Layup Drill. In this edition, Jeremy Lin wins a championship, Rui Hachimura is a lottery pick, and Naomi Osaka hopes to right herself.

Lin wins a championship Hall of Famers Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, and Jon Stockton have zero. Jeremy Lin has one. When the Toronto Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors to win the NBA Championship last month, Lin became the first Asian American to win an NBA title. The distinction was not lost on Lin. In an Instagram post, he posted a photo of himself with the Larry O’Brien trophy and his parents. In the post, he stated, “First AsianAmercan ever to be an NBA champ!! Promise Ill (sic) never stop reppin Asians with everything I have! GOD established my step after step after step, allowing me to be 9 inches taller and over 70 lbs more than my parents…While others mocked, my family supported me all the way through.” During the playoffs, he wore clothes that celebrated Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. What has begun as a mini-runway show for NBA fashion, the players’ walk from the team bus to the locker room has been used by players to display what they are wearing, just like an awards show. Photos from the walk show up on the trendiest websites and social media feeds. Lin wore Asian American designers. He wore a black T-shirt with the message, “Phenomenally Asian.” Aafter another game, he wore a t-shirt the message, “It’s an Honor Just to be Asian,” a phrase made famous by actress Sandra Oh after she won an Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama. The story of winning a ring meant a lot to fans of Lin and young Asian basketball players. In a New York Times story, Alex Wong wrote, “It has been about Asian representation and visibility, rarely recognized or seen in organized basketball, especially at the NBA level.” Lin was not part of the Raptors’ winning formula to dethrone the Warriors from its reign of NBA titles. That was Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard. In fact, Lin barely got off the bench to play in the six games of the finals. He played just one minute in Game 3 of Golden State’s blowout victory over the Raptors. He played a total of five minutes in the preceding conference finals against the Bucks. Though relegated to just a reserve, Lin still deserves the accolades of a champion. Far from the days of Linsanity with the Knicks, Lin has been a journeyman in the NBA. He started the season with the Atlanta Hawks, a team rebuilding with no chance of making the NBA playoffs, and ended the year with the eventual NBA champs. Lin’s basketball career is far from complete, but with a ring, he’s solidified himself in NBA history and Asian American basketball fans’ hearts.

Hachimura becomes first Japanese-born player drafted in NBA first round The NBA draft took place in late June and as expected, Gonzaga University’s Rui Hachimura was drafted in the first round, making history. Hachimura was the ninth pick in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards.

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YOUR VOICE

He is the first Japanese-born player to ever be drafted in the first round. The 6’8”, 230-pound forward declared for the draft early as a junior and skipping his senior year in college. This year was the best of his college basketball career, as he had career highs in field goal percentage, scoring, and rebounding. Hachimura’s mother is Japanese and his father is from the West African nation of Benin. In honor

of both cultures, the inside of his suit had one side paying tribute to Japanese culture and the other side in homage to Benin. He did not start playing basketball until he was 13 years old and received nominal interest from colleges to play. Once at Gonzaga, Hachimura played sparingly during his freshman year when the Zags made it to the Final Four. see SPORTS on 15

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■ PROFILE

37 YEARS

JULY 13 – JULY 19, 2019

Janine Vance searches for the truth about Korean adoptees Imagine for a minute that you don’t know who your mother is. Now imagine that you are that mother, and you don’t know what became of your daughter. Imagine the questions that the daughter would live with on a daily basis. Why did my mom give me up? And imagine that mother, possibily plagued by regret, and very likely thinking of her lost daughter. For Janine Vance and her sister, Jenette, these are not imaginings, but everyday life. Adopted into the United States from Korea when they were very young, the two women have next to no information about their original family, and very little detail about the circumstances of their adoption. In order to answer her own questions, and those of other adoptees not only from Korea but around the world, Janine has spent years researching the questionable practices of adoption agencies. She has written books on the topic, and formed a support network for those in similar situations. She calls her research and the collection of resulting books that also includes her memoirs, The rEvolutionary Orphan Collective. Doubtless there are legitimate providers of children from other countries to the United States for adoption by U.S. parents. Yet what Janine suspects, is what her research points to: an adoption machine that hints at human trafficking, evangelical agendas, and, at the very least, taking children from those less advantaged to give to the more advantaged— for a profit. “The primary concern I have about the current adoption procedure for children, whether from Asia or Africa, or anywhere in the world, is that it is based on secrecy in order for it to be effective and profitable,” explained Janine. “It has been created by various churches and based on shame. It has exploded into a network known as the Evangelical Orphan

Photos by Sunspell Photo

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Janine introduces her books at a Red Carpet Author event hosted by Asian Adult Adoptees of Washington State.

Janine (left) and her sister at a Red Carpet Author event hosted by Asian Adult Adoptees of Washington State.

Movement and used as an effort to proselytize to other people’s children. It generates massive amounts of money for profiteers or adoptioneers. It ignores the rights of children as enshrined in the original intent of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child…Korean children are not the only children exploited by the industry, but…there are several mass child migration schemes that have plagued communities, particularly organized by various religious entities, starting as early as 1618. It continues today because no one knows the crisis exists.” Now, imagine that you don’t know who your mother is, and you will never know. There is no way for you to find out. For Janine, “adoption is an intrusion upon my basic right as a human to know and have access to my blood-related biological family. My two daughters should have a right to have relationships with their Korean grandparents, aunts,

uncles, cousins, and potential nieces and nephews. Adoption law has completely severed them from my side of the family.” Adoption records, in the case of the Vance twins and many others, are sparse or nonexistent, perhaps deliberately denying adoptees the chance to ﬁnd out about their real parents and the chance for a reunion. “Thanks to antiquated adoption laws created by adoption agencies, their followers, and special interest groups, my twin sister and, like other global adoptees, do not know the details of our placement and we are not allowed to know,” Janine said. The adoption company that brought Janine and Jenette to the United States is located in Portland. All Janine’s adoptive parents knew was that children were available for adoption. To make matters worse, the adoption process for Janine and see ADOPTION on 16

