VOL 41 NO 32 | AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

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

VOL 41 NO 32 AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

FREE 40 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Primary election results Cindy Ryu

Davina Duerr

My-Linh Thai

Pramila Jayapal Ryika Hooshangi

Harry Bhagwandin

Manka Dhingra

Marilyn Strickland

Mia Gregerson

Sharon Santos

Steve Hobbs

Vandana Slatter

The primary elections were held on Aug. 2 across Washington state, including races for U.S. Senator, and Congressional District 1, 7, 8, and 9.

An initial round of election returns was released after 8 p.m. on election day. These returns are from ballots that were turned in early and tabulated. Counties will release additional results in the days after the election as more ballots are counted. see ELECTION on 14

Young and old plead with Sound Transit

Greg Wong

By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Credit: Puget Sound Sage

Nora Chan is not worried about a new Sound Transit (ST) station for her own sake.

“My generation will not be using light rail,” said Chan, the founder of Seniors in Action. Chan was unable to attend a July 28 ST board meeting, so her comment was read by Betty Lau. “We want our children and grandchildren to take the light rail to Chinatown. But there will be no Chinatown if you build on Fifth Avenue.”

Such sentiments, including even stronger pleas not to build in the Chinatown-International District (CID) at all, were heard at the board meeting, where a motion (202257) was passed to provide the board with further studies that are estimated to take six months. see SOUND TRANSIT on 11

From left: Nicholas Trout, Andy Zhao, Taiken Ho, Hilton Zhao, Rhyse Nguyen, Christina Shimizu, and Olivia Duong outside Union Station, where the Sound Transit board meeting was held inside.

Remembering

Seattle — Mayor Bruce Harrell today announced that Greg Wong will serve as Seattle’s Deputy Mayor of External Relations. Wong joins the Mayor’s Office from the Department of Neighborhoods (DON), where he has served as interim director since Harrell appointed him to the position in February.

Harrell said, “Greg understands that progress for Seattle requires fostering authentic relationships with the people and organizations that make this city special—residents and community leaders, businesses and nonprofits, cultural associations and neighborhood groups. Greg will ensure our administration is a trusted and effective partner in expanding opportunities for all and making Seattle a safe and thriving city.”

As Deputy Mayor, Wong will work with a portfolio of City departments dedicated to serving the needs of residents and will direct the Mayor’s Office external affairs team, ensuring there is an open door for community members to share their priorities and ideas with the Mayor’s Office.

He will drive local and regional collaboration on mayoral priorities around public-private initiatives and cultural events, as well as bringing a specific see WONG on 15

Victor Kai Wang

By Alvin W. Graylin & Will Wang Graylin, sons FOR NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Victor Kai Wang, 88, passed away peacefully on July 29, 2022, in Winchester, Massachusetts, surrounded by loved ones. He lived his final seven months under the care of his son and daughter-in-law after a stroke in Seattle, where he had resided for 42 years.

Victor was a renowned Chinese American artist who devoted his life to art and art education. A student of some of China’s greatest art masters, such as Guan Shanyue and Li Xiongcai, Victor trained in classical Chinese and Western art from an early age and was a voracious scholar of art,

■

Greg Wong is Seattle’s new Deputy Mayor of External Relations

history, and philosophy. He was a professor of fine art and art history at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts for over 20 years, before immigrating to the United States, where he created new painting innovations such as the Marking Color style, and the New Song Style, by combining Chinese art techniques with Western materials.

Victor was a purist, and focused on creating art, rather than selling it. He stopped selling his art to collectors and patrons in the 1990s and stopped exhibiting altogether.

He would however give his time and his art to charity and individuals he appreciated. He could be seen at volunteer see WANG on 12

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

2

asianweekly northwest

40 YEARS

AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS Pokémon GO Fest

Surratt 3 and 2 in the U.S. Junior Amateur final at Bandon Dunes.

The 17-year-old Ding was 8-up with eight holes to play in the 36-hole match, lost five straight, then halved the 34th to finish off the 18-year-old Surratt.

Ding, set to attend Arizona State in 2023, earned a spot in the 2023 U.S. Open at the Los Angeles Country Club.

The Tennessee-bound Surratt is from Indian Trail, North Carolina. 

Trainers from around the world gathered in Seattle last weekend for Pokémon GO Fest 2022!

Collectively, they caught over 17,000,000 Pokémon, completed 57,000 raids, and explored over 384,000 miles.

Trainers who attended this event investigated Ultra Wormholes and were among the first to encounter the Ultra Beast Buzzwole.

The Pokémon GO Fest 2022 celebrations continue with an in-person event in Sapporo, Japan and the global finale event in August to wrap up the festivities. 

Wenyi Ding becomes first Chinese male USGA winner

Wenyi Ding became the first male Chinese winner in U.S. Golf Association history on July 30, beating Caleb

Local author Joan Seko was one of 14 authors—and the only Asian—chosen to write her story, “A Child of Minidoka,” to be included in the “Children of War” anthology book.

The Kindle e-book is available to pre-order for $2.99 and all proceeds will go to the children of Ukraine.

A paperback version will be published in September. 

Photos by Assunta Ng

Seko co-authors “Children of War” anthology

Top: From left: Interim‘s Pradeepta Upadhyay; Evan Chan, former owner of Four Seas; Dean and Derrick Lum; and Interim’s Leslie Morishita. Bottom: People brought include books, photos, menus, letters, newspapers, newspaper clippings, artwork, T-shirts, posters, cards, notes, buttons, cards and a red envelope for the time-capsule.

100-year time capsule placed at Uncle Bob’s Place

Community members gathered on Aug. 2 to place a time capsule at Uncle Bob’s Place—the new affordable housing project under construction in the Chinatown-International District (CID).

Community members were invited to contribute notes and mementos to the 100-year time capsule that was placed in the wall at InterIm CDA’s project at 714 South Main Street.

Dr. Marie Rose Wong, Professor Emerita, Urban Planning and Asian American Studies, Seattle University, wrote a little note to include with her marker, and placed in a small acetate slide sleeve so that the paper will make it for 100 years. “For as long as I live, I will remember that the building represents so much to so many people,” she said.

The building is named for Bob Santos, a community

A photo of First Four Seas co-owner Chin Han (2nd from right), grandfather of former Judge Dean Lum, was added to the capsule.

activist who devoted his life to the preservation and dignity of the CID, who died in 2016. 

YOUR VOICE

■ COMMENTARY

AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

asianweekly northwest

3

The collateral damage from urban planning

By Marie Wong, Ph.D.

Marie Wong, Ph.D.

The Chinatown-International District (CID) is facing one of the most potentially (and likely) devastating urban planning disasters with the four light rail alignments that are proposed with the Sound Transit 3 (ST3) expansion. At a July 28 Sound Transit meeting, their announcement of a preferred alignment was temporarily tabled until early 2023 pending further study and to “fully understand [the] concerns” of the community.

It is not a decision that can be made as a straightforward land use equation of how each of these alignments can be technically built, nor should it be. The

decision affects a neighborhood of people whose lives, generational family histories, and livelihoods are deeply embedded and vested in the buildings and geography of this part of the city that is their “home.” The CID is NOT simply a Seattle neighborhood. It is what remains of a once significantly larger pan-Asian and multiethnic core of the south downtown.

For over 160 years, Seattle’s Asian American community has been coerced, pushed out, forced to relocate, and had its land holdings reduced through policy decisions that have combined economic development interests with environmental racism. The history of projects that have been built on land occupied by Asian Americans shows us that the neighborhood has suffered and been diminished from the effects of redevelopment and transportation projects. Living in the CID is not a matter of ethnic resilience on the part of business owners and residents, as has been romantically touted in popular literature, but rather it is a real and continual struggle that is done with considerable effort to maneuver through a gauntlet of years of collateral damage from urban planning decisions.

This list of damaging projects

to Seattle’s Asian American core is considerable and condensed in this commentary, but it includes construction of the N-P train tunnel (1904, that razed much of the first location of Chinese and Japanese homes and businesses), construction of Union Station (1910-11, that removed Chinese and Japanese homes and businesses in a building now occupied by Sound Transit), the Jackson/12th/Dearborn Street Regrades (1907-09, that relocated or removed Chinese and Japanese homes, churches, and businesses), the 2nd Avenue Extension (192628, that devastated what was left of the first Chinatown buildings), construction of the first Yesler Terrace (1939-41, that removed the homes of 127 Japanese families, five Chinese families, and 20 married and single Filipino residents as part of the 22-acre redevelopment), selection of the route for I-5 (1957-63, that cut a wide abyss of land separating the neighborhood and removing hotels/homes and businesses), construction of the Kingdome (1972-76, which posed a threat to the businesses and disruption of traffic and parking in the CID), the Ozark Hotel Ordinance (1970-77, that closed the majority of residential hotels and, in com-

bination with the I-5 project, led to over 3,000 low-income housing units being lost in the CID), upzoning Japantown (2011, that increased the value of land for redevelopment), the construction of the First Hill Streetcar (2008-16, that was two years late in opening with Jackson Street businesses losing 30-50% of their revenue and social service organizations losing 70% of patrons needing their services), and HALA and the Mandatory Housing Affordability Act (2014-17, as a tandem adoption that upzoned the majority of the neighborhood outside the historically designated neighborhood core).

