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ISRD election winners
It’s official: Andrew Yang is on Washington state’s ballot By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Photo from yang2020.com
Andrew Yang is officially on the ballot in the state of Washington. Yang’s supporters filed the official paperwork with the offices of the Washington State Democrats on Nov. 15. He becomes the third democratic presidential candidate to officially complete the process of being on the election ballot this March for the primary to run for the President of the United States.
Andrew Yang
A total of 2,341 signatures were gathered by Yang’s supporters on the streets of Seattle in order to put him on the ballot. The minimum limit is 1,000, but according to Yang volunteer Ben Stephens, the overage of signatures ensures that if any names are questioned or thrown out during the verification process, there would be ample amounts left to make the requisite limits. The signatures are scrutinized as they must be of valid, registered voters
The 2019 International Special Review District (ISRD) Board said 160 ballots were cast in its election on Nov. 19. Community members voted in three new board members. The winners are: — Russ Williams, Position 1 for a Business Owner, Property Owner or Employee. Williams works for a general contracting firm, based in Little Saigon. He believes that preservation is beneficial for preserving a community’s culture, as well as its local economy,
see YANG on 12
see WINNERS on 11
Photo by Assunta Ng
VOL 38 NO 48 NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2019
Seniors lining up to vote
A study in contrasts: Do Chinatown projects get equal scrutiny? By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
see ISRD on 15
CID Coalition protest at Bush Garden on Aug. 27.
Photo by John Liu
Photo by Assunta Ng
Are all building projects in the boundaries of the ChinatownInternational District (ID) required to provide a community outreach report to the International Special Review District (ISRD)? That’s what Brien Chow wanted to know. He has served on the board of the Chong Wa Benevolent Association for over 15 years and he posed that question at the Nov. 12 ISRD board meeting. On the agenda was the proposed
Four Seas building on King St.
MSNBC omits Yang out of presidential poll graphic, again Entrepreneur Andrew Yang is currently in sixth place among 2020 Democrats in the latest Iowa poll from CNN and the Des Moines Register, with 3 percent of the vote, tying him with Sens. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, along with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and billionaire donor Tom Steyer. But you may not know that if you watched MSNBC recently. MSNBC apologized on Nov. 17 after it left Yang off a presidential poll result graphic, with the network calling the error “inadvertent.” The same graphic included former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who polled at 2 percent, and Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.,
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at 1 percent. Political commentator Ian Bremmer flagged the omission in a tweet to his nearly 450,000 followers, drawing the ire of Yang supporters on social media. “Why does @MSNBC keep leaving out @ AndrewYang on their graphics (actually at 3% here)? This has happened on a number of occasions, I haven’t seen with any other candidate. It’s not just a slip up. Unacceptable,” Bremmer wrote. After facing some blowback on social media, MSNBC apologized and redid the graphic. see MSNBC on 11
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37 YEARS
■ NAMES IN THE NEWS The Robert Chinn Foundation announced on Nov. 19 their appointment of Maki Hsieh as its first Chief Executive Officer. Hsieh will oversee all aspects of the foundation’s operations and community support, and direct the Asian Hall of Fame program. Selected from a local and national search of Maki Hsieh over 100 candidates, Hsieh was the first Asian American to perform Christine (Phantom of the Opera) in England. Born mostly deaf, Hsieh was classically trained at Peabody Conservatory, and is a concert pianist, violinist, and 13-language soprano. Previously, she served as Executive Director of Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation and she was CEO for Pinnacle Group. Hsieh was the California State Senate 2019 Woman of the Year for her work as a cultural ambassadorship empowering community transformation. Of her new position, Hsieh said, “It is a privilege to collaborate with visionaries in our mutual vision to amplify Asian achievement and to advance crosscultural influence in the United States and the world.”
Microsoft’s Harry Shum is leaving
Microsoft said on Nov. 13 that Harry Shum, the executive vice president in charge of its artificial intelligence and research group, is leaving the company in early 2020. Kevin Scott, the company’s Chief Technology Officer and formerly a LinkedIn executive, is taking on Shum’s responsibilities in addition to his own. It’s not clear what Shum will do next. In a statement, CEO Satya Nadella said, “Harry has
had a profound impact on Microsoft. His contributions in the fields of computer science and AI leave a legacy and a strong foundation for future innovation.” Shum joined Microsoft in 1996 as a researcher working at the company’s headquarters in Redmond. He later worked on Microsoft’s Bing search Harry Shum engine. He will continue to advise Nadella and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates until he leaves, a spokesperson said.
TAPSgiving
Photo by Eugene Hsu
Maki Hsieh appointed CEO of Robert Chinn Foundation
TAPS attendees pose for a pic after a delicious turkey feast.
Members of Taiwanese American Professionals Seattle (TAP-SEA) held their annual TAPSgiving on Nov. 10 — a pre-Thanksgiving celebration. Approximately 50 attendees enjoyed turkey, chicken, pasta, and other delicious foods at the Bellevue Towers.
Zhao Shuzen Oscar buzz
Chinese star Zhao Shuzhen is earning Oscar buzz for her work as the matriarch Nai Nai in “The Farewell” — she plays a grandmother with a terminal cancer diagnosis of which she is unaware, and her family members try to keep her from learning about it. “I didn’t know it was such a phenomenon!” the
Zhao Shuzen (center)
76-year-old Chinese actress told the New York Times in early November, at an awards-season screening in Beverly Hills. It was Shuzhen’s first-ever trip to the United States, and she’d been caught off guard when people at the screening recognized her. Though “The Farewell” was Shuzhen’s American debut, she is well-known in China, where she appears in several television dramas a year. Since its July release in the United States, “The Farewell” has become one of the year’s highest-grossing independent films.
Portland elects first Asian City Councilmember
Voters in Portland, Maine elected the first Asian American to serve on the City Council. Tae Chong, 50, emigrated in 1976 from South Korea with his two older brothers and his parents. “My parents never thought Tae Chong the third son would run for City Council and be elected. And so my father—I’ve only seen my father cry once, and this was the second time today.” Chong won 43 percent of the vote, beating four other candidates.
NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2019
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■ NATIONAL NEWS California governor pardons three in bid to block deportations By DON THOMPSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
California Gov. Gavin Newsom
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Nov. 15 that he is pardoning three men who separately committed crimes when they were each 19 years old and now are attempting to avoid being deported to Cambodia or Vietnam. It’s the latest in a series of similar actions by the
Real estate heiress Li acquitted of murder By JANIE HAR ASSOCIATED PRESS SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A San Francisco Bay Area real estate heiress who was under house arrest on $35 million bail for more than two years plans to reconnect with her children and visit family in China after a jury acquitted her of killing the father of her kids, her attorney Tiffany Li said on Nov. 15. After deliberating for 12 days, jurors found Tiffany Li not guilty on charges of murder and conspiring with her boyfriend to kill 27-yearold Keith Green in 2016 over a custody dispute. The case drew global attention when Li’s family, who made a fortune in real estate construction in China, posted one of the highest bail amounts on record in the United States. Li wept as the verdicts were read and rushed out of the building afterward. Jurors deadlocked on murder see LI on 13
Democratic governor as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to deport those with criminal records, particularly to Southeast Asian nations. California has fashioned itself as a “sanctuary state’’ for those in the country illegally, and in 2017 passed a law barring local and state agencies from cooperating with federal immigration authorities over those who have committed certain crimes, mostly misdemeanors. Those pardoned include Saman Pho, 44, of Oakland, who was the subject of a state Capitol rally and petition drive earlier this month by immigrant rights groups. The group Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus said he was detained by immigration agents in October. He arrived in the United States at age 7, fleeing Cambodia with his family. He was convicted in 1995
of attempted murder after shooting a victim in the leg during a fight, served 12 years in prison and now has a U.S. citizen wife and four minor children. The others are Santa Clara County residents Quyen Mai, 36, and Dat Vu, 38, both fighting deportation to Vietnam. All their criminal offenses happened at least 16 years ago, Newsom’s office said, calling their deportations now “an unjust collateral consequence that would harm their family and community.’’ Pardons do not automatically protect someone from being deported because they don’t erase the criminal convictions on which deportation orders often are based. But they do emphasize the person’s rehabilitation. see DEPORTATION on 13
Deadly mass shooting leaves California Hmong community in shock By TERENCE CHEA and OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FRESNO — A close-knit Hmong community was in shock after gunmen burst into a California backyard gathering and shot 10 men, killing four. “We are right now just trying to figure out what to do, what are the next steps. How do we heal, how do we know what’s going on,” said Bobby Bliatout, a community leader. The attack on Nov. 17 killed Xy Lee, a singer and musician whose videos on YouTube have been viewed millions of times. Also killed were Phia Vang, 31;
Kou Xiong, 38; and Kalaxang Thao, 40, all of Fresno, according to the coroner’s office. Three others remained hospitalized in serious condition. No motive or suspects were identified by police. “Our community is in mourning, and we still don’t know what’s going on, or who are the suspects,” said Pao Yang, CEO of the Fresno Center, a Hmong community group. The Hmong are an ethnic group from Southeast Asia. Many fled after fighting alongside the United States during the Vietnam War. see SHOOTING on 13
ABC cancels ‘Fresh Off the Boat,’ sets finale for February By LYNN ELBER AP TELEVISION WRITER
LOS ANGELES (AP) — ABC’s “Fresh Off the Boat,’’ the first network TV comedy in two decades to focus on an Asian American family, is coming to an end after six seasons. The network said on Nov. 8 that the sitcom starring Randall Park and Constance Wu will wrap with an hour-long finale on Feb. 21, making this a truncated last season. The show about a couple and their three children in see FRESH OFF THE BOAT on 13
Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii is writing memoir, due in 2021
Sen. Mazie Hirono
NEW YORK (AP) — Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, the Senate’s first Asian American woman and only current immigrant, is working on a memoir. Viking announced on Nov. 12 that the book, currently untitled, will come out in 2021. Hirono, 72, will write about emigrating at age 8 to the United States after her mother fled an abusive marriage in Japan. In a statement issued through Viking, Hirono said the book
was a tribute to her mother’s spirit. “My deep emotional connection to my mother, a remarkable woman who made a hard choice to save her children, and who valiantly struggled to care for us as a single parent, is the current that has driven my entire life,’’ Hirono said in a statement. “Now, because she can no longer bear witness for herself, I am choosing to bear witness on her behalf by telling the story of the daughter she inspired to live boldly and to
fight for the promises of this country.’’ Hirono, a Democrat, is currently serving her second term in the Senate. She made news last year as a leading critic of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who faced allegations of sexual harassment and attempted assault. Kavanaugh, who was narrowly confirmed, denied the allegations.
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■ WORLD NEWS Huawei sells folding smartphone with no Google after US ban By JOE McDONALD AP BUSINESS WRITER BEIJING (AP) — Chinese tech giant Huawei is selling its first folding smartphone without Google apps or U.S.-made processor chips following sanctions imposed by Washington. The Mate X, which unfolds to 5.8 inches wide, went on sale on Nov. 15 on Huawei’s online store in China priced at 16,999 yuan ($2,422). It competes with Samsung’s Galaxy Fold launched in September. Huawei Technologies Ltd., China’s first global tech brand, is scrambling to preserve its business following U.S. controls imposed in May on sales of American components and technology to the company, which Washington says is a security risk.
The company is the No. 2 smartphone behind Samsung Electronics Ltd. and the biggest maker of network gear for phone carriers. Huawei denies U.S. accusations the company might facilitate Chinese spying. The Trump administration is lobbying European and other allies to exclude Huawei equipment as they prepare to upgrade to next-generation telecom networks. The Mate X uses Huawei’s Kirin 980 and Balong 5000 chipset instead of chips from Qualcomm or other U.S. suppliers. It comes loaded with Chinese alternatives to Google music, maps and other apps. The screen unfolds to 5.8 inches by 16.1 6.4 inches. The Mate X uses Huawei’s EMUI 9 operating system, which is based on Google’s Android. The company can use the open-source version of Android but if U.S. sanctions are fully enforced, it will lose access to Google’s popular music and other apps, making it harder to compete with Samsung. American officials say companies will be allowed to sell some products to Huawei but they still are waiting
for licenses. Huawei smartphones sold in China already use local music and other apps because Google services aren’t licensed by Beijing. The company has yet to announce Mate X sales forecasts or plans to sell it outside China. Huawei unveiled a smartphone operating system, HarmonyOS, in August that it said can replace Android if necessary. The company says, however, it wants to keep working with American vendors. Huawei reported earlier sales rose 24.4 percent in the first nine months of 2019 to $86 billion. Its chairman, Liang Hua, warned in July it would “face difficulties“ in the second half. Also last week, Huawei said it would pay bonuses totaling $285 million to 90,000 employees in chip development and some other units as thanks for helping to cope with U.S. sanctions. The full 180,000-member workforce also will receive an extra month’s salary, the company said.
Chinese swimming star defends failure to take doping test By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP SPORTS WRITER MONTREUX, Switzerland (AP) — One of China’s biggest Olympic stars fought for his right to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Games during a rare public hearing that turned combative at times, as champion swimmer Sun Yang defended his refusal to complete a doping test last year. During a 10-hour session marred at times by translation problems, Sun maintained that inspectors drawing blood and urine samples failed to have proper identification papers. The interpretation issues in both English and Chinese brought a halt to the landmark Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing several times, frustrating lawyers for both sides during Sun’s opening cross-examination. Sun’s mother later took the stand, at one point admonishing lawyers, “I haven’t finished yet.’’ One lawyer said he could not
Sun Yang
tell if Sun was being evasive or if it was simply a case of misunderstood translation. The case stems from the three-time Olympic champion’s refusal to cooperate with three anti-doping officials during a random test that became a confrontation in the early morning hours at his home in China in September 2018. “During inspection, I realized they don’t have any authorized papers to prove their identification,’’ Sun testified on Nov. 15. A World Anti-Doping
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Agency expert disputed Sun’s account, saying the inspectors’ credentials were in order. A tribunal appointed by the swimming world body FINA initially gave Sun only a caution, but WADA appealed the case to CAS. Its judges are not expected to hand down a verdict until next year. If the ruling goes against him, Sun could be banned from the 2020 Olympics. The 6-foot, 7-inch Sun became a star in China as the country’s first man to win an Olympic title in swimming. He won gold medals in the 400- and 1,500-meter freestyle races at the 2012 London Olympics. He added gold in the 200 at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The 27-year-old Sun, who also has 11 world championship titles, has been a polarizing figure in the sport. In Rio, one Australian rival called him a drug cheat as anger built over a three-month ban for his positive test in 2014 that some considered too lenient. The ban was initially kept secret
by Chinese authorities and FINA, which some accused of appearing to protect one of its biggest names in a key market. Sun provoked more anger among rivals by winning two world titles in July while the CAS appeal was pending. Medalists from Australia and Britain refused to stand on the podium with him in Gwangju, South Korea. The translation problems at the Nov. 15 hearing began almost from the start, and it was unclear at times how much of the testimony and questions were understood, with both judges and lawyers expressing frustration. At one point, Sun’s Genevabased lawyer, Ian Meakin, apologized for asking his client leading questions, saying: “The translation was so bad.’’ The translation was so poor that “you couldn’t tell if (Sun) was monumentally evasive or couldn’t understand the questions,’’ said Richard Young, a lawyer for WADA.
