April 20, 2016 International Examiner

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER April 20, 2016 – May 3, 2016 — 1


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2 — April 20, 2016 – May 3, 2016 INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

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IE OPINION

By Amy VanGuest Columnist

Within the walls of Summit Sierra High School, the noise level is abuzz with student activity in each of the brightly painted classrooms, a usual scene for the school that sits atop the hill on King Street in the International District. Despite historic legal and legislative challenges resulting from the state Supreme Court ruling last September that invalidated the state’s former public charter school law passed by Washington voters in 2012, teaching, learning, and community building have gone uninterrupted here at Sierra—a testament to the resilience, motivation, and dedication of the students and faculty at this innovative Seattle high school.

For many months, with the future of their school and the state’s entire public charter school sector uncertain, Sierra families, together with parents and students from charter schools statewide, passionately dedicated countless hours and energy to help keep their schools open. Through one-on-one meetings with legislators, rallies, compelling testimonies in front of legislative committees, phone banking, social media activity, op-eds, letters to the editor, and text campaigning, these families reached state leaders.

It was a victorious moment for students and families throughout Washington when lawmakers from both sides of the aisle came together to pass Senate Bill 6194 in the 2016 legislative session. The bill offered a solution to keep charter schools open and public, with a fix to the funding glitch identified by the courts, ensuring that Washington families have access to innovative public school choice while simultaneously upholding the will of the voters.

On April 1, 2016, Governor Jay Inslee announced his decision to allow the passage of the bipartisan charter school

Learning, uninterrupted: Students and faculty at Summit Sierra carry on with a successful school year

solution without his signature. While disappointed not to have the support of the governor, Washington students and families celebrated the law’s passage as a victorious milestone.

“We are thrilled that we will be able to continue as we planned. Not knowing whether or not we would be able to make good on our promises to families was so disappointing. We love this community, and we are so glad to know that we are here to stay,” said Malia Burns, the founding executive director at Sierra.

In less than a year, Sierra’s founding ninth grade class has shown tremendous academic growth. In a mid-year assessment using the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), Sierra students outperformed the national average on reading by 40 percent and more than doubled the national average in math. The high school currently serves over 100 ninth grade public school students, with over half qualifying for free and reduced-price lunch, and of whom more than 75 percent are students of color. Sierra looks forward to enrolling a new cohort of ninth graders for the 2016-2017 school year.

“When the court decision was initially made last September, our team took a strong stance to ensure that our students could maintain a high-quality school experience at a school they had already started to come to love. We are so grateful that the state has now determined a way to support our students as well,” says Dustin Dacuan, a founding teacher at Sierra.

Dacuan, a Seattle native, says that his goal as an educator is to teach in his home community in a school where families felt a strong sense of ownership. “It is important to me as a teacher that the school is seen as a community center—a place where families entrust the school staff to work in concert with them to make sure their children receive a quality education. I feel confident now to say that

our school is doing just that. As a local, it is also humbling for me to know that students from backgrounds like mine have access to choosing a school like ours.“

Earlier in the school year, Sierra surveyed their families to gauge satisfaction and whether families would recommend Sierra to others. All of their families responded with a resounding “yes.”

To Dacuan, that was a defining moment that gave nod to the work that he and the Sierra staff commit to everyday. Looking toward the future, Dacuan expresses excitement in getting to meet and work with the future classes of students and families to ensure they get the high-quality and personalized education that they deserve.

“I am so proud of our founding class and our founding faculty. They have taken sincere ownership of their success, our school, and each other. The future holds incredible promise for the Summit Sierra community,” said Burns.

Washington’s public charter schools are offering innovative public school options to communities who typically have not had access to such options, and they are helping closing the academic equity gap. Statewide, more than two-thirds of students in public charter schools are from low-income households and more than 70 percent are

students of color. And across the board, according to mid-year assessment results, students attending Washington’s public charter schools are making impressive gains in reading and math, with some already having grown multiple grade levels in half a school year.

Beyond the Puget Sound and Spokane, thousands of families across the state, in communities like Yakima, the Tri-Cities, Walla-Walla, are demanding additional options and advocating for public charter schools in their areas. The passage of the new public charter school law means that these communities can also move forward with plans to open schools that meet the needs of the diverse students they serve.

As celebrations continue across the state following the law’s passage, families and supporters are not taking a break from planning ongoing advocacy work. With the state’s paramount duty to fully fund education still looming ahead, these public school families are holding the state accountable to fulfill its duty to meet the basic education requirements for all students, as well as to ensure that school choice is here to stay.

Amy Van is a project manager with Washington State Charter Schools Association.

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.”

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By Maureen FranciscoIE Contributor

She is a trailblazer. She is a household name in television news. She’s received numerous accolades, including three Emmy Awards and is the recipient of a George Foster Peabody Award.

Now Connie Chung is an inductee into The Asian Hall of Fame. “I can’t tell you how honored I am. It really means even more to be honored by your own people because we all know and understand each other,” Chung said.

The 69-year-old veteran newswoman almost didn’t go into journalism. Like with many college students, Chung couldn’t settle on a major. A summer internship between her junior and senior year changed her future. Chung interned with a congressman at Capitol Hill who was a former newspaper reporter. He introduced Chung to writing. “My writing I thought was okay,” Chung said. “In print journalism that’s all you have and I had an eye for the visual.”

This was in the late ’60s where television news was still in its infancy stage. According to Chung, she “thought about trying television because it had only growth in its future.”

Before graduating from the University of Maryland, Chung went to the local TV stations in her hometown of Washington D.C., looking for a position in the newsroom. She landed one at WTTG-TV Metromedia (now FOX) in 1969 where she worked as a copy person, then as a news writer, and later as a news reporter.

Toward the early ’70s, Chung recalls the women and Asian movement to be strong. She happened to be at the right place, at the right time. Chung said: “I think there was a pressure on all the networks to hire women

First Asian American network anchor Connie Chung inducted to Asian Hall of Fame

and a pressure to hire minorities. I happen to be a double minority, a woman and Chinese.”

Chung joined CBS news in 1971 as a national correspondent for the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, the same show where Chung and her family found themselves around the television set to watch Cronkite deliver the news. Now, Chung would be working for her idol. “I wanted to be Walter Cronkite. He was my hero. He was my mentor,” she said.

Chung’s ultimate dream job was to sit behind the same desk where Cronkite gave the top national stories. It would be 24 years after her first big break in television news before Chung earned that opportunity. Chung would experience unchartered territory as a woman and minority in a field dominated by men. “I think all the women ... all of us felt as if we went through a much more difficult hazing period than the men did when we had new male reporters as opposed to female reporters. The Chinese part as I said became [a] detriment,” she said.

Chung worked alongside another female reporter, Lesley Stahl, who became one of her best friends.

Based in Washington D.C., Chung covered politics and world news, including the 1972 Democratic National Convention, the vice presidency of Nelson Rockefeller, and Watergate, which Chung said is the best investigative story she covered. “We were simply trying to find the truth and it was a critical mission because the presidency was at stake. The stakes were high, the necessity for accuracy was paramount.”

In 1976, Chung moved to Los Angeles where she spent seven years as an anchor at KNXT-TV (now KCBS), which is a CBS-owned station.

Then in 1983, she joined NBC news with duties as a correspondent and anchor.

In 1989, she rejoined the CBS news team as anchor and correspondent for various shows.

Finally in 1993, Chung’s dream came true when she co-anchored CBS Evening News with Dan Rather and Connie Chung, making her the first woman to co-anchor the CBS News. “It was thrilling,” Chung said. “I felt mighty wonderful sitting there doing the news every night and being able to go out on various important stories.”

Two years later, CBS fired Chung from that coveted position. Chung remembers Stahl being there for her. “Leslie gave me the most incredible lunch consisting of mostly women saying, ‘We’re with you. We’re behind you. Don’t consider this something to take personally.’ She was just amazing. She has always been an amazing friend.”

It was a Friday when Chung learned she would no longer be sharing the anchor desk

with Dan Rather. Even though CBS offered Chung another position within the network, an unexpected phone call changed her life forever, along with her husband and talk show host, Maury Povich. “Remarkably the next morning we got a call that our son was going to be born in a couple of weeks and it was unbelievably serendipitous. It was as if the sky opened up and the heavens blessed us all of a sudden, in a dark moment.”

For the next couple of years, Chung stayed home to take care of her adopted son, Matthew.

Then in 1997, Chung jumped back into television where she joined ABC News as co-anchor and correspondent for the primetime newsmagazine show “20/20.”

In 2002, Chung joined CNN to anchor Connie Chung Tonight.

In 2006, Chung and her husband co-anchored a once-a-week, political program on MSNBC, Weekend with Maury and Connie.

As of now, Chung is on an extended hiatus. As she reflects back on her career, Chung wants to be remembered for being “an accurate, trustworthy, dependable reporter ... whose intentions were always sincere.”

The Asian Hall of Fame happens on May 14 at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle. Other honorees include: Olympic Gold Champion Kristi Yamaguchi, Retired Major General in the U.S. Army Antonio Taguba, and martial artist and film actor Bruce Lee (to be represented by the Bruce Lee Foundation). For more information about the Asian Hall of Fame, go to http://www.asianhalloffame.org/. Tickets can be purchased at http://asianhalloffame2016.shindigg.com.

Chung

By Rhea PanelaIE Staff

May is Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month and the Seattle community is invited to celebrate and experience Asian and Pacific Islander cultural traditions on Sunday, May 1 from 11:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Seattle Center Armory.

The Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration welcomes everyone to explore and experience the multifaceted cultural roots of Asia and the Pacific Islands through live performances, traditional food, and hands-on activities.

For Alan Sugiyama, the executive director emeritus of the Executive Development Institute (EDI), the festival is not only a celebration but a way to raise awareness and cultural sensitivity, as well as a way to showcase cultural pride.

“I don’t see quite the understanding of Asian culture, other than in South Seattle where there is a huge population of Asians and minorities,” Sugiyama said. “We’re going to start losing some of that. That’s why we need to continue to showcase our culture and our talents.”

Peter Tsai, the chairperson of API Heritage Month and the organizer of the festival, said that the celebration this year is also mainly about showing what young Asians and young Pacific Islanders are doing for their communities.

“In the 1970s, the Asian student associations in colleges were interested in not just showcasing one specific group,” Tsai said. “So it’s not just about the cultural side but the involvement of young people in the community.”

Celebrations focused on Asian heritage and culture started in 1972 at local colleges, coordinated by Asian student-led groups, according to Sugiyama. He said there are some similarities between the API Heritage Celebration and the Asian American Day at the University of Washington he attended as a student in 1973.

“We wanted something Asian-centric, but we still wanted to be able to explore our identity as Asian Americans,” Sugiyama said. “Most people don’t know the difference between Asians, whether you’re Chinese or Vietnamese, which is

why we started the Asian American Day movement.”

While performers like the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team and taiko drummers are veterans at the festival, a Vietnamese fashion show hosted by Vuu’s Beauty School and Friends is making its debut this year. Another new addition to this year’s festival is a display of 10 countries arranged by the Asian Pacific Cultural Center in Tacoma, which will provide colorful information about both Micronesian and Asian countries.

For Tsai, the most memorable part about the API Heritage Month Celebration is how the community responds to their efforts in putting the event together.

“The large groups that perform—the drill team, the Tahitian dancers and hula dancers are lively—the larger groups are really the ones that capture the whole crowd,” Tsai said. “I think it’s most enjoyable when you have large groups that are energetic, and the crowd is more emotive.”

A returning fan-favorite event is the Celebrity Hum Bow eating contest. This

year, there are eight participants: Fred Brown (former Seattle SuperSonic basket-ball player), Ana Mari Cauce (president of the University of Washington), Enrique Cerna (director of community partner-ships and host at KCTS 9), Siemny Kim (KIRO-TV anchor/reporter), Jerry Lee (chairman of Mulvanny G2 Architects), Jenette Ramos (vice-president and gener-al manager of Boeing Fabrication), Eddie Rye Jr. (host of Urban Forum Northwest), and Sharon Tomiko Santos (Washington State Representative of the 37th District).

“[The API Heritage Month Celebration] showcases our community’s diversity and talent to a wider population and geography beyond the International District/Chinatown,” said Willon Lew, who is a second generation Chinese American born and raised in Seattle and a board member at large of OCA—Greater Seattle. “It also educates the audience of the numerous cultures within the API community. We are very different, but with similarities as Asian Americans.”

For more information, visit http://apiheritage.com.

