VOL 34 NO 16 | APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015

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

VOL 34 NO 16

APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015

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A&E AAINA Festival » P. 8

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Facing deportation Hearing begins for Korean American adoptee & abuse survivor Adam Crapser

An evening with Eddie Huang

Eddie Huang

By Staff Northwest Asian Weekly

Photo by Gosia Wozniacka/AP

Food personality, author, and now sitcom personality (represented in character) Eddie Huang {see HUANG cont’d on page 7}

Adam Crapser and his family

By Jenn Fang Northwest Asian Weekly After a month of increasing social media outrage over the plight of Adam Crapser, the Korean American adoptee and abuse survivor appeared in a US immigration court April 2 on what was also Crapser’s 40th birthday. His deportation hearing is being held in Oregon in front of immigration Judge Michael H. Bennett.

In 1975, Crapser was adopted from Ko-

rea with his sister. He was placed with two abusive foster families over the course of his childhood in the United States, including in the home of Thomas Francis and Dolly-Jean Crapser, who were charged with domestic and sexual abuse of nine foster children — including Adam — in 1991. Neither of Adam’s foster parents completed the necessary paperwork to obtain a green card for Adam, and for most of his adulthood also refused to give him his adoption papers so that he could pursue legal immigration status for himself.

Three years ago, Adam applied for a green card, which lay the groundwork for Adam’s current deportation hearing. Through the course of that application, Immigration and Customs Enforcement discovered Adam’s criminal record, which they deemed to be grounds for deportation. In one incident occurring soon after Adam was kicked out by the Crapsers, he was arrested after breaking into the Crapser family home to retrieve {see CRAPSER cont’d on page 15}

Exploring all angles of identity UW Hosts 2nd Annual Asians Collaborating Together Conference

John Okamoto

By Assunta Ng Northwest Asian Weekly

By Nina Huang Northwest Asian Weekly About 150 people gathered at the University of Washington’s Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center for the 2nd Annual Asians Collaborating Together Conference last Saturday, April 4th.

The purpose of the ACT Conference was to provide attendees the opportunity and space to learn, reflect, and act upon Asian and Asian American identity, leadership and community involvement.

The conference attendees were not limited {see ACT cont’d on page 15}

Okamoto to run for City Council

If the Seattle City Council wants to pick a candidate who can hit the ground running, and yet has no political ambition to fill in for councilmember Sally Clark who is resigning, John Okamoto, 61, said he’s the pick.

An interim director of the City’s Human Resources Department,

Students of the Khmer Student Association of UW performed a traditional scarf dance

{see OKAMOTO cont’d on page 12}

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

■

A-POP! Casting call » P. 7

COMMUNITY Streetcar gets a test drive » P. 9

PUBLISHER’S BLOG The Wing Luke’s fundraising formula » P. 10

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APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015

■ names in the news Au receives Distinguished Teaching Award

cookbook authors and food journalists, restaurant designers and architects. The James Beard Awards are the highest honor for food and beverage professionals in America. The awards announcements take place Monday, May 4, at the Lyric Opera in Chicago. 

Did you see the new traffic boxes in the ID?

Renovated space

Wayne Au

Wayne Au, Ph.D. is the recipient of UW Bothell’s 2015 Distinguished Teaching Award. Au is an associate professor in the School of Educational Studies.

Au’s achievements in multicultural education directly benefit student learning at UW Bothell. He has been instrumental in calling attention to ways in which the curriculum and cocurriculum robustly support student experiences inside and outside the classroom. He also serves as chair of the Diversity Council.

The nomination by a student was accompanied by support letters from fellow faculty and undergraduate students, including a collective letter from this year’s Academic Transition Program class. The year-long academic preparation program is designed to provide assistance geared toward historically disadvantaged, low-income and first generation college students. 

space inside.

What was once a deserted restaurant is now a newly renovated coworking space ready to be inhabited. The space is intended to provide a collaborative and flexible workspace for local freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses.

According to Quang Nguyen, SCIDpda’s Senior Economic Development Specialist and Manager of Hing Hay Coworks, “Hing Hay Coworks is going to build a community of people who hopefully will be not only about creating new businesses, but also about caring for the neighborhood-people who could potentially give back in different ways to the community and who want to not only preserve the culture but also to reimagine it, to see it as an innovative place.” Hing Hay Coworks finished with construction at the beginning of 2015 and officially opens in May. 

Yang is James Beard finalist

Hing Hay Coworks creates new life for an empty space For over a decade, the area housing former Korean restaurant Han Il in the Bush Hotel sat abandoned as a vacant fixture in the International District, its large bay windows looking out onto Hing Hay Park and revealing nothing more than empty

Rachel Yang

Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi of Joule were named as finalists for the 2015 James Beard awards.

Joule is a Korean-inspired restaurant in Wallingford.

Known as the Oscars of the food world, the James Beard Awards cover all aspects of the industry: chefs and restaurateurs,

Decorated traffic boxes in Japantown

The boxes were created to develop a way-finding kiosk for Japantown. After a number of explorations, it was determined that a free-standing kiosk was not feasible due to fabrication costs and problems with locating such a structure at the desired location. With the installation of two new traffic control boxes at the intersection of 6th & Jackson and the anticipated opening of the First Hill Streetcar, the Japantown committee decided to combine the way-finding project with Seattle Department of Transportation’s (SDOT) Control Box Artwork program.

With coordination by InterIm, SDOT offered up to six boxes that could be used for the project. Four traffic control boxes were selected and artist Ken Taya was contracted to create the artwork. Ken was selected by the Japantown committee. 

Making a Difference Friday, May 15, 2015 • 11:30 a.m.—1:30 p.m. • China Harbor Restaurant • 2040 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle

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News and Public Affairs Director 91.3 KBCS

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Fellow American Academy of Pediatrics

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Co-founder & Executive Director Seattle South Asian Women Focus Festival

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Director City of Seattle’s Human Services Dept.

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WOMEN OF COLOR EMPOWERED CO-CHAIRS: Kiku Hayashi and Winona Holins-Hauge PLANNING COMMITTEE: Elizabeth Younger, Connie Sugahara, Diane Martin, Francine Griggs, Kathy Purcell, Leny Valerio-Buford, Assunta Ng, Shoko Toyama, Rosa Melendez, Lourdes Sampera Tsukada, Sonia Doughty, Bonnie Miller, and Sylvia Cavazos LUNCHEON PRICING: Discounted price of $35 if purchased by May 5. Full price of $45 after May 6. Walk-ins $50. Student price of $25 with I.D. before May 5; $30 after May 5; student walk-ins $35. No tickets will be mailed; confirmation is by e-mail only. $350 for a table. To sponsor the event including logo online and print and table is $1,000. Men are welcome! MAKE RESERVATIONS: To purchase tickets, call us at 206-223-0623, fax the above form to 206-223-0626, mail a check to Women of Color Empowered, P.O. Box 3468, Seattle, WA 98114, or email rsvp@nwasianweekly.com. For more information, visit womenofcolorempowered. com.

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ community NEWS

Jury awards more than $1.3M in back wages and damages J&J Mongolian Grill and Spa Therapy workers were cheated and threatened

U.S. Department of Labor

SEATTLE – Although a Bellingham restaurant and a spa have closed, 101 workers once employed by the businesses will receive more than $1.3 million in back wages and damages, thanks to a Washington State jury. The decision is the result of a U.S. Department of Labor investigation that revealed numerous violations of federal labor law.

A unanimous verdict found that the workers were systematically denied minimum wage and overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act by business owners Huang “Jackie” Jie and Zhao “Jenny” Zeng Hong. The lawsuit was filed in 2013 against the two owners and their companies, Pacific Coast Foods, Inc., doing business as J&J Mongolian Grill, and J&J Comfort Zone, Inc., doing business as Spa Therapy. The jury also found that the defendants interfered with and retaliated

against workers, most of whom spoke little to no English, who cooperated in the Labor Department’s investigation.

“No one who works hard and plays by the rules should be cheated out of the wages to which they are legally entitled,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez.

“In this case, the business owners took advantage of their workers and continued to do so even after being informed by investigators that they were operating in violation of federal labor law. That’s unconscionable. We will hold accountable those businesses that break the law, and just like in this case, ensure that justice prevails for workers.”

The department’s Wage and Hour Division found that employees of the J&J Mongolian Grill and Spa Therapy put in on average more than 70 hours during a {see BACK WAGES cont’d on page 11}

■ world news

Indonesian court rejects appeal by Australian drug smugglers

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — An Indonesian court on Monday rejected appeals by two Australian drug traffickers who challenged President Joko Widodo’s decision to refuse them clemency and spare their lives.

The complaints by Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan were tried separately with the same three-judge panel at the Jakarta High Administrative Court, which agreed with a lower court that the case is out of their jurisdiction since clemency is the prerogative of the president.

“The object of the dispute is not part of the jurisdiction of the Administrative court,” said presiding judge Ujang Abdullah.

Sukumaran, 33, and Chan, 31, are among 10 drug smugglers whose planned executions last month were adjourned due to last-minute appeals from six inmates. The others are three Nigerians and four men from Brazil, France, Ghana and Indonesia, and a Filipino woman.

Two of the foreigners — Serge Areski Atlaoui from France and Martin Anderson of Ghana, are still waiting for the outcome of their request for judicial reviews by the Supreme Court.

Last month, the country’s highest court rejected judicial reviews by Filipino Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso.

The planned executions have soured relations between Indonesia and other countries, especially Australia and Brazil, but Widodo has vowed not to grant mercy to drug offenders because he says Indonesia is suffering a “drug emergency.”

