by Amanda Sorell
Welcome to a new series: Meet Our Rainmakers!
Rainmakers are readers like you who make regular donations to the Emerald — their contributions help us amplify the authentic voices of the South End, and we couldn’t do it without them.
Continue reading Meet Our Rainmakers: Kaity Cassio Fayeby Kevin Schofield
About a year ago, I wrote about the “Hispanic health paradox”: the effort to understand why the country’s Hispanic population as a whole has better health outcomes than researchers predict based on their levels of household income, education, and insurance coverage. A study concluded that looking at the aggregate numbers for the entire population of Hispanic Americans was burying some disturbing health trends that show up when we look at subgroups.
Continue reading Weekend Reads | What We Learn When We Disaggregate the Data on Asian American Health Outcomesby Agueda Pacheco Flores
When Sasha LaPointe looks at iconic places around Puget Sound, whether it’s downtown Seattle or Elliott Bay, her first thoughts aren’t about how they’re the “birthplace” of Nirvana or Starbucks. No. She thinks of things that aren’t immediately apparent to the non-Native eye.
Continue reading Q&A: Sasha LaPointe Reflects on Belonging and Genocide in ‘Thunder Song’by Nimra Ahmad
Looking out at Be’er Sheva Park recently, a colorful landscape emerges against the dreary Seattle clouds. There’s a cultural stage with blue-accented furniture, a mural on the bathroom exterior in vibrant shades of blue, orange, green, and yellow, and a new waterfront to Lake Washington.
It’s hard to believe that just a few years ago, the lake was inaccessible: Overgrown blackberry bushes blocked views of the lake and a lone picnic table stood by the water.
Continue reading A Community Runs Through It: Restoring Rainier Beach’s Be’er Sheva Parkby Jas Keimig
In the lush greenery of the Central District, a lavender poster on the home-turned-art-gallery Wa Na Wari’s front porch is visible from the sidewalk.
Upon closer inspection, it asks in a giant font, “How you doing?” then beckons, “Come take a seat.” At the bottom of the poster is the poem from which those two lines came — “The Visit” by storyteller and playwright Kathya Alexander.
Continue reading Shin Yu Pai’s Poetry in Place Campaign Brings Poetry to Seattle’s Streetsby Alex Garland
The building at 1101 Airport Way S. sat empty for months before a member of King County Facilities connected with a board member with ties to a 30-year-old pet clinic for low-income and homeless pet owners.
The City has rented a series of buildings and parking lots along Airport Way South, and although a homeless shelter was planned for that location, the neighbors (BMW Seattle, among others) complained, and the building remained empty. Now, a pet clinic for pets owned by Seattle’s unhoused and low-income residents have a place for services.
Continue reading Doney Coe Pet Clinic: King County Steps Up for Seattle’s Petsby Vee Hua 華婷婷
by Nicole Stankovic
In January 2022, Washington State acknowledged the critical role of arts education by passing Senate Bill 5878. Championed by Sen. Christine Rolfes and later modified through bipartisan efforts, the bill mandates regular arts instruction across schools starting in the 2023–24 school year. However, it falls short in one critical aspect: the provision of dedicated funding for its implementation. As the bill’s target school year comes to a close, it’s clear many schools continue to face stretched budgets and have not only struggled to integrate arts education but are also having to cut existing programs. However, instead of viewing the implementation of SB 5878 as unattainable, we should advocate for the funding to support it. In addition to enriching our community and creating secure job opportunities, strengthening arts education can profoundly transform our students’ health.
Continue reading OPINION | Beyond the Score: Funding the Future of Arts Education in Washingtonby Agueda Pacheco Flores
There’s a scene in the movie Problemista when the narrator explains the work visa immigration process in the U.S. When an employer stops sponsoring a worker, that person has a limited amount of time to find a new sponsor before getting deported. In the film, when their time runs out, that person simply fades away wherever they are, doing whatever they may be doing. Everything they were working toward is instantly taken away from them, or, rather, they are taken away from their dreams.
For Alejandro, this is the problem.
Continue reading ‘Problemista’ Captures the Absurdity of the Immigrant Experience in the U.S.by Lauryn Bray
As the City continues to strategize ways to address next year’s $240 million budget deficit, PubliCola reports that a new agreement between Seattle and its largest police union, the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG), will carve out funding for raises of up to 23% for entry-level officers.
The negotiation is just one of many efforts the City has made toward police recruitment and retention; however, even with the new increase in pay, the City of Seattle may still be far from its goal of 1,400 officers.
Continue reading Amidst an Impending Budget Shortfall, SPD Entry-Level Officers May See a Raise in Salary
