VOL 34 NO 23 | MAY 30 - JUNE 5, 2015 by Northwest Asian Weekly

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

VOL 34 NO 23

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2015

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SPORTS Gunn secures spot at U.S. Open » P. 3

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Lawsuit accuses Port of Fighting Seattle of discrimination against modernConcessionaires claim racial disparity of minority-owned businesses at Sea-Tac Airport

day slavery

Photo by James Tabafunda/NWAW

Facing the facts about human trafficking

Waji’s at Sea-Tac terminal

By Jason Cruz Northwest Asian Weekly The next time you head to Sea-Tac Airport take notice of the concessions at the terminals. A lawsuit claims that the way the Port of Seattle issues its leases for businesses at Sea-Tac Airport is discriminatory. Three minority-owned businesses have filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court of Western Washington

against the Port of Seattle, its Chief Executive Officer Tay Yoshitani, and the Executive Director of Sea-Tac Airport, Mark Reis. The businesses claim that they were given remote locations at the airport with less foot traffic and the Port of Seattle imposed expensive “build-out” requirements that were not imposed to the same extent as non-minority businesses. They also {see SEATAC cont’d on page 16}

Sevadars serves!

Photos courtesy Sevadars

Local nonprofit offers meals and more to the community

Serving free meals in Pioneer Square

By Staff Northwest Asian Weekly If you go to Occidental Park in Pioneer Square on a Saturday morning, you will be greeted by long lines and dedicated volunteers. The long lines are for the food. And the volunteers are part of Sevadars,

a nonprofit group that serves free meals to the community. Apparently, the meals are popular, judging by the huge crowd that gathers while volunteers set up. The menu usually stays consistent, a combination of lentils {see SEVADARS cont’d on page 15}

Sister Mary John Mananzan

By James Tabafunda Northwest Asian Weekly Bruises and broken bones are just some of the visible signs seen in human trafficking victims. They accompany less visible and more tragic results such as psychological and emotional trauma and even death. Sister Mary John Mananzan visited Seattle University’s Campion Ballroom on May 18 as the keynote speaker in a forum billed as “Our Global Problem,” one of four scheduled appearances in western Washington. Former Filipino Community of Seattle President Alma Kern introduced her college professor, describing Mananzan as “one of the leading voices in the Philippines for everybody who is oppressed.” Mananzan, the host of “NunSense Makes Sense,” a Filipino talk show on the Global News Network, began her presentation, “Human Trafficking in the Philippine Context,” by telling the stories of two victims, Ligaya and Mary Jane Veloso, a 30-year-old mother of two children. Ligaya, a pregnant woman from

Cebu, believed she was getting a job as a receptionist at a Manila hotel with the help of her traffickers. Instead, they brought her to a brothel where other Filipino women were enslaved as prostitutes. “And there, she was raped right away,” Mananzan said. “After that, of course, she was used by many men.” With the help of a prayer group, Ligaya stopped working as a prostitute and took computer lessons. Veloso earned money for her family in 2009 by working as a domestic helper in the Middle East before accepting an offer to work as a maid in Malaysia. She ended up in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and without her knowledge, her recruiter hid over five pounds of illegal drugs in her suitcase. “When they were inspecting her bag, at first, they didn’t see anything,” Mananzan said. “In between the two false bottoms, there were two kilos of heroin.” An unwitting drug courier, Veloso {see HUMAN TRAFFICKING cont’d on page 15}

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

■

PICTORIAL Miss India Washington » P. 8

COMMUNITY Gang of Four » P. 9

BLOG Farewell to Imperial Lanes » P. 10

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

asianweekly northwest

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2015

■ names in the news SUMA awards

represented the Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA) Seattle in the CACA national legislative and education team to Washington DC last week. They participated in the first summit for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders where President Obama’s cabinet members and API leaders discussed issues regarding AAPIs. Three key issues were discussed: immigration, cultural heritage site preservation, and the medal of honor to be granted to Major Kurt Chew-Een Lee whose bravery during the Korean War saved 8000 lives. 

Uwajimaya President and CEO, Tomoko MoriguchiMatsuno along with two cashiers presented a check in the amount of $22,500 to the American Red Cross CEO, Terry Pollard on May19. 

ACLF dinner

Nguyen beats Bobby and will open new restaurant Thoa Nguyen, chef/owner of WabiSabi in Columbia City and the Chinoise Café in the Issaquah Highlands “beat” chef superstar Bobby Flay May 14 on national television. Nguyen has also announced she will open Sushi Chinoise in Bothell’s new Beardslee Crossing development hopefully by October. 

From left, SeaTac Mayor Mia Gregerson, King County Councilman Dave Upthegrove and SeaTac Councilman Dave Bush present medals to SUMA participants.

The SeaTac United Math Academy (SUMA) held its awards dinner on Monday, May 18 at the SeaTac Community Center. The free math academy is targeted to elementary school kids in the SeaTac area as a way to improve their math abilities while having fun. From left, SeaTac Mayor Mia Gregerson, King County Councilman Dave Upthegrove and SeaTac Councilman Dave Bush present medals to SUMA participants. 

CACA Seattle in the other Washington

Thoa Ngyuen

Help for Nepal

The Asian Community Leadership Foundation's (ACLF) dinner was held on May 16. There were approximately 130 people in attendance, including Mayor Ed Murray. This was the 15th ACLF Community Leaders Program graduation class. The class project this year was in partnership with Southeast Asian American Access in Education Coalition. Nate Caminos and Mark Okazaki were honored. 

Uwajimaya President and CEO, Tomoko Moriguchi-Matsuno along with two cashiers presented a check in the amount of $22,500 to the American Red Cross CEO, Terry Pollard on Tuesday, 5/19.

Ali Lee, Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman, Albert Shen

Bettie Luke, Ali Lee and Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman

From left, front row: John Okamoto, Seattle City Councilmember; Bob Santos; Mark Okazaki, Neighborhood House Executive Director; Candace Inagi, ‎ Development Director at Asian Counseling and Referral Service; King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski. From left, back row: Debadutta Dash, Commissioner at the Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs

Send your exciting news to editor@nwasianweekly.c om.

Uwajimaya customers helped raise over $20,000 for the American Red Cross to help with the relief efforts in Nepal.

Trash to Treasures

Design an outfit, win $250 and more

Northwest Asian Weekly is inviting you to design an outfit that incorporates recycling materials or NWAW/ Seattle Chinese Post newspapers in the design.

Deadline: June 29, 2015

All contestants will be invited to the Northwest Asian Weekly’s recycling contest show on July 11 at the Chinatown/International District Dragon Fest at 1:30 p.m. If you are a finalist, please wear your design or find a model to wear your design. Arrive at the Asian Weekly’s office at 412 Maynard Avenue South to check in, from 11 a.m. to noon. Models will line up at 1:20 p.m. and parade to the stage (approximately one block). Judging will begin during the line-up. Contest results will be announced immediately after the competition. Who can participate: 1. Everyone, and there is no age limit! 2. You must design a wearable garment with recycling materials or Asian Weekly/Chinese Post newspapers (or both).

Prizes for winners:

$250+goodies+plaque+photos in the Asian Weekly/Chinese Post, print and online  2nd Prize- $150+goodies+plaque+photos in the Asian Weekly/Chinese Post, print and online  3rd Prize- $100+goodies+plaque+photos in the Asian Weekly/Chinese Post, print and online  1st Prize-

Please fill out all the fields below:

Name: ________________________________________________________

There will also be prizes for honorable mentions. They will receive plaques and their photo will be printed in the Asian Weekly and Chinese Post, and online.

Address: _______________________________________________________

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.

Phone: ________________________________________________________

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E-mail: ________________________________________________________

SILVER SPONSOR

PEARL SPONSOR

Brief description of your design: _____________________________________

COMMUNITY SPONSORS PLANNING COMMITTEE

CHINA HARBOR RESTAURANT GLOBAL TRAVEL

Gary Tang, Gei Chan, Belinda Louie, Karen Tsuo, John Liu, Buwon Brown and Ellen Abellera

______________________________________________________________

To enter: Design a wearable garment or accessory incorporating recycling materials or NWAW/Seattle Chinese Post newspapers in some aspect of the visual appearance. We welcome any wearable garment or accessory of choice like shirts, pants, jackets, jewelry, skirts, vests, ties, shoes, hats, purses, and more. Let your creativity run wild! Please submit a photograph or photographs of the design to rsvp@nwasianweekly.com by June 29.You are welcome to submit more than one design. Please also include a brief description of your design and the inspiration for your design (optional). Your entry must include your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. You can also mail a photograph or photographs to 412 Maynard South, Seattle, 98104. All entries are the property of the Northwest Asian Weekly and will not be returned. Finalists’ photos will be announced on the Asian Weekly’s July 9 issue.

