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EDITORIAL Hyphenating our heritage » P. 10

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Jayapal wins by UW reinstates Southeast huge percentage Asian recruiter position Four other API candidates fare well in primary election

Photo by Jack Storms

Photo by Zachariah Bryan/NWAW

Public backlash contributed to decision

From left to right, Chief Diversity Officer Sheila Edwards Lange, President Michael Young, Provost Ana Mari Cauce, UW Board of Regents, Constance Rice, UW Board of Regents, State Sen. Bob Hasegawa.

By Zachariah Bryan Northwest Asian Weekly Pramila Jayapal celebrates victory election night.

When University of Washington (UW) President Michael Young met with representatives of the Asian and Pacific Islander community, he brought good news.

They would reinstate the Southeast Asian recruiter position, permanently and part-time.

On Tuesday night, Aug. 5, API candidate Pramila Jayapal won Mia Su-Ling Gregerson against four other Cindy Ryu democratic candidates in the primary election for the senate seat in Seattle’s 37th District, receiving more than 51 percent of the votes.

The only Republican candidate, Rowland Martin, walked away Cyrus Habib Sharon Tomiko Santos with 11.5 percent of the votes. Six candidates ran for Sen. Adam Kline’s spot, making it the largest race in state legislature this year. API democratic candidate Louis Watanabe, received second place with 17.2 percent of the votes. Watanabe said he was happy to get second place, and that there were some good democratic candidates that were running against him. He will be running in the general election against Jayapal.

Other API candidates that fared well are Democrat Cindy Ryu, 32nd Legislative District, who received 96 percent of the vote and has no opponent. Democrat Mia Su-Ling Gregerson, 33rd Legislative District, came out with 49.5 votes against her republican opponent Jeannette Burrage who received 37 percent of the votes.

Democrat Cyrus Habib, 48th Legislative District, walked away {see JAYAPAL cont’d on page 12}

{see UW RECRUITER cont’d on page 15}

Singles mingle at the Central Library Photos by Daria Kroupoderova/NWAW

By Daria Kroupoderova Northwest Asian Weekly

“I am grateful for this opportunity because I think this is a larger issue than just a recruiter,” Young said.

“I think this dialogue, which has proceeded in fits and starts, has an opportunity to position us to really move forward with a really enhanced understanding of what the needs of the community are, so we can serve them.”

Participants dancing.

First pair to hit the dance floor.

By Daria Kroupoderova Northwest Asian Weekly

said. One of her goals was to attract more young people to the events, since usually her events consist of mostly seniors.

The workshop began by having people sign in by filling out a contact questionnaire and getting a name tag. Once everyone was seated, a number was assigned to each person. The idea was that if two people were interested in each other, they would tell

The Central Library held its first Singles’ Dating Workshop and Dance on Aug. 2. The event was put on by Nonie Xue, a Chinese language librarian and the North America China Council. The workshop was open to all, though most that showed up were Chinese, ages ranging from early 20s to late 60s.“I’m so glad to see so many young professionals,” Xue

{see VALENTINE cont’d on page 15}

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

■

WORLD Tohti indicted » P. 5

FEATURE Bruce Lee and Seattle » P. 7

A&E/FILM Awesome Asian Bad Guys » P. 9

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■ NAMES IN THE NEWS Playing pianos in our parks

books. She currently lives in Kenmore with her husband and dog Winston. 

Photo by Assunta Ng/NWAW

Children of Marines receive scholarships

anti-foreign protests and what role they played for the Chinese government and foreign relations and why certain protests, for example anti-American protests, were allowed during certain years compared to other years. Weiss is an assistant professor of political science at Yale University.

She received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and her Ph.D from University of California, San Diego. 

Yale grad and Seattle native starts new business M. Dang performs.

Have you see the piano at Hing Hay Park? It’s part of Pianos in the Parks, where 20 pianos have been designed by students and faculty at the Gage Academy of Art and dispersed through parks in King County. The program is trying to encourage people to go to parks and sit down and play the piano or listen to someone else play. The pianos can also be bid on so once the program is over, the highest bidders can take their pianos home. Pianos in the Parks is put on by Seattle Parks and Recreation, King County Parks, in partnership with private companies such as the Seattle Symphony and KEXP. 

Children’s book about World War II to be released Kirby Larson, children’s author, is releasing a new book on Aug. 26. The story is about a girl named Mitsi Kashino being separated from her dog Dash when her family is sent to incarceration camp during World War II. The story follows her life in the camp while she still hopes to be reunited with her dog once the war is over. Larson has written eight other children’s

Kirby Larson

From left: Bryan Takeuchi, Major Sung Kim, Teiler Kwan, Margaret Davis, Major General Tracy Garrett, and Paul Aoki.

The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation (MCSF) hosted a reception on July 30 at the Columbia Tower Club to recognize scholarship recipients and Gold Star families— families who have lost loved ones in combat. One of the speakers was a scholarship recipient, Teiler Kwan. Kwan is studying Physics at the University of Oregon and is the son of Vietnam veteran. MCSF is supporting 2,194 students with $6.6 million for the upcoming academic school year. 

Christina Park has started her own law firm, Park Business Law, located on 1001 4th Ave., Suite 3200. Before opening her own firm, Park worked with top Seattle firms in business and health law.

Christina Park Her goal is to help small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs protect themselves and achieve their goals. Park started the law firm because she wanted to work with entrepreneurs and wanted to help them protect their business and ideas. For more information about the firm and the services it offers, visit parkbusinesslaw.com. 

Book on history of protests in China released Jessica Chen Weiss, born and raised in Seattle, has written a book, Powerful Patriots: Nationalist Protest in China’s Foreign Relations, about the history of anti-foreign protests in China from 1985 to 2012. Weiss has interviewed over 170 people for this book and has spent about 14 months on field research.

Powerful Patriots discusses

Northwest Asian Weekly is always looking for Asian American community news. If you are the host or an attendee of an API fundraiser, e-mail us a big photo, event highlights, and the amount of money raised. We are also looking for news about APIs in new jobs and APIs getting public recognition and awards.

Please send materials to info@nwasianweekly.com with “names in the news” as the subject line.

Jessica Chen Weiss

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

AUGUST 9 – AUGUST 15, 2014

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■ community news

Update on “The Mikado”: Conversation ensues

By Zachariah Bryan Northwest Asian Weekly

The Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society closed their production of “The Mikado,” but the conversation on its implied racism has just begun.

In response to an overwhelming swell of criticism, the small company says they plan to be a part of a conversation with the Asian and Pacific Islander community. This will happen at a forum titled “Artistic Freedom vs. Artistic Responsibility,” which will take place on Aug. 18, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Seattle Repertory Theatre PONCHO Forum. The forum is hosted by the Seattle Repertory Theatre and the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, with support from the Seattle Office for Civil Rights and 4Culture.

“Art plays a vital role in our society and can be a catalyst for dialogue and change,” Braden Abraham, acting artistic director, wrote in the invitation. “As the demographics of our country become more diverse, how do artists and arts groups approach new and historical work in a way that is meaningful and relevant for our audiences? In response to the spirited conversation happening in Seattle and the wider arts community, this moderated forum will address issues of art, race, and cultural representation.”

The controversy started when Seattle Times editorial writer Sharon Pian Chan penned a column titled “The yellowface of ‘The Mikado’ in your face.” Chan pointed to the nearly allwhite cast dressing up in 18th century Japanese garb, using fictionalized Japanese culture as a springboard for gags and absurd names, such as Nanki-Poo and Yum-Yum.

Since Chan’s initial column, seemingly all of cyberspace has chimed in on the issue. In addition to local media, the controversy has attracted headlines in The Atlantic, CNN, and MSNBC. There are also countless Facebook posts, tweets, reader comments, personal blogs, and Tumblrs blogs adding to the conversation.

