PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 746 Seattle, WA
VOL 34 NO 31
JULY 25 – JULY 31, 2015
FREE
Summer cheers for Asian beers A world of beer—stepping out of the local to find something new
33 YEARS YOUR VOICE
BLOG Politics: Avoid or endorse? » P. 10
Hiroyuki Sanada Discusses career and latest movie
By Jason Cruz Northwest Asian Weekly Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada plays a key role in the new movie release “Mr. Holmes.” Sanada was in town for the Seattle International Film Festival last month for an early viewing of the movie. In an interview with the Northwest Asian Weekly, he talked about his career, acting alongside Sir Ian McKellen and his role on ABC’s hit television show, “Lost.” “I was surprised that there was a Japanese role in a Sherlock Holmes movie,” Sanada said of his opportunity to be a part of the Sherlock Holmes saga. “I got the offer with the script. I read the script and really enjoyed the story and the character.” A part of Sanada’s role in the movie involves Hiroshima after the {see SANADA cont’d on page 6}
By Greg Young Northwest Asian Weekly I once lived with a roommate who seemed to prefer an obscure little beer that I had never heard of before. That beer was Sapporo, a rice beer from Japan. At the time it seemed peculiar that he’d prefer that over the local, craft IPA that I’d often bring back, but it occurred to me that it was strange only because I was a bit biased; I’d never tried Sapporo before. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least interested in Sapporo; the fact that it was a rice beer alone was appealing, but I also found myself drawn to the can it came in, the sturdiness and thickness of the aluminum, the fact that it practically took a crow bar to open it, and the way the can was shaped like a pint glass, small and narrow at the bottom, and gradually widening toward the top. And the beer is actually pretty good—light, crisp, flavorful. It was as if Sapporo was some kind of crazy, futuristic, space age beer. “Space age” might be a bit of an inappropriate way to describe a beer that began its brewing infancy in the late 19th century. Sapporo came to be when a young Japanese gentleman returned from Germany after finishing studying the art of brewing. After returning to his hometown of Sapporo in 1876, he created a brew in commemoration of his home town; Sapporo Premium Lager. Although it probably wasn’t considered a “premium lager” back in 1876. But over the years, Sapporo has branched out into a few different varieties, such as the Premium Lager, the Reserve, and the Premium Light. Sometime later, I found myself wandering the local grocery store with my newfound appreciation for what turned out to be a love for Asian beer. I came across another high-tech looking Japanese beer, one {see ASIAN BEERS cont’d on page 11}
Hiroyuki Sanada
Seeking resolution for a sad chapter in Seattle’s history By Staff Northwest Asian Weekly
Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata will introduce a resolution July 29 that expresses regret for the anti-Chinese legislation and riots in the 1800s. The resolution acknowledges the contributions of Chinese to Seattle, and reaffirms the City’s commitment to civil rights of all people. “The early Chinese contributed greatly to the development of what was then the town of Seattle and Washington Territory,” said OCA Greater Seattle vice-president Connie So, who also teaches at the University of Washington American Ethnic Studies Program. In Seattle they [Chinese] laid the tracks for the first railroads to the town; graded Pike, Union, Washington and Jackson Streets; worked at local canneries and sawmills; grew produce; worked as domestic servants; dug the earliest portion of
Anti-Chinese poster from 1800’s
the Lake Washington Ship Canal, and established a Chinese quarter in what is now Pioneer Square. At one point, there was 700 Chinese in the town, about 10 percent the Seattle’s total population.
Yet, a number of discriminatory and unfair laws were passed at the federal, territorial and local levels to get rid of all the Chinese because they were seen as “unfair labor,” inferior, deceitful, and heathens based on race. In 1882, the federal government passed the infamous Chinese Exclusion Act, which prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the United States. When these laws failed to exclude or get rid of the Chinese here, mobs forcibly and brutally drove them out of Seattle and other towns in the Territory. The 1886 anti-Chinese riot in Seattle led to the removal of some 250 Chinese. Excerpts from the draft of the proposed resolution reveal much of the tragic suffering and harm inflicted: A RESOLUTION expressing regret for the Anti-Chinese {see SEATTLE’S HISTORY cont’d on page 12}
The Inside Story NAMES People in the news » P. 2
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COMMUNITY Time to vote! » P. 3
WORLD Two females in Taiwanese election » P. 5
A&E FILM “The Apu Trilogy” » P. 8
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