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ sports

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2015

Gunn Yang

Amateur victories secure him a spot at the U.S. Open in Chambers Bay By Lisa Marien Northwest Asian Weekly

Gunn Yang

Gunn Yang, 20, born September 30, 1993, originally from Pyeongchang, South Korea, hasn’t gone professional yet but is well on his way to becoming another one of the many up and coming young Asians to reign in golfing. He is an understated but determined competitor. In 2014, Yang won the U.S. Amateur Championship. He became the second South Korean to claim the U.S. Amateur title. He competed in his first major championship in 2015, competing in the Masters Tournament. Yang’s U.S. Amateur victory has secured him spots in the 2015 Masters, U.S. Open, and British Open and he will be qualified for a handful of PGA Tour events as well. He moved to Australia when he was 12 and played

amateur golf for five years before moving to the U.S. He attended Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, CA and earned a scholarship to play in his hometown. Yang’s home course is in San Diego at The Grand Golf Club. The rise to success has at times been difficult for Yang. After overcoming some recent health difficulties, Yang has overcome adversities such as his back issues, which he has endured since 2008. Yang underwent laser endoscopic spinal surgery in May 2013 to fix a herniated disk. His back still tightens up on occasion, even now, and Yang says he’s only about “90 percent” physically. Yang plans to take a year off from San Diego State and the Aztecs to play pro events in Korea, Japan, and Australia as an amateur. In fact, his San Diego State coach, Ryan Donavon had {see YANG cont’d on page 15}

■ briefly

Local institution closes its doors

From left: Friends Alan Yamada and Mike Hayatsu help Pat Abe (front) to post the retirement sign.

By Assunta Ng Northwest Asian Weekly Pat Abe, who owned 7th Ave. Auto Service for 43 years in Chinatown, will close its business on May 29. I was sad when I heard the news. But Abe isn't sad. He was smiling when he held the “CLOSING” sign to be hung up for customers to see. Abe, 80, is a pal to many community members, including me. He has been servicing our cars since we published in 1982. He even delivered our car to our office door after he fixed it. His site used to include gas stations, but it was closed down years ago. "I don't have a lease," he said. His friends decided that he should retire early and enjoy life. He has five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. "I appreciate all the patronage. It kept me going for 43 years. The community has been very good to me. I have a blessed life." He said he went into the auto business because he didn't want to work seven days a week like his dad who ran a grocery store. 

asianweekly northwest

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2015

■ world news

Malaysia finds graves of trafficking victims

By Eileen Ng and Todd Pitman Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian authorities said Sunday that they have discovered a series of graves in at least 17 abandoned camps used by human traffickers on the border with Thailand where Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar have been held. The finding follows a similar discovery earlier this month by police in Thailand who unearthed dozens of bodies from shallow graves in abandoned camps on the Thai side of the border. The grim discoveries are shedding new light on the hidden network of jungle camps run by traffickers, who have for years held countless desperate people captive

while extorting ransoms from their families. Most of those who have fallen victim to the trafficking networks are refugees and impoverished migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh, part of a wave of people who have fled their homelands to reach countries like Malaysia, where they hope to find work or live free from persecution. As Southeast Asian governments have launched crackdowns amid intensified international pressure and media scrutiny, traffickers have abandoned camps on land and even boats at sea to avoid arrest. Malaysian Home Minister Zahid Hamidi told reporters that police were trying to identify and verify “mass graves that were found” in the region near the Thai border. “These graves are believed to be a part of human

trafficking activities involving migrants,” he said, adding that police have discovered 17 abandoned camps that they suspect were used by traffickers. There was no immediate word on how many bodies had been recovered. Zahid said that each grave probably contained anywhere from one to four bodies, and that authorities were in the process of counting. He said he was shocked at the discoveries, because “just last week, we went there ... to see for ourselves.” He said he expected more camps and graves to be found “because they have been there for quite some time ... We are still investigating, but I suspect they have been operating for at {see MALAYSIA cont’d on page 14}

UN chief says Women’s walk across Koreas’ save migrants, DMZ denied; they cross by bus deal with cause of flight By Eric Talmadge Associated Press

By Robin McDowell and Tran Van Minh Associated Press

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday urged Southeast Asian nations to deal with the causes behind a growing humanitarian crisis that has forced thousands of Rohingya from Myanmar and Bangladeshi migrants to flee by sea, leaving many still stranded in boats. Ban said he has been discussing the emergency with regional leaders in Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand, among others, and urged them to provide search and rescue operations and options for resettlement and reintegration. “It’s important to save human lives,” he said on a visit to Hanoi, Vietnam. But it’s also important “not to send them back to a dangerous circumstance or situation.” More than 3,600 migrants — about half of them Bangladeshi and the others minority Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar — have landed ashore in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand since May 10. Thousands more are believed to be trapped at sea, and the United Nations has warned that time is running out. Four Malaysian navy ships began searching for boats Friday, according to navy chief Abdul Aziz Jaafar, who said three helicopters and three other ships were on standby. The Malaysian search is a positive sign, but the country’s operation is limited to the country’s territorial waters. A spokesman for the U.S. Pentagon said Thursday that Washington was readying air patrols to aid in the search. A U.S. Embassy spokeswoman in Bangkok, Melissa Sweeney, told The Associated Press in an email Saturday that the offer of assistance was still awaiting clearance. “We’re actively engaging with the governments of the region to obtain their support and permissions for staging these flights,” she said. Last week, Malaysia and Indonesia announced they would provide temporary shelter to the migrants for up to one year, and the U.S. has said it would settle some of them permanently. Speaking Friday in Myanmar, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the Rohingyas fleeing the predominantly Buddhist nation were risking perilous journeys and putting their lives in the hands of human {see MYANMAR cont’d on page 12}

DORASAN STATION, South Korea (AP) — Female activists including Gloria Steinem and two Nobel Peace laureates were denied an attempt to walk across the Demilitarized Zone dividing North and South Korea on Sunday, but were allowed to cross by bus and complete what one of them called a landmark event. The group of 30 women from 15 countries made a final appeal to authorities on both sides to allow them to walk across the demarcation line, but were turned down. The North allowed a South Korean bus to cross the demarcation line to pick them up on the North side of the DMZ and transport them over the border to South Korea. United Nations Command officials met the group inside the DMZ after they crossed the demarcation line, and allowed them to march again after the final checkpoint on the southern side. “We were able to be citizen diplomats,” said Steinem, the 81-year-old feminism pioneer and author. “We are feeling very, very positive. We have received an enormous amount of support,” she said after passing through South Korean immigration. The group included Nobel Peace laureates Mairead Maguire, from Northern Ireland, and Leymah Gbowee, from Liberia.

The women walked, carried banners and sang on the North Korean side of the first checkpoint leading into the DMZ. They were then met by a large contingent of media on the South side. The Koreas have remained divided since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. The DMZ that divides them is one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world. Authorities on both sides said they could not guarantee the safety of the women had they walked across. Organizer Christine Ahn, a Korean-American peace activist, said the group initially wanted to walk through the symbolic truce village of Panmunjom, where the armistice was signed. Still, she said the crossing itself was a success and a “historic event” despite “governments setting boundaries.” Some members of the group expressed disappointment that the walk inside the DMZ was denied. But Ahn said she was satisfied that they were able to meet with North Korean women during their several-day stay in Pyongyang, the North’s capital, and to cross through the DMZ, which is rarely allowed in any form to civilians. The women will also meet with South Korean counterparts. Ahn said the group went to the two Koreas to call for an end to hostilities on the Korean Peninsula, push for a reunification of families divided by the war and promote dialogue between the two enemies. 

South Korean court frees Korean Air ‘nut rage’ executive By Youkyung Lee AP Business Writer

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean court on Friday suspended the prison term of a former Korean Air executive whose onboard “nut rage” tantrum delayed a flight last year, immediately ending her incarceration. The Seoul High Court said Cho Hyun-ah, who is the daughter of the airline’s chairman, did not violate the aviation security law when she ordered the chief flight attendant off a Dec. 5 flight, forcing it to return to the gate at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. The upper court sentenced Cho to 10 months in prison for assault and then suspended the sentence for two years. A lower court had earlier sentenced Cho to a year in prison. She has been locked up since her December arrest. Cho achieved worldwide notoriety after an onboard tantrum triggered when a first class flight attendant served her

macadamia nuts in a bag instead of on a dish. Cho, head of the airline’s cabin service at the time, had a heated, physical confrontation with members of the crew. Swarmed by reporters at the court, she made no comment in front of TV cameras, bowing her head and burying her face in her hands as the media pressed in and yelled for her to say something. The nut rage incident was a lightning rod for anger in a country where the economy is dominated by family-run conglomerates known as chaebol that often act above the law. “If she was released because she showed repentance, other criminals should be equally released,” said 19-year-old college student Kim Ryeong-hui. “I think the court went easy on her. I feel angry when people mistreat other people in lower ranks.” The lower court had convicted Cho of forcing a flight to change its route, obstructing the flight’s captain in the {see KOREA cont’d on page 12}

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2015

■ WORLD NEWS

Aquino: Philippines Rohingya hope to to fly usual routes seek better life in over disputed reefs Malaysia By Teresa Cerojano Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine aircraft will continue to fly their usual routes over disputed reefs in the South China Sea, the country’s president said Monday, defying China’s challenges to its planes and those of the United States. President Benigno Aquino III told reporters there is no declared air defense identification zone over the area and “we will still fly the routes that we fly based on international law.” “We will still exercise our rights over our exclusive economic zone,” he said, adding that the “bottom line is, it has to be clear, we will defend our rights to the best of our abilities.” Aquino pointed to the disparity in the military strength of China and the Philippines, saying China should not bully a smaller country because it would hurt its image as it tries to create goodwill with its trading partners. The Philippines is pursuing international arbitration and diplomatic efforts to try to resolve the territorial dispute with China. When asked about what coordination the Philippines is having with the United States, a key military ally, to address the problem, Aquino said the two countries are helping

each other but that he could not reveal details. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin told reporters he will meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter at the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii on Wednesday to discuss concerns over China’s apparent attempt to impose an ADIZ in the area. Gazmin said Filipino and Japanese defense officials were also discussing the possibility of transferring Japanese military equipment to the Philippines, which has one of the most ill-equipped armed forces in the region. China said it is entitled to keep watch over airspace and seas surrounding artificial islands it created in the South China Sea, following an exchange in which its navy warned off a U.S. surveillance plane. The United States said that its own aerial patrolling was in accordance with international law and that it will seek to preserve the ability of not just the U.S. but all countries to exercise freedom of navigation and flight. Philippine military officials have said China has challenged its air patrols at least six times since last month, with a recording asking the planes to leave the Chinese military area to avoid misunderstanding. China’s construction has intensified frictions in the South China Sea, where Beijing’s expansive claims to the waters and reefs overlap with those of the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam. 

