From left to right, top to bottom: Kaycee Keegan, Allegra Keys, Amira Khablein, Bo Kim, Grace Kim, Sokleng Kin, Michelle Lam, Matthew Law-Phipps, Juliet Le, Jun Ming Lei, Sofia Locklear, Katherine Ly, and Irina Manita
Northwest Asian Weekly’s Diversity Makes a Difference scholarship program celebrates young people who are committed to reaching out across cultural lines. Students are nominated by their school as being champions of diversity. Read the full story
From left to right, top to bottom: Jerrell Gregory Davis, Nailah Dodd, Phil Engel, Darcey Escamilla, Stacey Esquivel, Maheleone Faalelea, Chanelle Felix, Tanary Gomez, Imran Hafiz, Alex Herbig, Perla Reyes Herrera, Dung Ho, Corey Hubbard, and Jessica Iwuoha
The Diversity Makes a Difference scholarship program celebrates young people who are committed to reaching out across cultural lines. Students are nominated by their school as being champions of diversity. Read the full story
From left to right, top to bottom: Raiye Abunie, Giraldi Juneau Lazo Alabanza, Rima Akras, Jesus Anaya, Marie Angeles, Anthony Balfour, Shiv Bhandari, Christine Chin, Nicole Chin, Eugene Chon, Yen “Vivian” Dao, Michael Andrew David-Redditt, and Daniel Davis
The Diversity Makes a Difference scholarship program celebrates young people who are committed to reaching out across cultural lines. Students are nominated by their school as being champions of diversity.
Of those students, a judging panel will choose and five winners who will receive $1,000 scholarships and 10 finalists who will get $200. Read the full story
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (middle) receives an honorary degree from the University of Washington (UW). The degree is presented by UW President Mark Emmert (right) and UW Regent William H. Gates Sr.
By Vivian Luu
Northwest Asian Weekly
Ban Ki-moon, the eighth United Nations Secretary-General, is a dawg. He’s a University of Washington (UW) Husky, that is. The university awarded him a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, Oct. 27 at Meany Hall for the Performing Arts. Read the full story
By Vivian Luu
Northwest Asian Weekly
There has been a push for diversity to bolster Highline Community College’s (HCC) academic environment, claim students and faculty, citing the institution’s members of color, consideration for ethnicity in hiring new faculty and staff, as well as what some claim to be an openness that fosters different backgrounds. Read the full story
Photos by SYLP volunteers and Amy Lu
What is this issue about?
Each year, we run this special issue to celebrate the community leaders of tomorrow. All of the editorial content in this issue consists of essays written by teens from Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation’s annual Summer Youth Leadership Program (SYLP), a three-week program that teaches diversity, leadership skills, and community building.
Why is this important?
In order for the Asian American community to continue flourishing, it’s crucial for us to bridge the gap between generations. We run this issue in the hopes that, after finding a commonality with teens that they didn’t think existed, adults will help young people become lifelong leaders.
(The stories in this issue are written by SYLP students, not Northwest Asian Weekly staff. Opinions herein do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of the newspaper.)
Dean-Austin Mayor
By Dean-Austin Mayor
SYLP student
On July 26, 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued an executive order to integrate the various Philippine armed groups into the U.S. military. More than 200,000 Filipino soldiers who served under the United States Armed Forces of the Far East (USAFFE) were promised American citizenship and equal protection under Title 8 of the Second War Powers Act and the 14th Amendment. Read the full story
Wei Jiang
By Wei Jiang
SYLP student
As an immigrant from China, I work at a retirement home in Bothell
About a month ago, I went to work as I normally did. When I walked into the building, I felt like there was something different. The floor leader, who usually smiled at everyone and said hi, was really quiet, and I couldn’t spot a smile on her face. Read the full story
Aleyna Yamaguchi
Aleyna Yamaguchi
SYLP student
One summer, I was walking with my two siblings to the annual Bon Odori festival in Seattle. As we walked side by side, our faces may have looked similar, but our personalities and clothes were completely different.
To my right, my older sister was chatting on her phone, while fixing her Abercrombie shirt. To my left, my younger brother set his iPod headphones to his ears and cranked up the volume. I wore the traditional Japanese happi coat that my grandmother bought for me when she traveled to Japan. Read the full story
Jacky Lee
By Jacky Lee
SYLP student
To my friends, I am just a person. To my family, I am only the second son. To myself, I am a dreamer. I believe I can do anything. I have confidence in myself to fulfill my dreams and complete my goals. Life is full of challenges.
Four years ago, I first started playing basketball. I wasn’t very good at it, but the sport drew me in so easily that I came to love it as time went by. Playing basketball every day helped shape a dream for me, the dream of becoming an NBA player. Read the full story
Eric Saetern
By Eric Saetern
SYLP student
Music is something that we depend on to help us get through rough times, something to sooth our minds, but where has it all gone?
I grew up with a love for music from different types of genres. My dad introduced me to classic rock. My uncles got me into hip-hop, R&B, and pop. Read the full story
Brandon Lee
By Brandon Lee
SYLP student
When I finally got my driver’s license, I loved the freedom of being able to go anywhere I wanted to. However, when I signed up for the Summer Youth Leadership Program (SYLP), my parents did not think that it would be efficient for me to drive all the way down to Seattle from Everett during rush hour. They told me that I would have to take the bus.
My first thought was, “OMG!” Read the full story