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in a statement that the government was disappointed the petitions by Sukumaran and Chan failed and that Australia “respectfully requests the President to review their pleas for clemency.” {see DRUG SMUGGLERS cont’d on page 15}

APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015

3

Local homicide suspect captured in Northern California

By Jason Cruz Northwest Asian Weekly

Authorities in Northern California have arrested 30-year-old Song Wang, a Seattle-area man accused of killing a woman and then setting fire to her Bellevue apartment. He will be returned Song Wang to Bellevue where he will be charged with first degree murder and first degree arson. It is believed that the woman was tied to a prostitution operation and that Wang attempted to rob her.

An “astute” highway worker in Northern California spotted Wang at a highway rest stop and immediately alerted authorities.

U.S. Marshals announced late Monday night that Wang had been arrested without incident in Siskiyou County in Northern California.

Wang had been spotted in Oregon Saturday where charging papers claim he attempted to pawn a Louis Vuitton purse. However, he was not stopped until Northern California.

Wang is accused of murdering 37-year-old Kittaporn Saosawatsri of Bellevue and then

setting fire to her apartment on March 31st. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office stated that Saosawatsri died of multiple stab wounds. Firefighters that came to put out the fire to Saosawatsri’s sixth floor Bellevue apartment discovered her body and recognized that her injuries were not from the fire.

King County prosecutors describe Saosawatsri as “an unarmed and vulnerable woman.”

It is not clear what the connection between Wang and Saosawatsri was although court documents reveal that Wang owed multiple people thousands of dollars. Saosawatsri was tied to federal human trafficking and a prostitution investigation two years ago in Bellevue. That investigation included a raid on the Avalon Meydenbauer Apartments, the same building where Wang set the fire to Saosawatsri’s apartment. In that investigation, Thai national Unruean Aboulafia, was alleged to have forced women to {see WANG cont’d on page 11}

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APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015

■ world news

Vietnam meets Fast-growing Asian demands to end strike aviation confronts in Nike, Adidas factory safety challenges

By Tran Van Minh Associated Press

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Workers at a major Vietnamese footwear factory for Nike and Adidas ended a weeklong strike last Thursday after the government agreed to their demands on retirement payouts.

The stoppage by thousands of workers at the Taiwanese-owned Pou Yuen factory in southern Ho Chi Minh City was a rare challenge to communist authorities over policy issues, although strikes over poor working conditions and low pay are common.

The workers were protesting a social insurance law, which comes into effect next year and says that workers will get a social insurance monthly allowance when they retire instead of getting a one-time payment if they resign. The workers said that if they quit, they would have to wait until their retirement age — 60 for men and 55 for women — to get the allowance, and prefer the lump sum to pay for their daily needs while seeking new jobs.

The strike was peaceful and earlier this week the workers blocked a major highway, but there was a heavy police presence at the factory.

In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Wednesday, representatives from the Labor Ministry, the trade union and the Ho Chi Minh City government proposed changes to the law to make it “suitable to the situation” and meet the workers’ demand, the government said in a statement.

The government will ask the National Assembly to amend the law that would allow laborers to get their retirement payouts at one time or when they retire, if they choose so, it said.

Vietnam’s authorities show little tolerance for dissent and are wary of protests that could spread and challenge the one-party rule.

Earlier this week, Dang Ngoc Tung, the president of Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, called on the strikers to return to work and also warned them not to allow “bad elements” to take advantage of the situation to stir up unrest that would affect security, order and the company’s operations.

Nearly 70 percent of Vietnam’s population of 90 million are under 40, providing a major workforce for many multi-national companies. 

Thank you for recycling this newspaper!

By Kelvin Chan Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — For Asia’s aviation industry, the growing pains have just begun.

A year of disasters, the disappearance of Flight 370 and financial turbulence highlight the challenges confronting the world’s biggest air travel market, where governments, regulators and airlines are struggling to keep up after a decade of astonishing growth.

A U.N. agency’s warning about airline safety in Thailand, one of the world’s top tourist destinations, is just the latest sign of ferment in the industry.

The boom has been driven by the region’s explosive economic growth as well as market liberalizations that have allowed dozens of

new discount carriers to flourish, turning the airline business on its head.

The strains are also showing in recurring pilot shortages and shortcomings in air traffic control systems and airport infrastructure that countries are scrambling to upgrade, especially in big Southeast Asian nations such as Indonesia.

“We’re in uncharted waters,” said Desmond Ross, principal at DRA International aviation consultants and former head of the Pacific Aviation Safety Office, which oversees airline safety for South Pacific islands.

“I don’t think the world has seen this sort of growth before.”

A third of airplane accidents in the Asia{see AVIATION cont’d on page 13}

Filipino devotees nailed to crosses in Good Friday rites

By Joeal Calupitan Associated Press

SAN PEDRO CUTUD, Philippines (AP) — Screaming in pain, Filipino devotees had themselves nailed to wooden crosses to mimic the suffering of Jesus Christ on Good Friday in Asia’s largest Roman Catholic nation.

Church leaders have spoken against the annual practice mixing Catholic devotion with folk belief, but it continues to draw big crowds, particularly in northern Pampanga province.

Painter Ruben Enaje, 54, was among half a dozen men whose hands and feet were rubbed with alcohol before locals dressed as Roman soldiers hammered sterilized nails into his flesh.

He has repeated the same act for the last 29 years as part of giving thanks after surviving a fall from a building. This year, he added a

gadget— a small microphone near his mouth, although a technical glitch made it difficult to hear him utter Christ’s last words.

The reenactment of Christ’s crucifixion at a dusty mound in San Pedro Cutud village drew at least 4,000 spectators and tourists, dozens of them foreigners. Unlike in the past, organizers this year banned foreigners from being nailed to crosses to prevent the event from “becoming a circus,” said Councilor Harvey Quiwa.

After they were lowered from the crosses, medical workers carried the devotees on a stretcher and made sure there were no complications from their injuries.

“I think it takes an incredible amount of dedication and commitment to really go through something like that,” said American {see GOOD FRIDAY cont’d on page 11}

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015

■ WORLD NEWS

5

Disaster expo shows innovations in thriving Japan industry

By Elaine Kurtenbach AP Business Writer

SENDAI, Japan (AP) — Mankind is powerless to prevent calamities such as typhoons and earthquakes, but in Japan where the devastating 2011 tsunami still looms large, there’s a flourishing industry in devising ways to cope with catastrophe.

Some of the products on display at an exhibition on the sidelines of a recent United Nations disaster conference in the northeastern city of Sendai featured high-tech innovations and new materials. But many were just inventive, practical solutions for challenges such as quickly getting people out of harm’s way.

Products like Masayoshi Nakamura’s “Jinriki” — custom-

made handles designed for easily hustling wheelchairs over debris and up hills. “I just wanted to do something to help,” said Nakamura, jumping into a wheelchair as he urged a visitor to give it a try.

The snap- and screw-on handles, which turn a wheelchair into a modern version of a “rickshaw” like the ones seen in old movies, enable a person to push or pull a wheelchair over sand and snow, up and down stairs, with relative ease.

Nakamura knew from early on that pushing a wheelchair can be hard work, having often pushed his disabled brother around as they played with friends as children. He thought up the idea for the Jinriki while working on a tourism-related project, but was only able to turn it into a reality after the March 2011 disasters.

Being able to quickly escape to higher ground was a life-

Women’s group gets North Korea support to walk across DMZ

By Cara Anna Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — North Korea has decided to support a proposed walk across the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas by prominent women including Gloria Steinem, and organizers say they hope South Korea will give its approval as well.

Co-organizer Christine Ahn told The Associated Press that North Korea gave permission this week after she visited Pyongyang. The walk proposed for May 24 is a call for reunification of the two countries.

The DMZ is the world’s most fortified border, with the two Koreas still technically at war. The walk would mark the 70th anniversary of the division of the Korean Peninsula.

The walk would include two Nobel Peace laureates, and Ahn says North Korean women will walk with the group from Pyongyang to the DMZ. Organizers of the effort called WomenCrossDMZ.org have said they hope for 30 women to cross from North Korea to South Korea on May 24, which is International Women’s Day for Disarmament.

Officials from South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles the country’s affairs with the North, and the U.N. Command said they have yet to decide whether to allow the women to walk across the DMZ.

The DMZ is one of the most highly charged places in the world. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers face off across the heavily mined zone that separates South Korea from closedoff, nuclear-armed North Korea.

“It’s hard to imagine any more physical symbol of the insanity of dividing human beings,” said iconic feminist activist Steinem during last month’s announcement of the walk.

Ahn said she had meetings in Pyongyang in the past week with officials from the country’s Overseas Korean Committee and Democratic Women’s Union. She said she received support to hold a symposium in North Korea on women and peacebuilding as well.

“I wish I knew how the ultimate decision was made, but at this point I’m just relieved that at least we have Pyongyang’s cooperation and support,” Ahn said in an email.

A North Korean diplomat to the U.N., Kim Song, last month told the AP the proposal was being discussed in his capital.

Ahn and the other participants also are calling on U.N. Secretary-General Ban Kimoon, a South Korean, as well as President Barack Obama and the leaders of North and South Korea to take the necessary actions to finally end the Korean War with a peace treaty. The war ended in 1953 with the {see DMZ cont’d on page 7}

or-death matter when a tsunami up to 40 meters (131 feet) high thrashed Japan’s northeastern coast, including Sendai’s port and coastal suburbs, killing more than 18,500 people.

Many of the elderly people living in Japan’s seaside villages could not escape in time. Pioneer Seiko Co.’s people-carrier frame, something of a cross between a toddler backpack and an adult-sized chair, can be used by an adult to carry another adult on his or her back.