■ WAYNE’S WORLDS

Now that’s what you call being an entrepreneur By Wayne Chan NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY What the heck are they teaching in college nowadays? My son Tyler just came back from UCLA for summer break. He’s majoring in English with a minor in Entrepreneurship. In just his first year in college, he’s been putting what he’s learned into practice—just not in the way his mother and I were hoping. Over the last couple of months, we’ve been encouraging Tyler to find an internship to get some experience under his belt. Well, I would say I was “encouraging.” For his mother, the more accurate phrase might be, “cajoling, pressuring, and coercing.” I’ve got to say that watching a tiger mother in her natural habitat is awe inspiring, but a little scary. For the first week at home, Tyler seemed happy enough just to hang out with his high school buddies, which, after finals week, I figured was time he’d earned. But in the last week, he seems to have picked up his pace dramatically, and looks like he’s on some kind of mission. I could see him rushing past my den

repeatedly while I was working. Then, he started poking his head into my oﬃce to ask me questions about various things. Tyler: “Dad,” holding up a pen. “Do you need this anymore?” Me: “No, go ahead,” I replied. A few minutes later, he walks in with a three-hole punch. Tyler: “Dad, what about this?” Me: “No, you can have it.” I have to say, I was impressed. A pen and a three-hole punch? Tyler is obviously ﬁlling out applications for a job or internship and has so many that he’s organizing them into folders. Combined with the fact that he seemed to be driving to a bunch of places in the last week, he seemed to be a man on the move. I’d like to think my gentle and reassuring guidance was what got him started on his path to a successful business career, as opposed to his mother’s approach (ie. threatening, hovering, menacing). But, it was the next item Tyler asked me about that gave me some pause. Tyler: “Dad, do I need more than one of these?” Me: <Confused look on my face>

Even Ally, our golden retriever, looked puzzled. Tyler was holding up a used bedsheet. Me: “Why are you asking about a bedsheet?” It turns out that Tyler didn’t need a pen and a three-hole punch to fill out job applications. And he wasn’t driving around to do interviews. Apparently, while hanging out with his friends, one of them told him about an app they were using called “Offer Up,” which lets you sell stuff to people locally. He wasn’t trying to get a job. He was selling stuff out of our home for cash. The next few days were a bit of a blur. He was off driving across town to deliver an old fan we owned. Next, a vacuum cleaner was gone. Then, an old storage box went missing. I didn’t really mind. Actually, I kind of got excited about it myself. He could make a little extra money, and I could have him get rid of a few things cluttering up the garage that Maya asked me to get rid of. Maybe “asked” isn’t the right word. Maybe “beseeching, needling, or demanding” would be more accurate.

Before you knew it, he had sold an old BBQ, a carpet cleaner, and an old pair of binoculars. Even more surprising, yesterday, Tyler got a summer job as well. Good thing, too. We were running out of things for him to sell. Any longer and I’m afraid he would have sold something I actually wanted. Where’s Ally? Ally? Ally!?! Tyler!!!  Wayne can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

JULY 13 – JULY 19, 2019

Photo by George Liu

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG NUNS AND NOSTALGIA My high school reunion

Organizers from Canada, Hong Kong, and U.S.A.

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Running two weeklies for 37 years is daunting in this internet age. I credit my strength to... nuns. I was raised by a village of nuns. My alma mater, Sacred Heart Canossian College (SHCC), primary and high school, in Hong Kong, was founded and run by Italian nuns since 1860. I have a confession to make. Some of my classmates have no fond memories of the nuns. Probably, they were too strict. It’s not my experience, though. I didn’t dislike them even if I never felt close to them, except one. Instead of explaining why what we did was wrong, the nuns’ tendency was to punish hard, scold mercilessly, and induce fear. They were supposed to have been married to God, the merciful. How could we girls make them so angry at times? My classmates had never done anything to deserve to be hit! I still remember a nun slapping my former high school classmate hard after she ﬂirted with boys from our neighboring school. A decade ago, my attitude changed—all because of a reunion with people I had not been able to connect with for years. I was touched profoundly after visiting Sacred Heart’s old chapel, its new building, the next generation of SHCC students, and the nuns, of course. Our former principal, a nun, who was in a wheelchair, must have been over 80 years old. Her toughness vanished, and her humanity revealed. Like a sweet child longing for aﬀection, she told us, “Give me a

Vivian Wong addressing guests.

kiss.” Happily, we embraced her with a kiss. It was a moment of love which I cherished. I knew then, my negative feelings towards some of the nuns melted away. Moments like these, gradually made me realize how much I owed my alma mater for my personal journey. Since then, I have attended four reunions, including its 150th anniversary in Hong Kong and a recent trip to Toronto. Several of my former classmates have settled in Toronto. They organized a three-day reunion, ﬁlled with lavish dinners and fun programs.

ago. He went with me anyway. He will get it after reading this article. The nuns shaped our values, whether we girls liked it or not. Their duty was to serve with no questions asked, until the day they died, and certainly with no financial reward. They taught us to give selflessly and tirelessly for the greater good. Early in my career, I learned to earn everything not through shortcuts, but through sacrifice, hard work, conviction, and discipline. It’s not in my nature to take things for granted.

Nuns were part of my childhood

There weren’t nuns at the reunion. But their presence was deeply felt. Their names were often mentioned in our conversations, especially their nicknames. The ones without nicknames were probably nice, and had no idiosyncrasies. The nuns taught us science, Bible studies, sewing, and other subjects. I guessed when the school couldn’t find a teacher, the nuns were handy and filled in. Some became our principals who led us through storms and glories. All died some time ago. They ascended to heaven, I presume. We girls were often curious about the nuns’ lives. What was underneath their habit and skirt from head to toe? Did they have long hair or did they shave their heads like Buddhist nuns? What was their living quarters like (off limits to us students)? My son never understood why I was so interested in watching a movie about nuns a few years

Grit was what the nuns instilled in me. Their relentlessness had taught me to keep the Northwest Asian Weekly and Seattle Chinese Post aﬂoat so we can inform, inspire, and empower others, even though sometimes, the mission seems impossible, and the challenges are daunting. “I am who I am because of you,” goes a Japanese saying. I am part of SHCC’s nuns’ legacy. For this, I am truly grateful. see BLOG on 16

