VOL 41 NO 46 | NOVEMBER 12 – NOVEMBER 18, 2022

The Beacon is back

Massive Monkees’ studio reopens after two years

Asian Americans who made history in the elections

By Samantha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

The Beacon is returning to Seattle. After a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, Seattle-based breakdancing crew Massive Monkees has reopened its studio—marking the occasion with a grand

reopening event on Nov. 5. The celebration included breaking workshops for all ages and levels, a oneon-one battle, an open styles cypher, and more.

Like many businesses, The Beacon—which first opened in 2013—closed in 2020 as a result of the see THE BEACON on 12

SEATTLE — It appears that King County will get a new prosecutor.

Leesa Manion leads in the race with 56% of the vote after initial returns.

Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell is trailing with 44% of the vote. With 27 years of experience as Deputy Pros ecutor, Manion would be the first woman and person of color to serve as King County Prosecutor.

As of 8:30 p.m.on Nov. 8, here are the top AAPI

From left: b-boys Ronnie, Kig Guppy, Scout and Dann Vital at The Beacon.

Photo pfovided by Massive Monkees

Thanedar, Congressman-elect, Michigan

Leesa Manion

Steve Hobbs

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS

NWFF announces Derek Edamura as Interim Executive Director

Obama in 2016. She was a National Planning Commit tee member for the Minido ka National Internment Site, which recognizes the U.S. government’s unjust incar ceration of 120,000 Amer icans of Japanese descent during WWII, including her entire family. 

Jackson Street columns repainted

Ro will direct the associa tion’s activities on behalf of nearly 900,000 Washington state members.

“Assuring that older adults and their families have the support and resources they need is part of how we ac knowledge and honor the con tributions of older adults,” said Ro.

Ro is a native Washingtonian. Before joining AARP, she served as the Chief of the Assessment, Policy Devel opment, and Evaluation unit and Director of the Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention section of Public Health–Seattle & King County. In 2018, she received the Public Health Leadership Award from the Washington State Pub lic Health Association.

Northwest Film Forum (NWFF) announced on Nov. 8 that former Education Director Derek Edamura has been appointed as its new Interim Executive Director. Edamura joins the Forum’s collaborative leadership team of Managing Director Christopher Day and Artistic Director Rana San to share in overseeing the strategic direction and vision of the organization.

Edamura joined NWFF as Education Director in July 2021. Over the previous 13 years, he had worked as a documentary editor, teaching artist, and community organizer for various corporate clients, nonprofits, independent films, and local government agencies. During his tenure as Education Director, Edamura oversaw the reinstatement of all of the Forum’s educational programs after their 18-month pandemic closure. 

Takekawa wins 2022 Humanities Washington Award

Beth Takekawa, who recently retired as the executive director of the Wing Luke Museum, is one of the winners of the 2022 Humanities Washington Award. In addition to serving on the board of trustees of Hu manities Washington, she is a member of the National Mu seum and Library Services Board, nominated by President

Those columns on Jackson Street in the Chinatown-Inter national district recently got a facelift.

The original column painting project was initiated by the CID activist architect Dennis Su back in 1998 and imple mented with funding through InterIm. The current repainting was organized by Urban Artworks and done by volunteers from the community.

Ro named AARP Washington’s new state director

AARP Washington announced on Nov. 3 that Margue rite Ro has been selected as its new state director. She suc ceeds Doug Shadel, who is retiring after more than 30 years with the association.

Gene Luen Yang wins 2023 NSK Neustadt Prize

Gene Luen Yang was named the winner of the 2023 NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature last month by World Literature To day magazine. He is the first graphic novelist to win the presti gious prize.

Trung Le Nguyen, an award-winning comics writer and artist, nominated Yang and chose “American Born Chinese” as the representative text for the jury to read.

“American Born Chinese” deftly handles issues of immi gration [and] internalized racism as if believing in the capaci ty for very young readers to synthesize disparate and compli cated modes of written communication,” Nguyen wrote in his nominating statement.

A blue-ribbon jury selects the finalists and the winner based solely on literary merit, as well as the importance of the writer’s contribution to children’s and young adult literature. NSK winners are awarded $35,000, a silver medallion, and a certificate of recognition. 

From left: Artistic Director Rana San, Managing Director Christo pher Day, and Interim Executive Director Derek Edamura at the NWFF gala in September.

Beth Takekawa

Marguerite Ro

Gene Luen Yang

Provided by NWFF

Credit: Urban Artworks

Anand Giridharadas book puts women of color first and foremost as effective persuaders

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

An Oct. 26 town hall featuring journalist Anand Giridharadas in Seattle and his latest book, “The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy,” was met with enthusiasm, and enthralled an audience that was not ready to let him go, maybe ever.

Time ran over and both Giridharadas and the host, Naomi Ishisaka, pleaded jokingly with Town Hall to ask, “Just one more question?” “Two more questions?”

They succeeded, and edged in a rapid fire, “Are you going to run for president?”

Answer: “No. “Is Trump coming back?

Answer: “I think he probably will attempt to.”

Giridharadas called Trump-discrediting efforts on the part of the Left “detours”: “Investigation is a detour. Praying for these indictments—detour…Dunking on him—detour.” For Giridharadas, all of this is a delay when the country should not be sitting around waiting for Trump to run again.

“The only work we have to do is to build a movement that is bigger, better, feistier, more magnanimous, and open hearted, more strategic, more fun, more exuberant, more transcendent, than what they built.

Everything else is a distraction.”

According to Giridharadas, it’s women of color who happen to be quite good at building this movement, and he features several in his book, about a third of which he says is about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), including never-before-published interviews. Giridhiradas believes many Democrats are not getting it right in terms of “persuading” voters to buy into their causes or candidates.

“The dominant approach to persuasion in the Democratic Party is persuasion through dilution,” Giridharadas stated, and every chef knows, he kidded (but not really), that adding water doesn’t make anything taste better. Take healthcare, a topic of great interest throughout the

evening. And Barack Obama, who in Giridharadas’ view started with “a bold, noble ideal” that “everybody should have healthcare,” but then, in order to reach people, especially “white working class people,” this ideal became “diluted.” All this achieved, Giridharadas believes, is that those white voters still think people on the Left are Communists, meanwhile the Left’s own constituents are sad because “you have not done what they asked you to do.”

In an effort to relieve his own despair and outrage towards “the increasingly authoritarian and fascistic Right,” Giridharadas set out to interview activists such as AOC that he feels know how to “turn a thing against itself” rather than resist only. What does that mean? It combines characteristics Giridharadas has observed in the Left. One, that the Left often takes the “high road”—it will not stoop, so to speak, to dirty tactics. Two, that the Left seems to have already “written off” fellow citizens as “unreachable, unchangeable, they’re MAGA-heads, they’re anti-vaxxers, they’re…stuck in their white privilege… They’re never going to change,” so the only approach the Left uses is to “resist them, organize around them, mobilize our side, rally the faithful…circle the wagons. Not grow the circle because the circle can’t be grown.”