By Eileen Ng Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia has been a sort of promised land for Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in Myanmar. The tens of thousands who endured perilous journeys to get here find more work opportunities than in Indonesia and a more Muslim-friendly environment than in Thailand. But in the 25 years since Hamid Hussein Abul Khair arrived, that promise has been worn away by the statelessness and poverty that have never left him. Rohingya face a tenuous existence here, unable to legally work because Malaysia, like Thailand and Indonesia, doesn’t recognize asylum seekers and refugees and hasn’t signed the U.N. Refugee Convention. They mostly scrape by on dirty or dangerous jobs shunned by Malaysians, live in squalid conditions and have no access to free health care and state-run schools. For many Rohingya, even living on the margins of Malaysian society is a step forward. But those who have been here for years yearn for something better — at least for their children. “God willing, we can make a living here. We are thankful to Malaysia but

what future do we have? My children can’t get citizenship, they have no formal education and they can’t get proper jobs,” Hamid, 54, said in his austere apartment on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. Denied citizenship by Myanmar and chased off their land in repeated outbreaks of communal violence, the 1.3 million Rohingya there have been identified by the U.N. as one of the world’s most persecuted minorities. Some 140,000 have been displaced from their homes, and many live in camps. Myanmar regards them as illegal migrants from Bangladesh, even though many have lived in the country for generations. The desperation of the Rohingya has been highlighted in recent weeks by boatloads of people from Myanmar and Bangladesh stranded in Malacca Strait waters after their traffickers abandoned them near the end of risky 1,700-kilometer (1,000-mile) voyages amid a clampdown by local authorities. Some 3,500 came ashore in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, but many of those now at shelters say their goal was to get to Malaysia. Nearly 46,000 Rohingya in Malaysia have been registered as refugees by the {see MALAYSIA cont’d on page 11}

Assunta Ng

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The only weekly English-language newspaper serving Washington’s Asian community. The NW Asian Weekly has one simple goal: “To empower the Asian community.” The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject any advertisement, letter or article. Subscriptions cost $30 for 52 weeks of the NW Asian Weekly and $25 for 52 weeks of the Seattle Chinese Post. The NW Asian Weekly owns the copyright for all its content. All rights reserved. No part of this paper may be reprinted without permission. 412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104 • t. 206.223.5559 info@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com

asianweekly northwest

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2015

■ COMMUNITY calendar THU 5/28 WHAT: Rising China and Japan’s Future: Seeking a way to co-exist WHERE: UW, Kane Hall, 4069 Spokane Lane, Seattle WHEN: 7-8:30 p.m.

FRI 5/29 WHAT: “Gang of Four: Four Leaders. Four Communities. One Friendship” WHERE: Nagomi Tea House, 519 6th Ave. S., Seattle WHEN: 6-8 p.m. COST: Free

SAT 5/30 WHAT: CISC’s 43rd Annual Friendship Dinner & Auction WHERE: Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center

WHEN: 5:30-8:30 p.m. COST: $125/person INFO: kevinc@ciscseattle.org, 206-624-5633 RSVP: by 4/30 REGISTER: cisc-seattle. org WHAT: The Legacy of Justice at Hirabayashi Place WHERE: Lobby of Addison on Fourth Apartments, 308 4th Ave. WHEN: 1-3 p.m. INFO: 206-624-1802

Bothell WHEN: 12-5 p.m. COST: $40 INFO: alohabrewfest.org WHAT: Debadutta Dash Campaign Kick Off WHERE: Northgate Community Center, 10510 5th Ave. N.E., Seattle WHEN: 12:30-3:30 p.m. SUGGESTED DONATION: $25-$700 RSVP: sidney@vote4dash. com

College – Atrium, 1701 Broadway, Seattle WHEN: 5:30-7:30 p.m. INFO: 206-934-4085

FRI 6/5 WHAT: Northwest Immigrant Rights Project’s Annual Gala, “Our Families, Our Future” WHERE: The Westin Hotel, 1900 5th Ave., Seattle

WHEN: 6-9:30 p.m. WHAT: Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce luncheon with Dennis Lam WHERE: XO Restaurant, 530 112th Ave Ne, Bellevue, WA 98004 WHEN: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. COST: $20 INFO: seattlechinesechamber.org

THU 6/4

WHAT: 7th Annual Kent International Festival, “Learn from Each Other” WHERE: ShoWare Center, 625 W. James St., Kent WHEN: 9:30 a.m.-10 p.m. INFO: kentinternational festival.com

WHAT: Han in the Upper Left: a brief history of Korean Americans in the Pacific Northwest WHERE: Wing Luke, 719 S. King St., Seattle WHEN: 6-8 p.m. RSVP: rsvp@kahs.org

WHAT: 3rd Annual Aloha Brewfest WHERE: UW Bothell, 18115 Campus Way N.E.,

WHAT: George Tsutakawa Fountain Rededication Celebration WHERE: Seattle Central

KING COUNTY INVITATION TO BID Project: Asphalt Pavement Sealcoat Work Order 2015-2016, C00981C15 Sealed Bid Time/Date: 1:30pm, June 9, 2015 Location Due: King County Procurement & Contract Services Section, Contracts Counter, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 Engineer’s Estimate: NTE $500,000.00 Scope of Work: The Work under this Contract will require a Contractor to be available to mobilize and perform asphalt pavement sealcoats to King County Transit facilities. The Work will be performed under a series of Work Order packages in accordance with the Contract Documents. Work Sites: Sites include, but are not limited to: Transit Bases, Transit Centers and Park-and-Ride lots located throughout King County, Washington. The work performed under this Contract shall not exceed $500,000.00 and the initial Contract Time shall not exceed 365 calendar days from the date of Contract execution by the County. The County does not guarantee any minimum amount of work or that the dollar amount of the Work Orders issued will total $500,000.00 during the duration of this Contract. At the County’s sole discretion, this Contract may be extended by

change order for one additional year and for an additional amount not to exceed $500,000.00. In no event shall the Contract Time be greater than two years from the date of Contract execution by the County. At the end of the first year, any remaining dollar balance within the original not to exceed Contract Price will not be carried over to the second year of the Contract. Contact Information: Kelly McKeever, Contract Specialist, (206) 263-9389, TTY Relay: 711, Fax: (206) 296-7675, or kelly.mckeever@kingcounty. gov. Bidders shall submit questions in writing via email. No verbal answers by any County personnel or its agents and consultants will be binding on the County. Pre-Bid Conference: No pre-bid conference is scheduled. Apprenticeship Requirements: No minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement. SCS Utilization Requirements: No minimum SCS Utilization Requirement. Bid Bond: Not less than five percent (5%) of the Total Bid Price. Bid Documents: Electronic copies of the plans, specifications, reference documents, and any addenda for this solicitation are available on

the King County Procurement website shown below. Printed documents may also be ordered by contacting United Reprographics at 206-3821177. Copies of documents are not available for purchase from King County, but are available for review 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. M thru F. at the Contracts Counter: Chinook Bldg, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue Seattle, WA 98104. To receive email notifications of addenda or other important information concerning this solicitation, you must register to be a planholder under the “Solicitations” tab at the following internet link: Website: 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

■ at the movies

Seattle International Film Festival represents!

The Chinese Mayor Meet the Patels Reviewed by Tiffany Ran

Reviewed by Tiffany Ran

In the last 1600 years, the city of Datong has degenerated from ancient cultural capital to one of China’s most polluted cities. “The Chinese Mayor” follows controversial mayor Geng Yanbo as he strives to revitalize Datong and lessen the city’s economic reliance on coal. In the process, Geng is praised by some and villainized by others, and he is being watched closely by citizens and other officials. The film documents Geng’s efforts and viewers are given a firsthand look into this mayor’s struggles and the tightrope one walks to enact great change under the shadow of the Communist Party. The film peers beyond Geng as the main protagonist and gives a candid, eye opening look at one China’s many underrated cities.

