VOL 36 NO 8 | FEBRUARY 18 - FEBRUARY 24, 2017

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

VOL 36 NO 8

FEBRUARY 18 – FEBRUARY 24, 2017

The HEALTH Issue

FREE 35 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Vincent Ticzon: diversity rock star of urgent care

By Arlene Kiyomi Dennistoun NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Photo credit: Arlene Dennistoun

Vincent Ticzon is a “rock star” of diversity and profitability, said Debbie Byrd, Business Development Manager of Immediate urgent care clinics. Ticzon manages the Capitol Hill, Crown Hill, and Queen Anne locations in Seattle, and helped make the Capitol Hill facility, less than two miles away from the International District, the most profitable of Immediate’s clinics.

Ticzon credits the Capitol Hill clinic’s success with the hardworking team he collaborates with, the diversity of the employees, and the densely-populated neighborhood.

Born and raised in Makati, a city in Manila, Ticzon moved to

Vincent Ticzon, Immediate Care Clinic Seattle Manager

see TICZON on 11

Screen, screen, screen…

Insight from an oncologist

Linda Ko is an assistant professor of health services at the UW and researcher at Fred Hutch Department of Cancer Prevention. She was the head investigator for the research on Korean Americans and medical tourism.

By Praphanit Doowa NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY A study conducted by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington (UW) found that a third of the Korean Americans who participated are traveling to South Korea for colorectal cancer screening.

Colorectal cancer affects the colon and rectum. Colon cancer is the third leading type of cancer in males and the fourth in females in the United States, but it is most commonly diagnosed among Ko-

■

Screencap from YouTube

Credit: Fred Hutch News Service

Korean Americans seek cancer screening outside the U.S.

Illinois to attend Lewis University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in business and marketing.

He moved back to the Philippines for about two years, then returned to the United States seeking better career opportunities. Ticzon has also lived in South Bend, Ind., San Diego, and San Francisco.

Ticzon met his wife in Illinois, where their two daughters were born.

Having met people from different cultures, backgrounds, and education levels has helped Ticzon “appreciate people more.” He saw cultural differences in California, Chicago, Manila, and Seattle. Cultural behaviors or practice can be considered a strength or weakness, depending on your viewpoint, and Ticzon sees

Illustration showing the commute from America to South Korea via a stethoscope.

(Credit: Anni Hong and Praphanit Doowa)

rean Americans.

The researchers sought to find out why some Korean Americans are resorting to overseas colorectal cancer screenings.

“My interest came from knowing that the cancer was one of the highest in the Korean American communities and the fact that we have the lowest screening rates was a concern,” project coordinator Jihye Yoon said. “Also, being here in Washington state, which has the fourth largest Korean community in the U.S., was a great opportunity for me to see see CANCER on 15

Dr. Song Zhao’s patient/physician philosophy is to provide the best cancer care through multidisciplinary, evidence-based, yet personalized, approaches.

By Peggy Chapman NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

is first asked when he meets new patients that realize that they are dealing with advanced stages of cancer.

The announcement of cancer is devastating, and many patients are baffled by the circumstances, leading to the question: “How long has this been going on?”

This is one of the top questions that Song Zhao, MD,

Prevention and detection

BLOOD & DIVERSITY Less than 1% of the Asian community donates blood. See why it’s important to do so. » see 3

Zhao is a doctor of Oncology at the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle. The patients that Zhao works see SCREEN on 12

BACON-FLAVORED TOFU?

A MIND-ROBBING DISEASE

One man’s quest to take flavored versions of the Asian staple mainstream. » see 4

Publisher Ng shares the lessons learned from her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. » see 10

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

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35 YEARS

FEBRUARY 18 – FEBRUARY 24, 2017

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS G. De Castro is the new Director of Aging and Adult Services at Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS). He has been with ACRS since 2011, serving the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

De Castro holds a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Seattle University, where he also worked G. De Castro professionally in the areas of student development and spirituality. De Castro was born and raised in Manila, Philippines, and has lived in Seattle since immigrating to the United States in 1994. 

(1603–1868). Her pieces, made from thousands of very small slices of natural and oil-dyed wood, explore imagery that comes from everyday natural and manufactured items, such as a wave, waterfall, or shoes.

Naoko received her BA in Design/Ceramics from Tama Art University in Tokyo. She has received several awards and her work has been showcased in a variety of galleries and museums, including the Seattle Art Museum. 

Sen. Cantwell meets with Japanese Prime Minister

Photo by U.S. Chamber of Commerce

New Club Bamboo director at ACRS

Naoko Morisawa artwork at Edmonds library

Vincent Yao, Director General of Seattle’s Taipei Economic and Cultural Office

Vincent Yao has been appointed the Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Seattle.

As Director General, Yao works on broadening and deepening Taiwan’s diversified relations with the Northwest, including Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. Yao’s last Vincent Yao post was in “the other Washington,” and when asked how he liked Seattle, compared to D.C. — Yao said he likes our relaxed pace, the friendly atmosphere, and warm hospitality. His favorite Asian restaurant is Din Tai Fung, which started in Taiwan, and has locations in Seattle and Bellevue.

After receiving his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in International Relations in Taiwan, Yao attended a diplomats’ training program at Oxford University, and was a Senior Executive Fellow in the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. 

Microsoft Asia Spring Festival

Sen. Maria Cantwell (right) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Feb. 10.

Naoko Morisawa

A selection of artist Naoko Morisawa’s wood mosaic collages is available for public viewing Yokohama Ruby Shoes at the Edmonds Library through March 15.

Morisawa’s work is a contemporary update of traditional Japanese wood mosaic popular during the Edo period

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Feb. 10 to discuss strengthening the Japanese-American economic relationship. Cantwell expressed that the two countries would continue their strong alliance and advocated on behalf of Washington state’s farmers, ranchers, and businesses.

Despite Japan being the third largest trading partner with Washington state, farmers and ranchers face significant barriers to selling their products in the Japanese market.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that opening up markets in Japan could grow Washington state exports by 18.7 percent. 

The 17th annual Microsoft Asian Spring Festival was held on Jan. 21 at Overlake Christian Church in Redmond.

Hosted by the Chinese Microsoft Employee Network (CHIME), the celebration is the biggest spring festival event in the greater Seattle area with over 2,000 attendees. 

FEBRUARY 18 – FEBRUARY 24, 2017

YOUR VOICE

■ HEALTH

asianweekly northwest

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Matching donated blood with patients: why diversity matters

With a growing Asian population in the Northwest, there’s an increasing number of Asian patients needing blood transfusions. “Advances in science make it possible to closely match donor blood with patients to reduce the chance of an immune system reaction against a transfusion,” noted Dr. Yanyun Wu, chief medical officer at Bloodworks Northwest. “In some situations, we know the best match can be achieved when donors and patients share a similar ethnic background.”

The immune system has evolved to protect people from pathogens like bacteria and viruses that can make us sick. Cells of the immune system use human leukocyte antigens (HLA) to identify the body’s own cells and tissues — and to detect cells that are “foreign” to the body and potential pathogens. “HLA markers are found on every cell in your body, and your specific HLA markers are inherited from your parents,” Wu said.

Over 15,000 different HLA markers have been identified, though each person has only a few types on their own cells. This means that nature has evolved, so that there are a highly diverse assortment of HLA markers. No matter what kind of pathogen is encountered, someone in the human race will be able

now hiring contractors for outreach to

Cantonese, Cham Hmong, Laotian Mandarin, Mien & Toisanese communities

Interested applicants should contact Seattle Department of Neighborhoods at DON_Liaison@seattle.gov or (206) 684-0464.

More information at: www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/ community-liaisons

to produce an immune response against it.

Patients needing multiple transfusions — perhaps during routine surgery, or for cancer treatment — have a greater risk of HLA immune-system response against transfused blood. This is particularly true for platelets: the small blood cells transfused to prevent and stop bleeding. When a patient’s body has already made antibodies from an earlier transfusion or pregnancy — when they are “sensitized’ against a particular HLA marker — it becomes more challenging to find donated red cells or platelets that match the patient’s specific requirements. HLA markers tend to be similar for people from similar ethnic backgrounds. A patient is likely to find the best match possible, and lower the risk of being attacked by HLA antibodies, with a donor who shares a similar ethnicity.

