3509 - The International Examiner

Transcription

CELEBRATE ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
FREE EST. 1974 — SEATTLE VOLUME 35, NUMBER 9
MAY 7 - 20, 2008
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SEATTLE, WA
Permit No. 2393
ASIAN AMERICAN JOURNAL
www.iexaminer.org
Farewell to our editor
Finding
“InspirAsian”
BY NHIEN NGUYEN
IE Editor from 2002- 2008
One person seems
to show up at significant turning points in
my life, and now is no
different.
Though I’ve never
been his student, Ronald
Takaki, groundbreaking historian of ethnic
and Asian American
studies, has profoundly
shaped my understanding of myself and the world around me.
As a college freshman, his book, “Strangers
from a Different Shore: A History of Asian
Americans,” introduced me to what was then
quite foreign to me, which was the concept of an “Asian American” experience. His
book, along with my freshman seminar class
aptly named “Living on the Edge: The Asian
American Experience,” helped me gain a lifechanging perspective on why I had always felt
different as a Vietnamese immigrant growing
up in a white suburb of Portland, Ore. More
importantly, as an Asian American, I learned
that I was not alone in my experience of social
isolation and alienation.
From that new understanding, I became
proud of my name (which I always wanted
to change), and kept it through college until
now. I became active in Asian American
activism, and then found myself as the chair
of the Asian Student Alliance during sophomore year.
Out of sheer coincidence, Takaki was the
keynote speaker at my college graduation.
Frankly, I was too awed by his presence and
too thrilled to be graduating to remember
what he talked about, other than the fact that
his nickname as a young surfer in Hawaii
was “Ten Toes Takaki.” Nonetheless, Takaki’s
words sent me out to do my work in the real
world. My post-graduate activities were related to my interest in Asian American studies,
first as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in
Singapore, then as an admin at Seattle Asian
Art Museum, and later a fundraiser for the
Wing Luke Asian Museum.
Takaki showed up again when I became
editor of the International Examiner. My very
first issue on May 1, 2002 included an interview with Takaki, who came to the University
of Washington to speak about why multicultur-Continued on page 4
And meet our new IE Editor— Diem Ly!
Read about her on page 4
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INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER
IE SPEAKS
Jagged Noodles:
622 S. Washington St.
Seattle, WA 98104
www.iexaminer.org
Established
in
1974,
MAY 7 - 20, 2008 —— 3
Memories of Mom on Mother’s Day...
EDITOR
the
Nhien Nguyen
International
Examiner (IE) is the oldest and largest nonprof-
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Lily Ho
it, pan-Asian American publication in the Pacific
Northwest. Named after the historic and thriving
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Diem Ly
multi-ethnic International District (ID) of Seattle,
the IE aspires to be a credible catalyst for build-
ARTS EDITOR
ing an inspiring, connected, well-respected, and
socially conscious Asian Pacific American (APA)
community. Our mission is to promote critical
thinking, dialogue and action by providing timely,
accurate and culturally sensitive coverage of rel-
Alan Chong Lau
BUSINESS MANAGER
Ellen Suzuki
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Ken Hiraiwa
evant APA matters. In addition to producing a free
INFO. SYSTEMS
semi-monthly newspaper, we also publish a liter-
Canh Tieu
ary supplement, “Pacific Reader” devoted to the
critical reviews of APA books. We have published
two books, “The History of the International District” by Doug Chin and “Hum Bows Not Hot Dogs
– Memoirs of an Activist” by Bob Santos.
The International Examiner is published on the
first and third Wednesdays of every month.
Subscription rates for one-year home delivery is $25 for individuals and $45 first class/
overseas. The International Examiner is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit; subscriptions are
tax-deductible.
CONTRIBUTORS
Allison Espiritu
Huy X. Le
Donna Ma
Shiwani Srivastava
Sian Wu
INTERNS
Karina Delgado
Nana Oyaizu
Tel: (206) 624-3925
Fax: (206) 624-3046
[email protected]
[email protected]
Sign up for our E-news!
e-mail us at: [email protected]
- or Visit www.iexaminer.org
BY HUY X. LE
IE Columnist
Sometimes, I think life is like a movie we
are all in and I’d wish I could rewind. Those
days playing freeze tags were great, but they
seem almost too far away to be reached even
by wishing. I’d settle for three or four summers back. I’d be coming home on summer
vacation, carrying my luggage up the stairs. At the porch I would smell the sweet
and sour soup and the spiciness of the tofu
sautéed in tomatoes, dishes that Mom had
prepared just for me, making the soup extra
sour because she knew I liked that. The door
would open and she would stand there in her
apron, smiling. The late-afternoon sunlight
would fall on her hair, and she’d greet me with
these sweet maternal words: “God, you’re
skinny. You look like a drug addict.”
I’d hug her, used to the American way, and
she would tense up, still not used to it, but
then she would decide “what the heck” and
hug me back and then tell me what food she’d
cooked for me.
While I ate, relishing the taste of home
and being thankful for the first of many
meals that would not be pasta or ramen, my
mother would sit down next to me, smiling
and staring, her eyes so bright and shiny that
they acquired a strange glow that I never
really understood.
I come to visit after work, tired, and glance
sometimes at my mother’s black car, which
has not moved since my older sister solemnly
backed it into the driveway so many months
ago. During the Fall, pine needles in our front
yard dropped quietly onto the car’s windshield, and have stayed there undisturbed.
It has been several seasons already. That one
awful summer when everything changed,
then Fall, and Winter with the snow drifting
down and a surreal Christmas that no one
wanted to wake up to, and Spring, when the
gladiolus flowers she planted started blooming in our front yard.
And now another Spring, another Mother’s
Day. With time, I start to forget things. Like
her laughter or the sound of her singing
while she’s cooking, or the way she cracked
roasted watermelon seeds or popped bubble
wrap while watching Chinese soap operas…
the cadence of her footsteps as she walked
up the stairs with boxes of soap and paper
towels she’d bought from Costco. Things fade
so quickly. How can we possibly remember
anything ten or twenty years from now?
Soon, the mail with her name will stop coming, and we kids will no longer have to sort
through them and hide them from Dad. And
when I look out the window in my old room,
I will no longer be able to clearly imagine
the times at Christmas when Mom would be
outside gathering firewood for our fireplace,
around which we’d sit while Dad told us ghost
stories.
It is ironic, don’t you think, that the
ephemeralness of grief can itself induce so
much sorrow? In ten or twenty years, I will
probably wish to be able to rewind back to
now, when I can still feel the coldness that
descends occasionally that has nothing to do
with the temperature, or summon the heaviness that floods over me during times when
the house is dark and everyone is sleeping
and I’d be hungry and go to the kitchen and
get something to eat and sit at the dining
table and can almost see my mother sitting
there beside me, her eyes strangely shiny and
bright, staring and smiling at me.
Today I came home late from the office
and as I got out of my car, the ice cream
truck came down our street. It was done
for the day, so there was no song playing.
I smiled at the driver as she passed by me,
but she didn’t see me and hurried past,
maybe to get home to her family also. I
saw the full moon already risen, high over
the black Toyota Camry. I stood by the car
and allowed myself some time to wish for
things to be different, to be greeted just
once more by the smell of tofu sautéed with
tomatoes. Then I went inside and started
tidying up the place. Mom would hate for
the house to look so messy.
Dear Editor:
Dear International Examiner,
We would like to correct a number of
inaccuracies in this story (“Reconnecting
Filipinos through love of art” IE issue, April
16, 2008), concerning PINAY sa Seattle and
AnakBayan Seattle.
The first, is the statement that our
groups are “National Democratic Front
Organizations.” Our organizations are not
part of the NDF but are part of BAYAN-USA,
a national alliance of social justice Fil-Am
advocates. Another problem was the quote
saying, “One of the things that is central to
these organizations today is their belief in
armed revolution.” Our organizations are for
peaceful, law-abiding social justice activists
who advocate the use of non-violent protest
to support the cause of human rights in the
Philippines. We have never advocated the
use of violence or “armed revolution.” Since
2001, our organizations have been serving
our communities through tutoring programs,
history workshops, social justice campaigns
and more. Also, many of our members work
in a number of non-profit, service organizations such as ACRS, AmeriCorps, Powerful
Voices, IDIC, Solid Ground, Southwest Youth
and Family Services and more. The article
states that the gallery showcases “[isangmahal] present younger active members Cesar
Cueva, Ruby Aquino and Desiree Suarez.”
These individuals are not part of isangmahal and are actually former or current
members of AnakBayan or PINAY. Finally,
at the end, the article asks readers to visit,
“isangmahal arts kollective’s contemporary
art.” Isangmahal is currently defunct and
with no connection to the exhibit. However,
there is a new Filipino organization called
the Arts Kollective of which Cesar Cueva is
an officer. We would like to clear up any misunderstanding about our organizations. We
are based on the principle of genuine love for
the Filipino people expressed through education and action to uplift our communities in
Seattle and the Philippines.
Sincerely,
AnakBayan Seattle, PINAY sa Seattle, and
BAYAN-USA NW
4 —— MAY 7 - 20, 2008
“Nhien”
-Continued from page 1
alism matters in America. His lecture and interview renewed my passion for journalism, which
came from the hope of being able to shape and
impact the understanding of the community
and greater public about what it means to be
Asian American at the turn of the 21st century.
As I leave my position as the IE editor after
six years and prepare this last issue for May 7,
2008, I return full-circle to the question I had as
a young college freshman: What does it mean to
be Asian American?
Instead of finding the answer during my tenure as editor, I have only found more questions.
The Asian American landscape has changed significantly, both locally and nationally. The upand-coming generation of Asian Americans was
born after the civil rights movement. The activists during the ‘70s paved the way for Asians to
be accepted as Americans, and this new generation is reaping the benefits. But the benefits may
not have been exactly what the civil rights activists
intended. Instead of a stronger Asian American
identity, this younger generation is embracing their
identities as an Asian and American.
What’s the difference? I’m not exactly sure,
but I what I do know is that more young Asian
Americans are relating to each other in bilingual
conversations – their native tongue and their
adopted English tongue. They are shuttling back
and forth from a life in America to their home
countries in Asia. Somehow, this generation
is able to maintain strong cultural ties to their
specific country of origin, while still keeping
a strong sense of an American identity — perhaps a stronger sense of a truly multicultural
identity.
It’s obvious that what it means to be Asian
American has been gradually shifting, which
means Asian American media must also shift.
I see my time here as editor as navigating
that shift between the civil rights generation and the multicultural generation. And
as the new editor takes the helm at the
International Examiner, that shift will likely
be complete and the new Asian American
identity will fully blossom just as it should
and needs to do.
As I move from the editorial department to a
revenue-generator role as associate publisher
and director of advertising at AsianWeek, I
will keep learning and witnessing the everchanging Asian America. My journey of keeping Asian American media relevant continues, as I work at the country’s largest weekly
Asian American newspaper based in San
Francisco—the hub of Asian America.
Takaki appears again at this juncture in
my life, as my soon-to-be boss Ted Fang,
AsianWeek publisher and editor, was a former
student of Takaki and considers the retired
professor as his lifelong mentor. Fang reminded
me what Takaki said in his first book, which was
“There are no Asians in Asia.”
Wish me luck in my ongoing search for my
cultural identity. And let the chase to find Asia
America never end.
Greetings FROM the I.E. ’S NEW EDITOR
IF YOU SEE ME, SAY HELLO!
BY DIEM LY
IE Editor in Chief
Hi there, folks! I’m taking over the
reins at the IE! Our former Editor-in-Chief,
Nhien Nguyen is leaving us to pursue her
next adventure in journalism. I’m honored and thrilled at this chance to further
develop the IE into a visionary news source
and catapult it into the next “generAsian.” I’m
humbled by the efforts of those who came
before me. So many people care and pour
everything into shaping the IE and our readers and community have supported us for
many years. Now watch out for changes to
the International Examiner as the team and
I formulate a new game plan to reach more
readers and revamp the paper! We’re pulling in more readers everyday! I will do all I
can to inspire readership and engage people
never before engaged in the community.
Look out for fun, approachable IE events
throughout the year!
A little about your friend at the IE:
I’m a first-or-second generation Vietnamese
American—depending on who you talk to. I
was born in Renton, WA in 1981, to a father
who served as a U.S. Airforce captain during
the Vietnam war, and a mother who escaped
from Vietnam during the Fall of Saigon in
1975. I grew up in Everett, Seattle, and the
South Sound. I earned a Bachelors of Science
degree in Psychology at the University of
Washington in 2003. At the UW, a professor
exposed me to Asian American causes and
history. After that, I always felt connected to
issues impacting the community.
It’s strange, as a young person, naive
and inexperienced, you’re expected to
choose a career
course—know
who you are—and
make important
decisions about
the life you’ll lead.
I realized after
earning a degree
and working in
the science field,
it wasn’t for me. A
period of reflection
and “roller-coaster”
experiences forced
me to grow up
and look inside. I
began re-living my Photo credit: Danny Wei. At left, former Editor Nhien Nguyen; center, new Editor in
childhood passion Chief Diem Ly; right, IE Advertising Manager Lily Ho.
for writing and I
sought out a way I could use my interest as API’s are rising—some may or may not
a skill. I looked to the community.
know who they are and what they want to
I started at the IE as a freelancer, as do with their lives. The only thing they’re
many do, about two years ago, fine-tuning certain of—they’re Asian American—
my writing and “news-ear.” I worked my they’re proud—and they want to be a part
way up the ranks to Assistant Editor and of something. The IE is that source. I plan
now aim to earn my stripes as a “general” a re-vamp of the publication’s design, spirat the IE.
ited and relevant articles, and regular, oneI don’t expect this new position to be of-a-kind IE events where folks from all
easy—in fact, I expect challenges everyday ages and backgrounds will come together,
(and it has already started). But, the reason play, discuss, and make changes to their
I took this position is this: I care about this lives while impacting that of other’s.
paper, I care about who’s reading it, and I
And don’t forget—if you see me—say
care about the community and how its story “hello”!
is told. Selfishly, I want this position and the
paper to transform who I am. And I want the Diem Ly
IE to transform others. A new generation of Editor-in-Chief
Sign up for our E-news!
