Edited from AP

Philanthropist David M. Rubenstein visited the pandas with China’s ambassador to the United States to announce the gift. Rubenstein is a co-founder and managing director of the Washington-based private equity firm The Carlyle Group. He is also on the board of regents at the Smithsonian Institution, which includes the zoo.

Rubenstein said the money is a holiday gift to the people of Washington and to the country because pandas make people happy.

“Hopefully this will result in more pandas being born here,” he said.

The gift will also fund fellowships for biologists in the United States and China to work to save pandas, which are an endangered species.

With the funding commitment, the zoo can proceed with a five-year plan established with Chinese wildlife officials to try to produce another cub after years of trouble. Washington’s pandas have produced only one cub, Tai Shan, who was sent to China to begin breeding.

The zoo said male panda Tian Tian has been showing early signs of breeding behavior. But the zoo is securing frozen semen from a now-dead panda at the San Diego zoo to use as a backup next year.

Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yesui visited the zoo Monday and thanked Rubenstein for helping to continue research on panda conservation. He said he greeted Tian Tian and other pandas as well.

“I’m very happy to see they’re in good shape and they were enjoying their breakfast,” he said. “I actually sent my Christmas and New Year’s greetings to them, and I also told them that their son Tai Shan is doing very well in Sichuan, China.”

In the early 1990s, when North Korea opened its borders a tiny bit to Americans, Seong Suk Kim, also known as Joan, sought the opportunity to visit her siblings — two brothers — and their children, Kim’s nieces and nephews, whom she had never met.

During the Korean War, Kim and about half of her family escaped to the south. The rest were left behind. Kim hadn’t seen her siblings since the late 1940s.

Kim left behind her eldest sister, but unfortunately, this sister passed away before Kim made it back to North Korea.

“[During their reunion, my mom and her brothers] spent a few days together, talking a lot,” said Rep. Cindy Ryu (D) of the 32nd legislative district — Kim’s daughter. “They heard a lot, realized a lot — the difference between life in South Korea and North Korea, and North Korea and the United States.”

It was a pivotal trip for Kim. Both of her brothers have since passed away.

Kim Jong-il’s death

Kim Jong-il, leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), died of a heart attack on the morning of Dec. 17. He was 69, and news of his death was reported two days later on Dec. 19 (Dec. 18 in the United States) by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA, North Korea’s state news organization). Kim Jong-il’s funeral is scheduled for Dec. 28 in Pyongyang.

According to KCNA, Kim Jong-il had “received medical treatment for his cardiac and cerebrovascular diseases for a long period. He suffered an advanced acute myocardial infarction, complicated with a serious heart shock, while traveling by train. … Every possible first aid measure was taken immediately, but he passed away at 08:30 hours on 17 December. An autopsy on 18 December fully confirmed the diagnosis of his diseases.”

Even after a 17-year rule, with the last few plagued with rumors of Kim Jong-il’s deteriorating health, the news of his death surprised many worldwide. Asia’s stock markets fell that day. South Korea’s military was immediately put on alert after the announcement, wary of destabilization in the region. The South Korean government, which remains technically at war with North Korea, urged its people to “go about their usual economic activities,” on Dec. 19, according to BBC News. South Korea is also home to about 28,000 U.S. troops.

At midnight on Dec. 19, President Barack Obama spoke with Republic of Korea (South Korea) President Lee Myung-bak. According to the White House Office of Communications, Obama reaffirmed the United States’ strong commitment to the stability of the Korean Peninsula and the security of its close ally, South Korea.

The two leaders agreed to stay in close touch as the situation develops and agreed they would direct their national security teams to continue close coordination.

Changes

Kim Jong-un is the third and youngest son of Kim Jong-il. Only about 27 or 28 years old, he has been viewed as the successor to Kim Jong-il since late 2010, when his father began grooming him.

However, Kim Jong-un has not had the decades of tutelage under his father that Kim Jong-il benefited from under Kim Jong-un’s grandfather, Kim Il-sung, who founded North Korea in 1948.

“[Kim Jong-il’s] death came unexpectedly — most of us assumed he would live another couple of years,” Clark W. Sorensen wrote in an e-mail. Sorensen is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Korean Studies at the University of Washington. “That means the succession of his third son, Kim Jong-un, had not yet been fully implemented. … He was officially nominated successor at the Party Delegates Conference last year and is now being called the ‘glorious successor’ — widaehan kyesungja.”