In the popular Asian American blog, “Angry Asian Man,” writer Phil Yu points to a press photo of “The Mikado” showing five white people dressed in Japanese caricature. He writes, “Take a good, long look at the photo.

Does any of that feel right to you?” The answer, for him, is a resounding “No.” Needless to say, the phones were busy at the Seattle Gilbert {see THE MIKADO cont’d on page 13}

■ NATIONAL NEWS

More than What are you missing in Sci-Fi/fantasy films? just “Asian” DIVERSITY New bill hopes to improve on student data

By Jason Cruz Northwest Asian Weekly U.S. Congressman Mike Honda stood up for the All Students Count Act at a rally in Washington D.C. on July 31. Congressman Honda, a Democrat from California, proposed a bill, the All Students Count Act, which requires state education agencies to report more enhanced data in their annual state report cards to used enhanced race categories.

The Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) is in full support of this initiative, as the organization feels it has been underrepresented due to underreporting.

“The time has come to stop grouping students of different backgrounds together when compiling data,” Congressman Honda wrote in a post on his official Facebook page.

“Without better reporting for the dozens of distinct groups that fall under the term “Asian,” our school systems will continue to erase the unique needs, histories, and challenges facing Asian American and Pacific Islander students.”

The goal of the bill is to ensure that student {see SEARAC cont’d on page 13}

By Jason Cruz Northwest Asian Weekly

Many moviegoers will be enjoying their share of summer movies, but according to a recent study, they will be missing something. Diversity. The lack of people of color and women in science fiction and fantasy are especially stunning.

As of 2014, based on the top 100 domestic Sci-Fi and fantasy movies, there are not that many movies involving people of color.

According to the study, only 8% of the films have a person of color as the lead protagonist, with Will Smith in six of those films and a cartoon character, Aladdin, in another. Only 14% of the movies had a lead female character. There were no Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transsexual or Queer main characters and only 3% had movies with a villain of color.

Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ did extremely well in its first weekend of wide release. The movie, based on the comic book about an intergalactic band of rebels, drew $94 million in its first weekend. Initial estimates projected that the movie would draw between $50 million and $75 million in North America. Notably, Guardians of the Galaxy has Dave Bautista in a co-starring role.

Batista, a pro wrestler in his spare time, is half Filipino and half Greek. But, based upon the statistics drawn from the survey, the musclebound Batista is a rarity in this movie genre. {see DIVERSITY cont’d on page 14}

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ WORLD NEWS

AUGUST 9 – AUGUST 15, 2014

5

Chinese minority scholar indicted for separatism

By Christopher Bodeen Associated Press

How high-level Chinese officials are taken down

By Gillian Wong Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — The investigation into China’s former Security Chief Zhou Yongkang could pave the way for him to stand trial as the most senior politician ever prosecuted for graft. It’s hard to predict how his case will be handled in the opaque, secretive world of Chinese politics.

However, here’s how such prosecutions tend to play out, though not necessarily always in this sequence: Associates fall The first hints of trouble in past cases have been the disappearances of the politician’s associates. In the months before Tuesday’s announcement of the probe into Zhou, his known allies in his various spheres of influence were rounded up, one after another, in spectacular fashion.

They included bigwigs in the southwestern province of Sichuan, where he was a party boss for a time and senior executives at the state oil company, where he was once a general manager--and his son.

Investigations of peripheral players usually build evidence of bribery that is then used against the main target, who is often seen as being singled out over political rivalries as much as for corruption. Relatives--and mistresses --of the officials often disappear.

Party investigates The party’s anti-graft commission initiates most corruption investigations, using a secretive internal detention system in which suspects are interrogated without access to lawyers or family. Some are done quietly at first, with an announcement being made only after investigators have dug up sufficient evidence. A former top army general, Xu Caihou, had been under investigation since March, but his case was announced only last month. In theory, the anti-graft commission reports its findings to China’s Politburo for discussion on how to proceed. However, decisions on highprofile politicians are widely perceived to be the result of tough backroom wrangling among major power brokers. Chinese President Xi Jinping would have had to overcome resistance within the party to

{see TOHTI cont’d on page 12}

■ national NEWS

“Flower Drum Song” lead James Shigeta dies at 85 AP Wire Service

Former Security Chief Zhou Yongkang

publicize an investigation into someone as high-ranking as Zhou, which breaks a long-standing taboo against targeting topmost leaders.

Dismissal from posts, expulsion from party Accused officials are usually stripped of party, government, and legislative posts that give them immunity from prosecution, as well as party membership, reducing them to the status of an ordinary person.

The sequence of these dismissals can vary.

Bo Xilai, the once-rising political star whose wife murdered a British business associate and who was himself accused of rampant bribe-taking, was first fired from his post as party chief of the megacity of Chongqing, with no reason given. It was only one month later, in April 2012, that the party said Bo was stripped of posts on the powerful Politburo and Central Committee and was being investigated. The party usually uses such occasions to publicize tantalizing accusations of immoral sexual conduct on top of egregious graft. Bo was accused of ``improper sexual relations with multiple women.’’ Bo was a Zhou ally who was widely believed to be aiming for a seat in the party’s ruling inner circle. In the party’s announcement of the Zhou probe, it left out the customary Communist Party honorific of ``comrade’’-- a hint that he’s highly likely to be expelled from the party.

Prosecutors indict, case goes to court Party investigators hand the case to prosecutors who conduct their own criminal investigation. An {see ZHOU cont’d on page 12}

LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Shigeta, who played the lead in the 1961 movie musical “Flower Drum Song” and had a small role in the first “Die Hard,” has died.

He was 85.

His sister-in-law, Ellie Shigeta, tells the Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/1le6ow4) that he died last Monday at an assistedliving facility in Beverly Hills.

Born in Hawaii, Shigeta first gained national fame as a singer when he won the grand prize in the early TV talent show, “The Original Amateur Hour.”

Although he briefly got the spotlight after “Flower Drum Song,” he never again played the leading man in a major film, although he continued to appear in TV shows and movies.

Warner Brothers

Ilham Tohti

BEIJING (AP) — An outspoken Chinese minority scholar was indicted on separatism charges Wednesday amid a renewed flare-up of bloody anti-government violence in the country’s far west.

The prosecutor’s office in the Xinjiang regional capital of Urumqi announced the indictment of economics professor Ilham Tohti in a brief online statement.

Tohti was detained in mid-January and later accused of separatism. Through his lawyer, he has firmly rejected accusations of advocating Xinjiang’s independence from China. Such charges almost always end in conviction and a sentence of up to several years in prison.

Tohti was originally accused of recruiting followers through a website he founded to allegedly manufacture rumors, distort and play-up incidents, spread separatist thoughts, incite ethnic hatred, and engage in separatist activities.

He is also accused of telling his students that minority Uighurs should emulate Chinese who violently resisted Japanese invaders in World War II, and of teaching them to hate China and seek to overthrow the government.

Calls to Tohti’s lawyer, Li Fangping, rang unanswered Wednesday night.

Tohti is widely considered a moderate but vocal advocate of equal rights for the Turkic Uighur (pronounced

Scene from “Flower Drum Song”

In 1988’s “Die Hard,” Shigeta played an executive who is shot by terrorists for refusing to divulge the codes to a vault.

He will be remembered for his contribution to promoting Asian Americans in arts and entertainment.  Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com.

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■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR FRI 8/8

WHAT: Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber Luncheon: Business Opportunities in Washington Panel WHERE: Sun Ya, 605 7th Ave. S., Seattle WHEN: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

SAT 8/9 WHAT: APCC 17th Annual Polynesian Luau WHERE: APCC, 4851 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma WHEN: 12 p.m.