“Ideally, the community blood supply is best supported by donors who closely reflect the diverse ethnic communities and patients we serve across the region,” Wu said. “It truly takes a community to sustain the best lifesaving blood supply possible.” ■ Bloodworks Northwest needs donations from people of diverse ethnic backgrounds. If you are healthy and meet the donation requirements, you can be the difference between life and death for a patient in need.

Go to bloodworksnw.org to see if you are eligible, and then make an appointment at schedule. bloodworksnw.org or by calling 800-398-7888.

If you are fluent in Cantonese, Cham, Hmong, Lao, Mandarin, Mien, or Toisanese, and have close ties in the community, understand the community’s issues, are articulate, and want to bridge divides between the City and the community, we want you. We are looking for part-time contractors working on outreach and engagement for the City.

Community Liaisons work to bring historically underserved populations—such as immigrants and refugees— into City decision-making processes. Liaisons perform important roles as facilitators, translators, and experts on community concerns. They help deliver feedback from the community to the City and get the word out about City resources available to the community.

asianweekly northwest

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FEBRUARY 18 – FEBRUARY 24, 2017

35 YEARS

■ NATIONAL NEWS

San Francisco to build memorial for WWII ‘comfort women’

Photo credit by SFAC

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The city of San Francisco will soon have the nation’s first memorial to so-called “comfort women,” of women who were forced into sex slavery by the Japanese Army in World War II. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that on Feb. 6, the San Francisco Arts Commission gave final approval to a planned memorial to be located in the city’s Chinatown.

The memorial is being funded by the Comfort Women Justice Coalition and will be created by sculptor Steven

Iowa resident NYC man pleads hopes to take guilty to smuggling flavored tofu exotic turtles mainstream

By Kevin Hardy THE DES MOINES REGISTER DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Bob Rees wants you to look around the refrigerated yogurt section the next time you’re at your local grocery.

Take stock of the multitude of variations.

Pay heed to the multiple berry varieties.

Notice the chocolate yogurt, the lemon flavor and even the yogurt laced with coffee.

The nearly overwhelming variety, he believes, can be the future of tofu, the soybean curd that is a staple in Asian cuisine.

“You got Dannon; you got Yoplait; you got AE — some are regional players; some are international players,” Rees said. “That’s where this company is going to go.”

Rees, a 59-year-old Des Moines inventor, hopes to be the guy to take flavored tofu mainstream.

By mixing Jell-O and pudding mixes with store bought soy milk, he’s created jiggly prototypes for strawberry, banana cream, orange and even bacon-flavored tofu.

“That’s what Americans are used to,” he said. “You want to cater to your audience — they’re used to yogurt; they’re used to pudding; they’re used to Jell-O.” But Rees has his work cut out for him.

The soy foods market is growing, but flavored products have struggled to gain mainstream acceptance amid ever-changing consumer diets, The Des Moines Register reported.

In March 2015, WholeSoy & Co., the maker of the market’s leading soy yogurt, closed its doors, citing burdensome debt and operational costs.

Most customers are accustomed to eating savory tofu, often as a meat alternative.

Shifting consumers’ tastes to a sweeter product will take some work, said Nancy Chapman, executive director of the Soyfoods see TOFU on 13

Beverly Hills man pleads guilty in student immigration scam

Whyte. It depicts a trio of women with linked hands as a fourth woman looks on and is set to be installed in September.

Survivors and their families have long argued for a memorial, saying Japan has never fully apologized for its behavior during the war. However, some Japanese and Japanese-American people have disputed the claim that women were enslaved. ■

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City man has pleaded guilty to smuggling endangered turtles to and from Hong Kong by stashing them in socks or boxes labeled as “snacks.”

Hsien Lin Hsu entered the plea on Feb. 13 in federal court in Brooklyn.

The 46-year-old Hsu was arrested last year after federal agents at Kennedy Airport intercepted five boxes addressed to him that contained 42 turtles. Another 135 turtles were found at his home.

The live contraband included Chinese Box Turtles, Black Breasted Leaf Turtles and Chinese Big Headed Turtles. All are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Wildlife conservation groups say exotic turtles are valued in China and other places by people who eat or collect them. ■

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Beverly Hills man has pleaded guilty to fraudulently enrolling hundreds of foreigners as students in his vocational schools so they could stay in the U.S. Hee Sun Shim entered pleas on Feb. 9 in Los Angeles to federal conspiracy and immigration document fraud. He could face up to 15 years in federal prison.

Shim owned four Southern California vocational schools.

Prosecutors say the schools were actually a “pay-to-stay” scheme that enrolled students from South Korea and China who never attended classes but paid thousands of dollars to obtain phony records for student visas.

Prosecutors say some students actually were living thousands of miles away.

Two of Shim’s employees previously pleaded guilty and await sentencing. ■

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■ WORLD NEWS

FEBRUARY 18 – FEBRUARY 24, 2017

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Malaysia official: N.Korea leader’s brother slain at airport

By EILEEN NG ASSOCIATED PRESS KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was assassinated at an airport in Kuala Lumpur, telling medical workers before he died en route to a hospital that he had been attacked with a chemical spray, a Malaysian official said.

Kim Jong Nam, 46, was Kim Jong Nam attacked on Feb. 13 in the shopping concourse at the airport and had not gone through immigration yet for his flight to Macau, said

the senior government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case involves sensitive diplomacy.

He was taken to the airport clinic and then died on the way to the hospital.

Kim Jong Nam was estranged from his younger brother, the North Korean leader. He had been tipped by outsiders to succeed their dictator father, but reportedly fell out of favor when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland.

He was believed to have been living recently in Macau, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Multiple South Korean media reports, citing unnamed sources, said Kim Jong Nam was killed at the airport by two women. TV Chosun, citing unidentified “multiple government sources,” said the women were believed to be

Tour bus flips over on Taiwan highway, killing 32 people

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A bus carrying Taiwanese tourists on a trip to view cherry blossoms flipped over on an expressway ramp in Taiwan’s capital on Feb. 13, killing 32 people and injuring many others, officials said.

The bus was carrying 44 people when it crashed on the No. 5 expressway, the Taipei city fire department said. “It happened on a curve, so the bus flipped and that could be due to excess speed,” said Tu Bing-cheng, a Taipei city official.

“The whole frame of the bus changed shape, got crushed and left no openings.”

Many passengers were trapped under the crushed bus, and rescue personnel used a crane to pry the vehicle open.

Thirty-two people, all Taiwanese, were confirmed dead and the remaining passengers were sent to hospitals for treatment, Tu said.

The bus belonged to a private company, he said.

A bus accident in Taiwan last July killed 26 tourists from mainland China, raising concern from officials in Beijing about travel safety. ■

Buddhist monk arrested in Myanmar with 4 million meth pills

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A Buddhist monk has been arrested in Myanmar after authorities found more than 4 million methamphetamine pills in his car and in his monastery, police said.

Officer Maung Maung Yin said the monk was stopped on Feb. 5 as he drove in northern Rakhine state, which borders Bangladesh. Authorities had been tipped off that the monk was carrying an illegal haul.

Maung Maung Yin said an anti-drug task force found 400,000 pills in the monk’s car.

A subsequent search of his monastery turned up 4.2 million pills along with a grenade and ammunition. A statement from the office of Myanmar’s leader, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, said that one million kyats ($769) in cash was also found in the vehicle.

Myanmar is a major producer of methamphetamine, usually smuggled from the northeast to neighboring countries. It is also the world’s second biggest producer of see METH on 14

North Korean agents. It said they fled in a taxi and were being sought by Malaysian police.

In Washington, the State Department said it was aware of reports of Kim Jong Nam’s death but declined to comment, referring questions to Malaysian authorities.

Kim Jong Nam and Kim Jong Un have the same father, late dictator Kim Jong Il, but different mothers.

Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has executed or purged a slew of high-level government officials in what the South Korean government has described as a “reign of terror.” The most spectacular among them was the 2013 execution by anti-aircraft fire of his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, once considered the country’s second most powerful man, for what the North alleged was treason. see KIM on 14

asianweekly northwest

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FEBRUARY 18 – FEBRUARY 24, 2017

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR FEB 16

KAC-WA PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING EVENT STOUT Seattle, 1530 11th Ave., Seattle 5:30–8:30 p.m.

MENTORS NIGHT OUT, VOL. 2 Optimism Brewing Company, 1158 Broadway, Seattle 6:30–8:30 p.m.