These qualities in the Democratic Party have been ineffective, in Giridharadas’

Patrick Fu CHPW Medicare Expert

Town Hall host Naomi Ishisaka (right) and Anand Giridharadas

Photo by Kai Curry

The Seattle Macarthur Fellow who teaches common sense to computers

By Hannah Weinberger / Crosscut.com REPUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION

How might one feel when they win a MacArthur award?

Proud. Happy. Accomplished. Excited. Good. Might want to celebrate with family and friends.

That’s according to COMET, an experimental text-based artificial intelligence web application, when asked to think about the context behind the statement “[Person] wins a MacArthur award.” Dr. Yejin Choi nods knowingly at the application’s output on her shared Zoo screen: The program generates common-sense assumptions based on simple statements. She demonstrated the program, which stands for COMmonsEnse Transformers, for Crosscut on Oct. 19, a week after being announced by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as one of 25 MacArthur Fellows.

Choi, a professor in the University of Washington’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, received the designation and an $800,000 “genius grant” for her groundbreaking work in natural language processing. The subfield of artificial intelligence explores technologies’ ability to understand and respond to human language.

Natural language processing research impacts all of us, whether or not we interact with artificial intelligence directly. Every time we ask a smart device like Siri or Alexa to remind us to buy milk, woozily type an early-morning text relying on AutoCorrect’s help or allow Google to autocomplete our search queries, we’re asking artificial intelligence programs to analyze our voices and keystrokes and correctly interpret our requests. And increasingly, this technology is key

to global business strategy, involved in everything from supply chain management to healthcare.

But computers still take our requests literally, without understanding the “why”s behind our questions. The processors behind AI assistants don’t inherently understand ethics or social norms, slang or context.

“Human language, regardless of which country’s language, is fascinatingly ambiguous,” Choi said. “When people say, ‘Can you pass me the salt bottle?’, I’m not asking you whether you’re capable of doing so, right? So there’s a lot of implied meanings.”

At worst, creating AI algorithms

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based on content scraped from the internet can riddle them with racism and misogyny. That means they can be not only unhelpful at times, but also actively harmful.

Choi works at the vanguard of research meant to give artificial intelligence programs the context they need to figure out what we really mean and answer us in ways that are both accurate and ethical.

In addition to COMET, she helped develop Grover, an AI “fake news” detector, and Ask Delphi, an AI advice generator that judges whether certain courses of action or statements are moral, based on what it’s processed from online advice communities.

Crosscut recently caught up with Choi

to talk about her MacArthur honor, demo some of her research projects and discuss the responsibility she feels to help AI develop ethically. This conversation has been condensed and lightly edited for length and clarity.

CROSSCUT: How did you feel when you found out that you’d won this award?

Choi: I came a long way, is one way to put it. I consider myself as more of a late bloomer: a bit weird and working on risky projects that may or may not be promising, but certainly adventurous.

The reason why I chose to work on it wasn’t necessarily because I anticipated an award like this in the end, but rather that I felt that I’m kind of nobody, and if I try something risky and fail, nobody will notice. Even if I fail, maybe we will learn something from that experience. I felt that that way, I can contribute better to the community than [by] working on what other, smarter people can do.

What first attracted you to AI research, especially the risky aspects you’ve mentioned?

I wanted to study computer programs that can understand language. I was attracted to language and intelligence broadly, and the role of language for human intelligence. We use language to learn, we use language to communicate, we use language to create new things. We conceptualize verbally and that was fascinating for me, perhaps because I wasn’t very good with language growing up. Now my job requires me to write a lot and speak a lot, so I became much better at it.

I had a hunch that intelligence is really

see MACARTHUR FELLOW on 14

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Dr. Yejin Choi, a computer scientist from University of Washington, is a MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, seen here outside the Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering building on Oct. 20.

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Kin On in Seattle takes pride in its offering of culturally sensitive senior care, which includes Asian meals and bilingual staff. Ketty Hsieh, who took over as CEO in June 2022, was happy to leave corporate America to join Kin On.

“It was the right place at the right time. I was already on the board…I knew about the mission. It has a great reputation in the community, a lot of community support, and then, they’re so close to home!”

It is fortuitous when your workplace aligns with your values and background, and is also just a mile or so from your home in the Seward Park neighborhood, where Hsieh and her family have lived for about 20 years. Hsieh came to Seattle in 2001 with her husband, a software developer for Expedia, and they moved into their current house in 2002. Both of her daughters attended Washington Middle School, where her youngest is now, while the oldest has since graduated from Garfield High School and gone on to school in Los Angeles.

“Interestingly, first, she wanted to study sociology and public health,” Hsieh told us of her oldest. “Now, she wants to double major in economics. I’m laughing at her: ‘You’re just following in your mom’s footsteps!’ She’s very interested in public health. I don’t know why. Maybe I talked too much at the dinner table,” Hsieh laughed.

Most of Hsieh’s career has been in finance and transportation, although the past 13 years she has spent in healthcare, in both the acute and outpatient areas. She was with Washington Mutual when they were seized by the United States Office of Thrift Supervision in 2008—or “until the bitter end,” as she describes it, and this experience taught her how to lead in times of crisis.

Born in Taiwan, Hsieh’s family moved to

Hong Kong when she was a child.

“I say that I grew up in Hong Kong, especially during my formative years,” Hsieh told the Weekly. When she was almost 17 years old, her family immigrated to Toronto, Canada. After coming to the United States to attend graduate school at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, Hsieh stayed. She met her husband, a first generation Norwegian, who also came to the United States to study.

“Here in Seattle, all the people say, ‘I’m a Norwegian, too,’…he actually came here for grad school.”

Although she speaks both Mandarin and Cantonese, and always supposed she would find a job related to her cultural roots, it never quite happened, except for a brief period when she worked for American Airlines in Dallas, her first big professional gig.

“That’s a unique skillset I could apply to my professional life,” Hsieh realized.

Her last position prior to Kin On was with OPTUM as vice president of finance. After a full career in Fortune 500 companies that also included Greyhound and Alaska Airlines, as well as Providence and Kaiser in healthcare, when the opening for Kin On CEO came up, Hsieh was ready to do “something tied more to my heritage,” as well as something more meaningful.

She was also drawn to the chance to work with seniors, with her own mother living alone back in Taiwan, now that Hsieh’s father has passed away.

“Even if they don’t live in this country, I can relate to the challenges of having to care for older parents, or making sure that your older parents are in a place where they are receiving great care.”

Hsieh is confident that, at Kin On, great care is exactly what their residents and home care participants receive. She is proud of the “full spectrum” of care that Kin On offers, from home care to assisted living to long-term care. Recently, she recommended Kin On to an acquaintance who was looking for a place for his mother to stay.

