By Stacy Nguyen
Northwest Asian Weekly

Do celebrity endorsements really make a difference? Read the full story

Photo provided by the Associated Press

By Gregg Bell
The Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — The Mariners are the first Major League Baseball team to lose 100 games with a $100 million payroll may lose more this winter. On top of all else the AL’s worst team must do, it should install a revolving door for a possible exodus of veterans.

None of this will be officially decided until the new GM arrives. That’s why Mariners President Chuck Armstrong was on the phone with MLB Commissioner Bud Selig informing him of the team’s plan: a new general manager by the end of October to replace Bill Bavasi, who was fired in June, and his stand-in, Lee Pelekoudas. Read the full story

Two contenders, two different plays

Image by NWAW staff

By Jason Cruz
Northwest Asian Weekly

The Obama camp’s local methods “There are people that will not vote for a person of color,” former Washington state Gov. Gary Locke told a gathering of voters at an event sponsored by the Washington State Asian American Pacific Islanders for Obama on Saturday night, Oct. 4th. He told the young voters in attendance at the Typhoon! restaurant in downtown Seattle that regardless of the polls, “not to take the election for granted.” Read the full story

Neel Kashkari was designated Oct. 6 to head the Office of Financial Stability, which will oversee the $700 billion bailout package.

Kashkari, a 35-year-old Indian American, currently is assistant secretary of the treasury for International Economics and Development. He was born in Akron, Ohio, and graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s and master’s in engineering. He also has an master of business administration in finance from the Wharton School.

Kashkari’s parents are from Kashmir, India. He and his wife, Minal Kashkari, currently live in Silver Spring, Maryland. Minal Kashkari is an engineer at Lockheed Martin Corporation. ♦

From left: Dr. Kenyon Chan, Skip Rowland and Dr. Cassandra Manuelito-Kerkvliet

UW Bothell campus Chancellor Dr. Kenyon Chan was the keynote speaker of Puget Sound Connections with director of the Urban Center Enterprise of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce Skip Rowland and President of Antioch University Dr. Cassandra Manuelito-Kerkvliet on Sept. 24 at the Seattle Art Museum.

Close to 200 people attended. Puget Sound Connections is organized by the Seattle Chamber of Commerce to help connect people of color who are new to the Puget Sound. The event was organized by Phyllis Mayo, Director of Diversity & Inclusion Strategies at the Seattle Times. ♦

Twenty volunteers from the Chinese Students Association from the University of Washington (CSA) gladly gave out bags of rice to seniors in need on Oct. 4.

Twenty volunteers from the Chinese Students Association from the University of Washington (CSA) gladly gave out bags of rice to seniors in need on Oct. 4.

On Oct. 4th volunteers got together to give the gift of rice. The Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA) in conjunction with Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC) handed out 170 tickets for two five-pound bags of rice to help feed needy seniors. Enough funds were raised to buy 2000 lbs of rice total.

The Chinese American Citizens Alliance, has over 100 years of history of continuous existence serving in a dual role as a social club and as a national nonpartisan activist organization for Chinese American empowerment and community service. ♦

The Washington state chapter of the Korean American Coalition (KAC) presented CEO of Paldo World Brian Park and KoreAm Journal Editor-in-Chief James Y. Ryu the Rocky Kim Pioneer Awards at the 2008 KAC National Convention Gala Dinner, Sept. 26.

Yong Su “Rocky” Kim was an inspiring community leader who relentlessly fostered tolerant race relations between Korean Americans and other ethnic communities located in the Puget Sound area. After his passing in 2000, the Korean American Professionals Society (KAPS) named its Pioneer Award in memory of him.

Like Kim, both Park and Ryu possess the leadership and desire to serve the community.♦

Julie (Hoai Huong) Pham (left), assistant editor of Nguoi Viet Tay Bac newspaper, presents an award to Attorney General McKenna on the newspaper’s 24th anniversary.

Seattle’s own Vietnamese-language newspaper Nguoi Viet Tay Bac celebrated their 24th anniversary Oct. 3 at Tea Palace Restaurant. This year they decided to award two people the first ever Nguoi Viet Tay Bac “Wholehearted Dedication” award.

Attorney General Rob McKenna received an award for his contributions to the Vietnamese community in the Pacific Northwest. Anh Bang received his award for outstanding achievement by a Vietnamese in the Northwest.

New assistant editor Dr. Julie (Hoai Huong) Pham just received her doctor of philosophy in history this past spring from Cambridge University. This was the first time she stood up and gave opening remarks at any of the Nguoi Viet Tay Bac anniversary parties. ♦

From left: Program Officer at Northwest Health Foundation David Rebanal, Dr. Louisa Silva, President of Western Oregon University Dr. John Minahan, head of the Teaching Research Institute John Killoran, and an autism rights advocate (name unknown).

On Oct. 9 the Northwest Health Foundation (NWHF) selected Dr. Louisa Silva, of Salem, Ore., as this year’s Mark O. Hatfield Research Fellowship recipient. Funded by NWHF, the fellowship focuses on autism research and awards up to $150,000 annually.

The funding will aid Dr. Silva in her ongoing research of Chinese Qigong massage as an early intervention for autism. ♦

By Frances D’Emilio
The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday, Oct. 12 gave the Roman Catholic church four new saints, including an Indian woman whose canonization is seen as a morale boost to Christians in India who have suffered Hindu violence.

Thousands of faithful from the homelands of the new saints, including a delegation from India, where Catholics are a tiny minority, turned out for the ceremony in St. Peter’s Square.

The honor for Sister Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception, the first Indian woman to become a saint, comes as Christians increasingly have been the object of attacks from Hindu mobs in eastern and southern India. Read the full story

One 2 Ka 4 (2001) is an Indian film directed by Shashilal Nair. The film stars Shahrukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Jackie Shroff.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A Malaysian state has defended its decision to give an honorary title to an Indian movie star, news reports said Oct. 12.

Shah Rukh Khan was awarded the title of “Datuk” — the equivalent of a knighthood in Britain — by Malacca in recognition of his promotion of the southern state through his films.

Malacca Chief Minister Mohamad Ali Rustam said Khan had helped the state’s tourism because six of his movies involved locations in Malacca, the New Sunday Times quoted him as saying. This included the hit “One 2 Ka 4,” which was shot at a resort in Malacca in 2001. Read the full story

By Oliver Teves
The Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine government protested a popular BBC comedy sketch in which a Filipino maid was told to have sex with a neighbor, officials said Oct. 7.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos said the Philippine Embassy in London sent letters to the BBC, as well as to the Secretary of State for Women and the Press Complaints Commission, to protest “this slur on our domestic workers” in Britain.

Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo also summoned the British Ambassador Peter Beckingham to discuss the matter, he said.

Rep. Risa Hontiveros, a women’s rights activists, demanded an apology from the broadcaster. Read the full story