VOL 41 NO 27 | JULY 2 – JULY 8, 2022

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

VOL 41 NO 27 JULY 2 – JULY 8, 2022

FREE 40 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Asian Americans sound of f on overturning of Roe v. Wade

By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Several Asian American leaders and civil rights groups are criticizing last week’s historic Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade as “devastating” and “backwards.”

The 6-3 vote essentially reverses a five-decade-old historic court precedent that granted women the constitutional right to obtain an abortion.

Seattle University law professor Sital Kalantry—an expert in human rights and feminist legal theory and Indian American—said, “With the roots of Roe v. Wade pulled from the ground, rights that depend on the right to privacy protections are called into question.

In Justice Thomas’ concurring opinion, he notes that in future cases, they should reconsider a woman’s rights to contraception, gay people’s right to intimate acts, and non-heterosexual people’s right to marriage.”

The Japanese American Citizens League decried what it called a “heinous decision.”

“This ruling marks a dark turn in A pregnant protester is pictured with a message on her shirt in support of abortion rights during a march on June 24 in Seattle.

see ROE V. WADE on 16

AP Photo/Stephen Brashear

Photo by Assunta Ng

CID walking tour underscores impact of ST project

The group visited Union Station, entry for 4th Ave. option.

By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY After a walking tour on June 22 to see firsthand how a Sound Transit (ST) project will impact the Chinatown-International District (CID), and businesses and residents, King County

■

Councilmember and ST System Expansion Committee member Joe McDermott said, “More study and most importantly, conversation with community—not presentations to, but genuine dialogue with—is imperative.” see SOUND TRANSIT on 15

By Samantha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY As U.S. ambassador to Cambodia, W. Patrick Murphy is charged with representing the United States in Cambodia.

Part of this job includes strengthening the relationship between the two countries—and the roughly 330,000 people of Cambodian descent living in the United States play a significant role in this relationship. So when the Seattle-Sihanoukville Sister City Association (Sea-Sih) invited him to visit Seattle and meet with the local Cambodian American community, Murphy accepted, telling Northwest Asian Weekly that it was a “great opportunity.”

But with a job that requires him to spend most of his time overseas, it wasn’t until June 27 that this opportunity came to fruition. Murphy’s one-day visit to Seattle was part of his first international trip in about a year.

It came at the tail end of his visit to the United States, having spent a few days in the other Washington prior to coming to the Emerald City, and then returning to Cambodia.

Murphy’s time in Seattle included see MURPHY on 11

U.S. ambassador meets with local Cambodian American community

U.S. ambassador to Cambodia, W. Patrick Murphy

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

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JULY 2 – JULY 8, 2022

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS

Catherine Clark honored with ‘40 Under 40’ award Catherine Clark, a senior project manager at the international architecture and design firm MG2, was honored with the Retail TouchPoints 40 Under 40 Award at a reception during the 2022 Retail Innovation Conference in Chicago in May. “It’s an incredible honor to be selected as a winner,” Clark said. “I have always strived for excellence in every aspect of design, especially when it comes to the work that happens in the background. To know that it is appreciated and recognized by Retail TouchPoints is gratifying.”

Clark has over 15 years of experience leading projects for top retail clients. She has coordinated and managed over 50 projects, spanning small shops to flagship stores.  Catherine Clark

Mimi Jung was keynote speaker at BC Commencement Mimi Jung, Emmy award-winning morning anchor at KING 5, addressed graduates as the keynote speaker for Bellevue College (BC)’s commencement ceremonies at T-Mobile Park on June 24.

Jung was born and raised in Puyallup and attended Syracuse University, where she graduated with a broadcast journalism degree.

She shared at the in-person ceremony that “this little girl from Puyallup never imagined she’d be standing in a stadium in front of thousands, giving advice to college Mimi Jung graduates.”

BC interim president Gary Locke said Jung is “renowned for her exceptional journalism and ability to convey insightful and powerful news stories.” 

Volunteers clean up CID Phyllis Campbell, chairman of the Pacific Northwest for JPMorgan Chase recently participated in a volunteer event in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (CID). On June 7, Campbell, along with more than 85 employees, joined together to help clean up neighborhoods in need. The firm partnered with two local nonprofits, Alliance for Pioneer Square and Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area, to organize clean-up projects in two of the city’s neighborhoods.

Volunteers picked up litter, cleaned up graffiti off signs and buildings, and performed other neighborhood beatification jobs. 

Volunteers help to clean up the CID.

JULY 2 – JULY 8, 2022

YOUR VOICE

■ FINANCE

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Why you need to get digitally organized

By Ken Takahashi JPMORGAN CHASE

Ken Takahashi

When you think about your financial clutter, the first thing that comes to mind is probably a pile of receipts and bills sitting in a drawer somewhere in your home.

But what about your digital clutter?

Have you ever forgotten a password because you have too many accounts? Or do you ever find yourself toggling between multiple websites and apps as you try to pay your mortgage or credit card bill? If so, then your finances may not be as digitally organized

as they could be.

Digital clutter can slow down your productivity and hinder your ability to effectively manage your money. It could even be causing you to miss out on opportunities to reach your financial goals.

A study by the University of Utah found that people with multiple bank accounts spend 10% more money than those with just one account.

Here are a few more reasons why you should get your digital clutter under control:

bank to see what discounts they’re willing to offer!

The solution

Your finances will be more secure When you consolidate your accounts with one bank, you have only one username and password to remember. Not only is that a major score for your sanity, but it also means that your financial data will be better protected. After all, when your finances are all in one place, they’re easier to monitor.

A better understanding of your total financial picture It’s difficult to solve a problem when you’re not quite sure what the problem is in the first place.

That especially applies to your finances. When you have multiple accounts scattered across various bank accounts, it can be difficult to understand how they’re working—or not working— together.

When your checking, savings, loans, and investment accounts are all in one dashboard, you can see exactly where your money is. Having your checking and savings accounts together with your mortgage or credit cards allows you to quickly view your immediate financial situation.

You could save money In addition to giving you a better understanding of your overall financial picture and improving your security, consolidating your finances could even save you money. Many banks offer discounts when you bring all of your various accounts together.

Some banks offer discounted loan rates for existing checking and savings customers. What’s more, if you set up automatic payments from your existing checking account, many banks will offer a further discount. Talk to your

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

CISC to launch Summer Learning Program SEATTLE — Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC) is launching a Summer Learning Program to provide culturally-relevant education and engaging activities this summer for 20 preschool and more than 60 elementary school students who reside in the City of Seattle.

The curriculum will include English literacy, math, culture and world, and physical activity and incorporate STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) using interactive group activities to nurture curiosity and inquiry. In addition, students will have the opportunity to attend planned field trips to the Museum of Flight, Kelsey Creek Farm, Seahurst Park Beach (hosted by the Seattle Aquarium), and much more.

“We’re excited to enable more than 80 youth to continue

their education this summer through interactive and handson learning,” said Michael Itti, executive director of CISC. “The pandemic has impacted their education and launching this summer learning program reflects our commitment to the next generation and responding to community needs.”

“Since we launched our After School Program in 1996 and Bilingual Preschool in 2006, CISC has served thousands of youth over the decades,” said Hueiling Chan, program director at CISC. “We are delighted when youth come back years later and tell us about CISC’s positive impact in their lives.”

The eight week program will include an online tutoring option to enable additional students to participate since the in-person program is limited by classroom space.

For more information, visit cisc-seattle.org. 

Cleaning up your digital finances can be easy. Start by reviewing the services your bank offers in order to make sure that it can see to all your needs. Does it offer a full range of financial services, from checking and savings to home and car loans?

Does it have a robust app that allows you to view and manage all of your financial accounts?

When you’ve found the bank you need, look into moving your accounts there. If you have a mortgage there, think about opening a checking account and setting up direct deposit for your paycheck.

In addition to saving you time with your accounts, streamlining your digital accounts will give you a better awareness of how much money you have, how much you owe, and where you stand overall. That way, you’ll be better equipped to set goals, track your spending, and lay out a financial roadmap for your future.  Sponsored content provided by JPMorgan Chase.

Man shot, killed in CID Detectives are investigating after a man was shot and killed in an encampment in the ChinatownInternational District (CID) last week.

At 12:04 a.m. on June 24, police responded to 12th Avenue South and South Lane Street for reports that a man had been shot. Officers arrived and found a 31-year-old man with a fatal gunshot wound. Seattle Fire Department Medics responded and pronounced him dead.

Officers secured the area and began searching for witnesses.

