VOL 41 NO 47 | NOVEMBER 19 – NOVEMBER 25, 2022

Steel beats Chen in California

Republicans won in California’s 45th District, which is anchored in Orange County.

The Associated Press called the race on Nov. 14 though official results will take longer.

“I am humbled that voters have given me the opportunity

to continue to fight for them in Washington, D.C.,” Rep. Michelle Steel said in a statement.

Steel, a South Korean immigrant was re-elected for a second term in Congress, beating Democrat see CHEN/STEEL on 14

By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

It’s hard to know from a photo if Matt Chan’s amazed and outraged look is from his cancer diagnosis or from what he is hearing at a public safety meeting put on by the Mayor’s office. The flat, fatigued, and blasted look on his face is like

that of a man who’s sat back down, stunned, after trying to get up unsuccessfully.

It might represent the feelings of the community.

Throughout the long months of protests and meetings that Chan helped lead, he struggled with a tumor on his kidney that then spread to his lungs.

see PUBLIC SAFETY on 15

Filipino candidates Mejia, Bonta win in California

see SYED on 14

32-year-old

“WE DID IT! WE WON BY 23 POINTS!

FIRST CPA as City Controller

FIRST Filipino elected official in LA

FIRST AAPI citywide elected official

FIRST POC as City Controller in over 100 years more to come!” he wrote.

Mejia held a 21-point lead over City Councilmember Paul Koretz when Koretz conceded last week.

“Coming from a minority background makes you more empathetic about the people you’re fighting for,” Mejia told NBC.

A former organizer for the L.A. Tenants Union, Mejia ran on a progressive platform centered around decriminalizing homelessness and holding the police and other city departments accountable. He’s pledged to audit the cost of homeless encampment sweeps and make recommendations on alternative responses that prioritize housing and services.

“We want to change the system against which community organizers are fighting and make it better for working-class people,” he said.

Filipino Americans are also celebrating

Nabeela Syed, a 23-year-old Muslim woman of Indian origin, was elected to the Illinois General Assembly in the recent midterm elections.

A Democrat, Nabeela defeated Republican incumbent Chris Bos.

Kenneth Mejia took to his social media accounts to announce his victory.

Jay Chen

Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.)

Community members at the Nov. 10 public safety meeting in the CID.

Courtesy: Chong Wa

Kenneth Mejia, L.A.controller

Rob Bonta, CA Attorney General

Hello Kitty birthday

designation as a U.S. Bank Chinese flagship branch on Nov. 3.

Claire Ong, 2022 Miss Asian Global 1st Princess and Miss Asian Best in Cultural Attire, made an appearance at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

There was also a check presentation to Bellevue Lifespring, a local nonprofit that provides food, clothing, education, and emergency assistance to Bellevue children and their families.

The Factoria branch is now one of six U.S. Bank Chinese flagship branches, with others located in San Francisco, Southern California, and Chicago.

These branches were selected and recognized for having employees who speak both English and Chinese and being located in communities with a significant Chinese population.

Fans of Hello Kitty got the opportunity to wish her a “happy birthday” late last month when she visited Uwajimaya

Hello Kitty was born on Nov. 1, 1974 and Uwajimaya is having a month-long celebration with special Hello Kitty items for sale. 

U.S. Bank branch celebrates flagship designation

As part of the new flagship designation, branches feature updated interior and/or exterior design that pays tribute to Chinese culture. 

Students from WA, OR awarded with 2022 McDonald’s/APIA Scholarship

McDonald’s announced this year’s APIA Scholarship recipients including two from the Pacific Northwest— Teann Manser from Spokane who is attending Washington State University, and Jenny Chen from Portland attending University of Portland.

Since its inception in 2019, the McDonald’s/APIA

Scholarship

has awarded over $2 million to students from underrepresented Asian subsegments. 

Exhibit showcases WA Korean artists

The

in Washington state.

In 1994, the group expanded its mission to promote and celebrate diversity by hosting a “Pacific Northwest Student Art Competition” open to K-12 students from all ethnic backgrounds. Work by three student artists is included in the exhibit. 

The U.S. Bank branch in Factoria celebrated its new

An exhibit of work from various Korean artists is ongoing until Dec. 9 at The Gallery at Tacoma Community College

event is hosted by the Korean American Artists Association of Washington State which was founded in 1989 to encourage and support Korean American artists who live

Teann Manser

Jenny Chen

Photo by Assunta Ng

2022 King County Recovery Plan Communications Report

King County Coalition Against Hate and Bias

In partnership with the King County Office of Equity and Social Justice , the King County Coalition Against Hate and Bias received $1.5 million in the County Operations budget through the end of 2022. The funding for the Coalition supported community-based organizations who are uplifting community concerns and voices.

Why the Coalition was formed:

Hate and Bias crimes and incidents go largely under-reported and the data that collected is limited in its utility.

Visibility and community empowerment have deterrent effects on hate and bias crimes.

Traditional law enforcement remedies disproportionately affect communities of color.

The Coalition Against Hate and Bias is community led. Community organizations created a reporting system with confidential hotline numbers to report hate and bias incidents. Coalition partners also provide culturally- and linguistically supportive information, resources and referral, and advocate for community safety.

CHINESE INFORMATION AND SERVICE CENTER (CISC)

As a partner of the coalition, CISC was awarded funding to create the Anti-Bias & Anti-Hate Program, to address bias and hate towards the Asian and immigrant community. CISC provides education, trainings and awareness about hate and bias; delivers Bystander Intervention trainings; and supports survivors of hate and bias in the community. If you have experienced an incident of hate or bias, please contact CISC: antihb@cisc-seattle.org.

Call CISC to report a hate/bias incident:

Chinese / English: (206)886-2667

Vietnamese / English: (206)294-9053 Spanish / English: (425)598-5436 Russian / English: (425)698-1113 Ukrainian / English: (425)326-9479

Ộ

MÔI SINH (ECOLOGY) BANG WASHINGTON THÔNG BÁO VỀ THỜI GIAN CÔNG CHÚNG GÓP Ý ngày 21 tháng 11 đến ngày 23 tháng 12 năm 2022.

Ecology kêu gọi quý vị xem xét và góp ý cho bản dự thảo Khảo Sát Phục Hồi (RI) và bản dự thảo Kế Hoạch Công Chúng Tham Gia cho Boeing Kent Space Center tại 20403 68th Ave. S. ở Kent, WA. RI nghiên cứu tình trạng địa điểm và sự ô nhiễm. Kế Hoạch Công Chúng Tham Gia khuyến khích sự tham gia của cộng đồng vào quy trình tẩy nhiễm và đưa ra phương cách mọi người có thể góp ý về các quyết định tẩy nhiễm. Khi thời gian công chúng góp ý kết thúc, Ecology sẽ xem xét tất cả các góp ý và có thể sửa đổi các tài liệu dựa trên chúng. Nếu những thay đổi đáng kể được thực hiện, những tài liệu này sẽ được đưa cho công chúng xem xét và góp ý thêm. Facility Site ID #2099, Cleanup Site ID #12671. Các tài liệu hỗ trợ có sẵn trên trang web của chúng tôi tại: https://ecolo gy.wa.gov/Boeing-Kent. Nếu có thắc mắc, hãy liên lạc với janelle.an derson@ecy.wa.gov, 425-301-6454. Gửi góp ý bằng văn bản tới: https://ecology.wa.gov/Boe ing-Kent-comment.

68th Ave. S. Kent, WA 에 위치한 보잉 켄트 스페이스센터 개선조사 및 공공참여 계획 초안 검토와 논평을 위해 귀하를 초대합니다. 개선조사는 현장상태과 오염에 관련된 것입니다. 공공참여 계획은 오염 정화 과정에 지역사회의 참여를 장려하고, 오염 정화 결정에 대한 의견제시 방법을 설명합니다. 공개논평 기간이 끝나면, 주 환경부는 모든 의견을 고려하고 이를 기반으로 관련문서를 수정할 수 있습니다. 중요한 변경사항이 있는 경우, 관련문서는 추가 공개논평 및 검토과정을 거치게 됩니다. 시설 현장은 ID #2099

이고, 오염 정화 현장은 ID #12671

입니다. 관련문서는 주 환경부 웹사이트에 있습니다(https://ecol ogy.wa.gov/Boeing-Kent). 질문이 있으시면 담당자(janelle.ander son@ecy.wa.gov, 425-301-6454)

에게 연락주십시오. 서면

의견제출은 웹사이트(https://ecol ogy.wa.gov/Boeing-Kent-com ment)에서 가능합니다.