“I can truly tell him that his mother will be well taken care of in a facility, or at home in a facility, where it’s culturally…appropriate and that she’ll feel comfortable,” Hsieh said.

She is especially excited about the Healthy Living program at Kin On. Very active and health-conscious herself— she and her husband run, ski, bike, and hike together—Hsieh is adamant that “healthcare starts with health, and that Kin On’s Healthy Living program gives people “the tools and opportunities to stay healthy.” These community-based programs help seniors stay healthy by way of seminars and classes offered online, as hybrid activities, and in person. Examples might be a session on fire safety from the Fire Department during the summer, or repeat offerings from Kin On’s own onsite doctor, who is “also very passionate about

this.” There are dance classes, qigong, ping pong, and mahjong, all of which offer seniors a chance to socialize.

Kin On’s meals, as one of their most distinctive features, derive from Asian recipes, the appropriateness of which Hsieh feels she can relate to more and more as she gets older.

“I don’t want to go and have really fancy meals, like a French restaurant or whatever,” she told the Weekly. Instead, she wants to have homestyle cooking.

“I think about my own mother…It would be fun for her to eat a salad or a pizza or a hamburger once in a while…but not every day…She would not be happy.” To prove this point, Hsieh’s own favorite restaurant is Din Tai Fung, “because it’s home.” The original restaurant in Taiwan is less than a 30-minute walk from where her mother lives now. “It’s comfort food for me.”

Hsieh loves the diversity of Seattle and especially of her neighborhood and the zip code which is the most diverse in terms of race and socioeconomic status in the entire nation. She recalls that sometimes being in Dallas, and being one half of a multiracial couple, with mixed race kids, was challenging; whereas now, she and her family are surrounded by diversity.

“When my kids went to the neighborhood elementary school, we would go to this amazing heritage night…There were like 37 different languages spoken [and] families from all these different countries. It was truly amazing. I think that’s what we like about Seattle…We feel very comfortable here.”

“Honestly, this position, even five years earlier, I probably would not have made the jump,” Hsieh shared. “I wasn’t done with corporate America yet. This move makes sense for me.” 

Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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Two men arrested following CID restaurant shooting

Police are attempting to untangle a chaotic scene that left two men injured following a fight inside a ChinatownInternational District (CID) restaurant.

At 12:30 a.m. on Nov. 5, witnesses called police to a restaurant in the 200 block of South King Street. When officers arrived, witnesses told them that two women had been arguing over an ex-boyfriend and perceived slight when a man started shooting.

Police reviewed the surveillance video which captured the following:

The video shows Woman 1 approach Woman 2 while

she is sitting at the bar. Woman 1 then assaults Woman 2, which caused a physical fight. Man 2 and Man 1 approach the two female subjects when Man 1 assaults Woman 2 from behind. Man 2 then gets in a physical altercation with Man 1. At some point in the video, Man 2 and Man 1 are separated and Man 2 appears to pull a knife out of his pocket. Man 2 assaults Man 1 from behind with what appeared to be stabbing motions to Man 1’s back. A bystander then takes Man 2 to the ground and holds him down there.

Man 3 appears with his firearm towards Man 2 who had

the knife at the time.

While Man 2 was being held down on the ground, Man 1 approaches Man 2 and while Man 2 was lying on the ground, Man 1 shoots Man 2. Man 1 then approaches Man 3 while he was exiting the building. Then Man 3 shoots at Man 1.

Police arrested Man 1 and Man 2 and will book them into King County Jail once they are treated and released from Harborview Medical Center. Man 3 had a valid Concealed Carry Permit and was not arrested but his firearm was taken as evidence while the investigation continues. 

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The Layup Drill

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Welcome to another edition of The Layup Drill. In this edition, we take a look at Filipino Night at an NHL game, two Seattle designers who created Kraken jerseys, an MLB Rookie winning an award, a Filipino family of triathletes, and an NBA player experiencing struggles.

NHL team hosts Filipino Heritage Night

The Winnipeg Jets are hosting a Filipino Heritage Night in November at a game versus the Dallas Stars. Notably, the Stars’ have Filipino American Jason Robertson on the team. The Jets collaborated with a Filipino Canadian graphic designer, Jonato Dalayoan, and Marc Gomez. The logo design includes the eight-ray golden sun surrounding the Jets roundel. The sun is a prominent symbol on the Filipino flag and within the culture. Three stars within the circle, also found on the flag, represent the three major island groups of the Philippines—Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The three colors of the Filipino flag are overlaid on the jet reflecting the integration of Filipino heritage into Canadian culture.

The logo will be featured on the team’s warm up jerseys and then will be auctioned off following the game in support of Filipino youth initiatives in the community.

In an interview with hockey media, Dalayoan said he drew inspiration from tattoos, textiles, and tribal patterns when making the logo. Dalayoan said, “I don’t want people to think it’s just for Filipino people. I wanted it to be cool enough that everybody would wear it.” Merchandise with the logo will be sold on the Jets’ website.

In a 2021 census survey, Canadian Filipinos made up over 2.5% of the overall Canadian population and numbering over 957,000 across Canada.

Seattle artists design Kraken jerseys for specialty nights

Two local Seattle artists were chosen to create designs for jerseys for the NHL’s Seattle Kraken this season. Monyee Chau and Erin Wallace designed jerseys that the players will wear for warmups for upcoming home games. Chau designed the jersey for Lunar New Year Night on Jan. 21, 2023.

Wallace designed the jersey for Women in Hockey Night on March 7, 2023.

Wallace is a first-generation Chinese American artist living in Seattle. She has worked on projects with Amazon, Target, and Starbucks.

Also of Chinese descent, Chau is an artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Cornish. Through their art, they explore

the intersection between being queer and Taiwanese/Chinese. They have exhibited in spaces local and internationally

including the Wing Luke Museum, Bellevue Arts Museum, SOIL gallery, Museum of Northwest Art, and California

College of Arts and Crafts.

Stephen Kwan earns Gold Glove

Cleveland Guardians left fielder Stephen see LAYUP DRILL on 16

Winnipeg Jets logo for Filipino Heritage Night

“BLOCKBUSTER” TV show

nostalgic about movie rental era

if you remember it

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Netflix released its new com edy TV series, “Blockbuster,” on Nov 3. It was ranked num ber seven in TV shows on the streaming service over its re lease weekend—although I’d attribute a lot of that to newness. Everybody tries out everything on Netflix at least once, I’d say. Not sure how many tries the audience will give “Blockbust er”—based on the real story of the last Blockbuster store in the world—but it does offer a glimpse into that movie rental culture and has some laughs. You might be a little confused at first (or more than once) as to which retail sitcom you’re watching. I was convinced Melissa Fumero was in “Superstore” until I remembered it’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” The humor is akin to “Superstore,” and Fumero’s character, Eliza, has a similar vibe as America Ferrera, and a parallel relationship with the

boss, Timmy, played by Randall Park, that Ferrera’s character has with Glen in “Superstore.” (Or that Amy, the good girl, has with Jake, the goof, in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” wow, I’m all mixed up!)

