Left to right: ESOL instructor Wendy Lau and student Tu Vo in one of Goodwill’s classrooms.

Tu Vo is a student at the Seattle Goodwill’s Job Training Center. She and her family moved to Seattle from a small town in Vietnam just nine months ago, where employment was tough to find. Vo heard about the Goodwill program through a friend.

“[My friend] had studied here before, and said it was a good place to study, so I came here,” Vo said.

In today’s unpredictable economy, it is more important than ever to have a set of job skills that can carry you through changing times or for recent immigrants to learn how to adapt successfully in America. Vo is one of many people who are new to the United States and are taking advantage of Goodwill programs.

Seattle Goodwill’s Job Training and Education Center has been helping people obtain the job skills they need since 1923, with thousands of people completing programs in the last year alone. Goodwill’s 10 training centers in the greater Seattle area offer a variety of classes for those who are at economic, social or educational disadvantages, including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Retail and Customer Service Training, and Adult Basic Education, which includes writing and computer literacy.

Betsy McFeely, public relations director for Goodwill, says they see students of all ages and skill levels come through their doors.

“[There] are people who may want to come in and take a class or two, to enhance their skills, or maybe they have a lot of skills, but they don’t know how to use a computer, so they need to learn that piece to get into the job market.”

Wendy Lau, an ESOL instructor at the training center, says that family and friends bring in much of the center’s traffic.

“Tu’s family studies at Goodwill—her mother, her father and Tu,” said Lau.

To which Vo chimed in: “And my cousin!”

“The reason why Goodwill really works is because word of mouth is so strong,” Lau said. “They start off and take seed from here—so it’s beautiful, because the seeds come in and they grow here.”

In just a short time, Vo has completed an ESOL class, a Life and Work class and is now enrolled in Goodwill’s Career Pathways program, Community College 101. This prepares students to transition into college. Vo says the programs have given her a wide variety of abilities.

“I study about how to interview for a job, and study the culture here, and now in College 101, I am learning about how I can apply for college, and [find out] what information is important [to know] when I go to college.”

Lau explains that in the beginning, the college process is quite daunting for students in their program.

“I do have a lot of students who would start off at community college, but are overwhelmed with it, because they are in huge classes, and there’s no one-on-one interaction—there’s no hand-holding at all, so they’re freaked out.”

Over time, however, Lau says entering college becomes a smooth transition for Goodwill students.

“When [students] come here, they’re much more comfortable, because the classes are smaller. It’s more integrated and they’re interacting with everyone,” Lau says. “Goodwill builds confidence for them.”

McFeely says that the college program is quickly growing.

“Last year, 109 of our students were assisted with Career Pathways to get into college programs. That doubled from the year before—it’s become very popular.”

And the best part about Goodwill’s programs? They’re absolutely free.

“Everything we do is free of charge, thanks to our donors, shoppers and financial donors,” McFeely says.

Goodwill funds their programs entirely through the donated goods they sell in their 21 retail stores, and through monetary donations.

As for Vo, she has found work as a waitress while taking classes, and plans to study nursing. She says her experience at Goodwill has certainly been a positive one.

“I like it very much because I can learn information that will be very important to my future,” she says, adding, “The teachers are very interesting and they help me a lot. I have [made] friends from many countries.”

Lau says that Goodwill programs serve an even greater purpose than giving students individual skills.

“In our classroom, we’re teaching them how to become a part of their community in Seattle, in America in general and integrate. …You have people like Tu who go on and go to college and then later on, donate and help more people. It’s a great process.”

For more information about Seattle Goodwill, visit www.seattlegoodwill.org or call (206) 860 – 5791.

Kollaboration-Seattle 2011 winners, Lion’s Ambition. Photo credit: Gloria Louie.

Kollaboration-Seattle, held on October 15, 2011 can be described as a three-hour talent competition for Asian and Pacific Islander Americans. But for the dedicated supporters behind the scenes, that description is only a nutshell that holds the core of an arts movement. The breadth of talents discovered is living proof of the empowerment created by Kollaboration-Seattle for local artists.