Anyone with information about this incident should call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-2335000. 

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO PROPOSERS Proposals will be received for KC000382, ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR THE SAMMAMISH PLATEAU DIVERSION PROJECT; by King County Procurement and Payables Section until 12:00 PM on August 10, 2022.

This contract includes development and submittal of an Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) Innovation Plan. The ESJ Innovation Plan details the approach, strategies, and actionable steps that will be taken to maximize the participation of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women

Business Enterprise (WBE) firms. Both MBE and WBE firms must be certified by the State of Washington Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises.

Total Estimated Price for Phase 1: $4,000,000 Total Estimated Price for all Phases: $8,000,000 Prospective proposers can view more details at: https://kingcounty.gov/ procurement/solicitations Contact: Samol Hefley, shefley@kingcounty.gov, 206-477-6195

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40 YEARS

■ NATIONAL NEWS

Chang-Diaz ends campaign for Massachusetts governor

By STEVE LeBLANC ASSOCIATED PRESS BOSTON (AP) — State Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz said on June 23 that she is ending her campaign for governor of Massachusetts, leaving state Attorney General Maura Healey as the only viable Democrat still in the running.

Chang-Diaz, in her announcement that came State Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz one year to the day after she declared that she was entering the race, said she would instead turn her focus to making sure “down-ballot candidates who share her values and approach to put courage over politics” get elected.

“I am going to be spending my time campaigning and marshaling my supporters and the movement we’ve built for these Courage Democrats down ballot, candidates who walk the walk when it comes to our values,” she said in the statement. “I have no doubt that they will fight to put

courage over politics in our state, and I am going to be using my energy to help put them into office.”

Chang-Diaz’s name will remain on the Sept. 6 primary ballot.

Two Republicans are vying for their party’s backing in the September primary: former state Rep. Geoff Diehl, who has the support of former President Donald Trump, and Wrentham business owner Chris Doughty, who has never before held public office. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker is not seeking a third term.

Healey said she hopes to continue working with ChangDiaz.

“I’m deeply grateful to Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz for her many years of service to Massachusetts and her inspired leadership during this campaign,” Healey said in a written statement. “The legacy of her campaign will live on through the young girls who finally saw themselves represented in a candidate for the highest office in the state.”

The Republicans left in the race said the decision of Chang-Diaz will help sharpen the differences between their candidacies and Healey’s.

“Her departure from the race makes this now a clear

contest between my vision to make Massachusetts a better place to live and work, and the policies of Maura Healey which would drive more families and businesses to leave our state in search of better opportunities elsewhere,” Diehl said in a statement.

Doughty, who is challenging Diehl for the GOP nomination, said it’s clear Healey “muscled Sonia out of the race so that Democrat voters don’t have a choice.”

“We believe that voters should have choices in elections, not coronations,” Doughty said in a statement. “With (Chang-Diaz) out of the race, it becomes even more critical for Republicans to choose the candidate who has the best chance of defeating Maura Healey.”

Chang-Diaz is the daughter of a social worker and the country’s first Latino astronaut, Franklin Chang-Diaz. She was elected as the state’s first Latina state senator in 2008.

Had she been elected, she would have been the first Latina and first Asian American to hold the governor’s office.

She would also have become the first woman elected governor in Massachusetts, a title that would now go to Healey, if she wins.

If elected, Healey would also be the first openly gay candidate to serve in the state’s top political office. 

■ WORLD NEWS Female referee at men’s World Cup wants the game to shine TOKYO (AP) — Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita agrees with Pele or whoever it was decades ago that first described soccer as the “beautiful game.”

Yamashita is one of three women picked

by FIFA to be referees at the men’s World Cup in Qatar, which opens on Nov. 21. It’s the first time a woman will be in charge on soccer’s largest stage.

She sees her job this way: Let the game shine, as it should.

“One of the big goals as a referee is to bring out the attractiveness of soccer,” she said in Tokyo in a recent interview with the Associated Press. “I do my best for that, and I will do what I should at that time toward that end. So if I need to communicate with the players, I will do that. If I need to show a card, I will show a card. Rather than control, I’m thinking about what to do toward the big goal of bringing out the appeal of soccer.”

Stephanie Frappart of France and Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda are the other women who were selected. There are 36 referees in total. FIFA has also named three female assistant referees in a pool of 69: Neuza Back of Brazil, Karen Diaz Medina of Mexico, and Kathryn Nesbitt of the United States.

Though it’s likely all three will be in charge of games, it’s not a given. They would also be used as so-called “fourth referees” on the sidelines. However, they cannot be used as assistants.

“Each match official will be carefully monitored in the next months with a final

AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko

By STEPHEN WADE AP SPORTS WRITER

Yoshimi Yamashita of Japan, one of three women picked to be head referees at the men’s soccer World Cup, warms up during a training session near Tokyo.

assessment on technical, physical and medical aspects to be made shortly before the World Cup,” Massimo Busacca, FIFA’s director of refereeing, said in a statement.

Yamashita’s selection puts the focus on Japan’s low ranking on most measures of equal pay for women, and in global studies of gender equality.

Only 14.3% of the seats in Japan’s national legislature are held by women— 152nd of 190 countries in a study published several months ago by the U.S. Congressional Research Service. Another study on the gender pay gap placed Japan 120th of 156 countries.

“I would be very happy if women could play an active role in sports in this way, and if sports and especially soccer could lead this,” Yamashita said. “In Japan,

there is still a long way to go in the world of

soccer (regarding participation of women), so it would be great if this could connect to promotion of female participation in different ways, not only in soccer or in sports.”

Women’s soccer has led the way in Japan.

Japanese women won the 2011 women’s World Cup, were runners-up in 2015, and have been consistently among the game’s elite teams.

Yamashita went through a workout last month just outside Tokyo, sweltering in temperatures that reached 35 C (95 F).

She laughed when she was reminded that games in Qatar—located on a tip of the Arabian Peninsula—will be much cooler, being played in the Northern Hemisphere winter and in air-conditioned stadiums.

Yamashita seemed relaxed during the interview, removed from the obvious pressure. She has been a referee in see WORLD CUP on 12

JULY 2 – JULY 8, 2022

YOUR VOICE

■ WORLD NEWS

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‘It’s terrible:’ Philadelphia mayor sorry for slain Filipino

By JIM GOMEZ ASSOCIATED PRESS

John Albert Laylo

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The mayor of Philadelphia expressed shock and sorrow over the killing of a Filipino lawyer who was shot in the city and is offering a $20,000 reward for information that will lead to the arrest of the shooter, a senior Philippine diplomat said.

John Albert Laylo and his mother were heading to the airport to board a flight on June 18 when someone in a nearby car fired several rounds into their Uber at a red light near the University of Pennsylvania, police said. Laylo was hit in the

back of the head and died the following day in a hospital.

“I am sorry. It’s terrible,” Philippine Consul General Elmer Cato quoted Mayor Jim Kenney as telling him in a meeting at Philadelphia City Hall in an apology for Laylo’s family and the Philippines. The mayor told him a $20,000 reward was being offered for any information that will lead to the arrest of the gunman, he said.

The victim’s mother, Leah Laylo, “told me to convey to the mayor her anguish, her anger and her demand for justice” and Kenney gave his assurance “that everything will be done to bring whoever is responsible for the death of her son to

justice,” Cato told The Associated Press.

“I also conveyed the great importance the Philippine government places on this case and the hope that authorities would do everything they can to solve the case,” he said.

Laylo, 35, had last worked for a private company in Manila, Cato said. He had also served as a legislative staffer for opposition Sen. Leila de Lima from 2016 to 2018 then left to take up graduate studies. De Lima earlier expressed hope a suspect would immediately be held to account “for the brutal and senseless act.” see LAYLO on 14

Bhutan Buddhist leader Censors delete ordains 144 women, discussion of Beijing’s resuming tradition future COVID control

By HALEY BARKER RELIGION NEWS SERVICE (RNS) — On June 21, the Je Khenpo, the senior Buddhist authority in Bhutan, began ordaining a group of 144 women as bhikshunis, or female monks, at the Ramthangkha monastery in the tiny Himalayan country.

The ceremony “is of historical importance for all women in Buddhism and brings Tibetan Buddhism into the 21st century,” said Bhikshuni Jampa Tsedroen, a German Tibetan author. “For these nuns, it is a major opportunity to demonstrate their abilities to contribute to Buddhism.”

Many of the new bhikshunis are Bhutanese, but some came to Bhutan from other countries in Asia. They are all being ordained in the Tibetan lineage.

