You may reminisce of earlier times such as the “getting-to-know-you” stage where everything was new, exciting, and fun. But now, you’re in the bored, tired, “know-too-much-of-you” stage. This can be an excruciating time for couples. Short of having an affair or cheating on your partner (which I’m not advocating), nothing gets your pulse pounding when it comes to relationships. What now??

Valentine’s Day has come and gone and the Hallmark holiday may have re-ignited a flicker in your heart. But you know it’s just that, a flicker. A flicker that won’t keep your heart lit any more than a birthday candle that eventually must be blown out.

How do you connect more deeply with the core of your being to your beloved? I think part of it is altering the content of your conversations. Let’s drop the safe discussions about kids, homework, work-related stresses, and other daily matters. It’s time to go where you don’t want to go. Expose yourself. Your partner may have seen you naked hundreds of time but has he/she seen you undress yourself emotionally for the sake of intimacy? Stripped of your ego, defenses, or pride, can you truly be more vulnerable with yourself and your partner?

You may ask, “What does this look like?” Well, be open first with disappointments in your life. Maybe you’re disappointed that the marriage or relationship isn’t where it should be and making that statement could free you to more genuine dialogue. Keep in mind this is not meant as an indictment against your partner or your relationship but just a reflection of your own state of being. Maybe you’re disappointed in other areas of life. Maybe, you have fears that have never been revealed. Maybe, you harbor resentment from past hurt from your mate or others that you can’t seem to let go. You may have thought forgiveness would be simple. Yet, you now realize it’s still simmering underneath a veil of kindness or condescension and apathy.

Maybe you’ve felt controlled by your partner for many years and are stuck in a passive mode of relating and are on the verge of exploding. As an Asian American, you may be in a relationship where you’ve never felt like you had the right to ask your partner to meet some deep needs. The very act of asking for something in a relationship is a risk in itself and must not be forgotten.

Maybe you suffer greatly from low self-esteem and are afraid to ever upset your partner for fear of losing the relationship. Whatever the case, the path to deeper intimacy is not dancing around the issues in your relationship but being brave enough to talk about them openly, even at the cost of rejection.

So where’s the fire? Well, I believe the fire is within each of us. But we must be willing to light the fire that exposes the truths about ourselves, however painful. We must embrace that reality and as we do so, you will move towards a more authentic relationship with yourself and as a result, a deeper and more satisfying relationship with your significant other.

Masa Murakami

Like many Japanese American families of my generation who grew up in Seattle, I remember my mother (a Nisei or second-generation Japanese American), taking me to Tobo on 12th, Sagamiya’s sweet shop and Higo Variety Store on Jackson. The two amiable sisters, Aya and Masa, were part of the experience of going to the HIGO shop. Kids were often offered Tomo Ame or some other treat.

In 1995, after living in New York City and Tokyo, my husband, John, and I returned to Seattle where we both grew up and opened KOBO, a small gallery featuring Japanese crafts and design. Nine years later we were invited to open a second location at Higo Variety Store.

When we moved into the space it was like stepping into someone else’s life and another time. We discovered clothes from the 1940s—put away in Japanese straw storage containers—and discovered cabinets which had not seen the light of day since the 1930s.

We saw the things they made with materials they had on hand using techniques learned from Japan and living through the Depression era. They saved everything: coins, matchbooks, stamps, old candy, and old cans of “unagi” (Japanese eel). They lived in the back of the store with access to a garden. They tended an Asian pear tree, the fruits of which they shared with customers. The red Camellia tree produced the flowers used on their family altar.

It took months and hours of volunteer time to make the transition from the old to the new. With a community of friends, family, and supporters, we worked side-by-side cleaning, washing, sanding, priming, painting, sanding, priming, painting, and more priming and painting. We could sense that there was a strong desire to see the space continue and revitalized. No one wanted to see Higo disappear.

Getting to Know the Family

After we opened KOBO at Higo, not everyone knew the space was occupied by a new business. People would come in, some disappointed they could not buy tobacco, shoe laces, or rice cookers. Some were puzzled by the change and others pleased at the renewed use of the space. Every effort was made to retain as much of the history as possible and merge it with a new business.