In both cases, the boss is the floundering guy with a good heart and the woman, here Fumero, plays his stoic sidekick. There’s an additional romantic angle in “Blockbuster,” but other parts ring familiar bells, too, such as Carlos (Tyler Alvarez), who might remind you of “Superstore’s” Jonah. Both also represent Latin culture, as does Olga Meridez as Connie, who introduces everyone to Dia de los Muertos by putting up a shrine in the store, cuz that happens. Rules are off here in a world where the last Blockbuster store is trying to stay afloat, whatever it takes.

None of this is to say any of the above is a problem. If you like “Superstore” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” which I actually do, then “Blockbuster” might appeal. For me, it’s an appeal that

doesn’t mean I’m going to binge on it, but means I will tune in for a light watch now and again and the occasional giggle. Park is very funny as just another corporate cog turned small business owner overnight— yet I have to say again that his delivery echoes another character—him in “Always Be My Maybe,” right down to being the “guy who can’t get over high school.” Which is also fine. Park was adorable in that movie and he’s cute and funny now, too, with the way he scrunches up his face after he just made a joke about something he’s actually sad about.

The real Blockbuster chain started in the mid-1980s and had thousands of stores by the 2000s, not just in the United States but around the world. When Netflix got the idea of mailing people movies (bet you haven’t thought of that for a while! Or never!), Blockbuster tried to compete, but couldn’t separate from the way people thought of it, and

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

What do you do to make up for the loss of a three-year lockdown without dining much in restaurants?

In the name of family reunions, I ventured out to enjoy nine incredible meals in the past few weeks at six different restaurants. What would be the best eateries to treat our relatives visiting from afar to avoid the usual boiled free-range chicken with ginger sauce, walnut prawns, and stir-fried vegetables?

“Alaska King Crab!” said my husband.

“Great idea. I’ll tell the restaurant to order it,” I responded. “But the news said the red king crab is hard to find.”

The Ho Ho Restaurant owner said, “Don’t know if we can find it since the pandemic has shut down most of the Alaska fishermen’s business. Then, the Ukraine War has sanctioned Russian’s export to the U.S.”

“Just get it,” I said firmly with a smile. “We want our relatives to have a memorable meal.”

I had no clue the war was a factor. I should have known that the red king crab is found between the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. The giant crab can grow over five feet long and weigh as much as 28 pounds. It is the largest species of king crab.

Never mind what the news said. When we arrived, Ho Ho Restaurant showed us a live red crab with its claws stretching out, ready to strike on the holder. I found one the other day at Uwajimaya, too.

We were delighted. I had not eaten that crab in four years. The giant crab would be too much for three people. But our family reunion was attended

by big eaters.

We had a small debate about how to cook the real thing. Finally, we decided that the crab would be big enough to be cooked into three separate entrees. It was so gigantic that it was enough to feed eight people, including five hungry men (my nephews, son, and husband).

The first dish was steamed crab with garlic and noodles under the crab meat. The noodles absorbed all the juices from the crab and the juices were great for my palate. The second one was cream sauce with crab, and the third one was crab fried rice. The crab fried rice was a hit.

The surprise was, my grand nephews refused to eat the crab. The 4-year-old took one perplexed glance at the crab served on the table. When the crab meat was chopsticked out from the shell on his plate, he shook his head, “I don’t want it.” The 2-year-old followed his brother’s example. Their junk food, mini crackers, were perceived as more yummy. When will they find out what they had missed on that night? I wondered.

Then, there was my brother and sister-in-law from Texas who visited me two weeks ago. It didn’t matter how many times he had visited Seattle and how many restaurants I took him to, he doesn’t remember any of them except one. He is so fond of Mike’s Noodle House that he wouldn’t leave Seattle without eating there.

“The wonton noodle restaurant next to your office, the noodles taste great,” he said.

Vivienne’s Bistro

Letter commenting on the aftermath of County and City shelter plans

By Patricia Fong

People power pre vailed and a blatant assault on the Seattle Chinatown-Interna tional District (CID) by King County and the City of Seattle was successfully rebuffed—for now.

In the aftermath of such government dis crimination, I’d like to offer thoughts for fu ture protections of our community.

First, ‘We are not your solution and we won’t let you make us part of your problem!’ would be a good rallying slogan in the face of anticipated future onslaughts by City, County or private low income housing developers.

The CID needs to incorporate a legal body with officers and community members-at

large. Businesses incorporate in anticipation of pitfalls and risks—why shouldn’t the CID do likewise?

The goal is to be legally recognized, in cluded, interacted and partnered with, on equal footing with any City, County or other legal entities.

The CID and Little Saigon need to be im mediately designated as a ‘drug-free’ zone from boundary to boundary. There is also a school in Little Saigon which must, if not al ready, have that designation.

The CID and Little Saigon need to crack down on graffiti and landlords who do not take responsibility for property maintenance (this includes garbage and planting areas).

A history and art mural project could be a positive way to combat graffiti and urban blight. Tucson, Arizona has a very success ful mural program which is meant to prevent

■ NATIONAL NEWS

tagging, beautify blighted areas (or prevent blight), give local artists a canvas to express themselves and build and strengthen the cul tural life of a community.

Promoting and strengthening small busi ness particularly Asian American small busi ness must be an immediate priority. Small independent businesses in the CID are a won derful example of the so-called ’American Dream.’ Financial assistance is imperative.

The City is expanding homeless outreach teams. The CID must petition the City for its own homeless outreach team. I have heard of the acts of compassion by community members and while humane, nonetheless, compassion notwithstanding, the CID must be firm and not allow the community to, by default, become a de facto repository for any government or private entity’s perennial problems. The CID is not a dump!

The City’s DESC Navigation Center must immediately be declared and administered as a drug-free facility. The well-documented drug- and theft ring/crime-related blight that evolved around the Center—specifically 12th and Jackson—shows the consequences to our community of poorly conceived and mis managed homeless services. Harm reduction and drugs reported at the Center do not be long in or near a residential/business commu nity. We must insist on this immediately.

Last but not least, huge props to Tanya Woo for her inspiration to the CID commu nity and her brave persistence in the face of bureaucratic adversity! People power—rec ognizing, honoring and mobilizing it—is al ways compelling and arouses public interest, awareness and sympathy and should always be considered an effective part of community advocates and activists’ resources.

Hate crime charges filed for assault on Asian American

CINCINNATI (AP) — An Ohio man has been charged with a federal hate crime in connection with an alleged assault on an Asian American student at the University of Cincinnati last year.

Darrin Johnson, 26, of Cincinnati was arrested on Nov. 3 following his indictment by a federal grand jury, the U.S. attorney’s office in the southern district of Ohio said in a news release.