Redevelopment and displacement are ongoing, with much higher market rate rents that are creating an impetus for gentrification. The aforementioned events were all local decisions and don’t begin to address egregious federal discriminatory actions and policies against Asian Americans, such as a series of Chinese Exclusion laws (1882, 1884, 1892, 1902), the Immigration Act of 1924, the unlawful incarceration of Japanese Americans through the Executive Order 9066 during WWII (1942-45), and the Tydings-McDuffie Act (1934) that reclassified Filipino Americans

from U.S. nationals to aliens.

One need only investigate the ramifications of any one of these historic actions to see the damage that has been done to the neighborhood’s people. Each of these projects took much longer than any of their respective projected estimates for completion and the swath of destruction was much larger than predicted.

In all of these historic actions, and with the ST3 proposal now, we are presented with the fallacy that community businesses or residents will return after the project’s completion. It hasn’t happened and it will not happen, particularly when one is talking about a projected 10-year absence. Common sense tells us that those displaced businesses will not remain in a decade of limbo awaiting a return to be “somewhere” in the neighborhood. The DEIS includes residential units that will be closed for occupancy during construction, but not those that will be “affected.” The narrative should, at a minimum, include the 349 units of rental homes in the CID that are adjacent to the alignments, and those families that will be enduring see URBAN PLANNING on 15

4

asianweekly northwest

AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

40 YEARS

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

Man accused in threats to kill Rep. Jayapal charged SEATTLE (AP)— A 49-year-old Seattle man arrested on suspicion of committing a hate crime against Rep. Pramila Jayapal and threatening to kill her has been charged with felony stalking.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said Brett Forsell was charged on July 27 after additional evidence was gathered by police investigators.

Forsell was arrested July 9 after yelling obscenities and threats outside Jayapal’s Seattle home late at night and booked into jail. He was released when prosecutors said there wasn’t enough evidence for a hate crime charge, though authorities noted the investigation would continue.

Police later forwarded the stalking case for consideration, prosecutors said.

In 2016, Jayapal became the first Indian American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. The Democrat heads

the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

As part of the felony stalking charge, prosecutors note Forsell was armed with a deadly weapon and that Jayapal was stalked in connection with her elected position.

Seattle police arrested Forsell outside Jayapal’s house in the Arbor Heights neighborhood at 11:25 p.m. on July 9 after she called 911 and reported an unknown person or people were near her home using obscene language and mentioning her name, probable cause documents said.

She told a dispatcher her husband thought someone may have fired a pellet gun, the statement said.

Officers found Forsell standing in the street with his hands in the air and a handgun holstered on his waist, the probable cause statement said.

Forsell told police he drove by Jayapal’s house yelling obscenities multiple times

Man wounded in CID encampment shooting One man was injured in a shooting at an encampment in the ChinatownInternational District (CID) last week.

Around 12:30 a.m. on July 29, police responded to a report of a shooting near 7th Avenue and Jackson Street and found a man with a gunshot wound to his groin.

Medics transported him to Harborview Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police learned the man had been shot in a nearby encampment under I-5, but were unable to locate any witnesses to aid in the investigation. The victim also declined to provide additional details about the incident.

If you have any information about this case, contact the SPD Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000. 

since late June and on July 9 drove by, stopped, got out of the car, and directed profanities at Jayapal, according to the probable cause statement.

He left after encountering her husband and then returned a short time later, knowing they were home, and was seen by neighbors and Jayapal’s husband appearing to approach the house while yelling at Jayapal, documents said. A neighbor told police she heard a man threaten to kill Jayapal and believed the statements were made by the man arrested that night.

Police learned the man sent an email to Jayapal’s public account in January, saying he didn’t like her, documents said.

A temporary Extreme Risk Protection Order to require Forsell to surrender his firearms and concealed pistol license, citing concerns about escalating behavior toward Jayapal and increasing mental

health struggles, remains in place.

Prosecutors said a judge approved a bail amount of $500,000. The Associated Press was unable to locate Forsell for comment and it was not known if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Jayapal said in a statement that the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charging Forsell with felony stalking demonstrates that the justice system is doing its work.

“I am grateful to the King County Prosecutor’s Office for holding this man accountable for his dangerous actions, to the victim’s advocate for her assistance throughout the process, and to the Seattle Police Department, U.S. Capitol Police, and the House Sergeant at Arms for continuing to keep my family, me, and my staff safe,” Jayapal said. 

Seattle/King County Clinic returning after pandemic hiatus Volunteers sought for 4-day free clinic providing eye exams, prescription eyeglasses Seattle/King County Clinic is preparing to open its doors at Seattle Center on Oct. 2023 to provide eye exams and prescription eyeglasses free of charge to more than 1,000 people in need. To meet this goal, organizers are recruiting hundreds of volunteers.

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO PROPOSERS Sealed bids will be received for KC000606, TELCOM AND NETWORK LOW VOLTAGE CABLING 2022-2024; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, via the E-Procurement system, until 01:30 PM on AUGUST 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 Section 00 10 00 for details.

There is a 5% minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement on this contract.

There is a 5% minimum requirement for King County Certified Small Contractors and Suppliers (SCS) on this contract.

Brief Scope the Contractor will provide lay-out, installation, scheduled and emergency repair, move/add/change services, training, consultation, quotes, walk-throughs, and documentation required to support the King County Telecommunication and Data Network inside and outside. The work of this Contract shall consist of inside plant work including cabling installation, renovations, and additions to existing networks, as well as outside plant work for inter-facility connectivity which may include trenching, digging and aerial work.

Estimated contract price: $2,000,000.00 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

Although no dental or medical care will be offered this year, after more than two years on hiatus, the clinic still expects the interest from prospective patients to be high.

“It’s incredibly difficult to work, go to school, or just get through the day if you have vision problems that affect driving, reading, or seeing, but so many people don’t have access to the vision services they need,” said Dennis Worsham, Interim Director of Public Health–Seattle & King County. “Even if you have health insurance, many plans don’t cover vision care, and there are almost no options

for free or low-cost prescription glasses. Seattle/King County Clinic provides immediate relief to people who face barriers to getting critical vision care.”

Led by Seattle Center and Seattle Center Foundation, Seattle/ King County Clinic is produced in partnership with healthcare organizations, civic agencies, nonprofits, and private businesses. More than 22,000 volunteers have served as the backbone of the clinic since its inception in 2014.

To find out more about Seattle/King County Clinic, visit seattlecenter.org/skcclinic or call 206-684-7200. 

AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

YOUR VOICE

asianweekly northwest

■ WORLD NEWS U.S. House Speaker Pelosi arrives in Taiwan, defying Beijing

By HUIZHONG WU, EILEEN NG and LISA MASCARO

The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan late on Aug. 2, becoming the highest-ranking American official in 25 years to visit the self-ruled island claimed

by China, which quickly announced that it would conduct military maneuvers in retaliation for her presence.

Pelosi flew in aboard a U.S. Air Force passenger jet and was greeted on the tarmac at Taipei’s international airport by Taiwan’s foreign minister and other Taiwanese and American officials. She posed for photos before

her motorcade whisked her unseen into the parking garage of a hotel.

Her visit ratcheted up tension between China and the United States because China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and it views visits by foreign government officials as recognition of the island’s sovereignty.

The Biden administration, and Pelosi, say the United States remains committed to the so-called one-China policy, which recognizes Beijing but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei.

The speaker framed the trip as part of a broader mission at a time when “the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy.”

5

Her visit comes after she led a congressional delegation to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the spring, and it serves as a capstone to her many years of promoting democracy abroad.

“We must stand by Taiwan,” she said in an opinion piece published by The Washington Post on her arrival in Taiwan. She cited the commitment that the U.S. made to a democratic Taiwan under a 1979 law.

“It is essential that America and our allies make clear that we never give in to autocrats,” she wrote. see PELOSI on 13

The AP Interview: Japan minister says women ‘underestimated’

By MARI YAMAGUCHI and FOSTER KLUG ASSOCIATED PRESS TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s minister for gender equality and children’s issues called the country’s record low births and plunging population a national crisis and blamed “indifference and ignorance” in the male-dominated Japanese parliament.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, Seiko Noda said the steadily dwindling number Japan minister Seiko Noda of children born in Japan was an existential threat, saying the nation won’t have enough troops, police or firefighters in coming decades if it continues. The number of newborns last year was a record low 810,000, down from 2.7 million just after the end

PAST LIVES - DREAMS - SOUL TRAVEL. Be the master of your spiritual destiny, here & now. If you seek spiritual truth, visit ECKANKAR.org or for local info visit ECKWA.org ADVERTISE STATEWIDE with a $325 classified listing or $1600 for a display ad. Call this newspaper or 360-3442938 for details.

