VOL 36 NO 18 | APRIL 29 – MAY 5, 2017

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

VOL 36 NO 18

APRIL 29 – MAY 5, 2017

FREE 35 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Photo by Stacy Nguyen/NWAW

Fil-Am Seattle Indian Center nominated opposes Navigation Center for solicitor American Indian organization that helps homeless individuals really sick of City’s broken promises. general

From left: (standing) Sahar Fathi, Emily Alvarado, and SIC board chair Jim Price.

By Stacy Nguyen NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY On the morning of April 24, City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods representatives came down to the Seattle Indian

Noel Francisco

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

BORN IN CHINA

Noel Francisco was named as the nominee to be the solicitor general for President Donald Trump’s administration. It is a key position within the administration — acting as the attorney for the federal government before the

How many people does it take to make a roll this size? » see 8

see FRANCISCO on 13

CALENDAR » 6

ASTROLOGY » 13

By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has relieved Dr. Vivek Murthy of his duties as U.S. Surgeon General.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services says Murthy was see MURTHY on 16

see OLYMPIC STADIUM on 16

■

Baseball players, a boxer, and a fencer. » see 9

Olympic Stadium wood controversy Citing a significant breach of the commitment to a sustainable 2020 Olympics, Japanese and international environmental groups called on April 21 for an urgent independent investigation of the use of tropical formwork plywood in the construction of the new National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo.

On April 3, investigators found that the plywood used to mold concrete for the stadium construction had markings from a notorious Malaysian logging company.

Shin Yang is one of the ‘Big Six’ logging companies of Sarawak, Malaysia, where illegal logging is widespread and the destruction of forests is one of the most extreme cases in the world.

According to a 2015 report by Global Witness, Shin Yang has cut down over 100 acres of forest a day in Borneo,

Dr. Vivek Murthy

SUDOKU » 6

THE LAYUP DRILL

Photo from the Japan Sports Council.

Trump administration removes Indian American Surgeon General

see SEATTLE INDIAN CENTER on 12

LONGEST SUSHI ROLL

Review on the new documentary from Disney. » see 7

COMMUNITY » 2

Center (SIC), ostensibly to go through a three-part agenda that included introductions, a presentation, and a Q&A session — ostensibly to productively discuss the City’s new community

Construction site of the new Tokyo Olympic National Stadium.

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

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35 YEARS

APRIL 29 – MAY 5, 2017

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS

Dow Constantine (second from left) and wife Shirley Carlson chatting with Omura.

From left: Masahiro Omura, Akiko Omura, Jenny Li, and Tomio Moriguchi.

Omura singing with the Evergreen Glee Club.

A farewell party was held for the Consul General of Japan on April 24. Masahiro Omura has served in Seattle since 2013. About 200 people attedned the event

including Uwajimaya chairman Tomio Moriguchi and his wife Jenny Li, King county executive Dow Constantine and his wife Shirley Carlson. Omura also took part in a

rendition of “Eikou no Kakehashi” with the Evergreen Glee Club. 

Seattle JACL 95th annual banquet awardees

Noodle making fun

Kai Market opens

Four people were honored on April 8 at the Seattle JACL 95th Annual Banquet.

The event called, “Our Community: 75 Years After E.O. 9066” raised more than $70,000 for civil rights programming, youth scholarships, From left: Honorees Larry Gossett, GOBO co-founder Brenda Handley, and Family 2.0 Enterprises Densho executive director Tom Ikeda, and — a multicultural Elsie Taniguchi. conference for API LGBTQ youth, their families, and allies. Larry Gossett was honored with the Civil Rights Achievement Award, Elsie Taniguchi with the Sam Shoji Unsung Hero Award, Densho with the Community Engagement Award, and Gobo Enterprises with the Corporate Award. 

Sherwin Tsao demonstrates his unique way of making noodles to attendees.

Members of the Taiwanese American Professionals - Seattle (TAP-SEA) rolled up their sleeves and learned how to make noodles on April 23 in Bellevue.

Participants enjoyed the fruits of their labor — the handmade noodles served with different three types of sauces made from scratch. 

Kai Market, an Uwajimaya spinoff which opened in South Lake Union this week, is having its grand opening on May 3.

The store — at 400 Fairview Ave N — features an left: Store director Warren Hutch, array of Asian From development manager Miye Moriguchi, and CEO staples and con- Denise Moriguchi. diments, Asian snacks, and beverages, as well as seafood dishes to grab on the go.

For its official grand opening on May 3, Kai Market will be giving out a free snack bag with purchase to the first 250 customers.

Leaders of Uwajimaya believe the smaller-format store means the company can expand to more areas without having as much of a cost commitment. 

trashion fashion

$250 and more in prizes Please fill out all the fields below: Name: ___________________________________ _________________________________________ Address: _________________________________ _________________________________________ Phone: ___________________________________ E-mail: ___________________________________ _________________________________________ Brief description of your design: _______________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ ________________________________________ Designer: _________________________________ Model: ___________________________________

TITLE SPONSOR

CO-CHAIR: Gei Chan PLANNING COMMITTEE: Belinda Louie, Stacy Nguyen, John Liu, Assunta Ng

NWAW’s 2017 FASHION DESIGN CONTEST

THE OBJECTIVE: Design a wearable outfit or garment that incorporates recycled materials and/or NWAW/Seattle Chinese Post newspapers.

Entries due {July 3} Trashion Show {July 15} TO ENTER, SEND: — Your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address.

— Up to to 3 photographs of your design — A brief description of your work Entries can be directed to RSVP@NWASIANWEEKLY.COM or mailed to: Northwest Asian Weekly Attn: Trashion Fashion 412 Maynard South Seattle, WA 98104 (Multiple entries and all ages welcomed!)

Finalists will be announced in the NWAW’s {JULY 9} issue. *Finalists must be available to showcase their designs on {JULY 15} at Chinatown/International District Dragon Fest to be eligible for prizes.

PRIZES: First Place: $250 + goodies + announcement in NWAW/SCP Second Place: $150 + goodies + announcement in NWAW/SCP Third Place: $100 + goodies + announcement in NWAW/SCP Honorable Mentions: Announcements in NWAW/SCP *If you need newsprint for your design, please come to the Asian Weekly’s office at 412 Maynard Avenue South to pick up back issues.

2015 1st place winner julie stone & Karissa Lew ► bit.ly/23vQmIK

2016 1st place winner rebecca bartenetti ► vimeo.com/175177387

Photo by Assunta Ng/NWAW

Photos by George Liu/NWAW

Farewell to Seattle’s Consul General of Japan

YOUR VOICE

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

APRIL 29 – MAY 5, 2017

asianweekly northwest

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Photos by Andrew Okada/NWAW

Phnom Pros Phnom Srey

By Andrew Okada NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY The University of Washington (UW)’s Khmer Student Association marked its 21st annual Cambodian New Year Show on April 15. Hundreds of students and community members alike rocked up to the UW Husky Union Building Ballroom dressed to the nines to enjoy a catered meal, cultural performances, and bare witness to the hilarity of the nightlong rendition of Phnom Pros Phnom Srey: A Tale of Two Mountains.

The emcees for the night kicked things off with a hard hitting plea for support of the quickly fading Khmer language program at the UW, stressing the importance of fostering a community in which Khmer culture could be explored and shared. Following these personal testimonies, they wasted no time jumping right into the long set list of performances they had lined up for the night, with the big attraction of the night being the theatrical reenactment of Phnom Pros

Phnom Srey: A Tale of Two Mountains that comprised the framework for the show as a whole.

Throughout the performance, the student ensemble embraced their cultural idiosyncrasies, dropped cultural jokes, and seamlessly transitioned between languages to keep their diverse audience engaged. They delivered a truly humorous and lovable performance. The story played out in segments over the course of the evening, punctuated by shorter but equally fascinating artistic performances.

Between the various scenes and acts, audiences were

captivated by elegantly choreographed dances, reveled in cultural songs, and were charmed by the bilingual bantering of the emcees throughout the night.

Approximately 300 community members turned out for this year’s show. The genuine passion for culture exhibited by the students was not only a testament to the unity of UW’s Khmer community, but an optimistic nod to its continued strength in the years to come. ■ Andrew can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

asianweekly northwest

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APRIL 29 – MAY 5, 2017

35 YEARS

■ WORLD NEWS

Chinese jihadis’ rise in Syria raises concerns at home

By BASSEM MROUE and GERRY SHIH ASSOCIATED PRESS BEIRUT (AP) — Many don’t speak Arabic and their role in Syria is little known to the outside world, but the Chinese fighters of the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria are organized, battled-hardened and have been instrumental in ground offensives against President Bashar Assad’s forces in the country’s northern regions.

