PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 746 Seattle, WA
VOL 36 NO 24
JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2017
FREE 35 YEARS YOUR VOICE
Bridge builder hopes to continue bringing people together in Bellevue City Council By James Tabafunda NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Janice Zahn
Janice Zahn has lived in Bellevue for the past 23 years. In that time period, she’s designed bridges and a floating pontoon as a civil engineer. A Port of Seattle assistant director of engineering and Bellevue Transportation Commission chair, Zahn, 51, chose a pedestrian-bridge graphic as her logo, above the words “Integrity, Inclusion, Innovation,” for her current campaign to become an elected Bellevue city official. “When I sat down and I said I wanted to run for city council, we talked about a logo that resonates with who I am as a person and how I would lead,” Zahn said. She will be one of two people vying for Bellevue City Council, Position 5 this November, finishing out the last two years of Vandana Slatter’s term. Slatter began serving in state government as the representative of the 48th Legislative
District last January. “I find Janice to be incredibly thoughtful in her approach to solving problems. She brings her full self to all she does and puts people first — a servant leader with a heart for community,” Slatter said in her endorsement of Zahn. In January 1976, Zahn — at age 10 — emigrated from Hong Kong with her family, moving to Federal Way. “We were sponsored by my uncle versus folks that came to this country with nothing,” she said. “As an immigrant, if you don’t have those folks that can help you acclimate, it can be really difficult, and it can be really scary.” Her mother is from Kowloon and worked as a nurse in Hong Kong. “When she came to the States, she was not allowed to practice because her nursing credentials did not transfer,” Zahn said. “My father was actually born in
Diversity initiatives at the UW Michael G. Foster School of Business
see ZAHN on 13
JOSHUA WONG A Hong Kong schoolboy’s resistance movement » see 7
SPORTS Johnny Damon » see 8
NEW YORK, NEW YORK Publisher Ng rediscovers the Big Apple through fresh eyes. » see 10
CALENDAR » 6 ASTROLOGY » 15
Congresswoman introduces bill for Asian Americans battling mental illness
Foster undergraduate students on campus
By Jenn Doane NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY In both business and academics, it’s no secret that diversity breeds innovation, attracts top talent, and drives competitiveness. As such, the Foster School of Business (FSB) at the University of Washington (UW) has developed a wide array of programs and services aiming to recruit and retain a diverse student body. In May
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of 2015, in a ranking for business schools with the most perceived diversity, Businessinsider.com placed the UW 17th in the nation with a diversity score of 9.2 out of 10. Diversity initiatives at the UW first kicked-off in 1970 with the student activism of the Graduate Association of Black Business Students (GABBS), and has since evolved into an eclectic mix of see UW BUSINESS on 9
Rep. Judy Chu
By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) reintroduced legislation on May 25 to curb mental health stigma in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. The Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act instructs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) to provide outreach and education strategies for the AAPI community by partnering with local advocacy and behavioral health organizations that have an established record of serving AAPIs. These strategies will increase awareness of symptoms of mental illness common among AAPI populations, provide see CHU on 11
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35 YEARS
JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2017
■ NAMES IN THE NEWS SBCTC’s new executive director
Jan Yoshiwara is the new executive director of State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC). Yoshiwara was deputy executive director for education at the State Board. She assumed her new role on June 1. Yoshiwara has a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis, and a master’s Jan Yoshiwara degree from Western Washington University. She replaced retiring executive director Marty Brown. “I’m thrilled to serve in this new position,” said Yoshiwara. “Our two-year colleges give everyone the opportunity for a better future, especially low-income students and students of color. Nothing is more gratifying to me than to see students discover their self-worth and rise.” ■
Canton Noodle House closed
CACA dinner
Yamada has BA from University of Tokyo and MPA from Columbia University. His hobbies are golf, go (game) and piano. Yamada is married with a son.
New public charter school named
CACA board members
Seven guests attended the C.A.C.A. Seattle Lodge’s annual dinner on May 21. This year’s dinner featured Phillip Yin, 2016 candidate for the Washington State Lieutenant Governor, as emcee. The C.A.C.A. also gave out its Citizens Awards to Harry Shum of Microsoft, fashion designer Luly Yang, and the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP), Seattle Chapter for their respective contributions and achievements in professional excellency, community services, and advocacy efforts. Marsha Chien gave the keynote speech. She is the State Assistant Attorney General who was on the team to fight against Trump’s Muslim immigration ban. ■
New Consul General of Japan in Seattle
Canton Noodle House storefront
Canton Noodle House on 12th Avenue South between King and Weller streets closed two weeks ago. The owner said that the restaurant will reopen in a new location in July, in the Rainier Valley. ■
Yoichiro Yamada
Yoichiro Yamada is the new Consul General of Japan in Seattle. Born in Kobe, Yamada’s postings have included Moscow, Brussels (twice), Warsaw, New York, and Nairobi. Yamada believes that the best service an overseas mission can provide is to facilitate exchanges by connecting good-willed people with potential partners across the borders.
Rainier Valley Leadership Academy.
Southeast Seattle now has a school with a name that reflects its diverse community and goals for students: Rainier Valley Leadership Academy. Nearly 50 families, students, and stakeholders selected the name for the new charter public middle school that represents the values of the community and school. “Families chose a name for the school that spoke to them and the kind of school they want for their child,” said Emijah Smith, a community advisory team member. Leah Africa, a Rainier Beach resident whose son will attend Rainier Valley Leadership Academy this fall, said, “I look forward to him enjoying his middle school experience and thriving academically at his new school.” ■
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U.S. NEWS BEST BUSINESS SCHOOLS The Foster School's undergraduate business program ranked in the elite top five percent of programs nationwide—#22 of 472 schools and #12 of public schools—in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2016 Rankings.
The Foster School is ranked #1 among the top 30 schools for job placement - 98% of Foster MBAs secured jobs within 3 months of graduation.
YOUR VOICE
JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2017
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■ COMMUNITY NEWS Washington Washington school program museum honors Japanese Americans fostering unity gains attention
CENTRALIA, Wash. (AP) — Men, women and children, all wearing yellow numbered Army identification tags, gathered at the Chehalis Train Depot on June 2, 1942. These Japanese Americans were waiting for a train to carry them to the soon-to-be completed Tule Lake internment camp in California. On Saturday, June 3, one day past the 75th anniversary of the detainment, the Lewis County Historical Museum dedicated a plaque with the names of the Americans from Lewis County who were put on the train. The plaque reads, “Time has revealed the injustice of your experience, which we regret. We admire your loyalty, patriotism and dedication to this nation.’’ On Feb. 19, 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 authorizing the internment of those of Japanese descent. The order was in the wake of the United States entering the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor while the paranoia of Japanese infiltrators was at its peak. The majority of those interned, around 120,000 Americans, were born in the U.S. One person who was on that train was Irene (Sato) Yamasaki. She is the second youngest of the six Sato children who grew up in Adna. She was 18 months old when her family went to Tule Lake. “I was really too young for any of this to have an effect on my life,’’ she said, now in her late 70s. “I
Photo by Graham Perednia
By GRAHAM PEREDNIA THE CHRONICLE
President of the Lewis County Historical Society Peter Lahmann unveils the remembrance plaque dedicated to the Japanese Americans who left Chehalis for Tule Lake California on June 2, 1942.
guess I grew up not feeling any different.’’ She doesn’t have any real memories of the camp, and it was something her family never talked about. But one of her earliest memories was returning home to their two-story house in Adna. She would get lost in it and run up and down the stairs. “It just seemed so big compared to where I was living before,’’ she said. Some neighbors in Adna kept the proper–ty in shape while the Satos were interned in the camps, event coordinator Jodi Baker said. “Which was not the case for most of the people in the camps,’’ Baker said. “Most lost everything they had.’’ Baker noted many of the people in the camps were born in the United States and had never known another see WASHINGTON MUSEUM on 11
By TAMMY AYER YAKIMA HERALDREPUBLIC YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — Hundreds of hand-painted faces line the hallways of Hoover Elementary School, each realistically depicting the countenance of its creator. Some have glasses. Some have long hair, curly hair, blond hair or no hair. They have brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes. None are just black, brown or white. These nuanced selfportraits of every student and staff member at this Yakima school are blends of peach and beige and cream and olive or even more colors. “They were multicultural, but they’re really not,” Principal Luz Juarez-Stump said of the tempera paints that almost 700 students and 50 staff used to accurately match their own skin tones. “The kids got into it, mixing colors,” she added. “We pulled out black and brown and white.”