The victim was preparing to go for a run on a campus

street in August 2021 when Johnson began yelling racial comments and threats at him, federal prosecutors said. Referring to COVID-19, he yelled, “Go back to your country. . You brought the kung flu here. . You’re going to die for bringing it,” prosecutors said.

The indictment alleges that Johnson then punched the victim on the side of the head, causing him to fall and hit his head on the bumper of a parked car. The victim had a minor concussion and cuts to his face, prosecutors said.

Arrested in a parking lot near a recreation center, Johnson pleaded guilty in municipal court in October 2021 to misdemeanor assault and criminal intimidation, and was sentenced to nearly a year in a county jail, federal prosecutors said.

An email seeking comment was sent Sunday to the federal public defender representing Johnson on the hate crime charge. 

‘It’s not right’ Players want more from NHL against racism

By JOHN WAWROW AP HOCKEY WRITER

For too long, Matt Dumba felt he was on his own dealing with racial taunts directed at him as a youngster growing up in Saskatchewan.

It was no different for Dumba as an adult, one of just a handful of minority players in the National Hockey League. Even in a circle of his fellow players, the Minnesota defenseman was alone in dropping to one knee on a global stage to silently protest systemic racism.

Some two years since that iconic moment as the league resumed the pandemic-delayed playoffs in Edmonton, Alberta, Dumba has gained some perspective to know he has, in fact, not been alone.

“I’m the first one to say our generation, everything with the phones, social media, it’s not an easy world to live in,” Dumba told The Associated Press during a recent interview before shifting his gaze to the past.

“But back then, segregation and just how people of color were treated, it really gives you a different perspective on things, and just how much they did for us to even be in a position where we can make our impact felt in the present,” he added. “It’s all of us as a collective, everyone pulling on this rope to better the game.”

Dumba is referring to not only his peers, including members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance he helped establish in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020. The 28-year-old player with a Filipino mother and white father is also referring to those who endured many of the same taunts and confronted intolerance since hockey’s earliest days.

He came to this realization while taking part in the filming of the 90-minute documentary titled “Black Ice,” which was released in October.

The movie ties the past to the present by first highlighting the inroads made and struggles encountered by members of

the Nova Scotia-based Coloured Hockey League. Established in the late 1800s and lasting until the 1930s, the league is credited for introducing the slap shot and allowing goalies to leave their feet to make saves but was nearly forgotten until being featured in a book of the same name that was published in 2004.

As for the present, the film documents first-hand experiences in revealing just how marred by hate hockey remains in affecting current players, from the NHL to 16-yearold goalie Mark Connors, the son of mixed-raced parents who faced racial slurs while competing in a tournament in Prince Edward Island in February.

For Dumba, the reality he and others have faced hit home when watching the late Herb Carnegie break down in tears during a television interview in response to Toronto Maple Leafs founder Conn Smythe reportedly saying he’d pay anyone $10,000 if they could turn Carnegie white in order to sign him.

“It’s not right,” Dumba said of Smythe, whose name is on the trophy awarded to each season’s playoff MVP. “People are seeing that. And people are also recognizing now that, really, in a different way, it’s still happening, which is the saddest part of all.”

The NHL is a sport wrangling with issues of diversity and inclusion, with Dumba among those saying the league has been slow to adapt and grow. After being turned down by the NHL for financing two years ago, he said, the HDA launched its own program this spring to bring hockey to under-served communities in Toronto, similar to what Skillz Hockey founder Kirk Brooks has done locally for the past 25 years.

“(The NHL) has been taking about diversity since ’93, but they don’t seem to know what to do with this,“ Brooks says in the film.

Added Dumba: “It just goes back to everything that’s been done for a long, long time in the same fashion. You know, the old boys’ club and them dictating who is and who isn’t welcome. Yeah, I’m sick of it.”

Hockey as a whole has been slow to diversify, though there have been recent signs of progress.

Five years ago, Kim Davis, a Black woman, was hired by the NHL to serve as a senior VP, and she has since helped established the league’s executive inclusion council to focus on improving diversity.

The NHL is in the process of doing an internal race and gender report that is expected to be released soon. Richard Lapchick, director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, is then expected to turn it into a report card as he’s done with other leagues.

Canadian national team forward Sarah Nurse doesn’t need a report card to identify how hockey needs to diversify.

“If we want to see a shift in hockey culture, if we want to see hockey grow, the NHL really needs to take diversity, antiracism and inclusion very, very seriously,” said Nurse, who is Black and whose cousin, Darnell, is an NHL defenseman. “They need to be the leader.”

Too often, she’s watched friends turn their children to play soccer or basketball, rather than hockey.

Expense is a reason, Nurse said, but so is the lack of role models for children of color.

Nurse has emerged as one of those role models. This summer, the Olympic gold medalist posed alongside Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras in becoming the first woman to grace the cover of EA Sports NHL video game.

Dumba grew up idolizing Paul Kariya and Jarome Iginla, who are both of mixed-race descent. He recalled having dinner with HDA colleague Nazem Kadri, a standout NHL forward and the son of Lebanese immigrants. A young boy of color walked by and stopped his parents to have pictures taken with the two.

“You can kind of get a little bit of a glimpse into the impact we’re actually making. That’s what makes it worth it,” Dumba added. “I do believe that’s why we’re all doing this. It’s for that next generation, so they feel that they do have a voice and feel like they’re not alone.”

THE BEACON from 1

COVID-19 pandemic. And as the world began to reopen, the crew regrouped to discuss the possibility of reopening their studio.

"We still wanted to do it," member Hocine Jouini said.

They weren’t the only ones. Jouini said while they were closed, people would approach them on a weekly basis, asking when they were going to reopen. So with this support and demand from the community to bring back the studio, Massive Monkees got to work.

A new, more accessible location

Jouini, alongside fellow crew members Brysen Angeles and Rodericko Francisco, began searching for a new location for The Beacon.

They looked at more than 50 potential locations, but ran into issues such as the rent being too steep, the location being too far from where they wanted to be, or landlords who weren’t in line with Massive Monkees’ mission.

They finally landed on 812 Rainier Avenue South, which had previously been a Chinese antiques store called Explore Decor. Located right along the border of the Little Saigon and Hiawatha neighborhoods, Angeles, who was studio director during its first incarnation, said The Beacon’s new spot is still close to its former Chinatown-International District (CID) location, and very much in the heart of Seattle. In addition, he said with their proximity to freeways, they’re now more accessible.

Jouini added that their previous location on King Street had restrictions such as no designated parking and because they were connected to an apartment building, they had to turn off their music at

certain times. Because of this, the crew knew what they wanted and what they didn’t want for the studio.

The new location doesn’t have these restrictions. It’s about the same size as its former location (roughly 2,500 square feet), but Jouini said the new studio has two rooms, so they can hold two classes simultaneously. And those classes—taught by Massive Monkees crew members, as well as a cadre of “all-star instructors,” according to Jouini—include various styles of dance including breaking, house, whacking, popping and locking, and hip-hop.

