International Examiner May 7, 2014

CELEBRATING 40 YEARSThe country’s premier nonprofit pan-Asian newspaper First and third Wednesdays each month.

FREE EST. 1974 —SEATTLE VOLUME 41, NUMBER 9 — MAY 7 – MAY 20 iexaminer.orgTHE NEWSPAPER OF NORTHWEST ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COMMUNITIES. FIND YOUR INSPIRASIAN.

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2 — May 7, 2014 – May 20, 2014 INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

IE OPINION

IESTAFF

Established in 1974, the International Examiner is the only non-profit pan-Asian American media organization in the country. Named after the International District in Seattle, the “IE” strives to create awareness within and for our APA communities. 622 South Washington Street, Seattle, WA 98104. (206) 624-3925. [email protected].

IE BOARD OF DIRECTORSGary Iwamoto, Vice President

Arlene OkiAndy Yip

Jacqueline WuSteve Kipp

ADVISORRon Chew

DEVELOPMENT MANAGERKathy Ho

[email protected]

BUSINESS MANAGEREllen Suzuki

[email protected]

EDITOR IN CHIEFTravis Quezon

[email protected]

ARTS EDITORAlan Chong Lau

[email protected]

CREATIVE DIRECTORRyan [email protected]

VIDEOGRAPHERTuyen Kim Than

LOGISTICS COORDINATORHolly Martinez

INTERNChelsee Yee

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTVowel Chu

PROOFREADERAnna Carriveau

CONTRIBUTORSDiem Ly

Nhien NgyuenDean Wong

Bob ShimabukuroChong-suk Han

Steve KofahlRich Stohlz

Rebecca YeungJoshua Bessex

Imana GunawanYayoi Winfrey

$35 a year, $60 for two years—24 in-depth issues a year! Go to www.iexaminer.org and click on the “Subscribe” button or mail a check to: 622 S. Washington St., Seattle, WA 98104.

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Website: www.iexaminer.org

By Ken MochizukiIE Special Guest Columnist

I was hired on as the International Examiner’s staff writer in 1985, leading to a short stint as editor in 1989. When I first came on board, computers came with monitors as big as old portable TVs. IE had two computers, a brand called Morrow, and then later a Kaypro, in which the keyboard could be snapped onto the top of the drive, making for a “portable” suitcase—it was more like lugging lead. Glowing green text on a black background was what you stared at all day. The word processing program, Wordstar, moved the cursor around by using certain letters of the alphabet—there were no directional keys on keyboards then.

Still, what a marvel computer word processing was! Correcting mistakes on the screen? Cutting and pasting, moving whole chunks of text on the screen? Wooowww! Especially from the generation for whom the IBM Selectric and using Wite-Out was state of the art. The daisy-wheel printer tacked out text at the speed of a super-typist, yet text appeared on paper exactly the way you had typed it onscreen. Oooohhh! Then came the dot-matrix printer, even faster with its printing head sliding back and forth on continuous perforated paper. Check that out!

Hey, IE was state of the art, being that the contributors dropped off typewritten hard copy, and most of our time was spent typing copy into the computer. As for the graphic design and layout department, editor Ron Chew and I would bring floppy disks to Franklin Press in Pioneer Square. There, copy got spit out into columns to be laid out by hand. Even the thread-thin borders around photos were done by hand—surgery with an X-Acto knife. Mess it up, start all over again. #%&*!!!

When I signed up again as assistant editor to Editor Nhien Nguyen from 2006 to 2007, I got knocked over the head by the speed at which info by then was processed and produced, kicking my technically-dormant self into the 21st century. Of course, everything was computerized and digitized by that time. Reporters were required to take their own photos with digital cameras—no more bringing the black-and-white

shooter in tow. Layout and graphic design got shuffled around on the monitor screen. And, of course, the Internet had changed everything. No more typing in stories. You edited them as they arrived in your inbox. And, that meant writing more copy. Stories that I used to have the luxury of about a week to do during my first tour, then I often had to get ‘em done in a day. You want it when?

WHAT HASN’T CHANGEDThrough it all, to me, IE’s raison d’être has

always been:• To cover what the mainstream media

does cover. Yes, daily news sources have a lot less time to cover events and issues, but when it comes to coverage of the local and national Asian Pacific Islander community, resorting to stereotypes and jumping to conclusions from a limited set of sources meets deadlines. IE provides the more in-depth alternative, from the API point of view.

• To cover what the mainstream media does not cover. Every issue of the IE takes care of that. Not only the major events and issues, but IE’s longtime arts coverage—are you going to see that anywhere else? IE can’t compete with the reach of the mainstream media, but better covered than not covered at all.

So, here’s to another 40 years of the IE providing us with the only, and the other.

Ken Mochizuki is the author of the children’s picture books Baseball Saved Us; Heroes; Passage to Freedom: the Sugihara Story; the young adult novel Beacon Hill Boys; and now also authors nonfiction history, including Meet Me At Higo: An Enduring Story of a Japanese American Family.

IE provides the only and the other

Mochizuki

By Chong-suk HanIE Special Guest Columnist

Writing a column reflecting on one’s past is by definition a presumptuous task. It assumes, for example, that one has done something special enough to share with others. And it requires that someone refer to himself as “one,” as if a movie with Lau-rence Fishburne offering little red pills will be built around his life.

If I push modesty aside for a moment, I suppose there are things that I did while I was editor that deserve some small bit of praise. But the thing is, there is a difference between those who deserve accolades for things that they have done and those who have simply fulfilled the obligations to a role that they were fortunate enough to have been able to inhabit, albeit for a short period of time. If I did anything worth re-membering, I did so only because the In-ternational Examiner gave me a platform and a base from which such things were possible. And there lies the real story of my time at the Examiner. It’s not about what I did for the paper or the community that it represents, but what the paper did for me and what the community gave to me.

The paper helped me find my voice. It gave me the courage to put pen to paper and share the truth as I saw it to be. But, the paper and the people most intimately con-nected to the paper gave me the support and guidance I needed to find that particu-lar truth that moved me. More importantly, it gave me a platform to share the stories that others had to tell, stories that often go untold. These were the stories about people facing tremendous odds, yet some-how finding their place in the world. These were the stories about people challenging injustices, confronting wrongs, and chang-ing lives, including their own. These were the stories that helped us find ourselves, and find each other.

Just as importantly, the Examiner helped me find a home, a place where I belonged. Although I grew up in San Francisco, Se-attle became my home. I suspect, more

than anything else, the Examiner played the single most important role in defining “home” for me. Through the Examiner, I didn’t find a job, I found a community, both real and remembered.

Taking my place at the paper, I joined a long list of others who came before me, people whose talents and dedication helped build a small paper that started in the backroom of an office

supply store into the oldest continuously publishing pan-Asian American paper in the country.

True, the Examiner survived because these people, perhaps by sheer will, kept the paper alive. But the paper’s survival is also a testament to the members of the community who saw its worth and value. It is through the memory of this past that I found a place in the present. I joined a community that had already dedicated the better part of their collective lives to com-munity empowerment. And that commu-nity welcomed me with open arms. For that, I will always be grateful.

The Examiner is a special paper. The neighborhood that gave birth to it is a special place. And the people who have been a part of the paper’s past have left a unique legacy. My only hope on my first day was to be able to maintain that legacy. The paper, the community it represents, and the community that supports it, were there before me and continue to thrive af-ter me. It is the paper and the community that deserve praise. It is the paper and the community that changes lives, including mine. All I did was hold down the fort.

After serving for three years as editor of the International Examiner, Chong-suk Han received his PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Washington. He is currently an Assis-tant Professor of Sociology at Middle-bury College.

International Examiner legacy lies with the community, history

Han

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER May 7, 2014 – May 20, 2014 — 3

IE OPINION

By Nhien NguyenIE Special Guest Columnist

So this is 40. It’s hard to believe, but the International Examiner, and myself, are both turning 40 this year. The big 4-0 comes with mixed feelings, one being: “Wow, I am turning 40!” And the other being: “Ugh, I am turning 40?!”

The first thing that comes to mind when one turns 40 is that it’s midlife crisis time. Elliott Jacques coined the term “midlife” in 1965 as a time when adults came to realize their own mortality and how much time is left in their life, according to our trusty Wikipedia resource. It’s a time of reflecting back on our achievements during our 30s of building relationships, making families, and establishing careers. We worked through our identity issues of figuring out who we were and we became responsible for building the lives we wanted as adults.

Looking back as editor of the IE during its 30s, I recall the challenges I had trying to delicately move the IE’s identity from grassroots activism to transforming it to reflect the newer generation who didn’t necessarily care about what those activists had done to build the community services and equal opportunities that were now available from the fruits of their labor. As a Seattle transplant, I was not raised with the consciousness of the International District activists—I had to learn about it

International Examiner midlife crisis: Moving forward after 40 yearsand get ingrained in the mindset of the ongoing work that had been done and still needed to be done in our communities. I saw the IE’s 30s as a time to keep the activism alive while bridging the gap with the newer generation.

For me personally, my 30s were an incredible time of many ups and many downs. I had my dream job as editor of the IE, which melded my passions of fundraising, community work, and writing. I got married to who I thought was the man of my dreams and faced my worst nightmare of divorce. I got over my personal identity crisis as an Asian American and I began my existential crisis of finding my true Self. With a new focus on my spiritual journey, I also found my second career as a drug counselor. Similar to journalism, I found another outlet for being nosy into people’s lives.

On the cusp of turning 40, with a better understanding about ourselves and the people around us, have we finally found ourselves? Toward the end of our 30s, we thought we had it all figured out, only to find out in our 40s that perhaps we didn’t really know who we were or what we wanted. Moving into the next phase of our lives, we ask the question, “Now what?”

The question of where do we go from here is a great one with no easy answer. This is a time to look at how the IE can avoid stagnation and continue to grow.

It’s a time to ask how can the IE impact the next generation on a deeper and more profound level.

Living in south Florida for the past three and a half years, I realize how good I had it living in Seattle where multiculturalism is a way of life, so much so that one can take that for granted while living there. The IE can be a major force to help solidify and disseminate the values of a truly multicultural society, where having the first Asian-American/Latina, openly gay member as part of the state’s highest court is just another day among many

days of acceptance and celebration of the diversity of others.

The IE can use its solid foundation in Seattle’s community coupled with today’s power of social media to make impacts across other neighborhoods around the country and even other countries. It would be fascinating to get a glimpse of the lives of other Asian Americans outside of Seattle and see how their communities are moving toward or moving away from embracing multiculturalism.

Looking back at the IE’s achievements over the past four decades, all the contributors to the newspaper and the community members that read and supported it have a lot to be proud of. Starting off in 1974 as a four-page newspaper with the slogan, “The Heartbeat of the International District,” no one would have predicted that the IE would still be running strong in 2014 with a new slogan reflecting the newer generation, “Find Your InspirAsian.” Let’s truly find our inspirAsian and take the IE into its fifties.