18 INCARCERATION SERIES ON KING5, “PRISONERS IN THEIR OWN LAND” On King5 TV with Lori Matsukawa 7 p.m.

DAY OF REMEMBRANCE 2017, “HOW COULD CONCENTRATION CAMPS HAPPEN? COMPARATIVE JEWISH AND JAPANESE AMERICAN HISTORIES” UW, Kane Hall 120 1 p.m.

ETHNIC FOODS, FUN AND MORE AT EDIBLE CITY FAMILY DAY MOHAI 10 a.m.–5 p.m. mohai.org SAID 2017: I CANNOT GIVE YOU MY FOREST/ SAKHARAM Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle 5–7 p.m. $10/minimum donation brownpapertickets.com/ event/2772764

19

THE SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY HOST, “NEVER AGAIN: JAPANESEAMERICAN WWII HISTORY AND AMERICAN MUSLIM RIGHTS TODAY” Seattle Center, Fisher Pavilion, 305 Harrison St., Seattle 2–3:30 p.m. densho.org

20 BRIEF DISCUSSION ABOUT SEATTLE LABOR LAWS CISC, 611 S. Lane St., Seattle 3–4 p.m.

206-624-5633 cisc-seattle.org

5–8 p.m. aaja.org SAAFF 2017 OPENING NIGHT: A TASTE OF HOME SIFF Cinema Egyptian, 805 E. Pine St., Seattle 7:30 p.m.–12 a.m. seattleaaff.org

23–26 SEATLE ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle 7:30 p.m. seattleaaff.org/2017

■ HEALTH

24 VIET THANH NGUYEN DISCUSSES “THE REFUGEES” The Seattle Public Library, 1000 4th Ave., Seattle 7–8:30 p.m.

24 & 25 2017 ASIAN AMERICAN ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD AND CONFERENCE Westin Bellevue 2/24: 9:45 a.m.–8:30 p.m.

2/25: 9 a.m.–9:30 p.m. mail@aaeoy.org

21 FORUM, “WHAT WOULD A 21ST CENTURY IMMIGRATION POLICY LOOK LIKE?” UW, Denny Forum, Parrington Hall 4–5:30 p.m.

23 2017 ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE DAY Washington State Capitol, 416 Sid Snyder Ave. S.W., Olympia 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Free 206-695-7582

35 YEARS

Asian community plays key role in healthcare The vibrant and growing Asian community in the Northwest has a major impact on the excellent healthcare system that benefits everyone in the region. As healthcare professionals delivering high quality patient care, or as patients receiving care, Asians are part of the fabric of local communities.

“Although blood donations from the Asian community are increasing, they are still low compared to other ethnic communities in the region,” said Dr. Yanyun Wu, chief medical officer at Bloodworks Northwest. “The best local blood supply we can have needs to fully reflect the ethnic diversity of all the communities we serve.” In some circumstances, the best patient outcomes are achieved when donated blood and patients needing it share similar ethnic background.

There are many options for donating blood.

Giving whole blood takes less than an hour, and after it is processed into its components — red cells, platelets, and plasma — it can be used to help up to three patients. New moms can also donate umbilical cord blood after the birth of their baby. Stem cells in cord blood are used to treat many forms of cancer.

Bloodworks N supports more than 90 hospitals in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska, and the demand for blood components is continuous. Patients in hospitals undergoing surgeries, emergency rooms treating traumatic injuries, people receiving treatments for cancer, and surgeons performing organ transplants all depend on a stable blood supply.

All blood types are needed! Donors are welcome at any of Bloodworks Northwest’s 12 donor centers, or check online for community blood drives close to where you live or work.

Information about locations and times can be found at bloodworksnw.org. ■

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YOUR VOICE

■ HEALTH

FEBRUARY 18 – FEBRUARY 24, 2017

asianweekly northwest

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MultiCare Connected Care’s Dr. Diabetes becoming a Zak Ramadan-Jradi: Caring for global epidemic, but also hits close to home patients through technology

Photo provided by MultiCare Connected Care

with Asian Americans

By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Dr. Zak Ramadan-Jradi

By Arlene Dennistoun NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY The Northwest Asian Weekly (NWAW) recently caught up with Dr. Zak Ramadan-Jradi, MD, MBA, who is the Executive Director and Vice President of Accountable Care at MultiCare Connected Care (MCC). “Call me Zak to make life easier for everyone,” said Ramadan-Jradi. He was affable and enthusiastic about the upcoming rollout of

connecting various electronic medical record systems throughout MCC’s network members.

Although there is a single platform within MCC for providers to access medical records between various MultiCare clinics, “We’ve gone beyond that,” said Dr. Zak. “The healthcare information exchange allows us to connect with the independent community provider or any other network provider. see MULTICARE on 12

Diabetes is a disease that is quickly becoming a global epidemic. In recent history, diabetes has become the focus of numerous medical studies. Alarmingly, Asian Americans or those who live in Asian countries are some of the highest at-risk people in the world.

The numbers game

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) explains diabetes as “a chronic condition that occurs when the body cannot produce enough or effectively use insulin.

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that allows glucose

from food to enter the body’s cells, where it is converted into energy needed by muscles and tissues to function. As a result, a person with diabetes does not absorb glucose properly, and glucose stays circulating in the blood (hyperglycaemia) damaging tissues over time. This damage leads to life-threatening health complications.”

The IDF helps to keep track of diabetes around the world by conducting studies and maintaining statistics on the spread of diabetes.

The Western Pacific region, which is home to East Asia and Oceania, has 131.9 million people with diabetes. This number is expected to climb to 187.9 million by see DIABETES on 12

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■ HEALTH

FEBRUARY 18 – FEBRUARY 24, 2017

connection

Connecting with family

By Brandon Hadi NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY It’s mid-February. How many of you have stuck to the resolutions you made at the beginning of the year?

This year, you promised yourself to achieve your goals. There’s a lot to do, and the clock doesn’t stop ticking!

We migrate to the self-help section of the library or the internet, break down our goals into small, actionable steps, and document our progress. But after the hustle and bustle of the holidays finally settling down, we feel the effects of winter settle in and stay. Even getting ourselves out of bed at a decent hour becomes a grand achievement. Sooner or later, we watch as our goals remain in the stratosphere of dreams and aspirations, while our gas tank of motivation runs dangerously low.

We’ll refuel our rocket next year, we tell ourselves.

So what’s the trick? How do we keep our tank full all year long?

Connection.

There’s no magic here. When we feel connected — both to others and ourselves — we feel fulfilled, and these feelings of compassion, understanding, and selfempowerment are what refuel us. By consistently filling up our tank, we can get to where we want to go. It’s as simple as that. On the other hand, a lack of connection can lead to feelings of isolation, lowered self-esteem, and a downward spiral of negativity — risk factors which raise mental health concerns. A balanced connection with yourself and others enables a healthier version of you.

So, how do we connect?

There are two main types of connection — your connection with others and the one you have with yourself. Connecting with others is vital. As social beings, we require a sense of belonging, understanding, and love within our social environment.

Similarly, connecting with yourself means feeling at home within your own mind and body, loving yourself, and creating an inner sanctuary from the outside world.

Connecting with others can be as easy as choosing to call a friend or family member, instead of texting them. An added plus would be a video call. Hearing their voice and seeing their face reminds us of the times we’ve shared and memories created.

Other ways include scheduling regular social outings or joining a social club that also overlaps with a hobby or interest you’d like to pursue more intentionally.

Through these social interactions, we are

THE NOT-SO-SECRET WAY TO A FULFILLING LIFE

Connecting with yourself

reminded that we have, and can develop, relationships with people who love and care for us. We are reminded that we are not alone, and that sometimes, a life shared is a more treasured one.

The connection and relationship you have with yourself, however, is a higher priority. After all, you are the person you will spend the most time with. Therefore, it is vital for your mental health and wellbeing to do the things that make you feel like the best version of yourself. These may include keeping a gratitude journal, disconnecting from technology, or meditation.

Immersing yourself in a notebook and documenting three things each day that you appreciate is a strong way to feel connected with yourself — practicing appreciation for our health, close relationships, and belongings grants us moments of contentment. From here, no task is too daunting, and no cause too great to contribute to. Appreciation allows us to give freely.

