VOL 34 NO 10 | FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015

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VOL 34 NO 10

FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015

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A-POP! Notes on the Oscars » P. 8

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

No school!

Lunar New Year option to be a school holiday in NYC Community leaders celebrated a new law that will require the city to consider closing schools on Lunar New Year. The legislation was signed into law in December

by New York Governor Cuomo.

Schools in neighborhoods throughout New York City with high populations of Asian American students, such as Chinatown in Manhattan and Flushing in Queens, annually see large numbers of absences on Lunar New Year. At P.S. 124, on Division Street in Manhattan, school officials reported absentee rates of up to 60 percent last Lunar New Year holiday.

“Lunar New Year is a day of great celebration and a time for families to be together, especially here in our Chinatown community. With this new law, we urge the city to ensure that schools are allowed to close so that parents do not have to choose between celebrating their cultural heritage and their children’s learning time.

BOOM! See PICTORIAL on page 9 and BLOG on page 10 for more pictures

Celebrating in Bellevue Square

Students, who want to be diligent and have good records, should not have to be marked absent on such an important occasion,” said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

“This Lunar New Year, families across the city can celebrate their most important day of the year without worrying about their kids being marked absent from school - but we can’t depend on luck of the calendar,” Senator Daniel Squadron said. “Now that our bill to push Lunar New Year has become law, we look forward to working with the city so parents don’t have to make that choice in future years. I thank Speaker Silver, Assemblymembers Kim and Rozic, Congressmember Meng, Senators Golden and Stavisky, and Councilmember Chin for their work, and Governor Cuomo for this becoming law.”

“For many New Yorkers, the {see HOLIDAY cont’d on page 5}

Google celebrates Lunar New Year

Photo by Rebecca Ip/SCP

Photo by Nina Huang/NWAW

The Bellevue Collection Third Annual Lunar New Year Festival

Grand opening ceremony at the Bellevue Collection

Introduction to calligraphy at the Google office

By Laura Ohata Northwest Asian Weekly

By Jason Cruz Northwest Asian Weekly

Google employees, their family and friends celebrated Lunar New Year on Wednesday, February 18th at its Kirkland campus.

Employees took time from their busy days to join

Drums beat and cymbals crash. Lion dancers move in sinuous steps, leap and kick to a rapt audience. Last weekend, The Bellevue {see BELLEVUE cont’d on page 15}

in celebrating the Year of the Sheep. There were lots of young children dressed in customary Chinese dress, most in red signifying good fortune and joy, accompanied by their parents and/or grandparents.

Google employees provided the children with bags {see GOOGLE cont’d on page 15}

The Inside Story NAMES People in the news » P. 2

■

A&E FILM Fists & Fury » P. 7

BLOG Lunar New Year confessions » P. 10

EDITORIAL Angry Asians » P. 11

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

asianweekly northwest

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FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015

■ names in the news Fukui-Sketchley awarded

Colleen Fukui-Sketchley, diversity affairs director for Nordstrom, has been named the 2015 recipient of the University of Washington Charles E. Odegaard Award.

Established in 1973, the Odegaard award honors individuals whose leadership in the community exemplifies the former UW president’s work on behalf of diversity. It is the only University and community-selected award, and is regarded as the highest achievement in diversity at the UW.  Colleen Fukui-Sketchley

Doane running for Bar Association Board of Governors

Herrmann Scholbe representing victims

James Doane is running for the Washington State Bar Association Board of Governors position in District 7-S. Doane has been Corporate Counsel at Costco Wholesale for 10 years, following more than 20 years in private practice in Seattle, including 12 years as a James Doane partner at Preston Gates & Ellis (now K & L Gates), employment as an American Attorney at a Tokyo law firm, and a clerkship with the Washington State Court of Appeals. He attended Waseda University in Tokyo and Harvard College, and studied law at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Charles Herrmann of the Herrmann Scholbe law firm, with offices in Chinatown and Tacoma, is leading an international team of lawyers representing 33 Hispanic victims of the crash of TACA flight 390 that overshot the runway while attempting to land at Tegucigalpa, Charles Herrmann Honduras. Five survivor cases filed in the USA, the largest of which settled for $1,750,000.00. The remaining cases are currently being litigated in Honduras or in Costa Rica.

He has just recently been chosen by the widow and two daughters of Antonio Zambrano-Montes, the individual gunned down by police in Pasco, Washington on February 10, 2015 with the shooting completely recorded on several eyewitness videos. 

Hasegawa, lawmakers, commemorate the Day of Remembrance

Surprise visit on Lunar New Year day

Japanese community members pay honor Day of Remembrance

Legislators commemorated the anniversary of Executive Order 9066 in Olympia which was acknowledged on Feb. 23. The order was a wartime measure that sent 120,000 Japanese-Americans to concentration camps. A Senate Resolution honoring what is now called the Day of Remembrance, was offered by Sen. Bob Hasegawa, D-Beacon Hill.

“My whole family was sent to American concentration camps after Executive Order 9006

was signed by President Roosevelt,” Hasegawa said.

The Northwest had several camps and “assembly centers” where families were held before being moved, including a facility on what is now the Puyallup Fairgrounds.

Nearly a hundred members of the Japanese-American community from across Washington came to the Capitol in honor of the day, including survivors of the camps, Nisei World War II Veterans and Boy Scout Troop 252 who presented the colors prior to opening ceremony. 

Northwest Asian Weekly staff

The community and the Northwest Asian Weekly staff was treated to a return visit of Harvest and his companion police officer Mark Wubbena during the Lunar New Year festivities. Both the officer and the horse enjoyed the celebration (while also maintaining patrol). 

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ community news

FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015

3

Tradition, rituals, memories Elders in Seattle: “Chinese New Year is always a big deal”

By Nicole Francois Northwest Asian Weekly Nine layers in a Shanghai teacake; it takes a whole day just to make them.

Ellen Kam and Teresa Oh sit together with friends at The Lakeshore retirement community in south Seattle reveling in Lunar New Year delicacies and traditions of past and present.

Ms. Kam grew up in Shanghai, traveled the world as a flight attendant, and made Seattle home with her husband in the late 1960s.

“Chinese New Year happens everywhere,” says Kam. “In China, it feels more Buddhist; in Seattle, you see the Chinese Christian tradition.”

In her youth, Kam and her siblings participated in many traditions. Each year, they recovered chairs in the dining room with new silk covers. Kam has vivid memories of her mother’s elaborate culinary dishes that she describes as very fancy, with exotic names carrying meaning attached to her hopes for the year.

After the celebration, Kam and her sister would save their red envelopes for months, believing the longer they kept the money the luckier it would be for them. Today, she wraps packages for children and shares red envelopes with a new generation.

For Ms. Oh, who has always been politically involved, Chinese New Year meant the community would come together.

“My sister-in-law’s family used to own

Lion dance during the Lakeshore Retirement Community Lunar New Year festival

House of Hong,” she shares, almost as if it was a delightful family secret. “We would go with the kids to Chinatown, feast at House of Hong and watch the parade. It was so loud we had to cover our ears. This celebration has been happening for a long time.”

Ms. Oh remembers connecting with friends at the events, talking about how their children were doing in school, discussing how to change immigration policies and later university admissions regulations that were unfair to the Asian American community.