ARE YOU BEHIND $10k OR MORE ON YOUR TAXES? Stop wage & bank levies, liens & audits, unfiled tax returns, payroll issues & resolve tax debt FAST. Call 866-973-1302 (Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm).

BEAUTIFY YOUR HOME with energy efficient new windows! They will increase your home’s value & decrease your energy bills. Replace all or a few!

Call now to get your free, no-obligation quote. 866-944-4248.

of World War II, she said.

“People say that children are a national treasure. ... They say that women are important for gender equality. But they are just talking,” Noda, 61, told the AP in a Cabinet office in downtown Tokyo’s government complex. “The politics of Japan will not move unless (the problems of children and women) are made visible.”

She said there are a variety of reasons for the low birthrate, persistent gender bias and population decline in Japan, “but being in the parliament, I especially feel that there is indifference and ignorance.”

Japan is the world’s third biggest economy, a powerful democracy and a major U.S. ally, but the government has struggled to make society more inclusive for children, women and minorities. There are deep concerns, both within Japan and abroad, about how the country will reverse what critics call a deep-seated history of male chauvinism that has contributed to the low birthrate.

The gap between men and women in Japan is one of the world’s worst. It ranked 116th in a 146-nation survey by the World Economic Forum for 2022, which measured

progress toward equality based on economic and political participation, as well as education, health and other opportunities for women.

“Japan has fallen behind because other countries have been changing faster,“ said Chizuko Ueno, a University of Tokyo professor of feminist studies, referring to Japan’s gender gap. “Past governments have neglected the problem.”

Because of outdated social and legal systems surrounding family issues, younger Japanese are increasingly reluctant to get married and have children, contributing to the low birthrate and shrinking population, said Noda. She has served in parliament since 1993 and expressed her ambition to be Japan’s first female prime minister.

Noda criticized a law requiring married couples to choose one family name—90% of the time it is the women who change their surnames—saying it’s the only such legislation in the world.

“In Japan, women are underestimated in many ways,” see NODA on 13

asianweekly northwest

6

AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

40 YEARS

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR 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

AUG 4

CLUB MEETING WITH TOM IM OF INTERIM 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

For zoom link, contact rotaryofseattleid@gmail.com

6 C-ID SUMMER CINEMA RETURNS, MOVIE “YELLOW ROSE” Hing Hay Park, 423 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle Free

■ BRIEFLY

8 WORLD PREMIERE SHORT FILM SCREENING OF EXECUTIVE ORDER 9066: ALL PERSONS OF JAPANESE ANCESTRY The Grand Cinema, 606 Fawcett Ave., Tacoma 7 p.m. grandcinema.com

11-13 FILIPINO AMERICAN NATIONAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY CONFERENCE In person and virtual Seattle University, 901 12th Ave., Seattle 8-11 a.m.

Register at fanhs-seattle.org/registration

13 C-ID SUMMER CINEMA RETURNS, MOVIE “BIG HERO 6” Hing Hay Park, 423 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle Free

JAPANESE AMERICAN HERITAGE DAY Neely Mansion, 12303 SE Auburn-Black Diamond Rd., Auburn 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

CELEBRATE LITTLE SAIGON 1025 S. King St., Seattle 11 a.m.-4 p.m. flsseattle.org

27

18 EUGENIA WOO OF HISTORIC SEATTLE 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

For zoom link, contact rotaryofseattleid@gmail.com

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

Sign up for a booth: https://bit.ly/3O1tE4g C-ID SUMMER CINEMA RETURNS, MOVIE “VALE NI YALOYALO” Hing Hay Park, 423 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle Free

C-ID SUMMER CINEMA RETURNS, MOVIE “MAIKA: THE GIRL FROM ANOTHER GALAXY” Hing Hay Park Free

SEP 1

CLUB MEETING WITH USHA SRINIVASAN, CLASSICAL INDIAN DANCER 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

For zoom link, contact rotaryofseattleid@gmail.com

CID BLOCK PARTY 900 S. King St., Seattle 3-9 p.m. cidbp.com

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

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

17 AAPI HOMETOWN HEROES CELEBRATION Terry’s Kitchen, 5625 119th Ave. S.E., Bellevue 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Registration at cacaseattle.org

OCT 3-9

JOIN US IN CAMBODIA TO EXPERIENCE A WEEK-LONG JOURNEY TO THE UNIQUE CAMBODIAN CULTURE maxglobalexp.org

Ethics Board vacancies

The King County Ethics Board is currently seeking to fill two vacancies on the five-member body. The purpose of the Ethics Board is to ensure that King County employees and contractors adhere to ethical behavior and preserve people’s trust in King County as an open and honest government.

In addition to its regular oversight work,

board members will have an opportunity to provide input into an update of the County’s ethics code, which is scheduled for 2022.

Board members usually spend between two and four hours per month on board business and normally meet on the third Monday of each month during the work day. Members are appointed to the ethics

board for three-year terms and may be reappointed.

The County is seeking to create an Ethics Board that mirrors the racial, ethnic, and geographic diversity of King County and people from all walks of life and from cities outside Seattle are encouraged to apply. The primary criteria for candidates are balanced judgment, integrity, and

professional training or experience that would ensure the ability to deal with complex and sensitive ethics issues.

To be considered for a position on the board, send a letter of interest and resume via email to Program.Ethics@kingcounty. gov.

All application materials must be received by Aug. 17. 

View the solution on page 14

Assunta Ng

Account Executives

John Liu

kelly@nwasianweekly.com

Ruth Bayang

john@nwasianweekly.com

Publisher assunta@nwasianweekly.com Associate Publisher john@nwasianweekly.com Editor editor@nwasianweekly.com

Han Bui Layout & Web Editor han@nwasianweekly.com

Kelly Liao John Liu

George Hira

ghira@nwasianweekly.com

The only weekly English-language newspaper serving Washington’s Asian community. The NW Asian Weekly has one simple goal: “To empower the Asian community.”

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

Subscriptions cost $40 for 52 weeks of the NW Asian Weekly and $30 for 52 weeks of the Seattle Chinese Post. The NW Asian Weekly owns the copyright for all its content. All rights reserved. No part of this paper may be reprinted without permission.

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

YOUR VOICE

AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

asianweekly northwest

7

THIRTEEN

LIVES MOVIE

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Most of us recall the news in 2018, and there has been at least one documentary, with more to come, of the day a Thai boys’ soccer team and their coach went into a cave and didn’t come out, and the extensive rescue efforts to save them before the cave flooded for the monsoon season. Ron Howard’s latest, I dare say, Oscar-eligible movie, “Thirteen Lives,” chronicles this incident, in what he describes as “granular” detail. You will not believe what happened, but it’s all true.

Let’s talk about the immense effort the movie making process entailed, not to mention the rescue itself. In Australia, director Howard and his team re-constructed the cave system in northern Thailand, as well as the base camp nearby, the water diversion efforts that took place, all of it. And, the diving is real. There are no stunt doubles. The actors were so invested that they insisted on doing it themselves.

“It was practically an intervention,” Howard laughed when remembering the day Viggo Mortensen, who plays cave diver Rick Stanton, came up to him and said, “This is so much a part of our character and now that we understand it—talk with Rick, but I think that you’ll see that we can do it safely—please schedule it so that we do all the diving.”

You will not understand—I didn’t understand—what this really means until you see the film. You won’t understand how impactful the film is.

No matter how many times anyone tells you, you won’t realize what a feat was accomplished by pure human will, ingenuity, and heart. The actors being committed to it so intensely was part and parcel of the entire phenomenon.

The cave scenes are incredibly real.

Stanton, who served as technical advisor, was on set every day, and verified that everything, the sounds, the emotions, the difficulties, is legit.

Each actor, not just those playing the divers, got to know their real-life Thai counterparts, if at all possible.

Pattrakorn Tungsupakul, or Ploy, who plays the mother of one of the boys, and the only parent we meet formally, has spoken of how, not being see THIRTEEN LIVES on 12

Photo by Eric Charbonneau. MGM.

BRINGING HOME THAT IT’S HUMAN LIFE WE’RE TALKING ABOUT The cast of Thirteen Lives at the Los Angeles premiere on July 29.

8

asianweekly northwest

40 YEARS

AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“Beyond the Mountain”

is where we all want to go

A SAM Asian Art Museum exhibition

Ink Media #4, 2011-2013, Chen Shaoxiong, ink on rice paper.

