JOURNAL OF THE NORTHWEST ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN

Transcription

PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
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SEATTLE, WA
Permit No. 2393
JOURNAL OF THE NORTHWEST ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
VOL. 33, NO. 3
Mentoring
- page 6
Dorothy Wong
- page 7
Banh Trung
- page 14
Lois-Ann Yamanaka
- page 15
Asian Celebration
- page 16
FEBRUARY 1 - 14, 2006
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INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER: February 1 - 14, 2006
VIEWPOINTS
ParkingInternational
meters
Examiner
Higo store to reopen
The International Examiner is
a nonprofit newspaper serving
Seattle’s International
District/
Chinatown and Northwest Asian
Pacific American communities
since 1974. Our mission is to
provide accurate, in-depth, timely
and sensitive coverage of local,
regional, national, and international
issues which affect APAs, immigrants, and people of color.
Stress in the holidays
Snacksnack cafe
In addition to producing a free
biweekly newspaper, we also
publish a bi-annual literary supplement, the “Pacific Reader,” devoted
to critical reviews of APA books.
Our small press has published
two books, “The History of the
International District,” and “Hum
Bows Not Hot Dogs.”
EDITOR
NHIEN NGUYEN
ARTS EDITOR
ALAN CHONG LAU
ADVERTISING MANAGER
CARMELA LIM
BUSINESS MANAGER
City Council fumbles on the touchdown
BY NHIEN NGUYEN
This
winter,
Seattleites have experienced
a
number
of
pinch-me-I’mdreaming
moments.
Finalists for Seattle City
Councilmember
Jim
Compton’s seat were all
women. Gay rights legislation passed and will be signed into law.
The Seahawks became NFC champions and
earned their first-ever Super Bowl bid.
But, just as Seattle was short of beating
the record for consecutive days of rain, the
city missed an opportunity to surpass a
major milestone in local history. The Seattle
City Council woke us up from our dreamy
state when they selected Sally Clark to the
vacant council position. Reading the morn-
ing news on Jan. 27, I admit exhaling a sigh
of disappointment when an Asian (or even a
Latina or African-American) name was not
listed as the Council’s pick for Compton’s
replacement.
Don’t get me wrong – I think Clark
has the makings of becoming a fine City
Councilmember considering her background in activism with the Lifelong AIDS
Alliance, among other notable experiences,
skills and interests. But with a 5 in 6 chance
of choosing a racial minority for the spot,
odds were heavily in favor of an appointment that would serve to increase the ethnic
diversity of the city council.
Rooting for three of the finalists — Stella
Chao, Sharon Maeda and Dolores Sibonga
— was not solely based on their Asian
ethnicities. After all, I wouldn’t want just
any Asian person to be on the council.
But it is their activism on socio-economic
issues important to Seattle’s Asian Pacific
Americans that make them attractive city
council candidates.
Luckily, the women of color finalists,
calling themselves the “sisterhood” of five,
will likely carry on their historic achievement and collaborate on important issues
as an example that minority groups can and
should work together.
The difficulty of appointments such as
this is that the new member has not had
to canvas and court the community to gain
their spot on the council. Clark’s efforts in
reaching out to the Asian community as a
city councilmember is an unknown, but as
with the Seahawks, I expect and hope that
she will not disappoint.
Corrections:
In the Jan. 18 - 31 issue, please note the
following errors in the “David Ishii” article:
- Don Glover was one of the speakers.
- Alan Lau’s quote refers to a Canadian
customer.
- The photo credit for “David Ishii” should
be Matt Masuoka.
We apologize for these mistakes.
ELLEN SUZUKI
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
KEN HIRAIWA
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
BRUCE FLEMING
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
We want to hear from you! Please
submit letters with name, address,
phone number.
Send to:
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
CANH TIEU
COPYEDITOR/FILM EDITOR
KARYN KUBO LAMBORN
622 S. Washington Seattle, WA 98104
fax: (206) 624-3046
e-mail: [email protected]
INTERNS
JENNIFER HO
AMY LIN
ALISON TURNER
CONTRIBUTORS
THERESE DUQUE
TARISA MATSUMOTO
KELLI NAKAYAMA
HONG VAN
JOYCE YIU
TEL: 206.624.3925
FAX: 206.624.3046
[email protected]
[email protected]
622 S. WASHINGTON
SEATTLE, WA 98104
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3
NEWS
2006 Asian Pacific American Legislative Day
Community advocates to encourage Gregoire to protect mental health & other services
BY KELLI NAKAYAMA
Examiner Contributor
This year, the Washington State Legislature
will complete its shortened, 60-day session on
March 9, leaving a nine-week window of opportunity for lobbying groups from around the state
to meet with lawmakers in support of causes, bills,
and initiatives.
On Feb. 2, 2,000 Asian and Pacific Islanders
from around the state will descend upon the
capitol in Olympia to urge legislators to protect
state-funded health and human services at the 10th
annual Asian Pacific American (APA) Legislative
Day.
APA Legislative Day is a grassroots, volunteerrun event organized by the Asian Pacific Islander
Coalition (APIC) of Washington State, which has
chapters in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties,
South Puget Sound, Southwest Washington,
Spokane, and Yakima.
APA Legislative Day organizer Tony Lee, advocacy director of the Fremont Public Association,
says that APIC will ask the legislature to use a
portion of the state’s estimated $1.4 billion budget
surplus to fund existing social services programs
that are utilized by many Asian and Pacific Islander
immigrants and refugees.
“We understand that the state should not
spend its entire $1.4 billion surplus,” says Lee.
“We’re asking the Governor and the legislature for
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very little money to meet some very pressing needs
that are not being met right now.”
In her 2006 State of the State address,
Governor Christine Gregoire vocalized her intent
to maintain the state’s fiscal stability by spending
conservatively and hanging onto the budget surplus.
Governor Gregoire will address APA
Legislative Day rally-goers at 11:30 a.m. outside of
the main Legislative Building on the campus of the
Washington State Legislature.
Legislative Day attendees plan to ask the
Governor to restore funding for state-funded
mental health services in King, Pierce, and
Spokane Counties, and other Regional Support
Networks (RSNs).
Currently, King County faces a $7.4 million
deficit in mental health services.
Diane Narasaki, chair of the King County
chapter of APIC and executive director of Asian
Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS), says that
the state’s funding allocation formula increases
risks to public health and public safety in King
County and results in severe racial disparities in
access to services.
“Asian Pacific Americans and Latinos and their
children are disproportionately affected because a
higher percentage of these populations are not
eligible for Medicaid,” she says.
Narasaki adds, “The mental health services
door is essentially closed to refugees and immigrants in King County.”
The APA Legislative Day agenda will also ask
legislators to take the following actions in the areas
of medical care, mental health services, home care,
income assistance, English as a Second Language,
job training, as well as civil rights and education:
• Increase funding for health care for immigrant
children
• Increase funding for the Limited English
Proficiency (LEP) Pathway program
• Restore funding for elderly case management
• Oppose full-family sanctions for the WorkFirst
program
• Support parity and fairness for agency home care
workers
• Ensure ballot access for all citizens, including
non-English-speaking citizens
• Support anti-discrimination legislation to protect
the civil rights of gays and lesbians
• Fund a survey to locate Filipino American
World War II veterans in Washington State and
reunite veterans with their family members in the
Philippines
• Create an effective, age-appropriate educational
Gov. Gregoire addresses 2005 APA Legislative
day attendees. Photo by Carina del Rosario.
pathway or an alternative assessment for students
who are unable to pass the WASL by the end of
their senior year
• Support capital projects for Asian Pacific
American community-based organizations
Since 1997, APIC has advocated for equal
access to culturally competent and linguistically accessible health and human services for
all Washington State residents, particularly for
immigrants and refugees.
APIC has also promoted and defended civil
and human rights in such areas as racial profiling, affirmative action, and bilingual education.
Inividuals and organizations that are interested in participating in the 2006 APA Legislative
Day are asked to contact Ming Tanaka at (206)
695-7582.
NEWS
ALL THE NEWS THAT FITS ON ONE PAGE
News Briefs
APIs condemn anti-Asian Adam Radio apologize, we will be forced to ask
advertisers to withdraw their support of his
Carolla radio spoof
Asian American groups around the
country have denounced a racist, anti-Asian
mockery of the Asian Excellence Awards
that was broadcast on the Adam Carolla
Show Tuesday, Jan. 24.
