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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (July 20, 2015)
OPINION / U.S.A. July 20, 2015 THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 7 TALKING STORY IN ASIAN AMERICA I’ve always wanted to be Donald Trump. I want his chunky gold Rolex and his sleek white Learjet. I want his utter independence from considering, then considering again, how folks he fears or folks he loves, are likely to feel in his wake . n Polo Finding Mr. Trump the right thank-you card A couple of weekends ago I went to a Hallmark store. I went to find Donald Trump a thank-you card. Just the right one. And you know, it was really hard to do. Now, please know that Hallmark is not a place I go. I went once, okay maybe more than once, that time I fell suddenly and inexplicably in love. And yes, back then, just like my Independence Day weekend visit, there wasn’t another natty guapo cruising that place. So as quietly and quickly as I could, I studied aisle after aisle of Hallmark cards. Serious cards, funny cards, weepy cards. Con permisso, if I may, for the benefit of our city’s 1-in-5 foreign-born neighbors who may not know about him, let me insert a brief bio about Mr. Trump: Donald John Trump, Sr. earns billions from product and property developments, from his line of executive menswear and other high-end consumer goodies, from sports events, from his reality-TV show and the Miss Universe pageant. Mr. Trump is also running for president of the United States. And some weeks ago, he said some reckless things about Mexicans in America. Ugly things. Untrue things. Pero, ma’af — but, pardon me — allow me to assert here, because full disclosure is one of those American aspirations that Portlanders from all over our achy earth so admire — that I am very conflicted by Mr. Trump. My feelings, like his excesses, swing wild. As wild as that feral love affair that originally sent me to the Hallmark store. You see, I’ve always wanted to be Donald Trump. I want his chunky gold Rolex and his sleek white Learjet. I want his utter independence from considering, then considering again, how folks he fears or folks he loves, are likely to feel in his wake — so different from how we traditional folks are obliged to be. Indeed, it’s not just him, this entire amazing nation sends us newcomers swerving, from breathless inspiration to staggering disappointment. Getting the right card for all this — is really hard. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump waves upon his arrival at a house party in Bedford, New Hampshire. (AP Photo/Jim Cole) The thing is, we love Mr. Trump because he’s just another immigrant mom’s unwashed kid. Sure, he’s a bit much, but every anxious African and Asian parent, every ambitious Arab, Caribbean, and Pacific Islander, every dreamy Russian- and Spanish-speaking Portlander, is awed by his bling. There are Hallmark cards addressing this awe, but the perfecto card must also acknowledge his knuckle- headedness. It’s a lot like our crazy cousin Jesse, he’s just as excessive, but we love him anyway. In fact, our old-school aunties actually need this clown around — “Hati-hati, Joh! Watch out, Boy! Don’ you dare embarrass us, like him do.” And you know, both our state and our federal constitutions embrace them too. We love smart and stupid speech. For this unconditional love, Hallmark carries cards. Anyway, everywhere regular folks who know Americans, know that middle America is solid and simply kind. “Yanks!” — our elders still call those soldierboys who freed us from Imperial Japan’s brutal occupation. They fondly recall guys named “Detroit,” “Red,” and “Tommy Gun.” Guapos rooted firmly and rooted only to their American creed of hard-hard work, of loyalty to family, of readiness to clobber cruel government. Which gets me to a third, complicated kind of thank-you card. One honoring our nation’s institutional complexity. The thing is, Mr. Trump’s bigotry startled lots of our political, commercial, and media giants into removing his brands from local store shelves, from national TV, and from the international stage. Finding a card for this gyroscopic reflex was even harder. But I did it. For a man like Mr. Trump, for a country like ours, I picked a winner out of three pretty finalists. Then I selected an envelope of powder blue — ahead of contenders sunflower and sea mist. “You find everything you need, sir?” a concerned elder auntie, three rows of fur- rowed brow, asked me. I paid and thanked her. I thanked Donald John Trump, Sr. and thanked our America too. Iwakuma goes 8 innings, Mariners beat Angels 5-0 By Daimon Eklund The Associated Press S SCENIC SERVICES. Jose Ventilacion, a minister in the Iglesia ni Cristo church, stands near the highway in Scenic, South Dakota. Ventilacion told the Rapid City Jour- nal that services are now held in Scenic Community Hall on Thursdays and Sundays. The church purchased the town of Scenic in 2011. (Sean Ryan/Rapid City Journal via AP) Philippine-based church starts services in town it bought SCENIC, S.D. (AP) — A Philippines-based church that bought up the small South