The Departure, 2019, Yang Yongliang, screenshot of single-channel 4K video

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY If there is one word that describes Seattle’s Asian Art Museum, it’s juxtaposition. Old and new. Classical and contemporary. Concepts and eras fuse in a manner that is pleasing every time and thought-provoking. This time, the new special exhibition, “Beyond the Mountain: Contemporary Chinese Artists on the Classical Forms,” running through June 2023, comments on how traditional Chinese art practices and philosophies still show up today—and on how world turmoil has contributed to an increasing desire among all of us to escape “beyond” our troubled world.

In conjunction with students from University of Washington’s “Exhibiting Chinese Art” 2020 seminar, Foster Foundation Curator of Chinese Art, Ping Foong, embraced the chance to utilize SAM Asian’s unique gallery spaces (renovated and reopened in 2020), to invite several contemporary Chinese artists to share their work. The beauty of the museum is that it allows for interesting juxtapositions of art works against architecture from the 1930s, and the ability to move works already on view into different configurations to satisfy new goals.

Ai Wei Wei’s well-known “Colored Vases,” for instance, was re-installed into the new exhibition in front of the current flagship piece (some works will be rotated), “To Add One Meter to an Anonymous Mountain” by Zhang Huan. Foong’s students, who provided

caption

many of the ideas for “Beyond,” and some of the in-gallery text, arranged Ai’s vases this time so that they appear to be going up a “hiking trail,” thereby mirroring the landscape in Zhang’s work. How are these works related?

Foong had an answer. Both reference classical Chinese art concepts, such as the preeminence of landscape in Song Dynasty paintings, or the presupposed preciousness of ancient Chinese pots, which Ai questions, or even desecrates.

These works, and the exhibition as a whole, change “the nature of what that object is,” explained Foong. They question “the way we create a value system”—one of the original themes of the now theme-based rather than location- or time-based museum. In Zhang’s work, the performance artist alludes to our human misbelief in our own importance. Nature is always bigger than we are—you cannot make the mountain grow. This concept of human smallness amidst the world’s bigness comes into play in the neighboring black and white video by Yang Yongliang, “The Departure.” Yang created what is a Chinese landscape, but with a new, disturbing take—it is made from thousands of photos of China’s megacities.

Can we “depart” into this work? Is the message that we should “depart” from urbanization of the planet? Or that being surrounded by Nature, or the city, makes us want to “depart?” Yang’s works are some that Foong is proud to see SAM ON 14

YOUR VOICE

AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

■ AT THE MOVIES “Emergency Declaration”

asianweekly northwest

A virus in the sky

By Andrew Hamlin NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY With its 220-minute running time, you could fairly say that “Emergency Declaration,” the new film from South Korean writer and director Jae Rim-han, drags a bit. It lacks the biff-bang-pow dynamic central to the disaster film genre, although selected parts of it move with lighting ease.

I cut it some slack, though, for however accidentally telling the truth about disasters, about emergencies. Such situations often stop and start. They often terrorize, and then leave you in the lurch to stress over your stressing.

The action begins in South Korea’s busy Incheon Airport. Amidst the steady flow of bodies sorted onto aircraft, a young and fresh-faced man in a suit appears. He grins a little too much. He asks inappropriate

questions and if questioned about the questions, grins bigger and says he’s just asking. What’s wrong with that?

The young man is Jin-seok, played by Si-wan Yim. As the action unspools, we’ll learn more about him, and why he’s trying to board a plane with no luggage, and seemingly no care about where the plane lands. Yim leads with the big smile, but eventually shows us the twisted landscape behind his visage.

Director and writer Rim-han had his script finished before the COVID-19 outbreak. But he admits his central plot gimmick of a mutant virus gone wild inside a plane, caught up with the news in a chilling fashion. He plays on the hidden anxieties many passengers feel—fear of crashes, fear of being shut up in a confined see EMERGENCY DECLARATION on 12

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” earns $100M The martial arts fantasy film, “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” has hit $100 million globally, marking A24’s first film to do so at the box office.

Starring Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis, the film was also rereleased in movie theaters on July 29—with an introduction from filmmakers and an extra eight minutes of outtakes.

Rereleases are not something Hollywood sees every day with successful films.

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” was originally released in the U.S. in March and is already available to stream, but it hit domestic theaters again last weekend.

According to Variety, the film made an additional $650,000 at the box office during its Friday-to-Sunday run in nearly 1,500 theaters.

Yeoh stars as Evelyn Wang, a Chinese immigrant swept up in a wild adventure, where she’s dropped into other universes on a mission to save her world.

Writers/directors Daniel Scheinert, 35, and Daniel Kwan, 34—collectively

known as the Daniels—originally envisioned martial arts legend and actor Jackie Chan for the role and met with him. When Chan, 68, told them he was unavailable, the part was rewritten for Yeoh.

In an interview with The Guardian published in May, Yeoh shared how her longtime friend reacted to the movie’s acclaim.

“Jackie actually texted me,” she said.

“And he says, ‘Wow, I hear amazing things about your movie. Did you know that the boys came to see me in China?’

And I said, ‘Yes, your loss, my bro!’”

While promoting the film in April, Curtis, 63, said on The Talk, “I think there’s a touching story at the heart of everything. And in the best of these sort of sci-fi multiverse movies, if they don’t touch you, the audience leaves sort of inured.”

“This is a movie that actually makes you feel tremendous heart,” she added.

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is currently showing in theaters and available to rent/buy on Amazon Prime Video. 

9

asianweekly northwest

40 YEARS

AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG Ferrari Be ntley in Chinatown, oh my! e c y o Rolls-R

The Franco family. From left, back row: Al-Michael Franco, brother/cofounder, Walter Franco, father Albert, mother Lydia. From left, front row: Maria Franco and Cheryl Florendo.

Cars build communities

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY’ Most people have preconceived notions about cars. It’s a guy’s hobby. And the automobile industry is a major player in the U.S. economy that has contributed “3–3.5% to the overall Gross Domestic Product, according to the Center for Automobile Research.

One assumption is right, and the other one is wrong.

Namsayin, a multi-million-dollar car show was held for the first time in Chinatown on July 30. You could see Ferraris, BMWs, Lotuses, Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, Porsches, Datsuns, Toyotas, Hondas, Mazadas, Chevrolets, Fords, and more lining up side by side, around Bank of America’s parking lot outside and inside.

If you think a car is just for driving and transporting goods, this show can redefine how you can have fun with cars in our lives. It isn’t just a status symbol or someone’s toy. The meaning of the annual Chinatown-International District (CID)’s 55-car show will enrich your imagination.

Cars are reflections of your philosophy of life, according to car enthusiasts. It is about passion, creativity, design, community, excitement, entertainment, bringing people together, and, best of all, supporting the CID.

50 gatherings at the old Uwajimaya parking lot.

“We want to bring new energy into the district. It’s not about making money,” said Franco. “This is a free car show. We want people to be aware of the amazing food here (CID).”

HOW TO HAVE FUN WITH CARS Build your own car. What!? Yes. All the cars at the show were customized. You wouldn’t be able to recognize it as a Honda or Toyota. They have all been modified and transformed. It’s just like building your own house, designing your tree house and landscape for your garden, remodeling your kitchen, and sewing your special wedding dress. If you have joy and pleasure designing and making things, envisioning how your projects turned into reality, building your own model might be a great fit.

That’s exactly what Franco did. Naming his car and the same as the car show, Namsayin (you know what I’m saying), he designed his own car from scratch by combining a Toyota and Subaru, a collaborative effort built in Japan. That’s Franco’s passion. As an illustrator, artist, and car designer, he is the contractor for building cars. How come I have never thought about combining models as an option when buying my car? I thought the only option was to go to a car dealer.

“The mindset of building a car is reflective of any facet of your life,“ said Franco, who is also helping small businesses in telling stories and marketing needs. One important issue is that Franco said he follows rules by the book and doesn’t advise people to cut corners, especially when building their own cars.

Nguyen said he enjoys not only driving expensive cars, it’s also an investment. A Ferrari would cost about $400,000, he said. “You can’t buy a Ferrari because there’s a long waiting list,” he said. If you haven’t bought a Ferrari before, the manufacturer won’t sell it to you. So you have to buy it from some other owners. So Nguyen would sell it to a new owner for $500,000. Then, he would buy another one and build it to his liking. After a while, he would sell it again. Each of his cars is customized. The road was closed for Nguyen’s vehicles and others outside of the Bank of America.

WHY THE CID? The car show was part of the CID Celebration program organized by the Hong Kong Business Association of Washington.

Thach Nguyen, a real estate investor, said he received a call from the association on how to bring more young people to the CID Celebration. Nguyen, an enthusiast of luxury cars, said the association should have a car show. Nguyen owns a Ferrari, Bentley, and two RollsRoyces, and is connected to Walter Franco, who organizes car shows and gatherings.