Nhien Nguyen (aka Sachi Ananda) was editor of the International Examiner from May 2002 to April 2008. She is currently a drug counselor working towards her master’s degree in mental health counseling. She lives in sunny South Florida, and yes, there are days she misses the rainy days of the Pacific Northwest.

Nguyen

By Diem LyIE Special Guest Columnist

I felt I grew from a child to an adult dur-ing my six years at the International Exam-iner. And I like to think I grew into a better person. If a lifetime could be compressed into half a dozen years, I came close to ex-periencing it. Just for kicks, let’s stroll down memory lane and I’ll explain more.

Now, it’s my opinion that as media, if you’re not threatened with a lawsuit, you’re not doing your job. The occasional office visit colored with the threat of a lawsuit or an angry call demanding an apology was a rare occurrence—but it did happen. One incident stands out. A few years back, I came into the office on a Saturday to work on the layout for the upcoming issue. A lo-cal businessperson I knew called me. He along with some friends were eating dim sum when a conversation sparked around a recent Examiner article profiling a local defense attorney. The lawyer specialized in representing clients accused of partici-pating in illegal marijuana growing opera-tions. The angle of the article focused on the attorney’s sympathetic view of his cli-ents, all of who immigrated recently from Vietnam, experienced social and economic

barriers to securing employment, and per-haps most tragic of all, were easy prey to clever drug operators. The businessperson and his friends, all of who are Vietnamese, took offense to the story.

“It makes the Vietnamese community look bad,” one person explained. “You’re

Vietnamese—why would you want to show your people like that?” The phone was passed around the dim sum table. “I expect you to print an apology in the paper apolo-gizing to all Vietnamese people,” another exclaimed. After speaking with nearly ev-ery person around the dim sum table, (by

the way, who would give up steaming hot sticky rice with pork to talk to a newspa-per?), my take-away lesson was this: Dim sum isn’t good cold. Second lesson: Don’t change. You’re also not doing your job if you try to please everyone or hide the truth.

Truth was not on the mind of a couple who, a year before my departure from the Examiner, proposed a not-so-sophisticated money laundering scheme. Before this, the only other time I heard of money launder-ing was in reference to Al Capone. The proposal requested I accept a $100,000 donation. The catch was I’d have to return all of the funds the following month to the donor. For fulfilling this transaction, I’d receive their patronage as a sponsor in the future. My answer was swift. It may not be money laundering, but I do prefer to keep our money clean.

Another fun story occurred on an early fall day. A local candidate for office and his campaign manager paid us a visit. Both complimented us as the “gateway to the Asian community.” They sought out not only our endorsement and the names and contacts of local community leaders, but also a quick lesson on Asian Community

Marijuana, money laundering, and mayhem: Anecdotes from half a dozen years at the helm of the IE

ANECDOTES: Continued on page 4 . . .

Ly


IE OPINION

Ron Chew’s International Examiner legacy: Stories still need to be toldBy Bob Shimabukuro

IE Special Guest Columnist

“Well, Bob, the International Examiner’s giving me a lifetime achievement award. It’s kind of embarrassing, these awards, but they think they can raise money,” Ron Chew said, characteristically downplaying his worthi-ness.

“Look at the record. You’ve got a suc-cessful $23 million campaign,” I reminded him. “And don’t forget, I was the first one to use your name. Remember the Ron Chew Legacy Fund for the IE to buy equipment? Everybody thought you were dying.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Ron said.“I told them you weren’t, but it’s better

to honor someone when they’re alive than when they’re dead,” I said.

It worked. We got a lot of donations. But the biggest was about $50. Most were in the $10 range. $23 million—you don’t get there with $10 donations, that’s for sure.

I had heard about Ron Chew in the 1980s when I was working in Los Angeles at the Pacific Citizen, the national newspaper for the Japanese American Citizens League. The Pacific Citizen had a subscription for the IE and I was impressed by the quality of the articles, good editing, and look of the paper. It also had a great following all over the country.

I had a column in the Pacific Citizen which was often funny, satirical, angry, you know, whatever came into my mind when I had some space to fill. Then it became a reg-

ular column, and it became (depending on your view) a beacon of truth, straight talk, diced out with a little humor, or just a bunch of stupid ramblings from an arrogant sansei jerk. Which I wasn’t. Sansei, I mean.

Ron obviously thought I was the former rather than the latter, because when I moved to Seattle, he invited me to lunch with the staff while we discussed what he wanted. He felt at the time that I could inject some much-needed humor and a little more life into the paper.

We were at the Ying Hei Restaurant, and Ron to my surprise began ordering for ev-eryone.

“Ron thinks we take too long trying to figure out what we want, so he just tells us what to order,” Serena Louie told me.

Ron told Ken Mochizuki that he should get the “lo fan special,” which loosely trans-lated means, “white folks special.”

“Wow, what kind of dish is that?” I asked.Everyone bursted out laughing. “You just

have to wait and see what they bring out,” Serena said.

Soon the waitress brought out the dishes. And Ken showed me his dish. “This is it, Bob,” Ken said. “The lo fan special—squid and cauliflower on rice.”

This is going to be easy, I thought, I could just record the lunchtime discussions and write them down and have my columns done in no time.

Of course, it wasn’t that easy. But as any-one who works with Ron finds out quickly that beneath that quirkiness and seemingly lighthearted, friendly approach to the world and his community, is a serious revolution-ary spirit. And that made it a little more fun for me because we were on the same page, in terms of what we wanted to accomplish.

Ron knows there are a lot of stories in our community that need to be told. Stories by us, people in the community. After leaving the IE, Ron has continued to tell our com-munity (individual and collective) stories while working at the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, the Chinese Oral History Project, International Community Health Services, and, of course, the Ron Chew Legacy II, the Wing Luke Museum of Asian Pacific American Experience.

And I found myself studying what he does, and trying to codify it, one, because it was interesting to me, and, two, because I thought I could get a grant for him—com-munity-organizing grant for a historical mu-seum. It was a very creative piece, I thought,

because I was exploring the notion of “com-munity inreach” as opposed to community “outreach.”

We didn’t get the grant, but Ron liked what I had written and he encouraged me to do more writing on community organizing and community stories.

We have to keep supporting our institu-tions, which tell our history from our ex-perience. Already this year, we have seen attempts to question whether race and civil rights played a part in Vincent Chin’s mur-der, model minority myths being brought up again via Tiger Mom, and Filipino American workers’ partnership with Caesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers being erased.

For me personally, the International Ex-aminer staff was a great group to work with to learn what was going on in the commu-nity. And being friends with Ron opened a lot of doors for me. So did other members of the IE staff and others I met on that first day of the “lo fan special.” Older (or is it “el-der”?) IE former staff members, including Ron, still meet monthly to talk about “stuff” old and new.

Things have changed. I haven’t noticed him trying to dictate what everyone should eat.

Of course, we now order family style. And Ying Hei is no longer. But it’s still better.

Bob Shimabukuro is a former editor (1988 to 1990) and columnist of the In-ternational Examiner and is the author of Born is Seattle: The Campaign for Japa-nese American Redress.

Shimabukuro

101. My question posed to them: If you are running for office, shouldn’t you already know the community you want to repre-sent? Election Day was two months away. In a nutshell, I wasn’t going to provide a “101” to someone who had no prior interest or knowledge of a community, and reached out only to win an office. I realize this isn’t the first time it has ever happened. But the ID is our town and we don’t want the wrong person representing us. The smoking gun for me was the campaign manager’s use of two phrases in the conversation that did little to butter me up: “I’m colorblind,” he said, and, “Look, sweetheart …” How did I grow and develop into a better person here when I asked them to leave the office.

Taking a turn for the more positive, legal, less contentious, and heartwarming side of my time at the Examiner, are the people. When you run a community newsroom, you learn to become a coach or therapist, to the staff: there’s the hypochondriac who is tormented by, well, everything; the de-livery driver who says he could’ve made millions in the corporate world but chose not to while another driver smokes copious amounts of weed to ward off pain from his gout; and the graphic designer who moves office furniture every three months. I loved all of the people that came through our

doors. Their energy, colorful personalities, and quirks made our team both ahead of its game as well as rooted to its mission. Af-ter years of trying to control the mayhem and the personalities within it, I eventually learned how to navigate people’s strengths, communication differences, and motiva-tions toward a common cause.

I learned a new trade while at the Ex-aminer, too—one I hadn’t expected. When you work in a building a hundred years old, strange things happen: ice-cold drafts leave goose bumps and creaks from stairways perk up one’s ears. No, my new trade wasn’t as a ghostbuster—try something less super-stitious (or awesome): maintenance per-son. The Examiner office has its fair share of bathroom inefficiencies, uneven carpet, windows better fit for a haunted attic, and chipped paint in a color that no longer ex-ists. In one occasion, while working at my desk in the production room, a ceiling tile fell from 20 feet onto my keyboard, grazing my head close enough to blow wind through my hair. But best of all was the inexplicable broccoli smell emanating from under the stairs a few years ago. Sorting through the space looking for a dead rat or long-forgot-ten Tupperware case of food, we discovered an open-ended sewer pipe original to the building protruding from the wall. On the floor beneath it appeared to be scraps of a disintegrated rubber band and an ancient-

looking plastic sandwich bag, yellowed and crumbling, molded to the shape of the pipe. Long ago, someone else must have detected that same broccoli smell, wrinkled their nose and devised a plastic contraption to seal it off—apparently not forever.

To sum up my Examiner life lessons, I appreciate this: After facing multiple angry confrontations, I learned there is hurt under anger. Address the hurt and you promote understanding. The money-laundering scheme to take advantage of our non-profit drove me to stand up for others. A candi-date’s superficial desire to learn and gain from a community taught me that protect-ing the community was as critical to my role as it was in covering it. Running a newsroom and nonprofit with few resources and lots of personalities taught me humil-ity. And maintenance work taught me, well, how masking tape can work with virtually every surface.

The Examiner is not your typical non-profit. It’s not known for saving lives or getting kids into college. It’s not provid-ing remote villages access to clean water or vaccines. It’s not even your run-of-the-mill newspaper. I mean, on any given day, activists stop by just to chat, the work of renowned Asian American artists lay on a table in the middle of being framed for an upcoming fundraiser, and the accountant is

teaching staff how to make mochi by hand in the front lobby.

As the Examiner enters middle age, it feels a lot older. At 40 years old, its pages witnessed massacres, grieved over mur-dered friends, celebrated the election of one of its own as governor, never backed down from opposing unjust treatment, and told the stories of countless people who—against all odds—achieved their own ver-sion of the American Dream.

What is the legacy of the Examiner and what’s in its future? All I know is somehow it has retained that grit, that street-smart savvy, and colorful character. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Diem served as the Editor in Chief of the International Examiner from 2008-2012. Prior to that, she worked as the IE Assistant Editor, a Morning News Writer for Northwest Cable News, and at the As-signment Desk at King 5 TV. After gradu-ating from the University of Washington with a Bachelors of Science, focusing on Neuropsychology, she worked in the PTSD clinic for women veterans at the Veteran’s Administration of Puget Sound before re-alizing her writing hobby could turn into a career. Today she works in External Af-fairs and Community Investment at Com-cast ([email protected]).