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■ LETTERS

37 YEARS

JULY 13 – JULY 19, 2019

Chinatown cameras

Photo by Hut Kwan

Nora Chan’s speech at a community dinner from June 22, 2019

Nora Chan

Dear community members and friends, On behalf of the residents, business owners, landlords, and family associations, I would like to thank you for coming to this event to learn about the proposed system that will improve public safety in Chinatown. It has been over six years since the original pilot project of 14 surveillance cameras was installed. Within the ﬁrst month of operations, we were able to identify and bring to justice several criminals who were responsible for over 20 burglaries and

robberies in our community. People felt safer, and the community made a positive impact on public safety by working with law enforcement to help to identify criminal activities captured with the surveillance system. An investment in an improved surveillance system will result in reduced crime, improved resident and visitor safety and welfare, and an overall improvement to the business environment in Chinatown. With the advances in technology, we see CHAN on 14

Reader displeased with Asian Weekly coverage Dear Editor, Your reporter, Mahlon Meyer, truly botched up the reporting of last month’s kick-off event for the proposed Chinatown Surveillance Project. Over the past decade, the Seniors in Action Foundation (SIAF), led by founder Nora Chan, has been the driving force in implementing effective and proven measures to improve public safety in Chinatown. Once again, SIAF has taken the initiative while all other organizations in the community have sat silently on the side. As Chan repeatedly states, “If I don’t do it, then nobody will.” Time after time, Chan, highly respected by the community, brought our leaders together in an effort to raise awareness for public safety and to discuss the value of an improved surveillance system for the community. Upon the completion of the presentations conducted by Mr. Donny Kwan, Professional Engineer (P.Eng) and Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) and technical specialists from vendor Avigilon (a Motorola company), the overriding support for the proposed project was evidenced by the flood of generous donations for the project from the attendees. Rather than the writer taking the opportunity to praise the efforts of the community in assisting local law

enforcement, this reporter who knows next to little about the community, chose to write a biased report based on the personal opinion of a social activist who has no roots in the community. I find this not only disingenuous, but highly disrespectful, offensive, and unsupportive of our community. Public safety is essential for the residents, business owners, tourists, and the hundreds of customers and patrons who come to Chinatown on a daily basis. Although the proposed system implementation is only for the Chinatown area, it is a model for the rest of the Chinatown-International District. Aside from the glaringly inaccurate facts that were reported in last month’s article, the reporter totally missed the key message conveyed at the event. The proposed surveillance system needs a service provider who will assume ownership and has the skills to effectively operate and maintain the system on behalf of the community. A few years ago, the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA), which has had responsibility for the operations and maintenance of the system, was no longer able to maintain the initial surveillance system of 14 cameras. In spite of the concerns voiced largely by the dozens of see LOCKE on 15

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Employers of all sizes – including small businesses – are part of the new Paid Family & Medical Leave program. Is your company ready for the July 31 deadline? Learn more at paidleave.wa.gov/reporting

asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

JULY 13 – JULY 19, 2019

■ EDITORIAL

Women’s suﬀrage: Still a work in progress

2020 marks 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, ensuring the right to vote for most women. Washington was a little ahead of the curve, giving women the right to vote in 1910, a full decade before the passage of the 19th Amendment. Washington was the first state in the 20th century and the fifth state in the Union to enact women’s suffrage. By commemorating the Suffrage Centennial, Washingtonians celebrate the long and arduous road to the achievement of women’s suffrage, the continuing struggle for women’s rights and the significant role of women in public and private life. The 19th Amendment opened up political influence to women, but not all shared in suffrage for some time. Black women were often barred from polls through much of the 20th century; Native American and Asian American women faced

citizenship bars for many years. The anniversary is about remembering the progress that has been made—and the progress yet to come. Susan B. Anthony, a powerful voice in the women’s suffrage movement, once said: “There will never be complete equality until women themselves help to make laws and elect lawmakers.” Since the hard-won ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1919, women across the United States—from every race, religion and political party—have used their voices and their votes to make historic contributions to the growth and strength of our great nation. Though women are outnumbered in public office three to one and the U.S. has yet to elect a woman president, women vote in greater numbers than men.

In January 2019, a record-setting 102 women were seated in the U.S. House of Representatives. In this historic Congress, women comprise nearly a quarter of its voting membership for the ﬁrst time ever. Challenges still remain today, particularly for women of color. And progress for women often feels painfully slow. The history of the women’s movement is still being written. There are battles ahead, over reproductive rights, gender equality in the workplace, and ending voter suppression. There is still a “motherhood trap”—childless women are over-represented at the top level because it is still so hard to balance caring responsibilities with a career. Let’s honor the women of color who fought tirelessly for the right to vote. And let’s recommit ourselves to a women’s movement that stands up for the rights of all women. 

CITIZENSHIP from 4

are in New York and California. Hazel had expressed mounting frustration with the mixed signals the administration was sending, first telling him on July 2 that the question was off only to have Trump tweet the next day that the administration was “absolutely moving forward’’ with efforts to include the question. On July 5, the American Civil Liberties Union asked a federal judge in New York to permanently block the administration from adding the citizenship question to the 2020 census. “The Trump administration repeatedly argued the census forms could not be altered after June 30. They’ve now changed their tune because the Supreme Court ruled against them. They can’t have it both ways,’’ said Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s voting rights project. Trump’s administration has faced numerous roadblocks to adding the question, like the Supreme Court ruling that blocked its inclusion, at least for now. Both the Justice and Commerce departments indicated on July 2 that they were moving forward with the census, minus the citizenship question. But Trump has insisted otherwise, pushing his administration to come up with a way to include the controversial query. He suggested that officials might be able to add an addendum to the questionnaire with the question after it’s already printed. In the Supreme Court’s decision, Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court’s four more liberal members in saying the administration’s current justification for the question “seems to have been contrived.’’ The administration had pushed the Supreme Court to decide the case quickly, citing a July 1 deadline to begin

printing the forms. The court made the rare move of taking up the case directly from a trial court in New York before an appeals court had weighed in. As recently as June 20, Solicitor General Noel Francisco reminded the justices of the need for a quick decision, writing that “for all practical purposes, the Census Bureau needs to finalize the 2020 questionnaire by June of this year.’’ The Trump administration had said the question was being added to aid in enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, which protects minority voters’ access to the ballot box. But the question’s opponents say recently discovered evidence from the computer files of a Republican redistricting consultant who died last year shows that, far from helping minority voters, discrimination against Hispanics was behind the push for the citizenship question. Hazel gave the plaintiffs in the Maryland claim until Aug. 19 to gather more evidence and take testimony from administration officials. If Hazel finds discrimination, that could be a separate basis for blocking the citizenship question. Preparations for the $15.6 billion 2020 census are intricately choreographed. More than 425,000 people have already started applying for the half million positions needed for the 2020 Census. The bureau also is in the middle of a test run, with 480,000 households sent questionnaire information, according to the bureau’s monthly status report from May. The ongoing legal wrangling itself could hurt the census, said John Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice. The group is a plaintiff in the Maryland case. “The government is trying to sow seeds of confusion in the public,’’ Yang said. 