When the hearing resumed after a break, judging panel president Franco Frattini also apologized for its poor quality. The court noted that Sun’s team selected the translators, who were replaced at a lunch break by a WADA staff member. Lawyers were told an accurate transcript of the morning sessions would later be provided to all parties. Sun detailed how he and his entourage had doubted the qualifications of the officials conducting the doping test at his home. “How are you able to trust them?’’ said Sun, whose personal doctor had been summoned to the scene. A security guard, under instructions from Sun’s mother, used a hammer to smash a box containing a vial of his blood during the late-night dispute after the swimmer questioned the collection team’s credentials. Sun said he was not respected see DOPING TEST on 14
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■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Artistic director envisions an inclusive, healing theatre By BEN HOHENSTATT CAPITAL CITY WEEKLY
Leslie Ishii
JUNEUA, Alaska (AP) — Leslie Ishii is glad to be in Juneau. Perseverance Theatre’s new artistic director—her hiring was announced Oct. 26—grew up in Seattle admiring the similarly rugged Pacific Northwest landscape. Plus, Ishii and the Last Frontier have crossed paths a lot over the years. “There’s been an Alaska connection for some time,’’ Ishii said. Her dad was a criminalist, and Ishii said he would often travel to Sitka to teach. “We would hear a lot about
Alaska,’’ Ishii said. Later, she would work her way through graduate school at the American Conservatory Theater as a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines. She learned which stops were the best for fresh seafood and where she could find the best popcorn. “I just grew to love Alaska,’’ Ishii said. So when opportunities arose for Ishii to participate as an instructor in Perseverance’s annual Alaska Summer Theatre Intensive training sessions, Ishii said she was happy to trade in New York and Los Angeles skyscrapers for Mount Juneau and Roberts. That connection helped lead to Ishii directing “Hold These Truths,’’ a play about Japanese American activist Gordon Hirabayashi and the enduring effects of World War II-era internment camps. “That’s my own history,’’ said Ishii, who is Japanese American. Ishii said at the time she directed “Hold These Truths’’ she was transitioning from acting to directing more often. Ishii’s appeared on Broadway in “Shogun;’’ in the movies
“Fame’’ and Species;’’ and on TV in “Jane the Virgin’’ and “Lost;’’ and she has many other credits to her name. The previous Perseverance Theatre work helped lead to Ishii being selected to direct “Devilfish,’’ which recently wrapped its run in Juneau. Those connections also explain why she was chosen to be the theater’s interim artistic director in July following the departure of Art Rotch, who served as artistic director for more than a decade. “At that time, I said to them (the Perseverance Theatre board), it’s really important I know that you’re reaching out to local artists and indigenous artists,’’ Ishii said. “I was really advocating to make sure they got the right person. The community is paramount to me.’’ Ishii said her vision for the theater is an inclusive one. She wants the theater to tell stories that have been overlooked by the theater in the past while still appealing to the theater’s patrons. “We want stories from many points of view,’’ Ishii said. She cited the upcoming play
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“With’’ as an example of that ethos. The play is an unlikely comedy about a senior couple feeling the effects of terminal cancer and dementia and ready to end their lives. Ishii said many of the theater’s regular patrons are seniors, but it’s an age group that isn’t often placed at the center of shows. “It’s a way to honor that part of the community,’’ Ishii said. “It is time for new audiences, but it doesn’t mean we don’t honor longtime patrons.’’ Ishii said striving for that sort of inclusivity means self-examining for internal biases, and she’s mindful of not “criminalizing’’ a group of people the way institutions criminalized her relatives who were interred during World War II. “How can I treat every single human being as fully human,’’ is a recurring thought, Ishii said. “What can I do better, what can I think more deeply about?’’ Ishii asked. That mindset is partly why early in Ishii’s time as interim artistic director, a decision was made to swap out a production of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Nest’’ for “Silent Sky’’ by Lauren Gunderson. She said she heard from mental health professionals that “Cuckoo’s Nest’s’’ depiction of mental illness and even its title have not aged well. Also, Ishii said the show would have included 17 actors, which was a tall order for a theater that had to furlough staff in July 2018 because of six-figure debt. An anonymous donation ensured the theatre’s 40th season happened, and its financial footing is solid enough that a potential loss of $30,000 to state budget cuts would have hurt but not killed the theater. Plus, the story written in 1960 by Ken Kesey depicts sexual violence and includes a mostly mute Native American character who wouldn’t seem to jibe with the theater’s commitment to telling indigenous stories. Ishii said it’s a goal of the theater to do no harm, and there was a feeling that the work while well-intentioned, didn’t meet that standard. “Silent Sky’’ tells the story of Henrietta Swan Leavitt, a woman see ISHII on 13
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NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2019
■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR NOV THROUGH JAN 11, 2020 ART EXHIBITION, “BRIGHTER FUTURE” Top floor, Arts at King Street Station, 303 S. Jackson St., Seattle Free admission seattle.gov/arts
23 SEATTLE PREMIERE: DOCUMENTARY FILM MAYOR ED LEE Franklin High School Auditorium, 3013 S. Mt Baker Blvd, Seattle 2-4:30 p.m. edleefilmseattle.com AYAME KAI GUILD ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church, 3001 24th Ave. S., Seattle 10 a.m.-3 p.m. jayoiye@gmail.com 206-409-3062 NEPAL FESTIVAL 2019 Seattle University, Pigott Building, 901 12th Ave., Seattle 1:30-4 p.m.
24 RAVISHING WOMEN FESTIVAL 2019 1053 Lake Washington Blvd. N., Renton 12-7 p.m. https://bit.ly/3374QRD
30 WINTER AAPI ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR Hing Hay Coworks, 409 B Maynard Ave. S., Seattle 12-6 p.m. SHOP HOSEKIBAKO ON SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY JCCCW, 1414 S. Weller St., Seattle 10 a.m.-5 p.m. HOLIDAY HAPPY HOUR FOOD WALK Hing Hay Park 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
DEC 2
37 YEARS
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THE DANNY WOO GARDEN’S COMMUNITY SERVICE DAY Danny Woo Community Garden, 620 S. Main St., Seattle 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
WINTER SOLSTICE NIGHT MARKET Magnuson Park Hangar 30, 6310 NE 74th St., Seattle 4-10 p.m.
MULTICULTURAL HOLIDAY ARTS & CRAFT FAIR St. Peter’s Episcopal Parish, 1610 S. King St., Seattle 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 206-323-5250 stpeterseattle.org
8 SEATTLE CHINESE WOMEN’S CLUB’S HOLIDAY GALA Hilton Bellevue, 300 112th Ave. S.E., Bellevue 5 p.m. seattlechinesewomensclub.com
SEAHAWKS HONORING LOCAL CHINESE AMERICAN VETS CenturyLink Field Honored at halftime
21 A BONSAI SOLSTICE Pacific Bonsai Museum, 2515 S. 336th St., Federal Way 4-7 p.m.
JAN 4
THE DANNY WOO GARDEN’S COMMUNITY SERVICE DAY Danny Woo Community Garden, 620 S. Main St., Seattle 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
5 KIN ON’S WINTER MAHJONG NIGHT Kin On, 4416 S. Brandon St., Seattle 6:30-9 p.m.
6 NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY’S TOP CONTRIBUTORS DINNER, “UNITY & CELEBRATION” China Harbor Restaurant, 6-9 p.m. Tickets at https://topcontributors2019. bpt.me 206-223-0623
Help shape your future light rail station Chinatown-International District Neighborhood forum | Dec. 3 at 5:30 p.m. | Union Station
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Charlene Grinolds What drives her to serve her community
“Live in the present and leave this life with no regrets.” That is the personal motto of Northwest Asian Weekly Top Contributor honoree Charlene Grinolds. Grinolds’s parents were Nisei (second generation Japanese Americans). They, along with her grandparents, were sent to internment camps during World War II. “They worked hard to provide for our family,” Grinolds said. Her father passed away when she was 5 years old, and both her grandmothers arranged for her mother to marry her father’s younger brother. “This is reminiscent of the old Japanese culture of arranged marriages,” Grinolds explained. Grinolds was born and raised in Seattle, and she attended Van Asselt Elementary School, Asa Mercer Junior High School, and Cleveland High School. Grinolds said, “Because I grew up on Beacon Hill and went to schools that were well integrated, I didn’t feel unusual or different.” Being a Buddhist all her life, Grinolds believes that Buddhism teaches gratitude, compassion, interdependence, and impermanence. She recounts one experience when one of her employees asked her about Buddhism. “After I gave her a brief description, she said to me, ‘Oh, that’s what you do here at work,’” Grinolds said. “It really opened my eyes as I didn’t really think much about whether I was living a Buddhist life or not.” She added, “Sometimes it takes someone from the outside to
Courtesy of Kiwanis
By Gayle Mayor NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Charlene Grinolds (standing) and Rita Ann Schwarting at Maggie's on Meeker.
