asian avenuemagazine

Connecting CulturesLinking Lives

September 2014Volume 9 Issue 9

Get your RAMEN BOWLS while they’re hot!

GRAND OPENING

OF TOKIO

DANakaDANshows “My Adoption”

documentary at

Auraria Campus

Creators of

FAT RABBIT FARMpresent the iconicBabee Bunny

SAKURA SQUARE

DECADES OF JAPANESE HERITAGE FOUND IN DOWNTOWN DENVER’S

America’s Only Downtown

Theme & Water Park

Open May 3 - Nov 2

TODAY. WE PLAY.

Discount Tickets Available at ElitchGardens.com

Tofu HouseGrand Opening

Established in 1962 ● World Famous Korean RestaurantTokyo ● Philippines ● Hong Kong ● Shanghai ● New York

Lunch Special and Combo Set

6 TH ANNUALNATHAN YIP FOUNDATIONUNDER THE HARVEST MOON

DIM SUM LUNCHSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 201411 AM – 2 PM

REGISTER ONLINE:WWW.NATHANYIPFOUNDATION.ORGADULTS $35CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER $25

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 303-817-8400INFO@NATHANYIPFOUNDATION.ORG

KING’S LAND CHINESE RESTAURANT2200 W. ALAMEDA AVE.DENVER, CO 80223

THE NATHAN YIP FOUNDATION IS A 501(C)(3) NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Grand Opening!

Celebrate a night of unity with traditional and hip-hop performances, free food in order to raise donations benefiting Bridging Hope.

For more information, contact pham057@regis.edu.

staff & supportPublisher & Founder: Christina Yutai Guo

President: Annie GuoSenior Designer: C.G. Yao Designer: Jonathan Nguyen

Staff Writer: Patricia KaowthumrongStaff Writer: Mary Jeneverre Schultz

Staff Writer: Brenda VelasquezPhotographer: Trang Luong

Intern: Monica LinIntern: Akemi Tsutsui Intern: Mai Choua Lee

advisors group

General Counsel: Michael C. Song

Patty Coutts, Donna LaVigne, Nestor J. Mercado,Sum C. Nguyen, Alok Sarwal, Peter Warren,

John Yee, Nai-Li Yee, George N. Yoshida

contributing writers Harry Budisidharta, Maria Cheng,

Aurelia Jareno Grinstead, Brenda Pearson, Giselle Rushford

contributing photographers

911 Memorial Museum, Cornerstone Apartment Services, Fat Rabbit Farm

on the cover

Downtown Denver’s Sakura Square, located between the streets of Lawrence and Larimer and 19th and 20th is home to decades of Japanese history and heritage.Photo provided by Cornerstone Apartment Services.

subscriptions To subscribe, e-mail marketing@asianavenuemag azine.com. A one-year subscription is $25 for 12 issues, a two-year subscription is 40 for 24 issues. Please make checks or money orders payable to Asian Avenue magazine. For details about special corporate or group rates, please call during business hours: Monday - Friday, 9am to 5pm. Shipping and handling included. advertisingAsian Avenue magazine offers businesses the most cost-effective way to reach consumers in the Denver/Boulder metro areas and beyond. For more information, call during business hours or e-mail us at marketing@asianavenuemagazine.com for our media kit and ad rates. editorialTo submit story ideas, letters to the editor or event calendar listings, e-mail editor@asianavenuemagazine.com. Asian Avenue magazine (ISSN 1932-1449) reserves all copyrights to this issue. No parts of this edition can be reproduced in any manner without written permission. The views expressed in articles are the authors’ and not necessarily those of Asian Avenue magazine. Authors may have consulting or other business relationships with the companies they discuss.

Published by Asian Avenue Magazine, Inc.P.O. Box 221748 Denver, CO 80222-1748

Tel: 303.937.6888 Fax: 303.750.8488

www.asianavenuemagazine.com Asian Avenue magazine is in association with the Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network.

Dear Asian Avenue readers,

We hope you enjoy this month’s cover story on Sakura Square, the plaza located in downtown Denver near 19th Street and Larimer Street. Our staff writer Mary Schultz shares the history of the center, as well as the plans for the future. Visit the square to see the sculpture garden that contains busts of Ralph L. Carr, Governor of Colorado from 1939 to 1943, Minoru Yasui, a Japanese-American lawyer, and Reverend Yoshitaka Tamai, a Buddhist priest. If you are interested in living down-town, the 20-story Tamai Tower apartment building offers spacious units with amazing views for rent. Kudos to the Board of Sakura Square and Tamai Tower for maintaining and cultivating the Japanese and Asian culture in Denver after

so many decades. Please contact gary.yamashita@comcast.net if you are interested in getting involved.

To add to the Japanese influence, Tokio, a new Japanese cuisine and ramen house opened last month in the northwest downtown area. The restaurant is the latest venture of famous Denver chef Miki Hashimoto, for-mer owner of Japon in Washington Park. Miki’s vision is to bring the best of ramen and innovative foods to its patrons. Aside from ramen, Tokio offers an array of meats cooked on the Japanese charcoal grill as well as raw options of fresh sashimi. Come by after work for happy hour, stop by before a Rockies game or visit on a cold night to enjoy their delicious ramen bowls. They are open until midnight, just for you.

We welcome Dan Matthews, DANakaDAN, to Denver this month to showcase his hip hop talent as well as share his documentary, “My Adoption Story.” On Thursday, September 18, he will be at Auraria Campus’ Tivoli Center, an event open to the general public. Dan was recently at the Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families China Camp in Colorado sharing his story with other adoptees.

We are excited for next month’s cover story on Colorado breweries owned by Asian Americans, a timely feature with the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) taking place October 2-4 at the Colorado Conven-tion Center. (GABF) brings visitors from around the world to sample more than 2,000 different American beers. Over 100 beer judges from the United States and abroad evaluate beer in the associated competition, judging 3,300 beers entered by almost 500 domestic breweries. We look forward to highlighting the talents of our local brewers.

See you next month,

Annie Guo, PresidentAsian Avenue magazine

40

asian avenuemagazine

20 September 2014 | President’s Note 2

Find Inside >> Table of Contents

20 September 2014 | Table of Contents 4

710

6 Event Calendar

7 Spotlight DANakaDAN visits Denver to showcase hip hop talent and adoption documentary

8 Inside Story Confucius Institute at Community College of Denver hosts Global Day on Sept. 27

Theatre Espirit Asia announces new play M. Butterfly

Inspired by their own bunnies, creators of Fat Rabbit Farm take their creativity and design to the next level

12 Cover Story: Sakura Square Japanese history is embedded in downtown Denver’s Sakura Square

18 Restaurant Peek Trendy Japanese cuisine and ramen restaurant, Tokio, opens in Denver

20 Legal Column: Ballot Measures Harry Budisidharta shares four of the ballot measures for the upcoming November election

21 Feature 911 Memorial Museum welcome visitors from all over the world to honor those lost in 2001 tragedy

ON SCENE

22 Boulder Asian Festival celebrates 20 years

Mending Faces held its fifth annual Rib Rub Off BBQ

Leah Eveleigh, winner of Cutthroat Kitchen, expands her culinary skills

National Federation of Filipino American Associations plans for future

Philippine Nurses Association of Colorado welcomes new officers

AAPI Forum welcomes discussion with Andrew Romanoff

Asian Health Alliance hosts meeting on health issues in AAPI community

26 National News

28 Chinese Idiom “Dying Ashes Burn Again”

211218 23

The Asian Roundtable of Colorado presents:

Asian Community Public Policy Forum

Date: Saturday, September 27, 2014 Location: Denver Athletic Club 4th Floor (Grand Ballroom)

1325 Glenarm Place, Denver, CO 80204 Time: 1:00 - 4:30 pm

This event will be free for the Asian community. Refreshments will be served

Sponsoring organizations:

Asian Roundtable of Colorado, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado, Asian Chamber of Commerce, Aurora Asian/Pacific Community Partnership, NAAAP Colorado, Asian American Journalists Association-Denver chapter, Colorado Asian Club, Denver Chinese Source, Korean

American Coalition, NaFFAA-Colorado, CAHEP, Asian Avenue Magazine, CACEN, Denver Athletic Club

For more information on the Asian Roundtable of Colorado, please visit www.asianroundtable.org or

www.facebook.com/asianroundtable

An opportunity for Colorado candidates to meet and greet voters from the Asian community and for the Asian-American communities to

communicate our issues and concerns to them.