A Facebook post on the central monastic

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body of Bhutan page posted the news, which was confirmed by Damcho Diana Finnegan, an ordained Buddhist nun and co-founder of the Dharmadatta Nun’s Community in Virginia.

Asked about the ceremony, Finnegan called it a “major step towards ending the institutionalized inequality between men and women in Tibetan Buddhism.”

The ceremony is the culmination of a decades-long movement for full ordination for women in the Tibetan lineage, which has faced heavy resistance from top-level monks, scholars and political leaders across Asia. The bhikshuni movement has picked up steam in recent years as women worldwide have sought to restore a practice of ordaining women established, they say, by the Buddha himself, but ORDAINED from 13

By HUIZHONG WU ASSOCIATED PRESS TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Digital censors quickly deleted a hashtag “the next five years” on June 27 as online discussion swirled in response to reported remarks of Beijing’s Communist Party secretary saying that the capital city will normalize pandemic prevention controls over the course of the next five years.

Beijing’s Communist Party chief, Cai Qi, made the remarks as part of a report on the Party’s management of the city.

The citywide party congress is held once every five years, ahead of the national level party congress, which is slated for this fall. At the congresses, members generally review the work of the past five years while also announcing goals for the next five years.

“In the next five years, Beijing will resolutely, unremittingly, do a good job in normalizing pandemic prevention controls,” according to a cached version of the remarks in Beijing Daily, the main Communist Party mouthpiece in the capital city.

The city “will implement high quality regular PCR tests, and screening at key points, strictly inspect entries in residential communities, work units and public institutions,” it said.

The current version of the Beijing Daily no longer has the phrase “in the next five years.” On Weibo, the hashtag “the next five years” was deleted. A search for it on the social media platform turns up a notice saying the topic could not be displayed “according to relevant laws, regulations see COVID CONTROL on 14

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40 YEARS

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR THRU JULY 10 EMBODIED CHANGE: SOUTH ASIAN ART ACROSS TIME Seattle Asian Art Museum, South Gallery Fri-Sun, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. seattleartmuseum.org THRU FEB 19, 2023 EXHIBIT, “WE ARE CHANGING THE TIDE: COMMUNITY POWER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE” The Wing Luke Museum, 719 S. King St., Seattle Thu-Sun, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. wingluke.org/we-are-changingthe-tide

JUN 30

VIRTUAL EVENT: THE FUTURE OF JAPAN-U.S. RELATIONS, THE QUAD, AND INDO-PACIFIC COOPERATION WITH AMBASSADOR OF JAPAN TO THE U.S. KOJI TOMITA 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Register at https://bit.ly/3NRmY9r MUSIC FROM THE STUDIO GHIBLI FILMS OF HAYAO MIYAZAKI Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle 7:30-10 p.m. seattlesymphony.org

JUL 2 DANCE YOURSELF CLEAN SEATTLE, AN INDIE DANCE PARTY Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., Seattle 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

7 CLUB MEETING WITH JENNIFER ADAMS VEHICLE RESIDENT OUTREACH 11:30 a.m.– 1 p.m.

For Zoom link, contact rotaryofseattleid@gmail.com

Register at thirdplacebooks. com

Northwest Film Forum July 13 & 14, 7:30-9 p.m.

Tickets at brownpapertickets.com/ event/5453104

8-10 THE LATEST INTIMATE PORTRAIT FROM HONG SANG-SOO, “IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE” Northwest Film Forum July 8, 8-9:30 p.m.

July 9 & 10, 5-6:30 p.m.

Tickets at brownpapertickets. com/event/5453104

9 OUTDOOR PARTY IN CANTON ALLEY Canton Alley South, Seattle 1-6 p.m.

Register at https://bit.ly/3mpIW7h

16 & 17

9 & 28

TANABATA STAR FESTIVAL Seattle Japanese Garden, 1075 Lake Washington Blvd.

E., Seattle July 7 & 8, 3-6:30 p.m.

July 9, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

SEATTLE ASIAN AMERICAN NATIVE HAWAIIAN/ PACIFIC ISLANDER WOMEN ARTISTS UNITED IS A VISUAL CAMPAIGN TO FIGHT THE TIDE OF ANTIASIAN VIOLENCE AND XENOPHOBIA Posters will be free to public

IN-PERSON EVENT WITH BETSY AOKI, IN CONVERSATION WITH COOKIE HIPONIA, “BREAKPOINT” Third Place Books 7 p.m.

13 & 14 THE LATEST INTIMATE PORTRAIT FROM HONG SANG-SOO, “IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE”

CID FOOD WALK Seattle’s C-ID 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Sign up for a booth https://bit.ly/3O1tE4g WABA KOREA EXPO Pier 62, 1951 Alaskan Way, Seattle 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

206-251-5659 sinaemorningstarkcc.org

7-9

8

16

THE LATEST INTIMATE PORTRAIT FROM HONG SANG-SOO, “IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE” Northwest Film Forum July 16, 4:30-6 p.m.; July 17, 3:30-5 p.m.

Tickets at brownpapertickets.com/ event/5453104

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28 MICHAEL POLLAN WITH JANE C. HU, “THIS IS YOUR MIND ON PLANTS” Town Hall, 720 Seneca St., Seattle 7:30 p.m.

AUG 20

CID FOOD WALK Seattle’s C-ID 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Sign up for a booth: https://bit. ly/3O1tE4g

SEP 10

C-ID NIGHT MARKET FESTIVAL Seattle’s C-ID 1-9 p.m.

Sign up to be a vendor, https://bit.ly/3zi6qmu

CLUB MEETING WITH DR. JULIE PHAM, CEO OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FIRM 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

For Zoom link, contact rotaryofseattleid@gmail.com

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The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject any advertisement, letter or article.

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JULY 2 – JULY 8, 2022

YOUR VOICE

■ ON THE SHELF

Wilson and Takita adapt world’s first novel, ‘Genji,’ into manga

By Samantha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

the next few chapters so they would be ready for her once she completed the previous batch. There would be some more back and forth between the writer and illustrator before things were finalized.

Wilson likened the relationship between the writer and illustrator on a graphic novel to the one among a see GENJI on 14

Sean Michael Wilson

William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Charlotte and Emily Brontë— writers many people are likely to recognize. Their classic works have been taught in classrooms around the country for generations.

But there’s one classic—while ubiquitous in Japanese schools— that’s not as widely taught in the United States, yet it predates them all. Written in the early 11th Century (that’s more than 500 years before Shakespeare was even born) by Murasaki Shikibu, a noblewoman in the Japanese imperial court, “The Tale of Genji” is widely considered to be the world’s first novel. From film and theater performances, to anime and opera, the story—which chronicles the life of Hikaru Genji, the son of an ancient Japanese emperor, and describes aristocratic life of the time— has been adapted in various forms.

In its latest adaptation, this classic Japanese story is being told through a popular Japanese medium: manga. While “Lady Murasaki’s Tale of Genji” is not the first time the novel has been adapted into manga, this version, adapted by Sean Michael Wilson and illustrated by Inko Ai Takita, is the first time the story has been originally adapted in English.

The book was released June 4.

A DEMOCRATIC COLLABORATION OF EQUALS Adapting the novel took about a year. Wilson would write the script for a few chapters, send them to an editor, and once he made the changes needed, he would send the chapters to Takita to illustrate. A script, Wilson explained, is a breakdown of the story, with detailed descriptions of how each panel should look—for example, whether it should be a wide shot of a scene or close up of a character. While he waited for Takita’s illustrations, Wilson would write

Inko Ai Takita

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JULY 2 – JULY 8, 2022

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Ground-breaking comedian

Margaret

Cho coming to the PNW

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY She’s brassy. She’s bold. She’s Asian American. Her home is a sanctuary for rescued animals and neighborhood birds (28 bird feeders so far). Her stage is a sanctuary for marginalized groups. She fills many creative, activist roles in support of women, Asians, and gays. She’s Margaret Cho, and she’s bringing her newest live comedy tour to Spokane and Tacoma in July.

When Cho first came on the scene in the 1990s (she was only 14 when she opened for Jerry Seinfeld), she was a combination that didn’t exist in comedy: Asian (Korean American), female, and queer.

“I had lots of things to say, and it was exciting because it was such a different perspective,” Cho said. Her uniqueness gained bookings yet caused consternation in those unused to a variety of gender identities.