Ravi Patel embarks on a hilarious, real life experience of trying to find a wife through his parents close network Indian family and friends. The experience takes the entire family to India and back, from one coast of the United States to another. Ravi’s journey also shed light on the quirky world of Indian matchmaking, described and detailed by Ravi’s parents and the many aunties and uncles in arranged marriages. “Patels” is woven together intimately and humorously through a series of animated interviews, home videos, and cringe-worthy date experiences. If you meet the Patels through “Patels”, you will love the Patels.  Showtimes: 5/29 7:00 p.m. Pacific Place 5/30 3:30 p.m. Lincoln Square

Showtimes: 5/30 1:30 p.m. Pacific Place, 5/31 3:30 p.m. Lincoln Square, 6/7 12:00 p.m. SIFF Cinema Uptown

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2015

■ arts & entertainment

Seattle-Kobe auditions invited all ages New voices to remember

Seattle-Kobe vocalist contenders

By Andrew Hamlin Northwest Asian Weekly The eleventh annual Seattle-Kobe Jazz Vocalist Audition at Jazz Alley this spring, started simply, with a greeting from Mari M. Carpenter of the Seattle-Kobe Sister City Association. The competition, with two separate divisions for High School and Adult vocalists, sends two winners, one in each division, to Seattle’s sister city Kobe, where they perform as part of the Annual Kobe Jazz Vocal Queen Contest. Six contestants in the High School category, and five in the Adult category, performed two songs each, accompanied sometimes by either a pianist or a guitarist. The eventual High School winner,

■ WORLD NEWS

{see JAZZ cont’d on page 16}

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TOKYO (AP) — Japan, famous for green tea, is welcoming artisanal American coffee roaster Blue Bottle with long lines that have at times meant a four-hour wait for a cup. The company, which began in Oakland, California in 2002, hopes its early popularity is more than a passing fad. Japan’s consumer culture is littered with manias for Western food imports: pancakes, popcorn, doughnuts, even Taco Bell. Success in Japan is important for Blue Bottle, which operates 17 cafes in the San Francisco Bay area, New York and Los Angeles. Japan is its first foray outside of the U.S. Blue Bottle raised nearly $26 million last year to invest in expansion, including financing from Silicon Valley executives, setting the stage for a test of whether an artsy gourmet coffee chain can go big. Founder James Freeman, a musician, was inspired by Japan’s old-style “kissaten” coffee-shops: tiny dimly-lit establishments, with good music and a barista behind a wooden counter. Think places for quiet serious thinking and real drip coffee, not sweet, frivolous drinks. “We care about every part of the coffee. We call it from seed to cup,” said Saki Igawa, the business operations manager for Blue Bottle in Japan. Attention to detail that dovetails with aspects of Japanese culture accounts for part

Alexandra Mountsier, accompanied by guitarist Lee Swedin, led off with “You’ve Changed,” breathy around the verses, tart around the title phrase, a fruitful contrast to a tale of evaporating love. The samba “O Pato,” with its cavorting barnyard animal lyrics in both English and Portuguese, flew by quickly, funny and pointed and deft, impressive in both technique and feel. First-place in the Adult division, Taylor Zickefoose sung “It’s You Or No One,” adopting a cute, charming persona, backed by Nick Moore at the piano. Her high, breathy delivery took a somber turn on her second number, “Little Girl Blue,” where she bravely followed the lyrical

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asianweekly northwest

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2015

■ PICTORIAL

Miss India Washington pageant 2015 Celebrating beauty, spirit, and heritage

By Menka Soni Northwest Asian Weekly Beauty, elegance, grace, intellect, talent... And there was plenty of perspiration and inspiration last week May 16-17 in Bellevue. The 2015 Ravishing Women show was home to the Miss/Mrs/Teen India WA pageantry, along with motivating segments that honor women. Ajeta Singhal was crowned Miss India WA, whereas Protyusha Dasenogi and Simran Kota were crowned with the coveted titles of Miss / Mrs. India WA 2015 and Teen India WA 2015 respectively. The pageant opened up with each contestant showcasing ethnic wear as part of the traditional round, followed by a talent round, evening gown round and a judges question-and-answer session. The show was judged by a jury panel that included Dharmatma Saran, chariman and founder of IFC flying in from New York, along with his wife Mrs. Neelam Saran. Winners from the pageant have the tremendous opportunity to participate in Miss/Mrs/Teen India USA to be held in New Jersey later this year. Arushi Agarwal, Budhbhat-

ti Rinu, Simran Rai were crowned as first runner up as Mrs. India Seattle 2015, Miss India Seattle 2015, Teen India Seattle 2015. Other title winners included Shivani Singh as Ms. Catwalk, Sumedha Kshatriya as Ms. Talent, Pranavi KP as Ms. People’s Choice, Mannat Sudan as Ms. Entrepreneur, Manisha Prasad as Ms. Transformational. The event was a grand celebration of the beauty and spirit of womanhood, while also bringing together the rich heritage and oneness as part of the larger Indian Diaspora. The annual event, coordinated by Ravishing Women is a group working on the concept of “Growing Together” to “transform the dream of women entrepreneurs into reality.” It is an effort taken by group of women to promote, empower and encourage enterprises founded and nurtured by women. The group believes there is hidden potential and immense talent waiting to be tapped and encouraged, waiting for the right opportunity, a spark or a guiding light that will help them take flight. The objective of Ravishing Women is to create awareness and provide support to help such entrepreneurs grow together as a team. 

Photos courtesy Siddhartha Saha and Kiran Photography

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2015

■ community news Gang of Four book about racial unity in Seattle launched

The struggle for civil rights cuts across racial lines, one that speaks about the past in a way that stands for a future with respect and dignity to all citizens in a community. International District-legend Bob Santos knows that struggle first-hand as one of four civil rights leaders who worked together even though they were from different communities in Seattle. He is featured in a book he co-authored, “The Gang of Four: Four Leaders, Four Communities, One Friendship.” Launched on May 12 at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) in Seattle, the book, co-authored by Gary Iwamoto and published by Chin Music Press, tells the story of the collaboration that began in the late 1960s among Bernie Whitebear, Roberto Maestas, Larry Gossett, and Santos. “We really have history in the house tonight. I mean real history,” said Leonard Garfield, executive director of MOHAI, about surviving members “Uncle Bob” Santos and Gossett. “The kind of history you make in the streets, and you make in the community halls, and you make after years and years of hard work.” He says MOHAI should be a gathering place where that kind of history is one in which “we learn not more about ourselves, but more about each other.”

Photos by George Liu/NWAW

By James Tabafunda Northwest Asian Weekly

Fan with Estela Ortega, widow of Roberto Maestas

Co-authors Gary Iwamoto and Bob Santos

Enrique Cerna, emcee of the book launch, introduced Former Washington Governor Mike Lowry as the event’s first speaker. “We have changed a lot as a city and as a state and some places as a country in the last 40 years, and we’re much the better for it,” Lowry said about the contributions by the Gang of Four.

■ arts & entertainment

Laura Wong-Whitebear, youngest sister of Bernie Whitebear – one of six children born to a Filipino father and a Native American mother – and member of the Colville Confederated Tribes of Washington State, followed Lowry. She said about her brother, who died in 2000, “He always wanted a better quality of life for his people: jobs, health, education for the pre-K through 12, the youth, the adults, and elders. He wanted a generous slice of the pie for his people.”

Wong-Whitebear recognized the pioneers for “undoing the institutional racism” and standing for diversity and equity. Audience members laughed when she said she didn’t want to share too much because she wanted them to read the book, one she described as “a book on leadership and sustainability for our communities of color.” Other speakers at the event included John Daniels, Jr., director of government affairs, {see SANTOS cont’d on page 16}

Charles Johnson: Subdue racism by ‘Taming the Ox’ of the self By Judy Lightfoot Crosscut

In an ancient Buddhist parable, an ox runs away from a young herder. Traditionally, a series of ten drawings shows the boy searching everywhere for the beast, eventually finding it and taking charge, then climbing onto its back to ride it home. Award-winning Seattle author and retired University of Washington professor Charles Johnson told me that story over a pot of tea as we talked about his recently published collection, Taming the Ox: Buddhist Stories and Reflections on Politics, Race, Culture, and Spiritual Practice (Shambhala: 2014). In the parable, he explained, finding and taming one’s ox means working to learn that the separate self is a fiction, a false self. Between the true self and the world, as between the true self and other persons, no separateness and no boundaries exist. All is One. Which is why the tenth panel shows the boy returning to his village, full of

Charles Johnson

compassion, to help alleviate the suffering of all living beings. What insight can this Buddhist lesson, and other traditional teachings collectively called the Dharma, bring to racial conflicts currently roiling American society? Does Buddhist practice offer something of value to black people born into the era of what Johnson calls “Jim Crow lite”? Can such practice benefit whites as well?