The radio segment depicted a portion
of the Asian Excellence Awards with the
audio for the award presenters and winner
saying nothing but “ching-chong” gibberish
for 52 seconds, according to a press release
from Organization of Chinese Americans
(OCA).
“Adam Carolla aired fictitious, juvenile,
racist and unfunny tripe,” said Dorothy
Wong, OCA-National executive director.
“This desperate and humorless bid for
attention at the expense of an entire minority has no place on today’s airwaves.”
“Adam Carolla demeaned the work of
Asian American actors, directors, and producers and perpetuated the stereotype of
Asian Americans as foreigners,” said Karen
K. Narasaki, president and executive director of the Asian American Justice Center
(AAJC). “Unless Adam Carolla is strongly
reprimanded, and the station and CBS
show.”
The Adam Carolla Show, aired through
CBS Radio’s 97.1 Free FM (KLSX-FM) in
Los Angeles. The Adam Carolla Show is aired
in 10 West Coast cities that have the largest
Asian American populations in the U.S.
Reichert appoints Patrick Lee to
Homeland Security Subcommittee
Washington, DC- Homeland Security
Subcommittee Chairman Dave Reichert
(R-WA) announced the appointment of
Patrick Lee as his policy director for the
Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness,
Science, and Technology.
“As a veteran police officer dedicated to
protecting America, Pat Lee brings perspective and experience to this position,” said
Reichert.
Lee, a former police officer with 30
years experience, served as Undersheriff
for Reichert in King County from 20002002. He also served as Division Chief for
Criminal Investigation and Division Chief
for Technical Services in the King County
Sheriff’s Office from 2002-2005.
In & Arou nd Town
Cultural Diversity Scholarships
Nordstrom hosted its annual Celebration of
Cultural Diversity Scholarship Awards on
Thursday, Jan. 19, recognizing four Puget
Sound-area senior high school students.
Each of the four students have been awarded
$10,000 scholarships. (Left to Right): Back
Row: Len Kuntz-Nordstrom vice president &
regional manager, WA/AL/OR; Kirsten Tuckerstore manager, Nordstrom Downtown Seattle;
Steve L. Robbins, PhD-Keynote Speaker.
Front Row: Monica Olsson, Shorecrest High
School; Josephine Cheng-reporter for KING
5’s Evening Magazine (Emcee for the event);
Alyssa Sheih, Global Connections High School/Tyee Campus; Cecilia Velazquez, Stadium High
School; Azmera Melashu, Ballard High School. Photo credit: Team Photogenic, 2006.
Khmer Arts Summit
Prach Ly returns to Seattle to continue to educate and elevate the
audience with his message of Khmer refugee empowerment at
“Spean Rajana” Khmer Arts Summit at University of Washington.
Rajana Society, a University of Washington student organization,
held a Khmer arts summit at the Ethnic Cultural Center/Theatre on
Sunday, Jan. 22. Photo courtesy of Kimhorn Seng.
5
NEWS
“Guiding Lights Weekend” inspires citizens to teach and to follow
BY NHIEN NGUYEN
Examiner Staff
Over 600 people participated in Seattle’s
first “Guiding Lights Weekend” on Jan. 2122. Some were looking for mentors, some
wanted to become better mentees and still
others were just deciding “what I want to do
when I grow up.”
Eric Liu, author of “Guiding Lights:
People Who Lead Us Toward Our Purpose
in Life,” spearheaded the two-day conference as part of National Mentoring Month
in January.
Twenty-five panelists and luminaries presented workshop sessions centered
around the concept of mentoring.
Jesse Tam chose to participate in
Saturday’s full-day conference so that he
could learn techniques on working with his
mentees. Tam has been a mentor for Seattle
University’s graduate and undergraduate
programs for over 15 years. Though mentoring is not directly related to his career, he
has a personal interest in helping others.
“I believe what I have learned is valuable
and I want to pass it on,” says Tam.
From attending the workshops, Tam
learned that different people had different
needs. Rather than teaching his mentees
to follow his life, he wants them to believe
in themselves and become more than they
think they can be.
Jocelyn Wong, who works in marketing and brand management at Procter and
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Gamble (P&G), talked about the notion of
mentors “hearing her louder” than she could
hear herself. Wong led a session, “Spreading
Your Wings,” which focused on how to
build a relationship with your mentor that
grows as you do as a mentee.
Wong discussed her formal mentorship with P&G executive Diane Dietz,
who represented P&G on NBC’s “The
Apprentice.” Dietz took a leap of faith
in accepting Wong, an engineer at the
time, to work for her department. The
two moved from mentorship, to coaching
to friendship through their five-year relationship.
Janice Mah, from University of
Washington’s College of Education,
attended Wong’s workshop because she
wanted to see an Asian woman speaker.
She says that it is “very unusual to see
Asian women as role models.”
“Asians are more invisible in the corporate world,” says Mah, who thinks it’s
exciting to see someone like Wong as one
of the speakers at the conference.
Mah related to Wong’s upbringing
under a Chinese father who had wanted
his first-born to be a son rather than a
daughter. Wong became an engineer initially to fulfill her father’s wishes.
As an Asian woman, Mah tries to mentor
students of color entering the teaching field.
Janice Mah meets Jocelyn Wong after her presentation on “Spreading Your
Wings” at the Guiding Lights Weekend on Jan. 21. Photo by Nhien Nguyen.
Q&ADorothy Wong - from local to national leader
Dorothy Wong, long-time executive director of Seattle’s International Community Health
Services (ICHS), is now national director of Organization for Chinese Americans (OCA).
She takes time from her new post in D.C. to speak with the International Examiner.
Q: How did you become interested in being the
national director for OCA?
A: I had been observing some of the proposed
legislative changes that have been discussed at
the national level and was concerned about how
the Asian Pacific American community, as well
as other communities, would come together to
ensure that those national policies that are being
reviewed would serve the best interest of our
communities. The OCA position became a logical next step for me.
Q: What is the top priority you have for OCA
this year?
A: The agency is at a pivotal point in terms of
looking at its future direction. It has recently
made some key strategic decisions. I will need
to structure the agency’s operations to make sure
that it can carry out those strategic initiatives.
OCA also recently identified a site for its national
APA Leadership home. The building is supposed
to be the headquarters for OCA National as well
as be a future site for the other APA organizations. Such a site has been under discussion
among these agencies for several years. Now that
it is a real possibility, it will be a major undertaking for OCA to raise the funds necessary to make
this a reality.
Q: You were the executive director for ICHS for
many years. What is the most important thing
you learned from that experience?
A: The APA community will need to be more
visionary about its role in formulating the future
direction of this country. What does a “culture of
inclusion” look like in execution? How do we help
prepare the United States to be a global-thinking
nation? We have focused most of our attention
on ensuring that we gain access to positions of
influence; but what do we do when we are actually
there? What will be our policies, what practices of
excellence or models of workforce development
have we come up with that will execute what we
have been advocating for these many years?
I just met an African-American woman who
heads the Gates Millennium Scholarship program and she stated that the African-American
community was looking at preparing their young
people to be not only leaders of their own community but also global leaders – to be able to work
with and lead people of diverse ethnic/cultural
backgrounds. I encountered this very challenge as
ICHS became a major employer – we were hiring
not only pan-Asians but also non-Asians of all ethnicities. What internal policies will we put in place
to ensure that all of our employees feel welcomed?
For example, the APA advocacy position has been
to allow our bilingual staff to speak
their native language
Dorothy Wong
in a workplace setting. We were finding, however, that
staff who did not speak the specific language of
the group felt excluded, perhaps even ostracized,
because of this practice. Ironically, ICHS’s policy
then became that, during any work-related discussion, the language to be spoken would be English
since that was the common language. Of course,
during their personal time, staff could continue to
speak their native language.
Q: How different is it to be in charge of a national organization versus a local one?
A: The work that you do has a broader and farreaching scope, so you will need to deliberate
more thoroughly in reaching your decision. OCA’s
membership is bipartisan and is becoming more
pan-Asian, so you must work through the diverse
opinions that are being expressed to reach some
level of agreement on the official OCA position.
Obviously, as a national organization, you are in
the public eye that is magnified several-folds from
a local situation. This being the nation’s capital,
politics reign supreme.
