PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 746 Seattle, WA
VOL 37 NO 14
MARCH 31 – APRIL 6, 2018
FREE
36 YEARS YOUR VOICE
Chinatown’s new beat cop
Federal Way’s first Vietnamese councilmember answers the call to serve
By Becky Chan NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Councilmembers Jesse Johnson, Lydia Assefa-Dawson, Hoang Tran, Deputy Mayor Susan Honda, Councilmembers Dini Duclos, Martin Moore & Mark Koppang
By Joshua Holland NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Photo by Becky Chan
see LIM on 13
Photo from City of Federal Way website
As promised, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) delivered, in Officer Young Jun Lim. Lim is one of three additional officers assigned to the redrawn boundaries of the West Precinct, which now includes Little Saigon. In her January announcement of the expanded precinct, Chief of Police Carmen Best indicated one of the new officers would be Asian American. Born in Portland, Ore., of immigrant parents from South Korea, Lim grew up in Vancouver, Wash. His parents emigrated from South Korea separately — his father at 16 and mother at 25 — and met as adults in Portland. Lim’s grandparents, originally from Busan, ran a mini-mart in downtown Portland, where his father helped out while a teenager. Officer Young Jun Lim
Often framed perfectly in history books, defining moments in action look unassuming as they unfold. This was the scene when Hoang V. Tran decided, after 27 years of
working at the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services helping people obtain basic food, medical, and childcare, he wanted to do a little more. Or in Tran’s case, a lot more. He decided see TRAN on 16
Man arrested in Prohibition-era murals found at former Seattle hotel suspicious packages sent to military sites By SADIE GURMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photos provided by Tanya Woo
signed and contained black powder along with rambling, nonWASHINGTON (AP) — sensical notes similar Authorities near Seattle to those the man has have arrested a man susbeen known to send in pected of sending suspithe past, according to cious packages to multiple a U.S. official who was military installations in Thanh Cong Phan (Yolo not authorized to disthe Washington, D.C., re- County Sheriff’s Office) cuss an ongoing invesgion, the FBI said, warntigation and did so on ing that he may have mailed other condition of anonymity. “destructive devices’’ that have not The FBI identified the man as yet been found. The packages were similarly desee PHAN on 11 Tanya Woo on the Louisa Hotel staircase where old murals line the walls.
By NICOLE BRODEUR THE SEATTLE TIMES SEATTLE (AP) — Tanya Woo used to cry when she started down the basement stairs of the building on King Street, and when you look up, you see why: On a now-faded sign painted on the wall above is a wooden arm that looks to be hanging in midair. Years later, Woo is happy to linger on those stairs, working to preserve not only the old sign
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that reads “Club Royale,’’ but a series of Jazz Era murals that line the stairway and cover the walls of the room below. “We’re learning as we go,’’ Woo said the other morning as we stood on the basement stairway of the building. The building was once the Hudson Hotel and then the Louisa, where Chinese, Japanese and Filipino immigrants would stay before being shipped off to Alaska to work in fish canneries.
Now, the Woo family is turning the building into 84 new apartments for those making between $45,000 and $75,000 a year, and restoring 10 retail spaces on the street level. The family has owned the 1910 building since 1963, when Woo’s father, Paul, paid $160,000 for it. That hasn’t always been easy. In 1983, the building was the site of the Wah Mee Massacre,
◄ HING HAY PARK » see 7 PACIFIC RIM ► » see 8
◄ ON THE SHELF » see 9 BLOG ► » see 10
see MURALS on 16
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36 YEARS
MARCH 31 – APRIL 6, 2018
■ NAMES IN THE NEWS
Marci Nakano handing out cash to students to buy food.
restaurant, the Northwest Asian Weekly, and the site of the Wah Mee massacre. She also primer on the Wing Luke Museum. One of the highlights of their tour was a potluck dinner at Nagomi Tea House. Each participant was given money to purchase a dish from an ID restaurant, and they had to describe why they chose that dish. The dinner included barbecued duck, pork, sushi, stir fry shrimp, and chicken.
Takami Nieda at Kinokuniya
On March 24, Takami Nieda held a talk and signed copies of Kazuki Kaneshiro’s book, GO, at Seattle’s Kinokuniya store. Nieda has translated and edited more than 20 works of fiction and nonfiction from Japanese to English. She got a grant to translate GO — a love story that confronts ethnicity and discrimination in Japanese Takami Nieda society. The book won the prestigious literary Naoki Prize, and the film adaptation won every major award in Japan. Nieda teaches writing and literature at Seattle Central College.
From left: Dad Bryan Tran, Brianna Tran, and Seahawk former football player Jordan Babineaux
Club’s March 14 luncheon. He talked about good habits and discipline. It was all part of the Rotary’s celebration of 44 students in the Seattle Public Schools who have overcome extreme adversity with the help of the Winners For Life (WFL) program. WFL is a foundation that offers scholarships to atrisk youth. The Rotary also awarded a gift bag full of goodies to the students, which included Starbucks gift cards and gas cards.
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre Seattle visit
Tomio Moriguchi and EDI students
More than 20 students from the Executive Development Institute (EDI) enjoyed a tour of the International District (ID) last week. The professionals from various companies wanted to be connected to the community and learn about community history. Tomio Moriguchi gave them a tour of Nikkei Manor and Uwajimaya, while Assunta Ng took them to Tai Tung
Former Seahawk at Seattle Rotary Club
Former Seattle Seahawk and NFL commentator Jordan Babineaux was the keynote speaker at the Seattle Rotary
Photo by George Liu
Photo by John Liu
Photo by Assunta Ng
EDI ID tour
Photo by Assunta Ng
University of Washington (UW) Bothell Professor Scott Kurashige has been elected president of the American Studies Association (ASA). Kurashige will serve as president-elect for a year starting July 1, followed by one year as president beginning July 1, 2019. The election is a recognition of UW Bothell’s growing reputation, especially Professor Scott Kurashige its commitment to diversity, interdisciplinary education, and socially engaged scholarship, Kurashige said. Kurashige is faculty in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, and a published author. A national association based in Washington, D.C., the ASA promotes interdisciplinary research on U.S. culture and history. It supports scholars committed to original research, critical thinking, and public dialogue.
Photo by Assunta Ng
Kurashige is president of ASA
Taiwan’s Cloud Gate Dance Theatre’s tour of Seattle on March 22–24 was the company’s last with its founder and choreographer Lin Hwai-min, who will retire in 2019. The company performed “Formosa” at Meany Hall — a composition that used large typographic calligraphy words to create visual landscapes for the dancers to interact with. They reflect names of mountains, rivers, and villages of Taiwan. Formosa is the historic name of the island of Taiwan.
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YOUR VOICE
MARCH 31 – APRIL 6, 2018
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■ COMMUNITY NEWS WA’s COFA Islanders win healthcare coverage By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill to expand healthcare coverage for Pacific Islanders, and improving equity for Washingtonians on March 22. The Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs called it “a historic day for Marshallese, Chuukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Kosraean, and Palauan communities across Washington.” Citizens from those areas, subject to a U.S.
diplomatic act known as the Compact of Free Association (COFA), are allowed to live and work in the United States and join the U.S. military. They also pay taxes, yet they have severely limited access to Medicaid. Now, they will have access to affordable healthcare. Many COFA Islanders suffer from chronic health conditions due to U.S. use of the COFA Islands as a nuclear test site in the mid-1990s. Staff can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
Gov. Inslee signed SB 5683 alongside community members and legislators.