“It has been an empowering and inspiring experience,” said Kevin Park, Kollaboration-Seattle executive director. “It’s also an exciting time because nothing like this has been happening in Seattle for Asian Americans.”

Rooted in its mission, “Empowerment through Entertainment,” the national umbrella organization of Kollaboration began its journey in 2000 in Los Angeles as an effort to promote the talents of Asian and Pacific Islander American artists. In 2011, Kollaboration reached Seattle—becoming one of 13 cities in North America to cultivate the creative expressions of APIs on stage.

In its sophomore year, Kollaboration-Seattle expanded their volunteer staff, grew in all areas of entrepreneurship and remained committed to civic engagement. For two consecutive years, Kollaboration Seattle supported One Day’s Wages—a non-profit dedicated to ending extreme global poverty.

“It’s beyond just the talent showcase,” said Park. “It’s all about the community. You don’t even have to be a competitor, or a judge for the show. We want to build this sense of community for everyone.”

During its inaugural year, hip-hop emcee Gowe, was amongst a competitive line-up including winner, Erin Kim. Now dedicated full-time to creating music, Gowe supported the second year of Kollaboration-Seattle as a guest performer.

“[Kollaboration] reinforces the idea that if you follow your dreams, that there is a way for you to achieve your goals,” said Gowe.

Other special guest performances included Massive Monkees—a popular break-dancing group in Seattle and the Australian duo known as Jayesslee (Janice and Sonia Lee). Jayesslee has reached over 250,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel by uploading videos of their acoustic covers like “Nobody” by the Wonder Girls.

“I think [Kollaboration] is a great platform for artists who haven’t yet got the exposure,” said Jayesslee’s Sonia Lee. “They get the opportunity to come out and show what they are gifted with.”

In pursuit of discovering local talent, audition processes began in May. Staff screened through each applicant until a competitive group of musically diverse singers and performers were established.

“We had a lot of applications but we also wanted quality competitors,” said Victoria Ju, Kollaboration-Seattle’s public relations manager.

That night, competitors Clairbel Novelo, IWillBot, Lijie, Lion’s Ambition, Stuart Sakoda and Boom-Katz performed in front of over 900 audience members at the Auburn Performing Arts Center. From pure vocals to rhythm-infested choreographs, the competitors performed dynamically, increasing the visibility for Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in music and entertainment.

“Entertainment is very empowering because our intake is very visual,” said Ju. “If you don’t see Asian American role models in the media, parents won’t see it as a visible path for their kids.”

Last year, performer Lijie was sitting in the audience. This year, she became a competitor.

“I went to Kollaboration last year,” said Lijie. “Since then, it’s been on my mind and heart to compete.”

And after that night, Lijie has new appreciation for the platform Kollaboration provides.

“Competing in Kollaboration definitely gave me a lot of hope,” said Lijie, who performed vocals with a guitar. “What I really love about Kollaboration is that they raise the bar and that in itself, is so significant. It pushes the artists to get better.”

Lion’s Ambition—a band of six formed in 2008 with a rock vocalist, became the winner of this year’s Kollaboration-Seattle. Representing Seattle, they are now competing for the finals at national Kollaboration.

“The cool story about Lion’s Ambition is that they literally came back from not making auditions last year,” said Park. “Now, they are the final competitors at the Los Angeles Nokia Theater.”

Beyond the moments on stage that got heads bopping and hands swaying, Kollaboration is a testament to humble beginnings and stories of determination built up by a strong supportive network.

“The Kollaboration alumnus is deep,” said Gowe. “And due to the Kollaboration family being so tight knit, people are always down to help one another.”

What spawns after the show are endless possibilities.

“Kollaboration-Seattle will expand more,” said Ju. “We always say to ‘dream big.’”

Let the anticipation begin.

The International Examiner, the only non-profit Asian American publication in the West coast is celebrating 35 years of service to the community, and is now seeking a reliable individual to fill our Internship opportunity.

The Examiner is implementing a project to digitalize our archives to be available for view on-line. The opportunity includes using a professional camera and equipment to take photos of archival print editions of our newspaper, downloading the images to files, and editing work to ensure accuracy.