. . . ANECDOTES: Continued from page 3


IE OPINION

By Dean WongIE Special Guest Columnist

It was an unmistakable sound, the clacking noise of Ron Chew’s typewriter at the University of Washington. I always knew where to find Ron at the School of Communication and he was always sitting behind a Smith Corona, a relic of the past in this modern age of laptops and smart phones.

Ron helped reinforce my interest in the printed media. As our friendship grew, I joined him at the International Examiner, which is now celebrating 40 years of service to the community.

After Ron became the editor of the International Examiner in the mid-1970s, he would call me to help deliver the newspaper.

In the time-honored tradition of a grassroots publication, Ron and his band of volunteers brought stacks of newspapers to stores and restaurants up and down King Street.

Ron continued to serve as editor off and on throughout the 1980s, establishing a solid reputation for himself as a serious journalist. Under his leadership, the Examiner earned a reputation as a critical source of news and information for the Asian American community in the Northwest.

The California dream was always on my mind when I was young, so I moved to San Francisco for a few years, returning to Seattle in the fall of 1979. By then, Sue Chin was the editor and I began taking photography assignments. With a 35mm camera loaded with Kodak Tri-X film, I photographed community meetings, residents of the International District, and local events.

Back then, articles were written on typewriters, with handwritten editing in words and symbols. Stories were taken to a print shop, where typesetters would create columns in long sheets of paper. We ran these through wax machines, then cut the columns and aligned them on layout sheets. If we needed to fill space, we cut paragraphs and spaced them further apart.

The Examiner joined the computer age in the 1980s thanks to computer guru Greg Tuai. Eventually, the paper was produced on the early Macintosh Plus computers, which ran at a “snails” pace compared to today’s technology. It took 20 minutes to print half the classified page.

Distribution of the Examiner never benefited from the computer revolution. It was feet pounding the pavement with the strings around each bundle digging into our fingers.

Each staff member had a designated route, rain or shine. Each of us would load our cars with bundles of newspapers until the springs sagged and the engines groaned. Then we made the steep climb up Washington Street to our office at the Nippon Kan Building.

On a bad day, a stack of newspapers would break as you carried it across the street or you got a parking ticket on your Chinatown route. On a good day, someone would say something nice about a story or photograph. Those were the rewards of community journalism.

The Examiner gave the Asian American community and the International District a voice. That’s journalism at its best.

As a neighborhood publication, the Examiner covered community preservation, low-income housing, civil rights, and healthcare and interviewed local residents whose ordinary lives made for interesting stories that defined us. These were stories not found in the mainstream media and the very reason why community press was so vital.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, my photography matured. As my vision with the camera grew, the lens captured more out of life in front of me, freezing decisive moments in time.

In 1984, there was Frank Valdez, an elderly hotel clerk in his room at the Alps Hotel. Valdez was a farm laborer, worked in the Alaska canneries, and spent time as a prizefighter before settling on King Street in this dusty hotel.

I captured Andy Cheng returning from the Persian Gulf War in 1991. Cheng’s family waited for hours for his arrival. Rain was falling. As the plane landed, the sun came out. Crowds rushed the plane. Andy was surrounded by his family, each member caught in a decisive moment of varying emotion.

During this period, editors Bob Shimabukuro, Danny Howe, and Jeff Lin gave me the opportunity to learn the craft of writing.

Lin especially, pushed me to sharpen my photography and to better express myself with the written word. People began recognizing me for my stories as well as my pictures.

I did photo essays, feature articles, and personal commentaries. Lin would clear out the middle pages of the Examiner to publish photo essay stories. It was rare then and is rare now.

Ryan Rhinehart wanted to tell me about himself, after he was diagnosed with AIDS. He had stopped taking his medications because of the pain. He knew the end was near. He wanted to tell me his life story and I was there to listen. During his last days, he told me, “I can’t take it anymore. I’m ready to die. I’m not afraid.”

Eun Young Lee felt people treated her differently. She said the odds were stacked against her because she was a woman, short in stature, Korean, and had been blind from birth. “Having all those things against you gets me upset,” she said.

Dressed in his U.S. Army uniform, Kaun Onodera and his fellow 442nd soldiers stood at the gate of the Minidoka

Internment Camp where their Japanese American parents were forced to live behind barbed wire fences with all their freedom stripped away. Guards treated Onodera as the enemy. “It was very galling to be in uniform, knowing there are our parents, still in camp. Perhaps there was a feeling of bitterness and anger,” he recalled.

A publisher once told me, “Your writing shows you care about people.” The general manager of another newspaper chain called me a prominent local historian. Others take pride in seeing my photography, because of the way it depicts our community.

I was touched by these compliments. My work defines my life and place on this earth.

Sometimes I still write for the Examiner. But I mostly read the stories written by a new generation of writers.

I pick up the Examiner to see what’s on their mind. It’s up to them to write what they think is important.

Now my job is easy. I just read. Occasionally I’ll go out with my camera, seeking the next great image. It’s difficult to find.

Remember to always support your local community newspaper. Treasure the fact that you can still touch it and hold it physically in your hands. By doing so, you are keeping a great tradition alive.

Dean Wong has been photographing the Asian Pacific American community since the early 1980s. His photographs have been exhibited locally and at the Wing Luke Asian Museum. He volunteers with the International District Emergency Center and works at Asian Counseling and Referral Service. He grew up in Seattle’s Chinatown International District where his mother ran Re-New Cleaners and his father owned the Little Three Grand restaurant.

International Examiner carries tradition of opening doors for APIs

Andy Cheng returns from the Persian Gulf War in 1991. • Photo by Dean Wong

Eun Young Lee. • Photo by Dean Wong

As a training ground for young Asian Americans, the Examiner gave photographers, writers, and illustrators their first exposure to being published.

It’s a role that continues to this day under editor in chief Travis Quezon as he features the work of Asian Pacific American journalists.

The Examiner gave me a chance to learn photojournalism. Dean Wong explores his musical side today. •

Photo by Owen Lei


IE OPINION

By Rich StolzIE Guest Columnist

As an organization grounded in the aspirations of immigrant and refugee communities in Seattle and across Washington State, OneAmerica has carefully weighed the potential impact of a $15 minimum wage. The compromise proposal presented by Mayor Ed Murray last week is one that we can support. The concerns raised by immigrant business owners are real, yet the compromises reflected in this proposal address many of these concerns.

We also know that our work to ensure that immigrant and refugee workers and businesses can thrive in Seattle is only just beginning.

The Mayor’s proposal would require large companies with more than 500 employees, like Target and McDonald’s, to increase wages to $15 an hour by 2017. Larger businesses that also provide quality health care coverage for their employees would have an additional year to reach $15 in 2018. For smaller businesses, the phase-in period would last four years, increasing wages to $15 an hour by 2018. And smaller businesses that also provide quality health care coverage and guarantee a minimum level of compensation to their tipped workers would be required to steadily increase their wages to $15 an hour by 2021.

In more concrete terms, immigrant workers earning the current minimum wage today in a restaurant where they make tips and get healthcare would see their base wage slowly increase over seven years until they make $15 an hour in 2021, and immigrant workers at a clothing manufacturer in the Sodo area that make no tips but do receive health care would also see their wages slowly increase over seven years to $15 an hour in 2021. In another example, workers in an electronics store in north Seattle who make no tips and do not have healthcare would see their wages increase over five years until they made $15 and hour in 2019.

This amounts to a huge benefit for Seattle’s minimum wage workers who are disproportionately women, immigrants, and people of color.

Today, more than 100,000 Seattle residents earn less than $15 an hour, half of them are older than 30 and a third of them are parents. The cost of living has out-paced wage growth in Seattle, and we’ve seen firsthand how too many immigrant families and communities are struggling to keep up, and in fact falling further behind.

As a result of this proposal, nearly half of Seattle’s low-wage workforce would see a significant and immediate boost in their wages over the next two to three

It’s time to raise wages and focus on policies to help immigrants

years, and during that timeframe, lower wage workers will have at least 100 million dollars more to spend in 2017 than if wages increased with inflation alone. And while this raise for Seattle’s lowest paid workers will be unprecedented, economic studies suggest that creating a new $15 minimum wage would result in a $526 million stimulus to low wage worker households in the Seattle region, and boost wages and increase consumer demand.

Still, there are real issues that a minimum wage increase cannot address on its own.

We are deeply concerned that it may get harder for immigrant and refugee workers with limited English skills to find jobs in Seattle, particularly in the short term. That’s why we’re advocating for new City investments in ESL programs in partnership with businesses that can lead to better employment options. Such a policy was part of the mayor’s campaign platform, and we must call on the mayor and City Council to follow-through on his commitment quickly.

We are also acutely aware of the challenges facing very small mom and pop businesses and start-ups in immigrant and refugee communities in Seattle, and there are a number of actions that the mayor and City Council could begin to address now. For example, the city could work with business and community leaders to simplify business licensing processes, establish targeted tax credits and provide technical support to such businesses for longer periods of time. The city could also work to establish low-interest or zero interest lending and financing programs, create or expand commercial insurance pools to help bring down business operating costs, and strengthen enforcement of existing minority contracting laws and regulations. The city could also help to market and promote immigrant and refugee business districts.

Seattle is poised to make a powerful statement about our commitment to addressing income inequality.

It’s time to raise wages, and it’s time to turn our attention to other policies that will ensure that our communities can and will prosper.

Rich Stolz is the executive director of OneAmerica, which was formed directly after September 11, 2001 in response to the hate crimes and discrimination targeting Arabs, Muslims, and South Asians. Called Hate Free Zone at the time, the organization expanded to organize and advocate with many diverse communities of color. OneAmerica has now grown into a leading force for immigrant, civil, and human rights.

Ethnic business community says ‘no’ to $15 minimum wage hike

The following statement was written by the Ethnic Community Coalition, which is comprised of The Greater Seattle Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, The Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce, The King County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and The Korean American Chamber of Commerce. It was written prior to Mayor Ed Murray’s announcement detailing his minimum wage proposal last week.

Although Seattle’s proposed $15 an hour minimum wage increase has been publicly debated since last fall, we local ethnic and immigrant small business owners have just begun to realize the negative impact the wage hike will have on our businesses and on our employees. For months, we tried to ignore it. In the meantime, groups like 15Now and the labor unions spoke on behalf of our traditionally quiet and underrepresented communities.

These groups argue Seattle’s proposed 61 percent minimum wage increase will bring large scale economic benefits to over 100,000 low wage workers, many of whom are women and minorities. On the surface, the wage increase will put more money into our pockets.

But the proposed hike also will have many unintended consequences for our small businesses.