Confirmed guest include: Governor John Hickenlooper, Congressman Mike Coffman, Congressman Cory Gardner, former Congressman Bob Beauprez, Former Speaker-Colorado House of Representatives Andrew

Romanoff

Sat. 9/6/2014 CAHEP Office 9:00am - 12:30pm 5250 Leetsdale Dr. #110, Denver CO 80246

Sat. 9/13/2014 Korean Focus Center - Basement8:30am - 1:00pm 11000 E. Yale Avenue, Aurora, CO 80014

Sat. 9/20/2014 Filipino Nurses at Knights of Columbus 8:00am -1:00pm 13645 E Bayaud, Aurora, CO 80012

Sun. 9/21/2014Sun. 9/21/2014 Islamic Community at Masjit Al-salaam Mosque 9:00am - 1:00pm 16742 E. Iliff Ave. Aurora, CO 80013

Fri. 9/26/2014 Burmese community in Greeley at TBD Greeley Refugee Complex Address - TBD

Sat. 9/27/2014 Chinese Community at Denver Buddhist Center 8:30am -1:00pm 324 S. Bryant Street, Denver, CO 80219

Sun. 9/28/2014 Vietnamese Community 8:30am - 1:00pm8:30am - 1:00pm Edgewater/Harlan Sun. 9/28/2014 Cambodian Community at Erie Temple 9:00am - 1:00pm 595 Weld County Road #7, Erie, CO 80516

Sat. 10/4/2014 Guatemalan Consulate 8:30am -12:00pm 1001 Monaco Dr. #300, Denver, CO 80220

Sat. 10/4/2014 Nepali/Burmese Community 9:00am - 1:00pm9:00am - 1:00pm 8888 E. 13th Avenue, Denver, CO 80220

Sun. 10/5/2014 Korean Joyful Baptist Church 8:30am - 1:00pm 9565 Otero Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Sat. 10/11/2014 Indian Community at Satya-SaiBaba Temple 8:30am - 1:00pm 10250 E. Easter Ave. Centennial, CO 80112

Sun. 10/12/2014 Korean Community at Bethel Korean Presbyterian Church8:30am - 1:00pm 6415 W. 44th Ave. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

SSat. 10/18/2014 Refugee Housing for Nepali/Burmese/Congolese Community8:30am - 1:00pm 8888 E. 13th Avenue, Denver, CO 80220

Sun. 10/19/2014 Ethiopian Community at Aurora Church 8:30am - 1:00pm Address - TBD

Sat. 10/25/2014 Colorado Muslim Society - Masjit Abu Bakr Aurora 8:30am - 1:00pm 2071 S Parker Rd, Denver, CO 80231

Sun. 10/26/2014Sun. 10/26/2014 Korean Community at Denver Korean Seventh Day Adventist 8:30am - 1:00pm 1092 S. Nome Street Aurora, CO 80012

Sat. 11/1/2014 Thai Community at Wat Buddhawararam Temple8:30am - 1:00pm 4801 Julian Street, Denver, CO 80221

Sun. 11/2/2014 Hmong Community8:30am - 1:00pm Address - TBD

in partnership with Walgreens, University of Colorado School of Pharmacy and...Caring For Colorado, Colorado Heart Healthy Solutions and Connect for Health Colorado

Interpreters available for each of the community’s health fairs.Visit www.cahep.org for updates on locations and times.

Fall 2014 CAHEP Health FairsTime to get your health checked!

Free and low-cost health screeningsand free u shots

Visit www.cahep.org or call 303-954-0058.

upcomingDenver Sister Cities Gala

Sunday, September 75:30pm Reception, 6:30pm Gala Dinner

McNichols Building144 W. Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80202

Cost: Gala Dinner $100 DSCI Members, $125 Non-Members

For more info, contact Beth Hendrix, beth@denversistercities.org, 303-832-1336, or

visit www.denversistercities.org.

Please join us at our Worldwide Gala to celebrate Denver’s Ten Sister Cities and Two Friendship

Cities. The gala dinner features an international cuisine and a cash bar, with French Jazz by Gypsy Swing Revue. Denver Sister Cities International creates relationships based on cultural, educa-tional, economic, and humanitarian exchanges,

creating lifelong friendships that provide prosperi-ty and peace through citizen diplomacy.

Nan Desu Kan Anime ConventionWeekend of September 12 to 14

Marriott DTC4900 S Syracuse St, Denver, CO 80237For more info, visit www.ndkdenver.org.

The premier anime convention of the Rockies. With a total weekend attendance of more than

21,000 (over 7,000 people per day), it is now the largest convention in Colorado and 14 surround-ing states (excluding Texas), as well as one of the top 15 largest anime conventions in the country.

Mudra Dance Studio’s GYAAN: Truth Through Knowledge

Shows September 20 to 28Lakewood Cultural Center

470 S. Allison Pkwy, Lakewood, CO 80226Cost: Tickets begin at $20

For more info, visit www.mudradancestudio.us/gyaan.

Our community faces more challenges and trag-edies than ever before. GYAAN, an East Indian dance show, is an offering to our community

on how to heal from such losses and come out stronger. Join us in this journey to find your truth through the knowledge of our experience. This

uplifting and colorful production will fill your soul with hope and have you mesmerized until the end. Implied mature content. Sunday shows

most suitable for kids. Mudra Dance Studio’s Per-forming Group is a blend of diverse dancers and drummers presenting collages of dance styles

with a contemporary twist.

Pilipinas: Beauty Beyond the Postcards

Saturday, September 27, Begins at 6pm

Aurora South Middle School12310 E. Parkview Drive, Aurora, CO 80011

Cost: $25 General, $15 ages 12 & underFor more info, visit www.coloradopasco.org.

The Phillippine American Society of Colorado presents a 30th anniversary special production in partnership with Filipino-American Community of

Colorado and Sambayaw.

Memories of Heart Mountain: the Imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War IIFriday, September 26, 12pm to 1:30pm

Tivoli Multicultural Lounge900 Auraria Parkway, Denver CO 80204

Cost: Free and open to publicRSVP at www.tinyurl.com/l7hhe4q or contact:

soyon.bueno@ucdenver.edu.

Sponsored by CU Denver Asian American Student Services & Anschutz Medical Campus Office of

Inclusion and Outreach, attend this event to hear from guest speaker Mr. Sam Mihara. Parking

available in Tivoli Garage.

Education of “Experience of Korean Culture”

Saturday, September 27, 10am to 12:30pm

University of Colorado Denver, North Classroom Building Room 1202

1200 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80204For more info, visit www.kacfc.org.

The Annual Education event led by Korean American Community Foundation of Colorado,

will introduce “Korea goes global: The unexpect-ed rise of an economic and cultural powerhouse” and “The origin of Korean language Hangul” to

broaden understanding about Korea. There will also be music, dances, and refreshments.