NEWS
Q: How does the Seattle OCA chapter compare
to the rest of the nation?
A: I think the Seattle chapter has prided itself on
being more activist-oriented than most its counterparts in other parts of the country. However, I
am finding that the newer chapters are also quite
activist-minded. Several of them are also becoming pan-Asian, reaching out to the other APA
groups as they strive to address the needs in their
growing APA communities. Some of them also
reach out to their young people, thus cultivating
the next generation of OCA members. So, Seattle,
you have some major competition ahead of you!
Q: What is one of the major challenges that
OCA is facing right now?
A: OCA needs to stabilize as an organization if it
intends to continue to be the national voice of its
constituents. It needs to develop its infrastructure
to address the work that it is doing. As with most
nonprofits, money is tight so the agency must also
look at financial viability for the future.
Q: What will you miss the most about Seattle?
A: The friendships that I have made. I have been
so immersed in the work at ICHS that I have not
always sat back and enjoyed those friendships. The
physical beauty of Seattle. The pace of life. I can’t
believe that I am back on the mass commute grind
- following the hordes as we step into the trains,
reading our newspapers while on the train, grabbing our lattes before reaching the office. Oh well,
such is life.
OCA Greater Seattle Chapter hosts their Golden
Circle Awards banquet on Saturday, Feb. 11 at
the Asian Resource Center (1025 S. King St.).
www.ocaseattle.org.
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8
LUNAR NEW YEAR
2006 Lunar New Year
Welcome to the International Examiner’s special issue on Lunar New Year, “Year of the Dog.” In this feature, you will find articles about festivals happening all around the Puget Sound region. Also, Hong Van
gives us a personal piece about the art of Banh Trung - the Vietnamese New Year cake. Enjoy! — ed.
Tacoma Dome to host “Year of the Dog” API Festival
BY AVANI NADKARNI
UW News Lab
About 10,000 people are expected to
celebrate the Year of the Dog at the Tacoma
Dome Exhibition Hall. On Feb. 11 from
9 a.m. to 9 p.m, the Asia Pacific Cultural
Center (APCC) will put on its eighth annual
Asia Pacific New Year Celebration.
“There is such a stigma right now [toward
people with any Asian background],” said
Cammi Srivastava, who is Caucasian but is
married to a man of East Indian heritage.
“Being so close to the Asian culture, I just
want to be a part of educating everyone
about the [it].” Srivastava is on the APCC
board.
Her fellow board member and New
Year Celebration event chair Maria DeVore
agrees. DeVore, whose mother is Korean but
was mainly raised by her Irish father, said
she grew up embracing her Caucasian side
but not knowing much about her mother’s
side.
“I’m excited … that the Asian community here can share the culture with everyone,”
she said. “And now we’re more education
and outreach oriented.”
Each year during the celebration, which
is free to the general public, a different
Asian country or Pacific Island is featured,
said DeVore. “We hope each person comes
out with a knowledge of the country ... all
aspects of the country.”
Last year the featured group was
Hawaiians — live bands played music from
the islands, Hawaiian food was served and
dances were performed. This year will feature the Japanese culture. The event begins
with a presentation of the traditions and customs of Japanese-Americans. Following the
presentation, entertainers from countries
such as Cambodia, India, Korea, Samoa and
Vietnam will perform.
Although Srivastava says the majority of
the attendees are Asian and Asian-American,
she and her committee are hoping people of
all backgrounds attend and celebrate. “We
are trying to put more focus on attracting
everybody,” she said. “We are focusing on
breaking the barriers.”
Along with the presentation and performances, there will also be booths set up that
are educational, set up by different foundations, and vendors selling cultural arts and
crafts and artifacts.
The APCC, a Tacoma-based nonprofit
organization, is celebrating 10 years this
year, and it’s a milestone for event chair
DeVore as well. “I’ve been a volunteer [with
the organization] for all 10 years,” she said.
“When it first began, I was so excited to hear
that there was something like this forming
for the Asian community here.”
The New Year celebration is the APCC’s
biggest event each year, and, according
to board members, the event helps bring
together the Asian community in the area.
“The Asian culture is just so amazing and
there are so many different aspects to it,”
said Srivastava. “It’s good to just appreciate
it!”
There is still room to participate, said
DeVore. To request booths, which are $250
each, or for general information, call (253)
383-3900.
Avani Nadkarni is a student in the Milan Mar gives the Lion a lucky red envelope.
University of Washington Department of Belltown Martial Arts performs a Lion Dance for
Kona Kitchen, a Hawaiian restaurant in North
Communication News Laboratory.
Seattle. Photo by Nhien Nguyen.
9
LUNAR NEW YEAR
Tet in Seattle celebrates 10 years of New Year festivities
BY JOYCE YIU
Every Lunar New Year, thousands of
Vietnamese Americans around Puget Sound
visit the Seattle Center to attend Tet in
Seattle’s (TIS) festival celebration.
This year, TIS celebrates their 10th anniversary of coordinating the popular two-day
event. Performances, children’s activities,
exhibits and other festivities focused on the
New Year and Vietnamese culture will take
place at the Seattle Center the weekend of
Feb. 4 and 5.
In 1996, four Vietnamese groups
came together to brainstorm ways to
preserve the traditional Vietnamese
New Year Celebration. The Vietnamese
Student Association at the University of
Washington, Helping Link, the Vietnamese
Boy Scouts and the Vovinam Martial Arts
Group worked together and formed TIS,
non-profit organization, according to TIS
Executive Director Andy Mo.
“The four groups got together and
formed the organization because we all
realized that we need a reliable independent
body to organize some special activities for
Tet (the New Year),” said Mo.
Mo said that the first Lunar New Year
celebration was held in 1997. During the
organization’s early stages, the celebration
was just a one-day event. After gaining more
experience, TIS staff and volunteers turned
10
the celebration into a two-day event.
“We also added more activities for the
celebrations. Each year we develop a main
theme for the event. Besides celebrating the
Lunar New Year, we also have programs,
such as tributes to parents, Walk to Vietnam
and many more,” said Mo.
The executive director said the New Year
celebration this year will focus on arranging
programs for those who have settled in
Washington State since 1975. It is no easy
tasks for the immigrants to live in a new
environment and still be able to preserve
their original cultural identities.
“Besides [the TIS 10-year anniversary],
we also wanted to celebrate the 30 years
immigration to America from Vietnam
since the fall of Saigon in 1975,” said Mo.
According to Mo, this year’s theme
is “Our Native Voice.” TIS will present
numerous new programs centered around
this theme.
“The new programs will be very exciting
this year. There is a traditional Vietnamese
dance performed by various Vietnamese
Language schools, “Our Native Voice”
Gallery, Ao Dai Fashion Show, Meet
the Artists program and also traditional
Vietnamese music performances,” added
Mo.
Mo points out that the purpose of the
Meet
the
Artists program is to
honor people who are
successful
in America.
Nationallyacclaimedwriters such
as Andrew
Lam
and
Aimee Pham Tet in Seattle presents cultural
will
share Photo from TIS.
their experience with all event participants at the festival.
Mo said that approximately 8,000 people
had attended the festival last year; including
state representatives, the Governor and the
Mayor. Mo expects more people to join the
event this year.
“We get strong support from the community each year and we shall try our best to
make it a fun event for everyone,” said Mo.
TIS Public Relations Director Hien
Nguyen said the event is more than a New
Year celebration.
“It is a great opportunity for children
to meet other kids and be part of the
community. We want to help the younger
performances every year at the Seattle Center.
generation understand the meaning of Tet
and what traditional Vietnamese families do
during Tet,” she said.
Mo said that TIS’ ultimate mission is to
diversify Seattle and Washington State.
“We want to extend our culture and
heritage to the general public and encourage
more people to join our festivities. At the
same time, we want our fellow Vietnamese
people to know it is fine to maintain our
cultural identities and be proud of who we
are,” he said.
For more event information, visit Tet in
Seattle’s Web site at www.tetinseattle.org or
contact its officials at (206) 706-2658.
LUNAR NEW YEAR
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LUNAR NEW YEAR
Banh Trung - a labor of love
STORY and PHOTOS BY HONG VAN
To officially kick-off the Lunar New
Year, my family and I carry on the tradition
of making banh trung, a Vietnamese rice
cake filled with mung beans and pork meat,
special for the New Year.