Gao charged with vehicular homicide

A man who ran off the road and down onto I-5 in North Seattle remains in jail on $2 million bail.

The Washington State Patrol said 45-year-old Liming Gao drove off 130th Street near Northgate down onto I-5

below in the early morning of Nov. 3. He landed on the front end of one vehicle before hitting another and rolling over. The second vehicle he hit also rolled over and hit yet another vehicle in the process. 29-year-old Mackenzie Mitchell was

killed and four others were injured in the four-car crash.

On Nov. 7, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Gao with vehicular homicide and reckless driving. Through a translator at the hospital, Gao

told police that he was trying to take his own life that day.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 21. 

Biden, Xi clash on Taiwan but aim to ‘manage’ differences

By SEUNG MIN KIM and ZEKE MILLER ASSOCIATED PRESS

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AP) — President Joe Biden objected directly to China’s “coercive and increasingly aggressive actions” toward Taiwan during the first in-person meeting of his presidency with Xi Jinping, as the two superpower leaders aimed on Nov. 14 to “manage” their differences in the competition for global influence.

The nearly three-hour meeting was the

highlight of Biden’s weeklong, round-theworld trip to the Middle East and Asia, and came at a critical juncture for the two countries amid increasing economic and security tensions. Speaking at a news conference afterward, Biden said that when it comes to China, the U.S. would “compete vigorously, but I’m not looking for conflict.”

He added: “I absolutely believe there need not be a new Cold War” between America and the rising Asian power.

Biden reiterated U.S. support for its

see BIDEN/XI on 16

Protest song played for Hong Kong rugby team in South Korea

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and KANIS LEUNG ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean organizers of a regional rugby tournament have apologized for mistakenly playing a song embraced by Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters as China’s national anthem, an incident that sparked strong reaction from the city’s government.

“Glory to Hong Kong”—whose lyrics call for democracy and liberty—was played before the men’s finals between South Korea

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO BIDDERS/PROPOSERS

Sealed submittals will be received by the King County Procurement and Payables Section through the County’s E-Procurement Supplier Portal for the following solicitations.

The list of current solicitations in E-Procurement, resources on how to register as a supplier, express interest, communicate with the Contract Specialist, successfully submit a response and other information is provided

and Hong Kong in the second leg of the Asian Rugby Seven Series in Incheon, just west of Seoul, on Nov. 14.

Video of the song playing at the tournament went viral on social media in Hong Kong, where the song composed by a local musician and sung by demonstrators during widespread anti-government protests in 2019 is now highly sensitive.

The Hong Kong government issued a strongly worded statement on Nov. 15 to express its dissatisfaction over the incident.

see SOUTH KOREA on

14

on the County’s website: https://kingcounty.gov/procurement/solicitations

King County encourages minority business enterprise participation. King County does not discriminate based on disability in its programs, services, and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

KC000685 OPENS: 12/13/2022

ITB-Allison Transmission Parts or Approved Equal

NOW THROUGH 11/19/2022

VIRTUAL ART: BODIES OF LAND ANN LEDA SHAPIRO & HANAKO O’LEARY

ArtXchange Gallery, 512 First Ave S, Seattle Tuesday –Saturday, 11 a.m.–5:30 p.m. artxchange.org

SATURDAYS THROUGH JANUARY

2023

SEATTLE’S FORMER IMMIGRATION & NATURALIZATION SERVICES (INS) BUILDING TOURS

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tickets at wingluke.org/insbuildingtour Tours do not run on 11/19, 11/26, 12/24 1/21

NOW THROUGH 1/15/2023

EXHIBIT: SRIJON CHOWDHURY: SAME OLD SONG

Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Ave., Seattle Admission is free Wed-Sun: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

NOW THROUGH 2/19/2023

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-changing-the-tide

NOW THROUGH 9/18/2023

RESISTERS: A LEGACY OF MOVEMENT FROM THE JAPANESE AMERICAN INCARCERATION

The Wing Luke Museum, 719 S. King St., Seattle Thu-Sun, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. wingluke.org

NOV 26

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

Seattle’s C-ID 11 a.m.-4 p.m. https://fb.me/e/2ldqIFKp1

DEC 3

SANTA IS COMING TO THE C-ID!

PHOTO WITH SANTA 12-3 p.m. Wing Luke Museum wingluke.org

3 & 4

INSCAPE ARTS OPEN STUDIO TOURS

Wing Luke Asian Museum 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Tickets at wingluke.org/insbuildingtour

Reader dismayed with NWAW ■ LETTER TO THE EDITOR

In general, I appreciate very much the Northwest Asian Weekly (NWAW). I consider it a trustworthy source of information on life and affairs of the local Asian community. Thank you for that.

However, I must admit that reading the Oct. 29 edition left me perplexed and dismayed.

Here is why. On the front page, I see “The mass exodus from Chinatown,”

describing the everyday horrors facing business owners in the ChinatownInternational District (CID). As a result of that, many businesses move, or close their doors permanently.

On page 3 of the same issue, “CID protesters ask county for $20 million for past harms.” This article, in an even more direct way, blames the government for the desperate plight that many Asian business

owners find themselves in. Then, on the very next page, NWAW endorses Sen. Patty Murray, Rep. Suzan DelBene, Rep. Kim Schrier, etc. That’s the same Sen. Murray quoted on page 18 saying: “Local small businesses are the hearts and souls of our communities.” And what, if anything, has Sen. Murray, or Rep. DelBene, or Rep. Schrier done to halt the breakdown of the CID? To alleviate the

damage already done?

So, if I understand it correctly, in spite of the government’s failures that affect the Asian community in such a profound way, your paper still endorses the candidates running for reelection.

Why? 

Regards, — Chris Prentki

MEJIA/BONTA from 1

Attorney General Rob Bonta’s election. He won by a wide margin over Republican defense attorney Nathan Hochman.

The Associated Press called the race, though official results will take longer to finalize. Bonta was leading with more than 64% of the votes counted.

Bonta, a former San Francisco Bay Area state lawmaker known for his progressive views on criminal justice, campaigned on the promise to defend California’s robust abortion laws and continue his work to end gun violence and illegal firearm ownership.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Bonta last year after Xavier Becerra resigned to become U.S. Health and Human Services secretary. This was Bonta’s first run

for statewide office.

During his tenure, Bonta prioritized ending an “epidemic of hate” against communities of color and other vulnerable groups and has used a new “housing strike force” within the California Department of Justice to pressure local governments into compliance with state laws. 

AssuntA ng Publisher assunta@nwasianweekly.com

John Liu Associate Publisher john@nwasianweekly.com

Ruth BAyAng Editor editor@nwasianweekly.com

hAn Bui Layout & Web Editor han@nwasianweekly.com

Account Executives

KeLLy LiAo kelly@nwasianweekly.com John Liu john@nwasianweekly.com 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

Secure your family’s future— become a homeowner

Owning a home is a great way to protect your family’s financial future. Union Bank® can help you find the mortgage that is right for you:

• Discover down payment options as low as 3%

• Receive down payment assistance grants from $9,000 to $12,000 with no payback of grant required1

• Take advantage of fast prequalifications2

• Enjoy competitive interest rates Call 877-498-3513 today to start building your legacy.

Loans subject to credit and collateral approval. Not all loan programs are available in all states for all loan amounts. Terms and conditions subject to change.

1 Assistance provided is considered taxable income and will be subject to issuance of 1099-MISC to borrower. The borrower should consult their tax professional for any tax implications.