Disclosure vs transparency By Carolyn Bick NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Lawmakers are contending that their recent decision to speedily pass a bill that many see as working to shield them from public records disclosure, was made with transparency in mind. The bill was officially introduced to the Washington State House on Feb. 22, in response to a lawsuit filed in September 2017 by a media coalition led by The Associated Press. In its suit, the coalition challenged the state legislature’s assertion that its state officials are not subject to public records disclosure, in the same way other elected officials and state agencies are. In a January ruling, a Washington state judge sided with the media, saying the legislature was acting in direct violation of the law. The bill passed through the House and Senate in 48 hours, with no public discussion. The speed with which the bill passed and the lack of public involvement received backlash from both the media and the public alike, who saw the move as anything but transparent. Citing this backlash, Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed it, but said he would consider a similar bill in the future. As written, the bill would have made some records public, but keep those already in existence private. It also would have prevented appealing a decision on a public records request, and included an “emergency” clause that would have made it effective immediately, if it had been signed into law. While she said she doesn’t understand why the bill itself is “such a contentious issue,” Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos said she can see how its swift passage through the House and Senate could have given the public the wrong impression. She said the legislature acting with such haste “was indicative of the urgency with which we … felt, and led to believe that we had to deal with
this issue.” She said that the legislature was “running on two decades’ worth” of Attorneys General opinions, and that they had been told the personnel records the media contingent was suing to obtain were not public. She said the decision to push through the bill was based on the desire to make documents public. “In order to do so, we should set up the right system, so we can process those disclosure requests efficiently and effectively. And, I’ll tell you, the idea that we have 147 separate state agencies is not efficient, nor effective, and would cost the public a great deal of money,” Santos said, referring to the number of state agencies the judge’s January order effectively created for each lawmaker in Washington state. She also said her and her colleagues’ signatures on what she called a “mea culpa” letter to Gov. Inslee should show that she and others were uncomfortable with the lack of normal process on the bill. Rep. Mia Gregerson also felt the process to be too speedy, but defended the language in the bill. She said the bill wasn’t the end of the road; rather, it was a “first step forward,” and that many legislators supported the bill as a gesture of good faith. “We wanted to open it up, without accidentally hurting constituents,” Gregerson said, referring to lawmakers’ assertion that fully open public records could lead to constituents’ correspondences with lawmakers becoming public. Lynne Baab, a Santos constituent, was concerned about how quickly lawmakers pushed through the bill, more than she was with the content of the bill — but only because“I had no time to think about the content.” see DISCLOSURE on 13
Learn more about FREE, HIGH-QUALITY, PUBLIC SCHOOL OPTIONS at the WA Charters Conference April 27-28
A day of remembrance
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
On April 4, 1958, 50 years ago to the day, our nation’s greatest peacemaker was brutally taken from us by a sniper’s bullet. On Wednesday, April 4th, from 6–8:30 p.m., at Mount Zion Baptist Church, located at 1634 19th Avenue (Rev. Dr. S McKinney Ave.) the MLK Commemoration Committee, with Honorary Chair Rev. Dr. Samuel B. McKinney, will be presenting “A Day of Remembrance” for Rev. Dr. Honorary Chair Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Samuel B. One of the featured Rev. McKinney speakers at the commemoration is Chandler Williams, who just returned from the Youth March in Washington, D.C. Chandler also sings and is a junior at Garfield High School, where Rev. Dr. King spoke on his only visit to Seattle in November 1961. It is the MLK Commemoration Committee's desire not to simply reflect on that tragic event that occurred 50 years ago, but to connect history with contemporary issues and with greater youth involvement. The sub-themes for the commemoration will be economic equity, ducation, justice, police accountability, and nonviolence. At 6 p.m., there will be a reception featuring a variety of ethnic dishes, and at 7 p.m., the program, consisting of uplifting music, the spoken word, and a diverse group of community speakers, begins. For additional information, call (206) 778-6357.
PROMOTE YOUR REGIONAL EVENT STATEWIDE WITH A $325 CLASSIFIED LISTING OR $1,575 FOR A DISPLAY AD. CALL THIS NEWSPAPER
VISIT www.conference.wacharters.org/2018/ or call 206.832.8505 for details
OR 360-344-2938 FOR DETAILS.
asianweekly northwest
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MARCH 31 – APRIL 6, 2018
36 YEARS
■ NATIONAL NEWS
US Senate confirms Robert K. Hur as Maryland US attorney BALTIMORE (AP) — The U.S. Senate has unanimously confirmed Robert K. Hur as Maryland’s U.S. attorney, succeeding Rod Rosenstein, who left the post to become deputy attorney general. Hur, a former assistant U.S. attorney in Maryland, was supported by Republicans and Democrats when he was nominated by President Donald Trump in November. Hur is 45, an Asian American with degrees from Harvard and
Stanford universities who clerked for Chief Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist and handled financial and regulatory offenses during his seven years as a federal prosecutor in Maryland. The Baltimore Sun reports Hur’s approval moved through the Senate quickly after Senate Republicans stopped delaying his confirmation over unrelated questions about the Department of Justice’s probe of the 2016 presidential election.
Robert K. Hur
Poll: Americans open Muslim engineer sues to Trump’s planned after Kansas flap over North Korea talks Malaysian flag By MATTHEW PENNINGTON and EMILY SWANSON ASSOCIATED PRESS WA S H I N G T O N (AP) — Americans appear open to President Donald Trump’s surprise decision to negotiate directly with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and at the Kim Jong Un same time are less concerned than in recent months by the threat posed by the pariah nation’s nuclear weapons. That’s according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, taken after Trump agreed to what would be unprecedented meeting between a U.S. and a North Korean leader. North Korea has yet to publicly confirm plans for the summit, slated for May, but the poll results suggest its potential has eased fears of war that intensified last year as the North made rapid strides in its nuclear and missile capabilities. “If you sit down and talk over any matter, there can be a resolution to it without starting a war,’’ said Sarah Dobbs, a 64-year-old retiree from Norman, Oklahoma, who described herself as a Democrat and is among the 48 percent of Americans who favor Trump’s plan to talk with Kim. “No other president has ever done something this bold. That’s why I think: Why not let Trump have at it?’’ she said. The poll found that 29 percent oppose the plans for talks between the two nations,
while 21 percent say they’re neither in favor nor opposed. The survey also found an uptick in approval of Trump’s handling of relations with North Korea as the focus has shifted from possible U.S. military action to diplomacy. That figure is now 42 percent, up from 34 percent last October amid a coarse back and forth between the two leaders. Last September, Trump dubbed Kim “Rocket Man’’ and threatened to “totally destroy’’ North Korea. Kim responded with threats and insults of his own, calling Trump “deranged’’ and a “dotard.’’ North Korea’s foreign minister suggested that it might conduct an atmospheric nuclear test in the Pacific — a threat it hasn’t followed through on. Since then, the proportion of Americans who say they’re very or extremely concerned about the nuclear threat North Korea poses to the U.S. has dropped to 50 percent from 67 percent. It’s a decline that registered with both Republicans and Democrats. Americans also see the threat as having lessened for U.S. allies Japan and South Korea, as well as U.S. overseas territories such as Guam. Trump agreed to talk after Kim conveyed through South Korean intermediaries an offer to discuss “denuclearization’’ and halt nuclear and missile tests. South Korea’s leader is due to have his own summit with Kim in April. Americans are divided over the potential goals of U.S. discussions with North Korea. Forty-four percent say the North must completely give up its nukes, the see NORTH KOREA on 14
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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WICHITA, Kan. — A Muslim aerospace engineer has sued the Spirit Boeing Employees Association for religious discrimination stemming from a party at a lake in Wichita. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit last week on behalf of Munir Zanial, a Malaysian national of Indian ancestry. The association declined to comment. Zanial rented the group’s lake last year to host a party to celebrate Malaysian Independence Day. The lawsuit alleges the association reported him out of fear he used the lake to hold an Islamic State meeting.
It alleged an American flag that had been “desecrated by ISIS symbols.” But the flag was actually a Malaysian flag and the guests included people of Malaysian Indian ancestry, some wearing hijabs. Spirit filed a complaint with the FBI, and the association terminated his rental benefits.
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asianweekly northwest
YOUR VOICE
MARCH 31 – APRIL 6, 2018
■ WORLD NEWS
5
MeToo takes off in South Korea, but justice harder to attain By YOUKYUNG LEE ASSOCIATED PRESS SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The (hash)MeToo movement has taken off with surprising rapidity in South Korea, toppling male celebrities and a prominent politician in a country where men have long brushed off sexual misconduct allegations and continued with their careers. How far will it go? South Korea largely remains a deeply conservative and patriarchal society rampant with sexism both casual and overt. It has the largest gender pay gap among developed countries and ranks 118th out of 144 nations in the World Economic Forum’s global gender gap index, the lowest among the G-20 members. While human rights and other progressive movements have slowly picked up pace in recent years and peaceful
#MeToo protests in 2016-2017 ousted the president, it wasn’t until women here started saying (hash)MeToo that many realized women had been overlooked. “There are high expectations that the MeToo movement is bringing changes to South Korean society,’’ said Kim Bo-hwa, a researcher at Woolim, a research center under the nonprofit Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center. “But whether speaking out would continue depends on how society, the judiciary and the government respond.’’ Day by day, the list of South Korean women who speak out is growing, and so is the list of men who have stepped
down from positions of power. The fallen include prominent Gov. Ahn Hee-jung, a former presidential contender whose secretary accused him of rape. The works of poet Ko Un, seen as South Korea’s Nobel Prize hopeful, will be erased from textbooks after accusations of lewd acts in public and sexually harassing younger poets. Kim Ki-duk, a Golden Lion winner at the Venice Film Festival, may not be able to release his new movie as anger mounts after actresses spoke out about alleged and attempted rapes. Like elsewhere, the movement is not without backlash. Some have questioned the victims for not doing more to stop attempted rapes and called the movement “man-hate’’ or a witch hunt. In a society that values conformity over individuality, the victims have been accused of hurting see #METOO on 15
Malaysia looks to punish fake news with 10 years in jail
By EILEEN NG ASSOCIATED PRESS
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s government proposed new legislation on March 26, to outlaw fake news and punish offenders with a 10-year jail sentence, a move slammed by critics as a bid to crack down on dissent ahead of a general election. Prime Minister Najib Razak has been dogged by a multibillion-dollar corruption scandal involving an indebted state fund, and rights activists fear the new law could be used to criminalize news reports and critical opinions on government misconduct. A general election must be held by August but is widely expected in the next few weeks. The anti-fake news bill, which must be approved by parliament, calls for penalizing those who create, offer, circulate, print or publish fake news or publications containing fake news with a 10-year jail term, a fine of up to $128,000 or both. The bill defines fake news as “any news, information, data and reports which is, or are, wholly or partly false
whether in the form of features, visuals or audio recordings or in any other form capable of suggesting words or ideas.’’ It covers all mediums and extends to even foreigners outside Malaysia as long as Malaysia or its citizens are affected. “This is an attack on the press and an attempt to instill fear among the (people)’’ before the general election, opposition lawmaker Ong Kian Ming tweeted. Government officials have said the law is needed to protect public harmony and national security. They have accused the opposition coalition of using fake news as a key weapon to win votes and warned that any news on the indebted 1MDB state fund that had not been verified by the government is fake. The U.S. and several other countries are investigating allegations of cross-border embezzlement and money laundering at 1MDB, which was set up and previously led by Najib to promote economic development, but which accumulated billions in debt. The U.S. Justice Department says at least $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB by associates of Najib, and it is working to seize $1.7 billion taken from the fund to buy assets in the U.S., potentially its largest asset seizure ever.
