3602 - The International Examiner

Transcription

Celebrating 35 Years
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SEATTLE, WA
Permit No. 2393
First and Third Wednesdays each month
The Newspaper of the Northwest Asian American Communities. Find your inspirAsian.
Seattle Chinatown-International District
Lunar new year celebration guide
paGes
13 - 15
2009 Year of the ox - special lunar New year issue inside!
CHINA’s questionable role in
africa P. 6
On the border-line:
immigration p. 19
moving on up to the
eastside p. 7
growing up in the lanes of
canton alley p. 20
illustration: I-Chen Lin.
www.iexaminer.org
FREE EST. 1974 — SEATTLE VOLUME 36, NUMBER 2 January 21 - February 3, 2009
IE EDITORIAL
Calling All
IE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Fashion Designers!!
Sian Wu, President
Gary Iwamoto, V.P.
Carmela Lim
Arlene Oki
Ammara Hun
Angela Garbes
Cindy Domingo
The IE is seeking applications for its
‘InspirAsian’ Fashion Show and Competition.
Turn in a portfolio to the IE office (622 S.
Washington St., in Chinatown) or e-mail it to
[email protected] by
EDITOR IN CHIEF
for consideration. The IE is seeking 10
UP-AND-COMING fashion designers to
showcase their work at the IE’s first anual
InspirAsian Fashion Show on Wed., May
20, 2009 at Bell Harbor, in Seattle. One
designer will be chosen as the winner by a
panel of judges during the show. The winner
earns a front-page spread in a June issue
of the International Examiner. All other
chosen contenders in the show will receive
coverage in the fashion show program and
in a preceding issue of the IE. For more
information, please contact Susan Lee at
[email protected].
Diem Ly
[email protected]
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Jon Crispala
[email protected]
ARTS EDITOR
Alan Chong Lau
[email protected]
BUSINESS MANAGER
Ellen Suzuki
[email protected]
DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Susan Lee
Monday, March 2, 2009
[email protected]
Letter from the Editor
Happy Lunar New Year!
The last year has been one of both trial
and triumph. This, I express as both an
editor and individual. Since becoming
editor, I’ve faced multiple challenges and
been forced to overcome many barriers
in order to succeed. But, it was in this
time I felt transformed by those around
me who supported both my goals and
the International Examiner. Our new IE
team work tirelessly and never cease
to amaze me with their dedication and
are truly appreciated. The many people
who contribute articles are a part of the
IE family, too. I’m doubly humbled by
our countless supporters who teach me
with every honest conversation what
“community” really means.
I wish you all a year of transformation,
ever-growing strength in all you do and
must endure, and to never forget to
experience life as, forever, a student.
Diem T. Ly
Editor in Chief
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Ryan Catabay
[email protected]
INFO. SYSTEMS
Canh Tieu
[email protected]
CONTRIBUTORS
Huy X. Le
Kiki Yeung
Rango Le
Mona Locke
Albert Shen
Nalini Iyer
Susan Kunimatsu
Shalin Hai-Jew
Jennifer Wang
Nina Huang
Collin Tong
Carli Crozier Schiffner
Vera Ing
Lynne Nguyen
Quang Nguyen
Justin Khuu
Madeleine Anderson
Na Young Kwon
International Examiner
622 S. Washington St.
Seattle, WA 98104
Tel: (206) 624-3925
Fax: (206) 624-3046
Commentary:
AsianWeek departure from print edition
leaves a void to fill
I understand the economic pressures, but having a variety of community media
is essential to the well being of a community, culture and society. I used to read
Colors NW cover to cover and loved the graphics and photos. With all the time
I spend on the computer and online for work, I admit its very very hard to read
Colors online. There’s only so many hours one can sit in front of a monitor! There’s
still nothing like a tangible paper or magazine in my hands.
What I really liked about Asian Week specifically is that they carried stories
they picked up from various local API papers around the country....a great way to
keep in touch with other communities.
The IE is a special paper because it is the only nonprofit pan-Asian paper in
the country. It was started as a community paper, rooted in the struggles for social
justice in our communities. It’s sometimes strayed from that focus, but its never
strayed from having news, information, history, culture and arts all together. It’s
time to buy ads and make donations to the IE to ensure that it continues on.
Sharon Maeda
(A reader since the beginning, even subscribing when I moved away)
To the editor:
I read the story about the Nuns and the fish smell in the apartment in your
[“Community News”] volume 36 edition, no. 1of the newspaper and am offended that
you would use the word “ungodly” in your headline caption. Was that word chosen
because the story involved Nuns? I checked into the actual Yahoo story and nowhere
was “ungodly” mentioned. If it was chosen based upon the characters involved in the
story, I felt it was a very poor choice.
Granted, the Nuns should have exercised some cultural sensitivity but as Asians,
we all know the smell of dried fish and in large amounts, can be quite noxious. The
Nuns should have chosen other words to describe the smell other than “rotten meat and
vomit” but for sure would not have said “ungodly”.
I do hope in the future, your stories that are meant to entice and inform us readers
are better represented than this story was.
Thank you.
Mr. Rufo Calvo
Seattle, Wash.
The IE welcomes all comments. To send a Letter to the Editor, e-mail:
[email protected]; or mail to: 622 S. Washington St., Seattle, WA
98104; or, call (206) 624-3925 X3. Please include your name, city, and
contact information. Thank you.
Advice column:
“Mom and Dad, meet
a Non-Asian.”
BY KIKI YEUNG
IE Contributor
Kiki Yeung recieved
a B.A. in Drama at
the University of
Washington. Upon
graduation, Kiki
traveled to Hong
Kong where she taught English drama and
performed in the muscial “Around the World
in 80 Days” at HKAPA. She is a model and
personal development coach.
As an Asian American woman,
bringing home any “significant other (SO)”
means finding myself with a “guard up”,
preparing for a “press conference” with
mama and papa. There is a subconscious
checklist ingrained in me since childhood to
discern which guy to be or not to be with. I
know whether my parents will approve or
disapprove of a SO before they even meet
him. In my lifetime, my parents met five of
my boyfriends. I only admitted to two of
them in effort to avoid my parents’ probing
and concern. My mom invited one of them
to stay with us overnight when my father was
abroad on business. I was sixteen and the
relationship lasted for two weeks. He was
Caucasian, beautiful, handsome. My mom
instantly loved and approved of him. But, she
was concerned for his back injury, because to
her, that may create a problem for mating and
reproduction.
I sometimes hear comments about
Chinese people being afraid and appalled
if their daughter dates or marries an African
American man: “Ha Guay” as Chinese call
them. I definitely feel it is more accepted to
bring home a Caucasian man than a Black man.
Growing up in Bothell, I had many Caucasian
male friends. When I brought them home, my
parents automatically approved, even though
they were just friends. My father loves African
American musicians such as Michael Jackson,
Earth, Wind, and Fire, and Miles Davis. But
when it comes to his daughter dating one, that
is another matter altogether.
Understanding the racial, cultural,
social class, and economical difference and
similarities among the Asian, African and
Caucasian Americans, I can empathize with
and even appreciate my father’s concerns. Yet
this constant state of pressure can strain any
connected relationship.
Stories of interracial dating from
friends and colleagues gave me a broader
perspective on interracial dating.
“I’m the lone ranger in my family
dynamic so there is a great divide between my
personal life and my family,” says one friend.
“I keep contact with my family to a minimum
because, as many people can appreciate,
criticism and judgments can be wearing
regardless of how “great” or “successful” of an
individual you are. It’s what I call the “damn if
you do, damn if you don’t” complex that I’ve
now adopted. When my SO and my Asian
family and friends interface, they’ve always
been polite. When my SO makes a sincere
effort to appreciate my culture, food and
language, my family goes nuts. Yet they can
be uptight, picky and illogical.”
Another Filipino American friend
who is currently dating a Caucasian man says,
“When time came for Rob to meet my family,
it turned into an interrogation. Here was this
white boy, dating their smart, athletic, very
unique daughter. Is he worth it? Needless
to say, he was under a lot of scrutiny for the
first few months of our relationship. Well,
make that the first year of our relationship.
After talking to them about proposing to me,
they’ve realized that he means well, so they’ve
warmed up to him.”
Share your comments or stories with us at
[email protected].
INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
IE EDITORIAL
Finding My Own ‘InspirAsian’
“Jagged Noodles” Columnist
Mona Locke Gives Back
“Finding My Own InspirAsian” is a new IE column for community members to share how they
discovered their own ‘InspirAsian’ to give back to the community. Write to: [email protected]
and submit your story. Thank you!
BY MONA LOCKE
IE Contributor
Mona Locke is an Emmy-nominated, award-winning journalist, Washington
State’s former first lady, is currently the Executive Director for the Susan G.
Komen for the Cure of Puget Sound, and founded the Foundation for Early
Learning. In 2008, Ms. Locke received the Helen S. Jackson Women of Valor
award for excellence in public service and community development. Mona
lives in Seattle with her husband, former Governor Gary Locke, and their
three children, ages 11, 9 and 3.
“Giving back to the community.”
I didn’t grow up with that value; I
learned it later in life. My parents emigrated
from China in the 1960’s with very little
financial resources. They struggled and
worked hard to achieve the “American
Dream” and give my two brothers and me
a good life. They didn’t have time to role
model how to give back to the community.
They were just busy surviving in a new
country.
With my career in journalism,
I learned to “give back” in my own way
through reporting on stories that affected my
community and through helping charities
by emceeing and speaking at events. As
I’ve grown and matured, I have learned that
to “give back” takes on multiple definitions
and meanings.
Marrying Gary Locke changed
my life in more ways that I could ever
imagine. Elected Governor in 1997, he
also made history as the first Chinese
American governor on the mainland. We
inherited the role of being role models to
Asian communities not just in our state but
throughout the country. We were suddenly
in a position to “give back” not by choice,
but by the sheer virtue of our positions.
After leaving the Governor’s
Mansion, I happily returned to a career in
TV journalism. But, eight years in Olympia
serving as first lady and life with Gary
impacted my life more than I realized. I
went back to the familiar but realized I
needed more – to “give back” in a different
way. I decided to work at a non-profit
and that’s when I joined the Puget Sound
Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure,
an organization focused on ending breast
cancer forever.
With more than 4,000 women
expected to be diagnosed with breast
cancer in Washington State this year
alone, there is urgency in what we do.
These are our mothers, daughters, sisters
and friends. This year, we will give out
$2.3 million dollars in grant money, the
majority focused on breast screening to
save lives.
Through working at Komen,
I have heard amazing stories and met
amazing people from survivors to donors
and volunteers. But truly, two people
who have inspired me and taught me a
different depth of “giving back” are Jerry
and Charlene Lee.
Jerry and Charlene are an
inspiration not just to the Asian community,
but to everyone who meets them. Jerry,
Chair of MulvannyG2 Architecture, and
Charlene, a breast cancer survivor and
community volunteer, have supported
countless charitable organizations, many
of them Asian, for years. For example,
they are among the unsung heroes of the
recent “Celebrate Asia Night” performance
of the Seattle Symphony.
This year, Jerry and Charlene,
along with their good friends Christine and
Omar Lee, donated $100,000 to Komen
to focus on breast cancer education and
mammography screening in our Asian
American community. They are helping
us help others.
It is through the Lees’ actions that
we should all learn that “giving back to
the community” can be about donating
money, but it is also about leading by
example, caring about your community
and giving your heart and soul as you
inspire others. The Lees are an inspirAsian
to us all.
Lunar New Year, sticky rice cakes,
and the pursuit of childhood happiness
BY HUY X. LE
IE Columnist
My dearest
readers (all 3 of you),
the Lunar New Year
is coming, and you
know exactly what
that means: wasting
more
money
on
children. I mean,
come on! They don’t
work, they don’t pay
rent, shouldn’t they
be giving us little
red envelopes filled
with money?! I’m
still in debt from all those Christmas
presents. The economy is awful, so I
am only giving cash to poor kids. The
rest of them, the spoiled, Nintendo DSwielding waifs will get red envelopes
stuffed with coupons for Spicy Cheetos,
which they seem to eat by the ton.
But then I thought about it, and
now I feel awful for children here. They
will never fully experience the joy of the
Lunar New Year. I was lucky enough to
experience it in Vietnam, in the village,
where three months before Tet arrived,
you could smell it in the air, warm and
sweet and tinged with peach and apricot
blossoms. It smelled like happiness. We
poor children looked forward to it the
most of all, because we could get new
clothing, probably the only new stuff we
got for the entire year. This anticipation
period was always the best, usually
even more magical than the event itself.
I can recall few memories happier than
the ones of me staying up with the
family several days before Tet, everyone
gathered together to make the mung
bean-filled sticky rice cakes, which are
so dense that not even light can escape
them.
During Tet, the parents stopped
working for a few days, and there were
lots of food and candy, and money for
kids, and above all, the entire country
seemed filled with joy and new life.
Well, and also gambling, drinking, and
fighting on the streets, and at least one
Photos from the Celebrate Asia! event presented by Mulvanny G2
The event was held at Benaroya Hall on Friday, January 16 and boasted 2,500 attendees. Celebrate
Asia! is a benefit concert that draws upon local talent in collaboration with Seattle Symphony and the
Seattle Youth Symphony, to raise awareness of the classical arts in Seattle’s Asian communities.
From left to right: Tomio Moriguchi, Chairman of
Uwajimaya; Don Wakamatsu, the Seattle Mariner’s
new General Manager; and Jenny Moriguchi.
January 21 - February 3, 2009 —— 3
From left to right: Jerry Lee, Chairman of Mulvanny
G2 and Presenting Sponsor for Celebrate Asia!; wife
Charlene; Yoshi and Naomi Minegeshi; and Celebrate
Asia! committee member Martha Lee.
From left to right: Gary Locke;
Carolyn Kuan, events conductor;
and Frank Perry.
uncle who got drunk, fell off a motorcycle,
and passed out, but that was all part of the
magic.
And it is this magic that the kids
who grew up here are missing. I have tried
to bring it to my nieces and little sister, all
born in the US. “You want us to do what?”
they say skeptically, “eat a piece of sticky
rice cake?” I look at them and their iPods
and cell phones, thinking of how deprived
they are. Christmas comes close: the
expectation of school closing, of getting
presents from Santa, of watching houses
light up with different colors, Christmas
has its own special magic. But now that I
am grown up and have experienced both,
I realize that I will never fully be able to
experience the joy of Christmas. It is a
religious holiday, and a great one, but it
will never be completely ours. The New
Year from my childhood as I remember it
is a massive tidal wave that sweeps over
the entire country and affects everyone,
Buddhists and Catholics alike.
“This sticky rice cake is not bad,”
the kids say, after trying it, and after I
fried it crispy, and I feel some hope. They
might never be able to experience the
childhood happiness I felt at around this
time in the same way I did, but maybe
they have found it somehow somewhere
else. If not, these coupons for 50 cents
off the next bag of Spicy Cheetos should
balance things out. Happy New Year.
In an attempt to watch fewer reruns House
and Law and Order, I’ve started blogging.
I know, it’s awful, and I’m not really good
at it. But check it out at jaggednoodles.
wordpress.com.
4 —— January 21 - February 3, 2009
COMMUNITY NEWS
WWII JAPANESE AMERICAN ICONIC
FIGURE TO BE HONORED
FILIPINA HISTORY OF
RESISTANCE EVENT
When the federal government forcibly evicted all persons of
Japanese ancestry from the West Coast in early 1942, the first
to be uprooted were those on Bainbridge Island, Wash. On the
dock at Bainbridge, on March 30, 1942, a photographer for the
Seattle P-I captured the fear and uncertainty of the mass exile in
an image (left) of a mother carrying her 13-month old daughter.
The woman in that photograph, 98-year old Fumiko Hayashida
of Beacon Hill, will be the recipient of a special recognition
award from the Seattle Chapter of the Japanese American
Citizens League at its 87th annual installation banquet on
Saturday, January 24. Hayashida is being recognized for her work
speaking about her experiences and the lessons of the wartime
Fumiko Hayashida and
incarceration of Japanese Americans at numerous conferences,
daughter captured in a
school assemblies, civic and community gatherings, book
photograph by the Seattle
signings, and in interviews for radio, television, newspaper and
P-I in 1942.
film, locally and nationally. In her late 90’s, she accompanied
a recent Smithsonian exhibition called “Strength in Diversity” on a multi-city tour of
the U.S.
On Sunday, Jan. 18, “DIWANG PINAY: The Spirit of the Filipina” highlighted the Filipina
history of resistance as inspiration for social justice work. The original cultural production
featured local and nationally-acclaimed Filipina and Filipina-American artists, presented
stories from Philippine history, legend, and the Filipino diaspora through the mediums
of theatre, dance, spoken word, and hip-hop. The event, held at the Filipino Community
Center, intended to present the historical struggle of Filipina women in an artistic and
accessible way, as well as the indomitable spirit of resistance that is part of that legacy.
INTERIM FILES MOTION, CONCERNS FOR
DEARBORN STREET DEVELOPMENT
Interim is looking for people from the neighborhood to support their motion to intervene
in the appeal process for the Dearborn/Goodwill contract rezone application. The
development is a large-scale retail/housing project to be located at the present Goodwill
site on Dearborn St., in the Little Saigon neighborhood. City Council’s Planning, Land
Use and Neighborhood’s Committee reviewed this rezone application on Wednesday,
Jan. 14th. Interim is expressing its concerns over the scale, character, and long-term
impacts of this project in front of the Council.