Experts expect that Kim Jong-un will be under the guardianship of his only aunt, Kim Kyong-hui, a general, and her husband, Jang Song-thaek, who is seen as North Korea’s second-in-command leader.

A major concern that some have is whether power plays will be made by Kim Jong-il’s other sons or by generals to usurp the young and inexperienced new leader, which could lead to political instability. Another concern is whether the new regime will take military action to warn the United States and South Korea not to meddle in the transition in leadership. North Korea is believed to have nuclear weapons.

While some experts say there is a good chance of political instability, others believe that, in the short term, things will stay relatively unchanged.

“Most people will have a vested interest in a smooth succession,” Sorensen wrote. “I don’t expect a military coup or anything like that because the military — while highly favored — is thoroughly penetrated by the Party and the security apparatus under the control of the political center. The most likely scenario is that Kim Jong-un will initially be a weak leader under the tutelage of his aunt and uncle for a couple of years, while he tries to consolidate power.”

“During this period, I would not expect big new initiatives like denuclearization or economic reform,” Sorensen continued, “though it is possible that the North Korean leadership may want to cause a little external tension to help rally the people around the new leader — say, missile tests? What happens after that depends on Kim’s ability to consolidate his power and the ambitions of those around him.”

An uncertain future

“I am hoping that, in the next few days and weeks, peace prevails,” said Ryu. “I do have cousins in North Korea, and on a really personal level, peace is my ultimate wish. … Hopefully, this change is an opportunity for unification at some level, even if we end up with two separate governments. Some sort of open border would be wonderful, especially since the North Koreans do need additional food.”

Shortly after Kim Jong-il came to power in 1994, the North Korean economy was on the verge of collapse. The government responded with economic reforms, which were ill-conceived. That and poor harvests caused a severe famine that left an estimated 3.5 million people dead.

As of 2011, famine continues to be a problem in North Korea. It does get external food aid from countries like China, Pakistan, Japan, the United States, and South Korea.

Whereas South Korea, whose people are ethnically the same as North Koreans, has a strong economy today as the north suffers, the situation was reversed right after the Korean War, with South Korea being one of the poorest countries in Asia.

Stacy Nguyen can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.

Pinoy Reporter’s staff with this year’s inductees. L to R – Marketing Managers Rolly Polintan and Violet Aesquivel, Entertainment Executive and Hollywood Producer TEDDY ZEE, Former Director of the White House Medical Unit and Retired Rear Admiral DR. CONNIE MARIANO, Charlotte Bobcats General Manager RICHARD CHO, Contributing Editor Maureen Francisco, and Publisher Gideon Epistola.

Since 2004, the Asian Hall of Fame seeks to honor distinguished individuals of Asian Pacific Islander heritage whose personal achievements have contributed to the American experience. Marvin Rosete, a Filipino American on the staff of the Robert Chinn Foundation, played a key role in organizing this year’s celebration held on November 19, 2011 at Asian Resource Center in Seattle.

On November 30 and December 13, NAAAP-Seattle held board elections and elected in the following officers:

President – Kevin Chang
Vice President of Internal Affairs – Sherwin Tsao
Vice President of External Affairs – Amy DuongTreasurer – Lily Li
Secretary – Mingxing Tu
PR/Marketing – Brittany Ryerson

Social – Heidi Yu
Student Relations – Eugene Ngai
National Representative – Hang Chen
Technology Chair – Janet Shen
Community Service Chair – Howard Wu
Scholarship Chair – Louisa Lambert
Membership Chair – James Wong
Board at Large – Julie Pham
Board at Large – Claire Ding

 The officers will serve two-year terms. NAAAP-Seattle is the Puget Sound’s premier volunteer-run leadership development organization for Asian Pacific American professionals.

Photos of Kevin Chang, Amy Duong, and Sherwin Tsao attached.

About the Seattle Chapter of National Association of Asian American Professionals

The NAAAP-Seattle Chapter, founded in 1979 as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, NAAAP-Seattle is an individual membership organization dedicated to creating a stronger Asian-American community within the Puget Sound. NAAAP-Seattle is dedicated to the improvement of the Asian American community by promoting leadership, career development, educational exchange, professional networking, social networking, and civic responsibilities.

When I was eight, my family left our village,Don Duong, and came to the US. One day, I was taking the school bus home, got off at the wrong stop, and ended up wandering around downtown Philadelphia. I was scared, lost and confused. Unable to speak any English, I wandered the streets, trying to find my way home. It must have been worse for my mother, who waited for me at the bus stop. When I didn’t show up, she climbed on to the bus and somehow convinced the driver to drive around looking for me.