Students and staff created the skin color portraits in a lesson on diversity and acceptance through the UnityWorks Program, which Hoover began participating in this school year. Offered by the UnityWorks Foundation, a Yakima-based educational nonprofit founded by Randie Gottlieb, the program is designed to improve race relations by educating staff and students about living in a diverse society. It’s a young program and limited to 11 schools in the Yakima School District for now. But others in Washington state and beyond are taking a closer look. Five Yakima school and district officials will present the UnityWorks program at the WASA/ AWSP annual conference June 27 in Spokane. That’s the gathering of members of the Washington Association of School Administrators, which includes school boards and superintendents, and see PROGRAM on 12
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JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2017
35 YEARS
■ NATIONAL NEWS
Councilman stabbed in robbery attempt says he feels lucky PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Philadelphia city councilman stabbed in an attempted robbery near his residence said that he’s lucky the blade didn’t hit his vital organs. Republican Councilman David Oh was released from the hospital on the afternoon of June 1. “I feel very good, good David Oh health, good spirits, good everything,’’ Oh told reporters at an impromptu news conference on his front porch. Oh said he was coming home from work the night of May 31 when a man he did not recognize approached, demanded the keys to his car and stabbed him once in the
left side. Althought Shawn Yarbray, 24, surrendered to police on June 3, his lawyer said, “At this juncture he denies all the allegations. And we’ll see what the evidence shows.” Yarbray’s stepfather said this is a case of mistaken identity and that his stepson has nothing to do with the crime. Yarbray was charged attempted murder, along with aggravated assault, robbery, possession of an instrument of crime with intent, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person. His bail has been set at $750,000. The attack occurred on the block where Oh, who is married and has four children, has lived since the 1960s. Oh, first elected to the council in 2011, is the first Asian American elected to public office in Philadelphia and the only U.S. military veteran serving on the council. He said he holds no ill will toward Yarbray. The suspect
once lived two blocks from Oh’s residence. Oh’s late father founded Philadelphia’s first Korean American church in 1953. According to Oh’s council website , one of his cousins was murdered in 1958 by a group of teenagers while a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania. Oh’s parents requested leniency for the boys and started a fund to help them upon their release. “We are all praying for Councilman Oh’s quick recovery and thinking of his family during this incredibly difficult time,’’ said Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney Kennedy said in a statement. “Whenever violence happens on our streets it is a terrible tragedy. When it happens near our homes, where we are supposed to feel safe, it is all the more devastating.’’ ■
Navy officer who shared military secrets gets 6 years
Edward C. Lin
Editors Note APNewsNow. NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A U.S. Navy officer has been sentenced to six years in prison for revealing military secrets and other crimes. Media outlets report that Lt. Cmdr. Edward C. Lin was sentenced on June 2 in a Virginia military court. With the time he has already see LIN on 14
Cops: Lye caused kids’ burned throats at Chinese restaurant
LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania police said on June 2 it was lye that severely sickened two children after drinking what they believed to be apple juice at a Chinese buffet in March. see STAR on 14
YOUR VOICE
JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2017
asianweekly northwest
The card that takes you everywhere. The ORCA card makes it easy to get around on Link light rail, Sounder trains, buses and ferries. Learn more at soundtransit.org/orca.
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JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2017
35 YEARS
■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR JUNE 8
WRITER/PRODUCER/ACTOR QIN YI SCHEDULED TO ATTEND AT THE OPENING OF “THE BEAUTIFUL KOKONOR LAKE” SIFF Cinema Uptown, June 7, 6 p.m. AMC Pacific Place, June 8, 4:30 p.m. siff.net DIRECTOR YUANCHENG ZHU SCHEDULED TO ATTEND AT THE OPENING OF “THE SONG OF COTTON” SIFF Cinema Uptown, June 7, 8:30 p.m. AMC Pacific Place, June 9, 11 a.m. siff.net
8&9 DIRECTOR LIANG DONG AND PRODUCERS SCHEDULED TO ATTEND AT THE OPENING OF “THE DOOR” AMC Pacific Place June 8, 7 p.m. June 9, 4 p.m. siff.net
9 & 10 DIRECTOR WANG XUEBO AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ZHAO YIHAN SCHEDULED TO ATTEND SHOWINGS OF “KNIFE IN THE CLEAR WATER” AMC Pacific Place 11, June 9, 1:30 p.m. AMC Pacific Place 11, June 10, 7 p.m. siff.net
2017 AMY YEE LEGACY CLINICS Amy Yee Tennis Center, 2000 MLK Jr. Way S., Seattle 9 a.m. RSVP to amyyee10usfoundation@gmail. com
11 THE HANDICRAFTS OF GUJARAT WITH MARILYN ROMATKA & COURTNEY NEVITT Phinney Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle 1 p.m. $15–$20 friendsofasianart.org
14 HING HAY COWORKS’ 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY Hing Hay Coworks, 409B Maynard Ave. S., Seattle 5 p.m.
15 HOMESTEAD COMMUNITY LAND TRUST’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER PARTY, “BUILDING MOMENTUM FOR OUR NEXT 200 HOMES” Edgewater Hotel, The Olympic Ballroom, 2411 Alaskan Way, Seattle 6 p.m. homesteadclt.org CANTON ALLEY PARTY Canton Alley, Seattle 5 p.m.
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23 & 24
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RACE, IDENTITY AND CULTURE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST Seattle Art Museum, 1300 1st Ave., Seattle 12 p.m.
4TH LAO AMERICAN WRITERS SUMMIT Highline College, 2400 S. 240th St., Des Moines 9 a.m.
THROUGH JULY 8
JUNE LUNCHEON, “WORLD CLASS ENTERPRISE CULTURAL DNA AND DEVELOPMENT PATHS FOR GREATNESS” China Harbor Restaurant, 2040 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle 11:30 a.m.
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SEATTLE COLLEGES IS CELEBRATING 2017 GRADUATES Safeco Field, 1250 1st Ave. S., Seattle 6 p.m. seattlecolleges.edu
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7TH ANNUAL SAMOA CULTURAL DAY Harry Lang Stadium, Clover Park High School, 11023 Gravelly Lake Drive S.W., Tacoma Please check website for various hours apcc96.org
SEATTLE CHINESE GARDEN KITE FESTIVAL Seattle Chinese Garden, 6000 16th Ave. S.W., Seattle 2 p.m. 2017 AMY YEE LEGACY CLINICS Amy Yee Tennis Center, 2000 MLK Jr. Way S., Seattle 9 a.m. RSVP to amyyee10usfoundation@ gmail.com
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OMOIDE PROGRAM WITH GUEST SPEAKER MARC BRODINE OF ROSLYN JCCCW, 1414 Weller St., Seattle 1 p.m. 425-502-8998
WASHINGTON STATE CHINA RELATIONS COUNCIL US Bank Center, 1420 5th Ave., 4th Floor, Seattle 3:30 p.m. wscrc.org
GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION OF JIMI HENDRIX PARK 2400 S. Massachusetts St., Seattle 12 p.m.
JULY 7
LOCAL EVENT WITH AUTHOR LISA KO OF, “THE LEAVERS” Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 Tenth Ave., Seattle 7 p.m. michael@algonquin.com 212-614-5639 _______________________
HAVE AN EVENT TO PROMOTE? PLEASE SEND US THE DETAILS INFO@NWASIANWEEKLY.COM.