There will be classes for all ages and levels, as well as a breaking academy for kids, with different levels so students can grow and progress through the program.

A space for more than just hip-hop

Beyond dance, Massive

Monkees want to create an inclusive and safe space for the community. Angeles said they plan to also hold classes and events such as panel discussions to educate people more about all four elements of hip-hop (which are breakdancing, emceeing, deejaying, and graffiti painting), so people know more about the culture and lifestyle, and its origins.

They started this educating of the community during the grand reopening event by inviting Seattle graffiti artist Sneke One to create pieces on the building to showcase a visual history of Massive Monkees.

In addition, Angeles and Jouini said the crew is opening up their studio to the community so people can rent out the space for their own events (the wall between the two rooms opens to create a larger space).

“It’s everybody’s studio,”

Jouini said. “It’s everybody’s space.”

It takes a village

Since its inception, community has been a big part of the Massive Monkees’ culture. Angeles said as a crew, they might be successful, winning breakdancing battles and titles, but looking back, the thing that has kept them grounded and going has been the community’s support. That sense of community continued during the COVID closures, as the crew pivoted, holding outdoor classes in parks around the city, as well as virtual classes.

“The community keeps going,” Angeles said.

But he and Jouini admit that it wasn’t the same as having a home base where they could all get together for events—something they really missed during those early days of the pandemic.

As they were considering a comeback for The Beacon, Angeles said they realized how the studio was a big part of many people’s stories. They heard from community members about their experiences at The Beacon and what it has meant to them. This helped reenergize Massive Monkees to bring back the studio—especially as running a small business in the arts is not easy.

The crew launched a donation campaign to help fund the reopening project, as the space needed to be renovated to serve as a dance studio. The community contributions were super helpful, according to Jouini.

In addition, Massive Monkees received support from Seattle Restored, a partnership program with Shunpike, the City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development, and Seattle Good Business Network that focuses on reviving neighborhoods around the city, through creativity and commerce.

According to its website, Seattle Restored projects benefit “neighborhoods, small businesses, artists, and property owners by creating vibrant and engaging streetscapes that encourage the public to visit downtown Seattle, support local businesses, and support local artists— particularly Black, Indigenous, and other entrepreneurs and artists of color.” The program is funded by the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, which was established under the American Rescue Plan.

“It definitely takes a village,” Jouini said about the efforts to bring The Beacon back. 

Samantha can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

ELECTIONS from 1

Representative,

JUDICIAL

WA Supreme Court, Justice Position 1 MARY YU 98%

Court of Appeals, Division 1, District 1, Judge Position 7 JANET CHUNG 98%

King County, Southwest Electoral District, Judge Position 4 FA’AMOMOI MASANIAI, JR. 97%

King County, Southeast Electoral District, Judge Position No. 1 LEAH TAGUBA 96%

King County, West Electoral District, Judge Position 2 KULJINDER DHILLON 98%

King County, West Electoral District, Judge Position 4 GREGG HIRAKAWA 99%

City of Seattle, Municipal Court, Judge Position 2 ANDREA CHIN 99%

City of Seattle, Municipal Court, Judge Position 3 POOJA VADDADI 57%

The Secretary of State certifies final results by Dec. 8. Any results posted before certification are unofficial. 

B-boy Walle-Roc in a freeze during the grand reopening event for Massive Monkees’ studio, The Beacon.

Provided by Massive Monkees

Predictions and advice for the week of November 12–18, 2022

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat—A unique opportunity is not one to be taken lightly. It could give you the chance to spread your wings.

Ox—Are you afraid to leave something familiar? Don’t let fear keep you from a potentially enriching experience.

Tiger—As one journey ends, you are about to embark on another. Bring what you have learned into the new one.

Rabbit—As you blaze a path forward into uncharted territory, others will heed your call to work together.

WHAT’S YOUR ANIMAL SIGN?

Dragon—Rather than striving for perfection in all things, focus your energy on the things that truly matter to you.

Snake—Resist the temptation to take the first offer. Doing a little research could save you quite a bit.

Horse—Some trends are worth following, but leave behind the ones that just aren’t in line with your style.

Goat—You have earned your spot on the team, so quash the doubts that are popping up near the finish line.

Monkey—Are you on a tight deadline? If so, avoid following tangents that could distract you from the main project.

Rooster—A slim chance of success might be daunting to some, but you know what you are capable of.

Dog—Keep your options open today as you never know when inspiration could walk in through the door.

Pig—Looking to broaden your horizons? If so, come up with a strategy before embarking on your next adventure.

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.

BLOCKBUSTER from 9

rightfully so, as an in-person experience. Still, it had a good run, and didn’t dwindle down to just one remaining store until 2019.

Maybe the reason I’m obsessively comparing “Blockbuster” to other shows is that, within a few episodes, it so successfully evoked that world to me—of renting movies and games, way before Netflix even existed (that’s ironic!)—that I have turned into an employee, whose job was (is) to recommend movies to customers by basically saying, “if you liked this, then…” So kudos to the show, which convincingly brings back that culture and that era. If you were there (*raises hand*), you will get an occasional jolt of nostalgia. If you weren’t, it might be like asking your kid to use a Walkman. I just don’t know if anyone who didn’t live through it will care. It’s weird though, because the last remaining Blockbuster, which for real is

in Bend, Oregon (road trip!), is in Montana in the show. Hearing them reference TikTok, memes, and Instagram, while surrounded by the telltale blue and yellow signage is jarring yet, likely legit. It’s just two worlds you never imagined clashing, and that’s why all the other stores are gone.

The pilot of “Blockbuster” starts strong with a message of small business holding out against corporate giants (even though they originally were one), and of the importance of face-to-face contact in an internet world. By the second episode, the show is more about relationships than the store—though the struggle to keep it running continues. It’s my hope that the show was made with love and that someone in the cast or crew does personally remember those days, when yes, customers did browse the aisles reading DVD covers (but first, VHS!), and really did go up to employees asking their opinions on what they should watch next. There really were regulars and as odd as it

might seem now, there really was a warm and cozy feeling walking in the door.

The love of movies was something you knew for a fact you shared with everyone in the room; not the kind of abstract assurance we have now that sure, X amount of people also watched “The Avengers”—cuz the internet told us so. Believe me, it does not feel the same.

Timmy’s speech in the pilot episode is worth cutting and splicing here.

“We, as a society, have lost something huge. Each other….even renting a movie, used to be our chance to interact with a familiar face. But big corporations…stole that…you can’t replace getting to know a person with a computer program, or the smile of a stranger with a smiling box.”

Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com. BLOG from 10

try a new restaurant on Mercer Island. He picked Vivienne’s Bistro. It’s not that new. It has been open for nine months. But I cherish restaurants which can create unique cuisines from the East and West.