Unplugging from your phone and laptop for at least an hour more each day has also been shown to increase overall productivity. Inundated with emails and social media, forcing ourselves to disconnect from these sources allows us to be fully present to experience life. When we unplug, we can use this time to direct our attention to the steady calm of our breath or mindfully experience the task at hand. This can strengthen your connection with others, as well as provide space to develop the connection you have with yourself.

Keeping an active lifestyle is another well studied way to take care of yourself and foster inner connection. Physical activity functions not only as a mindfulness exercise, but also releases endorphins, which ward off feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression, and boost self-esteem and improve sleep. There are many ways for you to foster both inner and outer connections, and this is the perfect time to explore the ones that benefit you the most.

Balancing connection with others and with yourself can be very difficult and take time, but striving to find a balance that works for you and heals you, creates a strong foundation from which you can consistently feel energized and motivated to tackle your goals head on. With this in mind, are you ready to keep your tank full and accomplish your goals for 2017? Are you ready to connect?  Brandon can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

35 YEARS

FEBRUARY 18 – FEBRUARY 24, 2017

YOUR VOICE

asianweekly northwest

■ SPORTS Football wrap-up and a Storm injury THE LAYUP DRILL BREANNA STEWART

9

DON YEE

Rocky Seto

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Welcome to another edition of The Layup Drill. In this column, we look at the agent for Tom Brady and his new venture, a Seahawk coach leaves the team, and a Storm player gets injured in China.

Rocky Seto leaves Seahawks coaching post for ministry

The Seahawks made the playoffs for the fifth straight year. Although they did not make it to the Super Bowl, the team has been on a remarkable run of success. Rocky Seto has been a part of it as an assistant coach for the team.

Seto has been a part of head coach Pete Carroll’s staff

since the former University of Southern California (USC) coach came to Seattle. In fact, Seto, a former USC football player himself, was plucked from the school’s football staff by Carroll when he moved to Seattle. Seto joined the Seahawks as a quality control coach on defense in 2010 and then was promoted to assistant defensive backs coach, where he helped the likes of Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman. He was also the passing game coordinator and then became a defensive assistant head coach in 2015.

After the season, Seto decided to stop coaching and enter the ministry. Seto, a Christian, is married and has four children. His wife played soccer at USC, but was originally from Seattle. Seto, who is Japanese American, grew up in Los Angeles, where he went to high school and played junior college football, before transferring to USC as a

walk-on to the football team. Seto obtained his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from USC and then a master’s in public administration. He was set to become a physical therapist when he was given the opportunity to become a volunteer assistant for the football team. He took the job in 1999 and spent the next 10 years as a coach for USC before heading to Seattle.

Don Yee, the agent for Tom Brady

Tom Brady pulled off the greatest comeback in NFL playoff history in Super Bowl 51. What is rarely discussed that his agent, Don Yee, is Chinese American. Yee also represents Patriots receiver Julian Edelman and New see SPORTS on 13

asianweekly northwest

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35 YEARS

FEBRUARY 18 – FEBRUARY 24, 2017

OPINION

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

Six lessons learned from my mother’s Alzheimer’s

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Can you fight the dreadful Alzheimer’s disease? My mind has been wrestling with that question lately.

If you have someone in your family who has Alzheimer’s like I do, please take note: Alzheimer’s is hereditary. You are more likely to develop the disease if you have a parent, sibling, or child with it.

In recent years, modern medicine can eliminate cancer, and AIDS to some extent.

Look at Magic Johnson who has survived HIV for more than two decades. He is still alive and kicking. However, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s.

Don’t think that you are okay just because no one in your family has the disease.

Presently, over 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s. That number will triple by 2050, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Even if you are lucky enough to avoid it, you could be a caretaker for a loved one in the future.

Alzheimer’s several years ago. Perhaps, the disease had struck her much earlier. But we didn’t have the knowledge to recognize her symptoms.

There is a difference between aging and Alzheimer’s. When someone forgets their keys and friends’ names, it can be a part of the aging process. But if someone were unable to recognize loved ones and confuse relationships with family members like my mom, it’s a bad sign. For instance, my

Alzheimer’s in my family

Our family was unprepared and shocked when the doctor diagnosed our mother’s

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mom would ask me, “Who is that handsome young man over there?” Her ability to notice beautiful things and people still amazes me.

“Your grandson,” I answered.

“Who is the father of that man (actually her own son and my brother)?” she asked.

In another instance, she asked several times in one day, “Who is the man (my husband and her son-in-law) with you?”

It pained me to watch my mother’s deterioration every time I visited her in Hong

Kong. My mother’s condition made us think that my grandmother possibly had the same disease.

My grandmother’s story was tragic. None of our family members had even heard of Alzheimer’s in the late 1980s. Grandma’s symptoms, such as forgetfulness, extreme anger, and aggressiveness, made it impossible for my uncle’s family to live with her, so they sent her to a nursing home.

Grandma remembered me when I visited her in Taiwan in 1987. What scared me was that she would tell me weird things like the Monkey King God (a Chinese legendary god) told her the night before that I would show up.

At 83, grandma disappeared — walking out of the nursing home by herself. Her nursing home had no locked doors. My uncle never found her. I have a feeling my uncle didn’t try hard to find his own mother. He never even filed a police report.

Some risk factors for Alzheimer’s patients has to do with family history, genetics and age (especially after 85). So did my mother inherit her mother’s destructive gene? Do I carry the same “monster”? see BLOG on 15

FEBRUARY 18 – FEBRUARY 24, 2017

YOUR VOICE

asianweekly northwest

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OPINION

■ EDITORIAL The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unanimously affirmed on Feb. 9, a lower court’s ruling obtained

by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, which blocks President Donald Trump’s Executive Order on immigration.

“No one is above the law, not even the president,” Ferguson said. “The president should withdraw this flawed, rushed, and dangerous Executive Order, which caused chaos across the country.

If he refuses, I will continue our work to hold him accountable to the Constitution.”

Members of the Wing Luke Civil Rights Unit, including Unit Chief Colleen Melody and Assistant Attorneys General Patricio Marquez and Marsha Chien, handled the case — along with Solicitor General Noah Purcell, Deputy Solicitor General Anne Egeler, and Solicitor General’s Office Fellow Kelly Paradis.

The Unit was created by Ferguson to protect the rights of all Washington residents by enforcing state and federal anti-

Photo from Washington State Office of the Attorney General.

Checked and balanced

Attorney General Bob Ferguson announces lawsuit challenging Trump executive orders on immigration at a Jan. 30 press conference.

From left: Solicitor General Noah Purcell, Governor Jay Inslee, Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Wing Luke Civil Rights Unit Chief Colleen Melody, Assistant Attorney General Marsha Chien, Solicitor General’s Office Fellow Kelly Paradis, Assistant Attorney General Patricio Marquez.

discrimination laws. The Unit investigates and brings action to end discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, education, credit and insurance transactions, and at government offices and businesses open to the public.

The unanimous ruling means

TICZON from 1 qualities in employee candidates that “not everyone always sees.” Seattle clinics employ staff from Korea, Vietnam, and Laos who help overcome language barriers.

In 2006, Ticzon moved his family back to the Philippines, where his young daughters enjoyed spending time with their extended family for the first time in their lives.

After four years in the Philippines, Ticzon and his family returned to the United States. They settled in Seattle in 2010, where Ticzon began his career managing medical clinics. Ticzon’s eldest daughter graduated from the University of Washington (UW) with a Bachelor of Arts in business and is employed at a law firm in Seattle. His youngest is in her junior year at the UW.

An eye for talent

Diversity has no doubt influenced Ticzon’s business decisions. The Seattle job market is very competitive, said Ticzon, and “if you don’t have an appreciation of everyone around you, you’re overlooking a gold mine out there.”

While someone may see a job applicant during an interview and think, “He doesn’t act like me, or talk like me, so they might not be a good fit, I don’t ever look at it that way.” Ticzon looks at skills, qualifications, and potential. He’s sat on interview panels where some folks assess applicants very differently, and six months later, they’re amazed at how quickly an employee has developed and how well they’re doing in the organization.

Helping new graduates allows organizations to thrive, said Ticzon. He works with externs and new graduates, and keeps a sharp eye out for people with potential.