2017 AMY YEE LEGACY CLINICS Amy Yee Tennis Center, 2000 MLK Jr. Way S., Seattle 9 a.m. RSVP to amyyee10usfoundation@gmail. com
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JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2017
YOUR VOICE
■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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“JOSHUA: TEENAGER VS. SUPERPOWER” “Youthful idealism takes on China”
By Eric Card NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY “I want to know, where are the adults? No matter what the price, we can’t dump this on the next generation. This generation must complete our mission!” These are the rallying cries of Joshua Wong as he talks to a crowd of protesters he is leading. While small, skinny, and unassuming in appearance, the passion and conviction behind his message is anything but. “Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower” is the story of an unlikely 14-year-old that creates a grassroots resistance organization called the Scholarism. The group, formed in 2012, was forged to fight the Hong Kong government’s policy to introduce National Education, a propaganda curriculum that strongly encourages students to show loyalty to the state of China. During one of the group’s protests, Wong speaks to reporters to explain the Scholarism’s cause, “We demand the government withdraw
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National Education. We can’t have Communist China dictating what is taught in Hong Kong schools.” He refers to the policy as “brainwashing curriculum.” To give some background and context behind the rise of this resistance, the documentary succinctly reviews the 1997 British handover of Hong Kong to China. While the people of Hong Kong worried over its autonomy, the film explains that China promised Hong Kong freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and the right to elect their own leader in the future, for the time being, under the principle of “one country, two systems.” The idea was that Hong Kong would retain the same degree of autonomy and keep its economic and social systems in place for the next 50 years. The documentary also goes over the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, which involved large studentled demonstrations in Beijing fighting for government reform. Due to the unrest and growing resistance, the Chinese government infamously sent in military forces, which ended in the massacre of many protesters. These quick historical lessons
help to reveal the distrust and contempt that the people of Hong Kong have towards China’s intentions and that China is not afraid to get its hands dirty when it comes to suppressing dissenters. As we see CY Leung, Hong Kong’s chief executive who was appointed by the Chinese government, brush off Wong’s criticisms and demands in regards to National Education, we see the group’s resolve intensify. This culminates in a sit-in protest that gains momentum and develops into something that goes beyond anyone’s expectations, one that Wong calls “a miracle.” While the protest shows the power of social movement, Scholarism activist Agnes Chow states that this is one battle, not the whole war. That war comes in the form of the fight for universal suffrage for Hong Kong. The goal is to bring true democracy by having the people of Hong Kong vote in its leaders, instead of the Chinese government selecting vetted candidates. Under the appointment of Chinese President Xi Jinping in see JOSHUA on 13
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■ SPORTS
35 YEARS
JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2017
Former MLB baseball player Johnny Damon honors mother’s Thai heritage
By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Johnny Damon is best known for his time with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. He was a part of the Red Sox team that “broke the curse of the Bambino” in 2004. This May, he was inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Seattle. Damon, who flew here all the way from Orlando, Fla., sat down with the Northwest Asian Weekly. “It’s one of my favorite places,” Damon said of Seattle, as he spent 18 seasons in the
majors with a visit to play the Mariners each year. He recalled as a younger player that he would rent bikes and take them out to the University of Washington during his free time while in town to play games. Damon’s mother, Yome, immigrated to the United States from Thailand. His father was in the U.S. Army and therefore Damon moved around as a child. He was born on an army base in Fort Riley, Kan. He also moved to Army bases in Okinawa, Japan and Fort Campbell, Ky., and Clarksville, Tenn. Once his father retired from the service, the family — his mother and older brother
James — had a choice to settle down. “My mom wanted to be around Mickey Mouse,” Damon reflected on the family’s choices. So, it came down to Anaheim, Calif. or Orlando. The family decided to settle in Orlando. It remains where he resides. “It feels tremendous,” Damon said of the induction. “She (Damon’s mother) instilled being a good kid, the hard work you had to put into something and the work ethic.” He added, “To represent her country is a tremendous feeling.” Damon’s mother had a lot of traditions from Thailand. As a youth, he recalled going to the Buddhist temple and sometimes the monks would come to the house. He also recalls the great Thai food. Damon said that while his mom enjoyed everywhere he played, she was especially proud that he was representing Thailand as part of the team that attempted to qualify for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in 2012. Damon was the only player on the team that played in the Major Leagues. “It was such a great experience,” said Damon. The young players looked up to him and recalled all of his famous Major League Baseball accomplishments. Damon is not ruling out a return to the Thailand team to help them qualify for the WBC. Despite being retired from professional baseball, he would be willing to pitch for the club. Of course, Damon gave the disclaimer that his body would have to be in shape to play. As a child, Damon played a variety of sports including soccer and baseball. He started playing t-ball at the age of 6. Almost instantly, he was hitting the ball better and running faster than other kids. But, Damon realized a strange thing when he first began to play. He knew he was left-handed, but he did not know that he had to use a mitt to put on his right hand. So, he found himself in the awkward position of catching a ball with a mitt on his left-hand, needing to take off the glove, and then throw with it. He borrowed left-handed gloves until he earned enough money from cutting grass to buy his own glove. He began playing with older kids when he was 8 years old. Damon was also an outstanding track athlete in high school in the 100, 200 and 400 meters. But, he had to balance baseball and track at the same time. He also played football, but it wasn’t his passion. Damon recalled being hit hard his sophomore year by Warren Sapp, who went on to become an NFL Hall of Fame defensive lineman. Damon started playing professional baseball for the Kansas City Royals, but
he played the bulk of his career with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. When he first came to the Red Sox, many fans “believed in the curse,” referring to the fact that the Red Sox had not won a World Series since 1918. “When I got there, I was really shocked by how subdued everyone was.” Damon noted that there was an expectation to lose. He helped turn the attitude around to a winning culture. There were a lot of different personalities on the Red Sox roster during the season they won the World Series, but Damon thought “it was a piece of cake.” He said that the players were able to settle their differences and come together to bring in a winning mentality. When he left the Red Sox, he realized that the Boston fans that had cheered for him so passionately would likely turn on him since he was joining the Yankees, the prime rival for Red Sox fans. For Damon, the career move was warranted as the Red Sox had held firm on a new contract with Damon and the Yankees offered him a better deal. He helped create a new salary level for center fielders — making $13 million per year as the Yankees leadoff hitter. “It was a tough move,” Damon said. “But I felt like I was at the right spot at the right time.” Damon noted that the Red Sox did not believe he was in the future plans of the organization, as a younger player, Jacoby Ellsbury, was close to joining the Major League roster. He was 31 at the time of the move, and Damon felt like he had a lot of baseball left to play. Although the Yankees have a strict dress code of no beards or long hair, Damon had no problem with it. He stated that when he signed with Boston, he had short hair. He grew a beard and longer hair with the Red Sox. But the change was no problem. Damon spends his time with his wife and eight kids in Orlando. He also works with the Johnny Damon Foundation. The notfor-profit 501(c)(3) assists local and national programs that provide leadership and growth opportunities for disadvantaged children at risk. In its 10th year, Damon’s Foundation puts on a golf tournament. This past year, it helped raise money for The Boys & Girls Club of (Winter Garden) Central Florida. ■ For more information on Damon’s Foundation, visit johnnydamon.com. Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
YOUR VOICE
■ TECHNOLOGY
JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2017
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Photos by Chris Kenji Beer/NWAW
America’s first Japanese college football player celebrates PSP company’s 30th anniversary as champion of diversity
Mayumi Nakamura (left) and Kenichi Uchikura.
By Chris Kenji Beer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Consistently named among Washington state’s top 10 web development studios by revenue, according to Puget Sound Business Journal, Pacific Software Publishing (PSP) is a champion of diversity in the region.
Kenichi Uchikura with KanjiWORD, a Japanese word processor for Windows.
The Bellevue company celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and now has around 50 employees from seven different countries who speak six languages. In a lot of ways, founders Kenichi Uchikura and Mayumi Nakamura provide “leadership by example” for other young aspiring entrepreneurs of Asian descent.