KING COUNTY NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received for C01233C18, TOLT PIPELINE PROTECTION - WINKELMAN REVETMENT RECONSTRUCTION; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 1:30 PM on April 12, 2018. Late bids will not be accepted. Brief Scope: The work of this contract is for Revetment reconstruction including riprap installation; engineered log structures; bank and tributary regrading; new culvert; erosion control; and site restoration. Estimated contract price: $6,000,000 Pre-Bid / Site Tour: April 4, 2018, 1:30pm, King County Duvall Library 15508 Main St NE, Duvall, WA 98019. A site tour will be conducted immediately following the conference. Hardhats and safety boots are recommended for site tour. There is a 10% minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement on this contract. There is a 10% minimum requirement for King County Certified Small Contractors and Suppliers (SCS) on this contract. Complete Invitation to Bid Documents, including all project details, specifications, and contact information are available on our web page at: https://procurement.kingcounty.gov/procurement_ovr/default.aspx
Najib, who denies any wrongdoing, has fired critics in his government and muzzled the media since the corruption scandal erupted three years ago. Critics say the anti-fake news bill will add to a range of repressive laws — including a sedition law, a press and publications act, an official secrets act and a security act — that have been used against critics, violated freedom of expression and undermined media freedom. A coalition of human rights and civic groups also has expressed concern that the government is rushing through the legislation, without consulting key stakeholders and releasing details in advance for public scrutiny. “Malaysia has a long and troubling track record of using its legal books to silence dissent,’’ James Gomez, Amnesty International’s director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said in a statement. “It is no coincidence that this law has been tabled with general elections just around the corner. We are already seeing how the government is closing the space for public debate ahead of the polls.’’ Other Southeast Asian countries, including Singapore and the Philippines, have also proposed laws to clamp down on fake news.
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MARCH 31 – APRIL 6, 2018
■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR MAR 29
GSCCC REAL ESTATE SEMINAR SERIES #18 Bellevue City Hall Room 1E-108 450 110th Ave. N.E., Bellevue 7 p.m. $10/non-members goo.gl/knEj4z THROUGH 31
MARGARET CHO “30 ROCK” Parlor Bellevue Lincoln Square 700 Bellevue Way N.E. Ste. 300, Bellevue 7:30 p.m. & 10 p.m. $32-$37
30 VFA’S FABULOUS 40TH BIRTHDAY WithinSodo 2916 Utah Ave. S., Seattle 7 p.m. biddingforgood.com/vfa THROUGH APRIL 1
SAKURA-CON 2018 Washington State Convention Center, Seattle sakuracon.org
31 15TH ANNIVERSARY TOMODACHI GALA Hyatt Lake Washington Renton 5 p.m.
A CELEBRATION HONORING LEADERS IN HIGHER EDUCATION Wing Luke Museum 719 S. King St., Seattle 5 p.m. NOW THROUGH MARCH 31
YEAR OF THE DOG COLORING CONTEST Kids 12 years old and younger Grand prize of $800 gift certificate to the Bellevue Collection Wing Luke Museum 719 S. King St., Seattle Get drawing at wingluke. org/coloring-contest
APRIL 1
IVY LEAGUE DREAM King County Library 10 a.m.
2 ENCHANTING CHINA Benaroya Hall, Seattle 8 p.m. seattlesymphony.org
4 A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE Mount Zion Baptist Church 1634 19th Ave., Seattle 6 p.m. 206-778-6357
Seattle Public Library 1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle 12 p.m. Registration at 206-684-0849 CHINESE FOR BEGINNERS, LEVEL 3 Seattle Public Library 1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle 1:30 p.m. Registration at 206-684-0849
7 ART EVENT EXPLORING THE CAMBODIAN AMERICAN IDENTITY, “THE ART OF SURVIVAL” Seattle City Hall 600 Fourth Ave., Seattle 1 p.m. 206-214-5986 THROUGH APRIL 13
NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE AND SEATTLE CENTER PRESENT, “OUR BIG NEIGHBORHOOD MOVIN’ AROUND THE WORLD” Seattle Center 11 a.m.
36 YEARS
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2018 SPRING LU’AU — PACIFIC ISLAND FOOD, DANCE, AND MUSIC Wheelock Student Center, N. 15th St. and N. Alder St. 5 p.m. tickets.pugetsound.edu
ASIA TALKS: THE SOCIAL LIFE OF INKSTONES, WITH DOROTHY KO Seattle Art Museum 7 p.m.
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2018 INTERIM CDA GALA, “BUILDING COMMUNITY POWER TOGETHER” Bell Harbor Conference Center 2211 Alaskan Way, Seattle 5:30 p.m. interimicda.org
INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FRIENDSHIP FESTIVAL Seattle Center 305 Harrison St., Seattle 11 a.m. icffseattle.org
2018 THRIVE LEADERSHIP AWARDS WITH KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND HONOREES DR. K. ULLAS KARANTH AND DR. KRITHI K. KARANTH Four Seasons Hotel 99 Union St., Seattle 6 p.m. thrive.rsvp@zoo.org 206-548-2422
21-22 TASVEER’S SOUTH ASIAN INTERNATIONAL DOCUFEST Seattle University tasveer.org
ANNUAL SUKIYAKI DINNER Japanese Baptist Church 160 Broadway, Seattle Take-out at 12 p.m. Dine-in at 4 p.m. Program at 6:30 p.m. $15/adult, $10/children jbcseattle.org
29 ETHNIC HERITAGE COUNCIL ANNUAL MEETING Leif Erikson Hall, Ballard 4 p.m. ethnicheritagecouncil. org
13 KAREN KOREMATSU, “THE JAPANESE AMERICAN INCARCERATION: CIVIL LIBERTIES AND UPHOLDING THE RULE OF LAW, THEN AND NOW” Seattle University Pigott Auditorium 8:30 a.m. bit.ly/KorematsuEvent
NOW THROUGH APRIL 4
CHINESE FOR BEGINNERS, LEVEL 1
View the solution on page 14
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The only weekly English-language newspaper serving Washington’s Asian community. The NW Asian Weekly has one simple goal: “To empower the Asian community.” The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject any advertisement, letter or article. Subscriptions cost $40 for 52 weeks of the NW Asian Weekly and $30 for 52 weeks of the Seattle Chinese Post. The NW Asian Weekly owns the copyright for all its content. All rights reserved. No part of this paper may be reprinted without permission. 412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104 • t. 206.223.5559 info@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com
asianweekly northwest
YOUR VOICE
MARCH 31 – APRIL 6, 2018
HING HAY PARK’S GRAND OPENING
PHOTOS BY GEORGE LIU, ASSUNTA NG, AND JOHN LIU
SEATTLE CHINESE COMMUNITY GIRLS DRILL TEAM
RIBBON CUTTING
Community leader Tuck Eng
Sonny Nguyen, Chinatown/ID Public Safety Coordinator – Event Emcee
Amanda Hohlfeld, Mayor Senior External Affairs Liaison and Alan Lai, Interpreter
From Left: Karen O’Connor, Victoria Schoenburg, Michael Shiosaki, and Kim Baldwin from Seattle Parks and Recreation
SEATTLE CHINESE COMMUNITY GIRLS DRILL TEAM
Boy playing with park equipment
LION DANCE
Children playing Jenga COFFEE FOR ATTENDEES
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36 YEARS
MARCH 31 – APRIL 6, 2018
■ AT THE MOVIES
“Pacific Rim Uprising” A darker side to giant monsters and robots
By Andrew Hamlin NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Guillermo del Toro’s “Pacific Rim,” from 2013, was the director’s love letter to two long-running Japanese traditions: “Kaiju Eiga,” stories featuring giant monsters, and “Mecha,” stories featuring giant robots piloted by human operators. Del Toro had the robots fight the monsters, with the fate of humanity at stake, naturally, and he brought in a derivative but fun special-effects-heavy romp. Five years later, first-time director Steven S. DeKnight brings us the second film in the franchise, and a story simultaneously stiffer and darker than the first one. The film introduces to the world post-kaiju apocalypse, and finds that world rebuilding pretty well, except for certain outlying seacoast and island areas (a reminder, albeit an accidental one, Puerto Rico’s devastation after Hurricane Maria). We meet John Boyega as Jake Pentecost, son of the first movie’s hero. Unlike his father, however, the younger Pentecost prefers all-day, all-night parties, featuring drugs, drinking, loud music, and plenty of pretty women. Many parties take place in the areas laid waste by the original kaiju attacks, allowing the humans to symbolically, at least, take those areas back. Some people, Jake muses to himself, live better in a world that’s broken. That’s the closest he can come to a philosophy. But soon enough, he meets Amara Namani (Cailee Spaeny), and both his luck and his attitudes take unscheduled twisting detours. Spaeny, as the new character Amara, proves to be
the fulcrum on which the rest of the action pivots. She’s angry, prickly, and she’s isolated herself from the positivity of the dominant world culture, and the party-hearty attitude of Boyega’s crowd. She’s brilliant enough to build her own mecha out of her spare parts, but when Jake takes her to the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps to begin training, she has trouble fitting in. She’ll go through a dynamic, though predictable, cycle of challenge, ruin, and redemption. Rinko Kikuchi returns from the first film as John Boyega’s adoptive sister, Mako Mori. The actor and the character get an adult makeover for this new plot:, although not so much fist-busting action, but more responsibilities and sacrifices, which Kikuchi makes believable through simplicity. The Chinese actress Jing Tian also impresses, as a tech wizard, who gets to speak in subtitled Mandarin much of the time. (Many Hollywood films stick with English, even when two or more characters who don’t speak English as their first language, get together.) DeKnight, who also co-wrote the new film’s script with T.S. Nowlin, Kira Snyder, and Emily Carmichael, fares well enough in the action sequences, robots and monsters ripping up skyscrapers like spoiled kids determined on smashing their own toys. He doesn’t have quite so much facility with the flesh-and-blood proceedings. Boyega (who also co-produced) seems poised and charismatic, and his fine sense of timing facilitates his character’s dry wit. But too many of the other characters merely shuffle around, a small bundle of tics and clichés each, the too-busy camera eager to slide past someone and latch on to someone or something else. We don’t sense see PACIFIC RIM on 14
■ PROFILE
Shining a light on more roles in Hollywood for Asians
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Alex Tsway putting up a Kill Bill inspired poster.