Working at Higo, we learned more about each member of the family. The more we learned about the family, the more we understood how hard they worked to accomplish what they had. They also enjoyed life – we know that they enjoyed eating out in the neighborhood restaurants. We know they loved to travel and enjoyed reading books. The history of Masa’s family tells the remarkable story that begins with an immigrant who leaves Japan to make a new life in a foreign country. We are reminded of their story and their legacy each day we open our doors.

Today, groups of school children come through regularly, and perk up when they learn that a family with children lived here in the back and ran a store out front. They can see the old registers and other items that the family used. We see people coming through who bring their out-of-town friends and now tell the story on their own as “unofficial” docents of Higo Variety Store.

A Look at Life Well-Lived

Although we did not know Masa well we feel we have a special connection with her as we got to know the space where she spent most of her life. After we had reopened the space as KOBO, Masa wanted us to make sure Aya, her sister, who had passed away several years before, would approve the changes that were taking place. With Paul, Masa’s cousin, we assured her we would. The two Murakami sisters were inseparable.

Five years later, people continue to come in and ask about Masa. It is extraordinary the large circle of people who remember Masa and have stories to share about her. They come from all walks of life – from people who knew them at Minidoka, to people whose parents and relatives had businesses in Nihonmachi (Japantown), to long-time customers who came to Higo as children, to those less fortunate who were shown kindness by the two Murakami sisters. Masa and Aya touched so many lives.

“The family doesn’t have a home to stay in,” said Chantha Banks, who is helping to coordinate a donation campaign. “The father is staying at the temple, and the mother and the daughters stay with an in-law in the living room.”

The father, Sean Phuong, was laid off from his job a couple years ago. The family is active with the Cambodian Buddhist temple, Wat Khemarak Pothiram.

“He [Phuong] plays in the band—one of the Cambodian traditional bands—so everyone seems to know who he is. He’s very down-to-earth, very kind-hearted,” said Banks. “He’s still in shock over the loss of his only son and it’s so difficult for him just to go out and do things.”

Since losing his job, Banks said, Phuong has volunteered extensively at the temple, “cleaning, fixing up stuff.”

The fire occurred on Feb. 1st. Jackie Schwendeman, a neighbor, was taking her puppy for a walk, when she noticed smoke billowing up from the family’s garage. She had her daughter call 911 and rushed in to help evacuate the family. Neither Schwendeman nor the firefighters could rescue Patrick Soeun before it was too late.

Outside the charred South Park house lies evidence of a caring community: bouquets of fresh flowers, a full and opened Rockstar energy drink, a full teriyaki carryout dinner, a hot dog from the local convenience store, and a message written on the street from friends of Patrick.

Beyond the signs of a grieving community, practical necessities have been donated from across the state.

“Right now I have so many donations from different counties: clothing and personal items, care packages—it’s overwhelming,” Banks said. However, the family doesn’t have a house to store things in, so the items are being held at the temple. Banks suggests that those who want to help may donate to a memorial fund set up in Patrick’s name at any Bank of America branch.

Clothing items are still needed, especially jackets, including men’s size medium; women’s wear for both the mother and a 21-year-old; and children’s clothing for a 1-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl, and boys size 8-10. In addition, the family needs shoes: men’s size 8, women’s sizes 7 and 7 ½, and children’s size 4.

Items may be dropped off at the temple, which is in White Center, as well as Pean Meas Video, on Martin Luther King Way in South Seattle, the White Center Donut Shop and the Golden House Bakery & Deli.

Banks said she’s in close contact with many in the Cambodian community.

“They said whatever the family needs just shoot them a quick email and they can gather all the stuff … if they find a home to rent,” she said.

“It’s a small community, everyone seems to know everybody. I’ve seen so much people coming out and help support the family. It’s overwhelming.”

For more information, contact Many Uch at (206) 679-2084 or Chantha Banks at (206) 883-4636.