Jasmine Yip is a perfect example. Yip

that citizens of seven majorityMuslim countries will continue to be able to travel to the United States. It is a significant political setback to Trump’s new administration and raises questions about how the courts will view his apparent vision

interned at an Immediate Clinic, while attending the UW. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and communications in June 2016, and by December 2016, landed a full-time job as a Marketing Associate at Immediate Clinic, with a total of 14 clinics under her belt.

Ticzon described the Seattle market as having gone “crazy” with growth in the last five years, with a huge demand in healthcare and information technology jobs in a tight labor market.

Many healthcare organizations seek experienced applicants and don’t have the desire or resources to develop newcomers.

Ticzon looks at candidates “the opposite way,” and won’t reject an applicant solely based on their lack of experience.

A unique service

Immediate Clinics are open 365 days of the year, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. About 97 percent of patients come in for urgent care. A small percentage come in for workers’ compensation injuries or employer paid services (physicals, drug or alcohol testing).

Tourists make up a large part of patients in Seattle, thanks to the cruise ship industry. The clinics get a good mix of patients from all over the country and world during the height of the cruise season, between May and September.

Ticzon said it’s tough for urgent care facilities to get rated on social media sites like Yelp or Google because people are sick, don’t feel well, and aren’t happy. It’s unlike going to a restaurant, where people are out to have fun. It’s also trickier for urgent care. Patients typically come to urgent care for the first time for acute conditions.

Immediate Clinics don’t keep a record of patient health history, unlike primary care clinics, where there’s an established relationship.

for an expansive use of executive power from the Oval Office on which he is anchoring the early weeks of his presidency.

Trump immediately tweeted his reaction to the ruling: “SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!”

Ticzon is not a physician and doesn’t make decisions about patient care. “I’m not qualified and it would concern me to be involved in things I have no business being involved in.”

Ticzon focuses on recruiting, development, training, and defers to lead physicians and the chief medical officer for medical care decisions.

The success of Immediate Clinics prompted MultiCare Health System to acquire all 14 clinics in a deal that closed in December 2016.

The administration has not announced its next step, but Trump has previously indicated that he would take the case all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary, a move that would set up a legal showdown of even higher stakes and visibility.

Given that the Supreme Court currently lacks its ninth member, there’s a real chance of a 4-4 split on the bench along ideological lines, which would have the effect of affirming the ruling of the 9th Circuit, inflicting a more permanent blow to the new administration.

It is heartening to see the courts check and balance Trump. It sends a powerful message about the balance of power enshrined in the Constitution establishing three equal branches of government, a system that will serve as a check on his presidency.

This case demonstrates that, like democracy itself, our country’s complex system of governance is better than its alternatives. 

Ticzon’s ultimate wish for the healthcare industry is accessibility — allowing the entire population to have access to excellent health care “so we can continue to be healthy,” or have the particular kind of medical attention needed to be productive.

“That’s what our mission is, and that’s why we’re here. We want to make things better for people.” ■ Arlene can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

KING COUNTY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ADVERTISEMENT Proposals will be received for #E00472E17, Trailhead Program Work Order for King County Parks; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 12:00 PM on March 7, 2017.

Estimated Total Price: $3,000,000 There is a 20% minimum requirement for King County Certified Small Contractor and Supplier (SCS) firms on this contract.

All solicitation documents are published at: https:// procurement.kingcounty.gov/procurement_ovr/login. aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fprocurement_ovr%2fdefault.aspx Contact: Paul Price, 206-263-9309, paul.price@kingcounty.gov or Tina Davis, 206-263-2939, tina.davis@kingcounty.gov

asianweekly northwest

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FEBRUARY 18 – FEBRUARY 24, 2017

MULTICARE from 7 We’ve created a virtual electronic medical record that will connect all providers who are in the MCC network.”

Imagining the myriad intricacies of coding and programming that goes into creating and connecting virtual electronic medical records was a bit of a head spinner, but not for Dr. Zak. His goal is to get the single information source up and running by May or June 2017, and he doesn’t think that’s overly ambitious. “It’s about time we got this done — this technology to connect our providers. If you look at any other sector of the economy today, technology is a part of their DNA. But in healthcare, we continue to struggle with this.” There’s no reason to delay the technology any longer, and Dr. Zak is moving this project as rapidly as possible, while not impacting patient care. The next phase is connecting hospitals, assisted living care, and nursing home facilities.

When asked about linking an emergency room like Harborview to MCC, Dr. Zak explained that MCC has an excellent relationship with Harborview, but it’s complicated. Providers need to have contractual relationships with MCC. “We reach out to providers who share our accountable care culture for quality and patient experience and who are willing to make a difference in healthcare in the state.” MCC has built a continuum of care from pediatricians, primary care doctors, hospitals,

DIABETES from 7 the year 2030. In contrast, the North American and Caribbean region is home to only 37.7 million with the condition, a number that is expected to grow to 51.2 million by 2030.

In North America, 10.7 percent of the population has diabetes. Southeast Asia is next with 9.2 percent of the population, and the Western Pacific is last in the Asian regions with 8.3 percent.

The total number of people with diabetes is expected to climb 54 percent to a total of 439 million by the year 2030.

Dr. William Hsu, medical director of the Asian Clinic at the Joslin Diabetes Center, explained this dramatic rise around the world. “I think major changes in the way we consume food contribute, namely the availability of highly dense caloric values.”

A difficult pin to point

Hsu also thinks “a major contribution is industrialization. That seems to be a major theme around the world.

More calories and less activity and what that translates into is a rise in obesity.”

To support his argument, Hsu points to extremely large diabetes increases in Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East. “If you look at the rates of change in developing nations, there are those seeing the sharp rise.” Hsu also points out that during times of industrialization and massive growth, Western countries saw large increases in their numbers of diabetes cases.

“These developing nations are just really in the midst of that growth, economic growth, industrial growth, that’s where we’re seeing the faster rates.”

Not everything is related to diet and culture. Genetics plays a major role in one’s likelihood of contracting diabetes. Although physicians need time to complete more studies on the disease, there is overwhelming evidence to show that “Asian genetics are particularly susceptible to diabetes,” Hsu explained.

“If you look at, in particular, the Asian population of the world, China has about 92 million people with diabetes. India is probably somewhere near 50 million people. These countries have very high rates. What’s unusual about their diabetes is that the individuals affected by diabetes in those countries generally are not considered overweight or obese

by Western standards. They have different genetic makeup in a way that they can get diabetes very early on, even with slight weight gain. So this is an inherent risk that’s brought on even with a little bit of weight gain. That helps to shine into the strong genetic component of this condition.”

The Asian American population is relatively small in the United States, just 5.6 percent of the overall population. This generates problems when attempting to study the causes and prevention of diabetes in the community.

“Data on Asian Americans’ health [are] actually quite limited, so data generally [do] not include Asian Americans in particular. So what you have is a bias in most of the health care research. They tend to cover population groups that are large, because first, it has greater health care implications, and second, it is simply harder to do studies when you have small population groups that are dispersed throughout the country,” Hsu said.

Dealing with diabetes

“I was 16. I was like, ‘How can I have diabetes? I’m skinny and don’t drink soda, I should be fine.’ There was

35 YEARS

physical therapists, emergency rooms, and on to assisted living and nursing home care facilities.

Connecting non-network providers is a health industry problem. In the United States, the healthcare industry is “very fragmented.” One reason is it’s expensive to connect every single licensed provider in the state because security measures must be in place and providers need to implement a single interface. With a single interface, a patient’s clinical medical records will allow providers to view lab results, imaging, allergies, prescriptions, etc.

Dr. Zak compares MCC’s rollout of connecting network providers like a “petri dish.” MCC will see how this health information exchange works before seeking ways to expand it. “We’ve built a chassis to accommodate a variety of providers — it’s huge enough to accommodate a semitruck. But for now, we are using only part of the frame, like putting it on a pickup truck.”

Dr. Zak began his medical career as an internist, but he had “an innate tendency” towards business administration.

He recalled working at Providence Hospital and looking in at a roomful of administers and leaders. He was so intrigued that he returned to school and earned his MBA at Seattle University. To be a leader in the healthcare industry, “you need to have business experience, which of course, they don’t teach you in medical school.” His motto back then while working towards his MBA was that if his pursuit of a leadership role in health care failed, he was well equipped

so much I didn’t know,” said Huan Zhou, a Chinese American.

“There was a kid in school that we joked about because he had to take shots at lunch. He was overweight, and we thought that he got the disease because he didn’t take care of himself,” she admitted.