First, we would need to reduce our work force and increase productivity by hiring highly skilled employees to compensate for fewer employees. Low-level workers with limited English may lose their jobs and they would have difficulty finding other work in such a competitive market. Over 10 percent of low-wage workers in Seattle “do not speak English well.” In a survey of business owners conducted by Chinatown International District Business Improvement Association (CIDBIA), 71 percent would lay off employees. Half of those surveyed said they believed increasing minimum wage would reduce income inequality, at the expense of jobs.

Second, we would upgrade our technology and use machines to do some work formerly done by hand. For example, the people you see packing produce at Lam’s Seafood in Little Saigon would be replaced by automation.

Third, we would halt plans to expand our businesses in Seattle. Ethnic communities have been moving outside Seattle for years because of the city’s rising prices. This proposal would accelerate the migration of minorities from Seattle to the surrounding areas, a trend shown in the 2010 Census.

Fourth, we would have to raise prices on an already price sensitive

community. Tam Nguyen of Tamarind Tree estimated he would pay $45,500 each month in additional wages and taxes. “Even with a 30 percent price increase, how can I afford that?” said Nguyen.

The CIDBIA survey reported 79 percent of businesses would increase prices. Washington Restaurant Association’s survey of 400 restaurant owners showed the wage hike would mean 82 percent of restaurants would raise prices, 69 percent would lay off some staff, and 45 percent would close business/declare bankruptcy/close a location.

Ethnic restaurant owners and shop keepers like at Tamarind Tree and Lam’s Seafood will be disproportionately impacted. The University of Washington research commissioned by the city’s Income Inequality Advisory Committee reported most jobs that pay less than $15 an hour are in the Accommodation and Food Industry (63 percent) and in Retail Trade (48 percent). According to the U.S. Census 2007 Survey of Business Owners, Asians and Asian Americans own a 24 percent share of the Accommodation and Food Industry market in Seattle and 19 percent of Retail Trade. This is relatively high, considering Asians comprise less than 14 percent of the city’s population.

Since wage compression will likely result, it is still unclear to what degree the income gap between minorities and whites will close. Moreover, the extra income will not necessarily stay in Seattle to stimulate its economy—40 percent of low wage workers in Seattle live outside the city, according to the University of Washington study.

We are aware there is great income inequality—50 percent of those surveyed by CIDBIA ‘strongly agreed’ an increase in minimum wage would reduce income inequality. It also means having fewer, better paying jobs.

With all these reasons, why did we ethnic small business owners wait until now to rally against this proposed wage hike?

Because we were afraid to talk openly with each other and with our employees—it’s not in our culture to make waves. We feared we would be accused of not wanting to improve the lives of our workers. We feared being bullied and boycotted.

Our fear clouded our ability to use the greatest weapon this country can give us: our voice.

Now, we’ve come together to say, “no,” to the proposed $15/hr minimum wage that would become effective next January. We need to determine a sustainable approach to economic growth that will be a win-win for both employees and employers and that will respect the diversity of our city.

—Ethnic Community Coalition


IE OPINION

By Amy Van and Jintana LityouvongIE Guest Columnists

Former director of the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA) Ellen Abellera said that one of the best things that happened during her term was receiving funding from the state Legislature for the 2008 studies on the achievement gaps of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) students in Washington’s public schools.

Commissioner Frieda Takamura eagerly supported this effort Abellera helped jumpstart. Takamura’s extensive background as an educator and education advocate made her the perfect candidate to chair CAPAA’s education committee having taught junior high and high school, and worked on the Human and Civil Rights Coordinator with the Washington Education Association.

Takamura, who joined the Commission in 2008, credits the foresight of individuals like Abellera and Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos who saw the need to uncover API achievement or opportunity gaps by requesting two separate studies, one for Asian Americans and one for Pacific Islanders. By examining educational data of API students in Washington at a disaggregated level, the researchers found hidden and invisible opportunity gaps among Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander students.

“Now after that study, the government cannot generalize or stereotype or lump Asian Americans into one,” Abellera said.

The data dispelled the “model minority” myth of APIs in the education system and helped push for legislation to create the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee in 2009, to which Takamura now co-chairs. The committee works to engage community members and policymakers alike to resolve the opportunity gaps for all students.

The community engagement piece is pivotal to developing strategies that work, Takamura stresses. “The community

40 years with CAPAA: Changing with the times, looking to the future

informs the legislators, who in turn create policies; laws and policies help create civil rights.”

For Abellera, civic engagement is vital to bringing about change. Before Gov. Gary Locke appointed her executive director in 2003, Abellera was a community volunteer for 10 years. As the president of the Filipino American Political Action Group of Washington (FAPAGOW), Abellera had experience in voter registration and engaging people in the voting process.

“We have a reputation of not really going to the polls,” Abellera said. “We need to be politically aware of what’s going on. We need to be a part of the political process with a big number of us.”

In Commissioner Debadutta Dash’s view, influencing policymakers has never been an easy task for the API community.

“Because of the language barrier, because of the lack of understanding, people may think that they’re on their own, that nobody is there to help them,” Dash said. “So that’s what we do. We help them with the state government.”

As chair of the Economic Development Committee, Dash works to support and connect with small, minority-owned businesses. Despite language and cultural barriers, he finds APIs to be incredibly enterprising people.

“When I see the lack of finances is a major bottleneck for them to start a business, it really hurts,” said Dash, who was appointed in 2009. With the slowdown of the economy and lack of programs, small businesses have had challenges in getting the funds to even start.

CAPAA has been working to assist minority business owners in accessing state resources and services. The Commission often refers small business owners to the Office of Minority & Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE), which works to ensure equity and opportunity for minorities and women.

Dash, like Takamura, has observed the large growth in the API community in Washington in the last decade, particularly among South Asians and Southeast Asians. With large disparities among the different communities and stereotypes of financial and academic success, both commissioners

hope to change these generalized perceptions that are often harmful.

In the past decade, CAPAA’s work has spanned from assisting Hmong refugees acquire farmland to holding a health disparity summit in 2004, followed by a diversity business summit to help small businesses compete for state contracting opportunities.

Most recently, the Commission released the first report to comprehensively describe the state of APIs in Washington and partnered with community groups in 2012 to convene two summits to raise the voices of Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander students and families in improving education.

As the Commission looks toward a future that promises to bring significant demographic changes, community leaders hope to see the tradition of community-driven leadership continue.

“Change will happen and I feel CAPAA and other community organizations and nonprofits have a role to play. They will be the catalyst for changes,” Dash said.

Abellera said it is important for more APIs to “adopt a culture of activism and volunteerism, because then they will not feel like someone is just telling them to do it. It’s coming from their inner core. They will claim ownership of that.”

“I see so much in our younger generations, especially in their ability to say aloud, ‘this is good, but is it good enough?’” said Takamura, who already sees that hope materializing. “The structure of CAPAA is unusual, how fortunate are we to have a body of representation, written in law, to bring voices of APAs at the decision-making level?”

This series of op-eds are written to celebrate, reminisce, and highlight the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs 40th Anniversary. The anniversary celebration will take place on May 15, 2014. Please visit http://www.capaa.wa.gov/about/40.shtml for longer articles and for more information.

The Board of Directors of InterIm Community Development Association (InterIm CDA) is pleased to announce the selection of Andrea Akita as its new Executive Director. We are thrilled that Andrea will lead and continue InterIm CDA’s long-standing work to promote resiliency in Asian and Pacific Islander, immigrant, and refugee communities through culturally and linguistically responsive community building. Her appointment comes at an exciting time for our organization, as we start construction on Hirabayashi Place, expand our housing stability services, build

new programs for the community garden, and forge new partnerships to address growing needs of the communities we serve.

Andrea is a respected leader with a career dedicated to human services, affordable housing, and community development. She has more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit and local government organizations that share InterIm CDA’s vision of building culturally rich communities where all people thrive. Prior to joining InterIm CDA in September 2013, Andrea was a manager in the Seattle Human Services Department,

where she planned and developed housing stability and supportive services programs to reduce and end homelessness. She has served as the Housing Services Manager for the Northwest AIDS Foundation and has worked as a program officer for the Washington Community Development Loan Fund.

Andrea holds dual Masters degrees in Urban & Regional Planning and Public Administration from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from UCLA.

In addition, Andrea has trained with the Seattle Culinary Academy at Seattle Central Community College, where she had unique opportunities to work with local chefs and farmers and experience the farm-to-table connection first-hand.

As Andrea begins her new leadership role, please join us in congratulating her. We thank you for the ongoing support you have provided to InterIm CDA so that we can do what we do—in the past, present, and future.

—InterIm CDA

COMMUNITY LETTER

InterIm CDA names Andrea Akita as executive director, continues mission for APIs

Commissioner Frieda Takamura sharing lunch in the Vedic Cultural Center in 2010. • Courtesy Photo


IE NEWS

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IE News Services

The University of Washington’s Chi Sigma Alpha will be hosting its 10th annual awareness concert on May 16 called Music 4 Life.

Music 4 Life benefi t show has been held yearly as Chi Sigma Alpha’s main fundraiser for their local and national philanthropies. Music 4 Life aims to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and UW’s Experimental Education Unit (EEU) while showcasing the talents of community members.

Asian American Youtube star David Choi will be headlining the show. Other acts include Chi Sigma Alpha Dance Team, Hana_B, I’m with Amy, JRodTwins, Leanna Le, Roland Arii, Sendai Era, and UW Bollywood Kahaani Dance Team.

Chi Sigma Alpha works directly with The Make-A-Wish Foundation (Northwest Region) and aids in fundraising to help local (and national) children’s dreams come true. The sisters also help prepare special care packages for the children who travel the distance for their life-long wishes to come true.

In the EEU program, chil-dren with neuro-logical injuries (including au-tism and Down syndrome) can take classes with teachers special-ized in helping these children gain an ordinary education. Dur-

ing parent-teacher meetings, Chi Sigma Alpha National Sorority, Inc. volunteers to play with and babysit the children on a regular basis during the school year. Chi Sigma Alpha continues its support for the EEU by volunteering for the Annual EEU Gala, which raises thousands of dollars to fund the EEU and provide education for the enrolled children of low-income fami-lies at no cost.

Music 4 LifeFriday, May 16 at 7:00 p.m.University of Washington, Kane Hall 130Presale tickets $12, VIP tickets $30Online pre-sale tickets available at http://uwmusic4life.brownpapertickets.com

Chi Sigma Alpha hosts 10th annual Music 4 Life

Choi

By Chelsee YeeIE Contributor

Back in June 2010, the City of Medina hired Jeffrey Chen, a Chinese American, as their Police Chief—a distinguished role responsible for the control and supervision over their policy developments and program implementations.

A year later, Chen fi led a lawsuit against the City of Medina and City Manager Donna Hanson on the basis of racial discrimination after a controversial resignation that later became an administrative leave order before resulting in his full dismissal.

Chen was awarded $2 million in damages for his dismissal on grounds of racial discrimination. However, in what The Seattle Times describes as “an extraordinary legal turnaround,” the federal judge vacated the jury’s verdict, concluding that Chen’s lawyer, Marianne Jones, had improperly infl uenced the members of the jury in seeing Chen as a victim of racial discrimination.