For the next several years, my parents watched while I drifted further and further away from my culture. I refused to go to Vietnamese class on the weekend. I barely spoke to my parents. I did not appreciate how hard they worked, and how hard they tried to preserve the Vietnamese in me. I can recall the vivid memory of the day I left for college: my mother, standing at the door, watching her son slip away to be American.

I am much older now. I have started understanding the values that my parents tried to teach me. When I have my own kids, I want them to be able to speak our language and know our culture. I want them to be proud of who they are and where they came from.

For the past six years, I have worked at the Vietnamese Friendship Association. This organization was founded to help the many refugees who came to Seattle after the War. It has been 35 years. Our community has many strengths. We are hard workers. We value family and education. We have many successful professionals and businesses.

We also have many problems that we need to address. In 2009, VFA launched a research project, the Community Action Research and Empowerment (CARE) project. We trained Vietnamese college youth to go out and interview community members about their hopes and vision for the community. They talked to hundreds of people and collected over 300 surveys. From this project, we learned many things. For example, that there are not enough services for our elders. Youth are losing Vietnamese language and culture. We learned that education is a high priority for our community, but only about half of the Vietnamese students successfully pass Washington state math and science exams. 25% of our survey respondents do not have healthcare coverage, while 16% are unemployed.

However, we also learned that people have hope for a united Vietnamese community, where youth and elders understand and work with each other, where our kids can sing traditional Vietnamese songs, where we are strong economically, civically, and politically.

We have just launched Phase II of the CARE project, where we will use what we learned and invite community members to join together to develop an action plan to strengthen our community. In the spirit of collaboration, VFA will continue to share research findings, as well as stories from the youth, professionals, and elders working to preserve and advance our culture and community. This column will appear monthly and will focus on everyday issues that affect our community, such as education, senior services, culture and language preservation, employment, and more. We hope that you will be involved in the discussion. Together, we can strengthen our community and help our children find their way “home.”

Vu Le is the Executive Director of the Vietnamese Friendship Association. VFA is a nonprofit organization with the mission to strengthen the Vietnamese community in Seattle through academic, leadership, and family engagement programs. Learn more at vfaseattle.org

Stephanie Kim, Moses Yim, Henry Vu

1. When were you born and where? February 21st, 1989 in West Hills, CA – Just outside of L.A.

2. How did your parents come to the US (e.g., 1975, helicopter, boat people, HO program) and when? My father escaped the Communists in 1975 by boat. My mother, through a mix of events was left behind while the rest of her family came to America. Only after many years, could she be reunited with them.

3. Was your father or any male relatives in the South Vietnamese military? What roles? N/A. I never heard many war stories growing up, though I’m sure there was involvement in the S. Vietnamese military.

4. What was it like growing up Vietnamese-American? Where did you grow up? I moved up from California to Seattle when I was six. So I practically grew up despising the rain. As I grew older, my identity as a Vietnamese-American became more defined. A few of my friends in elementary school introduced me to the term “azn pryde” and that’s when I noticed I was different. I would hang out with other Asians and share stories of how our parents are the same and what we do in the house etc. I was also a part of, and still a part of, the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Society, which beautifully meshes the Vietnamese culture with the Catholic faith. It practically defines who I am today.

When I started high school, I had to move to a new school, which was predominantly Caucasian. Stereotypes of Asian people were automatically set on me. “It’s because you’re Asian” became the new line tossed around. I started to set myself apart from the term Asian and embraced the fact that I was not just Asian, but Vietnamese. Today, most of my closest friends are Vietnamese. But after all the self searching and figuring out where I belong, I believe there is no specific category to put me in really. We are all different, and when we share that difference with everyone else, we begin to understand each other more and find some similarities. In the end, we’re all just people.

5. Why did you decide to study theater? I started studying premed (that’s how it always starts) and was shooting to major in microbiology. I found that all of this was not what I wanted at all. So I made a compromise and decided to major in the wonderful world of aquatics and fishery sciences, and still do premed. Then, after a wave of bad grades, I knew the sciences were not for me. I looked at my transcript, and the only good grade I had was a drama 101 class I took for art credit. I remembered joking that I wanted to be a movie star when I was younger, so what the heck, I threw all of my parents’ premed dreams away and put all my effort into drama. I knew this was my last chance to decide on a major so I wanted to be as involved as possible and just get some good grades. And after the first quarter, I loved it. My cumulative shot up a whole grade point and I met so many passionate students who loved what they did. I got to sing and dance and express myself through plays and musicals. And I actually enjoyed reading (because plays are so much shorter). I studied theater because, simply, it was a joy and I loved it.