Shortly thereafter, I established The Oki Foundation and became a full-time volunteer devoted to causes that I care passionately about – particularly if they benefit children. I even went so far as to develop a personal mission statement, which is: “To marry my passion for things entrepreneurial with things philanthropic in ways that encourage others to do the same.”

I’ve served on almost one hundred advisory boards and boards of directors for both for-profit and nonprofit corporations and I’ve founded or co-founded sixteen nonprofit organizations. The most recent entities are SeeYourImpact and the Outrageous Learning Foundation. To give you an idea of the thinking and inspiration behind them, I’ll briefly share the story of each.

SeeYourImpact is a micro-giving organization that connects donors in the developed world with recipients in the developing world. What makes it unique is that we’ve designed a system that allows charities on the ground in the recipient country to capture digital photos and video of the actual beneficiary of a gift. SeeYourImpact will then route these images to the appropriate donor to create a meaningful, virtual connection between them.

This idea materialized because I noticed a sizeable void in the philanthropic world. I know everyone isn’t capable of writing large checks, but I also know there are a lot of people with very good intentions who haven’t been active in conventional philanthropy. That’s why I became determined to find a way to engage them. Now, with a small gift of $5 to $50, they can have a significant, positive impact on the life of someone living on the other side of the world.

I also wanted to create a satisfying, personal connection that might inspire them to give repeatedly and tell their friends about it. It’s a groundbreaking concept and I’m confident it’ll improve the lives of thousands and perhaps even revolutionize global philanthropy as we know it.

The Outrageous Learning Foundation is an organization I formed after writing my book, “Outrageous Learning: An Education Manifesto”. I’d never written a book before, but I decided to do so after my wife Laurie encouraged me to tackle a big problem. I was threatening to retire from my full-time volunteer work and, faced with the prospect of her husband spending more time at home, she wanted to help me find a project that would keep me very busy. After a great deal of discussion, we both arrived at the same conclusion – our public education system is in dire need of reform and we’ve avoided the issue for too long. We had always been convinced that our time and money wouldn’t make a difference because the problems just seemed so large, complex, and intractable, but we decided it was time for me to roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty.

Please don’t get me wrong – I’m a product of Seattle’s public school system and, while the system wasn’t perfect back then, it served me and my family well. In the decades since my graduation, however, things have steadily become much, much worse. The problems are now so deeply ingrained, the outcomes are now so appalling, and the costs are now so astronomical that we, as a society, can no longer afford to accept the status quo.

I’m fortunate to be able to send my three children to private schools, but I understand this isn’t an option for many families. I believe that all families – regardless of their financial means – deserve an education system that is innovative, well-managed, and staffed by insanely great teachers.

I certainly don’t think I can achieve real, systemic education reform by myself, but I’m committed to raising awareness of the issues, igniting public dialogue, and working collaboratively to arrive at solutions with parents, students, teachers, and community leaders. That’s why I wrote the book. It’s an effective vehicle for spreading the message and engaging people who want to make a difference.

In closing, I believe that each of us has a duty to get involved in our communities – local, national, and global – and that we need to work collectively to make them better places for all of us to live. I intend to continue doing my part as long as I’m able and I hope to see you in the trenches.

For undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., Chehade’s story is not uncommon. In 2007, three hundred thousand people were detained for illegally residing in the U.S. For the years between 2003 – 2008, deportation increased by 60 percent in the U.S. From these statistics, we can see that the number of deported immigrants is on the rise, which impacts the communities they live and work in.

Chehade’s experience as an undocumented immigrant is different from the first generation’s. The decision to live undocumented in the US was his parent’s decision, not Chehade’s. Therefore Chehade became an undocumented resident through no action of his own.

Enter the DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors), a proposed bill that would give undocumented minors a chance to enlist in the military or go to school in the U.S., thus preparing a way for them to become citizens. Introduced by Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois and Rep. Howard Berman of California, the bill has not yet officially passed Congress. Yet with the help of certain individuals, this bill could pass soon, allowing people like Chehade to become citizens of the U.S. Without citizenship, undocumented immigrants cannot apply for government IDs, such as driver’s licenses and strips them of many opportunities that citizens take for granted.