The judge called for a new trial, which has thus been postponed from April 28 to July 28, 2014. It is scheduled to take place in the Western Washington District Court.

Chen v. The City of Medina is a confusing case that continues to hit the headlines during its fi nal fi nger-pointing playoff. The controversy has raised important discussion points for the APA community in how race is not only handled in the legal context but also in the larger contemporary society.

Below is a timeline of events to help readers understand the case in its full context:

• June 2010—The City of Medina hires Jeffrey Chen who had since served the department since 2001 and later became the interim chief of police in early 2004.

• November 2010—The City’s insurer hired attorney Michael Bolasina to provide legal advice following reports of unauthorized access into its records.

• December 2010—Bolasina inter-views Chen about complaints of unau-thorized activity and asks to review his documentation. Chen resigns two days later but later revokes it and is placed on administrative leave.

• January 2011—Chen provides a memorandum contradicting his earlier statements to Bolasina.

• February 2011—Chen faces an internal investigation, which fi nds evidence of misconduct: voiding citations for infl uential Medina residents, using his work vehicle to take vacation, paying for gas with the City’s credit card, and attempting to access the City’s email archive.

• April 2011—Chen resigns and fi les a lawsuit against the City of Medina on the basis that he was dismissed because of his race. Chen claims that city offi cials and employees made derogatory statements and racial slurs about his heritage, such as being referred to as a “Chinaman” and “a regular Charlie Chan.”

• March 2013—After 11 days of trial, the jury was in favor of Chen who was awarded $2 million in damages, which included back pay, loss of income, and $100,000 in emotional damages.

• August 2013—U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Zilly issues an order of reversal soon that nullifi es the previous verdict, which was determined that the members of the jury were subjected to the prosecutor’s innuendo rather than evidence to establish a racial motivation in Chen’s case.

• January 2014—Judge Zilly issues a new trial, the fi rst in his 25 years on the bench, for April 28, which has now been postponed to July 28. Chen’s attorney has since submitted a new “supplemental economics damage report” that was rejected by the court. According to Chen, the judge is “allowing the supplemental report in but will permit the city a continuance to depose the new economics expert.”

For more information, visit http://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/694294.pdf.

Trial of former Police Chief Jeffrey Chen’s discrimination case postponed


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May 7-13, 2014

By Joshua BessexIE Contributor

The “Seattle Freeze” is a very real thing according to the “Civic Health Index” sur-vey presented at the Seattle Neighborhood Summit on April 5.

The event, held in the Seattle Center Ex-hibition Hall, drew a crowd of about 600 people in an attempt by Mayor Ed Murray to bring neighborhoods together and start conversations.

The greater Seattle region ranked 37th out of 51 large metropolitan areas when it came to exchanging favors with neighbors and 48th in how frequently people speak with their neighbors, said Diane Douglas, execu-tive director for the Seattle City Club, who presented the club’s findings.

While Murray did not specifically re-spond to the findings by the Seattle City Club, he did express a need for communica-tion between neighborhoods.

“This summit is about engagement,” said Murray during his opening speech. “We have to be able to listen to each other.”

The summit included talks from Douglas, former Seattle Councilmember Jim Street, and a community question-and-answer ses-sion for people to discuss what they want to see in the next Seattle Department of Trans-portation Director.

Seattle Neighborhood Summit incites conversation, but no solutions

When Douglas asked audience members to share things that make them proud of their neighborhoods, many attendees spoke about problems with zoning laws.

“I can’t say I heard what I was proud of,” said Linda Clifton from the Fremont Coun-cil.

“I heard we really need a change in the design review process so that new buildings going in single-family zones and every-where get better design reviews so we can live by them more comfortably.”

Dorothy Wong and Alan Lai from the Chinese Information and Service Center were at the event to help coordinate com-munity members and translate concerns from members of the Chinese community. They said public safety and transportation were the two biggest concerns coming

from their community. During the sum-mit, someone handed Lai a letter written in Chinese pleading with the mayor’s of-fice to help fix public transportation in Chinatown.

Hodan Mohamed, from South Seattle, ex-pressed a need for more public safety in the Rainier Beach neighborhood.

“Rainier Beach is one of the most violent neighborhoods, it’s not safe,” Mohamed said. “We need some kind of patrol in the area.”

To address transportation, the mayor called for public input about the new SDOT director. Attendees called for some-one who uses transit services, understands the geographical challenges presented by the region—especially snow—and could balance support for many types of trans-portation.

Other parts of the summit included over a dozen government and community booths—Seattle Fire Department and Emergency Management to the Waterfront for All Proj-ect— organized farmers-market style near the back of the hall.

Discussions near the booths were so loud that Murray often paused the speakers to shush the crowd.

In the end, many of the attendees were happy to have their voices heard but felt that the summit wasn’t enough on its own and that Murray’s office needs to take the next steps.

“I think they should go back, and visit and see what people said and then maybe three or four months later say we heard your con-cerns, your questions, and this is what we have done so far,” Mohamed said.

Mohamed also expressed the need for more inclusion and an interpreter at the next event.

“There was a lot of families here where English is not a first language,” she said.

Seward Park resident David Okimato ex-pressed similar views and called the summit “a start” but expressed disappointment at the lack of solutions he heard.

“I’d give [the summit] a C as a beginning,” Okimato said. “It depends on where it goes from here.”

Alan Lai, from the Chinese Information and Service Center, speaks during a discussion session at the 2014 Neighborhood Summit held at Seattle Center Exhibition Hall on April 5. • Photo by Joshua Bessex


IE NEWS

Turn playing on the bed into a brain-building moment! The first 5 years are when children’s brains grow the fastest, so connecting with them now will make a big difference tomorrow.

By Rebecca YeungIE Contributor

More than 80 representatives of small and minority businesses gathered at New Hong Kong Restaurant on April 23 to voice their opinions and concerns about a proposed Seattle minimum wage hike.

The Ethnic Community Coalition held a “save immigrant jobs and businesses” forum at New Hong Kong Restaurant in the International District for immigrants and small business owners to speak directly to Seattle City Council members about their concerns regarding an increase in the minimum wage.

Councilmembers Sally Clark and Jean Godden attended the forum.

Many business owners agreed that income inequality is an important issue that needs to be discussed and accept a small raise in the minimum wage. But they cannot afford a 60 percent jump, they said.

David Leong, Vice President of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, said that with the bad economy, raising the minimum wage to $15 is unreasonable.

“If the economy is strong, if the businesses are doing well, why not? I would give bonuses to my staff,” he said. “But the world economy is bad. If you are talking about Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon, … they are going to do good no matter what. But Boeing and Microsoft are not going to uphold the economy.”

Washington currently has the highest minimum wage in the nation at $9.32 per hour. Connecticut has passed an ordinance to raise its minimum wage to $10.10 by 2017. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray is currently proposing a phased-in $15 minimum wage.

“I support fixing the income inequality gap, I agree the minimum wage should be raised,” I-Miun Liu, owner of Oasis and Eastern Café said. “I don’t agree going up to $15 right away.”

With about 40 employees, Liu pays about $13,000 every two weeks and $4,000 in taxes on top of that. With the minimum wage increase, not only will the cost of payroll go up, but the tax as well. Liu said that he may have to stop his plan of expanding the business and increase the menu prices.

Small businesses gather in ID to oppose $15 minimum wage

Lan Tran owns Tony’s Bakery and Deli and Banh Mi Unwrapped and has about 13 employees. Tran said that with the raise of minimum wage, she will have to close or relocate her businesses.

As an owner of insurance agencies, Lawrence Pang, board member and past president of Chinese Chamber of Commerce, said his biggest cost is payroll.

“We have no food product, my main cost is wages,” he said. “Sixty percent jump? I’m leaving. I can’t afford it, I will leave Seattle.”

Pang is also worried that with the raise, people outside of Seattle will arrive to compete with local employees, which defeats the purpose of helping the lowest-waged workers.

Multiple representatives, including Susanna Tran, daughter of Lan Tran, expressed that for the immigrant community, these businesses not only provide them job opportunities, but also teach them skills, provide them with care and help, and provide a place to connect with the community. Clark guessed that with the increase in the minimum wage, we would see more Pizza Huts and McDonald’s instead of more New Hong Kong.

“A lot of current business owners were my parents’ employees,” said Susanna Tran. “Minimum wage is a starting point for everybody. They learn the skills and open their own business.”

The UW Evans Schools of Public Affairs expects that with the increase of minimum wage, the poverty rate will drop from 13.6 percent to 9.4 percent given the same employment and hours. Food stamp benefits for a minimum wage worker family will also drop from $348 to $75.

Researchers at UC Berkeley have found that in San Francisco, the family poverty rates and the enrollments in public assistance programs, such as food stamps, decrease as the minimum wage increases.

It is shown in the same research that with a 10 percent increase in minimum wage, the operating costs for restaurants will increase by 1 to 2 percent. The increase of payroll cost can also be absorbed by reduced turnover costs and small price raises in the menu.

However, there is not enough evidence that shows the San Francisco study can apply to other cities. With the 60 percent raise, business owners are worried that the payroll costs will outgrow the profit, as most of the small businesses make less than $50,000 per year, said Trong Pham, President of the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce.

“I would rather work for $12 an hour for years until the economy gets strong [than getting fired]. Having some income is better than having no income,” Leong said.

Loeng was disappointed that only two councilmembers attended the forum. “It’s disappointing,” he said. “Heart breaking … We voted them in.”

Mike Sotelo, president of King County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce also questioned if the council really understood their needs and could represent them when there were so many empty seats for the councilmembers in the forum.

Seattle Councilmembers Sally Clark and Jean Godden answer questions after the Ethnic Community Coalition forum. • Photo by Rebecca Yeung

Small business owners gather to have their voice heard. • Photo by Rebecca Yeung


IE NEWS

IE News Services

On May 1, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announced the details of a plan to raise Se-attle’s minimum wage to $15 per hour, the highest of any major city in the nation.

“Seattle workers are getting a raise,” Mur-ray said in a statement. “Throughout this process, I’ve had two goals: to get Seattle’s low-wage workers to $15-per-hour while also supporting our employers, and to avoid a costly battle at the ballot box between competing initiatives. We have a deal that I believe accomplishes both goals.”

Murray said the plan has the confi rmed support of 21 of 24 members of his Income Inequality Advisory Committee (IIAC), a group convened in December with represen-tatives from Seattle’s employer, labor, and non-profi t communities to address the press-ing issue of income equality in Seattle.

The IIAC-supported plan lays out the fol-lowing framework:

• Small businesses (businesses with fewer than 500 employees) will reach a $15 per hour minimum wage in seven years. Also established is a temporary compensation re-sponsibility of $15 per hour to be met within the fi rst fi ve years, which can be achieved by combining employer-paid health care contri-butions, consumer-paid tips, and employer-paid wages.

• Large businesses (businesses with 500 or more employees, either in Seattle or nation-ally) will reach $15 per hour in three years. The wages of employees who receive health care benefi ts will reach $15 per hour in four years.

