Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Dan Pacholke to serve as the new Secretary of Corrections for the State of Washington, effective Oct. 17. Pacholke, whose mother is Japanese American, served as the Deputy Secretary for the department, and has more than 32 years of experience with the agency. Since 2014, in his role as Deputy […]
“A world without refugees” — Remembering Luke T. Lee, father, and a fighter for human rights
By Sharon Lee Special for Northwest Asian Weekly This is the first time I will not be calling my dad and sending him a card on Father’s Day. It is hard to express this sad and empty feeling from losing a parent. Luke T. Lee passed away suddenly in January at age 91 from Parkinson’s […]
Okamoto wins interim City Council seat
By Staff Northwest Asian Weekly The City Council has found a replacement for Sally Clark’s recently vacated position on City Council. John Okamoto was voted in April 27. He was supported by Sally Bagshaw, Tom Rasmussen, Bruce Harrell, Jean Godden, and Tim Burgess. The other API candidates vying for the position included Sharon Maeda and […]
Okamoto to run for City Council
By Assunta Ng Northwest Asian Weekly If the Seattle City Council wants to pick a candidate who can hit the ground running, and yet has no political ambition to fill in for councilmember Sally Clark who is resigning, John Okamoto, 61, said he’s the pick. An interim director of the City’s Human Resources Department, Okamoto […]
Esther Kia’aina is on tap for top island leadership role
The U.S. Senate on June 26 confirmed Esther Puakela Kia’aina as Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas. Born in Guam to Native Hawaiian parents, Kia’aina has strong connections to Pacific islands and extensive experience on Capitol Hill, said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell.
U.S. inducts Chinese railroad workers into Labor Hall of Honor
This month marks the 145th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad.
Indian American confirmed as Assistant Secretary of State
Puneet Talwar has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to a key diplomatic position, becoming the second Indian American to join the state department. Talwar, who was a key aide of President Barack Obama on the Middle East, will now serve as the assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs.
Come out to the Seattle Center for API Heritage Month fun & festivities
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and one way Seattle is celebrating is with a free afternoon of family fun and cultural festivities from 11:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Seattle Center Armory on Sunday, May 4.
Asian Americans nominated for key White House admin positions
President Obama announced on March 6 that he will nominate Nani A. Coloretti to be the Deputy Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Erika Lizabeth Moritsugu as Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations, Department of Housing and Urban Development.
President’s nominations include APIs
President Obama sent his judicial and departmental nominations to the U.S. Senate on Jan. 6. Among the nearly 250 names submitted were the following members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities: Vince Girdhari Chhabria, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of California, vice Susan Y. Illston, retired.