20 minute read
see KUNG FU on
“I wanted to do anything to help keep the business afloat,” said Smith. “It became a question of, ‘How many people can I get through the door as soon as possible?’”
The club
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Chon, a South Seattle native, got into a lot of trouble growing up. But he credits martial arts with saving and shaping who he was as a young man.
“Fighting taught me to stand on my own,” said Chon. “I learned that I could do hard things and be trusted to do hard things.”
Named after his Chinese name, JunHong, Chon opened his namesake business in 2009. Originally situated in Beacon Hill, JunHong’s currently calls Seward Park its home. The club offers many martial arts disciplines including Chinese kickboxing, tai chi, and wushu, and currently serves around 40 kids and 20 teens and adults across their programs.
The club’s affordability is a huge appeal to new students. Keeping classes accessible, said Chon, is central to his club’s mission. JunHong’s school programs are about a third of the cost—$100 a month—of other similar programming in the area. Just as important is creating a haven where students from all backgrounds and sexualities can be themselves and feel empowered to learn and grow in his space.
“I get a lot of negative feedback from other teachers and masters for how I run my business,” said Chon.
“But I don’t focus on finances. Community comes first—kids growing first, and safety first. This is a safe space to occupy, and I always put that first before making money.”
Smith has also seen how this mindset has positively impacted students.
“What really made students soar and excel was when we invested in the community,” said Smith.
“That’s when we really saw people not only flourish with their personal development, but also their skills, abilities, and even winning tournaments.”
However, despite their best efforts, it became clear that the club wouldn’t make it by November. Chon knew he might be close to throwing in the towel.
Master Jeffrey Chon, left, with students
Photo provided by Jeffrey Chon
Asking for community help
But he wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Chon’s partner, Nicole DeFuria, launched a GoFundMe campaign on Aug. 24 to spread the word and ask for donations. A donation goal of $8,000 was set to address the back rent that Chon owed.
Although DeFuria and Chon both shared the campaign online, Chon didn’t expect much response. But his community came through quickly. Within days, they met their first campaign goal.
Moved and encouraged by the response, DeFuria set a second goal of an additional $3,000 to go towards their September rent and to support the club’s staff. Again, donations flowed in, and they quickly met their extra goal. As of this writing, their campaign currently has $14,340—more than $3,000 over their original total goal.
The campaign brought an outpouring of love and support from his community both near and far.
Some of the donors were previous students who trained under Chon, but who have since moved away yet continue to promote his school. Other donors included people on the USA team—of which Chon serves as coach—who donated and also shared the campaign online. Rounding out the donations were Chon’s local community, comprised of club families and neighborhood allies.
“The community really came in clutch, and I’m so thankful and appreciative of that,” said Chon.
A second chance
With the financial burden lifted, Chon’s excited for what’s to come.
The club sent seven students to try out for the USA National team. Each student made the team, and they’ll head to the Worlds competition next year. He’s also looking forward to updating the school’s facilities including new mats and a punching bag.
“I feel a lot of confidence,” said Chon about the positive response from his donation campaign.
“This whole experience has been really validating to me — that everyone believes in and supports this place and what we do.”
For more information, visit junhongkungfu.com.
Vivian Nguyen can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
KIM from 3
“Maybe you’re not a political person, maybe you’re not paying attention to the news, but you like a certain kind of music, and maybe you don’t even know what the musician looks like, but you hear it, and you kind of figure out like, oh, this is a musician of a different race, and that opens your eyes to something, or it means you go to a concert with people that don’t look like you,” she said.
She also referred to a history of Black musicians traveling in the South and refusing to perform at concerts that were not integrated.
“So there’s a whole intersection of music and particularly the civil rights movement,” she said.
During her college years, Kim was president of the Asian American association and led many student initiatives for issues such as environmental justice, affordable higher education, and voter registration.
“There was a lot of organizing around affirmative action policies,” she said. “And working with other groups.”
But the origins of her advocacy go back further.
Kim herself plays a number of instruments, including the violin and the guitar.
And her early experiences, when she attended her mother’s Korean language, culture, and history school for eight years, in addition to mainstream schooling, shaped her.
Her mother, who had immigrated from Korea in the 1970s to go to graduate school, became a professor of education at a number of schools in the Midwest. As Kim was growing up, she was pressed into service to help at the school her mother founded on the side.
“You should have seen how many packets of materials I collated,” she said.
Her father, who was a psychiatrist, also provided role modeling of advocacy.