Cho identified at that time as bi, which she never tried to conceal, but felt she had to do so much explaining that she settled on “queer,” being that “it’s the only word we have.” Cho believes “gender is very infinite” and today embraces an identity of asexual. “That’s something that’s really underrepresented but still part of the queer landscape…Asexual is a real sexuality…that I’ve just discovered coming out of—I don’t know if it’s the closet—coming out of the refrigerator?”

For every person who was confused or uncomfortable with Cho’s sexuality or her racy language (she openly discusses—and sometime mimics—sex, the body, and race), there were another 10 who had finally found a sanctuary in live comedy. Cho brought in a different crowd, people who felt threatened then by alpha male comedians—and still do feel that way: Asians, women, and gays.

“There were a lot of people coming to my shows who never felt they could participate in comedy because normally we had been the butt of the jokes. Especially in the 80s with ‘Asian driver’ jokes…it was super weird to go to a club and feel like you’re not going to be assaulted verbally…That gave me a lot of space to grow as an artist.”

The Weekly talked to Cho about the trend in comedy today of these same types of comedians who feel threatened by what they lump under cancel culture but what is really society’s efforts to “level the playing field,” as Cho described. “It’s really what society has permitted for so long from a white supremist, male-centered hetero-normative point of view— that hetero is normative—[which] has been so permissive in violence in language, violence in everyday speech, the way that we allow language to be sexist, racist, homophobic, ableist, transphobic.” Cho allows that the point of humor is to shock, or offend, yet “comedians…are tasked to now be more skillful in the way they address things.” Cho herself has dealt with sexism and racism from her audience, other comedians, and the acting industry in which she struggled for some time to gain a foothold.

“It’s not a flat blanket statement of what can we talk about, what can we not talk about. It has more to do with how can we…amend where society has done wrong to so many different marginalized groups of people?” Her advice? “Just do better jokes!” And try to understand where other people are coming from. People who were always there but did not have a voice.

“It’s not like they never had these [grievances]; they just never had a place to air them.”

Cho has been busy with different projects from TV to movies, such as the just-released “Fire Island.” Her comedy tour has been off and on due to COVID-19, but she still loves stand-up. It’s a part of her social life, and an “integral part” of her being. She has taken advantage of some downtime see CHO on 16

Margaret Cho Photo by Gor Magaera

JULY 2 – JULY 8, 2022

YOUR VOICE

■ SPORTS

Tan

defeats

asianweekly northwest

9

Williams

at Wimbledon in 1st match in a year

By HOWARD FENDRICH

see TAN on 12

AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Serena Williams began—and ended—her comeback at Wimbledon on June 28, after 364 days out of singles competition looking very much like someone who hadn’t competed in just that long. She missed shots, shook her head, rolled her eyes.

In between, there were moments where Williams played very much like someone whose strokes and will have carried her to 23 Grand Slam titles. She hit blistering serves and strokes, celebrated with arms aloft.

Returning to the site of her last singles match, which she had to stop after less than a set because of an injury on June 29, 2021, and seven of her major championships, the 40-year-old Williams came within two points of victory. But she could not finish the job against an opponent making her Wimbledon debut and bowed out with a 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) loss to 115th-ranked Harmony Tan, a Paris, France native with Cambodian and Vietnamese parents.

According to Tennis Majors, Tan trained privately at the Bollettieri Academy in Florida or at the home of Melanie France’s Harmony Tan celebrates after beating Serena Williams of the US in a first round women’s singles match on day two of the Wimbledon tennis championships on June 28.

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asianweekly northwest

40 YEARS

JULY 2 – JULY 8, 2022

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

Find your own reasons

to celebrate July 4 “being a free people living in a free country is a significant call for celebration”

Graphic by Han Bui

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY The Fourth of July is coming up as chaos and turmoil are ripping this country apart after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions to overturn Roe vs.

Wade and ban abortions, rule in favor of an individual’s right to carry a handgun for self-defense, and most recently, side with a Washington state high school football coach’s constitutional right to pray on the field with his players for liberty in religion.

Although many were surprised by the Court’s decision, I am not, knowing that conservative judges, appointed by former President Donald Trump and voted in

by Republicans, are now dominating the court. All these judges want to extend their footprint in every fabric of American life. They don’t care about the impact of their actions on society. Nor do they care how the new laws would hurt the common people, including women being usurped of their abortion rights.

July 4 brings us two questions.

The purpose of the national holiday is to celebrate the birth of American independence as one nation, free from British tyranny. Unity is not in the Republican Party’s agenda. Should we celebrate at this time of division and polarization? Can we do something about the Court’s tyranny? I am afraid there is very little we can do now if Republicans would win the election and be the majority in Congress this November.

However, don’t count on Democrats either. They don’t have their act together.

Moderate and socialist Democrats have not worked out their ideological differences. For the progressive Democrats, the call for “defunding the police” seems to hurt their party more than helping.

Democracy is messy. We spend a lot of time talking and fighting. It’s one of the worst forms of government, but would I want to live in an undemocratic country?

No. No. No. Although we can’t celebrate “unity” at this point, there are numerous reasons to celebrate. Freedom is one of the important motives for fighting the war against Britain. For us Americans, being

a free people living in a free country is a significant call for celebration.

Where I came from, there is no such thing as free speech. You can’t criticize the government. Any unfavorable criticism you have about the government, you would be a dead horse, period.

Imagine those who live in autocratic countries—they have to be a “yes” person in everything the government has done. How many times do people zip their lips or lie in order to survive? How many times do people pretend they are blind just to stay out of jail or avoid being killed?

Not only do I enjoy free speech, I practice the First Amendment by making a living in the media business, as long as we comply with libel laws. A free press means our government answers to the people. We don’t need to have second thoughts before criticizing the federal, state, county, and city government. Any time someone complains to us about the government, our pen is ready to denounce. That doesn’t mean we only criticize, we give credit where credit is due. We rave about great deeds, courage of individuals, and justices done in the society to inspire others to do the right thing. We want to lift others up with the stories we tell. We like to motivate others to collaborate to solve problems for the common good. We encourage others to imagine and share wonderful ideas for the betterment of mankind.

When I first launched my newspapers, I thought of free speech as a gift. Scared about my venture, my stepfather asked, “Don’t you have to ask government permission to start a newspaper?” He was concerned that I had crossed a line.

Ask permission from whom? I didn‘t need the power to give me the powerless permission.

“No, dad,” I told him.”All I need is a business license.” It only cost about $20 and took less than 10 minutes to apply from the City of Seattle. And no questions asked during the application process. I wasn’t even a U.S. citizen then. That’s how democracy works. In another country, I would be intimidated, my motives challenged, and I could have possibly been arrested just because of my

attempt to start a newspaper.

After four decades of being in the publishing business, I believe it is not a gift, it is a right to publish the printed word. Free speech is guaranteed in the First Amendment and the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

The difference between a gift and a right is colossal. A gift is not fixed or expected.

It is at the mercy of the giver. A right is entitlement. You have it, you own it— it’s yours without needing the consent of anyone. How empowering it is for me to say without fear of condemnation that it’s “our right” to write the truth. We can educate our government to listen see BLOG on 12

JULY 2 – JULY 8, 2022

YOUR VOICE

■ LETTER

asianweekly northwest

11

Is Seattle up to it?

By Patty Fong Thanks to recent letters from Ms. Bettie Luke and Mr. Lawrence Matsuda about Sound Transit’s plan for the ChinatownInternational District (CID), we now have a thorough idea of the history of racist land grabs and social marginalization onslaughts on the CID and also have a good list of suitable dis-impacting alternatives that would save the CID. I’m calling on Mayor Bruce Harrell and the Seattle City Council to support this historic, supposedly protected immigrant community—the only one of its kind—in Seattle.

The CID is currently being mercilessly and tragically squeezed to death by a thousand cuts by Sound Transit, King County Metro, and the City of Seattle.

However, I am also calling out business owners and community organizations that should be doing more to address the present and growing problems of violent crime, graffiti, trash, drug use, and tent

encampments.

We know how Sound Transit is putting the squeeze on an already marginalized neighborhood.

Have you tried to catch a bus recently along South Jackson Street? At bus stop #3600 (now abruptly closed by King County Metro), drug addicts and other vagrants were monopolizing this shelter.

No one else can use it. I filed a complaint online and it has been subsequently closed.

Metro closed the bus stop on the controversial corner of 12th & Jackson and moved it across the street to the west.

It is continuously full of trash lately and now addicts are squatting there, using and selling presumably stolen goods to fund their habits.