API Heritage Month Celebration bridges gap between generations


IE COMMUNITY

By Sidney SullivanIE Contributor

Asian-American and Pacific Islander women gave out insightful advice for female entrepreneurs at the first Celebrate Asia Pacific Entrepreneurs (CAPE) panel on March 30.

The panel, called “(Her)story: Conversations with Entrepreneurial AAPI Women,” included Lorraine Yu, founder and president of Sirius 6 Corporation; Susie Lee, chief executive officer and co-founder of Siren; Maureen Francisco, co-executive producer of NW Productions; and Mina Yoo, founder of Lulabop, Inc.

Prior to entrepreneurship, these women worked in different careers. Yu’s industry involved computer-science and chemistry, Lee’s involved biophysics and art, Francisco’s involved media and entertainment and Yoo’s involved academia.

The CAPE project is a four-month-long enterprise run by Hing Hay Coworks with the goal of showcasing the stories of creative entrepreneurs with deep ties to the region’s Asia Pacific Rim community.

The (Her)story panel is CAPE’s first event since the project’s launch on March 3.

The end goal is to create a community of Asian Pacific Islander entrepreneurs by sharing their underrepresented stories with the neighborhood, said Quang Nguyen, manager of Hing Hay Coworks.

“I saw that there were a lot of API entrepreneurial women in the industry,” Nguyen said. “So this is an opportunity to host events and get underrepresented communities in the space and exposed to our community.”

The panel was formatted as a fireside chat. So with the help of the moderator, Shelly Kurtz, the panelists weighed in on topics as they best saw fit.

Their personal stories of inspiration and overcoming obstacles differed, but their advice on how women can achieve entrepreneurial success shared common themes.

The panel agreed that it’s important to encourage future generations of women to share their stories.

Lee referenced her own article, “Who Are Our 21st Century Heroes?,” published by The Huffington Post, and said that society does not see many women’s stories because women do not feel the need to own the spotlight.

“Is it more important to have one spotlight or 10,000 points of candlelight?” asked Lee. “How do you frame those stories? It’s not about a single hero, but instead a collective. This definition is changing.”

Moreover, CAPE provides an opportunity for this change to occur because it works to share these stories through events, panels, videos, and articles, said Nguyen.

“CAPE is a place for ideas to germinate and collaborations to be made,” Kurtz said. “It is creating a collaborative moment within the International District.”

“We’re here because we don’t want to be the only ones doing the things we’re doing,” added Lee.

Each woman addressed the fear of asking for help during the panel.

Francisco said that when she was younger, she thought she needed to make personal sacrifices, such as surrendering the notion of creating a family, in order to become

successful. At the time, she said she had no women role-models showing her otherwise. But then she met them.

“You can do it all,” said Francisco. “Just don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

Yoo observed that only women are asked, “How do you do it all?” And she explained that societal biases paint the picture that men are workers and women are caretakers.

Yoo recommended, “Don’t outsource yourself.”

The panel agreed that both men and women can communicate the same messages, but interpretations and meanings may differ.

Lee said that men should stand up for women.

“Declaring it to the public, especially to other guys, that you are an ally to women is important,” said Lee. “Regarding gender, nowadays the medium is the messenger.”

Yu suggested that men tend to problem-solve, but they need to listen instead.

“Men try to solve the problem for her, and men interrupt. But women tend not to,” said Yu. “Don’t try to talk over them or for them. Let them problem solve. They’re people too.”

Three steps toward success: AAPI women discuss entrepreneurship And Yoo advised that men provide different

means of validation.“Ask women for their opinions,” said Yoo,

“rather than just assuming they will give it.”About 50 people attended the panel. At its

end, many attendees stayed to network with the panelists and each other.

“To hear their stories makes me understand that women have a lot of power,” said Pamela Hawkins, an attendee and an independent contractor. “It reminds me to just be fearless.”

Project planners beamed at the success of the first CAPE panel. Nguyen said he wants future CAPE panels to continue injecting new energy of innovation and creativity into C-ID.

“We want to bring in entrepreneurs, so that it would be complimentary with the more traditional mom-and-pop businesses we have here,” said Nguyen. “By attracting more of those businesses into the neighborhood, we create more customers for the mom-and-pop businesses.”

The neighborhood still values its traditions and history, but from a business standpoint it is not good to be left behind, said Nguyen.

“There’s a lot of vacant space that needs to be filled, so if something new is brought to the table, then that’s awesome,” said Rachtha Danh, an attendee and project manager of RN2 Office.

CAPE is set to host monthly panels until June, but with unprecedented amounts of positive feedback, the events might run until December, said Nguyen.

“This is a good event, as it redefines what is happening in Chinatown and helps the area not be so isolated,” said Devin Cabanilla, an attendee and community member. “When you get a lot of diversity, it opens up the neighborhood in a different way.”

The next panel event, titled “(Her)story: Conversations about the Startup Journey” happens April 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Hing Hay Coworks, 409B Maynard Avenue South. Panelists include Julie Pham, Swatee Curve, Tammy Bowers, and Nellie Fujii. For more information, visit capeproject.org.

Guest panelists of (Her)story, Lorraine Yu, Susie Lee (and her service dog), Mina Yoo, moderator Shelly Kurtz, and Maureen Francisco await for the start of the program March 30, 2016. • Photo by Sidney Sullivan

By Yayoi L. Winfrey IE Contributor

Founded in 1870, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art is the largest of its kind in the United States. Affectionately known as “the Met,” the venue houses some 2 million pieces in its permanent collection, earning accolades among art aficionados worldwide.

But last year, the Met’s stellar reputation came dangerously close to being tarnished when it hosted a fashion and art exhibit called China: Through the Looking Glass. Beginning with an uneasy alliance between the Met’s Costume Institute and its Department of Asian Art, the project was the brainchild of costume curator Andrew Bolton. Theoretically created to highlight the West’s fascination with China through an Alice in Wonderland-like lens, the exhibit organizers admittedly would present that bothersome enthrallment known as “Orientalism,” a fetishized

appropriation of an Asian culture. The idea was to utilize priceless Chinese artifacts, paintings, and sculptures as backdrops to Chinese-themed fashions created by contemporary designers.

That the Department of Asian Art’s elitist heads hesitated at loaning its collections for displaying clothing, because they didn’t view fashion as art, was one of Bolton’s concerns as revealed in the film First Monday in May. In the documentary,

the audience is taken along the arduous journey of planning, then implementing, the ambitious exhibit. Spanning some eight months until opening night, the film covers every minute of detail including soliciting participants comprised of 40 fashion designers, filmmakers, assistants, carpenters, electricians, seamstresses and more to pull off the feat.

Although it’s unclear why a documentary of the entire process was captured in the first place, it turned out to be a telepathic tool for addressing allegations of racism that followed the exhibit’s opening. In fact, the film clarifies the intention all along was to explain “Orientalism” of the past by re-creating it in the present.

To curtail any accusations of wrongdoing, exhibit organizers issue statements via their website like “rethinking of Orientalism as an appreciative cultural response by the West to its encounters with the East.” And, to ensure they don’t offend anyone, the group

even travels to Beijing to enlist the help of Chinese government officials, repeating their mantra to “explore the impact of Chinese aesthetics on Western fashion.”

However, regardless of the organizers’ efforts, there is some confusion over what constitutes Chinese traditions. In an early conversation between curator Colton and fashion designer John Galliano, Japanese words like “kabuki” and “geisha” are used to describe elements for the upcoming exhibit.

Further, while attempting to show Chinese influence on modern designers, only two of the 40 that are invited to participate are Asian American. Interestingly, both Vivienne Tam and Vivienne Westwood contribute designs with symbols of the Cultural Revolution. While Tam’s dresses are made of fabric illustrated with repetitious portraits of Mao, Westwood creates an entire People’s

The Met revisits Orientalism in ‘The First Monday in May’

. . . ORIENTALISM: Continued on page 5

The First Monday in May

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER April 20, 2016 – May 3, 2016— 5

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Leave the stress behind and ride into work or school hassle-free. Plan your trip at soundtransit.org

New UW and Capitol Hill stations are now open!

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Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn, Washington will mark its 21st anniversary with a celebration aimed at being one for the record books. On April 30, beginning at 8:00 a.m. the casino known as the “Biggest and Best in the Northwest” will attempt to host the world’s largest slot tournament. To claim the designation, more than 3,001 participants must take part. An official Guiness World Records representative will be on-site to validate the achievement.

Participation is free to everyone 21 years of age and older. More than $100,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to participants who are each guaranteed to win at least $21 in Free Play. The top finisher at Muckleshoot Casino’s April 30 event will receive $21,000 in cash and a four-night trip to Las Vegas to compete for a chance to win $1 million in Everi’s national TournEvent of Champions championship event on September 28, 2016.

The attempt at the world’s largest slot tournament will mark the culmination of Muckleshoot Casino’s landmark 21st anniversary celebration.

For more information, visit http://www.muckleshootcasino.com.

Muckleshoot Casino to mark 21st anniversary with Guinness World Record

Liberation Army ensemble starring khaki hot pants.

Over 140 pieces of haute couture and ready-to-wear items appear in 16 galleries. One billowy dress carries the blue willow pattern borrowed from China by a Brit and found on popular 1960’s dinnerware.

Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai, recruited as artistic director, has his “In the Mood for Love” screened for prominently featuring the cheongsam, a Chinese sarong. Another display shows a coat worn by the last emperor of China alongside the film of the same name. But then there are the shameful opium den and dragon lady images to contend with, an acknowledgment that the past was misrepresented by Western stereotypes.

Vogue magazine editor, Anna Wintour, makes numerous appearances in the film as chair of the annual Met Gala fundraiser that accompanies the exhibit. With her precision-cut bob veiling half her face, and endless paper cups of take-out coffee in hand, she parades around in dark, oversized sunglasses, which she even wears inside her house. Fussing over seating arrangements for the Gala, she nixes the display of slithering dragons on both sides of the entrance staircase, then gushes over their replacement—250,000 white roses positioned on a giant blue vase imitating a Ming Dynasty pattern.

Popular singer Rihanna arrives at the Gala in a trailing yellow cape designed by China’s Guo Pei, but the lack of visible

Asian or Asian American celebrities (besides Gong Li and Tang Wei) is problematic. Passing a photo of Chinese American actress Anna May Wong, designer Michael Kors tells actress Kate Hudson, “the first Asian movie star.” But while Ms. Wong may have been the first Chinese face to grace the silver screen in 1920s America, there were plenty of Asian movie stars then—in Asia. It’s another reminder that the exhibit’s gaze is largely Western. Having Lady Gaga appear with heavily drawn slanted eyebrows only confirms it.

‘The First Monday in May’ opened April 15 at Landmark Seven Gables Theatre.

. . . ORIENTALISM: Continued from page 4

The First Monday in May


IE COMMUNITY

THE ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT WILL CLOSEFOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS, STARTING APRIL 29

The viaduct will close while Bertha, the SR 99 tunneling machine, tunnels beneath the structure.

PLAN AHEAD Take alternate routes, travel at non-peak times and consider shifting travel modes to avoid the worst congestion.

BATTERY S

T. TU

NNEL

Downtown Seattle

S Spokane Street Viaduct

SR 99 CLOSED

For more travel tips and translated information,

visit www.99closure.org or call 888-298-5463.

Announcements

Moving Truth(s) anniversary on April 23

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Born out of a desire to open up conversations about gender and identity within South Asian families and communities, Moving Truth(s) is a powerful anthology featuring stories by queer and transgender South Asians about and for family. Contributors share stories about connecting to mothers through cooking, teaching fathers about philosophy, and reconciling religious, adoptee, and gender identities. In its pages, contributors explore how to find support, where to find advocacy, and how to stay engaged with family, community, and culture in the face of homophobia and transphobia. On the one year anniversary of the anthology’s publication, a presentation will feature editors Aparajeeta “Sasha” Duttchoudhury and Rukie Hartman, along with several of the books contributors, to celebrate and discuss the powerful work.

The Moving Truth(s) anniversary celebration happens Saturday, April 23 at 6:00 p.m. at U District Store. The event is free. For more information, visit www.ubookstore.com or call (206) 634-3400.