Every year, we make banh trung one week
in advance of the Lunar New Year and give
them as gifts to family and friends.
In preparation for the making
the rice cakes, my mom and I
dump seven pounds of yellow
mung beans in a large plastic
tub and 15 pounds of sweet
rice into another tub for
cleaning and sorting.
Out of what seems like millions of
little yellow mung beans (which are just a
tad larger than sesame seeds), I pick out the
ones that still have the green skin on them
and the ones that have gone bad.
Sitting on the kitchen floor and hunched
over the plastic tubs, my mom tells me
in Vietnamese, “You have to pick out the
green and bad ones or it’ll mess up the whole
batch!”
So, at first, trying hard to pick out all the
bad ones, I admit that I let a few bad ones
sneak by because my legs started to cramp
and my back began to ache. (The banh
trung turned out fine, but shhh, don’t tell
my mom.)
14
We fill the tubs
full of water to let the
sweet rice and mung
beans soak overnight.
The next day my mom
rinses and re-rinses the
sweet rice and mung
beans several times until
the water in the
tubs run clear.
Next
comes
the scrubbing and
cleaning of banana
leaves with which we
use to wrap the rice
cakes. This is also a back
aching task, but luckily for
me, my mom recruits my boyfriend to help with scrubbing duty.
While the banana leaves are
cleaned, my mom steams the mung beans
which I later mash with a pestle into a fine
powdery consistency. This is mixed with
small bits of pork fat.
“This keeps the banh trung from being
too dry,” my dad says.
Then, my uncle comes over and gets
down to business.
He pulls out wooden square molds, tears
the banana leaves into strips and lines both of
them up. His small but nimble hands work
quickly. After the molds are carefully lined
up, my uncle pours in the filling.
First comes a layer of raw sweet rice,
followed by a layer of the pork fat and powdered mung bean mixture and then a few
chunks of pork belly meat on top.
It is finished off with another layer of the
-continued on page 17
The many steps to making Banh Trung.
Lois-Ann Yamanaka: The unconventional author
BY TARISA MATSUMOTO
“Behold the Many”
by Lois-Ann Yamanaka
New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2006
337 pages
No one can accuse Lois-Ann Yamanaka
of being conventional. I remember my
excitement several years ago when I read
Yamanaka’s “Saturday Night at the Pahala
Theatre” (1995). The language and the
memories of Hawai’i that overwhelmed me
as a child growing up with grandparents from
the Big Island came alive with each page:
Bernie and Melvin went up Mauna Kea
Couple weeks ago for hunt goat.
They was going make smoke meat
For Melvin’s bradda’s grad party.
Bernie say they was going over this small
lava hill
When they wen’ spark one big herd.
—from “Kid”
The names were familiar — they were
names of friends and relatives. Yamanaka’s
voice was comforting. I knew the landmarks,
the ways to pass time, the stories. And for
all of these reasons, I understood that
Yamanaka’s writing was unconventional
because she described a Hawai’i that was
rarely written about.
Later, as controversy followed her novel
“Blu’s Hanging” (1997), I realized that her
characters were unconventional as well.
They were flawed to a fault, but Yamanaka
pushed to reveal what she sees as her Hawai’i
— not the palm trees and beaches and red
Ferraris
of
“Magnum P.I.,”
but the complex
racial hierarchy,
economic division, religious
undercurrents,
and embedded
prejudices that
have been part
of the Hawai’ian
experience for at
least two centuries.
Lois-Ann Yamanaka
Now in “Behold the Many,” Yamanaka
uses an unconventional form as a way to
give voice to her many characters. The novel
chronicles the life of Susanah Medeiros,
or Anah, from 1913 to 1939. Anah is the
eldest daughter of a Portuguese father and
Japanese mother who live and work on the
O’ahu Sugar Plantation. After contracting tuberculosis, Anah and her two sisters
are sent to St. Joseph’s Orphanage where
Anah’s two sisters eventually die. That’s
when Yamanaka’s story morphs into a world
of ghosts, wraiths, and magic.
The form of the novel is engaging.
Various characters narrate short sections
that interrupt traditional numbered chapters of plot. These short character sections
are insightful as they provide different perspectives on what is happening in the story.
Hearing directly from the characters makes
some of them more tragic and others less
forgivable. However, this form is problematic at the beginning because there is little to
help the reader navigate the form. The first
30 pages move through different years and
introduce many characters, some of which
are not seen again until the second half of
the book. I found myself going back to the
beginning several times to clear things up.
Nevertheless, Yamanaka gives readers another portal into the Hawai’i of old,
before statehood, before tourists. She again
reminds me of the inflections of my grandparents, the heartbreaking memories they
shared and the momentous events they reveled in. It is this skill of conveying the unique
voice of Hawai’i that is her most remarkable
achievement. In this sense, “Behold the
Many” is another of Yamanaka’s unconventional successes.
Lois-Ann Yamanka reads at Beacon Hill
Branch of the Seattle Public Library on Feb.
8 at 7 p.m. Co-presented by Elliott Bay Book
Company.
15
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Europe through Tawada’s eyes
Review by Theresa N. Duque
“Where Europe Begins”
by Yoko Tawada
New Directions
It’s easy to get lost in the dream logic
of Yoko Tawada’s “Where Europe Begins,”
a collection of stories that defies narrative
conventions. No linear plot drives these
vignettes. A challenge to read for those just
wanting casual entertainment, this collection is, in the end, worth the effort. Tawada
never settles for simple East–West oppositions nor does she try to reconcile the two.
She instead explores, at many different levels, the shifting relationship between language and identity, and between language
and culture.
Tawada wants you to experience the
vertigo effect
of
living
among words
that
don’t
yet belong to
you, or words
that once did.
Germanic
consonants
escape
the
newly arrived
narrator’s
tongue, but
a visit to her
mother in her
16
motherland is just as disorienting: “I hadn’t
spoken Japanese in a long time. In the word
okaasan (mother) I met my old self, and
when I said watashi (I) I felt as though I
were my own simultaneous interpreter.”
Themes of interpreting or misinterpreting German into Japanese, or Japanese
into German, or any language of a certain
place, run throughout the collection.
What’s striking about Tawada is her ability to embellish this theme with humor,
flights of strung-out fancy, and postStructuralist meditations. In “The Bath”
(one of the only two stories originally written in Japanese, the other eight stories in
German), a Japanese woman working as a
simultaneous interpreter for a German
corporation suddenly finds her physical
self transformed into a scaly, tongueless freak. Each segment of “The Bath”
plunges the reader deeper and deeper into
surreal metaphors for alienation. Tawada
frequently hammers her stories with various turns of the alienation theme, which
becomes tiresome and ironically alienates
the reader from her work. But if you’re
looking for something challenging that
carries you beyond your narrative comfort
level, then invest your free time in reading
“Where Europe Begins.”
Tawada reads at Elliott Bay Book
Company on Feb. 13 and the ID/Chinatown
library on Feb. 15.
Making way for “The Next GenerAsian”
at the 2006 Oregon Asian Celebration
BY JENNIFER HO and AMY LIN
Examiner Contributors
Listen for the beating of taiko drums or
follow the tantalizing aroma of Asian cuisine
and it will lead you to Eugene, Oregon’s 21st
annual Asian Celebration, the largest Asian
cultural festival in the Northwest. This twoday event, which attracts 20,000 visitors each
year, will take place on Feb. 18 - 19 at the
Lane County fairgrounds.
This year’s theme, “The Next
GenerAsian,” blends the traditional elements of the festival with an array of new
attractions. Placing a special focus on youth
culture, this year’s festival will showcase the
talents of local high school students as they
participate in activities such as the Asian
American Geography Bee competition and
the 2nd annual Sushi Showcase. Due to the
success and popularity of last year’s Sushi
Showcase, which featured professional chefs
demonstrating the art and presentation of
sushi making, this year will include a second
day of sushi enjoyment as high school culinary teams compete in a sushi showdown.
Another addition to this year’s festivities is the debut of Oregon’s First Annual
DisOrient Filmfest, which features independent films and video celebrating the Asian
American experience. As the first Asian film
festival to appear in Oregon, this event will
showcase the works of talented filmmakers
from across
the
cont i n e n t .