Most of the drug use I’ve witnessed is in the Little Saigon area. I see drug activity underneath the second floor level of Joyale Seafood Restaurant. I’ve seen suspicious loitering in the massive garage of this building. The now closed New Saigon Deli shop has been taken over by users out in

MURPHY from 1 meeting with members of the local Cambodian American community and representatives from the Port of Seattle, visiting the University of Washington’s Southeast Asia Center, and meeting members of the school’s Khmer Student Association. Murphy concluded his visit with a dinner reception at China Harbor in Seattle—organized by Sea-Sih and Cambodian American Community Council of Washington (CACCWA).

“We are lucky, very, very lucky,” Bill Oung, CACCWA co-founder and interim board chair, said about Murphy’s experience and his willingness to meet with the community. “[Seattle is] a community that is important to him, to the [U.S. Embassy in Cambodia].”

Murphy was appointed to the ambassadorship in August 2019. Prior to this position, his work in the U.S. Foreign Service began in 1992. He has completed diplomatic assignments in Burma (Myanmar), China, Iraq, Guinea, and Mali. His most recent positions include leading the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs as senior bureau official (acting assistant secretary of state) from 2018-2019, and serving as deputy assistant secretary of state for Southeast Asia from 20162018.

During his remarks at the reception, Murphy told attendees it was a pleasure to visit Seattle, commenting on the region’s love for coffee as well as the heatwave that coincided with his visit—something many had brought up to him. Donning a dark blue suit, he reminded the crowd that he spends most of his time in Cambodia.

“You forget where you come from,” Murphy joked, getting a laugh from a room filled with many folks who had emigrated from the tropical country.

CAMBODIA AND COVID-19 In his speech, Murphy discussed the state of Cambodia, including how the country was impacted during the pandemic.

With COVID-19 limiting travel in recent years, the overseas programs at Sea-Sih—which focuses on cultural exchange between Seattle and Cambodia’s seaport city of Sihanoukville—have paused. This was one of the reasons Murphy’s visit to Seattle was important to the local Cambodian community, Sea-Sih board member Thyda Ros said. It was a chance for them to learn about what has been happening in Cambodia, how COVID-19 is being addressed, people’s access to health care, and how the pandemic has impacted the economy and people’s livelihoods.

“This is something our community wants to hear,” Ros said, adding that Murphy’s visit was also an opportunity for the local community—many of whom still have loved

the open.

Little Saigon is full of massage parlors and litter. People sweep sidewalk trash into the trees. The tree plantings are untended with overgrown grass, as well as trash.

What kind of message does this send to visitors, tourists, and residents?

The City’s Navigation Center, with its ‘harm reduction’ policies, is located in Little Saigon. I strongly suspect this is the source of vandalism and drug-seeking activity. It never should have been located there, and a school is very close by.

Just yards away from the notorious corner of 12th & Jackson are at least two low-income housing projects—one of them belonging to LIHI. If the CID/Little Saigon is to be the goto for social experiments such as these, the least the City and County can do is mitigate the consequences and effects. But benign neglect and indifference show this is not the case. Why? Because of cultural and political racism.

The CID is not a dumping ground! It is

ones in Cambodia—to let the ambassador know what their concerns are regarding the Southeast Asian country, and what the United States can do to support the effort in a meaningful way.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our community to make our voice heard.”

From a public health perspective, Murphy said Cambodia has fared pretty well with the pandemic. The United States and Cambodia have had a longstanding relationship in this area—with organizations and agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Navy in Cambodia and helping the country address other infectious diseases in the past.

“This helped Cambodia navigate the pandemic,” Murphy said. With public awareness campaigns on safety measures such as hand washing, mask wearing, and social distancing, the country had low death and hospitalization rates. In addition, Cambodia has a very high vaccination rate, with people lining up to get the shot once it—and subsequent boosters and age group openings—became available. The United States also donated 3 million doses of the vaccine to Cambodia, with plans to donate more this year, Murphy said.

“WE’RE PROUD TO BE PART OF THAT STORY” While the country’s public health fared well during the pandemic, Murphy said Cambodia’s economy took a hit as it relies heavily on tourism. And with almost no tourism for about two years, a lot of people lost work and wages. In addition, he said, migrant workers who had been working abroad returned home—adding another mouth to feed in their families’ households, many of whom were already getting by with less incomes.

This being said, some of that economic impact has been mitigated by the fact that Cambodia has continued to grow its export sector, particularly in textiles—expanding by 30% last year, with a projected expansion of 40% this year—with the United States being its largest market, Murphy said.

“That means a lot of jobs back in Cambodia,” he said.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND ADDRESSING CRIME Other topics Murphy touched on included the fact that Cambodia is this year’s chair for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The role rotates each year among the 10 member countries and entails hosting meetings with representatives of all levels from the region’s countries, along with other nation partners, throughout the year.

This also includes a summit with heads of state and nation leaders, with this year’s set for the fall.

In addition, Murphy discussed how the embassy is

an immigrant community already beset by drugs, violent crime, absentee landlords (of buildings full of graffiti), poverty, struggling small independent businesses trying to survive after the pandemic, boarded up windows, trash on the streets, fewer Asian-owned small businesses, and other consequences of deep marginalization and neglect, exacerbated by racism and indifference.

Mayor Harrell, your mother Rose used to have a flower shop in the CID and you, yourself are Japanese American, as well as a Black man. Where is your support?

We must not only protect the CID from all these onslaughts, we must infuse the CID with assistance for small business, protection from crime and drugs. We need better bus route planning and maintenance, and trash and graffiti elimination.

What is happening in the CID and Little Saigon is appalling but completely preventable.

Is Seattle up to it? 

working to help return heritage items and looted antiquities to Cambodia whenever they are discovered around the world.

“We are doing our part to restore them,” he said.

He also told Northwest Asian Weekly how it’s part of his job to address international crime, which includes trafficking (of people, narcotics, and flora), as well as financial crimes that cross borders—and that Cambodia is no exception to these issues.

AUDIENCE QUESTIONS Following his remarks, attendees at the reception had the opportunity to ask the ambassador questions. One of them touched on the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Murphy discussed the importance of women’s health around the world, noting that women in Cambodia bear a lot of burdens and that he is proud of them—their success in the classrooms and business—though acknowledging that they still hit ceilings and do not hold many leadership positions.

“Their health is important,” Murphy said.

Two other topics audience members asked about were Cambodia’s election process, the arrest and conviction of Cambodian American lawyer Theary Seng, and dozens of members of a now-defunct political opposition party for alleged treason. In response, Murphy discussed the importance of people being able to speak freely, which is a key part of democracy—though he added that the best form of government for Cambodia is for Cambodians to decide.

Murphy noted how people were asking him tough questions, which he liked, and that he rarely gets these types of questions in Cambodia because people don’t feel as free to speak their minds. 

12

asianweekly northwest

JULY 2 – JULY 8, 2022

TAN from 9 Molitorova, the mother of five-time Grand Slam singles winner Martina Hingis, in Switzerland. Her parents helped to pay for her training by selling a house.

Asked whether this might have been her last match, Williams replied: “That’s a question I can’t answer. I don’t know. ... Who knows? Who knows where I’ll pop up?”

With her older sister, Venus, jumping out of a guest box seat at Centre Court to celebrate the best points, Serena Williams was oh-so-close to pulling out a topsy-turvy match that lasted 3 hours, 11 minutes and was contested with the retractable roof shut for the last two sets.

“For my first Wimbledon, it’s: Wow. Just wow,” said the 24-year-old Tan, who recalled watching Williams on TV as a youngster.

“When I saw the draw, I was really scared,” Tan said with a laugh, “because it’s Serena Williams. She’s a legend. I was like, ‘Oh, my God, how can I play?’”

This is one indication of how things were at the get-go: Of Tan’s first 11 points, only one came via a winner she produced. Others came via errors by Williams, either forced or unforced.

While Williams—who wore two pieces of black tape on her right cheek; the reason was not immediately clear—

WORLD CUP from 4 Japan’s men’s J League, and has also been in charge of the Asian equivalent of the men’s Champions League. She also handled matches during last year’s Tokyo Olympics.

“Of course, I think the pressure is huge,“ she said, “and I think I have a lot of responsibility. But I am really happy to take this duty and pressure, so I try to take it positively and I try to be happy.“

BLOG from 10 and change their perspective. We can denounce and criticize the government any time we want. We can lobby them to make decisions and implement policies, which can affect our community.