The first impression was its presentation. Every dish was art. We ordered a duck, beef brisket, and mu shu chicken, and two other cuisines for our family of five. All were big servings. The duck looks similar to Peking duck with buns, and its flavor was just as delicious.

Vivienne’s is definitely not a typical Chinese restaurant. Its flavors were tasty, and not greasy. That’s important to me. If dishes arrive at the table with layers of oil on top, it ruins my appetite. Its seasonings are meticulous in blending all kinds of spices. The chef did her research and demonstrated the best use of various ingredients through her studies and experiments.

Dough Zone and Fuji Sushi

Our niece from New Jersey was visiting. What would be some cuisine that she rarely has a chance to eat? When she came last week, it was a cold day. We figured that something spicy and hot like steamed dumplings and spicy hot wonton would warm the stomach. That would be Chinatown’s Dough Zone Restaurant. Dan Dan noodles, Q buns, and onion pancakes would also be terrific. We found the right place because she

said, “None of the cuisine could be found in my neighborhood.” She loved them all and even sent selfies to her in-laws in Hong Kong about the lunch and dinner.

At night, we took her and her son, our grand nephew, to Fuji Sushi for Japanese food. Instantly, our young relative noticed the sashimi roll was not the typical ones found in other Japanese restaurants. The fish was large on top and the rice under the roll was small. That’s the way he wanted it. Hey, that’s how I wanted it, too. White rice has too many carbohydrates and it’s filling.

Lamb chop

My friend, Carolyn, gave us a gift certificate to order food to celebrate our first family reunion with my son Jason since the pandemic. We picked a downtown restaurant, Daniel’s Broiler. On time, the server brought us lamb chop, filet mignon strips, crab and clam chowder, crab legs, and a complimentary fried artichoke. All delicious. I made an apple, black beans, avocado, and nuts salad to go with the food. I hadn’t devoured so much meat for a long time. It was satisfying that I still had fond memories of the meal we had together as a family.

Tai Tung

This wasn’t part of my family reunion meals. However, it was worth mentioning. In midOctober, I gave a Chinatown-International

District (CID) tour to my fellow Rotarians and shared the CID’s recent struggles with Sound Transit and the proposed Sodo homeless shelter.

After the tour, we went to Tai Tung for dinner. Prior to the tour, I told owner Harry Chan that I like to have onions and pan-fried beef rib steak. I prefer to eat beef with bones rather than just a plain piece of beef.

“If you don’t have beef ribs, I can buy them for you,” I offered. And I did.

The beef dish was fine, but the Peking duck was splendid. There was too much food for 14 people. I thought about taking some leftover

duck home. But I was wrong. Before I did that, a friend at my table spooned up everything into take-out boxes, including every piece of duck, my favorite dish that night. I’m happy that I moved slow and tried to be gracious or else my friend would be disappointed that he didn’t get to clean out every plate.

“That’s quite a dinner,” he said. What a compliment as I was the host who put together the menu. 

Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

DONE RITE

Tuesday. Call 206-223-0623

Mail to: NW Asian Weekly 412 Maynard Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98104 or call 206-223-0623

Whereas with AI, we just feed it raw data. What happens out of that is that AI is showing racism and sexism and all the bad stuff that’s out there on the internet.

important—but it was just a vague hunch that I had. I was gambling with my career.

It became a lot more exciting than I anticipated.

How much does AI understand us right now?

Computers are like parrots in the sense that they can repeat what humans said—much better than a parrot—but they don’t truly understand. That’s the problem: If you deviate a little bit from frequent patterns, that’s where they start to make strange mistakes humans would never make.

Computers can appear to be creative, maybe generating something a little bit weird and different, and humans tend to project meaning to it. But the truth is, there’s no sentience or understanding.

What has trying to teach computers revealed to you about how people learn?

When I think about how a child learns, they are able to ask a lot of questions about very simple things, and their caregiver will say things that they would never tell other adults—very basic declarative definitions or declarative explanations about how the world works. If you imagine that the child doesn’t have access to that caregiver’s interactions at all, and if the child is only provided with YouTube, Reddit, The New York Times, I don’t think that the child can actually learn successfully.

Humans invest so much effort in developing human education material, like different textbooks [that get regularly updated].

ANAND from 3

opinion. To counter this, he found people such as AOC who have “refused the write off.” Instead, they use techniques that don’t just play to those already on their side, but could win over those on the fence, who are “interested in the idea of building a movement…for progress, for greater inclusion, for continued and expanded democracy, for a society where all of us can thrive,” and importantly, “None of them are moderate, milk toast, mushy, middle people.”

Giridharadas raised examples, such as when AOC wore a dress emblazoned with “Tax the Rich” to a gala.

“She was criticized from every side… what no one understood among the haters was [that] she made the whole United States of America talk about her three words for two days,” and thus used her celebrity to garner attention for the causes important to her. This method in which AOC thrives in a system not designed for minorities, or women, “exploiting the cracks, using things against themselves,” came up again in answer to an audience question about

There’s a lot of responsibilities that are new to AI researchers, especially ethical implications. Even several years ago when AI didn’t work as well, people didn’t get concerned about it as much because nothing worked so it didn’t matter. But now it’s becoming more integral to humans’ everyday lives.

I do think that there has to be more policy and regulations governing how AI is developed and used. But at the same time, I don’t think that alone will be enough. I think AI researchers also need to learn more about these issues and think about them, and also focus on developing AI, so that AI can learn to align better with humans.

Some of the AI programs you’ve designed are intended to model how humans decide what’s ethical. What are some of the challenges you’ve run into in the process?

The challenge is that humans may or may not agree with whether something is racist or not. It’s fascinating that some people think a comment is just about freedom of speech, or there’s no problem, that I tend to think of as a clear case of a microaggression. But then even if I think that way, human annotators [who add notes to the information AIs train on to help them process information]

how people of color should “persuade” when they are often taken at face value.

“There’s a reason this book is [about a] very large number of women of color… who are the persuaders,” Giridharadas explained.

“When we think about persuasion… we think about moderates and we think about…white guys trying to speak to the middle…This is really a different kind of book…about some very radical women of color who…are interested in reaching people in a way that some people in their own movements are less interested in.”

What they try to do is make the Left more appealing. “What connects the women of color I’m writing about in particular,” Giridharadas stated, and what separates them “from some of their own allies is that they’re a little more attentive to the kind of evangelism-side of things. Are we winning? Are we connecting? But they’re all quite radical people, so none of them are like ‘let’s cut the loaf in half to reach people.’ They’re thinking about a set of tools that is really different.”

In other words, “How do we throw a better party?” Giridharadas and the activists in his book ask. To the Left, who do far too much lecturing, and

not enough convincing, he suggests “more belonging and connection not just more righteousness, more facts and figures…which is not defeating fascism right now.” In his view, the Left has to work on making its smart policies more appealing. For instance, who has made a video about what universal healthcare would actually be like? No one. To a local activist who claimed many people are on the side of a Washington initiative “Whole Health,” but none come forward to help, Giridharadas answered, “I would lovingly take issue with one thing you said, which is the persuasion work is done.”