Thousands of Chinese jihadis have come to Syria since the country’s civil war began in March 2011 to fight against

China defends granting trademarks for Ivanka’s company BEIJING (AP) — China is defending its handling of trademark applications from President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her company, saying that all such requests are handled fairly.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lu Kang was asked about the trademarks on April 19, a day after The Associated Press reported that Ivanka Trump had won provisional approval for at least five marks since her father’s January inauguration.

Three of those approvals were granted April 6, the day Ivanka Trump and her husband sat next to Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife for dinner at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Lu said that China follows the law in granting trademarks and “the principle of giving equal protection to foreign trademark holders.”

Asked about the timing of the April 6 approvals, Lu said: “There are perhaps

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some media engaging in hyping certain gossip to hint at something undisclosed. I can tell you that they will never succeed.”

Beyond the provisionally approved trademarks, Ivanka Trump Marks LLC has 16 registered trademarks in China see TRUMP on 14

API Heritage Month Celebration The Asian Pacific Islander (API) Heritage Month Celebration will be held at the Seattle Center Armory on May 7 from 11:45 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Organizers are expecting 15 performances on stage this year. The headliner is a Filipino a capella group called Filharmonic — they were featured in the movie Pitch Perfect 2 and NBC’s musical competition, Sing-Off. The always popular Hum Bow Eating Contest has been renamed the “Alan Sugiyama Hum Bow Eating Contest” in Sugiyama memory. The lifelong local community activist passed away in

see CHINESE JIHADIS on 11

(206) 568-0903

■ BRIEFLY

By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

government forces and their allies. Some have joined the al-Qaida’s branch in the country previously known as Nusra Front. Others paid allegiance to the Islamic State group and a smaller number joined factions such as the ultraconservative Ahrar al-Sham.

But the majority of Chinese jihadis are with the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria, whose vast majority are Chinese Muslims, particularly those from the Turkic-speaking Uighur majority native to Xinjiang in China. Their growing

January after a long battle with cancer.

The theme of this year’s contest is “The Battle of the TV stations.” Five teams from KOMO (Ryan Yamamoto and Morgan Chesky), KING (Lori Matsukawa and David Espinosa-Hall), KIRO (Natasha Chen and Patranya Bhoolsuwan), KCTS (Enrique Cerna and FlorAngela Davila), and Q13 (Aaron Levine and Annie Andrews) will duke it out.

There will also be children’s activities, a cultural display of nations, and food trucks. Admission is free and open to the public.  For more information visit apiheritage. com.

Sealed bids will be received for C01163C17, Porter Reach Restoration Project - 2017; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 1:30 PM on May 11, 2017. Late bids will not be accepted.

The Porter Reach Restoration Project is a flood and fish habitat restoration project that consists of removing a section of the Porter Levee, setting it back along SE Green Valley Road (GVR), and raising a section of GVR adjacent to the setback levee. GVR protection includes a buried and exposed large loose riprap embankment, large wood deflector jam, and roughening logs anchored to boulders. Habitat features within the floodplain include installation of a backwater channel, buried and exposed habitat wood jams, snags and debris piles.

Estimated contract price: $2,864,000 Pre-Bid Conference: May 3, 2017, 10:00AM, Auburn Library, 1102 Auburn Way S, Auburn, WA 98002, with a site tour conducted immediately following the conference. Hardhats, safety vests and boots are required for site tour.

There is a 10% minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement on this contract.

There is a 15% minimum requirement for King County Certified Small Contractors and Suppliers Complete Invitation to Bid Documents, including all project details, specifications, and contact information are available on our web page at: https://procurement.kingcounty.gov/ procurement_ovr/default.aspx

APRIL 29 – MAY 5, 2017

YOUR VOICE

■ NATIONAL NEWS

asianweekly northwest

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Muslim teen wins right to box competitively in hijab MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Muslim teen boxer from Minnesota who hopes to one day compete in the Olympics has won a fight to wear a hijab during matches in the U.S. Amaiya Zafar will also be allowed to cover her arms and legs in accordance with her religious beliefs while competing in her first sanctioned match on April 29 in Minneapolis under a USA Boxing exemption, The Star Tribune reported. The organization normally requires boxers to wear a sleeveless jersey and shorts.

“This is a big step,” said, Nathaniel Haile, her coach. “She’s put a lot of labor into this. She earned the right to showcase her skills, and I’m happy for her. But it’s just the first step in letting her achieve

Amaiya Zafar

her dreams.”

The 16-year-old from the Minneapolis suburb of Oakdale was turned away from a fight in Florida in the fall when boxing officials told her she could not wear leggings, long sleeves or her hijab, which is the headscarf worn by some Muslim women.

Zafar has been ready to jump into competition for some time.

“You get so invested,” she said. “My weight is in the right place.

My head is in the game.”

Zafar said her goal is to compete in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. She still would have to persuade the international boxing organization, the AIBA, to allow her to box in her modest attire. ■

Students push for Hmong American studies program

More Asian American women getting breast cancer

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A group of Hmong American undergraduates is pushing administrators at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to hire more faculty who study the ethnic group and to launch a program through which students can earn a certificate in Hmong American studies.

Sophomore Myxee Thao and several other students of Southeast Asian descent formed the Hmong American Studies Committee, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. The group envisions a program focusing on “Hmong Americans in America today” and seeks courses on culture, educational policy, history and social welfare.

The committee also wants the university to open a Hmong cultural center on campus, similar to a hub for black students that is opening this semester.

Students at the university can currently

By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

earn a certificate in Asian-American studies, and the university’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies offers six semesters of Hmong language courses.

Other classes include Hmong American experiences among other topics.

“As a student who’s been taking these courses, it’s simply not enough,” Thao said.

University officials say it’ll be hard to make the students’ idea a reality as state budget cuts have led some of the university’s departments to slash jobs.

Greg Downey, associate dean for social sciences at the university’s College of Letters and Science, said the university has kept funding for its broader AsianAmerican studies program stable amid cuts in other departments. But he said there aren’t any plans to hire new faculty see PROGRAM on 14

A study published earlier this month reveals that Asian American women have seen an increase in breast cancer diagnosis over the past 15 years — although Japanese women were exempt from this.

The study focused on the seven major Asian populations that migrated to the United States — Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Vietnamese, South Asians (Asian Indians and Pakistanis), and Southeast Asians (Cambodians, Laotians, Hmong, Thai).

Researchers from the Cancer Prevention Institute in California (CPIC) examined the prevalence of cancer incidences by age and stage among Asian American women in the San Francisco Bay Area, from 1988 to 2013. They found, in that time period, 45,721 invasive breast cancer cases were

identified in their chosen population.

The research found that the largest increase of breast cancer incidences occurred in Korean, South Asian, and Southeast Asian women. As for the exemption of Japanese women, it seems the lack of increase has to do with the group having already experienced the spike earlier. “[South Asian, Vietnamese, and Southeast Asians] also happen to be the most recently immigrated groups ... Their patterns are mirroring what we saw for Japanese Americans back in the 1970s and 1980s,” said lead researcher Scarlett Lin Gomez.

Asian American women may also be prone to a more aggressive type of breast cancer than other racial groups, the CPIC study found. see CANCER on 14

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APRIL 29 – MAY 5, 2017

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR APRIL NOW THRU MAY 3

ANIME MOVIE FESTIVAL Seattle Cinerama Theater, 2100 4th Ave., Seattle 7 p.m. cinerama.com

27 THE ASIAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND AND LOCAL LEADERS DISCUSS THE STATE OF AAPI STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION Northwest Wine Academy, South Seattle College, 6000 16th Ave. S.W., Seattle 6–8 p.m.

Free

29 SUKIYAKI DINNER Japanese Baptist Church, 160 Broadway, Seattle $9–$15 jbcseattle.org ASIAN STUDENT COMMISSION PRESENTS 29TH ANNUAL TALENT SHOW Kane Hall, 1410 N.E. Campus Parkway, Seattle 8–11 p.m.

