From left: Lala Wu, Hai Ninh and Elizabeth Lynch help to register Asian American voters in South Philadelphia and the opening of the Obama Chinatown Field Office, the first field office from any campaign to be opened in a Chinatown, March 22. (Photo by Bao Nguyen)
By Jesse Washington
The Associated Press
LORTON, Va. (AP) — For a long time, says Loc Pfeiffer, his fellow Asian Americans were passive participants in American politics. But things are changing. Read the full story
 Diep Truong (left) speaks with Vietnamese American woman Thanh Nguyen, 72, as Truong campaigns for Sen. John McCain Wednesday, Oct. 22, in the Little Saigon area of Westminster, Calif. (Photo by Nick Ut, provided by The Associated Press) |
By Amy Taxin
The Associated Press
WESTMINSTER, Calif. (AP) — John McCain’s heroism during the Vietnam War and his efforts in Congress on behalf of Vietnamese refugees are being repaid in a small office wedged between a taekwondo studio and stock trading firm in the back of a strip mall.
The modest setting in the heart of the country’s largest Vietnamese immigrant community is ground zero for efforts by Vietnamese Americans to elect the Republican presidential candidate and, at the same time, increase their political influence. Read the full story
 Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson Mohammed Sadiq. (Photo provided by mohammedsadiq.com.) |
By Jane Mee Wong
Northwest Asian Weekly
South Asia has become the new arena for the two presidential candidates’ policies concerning the war against terrorism. The refrains of Bush’s anti-terrorism offensive in Afghanistan and Iraq can be heard in both the Obama and McCain campaigns. However, Afghanistan’s neighboring country, Pakistan, is the centerfold of discussion this time.
Obama’s call for a withdrawal of troops from Iraq has been coupled with a call for increased U.S. military activity in Afghanistan. During the second presidential debates, the Democrat presidential nominee said, “I think why it’s so important for us to end the war in Iraq is to be able to get more troops into Afghanistan.” Read the full story
From left: Executive director of Powerful Voices Tanya Kim, Thach Nguyen, winner Fanny Shellenberger, creator of the project/founder of InsideOut Investing Anna Choi and winner Raymond Phua.
On Oct. 11, the young future leaders of tomorrow competed at the Lead from the Inside Out Competition in Redmond. The competition was based around a “community passion project” each young leader designed. The criterion was to find an innovative, practical vision to improve their community in some way.
As the All Star Leader of the Year, the winners (the judges begged to have two winners!), Fanny Shellenberger and Raymond Phua, will be given access to some of the area’s most accomplished leaders for intensive mentoring to help them implement their visions. Read the full story
From left to right: Board chairman of WSHA Bud Barnes, and ICHS staff Abbie Zahler, Kelly Dang, Minh Nguyen-Wichman, Veronica Kim and Sefie Cabiao.
International Community Health Services (ICHS) recently received the Washington State Hospital Association’s (WSHA) Community Health Leadership Award in recognition of its Multi-lingual Community Outreach Program targeting diabetes and cervical cancer. The award was presented to ICHS at the Association’s annual meeting on Oct. 8, at Bell Harbor International Conference Center.
International Community Health Services is the largest Asian and Pacific Islander community health center in Washington state. ♦
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels.
About 300 people recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the city’s Neighborhood Matching Fund. Stella Chao, director of the Department of Neighborhoods, reports that the fund has sparked 3,500 neighborhood projects around Seattle — including the new Chinatown gate, ID dragon poles, Lao Highland Association Community Center, Wing Luke exhibits and more. The fund boosts neighborhood projects with city money and has inspired other programs globally in 100 cities. Read the full story
Bakers stand proudly in front of their tasty goods Oct. 4. From left: Wendee Ong, Emi Yee, Jean Mar, Shirley Ko, Helen Kay, and Lai Ping Kimura.
On Saturday, Oct. 4, Kin On held its first annual Open House and Crafts and Bake Sale. Over 200 visitors, volunteers and community vendors filled the nursing home with handmade crafts, delicious baked goods, snacks and a friendly atmosphere. Many came to Kin On for the very first time and received informative guided tours with a board member, CEO, and/or staff member.
Combining raffle sales, crafts and baked goods sales, the event netted over $6200 – double what the original goal was. ♦
 The exterior of the new Wing Luke Asian Museum on Oct. 29. It is the first and only Pan-Asian museum in the U.S. (Photo by Assunta Ng) |
By Nina Huang
Northwest Asian Weekly
After years of dedication and commitment from the community, the Wing Luke Asian Museum has adjusted greatly into its new home at the four-story East Kong Ying Building in the International District.
It was not an easy process for the museum’s relocation. In fact, campaign efforts began in 2003. The museum successfully raised a total of $23.2 million in February 2008. After five years of hard work and fundraising tactics, it paid off.
The Wing Luke Asian Museum is the first and only Pan-Asian museum in the country that tells the Asian American immigrant story. Rather than being specific to one particular culture, 20 Asian Pacific Islander American communities are well represented by the museum, according to board member Ellen Ferguson.
Beth Takekawa, executive director of the museum, says they are striving to attract 50,000 to 60,000 visitors in their first year at the new location, including 10,000 to 12,000 students on educational tours. “Our intent is to be part of a revitalization of our unique historic neighborhood and to raise the cultural profile of the entire region,” Takekawa said.
The community is the backbone behind the museum. “We are extremely grateful. The museum has always been a community-based place,” Ferguson said. She has been on the board for 10 years and has always been appreciative of the museum.