“Our model is community over cars,” Franco said. “We put people first over cars.”

The group also creates more awareness about car cultures and educates how cars are dedicated to different lifestyles. The show was also a contest for the 55 exhibiting Thach Nguyen’s Ferrari cars. It brought car-related-industry with customized seats and people and car enthusiasts together at steering wheel the show. Judging took place in the late afternoon and 15 awards were presented.

Franco’s goal was to promote and enhance awareness of the rich cultures in CID. “The group will choose a designated route, sometimes on a freeway or sometimes shorter. But we make it a purpose to end A GUY THING? in Chinatown, primarily to help all the small businesses…It’s The Northwest Asian Weekly saw no female car enthusiasts about sharing the camaraderie of building cars.” participating in the car show. Franco said the reason was they Franco’s love of cars began in the CID when he was a child were given a short notice—about three weeks. About 10% of the dining in the neighborhood, watching unique cars driving participants were females in the past shows. Women tend to care by. less about high horsepower, and more about design and elegance.

“This place has so much history. Tai Tung was Bruce Lee’s “We gain inspiration from our female counterparts,” Franco most favorite restaurant. For people in our community who said. “Maybe pull back some of the masculinity in the car. In the don‘t know that, it’s quite a dishonor. We want to honor future, we would like to welcome more female builders.” those types of stories. In addition, we want to tell the stories Each of these automobiles are not the typical models you find of cars. It’s not just about fixing cars or making them cool, in car dealerships. Of the 30,000 parts, you can personalize and it’s really about brotherhood, sisterhood, families to come out and enjoy cars.“ see BLOG on 15 The group has one cruise and one gathering. So far, it has held

Photo by Assunta Ng

10

AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

YOUR VOICE

asianweekly northwest

11

Petitioners presented over 2,000 signatures opposing construction on Fifth Avenue, which they say would destroy the CID, along with its appeal as a regional and international tourist draw.

Others said the destruction of dozens of small businesses in any construction option would “obliterate” the neighborhood. Such damage had never been inflicted on another neighborhood, they said.

They described the CID as a place where young Asian Americans learned work skills and provided support to families. Others described it as a singular community where the marginalized had been forced together, but survived.

In a discussion following public comments, King County Councilmember Joe McDermott clarified that the motion, which is somewhat vague, means that ST is preserving an option not to build a station in the district at all.

A TOURIST DRAW Brien Chow of Transit Equity for All (TEA) presented 1,954 signatures and a petition signed by over 260 people in opposition to Fifth Avenue construction.

“The signatures are evidence of the three neighborhoods of the CID being a local, regional, and international draw” for tourism, said Lau, co-founder of TEA, who said many comments came from China and around the world.

SMALL BUSINESSES Rhyse Nguyen, a junior from Cleveland High School, came to the meeting with seven friends.

“My peers and I do not support the Fourth Avenue or Fifth Avenue options,” he said. “Please invest in the no-build alternative.

The CID, he said, provides entry-level positions for young people from Asian American backgrounds who otherwise might find it hard to enter the workforce.

“Many high schoolers are employed in some of the small businesses in the area and they are able to build skills, relationships, and general grit, which can lead to success later in life,” he said.

Echoed Mike Vu, one of the owners of Itsumono, a family-run gastropub with Japanese dishes, “One thing we will lose is the culture and we would not be able to bring that back. By destroying more than 20 businesses in the area, this would devastate the area.”

OBLITERATION Richard Saguin said his Filipino and Black-owned business was still reeling from three months of construction in 2016.

“Ten years of construction on this scale will have an exponentially obliterating effect on our community,” he said. “Small business is how many of our people survive; harming that directly harms us.”

Aretha Basu, a political director at Puget Sound Sage, an advocacy group, said, “Small businesses will not survive” such a lengthy

Photos by Assunta Ng

SOUND TRANSIT from 1

Nora Chan (left) led a group of seniors attending the Sound Transit board meeting on July 21.

Brien Chow and Betty Lau at the front row, looking at the camera.

Bettie Luke spoke before the Sound Transit board.

CID supporters inside the Sound Transit board meeting

Wing Luke Museum executive director Joël Barraquiel Tan before the Sound Transit board.

period of construction. “We can’t support Fourth or Fifth. We want the no-build alternative.”

Others compared inevitable destruction to past harms that are still present.

“Such effects can be seen now in Seattle’s own Japantown, which has still not recovered from the Japanese internment camps, even though at one point it was the largest epicenter of Japanese Americans in America,” said Nguyen, referring to the imprisonment of Japanese Americans in concentration camps during World War II. A business owner in the old Jackson building said ST “needs to find other alternatives.”

has the highest risk of displacement already, according to the city’s equity analyses.”

on the Fourth and Fifth Avenue options. I want to see ST move toward a no-build option that does not disrupt the neighborhood and meaningfully mitigates any damage to our community,” said Saguin.

DISPLACEMENT UNDERWAY Many protesters cited the city of Seattle’s recent findings that the CID was already among the highest risk areas for displacement.

“Even if there was no new station put in the CID, which would be ideal, there would still be a tremendous amount of disruption from building the new line under the neighborhood. Putting a new station in this neighborhood is continuing a legacy of racist infrastructure projects at the expense of low-income people of color,” said Meilani Mandery.

One protester alluded to McDermott’s apparent support for exploring a no-build option in the CID. “Elders, youth, and small business owners are all concerned about the four alternatives,” he said, referring to Fourth and Fifth Avenue options. “Based on the [Draft Environmental Impact Statement], I believe all the proposed alternatives will lead to irreversible displacement and destruction of the CID.” Chrissy Shimizu, co-executive director of Puget Sound Sage, rejected all station options in the CID. “We have a long history of supporting transit to help the mobility of [Black, Indigenous, and people of color],” she said. “But the CID

THE PURSUIT OF FAIRNESS Thanking the board members who toured the district, Bettie Luke spoke passionately about “eight decades of seeing development and damage” to the CID. Materials from ST showed such destruction would only continue and grow worse.

“If the other stations are not losing 21 businesses, don’t do it to us. If the other stations are not tearing down historic and important buildings, don’t do that to us.

If the other stations do not have a ventilation system that brings up bad air that’s spewed into where we live and work, don’t do that to us. The unfairness and damage has to end,” she said.

One protester, a fifth-generation Japanese American, said that his grandfather, after serving in World War II in military intelligence, was redlined into the neighborhood. Afterwards, federal infrastructure projects were touted as promoting equality but, in the end, only profoundly worsened race disparities.

“We were prevented from living elsewhere in Seattle and now, through no fault of our own, we are being forced to hold on for our lives as infrastructure projects threaten to displace us—like the great white flight from the inner city to the suburbs was subsidized by the 1954 Federal Housing Act and highways that allowed those families to drive their cars back into the city were subsidized by the 1956 Federal Highways Act, and we were embedded under an eight-lane highway over our heads,” he said.

“Which generation will it be that can finally have the breathing room to live a life without being collateral for white-centered ease of access?”

Some spoke up against danger to the community.

“I’m here to blow the whistle

A LAST STAND “Our neighborhood is our place of belonging in the face of racism and our ancestral home for generations,” said Joel Barraquiel Tan, executive director of the Wing Luke Museum.

Describing the CID as the “last ethnic neighborhood” in Seattle, Gei Chan said, “Please work with us to find another location, and do not have it on Fourth or Fifth.”

She added that the area was struggling with crime and homeless encampments.

“If any of you want to stay after the meeting and walk with me in the neighborhood, we don’t have just one homeless area, it’s all over,” she said.

Another protester said the neighborhood had always been at the brunt of people with power.

The CID has the lowest median income of all of Seattle, the fewest tree canopies, and very little green space, as well as the highest concentration of pollution due to its being used as a public transit corridor already, said this protester, whose name was not immediately decipherable from the record.

“People pass through, but don’t see the community,” he said. “Being a non-wealthy people of color neighborhood, my neighborhood has a lot of issues, and these issues aren’t happenstance but came from rulings and policies that were voted on from people in power, such as you on boards just like this one.”

He asked ST to choose neither Fifth nor Fourth Avenue but to “put the station in another location such as the stadium district.”

QUESTIONING ST ST’s outreach was criticized as

biased and inadequate by some.

Disaggregated outreach data should include residents and small businesses, not just property owners, said one protester who said she supported the “no build option.”

Others reiterated complaints that ST had tricked the CID. “Out of the comments ST received, many said they preferred Fourth Avenue ‘shallow.’