AAJA SEATTLE DIM SUM SATURDAY AAJA Seattle 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

WORLD TAI CHI QIGONG DAY Seattle Chinese Garden, 6000 16th Ave. S.W., Seattle 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

RE-EXAMINING IDENTITY THROUGH ART IN THE MODERN WORLD HOSTED

BY ARTIST QIN TAN & THE CULTURE SHOCK COLLECTIVE Asia Pacific Cultural Center, 4851 S.

Tacoma Way, Tacoma 4–7 p.m.

KERATON INDONESIAN FESTIVAL WITH GUEST PERFORMER JOSEPH VINCENT UW, Rainier Vista 4–9 p.m. isauw.org/Keraton2017

30 21ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED SEATTLE & BELLEVUE KOREAN SCHOOL Westin Bellevue Hotel, 600 Bellevue Way N.E., Bellevue 4:30–7:30 p.m.

425-638-1000, usbks.org

MAY 2

LEGAL WORKSHOP SERIES FOR THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY IN SEATTLE HOSTED BY INSTAWORK Optimism Brewing Company, 1158 Broadway, Seattle 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Free

3 RECEPTION & PANEL DISCUSSION, “HISTORY, CONFLICT & PROMISE CIVIL RIGHTS AT THE UW” UW Seattle Campus, Walker Ames Room, Kane Hall 7:30 p.m.

RSVP by April 26 uwalum.com/civilrightsuw 206-543-0540 KAI MARKET GRAND OPENING 400 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle 10 a.m. kaimkt.com

35 YEARS

6 ICHS’ BLOOM GALA WITH GUEST EMCEE LORI MATSUKAWA FROM KING 5 Sheraton Seattle Hotel, 1400 6th Ave., Seattle 7–9 p.m. $150 by April 9 $175 after April 9 206-788-3672, christinel@ichs.com CHINESE RECONCILIATION PROJECT FOUNDATION ANNUAL DINNER AND AUCTION The Ming Palace, 8736 S. Hosmer St., Tacoma 5 p.m. $65/ticket $520/table of 8 253-330-8828 tacomachinesepark.org EL CENTRO DE LA RAZA PRESENTS THE 12TH ANNUAL CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATION El Centro De La Raza, 1660 S. Roberto Maestas Festival St., Seattle 12–4 p.m.

RSVP on facebook.com/elcentro72 C-ID SPRING CLEAN 2017 Seattle’s Chinatown-International District 8 a.m.–1 p.m.

KING STREET ENHANCED GREENWAY: REIMAGINING THE RIGHT-OF-WAY HOSTED BY INTERIM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION 1025 S. King St., Seattle 2:30–5 p.m. eventbrite.com ANNUAL FUNDRAISER TO BENEFIT COMMUNITY OUTREACH MINISTRIES AND PROGRAMS, “THE BIG TAKE OUT” St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King St., Seattle 12–5 p.m.

206-323-5250 stpeterseattle.org

TASTE OF ASIA, LEARN TO COOK STIR FRIED KOREAN STYLE SQUID

BY REGINA CHAE APCC, 4851 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma 11 a.m.

253-383-3900 asiapacificculturalcenter.org/tasteofasia

7 SOUTH SEATTLE’S FIRST VR POP-UP EVENT New Holly Gathering Hall, 7054 32nd Ave. S., Seattle 3–6 p.m.

Free admission washingtontechnology.org SEATTLE CENTER FESTÁL: ASIANPACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION Seattle Center, Armory 11:45 a.m.–5 p.m.

Free admission apiheritage.com KODOMO NO HI OR CHILDREN’S DAY FESTIVAL Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington, 1414 S. Weller St., Seattle 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

206-954-1581, tylers@jcccw.org

10 HELPING LINK OPEN HOUSE FOR GIVEBIG 2017 Helping Link, 1032 S. Jackson St., Ste. C, Seattle 5–9 p.m. helpinglink.org/givebig

12 CELEBRATE ASIA Benaroya Hall, 200 University St. 7 p.m. seattlesymphony.org

View the solution on page 14

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APRIL 29 – MAY 5, 2017

YOUR VOICE

asianweekly northwest

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■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT “Here Lies Love” puts the audience in the nightclub, the war, and the psyche

By Andrew Hamlin NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY “You won’t believe it,” said one of the lady ushers to an audience member, before the balcony opened up for seating. “They’ve redesigned it inside so it looks exactly like a nightclub.”

Indeed, the main floor for “Here Lies Love,” a rock opera, or as its creators refer to it, a “poperetta,” looked exactly like a hip, happening “Club Millennium” as the DJ in charge dubbed it, replete with flashing lights, blinking lights, huge video screens displaying video art from wireframe vector graphics to images of Imelda Marcos and her family. Ms. Marcos, the subject of the evening, sat on-screen in a

posed portrait with her family, including her husband Ferdinand, ruler of the Philippines from 1965 to 1981.

Darkness lay over the dance floor itself (people like to dance in the dark), and most crucially, I couldn’t quite tell who was a professional and who was an audience member, for the early going. That was deliberate, because the show’s creators — lyricist/conceptualist David Byrne, Fatboy Slim, who co-wrote the music with Byrne, choreographer Annie-B Parson, and director Alex Timbers — wanted the people who paid to get in, to become a part of the show. (The folks on the main floor, at least. Paying customers on the see HERE LIES LOVE on 15

■ AT THE MOVIES

By John Liu NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Born in China is the 10th film from Walt Disney Studio’s independent film group, Disneynature. These nature documentaries are usually released on Earth Day and Born in China was no different. One of my colleagues, who is not a movie fanatic, actually thought this documentary was about people. That was funny to me, but other Disneynature movies had more see BORN IN CHINA on 16

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35 YEARS

APRIL 29 – MAY 5, 2017

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

‘Longest Sushi Roll’ reenactment successful

At the 38th Annual Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival held on April 21-23, people of all cultures flooded the Seattle Center Armory to learn about Japanese culture and to watch a reenactment of the 1997 attempt to break the world record for the longest sushi roll.

Global music, dance, art, crafts, history, food, and insight were all presented through a unique partnership called Festál, which brings together community organizations and the Seattle Center.

Festál events captivate and enlighten festival-goers as they experience the distinct cultures that shape the character and course of their broader community.

“We looked back 20 years to when we first made the roll, because Seattle Center Festál is turning 20,” said Tazue Saski, Board Chair and Performing Arts Chair of the Seattle Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cultural Festival Committee. “That is where the idea to reenact the sushi roll came from.”

Volunteers reenacted its 1997 Guinness record title in the category of “Longest Sushi Roll.” Organizers created a roll of over 100 feet with the assistance of 14 fiveperson teams.

The sushi roll was a traditional Futomaki, which means “fat-roll” — with five items

Photos by Newroz Saribas/NWAW

By Newroz Saribas NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Team Wasabi rolling a traditional futomaki with five ingredients: seaweed, rice, celery, egg, dry gourd, mushroom, and pickled radish.

The 100 foot roll finished and ready to be cut and distributed to bystanders.

The roll was sliced into traditional size and shared with bystanders.

inside to ensure good luck.

“Rolls must have an odd number of ingredients,” said Lynn Miyauchi, member of the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle. “Celery, rice, seaweed, egg, mushroom, pickled radish, and dry gourd are in today’s roll.”

Miyauchi took part in the original 1997 world record breaking attempt. She was part of the same team last time and said the

thrill hasn’t changed.

Ben Erickson, a roller for the SeattleKobe Sister-City Association team, said that they did have a practice run, but some people were filling in, so they weren’t sure if as a team they could successfully roll the 100-foot sushi.

Erickson said that they were not trying to break the current world record held for longest roll achieved by Tamana Otawara

Festival Executive Committee in Japan at over 9,000 feet.

“We would need more Seattle for that,” said Erickson.

The 14 teams that participated were from groups in Seattle related to Japanese culture.

Aisha Fukushima, a local-born rapper see CHERRY BLOSSOM on 15

The Polyclinic welcomes cardiology specialist Elizabeth Chan, MD, FACC to our Madison Center location.

THE DOCTOR IS IN. Accepting new patients

Call 206.860.2302 to schedule an appointment.

Cardiology

APRIL 29 – MAY 5, 2017

YOUR VOICE

■ SPORTS

asianweekly northwest

Baseball returns and a Fil-Am woman becomes No. 1 in the world.

9

LEE KIEFER

THE LAYUP DRILL

EDWIN DIAZ NELSON CRUZ

JEAN SEGURA

FELIX HERNANDEZ

SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Welcome to another edition of The Layup Drill. In this edition, we take a look at the World Baseball Classic, an honor for a former major leaguer, and a new number one fencer in the world. But first, a little-known boxer from Thailand scored a huge upset.

