OP IN ION Page 6 TH E A S IAN R EPOR T ER Decembe r 15 , 2014 Vo lume 24 Number 24 December 15 , 2014 ISSN : 1094 -9453 Th e A s ian R epo r t e r i s pub l i sh ed on th e f i r s t and th i rd Monday ea ch mon th . P l ea s e s end a l l co r r e spond en c e to : Th e A s ian R epo r t e r 922 N K i l l ing swo r th S t r e e t , Po r t land , OR 97217 Ph on e : (503 ) 283 -4440 , Fax : (503 ) 283 -4445 N ew s D epa r tm en t e -ma i l : n ew s@a s ian r epo r t e r . com Adv e r t i s ing D epa r tm en t e -ma i l : ad s@a s ian r epo r t e r . com G en e ra l e -ma i l : in fo@a s ian r epo r t e r . com W eb s i t e : www .a s ian r epo r t e r . com P l ea s e s end r ead e r f e edba ck , A s ian - r e la t ed p r e s s r e l ea s e s , and commun i t y in t e r e s t id ea s/ s to r i e s to th e add r e s s e s l i s t ed abov e . P l ea s e in c lud e a con ta c t phon e numb e r . Adv e r t i s ing in fo rma t ion ava i lab l e upon r equ e s t . Pub l i sh e r Ja ime L im Con t r ibu t ing Ed i to r s Ronau l t L .S . Ca ta lan i (Po lo ) , Je f f Wenger Co r r e spond en t s Ian B laz ina , Jo seph ine Br idges , Pame la E l lgen , Ma i leen Ham to , Edward J . Han , A .P . Kryza , Mar ie Lo , S imeon Mamar i l , Ju l ie S tegeman , Ton i Tabora -Rober ts , A l l ison Vo ig ts I l lu s t ra to rJona than H i l l N ew s S e rv i c e Assoc ia ted Press /News f inder C op y r igh t 2014 . Op in ion s exp r e s s ed in th i s n ew spap e r a r e tho s e o f th e au th o r s and no t n e c e s sa r i ly tho s e o f th i s pub l i ca t ion . Member A s so c ia t ed P r e s s/N ew s f ind e r A s ian Am e r i can Jou rna l i s t s A s so c ia t ion B e t t e r Bu s in e s s Bu r eau Pa c i f i c N o r thw e s t M ino r i ty Pub l i sh e r s (PNMP ) Ph i l ipp in e Am e r i can Chamb e r o f Comm e r c e o f O r egon MY TURN Dma e Rob e r t s Common cau se Co r re spondence : Th e A s ian R ep o r t e rwe l come s reade r re spon se and pa r t i c ipa t ion . P l ea se send a l l co r re sponden ce to : Ma i l: 922 N K i l l ing swo r th S t ree t , Po r t land , OR 97217 -2220 Phone :(503 ) 283 -4440 **Fax :(503 ) 283 -4445 New s Depar tmen t e -ma i l : new s@a s ian repo r te r . com Genera l e -ma i l : in fo@a s ian repo r te r . com SUBSCR IPT ION RATES (U .S . ra te s on ly ) Ind iv idua l sub s c r ip t i on ( sen t bu lk ra te ) : Ha l f y ea r : $14 Fu l l yea r : $24 Two yea r s : $40 Ind iv idua l sub s c r ip t i on ( sen t f i r s t c la s s ma i l ) : Ha l f y ea r : $24 Fu l l yea r : $40 Two yea r s : $72 O f f i ce sub s c r ip t i on (5 c op ie s to one add re s s ) : Ha l f y ea r : $40 Fu l l yea r : $75 Two yea r s : $145 In s t i tu t i ona l sub s c r ip t i on (25 cop ie s to one add re s s ) : Ha l f y ea r : $100 Fu l l yea r : $180 Two yea r s : $280 NEW SUBSCR IBER / ADDRESS CORRECT ION INFORMAT ION FORM : Sub s c r ib e r ’ s nam e : Company nam e : Add re s s : C i ty , S ta t e , Z IP : Phone : Fax : E -ma i l : Ma i l w i th paym en t orFax w i th c red i t ca rd in fo rma t ion to : Th e A s ian Repo r te r , A t tn : Sub s c r ip t ion Dep t . , 922 N K i l l ing swo r th S t ree t , Po r t land , OR 97217 -2220 Ph on e : (503 ) 283 -4440 * Fax : (503 ) 283 -4445 For V ISA , Ma s tercard , or Amer ican Express paymen t on ly : Name (a s i t app ea r s on the ca rd ) : Type o