“This was decades ago, and he had to not only practice psychiatry but advocate for it,” she said.
After college, she continued to organize and advocate, eventually helping to oversee the field organizing programs for the campaigns of U.S. Senator Cory Booker and President Joe Biden.
As the first Asian American woman in her position, she also feels it is essential to set an imprimatur on public service for new immigrants.
“Seeing people in elected office that look like you, the message is, you can do that, too,” she said. “When you don’t see yourself represented in an institution, you think it’s not for you. You think either they can’t do anything for you, or your voices don’t matter to it.”
At the same time, it is important not to let the monolithic bloc definition of being an Asian American obscure the singularities of one’s own culture.
“Being an Asian American is a powerful thing, but the important thing to realize is that Asian Americans are diverse in and of themselves, we are not a monolith. There may be some commonalities in the way we experience America and the way people perceive us. However, there is a lot of cultural diversity within the community,” she said.
Nor is it important to neglect the power that cohesion brings.
“Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups (THE fastest group in the last decade), and we would not have the political power we have today without coming together,” she wrote.
Kim was not averse to spending time talking about how the Asian American movement was born, both in academic protests, and on the fields of labor in California and other places, and how it became intertwined with the civil rights movement and Black power—a topic fairly widely known in this community.
Among others, she mentioned a Japanese American civil rights activist, Yuri Kochiyama, a follower of Malcolm X, who was beside him when he was assassinated.
Even though the interview was barely 30 minutes, and more than half of it took place in a crowded lobby with throngs of people talking and cavorting nearby, her leadership style seemed at times to show through.
When asked if she would take one more question when the time was almost up, she graciously agreed.
But then, the reporter stumbled for a few moments, trying to frame a question, and finally gave up, saying, “It’s the last question, would you think of any question you’d like to answer?”
In response, Kim sounded almost like a cajoling sister (she has a younger and an older brother).
“You’re the reporter, you think of a question,” she said good naturedly.
Finally, she suggested sending a follow-up email.
When asked, in the email, further questions about Asian American identity, she answered them, and then seemed to fall into mentoring mode again.
“Regarding the topic of Asian American history,” she wrote. “Not sure if you have a particular beat at the Northwest Asian Weekly, but I would recommend that someone in your line of work do some reading up on Asian American history. Helen Zia, Ronald Takaki, and Erika Lee all have good books.”
Mahlon can be contacted at info@nwasianweekly.com.
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Predictions and advice for the week of September 17–September 23, 2022
By Sun Lee Chang
Rat—Before you dive into a new project, take the time to ensure you have what you need to finish it. Dragon—To your credit, you have made the first step. However, it is crucial that you complete the necessary follow up. Monkey—It’s taken a lot for you to reach this point. The only place to go is onward and upward from here.
Ox—If you are trying to make significant progress, then assertiveness should push things along quicker. Snake—Something that has long been dormant has awoken within you. Use this newfound insight to your benefit. Rooster—Are you unsure of two very different paths to follow? Favor the one that is most likely to benefit you.
Tiger—You must decide between two conflicting priorities. It is advisable to choose the route of least regret. Horse—The tide is finally turning your way and, assuming you are ready, should take you in the desired direction.
Rabbit—Increase your chances of success by being proactive rather than waiting for something good to happen to you. Goat—Something you meant to go back to is beckoning you now. There’s no time like the present to resolve loose ends. Dog—While excitement has its place, you would far prefer the solace of what you are familiar with.
Pig—Avoid making a rash move in the heat of the moment. Wait until things settle a bit before proceeding.
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.
see TAIWAN from 4
Taiwan will not back down.”
Murphy replied that Congress “should advocate for greater Taiwanese participation in international organizations.”
“Taiwan has shown itself to be a responsible member of the international community, especially in public health issues, and it deserves to participate in international fora when appropriate,” she said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China “strongly rejects and deplores” the congressional visit, saying it violates the U.S. commitment to the “oneChina policy” that forbids formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
“We will continue to take strong measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Mao said at a daily briefing.
Under the U.S. system of separation of powers, the executive branch of government has no legal right to prevent members of Congress from visiting Taiwan. China has repeatedly refused to recognize that principle.
Mao also cautioned Japan not to allow a Taiwanese government official to attend an official funeral for exPrime Minister Shinzo Abe. China strongly protested after Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te paid his respects at Ab’s Tokyo residence following his assassination in July.