Japanese Festival & BazaarSaturday, October 4, 10am to 4pmUniversity of Colorado at Colorado Springs,

University Center, 2nd FloorCost: Free Admission, Free Saturday ParkingFor more info, visit www.japanamerica.org.

Please join the bazaar for original Japanese housewares, décor items, craft items, yukatas, Japanese art, and other cultural gift items. Fea-turing Japanese senbei , bonsai jewelry, pottery, calligraphy, fabric crafts, hand kimonos and much

more! There will be entertainment including taiko (Japanese drums), performances and

workshops, koto (Japanese zither), shakuhachi (bamboo flute), martial arts, archery. Enjoy sushi,

bento (box lunches), and snacks.

Aurora Symphony Orchestra Fundraiser Banquet

Saturday, October 4, Begins at 6:15pmSeoul BBQ Restaurant

2080 S. Havana St, Aurora, CO 80014Cost: $60 per ticketFor more info, visit

www.aurorasymphony.org/special-events.html

The Aurora Symphony is pleased to invite you to the Third Annual ASO Fundraiser Banquet for a night of great Korean cuisine and enjoy this

unique culinary experience of world-class food! Doors open at 5:30pm, followed by dinner at 6:45pm. Come and appreciate the fine dining, silent auction, and great entertainment and to support your local all-volunteer symphony

orchestra.

Great American Beer FestivalOctober 2 to October 4Colorado Convention Center

700 14th St, Denver, CO 80202For more info, visit

www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com.

The Great American Beer Festival is the premier U.S. beer festival and competition. Each year, GABF represents the largest collection of U.S.

beer ever served, in a public tasting event plus a private competition. GABF brings to-gether the brewers and diverse beers that make

the U.S. the world’s greatest brewing nation.

September 2014 | Event Calendar 6

events

upcoming

7Spotlight | asian avenue magazine

DANakaDAN is an alternative hip hop artist based in Los Angeles, CA. He recently produced a documentary series detailing his very personal journey with meeting his biological family for the first time, including an identical twin brother he never knew about (who also raps). The documentary was produced alongside Mayrok Media+Arriang TV and has been released via ISAtv, Hulu, and Drama Fever. Dan also released a companion full length album, “Stuntman,” which chronicles his experience with adoption, addiction, self, and identity. It features appearances by Kero One, Clara C, David Choi, AJ Rafael, Priska, Paul Dateh, Paul Kim, and Travis Graham. He currently works as the Director of Productions at International Secret Agents, an Asian American media network founded by Far East Movement and Wong Fu Productions.

DANakaDANDANakaDAN

DanakaDan will be on the Auraria Campus for two events:

Event: DanakaDan Hip Hop performanceTime: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm Place: Tivoli Commons - 900 Auraria Pkwy, Denver, CO 80204

Event: DanakaDan’s “My Adoption” documentary viewing followed with discussion. Pam Sweetser of Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families will also be present.Time: 5:00-7:00 pmPlace: Tivoli Multicultural Lounge - 900 Auraria Pkwy, Denver, CO 80204

Parking available in the Tivoli GarageSponsors: CU Denver Asian American Student Services, CU Denver Student Life, Metro State University Student Life and Community College of Denver Student Life.

www.dan-aka-dan.com

ThursdaySeptember 18, 2014

8 September 2014 | Inside Story

During the ten years since its establishment, the Confucius Institute has successfully brought

Chinese cultural awareness worldwide, in doing so, has built a stronger understanding of China for many countries. Confucius Institute at Community College of Denver is proud to be part of this movement.

As the only Confucius Institute on a community college campus in the United States, we are pleased to be celebrating seven successful years of evolution and growth. In addition, during the last ten years, over four hundred fifty Confucius Institutes in over one hundred countries have been established worldwide. To celebrate, we welcome you to join us at the Con-fucius Institute at Community College of Denver for an all-day celebration between 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sep-tember 27th on the Auraria Campus.

There will be an opening ceremony in the St. Fran-cis Center between 10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., followed by outdoor performances and cultural activities for vis-itors to experience the tastes, art, music, and culture of China.

Join us for this wonderful celebration! Check back soon for a full program schedule and parking instruc-tions. And learn more about our Confucius Institute and begin to partake in our workshops, business cul-tural classes, language instructions, and more!

9Inside Story | asian avenue magazine

Puccini’s opera? No, it’s David Henry Hwang’s award winning play M. Butterfly, presented by Theatre Esprit Asia. “It’s TEA’s most ambitious and largest production.” says executive producer and co-founder/artistic director Tria Xiong. From an award win-ning first season and freshly sweeping the awards at the Colorado Theatre Festival, TEA opens its second season with a classic of the Asian-American dramatic canon.

Xiong continues, “Hwang stands on end the hackneyed story of oriental female falls for western male-who abandons her-so she commits suicide.” Instead, Hwang has created a powerful tale of desire and deception - awk-ward French diplomat falls for beautiful Chi-nese opera star who personifies his fantasy of submissive, exotic sexuality. Their affair ends in international scandal and imprisonment for both. This compelling drama examines

themes of sexual identity, racial stereotyping, knowing the beloved and East-West politics.

Director Rick Shiomi, long-time friend of Hwang’s and also an award winning play-wright, states, “This play embodies David’s classic style of blending comic twists with critical insights. It is a wild mix of humor and love.” Shiomi recently retired as head of Mu Performing Arts of Minneapolis St. Paul, one of the nation’s leading Asian American theatres which he founded twenty years ago and built to national prominence. He remains close to Mu, continuing to direct for them but also freelancing on his own. “This is my first out of town directorial gig in over fif-teen years! I’ve wanted to do M. Butterfly for over twenty five years, so I guess good things come to those who are willing to wait!”

Kevin Hart plays the love-struck Gallimard, who transforms from diffident diplomat to confident aggressor. “What moves me most

about this story is how it depicts the nature of self-delusion, the lengths my character takes to pursue a fantastical vision of love. A love that is - in the end - an illusion. This role aligns greatly with my desires as an actor – to take on roles that challenge me and provide new perspectives. I like playing different types of people who have multiple dimensions – and this role fits this criterion. Profoundly.”

For Charlie Chiv, playing opera star Song may be the role of a lifetime. “Many years ago, I suggested to my graduate acting pro-gram to do this play, but they said no. Looking back, I’m glad it didn’t happen. I wasn’t ma-ture enough then to take on such a role. Now, playing Song is really taking me outside my comfort zone. I’m doing things that I’ve never done before - being nude on stage, kissing a man. But an actor relishes challenges, which makes you grow and that’s certainly what’s happening to me in this process!”

By Maria Cheng | Theatre Espirit Asia

M. ButterflyAurora Fox Studio Theatre

9900 E Colfax Ave, Aurora, CO 80010Sept 4-28, 2014; Thurs Opening 7:30pm,

Fri & Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2:30pmTickets: $30, $26, $22

Reservations: 303-739-1970

Tria Xiong, executive producer Rick Shiomi, director Charlie Chiv, actor Kevin Hart, actor

1010 September 2014 | Inside Story

The iconic character Babee, of Fat Rabbit Farm is making her presence known worldwide, spreading laughs and smiles to all. Who or what is Babee? What is Fat Rabbit Farm? Who created Fat Rabbit Farm? Please read on and find out!

The world of Fat Rabbit Farm is a magical, floating kingdom inhabited by spontaneous and adventurous friends, including their main character named Babee Bunny. With such a spunky, lovable, yet mischievous personality, who cannot resist falling in love such a character? Did I mention she has a huge obsession with sweet treats, too!?

The farm is full of surprises, where a few places are known, and most are still yet to be discovered. Fat Rabbit Farm has won the hearts of many kids and adults of all ages as they continue to share the stories and adventures through our apparel, art, accessories, and story books.