Exact figures on disaster-related spending and manufacturing are hard to come by. The market spans both government and private spending, and includes an entire universe of goods ranging from tarps and water containers to sophisticated early-warning systems for tsunamis and {see EXPO SHOWS cont’d on page 14}

Canada police: 7 arrested in massive Asian prostitution ring MONTREAL (AP) — Seven members of an Asia-based organized crime syndicate have been arrested for exploiting more than 500 women mostly from China and Korea in a prostitution ring that spanned Canada, authorities said Thursday.

The ring operated in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, authorities said after a year-long investigation.

Two suspects — Daegun Chun, 46, and Yong Li, 31 — appeared in court Thursday to face charges related to the alleged smuggling of women into Canada for the purposes of trafficking them in prostitution.

So far, those arrested have been charged with procuring minors, advertising sexual services and gaining a material benefit from sexual services. More serious charges such as gangsterism and human trafficking

could be coming, authorities said.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the alleged victims received assistance from a criminal organization to enter the country under false pretenses before being exploited and made to work under appalling conditions. After several weeks or months, they were returned home.

Charged earlier this week were Le Yu, 38, and Anyang Cui, 26, both of Montreal, and Kai Chen, 37, and Nan Wu, 33, from suburban Notre-Dame-de-L’Ile-Perrot.

Jeonghwan Seo, 34, of Toronto, was arrested late Wednesday.

Police say that leaves Melanie WilliamsJohnson, 20, of Montreal, as the last suspect still on the run.

Police Constable Erique Gasse said 500 is a conservative estimate for the number of alleged victims and that the police probe began in January 2014. 

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APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015

■ COMMUNITY news

Confused about the Seattle minimum wage changes?

Here’s how it works

By Donna Gordon Blankinship Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle’s new $15 minimum wage law began going into effect last Wednesday, nearly a year after this pricey West Coast city was celebrated by activists as the first metropolis to push employers into providing higher wages.

The fast food workers who staged walkouts to advance the idea, however, won’t be seeing anything close to $15 an hour in their paychecks this week, as the increase is being phased in gradually through 2017 and beyond.

The change in Seattle is part of a larger trend toward higher wages playing out in statehouses and on ballots across the nation. In November, San Francisco voters approved their own phased-in minimum wage hike to $15 an hour by July 2018.

HOW IT WORKS Most workers in Seattle will see the minimum wage increase to $11 an hour this week. Some small businesses will get a $1 credit for employees who earn tips or get health insurance and will pay $10 an hour.

It will take until 2017 for Seattle workers at large companies and chains to earn $15 an hour. Those providing health insurance will have four years to comply. Smaller organizations will be given seven years, with the new wage including a consideration for tips and health care costs over the first five years.

Once the $15 wage is reached, future annual increases will be tied to the consumer price index.

Those who work in the suburbs still labor under the state minimum wage, the nation’s highest at $9.47 an hour.

WHOM DOES IT HELP? A University of Washington study estimated at least 90,000 people earn less than $15 an hour in Seattle.

Some business owners, including those who already pay their employees $15 an hour or more, have said the new wage will be paid by consumers in higher restaurant and retail costs.

Others have said they expect the new wage will give workers more buying power and bring enough new business into their doors to make up for the increase in labor costs.

IN THE COURTS The International Franchise Association and five Seattle franchises have vowed to fight the new law, saying it discriminates against franchises and doesn’t treat them like small businesses as they feel it should.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE Several Seattle companies have jumped ahead of the phase-in and are already

■ COMMUNITY calendar THU 4/9 WHAT: Re-elect Bruce Harrell Kickoff Party WHERE: Filipino Community Center, 5740 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Seattle WHEN: 6-8 p.m.

RSVP: contact@ electbruceharrell.com, 206-8175155 WHAT: Preserving the Panama Hotel WHERE: Nisei Veterans Committee, 1212 S. King St., Seattle WHEN: 5:30-7 p.m.

RSVP: info@historicseattle.org

by April 6

FRI 4/10 & SAT 4/11 WHAT: Latino & Filipino poets explore cultural mythologies featuring Roberto Ascalon, Jim Cantu, Loma Dee Cervantes, Gabriela Gutierrez y Muhs, Emily Lawsin, and Sam Patrick Roxas-Chua WHERE: 4/10 at Seattle University, Wyckoff Auditorium; 4/11 at Seattle Public Library WHEN: 7 p.m. on 4/10, 1-4 p.m. on 4/11 INFO: info@lasalaseattle.org

SAT 4/11 WHAT: Epiphany Project &

Emma Lee Toyoda WHERE: Ernestine Anderson Place, 2010 S. Jackson St., Seattle WHEN: 7:30 p.m.

INFO: facebook.com/ UpbeatonJackson WHAT: Money Management: Create + Retain + Invest + Protect, “How to Take Flight and Land Safely” WHERE: Museum of Flight WHEN: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

COST: $55/members, $65/nonmembers INFO: alex.truong@ naaapseattle.org

SAT 4/11 & SUN 4/12 WHAT: International Children’s Friendship Festival 2015 WHERE: Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St., Seattle WHEN: 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

INFO: seattlecenter.com

MON 4/13 THRU THU 4/16 WHAT: Highline College Week of Wellness WHERE: Highline College, Building 8 WHEN: Various times COST: Free INFO: 206-592-3353, aaparicio@highline.edu

paying their employees a minimum of $15 an hour, including local restaurant chains Ivar’s. Ivar’s, a local seafood restaurant chain, announced they would experiment with a $15 wage with a no tips policy to see what their customers thought.

TUE 4/14 WHAT: Presentation on minimum wage requirements WHERE: Bertha Landes Room in Seattle City Hall WHEN: 7:30-9:30 a.m.

COST: Free INFO: seattle.gov/cilvilrights

THU 4/16 WHAT: Samuel E. Kelly Distinguished Faculty Lecture with Professor Shawn Wong WHERE: Alder Hall Commons & Auditorium REGISTER: cpromad@uw.edu, 206-685-9594

SAT 4/18 WHAT: NVC Foundation Movie Series, “Ponyo,” a film by Hayao Miyazaki WHERE: NVC Memorial Hall, 1212 S. King St., Seattle WHEN: 1-3 p.m.

WHAT: Poetry Reading and Open Mic WHERE: Wing Luke Asian Museum, 719 S. King St., Seattle WHEN: 3-5 p.m.

COST: Free INFO: 206-623-5124, wingluke. org

ACROSS THE COUNTRY Washington is one of nine states where an increase in the statewide minimum wage is being debated. A Washington state proposal would take the state to $12 in a series of 50-cent hikes every Jan. 1, but that looks unlikely to pass.

Lawmakers in 10 states and the District of Columbia raised their minimums last year, and voters in four other states increased their wages through ballot measures.

President Barack Obama has called on Congress to raise the national minimum wage to $10.10 from the current $7.25 national minimum. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia already have a minimum wages above the federal rate.

SEEKING MORE Seattle venture capitalist Nick Hanauer has been pushing the Washington state Legislature to pass a statewide $12 minimum wage and doesn’t believe Seattle’s $15 law goes far enough.

He has threatened to pay for a ballot initiative to raise the state minimum to $16 an hour if the Legislature doesn’t take action this year. 

■ world news

Indian minister complains of camera peeping in changing room

By Mayabhusan Navenkar Associated Press

PANAJI, India (AP) — Indian police on Friday investigated a federal government minister’s complaint that a niche boutique in the southwestern resort of Goa had a closed-circuit TV looking into a changing room where she was trying out clothes.

Police officer Nilesh Rane said Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Irani was in the store on Friday when one of her assistants informed her about the camera, which the officer said was aimed through the changing room’s ventilator.

The store is in the beach village of Candolim, popular with international tourists.

The camera was found to be recording customers inside the room,

a police officer said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

Rane said some arrests are likely on charges of outraging the modesty of a woman, which carry a maximum prison sentence of two years.

Michael Lobo, a state lawmaker belonging to Irani’s governing Bharatiya Janta Party, told reporters that the camera had recorded footage of ``women changing clothes over the past three to four months.’’

Complaints of hidden changing room cameras have pouring in from around India.

“Not just this boutique. All stores with such a facility must be investigated,” opposition Congress party spokesman Durgadas Kamat demanded. 

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33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

7

APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015

■ arts & entertainment

Casting calls... ...and a Bruce Lee biopic; a farewell to Norman Lee

A-pop!

By Vivian Nguyen Northwest Asian Weekly and stunt man who has appeared in several action films, such as “Batman Begins,” “Left for Dead” and “Tekken.”

From major motion picture remakes to casting news for upcoming television shows, March was an eventful month for Asian Americans in Hollywood. Read on to find out what’s new in the world of pop culture and entertainment!

will be speaking at the University of Washington April 21st. The evening is presented by the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) Arts & Entertainment, HUB Culture & Pop Programs at the University of Washington, the University Bookstore, the ASUW Asian Student Commission, and the UW Ethnic Cultural Center. Huang is the bestselling author of Fresh Off the Boat, the memoir ABC has adapted into one of this season’s most talked-about new TV shows (Huang is also producer).

{DMZ cont’d from page 5} armistice.

The women would like to cross the DMZ at the village of Panmunjom, which straddles the border and is the place where troops from North and South come closest, just a few yards (meters) from each other.

The women have said they take heart from successful crossings of the DMZ by five New Zealanders with motorbikes in 2013 and by 32 Korean Russians by motorcade last year.

Both had permission from both sides.