Previously, Murray had announced some guiding principles of the proposal while it was still under negotiation. Included among these principles is the agreement that once $15 per hour is reached, future increases will be tied to the consumer price index; and no industry, organization, or class of employers is exempted from any provisions of the deal except as pro-vided under state and federal law.

The Ethnic Community Coalition (which is comprised of The Greater Seattle Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, The Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce, The King County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and The Korean American Chamber of Com-merce) recently formed to speak out against raising the minimum wage to $15. The group said a minimum wage increase would affect low-level workers with limited English who may lose their jobs and would have diffi culty fi nding other work in such a competitive mar-ket; halt plans for business expansion; and raise prices.

On April 1, Murray met with ethnic media to discuss a number of issues, among them minimum wage concerns. The International Examiner asked the mayor: “If the minimum

wage is raised to $15, and a business owner has to make a choice of letting someone go, will they let go the non-English speaking immigrant and keep the other person?”

Murray replied: “I think if we raise the minimum wage too high, too fast that’s ex-actly what will happen. And what worries me is, we hear a lot of concern about the waitstaff, and we should. But I’m just as concerned about people at the back of the house, the dishwashers, who often, are the most recently arrived people in this coun-try, who often had some of the biggest lan-guage challenges. So that’s why I believe that we need to do this and we need to do this smart. And we need to understand that

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announces details of minimum wage planthere are people in this community, immi-grants and immigrant-owned businesses, who are concerned about how we proceed with the $15 minimum wage because it’s been portrayed as somewhat differently in the mainstream press. So that will happen if we don’t do this right. Someone will lose their job because a restaurant, and most restaurants I realize make a lot of money, but most restaurants operate on a margin and a 60 percent hike, and what they would pay people at once, is far higher than their probably four-to-eight percent margin in a small restaurant in a neighborhood. Maybe two percent.”

A conversation among business owners on the $15 minimum wage proposal will take place in the International District as part of the Greater Seattle Chinese Cham-ber of Commerce monthly luncheon on Friday, May 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The luncheon, called “$15 Minimum Wage: Survival Tips for Minority Busi-nesses,” will feature SCIDpda executive director Maiko Winkler-Chin and business owners Taylor Hoang and Lawrence Pang. Current Chinese Chamber members who register and pay online by 10:30 a.m. May 9 will pay $15. New members are also $15. Paying at the door is $20.

For more information, email [email protected].

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray speaks to ethnic media on April 1. • Photo by Travis Quezon


IE COMMUNITY


On Saturday, April 26, more than 500 local Comcast employees, community partners, their families, and friends took to the streets of Seattle’s historic Chinatown-International District as part of Comcast Cares Day- ID Spring Clean.

Working side-by-side with volunteers, nonprofits, and businesses, it was a day for Comcast to bring local communities together in its mission to beautify and revitalize the home to many of our APIs.

Comcast Cares Day-ID Spring Clean included the following projects (among many others):

• Pressure-washing sidewalks and organizing a widespread trash pick-up• Painting over graffiti and cleaning culturally significant artwork, such as the fish

designs on the I-5 pillars• Restoring the Danny Woo Community Garden• Giving a makeover to the Asian Counseling and Referral Service Food Bank• Painting the offices of the International ExaminerComcast has worked closely with the CIDBIA, SCIDpda, ICDA, City Year, and

other non-profits to make this day successful.

Here’s a glimpse of the big day.

Comcast Cares Day—ID Spring Clean brings neighborhood together

Tweeted by Asian Counseling and Referral Service’s Twitter account (@ACRSNews): “EVERYONE gets involved in the #ccday #Zumba warmup!”Courtesy Photo

Photo by C. B. Bell, III Photographer, www.cbbell.com

Photo by C. B. Bell, III Photographer, www.cbbell.comPhoto by C. B. Bell, III Photographer, www.cbbell.com


IE COMMUNITY

By Imana GunawanIE Contributor

A University of Washington student group aims to recreate a slice of Taiwanese life this May, right on the UW campus.

Taiwanese Student Association’s (TSA) annual Night Market will be held at UW’s Red Square on the evening of May 10.

“Our goal is to spread the culture and the people of Taiwan,” said Henry Lin, UW senior and TSA president.

Night markets are prominent cultural events in Taiwan, Lin explained. The group’s goal is to recreate that event in Seattle in order to spread Taiwanese culture to the greater Seattle community.

The Night Market will feature food vendors and performances from Youtube star Clara C, New Heights, and Lions Ambition. Students will also have the opportunity to perform during the event.

Last year, the event attracted about 4,000 people, according to Lin. This year, they are expecting an even bigger turnout.

“This year, to accommodate that ... we are enlarging the night market in terms of space,” Lin said. “Last year we had 12 vendors, this year we have 15. Space-wise, we’re expanding down to the Meany Hall area.”

Night Market: A slice of Taiwanese life to take over UW’s Red Square

This year, the Night Market is incorporating vendors that will sell food from other cultures, said Ted Chen, UW graduate student and general officer for TSA.

“In previous years, we’ve focused almost exclusively on [traditional] Taiwanese cuisines ... but this year we’ve expanded to include Vietnamese and Thai cuisine because when you go to a night market in

Taiwan, it’s actually more diverse than just Taiwanese food,” Chen said.

Chen said in recent years, there has been a surge in immigrants from Vietnam and Thailand in Taiwan, which added to the diversity in cultures represented through the traditional night markets. He said that TSA would like to replicate that environment.

“What you would see in a night market in Taiwan, you’ll find at the Night Market at UW,” he said.

Lin hopes that in the future, the Night Market could further expand to become a street fair-like event that could be held on the streets of the University District instead of just on Red Square.

As for this year’s event, the group hopes that the event can go smoothly and set new standards for the TSA Night Market, Chen said.

“One of the most important Taiwanese aspect that we want to share is the welcoming culture and attitude of Taiwanese people,” Lin said. “The whole event is a family event but at the same time, anyone can come.”

TSA UW Night Market 2014 happens Saturday, May 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at UW Red Square.

Students and community members visit a vendor at the Taiwanese Student Association’s Night Market last year, which attracted about 4,000 visitors. This year, TSA is expecting an even bigger turnout. • Photo courtesy of TSA UW


IE COMMUNITY

Newly-appointed Justice Mary Yu first Asian-American/Latina, first openly gay member of state’s highest court

IE News Services

Gov. Jay Inslee appointed King County Superior Court Judge Mary Yu to the Washington State Supreme Court on May 1. Yu will fill the seat of Justice Jim Johnson who retired from the court earlier this week due to health issues.

Yu, age 56, grew up in Chicago as the daughter of two immigrants who met at a factory, her mother from Mexico and her father from China. The judge will be the first Asian-American and Latina on the state Supreme Court. She will also be the first openly gay member of the state’s highest court.

Yu has served 14 years on the King County Superior Court, was a top deputy in the King County Prosecutor’s Office under the late Norm Maleng and began her public service career working for the Archdiocese of Chicago, first as an associate and then director of the Office for the Ministry of Peace and Justice.

“Trial court judges, at every level of court, are the workhorses of our system of justice,” Yu said. “I am proud to come from their ranks and will do all

that I can to remember that the trial court remains the place where the law is actually applied to everyday life.”

Yu will be sworn in later this month. She will run for election this fall for the two years remaining in Johnson’s six-year term.

“That combination of experience has allowed Judge Yu to see the real-life impacts our legal system has on a diverse population,” Inslee said.

Yu was appointed to King County Superior Court by former Gov. Gary Locke. She subsequently was reelected to the seat four times.

In 2011, Yu received the Outstanding Judge of the Year Award from the Washington State Bar Association, with current Supreme Court Justice Steven C. González, for work in researching and exposing racial disparity in Washington state’s criminal justice system. A task force they formed with Seattle University School of Law Professor Robert Chang drew attention to a system where communities of color faced a disproportionality of arrests, the imposition of more severe penalties and higher rates of incarceration.

Yu earned her bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Rosary College (Dominican University), a master’s in theology from Mundelein College of Loyola University and her law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School.

“I believe it is clear to everyone that Judge Yu has both the qualifications and experience to sit on our Supreme Court. And her personal story adds a unique perspective that is important as our state’s demographics continue to shift,” Inslee said.

Please share your concerns, your solutions, and your voices. Send a letter to the editor to [email protected] with the subject line “Letter to the Editor.”

YOUR OPINION COUNTS

Yu

ANNOUNCEMENT

IE News Services

Nikkei Community Network is presenting a “Meet and Greet” with Michael Shiosaki, a Sansei born in Spokane, who is Seattle’s First Gentleman as the husband of Mayor Ed Murray.

Shiosaki and Murray married in 2013 after 22 years when same-sex marriage was legalized in Washington state.

Shiosaki is the director of planning and development for the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department.

This is an opportunity to meet Shiosaki and Murray together.

The “Meet and Greet” happens on Monday, May 12 at the Nagomi Tea House, 519 6th Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98104. A tea ceremony takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The reception is from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

$5 parking is available in the front lot. Light refreshments will be served. The event is free.

To RSVP, contact [email protected] or (206) 623-0100 by May 9.

Meet and greet Seattle’s First GentlemanShiosaki and Murray • Courtesy Photo


IE COMMUNITY


Founded in 2004, the premier initiative of the Robert Chinn Foundation has led to an annual event in the Asian Pacific American community: the Asian Hall of Fame. It’s the only event of its kind to bring a national focus to the personal achievements of APAs who contribute to the American experience and continue to inspire the next generation.

This year, the Asian Hall of Fame will be held at the Fairmont Olympic in Seattle, honoring the following individuals: Nathan Adrian, Norman Mineta, Grace Park, and Manu Tuiasosopo.

“I am extremely honored to be the first Samoan Pacific Islander included in the Asian Hall of Fame,” said Tuiasosopo, a former NFL player and first-round draft choice for the Seattle Seahawks. “I am delighted for the positive exposure this experience will bring to our Samoan families and culture.”

Tuiasosopo has played for five seasons before receiving NFL All-Rookie honors in his first year as a pro. Today, he spends his seasons helping coach and counsel

youths in education and football skills as part of his community service to local Washington high school programs, Samoan organizations, and the larger APA community.

“The Asian Hall of Fame is important for all APAs because it shows the wide breadth of opportunities that have opened up to all APAs,” said honoree Norman Mineta. “It shows that with self-determination, perseverance, hard work, good mentoring and networking, there are all kinds of opportunities to pursue — even those which were felt to be unattainable or closed in the past.”

Mineta has made a significant impact through his long political career as the former U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Mayor of San Jose, and member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was also the longest-serving Secretary of Transportation in the history of the position, and today, he serves as the Vice Chairman of Hill & Knowlton, a leading international communications consultancy, providing services to local, multinational and global clients.

“My heritage and the experience of those of Japanese ancestry has driven

me in many of the actions of my career in public service,” he adds. “As I reflected and acted on these needs of the Japaense American community, I came to realize that the totality of the Asian American Pacific Islander community was not much different. Therefore, I have in the last 10 to 15 years been more devoted to the idea of Pan Asian community needs.”