The intellectual property brand was created in 2006 by creators and designers Jason Ponggasam and Patty Variboa (Los Angeles), inspired by

their real fluffy bunnies named Babee and Blanket. The two bunnies won over Jason and Patty’s hearts with their own unique individual personalities that brought smiles and laughs to their everyday lives.

Using the love and passion for design and bunnies, the design couple were compelled to create animated characters of the two buns and eventually a whole magical world filled with other friends appeared.

Patty and Jason not only pour their heart and soul into Fat Rabbit Farm but to each other as well. Now together for 15 years, they first met in high school in an online chat room. Jason, residing in San Francisco, while Patty in Los Angeles, braved a long distance relationship for a couple of years.

Following his heart, Jason moved to LA right after high school and contin-ued school with Patty in graphic design and illustration. It was meant to be. They both expressed a passion for art and desired a path with it. While going to school full time and working to pay the bills, they took a leap of faith. A

Make Way for a Fat Rabbit!

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! Wait. No, it’s a fat rabbit!?

11Inside Story | asian avenue magazine

Creators of Fat Rabbit Farm Jason Ponggasam and Patty Variboa

leap of faith that would change their lives.Eight years later, here they are today, operating and creating for Fat

Rabbit Farm full time, side by side each other as they were destined to be. Together, they help each other to continuously discover solutions to im-proving their business and making it grow; from their limited edition hand-made plush line to the Babee Bunny character on the Facebook Messenger

Stickers. The ultimate goal for Fat Rabbit Farm is to have animated series on television.

Find more info and see products online at www.FATRABBITFARM.com or catch them every year in June as they come out to support the Tri-State Buddhist Temple at the Denver Cherry Blossom Festival. Follow them at www.facebook.com/theFATRABBITFARM.

The real life bunny inspirations - Babee and Blanket

September 2014 | Cover Story 12

Sakura Square moves to the next

century by becoming the “Gateway to

Downtown”

By

By Mary Jeneverre Schultz | Asian Avenue magazine

Sakura Square | asian avenue magazine 13

HistorySkid Row

During the 1960s, brothels, pool halls, gambling dens, flophouses and disrep-utable salons sat in skid row territory in downtown Denver, to what is now con-sidered LoDo.

A bordello called Mattie’s Red Light Lounge was the former site of the Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple. Walking tour guides will pass by this location at 1942 Market Street to share their ghost stories of this particular site. But the ghost stories did not bother temple leaders or members.

Resurgence Japanese immigrants settled in these ar-

eas of downtown Denver for cheap rents. The community thrived during the years of 1946 to 1970. Most of the Japanese immigrants, who entered the U.S. in the early 1900s, worked on sugar beet farms. Despite the bordellos, pools halls and gambling dens, Japanese retailers and ser-vices were integrating through the seven to nine blocks of blighted developments with restaurants, grocery stores, cleaners and hair salon services.

In fact, Ozaki, who is 72, reminisced sitting outside at a drugstore/pharmacy called Montz, reading comic books to pass the time. While growing up, his fam-ily apartment was situated just across the street of the current temple site.

BuddhismMany Japanese immigrants practiced

their faith as Jodo Shinshu Buddhists, bringing their religious heritage. As more

families settled in the area, most practiced their Buddhist faiths. In 1916, the forma-tion of the Tri-State Buddhist Temple was established in Denver to serve the tri-state areas of Colorado, Nebraska and Wyo-ming.

During the years of World War II, the U.S. government displaced Japanese American citizens into internment camps. Families from California, Washington and Oregon were assigned to camps throughout Colorado. As a result of dis-placed individuals, the temple expanded its membership resulting into enlarging the church structure.

In 1947, the Tri-State Denver Buddhist temple was built, serving as the spiritual center for the Buddhist community for Japanese-American as well as the larger Asian population. Reverend Tessho Ono served as the first assigned minister. The territories expanded to Montana, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and western Texas.

RevitalizationIn 1969, the Denver Urban Renew-

al Authority (DURA) shared with the downtown communities of its intention of demolishing 30 blocks of decaying buildings. Temple leaders expressed con-cerns of the growing elderly population. With the assistance of a government loan, church leaders of the Tri-State Denver Buddhist purchased a block for $188,000.

This block served as a mix retail and residential entity, an innovative concept during the 1970s. “It was a unique con-cept,” said Ozaki, adding the rare occur-rence of such an idea back then. Commu-nity leaders scheduled a ground-breaking

ceremony on March 1971. Dedication ceremonies were conducted on two week-ends in May 1973.

“It was one of the most ambitious proj-ects undertaken by Denver’s Japanese American community,” Gary Yamashita, general manager of Sakura Square.

PresentFast forward to 2014, the aging struc-

ture is dated and “tired,” Yamashita de-scribed.

Also known as “Tiny Tokyo,” it sits as part of LoDo near the ballpark district with million-dollar views of downtown Denver and the Colorado Mountains from the top floor of Tamai Tower, a 199-resi-dential apartment unit.

“It’s a critical cultural hub for Japanese Americans,” said Gil Asakawa, historian, blogger of Nikkei View: The Asian Amer-ican Blog and manager of student media for the University of Colorado’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications in Boulder.

Asakawa, who moved to Denver about the same year of Sakura Square’s dedica-tion, shared Japanese communities are not the only ethnicity losing its Little Tokyo or Japantown. “Asian enclaves are an en-dangered species,” he said.

Not only does it served as the hub for Denver’s Japanese and Japanese Amer-ican communities, it is a place of Asian culture in downtown Denver. Younger generations, attempting to understand their ancestries, explore Tiny Tokyo.

Harry Budisidharta, president of the local chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, echoes the same senti-ment. “I know it’s a great gathering place

With the expiration of a 40-year Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agreement, the nonprofit arm of Sakura Square is exploring a possibility of options for this hub of all things Japanese in Denver.

Tour guides about Denver and history books share Sakura Square, which sits between 19th to 20th Streets and Larimer to Lawrence Avenues, is an ideal spot to peek into the past century of Japanese American culture and history.

“It is a reflection of our beginnings,” said Joe Ozaki, president of Tri State Buddhist Church Apartments, the nonprofit organization of Sakura Square.

September 2014 | Cover Story 14

for community members, not just for Japanese both other Asian groups have used the facili-ties,” he said, adding he is both Chinese and Indonesian.

Current TenantsServing as the main anchor of this tiny pla-

za, the Denver Buddhist Temple is open to the public. Budisidharta encourages visitors to walk into the temple to see its altar and wor-ship areas.

In addition, regular customers and out-of-town visitors frequent the first tenant of Sakura Square, Pacific Mercantile Company, which sells Asian products.

Other tenants include Sakura House, a noo-dle restaurant on the first floor and JJ’s Bistro, a Chinese restaurant on the second floor. Both restaurants are family owned and managed, providing a large menu of choices. Website

reviews have shared favorable comments from local and out-of-town visitors. In addition to the restaurants, a travel agency specializing in Japan destinations, an ophthalmologist, dentist and barber shops sit within the two-story plaza.

Tamai TowerBalconies and patios show rice mats, hang-

ing plants and patio furniture visible from the first floor. Residents of Tamai Tower represent a diverse group of ethnicity. According to Oza-ki, who provided demographics from 2012, the Chinese are the largest population.

• Japanese: 19 percent• Chinese: 29 percent• Caucasian: 29 percent• Hispanic: 7 percent• African American 5 percent• Other: 11 percent (Other includes Korean,

Thai and Indians)

“It’s a multi-cultural representation,” Ozaki said.

The average age of the residents are 67.4, with 62 percent over 65 years old while 28 per-cent do not speak English.