of eligible voters is constitutional. The Census Bureau’s own experts have said a citizenship question would discourage immigrants from participating in the survey and result in a less accurate census that would redistribute money and political power away from Democratic-led cities where immigrants tend to cluster to whiter, rural areas where Republicans do well. Trump said he might take executive action. “It’s one of the ways that we’re thinking about doing it, very seriously,’’ he said. An executive order would not, by itself, override court rulings blocking the inclusion of the citizenship question. But such an action from Trump would perhaps give administration lawyers a new basis to try to convince federal courts that the question could be included. “Executive orders do not override decisions of the Supreme Court,’’ Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said in a statement. The organization is representing plaintiffs in the census lawsuit in Maryland. On July 5, Justice Department lawyers formally told U.S. District Judge George Hazel in Maryland the administration is not giving up the legal fight to add the citizenship question to the next census. But they also said it’s unclear how they will proceed, according to a court filing. “They still say they don’t have clear instructions on what to do,’’ said Saenz, who took part in a conference call with the judge and lawyers for both sides in one of three lawsuits seeking to keep the question off the census. The other two

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PLASTIC from 1 It’s easy to understand why Sangani is down on plastic. The United States recycles only about 9 percent of its plastic waste. The durability of plastic also means it never goes away. It breaks down into tiny bits. It goes into the oceans, into the fishes, and into us. According to The Ocean Cleanup website, there are currently 80,000 metric tons of plastic, totaling 1.8 trillion pieces, floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Much of it are microplastics, the size of a grain of sand. The patch, located halfway between Hawaii and California, is the size equivalent to 500 Boeing jumbo jets. Each year, more enters the ocean. Sangani sees plastic waste as a threat to the environment, marine life, and ocean she loves. Her petition declared that plastic “threatens our CRITICALLY endangered southern resident killer whales, and it threatens me and other youth who will inherit this region.” She is bringing attention to an environmental problem increasingly difficult to ignore. Born in Bellevue to immigrant parents from India, Sangani knew she “wanted to study fish since 6th grade.” She started volunteering at the Seattle Aquarium when she was a 9th grader. As a Youth Ocean Advocate at the aquarium, Sangani often interacts with visitors, interpreting exhibits. Her supervisor, Apryl Reed, said Sangani is passionate about marine life protection and remains positive in her conservation message. Reed said, “Isha empowers her audience to take pride as stewards of our planet, thus making permanent positive behavior changes.” Sangani’s favorite subject is science. She was on Newport High’s Ocean Science Club team that won the 2018 Orca Bowl, Washington state’s regional

JULY 13 – JULY 19, 2019 competition for the National Ocean Science Bowl. The Orca Bowl, cosponsored by Washington Sea Grant and the University of Washington (UW), tests the students’ knowledge in all areas of marine studies. Sangani’s team went on to take 5th in the nationals in Boulder. Her 2019 team took second in the Orca Bowl and placed seventh in the finals. Sangani is the president of her high school club. “I will be heartbroken when she graduates,” Megan Gray, Sangani’s AP Biology teacher and Orca bowl team coach, admitted. Gray continued, “Isha is an exceptional student who has a photographic memory, besides being bright and smart.” Gray found out about the Panda Express petition from another student, not Sangani. “Isha doesn’t like to toot her own horn. She was being cautious and didn’t want to offend others.” What motivated Sangani to start a petition? “I want to change the world and make an impact,” says Sangani. She can’t vote yet, and she wanted to do something now. Inspired by two young Canadian girls who petitioned Starbucks to use recyclable cups and received a positive response from the company, Sangani decided to start a petition on something she cares about. Being a good student, Sangani did her homework. She researched sustainability policies and action at major corporations. She eliminated companies who already made pledges to change. Panda Express, a worldwide chain with over 2,000 restaurants, hasn’t. Also, there is one close to her house, which she visited. “Every order comes with five or six pieces of single-use plastic. They serve 400 to 500 orders a day, multiply that by 365 days, then by 2,000…” Sangani calculated rapidly, then trailed off.

37 YEARS Sangani will end the petition when she gets 10,000 signatures or when Panda Express takes action. For every signature she receives, she sends the company an email. This fall, Sangani will be a senior. After that, she wants to study marine science, preferably at the UW, where she feels at home. But if Duke University calls, she might go there. Meanwhile, Sangani is a Hutton Scholar studying pollution’s effect on salmon at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Sand Point Way this summer. The Hutton program offers selected students an 8-week paid summer internship to learn about fisheries sciences and management. A few days ago, Sangani received the following bureaucratic response from Panda Express. While Sangani is excited that the chain engaged with her directly, she isn’t satisfied with its failure to address the single-use plastic issue. Looks like she will continue to gather more signatures for her petition.  Becky can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Dear Isha, Thank you for reaching out to Panda Express regarding this very important issue. We’d like to applaud you for being so passionate and taking action to create progress. As a company, we are currently providing sustainable solution to stores within specific states and cities where local mandates require specific requirements, including (Single Use Plastics) in many stores in Washington. In addition to plastics, Panda has been making strides in other aspects, such as removing foam containers from all Hawaii stores and introducing fiber takeout clamshells. Panda takes a holistic approach to sustainability, and while it takes time to scale implementation at our company’s size and growth rate for the various categories we want to tackle, we want to assure you that bringing the most elevated solutions for sustainability to our stores is top of mind for us and is very much part of our company mission of inspiring better lives. Our teams are currently working on a thorough plan that will outline where the company can begin to make larger strides in this space, and in the meantime, are implementing the necessary changes behind-the-scenes. As the sustainability movement continues to grow, Panda is keeping a close eye on areas where we can have an impact, and we are always open to hearing from passionate guests like you. Best regards, Jessica Chao, Communications Panda Restaurant Group 626.372.8451

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asianweekly northwest

YOUR VOICE

JULY 13 – JULY 19, 2019

■ ASTROLOGY

Predictions and advice for the week of July 13–July 19, 2019 By Sun Lee Chang Rat — If you ﬁnd that you are sacriﬁcing quality for increased output, it may be time to reassess whether a focus on the former is in order.