Rungvisai upsets No. 1 boxer in world

Roman “Chocalatito” Gonzalez is considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. As a Super Flyweight (112-pound division), his quickness, foot movement, and overall skills are second to none. However, Thailand’s Srisaket Sor Rungvisai faced Gonzalez for his World Boxing Council Super Flyweight title last month as part of a big pay-per-view event in New York’s Madison Square Garden. Despite being a huge underdog, Rungvisai knocked down Gonzalez in the first round of the fight. The rest of the 12-round battle went back and forth, and despite

ROBINSON CANO

the fact Gonzalez fought back and stunned the Thai boxer with some stiff shots, he was able to counter and survive each flurry. Rungvisai earned a narrow victory from the judge’s scorecards.

The upset ended the 46-winning streak for Gonzalez, who was previously undefeated. A rematch is scheduled for June.

For Rungvisai, the win was the highlight of a career in see SPORTS on 13

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asianweekly northwest

10

35 YEARS

APRIL 29 – MAY 5, 2017

OPINION

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

AGE is just a NUMBER

Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte

President Donald Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump

Actor Hugh Jackman and wife Deborra-Lee Furness. She is 13 years older.

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

incorrectly. No, it’s true. Macron is 39, and his wife Brigitte is 64. She was his high school drama teacher when he was 15.

Macron must have overcome a lot of obstacles to marry the love of his life. It shows he is not a man of insecurity, and that he appreciates maturity in his mate. What he values towards women is not based on physical attributes or youth.

When he was 18, he told Brigitte that he was going to marry her. What determination and courage he displayed to pursue the woman of his dreams!

Love should not be defined by age. But social conventions said otherwise, especially when a younger man falls in love with an older woman. Some of Macron’s opponents have been attacking his marriage not only because of his wife’s age, but because she was married when her and Macron’s relationship began.

C’mon, why is nobody attacking President Trump who is also 24 years older than his wife, Melania? Also, this is his third marriage, and he had affairs during his earlier marriages.

In the past, conservatives would crucify candidates for such

misdeeds. However, in the 2016 election, Trump fans simply chose to overlook those flaws. Isn’t that a double standard when the woman is the older partner?

Society raises its collective eyebrows to couples like Macron and his wife. So they kept their relationship quiet at first. They were married in 2007.

It’s a terrible taboo in Asian cultures for younger men and older women to be together. I was raised in a traditional family that frowned on such relationships, and my relatives often doubted that those marriages would last. My parents objected to my brothers dating older women and of me for dating younger men. We were all scared to disobey our parents then.

Macron is a step grandfather to Brigitte’s seven grandchildren. That would drive my mother nuts — raising other people’s kids and taking care of someone else’s grandkids! My aunt would sneer, “For heaven’s sake, she (Brigitte) looks like his mom. Those are not his real grandkids.” Fewer people would describe a woman’s older

Far right, far left, center. It’s what divides the recent French election. I am fed up with ideological politics since the recent presidential election in the United States. The only fresh perspective I have is not for the French female presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, but her opponent, Emmanuel Macron.

You are surprised. Yes, I know. Being a feminist, why I am rooting for the man and not the woman? Both Le Pen, a far right and anti-immigrant politician, and Macron, who is more center, pro-Europe, and pro-globalization, are the frontrunners. Both will face off in a runoff election on May 7.

While the European Union fans celebrated Macron’s victory, another message was clear — voters’ acceptance of him marrying a woman 24 years his senior. His older wife has not turned off supporters.

When I heard the age difference, I thought I was hearing it

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Opening Remarks by Co-Emcees Tammy Le and John Chen Welcoming Remarks by Dorothy Wong, APDC Chairperson Michael Itti, Executive Director, CAPAA

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Hiraiti Mana, Hawaiian Dancers

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International Lion DanceTeam

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Hum Bow Eating Contest, Celebrity Contestants Emcee: Jeffrey Hattori, CEO, Keiro Northwest Battle of the TV Stations including teams from KCTS 9, KING 5, KIRO 7, KOMO 4, and Q13

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Seattle Thai Classical Dance and Music Group

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Featuring The Filharmonic A Capella Sensation NBC's Sing-off

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Morning Star, Korean Cultural Dance

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Shiori, Belly Dancer

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Kaze Daiko, Taiko Drum Group

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see BLOG on 12

APRIL 29 – MAY 5, 2017

YOUR VOICE

asianweekly northwest

11

OPINION

■ EDITORIAL

The tale of two states on opposite coasts, and education Earlier this month, New York decided to become the first state to offer four years of tuition-free public college to its residents.

Starting in the fall of 2017, any student from a family making less than $100,000 a year can qualify for free tuition, under certain conditions, such as a requirement to maintain a minimum grade point average and commit to living and working in New York for four years after graduation.

While there are arguments on whether free college is truly “free,” one thing is clear — New York made it happen.

NY has free college, WA can’t get K-12 funded Here in Washington, it has been more than five years since the Supreme Court’s 2012 McCleary v. Washington decision — a ruling that stated Washington, in violation of its own constitution, was underfunding public schools.

The Court has been fining the state Legislature $100,000

CHINESE JIHADIS from 4 role in Syria has resulted in increased cooperation between Syrian and Chinese intelligence agencies who fear those same jihadis could one day return home and cause trouble there.

The Turkistan Islamic Party is the other name for the East Turkistan Islamic Movement that considers China’s Xinjiang to be East Turkistan.

Like most jihadi groups in Syria, their aim is to remove Assad’s secular government from power and replace it with strict Islamic rule. Their participation in the war, which has left nearly 400,000 people dead, comes at a time when the Chinese government is one of Assad’s strongest international backers. Along with Russia, China has used its veto power at the U.N. Security Council on several occasions to prevent the imposition of international sanctions against its Arab ally.

Beijing has blamed violence back at home and against Chinese targets around the world on Islamic militants with foreign connections seeking an independent state in Xinjiang. The government says some of them are fleeing the country to join the Jihad, although critics say the Uighurs are discriminated against and economically marginalized in their homeland and are merely seeking to escape repressive rule by the majority Han Chinese.

Abu Dardaa al-Shami, a member of the now-defunct extremist Jund al-Aqsa group, said the TIP has the best “Inghemasiyoun,” Arabic for “those who immerse themselves.” The Inghemasiyoun have been used by extremist groups such as IS and al-Qaida’s affiliate now known as Fatah al-Sham Front. Their role is to infiltrate their targets, unleash mayhem and fight to the death before a major ground offensive begins.

“They are the lions of ground offensives,” said al-Shami,

a day since August 2015 for not obeying its McCleary ruling. Fines have now racked up to $61.5 million. That money could have gone toward funding public education!

The Legislature closed a 105-day session on April 23 without reaching an agreement on a two-year budget or any resolution on McCleary.

How much longer?

New York is paying for its free college through its state budget. The new program is expected to cost $163 million for the first year alone.

Washington, time is running out.

Lawmakers have spent the past five and a half years posturing and preening while doing little to solve the problem.

The Supreme Court has set a deadline of 2018 for a funding plan to be implemented, meaning that it must be finalized during this session. Then there’s the threat of a

who fought on several occasions alongside TIP fighters in northern Syria.

Xie Xiaoyuan, China’s envoy to Syria, told reporters in November that the two countries have had normal military exchanges focused on humanitarian issues, although Chinese officials have repeatedly rejected the possibility of sending troops or weapons.

In the last year, however, Chinese and Syrian officials have begun holding regular, once-a-month high-level meetings to share intelligence militant movements in Syria, according to a person familiar with the matter. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to reveal military secrets.

“These people not only fight alongside international terrorist forces in Syria, but also they will possibly return to China posing threat to China’s national security,” said Li Wei, terrorism expert at China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations and Director of the CICIR Institute of Security and Arms Control Studies.

Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said there are about 5,000 Chinese fighters in Syria, most of them with the TIP fighters in northern Syria who along with their families make about 20,000. Li, the terrorism expert, said Abdurrahman’s numbers are way too high, adding that he believes the number are about 300 Chinese fighters in Syria who brought with them about 700 family members.

“As the control of the passage along the borders between Turkey and Syria is being tightened, it is becoming more difficult for them to smuggle into Syria,” Li said.