“Japan should ... not provide the Taiwan independence force any platforms for political manipulation,” Mao said. Throughout his political career, Abe was a strong supporter of Taiwan, a Japanese colony for 50 years until the end of World War II which maintains close political, economic and social ties with Japan.
Murphy, who was born in Ho Chi Minh City to Vietnamese parents, is among lawmakers who introduced a bill that would allow the U.S. to lend weapons to support Taiwan, similar to a bill that was passed to lend weapons to Ukraine. Last week, the Biden administration approved a $1 billion arms sale to Taiwan.
Murphy also said deepening economic relations with Taiwan was “one of the most important things Congress can do right now,” particularly by pushing for a “high-quality free trade agreement” between the sides. Negotiations are underway between the Biden and Tsai administrations on a trade pact.
The other American lawmakers visiting are Hawaii Democrat Kaiali’i Kahele and Republicans Scott Franklin of Florida, Joe Wilson of South Carolina, Andy Barr of Kentucky, Darrell Issa of California, Claudia Tenney of New York, and Kat Cammack of Florida.
Pelosi was the highest-level member of the U.S. government to visit Taiwan in 25 years. China responded by holding extended military exercises that included firing missiles over the island and sending ships across the midline of the Taiwan Strait, which was long a buffer between the two sides. Some of the missiles landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
China sees high-level foreign visits to the island as interference in its affairs and de facto recognition of Taiwanese sovereignty. China’s recent military drills were seen by some as a rehearsal of future military action against the island, which U.S. military leaders say could come within the next few years.
In Beijing on Sept. 7, Mao said China’s opposition to defense cooperation between Washington and Taipei is “consistent and clear.”
“We will resolutely respond to acts that undermine China’s sovereignty and security and interfere in our internal affairs,” Mao told reporters at a daily briefing, without giving details.
Following Pelosi’s trip, a U.S. senator and another congressional delegation visited Taiwan, as well as officials from Japan and Palau. Governors from Arizona and Indiana made visits with a focus on semiconductors, an industry which Taiwanese companies dominate.
OKINAWA from 11
negotiate with Washington over how to balance the burden of hosting U.S. troops between mainland Japan and the southern island group.
Okinawa, where one of the bloodiest battles in World War II was fought, was under American occupation until it returned to Japan’s control in 1972. Today, a majority of the 50,000 U.S. troops based in Japan under a bilateral security pact and 70% of U.S. military facilities are still in Okinawa, which accounts for only 0.6% of Japanese land.
Because of the U.S. bases, Okinawa struggled with noise, pollution, accidents and crime related to American troops, Tamaki said.
Japan’s government has in recent years shifted the nation’s defense posture to southwestern Japan, Okinawa and its remote islands and is pushing to significantly bolster Japan’s military capability and budget over the next five to 10 years, citing growing threats from China, North Korea and Russia.
Many in Okinawa are worried about the growing deployment of Japanese missile defenses and amphibious capabilities on outer islands that are close to geopolitical hot spots like Taiwan, the self-ruled island that China claims as its own and has threatened to use force to annex it if necessary. Okinawan people fear that they will be the first to be embroiled in a conflict over Taiwan.
The Futenma base relocation plan was developed after the 1995 rape of a Okinawan schoolgirl, in which three U.S. servicemen were convicted. The case reignited local opposition to the U.S. bases. The relocation has been delayed for years due to Okinawa’s resistance as well as environmental and structural issues in the Henoko area, where the new base in supposed to be set up.
A&E from 9
career, family and the weight of the Model Minority Myth. Dr. Anu Taranath offers life tips for anyone traveling to other countries. Writer/ performer/activist Susan Lieu, is best known for her theatrical solo show “140 Lbs: How Beauty Killed My Mother.”
Tony Colinares will strut and swivel through his Elvis tribute. Maritess Zurbano combines stage magic with hypnotism. Dare To Dance, a local organization, celebrates a wide diversity of people who want to dance. They also helped reach out to other dance ensembles, bringing in Eurasia Ensemble and the MMDC Dance Company. Comedian Cindy Su starred recently in “Kiki Funny Mama's Night Out,” backed by SIS Productions.
As for the venue, Hsieh explained, “The Theatre Off Jackson is a lovely theater space right in the heart of Seattle’s Chinatown/International District. SIS Productions has often done projects to attract people to the CID, so that when they attend our event they might support some of the local businesses, and just be reminded that the neighborhood is here.”
Asked about future installments of the show, Hsieh mused that if the pandemic taught us anything, it should be to “live in the moment because anything can change.” But she won’t rule out future installments of the “Talk It Up” in-themoment blend.