COST: $50 TICKETS: 253-383-3900 INFO: asiapacificculturalcenter. org WHAT: Seattle Chinese Garden Kite Festival WHERE: South Seattle College, 6000 16th Ave. S.W., Seattle, North Entrance

WHEN: 2-6 p.m.

COST: Free INFO: 206-934-5219, seattlechinesegarden.org

SUN 8/10 WHAT: Wandering and Wondering WHERE: Seattle Japanese Garden, 1075 Lake Washington Blvd. E., Seattle WHEN: 2-5 p.m.

INFO: seattlejapanesegarden. org, 206-684-4725

THU 8/14 WHAT: IDEA Space’s open house WHERE: 409 Maynard Ave. S., Ste. P8, Seattle WHEN: 4-7 p.m.

INFO: facebook.com/ IDEASpaceChinatownID

■ briefly

An evening in Seattle inspires a benefit at Benaroya

The Kalimba band will perform at the Benaroya August 16th for the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation benefit.

By Andrew Hamlin Northwest Asian Weekly The Kalimba band, a tribute to the music of epochal soul/funk act Earth, Wind & Fire, plays a benefit show for the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation, at Benaroya Hall this coming Saturday, August 16th, 7:30 pm. This “Rock & Soul For The Cure” benefit, oddly enough, had its genesis in Chinatown.

It was at Harry’s Tai Tung in Chinatown that friends Jerry Lee and Fred Brown (local legend “Downtown Freddie Brown,” who captained the Sonics championship team), met up for one of their usual dinners together, then hit Seattle nightlife for a taste of live music. They found the Kalimba band, and as it happens, the band’s manager, Craig Lee, was one of the kids Jerry Lee (no relation) used to coach basketball for.

They made contact with Mona Locke through Susan G. Komen, and with the help of Martha Lee, secured Benaroya for the fundraiser.

The evening event includes a silent auction of autographed Seattle Mariners items.

MulvannyG2 Architecture and the Furuta Lee Foundation will underwrite the event, so that all proceeds go to Susan G. Komen.  For more information, seattlesymphony.org.

visit

http://www.

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

SUN 8/17

SUN 8/24

WHAT: Seattle Martial Arts Expo 2014 WHERE: 1025 S. King St., Seattle WHEN: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

INFO: seattlemartialartsexpo. com

WHAT: Celebrate Little Saigon WHERE: 1200 S. Jackson St., Seattle WHEN: 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

SUN 8/22 THRU TUE 8/24 WHAT: 40th Anniversary CancerLifeline’s Flea Market WHERE: Dorothy O’Brien Center, 6522 Fremont Ave. N., Seattle WHEN: 2-5 p.m.

INFO: 206-832-1273, jlamont@ cancerlifeline.org

SAT 8/23 & SUN 8/24 WHAT: Seattle Center Festál – Tibet Fest WHERE: Seattle Center Armory WHEN: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

COST: Free INFO: washingtontibet, 206684-7200

SUN 9/7 WHAT: Seattle Center Festál – Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival WHERE: Seattle Center Armory, Mural Amphistheatre, & Fisher Roof WHEN: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m

COST: Free INFO: seattlecenter.com, 206684-7200

SUN 9/21 WHAT: Shamisen, Koto & Kokyu Concert WHERE: Poncho Concert Hall, Cornish College of Arts WHEN: 7-9 p.m.

COST: $15-$25 TICKETS: www.cornish.edu/ presents INFO: www.jaclab.org

TUE 9/23 WHAT: Preparing for Work (ESL level 5/6 students) WHERE: Bellevue College, 3000 Landerholm Circle S.E., Room 101, Bellevue WHEN: 5:30 p.m.

INFO: bellevuecollege.edu/ prepforwork

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ arts & entertainment

AUGUST 9 – AUGUST 15, 2014

7

Bruce Lee and his Seattle roots A retrospective comes to the Wing

By Jason Cruz Northwest Asian Weekly A recent launch of a video game featuring mixed martial arts fighters entitled “EA Sports: UFC” included a wellknown martial artist that never fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Bruce Lee. In fact, Lee adorns shirts sold by the organization. The name Bruce Lee is synonymous with martial arts. Lee is still the founding father of modern martial arts and had his start in Seattle.

An upcoming exhibit at the Wing Luke Museum will look at the life of Lee in the city where he started.

Lee moved to Seattle from San Francisco in 1959 to finish high school. Through a family friend, he worked as a waiter for Ruby Chow’s Restaurant. As many know, Chow was the first Asian American elected to the King County Council.

Lee lived upstairs, above the restaurant.

Lee received his high school diploma from Edison Technical School, which is now known as Seattle Central Community College. He went on to the University of Washington (UW) in March 1961, where he studied drama and philosophy. According to the Bruce Lee Foundation website, Lee’s passion for the art of kung fu inspired him to study the philosophical principles of the arts in school.

While at the University of Washington, Lee supported himself by teaching martial arts. He first began teaching friends anywhere they could find space and then progressed to opening up a modest basement room studio in Chinatown.

Lee named his school the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute. Lee taught his interpretation of Wing Chun, a form of Chinese martial art primarily used for close-range combat. By 1963, Lee opened a larger school in the U-District after receiving interest from conducting numerous demonstrations at the UW. One of his students at the new studio was Linda Emery,

Calif., where the two moved and Lee left the Seattle school in the hands of friend Taky Kimura.

Lee passed away in 1973 at the age of 32. He is buried at the Lake View Cemetery in Seattle. He is buried next to his son Brandon, who passed away in 1993. Many fans visit Lee’s site as a source of inspiration. When the UFC held an event in Seattle in 2011, mixed martial artist Dan Hardy went out of his way to visit the gravesite and was brought to tears. “To only live such a short time, and to contribute so much, and to be inspiring people that were born many years after him, it’s just amazing,” Hardy told The Seattle Times.

Still inspiring many, one day a museum will be built in Seattle honoring his legacy. The Bruce Lee Foundation, which is run by Lee’s daughter, Shannon, continues its efforts to establish a Bruce Lee Action Museum in Seattle.

It started a $10 million capital campaign in October 2011 to secure a location for the museum, hire a project manager, and design and plan the structure. According to the organization’s website, the museum’s vision is “one of community, education, inspiration, and innovation.” The museum will hold Lee’s memorabilia and be an interactive place of learning. No date or location has been set for the museum as of this date.

The special exhibit at The Wing Luke Museum will take an intimate look at Bruce Lee’s connection to Seattle. The exhibit opens October 4th. 

Bruce Lee and his legacy in Seattle will be featured at the Wing.

For more information on the Bruce Lee Action Museum, visit www.bruceleeactionmuseum.org. who was a freshman at the UW. Emery had known of Lee from his guest lectures at Garfield High School on Chinese philosophy. The two took an interest in one another. They were married in 1964. Lee’s school continued to grow, which led to the opening of another school in Oakland,

Presented by Northwest Asian Weekly and Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation

Diversity at the Top

Honoring Asian Americans who have broken the glass ceiling

For more information on the Bruce Lee exhibit, visit www. wingluke.com.

Jason Cruz can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Saturday, October 18, 2014 6 p.m.– 9 p.m.

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■ wayne’s column The Know-It-All who really doesn’t know

By Wayne Chan Northwest Asian Weekly

Hello. My name is Mr. Know-It-All.

Graphic by Han Bui/NWAW

We went out with some friends for dinner the other night, and I was a nervous wreck.

I should be used to it now. It’s a condition I’ve had to deal with my entire life, but for whatever reason, I just can’t get over it.