Sculpture GardenA miniature garden displays three prominent

sculptures. Ralph Carr, governor of Colorado the years after World War II, welcomed Jap-anese Americans into Colorado while other states closed its doors. His progressive attitude did not win him the next election but his fa-vorable attitude towards Japanese Americans allowed him to be memorialized through this sculpture.

Another statue is Minoru Yasui. The granite pedestal posted Yasui’s achievements as director of Denver’s Commission on Community Rela-tions, “dedicating his life to advancing the rights

Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple - St. Shinran

Reverend Yoshitaka TamaiDedicated on October 5, 1996

Ralph Carr, Governor of Colorado from 1939 to 1943

Minoru Yasui, Japanese-American lawyer

Annual Cherry Blossom Festival Obon Dance takes place on Lawrence Street

near Sakura Square

Sakura Square | asian avenue magazine 15

of his fellow man, regardless of color or creed.”The third statue is a life-size figure of Rever-

end Yoshitaka Tamai. The 20-story apartment is dedicated to the beloved priest. The plaque will share how Tamai served 53 years as a spiritual and cultural leader.

MuseumOne of the best-kept secret of Sakura Square

is its miniature, 700-square-foot museum man-aged by the Japanese American Resource Cen-ter of Colorado, located on the second floor. The make-shift museum showcases an old map indicating location of previous tenants. In ad-dition, vintage photos are posted on the walls. With a volunteer workforce, the museum oper-ates on limited hours.

Cherry Blossom FestivalEvery year, since 1973, the Japanese Amer-

ican community shows the Denver community its culture through music, food and demonstra-tions in dances and martial art showcases. The weekend event, organized by volunteers, takes all year to plan for this annual festival.

As a regular volunteer, Budisidharta shares how labor intensive the annual festival could be in setting up, cooking food, planning the program and cleaning up.

Meeting SpacesEven if Sakura Square is not a destination

for local residents, it offers spaces for regular meetings. In fact, NAAAP Lead Toastmasters meets twice a month while members of the Japanese American Citizens League hold their planning sessions at this location, too.

FutureThe nonprofit entity of Sakura Square is ex-

ploring multiple options, including relocating Sakura Square. However, a survey indicated Sakura Square cannot disappear. Relocation plans are frowned upon through survey respon-dents, too.

The working board has assigned a strategic planning committee, who will consult with key individuals in “recreating Sakura Square,” Ya-mashita said.

As a learning process, the committee is at-tempting to understand the demographics of downtown Denver. The mission statement has evolved and board members are attempting to refocus their energies to making Sakura Square a vibrant, cultural center in downtown Denver.

The 40-year mortgage from HUD expired at the end of July 2014, allowing housing to continue into fair housing market. Current res-idents of Tamai Tower can stay in the apart-ment, allowing to be grandfathered into the

Pacific Mercantile Company, one of the original tenants of Sakura Square, opened in 1944 and provides Asian

food, groceris, cookware, gifts and more.

September 2014 | Cover Story 16

same rental rates, based on a case-by-case scenario.One of the first steps of the governing board of Sakura Square’s non-

profit foundation was hiring an apartment manager, Cornerstone Apart-ments. The Denver-based management company, which started in April 2014, has posted available apartments, scheduled for viewing in Sept-meber 2014.

Three types of apartment styles are available: • Studio, 400 to 480 square foot, leasing rates between $945 to $965• 1-bedroom, 650 square foot, leasing rate of $1,100• 2-bedroom, 850 square foot, leasing rate of $1,525Renovation is underway, including updated, energy-efficient laundry

facilities and complying with ADA regulations. Other ideas include addi-tion of a gym, business center, refreshing the hallways with paint, newer carpet and art work.

Currently, every unit provides ceiling to floor views of downtown Denver. Within each unit, current renovations include mirrored closets, light fixtures, monoxide/smoke detector, new blinds, and wood floors. An average renovation is estimated at $5,000, according to portfolio manager Jake Smith for Cornerstone Apartments.

The top floor, also known as the Pent House, serves as a community center, equipped with a kitchen, lending library and two meeting rooms. The community center is part of the residents’ benefits. Wrap-around patio allows residents to take into the breathtaking views.

On the west side, mountains are prominent while the east side of the building showcases the financial district of downtown Denver. During the early mornings, residents meet to practice their tai chi or even yoga.

The governing board is interested in marketing to young professionals interested in living in downtown Denver. Comparable rents from nearby apartment units range from $1,200 to $1,500 for a one-bedroom unit.

The apartment rentals will generate revenue for economic growth of Sakura Square, allowing expansion and additional programs for the first time in 40 years.

“This is the first month under this new model,” Yamashita said. “It’s so exciting what we can add into the community.”

Other plans include expanding the retail part of Sakura Square like adding a coffee shop, a sushi restaurant and other Asian-type retailers.

Asakawa suggested retailers focusing on Animee or Manga products to lure younger generations into Sakura Square. “I wished more peo-ple would hang out (Sakura Square),” he said. “These types of retailers could foster ‘hanging out’ longer.”

New programs could include scholarships to college students or grant awards to organizations promoting the Asian cultures. With the success of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, organizers are encouraged to sponsor mini festivals that could highlight cultural aspects from Asia. For example, last year, leaders of Sakura Square organized Ukulele Jams. The event was so popular; it packed the square with visitors to its upper limit of capacity. This year, the event is held privately in the near future so board members could assess how they could offer this musical production next year.

In the early years, Sakura Square sat on the edge of downtown Denver. Now, the cultural center could evolve into the “Gateway of Downtown,” Ozaki said. “We need to be on the forefront and do something to reflect this.”

However, Yamashita is eyeing on positioning Sakura Square as a tour-ist destination. “It’s the dawn of a new beginning,” Yamashita said.

For more information about Sakura Square, visit these websites:• Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple: www.tsdbt.org• Cornerstone Apartments: www.cornerstoneapartments.com• Pacific Mercantile Company: www.pacificeastwest.com

Mary Jeneverre Schultz loves the history of Asian Americans in Den-ver. She walks by Sakura Square daily during the work week. Follow her on Twitter @Jeneverre.

Sakura Square | asian avenue magazine 17

Timeline of Sakura Square1900Japanese immigrated to Colorado

1939 to 1945U.S. government forced Japanese Americans to live in internment camps

1947Denver Buddhist Temple was built

1960sLoDo was Skid Row

1969Denver Urban Renewal Authority considered demolishing 30 blocking of decaying downtownDenver Buddhist Temple bought a block for $188,000

1971Groundbreaking of Sakura Square

1973Dedication ceremonies of Sakura SquareCherry Blossom Festival begins and is now an annual event

1983Beloved priest Tamai dies after 53 years of service to the Denver community

2011City officials of Denver approved the Arapahoe Square Urban Development

201440-year HUD mortgage ends for Tamai TowerFirst and oldest resident of Tamai Tower passed away.Cornerstone is hired by the nonprofit board to managed Tamai Tower

“The Saga of Sakura Square” - May 6, 1973 issue of Sunday Empire The Magazine of The Denver Post

Groundbreaking ceremony of Sakura Square

Ribbon cutting ceremony of Granada Supemarket

Tree topping ceremony of Tamai Tower

September 2014 | Restaurant Peek 18

Tokio

Before visiting Tokyo, come to Tokio.After visiting Tokyo, you’ll still want to come back.

Chef Miki Hashimoto is back! When Japon Sushi closed its doors last year, sushi fans waited patiently for Chef Miki’s next venture. Just last month, Tokio celebrated its grand opening with its mission of “bringing the culture of ramen to Denver.” The restaurant delivers the food and atmosphere of a neighborhood Japanese restaurant to the Denver metro area.

