By Luca Vaccarini
SYLP STUDENT
Luca Vaccarini
The city of Seattle not only stretches over a vast 143 square miles across the Puget Sound area, but is also the center of major businesses, cultures, and organizations. From the breathtaking sky scrapers, to the ferris wheel on the water front, Seattle is not only a center for businesses, but a city of endless possibilities and breathtaking creations.
The International District is easily recognizable by the tantalizing scents of dim sum, roasted pork, roasted duck, and structures of dragons throughout the area.
This diversity of the area lend to its complex and rich landscape. Whether its unique businesses like the fortune cookie factory or the Danny Wu Garden, and small bubble tea and dim sum shops, all are interest points that makes this community special.
Recently, I joined a program held inside the Asia Bush Center, known as the Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation’s Summer Youth Leadership Program (SYLP). SYLP provided teenagers, including myself, with opportunities to learn about the diverse culture and history that the International District has to offer. We spent our weekdays exploring the International District and meeting successful Asian Americans who visited to share their stories. We ate at different restaurants every day to get a feel for the different types of cultures and foods that are in the area.
Throughout my entire experience, I learned that the International District isn’t just a place to get good food, it’s an area with a long history, filled with hard working individuals from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The International District is a place for Asian Americans to learn about other cultures, meet new people, and really connect with other Asian Americans. (end)
Editor’s note: This story was written by a Summer Youth Leadership Program student, not a Northwest Asian Weekly staff member.