The malady I am suffering from is called Only Asianitis. This is a disorder that occurs whenever I’m in a social situation with a group of non-Asians and I’m expected to be the all-knowing expert of all subjects Asian related. The symptoms are even more severe when we are all at a Chinese restaurant. I’ve dealt with this condition my entire life.

This is something that I should have adapted to long ago.

Growing up, whatever school I was in, I always felt a bit like the odd man out. I was nearly always the only Asian in school. Oh sure, in elementary school, I wasn’t completely alone. There was Stacy Hayashi, but having one other Asian in school didn’t really make things better, especially Stacy being a girl, where everyone in school assumed that even at 6 years old, we were two peas in a pod and were destined to be together forever living in wedded bliss.

So there we were, in one of the best Chinese restaurants in town, having dinner with four of our nicest neighbors, all of whom were Caucasian. Both couples had recently taken Maya and I out to dinner recently, and we thought it would be nice to return the favor. They had taken us out for Italian and American cuisine, and they suggested that we choose a good Chinese restaurant. Sounds easy enough to do, right?

But Only Asian-itis sufferers are acutely aware that I’ve just stumbled into the worst-case scenario of the condition.

I’m starting to break out in hives just thinking about it.

It starts out pretty harmless. I ask, “Is there anything you guys don’t eat?”

One of them says they’ve never really liked tofu, because it has no flavor. Another says they’re not used to eating a whole fish. Another says they were a little freaked out when they ordered shrimp and the head was still on it.

Easy enough – nix the tofu, and we’ll stick with headless

What about me?

When was I born, Wayne?

What am I made of, Wayne?

fish fillets and decapitated shrimp. Obviously, someone doesn’t like eating food that’s looking at you as it’s being eaten. So, maybe they’re a bit in denial, but who am I to judge?

It’s really after the food starts arriving that it starts getting tough.

I’m inundated with questions they all assume I have answers to and for some reason, I’m hesitant to let on that I don’t have a clue to most of their questions. They begin peppering me with questions like: Wayne, why is northern Chinese food so much spicier than food from southern China?

Wayne, what is the dumpling skin made out of?

Wayne, how is the food here compared to China?

Wayne, why is soup being served as the last dish of the meal?

Wayne, who is General Tso and why is his chicken so famous?

Wayne, how did Chinese people start eating with chopsticks?

I think my exact response to each of their questions was: Umm…maybe Maya knows…half a dozen of one or six of another…it has something to do with an emperor…I think Confucius once said…

One of our friend’s ancestors is Italian, but if we go out to an Italian restaurant, I don’t start asking them why gnocchi is spelled with a “g” or who first thought of putting cream in a cannoli.

At some point, as I’m drowning in questions, I just blurt out, “Look! I was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan! Just outside of Detroit! How am I supposed to know?”

I have to give myself a little credit though. I actually do know the answers to most of those questions. But Googling the answers hardly makes me the “go to” guy when it comes to Chinese culture.  Wayne Chan can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Amazing Women Mentors Volunteering as a way of life

Friday, September 19, 2014 • 11:30 a.m.—1:30 p.m. • China Harbor Restaurant • 2040 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle

Honorees

CO-CHAIRS: Charlene Grinolds and Gladys Romero

Grace Kim

Architect Schemata Workshop Inc.

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32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

AUGUST 9 – AUGUST 15, 2014

9

Photo by Paul Bestock Young performers apply a contemporary twist to Mikado.

By Laura Ohata Northwest Asian Weekly Last weekend, a mini Mikado starring tweens and teens, took the stage at The Bathhouse on Green Lake. The Seattle Public Theater (SPT) Youth Program produced the comic opera with a modern update on the Victorian Era original, completed in 1885.

In contrast to the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan

Society’s adult version of The Mikado, performed by 40 white actors playing the parts of 40 Japanese citizens, the SPT Youth Program mini Mikado starred a multi-ethnic cast. The leading man, Vivek Shah, played Nanki-Poo, son of the emperor, while actors of various racial backgrounds filled the cast {see MINI-MIKADO cont’d on page 12}

■ PROFILE Awesome Asian Bad Guys!

By Andrew Hamlin Northwest Asian Weekly

NWAW: What were your favorite films growing up, and why?

Stephen Dypiangco: I remember seeing “American Ninja” on TV as a kid and

Shin Yu Pai

orchard as a light-sensitive canvas and harness the rays of the sun as the light source.

So it’s the idea of making a giant photogram using a physical environment where each apple will be stencilled with a different word or words and printed with the sun.”

She is testing this idea in September to see how it would work since there are a lot of variables in this project, including apples falling from the trees, and legibility issues due to the size of apples and how the text should look on them.

Pai said that if the pilot stencil tests are successful, she plans to apply for a site-specific grant through 4Culture, the cultural services agency for King County, to install the complete text. She pictures a cell phone app, where people can call in and listen to {see PAI cont’d on page 12}

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The new action film “Awesome Asian Bad Guys” has its Seattle premiere at a free screening on Sunday, August 24th, at 1212 King Street in Seattle, starting at 7 pm. The film, centered around a group of colorful Asian villains, was co-directed by Stephen Dypiangco and Patrick Epino, and the cast includes Seattle actor Yuji Okumoto. Mr. Dypiangco, who will host a short program after the film with Mr. Okumoto, took some questions over email.

NWAW: Where did you grow up, and what were your most important formative experiences there?

Stephen Dypiangco: I grew up in Montebello, which is a Los Angeles suburb.

In high school I started watching a lot of movies and realized that I wanted to make them someday. One of my most vivid movie going experiences was watching “Karate Kid 2” during its opening weekend. The line to get in was enormous, and there was so much excitement. I’ll never forget that.

By Daria Kroupoderova Northwest Asian Weekly

Shin Yu Pai, author of eight poetry books, has been nominated for The Stranger’s Literature Genius Award. The Genius Awards are annual awards, consisting of $5,000 per award, given out to five different artists in five disciplines: visual arts, literature, music, performance and film.

Pai found out from The Stranger’s book editor, Paul Constant, who emailed her asking if he could call her with a question, letting her know that she wasn’t in trouble.

Pai said she thought Constant just wanted a quote about the literary scene so she was very surprised to find out about being nominated. Every nominee received a cake that said “Holy Shit! You’re on the short list!” which Pai couldn’t eat since she has a gluten allergy.

“I’m not from Seattle, I consider it home and...I feel very embraced by my colleagues here,” Pai said. The themes in her poems appeal to Seattle audiences, which is one of the reasons why Pai said she thinks her work is so accepted here.

Currently, Pai is working as a freelance writer and editor along with working on a project that is “a poetic visitor’s guide to Piper’s Orchard (located in Carkeek Park) that is written in the loose form of an abecedarium,” Pai said. An abecedarium is an alphabet poem, where each letter of the alphabet begins a verse or theme in the poem.

Pai’s idea is to “install a poem using the

Photo by Daria Kroupoderova/NWAW

Mini-Mikado Gets a Poet experiments Modern Makeover with tradition

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thinking that it was incredibly awesome.

I definitely watched a lot of television as a kid, especially action-oriented cartoons like “G.I. Joe” and “Transformers.” I think the action genre always appealed to me.

“Awesome Asian Bad Guys” is my first real experience working in action, and it was a real dream come true.

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asianweekly northwest

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AUGUST 9 – AUGUST 15, 2014

OPINION

■ EDITORIAL

Hyphenating our heritage Are we Asian American or Asian-American?

There has been an ongoing discussion here at the Northwest Asian Weekly about the rules of addressing how we represent ourselves in print and online. Are we Asian American (no hyphen) or Asian-American (notice that hyphen)? These are minor details, and an issue that probably fascinates only writers, editors, and grammarobsessed readers. But there IS a larger issue to consider— and these include rules based on journalism and rules based on identity. Our publisher attended an Asian American Journalists Association meeting (or maybe it was the Asian [HYPHEN!] American Journalists meeting?) and the hyphenation issue was addressed.