Polynesian Day at UW on April 29“Poly Day” as it is commonly known, is a

celebration of the Polynesian culture hosted by the Polynesian Student Alliance at the University of Washington. This popular event showcases authentic Polynesian and Pacific Islander (P.I.) music, dance and regalia from the islands right at the heart of the UW campus. There will be workshops for high school students that will cover the university admissions process, keynote speakers, Polynesian history, and more. Around noon, the members of PSA will host the signature celebration of “PolyDay,” in honor of their heritage, on Red Square for all to attend. This annual event aims to voice the presence of a lively and active P.I. community on campus and motivate younger generations of P.I.’s to pursue higher education at the UW.

Participant registration begins at 8:00 a.m. at the Ethnic Cultural Center. Welcoming remarks begin at 9:00 a.m. Concurrent workshop sessions are at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. Poly Day performances run from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Red Square. For more information, visit https://depts.washington.edu/reach/events-and-programs/spr ing-events/polyday/.

CAPAA seeks applicants to serve on boardThe Washington State Commission

on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA) has an advisory board made up of 12 governor-appointed commissioners representing the state’s diverse Asian Pacific American communities. CAPAA is currently accepting applications for candidates interested in serving on the Commission.

If selected, the individual will help examine and define issues pertaining to the rights and needs of Asian Pacific Americans. Commissioners also make recommendations to the governor and state agencies with respect to desirable changes in program and law.

Commissioners serve on a voluntary basis and have the responsibility to maintain communication with the community they represent as well as to the Board. They are to keep the community and board informed and up to date on issues, legislative activity, and statutes affecting Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

Commissioner terms are for three years. As part of their duties, commissioners are expected to attend CAPAA’s public board

meetings that are held five times a year around the state.

Visit www.capaa.wa.gov/about/board-of-commissioners/ for information on how to apply online. Submit your application by April 29, 2016 to receive consideration for this opening.

Seattle Police Department arrests suspect in Union Station Market homicide

Seattle Police Department arrested a 48-year-old man Wednesday, April 13, in connection with a homicide at a market in International District that happened earlier this year on January 10.

On January 11, Seattle Police Department detectives recovered a surveillance video from inside the Union Station Market on the corner of 5th Avenue and South Jackson Street in the International District.

The suspect was briefly seen walking in and out of the frame just moments after the attack.

Police said he was identified through DNA evidence left at the scene. The man is currently being held in King County Jail for investigation of homicide.


IE OPINION

By Yin YuGuest Columnist

The First Nations are the original environ-mentalists, herbalists, botanists and permacul-turalists. They are the stewards and caretakers of this land before colonialism and capitalism created climate change. Before we murdered 3,000-year-old growth trees and justified our destruction as a measure of Gross Domestic Product. Before we built a fossil fuel depen-dent infrastructure for false perception of infi-nite linear growth.

I’m one of the organizers with Women of Color Speak Out—a group of women of color who came together during last year’s sHell No! Campaign when Royal Dutch Shell’s Polar Pioneer arctic oil rig was parked in Port of Se-attle. As direct action activists, we recognized that the solutions to the climate crisis are not going to come from those who do not under-stand the current climate impact for the front line communities and communities of color. A year later, and we’ve given countless presen-tations to our communities and allies about capitalism, colonial empire, racism, prison industrial complex, patriarchy, and how these systems of oppression are connected to climate change. By elevating our own voices, we have created a platform to share our truths. Our re-ality may be labeled as radical; however, we are building from the shoulders and backs of those that came before us. The legacy of Yuri Kochiyama and Grace Lee Boggs allows for my Taiwanese immigrant voice to exist.

The Failure of White “Environmentalism”For the past 50 years, U.S. environmental-

ism has failed to create an environmental

Decolonizing climate changepolicy while the “movement” has managed to make itself irrelevant to the general public, es-pecially to the people of color. With the domi-nant environmentalism narrative controlled by white cisgender male, their narrow focuses on downstream individualistic solutions and the fossil fuel industry exclude communities of color that are trying to thrive in a system created by colonialism and patriarchy. Aside from food justice, which is primarily led by the social justice community, environmental-ism is the only movement that is not intersec-tional. It does not intersect with the local Black Lives Matter group, queer and transgender community, or social justice issues. Rather, the movement focuses on creating bridges be-tween education, government, and businesses. It focuses on working within the existing capi-talism structure instead of challenging the up-stream governmental policies and systems that allowed climate change to occur.

The end result is minimal change with no climate policy.

First, the movement produces endless ar-ticles, books, and documentary films based in science. Science synthesizes nature’s complex essence into text and numbers; thus, the debate remains in our heads, in the realm of scientific data and technical solutions. For my friends not part of this narrative of “environmentalism,” they don’t feel qualified to engage in conver-sations unless they feel well informed—even though climate change is a global dialogue that intersects with many social justice issues.

Secondly, this focus on numbers externaliz-es these climate issues into theories and global south issues. In Naomi Klein’s This Changes Everything movie, she highlights China’s shark-fin market and a community of color that

later transitioned their economy to ecotourism. It is easy to highlight issues in other countries while not challenging our corporations and government policies that allowed for climate change. Aside from a brief mention of Mon-santo in her film, there’s no discussion about our nation’s meat consuming diet and food in-dustrial complex as the number one causes of climate change.

Furthermore, the environmental mes-sage focuses on achievable low hanging fruit changes that have the most minimal impact on existing lifestyle as possible. In lowering expectations, we have ineffective bi-partisan policies like No Child Left Inside, a policy that allocated $1 million for one white man’s job and bureaucratic grant funding that is inac-cessible to communities of color. The move-ment sets a low achievable goal rather than pushing for higher standards and systematic change. During Earth Month, the most com-mon campaigns are those urging to reduce individual plastic consumptions and recycling habits. These individualistic solutions for habit change and downstream reactive responses never addresses what allowed climate change to occur in the first place.

Lastly, these narratives do not recognize the reality in genocide and cultural genocide of the first people and indigenous communi-ties. The original stewards of this land, The First Nations were “environmentalists” long before this movement was formed. They have witnessed the destruction caused by our infra-structure, such as the massive dams of the 20th century that created pools of salmon blood when salmons were unable to travel to their traditional spawning grounds. With our his-torical amnesia, we have forgotten the stories

of this land and the importance of indigenous communities deep connected with Mother Earth.

Real Allyship in a time of Climate CrisisDuring a 2015 Bioneers conference, Indi-

an-American author & racial justice activist Rinku Sen said: “People of color are not too busy for the environment but we are too busy for bullshit.”

If environmentalists truly want to save en-dangered species and humankind, let’s start by renaming the “environmentalism” movement as anti-extinctionism to shift the framework from savior to surviving the mistakes of our past. Until institutional and organizational power shifts from white cisgender male to those most marginalized: indigenous, women of color, and people of color; this movement will remain irrelevant. These white-led non-profit industrial complexes are a hindrance to grassroots-led efforts by absorbing resources and continuing to perpetuate these exist-ing systems of oppression. Allyship requires white-led organizations to develop a robust ra-cial analysis, reinforce progressive stack, and be accountable to communities of color.

Before you generously offer your fiscal do-nations to these million dollar non-profit orga-nizations, ask them these following questions: How are they supporting people of color lead efforts? How many people of color in upper management do they employ (not just unpaid internships)? How are they supporting a just transition to green energy? How do they sup-port direct actions? Particularly how are they

By Afrin Sopariwala Guest Columnist

About a year ago, I had no idea what being an activist was. My world rarely intersected with politics, certainly not radical activism or even any community events. My life was comfortable and I had no reason to complain. But when I took a moment to check in with my heart, I saw that I was unhappy and unsatisfied. I began to pray to the universe to bring me toward something meaningful and creative.

My wish was granted. A series of events—getting laid off from work, a strong urge to address climate change, and meeting some of the most powerful and passionate activists in Seattle—changed my life. I’m now a full-time activist working with grassroots collectives, I work for a nonprofit, speak publicly with a group I co-founded called Women of Color Speak Out, and I’m starting a worker’s cooperative with a group of like-minded friends. My groups speak out against systems of oppression. I organize people to participate in civil disobedience and nonviolent direct action. I’m learning the ways and lessons of native people who’ve lived in harmony with the delicate balance of our living world for centuries. And the truth is, I’m now deeply satisfied and in love with the people I work with, but this work is stressful, difficult, and sometimes heartbreakingly depressing. These are my confessions on why I do this work.

Confession: The condition of our world is overwhelming and terrifying. You only have to sit for a minute and look around at our pres-ent global situation to see that we’re in crises. Whether they’re economic problems—the

enormous wealth gap, poverty, homeless-ness—or the racial injustices, the continued oppression of people of color through sys-temic racism; or the destruction of the natural world—pollution of our food and water, the abuse of resources, animals going extinct; or the effects of patriarchy—rape culture and op-pression of women, the list seems to never end.

It is overwhelming. And as maddening as it is, I recognize why it’s easier to look away and go shopping or to the bar.

Confession: Karma’s real. I may be a fairly new activist, but I’ve been a spiritual person for many years. One of the more complex concepts I’ve contemplated about is karma. The word karma translates as taking action. In its most basic meaning, this concept lives in our popular culture in metaphors like ‘as you sow so shall you reap,” or “what goes around comes around,” but it is a far more complex concept. As humanity, we are at the brink of facing serious consequences of the evil actions of a few who perpetuate systems that exploit and oppress other living beings, and the ignorant actions of many who act in the confines of these systems, or those who act impulsively without considering consequences. Thankfully, there continues to be a powerful movement of those who are awake to the realities and work tirelessly for a better world. And it is a long and painful process.

Confession: I am responsible for what’s going on in the world. Here’s another concept I have taken to heart from my spiritual work. Responsibility. Being responsible is supposedly such a “grown up” idea in our culture, that many with privilege choose to ignore it to be rebellious. I have learned to think of it as “the

ability to respond.” Everything you have an ability to respond to is your responsibility. This is not placing guilt or blame, but recognizing that every action, thought, and intention you give energy or life to, has consequences.

Confession: I am powerful. I have come to recognize the power of my own actions. I have caused hurt, I have made mistakes, and I have seen the sweet fruit of being grounded in love. I have no doubt about the power of my thoughts, words, and deeds. And I recognize that I have to do my part. I am powerful, but I am so much more powerful in my community, working with other people.

Confession: Finding the balance is hard. Sometimes the work is extremely frustrating, madly infuriating and often devastatingly depressing. I look around and there seems to be no end in sight of the number of things that need to change. If I allow myself to go down that rabbit hole, I usually cower under the blankets or reach for a bottle of wine. So I learned that it is important to find another way. That’s when spirituality helps me.

I’m learning to stay grounded in joy. Yes, the world is beautiful and there is so much love and joy around me if I take a moment to find it. Love is the sun’s offering of light to us, and love is the gentle tugging of the moon on the ocean’s tides. I am grateful for everything I have and grateful for being alive and all the comforts I’m able to afford myself. But I cannot look away. I can’t ignore my interconnectedness with the world and universe I’m a miniscule but irreplaceable part of.

I can’t enjoy what I have without taking some time and energy to make a difference; without

thinking of the consequences of as many of my actions as I can, without recognizing that I have power and I have a part to play.

I’m going to end with a quote that I saw in a heartbreaking video about an island in the Pacific, 3,000 miles away from the mainland on which thousands of albatross birds hatch their babies. Near this island, floats an enormous patch of plastic waste, millions of bits of plastic that we used for a few minutes and threw away.

The parent albatross birds are feeding their babies bits of plastic. The video was a testament of the consequences our use (and disposal) of all those plastic products. Plastic spoons, and bottles, and pen caps. Those thousands of baby birds, dying, full of plastic, are our responsibility. How do we respond to that reality?

Seattle has a powerful activist community. And the movement needs people with every skill and every interest. If you have always felt overwhelmed but want to make a difference, come join us at the largest climate related civil disobedience in the Northwest ever. Join is as we Break Free From Fossil Fuels. Visit www.breakfreepnw.org.

“Do we have the courage to face the realities of our time and allow ourselves to feel deeply enough that it transforms us and our future?”

—Chris Jordan Afrin Sopariwala is a writer, activist

and spiritual student working to radically change our relationship with mother earth and each other as humans.

Confessions of a climate activist

. . . CLIMATE CHANGE: Continued on page 19


IE OPINION

By Jill MangalimanGuest Columnist

Every time I visit my parents in West Se-attle, I am reminded of the work we must do to heal our communities and our planet. Grow-ing up next to the highway—plumes of smoke coming from the Nucor Steel Factory, and the Port of Seattle cranes from our windows, all the boats and cars, the traffic—these were nor-mal sights and sounds for me as a kid. In more recent years, I learned there is a superfund site not too far away from our family home and the pier which my dad fishes from.