Port of Seattle Salutes
International Examiner’s
Contribution to
Asian and Pacific Islander
Communities
Learn about the Port’s new
Office of Social Responsibility
and small business opportunities
Contact Lilyian Caswell-Isley,
206.728.3727, [email protected]
Elaine I. Ko, Director
Office of Social Responsibility, Pier 69
2711 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121
Where a sustainable world is headed.
www.portseattle.org
e-mail us at:
[email protected]
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www.iexaminer.org
NEWS
MAY 7 - 20, 2008 —— 5
Never Too Late: UW Degrees Awarded 60 Years Later
BY NOELLE RIVERA
UW News Lab
On May 18, the University of Washington will be awarding 440 honorary bachelor degrees to Japanese American students who
were forced out of school and into internment camps.
It was February 19, 1942 when Franklin
D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order
9066, which sent over 120,000 Japanese
Americans to internment camps. At the
time, many students were attending the
University of Washington and were forced
to leave school.
Hiro Nishimura and Arthur Abe were
both UW students when the tragic news
arrived.
It was on a Sunday. Nishimura was
at a family friend’s house
when news poured over
the radio. Confused, he
asked “What? Where’s
Pearl Harbor?”
When he learned Japan
bombed the United States,
a wave of dread came over
him.
“I thought it was the
end of the world,” said
Nishimura. “It was bad,
bad news for all Japanese.”
At the time, Nishimura
was a freshman studying
biology. Nervous about
the news, he contemplated all day whether
or not he should attend school the next day.
Because his education was so important to
him, he decided to go.
He described his fear of walking into a
campus library.
“I felt all eyes were upon me,” Nishimura
said. “I felt very self-conscious about being
Japanese, but it was something I couldn’t
help. It was a very emotional time.”
During the first week, he couldn’t stop
thinking about the implications. What kind
of future will I have? Is there no future
for Japanese Americans? Should I stay in
school or drop out?
The decision to continue school was
very hard for Nishimura, but unknowingly, the choice
wasn’t his, the
government
decided for him.
Soon after, he
was drafted into
the U.S. army
while his family
was incarcerated
in Minidoka,
an internment
camp in Idaho.
He spent four
years overseas
constantly worrying
about
whether or not he would see his family
again.
Abe recollects that same Sunday his own
painful past. He was working at his father’s
grocery store when he heard the news over
the radio.
“It was a traumatic time,”
said Abe. “We had a lot
of vultures out to get our
property. I had a brand
new car. They were trying to give us peanuts for
all of it.”
“I was stunned,” said Abe. “I couldn’t
believe what I was hearing.”
At the time, Abe was a junior in the
school of Economics. After the terrible
news, he was forced to drop out so he could
help his family close shop and pack what
they could fit in suitcases.
“It was a traumatic time,” said Abe. “We
had a lot of vultures out to get our property. I
had a brand new car. They were trying to give
us peanuts for all of it.”
Abe and his family went to the assembly center in Puyallup then to Minidoka.
There he volunteered to fight for the US
army but was sent to work for the Veteran’s
Administration for GI Insurance in New
York City instead. Soon after, he was
inducted into the army.
When the war ended and Japanese were
released, both Nishimura and Abe came
back to Seattle and were able to reunite
with their families. They also went back to
school.
“Thanks to the government who gave
us G.I. money, I was able to graduate with
a Bachelor’s degree,” said Nishimura.
Abe graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
and Economics degree. Even though he
worked hard and received good grades, he
said employers weren’t accepting Japanese
workers. Abe applied to every retail store,
but because of the continuing prejudice, he
was declined from them all.
Abe finally landed a job with the
Veteran’s Administration in Seattle, but
came back to UW in 1957 to get a BS
in Electrical Engineering. He worked at
Boeing as an Electrical Engineer for 25
years and is now retired.
There are hundreds of others like
Nishimura and Abe who experienced the
same prejudices and were forced out of
school. All 440 will be recognized May 18.
“This award is very important
because so many of these Japanese students worked their entire lives to fulfill
their vision of the American dream,” said
Bryan Imanishi, treasurer of the Nisei
Vets Committee. “This ceremony is a
symbol of accomplishment, it says, ‘congratulations. You did it.’”
After over 60 years since the war and
internment, Nishimura truly believes the
recognition ceremony is a special gift.
“After this long journey home, I feel
this is a benevolent gift of compassion
and understanding from the UW and the
community for giving us this special recognition,” said Nishimura.
Honorary Degree Ceremony:
Sunday, May 18.
University of Washington, Seattle
Kane 120
1:45 p.m.
Seattle water–
drink up!
Better because:
Bottled water costs 2400 times as much,
consumes millions of barrels of oil and
creates tons of long-lasting trash.
Seattle water is some of the best in the
world, sourced from protected watershed
high in the unspoiled Cascades.
You have a choice, and it’s an easy one
to make, for health, for your pocketbook,
for the planet.
6 —— MAY 7 - 20, 2008
COMMUNITY NEWS
UW STUDENTS MAKE DEMANDS DIRECTOR STEPS DOWN
According to UW’s The Daily, April 25, the
anti-racism and anti-war UW student group
March 1st Solidarity (M1S) rallied and demanded the UW administration give up a list of
university investments with military contractors in South Korea. “South Korea must be
free. Down with white supremacy,” chanted the
organizers. M1S claims the United States Forces
Korea (USFK) is responsible for several offenses against South Korea, including suppressing
movements for South Korean democracy and
independence, stealing land from South Korean
farmers and fueling the sex trade in Asia.
The Seattle Chinatown International District
Preservation and Development Authority
(ScidPDA) announced in a press release April
22, that after 14 years of leadership and service,
Executive Director Sue Taoka is leaving the
organization for new opportunities in urban
development. Taoka had an ability to rally
community support and the resources needed
to preserve and revitalize the International
District as a unique and treasured part of
Seattle’s history—and future.
SOUTH CHINA
GIVES A HELPING
HAND
“Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is a time for us
to take pride in the diversity of our nation, celebrate the
contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islanders to
this nation, and reaffirm our commit to the promise of
America’s future for all Americans.”
SPOTLIGHT ON
NEW Inter*IM HEAD
DELI
May 7- May 13, 2008
Shop our steam table
for fresh items daily
Sushi
PRODUCE
Imitation Crab, Cucumber, avocado,
seaweed wrapped w/sushi rice 6 pc pkg
“Painted Hills” All Natural USDA Choice
BEEF Bone-In
Excellent Specials for Mother’s Day Sunday, May 11th
RIB STEAK
no antibiotics or hormones, ever!
$7.99/LB
CALIFORNIA ROLL
Supplies of fresh produce are subject
to adverse weather conditions
“Draper Valley” 100% All Natural
Reg
THIGH/DRUMSTICK
KYOHO GRAPES
imported from Chile
“From our deli steamer served hot to you”
Fresh!
steamed bun w/bbq pork filling
$1.99/LB
$1.29/LB
GREEN ONIONS
29¢/bunch
SEAFOOD
All Seafood subject to availability due
to changes in season or weather
BBQ HUM BOW
Reg
$1.00/each
85¢/each
GROCERY
Head-On
WHITE PRAWNS
40/50 Ct, Ideal to pan fry - product of
Equador, prev froz
$4.99/LB
$4.59
$4.09
Sweet! Japanese
Combo PackNW Grown 100%
vegetarian fed - no antibiotics
or hormones
“Zojirushi” Zutto
MACADAMIAN NUT
CHOCOLATE 14 oz box
RICE COOKER
$11.99
$9.99
SEAFOOD COMBO MIX
Cleaned & read to cook shellfish excellent to stir fry, prev froz
“Hou Hou Shu”
SPARKLING SAKE
1 Lb Bag/$2.99
180ml and 300ml
The new Executive Director for the Inter*Im
Community Development Association started her duties May 1st. Welcome Heyok Kim
and congratulations to her new position. A
welcome reception will be held May 22 from
6 - 7:30 p.m. at the Four Seas Restaurant.
GIFT
“Hawaiian Host” “Scenic”
Reg
5.5 Cup, 534580 NS-DAC-10
Reg
$240,
$180
COFFEE MAKER
Reg
$69,
$54
BELLEVUE
BEAVERTON
Featured at Beaverton Uwajimaya only
10500 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale HWY. • Beaverton, OR 97005
PORK PICNIC
Sliced for Sukiyaki
$5.99/lb
$3.99/LB
286734.050808
Open Daily: 9 am-10 pm | 9 am-9 pm Sunday | www.uwajimaya.com
“Masami” All natural
International Community Health Services
(ICHS) 35th Anniversary Gala. Thirty-five
years ago, ICHS began as the community &
volunteer-driven Asian Community Health
Clinic. ICHS now has two health clinics
and nearly 300 employees. Most of ICHS’
patients are Asian Pacific Islander, although
more and more patients are coming from
other communities. The event is Saturday,
May 10th at 6:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Seattle
Hotel. Honorary Co-Chairs: Former Gov.
Gary Locke and Mona Lee Locke; Robert
“Uncle Bob” Santos and Rep. Sharon Tomiko
Santos. Emcee: Lori Matsukawa. RSVP to
[email protected] or call (206) 788-3694.
Tickets are $125/person. http://www.ichsfoundation.
IMMIGRATION RIGHTS MARCH
5 Cup 571810 EC-DAC50
425.747.9012
M E AT
ICHS TURNS 35
“Zojirushi” Zutto
Quality Asian Grocery & Gifts Since 1928
Reg
Mike Honda
Volunteers met Saturday,
April 19th to participate in
the 10th annual Chinatown/
International District Spring
Clean-Up! Crews removed
graffiti, picked-up litter,
and spruced up the area by
planting and gardening.
80th Anniversary!
M E AT
503.643.4512
Hello fellow readers! It’s the IE’s first Book Club! I’m kicking off this brand-new event with the Pulitzerprize winning novel, “A GOOD SCENT FROM A STRANGE MOUNTAIN,” by Robert Olen Butler. Pick
it up and read it for May’s APA Heritage Month—then we’ll meet at the historic Panama Hotel Cafe
and Teahouse for conversation and discussion Saturday, June 7th at 1:30 p.m. Tell your friends! We’ll
discuss the book, it’s relevance to our Asian American identity, and how it impacted you. Save your
space on the couch by contacting IE Editor, Diem Ly at [email protected].
ID SPRING
CLEAN-UP
Celebrating Our
SEATTLE
Announcing the IE’s first ever Book Club!
—Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA) Chair of CAPAC in celebration of May’s APA Heritage Month, May 1.
Pictures from the South China
Benefit Dinner for the Kin On
Health Care Center on April
7th at South China Perry Ko’s
Restaurant.
206.624.6248
CALLING ALL READERS!
On May 1, the Immigrant Rights March
took place in Seattle. API Unified—a contingent of Asians and Pacific Islanders—joined
with thousands of immigrants and allies to
demand justice and equality for all workers. Over 150 Asians and Pacific Islanders
marched in the API Unified contingent to
raise the visibility of APIs. “As APIs, we call
for recognition of the invaluable social and
economic contributions of all immigrants—
OBITUARY
A major member of the Japanese
American community, Toru Sakahara (in
his 90s), passed away April 26th after
complications from a fall. Toru used
his legal skills to help resettle Japnese
Americans returning from internment
camps after WWII and played a major
as workers, neighbors, small business owners, caretakers, and community members,”
added Chera Amlag of Pinay sa Seattle, a
local Filipina women’s organization. “We also
bring a unique perspective because of our histories. We are here because of issues like the
trafficking of Asian women, the unconstitutional deportations of Cambodian youth, and
the military and economic forces that caused
our families to immigrate.”
role in overturning Washington’s Alien
land laws of Washington which banned
ownership of land by immigrants. Toru
and his wife Kiyo recently became
Founding Family members of the new
Japanese Cultural and Community
Center of Washington.
Compiled BY DIEM LY
CHINESE LAWYERS SUE CNN
FOR $1.3 BILLION DOLLARS
MSNBC reported, April 23, about a
group of Chinese lawyers who are suing
CNN, claiming that news commentator
Jack Cafferty’s comments calling Chinese
“goons and thugs” on April 9, “seriously
violated and abused the reputation and
dignity of the plaintiffs as Chinese people,
and caused serious spiritual and psychological injury to the plaintiffs.” The lawyers are seeking $1.3 billion—a dollar, for
each person in the world’s most populated
country.
RICE PRICES SYROCKET
The New York Times and NorthWest
Cable News reported May 1 about doubled
rice prices. The NYT said a 50-pound bag
of rice is now approximately $38. Overseas
suppliers say there is not a shortage, but
consumers rushing to stock up on bags
of rice are depleting store shelves and
shooting up prices. Experts say the price
of diesel and fertilizer has also driven up
the price of rice.
