Director Eric Byler (left) and author Shawn Wong answer questions from the audience

On Jan. 24 at SIFF Cinema at the Uptown, director Eric Byler appeared at a screening of his critically acclaimed 2006 film “Americanese,” which is based on Shawn Wong’s 1995 novel, “American Knees.”   Read the full story

Performers of Tao: The Art of the Drum

On Friday, Feb. 3, The Seattle Theatre Group is presenting Tao: The Art of the Drum at the Moore Theatre. Read the full story

“Lost Years: A People’s Struggle for Justice” is a documentary about the Chinese diaspora directed by Tom Radford and Kenda Gee. Gee is Chinese Canadian, and the film traces his grandfather’s journey from China to Edmonton, Canada. Also included in the film are views from Chinese Americans, Chinese New Zealanders, and Chinese Australians. Read the full story

Eri Takahashi

On Jan. 11, Eri Takahashi became senior relationship banker at Union Bank’s Bellevue branch (10900 N.E. 8th St.).

Takahashi began her financial services career in 2000 in customer service for Shinsei Bank in Tokyo, Japan. Over the next decade, she held positions in the environmental, financial services, and insurance industries. Read the full story

By Foster Klug
The Associated Press

Kim Jong Un

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea’s young new leader gets rock star treatment when he visits his troops — just as his father did. But while the late Kim Jong Il mostly stayed aloof in dark shades, his son holds hands and hugs his soldiers.

Kim Jong Un seems to want to bond with his country’s people.

The style harkens back to Kim Il Sung, his grandfather and revered founder of the country and ruling dynasty, and may reflect an attempt to turn a corner on the periods of hardship and famine under Kim Jong Il, analysts say. Kim Il Sung’s image as a daring young general fighting Japanese colonial troops is powerfully engraved in the minds of North Koreans. Read the full story

By Mari Yamaguchi
The Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s population of 128 million will shrink by one-third and seniors will account for 40 percent of people by 2060, placing a greater burden on a smaller working-age population to support the social security and tax systems. Read the full story

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The Asian Football Confederation on Monday urged football’s top lawmaking body to approve a headscarf with safety features for use by Islamic female players. Read the full story

By Assunta Ng
Northwest Asian Weekly

Image by Han Bui/NWAW

“When is she going to retire?” people often ask my staff members. Read the full story

A monthly column about all things Asian in popular culture

By Vivian Nguyen
Northwest Asian Weekly

2012 must be a lucky year because the future is looking bright for Asians, as many seize or continue to work on new opportunities in all the aspects of the entertainment industry. Read the full story

From left: Yang Shun Feng, consul, Chinese Consulate General Office in San Francisco (CCGOSF); Mao Qing Wen, deputy consul general, CCCGOSF; Millie Su, president, Great Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce; and Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed (Photo by Rebecca Ip/SCP)

By Assunta Ng

We received a tip that both Taiwan and Chinese officials would be attending the Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce’s annual Lunar New Year dinner at China Harbor Restaurant last Thursday. Read the full story

By Assunta Ng

My cousin Teddy, an immigrant from Taiwan, believes so. He visited me from California last week. Read the full story

The audience watches the Chinatown Children’s Parade and Costume Contest. (Photo by George Liu/NWAW)

By Assunta Ng

The snow and rain destroyed business in Chinatown/International District during the past two weeks. Restaurants and stores were forced to shut down. Read the full story

By Evangeline Cafe
Northwest Asian Weekly

As the saying goes, “Every dog has its day,” and in this case, a woman injured during a pit bull encounter had her day in court — and won.

In June, a jury awarded more than $200,000 in damages to Yuanquin Ge, a Chinese woman who fell and broke her hip after an unleashed pit bull named Raspberry approached her in a Sammamish neighborhood. It happened in May 2009, when Ge and her husband, who live in Shanghai, were in town visiting their daughter. The three decided to go for an evening walk and made their way onto the street in front of the defendants’ home. The defendants, a  boyfriend–girlfriend couple, had just arrived from a day trip and were unloading their vehicle when their two pit bulls ran from their lawn.

“As they ran toward [the group], Mrs. Ge was approached by one of the dogs, which jumped on her and knocked her down on the ground,” said attorney Erica Buckley, who represented Ge and her husband at trial.

Raspberry and the other dog were each less than a year old and weighed about 40 pounds. Read the full story

By Staff
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

From left: Consulate General for the Republic of Korea Yeonghan Choi, King County's Senior Deputy Prosecutor Steven Kim, and King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg (Photo from King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office)

King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office’s Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Steven Kim left for Seoul over the weekend. Read the full story

Amy Tan

By Clair Phillips
UW News Lab

It may be hard for some to believe, but Amy Tan, famed author of “The Joy Luck Club,” belongs to a rock band and has made a guest appearance on the animated series “The Simpsons.”

On Jan. 12, the distinguished author began her lecture at the University of Washington’s Meany Hall by noting these particular personal attributes. Her lecture was titled, “Creative Minds Do Not Think Alike.”

Donna Hjertberg, an attendee, thought Tan was really funny and took away the message of “persistence” from the lecture. Having read Tan’s work in the past, Hiertberg said, “I’m inspired to go back and read more.”

“The Joy Luck Club” was made into a successful film in 1993. Tan’s other well-known books include “The Kitchen God’s Wife,” “The Hundred Secret Senses,” and “The Bonesetter’s Daughter.” She has also written books for children, including “Sagwa: The Chinese Siamese Cat.” Read the full story

The Year of the Dragon is turning out to be pretty good so far. This week, King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Steven Kim boarded a plan to Seoul. He has an impressive task ahead, too, helping South Korea’s judicial system adopt a jury system, much like that of the United States. Read the full story