Halfway through a question, someone’s phone rang. “That may be my mom calling,” Giridharadas joked. “Tell her I’ll get right back to her.” His manner, slick in black boots and rhinestone jeans, a voice hoarse from a cold—“Like our democracy, my voice is eroding. I have hope for them both.”

His biting humor, combined with equally biting political commentary made the almost two hour-talk go by in a flash, and ended with a standing ovation.

“There are a lot of forgettable rooms,

may or may not be aligned with one’s viewpoint. So it’s a human challenge that AI is not going to necessarily solve, but at least we can try to make things better. That’s my hope. And AI, in some sense, can really reveal what sort of challenges we have. It’s an interesting mirror.

How could greater diversity in who develops these programs affect how ethical they become?

I think minimally AI could learn to recognize and respect when there’s disagreement as opposed to siding with one political view, and then insist on that to everybody. So part of the challenge is to avoid clearly unjust cases, while also at the same time respecting where humans currently disagree.

Can AI learn to be ethical or moral?

I don’t think AI will be the most moral, necessarily, especially when humans never agreed upon a moral framework. I don’t think we will ever arrive at one conclusion of what is right from wrong. Hopefully, AI should be able to align with that, at least, like a minimal code of conduct. So if we’re deploying these tools

don’t necessarily have common sense yet, it sounds like the people creating them need to be willing to bear some responsibility for them.

Yeah. 

forgettable places, and forgettable hotel rooms and just a blur of a lot of travel. This is one of the rooms that I remember,” Giridharadas said about Seattle and its Town Hall. “I always remember it to be such an engaged community.”

Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 6.

MACARTHUR FELLOW from 4

How does that make you feel about the responsibility that comes with training these programs?

NOTABLE WINS from 1

She wrote on Twitter after her win, "Maryland, tonight you showed the nation what a small but mighty state could do when democracy is on the ballot. You chose unity over division, expanding rights over restricting rights, and hope over fear.”

Miller, 58, comes from Hyderabad, India, and immigrated to the United States when she was 7.

She completed her graduation in civil engineering in 1989 from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. She took her oath of citizenship in 2000.

She is a former delegate to the Maryland House, was on the lieutenant governor ticket along with Wes Moore, the Democratic governor-elect.

Shri Thanedar, an entrepreneur, will be the first Indian American elected to Congress to represent Michigan’s 13th Congressional District in Detroit.

He immigrated to the U.S. in 1979 from Belgaum, India at age 24. He bought and expanded a pharmaceutical services company in St. Louis, Missouri, and started a chemical testing company in Ann Arbor.

The victory marks the first time in 70 years that Detroit, a city where 77% of the population is Black, will not have a Black representative in Congress.

He campaigned on support for Medicare for All, reproductive rights, and equitable access to education, and funneled millions of his own money into the race.

Chinese American Victoria Gu won a seat in the state legislature in Rhode Island.

"I will strive to provide the best representation I can for all voters, and I am ready to get to work on the many issues that I've discussed over the course of my campaign," she said on Nov. 8

Although new to elected politics, Gu has served recently as chairwoman of the Charlestown Resiliency Commission.

She was raised by her parents, who emigrated from China, and earned a degree in economics from Harvard. She works as a senior software engineer for LunaYou, a maternal well-being platform.

Japanese American Linda Ujifusa also won a seat in the Rhode Island state legislature — she and Gu are the first Asians elected to that legislative body.

A third generation Japanese American, her grandparents immigrated to the United States in the 1920s. During World War II, her mother's family lost their farm when they were forced into the Tule Lake Internment Camp.

Ujifusa graduated from Harvard and received a law degree at New York University. She has previously worked at a Boston law firm and at the Environmental Protection Agency.

Though the number of Asian Americans elected to Congress has steadily increased through the years and is currently at a record high, they remain vastly underrepresented in politics.

A 2021 report found that Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) elected officials make up 0.9% of elected leaders in the U.S., even though they account for 6.1% of the population.

In the federal government, AAPIs comprise 2.8% of all elected officials. 

LAYUP DRILL from 8

Kwan won a gold glove for his outfield play this season which is awarded by Major League Baseball. Kwan was one of four Cleveland Guardians to win a Gold Glove, which is voted upon by the 30 Major League Baseball teams. Despite being a natural center fielder in the minor leagues, Kwan played left field with reckless abandon and had several highlight reel catches, including one on the night that Ichiro Suzuki was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Seattle, where he dove headfirst into the stands to make a catch.

Kwan, in his first year in the major leagues, would have been strongly considered for Rookie of the Year in Major League Baseball were it not for the Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez.

Filipino triathletes compete in Ironman 70.3 Ironman World Championships

Last month, the Ramos Fam ily participated in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in St. George, Utah. A triathlete (the sport consists of swimming, bik ing, and running) must come up with a qualifying time to make the World Championships in St. George.

The family is made up of triath letes. Jet is a retired banker that is a dominating force in his age group division. His wife, Lou Ann, coaches other triathletes, and also competes. They have three sons following in their footsteps.

Jet finished the 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and 13.1-mile run in 4 hours and 47 minutes. Lou Ann also participated in the World Championships.

Joshua, 20, is already setting his own marks in his age bracket

in triathlons across the world. He represented the Philippine Nation al Triathlon Team in September in the 2022 Asia Triathlon Champi onships. The race was shorter than the 70.3, a 1.5-kilometer swim, a 40-kilometer bike, and 10-kilome ter run. Dash, 15, and Arrow, 12,

are also on their way to follow in the family footsteps.

The family, originally from Ba guio, but now residing in Arizona, travel all over to compete in long distance triathlons. Last year at St. George, Jethro beat his son by 15 minutes in the 70.3 race.

The Brooklyn Nets have had a horrible start to the NBA season. The team fired their coach, Steve Nash, due to their 2-6 start. Kyrie Irving retweeted anti-semitic comments on Twitter and did not apologize for what he said.

In fact, he was combative with the media for questioning his personal beliefs and was subsequently suspended by the team.

Brooklyn’s forward Yuta Watanabe signed on with the team this past season after two years in Toronto. A bright spot for the native from Japan has been his play with the Nets. He is seeing more playing time and is one of the team’s sparks off the bench.

However, in a game in late October against the Indiana Pacers, it appeared that the 6-foot-8 Watanabe forgot which team he was on. After a shot by a Pacers player, Watanabe appeared to catch the rebound and slam dunk the ball into their basket.

The replay looked as though Watanabe skied over the other players and guided the ball into the basket. The basket counted and Watanabe regretted the move.

Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com

Nets center makes untimely error

The Ramos family

Brooklyn Nets forward Yuta Watanabe reacts to a foul call during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 5 in Charlotte, N.C.

AP Photo/Rusty Jones