MYSPACE A DANGER TO TEENS,
SAYS STUDY
The Seattle Children’s Research Institute found
that 54 percent of adolescents frequently discuss
high-risk activities including sexual behavior,
substance abuse or violence using MySpace,
the popular social networking Web site. In the January 2009 issue of the Archives
of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, the study, “Adolescent Display of Health Risk
Behaviors on MySpace, and Reducing At-Risk Adolescents’ Display of Risk Behavior
on a Social Networking Web Site”, indicates that these sites might expose teens to illintentioned online predators, cyberbullies and increased peer pressure. There are also
fears that university enrollment and future hiring decisions may be compromised by
what adolescents post online in personal profiles. MySpace has more than 200 million
profiles, with 25 percent belonging to youth under 18, according to multiple studies.
SEATTLE’S NEW DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE
FOR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING VICTIMS
Mayor Nickels announced the launch of a toll-free hotline for nonEnglish-speaking victims of domestic violence—the first of its kind
in the country. The Peace in the Home Helpline - 1-888-847-7205 connects limited-English speaking domestic violence victims to services
they need in one of 14 different languages.
BUDGET CUTS TO SENIOR CARE
Wishing you health, wealth,
and happiness
On December 18, Governor Gregoire announced her
proposed 2009 - 2011 state-wide budget which eliminates
funding for Adult Day Health programs beginning June 2009. If
implemented, this proposed budget could significantly hinder
Legacy House’s ability to care for the Chinatown/ID’s aging
and frail community members. Adult Day Health programs are
critical to preserving the independence and dignity of seniors
and developmentally-disabled adults and help them continue
to live with their families. Let your legislator know that you
support programs like Legacy House’s Adult Day Services
and Adult Day Care. The skilled nursing and occupational
therapy services provided by Adult Day Health programs are
proven to keep frail people and people with disabilities from
Gov. Christine Gregoire
unnecessary hospitalizations, premature institutionalization
and needing nursing home care. Call the Washington State
Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 or visit: http://www1.leg.wa.gov/legislature to
find your Legislative representative.
Dow C onstantine is chair
of the King C ounty C ouncil
for 2009. For more information on the King C ounty
C ouncil, please go to www.
kingcounty.gov/council.
TWO JAPANESE AMERICAN GROUPS MERGE
The Seattle Japanese Language School (SJLS) and the Nikkei Heritage Association of
Washington (NHAW) took a big step toward building a new Japanese Cultural and
Community Center when they signed legal documents to merge the two organizations.
Under the terms of agreement, a new board, consisting of representatives from both
groups, will assume responsibility for developing the new center. It will provide a
central home for not only the language school but also various martial arts schools,
cultural groups and other Japanese American organizations.
King County Councilmember
Dow Constantine
District Eight
(206) 296-1008
dow.constantine @ kingcounty.gov
AROUND THE NATION
CNN CORRESPONDANT NOMINATED AS
OBAMA’S SURGEON GENERAL
President Barack Obama nominated Sanjay Gupta for the
position of Surgeon General. Gupta is a neurosurgeon and
medical correspondent for CNN and CBS News. He’s a highprofile choice, considering that he’s made his name both as
a journalist and a physician. He would play an important,
expanded role in providing health advice to Obama’s White
House.
FASTEST GROWING
INTERNET USERS
ARE IN CHINA
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
NEW REPORT: SILENT ECONOMIC
DEPRESSION FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR
A new report concludes that the current economic recession is being experienced as a
depression by people of color. Entitled “State of the Dream 2009: The Silent Depression,”
the report is the sixth annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day report from United for a Fair
Economy (UFE). To download a copy of the report, visit http://www.faireconomy.org/
press_room. “While media and public attention has focused on the recession that started
a year ago for the total population, people of color have been experiencing a recession
for five years,” said Amaad Rivera, Racial Wealth Divide Initiative Leader for UFE and
one of the report’s co-authors. “By definition, a long-term recession is a depression.”
HUMAN TRAFFICKING LEGISLATION PASSES
On International Migrants Day, the Senate and the House unanimously passed the
“William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2008” (TVPRA). This piece
of legislation reauthorizes the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and provides
great advances in aiding, protecting and preventing the exploitation of thousands of
human trafficking survivors. API women and girls represent the largest group of persons
trafficked into the U.S., many of whom are trafficked into domestic servitude, sweatshop
work and other forms of forced labor. The TVPRA of 2008 contains new provisions that
begin to close the gap in services and protections for this vulnerable group of workers,
including. To learn more about NAPAWF’s anti-trafficking project, please contact
Priscilla at [email protected].
Architects,
Consultants
& Contractors
KCLS Library Contract
Information Available Online!
www.kcls.org/buildings
Information about KCLS construction and
the latest available details on current and
pending projects.
t
t
t
t
t
t
t
t
t
Requests for Proposals
Requests for Qualifications
Current Project Bid Listing
Call for Art Proposals
Site Selection Policy
Announcements of Finalists
Community Meetings
Contacts
New Releases
The King County Library System recognizes
strength and value within our communities,
and we encourage all interested and qualified
service providers to review our public bid
construction opportunities.
Contact Kelly Iverson
Facilities Assistant
[email protected] or 425.369.3308
VIETNAM SETS
UP STATE-RUN
MATCHMAKING
AGENCY
In Vietnam, authorities are planning to
set up an official matchmaking agency to
arrange marriages between Vietnamese
women and foreign men, reports the
BBC News. The goal is to regulate the
sector, which is currently run by illegal
groups, with many women falling prey
to unscrupulous brokers and sold into
prostitution, or forced into marriages
they don’t want. In Vietnam, overseas
marriage is seen by some women—many
from poor backgrounds—as a way out of
poverty to a better life. So they’re paraded
before potential suitors, men on short
“marriage holidays” from South Korea,
Taiwan and beyond. The government says
it hopes to the plan will help prevent the
abuse of Vietnamese women by criminal
organizations, or by their new husbands.
China’s fast-growing population of Internet
users has risen to 298 million after passing
the United States last year to become the
world’s largest, a government-sanctioned
research group said. According to the
Associated Press, the latest figure is a
41.9 percent increase over the same
time a year earlier, the China Internet
Network Information Center said in a
report. China’s Internet use is growing
at explosive rates despite government
efforts to block access to material deemed
subversive or pornographic. Regulators
are in the midst of a crackdown on sites
accused of carrying sexually explicit
material. The financial size of China’s
online market still trails those of the United
States, South Korea and other countries.
The United States had an estimated 223.1
million Internet users in June, according
to Nielsen Online, a research firm.
STUDY REPORTS
INEQUALITY IN
COURTROOM
A recent study has exposed a serious
breach of equality in the courtroom.
The study, sponsored by Texas Tech
University, found that English-speaking
plaintiffs are 15 percent more likely to
obtain a favorable jury trial verdict than
non-English-speaking Hispanics when
suing in a court of law. Non-English
speakers who have been injured and are
suing in a personal injury or wrongful
death case should make sure their lawyer
knows how to keep the jurors’ judgment
from being clouded by language bias.
ARMED ROBBERY
TURNS TRAGIC IN
PHILADELPHIA
In Philadelphia, Robert Chae, 58, a wellknown Korean American businessman,
was killed by armed robbers in his home.
Chae, who owned and operated a beauty
supply store, was attacked immediately
after opening his garage door at about
5:00 a.m. on Jan. 9. According to police,
the assailants took his wife Janice Chae
and the couple’s two adult children,
who had been sleeping upstairs, to the
basement, where they were bound with
duct tape. The fatal home invasion robbery
came a month after police arrested five
men accused of at least ten robberies
in Delaware County and Southwest
Philadelphia, some of which involved
Asian business owners who were targeted
and followed home.
BUSH’S SECRETARY
OF LABOR DEPARTS
AFTER 8 YEARS
Secretary
of
Labor
Elaine Chao, the only
member of President
Bush’s cabinet to serve
a full eight years, fends
off critics as she exits
her position, according
to a New York Times
Elaine Chao
report. Labor unions
say that under her leadership, the labor
department has favored business over the
safety and welfare of U.S. workers. Union
organizations are apparently throwing
good-riddance parties in her honor of her
departure from the position.
CHINESE SCHOLARS
BOYCOTT OFFICIAL
CHINESE TV
Twenty-two scholars, lawyers and writers
have published a letter on the Internet
calling for an boycott of China’s national
government TV station, Chinese Central
Television (CCTV), reports the World
Journal. The letter asks people to say no
to CCTV’s brainwashing, saying “don’t
watch, don’t participate, don’t listen to,
don’t talk about” any CCTV programs.
CCTV routinely chooses not to cover many
severe social problems. The letter has a
list of CCTV’s deliberate fake coverage,
including its favorable reporting on the
“Three Deer” milk company involved
in the milk scandal. CCTV said that the
company has 1,100 checks before putting
their milk on the market, a lie, according
to the letter.
IE FEATURE
China’s Questionable Role No One-Trick Pony
Entrepreneurs are known for their creativity and perseverence.
in Africa
This has never been more true, and vital for their survival, than
A timely, new book raises doubts about China’s investments
in Africa and its purported dealings with despotic regimes.
BY SHALIN HAI-JEW
IE Contributor
in today’s slumping economy. Diversifying talents and projects
are rules of the game.
BY NINA HUANG
IE Contributor
Shalin Hai-Jew worked in the People’s Republic of China from 1988 - 1990 and 1992 - 1994,
the latter two years with the United Nations Development Programme/United Nations
Volunteers.
China’s wakening as an
economic giant has raised concerns,
particularly in the West. China’s
investments and political overtures on
the African continent have intensified
efforts to integrate this country into the
world community and particular rules of
play.
Ian
Taylor’s
new book, “China’s
New Role in Africa”,
takes
a
measured
approach.
Using
informants
and
published
sources,
Taylor suggests that
while
there’s
no
unified Zhongnanhai
policy towards African
countries, the People’s
Republic of China
(PRC) is pursuing state
interests in energy
security,
diplomatic
alliances, and global
trade.
W h i l e
China has engaged
with African nations
since the late 1950s, it was only after
Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989,
that China revived the Sino-African
relationships at a time when Western
countries condemned the People’s
Liberation Army’s repression of peaceful
demonstrators in Beijing. Their response
to this isolation was to reach out to the
developing world.
The evolution from Maoist
Marxism to a more liberal Deng-inspired
economic model involves a bargain
with the populace: the government will
deliver double-digit growth in exchange
for the population’s acceptance of their
legitimacy as rulers. This growth requires
plenty of raw materials. Maintaining
an industrial base for employment and
social stability means developing new
markets.
China, too, has a new thirst
for oil, with its development of its
own infrastructure, its 21.5 million
privately owned cars and its billionstrong population. By 2030, Chinese oil
imports are expected to equal current
imports by the United States, according
to the International Energy Agency.
Taylor suggests that
since 40 percent of
China’s oil comes from
the Middle East, where
the US holds sway,
that there are inherent
tensions between the
two nations.
The PRC’s rhetoric as
a self-defined leader
of the developing
world has included
apparent attempts to
contain the US as the
“new hegemon” and
neo-imperialist power.
“Chinese policymakers
have maintained the
opinion that, in the post
millennial international
system, Beijing and the
developing world must
support each other and work together to
prevent the over-domination by this new
hegemon,” writes Taylor. Diplomatically,
it uses its newfound clout in Africa to
politically isolate Taiwan.
This author sees China’s forays
into Africa as a projection of soft
power. Their offers of development aid
come tied with requirements to spend
percentages of the funds on Chinese
products. The aid may be in trade
for access to domestic markets and
the rights of first refusal to oil access.
(“Tied aid” is commonly practiced by a
majority of countries that give aid.)
Accusations have been plentiful
that the PRC pursues opportunities with
rogue regimes that have undercut global
efforts for more responsible leadership.
AFRICA, Continued on Page 27
Nina Huang graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in
journalism. She has a passion for writing, loves watching movies and her
favorite animals are dogs and pandas.
The current economic climate of real estate may be better for buyers in
has many people thinking outside of the this region than others.
box and taking alternate routes to achieve Stripes 39 is a start-up company
the so-called ‘American Dream’.
founded in 2005 by Salil Jain, an Indian
One of those people is Michelle American entrepreneur. The online retail
Shafagh, a John L. Scott real estate agent, store has increased their investment of
who works for many sectors within realty time and money into the “e-commerce
and has been able to combine her three industry”, which is different from most
passions of architecture, environmental other retailers, says Carl Ng, vice
education
and
president of Stripes
real estate, into a
39. Its strategy is
career. She works
to sell products
with builders and
people
cannot
developers
to
find elsewhere at
produce
“greenlarge retailers such
friendly” construction
as Wal-Mart or
projects and offers her
Amazon.com, he
services as a “green”explains.
building advisor. She
Stripes 39 sells
says the demand
unique
products
for healthier indoor
from
fashion
homes and well-built
umbrellas to bunk
photo of Stripes 39. From Left to Right: Carl Ng,
“green” buildings has Company
beds, train horns
Danny Chang, Quang Dinh, Allen Leng, Sam Franada, Chris
increased.
and even wedding
Kim, and Salil Jain.
“People are
favors. Put together,
starting to pay more attention to energy these items are unlikely combinations.
efficiency,” Shafagh said.
“The good thing about online
She says buyers are willing to pay retail stores is even if there is a recession,
more for eco-friendly homes. Consumer people are still at home on their
demand is high but prices are decreasing computers—giving us a distinct advantage
and could draw more attention from future over brick and mortar retailers,” says Ng.
buyers.
“We are forecasting high profitability with
Ryan Wong, another John L. Scott our own set of web stores this year.”
real estate agent, based in Renton, says Despite a foreboding prediction
short-sales in real estate are becoming of a Depression in the U.S. economy,
less common, as the process requires many entrepreneurs have found their own
more time and pricing can be unstable. ways to cope by investing in other skills
Wong said the biggest alteration in the or sectors. The promising attitude of those
real estate industry is that it’s becoming a who are looking to other alternatives
buyer’s market. This means there are more within their fields can lead to a bright and
homes on the market than the demand innovative future.
to buy. But Wong is optimistic and says
Seattle is one of the most stable real estate
markets in the nation. He says the future
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Moving On Up to the
Eastside
IE FEATURE
A growing number of APIs call Bellevue, Issaquah, Mercer Island
and Kirkland home—so do businesses and prominent figures.
What does this migration out of the tradionally “Asian urban
enclaves” of Seattle reveal about the transformation of the API
identity?
BY NALINI IYER
IE Contributor
Nalini Iyer is Associate Professor of English at Seattle University
where she specializes in Postcolonial Studies with an emphasis on
South Asia. She has written numerous scholarly articles and book
reviews on South Asian literature and her upcoming book co-edited
with Bonnie Zare is Other Tongues: Rethinking the Language Debates
in India (Rodopi, 2008)
At a time when America is
celebrating a major milestone in its
history of race relations with the election
of Barack Obama, many Americans are
taking stock of what race means to them.
For Asian Pacific Islander Americans (API),
the issue of race has always been a vexed
one. From the history of Asian Exclusion
to the fight for Civil Rights in the 1960s,
in immigration? Let us first look at some
numbers. According to the State of
Washington’s Commission on Asian Pacific
American Affairs, API or APA, are the
largest growing demographic in the State
and in the Nation. By 2020, the Census
projects there will be 20 million APIs in
this country and will represent 50 distinct
countries. Washington State has the 7th
“By 2020, the Census projects there will
be 20 million APIs in this country and
will represent 50 distinct countries.”
immigrants and their descendants who
trace their heritage to any part of Asia
or the Pacific Islands have been uneasily
lumped together under the category
“API.” For most of us, API is a term, a
box to check off, whenever someone
in authority is gathering demographic
information. In the civil rights era, the term
was one which allowed political solidarity
amongst people who had experienced
similar patterns of discrimination. To be
API at that time was to claim an identity
vis-à-vis the dominant culture of white
America.
What does API mean now
almost four decades after the Civil
Rights Movement and 44 years after the
passage of the Hart-Celler immigration
act which eliminated racial preference
largest API population in the country and
85% of the State’s API population resides
in the Puget Sound area.
While the city of Seattle has
often been viewed as the core geographic
area where many APIs reside, in the
last decade, there has been a surge of
population and development of cultural
and retail institutions on the “Eastside”.
Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Mercer
Island, Issaquah, and Woodinville boast
a very large API community and many
of these individuals are first generation
immigrants from a variety of Asian nations.
The impact of this community is obvious in
the changing landscape of the Eastside as
more Asian grocery stores and restaurants
catering to particular communities emerge,
as more Kumon math centers, language
academies, temples and churches begin
to dot the landscape.
So what does the term API mean
to this community? This reporter had
several informal conversations with Asian
individuals on the Eastside to explore this
question.
Jeanne Acutanza, an engineer
and mother of two, identifies as API when
she has to check off a box because that is
how she is perceived by others; her Irish
heritage is less obvious than her Filipina
identity. Having been raised in South
Jersey, Jeanne remembers that her siblings
and cousins were the only other Asian
children in the school. She also recalls
that there were strong links to other
Filipino families in South Jersey. She does
not have the same Filipino network in the
Eastside as she did growing up but feels
that times have changed and that we have
a much stronger multicultural community
here in the Puget Sound.
