By Julie Pace and Matthew Pennington Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Whether by accident or design, President-elect Donald Trump is signaling a tougher American policy toward China, sparking warnings from both the outgoing Obama administration and Beijing. On Dec. 5, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said progress with the Chinese could be “undermined” by a […]
U.S House approves bill recognizing Filipino WWII veterans
HONOLULU (AP) — The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to honor Filipino soldiers who fought under U.S. command in World War II with the Congressional Gold Medal. The House’s unanimous approval came Nov. 30 after the Senate passed the legislation this summer. President Barack Obama was expected to sign to bill. “Now […]
Son of Korean immigrants is first openly gay man elected to Georgia legislature
By Staff Northwest Asian Weekly Samuel Park made history last month when he was elected as the first openly gay man to the Georgia legislature. The Georgia native defeated three-term incumbent Rep. Valerie Clark. The 31-year-old son of Korean immigrants grew up with two siblings. His single mother supported their family. “She taught piano lessons […]
Chinese firm starts building full-sized Titanic replica
BEIJING (AP) — Construction on the world’s first full-sized Titanic replica has started in China, a country with a well-documented fascination with the tale of the ill-fated ocean liner. The 984-foot vessel being built by the Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Co. is scheduled for completion by the end of 2018 and will remain permanently docked as […]
Crown prince formally becomes Thailand’s new king
By Grant Peck Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand has a new king, with the country’s crown prince formally taking the throne to succeed his much-revered late father, who reigned for 70 years. The new monarch, who received the title “His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun,’’ assumed his new position on Dec. 1, according to […]
Driving diversity — Uber and Lyft drivers face the issues of the booming rideshare market
By Peggy Chapman Northwest Asian Weekly Wichit Phisaikul emigrated from Thailand to be with family and works as a contract driver with both Uber and Lyft in Seattle. He decided to be a rideshare driver because he feels he has more freedom (“I am the boss”) and likes the money. On a typical Saturday in […]
A Place for Everyone
Mental health advocate and University of Washington (UW) alumnus Brandon Hadi shared the stage with Washington’s First Lady Trudi Inslee on Nov. 30 at an event called “A Place for Everyone.” It was the fourth annual dinner for Forefront: Innovations in Suicide Prevention. Money raised from the event will go toward Forefront’s suicide prevention causes. […]
goPoké grand opening
goPoké held its grand opening celebration on Dec. 4 with music, dancing, and of course, poké. The restaurant is run by the Le brothers who grew up in Hawaii — Bayley, Michael, and Trinh. The menu centers around poké (raw fish salad) — there are pre-assembled bowls available or you have the option to build […]
Happy 94th!
A happy 94th birthday to the mother of Kiku Hayashi. Kiku, one of five kids, was the former president of the Metropolitan Democratic Club (MDC) of Seattle and a long-time member of the Northwest Asian Weekly’s Women of Color luncheon. This photo was taken Dec. 2 at the Dough Zone in Factoria. Kiku said of […]
Indonesian child prodigy up for Grammy again
Joey Alexander, 13, was again nominated for a 2017 Grammy Award on Dec. 6 for Best Improvised Jazz Solo. Born in Bali, Alexander was nominated for his take on “Countdown” off John Coltrane’s classic work “Giant Steps.” He was also nominated for two Grammys in 2016, but did not win. The latest awards will be […]