On stage, his hyper-opinionated personality shares lessons from his unconventional successes: Embrace the unknown. Don’t accept mediocrity. Make things that excite you. Always move forward. 

Kim Tong-Hyung in Seoul contributed to this report.

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

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This new attempt includes Nobel peace laureates Mairead Maguire of Northern Ireland and Leymah Gbowee of Liberia, who worked to end those long-running conflicts.

Ahn has said the women are being advised by former U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson, and that the U.N. Command at the DMZ has said they would be willing to facilitate their crossing once South Korea’s government gives its approval. 

Comic book artist Norman Lee, who was best known for his artistry in the comic book series “X-Men,” “The Avengers,” and “Supergirl,” went missing during a snorkeling trip in the Cayman Islands.

Although a search was initially underway for Lee, it has since been called off with Lee presumed dead. It’s a tragic story for fans of Lee’s work. May he rest in peace. 

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{HUANG cont’d from page 1}

Call it the “Fresh Off The Boat” effect — as in, we’re finally starting to see more Asian Americans land lead roles thanks to the ABC sitcom — but this has been a busy month for casting news. Actress Lana Condor has been cast as teenage mutant superhero Jubilee in “X-Men: Apocalypse.” Condor is a newcomer to Hollywood.

A CBS remake of “Rush Hour,” the popular action-comedy movie franchise that starred Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, has been greenlit for television. Actor Jon Foo has been cast as Detective Lee (or, Chan’s character equivalent from the films).

Foo, who is a British actor of Chinese and Irish descent, is a trained martial artist

Speaking of “Fresh Off The Boat,” the ABC sitcom has sparked a series of potential copycat shows. A production company named Crybaby Media, which specializes in developing reality television and docuseries, is apparently on the search for a reality show counterpart of “Fresh Off The Boat.” The producers are seeking second generation Asian Americans with first generation parents, family-run businesses, and big personalities. If that doesn’t sound like a knock-off of the original “Fresh Off The Boat” sitcom, then I don’t know what does!

On Nickelodeon, the popular kid’s network has picked up a new scripted comedy series titled “Make It Pop!” Inspired by the K-pop craze in recent years, the sitcom will feature original songs and performances in every episode. “Make It Pop!” follows three girls who come together to start their own K-pop-inspired band and stars Louriza Tronco, Megan Lee and Erika Tham — all Asian American teenage girls — in the three lead roles.

This is exciting, unprecedented news, and a show that I totally wish existed when I was 11-years-old. Again, could we chalk the creation of this show to the recent success

PRODUCE

has partnered with Hollywood producers to put out a new biopic centered on Lee’s life and career. The film is currently being hyped as “the definitive biographical film” on Lee, which will focus heavily on his philosophies, artistry, and the obstacles that he had to overcome throughout his career. Casting is currently underway and promises to please even the most diehard of Bruce Lee fans.

Casting news: Television and film

In recent years, Disney has remade some of its most classic animated films into live-action movies, such as “Cinderella,” “Maleficent,” and “Alice in Wonderland.”

With subsequent box office success from these films, Disney has now announced “Mulan” as its next major motion picture remake.

Based on Chinese folklore of female warrior Hua Mulan, the film follows Mulan who disguised herself as a man to take her father’s place and fight on behalf of her family in the army. No word yet on casting, but rest assured that this news will continue to make waves in the Asian American media and entertainment scene for months to come.

A new Bruce Lee biopic has been announced and vetted by the family of the legendary martial arts icon. Lee’s family

A farewell to Norman Lee

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asianweekly northwest

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APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015

■ arts & entertainment

Aaina Festival: 10 years empowering South Asian Women

By Andrew Hamlin Northwest Asian Weekly The Tasveer organization holds its tenth annual Aaina Festival, devoted to focusing on South Asian Women through the arts April 24 through April 26th in Seattle.

Tasveer co-founder Rita Meher took some questions over email.

NWAW: This is the tenth year for Tasveer’s Aaina Festival. What have been the biggest changes to the festival over the years?

Rita Meher: In 2006 Tasveer created Aaina: South Asian Women’s Focus specifically to serve South Asian women and girls of the Pacific Northwest. This festival focuses on and celebrates the artistic and activist work of South Asian women through performance art, visual art, films, workshops, and conversations aimed at highlighting issues critical to the empowerment of South Asian women. We claim it to be the only South Asian Women Festival in the country, possibly a unique one globally.

The festival has grown stronger year by year. One big challenge for the festival was to find an intimate space to host “Yoni Ki Baat” (the South Asian adaptation of the “Vagina Monologues”) and the five-month practice space.

In initial years we would have to scout for a location every year. Now we have found a permanent space at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, with a very successful collaboration with Gardner Center for Asian Art and Ideas. We are thankful to their ongoing support.

Another unique change we have put in place for this festival is that every program of the festival is led by two women and this method provides a leadership opportunity and empowerment for these women, in leading a program in the festival with very little guidance from the festival directors. We also recruit new “Yoni Ki Baat” directors

every year and give chances to women who have not directed before.

NWAW: What are the most unexpected directions the Festival has experienced?

Rita Meher: When we started Aaina and “Yoni Ki Baat,” our goal was to provide a safe, non-judgmental, bold space and platform for South Asian women and girls. In recent years we have seen an increase in support from the men in our community as well. We put extra effort for men to speak on any issues during our program called Community Speaks. We are proud to say it is a very popular program among the men.

Having encouraged women from all walks of life to perform in Yoni Ki Baat has expanded its outreach and turned both participants and the audience members to be

activists in their own right. It has started a conversation about the strengths and weaknesses as a culture and community.

NWAW: How did the “Yoni Ki Baat” live theater project get started? How has it grown and changed over the years?

Rita Meher: “Yoni Ki Baat” started in 2006 as a single script, and over the years the women who took part in it made it what it is today! A very unique feature of Yoni Ki Baat is that it features a new director (or co-directors) each year.

Each director has ideas on how to bring out the core issues that we want to talk about in “Yoni Ki Baat.” {see AAINA cont’d on page 12}

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ world news

APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015

9

More than 300 fishermen rescued from slavery from Indonesian island

By Robin McDowell and Margie Mason Associated Press

TUAL, Indonesia (AP) — The same trawlers that had enslaved countless migrant fishermen for years carried more than 300 of them to freedom Saturday, following a dramatic rescue from a remote Indonesian island that many men believed would likely be their final resting place.

After 17 hours overnight at sea, the men, mostly from Myanmar, took their first steps of freedom.

They filed off the boats and walked to the site of their new temporary home where they were finally safe.

They moved in an orderly, single-file line with colored ribbons tied around their wrists to identify which of the six vessels had brought them. They were tired from the long, cramped journey, but smiled and laughed while talking about the new lives they were about to start. At one point, a group sang and clapped their hands. But mostly, the fear of being beaten or killed by their captors had finally lifted.

“I’m so happy, I wanted to go home for so long,” said Aung Aung, 26, who lifted his hair on

Recently rescued Cambodian fishermen clap their hands while singing after their arrival in Tual, Indonesia. They were among hundreds of migrant workers revealed in an Associated Press investigation to have been lured or tricked into leaving their countries and were brought to Indonesia to be forced to catch seafood. (Dita Alangkara/AP)

the left side of his head to show a fat, jagged scar stretching from his lip to the back of his neck — the result of a machete attack by his

captain’s son. “I missed home and especially after I was cut ... I was afraid I would die there.”

The Burmese men were among

hundreds of migrant workers revealed in an Associated Press investigation to have been lured or tricked into leaving their countries

to go to Thailand, where they were put on boats and brought to Indonesia. From there, they were forced to catch seafood that was shipped back to Thailand and exported to consumers around the world, including the United States.

In response to the AP’s findings, an Indonesian delegation visited the island village of Benjina on Friday and offered immediate evacuation after finding brutal conditions, down to an “enforcer” paid to beat men up.

The officials from the Fisheries Ministry offered the men a chance to leave, fearing they would not be safe if they stayed on the island after speaking out about the horrendous labor abuses they endured.

About 320 men took up the offer. Even as a downpour started, some dashed through the rain.

They sprinted back to their boats, jumped over the rails and threw themselves through windows.

They stuffed their meager belongings into plastic bags, small suitcases and day packs, and rushed back to the dock, not wanting to be left behind. {see FISHERMEN cont’d on page 13}

■ community news

The streetcar gets a test run Sakura-con 2015:

Mayor Ed Murray tested out the first of the new First Hill streetcars Friday, March 27. The baby-blue street car was tested on the Jackson route in the International District.

Mayor Murray and news media were invited to get on board.

The project cost $134 million.

There are currently 30 electrician and machinists Pacifica Marine (Seattle based) and 10 workers from the Czech Republic from train supplier Inekon.

So why baby blue? There actually many colors, representing the different routes through the variety of Seattle neighborhoods that will be using the streetcar. Baby blue was picked for First Hill due to all the hospitals and babies born in the neighborhood. The Chinatown International District will have two colors: red and yellow.

Little Saigon will get a jade green car to represent Vietnam. Pioneer Square, in honor of its history with the Klondike Gold Rush, will have a metallic gold car. Capitol Hill will have a hot pink streetcar to display the neighborhood’s diversity, and South Lake Union will have an orange streetcar to represent the iconic presence of Amazon in the neighborhood.

Although there were many de-

Costumes everywhere

Mayor Murray addresses media

First Hill streetcar gets a test ride in the ID

lays with the project, passenger service is expected to begin this

summer. 

