By Assunta Ng The first time I heard about hookah bars two years ago, I was completely repelled. “Hooker” was what I heard. You can imagine why I didn’t want to continue the conversation with anyone mentioning the word. Go ahead, you can laugh at me. My editor certainly did. I didn’t know anything about […]
Hookah lounge advocates fight back
By Peggy Chapman Northwest Asian Weekly It was standing room only at Monday afternoon’s Seattle City Council meeting, moderated by Councilmember Tim Burgess. The majority present was there to protest Seattle Mayor Ed Murray’s initiative to ban hookah lounges/bars throughout Seattle. The chamber was filled with loyal customers, lounge owners, community activists, and even health […]
Murray’s move surprises the Asian community — Donnie Chin’s death triggers change
By Assunta Ng Northwest Asian Weekly If there was any lasting impact residing from Donnie Chin’s murder (aside from permanent sorrow), it would be the city’s decision to shut down Seattle’s hookah bars with a new ordinance. It will be an ordinance that affects all 11 hookah bars in Seattle. That’s not what the Asian […]
New Seattle laws mean changes ahead, no more business as usual
By James Tabafunda Northwest Asian Weekly Following SeaTac’s approval of a minimum wage at $15 an hour in November 2013, Seattle’s version of the law took effect on April 1, along with a law on administrative wage theft. According to the Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR), forty-one percent of low-wage workers in Seattle are […]
Top Contributor: Mark Okazaki
By Nina Huang Northwest Asian Weekly When asked what his hobby was, Mark Okazaki candidly answered, “Neighborhood House and the community.” As the executive director of Neighborhood House, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving low-income communities and alleviating poverty in Seattle, Okazaki has dedicated most of his life to serving the community.
EDITORIAL: Gov. Gregoire a champion of diversity? Some are in doubt
Last week, a news story appeared on The Associated Press (AP) wire, stating that all of Gov. Chris Gregoire’s new hires on her leadership team are white. The hirings were befuddling to many of her supporters, especially those of color, as Gregoire has always vowed that diversity is of the utmost importance to her.
Custodians angry over shift changes
By Jane Mee Wong Northwest Asian Weekly Swing-shift custodians at the University of Washington are coming together across ethnic lines and language barriers to keep their work shifts. The predominantly Asian, Latino, and East African workforce consists of 66 custodians who work from 4:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. On June 1, they will be reassigned […]