When government officials don’t listen, like when former mayor Ed Murray put a Navigation Center right in the Chinatown-International District (CID), the consequences were dire to the CID. We will remember him for that and put it in the record. Now with Mayor Bruce Harrell, we can share with him our concerns. And he has taken action. That’s accountability. Despite several recent cleanups of homeless

40 YEARS

recovered from dropping the opening two games to lead 4-2, she reversed course again and allowed Tan to quickly climb back into that set with her mix of spins and slices.

When Tan pulled even at 4-all by striking a down-the-line backhand winner, she celebrated with a yell; that shot was so good that even Williams felt compelled to applaud.

Tan came into the day with a 2-6 career record at all Grand Slam tournaments. Clearly enjoying herself—and the setting, the moment, the way it all was going—she broke to lead 6-5 with the help of a cross-court forehand winner, looked at her guest box, raised a fist and waved her arms to ask for more noise from a crowd that was loudly backing Williams.

Soon enough, a forehand passing winner gave Tan that set.

At that point, it seemed reasonable to ask: Could Tan pull off by far the biggest victory of her career? Might Williams exit a major in the first round for only the third time in 80 appearances (the previous were a loss at the 2012 French Open and that mid-match retirement at Wimbledon last year)?

The latter is what happened, of course, although Williams certainly played spectacularly in the second set. She won a monumental game to lead 2-0, breaking after 30 points and 12 deuces across almost 20 minutes when Tan shanked a forehand into the chair umpire’s stand.

In a blink, then, it was 5-0 and sure seemed as if Williams was on her way.

In the third set, Williams was two points from advancing while serving for the match at 5-4 but couldn’t get closer.

Williams has spent more than 300 weeks ranked No. 1 but currently is 1,204th on account off all of that time off and thus needed a wild-card invitation from the All England Club to enter the bracket.

“If you’re playing week in, week out, or even every three weeks, every four weeks, there’s a little bit more match toughness,” she said. “But with that being said, I felt like I played pretty OK on some of ’em. Not all of ’em. Maybe some key ones I definitely could have played better. You’ve got to think if I were playing matches, I wouldn’t miss some of those points.”

Still, Tan was a point from victory at 6-5, and Williams erased that with a forehand winner—beginning a seven-point run that not only sent the match to a tiebreaker but put her ahead 4-0 in it.

Yet Tan would not go gently. She grabbed five points in a row for a 5-4 lead in the new final-set tiebreaker format adopted this year by all four tennis majors: first to 10 points, win by two.

At crunch time, when Williams has excelled so often on so many big stages, she faltered. Tan came through. 

She described the excitement of leaving the waiting room just before a match.

“I guess it cheers me up in that moment. I feel like that’s when I switch gears the most,“ she said.

She said the difference in the men’s and women’s game was, of course, speed. But not simply that some men might run faster.

“It’s the speed, but not just the players’ speed,” she said.

“Not the ball speed. It’s just the game speed. It means for

me I have to make quicker decisions—more speed.“ Yamashita conducted most of the interview in Japanese, but said she would use English and “facial gestures, body gestures“ when communicating with players in Qatar.

“Usually when I give a card, I say nothing,” she said, shifting to English. “But when I give a warning, I just tell them I’m not happy. They understand.” 

camps and the presence of a regular police mobile unit to discourage loitering, these people are all back. On Sunday, June 26, they were all over Little Saigon and not just in a little corner of 12th Avenue South. The problem is obviously unresolved. So we have to bug Mayor Harrell again in this blog and to tell him personally. He will have to strategize with his team again to come up with better solutions. That’s how democracy works.

Being a journalist in the free world, we have the right to raise all kinds of issues, popular and unpopular ones. In fact, our job is not to have government officials look good. I never even have to think about, “Oh, we have to be careful when we are scolding government officials.” I never even wonder, “Is this

the right time?” “Do we hurt their feelings?” We just know it’s our right. By the way, no officials have ever asked, “Are you a U.S. citizen, operating newspapers?” It would be perceived as an inappropriate question with hidden implications of racism.

All thanks to the fact that we are living in America. Being an immigrant American is a gift, profoundly contributed by my parents the moment they said yes to permit me to come to America. For this, I am eternally grateful to my parents and America. In that light, I celebrate July 4 with all my heart. God bless America.  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

DONATE YOUR CAR TO CHARITY. Receive maximum value of write off for your taxes. Running or not! All conditions accepted. Free pickup. Call for details, 855-635-4229.

Sealed bids will be received for KC000611, Building Repair and Renovation Work Order; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, via the E-Procurement system, until 1:00 PM on 07/14/2022. Late bids will not be accepted. The public bid opening will only be conducted on-line following the Bid Close Date and Time; see Section 00 10 00 for details.

There is a 10% minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement on this contract.

There is a 12% minimum requirement for King County Certified Small Contractors and Suppliers (SCS) on this contract.

Brief Scope: The work under this Contract consists of performing building repairs, structure replacements, minor modifications, and safety improvements in the Solid Waste Division Facilities. The work involves structural concrete, concrete demolition, carpentry, general construction interior, metal building repair, sheet metal, steel fabrication and related trades. Minor associated subcontractors may be required.

Estimated Not-to-Exceed contract price: $1,000,000 Prospective bidders can view more details at: https://kingcounty. gov/procurement/solicitations Complete Invitation to Bid Documents, including all project details, specifications, and contact information are available on our web page at: https://kingcounty.gov/procurement/supplierportal

JULY 2 – JULY 8, 2022

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

asianweekly northwest

13

Predictions and advice for the week of July 2–July 8, 2022

By Sun Lee Chang Rat—Thank yourself later by doing a little extra work upfront, which should save you time and hassle down the line.

Dragon—Balance focus with general awareness, so that you don’t miss something important in the periphery.

Monkey—Has an old acquaintance reached out? If they have not been in the picture for a while, proceed with caution.

Ox—You are capable of going quite far, but you have to take the initiative and follow through to get there.

Snake—When bargaining for an item, try not to show too much interest. Otherwise you could end up paying more.

Rooster—Are you spinning your wheels right now?

Things are about to get a bit more interesting, so get ready.

Tiger—Are you courting a chance for something better? It is closer at hand than you realize.

Horse—Do you tend to go all in when you find something you like? Just remember that certain things require caution.

Dog—You want to jump in, but there is reason to wait.

Weigh the risks before you throw caution to the wind.

Rabbit —In the process of teaching or helping someone else, you may actually learn an important lesson as well.

Goat—Remember a small ripple can cause big waves. The results from a recent change will take time to develop.

Pig—Not much gets past your watchful eyes, but not all things are worth the same level of scrutiny.

WHAT’S YOUR ANIMAL SIGN? RAT 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 OX 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 TIGER 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 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, 2018 PIG 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019

*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.

ORDAINED from 5 which slowly disappeared from much of the Buddhist world until now.

After the death of the Buddha, female monks were commonly considered one of the key elements of the fourpronged ideal Buddhist community, consisting of lay men, lay women, male monks and female monks. However, over time, war, famine and disease took the lives of bhikshunis across Southeast Asia and Tibet.

Women have continued to live ascetic lives as nuns but have been barred from taking the next step to full ordination. Officially their status was held back by rules of the monastic code that require bhikshunis to be ordained by other bhikshunis, who didn’t exist.

To break this bind, some women have taken other routes to full ordination. In 1996, a group of Sri Lankan nuns was ordained with help from Korean bhikshunis of the Mahayana lineage, which has never been broken. Since then, hundreds of bhikshunis have been ordained in Sri Lanka, in what Tsedroen describes as an “ecumenical ceremony,” essentially reviving the population.

But in Bhutan, a handful of monks have taken

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ordination into their own hands and provided ordination to nuns without the presence of bhikshunis. Typically, this ceremony is only granted to a small number of women, and never on the scale seen on June 21. According to Finnegan, an ordination this large guarantees a sangha, or bhikshuni community, that will persist well into the future.

“All other lineages of Buddhism have had sanghas of women fully ordain as monks. This is the first time Tibetan Buddhist women are given that opportunity,” she said.

The current Dalai Lama has long encouraged bhikshuni ordination vows, and Bhikkhu Bodhi, a prominent monk in the Theravada lineage, practiced across India and Southeast Asia, has appealed to his legion of supporters to advocate for the bhikshuni movement. Influential Tibetan scholar-monk Geshe Lharampa Bhikshu Rinchen Ngudrup made a strong case for bhikshuni ordination in 2007 during a talk at the first International Congress on Buddhist Women’s Role in the Sangha after years of research.