Over 20,000 individuals from around the world swarmed the 18th annual Sakuracon in spectacular costumes on April 3 to 5 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. Many cosplayers slaved away for hours sewing and assembling to make sure their costumes were perfect. This convention consisted of Anime theaters, gaming, cosplay, cultural panels, dances, concerts, and more. There were over 100,000 square feet of exhibit halls. Sakura-Con is the northwest’s oldest and largest an-

ime, manga (comics), gaming, and Asian culture convention. Hosted by the Asia Northwest Cultural Education Association, a 501(c)(3) non profit, Sakura-Con began in 1998 as a small, three-day event, a party for anime fans at the Double Tree Inn, in Tukwila Washington. The convention has grown dramatically over the years in terms of size and mission. It is operated by a 100% all-volunteer staff. It is the oldest and most well attended anime convention in the Pacific Northwest. 

asianweekly northwest

10

APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015

■ PUBLISHER'S BLOG

OPINION

What is the Wing’s fundraising formula for success?

Ellen Ferguson and Paul Mar

Mona Locke and Gary Locke

Photos by John Liu/NWAW

The Wing Luke Asian Museum’s annual fundraising dinner is the envy of many Asian community organizations. This year yielded another record-breaking amount, $460,000 raised, a 13 percent increase from last year.

The amount they raise each year, keeps increasing. How does the Wing do it?

Find champions

Having a generous board is important, but the board president has to set high standards. Ellen Ferguson, co-president of the Wing, is the highest contributor every year. Although she isn’t Asian, she believes in social justice, and her enthusiasm for the Wing is contagious. Last year, she donated $10,000 during the “ask” for the Wing’s youth program, and no one followed her lead.

This year, she jumped it up to $15,000.

Surprisingly, Paul Mar, another board member, reciprocated. Yes, another $15,000!

“Ellen has done a lot for the museum and not just donating money,” said Gloria Wakayama, Wing’s former co-president.

An inspiring theme

Earlier, the museum held a big celebration for the Luke’s 90th birthday (see http:// www.nwasianweekly.com/2015/03/winglukes-90th-birthday-celebration-revealsfascinating-history/). Inspired by Luke’s 90th, the dinner committee decided to recognize Asian American pioneers who have been instrumental in the museum’s success in its early years. Many of them are now 90 years old.

These individuals still look fantastic, unbelievably youthful, and in good health.

Their stories were amazing, and their presence brought wonders and support for the Wing. What an incredible gesture! And they brought along their friends and family too.

“It made me feel young,” said one of the guests who applauded for the 90-years-old folks.

Multi-generations featured

What fascinated the audience was the Wing’s ability to bring the old and young together as part of the program. The students talked about what they got out of the museum’s Youthcan program.

“Get your boss promoted, so you can get his job,” was what Christina Nguyen, one of the students, learned from Abe Goo, former Boeing president.

Stars are welcome

Many “Who’s Who” were in the audience,

Amy Nikaitani, 90 years old and still going on strong

including Mona and Gary Locke, former governor and U.S. Ambassador to China, Seattle City Councilman Bruce Harrell, and wife Joanne, former Supreme Court Justice Bobbe Bridge and husband Jon, and former State Representative John S. Eng.

No long speeches

The program was organized and scripted to allow as many people on stage as possible, but no one gave lengthy remarks.

The change of pace was fast, and there was never a dull moment.

The only ones who dominated the scene were the auctioneer and his reader for auction items. That’s the way it should be.

Focus on Asian American art

The majority of their auction items were sold above their listed price. “What we have matches the interest of those who came (for the event,)” said Beth Takekawa, the Wing’s executive director.

From Aki Shogabe’s Japanese papercutting techniques of waterfalls to Roger Shimomura’s pop art imagery on sociopolitical issues of Asian America, the Wing’s auction artwork was one of a kind.

It focused on the art of Asian Americans rather than Asian national artists. By doing this, the Wing has made a strong statement promoting ­­ Asian American artists and that their talent is special, if not unique.

Attract a new crowd

Many Asian community events I attended have the same audience. The Wing is one of the few venues that is able to attract the mainstream to support the event. These mainstream folks have deep pockets and are {see BLOG cont’d on page 15}

Want to get the inside scoop on the latest happenings of Seattle’s Asian American community? Follow Publisher Assunta Ng’s blog at nwasianweekly.com under the Opinion section.

Molly Maeda, 90 years young

Bill Chin (standing), Jeni Fung, and Cal Fung also 90 years young

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015

11

OPINION

■ editorial

Not fair

More concerns about standardized testing The statistics are staggering. At Stuyvesant High School in New York City, a public school, in a body of 3,000 students there are seven (yes, believe it or not—SEVEN out of 3,000) African American students. Admittedly, there is a high population of Asian Americans at Stuyvesant, but certainly the number of African Americans is clearly disproportionate.

Keep in mind, students are tested to get into the prestigious public school, way before they are thinking about college.

But speaking of college, the College Board announced March 4 that it is overhauling the SAT, dropping the timed essay and focusing less on vocabulary in order to level the playing field a bit for high school students from a wider range of families. According to research from the College Board and the Washington Post, the data shows that wealthier Americans tend to do better on the test. As do white and Asian Americans, and those students who had the opportunity to take the PSAT in high school before taking the SAT. SAT scores are highly correlated with income. Students from families earning more than $200,000 a year average a combined score of 1,714, while students from families earning under $20,000 a year average a combined score of 1,326. The writing test has the widest score gap, perhaps explaining why College Board officials are dropping the essay. {BACK WAGES cont’d from page 3} six to seven day workweek. A number of the workers were paid less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, and none of them received overtime pay for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. Both businesses were located in Bellingham’s Bellis Fair Mall.

“Dozens of brave men and women will now get the long overdue back wages they rightfully earned following years of abuse, trickery and retaliation,” said Janet Herold, the department’s regional solicitor in San Francisco. “This verdict is a warning to others: We will find you and the courts will back us when employers try to shortchange their workers to maximize profits.”

The department brought the case to court to stop the business owners, who have since divorced, from continuing to break the law and to recover wages owed to 101 cooks, kitchen helpers, cashiers, and masseurs. The jury awarded the back wages and also awarded compensatory damages to four

What is going on here?

Once relegated and associated with college admissions (SATs, ACTs), the standardized testing extreme is now prevalent through all ages of schooling. Even kindergarten.

Yes, even kindergarten.

“Of all the criticisms of the Common Core State Standards, to me the most serious is that the kindergarten standards are inappropriate and not in line with what research and experience tells us about how young children learn. In a nutshell, if a child

employees who had suffered retaliation, including threats, reduction of hours and, finally, termination of employment because they refused to be silenced about the defendants’ labor law violations.

The FLSA requires that covered, nonexempt employees be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour as well as time and one-half their regular rates for every hour they work beyond 40 per week. The FLSA also prohibits employers from retaliating against employees and requires employers to maintain accurate records.

These proceedings were held in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The department was represented by its regional Office of the Solicitor in Seattle.  For more information about the FLSA, call the Wage and Hour Division’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) or its Seattle office at 206-398-8039. Information also is available at http://www.dol.gov/whd.

is not reading by the end of kindergarten, they are failing,” says Andy Russell, who teaches in the Seattle Public School system. “It’s about worksheets and assessments as teachers try desperately to meet these ridiculously new expectations.”

More parents are opting out of standardized testing for their children, especially here in Seattle. Because is it truly fair?

Research shows that students with the highest SAT scores are those who can afford the “prep” classes that can acclimate students with the test. Often these prep courses can run up to almost $1000.

What is also concerning is the amount of time in the classroom focusing on students passing the core curriculum standardized tests.

According to Russell, this school year in Seattle there will be a new set of standards, which, even though they were rolled out over a three-year period, still bear little resemblance to what students actually have previously learned or are even capable of learning at each particular grade and a new standardized assessment coming up this spring that teachers know next to nothing about and which (by the test creators’ own estimates) 60 percent or more of our students are expected to fail. 

{WANG cont’d from page 3} work off immigration debts through prostitution. Aboulafia was sentenced in 2014 to two years in federal prison. The victim had a Thai passport and is believed to have worked as a prostitute from the apartment. According to people who knew Saosawatsri, it was known that she was working as an escort and advertised her services online.

Bellevue police identified Wang on Saturday afternoon April 4th as the suspect in the homicide. Police reviewed calls to Saosawatsri’s phone and identified Wang as the suspect. Surveillance video of the apartment where the homicide took place reveals a man, now identified as Wang, entering the building an hour before the fire alarm sounded. The video showed the man leaving the apartment building carrying a bag. Wang was arrested wearing the same clothing that he had on in the apartment surveillance video.

Wang had no prior criminal history. He

is currently held on $5 million bail.

Wang worked as a translator for a car dealership but that dealership claims that Wang left suddenly taking with him $18,000 and everything from his office at work. He also is wanted in small claims court for taking money from others. At least one case has him taking $5,000 for a car deal.

It is the first homicide in Bellevue this year and the first one under newly appointed Bellevue Police Chief Stephen Mylett.

“The evidence that we have is strong and he will be brought to justice,” stated Mylett. The native of Texas was appointed Bellevue Police Chief in March.

Bellevue Police are working with other authorities in bringing Wang back to King County where he will be prosecuted.  Jason Cruz can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

{GOOD FRIDAY cont’d from page 4} tourist Tracy Sengillo. “It’s really fascinating.”

Devotees undergo the crucifixions in the belief that such extreme sacrifices are a way to atone for their sins, attain miracle cures for illnesses or give thanks to God. Similar reenactments were held in other villages around Pampanga and in other provinces, but San Pedro Cutud attracts most crowds.

Before the crucifixions, hundreds of barefoot devotees walked the streets whipping their bare backs with bamboo sticks dangling from a rope.