On the other hand, Gauri Deo,
a teacher in the Mercer Island School
District finds the API category awkward
and prefers to identify herself as “other”
in any demographic questionnaire. A first
generation immigrant from India who
moved to Mercer Island in the early 1990s,
she first felt isolated on the Eastside and
in Mercer Island in particular. She notes,
however, that the Indian population in
Mercer Island has grown substantially
in the last decade and that she and her
family have very strong social ties to the
Indian community on the Island and on
the Eastside. Her teenage daughters note
that they identify either as Asian American
or South Asian American but the idea of
API suggests East Asian heritage. When
asked about their experiences in school,
Ishani notes that they do study some
Asian American history and literature
but substantive discussions on race tend
to focus on African American or Latino/a
experiences. Sneha, Gauri’s younger
daughter, laughingly notes that the Asian
American kids usually get together when
report cards come in to complain about
their parental expectations!
The remarks of the different
Asian Americans interviewed on the
Eastside echo what Professor Charles Tung
who teaches Asian American Literature
at Seattle University notes about API
identities. He remarks, “API is, like almost
all ethnic categories, both too general and
not inclusive enough (i.e. there are always
exclusions and strange fits).” He continues,
“But I wouldn’t chuck the category ‘API’ out
the window either. Ethnic categorizations,
since they are implicated in networks of
power, can’t be ignored, and furthermore
are often necessary for the fortification of
oppositional coalitions. In my opinion,
when to use the category, when to let it
go, and when to disavow it, depends on
the context.” As the API community grows
in the Puget Sound and particularly on
the Eastside, their very presence, their
everyday experiences, and their choices
about identity and categories refine and
reinvent racial and ethnic identity in
twenty-first century America.
Keeping it ‘Real Estate’:
How to buy a
pre-foreclosed
home
BY RANGO LE
Broker and owner of Warring
Properties.
[email protected]
If you’re thinking about buying
a home, pre-foreclosure homes are
where you’re going to get the biggest
bang for your buck. A buyer will get
approximately 75 cents on the dollar.
The buyers I’m currently working with
want short-sale homes. Why buy a home
at retail-price when you could buy one
wholesale? The process to buying a preforeclosure home is different then buying
a home the traditional way.
First, find a realtor that has
short-sale purchasing experience and get
pre-approved by a mortgage agent. Not
all
realtors
understand
the process
and
could
be a liability
if
done
i n c o r r e c t l y.
The
reason
these homes
are
called
short-sales is
because the seller of the home is going to
be “short” paying the bank back for the
purchase of the home (after paying all of
the closing costs, realtor fees, excise tax
and the borrowed amount). The seller
is saying, “I’m going to be short paying
you back. Can you forgive me on the rest
and I’ll try to sell the house and get you
back as much money as possible.” Banks
allow this because if the home goes into
a foreclosure, that usually cost them 60
to 70-thousand dollars more to sell the
home.
Ask a realtor to show you shortsales that fall into the requirement you
need. After finding one that you like, ask
your realtor to do a CMA (comparative
market analysis) on the home. If the home
is priced at retail, then put in an offer at
a 15 to 20 percent discount. Remember,
short sales take 3 to 4 months to close,
compared to 1 month for a traditional
home-buying process. You have to be
patient because it could be very stressful
when the process is going into its fourth
month and you’re still waiting for an
answer back from the seller’s bank.
And sometimes, the initial price that
you and the owner agreed upon at the
beginning of the process, will be denied
or countered by the bank.
This whole process is not for
impatient buyers or those that need a
home ASAP, because there’s no guarantee
that you’re going to get the home. The
reason this process takes longer is the
seller’s agent has to submit the short-sale
package to the bank, which is around
fifty pages. The short-sale package then
proceeds through multiple departments
within the bank, delaying the process.
You might get lucky and find a
short-sale home where an earlier buyer
went through this process for you and the
bank countered the buyer with a higher
price and the potential buyer walked or
couldn’t afford the bank’s counter. This is
called a bank-approved price and now, if
the next buyer that comes along likes the
price, they could proceed much faster,
since the bank did their research on the
home and knows their bottom line.
Happy hunting!
IE FEATURE
Are You a Role Model?
Leadership
With tough times predicted ahead, we remember that while and the
many inspirational individuals grace the API community, we Generational
Gap
must serve as our own role model.
BY ALBERT SHEN
IE Contributor
BY SUSAN KUNIMATSU
IE Contributor
Albert Shen is the owner of Shen Consulting, Inc. a project/construction
management company specializing in airport capital projects. He is
an active member in the Asian American Community and is the board
president of the NW Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans and Board
Chair of the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation
Development Authority.
When I was asked to write this article
about ‘Who are our APA role models?’, I
have to admit, I was a bit uncertain as to
how to identify all of the role models in
our community.
Our APA community is filled with
so many role models whom have
given their lives and professions
to the greater good of the
community, it’s hard to be
specific with any particular
individual.
When I take it a step
further and actually ask
myself who exactly are
our role models, all I could
think of is the very people
that typically define what a
role model is. It’s the everyday
school teacher that strives to educate our
young; it’s the parent who goes to work
everyday to ensure that your children get
a better life; it’s the firefighter, mailman,
or immigrant restaurant worker who goes
to work everyday in order to provide for
their families; it is the political leader who
endures a heartless campaign to serve the
public need. The list goes on and on as to
whom our role models really are.
However, over the last 20 years,
we’ve witnessed the largest and most
unprecedented economic growth in
wealth amongst our generation in the
history of the United States. This growth
has led to an insatiable appetite for
acquiring more wealth and consumer
items for our everyday busy lives. We
have seen the Internet boom create instant
millionaires overnight without having to
lift a finger on a real job. We have seen
the real estate market expand to its largest
level ever and people of any financial
background were able to get a loan and
buy a house. We have seen energy prices
fall victim to the power of the speculator.
So, with all this wealth and greed what
kind of role models are we ourselves
projecting onto our future generations? I
recall the controversy about toys made in
China with toxic paint and all the parents
in complete uproar over unsafe Chinese
toy products. As I observe many of my
friends buy these countless toys for their
children in their large suburban homes,
I have to wonder do we really need to
buy all these toys for our children? What
about books or making them learn basic
math and geography skills? What kind
of role models are we when parents buy
countless toys, throw extravagant birthday
parties and other luxury items for young
children at their beck and calling? Is this
how we want to teach our children the
value of money and success?
When I was growing up
my parents and many other
immigrant parents alike did
not make much money.
They all struggled to get
to the United States to
build a life and family for
us children. They worked
hard everyday to pay for our
college tuitions. They did not
have the luxury of toys, games,
expensive strollers and other
gadgets which we now buy for our
children on a daily basis.
Now we are in the worst economic
recession since the Great Depression and
as a result of this financial meltdown,
millions of jobs are lost; people’s
retirements have all but vanished; wealthy
CEO’s are begging the taxpayer for more
money to pay for their greed; and more
evidence of crooked people like Bernie
Madoff are surfacing all over the world.
Bernie Madoff and all these overnight
“successful” CEOs were at one point
considered star role models for many
Americans because of their success. With
this depressing economic outlook I now
can only ask myself: How did we (role
models) get us here? Are we the ones
responsible for this economic turmoil?
Instead of asking the typical question of
“Who are our role models?”, the question
we need to seriously ask ourselves is,
”What do we need our role models to be
and what are we going to do about it?”
Susan Kunimatsu is a
writer and consultant on
arts and culture, and an
artist in metals and textiles.
She has also worked in the
fields of arts grant making
and
historic
building
preservation in Seattle.
Barack Obama’s election to the
presidency last November was a signal
moment in our history. We had reached
the point where a majority of Americans
could look at an African American and
not just see a black person. Our arrival
at this moment was neither random nor
inevitable, it was achieved through many
battles won and lost. I was a high school
student in Detroit in 1968 when the
anger and oppression that divided black
and white people literally set the city on
fire. I thought about this as I watched
the Rev. Jesse Jackson standing in Grant
Park listening to Obama’s acceptance
speech, tears streaming down his cheeks.
At times we must have both wondered if
we would ever see this day.
When President Obama is
sworn in on January 20, he will assume
the most powerful office in a world
very different than the one that even
he was born into. In a country that is
more diverse and equitable, in world
that is more connected, whether in
conversation or conflict, what qualities
do we need in our leaders? What are the
values that will carry us forward? What
must we let go?
Each generation has its own
passions and fears, shaped by a particular
set of historical experiences. As different
as they are, all of those experiences are
real, the feelings valid. Asian Americans,
equated with and vilified as the enemy
in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam,
have emerged as highly educated ‘model
minorities’, climbing one step at a time
into positions of success and influence.
The U.S. today is a more pluralistic
society thanks to their achievements
and those of African, Latino, and Native
Americans. As a result, the ability to
appreciate many value systems and
to collaborate with people from other
communities is vital to today’s leaders.
That multicultural fluency comes much
more easily to a generation removed
from the barricades of the civil rights
movement. What were once walls are
now the water in which we must sink or
swim.
“The building blocks of any
kind of movement or neighborhood are
what came before, how the place came
to be. We have a role in telling that story.
But the danger is in being too heavyhanded,” says Ron Chew. “There’s an
arrogance in assuming that your own
view of history is the only legitimate
version or that young people need to
do it the way you did it. The world has
changed and continues to change.” A
long-time International District activist as
editor of this newspaper and as Director
of the Wing Luke Asian Museum, Chew
helped create a new paradigm for
museums as voices of and advocates for
their communities. Now he lectures and
teaches in the University of Washington’s
museology program.
“I’ve become more aware of the
different worlds we travel in,” he explains.
“A lot of the work I’m doing now doesn’t
involve the Asian community—I’m
a consultant, teacher and writer in a
bunch of mainstream worlds. But at the
end of the day, I still mentor and work
on a one-on-one level with a lot of Asian
Pacific American young people in the
neighborhood … Every day of our lives,
we are many different things to many
different people, and that’s okay.”
Experienced
leaders
have
wisdom and the confidence that comes
from surviving setbacks. But the survivor’s
wariness can temper initiative. Emerging
leaders bring optimism, energy, and
an untapped capacity to innovate and
tolerate risk. Born in the digital era, they
are fluent in technology-based means
and concepts of communication, social
and political networks.
“[In the past it] was very grass
roots, about community organizing,
spending time with the businesses and
residents. Now we expect technical
expertise,” observes Sue Taoka, past
Director of the Seattle Chinatown
International District Public Development
Association (SCIDPDA) now with Shore
Bank Enterprise Cascadia, a non-profit
financial institution. But the International
District faces “the same issues [that]
were there ten, fifteen, twenty years ago:
public safety, business development,
housing, traffic, open space, big sports
arenas, historic preservation versus
development.” Progress is incremental,
so it is vital for young leaders to use
their skills to embed themselves in the
community and learn its history. “Make
sure you don’t repeat the bad parts of the
history … What has happened? What
has worked? What do the people really
want? Talk, listen, learn.”
IE FEATURE
Not ‘Lost in Translation’
The Vietnamese Friendship Association (VFA) has flourished
in recent years, offering immigrant parents and children a
step-up in the right direction and courage in a new culture.
to identify the family’s needs, develop goals
for their children, and assist as an interpreter
BY JENNIFER WANG
at parent-teacher conferences. Ms. L. says
IE Contributor
she appreciates these visits.
Jennifer Wang is currently
“Home visits are very convenient,” she
a psychology doctoral
says. “I usually have headaches in the car
student at the University
and I’d prefer the advocate to visit for my
of Washington.
health.”
Prior to moving to the U.S.
With the assistance of the parent
from Vietnam, learning new languages advocate, Ms. L. has been able to attend
and dialects came easily for Xuan L., parent-teacher conferences and has
67, who can eloquently switch from encouraged John to participate in VFA’s
speaking Vietnamese to Mandarin, and after-school mentoring programs three
to Guangdong, Chaozhou, and Khmer. days a week. Although her grandson has
Learning English, however, has been struggled in school, she has noticed some
difficult for Ms. L. since living in the states. academic improvement in recent months.
When communicating with her 13 year
Nguyen notes that most children
old grandson,
in the program
John, she relies
are doing well
on interspersing
a c a d e m i c a l l y.
English words
H o w e v e r ,
into
her
similar to Ms.
Vietnamese
L.’s experience,
dialogue,
in
many
parents
hopes
that
and
guardians
her
grandson
have
limited
understands.
English skills and
At times, she
hold
multiple
wonders how
jobs, which make
John is doing in
it
challenging
school.
for them to seek
As her
resources when
g r a n d s o n ’s
their children are
p r i m a r y
struggling.
Phung Nguyen, Parent Advocate at VFA.
caretaker, Ms.
In
addition
Photo credit: Jennifer Wang
L. relies on
to
providing
the Vietnamese Friendship Association programs to youth and meetings with
(VFA) as a bridge to understanding her parents, the VFA also holds community
grandson’s academic progress in middle events, support groups, and workshops.
school. Located in the Rainier Valley, One successful workshop, held last April,
the VFA is a service agency that provides helped parents learn how to check their
academic and cultural enrichment, such children’s grades online. Despite long and
as after-school tutoring programs at New demanding work schedules, 19 parents
Holly Learning Center, and a Supplemental showed up for the workshop on an early
Educational Services program for recent- Saturday morning.
arrival students at the Secondary Bilingual
“Each family is unique,” says
Orientation Center in Queen Anne. The Nguyen. “[The VFA] is very academicVFA also provides social and community focused and our goal is to help the
services through the parenting, mentoring Vietnamese family community. We’re
and leadership programs.
constantly looking for ways to improve and
The VFA encourages educational better the community.”
involvement among parents and family
members despite language and cultural If you are interested in volunteering as a
barriers. Phung Nguyen, a VFA Parent mentor or tutor for after-school programs,
Advocate, describes the Parent Advocacy please call (206) 760-1573. If you would
program as a way to empower parents like to learn more about the Parent Advocacy
and guardians to understand that the Program, please contact Phung Nguyen at
educational system in the U.S. is different (206) 724-9840.
from Vietnam and to help them be more
aware and involved in their children’s The Vietnamese Friendship Association
education.
office is located at 7101 MLK Jr. Way S.
“In Vietnam, students’ academic #212, Seattle, WA, 98118. Visit: http://
performance depends on the teachers, vfaseattle.org
whereas in the U.S., the educational system
relies on the parents’ involvement,” says
Nguyen.
Through monthly home visits,
Nguyen meets with 51 Vietnamese families
Wishing you and yours a
Happy Lunar New Year
From all of us at the Port of Seattle:
Where a sustainable world is headed.
www.portseattle.org
Lunar New Year Special
2009: THE YEAR OF THE OX
Design elements by I-Chen Lin.
OX
Also known as the Spring Festival, Lunar New Year is a two-week celebration that begins on
the first day of the first month of the Lunar calendar. It celebrates family, the start of a new
beginning, and hope for a prosperous New Year. A major holiday, Lunar New Year is celebrated
in China, Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and in Asian American communities.
Fortune-telling is a long-standing tradition in many Asian
HORSE
(1918, 1930, 1942, 1954,
1966, 1978, 1990. 2002)
You love to travel and want
to both ‘fit in’ and be able to
roam free. You crave intimacy but may feel
inferior to your peers, causing you to drift
from group to group. Horses can motivate
others, but are often impatient and can be
less than sensitive to other’s needs. In the
Year of the Ox, you will achieve success
in your career, but difficulties will have to
pass before you will be able to taste the
fruits of your hard work. This year also
signifies better social status and leadership
skills. Influential people will help you face
problems and solve them.
PIG
(1923, 1935, 1947, 1959,
1971, 1983, 1995) You are
generous and honorable,
possessing
impeccable
manners. While your luxurious nature can
be perceived as snobbish, you actually
live to help your loved ones. Pigs often
feel restless with mood swings and get
frustrated easily. In the Year of the Ox,
if you are already in a relationship, you
might suddenly get married. Married
Pigs might get pregnant. This year, Pigs
could feel more alienated due to poor
communication. Individuals born under
this animal could encounter trials and
difficulties before finally succeeding. DRAGON
(1916,
1928,
1940,
1952, 1964, 1976, 1988,
2000) You’re tenacious,
giving
and
intelligent.
You know what you want
and are determined to get it. Dragons
are charismatic and charming and can
influence others. As natural leaders,
Dragons usually enjoy a measure of wealth
and especially, the power it desires. In the
Year of the Ox, there are major changes
but not many accomplishments. You
should avoid being involved in any form
of investment or gambling as you will
likely be on the losing end. Be prepared
for troubles caused by females. One way
to avoid these is by being constantly on
the move to help minimize the effects of
the negative energies.
cultures during the Lunar New Year celebrations. According to the Chinese
belief, fate is not inevitable and a person’s destiny is under his or her own
control. In Chinese society, fortune telling is a respected and important part
of social and business culture. Fortune tellers often take on a role which is
equivalent to management consultants and psychotherapists in Western
society. However you consider fortune-telling, it’s still a fun tradition during
the Lunar New Year!
GOAT
RAT
MONKEY
DOG
(1920, 1932, 1944, 1956,
1968, 1980, 1992, 2004) You’re
charismatic and energetic,
craving fun and stimulation.
Monkeys are curious and
tackle complicated problems with ease.
But, you can be self-involved and try to
talk yourself out of situations. Indulgent
activities and a lack of self-control can
get you into trouble. In the year of the
Ox, look to career opportunities in distant
places. Earning income through traveling
is very much possible. Monkeys stand to
benefit as long as they are clear thinking,
energetic and inspired.
(1922, 1934, 1946, 1958,
1970, 1982, 1994, 2006)You’re
loyal, honest, and discreet.
You have a firm code of ethics
and can be tempermental and
sensitive, needing solitude to
recuperate. You enjoy staying active and
smoothing out tough situations. In the
Year of the Ox, stay on the move or be
mobile, turning any negative energy into
good ones. Pursue plans to work overseas.