Dakota town of Scenic four years ago has started holding services. Services are held in Scenic Community Hall on Thursdays and Sundays, minister Jose Ventilacion told the Rapid City Journal. The church thought it best to start by “reaching out to people and build from there,” he said. Iglesia ni Cristo, which translates from Tagalog to English as “Church of Christ,” effectively bought the town from a longtime resident for about $700,000 in 2011. The church didn’t divulge its plans and that created some unease in the area. The church wants to build a house of worship, but needs to build its membership first, said Ventilacion, who arrived in South Dakota in April. Attendance is steadily rising, he said, with about 10 to 15 members from Sturgis, Deadwood, Scenic, and Rapid City. “We’ve extended invitations to anyone who might be interested, and we’ve extended invitations to some of our Native American friends who were living on the nearby reservation,” Ventilacion said. “Anyone who wants to learn about us is welcome.” In the Philippines, Iglesia ni Cristo is the second-largest Christian church with about 2.25 million members. The church has ministries in 100 different countries, including the U.S., where Ventilacion estimates it has members and services in up to 40 states. The group’s connection to South Dakota stems from a number of Filipino-American military members who were stationed in Rapid City and were practicing Iglesia ni Cristo members. Ventilacion isn’t able to speak to the full extent of the church’s plans for Scenic because he wasn’t involved in the 46-acre land purchase, he said. But it still hasn’t filed for building permits or tax-exempt status. Scenic is about 45 miles southeast of Rapid City. EATTLE — When the ball came off David Freese’s bat in the first inning, it looked like the Los Angeles Angels were going to jump out to a big early lead. A diving catch by Seattle right fielder Nelson Cruz made sure it didn’t happen. Cruz’s catch with the bases loaded and two outs in the first inning ended the only offensive threat for the Angels as Seattle Mariners starter Hisashi Iwa- kuma pitched eight shutout in- nings in Seattle’s 5-0 win against the Angels. The first three Los Angeles batters reached base against Iwakuma, but the Angels weren’t able to come away with any runs. Albert Pujols struck out and Erick Aybar grounded into a fielder’s choice before Cruz’s catch ended the inning. “That was a bullet,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “From where we were it looked like it had a chance to get in the gap.” It was the second game back from the disabled list for Iwakuma (1-1), who gave up three hits and two walks, and struck out six. He retired the last 13 batters he faced in his longest outing since going eight innings in Philadelphia last August 19. In his first start back against the Tigers, Iwakuma allowed five runs and eight hits in five innings, and early on it looked like this would be another rough start. “Right after contact, I kinda had a pretty good idea that he was probably going to get there,” Freese said. “The fact that it didn’t fall was big. Obviously early in the game, but Iwakuma 8 SHUTOUT INNINGS. Seattle Mariners starter Hisashi Iwakuma delivers a pitch during a Major League Baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Seattle. Iwakuma pitched eight shutout innings in Seattle’s 5-0 win. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear) had it going, so those runs definitely would have mattered.” Los Angeles starting pitcher C.J. Wilson (7-7) gave up three runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings, walking four and striking out five. It was the ninth time in his last 10 starts that Wilson lasted at least six innings. “It’s a gritty performance,” Scioscia said. “He threw a lot of pitches. As the game wore on, I think he got a little better with his command, but was kind of on the edge all night.” Mark Trumbo had two RBI singles for the Mariners, the fourth straight game with at least two hits for Trumbo. Cruz also helped out at the plate as well as in the field, going 3 for 3 with a double and three runs scored. The Mariners scored twice in the second inning. Jesus Montero drew a bases-loaded walk with no outs and Brad Miller drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to center field. Trumbo’s run-scoring single in the third gave Seattle a 3-0 lead. In the seventh, the Mariners picked up two runs after Wilson was replaced on RBI singles by Trumbo and Logan Morrison. q Citizen Min: Never Give Up! Continued from page 6 translated as: There are those who fight for a day, and they are good. Those who fight for a year, and they are very good. There are those who fight for many years, and they are better. But those who fight all their lives, they are indispensable. Holly holds her father’s own personal motto close to her heart: “We are born into this world for a purpose, and that is to make it a better place.” To learn more about Minoru Yasui, visit <www.minoruyasui tribute.org>. For information about Never Give Up! The Story of Minoru Yasui, visit <www. theatrediaspora.org>.