“One week, I found myself having to use the restroom a lot, and I was always thirsty. My mother brought me to the doctor, and that’s when I found out I was a diabetic. I was horrified. I thought my life was over and I would be the person everyone made fun of.“ Zhou found herself in a difficult position when oral medication would not work for her. “Suddenly, I had to give myself shots. I kept them in my bag when I was walking around and always did it completely out of sight. I didn’t want anyone to know.“ On top of the mental anxieties a diabetic may face are the physical problems.

“I freaked out in the doctor’s office. I kept thinking to myself, what can I eat? Can I go out without carrying something around? Will I always feel sick? I felt hopeless,” said Zhou.

Luckily, that was not the case, though treatments have been extremely effective for Zhou. “I do have to watch what I eat. I have to be careful about my blood sugar level, but so far, I’ve been able to live a pretty regular life.”

Prevention over medication

Experts recommend prevention when it comes to combating diabetes. Primarily, this is because diabetes is something that cannot be cured, only treated. Second, and quite often first on many persons’ minds, is the cost.

“If you look at the United States, we only have about 27 million people with diabetes, but diabetes costs about 15 to 20 percent of our healthcare dollars,” Hsu stated.

Last December, Eli Lilly announced that people who use their insulin will be able to access discounted prices for their purchases starting Jan. 1. This may reduce costs for people who pay full retail prices at the pharmacy, such as those who have no insurance or are in the deductible phase of their high-deductible insurance plans.

“We understand the burden people face when paying full price for insulin,” said Mike Mason, vice president of Lilly Diabetes.

Enrique Conterno, president of Lilly Diabetes, hopes the company’s move will drive additional change within the health care system for people who use insulin. “The health care system is incredibly complex, and we hope this program is a first step that will drive more thinking and innovative solutions for people with diabetes,” Conterno said.

Hsu also has a recommended diet that could help reduce the amount of diabetes in Asian American communities, “We should return to a more traditional diet. If you look at the Asian traditional diets, they are very healthy. Even though the carb contents are higher, the fat contents are low and the protein contents are not very high, and people on the traditional Asian diet really didn’t develop diabetes.

There are numerous studies that show returning to a traditional diet would be very healthy.”

In the end, diabetes boards and medical professionals focused on the condition all agree on one thing when it comes to prevention. In Hsu’s own words, “Lifestyle trumps medication in preventing progression in diabetes.” ■

to be an executive in a shoe factory. That’s how much he loved business administration.

Although Dr. Zak loves working in the administrative arm of health care, he still gets a bit wistful about the direct patient care he left behind. He misses it when he walks through a hospital ward. “But I believe my role in administration and working together with physicians in creating policies make it easier for them to practice medicine, I can do great work. And at the end of the day, instead of taking care of one patient, I’ve taken care of a whole population.”

Before joining MCC in 2014, Dr. Zak spent five years overseeing the transplant program for cancer patients at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Dr. Zak also spent over 10 years working with payors for health insurance companies, focusing on clinical performance management, which he characterized as building relationships with providers and others.

Dr. Zak has lived in Western Washington since 1991 with his wife and four children. He travels to attend his children’s soccer and polo games, “so, I’m a very busy man,” he laughed. He loves cross-country skiing, although he’s “too chicken” to try downhill skiing. He considered it a privilege to share information with the NWAW about his work and looks forward to sharing future updates. ■ Arlene can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

SCREEN from 1 with have already passed the point where the rules of prevention are no longer a factor, which is why Zhao stresses the importance of pre-screening and why it is imperative. *Early detection is equally important as prevention.* What does this mean?

While you may be feeling like you are doing everything right to prevent cancer (proper diet, proper exercise, avoiding alcohol, NO SMOKING—see below), it is equally important to be screening for early detection. Genetics and any family history of cancer, may have a role that you can’t control.

It doesn’t mean you should ignore the general recommendations for prevention.

If you smoke, DON’T, or at least cut back and be sure to get regular screenings. Approximately 90 percent of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking.

Stay physically active. Zhao states that almost every form of cancer can be alleviated in some degree by physical activity.

Maintain a healthy weight.

Limit or eliminate alcohol entirely. Even moderate consumption of alcohol can contribute to cancer, especially those related to oral, esophagus, and cancer of the liver.

Focus on a healthy diet. Zhao says there is no particular “miracle” food that can help, but rather there should be a conscious effort to maintain a balanced diet.

One preventative medicine recommendation if you are healthy is aspirin (under 81 mgs, or baby aspirin), taken daily with food.

Aspirin helps thin the blood, and has been considered a “wonder drug,” says Zhao.

Most imperative are the screenings. General guidelines for women include getting mammograms to detect breast cancer (40+) and if you are sexually active, you should get a regular pap smear (cervical cancer), and if you are younger, the HPV vaccination.

If you smoke, there are simple chest screenings available. There are also tests available for colon cancer. There are not screening options as readily available for other forms of cancer (brain, liver, pancreas), but the patient should actively screen, especially if there is a genetic history.

Beyond prevention and detection

Unfortunately, most patients contact a physician only after they experience pain. (This is why active screening for early detection can alleviate the question of “how long has this been going on?”)

Zhao works with those who have progressed into advanced stages and where the prevention stage is far back on the timeline.

Once diagnosed, Zhao warned about a natural tendency to go into “panic mode,” where many patients will resort to searching for any hope, “wasting time and money because they are panicking.”

Instead of the panic-search, he suggests turning to credible sources for information, which include: The National Cancer Institute (cancer.gov) The American Cancer Society (cancer.org) The Mayo Clinic (mayoclinic.org) Once a patient has been diagnosed, Zhao feels there should be considerable evaluation regarding the patient’s wants versus treatments offered. The patient should weigh all options, including palliative care, which focuses on maintaining quality of life, and treatments immediately offered.

Most important, however, is sustaining the network of support, whether it’s family, friends, or the doctor.

“It’s important to stay mentally strong,” Zhao said. “It never gets easy.” ■ Peggy can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

FEBRUARY 18 – FEBRUARY 24, 2017

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

asianweekly northwest

13

Predictions and advice for the week of February 18–February 24, 2017

By Sun Lee Chang Rat — You want to reach out, but aren’t sure exactly how to go about it. Take your cue from the current situation.

Dragon — Your generosity is well known to others.

Be wary of those who would take advantage of this positive attribute.

Ox — As important as the goal itself is your ability to follow through. Don’t start, unless you intend to finish it.

Snake — Make the most of the time that you have.

Since you can’t fit in everything, be selective about what you choose to include.

Tiger — Although it isn’t quite what you had in mind, chances are that the new arrangement should work out better than expected.

Horse — An educated guess works for some things, but there are instances where you really should consult an expert.

Rabbit — While it may be tempting to share what you know early on, exercise discretion until you have a clearer picture of what is going on.

Goat — Does it seem like you are going backwards? Sometimes you have to take a few steps back to redirect and move forward in the right direction.

Monkey — Your strength could be another’s weakness and vice versa. Working together should allow you both to be stronger than going at it alone.

Rooster — There should be relief soon to a worry that you have been carrying. In the meantime, try your best to keep things in perspective.

Dog — Have you been looking for a missing part?

Although you may not find the exact piece, you will locate one that should suit just as well.

Pig — Avoid disagreements just for the sake of arguing, even if you are skilled at it. Save your energy for when it really counts.

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 Pig 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007

*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.

SPORTS from 9 Orleans head coach Sean Payton, among others.

Yee’s name first surfaced during the “Deflategate” investigation of the Patriots quarterback. Brady was punished by the NFL for deflating footballs intentionally to give him an advantage when throwing them. While the tactic may not have been a significant game changer, he was still punished by the league, which included a fourgame suspension at the beginning of this year. Yee spoke out about the suspension on behalf of his client.

On an ESPN podcast last year, he noted that during “Deflategate,” he received some comments from detractors “that had problems with his ethnicity.” Yee has been a part of sports since the mid-1970s. He noted that over the years, he had to be “mindful of his ethnicity” in the sports business. “Either you get somewhat desensitized, which is kind of sad, or you sort of develop a kind of thick skin. Which also is kind of sad,” Yee explained. “Over the years, you help expand people’s thinking.” He noted that being Asian has hurt recruitment of certain Asian players.