By Nina Huang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY When photographer Alex Tsway, 26, watched the Oscars last year, Chris Rock’s joke about the three little Asian kids left a bad taste in his mouth. “People were angry and ranting online. I felt the same way, but didn’t want to spread that message around. I thought about how to promote a more powerful and empowering message for Asians,”
Tsway said. He had an idea to photograph Asian women as the subjects in Hollywood movie posters, replacing the original actresses that portrayed the fictional characters. He started his photography project by focusing on women first. “It would’ve been more powerful to find female characters who carry the movie. That way, we can focus on promoting the see TSWAY on 15
asianweekly northwest
YOUR VOICE
MARCH 31 – APRIL 6, 2018
9
■ ON THE SHELF When things don’t go as planned... Book recommendations
By Samantha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Checked
By Cynthia Kadohata Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 2018
neighbor and a former teammate who has stopped playing hockey. Kadohata also does a great job of showing readers the life of a dedicated athlete. From Conor’s workouts at the park with his dad, to actual hockey practice, she shows some of what it takes to become an elite athlete.
Music of the Ghosts
By Vaddey Ratner Simon and Schuster, 2017
For 11-year-old Conor, hockey is life. Everything else comes second — except his dad. Although he’s not positive, Conor is pretty sure hockey is the reason his stepmom Jenny left them. Because the sport is also his dad’s life. One of the only things they love more than the game is their Doberman Sinbad. Things are going along fine until Sinbad is diagnosed with cancer. And treatment is not going to be cheap. So to help pay for Sinbad’s chemotherapy, Conor decides to scale back his hockey lessons. But now that he doesn’t have hockey to keep him distracted, Conor notices more of what’s going on around him — such as his dad’s crying bouts at night when he thinks Conor is sleeping and some of his friends’ difficult family issues. And while he is still obsessed with hockey, Conor begins to wonder what life without the sport would be like. “Checked” is a story about a family learning to adjust when things take a difficult turn and plans need to be adapted. Kadohata paints a realistic picture of the sacrifices they have to make and captures the love they have for each other that makes the sacrifices worth it. Conor, who is half Japanese, is your typical pre-teen — a bit self-absorbed and initially only concerned about how things will affect him. But as the story progresses, he shows a maturity that typically comes with hard times. The concern he begins to have for his dad, who is a traffic cop, and Sinbad are highlighted throughout the novel. But we also see him begin to think about others, such as their elderly widower
It’s been about two and a half decades since Suteera escaped Cambodia as a child refugee. The thought of returning was never in the forefront of her mind, but after her aunt dies from a shorter-thanexpected battle with cancer, she receives a letter from a man who calls himself “the Old Musician” and claims to know what happened to her father during the Khmer Rouge. When she arrives in Phnom Penh, Teera finds a society still struggling to come back from its violent history — a society in which perpetrators and survivors live side by side in their beloved country.
Meanwhile, the Old Musician awaits Teera’s arrival with trepidation, as he knows he must confess his connections with her parents and how they embraced the Khmer Rouge’s promise of a democratic society — only to have that promise tragically broken. He also has to reveal the truth about how Teera’s father died. “Music” is a story about survivors and how to move on from tragedy. But unlike many stories with this theme, Ratner’s characters were on both sides of the violence. Regular readers of this column will know that my family survived the Khmer Rouge — on the victims’ side. Because of this, I have rarely considered the other side’s
perspective. But “Music” shows some of the factors that may have contributed to why people make the choices they did, as well as how sometimes they don’t really have a choice and did what they had to do to survive, and save their loved ones. We also see the struggles they experienced, as they realized too late the truth behind their “cause.” While I wouldn’t say this made me sympathetic toward the Khmer Rouge, Ratner reminded me of how complicated people can be.
Only a Kiss
By Ines Bautista-Yao Amazon Digital Services, 2014 At the age of 9, Katie had her first kiss. It was with Chris, her best friend. But it wasn’t because she was in love with him. Although she hadn’t even reached double digits yet, Katie had already determined that she was going to marry Chris’ older brother Ethan when they grew up (he had a certain Disney prince quality to him). That first kiss with Chris was because she knew she could make him do what she wanted — no big deal. But then they grew up. They ended up going to different high schools and drifted apart, as other
boys and girls entered the picture. Taking place in the Philippines, “Kiss” is a see SHELF on 14
asianweekly northwest
10
36 YEARS
MARCH 31 – APRIL 6, 2018
■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG
FOOD ADVENTURES JUMPSTARTING GEORGE’S APPETITE
Naan, chicken, and Mediterranean-Indian style meatballs. at Dawat Indian Grill and Bar
Luigi’s lamb chop, beef brisket, gnocchi, and garlic bread
Home cooking: stir-fried broccoli, tomato sauce with onion and garlic, spareribs with seaweed, and avocado.
Rockefeller oysters and pan-fried oysters at Elliott’s Oyster House
While many are delighted with weight loss, it has become our family’s nightmare. My husband learned that he’s been losing four pounds every month. He can’t afford to lose any more since he’s underweight. The doctor’s order is, “Eat, eat, eat.” Here is the dilemma. Since last year, George has lost his appetite to eat. Home cooking, which used to be exciting to him, had suddenly turned to be ordinary, predictable, and unappealing. His health appears to be fine, but his energy levels have been low, and his face looks pale and sunken. His disinterest in food is a cause for alarm. Our dinner routine is, he does all the washing and cutting, and I am the head chef. I can only come to one conclusion: He doesn’t like my cooking, period. Even though I don’t take it personally, something needs to be done to increase his appetite.
Steak dinner with salad mixed with almonds, beets, and kale, wild mushrooms, lobster bisque, baked potatoes at Capital Grille
Photos by Assunta Ng
By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Hyatt Regency dinner entree and dessert
Should I be fired?
I don’t have an ego problem. If he doesn’t enjoy my cooking, we should be looking for alternatives. I just hate to see him losing weight continuously. My style of cooking is geared towards clean living — simple cooking with less fat and red meat — more chicken, veggies, and seafood — low heat as opposed to high heat to preserve the nutrients. I enjoy fresh ingredients and their original taste. However, it might not be the most delicious way of preparing food. For instance, butter tastes good. Do I use it? No, animal fats are bad for our heart. More sodium would enhance flavor. Yet, I put little salt and no MSG in my cooking. And no white sugar. Honey is my replacement for sugar. Sad to say, my purpose of a healthy lifestyle backfires. Perhaps, I am being too
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asianweekly northwest
YOUR VOICE
MARCH 31 – APRIL 6, 2018
■ EDITORIAL
11
The citizenship question
The United States Department of Commerce announced on March 26 that it would reinstate a question on citizenship on the 2020 Census. In a statement, the Commerce Department said the data collected would help the Department of Justice enforce the Voting Rights Act, which protects minority voting rights. Opponents disagree. The spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, Vedant Patel, said, “This latest ploy by Donald Trump and his administration is an attempt to silence the voices of millions of immigrants, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders — who are the fastest-growing immigrant group in the United States.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal said people will be less likely to respond to the Census out of fear of deportations, of putting
their families at risk, of ‘outing’ themselves or their loved ones. “Additionally, it would discourage the more than 16 million people who live in mixed status families from participating.” Jayapal said the accuracy of the Census will be jeopardized, if people stop participating. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said he would lead a multi-state lawsuit to block the decision. The suit would be filed once the Commerce Department submits its report to Congress, which is due on March 31, and the full list of cities and states joining the suit would then be revealed. Separately, the State of California, filed a lawsuit on March 27 in federal court against the Commerce Department and the Census Bureau. The Census, which is mandated under the Constitution
and takes place every 10 years, counts every person in the United States. It is used to determine the allocation to states of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and to distribute billions of dollars in federal funds to local communities. The citizenship question has not been asked since 1950. The purpose of the Census is to get a complete count of everyone in America. Its accuracy is extremely important, given how Census data is used to determine how federal and state funds will be allocated geographically. Including this question could further discourage immigrants from participating in the count, especially when they are already fearful of how information could be used against them. Put pressure on your members of Congress and Senators to reverse this order and protect the integrity and accuracy of the Census. Don’t let the Trump administration hijack the 2020 Census for political purposes.