Dragon — Until now, you have been able to bridge even the most diﬃcult gaps, but there are times when the connection should not be renewed.

Monkey — If you distance yourself too much, it could be hard to make your way back. Something to consider as you go forward.

Ox — Although you are generally inclined to give it a go on your own, a partner could provide some valuable input.

Snake — You can sense that something signiﬁcant is around the corner. Although you want to engage right away, there is reason to proceed carefully.

Rooster — As much as you want to jump into the action, there is a beneﬁt to waiting to see how things bear out ﬁrst.

Tiger — A diﬀerent vantage point has allowed you to see what was obscured before. With this new perspective also comes a deeper understanding.

Horse — After some time behind the scenes, you are front and center again. You ﬁnd that the feeling of being in the limelight has changed this time around.

Dog — You have been delaying in the name of caution, but if you hold back for too long, you may lose your nerve to join in.

Rabbit — Your priorities have shifted towards a surprising direction. Whether you go further depends on what you want to accomplish.

Goat — Teaming up with a like-minded collaborator could propel both of you to reach greater heights, but only if you work together.

Pig — Although you have your sights set on one thing, keeping an open mind could aﬀord you even more options.

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.

LEUNG from 1 protesters who entered the chamber of the legislature to stay. But he eventually gave up as most protesters chose to leave and police readied for a clearance operation. The University of Washington conﬁrmed to the Northwest Asian Weekly that Leung is a doctoral student in political science. According to The Los Angeles Times, Leung wanted to study why authoritarianism is so resilient and how civil society can spur democratic transition. Leung obtained a dual degree in law and politics at the

SPACE JUNK from 4 have of us to stop intergalactic invaders.’’ Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell at the Center for Astrophysics has a more logical explanation for the unusual flashes of light, with a not-so blockbuster finale. He said they were just pieces of a Chinese rocket as it re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere. Launched in January, the rocket weighed over two tons and was roughly 30 feet long. He said it helped put a Chinese military communication satellite in orbit, and like most space junk, was being tracked as it circled the planet. “The stuff is moving slowly. It’s breaking up into multiple pieces. It’s sort of a classic space debris break-up,’’ he told The Associated Press. The time and location from videos

WOLF from 5 of trust, abuse of power and money laundering linked to 1MDB. He denies the charges. His wife and Riza’s mother, Rosmah Mansor, also has pleaded not guilty to money laundering and tax evasion related to 1MDB but her trial date has not been set. Riza’s arraignment came a year after he was questioned by Malaysia’s antigraft agency. U.S. investigators say Red Granite used money stolen from 1MDB to ﬁnance Hollywood ﬁlms. Red Granite has paid the U.S. government $60

University of Hong Kong, and was the former chief editor of the Undergrad, a school magazine published by the student union. “The reason why I remove my mask, is to let everyone know that we Hongkongers, have nothing more to lose. Hongkongers cannot lose anymore. If we lose again, it’s 10 years. Think about it, 10 years. Our civil society would sink to the bottom,” Leung told protestors. Even as Leung spoke, one of the other protesters tugged at his shirt, urging him to cover his face again. Hong Kong has been wracked by weeks of protests over a government attempt to change extradition laws to allow

posted on social media made it easy to compare with the orbital data about what debris was slated for reentry around that time. McDowell said reentries’ like this are fairly common and happen about once a month, but they don’t often “happen at night over the United States where lots of people see it, so that’s what was unusual.’’ One 911 caller gasped that it was the biggest thing he’d ever seen in the sky, telling the operator he was walking out of a doughnut shop in Lantana when he saw the fireball separate into two parts in a burst of flames and sparkles. “I don’t know if it was as plane crash or a comet or a shooting star or what, but something came down out of the sky in a fireball,’’ said the unidentified man in a call provided by the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office. 

million to settle claims it beneﬁted from the 1MDB scandal, and the U.S. returned the money to Malaysia. Riza’s sister, Nooryana Najwa, has slammed the legal action against her brother. “Despite the settlement in the U.S. and the fact that alleged wrongdoings occurred entirely outside of Malaysia, the MACC decides to press charges after a whole year of leaving this case in cold storage. He is not a criminal,’’ she wrote on Instagram, accompanied by a picture of her with Riza taken before his arrest. 

suspects to be sent to China to face trial. The proposed legislation has drawn opposition from the legal profession, commercial groups, and foreign nations, reﬂecting Hong Kong’s status as an international business center with a strong independent judiciary and high degree of transparency. Hong Kong and the United States have an extradition treaty, but even if Leung had indeed ﬂed to the United States, it was unclear if local authorities would submit a request to have him returned to the city, or whether the American government would accept the demand. 

asianweekly northwest

EMPLOYMENT Wok Chef High-End Asian restaurant looking wok chef to work immediately, Little English ok, Hard working person, team work. Will pay high. Good benefits, healthcare, vacation and bonus. Call 206-2278000. 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.

JULY 13 – JULY 19, 2019

37 YEARS

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CHAN from 10 have an opportunity to upgrade the obsolete equipment with newer, more advanced technology. Where is the funding coming from? Generous donors who care about our community have donated $80,000. These are wonderful friends—they don’t even have any relationship to Chinatown. They love the community and want to help to preserve Chinatown. Another friend, Betty Lau from Chong Wa, wrote a grant for Seniors in Action Foundation (SIAF). SIAF received $35,000 from the Historic South Downtown Foundation. With business donations and donations from seniors who live here, we already have about $135,000. More is needed to reach the goal of $300,000. For that, we need the support of everyone in Chinatown, as well as others outside of our community. What can we do as a community? First, SIAF is looking diligently for another camera project sponsor. Secondly, everyone can rally to contribute to our community public safety. The surveillance system has proven

tortured after being convicted of trying to steal a propaganda poster and imprisoned for months. He suﬀered severe brain damage, but doctors were unable to determine was led to it. The 22-year-old died days after being returned to the U.S. in a vegetative state in 2017. “The Warmbiers are committed to holding North Korea accountable for the death of their son Otto, and will work tirelessly to seize North Korean assets wherever they may be found,’’ Ben Hatch, an attorney for the family, said in an emailed statement. North Korea has rejected accusations by relatives that it tortured Warmbier and said he was provided “medical treatments and care with all sincerity.’’ President Donald Trump has condemned Warmbier’s treatment but said earlier this year he did not believe North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, knew about it or would have allowed it to happen.