You’ll feel a renewed artistic ability and
inspiration. Poor communication between
family members could lead to arguments.
Make sure to have enough time to rest, in
spite of your busy work schedule.
TIGER
SNAKE
(1919, 1931, 1943, 1955,
1967, 1979, 1991, 2003)
You’re a day-dreamer and like
spending time alone. You’re not
very materialistic or organized,
and need to feel loved and reassured.
The goat individual minds their own
business and prefers not stick their nose
in on others. In the Year of the Ox, you’ll
have better luck in love. Promotions and
personal developments are also waiting
for the Goat in 2009. But, you should pay
attention to your health and interpersonal
relationships, as they may be threatened
this year.
(1914, 1926, 1938, 1950,
1962, 1974, 1986, 1998)
You’re magnetic and selfpossessed. A natural leader,
Tigers exude an air of
authority that prompts others to fall in line.
You enjoy control, but are courageous and
will fight until the end. Tigers, however, are
moody and feel things more intensely than
others, causing them to have emotional
outbursts to stress. In the Year of the Ox,
learn to watch your temper, or you’ll have
poor relationships. The Tiger should avoid
acting on impulse, otherwise you might get
into trouble. Be cautious with colleagues
and beware of backstabbers. If you do,
you’ll earn a career promotion.
(1912, 1924, 1936, 1948,
1960, 1972, 1984, 1996,
2008) You’re clever and
quick-witted with excellent
taste. Rats are natural
charmers and funny. To those loyal,
you are extra protective and generous.
Unapologetic promoters of their agendas,
Rats can be viewed as greedy and quicktempered. In the Year of the Ox, you will
encounter major problems in terms of
romantic relationships. But, the Rat’s career,
leadership and authority will prosper. The
Rat is discouraged from adventurous and
risky activities this year.
1917, 1929, 1941, 1953,
1965, 1977, 1989, 2001)
You’re diplomatic and both
outgoing and introverted, with
a strong intuitive sense. You’re a
possessive partner, but irresistible. Snakes
are disarmingly smart and favor using their
feelings to make judgement. In the Year
of the Ox, be prepared for illness in your
family. In relationships, you’re in for an
emotional roller coaster. As for financial
investments and business, be ready for
sudden ups and downs in the money
market. Financial difficulties could lie
ahead. Leadership skills and relationships
with influential people will benefit you.
(1913, 1925, 1937, 1949,
1961, 1973, 1985, 1997,
2009) You’re a born leader,
dependable and possessing
an innate ability to achieve
great things. Ox are patient, tireless in
their work, and capable of enduring
hardship without complaint. An Ox
person is systematic and speak little,
but are intelligent and kind. People born
in this year are also said to be stubborn,
narrow minded, and with low public
relations skills. Ox will feel the yoke of
responsibility this year. Success will only
be achieved with conscientious efforts.
Trials and tribulations will be seen on
the home front. It is a good time to settle
domestic affairs and put your house in
order.
RABBIT
(1915, 1927, 1939, 1951,
1963, 1975, 1999) You
are compassionate and
protective of those close
to you. But, you idealize
relationships and give more to the partner
than is healthy. Rabbits avoid fights and
aren’t keen on facing issues and conquering
them. In the Year of the Ox, after going
through many changes, things will be more
stable and favorable for you. This year,
you could have excellent relationships
and dangers turn into opportunities. You’ll
be perceived as more charming than ever
before. For married Rabbits, try to resist
temptations. For singles, it is a good year
to pursue that love interest.
ROOSTER
(1921, 1933, 1945, 1957,
1969, 1981, 1993, 2005)
You’re a quick thinker,
practical and resourceful.
Roosters are keenly observant.
It’s hard to slip anything past a
Rooster! You’re an open book and respect,
as well as expect, honesty in others.
However, Roosters have high expectations
for their appearance and like to primp and
preen. In the Year of the Ox, brace yourself
and be prepared for on-coming pressures
in the Year of the Ox. Rooster should work
extra hard to make
these joyful events
happen, in order
to off-set negative
vibrations.
T h i n g s look
b r i g h t and
promising but
problems and
other unfavorable
circumstances
could be hiding
around
the
corner.
Traditions of the Lunar New Year celebration have been celebrated for countless generations. The act of eating, dressing, decorating, and dancing
are all symbolic of inviting a prosperous new year. These beliefs are especially poignant this year, considering the unstable economic climate. There has
never been a better time, in our generation, to celebrate what the economy cannot take away: family, memories, and traditions. Some are superstitious,
others are homophonic. Many Chinese traditions are based on homophones, using the sound of the Chinese character and applying that meaning to similarsounding words. For example, buying a pair of shoes during the New Year is considered bad luck amongst some Chinese. The word “shoes” is a homophone
for the word for “rough” in Cantonese, or “evil” in Mandarin, inviting such characteristics into your New Year. Enjoy reading the meaning of these beloved
Lunar New Year traditions.
Mandarin oranges: Mandarin oranges are the most
popular and most abundant fruit during Chinese New Year.
It symbolizes golden opportunities and sweet success.
Fish: Usually eaten on the eve of Chinese New Year. The
pronunciation of “fish” in Chinese makes it a homophone
for “surpluses”.
Melon seeds: Melon seeds are said to boost fertility and
are eaten to symbolize the growth of family.
Dumplings: It’s believed to resemble ancient Chinese
gold ingots.
Noodles: Families may serve uncut noodles, which
represent longevity and long life.
Prosperity Cake: “Fa gao” is a cake made of wheat flour
and either yeast or baking powder. The batter is steamed
until it rises and splits open at the top. The higher it rises,
the better your fortunes will be in the coming year.
Sweets: Candies and preserved fruits, which are arranged
in either a circular or octagonal receptacle, are called
the “tray of togetherness”. Typically filled with 8 types of
sweets, these goodies represent good fortune. Sweets are
eaten to ensure the consumer a “sweet” year.
Fireworks: Chinese legends say that a man-eating dragon
named Nian was driven away by villagers using loud noises
(firecrackers) and red objects (Nian feared the color red).
Every New Year, the dragon returns and must be driven
away again. The firecrackers are known for its deafening
explosions that it is thought to scare away evil spirits. The
burning of firecrackers also signifies a joyful time of year
and has become an integral aspect of Chinese New Year
celebrations.
The color red: The color red is said to ward off evil and bring
good fortune. The color red is commonly worn throughout
the Chinese New Year because it is believed that red will
scare away evil spirits and bad fortune. In addition, people
typically wear new clothes from head to toe to symbolize a
new beginning in the New Year.
Lanterns: Lit receptacles provided the fire that kept the
legendary dragon, Nian, at bay. Lanterns will be red in color
and tend to be round in shape. It is meant to “scare” away
ghosts or misfortune that could compromise next year’s good
fortune.
Dragon and lion dancing: It is believed that the loud beats of
the drum and the deafening sounds of the cymbals together
with the face of the dragon or lion dancing can evict bad or
evil spirits.
Koi fish: This favorite marine creature symbolizes surplus
or having additional savings so that you’ll have more than
enough to live throughout the remaining year.
Sesame balls: “Jin dui”, are made from mashed sweet
potatoes, glutinous rice flour, and red bean paste, then
deep fried and rolled in sesame seeds. These round treats
are symbolic of prosperity in the coming year.
Red packets: Traditionally, red envelopes (“lai shi” or “lai
see”) are passed out during the New Year’s celebrations,
from married couples or the elderly to unmarried juniors
or children. Red packets can contain chocolate coins or,
more commonly, money. The amount of money in the red
packets should be of even numbers, as odd numbers are
associated with cash given during funerals.
Flowers: Fresh flowers are bought and decorated throughout
the home during the two-week celebration. Flowers are
said to symbolize a kind of fortune: Peach blossom—
luck; Narcissus—prosperity; Chrysanthemum—longevity;
Sunflower—a good year will come to pass.
Decorations: An array of different Lunar New Year
decorations generally convey a New Year greeting. They are
not advertisements. Decorations include a New year picture,
Chinese knots, and paper-cutting and couplet designs.
We understand you. And, we care.
•Primary Medical & Dental Care
•On-site Pharmacy
•Acupuncture
•Immunizations
•Sports Physicals
•Mental Health Care & Counseling
•Specialty Care Referrals
•Women, Infants & Children (WIC)
•Assistance Getting Health Insurance
INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT MEDICAL & DENTAL CLINIC
720 8th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
Tel: 206.788.3700
HOLLY PARK MEDICAL & DENTAL CLINIC
3815 S Othello St, Seattle, WA 98118
Tel: 206.788.3500
www.ichs.com
Lunar New Year Specials
The letter tHAT the businesses are listed under correspond to their location on the map.
A
MOMO
Come in and discover a
Eurasian mix in our boutique
offering men and women’s
clothing, interesting home
décor and fun gifts for friends
and family. If you’re born in the
year of the ox, let us know and
we’ll give you an additional
10% off your purchase just
for being the hardworking
(stubborn!) and loyal person
you are (offer good Jan. 25
– 31, restrictions apply). 600 S
Jackson St. in Japantown
KOBO Gallery at Higo
604 South Jackson Street
Lunar New Year events: Hua
Ji, Erhu performer 12:30 - 1:30
pm. Hua Ji is a talented, selftaught Erhu (also known as
the Chinese violin) performer.
Yuming Zhu (Yu-Ming Zhu),
Chinese Calligraphy from 2:00
- 3:30 p.m. Zhu will give a brief
history and describe traditional
customs of the Chinese new
year celebration. Still Life
Photographs by Barry Wong.
For more information about
Barry Wong, visit KOBO Gallery
at Higo today!
Taiwanese cuisines in the
district! On LNYC, Jan. 31,
2009, Henry the owner will be
giving out red envelopes with
$1 to children at each table.
Every table will also receive a
free plate of fortune dumpling!
S. King St.
E
Alice Floral Designs – (Since
1989) 5% - 30% off on select
flowers, plants & gifts. Receive
a lucky bamboo for every
purchase over $10 on LNYC !
Shop opens 7 days a week.
617 S. King St.
U2 Mobile – Free blue tooth
headsets for each new
activation on LNYC, Jan. 31,
2009. 601 S. King Street # 203
F
Deng’s Studio and Art Gallery
– 15% off on all paintings,
hand-carved stamps, Chinese
art supplies and more on Jan.
31, 2009. 670 S. King St.
G
Gossip Esspresso & Tea – One
of the bubble tea hotspots in
the district ! $ 0.50 off per drink
on LNYC (Jan. 31, 2009) or buy
5 drinks at regular price and
B
get a chance to pick out a
Modern Trading Co. - 20% off all lucky red envelope! 651 S King
merchandise including lanterns, St.
LNY decorations, good fortune
banners and more! Valid from
H
01/21 – 01/31, 2009. 650 S.
Palace Décors & Gifts –
Jackson St.
Traditional Chinese gifts &
C
Sub-Sand – Newly opened
business in the district! Serves
Asian-style subs and delicious
noodle soups. Visit us and try
the chef’s special spicy beef
noodle and the most popular
BBQ pork sandwich ! Special
10% discount on all food items
on Jan. 31, 2009. 419 6th Ave S.
D
Unicorn Crepes – 10% off on all
crepes and drinks on Jan. 31,
2009. 421 6th Ave. S,
Sunny Boutique – Free gift with
purchase over $10 and 50%
off on select items on LNYC,
Jan. 31, 2009. 524 S. King St
Ping’s Food Mart – 10%
off on all food, drinks and
groceries on LNYC Jan. 31,
2009. 508 S. King St.
Henry’s Bento – Come try
one of the most popular
goods available in store!
665 S King St.
I
Fortuna Café - Buy 2 BBQ or
Chicken lunch box and get
one lunch box free !
Offered on Jan. 31, 2009.
711 S. King St.
Wing Luke Asian Museum:
Receive 50% off museum
admission. Craft activities
for all ages will be held in
the Community Hall. Special
exhibits on display include
New Years All Year Round,
which explores how various
Asian ethnic groups celebrate
New Year. Shop at the
Museum’s Marketplace and
receive 5% off $50 purchases
and 10% off over $100
purchases on Jan. 31 only.
Take a guided tour of Seattle’s
Chinatown from Chinatown
Discovery (museum discount
does not apply). 719 S.King St.
J
Sea Garden Restaurant:
Come celebrate the year of
the Ox at Sea Garden and
enjoy 10% off your meal! Sea
Garden’s offerings range
from its signature crab and
lobster dishes to its “won-ton
and beef briscuit noodle
soup” for those on the
go. (Please reference this
program guide for your 10%
discount - offer valid on Jan.
31, 2009.) 509 Seventh Ave.
S.
K
J Sushi- Free Edamame
appetizer per table. Dinner
Only. Offered during the
week of Lunar New Year from
Jan. 26- Feb. 1, 2009. 674 S.
Weller St.
L
Fort St. George - Get 50%
off on special LNY dessert –
Red Bean & Green Tea Ice
Cream per dinner order.
Valid on Jan. 31, 2009. 601 S.
King St., Suite 202.
Maekawa Bar – Get 50%
off on special LNY dessert –
Red Bean & Green Tea Ice
Cream per dinner order.
Valid on Jan. 31, 2009. 601 S.
King St., Suite 206.
International Model Toys
– 10% off on everything
including vinyl figures, anime
posters, T-shirts and more on
Jan. 31, 2009. 601 S. King St.
M
Green Village – Happy Lunar
New Year ! Green Village is
back to the district and will
be giving out LNY candies for
customers on Jan. 31, 2009.
516 6th Ave S.
Yummy House Bakery (on
6th Ave) – Receive a special
LNYC 10% discounts on any
8-inch cake on Jan. 31, 2009
522 6th Ave S.
N
Come celebrate Lunar New
Year with Uwajimaya from
Jan. 14- 27, 2009, offering
special new year groceries
& gifts! While shopping
at the store, enjoy live
entertainment featuring Lion
Dances at 12:30 p.m. on Jan.
25 and Chinese Calligrapher
from Jan. 24-25. 600 5th
Avenue S.
O
Pacific Cafe- Hong Kong
Kitchen. Serving the finest of
Hong Kong authentic and
most recognized dishes. On
the day of LNYC, we will
be serving special salted
pepper chicken wings (6
pieces) for $4.95 , salted
pepper squid for $4.95 and
vegetable spring rolls for only
$3.00; tax included! 416 5th
Ave S.
P
Golden City Seafood
Restaurant. Family style
special menu for celebrating
Lunar New Year. 520 S.
Jackson St.
New Star Seafood Restaurant
– Special Mongolian Beef /
Sweet & Sour Chicken lunch
for just $ 4.95 on LNYC, Jan.
31, 2009. 516 S Jackson St.
Q
Ho Ho Seafood Restaurant –
Free special drinks for every
table to celebrate the year
of OX! Come and try Ho Ho’s
LNY House Specials! Order
Special Family Dinner and
get Peking Duck, Lobster,
Crab and more on the
house. Enjoy your dinner at 4
p.m. on Sat., Jan. 31 with lion
dances IN the restaurant!
Offer during the weekend
from Jan. 30 to February
1,2009. 4 p.m.-3 a.m. 653 S.
Weller St.
R
Gourmet Noodle Bowl –
Come with family and friends
to experience a traditional
Lunar New Year hotpot
gathering! 707 8th Ave S.
S
Northwest Asian Weekly and
Seattle Chinese Post will
contribute to Seattle’s Lunar
New Year Celebration with
Easy Art Activity and a Good
Fortune Tree in its decorated
news building lobby, 412
Maynard Ave. S., from noon
to 5 p.m.
T
QT Aquarium - 15 % off storewide ( fishes & all supplies )
on LNYC, Jan. 31, 2009. 509
S. Jackson St.
U
Luck Ngi Musical Society –
Special LNY performance
from 1:30-2:00 p.m. on Jan.
31, 2009. 512 7th Ave S.
2009 Lunar
New Year Celebration
Entertainment List
Description
1) Mak Fai Kung Fu Club – Come see
an ancient, traditional form of Chinese
self-defense. These young fighters have
won numerous awards and traveled
across the country and around abroad
to compete in Kung Fu tournaments.
2) Kaze Daiko – KD is a Japanese
American performing taiko group
for youth. KD strives to develop an
appreciation of Japanese American
culture, history and heritage.
3) Filipino Youth Activities Drill Team – FYA
Drill team performances are designed
to educate and to increase the public’s
awareness of Filipino Americans and
their heritage.
4) Seattle Wushu Academy – Seattle
Wushu Academy’s mission is to provide
quality instruction in the Chinese arts
of Wushu and Taijiquan, to share the
internal and external health benefits
of Chinese Martial Arts, and to foster
the sense of community within our city,
school and with other martial arts.
12:00pm
12:30pm
1:00pm
1:30pm
5) Master David Leong’s Shaolin Kung
Fu Academy – Master David Leong
started Kung Fu training at the age of
6. His students focus on the style of Jung
Keun, which is founded on the principles
of strength, patience, and tradition.
2:00pm
2:30pm
3:00pm
3:30pm
6) Northwest Taiko – Community –based
Japanese drumming group that has
been performing in the Seattle area
and Pacific Northwest since 1983. Spirit
is the integrity of this group.