UW BUSINESS from 1 programs and services. From successful high school outreach programs, to invaluable corporate partnerships, FSB boasts a wellrounded, holistic approach to not only increasing campus diversity, but enhancing opportunities for historically underrepresented groups. Per their mission statement, their main purpose is to serve as a resource for students Pamela Lacson of color, equalizing the gender imbalance in business, and supporting student veterans and the LGBTQ+ community. “The research continues to validate that nonhomogeneous teams are simply smarter,” said Pamela Lacson, Associate Director of Undergraduate Diversity Services at FSB. “They challenge our brains to think and stretch in new ways and sharpens overall performance. Understanding the value that comes from employing teams from a wide range of intersectional identities is a sound business decision. Here at the Foster School, we are working to ensure that underrepresented students have the opportunities and support necessary for success in the business world.” In the forefront of undergraduate initiatives at FSB is the Young Executives of Color (YEOC) college pipeline program, a nine-month program serving 170 high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors from 75 schools in Washington. The program offers a comprehensive curriculum focusing on college preparation, professional development, leadership activities, and business lectures. The YEOC program also provides participants with invaluable mentorship and networking opportunities, pairing each student with a FSB undergraduate student mentor who helps provide guidance on the college application process. YEOC seniors have historically maintained a 100 percent college acceptance rate, and many successful participants have returned as college mentors, enrolled at prestigious institutions, and accepted positions at highly reputable corporations. Additional college pipeline programs include the Business Educational Opportunity Program (BEOP), Business
They really are independent thinkers who keep true to their personal and professional dreams and goals. They both pursued their passions, even if it meant leaving their original home land to get it. Uchikura landed in southern California in his first adventure overseas. “I always wanted to come to America. There are
Bridge, Alliances for Learning and Vision for Underrepresented Americans (ALVA), and the annual Women’s Leadership Summit. Once on campus, students receive robust academic retention services, scholarships (Foster awards over $800,000 in scholarship money a year), professional and leadership development, and a community of support once they arrive through to graduation and job placement. The Consulting & Business Development Center (CBDC) is another impressive program offered by FSB diversity services. Established in 1995, the program gives students the opportunity to utilize what they’ve learned in the classroom to help solve real-world business challenges in communities throughout Washington state. The program allows students the ability to gain real-world consulting experience solving actual business challenges, while helping business owners and nonprofit leaders in underserved communities gain access to invaluable business education. Students provide consulting services ranging from six weeks to six months. For nonprofit organizations, the Board Fellows program places MBA and MPA students in local nonprofit organizations as nonvoting board members — allowing them to attend monthly board meetings, join board committees, and complete board-level projects. In turn, the nonprofits gain fresh perspectives from MBA and MPA students, the ability to recruit and work with young leaders, and the opportunity to influence the next generation of board leadership. Research shows that there are systemic challenges that minority-owned businesses face compared to businesses in general. Businesses owned by people of color have gaps in access to Management education, Money (access to capital), and Market access (access to customers and clients). The Center is building a holistic approach that address all three Ms at the same time. For businesses that are seeking to grow the Center offers consulting and business education classes suited for all stages of business development. Since the program’s inception, it has successfully created and retained over 100,000 jobs and helped generate more than $100 million in revenue. The Foster School has a strong team of individuals driving these initiatives. Lacson, a UW alumna who received her BA in Business Administration from Foster, credits the diversity programs offered for much of her academic and career success. Lacson and her team at
three main factors that drove my desire to come to America; 1) I wanted to have an American girlfriend because I watched American movies, 2) I was big, it was difficult to buy clothes that fit me in Japan, and 3) when I graduated from high school see PSP on 12
Undergraduate Diversity Services have played a key role in spearheading new college pipeline programs, securing new corporate sponsorships, and deepening existing corporate partnerships. Melissa Uyesugi was recently hired on as the Associate Director for Diversity & Inclusion for the portfolio of Masters programs Melissa Uyesugi at the Foster School. Uyesugi boasts an impressive 17 years working as a higher education professional, with much of her work dedicated to closing educational opportunity gaps for underrepresented groups, student engagement and leadership programming, and diversity and inclusion efforts. With support from Associate Dean Dan Turner, Melissa recently facilitated a partnership with the prestigious national organization Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), a nonprofit organization that is transforming the career and life trajectories of a new generation of diverse leaders — while expanding the talent pipelines at more than 100 leading businesses, social-sector organizations, and universities. “We are beyond thrilled about our new partnership with MLT, and we are ready to join in the movement to diversify corporate senior leadership,” said Uyesugi. “Equity work is about decision-making and by impacting leadership at the top of the management structure, we work to ensure that a diverse array of voices are part of the decision-making process regarding things that affect the entire company and beyond.” The impact of this yields a financial benefit as well. A recent report from global management consulting giant McKinsey & Company found that companies in the top quartile for ethnic and racial diversity in management were 35 percent more likely to have financial returns above the industry mean. ■ For more information on diversity programming and initiatives available at FSB at both the graduate and undergraduate level, visit foster.uw.edu/diversity. Jenn can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
asianweekly northwest
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35 YEARS
JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2017
■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG
OPINION
REDISCOVERING
By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY I never expected to be in New York this year. By a twist of fate, I was there last week. What lured me to this city of glamor in the past was materialism and fantasy, never its people or the least — its environment. In retrospect, it could be my fault. This time, I set a different agenda — no shopping, no Broadway shows, and no museums. And I skipped Canal Street and Chinatown. For the past five trips to New York, I always dined in Chinatown once or twice. Initially, I didn’t plan the trip that way. Quickly, it changed course when I picked the location of the hotel. “Where would you like the hotel?” I was surprised my husband asked me, as if I know the city well. “Across from Central Park,” I replied instantly out of the blue. There are limitless hotels lining on the edges of the 843-acre park, it’s 2.5 miles long. It’s sheer bigness is insane. No matter how many times I visit the park, I always find some spot I have never stepped foot on. My husband found one hotel with a reasonable price because we couldn’t really see the park. Our room’s
window was on the hotel’s left side, blocked by surrounding skyscrapers. The view was remarkable, even without facing the park. Each tall building tried to build on top of its rooftop, with old and new layers of additions. How precious space is in New York! Our convenient position to Central Park made it impossible to resist hopping in the park any time of the day. This location gave us a new approach to experience New York. Novelty means beauty and excitement for travelers. It was a joy to walk in the park. And we wandered around often.
Dining in Central Park
The energy in the park was amazing. Concerts, plays, marathons, and other community events were held at the park almost every day. The night we arrived, 15,000 people from 350 countries took part in a marathon. Participants wearing different colors and style of t-shirts, representing many groups, hovered around tents for food, selfies, and networking. And there were artists, Asians, and non-Asians selling their craft. Did I mention the horse carriages, bikers, and pedicabs streaming along different paths of the park? On Sunday, pedicabs charge $5 a minute, and horse carriages cost as much as $110 per ride. Or you can rent see BLOG on 15
— GOING GREEN MARATHON AT CENTRAL PARK
HIGH LINE
Photos by George Liu/NWAW
CENTRAL PARK
JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2017
YOUR VOICE
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OPINION
■ EDITORIAL
Can you spell ‘awkward’?
Ananya Vinay of Fresno, Calif. may have become the first solo champion in four years of the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee last week. The sixth-grader correctly spelled the word ‘marocain’ and became the 13th consecutive winner from the Indian American community. Ananya Vinay But Vinay was not immune to racial remarks by television anchors supposedly congratulating her. After her victory, the 12-year-old was invited by CNN and asked to spell ‘covfefe’ — the word recently used by President Donald Trump in one of his tweets that took social media by storm. Like a true spelling bee participant, Vinay asked the definition of ‘covfefe’ and its language of origin, to which
the anchors responded “gibberish.” “We’re not sure whether its roots are in Sanskrit, which is probably what you’re used to using,” said anchor Alisyn Camerota, displaying gross ignorance of South Asian culture and the language that Indians speak. Vinay did not appear to take offense to the comment, but Camerota was widely criticized on social media. A CNN spokeswoman, in a report in the Washington Post, said Camerota’s comment had nothing to do with the girl’s heritage, and that the interview was not the first time the anchor has joked about Sanskrit being the origin of ‘covfefe.’ “Alisyn made the same joking reference to the root of ‘covfefe’ in an earlier panel discussion,” the CNN spokeswoman said. “If she’s guilty of anything, it is recycling a joke.” Commentators on social media were less forgiving. Jeremy McLellan, a standup comedian, wrote on Twitter, “12-year-old Ananya Vinay won the National Spelling Bee so naturally CNN had her on to spell ‘covfefe’ and say some racist stuff to her.”