It evolved into a discretionary decision.

The determination was we should not hyphenate.

And why?

The rules are strange.

We try to adhere to the Associated Press (AP) style, which most newspapers follow: The Associated Press has been the standard for newspaper format and is referenced constantly. There are A LOT of rules, so it is difficult and also impossible to follow all. We do Street instead of St. We do Avenue instead of Ave. ­We don’t italicize publications (sorry MLA fans). We do congressmember instead of congress member. But we don’t do Asian-American instead

of Asian American.

The image we reproduced is the entry from the actual guide. And… so…according to the AP Stylebook: We

should hyphenate African-American. We should hyphenate Asian-American.

But we should not hyphenate Native American.

Confusing, right? What qualifies a hyphen and what does not? And what about Indian Americans and European Americans, which have no entries in the stylebook?

Granted, yes, it is not a critical issue—determining whether we should insert a simple dash in our labels.

But here at NWAW, we decided NOT to hyphenate Asian Americans. We are not hyphenating our heritage.

Any NWAW wordsmiths out there can have fun with that.

And by the way, our excellent intern is Russian American—no hyphen.

And our layout editor, who is Vietnamese American, will probably tell us this editorial is too short.

And our publisher, who is Asian American, will probably agree.

And the editor, who is I-have-no-clue American (but also Asian American), will still keep trying to figure out what needs to be hyphenated.

In our next issue, we will examine formatting in Excel spreadsheets. 

■ PUBLISHER'S BLOG

A Hawaiian wedding—recreated in Washington

By Assunta Ng Northwest Asian Weekly

Guests mingle and enjoy the festivities.

A rustic yard transformed.

Table setting.

Photos by George Liu/NWAW

My niece Jennifer got married last Saturday. What was amazing was that the newlyweds were able to transform their 5-acre rustic home into an impressive wedding venue. It was a romantic spot for the ceremony. Facing the river, the venue included an elegant cocktail reception area and a garden surrounded by woods for a sitdown dinner. There was even a hardwood dance floor for guests to have fun later.

It was wonderful. The wedding resembled one I attended earlier this year, in a Hawaiian hotel, facing the ocean. The obvious difference between her home and the Hawaiian site was the price tag.

A typical commercial venue is equipped to host weddings and assist with all the details of the wedding-day process. A private home is not. I was surprised by all the smart ideas, the effort, and the hard work she and her husband put in to turn that big, bare, and weed-filled lawn into a dream wedding site. They did everything themselves from scratch.

When I first heard about the idea of using her home as the location for the wedding, I thought she was crazy. But her rationale was, “Every financial improvement we put in our home would be an investment.”

Take for example, the Hawaiian hotel had lights along the pathway in its garden. But they had none. And the hotel had stairs to showcase the father walking down the aisle with the bride. They had slopes to deal with, which would be hard for the bride to manage with heels.

A stairway was what they needed, and they built one. Lights would enhance the dinner atmosphere in the garden, so they lit the garden with small and large light bulbs on top and the ground. They even rented heat stands in case it got cold at night.

Kelly Detzel serves (and saws) pork.

Jennifer and Ben sharing their vows.

I praised the minister and told him he did a nice job at the ceremony.

“I am not a minister,” he said. “I am a good friend of the groom.” The couple knows how to use resources wisely.

On the lawn facing the river, a mini-stage was installed next to the gazebo for the bride

and groom’s court. Chairs were set for guests, with a river view. The sun was beaming down, just like the wedding I remember in Hawaii.A tent with a chandelier was already in place for the cocktail reception after the ceremony. Cold drinks and appetizers were there for guests to help themselves.

Dinner was buffet-style, filled with catered Chinese food. I offered Jennifer a roast pig for the feast. Yes, we bought it from Chinatown and transported it all the way to Arlington. It’s the first time I followed Chinese tradition in buying a pig for a wedding. My reward was immense. Many guests told me how delicious the roast pork was. One Chinese guest even said, “The best {see BLOG cont’d on page 14}

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ on the shelf

AUGUST 9 – AUGUST 15, 2014

11

August reading recommendations

By Samantha Pak Northwest Asian Weekly

Pioneer Girl

By Bich Minh Nguyen Viking, 2014

As an avid reader, I completely understood Lee’s use of books to escape the real world. I also understood her excitement over her family’s possible connection to Wilder and her hesitance to delve deeper as she may wind up disappointed.

In addition, Lee’s journey to learn more about her favorite author leads to a few discoveries about her family – some of which she’s not so sure she wanted to know. She begins to understand more about her mother, who rarely had a kind word for her but thought her brother could do no wrong. With difficult family dynamics running throughout the entire book, I was pleasantly surprised with how Nguyen wraps up “Pioneer Girl” in a realistic way. Readers could relate to what the characters are feeling and are left hopeful about their futures.

Mambo in Chinatown

By Jean Kwok Riverhead Books, 2014

Ever since she received the box set from her grandfather when she turned 8, Lee Lien has always loved Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House on the Prairie” books.

She uses the books – as well as others – as an escape from the rigid expectations of her Vietnamese family. And having had to escape from a mother who always found something to criticize her entire life, it was no surprise that Lee ended up with a doctorate in literature. With the lifelong goal of getting out of “here” (wherever their family was living at the time), Lee is appalled to find herself back home in the Chicago suburbs with her mother and grandfather, jobless with a degree that may not be good for much.

Then her brother Sam disappears, leaving behind an old family heirloom – a gold pin left behind by an American reporter in her grandfather’s café in Saigon – that takes Lee back to the days when her love for the “Little House” books was in full bloom.

As Lee looks into the pin’s history, she uncovers clues that may connect her family to the author of her favorite childhood books.

position at a ballroom dance studio uptown.

Miraculously, she lands the job and all of a sudden, she is thrust into a world completely different from the sheltered one she’s grown accustomed to.

One day, the studio is short an instructor and Charlie suddenly finds herself at the front of a ballroom, teaching a group of beginners how to waltz. And just like that, Charlie discovers a natural talent she never knew she had and dreams and ambitions of her own.

But as things start looking up for Charlie, Lisa’s health begins to fail. Their father distrusts all things Western – including medicine – and insists on treating Lisa with only Eastern practices. Nothing works and Charlie finds herself split between two worlds as she tries to figure out how to help her sister.

“Mambo” is the story of a young woman who has grown up believing she is just mediocre in every way and discovers that there are things she is good at – it just took a little while to find them. For anyone who has ever felt they weren’t good enough, Charlie’s story will give them hope that it’s okay to feel that way and that believing in yourself is the first step in getting out of that place.

“Mambo” is also the story of a young woman’s love for her family. Charlie constantly puts others before herself and always thinks how she can help the ones she loves. While this self-sacrificing may get a bit tedious at times, Charlie’s devotion to her family is nothing short of admirable and will get readers thinking what they would do if they were in her shoes.

America is in the Heart, A Personal History

By Carlos Bulosan University of Washington Press, 2014

With a mother who was a soloist in the Beijing Ballet, a father whose noodle-making skills are known throughout Manhattan’s Chinatown, and a younger sister who excels academically, 22-year-old Charlie Wong is resigned to her life as a dishwasher.

But then Lisa, her 11-year-old sister, encourages her to interview for a receptionist

Growing up in the Philippines in the early 20th Century was not an easy life for Carlos Bulosan. His family faced poverty, disagreements with lenders that led to them losing their land, illness and more. From a young age, Bulosan grew used to seeing his older brothers leave home to go to school and then work to earn money for the family.