Syrian opposition activists and pro-government media outlets say dozens of TIP fighters have carried out suicide attacks against government forces and their allies and for

government shutdown, which happens if no state budget, which includes K-12 school funding, is approved by July 1. And a May deadline will have school districts planning for layoffs if those districts are not assured of next year’s funding.

The overtime legislative session, which began on April 24, is costing taxpayers up to $20,000 a day.

Democrats blame Republicans. Republicans blame Democrats. The Senate blames the House. The House blames the Senate. This happens year after year after year.

Lawmakers — are you listening?

Citizens — call your lawmakers and demand action.

It’s time to get it done already!

Students who were in kindergarten at the beginning of the McCleary case are now in the 9th grade.

Let’s stop wasting time, look beyond “D” and “R” and do what’s best for our children. 

the past two years have led battles mostly in the north of the country.

The suicide attackers include one known as Shahid Allah al-Turkistani. He was shown in a video released by TIP taken from a drone of an attack in which he blew himself up in the vehicle he was driving near Aleppo late last year, allegedly killing dozens of pro-government gunmen.

In 2015, members of the group spearheaded an attack on the northwestern province of Idlib and captured the strategic town of Jisr al-Shughour on the edge of Assad’s stronghold of Latakia region. They reportedly damaged a church in the town and raised their black flag on top of it.

In late 2016, TIP was a main force to briefly break a government siege on the then rebel-held eastern parts of the northern city of Aleppo.

The role of the Chinese jihadis in Syria was a topic that Assad spoke about last month in an interview with Chinese PHOENIX TV, saying “they know your country more than the others, so they can do more harm in your country than others.”

Unlike other rebel groups, TIP is a very secretive organization and they live among themselves, according to activists in northern Syria. They are active in parts of Idlib and in the strategic town of Jisr al-Shughour, as well as the Kurdish Mountains in the western province of Latakia.

Abdul-Hakim Ramadan, a doctor who was active in Idlib province, said one of his teams was trying to enter a northwestern village to vaccinate children when TIP fighters prevented them from entering, saying only Chinese can go into the area.

Ramadan said unlike other fighters who have come to Syria, the Chinese have not merged into local communities and the language has been a major barrier. ■

KING COUNTY NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received for C01158C17, 2017 Countywide Pavement Preservation; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 1:30 PM on April 27, 2017.

Late bids will not be accepted.

Scope of Work: This project provides for the improvement of 33.67 miles of roadway in King County by grading gravel shoulders, removal of pavement markings, planing bituminous surfaces, roadway

excavation, pavement repair excavation, placing crushed surfacing base course and top course, paving with hot mix asphalt, concrete work on curb ramps and sidewalks, erosion control, planing and pulverizing pavement, minor clearing and grubbing.

Subcontracting Opportunities: Cement concrete curb, sidewalk, ADA features, trucking, temporary traffic control, induction loop replacement, detour signing.

Estimated contract price: $17,015,551.50 There is a 10% minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement on this contract.

There is a 10% minimum requirement for King County Certified Small Contractors and Suppliers (SCS) on this contract.

Complete Invitation to Bid Documents, including all project details, specifications, and contact information are available on our web page at: https://procurement. kingcounty.gov/procurement_ovr/default. aspx

asianweekly northwest

12

APRIL 29 – MAY 5, 2017

SEATTLE INDIAN CENTER from 1 outreach model and to build relationships — but the meeting, as planned, did not make it beyond introductions.

The meeting evolved into angry words from SIC staff and board members, as well as their community allies. SIC wanted to focus most of the conversation on its opposition to the upcoming Navigation Center, which will be housed in the Pearl Warren building in the International District — a building that, they say, is meant to be used primarily for American Indian/Alaska Native services. The Navigation Center, a 24-hour living facility for 75 of Seattle’s homeless individuals, does not fit the bill.

The City reps were not prepared for this discussion.

“I thought why you were calling me was because of the Navigation Center and the fact that we’re a part of Little Saigon and the International District,” SIC Executive Director Camille Monzon-Richards said to the reps. “But you just said you don’t even know about that.”

Eisenhower. They took all the Indians off the reservation because they found out, ‘Oh, there’s oil, and there’s ore.’ They had already taken from us and put us on the most horrible land. But then they took that land back when they realized it had oil. They put us into the city, telling us to be part of the melting pot, to assimilate. Bullshit.”

“Assimilation is: ‘We don’t like who you are, so become like us. … Who you are isn’t good enough for us. We want you to go to city and be like us,’” said Marissa Perez, of SIC. “We’re not even here because we choose to be here. We’re here because the government dumped us here.”

“The bottom line is, what happened many, many years ago continues to happen,” said Betty Patu, SIC board member and an American Samoan.

The Pearl Warren and Leschi buildings

History

Monzon-Richards holds onto her memories of Seattle tightly. She is a person who understands and has lived through context.

She grew up in the area that is now called the International District.

In 1886, the 350 Chinese residents of Seattle’s Pioneer Square — Seattle’s original Chinatown — were forcibly expelled by the white workers who would supplant them. These Chinese resettled south of Jackson Street. Japanese immigrants joined the Chinese at the turn of the century along with the Filipinos around the 1920s.

The Black population, which had been a presence in the area, experienced an uptick during World War II, when Black families inhabited emptied homes that used to belong to Japanese Americans — the homes were vacated because Japanese Americans were incarcerated by the U.S. government.

Around the same time, the U.S. government propelled its Indian termination policy forward with enthusiasm. This policy comprises a number of laws and policies designed to “urbanize” American Indians, moving them from Indian reservations to cities — Seattle was a “relocation city.” The idealized concept was that Indians would move off of rural reservations, move to the city, and get jobs, thereby lowering Native poverty rates.

The reality was that the Congress designed a program with the centuries-old, persisting belief that American Indians needed to abandon their traditions and assimilate for the sake of progressing civilization. American Indians suffered under low-paying jobs and urban poverty. They dealt with pervasive racial discrimination and segregation in cities.

Which is why and how the International District became known as such. It’s a unique district that is a melting pot of many different cultures — Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Black, Native, Jewish, Vietnamese — because of historical redlining and racial segregation.

“We were pushed onto reservations, stripping our culture from our children,” said Monzon-Richards, a member of the Tlingit tribe. “And when that didn’t work to the extent that the government wanted it to, there was the [Indian] Relocation Act [of 1957] under

The Navigation Center

The SIC has a longstanding history with the Pearl Warren building and its sister building across the street, the Leschi Center building — one that recently ended in anger.

(Notably, both buildings take their names from American Indians. Pearl Warren of the Makah tribe originally from Neah Bay, was one of the founders of American Indian Women’s Service League [AIWSL]. She was also the first executive director of the SIC. Chief Leschi was chief of the Nisqually tribe and reportedly against the forced relocation of American Indians onto reservations. He was wrongly convicted and executed for murder

by Washington state in 1858 before he was posthumously exonerated in 2004.)

The SIC is one of the American Indian/ Alaska Native-serving organizations that sprang from the AIWSL, formed in 1958 in response to the Indian Relocation Act. A group of American Indian women saw that the urbanization of the American Indians resulted in a population that was abandoned, jobless, illiterate, and left to fend for itself and formed AIWSL to tackle these issues.

SIC, an offshoot, was formed in 1972 and in 2016 provided 114,382 units of service.

About 27 percent of these service units help Asians and/or Asian Americans — its largest service population. Second is Black Americans, African Americans, and others of African descent — 25 percent. (Then Chicano and Latinos [20 percent], white [15 percent], American Indian/Alaska Native [7 percent], and Hawaiian Native and Pacific Islander [6 percent].)

The Pearl Warren and Leschi Center buildings used to be owned by the Seattle Indian Services Commission. The buildings were financed with tax-exempt municipal bonds guaranteed by the City.

In 2011, an audit by the Washington State Attorney General’s office painted a picture of mismanagement of the properties by the Commission. The SIC, which had been a tenant of Leschi since 1988, was behind $75,000 on its rent. (Monzon-Richards made the argument that the SIC had paid $5.7

BLOG from 10 husband as looking like her dad.

In this day and age, having an older wife can be practical.

Women live at least five years longer than men. For every four widows, there is only one widower.

However, it is a little extreme to have a 24-year gap between the partners. If having kids are a factor, the big

35 YEARS million into the Leschi Center over the course of its tenancy — she argued that the $75,000 owed in back rent was comparatively nominal and in 2013, the SIC was in the midst of getting back on its feet and had been paying the total amount of rent.)