These days, Chinese New Year is more laid back for Ms. Oh and her contemporaries.

“We had a Lion Dance here, and I could see every single part of it up close,” says Hideko Tekawa with a twinkle in her eye and smile on her face. “I had seen it in the street parades before, but up close I saw the physical practice of the artists, watching them climb and move. It was just amazing how athletic and coordinated they are.”

“The new year is always a time of big family celebrations,” says resident, Ryomi Tanino. “Now that more of us are mixed race, we are seeing new traditions and I

enjoy it.”

The residents at The Lakeshore retirement community are about one-third Asian American. Most have lived in south Seattle for a long time.

“My whole family is diverse, my grandchildren and great grandchildren don’t know any other way,” says resident, Betty Frodsham. “We have always enjoyed that this neighborhood is such a lovely blend of cultures; we learn from each other here.”

In 2014, the staff at The Lakeshore was working to create learning programs for residents. They sent a survey asking the residents what they most desired to learn.

“Overwhelmingly, our residents told us that they are fascinated by the beauty and culture of Asian countries,” says The Lakeshore Executive Director Susanne Rossi. “We developed a four-part, year-long curriculum. First we studied China, next Japan, and then Korea. We ended the year learning about Southeast Asian cultures, histories and traditions. I think we could easily dedicate another year to learning about Asia.”

All the elders agree that a tradition for every year of life should be to stay interested in culture, and always carry a passion for learning. It will keep you young, and more importantly, they say, happy.  Nicole Francois can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

asianweekly northwest

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FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015

■ community news

Beyond McCleary

Education opportunity: Equal but Unequal? Legislators tackling student-achievement gap

By Alice Day WNPA Olympia News Bureau

Prohibit long-term suspension or expulsion of students as a form of discipline

Advocates for minority and low-income students are urging legislators to take a closer look at the state’s McCleary obligation to ensure that all students are given equal and ample opportunity to achieve in school.

One bill would require state agencies to assess the potential negative impacts of education policies on minority and low-income students, and another would require the state to take measures to closing the education opportunity gap.

“A lot of the discussion focused around education and McCleary is just about the money and how do we satisfy our constitutional and moral obligations,” said Sen. Pramila Jayapal, D-Seattle, a first-term state legislator and longtime civil rights activist. “Not enough discussion is around targeting the areas of vulnerability that we have within the system.”

Jayapal is the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 5718, which aims to measure, identify, evaluate and communicate the impact of proposed education policies on education equity.

The bill would require a range of state agencies—from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to the state Board for Community and Technical Colleges— to contribute to an annual report on education equity.

“Equity is the idea that you are ensuring the opportunity for all people, with a particular focus on those that are most likely left behind,” Jayapal said.

Increase educators’ cultural competency

Revisiting education funding

In its 2012 McCleary decision, the state Supreme Court ruled that Washington was not providing enough money for basic education as required by the state constitution.

Before the ruling, legislators in the 2009-2011 biennium passed two laws that restructured the K-12 funding formula

Governor Jay Inslee

Sen. Pramila Jayapal

and added programs to the definition of basic education.

At a minimum, the state must fund basic education as defined by those statutes, without relying on local levies or federal money. The state must foot the total bill for materials, supplies and operating costs; public transportation for students; reductions in classroom sizes in kindergarten through third grade; all-day kindergarten, and staff salaries and benefits.

A new education funding formula was created to allocate a ratio of services to school districts, depending on student enrollment. But according to the legislators behind this education-equity effort, McCleary is not just about funding.

“The constitutional rights of students are that every child is entitled to an equitable education,” said House Education Committee Chair Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, D-Seattle.

“While some people may just want to focus on the money side, I’m focusing, along with the members of the Educational Opportunity Gap and Oversight Committee, on the constitutional meaning of McCleary,” she said.

Santos is the prime sponsor of House Bill 1541, which implements the strategies recommended by the committee to close the educational opportunity gap. The bill would: The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction must collect and school districts must provide a breakdown of student data by race and ethnicity

■ community news

Nominate!: Bamboo Award for Health

Nominations now being accepted to recognize and honor strong advocates for International Community Health Services

Honoring Kip Tokuda

International Community Health Services (ICHS) and the ICHS Foundation are now accepting nominations for the 2015 Bamboo Award for Health, to recognize the outstanding work of people and organizations in supporting ICHS and its mission.

The nominations will be accepted until March 6. The award will be presented at the ICHS Bloom Gala on May 8. Awardees will be contacted by March 13.

The Bamboo Award for Health was established to recognize the exceptional work and achievement of people and organizations that support ICHS’s mission of providing culturally and linguistically appropriate health services to improve the health of Asian Pacific Islanders and the broader community.

These works and achievements may have resulted in: -- Increasing access to health services for ICHS patients, clients, or the local Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community and other

Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos

local underserved communities.

--Improving measurable health outcomes for ICHS patients, clients, or the local API community or other local underserved communities.

-- Increased resources that allow ICHS to serve or expand its patient and client populations.

Last year, the late Rep. Kip Tokuda was recipient of the 2014 Bamboo Award for Health. The former state legislator, who died in July 2013, was a prominent leader in Seattle’s API community and credited for mentoring several generations of civic and political leaders, including ICHS Foundation Director Ron Chew. Tokuda was also a longtime supporter and former board member of ICHS, and spent his career advocating for children and under-represented communities.

The award was presented to his family at last year’s gala. 

Require the development of a performance-based accountability system for funds and programs created as part of the state Transitional Bilingual Instructional Program, a support program for students whose first language is not English Create a pathway for certification of paraeducators who support special-education students, teachers and specialists in classrooms

Diversity and discipline

In order for educators to provide individualized teaching strategies for students, students must be more clearly tracked by ethnicity and race, Santos noted.

Asian students as a whole are seemingly doing well in school, but because there is little data on students of specific ethnicities, it’s difficult to tailor teaching strategies to ensure all students are succeeding in school, Santos stated.

House Bill 1541 would require school districts to gather more information on the racial and ethnic backgrounds of their students. The disaggregation of student race would extend beyond the federal reporting guidelines, which only separates ethnicity into six categories: white, African American/Black, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and Hispanic.

The bill would also narrow school districts’ ability to suspend students for misbehavior.

Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo, co-sponsor of the bill, said it’s important to clarify in which cases misbehavior should be met with mandatory discipline, and which cases are more discretionary. {see MCCLEARY cont’d on page 13}

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015

■ WORLD NEWS

5

Ferry sinks in central Bangladesh, killing at least 48

By Julhas Alam Associated Press

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A river ferry carrying up to 140 passengers capsized in central Bangladesh on Sunday after being hit by a cargo vessel, killing at least 48 people, officials said. A rescue operation was underway, but it was not clear how many people were missing.

The ferry was struck by the cargo vessel at the DaulatdiaPaturia crossing on the Padma River on Sunday afternoon, said fire department official Shahzadi Begum. Rescue teams were deployed and passing boats were helping in the operation, she said.

The site is 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Dhaka, the capital. Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, an impoverished South Asian nation that is crisscrossed by more than 130 rivers.

The ferry, the M.L. Mosta, was submerged at a depth of up to 6 meters (20 feet), said Inspector Zihad Mia, who is overseeing the rescue operation.