Miki wants customers to feel like they are inside a ramen shop in Tokyo when they taste the food: “In Japan, ramen is a national dish, like hamburgers in America. I want you to taste true ramen.” One of the most popular dishes, the miso ramen, is cooked with a pork and chicken broth, soy bean, bean sprouts, pickled bamboo and soft boiled egg. Other ramen options include the tonkotsue (with pork broth), curry bowl, ramen air (with assorted vegetables).

Items listed on the Bincyo-Tan Japanese Charcoal Grill side of the menu are served on skewers and accompany the ramen nicely. The kobe beef, aspara bacon and yakitori are favorites—all of which are cooked on the grill from Japan. The small plates feature Japanese dishes such as gyoza, sautéed edamame and shitake mushrooms. The kara age is Japanese-style fried chicken that melts in your mouth. Unbelievably flavorful.

The interior of Tokio, designed by Kanji Ueki, who worked on the U.S. Apple stores captures the feeling of a traditional Japanese Sakaba bar. Sakaba bars are a place for people to come together to eat and drink as a community, and Kanji has created a communal space that is stylish, comfortable, and perfect for any gathering of friends, loved ones, or colleagues. Tokio is an innovative restaurant for an innovative city, and the restaurant looks forward to evolving and growing as Denver evolves as a city.

According to the restaurant’s website, “Tokio” is a spelling of Tokyo used primarily in non-English speaking countries. Tokio, the restaurant, similarly aims to translate the full Tokyo experience authentically and effectively. Tokio offers sushi dishes, but it also modern, unique cuisines and authentic ramen from Tokyo to Denver.

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Ballots

This month, I will take the opportunity to talk about the four ballot measures that have been certified for the upcoming November election.

The first ballot measure is the Colorado Definition of Person and Child Initiative, also known as Amendment 67. If approved by voters, the measure would expand the definition of “person” and “child” in the Colorado criminal code to include fetuses. Supporters of this measure wrote it because of a traffic accident in which a pregnant woman was hit and tragically miscarried. The driver responsible for the accident pleaded guilty to vehicular assault and driving under the influence, but was not prosecuted for the miscarriage because a fetus is not consid-ered to be a “person” or “child” under the current Colorado criminal code. Opponents of this measure argue that this measure will criminal-ize abortion and that voters in 2008 and 2010 soundly rejected similar measures brought forward by the same group.

The second ballot measure is the Colorado Horse Racetrack Limit-ed Gaming Proceeds for K-12 Education Amendment, also known as Amendment 68. If approved by voters, the measure would establish an educational fund for kindergarten through twelfth grade education. The fund would be raised by allowing limited gaming (slot machines, card games, roulette, and craps) at horse racetracks in Arapahoe county, Mesa county, and Pueblo county. Supporters of this measure argue that it would raise money for education without raising taxes. Opponents of this measure, which comprised of casino companies in Black Hawk,

Central City, and Cripple Creek, argue that it would cause irreparable harm to the Colorado casino industry because it would allow a single casino company to create a monopoly in the Front Range area. They are worried that the measure would create a serious competition to their industry.

The third ballot measure is the Colorado Mandatory Labeling of GMOs, also known as Proposition 105. If approved by voters, the mea-sure would require any “prepackaged, processed food or raw agricul-tural commodity that has been produced using genetic modification” to include the label: “Produced with genetic engineering.” Supporters of this measure argue that consumers have a right to know if their food has been genetically modified. Opponents of this measure argue that this proposition will considerably raise food prices and provide bad infor-mation to consumers.

The final ballot measure, which is still pending, is the Colorado School Board Open Meetings Initiative, or Initiative 124. It would re-quire school districts to allow the public to attend their meetings on collective bargaining negotiation and employment contract negotiation. Supporters of this measure submitted their signatures to the Secretary of State on August 1, 2014. The Secretary of State has 30 days to review the signatures and determine if they have submitted enough signatures.

You can find out more information about any of these ballot mea-sures at the Secretary of State’s website (www.sos.state.co.us).

September 2014 | Legal Column 20

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About HARRY BUDISIDHARTAHarry received his law degree from

the University of Colorado Law School. He has his own law firm and is the cur-rent president of the Mile High chap-ter of the Japanese American Citizens League, the oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization in the United States. Contact him at har-ry@denverfirm.com.

Ballot measures every Coloradan should know about for the upcoming election

By Harry Budisidharta | Balaban Claeson & Budisidharta LLP

Fourteen years ago, tragedy hit in New York, known as 911.

On September 11, no matter where you were, it was an event that everyone remembers the exact spot when they learned about the trag-ic events of 911. To memorialize those who lost their lives, the 911 Memorial Museum opened its doors this year to international and national visitors.

More than 14 million visitors from the U.S. and around the world have visited the memori-al since opening September 2011.

In its permanent collection, the 911 Memori-al Museum has archived:

• 12,500 collection of artifacts, • 1,990 oral histories, • more than 23,000 images set in photos, • 2,100 pieces of archival documents• 580 hours of moving images in video and • other materials that document the history of the events of 9/11 and commemorate the victims.

911 Memorial Museum brings millions of worldwide visitors

By Mary Jeneverre Schultz | Asian Avenue magazine

Photo credit: 911 Memorial Museum

MissionThe National September 11 Memorial Muse-

um at the World Trade Center will bear solemn witness to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993. The Museum will honor the nearly 3,000 victims of these attacks and all those who risked their lives to save oth-ers. It will further recognize the thousands who survived and all who demonstrated extraordi-nary compassion in the aftermath.

Demonstrating the consequences of terror-ism on individual lives and its impact on com-munities at the local, national, and international levels, the Museum will attest to the triumph of human dignity over human depravity and affirm an unwavering commitment to the fun-damental value of human life.

ControversyOf course, the museum, designed to memori-

alize the victims and rescue workers, has faced criticism. For example, several months ago, the gift shop sold items as morbid reminders

of the tragedies. Either those merchandise were removed from the shelves or cautionary signs are placed around the retail items.

OperationsAs a private, not-for-profit corporation, it

costs $700 million to build the museum. Offi-cials estimated an annual operating budget of $60 million. The Memorial and Museum does not receive state, city or federal funding for its operating costs.

Plan your visitMuseum officials recommend view the 9/11

Memorial Commemorative Guide and down-loading mobile apps on your phone before arrival.

Walking through both the memorial and mu-seum will be similar to walking through a cem-etery. It is a place of remembrance and quiet reflection. Security guards will be standing in strategic spots to ensure all visitors respect this place made sacred through tragic loss.

Visit the website for more information at www.911memorial.org.

National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center

200 Liberty Street, 16th Floor | New York, NY 10281 Fax: (212) 227-7931 | Tel: (212) 312-8800

For information about visiting, email reservations@911memorial.org, or call (212) 266-5211;

TTY: (212) 266-5212.

For feedback and general information, email info@911memorial.org. For education inquiries, email

education@911memorial.org.Damaged phone booth

Bike rack

Feature | asian avenue magazine 21

In the midst of a beautiful sum-mer weekend, Boulder Asian

Festival attendees enjoyed two days of vibrant, action-packed festivi-ties on downtown Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall.

The festival highlighted the thriv-ing Asian culture in the Denver/Boulder area and showcased crafts, food, activities and musical perfor-mances from local Asian and Pacific Islander communities.

Vendors sold wares from Nepal, Tibet, Hawaii, Vietnam, China and Indonesia, while performers in-cluded Wendy Woo, Denver Taiko, Gamelan Tunas Mekar and the world’s top kendama masters from Kendama-Co.

This year’s festival also included opportunities for audience par-ticipation. On Saturday morning, Chuna Grace Rai-Nelson of Sanjiba-nu Yoga Sansar taught a free Hi-malayan-style yoga session on the Courthouse Lawn, while on Sunday, the Gu Feng Tai Chi Club invited at-tendees to partake in a few of their basic moves.