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recreated. The small family businesses cannot survive if we do not take the necessary measures to improve public safety. We need to make the investment to improve public safety in order to preserve our traditions and our rich Asian culture for our family and grandchildren. Critical to the success of the project is input from the community. In order to proceed with the initial pilot phase of the proposed project, we need community support, ownership, and accountability for the proposed system. After the presentation from our consultant, we will be happy to address any questions or concerns about the proposed project. We want to make sure that the community understands the value of the new system. We want Chinatown to continue to be a vibrant place where businesses can thrive, residents feel safe, and visitors come to experience our Asian culture. We appreciate your commitment and support to improving public safety in our neighborhood. 

North Korea did not respond to the wrongful death lawsuit that accused it of detaining Warmbier at the Pyongyang airport “in an attempt to extract various concessions from the United States government.’’ U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled last year that North Korea “more likely than not barbarically tortured Otto to extract a false confession’’ and used his lengthy prison sentence as leverage to further its foreign policy objectives. She ordered North Korea to pay $501 million for its “barbaric mistreatment’’ of Warmbier, saying the student’s family “experienced North Korea’s brutality first-hand.’’ In the latest court filings, Warmbier’s parents claim a right to the North Korean cargo ship, which the U.S. seized in May because it was carrying coal in violation of U.N. sanctions. The vessel, North Korea’s second-largest cargo ship, was first detained in April 2018 by Indonesia while transporting a large amount of coal. The U.S. later announced it had seized the 17,061-ton carrier in a first-of-its kind enforcement that came amid a tense moment in relations with North Korea. 

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to be an effective tool for law enforcement. Last winter, for example, a burglar broke into businesses along 7th and Weller to King Street and was captured in Canton Alley. How do we know she was the same suspect who broke into all those establishments? The cameras. She was identified on video as the same person who broke into several places that night. The case went to court and she was recently convicted. We can have that success rate all over Chinatown with this new camera replacement project. But we have to work together to make it happen! SIAF, as a volunteer organization, led the fundraising efforts for the original project. Now we need your help again to replace the old cameras with more effective, newer technology, as well as to pay for system monitoring and maintenance. Seattle Chinatown is one of the oldest ethnic and historic neighborhoods in the country. If we do not take the necessary measures to improve public safety in the neighborhood, then the rich cultural heritage that we have all enjoyed over the past century will be lost, never to be

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JULY 13 – JULY 19, 2019

SPORTS from 7

Osaka hits slump

However, during the next two years, Hachimura developed into a force on the court and transformed himself into an AllAmerican. Off the court, Hachimura entered college knowing little English, which made it hard to communicate. But he devoted himself to learning and becoming fluent. Similar to Lin when he first entered the league, Hachimura is becoming a big star overseas. During the NBA Draft, Hachimura generated over 11,000 social media mentions after he was drafted by the Wizards, with 5,000 of those mentions generated by users in Japan. The Wizards are a team that is rebuilding, but have players that can help Hachimura as he matures into becoming a central part of the team.

Naomi Osaka was upset in the ﬁrst round of the Wimbledon Grand Slam tournament, on the opening day of play. The losses are accumulating for the 21-year-old who was the number 2 seeded player in the tournament. She had already lost her number 1 ranking in the world and has been reeling since winning the U.S. Open and Australian Open in the fall of 2018 and January 2019, respectively. But she left her coach and team after winning the Australian Open earlier this year. Since then, she’s had a mediocre record of 13-7. Despite the skid, she does not attribute it to the change in coach and team. Since defeating Serena Williams at the U.S. Open, Osaka has become a tennis superstar garnering a lot of attention in a short amount of time. Osaka, whose mother is Japanese and

SHOOTING from 1 and made contact with the woman at 10th Avenue South and South Jackson Street. As the officers closed in, it appears that the woman ignored commands from police to show her hands and get down. She threw an object into the air that police say was a gun as five shots are heard. The woman screamed after being shot in the shoulder and took off clothing as officers rushed to

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apply a tourniquet to her arm. Seattle Fire medics arrived and transported her to Harborview Medical Center. She remains under hospital care, and her injuries are non-life threatening. On July 5, the woman was charged with felony assault, theft of a ﬁrearm, and a felony weapons violation. She will be booked into King County Jail once she’s out of the hospital. 

AEGIS from 3 young Chinese American children around a table as a Chinese teacher spoke in Chinese and in English, demonstrating Chinese knotting, a technique using yarn to make paintings and figurines. The residents were from Japan, Taiwan, China, Hawaii, and other parts of the United States. “The residents come from all different backgrounds,” said Yap. “They learn from each other,” she said. Meanwhile, the staff is continually finding innovative ways to distinguish the community by enriching the lives of its residents. One unique feature of the community is the Stan Head Cultural Center, a large, church-like structure adjoining the community that can seat up to 110 people. Reached through a glass corridor, underneath which runs a stream with Koi fish, the glass-walled, light-filled structure is a site of multiple activities and events involving residents and the outside community, including Tai Chi, line dancing, yoga, ping pong, social dancing, and educational and cultural workshops. An Indian nonprofit offers weekly classes on Sanskrit novels. The founder of the local chapter of Chinese American Citizens Alliance, the oldest Chinese civil rights group in the country, recently offered a workshop on how to start a nonprofit. Several local Chinese immigrants, attending the class, went on to found their own nonprofit. Residents have lectured to packed crowds from the community on topics such as