By Sunday evening, at least 48 bodies had been recovered, Mia said.

He said officials had yet to determine how many passengers were missing. Ferries in Bangladesh usually do not maintain formal passenger lists.

“We don’t have a clear picture about how many were exactly in the ferry when it sank,”Mia said. “But I think many have survived.’’

Jewel Mia, an official from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, told reporters at the scene that up to 140 people were on board when the ferry sank.

A passenger who survived said many people got trapped inside when the ferry sank. “The passengers who were on the deck have survived, but many who were inside got

trapped,”Hafizur Rahman Sheikh was quoted as saying by the Prothom Alo newspaper.

Sheikh said the cargo vessel hit the middle of the ferry.

Authorities ordered an investigation into the accident and a five-member committee has been asked to submit a report within 15 days, the Ministry of Shipping said in a statement.

The Padma is one of the largest rivers in Bangladesh, where overcrowding and poor safety standards are often blamed for ferry disasters.

Last August, a ferry with a capacity of 85 passengers was found to be carrying more than 200 when it capsized on the Padma near Dhaka, leaving more than 100 people dead or missing. The ferry’s owner was arrested after weeks in hiding on charges of culpable homicide, unauthorized operation and overloading.

At least five people were killed earlier this month when a ferry sank in southern Bangladesh. 

Tens of thousands of Myanmar ethnic refugees flee to China BEIJING (AP) - Tens of thousands of refugees from Myanmar’s ethnic region of Kokang have fled into the neighboring Chinese province of Yunnan over the past week amid fighting between militant rebels and government troops.

Citing government officials, the state-owned news site

Yunnan.cn reported Monday that there have been 30,000 border crossings by Myanmar nationals, and that Chinese authorities had offered them food and medical care.

Lin Sen, a volunteer helping refugees in Yunnan, said by phone Tuesday that he estimated 30,000 to 50,000

refugees had escaped the conflict region of Kokang over the past week.

Kokang is dominated by ethnic Han Chinese, and the

{HOLIDAY cont’d from page 1} Lunar New Year is an important holiday giving families time to celebrate together,” said Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez.

“On behalf of the thousands of Asian American families in my district, I extend my gratitude to Speaker Silver and Senator Squadron for their leadership on this, and to Governor Cuomo for recognizing the deeply rooted importance of the Lunar New Year holiday within our Asian American communities,” Council Member Margaret Chin said. “I am proud to have joined my State-level colleagues in strongly advocating for this legislation for many years, and I am so pleased to see it signed into

{see MYANMAR cont’d on page 14}

law. I look forward to working with the city’s Department of Education to make sure that our public schools are in fact closed on Lunar New Year from now on.”

Approximately one in six New York City public school students is Asian American.

Currently, students who celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday receive an “excused” absence, meaning they miss a full day of classes and have the absence marked on their record. This legislation would require that the city Department of Education (DOE) consider closing schools if a holiday is likely to result in “a considerable proportion” of students being absent. 

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The only weekly English-language newspaper serving Washington’s Asian community. The NW Asian Weekly has one simple goal: “To empower the Asian community.”

The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject any advertisement, letter or article.

Subscriptions cost $30 for 52 weeks of the NW Asian Weekly and $25 for 52 weeks of the Seattle Chinese Post. The NW Asian Weekly owns the copyright for all its content. All rights reserved. No part of this paper may be reprinted without permission.

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asianweekly northwest

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FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015

■ education

Head of the class

“Diversity makes a difference” scholarship nominees

Kathleen Chen

Michael Piszczek

Tim Lann

Jessica Vu

June Hui Won

Andrea Chen

Long Tran

Alex Doran

Lizbeth Gonzalez

Emily Okawara

Compiled by Peggy Chapman Northwest Asian Weekly Each year, the Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation offers scholarships for extraordinary students who contribute and play a part in promoting diversity in our community. Here is a sampling of a few of our many exceptional nominations: Kathleen Chen, Interlake High School “Kathleen is currently working with American Immigration Forums to share the voices of immigrants, educate in regard to immigration policy, and stress the importance of having a good immigration policy which represents the people in America. She also works with Families With Children From China, an organization that helps adopted Chinese children experience Chinese culture and meet other children like them.

Her role is to provide insight into Chinese culture through her own life experiences.”

Michal Piszczek, Kentwood High School “Michal and his family immigrated to America from Poland shortly before his birth. He hopes to be a future civil engineer in Washington State. His high school GPA is a 4.0.

His academic case load includes Calculus AB and BC and several AP classes. He was a Junior National Merit Scholar & AP Scholar. He is teaching himself guitar along with practicing three languages..

Michal participates in the music club at Kentwood and The National Honors Society where he cleans local parks and helps out at the food banks regularly.”

Tim Lann, Squalicum High School “Tim follows a grueling daily schedule that starts very early in the morning (anywhere from 3-5 a.m.). He uses this time to study, exercise, and to complete his homework. By the end of his senior year Tim will have taken 18 out of 23 Advanced Placement classes. His cumulative GPA is 4.0 and he ranks 1st

in a class of 302 seniors.

Tim hopes to study international business, economics and finance, or business management in college and wants to use his talents and abilities to benefit underrepresented individuals. He has a real heart of compassion for the world’s poor and desires to use his talents and abilities in the future to serve and care for the disenfranchised of society. Tim has completed several mission trips abroad and has formed his own non-profit.”

JessicaVu, Squalicum High School “Jessica chose to pursue the Running Start Program at Whatcom Community College in order to enhance her educational experience. She is a young woman with strengths in many areas. She is as well versed in science and math as she is in humanities. She is a subtle and moving force in class {see DIVERSITY cont’d on page 12}

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR THU 2/26

WHAT: Asian Pacific American Legislative Day WHERE: State Capitol, Olympia WHEN: 10:30 a.m.

INFO: apicwa@gmail. com, 206-695-7582

WHERE: House of Hong Restaurant, 409 8th Ave. S., Seattle WHEN: 6 p.m.

COST: $25/person, $250/ table of 10, $12.50/children under 12 INFO: sleewoo@yahoo. com

THRU 2/28

FRI 3/6

WHAT: Lunar New Year Celebration WHERE: Southcenter Mall WHEN: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

INFO: westfield.com/ Southcenter

WHAT: Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation’s annual dinner WHERE: Bates Technical College, 1101 S. Yakima Ave., Yakima WHEN: 5:30-9 p.m.

COST: $60/person TICKETS: tacomachinesepark. org/annual-crpf-dinnerauction

SUN 3/1 WHAT: “First Viewing,” a re-opening event welcoming the general public inside the gates for the first time WHERE: Seattle Japanese Garden, Seattle WHEN: 12 p.m.

COST: $4-$6 WHAT: Seattle Lee Family Association is celebrating the Year of Ram

WHAT: Children’s storytelling circle with Frank Chin, “Knowing Our Heroes – Fa Mulan and Guan Gong WHERE: Panama Hotel, 605 S. Main St., Seattle RSVP: emilya@tcg.org, 917-817-9772

FRI 3/6 THRU WED 3/11 WHAT: Meet and Tweet, “Conversations with Frank Chin” WHERE: Panama Hotel, 605 S. Main St., Seattle WHEN: 9-11 a.m., 1-5 p.m.