Yet, it upsets me that people of color aren’t considered environmental leaders when we live and breathe these piled up conditions ev-ery day. People of color have been defenders for the earth long before anyone can remem-ber, from the indigenous peoples who protect-ed their sacred lands from settlers to people of color pushing back against highway expansion, lead paint, and incinerators being built in their communities. It’s a history and a community that has been erased and kept out of decision making, and yet the environment justice move-ment is alive and well, especially in Washing-ton state.

In 2014, Got Green, the organization I am part of, joined together with others to form Front and Centered, a statewide coalition of racial justice organizations rooted in commu-nities of color that works to ensure that equity is at the center of any climate policy. Our prin-ciples state:

• Equity must be at the center of policies that address climate change.

• People of color and communities with lower incomes must receive net-environmental and economic benefits.

• Ensure accountability and transparency through public, accessible, and culturally ap-propriate participation and strong enforce-ment.

That means that policy choices and imple-mentation approaches must be informed by and responsive to racial, environmental, and economic analysis and that communities most impacted by climate change must be fully en-gaged in policy design and implementation to ensure outcomes that address equity. This includes effective engagement with lower-in-come communities, indigenous communities,

Washington State Climate Policy (and beyond)and people of color in both policy design and implementation will help ensure equitable out-comes.

Here I hope to break down some of the up-coming climate policies in our state and if they fit our climate justice principles.

Carbon WA Initiative 732Carbon WA submitted their signatures for

a carbon tax last January, despite continual requests from racial justice groups, labor, and mainstream environmental organizations to not do so. While a carbon tax is not bad—re-quiring companies to pay for the pollution that they emit—organizations reject Carbon WA Initiative 732 because it fails on the climate justice principles and will actually bring harm to our communities.

Not only is I732 is regressive and projected to create no revenue, according to the Depart-ment of Revenue, it creates a deficit projected a $675 million hit to our Washington State budget, which will cut into social and health services and education that our communities need.

The climate justice principles states that impacted communities should receive net co-benefits, meaning policies and programs that address climate change should have invest-ments directly in lower-income communities, indigenous communities and communities of color so that the economic benefits outweigh the policy’s economic burdens. While the Working Families Rebate is a good start, it leaves out people and isn’t enough to lift com-munities out of poverty and transition into re-newable energy.

We give I732 a big thumbs down.

Governor’s Clear Air RuleRemember those awesome kids who sued

the government to do something about climate change. The governor put out an executive or-der—to create a rule. There have been some stakeholder conversations where we presented the climate justice principles and our recom-mendations for no carbon trading, and there should be a draft coming out at the spring.

Clean Power Plan President Barack Obama unveiled the final

version of his Clean Power Plan directive in

August 2015 to set a national limit on carbon pollution produced from power plants. State implementation plans must be submitted to the EPA by September 2016. Regardless of wheth-er states choose a mass-based or a rate-based system, the CPP is a sneaky way of setting up a national cap and trade system.

First of all, Washington State has weak tar-gets. We do not have to do any reductions to meet our targets and thus would have access to allowances and energy reduction credits (ERCs) under the Clean Power Plan. Under a mass base, we would have 3.5 million credits to sell. Under a rate base, we would have 8.3 million energy reduction credits to sell. What this means is that Washington State could sell our credits to other states instead of reduc-ing pollution at home, instead of those states reducing pollution either. Instead of reducing their pollution it is cheaper to sell their credits to another company. When you base a system to the market mechanisms, you leave equity to chance.

The Clean Energy Incentive program has also put forth false choices. While we do need the investments and resources in our commu-nities, under the CPP we are required to opt into the cap and trade system in order to be in the program. It’s like waving money in our fac-es, to which we must respond: “not at the risk of other communities being harmed.” The EJ movement is one of solidarity. There are more important things in this world than money.

This past weekend, I attended the Environ-mental Justice Leadership Forum for Climate Change in South Carolina, with groups that included WE ACT for Environmental Justice NY/DC, Deep South Center for Environmen-tal Justice, LA, and Kingdom Living Temple, SC. It was affirming to see other organizations and leaders across the country who shared our concerns. To the EJ community, Cap and Trade is an easy way out for business from their re-sponsibility to reduce pollution and improve the conditions for fenceline communities who have experienced a history of environmental racism.

At the EJ Leadership Forum, some of the shared demands include: mandatory emis-sions reductions at the source, investments in environmental justice communities without trading, and basing our targets and plans off climate science and what is needed to address climate change and the cumulative impacts on

communities. We included a comprehensive EJ analysis of the cumulative impacts on com-munities of color and low income peoples, be-cause how can there be economic projections of a company’s bottom line, what about the projections on the impacts of people’s health?

Local solutionsNeedless to say, we are not lacking in solu-

tions to reducing carbon emissions. Amazing work is happening everywhere. In the Climate Justice Alliance, there are pilot projects being led by key grassroots groups building just tran-sition models in their communities in Jackson, Mississippi; Eastern Kentucky; and San Anto-nio, Texas involving people-owned solar and worker-owned cooperatives.

Here in Seattle, there are also brilliant ideas coming from the ground up. Rainier Beach Action Coalition presented their neighborhood plan of creating a Food Innovation District in Rainier Beach, which could create job training for young workers and allow the community to own its own means of production of food to ad-dress the food security gap and unemployment as the same. Targeted Local Hire can be imple-mented on different sectors to reduce carbon by lessening people’s commutes if they are al-lowed to work where they live (and spend more time with their love ones). We have a chance to build affordable and accessible transit hubs that further reduces our reliance on fossil fuels and don’t displace our communities. We can create clean, living wage jobs that open path-ways for people with lower-incomes, people of color, and local residents to enter the green industry workforce.

Lastly, on April 22, Seattle Mayor plans to announce the City’s EJ platform, driven by community recommendations in a part-nership through the Environmental Equity Initiative.

We can do all these things to create healthy communities everywhere for everyone. We just need to re-imagine different ways of doing things and take the lead from those who live and experience environmental racism every day.

Jill Mangaliman is the executive director of Got Green, a people of color led environ-mental justice organization based out of South Seattle. For more information visit: www.gotgreenseattle.org

Jill MangalimanGuest columnist

On the morning of April 1, 2016, police in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato, Philippines broke the unarmed protesters’ line which included 6,000 farmers, and hit them with truncheons and batons, water from firetrucks, and bullets. To this day, five have been confirmed dead, 116 injured, 89 reported missing, and two tortured.

The Philippines, where my family is from, has been taking a major hit from climate change. Every year, they have been experiencing deadly typhoons and massive flooding due to climate change, but also heat waves and

Rice Not Bullets: Remembering the victims of the Kidapawan massacredrought. El Niño has affected several towns including Kidapawan. According to the Final Report of the National Fact Finding and Humanitarian Mission to Kidapawan City, crop loss from the dry spell has already hit PhP989 million while rats destroyed PhP84.5 million worth of crops. At least 50,000 hectares of rice and corn farms were destroyed by rising temperatures. More than 25,000 farmers lost their only source of income.

By January of this year, the government of North Cotabato had issued a resolution declaring the province under a state of calamity. Yet, drought-affected farmers were not receiving aid. So, at the end of March more than 6,000 indigenous farmers organized by Kilusang Magbubukid ng

Pilipinas (KMP), decided to take action to demand immediate food aid and other relief.

“The farmers of North Cotabato had every right to protest, asking for aide that should have been distributed to them since the state of calamity was first declared in January 2015,” said Rhondalei Gabuat, chairman of GABRIELA Seattle USA. “Rice that is grown by these farmers is what feeds this country and yet the very food they grow does not feed their families because of export oriented greed of the Philippine government.”

Gabuat participated in actions across the country organized by BAYAN USA and the International Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines

(ICHRP) to bring to light the Kidapawan massacre, including direct action at consulates and a 24-hour hunger fast. In Seattle, BAYAN PNW organized a vigil and banner drop on Jose Rizal Bridge, with more than 100 attending and speakers from faith, climate justice, students, and farming communities.

“We ask everyone to stand in solidarity with the Kidapawan farmers and all farmers in the world who struggle for their basic human rights and climate justice,” Gabaut said.

Donate to support the Lumad Farmers #BigasHindiBala (Rice not Bullets) at https://www.youcaring.com / lu mad-fa r mer s -v ic t i ms- of-cotabato-dispersal-548808.


IE COMMUNITY

By Nabeeha ChaudharyIE Contributor

“There is no such thing as ‘away.’ When we throw something away it must go somewhere”

—Annie Leonard

No matter what part of the world we come from, the cycle of food is relevant to all of us, conservation of resources affects all of us, and successful recycling needs all of us.

This is a message that Socorro Medina carries as Seattle Public Utilities’ (SPU) Community Recycling and Engagement Program Manager.

As part of a collaboration between the Customer Service Branch and the Environmental Justice & Service Equity Division of SPU, Medina is reaching out to communities in Seattle to create awareness, provide useful tools and information, and encourage participation in recycling and composting. Targeted efforts are currently being made by SPU to reach out to communities of color and partner with community-based organizations that work closely with refugees and immigrants in Seattle.

Every summer, SPU releases a report on the City’s “recycling rate” during the previous year. The recycling rate is calculated by looking at all the garbage that is generated by residents and businesses and figuring out what percentage is diverted from the landfill by recycling and composting.

“The 2014 report shows that the overall recycling rate was 57%,” Medina said. “On the residential side, there is a big difference between the recycling rate of those living in single family homes (71%) versus those living in apartments (35%). I believe that the motivation and the interest in recycling are similar between these two groups but that there are other factors that make it less convenient to recycle for people living in apartments. For example, there can be a long distance between the kitchen and the common containers. This year, we are going to be working on figuring out what are the main barriers that prevent people living in apartment buildings from recycling more effectively and in finding out ways of addressing those barriers.”

According to SPU, language barriers are some of the biggest obstacles to recycling that certain communities of color face. Over the next few months, SPU plans on reaching out to different communities to assess specific needs.

SPU currently has brochures and other informative resources available in 18 different languages including, but not limited to, Chinese, Arabic, Korean, Hindi, Somali, Tagalog, and Amharic. These can be printed

directly off of their website, ordered online, or over the phone.

In addition to addressing language bar-riers, SPU has been engaging the community through various partnerships and activities.By partnering with community groups such as Chinese Infomation and Service Center, Got Green, and Environ-mental Coalition of South Seattle, SPU hopes to get input from different commu-nities about effective choices of commu-nicating and cultural appropriateness.

“Our community partners are key in helping us disseminate information and also [to] receive feedback from the different communities, because this is a two-way conversation,” Medina said. Examples of activities between SPU and partner organizations include experiential learning tours, a youth media project where immigrant youth prepare and present projects on food waste and recycling, and training

through fun exercises like a “sorting game” where participants divide into groups and go through a box of household items that need to be recycled/composted.

“For the most part people are very receptive,” Medina said. “I’m always amazed at how many people are interested and willing to hear you out.”

The main challenge, Medina said, is to find the right channels to communicate with every audience, to figure out what method works best whether it is going door to door or reaching out through advertisements on buses. People are also more likely to listen to and connect with speakers from within their own community.

“The most effective outreach takes place when there is common ground between the audience and the person providing the information,” Medina said.

For many communities conservation matters, so SPU’s message resonates with them, according to Medina. Recycling is a natural part of living and is always present in various communities in some form or another. For certain immigrants, for example,

recycling in Seattle may seem more formalized than from where they come from but that does not mean it does not exist in their home country. Recycling can be as basic as reusing plastic ice cream containers to store leftovers, or having a very conscientious culture of not putting more on your plate than you need. Older generations may compost and recycle more for ethical reasons as they are used to not wasting food and younger generations seem generally more conscientious about specific environmental concerns, Medina said.

However, there are still those who need more encouragement. People may hesitate to compost because they are either afraid of doing it wrong and/or are wary of the compost being smelly or attracting insects—what Medina referred to as “the icky factor.” Medina’s message to the public is to “try it and you may find that your garbage is actually less smelly because most of the wet food scraps are kept together in a different container.”

“For some people, it may be a bit intimidating to start collecting their food waste. However, our fliers and newsletters are full of tips and suggestions to make it easier,” Medina said. “If you want to remember just one rule, remember to keep all plastic out of compost.” Plastic, especially plastic bags have been contaminating compost.

Compostable bags are a good option but they are not required; use inexpensive alternatives like brown bags or newspaper lining. Medina points out that if you do want to use a bag, be wary that though compostable bags are usually green, not all green bags are compostable.