see who you are as a person.” In her teenage years, Grinolds and her brother were active participants in Seattle’s Imperials Drum Corps, an off-shoot of the predominantly Japanese Seattle Buddhist Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. Along with other parents, Grinolds’ parents worked hard to raise funds for uniforms, instruments, and competition expenses. Grinolds said, “They would drive us to
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parades and local competitions, including chaperoning us when we had overnight trips.” She added, “I learned about selfless giving from my parents. They would do whatever was needed so we could become successful.” She believes that her mother has shaped her into the person that she is today. She describes her mother as a very giving person who would do whatever it took to help others. “My mother led by example. When good fortune fell upon her, she would always share with others.” Grinolds added, “I believe this is why I try to mentor others, especially the youth and folks who have fallen on hard times.” Grinolds currently sits on the board of the Executive Development Institute (EDI), White River Buddhist Temple, and Green River College Foundation, and is the current president of the Kiwanis Club of Kent AM. She is also a mentor for Communities in Schools, a program that partners community leaders with students who live under the poverty line. On top of these, Grinolds prepares meals for Willows Place in Kent and at the VA’s Fisher House in Auburn and Seattle. “Helping underrepresented groups and young people have always been a passion of mine,” Grinolds said. Her involvement with community work was jumpstarted after a training session in 1996 with EDI, a nonprofit that provides exclusive Asian and Latino leadership development programs. EDI has taught her the philosophy of servant leadership and the importance of doing volunteer work. see GRINOLDS on 15
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37 YEARS
■ AT THE MOVIES
got their wings clipped at the box office
By John Liu NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Good morning, Angels! Sadly, it appears most Angels are still asleep. The first Charlie’s Angels, an action TV series starring three ladies with a focus on sex appeal, was released in 1976. In 2000, a movie reboot starring Lucy Liu, Cameron Diaz, and Drew Barrymore was a box office success with the same cheesy dialogue, action, and provocative scenes. Sixteen years later, Elizabeth Banks, the director, writer, and producer, who has a starring role in Charlie’s Angels, has a monumental task of making these Angels relevant today. The new Charlie’s Angels acts as a sequel, where the Townsend Agency has gone international and Angels are everywhere. Charlie Townsend’s identity is still a mystery. The movie starts out with a montage of random women growing up while performing miscellaneous empowering roles. This really sets the feminist tone for the entire movie and can be off-putting to some.
Sabina Wilson (Kristen Stewart), who we know is an Angel from the trailer, is having a conversation with Jonny Smith (Chris Pang) about a woman’s role in society and this whole conversation feels shoehorned in to fit the feminist narrative. As Sabina starts beating up Jonny, multiple Angels swing in and take out Jonny’s bodyguards. John Bosley (Patrick Stewart) walks in and congratulates the Angels for taking care of the situation. The next scene shifts to John Bosely and the other Bosleys are throwing him a retirement party. We discover Elizabeth Banks is also a Bosley. Then we are introduced to Elena Houghlin (Ella Balinska), a programmer on the Calisto project, who is having a private meeting with her boss Peter Fleming (Nat Faxon). Elena explains these Alexa-like devices with a sustainable energy source named Calisto can be hacked through their blockchain to murder people and leave no evidence. Ridiculous, but we’ll let it slide for the sake of the movie! Peter tells Elena to keep quiet and not tell anyone about Calisto’s flaw. Out of nowhere,
Elena finds a Charlie’s Angels business card and meets with Edgar Bosley (Djimon Hounsou). During their meeting, an assassin tries to kill them, but luckily Jane Kano (Naomi Scott) is undercover and deals with him. The first and second act was boring and filled with action genre cliches and tropes. There is the trademark explosion, which does only enough damage to knock someone out. Some deaths in the movie were unexpectedly dark for a PG-13 movie, but I can’t divulge without spoiling the movie. The only redeeming quality is the third act, which I found enjoyable and had some great cameos. The chemistry between the three Angels seemed genuine. Sabina throws a bunch of one liners throughout the movie that were mostly a miss for me, but I heard ladies in the audience laughing at the majority of lines in the movie. The only joke that really hit home was one regarding superheroes. Go figure! Jane and Sabina see CHARLIE’S ANGELS on 11
EXCITING CHANGES ARE COMING TO UWAJIMAYA! Beginning this month, we will be updating our Seattle store to improve your shopping experience, so things will look a little different around our store for a while. We will remain open throughout construction so check back regularly for updates and to see our progress! To learn more, visit our website at uwajimaya.construction
YOUR VOICE
NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2019
asianweekly northwest
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■ ON THE SHELF Complications of young love Book recommendations By Samantha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
I Believe in a Thing Called Love By Maurene Goo Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017
Desi Lee is a girl with a plan. A plan for everything. It’s how she became a student body president and star player on the soccer team. And it’s how she’ll get accepted into Stanford. But despite all the planning, she’s never had a boyfriend and her failed attempts at flirting (“flailures”) are legendary among her friends. So when the new boy in school, one Luca Drakos, becomes interested in her, Desi does what she does best: plan. She finds guidance in the Korean dramas her father has been obsessed with for years—the same K-dramas she has dismissed. And as you could expect, hilarity ensues as Desi plans and implements crazy situations, ranging from boat rescues to fake love triangles to staged car crashes. But soon everything becomes more real and she realizes there are things in real life that can’t be solved by a bout of slapstick comedy. “Believe” is the story of a girl who has spent most of her life with very specific goals and does not let anything stop her from achieving them. It’s enjoyable to see how she deals with things when her plans go awry. Desi has a strong type-A personality and she knows how to get things done, so it’s amusing when things don’t go her way. And although she may have the top grades and be in all the right clubs, she is also flawed and blinded by her need to be perfect (there is a reason for this). These flaws make her more human and relatable to readers. In addition to a strong protagonist, “Believe” also features strong secondary characters—from Desi’s two best friends who keep her ambitions in check, to her father with whom she shares a very close bond. While they are all there to support Desi in her new adventures in romance, they also bring her back down to Earth when her ambitions get the best of her (and they definitely do).