2 Not a commitment to lend. Prequalification is based on information provided by the consumer. Additional information must be submitted for review and approval.

Union Bank NMLS ID #539249

©2022 MUFG Union Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Union Bank is a registered trademark and brand name of MUFG Union Bank, N.A unionbank.com

TAN DUN’S

“Buddha Passion” beguiles ears, minds, and hearts

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Witnessing Tan Dun’s “Buddha Passion” is like being in a Tibetan Buddhist temple, being in a Christian house of worship, and being in the church of Nature, all at the same time.

Performed by Seattle Symphony on Nov. 10 and 12, and conducted by Tan, this “Passion” in six acts adroitly combined Buddhist jataka tales and ancient Sanskrit song and sutra in a message of compassion. It was at once extravagant and humble, not unlike Tan himself.

A screen above the stage transmitted the script to the audience in English and Chinese. A convention used in opera houses from time to time, it’s not something one expects when visiting the symphony. However, the Seattle Symphony is nothing if not an institution that regularly pushes boundaries and

introduces new and exciting types of performance. “Buddha Passion” indeed is one part opera, in both Western and Chinese style. Several impressive vocalists joined the musicians, including baritone Elliot Madore, soprano Lei Xu, tenor Yi Li, and mezzo-soprano Megan Moore. Present also in the second half was Batubagen, a virtuoso in khoomei overtone, the Mongolian throat singing rapidly gaining popularity around the world.

This was only the beginning of everything that goes on during “Buddha Passion.” Behind the symphony stood the Seattle Symphony Chorale, and flanking them for part of the production, the Northwest Boychoir. In Act III, subtitled “Flying Pipa Dance,” Chen Yining floated across the stage in a glittering costume, a representation of an apsara, a celestial singer and dancer. Chen deftly played the pipa—sometimes behind her neck—while curving her body into

stunning poses as the music and script told a tale of a royal family. During Act IV, called “Zen Garden,” Tan recreated the origin of Zen Buddhism in Songshan Mountain, complete with koans, or Zen riddles, while two symphony members played upon large, transparent bowls of water, mimicking rain drops, a waterfall, or a trickling stream.

Musicians and vocalists alike were pushed to the limit by Tan’s creative manipulation of sound. The Weekly spoke to Olivia Chew, who plays viola for the symphony, and Carrie Wang, a pipa musician and educator, about what it was like to play Tan’s music.

“Tan Dun’s music is definitely very special, one of a kind,” Wang said, referring to Tan’s willingness to combine modern and traditional Chinese and Western musical forms, something not looked upon in a positive light in Tan’s native China at first, but which has gained acceptance now, especially after Tan’s success with the music

for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

Tan’s use of multiple types of sound, particularly percussion, is part of what makes him unique, explained Wang. In both “Buddha Passion” and “Ghost Opera,” another of Tan’s pieces, played by a quartet, in which Chew and Wang performed together on Nov. 11, Tan implemented multiple instruments from Nature, such as rocks, paper, and water. Wang and others were expected to play not only their own instruments in new ways, but to multi-task.

“I will say that in a lot of ways, ‘Ghost Opera’ is probably one of the most difficult pieces I’ve ever had to put together,” Chew admitted. “There are so many things that I’m just not used to.” In particular, Chew related how she learned to play upon a stone.

“You hold a flat stone up to your mouth, you change the shape of your mouth to adjust

At the conclusion of “Buddha Passion,” Tan Dun thanked the Symphony and received a standing ovation from the audience. Photo by Brandon Patoc and courtesy of Seattle Symphony.

In “THE MENU”

revenge has multiple courses and even the hot dishes are cold

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

In “The Menu,” directed by Mark Mylod and starring Ralph Fiennes as chef Julian Slowak and Hong Chau as his loyal majordomo, Elsa, doom and discomfort are what’s for dinner. You won’t know for a while what’s going on, but you will know fairly quickly it’s, at the least, really weird.

“There’s a very specific turning point in the film where things start to get darker…up until that point, we’d all been having a nice, if odd-ish, dinner party,” said Anya TaylorJoy, who plays Margot, at a news conference, describing parts of the movie as “visceral.” I can attest to this, as just hearing the music during said conference gave me the willies, and answered my question as to whether “The Menu” is primarily horror, comedy, or social commentary. My vote goes to horror, with social commentary as a close second, and comedy as very low down the scale.

Director Mark Mylod admitted that during rehearsals, he asked the actors to watch Mexican surrealist Luis Buñuel’s film, “The Exterminating Angel.” In fact, you need look no more if you’re wondering what “The Menu” is really about. To set the scene, a

collection of wealthy guests are delivered by boat to a lonely yet beautiful island in the Pacific Northwest. (Why are they picking on us? Let’s say the PNW has a reputation way beyond “eclectic.”) Presumably, everyone is in attendance for a very expensive and very extraordinary multiple course meal prepared by Slowak and his staff. Apart from that, there’s not supposed to be anything amiss, as guests come here all the time and the restaurant is world-renowned.

I really enjoyed the way the music in the film created a feeling of being at the symphony, and how each course was therefore like part of a complex musical composition. The menu of “The Menu” is announced on the screen and by Slowak, who also, we begin to notice, throws in a lot of sarcasm as we start to get an inkling he doesn’t really like his patrons.

Though they have made him famous, it’s kind of like Nine Inch Nails, who very much wanted to bite the hand that fed them, in that dynamic where the artist wants to do what he or she does best, and only grudgingly accepts the increasing commercialization or notoriety that comes with it and that often ends up warping the very thing he or she first

Soundgarden founder Hiro Yamamoto honored at Asian Hall of Fame

By Andrew Hamlin NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

He’s traveled the world playing music. The band he helped found came to embody the grunge style, and they’ve sold more than 30 million records worldwide.

Still, Soundgarden’s original bassist, Hiro Yamamoto, confessed, he wasn’t sure what to think when told he’d been named one of 22 new honorees in the Asian Hall of Fame.

“I was somewhat surprised to have been nominated,” he commented. “My original feeling was, why me?”

Still, his feelings changed as he pondered his induction, which occurred along with the others, at an invite-only ceremony on Nov. 18 at the Sky View Observatory in Seattle.

“I tend to fly under the radar, so I have to say I wasn’t that ultimately gung ho from the start. After my involvement with the folks surrounding this great organization, I have to say, it has already enriched my life immensely. I have collaborated with some amazing talent, and the mission and goals of the Asian Hall of Fame Foundation are worthy of attention.

“I don’t know if it’s coincidental, but I credit the Asian Hall of Fame with really getting me to embrace what it means for me to be an Asian American artist! It has been incredibly fun and it’s one of those things that just keeps getting better. There

is definitely power in like-minded people working together towards a common goal!”

Yamamoto grew up as a Japanese American in Park Forest, Illinois, just outside Chicago. He arrived in the Pacific Northwest back in 1980 to attend Evergreen State College in Olympia. College didn’t quite work out, but he did work for a solar installment company, until the federal government canceled the educational grant that furnished his paycheck.

He returned to Illinois, but came back

west a year later with a good friend, guitarist Kim Thayil, who’d been born in Seattle to parents from India. They found a cheap basement apartment in Seattle’s University District, and began to explore.

“U District, Roosevelt, and North Seattle,” he remembers, “these are the original houses where Soundgarden practiced, and close to my work at Greenlake Cycle. I remember the early underground music and art scene around 1981-1983. The Metropolis and Ground Zero Gallery, these were places

to see music, performance art, art, dance. My first band, ‘The Altered,’ played shows at the Metropolis.

“The all-ages venues dried up and [the scene] moved into the bars, though. But the whole group of musicians, artists, fans, and friends was just so connected and supportive across genres. That’s where I met my wife and made so many connections.”

He noted that Park Forest was an early U.S.-planned community, with Asians and Jews down around 10% of the total population, and houses not sold for many years to Blacks or Latinxs.