■ LETTER
Reader pushes for diversity in M’s broadcasting
Dear Editor, Each year for four years, I have provided the Seattle Mariners with the concern that the M’s broadcast team does not reflect the faces of the community it serves — considering the diversity of our team, the fans in the stands, and the greater community surrounding Safeco field that attend the games and patronize their sponsors. Of the 10 persons regularly appearing in the 162 broadcasts (not counting spring training), there is only one person of color. Each spring, I have urged the Mariners to put some effort
into their recruiting efforts when hiring opportunities arise for their broadcast team, to create a diverse pool from which to hire. I understand that Root Sports Northwest is responsible for television broadcasts, and KIRO Radio for radio broadcasts, and share this stewardship. This year, as in the prior three, I got an automated response from the M’s acknowledging their receipt of my note, thanks for my interest, and to allow at least 24 hours for a response, “when appropriate.” Other than a thundering silence, last year I received an invitation to attend a focus group. I called back the survey vendor to
say that I could meet anytime during the next day, but that an evening meeting would not work for me. Alas, it was take it or leave it, including the $150 gratuity of Mariners merchandise. Hence my letter to you.
BLOG from previous page
Healthy eating might not work
marinate the meats longer with more spices, and add more sauces such as tomatoes, mapo tofu, roasted beef base paste, and garlic. We use Vietnamese pork ham consisting of fish sauce and pepper when we stir-fry veggies, so the taste is more interesting. Gone is my insistence for maintaining the original taste of the ingredients. We still buy fresh and quality ingredients. At this point, taste matters more in my family meals. Every other day, we would order a course or two from different restaurants in the International District, so we have a variety of entrees on our dinner table. Our dinner consists of three to four dishes in addition to soup and rice. It looks attractive and makes us feel hungry. The objective is for our family to be satisfied and happy after every meal. Last week, we achieved that by making eating an adventure at home and outside in restaurants. I don’t recommend eating out so often each week. This was meant only to kickstart George’s appetite. Oh, I noticed that my husband’s face is a little more round this week, and he has gained some weight. One week of intense planning for what, when, and where to eat, works. I make sure he never delays eating anymore. Food is for nourish our body, as well as our soul.
cautious in my cooking. What needs to be changed? His behavior and mine.
Bad habits
The past few months were stressful for my husband. In early March, I went back to Hong Kong to take care of my mother’s funeral. The timing was bad. It coincided with my son’s trip to Asia, which was planned a year prior. My husband was left alone to manage the Northwest Asian Weekly’s operations. He had to take over my work, as well as my son’s responsibilities. What were his eating habits? Work first, eat later. Sometimes, that meant no lunch or breakfast. When he is stressed, his appetite lessens. Okay, if you are overweight, skipping meals or eating less makes sense. But if you are already skinny, where do you get the fuel for your body? It will impact your muscles, your immune system, and your bodily functions. One time, he would ask for permission to eat when we were dining in a restaurant. It sounds ridiculous, but that’s the way he is — family first. “Son, do you want the asparagus?” he said. He loves asparagus. “Just eat them,” I said. “You don’t need to ask for permission.” “Dad, please don’t ask me. Next time, just put the food on your plate,” my son said.
PHAN from 1 Thanh Cong Phan, 43. He was arrested at his home in Everett, late in the day on March 26. Roughly a dozen packages were sent earlier in the day to sites including Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling and Fort Lesley J. McNair in the district; at Fort Belvoir, in Virginia; the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, in Dahlgren, Virginia; and the CIA. No injuries were reported, and the FBI said each package was collected for further analysis.
What is apparent is, my husband is tired of the same old, same old. It dawned on me recently at the Delta AirlinesKorean Airlines’ partnership celebration, held at the Hyatt Regency in Bellevue, that he not only wanted good food, but rich flavors, fancy cooking, and colorful spices to please his palate. With glee, he devoured all three courses, including bread, a walnut salad, an entree with salmon and steak, and dessert. That’s not a small dinner. It was a while since he had such a big meal. I guess as we age, our taste buds become less sensitive. He keeps complaining that home cooked food has no taste.
Changing strategies
After the Delta event, we had a dining spree in town. First, it was a steak dinner with delicious salads mixed with almonds, beets, and kale, wild mushrooms, lobster bisque, and baked potatoes at the Capital Grille. Two days later, we dined at the Elliott’s Oyster House with Rockefeller oysters and pan-fried oysters and other dishes. Then three days later, an Italian dinner with lamb chop and beef brisket in Pioneer Square. The last meal of the week was at Dawat Indian Grill and Bar with naan, chicken, and Mediterranean-Indian style meatballs. This week, we were at Jade Garden for dim sum. By the way, my cooking also evolves and adapts to heavy sauces and colors. Instead of bland and light cooking, I
Phan’s motive was not immediately clear, but the official said there was no immediate connection to terrorism. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters that that all of the packages sent to Defense Department facilities are under the control of the federal authorities. “Basically there’s a set procedure, they went through the procedure,’’ said Mattis. “We’ve had nobody injured and all those packages and all the evidence is accessible and is the hands of the FBI right now.’’
Sincerely, — Gary Ikeda
Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.
asianweekly northwest
12
MARCH 31 – APRIL 6, 2018
36 YEARS
■ COMMENTARIES Breaking the cycle of opioid addiction requires federal partnership By Troy Christensen EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE KOREAN WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION
Troy Christensen, Executive Director of the Korean Women’s Association)
Innovation around opioid abuse prevention is happening in Washington state, and the Korean Women’s Association (KWA) is collaborating with partners in the regional “Accountable Community of Health” to find solutions to one of the most pressing healthcare equity issues of our time. There isn’t a silver bullet policy that will solve the opioid problem, as the impact to families ranges across a broad spectrum of socio-economic issues. At KWA, we champion strategies that reduce harm to affected
individuals. In doing so, we hope to re-orient the public conversation to address the problem for what it is — a public health crisis that requires exceptional resources to unravel. Recently, Congress approved additional funding to address opioid-related impacts in communities across the country, and we’re in a rare moment where elected officials like Senator Patty Murray are thinking through how best to deploy federal resources to achieve that end. In our view, additional funding should be invested in tactics that create capacity for harm reduction when it matters most. Reducing harm, first and foremost, means saving lives. In addition to the emotional distress and family impact, the death of a father, mother, son, or daughter through overdose often deprives a family of a household income-earner and provider, a devastating loss that ripples across generations. One solution to preventing the loss of life could be requiring the co-prescription of naloxone, the opioid overdose antidote, to at-risk patients. Data from past years published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported that as much as 83 percent of prescription opioid overdose deaths are unintentional. Medicare and Medicaid patients are particularly at-risk. In 2014, over half of opioid-related visits to hospitals were paid for by Medicare or Medicaid. A 2016 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services study in Washington state found that 45 percent of people who died from prescription opioid overdose were Medicaid enrollees. Naloxone, when prescribed to at-risk populations, has been proven to significantly lower rates of emergency hospital visits and opioid overdose deaths. A National
Institutes of Health study found that patients who received a naloxone prescription had 47 percent fewer opioid-related emergency department visits per month in the 6 months of receipt after the prescription. This same patient population had 63 percent fewer visits after one year, compared to those who were not given a naloxone co-prescription. The Food and Drug Administration has reported equally promising results during a study conducted in partnership with the Veterans Administration. Why is this the case? First, there’s an extreme imbalance between the number of opioid prescriptions in this country when compared to the number of overdose antidote prescriptions. Currently, for every one prescription of naloxone in the United States, there are 500 opioid prescriptions. Second, there’s been an unconscionable gap in education with opioid prescribed patients about the dangers posed by their prescriptions. Given the vast majority of opioid prescription deaths are unintentional, the more mandatory conversations we can require between doctors, pharmacists, and patients, the better people will be equipped to manage their prescriptions without incident. Requiring co-prescription of naloxone to at-risk patients isn’t the sole solution for the broader set of issues brought to bear by the opioid addiction crisis. A range of wraparound support services will also be needed to address other social maladies that challenge our communities. But as lawmakers contemplate how to address the opioid epidemic in Washington state, they should prioritize investments that are proven to save lives.