Opening Ceremony - Chinatown GateMak Fai Kung Fu Club (lion & dragon dance / martial arts)
Kaze Daiko (Japanese taiko drumming)
Filipino Youth Activities Drill Team
The Luck Ngi Musical Society
(Performing at location U, see program map)
Seattle Wushu Academy (martial arts, tai chi and wushu)
Master David Leong’s Shaolin Kung Fu Academy
(lion & dragon dance/martial arts)
Northwest Taiko (Japanese taiko drumming)
Event Closure
Performance Schedule
Cultural Pavilion
•
•
•
•
•
Chinese Arts & Calligraphy / Deng’s Studio
Face Painting / International District / Chinatown Community Center
Kid’s Corner featuring cultural toys
Chinese Yo-Yo, Chinese Shuttlecock (Jianzi), Peddler drums
New Year Costume Photos / The Greater Seattle Chinese
Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors
• Uwajimaya
• Information / Chinatown-International Business Improvement Area
7) The Luck Ngi Musical Society
has been playing Chinese musical
instruments and Cantonese opera for
over 50 years in the Pacific Northwest.
They are the oldest Chinese musical
group in Washington. The members
promote and support the Chinese
American community through their
time, music and raising funds for other
community causes
Thanks to our community friends for their support :
Uwajimaya
|
C.B. Richard Ellis
|
Merchants Parking / Transia
|
Starbucks
|
K.V. Lew –Adapt Engineering Inc.
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IE FEATURE
Amazing Grace
He’s a father and husband, a realtor and youth pastor. He’s
also losing his sight. Read about one Filipino American man’s
fight against all odds and his courage to face each day anew.
BY KIKI YEUNG
IE Contributor
Kiki Yeung recieved a B.A. in Drama at the University of Washington.
Upon graduation, Kiki traveled to Hong Kong where she taught English
drama and performed in the muscial “Around the World in 80 Days” at
HKAPA. She is a model and personal development coach.
We use it every day. We blink,
we open our eyes, we see, we partly feel
and touch and speak according to what
our eyes perceive. What happens if we
were to lose this ability? How would one
go on, knowing in time, he may lose his
eye sight completely?
a Christian while travelling abroad. In
1988, at age thirteen, Moya immigrated
to California with his parents. At fifteen,
Moya joined a Christian-worship band
which evolved into the Christian rock
band, Pigs with Pearls. In order to support
his family, Moya started working as a full-
family at the altar.
“Without her, I cannot function,” Moya
says. “She expands my ability. Without her
everything would collapse, she inspires
me. She is my life-line, willing to give up
everything and anything for God and for
me. She understood that she literally gave
up her herself, to give me my dreams. God
has blessed me with a great partner.”
Moya sets aside time to be in the
quiet place and reconnect with his faith.
“It is like spending time with my wife and
my daughter. I know their voices and their
footsteps, even when they are far away. I
know God’s voice the same way. Though
the process is gradual, God shows up in my
life every day, opening my eyes spiritually
little by little.”
Moya says it is only by miracle
that he is able to accomplish so much
so competently. He firmly believes that
God gave him strength to handle all of the
hurdles in his life.
“We have to decide to enjoy our
life to the fullest each day with or without
sight. Our God-given power and abilities
are from within and no one or anything
can “disable” us. Do not give up hope
and keep living,” Moya says.
When asked if he has doubts and
worries about his degenerative condition,
Moya answers with confidence and
conviction.
“I can’t help many times but to
feel them as a human being. We all still
have human nature. But all the more that
I learned to rely on God because of my
condition.”
Ariel plans on studying film
scoring and production in the future.
“As a person with retinitis pigmentosa, I
Ariel Moya with his daughter, Bianca. Photo courtesy of the Moya family.
Ariel Moya is a man of many
trades. He’s a youth pastor at Charisma
Christian Center in Lynnwood, Wash.,
a real estate agent, a full-time audio
engineering
student
at
Edmonds
Community College, and a musician/
producer of his Christian rock band, Pigs
with Pearls. He’s also a husband and a
father to his young daughter, and says he
finds strength through his Christian faith.
Born with Retinitis Pigmentosa
(severely limited vision), a progressive
degenerative disorder of the retina that
causes decreased night and peripheral
vision, Ariel walks with a cane and
struggles with typical tasks—pouring
water into a cup without spilling, walking
up and down the stairs without bumping
his head into walls, and driving without
crashing into another car. A trick he uses to
get around is by counting and memorizing
the number of steps he takes to and
from different points. His wife, Lailani,
chauffeurs Moya while he presents houses
to his clients as a real estate agent.
Growing up in the Philippines,
Moya converted to Christianity when he
was ten years old, after his father became
time store manager at age fifteen. His boss
and customers noticed his clumsiness;
he bumped his head often and hard,
sometimes bleeding. Urged by his boss to
visit an eye specialist, Moya discovered he
had retinitis pigmentosa, at age nineteen.
Despite his condition, Moya
was in denial, refusing to give up living
a “normal” life. He kept driving and got
into many accidents (twelve in two years).
Although he felt devastated by his doctor’s
diagnosis, he continued testing his limits,
joining the leader of his band on a trip to
the Philippines.
Ariel found his mission in life
after witnessing many youths’ lives change
after attending Pigs with Pearls concerts.
He quickly attended and graduated from
a missionary school. He then moved his
family to Washington three years ago.
Moya’s wife, Lailani Moya, is a
dedicated, loving, and supportive rock in
his life. They first met at church and Moya
proposed a year later. He said of his wife,
“I thought my eyes were healed when I
saw her.” They married two months later
and had their “romantic, yet awkward”
first kiss in front of all their friends and
Ariel Moya with his wife Lailani and daughter, Bianca.
Photo courtesy of the Moya family.
live life to the fullest because I realized
that nothing I “see” or feel is permanent.”
Moya’s life is proof of the strength of one
man’s faith and strength to move forward.
To listen to Ariel’s band, Pigs with Pearls
please visit:
http://pigswithpearls.
lmpmusic.com/home.php
Word On the Street:
The Youth Corner
This is a new column space, reserved for any
and all youths in the community. It is a place
they can share their thoughts, experiences,
concerns, and talents. Contact editor Diem Ly
to submit your work.
Blood That Binds:
a poem
BY MADELEINE ANDERSON
Madeleine Anderson is the lead singer
of a band at Youngstown Cultural Arts
Center, My Filipino Roots. She is Service
Board (tSB) alumni from the White
Center Program and was a peer leader
last year.
When I was fourteen, my mother got
breast cancer.
When I was fifteen, she went to Iraq
firing rounds with her M16 machine
gun like she had done it all before
My mother has been gone for two
years “treated with preservatives in
order to prevent decay.”
My father watched her body be
drained like the China Slim Tea sitting
in our cupboard
She now contains combinations,
formaldehyde and methanol but it’s
not like she smoked cigarettes
I sit on the grass talking to a stump of
stone pretending it’s her
pretending it’s the same face of
the woman who taught me how to
breathe like everything’s going back
to the way it was when I was thirteen
My mother’s been in Iraq for two
years
She never came back to give me a
kiss I didn’t want because kisses from
people who didn’t want to do you,
is embarrassing
was embarrassing
My mother signed up for the army
when she was nineteen years old
As far as I know, she never left it
She never came back from her roots
in poverty-stricken cities
like she never came back to feed us
I haven’t eaten for two years
living from top ramen noodles poor
college student
I have been in Iraq for two years still
fighting wars my mother fought when
she was nineteen
still fighting wars my mother fights six
feet under
When I was fifteen my mother went
to Iraq
IE FEATURE
What Makes a
Neighborhood Livable?
Do new condo-high rises and retail stores
help or hinder the feel of a neighborhood?
The ED of a local community group
considers the special case of the ID.
BY QUANG H. NGUYEN
IE Contributor
Quang H. Nguyen is a community advocate and the Executive
Director of the Washington Vietnamese American Chamber of
Commerce.
What makes a neighborhood
“livable?”
Developers,
community
advocates, and concerned citizens sling
that term around frequently—I know this
because I’m one of the guilty. Having been
an advocate in the community for about
7 years now, that term is like a Rorschach
inkblot—you get a different definition
depending on who you ask.
To be sure, there is—more or
less—a shared constellation of things that
go into making a neighborhood livable.
This includes: housing, open space, good
transportation choices, cultural venues,
schools, small businesses … this list can go
on for an entire page, but you get the idea.
While people might share the
same vocabulary when talking about
this issue, what they emphasize as being
important can often become a point of
contention. Take for example the Alaskan
Way Viaduct debate. There are people
who think transportation and commerce
are important but who support the option
of replacing the viaduct with expanded
surface streets. They just don’t think moving
a large number of vehicles through the
City’s core is as important as having open
views and open space along the waterfront.
Others, who wouldn’t mind nice parks and
open space would rather see the viaduct
rebuilt. They just don’t think open space is
as important in this situation as being able
to by-pass Downtown quickly.
I find framing the livability issue in
this manner very limiting. The focus is on
the elements (i.e., open space, sidewalks,
transportation, housing, etc.) that are
assumed to improve the quality of life. Both
the Pike Place Market and Westlake Center
have open space. Why is one place a more
memorable experience than the other? One
place fosters more genuine interactions
between people while the other is a place
where transactions are made. I have to
admit bias toward the Pike Place Market.
The difference between these two examples
is the way they connect people.
If
we
define
a
“livable
neighborhood” as a place that fosters
quality connections and relationships
between people, the built environment
becomes subservient to human needs
and not the other way around. You don’t
need a sociology degree to recognize that
the capacity to create connections and
build
relationships
is the basic building
block of a healthy
society. This capacity
is essential at the
neighborhood level.
Any
talk
of
making
a
neighborhood more
livable must first assess
and address this basic
capacity. Immigrant/
refugee-dominated
neighborhoods such
as Little Saigon may
not look polished and
glitzy but they have
heart. They are places
where people come to
connect with friends,
family, culture, and
history. They are places that connect people
to economic opportunities that enable them
to provide for their families.
Growing up in the 80’s, I always
looked forward to going to Little Saigon and
the International District on the weekends
with my family. We would drive down
from north Seattle to the Buddhist temple
several blocks up the hill from Little Saigon.
After the service, we would have lunch at
one of the restaurants then do the grocery
shopping at the various stores. We didn’t
just frequent Vietnamese businesses. We’d
often alternate between Vietnamese and
Chinese restaurants. One of my favorite
places to visit, however, was Uwajimaya.
I got hooked on mochi there—and my
parents would have to tear me away from
the mangas upstairs in the bookstore. As
teenage boy, I really connected with the
place.
It’s almost a given that we need
more open space, more housing, better
transportations choices. However, the core
of what makes a neighborhood livable is
the opportunity to connect to the people
and culture of that neighborhood. We must
not forget that ‘life’ is entailed in the word
‘livable,’ that is where the focus should be.
in a private conversation on his cell
phone (Seattle P-I, “Seattle 911”
blog, January 13, 2009), it’s clear that
immigration reform must be addressed
in a way that recognizes undocumented
immigrants as human beings and not
just commodities.
Obama has indeed opened the
door for this perspective to take root
in American legislation, but without
pressure, will probably not fulfill our
expectations of immigration reform.
We need to remind Obama that we are
the communities who elected Obama,
and we did it because of the values
he promised to uphold. Raids and
mandatory detention can be stopped
with an executive order. Guest worker
programs that use up the vitality of
immigrants without giving anything
in return need to go. We cannot wait
passively for Obama to fix everything;
he may have symbolized the change we
want, but he cannot create it alone.
IE FEATURE
On the Border-line
The issue of immigration was shadowed during the
presidential campaign, but remains a hotly-debated
topic. As a new president enters the Oval Office,
what should the community expect from the first
biracial commander in chief?
BY LYNNE NGUYEN
IE Contributor
Lynne Nguyen is currently an organizer with Washington CAN!,
an organization that focuses on health care and immigration.
She is the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants.
President-elect Obama has
some high expectations to meet on some
highly complicated issues. After running
on a campaign of hope and change, he’s
now inherited a mess of an economy,
a bleeding health care system, and a
broken immigration system, to name
a few. Obama has pledged to tackle
these tangled issues, and while he’s
taken some solid steps in preparation
for his presidency, Obama has been
unsettlingly quiet when it comes to
immigration reform.
While
everyone
expects
Obama’s administration to be welcome
relief from Bush’s war on immigrants,
his centrist political tactics have me
questioning the true fate of immigrant
communities.
Obama ran on principles that
promised the decreased criminalization
of immigrants. Family reunification,
providing paths to citizenship, securing
the border, and cracking down on
employers who break the rules are all
part of his plan to shape up an outdated,
inefficient immigration system.
What a breath of fresh air from
the Bush administration. In the past five
years, prosecution of immigration crimes
climbed steeply despite the decrease of
prosecution in white-collar, corruption,
weapons and organized crimes by
an average of nearly 20 percent, as
recently stated in the New York Times.
Communities have been living in fear as
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) continue their raids of terror with
an apparent blank check of power from
President Bush. Families have been torn
apart as loved ones are deported and
tangled up for years, decades even, in
the legal immigration red tape.
Obama’s campaign promises us
a brighter future for our communities,
but his post-victory work indicate a
more subdued plan for immigrants of
this country.
Obama has selected Janet
Napolitano, the current governor of
Arizona, as his Secretary of Homeland
Security. In Arizona, an embattled border
state, Napolitano has tried to walk a
precarious middle line by simultaneously
supporting some immigrant protection
and rights as well as firm enforcement
and border crackdowns.
Napolitano’s
appointment
reflects Obama’s desire to walk that
same middle road, but where does
this middle road take us? How will
we be able to trust Obama to legislate
in our name? Even with pathways to
citizenship, with token benefits and
rights, will our immigrant communities
be seen as anything other than criminals
or as a faceless labor source?
Here in Washington State,
Governor Gregoire is proposing all
undocumented immigrants be deported
for the sake of saving money. But we are
immigrants with families that we love. We
are immigrants brought to this country
by a parent or trafficked by an immoral
employer. We are immigrants searching
for a better life than the ones we left
behind in countries ravaged by unjust
global policies. We are immigrants who
have been in this country for generations
yet are still held on a short leash.
Our
Asian
American
community falls in a strange place in
the immigration debate, as our issues
are rarely spotlighted in mainstream
coverage and our generations cover
wildly different contexts, but our push
for immigration reform must be the
unified. In a city where a gentleman
was beaten for not speaking English
Happy New Year from
Equal rights and
social justice for all.
Treated unfairly?
Housing
Employment
Call us.
Public Places
Free services - Interpreter on request
City of Seattle
Greg Nickels, Mayor
206-684-4500
www.seattle.gov/civilrights
Growing Up in the Lanes
of Canton Alley
Community activist Vera Ing shares an
excerpt from her memoirs, detailing her
Chinatown childhood.
(Editor’s Note: Vera Ing’s book, tentatively
titled “ABC (American Born Chinese)
Golden Books”, is soon to be published.
The following is the first of a two-part
excerpt from her book.)
our family’s old apartment. Adjacent
to the alley was the kitchen door of a
restaurant, China Gardens, owned by the
father of Art and George Louie. Today,
the restaurant is called China Gate. The
Chong Wa Benevolent Association, where
I was born on September 28, I attended Chinese school, took up the rest
1940 in the lucky Year of the Dragon, of the block. There was a metal swing set
on the birthday of Confucius. Chinese in the side yard of Chong Wa. I would walk
believe that having a child in the Year of by the swings on my way to my parent’s
the Dragon will bring good luck to the restaurant on Seventh Avenue, the Don
family. Because Chinese traditionally Ting Cafe, which is now the Sea Garden
favor sons, my parents probably hoped Restaurant.
that I would be a boy to bring them double Our humble home in Canton
luck. Unfortunately for them, that wasn’t Alley was a one-bedroom apartment. It
the case. Still, they believed that I was a was pretty crowded, but all the families
lucky child.
in Chinatown lived that way. Ah Ma slept
My parents left me in the hospital with my older siblings in one bed. Ah Ba
for a month. I’m guessing that they did this had a bed behind a partition in the living
to make sure I survived the critical first few room. I slept in a brown iron crib with
weeks and because
railings; the crib
it only cost a dollar
also served as my
a day to stay in the
playpen.
I was
hospital back then.
told that once my
From the hospital,
mother and her
they brought me
mah jong group
home to Canton
couldn’t
find
Alley in Chinatown.
me.
Apparently,
My parents held a big
I had fallen out
“month-old” baby
and rolled under
banquet to celebrate
the crib and was
my birth at the fancy
hidden by things
second-story Kiang
stored underneath.
Nam Restaurant in
Ah Ma’s long-time
Chinatown, which
mah jong friend,
later became the
Mrs. Mon Wai
popular
Silver
from Yakima, never
Dragon Restaurant.
tired of telling me
As the name
that story so it must
implies,
Canton
have been quite a
Alley is located in
comical scene.
Vera Ing, around 1945, in front of the Chong Wa
Chinatown.
The
Our apartment
Building, in Seattle’s Chinatown/ID. Photo courtesy
Vera Ing.