CLEAVER DUEL
According to the Daily Record UK,
April 25, in Scotland, a Chinese chef
challenged his boss—who had just fired
him—to a duel—with meat cleavers. After
arguing with owner, Tat Chung Cheung,
over a work permit, Xian Ming Wang
grabbed the knives, placed a cleaver on
APA NEWS ROUND-UP
the shop counter and screamed, “One for
me and one for you.” He then vowed to
chop Cheung up, adding, “I have already
chopped up a man—and I will do the same
to you.” Wang admitted challenging his
former boss to a fight, making threats of
violence, and brandishing the cleavers. He
was jailed for seven months.
was stabbed in the face and torso during
a hate crime attack at a middle school in
San Dimas, CA. According to investigators, the attackers—a 15-year-old boy and
a man in his 20s—shouted racial epithets
and “White Power” while stabbing the
man. The victim was listed in critical condition at the time of the article.
PULITZER PRIZE FOR
FILIPINO AMERICAN
HMONG HATE CRIME
New American Media reported April
12 on Filipino American journalist Jose
Antonio Vargas, who recently won the
Pulitzer Prize in the breaking news category. He shares the award with other
Washington Post reporters for a package
of nine stories, including an article about
the Virginia Tech massacre.
FIRST ASIAN AMERICAN
COACH
According to ESPN, Miami Heat coach
Pat Riley resigned April 29 and will be
replaced by the first Asian American NBA
coach. 37-year-old Filipino American Erik
Spoelstra will also be the NBA’s youngest
current coach. Spoelstra spent 13 years on
the Heat coaching staff.
HATE CRIME ENDS IN
STABBING
The San Bernadino Sun reported April
23 about a 22-year-old Asian man who
According to angryasianman.com, in
Wisconsin, authorities are investigating a
possible hate crime after a Hmong family’s
truck was set on fire and spray painted with
the letters “KKK.” The suspected arson happened early in the morning in a town just
north of Madison. Authorities discovered
the pickup truck in the driveway of a duplex
where a young Hmong family moved in several months ago.
OVERDUE BENEFITS FOR
FILIPINO VETS
The U.S. Senate passed a bill (S. 1315)
April 24, which includes a provision that
would give veterans’ benefits to Filipinos
who fought under the U.S. flag during
World War II. Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
was one of the bill sponsors. Filipino
veterans were promised the same benefits given to other WWII veterans, but
Congress took them away in 1946. This
bill, also called the Filipino Veterans
Equity Act, would restore some of those
benefits.
MAY 7 - 20, 2008 —— 7
WU-ING OBAMA
According to “Obama ‘08,” the presidential candidate’s campaign site, U.S.
Congressman David Wu from Oregon
announced his support for Senator Barack
Obama for president April 24, citing
the Illinois senator’s ability to make real
change. “I am endorsing Barack Obama
for president today because I believe that
he is best suited to turn the page on this
sorry episode in American history. He
and I both had the judgment to oppose the
Iraq War from the very beginning,” said
Congressman David Wu.
Lights...Camera...
SIFF!
Keep an eye out for next issue’s
(May 21) IE SIFF Guide!
The IE’s providing a special pullout Seattle International Film Festival
Guide for our readers! Check out the
Asian American guide to SIFF and
support API filmmakers!
8 —— MAY 7 - 20, 2008
fashion
What Not To Wear: An Asian Twist
BY NHIEN NGUYEN
Former Editor in Chief
Clinton Kelly, co-host of TLC’s popular “What Not to Wear”
and author of “Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding
the Style That’s Right for Your Body,” was recently in town to showcase the latest spring trends at Downtown Seattle Macy’s. Known
for his fashion expertise and wit, style guru Clinton Kelly has
helped thousands of women, regardless of size or shape, strengthen
their “style esteem” as co-host of “What Not to Wear.” Kelly presented the IE with 10 tips on what Asian and petite women should
and should NOT wear.
1) Beware of large prints: Large prints can really overwhelm a smaller woman. If you wear large prints, wear them
with smaller accessories. Pick only one oversize item, like a large
print or an oversize bag.
2) Look taller: Elongate the leg with a heel or pointy-toe
heal. You can also raise the visual waistline. Instead of wearing
a belt on the hip go up to the natural waist or even go up higher
than that. Wear a belt over a blouse, starting at the bottom of
the ribcage. Create a nice “V” in the neck because you appear
taller with a longer neck. Elongate the leg, elongate the neck,
elongate the woman!
6) Tailor your clothes: Fit is really important if you don’t
want to look like a 16-year-old girl who put on your mom’s suit.
Every single woman has to get used to the idea of tailoring! Get
it into your head that tailoring is a necessary thing to do. It’s the
difference between looking good and looking amazing. Take
power away from the designer and put it into your own hands.
7) Don’t worry about your chest: If you don’t have a
sizeable chest, don’t worry because designers design for flatter
chests. If you don’t have a bigger chest you can do a deeper “V”
to bring attention to the chest.
8) Wear more dresses: Woman should wear more dresses
because it’s completely appropriate for the office. But beware of
showing too much cleavage in the office. With dresses, layering
is important. Find a dress that has a nice deep “V,” then wear a
cami under it and a jacket on top of it.
3) Watch out for all-black daytime outfits: Black
looks great at night because women tend to wear more make-up
when they are going out. Black can wash you out in the daytime
and bring out imperfections in the skin.
9) Go green: This spring, return to nature with the trend of
citrusy colors and ethnic-influenced prints, which symbolize
attachments to the earth.
4) Avoid the orange and yellow family of colors: If
you have a yellow skin tone be careful of wearing mustard yellow — try a lemony yellow instead. Olive skin tones can wear
more colors than ruddy complexions, but orange can make you
look sallow.
10) Do up the hair: If you are going to wear your black hair
stick straight in a ponytail, make sure it doesn’t make you look
like a younger woman or too girlish. You have a lot of options
with your hair, because the Asian stereotype is so over now! A
severe Asian bob is just fierce!
Celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Speak out
against
DISCRIMINATION
We’ve got your back.
206-684-4500 www.seattle.gov/civilrights
City of Seattle
5) Dress your age: Asian women need to pump up the sexy
side of themselves, because petite women with small frames can
look very young. It’s good to play up your womanly curves as
much as you can. Make sure your lines are very sharp, and be
careful of primary colors, like red or blue, because they are colors
that a little girl or teen would wear.
Greg Nickels, Mayor
MAY 7 - 20, 2008 —— 9
Healthier Alternative To Ice Cream
Sweet-Toothers Dive Into Latest Craze AWets
Palates
BY ANNE KIM
IE Contributor
Acacia Goodwin walked around Bellevue
Square popping into her mouth spoonfuls of
frozen yogurt that she had purchased at Red
Mango.
It was her second serving of frozen yogurt
that day.
“I’m addicted,” said Goodwin, who lives
in Queen Anne.
The choice of stores that Goodwin has
had to feed this addiction in the SeattleBellevue area has grown in the past year.
Photo credit: Anne Kim
At least six frozen
yogurt stores have recently opened in the area–—
most if not all owned by
Korean-Americans.
Red Mango, Shnoo
Yogurt,
Crazycherry,
Yoberry, and Ce Fiore
sell frozen yogurt with
toppings—from
fresh
strawberries to mochi—
in stores with brightlycolored modern décor.
The pitch: a healthier
photo credit: Anne Kim
alternative to ice cream.
“It’s supposed to be
good for the body,” said Jason Kang, owner
of Crazycherry in Capitol Hill.
Kang, a Korean-American, opened his
store last fall and said business is better than
he expected.
Kang still works at a software company in
Redmond and said his initial inspiration for
Crazycherry came about ten years ago during
a business trip to Korea.
While there, a friend gave him a style of
frozen yogurt he’d never tried before.
It was soft, tangy and tart at the same
time, Kang said.
“I thought this was just one of the best
things,” Kang said.
On trips to Korea years later he noticed
that Red Mango—a Korean frozen yogurt
company—was gaining popularity.
“It was spreading like crazy in Korea,”
Kang said.
After seeing the concept
spread in Los Angeles and
noticing a lack of frozen
yogurt stores in Seattle, he
decided to open his own
frozen yogurt business.
About six months after
opening his Capitol Hill
store, he plans to expand
his business to Oregon and
other parts of the SeattleBellevue area.
John Lee, the Korean
American owner of Shnoo
Yogurt, decided to open a
frozen yogurt store while
living in Los Angeles. A couple of years ago,
his cousin took him to the popular frozen
yogurt store, Pinkberry, where they waited in
line for about an hour, he said.
“I tasted it and I liked it,” he said. “I
could totally see the concept behind it.” His
Kirkland store opened in January 2007. Robi Seo, owner of Yoberry in downtown
Seattle which opened last June, also decided
to open her store after a visit to Los Angeles
about a year ago. She hadn’t heard about
the frozen yogurt trend until that visit, she
said.
This type of frozen yogurt has a particularly Asian-style flavor that most people
enjoy, said Seo, also a Korean American.
But there are slight differences from
store to store.
Some products are creamy and sweet
while others boast a tart flavor. Some
stores stick with a couple flavors, while
others, like Ce Fiore in Kirkland, offer several flavors including pomegranate, green
tea, and blackberry.
One of the larger companies—Ce Fiore—
with more than 20 stores in the U.S., opened
its Kirkland store last September and plans to
open locations in Bellevue and Southcenter
later this year, according to Snook Lee, district manager. The California-based company is also owned by Korean Americans,
according to Lee.
“They see their peers —Korean Americans—
doing this and they decide to do it themselves,”
said Dan Kim, president and CEO of Red
Mango, about the rise in Korean Americanowned frozen yogurt stores in the area.
The barriers to start such a business—
usually a thousand square foot retail space
and equipment—are fairly low, he said.
This, combined with rumors about the
profits made from such businesses propels
entrepreneurs to start their own stores, he said.
“This pretty much originated from South
Korea,” said John Lee of Shnoo. He thinks that’s
partly why Korean American entrepreneurs are
attracted to the idea—plus, frozen yogurt businesses are fairly simple to run, he said.
Crazycherry’s Kang thinks this is a trend
that is here to stay.
“I think it’s going to be here for a long,
long time,” he said.
But for frozen yogurt fans like Acacia
Goodwin, topping-laden frozen yogurt simply offers a way to feed her sweet tooth and
eat some fruit at the same time.
10 —— MAY 7 - 20, 2008
CVA Community Voice Awards Winners
The IE’s 18th annual CVA’s honor four members of the
community who not only uplifted our spirits and awareness,
but made a lasting impact worthy of recognition.
Roger Shimomura:
ILLUSTRATING A MESSAGE
BY SUSAN KUNIMATSU
IE Contributor
Roger Shimomura has achieved international renown as an artist who challenges
racial stereotypes through his work in painting, printmaking, installation and performance.
Focus: Challenging racial stereotypes and
highlighting the Asian American experience
through thought-provoking art.
Bio: As a third-generation (Sansei) Japanese
American, he graduated from the Univ.
of Washington and Syracuse University.
Following college, Shimomura earned the
rank of U.S. Army officer. For 35 years, he
taught at the Univ. of Kansas.
Turning point: His experience in a Japanese
internment camp during WWII.
Known for: Graphic “Pop art” style illustrations conveying a deep meaning about the
Asian American experience.
The first time Roger Shimomura stood up
for Seattle’s Japanese American community,
it was not as an artist. When Shimomura
attended the University of Washington in the
late 1960’s, ROTC training was compulsory.
He intended to opt out at the first opportunity, but Shiro Kashino, a family friend
persuaded him to continue. Kashino and
three of Shimomura’s uncles had served in
the all-Japanese 442nd Regimental Combat
Team during WWII. Although it was the
most decorated of all U.S. military units,
the army prevented Japanese Americans
from becoming officers until the end of the
war. To vindicate their sacrifice, Shimomura
went on to take an officer’s commission and
serve two years in the U.S. Army.
“For the first time in my life, I made a decision that was not for me but for the community from which I am a charter member,”
he later recalled.
EXPERIENCES FORM
THE EYE OF AN ARTIST
One of the few sansei (third generation) to live through the internment of
Japanese Americans during World War II,
Shimomura has spent over 40 years challenging the prejudices that precipitated the
internment. As an artist and educator he has
dedicated his career to combating stereotypes and increasing public understanding
of what it means to be Asian American.
But he has never stooped to propaganda.
His highly intellectual work draws on many
sources, Japanese and American, modern
and historical, to force viewers to question
their own attitudes toward those perceived
as ‘different.’
Shimomura’s family returned to Seattle
after the war. He graduated from the
University of Washington and, following
his military service, pursued graduate studies in painting, receiving a Master of Fine
Arts degree from Syracuse University. His
paintings and prints have a flat, colorfully
graphic style influenced by 1960’s Pop Art
and the comic books he loved as a child. In
1969 he joined the faculty at the University
made significant contributions as an educator, but since his teaching career was at the
University of Kansas, these are less known in
the Northwest. His influence as an educator
has been far- reaching with stints as a visiting
artist and lecturer at over 200 universities, art
schools, and museums. In 1994, he received
the Kansas Governor’s Arts Award and was the
first member of the Kansas arts faculty to be
appointed University Distinguished Professor. In
2002, he received the university’s Chancellors Club
Career Teaching Award for sustained excellence,
and the College Art Association awarded Most
Distinguished Body of Work to “An American
Diary,” the third series of paintings based on his
grandmother’s diaries. Retired from the University
of Kansas in 2004, he remains a Professor Emeritus
and established the Shimomura Faculty Research
Support Fund in the Department of Art. Since
1999, the Urban League of Seattle has awarded an
annual scholarship in his name.