“I guess kids let you know you are different. Certain kids in certain situations, even my good friends, would bring up the slanty eyes, brown skin.

“But aside from that, I acted like any other kid in most circumstances, most of my closest friends were Jewish or Asian anyways. And my parents definitely wanted us to succeed through education. So, they also stressed that we belonged in this country and we should be proud and lead by example.”

The Altered, his first Seattle band, didn’t last long, but opened for touring bands with cult reputations, such as the Wipers and the Violent Femmes. That led to an outfit called the Shemps, who prowled the Olympic

From left: Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Hiro Yamamoto, and Matt Cameron

Holidays with AAPIs

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

By Samantha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Holiday Heroine

By Sarah Kuhn DAW, 2022

The last few years have been nothing short of chaotic for Bea Tanaka, who’s made some questionable decisions and even almost went down the supervillain path. But with a new job hunting demons in Maui, she’s finally thriving. But it’s all a lie. Bea is feeling lost and adrift. She and her boyfriend, Sam Fujikawa, are struggling to make the long-distance thing work, and it looks like she’s got some new powers she has to learn to control.

So when Christmas rolls around—Bea’s favorite time of year—and her family in San Francisco plans to visit her, Bea is more than a little excited. But they’re interrupted by otherworldly monsters and amidst the battle, Bea somehow gets transported back to San Francisco. So on top of trying to figure out her life, she’s got to find a way to get back to her reality, fight the demons, save the world, and have a Merry Christmas.

In this final installment of Kuhn’s Asian American superheroine series, we see how far Team Tanaka/ Jupiter has come—and it’s beautiful. After starting out as the definition of dysfunctional, it’s been great as a longtime lover of the series to see how Bea, Evie,

and Aveda Jupiter have grown. Despite having super powers, they were all works in progress and we got to see that realistic progress with each book, as they worked to heal themselves and their relationships with each other.

I related to Bea quite a bit. While I don’t have the ability to control others with my mind, as a younger sister myself,

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

Sealed bids will be received for KC000675, Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Transit Facility, South Base, by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, via the E-Procurement system, until 1:30 PM on December 1, 2022. Late bids will not be accepted. The public bid opening will only be conducted on-line following the Bid Close Date and Time; see Invitation to Bid Section 00 10 00 for details.

The Work under this Contract consists of, but not limited to, providing infrastructure for electric vehicle charging service and sub metering at King County Metro’s South Base. Work includes installation of infrastructure provisions for (8) Owner provided pedestal-type dual dispenser chargers (Level II chargers) (providing 16 charging dispensers, circuit sharing) and (1) Owner provided DC fast charger (Level III charger) for Metro light-duty vehicles.

Estimated contract price: $525,000

Pre-Bid: Please see Section 00 10 00 Invitation to Bid for details

There is a 15% 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.

King County, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 USC 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

Prospective bidders can view more details at: https://kingcounty.gov/ procurement/solicitations

The complete set of invitation to bid documents, including all project details, specifications, and contact information are available on our web page at: https://kingcounty.gov/procurement/supplierportal

I completely understood her woes of having a more “successful” older sibling. Kuhn does a great job of illustrating all of Bea’s insecurities and her “faking it” to prove to Evie and others that she’s doing great (I’ve definitely been there). This has been one of my favorite things about this entire series. When you take away the superheroine elements, these are all strong Asian American women just trying to get through life, like the rest of us.

A Holly Jolly Diwali

By Sonya Lalli Berkley, 2021

At 29, Niki Randhawa has always made practical decisions. She became an analyst, despite her love for music and art. She stuck close to home for her family. And she went for guys who looked good on paper, but didn’t do much else for her. Then Niki gets laid off and realizes practicality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. So on a whim, she books a last-minute flight to India for her friend Diya’s wedding. When she arrives, it’s just in time to celebrate Diwali. Niki also meets Sameer Mukherji, a musician from London who’s also in town for the wedding. She’s immediately drawn to Sam—and the attraction is mutual. And when Niki and Sam join Diya and her new husband and their friends for a group honeymoon, the pair’s connection only grows.

Spending time with Sam helps Niki get in touch with her passionate and creative side, as well as with her Indian roots. But then she gets a new job offer back home, and Niki needs to decide what she really

wants out of her life.

“Diwali” is a fun romance with a strong protagonist. Niki is someone many readers can relate to: Being caught between doing what we want to do and what we think we should do. She’s spent almost her whole life choosing the latter and her life has been, well, not terrible, but not great either. It’s just been fine. So when she starts doing the things she wants, she sees how life can be—and it’s better than just “fine.”

In addition to the romance, it was fun to read a holiday romance that wasn’t about Christmas. As a romance lover, I appreciate seeing the subgenre branch out and introduce readers to a culture and holiday they maybe didn’t know much about before. I hadn’t known much about Diwali before this, and really enjoyed reading about the traditions here and seeing how people celebrate this holiday.

Holidays with the Wongs: The Complete Series

By Jackie Lau Jackie Lau Books, 2020

Meet the Wong siblings: Nick, Greg, Zach, and Amber. Things might be going well for them in their careers, but much to their parents’ and grandparents’ chagrin, they’re all single. So when the holiday season comes around, the family elders take it upon themselves to remedy this.

What follows is a series of holiday hijinks as each of the four siblings have to deal with their meddling relatives (or try

S Korea leader criticized for banning broadcaster from plane

By KIM TONG-HYUNG ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Journalist organizations say South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attacked press freedoms when his office banned a TV broadcaster’s crew from the media pool on his presidential plane last week for alleged bias in reporting.

Yoon earlier accused MBC of damaging the country’s alliance with the United States after it released a video suggesting that he insulted U.S. Congress members following a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in New York in September.

Yoon’s office told MBC it wouldn’t provide the broadcaster with “reporting assistance” in his upcoming trips to Cambodia and Indonesia for meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Group of 20 leading rich and developing countries because of what it described as “repeated distortion and biased reporting” on diplomatic issues.

Yoon, a conservative who took office in May, doubled down on Nov. 10 on the decision to exclude MBC reporters from his plane, saying “important national interests” were at stake. Yoon left for Cambodia on Nov. 11 to attend the ASEAN meetings.

“The reason the president uses so much taxpayer money to travel overseas is because important national interests are at stake and that is also why we have provided reporting assistance to reporters covering diplomatic and security issues,” Yoon said. “(I) hope that the decision could be understood from that perspective,” he said about leaving MBC reporters off his plane, which will also exclude them from in-flight briefings and other media opportunities.

In statements provided to The Associated Press, MBC said Yoon’s office was ignoring press freedoms and democratic principles and that it will still send reporters to Cambodia and Indonesia on commercial flights to cover Yoon’s trip to serve the “public’s right to know.”

A coalition of journalist organizations, including the Journalists Association of Korea and the National Union of Media Workers, issued a statement demanding

Yoon’s office withdraw what they described as an “unconstitutional and ahistorical restriction on reporting,” and for presidential officials involved in the decision to resign.

“The presidential plane is operated with taxpayer money and each media outlet pays with their own money to cover the reporting costs,” they said.

“Reporting and monitoring how the president as a public figure carries out public responsibilities and duties are an essential part of democracy. We cannot repress our astonishment that the presidential office confuses reporters’ use of the presidential plane with the use of private property and sees it as charity extended by Yoon Suk Yeol the individual,“ the statement read.

The groups compared the incident to when the White House, under former U.S. President Donald Trump, suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he had a heated conversation with Trump during a news conference.

Seoul-based newspapers Hankyoreh and Kyungyang Shinmun voluntarily gave up their seats on Yoon’s plane to protest what

Hankyoreh called an “undemocratic attempt at media control.” They said their reporters will use commercial flights to cover the meetings in Southeast Asia.

The Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club issued a statement saying that “restrictions placed on one outlet for coverage deemed to be ‘distorted’ raise concerns for the freedom of all press, domestic and foreign.” It called for all media to be treated with the “same principles of access, regardless of the tone or nature of the journalistic coverage.” In September, MBC caught Yoon on tape talking to his aides and top diplomats following a brief chat with Biden on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly meetings. While the audio was unclear, Yoon could be heard using what seemed to be indecent language in comments the broadcaster captioned as, “Wouldn’t it be too darn embarrassing for Biden if those idiots at legislature don’t approve?”

