New publisher Grace Roh leans in to embrace former publisher Assunta Ng during a May 31, 2024 reception to mark the transition. (Photo by Nuk Suwanchote)
Today, we embark on a new journey. In order to create a successful path forward, however, we must first acknowledge and learn from our past. Undoubtedly, this journey begins with a huge debt of gratitude owed to Assunta Ng, our fearless pioneer and beacon for our local Asian American community. She is a cultural institution in our hearts and a trailblazer for our city. Over 41 years ago, Assunta had the vision and determination to create the Northwest Asian Weekly in order to fill a void in our community and bridge a gap in communication for Asian Americans. Throughout the years, our community has relied on this publication as a reliable source of accurate, interesting, and critical news and information that has become a source of empowerment to help build greater community engagement.
Today, as the digital age advances ever more rapidly, we face another need. In a recent groundbreaking report, AAPI News Media: Origins and Futures, released by the Asian Media Initiative at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism’s Center for Community Media, it was reported that while AAPI communities are beginning to revive their news media ecosystems, many parts of the country, including Washington state, are continuing to see a decline in the number of publications. This only highlights the need for continued support, investment, and engagement.
So where do we go from here? We should all strive to change this trajectory and strengthen our foothold. Representation matters. The Northwest Asian Weekly will continue its mission to empower and share the stories of our AANHPI community. We have unique backgrounds and stories to share. We are not a monolith. The Northwest Asian Weekly will continue to be that collective voice for our readers today and tomorrow. We illustrate our diversity and celebrate the achievements of those with whom we can identify. We bring awareness to the services, events, and landscape of the community to build ties together. We report and make sense of the news for our readers with journalistic integrity and to combat disinformation.
To survive is to grow. To grow is to evolve with continuous improvement. We must evolve in order to expand our reach and capture the next generation of readers. One of the key values of the Northwest Asian Weekly is the rich heritage and collection of AANHPI news and information, gathered in one reliable source. It is important to help Asian Americans understand the privilege, history, and responsibilities we’ve been given from those who have blazed the trails before us. It is important to amplify our collective Asian American voices and experiences across all walks of life, and throughout mainstream culture in order to build support and advocacy.
Yet, despite the fact that AAPIs are the fastest-growing demographic in the U.S., our communities are still often underserved. Therefore we, too, need to go and grow to where our future generation of readers are, by bridging the digital gap towards wider accessibility, and to build stronger connections across social media, mobile apps, and new technologies.
Most importantly, it always takes a village to succeed. I am grateful for all the loyal community and business partners who have invested their immense support, both emotionally and financially, for this publication. I humbly ask for your continued support as we build upon our strong partnerships and work to expand our reach together. I am strengthened by the local community and political leaders who represent us and understand the importance and value of engagement with our AANHPI communities. I am proud of our talented and dedicated team of staff and writers who contribute tirelessly to serve this community.
And to Assunta, we will always honor your legacy, as our Publisher Emeritus. You are memorialized throughout the beautiful, rich history and collective voice that is the Northwest Asian Weekly.
This is not the end of the story, it is only the next chapter. Thank you for reading and embarking on this new journey with us together.
Grace Roh
CEO & Publisher
Can’t wait to see what you, Grace Roh, and the team will do with this great publication. Agree that we need the representation and a vested and trusted ownership team to continue to bring the important issues facing our communities to all of our attention.