In addition to his own work, Shimomura
will leave a historical legacy in the form of his
personal papers and his collection of documents
and artifacts on the internment, including his
grandmother’s diaries. He is making plans to place
his collections at the Smithsonian Institution in
Washington, D.C.
Roger Shimomura’s dedication to his community has not abated with time or achievements. He
continues to assert that “one only needs to read
about racist incidents that continue to be perpetrated toward Asian Americans, easy targets
because so many of us project a demeanor of
indifference. The sansei must not rest upon their
achievements and become satisfied with their
status as “honorary” members of the majority
culture.
“The yonsei and hapa generations must learn
from the history of their elders in order
to shape their own special destinies and
individual identities.”
Many Uch:
“The yonsei and hapa generations
must learn from the history of their
elders in order to shape their own
special destinies and individual
identities.”
From Jailhouse Lawyer to Community Activist
BY DORI CAHN
IE Contributor
Many Uch could have wound up in prison
most of his life. Instead, he became a jailhouse
lawyer. And, step by step, he has become an active
of Kansas where he remained for his entire voice in the Cambodian community.
35-year teaching career. Living in the Midwest
heightened his awareness of how non-Asian
people viewed Japanese Americans, seemingly unable to distinguish them from native
Japanese. With deliberate irony, Shimomura
began to collect and study ukiyo-e, traditional
Japanese woodblock prints, which were as foreign to him as to any American. He combined
elements of both cultures in his art, allowing himself to reconnect with his Japanese
heritage, and illuminating the stereotypes and
contradictions that distort Asian American
identity.
ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE ADDS
DEPTH TO HIS OWN
In the 1970’s, Shimomura took possession
of his late grandmother’s diaries, a 50-year
record of her life in the U.S. Not a Japanese
speaker himself, he had the diaries translated
into English and since then has produced five
series of paintings and three suites of lithographs based on his grandmother’s narratives
and his own memories of the internment.
Earlier works create irony by juxtaposing
Japanese and American imagery: Japanese
Americans behind barbed wire looking at
Samurai warriors on the outside, Superman
casting a long shadow on an elderly Japanese
woman. Recent works are more straightforward views of internment camp life.
Shimomura has the ability to distill an image,
to heighten realism into something more poignant: the pride in women’s brightly patterned
dresses, the desolation in the dark colors and
stark shapes of the barracks, the perseverance
of a garden in a harsh desert environment.
Taken together, these works form a powerful commentary on the internment. They
have been widely exhibited; Shimomura has
had over 125 solo shows of his paintings and
prints. “Minidoka on My Mind,” the latest
group of paintings was shown at Greg Kucera
Gallery in Seattle last fall. Shimomura has
Focus: Deportation, youth leadership,
Cambodian community
Bio: Arrived in Seattle from Cambodia in the
mid-1980’s to Seattle’s White Center neighborhood.
Turning point: After spending time in an immigration detention after already serving a sentence for gang-related activities, Uch felt spurred
to fight for detainee and immigration rights.
Known For: Freeing himself from INS detention and fighting to free others from the same
ordeal.
Many Uch is this year’s recipient of the
International Examiner’s Tatsuo Nakata Young
Leadership Award, in recognition of his work
supporting families affected by deportation and
organizing immigrant and refugee youth.
His activism comes from his own experiences growing up in the U.S. as a Cambodian
child refugee, eventually going to prison for
gang activities and ordered deported by the
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS), formerly known as the Immigration
and Naturalization Service (INS).
Soft-spoken and calm, Uch is thoughtful as
he discusses how he came to be politically active
around immigration issues, occasionally pulling
on his beard and laughing at his own mistakes.
AN UNLIKELY SEED IS SOWN
“I didn’t know I was any different,”
he says. “I thought I was American
just like all the other Americans.”
a strange culture. Park Lake Homes had a
number of Cambodian families: the kids hung
out together, feeling safety and comfort in the
collective familiarity. Youth mischief slowly
evolved into a more serious gang culture,
where many of them, including Uch, wound
up in prison for things like weapons possession, car theft, drive-by shootings, or robbery.
His high school awarded him his diploma
while he was in prison.
Looking back, Uch says his time in prison
“saved me from getting killed or a worse
charge.” It was the first time in his life he
seriously studied English, and took college
courses when they were available.
As his release date neared, he learned
that he was going to have a deportation
hearing in front of an immigration judge.
He didn’t know that he was not a U.S. citizen, that his mother had never naturalized
herself and her minor children, and that he
was subject to being deported because of his
Arriving in Seattle in the mid-1980’s, his
family landed at Park Lake Homes housing
project in White Center, along with many other
refugee and immigrant families. His father had
disappeared from the family during the chaos
that followed the fall of the Khmer Rouge
in 1979. His mother brought him and his
2 brothers to the U.S. via a refugee camp in
Thailand.
“My mom never promised us anything conviction.
“I didn’t know I was any different,” he
when we got to America,” he says, reflecting on the difficulty of growing up poor in says. “I thought I was American just like all
APALA:
Protecting the Asian American worker
BY CINDY DOMINGO
IE Contributor
The Asian Pacific American Labor
Alliance (APALA) has been a driving force
nationally and locally in both organizing
present day APA workers and institutionalizing the history of APA workers.
Focus: Organizing APA workers, nationwide, to improve employment conditions
and worker rights.
Bio: Founded in 1992 under AFLO-CIO.
Ten chapters nationwide.
Turning Point: A current labor movement
sparked by new, young APA’s.
Known For: The first and only national
organization of APA union members and
supporters.
Despite the history of Asian Pacific
American (APA) workers in the Pacific
Northwest, especially in the areas of the salmon
canning and agricultural industries, the APA
labor force has only been a footnote in mainstream labor history books.
A STEADY MISSION
Founded in 1992, APALA, is the first and
only national organization of APA union
members and its supporters. Formed under
the other Americans.”
But Cambodia was not accepting
Cambodian Americans that the U.S. wanted
to send back. So when Uch was ordered
deported, he was instead taken into detention by the Immigration and Naturalization
Service (INS), along with several thousand
other Cambodians, Vietnamese, and Laotians
around the country. He learned that INS was
going to detain them for as long as they had
to, even if it meant for life.
That was when he became active.
THE WHEELS TURN
“I got mad because I wasn’t being
released,” he says.
He started writing letters, trying to find
anyone who would listen. He searched
local newspapers to pick which writers had
knowledge of immigration cases or had
done any story on immigration before.
He wrote the ACLU and other organizations he found in the yellow pages, looking
for help. He petitioned the INS and prison
authorities for better conditions and for
their release from INS detention.
Two hunger strikes and other protests
that he helped organize got little attention
from INS officials, and got Uch put in “the
hole.”
“I figured that unless I have a release date,
no matter how bad I do, there’s no way [INS]
can hurt me,” he says. He already knew how
to do time. It was the unfairness of indefinite
detention that irked him.
He used a legal case from Sacramento that
said INS could not hold people indefinitely as
his model for writing a petition for release.
“I wrote, ‘INS had no arsenal against
Many Uch.’ I was sure of beating them.”
After a little more than two years in detention that had never been ordered by a court of
law, he was released by INS.
But it took him almost 3 years of working
all the time and not much else to be comfortable
with being out, and confident about not messing up again. He knew if he didn’t keep himself
busy, he would go back to prison.
“I didn’t want to screw up,” he says.
In March 2002, he learned that Cambodia had
signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
the U.S. to accept Cambodian deportees.
“That really messed me up,” Uch says. “I worried about being the next one to be sent back.”
“APALA has been a great support system for
young organizers of color like me,” stated
Kent, “helping us to feel part of a community
and being mentored by those who have been
organizing both in the labor movement and
the community for decades. Without APALA,
I would have never become involved in labor
organizing nor would I have been able to deal
with the isolation of being involved with the
mainstream labor movement.”
the banner of the AFL-CIO, APALA has 10
chapters nationwide, including the Seattle
chapter. Like its sister chapters, the Seattle
chapter organizes and works with APA workers, majority of them immigrants, to build
the labor movement and address exploitative
When he saw that the U.S. wasn’t going to
load up all 1500 Cambodian Americans with
final orders of deportation and put them on
a plane, he realized that it could even be 10
years before he might get deported. He knew
from his time in INS detention that he could
fight back, and he saw that there was a role
for him to play in organizing the Cambodian
community to oppose the deportations.
Getting involved with a documentary about the deportation of young
Cambodian Americans who were brought
to the U.S. as refugee children also helped
him focus. Since completion of the movie,
“Sentenced Home,” he has become an
advocate for those like himself facing
deportation and estrangement from their
families, and has traveled around the
country showing the film at educational
forums, film festivals, law schools, and
community events.
DETERMINATION DEFINES AN
UNCERTAIN FUTURE
“The immigration system changed my
life,” he says — but not only because of his
looming deportation order.
“I learned to challenge myself to do what
I need. To speak up for myself and for what
others need. And that I can make a difference.”
He has worked for the last several years
with the Refugee Justice Project, doing educational and organizing work around deportation and detention issues. Recently, a group
of Cambodian youth in Seattle approached
him to help form Khmer In Action (KIA),
to create mentorship opportunities and
give youth a voice.
“My most important work now is building youth leadership, through KIA,” he says,
getting more animated. “We want to set an
example for how young adults can come
together and organize, to make changes in
the community. We didn’t have role models
like that when we were younger.”
He is currently working on a request for
a pardon from the governor that he hopes
will allow for his deportation order to be
rescinded. He is also working to be a good
dad to 20-month old Chandhrea.
“I never had the intention to become
activist, it just evolved,” he says. “I don’t
regret it, it makes me a better person.”
conditions in the garment, electronics, hotel
and restaurant, food processing and health
care industries.
With almost 200 members, the Seattle
chapter has made its mark in changing the face
of labor in Washington State. Amado Uno,
National APALA Executive Assistant, stated
in his keynote speech at the recent annual
Seattle APALA banquet that “the young Asian
Americans tonight represent the new labor
movement in the U.S.,” much different from
the old labor movement which is seen as
predominantly white and male. According
to former Seattle chapter President Marline
Pedregosa, “the Seattle chapter has distinguished itself both from the mainstream labor
movement and even within APALA through
our conscious efforts to mentor and develop
young Asian American labor organizers. This
is why we have so many young Asian American
women and men involved in our chapter and
work within the organized labor movement.”
A NEW GENERATION SPARKS
NEW MOVEMENT
Kent Tse, now an organizer for 1199 NW
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
is an example of the trajectory that young,
aspiring APA activists are afforded due to their
involvement with the Seattle APALA chapter.
Kent began his work in the labor movement
as an intern with Jobs with Justice when he
met APALA member Joyce Tseng. Joyce
introduced Kent to APALA where he became
a paid intern working with community leaders developing opportunities to work together
on common issues. After six months, Kent
and another young APALA member, Axon
Mounalamai, were recruited by Local 925 SEIU
and were dispatched to Iowa and Boston to
MAY 7 - 20, 2008 —— 11
organize childcare workers. Since then Kent has
organized homecare workers and landed a job
with the powerful union 1199 NW SEIU organizing healthcare workers statewide.
“APALA has been a great support system for
young organizers of color like me,” stated Kent,
“helping us to feel part of a community and
being mentored by those who have been organizing both in the labor movement and the community for decades. Without APALA, I would
have never become involved in labor organizing
nor would I have been able to deal with the isolation of being involved with the mainstream labor
movement.”
APALA’s Seattle Chapter has also contributed
to the documentation of APA labor contributions in the northwest. Cathy Lowenberg, who
served as Seattle APALA Chapter President in its
early 2000 years, spearheaded an exhibit called
“Journey to Justice: 223 Years of Asian Pacific
American Labor in the Puget Sound.” Through
photographs and interviews of Asian American
labor activists, this exhibit told the rich story of
Asian resistance to economic exploitation and
racism. This was one of the closing exhibits at
the old Wing Luke Asian Museum in 2007.
With the increasing numbers of Asian and
Pacific Islander immigrants to the U.S., APALA
will continue to play an important role in protecting APA workers from exploitation and disempowerment and in recruiting young APA
people into the ranks as organizers. Marissa
Esteban who recently joined the Seattle APALA
Chapter and will be going to Los Angeles in May
for APALA’s national organizer training stated
that, “I am proud to carry on the tradition of
organizing in our communities. It is even more
important now for young people like myself to
get involved. Organizations like APALA and
LELO have opened that door for me.”
Velma Veloria:
The Epic Story of a “Bulldog” Advocate
BY GARY IWAMOTO
IE Contributor
Velma Veloria will always be known as the
first Asian American woman elected to the
DIEM LYand the first
Washington State BY
Legislature
Assistant
Editor
Filipina elected to aIE
state
legislature
on the US
mainland. When you are the first person to
achieve an important accomplishment, no one
can take that away from you.
Focus: Community development and empowerment
Bio: Born in the Philippines before immigrating to San Francisco at 11 years old.
Turning point: A trip to the Philippines compelled her to fight for the voiceless after seeing the depth of people’s misery under the
Marco’s dictatorship.
Known for: Being the first woman elected to
the Washington State Legislator.
When Velma’s father saved enough money
to buy a house, he sent for his family in the
Philippines. On Velma’s 11th birthday, she
found herself on Treasure Island, outside of
San Francisco, waiting to be processed for
entry into the US.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
SHAPED A CHAMPION
At San Francisco State University, Velma
became active in the anti-war movement.
Friends of hers drafted into the military
weren’t coming back from Vietnam, others
were coming back maimed and permanently
disabled. She participated in demonstration
and marches to protest the war.