Yoon’s meeting with Biden came after they both delivered speeches in support of the Global Fund, an international campaign

to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

The Biden administration has pledged $6 billion in U.S. contributions to the initiative through 2025, but it is pending congressional approval. Yoon’s government has promised $100 million.

Yoon’s office later insisted he wasn’t talking about the U.S. Congress or Biden.

Kim Eun-hye, Yoon’s spokesperson, said he was expressing concern that the South Korea’s opposition-controlled National Assembly could reject his plan for the $100 million contribution. She insisted that the word MBC heard as Biden was actually “nalli-myeon,” an expression that can be used to describe something being thrown away.

After returning to Seoul, Yoon said that media could put South Korea’s security in danger by “damaging the alliance with reports that differ from facts.” He has yet to specifically address whether he described South Korean lawmakers as “idiots.”

Yoon’s predecessors have also been accused of suppressing freedom of speech.

Former liberal President Moon Jae-in faced international criticism after members of his governing party in 2019 singled out a Bloomberg reporter with South Korean nationality over what they insisted was a “borderline traitorous” article, resulting in threats to the reporter’s safety. The article’s headline described Moon as acting as the “top spokesman” for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the U.N. General Assembly and described his efforts to salvage faltering nuclear diplomacy with the North.

Under Moon’s conservative predecessor, Park Geun-hye, prosecutors indicted a Japanese journalist on charges of defaming Park by citing salacious rumors about her whereabouts on the day of a ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people in 2014.

Before Park, former President Lee Myung-bak was criticized for arresting an anti-government blogger and accused of turning major news networks into his mouthpieces by filling their leadership with supporters and having them compete over a small number of new TV licenses issued by his government.

firm guilty of paying

in bribes to LA councilman

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A company owned by a billionaire Chinese real estate developer was convicted on Nov. 10 of paying more than $1 million bribes to a Los Angeles city councilmember for help in getting a downtown project approved.

Shen Zhen New World I LLC was found guilty of eight counts of honest services wire fraud, bribery and interstate and foreign travel in aid of bribery, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.

The company is expected to face a multimillion-dollar fine during a sentencing hearing next January.

The company’s owner, Wei Huang, 57, also was charged in the federal case but he is a fugitive and is believed to be

in China, prosecutors said.

From 2013 to 2018, Shen Zhen bribed Jose Huizar to help obtain city approval to build a 77-story tower that would have been the tallest skyscraper west of the Mississippi River, prosecutors said.

At the time, the councilmember chaired the city’s powerful Planning and Land Use Management Committee.

Huizar allegedly received cash, casino gambling chips, luxury stays in Las Vegas, expensive meals, prostitution services, political contributions and funds to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Prosecutors say the bribes were part of Huizar’s pay-toplay scheme tied to approval of downtown developments.

He has pleaded not guilty to a 41-count indictment accusing him of bribery, racketeering, fraud and money laundering.

The Shen Zhen conviction is the latest in a sweeping and ongoing City Hall corruption probe. Nine defendants have been convicted or pleaded guilty to federal charges, including Huizar’s brother, Salvador Huizar; a former Huizar assistant, a Huizar fundraiser and another real estate developer.

Huizar is scheduled for trial in February along with former Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan, who also has pleaded not guilty to corruption charges.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (foreground) speaks to journalists on Nov. 10. Journalist organizations say he attacked press freedoms when his office banned a TV broadcaster's crew from the press pool traveling on his presidential plane for allegedly biased reporting.

Ahn Jung-hwan/Yonhap via AP

Predictions and advice for the week of November 19–25, 2022

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat—A complicated project will require a slow and methodical approach for the best chance of success.

Ox—Finding the right answer isn’t always easy, but you are searching and asking the key questions to get you there.

Tiger—Letting go of the past is much easier said than done. That said, your future will be better for it.

Rabbit—As much as you would like to guide the path of another, we must each follow our own journey.

WHAT’S YOUR ANIMAL SIGN?

Dragon—Whether or not you are ready, it is time to switch gears. Focus your energy on a smooth transition.

Snake—Uncertainty can be a bit unsettling. Luckily, there is much that is working in your favor.

Horse—Despite initial enthusiasm, you are feeling unsure about a recent change. Allow time for things to settle down.

Goat—Although it hasn’t always been easy, your persistence is about to be rewarded.

Monkey—Don’t discount information from an unusual source. It could be just the thing you have been waiting for.

Rooster—You had envisioned a certain scenario. However, the real thing will certainly exceed your expectations.

Dog—Perfection is in the eye of the beholder. Your ideal situation can be unique and need not conform to others.

Pig—Don’t let inaction speak for you. If you care about something, then it is up to you to show it.

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.

DUN from 8

the pitch of it. I’ve never had to do that before.”

For Chew, Tan has a personal importance due to her introduction to his work via the movies. In a family that did not often go to the cinema, in part due to lack of representation on the screen, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” as a mainstream movie with Chinese heritage, was “kind of a big deal.” Chew recalled also being struck by the music from “Hero,” which Tan Dun composed, along with Itzhak Perlman and KODO.

“It was the first time I’d ever heard Chinese sound, but being played by Western instruments…There’s no one really like [Tan Dun].”

In Wang’s view, Tan’s use of natural objects to create sound will call to mind ancient Chinese ceremony and ritual for older members of the audience, who will feel connected to home, while Western and young Chinese listeners will receive an education; although even a young person whose ancestry hearkens to China will recognize the music, Wang believes, because it’s “in our roots, in our blood.”

Many of the sounds in “Buddha Passion” evoked familiar and yet unfamiliar spaces—be it beneath a canopy of evergreens next to a rippling river, in the incense-filled rooms of a Tibetan monastery, or within the stained glasslit stone interior of a European cathedral. It was the way that Tan combined these that was at times dizzying, at times confusing, and at times transporting, all of which encouraged the listener to enter into a meditative state.

The lessons embraced by “Buddha Passion” are full of compassion and self-sacrifice. The texts, in Sanskrit and Chinese, originated largely from documents that were long forgotten inside the Mogao caves of Dunhuang, China, that labyrinthine Buddhist complex along the Silk Road. The stories they tell are part of the Buddhist canon, such as the many lives of Buddha transmitted through jataka tales. In one, Buddha is the nine-colored deer who sacrifices herself to save a drowning man, knowing he will betray her, but that karma will catch up to him. In another, Buddha is a lovely princess who gives her life for a woman dying in childbirth. Everyone on stage played a part in these stories, from the vocalists acting out the dialogue, all the way to the stabbing of the deer, played by Lei Xu, in a gorgeous,

feathery, white dress; to the choir representing monks or a royal audience cheering for the capture and death of this rare creature.

In the center was Tan, leading the way with expressive hand gestures, his entire body infused with the joy, it seemed, of telling a story—that of Buddha and Buddhism—that was lost not only in the Dunhuang caves, but was also cast aside by secular China, and yet which has persisted as one of the world’s most practiced religions. Every movement, every sound of “Buddha Passion” was choreographed with incredible precision. Violin bows rose and fell in perfect time with the rise and fall of the choir’s voices. At times, the composition was strikingly modern, and a bit bewildering. At other times, the Buddhist chanting or Western classical rhythms and harmonies were reassuring. At the end, Tan gave thanks to the participants, himself ducking behind the musicians, until he was called to the front for a lengthy standing ovation in a fully packed house. 

Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

THE MENU from 9

became famous for. (That’s it for anything like a spoiler.)