At the Community Tent, families

browsed Chinese artifacts, learned Chinese brush painting and furo-shiki, the Japanese art of wrapping fabric.

For the past 20 years, the Boul-der Asian Pacific Alliance has pre-sented the Boulder Asian Festival. This is quite an accomplishment considering that BAPA is an all-vol-unteer organization with no paid staff. Several of the BAPA board members have helped with the festival for the entire 20 years and are still excited to help with fu-ture events. The festival has also become a family affair as several of the “BAPA babies” who grew up with the festival are now taking on volunteer roles.

BAPA a 501(c)(3) non-profit or-ganization, was formed in 1994 and is a coalition of representatives from diverse Asian-Pacific popula-tions, the second largest minority group in Boulder. BAPA strives to promote awareness, appreciation, and understanding of their rich, di-verse cultures and heritage.

For more information, visit www.bapaweb.org.

Mending Faces held its Fifth Annual Rib Rub Off BBQ fund raiser on August 2nd.

The event supports the organization’s cleft lip and cleft palate surgical mission to the Phil-ippines. More than 250 people attended and raised more than $18,000 for the cause. Mend-ing Faces wishes to thank all those who made the event a success, particularly the 6 great chefs who competed in the BBQ competition. Carrie and Sami Lababidi continue to host the party at their lovely home in North Boulder County. Carrie said “it is worth all the hard work by those of us with so much, to give those with so very little, a chance at a normal life.”

The February 2015 mission is scheduled for Kalibo, Aklan. The mission team has just re-cently been assembled and includes 5 surgeons, 5 anesthesiologists, 3 Pediatricians, 20 nurses and 20 support personnel. As almost all mis-sioner travel is self-funded, the $18,000 rep-resents a significant part of our mission budget.

Mending Faces has also scheduled its Re-storing Hope event for November 7 in Denver. Mending Faces is a 501c3 and donations can be made through our web site: mendingfaces.org. For more information on the organization, Re-storing Hope event or to learn more about par-ticipating in the mission: info@mendingfaces.org or call Maya at 303-531-5038,

By Brenda Pearson | Boulder Asian Festival

20 years and still going strong!

Mending Faces held its fifth annual Rib Rub Off BBQ

September 2014 | On Scene 22

By Jay LaVigne | Mending Faces

Seventeen years after its founding, the National

Federation of Filipino Amer-ican Associations (NaFFAA) held the 11th biennial empow-erment conference in San Di-ego on August 7 through 10.

NaFFAA is the only orga-nization recognized by the White House, Congress and powerful advocacy organi-zations on social justice and equal opportunity as the voice of the Filipino Americans. As one of the 13 Regions under the NaFFAA umbrella, Region 5 represents five states includ-ing Colorado.

There were 14 delegates from Colorado, four of them are young professionals while more than 500 delegates and guests attended the NaFFAA national conference. Leading the array of speakers were White House Senior Adviser Jason Tengco, Commissioner Billy Dec of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Major General Antonio Taguba (Ret), Tony Olaes, CEO of Gawad Ka-

20 years and still going strong!

In recent cooking demonstra-tion, Leah Eveleigh taught the

art of Filipino cooking to residents of Highlands Ranch in a community center setting.

Last July, Eveleigh shared her pas-sion for Filipino cuisine with recipes of eggrolls (lumpia), salmon with coconut mango sauce, fried rice with vegetables, and banana lumpia and sticky rice cake - Biko with coconut caramel glaze.

Eveleigh is interested in expand-ing her cooking venture in offering cooking demonstrations to Colo-rado residents. She placed a call to the community center, which led to scheduling summer classes, she said.

The demonstration started at 6 p.m. and ended at 9:30 p.m. Plenty of food was available to take home. Residents marveled at the ease of

cooking the Filipino cuisine.Even with the cooking demonstra-

tion Eveleigh is busy with culinary classes at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder. Once she completed her courses, she hopes to ramp up her demonstration skills.

Eveleigh is continuing the momen-tum of her television win from the re-ality show of Cutthroat Kitchen. Last January 19, a viewing party of her friends, family and colleagues gath-ered together at Lodo’s Bar & Grill in Highlands Ranch (February 2014).

Interested in Eveleigh’s classes, you can reach her through Facebook at www.facebook.com/Leaheveleigh/about or send her a Tweet on Twitter @ChefLeahE.

Mary Jeneverre Schultz craves for Filipino food weekly. Follow her on Twitter @Jeneverre.

By Mary Jeneverre Schultz | Asian Avenue magazine

Breaking the Dawn: Master Planning the FutureBy Giselle Rushford | NaFFAA

NaFFAA Region 5 Delegates, front, left to right: Francis Macalalag, Kevin Grinstead, Dennis Apuan, Boy Obana, John Rushford, Javier San Andres; back: Tran Macalalag, Aurelia Grinstead, Flor Obana, Donna LaVigne, Dr. Erlinda Santos, Jay LaVigne, Giselle Rushford, Gloria Williams, Jack Rushford

Left to right: Rob Bonta (California State Assembly), Juanito Amor (Statistician for FilAm Vote), Javier San Andres (Region 5 Delegate), Rozita Lee (past White House Asian Pacific American Initiative Commissioner), Ben DeGuzman (LGBT Activist).

linga USA, and Rob Bonta, first Filipino American elected to the California State Assembly. Jose Antonio Vargas, the Pulit-zer Prize- winning journalist who revealed his status as an undocumented immigrant, drew a standing ovation when he shared his struggles and his efforts to educate the Ameri-can public about the need for comprehensive immigration reform. Before he decided to “come out,” he sought out NaFFAA’s support and was assured of the organization’s support.

The film documentary by Marissa Aroy and PBS “Delano Manongs” was screened. The film is about the struggles of the Filipinos American farm workers of Delano, California to unionize for better living conditions. This Filipino led movement was a precursor to Cesar Chavez’ union activities. Judge Pro Tempore John Arm-ington, one of the sons of the Manongs, gave his first hand perspectives about life of the farm workers in the 60s.

Leah Eveleigh, winner of Cutthroat Kitchen, expands her culinary skills

On Scene | asian avenue magazine 23

PNACO Welcomes 2014-2016 OfficersAurelia J. Grinstead

NaFFAA Membership Director

The Philippine Nurses Association of Colorado successfully held its 9th An-

niversary and Inauguration of new officers at Denver Marriott Hotel on August 23.

The organization is a non-profit organi-zation of nursing professionals of Filipino descent dedicated to the medical communi-ty of the Rocky Mountain region under the umbrella of the Philippine Nurses Associ-ation of America (PNAA). The event’s high-lights includes welcoming of the new set of officers, recognizing some notable work of different members of the organization and showcasing different Filipino talents.

Awardees• “Nurse of the Year Award” was given to

Dr. Leli Pedro for her efforts in editing the close-up feature of PNACO which was offi-cially accepted to journal of nursing practice and research, also for conducting free work-shops for nurses.

• “Leadership Award” was given to Marjo-lyn Mati-ong for her dedication and commit-ment to the mission of the organization and for her excellent leadership that transpired to the members of the organization.

• “Ambassador of the Year Award” was giv-en to Editha Pasion for her relentless efforts in recruiting members and displaying PNA-CO’s mission.

• “Nursing Excellence Award,” was given to Jiji Tizon. She has excelled in her chosen field and promoted safety innovations. Her abstract poster presentation was presented and was officially accepted at the national conference in Las Vegas.