“My hardships began when I went to UW,” said Chehade. “There were some things I wanted to do that I couldn’t do, like study abroad. I didn’t have enough money for going out of the state and I couldn‘t do internships. You need social security to do internships.”

Many other immigrants, like Ju Hong, an acquaintance of Chehade, have to work menial jobs that will hire undocumented workers.

“You can’t get a decent job because the only jobs are construction work or restaurant work,” said Hong. “You get low wages and are treated really badly.”

In addition to the numerous legal barriers students face, the social stigma attached to being an undocumented immigrant can make some feel they don’t belong to American society. One may be tempted to ask: “Why should we care for a resident who is living here illegally? Why can’t they go through normal channels to gain citizenship?” It is important in this circumstance to realize that people like Chehade and Hong had little control over their lives when they came to the U.S; their fates were decided by their parents. The DREAM Act allows qualifying individuals a chance to gain citizenship in the U.S. and pursue their dreams.

Chehade and Hong are working tirelessly to raise awareness regarding the DREAM Act. As the founder of DREAMERS for Positive Change, Chehade gets to connect with other individuals that have similar experiences to Chehade’s. Chehade’s case has also received the attention of numerous prominent politicians, such as Senator Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray. While Hong participates in two organizations aiming to raise awareness about the DREAM act – the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco and Korean Resource Center in Los Angeles.

Hong emphasizes: “I want to make it clear that the DREAM Act is not just for Latinos. There are 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., of which 2 million are Asians. In the Asian American community it is embarrassing to talk about these kinds of issues. But we have to step up and support the issue.”

So, if passed, what would the DREAM Act mean to the community at large? First, it would allow undocumented minors the opportunity to live legally in the U.S. as citizens. Since the bill is aimed at those minority residents aspiring to go to college, the bill would also help create educated and productive members of the community. Finally, the bill would reinforce the principles of the American Dream, which are founded on equal opportunity, equality, and diversity.

There are numerous ways to get involved in the passing of the DREAM Act. Calling your senator will inform him/her that immigration reform is a significant issue that needs to be addressed. Telling friends, family, and others about the DREAM Act would also raise awareness of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.

The following link provides information on how to participate: www.dreamactivist.org

My interview with these two “soul mates,” explored the topics of identity as an adoptee, identity around being Asian American and how they reconciled their beliefs to establish a unique, true sense of their self. The issue around adoption has many political ramifications and there is a strong movement in this area, especially in light of the devastation in Haiti, but my article does not address these issues. My article is a personal, human story on what it is like to be in their shoes.

Saul Tran Cornwall and Amy Moline Pak.

Tran-Cornwall was adopted in 1975, from South Vietnam. He recalls his biological father relinquished him to an orphanage in Vietnam. He was born with a cleft palate, a medical condition that makes feeding hard and can cause permanent damage to speech and hearing if left untreated. His foster family, unable to endure all his necessary medical needs placed him back in the orphanage. Tran was then adopted by his family from Portland, Oregon.

When asked how he grew up, he remembers having a normal, happy childhood. Notions of cultural identity or being “Vietnamese” never came up. As a child he was immersed in the American culture and wanting to fit-in. He did not see a difference. Tran recalls, “I wanted to be Black. They were the only people of color I saw that was somewhat like me, so I listened to hip-hop and tried to be like them.” Even in high-school, when Tran was being picked on daily because of his Asian background, he never acknowledged it because of his own internalized oppression. “It wasn’t until college that I distanced myself from my small town, my family and found my Asian side.” Tran describes not purposefully separating from his loving, supportive family, but he felt in order for him to discover his “difference,” he had to raise his racial consciousness.

Mirroring his experience, Amy Moline Pak remembers challenging her White parents but realized her distance from them was a pivotal moment in her own personal growth. She was adopted in 1980 from South Korea into her family, who lived in St. Peter, Minnesota and named “Amy Hyunah Moline.” Pak describes her childhood as being “Idyllic. My parents were supportive, loving and family was important.” Much like Tran, Pak wanted to be popular and have lots of friends growing up. She reflects her parents having a difficult time with that, but believes the motivation came from her desire to belong.