Grace Park, known for her role in Battlestar Galactica and Hawaii Five-0, also recognizes the importance her heritage has in her many life achievements.

“There is a liberty that exists with the ability to float between two cultural worlds,” she said. “It allows one to be more aware of oneself, as apart from society, as well as feeling one can choose which rules to play by. Perhaps this influenced me to strive for what I wanted, even if I were to obtain it, I always had the other society’s perspective to bring it into balance.”

Nathan Adrian, three-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer and another one of this year’s honorees for the Asian Hall of Fame, also takes notice in his own life.

“My heritage is something that I have always been aware of, however, some

would say that there is a disproportionately low number of Asians as professional athletes. I take pride in trying my best to be a role model to show young Asian American boys and girls that they are only limited by the size of their dreams.”

Though Adrian has proved himself to be a world-class swimmer, holding the American record in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events, he also aspires to be a leader in public health and to influence policy and patient care.

The Robert Chinn Foundation invites you to join them on Saturday, May 31 at 6:00 p.m. to celebrate this year’s honorees and their contributions to the APA community. After the cocktail and silent auction, the program will commence at 7:00 p.m., led by emcee Mimi Jung of KING 5 Television who will guide the rest of the evening.

Guests can look forward to a night of a celebration and entertainment, including performances by Morning Star Korean Cultural Center. Be sure to get your tickets now as tables are being reserved fast. General admission is $200. For more information, visit www.asianhalloffame.org.

Asian Hall of Fame brings national focus to Asian Pacific Americans

IE News Services

It’s been the tradition of Northwest Folklife to celebrate at its signature festival event each May one of the many cultures that make up the greater Pacific Northwest. This year, Northwest Folklife will showcase a history of east Indian traditions, styles, and identities across six different stages at Seattle Center.

“Folklife works with over 100 communities each festival,” lead programmer Kelli Faryar said. “Most of our community showcases are framed in a two-to-three hour window, which is only a glimpse into who and what these particular communities thrive on and the traditions that they are passing along. Our cultural focus allows us to further engage a community and showcase who they are not just at the festival, but throughout the year and with a much greater platform.”

The 2014 Northwest Folklife Festival, which takes place May 23 to 26, offers an opportunity to learn more about the Indian community of the Northwest through panels and discussions, films, dance and music presentations, visual arts, and even a chance to learn how to dance Bollywood.

This year, Northwest Folklife has been working closely with The India Association of Western Washington (IAWW) on the event. IAWW provides a common identity to the Indian community and facilitates cultural, social, educational services, and

opportunities for cultural integration from young to old of the community. IAWW also fosters those activities that enhance mutual understanding and appreciation between the Indo-American community and mainstream American community. Here are some highlights from the 2014 Northwest Folklife Festival’s cultural focus on India:

• Bollywood Show (Exhibition Hall—Friday, 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.): An array of Bollywood Dance performances curated by Mollie Singh, director and curator of Bollywood Seattle. The “Bollywood Show” gives audiences a chance to experience various Bollywood dance styles, Indian folk dance, and the Bollywood story through this dance form. Featuring Vibha Srinivasan, Queen Harish, UW Bollywood Kahaani, Nachle, Bolly Dance Moves, UW DangeRaas Dawgs, Bollywood Seattle, Desi Girls, Bhangrea with Chi.

• Color & Cultures of India (Bagley Wright Theatre—Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.): A popular, classical Indian dance style, Kathak originated in ancient northern India, and contains traces of temple and ritual dance. The “Colors & Cultures of India” showcase will feature an elaborate array of all-ages Kathak dance performance from areas with other Indian dance styles interwoven. Featuring Leela Kathak Dancers, Nupur Dancing Superstars, Anga Kala Kathak Academy, Urvasi

Dance Ensemble, Mohini Dance School, Sangeetha Nrithyalaya, Tanjavur Dance School, Vidhi Jain, Arpan, Nrityalaya Dance.

• Music Across India (Center Theatre—Sunday, 11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.): Three performances featuring

music from first-time Folklife group-performers Junior Tabla Eastside, a Carnatic music presentation from internationally-known artist Priya Raghav, as well as presentation of Indian instrumental music from the students of Anjali Music School. Featuring Junior Tabla (Group Indian Drumming), Proya Raghav (South Indian Classical Vocal), Vadya Vrinda (Indian Instrumental Music).

• Fashion of India (Exhibition Hall—Sunday, 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.): Àtiz Fashion House presents “The Fashions of India: Then and Now.” Catch a live catwalk-style fashion show at the Folklife Festival. The fashions of Àtiz Fashion House balance the concept of feminine beauty found in both Indian and America. Behold the opulent textiles and brilliant colors swirling in translucent layers.

• Mahishasura Mardini Kuchipudi Dance Ballet (Bagley Wright Theatre—Sunday, 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.): A grand and traditional Indian opera, Mahishasura Mardini Kuchipudi will fill the Bagley Wright Theatre with music and dance. Starring internationally renowned Indian dancer Sri Pasumarthi Venkateswara Sarma, this is the first operatic dance ballet of this caliber to be produced at the Folklife Festival and seating is limited.

For more information and for a schedule of all the festivities, visit www.nwfolklife.org/festival.

2014 Northwest Folklife Festival showcases arts, music from India

Sri Pasumarthi Venkateswara Sarma performs Monday, May 25 in the Bagley Wright Theatre. • Courtesy Photo


IE ARTS

206-543-4880 | uwworldseries.org

David Finckel celloWu Han pianoPhil Setzer violin

performing works byBeethoven,Dvorak,and Schubert

May 21Meany Hall

on the UW Campus

‘Watermark’ a work of art, tells story of H2O through stunning visuals, harsh truths

By Yayoi L. WinfreyIE Contributor

At times, the feature documentary Watermark looks like some hi-tech graphic designer’s portfolio spilling eloquently beautiful artwork. Even the movie’s title suggests a sheet of translucent parchment engraved with an ornamental logo or copyright. But Watermark is not about art in a literal sense. Instead, the film focuses on one of this planet’s most basic elements—water.

Co-directors Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky tell a remarkable story of H2O, as both being desperately sought in drought-stricken areas and taken for granted by those having an abundance of it. Drinking it, bathing in it, harnessing it for electrical power or agriculture, the people in this film find no limit to its usefulness.

Traveling to 20 locations throughout 10 countries, Baichwal and Burtynsky train their cameras on various bodies of water: from naturally flowing to manmade, from raw beauty to rare ugliness. There’s the meandering once-mighty Colorado River. Its tributaries looking like dead tree branches, unable to reach the Pacific Ocean anymore as it once did. There’s the violent surge of ocean waves rushing upward as if seizing air. There’s the frozen water of Iceland, ice that’s thousands of years old being tested by scientists today. And, at Las Vegas’ Bellagio Hotel, divers repair hoses while computer technicians troubleshoot water until it gurgles and dances again in the fountains fronting the lobby.

With his background as a painter, Burtynsky intuitively creates exhilarating designs with his pictures of water, like

geometric-shaped rice paddies or a ferociously crashing sea. His images, much like abstract renderings, are often shot from dizzying heights, from aircraft or the tops of dams and processing plants. Watching Burtynsky work on his coffee table book of photos about the same subject, it’s clear that he’s the visual partner of the team.

Conversely, Baichwal seems to be urging a narrative, although it’s strangely devoid of any real dialogue about climate change. Still, any unspoken commentary seems to contrast nicely with the powerful images, as if to declare that no words are necessary. Along with Baichwal’s husband, Nick de Pencier as cinematographer, the trio develops a visually robust yet mostly silent story. As for the countries they visit, all yield incredible journeys with two really standing out—India and China.

Baichwal, who’s made several documentaries (including the highly touted Manufactured Landscapes), is a multi-racial Canadian with an Indian father. Over a decade ago, she and her siblings made a pilgrimage to the sacred Ganges (or Ganga-ji as Hindus call it) to take her father’s ashes to Badrinath according to his last wishes and as dictated by tradition. Filming the celebrants of Maha Kumbh Mela at the Ganges in Allahabad Uttar Pradesh must have regenerated memories for her. The alluring footage of 30 million devotees washing away their sins in the Ganges is indescribable. Gazing at the landscape of colorfully clothed participants splashing in the river’s water is like looking through a kaleidoscope. But where the participants of Kumbh Mela are joyous in the water, the laborers at

Dhaka Bangladesh’s tannery factories find misery in theirs.

As workers stomp in bare feet on soda ash. The run off, thick with toxic chemicals, flows straight into the Buriganga River. This is how leather is made that will be sold mostly to Europe and the U.S. While up to 200 liters of wastewater races to the river, a father bends to wash his son’s face in it.

In China, colossal floating abalone farms off East China Sea’s Fujian coast are breathtaking. Embraced by a mass of nets, the aquaculture in Luoyuan Bay is extraordinary. China is also the site where the largest arch dam in the world, the Xiluodu, is being built. Six times the size and power of the Hoover, it will stand 500 feet tall and 4,300 feet wide. Another reservoir, the Xiaolandgi Dam on the Yellow River opens the film, its explosive waters accelerating next to tourists carrying umbrellas.

At a Yunnan Province rice paddy collective, wood is carved to equally distribute highly prized water to each family farming its fields. A Michael Jackson look-alike (in blue jeans, red hat and glittering blazer) jokes to the filmmakers that he’s “a water guard” before revealing his desire to travel and lamenting that many villagers have left for Beijing to find work instead of growing rice as their ancestors did.

Despite being portrayed elaborately in this film, water still remains a fundamental element. As Burtynksy says, “All life starts with water, inside the mother’s womb.”

Watermark opened May 2 at Landmark Varsity Theatre, 4329 University Way Northeast, Seattle, Washington. For ticket information, visit http://goo.gl/KJMoNf.

Watermark


IE COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY

Get the planthat fits

Call Washington Apple Health at 1-855-WAFINDER (1-855-923-4633). Choose Amerigroup.

www.myamerigroup.com/

VNSF enables underprivileged students in Viet Nam to achieve success and happiness through education. We are looking for volunteers and board members to join the team and make a differ-ence in the lives of kids in Vietnam.

P.O. Box 16016 Seattle, WA [email protected] www.vnsf.org

1300 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101Ph: 206-654-3209 Fx: 206-654-3135SAM connects art to life through special exhibitions, educational programs and installations drawn from its collection of approximately 25,000 objects. Through its three sites, SAM presents global perspectives, making the arts a part of everyday life for people of all ages, interests, backgrounds and cultures.

Arts & Culture

[email protected] www.deniselouie.orgMulticultural preschool ages 3-5 years old. Now enrolling Private Pay full-day ($900/mo) and part-day classes ($500/mo) with locations at ID, Beacon Hill, and Rainier Beach.