Velma eventually earned a degree in medical technology. At the time, medical work-
Velma was very passionate about
the issues she championed. Maria
Batayola noted, “I have never met
anyone so clear, so passionate like a
tiger, and so tender. Velma busted
doors and raised the bar on community advocacy.”
ers from the Philippines were being heavily
recruited to work in the American health
care industry. These workers were given two
years to get certified or lose their visas. The
company took a hard line about speaking
English—those who spoke in their native language were disciplined and had production
quotas raised when they complained. Velma
knew this was wrong—she helped organize
-Continued on Page 12
12 —— MAY 7 - 20, 2008
“Velma”
-Continued from Page 11
these clerical workers to join the union.
In 1976, Velma took a trip back to the
Philippines. But what had been intended as
a pleasure trip ended up as a political awakening. Velma’s cousin took her on a political
pilgrimage to villages and farms in the rural
areas. She got a taste of life in the Philippines
under the rule of Ferdinand Marcos. Velma
was shocked at the “abject poverty” suffered
by her home folks—areas with no running
water, children who were malnourished and
starving, dilapidated housing, high rates of
unemployment—while Ferdinand and Imelda
lived the life of luxury at the palace in Manila.
Velma hadn’t really considered herself very
political. But after what she had seen, she took
up the cause. Marcos had to go.
Velma returned to San Francisco and joined
the KDP, Union of Democratic Pilipinos, a
group at the forefront of the Anti-Marcos
Movement. A lab technician by day, a politi-
cal activist at night.
Velma was shocked at the “abject poverty” sufIn 1984, after the
brutal murders of fered by her home folks—areas with no runGene Viernes and
Silme Domingo, ning water, children who were malnourished
leaders of the local and starving, dilapidated housing, high rates of
cannery union, the
KDP sent Velma to unemployment—while Ferdinand and Imelda
Seattle. As Cindy lived the life of luxury at the palace in Manila.
Domingo recalled,
“Velma came here
in a very difficult time in the aftermath of the The best experience in the cannery? Velma
murders of Silme and Gene. She took up very answered, “I learned how to drink vodka and
important organizing work in the Alaska can- orange juice.” And that earned her the respect
neries.”
of the old-timers, the “Alaskeros.”
In the summer of 1985, Velma spent a
summer in the canneries as a patcher. (A VELMA SETS HER EYES ON SEATTLE
patcher, a cannery job generally performed by
Back in Seattle, she became active in the
women, checks the cans coming off the line Asian community. In 1987, Velma approached
to make sure that each can weighs one-half Ron Chew, Editor of the IE at the time, to
pound, prior to sealing the cans with lids). pitch a project. The Alaskeros were getting
old and it was important that their stories
be told. Working with Ron and photographer John Staments, Velma became the
oral historian, interviewing the Alaskeros,
transcribing their stories.
By 1989, Velma had developed a reputation as a savvy organizer. She was
approached by Dolores Sibonga to run
Dolores’ political campaign for Mayor of
Seattle. The experience was an eye opener
for Velma. Although Dolores didn’t win the
election, the campaign gave Velma invaluable insight into running a successful political campaign, lessons that would help her
later in her own political campaigns.
After the campaign was over, she found
herself commuting to Olympia, to work
as a legislative aide to Art Wang, a State
Representative and chair of the Finance
Committee in the House of Representatives.
BEGINNING THE VELM-ERA
In a diary notation, dated January 18,
1992, Velma wrote, “I want to run for office
to declare this country as my home.”
In 1992, Velma ran for the first of what
would be six terms in office for the 11th
Legislative District. As a state legislator,
Velma took a special interest in bilingual
education, universal health care, and economic development. She looked for ways
to support small businesses. She developed
an expertise in international trade, leading
trade missions to the Philippines, Laos,
Cambodia, Vietnam, Cuba, and Indonesia.
Kip Tokuda, who served with Velma, noted,
“I have immense admiration for Velma. She
was the moral compass in our caucus.”
Velma also points out with pride that
Washington State became the first state to
make human trafficking a crime.
A NOT-SO POLITICIAN
Velma was very passionate about the
issues she championed. Maria Batayola
noted, “I have never met anyone so clear, so
passionate like a tiger, and so tender. Velma
busted doors and raised the bar on community advocacy.”
Kip Tokuda observed, “She was emotional, always wearing her emotions on her
sleeve, whether behind doors, or outside of
them.”
Heyok Kim, who worked with Velma in the
House Democratic Caucus, remembered,
“I remember when Velma, on the floor of
the House of Representatives, crying tears
of frustration because the House had just
passed a bill during a budget crunch that
stripped away health care for thousands of
kids. I remember Velma’s passion and the
conviction in her voice that justice had
not been served that day.”
In 2004, Velma gave up her seat in
the legislature and worked as a lobbyist
for small business, in Olympia. In 2006,
Velma went to work for Homesight where
she is a senior policy analyst on housing
issues, a lobbyist who works for moderate
and lower income families to gain access
to home ownership. She said, “It’s really
no different from my days with KDP,
you find a cause and fight for it.”
R on C he w c a l ls Vel ma a “ bu l l d og”
a dvo c ate. He s aid, “Hav ing Vel ma
on you r s i d e is g re at b e c aus e she’s a
rel ent l ess and fe arl ess a dvo c ate for
t he com mu nit y. She ma kes t h ings
happ en.”
There’s nothing better than a conversation with
many voices around the dinner table.
We salute tonight’s winners of the Community
Voices Award, and thank them for lifting their
voices to share with us all.
W W W
.
V U L C A N
.
C O M
AR T S
MAY 7 - 20, 2008 —— 13
FILM
An
American
Dream
in
Doubt:
Documentary explores anti-Sikh violence in the U.S. after 9/11
BY SHIWANI SRIVASTAVA
IE Contributor
In the years following September 11, “But two years after Balbir [Sodhi]’s murder,
2001, America has struggled to make sense most Americans still knew little about this
of a tragedy, turning a scrutinizing eye at the post-9/11 tidal wave of hate.”
country’s role in world affairs and its immiAccording to the Harvard University
gration policies. In one form, this scrutiny Discrimination & National Security
has morphed into an attempt to seek out and Initiative’s post-9/11 survey on South Asian
retaliate against a tangible “enemy.”
communities, 83% of Sikh respondents
Unfortunately for America’s Sikh com- reported that they are someone they knew
munity – a religious group rooted in India’s had been a victim of a hate crime or incident.
Punjab region – their turbans and beards, The survey, performed in 2006, shows that
mistakenly associated with Osama bin Laden, this type of discrimination has continued for
have made them the brunt of thousands of years after the attacks.
hate crimes.
The documentary’s strength lies in
Tami Yeager’s documentary “A Dream humanizing these facts and figures of crimes
in Doubt,” which was screened at Seattle’s that are meant to de-humanize their victims.
Northwest Film Forum on April 19, takes In the film, we get to know the Sodhis, a
us into the lives of the Sodhis, a Sikh fam- hard-working and close-knit extended family
ily who lost one of its members to the first headed by five brothers who emigrated from
hate-based murder after
India in pursuit of the
9/11. The film, curDream. This
And Yeager hopes to find an out- American
rently being previewed
makes it all the more
around the country, is pouring of support for the Sikh agonizing as the death of
scheduled to air nationthe eldest Sodhi brother,
ally on the PBS series community now that “Balbir’s Balbir, unfolds and we
“Independent Lens” on murder and its aftermath is hear the 911 call made
May 20.
by his sister-in-law after
Yeager, the film’s direc- immortalized through film in he is shot while working
tor and producer, was the same vain as the stories of at the family’s gas station
spurred into action
in Mesa, Arizona.
by heart-wrenching hate crime victims James Byrd,
Rana Sodhi, Balbir’s
accounts of hate crimes Vincent Chin and Matthew brother, was present at
told to her by friends.
the screening. Rather
“While I felt strongly Shepard.”
than withdraw in anger,
that we shouldn’t sit by
he has chosen to devote
and watch as the hate crimes continued his free time to educating Americans about
unabated and underreported, I assumed that the Sikh community. “I’ve lived here almost
somebody else would tell the story and that a 20 years, but before 9/11, I never thought
national dialogue would take place,” she said. I needed to share or educate people about
Photo Credit: Film, “A Dream in Doubt.”
Photo Credit: Film, “A Dream in Doubt.”
my community,” he said. “Now, I personally
feel it is very important ... We need to work
together to educate each
other.”
This commitment to building a better America comes across in the film as
well. We witness as Rana and his wife,
concerned by taunts and insensitive questions directed at their children, visit a
local elementary school and give a talk on
Sikhism. And certainly, the documentary
itself is meant to be an educational tool.
Preetmohan Singh, the film’s co-producer
and the deputy director of public policy
at the Interfaith Alliance in Washington,
D.C., has been actively involved in developing a 15-minute DVD featuring the voices
of young Sikhs and a 60-page curriculum
for teachers to accompany the film.
Singh hopes that audiences have a similar revelation to the one he experienced
while making this film. By getting to know
the Sodhis, “I have gotten to know a fam-
Visual Arts
Teenage Immigrants: Coming of Age in America
What is it like to be a young immigrant in America? The show, “Becoming American: Teenagers and Immigration,”
examines this through the lens of Barbara Beirne.
BY COLIN COLTRERA
Coltrera is a senior at the Northwest School in Seattle.
Through a series of fifty-nine black and
white portraits of teenage immigrants, paired
with pieces of their own writing, Ms. Beirne
attempts to shed light on the issues of immigration and teenage cultural identity.
The writings included in the show come
in a variety of styles, at times poetic, at
times conversational. Each subject strives
to communicate with the viewer, often past
acknowledged language barriers, utilizing
the few short sentences alloted to them.
Some speak of their reasons for immigrating, some of their current state of being,
and many of their hopes for the future. The
words bring each of the teenagers to life,
and serve to animate the still photography
they accompany.
The true strength of the show lies in the
photographer's decision to allow each of
her subjects to choose the locations of their
portraits. This allows for a synchronicity
between each photograph and the words
of its subject that would not have existed
otherwise.
One boy chose to be photographed in
his football uniform, flanked by teammates,
and speaks of feelings of acceptance and the
desire to find a girlfriend.
Three siblings speak of loneliness and
feelings of isolation, and chose to be photo-
Photo Credit:
Exhibit, “Becoming American:
Teenagers and
Immigration.”
graphed as a trio, but otherwise alone on the
roof of an unidentifiable building.
The single local addition to the show,
a twenty-four minute short film entitled, “In Our Words,” the Asia Pacific
Cultural Center, in concert with the Bates
Technical College, is not up to the standards of the rest of the exhibition. A
confusing format, splicing many separate
interviews together, along with confusion
as to what question has been asked of
the interviewees diminishes the potential contribution to the greater message.
The intent of the filmmakers, though, is
a valid one. They chose to focus on older
subjects, well beyond their teenage years,
and an interesting juxtaposition is made;
these subjects reflect with the wisdom that
comes with distance on their personal
experiences as teenage immigrants. Also,
by interviewing Puget Sound area residents
the film makers turn our eyes towards our
own surroundings, making relevant for
local viewers the issues presented.
The arrangement of the show, photographs depicting teenagers of different ages
and wildly divergent countries of origin
placed side by side, emphasizes the generalities that can be drawn among all of the
subjects and reinforces the parallels of their
seemingly separate realities.
The value of this show is its ability
to display simultaneously the immense
variety of immigrant experiences, and the
common threads which link them all. From
most of the writings comes a message of
hope, and a definite sense of what it means to
be striving for the elusive American dream.
Becoming American: Teenagers and
Immigration shows through June 1 at the
Washington State History Museum. More
information about this show can be found at
WashingtonHistory.org, or by calling 1-888-BE
THERE.
ily who taught me more fully about what it
means to be American,” he said.
Part of being American means the right
to work, and the film highlights how Sikhs
have been targeted in their workplaces in
ways that threaten their ability to safely
earn a livelihood. Balbir Sodhi was murdered at the family’s gas station, another
Sodhi brother was shot while driving his cab
(although the motives are unknown), and
the film also introduces the story of a Sikh
man attacked while driving his truck. Also
present at the screening was Sukhvir Singh, a
cab driver and a Sikh victim of hate crime in
Seattle. Singh was attacked by passenger Luis
Vazquez, who called him an “Iraqi terrorist”
and violently assaulted him as he was driving
on I-5. Vazquez was sentenced the day before
the screening, and Singh’s forgiveness was
largely instrumental in the judge’s leniency.
“The justice system is good [in America],
that’s why we came here ... but I don’t want to
ruin this man’s life,” said Singh.
However, life is not the same for Singh. “I
was hurt physically and mentally – the attack
totally changed my life. I no longer enjoy
driving my cab, but it is necessary to pay the
bills.” Despite this, he still has high hopes for
his adopted country. “In America, everybody
is equal. It is our job to make this place a
heaven for everyone.”
As the film points out, part of this continued optimism for America lies in the fact
that many Sikhs emigrated to the U.S. seeking
religious freedom – and found it. In 1984,
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered an
attack on a Sikh temple. In retaliation, she
was assassinated by her two Sikh bodyguards,
inciting anti-Sikh riots in India.
While the film is less an exploration of
immigration history and hate crime laws, it
is still very raw. There are disturbing scenes
of the interrogation and trial of Frank Roque,
the man who murdered Balbir Sodhi. There
are equally disturbing interviews, some advocating hate and suggesting Roque simply
should’ve gone after “the right group” or
“Arabs” instead. But more importantly, the
film illustrates the power of communities
uniting and refusing to tolerate this kind of
hate.