Asha Dahya, creator and editor-in-chief of female empowerment blog ‘GirlTalkHQ’ tweeted, “CNN anchor assumes spelling bee champ, who happens to be of Indian descent, uses Sanskrit to find the origin of a word.” Sanskrit, a language closely associated with Hinduism, greatly influenced not just Indian languages, but also languages in China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The origin of some English words also can be traced back to the ancient language. Sanskrit is rarely spoken today and is generally used by Hindu priests during religious ceremonies. Erroneously noting that Sanskrit is what Vinay is “used to using” was obviously referring to her ethnicity — to point out that she is different, i.e. not white. “To assign a bias to what was a fun and innocent segment celebrating Ananya Vinay’s incredible accomplishment is frankly extremely cynical,” a CNN spokesperson said in a statement. Joke or not, let’s be real. Camerota never would have said what she did to a white girl. ■
CHU from 1
stand. This is exacerbated by the pervasive myth that AAPIs are a ‘model minority’ that do not suffer from mental and behavioral disorders. But it is imperative we help more Americans understand that health care includes mental health care.” According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s National Healthcare Quality Report and the National Healthcare Disparities Report, AAPIs are the least likely to seek out mental health services, contributing to the stigma surrounding mental and behavioral health dis-
orders in the AAPI community. “This bill is a crucial step towards properly addressing this issue within our community and creating a dialogue about the importance of mental health,” said Chu. “Through messaging and outreach that reflect the unique cultural and language needs of our community, we can save lives and get individuals the help they deserve.” ■
linguistically and culturally appropriate interventions, and encourage individuals and communities to use a comprehensive, public health approach when addressing mental and behavioral health. A former clinical psychologist, Chu said, “I have seen firsthand how important mental health services can be. But still, too many in the AAPI community in particular suffer in silence, afraid to talk about a problem they don’t under-
WASHINGTON MUSEUM from 3 home, but many of their parents had immigrated from Japan. “They were given American names,’’ Baker said about the first generation of citizens. “They were American and wanted to fit in their new homes.’’ While setting up the exhibit in the museum, Silvia Livermore picked out items that reflected photographs from the time. They are footballs, fedoras and plaid skirts. At 78 years old, Livermore is too young to remember the camps. But growing up in southern California, she had a friend who was in one. Her friend never told her that she was there, she only said her parents were in one, and Livermore realized she was with them based on her age. “It has been an eye opener doing this,’’ Livermore said about setting up the exhibit. “When I come in here, I just felt their spirits here.’’ It took roughly two weeks to set up the exhibit, including research time and gathering of the artifacts from storage. Yamasaki said she and her family didn’t experience the same prejudice in Adna as other Japanese Americans did throughout the country. “Everyone knew everyone,’’ she said. “I’m glad we grew up where we did.’’ While in high school, she and her sister were cheerleaders, in the glee club and on the drill team. The family was part of the community. “When my father passed away from a heart attack, one thing I remember was they canceled the basketball game,’’ she said. Yamasaki and her sister Jane were set to perform that night in the drill team and as cheerleaders. The opposing coach was a good family friend, and both coaches agreed not to play. “So they canceled the basketball game in honor of my father,’’ she said.
Yamasaki graduated from Adna High School in 1959 and went to the University of California Davis. She and her husband live in Auburn, California, north of Sacramento. Her husband is a landscape architect and helped to design a memorial to the 442nd Infantry Division. It was an all JapaneseAmerican unit. Most of the men were from Hawaii. The unit fought in the European Theater in Italy, France and Germany. By the end of the war, it was known as the “Purple Heart Battalion’’ with 9,486 casualties. More than 600 died in combat.
Staff can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
According to “Onalaska,’’ a history book about the town written by Vic Kucera, the 1940 census showed 62 people of Japanese descent living in Lewis County. Many worked at the lumber mill in Onalaska. Because of their experience in the mill, the local Japanese Americans were sent to directly to Tule Lake to help with its construction, Kucera writes. The Army needed their help to finish the camp where they would spend the war. Although Tule Lake was in the desert, Livermore said, the barracks were small with no door and it snowed in the winter. Army
blankets were hung as curtains. Families slept on cots in their single-room apartment. The camps were complete communities for the most part with schools, stores and a jail. The group from Lewis County was one of the first to head to the permanent camp. Those from the Seattle-Tacoma area spent a few months in a temporary camp at the fairgrounds in Puyallup. This is the first time the Chehalis museum has publicly recognized the camps and what happened here in 1942, Baker said. “It was a piece of history that was starting to get lost,’’ she said. ■
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JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2017
PROGRAM from 3 the Association of Washington State Principals. Others in Yakima, including Educational Service District 105 Superintendent Kevin Chase, also are supporting the UnityWorks program in a testimonial letter-writing campaign to state education officials. “It is already building local capacity to increase student and family engagement, to reduce incidents of bias, to increase acceptance, to raise critical awareness among staff and faculty, and to address other equity and diversity issues in our local schools,” he wrote in an April 24 letter to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. UnityWorks’ third annual Spring Multicultural Conference took place in May, and two Summer Diversity Training Institutes will take place in August. Gottlieb added a second after the first filled. This school year is the first that Hoover Elementary has participated in the UnityWorks program. Jamie Garcia, a second-grade teacher, is among the five members of the school’s diversity action team. Since their training last August, what began as following the plan they created has become second nature to them and others at the school. “It’s not an extra thing; it’s a better thing. It has caused more awareness,” Garcia said.
NEED FOR UNITY
During Hoover’s recent multicultural night, children led adults down hallways to their classrooms, pointing with pride to their self-portraits on nearby walls. School leaders were pleased with the turnout, happy that many students encouraged their parents to come. That night, just like the skin tone portraits, celebrated the oneness of the human race, a primary tenet of UnityWorks. Not sameness but unity, Gottlieb stressed. “I’m a human being and so is that person. We have to figure this out in a way that’s positive for all of us,” she said. Gottlieb, whose work as an educational leader and multicultural educator has taken her to more than 30 countries, created the UnityWorks program after spending 11 years in Puerto Rico. She managed an international training center and founded a Montessori-based elementary school with her husband, Steven, a pediatrician. “When I returned to the States 25 years ago, it seemed to me our greatest need was unity,” the Southern California native said. While a multicultural educator at Heritage University for several years, she led its EMPIRE (Exemplary Multicultural Practices in Rural Education) program. Once that ended,
she launched UnityWorks in 2003 as a for-profit company offering diversity training in school districts throughout the country. The author of 10 books, Gottlieb wrote the curriculum guides and other texts used in the training. She was considering retirement when her family suggested that she recreate UnityWorks as nonprofit foundation. She called supportive friends for advice. “What can we do in Yakima to promote race unity, and are you willing to help?” Gottlieb asked them before founding the nonprofit in 2013. She reached out to the Yakima School District in 2014. “(The district) agreed to have four schools as an experiment” that first school year of 2014-15, Gottlieb said. “The second year, they gave us four more schools. This year, they gave us three.” In its mission of promoting understanding of the oneness of humanity and appreciation for the value of diversity, the foundation provides training, materials and support to assist schools to develop learning environments where all students can be successful. The weeklong, 40-hour Summer Diversity Training Institute is “an intensive experience,” Gottlieb said. “Our goal is you go through the training and we give you the tools” to create a diversity action plan specifically for your school, she said. In watching participants through the week of training, Gottlieb initially sees some sitting near the back of the room, arms crossed. They’re all busy people, and some feel they already have too much to do. They wonder if such training could really make a difference in students’ attitudes toward each other. She sees trust build and defenses come down as the week proceeds. Those in the back uncross their arms and move closer to the front of the room. “It’s a paradigm shift,” Gottlieb said. “It’s an amazing experience to see that.” While some activities literally reinforce the value of harmony — participants use different instruments to create one sound, for example — the summer institutes involved some uncomfortable situations to confront certain racial issues head-on. “We had to voice some of those ugly names you’ve heard out there,” Juarez-Stump said. “It was purposeful; it was the elephant in the room. On the final day of the summer institute, each school’s team puts together an action plan. “We’re with you all year,” Gottlieb said. “Do you need speakers? Resources? It’s their plan; we just provide support.”