All equipment and training is provided.

Time commitment: min. 10 hours/week, for one quarter.

For more information, please contact Editor in Chief, Diem Ly, at editor@iexaminer.org.

• Sifu Tony Au – International School of Martial Arts and Master Minh Huynh Vovinam
• Sensei Clifton Jackson – Shito-Ryu Karate
• Sifu Blake Emery – Tai Chi
• Sensei Michael Bowser – Shorin-Ryu Karate
• Instructor Cecil Longino and the Academia della Spada
• Sabunim Mike Shintaku – Tang Soo Do
• Sifu Shawn Miller – Baat Ying Baat Faat Kung-Fu
• Sensei Joe Pavesi – Chinese Okinawan Karate
• Sifu Rusty DeJesus – Wushu
• Sensei Jonathan Bannister – Iaido and Aikiken

Book signing and massages will take place at this time also. Books will be available for $22.00 at this event.

When I was eight years old I wanted to take Karate classes. In the early 1960s television shows like The Detectives, 77 Sunset Strip, and Surfside 6. I was impressed with the power of the “Karate Chop” and the knee strike. Since these shows identified the ancient, secret art as Karate, I wanted to learn it.

Back then, Hollywood knew very little about martial arts. The knee strike and knife hand were the only techniques I saw in the mid 60s. Far from what we see today, there were no flashy kicks, joint locks and throws. Certainly there was no such thing as “wire work” back then. Still, even with the most basic of techniques demonstrated on the television, I was “hooked.” I felt that with learning Karate, I could have power, and toughness.

One day I asked my father if I could have some money to take Karate lessons. He asked: “Why do you want to take Karate?” I replied: “For self defense and exercise!” Dad looked me in the eye and asked if that was the real reason. I affirmed my interest. Dad then said: “I’m going to teach you something better than Karate. I’m going to teach you Kung-Fu. It is what all martial arts come from.”

I looked him in the eye and I asked: “Dad, are you making this up?” He laughed and assured me this was real.

I didn’t know that my father was a Choy Li Fut Kung-Fu master. My father was just my father. This was the same man who lied to me a year earlier. I remembered we were at the Cedar River getting river rocks for my mother’s friend. My father caught a small 4” trout that legally had to be thrown back in. I saw the little fish and like any little kid asked: “Can I keep it?” My father stated: “Okay, but I’m going to put it back in the river now, and I’ll catch it back before we leave.” And I replied: “Okay.”

How can I trust him with this story in mind? Besides, I never heard of Kung-Fu. I was an eight year old and eight year olds know everything.

My brother Steven and I used to tussle all the time. You know… typical for two brothers. I was 15 months older and even as a seven, or eight year old, I was creating wrestling moves. I always won and my father would hear about the conflicts from our mother when he was home.

My father worked swing and graveyard shifts at Boeing, so it was tough to catch him with any free time during the week. Weekends were also a challenge, as was always hunting, or fishing whenever he had the chance.

My father stated that he would teach Steven Kung-Fu so my brother would eventually kick my butt! So, my father started to teach him, and I would stand around begging to learn. He continually refused, but one day he finally broke down said: “Okay.” I was finally able to learn Kung-Fu. We always had horse stance training. He also made us do push-ups. Eventually, we started to do basic blocks. That led to basic strikes and a kick. As we got more involved, I quickly learned and became better than Steven. He got discouraged and then quit.

I continued training under dad. His many stories about Kung-Fu heroes kept my interest in learning Kung-Fu.

• Asian Counselling & Referral Services: $3 million — funding for their new building in Rainier Valley

• Korean Women’s Association: $1.5 million — funding for a 40,000 square feet community building to serve homeless and low-income families and individuals with cultural and language barriers in Pierce County.

• Wing Luke Asian Museum: $2 million – — funding for rehabilitating the Kong Yick building for the new museum space slated to open in 2008

• Seattle Chinese Garden: $500,000 — funding to help build a 6,000 square-foot courtyard

• Nisei Veterans: $250,000 — remodeling the Nisei Vets Hall

The award winning seniors program of the association is only of its kind in the state of Washington. The association also organizes many events throughout the year for the cultural awareness of the mainstream American community. The ever increasing population of the East Indian community in the Puget Sound region has become a vital part of the melting pot for the state. www.iaww.org.