Ultimately, as the film shows, there
needs to be a change in how immigration
is viewed to prevent hate crime. Jacque
Larrainzar, acting director of Policy &
-Continued on Page 14
14 —— MAY 7 - 20, 2008
“Sikh Film”
-Continued from Page 13
Outreach for the Seattle Office for Civil
Rights, was at the screening and addressed
this issue. “I cannot imagine what it takes
for Rana Sodhi, after all he’s been through,
to extend a hand and educate Americans
about his culture,” she said. The challenge
to America? “This is your home, we [as
immigrants] are your guests – show us your
hospitality.”
Preventing hate crime also requires communities being less insular and reaching out
to one another – a task Yeager has taken
on formidably. She talks about making this
film: “Rana [Sodhi] is a naturally trusting
and positive person and I never sensed any
concern on his part about me not being a
Sikh ... My Co-Producer Preet and I had
already collaborated to produce an educational curriculum about Sikhs (“The Sikh
Next Door”), and that experience allowed
me to better relate to Phoenix’s Sikh community.”
Reaching communities beyond Sikhs
and South Asians is central to the film’s
message and goals. As Preetmohan Singh
noted, he would occasionally hear some
criticism or disappointment about the
audiences not being more Sikh. But Sikhs
“know this story intimately – they live it
everyday,” he said. And certainly, having
a turnout of over 300 (primarily nonSikhs) in Phoenix, Arizona near the spot
of Balbir Sodhi’s murder shows the film’s
reach as well as the growing support from
a wider community.
Rana Sodhi hopes that this film, in
illustrating how much pain hate crimes
cause entire communities, prevents something like Balbir’s murder from ever happening again.
And Yeager hopes to find an outpour-
book
A South Asian Family Finds Trauma in Malaysia
It has become fairly commonplace in the literary world these days to have new works by South Asian authors. In this
rapidly growing literary marketplace, Preeta Samarasan brings a different aspect of South Asian diasporic history into
BY NALINI IYER
IE Contributor
focus—the experiences of Indians (mostly Tamil) in Malaysia.
Iyer is an Assoc.
Professor of English at Seattle University.
Samarasan who was born
father, Raju’s misand raised in Malaysia, moved
tress, Raju’s brother
to the US in the early 90s and
Balu, neighbors,
lived here for 14 years prior to
friends, and a couher move to France.
ple of ghosts.
“Evening is the Whole Day”
The novel skillfully
is her debut novel and tells
moves between past
the story of a wealthy Tamil
and present and
family who lived in Malaysia
slowly reveals the
for several decades and are
painful stories at the heart
still considered foreigners and
of this family—stories of
aliens in its multiracial society.
betrayal, lost dreams, failed
The narrative weaves through
marriages, cultural and
the lives of the father, Raju;
political alienation, incest,
his wife, Vasanthi; their three
murder, and violence.
children, Uma, Suresh, and
The painful experiences
Aasha; his mother, Paati; and
of the family are placed
their servant, Chellam. Surrounding these within the context of Indo-Malaysian expecentral characters, there is a whole cast riences and the long history of denied
of supporting actors—Chellam’s drunken citizenship, violation of human rights, and
repression.
Samarasan, responding to an email intering of support for the Sikh community now view, notes that “I write to tell the stories of
that “Balbir’s murder and its aftermath is Malaysian Indians. My cultural (and politiimmortalized through film in the same vain cal) identity is inseparable from my work:
as the stories of hate crime victims James I think these are stories the world needs to
hear. And in a way, it’s only one story. I
Byrd, Vincent Chin and Matthew Shepard.”
want the world to know about Malaysia’s
Certainly, the Sodhi’s community has horrendous racial politics, the apartheid
responded with tremendous support, con- government that has been in power for 50
firming the vision of America that Rana years but has tricked the rest of the world
Sodhi and Sukhvir Sing continue to strive into calling its system ‘affirmative action,’
for.
the immense impact of these 50 years on
every single layer of Malaysian society.
For more information, on “A Dream in Malaysian Indians have been disenfranDoubt,” visit www.adreamindoubt.org.
chised even as tourists have arrived from
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Fin_SNDT 4221 Diversity_IE_bw.indd 1
4/10/08 7:43:00 AM
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Pub/s: International Examiner Date: 4/8/08 Proof: 3
all over the world to wax lyrical
about our melting-pot racial harmony.” Samarasan’s strength as a
writer is in telling these stories
poignantly and with great attention to craft.
Samarasan writes with very
careful attention to the structure of her novel and never
loses control of the plot or characters and
the minutiae of the characters’ daily lives.
Her use of language is evocative and vivid
and she does of Malaysian Tamil culture what Arundhati Roy did for Syrian
Christians in Kerala in “God of Small
Things.” Samarasan lists Roy, Rushdie,
Desani, and I. Allan Sealey among the
writers who have influenced her. Roy’s
influence is most apparent in the creation of the traumatized yet observant
young girl, Aasha. Aasha’s relationship
with her brother Suresh reminds one of
Roy’s Estha and Rahel and an airport
scene at the end of the novel is very
reminiscent of Rahel’s trip to Cochin
airport to meet Sophie Mol. Samarasan
does for small town Malaysia what Roy
did for small town Kerala—she makes
the little town the microcosm of the
nation’s politics. Samarasan’s debut is
quite impressive; she is a writer with a lot
of promise.
Preeta Samarasan will read from
“Evening is the Whole Day” on May 19 at
Elliott Bay Books.
book
MAY 7 - 20, 2008 —— 15
ADVENTURES
OF A CHINATOWN KID, TEXAS COWBOY, PRISONER OF WAR
BY COLLIN TONG
IE Contributor
In a passage from his 1998 bestseller,
“The Greatest Generation,” Tom Brokaw
wrote of Second World War veterans:
“As they now reach the twilight of their
adventurous and productive lives, they
remain, for the most part, exceptionally
modest. They have so many stories to
tell, stories that in many cases they have
never told before, because in a deep sense
they didn’t think that what they were
doing was that special, because everyone
else was doing it too.”
Brokaw may well have described the
life of Eddie Fung, a second-generation
San Franciscan whose fascinating memoir has now been preserved by Judy
Yung in her latest book, “The Adventures
of Eddie Fung: Chinatown Kid, Texas
Cowboy, Prisoner of War.” Fung was the
only Chinese American soldier to be captured by the Japanese during the Second
World War and put to
viving as a POW under
work on the Burma- As a restless sixteen year-old the Japanese during the
Siam railroad, later seeking adventure, Eddie decided Second World War,” she
made famous by the to leave Chinatown and pursue said in a recent interfilm The Bridge on the
view with the Examiner.
his dreams of becoming a cow- “I found Eddie to be a
River Kwai.
Yung, the author boy. What follows is a remarkable natural storyteller with
of “Unbound Feet: account of Eddie’s adventures as many insightful lessons
A Social History of
in life to share with us
Chinese Women in San a greenhorn at a Texas ranch and all.”
Francisco,” first came initiation into the hard life of a
Fung’s memoir is
across Fung’s story cowhand.
unique as only two
while
inter viewing
other autobiographies
him for Chinese American Voices: From by Chinese American authors have been
the Gold Rush to the Present, an anthol- published about their experiences growing
ogy of stories by Chinese Americans that up in the pre-World War II period (Pardee
she co-edited with Gordon Chang and Lowe’s Father and Glorious Descendant
Him Mark Lai. The two decided to get and Jade Snow Wong’s Fifth Chinese
married a year later.
Daughter). Collaborating with her husYung recalls her initial encounter with band, Yung marshaled her skills as a histoFung. “I was looking for a WW II story rian to weave together the many strands of
for my book and was struck by the unique- Fung’s life story. As she writes in her introness of Eddie’s experiences growing up in duction: “At one level, ‘The Adventures of
Chinatown during the Depression, running Eddie Fung’ is a coming-of-age story, of
away to Texas to be a cowboy, and sur- a young man’s quest to explore life to its
fullest and in the process grow into manhood. At another level, Eddie’s story offers
us valuable insights into Chinatown life
in the 1920s, the myth and reality of the
American cowboy, and the survival tactics
of a POW.”
In many respects, Eddie’s early years
in Chinatown mirrored those of many
Chinese immigrant families. His father
Fung Chong Poo, and mother Ng Shee, were
from the Engping District in Guangdong
Province. His father worked as a jeweler
and watchmaker in Chinatown, while his
mother sewed at home while raising a family of six children.
As a restless sixteen year-old seeking adventure, Eddie decided to leave
Chinatown and pursue his dreams of
becoming a cowboy. What follows is a
remarkable account of Eddie’s adventures
as a greenhorn at a Texas ranch and initiation into the hard life of a cowhand.
The most riveting portion of the book,
however, is his years in the Army overseas
in World War II that were to shape his
later life. Eddie was one of 15,000 Chinese
Americans serving in the U.S. armed forces. While fighting in Java, his battalion was
overrun by the Japanese army and within
days Eddie became one of 140,000 Allied
soldiers to be captured in the Pacific theater. Along with 61,000 American, British,
Australian and Dutch prisoners, he was
sent to work on the Burma-Siam railroad.
Working under brutal slave conditions,
the POWs completed the railroad in sixteen months. How he survived forty-two
months of humiliation form the crux of his
story as the sole Chinese American member of the most decorated Texan unit of any
war.
The hurdles that Yung had to overcome
as a historian piecing together Fung’s
memoir were formidable. “I knew quite
a bit about San Francisco Chinatown but
didn’t have much background knowledge
about Texas cowboys, the Pacific War,
and POWs under the Japanese,” she said
in the interview. “Eddie has such a fantastic memory for details, I trusted him
in most cases. When in doubt, I relied on
oral histories and books that were written
by and about many of his buddies in the
same battalion.”
The most rewarding part of the book
project for Yung is seeing Fung’s story
come to life. “I always believed that Eddie
had an interesting and important story
to share with the world, and I was always
worried that at his age (85 years old), he
might die before the story ever got told or
published,” she said. “But he lived to see it
published and we are both gratified to hear
all the positive responses to the book that
we are getting from family, friends, and his
POW buddies.” Indeed, Fung’s memoir
provides a compelling and much-needed
account of a Chinese American life in the
twentieth century.
16 —— MAY 7 - 20, 2008
Performance
BY ROXANNE RAY
IE Contributor
“Players” New Challenge
The Pork Filled Players are biting off a little more than they usually chew. Sketch comedy, PFP Producer Roger Tang says,
“bite-sized comedy, is sorta like a smorgasbord,” but the Players are tackling something larger than their usual fare.
“Living Dead in Denmark” is a full-length
play by Vietnamese American playwright Qui
Nguyen that incorporates Shakespeare, stage
combat, and zombie blood and gore.
“Living Dead in Denmark” begins five
years after the end of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,”
and imagines what would happen if Fortinbras
resurrected the corpses of Shakespeare’s
leading ladies—Lady Macbeth, Juliet, and
Ophelia—in order to fight the undead of
Denmark.
“It’s a very fun, funky script that mixes
Shakespeare with B-movie sensibilities and
pop culture references,” Tang says. “It runs
the gamut of humor from very broad to fairly
literate—if you miss one highbrow joke here,
don’t worry, there’s two middlebrow and one
lowbrow joke coming in the next 30 seconds.”
Tang asserts that Nguyen’s play fit PFP’s
mission well: His description of Nguyen’s
play, he says, “pretty much describes Pork
Filled shows in general, whether it’s a fulllength play or a sketch comedy show.”
But Tang also admits the challenges of
redirecting a sketch comedy troupe toward
producing a full-length script: “We selected
this show because this was a stretch for us...
both physically and artistically,” he says.
The play “has a great deal of demanding
stage combat, which isn’t a skill that’s been
on display in a lot of Asian American plays,”
he says. This project poses a special challenge to PFP’s fight choreographer, Lisa Marie
“We’ll always deal with comedy...humor’s our tool to dissect
(or maybe bludgeon) society’s
notions about race, class and
gender,” he says, asking, “who
said you can’t go change the
world and have a belly laugh at
the same time?”
Nakamura, since the production will not use
any of Nguyen’s original movement or fight
direction.
And, Tang adds, “Did we mention the
music and singing? Well, there’s that, too.”
“We’ll always deal with comedy...humor’s
our tool to dissect (or maybe bludgeon) society’s notions about race, class and gender,” he
says, asking, “who said you can’t go change
the world and have a belly laugh at the same
time?”
Despite the emphasis on horror and action,
Tang finds that the play also serves PFP’s
goals as an Asian American theatre company.
“What was appealing was that there’s a subtext to the show that’s very relevant to Asian
Americans, as it talks (at least in passing)
about appearances, authenticity and passing,”
he says. “Yet it doesn’t hit you over the head
with these themes; it talks about them in more
oblique, subtle ways.”
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already in your neighborhood
Photo credit: Play, “Living Dead in Denmark.”
Tang emphasizes that PFP’s mission goes
well beyond presenting sketch comedy. PFP
intends “to present the whole voice of Asian
American culture—and humor was something that was definitely underexposed and
seldom seen on stage,” he says. “And it’s
certainly consistent to take the next step and
expand our efforts into more traditional areas
and use our whole voice there as well.”
According to Tang, the Pork Filled Players
produce work in a collaborative way based
upon the troupe’s membership. “PFP is always
changing,” he says.