Reader commentary on the bill to reinstate affirmative action By Linda Yang WA ASIANS FOR EQUALITY Proponents of the repeal of I-200 tried to use a 2006 study, entitled “AfLinda Yang firmative Action in Washington State,” to justify their cause. We’d like to add data that were left out in the original article in the Northwest Asian Weekly (Bring back affirmative action? March 17, 2018) to show that I-200 indeed benefits the Asian American community. According to University of Washington (UW)’s own website, one year after the passage of I-200, “Asian American students planning to enroll (in the Fall 1999 freshman class) increased 6 percent (from 1,109 to 1,176).” That was despite a slight dip in Asian American application rate in 1999, according to the same 2006 study. In other words, prior to the passage of I-200, UW’s racial quota policy in admission
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prevented Asian American students from being accepted. The most recent data from National Center for Education Statistics showed that in 2014, among total postsecondary student population in Washington, 8.96 percent was Asian, 0.61 percent was Pacific Islander. During that time, 9.53 percent of
the state’s general population was Asian, 0.66 percent was Pacific Islander, with other ethnic groups making up the remainder. Proponents’ claim that I-200 hurts AAPI in higher education is groundless. Senator Bob Hasegawa called us, who opposes repeal of I-200, “privileged.” On the contrary, we all worked hard to
achieve what we have achieved. We believe in education, we believe in merit-based systems that reward hard work. Education empowers our kids to get ahead. We want to fight for the equal education right for all AAPI students. NO repeal of I-200, no racial quota. In our opinion, the law should be reinforced, not repealed.
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■ ASTROLOGY
asianweekly northwest
MARCH 31 – APRIL 6, 2018
13
Predictions and advice for the week of March 31–April 6, 2018 By Sun Lee Chang
Rat — Don’t undermine your own position by expressing too much doubt. Lead with the firm intent to win.
Dragon — If you are in a position to define the terms, then by all means make sure that it is in your favor.
Monkey — A familiar theme has recently caught your interest. Remember that you can have too much of a good thing.
Ox — Rather than assuming you know all the details, an unusual offer should be examined closely before accepting or rejecting.
Snake — What seems like a consolation prize could actually turn out to be better than what you initially coveted.
Rooster — Are you hoping to catch someone by surprise? If so, then you will need to be as discreet as possible.
Tiger — Is there something from your past that is holding you back? Its grip on you will be relaxed or even released when you are able to let it go.
Horse — Avoid getting too far ahead of yourself. Though it may be tempting to jump ahead, a more controlled approach has a higher chance of success.
Dog — If you spend too much time discussing an issue without coming to a point, your audience could lose interest and stop listening.
Rabbit — While there may be some losses along the way, the high probability of a net gain should be enough to spur you into action.
Goat — Although a quick resolution appears attractive at first, there is a price to be paid for that speediness.
Pig — Are you making it up as you go along? Until things settle down a bit, use it as an opportunity to practice thinking on your feet.
What’s your animal sign? Rat 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 Ox 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 Tiger 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 Rabbit 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 Dragon 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 Snake 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 Horse 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 Goat 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 Monkey 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 Rooster 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 Dog 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 Pig 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007
*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.
LIM from 1 Breaking an Asian American stereotype, Lim admitted not being into the academics. He described himself as rambunctious, the black sheep of the family. He praised his parents for doing a great job raising him and raved about his two brothers, who are “incredibly smart.” His older brother is studying to be a dentist, the younger one is just learning how to drive. Lim recalled fondly of his mother reigning him in because he was a “rough, hard-headed kid.” He played football, wrestled, and skipped school. Lim’s mother admonished him to work hard while he was young, so he could relax when he was older. Her advice stuck. Lim always knew he wanted to be a first responder. Aiming to be a firefighter, he studied Fire Science at Bates Technical College in Tacoma. Lim gained new insight and respect for the profession, but realized it wasn’t a good fit. In addition, financial reasons caused him to leave school and move to Fife to work with his father, a warehouse manager. The monotony of the warehouse job provided him time to contemplate his future. He believed he was born to help people, and he wanted something more meaningful.
One day, a co-worker at the warehouse brought Lim a SPD recruiting brochure. The testing was free and he applied. Lim prepared quite a bit for the test, which included an oral board, written exam, physical fitness evaluation, psychological evaluation, and a background check. The preparation paid off. Lim passed on his first attempt. On May 24, 2017, Lim was accepted into the Washington State Basic Law Enforcement Academy for training. Still on probation, Lim has been at the West Precinct since January. Lim covers the King 1 beat, which encompasses just north of the Safeco Field and CenturyLink area. He also responds to the newly added Little Saigon area in the King 3 beat when needed. Lim speaks Korean and loves being on patrol. Being first on the scene, dealing with people from all walks of life, preventing crime, and connecting with the community is exhilarating for him. If it were up to him, he’d stay on patrol his entire career. Lim works from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m., but arrives at the precinct an hour early. He spoke affectionately of his “amazing” mom waiting up, worrying until he returns home from work. Due to opposite work schedules, Lim laments not being able to see more of his father. Lim relishes opportunities to catch up with some of his academy
classmates when they cross paths at the precinct. At 22, Lim carries a tough jock persona, especially evident when he is loaded down with radios, handcuffs, a baton, pepper spray, and of course, his firearms. Deep down he is gentle, and the empathetic side of him wants to treat everyone as best as he can, striving to make a difference every day. “Everyone deserves a chance,” Lim said. “There is a reason behind their situation.” Lim believes every officer tries to be as understanding as possible. However, he added, “Officers also have their own personal lives, personal problems.” A self-proclaimed “goofy person” out of uniform, he has learned to suppress some of his emotions. While on the job, he is very serious and business like. He feels “warm and fuzzy”when people knock on his patrol car window, thanking him for being a police officer. Next time you see Officer Lim cruising in the neighborhood in his squad car, remember he is not only serving the community, he is a part of the community. He is a son, a brother, and a friend. Perhaps you might want to say hello and get to know the goofy side of him. Becky can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
DISCLOSURE from 3 “I think what Congress is doing in Washington, D.C. — rushing bills through — should absolutely not be replicated in Washington state,” Baab said. “It’s bad enough that the Republicans do this, but Democrats should not do this! We are trying to advocate for appropriate, legal process, which means that all voices should be heard. It means that the public should be able to comment, and that bills should be deliberated over, often for a very long time.” Baab said she strove to understand lawmakers’ thinking process on speeding the bill through the legislature, and said she could see where they were coming from, if they felt pressured to pass it. It also helped her to see that there may be “great pressure on Republican lawmakers to speed things through.” “Obviously, our lawmakers feel pressure ... and I may not know all the reasons,” Baab said. “I want to say they must feel tremendous pressure, and that’s why they do things too quickly. But I wish they wouldn’t, and that’s why I feel like they’ve done something that makes me unhappy.” As for the content of the bill, Baab said the little she knew about it raised her hackles. “It feels to me like open records are always better than closed records, and so it does raise questions about what was going on,” Baab said. “If there is a public comment period, and if it appears that lots of … the public want to keep records closed, or lots of advocacy groups want records to stay closed, well, okay, let’s hear all those arguments.” Carolyn can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
KING COUNTY NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received for C01243C18, PSERN Radio System Multi Site Improvement – Bid Package 5; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 1:30 PM on April 17, 2018. Late bids will not be accepted. This solicitation is for construction at five (5) radio sites as part of King County’s new land mobile radio system for the Puget Sound Emergency Radio Network (PSERN). Work under this Contract may include: clearing and preparing bare land; installing foundations for communication towers and shelters; installing new towers or structural modification of existing towers; installing prefabricated shelters; supplying and installing backup power systems, including generators (on a limited basis) and fuel tanks; providing fencing; erecting needed signage; working with utility vendors; installing automatic transfer switch systems; installing tower lighting and painting; installing new tower and shelter electrical grounding systems; installing retaining walls; demo and removal of existing towers, shelters and generators; installing erosion and sediment control systems; building or improving site access roads; warehouse storage; transportation of equipment; site close out packages; laying utility conduit; and other tasks. Work under this Contract may require lead and asbestos
abatement. Estimated contract price: NTE $2,500,000 Mandatory Site Tour: April 5, 2018 at 9:00am OR April 6, 2018 at 9:00am. Refer to Site Tour Schedule in the ITB Documents for meeting location and site tour details. There is a 8% minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement on this contract. There is a 15% minimum requirement for King County Certified Small Contractors and Suppliers (SCS) on this contract. Sensitive Security Information: CD’s containing site specific information and drawings will be available for pickup beginning Thursday, March 29, 2018 at King County Procurement & Payables, Chinook Building, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Ave., Seattle, WA 98104. CDs will also be available for pickup at each site tour location. This information is considered “Sensitive Security Information” and shall only be used to perform contract activities for ITB #C01243C18. Bidders will be required to sign an “Agreement for Release of Sensitive Security Information to Bidders” prior to receiving the CD. Complete Invitation to Bid Documents, including all project details, specifications, and contact information are available on our web page at: https://procurement.kingcounty.gov/ procurement_ovr
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ILWU Local l9 is looking for an experienced full-charge bookkeeper, who can also perform extensive administrative assistant duties. Significant professional experience as an accountant or bookkeeper and a BA or AA in accounting strongly preferred. We are looking for someone who has excellent organization skills, works well under pressure and is able to work independently. In addition, individual will need to perform general office duties, and have strong communication and customer service skills. This is on-site full time (Monday thru Friday) and a union represented closed shop position. We offer a starting wage of $25 per hour with room for increases commensurate with experience and an outstanding employer paid medical/dental benefit package for the employee and their dependents. Contributions to a pension program and paid sick leave, vacations and holiday pay are also provided. To apply: Send a resume’, cover letter and salary history in PDF format to president@ilwulocal19. org, be sure to reference bookkeeper in subject line.