Alley is off of South
was
upstairs,
King Street, between
next to the China
Seventh and Eighth Avenues. It consisted Gardens Restaurant. Below us were the
of a row of storefront apartments on both Chinns. The adjacent two units housed
sides of the narrow lane between the East the Engs and his brother, wife and nine
and West Kong Yick buildings, two hotels children. One of the daughters, Charlene
on north side of King Street. Canton Alley Eng Ko (Tom) has been a lifelong friend.
was occupied by Chinese families before Another Chinn family lived on the other
World War II.
end of our side of the alley. Hanna was
In that era, the restrictive housing a friend of my sister Mari. Hopkin was
covenants forced Asians to live in certain my age. Recently I ran into Hopkin at
sections of the city in Chinatown and the tai chi sessions outside the Beacon Hill
surrounding blocks. The Japanese lived Elementary School and at ballroom
up the hill on Main Street. The Filipino dancing classes at Yesler Terrace. Hopkin
establishments: pool halls, cafes and patiently helped me through the basics.
shops—were on Maynard Avenue and It’s easy to fall in step with childhood
throughout the District. Jackson Street, friends even if you haven’t seen them for a
one block north of King Street, was the long time.
major traffic thoroughfare where we Hopkin’s grandfather had a
caught the bus. The core of Chinatown carpentry shop on the other side of the
was four-square blocks between King and alley, where we little kids played. The
Weller Streets and Seventh and Eighth Louies lived in the middle unit; their son
Avenues.
was my brother’s playmate. The Dongs
Canton
Alley
had
three lived directly across the alley from us.
apartments on each side. We lived in the Johnny Dong and his gang would climb to
last unit on the west side of the alley. The the roof of Chinese school and shoot spit
International District Emergency Center,
run by medic Donnie Chin, now occupies
VERA, Continued on Page 21
discusses at length the anti-Chinese
riots of 1885-86 and, in the aftermath,
support for a separate section of town
for the immigrants. Chin argues that the
Chinese in Seattle during this time were
victims of the boom-and-bust cycle
experienced by the town, in which they
often became the scapegoats for the
unemployment.
The Making of a
Following the 1882 Chinese
Exclusion Act, a new Asian population
Pan-Asian American
was introduced to Seattle—Japanese.
Community
Encouraged by their own government and
the economic opportunities the United
States offered, Japanese immigrants
A review of the
flocked to Hawaii and later the mainland
singular book by the
in the 1890s. According to Chin, the
neighborhood’s unofficial establishment of newspapers, monthly
magazines, and small businesses shows
historian Doug Chin.
the extent to which the Japanese planted
roots in Seattle. The Japanese carve out
Next month, the second
their own niche, known as Japan-town,
edition of History,
in the area near the Chinese settlement.
complete with updates
The strength in Chin’s book
comes with part 5: “Filipinos Arrive in
and revisions, will be
the District.” A little-discussed group
released.
in Seattle’s history, Filipinos made up a
sound percentage of the Asian population
Reviewed by
in the early 20th century. Joining other
Carli Crozier Schiffner
Asian groups in the International District,
Washington State University
the Filipinos followed similar patterns of
settlement. They established newspapers,
Histories of Seattle often revolve operated hotels, worked for canneries,
around the 19th-Century pioneering and founded social organizations.
families of Arthur Denny and Carson Chin argues that the Filipinos, like their
predecessors, were
Boren, detailing
“victims of racial
the
hardships
discrimination and
and
successes
exploitation” and
they endured in
“found refuge in
carving out the
the
International
town located on
District”
(p.49).
Puget Sound. The
The
dynamics
story of Seattle,
changed
within
however, is more
the
International
complex than the
District with the
classic
pioneer
onset of World
version.
Scant
War Two and the
attention has been
subsequent removal
paid to the Asian
and incarceration
community that
of
Japanese
grew along with
and
Japanese
the burgeoning
Americans.
Chin
Emerald
City.
notes
the
decline
Japanese
picture
brides.
Image
from
Seattle’s
Doug
Chin’s
Chinatown/International District: The Making of a
of
Japan-town
“ S e a t t l e ’s
Pan-Asian American Community by Doug Chin.
and
the
transition
International
within
the
district
District: The Making of a Pan-Asian
with
the
growth
of
an
African-American
American Community” attempts to fill
population. With the increasing presence
this gap in Seattle’s history.
Not only does Chin add of non-Asian population, the area was
an overall Asian history to the story officially renamed the International
of Seattle, but he also discusses the District.
The district itself, Chin argues,
interaction between various Asian faced
threats
throughout the postwar
groups that called Seattle home. His
period
until
the
mid-1980s. Freeway
work begins with an examination of
expansion
and
the
introduction of a
Chinese immigrants to the United
sports
stadium
threatened
its vitality.
States in the middle of the 19th century.
Often
deemed
dangerous,
the area
Chin notes the information of the
was
considered
dispensable
for
further
Chinese quarter, later to be dubbed
city
expansion
projects.
In
jeopardy
the International District, in the 1970s.
Coinciding with the establishment of of losing their community, several
the community came the growth of anti- residents successfully organized protests
Chinese sentiment. The author provides and lobbied for the preservation of
Seattle’s
Chinatown/
International
District:
extensive examples of violence and
HISTORY, Continued on Page 21
HISTORY, Continued from Page 20
VERA, Continued from Page 20
their home. Chin concludes his work on
the district by noting that the area has
“refused to fade away or be assimilated”
and is arguably the strongest ethnic
neighborhood in the United States
(p.111).
“Seattle’s International District:
The Making of a Pan-Asian American
Community” provides a much needed
addition to the history of Seattle. Through
extensive use of illustrations, maps, and
personal stories of International District
pioneers, Chin brings the diversity and
complexity of the sector alive for his
readers. He is successful in writing
a readable history of the district that
appeals to a wide audience. Using for
the most part secondary sources, Chin
provides opportunities for future scholars
to expand the historical scholarship of
the topics introduced in his work.
The Second Edition of “Seattle’s
International District”, which includes
new and updated information, will be
available from the International Examiner,
Wing Luke Museum, and district stores
in February. This Second Edition is made
possible with the help of a grant from 4
Culture. This review originally appeared in
the Pacific Northwest Quarterly in Spring
2003 and is reprinted with permission of
the reviewer.
wads at “intruders”. After he let me join
them, I had a big crush on him. I was five
and got to make the spit wads.
A SNEAK PEEK AT PART TWO (In the upcoming Feb. 4 issue of the IE):
At nine and ten years old, my
older siblings were responsible for taking
care of me while my folks worked at the
restaurant. We ate all our meals at the
restaurant. After dinner, my big sister and
brother would take me back to Canton
Alley one block away. If I cried during
the evening, Mari pretended to call our
parents and say that Ah Ma told me to
behave or she would be mad. We didn’t
have a phone, but this trick worked every
time.
We all went to the nickel Saturday
matinee movies at the Atlas Theater on
Maynard Avenue and then for ice cream
cones at the ice creamery owned by
Shigeko and Chick Uno on Jackson Street.
When it was John’s turn to take care of
me, we would go see the scary movies he
liked. I would close my eyes and ask him
to let me know when the scary part was
over. He always told me to open my eyes
at the goriest moment. I never learned
and opened my eyes, despite knowing he
was probably fooling me.
GUNG HAY FAT CHOI
JANUARY 14-27, 2009
(Actual New Year Jan. 26th)
YEAR of the OX
Ox people represent a
sign of prosperity and
are born leaders who
inspire others. They are
stubborn and strong
minded individuals who
do not like to be told
what to do. Ox people
speak little, but when
they do speak, they are
articulate and eloquent.
FREE! Uwajimaya Cooking Chopsticks
with purchase of $25 or more!
(Limit one set per customer, while supplies last)
Quality Asian Grocery & Gifts Since 1928
www.uwajimaya.com
seattle: 206.624.6248 | bellevue: 425.747.9012 | beaverton: 503.643.4512
IE ARTS
Glamor and Grit in a Post-WWII
Hong Kong
A woman begins to understand her role in the world
against the backdrop of a cosmopolitan post-war Hong
Kong.
BY NA YOUNG KWON
IE Contributor
Na Young Kwon is a classical musician and writer. She has worked on projects for The
Mountaineers Books and Washington Talking Book and Braille Library as a proofreader and
narrated for WTBBL’s audio books, including “Language of the Geckos and Other Stories”
by David Pak.
Hong Kong, 1952. Just several
years after the Second
World War and the imperial
Japanese occupation of
the city. This is the initial
setting of Janice Y.K. Lee’s
debut novel, “The Piano
Teacher”. In reference to
the title, British expatriate
Claire Pendleton is hired
by a wealthy Chinese
family to teach piano to
their daughter. Rather
peripheral to the story, this
role serves more to launch
Claire into the “hothouse”
expatriate community of
Hong Kong.
Amidst
this
complex backdrop, Lee
presents three character studies largely
shaped by their environment, specifically,
the events and aftermath of a war. Mostly
of non-Asian descent in a cosmopolitan,
hybrid culture atypical of others on the
continent, the characters undergo much
in terms of personal development. One
may mistake it for a love triangle, for the
entangled relationships of Englishman
Will Truesdale and two women—Claire
Pendleton and Trudy Liang, a Hong
Kong heiress of Portuguese and Chinese
descent⎯occur in a series of flashbacks.
Trudy is introduced in the earlier sequences,
before and during the war, while Claire
meets Will years after.
In the first of three parts, the author
establishes Hong Kong as its own entity apart
from China while reminding the reader of
expected notions held by outsiders. As
Claire, newly married, approaches the
harbor by steamer, she recalls her mother’s
cautionary advice about the Chinese as
“an unscrupulous, conniving people who
would…take advantage of her innocence
and goodwill.” Instead she finds affluent
Chinese driving Rolls-Royces, wearing
business suits or eating lunch with other
Englishmen. In large part to British rule and
the expatriate community, such nouveaux
riches Chinese speak with clipped British
accents and were educated abroad at
Oxford or Wellesley alongside the Chinese
“serving…in restaurants or ironing clothes”
that Claire knew of in England.
Like a character out of a Henry
James novel, Claire plays the part of the
unassuming young woman who enters
into a sophisticated but unfamiliar society.
As marriage was one of the few acceptable
outlets in leaving her cloistered home
in England with her parents, she seizes
upon the opportunity to marry and follow
her husband to Hong Kong where he
works for a water company. But whereas
a Jamesian heroine like Catherine Sloper
in “Washington Square” is given an
uncompromisingly plain visage, without
guile and natural feminine charms, Claire is
made to blossom in Hong
Kong’s climate: “she saw
that men looked at her
longer than necessary…
She felt as if she were finally
becoming a woman, not
the girl she had been when
she had left England.”
As a character foil, Claire
is innocent, blonde and
provincial while Trudy
is sophisticated, exotic
and adventurous.
To
the Europeans she is a
“Eurasian” but to the
Chinese, a “half-breed”
who is celebrated mainly
for her wealth and
connections. According to
the situation, Trudy adapts like a chameleon
and manages to compartmentalize her social
circles. She goes to Chinese restaurants with
other Chinese “who appreciate food the way
it should be” and will meet her lover Will at
the Parisian Grill where she has taken other
beaus. In lieu of taking Will to a lavish party,
Trudy may have her Chinese second cousin
Dominick accompany her.
Lee juxtaposes this glamorous, high
society with the second part of the book,
which marks the Japanese invasion of the
city, including the internment of non-Chinese
nationals like Will considered as enemies.
Now known as the Stanley Internment Camp,
about 2,800 men, women and children were
housed in former prison quarters, according
to “The Internment of Western Civilians
Under Japanese 1941-1945: A Patchwork
of Internment.” Along with other British,
Dutch, American and Canadian civilians,
Will and other expatriates struggle daily for
survival under substandard conditions in this
documented history of the war.
The depiction of the camp reflects
the uniform casualties of war that exceed
class and race delineations. With the
Japanese responsible for the internment,
the traditional race hierarchy is pulled
asunder. The glimmering harbor and city are
now marred by the stench of bodies in the
streets and the aftermath of bombings. Like
everyone else, Trudy must struggle to survive
and put food on the table. She and others are
able to visit the internees and bring food and
messages. Always walking a fine line that is
compromised during wartime, Trudy forms
a dangerous alliance with Otsubo, head of
the Japanese gendarmerie occupying the
city. Her precarious position allows her to
help Will and earn him privileges during his
internment period.
Obviously an intentional part on
the author’s, there are many questions about
Trudy left unanswered. The once entangled
trio of characters diverges on separate
WWII, Continued on Page 23
A Tale of Two Sisters
IE ARTS
A local author and UW Professor recounts
her grandmother’s and grandaunt’s struggle
with their Asian identity in the early 1920s.
BY COLLIN TONG
IE Contributor
Collin Tong is a Seattle-based writer and former senior director of
communications for Washington State University.
In her remarkable new book, “A
Thousand Miles of Dreams: The Journeys
of Two Chinese Sisters”, Seattle author
Sasha Su-Ling Welland chronicles the
stories of her grandmother, Amy Ling
Chen (born as Ling Shuhao) and grand
aunt, Ling Shuhua.
A coming-of-age account of the
Ling sisters, Welland’s book spans the
tumultuous period of modern China’s
history in the 1920s, revealing new
insights about the role of Chinese women
as it changed not only in China but also
the West.
As descendants of a Chinese
scholar-official’s extended family, the Ling
sisters followed divergent career paths.
Amy Ling Chen went to Cleveland in 1925
to study medicine at a time when Chinese
immigrants were targets of anti-Chinese
unrest. Meanwhile Shuhua, a painter and
novelist, went to Great Britain eventually
joining the Bloomsbury literary circle, that
included writer Virginia Woolf.
As Welland discovered, both
sisters had written different accounts of
their family history. “One of the main
challenges was trying to figure out why the
two sisters told such American versions
of family history,” Welland said in an
Examiner interview.
Because Welland’s grandmother,
Amy Ling-Chen was only twenty when
she moved to the U.S., she was afraid that
Americans would judge her as coming
from an exotic place. Consequently, Amy
changed her family history to look like a
typical American family,” Welland said.
“Ling Shuhuua, however, wrote
and published most of her stories in
China for a Chinese audience,” Welland
explained. “She was very critical of the
way women were treated in traditional
households. So she wrote about the
tensions and suffering experienced by
Chinese women.”
Amy and Shuhua told their stories
Welland herself is biracial and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri without to make sense of their lives in the midst
of revolutionary social
any real sense of an Asian
change in China and
American
community
the difficult transition
and surrounded by media
of
immigration,
stereotypes of Asian and
Welland
explained.
Asian American women as
“My
grandmother
meek and passive. “I was
and
grand
aunt’s
drawn to my grandmother
life trajectories as
Amy’s story because it
professional women’
provided such a strong
took them in directions
counter-narrative to these
unimaginable
to
stereotypes.”
Welland
earlier generations of
first came across their
Chinese women like
stories while interviewing
her mother.”
her
grandmother
in
Welland,
an
San Francisco for an
assistant
professor
undergraduate
honors
of anthropology at
project
at
Stanford
Author Sasha Welland.
the
University
of
University.
Washington,
has
As she tells it,
Shuhua was an early Chinese feminist, “a written a well-crafted and lively book that
feisty fighter,” who marched in the streets is sure to capture the imagination of lay
during the May Fourth Movement after readers and scholars alike. She is now
World War I to protest China’s treatment by at work on her next book, “Experimental
Western powers. While interviewing her Beijing: Contemporary Arts Worlds in
grandmother’s biography, Welland learned China’s Capital”. A Chinese language
about her grand aunt Ling Shuhua’s career edition of Welland’s book was published
last fall by the Baihua Literature and Art
as a writer in England.
It was in researching their Publishing House, in China.
biographies that Welland discovered that
Chinese feminism was part of a much
larger tapestry of international feminism.
Her book challenges prevailing stereotypes
of scholars who argue that the emergence
of feminism was a distinctly American
phenomenon.
IE ARTS
WWII, Continued from Page 21
paths. An abrupt break from the internment
camps in Part Two to postwar normalcy in
the final part creates somewhat of a chasm
for the reader; likely a transition before the
denouement might have bridged this gap,
but not pave the way for the impending plot
twists.
For
the
author,
character
considerations actually supercede plot
development: “There was no story at all
when I started. I just had an idea in my head
about an English woman who becomes the
piano teacher to a young Chinese girl…
which I find amazing now, having finished
a book that relies quite a bit on plot turns.”
Though Lee researched extensively, she
admits that “The Hong Kong in this book is
entirely imagined.”
As an expatriate American of Korean
parentage who emigrated as a child to Hong
Kong and moved to the United States, then
returning to Hong Kong in 2005, she “had
to create a world out of what I could glean
from books and movies.” The characters
themselves are transplants of sorts: Will has
only spent a fraction of his lifetime in his
home country, Claire is acclimatizing to her
strange surroundings and ways of a foreign
city, and Trudy fails to wholly fit in with the
Chinese or the Europeans because of her
mixed race.
Still, the vivid setting of the
‘daipadong’ food stands, portrayals of
Chinese house maids or ‘amahs,’ coupled
with the latest European fashions worn by
‘taitanis’ (stylish, affluent women of the
city) give the local flavor of colonial times
interlaced with old world traditions. While
somewhat romanticized, the characters
undergo tremendous hardship and face
moral dilemmas that shape their lives. The
backdrop provides an ample stage for this
character development to unfold. Lee aptly
observes that “People wash up in Hong Kong
and stay, and create new lives for themselves.
It’s that type of place.”
Janice Lee will read from her book at Elliot Bay
Book Company on Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m.
org/teacher. Free First Saturdays always features family
fun activities related to the exhibition. Enjoy art-making,
music and dancing. Feb. 14 from 10 a.m. to noon. 1400
East Prospect in Volunteer Park. (206) 654-3100 or log
on to www.seattleartmuseum.org.
By Alan Lau
HIGHLIGHTS
The Northwest Film Forum presents their “4th Annual
Children’s Film Festival”, a celebration of international
children’s cinema with over 80 films from 25 countries.