During college, Pak was able to immerse in the Asian American community in Seattle which gave her a strong sense of Asian pride that she never experienced before.

Pak and Tran met through their work and advocacy in the API community. Both, in their early to mid-twenties, worked in the International District with the International District Housing Alliance’s WILD program and the API Women and Family Safety Center in the same building. They both volunteered for the HOLT International Adoption Agency working as youth counselors to help shape and share their own personal experiences with other young, trans-racial adoptees. Their passion for working with inner-city youth brought them to Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS), where I had the pleasure to work along side them.

Pak remembers, “We were so involved with various community activities and wanted to show our youth our Asian pride and help build a collective consciousness around the positive qualities of being Asian American.”

Tran is now married to Karen Nakayama and returned to work for ACRS as a Children’s Mental Health Counselor after getting his Master’s in Social Work. Pak has lived and studied abroad, achieved her Master’s in Social Work, and now works for the University of Washington in the Office of Minority Affairs. She is married to Daniel Pak and their little boy will be turning one year-old this year. She relishes in her motherhood, in her family life and feels having her son, her only blood-relative, “legitimizes my beginning. It gives me a stronger connection to the world.”

1.) Yale Wong: Founder and CEO, General Biodiesel

Wong retired in 2004 after running his broadband Internet company for 11 years. Out of curiosity he looked into the biodiesel business and found a compelling opportunity there. He founded General Biodiesel (GB) which converts cooking oil–either vegetable or animal fat-based—into fuel and stores it in vats at GB. One gallon of oil becomes one gallon of biodiesel, and “that is all there is to renewable energy,” he said. The City of Seattle buys biodiesel from GB, as well as Seaport Petroleum, which distributes biodiesel to major gas stations.But building GB was a big risk for Wong.

“I had to convince my family to invest a large amount of our capital and spend the next 10 years of our life diving deeply into this,” he said. “We had already made it. We didn’t have to work anymore.”

Wong’s work, however, is paying off. There has been talk of expanding GB to two out-of-state locations, as well as overseas.

2.) Candace Chin: The International District’s queen of compost

When it isn’t rainy, Chin rides her bike around the ID, talking to restaurants about how recycling their food scraps and composting could save their businesses money, and the planet too. She is the Business District Waste Management Coordinator for the Chinatown International District Business Improvement Area, and works on contract with Seattle Public Utilities to inform local businesses about sustainability regulations. But while she says, “Most restaurant owners don’t have time to do research [because] they have to get food on the table [for customers],” her works serve the under-served by acquainting local businesses with new citywide regulations on recycling and composting.

3.) Millie Leung and David Huang: Sustainable home for three, please

This couple is not only expecting their first baby (a girl) in the summer, but a new, sustainable home in Bellevue, too.

“We feel like being sustainable is becoming a necessity,” Leung said. “It’s no longer a fancy thing to do.”

Among the green features they chose for their home are extra-thick styrofoam insulation, an underground water collection tank that could save up to 51,000 gallons of water a year, and individual electrical wiring for every room to effectively monitor electricity use.

Building green comes with a premium, Huang said, but it pays off later with lower utility costs. Once finished, the house will be part of a study on sustainable housing. Huang owns local architectural firm Modus V Studio Architects and designed the home.

The couple hosts educational tours of their home every month, which are open to the public. Learn more at their Web site, greenconcepthome.com.

4.) Kelly Ogilvie: Founder and CEO, Blue Marble Energy

Anaerobic fermentation may be used to brew beer, but it could also save our “blue marble” – planet Earth. Seattle-based Blue Marble Energy is using that technology to refine food and yard waste, grass clippings, industrial waste and algae to make biogas and biochemicals that serve as carbon-neutral alternatives to petroleum, as well as making products such as fertilizers, artificial flavorings and medicine.