Frankly in Love
By David Yoon G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2019 Born and raised in southern California, Frank Li is an all-American boy in his senior year of high school, going through many of the things American teens experience at that age: taking the SATs and applying to colleges, spending as much time with his friends before they go their separate ways, catching “senioritis.” He even starts dating his first girlfriend: Brit Means. The only problem is that in addition to being American, Frank is also Korean. And his parents want him to end up with a nice Korean girl. Brit is white. Needless to say, issues arise. Enter Joy Song, a family friend
who is in a similar predicament with her Chinese American boyfriend. Realizing they both have the same problem, Frank proposes a possible solution to Joy. Now all of a sudden, Frank’s life gets a lot more complicated. “Frankly” is the story about first love and the big feelings that come with it. Yoon does a great job of capturing what it’s like to be young and in love for the first time, and how that relationship is everything to a young person. And it was refreshing to see it from a male perspective. Personally, see SHELF on 12
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asianweekly northwest
NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2019
■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG
Johnson, Tukwila Councilmember-elect, Dinh and Dr. Francine Wiest, Bellevue School Board Director-elect have young children and a demanding job. Wow, that’s a lot of responsibilities! “Fortunately, I had an encouraging husband, flexible work projects, a dedicated cadre of volunteers, and broad support from community members and leaders who helped me get my message out, put campaign signs up, and keep enthusiasm high all the way through,” said Wiest.
By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Confession: I stole an idea from Time Magazine, and it has benefited the Northwest Asian Weekly ever since. In 1990, I had to attend my brother’s wedding in Hong Kong. There was only one problem. I couldn’t leave my work, as December was one of the busiest times of the year with lots of holiday advertisements. (Those were the golden days.) But, I could not break my promise to my brother. What’s the solution? A while back, I read about Time’s clever idea to fill space during the slowest news season in 1927. Hence, the “Man of the Year” issue was created at the end of the year, and it was changed to Person of the Year in 1999. Hey, we could recognize long-time community volunteers who made a difference. We selected the Top 10 Contributors of the Year, and wrote the stories in advance. I left with my two sons for the wedding, while my husband took care of business at the office. There was no dinner or event, just a special edition in both papers. Since then, we have named and honored hundreds of contributors over the years, both Asians and non-Asians. Then, some honorees felt disappointed when they found out that they were being recognized only in our publications, and not in a formal setting. The issue was, if we added an additional event, would the community support it? Could we handle one more event since the Asian Weekly already organized three to four lunches and a couple of dinners annually? In 2002, we decided to test the waters— to do a Top Contributors dinner. Our goal was for 200 guests, and 220 people came. The event has now grown to more than 300 people. What touches me most is not only the number of guests attending. It’s the loyalty of the sponsors. Early in the year, sponsors email to let us know they have set aside a budget for our event again because they enjoyed it so much. They have been supporting us for more than a decade. This year, we have added a new dimension. Hopefully, we can carry on the tradition in the future.
Daring Men and Women
When an Asian American runs for office, it empowers the community. The inspiration is unimaginable. The glass
David Chan holding a sign, along with his supporters
ceiling is breakable. The impossible becomes possible. It’s been a progressive year for Asian Americans—a recordbreaking number of Asians ran for office. We could not even include all the Asian candidates’ biographies in our election issue or endorse them like we had in the past. There were too many. Many won despite the fact that some races were crowded, and their opponents had more money, connections, and name recognition. Take David Chan for instance. Reelected as Snohomish County Fire Commissioner, his campaign was one of the toughest. He funded his own campaign (which couldn’t exceed $5,000) to run against not just his opponent, but his political PAC, which ran a full-page ad and sent out several mailers. Running a campaign is difficult, especially for Asian Americans who were raised in our culture advocating humility and not tooting your own horn. Dr. Tam Dinh described it as being thrust “into the spotlight and often times, it seems like it is all about me. Not only were the campaign activities of fundraising, candidate forums, yard signs, canvassing, and sign waving, the antithesis to my traditional Vietnamese upbringing, I found the constant spotlight on me difficult.” She added, “To help overcome my natural reservations and insecurities, I reminded myself of my WHYs.” Some newly elected Asian female officials, including Cynthia Delostrinos
Dr. Tam Dinh (front, 2nd from right) and her two sons and nice (in baby stroller) with supporters.
Dr. Francine Wiest picking up her campaign signs after the election
37 YEARS
Asian candidates on our election issue’s front page
And some even took their kids along during their campaign. I have the utmost admiration for these political moms! I will never forget the gutsy move by Bellevue City Councilmember Janice Zahn in a small group with Andrew Yang, who first visited Seattle on May 3. She endorsed Yang right then and there. Yang was an unknown at that time. I asked Yang’s campaign how many endorsements Yang had received. Their response, “We are not working on endorsements.” That implied Yang had only a small number of endorsers worth mentioning. Or Zahn could have been literally be the first one in Washington state to endorse Yang. Call them “Daring Men and Daring Women.” For someone who has the courage to run—putting her or himself out there—gambling for their future— sacrificing personally and their families— exposing their vulnerabilities and risking see BLOG on 12
NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2019
YOUR VOICE
asianweekly northwest
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■ LETTER TO EDITOR Keiro NW, Nikkei Manor questions Dear Editor, If and when the sale [of Keiro] is complete and all debts are paid off, is the leftover money going to be invested in Nikkei Manor? Would it not be better to keep the nursing home property and make a bigger Nikkei Manor Assisted Living Facility? At the present time, Nikkei Manor does not have the capacity that is being called for by the Japanese community. With the waiting list people still in line, is
moving into the Nikkei Manor Assisted Living complex? It is unfortunate that Keiro Northwest closed. It was a slap in the face for the people who have donated and invested their time as volunteers through these many years. There is no point blaming one another for this sad situation. What’s done is done. We need to move on. I would like to have my family’s donation plaque that is on the wall at Keiro NW. If they are going to demolish the building, I know many people would like to have their plaques to keep also.
I have tried to get a hold of Mary Orogo at Nikkei Manor, but she has not returned my calls. Bridgette Takeuchi referred me to Mary in the matter of the plaques. — Joan Seko Former Keiro NW volunteer
WINNERS from 1 and that historic buildings help to maintain a sense of permanency and heritage for the ChinatownInternational District. — Matt Chan, Position 2 for Resident, Tenant, Community Participant. Chan volunteers his time with community newspapers, InterimCDA, and the Wing Luke Museum. He is interested in development that takes community input, aesthetic design history, and the wellbeing of the neighborhood into account. He wants to bring awareness that the neighborhood is more than just a tourist destination and to help preserve its history. — M. Faye Hong, Position 4 for Resident, Tenant, Community Participant. Hong is a senior advisor to the Hop Sing Tong Association and the Lee Family Association. He is a board member of the Chinatown Gate Foundation and the Chong Wa Benevolent Association. He is also the vice president of the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Foundation and the property manager for the Yick Kong Corp. He is the
CHARLIE’S ANGELS from 8 have some touching moments, and Ella Balinksa’s performance as Elena is decent for her first big screen feature. The two Asians in the movie were very entertaining. Naomi Scott, who is hot off the heels of her explosive Jasmine portrayal in Aladdin, has some major screen time here with Kristen Stewart. Naomi was doing flying kicks all over the place and charming on screen.
Russ Williams
prior owner of two restaurants in Chinatown, the Atlas Café and House of Hong. In 1973, the ISRD Board was created to preserve, protect, and enhance the cultural, economic, and historical qualities of the Chinatown-International District. The Board is made up of seven members—five elected by the Chinatown-International District community and two appointed by the mayor.
Jonny Smith (Chris Pang) and Patrick Stewart were the only male characters I liked in this film. Jonny has an interesting role as a “smooth” talker with some cringey dialogue that gets outwitted by Sabina a few times. The new Charlie’s Angels song, Don’t Call Me Angel, released two months ago featuring Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Lana Del Rey, just does not measure up to the 2010 Independent Woman by Destiny’s Child. The new song is incoherent and weird, and hearing it once was more than enough. I still enjoy listening to
MSNBC from 1 The Yang campaign pointed out that this was not the first time MSNBC excluded Yang. “Thank you @MSNBC for making this apology for the 15th time. The #YangGang is very excited for #16,” Yang campaign manager Zach Graumann wrote. Between MSNBC, NBC News, and NBC digital platforms, there have been 15 other instances depicting Yang’s absence dating back to June. CNN had at least five instances as well.