“Riding Home” is one of the traditional series of ox taming pictures. This one is by 15th century Rinzai Zen monk Shubun of Japan, who is said to have copied 12th century works by a Chinese Zen master. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

According to Johnson’s book, “the historical and present-day suffering experienced by black Americans creates a natural doorway into the Dharma.” It’s just one reason why he believes that Buddhist teachings should be part of conversations about ethics

in every community today. Among other things, the author advocates teaching meditation in school, so kids can begin to understand not only math and history but how their minds work. He cites a study of boys in the United Kingdom who learned to use meditation

to increase their self-control and their ability to greet experiences, including schoolwork, with calm attention and curiosity. Lifers in an Alabama prison have learned to use meditation to quiet their minds and behave more peacefully, writes Johnson, pointing to the documentary film The Dhamma Brothers. Racism today may be more subtle than in the past, but it still damages the human spirit and seems to be fueling the deaths of unarmed black males at the hands of police. In a brief, heartbreaking New York Times video, A Conversation about Growing Up Black, boys and young men describe how racism affects them daily in ways large and small. One boy observes that no matter how upright and civil he tries to be, “The way people perceive you, it’s not up to you.” As a result, says another youngster, “We don’t know what freedom is.” That is, if you’re black, others {see JOHNSON cont’d on page 12}

asianweekly northwest

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2015

■ PUBLISHER'S BLOG

OPINION

Farewell to Imperial Lanes

Photos by John Liu/NWAW

Finishing with a strike

Bowling and nostalgia at Imperial Lanes

Driving past the Burger King and 7-11 on Rainier Ave, it is easy to pass Imperial Lanes day after day on your commute from the International District to Beacon Hill. Sadly, Imperial Lanes is closing on May 31. Imperial Lanes and Lounge opened in Seattle’s Rainier Valley in 1959 and was run by Fred Takagi for 30 years. As a result, many young Japanese Americans chose Imperial Lanes as their hangout. Imperial Lanes was sold to AMC in 1992. Louise Ono, daughter of Fred Takagi, said “Imperial Lanes was the hub of the Japanese and Chinese community. After the war, everyone needed a place to go and socialize. This is the end of an era.” Louise still bowls in the Nisei League, which will be moving to Skyway Park and Bowl.

Even though I did not go to Imperial Lanes often. I do remember my mom suggesting the entire family to go on Mother’s day three years ago. We had a great time. I had to experience Imperial Lanes one last time. There were around 30 people there last Monday. It was actually $1 Mondays after 8p.m. Had I had known that, I would have gone many more times since I live in the proximity. I played two games and finished my last frame with a strike - the perfect way to say goodbye. I asked some former patrons to tell me their fondest memories of Imperial Lanes. “In our younger days Imperial Lanes was

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

a second home to Ernie. He worked there on Saturday nights, bowled in pot games till the wee hours of the night, and bowled in several leagues. Although he spent more time at Imperial than with me, we made many friends and bowled with many old friends. It is sad that Imperial will be gone but we still have many fond memories.” — Ernie and Sunnie Nagai “Imperial Lanes opened their doors when Frank and I were in high school and it quickly became our “hangout.” One incident I vividly recall took place not inside Imperial Lanes but outside in their parking lot where I threw the “going steady” ring that Frank gave me out of the car window…..(obviously mad over something or another). But by the end of the day, the issue was resolved, we found the ring AND NOW Frank and I have been married for 48 years! Good bye Imperial Lanes…thanks for the memories. You will be missed, but

never forgotten.”

— Frank and Penny Fukui

“In the 60’s when you said bowling alley, you meant Imperial Lanes. I even bowled in a handicap league (the only way I could get in since I rarely broke 100). After bowling we’d go out for a bite to eat and drink (in those days you couldn’t drink alcohol on Sunday, so the lights would go on in the Four Seas bar announcing ten minutes to closing). One Friday night I was out and my date said let’s go to the bowling alley and see what’s going on (evidently I wasn’t good date night company).” — Kiku Hayashi “Imperial Lanes was the Beacon Haller. It was the place to go to if you live on Beacon Hill. It’s the thing to go to if you go to Franklin High School, bowl and play video games. I was a member of the women’s league. People went there to meet people.” — Lisa Noiji

■ COMMENTARY

Find the gap Jack Ma saw what others missed

By Amy Wilkinson Jack Ma was an English teacher of modest means in the southern Chinese province of Hangzhou. He had little business experience and few connections in the Chinese government. Yet he launched a new kind of Internet company that became the $216 billion market behemoth Alibaba—the world’s largest business-tobusiness e-commerce marketplace. What made it possible for a teacher in rural China to create a whole new way for his country’s small business Jack Ma owners to gain access to the international marketplace? People often point to entrepreneurs’ resources and personal connections but Jack Ma had neither. Or consider Elon Musk, a South African-born entrepreneur who dropped out of his Stanford PhD program just two days after he began it to launch the first in a rapid succession of ground-breaking companies. How, by his early 40s, could Musk have created an online currency, designed and built an electric car, created a rocket company? I would argue that Ma and Musk, and others like them, have a certain sensibility that strengthens their ability to identify gaps and {see MA cont’d on page 13}

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33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ world news

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2015

Video purports to show kidnapped Chinese tourist in Pakistan

By Ishtiaq Mahsud Associated Press

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (AP) — A militant video released Sunday purported to show a Chinese tourist kidnapped by Taliban-allied fighters in Pakistan a year ago asking for his government to help him be released. A militant known to belong to a Taliban splinter group called Jaish al-Hadeed, or the “Contingent of Steel,’’ gave the video to The Associated Press. While it could not be independently verified by the AP, the man in the video resembled other known photographs of Hong Xudong, kidnapped in May 2014. In the video, the man identified as Hong asks for the

{MALAYSIA cont’d from page 5} U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, and there are an estimated 40,000 more whose status has yet to be assessed. Obtaining a U.N. refugee card generally protects people from arrest. The economic prosperity, Islamic culture and the large population of Rohingya in Malaysia are all pull factors. “Malaysia is a modern Muslim urban society, with a booming construction business and economy. As a place of income, it’s many times better than where they come from. In terms of security, although it’s not easy with risks of arrests and exploitation, it’s still significantly better than what they have left behind,” said Richard Towle, the UNHCR representative in Malaysia. Refugees from Myanmar make up the biggest chunk of the more than 150,000 asylum seekers and refugees in Malaysia, one of the highest numbers in Asia, according to the UNHCR. The country has no refugee camps, so they live as “urban refugees” in shantytown settlements, cramped low-cost flats or isolated houses where they work on construction sites, restaurants, factories and plantations. Nurjan Nur Mohamad, an 18-year-old Rohingya woman who arrived in Malaysia two months ago after a dangerous boat journey, said that while she is afraid of getting arrested, she is also extremely relieved to have left behind the threats and violence of Myanmar. “I live in fear of the police here, but there is peace and I get enough food. It’s so much better than in the village,” she said. She hopes she and her new husband can win refugee

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Chinese government to honor his kidnappers’ ransom demands, without ever stating them. Chinese officials and state media did not immediately comment on the video. Officials at the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad could not be reached for comment. Hong went missing after entering Pakistan from neighboring India in April 2014. He was abducted May 19 in the town of Daraban on the outskirts of the Dera Ismail Khan district, which borders Pakistan’s lawless tribal regions, a haven for militants. Police only found his passport, bicycle and belongings. Following Hong’s abduction, the commander of a Taliban splinter group called Shehryar Mehsud, Abdullah Bahar, claimed responsibility for the abduction. Bahar later was

killed by a suspected U.S. drone strike. It’s unclear what relationship Shehryar Mehsud has with Jaish al-Hadeed, though Taliban splinter groups frequently cooperate with each other. The Pakistani Taliban have been waging war to install their own harsh brand of Shariah law, killing thousands of Pakistanis. Militants groups have abducted foreigners and locals to generate money for arms and equipment. The Pakistani army launched a massive operation in the tribal regions in June last year to eliminate militant groups. The operation was intensified in December after a Taliban attack on an army-run school in the northwestern city of Peshawar killed 150 people, most of them children. 

status from the UNHCR to get some protection. When he first arrived in Malaysia at age 29, Hamid also was constantly afraid of getting caught by police. He took up various odd jobs and then set up a small food stall selling roti canai, a popular Indian flatbread, and potato samosa. Later, his wife joined him in Malaysia and they had four children. Life became more tolerable when they were recognized as refugees by the UNHCR, but the future was — and is — still murky. He worries most about his children. The younger two attend a community school for Rohingya refugees funded by a local Muslim group. They learn to speak the Malay language, Islamic studies and other subjects. His 11-yearold son wants to be a doctor and youngest daughter a professor, he said. Hamid and his family have put in for resettlement in the U.S. or a third country through the UNHCR, but haven’t heard anything back. He holds out hope that his children might be granted citizenship in Malaysia. “I have spent half of my life here. I love Malaysia but after 25 years, what do I get? It’s OK for me, I am growing old but what about my children? I don’t want them to suffer like me,” he said. “Our hope now is to go to America where they can be citizens and get higher education.” Hamid’s views are echoed by many Rohingya families in Malaysia, who initially didn’t view resettlement as an option but now see it as the only way for their children to escape an impoverished future. Globally, only 80,000 refugees are resettled each year,

with the U.S. taking about 70 percent of them. Refugees from Myanmar make up the largest group, followed by Iraq, Congo and Somalia. But many of those from Myanmar are ethnic Chins who are Christians and English-speaking. Apart from the U.S., most other countries are not eager to take in Rohingya Muslims amid concerns that they could not integrate successfully because of religious values, community structures and language issues, said Towle of the UNHCR. “Rohingya have not featured very significantly in numbers in resettlement programs apart from the last few years but the numbers are increasing,” he said. Towle urged Malaysia to consider giving Rohingya protected status and work permits, which could help plug gaps in the workforce. “If you allow people who are going to be here anyway the right to work, you will flush them out of the gray economy and they will be more dignified contributors to Malaysia,” he said. But Malaysia fears that allowing refugees to stay permanently will just encourage more to come. Hamid said his family cried when they watched scenes of the scrawny Rohingya boat people on television. He said he has told his relatives in Myanmar not to come to Malaysia, mainly because of the risks of the sea journey and mistreatment by traffickers. “Many people have died at sea due to being beaten, starvation or illness. It’s suicidal to come here,” he said. “It’s better to die in your homeland than at sea.” 