“I started doing this when my mother got sick, kidney problem. I vowed and prayed to God so that she could be cured,” said electrician Marvin Tao, 25, who has been a flagellant for nine years.  Associated Press writer Teresa Cerojano in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.

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asianweekly northwest

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APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015

{AAINA cont’d from page 8} The participants and directors start meeting in late fall and attend workshops devised by the directors until the performance—which typically spans five months. The directors are challenged to bring out the stories from the participants which acknowledge female sexuality as an essential aspect of identity. The performers in turn create narratives that shed light on the special challenges and opportunities experienced in the South Asian socio-cultural context. Because each year, there are new participants and directors, no story is the same, new people are brought into the fold.

For the first couple years, there were very few women who participated in “Yoni Ki Baat.” The scripts were borrowed.

However, unlike the initial years, all the scripts are now written by the participants, all local South Asian women.

The biggest and most gratifying change has been to see the Seattle and especially South Asian community come and support the festival! We now have a record number of audience members, the list of participants is long, and there is continued support of the community throughout the year.

NWAW: Who will be performing “Yoni Ki Baat” this year?

Rita Meher: This year’s directors are Pallavi Garg and Ashika Chand. We have nine women performing.

They are all local and come from all walks of lifestudents, professionals, teachers, mothers! You can find more about them at: http://aaina.tasveer.org/2015/index. php?cID=123#sthash.k6irgJTE.dpbs

{OKAMOTO cont’d from page 1} Okamoto said he is interested to be the “caretaker” the job requires. Clark’s last day will be April 12. The University of Washington has appointed her as the director of regional and community relations.

The council states on its web site that it likes to “appoint an experienced ‘caretaker’ who pledges not to seek election to the council this year,” until the term expired by the end of the year.

“I am uniquely qualified,” Okamoto said in his usual cool and no-nonsense manner. He said he is a rare candidate who knows Seattle, and has the experience of working in three different departments of the city, including being director of Human Resources, Human Services, and Engineering with 10 years total working for the city at different stages of his career, serving Mayor Ed Murray and Norm Rice. He understands finance, transportation, energy, growth management, public works, economic development, trade and all the issues the city is dealing with.

“I have been effective in every place I’ve been,” he said.

“I have been in management as well as on the labor side.”

He cited his leadership as CEO of the Washington Educators Association (WEA) during some turbulent times when WEA was involved in challenging the state in the McCleary case that proponed the state should be responsible to fund education.

NWAW: Please describe the “You Follow” film. How was it selected?

“You Follow: A Search for One’s Past” features Indian adoptee Nisha Grayson and is directed by South Asian film maker Sharmila Ray. It provides a rare in­-depth look into Nisha’s world as she explores her evolving identity while returning to her roots. Following the film, an interactive panel comprised of South Asian women adoptees will draw connections between the film and audience to the themes of women’s agency, voice, resilience, culture, family, and empowerment found within the film.

genders, to share experiences of self-determination and empowerment at Community Speaks. Community Speaks is a creative community forum where people share your stories, expressed through any form of media (spoken, video, paintings, written, photography, dance, movement).

We are also happy to accommodate people who would like to share their story but wish to remain anonymous.

Gupshup Artist Showcase: Every year we showcase about four or five local South Asian women artists in various unique disciplines. This year we have Savita Krishnamurty, Yasmin Christopher, Rashmi Tritha, Kamini Raghavan & Sapna Dhar.

NWAW: What other attractions does the festival have this year?

SAPWN (South Asian Professional Women Network): Another program that was launched at Aaina was SAPWN in April 2011. ­­SAPWN is hosting a panel on Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Join us for a panel discussion themed “How female entrepreneurs are changing the world with creative innovation.” We have a great group of female entrepreneurs from Seattle joining us as panelists.

Youth Voices: Youth Voices is a platform for South Asian youth to express issues about their identity. A platform like no other, it provides a safe space to discuss issues of identity, sex, abuse, love without judgement. This year Jaya Ramesh and Angeli Bhatt will lead and facilitate the Youth Voices program. We are inviting youth to join for a game of Frisbee, pizza and a talking circle on bullying.

Community Speaks: We invite South Asians, all

NWAW: What’s in the future for Tasveer, Aania, and yourself?

This year I am co-directing Aaina with Rituja Indapure.

A goal for Tasveer is to also find a permanent place for the film screening, an office space, some paid help to join the Tasveer team. Leading the administrative work of Tasveer can get very tedious. My dream is to find more help and funding to support those positions. 

“WEA came out stronger after (the challenge). Members accepted the increase and approved the dues increase.

“I have the state, local, and the Port (of Seattle) experience.” Okamoto was the chief administrative officer of the Port and also the Assistant Secretary for the State Department of Transportation.

Okamoto said it would be disruptive if the fill-in person has to campaign and fund-raise for election. He could just focus on the city governance and decisions made for the city’s interests.

Presently, the city is going through challenges, Okamoto said. “I get excited [for the opportunity ] to work on meaty issues by bringing resolutions among council members.”

Okamoto said he has turned down opportunities which pay more.

Asked if he considers himself an insider or outsider in city government, he replied, “Neither. I am an independent. I understand the policies and system, but I represent a perspective of the citizens of the city, who don’t have a voice.” This reflects his history, when his family was being discriminated against. His father, a Japanese American, couldn’t get a job after he returned from internment after World War II. The City’s Fire Department was one of those few places who would hire his father as a mechanic, according to Okamoto. Because of his father’s influence, Okamoto’s mantra is to serve. That means working in the public sector and

representing the voiceless such as immigrants, children, and people outside the structure.

Okamoto described his leadership style as “collaborative, strategic, innovative, and inclusive. Listen carefully looking for common interest and see what will inspire the movement of the group for a common vision and find a path forward.”

Okamoto needs five votes from the council to get the job. He said his relationship with the council has always been “cordial…I get along with everyone.”

Okamoto received his bachelor’s of arts and master’s of public administration from the University of Washington, and special program training from the Harvard Business School and Northwestern University.

The application deadline for the interim council member will be April 14. Finalists will be announced on April 20.

Finalists’ presentations will be held on April 22 at the City Council Chamber. The council will announce its appointment on April 27. 

For the Aaina Festival schedule, visit http://aaina.tasveer. org/2015/#sthash.KadILIzc.dpbs. For background on Tasveer and its festivals, visit http://www.nwasianweekly. com/2014/10/film-festival-evolves-tragedy-seattle-southasian-film-festival-features-theme-daring/.

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

As of press time, the Northwest Asian Weekly learned that Sharon Maeta will also be running for the same seat.

Both candidates are aware they are running for the same position.

Assunta Ng can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly. com.

KING COUNTY INVITATION TO BID Project: WPTP Control System Replacement: EPS, Chlorination, Water Reuse, Incineration & Solids Building, C00893C14 Sealed Bid Time/Date: 1:30 p.m., May 19, 2015 Location Due: King County Procurement & Contract Services Section, Contracts Counter, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 Engineer’s Estimate: $2,000,000 - $2,500,000 Scope of Work: Install new Owner-furnished Ovation control system panels in the Solids Building area and Owner-furnished Ovation control component sub-panels and components inside of Liquids panels in the EPS Control Room, Chlorine Building, Water Reuse, North Chlorine Mix Structure areas and Solids Odor Control. Install Operator Shelter and HMI panel in the Water Reuse area and temporary field panels in the Chlorine Mix Structure areas. Cut over the control loops for processes in the EPS, Dechlorination, Hypochlorite, Water Reuse, Incinerator, Solids Thickening, Dewatering, Polymer handling and Truck loading areas to remove connection from the old PLCs and connect the new Ovation I/O. Demolish all abandoned control equipment and wire.

Work site: West Point Treatment Plant, 1400 Discovery Park Blvd, Seattle WA 98199.

Contact Information: Darren Chernick, Contract

Specialist, 206-263-9321, TTY Relay: 711, or Darren.Chernick@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 Pre-Bids / Site Tours: April, 21, 2015, 9:30 a.m. or April 28, 2015, 1:00 p.m., Administration Building, West Point Treatment Plant, 1400 Discovery Park Blvd, Seattle WA 98199. A site tour will be conducted immediately following the conference. FAILURE TO ATTEND ONE OF THE MANDATORY MEETINGS AND SITE TOUR WILL RESULT IN A NON-RESPONSIVE BID DETERMINATION. A sign in sheet will provide evidence of attendance. It is your responsibility to ensure your sign in and out. Hard hats, steel toes & safety vest are required onsite.

Subcontracting Opportunities: Structural (equipment pads), Communications (cable terminations & testing), Instrumentation & Controls, Mechanical Piping Apprenticeship Requirements: 10% 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 206-382-1177.

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 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

APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015

13

For the week of April 11–April 17, 2015

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat — You will get a preview of things to come. If it is not quite what you were hoping for, it is time to take action now.

Dragon — Subtlety isn’t exactly your forte. You usually say what is on your mind, but you might want to tread carefully this week.

Monkey — Petty annoyances come and go. Instead of getting upset, save your energy for the things that really matter.

Ox — From what you have been hearing through the grapevine, not all is as calm as it seems. It is in your interest to figure out what is going on.

Snake — Though you didn’t get what you first set out for, that which you gained instead is turning out to be of greater value.

Rooster — Avoid falling in the trap of wanting something simply because of its scarcity. It will likely cost far above what it is actually worth.

Tiger — Sticking to the original plan may not be possible at the moment. A small deviation should not be a big deal.

Horse — You suddenly have some free time coming up. What you do with it yields a very promising opportunity far from home.

Dog — Good news has been tempered by some additional information. However, in balance, you should come out on top.