Both Ferguson and Gloria Lung Wakayama, fellow Board of Trustees member of nearly 25 years, hope that the economic revitalization will help the ID continue to flourish. They both feel that the museum is a core space for social civic activities and a great place for business as well.
“The community really invested heartily into the museum and really seems to be embracing it. We hope members of the community continue to use the museum as a voice to tell different and untold stories as well as having more space to display contemporary art,” Ferguson said.
A little known fact about the museum is that the community curates all of the displayed exhibits, ranging from Asian American immigration to sweatshop workers.
“Dedicated support and participation from the community are the core aspects of what brings life and vivacity to the museum. The community has stepped forward very generously with their contribution; that attributes to the success of the Wing Luke Museum’s new home,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson encourages people to visit and take the tour of the museum because “there are constantly new installations and there are always new things to see and experience.” Wakayama agreed and called the museum “an undiscovered jewel” and hopes to spread more local awareness despite achieving national recognition.
“The community-based model that the Wing Luke is known for has been replicated by others throughout the country,” Wakayama said.
There are also a variety of opportunities at the museum for people of all ages to participate in. Wakayama mentioned that the museum implemented youth programs and offers volunteer and internship opportunities throughout the year.
“The museum looks at things through a different lens; not only does it preserve the past and its history, but it also looks at current events. We do things that are really cutting-edge and involve social justice. We’re not really looking backwards but looking forward,” Wakayama continued.
From community participation, museum employees to board members, the Wing Luke Asian Museum is truly a well-rounded organization rich in aesthetics and diversity. Things are looking bright for them according to Takekawa. “The museum’s future is entwined with the future of our neighborhood and with the future of a developing multi-ethnic force for cultural equity and change.”
“This is a 42-year-old museum birthed by its community and friends, and over the years this expanding circle of supporters has succeeded in growing the museum, and they still hold the museum’s future in their hands,” Takekawa said. ♦
For information about volunteer or internship opportunities, please visit the museum’s Web site at www.wingluke.org or contact Russel Bareng, education manager, at 206-623-5124 ext. 132.
Nina Huang can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.
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By N.P. Thompson
Northwest Asian Weekly
A languorous meditation on free will versus destiny, Chris Smith’s fine film “The Pool” traces a few weeks in the life of Venkatesh, a teenager who labors at a modest hotel in the dusty city of Panjim, Goa.
As a “room boy,” Venkatesh does it all: scrubs the floors, preps the kitchen, delivers room service, hangs laundry and even cleans the lavatories. He goes about his tasks in ordinary monotony, yet he has something of a secret passion. Read the full story
 "5 Centimeters Per Second"  "The Place Promised In Our Early Days"  "Voices of a Distant Star" (Images provided by CoMix Wave Inc.) |
By Andrew Hamlin
Northwest Asian Weekly
Rating: Pretty good!
Thirty-five-year-old Japanese animator Makoto Shinkai often gets called “the new Miyazaki.” Having learned this, you should forget it. Hayao Miyazaki represents the gold standard of Japanese anime to the West.
Admittedly Shinkai, as a younger man coming up through the ranks, benefits from the comparison. But he should be considered as separately from the older man as Scotch is from cognac.
Shinkai first came to prominence by quitting his day job at the Falcom video game company and hunkering down with his Macintosh computer. Seven months later he put the finishing touches on “Voices Of A Distant Star,” which runs roughly 30 minutes.
In “Star,” in the moderately distant future, a young schoolgirl named Mikako and a young schoolboy named Norbu fall in love. They have a chaste and warmly understated relationship, punctuated by furtive hand-holding and leaning towards each other as they wait out a passing train (all of Shinkai’s longer works feature prominent railroading).
Mikako gets called up to fight aliens from a distant galaxy. As she learns to pilot her “mecha,” or giant robot fighting machine, she keeps corresponding with Norbu by cell phone. But the further she gets from Earth, the longer the messages take to reach Norbu. How will their feelings survive the increasing distance, and Norbu’s relatively rapid aging?
Shinkai followed “Voices” with “The Place Promised In Our Early Days,” a full-length 90-minute production expanding on his command of time, space and atmosphere. Here, two boys, Hiroki and Takuya, bond over rebuilding a crushed flying machine. They also find time to compete over a girl their age, Sayuri.
Making extensive use of dream states and set in an alternate timeline where the Allied powers have divided Japan in half following the end of World War II, “Place” requires strict attention to its complexities. However, it rewards such attention with its assured command of subtle emotions. (Watch and listen to the girl and one of the boys standing back-to-back for a violin duet.) Shinkai has a breathtaking grasp of light and color, especially as it slants through windows. Read the full story
 Owners of non-genuine copies of Windows XP will get a black background instead of their wallpaper every hour, as well as a translucent watermark. (Image by NWAW staff) |
By Cara Anna
The Associated Press
SHANGHAI, China (AP) — An anti-piracy tactic by Microsoft that turns some computer users’ screens black is setting off a wave of unexpected indignation among Chinese consumers, posing renewed problems for the software maker in the huge China market.
In the days since Microsoft deployed an updated anti-piracy tool here, some Chinese have fumed about what they see as an invasion of privacy. Users of legitimate software have been turning their own screens black in protest. One authorized user complained to the police. Read the full story
EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na led an Asian sweep at Skate America, winning the title in a runaway Sunday, Oct. 26, at Everett’s Comcast Arena over Japan’s Yukari Nakano and Miki Ando. Read the full story