Beginning on
Feb. 17 - 19,
the DisOrient
Filmfest will
run concurrently
with
the
Asian
Celebration.
Aside from
the
newer,
featured
attractions,
traditional
activities will include arts and crafts stations,
martial arts displays, cooking demonstrations, educational exhibits, youth activities,
and a wide selection of Asian cuisine. The
festival’s entertainment will also feature a
sundry of traditional dance performances
ranging from the exotic Balinese Mask and
Legong Dance to the popular Chinese Lion
Dance. There will also be musical performances by Seattle guitarist Angelo Pizarro,
the Gamelan Sari Pandhawa Indonesian
Music Ensemble, Okinawan drummers and
much more.
Admission to this event is $3. Additional
information on the Oregon Asian Celebration
is available at www.aaforegon.com/
asiancelebration/. For information on the
film fest, visit www.disorientfilm.org.
Justin Lin moves up in Hollywood;
“Annapolis takes him a step backward
-continued from page 14
Banh Trung
BY KARYN KUBO LAMBORN
Examiner Film Editor
“Annapolis”
Director: Justin Lin
Cast: James Franco, Tyrese Gibson, Jordana
Brewster, Roger Fan
Rated PG-13, 107 min.
The question is not why Justin Lin
directed “Annapolis.” After his 2003 film,
the MTV-produced Asian American story
“Better Luck Tomorrow,” became a modest success, Lin was surely taking meetings
and fielding offers from Hollywood execs.
“Annapolis” was an opportunity Lin must
have felt he couldn’t pass up, a chance to
show a studio — in this case, Touchstone
Pictures — that he could handle a big-budget movie.
Therefore, the question should be: Why
did Touchstone feel the need to make this
piece of dreck in the first place?
“Annapolis” stars James Franco (“SpiderMan” and “Spider-Man 2”) as Jake Huard,
a “rivet” who works in the Annapolis ship-
yards and dreams of becoming one of the
few selected to attend the prestigious U.S.
Naval Academy. The audience knows Jake
is made of the “right stuff” within the first
few minutes, when we’re told that, despite
his mediocre grades and test scores, Jake
lobbied his congressman for a recommendation letter for 34 straight days (the lesson
apparently being that doing well in school
isn’t as important as political connections).
When another candidate drops out the day
before training is to begin, Jake jumps from
waiting list to freshman plebe.
Further details about the plot of
“Annapolis” are unnecessary, as the script
and dialogue, written by Dave Collard,
borrows so heavily from “An Officer and
a Gentleman” it’s practically plagiarism.
Like Richard Gere’s character in “Officer,”
Jake’s mother died when he was young, his
father is less than supportive of his military
career, he’ s a loner who learns the value of
being a team player, and whose nemesis is
Justin Lin on the set of “Annapolis.”
an African American senior officer.
Midshipman Lt. Cole (Tyrese Gibson),
the company commander, is a character so
one-note he can’t stretch from tough into
tough love. Jordana Brewster plays Jake’s
conveniently attractive (yet weirdly orangeskinned) military superior/love interest/
boxing trainer with about as much appeal as
cardboard.
Poor Roger Fan, one of the actors in
“Better Luck Tomorrow,” is cast in the
thankless role of Loo, Jake’s overachieving
roommate, whose strictly-by-the-rules philosophy clashes with Jake’s rebellious nature.
When the two square off in the boxing ring
and Jake comes out the winner, Loo does
an abrupt reversal and is suddenly in Jake’s
corner — literally — in the film’s climactic
showdown between plebe Huard and Lt.
Cole for the brigade boxing championship.
Lin employs some showy, if unoriginal,
camera moves for the boxing matches, but
the fancy footwork isn’t enough to make
even these sequences feel fresh. While
“Annapolis” might have raised Lin a rung
on the Hollywood ladder, I can only hope
he has better luck tomorrow with his material — and his choices.
“Annapolis” is currently playing at several
Seattle-area theatres.
powdered mung bean, followed by more raw
sweet rice. (By the time the banh trung finishes cooking, the layers of sweet rice fluffs
up enough to encase the mung bean powder
and pork meat.)
After wrapping the ingredients with the
banana leaves, my uncle hands the bundle
off to my dad who wraps it with foil and ties
it together securely with nylon wire.
This process may sound simple enough
but it takes a lot of skill to be able to put
together and wrap these rice cakes as well as
my uncle and dad can do. Wrapping them
either too tightly or too loosely can result in
disaster.
After the wrapping is done, we end up
with 25 banh trung; 17 large ones and eight
small ones.
My mom and dad stuff the bundles into a
huge pot that is filled with water and lemons
to provide a water bath for the rice cakes
to cook in. (The lemons prevent the foil
around the bundles from discoloring.)
For 12 hours, the large pot filled with
banh trung and water sits atop the stove,
bubbling away as the smell of banana leaves
and lemon wafts through the house.
After they finish cooking, we take the
banh trung out of the pot, line them up
on the kitchen floor and press them down
with several heavy objects to squeeze out the
excess water.
Overall, including the 12 hours of cooking time, about 20 hours worth of work is
put into making banh trung.
Despite all the time and effort that’s put
into making banh trung, I’m thankful that
it’s an annual tradition for my family.
It gives us a chance to spend time together, laughing and joking around and listening
to stories of my mom’s childhood memories
of making banh trung in Vietnam.
17
By Alan Lau
The Burke Museum will kick off their new
touring exhibit entitled “Toi Maori: The Eternal
Thread,” which runs from Feb. 4 - May 29 with a
Feb. 4 - 5 program from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Watch
weavers, tattoo artists and carvers at work as
more than a dozen Maori artists demonstrate
their talents. Lectures, panel discussions and a
performance of Maori chants fill out the program. The Museum is at the corner of NE 45th
and 17th Ave. NE. (206) 543-5590.
Lois-Ann Yamanaka reading from her new
novel entitled, “Behold the Many” (Farrar,
Straus & Giroux). Co-presented with the Beacon
Hill Branch, Seattle Public Library and The
International Examiner. This new novel is a
haunting historical story set in early twentiethcentury Hawaii about three children and the
world they create out of suffering. Feb. 8 at 7
p.m. Beacon Hill Branch, Seattle Public Library
at 2021 Beacon Ave. S. (206) 684-4711.
A handsome new addition to the Pioneer Square
Gallery scene is Catherine Person Gallery. For
the month of February the gallery will feature
the work of ceramic sculptor Kensuke Yamada
and also the work of Davis Freeman. Yamada is
a recent graduate of Evergreen State College and
this show marks his gallery debut. 319 Third Ave.
S. (206) 763-5565.
The work of Satomi Jin, which focuses on plant
life will be part of a “New Members” show Feb.
2 - 26 at SOIL. Opening reception Feb. 2 from 6
– 8 p.m. 112 Third Ave. S. (206) 264-8061. http:
//soilart.org.
Facere Jewelry Art Gallery will showcase international contemporary jewelry artists featured
in the Lark Publication entitled “1000 Rings.”
Jewelry artists from Japan, Taiwan, Singapore
and Korea are included. Show on view through
Feb. 15. 1420 - 5th Ave. in Suite # 108.
Vishavjit Singh. RSVP at [email protected] or
call (206) 623-5124 x114. 407 – 7th Ave. S.
Yuki Nakamura’s playful yet touching tribute to
her brother who died unexpectedly, done in the
form of ceramic soccer balls suspended in clusters
from the ceiling with colored twine highlights her
The Seattle Asian Art Museum has the following new show entitled “Suspended.” Through Feb. 24.
shows. “The Orchid Pavilion Gathering - Chinese Artist talk on Feb. 9 at 4:30 p.m. Kittredge Gallery
Painting from the University of Michigan Museum at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. N.
of art” is on view through April 2. Marshall Wu 15th St. & N. Lawrence. (253) 879-2806.
will talk about the show on Feb. 2 at 6 p.m.
Professor Timothy Brook explores the life of the View ceramic sculptures by Seattle artist Patti
late Ming art collector Li Ri Hua in a talk, “The Warashina through March 12. Contemporary
Art of Buying Art in Ming China” on Feb. 16 at 7 Crafts Museum & Gallery in Portland. 3934 SW
p.m. (206) 654-3226. 1400 E. Prospect St.