Matt Chan
Faye Hong
To learn more about ISRD, visit seattle.gov/neighborhoods/preservation/id.htm. Staff can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.
Independent Woman whenever it comes on. I give props to Elizabeth Banks for being the writer, producer, and director, and starring in this movie, but I felt the Charlie’s Angels IP was too risky to bring back at this time. The movie paid the price at the box office during its opening weekend with an extremely low $8.35 million. John can be reached at john@nwasianweekly.com.
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NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2019
SHELF from 9
our lives.
as a female reader, it was nice to see boys at that age can be just as excited and confused about relationships. Readers will also get a glimpse of what it can be like to date coming from an immigrant background. I found some of the struggles Frank experiences and the hoops he jumps through to have a love life to be very relatable. Yoon also showcases the roles our different relationships have on us—from Frank’s relationship with his parents, to his close but geographically distant relationship with his sister, to the bond he shares with his best friend, Q. Readers will see how important they can be and have us appreciating more the people in
Our Wayward Fate By Gloria Chao Simon Pulse, 2019
At 17, Ali Chu has grown up as the only Asian person in her Indiana school. And to fit in, she knows she must be as bland as white toast to survive—meaning eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and ignoring the racism from her classmates and teachers. For most of her life, she has been on autopilot. But that is abruptly disrupted when Chase Yu, the new kid in town who also happens to be Taiwanese, shows up at school. Ali initially resists getting close to Chase because according to everyone
with contact information. If an individual, even in good faith, does not fill in the signature correctly, it is not counted toward the requisite amount. Yang, the first Chinese American to run for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, has been rising in recent polls. His platform of providing each American over the age of 18 $1,000 per month, known as the Freedom Dividend, is gaining traction with prospective voters. The former lawyer and entrepreneur is also concerned that the automation of jobs will leave many Americans out of a job. The message is resonating with many voters looking for a change of course with the current state of America and American politics. Yang’s first big splash in the Seattle area was a rally last spring at Gasworks Park. This is what got Stephens up to volunteer.
Photo by Jason Cruz
YANG from 1
Ben Stephens
“The first time I volunteered was that May Gasworks Park rally. I watched him on YouTube and became involved with its Facebook group.” Stephens felt compelled with Yang’s message and his overall sincerity to help Americans. “I would say that I really like his policies and say that it is the right policies
BLOG from 10 attacks and abuses—and above all, mapping out a successful plan to win, it’s absolutely remarkable. It’s scary for all stakeholders involved, and not just the candidate. I will never forget what Rep. Cindy Ryu once said. “We (the community) need to support our (Asian) leaders.” What can we do to empower our Asian elected officials? Instead of waiting for the Asian officials to establish themselves in their new role, why not celebrate now? They have lifted us up by running and engaging the community, and we will do our part to lift them up.
New format for Dec. 6 event
You need not worry about the Top Contributors dinner being too long and boring. Asian Weekly prides
37 YEARS
at school, “they belong together.” But then she finds it nice and a relief to be able to be herself around someone who gets it, someone she can joke with in two languages and stand up with, to the everyday racism they face. But Ali’s mother finds out and forces her to end the relationship. Not one to stand by and let that go, Ali starts digging into why her mother is so against the relationship and uncovers secrets. “Wayward Fate” is the story about a young woman trying to figure out where she belongs in a world where she has never felt like she was enough—not white enough to fit in among her classmates and not male enough (or at all) for a mother who seemingly wanted a son. In addition to Ali’s story, Chao includes
snippets of a retelling of the Chinese folktale, “The Butterfly Lovers,” which may be intertwined with Ali’s fate. Ali is a strong young woman who may seem passive and initially just lets things happen to her, but readers quickly learn that she just needed to find her power and stand up for herself. Chao does a great job with the complications that come with relationships, from familial to romantic to platonic. There are layers to Ali’s relationships with the people in her life— just as there are layers to the relationships most of us have with the people in our lives.
at the right time, but if I were to be honest, if you were to just watch him for 10 minutes on YouTube, you see a man who is genuine, I didn’t see a politician.” Stephens added, “He’s in this race because he sees a lot of problems coming down the pike that the political establishment is not prepared for.” Yang’s supporters see the completion of the process for him to be on the ballot as a significant benchmark. Stephens highlighted that it caps off the teamwork of canvassing at farmers markets, outside of movie theatres, and other areas where people congregate. Stephens helped coordinate community outreach and canvassing of areas to gather the names on the ballot. This required him and other volunteers to step outside of their comfort zone and talk to strangers. He noted that a majority of people he interacted with knew of Yang and his policies. Even those that were undecided signed on behalf of Yang, acknowledging
that the candidate should have his name on the ballot. Stephens recalled a displaced manufacturer worker unsure of Yang’s policies, to which he reminded the worker of Yang’s concern that millions of manufacturing jobs could be eliminated by robots and automation. “At that point, the switch went off for him,” and he seemed to get behind Yang, Stephens retold. In addition to personally reaching out to voters, Yang’s Washington state campaign has a solid team working on digital efforts in getting his message out on various social media platforms. The deadline for candidates to turn in their signatures and accompanying paperwork to appear on the March 10, 2020 primary ballot is the beginning of January 2020.
itself in ending the program on time. Last year, our Top Contributors Dinner ended at 8:30 p.m. This year, we divided our program into two parts: Short and long program. The short program will focus on newly elected Asian officials at 6:40 p.m. They are Janice Zahn, Bellevue City Council member; Sam Cho, Port of Seattle Commissioner-elect; Sofia Aragon, Burien City Council member-elect; Kim-Khank Van, Renton City Council member-elect; Peter Kwon, SeaTac City Council member; Dr. Tam Dinh, Mercer Island School Board memberelect; Francine Wiest, Bellevue School Board member; and David Chan, Snohomish County South County Commissioner. I wish we could recognize more. We will introduce them by reading a short bio, but they will not give a speech afterwards. Their speech will be printed in the Asian Weekly the following week so you can read about them.
Samantha can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.
Jason can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.
The long program will be about the Top Contributors. There will be no thank-you speeches. Each honoree will respond in two minutes to the question the emcee asks. Please come and celebrate with a new league of amazing stars. Take selfies with all of them on stage. This will be a memorable moment in the history of Asian Americans. The Top Contributors awards dinner is on Dec. 6 at China Harbor Restaurant in Seattle, from 6–9 p.m. To purchase tickets, go to topcontributors2019.bpt.me. Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.
KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received for C01404C19, PSERN Radio System Bandera Site Improvement; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 1:30 PM on 02/25/2020. Late bids will not be accepted. Scope of Work: This solicitation is for the construction at the Project Site. The Contractor shall provide labor, materials, and equipment necessary to perform construction services, including, but not limited to, installation of Owner furnished Radio Tower. Work shall also include site and road improvement. The Contractor will
not be responsible for obtaining rights of entries, site leases and building permits, nor will it be responsible for installing the electronic communications equipment at the Site. Estimated contract price: $1,800,000 MANDATORY Pre-Bid / Site Tour: 11/25/19, 9:00am,OR 12/3/19, 9:00am Complete Invitation to Bid Documents, including all project details, specifications, and contact information are available on our web page at: https://procurement. kingcounty.gov/procurement_ovr/default.aspx
YOUR VOICE
■ ASTROLOGY
NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2019
asianweekly northwest
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Predictions and advice for the week of November 23–29, 2019 By Sun Lee Chang Rat — Distance can make the heart grow fonder, but sometimes it just creates a greater distance. Bridge the gap while you are still able to.
Dragon — Although you play the game well, there are times when a reset is needed. Think of it as an opportunity to improve.
Ox — While it can be scary not knowing the outcome, focus on what you have to gain as opposed to what you have to lose.