The audit also found that a Commission administrator used the organization’s funds to pay personal debts. The buildings were poorly maintained and in need of repairs that the Commission was unable to afford.

The City, as guarantor on $6.7 million owed in bonds, took action, as it was liable in the event of default.

On Dec. 16, 2013, the City passed an ordinance approving the Commission’s decision to transfer the Leschi Center from the Commission to the Seattle Indian Health Board, one of the other tenants of the building.

The decision was marked with controversy, as it resulted in the ousting of the SIC from the Leschi Center. The Health Board stated that it needed the entire Leschi space to do its work.

City Councilmember Nick Licata sponsored a resolution declaring the intent of the City to retain social services provided by the SIC. The 2013 resolution stated, “[The] Department of Finance and Administrative Services [will] provide whatever assistance it can to the Seattle Indian Center to relocate as quickly as possible to a new facility in which it may continue to provide the services without interruption.”

Monzon-Richards said this was lip service and the SIC has gotten no help from the City since its ousting. “[The Leschi Center] was stolen from us,” she said.

Today, the SIC is still in the Little Saigon area of the International District, but it is operating — with difficulty — in a space at 1265 South Main Street, one that is a third the size of its former Leschi space.

“Look at [our current] facility,” said Perez, whose work helps American Indians victims of sex trafficking (according to Perez, 25 percent of sex trafficking victims are American Indian). “How am I supposed to bring in a victim who is 13 years old or younger? Where am I supposed to put her in this room? Where would she feel safe and secure? Where can I put here where she feels like she gets privacy? Unfortunately, the majority of people who victimize people like her are men.” The SIC operates services for homeless individuals, the slight majority of whom are men. “How is she going to feel safe when she hears the voices of men? I don’t have the facility to do our work.”

“It’s [the SIC’s] job to help the people in the surrounding area,” said Patu. “And to move them out of [the Leschi] building that they worked hard in and even paid for … This organization has worked hard for Seattle. To be brought here to a place that doesn’t actually fit what this organization is all about — I think it’s really a darn shame.

My being here today, I thought I might hear some good news about what the City will do for the Indian Center. If you were here to talk about how the Center can be part of the Pearl Warren building, that makes sense. … But I think we’re wasting our time. I don’t want to sit through a whole morning of what you expect us to listen to.” “[Seattle is] a city named after a Native American chief and allocates resources that are meant to benefit all people of color,” said James Bible, former president of the Seattle chapter of the NAACP and an attorney. “[But the City has] pit one Native organization against another, which has typically been

age difference is a challenge, especially when the female is past her childbearing years.

The French care much less about the love lives of their presidents. They are familiar with love triangles and affairs with former president Sarkozy Nicolas — who divorced his wife and married a model during his term; and current President Francois Hollande, who broke up with his longtime partner for a younger woman.

done to people of color. That is troubling. …

The people in this room are dedicated to social services and human rights. We’d like for you to go back to your bosses to say that there is a problem. … We always care about housing those who are homeless, but the Seattle Indian Center was providing that before. To systematically deprive them of what they can do — and to give them back limited capabilities — too often the Department of Neighborhoods has been used to do that, to divide communities of color.”

No resolution

“I want to say thank you,” said Sahar Fathi, division director of leadership development at the City’s Department Of Neighborhoods.

“To me, this is a very honest conversation, and I appreciate that you are honest with us. It also sounds like there is a lot of hurt in this room.

For what it’s worth, we want to be responsive to the extent that we can be. We definitely will take [these issues] back to our superiors. My question to you is, what else we can do?”

“The Navigation Center is going to be in an American Indian and Alaskan Native building,” said Monzon-Richards. “And it was taken from us in a wrong way.”

“Where is George Scarola?” asked community activist Frank Irigon, referring to the City’s director of homelessness.

“It doesn’t seem like this is the right department [that you need to talk to],” said Emily Alvarado, manager of policy and equitable development at the City’s office of housing. “We want to figure out how to put the right person to put in front of you all.”

“Mayor [Ed Murray] never came back here after his promises,” said Bible. “He promised he’d be here after he was elected —” “He never even took our calls,” MonzonRichards interjected.

“When we get moved …” Bible said.

“Black folks can only live in the Central District. Asians can only live in some places.

We can only move to some place. We are only allowed to live in some places until we make them special. And when we make them special, we are relocated — and the places we inhabit are stolen from us.”

“We’ve had meeting after meeting with people in the City who have reneged on their promises,” said Jim Fossos, SIC board member and a former Seattle firefighter.

“Where is Bruce Harrell?” Fossos added. City Council President Bruce Harrell represents district 2, which covers southeast Seattle, where the International District is.

“The City has a history of doing whatever they want to do without regard to the people who live in it,” said Andrina Abada, of the Tlingit tribe. Abada was former chair of the Seattle Indian Commission. “[It has a history of] running over the community, whether it’s Little Saigon, the International District, or the Central District. I’ve had enough of this, being pushed around, kicked around, ignored, thought little of. We are here to tell you we are far more than you think we are.”

Currently, renovations and construction is moving ahead at the Pearl Warren building to ready it for the Navigation Center, though Mayor Murray has agreed to a “pause” requested by Friends of Little Saigon, halting Navigation Center operation until a detailed plan is vetted and approved by the community.  Stacy Nguyen can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.

You might wonder why I am blogging about the soap opera angle of the French presidential race. The message is, we should be open-minded. It is okay for younger men to date or marry older, more mature women. Judge a person by his/her wisdom and experience, and not their age.  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

APRIL 29 – MAY 5, 2017

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

asianweekly northwest

13

Predictions and advice for the week of April 29–May 5, 2017

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat — Whether you are at the forefront or somewhere closer to the back, don’t forget why you are there in the first place.

Dragon — Are you confused by the mixed messages you have been receiving lately? Asking the right questions will go a long way towards understanding.

Monkey — You aren’t entirely sure that you want to be there, but extricating yourself could be somewhat tricky.

Ox — Style is important, but so is substance. Avoid focusing too much on the former to the detriment of the latter.

Snake — There is more than one route available to you at this juncture. Despite what others are saying, choose the one that makes the most sense to you.

Rooster — Quick action won’t necessarily follow your sounding the alarm. You may have to be persistent for it to be heeded.

Tiger — Turning a disadvantage into something entirely different is your forte — proof that good can come of something quite different.

Horse — The positive feedback can obscure your own true feelings. However, that does not mean you are not deriving significant benefits from the situation.

Dog — Be careful what you say in jest as it might not be completely understood. Some situations call for a decidedly more serious approach.

Rabbit — Instead of letting fear rule the day, be guided instead by the prospect of things turning out better than you expected.

Goat — Trading one problem for another is hardly a solution. It is time to move on to other options, as the current set just doesn’t pass muster.

Pig — If you go in with an open mind, then you will automatically allow yourself the flexibility required for success.

What’s your animal sign?

Rat 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 Ox 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 Tiger 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 Rabbit 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 Dragon 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 Snake 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 Horse 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 Goat 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 Monkey 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 Rooster 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 Dog 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006 Pig 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007

*The year ends on the first new moon of the following year. For those born in January and February, please take care when determining your sign.

SPORTS from 9 which his professional record is 42-4 and 1 draw. Similar to the Manny Pacquiao story, he came from a very poor family in Sisaket province in Thailand and moved to Bangkok when he was only 13 years old. He learned to box and forged a successful career. Most of his fights have been in Asia, but with his win over Gonzalez, he will be able to obtain bigger fights in the future.

Team Japan impresses at the World Baseball Classic

While Major League Baseball began this month, the World Baseball Classic took place in March. The “WBC” as it is known is endorsed by Major League Baseball and its Players Association, and features many major leaguers that are given a leave from spring training to play.

Notably, they include Mariners Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano, Felix Hernandez, Edwin Diaz, and Jean Segura. The tournament pits countries against one another with play occurring all over the world. The finals will be held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Chinese Taipei, South Korea, China, and Japan were the Asian countries represented in the 16-country tournament.

Team Japan was impressive during the early rounds of the tournament as it went undefeated. Japan won the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009. This year’s team featured

FRANCISCO from 1 United States Supreme Court. He would be the first Asian American to serve in that role.