Corbett Ave. The show consists of two recent
series. “Real Politique” features a circle of dream“Erotica - The Art Of Love” is a group show like figures. “Drunken Power” uses the form and
showcasing the erotic art of Asia in various forms objects of a sake set to reveal a clever satirical
and media. On view through Feb. 26 at Ming’s commentary on today’s political landscape. (503)
Asian Gallery at both the Seattle (519 - Sixth Ave. 223-2654. www.contemporarycrafts.org.
S.) and Bellevue (10217 Main St.) locations. Over
18 only. (206) 748-7889.
Glenn Mitsui is an artist who has been doing
visual ministry at Blaine Memorial Methodist
Works in felt by Yoko Nomura and Jean Hicks Church. He has created custom images to
are on display through Feb. 19. KOBO is at 814 E. scripture, hymns and contemporary songs. His
Roy off Broadway. (206) 726-0704.
work is on view at the Mars Hill Church Gallery.
Reception is Feb. 11 from 6 - 8 p.m. Through
The work of Seattle artist Cathy Woo is included February. 1401 NW Leary Way. (206) 706-6641.
in a new group show by the Women Painters of
Washington, “CELEBRATION II” on view at the
Columbia Center Gallery (3rd floor) at 701 Fifth The “Winter Festival At Benaroya Hall” presented
Ave. Through March 31. (360) 373-7741.
by Seattle Chamber Music Society through Feb.
5. Ilsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall. Includes
Toyohara Kunichika was one of the last great Joseph Lin and Amos Yang. (206) 283-8808.
ukiyo-e woodblock print designers whose specialty was Kabuki theatre. His work is featured The UW World Series: Warabi-za, a celebration
at this gallery this month. Carolyn Staley Fine of Japan’s folk history in a night of taiko, costume,
Japanese Prints. 314 Occidental Ave. S. (206) song and dance. Feb. 11. 8 p.m. UW’s Meany
621-6493. www.carolynstaleyprints.com.
Theatre. (206) 543-4880. www.usworldseries.org.
‘Untitled,’ ceramic sculpture, clay, 18”X114”X12,
by Kensuke Yamada, 2005. See Visual Arts.
Foundation. She also reads at ID Branch, Seattle
Public Library. (see elsewhere in this column.)
James Janko, author of “Buffalo Boy and
Geronimo” (Curbstone Press), a novel about
the friendly relationship that forms between a
Mexican American soldier and a Vietnamese
boy during the war will read on Feb. 12 at 3 p.m.
Loretta J. Ross, National Coordinator of the
Sister Song Women of Color Reproductive Health
Collective will give a series of talks when she visits
the Northwest Women’s Conference. She speaks
about her contributions to “Undivided Rights:
Women of Color Organizing for Reproductive
Justice” (South End Press) on Feb. 16 at 5:30
p.m. Award-winning Bay Area journalist Pratap
Chatterjee appears Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. to read
from “Iraq: A Profitable Occupation” (Open
Media/Seven Stories). This book follows the
money and uncovers a string of money profiteers
and military contracters that followed our troops
to Iraq. 101 South Main. (206) 624-6600.
Japanese author Yoko Tawada reads from “The
Bridegroom Was A Dog” (Kodansha America).
Feb. 15 at the ID/Chinatown Library. 6 p.m. Free
Wing Luke Asian Museum. “Home Grown: KBCS presents the Tuvan ensemble known as with a discussion. Kinokuniya Bookstore will
Asian Pacific American New Years” on view Hun Huur Tur on Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. This give away free copies of Tawada’s book to the
through April 2. New Year free crafts activities legendary group from Tuva in the Asian steppes first 25 customers who ask for it. To RSVP and
and treats Feb. 4 & 5. Family Saturday program on perform and sing about life in the villages of their get your free copy, call (206) 587-2477 or e-mail
Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. features Sikhtoons.com creator home country. Town Hall. (425) 564-2418.
takami@kinokuni or [email protected].
James Yee, the Muslim U.S. Army Chaplain at
Guantanamo Bay falsely accused of spying comes
to Seattle to read from his memoir entitled, “For
God’s Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire”
(PublicAffairs) on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. UW Kane Hall
120. Sponsored by University Bookstore. RSVP:
[email protected].
Nic Dunlop reads from “The Last Executioner:
A Story of the Khmer Rogue” (Walker & Co.)
on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. University Bookstore. 4326
University Way N.E. (206) 634-3400.
Japan Film Association at UW every Thursday
at 7:30 p.m. Savery Hall 239. Sadao Yamanaka’s
“Humanity and Paper Balloons” looks at a community in a Tokyo slum and how a kidnapping affects
the people. Feb. 9. Kitano Takeshi’s “Kikujiro”
screens Feb. 16. http//students.washington.edu/
japanflm/calendar.html.
Takeshi Shimizu’s “Marebito” follows a fearobsessed cameraman’s exploration of the mysterious spirits that haunt the Tokyo subway.
Feb. 3 - 9. “Mighty Peking Man” is a Hong Kong
monster film produced by the legendary Shaw
Mary Matsuda Gruenewald will read from Brothers. Feb. 3 and 4 at 11 p.m. Feb. 10-11 at 11
“Looking Like The Enemy,” her memoir of the p.m. Directed by Meng-Hwa Ho. Grand Illusion
Japanese American internment experience on Cinema. 1403 - N.E. 50th. (206) 523-3935.
Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at KOBO at Higo. Her
appearance marks the 64th anniversary of The Amnesty International Film Festival will
Executive Order #9066. 604 S. Jackson. (206) screen 19 human rights documentaries, shorts
381-3000. www.koboseattle.com.
and feature films. Highlights include the following. Stevo Chong’s “Fields of Muden” which
Elliott Bay Books. Japanese author Yoko Tawada looks at the exploitation of children for the global
discusses her Akutagawa Prize-winning short sex trade screens Feb. 18 at 9 p.m. Northwest
story collection, “The Bridegroom is a Dog” Film Forum at 1515 - 12th Ave. (206) 612-3011.
(Kodansha), witty tales of alienation and dreams
that resonate with the tradition of the folk story. “Tales From the Japanese Cinema” will screen
Her latest volume, “Where Europe Begins” (New Akira Kurosawa’s “Drunken Angel” on Feb. 5,
Directions) collects recent English translations of Kenji Mizoguchi’s “Ugetsu” on Feb. 12 and Akira
her work and probes the chasm of being from Kurosawa’s “Throne of Blood” on Feb. 19. On
one culture and living in another as an outsider. Sundays at 1:30 p.m. Seattle Asian Art Museum.
Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Co-presented with the Japan (206) 654-3121.
18
19
DISTRICT NOTES
Lunar New Year Calendar
Celebrate the Year of the Dog by participating in Asian Pacific Islander events!
Saturday, Feb. 4
mum wage, overtime and child labor rules. Co• ID/Chinatown celebrates Lunar New Year sponsored by the department, Seattle U and the
Celebration. Organized by the Chinatown/ID Chinese Information and Service Center. 900 S.
BIA. 12 - 6 p.m. Union Station. 401 S. Jackson St. Jackson St., Suite 111. (206) 398-8039.
Free. www.cidbia.org. (026) 382-1197.
Remembering the Japanese Internment.” Seattle
University School of Law, Sullivan Hall, 2nd
Floor, 5 p.m. Sponsored by Seattle Journal of
Social Justice and SU School of Law. (206) 3984988. [email protected].
• Tet in Seattle celebrates their 10th anniversary at • Worried about international environmental
the Seattle Center. Through Sunday, Feb. 5. Visit affairs? The World Affairs Council presents Lester
R. Brown, President of the Earth Policy Institute.
www.tetinseattle.org for schedule.
7 p.m. The Mountaineers (300 Third Ave. W.,
• Asian American Journalists Association cel- Seattle. $10 Members/Students; $15 Non-memebrates their 20th anniversary of its Seattle bers. www.world-affairs.org. (206) 441-5910.
chapter at a Lunar New Year banquet. 6 to 9 p.m.
China Harbor Restaurant. 2040 Westlake Ave. N. Saturday, Feb. 11
Members: $30/Non-Members $45/Students $20. • Organization of Chinese Americans Greater
Seattle Chapter hosts their Golden Circle Awards
RSVP to [email protected].
dinner. 6 - 9 p.m. Asian Resource Center. 1025 S.