To tackle issues of smell and pests, store compost in your fridge or freezer till you need to dispose of it and rinse your container regularly. It’s as simple as that. Composting actually makes your garbage cleaner and easier to manage by reducing liquid and soggy material.

Medina reminds us that the cycle of food is relevant to all of us no matter what part of the world we may be from. Compost goes into the soil, produces new food again, and the cycle of life continues—nothing “icky” about that!

Medina welcomes comments and suggestions for improving SPU’s outreach to various communities via e-mail at [email protected]. The phone number for ordering information material/brochures is (206) 684-8717.

Seattle Public Utilities: The cycle of food is relevant to all of us

Medina

Washington State Climate Policy (and beyond)

Infographic provided by Seattle Public Utilities


IE NEWS

By Lexi PotterIE Staff

On Friday, April 8, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) welcomed 14 Chinese elders to the new South Transfer Station for a tour of the facility and a presentation about composting. Community leader Alan Lai interpreted into Cantonese and Mandarin for the visiting elders.

The state-of-the-art South Transfer Station was completed in 2013, replacing the old South Recycling and Disposal Station. The new station was designed to provide increased safety and efficiency. It processes about 180,000 tons of garbage, food and yard waste, and recycling each year, serving over 100,000 cars and trucks annually.

Substantial thought went into making the new station environmentally friendly. Landscaping uses native plants that require relatively little water, and the roof catches and routes rainwater into a large cistern for storage. The collected rainwater is then used to wash away loose materials and maintain a clean station floor. Rainwater is also used for rinsing vehicle tires as they come out of the station, which helps keep local streets clean.

Visiting elders had the opportunity to see the Station’s 10,000 square-foot main floor, where cars and trucks unload garbage, recyclables, yard waste, food waste, and other materials for transfer to further processing facilities. Elders observed large trucks full of garbage from Seattle households dumping their loads onto the floor.

On average, each Seattle household throws away roughly 15 lbs of garbage per week. Trucks collect this garbage six out of every seven days, driving it to one of the local transfer stations. At the South Transfer Station, waste is dumped onto

the Station’s main floor, then pushed into a trash compactor and loaded into shipping containers. Trucks transport these containers to the station’s rail yard. Six days a week, every week of the year, our city sends a mile-long train, full of compacted garbage, almost 300 miles away to be dumped at a landfill in eastern Oregon.

Seattle has made incredible progress in recent decades, now recycling and composting more than half of the garbage it generates. Our city diverts over 100,000 tons of food and yard waste from landfills each year. Still, the elders were shocked to learn about the amount of trash we produce, and that all of our garbage is transported over such a large distance.

In contrast, food and yard waste and recyclables can be processed and given new life locally. Food and yard waste is delivered by truck to a nearby regional composting facility, where organic waste

is processed and aged into rich compost. This finds its way back into our gardens and parks. Recyclables are transported to local recycling plants to be sorted, screened, and baled, after which the bales are sent to recycling mills and made into new products.

The tour of the Transfer Station was followed by lunch and a presentation on composting.

Up to 30% of Seattle’s garbage is made up of food waste. In January 2015, Seattle implemented a “no food in the garbage” law that requires businesses and residents to compost food instead of throwing it in the trash.

All of the elders who participated in the tour live in apartment (sometimes called “multifamily”) buildings. Promoting composting has proven particularly challenging in multifamily residences, according to SPU. Barriers to composting in these environments can include not knowing

Seattle Public Utilities leads multilingual tour of South Transfer Station, raises awareness about composting for Chinese elders

where the building’s composting bin is located, limitations on living space that make finding a place for personal composting bins hard, and the perceived inconvenience or difficulty of composting. Lack of knowledge around what can be composted poses an additional challenge for residents.

Raising awareness about the types of items that are compostable can help reduce the amount of food and yard waste that ends up in the trash. To do this, SPU said it recognizes that it is crucial for immigrant and ethnic communities to have access to composting information in-language.

Community Recycling Specialist So-corro Medina provided a presentation and demonstration, interpreted into Cantonese and Mandarin by Alan Lai, to clarify what materials are compostable, what should be recycled, and what must go in the garbage. Elders were provided with an informational pamphlet in Chinese to use as a guide for their homes. To strengthen their learning, el-ders were then engaged in a game of “com-posting bingo,” with apartment countertop sealed composting bins as the prize.

In addition to the composting tips provided, elders were encouraged to consider other ways to reduce waste. These include:

• Recycling junk mail, and visiting www.seattle.gov/stopjunkmail for free services to help you reduce the amount of junk mail you receive. American households get an average of 848 pieces of junk mail each year, equal to roughly 1.5 trees.

• Using reusable bags for groceries and shopping.

• Instead of throwing away unwanted clothing or toys, trying to sell, reuse, or donate those items.

• Buying products made from recycled materials whenever possible.

Visit www.seattle.gov/util for more waste reducing tips.

Alan Lai, back with hands raised, translated in Cantonese and Mandarin for the Chinese elders’ visit to the South Transfer Station on April 8, 2016. The front of the Station features a mural depicting the original route of the Duwamish River. • Photo by Lexi Potter

Chinese elders stand in front of salvaged street signs at Seattle Public Utilities’ South Transfer Station in South Park. • Photo by Lexi Potter

Elders enjoy lunch while watching a presentation about composting. The presentation clarified what types of items can be composted and what items should instead be recycled. • Photo by Lexi Potter


IE NEWS

For more information and updates, visit www.apiheritage.com and facebook.com/apiheritage

Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month CelebrationPresented by Asian Pacific Directors Coalition

Sunday, May 1, 2016 • 11:45 A.M. - 5:00 P.MSeattle Center Armory • FREE ADMISSION • FAMILY EVENT

SCHEDULE OF PERFORMERS:

11:45am Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team

12:00pm Opening Remarks by Co-Emcees: Marci Nakano, Kyle Theptee

Welcoming Remarks by: Dorothy Wong, APDC Chairperson, Michael Itti, Executive Director, CAPAA Governor’s Proclamation

12:15pm Filipino Youth Activities Drill Team

12:30pm Lu Mienh Sieqv

12:45pm Te Fare O Tamatoa-Tahitian Dance Troupe

1:00pm Kinnaly

1:15pm Natya

1:30pm Hum Bow Eating Contest, Celebrity Contestants, Emcees: Joe Darza and Jody Fang

2:00pm FACES Dance Troupe

2:15pm Shiori

2:30pm OBG Band

3:00pm Fraggle Rock Crew

3:15pm Seattle Thai Dancers

3:30pm Vietnamese Traditional Dress Presentation Vuu’s Beauty School and Friends, Emcee Monique Le

3:45pm Community API Authors

4:00pm The Cruw

4:15pm Kaze Daiko

4:30pm Hula ‘Ohana O Ke’alaileiha’aha’a

4:45pm Federal Way High School Samoan Club

5:00pm Closing Remarks

MEDIA SPONSOR: Crossings TV, Where Cultures Meet

CELEBRITY HUM BOW EATING CONTEST:Fred Brown, Former Seattle SupersonicAna Mari Cauce, President, University of WashingtonEnrique Cerna, Director of Community Partnerships at KCTSSiemny Kim, KIRO TV Anchor/ReporterJerry Lee, Chairman, Mulvanny G2 ArchitectsJenette Ramos, VP and GM of Boeing FabricationEddie Rye Jr, Host, Urban Forum NorthwestState Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos, 37th District

FEATURING: THE OBG’S BAND

VIETNAMESE TRADITIONAL DRESS PRESENTATION BY: Vuu’s Beauty School and Friends

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITES BY:API Coalition Against Tobacco • Interim ICDA

CULTURAL DISPLAYS OF NATIONS BY:Asian Pacific Cultural Center

COMMUNITY SPONSORS:API Coalition Against Tobacco • AREAA Greater Seattle • Asian Counseling and Referral Services • Asian Pacific Cultural Center • Bellevue College • Chinese Information and Service Center • City University • Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs • EDI • Goodwill • Interim ICDA • International Examiner • Japa-nese American Citizens League • King County Sheriffs Office • Neighborhood House • Nikkei Concerns • Nisei Veterans Com-mittee • Northwest Asian Weekly • OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates • Overnight Printing and Graphics • Seattle Center Foundation • Seattle Police Department • UW American Ethnic Studies • UnitedHealthCare’s Community Plan

The South Transfer Station accepts and processes food and yard waste, recyclables, and garbage, both from businesses and residents. • Photo by Lexi Potter

SPU Community Recycling Specialist Socorro Medina (right) demonstrates which bins are used for various waste items, with Alan Lai (left) interpreting into Cantonese and Mandarin. • Photo by Lexi Potter

Fourteen Chinese elders attended the April 8, 2016 walking tour of the South Transfer Station. • Photo by Lexi Potter

After the presentation, elders played a game of “compost bingo,” with five lucky participants winning sealed countertop compost bins. • Photo by Lexi Potter


IE NEWS

By Carlie StoweIE Contributor

For the past nine months, Got Green, a people-of-color-led environmental justice organization, and Puget Sound Sage, a nonprofit organization with a mission to build communities in which all families thrive, have been working with the South Seattle community and other organizations in order to determine the community’s collective priorities and lift up the message that poor people and people of color are often hit first and worst by the impacts of climate change.

In March 2016, their final report, Our People, Our Planet, Our Power—Community Led Research in South Seattle, was published. At 51 pages long, the report explains its purpose, highlights its research methods, delves into its findings, and explores its next steps towards a “collective path forward.”

“Our biggest goal was for our communities to see themselves in climate issues and to have the dialogues about what climate change means for us, the communities most impacted by these issues,” said Got Green executive director Jill Mangaliman.

The report encourages people in low income communities and people of color to change the way they talk about climate change, and to view themselves as key players in the movement. The report’s purpose is to identify the barriers stopping community members from being active participants in the fight against climate change, and to provide solutions for combatting these obstacles.

The Climate Justice Steering Committee, a grassroots volunteer group, developed a six-month long plan to reach out to community members and organizations to gain a better understanding of community thought surrounding climate change. This type of research, Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR), is designed to provide data that is helpful for the communities that the research is aggregated from.

The Climate Justice Steering Committee used CBPR to accomplish their two goals—to “understand how residents of Southeast Seattle think and feel about, climate change, policies meant to stem climate change, and climate change preparedness” and to “develop local community leadership in the movement for

Got Green, Puget Sound Sage climate change report puts focus on South Seattle community

Climate Justice.” The Climate Justice Steering

Committee developed two tools to complete their research: a community survey taken by 175 participants and an organizational leader interview, in which 30 representatives from various organizations working with communities of color in Seattle participated. Over the six-month span, the committee also held three community roundtables open to all community members to discuss climate change in further detail, and to explore solutions to the relative problems community members found most concerning.

In an attempt to understand how to begin talking about climate change with community members, the report stated that the Climate Justice Steering Committee “needed to ground [themselves] in community priorities.” The findings from the survey indicate that while people of color and low income residents are supportive of climate change solutions, they do not see themselves as being disproportionately affected by climate change.

When asked a series of questions regarding health hazards that impact their neighborhoods, survey participants identified the lack of affordable housing and lack of affordable food as issues they were most concerned about. With a lack of affordable housing on the rise in Seattle, the report stated that displacement will only increase the city’s carbon emissions due to lack of public transportation and will undermine any community-based effort to build climate resilience.

“These issue are interconnected,” Mangaliman said. “We can’t solve climate change without solving issues of affordable housing, and racial and gender equality.”

Along side the worry of displacement, the rising cost of food was overwhelmingly worrisome to the survey respondents. The report quotes a statistic from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stating “that changes in temperature and rainfall patterns could lead to food price increases between 3% and 84% by 2050.”

When the Community Survey participants were asked how

Seattle should respond to climate change, 75% of the participants were in support of carbon-reduction strategies. The most support came from the notion of transitioning away from fossil fuels as an entry to a green economy. The Climate Justice Steering Committee used the results from the Community Survey and the Organizational Leader Interviews to form a comprehensive outline of recommendations.

“When we talk about climate change we have to talk about how it impacts people locally,” Mangaliman said. “Communities of color are very interested in and supportive of climate issues. This is a matter of letting their voices be heard.” Mangaliman said.

The report calls for centering the knowledge, experiences, and voices of those most impacted by climate change when talking about climate change.