In addition, lay people across Asia have called attention to the excellent behavior of nuns in comparison with male religious leaders. Scandals, such as fraud at Wat Dhammakaya in Thailand and an uptick in sexual assault

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charges against Tibetan lamas, have been rocking Buddhist communities around the world.

Thai journalist Sanitsuda Ekachai called attention to this dichotomy in her book “Keeping the Faith: Thai Buddhism at the Crossroads,” encouraging lay people to consider the future of the monastic order and how female monks could improve it.

Even with powerful voices and a clean track record behind the movement, gender equity in the Tibetan monastic order had yet to take off on the large scale that occurred today in Bhutan.

“This historic ordination ceremony may well create further pressure on other Buddhist communities in different countries to make full ordination available to nuns within Tibetan Buddhism,” said Susanne Mrozik, associate professor of religion at Mount Holyoke College.

For some Buddhists, the fact that the ordinations began on the summer solstice is an auspicious sign, as are, according to the Facebook announcement, the appearance in Bhutan of “rainbows encircling the sun.” 

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO PROPOSERS Sealed bids will be received for KC000604, Fencing Services Work Order 2022; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, via the E-Procurement system, until 1:30 PM on July 19, 2022. Late bids will not be accepted. The public bid opening will only be conducted on-line following the Bid Close Date and Time; see Invitation to Bid Section 00 10 00 for details.

At least 3% of the total price for all executed Work Orders shall be performed or supplied by King County Certified Small Contractors and Suppliers (SCS) on this contract.

Perform routine and emergency maintenance, repair, new installation (including automated gates and barbed wire) and improvement work at King County facilities (primarily related to Solid Waste Division sites), on a Work Order (W.O.) basis.

Estimated contract price: NTE $1,000,000.

Prospective bidders can view more details at: https://kingcounty. gov/procurement/solicitations Complete Invitation to Bid Documents, including all project details, specifications, and contact information are available on our web page at: https://kingcounty.gov/procurement/supplierportal

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asianweekly northwest

JULY 2 – JULY 8, 2022

40 YEARS

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COVID CONTROL from 5 and policies,” a common error message for topics deleted by the app’s censors.

Since a surge of cases driven by the

LAYLO from 5 In Cato’s meeting with Kenney, who was with two police officials involved in the investigation of the shooting, “we were told it is mostly likely a case of mistaken identity,” Cato said without elaborating. He added police were analyzing video footage that showed some vehicles, including a

GENJI from 7 director, screenwriter, and actor on a film set. Except that when he works with an illustrator, it’s more of a collaboration of equals and more democratic, whereas on a film set, the director has the final say in the story. Wilson described himself as a “medium flexible” writer, leaving room for the illustrator to do things in their own way and add their own ideas to the artwork.

“Genji” was the third time Wilson and Takita had worked together and he said one thing he wants readers to appreciate is the beauty of Takita’s artwork, calling “Genji” his most visually beautiful book on Japan. The book’s structure as a story does not follow the typical beginning-middle-end structure of modern-day storytelling. Instead, it’s more of a slice-of-life tale, following Genji’s life over about 50 years. Wilson said Takita used visual motifs and themes throughout the manga to tie things together.

THE 1,000-PAGE CHALLENGE One of the challenges Wilson faced was figuring out how to condense the

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omicron variant in April, China has made mass testing requirements even more frequent. In Beijing, residents are now required to hold a negative test within the last 72 hours to enter any public venue,

including restaurants and offices.

Across the city, the government pushed to set up thousands of testing spots where a person can get swabbed.

Throughout the pandemic, China has

stuck to its strategy of “clearing to zero” or “zero-COVID.” It relies on mass testing, surveillance, and strict lockdowns to stop the virus from transmitting widely in the community. 

black Cadillac, near the car carrying Laylo and his mother shortly before or around the time of the attack.

Kenney expressed his concern over the proliferation of guns that has led to deadly shootings in the U.S., Cato said.

In tweets, Kenney said he was appalled by the “senseless” shooting. “Every act of gun violence is an unspeakable tragedy,”

he wrote, while also calling for anyone with information about the shooting to contact police.

Philadelphia, along with other large U.S. cities, is experiencing a surge in gun violence. In one notable episode June 4, a gun melee in the South Street entertainment district, about 3 miles from the shooting that killed Laylo, left three people dead and

several others injured.

Laylo’s mother, who was slightly injured by glass fragments during the shooting, posted to Facebook that she and her son had been on vacation together. She shared snapshots of her and her son touring sites in New York, Washington and Philadelphia. 

story into a more manageable length. He felt the responsibility on his shoulders to adapt “Genji” in a way that still had key parts of the story, such as the romance, gender relations, and court politics.

“How can we take these thousand pages to much less?” he said, speaking with Northwest Asian Weekly from Japan, where he has lived for more than 10 years. Wilson and Takita’s adaptation comes in at just fewer than 200 pages.

“It’s quite a task to take on.”

In taking on the daunting challenge of adapting a story that is so well known in Japan, Wilson knows not everyone will be happy with his version—and he expects some criticism. This being said, adapting “Genji” into manga is a way to continue telling the classic tale in a modern way and making it more accessible to a wider audience.

A CLASSIC TALE WITH MODERN-DAY ISSUES Wilson grew up on comic books and graphic novels—discovering them at 12, growing up in Scotland. He wrote his own comic books with his friends at the time and they dreamed of continuing with it when they grew up.

“I was the only one foolish enough to [follow through],” Wilson said with a laugh.

Wilson’s first book was published in December 2003 and he now has more than 40 books to his name. While some of his books focus on Japan and China (less than half), Wilson also likes to write about history and touch on culture, sociology, and politics.

“I can learn (about different things) when I’m doing it,” he said.

Wilson’s book topics range from the 47 Ronin (the legendary true story of a group of samurai in 1702, who avenge their late master’s death) to the Minamata disaster of the 1950s that poisoned the water of the city of the same name.

“The comic books we do are quite well researched,” Wilson said. For his non-fiction work, this research includes meeting with primary sources from the era and/or event (when possible), as well as reading original texts and other source materials.

He will also work with an expert on the topic in question to fact check his work to ensure accuracy.

With “Genji,” Wilson knew of the story before starting on the project, but he hadn’t read it until he took on the task.

He stayed away from other adaptations, not wanting them to influence his work.

Instead, he read a few different translations of the story—the original version was written in Japanese of the time, which is very different from modern Japanese.

Each version Wilson read highlighted different aspects of the story, which he said was interesting to see, adding that the issues in the story are ones society still deals with today, which is what makes “Genji” relevant still, to this day.  Samantha can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 6.

YOUR VOICE

JULY 2 – JULY 8, 2022

asianweekly northwest

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Ruth can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

King County Council‘s Claudia Balducci and Uwajimaya’s Denise Moriguchi visited Hood Famous Cafe+Bar with owner Amlag Quibuyen

Uwajimaya Real Estate Manager Miye Moriguchi talks about the CID and her family business history.

King County Councilman Joe McDermott, Uwajimaya CEO Denise Moriguchi, Sound Transit InterIm CEO Brooke Belman, and King County Council President Claudia Balducci on the rooftop of Publix Hotel.

Buildings like to be demolished for 5th Ave. ST entrance from the S. Jackson St. angle

Buildings like to be demolished for 5th Ave. ST entrance from the S. King St. angle

Provided by Historic South Downtown

Photos by Assunta Ng

Photos by Assunta Ng

Inside Union Station

Photo by Assunta Ng

“The walking tour… with Moriguchi family members and other representatives of the local grocery retailer Uwajimaya was very educational and impactful,” said Claudia Balducci, King County Council Chair and fellow ST System Expansion Committee member.

“The CID is in the middle of what is arguably ST’s most complex light rail expansion in its almost 30-year history—the 12mile line that will connect the West Seattle and Ballard neighborhoods,” said Balducci. “The decisions ST makes today will have implications for generations.”

“Hearing from the community is essential for good decisions for ST and the region’s long-range high capacity transit, but more importantly for the CID. We must be mindful of the context in the neighborhood—the exclusions and discrimination that created it in the first place, and impacts over time including but not limited to internment, the construction of I-5, the Kingdome, and the baseball and football stadiums,” said McDermott.

Leading part of the tour, Uwajimaya’s Real Estate & Facilities Manager Miye Moriguchi, explained that there is a large population of seniors in the CID. “There is a denser population of elders and a denser population of low-income and non-English speaking” who depend on nearby services such as ICHS and Bush Hotel.