Rabbit — When more than one person wants to lead, the dynamics can become a little tense. Figure out ahead of time who will make the final call.

Goat — Planning a celebration could become very involved. Be sure to share the duties upfront so that you don’t end up doing it all.

Pig — There is no benefit in getting too far ahead of yourself. Do the best you can with the information you are aware of.

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.

{FISHERMEN cont’d from page 9} After arriving on the island of Tual on Saturday afternoon, the men were given traditional packets of Indonesian rice wrapped in paper. Those who were sick or injured were offered medical care by paramedics inside ambulances.

The ministry has expressed some concern over how to feed so many people for an extended period of time, but a large open-air pavilion is being provided for the men to sleep under.

The accommodation is crude with a concrete floor, but it has a roof to keep them dry and, most importantly, they are safe.

Officials from Myanmar are set to visit the islands next week and will assist with bringing the men home and locating others who are still trapped.

Friday’s unexpected rescue came after a round of interviews Indonesian officials held with the fishermen, where they confirmed the abuse reported in the AP story, which included video of eight migrants locked in a cage and a slave graveyard.

The men talked of how they were beaten and shocked with Taser-like devices at sea, forced to work almost nonstop without clean water or proper food, paid little or nothing and prevented from going home.

There was essentially no way out. Benjina is in the far reaches of Indonesia and so remote, there was no phone service until a cell tower was installed last month, and it is a difficult place to reach in the best of circumstances.

Some of the men said the abuse went even further at the hands of an Indonesian man known as “the enforcer.” He was {AVIATION cont’d from page 4} Pacific region from 2008 to 2012 “involved deficiencies in regulatory oversight,” the International Civil Aviation Organization said in a report this year. Another 27 percent involved “deficiencies in safety management.”

Meanwhile, the agency’s recent audit of Thailand has produced disquieting revelations about what lies below the surface of a country that has marketed itself to the world as a safe and welcoming destination.

The agency informed governments in March of “significant safety concerns,” prompting several Asian nations to step up inspections of Thai airlines or block them from launching new flights and modifying schedules.

The leader of Thailand’s military government, which ousted its civilian predecessor in a coup last year, blamed years of neglect for allowing problems to accumulate to a critical mass.

He said the civil aviation department has only 12 inspectors, a figure unchanged for years despite huge growth in tourism.

The dictator has vowed to use his authoritarian powers to overhaul aviation, but it’s unclear whether sweeping changes can be implemented fast enough to avoid a damaging downgrade of Thailand’s safety rating.

Ross said Thailand’s problems are not unique and stem from the “superfast expansion that’s been taking place over the last 10 years.” Aside from hurting tourism, the ICAO warning could also prompt insurance companies to raise their rates for airlines operating in Thailand.

Passenger numbers in Asia-Pacific have risen by a third over the past five years to 1.1 billion, and the region now accounts for 33 percent of global air passenger traffic, according to the International Air Transport Association. That proportion is forecast to grow to 42 percent within the next two de-

deeply feared and hated by the workers, who said he was hired by their boat captains to punish them for misbehavior.

The findings documented by Indonesian officials and the AP came in stark contrast to what a Thai delegation reported from a visit to Benjina earlier this week when they searched for trafficked Thai nationals. They denied mistreatment on the boats and said the crews were all Thai, even though the AP found many migrant workers from other countries were issued fake documents with Thai names and addresses.

Thailand, the world’s third-largest seafood exporter, has been under further pressure to clean up its industry since the AP tracked a boat of slave-caught seafood by satellite from Benjina to a port outside of Bangkok. Records then linked it to the supply chains of some of America’s largest supermarkets and retailers and among the most popular brands of pet foods.

The U.S. State Department said Friday that it is pressing Myanmar to quickly repatriate the men. U.S. companies also called for action and commended Indonesian officials.

“We don’t condone human trafficking in the supply chain, and we applaud the government’s work to end this abuse. Our hearts go out to these men, and we wish them well on their journeys home,” said Marilee McInnis, spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the U.S., which was among those the AP found with supply chains linked to tainted seafood.

The International Organization for Migration has said there could be as many as 4,000 foreign men, many trafficked or enslaved, who are stranded on islands surrounding Benjina

following a fishing moratorium called by the Indonesian Fisheries Ministry to crack down on poaching. The country has some of the world’s richest fishing grounds, and the government estimates billions of dollars in seafood are stolen from its waters by foreign crews every year.

Three-quarters of the more than 320 migrant workers who left the island on Friday were Burmese. Others were also from Cambodia and Laos, and a few Thais were allowed to board the boats. However, the Indonesians said most Thai nationals could stay on Benjina more safely, since Thai captains were less likely to abuse them.

Many of the men hugged and jumped in the air when they learned they were finally leaving the island, but others worry it will be difficult to readjust to the countries they left behind.

Phong Myant Aung, 37, worked on trawler for six years and said he was constantly physically and verbally abused and not given medicine when he got sick.

His face lit up when asked how he felt as a free man. But when the question turned to what he would do when he returned to Myanmar, his eyes slowly filled with tears and he struggled to find words.

“I really don’t know. I have no education,” he said, pausing to wipe his cheek. “My parents are old, I want to be with them.” 

cades as an extra 1.8 billion passengers take to the skies.

Another big source of concern is Indonesia, where in December an AirAsia jet carrying 162 people plummeted into the sea as it ran into stormy weather on its way from Surabaya to Singapore.

The disaster, which was the first ever fatal plane crash for the popular budget operator, was one of five suffered by Asian carriers in a 12-month span. The flight itself was unauthorized

by Indonesian authorities, showing up laxness in its aviation oversight.

Flying is often the easiest travel option in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of 17,000 islands that’s home to 250 million people.

IATA is worried that regulations and infrastructure aren’t being updated fast enough to keep pace with Indonesia’s expansion. The Southeast Asian country’s air travel market is forecast to triple over the next 20 years to 270 million passengers, making it the world’s sixth biggest.

“I am very concerned about safety in Indonesia,” IATA director general and former Cathay Pacific Airways CEO Tony Tyler said in a speech to Indonesian aviation officials in Jakarta last month. He noted the country has had at least one crash in which a plane has been written off every year since 2010.

“There is a safety problem here,” he said. “It’s not going to solve itself.”

Tyler pointed out that the country needs to upgrade its air traffic management system to cope with the rising number of aircraft in the skies and future increases. Airlines have more than 800 new aircraft on order.

Despite the high profile of airline disasters in 2014, stemming in part from the double Malaysia Airlines tragedies, the airline industry asserts it was a relatively safe year for flying.

The total of 12 fatal accidents was below the five-year aver-

age of 19 and so called “hull losses,” the write-off of airplanes from accidents fatal or nonfatal, was its lowest ever. From another perspective, however, it was a particularly tragic year.

Including Flight 17 shot down over Ukraine which isn’t included in the industry’s accident tally, 939 people were killed in planes last year compared with 210 the previous year.

But what experts say is most relevant is whether safety will be compromised as air travel expands relentlessly in a region where countries range from advanced to among the world’s poorest with huge differences in capacity to manage the safety of their air space.

“I think we’re at a turning point where we either maintain this relatively good level of safety” in Asia “or it declines,” said Ross.

Discount carriers account for about 60 percent of Asia’s passenger capacity, up from nearly nothing a decade ago, according to CAPA-Center For Aviation. Asian airlines have about 1,600 aircraft on order, more than are in operation, according to the group, including more than 500 ordered by Indonesia’s Lion Air, which is barred from flying into European Union airspace.

The surge in jet numbers is also choking major air corridors and taxing air traffic controllers. The recent disasters have led to renewed calls for reforms to unify fragmented safety regulations in Southeast Asia.

The official report on the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 released in March illustrated the need to bring standards in line, said Shukor Yusof, founder of Malaysiabased aviation research firm Endau Analytics.

The transcript of the chatter reveals confusion between air traffic controllers in two countries as they struggle over several hours to deal with the plane’s unexpected disappearance. 

Mason reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. Associated Press writers Martha Mendoza in San Jose, California, and Bradley Klapper in Washington contributed to this report.

asianweekly northwest

14

APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015

{EXPO SHOWS cont’d from page 5} typhoons.

Globally, disaster-related spending is on the rise as losses from weather-related catastrophes surge. Heeding estimates showing that $1 spending on prevention can yield up to $36 in savings from losses, in 2012-14 the World Bank allocated $1.4 billion on preparedness, nearly half the $3 billion committed to post-disaster rebuilding.

Takahisa Kishimoto of Teijin Frontier Co., a subsidiary of textiles giant Teijin, was peddling a blanket with hand-holes that can be used to haul an injured person out of a disaster zone when a stretcher isn’t handy.

Many of the exhibitors in Sendai traveled from Japan’s western industrial center of Osaka, seeking to expand into northern Japan and beyond. That includes Takashi Torano, a disaster expert at Fujiwara Industry Co., a maker of tsunami escape towers, among many other types of disaster equipment.

Fujiwara also makes beds fitted with overhead steel slats to shield up to three adults from falling debris.

“The idea is to create a safe space in the home,” said Torano. Other offerings included an emergency kit for helping extricate people from collapsed houses, and hard-

hats designed to look like baseball caps.

“You can walk around town and not have to worry about a quake knocking something onto your head,” Torano said.

On a larger scale, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Products Co. and contractor Shimizu Corp. have developed an “anti-seismic surgical floor” to keep operating tables steady in case of a quake.

As it strives to revive the sluggish economy, the government is aggressively peddling disaster-related technology.