6. What did your parents think about your decision? Do you have any performance artists in your family? Of course, my parents were concerned with my future, wondering how I could possibly be successful. To this day, they are still doubtful. There are no performance artists in my family, so it is hard for my family to grasp all of this. My uncle, who is very artistic and talented at many crafts, even became a doctor because he knew the arts would not bring success. My grandfather is very supportive though, and believes people should do what they love despite what others may think.

7. Do you speak Vietnamese? If not, can you understand it? Did your parents speak Vietnamese in the home? I am very fortunate to be able to speak, read and write Vietnamese. My vocabulary is not as good as a native speaker, but I am slowly learning more and more. I am not afraid to speak in Vietnamese to older people or people who just came to America. I owe it to my parents for not only speaking Vietnamese at home, but also making me speak it at home.

8. What do you like in particular about “Yellow Face”? What character do you play? Please comment on your character. I play a number of characters but I think the most prominent character is HYH (Henry Y. Hwang). He is the playwright’s father and in this autobiographical play. HYH is a super fun character with a lot of spunk. He is proud of his accomplishments since he’s come to America and always wants his son to never lose hope and follow his dreams.

9. What do you like most about this play and its message? I really like the how this play is a mockumentary. It is based on some real people and David Henry Hwang even pokes fun at himself. All artists do share a bit of their life in their work, but he actually puts his name in the play which is a very brave thing to do. The message has put a lot of things in perspective for me. All the struggles of an Asian American are apparent in the play, and I really relate to them, but what surprised me was that all that race stuff just doesn’t matter in the end. It’s just about following your dreams, and being whoever you want to be.

10. Are you a Pork-Filled Player? Or just in this single play? This is my first play outside of school, and I am very lucky to be in a Pork-filled Player production.

11. Do you have a day job? I fit the stereotypical actor profile of working as a waiter. It is at my father’s restaurant though, so I just do to help out the family.

12. Do you have any Asian actors as role models and/or mentors? Any Vietnamese? I think any Asian person that does anything in this field deserves recognition. They have steered away from the typical careers of doctors and lawyers, and are doing something they love.

13. What do your parents/family think about Yellow Face? My mother is always hesitant to go to plays because she is afraid she won’t understand anything. My dad doesn’t seem to be in the loop much either. But they know I am in Yellow Face and are a little happy I’m finally getting somewhere.

14. What are you most excited about? I am most excited about seeing David Henry Hwang. He is coming to a performance and it is an absolute honor.

Watch “YELLOW FACE” by David Henry WHO: The Repertory Actors Theatre (ReAct Theatre) and the Pork Filled Players. WHERE: Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, Seattle, WA WHEN: August 5 to September 3, playing Fridays at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 2:00pm and Saturdays at 8:00pm HOW: Online, in advance, at Brown Paper Tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/181433 General Admission: $12 Students/Seniors: $9 At the door: GeneralAdmission: $15 Students/Seniors: $12 TPS/Industry/Union: $6 Group Discount Rates are also available for parties of 10 or more http://www.reacttheatre.org or http://www.porkfilled.com

http://www.nvnorthwest.com/q-a-with-henry-vu/

Miss Seafair

Miss Seafair – Veronica Quintero, Hispanic

Seafair

1st Runner Up – Angelica Soriano Casimiro,

Filipino Community of Seattle

2nd Runner Up – Veronica Pupava, West

Seattle Hi-Yu

To become Miss Seafair, young women are judged on academic accomplishments, public speaking, interview skills and creative expression.

Seafair awarded over $20,000 in scholarships as part of the program. Many of the scholarships were announced on Tuesday at the Princess Banquet produced by the Seattle Commodores, with the remaining given out tonight. Miss Seafair will make more than 100 appearances over the course of the year.

About Veronica Quintero

Quintero is in her junior year at University of Washington where she is double majoring in Communications and Spanish. She is enrolled in the U.W. Honors Program and is both a Gates Millennium Scholar and a Husky Promise Scholar. Veronica has participated in two study aboard symposiums:

Tahiti–Minority Affairs Exploration (2010) and India–Business Leadership Exploration (2011). Upon graduating, she is planning to get her masters degree and then pursue a career in broadcast journalism.