SAT 3/14 WHAT: A night at the market WHERE: Garfield Community Center, 2323 E. Cherry St., Seattle WHEN: 5-7 p.m.

INFO: marketshare. ticketleap.com/ anightatthemarket

EVERY WED WHAT: Seattle University School of Law Citizenship Project WHERE: Yesler Community Center Computer Lab, 917 E. Yesler Way, Seattle WHEN: 5–6:30 p.m.

COST: Free INFO: 206-386-1245

Our scrumptious fortune cookies can be customized with your own special message. Perfect for birthday parties, weddings, graduations, reunions or any occasion you want to make extra memorable.

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800 S. Weller St. Seattle, WA 98104 tsuechong.com | 206-623-0801 Mon-Fri: 9:30 a.m – 5:30 p.m.

Sat: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

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FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015

■ arts & entertainment

Fists & Fury Martial arts festival comes to the Cinerama

By Andrew Hamlin Northwest Asian Weekly The Seattle Cinerama Theater, owned and operated by Paul Allen, presents its first-ever martial arts film festival, “Fists & Fury,” from February 27 to March 5th, featuring, amongst other attractions, several films from Seattle legend Bruce Lee. Greg Wood, the Cinerama’s Director of Operations, took some questions over email.

love for the mixed martial arts genre and the Cinerama team spent many months accessing rare titles and partnering with organizations like the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, which is currently housing an

{see WOOD cont’d on page 13}

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NWAW: What about the Cinerama would surprise the average moviegoer the most?

Greg Wood: Although Cinerama has the most advanced new technology available, it also maintains state-of-theart equipment for showing movies in all formats, including classic 35mm, 70mm, and original 3-strip Cinerama films.

Many of the Fists & Fury movies will be digitally screened using Cinerama’s Christie 6P laser projector, which is the first to be installed in a commercial theater. Featuring a scalable laser light source and dual-head system design, the projector achieves the best resolution, color and brightness levels on the largest premium screens. Additional titles will be screened using Digital Cinema Package (DCP) technology, which is a rare, high-quality option for many of Fist & Fury’s vintage titles. Cinerama will also screen approximately eight 35mm film prints including the 2009 restorations of “Rashomon” and “The Seven Samurai” by legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.

NWAW: How did the idea for a martial arts festival come about? Who first proposed it?

Greg Wood: The Cinerama team is always thinking of new ways to engage the community through unique programming. Fists & Fury was born of Paul G. Allen’s

exhibition focused on the life of Bruce Lee, entitled “Do You Know Bruce?

NWAW: Can you give us an overview of the festival, focusing on the most crucial titles?

Greg Wood: Twenty mixed martial arts and samurai movies, including some rare titles, will be shown beginning Friday, February 27, to Thursday, March 5.

Fists & Fury’s programming includes an eclectic mix of films such as Bruce Lee’s “Enter the Dragon,” “The Chinese Connection,” “Way of the Dragon” and “Game of Death.”

Cinerama will screen approximately eight 35mm film prints including the 2009 restorations of “Rashomon” and “The Seven Samurai.” The festival will also screen more recent films like “Ip Man,” which was nominated for 12 Hong Kong Film Awards in 2008, and “Kung Fu Hustle.” Most of the titles will be shown in the language of origin with English subtitles.

NWAW: The obvious reference points are the Akira Kurosawa samurai classics, and the Bruce Lee films. How did the committee decide which of these to include?

Greg Wood: We knew we wanted to include Bruce Lee films, and the ones we selected were contingent on availability. “Enter The Dragon” has commonly played in the US, but finding the other Bruce Lee films was extremely difficult. Similarly, the Kurosawa titles were chosen based on popularity and availability. Some of the film prints were not in good condition, so that was another aspect to take into consideration. We’re very proud to be able to screen films that are more difficult to access.

NWAW: Which are the most obscure films in the series, and how were they chosen?

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asianweekly northwest

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FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015

■ arts & entertainment

Notes on the Oscars...

And more TV shows featuring Asian Americans

By Vivian Nguyen Northwest Asian Weekly Happy February! Between the Academy Awards to the launch of America’s first all-Asian starring cast on TV since the 90s, this month has been full of news and events.

Read on to find out the latest in Hollywood.

The 87th Academy Awards

This year’s Oscars host, actor Neil Patrick Harris welcomed the audience with the following line: “Tonight we celebrate Hollywood’s best and whitest, sorry… brightest.” It was a telling joke that alluded to how the

A-pop!

Academy Awards is consistently a white celebrity-studded affair. And this year was no different. The awards show, however, did have its Asian representation in small ways.

Disney animated film “Big Hero 6” won the category for Best Animated Film Feature. The movie follows the story of a young robotics genius named Hiro Hamada who forms a superhero team to fight a masked villain. “Big Hero 6” features the starring voices of Asian American teen actor Ryan Potter and actress Jamie Chung, best known for roles from the drama film “Sucker Punch” and “The Hangover” franchise. “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” from Japanese director and animator Isao Takahata and Japanese producer Yoshiaki Nishimura, was also nominated for the

same category.

Other relevant nominations from this year’s Oscars include: “Last Days in Vietnam,” a documentary that explores the final weeks of the Vietnam War, was nominated for Best Documentary Feature. Beijing-based director Hu Wei, along with French producer Julien Féret, had a short titled “Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak,” in contention for Best Live Action Short Film. Shot in Tibet, the 15-minute film explores the preservation of Tibetan heritage in midst of rapid globalization and modernization. {see A-POP! cont’d on page 12}

Judges

Winners and judges

TITLE SPONSOR GOLD SPONSORS

Sponsors

JUDGES

SILVER SPONSORS

COMMUNITY SPONSORS JUDY LUI Chair

MARY DORSEY Seattle City Light

KATHY HU Delta Airlines

ERIC MOK New York Life

Tsue Chong Noodles Co.

JIM DOANE Mike’s Noodle House

JIM DOANE

RON CHOW

Thank you, everyone, for a successful event!

Chinatown-International District Lunar New Year Celebration CHILDREN’S PARADE CONTEST on February 21, 2015

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ PICTORIAL

FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015

9

Everyone is a winner Costumes and crackers

record number of participants under the age of five.

Many of the parade-goers were well prepared in showing off their costumes. One contestant, in a sheep costume, crawled on the floor to emphasize she was a sheep.

Seahawks mascot Boom, who helped escort the opening of the parade and ceremony, was very popular. Many of the contestants wanted to hang on to Boom and kept a firm grip on the mascot rather than focusing on their costumes. 

Photos by George Liu and Derek Hu/NWAW

The Northwest Asian Weekly’s annual children costume contest was a huge success.

According to the Seattle Police Department, there were approximately 15,000 people in attendance for the Lunar New Year festivities. There were many diverse races of children in the contest, and for the first time, there were children of Indian descent participating. The variety of costume designs ranged from Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Mongolian, Manchu, and Indian. There was a

asianweekly northwest

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FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015

■ PUBLISHER'S BLOG

OPINION

Lunar New Year Confessions Photos by George Liu/NWAW

It’s already an interesting year

Boom with a fan

Getting ready for the parade

“What’s going on in the community?”