He eventually did the same and his journey took him across the Pacific Ocean to the United States in 1930. He was 17. Once he arrived, he faced prejudice and racism as well as more

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poverty and even homelessness as it was not easy to find a safe place for a young Filipino man to stay. Bulosan does not sugarcoat his experiences during these times, describing in detail, some of the criminal and violent acts he had to commit to get by.

Eventually, Bulosan realizes he cannot go on this way and turns to writing as a way to improve his life and the life of others as he becomes a labor activist.

Reading about some of the things Bulosan had to live through – both when he first arrives in the United States and later as a laborer – was not easy. It was tough seeing how he and his companions were treated, just because they had dark skin. And while it may have been difficult, it was also a reminder of how marginalized some people can get just because they are different – something that is still an issue today.

I was also struck by how disjointed Bulosan’s family was throughout his life. There was always a sibling or two, or a parent, who was away because they had to go work. This couldn’t have been easy and it just serves as a reminder of how lucky one can be just to be able to stay close to their family.  Samantha Pak can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

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AUGUST 9 – AUGUST 15, 2014

{PAI cont’d from page 9}

{ZHOU cont’d from page 5}

her read the poem set to an ambient soundtrack of the field recordings of the orchard at different times of the day and year, with a possible website component as well.

“I have some big ideas and now I just have to figure out the execution,” Pai said.

Pai’s works usually have some type of visual component to them. A dancer from Hedwig Dances in Chicago choreographed a dance to complement her poem “Recipe for Paper.” Gao Ping, a classical composer from Beijing, has set her poems to music.

“I’ve always been very interested in finding different ways to present the work that gives it a life off the page,” Pai said.

As an Asian American, Pai said it’s challenging to choose a life in the arts.

“I feel like many Asian Americans with creative inclinations may feel this responsibility to live up to their parents’ ideas of ‘potential’ or participate in traditional professions that are...financially stable,” Pai said.

Young people that want to pursue the arts might ask themselves “What is it that is your heart’s work?” and “What does meaningful work look like? What motivates your impulse to be a maker?” according to Pai. Pai is the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants and grew up in Riverside, California.

She received her MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago and her MA in Museology from University of Washington. 

indictment is made usually with a formal announcement of an arrest. In reality, the official often has been in the custody of the party or other authority in the preceding weeks or months – or in the case of exBeijing Mayor Chen Xitong, almost three years. Indictments lead to court trials, which are widely believed to be stage-managed according to negotiations between top

For more information on Pai and her work visit shinyupai.com. There will be a showcase of the Literature Genius nominees, including Pai, at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 27 at the Frye Art Museum. The winners will be announced on Oct. 18 at the Moore Theater.

Daria Kroupoderova can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

officials and the politician taking the stand.

The government says the trials are open, but they’re effectively closed to the public because authorities hand-pick the people to fill courtroom seats. The trials typically seem tightly orchestrated, often lasting less than two days, despite seemingly complex charges. A former railways minister, faced with massive bribery charges, stood trial for three and a half hours before being sentenced to death with a two-year

{TOHTI cont’d from page 5} WEE-gur) ethnic minority in Xinjiang. Many Uighurs say they face repressive cultural and religious policies, along with economic disenfranchisement in their homeland.

Such sentiments are seen as contributing to a recent increase in violence in Xinjiang blamed on Uighur militants that has also spread to Beijing and the western province of Yunnan.

On Monday, the government said rampaging militants armed with knives and axes killed or injured dozens of people in Shache county near the city of Kashgar in Xinjiang’s far west. Official reports said police killed dozens of the assailants, who reportedly first attacked police and government offices before turning on civilians. More details haven’t been released and the precise death toll remains unknown. China called the incident a ``premeditated terror attack,’’ and said further investigations were underway.

If dozens were indeed killed, it would be the bloodiest single outbreak of violence since ethnic riots in Urumqi in 2009 left nearly 200 dead, according to the government.

The official account of Monday’s incident has been disputed by a Uighur group based in the United States, where many Uighurs live. {JAYAPAL cont’d from page 1} with more than 62 percent of the votes while his opponent Michelle Darnell, walked away with more than 36 percent of the votes.

Democrat Sharon Tomiko Santos, Seattle’s 37th District, received more than 84 percent of the votes for the representative

{MINI-MIKADO cont’d from page 9} and chorus. Similarly, the actors in the SPT Youth Program played the physicality of their parts without exaggerated interpretations of Japanese body language.

Rather than fluttering fans for props, kids texted messages on cell phones. Instead of kimonos tied with obis, the actors wore brightly-colored clothing inspired by street-styles of the Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo. Instead of raven-black wigs pinned with decorative “kanzashi,” the actors wore spiked orange, purple or platinum wigs. In other words, this was the animé convention version of The Mikado, with cultural references just as relevant to kids in the United States as they are in Japan, and in particular, relevant to the kids performing on the stage.

Although the updates make The Mikado more palatable, it

The Uyghur American Association said police killed protesters angered by heavy-handed security measures taken during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ended this week.

Neither version could be independently confirmed, and calls to police stations and government offices in the area rang unanswered Wednesday. A telephone operator in Shache said mobile communications and the Internet were being cut off, but declined to give details or her name.

Obtaining details of violence in the remote region is usually impossible and authorities routinely prevent foreign journalists from working freely in the area.

While some of the recent violent attacks have shown an increased level of sophistication and planning, most have relied on crude weaponry such as swords, bombs, and homemade explosives.

China’s government says the militants have ties to overseas Islamic terror groups, although it has provided little evidence to back up its claim.

Also known as Yarkant, Shache is near the border with the unstable Central Asian states, about 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles) west of Beijing.  Associated Press writer Jack Chang contributed to this report. position. Her two Republican opponents, Daniel Bretzke and John Dickinson received 9 percent and 6 percent, respectively.

The general election is coming up on Nov. 4.  Daria Kroupoderova can be reached at info@nwasianweekly. com.

is still riddled with offensive character names, such as YumYum, Nanky-poo, and Pish-tush. The setting, in the fictitious city of Titipu, is an equally ridiculous place. Yet, most of the offensive content was removed. As such, what is to be gained by staging The Mikado with a bunch of children?

“I like the energy. The kids were having a ball,” says Zoe Alexis Scott, managing director of the Seattle Public Theater.

“The youth program is non-auditioned. Any child from anywhere who wants to be a part of Seattle Public Theater can join.” Scott adds that tuition assistance is provided to children in need. “Our mission is to serve the community and I think we do. The kids get to come in and perform on a professional stage, and frequently on a professional set. It has meaning for them to work with professional teaching artists, and to come to the main stage shows and see what professional designers and actors are up to as a part of their education.” Yet this

TAITUNG

reprieve. Bo Xilai’s trial was a surprising exception, stretching over five days, with his own testimony plus salacious details of a love triangle involving his wife and an extop aide available for public view through a regularly updated court blog. Though still regarded as the victim of a political struggle, Bo was widely seen as having had his day in court. The Chinese public might expect similarly lively proceedings in Zhou’s case. 

education goes beyond drama. The Seattle Opera partners with Seattle Public Theater to teach the kids how to sing.

While The Mikado isn’t perfect, the animé-inspired makeover is more accessible to teens, and allows them to explore drama and opera in a way they appreciate and understand.  Upcoming Seattle Public Theater Youth Program Shows: The Taming of the Shrew: August 8, 9, 10 As You like It: August 15, 16, 17, 22, 23 Almost, Maine (BE): August 15, 16, 17 The Spear Carriers: August 22 For more details, visit seattlepublictheater.org.

