By Stacy Nguyen
Northwest Asian Weekly
Chang-rae Lee is a Korean American novelist who has written four novels. He is currently teaching at Princeton University. (Photo by David Burnett)
Born in Seoul, acclaimed novelist Chang-rae Lee immigrated to the United States at age 3. Lee knew from a young age that he wanted to be a writer. Read the full story
By Jason Cruz
Northwest Asian Weekly
Marcine Anderson (Photo provided by Marcine Anderson)
Secretary, teacher, or nurse.
Being a woman, these were the only choices that counselors gave Marcine Anderson when she graduated from an Oregon high school in a small town in 1973. Read the full story
By Jason Cruz
Northwest Asian Weekly
Chris Kang with friend Michelle Chen at a recent Korean American Bar Association banquet where he was the keynote speaker. (Photo by Jason Cruz/NWAW)
Christopher Kang made a quick correction to his introduction about where he worked before he gave his speech to a room full of members of the Korean American Bar Association (KABA). Read the full story
Ken Kyongho Ko
By Steven Cong
Northwest Asian Weekly
Ken Kyongho Ko is the new president of the Korean American Association in Federal Way.
He first came to the United States in 1984, moving to Anchorage. At age 28 with his parents, wife, and 2-year-old daughter. In 1993, he moved to Kent. Read the full story
By James Tabafunda
Northwest Asian Weekly
Naomi Ishisaki (left) and Pramila Jayapal (Photos by James Tabafunda)
In his State of the Union address on Jan. 27, President Obama encouraged both houses of Congress to “continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system – to secure our borders, enforce our laws, and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nation.” Read the full story
Judge Fumiko Saiga
By James Tabafunda
Northwest Asian Weekly
When International Criminal Court (ICC) Judge Fumiko Saiga, who was based in Seattle as consul general of Japan from September 2000 to July 2002, died of heart failure at age 65 last April, no one was sure who would take her place.
That was until Kuniko Ozaki took on the job. She was elected two months ago.
On Jan. 20, Ozaki was sworn in as an ICC judge and became the second Japanese woman on the ICC, based in The Hague, Netherlands. Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi of Argentina was also sworn in. Read the full story
Eric Liu is a writer, mentor, and former Clinton speech writer. So what’s to come next for this educator? (Photo by Alan Alabastro)
By Vivian Luu
Northwest Asian Weekly
It’s no secret that Eric Liu was former President Bill Clinton’s speech writer and political adviser, but word on the street is that he might run for the 37th district seat in the Washington State Senate.
The 37th district stretches from Madison Valley to Rainier Valley, inching into Renton. Known as Washington’s “rainbow district,” its population is about a third Black, a third Asian, and a third white. In addition to job security, health care, and education, the district’s legislators have a long history of promoting culture and diversity policy.
“We can use a new kind of energy,” Liu said. “My way of moving in the community is trying to bring different kinds of people together around common goals. We can use more of that in our political leaders. I can help bring that.”
Liu brings to the table experience as deputy domestic adviser in the Clinton administration and with that, policy expertise in culture and entrepreneurship.
Education is Liu’s primary focus, and justifiably so. The 37th district consists of many families that can’t provide children with help on their homework because little English is spoken at home. It is where unemployment is taking a toll on families — like everywhere else — but support is limited for children as parents go through the daily grind. Read the full story
William Glassford (left) and Douglas Kemper worked together 30 years ago at Rainier Bank. Now the two are teaming up once more to help Regal Financial Bank climb out of its economic woes. (Photo by Assunta Ng/NWAW)
By Assunta Ng
Northwest Asian Weekly
The results of the global banking crisis have trickled its way down to local Asian American banks, which have previously been successful. They currently suffer from a tough economic climate and involvement in risky real estate loans. Read the full story
At Lakota Middle School during an assemble on Dec. 18, Christian Oshitoye talks to his peers about his experiences working with PCSI Design in making new skateboard trucks. (Photo by Monte Vitale/PCSI Design)
By Irfan Shariff
Northwest Asian Weekly
Emmanuel Christian Oshitoye (who goes by his middle name), 14, spent last summer improving his grinds and slides. He also developed an idea to improve the skateboard itself. Read the full story
Compiled by Staff
Northwest Asian Weekly
To some, sitting around and talking about businesses and corporations may seem boring. It may evoke age-old archetypes of gruff men in stuffy suits, sitting around a private conference table and sequestered dozens of floors above everyone else in a skyscraper. Read the full story
Martial-artist Allen Chinn (Photo by James Tabafunda/NWAW)
By James Tabafunda
Northwest Asian Weekly
When performing a side kick or a roundhouse kick, Allen Chinn can get his foot to reach five feet up from the ground.
In his early 20s, when the local martial arts community referred to him as a “black sheep martial artist” for developing his own unique style called yee jong kune do, he could reach higher than six feet from the ground.
Chinn, 53, grew up in Seattle’s Beacon Hill district. He is proud of his 45-year career as a leader in the city’s martial arts community.
Because his father, James, had trained in “choy li fut” kung fu under Grandmaster Cheong Mo and enjoyed target shooting, it wasn’t long before Chinn found himself enjoying the same interests as a child. Read the full story
Howard Koh (left), Christopher Bates (middle), and Teresita Batayola
By Irfan Shariff
Northwest Asian Weekly
National and local leaders on HIV/AIDS policy convened at the Asian Counseling and Referral Services (ACRS) last Wednesday, Dec. 9, to open discussion on a national HIV/AIDS strategy. Read the full story