Yee stated that he believes that there may be a perception

by Asian parents that an authority figure should be white.

It has happened on a number of occasions.

Yee’s recruitment of Brady came during his senior year

TOFU from 4 Association of North America.

“Is it a dessert? Is it a snack?” she said. “It’s not that consumers would be opposed to it. It’s that they have ways that they’re (accustomed to) eating. And to have a sweet tofu, you’d have to explain to them how you would use it and when you would use it in a daily meal pattern.”

Grabbing a share of the highly competitive yogurt market would also be daunting, Chapman said — particularly when you’re up against the national ad campaigns of the industry’s giant players.

The national soy foods market was worth about $4.5 billion in 2013, Chapman said.

Of those sales, tofu accounted for just $30 million, though the bean curd and the overall soy foods markets continue to expand.

But the flavored tofu proposition does have some things going for it: consumers are increasingly looking to plant-based proteins, such as soy, to replace meats and dairy.

Data from the market research firm Spins show that plant-based foods — including plant-made versions of meat, tofu, milk, yogurt, cheese and cream — grew nearly 9 percent in 2015. That growth more than

of college at Michigan. He does not know the real reason why Brady chose him of all the agents that were clamoring to represent the quarterback, although he was very clear about Brady’s abilities and his future career.

In addition to serving as Brady’s agent, Yee is launching a football developmental league which will be geared toward 18- to 21-year-old players who skip college to play professionally. Currently, rules dictate that a player must be three years removed from high school to play in the National Football League. Players usually play college football and if they believe they are good enough, they can leave after their third year in college.

Yee has secured an investment group and looks to start the Pacific Pro Football league in the summer of 2018.

The league would pay its players. While he realizes it is a risky venture to start a summer football league of relative unknowns, Yee believes that the vision of creating this league could be a success. A league adviser estimates that the cost could be between $5 million and $7 million to cover the costs of each team for just one season, not to mention an administrative office to run the league.

Yee went to UCLA and is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law. He teaches law classes at USC and is a Visiting Professor of Law at the University of Virginia School of Law.

doubled the overall growth in food and beverage sales.

Plus, customers — particularly the young — always love a new food adventure.

“They’re willing to try anything,” Chapman said. “They’ll buy crickets and grasshoppers.”

Rees caught the entrepreneurial bug late in life. After working as an application systems engineer for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, he said he left his job in 2011 to pursue his inventions.

He licensed the use of his Bubble-Worm, a plastic tube that blows long, windy streams of bubbles, that he created in 2009. That product eventually made its way into consumer toy products, like Gaz-zuds, toy foam guns.

Already, his mind is wandering to his next projects: solar chargers for cell phones and laptops.

To pursue his other inventions, Rees hopes to license his flavored tofus to the owners of Iowa Food Manufacture, a tofu plant near Water Works Park in Des Moines.

He’s in talks with the Zhou family, which opened the small plant in 2015 after moving to Iowa from China. The factory sells soft and hard tofu to grocery stores through a Chicago distributor.

Stewart injures knee in Chinese League

Seattle Storm power forward Breanna Stewart suffered a sprained right knee, while playing for Shanghai in the Chinese basketball league. The injury won’t require surgery, although she flew back to the United States for rehabilitation and then returned for her team’s playoffs.

The 22-year-old had a busy 2016. Stewart was the first player chosen in last year’s Women’s National Basketball Association draft by the Storm. She had helped her alma mater, the University of Connecticut, to four straight national championships. In addition to helping the Storm make it back to the playoffs, Stewart won Rookie of the Year. She also earned a gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Brazil last August.

Stewart’s team finished second in the Chinese league and playoffs begin in early February. Stewart will have a couple weeks to rehabilitate her knee in the United States before she heads back to China for the playoffs. Hopefully, Stewart remains healthy for the Storm this summer when the season begins. ■ Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

“This is the blending of two cultures,” Rees said, “Chinese culture with American culture.”

Fei Zhou, the chief executive of the family tofu plant, already is producing some savory flavors of tofu, including sesame and barbecue. But he’s not yet convinced about the prospect of a line of sweet tofu.

“Eh, I don’t know,” he said, looking at a Styrofoam bowl full of jiggly red strawberry tofu. “Maybe it’s good for the American people.”

Though he’s just in the experimental phase, Rees is bullish on the future of his tofu: He envisions the company raising millions of dollars, going public and opening multiple manufacturing facilities across the region.

He will start seeking investors soon for his tofu line, which he plans to call LSAT, short for Legends Soy and Tofu.

“Everything starts at the beginning,” he said. “All these big companies — I don’t care how big they are — started small.”

His idea comes at an opportune time, said Linda Funk, executive director of The Soyfoods Council, an affiliate of the Iowa Soybean Association that seeks to bring soybased foods into the mainstream.

“The biggest thing for tofu is if you haven’t

grown up with it or it hasn’t been part of your diet, people sometimes wonder what to do with it,” Funk said. “So there’s an education component.”

For years, the industry has toyed around with the idea of rebranding tofu to lift its image, Funk said, adding that it’s an idea Rees may want to consider when labeling his product. She points to the popularity of edamame, the green immature soybean pods often served as appetizers in Asian restaurants.

“They don’t have a problem with it. They don’t even know it’s a soybean,” Funk said.

“So we’ve often thought about, `Do we need to call tofu something other than tofu?”’

She imagines sweet-flavored tofu finding its way into commercial juice or smoothie shops.

But Rees will have to get it right on the first shot. She points to the rollout years ago of fat-free cheese, which bombed because it confounded consumer expectations for taste and texture.

“One thing the soy foods industry has learned along the way is, when you put a product out there, it has to taste really good the first time,” she said. “You don’t get a second chance.” ■

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FEBRUARY 18 – FEBRUARY 24, 2017

METH from 5 opium, from which heroin is derived.

“This is not a normal case, and when we were informed that the monk was arrested, we were all shocked,” said Kyaw Mya Win, a township police officer.

35 YEARS

Asked about the case, the director general of the Religious Affairs Ministry, Soe Min Tun, acknowledged some surprise.

“It is not a very common case, but not impossible to happen.

What will happen to the monk is that he will have to give up his monkhood right away and face trial as an ordinary person,” he said.

KIM from 5 South Korea’s government has said North Korea also executed a vice premier for education in 2016 for unspecified anti-revolutionary and factional acts, and a defense minister in 2015 for complaining and sleeping during a meeting.

North Korea also has a history of dispatching spies to kill high-level defectors critical of its system.

In 1997, a nephew of one of Kim Jong Il’s former wives was killed outside a Seoul apartment 15 years after she defected to South Korea. Officials never caught the assailants but believe they were North Korean agents.

In 2010, South Korea arrested what it called a pair of North Korean spies ordered to kill Hwang Jang Yop, a high-level defector who once mentored Kim Jong Il. North Korea denied the allegation.

Mark Tokola, vice president at the Korea Economic Institute

Last year, Myanmar officials seized 21 million methamphetamine pills with a street value around $35.5 million near the border with China in the biggest such seizure in recent memory. ■

in Washington, said it would be surprising if Kim Jong Nam was not killed on the orders of his brother, given that North Korean agents have reportedly tried to assassinate Kim Jong Nam in the past.

“It seems probable that the motivation for the murder was a continuing sense of paranoia on the part of Kim Jong Un, which may be a well-placed paranoia,” Tokola wrote in a commentary on Feb. 14. Although there was scant evidence that Kim Jong Nam was plotting against the North Korean leader, he provided an alternative for North Koreans who would want to depose his brother.

Tokola, who served as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, said Kim Jong Nam has been fairly quiet in his exile, but was quoted in the Japanese media in 2010 as saying he opposed dynastic succession in North Korea.

About a year later in December 2011, his father died and Kim Jong Un took power. 

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 6.

Northwest Asian Weekly is always looking for Asian American community news. If you are the host or an attendee of an API fundraiser, e-mail us a big photo, event highlights, and the amount of money raised. We are also looking for news about APIs in new jobs and APIs getting public recognition and awards. Please send materials to info@nwasianweekly.com with “names in the news” as the subject line.

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YOUR VOICE

Can you prepare for Alzheimer’s?