Laura Ohata can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ astrology

AUGUST 9 – AUGUST 15, 2014

13

For the week of August 9–August 15, 2014

By Sun Lee Chang Rat — Don’t let the worries of the past keep you from fully being able to engage in and enjoy what is happening now.

Dragon — Do you know somebody who tends to sweep problems under the rug, rather than dealing with them?

Avoid getting too involved with such a person.

Monkey — Has it been hard to meet with an old friend? If it means a lot to you, then you must carve out and actually schedule some time together.

Ox — Regular maintenance versus waiting for something to break is the difference between a known cost and a not so good surprise.

Snake — Some people help you to see the possibilities by setting an example of what can be done. Allow them to inspire you to greatness.

Rooster — Several people are jockeying for a good position at work at the moment. It could make for a tense situation until some order is established.

Tiger — Shoring up a loose connection is well worth the effort, especially when you can anticipate that it will be put under stress soon.

Horse — Does it feel like you are being crowded out by all of your stuff? Cull through your things and get rid of the things you no longer use.

Dog — Are there rumblings afoot and you are not quite sure what they will amount to? Nothing to do now, just wait and watch what happens.

Rabbit — Echoes of the past are making you a bit uneasy. There is no reason to believe that history will repeat itself at this juncture.

Goat — Is a meddlesome neighbor getting on your nerves? Perhaps you need to curb how much information you have been sharing.

Pig — Take advantage of the insights that you have about your area of work to help you prepare for what will likely happen in the near future.

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 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.

{THE MIKADO cont’d from page 4} and Sullivan Society. The small production company, which produces just one show a year and has just one paid part-time employee, set off to do damage control.

The first attempt, whether planned by the Society or not, came when KIRO radio host Dave Ross tried to defend the alleged racist elements on his show. Ross, who performed in the opera for the sixth time this year as the comical Lord High Executioner Ko-Ko, hosted Chan on his show to discuss the issue. In the conversation, he deflected allegations that dressing up in Japanese garb was racist, or that “The Mikado” was a form of a yellowface.

“I need to know what the ground rules are,” he said. “If it’s true that Japanese Americans feel it’s racist for white people to dress up in a kimono, or dress up in some kind of martial arts uniform … I’ll stop doing it. But this is the first time I’ve heard of someone [being] offended because I dressed up in a costume of another country for a show.”

Chan, for the most part, did not seem impressed with Ross’ arguments. She spent the better half of the segment explaining to Ross why she thought the production was inherently yellowface.

“I think that if people haven’t brought it up to you before, then that’s totally fair,” she said. “Now that it has been brought up to you, you know, now you know. But just because you don’t know doesn’t mean it isn’t there.”

Producer Mike Storie has his own take on the issue.

In interviews with various news sources, including the Northwest Asian Weekly, he explained that the original opera intended to use the Japanese setting merely as a way to avoid censors, while poking fun at British royalty.

The writer, W.S. Gilbert, had only limited interaction with Japanese culture.

However, the Seattle chapter of the Japanese Citizens League, which formally opposed the use of yellowface and stereotypes in “The Mikado,” contended that the

portrayal was still offensive to Asian Americans.

“There is nothing timely or clever about the use of these outdated stereotypes and ‘The Mikado’ should stop playing immediately,” they wrote in a statement.

Storie admitted that this may have been a long time coming and he just didn’t see it.

“Perhaps the storm has been brewing for decades and this summer, our production became the lightning rod,” he wrote in a Seattle Times column. “The society received no mention that some people were deeply bothered by it when it produced ‘The Mikado’ in 2008, nor when this year’s production was announced a year ago.”

Outside the Internet, the last big physical demonstration occurred July 20, at the third to last showing. “Join in Solidarity Against The Mikado” member Gei Chan saidprotestor turnout was good.. Along with younger protestors, several notable people from the Asian and Pacific Islander community made an appearance, including Bettie Luke, Roger Shimomura, State Rep. Tomiko Santos, Mary Ann Goto, Matt Chan, June Sekiguchi, Tilman Smith, Bif Brigman, and Sue Kay. “The theatre goers’ responses have been mixed,” Chan wrote on the Solidarity Against The Mikado Facebook page. “Some hostile, some think we’re silly, others were willing to accept our flyers, some ignored us. Yet there were a few who understood why we were there.”  Though the Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society has closed their performance of “The Mikado,” scrutiny is likely to continue as other companies produce their own versions. Last week, the Seattle Public Theater in conjunction with Seattle Opera produced a youth program of “The Mikado” performed in manga style (see page 9). On Feb. 6 and Feb. 8 of 2015, the Tacoma Opera will be performing “The Mikado” at the Rialto Theater.

Zachariah Bryan can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

{DYPIANGCO cont’d from page 9} NWAW: What were your first film projects, and what did you learn from them?

Stephen Dypiangco: I started making really silly videos with friends in college. None of us really knew what we were doing, but we were having a lot of fun making stuff and then showing it to others. It’s hard to say what I learned from making them, but they certainly reinforced my passion for filmmaking and drove me to get better. I eventually got the chance to study filmmaking at NYU’s graduate film program, which was amazing.

NWAW: How did the “Awesome Asian Bad Guys” film get its start?

Stephen Dypiangco: My partner Patrick [Epino] and I originally shot a two-minute YouTube video called Aweomse Asian Bad Guys, where we talked about all of the cool Asian bad guys who would show up in action movies and them immediately get killed. In that video we said it would be cool to create an Asian version of “The Expendables.” So

{SEARAC cont’d from page 4} demographics provide a clearer picture and the different experiences of boys and girls within the nation’s schools allow policymakers and educators the opportunity to closely examine ways to improve. One of the purposes SEARAC sees in the proposed law is that it would address the needs of Southeast Asian American students who come from recent refugee and immigrant families.

It was not until the fall of 2013 that university administration at California State University Sacramento learned that Hmong Americans represented the second largest Asian American student population on campus. The reason for the failure to discover this earlier was due to student data records which left a large “Other Asian” category.

“Data has the power to reveal and the power to conceal. For too long, the true challenges of Asian American students from kindergarten to high school have been masked by combining all Asian American students under one category. The All Students Count Act allows our students to move beyond the ‘Asian’ check box, to see a richer, fuller picture across subgroups,” said Quyen Dinh, executive director at SEARAC. According to the American Community Survey, disaggregated data shows only 67% of Cambodian, 65% of Hmong, 68% of Laotian, and 70% of Vietnamese Americans aged 25 and older hold a high school degree or higher.

While the proposed law would impact only annual state report cards at the elementary and secondary level, SEARAC would like the reporting of disaggregated data whenever possible.

SEARAC joined over 150 national and local organizations from 27 states, 100 youth and community members who rallied in front of the nation’s capital on July 31st, and a nationwide student-driven photo tumblr campaign in applauding the proposed legislation for ensuring that currently underserved students will be both acknowledged and accounted for, as well as providing policymakers and educators information needed to improve educational opportunities for all students.  Jason Cruz can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

that’s what we set out to do. We eventually reached out to the community to fund the project via Kickstarter, and we were successful in reaching our $50K goal.

NWAW: Where was the film shot and what were the most difficult things about the shoot? How did you get through the difficulties?

Stephen Dypiangco: The film was shot in various locations around Los Angeles, including my apartment and my parents’ home. The hardest part of the shoot was cramming everything into a really short schedule. We were always rushing to make our days, but we were fortunate to have an incredible crew that helped us pull off amazing things.

NWAW: What are your favorite and least-favorite aspects of the finished film?

Stephen Dypiangco: My favorite aspect of the finished film is pulling it off with so many talented people involved both in front and behind the camera. When we first came up with this crazy idea, it seemed like nothing more than

a crazy idea. But to actually bring it to life and with such awesome people, I couldn’t ask for more.

