By Staff
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
From left: Blaine Tamaki, Diane Narasaki, and David Della (Photo by Assunta Ng)
A longtime resident of Yakima and a trial lawyer for 35 years, Blaine Tamaki is the newest member of the University of Washington (UW) Board of Regents.
On Nov. 22, community leaders and members gathered at ACRS to meet him.
“I was grateful for the opportunity to meet Blaine Tamaki. He seemed very responsive to the concerns of our community,” said Savannah Son of the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center. She and her team have been working for months to save the Khmer Language Studies program at the UW, which is being defunded due to budget cuts.
From left: Hon. Dean Lum, Savannah Son, Melissa Ouk, and Sopheak Neak (Photo by Assunta Ng)
“I believe that moving forward, [Tamaki] will be a strong ally in our campaign to maintain permanent funding for the Khmer Language Program,” said Son.
The Khmer Student Association at the UW said the program supports youth across the Khmer community to appreciate their roots, as well as pursuing a higher education.
“For me personally, it has helped me bridge the language barrier in my own family,” said Son.