1. What does retirement mean?

According to FreeDictionary.com, retirement means the withdrawal from one’s occupation or position, especially upon

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4. Don’t stop reading

A few years ago, my mom stopped reading her daily newspapers, even though she used to be an avid reader. She has completely lost interest in the outside world. As I wrote in my past blogs, connecting globally and locally through news is essential to stimulating our brain and develop interesting views and knowledge for issues. My mom lost her sense of empathy and caring a long time ago.

I didn’t realize that was the beginning of her Alzheimer’s. Without kindness and caring, we cannot experience beautiful emotions, such as gratitude, joy, fun, energy. and excitement.

5. Be careful with alcohol

If you are a moderate drinker, you need not be concerned. But if you are a heavy one, remember, alcohol does affect your brain. And stay away from drugs.

My mom quit drinking a few years ago after four decades. A newspaper article depicted how alcohol induces frequent urination at night. Since quitting, she doesn’t need to get up at night as much to go to the bathroom.

Quick facts from the Alzheimer’s Association

reaching a certain age; the age at which one withdraws from work or activity. The word “withdrawal” implies you do nothing.

It might relieve someone from a stressful job, and an opportunity to change their lifestyle. Retirement is not a synonym for laziness. It never stipulates someone should stop engaging in the community or seeking meaningful ventures. Some of my friends died just a few years into retirement — they were too bored, got sick, and found no motivation to live.

Retirement should mean adapting to the next stage of life or an exciting journey.

We should never, ever retire from life-long learning, giving back, exercising, and selfimprovement.

2. Have a purpose

Sadly, mom has no purpose or passion — she just sleeps, shops, and eats.

There’s an old Chinese saying, “The Foolish Old Man Removes the Mountains.” The lesson is about perseverance and willpower.

It inspires me that we need to have a purpose every day, even when we get old.

What motivates us to get up in the morning?

What gives us joy? Perhaps the hope of accomplishing something, the act of doing

CANCER from 1 how the community adapts to the U.S. system.”

The researchers found low screening rates as one of the main factors why colorectal cancer is mostly diagnosed in Korean Americans. Colon polyps and early colon cancer can have no symptoms, and can take a while to develop, which is why regular screening is important.

According to the current guideline from the U.S. Preventive Task Force, people should start screening at the age of 50 and continue until the age of 75, but Ko saw that this was not the case for Korean Americans.

The results indicated that nearly 65 percent of study participants from Seattle, aged 50-75, were seeking screenings outside the United States.

The group that travelled to South Korea for colorectal cancer screenings also had 9 percent greater odds of being up-to-date with the screenings, compared to those who did not engage in medical tourism.

Medical tourism risks

northwest

your pet, trimming plants, making a salad, or volunteering. I used to be like my mom — not interested in fixing things at home. Now, I like to repair little things.

BLOG from 10

I don’t want to know if the “monster” is in me. I refuse to have my brain scanned.

Assuming my body contains that terrible DNA, is there anything I can do?

Yes, I can.

I believe that environment wins over nature. I hate to admit that my mother has to take responsibility of her own predicament. I love her dearly, but I would not emulate her lifestyle one bit. That’s the reason I left my family for America, in search of meaningful role models, values, and a different lifestyle.

Don’t get me wrong. My mom is a decent person. But the mistakes she made have contributed to the development of her Alzheimer’s. Since I was a child, alcohol was my mother’s ally. The effects of liquor on the brain can result in a loss of neurons. Alcohol can also cause problems with memory and muscle coordination.

My stepfather influenced her to enjoy brandy as he was a hard drinker, too. Fortunately, I never enjoyed drinking, even though my step dad chided me frequently.

The word retirement has a negative connotation to me. At 73, my mother told me, “I quit aerobics classes. It’s time to retire.” I wish I knew then about the benefits of physical activity. I wish I had objected! She described exercise as a chore, and I was so ignorant then, and agreed that she deserved to “retire” from it.

Recent research has shown that exercise is the key to our wellbeing, no matter how old. I guess my mother might have experienced some back and foot pain at the time, and therefore, decided to stop exercising completely. We should never “retire” from exercising. It is one of the best devices to slow down aging.

Neurologist Dr. Laura Boyd said studies have found that stroke patients might fail to do all the physical activities taught by a therapist.

But even with the intent and attempts to do so, can change the brain.

My mom’s retirement from exercising probably weakened her feet, as well as her brain. We decided to hire a full-time maid for her. The maid would give her the wheelchair every time my mom complained about pain, instead of encouraging her to walk.

Examining my mom’s life and behavior, I learned six valuable lessons.

asianweekly

The study found that due to factors such as health insurance, place of usual care, language proficiency, the age at which screening begins, and household income, Korean Americans don’t get screened often enough in the United States.

Additionally, there are risks involved when patients don’t have a usual place of care, especially when it comes to a treatment that requires continuous care. Guidelines for screenings are not universal and can cause confusion and further delay in treatment.

“The patient who engages in medical tourism in anoth-

something constructive, participation of group activities, and the realization that we can still contribute to society.

3. Don’t let others spoil you

Getting older comes with a lot of privileges.

We all like to help and do things for seniors.

We often give excuses for them, allowing them in harmful indulgences such as overeating, drinking, and gambling. When I go out with mom in Hong Kong, she wants a taxi immediately, even though she is capable of walking to the subway terminal. I would never deny her because I didn’t want to her to think I was mean. My excuse is, she’s old and I respect her wishes. But wouldn’t it be good for her to walk a little?

When I get on a bus, people automatically offer me a seat. “No, thank you,” I tell them, it’s just a short ride. Standing up is good for me, as I sit down and work on a computer constantly.

It’s my goal to be independent as long as I can. My husband offers to drive me to places, but I still like to take the wheel. It gives you a sense of independence and satisfaction when you can do things for yourself and others.

It’s always nice to have some responsibilities at home. It could be walking your dog, feeding

er country may be following cancer screening guidelines from another country and not necessarily the guidelines from the U.S.,” said Linda Ko, assistant professor of health services at the UW and researcher at Fred Hutch Department of Cancer Prevention. Ko said that varying guidelines make it harder for patients and doctors to communicate, especially if patients are consulting more than one doctor .

“I kind of see how this data connects with my family,” Yoon said. “Finding different guidelines between here and Korea and how my parents and Korean immigrants who are my parents age, how they can find a mistrust or discomfort in the setting.”

Lack of confidence in U.S. medicine

“If they are not having this conversation with the medical provider in the U.S., there could be mistrust in the U.S. system,” Ko said. “Perhaps, they may even be thinking that they’re not getting the best care.”

Language is another factor that revolves around receiving the best care. Ko explains that being able to communicate with someone in your own language is a big benefit.

Cost savings

Out of the 193 patients surveyed, 104 were not insured.

Out of the 104, 43 went to South Korea at least once for a colorectal screening.

“In the U.S., it’s complicated, because the price fluctuates depending on the type of health insurance that the patient carries and whether there is a removal of polyps,” Ko said. “We found out that the cost of a colonoscopy in South Korea is approximately 2.3 percent of the cost in the U.S, which comes to approximately $130-$200.”

6. Eat healthy

My mom’s favorite food is deep-fried prawns. She loves the dish because she was born and raised in Japan. Tempura (deepfried) prawns taste good, but it’s unhealthy.

I asked her maid why she constantly fed my mom those greasy prawns. She said my mom would refuse to eat if she couldn’t find stuff she enjoyed.

Those bad fats are damaging not only to the brain, but your heart and arteries.

My mom’s examples taught me how not to live. I have always been grateful that she let me come to America to choose the life I envisioned.

I have created a fascinating life, and I have no regrets. What I have been able to accomplish in my career has far exceeded my expectations. Dealing with challenges like Alzheimer’s doesn’t really frighten me at all.

It actually helps me to thrive to be a better human being, and enjoy life fully.

Dear God, let me be The Old Foolish Woman who will continuously move mountains with conviction, commitment, and purpose. ■ Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

Even after including the travel cost with the cost of the screenings, patients enjoy huge savings by getting screenings in South Korea than in the United States, which is probably why they opt to go back to their home country.

By early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer, patients have a better chance at living longer.

The researchers have now started thinking about what is next for them based on all the data.

“We are curious about what people will do once they receive abnormal results,” Ko said. “Would they go back?

Because it’s very complex now. Screenings are going to be more frequent, what the results are of the additional tests, the interaction with the medical provider becomes more critical, so we’re curious about what people are choosing to do and how that impacts their care.” ■ Praphanit can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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35 YEARS