These biochemicals are taking center stage as oil reserves dwindle. According to the CIA World Factbook, the United States used 19.5 million barrels of oil per day in 2008.

“While the environmental debate has centered around oil as an energy issue, it is in fact an everything issue,” Olgilvie said in a video on the Blue Marble Energy Web site. “Most folks don’t realize that quite literally, everything around us comes from oil.”

5.) Karen Gaudette: Food blogger, PCC Natural Markets

Sustainability doesn’t get any closer than your dinner plate. That’s why Karen Gaudette, former Seattle Times food writer and now PCC Natural Markets food writer, talks not only about local and organic ingredients you can cook with, but green issues and the environment too.

Gaudette uses Twitter, a popular social networking and micro-blogging service, to spread the word about sustainability.

“I create a digest for my followers,” Gaudette said. “It helps them learn through short bits of news and information. I try to accumulate stuff I’m interested in and I have a sense they’ll be interested too.”

These greenies aren’t the only ones who can make a difference. They are among thousands of local people and businesses that are changing their lifestyles and practices in the interest of sustainability.

“Just start with small steps,” Leung said. “Recycle and pay attention to what you’re putting back into the Earth.”

Julie Pham

“What will you to do increase communication among the different city departments and between the city government and the communities it serves? How will you reduce bureaucracy and increase transparency and accountability in the city government?”
Julie Pham, Managing Editor, Northwest Vietnamese News

“Are you willing to commit more resources to the cleanup of Rainier Valley? As a South Seattle resident, I’ve been concerned about the amount of crime and lack of economic development there is along Rainier Ave. S. between Columbia City and Little Saigon.”
Sian Wu, former IE board president and program director at Resource Media

“What do you plan on doing to help the senior immigrant community in Seattle with regards to transportation means? There should be ORCA buying/paying fare instructions in different languages such as Chinese or Vietnamese, etc. The current computer process for the light trail is not only confusing but it’s not user-friendly either.”
Vilma Fernandez, manager of SCIDpda Nutrition Services

Gar Lee

“How will you re-allocate resources from Seattle taxpayers to ensure that money isn’t wasted on poorly planned projects such as public bathrooms, monorail plans and the light rail?”
Gar Lee, resident of Beacon Hill and Campaign Associate at E-Dialog

Terrence Lin

“Due to the economic recession, many of the social services for immigrants have been severely affected. How will you improve the employment situation for the immigrant community who are mostly illiterate in English?”
Terrence Lin – member of the local rock band, Oziriz

“I would ask the Mayor how he could help stop the amount of foreclosures and short-sales from happening in our communities so that it doesn’t continue to drag down the values of homes.”
Thach Nguyen, Seattle-based realtor, developer and philanthropist

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Cardiovascular disease, which includes strokes, hypertension, and other diseases involving the circulatory system, is now the highest cause of death for all Americans. In 2006, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that heart disease was the second leading cause of death, after cancer, in the API community.

Dr. Glen Pacio, president of the Filipino American Physicians of Washington, said factors that lead up to cardiovascular disease in APIs are similar to those as with the general population, including diet, obesity, family history and smoking.

“Another contributing factor would be the higher prevalence of diabetes in the API community, since diabetes predisposes one to cardiovascular disease,” he added.

Today, heart disease causes 34.5 percent of API male deaths and 34.8 percent of all deaths for women in the API community according to a study done by the American Heart Association in 2009. A 1994 study by the CDC showed that heart disease was more common in some Asian subgroups than others.

Dr. Pacio said some reasons cardiovascular disease is higher in API populations include genetics, nutritional differences and “what has been more importantly emphasized is the disparity in health care delivery…such as access, community awareness, and communication problems.”

For instance, eating out a lot can be a contributing factor—even if you are eating the same foods as at home.

Dr. Pacio said said there was some evidence there was a difference in “the prevalence of cardiovascular disease between first and second-generation APIs.” According to Pacio, this was due to the fact that second-generation APIs become more Americanized in their diets, lifestyle and attitudes.