PSP from 9 in Japan, my grades were not good.” Uchikura could not get into Japanese colleges, but was accepted at Azusa Pacific University (APU), a private Christian college in Azusa, Calif. “Since I grew up attending a Japanese public school in Ashiya near Kobe, I spoke no English. At Azusa Pacific, I felt completely out of place, but I still pursued my childhood dreams, so I tried out and became the first Japanese to play college football. Football is a crazy, stupid game,” jokes Uchikura. “You have to be smart enough to understand the game of football, and stupid enough to do it.” Uchikura graduated from APU with a computer science and business administration degree, with a mandatory minor in theology (required by the school). “I went back to Japan and got a job working as a network engineer for Computer Science Corporation (CSC), a software development firm for mainframe and mini computers.” He moved to Seattle to help build a customer base in the United States for the company. Given the already competitive market for mainframe software at the time, Uchikura tried to convince his manager to pursue the emerging personal computing market. “I told my boss PC is the future.” Just a few years later when the company made plans to pull out of the U.S. market and close its Seattle office, Uchikura offered to buy some of CSC’s assets, such as the database in 1987. “I worked out of my apartment and began exporting American PC software to Japan.” In just two years, PSP became the number one supplier of software in Japan. That same year, Uchikura made his first hire, Mayumi Nakamura. “I handled the
35 YEARS
Kenichi Uchikura with Kanji products.
licensing and distribution of their ‘Kanji Word’ and ‘Kanji Kit’ product in Japan,” said Nakamura. At the time prior to Microsoft enabling their own multilingual support, these two translation products were among the most popular multilingual software available. Nakamura started as a sales representative, selling and supporting these products in Japan, and today she is CEO of PSP. Nakamura came to the United States by way of Portland State University, where she studied English and worked at the school’s Office of Graduate Studies. Driven to continue her education beyond the undergraduate level after she was promoted to become the graduate school’s database research assistant, Nakamura earned her master’s degree in Business Administration. She was then offered her first job out of college by Uchikura and moved to Seattle. Since 1992, the two have worked together to build PSP into the thriving business that it is today. Nakamura has been the business “firefighter,” always there to put out fires
BREAKING BOUNDARIES
Among the instructional materials teachers use in the classroom are Gottlieb’s “Teaching Unity” and “All the Colors We Are: The Story of How We Get Our Skin Color” by Katie Kissinger. While Gottlieb’s book is for teachers, both highlight the differences and similarities that humans share. Naturally curious, children want to know why their skin tones differ. Written in English and in Spanish, Kissinger’s book is about the scientific process that gives all human beings their skin color. It tells that story with brief and simple explanations, large photos and questions and answers phrased specifically for children. It’s a novel approach for Robyn Harris, a teacher with the Yakima School District for nearly 20 years. Harris grew up in Toppenish among few African-American families. “For me, being a person of color, I never had this. ... All we heard about were slaves, other than what we heard at home,” she said. “You were black or you were Hershey bar.” It’s equally important for Juarez-Stump to break the boundaries of stereotypes. “My parents were born in Mexico,” said Juarez-Stump, who has blond hair and blue eyes. “We’re teaching our kids to look beyond what they see.” In a letter to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, she noted how the UnityWorks program has changed the school’s social environment. “Our discipline data has reflected a decline in racially motivated incidents and a deeper understanding of what culturally responsible teaching should look like,” she wrote. Children still come to teachers and staff with racist words or phrases they hear among each other, in music or in movies or on social media. That’s when talking to children about the words offers the chance to change attitudes. “They’ll say, ‘Oh, I heard this word’; you do have to take the time to explain those words,” Harris said. “You have to take the time to really teach then and there.” Pleased at its expansion in the Yakima School District, Gottlieb’s next focus is moving beyond Yakima, she said. “We’ve done one training in Michigan, we’ve been requested in California and we may do Colorado,” Gottlieb said. “After the spring conference is over, my next project is putting together a participant workbook and trainer manuals. Once the manuals are done, (others) can do trainer training.” The support she’s received for the UnityWorks Foundation and its programs is inspiring, Gottlieb said. “It motivates me to want to do more,” she said. ■
for PSP. “At PSP, more and more problems just kept falling on my lap,” says Nakamura. The big lesson when you work for any organization — “problems are always opportunities.“ For example, when PSP’s accountant became seriously ill with MS and was hospitalized, Nakamura took over that job. She noticed something wrong and took the initiative to balance the books. She then brought in “CFO-Tom-Go” in 2000. “I was always promoted by putting out fires that were supposed to be temporary roles,” adds Nakamura. As their data center grew, “I was assigned kind of a COO role to address their data center fiber relationship.” I coordinated these vendor relationships, and I was able to negotiate lower fiber connection rates,” adds Nakamura. “I maintain a positive approach to problem solving.” When Uchikura wanted to take a step back and focus on his startup and philanthropic work in 2009, Nakamura earned her place through the years to replace him as PSP’s CEO. On her second day as head of PSP, Nakamura had to address perhaps PSP’s biggest challenge, the well-publicized Fisher data center fire in 2009. To save their customers’ data and servers, Nakamura orchestrated a near seamless shutdown of their customers’ servers, managing the team, and informing their customers. “As a television station that owns one of the two largest internet hubs in the Pacific Northwest, Fisher Plaza first saved its television network and left everyone in the dark for a few days, including Amazon, Bing, and other leading internet data centers like PSP. “Out of the few hundred servers we host (at Fisher), only two (of the servers) crashed,” says Nakamura.
“I learned through the years, I must stop trying to be perfect, but instead always be prepared. There is no perfect. My priority is to first satisfy customers, do everything for them.” Nakamura’s hiring approach has been to “substitute what I don’t have” with quality people. Today, the company enjoys nearly $7 million in annual revenue, over 70 percent of which comes from white label internet services to Japanese clients. The remaining 20-25 percent comes from web hosting for local Pacific Northwest businesses. PSP has expanded its web hosting to include online small business communication and marketing tools. They own two buildings in an ideally located office park just off the corner of 140th and Bel-Red Road in Redmond, just down the street from Microsoft. They also have offices in San Diego and Los Angeles. “Diversity is the reason I moved to Seattle in the first place.” PSP is proud of its diverse team. PSP has received many minority business awards from the Puget Sound Business Journal and University of Washington William Bradford 2014 Minority Business of the Year, King County awards. They also made it on Inc. Magazine’s 2012 list of fastest growing companies. “I’m a double minority,“ Nakamura proudly adds, as a woman and Asian American. This may be seen as success to most businesses. Even today, “we don’t see ourselves as successful,” says Nakamura. “We survived,“ and then maybe “survival is success.” This year, the company celebrates 30 years of “survival and success.” ■ Chris can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2017
YOUR VOICE
■ ASTROLOGY
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Predictions and advice for the week of June 10–June 16, 2017 By Sun Lee Chang
Rat — While you are usually easygoing, there are times when you must be willing to go against the grain for something you really want.
Dragon — Although the parameters that you have to work in are narrow, you will soon clear the way for a much wider space.
Monkey — Based on your stellar performance, you are likely to receive a glowing recommendation from those in the know.
Ox — A rare opening offers you the chance to reconnect with a part of your past. Things won’t be quite the same though this time around.
Snake — A spot has been reserved for you. However, there are other places that could be as desirable, if not more so.
Rooster — If you can’t find what you want, then the next logical step is to create it yourself down to the finest detail.
Tiger — There is a right time to do certain things. A lengthy delay could mean that you may have to forgo it altogether.
Horse — You want to take someone at their word, but experience has taught you to read the other signs as well.
Dog — The truest measure of your creativity is not what you can buy, but what you are able to do with what you already have.
Rabbit — Despite the forces that are pushing you forward, you are inclined to stay where you are for the moment.
Goat — Are you feeling a bit awkward as you try to figure out what to do? As you learn, there will arise a level of comfort.
Pig — Have you found something that you weren’t really looking for? It could inspire you to go in a completely new direction.
What’s your animal sign? Rat 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 Ox 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 Tiger 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 Rabbit 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 Dragon 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 Snake 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 Horse 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 Goat 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 Monkey 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 Rooster 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 Dog 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006 Pig 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007
*The year ends on the first new moon of the following year. For those born in January and February, please take care when determining your sign.