asianweekly northwest

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2015

{MYANMAR cont’d from page 4}

{KOREA cont’d from page 4}

traffickers because “they are in despair and don’t see a future” at home. The Rohingya, numbering at around 1.3 million, have been identified by the United Nations as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. They have been denied citizenship and chased off their land in the latest bout of ethnic violence that left them with little access to education, medical care or freedom to move around. After Myanmar took steps to transition from dictatorship to democracy in 2011, newfound freedoms of expression gave voice to Buddhist extremists who spewed hatred against the religious minority and said Muslims were taking over the country. Attacks that followed left hundreds dead. Another 140,000 Rohingya were driven from their homes and are now living under apartheid-like conditions in crowded displacement camps. Myanmar’s government says the Rohingya are illegal migrants from Bangladesh, even though most have lived in Myanmar for generations. Bangladesh also does not recognize them as citizens. Blinken said Myanmar needs to shoulder some responsibility for the crisis. “The root of the problem for those leaving Myanmar is the political and social situation on the ground,” he told reporters in Yangon. He said Rohingya Muslims “should have a path to citizenship,” adding: “The uncertainty that comes from not having any status is one of the things that may drive people to leave.” Blinken said he made that point when he met with President Thein Sein, the army commander-in-chief and other top officials. The Rohgingya’s persecution has sent more than 100,000 fleeing to neighboring Southeast Asian countries. But in recent weeks, the exodus has erupted into a humanitarian crisis. Because of arrests after a crackdown on human trafficking networks in the region, captains earlier this month started abandoning boats that were packed with Rohingya Muslims as well as Bangladeshis escaping poverty. Myanmar’s navy found two fishing trawlers filled with 208 men during a patrol off Rakhine state, the main point of departure for fleeing Rohingya. Zaw Htay, director of the presidential office, said the men were identified as Bangladeshi and would be sent to the neighboring country. After initially saying it might boycott a meeting next Friday in Thailand to address the problem, Myanamar agreed to attend, saying the invitation letter did not use the term Rohingya and did not say that Myanmar was solely to blame. “We are ready to cooperate with other governments to resolve the ongoing problems through constructive engagement and on humanitarian grounds,” Zaw Htay said. 

performance of his duties, forcing a crew member off a plane and assaulting a crew member. It found her not guilty of interfering with a transport ministry investigation into the incident. Cho pleaded not guilty and prosecutors had called for three years in prison. The aviation security law is meant to regulate highly dangerous acts such as hijacking. But the upper court said Friday that there wasn’t a big safety threat posed by Cho’s actions, and returning a plane that was taxiing did not constitute forcing a change in the plane’s route.

Tran reported from Hanoi, Vietnam. Associated Press writers Aye Aye Win in Yangon, Myanmar, and Jocelyn Gecker and Todd Pitman in Bangkok contributed to this report.

{JOHNSON cont’d from page 9} have you nailed down in their minds the minute you come into view. They think they know about you even though you merely passed them on the street. What would it be like to feel imprisoned for life in a public image of yourself as somehow lacking, inferior, wrong, a threat? Johnson’s essays in Taming the Ox present Buddhist practice as a path to freedom that is “a matter of life and death to black Americans.” He reminds us of the Dharma teaching that though pain is inevitable, suffering is not: We can choose how to respond to pain, and Buddhist practices help us respond wisely. So although black Americans today aren’t responsible for having formed an unjust society, they’re responsible for how they react to injustice, and developing a felt sense of oneness with others can lead to a peaceable, constructive, even compassionate response. Whites need liberating, too, writes Johnson. White Americans can use the Dharma to free themselves from the centuries of racial indoctrination that have limited them, closed them off in a blind and false sense of superiority, barred them from knowing black people and treating them with due respect. Further, Americans from all backgrounds can use the Dharma to stay mindful and at peace amid what Johnson describes as the poisonous divisiveness of our nation’s politics and the shameless blandishments of the marketplace. Instead of battling for power, instead of dealing with feelings of separateness and isolation by shopping, gourmandizing, boozing and mindlessly turning “winners” into heroes, one can use Dharma wisdom to ease suffering in others’ lives and our own. Our Sponsors Johnson reminded me that the East has no monopoly on wisdom. “You can find Dharma wisdom in Ben Franklin,” he said, and noted that it was a Baptist leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who called our supposedly individual selves “networks of mutuality.” Indeed, interest in the benefits of meditation is rising in the Western world, as reflected for instance in recent programs broadcast on NPR. Following the essays collected in the volume are six stories. These mix elements of parable and fabliau with conventions of realistic short fiction; one narrative is recognizably set in Seattle’s Wedgwood neighborhood. The tone is exuberant, and comic even about the practice of Buddhism, as when practitioners get caught in certain

Kim Sang-hwan, head of the three-judge upper court panel, said that even though Cho used violence against crew members, she should be given a second chance. The judge also cited her “internal change” since she began serving her prison term as a reason for lessening the sentence. The upper court also took into consideration that Cho is the mother of 2-year-old twins and had not committed an offense before. She has resigned from her position at the airline. “It appears that she will have to live under heavy criticism from society,” Kim said. 

situations (a flirtation; professional jealousy) that challenge their spiritual discipline. In one story, “Guinea Pig,” the narrator gains insight into his human self by experiencing it as the self of a dog. For six years Johnson has been free to prioritize his writing, ever since retiring as Pollock Professor of English from the University of Washington. “When you’re teaching, students have to come first, always,” he said. But even during his busy academic career, major literary prizes, a MacArthur Fellowship and tightly planned days gave him space to write 16 books, including The Oxherding Tale, Dreamer and the National Book Award-winning Middle Passage. This year has already ushered in The Words and Wisdom of Charles Johnson (a year of interviews conducted by E. Ethelbert Miller) and the second in a series of children’s books, The Adventures of Emery Jones, Boy Science Wonder, that Johnson illustrates and co-authors with his daughter Elisheba. Johnson also continues to practice Buddhism. Still this man, who has steeped himself in the subject and practiced meditation for nearly half a century, told me, “I don’t call myself a Buddhist.” (It’s only logical: how can a person who has no self call himself anything?) “It’s truer to say I’ve done some Dharma” — that he’s studied and tried to live in the light of the teachings. How does Johnson feel about the future in America for his 3-year-old grandson? “I do think about what awaits him as a young black male here,” he replied. But, “Buddhism teaches that we can’t live in the future and can’t know the future. We have to be present fully in the here-and-now, and I do know right here, right now, I and my wife and daughter can give him all he needs.” As regards racism in general, progress in reducing it may be slow, said Johnson, but “there is less racism in America today than in my father’s time, and he saw less in the ’60s than in the ’30s.” Still, racism won’t end soon. “It might take us a century or two, and that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen all over the world — between Hutu and Tutsi and rival groups everywhere.” Meanwhile, he said, “We need to use the tools we have to decrease the separate sense of ego.”  Judy Lightfoot can be reached at judy.lightfoot@ crosscut.com.

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33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ astrology

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2015

For the week of May 30–June 5, 2015 By Sun Lee Chang

Rat — Although you weren’t convinced at first, joining along for the ride could be just as much fun as be in control.

Dragon — Is there a theme that keeps popping up over and over again? Until you recognize the message, it will likely keep doing so.

Monkey — Seize a new dynamic as an opportunity to rework how you fit in. Whether you want to move up or blend in, this is your chance.

Ox — Having a hard time shaking the feeling that things just aren’t adding up? A little sleuthing could turn up some big surprises.

Snake — Where your interests and efforts converge, good things are bound to follow. You just have to be steadfast in your commitment to pursuing them.

Rooster — If you are not pleased with your present choices, then it is up to you to seek out better alternatives.

Tiger — Hiding the ball doesn’t really help anyone in the long run. If something is a big deal to you, then there is no reason to be coy about it.

Horse — It can be difficult to share what you have done and open yourself up to criticism. However, you may find that your end product will be better for it.

Dog — You are so much more than just one success or failure. As long as the whole is in decent shape, the many parts are negotiable.

Rabbit — You have the same destination in mind, but varying ideas on how to get there. The important thing is that you are both on board for the journey.

Goat — Are you so busy that finishing a thought is a challenge? Slow down enough to figure out which items can be pushed to the back burner.

Pig — Two people can view the same thing quite differently. You do not always have to agree, but you should listen to the other person’s point of view.

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.

