By Kai Curry
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
It was, probably, the last event held by the Northwest Asian Weekly at which Assunta Ng, publisher emeritus, would be at the helm. On May 31, Ng, the Asian Weekly’s new owners, and the new publisher held a gathering to celebrate this momentous transition and to especially thank Asian Weekly’s supporters and dedicated advertisers for over four decades.
“We are so thrilled and happy to have so many of you, all of you, here to help support us. There’s no way we’re going to succeed unless we all come together as a community,” said Dr. Jeffrey Roh, one of the new owners. Once everyone had a chance to partake of delicious appetizers from Tai Tung Restaurant, served in the Asian Weekly’s own office space on South Maynard Avenue, it was time to gather in the front lobby to hear from the speakers. Each had been asked to talk about how they first came into contact with the Asian Weekly and why the paper is so important.
From left: Rep. Marilyn Strickland, Sam Cho, Grace Roh, Gary Locke, Assunta Ng, Jeffrey Roh, Seattle City Councilmember Tanya Woo, and Tim Wang. (Photo by Nuk Suwanchote)
“I grew up with the Northwest Asian Weekly,” said Seattle City Councilmember Tanya Woo, who wasn’t a part of the original lineup, but was more than happy to say a few words. “It’s our community voice and it’s really important that this paper continues. I’m so excited to hear about the legacy continuing. I want to congratulate all the work that you’ve done, Auntie Assunta and Uncle George, and the team. I’m so excited to hear about the plans going forward.”
Honoring the past, celebrating the present, looking forward to the future. The Asian Weekly, and its counterpart, the Seattle Chinese Post, have both been part of the Seattle Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, particularly in the Chinatown-International District (CID), since their inception. Change is inevitable, and the newspaper industry has been hit hard by the rise of digitalization and the internet. The Asian Weekly published its last print edition on Jan. 21, 2023 and went fully online. The Chinese Post found a new home at the Asia Pacific Cultural Center. Fear and hope battled in the hearts of everyone in town, as they wondered what the eventual fate of the Asian Weekly would be. Would Ng pass the torch? And she did. Doubtless with a mix of both happiness and sadness, Ng handed over the keys (and a symbolic key).
The current and former owners hold a key symbolizing the passing of the torch to the next generation of the Northwest Asian Weekly. (Photo by Nuk Suwanchote)
“I am so thrilled to have these new partners that are very community oriented,” Ng said. “If they were not pro community, I would not have talked to them.” Ng admitted that saying goodbye was hard.
“We talked for more than a year and I sort of dragged it out, because I couldn’t let go, to tell you the truth, that’s why it slowed down.” Yet she also insisted that she would not be sticking around—this was retirement and the oncoming leadership was entrusted to carry the paper forward without her. “I know you’re going to keep us accountable,” said new owner and Seattle Port Commission President Sam Cho. “No,” Ng was quick to reply, gesturing to the crowd, “Everyone here is going to keep you accountable.”
That “everyone here” seemed a bit of a surprise to the new owners, who expressed their thanks (and some relief) that the Asian Weekly had such a loyal following. The room was packed to the gills with advertisers, community supporters, and other well-wishers, and the Northwest Asian Weekly’s staff. Grace Roh, the new publisher, admitted to being a little bit nervous to stand before “all of these wonderful faces, this huge community support right in front of my eyes.”
She said it was humbling.
Assunta Ng (right) formally introduces the new publisher, Grace Roh, at a reception on May 31, 2024 at the Northwest Asiann Weekly office in Seattle. (Photo by Nuk Suwanchote)
Former publisher Assunta Ng (left) and current publisher Grace Roh share a hug as Jeffrey Roh (right) looks on (Photo by Nuk Suwanchote)
“I thank you for being here to commemorate this really special moment, this significant occasion, and opportunity for all of us, the entire new ownership team…It means so much that you’re here to support us at this event and transition.” Because the hard truth is, as former Washington state Gov. Gary Locke stated, no publication can survive without support from the community and that includes financial support.
“The future of the Northwest Asian Weekly will depend on advertisements,” Locke said. “That’s the reality of media today.” Therefore, Locke urged those present to commit to using the Northwest Asian Weekly “to promote things, to advertise our products and services, our establishments, because they will need the revenue to pay for the staff.”
The Northwest Asian Weekly staff with the current and former owners. (Photo by Nuk Suwanchote)
Why the Asian Weekly? And why did the new owners step up?
“Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and seeing how much our community hurt during this pandemic, I don’t know if our community would have been able to take the fact that [the Asian Weekly] potentially would not have existed,” said Cho.
Rep. Marilyn Strickland acknowledged the Asian Weekly’s role in being with her throughout her political career.
“We need a place to tell our stories, and as you know, we like to tell our stories. Sometimes at great length,” she said.
There was laughter, and also a kind of gospel call and a low “mm hmmm,” in response.
“I say this because of the media environment in which we operate now, where it’s clicks, headlines, eyeballs, and not telling the full truth and the full story. This publication will allow us to continue to tell our stories, of our ancestors, of what we’re doing today, what our dreams and aspirations are for the future; and about our entire diaspora, which spans so many places in the world.”
It will be hard for the community to get used to not seeing Ng at every event, wearing her trademark beret, jacket, and sequined pants. She seemed somehow to be everywhere all at once. If something of import was taking place that would impact the AAPI community, and especially Seattle and the CID, Ng was there, fighting for equality and justice.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to Assunta Ng,” said Grace. She is our fearless pioneer; she is a trailblazer. She is a cultural institution in our hearts and has engaged this city for our community. Thank you for entrusting us, thank you for believing in us, thank you for understanding that we will take care of this precious baby and…help it to grow.”
Each owner came to the mic, and multiple photos were taken, as well as certificates of appreciation given out to 10 long-time and consistent advertisers. Special mention went to Tomio Moriguchi and his daughter, Denise Moriguchi, of Uwajimaya.
“I don’t know if there’s much more that I can say. Assunta, George, and John, thank you so much. We are so indebted to the legacy that you’ve established,” said new owner Tim Wang. “We will do our very best to make sure that we’re stewards of the legacy that you built. Thank you for everyone’s support. We hope we can bring the Northwest Asian Weekly into the future, together.”
Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.