Take for instance, course two, which is “not bread” or “the bread you will not be eating,” says Slowak, after giving a long and mouth-watering description of how wonderful bread is, and explaining bread’s long history as the “food of the common man.” It’s funny, okay. It’s one of the funniest parts of the movie, but the first time you wonder, what the heck is happening here? The guests spend a lot of time asking whether this is real? Is this part of “the menu?” Is this theater? We’ve seen the moment in the preview where Margot watches that imposing door close—never a good sign—and as Elsa introduces the guests to the grounds, along the way dispensing some rules as rigid as her spine, the viewer, too, asks, “Is this dinner a bad weird or a good weird?”

“One of the things that drew us all to the project was that lovely mashup of tones,” Mylod said. “I signed on not really being able to picture what the final product would look like, and that was exciting to me because I was curious to see how it turned out,” said Chau who, along with others in

the film, agreed that curiosity would move the audience along, too (never mind that bit about killing the cat). Chau was eager to give some backstory to Elsa, as the script was very spare, and revealed that she found her inspiration in the “funky” people of Portland, Oregon. After she developed Elsa’s story (to herself, we never find out much), she then asked for a costume that would help her get into character, which the costume designer provided. Chau did the rest. Elsa is creepy to the max. Again, at first, you want to laugh at her stubbornness and the way she denies the guests what they ask for (“No soup for you!”). She especially has quite a few run-ins with the “tech bros,” Bryce (Rob Yang), Soren (Arturo Castro), and Dave (Mark St. Cyr), who keep reminding Elsa and Slowak that they work for the owner of the restaurant.

Through their exchanges, we come to understand that Slowak is not the total master of his domain and begin to see more and more a power dynamic at play between boss and not-boss, and, eventually, “commoners” who eat the poor man’s bread and entitled rich people who don’t.

John Leguizamo, who plays a “washed up” action actor, discussed at the news conference how actors were encouraged

to ad lib—as they never knew where the camera would be during filming—and also perfectly encapsulated the message of the film.

“I was trying to channel privilege because I don’t understand [what that is],” said Leguizamo. “I loved the political and social commentary of this film…It’s tapping into something that’s happening, especially in America…the disappearing middle class and these billionaires who think they can control our democracies… control us, and how they separate us, and keep us out, and go into [their] little special bubble. I think it’s a great commentary on the privilege that’s happening in America…”

The restaurant is the bubble. “Us” and “Them” are the rich and the not rich. As “The Menu” progresses, Slowak singles out Margot because she is an unexpected addition to the “party” (her date originally intended to bring his actual girlfriend and asked Margot at the last second). Slowak had everything carefully orchestrated in advance and is puzzling quite feverishly over what to do about Margot.

“In order to proceed, I have to know where to seat you. With us or with them,” Slowak tells her, and even though he seems

to grow an affinity with her, you still can’t tell if he likes her, or anyone. But he definitely does not like rich, non-working class people.

The tension mounts so quickly in “The Menu”—almost from the beginning—that it’s difficult to talk around what happens and what it’s about. It’s stomach turning, it’s fascinating, it’s horrifying, it’s sad, it’s beautifully done—which describes the food as much as the movie. As the evening progresses, each guest is forced to have a reckoning with their “culpability.” What they are each culpable for has different permutations but all comes down to the same sense of privilege that has skewed otherwise delicious food and an otherwise beautiful world into something monstrous.

“By the end of the film, they’re figuratively, emotionally naked, and willing to ‘pay the check’…” said Mylod. I’ll just leave that on the table.

“The Menu” opens in theaters this weekend.

Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

DONE RITE

CARPET CLEANING 206-487-8236

CHEN/STEEL from 1

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

ELIMINATE GUTTER CLEANING FOREVER! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-888-360-1582.

Jay Chen, a Navy reservist and the son of immigrants from Taiwan.

The candidates initially made inflation and hate crimes against Asian Americans

SHELF from 11

to avoid them) while falling in love in the process (said relatives’ plans all along).

Nick falls for a former one-night stand who was actually set up with Greg during Thanksgiving. Greg gets caught in a snowstorm with his high school sweetheart at Christmas. Zach tries to beat his parents to the punch and ropes his best friend into being

their key issues. But the race took an ugly turn and most of it has focused on accusation and recrimination.

Chen’s advertising depicted Steel as an extremist who would threaten abortion rights, while Republicans accused Chen

SOUNDGARDEN from 10

Peninsula with their rockabilly-flavored sound.

He met drummer and singer Chris Cornell through an ad in the “Rocket,” Seattle’s long-running music newspaper. Kim Thayil finished school, picked up his guitar, and Soundgarden was born, although Cornell eventually gave up drums completely to become one of his era’s most distinctive rock singers.

Yamamoto stayed in the band from its founding in 1984 through 1989, when he walked out, unhappy with the band’s handling by the record label. He’s since formed several other bands, including No Time For Shade, alongside his wife Kate McDonald. He secured a day job as an environmental chemist, and worked for many years as a lab director for a company in Burlington.

Asked about future projects, he speculated he’d “continue to produce music and work on songwriting. I would like to continue to assist the Asian Hall of Fame Foundation. I am looking at doing some volunteering, and who knows where the road will take me.” 

For more information about the Asian Hall of Fame induction ceremony, visit asianhalloffame.org.

Andrew can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

of “racism” after he told supporters an “interpreter” was needed to understand Steel’s remarks, arguing that Chen was mocking her accented English. Chen said he was referring to “convoluted talking points” that he said Steel uses to sidestep issues.

Steel also distributed flyers depicting Chen as a communist sympathizer, while Chen said his grandmother fled China to escape communist rule. 

his fake girlfriend during Chinese New Year. And finally, when Amber starts spending time with a new guy around Valentine’s Day, she keeps it from her family, for fear of their interfering.

“The Wongs” is an anthology of short romance stories filled with many triedand-true romantic tropes (thankfully, not including a love triangle, my least favorite). From second chance romances and one

bed, to fake relationships and friends with benefits, Lau does a great job of showing the characters’ journeys to happily ever after. As with all romances, we as readers know the characters are going to wind up together. The fun is seeing how they get there—and with the Wongs, the “how” will have you laughing out loud. Lau has always been great at writing nosy, interfering (but loving!) Asian parents and grandparents, who are

often a big part of the laughs in her stories and this is no exception. It was fun to see how the Wong siblings dealt with what their relatives get them into and overcome everything in the name of love. 

Samantha can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

officials said on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to media on the matter.

“The national anthem is a symbol of our country. The organizer of the tournament has a duty to ensure that the national anthem receives the respect it warranted,” a government spokesperson said.

The Seoul-based Korea Rugby Union said later that the wrong song was played because of a human error and it wasn’t politically motivated.

Union officials said they’ve apologized to the Asia Rugby Union as well as to the Hong Kong and Chinese sides. They said staff of the mainland Chinese team also competing at the tournament notified them of the error.

The organizers announced an apology both in Korean and English at the stadium after the game, and the official Chinese national anthem was played for the winning Hong Kong team during the award ceremony, the

According to the officials, a person handing the playing of the national anthems accidentally chose the protesters’ song saved in a computer file folder named “Hong Kong.” They had mistakenly saved that song without knowing it’s linked to protesters before each tournament competitor submitted the recordings of their countries’ respective anthems, the officials said.

Asia Rugby also apologized to the Hong Kong Rugby Union and the governments of Hong Kong and China, adding the song mistakenly played was downloaded from the internet.

While the Hong Kong Rugby Union accepted it was a case of human error, it said the mistake was still unacceptable. ProBeijing politicians in Hong Kong also voiced

their discontent, with some demanding an investigation to see whether it was a deliberate act.

Ronny Tong, a member of the Executive Council—Hong Kong’s Cabinet—said if the mistake was unintended, the act would not constitute a criminal offense. But if an investigation proves it was a deliberate act, those involved could face legal consequences linked to the city’s sedition charge, the National Security Law or the National Anthem Ordinance depending on the results, the veteran lawyer said.

The sweeping security law was imposed by Beijing in 2020 to crack down on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. It criminalizes succession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. The National Anthem Ordinance penalizes insults to the Chinese national anthem.