But many of these people didn’t know they could reject all options! ST presented these alignments in such a way that misled most people into thinking they had to choose the lesser of two evils,” said Mandery. “Forcing us to pick our poison through shadowy, misleading language shows ST’s dismissal of true community engagement. I would like ST to prove their commitment to this community by investing in alternative station locations outside of the CID.” Community leader Frank Irigon, in remote comments, said, “It’s time that ST thinks outside the box it created.”

After public comments were over and the board began discussion, McDermott said of the motion, “I want to make sure this is inclusive of a no-build option in the CID.” Such clarification might seem justified. The motion, which was passed unanimously, contains repetitive and seemingly tortuously vague wording. It was read into the record as follows: “Confirming or modifying the preferred light rail route and station locations for the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extension’s final environmental impact statement and requesting further studies in some areas to inform potential future board actions to confirm or modify the preferred alternatives.”

Answering McDermott’s clarification, Cathal Ridge, ST’s executive corridor director, replied with what seemed a similarly somewhat indirect mouthful.

“Yes, the language in the motion, as I mentioned earlier, is intended to provide an opportunity to look at the shallow options but also additional concepts, such as you’ve noted. You know, ideas beyond Fourth and Fifth, as well. And what you described,” he said.  Mahlon can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

12

asianweekly northwest

AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

40 YEARS

a mother herself, she researched the news reels intently. She also spoke of how Howard was so open to others’ ideas, including any that would make the film more culturally appropriate.

“When [Ron]…asked me, what are the things that remind you [of being a mother]?”

Ploy brought up the wrist bracelets (like prayer beads) that in the film are blessed and given to the boys and divers.

“In the northern part of Thailand, Chiang Rai, we believe in [the holy monks] a lot and the wrist bracelets. If I give a gift to someone, it means I bless you to [stay safe and it brings luck],” Ploy said during the premiere press conference in Los Angeles.

“As a director, I knew it was going to be an exciting challenge…I also knew that a large percentage of this story was going to be in Thai, and that it needed to reflect Thai culture and these characters in very nuanced, very connected, contemporary, thoughtful ways,” said Howard, at the global launch of the trailer. “This story is very, very important to Thai culture…and it’s a story they should be very proud of.”

During the time the soccer team was stuck in the caves, thousands of volunteers mobilized from around the world. The Thai government sent its Thai Navy SEALS, and army. The United States had its Air Force present. Civilians and professionals alike came together in a tremendous effort to devise how to make the rescue a success.

“I live in Thailand so when this happened, I just knew that, until the end, kids were stuck in the cave, and suddenly the kids were out; and I think that’s what most of the people in the world [know],” said Sahajak “Poo” Boonthanakit, who plays the provincial governor, Naronsak.

EMERGENCY DECLARATION from 9 space, fear of having no place to go. And when a crisis strikes, some people rise to the occasion while others crumple.

Police detective In-ho (played by Kang-ho Song, famous in the West from his starring role in the Oscar-winning “Parasite”) looks tired from the get-go. But when he discovers his own family in peril from Jin-seok’s psychopathic scheme, he throws himself into saving their lives at any cost. His devoted selflessness contrasts with several others looking only after their own skins.

Two strong female characters emerge.

Credit: Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures

THIRTEEN LIVES from 7

Director Ron Howard on set with James Teeradon Supapunpinyo, who plays the coach, and the boys who play the soccer team.

Here are some of the details I will share, but I won’t share all of them! The caves are part of a park that is nearby enough that the kids decided to go for an outing. The coach went along as chaperone. Normally, the monsoons don’t start until July. This was June. And they started. The kids and their coach were already far into the cave system when areas you could traverse by foot the rest of the year were flooded beyond passability, even for most experts.

The Thai SEALS only reached what is called Chamber 3, 800 meters in, and had to give up for the time being.

Enter Rick Stanton and a group of hobbyist cave divers—“Who knew there was a list?” commented the LA premiere press conference hostess—that were flown in by the Thai government as part of a sort of grab bag of whatever anybody could

think of to get the boys out.

Everyone keeps saying “boys” but there was an adult there, the coach, played by James Teeradon Supapunpinyo, a popular performer in Thailand. The coach was instrumental in the boys’ survival. Mind you, they were in there for over 10 days without food. He taught them how to meditate so their fear and hunger would not overcome them. Of course, the world’s hearts went out for the boys. In the movie, you’re particularly meant to be drawn to “Chai,” whose mother is played by Tungsupakul, and is beyond adorable. You can’t not recognize that, although you’re supposed to be paying attention to the fact that Chai and his mother are “stateless”— having come from over the border in Myanmar, the same as the coach.

There’s a lot going on—there was a lot

In the air, Hee-jin (So-jin Kim) has to keep passengers calm, well-regulated, and prevent their ugliest impulses from destroying every life on board. On land, Sook-he (Do-yeon Jeon), a high-ranking Minister, must toil for the plane’s safety, often in the face of hostility from forces both home and abroad.

The film follows the air-disaster formula in its sprawling fashion. The charismatic villain, of course, unleashing menace. The everyday heroes, rising about their station to save lives. The compromised hero, in this case Jae-hyuk (Byung-hun Lee), traumatized from old wounds, fighting to get back to his best possible self through the current crisis.

So the movie sometimes dawdles over its set-ups. Objectively, sure, it could have been 20 or even 30 minutes shorter. But it ends up manifesting a truer picture of life in the midst of upheaval, co-mingling the stress with the dread.

And the people in charge sometimes have to make tough decisions. From the audience’s perspective, some of these decisions look heartless, sans compassion.

After all, we’re made to sympathize, maybe even empathize, with the people in the plane. We want their lives saved as much as they do.

But to the people on the ground, it could look different. The authorities have to speculate on what’s happening in the sky,

WANG from 1 activities in the Chinatown-International District, giving his time, and sometimes his art, to auctions for good causes.

In April 2006, Victor donated a painting to the Seattle Chinese Garden as a gift from the Garden to President Hu Jin Tao of China. He also gave one of his finest New Song style paintings to Bill Gates and one to former Gov. Gary Locke.

Victor’s life-long pursuit was to bring more beauty and enlightenment to the world. He continued painting daily until COVID-19 and his stroke last year. He is survived by two sons and six grandchildren, his current wife, and his former wife. A select collection of Victor’s art is currently on display at the Wing Luke Museum’s “Reorient” exhibition until May 2023. 

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.

“Victor Kai Wang was a brilliantly talented, lifelong innovator who had no interest in attention or fame. His art was his spiritual journey, and his goal was to share beauty.”

– Lele Barnett, guest curator of the “Reorient” exhibition

going on. Howard doesn’t shirk from any of it. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, which is saying something when you consider that we all already know the boys got out—how powerful is the art of story making! And Howard is a magic maker. The actors, too, were all in, and it shows. Your heart will pound one moment and wrench the next. You will feel when they are in those tunnels the size of a man, scraping through with their equipment—it made me nauseous, I kid you not. This is a special movie.

The moviemakers talk a lot about “teamwork” and “miracles”—but this is much more. Teamwork is such a corporatesounding word. We’re not making a PowerPoint here, we’re saving lives. That’s what you understand that everyone at the caves took so seriously. Not everyone got along, at least not according to the movie.

The Thais were suspicious of these old white guys showing up to help (even Stanton acknowledges they must have looked kind of silly), but their reputation should have preceded them. This is not teamwork as much as it’s the brotherhood and sisterhood of humanity coming together to help not just those stuck but each other. And miracles—there is no miracle here. This is pure human endeavor.

“This is really the superhero movie of the year,” said Boonthanakit. “It’s a superhero movie with many, many heroes…see this movie because it will give you an idea of…when people get together to help one another, you will make life much easier.

There’s a lot of love in it.”  Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

have to make decisions where some, even most, of the cards lie face down. Decisions affecting lives, health, and stability of people on the ground.

So enjoy the wild ride. But remember real life. And ask yourself, silently: What would I have done in their shoes?  “Emergency Declaration” opens August 12 in Seattle. Check local listings for theaters, prices, and showtimes.

Andrew can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

“Victor was never one to promote himself, even though he was a very talented painter and calligrapher. He evolved from traditional Chinese styles to creating beautiful artworks using his computer. He was a true artist, creating art for art’s sake.”

– Stella Chien, Former Board Member, Seattle Chinese Garden

“Victor was a soulful artist. It was my honor to share our love and passion for Chinese literature and art.”

– Pansy Fung Kai Lee, curator Donations can go to GlobalUnites.org, an international peace organization.

ELIMINATE GUTTER CLEANING FOREVER! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-888-360-1582.

PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES today with a GENERAC home standby generator. $0 money down + low monthly payment options. Request a FREE Quote. Call now before the next power outage: 1-888674-7053.

AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

asianweekly northwest

13

Predictions and advice for the week of August 6–12, 2022

By Sun Lee Chang Rat—Don’t be in a rush to fill in quiet space.

Instead, enjoy the silence while it lasts.

