From left to right, top to bottom: Albert Shen, Akemi Matsumoto, Elaine Akagi, and Murthy Kalkura
By Stacy Nguyen
Northwest Asian Weekly
“We have often been overlooked,” Elaine Akagi, educator and past president of JACL, said. “Due to the small number of API voters, so it is important that all eligible API voters are registered and vote.” Read the full story
By Malcolm Ritter
The Associated Press
Two Japanese scientists and a Japanese American won the 2008 Nobel Prize in physics on Oct. 7 for theoretical advances that help explain the behavior of the smallest particles of matter.
The American, Yoichiro Nambu, 87, of the University of Chicago, won half the $1.4 million prize for mathematical work he did nearly a half-century ago. Read the full story
Novelist and teacher Peter Bacho believes everybody has a story to tell. The Filipino American recalls his own humble beginnings, growing up poor in Seattle’s Central District in the 1950s. A juris doctorate, masters degree and two award-winning novels later, Bacho is now being honored as a pioneer who paved the way for Asian Americans in literature.
His self-professed passion is investigating the plight of his people. “I have a great empathy for folks that are hustling to make it,” he said. “Who must always knock down barriers of class and race, and this is reflected in my work.”
Meet Peter Bacho on Oct. 11 at China Harbor Restaurant, 2040 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle. He is one of Northwest Asian Weekly’s nine honorees for the Asian American Pioneer Dinner. Tickets are $75. For more information or to register, please e-mail rsvp@nwasianweekly.com.
According to former editor Naomi Pascal, she was associated with the Press “almost from the beginning, with the development of the Press’ pioneering program of publishing books by and about Asian Americans.” In 1973, the Press had issued or reissued “a long list of books on subjects of special interest to Asian Americans,” she said.
“With the help of an informal group of advisors, we became the first university press to make a serious commitment to this field, and our list, a combination of scholarly studies; original works of fiction, biography and drama; and inexpensive paperback reprints of out-of-print classics … have kept us in the forefront in this area.”
Meet prominent UW Press staff on Oct. 11 at China Harbor Restaurant, 2040 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle. He is one of Northwest Asian Weekly’s nine honorees for the Asian American Pioneer Dinner. Tickets are $75. For more information or to register, please e-mail rsvp@nwasianweekly.com.
From left: Charlotte Marsden, Vi Mar, Quincy Jones, Fran Dolgoff and Irene Mano
The newly remodeled Garfield High School’s grand opening was on the weekend of Sept. 26. Close to 90 people were in attendance. The program started with a dedication of the Quincy Jones Performance Center and ended with the Garfield Jazz Ensemble playing “Stockholm Sweetnin” directed by Quincy Jones himself.
On Sunday, Sept. 28, Jones joined his 1950 Garfield classmates for a reunion brunch at O’Asian Restaurant where he told classmates how much he loved Garfield saying, “we had it all — all races” and “we all got along.” ♦
On Oct. 18 the 4th annual University of Washington Alumni Association MAP Bridging the Gap Scholarship Breakfast will honor Dolores Sibonga. Sibonga is a lawyer who has been a lifetime community activist and an elected public official, having served three terms as the first Filipino American member of the Seattle City Council.
Sibonga is being given this award for her lifetime achievements for enhancement of diversity in Washington State. ♦
From left: Lilly Tam, Jesse Tam and Nancy O. Slater
On Sept. 3, the new district governor of Rotary District 5030 Jesse Tam and his wife, Lilly Tam, spoke at Seattle 4 Rotary in downtown Seattle at the Red Lion Inn. Seattle 4 Rotary’s president is Nancy O. Slater. It is the largest Rotary in the world with over 700 members. ♦
Jolene Jang, a fun specialist, has been elected as the chapter president of National Speakers Association (NSA) for 2008-2009. Founded in 1984, NSA Northwest is a community of speakers on a wide range of topics. Their professional members have qualified to this status by presenting professionally for five years and earning over a certain amount from speaking.
Jang started her company, Jolene the Fun Specialist, in 1996 after graduating from the University of Puget Sound with a business degree with an emphasis in marketing. ♦
Jared Jonson was hired by APIA Vote — WA 08 in June as the new coalition’s field organizer. The coalition was formed in late 2007 between Seattle Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), Raising Our Asian Representation (ROAR) and the National APIA Vote to ensure active APIA participation in the 2008 elections and a strong voice for our communities.
Jonson took this challenging job to “play a more direct role in increasing participation of our communities in the political process.” ♦
The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) announced that Meredith Higashi, a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law, will join its staff as the NAPABA Law Foundation Partners and In-House Counsel Community Law Fellow.
Higashi will focus on immigration and immigrant rights issues impacting the Asian American community. ♦
Carol Vu
Esteemed former NW Asian Weekly editor Carol Vu earned third place in the Minorities category for her article, “Asian anxious in wake of massacre” from the Society of Professional Journalists. Her article dealt with the aftermath of Virginia Tech.
James Tabafunda
Additionally, NW Asian Weekly reporter James Tabafunda won honors from The Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association (WNPA). Tabafunda won third place in the category Best Crime and Courts Story for his article “Cambodian American community frustrated and angry over Sidorchuk’s release.”
Amy Phan
Last, but not at all least, NW Asian Weekly reporter Amy Phan accomplished a “first” for the Weekly. She was honored by the WNPA with first place for her article, “Diversifying the funnies” about cartoonists in the Best Story on the Arts category. ♦
From left: Assunta Ng and award presenters Jose Gaiton and Debbie Bird.
Northwest Asian Weekly and Seattle Chinese Post publisher Assunta Ng was honored on Sept. 19 by the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. She won the Safeco Minority Best Business Practice Award. Other winners in this category were Claudia Kauffman of Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Percell Johnson of Cassel Inc. and Mike Sotello of Approach Management Services.
Each awardee recieved $2500. Ng donated her award money to Family Services as part of Seattle 4 Rotary Centennial Project. ♦