As a founding member and the only person who’s been a member of PFP since the
beginning, Tang says: “There’ve been three
or four incarnations of the group so far and
they’ll probably be more as different people
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Q208_TP_IE
join and leave the group. That reflects the
interests of folks who are part of the group.”
But, as Artistic Director, Tang emphasizes some constant aspects of the company’s
mission: “We’ll always deal with comedy...
humor’s our tool to dissect (or maybe bludgeon) society’s notions about race, class and
gender,” he says, asking, “who said you can’t
go change the world and have a belly laugh at
the same time?”
In addition, PFP continues to attempt to
incorporate multiple different perspectives.
“One of the lenses we use to look at the world
is an Asian American one, and we’ll always
have that,” Tang says. But “some of the other
lenses are non-Asian lenses—we use all of
them to look at the world.”
“Living Dead in Denmark” won’t be
the last full-length play that PFP produces.
“Eventually, we do want to be producing our
own original, full length work...but writing a
two-act play takes just a wee bit longer than
cranking out three-minute scenes and it’s
taking us time to get cranked up,” Tang says.
“Then again, there’s a fair amount of drama
out there that hasn’t been done in Seattle, so
there’s a happy solution there.”
“Living Dead in Denmark” runs through
May 24, 2008, at Theatre Off Jackson, 409
Seventh Ave. S., Seattle.
By ALAN LAU
Seattle International Children’s Festival is back
with shows from performers from all over the
world. “Live from Planet Earth” takes place May
12 – 17 in Seattle and May 19 in Tacoma. Jo
Taira’s puppet-filled “Dream Journey,” the Hua
Yin Performing Arts Group and performances
of folk dances from ethnic groups across China
as well as local groups such as Kabuki Academy
and Filipiana Dance Company are all scheduled
to perform. For reservations, call (206) 684-7336.
For tickets, call (206) 325-7336.
Youth Theatre Northwest presents the colorful Chinese classic, “The Monkey King” which
follows the adventures of a monkey, a pig and
a carp who all must earn their way back into
heaven by accompanying a monk on a journey
to rescue sacred scrolls and return them back to
China. Suitable for ages 10 – 14. With Japanese
Suzuki movement technique and Beijing opera
style costumes, this show should be a treat.
Directed by Naho Shioya. Through May 10.
Four school shows are available for bookings
plus post-matinee workshops and a special ASLinterpreted performance for the deaf and hard of
hearing. 8805 – SE 40th on Mercer Island. (206)
232-4145 or www.YouthTheatre.org.
“Heads (dis)Embodied” is a group show curated
by Jim McDonald which features the form of
the sculptured human head. The work of Saya
Moriyashu and Akio Takamori is included. May
9 – July 3. Kirkland Arts Center. 7th Ave. &
Market St. in Kirkland. (425) 822-7161 or www.
kirklandartscenter.org.
Washington Center for the Book at Seattle Central
Public Library and Elliott Bay Book Company copresent Malaysian novelist Tan Twan Eng reading
from “The Gift of Rain” (Weinstein Books) on
May 13 at 7 p.m. Short-listed for the prestigious
Booker Prize, the story involves a half-Chinese/
half-British boy’s unlikely friendship with an
older Japanese diplomat on the eve of WW
II and the tragic consequences involved that
ripple through many lives for years to come. An
impressive literary debut. Microsoft Auditorium
at the Seattle Public Central Library. 1000 Fourth
Ave. (206) 386-4636 or www.spl.org.
“2008 Pagdriwang words Expressed: Filipina
Women Writers” takes place June 7 from noon –
4pm at Seattle Center’s Center House Theater. A
rare chance to hear local and nationally known
writers such as Angela Martinez Dy, Donna
Miscolta, Toni Bajado, Tess Uriza Holthe, Melissa
Noledo, Nancy Calos-Nakano, Recca MabagiosMayor and Marianne Villanueva. Genres represented include poetry, drama, novels and short
stories. With readings, workshops and panels
discussions. (206) 933-0833 or e-mail florbob@
aol.com for details.
Nordstrom celebrates Asian Pacific American
Heritage Month with the work of nine Asian
American artists on display across the country.
MalPina Chan, Grace Chen, Jui Ishida, Pearl
Ling, Tristan Longstreth, Naoko Morisawa,
Sherwin Parayno, Yishi Wu and Adrienne Yan
are in the show up through May at Nordstrom
stores in Seattle, and Tukwila. The show can also
be viewed on line at www.nordstrom.com.
On view through May at the Marni Muir Gallery
is a show entitled “A Cultural Exchange” featuring
new works by Thanh and Hai, established artists
from Hue, Vietnam. A portion of the proceeds
go to Peacetrees Vietnam, a humanitarian organization sponsoring clearance of landmines from
former battlefields, planting trees in their stead.
There will be a Peacetrees presentation on May
24 at 3 p.m. 112 S. Washington. (206) 624-9336.
marnimuirgallery.com.
“Shunyata Series…Traveling…” is the title of a
new series of colorful abstract paintings with floral motifs by promising artist Junko Yamamoto
now showing at Gallery I/M/A through June 1.
123 South Jackson, Seattle.
“Japanese Americans and Americans in Japan” is
the theme of this group show of paintings and
prints by artists who worked in the U.S. and
Japanese in the first half of the century. Includes
work by Kiyoshi Shimizu, Kaname Miyamoto,
Frances Blakemore, Al Everett and others.
Martin-Zambito Fine Art at 721 East Pike. (206)
726-9509 or www.martin-zambito.com.
The work of Etsuko Ichikawa and Junko
Yamamoto is included in a group show entitled
“35th Anniversary Celebration” May 8 – June 7
with opening reception on May 8 from 5 – 7 p.m.
SAM Gallery at 1220 Third Ave. (206) 343-1101.
[email protected].
The work of jewelry artists Cynthia Toops and
Kiwon Wang is included in “SIGNS OF LIFE
2008,” a contemporary jewelry art show and
literary journal. Opens May 14 at 4 p.m. with a
lecture by artists and writers. For reservations,
call (206)624-6768. There will be an open reception afterwards from 5 – 7 p.m. Facere Jewelry
art Gallery at 1420 5th Ave. in suite 108 in the
US Bank/CityCentre Building. (206) 624-6768.
www.facerejewelryart.com.
The 49th Annual Japanese Flower Arrangement
Exhibition takes place May 24 from 10:30 – 5
p.m. (with demonstrations at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. & 3
p.m.) and May 25 from 10 – 4 p.m. (with demonstrations at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.) at Seattle Asian
Art Museum. 1400 E. Prospect. (425) 489-1992
or www.iiseattlechapter.com.
“What Does Compassion Look Like? – A Creative
Community Dialogue and Fundraiser for Seeds
of Compassion” is a group show invitational
that explores the power of compassion through
art with over 30 artists from around the world.
Through May 30. Gallery activities include the
following – Mike Naylor and Deborah Kapoor
talk about their work May 10 arom 1 – 3 p.m.
Teri Akin talks about the Little Stars School
in Varanasi India on May 17 from 1 – 3 p.m.
ArtXchange Gallery at 512 First Ave. S. (206)
839-0377 or www.artxchange.org.
Pratt presents a group show of their “Glass
Society Intensive Instructors” at Pratt Gallery
in the Tashiro Kaplan Building. Includes the
work of Jeffrey Sarmiento and Bandhu Dunham.
Through May 25. (206) 328-2200 or www.pratt.
org.
James Harris Gallery celebrates their first show
at their new location with the haunting beauty of Margot Quan Knight’s eerie photographic
images. Through May 10. 312 Second Ave. S.
(206)903-6220. www.jamesharrisgallery.com.
New work by noted ceramic artist Jun Kaneko
showcases a selection of Kaneko’s large scale
“Dango” sculptures and his paintings and drawings. Through June 1. Traver Gallery at 110
Union St., #200 in Seattle. (206) 587-6501. www.
travergallery.com.
“Paul Horiuchi: East And West” is a major retrospective of the late master Northwest artist
including early watercolors, sculptures, collage
paintings and multi-panel screens. Curated by
Barbara Johns with a catalogue on University of
Washington Press. Through June 15. Museum of
Northwest Art at 121 South First in La Connor,WA
(360) 466-4446 or visit www.museumofnwart.org.
Etsuko Ichikawa has a show entitled “Ephemeral
Eternal” in which fire and smoke leave their poetic breath on paper. At Davidson Contemporary
through May. 310 S. Washington St. (206)
624-7684 or visit www.davidsoncontemporary.net.
The work of Misako Inaoka is included in a group
show of biologically based art entitled “Home
Grown.” On view through June 1. Punch Gallery.
119 Prefontaine Place S. (206) 621-1945 or www.
punchgallery.org.
The work of Yoshi Kakagawa is included in a group
show entitled “The Printmakers’ Showcase” at
some Space Gallery through May. 625 First Ave.
(206) 718-3104 or www.somespacegallery.com.
Carolyn Staley Fine Japanese Prints features new
acquisitions from Japan and a series by Yoshitoshi.
2001 Western Ave. #320. (206) 621-1888 or visit
www.carolynstaleyprints.com.
The Columbia City Gallery has shows closing and
new shows opening. Denise Takahashi’s paintings
of puppets are part of a group show by various
artists from different genres entitled “Puppet
Show.” The Guest Gallery has “sarilli cycle: a dialogue of love”, a group show of Filipino American
artists. Both shows close May 11. MalPina Chan
has work in a group show entitled “The Book As
Art: Beyond Words” set to open May 15 from 5 –
8 p.m. at 4864 Rainier Avenue S. Log on to www.
ColumbiaCityGallery.com for details.
The new expanded Seattle Art Museum is now
open downtown. A showcase on Ukiyo-e woodblock prints from the Kollar Collection and “Five
Masterpieces of Asian Art – The Story of Their
Conservation” and permanent installations by
Cai Guo-Qiang and Do Ho Suh are some of
the highlights. Some other shows here include
“Ancient Manuscripts in Islamic Art Gallery”
and “17th-20th Century Japanese Theatrical
Costumes” through June 22. Seattle Art Museum
is at 1st & Union. (206) 654-3100.
The Mill Creek Ikenobo School of Ikebana hold
their 10th annual flower arrangement exhibition at Mill Creek City Hall on May 18 from 10
– 2 p.m. A demonstration is held at 2 p.m. (425)
337-2827.
MAY 7 - 20, 2008 —— 17
Lakewood International Festival features performers from Korea, the Phillipines, China and
Japan. May 10 from 10 to 6 p.m. Clover Park
Technical College at McGavick Student Center,
4500 Steilacom Blvd. SW in Tacoma. Free.
Akemi Uchida, contemporary concert violinist
is the featured performer at Collective Visions
Gallery on May 23 at 7 p.m. 331 Pacific Ave. in
Bremerton. (360) 377-8327 or www.collectivevisions.com.
Korean American young adult author Paula Yoo
will read from her new novel for teenagers entitled “Good Enough” (Harper Teen) on May 7 at
4:30 p.m. at All For Kids Books & More. 2900 NE
Blakeley. Please call (206) 526-2768 for details.
Scholar/activist Raj Patel reads from “Stuffed and
Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food
System” (Melville House) on May 10 at 4:30 p.m.
Patel has been on the frontlines of public protest
(“gassed on four continents”) and reports on the
crucial issues involved with globization and food.
For details about this book, log on to www.stuffed
and starved.com.
Simon Winchester reads from his book, “The
Man Who Loved China – Joseph Needham and the
Making of a Masterpiece” (HarperCollins) on May
14 at 1 p.m. at Third Place Books in Lake Forest
Park. (206) 366-3333. He also speak on May 14 at
7:30 p.m. at UW’s Kane Hall. (206) 634-3400 or
www.ubookstore.com.
Noted Taiwainese Director Hou Hsiao Hsien
(“Flowers of Shanghai” and “Millennium
Mambo”) goes to Europe with his latest offering. “Flight of the Red Balloon” is a poetic delight
and a tribute to the original French classic, “The
Red Balloon.” Screening at the Varsity on 4329
University Way NE. (206) 781-5755.
The Japanese film Series sponsored by the Japanese
Film Assocation presents free screenings of Japanese
films from the past to the present subtitled in
English every Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. during
the quarter. Room 120 in the Communications Hall
on the UW campus. For details, e-mail uweiga@u.
washington.edu.
Steven Brown from the University of Oregon
gives a lecture on strategies of women’s sexuality
and power in medieval Japan entitled “Once their
strings are cut, they easily crumble” on May 9 at
3:30 p.m. UW Communications Building 120.
(206) 543-6450.
“Beautiful” is a new stand-up tour with Margaret
Cho with two shows at 7 p.m. & 10 p.m. on May
10 at the Paramount. Tickets available at livenation.com, ticketmaster or by phone at (206)
628-0888.
Former head of the Urasenke Tradition of the
Way of Tea, Dr. Genshitsu Sen will visit Seattle
and host several tea events. “Peace through a
Bowl of tea – the Spirit” takes place May 12 from
2:30 – 4 p.m. at UW’s Henry Art Gallery located
at 15th Ave. NE and NE 4lst. (206) 543-2280 or
www.urasenkeseattle.org. “Chado as a World Art
Form – a Vision of Peace” takes place May 13
from 3 – 4:30 p.m. Seattle Asian Art Museum at
1400 E. Prospect St. (206) 284-3764 or e-mail b@
urasenkeseattle.org.
Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church’s 13th
Annual Asian Craft Fair & Silent Auction takes
place May 10 from 10 – 4 p.m. 3000 – 24th Ave.
S. Call (206) 723-1536 for details.
For the full listings of IE Arts. Etc.,
visit www.iexaminer.org.