{JAPAN cont’d from page 7} in 1995. It now has more than 1,000 shops in Japan. Not a single prefecture (state) is without a Starbucks with one opening in holdout Tottori Prefecture this month — not surprisingly, welcomed with long lines. Even convenience stores are serving freshly brewed coffee. Japan also invented “manga-kissa,” or a cafe-cum-library, where you can curl up with a comic book and sip on coffee for hours. Such newcomers have hammered the once omnipresent kissaten. Their numbers have dropped by half from the 1980s, or to 77,000 in 2009, according to a Japanese government study. But Blue Bottle’s popularity is part of a rediscovery of cafes serving carefully prepared, quality coffee, a trend already {MA cont’d from page 10} opportunities. They see what others don’t. Entrepreneurial alertness is one way to describe it. Jack Ma and Elon Musk saw what was missing and built new solutions to fill the void. They are Architects: blanksheet-of-paper creators who design and build new models from the ground up. Just as professional architects who design tall buildings work within environmental and logistical constraints, Architects deal with individual components of projects, striving to understand how each element builds upon the next. They listen for silence and pay attention to what others have overlooked. Jack Ma focused on a part of the Chinese market that was of little interest to others at the time. In 1998, on a business trip to Seattle, Ma first saw a computer connected

long evident in the U.S. Blue Bottle’s first Japan shop, which has a roaster, is in Kiyosumi, an older part of Tokyo, chosen because it reminded Freeman, the founder, of Oakland. It opened in February. The second shop, in a backstreet of Tokyo’s fashionable Omotesando, opened in March. A third, likely opening later this year in Tokyo’s Daikanyama shopping area, will feature a menu that reflects Blue Bottle’s recent acquisition of San Francisco-based Tartine Bakery, which serves croissants, sandwiches and pastries. Blends such as “Giant Steps,” combining African and Indonesian-grown beans for a chocolate taste, sell for 450 yen ($3.75) a cup. A latte costs 520 yen ($4.30). On a recent day, the Blue Bottle shop in Kiyosumi, Tokyo, was filled with sunlight pouring through huge windows, the hum of a giant roaster, the fragrant aroma of fresh coffee and

a crowd of people. Takuya Nakagawa, a 39-year-old hairdresser, who came all the way from rural Toyama Prefecture (state), was impressed with the coffee’s taste and the store’s stylish stark decor. He bought granola and coffee beans as souvenir gifts. “I just love the taste,” he said. “This kind of place doesn’t exist in Toyama.” True to its inspiration, Blue Bottle is learning from Japan, said Andrew Smith, 29, of San Francisco, a barista and one of three Americans who came to work for the chain in Japan. “People here have different ways of conceptualizing about coffee so they taste things differently,” Smith said. “They are looking for different kinds of things in coffee. And that is a fun way to learn how everyone in the world perceives coffee differently.” 

to the Web. On a whim he typed-in “beer” as a search term. The search engine returned sites from all around the world… except for China. He searched again, this time trying “Chinese beer.” Still nothing. In a flash of insight, Ma recognized that China’s small and medium-sized businesses were invisible on the Internet. They were not there. And he saw what a huge untapped opportunity that represented. Ma decided to test his hunch. He posted an advertisement for the English-to-Chinese translation service he had developed while teaching English at Hangzhou Teachers College. With some help, he posted a one-page site featuring the name of the service, a price list, and contact information. The site went up at 9:30 A.M. and by 5 P.M. he had received 5 emails. This was enough to convince him that he was on to something. At the time Ma was getting started, only large Chinese companies had clear sales channels to the international market.

Ma knew that four-fifths of China’s companies were small and medium-sized, and they faced tremendous obstacles without a means to connect with each other or the outside world. The beauty of Alibaba was that it provided visibility to smaller players. By the end of 2001, the Alibaba China “Supplier Club” had topped one million, making it the largest B2B Web site in the world in terms of members. In 2004, at an Alibaba conference, Yahoo’s co-founder Jerry Yang noted, “this is the first time I have even heard people talking about ‘Net business.’ America doesn’t really have this. I myself had not appreciated the usefulness of the Internet as a tool for small and medium sized enterprises to transact business.”  Amy Wilkinson is a strategic adviser, entrepreneur, and lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

KING COUNTY INVITATION TO BID Project: TOKUL CREEK TRESTLE REHABILITATION SNOQUALMIE VALLEY TRAIL, C00977C15 Sealed Proposal Time/Date: June 16, 2015, 1:30 p.m. Location Due: King County Procurement and Payables Section, Contracts Counter, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 Engineer’s Estimate: $2.5 to $2.8 million Scope of Work: Bridge project includes the replacement of multiple structural timbers, addition of steel beams for increasing the load rating for existing concrete deck panels, and the addition of 7” concrete grade beams at six (6) foundation locations. An additional alternative will also be in place to paint the existing steel girder portion of the bridge. Work site: Snoqualmie Valley Trail, Tokul Creek. Washington. Contact Information: Mary Lee, Contract Specialist, 206-263-9381, TTY Relay: 711, Fax: 206- 296-7675, or mary.lee@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. Pre-Proposal Conference: June 4, 2015, 1:00 p.m., Tokul Bridge, meeting at Snoqualmie Regional Trail Parking lot at 356th Drive SE Subcontracting Opportunities: concrete foundation and steel girder painting Apprenticeship Requirements: 15% minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement. SCS Utilization Requirements: 5% minimum requirement for King County Certified Small Contractors and Suppliers (SCS) Utilization Requirement. Proposal Bond: Not less than five percent (5%) of the Total Proposal Price. Proposal 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: 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 Proposal 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.

asianweekly northwest

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2015

{MALAYSIA cont’d from page 4} least five years.” Local media outlets said the graves were found in two locations in the northern state of Perlis. The state borders southern Thailand’s Songkhla province, where at least 33 bodies were found earlier this month. According to the Malay-language Utusan Malaysia newspaper, police found 30 large graves containing hundreds of corpses in mid-May in forests around the Perlis towns of Padang Besar and Wang Kelian. The English-language Star Online said 100 bodies were found in a single grave in Padang Besar. It said police forensics teams had arrived there Friday night to investigate, and the area had been cordoned off. Human rights groups and activists say the area on the Thai-Malaysia border has been used for years to smuggle migrants and refugees, including Rohingya Muslims, a persecuted minority in Myanmar. In many cases, they pay human smugglers thousands

of dollars for passage, but are instead held for weeks or months, while traffickers extort more money from families back home. Rights groups say some have been beaten to death, and The Associated Press has documented other cases in which people have been enslaved on fishing boats. Since May 10 alone, more than 3,600 people — about half of them from Bangladesh and half Rohingya from Myanmar — have landed ashore in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Thousands more are believed to be trapped at sea in boats abandoned by their captains. Last June, the U.S. downgraded Thailand and Malaysia to Tier 3 — its lowest category — in an annual assessment of how governments handle human trafficking. On Saturday in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, U.N. SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon said he has been speaking to regional leaders about the crisis and urging them to find a solution. Malaysia and Indonesia announced last week that they would provide temporary shelter for up to one year for migrants recently found or still stranded at sea. The U.S. has said it will settle some of them permanently.

Four Malaysian navy ships began searching for boats Friday, but their operation is limited to Malaysia’s territorial waters. The Pentagon said Thursday that Washington was readying air patrols to aid in the search, but a U.S. Embassy spokeswoman in Bangkok said the offer of assistance was still awaiting clearance. The Rohingya, numbering around 1.3 million in Myanmar, have been called one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. Long denied basic rights, they have been driven from their homes in mob attacks in Myanmar’s Rakhine state several times since 2012. More than 140,000 were displaced and are now living under apartheid-like conditions in crowded camps. More than 100,000 more have fled by sea.  Pitman reported from Bangkok. Associated Press video journalist Syawalludin Zain contributed to this report.

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33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

{SEVADARS cont’d from page 1}

{HUMAN TRAFFICKING cont’d from page 1}

and rice and a choice of a variety of juices. Over 130 meals were served within one hour this past Saturday. Sevedars is based at the Renton Gurudwara. It is the mission of Sevadars to connect communities beyond religious, cultural, language, racial, gender, sexual or other divisions by realizing and practicing ‘Seva’: Performing selfless service for the greater good of humanity. How did the project evolve? Volunteers from the Seattle Sikh Sangat approached Sevadars to help them fulfill their wish for Langar Seva. Instead of serving Langar in Gurudwara, they wanted to serve it in the community, for the needy. The volunteers collected all legal documentation, collected permits, followed food safety guidelines, and coordinated the location and the planning of the event. It started on March 14th, these young volunteers served Langar to 115 homeless individuals, in a very short span of time. The Langar Seva was received with much love and appreciation. Sevadars, with financial funding, will hope to host Langar Seva on a regular basis. The organization is serving more than just meals. Since 1999 Sutinder Kaur Aunty Ji has been organizing the blood drives held at Renton Gurudwara. These blood drives are in the remembrance of 1984 Sikh Genocide. Recently, Ji has expressed an interest to hand over the reins of organizing the blood drives to the younger generation. The next blood drive will be at the Renton Gurudwara on June 7th. There was great turnout in November’s blood drive and they hope to exceed those results in June. Over the holidays, Sevadars distributed beanies and socks in downtown Portland. They have also distributed gloves and socks to the homeless in downtown Seattle. This past summer there was a community langar held at Gurudwara Singh Sabha of Washington. The services were planned, financed, organized, and hosted by the youth in the Greater Seattle area. The idea behind thie project/event was first introduced to the youth by a senior member of Sevadars. Three young women volunteered to bring this project to fruition. They were the team leads who were guided and mentored by a Sevadars’ member throughout the project. The goals of this project were to do selfless service, promote selfless service, engage the youth population, to give the youth experience, tools, and skills that will help them in their professional and personal lives, and to create leaders and complete projects that can be repeated on regular basis. And there is also fun. You can contribute by signing up for a basketball tournament (held three times a year). 

