On Jan. 4, Bruce Harrell and Kshama Sawant were among those sworn into the Seattle City Council. Harrell is the new council president. He is Black and of Japanese descent. He chairs the public safety, civil rights, and technology committee. Sawant is a former software engineer and part-time economics professor. Born in India, Sawant is […]
BLOG: RESPECT? — What we should learn from Sawant’s actions
By Assunta Ng Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant’s inappropriate and unfair questioning of John Okamoto (now voted in as a councilmember) during the public interview to fill in Sally Clark’s seat, gave me a revelation—the importance of respect. We make wishes during celebration. My wish for May’s Asian Pacific American API Heritage Month is that […]
BLOG: What a week for entertainment and politics!
Not the usual Chamber’s dinner So what was unusual? Mayor Ed Murray, who declared he’s a sheep, spoke briefly at the Greater Chinese Chamber of Commerce’s Lunar New Year dinner at the China Harbor Restaurant last week. Murray, 60, was born in the Year of the Sheep. According to Chinese astrology, anyone born in […]
Cheers, jeers, and a lawsuit for Seattle’s $15 wage
By Sue Misao Northwest Asian Weekly The Seattle Restaurant Alliance called it “disappointing,” City Councilmember Kshama Sawant called it a “historic victory,” the immigrant-rights group OneAmerica said it was “a critical first step,” and the International Franchise Association is filing a lawsuit against the City of Seattle — all because Seattle City Council unanimously approved […]
BLOG: Drama continues with $15 indecision
By Assunta Ng Anxiety struck the Asian business community on April 24, when Mayor Ed Murray was supposed to announce his plan in the afternoon for the $15 minimum wage.