• Japanese American Citizens League - Seattle King St. $60/$25 students. www.ocaseattle.org.
Chapter. Banquet, “Our Story, Our Triumph,
Our future.” Seattle Waterfront Marriott Hotel. • Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) presents our
2100 Alaskan Way. Contact Ann Fujii-Lindwall, Eighth Annual Asia Pacific New Year Celebration
(206) 367-8749 or Irene Tanabe (206) 232-5138. at the Tacoma Dom. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.!
• Ascendia (a partnership of CISC and VAEDA)
is hosting a Small Business Law Seminar from
5.30 - 7.30 p.m. International Family Center,
900 S Jackson St, Ste 111. The presentation will
be conducted by an experienced attorney. Topics
include basic laws and regulations for small businesses and starting up a new business. Free legal
counseling appointments can be made. RSVP
requested. Contact Chor Phen Ng at (206) 6245633 x 131 or e-mail [email protected].
Thursday, Feb. 9
Tuesday, Feb. 7
• “Immigration Reform: Where do we go from
here? A community forum.” 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Rainier Valley Cultural Center. 3515 S. Alaska
St. Hate Free Zone of WA. Shankar Narayan:
[email protected]. (206) 723-2203 x208.
Wednesday, Feb. 8
• A free workshop to explain federal labor laws
under the Fair Labor Standards Act will be held
at 5:30 p.m. Topics to be covered include mini-
Sunday, Feb. 19
• Remember and reflect on the anniversary of
the signing of Exec. Order 9066 and Japanese
American incarceration during World War
II. A community reading of “Gold Watch” by
Momoko Ito. 1 - 3 p.m. Theatre Off Jackson. 407
7th Ave. S. Sponsored by JACL. Contact Joy at
Sunday, Feb. 12
• Seattle Chinese Garden Lantern Festival. (206) 623-5124 x110 or [email protected].
Colorful lanterns, tea tasting, Chinese fortunetelling, martial arts, calligraphy, lion dances and Saturday, Feb. 25
more. 2- 5 p.m. The Brockey Center at South • Fourth Annual Puget Sound Asian Pacific
Seattle Community College. 6000 - 16th Ave. Leadership Conference. Five leadership tracks
SW, S. Parking lot. Suggested donation: $5 adult/ and workshops on assertiveness, politics and
$3 children. Free under 4. (206) 282-8040 x100. conflict resolution. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Student
Union. Shoreline Community College. 16101
Greenwood Ave. N. $35/general, $15/student.
Wednesday, Feb. 15
• Day of Remembrance event “Honoring Courage: Starr Macdonald, EDI, at (425) 467-9365/
[email protected]. Negin Almassi, ACLF, at (206)
625-3850/[email protected].
Sunday, Feb. 26
• Pancake Breakfast. Sponsored by Seattle First
Hill Lions Club. All you can eat, rice and sausage.
Seattle Keiro, Kawabe House & Kin On Benefit.
At Kawabe Memorial House. 221 – 181th Ave S.
$8/$6 seniors and children. 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
20
Announcements
• FREE TAX PREPARATION: United Way
of King County and the King County EITC
Campaign offers free tax preparation services
at sites across King County through April 15.
Multilingual tax preparers available at several
sites. The campaign is focused on serving people
eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
The EITC is a refundable tax credit for low
income working families and individuals. (206)
315-8722. www.unitedwayofkingcounty.org/eitc.
• Asian-American Non Profit Executive Education
Scholarship. The 4A is providing a generous
scholarship for one recipient to attend the HBS
Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management
(SPNM) program. Applicants should be an executive director, CEO, or equivalent at non-profit
organization whose mission directly and positively impacts Asian American. Mail application
to Tom Leung at 2414 1st Ave #725, Seattle WA
98121 by March 1. [email protected].
• The Asian and Pacific Islander American
Scholarship Fund (APIASF) is accepting applications for the scholarship competition. The
deadline is Feb. 15. www.apiasf.org. 1628 16th
Street, NW - Suite 400 Washington, DC 20009.
(202) 986-6892 or (877) 808-7032. E-mail:
[email protected]. www.apiasf.org.
• Free Legal Advice. Free educational presentations and attorney appointments on specific legal
topics. Chinese Information & Service Center.
900 S. Jackson St., Suite 111 (free parking). Every
Wednesday: Feb. 8 to April 12. 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
The Community Justice Center is a project of the
Access to Justice Institute at Seattle University
School of Law. For questions, feel free to call
(206) 398-4051.
arts
senior services
Northwest Asian American Theatre
NIKKEI CONCERNS
409 Seventh Ave S. Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-340-1445 fx: 206-682-4348
Seattle’s premiere pan-Asian American performing arts center.
Manages Theatre Off Jackson.
Wing Luke Asian Museum
407 7th Ave. S Seattle, WA 98104
ph:206-623-5124 fx: 206-622-4559
[email protected]; www.wingluke.org
The only pan-Asian Pacific American museum in the country, the Wing
Luke Asian Museum is nationally recognized for its award-winning exhibitions and community-based model of exhibition and program development. WLAM an affiliate of the Smithsonian Instititue, is dedicated to
engaging the APA communities and the public in exploring issues related
to the culture, art and history of Asian Pacific Americans. Offers guided
tours for schools and adult groups, and provides excellent programs for
families and all ages.
business
Chinatown/International District
Business Improvement Area
409 Maynard Ave. S., Suite P1 Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-382-1197
www.cidbia.org
Merchants association enhancing business, parking and
public space in the International District. Sponsors Lunar New
Year and Summer Festival events.
Japanese American Chamber of Commerce
14116 S. Jackson Seattle, WA 98144
ph: 206-320-1010 www.jachamber.com
Encourages entrepreneurial & educational activity
among Japanese, Americans and Japanese Americans and promotes increased understanding of Japanese culture & heritage.
Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce
675 S. King St Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-332-1933 fx: 206-650-8337
[email protected]
Acts as an advocate for local Chinese businesses and in a public
relations role. Organizes the Seattle Miss Chinatown Pageant.
political & civil rights
Commission of Asian Pacific American Affairs
1210 Eastside St. SE 1st Flr. Olympia, WA 98504
Olympia ph: 360-753-7053 www.capaa.wa.gov
Statewide liason between governmnet and APA communities.
Monitors and informs public about legislative issues.
Japanese American Citizens League - Seattle Chapter
316 Maynard S. Seattle, WA 98104
www.jaclseattle.org
Dedicated to protecting the rights of Japanese Americans and
upholding the civil and human rights of all people.
Organization of Chinese Americans Seattle
Chapter
606 Maynard Ave S., Suite 104 Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-682-0665 www.ocaseattle.org
Civil rights and Education, promotes the active participation of chinese
and Asian Americans in civic and community affairs.
schools
Asia Pacific Language School
14040 NE 8th, #302, Bellevue, WA 98007
ph: 425-785-8299 or 425-641-1703
www.apls.org
Multilingual preschool, language classes, adult ESL, “One World Learning School Program”Academic enrichment, prep for WASL and SAT’s.
Chinese WuShu & Tai Chi Academy
709 1/2 S. King Street, Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-749-9513 www.yijiaowushu.com
Offers Wushu and Tai Chi training in a small class
setting where individualized instruction is key for quality learning.
Instruction in bare hands and weapons style Wushu as well as
Tai chi Sword, Chen style and Yang Style Tai Chi.
Denise Louie Education Center
801 So. Lane St. Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-621-7880
[email protected] www.deniselouie.org
Half day and full day Head Start program located in the International District, Beacon Hill, Mt Baker, and Rainier Beach.
Comprehensive multi-cultural pre-school for children ages 3-5.
Enriching the lives of our elders.
1601 E. Yesler Way, Seattle, WA 98122
Ph: 206-323-7100 www.nikkeiconcerns.org
Seattle Keiro, Skilled Nursing Facility
24-hour skilled nursing facility offering high quality medical
and rehabilitation programs, activities and social services.
1601 E. Yesler, Seattle, WA 98122
Ph: 206-323-7100
Nikkei Manor, Assisted Living Facility
50 private apartments. Service plans tailored to individual
needs. Nurse on staff 8 hrs./day.
700 – 6th Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104
Ph: 206-726-6460
Kokoro Kai, Adult Day Program
Provides social opportunities, light exercises, lunch and
activities 3 days a week.