Our People, Our Planet, Our Power—Community Led Research in South Seattle describes three multi-part recommendations for a “Collective Path Forward”:

1. To prevent displacement of communities away from the urban core.

2. To focus on engaging communities in climate resilience and fighting climate change.

3. To put racial equity at the center of climate adaptation decision-making.

Got Green and Puget Sound Sage are working closely with local government officials to pioneer these changes. Mangaliman is a co-chair for Seattle Mayor Ed Murray’s Equity and Environment Initiative, which aims to deepen Seattle’s commitment to race and social justice environmental work. Both organizations are creating a pipeline for young leaders of color to get involved with green jobs. The Climate Justice Steering Committee is currently working on a campaign to end displacement, and to create access to affordable housing, in response to the survey participants’ tops concerns.

“Be informed, take action,” Mangaliman said. “We can’t do it on our own, so we are encouraging people to join our communities, and movements—Got Green, Puget Sound Sage, etc.—to push for these initiatives and solutions.”

Read the full publication online at http://gotgreenseattle.org.


IE NEWS

SUPPLEMENTAL Draft EIS Learn + Comment

PUBLIC MEETINGTuesday, May 10, 20164:30–7:30 PM

Seattle City Hall600 Fourth AvenueBertha Knight Landes Room

Free and open to all

The Office of the Waterfront has released the Alaskan Way, Promenade, and Overlook Walk Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Read the Supplemental Draft EIS and comment online: waterfrontseattle.org

Questions? 206-499-8040

SUBMIT COMMENTS APRIL 18 – MAY 18, 2016 Online: waterfrontseattle.org

Email: [email protected]

Public meeting: May 10, 2016

Mail: AWPOW – Supplemental Draft EIS Comments, Mark Mazzola, Environmental Manager, SDOT PO Box 34996, Seattle, WA 98124-4996

By Henry CleworthIE Contributor

The theme of this year’s Poetry on Buses, your body of water, challenges us to see the connections we have to each other in our communities and to take a closer look at how we look at ourselves, our environment, and the rest of the natural world around us.

The idea that we are all connected in more ways than we think is tied to an effort by Poetry on Buses organizers to reach out to Seattle’s communities of color who may not have been served by the program in the past.

The Poetry on Buses program features poems that are submitted by individuals of different cultures from around the greater King County on a broad range of bus, rail, and station venues. The program has been around since 1992 and this year features poems from a total of nine different languages, which will also be made available online.

“We want to try and be connected with those that we haven’t served as strongly [in the past],” said Heidi

Your body of water: Poetry on Buses connects communities

Jackson. As project manager at 4Culture, Jackson oversees the Poetry on Buses community outreach sector and was key in relaunching the program after its seven-year sabbatical from 2007 to 2014. “We are including poetry not just in English but from some of the other most commonly spoken languages in King County.”

After adding Russian, Vietnamese, Somali, and Spanish last year, Poetry on Buses added five more languages including Amharic, Chinese, and Punjabi, spoken by one of the largest populations in South Seattle.

An expanded effort by Poetry on Buses to reach underserved county populations in 2016 is made possible through a partnership between 4Culture, City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Sound Transit, King County Metro, King County Wastewater Treatment Division, King County Water and Land Resources Divisions, and Seattle Public Utilities.

The program is run by 4Culture and the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture with a poet planner, community liaisons, and poets shaping the series of upcoming workshops.

Jourdan Keith is the new poetry planner for this season of Poetry on Buses.

“Poetry is a vehicle to raise people’s awareness,” Keith said. “It also slows us down so that we can notice things around us.”

Keith began writing poetry as a teenager in high school and soon found her passion for the outdoors after spending time at her cabin with just her journal. Now an environmental activist, Keith helped frame this year’s theme—your body of water.

Keith said this year’s efforts to reach underserved communities goes beyond the addition of new languages.

“It’s not only about having workshops in different languages, but to understand the differences in culture

about what water means,” Keith said. In the Punjabi culture, everything

is centered around five rivers, in the Spanish culture all water has a spirit, in the Ethiopian culture if someone is beautiful, you compare them to water.

“That’s what has been driving me to do poetry—understanding water around the world is so neat and different, there is so much more to it than people think,” Keith said.

In addition, Poetry on Buses allows for the crossing of different cultural backgrounds. It promotes inclusiveness, especially for those that may have not been as engaged in the past, such as the Asian American Pacific Islander community, Keith said.

As the Chinese Community Liaison for the Poetry on Buses program, Yuping Kuang is finding ways to engage the Asian Pacific Islander community connect them with those who are exposed to the programs poetry throughout the city.

“It is important for [our] programs’ immigrants to recognize the bilingual and multicultural society here in Seattle,” Kuang said. “By having the Poetry on Buses program, it helps promote cultural and social diversity.”

Participation in Poetry on Buses is not reserved for poets either. Anyone can submit work to be featured.

“I love working with people who don’t identify as writers,” Keith said.

It’s the goal of Poetry on Buses to reach out to the broader community to try and engage them with the art of poetry.

“The greatest thing about this project is that it’s a public art project that calls for poetry from anybody who is a King County resident,” Jackson said.

The first workshop for the Poetry on Buses program will be held May 1 and continue through the end of September. For more information, visit poetryonbuses.org.

The theme for this season of Poetry on Buses is your body of water.


It’s National Poetry Month or ‘Why should people read poetry anyway?’

Every year, April is set aside as National Poetry Month, a time to celebrate poets and their craft. Here, at the Examiner, we’ll have coverage of poets and their books and their ideas with a focus on the local. But one nagging question I always hear from people is that poetry is boring or just too difficult to understand. So I issued a challenge to some poets out there to answer the question, “Why should people read poetry anyway?” You’ll find their responses online at iexaminer.org. Ever wonder how poets collaborate on a project? We interviewed local Seattle poet Lawrence Matsuda and his friend, Tess Gallagher, about their new publication in which they traded poems. Celebrate this month and read some poetry, write some yourself or attend one of the many local readings in your town.

Alan Chong LauIE Arts Editor

IE ARTS

By Betsy AokiIE Contributor

Reading a collaboration between two poets—where poems make a kind of call-and-response—has a natural swing to it. The initiator poet must spark the sequence; the responder must carry the beat, break through to new landscapes of conversation, manage momentum.

Boogie-Woogie Crisscross, a rollicking, heartfelt collaboration between Seattle poet Lawrence Matsuda and his Ireland-based muse and mentor Tess Gallagher is one such literary worldbuilder. Beginning with poems from a shorter series (Pow! Pow! Shalazam!, adding cross-weaving synthesis (Blue Cocoon) and ending with a series that melds free verse and Japanese form (Wild-Haired-Labyrinth Renga) this email correspondence takes the reader across the continents and decades in a heartbeat.

“This was a real adventure. I’ve never written anything like it—I couldn’t on my own,” Gallagher said. “There really haven’t been very many of these, so I hope we are making fresh tracks in the snow with this book.”

Gallagher reminisced, “I found myself getting involved in material I wouldn’t have come to without Larry’s stimulation—such as Marilyn Monroe, drive-in movies, and certain now-classic car lingo. It was lively trying to give evidence of an Irish reaction to some of his dilemmas—Irish humor always extends to one’s failures.”

“Even glancing off his poems was fun when mere direct comeback would have been dull. Larry can be so funny,” Gallagher added.

Matsuda’s correspondence with Gallagher first began when a friend, Alfredo Arreguin offered her the manuscript of what would become A Cold Wind from Idaho, Matsuda’s poems about his family and the World War II Japanese incarceration camp, Minidoka. Thus began a longer literary friendship, with Gallagher advising Matsuda on revisions to the manuscript until it was picked by Black Lawrence Press in 2010.

The first instigator poem of Boogie-Woogie Crisscross is the sensual “Kisses” by Matsuda.

Betsy Aoki: What prompted “Kisses?”Lawrence Matsuda:

I liked the evocative 1940s cover of the Kisses book [Portable Kisses by Gallagher]. Also I knew that 20 years from now no one would find our e-mails in the attic. So I decided that we would do some emails that were poems that would be published and saved. To that end I challenged her with the poem “Kisses.” I wanted to push her toward the edge because I knew she could not not respond to a challenge.

Aoki: Tess returned your volley with another sexy poem, “What They Missed,” with that immortal line summing up her mother’s photo: “one leg extended flirtatiously/like a ramp to her private Berlin.” How did you craft your response called “Fifteen Love, The Bloop-Shot Return”?

Matsuda: I regarded “What They Missed” as a tennis slam or kill shot. It was like something so fierce that it would knock me out with one punch and I would run away. But I decided that a serious response would only beget another kill shot so I gave an oddball (cartoonish—Road Runner) cartoon response, “Fifteen Love.”

Aoki: How was the co-creation of this book different from your collaboration with visual artist Roger Shimomura on Glimpses of a Forever Foreigner: Poetry & Artwork Inspired by Japanese American Experiences?

Matsuda: With Roger, I sent poems and he read them and then created sketches about the emotional content as he interpreted them. So it was his visual interpretation of my written words and images. Working with Tess, we exchanged words and images and responded to each other’s statements. We dueled and tried to outdo each other in terms of finding new directions, topics,

viewpoints, and images. It was like a “Duelin’ Banjo” exchange or much like two musicians exchanging riffs and building off the previous riff.

Aoki: Are your poems in response the “first ones to arrive” or were they the best drafts out of possibly several poems that sprang from an offering from Tess?

Matsuda: The first poems of the three sections initiated each exchange. We exchanged poems rapidly—sometimes the next day and then when the section was done we revised each section. Wild- Haired-Labyrinth Renga was revised at least 28 times and the others were in double digits.

Aoki: “The Paper Airplane of Justice” (Tess) and “Ghost Dahlias” (Larry) take on what the reader realizes is a theme in the Boogie Woogie dance—justice and fairness. Can you both speak a bit more about how the idea of justice informs your poetic subjects?

Gallagher: The gangster and comic book sections were the most fun, but oddly enough the poem I loved writing most is the one I dedicated to Larry called “Button, Button” which is very political re: Irish situation of women ... [Regarding the theme of justice] I think I could say we are both mistrustful of government and keep an eagle eye toward what it asks of us and how it treats those who haven’t full bargaining power. Justice, getting it—yes, I know I have a kind of cry going inside these poems which is a serious undertow to the more jocular, playful elements in our exchange.

Matsuda: Tess is part Native American and was subject to discrimination as a young child growing up in Port Angeles and I was born in Minidoka, an American concentration camp.

In many ways I believe that even though people can overcome barriers and injustice, it doesn’t mean that they necessarily have it made. Instead I believe the experience can motivate them to speak up so that others

are not victims of injustice. I believe this is a critical role of an artist—to have people understand and walk in the shoes of other people. If an artist can touch someone’s heart and change their attitude, that is more powerful than laws that dictate what is right and wrong regardless as to whether people agree.

Aoki: Tess talked about what poems were the most fun for her. What were yours?

Matsuda: I liked being the 1940s-ish gangster in “Even Gangsters Need “Rs.” It is so ridiculous. I love the references to drive in movies, Crown Victoria cars that sidle like horses, the notion that “adjectives are the pimples of the English language,” and how removing an “r” can change meanings. At one time I was a printer. I like how the mood changes and in the end it is becomes nostalgic and sentimental—which is a surprise that ties back to “Kisses.”

Aoki: What advice would you give to beginning poets, or poets who have not tried this kind of collaboration?

Gallagher: Try to get a conversation going. See what falls out. Don’t be too circumscribed. ... By making something together you get pulled out of your singular orbit and that’s really mad-wonderful.

Matsuda: Just be fearless, once the process begins you can find yourself in mental places, and situations you never would have visited alone. It is through the collaboration that brings new things out in you and your collaborator so that you almost create a new person or voice that is not you as an individual but you reflecting off of someone else and new aspects of yourself. Ultimately, as Tess says go have fun—sometimes poems are focused too much on unhappy things.

Boogie-Woogie Crisscross reading and book signing happens Thursday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m. at The Elliott Bay Book Company (1521 10th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122). For more information, visit http://www.elliottbaybook.com/event/tess-gallagher-lawrence-matsuda.

Boogie-Woogie Crisscross a heartfelt collaboration

Matsuda Gallagher


IE ARTS

By Tracy LaiIE Contributor

Karen L. Ishizuka is a third-generation American of Japanese descent whose cultural work as a film producer, curator, writer, and scholar is strongly defined by her transformative experiences through the Asian American Movement. To understand and articulate these transformations, Ishizuka interviewed over a hundred Asian American activists all over the United States, documenting a history that “has scarcely been acknowledged in the canon of U.S. history and culture.”