Dragon—Although you have some theories about what is going on, it is best not to assume at this juncture.

Monkey—While you have the best of intentions, your motivation may not line up with the desired results.

Ox—Are you seeing the truth where it evaded you before? Now that you know, the next step is clear.

Snake—Finding a silver lining isn’t always necessary. Sometimes it is enough just to be able to leave it behind you.

Rooster—As word travels of your abilities, you could receive an enticing offer in the very near future.

Tiger—Consider whether you are sending an unintended message. Sometimes inaction says more than words.

Horse—Have you come to a turning point of sorts? You are more than ready to embark on a new adventure.

Dog—What you thought was going to be an uphill climb was actually easy due to your advance preparation.

Rabbit—Is there someone who has come through for you recently? Let them know how much it means to you.

Goat—Is there something you just can’t get enough of? Remember that too much of any one thing is usually not good.

Pig—Looking down the road at the sequel? Before you do, make sure you actually like the original first.

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.

PELOSI from 5 Taiwan and China split during a civil war in 1949, but China claims the island as its own territory and has not ruled out using military force to take it.

The Biden administration did not explicitly urge Pelosi to call off her plans. It repeatedly and publicly assured Beijing that the visit did not signal any change in U.S. policy toward Taiwan.

Soon after Pelosi’s arrival, China announced a series of military operations and drills, which followed promises of “resolute and strong measures” if Pelosi went

through with her visit.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Washington’s betrayal “on the Taiwan issue is bankrupting its national credibility.”

“Some American politicians are playing with fire on the issue of Taiwan,” Wang said in a statement that referred to the U.S. as “the world’s biggest saboteur of peace.”

Pelosi’s trip was not officially announced ahead of time.

Barricades were erected outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taipei.

Journalists and onlookers thronged the streets just outside and pressed against the hotel’s lobby windows as they awaited Pelosi’s motorcade.

NODA from 5 said Noda, who is one of only two women in the 20-member Cabinet. “I just want women to be on equal footing with men. But we are not there yet, and the further advancement of women still has to wait.”

The more powerful lower house of Japan’s twochamber parliament is more than 90% “people who do not menstruate, do not get pregnant and cannot breastfeed,” Noda said.

The lack of female representation is often referred to as “democracy without women.”

A quota system could help increase the number of female candidates for political office, Noda said. Male lawmakers have criticized her proposal, saying women should be judged by their abilities.

“That made me think that there are men who lack the ability” to be candidates, she said. But during the candidate selection process, “men can just be men, and I guess, for them, just being male can be considered their ability.”

Noda graduated from Sophia University in Tokyo and worked at the prestigious Imperial Hotel in Tokyo before she entered politics, succeeding her grandfather, who was a parliamentarian in central Japan’s Gifu prefecture.

Noda had her first and only child, who is disabled, at age 50 after fertility treatments. She supports same-sex marriage and acceptance of sexual diversity.

She has many liberal supporters, calling herself “an endangered species” in her conservative Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan with little interruption since the end of the war.

Two buildings in the capital lit up LED displays with words of welcome, including the iconic Taipei 101 building, which said “Welcome to Taiwan, Speaker Pelosi.”

China’s military threats have driven concerns about a new crisis in the 100-mile-wide Taiwan Strait that could roil global markets and supply chains.

The White House insisted that China had no valid cause for anger.

“The United States will not seek, and does not want, a crisis,” John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, told a White House briefing on Aug. 2. “At the

Noda said she is frequently “bashed” by conservatives in the party, but also by women’s rights activists, who don’t see her as an authentic feminist.

Without the help of powerful male lawmakers in the party, Noda might not have come this far, Chiyako Sato, a Mainichi newspaper editorial writer, said in a recent article.

Comparing Noda and her ultra-conservative, hawkish female rival lawmaker, Sanae Takaichi, Sato said that despite their different political views, the women share some similarities. “Perhaps they had no other way but to win powerful male lawmakers’ backing to advance in the Liberal Democratic Party at a time when women are not considered full-fledged humans.“ One big problem, Noda said, is that Japan’s Self Defense Force has had trouble getting enough troops because of the shrinking younger population.

She said there’s also not enough attention paid to what the dwindling numbers will mean for police and firefighters, who rely on young recruits.

To try to address the problems, she has created a new government agency dedicated to children, set to be launched next year.

Younger male politicians in recent years have become more open to gender equality, partly a reflection of the growing number of children who are being raised by working couples, Noda said.

But many male lawmakers, she said, think that issues related to families, gender and population don’t concern them, and are reluctant to get involved.

“The policies have been made as if there were no women or children,” she said. 

same time, we will not engage in saber-rattling.”

U.S. officials have said the American military will increase its movements in the Indo-Pacific region during Pelosi’s visit. The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group were in the Philippine Sea on Aug. 1, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.

The Reagan, the cruiser USS Antietam and the destroyer USS Higgins left Singapore after a port visit and moved north to their home port in Japan.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Defense

Ministry said on Aug. 3 that China had sent 21 planes flying toward Taiwan, 18 of them fighter jets.

The rest included an early warning plane and an electronic warfare plane.

Pelosi’s aircraft, an Air Force version of the Boeing 737, took a roundabout route, flying east over Indonesia rather than directly over the South China Sea. The speaker has long challenged China on human rights, including traveling to Tiananmen Square in 1991, two years after China crushed a wave of democracy protests. 

Prepare for power outages today

WITH A HOME STANDBY GENERATOR $0 MONEY DOWN + LOW MONTHLY PAYMENT OPTIONS Contact a Generac dealer for full terms and conditions

REQUEST A FREE QUOTE

CALL NOW BEFORE THE NEXT POWER OUTAGE

(888) 674-7053

*To qualify, consumers must request a quote, purchase, install and activate the generator with a participating dealer. Call for a full list of terms and conditions.

Prepare for Power Outages & Save Money REQUEST A FREE QUOTE!

ACT NOW TO RECEIVE A $300 SPECIAL OFFER!*

(866) 954-2961

*Offer value when purchased at retail.

Solar panels sold separately.

FREE

7-Year Extended Warranty* A $695 Value!

14

asianweekly northwest

AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

40 YEARS

CLASSIFIEDS Prepare for Power Outages & Save Money REQUEST A FREE QUOTE!

ACT NOW TO RECEIVE A $300 SPECIAL OFFER!* (866) 954-2961 *Offer value when purchased at retail.

Solar panels sold separately.

Prepare for power outages today WITH A HOME STANDBY GENERATOR

DONE RITE

$0 MONEY DOWN + LOW MONTHLY PAYMENT OPTIONS

CARPET CLEANING

FREE

7-Year Extended Warranty* A $695 Value!

Contact a Generac dealer for full terms and conditions

REQUEST A FREE QUOTE

206-487-8236

CALL NOW BEFORE THE NEXT POWER OUTAGE

(888) 674-7053

*To qualify, consumers must request a quote, purchase, install and activate the generator with a participating dealer. Call for a full list of terms and conditions.

ELECTION from 1

COUNTY

STATE

The secretary of state will certify the results by Aug. 19.

Secretary of State Steve Hobbs

41%

Here are the AAPI candidates that advanced to the general election.

Representative, Legislative District 1 Davina Duerr

Representative, Legislative District 37 Sharon Tomiko Santos

71%

Representative, Legislative District 32 Cindy Ryu

Representative, Legislative District 41 My-Linh Thai

70%

83%

Representative, Legislative District 33 Mia Su-Ling Gregerson

Senator, Legislative District 45 Manka Dhingra Ryika Hooshangi

66% 33%

92%

Representative, Legislative District 48 Vandana Slatter

93%

FEDERAL U.S. Representative, Congressional District 7 Pramila Jayapal 84% U.S. Representative, Congressional District 10 Marilyn Strickland 56%

SAM from 8 show in Seattle for the first time. They “force you to do something, which I think is very important for us all to do right now, which is to slow down and stop and think and reflect,” she said. (It’s worth noting the accompanying work

by Yang is titled, “The Return.” You do have to come back some time).

Yang’s works are deliberately placed as part of bookends on either side of the opening gallery. On the other side, a different video emits what sounds like gunshots versus a noise like waves coming from “The Departure.” “Ink Media” by Chen Shaoxiong also uses what we typically think of as Chinese materials, but in a new way. When people think of Chinese art, Foong said, “They think of ink, brush, paper…this artist does use this medium but depicts something ‘else.’”

That something else is a collage of images from social media of protests held around the world. Chen took those images and re-created them in ink, then fused them into a video in which it no longer matters where the protest is, who the protesters are, or what they are protesting. We are all one. Languages and faces run together. “Les Misérables” plays in the background, but in Chinese. The images are bold and “raw.” The collective effect might be akin to one long scream. Again, we question, what are we doing? And we want to escape, or change.