JOSHUA from 7 2013, we see the Chinese slowly creep in and invade Hong Kong’s independence. As one interviewee puts it, “What’s happening under Xi Jinping is a sort of one country, two systems, one country, 1.9 systems, one country, 1.8 systems.” The sense of urgency is palpable. Wong and the Scholarism join law professor Benny Tai’s Occupy Central movement for universal suffrage. The pacing of the film is relentless. The ups and downs experienced by Wong and the protesters are dramatic and at times exhausting. The stakes are constantly being raised. The documentary is told through a series of footage from media outlets, social media, videos recorded on cellphones, and shots from the documentary itself. It feels like you are there, experiencing the range of emotions that the subjects in the film feel: optimistic, anxious, fearful, inspired, frustrated, and everything in between. If there is one aspect that makes “Joshua” seem feeble, it’s that the film cuts out too much fat. There’s a lot that happens and is explained in its 78-minute runtime. While the storytelling is efficient and tight, there’s a feeling that we don’t get the whole picture when contextualizing the protests shown in the film. The colonization of Hong Kong and its history of independence are glossed over and its subsequent relationship dynamics with Communist China is all described in a manner of minutes, explaining just enough for the viewer to know what’s going on in the film. There’s a lot to chew on, and too often, the transitions feel rushed and there’s little room to breathe or reflect. Conceivably, this is also the film’s strength, as the story doesn’t get bogged down by details. The film clearly wants to focus on the passion, determination,
and effectiveness behind Wong’s objectives. The pacing lends to that, and the drama and intensity is certainly there. “Joshua” and its tale of social movement is an incredibly relevant subject, and the scale of their fight is expressed in powerful ways. Wong and his movement’s confrontation with the Chinese government are described as David vs. Goliath or the Jedi facing off with Darth Vader. The most potent analogy is an interviewee that views Wong as the story of Joan of Arc, “The youngster who can see the world clearly, and is not as jaded as adults, comes into a complicated adult conflict and clarifies. Wong fits that template. He is taking on literally the largest country in the world.” Perhaps what makes Wong such an engaging figure is that he is not only fearless, but selfless. He knows it’s dangerous to be an activist in Hong Kong. But he loves Hong Kong and wants it to maintain its identity, not just for his generation, but for the next one, and the one after that. He is not driven by fame, but by something innate. A commentator concisely poses Wong’s plight, “Joshua Wong did not do it as a particular political campaign against anything. He was doing it because it was the right thing to do. There was a sense of innocence that actually made people identify with it. That innocence also made the parent’s generation somewhat ashamed that they had to leave these young kids to be fighting out there for this.” So where are the adults? It doesn’t matter now. Wong, his group, his generation have a mission to complete. The time is now. ■ “Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower” is available for streaming on Netflix. Eric Card can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
KING COUNTY NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received for C01120C17, KING COUNTY JOB ORDER CONTRACT 2017-A; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 1:30 PM on June 21, 2017. Late bids will not be accepted. Brief Scope: The work under this Job Order Contract (JOC), in individual work orders issued by King County includes, but is not limited to, selective demolition, repair, remodeling, restoration, and new construction of public buildings/facilities, industrial facilities and their associated infrastructure, utilities, parking lots, walkways, landscape features, park, recreation and aquatic facilities and other civil site improvements. Estimated contract price: Maximum total dollar amount that King County may award under this JOC shall not exceed $6 million per year, up to a maximum of $18 million over three years. Information Pre-Proposal Meeting: 1:30 pm June 13, 2017. Location at 401 5th Ave Seattle WA 98104 1st floor Conference Room 124. There is a 20% minimum requirement for King County Certified Small Contractors and Suppliers (SCS) on this contract. There is a Voluntary Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Goal: 10%, and Women Business Enterprise (WBE) Goal: 6% of the Contract Price. Complete Invitation to Bid Documents, including all project details, specifications, and contact information are available on our web page at: https://procurement.kingcounty.gov/ procurement_ovr/default.aspx
ZAHN from 1 southern China, and he was born in 1935 and fled China in the late 1940s,” she said. His advice to his only daughter: get a good education and speak English “really well.” “He believed that hard work and education were the way forward to be successful in America.” Math and science became her favorite subjects and, more importantly, her way forward. “I went into engineering even though at the time being a girl, it was not necessarily a popular thing,” she said. “When I looked at civil engineering, it’s about building infrastructure for people and that just felt really comfortable to me. Both myself and my two younger brothers are engineers.” Her brothers are mechanical engineers. In 1988, she received her bachelor’s from the University of Washington (UW) and soon worked as a Weyerhaeuser product development engineer until 1992. That same year, she earned her first master’s in structural engineering and mechanics. She became a consultant to the Port of Seattle in 2000 and has managed construction for the port for nearly a decade. She oversees the port’s Major Public Works construction with over 50 employees and consultants, and a budget of over $250 million. “That is the whole piece around how we bring owners, designers, and contractors together to solve problems, make decisions in a timely way, and get the best outcome from the standpoint of projects. I just love that,” Zahn admitted. Among her many community service activities, she served as a troop leader for the Girl Scouts of Western Washington from 2004 to 2015. During this time period, she studied at the UW Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. In 2012, some of her fellow students urged her to run for a position in local government or at least, in local
boards and commissions. “I resisted for about a year because I thought that wasn’t really why I was getting this education,” Zahn said. “But after about a year of looking at different opportunities, I realized it was time for me to give back to my community.” Later in 2012, she earned her second master’s, an Executive Master of Public Administration. Zahn said, “I just love learning. I believe that I will be a lifelong learner because I always have this thirst for continuous improvement, whether it’s solving a problem, making a process better, or helping people improve and get better.” She was selected to be a member of the Bellevue Transportation Commission in 2013 and now serves as its chair. “Being on an advisory board can still be quite limiting compared to actually being an elected official, where you’re sitting with your group of fellow city councilmembers [and] making decisions that have a tremendous impact on our community,” Zahn said. “So I’ve been thinking about it for probably a little over two years.” There are three priorities in her campaign: transportation, affordable housing, and diversity. She has been married to her husband Dwain for 27 years. They have two daughters, Megan, 18, and Leah, 16. “For me, it’s pretty natural to be someone who tends to bridge the gap between any number of things, whether it’s cultural or education or profession,” she said. “I very much live the values of helping others succeed, being accountable for good governance and serving the people, being a servant leader, and modeling the way to help people be as successful as possible.” ■ For more information about Janice Zahn, go to janicezahn.org. James can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
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JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2017
LIN from 4 served, his prison term will last four more years. The 40-year-old Lin was also dismissed from the Navy.
35 YEARS
Lin pleaded guilty last month to mishandling classified information, communicating national defense information, and failing to report foreign contacts. According to his Navy biography, Lin was born in
Taiwan, became an American citizen and joined the Navy. He was on the staff of an assistant secretary of the Navy in Washington and was assigned to a unit in Hawaii that flies spy planes. ■ SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 6.
STAR from 4 There was no evidence the ordeal at the Star Buffet & Grill near Lancaster was intentional, and no criminal charges have been filed, East Lampeter police said in statement. It wasn’t clear if the investigation remained open or if charges could be filed later. A 10-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl were taken March 3 to Penn State Hershey Medical Center after their mouths and throats were burned by something in their drinks. Inspectors found lye in the restaurant and took it to the state Department of Agriculture for analysis, in addition to samples from the kids’ cups and the apple juice container. Restaurant manager Steve Weng told LNP news that the crystal lye is used as drain cleaner.
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“I don’t know (how it got on the cups),” Weng said. “(Police) didn’t find a reason. There’s no reason it would be near them.” Guy Brooks, a lawyer for the 10-year-old boy’s father, told the news site the boy has been hospitalized with numerous issues since consuming the caustic drink, including a for procedure on his esophagus in May. Brooks said he will be reviewing the police investigation results with the boy’s father, Richard Zaragoza, before commenting. Zaragoza said his son has had trouble swallowing since it happened. “He wants to spit everything out,” Richard Zaragoza said. “He’s constantly washing his mouth out.” The girl’s family declined to comment to LNP and referred questions to their lawyer, who didn’t return calls. ■
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“I have been an avid reader from the start. Congratulations and thank you for 35 years of dedication, service, and advocacy. The Northwest Asian Weekly has truly made a difference in our community.” — Eugene Tagawa “Both of us have grown up and lived here in Seattle. When we were young, living in Beacon Hill and Rainier Beach, respectively, there was not much of a cohesive Asian community (although most of us knew each other, that’s how small the community was). The Asian population has exploded since the 1970s and 1980s. Assunta’s vision in starting the Northwest Asian Weekly (and Seattle Chinese Post) have really kept our community cohesive and engaged in all that affects us. Congratulations, Assunta, and thanks for the 35 years of hard work.” — Wayne and Terry Lau The only weekly English-edition newspaper serving the Asian community in the state of Washington for 35 years.