MARCH 31 – APRIL 6, 2018
36 YEARS
KING CoUNty, WASHINGtoN NotICe to BIDDeRS Sealed bids will be received by the King County Procurement Services Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 2:00 PM of bid opening date for the following listed bids. To download a document, go to our web page at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/procurement. King County encourages minority business enterprise participation. King County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its programs, services, and employment opportunities. 1062-18-plR opeNS: April 10, 2018 Tire Chains and Repair Parts 1071-18-lSm opeNS: April 12, 2018 Mattress and Box Spring Collection and Recycling – Bow Lake 1026-18-Alp opeNS: April 24, 2018 Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP) Maintenance, Repair & Parts Pre-proposal Conference: April 2, 2018 at 10:00 AM, Chinook Building, 3rd Floor, Room 330, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 Conference Call: 1-206-263-8114 Conference ID: 732684 1074-18-myp opeNS: April 12, 2018 Veterinary Services Informational Meeting: April 3, 2018 at 12:00 PM, Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC), 21615 64th Ave S, Kent, WA 98032 1055-18-VlN opeNS: April 27, 2018 Marine Transportation Program Planning Pre-proposal Conference: March 29, 2018 at 10:00 AM, Chinook Building, 3rd Floor, Room 310, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104
NORTH KOREA from 4 long-standing goal of U.S. policy. Forty percent think the U.S. should consider a deal if the North agrees to make progress toward that goal. Only 13 percent think the country shouldn’t consider a deal with North Korea at all. “I would like to see a denuclearization of North Korea, but I don’t know how feasible that is,’’ said Aaron Saunders, a 26-yearold medical research associate from Three SHELF from 9 simple love story, told from both Katie’s and Chris’ point of view. We see the two grow up from being inseparable, to barely speaking, to finding their way back to each other. And while there is drama throughout the story, there are no bad guys. It is even hard to dislike their respective love interests. Even though “Kiss” is a love story,
Rivers, Michigan, who was generally supportive of Trump’s handling of the issue — aside from his tweeting. Theresa Ferraro, 71, of Lowell, Massachusetts, said a summit might make the world safer, but she questioned the president’s temperament for negotiations. “He speaks out too much,’’ she said. “I’m outspoken myself, but you gotta know when to zip it and I don’t think he knows.’’ Despite the general openness toward negotiations with North Korea, Americans have mixed views about the direction of Bautista-Yao does a great job showing readers that more than just romantic love is possible in male-female relationships. And besides, their friendship came first — they weren’t supposed to end up together. True, Katie and Chris eventually develop feelings for each other, but they have such a strong foundation in their lifelong friendship that said feelings may actually pose a threat to their relationship and that is not something either of them wants —
PACIFIC RIM from 8 anything deep about most people, and the script seems to be ticking over until the next big fight, and the inevitable big finish. And the big finish, not to give away too much, involves someone corrupted from without, who becomes a traitor from within the human’s league. Someone who enjoys living in a particular kind of broken world so very much, he’s willing
Subscribe to the Northwest Asian Weekly $40 for one year. Name_____________________ Address ___________________ City _______________State____ Zip Code ___________________ Phone _____________________ Mail to: NW Asian Weekly 412 Maynard Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98104 or call 206-223-0623 Freelance writers Northwest Asian Weekly is accepting applications for freelance writers. Should be interested in politics, business, education, health, arts and/or food articles. Flexible hours. Send resume and writing samples to: Ruth Bayang, NW Asian Weekly, PO Box 3468, Seattle, WA 98114 or email editor@nwasianweekly.com
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U.S. national security. One in three say that it will get better over the next year. Similar proportions say it will get worse and stay about the same. But there are clearer differences on partisan lines. Two-thirds of Republicans expect national security to improve, while a slightly smaller proportion of Democrats expect it to get worse in the year ahead. Americans have largely negative views about how the U.S. is viewed around the world. Some 53 percent think respect for American will decline in the next ahead,
although they show this in different ways (drama!). While this story takes place in another country, Bautista-Yao does a great job of making the characters and situations relatable. What Katie and Chris go through could happen to anyone anywhere in the world who has ever had a crush on someone else. And that simplicity is what makes “Kiss” such an enjoyable story.
with just 26 percent expecting it to improve. And 48 percent think U.S. influence around the world will decline in the next year, compared with just 27 percent who believe it will get better. Pamela Williams, 69, of New York City, criticized Trump for boasting about U.S. military strength and having what she saw as flippant attitude to matters of war and peace. “I have not seen anything that he’s done since taking office that he’s taken seriously. Everything is a joke to him,’’ she said.
Samantha can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 6.
to break it completely, beyond any repair, to satisfy his own ravenous ego. I think about that, and I think about today’s headlines. And I shudder a little bit. Global war, in today’s world, isn’t merely an escapist notion at the movies. Even with the monsters and robots thrown in. Andrew can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
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TSWAY from 8 significance of women and Asians,” he said. Tsway’s personal favorite is the Kill Bill poster. For his projects, the models have been his friends, but in real life, he’d like to see more Asian Americans like Lucy Liu, Zhang Ziyi, and Constance Wu on the big screen. Having big names like these would help the message go further. In addition to shooting for this Asians Parody Hollywood project, Tsway enjoys shooting portraits and magical realism. He’s inspired by photography greats like Robert Mapplethorpe and Sally Mann. For Tsway, art was just something he pursued on the side. He never took it seriously until an eye-opening visit to an art collector in Atlanta with his father. “That experience opened my eyes to the possibilities to selling photography, and pursuing it seriously was actually worthwhile and that there was a market for art,” he said. Tsway’s father is one of his main inspirations. Hailing from Beijing, China, Tsway’s parents both graduated from top Chinese universities with linguistic degrees and immigrated to the United States for better job opportunities. Despite growing up in the greater Seattle area, Tsway described his childhood as the
#METOO from 5 their industry’s reputation. A popular political commentator, Kim Oujoon, said there are people trying to use the MeToo movement to cover up other issues, a claim that gained big traction among fans of his podcast and huge backlash from MeToo supporters. It all started in January when a female prosecutor went on TV to say that she had been mistreated and reassigned to a remote office after she reported being groped by a senior male prosecutor at a funeral eight years ago. Seo Ji-hyun said she was inspired by the MeToo movement in the West. Other women followed suit, and people began to listen. At workplaces and schools, more people are beginning to say no to behaviors that were left unquestioned and calls for teaching feminism are growing. Byeon Ye Jin, a 17-year-old student who calls herself a teenage feminist, said the MeToo movement gave her courage to talk about being groped by an acquaintance when she was a child. “I could not tell my parents, I didn’t have a place to seek help and I couldn’t even name the case. But with the MeToo movement, I felt that I should have courage to speak out instead of enduring and ignoring the pain I suffered,’’ she told a group of women on International Women’s Day. “It took me eight years to speak.’’ Calls from rape victims to the Korea Women’s Hot Line, a civic group that helps victims of rape or domestic violence, jumped 24 percent in the month since Seo’s went public in a TV interview. Those who go to court, though, face a legal system heavily influenced by male-centered views. A report released in January by an association of civic centers that battles sexual violence cites examples of a prosecutor who told a sexual violence victim that many women say no when they mean yes, and a judge who dismissed a rape charge because the victim did not seek help from her father in the next room and drank tea with the defendant, a relative, after the attack. The report said the victim was worried about her father’s illness and felt ashamed to tell her family on the day of her sister’s wedding. The dismissal was later overturned, and the defendant convicted. South Korean law defines the lack of consent based on how much the victim
asianweekly northwest
YOUR VOICE
Alex Tsway (left) and his dad.