Snake — When you have a chance for respite, take advantage of it because you have earned the rest.
Tiger — Even if you have made up your mind, there is value in considering the other options that are available.
Horse — While a setback can knock some off their feet, for you it is fuel to redouble your efforts and come out on top.
Rabbit — You will soon have a forum in which to showcase a side of you that few people have been able to see until now.
Goat — Are you at a loss for how to position yourself for the next go around? Don’t overthink it, just do what comes naturally.
Monkey — A priority shift can take some getting used to. Even if you feel pressured to make changes quickly, a more gradual approach is recommended. Rooster — An efficient plan often involves dealing with the easy pieces first, so you can zero in on what is left. Dog — There is more than one way to make a meaningful contribution. You bring more to the table than you realize. Pig — Rather than being hampered by a lack of resources, you will amaze your team by what you are able to do with what you have.
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.
ISHII from 5 researcher who made profound contributions to the field of astronomy in the early 20th century. The play’s January opening means it aligns with both the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote, and its subject matter
means it lines up more with the sort of stories that will be told at Perseverance Theatre moving forward. She said she has a “shortlist’’ of dream projects for Perseverance Theatre. One is a version of the play “Antigone’’ that would include Japanese theater techniques. Two other works she named have closer local ties.
DEPORTATION from 3
LI from 3
Mai was sentenced to nearly three years in prison after his conviction in 2005 of being an accessory following a shooting during a fight, according to the governor’s office. He is now executive director of the Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation, has several public service awards and started the first Vietnamese American youth-run radio talk show. He entered the U.S. as a refugee when he was 11 years old. Vu was convicted in 2000 of assaulting three men in two incidents and threatening a witness. He entered the U.S. at age 9 as a refugee from Vietnam and now has a U.S. citizen wife and two young children. Both men’s pardon applications were supported by Democratic Assemblyman Ash Kalra of San Jose. Pho’s application was supported by two assemblymen, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and much of the city council. Despite his previous pardons, immigrant rights groups earlier this month called on Newsom to do more to block the transfer of prison inmates to federal immigration authorities. They want the governor to stop prison officials from holding parolees until they can be picked up by federal immigration officials. They also criticized him for vetoing Kalra’s legislation that would have barred private security companies from entering prison grounds to pick up immigrants for deportation. Newsom separately pardoned John DiFrenna, 55, of Orange County, who in 1990 was sentenced to probation for possessing drugs for sale.
and conspiracy charges against Li’s co-defendant and boyfriend, Kaveh Bayat. Attorney Geoffrey Carr said Li plans to travel to see family in China and strengthen her relationship with her children. She plans on bettering herself as a person, he said. “Any time any defendant is found not guilty in a serious crime, they’re (given) a gift by somebody—I don’t believe in God, but somebody—and they should pay attention,’’ Carr said. He bristled at a question that Li’s immense wealth allowed her to build a strong defense team that secured the not-guilty verdict. Carr said the team of three lawyers and four investigators would have worked just as diligently had they been appointed by a judge to a poor defendant. San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said jurors gave “their heart and soul’’ to the decision. “Obviously disappointed, obviously we don’t agree,’’ he said. “But as we always say, this is how the jury system works, and we respect the jury for what it does.’’
FRESH OFF THE BOAT from 3 1990s Florida is based on chef Eddie Huang’s memoir of the same name. In a statement, ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke lauded the show as “game-changing’’ with its focus on an Asian American family. While the TV industry has gradually embraced
see SHOOTING from 3 The gunmen targeted a house where about 16 men had gathered outside to watch football on television, police said. At least two men armed with semi-automatic handguns walked through a side gate and without a word began firing randomly into the crowd before fleeing in the darkness, Police Chief Andrew Hall said. No one reported getting a good look at them. Witnesses saw only flashes when the pistols were fired, Hall said. diversity, it’s been slow to include characters of Asian descent in the mix. Comedian Margaret Cho’s “AllAmerican Girl’’ ended in 1995 after one season. A possible spinoff with characters to be introduced on “Fresh Off the Boat’’ is being considered. It would focus on an Indian family whose daughter is one of Eddie’s (Hudson Yang) classmates. Wu, who starred in “Crazy Rich Asians,’’ apologized
Ishii said she’s keen to stage both Perseverance Theatre’s playwright-in-residence Vera Starbard’s “Native Pride (And Prejudice)’’ and Juneau playwright and actor Frank Henry Kaash Katasse “Where the Summit Meets the Stars.’’ “I love lifting up Northwest playwrights,’’ Ishii said.
Prosecutors said Li lured Green, her former boyfriend, to her mansion in Hillsborough, south of San Francisco, to discuss custody of their children. They say Bayat shot Green in the mouth and the two hired a friend to dispose of the body. Prosecutors presented evidence that Green’s blood was found in Li’s Mercedes and gunshot residue was discovered in her garage. Li’s attorneys argued that Green was killed in a botched kidnapping plot and that she had nothing to do with his death. She had settled the custody issues with her former boyfriend, they said. Green’s body was found along a dirt road north of San Francisco nearly two weeks after he was last seen meeting with Li about their children. The pair met around 2009. The prosecution faced a setback earlier this month when its chief witness, Olivier Adella, was arrested on charges of contacting an ex-girlfriend and witness for the defense. Adella was expected to testify that Li and Bayat asked him to dispose of Green’s body, but prosecutors did not call him as a witness.
Police were investigating whether the shooting was connected to a recent “disturbance” involving some of the people at the party, Hall said. He did not describe the incident other than to say it occurred within the last week. While police hadn’t found any gang connections to the victims, Hall also announced the establishment of an Asian gang task force because of concerns about the possibility of retaliation or more violence ahead of the Hmong New Year, which is celebrated the week after Christmas and draws thousands to Fresno.
earlier this year for a Twitter outburst lamenting the show’s renewal this season. She said it was an emotional reaction to having to pass on a passion project because it conflicted with “Fresh Off the Boat.’’ The comedy that airs at 8:30 p.m. EST Friday is averaging 3.1 million weekly viewers for the season to date, making it No. 69 out of about 80 network programs.
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asianweekly northwest
NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2019
DOPING TEST from 4 by the officials, including a chaperone he said asked to take his photograph. “This is really ridiculous,’’ Sun said in translated comments. Although Sun and his entourage were criticized for their conduct, the first FINA tribunal panel said the sample mission was void and invalid because anti-doping protocol was not followed. Technically, Sun was judged to be not properly notified of needing to give samples. WADA has asked for a ban of between two and eight years, saying Sun voluntarily refused to submit to give samples. “That is pretty sensational,’’ Young, the WADA lawyer, said of the hammer-smashing incident. “But he was nailed on a tampering violation before any of that happened.’’ If WADA’s appeal is upheld, Sun risks a longer sanction that could bar
him from the Tokyo Games because it would be his second offense. The first offense brought the three-month ban imposed by Chinese authorities in 2014, after Sun tested positive for a banned stimulant. That initial ban was quickly addressed by Sun and his legal team. He said it was a prescribed medication for a heart issue because he sometimes fainted after training. Lawyers for WADA repeatedly asked if Sun had learned in his long career of the serious consequences for refusing to give a sample. He repeatedly answered that the lead anti-doping official had not warned him specifically. Sun’s anti-doping history was detailed, with 180 samples given at competitions and during training from 2012-18. A total of 60 were organized by the Sweden-based firm IDTM, which sent the collection team to Sun’s home in 2018.