Send in your thoughts to editor@nwasianweekly.com. Join us for our 35th Anniversary Celebration dinner on Oct. 21 at China Harbor restaurant. For tickets, please go to http://35nwawf.bpt.me, or email rsvp@ nwasianweekly.com, or call 206-223-0623. To sponsor the event, contact Assunta Ng at assunta@nwasianweekly.com. For more info, visit nwasianweekly.com/35years.
“No lunch. Please take us to interesting places,” was my new motto whenever I travel in America. So we can walk and chat. “You want to go High Line (HL)?” my friend asked. I was aware of HL’s transformation from disused railways to an urban 1.45-mile walkway with refreshing landscaping and trees. On both sides of the walkway are newly developed condos, shops, and restaurants. During the walk, we could also see downtown New York. That’s what urban and contemporary living is all about. My friend said HL is the work of landscape architecture firm James Corner Field Operations, who is also involved with the new Seattle waterfront. We are lucky to have him. It is inspiring to see how New York reimagined some useless and ugly structures
Alexander Hamilton grave
On United Airlines flight from Chicago to Allentown, PA.
into green public spaces.
can at the entrance, solicits tips before you get off. Can you imagine Seattle ferry members asking you for a few bucks before you leave? Speaking of tips, everyone in New York wants to make more money. At our hotel, there’s a tip can on the countertop at the checkin desk. Isn’t that tacky? When we left the hotel to go to Newark Airport, our taxi driver told us he had to pay the hotel’s bell boy $7 or else he wouldn’t let him take us to the airport. Yes, the bell person got tips from us by hoarding our luggage into the taxi’s truck. Our driver also lamented how his business dropped since Uber entered the market and how hard he worked to make a living. He charmed and wooed us. He wanted us to feel sorry for him, and tip him more. I know his game. If a few bucks can make someone happy, I would go for it. Why we were in New York is just a side benefit. Our purpose was to be part of a family reunion in a small town in Pennsylvania, where a relative serves as a caretaker to her husband who has dementia. Automatically,
Don’t drive
If you think Seattle traffic is bad, wait until you drive in New York — it’s 10 times worse. We made the mistake of driving to visit Corona Park and Coney Island. Just to take our car out from the hotel’s parking garage cost us $65 each time, in addition to the daily parking rate. We returned our car that evening. The New York subway takes you everywhere. It’s well organized, saves so much time, and also runs 24 hours. It beats Seattle’s transportation system by a half a century. The toll is expensive. One toll was $15 when we drove from Pennsylvania to New York. Washingtonians would scream to pay a fee that high. One good way to see New York is through water taxi. An all-day pass will enable you to go on board and see the World Trade Center, Wall Street, and Brooklyn Bridge. You can see the Statue of Liberty closeup. The fee is $35 per person. You may wonder why I mentioned Wall Street. Well, the notion that our treasury genius Alexander Hamilton, with his face on our $10 bill, roused my desire to visit his grave. No, his grave was not exactly on Wall Street, but close to it. It was at the Trinity Church’s cemetery next to Wall Street. I would never agree to pay a $1,000 ticket (through the black market) to see the Alexander Hamilton Broadway play, so I am happy to settle for his big tombstone. By the way, when we arrived, the cemetery was closed. If it happens to you in New York, don’t panic. Just go to the cemetery midway and you will see the mark for his grave. We didn’t know about his grave site at first. A couple sat next to us at a restaurant, and started talking to us when he spotted my husband wearing a hoodie with ‘Seattle’ on it. They were Seattleites, too. There was another interesting tidbit about the city-run water taxi. A woman or guy who did the talking on the boat earlier, holding a
New York became part of the agenda. We flew United Airlines this time because its schedules and prices worked for us. Sure, we remember the inexcusable “unfriendly incident” deplaning an Asian American recently. It’s good to give United a second chance. I appreciated the plane ride from Chicago to Pennsylvania, especially with a seat on the left side of the plane where there was only one seat per row. It’s like having the best of aisle and window seats. The flight attendants were extremely friendly, and made extra efforts to serve passengers, giving us water and drinks four times during the fivehour direct flight, from New York to Seattle. That’s the way it should be — if they want to keep calling themselves as the “friendly skies.” Next week, dining in New York. Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.
Photo by George Liu/NWAW
Walk and chat
Photo by Assunta Ng/NWAW
a bike near the park for as little as $2.99 an hour. With all the traffic and activities, there was never any chaos and confusion as cops were stationed in many spots to ensure public order and safety. My cousin and his family drove a couple of hours from New Jersey early in the morning, so they could find a place to park at $12 a day in Midtown. Otherwise, it would cost over $40 an hour to park around Central Park, assuming he can find parking at all. He took us to lunch at the park, figuring that it would be novel to us. It was. The park has two restaurants. I loved strolling with my cousin to catch up on all the family gossip, while his family members entertained my husband. We had not seen each other since 2005. My cousin worried if we would enjoy the food at the park. “We can go to 42nd street, there are Korean and Japanese restaurants.” “No, no, this is fine,” my husband said. “We will remember dining at the Park more than going to a restaurant in town.” I agreed. He selected Tavern on the Green. After a 40-minute wait (another opportunity for us to loiter and chat), we dined in the bar, a large patio on the park. I liked the warmth of being outdoors — having two big umbrellas above our heads, the sun beaming down on our table, while tree leaves fell on our table occasionally. None of us had dined at the restaurant before. The food was not only good, but surprisingly delicious. I ordered French toast, and didn’t expect anything special. With almonds and strawberries on top, it’s the best French toast I have ever eaten. No wonder the restaurant was packed with regular guests, and a wedding banquet, too. What made this trip different was our desire not to be indoors. The weather was on our side. I was glad my cousin could read our minds.
Photo by Assunta Ng/NWAW
BLOG from 10
The World Trade Center Memorial Plaza.
asianweekly northwest
16
35 YEARS
JUNE 10 – JUNE 16, 2017
trashion fashion NWAW’s 2017 FASHION DESIGN CONTEST
$250 and more in prizes Please fill out all the fields below: Name: ___________________________________
THE OBJECTIVE: Design a wearable outfit or garment that incorporates recycled materials and/or NWAW/Seattle Chinese Post newspapers.
_________________________________________ Address: _________________________________ _________________________________________ Phone: ___________________________________ E-mail: ___________________________________ _________________________________________ Brief description of your design: _______________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ ________________________________________ Designer: _________________________________ Model: ___________________________________
TITLE SPONSOR
COMMUNITY SPONSOR
CO-CHAIR: Gei Chan PLANNING COMMITTEE: Belinda Louie, Matt Chan, Andrea Chow, Max Chan, Stacy Nguyen, John Liu, and Assunta Ng
Entries due {JULY 3} Trashion Show {JULY 15} TO ENTER, SEND: — Your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. — Up to to 3 photographs of your design — A brief description of your work Entries can be directed to RSVP@NWASIANWEEKLY.COM or mailed to: Northwest Asian Weekly Attn: Trashion Fashion 412 Maynard South Seattle, WA 98104 (Multiple entries and all ages welcomed!) Finalists will be announced in the NWAW’s {JULY 9} issue. *Finalists must be available to showcase their designs on {JULY 15} at Chinatown/International District Dragon Fest to be eligible for prizes. Arrival/rehearsal at 11 a.m. Show at 1:30 p.m. Rain or shine.
► bit.ly/23vQmIK
2016 1st place winner rebecca bartenetti ► vimeo.com/175177387
PRIZES: First Place: $250 + goodies + announcement in NWAW/SCP Second Place: $150 + goodies + announcement in NWAW/SCP Third Place: $100 + goodies + announcement in NWAW/SCP Honorable Mentions: Announcements in NWAW/SCP *If you need newsprint for your design, please come to the Asian Weekly’s office at 412 Maynard Avenue South to pick up back issues.
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