LOCKE from 10 small business owners in Chinatown, the CIDBIA executive director has stated that there is no budget for the maintenance of the surveillance system. With public safety being at the top of the priorities for the community, clearly there is a disconnect between the CIDBIA Advisory Board and the community. The Northwest Asian Weekly needs to do a more thorough job of vetting the reporters to ensure that facts are reported accurately and are unbiased. Reckless journalism does nothing positive towards building the community. The next time you decide to report on a major community event in the Chinatown-International District, ﬁnd someone who has roots in the community

father is Haitian, is still young and shy by nature. All is not lost, although for Osaka, there is not an apparent answer to her decline in play. There is some speculation that the pressure of being a topranked player, now playing at the center of attention instead of on the fringes of the tournament, is getting to her. While this may be true, it might just take some time for her to adjust to the limelight. There is the positive spin of looking at Serena Williams’ career trajectory. In 1999, she won her ﬁrst major at the U.S. Open. Williams did not win another until 2002. But, after that, she won four out of ﬁve majors. While Osaka probably wishes that she doesn’t have to wait three years for another major title, there is hope for a turnaround.  Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

KOH from 1 After arriving in the United States in 1952, he got his master’s degree from the University of Washington (UW), and his PhD from the University of Minnesota. Koh bought and developed three buildings in Seattle’s Chinatown starting in 2003: the old Hong Kong restaurant building, the Alps Hotel, and the Milwaukee Hotel in which he donated space to a Buddhist charity group. His daughter, Barbara, told the Northwest Asian Weekly that her dad enjoyed watching Chinese TV dramas, studying Buddhism, exercising, and “family togetherness”—as he liked to call it.

master gardening, tax and investment, and the diﬀerences between American and Chinese culture. Anywhere between 300 to 600 members of the outside community, mostly retirees, attend activities in the cultural center each week, said Yap. “They feel it’s their second home and are very comfortable here,” she said. “They tell their friends about the cultural center and cultivate their friendships there, so they feel like in the future, if they need a place to move in to, they will choose Aegis Gardens.” Still, creating a second home for anyone is not easy, particularly for those from another culture. For staﬀ like Yap and Lee, the life enrichment director, creating a family atmosphere for residents requires tact and awareness. In traditional Chinese culture, any kind of intimacy outside the immediate family can feel strained, say scholars. Asian elders traditionally expected their own children to care for them. Lee gets around this by sharing her own family life with residents, encouraging them to open up to her. Last year, after her wedding, she shared slides and stories with residents who eventually reciprocated by reminiscing with her about their own wedding stories. And then there is the challenge of touching. Because Asians generally refrain from making excessive physical contact, they “may be erroneously perceived as being extremely shy or withdrawn,” writes Chyi-Kong (Karen) Chang, a professor of

so you can provide a perspective that is sorely missing and needed in today’s journalism. Fortunately, the readership among the longstanding families of Seattle’s community has waned significantly over the years. Disingenuous and biased journalism does nothing toward fostering community or readership. There are still many of us who have strong roots in Chinatown and think and act selflessly for the community. It’s unfortunate that the reporter chose to take issue with the proposed system instead of taking the opportunity to highlight how selfless individuals come together to engage in the community for the betterment of all.  — Steve Locke

He liked to share his wealth with the community. Koh was a founding donor of Kin On. He and his wife, Maria, donated money to the Seattle Public Library—there are sections of the library’s downtown and International District locations named after Koh’s mother-in-law. Koh and his wife established the Koh Lee Foundation in 1998. They have also been strong supporters of the UW. They established the James Chao-Yao and Maria Lee Endowed Fellowship in the School of Engineering. James Koh is survived by his wife, a brother, two daughters and two sons, and seven grandchildren. Memorial services are pending. 

nursing at Purdue University, in the book, “Transcultural Nursing.” Lee is aware of such misperceptions. After she makes initial contact, through placing her hand on a resident’s back or hand, she experiments further. “Usually after I’ve made these steps, I try to see if a hug will be reciprocated, the next time I see them, by extending my arms out,” she said. “It is not the custom in Asian culture to hug, but I’d say that I hug almost all my residents,” she added. “For those who don’t like to hug,

I still reach out for their hand or put my hand on their back because physical touch is so important. It gives oﬀ a sense of love and trust.”  (Disclosure: Mahlon Meyer serves as a consultant for Aegis Gardens, organizing community service activities for new Chinese immigrants.) Mahlon can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

asianweekly northwest

37 YEARS

JULY 13 – JULY 19, 2019

proﬁle job like SHCC’s most prominent alum Anson Chan, Chief Secretary in both the British colonial government of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government under the Chinese sovereignty. But her steely will to survive and succeed in completing her education, is incredible. While we normally use a thumb and four ﬁngers to hold a pen, she has only two. Yet, her Chinese penmanship is gorgeous. Her optimism is contagious.

BLOG from 9 In my junior year, I volunteered after school at St. Paul’s Convent Legion of Mary, run by French nuns. Each church and Catholic school had its own Legion of Mary program, a volunteer arm for youth to do charitable work, including visiting tuberculosis patients in a hospital, squatter huts (people didn’t have money, built illegal huts on a hill), and ﬁshermen’s children, teaching them how to read. Those squatter huts have long disappeared from Hong Kong, its residents relocated to government housing. St. Paul’s and Sacred Heart were both girls’ schools. We were not exactly rivals, but the Heartists were competitive in nature. I didn’t want to join my own school’s Legion team. It’s more convenient to join after-school activities at St. Paul’s than SHCC, as it only took 10 minutes to walk from home. My aim was to serve, as well as meeting new friends. The French nuns were more easy-going and fun-loving than Italian nuns. I never saw any French nuns stop girls in the hallway for their skirts being too short. Well, St. Paul’s girls’ skirt length would be unacceptable at SHCC. The French nuns enjoyed talking and joking with students a lot. Never had I joked with any of SHCC’s nuns. Not that I didn’t want to, I was too scared. One notable diﬀerence was that, we addressed St. Paul’s nuns as sisters, and Sacred Heart’s as mothers. The power of a mother over a child is immense, and Italian nuns’ expectation of obedience from the students was unwavering. I was ready for a change after my high school graduation. I wanted to transfer to St. Paul’s for my pre-college education (called Lower Six in Hong Kong). At the time, St. Paul’s principal, and also adviser for Legion of Mary, had verbally accepted before I even applied for the school. But my mother objected, “What’s wrong with Sacred Heart?” There was nothing wrong. I was accepted in a class representing the best and brightest of SHCC graduates, majoring in liberal arts. I should be in heaven, but…What could I do with a liberal arts degree besides teaching? Many wanted to get in, but were rejected. However, everything was wrong with me, I wanted to tell my mom, but lacked the courage to challenge her. In Chinese culture, as well as nuns’ culture, we were raised not to talk back to elders and superiors. I call it the “Good Girl” syndrome, not rocking any boats. I hated the hour-long bus ride to commute to SHCC before and after school, not to mention I had to transfer two buses one way. My heart left SHCC that year, and my soul was in turmoil. I didn’t want the same old SHCC