37 YEARS
CAS judge Philippe Sands pressed Sun about whether IDTM staff had shown different kinds of documents of authorization on the 59 previous occasions he gave samples without problems. The Nov. 15 hearing, the first open to the media and public observers since 1999, played out inside a ballroom annex set among lakeside hotel gardens in the upscale Swiss resort of Montreux. Next door stood the concert halls of the city’s famed jazz festival. Amid concerns over witness intimidation, the three anti-doping officials who visited Sun’s home testified earlier and did not attend the session, which was watched by more than 100 accredited observers in the room and streamed live on the CAS website. The hearing ended with Sun surprising his own legal team by waving his arms and calling another
translator from the public seats to better articulate his closing statement. “Who is this guy?’’ asked an incredulous Judge Frattini, a former Italian foreign minister. “It is not up to you to appear before the court.’’ “There are some rules,’’ he said.
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GRINOLDS from 7
EDI Executive Director, Marci Nakano, and EDI Co-Presidents Chad Oishi and Char Grinolds celebrate another fun EDI event.
NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2019
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“I try to find meaningful ways to help the community. It’s not just about giving money—I believe that my time in the community is as valuable, if not more valuable, than just giving money,” Grinolds said. Grinolds mentors underprivileged students at an alternative high school in Kent, and she understands the importance of helping people move forward. “These students need an adult other than their parent whom they can talk to without being judged.” She added, “The youth are our future and we need to help them become good leaders and stewards … by helping the underrepresented and the youth, our world will become a better place for all.” Grinolds pairs her love of cooking with volunteer work. “I love to cook, so anytime there is an opportunity to feed the homeless, or have friends and family over for a meal, makes me happy.”
She is not sure what her life would be like if she didn’t spend her time volunteering. Grinolds said, “I am a Type A personality and like to be busy.” As a retired vice president at KeyBank, Grinolds enjoys going to her alma mater’s Huskies games and tailgating during football season, traveling, playing golf, and going to the casino. Where does she see herself five years from now? “I suspect I will still be doing community service of some sort as long as I have my health, or maybe on a white, sandy beach somewhere.”
Association, and neighborhood advocates. In addition to sending letters targeting English and non-English speakers, Vibrant Cities said it has spent countless hours walking the entire Chinatown neighborhood, talking face to face with each business owner and employee about its Jasmine project. “We obtained a total of 63 signed letters of support for the Jasmine project. We also got 324 signed letters from CID residents of all income brackets and ages,” James Wong told the Northwest Asian Weekly. Wong is the founder of Vibrant Cities and owns the Bush Garden building. He added, “We then emailed the 387 letters in two files to Rebecca [Frestedt, ISRD coordinator] to be forwarded to the board. During our ISRD meeting, a board member asked whether the community supported Jasmine. I believe the herculean effort of securing our 387 support letters may have been overlooked by the board. Additionally, we had some of these community outreach slides in our draft packets for [the Oct. 22] meeting and Rebecca asked us to remove them. Her feedback was that it was not necessary to let the board know about our outreach ... And when we presented... the board asked us again to do outreach. What’s the fairness in this?” asked Wong.
area and also make money.” But Tsay said a project like Wong’s is not something he would take on. “[Chinatown] is definitely not a place where I’d be putting in my money right now,” he said, because he prefers to “avoid areas that have become contentious.” Tsay said there is a great need for affordable housing, and he said a portion of his portfolio is in that space. But he said there needs to be a balance. “You get a very undiverse group of people, if you build all affordable housing. You won’t have enough money to reinvest in your properties.” And one of the consequences of that, Tsay said, is rundown buildings. “You need people who can pay more in taxes, otherwise you can’t invest in more public infrastructure,” said Tsay. Guan Hui Qui has lived in government subsidized housing in the ID for 25 years. She said at the Nov. 12 ISRD board meeting, “I don’t want to see more lowincome housing. I’d like to see more vitality in our community, more businesses and new buildings. I don’t want to see Chinatown turn a corner with no prosperity.” Huen Ping Wu is another long-time Chinatown resident. He has lived in low-income housing for 16 years. “I’d like to see Chinatown create lots of businesses. The more businesses we have in the community, the more job opportunities for our people. The more people in our neighborhood, the better it would be for our safety. Safety and jobs are important to the wellbeing of our community. I’d like our government to approve all new buildings.” In an email to the Northwest Asian Weekly, ISRD Coordinator Rebecca Frestedt wrote, “The land use code for the ISRD (Chapter 23.66) does not differentiate between projects. That said, each project is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and there has been a great deal more public comment on the proposed demolition about the Bush Garden building than has been received for the proposed Four Seas demolition and redevelopment. All applications for Certificates of Approval are reviewed in accordance with the same timelines, as determined by SMC 23.66.”
Grinolds will be honored at the Top Contributors awards dinner on Dec. 6 at China Harbor Restaurant in Seattle, from 6–9 p.m. To purchase tickets, go to topcontributors2019.bpt.me. Gayle can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.
Uncle Bob’s Place to be built at the site of the former Four Seas Restaurant on 714 South King Street. The board was to review a design proposal for the eight-story mixed use apartment building, developed by InterIm. “The InterIm project is funded by taxpayer money and Chong Wa Benevolent was not invited to any concept or design meetings,” said Chow. “For transparency and accountability purposes, I am asking [the ISRD board] to recommend more community outreach to the Chinese community, neighboring building owners, businesses, and the non-English speaking residents.” In a statement, InterIm said, “Since mid2018, Uncle Bob’s Place has been presented at the CID Forum once, the CID KickOff twice, the ISRD board five times, a community happy hour at the Dynasty Room once, and has been featured in community newspapers four times.” The ISRD’s role is to preserve the ID’s “unique Asian American character and to encourage rehabilitation of areas for housing and pedestrian-oriented businesses.” There were few questions on Nov. 12 of the architects on how Uncle Bob’s Place would fit in with the neighborhood — a stark contrast to the previous ISRD meeting on Oct. 22 where board members were vocal about the need for a “gesture” to honor the history of the Bush Garden building for its Jasmine development. The Oct. 22 meeting was standing-room only, and a good portion of attendees were protesters who were supporters or members of Chinatown-International District (CID) Coalition, better known by some as “Humbows Not Hotels.” The CID Coalition previously protested against the project on Aug. 27 at the Bush Garden site. There were no protests or any sign of protestors at the Nov. 12 meeting speaking out against plans to demolish the Four Seas building, but there has always been resistance to demolishing Bush Garden, despite Bush Garden being more structurally unsound, according to former building owner Joan Seko, who has testified once and written two letters about the safety issue. Bruce Zhong of DCI Engineers, a firm commissioned by Vibrant Cities, has said he is concerned the building will not withstand an earthquake. While both buildings have historical and cultural significance, neither has a historic building designation, yet InterIm has not met the level of scrutiny for Uncle Bob’s Place as Vibrant Cities has with Jasmine. Tony Au has worked with a dozen Chinese organizations in the ID, and he said none has heard about InterIm’s outreach for Uncle Bob’s Place. “All projects should be fair and give everyone a chance. The board should make things faster for all types of development. Why should it take so long for developers just because the projects are not for lowincome housing?” The Northwest Asian Weekly received an informational letter about the InterIm project, in English. InterIm said it will introduce the project at the January 2020 CID Forum, a monthly community forum for sharing neighborhood information that it facilitates. Past participants in the forum have included representatives from various Chinatown groups such as Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority, Chong Wa Benevolent
Illustration provided by James Wong
ISRD from 1
The projects
Uncle Bob’s Place will be eight stories tall with commercial space on the lower levels and 100 percent of affordable housing units above. InterIm will manage the housing of Uncle Bob’s Place, while the Chan family, owner of Tai Tung Restaurant and the former Four Seas Restaurant, will manage the commercial space. Jasmine, a 17-story development, will consist of micro retail and market-rate condos.
A third party perspective
Eddie Tsay is a developer with an ongoing development project in the University District, and his family has other real estate holdings throughout the greater Seattle area. “I think James [Wong] is very brave!” he said of the Vibrant Cities CEO. “He wants to do a good thing for the
Ruth can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.
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37 YEARS
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