Sushi & Sake Fest
Hundreds of people gathered for the annual, highly-anticipated Sushi & Sake Fest at the Westin Hotel on Nov. 9. The event was a benefit for Densho, a project that works to preserve the testimonies of Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during World War II in interment camps. Over 13 restaurants and a dozen vendors participated this year, pleasing the crowds with dishes like salmon nigiri and green lip mussels and top-notch sake. “The idea was to create an event to come together and celebrate,” said Densho Executive Director Tom Ikeda. “This event supports Densho, but it’s also a chance to celebrate with a broader community.” To learn more about Densho, go to www.densho.org and visit their learning center and digital archive, which contains more than 500 hours of interviews and visual histories of war-time Japanese Americans.
ICHS Medical & Dental Clinic celebrates 10 years
Clinic Director Yuwei Feng greets Anniversary Celebration guests. Celebrating 10 years of service in South Seattle at its Holly Park Medical & Dental Clinic, International Community Health Services (ICHS) had an open house on Nov. 14. The open house was held at the clinic, located on the second floor of 3815 South Othello St. The new Holly Park Medical & Dental Clinic opened its doors and welcomed its first patients in January of 2005.
New directors at OCA and JACL national offices
Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) announced that Dr. Michael C. Lin is the new OCA executive director. Lin has been an OCA member for over 25 years and is retiring after 30 years at the National Institutes of Health where his last position was as a program director responsible for nurturing and funding cutting edge research in the cardiovascular field.
Lin was also OCA National President from 1995 to 1998, where during his tenure OCA spearheaded a national voter registration campaign, co-sponsored by 18 other prominent national Asian Pacific American organizations. Under his leadership, OCA also convened the historic APA Leadership Summits, attended by the top community leaders and major civic organizations across the nation, to address issues confronting the Asian American community. He expanded OCA’s education initiatives, including the highly popular internship program which provides opportunities for college students to work in the Congress, various federal agencies, non-profit organizations and at the OCA National Headquarters.
“OCA would also like to thank outgoing Executive Director Dorothy Wong for her leadership, dedication and belief in OCA,” said OCA National President Ginny Gong. “She has contributed to OCA’s strategic direction and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors as she returns to the Pacific West Coast.”
In other news, former California State Assemblyman, S. Floyd Mori, has been named Interim National Director of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) by National President Larry Oda.
Oda received the unanimous concurrence of the National Board to appoint Mori to assume the duties of National Director John Tateishi. Tateishi had resigned from the post in June but remained at his post until his successor was named.
Sue Taoka and Diane Narasaki receive awards
Fannie Mae Foundation has named Sue Taoka, Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDPDA) executive director, a 2007 James A. Johnson Community Fellow. This program recognizes and rewards leading community development and affordable housing professionals by allowing them to pursue personal and professional goals through a grant. This year, a committee selected six fellows from over 60 applicants from 25 states.
The Johnson Fellowship Program provides each Fellow with a $70,000 grant and a stipend of up to $20,000 for travel and other education-related expenses. In addition to the Fellow’s stipend, the nonprofit organization with which the Fellow is associated — through paid or volunteer employment — may receive a grant of up to $25,000 for transitional costs related to the Fellow’s temporary absence.
In other awards, Bank of America presented its Neighborhood Excellence awards, including one of its Local Hero Awards to Diane Narasaki, at a ceremony on Nov. 8 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. In addition to the recognition, Narasaki, executive director at Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS), received $5,000 for ACRS.
The award committee praised Narasaki’s ability to work strategically and build alliances..