Veronica is a cancer survivor and just recently celebrated her 11th healthy and cancer-free year. Her experience with the illness prompted her to found her own service platform, Veronica’s Challenge: 11 Years of Hope. Each year, she

completes a different service project celebrating the triumphs of the cancer community. In addition to her own project, Veronica volunteers on a regular basis at Ronald McDonald House and Northgate Elementary School.

The Hispanic Seafair festival started in 1980. The first Miss Hispanic Seafair to compete for the title of Miss Seafair was Odette Be de Pena in 1982. Veronica Quintero is the first representative from Hispanic Seafair to capture the title of Miss Seafair. Veronica Quintero is the daughter of Victor and Susana Quintero, residents of Mattawa in Eastern Washington.

About Seafair

Seafair is Seattle’s premier summertime festival, and favorite holiday! From the milk carton derby, to the torchlight run and parade, the hydroplane races to the air show and beyond, Seafair encompasses over 75 events during a six-week span. The festival has become a hometown jewel that reaches nearly two million people. Seafair is an independent, non-profit organization that connects and celebrates the community spirit of Greater Seattle. For more information, please visit www.seafair.com. http://www.seafair.com.★> ★

Tu Decides

August 3, 2011

August 4, 2011

Pioneer Square First Thursday 8/4 noon-8p.m. @ Pioneer Square FREE | www.firstthursdayseattle.com A great opportunity to chat with local artists about their artwork and inspirations.

Les Miserables 8/9-27@5th Avenue Theatre www.5thavenue.org/show/lesmiserables1112 This all-time class is finally in Seattle! If you are a fan of musicals, you should be planning to buy tickets now.

A Taste of Edmonds 8/12-14@Civic Playfield (310 Sixth Ave N, Edmonds) FREE | www.atasteofedmonds.org Another neighborhood event with food booths, entertainment, kids activities, arts and crafts.

Auburn Good Ol’ Days Festival 8/12-14@E. Main Street and Auburn Way FREE | www.auburngoodoldays.com On top of food and entertainment, there will be a car show, juried art show, 5K fun run, and model boats.

Seattle Tattoo Expo 8/12-14@Seattle Center www.seattletattooexpo.com Celebrates tattoo art and culture with art exhibits, live music, on-site tattooing and more.

South Lake Union Block Party 8/12 noon-11p.m.@South Lake Union Discovery Center (101 Westlake Ave N.) FREE | www.slublockparty.com Food, beer and wine garden, live music, kids’ activities, and more.

Ready, Set, Go… Cook! 8/13 10a.m.-noon @ University District Farmers Market(5031 University Way NE) FREE | www.seattlefarmersmarkets.org/events/ready-set-go-cook-at-u-district-august-13 Local celebrity chefs race to create a meal.

Nihonmachi Nites 8/13 6p.m. @ S. Main St and Maynard Ave. S. FREE | www.nihonmachinites.com Celebrate summer in Japantown with music, raffle, and an outdoor movie showing – Akira Kurosawa’s Dream.

Coupeville Arts and Crafts Festival 8/13-14 Saturday@Coupeville, Whidbey Island FREE | www.coupevilleartsandcraftsfestival.org One of the state’s oldest continuously run festivals specifically focuses on quality arts and crafts handmade by artisans from the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

12th Avenue Neighborhood Festival 8/14 noon-6p.m. @ 12th Ave. between E Madison and E Pike St FREE | www.12thaveseattle.com/festival.php Features food from local chefs, entertainment, and wares and services from one-of-a-kind shops to explore.

Brasilfest 8/14@ Seattle Center FREE | www.brasilfest.com Celebration of Brazilian culture featuring music, arts and crafts, food, dance and more.

Washington State International Kite Festival 8/15-21@ Long Beach, Pacific County FREE | www.kitefestival.com If you are planning on a road trip, make a stop at Long Beach to see fascinations at the kite festival.

Celebrate Shoreline 8/16-21@various location in Shorleine FREE | www.cityofshoreline.com/index.aspx?page=133 Weeklong celebration includes jazz walk, skate competition, parade, classic car show, and sandcastle contest.

Jocelyn Chui/Seattle Chinese Times

http://www.seattlechinesetimes.com/english/lifestyle/6806-seattle-summer-featival-guide-august