• “Fortitude Award,” was given to Evelyn Hu, Froila Bagting and Emily Marcelo for showing resilience despite pain and adversi-ty. They bravely stepped out and shed light against human trafficking that led to the con-viction of Kizzi Kalu and Philipp Langerman through PNAA’s support and legal guidance.

• “Humanitarian Award”, was given to the Dr. Jaime Yrastorza for founding the medi-cal mission group Uplift International. The group provides free medical surgery for poor kids in the Philippines who are born with cleft lip palate.

• “Special Awards,” where given to Blessie Tagle and Gilbert Mallari for their contin-ued efforts in supporting the organization through fund raising events and technical needs.

The event was attended by different community leaders from the Filipino com-munities like NaFFAA, Bayanihan, PASCO and Couples for Christ with the special ap-perance of Dr. Leticia Hermosa, president of PNNA (Philippine Nurses Association of

America) and Vice President for western re-gion Mindy Ofiniana.

Moving Forward“As the new president of the organization

I plan to move forward by diversifying mem-ber. That means to include ancillary nurses to further provide services to the communi-ty. Diversification includes recruiting differ-ent types of nurses.”

“We would like to include not only those who are working in the hospitals but also those who are in the home health care pro-gram, nurse entrepreneurs, nurse educa-tors, and lawyers,” said Belinda Higa.

She also said that she would like to rec-ognize the potential of nurses by providing different scholarships and advancement through different umbrella organizations and create awareness and visibility in the community.

The organization aims to lead, trans-form and empower. To LEAD means to be a leader in their own work arena; to TRANS-FORM the future of nurses not just in the local community but in the whole world; to EMPOWER by means of acquiring higher education.

For more information, visit www.pnaa.org or www.pnaco.org or call Belinda Higa at 303-906-1458.

September 2014 | On Scene 24

On Scene | asian avenue magazine 25

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The newly formed Asian Health Alliance convened for a sec-ond time at Asian Pacific Development Center on August 26, setting the agenda for future meetings and providing some direc-tion as to where the organization intends to move in the future. AHA They introduced Geoff Downie of the National Leadership Academy Public Health (NLAPH) to the different members, all of whom hail from different arenas within Colorado’s nonprof-it sector. All were there to alleviate the health disparities within Colorado populations, especially within the immigrant and refu-gee demographic. The three key demographics that the Alliance will be serving are: 1) Asian immigrants and refugees 2) Asian American youth and younger generations 3) Asians in general.

On August 25, Asian Pacific Development Center hosted an AAPI open forum to address pressing issues facing Colorado and the nation. Representative Mike Coffman and challenger Andrew Romanoff were the main stars, providing their separate platforms as they ran to represent Colorado’s 6th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives this November. Chris Jose from KDVR Denver presided over the event, keep-

ing the issues on point and providing a famil-iar face for the audi-ence. immigration.

Unfortunately, Rep-resentative Coffman’s was unable to attend. So the crowd turned their questions upon the challenger. Ques-tions ranged from for-eign policy challenges like ISIS to competi-tion with China to do-mestic issues such as improved enrollment for the Affordable Care Act this November.

Asian Health Alliance convenes at APDC

Andrew Romanoff speaks at AAPI open forum

September 2014 | National News 26

First Indian Signs Contract with NBA Team

The Sacramento Kings have signed 7’5″ cen-ter Sim Bhullar, reports NBA.com.

The New Mexico State stand out is a two-time Western Athletic Tournament Conference MVP and WAC Freshman of the Year in just two seasons.

“I’ve long believed that India is the next great frontier for the NBA, and adding a talented player like Sim only underscores the exponential growth basketball has experienced in that nation,” said Kings Owner Vivek Ranadivé.

Bhullar’s parents migrated to Canada from the state of Punjab in India. His father, Avtar, is 6 feet 5 inches and his mother, Varinder, is 5 feet 10 inch-es. Neither parent had exposure to basketball un-til enrolling their sons into local youth basketball programs.

Gorgeous director Cary Joji Fukunaga got more than he bargained for when he hit the

stage to collect his Outstanding Directing Emmy for his work on True Detective — not only did he get an award, he also got a swooning internet fol-lowing!

In an Interview with the American Prospect in January, Fukunaga said:

“One of the things that I hope gets communicat-ed [in True Detective] is the concept that our idea of free will isn’t as free as we’d like to believe.”

His father is Japanese and mother is Swedish. He was born in Oakland, CA.

Kollaboration, a global platform to dis-cover, AAPI artists in media, recom-

mends 10 Asian-American fashion bloggers representing the AAPI community in style.

Cary Fukunaga Becomes Instant Emmys Crush

10 Asian American Fashion Bloggers to Follow

The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), a 31-member

coalition of Asian Pacific American organi-zations across the country, issued a state-ment of solidarity with the community of Ferguson, Missouri, and called upon federal officials to review the “ongoing pattern and practice of racial violence and systemic dis-criminatory treatment by law enforcement” in communities of color.

”As people of color and immigrants,” the statement reads, “our own communities’ his-tories in the United States include violence

Asian American Leaders Stand in Solidarity with Ferguson

and targeting, often by law enforcement.” Recent examples include the harassment and surveillance of South Asian, Sikh and Muslim communities after the attacks of September 11th, the targeted attack on a Sikh place of worship in Wisconsin, and the 2006 killing of teenager Fong Lee by a Minneapolis police officer who was later found not guilty.

“We call for justice for Michael Brown, and for all those routinely subjected to profiling, harassment and physical attacks on the streets, in schools and neighborhoods of our nation,” said the NCAPA statement.

Aimee Song of Song of Style

Rumi Neely of Fashion Toast

Wendy Nguyen of Wendy’s Lookbook

6. Chriselle Lim of The Chriselle Factor7. Bryan Yambao of Bryanboy8. Jenn Im of Clothes Encounters9. Eugénie Grey of Feral Creature10. Tommy Lei of MYBELONGING

Olivia Lopez of Lusttforlife

Peter Adrian of The Hobbyists

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By Venerable Master Hsing Yun

Cultivating one day, you gain one day's worth: Not cultivating one day, you gain one

day's waste. Real cultivation is in daily life;

the Buddhist way is in living life.

HUMBLE TABLE, WISE FARE

During the reign of Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty, there was an official called Han Anguo. When he was imprisoned for some

criminal offence, the jailor, Tian Jia, often insulted him. “Who can say for certain,” Han said indignantly, “that dying ashes would never be able to

burn again?” Tian shot back, “Well, they might burn again, but I can piss and put them out. That’s all.”

Not long after that, Han Anguo was released and became an official again. Tian Jia, who learned of what had happened, fled to some other

place for fear that Han might retaliate against him. “If Tian Jia does not come back,” Han said after the former jailor’s flight, “I would have his

whole family exterminated.”

Tian Jia could not but return to his home village and went to Han Anguo to apologize. “Now you can piss,” Han joked, laughing. At this,

Tian’s face turned ghastly pale with fright. He kowtowed again and again, begging for mercy. “Rise to your feet,” Han said. “I’m above

retaliating on a person like you.”

- History of the Han Dynasty

死灰復燃

Calligraphy by Harrison X. Tu Confucius Classroom in Denverwww.chineseamericanpost.net/bmxt

Dying Ashes Burn AgainSaid of a person who falls from power but later gains the upper hand again

Harry Budisidharta

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Think Smart.

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Sunday through Thursday 3:30pm to 9:30pm

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Tickets Available At The Door!

N A N D E S U K A N

DENVER MARRIOTT TECH CENTER

DENVER MARRIOTT TECH CENTER

4900 S. Syracuse Street Denver, CO 80237

4900 S. Syracuse Street Denver, CO 80237

4900 S. Syracuse Street Denver, CO 80237

Sep 12-14 2014

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Tickets Available At The Door!