ADOPTION from 8 her sister did not even include being made U.S. citizens. The twins, who had been in the United States since 1972, did not find out they were still “aliens” until their adoptive mother passed away from cancer in the late 90s. According to what Janine has discovered, “The adoption agencies did not ensure that children would be naturalized upon their entry into the United States because it is assumed today by many intercountry adoptees that this would have more than likely slowed down the adoption, more governmental processing would have been involved, and of course this would have reduced facilitator profits.” Today, at their home near Seattle, Janine looks after her adoptive father who, in 1984, fell 100 feet while hang gliding, sustained a traumatic brain injury, and became permanently disabled. As co-founders of Adoption Truth and Transparency Worldwide Network, one of the largest adoptee groups on Facebook, with currently almost 7,500 members, Janine and her sister also care for, in a sense, other adoptees who seek support and information about the circumstances of their adoptions. As the United States recently celebrated the Fourth of July, Northwest Asian Weekly asked Janine what it meant to be free. “I would consider myself an independent soul and one that belongs to the earth, so any day celebrating freedom is a great day,” she answered. Janine details the search for her mother in her second memoir, The Search for Mother Missing. As part of her efforts, she has submitted her DNA to a police station in Seoul, as well as to FamilyTreeDNA, with no results so far. Janine was in South Korea looking for her mother in 2004 on August 15, which is the nation’s Independence Day.

Photo by George Liu

Italian nuns diﬀerent from French nuns?

From left: Assunta Ng, Rosena Lee, and Virginia Ma

routine—constantly studying and stressing over exams like my high school years. I needed a new environment to help me think through what I wanted to do with my life. How could I make my own footprint? Should I get a job or go to college? My parents had not made the commitment to support me through college. I was lost, lonely, restless, and frustrated. Looking back, what I needed was counseling and guidance, and a break from school to sort through things. But in Hong Kong, school counselors were unheard of, and teachers were too busy with a huge workload. My mother’s objection ended my desire for change and dream for a new school. The silver lining was, I had created a dream for another fellow student instead. Virginia Ma, whose face was burnt and scarred from a fire years ago, was rejected by SHCC. With regret, I told St. Paul’s sister that I wouldn’t be attending their school. But would she be open to having another Sacred Heartist, Ma, who had a disfigured face and was fingerless on parts of both hands? Without even meeting Ma, sister said yes instantly. I had lost touch with Ma, for four decades, since leaving for America. At the SHCC reunion in 2009, former classmate Rosena Lee said, “Remember Virginia Ma?” “How could I not?” I was overjoyed to hear Virginia’s name. “Virginia told me the whole story, of how you helped her,” Lee said. Ma and I were reunited in 2015. Ma graduated from college and became a teacher. At the recent reunion, Lee took my photo so she could send it to Ma. It reminded me that Ma’s story is just as important as other alumni’s success story. She might not make as much money as a doctor, lawyer, banker, and not even in a high-

A portion of the chapter of her book, titled “Freedom Day,” reads, “I’m still holding on to a wing and a prayer that Omma has possibly seen our photo in the newspaper articles and contacted the adoption agency, who in turn contacted someone who tells her we’ll be back at the Sofitel this afternoon— after all, it’s Freedom Day. How appropriate the reunion would be!” Janine added in conversation, “Still to this day, I hope that our Korean mother has been able to free herself from any guilt inflicted upon her by an industry that needs to ignore the poor to appease the rich. Independence day for any nation—or any individual—is a sacred day!” There are many ways to assist Janine in her efforts to shine the light on adoption practices and help adoptees know the truth about their origins. Janine’s books, such as Adoption History 101: An Orphan’s Research, or her anthology, Adoptionland: From Orphans to Activists, are available on Amazon. Donating funds to Janine’s research or to other organizations she recommends, such as Against Child Trafficking, are also options. To help Janine and her sister, or help an adoptee and parent of loss retell their story, you can email Janine at contact@ janinevance.com. If you are on Facebook, feel free to “like” Vance Twins or visit their website at vancetwins.com to stay informed of their latest activities. “I am merely a former ‘orphan,’ and now a researcher and philosopher, but I believe in the power of truth, transparency, and community,” said Janine. “Adoption trafficking is a problem that only a rare few know about. My twin and I would love to have your support.”  Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Reunion highlights

There was a surprise at the last reunion. A former teacher, Miss Vivian Wong, showed up at the dinner. She was our English literature teacher, who had retired in Toronto. Though petite, she still looks wonderful at 79. In our days, she was one of the few teachers who was well-respected, and also many students’ favorite teacher, including my late classmate Diana Wong. “I am Assunta Ng,” as I went to say hi. “Can I have your speech?” And her writing was beautiful. What Miss Wong said was not only amazing, but endearing to my heart. “I had taught two Assuntas, one is Assunta Ng and the other, Assumpta Koo.“ She remembered me, among the hundreds of students she taught! I was a mediocre student in her class, my last year at SHCC, a lackluster academic period. The only consolation was, I bonded with 12 remarkable classmates, who supported me in good and bad times. There was pain and joy in the room. A couple of classmates had passed away. Some classmates’ spouses had just died. Tears were streaming down one classmate’s cheeks. What dominated the room was mostly laughter, smiles, and lots of photo snapping. SHCC might be a girls’ school, but 15 gentlemen came nevertheless. By marriage, they had become die-hard SHCC fans. As we bid farewell to one another, we look forward to seeing each other soon in Hong Kong for the big 50. I am sure some of the nuns would join us. But they won’t be the ones who raised us, and they won’t be Italian. These younger and mostly Chinese nuns are now the face of SHCC, since China has reclaimed Hong Kong from the British in 1997. When I meet these nuns later this year, I will thank them for being role models and mentors, and most importantly, for inspiring young women to be leaders to make a diﬀerence in society. Long live Sacred Heart.  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.