In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we’re running an atypical editorial this week.
Rarely does Northwest Asian Weekly have the chance to speak directly to the community to express our gratitude to our readers, so we’re going to run with this opportunity.
We are thankful for our advertisers. In a climate where print media is struggling all around us, Northwest Asian Weekly and its sister paper Seattle Chinese Post’s businesses have actually increased since last year because of the support of both the mainstream and Asian American communities. This is one of the greatest perks of being part of a community that’s big but feels small. There are so many who eagerly lend their hands. We know we are incredibly fortunate.
We are so thankful for all of our freelance reporters! They sure don’t write for the money! Most of them have full-time jobs, and each one has stayed up until sunrise to meet one of our deadlines. We are grateful that our writers continue to submit great work week after week, for the love of writing and for their passionate commitment to discussing issues pertinent to Seattle’s API community.
Lastly, we know our readers lead busy lives. We know that many of you are running to the grocery stores at late hours this week or rushing off to the airport to pick up family for the holiday. We are honored that, even in hectic times, you remember to pick up a copy of Northwest Asian Weekly each week. We are so happy to have you continually take time out of your schedules to sit down with our paper.
There are days when the staff at the paper runs ragged with stress and exhaustion. In the business of news, there is one constant — bad news. There are many depressing events occurring right now in our world. There are many days where we go home unsure of why we, as journalists, choose to expose ourselves to all the bad news on a daily basis.
Then we get a letter, an e-mail or verbal affirmation from you, our readers, and the day just flips around. We are deeply appreciative of all the feedback we get, even from those who don’t agree with us. It only means that you care, and you are reading. We couldn’t ask for more.
In gathering quotes for this Thanksgiving issue, we were struck by how people of color have adopted Thanksgiving and integrated it into their families’ cultures even though the root of American Thanksgiving does not necessarily speak positively to the immigrant’s experience. This is because, through all of our cultural differences, we do share a common belief — that gratitude is important to express. ♦