Hong Kong leader John Lee said police

would probe into whether the incident had constituted a breach of the National Anthem Ordinance or other local laws. Chief Secretary Eric Chan also met with South Korea’s top diplomat in the city to condemn the incident and requested the Korean side to investigate the matter, Lee added.

In 2019, thousands of Hong Kong soccer fans booed loudly at the Chinese national anthem when the song was played before a World Cup qualifier match. The crowd broke out into singing “Glory to Hong Kong” at the event and brought the city’s protests into the sports realm.

In September, a man who paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II near the British Consulate in Hong Kong was arrested for sedition. Local media reported he had played songs on a harmonica including “Glory to Hong Kong.“ 

SYED from 1

She shared the news on Twitter and said, “My name is Nabeela Syed. I’m a 23-year-old Muslim, Indian-American woman. We just flipped a Republican-held suburban district. And in January, I’ll be the youngest member of the Illinois General Assembly.”

Syed also wrote a long note on Instagram where she talked about her political journey and her experience while canvassing for the elections.

“We won this race because the people of the 51st District want a representative who is ready to fight for them and their families. I knocked every door in this district. Tomorrow, I start knocking them again to thank them for placing their trust in me. I’m ready to get to work,” she posted.

She remembers Donald Trump’s victory in 2016—when she was a high school senior—and the racist, Islamophobic rhetoric being parroted around her.

“The day Trump got elected, I remember I cried in every

single one of my classes,” she told NBC News. “I felt like this country was not for us. I was like, ‘I don’t know if I belong here.’ This is the only home I’ve ever known, and I was questioning whether or not I belonged here.”

Six years later, in November 2022, another election has come to mean something entirely different for Syed.

“It’s important for me—growing up in this community and knowing what it feels like to not belong—to make sure everyone feels like they do belong,” she said. “It’s a big moment for my family personally, and I hope it feels to other young people and to women of color that we can do this. We have space here.”

Syed’s parents moved to Illinois from Hyderabad, India, in the 1980s. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Political Science and Business Administration, where she served as the president of a probono consulting organization assisting local businesses and nonprofits. 

SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 6.

SOUTH KOREA from 5

PUBLIC SAFETY from 1

So when he suddenly spoke up and told the officials it was time for them to do more listening to the community, he not only had nothing to lose, for himself, but had everything to lose for the Chinatown-International District (CID).

His malady is being treated by immunotherapy, which seems to be working. But that of the CID may be beyond cure.

“From the beginning, both deputy mayors said they were under a time constraint,” said Chan, who quit his position as special advisor for public engagement for the city after his diagnosis.

“They would field a question and go on in some length, often veering into areas that didn’t directly pertain to the CID. So I asked them to keep their answers short and let the community members speak, since they were there to listen to us.”

Chan’s frustration was shared even by community members who felt the conclave was a good start in dialogue between the city and the CID, as he did.

The meeting was held on Nov. 10 and attended by Senior Deputy Mayor Monisha Harrell and Deputy Mayor Greg Wong, who invited about 40 community “stakeholders,” although it was not entirely clear how the list was compiled.

The purpose of the meeting, according to Wong, was to continue to engage in a conversation with the community about issues its advocates had raised as they fought to halt the expansion of a nearby homeless shelter, when there are already 18 shelters within a one-mile radius of the district. It was also to provide “updates on programs the City had launched that immediately address some of [these] issues,” said Wong in an email.

A history of futile efforts

Still, Harrell and Wong faced an uphill battle. On one hand, community advocates felt that city hall had largely been absent from their protests and efforts to stop the megaplex shelter expansion, although city officials did hold several meetings along the way with organizers.

But perhaps a deeper feeling of mistrust and helplessness stemmed from a sense of deja vu—that officials have asked the community to come up with public safety plans in the past, then ignored them. According to a report by Trang Tu, a consultant for the community, there have been 20 public safety plans requested or commissioned by the government over the past decade.

“There is a history of asking the community to come up with public safety plans, but then there’s no action,” said Tanya Woo told the Northwest Asian Weekly after the meeting.

Woo has been leading efforts to ask the city and county for funding to redress past harms and implement current plans.

“We already have solutions, but

no funding,” she said.

Still, some community members said they thought they saw Wong holding in his hand the most recent public safety plan from the CID Public Safety Council during the meeting.

Absent: public safety plans

After the meeting, some community members and organizers who were present expressed a sense of betrayal, saying that the proposals put forward during the meeting had nothing to do with public safety, at a time when the community is besieged with constant violence, shootings, open drug use, vandalism, theft, armed robbery, and harassment of residents.

“This added nothing to increase public safety,” said longtime community advocate Frank Irigon. “It was a public relations stunt.”

During the meeting, according to community members who were present, Teresita Batayola, president and CEO of International Community Health Services (ICHS), told of an active shooting incident inside the front hall of an assisted living community run by ICHS. The police did not respond, she said. Nor did they respond to multiple other life-threatening incidents, according to a letter she published in this newspaper.

Historically low police staffing

In response to such concerns, Wong wrote, “Public safety issues that have been created over decades cannot be solved overnight.”

As for slow or negligent police response, he pointed to the low levels of officers available—city statistics show the Seattle Police Department (SPD) has lost over 400 officers in the last few years.

“In response to community requests and despite limitations that include SPD’s staffing crisis—the department currently has the lowest number of deployable police officers in over three decades—we have and continue to put in place programs and police presence to deliver effective, sustainable safety.”

Not a favored neighborhood?

But some community advocates contend that the CID is

treated differently than other neighborhoods. Brien Chow, chair of the Chong Wa Benevolent Association Outreach Committee, sent the Asian Weekly articles about a shooting in the University District. They show that the SPD added patrols there three days after the incident.

Although community members say they have seen more law enforcement personnel driving through the CID, it was not immediately clear if the city had acted with similar alacrity as in the University District.

Promises?

According to some of those present at the meeting, Harrell and Wong were short on concrete promises.

“It was just a lot of—‘We’ll see what happens in the budget,’” said Woo.

Felicita Irigon said she was so frustrated with the lack of commitment from the officials that she interlaced her comments with the f— word.

“We meet and we meet and we talk and we talk and nothing happens,” she said.

Chow said officials may not realize that the CID has become a “ghost town,” with windows boarded up and people regularly doing drugs in the streets.

“No one wants to come down here at night,” he said.

Wong, responding to such concerns, noted that the city “currently funds programming in the CID, including funding directly to community-based organizations, as well as strategic planning, the neighborhood’s public safety liaison, and more.”

He said the city would continue to look for opportunities to provide funding.

“We are fully committed to improving public safety in the CID,” he said.

Closing the distance

Chan said he was impressed by the fact that Harrell and Wong had come personally to meet with community members, noting that others, such as City Councilmember Tammy Morales, had not.

“What I found different was that they said it would be a ‘special conversation’ that would continue,” said Lau.

Lin Mei-Jui, president of Chong Wa, said the officials took great care with the layout of the

meeting, specifically instructing her to make sure everyone was seated in an equal fashion— rather than giving tables only to Harrell and Wong.

“They wanted to close the distance,” she said.

The meeting was held at Chong Wa headquarters.

A pilot program: so far so good

There was broad acknowledgment that the city’s eight-week pilot sanitation program, in the short run, at least, had left the streets and alleyways much cleaner.

“We’re not walking over needles all the time anymore,” said Woo, who helps lead a block patrol several nights a week that delivers food and clothing and hot chocolate to people living in the homeless encampments.

But at the same time, the very brevity of the program, and the uncertainty about whether it would continue, raised fresh questions.

Other community members said the city’s unwillingness to commit to any longer than eight weeks is “racist.”

Asked about the future of the pilot program, Wong pointed to an expansion of what the city calls a “Unified Care Team,” that involves workers making contact with people living on the streets, developing relationships, and encouraging them to move to shelters, which expedites cleaning up of encampments.