Ishizuka’s new book, Serve the People, Making Asian America in the Long Sixties opens with the assertion that “up until the cultural revolution of the “Long Sixties”—the elongated decade that began in the mid 1950s and lasted until the mid 1970s—there were no Asian Americans.” This compelling multi-voice story explains how Asian America came into being as both a political identity and a place to call home.

The continued marginalization of Asian Americans has its roots in the historical Black/white dichotomy that has framed most of U.S. social relations. Ishizuka astutely analyzes the neither Black nor white status of Asians, the inherent foreignness assumed about Asians and their implicit threat as an unassimilable presence that defined white Americans and the West.

Of particular relevance is Ishizuka’s analysis of the historical relationship between Asian and African Americans. W.E.B. DuBois saw Asia as a “fraternal twin to Africa’s struggle for political freedom and cultural self-preservation.” Langston Hughes’ travels in China in 1933 inspired the writing of nearly twenty poems that related his own experience with revolutionary movements in China.

In addition to noting the historic Asian-African Conference in Bandung, Indonesia, in 1955, an effort to forge a non-aligned path separate from the Superpowers (U.S. and Soviets), Ishizuka identifies two statements of solidarity with the African American liberation struggle made by Mao Zedong.

Mao’s Little Red Book would become a fundraiser and source of political study for the Black Panther Party. Ishizuka describes Crenshaw as a historical nexus for Japanese American and African American culture in the 1950s-60s. And on the east coast in Harlem, New York City, Yuri Kochiyama built a close political relationship with Malcolm X. This history defies the usual portrayal of Black-Asian tensions.

There were many fronts to the Asian American Movement: opposing the racist imperialist war in Southeast Asia, creating Asian American and Ethnic Studies, “community-nation building” in terms of social services and programs, even workers cooperatives. Ishizuka states that

Ishizuka examines unfinished Asian American Movement“making Asian America was probably when we felt most alive.” The intensity was palpable with revolution in the air. But the end of the Vietnam War “neutralized what had been a major impetus for Asian American activism.”

Ishizuka quotes Audre Lorde regarding the ways in which political in-fighting fractured the Movement. Despite the development of numerous Asian American revolutionary groups, their political differences became more defining than their common enemy of U.S. capitalism. Asian American artists, women, gays, and lesbians felt ancillary rather than central to the activism. The Movement, Asian America, became less of a home.

Ishizuka identifies many legacies of the Asian American Movement: “Its greatest impact has been the metamorphosis, both personal and political, of its innumerable participants.” The process, even more than the outcomes, forever changed the thinking and being of so many people. Perhaps this illustrates how once you follow the path of activism, you can’t go back.

Serve the People powerfully argues that recovering and remembering the Asian American Movement is not to live in the past, but rather to claim the future that the Asian American Movement envisioned. An unfinished revolution, but a revolution still worth fighting for: no justice, no peace!

Ishizuka

By Michelle PenalozaIE Contributor

Rick Barot was born in the Philippines, grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and attended Wesleyan University and The Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa. He is the author of three books of poems, The Darker Fall (2002), winner of the Kathryn A. Morton Prize; Want (2008), winner of the 2009 Grub Street Book Prize; and, most recently, Chord (2015).

Chord, Barot’s latest collection of poems, is such an affecting and well-regarded book that it won the prestigious PEN Open Book Award for a Distinguished Work by an Author of Color as this review was in progress, adding to Barot’s recent accolades—a 2016 University of North Texas Rilke Prize and a 2016 Guggenheim Fellowship, among many others.

If accolades are any indication, Chord is a book and Rick Barot a poet to recommend to all readers.

Folks in the greater Seattle area will recognize some of the landscapes and allusions throughout Chord—there are poems entitled “Tacoma Lyric,” and “Coast Starlight”—as Barot is a “local” poet who lives in Tacoma, teaching at Pacific Lutheran University and directing the Rainier Writing Workshop, the low-residency MFA in Creative Writing at PLU. However, I hover around the word “local” as Barot’s poems vibrate with a wider breadth, reaching toward something global, claiming space beyond this corner of the world.

Rick Barot’s poems are scrupulous and patient; his language is accessible and precise, creating vivid imagery and syntax that is supple and incisive, initiating the reader

into thoughtful meditation as well as tender and fierce questioning.

In Chord, a catalog of tarps leads to a meditation on the failures of care and the failures of language; a garden of only-white flowers unfolds into an etymological interrogation of empire and the legacies of colonialism, historical and personal; a pondering on the difference between a detail and an image becomes an elegy for an uncle.

Here is a poet who revels in all the potential around him, searching for, questioning, and finding meaning through astute observation and a facility with reading the world. Barot excels in rendering associative leaps—bringing together the personal and historical, the banal and sublime—with a precision that might be a stretch for poets less fastidious and patient. In Barot’s hands, these distances become tensile strength, with smart and surprising juxtaposition.

Chord, is a pleasingly apt title for Barot’s collection: a chord being a group of notes sounded together as a basis for harmony, along with the idiomatic phrase, “to strike (or touch) a chord,” meaning to affect or stir one’s emotions. These poems deliver, ringing notes that linger and sing. These chords are not always euphonious—that is to say, Barot does not shy away from the difficult or unpleasant—but, they are always thought-provoking and finely wrought.

In that spirit, to close, I’ll simply share pieces of poems from the collection (a difficult task as I’d like to quote everything!), letting the beautiful and moving music of Chord strike on its own:

From “Triptych” “Because kingfishers / keep in pairs, when she / found one

dead … / she knew the other would / come looking, which it did. / This was not a metaphor for anything, // but simple fact. The fact of water, / grass, trees, houses, cells, blood. / The fact of a last day’s work, then // the start of dying. The fact of what one / intends, and what happens. / The bird calling and calling and calling.”

“[What] I want is to be outside / of us, to be able to read us not as we are / but as figures without story, without ending.”

From “Ode: 1975”“What did I know that my parents didn’t give me? / Even

the house-shaking storm / seemed one more event of their conjuring, / our house a crystal globe in the conjuring dark.”

From “After Darwish”“I want love / only from the beginning. The beginning of

one more / conversation in a car, the beginning / of a snow that leaves the day as white / as a hospital, the beginning of an industrial dusk, / the beginning of a new rain, rain that is / the water of the Arno, the water of the Hudson, / the water of the Mississippi, the water of the Nile.”

From “Chord”“Chord that is your satin purple dress, love’s good

synesthesia.”“Chord that is a photograph of you among tulips, the field

now no field.”“Chord that is your throat, its Sunday hymns unabashed,

unstricken.”

Rick Barot—Claiming space beyond this corner of the world


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IE ARTS

By Roxanne RayIE Contributor

The centuries-old Japanese art form of rakugo (literally “fallen words”) combines storytelling, dramatic character-acting, and comedy, and will be gracing Seattle stages in English this month.

Tatsuya Sudo, under his preferred stage name Kanariya Eiraku, will be performing at the Seattle Center’s Cherry Blossom Festival and at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center together with four other rakugo performers who have been students of his: Kappa, Tanekichi, Fukuhime, and Nuts.

These supporting performers are taking time out of their regular careers to join Eiraku on this U.S. tour. “Nuts and Fukuhime are salaried workers, Kappa is a high school teacher, and Tanekichi is a retiree,” said Eiraku. “Kappa and Tanekichi joined the tour in L.A. last August, while Fukuhime will join the tour for the first time.”

Despite their other careers, all the performers work with Eiraku as a cohesive whole. “We all use the same teigo or group name, Kanariya. which means ‘deer cry,’” Eiraku said.

During their performances, each performer will have solo time onstage, performing while seated, using only a small cloth and a paper fan in order to play roles, communicate stories, and bring the audience to laughter. And here in the United States, they will do so in English.

English rakugo is becoming popular in Japan, as well. “I started an English rakugo class in Tokyo in 2007 and we started presentations in 2008,” Eiraku said. “Now I have 40 students. We usually perform twice a year in Tokyo.”

After word spread, Eiraku received more high profile invitations to perform. “We also perform at accommodations for foreign visitors, schools, and international organizations such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency,” he said.

In 2015, the Kanariya group began touring in the United States, focusing on California. “In L.A., we joined the Nisei Week Festival,” Eiraku said. “I have studied about Japanese /Asian-American cultures for the past twenty years, so joining the festival was something significant for me.”

Eiraku credits his prior ties with the US for the opportunity to bring rakugo here. “I contributed articles about Asian American cultures to Hokubei Mainichi newspaper in San Francisco for several years in the mid-

2000s,” he said, “so then president of the newspaper, Mr. Keizo Norimoto, helped me perform rakugo in San Francisco and San Mateo.”

That experience last August encouraged Eiraku to tour more widely, beginning with Arizona in February, 2016. “Harumi Maejima, president of Japanese Culture Club of Arizona, helped us to perform rakugo in Arizona,” he said. “She knew about our English rakugo activities through Culrural News, published in LA.”

Eiraku was pleased with the experience. “We performed at Arizona State University and a theater in Sedona, and for Arizona Matsuri,” he said. “The audience was very responsive at each location.”

Now that Eiraku has the chance to bring rakugo to the United States for the third time, he wanted to make sure to visit Seattle, a destination he has visited several times before and whose poetry, art, and food shopping (including Uwajimaya) he appreciates.

This tour to Seattle has been tricky to arrange due to Eiraku’s other responsibilities and the timing of our cherry blossom festival. “I teach at Japanese universities, which have spring and summer breaks,” he said. “So I plan to tour when there is no class in February, March, or in August.”

But the cherry blossoms wait for no one. “The academic year starts in April in Japan, so this month is not so good for me to tour, but I tried to adjust to the sakura festival this time,” he said. “If there is no class, I’d like to spend some more time in Seattle and perform at some more locations including the University of Washington.”

This will certainly not be the last tour of the Kanariya group to the United States, according to Eiraku, and is only the beginning of the sharing of English rakugo: “I hope to tour in other English-speaking countries, too, in the future.”

Rakugo performances can be seen at:

Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival at Seattle Center, 305 Harrison Street, Seattle:

• Friday, April 22, 6:30 p.m. to 6:40 p.m. at the Armory stage

• Saturday, April 23, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30p.m. at Armory Loft 2

• Sunday, April 24, 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Fisher stage

For more information, visit http://www.seattlecenter.com/festal/detail.aspx?id=4.

Japanese Cultural and Community Center, 1414 South Weller St, Seattle:

• Saturday, April 23, 7:00 p.m. For more information, visit https://

jcccw.org.

Kanariya Eiraku brings rakugo tour to Seattle

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Kanariya Eiraku


IE ARTS

By Seayoung YimIE Contributor

What could transform a frivolous, fun loving young woman into a terrifying underground crime boss? Local playwright Maggie Lee answers with her newest steampunk noir play, A Hand of Talons opening on April 29 at Theatre Off Jackson. Described by producers at Pork Filled Productions (PFP) as “The Godfather meets Jules Verne,” it chronicles the rise to power of its central character: Wilhelmina Yao, the leader of the Yao family clan.

Lee penned two other PFP plays, produced to great acclaim—The Clockwork Professor and The Tumbleweed Zephyr—both set in New Providence, a fictional steampunk universe. Steampunk is a genre of fiction where Victorian era inspired aesthetics and technology whimsically collide with science fiction possibilities. A Hand of Talons, while in the same world, is a darker departure from the other two plays into the underbelly of New Providence, creating a new type of subgenre: steampunk noir. Audiences can expect a thrilling steampunk adventure combined with a darker mood and style associated with film noir—exploring the deep inner psychology of its characters.

Talons, a card game invented by Lee, is a leading theme in A Hand of Talons. The main character, Wilhelmina is mentioned with fear in a previous play, but is never seen. As an audience, we will meet an ordinary young woman who hardens to become a “relentless, vicious, and unyielding” leader. Wilhelmina’s hunger for power mirrors the imagery of predatory sharp claws grabbing its prey. Lee also alluded that talons represent the power of family in keeping its members dangerously close and never letting go. The stakes of game are high—complete control of a criminal empire, which Wilhelmina stops at nothing to grasp. A Hand of Talons also features lots of cool parts for women who lead the Yao matriarchal criminal clan.