“Talk It Up! Inspiring Asian Americans,” runs September 23-24 at the Theater Off Jackson. For showtimes, ticket prices, and other information, visit celebr8women.wordpress.com/events-2/ talk-it-up-inspiring-asian-americans.
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JAPAN from 4
former Economy and Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda were among 17 who accepted church followers as election campaign volunteers.
Abe, a conservative nationalist who was one of Japan’s most influential politicians, recorded a video message last year for the Universal Peace Federation, a church-affiliated group, in which he praised federation co-founder Hak Ja Han Moon, who also heads the Unification Church, for her efforts in promoting traditional family values.
Opposition lawmakers criticized the survey for having excluded Abe because he is deceased. The survey also did not include LDP lawmakers in local assemblies, where church followers are also active in influencing policies, critics say.
The Unification Church was founded in South Korea in 1954 and came to Japan a decade later. It has built close ties with LDP lawmakers over shared interests in conservative causes, including opposing Communism. Abe’’s grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, helped found the church’s political unit in Tokyo in 1968.
Kishida, despite a Cabinet shuffle in August in which he purged seven ministers with acknowledged church links, including Kishi, ended up with more in his new Cabinet.
Support for Kishida’s government has tumbled in recent media surveys, apparently because of party members’ church links and plans for a rare state funeral for Abe.
A family funeral for Abe was held in July at a Tokyo temple, but Kishida wants to hold a state funeral on Sept. 27 at the Budokan martial arts arena with about 6,000 invited guests. The only other state funeral for a former prime minister in recent decades was for Shigeru Yoshida in 1967. It was criticized as having been decided undemocratically and an inappropriate use of taxpayers’ money.
Critics say Kishida’s decision to hold a state funeral for Abe is an attempt to please lawmakers belonging to Abe’s former faction within the governing party to maintain party unity and buttress Kishida’s own grip on power. He has said Abe deserves a state funeral as the longest-serving post-World War II leader and for his diplomatic and economic achievements.
Kishida’s government initially put the funeral cost at 250 million yen ($1.7 million) but recently said it will require at least 1.4 billion yen ($9.7 million) more for security, transportation and hospitality for foreign dignitaries and other guests. Some say the cost could further increase.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING from 4
said after a visit to Phnom Penh last month that people from various Asian countries have been lured into taking jobs in Cambodia but found themselves trapped in virtual slavery and often forced to participate in scams targeting people over the internet.
The scam networks, which often have links to transnational organized crime, are set up in countries with weak law enforcement, attracting educated young workers with promises of high earnings. The workers are then subject to isolation and the threat of violence unless they succeed in cheating victims reached by phone into transferring payments into overseas bank accounts.
Vitit said human trafficking victims exist in a “living hell,” subject to torture and risking death if they try to escape from detention in their closely guarded workplaces. He said Cambodia needs to implement stronger countermeasures and receive deeper international cooperation and support.
SQUID GAME from 7
the top, which was dominated by domestic politics.
“People are getting used to (major awards),” film critic Kim See-moo said. “Bong Joon-ho took home four Oscars for ‘Parasite,’ another one of our actors won an Oscar for ‘Minari’ and then Park Chan-wook won best director at Cannes (for ‘Decision to Leave’). South Koreans no longer think there are any entry barriers for these awards, and they think anyone has a shot at winning if they put in the hard work.”
Kim noted that South Koreans are less familiar with the Emmys than the Oscars, partly because Korean dramas previously didn’t have a large presence in the United States.
“South Korean TV dramas have been huge in Asia for years, especially in markets where people share similar emotional sentiments with South Koreans,” Kim said. “‘Squid Game’ became a broader global hit because it tackled the intense global issue that is inequality, but also took a refreshing approach by telling that story through a brutal and deadly competition of children’s games.”
“As a Korean, I’m very proud of (the drama),” Choi Hyun Sik, a 32-year-old office worker, told The Associated Press. “I once again came to realize how popular ‘Squid Game’ was.” ”(Lee) made an award speech in English but at the end he spoke in Korean and highlighted his fans and people in South Korea, so I was really touched by that,” said Jeong Ye-won, a 22-year-old university student.
Squid Game is a brutal survival drama about desperate adults competing in deadly children’s games for a chance to escape debt. In the drama, Lee stars as the show’s protagonist, Seong Gi-hun, a laid-off autoworker coping with a messy divorce and struggling with constant business failures and gambling problems.
SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 6.