This is a question I often get, and well, it makes me uncomfortable.

People assume I know everything being a newspaper publisher. But I don’t.

I’ve learned that “I don’t know” is not an embarrassing response. I don’t feel insecure or have an ego issue that I am afraid to admit that I am dumb sometimes, and even make mistakes. Luckily, the internet often saves my day, and I will keep searching for answers for the questions I have. I respect Sheryl Sandberg, author of Lean In, in which she says, “Leaders should strive for authenticity and not perfection.”

Who is Boom?

“Blitz is not available for the (Lunar New Year kids’) parade this Saturday as he is already attending a different event,” responded a Seahawks staff email to my request for the Hawks’ mascot. “I could

have Boom attend the parade,” he suggested.

Who the heck is Boom?

Instead of showing my ignorance, I replied, “It will be great to have Boom. Yes, please help us get Boom.”

Then, I went online to learn more about Boom, Blitz’s sidekick. Okay, I confessed that I didn’t know about Boom and even Blitz’s name until recently. I just wanted the Hawks’ magic touch to add to the Northwest Asian Weekly 6th annual kids’ parade/ costume contest.

Kids just loved Boom at the parade, and wanted to hug, high-five and hold the mascot.

Oops, I didn’t clean!

“Did you clean your house for Lunar New Year?” asked a casual acquaintance on Lunar

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traditions with common sense is a better way to honor our heritage.

Costume contestants on stage (with Boom!)

New Year’s Eve, Wednesday.

“No, I didn’t,” I said.

“You didn’t?!” He sounded like I had committed a sin.

“My mother-in-law cleaned the house and worked so hard to prepare ( for the arrival of New Year’s luck.)”

“Shut your mouth, I am not your motherin-law,” I wanted to reply, But, I decided it’s not worth educating someone chauvinistic who thinks that a woman is responsible for doing it all, and that she should be responsible for cleaning her house.

Wednesday is Asian Weekly’s print day.

We had the biggest issue of the year. I had my priorities straight, paper first, house-cleaning third.

Does it mean I won’t have luck this year just because I didn’t clean my home? Following

Food is King

We gave out Chinese waffle crackers, children’s books, and lucky bags as prizes for finalists participating in the Asian Weekly’s kids’ parade and costume contest.

Nine of the participants chose crackers.

I wish I would have known the crackers would be so popular! They were eight times cheaper than the books. One family of five immediately opened the cracker packages and ate the sweets. They looked so satisfied.

Next year, I will be prepared with plenty of crackers.

I will work hard to find sponsors next year so we can afford to give every contestant a pack of waffle cookies. {see BLOG cont'd on page 15}

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ editorial

FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015

11

OPINION

Why the conflict?

Angry Little Girl vs. Angry Asian Man

Fisticuffs!

Two Asian American creatives have been duking it out. Phil Yu, blogger of Angry Asian Man, and Lela Lee, merchandiser and creator of the comic strip Angry Little Asian Girl have been in a dispute about trademark. Lee wrote a post that Yu and his online moniker infringes upon her registered ALAG trademark, and that the similarity between the two names will create confusion. The premise is that readers might mistake Angry Little Asian Girl and Angry Asian Man as related, created by the same person. Lee goes on to accuse Yu of having plagiarized much of Angry Asian Man from the Angry Little Asian Girl business model — she cites his Angry Reader of the Week feature and a t-shirt design — and of basically taking credit for the phrase and concept of the “Angry Asian”.

Phil Yu

Lela Lee

Yu responded on his blog. He disclosed in his post that not only has this dispute been ongoing for the better part of the last year, but that Lee has sent “cease and desist” letters to both himself and Wendy Xu, creator of the web-comic Angry Girl Comics, threatening both with additional legal

action. Xu has since also published her own side of the story, confirming that she has also been targeted by Lee’s lawyers.

Basically everyone is angry.

So who is in the right in this situation?

There is no clear answer, which is why it might now be a legal issue. But we would argue the larger issue is: Why is this such a conflict? This kind of dispute seems unnecessary and pointless and creates a rift in the Asian American community.

All Asian Americans, whether we are “angry” or not— we should not be fighting.

We should be united. 

■ COMMENTARY

Diversity: Branching out

By Warisha Soomro Tesla STEM High School

Warisha Soomro

I hail from a region where an individual’s world is centered on the people they associate with daily and the screen that keeps them in constant contact. There is a bubble that surrounds the tech city, distancing its inhabitants from the rest of the word while the advancements led by these same people keeps the world moving forward. I find it

peculiar to think about, and while I try to distance myself from this generalization of the world I come from, I should note that that this is my world as well, but only to an extent.

My world branches out past the FOX News stories discriminating people like me – associating my headscarf with the tragedy involving the “Je Suis Charlie” case and my Pakistani background with the terrible aftermath of the events surrounding Osama bin Laden – that too many people wrongly

follow. My world branches out past the social media sites filled with the unvarying “selfie” and “outfit of the day” posts made to impress and succeed the previous user in terms of the number of “likes.” My world is more than just the TV shows that Netflix allows its customers to bingewatch for hours on end.

I believe my world branches out from this {see SOOMRO cont’d on page 14}

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FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015

{DIVERSITY cont’d from page 6} and our community.

This phenomenal young woman is one of the most generous, kind-hearted, considerate, compassionate, diligent, humble and insightful human beings with whom I have had the pleasure and honor of interacting. I can mention her sensitive, thoughtful, and powerful writing skill, her generosity of spirit and mind in class and clubs, her irreplaceable contributions to Squalicum High School community service initiatives as well as other service organizations.”

June Hui Won, Shorewood High School “With an energetic, enthusiastic and positive demeanor, June gets along easily with peers and adults. He’s also someone who can be counted on for calm leadership. One example is his experience leading a 120-member band; his teacher commented that he rose to the occasion with unusual maturity.

His University of Washington teacher described him as ‘one of those students that make a class tick. He is kind, compassionate, and dedicated to his learning. He is well liked by his peers and is usually the first person they turn to when a student friendly explanation is required. He has a great sense of humor and is simply fun to be around.’”

Andrea Chen, Roosevelt High School “Andrea has been an athlete, a competitor in business skills events, a college student and a student activist. She has been an ambassador for the Burmese community in Seattle by sharing Burmese culture with younger Burmese kids. She has shared Burmese culture with the broader community through food festivals and cultural events.

Andrea knows how to negotiate the dominant culture, but she also knows that her history and perspective are unique and

{A-POP! cont’d from page 8}

“Fresh Off The Boat” Continues to Make Headlines

We’ve previously talked a good deal about the ABC sitcom “Fresh Off The Boat,” which premiered earlier this month to great fanfare. Based off an autobiography of the same name from celebrity chef and television personality Eddie Huang, the show stars actors Randall Park, Constance Wu, and Hudson Yang.

Though the show has received fairly positive feedback from critics and fans alike, the show’s social media team was recently under fire for a tweet featuring a controversial infographic. In an effort to promote the show, the said infographic was posted from the show’s official Twitter account that included the following tweet: “The world is full of different hats. Watch the 2 Episode Premiere of #FreshOffTheBoat Wednesday!”

worthy of sharing. She has the skills and confidence to make sure that her voice is heard, and she has the sensitivity to know when everyone at the table hasn’t had their say.”