Some events include a Saturday Morning Pancake
Breakfast And Short Film Smorgasbord” set for Jan. 24
(breakfast at 9:30 p.m. with two shows at 10:30 and 11
a.m.), the documentary film “JUMP!” on Jan. 23 at 7
p.m. where you can meet the director and see a jump
rope performance by some of Seattle’s top jumpers.
More shows provided for schools and groups. Highlight
is the Seattle premiere of Yalin Zou’s “The Red Jacket”,
a stunning debut and a heartwarming story of a girl
from the countryside who longs for a new red jacket to
wear to a festival. Screenings set for Jan. 24 at 3:30
p.m., Jan. 26 at 3 p.m., Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. and Jan. 31
at 5:30 p.m. For tickets and complete information, visit
nwfilmforum.org or call (800) 838-3006.
Japanese playwright Toshiki Okada brings his “chelfitsch” theatre company to On the Boards where they
will be making their Seattle debut. The name of the
company comes from a child’s mispronunciation of the
English word, “selfish.” They will be performing “Five
Days in March” which won the 49th Kishida Drama
Award in Japan. The play covers five days, two days
before and two days after the US invasion of Iraq in
the lives of Japanese young people and the routine of
their daily lives. The Performing Arts Japan Network
website summarizes it thusly. “First of all it removes the
deceptive theatrical element of how skillfully actors can
‘act out a role,’ and then it tries to eliminate the artificiality that always exists to some degree in lines spoken
by the actors when they are clearly from a drama-like
script.” Expect to be surprised. In Japanese with
English subtitles. Jan. 26 – Feb. 1. On The Boards is at
100 West Roy St. (206) 217-9888 or ontheboards.org.
Seattle Asian Art Museum presents “Garden and
Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur” set for Jan.
29 – April 26. The exhibition presents a collection of
seventeenth- to nineteenth-century paintings from
the royal collection of Marwar-Jodhpur which is now
part of Rajasthan. The works were created under the
patronage of ruling maharajs and the imagery includes
scenes from court life, landscapes and depictions of
the universe’s origins. Educators seeking information
on tours for students can log on to seattleartmuseum.
Possible changes
to bus routes
Tell Metro what you think
Learn about possible changes to bus routes.
Tell Metro what you think by February 6.
For more information and a questionnaire in English, call
206-684-1146. Or visit www.kingcounty.gov/metro.
For materials in Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Spanish, or
Somali, call 206-331-9550.
Bus routes that might be affected: 7, 7 Express, 8, 9 Express, 14,
32, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 42, 42 Express, 48, 50 (new), 60, 106, 107,
126, and 194.
Amnesty International Puget Sound presents “SHRFF
09” (Seattle Human Rights Film Festival) Feb. 4 – 8.
Come show your support for cinema with a social conscience. With 16 cutting-edge documentaries from a
round the world and a wealth of guest speakers, producers, activists, genocide survivors and academics. Feb.
4 Global Health Symposium at UW’s Foege Auditorium.
Opening night premiere at
Cinerama on Feb. 5 and
Feb. 6 – 8 at Northwest
Film Forum and closing
night at SIFF Cinema. For
complete details, log on to
www.shrff.org.
performing arts
Former UW Alumni Wendy Yamashita returns for a
Visiting Artist Recital with a program featuring the music
of Chopin and Mussorgsky.
Date: Sat., Jan. 31
Time: 5 p.m.
Place: Brechemin Auditorium in the Music Building on
the UW Seattle campus
Contact: www.music.washington.edu
The Pork-Filled Players, Seattle’s oldest sketch
comedy group presents “Late Nite Spam-ORama.” This will be a monthly late night comedy/
live music cabaret debuting this month.
Date: Sat., Jan. 24
Time: 10 p.m.
Place: Theatre Off Jackson at 409 – 7th Ave. S.
Contact: [email protected]
Elliott Bay Book Company
has a couple readings
worth noting this month.
First up is Janice Y. K. Lee
reading from “The Piano
KODO was one of the first modern Japanese
Teacher” (see review in this
taiko drum groups to perform and tour internaissue) on Jan. 23 at 7:30
tionally and they are still setting the standard
p.m.This historically-set
high. Performances sell out quickly so get your
debut novel is a tightly writtickets as soon as possible.
ten look at love and survival
Date: Jan. 30 & 31
during a time of war and
Time: 8 p.m.
the choices made under
Place: Meany Hall on the UW campus
duress. Set in Hong Kong
Contact: (206) 543-4880 or www.uwworldseries.
which almost becomes
org
another character in this
book. Velcheru Narayana
The UW School of Drama presents a new
Rao’s English translation of
production of Charles L. Mee’s “Big Love” as
Indian playwright Gurajada
directed by Desdemona Chiang.
Seattle Asian Art Museum presApparao’s “Kanyasulkan”
Date: February 10 - 15
ents
“Garden
and
Cosmos:
The
(Indiana University Press)
Time: Check with theatre
Royal Paintings of Jodhpur” set
is given a staged reading
Place: Meany Studio Theatre on the UW campus
for Jan. 29 – April 26.
on Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Contact: (206) 543-4880
The play looks at British
Colonism’s effects on India. The translator will be presChado Urasenke Tankokai Seattle Association will host
ent and introduce the play with comments setting the
the first tea ceremony of the new year for the comscene.101 S. Main St. (206) 624-6600 or www.elliottbaymunity.
book.com.
Date: Sun., Jan 25
Time: 12 – 3 p.m.
Seattle Chamber Music Society stages their 11th seaPlace: Mercer Island Community Center at 8236 SE
son of their Winter Festival at Benaroya Hall Highlights
24th St. on Mercer Island
include three main chamber music recitals, a program
Contact: Naomi Takemura at (206) 324-2829 or log on
on the music of Brahms with Anto Nel on piano, Bion
to www.urasenkeseattle.org
Tsang on cello and Stefan Jackiw on violin and a
Saturday afternoon family concert. Jan. 22 – 25. For
tickets, call (206) 283-8808 or visit www.seattlechambermusic.org.
Arts News/Opportunities
Wing Luke Asian Museum celebrates with a Lunar New
Year Celebration on Jan. 31 from 10 – 5 p.m. and a
Lion dance in front at 1 p.m. Come inside to check out
new exhibits “New Years All Year Around – Cambodian,
Korean and Chinese New Year Ceremonies” as well
as the “Cambodian Cultural Museum and Killing Fields
Memorial” plus ongoing shows on the Korean War &
Korean Americans, a history of Hawaiians in the Pacific
Northwest, the voices of Mixed Race culture and much
more. 719 S. King. (206) 623-5124 or www.wingluke.
org.
“Fiber & Art – Global Textiles & Inspired by Textiles” is
a show with examples of textiles from around the world
including Indonesia, central Asia and Laos. Gallery
artists inspired by textiles includes the work of June
Sekiguchi, Deborah Kapoor, Bui Cong Khanh, Fan Ming
Hua , Shing Yun Lin and others.
Date: Through Feb. 27
Time: Tues.– Sat. from 11 to 5:30 p.m.
Place: ArtXchange Gallery at 512 – 1st Ave. S.
Contact: (206) 839-0377 or www.artxchange.org
”Shadow Playing” is an installation by Seattle artist
Susie J. Lee that presents a series of rooms, each with
their own set of experiences presented through video
and sound.
Date: Through Feb. 11
Time: Noon – 4 p.m. Tu. – Sun. with an artist gallery talk
on Jan. 27 at noon
Place: The Art Gym at Marylhurst University at 17600
Pacific Highway in Marylhurst, Oregon
Contact: (503) 699-6243 or log on to www.marylhurst.
edu/theartgym
“Post-War Masters of the Japanese Print: From the
Reingold Collection” is a show of traditional woodblock
prints spanning several decades after WW II.
Date: Through Jan. 28
Time: MWF from noon – 4 p.m.
Place: Portland State University’s Littman Gallery at
1825 SW Broadway in Portland
Contact: (503) 725-5656 or visit www.pdx.edu/cjs/
events/22583
Jack Straw Audio Workshops provide the community
with an opportunity to earn the basic skills of recording and editing in the studio. Registration for each
class closes one week before each class officially
starts. Beginning Pro Tools is set for Feb. 25 – 27. A
Studio Recording Workshop is set for March 12 – 13.
Intermediate Pro Tools is set for March 18 – 20. (206)
634-0919 or [email protected]
Wing Luke Asian Museum is offering free training events
for those interested in community-based exhibitions,
public history & culture and gathering Asian Pacific
American stories. These hands-on workshops combine
a general introduction to the art of oral histories with
more specialized sessions. Jan. 24 from 10 – noon
and Jan. 28 from noon – 2 p.m. To register, call or
e-mail Christina Seong at (206) 623-5124x102 or e-mail
[email protected].
To help celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month in May,
ArtXchange Gallery is seeking artwork that illustrates
the beauty and diversity of Asian Pacific heritage in the
Northwest. Pieces should reflect how one embraces
their identity as well as exhibit the uniqueness of their
multi-cultural experience. All medium are welcome. Also
performers from diverse media are invited to participate in gallery events during the show which runs for
2 months. There will be an opening reception during
“First Thursday” in April and May. (206) 839-0377 or visit
www.artxchange.org.
Newspapers In Education Workshop For Educators
present “Global Health: Asia in the 21st Century”, part of
the Exploring Asia Series. This workshop for educators
presents the following themes – “Teaching Global Health
in the Classroom”, “Global Health Panel: On the Ground
in Asia” and “Presentation of Teaching Guide.” Takes
place on Wed., Feb. 11 from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. on the
Seattle UW campus in Communications Building #120.
For more information, please contact the Ellison Center
at (206) 543-4852 or e-mail [email protected].
Local filmmaker Yayoi Winfrey has issued a casting call
for her latest project entitled “Watermelon Sushi.” For
details, log on to http://www.watermelonsushi.com.
Congratulations to local artist Susie J. Lee who was
profiled in an article entitled “Artist To Watch” in the latest issue of Art News magazine. Lee has a permanent
installation in the Wing Luke Asian Art Museum and is
represented locally by the Lawrimore Project.
Next Stage Dance Theatre presents workshops in traditional Japanese dance by instructor Kazuko Yamazaki.
Each class builds on the earlier ones so students are
strongly encouraged to take all four classes. Jan. 24,
Feb. 21, March 21 and April 18. All classes taught
at M’illumino at 6921 Roosevelt Way NE in Seattle.
Reservations are required and can by made by emailing
[email protected].
Wednesday, 1/21
An event to welcome Don
Wakamatsu to Seattle by the
Japanese American & API
community will be held at
the Seattle Vets Hall. Don
Wakamatsu was announced
as the new Seattle Mariner’s
General Manager.
About
200+ people are expected to
attend. Time of event is 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, 1/22
A community briefing session will be held on the
issues our community will advocate at the upcoming February 5, 2009 Asian Pacific American
(APA) Legislative Day event in Olympia, Wash.
The Asian Pacific Islander Coalition (APIC) of King
County will conduct the briefing. On APA Legislative Day, thousands from the API community will
go to Olympia to talk with legislators about issues
of concern to APIs. APA Legislative Day is for the
entire community, for all generations of Asian Pacific immigrants, refugees, and citizens throughout the state. Issues such as maintaining funding
for healthcare, basic services for immigrants and
refugees, and citizenship services, among other
issues, will be advocated. The briefing will be
at 5:30 p.m. at the Asian Counseling & Referral
Service, 3639 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. in Seattle. If you arrive after 6:00 p.m. the lobby door
by the parking lot will be closed, please use the
first floor entrance at the end of the garden path
on Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
Friday, 1/23
Celebrate the Chinese Lunar
New Year celebration at Magnuson Community Center.
Ring in the new with live music, dance, games, food, and
more! Don’t miss the grand
finale, an authentic Chinese
Lion Dance. Celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Ox
from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Magnuson Community Center, 7110
62nd Ave. NE, Seattle. Cost is
$15 per family and $5 per individual. Please call the center at (206) 684-7026
for more information.
Seattle University Master of Public Administration and Executive Master of Nonprofit Leadership programs present: From Awareness to Action:
Skill Building for Cultural Competency from 8:00
a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Seattle University Student
Center, Room 160. Presenter: Hla Yin Yin Waing:
Program Manager, Minority Executive Directors
Coalition. The goal of this seminar is to build a
foundation for understanding cultural competency as a means for developing equitable systems that promote social justice. General Public:
$125.00; SU Student/Alumni/Employee: $100.00.
Price includes boxed lunch. All proceeds benefit
the MPA/MNPL scholarship fund. For more information visit http://www.seattleu.edu/artsci/npl/
events.asp or contact Danielle Potter at potterd@
seattleu.edu or (206) 296-6143.
Saturday, 1/24
The Seattle chapter Japanese American Citizens
League’s (JACL) 87th
annual Installation Banquet. The Mistress of
Ceremonies is Lori Matsukawa and the Guest
speaker is Tom Ikeda of
Densho: The Japanese
American Legacy Project. The Community Service Award will be given
to UW; the Special Recognition Award to Fumiko
Hayashida, and the Unsung Hero Award to Takako Yoda. The theme for the banquet is “Our Nisei,
Okage sama de” (We are what we are because of
IE CALENDAR
you…Second Generation Japanese Americans) in
tribute to the exceptional pioneers who sustained
the local Japanese American community and laid
a strong foundation for the work of future generations who believe strongly in the principles of justice, equality and fair play. The reception begins
at 5:30 p.m./dinner at 6:30 p.m. at the Seattle
Waterfront Marriott Hotel, 2100 Alaskan Way,
Seattle. For more information, contact Ann Fujii
Lindwall at (206) 367-8749 or at fujiilindwall@
comcast.net.
Saturday, 1/24 –
Sunday 1/25
The region’s Vietnamese community comes together at Safeco Insurance Festál: the Tet Lunar
New Year Celebration! The event is from 10:30
a.m. - 5:30 p.m. both days at the Seattle Center,
Center House. The annual Vietnamese Lunar New
Year celebration welcomes the return of spring
and chases out evil spirits with the traditional
roaring lion dance and the crackle of firecrackers. It is the most celebrated holiday in Vietnam,
and the preparations are meticulous. Tet 2009 celebrates the theme of Youth and Dreams through
exhibits, children’s interactive arts and crafts, a
musical program, Vietnamese food; and special
this year, the Miss Vietnam Washington competition. For more information on Safeco Insurance
Festál and other Seattle Center programming, visit
http://www.seattlecenter.com or for information
about Tet in Seattle, visit www.tetinseattle.org.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Employment
Free ESL teacher! Dolores Veliz has taught English
to over 500 students in the last three years from
her home on Beacon Hill. The lessons have a flexible schedule, are on-going, and available 7 days
a week. Ms. Dolores Veliz has extensive experience teaching Asian immigrants, particularly Vietnamese, Chinese, and Malaysian, but her lessons
are open to all. She is retired and enjoys learning
about other cultures and people’s experiences.
Call her at (206) 323-3625 to set up an appointment.
ENGLISH WRITING COACH
Writer/professor/editor will help you with
forms, letters, resumes, and more. From
$10/hr. [email protected]
In observance of the national Asian Pacific Americans (APA) Heritage Month in May, ArtXchange
is seeking artwork that illustrates the beauty and
diversity of APA heritage in the Pacific Northwest.
Pieces should reflect how one embraces their
identity as an Asian Pacific American, as well
as exhibit the uniqueness of their multi-cultural
experience. All media are acceptable – painting, drawing, photography sculpture, film/video,
mixed media, and installation. ArtXchange would
also like to invite performers from various backgrounds – dance, spoken-word and music to participate during gallery events. The opening and art
reception will be held during the Pioneer Square
First Thursday Artwalk on April 2, and a second
reception to celebrate APA Heritage Month will be
held during the First Thursday Artwalk on May 7.
P/T WEB DESIGNER to re-vamp
and/or maintain the IE Web site and
work on-call to resolve IT issues.
Sunday, 1/25
Due to inclement weather during December, the
International Examiner’s Holiday Homeless Drive
was postponed and will take place on Sunday, Jan
25 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Hing Hay Park. It’s
not too late to donate clothing, toys, food, money,
etc. to the homeless! Drop off your donation to
the IE office, 622 S. Washington St., Seattle. All
proceeds and items will go towards the local
homeless community. For moreInternational
information or to
volunteer, please contact Kiki Yeung at kwayboo@
01/21/09
yahoo.com.
Friday, 1/30
The Chinese information and Service Center’s
(CISC) Chinese New Year Party for the Elderly and
Volunteer Recognition. The event is from noon –2
p.m. at the New Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant,
900 S. Jackson St., Seattle. Tickets are $30/per person. For more information, please contact CISC at
(206) 624-5633.
The IE is seeking:
GRAPHIC / PRODUCTION
DESIGNER to design newspaper
layout first and third Mondays of
every month.
For all opportunites, please contact
Diem Ly at [email protected]
Save the Date!
20821 REVISED ART
2col x 5”
jlr
IE CLASSIFIEDS
Examiner
The International Examiner’s first
ever ‘InspirAsian’ Fashion Show
and Competition
Wednesday, May 20, 2009!
The first fashion show by a northwest API publication
celebrating local, up-and-coming API designers!
TRANSPORTATION
Saturday, 2/7
The 2009 Asia Pacific Cultural Center New Year
Celebration at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall.
The event is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. it’s a free event
that includes vendors and entertainment and two
stages showcasing demonstrations and storytelling. This year’s theme revolves around the Tonga
community. For more information, please contact
Phil Chang at [email protected].