At the U.N. conference, the Japan Bosai Platform Bureau, set up with support from the Land and Transport Ministry, was offering its one-stop online service center for major construction and building materials companies hoping to export their products and expertise.

The Japanese government announced plans this week for a new 10-year risk management strategy intended to slash in half estimated deaths and damages in the earthquake-prone Tokyo region.

Apart from retrofitting buildings and reducing congestion in fire-prone riverside districts, the government intends to stockpile 72 million meals, 6 million blankets and 54 million-use portable toilets.

While the earthquake simulator, all-terrain vehicles and other big-ticket items drew the biggest crowds in Sendai,

some of the more innovative products were on a much smaller scale. Like the “Opticure Splint,” made of a resin that when exposed to LED light hardens into a light but strong and supple cast for immobilizing broken limbs, or even whole bodies, in the case of an infant.

“Handling babies whose backs or necks are broken has always been a big problem because there is no neck brace to fit them,” said Yoshikazu Matsumoto of Alcare Ltd. Medical Engineering Laboratory, a Tokyo-based startup.

On an even smaller scale, Icomes Lab Co., a mechatronics company affiliated with Iwate University in Iwate, one of the areas hardest hit by the 2011 tsunami, was displaying micro-pumps that can be used to feed IV drips to a patient without having to keep the bag of solution high enough to rely on gravity.

One of the biggest exhibitors in Sendai was Japan’s military, which was showing off a wide array of vehicles, tents, open air clinics and portable kitchens it has developed for use in disasters.

Soldier Kazuma Kita beamed as he explained the use of a huge, open air public bath that was deployed during the 2011 crisis to help keep victims and rescuers clean, soothing both bodies and spirits.

“We helped 120,000 people to relax,” he explained. 

Service Directory The American Legion Cathay Post 186

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Mandarin, Cantonese & Korean Interpreter available

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Visit www.nwasianweekly.com.

{CRAPSER cont’d from page 1} a Korean bible and a pair of flip-flops: the only items he had with him when he was adopted at the age of three. In another incident, Crapser was charged with violating an order of protection for attempting to phone his son by an ex-girlfriend.

Crapser does not shy away from his past. He told Oregon Live: “I’m responsible for my actions, and I’ve done my time. Please, just listen to the details… If I’ve really done something so bad, then I’ll take my punishment. But I’ve been around a lot of real criminals; I’ve been around a lot of people who don’t care.

I care. I want to be here. I want to stay here. So I just ask everybody to please, you know, have some leniency on me. … All I want to do is be the best American I can be. I don’t want to be this broken, screwed-up guy.

Just don’t take me out of the United States.”

At the first court date of his deportation proceedings, Adam Crapser’s lawyer described how Adam is a changed man, trying to find redemption for a troubled past that included poverty, unemployment, and homelessness. He is now married with three children, and a fourth on the way. Having grown up almost entirely within the United States where he has survived untold abuse, Adam Crapser now faces deportation to a country he doesn’t know and which would forcibly separate Adam from his family.

Yet, regardless of these details, the State has so far elected to pursue deportation proceedings against Adam Crapser. At the hearing, the US government blindsided Adam’s legal team with two additional allegations against Adam. When asked by the judge whether Adam had a plea to enter with regard to the deportation, his lawyer — Seattle-based immigration lawyer Lori Walls — asked for more time.

Adam’s next court date is scheduled for June 18th.

Since his story first appeared on AAPI blogs, momentum has swelled in support of Adam Crapser’s fight to remain in America.

Adoptee advocates in support of Adam Crapser’s legal fight joined forces with 18MillionRising to start an online petition asking ICE to drop the deportation proceedings against Adam.

Meanwhile, two Democratic US senators — Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) — are proposing a new bill that would grant automatic citizenship for all transnational adoptees.

Numbers are currently unavailable for the number of American transnational adoptees who have been deported back to countries they do not know, but at least a few individual documented cases have been reported.  To support Adam Crapser’s cause, sign the petition at http:// action.18mr.org/crapser/ and tweet your support to #KeepAdamHome.

Jenn Fang can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015

{ACT cont’d from page 1} to just UW students. Local non-profit organizations, employees, high school students, and others interested in the topic participated in the insightful conference.

Former Governor Gary Locke kicked off the day by sharing some of his cultural identity experiences growing up in Seattle.

As a son of Chinese immigrants, Locke personally struggled with his identity growing up, and called it a painful time. Although he and his family grew up in an ethnic neighborhood, they would still have their hands slapped if they didn’t have a traditional American breakfast.

Locke explained that his parents wanted to instill traditional Chinese values onto him, but he rebelled and caused them a lot of grief.

“Some of us went to Chinese school but we didn’t want to learn Chinese, we wanted to be 100 percent American,” he explained.

It was tough for Locke because there was almost a desire to stamp out anything that was ethnic among their identities.

Because of his own experiences, Locke realized that it’s important to be involved in the community and help people of different backgrounds to assimilate and maintain the Asian culture.

“We cannot forget that we live in the land of immigrants… Wave after wave of immigrants have contributed to society,” he said.

He also expressed how crucial it was for people to be involved in government and politics.

“America is truly a land of possibilities,” Locke said.

In addition to Gary Locke’s keynote speech, the conference consisted of 10 different workshop sessions on identity and “allyship,” cultural performances, panel discussion on the experiences of leaders in unity and “allyship.”

UW microbiology major Maianna Dematteis

Gary Locke shared his challenging experiences as a young child growing up in an ethnic neighborhood

is a Chinese adoptee who grew up with a white family. She heard about the conference through a friend, and thought the opportunity would be a great way to dig deeper into her Asian roots.

She attended the session about the model minority and bamboo ceiling because she had heard about the terms, but wanted to learn more about them.

The group also discussed some of the success stories from their own families, and the different trends and stereotypes that define the “model minority” in today’s society.

Another UW student Jenny Chang didn’t feel comfortable with the term because of how other ethnic groups were portrayed due to Asian Americans being the model minority.

In another session about the model minority and “Orientalism” led by UW Tacoma lecturer Tanya Velasquez, xenophobia and the fear of being displaced was discussed.

The group watched the infamous UCLA “Asians in the Library” by Alexandra Wallace as well as a few reaction videos by David So and Beau Sia. In this age of social media, there are various ways to express resistance and it’s important to check your own privilege before lashing out at others, Velasquez explained.

Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon’s Leng Yang felt that the model minority

15

and Orientalism was created by the system and people who aren’t Asian.

During the break, entertainers like Che Seyhun, KHSA students, Sameth Mell and Mic Flont & Khingz performed and shared some of their cultural identity experiences through music and prose. Mell and Mic Flont & Khingz also led afternoon workshops.

Following the performances, Francisco Irigon, Lisa Woo and Maria Leninger were panelists on the topic of unity and allyship in the community.

Irigon reflected on his college days where he was arrested for social activism. In fact, he was the first Asian American to serve on the UW student government.

“No one will give you power, you take it,” Irigon expressed.

Leninger said that there aren’t a lot of women or people of color in politics so sometimes she ends up being an ambassador for those women and people of color.

She echoed Locke when she said that the best way to engage in the community is to show up, vote, volunteer, and be politically active.

The afternoon workshops focused on allyship, cross cultural alliance, building coalition, student and community activism and developing trust in the communities.

Judge Dean Lum who has served on the King County Superior Court since 1998 concluded the day with his own thoughts and reflections.

Asian Coalition for Equality works to engage self-identified Asian and Asian American individuals through conversations and events centering on our daily truths.  For more information, visit http://depts. washington.edu/civilr/aa_ace.htm.

Nina Huang can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

Block print ready for auction

Artwork by Roger Shimomura

Lucky 8 Horses painting by artist Lolan Lo Cheng

Artist Lolan Lo Cheng (left), and John Eng, former state rep. (middle) and his wife Sandy Chock Eng (right), who bought Cheng’s horse painting for $3000

Photos by John Liu/NWAW

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

{BLOG cont’d from page 10} used to bidding big and high. They understand this is for a good cause, and looking for deals shouldn’t be their goal.

Bruce Lee helps

The current Bruce Lee exhibit definitely helps to bring awareness of the museum, said Beth. People were still buying tickets at the last minute for the dinner. Attendance for the

museum had shot up 70 percent lately. There were local visitors who came to the exhibition who had never been to the Chinatown/ International District before.

Despite all the worries the organizing committee had at the beginning, it turned out to be unwarranted. It didn’t matter that the date they picked had a lot of schedule conflicts such as the Final Four games, spring break and yes, even close to the tax filing deadline date—people came anyway. It didn’t matter

{DRUG SMUGGLERS cont’d from page 3} Leonard Arpan Aritonang, a lawyer for the two Australians, expressed disappointment but added that the ruling did not stop them from seeking another legal option. ““We will file constitutional review in the next two weeks to ask the Constitutional Court to redefine and to emphasize what is the president’s obligation in relation with the clemency,” Aritonang said.

that the event day, April 4 was supposed to be unlucky in Asian culture. The word “four” rhymes with death in some Asian countries.

Seattle Westin Hotel’s ballroom was packed with 490 guests and dozens of volunteers.

Looking back when the Wing was only able to raise $1200 during the “ask” in 1997, Beth said she was surprised how supporters just “open up” their wallets and of course, their hearts for the Wing. 

The Australians’ legal team has complained that the presidential decrees rejecting the clemency did not provide reasons why they were rejected.

Jakarta executed six drug convicts including five foreigners in January, brushing aside last-minute appeals from Brazil and the Netherlands.

More than 130 people are on Indonesia’s death row, including 57 drug convicts. 

asianweekly northwest

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APRIL 11 – APRIL 17, 2015