Long Tran, Renton High School “Long stands out as a leader in the school community, and as an individual who actively pursues excellence in his hobbies and personal interests, as well as school activities.

He participates in Renton High School’s track and field and cross country teams, and is an important contributor to the school’s award-winning newspaper, the Arrow. Long has pursued his interest in film, photography, and acting by taking related courses at school, participating in plays, web series, and music videos, and enrolling in professional programs. He has experience in film editing, shooting, sound, writing, and visual effects, and he has won various film-related awards.

Many of his classmates have demonstrated their appreciation for his photography skills by entrusting him to take their senior class portraits. Long’s commitment to pursuing so many facets of film and photography proves his dedication to the field, as well as his personal drive and focus.”

Alex Doran, Interlake High School “ ‘Comprehensively composed’ are the words that best represent Alex as his level of composure is consistent academically, socially and in leadership.

As a DECA Chapter leader, Alex has fronted many training programs and specializes in helping students prepare written projects. His presentation skills are beyond his years as he offers an ease that is void of self-importance and is welcoming to chapter members. I rely on Alex to communicate business competencies in an easy-to-understand and student-friendly manner. He always delivers; the students are motivated and have individual meetings with him as needed. He coaches other chapter members and platforms their success and

The accompanying promotional ad showed illustrated ethnic people in stereotypical hats, such as a turban, cowboy hat, and a sombrero. Not sure why ABC’s social marketing team, or perhaps the agency they hired, thought this would be a strategic move for promotion. Such a misguided marketing tactic.

Upcoming Shows Featuring Asian Americans

“Fresh Off The Boat” isn’t the only show with Asian Americans to make waves on television recently.

Over on Disney Junior, a cable channel from Disney aimed at kids 10 and under, a new animated series titled “Miles From Tomorrowland” recently debuted. Featuring an Asian American family —that is, leading characters of Asian and half-Asian descent — the animated space adventure series follows in the footsteps of “Big Hero 6” by using science and technology as major driving themes for their characters and plotlines.

ultimately their confidence.”

Lizbeth Gonzalez, Squalicum High School “As a sophomore, Lizbeth became the youngest president of Squalicum’s MEChA, a Latino club. During her tenure as president, she organized fun Friday events. These events not only brought high school students together from various schools but also provided positive Friday night options for many teens.

During her junior year, she chose to join Squalicum’s soccer team. Her bold move ended a long tradition of our team being predominately white. In fact, she inspired other Latinas to tryout, resulting in the most diverse team our school has ever had. It gave students of various backgrounds the opportunity to not only connect, but to dissolve many of the barriers that kept them out. 19 girls of color followed her lead and joined our wrestling program this year giving us the largest girl’s wresting team in school history. She is currently campaigning to change the College Bound Scholarship eligibility. Lizbeth believes it is unfair for undocumented students, particularly if they have received Deferred Action status, to be ineligible for this statewide scholarship. She has meet with local academics and state representatives to discuss this matter and is looking forward to presenting in Olympia.”

Emily Okawara, Kentridge High School “Emily helped start the Japanese Club at Kentridge High School. She is half Japanese. She has challenged herself with honors and AP courses and maintains a 4.0 average over the past three years. Her social studies teacher ranks her in the top four percent in areas such as initiative, leadership, and abilities to manage setbacks.”  Peggy Chapman can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly. com.

Not only does “Miles From Tomorrowland” introduce and promote diversity to young viewers — a concept that was unfathomable when I was growing up — the show’s executive team hopes to encourage a whole generation to become interested in the fields of science, math, engineering and technology.

Serious props have to be given to Disney here. Between their recent critical and commercial success with “Big Hero 6,” the landmark launch of the all-Asian scripted comedy “Fresh Off The Boat” on ABC (also a Disney-owned company), and “Miles From Tomorrowland,” it’s clear that the entertainment conglomerate is committed to diversity in their programming. Good job, Disney. 

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

KING COUNTY INVITATION TO BID Project: Maleng Regional Justice Center Boiler Replacement, C00954C15 Sealed Bid Time/Date Due: 1:30 p.m., March 17, 2015 Sealed Bid Location: King County Procurement & Contract Services Section, Contracts Counter, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 Engineer’s Estimate Range: $900,000 – 1,000,000.

Scope of Work: At the Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC), the scope of work includes, but is not limited to, the demolition of the two (2) existing 24 million BTU/hour boilers, installation of four (4) new six (6) million BTU/hour boilers, related piping modifications, new boiler pumps, electrical modifications and Siemens controls. The work may include modifications to the building envelope under the direction of a Contractor-provided Structural Engineer, as required to remove and install boilers. Work site: 401 6th Avenue N., Kent, WA. Contact Information: Mark Hoge, Contract Specialist, 206-263-9325, TTY Relay: 711, Fax: 206-296-7675, or mark.hoge@kingcounty.gov. A bidder may be asked to put a question in writing.

No verbal answers by any County personnel or its agents and consultants will be binding on the County.

MANDATORY (for prime bidders) Pre-Bid Conference & Site Tour: 401 6th Avenue N., Kent, WA.

10:00 a.m., March 3, 2015, or 1:00 p.m., March 5, 2015.

Meet at the SW corner of MRJC: From W. Smith St. (approx. 30’ east of railroad tracks) turn north into driveway and proceed to the security gate.

Assume there will be no parking inside the security gate. Parking is available at (1) MRJC parking garage, (2) Showare Center, (3) Metro Park-nRide approx. 200 yards west of the security gate, (4) area between railroad and W. Smith St. is not recommended.

Site tours will be conducted immediately following the conference. It is particularly recommended that Structural Engineers, Electricians and boiler manufacturers attend. Hardhats and safety boots are recommended for site tour. FAILURE TO ATTEND AT LEAST ONE OF THE MANDATORY MEETINGS AND SITE TOUR WILL RESULT IN A NON-RESPONSIVE BID DETERMINATION. A sign-in/sign-out sheet will provide evidence of attendance. It is bidders’ responsibility to sign in and out.

Subcontracting Opportunities: Structural Engineer, Professional Engineer, Lead Abatement, Boiler and site demolition (pipes, valves, fittings); Boilers and related equipment; Electrical; Mechanical installations; Patch and repair; Concrete pads.

Apprenticeship Requirements: No minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement.

SCS Utilization Requirements. 3% minimum

requirement for King County Certified Small Contractors and Suppliers (SCS).

Bid Guaranty: Not less than five percent (5%) of the Total Bid Price.

Bid Documents Electronic copies of the plans, specifications, reference documents, and any addenda for this solicitation are available on the King County Procurement website shown below. Printed documents may also be ordered by contacting United Reprographics at 206-3821177. Copies of documents are not available for purchase from King County, but are available for review 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., M. thru F. at the Contracts Counter: Chinook Bldg. 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104.

To receive email notifications of addenda or other important information concerning this solicitation, you must register to be a planholder under the “Solicitations” tab at the following internet link: Website: http://www.kingcounty.gov/ procurement/solicitations This information is available in alternate formats for individuals with disabilities upon advance request by calling 206-263-9400, TTY Relay: 711.