was arrested at the Adisucipto International Airport on the island of Java, Indonesia five years ago. Gulf News reported two weeks ago that Veloso’s execution by firing squad was suspended in April by Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Mananzan, a Benedictine sister and feminist activist, said the empowerment of human trafficking survivors is very important. “In 2012 the Department of Social Welfare and Development reported 1,376 victims of human trafficking,” Mananzan said. “You have to rescue them, (give) medical assistance, temporary shelter, give them education.” According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, human trafficking is “the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them.” “It is a universal, global phenomenon,” Mananzan said. “(Traffickers) exploit the vulnerability of women and children and teach them they are no longer human beings but as goods and services sold for high profit in the market.” She says human trafficking in the Philippines mostly occurs in Manila, Cebu, Angeles City, and on the island of Mindanao. Poverty and inequality in terms of gender are a few of the contributing factors to human trafficking. There is also the perception among potential victims that “there is a better life somewhere else.” Displacement due to natural disasters and armed conflict is another factor. After Typhoon Haiyan devastated Tacloban in 2013, recruiters for human trafficking immediately roamed refugee camps looking for women and children. Mananzan said, “And saddest of all, some parents actually pimped their own children because they lost everything.” The newest form is organ trafficking. It is a “very new

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2015

phenomenon for organ transplants, and this involves real murder,” Mananzan said. She adds there are laws in Asia that criminalize victims, not the traffickers. “We want to repeal that, and we want to discourage demand,” she said. “We want a decriminalization, not of the industry, but of the victims of the industry.” The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 allows Filipino prosecutors to file lawsuits against perpetrators. It also created the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), which is managed by the Department of Justice. Also, the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act – passed in 1992 – prohibits child trafficking and child prostitution. “In spite of all these interventions – international, regional, and local – human trafficking continues unabated in the Philippines,” Mananzan admits. Two years ago, IACAT announced that out of 1,519 cases of human trafficking, 118 people were convicted. Social development organizations, such as the PREDA Foundation, urge the Philippine judiciary to prosecute suspects in a robust manner with integrity. Emma Catague, a victim advocate at the Asian and Pacific Islander Chaya, and Al O’Brien, Seattle University adjunct criminal justice professor, also spoke. She said about local Filipino victims, “The first thing they want is to go to church because they feel it’s karma that they did something wrong.” The forum was co-sponsored by the Women Empowerment Network and 12 other organizations.  James Tabafunda can be reached at info@nwasianweekly. com.

APPLICATION Name: ____________________ Address: ___________________ __________________________ City: _____________ Zip: _______ Phone: _____________________ Birthdate: _____ / _____ / _____ School: ____________________ E-mail: _____________________ Class (as of academic year 2015-2016). Open to all students, but priority is given to juniors and seniors: ___ Sophomore ___ Senior ___ Junior ___ College Freshman Are you a Northwest Asian Weekly reader? ___ Yes ___ No

To contribute email info@sevadars.com. Staff can be reached at info@nwasianweekly. com.

WHEN June 22 – July 9, 2015 Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

{YANG cont’d from page 3}

WHERE Massive Monkees Studio 664 S. King St. Seattle, WA 98104

commented recently that his biggest challenge would be keeping Yang in school. Aside from the bumps in the road, coach Donavon is one of Yang’s best advocates. “I think it’s a great story for golf,” Donovan said. “Somebody who isn’t that guy with the big résumé, and now he can say that he’s got a fair shot just like everybody else. You can change your life, really, in one week. It’s going to be a game-changer.” According to Yang, “I’m improving every day, every month,” he said. “But I still think my game cannot be compared to the pros. When the pros make mistakes they still find a way to make it around and make the cut. When I make a mistake, I don’t have enough weapons to recover.” With Yang’s continued efforts on the course, there is no doubt that he will add excitement and anticipation to 2015 in Chambers Bay. 

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Photos by George Liu/NWAW

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2015

Program begins

From left: Enrique Cerna, emcee, Elaine Ko, Bob Santos, Leonard Garfield, executive director of MOHAI

King County Councilmember Larry Gossett

{SANTOS cont’d from page 9}

Viernes “by the Marcos regime.” She said Santos and then Congressman Lowry demonstrated with her and others in front of the Philippine consulate, stood up against Marcos’ “armed goons” at the union hall, and fought alongside her against the U.S. government and the FBI. “And being with us on that victorious day when we won justice for Silme and Gene,” she added. Wearing a newsboy cap atop his head, Santos – the son of a Filipino immigrant father and a Native American/Filipino mother – took the stage about 35 minutes into the event and told humorous stories about Maestas and Whitebear. As the executive director of Caritas, a tutoring program for inner-city youth, Santos said he first met Gossett, then a founding member of the University of Washington Black

Student Union, in 1969. “The point that I would like to make is that all of our relationships were solidified through struggle,” Gossett said. “I think that has a lot to do with why we were so successful for over 40 years, maintaining this unity among African American, Asian, Latino, Pacific Islander, and poor white people throughout our community.” 

year’s winners Laura Rosok (High School) and Jennifer Kienzle (Adult) bringing Kobe tales with them, the winners took their plaques, along with this year’s runners-up Maya Hunter (High School) and Janette West (Adult). A special feature for this evening was a spontaneous one: All former winners in the house, on stage, to sing “All Of Me,” with plenty of improvisation. I counted nine singers.

(I may have been off by one or two.) Amazing all the way through—let’s see another round of that next year! 

Muckleshoot Indian Tribe; and Estela Ortega, widow of Roberto Maestas and executive director of El Centro de la Raza. Filipino American activist Cindy Domingo, aide to King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, spoke about being “privileged to know all four of the amigos.” She added, “When the Gang of Four left their houses in the morning, they never forgot that their communities’ struggles were integrally tied to the struggles abroad and to the people that struggled all over the world.” Domingo recognized Santos’ decade-long stand after the 1981 deaths of her brother Silme Domingo and Gene

{JAZZ cont’d from page 7} melancholy down into near-silence, taking the audience with her. This was the most unconventional approach of any singer the entire evening, although the judges— Misha Berson, Jessica Davis, and William Montgomery— obviously responded to it. After stories and songs from last

{SEATAC cont’d from page 1} claim that when they did not comply with the Port of Seattle, they were subject to retaliation. The lawsuit was filed in late March of this year by three food-and-beverage companies owned by minorities. Two of the companies, Concourse Concessions and Sunís, Inc., are owned by Asian Americans. The other company, Seatac Bar Group, is owned by African Americans. The three companies participate in the Disadvantaged Business Entities (DBE) and Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) programs in which the companies are given an opportunity to compete for concession opportunities and for Department of Transportation-assisted contracts. The Port of Seattle receives federal funding to participate in the DBE and ACDBE programs. The companies claim that the Port restructured its concession program into three tiers after its contract with HMS Host International, Inc. ended in December 2004. All three companies were placed in a less- advantageous tier than other businesses vying for space in the Central Terminal of the airport. The businesses were placed in Concourse A of Sea-Tac which is frequented less by travelers. Their leases also made it difficult for them to negotiate changes, modifications, or deviations from their sublease terms according to the complaint. This was key as the businesses were required to bring electricity, gas, water, and communications to their space. However, other businesses receiving favorable spots in the Central Terminal of Sea-Tac already had the needed infrastructure and did not have to expend money to build out its spaces as did the plaintiffs.

The lawsuit claims that they have suffered substantial economic losses as a result of the discriminatory practice by the Port of Seattle. The complaint infers that since the businesses participate in a federally funded program benefiting minorities, the Port of Seattle has not treated them as it would other businesses. Plaintiffs claim that they attempted to talk to the Port of Seattle about the disparity between their businesses and those that operate in the Central Terminal. In their complaint, the plaintiffs allege that the Port of Seattle arranged a meeting with its attorneys but the plaintiffs state that the Port of Seattle’s attorneys had prepared legal affidavits for them to sign stating that they were not subject to racial discrimination by the Port. Plaintiffs refused to sign the affidavits. As a result, the plaintiffs claim retaliation has been made against them for not going along with the Port of Seattle’s wishes. A part of this retaliation includes derogatory statements per the lawsuit. Port of Seattle staffers have made “verbal and written harassing and derogatory comments” to plaintiffs including the claim by one Port employee that the plaintiffs were “playing the race card.” The lawsuit survived a motion to dismiss, filed by attorneys for defendants. Thus, the lawsuit continues. The Complaint seeks to sue not only the Port of Seattle, but Yoshitani and Reis personally citing that they violated the civil rights of the owners of the companies due to their “reckless or callous indifference” of their civil rights. The plaintiffs seek an unspecified amount of money from the Port of Seattle, Yoshitani, and Reis.  Jason Cruz can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

For more information about “The Gang of Four: Four Leaders, Four Communities, One Friendship,” go to gangoffourbook.com. James Tabafunda can nwasianweekly.com.

reached

info@

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