Saturday, 2/21
Uncle Bob’s 75th Birthday Bash. Celebrate with
Uncle Bob Santos for
his 75th Birthday at his
1930s theme party. There
will be a Taxi-Dance,
16-piece Big Band,
Swing Dance instruction, hors d’oeuvres,
Cash Bar, and more!
Suggested Dress code: 1930s attire and optional
black tie. The event is from 8 p.m. – midnight at
the Avalon Ballroom, Seattle. Tickets: $50. Contact Nancy Ko at (206) 624-1802 ext. 15 or email [email protected]. Or, mail payments to:
ICDA, 310 Maynard Ave. S, Seattle.
Join one of the most exciting organizations in the Puget Sound as we implement Sound Move, the voter
approved transit plan encompassing light rail, commuter rail and Bus/HOV. The RTA - Sound Transit - is
seeking to hire the following positions:
• Link Light Rail - CADD Specialist
• Link Light Rail - Program Manager - Project Control
• Finance & Information Technology - Chief Information Officer
• Capital Projects - Project Development Coordinator
• Contracts Division - Administrative Assistant
• Transportation Services - Administrative Specialist
• Transportation Services - Light Rail Vehicle Operator
Sound Transit is an equal opportunity employer. We place a high value on, and are committed to, diversity
within our organization and leadership. Expressions of interest should include an application form*, resume,
cover letter, and job code.
The Central Puget Sound
Regional Transit Authority
SOUND TRANSIT
ATTN: HR Division • Job Code: IE
401 S. Jackson St. • Seattle, WA 98104
or email: [email protected]
Note: Resumes from this process may be referred to similar open positions without additional advertising. *To view job
description and employment application download from our web at www.soundtransit.org, or call (800) 201-4900.
Join our Community Resource Directory. Email: [email protected]
COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY
COMMUNITY
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Arts & Culture
Asia Pacific Cultural Center
934 Broadway, Tacoma, WA 98402
ph: 253-383-3900
www.asiapacificculturalcenter.org
Celebrating and increasing awareness of Asia
Pacific cultures.
1300 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
ph: 206-654-3209 Fx: 206-654-3135
The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) supports community-based and
social service groups. To learn more:
[email protected].
719 S King St, Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-623-5124 fx: 206-652-4963
[email protected] www.wingluke.org
A Smithsonian Institution affiliate, the
Wing Luke Asian Museum engages the public in exploring issues related to the culture, art and history of Asian Pacific
Americans. Award-winning exhibitions and public programs are
offered, as well as docent-led tours for schools and groups.
Business
Chinatown/International District
Business Improvement Area
608 Maynard Ave S.
Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-382-1197 www.cidbia.org
Merchant association enhancing the economic vitality of the
Community Businesses. Programming focuses on public safety,
transportation, graffiti and debris removal and organization of community wide promotional events.
Church
6230 Beacon Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108
ph: 206-725-7535 fx: 206-723-4465
[email protected]
A multiracial, multicultural, intergenerational, open and affirming church on the
corner of Beacon and Graham in Beacon Hill. Rev. Angela L. Ying, Pastor.
Education
Leadership Development
Asian Pacific Islander Community
Leadership Foundation (ACLF)
PO Box 14461, Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-625-3850
[email protected] www.aclfnorthwest.org
Community leadership development, networking
and mentoring.
Political & Civil Rights
Commission of Asian Pacific American Affairs
210 11th Ave SW, Rm 301, General Administration Building,
Olympia, WA 98504-0925
ph: 360-725-5666 or 360-725-5667 fx: 360-586-9501
[email protected] www.capaa.wa.gov
Statewide liasion between government and APA communities.
Monitors and informs public about legislative issues.
OCA - Greater Seattle
606 Maynard Ave. South - Suite 104
P.O. Box 3013, Seattle, WA 98114
ph: (206) 682-0665 www.ocaseattle.org
OCA is dedicated to advancing the social, political,
and economic well-being of APIAs, and aims to
embrace the hopes and aspirations of APIAs, locally
in the Greater Seattle area.
Professional Associationa
[email protected] www.naaapseattle.org
Fostering future leaders through education, networking and
community services for Asian American professionals and
entrepreneurs.
Senior Services
Community Care Network of Kin On
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. Coordinates medical supply delivery. Installs
Personal emergency Response systems. Serves the
Chinese/Asian community in King County.
Asian & Pacific Islander Women &
Family Safety Center
P.O. Box 14047, Seattle, WA 98114
ph: 206-467-9976 www.apiwfsc.org
Provides community organizing, education, outreach & client
advocacy services on domestic violence, sexual assault and
human trafficking.
Randolph Carter Family & Learning Center
206-323-6336
East King County Family Center
425-213-1963
South King County Family Center
253-854-0077
Housing, Emergency Services, Volunteer Chore,
Anger Classes, Adoption,Childcare, Pregnancy
Support, Addiction Treatment, Youth Tutoring.
Center For Career Alternatives
901 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144
ph: 206-322-9080 fx: 206-322-9084
www.ccawa.org
Need a Job! Free Training, GED, and job placement service. Information meetings Tuesdays
and Thursdays.
www.ichs.com
International District Medical & Dental Clinic
ph: 206-788-3700
Holly Park Medical & Dental Clinic
3815 S Othello St, 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.
Korean’s Women Association
123 E 96th St, Tacoma, WA 98445
ph: 253-535-4202 fx:253-535-4827
[email protected] www.kwaoutreach.org
Provides quality multicultural, multilingual, social and human
services to but not limited to: the elderly; disabled, abused,
children & families, homeless, hungry, limited and non-English
speaking.
Chaya
ph: 206-568-7576 fx:206-568-2479
[email protected] www.chayaseattle.org
Chaya serves South Asian survivors of domestic
violence. Free, confidential, multilingual services,
outreach & education. Helpline: 206-325-0325 /
1-877-92CHAYA.
Chinese Information and Service Center
611 S Lane St, Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-624-5633 www.cisc-seattle.org
CISC’s bilingual and bicultural staff helps Asian immigrants
throughout King County achieve success in their new community
by providing information, referral, advocacy, social and support
services.
Gilda’s Club Seattle
1400 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122
ph: 206-709-1440 fx: 206-709-9719
[email protected]
www.gildasclubseattle.org
A free program of social, emotional and educational support,
offered in a community setting, for anyone touched by cancer.
Join us for support groups, classes/lectures/workshops, educational
activities & social events.
A non-profit 501-C-3 organization serving
the Community since 1983 with: *Award
winning programs and services for
seniors including health fairs *Leadership program and summer
camp for youth *Partnership with South Asian Oral History project
of the UW Libraries *Cultural programs representing the rich
diversity within the community. For more info please visit www.
iaww.org to sponsor our events.
ph: 206-624-3426 www.
merchants-parking-transia.org
Merchants Parking provides convenient & affordable community
parking. Transia provides community transportation: para-transit
van services, shuttle services and field trips in & out of Chinatown/
International District & South King County.
Refugee Women’s Alliance
4008 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S,
Seattle, WA 98108
ph: 206-721-0243 fx: 206-721-0282
www.rewa.org
A multi-ethnic, multilingual, community-based org. that provides the following programs to refugee and immigrant women & families in Puget Sound.
Domestic violence, childcare, after school, vocational, ESL, employment &
citizenship, senior meals, developmental disabilities.
1501 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103
ph: 206-694-6700 fx: 206-694-6777
[email protected]
www.solid-ground.org
Our programs help people meet their immediate needs and
gain the skills and resources needed to reach solid ground and
achieve their dreams.
Join our Community Resource
Directory. Email:
[email protected]
Kin On Health Care Center
801 S Lane St, Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-621-7880
[email protected] www.deniselouie.org
Multicultural preschool and Head Start services for children ages
3-5 with locations in the ID, Beacon Hill and Rainier Beach.
Housing &
Neighborhood Planning
HomeSight
5117 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118
ph: 206-723-4355 fx: 206-760-4210
www.homesightwa.org
HomeSight creates homeownership opportunities through real
estate development, home buyer education and counseling,
and lending.
Inter*Im Community Development Association
310 Maynard Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-624-1802 fx: 206-624-5859
[email protected] www.interimicda.org
Affordable housing, economic development, neighborhood
planning and advocacy for the API community.
International District Housing Alliance
606 Maynard Ave S #104/105, Seattle, WA
98104
ph: 206-623-5132 fx: 206-623-3479
Multilingual low-income housing outreach, rental information,
homeownership community education.
4416 S Brandon St, Seattle, WA 98118
ph: 206-721-3630 fx: 206-721-3626
[email protected] www.kinon.org
A 100-bed, Medicare and Medicaid certified, not-for-profit
skilled nursing facility focused on meeting the long term
care needs of the Chinese/Asian community members.
Legacy House
803 South Lane Street Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-292-5184 fx: 206-838-3057
[email protected]
www.scidpda.org/programs/legacyhouse.aspx
Description of organization/services offered:
Assisted Living, Adult Day Services, Ethnic-specific
meal programs for low-income seniors.
Don’t get take-out! Have
it Delivered!
National Asian Pacific Center on Aging
Senior Community Service Employment Program
ph: 206-322-5272 fx: 206-322-5387
www.napca.org
Part-time training program for low income
Asian Pacific Islanders age 55+ in Seattle/
King & Pierce Counties.
1601 E Yesler Way, Seattle, WA 98122
ph: 206-323-7100 fx: 206-325-1502 www.nikkeiconcerns.org
Rehabilitation & care center; assisted living community; senior
activity program; continuing education.
Social & Health Services
Asian Counseling & Referral Service
ph: 206-322-4550 fx: 206-329-3330
[email protected]
Affordable housing with culturally appropriate services for people
62 years of age and older.
Seattle Chinatown/International District
Preservation and Development Authority
ph: 206-624-8929 fx: 206-467-6376
[email protected]
Housing, property management and community development.
3639 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. Seattle, WA 98144
ph: 206-695-7600 fx: 206-695-7606
[email protected] www.acrs.org
ACRS offers multilingual, behavioral health and social
services to Asian Pacific Americans and other lowincome people in King County.
606 Maynard Ave S, Suite 102, Seattle, WA 98104
ph: 206-223-9578 fx: 206-623-3479 website www.apicat.org
Address tobacco control and other health justice issues in the
Asian American/Pacific Islander communities.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE IE FOR
$25/YEAR FOR 24 ISSUES!
Please mail a check for $25 to the International Examiner or donate to: 622 S.
Washington St., Seatt;e, WA 98104. Thank you for your contribution.
Beyond the Firecrackers
and Food
Explore Seattle’s Chinatown/International
District. The historic neighborhood offers
unique art, shopping, tours, sights, parks, and
thrilling events for all visitors, all-year round.
Attractions in the ID!
1. Dragon Pole (Located along 5th,
Jackson & Dearborn)
A stone’s throw from two professional
sports stadiums and high-rises, fiberglass
dragons hold a firm grip
on local light poles while
keeping a close eye out on
the historic neighborhood.
6. Wing Luke Asian Museum
Named after the first Asian American
elected to public office. Nationally
acclaimed museum and Smithsonianaffiliate, preserves and presents the history
of Asian Pacific Americans.http://www.
wingluke.org
7. Chong Wa Benevolent Association
Houses the State’s oldest Chinese school,
11. Asian Art & Galleries
Here in the ID you can find a variety of
Asian arts & galleries featuring small
exhibits by local artists, Chinese brush
paintings, Asian sculptures, handmade
jewelries, furniture, drawings, ceramics,
as well as Japanese folk arts and other
contemporary design.
12. Dim Sum
Heart of the district that serves as the center
for cultural events, musical performances,
community meetings, and entertainment
programs. During regular days, it is
a gathering place for families, chess
players and morning Tai-Chi. Shipped
from Taiwan, the grand
pavilion on the park was
a memorial that honors
local Chinese- American
veterans killed in World
War II.
2. Chinatown Gate
The Historic Chinatown
4. Kobe Terrace
Gate Foundation, with
Named in honor of
contributions
from
a
Seattle’s
international
number
of
agencies,
sister
city,
Kobe, Japan
organizations, businesses
in 1974. The park is
and individuals, brought
filled with cherry trees
to reality a 70 year plus
that come into bloom
dream of the Chinese
in March. At the very
community—to build a
top of the park there
traditional Chinese gate, or
is an 8000-lb lantern
pai-lau, to commemorate
and tablet hand-carved
the presence of the
from Japanese granite.
Chinese community in
Turn around. You’re in
Photo courtesy CidBIA.
the Seattle Chinatown
an excellent spot from
Historic District. Research
panoramic views of
and design focused on
South
Seattle.
a pair of gates. Completed in February,
2008, the first straddles South King Street
at Fifth Avenue South. Organizing the 5. I-5 Columns
construction of the second one has begun. These massive columns painted in bright
It will be located on South King Street at hues of red and yellow with carp and
dragonflies, turned this overpass into a
12th Avenue South.china gate
colorful corridor between the Little Saigon
3. Hing Hay Park (Intersection of Maynard and Chinatown communities.
providing language and cultural programs
for youth and adults. Fenced court across
the alley is the practice field for the
Chinese Community Girls Drill Team.
8. Uwajimaya
A Cantonese lunch style that includes
a wide variety of small dishes served
along with traditional Chinese Tea. Food
items range from steamed buns and
dumplings to egg tarts and desert soups.
They can be ordered from a restaurant
menu or from a trolley moved around by
the servers. Usually served from lunch to
early afternoon. Come to the International
District to explore your first Dim Sum
experience with your family and friends!
13. Karaoke
The Japanese word karaoke roughly
translates into English as “empty orchestra.”
This sing-along phenomenon from Japan
has spread its popularity worldwide,
including our neighborhood. Click here
to find out the neighborhood hotspots for
KARAOKE!
Ave & King St)
Largest Asian grocery and specialty store in
the Pacific Northwest offering merchandise
ranging from fresh produce to rice cookers
and Hello Kitty backpacks.
9. Panama Hotel
Features a sento, a rare intact example of
a Japanese-American public bathhouse.
Historical photographs of old Japan
town and artifacts are on display in the
teahouse.
10. Bakeries
There are more than 10 traditional bakery
shops in the ID. Taste the delicious cream
puffs, bbq pork buns, pineapple custard
buns, sesame balls, egg tarts, mango
puddings, and even birthday cakes and
other fresh pastries at a very good price.
14. Night Market
Held during summer nights every year. Each
evening features local vendors offering
shoppers tempting foods, gifts, art and
other must have accessories. This annual
open-air street market brings together
thousands of people, young and old, to
experience shopping, eating, ongoing
entertainments, games and movies at the
heart of Chinatown International District.
(Information is from the Chinatown/
International
District
Business
Improvement Association (CIDBIA) Web
site: www.cidbia.org).
AFRICA, Continued from Page 6
Aid sometimes has gone to the
building of presidential palaces that stroke
egos but that do little to improve the
lot of the majority of citizens in underdeveloped countries. The extraction of
oils and minerals from particular regions
have enriched those controlling the land
but not the larger citizenry. There have
been accusations of China’s flooding
African markets with low-cost textiles and
undercutting indigenous, local producers.
In Africa, some Chinese companies have
exported poor and dangerous working
conditions; Taylor notes wryly that China
doesn’t export what it doesn’t already do
internally.
Weapons-makers’
willingness
to sell low-cost, low-quality arms to
various combatants on the continent have
also caused public outcry. The cynicism
behind the sales of weaponry to entities
on both sides of a conflict reflects poorly
on the Chinese companies, and their lack
of ability to control down-steam users of
their weapons may mean more instability
in various regions.
“Moral and political modes that
transcend economic-corporate interests
are generally absent; the ethicopolitical
aspect that, in a hegemonic project, helps
build economic configurations but also
lends legitimacy, is lacking,” he asserts.
Ian Taylor suggests that the
Chinese leadership’s adherence to the
Five Principles of “mutual respect for
territorial
integrity;
nonaggression,
reciprocal noninterference in internal
affairs; equality and mutual benefit; and
peaceful coexistence” are not aligned
with some of their actions. Their argument
that human rights is an aggregate concern
surrounding “survival and development”
instead of an individual human concern
(the rights of the many vs. the one) is a
specious argument. This nation looks at
the promotion of human rights as a Trojan
horse to subvert Beijing’s leadership.
From
the
Western
view,
there are fears that China’s “illiberal
authoritarianism” may be seen as a
workable model in the developing world
for limited political power sharing but
burgeoning economic growth. The social
price of such economic liberalization
has meant the breaking of the iron rice
bowl of the socialist system and resultant
“deterioration of the Chinese health
system, high levels of unemployment,
rocketing state debt, regional inequalities,
and serious social dislocations across the
country”. Rural areas have not benefited
from the double-digit growth as the cities
and coastal regions have.
Taylor balances this depiction
with larger realities—the fact that Africa
itself doesn’t have that many nations
willing to engage them in development
and trade. The leadership in the various
African countries themselves needs to
take a central role in developing their
own countries’ infrastructures and
peoples. They need to establish stronger
governance, and not support nepotism,
kleptocracy, coups, and rule by persons
(vs. laws).
“China’s New Role in Africa”
advocates a more hands-on and
responsible approach to diplomacy and
foreign trade. It suggests that the weakness
of export controls and overseas oversight
of Chinese companies’ business practices
complicates the situation.
If the heart of a country is in its
values, then Western democracies are
calling out China to see where it stands
on issues of effective governance, private
property, individual human rights, and
democracy.
8_11809
10x12.75
4c
© 2009 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC.
(120038_11809)

3602 - The International Examiner

Transcription

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