In his new role, Nakatsu will oversee all city department operations for the mayor. He brings more than 30 years of experience in public service and management to the position. Before taking the helm at DEA in 2002, Nakatsu served as deputy director of the city’s Finance Department and as deputy director and chief operating officer of the Executive Services Department.

“Ken is an effective manager who knows how to tackle complex challenges and get the job done,” Nickels said. “I’m pleased he has taken on this important task. Ken will work closely with city departments to continue delivering effective and efficient services to the people of Seattle.”

Nickels thanked Franklin for his years of outstanding service to the city and its citizens.

“John has shown a tremendous dedication and commitment to serving the public, whether it was working for the city, the state or public schools,” Nickels said. “John has helped make Seattle an even better place to live. I thank him for all of his efforts on behalf of the people of this city and wish him well in his new endeavors.”

Nickels also named Fred Podesta acting director of DEA. Podesta is currently director of DEA’s Business Technology Division.

ID Special Review District Board elect 2 new members
The 2006 International Special Review District Board election was held on Tuesday, Nov. 21. Two positions were up for election this year. Robert Ha won Position #3 for a District business person, property owner or employee. Amalia Gonzales-Kahn won Position #5, an at-large position. The two new Board members began their terms in December.

The special character of the International District is recognized and protected by City Ordinance. In 1973, the International Special Review District Board was created to preserve, protect and enhance the cultural, economic and historical qualities of the District. The Board is composed of seven members – five elected by the International District community and two appointed by the Mayor. Board members’ terms are for two years and members may serve up to two consecutive terms.

The current board members are Dr. Austen Chan, Jerry Chihara, Freeman Fong, Amalia Gonzales-Kahn, Robert Ha, Hoa Tang, and Jan Johnson.

Nickels nominates Stella Chao as director of Department of Neighborhoods
BY KEN MOCHIZUKI
Examiner Assistant Editor
While growing up in Queens, N.Y., Stella Chao recalled during an interview with the International Examiner last month: “I was always volunteering for something. And I wondered, could I ever do community work full time.”

Chao, who also grew up homeless at times from ages 7 to 16 and recently served as executive director of the International District Housing Alliance (IDHA), was nominated to become the new director of the city’s Department of Neighborhoods, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels announced on Dec. 13.

With an annual budget of $8 million and nearly 90 employees, The Department of Neighborhoods “works to bring government closer to the residents of Seattle by engaging them in civic participation; helping them become empowered to make positive contributions to their communities; and by involving more of Seattle’s underrepresented residents, including communities of color and immigrants, in civic discourse, processes and opportunities,” the statement from the mayor’s office read that announced Chao’s nomination. “Through strong partnerships with Seattle residents, the department plays a central role in carrying out the mayor’s goal of building strong families and healthy communities.”

“Chao’s experience includes leadership of a community-based nonprofit organization that provided multilingual and multicultural services for low-income households with a specialization in serving immigrants and refugees,” the mayor’s announcement also stated. “Nickels said Chao will play a pivotal role in his immigrant and refugee initiative.”

“Stella has a passion for bringing people together, building community and serving the residents of Seattle,” Nickels said. “This is a city of great neighborhoods and strong communities. Stella’s grass roots experience building a strong community-based organization in the International District makes her a great fit to lead the Department of Neighborhoods.”

“I am excited about this opportunity to strengthen the bridges between community members and government, and develop avenues of civic engagement that are as diverse as Seattle’s population,” Chao said.

Mayor Nickels selected Chao, 51, after an extensive nationwide search. Bernie Matsuno served as acting director since April of this year. Chao’s appointment is subject to approval by the Seattle City Council.

During the Examiner interview, Chao had just stepped down from leading IDHA. As to her next career move, she said at the time that she is “only jumping at opportunities that stir me.”

“It’s more about the scope of the work and who I work for. I want to learn.”