Notes: Bids received after Sealed Bid Time/Date Due will not be considered. Bidders accept all risks of late delivery, regardless of fault. King County is not responsible for any costs incurred in response to this Invitation to Bid.

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ astrology

FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015

13

For the week of February 28–March 6, 2015

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat — You are not always the fastest one out of the gate, but there is no stopping you once you have your eyes set on the prize.

Dragon — Are you trying to impress yourself or someone else? Depending on your answer, this could be an expensive proposition.

Monkey — Your interest has been piqued in a way that is unfamiliar to you. Gaining more information should be enough to satisfy your curiosity.

Ox — Don’t let a small lapse derail your progress.

You have worked hard to get where you are, so brush yourself off and keep going.

Snake — Having a hard time understanding what your partner wants? It is worth taking the time to figure it out?

Rooster — Direction won’t always be available when you want it. There may come a time when you will have to figure it out on your own.

Tiger — There is a good reason for your hesitation.

Steer clear of those who would take advantage of you for their own gain.

Horse — Do you find yourself just going through the motions? If you can’t find any pleasure or meaning in it, then it is likely it is time to move on.

Dog — Do you feel as though you have just scratched the surface before having to stop? Go back and finish what you have started.

Rabbit — Someone has crossed a line with you.

Give them a second chance, but only if they appear sincere in their effort to make it right.

Goat — Before you throw away a chance, stop to think about what you are really tossing away. It could be much more than the thing itself.

Pig — An unexpected windfall puts you in a much better position. Your options have been expanded, but making choices will still be difficult.

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 Rooster 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005 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.

{MCCLEARY cont’d from page 4} Ortiz-Self says many districts consider students’ “failure to comply” as a discretionary discipline issue, and violations can range anywhere from failure to bring a pencil to class to cursing at the teacher.

“Our kids of color are being disciplined at least twice as much as the majority of white students, and for twice as long,” Ortiz-Self said.

Cultural competency, certification and accountability

Teachers in Washington State are neither uniformly informed about students who are English Language Learners (ELL), or trained to meet their needs, Ortiz-Self cited.

“Our students with the biggest needs are sometimes taught by paraeducators who are not even fully certified,” she said. “We know that the kids with the biggest needs need the most qualified teachers, not the least qualified.”

She maintains that all teachers need training in how to educate students whose native language is not English.

HB 1541 would create a route for paraeducators to become certified instructors and provide cultural-competency training for all teachers.

In the 2013-2014 school year, 102,281 students statewide

were enrolled in the Transitional Bilingual Instructional Program focused on students whose first language is not English and students who qualify for the services based on a language-proficiency exam.

Many students of color are enrolled in the Transitional Bilingual Instructional Program to help them develop English-language skills sufficient to meet the state’s graduation criteria.

However, the program is implemented inconsistently across the state: from dual-language to total immersion to a pull-out approach in which students are taught in a separate classroom, Ortiz-Self stated. As a result, she concluded, there is no uniform measurement of the program’s effectiveness.

This bill establishes an English Language Learners Accountability Task Force that would design a performance-based accountability system in order to address the inconsistencies, and evaluate best practices for the bilingual instruction program.

The Seattle Public School District has the largest number of ELL students. In May 2014, transitional bilingual students made up 11.6 percent of total district enrollment (6,001 students out of 51,918).

Targeted solutions for equal opportunity

Tony Lee, co-chair of the King County Asian Pacific

Islander Coalition and senior fellow at an anti-poverty and social service organization called Solid Ground, said just putting money into the school system, whether it’s through more state funding or local levies, won’t fix the education opportunity gap.

“You talk to any educator of color, they don’t believe that,” Lee said. A substantial portion of McCleary funding must be targeted for programs and services that low-income and kids of color need, he stated.

“These programs are part of basic education if we are ever to fulfill the mandate that every kid needs to be given an opportunity to succeed regardless of race, ethnicity, or income,” Lee said.

HB 1541 was introduced in 2013, but failed to pass because of concerns over the cost of implementing all the recommendations of the committee, particularly those related to discipline.

However, Santos believes this year will be different.

She maintains that if the Legislature is serious about ensuring every student achieves academic success, then it must fully fund basic education and fully implement the recommendations of the educational opportunity gap committee.

“If what we’re funding is the same broken policies and practices, that’s not going to repair the education opportunity gap,” Santos said. 

Thank you for recycling this newspaper! {WOOD cont’d from page 17} Greg Wood: By far, the most obscure—and difficult to find—titles were the Bruce Lee movies out of Hong Kong. Many of the rights holders were hard to track down.

NWAW: Which films are your personal favorites, and why?

Greg Wood: I’m a huge fan of “Kung Fu Hustle.” It’s a fantastic movie and it represents the genre so well, while still being a bit more modern. I’d also be remiss not to mention the Bruce Lee films because of course, he’s a legend!

NWAW: Any plans to do more series like this in the future?

Greg Wood: This is our first run at a festival like this, but we’re very excited for it and have received great feedback from the community.

We’re not sure what the future will hold yet, but we know it will definitely include more original programming.

For a full schedule of the “Fists & Fury” festival, visit http://www.cinerama.com.

Andrew Hamlin can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

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FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015

{SOOMRO cont’d from page 11} mindset because of the perspective I have gained. I credit those perspectives to the diversity I have encountered throughout my life.

I have been lucky for the opportunities to speak with refugees from Burma, befriend Somalian refugees during Friday nights at the Bellevue musjid, and explore Seattle with exchange students from Iraq

and Mexico as part of the Global Youth Leadership Initiative. Every experience allowed me to learn something new, see the world a little differently, and prompted me to act differently.

This marked the beginning of Tesla STEM High School’s Multicultural Club.

While aimed at embracing the different cultural backgrounds present at our school, the overarching goal was to promote global awareness at a school focused on science,

{MYANMAR cont’d from page 5} region has been embroiled in fights since conflicts between the militant rebels led by Phone Kya Shin and government troops intensified on Feb. 9.

The rebel group’s general secretary, Htun Myat Lin, told The Associated Press by phone on Tuesday that the group is seeking autonomy for Kokang and its ethnic Han Chinese people.

technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Partnering with the school’s leadership committee, Global Awareness Week was established as a school tradition to bring current issues to light and discussing them further. While themes range from “Human Trafficking Tuesday” and “Water Rights Wednesday,” I can proudly say the event has worked out better each year – allowing myself and my peers to gain understanding of the world and the people in it. Emerging

“We want to have a high degree of autonomy where we can manage our own affairs, but we do not wish to split the country of Myanmar,” Htun said.

Htun complained that the ethnic Han Chinese have been second-class citizens in Myanmar. “Our ethnicity must have dignity,” he said.

Myanmar only recently emerged from a half-century of military rule. Since assuming power in 2011, the government of President Thein Sein has been trying to strike peace

from the bubble we seem to put ourselves in, embracing diversity has allowed for deeper thinking and concern for others.

The new perspective has allowed for stimulating discussion and the ability to get to know people in a way other than before and that most definitely makes a difference in the way we as humans think, act, and respond. 

agreements with rebels in resource-rich border regions.

Though preliminary pacts have been reached with most of the ethnic groups, clashes occasionally occur with Kachin, Shan and others. In addition to control over jade, timber and other natural resources in areas under their control, they want assurances that they will have some say over future troop movements. 