700 – 6th Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104
Ph: 206-726-6474
Nikkei Horizons, Continuing Education Program
Offers tours and excursions, courses in arts, computers,
language and more.
700 6th Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104
Ph: 206-726-6469
social & health services
Asian Counseling & Referral Service
720 8th Ave S Suite 200 Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-695-7600 fx: 206-695-7606 www.acrs.org
Aging & Adult Services; Behavioral Health Services; Children,
Youth & Family; Consultation & Education; Domestic Violence
Education and Intervention-Batterers Treatment; International
District Legal Clinic; Naturalization Services; Problem Gambling
Program; Substance Abuse Treatment & Recovery; Vocational &
Employment Services
Center For Career Alternatives
901 Rainier Ave So. Seattle, WA 98144
ph: 206-322-9080 fx: 206-322-9084
www.ccawa.org
Need a Job! Free Training, GED, and job placement service.
Chinese Information and Service Cener
409 Maynard Ave. S. Suite 203 Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-624-5633 www.ciscseattle.org
Helps Asian immigrants achieve success in their new community
by providing information, referral, advocacy, social, and support services. Our bilingual & bicultural staff offer after school
programs, English as a Second Language, citizenship classes,
employment training, computer classes, elderly care services and
additional family support services. Please contact us.
Legacy House
803 South Lane, Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-292-5184 fx: 206-292-5271
[email protected]
Assisted living, Adult Day services, Independent Senior apartments, Ethnic-specific meal programs for low-income seniors.
Filipino Youth Activities, INC
810 18th Ave, Rm 108 Seattle, WA 98122
ph: 206-461-4870 fx: 206-461-4879 www.fyapinoy.org
Alcohol, tobacco & drug prevention; early intervention and
outpatient treatment for APIA youth and their families.
National Asian Pacific Center on Aging
Helping Link
(Senior Community Service Employment Program)
1025 S. King St. Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-322-5272 fx: 206-322-5387
www.napca.org
Part-time training program for low income
Asian Pacific Islander age 55+ in Seattle/King County.
ph: 206-781-4246 fx:206-568-5160
www.cityofseattle.net/helpinglink
Vietnamese community-based organization providing social service,
education, social activities and more for the greater Seattle area.
professional
International Community Health Services
International District Medical & Dental Clinic
720 8th Ave. S. Suite 100 Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-788-3700
Asian American Journalists Association - Seattle Chapter
P.O. Box 9698 Seattle, WA 98109
www.aajaseattle.org
Professional deveopment for journalist, scholarships for
students and community service since 1985.
National Association of Asian American
Professionals - Seattle Chapter
PO Box 14344 Seattle, WA 98104
[email protected]; www.naaapseattle.org
Fostering future leaders through education, networking and community
services for Asian American professionals and entrepreneurs.
housing & neighborhood planning
HomeSight
5117 Rainier Ave S. Seattle, WA 98118
ph: 206-723-4355 fax: 206-760-4210
www.homesightwa.org
First-time home buyer purchase assistance services including low-interest
loans, deferred payment loans, financial coaching, for-sale homes and more!
Inter*Im Community Development Association
308 6th Ave So Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-624-1802 fx: 206-624-5859
[email protected]; www.interimicda.org
Low-income housing, economic development,
neighborhood planning and advocacy for the APA community.
Holly Park Medical & Dental Clinic
3815 S. Othello St. 2nd Floor, Seattle WA 98118
ph: 206-788-3500
www.ichs.com
We are a nonprofit health care center offering affordable medical,
dental, pharmacy, acupuncture and health education services primarily
to Seattle and King County’s Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
Kin On Community Health Care
815 S. Weller St. Suite 212 Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-652-2330 fx:206-652-2344
[email protected]; www.kinon.org
Provides home care, home health, Alzheimer’s and
caregiver support, community education and chronic care
management. Coordinate medical supply delivery. Install Personal Emergency Response system. Serves the Chinese/Asian
community in King County.
Merchants Parking/Transia
ph: 206-624-3426 fx: 206-682-4233
Merchants Parking provides convenient & affordable community
parking. Transia provides community transportation: paratransit van services, shuttle services and field trips in & out of
Chinatown/International District & South King County.
International District Housing Alliance
606 Maynard Ave. S #104/105 Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-623-5132 fx: 206-623-3479
Multi-lingual low-income housing outreach,
rental information, homeownership community education.
Low Income Housing Institute
2407 First Ave Suite #200 Seattle, WA 98121
ph: 206-443-9935 fx: 206-443-9851
[email protected]; www.lihi.org
Housing and services for families, individuals,
seniors and the disabled in Seattle and the Puget Sound Region.
Seattle Chinatown/International District
Preservation and Development Authority
ph: 206-624-8929 fax: 206-467-6376 [email protected]
Housing, property management, and community development.
Refugee Women’s Alliance
4008 Martin Luther King Jr. Seattle, WA 98108
ph: 206-721-0243 • fax: 206-721-0282 www.rewa.org
A multi-ethnic, multilingual, community-based organization
that provides the following programs to refugee and immigrant women and families in the Puget Sound area: Development Disabilities, Domesitc Violence, Early Childhood
Education, Youth Family Support, Mentel Health, Parent
Education and Education and Vocational Training.
Washington Asian Pacific Islander Families Against Substance Abuse
606 Maynard Ave. S, Suite 200 Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-223-9578
Alcohol, tobacco & drug prevention; early intervention &
outpatient treatment for APIA youth and their families.
Join our Community Resource Directory. Email: [email protected]
21
EMPLOYMENT
Custodial Crew Chief
WSCTC seeks a Custodial Crew Chief
to supervise the custodial crews, perform custodial projects and assist with
staff training.
Requires HS diploma or GED and CPR,
first aid, forklift cert. (w/in 30 days of
empl). Requires 3 yrs exp as a supervisor or custodial lead, with background
in general custodial care of a multi-use
facility. Paid med/dental benefits, pension and transportation subsidy.
EMPLOYMENT
COMMUNITY I ORGANIZER
The National Asian Pacific American
Women’s Forum Seattle Chapter is
looking for an experienced community organizer to design & implement a series of gatherings for Asian
& Pacific Islander women in the
Seattle area. Flexible hours. 10/hr
per week @ $15/hr. For job description, email [email protected].
Submit cover letter & resume to
[email protected] by 2/8/06
by 5PM.
Michael Serizawa Brown
Ph.D., J.D. Attorney at Law.
For more info, call the WSCTC employment line at (206) 694-5039 or visit our
website at www.wsctc.com. Apps are
available online or at the WSCTC Service Entrance, 9th and Pike, Mon-Fri,
8a-5p. Only completed WSCTC apps
will be considered. EOE.
EDUCATION
Women’s Center Coordinator at South
Seattle Community College. $17 per
hour. Deadline: Feb 23. (206)768-6801
[email protected]
Engineering & Plans
Review Manager
$5,968 to $8,950/month
Plus Excellent Benefits
Direct the work of twenty engineers,
architects, landscape architects, environmental analysts, and surveyors for
Seattle Parks & Recreation. Approve
final designs prior to bidding and construction, and oversee the construction
contracting process. Manage workload
planning and budgets, and hire, train,
and evaluate staff. Requires five years
of experience as a civil, mechanical,
or structural engineer with an emphasis on design and construction management, including two years at the
supervisory level, and the equivalent
of a bachelor’s degree in any branch
of engineering. PE License and AutoCAD skills highly desirable. Public
sector experience preferred. For more
information and an Online Application
Form, visit www.seattle.gov/jobs by
2/19/06. The City is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values diversity in
the workforce.
FEMALE SOCIAL
DRINKERS CAN EARN $$$
Women of ALL ETHNICITIES wanted
for a study on alcohol and social interactions between men and women.
Participants must be unattached female social drinkers, age 21-35. Will
be paid $15/hr up to $95. Call Project
WIN at (206) 54DRINK or (206) 5437465 for more information and to determine eligibility. Part of a project at the
University of Washington Alcohol and
Drug Abuse Institute.
Program and Donor Services Officer
The Seattle Foundation - See job description at www.seattlefoundation.org
22
General practice.
206-367-2754
EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT
23
PLACE
McDonald’s
FULL PAGE AD
(FULL COLOR)
from separate CD

JOURNAL OF THE NORTHWEST ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN

Transcription

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