Moriguchi said, “They (seniors) rely on walking through the district on a day to day basis, and public transportation,” and that tearing up the streets for this project would make things difficult for this population.

“The Uwajimaya team supports the mission of ST and believes public transit and regional connectivity should be accessible to everyone,” Denise Moriguchi, Uwajimaya’s president, told the Northwest Asian Weekly in a statement. “We are eager to be a helpful partner in the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions (WSBLE) system expansion planning process but feel the impacts on the CID have not been adequately analyzed or mitigated.”

“The walking tour underscored my understanding of the impacts of any of the 5th Avenue alternatives,” said McDermott.

“There would be significant business and residential displacement during construction, as well as long-term impacts and redevelopment that concern many with long histories in the neighborhood.

From the Chinatown Gate to large and established businesses like Uwajimaya, to small and relatively new businesses like Hood Famous, the last few years have been a struggle and we should be mindful of the compounded impacts a 5th Avenue alignment would have.”

“Look at that area on 5th and Jackson, and 4th and Jackson,” Miye Moriguchi said on the tour. “It’s pretty bad right now… it’s not a nice place to be walking. How do we turn that into a better space?”

She alluded to the Jackson Street hub project and the various studies to find out what people in the neighborhood value. Among the top concerns was connectivity between Pioneer Square and the CID. Also part of the tour was Kathleen Johnson of Historic South Downtown.

Standing on 4th Avenue, Johnson explained, “There would be one entry on 5th where everybody can use it. There will be a lot more connections on the other side, people can go underground on the other side of 4th and on this side of 4th…it just provides a lot more opportunity (for connectivity).”

Johnson also said it would cut down on costs, disruption to transit, and lessen the detouring of traffic to the CID. “We feel like there’s a real opportunity—we don’t want to just say 5th is bad. Fourth could be great, or fabulous! As far as activating Union Station, if we don’t do it in a way where people are walking through it organically… it does not work.”

“The CID is a unique and important place with deep cultural and historic significance that is valued regionally, including in the district I represent in East King County,” said Balducci. “I have heard strong opposition to the Fifth Avenue alignments and some support for the Fourth Avenue alignment. I have heard many requests for deeper study and information. I will take the input I’m receiving very seriously in working with my colleagues on the Sound Transit Board to direct the next steps in our study of options toward a final alignment decision.”

McDermott said, “I suggest that the Sound Transit Board may not be in a position this summer to decide on a preferred alignment in the CID when we do so for the rest of the West Seattle to Ballard alignment.”

He added, “ST should come to the community ready to engage in specific conversations about mitigation. What mitigation and even enhancement might come to the neighborhood with each alternative? Specific mitigation and enhancements even before a final alignment is selected is needed for the neighborhood to be able to have a meaningful conversation about benefits and impacts of alternatives.”

“The neighborhood is our home,” Denise Moriguchi said in a statement. “We are deeply invested in this community and we want to help find solutions that minimize harm to the CID, its residents and businesses.” 

Photos by Assunta Ng

SOUND TRANSIT from 1

Union Station’s 4th Ave. entrance (see diagram below)

Image provided by Historic South Downtown

Vision board for what a 4th Ave S station might look like.

asianweekly northwest

40 YEARS

JULY 2 – JULY 8, 2022

ROE V. WADE from 1 our nation’s history, and further drives home the point that women and those with female reproductive organs remain second-class citizens,” it said in a statement.

“The implications of this act stand to not only impact cisgender women, but the trans community, communities of color, and many others who are affected by systemic oppression and rely upon rights not explicitly granted in the constitution. The SCOTUS has not only ripped away a constitutional right, but sentenced millions of people to inhumane living conditions, and in some cases, death.”

A day after the Supreme Court ruling, a large crowd of Asian Americans gathered at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for a multicultural march in support of racial justice and reproductive health rights.

The Unity March included more than 50 Asian American nonprofit organizations and other diverse groups.

The D.C. event was billed as the first national rally to be led by Asian Americans.

Anh Nguyen, 17, a member of OCAGreater Houston, an Asian American advocacy group, held signs that read “Proud to be Asian” and “Climate Justice = Reproductive Justice.”

Paul Cheung, a spokesperson for the march, said that the overturn of Roe v. Wade will hit Asian American communities especially hard.

“This is another example of how historically marginalized communities like Asian Americans are having their rights diminished,” Cheung told NBC News. “This is not the end. The Unity

March is a call to action to advance meaningful change for Asian American and other historically excluded communities to ensure the safety, security, and prosperity for all of our communities.”

The Guttmacher Institute, a research group supporting abortion rights, says poor or low-income women represent 75% of abortion patients.

Isra Pananon Weeks, interim executive director and chief of staff of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), said many Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women work in lowwage, front-line service jobs with no health insurance or paid medical leave.

Abortion care is “riddled with language barriers, cultural stigmas, and low rates of insurance coverage among our most vulnerable community members” and traveling and getting an abortion was already “difficult if not impossible,” Weeks said.

“Gutting Roe cuts off access to abortion care and puts the well-being and financial stability for millions of AAPI women and families at tremendous risk,” Weeks said.

John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, said his organization filed an amicus brief in this case with NAPAWF “because of our concern for the Asian American and broader immigrant community. Given that Asian Americans are among the fastestgrowing populations nationwide with nearly two-thirds of the population being foreign-born, we have grave concerns about the impact this decision will have on our communities.”

Yang added, “We will need to come

CHO from 8 during the pandemic to focus on caring for animals.

“I’m just a big nature lover. I have hundreds of plants. It’s a very important part of my life.” One of Cho’s rescue cats is deaf, and they have developed a special way of communicating. “My cats make me really starstruck.”

When she visits the Pacific Northwest, her topics will include racism and gun violence, especially towards Asian Americans and the gay community, and “how awfully close it hits to home.” When Cho spoke with the Weekly in June, a U-Haul full of white supremacists had just been apprehended on their way to riot at a PRIDE event.

“It’s a real fear. It’s not imagined and it’s not just ethereal. That combined with…continual gun violence—it’s not ‘escalating’—we’re just so afraid all the time.” Funny even when upset, Cho commented that the truck full of white men were “also really gay… all crammed in that U-Haul, dressed exactly alike! And using…the U-Haul, which is the most holy lesbian vehicle—How dare you!”

Cho looks forward to coming to Washington.

“It’s going to be fun.” She loves the weather, which is “good for my hair” and she is appreciative of the history of Asian immigration here, especially in Tacoma. She doesn’t think she’s changed much over the years. What has changed is the landscape,

together to find a way to support our communities while we explore every course of action to reclaim this fundamental human right.”

King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg has joined more than 80 other prosecutors nationwide to not prosecute abortions.

“As King County’s Prosecuting Attorney, I want to reassure the people of King County that my commitment on the issue of reproductive rights is unwavering,” he said in a statement. “I have never—and will never—use my discretion to criminalize personal medical decisions. As a private and concerned citizen, I will also continue to support

which has more space for women, Asians, and queers than when her career began— partly thanks to her.

“I’m the same in that I really still just want to do a good job and be thoughtful about the kind of comedy that I do…I want to be funny but also, I want to challenge myself.” She still loves to talk about her parents, particularly her mother. She finds it amusing that, “even though they’ve been here since 1964, they still kind of don’t identify as American.”

There will likely always be comedians with an alpha, hetero male perspective, and they will likely have their audience. Yet now, due to frontrunners like Cho, other stand-up household names like Ronny Chieng, and up-and-comers like Joel Kim Booster or Bowen Yang, “Times will change. It’s just that now, times are changing more in line with my way of thinking about what we can talk about, what we’re able to do as artists.”

Cho’s show promises to be full of the bold language and behavior she is known for.

She will help us find humor in the unfunny because, as she expressed, it’s what we need in hard times. “If I don’t laugh, I’ll cry. If I don’t laugh, I’ll die. We have to find hope in it or else it’s absolutely hopeless.”  Cho’s comedy tour will be in Spokane July 7-9 and Tacoma July 28-30. To purchase tickets, go to margaretcho.com/tour.

Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

other organizations fighting for human dignity and fundamental privacy from governmental overreach into our lives.”

Satterberg and other like-minded prosecutors—collectively representing nearly 87 million people from 28 states and territories and the District of Columbia, including nearly 27 million from 11 states where abortion is now banned or likely to be banned—argued in a joint statement that using limited criminal justice resources to prosecute personal healthcare decisions runs counter to their obligation to pursue justice and promote public safety.  Ruth can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

Photo by Sergio Garcia.

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Margaret Cho