Kollaboration attracts performers from all disciplines from modern dance groups to singer-songwriters and rappers. (Photo from Kollaboration)

The third annual Kollaboration Seattle showcase will take place Friday, Oct. 12, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in downtown Seattle at the STG Moore Theatre. Six local competitors will be competing for a grand prize of $1,000 and an opportunity to perform in a live-broadcast Kollaboration all-star show in Los Angeles on Nov. 16. Read the full story

Florence Chang

Florence Chang, one of our 2010 Asian American Pioneers in Healthcare, has been promoted to executive vice president of the not-for-profit MultiCare Health System, based in Tacoma. Read the full story

Wanting Qu

Vancouver-based, Chinese-born singer-songwriter Wanting Qu began her North American tour this week, opening with a show in Vancouver on Sunday, Oct. 7, before moving on to shows in Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto. Read the full story

From left: Amir Sadeghi, Marketing Consultant – Multicultural, Verizon PNW Region; Nancy Lee, KCON Flyaway Sweepstakes winner; Madeleine Manzano, Associate Director of Marketing and Sales Operations, Verizon PNW Region; and Kevan So, Verizon Bellevue Store Manager (Photo provided by Verizon Wireless)

Verizon Wireless announced the winner of its KCON Flyaway Sweepstakes last Friday, Oct. 5. Nancy Lee and three of her friends will be flying to Irvine, Calif. to experience KCON, the first convention of Korean culture in North America. Read the full story

By Mark Sherman
The Associated Press

Washington, D.C. (AP) — Nine years after the Supreme Court said colleges and universities can use race in their quest for diverse student bodies, the justices have put this divisive social issue back on their agenda in the middle of a presidential election campaign. Read the full story

By Samantha Bomkamp
The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Delta Air Lines wants to expand service to Asia through its partnership with Alaska Airlines.
Delta plans to add a flight between Seattle and Shanghai starting on June 17, 2013. Delta, which is based in Atlanta, is also proposing a flight between Seattle and Tokyo-Haneda, Japan, set to begin in March. Read the full story

Chun Yung-woo

By Hyung-Kin Kim
The Associated Press

Seoul, S. Korea (AP) — The United States has agreed to allow South Korea to possess longer-range ballistic missiles that could strike all of North Korea, South Korean officials said Sunday, Oct. 7.

Under a 2001 accord with Washington, Seoul has been barred from developing and deploying ballistic missiles with a range of more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) and a payload of more than 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) due to concerns of a regional arms race.

The restriction is blamed for making Seoul’s missile capability inferior to that of rival Pyongyang’s, and some key military installations in North Korea have been out of South Korea’s missile range. Read the full story

By Didi Tang
The Associated Press

Beijing, China (AP) — Foxconn Technology Group denied on Saturday, Oct. 6 that production was affected at a Chinese factory that makes Apple’s iPhones, although both state media and an overseas labor watch group said some workers halted production lines on Friday, Oct. 5 apparently over higher quality control standards. Read the full story

By Jin Gomez and Eileen Ng
The Associated Press

Manila, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine government and the country’s largest Muslim rebel group have reached a preliminary peace deal that is a major breakthrough toward ending a decades-long insurgency that killed tens of thousands and held back development in the south. Read the full story

Gurdon (left) and Yamanaka (right)

By Malcolm Ritter and Karl Ritter
The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Two scientists from different generations won the Nobel Prize in medicine Monday for the groundbreaking discovery that cells in the body can be reprogrammed into completely different kinds, work that reflects the mechanism behind cloning and offers an alternative to using embryonic stem cells. Read the full story

A monthly column about all things Asian in popular culture

By Vivian Nguyen
Northwest Asian Weekly

Between fall television premieres and online dowries (you read that correctly), September saw Asians popping up in the media in random but interesting ways. Read the full story

By Assunta Ng

From left: Hery Setiawan, Lydia Gao, Tiee Ray, Mavis Orr, and Roger Lu of Panda Express (Photo provided by Mavis Orr)

Dragon politics

Partisan politics kicked in at the Northwest Asian Weekly’s 30th anniversary gala at the Seattle Sheraton Hotel last Friday, Oct. 5. Read the full story

Marge Wang

By Marge Wang
For the Northwest Asian Weekly

We, the citizens of the United States, are fortunate to live in a democracy where we can elect our government leaders. Every four years, we have a major election. However, the election process is getting more troublesome and annoying.  Personally, I attribute this to the length of our political campaigns. The primary stage seems to start earlier all the time, and, if you count the exploratory and fundraising stages, it’s a good two years of being bombarded with political ads on TV, phones, newspapers, and the Internet. Read the full story

Ground breaking for the highway improvement project took place earlier in September. (Photo from the City of Edmonds)

Construction on the SR 99 Edmonds International District Enhancements Project began on Thursday, Oct. 4. The $662,000 project is funded though federal Highway Enhancements grants and will provide improved illumination and enhanced visibility for the Edmonds International District commercial district, as well as create a visual gateway for the area. Read the full story

From left to right: ACRS Board President Debadutta Dash, Sam Ung, owner Phnom Penh Noodle House, Paul Qui, Winner of Top Chef Mark Santiago, Executive Sous Chef at The Westin Bellevue, Christine Chen Velasquez, emcee/yoga instructor/health and wellness author (Photo by Amanda Roth/ACRS)

The Asian Counseling and Referral Service raised over $120,000 last Saturday, Oct. 6, at their annual gala, “A Culinary Journey.” The event was anchored by a four-course dinner menu, which was planned by four local celebrity chefs. This year’s meal was created by Chef Mark Santiago of the Westin Bellevue, Phnom Penh Noodle House’s Chef Sam Ung, Top Chef champion Paul Qui, and Chef Helen of Cake Envy. Their dishes were prepared by the Bellevue Westin kitchen staff and served to the 330 guests in attendance. Read the full story

By Charles Lam
The Northwest Asian Weekly

Gubernatorial candidates Rob McKenna and Jay Inslee led the dragon dance that opened the event. (Photo by Hut Kwan)

The Northwest Asian Weekly celebrated its 30th anniversary last Friday, Oct. 5, with about 650 guests at the Seattle Read the full story