We recently connected with Sam Prudente, a 2024 People’s Academy for Community Engagement (PACE) participant, to learn about their experience in the program, gaining insight into local government, and shaping community leadership skills. Sam was part of cohort hosted in partnership with Asian Counseling and Referral Services. Meet Sam! What… [ Keep reading ]
Stanley Tsao joined the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods staff as the Community Liaison Program Manager in April 2019. However, prior to officially joining the staff, he served as a Community Liaison himself, supporting various projects in multiple City departments. Stanley grew up in Hong Kong and moved to Vancouver, Canada… [ Keep reading ]
This story originally appeared as an opinion piece in the NW Asian Weekly. by Linda Li, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Community Liaison Traveling has always been my greatest passion. In November 2025, I visited Lugu Lake in southwest China, home to the Mosuo people and their centuries-old matrilineal culture. Surrounded… [ Keep reading ]
Sharing a meal with others feels good. Food has always connected people and has the ability to break down cultural barriers, build connections, and evoke a feeling of wellbeing – both physically and mentally. And that is exactly what the American Polynesian Organization (APO) meal program does each week for hundreds of low-income… [ Keep reading ]
This story originally appeared as an opinion piece in the Seattle Times. by Jenifer Chao, Director of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Almost every day, another headline reminds us that immigration is under attack. Across the country, fear is being weaponized. Immigrants and refugees are portrayed as problems to solve instead… [ Keep reading ]
“I’ve been doing this for so many years that I just envision it, I build it layer by layer, and it comes out the way I want it.” Growing flowers and arranging bouquets is second nature to Lue Thao, a first-generation Hmong flower farmer and owner of Thai Tao Farm…. [ Keep reading ]
East Kong Yick By Elana Lim Twin four-story brick buildings, East and West Kong Yick, were opened as the center of a new Chinatown in 1910.[i] Back then, the 1889 Washington State Constitution forbade “aliens” to own property,[ii] but over 170 Chinese pioneering men found a way to work within… [ Keep reading ]
Did you know that Seattle’s Jackson Street was once home to a thriving after-hours jazz scene? From 1937 and 1951, the street’s corridor between Fifth Avenue South and Fourteenth Avenue South was often bustling with musicians and patrons of all backgrounds ducking in and out of clubs like the Black… [ Keep reading ]
For more than 25 years, Yao Fou Hinh Chao selflessly contributed to the P-Patch community by supporting over 800 immigrant gardeners with backgrounds ranging from Lao, Iu Mien, Vietnamese, Khmu, Hmong, Russian, and Latino. He mentored gardeners in crop rotation, garden planning, fertilization, organic soil practices, soil building, composting, harvesting,… [ Keep reading ]
The City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods (DON) proudly stands as a beacon of community empowerment and positive transformation. Over the past 12 months, DON has been at the forefront of impactful initiatives, contributing significantly to the well-being of our diverse communities. Looking Back Here are some highlights of how… [ Keep reading ]