3327 Beacon Ave S.Seattle, WA 98144 ph: 206-725-9740

Education

Housing & Neighborhood Planning

HomeSight5117 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118ph: 206-723-4355 fx: 206-760-4210www.homesightwa.org

HomeSight creates homeownership opportunities through real estate development, home buyer education and counseling, and lending.

InterIm Community Development Association310 Maynard Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104Ph: 206.624-1802 Services: 601 S King St, Ph: 206. 623-5132Interimicda.orgMultilingual community building: housing & parking, housing/asset counseling, projects, teen leadership and gardening programs.

Asia Pacific Cultural Center4851 So. Tacoma WayTacoma, WA 98409Ph: 253-383-3900Fx: 253-292-1551faalua@comcast.netwww.asiapacificculturalcenter.orgBridging communities and generations through arts, culture, education and business.

Kawabe Memorial House221 18th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144 ph: 206-322-4550 fx: [email protected] provide affordable, safe, culturally sensitive housing and support services to people aged 62 and older.

Address tobacco control and other health justice issues in the Asian American/Pacific Islander communities.

601 S King St.Seattle, WA 98104ph: 206-682-1668 website www.apicat.org

Asian Counseling & Referral Service3639 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S, Seattle, WA 98144 ph: 206-695-7600 fx: [email protected] www.acrs.orgACRS offers multilingual, behavioral health and social services to Asian Pacific Americans and other low-income people in King County.

National Asian Pacific Center on Aging Senior Community Service Employment Programph: 206-322-5272 fx: 206-322-5387www.napca.orgPart-time training program for low income Asian Pacific Islanders age 55+ in Seattle/King & Pierce Counties.

1601 E Yesler Way, Seattle, WA 98122ph: 206-323-7100 fx: 206-325-1502 www.nikkeiconcerns.orgRehabilitation & care center; assisted living community; senior activity program; continuing education.

Legacy House803 South Lane Street Seattle, WA 98104ph: 206-292-5184 fx: [email protected] www.scidpda.org/programs/legacyhouse.aspx

Description of organization/services offered: Assisted Living, Adult Day Services, meal programs for low-income seniors. Medicaid accepted.

Community Care Network of Kin On815 S Weller St, Suite 212, Seattle, WA 98104ph: 206-652-2330 fx: [email protected] www.kinon.orgProvides home care, Alzheimer’s and caregiver support, com-munity education and chronic care management; coordinates medical supply delivery for Asian/Chinese seniors and families in King County.

Kin On Health Care Center 4416 S Brandon St, Seattle, WA 98118ph: 206-721-3630 fx: [email protected] www.kinon.orgA 100-bed, Medicare and Medicaid certified, not-for-profit skilled nursing facility offering long-term skilled nursing and short-term rehab care for Asian/Chinese seniors.

Senior Services

WE MAKE LEADERS

Queen Anne Station, P.O. Box 19888, Seattle, WA [email protected], www.naaapseattle.orgFostering future leaders through education, networking and community services for Asian American professionals and entrepreneurs.Facebook: NAAAP-Seattle Twitter: twitter.com/naaapseattle

Social & Health Services

Chinese Information and Service Center611 S Lane St, Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-624-5633 fax: [email protected] www.cisc-seattle.org

CISC helps Asian immigrants make the transition to a new life while keeping later generations on touch with their rich heritage.

International District Medical & Dental Clinic720 8th Ave S, Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98104 ph: 206-788-3650 fax: 206-490-4011email: [email protected] website: www.ichs.com

Shoreline Medical & Dental ClinicComing in 2014!

ICHS is a non-profit medical and dental center that provides health care to low income Asian, Pacific Islanders, immigrants and refugees in Washington State.

Our programs help people meet their immediate needs and gain the skills and resources needed to reach solid ground and achieve their dreams.

1501 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103ph: 206-694-6700 fx: [email protected] www.solid-ground.org

ph: 206-624-3426 www.merchants-parking-transia.org

Merchants Parking provides convenient & affordable community parking. Transia provides community transportation: para-transit van services, shuttle services and field trips in & out of Chinatown/International District & South King County.

Seattle Rotary ClubBill NagelMeets Every Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.New Hong Kong [email protected]://www.seattleidrotary.org/Improve the local community by engaging

activities such as community improvement projects, scholarship opportunities, and undertakings that promote education.

PO Box 14047, Seattle WA 98114(206) 325.0325 (Helpline)[email protected]. apichaya.orgAPI Chaya is dedicated to serving survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence and

human trafficking in the Asian, South Asian and Pacific Islander communities. We offer multi-lingual services that are free and confidential.

Seattle Chinatown/International District Preservation and Development Authorityph: 206-624-8929 fx: 206-467-6376 [email protected]

Housing, property management and community development.

Executive Development Institute310 – 120th Ave NE. Suite A102 Bellevue, WA Ph. 425-467-9365 • Fax: 425-467-1244Email: [email protected] • Website: www.ediorg.orgEDI offers culturally relevant leadership development programs.

Professional & Leadership Development

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Please mail a check for $35 to the International Examiner or donate to: 622 S. Washington St.,

Seattle, WA 98104.Thank you for your contribution.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER FOR

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CLASSIFIEDSEMPLOYMENTFOR SALERENT HELP WANTED

Shoji Screens for Sale....in beautiful condition, framed in cedar with rice paper. 12 screen total $100.00 per screen. please contact 425-736-2440.

$6 X 4 lines = $24Bold lines = $0

Total: $24

Seattle Parks and Recreation is seek-ing individuals, groups, or organiza-tions that best demonstrate their ability to provide culturally relevant, safe, and reliable programs to the community through the Summer Art in the Park Program. The program is designed to have elements of academic alignment to help reduce summer learning loss; build self-esteem and self-efficacy; promote cross-cultural experiences; build on-going participation, and wel-come drop in participants. A maximum of $4,000 can be allocated for each park for the season. See link http://www.seattle.gov/parks/partnerships/RFP.htm for the 2014 Summer Art in the Park Request for Proposal (RFP) and Guidelines. The deadline for the RFP is Friday, May 16, 2014.

Regular Lines: $6.00 X 18 = 108Bold Lines: 10.50 X 3 = 31.50

TOTAL = 139.50


Check back for Sudoku in the IE every issue! Answers to this puzzle are in the next issue on Wednesday, May 20.

IE COMMUNITY

Announcing the closing of our waitlist

Effective 1 May 2014, the waiting list for units

in the Bart Harvey apartments, 430 Minor

Avenue N, Seattle 98109, is closed.EQUAL HOUSING

OPPORTUNITY

BH_WaitlistClosedAd_IntlExaminer.indd 1 5/2/14 7:34 AM

By Travis QuezonIE Editor in Chief

For journalist Collin Tong, the release of his book, Into the Storm: Journeys with Alzheimer’s, has marked a turning point in the nearly two-decade journey toward closure. The book, for which Collin is the editor, is an anthology of 23 stories by writers, journalists, educators, health practitioners, clergy, and other family caregivers who traveled similar paths in their time caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

The book begins with Collin’s own story as caregiver for his late wife, Linda, who began showing signs of short-term memory in 1999. She was stricken with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease at 51. Collin is able to share the initial feelings of helplessness, and denial, that came in their relationship as the disease progressed. The amount of pressure and energy spent by caregivers Collin describes is immense. Collin would spend 15 years as Linda’s caregiver before her death.

It was at an Alzheimer’s support group that Collin began to see how much healing other people’s stories could provide—which would eventually form the basis of the anthology.

The International Examiner caught up with Collin to talk about the recent release of Into the Storm.

International Examiner: In the last few months, you’ve been able to reach a lot of people while promoting your book and let caregivers around the country know that they are not alone. Have there been any responses from people that you’d like to share?

Collin Tong: Yes, I’ve received many responses from readers throughout the country. One came from a Seattle attorney who recently attended my Elliott Bay Book Company talk. He found the stories in my book resonated with his own experience: “In my work as a family law attorney and mediator, I listen to stories every day from clients who are in the midst of challenging journeys as they move through complicated transitions in their relationships. As a coach for caregivers of those with dementia, I listen to stories from individuals caught in the unplanned

and unexpected reality of being a care partner to a loved one with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Telling our stories creates a golden bridge that links us to each other and allows our shared humanity to emerge. In this lies the opportunity for transition and renewal.”

Another was a retired clergyman and psychology professor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who coauthored a book about Alzheimer’s disease. He posted this note on his blog: “I have made contact with Collin Tong, whose book, Into the Storm, was so powerful, I could not put it down. Twenty three writers from across the United States share their stories as caregivers for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. He writes that the demands of 24/7 caregiving means ‘one’s own physical and emotional well-being is often given short shrift.’ I have seen all too often that the caregiver ‘gives out’ before the loved ones they are caring for. This book needs to be read by all who are affected by this disease, which robs loved ones of their identity.”

IE: You mentioned that you hoped this book would have something for everyone. What do you hope Asian Pacific Islanders take away from this book?

Tong: In compiling these stories, I sought to bring together a broad and diverse cross-section of caregivers from throughout the country. More than 5.2 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and it has become the third leading cause of death in Washington State.

My hope is that these stories will be helpful for caregivers regardless of their ethnic or cultural backgrounds. In recent months, I’ve spoken at many public forums, community organizations, and social service groups. Next month, I’ll be speaking at First Chinese Baptist Church, my home congregation in San Francisco.

My hope is that families who are caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other dementias will find helpful ideas for being more effective caregivers. The most important take-away is the understanding that it really takes a village to be a caregiver. It’s virtually impossible to do it alone. We need our community, families, and friends.

For me, the Alzheimer’s Association was an essential part of that support system. They provided care consultation, including assistance with placing Linda in an adult family home. Through the Association I learned about Elderhealth Northwest [now called Full Life], an adult day health center for people with dementia. I also joined an Alzheimer’s Association early-onset caregivers support group, which proved to be a real lifesaver.

IE: I imagine the release of this book continues to contribute to your own healing process. Can you describe what it means to you to be able to share such intimate thoughts and details of your experience as a caregiver? Have you learned anything further in retrospect?

Tong: Sharing my own caregiving story has provided some helpful emotional closure for me. It was a long 15-year journey from the time my wife was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s to her death three years ago. Because Alzheimer’s disease has now become such a public health epidemic in our country, I wrote the book as a service to other caregivers and am committed to doing more public outreach and advocacy on behalf the Alzheimer’s Association in the coming year. I’m donating 90 percent of the royalties from the book sales to an endowed memorial scholarship fund that I’ve established in Linda’s memory at the University of Redlands, my alma mater in California.

IE: Do you still keep in close contact with your group of caregivers?

Tong: Yes, I’ve kept in touch with a number of my former Alzheimer’s support group members. I attended the group for over five years, and many of those members have become lifelong friends.

IE: What’s in store for you in the future?

Tong: Although I retired from my job as communications director at Washington State University several years ago, I serve on several nonprofit boards and plan to continue my work as a health correspondent for Crosscut News and other publications in the near future.

Collin Tong was a staff writer and longtime contributor for the International Examiner.

Collin Tong’s Into the Storm brings Alzheimer’s caregivers together


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