The project certainly has its flaws, but I’ve grown to embrace them over time. It’s nearly impossible to make something perfect, and any imperfections can serve as lessons on what to avoid the next time around.

NWAW: What are your plans for the future, both with the film and beyond?

Stephen Dypiangco: We’re in the midst of screening the film at various venues around the country. We’re developing our online release strategy and hope to announce our plans in the next few weeks. We’d love to screen “Awesome Asian Bad Guys” at colleges, so we’re certainly open to hearing from student groups interested in that.  For more information on the film, visit http://www. awesomeasianbadguys.com.

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

asianweekly northwest

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AUGUST 9 – AUGUST 15, 2014

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

We want to know about it. Send it to us at info@nwasianweekly.c om. {BLOG cont’d from page 10}

But the best outcome is they have discovered their strength and bond through their collaboration and communication with each other. No task is too big.

Love conquers even issues of stairways.

I just read in the New York Times that a barn wedding is now very popular. Some rent as much as $4,800 for a wedding. If my niece is entrepreneurial, she can be a wedding planner—she could lease out her garden (and as long as she gets her neighbors approval)! 

{DIVERSITY cont’d from page 4}

The American Legion Cathay Post 186

“The statistics are certainly striking, especially since Sci-Fi and fantasy belongs to a genre that prides itself on creativity and imagination,” explained Marissa Lee, co-founder of Racebending. com. Lee’s website advocates for underrepresented groups in entertainment media.

Imran Siddiquee, director of communications for the Representation Project believes that America would support a diverse main character in a big, blockbuster Sci-Fi/fantasy movie. “I think an important thing to understand about Hollywood blockbusters is that they are almost never flukes, they were preordained,” stated Siddiquee. Siddiquee’s organization uses film and media content to expose injustices created by gender stereotypes and to shift people’s consciousness toward change. Siddiquee explains that most big movies need financial backing. However, he points out that not one single film has been released in 2014 starring a person of color with a budget of more than $50 million.

It is worthy to point out that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson starred in the $100 million budget film, “Hercules,” which opened in July.

Johnson is part black and part Samoan.

Still, Johnson may be the exception. He was given a chance in part due to his former profession, which ironically was Bautista’s former job, as a professional wrestler. The issue is that Hollywood tends not to take chances on actors or characters that they perceive as risks explained Lee. “We are seeing more diversity in television, particularly in children’s television, as well as in online content,” Lee added, “the establishment will change when someone influential in Hollywood decides to take the risk and make an effort to diversify their film offerings. Hollywood needs to believe that diversity can be profitable.” 

cathaypost@hotmail.com

Jason Cruz can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

part of the dinner was the roast pig.” And one of the younger guests cleaned his whole plate of roast pork in minutes, and wanted more.A minor difficulty was that the pig was not cut when we picked it up. My cousin had to go to a neighbor and even had to borrow a saw for the server to cut the pig!

The whole wedding was a great success. Family members chipped in with labor and brains months before the big event. No doubt, it brought both sides of the family closer. Out-of-town friends arrived a few days early to help decorate the place. As the saying goes, “It takes a village”…to organize a wedding!

Their garden now has a facelift. Jennifer and Ben pulled off a grand experiment with creativity and savvy.

Want to get the inside scoop on the latest happenings of Seattle’s Asian American community?

Follow Publisher Assunta Ng’s blog at nwasianweekly.com under the Opinion section.

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{UW RECRUITER cont’d from page 1} It was a big win for people of the API community and UW students who had been pushing for the reinstatement since the position was discontinued back in January.

The Southeast Asian recruiter was initially described as a part-time, temporary position and lasted just one year. But proponents were under the assumption that the UW had been actively seeking funding to make it permanent before it was cut.

ACRS Executive Director Diane Narasaki said it was important to fund the position, but not at the cost of serving other populations in need.

“Many of the other populations are suffering great disparity and we don’t want to see any funding taken away from those populations that are already being served.

In fact, we think there needs to be more resources to serve them,” she said.

University administration did not comment on how the position would be funded.

Chief Diversity Officer Sheila Edwards Lange said that they would not stop at just the recruiter position. The UW will also turn its attention toward student retention, for Southeast Asians and for Asian and Pacific Islanders in general. She said that the UW will create a team to focus on the issue by adding two new positions and enlisting the aid of an advisory board.

“That degree is what allows them to go back out to become leaders,” she said. “We definitely want them to graduate. Having them come to campus and not graduate not only hurts them, but hurts everyone in the community.”

Narasaki argued that the university should not stop at increasing student access and retention.

“We think it’s very important that the university not only include our community as students, but also that the university leadership structure reflects our community

as well,” she said.

If there were greater representation of the API community on UW leadership, Narasaki argued, the recruiter issue wouldn’t have had to escalate as much as it did.

“It would have been great if we could’ve resolved this much earlier,” she said.

Young shot back that there are two chancellors and one dean from the Asian community. He also noted that there are people from other minority groups in UW’s leadership.

“We do have fairly robust representation,” he said.

Young and Lange acknowledged that this was just the beginning of a much longer conversation. They agreed to meet with the Asian and Pacific Islander community again sometime in the future to discuss the issues further.

Solid Ground Advocacy Director Tony Lee noted that promoting and uplifting diversity was an important task for the university to undertake.

“This is not just about this recruiter position. This is kind of symbolic of a much larger issue, and I would say this issue goes to the root of what is the mission of the University of Washington,” Lee said. “Is it to serve a narrower and narrower slice of the population, which tends to be white, which tends to be affluent? Or will it continue to serve, as it has in the past, the broad diverse communities in our state? To us, this is a very important question.”

Ay Saechao, founder of the Southeast Asian American Access in Education Coalition, said that the Southeast Asian community was in great need and that it was vital that the UW help them.

“Everybody here probably knows someone in their family or community who did not succeed, or who dropped out of college, or who did not make it to college,” he said.  Zachariah Bryan can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

AUGUST 9 – AUGUST 15, 2014

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Photo by Daria Kroupoderova/NWAW

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Getting a dance lesson from Michael Cahn and Asia Qing Wen.

{VALENTINE cont’d from page 1} the organizers the number on the name tag of the person they liked and could get contact information.

One by one, people were allowed to stand up and say a little about themselves. There were approximately 100 people present, so not everyone received a turn. Very few people spoke in English when describing themselves, most spoke in Chinese. The hosts would ask questions, such as “What type of partner are you looking for?” or “What do you do for fun?”

Several attendees left once they realized that they would have to stand up in front of everyone and talk.

“I think it’s a little nerve-wracking...I thought it would be an event to just talk to people individually,” Zimei Wei said. Wei was one of the people to leave early. She said she felt it would be difficult to get to know someone by just talking for a few minutes in front of a crowd.

Most, however, did stay for the rest of the event. After introductions, refreshments were provided and people had a chance to talk to one another before the speaker

presentation. Executive director of the Tai Initiative, Carson Tavenner, spoke about networking and meeting people.

A dance lesson and demo were provided

by Asia Qing Wen and Michael Cahn, instructors from Suenos de Salsa.

The workshop’s last event was a dance to Asian pop music, where participants could use their new dance skills and socialize with other attendees. Xue said she thinks the program had a great turnout and that next time, “We will add small group activities to let them interact with each other more, maybe try the speed dating format to give them more one-on-one time.”

Overall, attendees seemed to enjoy the opportunity to meet new people.“It’s the first time attending something like this... it’s a nice way to get people out and get to know each other,” Jason Wong said.

Xue said she plans holding another event like this for seniors only in early December and for young people around next Valentine’s Day.  Daria Kroupoderova can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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AUGUST 9 – AUGUST 15, 2014