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FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015

{GOOGLE cont’d from page 1}

Collection celebrated the Year of the Ram with its third annual Lunar New Year festival.

The event started with a performance by the South Puget Sound Chinese Language School Lion Dance Troop. Other demonstrations included tai chi, traditional Chinese music, wushu (or kung fu), mask dancing, peacock dancing, Chinese opera, among many others.

“Lunar New Year is becoming a regular annual tradition in Bellevue Square,” says Taidi Fang, a director of the Seattle Chinese Culture and Arts Association, who helped coordinate the event. “Most of the performers are professional, so we are happy to involve them.” The Bellevue Collection also partnered with the Overseas Community Affairs Council Republic of China (Taiwan), and the Taiwan Benevolent Association of America, along with help from the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle.

“We really wanted to engage the community, and connect, and understand all the different nationalities that celebrate,” says Jennifer Leavitt Vice President of Marketing for the Bellevue Collection.

“After all, the Lunar New Year is not only celebrated in China, but in Viet Nam and other Asian countries as well. “It’s been a great experience for us…”

Leavitt adds, “It is fun to watch people walk through Center Court, and they don’t know what is going on, and they sit down and stop and watch. Center Court is the perfect place for that… That is the fun part of my job.”

While Leavitt enjoys all of the entertainers she does say that a few stand out. “One of my favorites is always the lion dance,” says Leavitt. “I love how surprised people are when they see it, especially the kids’ faces… when the [lion’s] eyelashes open and close.

It’s so colorful and dynamic.” Another of her favorites is the Chinese calligraphy demonstration, “Lettering it is such an art to watch; the timelessness of it, the intricacy of it compared to typing it into the computer,” says Leavitt. “I love the history and the soul that goes into it compared to the way we communicate now with texting.”

This year the Bellevue Collection expanded the celebration by hanging dragon kites and red lanterns throughout the mall.

Many stores also decorated their windows in

of goodies for the New Year celebration.

Chinese candies were available that all that wanted to partake.

It was the second straight year that the Kirkland campus for Google put on a Lunar New Year Celebration. One of the co-organizers for the event, Ken Lin, indicated that the event generated a lot of interest. “People want to celebrate culture,” said Lin. It was a bigger event than the previous converted conference room adorned in decorations for the festive occasion was the site for the program which included a variety of traditional acts as well as new entertainment. The emcees for the event gave introductions year. There were at least 30 Google employees that helped organize the event. A in Chinese and then repeated what they said in English.

The program included 15 performances

by Google employees, friends or people invited to come and perform. There was an entertaining magic act, a comedy duo, children dancing, singers and guest Jing Wang played an ancient Chinese instrument, the guzheng. The instrument is similar to a zither which has 18-21 strings and bridges that is strum to make music.

For those that could not watch the performances from the conference room, it was streamed live in the Google cafeteria.

There were additional activities for the children including coloring, calligraphy, handcrafts, a ring toss and a blindfold game.

Governor Jay Inslee also sent along a message to Google employees acknowledging the celebration. “It is with great joy that I wish you all a Happy New Year,” read the statement by the emcees during the program, “Diversity is one of

{BLOG cont'd from page 10}

Have a Fat Chinese New Year?

I didn’t know what it meant when someone wished me a Fat Year last week.

Does it mean I should gain more weight?

Does it mean I don’t have enough fat to cook my meals?

Actually, it means “earn a lot of money, buy a lot of foods for celebrating Chinese New Year, and wishing family members are healthy and happy to enjoy the holiday.” I wouldn’t mind that at all.

With 40 pages and 44 pages for two consecutive issues of the Seattle Chinese Post and three issues of the Asian Weekly with 20 pages in February, it looks like we have a fat beginning.

But the print business is going through a very challenging time. We have to work very hard to achieve a fat year. Unfortunately, three of my staff were sick last week, one after another. Several of us swallowed quite a bit of vitamin C to fight the flu. I got sick Sunday after deadline, when everything was done. Luckily my body understood how important deadlines are. I just told myself during busy days, “I cannot fall until the work is done.”

What a price we have to pay to make sure we can print!

Greed was dominant

The Lunar New Year Festival brought out at least 10,000 people to visit the Chinatown/ International District. While I was happy to

Photo by Laura Ohata/NWAW

{BELLEVUE cont’d from page 1}

Dancers at the Bellevue Collection

honor of the occasion.

In addition to the stage show, The Bellevue Collection hosted interactive arts and crafts tables upstairs. Adults and children alike made lanterns, tied decorative silk knots, and learned to paint Chinese calligraphy. “This is a nonverbal way of saying, ‘Welcome to this culture,’ and it is an easy way to learn about it,” says Julie Hamasaki. “We also have display boards up that explain the Lunar New Year.”

While the Lunar New Year is a public celebration, many Asian families practice related traditions at home. When asked if she follows any of the Asian Lunar New Year traditions, Leavitt laughs, “I wish I could start the New Year with a clean home, but I have two teenage boys and that doesn’t happen. I definitely took away that idea that your year is how you start it. You want to start with a clean slate, and your best clothes and a feeling of being successful. But, I always feel like I’m running, so I did not pass the clean house test. But, I like that way of starting consciously. I like that you start the first day off the way you want your new year to go.”  Laura Ohata can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com. see so many people who wanted to be part of the festivities, I was not thrilled to see so many people who showed up due to greed.

People lined up for free goodies from McDonald’s, free fans from Delta Airlines, New York Life’s lanterns and the many more freebies.

Many were fighting, pushing, and getting more than their share like a swarm of bees sucking on their newfound honey. Knowing that there were coupons inside the Seattle Chinese Post, they kept coming to wait for our free issues. We hand out free copies of the Seattle Chinese Post every year during the festival. Every hour, people kept asking, “When will you distribute?”

C’mon, it’s only 50 cents a copy. You get a lot more in the Seattle Chinese Post than just a coupon.

BRAVO award for CID-BIA

The layout of the Lunar New Year Festival was refreshing. The stage was placed in front of the Bush Hotel at Hing Hay Park, enabling the whole audience to see the show. The kids’ pavilion was outside the park, on King Street, whereas it was inside the park in the past. That’s the way it should be.

The Chinatown/International District Business Improvement Area only has two full-time and a few part-time members. Yet, it was able to achieve so much by organizing several events during the year. The success of the CID-BIA is due to its innovation with the strong leadership of Don Blakeney and Mary Do. 

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Photo by Nina Huang/NWAW

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Fun and games at the Google office

the state’s greatest strengths.” Governor Inslee added, “I wish you health, peace and prosperity.”

Qi Ke, a Google employee in its Cloud division explained about the traditions of Lunar New Year. The holiday is used for families to get together and is an especially fun time for the children. “There are big celebrations with lots of food and candies,” Ke added, “It’s a chance to indulge.”

Ke explained that children receive red envelopes which usually contain money. The celebration of the New Year traditionally covers 15 days of celebration.

Lin indicated that the company celebrates other ethnic holidays such as the Hindu Festival of Lights known as Diwali.

Google, with its headquarters in Mountain View, California, established a Kirkland campus in 2009. It also has offices in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood and Bothell.  Jason Cruz can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

asianweekly northwest

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FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 6, 2015