“During the pandemic, we all had to change the way we do things,” Foong pointed out. She had to hurriedly change her in-person seminar to online. In Honk Kong, artist Lam Tung Pang was in lockdown in 2020 and again when he and Foong began to discuss how he might create a site-specific work for SAM Asian.

“We decided we were just going to do this and hope,”

90%

said Foong, which seemed to echo a greater truth about the persistence of life during troubled times. The result was an installation by Lam, the crown jewel of which is “The Great Escape.”

“The Great Escape” (yes, you should be thinking of Houdini) sits amidst several smaller works, like a small room that resembles a lantern. A projector in the center displays a mountainside, and also acts as a sun. Created in 2020, Lam added a few new bits to this 2022 exhibition.

Some additions are so tiny and unreachable (the audience is not meant to cross the white line, but warning, it’s hard to resist) that they are probably messages, or treats, just for Foong and staff.

Lam devised the lantern as a “stream of thought” while he was in lockdown, Foong explained. He was reading children’s books—he often uses children’s imagery or toys, and comics in a manner of “escapist,” “dreaming about wanting to be somewhere else” and “how to get” someplace else when your body is locked down due to the pandemic. Believe it or not, the concept of “armchair travel” was introduced as early as the 11th century by Chinese philosophers, Foong shared. Even then, they knew humans have a need to escape from reality, into nature, or even outer space (think of the latest space journeys).

All of Lam’s works in this installation refer to this theme.

They seem to imply an increasing frustration and urgency to this escapist desire. A recent work depicts an astronaut high above a mountain, his shadow cast over the landscape (shadows are another motif). Lam will be visiting Seattle and the SAM Asian Art Museum sometime in the near future. He and Foong laughed over that, “The thing they most wanted to take a picture of when he comes here is me, him, and the exit sign.”

“Beyond the mountain there are greater mountains yet”

Lewis, Commissioner District 3 Harry Bhagwandin 22% If there are any AAPI candidates we missed, please let us know at editor@ nwasianweekly.com.

is the Chinese saying the exhibition as a whole is based on. Foong interprets the saying in part as “it’s ridiculous to challenge the mountain, to challenge Nature—it’s always going to be there and you are very small.” There will always be someone greater or smaller than you. There will always be another, higher mountain. Always, perhaps, a desire to escape “beyond the mountain.”  For details and tickets, go to seattleartmuseum.org/ Exhibitions/Details?EventId=85115.

Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 6.

AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

YOUR VOICE

WONG from 1 focus to expanding access to jobs, workforce development, and pathways to economic success.

“I’m honored to step into this role and help advance Mayor Harrell’s forward-looking agenda for Seattle,” said Wong. “While my time at the DON has been short, we have developed a foundation that I am excited to continue through thoughtful community and external collaborations. With strong, sincere, and committed partnerships, I know we can achieve more for one another and deliver real progress on our shared One Seattle vision.”

Prior to joining the City, Wong was a community leader and partner at Pacifica Law Group LLP, where he focused on constitutional law, litigation and appeals, and public policy.

A recipient of the Seattle Council PTSA’s Golden Acorn Award and Seattle Public School’s Citizen Service Award, Wong has led school levy campaigns, helped establish the City’s high-quality,

BLOG from 10 modify your car with hundreds of features, from engines to paint, frames, windows, carpets, bumper, ties, paint, seats, engraving, graphics, steering wheels, and more. Even the car manufacturer logo can be customized like placing the car emblem where you want it. One familiar modification is how car owners turn a truck into a traveling vehicle, turning the back part into a sleeping area and kitchenette.

Already, fans have requested the CID car show to come back next year at the Seattle Center and also be part of the Seafair Chinatown Parade, Nguyen said.

Next time, the show will expand to include the old Uwajimaya parking lot, as well as two more rows on the street, he said.

The power of cars cannot be underestimated. Aside from boosting the economy, the CID car show helps us understand how it can build communities by connecting diverse like-minded people from all walks of life, providing entertainment and friendship. Each car show is building community, one at a time. Only this time, it began in an unlikely part of the city, in Chinatown.  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

asianweekly northwest

15

affordable preschool program, and served in executive board roles with several community nonprofits. Before becoming an attorney, he worked locally in homeless and affordable housing services, was an eighth-grade science teacher in the Mississippi Delta, and coordinated a tutoring center for children living in public housing.

Wong joins the Mayor’s Office following Deputy Mayor Kendee Yamaguchi’s resignation last week.

“Kendee Yamaguchi served an instrumental role during our transition to office and in our early efforts to establish sincere and enduring relationships with stakeholders, organizations, and local leaders,” said Mayor Harrell. “We are grateful for her service and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”

Wong officially joins the Mayor’s Office today. Deputy Director of the DON Sarah Morningstar will serve as Acting Director while a search for the department’s next permanent leader is underway. 

URBAN PLANNING from 3 as has happened to Portland, Oregon’s historic Old Town/Chinatown downtown neighborhood.

With Chinese American businesses that were once interspersed over 70 city blocks in the largest geographic Chinatown in the United States, Portland’s core Chinese neighborhood fell prey to a relentless flurry of redevelopment projects. One such project was a streetscape plan that was endorsed in 2001, with construction that began in March 2005 and completion at the end of September 2006. It was an improved transportation corridor project to help link the downtown business district and was a major capital investment that would help revitalize the neighborhood. Sound familiar?

The revitalization plan included a festival marketplace street with Chinese windmill palm trees and 125 new street trees in what was already a severely diminished and damaged Chinatown of 10 blocks with a few scattered Asian American urban remnants.

Conversational blogs noted that the saving of Chinatown was being done, but unfortunately at the expense of the Chinese. As the project progressed, businesses closed due to pedestrian and vehicle access problems, the bleakness of the redevelopment period, and the loss of patronage.

By 2017, newspaper accounts noted that most of Portland’s Chinese businesses had moved to the new “Jade District” located about seven miles from the downtown core. The Hung Far Low restaurant had moved there in 2005 after being in Chinatown for 77 years, citing urban renewal and construction disruption as reasons for leaving. In January 2018, the House of Louie restaurant in Portland’s historic Chinatown closed after 30 years of operation. It was the last dim sum restaurant remaining in the small Chinatown that used to contain a dozen Chinese restaurants. Potential developers

Hung Far Low restaurant sign which was restored and rehung at 4th and Couch in Portland. The restaurant moved to the Pearl District but ultimately closed in 2015 from high rent prices.

were expressing interest in the prime real estate and a few boutique businesses have moved into the Japantown/Chinatown Historic District. The remains of Portland’s Chinatown include the Oregon Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association building (1911), Lan Su Chinese Garden (2000), and the Chinese Museum (2018). The Chinatown gateway (1986) marks the entrance to these and the ghosts of what was once a vibrant community of Asian American businesses, homes, and social organizations.

When this redevelopment project was finished, 20 bronze plaques were placed in the newly poured sidewalks with each displaying different Chinese plants and historical information about what was once in the Portland Chinatown neighborhood. Each plaque is a lovely piece of urban art. But the markers also serve as eerie reminders of the community cost that is paid for decades of bad urban planning decisions as these plaques lay like headstones in a graveyard. 

A new apartment building being constructed in 2017 near the Chinatown gate in Portland.

Photos by Marie Wong

dust and noise pollution along with construction disruption. It is doubtful that residents will willingly endure this for over a decade.

What is most shocking and ironic is that some of the historic projects have happened after the city’s adoption of the Racial Equity Toolkit (RET) in2009 that was intended to bring social justice to and a voice for neighborhoods that historically had not been given fair representation in urban decisions.

Sound Transit is charged to include this element in the DEIS, and they have acknowledged it, but there is nothing that shows that RET was included in a thoughtful and careful application in route selection. Conducting meetings to tell the community what will happen is a far cry from listening and working with the community’s participation. In the 1960s, activists and planners had already adopted the importance of “self-determination,” which meant that the community was an integral active participant in making decisions regarding their own future. Contemporary urban planning must acknowledge and act with this as the beginning premise since it is a fact that no one knows a neighborhood as well as the people who live and work there.

Chinatowns all across the United States are the neighborhoods that are seeing the most gentrification, redevelopment, and highest percentage increase of escalating rents in American cities. These Asian American communities are also losing the quality of what it is to be a “living” neighborhood of residents and businesses that are integrally woven with the community’s Asian American heritage, and with supportive social service agencies that act as a welcoming place for new immigrants. Seattle still has these, and it is worth making a stand to keep them rather than run the risk of losing the entire neighborhood,

Festival Market Street Chinese palms with the House of Louie in the left foreground and the Oregon CCBA building in the middle of the block.

Marie Wong is a professor emerita of urban planning and Asian American community development with Seattle University.

16

asianweekly northwest

AUGUST 6 – AUGUST 12, 2022

40 YEARS