Alex Tsway with The Fault in Our Sky inspired poster.
standard Asian person’s childhood, with their family owning their own food business and selling Asian food to Americans. His parents moved from Spokane to Issaquah shortly after Tsway was born because the
resisted and the degree of threats and force. The onus of proving threats or force is put on victims, who have to demonstrate how they resisted or explain why they could not resist more. “There are court cases where unclear rejection by victims was seen as giving consent,’’ said attorney Wee Eun Jin. “Some court cases say a victim gave consent because she was seen smiling while entering a love hotel or she paid the hotel charge. Sometimes unless the victims suffer serious injuries, they are not seen as resisting sexual advances.’’ Legal experts and activists say the legal definition lacks an understanding that most sexual violence happens not between strangers but between people who already know each other, in workplaces or schools and often with those in hierarchical positions. Kim Ji-eun, the secretary who accused the former governor of repeated rapes, said in a live TV interview she did her best to express her objection to Ahn, someone that she usually never dared to say no to: “I don’t say no during work, so when I showed hesitancy and said it’s difficult, it was the utmost defense I could play.’’ Ahn denied the allegations, also including a rape complaint by another woman, telling reporters that he thought the relationships were consensual. Activists are launching a campaign to stop asking victims why they did not say no. Instead, they are calling for asking offenders how they sought consent. Park Hyun-taek, a senior official at the Justice Ministry, said that more public consensus is needed on penalizing sexual violence outside the legal definition of rape before revising the law. The big challenge facing women who speak out is whether they will be able to continue their careers. Actresses who accused former National Theater Director Lee Yoon-taek of decades of sexual assaults are facing discrimination and prejudice in the theater community, one of the accusers said. Some offices have sidelined the victims instead of pursuing the accused. A Renault Samsung Motors employee fought more than four years in court to win a case of company mistreatment after she reported sexual harassment by her male manager. At the end of 2017, the Supreme Court ordered the company to compensate for what appeared to be revenge against the woman.
concession food scene was bigger in the Seattle area. They often sold food at large festivals and fairs like Bumbershoot, Folklife, and Salmon Days. “When I was working in the fairs, I was always surrounded by different ethnicities — German food, Korean food, African food. All these different cultures were around and that seeped into my mentality and into my body,” he said. From working in the food stalls in America to primetime TV in China, Tsway’s father is setting himself up to be the Jay Leno of China. His father goes by Brother Tsway and is a well-known comedian who often talks about the hardships of working in America. “We grew up farthest away from art and social justice by selling food and only focusing on food and surviving in America,
The court also said that lowering the salary of a colleague who helped the victim was illegal. Advocacy groups said the case helped pave a way to establish a system to protect victims and those who help victims in the workplace. The labor ministry said it would enable workers to send anonymous complaints on workplace sexual misconduct and consider criminally punishing employers who do not take actions against offenders. South Korean President Moon Jae-in joined
15
but my dad constantly on the sideline would be writing articles and thinking about different ways to approach topics that are interesting when it comes to immigration and other challenges Chinese people face in America,” he said. Next, Tsway is contemplating a photography series for Asian male roles. “I want people to share this [Asians Parody Hollywood] project, but mainly for the fact that we need more eyeballs on this message so we can one day get our own ‘Black Panther’ movie,” he said. Tsway was taking photos at this year’s Academy Awards when he realized that it would be impossible to see more Asians on the big screen, unless there’s a whole revamp of how Hollywood works in terms of casting and roles written for Asians. “Our image of Asians in entertainment is much more valuable to us than just being some sort of action hero or superhero on TV screen. It’s something the younger generations can aspire to and visualize themselves and reach for greater goals,” he said. To see more of Tsway’s work, follow him on Instagram @iamtsway. Nina can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
the growing MeToo movement in February and urged a thorough investigation into the sexual violence claims, but some question if his actions match his words. Moon, who promised to be the feminist president during his campaign, has been criticized for ignoring calls to fire close associate Tak Hyun-min, an event planner in his office and the author of books that portray women as sex objects.
A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE 50 years ago our nation’s greatest peacemaker was brutally taken from us by a sniper’s bullet
WEDNESDAY APRIL 4, 2018 The MLK Commemoration Committee Honorary Chair, Rev. Dr. Samuel B. McKinney invites you to attend an event to reflect on the past, by connecting to contemporary issues to propel us forward 6:00 PM RECEPTION: Variety of Ethnic Dishes Served 7:00 PM PROGRAM: Diverse group of Community Speakers Uplifting Music and the Spoken Word
Mount Zion Baptist Church
1634 – 19th Ave. (Rev. Dr. S McKinney Ave) Seattle, WA Questions or need more information call – 206.778 6357
asianweekly northwest
MURALS from 1 in which 14 people were shot — 13 of them killed — in a gambling club. It was Washington state’s deadliest mass shooting. And in 2013, a Christmas Eve fire damaged seven businesses on the street level, including Sea Garden restaurant and Mon Hei Bakery, which was Chinatown’s first bakery. Half of the building had to be torn down. But with the renovation, a new — and welcome — kind of history has emerged. When workers removed a chute that was used to toss bags of flour to the bakery down below, they found murals along the basement stairway, as well as a button tucked under the railing. (It still buzzes; I tried it.) The murals — oil paint on plaster with a metal lath backing — depict men and women in formalwear, men in top hats and tuxedos, women draped in fur-trimmed coats. There are two women together; two men together; a man flanked by two women. Most are African Americans in Prohibition attire, but there are white people depicted, which is consistent with the culture of that era. “They’re all racially ambiguous,’’ Woo said. “It looks
36 YEARS
MARCH 31 – APRIL 6, 2018 like people got really dressed up, and were there to see and be seen. It’s surprising that Chinatown had a place like this.’’ Grady Tripp, who is writing a book about Seattle Prohibition, posted photos of the murals on Reddit and wrote that the club was a “fabled speakeasy’’ officially named The Hong Kong Chinese Society, but known as “The Bucket of Blood’’ — named, Tripp said, for the enormous tin cups in which the beer was served. One of the servers was Jimi Hendrix’s mother. At the base of the stairs was a heavy-duty door with a small window slit, where members would slide a special card in order to get in. Tripp wrote that the place was raided and shut down in February 1931 by thenSeattle Police Lt. Frank Olmstead, whose brother, Roy, was a famous bootlegger. The discovery of the murals has forced changes to the original plans for the renovation, for which 14 percent is being financed by federal historic tax credits. In order to preserve the murals in the stairway, the architect, Bob Hale, has created another stairway on the other side of the building. In early March, a demolition crew working in the basement discovered the murals, stopped
TRAN from 1 he wanted to run for Federal Way Councilmember Position No. 4. “I live and work in Federal Way. I care about the city,” said Tran. “I wanted to make sure minority people had a voice on the council. I also come from a different background and wanted to use it to provide the council with a Hoang Tran different perspective.” This desire to serve was ingrained into Tran many years ago when he fled Vietnam and found himself in a Malaysian refugee camp awaiting resettlement orders. It was here that Tran made a promise to himself. If he was fortunate enough to be able to immigrate to the United States, he would do something to pay it forward. Unbeknownst to him at the time, his wishes would be granted nine months later. In the summer of 1980, Tran and his sister traveled to the United States, where they were resettled in Kentucky. A year later, they moved to Seattle to be with more of their family in the area. When Tran told some of his friends and family he was going to run, they were surprised and tried to dissuade him. “It’s a thankless job. You’re not going to be able to make everyone happy,” they jeered. “Most of the time, half of the people in the city will support you, while the other half will oppose you. You’ll never be able to make everyone happy.” Tran wasn’t deterred, however. He wanted to serve and inspire future generations, especially people of color like himself. He was determined to lay the foundation and give hope to people who don’t traditionally see themselves at the decision-making table. “If we don’t have Asian American public officials, who is going to shape the policy that focuses on the needs of Asian Americans? Who is the voice for this population,” said Tran. “I want future generations to look at me and say, ‘This guy who came to this country with literally nothing, look at where he is now. He didn’t speak Eng-
Photo provided by Tanya Woo
16
Peacock mural
working and, after notifying Woo, covered them with plywood. Drilling in the basement had to be stopped because it was causing the paint on the stairway murals to peel. “We went into this not knowing anything about its history,’’ Woo said, adding that she only remembered the bakery and the
lish. He had limited skills. He only had the shirt on his back. If he can do this, I can improve my life for the better as well.’” Like many races in the 2017 political season, the race for the Federal Way Councilmember Position No. 4 was a full ticket. Tran went up against four other candidates — two favored by traditional political parties and one favored by the sitting mayor. Many members of the political establishment told him his chances of winning were slim. Despite these tough odds, Tran persevered, running his campaign as an independent and doing the right thing, even in the face of tough choices. This led voters to toss aside party wisdom, propel Tran past the primary, and ultimately helped him defeat his general election opponent. His win was historic for the city. Tran became its first ever Vietnamese American councilmember! “I’m grateful. Even with the political environment at the national level and even though Federal Way is considered to be conservative, voters were able to look at me and say, out of the four candidates, he’s the best choice,” said Tran. “It says a lot about the city and its willingness to come out of its comfort level, and pick a brandnew minority candidate and send him to the council. The credit goes to the voters.” Now on the job since January, Tran has turned his attention towards helping Federal Way plan for its future. He’s particularly focused on helping the city benefit more directly from the growing economy in the Puget Sound region, which has graciously benefited job centers such as Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, and Tacoma. “Like it or not, Federal Way is growing,” said Tran. “We’re trying to attract more businesses, specifically Fortune 500 companies. Currently, most of our residents have to drive about an hour, to an hour and half to work. We want to change that. We want to be able to provide more jobs in the city, so residents don’t have to
noodle company in the basement. Woo is seeking the public’s help in raising the $200,000 needed to save, restore and preserve the murals, and install a pane of glass over the doorway so that the public can view the murals from the sidewalk. “There’s interest in our shared history,’’ Woo said, “in finding
travel so far.” For Tran, the future of the city is centered around jobs. He’s seen many of the city’s youth not return after graduating from higher education because they have to move or drive far for work. He wants to change that. “I want young people to think of Federal
the hidden gems and discovering pieces of our past.’’ She locked the basement door behind us. “I have spent so much time here. But I don’t get sick of this place.’’
Way as an option after they graduate from college,” said Tran. “I want them to think, I can come home and work in my city, instead of what is there for me in Federal Way?” Joshua can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
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