Other pressing needs

With the lack of police presence, community safety plans have called for the hiring of security guards—unarmed or armed—to patrol the neighborhood. Many businesses are trapped in multiyear leases while their insurance companies will no longer cover them, due to the ongoing multiple break-ins, smashing of windows, burglaries, and armed robberies that have become routine. Chow proposed at the meeting that the city underwrite insurance for CID businesses that could not get coverage.

“We need the city to pick up insurance for the businesses,” he said. The city also needs to help businesses take down the boards covering their storefronts, he said.

In his emailed responses, Wong did not exclude any possibility, although he was not responding to specific community complaints.

“At this meeting, we were asked about the temporary nature of the pilot program and how it could be made permanent. As such, there are elements of the mayor’s proposed budget that support these expressed priorities of the CID,” he said.

“The intent of this meeting was to listen and respond to community needs.”

Support for the mayor’s budget

Some community members came away with the impression that the city was asking them to show their support for the mayor’s budget in order for them

to receive any support. Irigon said his takeaway was that the city was saying, “You won’t get any support for public safety unless you support our budget and increased funding for the SPD.”

Lau said, “They encouraged people to go to the city budget meeting.”

Others thought the primary purpose of the meeting was to encourage community members to attend the city council budget meeting in support of the budget. Still, longtime political observers say that, for the most part, the city council passes the mayor’s budget with relatively little change.

Wong said, “Public safety improvements in the ChinatownInternational District are not reliant on public support for the mayor’s budget, but sustainable improvements do require adequate funding for the mayor’s priorities.”

Join the SPD

Officials also made a plea for community members to join the SPD. Some attendees were outraged and pointed to the lack of any Asian Americans in the command staff (Capt. Steve Hirjak recently sued the SPD for discrimination).

“Residents across the city are encouraged to apply to join the police service—something we highlight at meetings across the city. Mayor Harrell believes the SPD should reflect the diversity of our city with a commitment to community policing. Having officers who are from our communities and know our communities will only enhance their ability to serve the community,” said Wong.

Many who attended the meeting were cautiously optimistic about future engagement.

“You’ve got to give people the benefit of the doubt, otherwise you’re not going to work together,” said Connie So, president of OCA Asian Pacific Advocates of Greater Seattle and a teaching professor in American Ethnic Studies at the University of Washington. “But you also have to call them out and people don’t always do that.”

At a recent King County Council budget hearing, community organizer and CID Public Safety Council member Gary Lee shared a map showing the 18 shelters in the vicinity of the CID.

Lee said he shared this information during the meeting with Harrell and Wong and explained the concentration of shelters was due to hazy zoning requirements.

The officials promised to follow up with him, and he sent them an email asking for a meeting.

“They told us, ‘If you have an issue, you don’t need to protest, just email us,’” said Lee. “But if they don’t follow up, I’ll be out there protesting again.” 

Mahlon can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

From left: Chong Wa donor Aaron Hwang, Chong Wa president Mei-Jui Lin, community organizer Tanya Woo, Deputy Mayor Greg Wong, Senior Deputy Mayor Monisha Harrell, and Chong Wa donor TC Lo

Photo provided by Chong Wa

longstanding “One China” policy, which recog nizes the government in Beijing—while allow ing for informal American relations and defense ties with Taipei, and “strategic ambiguity” over whether the U.S. would respond militarily if the island were attacked. He also said that despite China’s recent saber rattling, he does not believe “there’s any imminent attempt on the part of China to invade Taiwan.”

Xi, according to the Chinese government’s account of the meeting, “stressed that the Tai wan question is at the very core of China’s core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations.”

Biden said he and Xi also discussed Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and “reaffirmed our shared belief” that the use or even the threat of nuclear weapons is “totally unacceptable.” That was a reference to Moscow’s thinly veiled threats to use atomic weapons as its nearly ninemonth invasion of Ukraine has faltered.

Chinese officials have largely refrained from public criticism of Russia’s war, although Bei jing has avoided direct support of the Russians, such as supplying arms.

While there were no watershed break throughs, the Biden-Xi meeting brought each side long-sought, if modest, gains. In addition to the shared condemnation of Russian nuclear threats, Biden appeared to secure from Xi the resumption of lower-level cooperation from China on a range of shared global challenges. Meanwhile, Xi, who has aimed to establish Chi na as a geopolitical peer of the U.S., got symbol ic home turf for the meeting as well as Biden’s forceful One China policy commitment.

The White House said Biden and Xi agreed to “empower key senior officials“ to work on areas of potential cooperation, including tack ling climate change and maintaining global fi nancial, health and food stability. Beijing had cut off such contacts with the U.S. in protest of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan in August.

China and the U.S. are the world’s worst cli mate polluters, and their one-on-one climate contacts are seen as vital to staving off some of the most dire scenarios of climate change. Biden’s first stop on his long overseas trip was in Egypt for a major climate conference.

The two leaders agreed to have U.S. Secre tary of State Antony Blinken travel to Beijing to continue discussions.

Xi and Biden warmly greeted each other with a handshake at a luxury resort hotel in Indone sia, where they are attending the Group of 20 summit of large economies.

“As the leaders of our two nations, we share responsibility, in my view, to show that China and the United States can manage our differ ences, prevent competition from becoming anything ever near conflict, and to find ways to work together on urgent global issues that require our mutual cooperation,“ Biden said to open the meeting.

Xi called on Biden to “chart the right course“ and “elevate the relationship” between China and the U.S. He said he wanted a “candid and in-depth exchange of views.“

Both men entered the highly anticipated meeting with bolstered political standing at home. Democrats triumphantly held onto con trol of the U.S. Senate, with a chance to boost their ranks by one in a runoff election in Geor gia next month, while Xi was awarded a third five-year term in October by the Communist Party’s national congress, a break with tradi tion.

But relations between the two powers have grown more strained under successive Ameri can administrations, with economic, trade, hu man rights and security differences at the fore.

As president, Biden has repeatedly taken China to task for human rights abuses against the Uyghur people and other ethnic minorities, crackdowns on democracy activists in Hong Kong, coercive trade practices, military provo cations against self-ruled Taiwan and differenc es over Russia and Ukraine.

The White House said Biden specifically

mentioned U.S. concerns about China’s actions in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, and the plight of Americans it considers “wrongfully detained” or sub ject to exit bans in China.

Taiwan has emerged as one of the most contentious issues.

Multiple times in his presidency, Biden has said the U.S. would defend the island—which China has eyed for eventual unifica

tion—in case of a Beijing-led invasion. But administration officials have stressed each time that the U.S. China policy has not changed.

Pelosi’s trip prompted China, officially the People’s Repub lic of China, to retaliate with military drills and the firing of ballistic missiles into nearby wa ters.

The White House said Biden

“raised U.S. objections to the PRC’s coercive and increasingly aggressive actions toward Tai wan, which undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the broader region, and jeopardize global prosperi ty.”

In the meeting, Biden said China’s economic practices “harm American workers and families, and workers and fam ilies around the world,“ the White House said.

The meeting came just weeks after the Biden administration blocked exports of advanced computer chips to China—a national security move that bol sters U.S. competition against Beijing.

Xi’s government said he con demned such moves, saying, “Starting a trade war or a tech nology war, building walls and barriers, and pushing for decou pling and severing supply chains run counter to the principles of market economy and undermine international trade rules.”

Although the two men have

held five phone or video calls during Biden’s presidency, White House officials said those encounters were no substitute for an in-person meeting. They said sitting down with Xi was all the more important after the Chinese leader strengthened his grip on power with a third term and because lower-level Chinese officials have been unable or un willing to speak for their leader.

White House officials and their Chinese counterparts spent weeks negotiating details of the meeting. U.S. officials were ea ger to see how Xi approached the meeting after consolidating his position as the unquestioned leader of the state—whether that made him more or less likely to seek out areas of cooperation.

Biden said Xi was as he’s al ways been.

“I didn’t find him more con frontational or more conciliato ry,” Biden said. “I found him the way he’s always been, direct and straightforward.” 

U.S. President Joe Biden, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands before their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit meeting on Nov. 14 in Bali, Indonesia.

AP Photo/Alex Brando