“Signs that people should look out for include chest pains, shortness of breathduring activities, leg swelling, and palpitation…[and for those diagnosed], treatment for cardiovascular disease includes blood pressure control, treatment for high cholesterol and aspirin or other drugs to prevent blood clots,” Dr Pacio said.

Since heart disease runs in families, those who have had relatives with heart disease should go see their doctor and get regular care to prevent heart disease. You should also know the five signs of a heart attack: (1) shortness of breath, (2) pain or discomfort in the chest or arms, (3) pulsating pain in the jaw, neck or back, (4) feelings of weakness or light-headedness, and (5) radiating pain in the arms or shoulders.

“Various risk factors [such as] blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol should be adequately controlled to decrease the risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney diseases…through regular blood pressure checks. People should also have their fasting blood glucose checked to see if they have diabetes…and treat high cholesterol to decrease heart attacks and strokes,” said Dr. Pacio “If language barrier is a problem, there are several providers that speak their own dialect.”

A study titled “Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2008” conducted by the US Department of Health and Human Services found that “when results are considered by a single race without regard to ethnicity, Asian adults were less likely to have ever been told they had any type of heart disease than were White adults. And Asian adults and White adults were less likely to have been told they had hypertension compared with black adults.”

Those interested in learning more about how to prevent cardiovascular disease can go to the health fairs such as the Filipino-American Physicians of WA’s annual health fair held in the Seattle Center. Dr Pacio mentioned that hospitals usually organize information sessions on various diseases including cardiovascular disease. Two on-line resources Pacio highlighted are the CDC website and Web MD. The American Heart Association is a good resource for those looking to connect with health care providers locally, as are the Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) and the International Community Health Services (ICHS).

“We need to increase awareness of the various diseases that disproportionately affect the API population. People have to be proactive in their own healthcare and should discuss their health care goals with their doctors,” said Dr. Pacio.

APA Legislative Day in Olympia, Wash. Photo credits: Nick Wong

February 4, 2010 marked yet another APA Legislative Day in the State’s capital. Riding with the community members of the International Community Health Services (ICHS), the primary concern amongst ICHS as well as many other local organizations is the upcoming reforms in healthcare.These proposed budget cuts will dramatically affect the local API community, especially the elderly, low-income demographics residing in King County.

Medical Interpretation Services: Slated for total elimination

Approximately 400,000 immigrants require translation services. Lack of interpretation can complicate a doctor’s ability to make accurate diagnosis, and complicates patients’ understanding instructions and follow-up care. The absence of these services could severely put the healthcare of the immigrant elderly at risk and could lead to rising emergency room costs.

Basic Health Plan: Slated for total elimination

The Basic Health Plan (BHP) currently offers affordable health coverage for working adults who cannot afford or are not offered health insurance through their employers. Small business and non-citizens rely on BHP as their health care coverage. But in 2009 BHP was reduced by 43 percent. Elimination of this program leaves newly immigrant populations susceptible to the rising costs in healthcare.

Medicaid Adult Dental: Slated for total elimination

Dental care is an overlooked aspect of healthcare and Seattle King Co. Public health found that the APA population has the worst dental health in King Co. Infections in the mouth can spread and cause life-threatening infections to other parts of the body, which could result in life-threatening hospitalization.

Senior Citizen Service Act Funding: Many programs under this funding is slated for reduction or elimination

Asian and Pacific Islander (API) elders make up 11 percent of those aged 60 and over in King County. The $7 million budget cuts would reduce services such as 38 percent of the Multilingual and Multicultural Information and Assistance Program provided by Chinese Information and Service Center and over 30 percent by the Asian Counseling and Referral Service. Eliminating Client Specific Funding cuts emergency financial and medical assistance to 150-200 API low-income elders in King County.

Long Term Care: Many programs are slated for elimination or reductions

This program provides critical support services for seniors and people with disabilities when their families cannot afford to care for them. The Governor has proposed cutting home care for seniors and people with disabilities. This program gives care to the terminally ill by providing emotional and physical support and elimination of the program will result in large cuts in dental, vision and hearing coverage for 207,000 seniors.