By Jason Cruz
Northwest Asian Weekly

At 6'3", Rafe Bartholomew sticks out from the Filipino basketball players he played with, not just because he is white, but because he towers over most of them. Bartholomew lived in the Philippines for three years studying basketball, originally on a Fulbright grant. Bartholomew's passion resulted in a book, "Pacific Rims: Beermen Ballin’ in Flip-Flops and Philippines’ Unlikely Love Affair with Basketball.” (Photos provided by Rafe Bartholomew)

“It is a love letter to the Philippines from me,” said Rafe Bartholomew, regarding his book, “Pacific Rims: Beermen Ballin’ in Flip-Flops and Philippines’ Unlikely Love Affair with Basketball.” Bartholomew lived, learned, and played basketball in the Philippines. Bartholomew, a 6′3″ white man from New York City, learned Tagalog, adapted to Filipino culture, and familiarized himself with the Philippine Basketball Association. Read the full story

By Chinami Tajika
Northwest Asian Weekly

Seafood City previewed its new location on Monday, July 19. Its grand opening was held July 22. (Photo by George Liu/NWAW)

Seafood City, the California-based supermarket chain, is opening its 20th location in Washington state. Read the full story

By James Tabafunda
Northwest Asian Weekly

Colleen Fukui-Sketchley

For Colleen Fukui-Sketchley, purple and gold symbolizes tradition and draws unity in her family.

A fourth-generation Japanese American, Fukui-Sketchley, 38, gives back to her alma mater and has taken her family’s connection with the University of Washington (UW) to one of the highest levels.

On Aug. 1, Fukui-Sketchley will become the first Asian American woman to serve as the president of the University of Washington Alumni Association (UWAA), which has more than 50,000 members.

She is also the youngest UWAA president in the association’s 120-year history. Read the full story

By Lee Xie
Northwest Asian Weekly

Rich Cho

Rich Cho, former assistant general manager (GM) of the Seattle SuperSonics, has been hired to replace Kevin Pritchard as general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Cho, who is the ninth GM in the Trail Blazers’ history, joins the team after spending the past nine seasons as assistant general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Read the full story

Each year, we like to showcase a few outstanding Asian American graduates in the Greater Seattle area who have either excelled academically, athletically, artistically, or who have significantly contributed to their community. Read the full story

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle City Council has voted to effectively ban the cadaver exhibit “Bodies … The Exhibition” from returning to the city. The ordinance that now goes to Mayor Mike McGinn would bar commercial displays of human remains that don’t have proof of consent. Read the full story

By Ray Henry
The Associated Press

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Sitting in a crowded strip mall office, about three dozen Gwinnett Country Republicans — mostly white — voted down a newspaper ad reminding the GOP faithful about the next primary. They squabbled over the best time for outdoor rallies. Read the full story

By Mansur Mirovalev
The Associated Press

In this photo, taken on May 18, an Uzbek woman and children walk in the street of the eastern Uzbek city of Ferghana. According to rights groups, victims, and health officials, hundreds of Uzbek women have been surgically sterilized without their knowledge or consent in a program designed to prevent overpopulation. (Photo provided by The Associated Press)

GULISTAN, Uzbekistan (AP) — Saodat Rakhimbayeva says she wishes that she had died with her newborn baby. Read the full story

By Selcan Hacaoglu
The Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — An army of Turkish cranes and bulldozers is at work across the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa, building dams, stadiums, and highways in a boom that’s helping drive Turkey to record growth and bolstering its efforts to become a regional power broker. Read the full story

By Samantha Pak
Northwest Asian Weekly

DJ Tina T in a promotional picture. Tina T, who is half Chinese and from Seattle, is the official DJ for Red Bull.

For some, career paths are mapped out in grade school. For others, it’s not until they reach adulthood that they know. And for others, it’s a process of elimination – figuring out what they can’t do before realizing what they can do.

Then there are some like Tina Turnbull who find their passion when they aren’t even looking.

When Turnbull was in high school and needed to raise money for orchestra, she chose to organize an event at a club, complete with DJs and a break dancing battle, rather than selling candy bars. All it took was this event for the former Seattle resident to find what she enjoyed doing.

“I fell in love with the production side of events and entertainment,” she said.

Turnbull was 15 at the time and had discovered another passion, DJing. She began practicing after attending a DJ battle at a church in Seattle. She was eager to improve her skills on the turntables. Read the full story

By Samantha Pak
Northwest Asian Weekly

“Yasmin’s Hammer”
Written by Ann Malaspina, Illustrated by Doug Chayka
Lee & Low Books, Inc., 2010

Most children take their education for granted and would rather be anywhere but at school.

For a young Bangladeshi girl named Yasmin, however, going to school is all she wants to do. Unfortunately, getting an education is not an option for her.

Although her father drives customers in his rented rickshaw around Dhaka and her mother cleans wealthy people’s homes, Yasmin’s family needs her and her sister, Mita, to help support the family. Read the full story

Jocelyn Chui
Northwest Asian Weekly

May Nguyen (left) as Henrietta and Hana Lass as Lane (Photo by Alabastro Photography/Repertory Actors Theatre)

Growing up in the city, Henrietta went through school, got a job, and had a career ahead of her. Yet, she felt that there was a hole in her life, and she set out to find what was missing. One summer, she leaves the city to search for an answer. Read the full story