Francisco, 47, is a Republican from New York. His father is of Filipino ancestry. He attended the University of Chicago and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 1991. He then went on to its law school and graduated in 1996. After law school, he served in prestigious law clerk positions for Judge Michael Luttig of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and then for Associate Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 2001, he served as Associate Counsel to President George W. Bush in the Office of the Counsel to the President. Two years later, Francisco moved to the Office of Legal Counsel for the Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice. He then went on to private practice with the law firm of Jones Day in Washington, D.C. where he appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court, a distinction few attorneys are able to accomplish in their career. He went up against President Barack Obama’s solicitor general on two cases before the Supreme Court. Former solicitor general Neal Katyal described Francisco as a “fabulous oral advocate.”

Francisco stayed with Jones Day until returning to the Justice Department when

only one current major leaguer, former Seattle Mariner Nori Aoki.

In the end, it was Team Japan that made it to the final four and went up against Team USA in the semifinals, but lost to the eventual winners of the tournament.

Damon to be inducted into Asian Hall of Fame

Former Major League Baseball player Johnny Damon will be inducted in the Asian Hall of Fame at a ceremony on May 13 in Seattle. Damon has earned two World Series rings. He also played for the Thailand National Baseball team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

Damon’s mother is a native of Thailand. His father was of Croatian and Irish descent. They met while Damon’s father, who was in the military, was stationed in Thailand.

Damon played for seven major league teams, including the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. Damon won a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2004 and with the Yankees in 2009.

Damon, an outfielder, earned two All-Star appearances and was once the stolen bases leader in the league. He had a career batting average of .284, 2,769 hits in his career, and 408 career stolen bases. He was known for his long flowing hair and full beard with the Red Sox. But after leaving the Red Sox to play for the rival Yankees, he had to abide by the long-time team grooming rules of no long hair and no facial hair.

President Trump took office and has served as principal deputy solicitor general. He was appointed to that position by Trump and has served as the acting solicitor general since then. Last month, the White House announced his pending nomination to become the fulltime solicitor general.

“Noel Francisco is one of the nation’s best appellate lawyers,” stated David Lat, founder of the legal blog Above the Law. Appellate lawyers evaluate decisions made by trial courts and administrative agencies. Lat wrote extensively about the search for solicitor general and reported on the Francisco nomination.

Lat noted Francisco should not have any problem being confirmed by the senate. “His credentials are impeccable, so qualifications are not an issue.” Lat added, “He previously served in high-ranking government positions, at both the Justice Department and in the White House, so his background check should come back clean as well. And I think his confirmation will be helped by the fact that he is Asian American, adding diversity to an administration that is a bit short on it.”

Lat, a Filipino American and Yale Law School graduate, stated that despite political differences, Francisco’s nomination is a highlight for Asian American lawyers. “I think Asian and Filipino American attorneys should take inspiration and pride from Noel

Damon, 43, resides in Florida with his wife and kids.

Established in 2004, the Asian Hall of Fame honors Asian Pacific Americans across all industries. Among the sports stars previously inducted include Olympic medalists Nathan Adrian and Apolo Anton Ohno, UFC and WEC mixed martial artist Benson Henderson, and Billiards champion Jeanette “The Black Widow” Lee.

Fil-Am fencer is No. 1 in world

Lee Keifer, a two-time Olympic foil fencer, became the first American woman to be the number one fencer in the world. After a first-place finish last month at a tournament in Long Beach, Calif., Keifer earned the top spot. She defeated Russian Inna Deriglazova, a two-time gold medalist, at the Absolute Fencing Gear FIE Grand Prix.

She was ranked third in the world going into the Rio Summer Olympics, but was upset by then 30th ranked Chinese fencer Yongshi Liu. Keifer is a senior at Notre Dame and a three-time NCAA Champion. She comes from a family dedicated to the sport, as her sister fences for Harvard and her father once captained the Duke University fencing team.

Despite her top ranking, Keifer plans to pursue medical school after graduation. She indicated that she is not sure if she will compete in the 2020 Olympics. ■ Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Francisco’s nomination. This is one of the most prestigious and important positions in the federal government, and if Francisco is confirmed, it will be held by a Filipino American.”

Lat notes that George Conway III was also a candidate for the position.

Conway, who is also Filipino American,

is a counselor to President Trump.

“Regardless of politics, we as Filipino Americans should be proud to have such distinguished and talented attorneys as members of our community.” ■ Jason can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

Have a story idea that you think would fit perfectly in Northwest Asian Weekly?

We want to know about it. Send it to us at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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asianweekly northwest

14

APRIL 29 – MAY 5, 2017

35 YEARS

health prioritization to target disparities in access to care, as well as further research in identifying relevant breast cancer risk factors for specific breast cancer subtypes,” Gomez said.

She added that further study should be done to investigate risk factor and early life exposures, with attention to the genetic susceptibility of Filipino and Japanese women. ■

PROGRAM from 5

CANCER from 5

“in any particular specialty area.”

“These are tough choices in what are tough budget times for the university, but (the College of Letters & Science) is committed to helping (the Asian American studies) program succeed in its current scope,” Downey said.

University spokeswoman Meredith McGlone said campus officials are “gathering more information” but haven’t made any decisions as to the request for a Hmong American student center. ■

The cancer subtype caused by the HER2-Neu protein affected women of Filipino, Vietnamese, and Korean descent more than non-Hispanic white women.

While the study didn’t look into the reasons behind the increase in breast cancer among AAPI women, researchers said that the data points to the importance of more breast cancer support for Asian American women.

“These patterns warrant additional attention to public

TRUMP from 4

defensively to prevent counterfeiters or squatters from using her name.

Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, are trusted advisers to the president. Criminal conflict-of-interest law prohibits federal officials from participating in government matters that could impact their own financial interest or that of their spouses. Some argue that the more Ivanka Trump’s business broadens its scope, the more it threatens to encroach on the couple’s ability to deliver credible advice on core issues like trade, intellectual property, and the value of the Chinese currency.

Asked about Ivanka Trump’s role in U.S.-China relations, Lu said: “We always think highly of the people who are committed to promoting China-U.S. friendship and cooperation, whether they are from the government or society, and we commend their efforts.” ■

and more than 30 pending applications, according to China’s Trademark Office database. They collectively cover a wide range of goods and services, including cosmetics, jewelry, leather handbags, luggage, clothes, shoes, retail, spa and beauty services. Other countries where the company has pending and registered trademarks include Japan, Mexico, Turkey, Israel, Canada, and Saudi Arabia.

Sales of Ivanka Trump’s brand, which she no longer manages but still owns, hit record levels in 2017 by some measures despite boycotts and several stores limiting her merchandise.

U.S. imports, almost all from China, shot up an estimated 166 percent last year, according to Panjiva Inc., which tracks international imports to the United States.

In a statement on April 18, a spokesperson for the Ivanka Trump brand said the 2017 Chinese trademarks were filed

Staff can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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“I was a youth participant in Northwest Asian Weekly’s Seattle Youth Leadership Program (SYLP) in 2007 and in those three weeks, I came out of the program feeling empowered, confident, and I gained a strong sense of solidarity, love, and respect for my peers. I love how the Northwest Asian Weekly supports local businesses and covers stories surrounding the Asian American community here in Seattle. It is definitely important, as it normally isn’t covered.”

— Tracey Wong, dance teacher “With 35 years of service, you have much to be proud of. The [Northwest Asian Weekly] has become the voice and the go-to source for anyone wanting to know the current issues impacting the community. I know that if you look back at all of the past issues, you will find and feel the true pulse of the International District.”

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The only weekly English-edition newspaper serving the Asian community in the state of Washington for 35 years.

Send in your thoughts to editor@nwasianweekly.com.

Join us for our 35th Anniversary Celebration dinner on Oct. 21 at China Harbor restaurant.

For tickets, please email rsvp@nwasianweekly.com or call 206-223-0623. To sponsor the event, contact Assunta Ng at assunta@nwasianweekly.com. For more info, visit nwasianweekly.com/35years.

Samurai armor

Kumihimo, a Japanese form of braid-making.

and activist, performed a piece encouraging diversity, battling the boxes that society has set for her, as a person who is part of the Hapa community. Hapa is a Hawaiian term generally acceptable for Asian mixed-race persons.

When the beat to her rap was slow to come on, she improvised, beatboxing and freestyling. “When I say ‘hip,’ you say ‘hop,’” she called to the crowd, engaging them in a call-and-response.

Saski, a Japanese American, said that the festival is a way for Japanese people to celebrate their different cultures. “Gives understanding into the culture, like Aisha Fukushima was saying, celebrating mixed heritage, celebrating the culture,” Saski said.