“We are at Theatre Off Jackson, and it’s sort of an underground location. The play is set in an underground gambling club. We’re really trying to use the theatre’s natural environment to help enhance the experience of the play.” Previous PFP shows are renowned for executing visually exquisite sets, costumes, and props—and they promise the same excellence in A Hand of Talons. “We have really cool designers to help build the world. So it’s not just about watching a play, but we hope the audience feels like they are in New Providence,” Lee notes. The location of the theatre, in the International District neighborhood, also indirectly adds to the immersive experience with its own rich underground history.

A Hand of Talons explores a thrilling steampunk underworld

A Hand of Talons and other PFP shows give talented Asian American and Pacific Islander actors the opportunity to showcase their talent in fantastical genre theatre that they might not otherwise have. Lee, who is also a producer of PFP, added, “We don’t want to make a big deal out of it, but it is a big deal. We want to change how people look at casting and actors and how they are represented. We can’t just confine it to ‘oh it’s an Asian play, so we need Asian

actors for the Asian play. We need to cast people in shows that are about everybody. What’s great about science fiction and creating your own universe is that we throw all the rules out the window as far as race is concerned, people can be anything.”

Lee has always had an interest writing, especially science fiction and horror. She has written plays since 2005, when she met Roger Tang—of

Pork Filled Players, an Asian American sketch group—who invited her to write sketch comedy. Before writing plays, she was a lighting designer. Her design background gives her writing a unique technical edge—she is able to see a play’s action and transitions clearly in her mind’s eye before it’s on the page. She’s worn many hats in theatre since, in addition to writing—including acting—and built strong, meaningful relationships within the theatre community over the years.

“Working in theatre and being a lighting designer also helped me as a human being. To be organized, communicative, working for the whole. And having fun with life,” Lee says.

One of her favorite parts of working in theatre is the exciting collaboration between artists. “Being a playwright is so weird because you’re by yourself just crafting this thing. And then you have to be okay with letting go of ownership. But it’s great also, because stuff happens that you didn’t know could happen.” And given the success of her past collaborations, A Hand of Talons is poised to grip audiences with its thrilling story, talented acting, and beautiful visuals.

Catch ‘A Hand of Talons’ by Maggie Lee, directed by Amy Poisson, at Theatre Off Jackson from April 29 to May 21, 2016. Appropriate for teens and up. Buy tickets at Brown Paper Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2490244.

A hand of talons between siblings ( Sean Schroeder and Stephanie Kim-Bryan.


IE COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY

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.

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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.

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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.

Formerly Nikkei Concerns1601 E Yesler Way, Seattle, WA 98122ph: 206-323-7100 www.nikkeiconcerns.orgrehabilitation care | skilled nursing | assisted living | home/community-based services | senior social activities | meal delivery | transportation | continuing education | catering services

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.

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

Creating opportunities for Asian immigrants and their families to succeed by helping them make the transition to a new life while keeping later generations in touch with their rich heritage.

International District Medical & Dental Clinic720 8th Avenue S, Seattle, WA 98114 ph: 206-788-3700email: [email protected] website: www.ichs.com

Bellevue Medical & Dental Clinic1050 140th Avenue NE, Bellevue, WA 98005ph: 425-373-3000

Shoreline Medical & Dental Clinic16549 Aurora Avenue N, Shoreline, WA 98133ph: 206-533-2600

Holly Park Medical & Dental Clinic3815 S Othello St, Seattle, WA 98118ph: 206-788-3500

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.

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 Institute 310 – 120th Ave NE. Suite A102 Bellevue, WA Ph. 425-467-9365 • Fax: 425-467-1244 Email: [email protected] • Website: www.ediorg.org EDI offers culturally relevant leadership development programs.

Professional & Leadership Development

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.

Social & Health ServicesSenior Services

Horizon House900 University St Seattle, WA 98101 ph: 206-382-3100 fx: [email protected]

www.horizonhouse.orgA welcoming community in downtown Seattle, offering seniors vibrant activities, independent or assisted living, and memory care.

FAIR! ph: 206-578-1255 [email protected]

FAIR! provides undocumented Asians and Pacific Islanders with access to free immigration services, legal services & financial assistance, with translators available upon request.

IDIC is a nonprofit human services organization that offers wellness and social service programs to Filipinos and API communities.

7301 Beacon Ave SSeattle, WA 98108ph: 206-587-3735fax: 206-748-0282 [email protected]

Southeast Seattle Senior Center4655 S. Holly St., Seattle, WA 98118ph: 206-722-0317 fax: [email protected] www.sessc.orgDaytime activities center providing activities social services, trips, and community for seniors and South Seattle neighbors. We have weaving, Tai Chi, indoor beach-ball, yoga, dance, senior-oriented computer classes, trips to the casino, and serve scratch cooked lunch. Open Monday through Friday, 8:30-4. Our thrift store next door is open Mon-Fri 10-2, Sat 10-4. This sweet center has services and fun for the health and well-being of boomers and beyond. Check us out on Facebook or our website.

2500 NE 54th StreetSeattle, WA 98105ph: 206-694-4500 [email protected]

Working to prevent and end youth homelessness with services including meals, shelter, housing, job training, education, and more.

Organization of Chinese AmericansAsian Pacific American AdvocatesGreater Seattle ChapterP.O. Box 14141Seattle, WA 98114 www.ocaseattle.org

OCA—Greater Seattle Chapter was formed in 1995 and since that time it has been serving the Greater Seattle Chinese and Asian Pacific American community as well as other communities in the Pacific Northwest. It is recognized in the local community for its advocacy of civil and voting rights as well as its sponsorship of community activities and events.

Commission on Asian Pacific American AffairsGA Bldg., 210 11th Ave SW, Suite 301AOlympia, WA 98504ph: (360) 725-5667 www.facebook.com/[email protected] www.capaa.wa.gov

Statewide liaison between government and APA communities. Monitors and informs the public about legislative issues.

Public Interest Law Group, PLLC705 Second Avenue, Suite 1000, Seattle WA 98104Ph: 206-838-1800 Email: [email protected] attorneys Hank Balson, Wendy Chen, and Nancy Chupp provide information, advice, and representation in areas such as employment discrimination, unpaid wages, and other violations of workers’ rights.

Legal Services

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER April 20, 2016 – May 3, 2016 — 19ADVERTISEMENT

IE OPINION

Answers to this puzzle are on Wednesday, May 4.

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Washington State Convention Center (WSCC) is accepting applications for the position of National Sales Manager. Duties include lead development, promotion, sales, booking and contract negotiation of national market segments with the sales team.

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Visit www.wscc.com for further info or to download an application. Applications are also available at the WSCC Service Entrance, 9th and Pike, Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. WSCC application must be completed for consideration. Jobline: (206) 694-5039. EOE.

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Washington State Convention Center (WSCC) is accepting applications for the position of Sales Coordinator. Duties include professional administrative sales and services support assisting the department in promotion, booking and contracting with excellent customer service.

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Visit www.wscc.com for further info or to download an application. Applications are also available at the WSCC Service Entrance, 9th and Pike, Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. WSCC application must be completed for consideration. Jobline: (206) 694-5039. EOE.

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. . . CLIMATE CHANGE: Continued from page 7

planning to support Break Free in May? These questions will help to ensure that non-profit organizations and government institutions are accountable to commu-nities most affected. Another option is directly supporting Community Support Organizers. Backbone Campaign, a lo-cal non-profit that supported sHell No! kayaktivists trainings, currently has two CSOs with more launching this year.

With 500 years of colonization, de-colonizing systems of oppression will take long term commitment of practice to internalize change. One of Women of Color Speak Out’s Rules of Engagement is to be mindful and only debrief with communities that share your similar her-itage. Caucusing with your ethnic group will eliminate perpetuation of trauma. Ultimately, it is important to pause and reflect how we are perpetuating these systems of oppression.

Yin Yu is a social and climate jus-tice activist, convener, organizer, peacemaking circle keeper and sys-tem thinker. With an MA in Whole System Design, Yin holds high-level perspectives to seek living system pat-terns and leverage points. Her cur-rent focus are anti-blackness in Asian communities, undoing internalized oppression, and decolonizing time. She was born in Taipei, Taiwan and grew up in Snohomish County. Twit-ter/Instagram: @YIN_teresting.

The following is a message from Puget Sound Clean Air Agency:

How do local decisions over time affect our health and wellbeing today?

That’s one of the many big questions that we at the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency are asking ourselves.

Take the Chinatown-International District for instance. The neighborhood has a long and rich history, with immigrants arriving to Seattle from countries across the world. Countless numbers of people with strong ties to the neighborhood have profoundly shaped and influenced Seattle and our region. However, due to decades of unjust and misguided policies dating back to the 1800s, the voices of the Chinatown-International District’s residents and workers have often gone unheard.

Notable land use decisions—from the construction of I-5 in the 1960s (and later I-90) to the siting of Safeco Park and CenturyLink Stadium in the early 2000s—were often made either without community input or despite the community’s objection. The original stadium groundbreaking of the Kingdome in 1972 was fiercely opposed by a group of community activists because it would negatively impact the Chinatown-International District. Not only would it bring more traffic and potential for incidents, but many thought it would lead to the displacement of family businesses and neighborhood residents. Despite their protests, the Kingdome was built anyway, paving the way for both modern stadiums 30 years later.

These decisions have long-term consequences that affect life today in the Chinatown-International District. The construction of the interstate highways displaced residents and businesses and physically split the neighborhood, creating two separate communities. It also assured that residents and visitors alike would likely face air pollution problems.

Today over 250,000 vehicles (including over 20,000 trucks) pass by the neighborhood on I-5 and I-90 each day. With all those cars and trucks comes pollution that can have serious impacts on human health.

Similarly, more stadium events mean more traffic and parking issues, bringing another form of pollution even closer to home. More local construction projects bring the nearly constant use of diesel equipment and trucks.

We at the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency recognize this concern. We are a regional gov-ernment agency that regulates air quality for the region’s four counties: King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish. Although our air is generally cleaner than other places, like Los Angeles (or even cities in countries such as China or In-dia), there appears to be real disparities in the amount of air pollution in the Seattle area. Cer-tain neighborhoods, often where low-income or communities of color live, have noticeably worse air quality than high-income areas.

The difference in air quality is plain to see. According to hospitalization data, illnesses that are affected by air pollution—like heart attacks, asthma or other breathing problems—are much more common in the Chinatown-International District than the rest of the region. In fact, there are more asthma hospitalizations in the neighborhood than 99% of other Puget Sound communities.

Much of this could be attributed to the fact that nearly a quarter of the neighborhood’s residents are over 65 years old. But since pollution is particularly harmful for our elders, it’s even more important to clean the air to prevent cardiac and respiratory illnesses. Early studies even suggest that air pollution may be linked to mental health issues like dementia and Alzheimer’s, in addition to having neonatal impacts that manifest in young peoples’ health and cognitive functions. Regardless, the science shows that each improvement in air quality, even if it’s small, can provide immediate health benefits.

To this end, we want to look more closely at the neighborhood’s air. Through a federally-funded study, we plan to measure the amount of air toxics—a group of pollutants that can cause cancer and other serious health problems. Ultimately, the study should tell us the likely cancer risk for those who live and work in the area. The results could also give us the information needed to encourage action and investments to clean our air.

The study will use a several unique tools. Basketball-sized air canisters will soak up chemicals in the air over a specific amount of time. Handheld air monitors will measure pollution on sidewalks and streets, or anywhere there is a concern. All data will be compared to the permanent air monitor at the corner of 10th Avenue and Weller Street.

But we can’t measure everything. Which is why we want to hear from you.

Do you have a family member or friend who deals with breathing problems such as asthma? Do you know where kids play in the neighborhood, especially near the freeway or other busy roads? Maybe you know when a vehicle repeatedly idles outside a residential building; or can identify where smoke is a constant problem? Are there other ways the community should be involved? Your input will largely drive how and where we try to measure the neighborhood’s air.

We understand that many residents may view government institutions warily. We know that government as a whole hasn’t treated the neighborhood’s people with the respect dignity they deserve.

But we are committed to working closely with the Chinatown-International District’s residents, businesses, and visitors to improve health gaps and do our part to amend history’s misguided decisions in any way we can.

Reach Tania Tam Park or Landon Bosisio of Puget Sound Clean Air Agency at 206-689-4046 or [email protected].

Puget Sound Clean Air Agency seeks community input

The I-5 freeway cuts through the International District. • Photo by David Lee


Happy Earth Day from all of us at

Seattle Public Utilities

The Cedar River Watershed – one of the two pristine sources of Seattle’s drinking water in the

Cascade Mountains.

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April 20, 2016 International Examiner