PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 746 Seattle, WA
VOL 35 NO 41
OCTOBER 8 – OCTOBER 14, 2016
FREE
34 YEARS YOUR VOICE
Former Philadelphia Asian Art Museum utility executive becomes expansion plans new SPU director
Seattle Art Museum
Photo credit: City of Seattle
By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
From left: Mayor Ed Murray, Mami Hara, and Councilmember Lisa Herbold.
By James Tabafunda Northwest Asian Weekly After Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) Director Ray Hoffman announced his decision last June to step down from his seven-and-a-half-year tenure, Mayor Ed Murray thanked him for his 26-year public utilities career in the city.
About a month later, Murray announced his selection of Philadelphia’s utility executive and planner as Hoffman’s successor. Mami Hara, 53, took the oath to lead SPU at her Sept. 27 swearing-in ceremony at Seattle City Hall. She “brings an incredible personal story to Seattle.
National spotlight on Elaine Quijano
see HARA on 12
Gentlemen, please!
Feds accuse Silicon Valley firm of bias against Asians
By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY People can’t stop talking about the news anchor who moderated the vice presidential debate on Oct. 4. Elaine Quijano, 42, is the first Filipino and Asian American to moderate a national debate in a general election campaign, and the youngest since Judy Woodruff in 1988. Quijano is a correspondent for CBS News and the anchor for CBSN, CBS News’ relatively new streaming service. Twitter users mostly praised her during the debate, for being poised, asking great questions, and for the most part, keeping the debate on track. One Twitter user said Quijano was “100 times better than the last moderator,” referring to NBC anchor Lester Holt moderating the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. In that debate, observers pointed out that Trump was “manterrupting” Clinton. On Oct. 4, free of the
■
The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) presented initial design renderings on Sept. 29 for the upcoming renovation and expansion of the Asian Art Museum, set to begin fall 2017. This would be the first substantial renovation to the historic building since 1933. It will bring the museum up to 21st-century standards and preserve the museum’s historic Art Deco façade through climate control, fire safety, and seismic system upgrades. “The museum’s exhibitions and programming connects to the many cultural traditions and contemporary issues of Asia, helping us better understand our region and our rapidly evolving world. Our goal is to ensure that we can continue to serve our community and visitors for years to come,” said Kimerly Rorschach, SAM’s Illsley Ball Nordstrom director
and CEO. The museum’s landmark building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in July 2016, joining Volunteer Park, which was previously listed in 1976. A modest expansion will improve the museum’s connection to Volunteer Park, adding a new gallery and a meeting/event space, while enhancing the beauty of the park beyond. The Asian Art Museum is the original home of SAM. In recent years, the museum has seen its largest attendance numbers since becoming the Asian Art Museum in 1994. A significant cultural resource, the museum houses one of the most important Asian art collections outside of Asia and offers a wide range of installations featuring the permanent collection, as well as special exhibitions and programming, including popular public programs presented by the Gardner Center see SAM on 6
“Mail Order Family” BACKLASH Uproar over Asian stereotypes ended a TV comedy before it started. » see 5
Visionary Award honoree Andy Liu on entrepreneurial qualities he looks for, in future investments. » see 7
Carbon-free fight male-female dynamic, Gov. Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Kaine held no punches and interrupted each other at every exchange. The over-talking exasperated Quijano. “Gentlemen, the people at home cannot understand you when you speak over each other!” she asserted firmly, yet respectfully. Quijano’s attempts to assert con-
trol were not always successful, drawing criticism from some media colleagues. Others in the media praised Quijano for trying, under difficult circumstances, to keep the conversation moving and sticking to her script. Yet others said Quijano crammed see QUIJANO on 11
By Brandon Bailey AP Technology Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit accusing a fastgrowing Silicon Valley software company of systematically see SILICON VALLEY on 14
Should you vote yes or no on I-732? Both sides state their case.» see 11
Community » 3, 15 Calendar » 6 Sudoku » 6 Astrology » 13
412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104 • t. 206.223.5559 • f. 206.223.0626 • info@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com