Culture is all the same in the end, in that we all value kindness and honesty. “When you look out at it, it comes out to be the same, we value certain things this festival gives us the chance to do so.”

Saski has been working at the festival for many years.

A bystander helping to set up shouted “decades,” making her blush.

The annual event originated in 1976 when Prime Minister Takeo Miki donated 1,000 cherry trees to Seattle. The Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival has been going on for 42 years, 38 of those celebrated at the Seattle Center Armory.

This year marks the 20th year the festival has been part of the Festál series — making it one of the longest running Festál events.

It seeks to highlight the common values shared beyond cultural differences and commemorates the long friendship between the people of Japan and Washington state.

“I love the Japanese American community in Seattle.

Being a community together and the Cherry Blossom Festival is great for that,” said Erickson. ■

HERE LIES LOVE from 7

senator opposing the Marcos regime, married Marcos because he was going places fast, blew kisses at the people of her country while stashing away millions in offshore accounts, then left the islands, in shame, alongside her disgraced husband.

As is often the case with stage plays, reality tells a somewhat different tale. Imelda Marcos’ family wasn’t always poor. I could not find any evidence that Aquino and the future Philippines first lady ever dated, or that Estrella Cumpas (who hangs over Imelda like a guilty conscience) actually existed. The opening night crowd contained a fair number of Filipinos, and I wondered what they made of this license taken with history.

That being said, I felt that the show treated Filipino culture with respect, and Imelda Marcos with a surprising amount of respect. The narrative of the show reminded me quite a bit of the hit stage musical “Evita,” but with a willingness to understand its central character that “Evita” never showed. Imelda Marcos never shakes her compulsion to be loved, and she never shakes her love of money (though her famous shoe collection never makes the stage).

She does have a backstory, and an interior life. And — shades of “Evita” herself, and/or Charles Foster Kane from “Citizen Kane” — she learns, harshly, that some things in life cannot be bought.

Jaygee Macapugay held my attention as Imelda, although

balcony don’t get nearly as much of an immersive experience. Consider that when buying tickets.)

So, say, the lady who stood in a far corner and shuffled side-to-side, by herself, was probably an audience member, but I wasn’t sure. The “Club” floor filled up, folks chatting, leaning in to hear each other against the music, dancing, wandering. (But not sitting. Nobody sits on the main level for this show.)

And for a while after kickoff time, 7:30 p.m., not much else happened. I wondered if we were going to get a decidedly avant-garde presentation on Imelda Marcos, using only the video screens, which could have told the story by themselves. (You don’t get a program for this show until the end — another special rule). At about 7:45 p.m. though, the house lights went down and the DJ began working the crowd and explaining procedure for the evening. Soon after that, cast members hit the (constantly-moving) stage, and things went forward in a relatively, though never completely, conventional manner.

That manner took us through the story of Imelda Marcos, who, under the terms of the show at least, began life in poverty, had a best friend and sometime-maid named Estrella Cumpas, rose to fame as a beauty queen, briefly dated Ninoy Aquino, who went on to become a Philippines

Photos by George Liu/NWAW

CHERRY BLOSSOM from 8

Kimono

org, and to learn more about this collection of ethnic cultural events, Festál, and other Seattle Center public programming, visit seattlecenter.com.

Newroz can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

For more information on Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival, visit cherryblossomfest.

she wavered a bit on high, held notes. I wondered if she was having trouble hearing herself through the wireless microphone that she wore, like every other cast member.

As Marcos and Aquino, respectively, Mark Bautista and Conrad Ricamora both came off dashing, handsome, and dynamic, Bautista seasoning his songs with just the right dash of menace.

And David Byrne himself stood on the dance floor for the whole show. He rocked back and forth, stood with his hands behind his back, mouthed his own lyrics, came out to sing an encore of the theme song, but that was the only time he called attention to himself. His casual participation in his own show underscored the immersive and participatory elements to “Here Lies Love.” Of course, he also might have been checking to see that all the working parts, including the opening night’s audience, played their parts well. ■ “Here Lies Love” plays through May 28, at Seattle Repertory Theatre, 155 Mercer Street at Seattle Center.

For prices, showtimes, and more information, including special rules to follow at this show, visit seattlerep.org/ Plays/1617/HL/Synopsis.

Andrew can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

asianweekly northwest

16

35 YEARS

APRIL 29 – MAY 5, 2017

BORN IN CHINA from 7 obvious animal titles like Monkey Kingdom, Bears, and Chimpanzee. Perhaps Animals in China would have worked better.

Lu Chuan was chosen as the director, as a collaboration between China and Disneynature productions for Born in China. Lu was an interesting choice because he is known for directing many controversial films in China. “Mountain Patrol” is about animal poaching in Tibet and “City of Life and Death” is a drama about the 1937 Nanjing massacre. As a result of his previous work, Disney thought Lu would capture China’s animals in an authentic and unique way. Lu got to work with producer Roy Conli, who had won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film for Big Hero 6, and Brian Leith, who worked on BBC programs and the Discovery Channel.

Born in China takes the audience to the wildlife of China, where few people have ventured. The advantages of being a co-production was that the Chinese government was willing to give access to remote areas of China. As a result, we are treated to some of the most beautiful landscapes that a tourist in China will never ever see. During the outtakes, we get to witness how much trouble they had to go through to capture the lovely shots we see in the movies. Conli stated, “Shane Moore. who is the cinematographer on the snow leopard unit — first of all, he’s going out to one of the most inhospitable places on this planet. The Qinghai plateau is 16,000 feet above sea level. It’s often below zero. As you can see [in the film,] it’s amazingly rugged and rough hewn out there. He did not get

any shots of snow leopards until his 90th day!”

The documentary examines a short segment of the life of three animals. A mother panda, Ya Ya, takes care of her baby cub, Mei Mei, by smothering her with constant love. As the cub grows up, the mother panda starts to give her cub more freedom to explore. In the second story, a golden monkey named Tao Tao leaves his family because he feels neglected by a new baby sister who is getting all the attention. He chooses to live with other monkeys who are deemed outcasts and take care of themselves. Ultimately, Tao Tao will be tested during the cold winter when he must make a decision to migrate with his family or stay with the other outcasts. The last story is about a mother snow leopard, Dawa, who has to feed her two young cubs. This was the most emotional story as a mother struggles desperately to capture prey to survive.

After the movie, don’t forget to stay for the outtakes. There is some fun footage of animals playing with the cameras and crew. You will also get to see firsthand the difficulty of

traveling through the terrain to capture the stunning footage featured in Born in China.

Although I could relate to the animals’ struggles, their journeys weren’t quite as exciting as I’d like it to be. I found myself yawning during the second act, but I’m sure kids and animal lovers will have a good time. I was hoping the focus would be on more animals. An epilogue like other biopics and documentaries would have been nice to give closure to the three animal stories.  For those of you who saw the film last weekend, a portion of the box office proceeds go directly to the World Wildlife Fund in protecting pandas and snow leopards. Born in China opened last weekend with $4.9 million and is playing at local theaters.

John can be reached at john@nwasianweekly.com.

MURTHY from 1 asked to resign after “assisting in a smooth transition” under President Donald Trump.

Murthy was a holdover from the Obama administration. “While I had hoped to do more to help our nation tackle its biggest health challenges, I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have served,” Murthy wrote on his Facebook page.

“For the grandson of a poor farmer from India to be asked by the president to look out for the health of an entire nation was a humbling and uniquely American story,” Murthy continued.

“I will always be grateful to our country for welcoming my immigrant family nearly 40 years ago and giving me this opportunity to serve.”

Murthy is the second Indian-American to be removed by the Trump administration from a senior position. The first one was the U.S. Attorney from New York, Preet Bharara, who was fired after he refused to resign.

Murthy’s deputy, Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, is serving as acting surgeon general and leader the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps until the Senate confirms a replacement. Her previous positions include being a nurse officer in the U.S. Army.

Health department spokeswoman Alleigh Marre says Murthy will remain a member of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. ■

OLYMPIC STADIUM from 1 where half the plywood used in Japan’s building and furniture industries is produced.

A spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee said it had been assured that the wood used for the Olympic stadium met certification standards.

Japan Sport Council, the government body in charge of building Olympic competition venues, said Shin Yang timber was being used.

The environmental groups are seeking an explanation and an open investigation to be conducted by a credible third party. The groups urged that until the issue is resolved, no more tropical plywood should be used on site. ■

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