f ca rd ( c i r c l e ) : V ISA Ma s te r ca rd Ca rd numb e r : Ame r i can Exp re s s Se cu r i ty code : Exp i ra t i on da t e : Add re s s o f ca rd : The las t four issues o fThe A s ian Repor terare ava i lab le for p ick up free a t our o f f ice 24 hour s a day a t 922 N K i l l ingswor th S tree t , Por t land , Oregon. Back issue s o fThe A s ian Repor ter may b e o rd e r ed by ma i l a t the fo l low ing ra te s : F i r s t copy : $1 .50 Add i t i ona l c op i e s o rde red a t the same t ime : $1 .00 ea ch S end o rd e r s to : A s ian Repo r te r Ba ck I s sue s , 922 N . K i l l ing swo r th S t . , Po r t land , OR 97217 -2220 The A s ian Repor ter we lcome s reader re spon se and par t ic ipa t ion . I f you have a commen t on a s tory we have pr in ted , or have an A s ian -re la ted per sona l or commun i ty focu s idea , p lea se con tac t u s . P lea se inc lude a con tac t name , addre s s , and phone number on a l l corre spondence . Thank you . I t had b e en an exhau s t ing tw o w e ek s f ina l i z ing w o rk on my f i lm ,M e i M e i , A Daugh t e r ’ s S ong,a p e r s ona l s t o ry ab ou t t rav e l l ing t o Ta iwan w i th my m om in 1989 . T o t op i t a l l o f f , I wan t ed t o f ind s om e th ing n i c e t o w ea r t o th e ev en t la s t m on th c e l eb ra t ing th e ann iv e r sa ry o f th e rad i o d o cu - m en ta ry on wh i ch th e f i lm wa s ba s ed . Sh opp ing f o r c l o th e s i s on e o f my l ea s t fav o r i t e a c t iv i t i e s , s o I g en e ra l ly pu t i t o f f un t i l th e la s t m inu t e . D e sp i t e my fa t igu e , I v en tu r ed t o L l oyd C en t e r , t rudg ing a l ong f r om on e s t o r e t o an o th e r . In r e t r o sp e c t , th e sh opp ing t r ip wa sn ’ t su ch a sma r t id ea f o l l ow ing a tw o -m i l e wa lk on a t r eadm i l l . I wa s t ry ing on ja ck e t s and ca rd igan s , bu t d id n o t wan t t o wa lk ba ck and f o r th t o th e d r e s s ing r o om , s o I s tay ed on th e sa l e s f l o o r , tak ing o f f my sma l l b la ck a c r o s s - th e - sh ou ld e r pu r s e and hang ing i t on on e o f th e ra ck s . I wa lk ed a r ound f o r a m inu t e o r tw o b e f o r e r ea l i z ing I wa sn ’ t w ea r ing th e pu r s e any l ong e r . A f ran t i c r e t ra c ing o f my f o o t s t ep s f o l l ow ed a s I da r t ed a r ound th e c l o th ing ra ck s , a l l th e wh i l e mu t t e r ing c omm en t s ab ou t my s tup id i ty and env i s i on ing th e o rd ea l o f r ep la c ing my c r ed i t ca rd s and iPh on e . I app r oa ch ed a wh i t e sa l e s c l e rk wh o r e sp ond ed , “Oh , tha t ’ s t o o bad . ” Th en , a s I b e cam e m o r e d i s t raugh t , an A f r i can -Am e r i can sa l e s c l e rk ab ou t my ag e t o ok i t up on h e r s e l f t o h e lp m e s ea r ch ev e rywh e r e in th e d epa r tm en t . W e w e r e s o on j o in ed by a wh i t e w oman wh o sa id , “ I had th i s happ en t o m e b e f o r e and I ’m su r e i t ’ s in th e s t o r e s om ewh e r e . ” Sh e t r i ed d ia l ing my ph on e numb e r , bu t w e c ou ld n o t h ea r i t ov e r th e s t o r e Mu zak . An o th e r wh i t e w oman s o on ha l t ed h e r sh opp ing and j o in ed th e s ea r ch . I a sk ed th e s e c ond sa l e s c l e rk t o ca l l my hu sband , wh o wa s a t h om e and c ou ld a c t iva t e th e “F ind My iPh on e ” app . W e d i sp e r s ed th r ough ou t th e f l o o r t ry ing t o h ea r th e s ona r a la rm o f th e app i f th e ph on e and pu r s e w e r e s t i l l in th e s t o r e . A l l o f a sudd en , a y oung b l ond e w oman app ea r ed f r om th e c l o th ing ra ck s h o ld ing up my pu r s e and a sk ed , “ I s th i s s om e on e ’ s bag ? ” “Y e s ! ” I sh ou t ed and th en hugg ed h e r a s sh e hand ed my pu r s e t o m e . Th en I ca l l ed ou t t o th e w om en in th e s ea r ch pa r ty : “W e f ound i t ! W e f ound i t ! ” Th ey cam e runn ing and I hugg ed th em a l l w i th a f ew t ea r s t r i ck l ing f r om my ey e s wh i l e thank ing th em f o r th e i r k indn e s s . A m o ra l o f th e s t o ry : D on ’ t g o sh opp ing wh en y ou ’ r e t i r ed . An o th e r m o ra l : Th e r e a r e s o many g r ea t w om en in th i s w o r ld . La t e r , I r e f l e c t ed on th e c omm on cau s e tha t b r ough t t og e th e r an A s ian Am e r i can , an A f r i can Am e r i can , and tw o wh i t e w om en . Y e s , i t wa s my cau s e , bu t I kn ow in my h ea r t , I , t o o , w ou ld hav e d r opp ed ev e ry th ing t o h e lp an o th e r w oman f ind s om e th ing tha t wa s d ea r t o h e r . I w ond e r ed h ow s t rang e r s w i th su ch d iv e r s e ba ckg r ound s f ind c ompa s s i on and k indn e s s am ong s t ea ch o th e r . I w ond e r ed wha t c omm ona l i t i e s p e op l e p o s s e s s tha t a l l ow th em t o s e e th r ough ra c e and d em og raph i c s , a c t ou t o f s e l f l e s sn e s s , and v i ew ea ch o th e r w i th th e sam e imp o r tan c e th ey p la c e on th em s e lv e s . Th e d iv id e b e tw e en ra c e s ha s c om e in t o sha rp f o cu s la t e ly , in l igh t o f th e g rand - ju ry d e c i s i on s inv o lv ing th e d ea th s o f M i cha e l B r own and E r i c Ga rn e r . Th e i r d ea th s a r e n o t ju s t a c on c e rn f o r th e b la ck c ommun i ty , bu t an i s su e tha t a f f e c t s a l l p e op l e . S en s e l e s s t rag ed i e s l ik e th e s e c ou ld p o s s ib ly b e av o id ed i f w e b eg in t o v i ew p e op l e f i r s t a s f e l l ow human b e ing s , l ik e th e w om en in th e s t o r e d id f o r m e tha t day . N o d oub t i t ’ s t o o s imp l i s t i c o f an ana l ogy t o equa t e th e k indn e s s I exp e r i en c ed am ong s t rang e r s o f d i f f e r en t c o l o r s c om ing t o my a id in a sh opp ing ma l l w i th th e s e t rag i c d ea th s . Bu t th e s e w om en c ou ld hav e ea s i ly sh i ed away f r om m e , v i ew ing m e a s s om e w e i rd up s e t w oman , and th e s t o r e c l e rk m igh t hav e in s t ead ca l l ed s e cu r i ty . Th ey ch o s e c om - pa s s i on and t r i ed t o g e t t o th e r o o t o f th e p r ob l em . Tha t day I m e t s t rang e r s wh o d r opp ed ev e ry th ing t o h e lp m e . Th ey saw m e a s a human b e ing and t r ea t ed m e a s th ey w ou ld wan t t o hav e b e en t r ea t ed th em s e lv e s . Op in ion s exp r e s s ed in th i s n ew spap e r a r e tho s e o f th e au tho r s and no t n e c e s sa r i ly tho s e o f th i s pub l i ca t ion . Ma r k you r ca lenda r ! The Yea r o f the Sheep beg in s Feb rua r y 19 , 2015 . D i sp lay adv e r t i s ing spa c e r e s e rva t i on s f o r ou r sp e c ia l Y ea r o f th e Sh e ep i s su e a r e du eMonday , February 2 a t 5 :00pm.