Deputy Mayor Hyeok Kim of Seattle invited Northwest Asian Weekly’s summer youth leadership program to have lunch at City Hall this summer. Our kids have no social status. They still have to do something to prove their worth. Yet, Kim sent me an email to invite our kids this summer back in March! I was […]
SYLP: a poem
By Stina Shen SYLP student The three weeks of SYLP Was not what I expected it to be! I started nervous as hell, But it went really swell. I’m sure participants would agree. Through a ton of awkward ice-breakers, I found me some kindly friend-makers. We promptly got down To exploring Chinatown. We became master […]
RACISM: Ending racism
By Brandon Wong SYLP student The weeks I spent in the Summer Youth Leadership Program have been inspirational and have changed me. I met new friends, learned more about Asian Americans, and learned from many great speakers. My favorite speaker would have to be Thach Nguyen. He’s like a role model for me. Thach dreams […]
MODEL MINORITY: Stereotypes … can we put this flame out?
By Chris Lee SYLP student Stereotypes … now where do I begin? Stereotypes are extremely common in our culture. Whether you are judged by your race or by how you act, stereotypes will be difficult to stop. Our culture has been adapted to judge someone based on their appearance. What we can control is making […]
BLOG: How many have had their lives touched by NW Asian Weekly?
By Assunta Ng By Assunta Ng Northwest Asian Weekly Since the founding of our Summer Youth Leadership Program (SYLP) in 1995, more than 500 students have benefited. The Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the newspaper, created the three-week, all-expenses-paid leadership and community-building training camp to benefit more than 30 greater Seattle area […]
A note about SYLP from Publisher Ng
Breaking the mould for Asian American youth What do you do with high-achieving students who are bad leaders? I am not blaming parents. We, as parents, lack awareness of the importance of leadership because of how we were raised — not to lead, but to be great students so that […]
SYLP: Calling on the American ambassador
Not long ago, I was extensively involved in the college admissions process. I remember a particular interview with an alumnus, and we had a discussion about the implications of my studies in history — why was it so important to remember my cultural identity?
SYLP: Racial profiling
Many think that racial profiling ended along with racism when all Americans, regardless of color, were given equal rights. However, that is not the case. One of the most recent examples was when Arizona passed a law that allowed officers to stop people that are suspected as illegal immigrants.