18 —— MAY 7 - 20, 2008
(206) 624-3925 ext. 1
March 4, 2008 —— 1
Classifieds
Employment
Employment
Employment
Employment
Aquarium Systems
$28.74 to $33.44/hour
Plus Excellent Benefits
The Seattle Aquarium needs a Chief Aquarium Systems Engineer to install and maintain fresh and salt water life support systems, and operate heating, ventilation, and
refrigeration systems. Fabricate and install
instrumentation and control systems, plan
preventive maintenance programs, and
coordinate projects to ensure minimal interruption of life support services and visitor access. Requires the equivalent of two
years of education in marine engineering
or a related field, and two years of experience with aquatic life support systems.
Experience with small boat handling and
SCUBA certification is highly desirable.
For more information and an Online Application Form, visit www.seattle.gov/jobs
by 5/13/08. The City is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values diversity in the
workforce.
Management Analyst
Washington Mutual
Uses MS Access to design and maintain database infrastructure for management data.
Req MA/MS in Bus Adm, Fin, MIS +2yrs
exp using MS Access to design & maintain
DB infrastructure for mgmt data; implementing rptg req’s using SQL & Excel; using statistical techniques, incl regression
analysis using SAS, to provide analytical
support. Location: Seattle. Please apply online at www.wamu.com/careers referencing job # 455575. Washington Mutual is an
equal opportunity employer. We embrace
differences, welcome diversity, and value a
culture of respect.
Workers’ Comp Supervisor
$68,486 - $79,803/year
Supervise the City of Seattle’s self-insured
and self-administered Workers’ Compensation Program to ensure excellent service
to injured employees and strict compliance
with all regulations. Supervise and evaluate
eight staff, assist employing departments
with return-to-work issues, and develop
claims management efficiencies. Support
claims decisions, testify at hearings, and
assist in the structuring of settlements for
claims in litigation. Requires at least three
years of Washington State workers’ compensation claims experience and the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in a related field,
with the ability to obtain state certification
within six months. For more information and an Online Application Form, visit
www.seattle.gov/jobs by 5/20/08. The City
is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values diversity in the workforce.
Coalition Coordinator
Asian Pacific Islander Coalition Against
Tobacco (APICAT) is seeking a .5 FTE
individual to coordinate Coalition activities, assisting with mini-contract program,
outreach, and trainings. Applicant must
be self-motivated, have excellent organizational skills and intermediate level
computer skills. Knowledge of tobacco
control issues preferred and experience in
working in a multicultural environment a
must. College degree or 4 years work experience required. Qualified candidates can
mail their resume to APICAT, Attn: Elaine,
606 Maynard Ave. S, Ste. 102, Seattle, WA
98104. Questions call (206) 223-9578 ext.
15, or e-mail: [email protected]
Financial Analyst
Washington Mutual
Uses SAS, Excel, Oracle to develop/maintain Operational Risk Capital model to determine regulatory & economic capital. Requires MA/MS in Finance, Bus Admin, Bus
Mgmt +2yrs exp using SAS to perform econ
capital analysis for financial institution,
incl cost of capital, RAROC & SVA, logistic
regression modeling, predictive modeling
using performance & credit bureau data
for cust selection & mktg; implementing
Basel II req’s for portfolio mgmt; using risk
quantification to drive internal behaviors
& make bus decisions. Location: Seattle.
Please apply online at www.wamu.com/careers referencing job # 455530. Washington
Mutual is an equal opportunity employer.
We embrace differences, welcome diversity,
and value a culture of respect.
Infant Mental Health Specialist at Boyer
Children’s Clinic in Seattle
Conduct referral intake for children &
provide relationship-focused early childhood intervention program. Reqs. Master’s in Social Work; Cert. in Infant Mental
Health & 2 yrs. as child therapist working
w/ infants, children & families w/ complex
social & psych. needs. Apply to: boyercc.
[email protected] or K. Myhre at PMSI,
8259 122nd Ave. NE, #300, Kirkland, WA
98033.
PeopleSoft Financials
$29.34 to $44.02/hour
The City of Seattle needs a Senior Applications Developer to support AR/AP,
Billings, Assets Management, Purchasing, General Ledger, and Project Costing
REVISED
ARTWORK
modules on the PeopleSoft
8.8 Enterprise
University Prep, an independent school
Financial System. Provide
technical sup10233
serving grades six through twelve,
port on all phases of the application develInternational Examiner seeks the following:
opment cycle, respond to production prob5/7/08Develop
lems, and optimize performance.
Upper/Middle School Mathematics Teacher
report solutions using PSkc
Query, Crystals,
Upper School English Teacher
nVision, SQR, SQL, asp, and asp.net tools.
Requires the equivalent of an AA degree
Please go to www.universityprep.org
in Computer Science or a related field, and
for details.
at least three years of experience involving PS Financials 8.4 or higher, web based
applications, business analysis, and report
TRANSPORTATION
development. For more information and
an Online Application Form, visit www.
seattle.gov/jobs by 5/13/08. The City is an
Equal Opportunity Employer that values
diversity in the workforce.
Systems Analyst
Washington Mutual
Manages team supporting enterp SQL DBs
for fin’l org. Requires BA/BS in Ind’l Eng or
MIS +5 yrs exp as CSA/DBA, incl 2yrs exp
managing rptg specialists & data analysts,
incl offshore vendors; administer/manage
enterp SQL DBs for fin’l org’s; validating
integrity of fin’l data, manipulating data
based on bus rules, using data modeling
techniques to generate rpts & analytics;
serving as liaison betw end bus customers
& tech groups. Location: Seattle. Please apply online at www.wamu.com/careers referencing job # 455578. Washington Mutual
is an equal opportunity employer. We embrace differences, welcome diversity, and
value a culture of respect.
MAY 7 - 20, 2008 —— 19
Seattle Center is a unique and extraordinary urban gathering place. It
attracts 12 million visitors each year
from all walks of life and parts of the
world to experience a myriad of outstanding ticketed and public free and
low cost events. The 74 –acre campus,
with 17 acres of welcoming open space,
serves as home to more than 30 vibrant
cultural, educational, sports and entertainment organizations.
Seattle Center’s new master plan, Century 21, charts our future and transforms this dynamic and creative place
into the world’s premier urban gathering place. For more information, visit
http://www.seattlecenter.com.
Seattle Center, a Department of the
City of Seattle, announces four exciting
Executive Team opportunities:
t$IJFG0QFSBUJOH0ďDFS
t%JSFDUPSPG.BSLFUJOHBOE
Business Development
t%JSFDUPSPG4FBUUMF$FOUFS'VOE
t%JSFDUPSPG$PNNVOJDBUJPOT
To apply, visit www.seattle.gov/jobs
Visit our website:
www.iexaminer.org
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:
• Contracts Officer - Operations
• Deputy Director Transportation Services Operations and Maintenance Transportation
• Deputy Director Transportation Property, Facilities, and Equipment Transportation
• Project Coordinator - Policy & Planning
• Report & Systems Developer - Finance & Information
• Project Development Coordinator - Transportation Services
• Document Control Coordinator - Transportation Services
• Project Control Specialist - Link Light Rail
• Engineering Systems Inspector - Link Light Rail
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 SoundRegional Transit Authority SOUND TRANSIT
Job Code: IE
ATTN: HR Division
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 download employment application visit us at www.soundtransit.org, or call (800) 201-4900.
CALENDAR
Ave., in Seattle. For more information, contact Sarah Randolph at [email protected] or
please call (206) 788-3694.
Saturday, May 10
Celebrate the International Community
Health Services’ (ICHS) 35th Anniversary
Gala! With an increasing number of uninsured patients to serve, and the ICHS
clinics require important upgrades in technology and equipment to provide quality
services. Facility and staff expansion also
require substantial financial support. The
funds raised at the gala will help meet these
financial challenges. Please join ICHS for
a celebratory evening honoring its past,
present, and future. Honorary Co-Chairs
are Former Gov. Gary Locke, Mona Lee
Locke, Robert “Uncle Bob” Santos, and
Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos. The event
emcee is King 5’s Lori Matsukawa. Tickets:
$125/per person. Reception begins at 6
p.m. at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel, 1400 6th
Wednesday, May 14
Help design the future of Maynard
Avenue at two workshops for the Maynard
Avenue Green Street project. The project
plans to create a “green space” and integrate public art elements that will help
culturally define the area as a Nihonmachi
(Japantown) community. Workshop 1 is
May 14, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Interim’s
conference room, located at 310 Maynard
Ave., in Seattle. Workshop 2 is May 15,
from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Nihonmachi
terrace community room, located at 651 S.
Main St.
Thursday, May 15
Sponge, an award-winning children’s
language center, will host a parent education event titled, “Culture For Kids: Raising
Global Citizens.” A panel of experts will
discuss promoting compassion through
integration of language and culture into
children’s lives. 7 - 9 p.m. in the Seattle
Children’s Theatre’s East Rehearsal Hall,
201 Thomas St. Free and open to the public. RSVP at [email protected] or
call (425) 274-5188.
Saturday, May 17
The Denise Louie Education Center will
host its 3rd annual Children and Families
Festival. The center is a non-profit Head
Start program offering early childhood
education and family support services. The
event features a lunch buffet, Kung Fu
demonstration, and live storytellers. Free
and open to the public. 1 – 4 p.m. at the
Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon
Ave. S. For more information, please visit
www.deniselouie.org.
Wednesday, May 21
The IE presents its 18th annual Community Voice Awards. “Family
Dinner with the IE” will honor the 2008
CVA awardees: Roger Shimomura, Many
Uch, Velma Veloria, and the Asian Pacific
American Labor Alliance (APALA). Help
raise money for the community’s only nonprofit APA newspaper with a silent auction,
live dessert auction, food, fun, and more!
Co-emcees: Lily Jang of Q13 Fox News and
Robert Mak of King 5. Tickets: $65/$600 table
of 10. The CVA’s will be held from 5:30 to
8:30 p.m. at Jumbo Restaurant, 4208 Rainier
Ave. S., in Seattle. Call (206) 624-3925 x3 or
e-mail [email protected] or send
checks to 622 S. Washington St., Seattle, WA
98104.
Saturday, May 31
Celebrate the Wing Luke Asian Museum’s
Grand Re-Opening and see how the WLAM
transformed the old East Kong Yick building—the museum’s new location—at 719 S.
King St. The museum raised $23.2 million
dollars in its five-year capital campaign. The
re-opening event is free and open to the
public. Join the museum at its ribbon cutting on May 31 at 10 a.m. or enjoy lion
dances and performances on June 1 at 11:30
a.m. For more information, please call (206)
623-5124.
THIS MONTH’S FORECAST:
A WHIRLWIND OF CASH!
Something’s different at Muckleshoot Casino. It’s not the temperature — it’s the money! Our
cash giveaways get bigger and better every month. This May, we’re giving all our Preferred
Players Club members a shot at grabbing up to $5,000 in our Whirlwind of Cash Cube. Grab
as much as you can!
Starting May 2, we’ll draw winning names every Thursday — on May 8, 15, 22 and 29. With four
drawings nightly, at 4, 6, 8 and 10 pm, you have lots of chances to win. And our Bonus Board can
multiply your Whirlwind of Cash winnings up to 10 times!
It’s easy to collect entries – your first entry is right below, redeemable at the Preferred Players
Club booth. You can earn more with your qualified Machine, Table Game, Keno, and Bingo. Plus,
new members get a free entry when you sign up for a Preferred Players Club card.
And don’t miss Asian Entertainment every Monday night from 8:30 pm – 12:30 am!
Double the excitement. Muckleshoot Casino. Muckleshoot Bingo.
The Legacy of Equality, Leadership, and
Organizing (LELO) is celebrating its 35th
anniversary “Marking 2008 as the End of the
Bush Era: Reclaiming Human Rights, Peace,
and Democracy,” with its annual Domino,
Viernes, and Jefferson Award Dinner at
Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church.
Support LELO by sponsoring a table of eight
people for $320 or purchasing an individual
ticket for $40. LELO will also present the 7th
annual John Caughlan Memorial Award to a
local activist. For more information, please
contact Moon Vazquez at (206) 722-2175 or
at [email protected] or you can visit the group’s
Web site at www.lelo.org.
Saturday, June 21
The Asian Counseling Referral Service’s
(ACRS) kicks off its 18th annual “Walk For
Rice” to benefit the ACRS Food Bank. The
goal is to raise $115,000 for families in need.
The 2.5 mile run/walk takes place from 8
a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Seward Park. For more
information, go to www.walkforrice.com or
call (206) 774-2460.
Announcements
That’s the way we play.
REDEEM THIS COUPON FOR
ONE FREE ENTRY!
2402 Auburn Way S.
Saturday, June 7
|
Auburn, WA 98002
|
AT ANY PREFERRED PLAYERS CLUB BOOTH
Must be a Pr
Preferred Players Club Member to redeem. Must be
age or older. Management reserves all rights.
21 years of a
International Examiner
May – Interna
800.8
800.804.4944
804.4944
|
muckleshootcasino.com
The Seattle Public Library’s International
District branch will host health workshops
throughout May. Chinese immigrants can
learn about Western medicine, diabetes, and
heart disease. The workshops are located
at the ID branch, 713 Eighth Ave. S., in
Seattle. The event is free and open to the
public. Call (206) 386-1300 to register. The
May 8th workshop—Introducing Western
Medicine—is from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m.; May 15
is the Diabetes workshop; and May 22nd is
the Heart Disease workshop.

3509 - The International Examiner

Transcription

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