B I M O N T H L Y
28 July 2010

Lorenzo Paglinawan, Communications Chair (Virginia ‘12)

ASIAN AMERICAN STUDY

1. I am hoping that my research can later lead to the implementation of specific interventions aimed to increase protective factors and decrease risk factors of sexual coercion which could hopefully lead to reduced rates of sexual coercion within the Asian American population and worldwide hansenk@fit.edu (Survey)

2. In order to participate, you must be Asian or Asian American and be at least 18 years old. If you would like to participate in my study, please click on the link below and you will be directed to my online survey:(Survey)

It takes about 15-20 minutes to complete the survey.  You will receive $10 in VISA gift card

INTERNSHIP

The Asian American Writers’ Workshop (Link)

Minority Business Development Agency
U.S. Department of Commerce Internship

Our agency is currently recruiting interns for the fall of 2010.  Attached please find a listing of our available internships for that time frame.  There are currently (5) offices with internships available and the backgrounds vary depending upon the office.

The process for selection requires that all interested students forward their cover letters, resumes, and writing samples to me at lpurnell@mbda.gov.  I will then forward their applications to the office that they are interested in working for.  If a conditional offer is made, I will contact the student and email them a listing of documents to be completed by either themselves or the school.  Upon receipt of the documents and successful background check, MBDA will extend a firm offer.  Firm offers will NOT be made until completion of a successful background check. We are beginning the recruitment process now to allow enough time for completion of background checks prior to the arrival the student.

Student Eligibility: The prospective student must

1. Be enrolled at least half-time in an accredited institution and recommended by a school official.
2. Be at least 16 years old.
3. Be a United States citizen.
4. Meet the Department’s policy on employment of relatives.
5. Pass a background check & meet security or fitness requirements. (includes fingerprinting)

If there are any questions, please feel free to contact me at (202) 482-3102

OCA National Internship Facebook Fundraiser (Link)

OCA National Center Communications/Membership Intern

Description:
OCA National Center is seeking current undergraduate students interested in a paid internship for Fall 2010 (August-December). The selected intern will work directly with the Member Engagement and Public Policy Program Associate on communications and membership programming.
POSITION AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY. Last day to apply is August 13th.

To apply, submit a cover letter, resume, two references, 500 word writing sample, and graphic design sample if available to Lan Nguyen at lnguyen@ocanational.org or OCA National Center 1322 18th Street NW Washington, DC 20036.

Smithsonian Folklife Festival (Link)

NAAAP National Convention August 12 – 15 (Link)

EDUCATION

Advocates Work To Develop Asian Pacific American-serving Higher Education Sector (Link)

Spreading the Word on Asian American Diversity (Link)

The Model Minority Myth applied to Asian-American Health (Link)

National Asian American, Pacific Islander Advocates and Education Leaders Convene to Address Higher Education Needs of Students (Link)

US High Schools with highest Asian American enrollment (Link)

POLITICS

Kagan: Will she bring diversity to the bench? (Link)

County’s HIV/AIDS efforts criticized (Link)

California Congressman Michael Honda Calls for More Asian American-Themed Stamps (Link)

Asian American Civil Rights Groups Announce Co-Branding (Link)

More Asian Americans Recruited in U.S. Army (Link)

Glenn Beck Attacks the Bad Old Unions: The Chinese Must Go! (Link)

First Chinese American Woman Appointed as Chief of Criminal Division in DA’s Office (Link)

Washington deputy mayor a Filipina (Link)

White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders to Hold News Conference (Link)

Obama pushes to diversify federal courts, but it’s a slow process (Link)

International Acts featuring Hannah Zarate Youtube (Link)

vincent WHO? (Link)

Shyamalan film puts white actors in Asian and Inuit roles (Link)

DramaFever Bringing Hit Filipino Teleseryes to American Viewers (Link)

Jeremy Lin works out with NBA teams (Link)

Steven Low’s one-man show tackles Asian American romance (Link)

Unexpected Harmony (Link)

Do you want your information or suggest any news, events, opportunities that would be beneficial to Asian American awareness?

Email me contact information, website, and a few lines detailing your news at communications@ecaasu.org.

Sincerely,

Advocacy, Events & Conference, News & Videos, Updates, Weeklies

so you ask “What does ECAASU National do?”

and we reply with:

ECAASU TIMELINE OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2009-2010

. . .

Saturday April 18^th, 2009 - Board of Directors member Calvin Sun, travels to New York University to participate in a panel on “Gender Expressions: Breaking the Binary” at the 3^rd annual NYCAASC (NYC Asian American Student Conference)

Wednesday April 22^nd, 2009 – ECAASU National Board 2009-2010 finalized

Tuesdays 10:30pm – Weekly ECAASU National Conference Call Meetings, chaired by National Board Chair Tiff Su

Biweekly – ECAASU Newsletters written and distributed by Communications Chair Kayleigh Huang

Monthly –Conference Liaison Nilam Patel, communicates with the ECAASU 2010 Conference Board at the University of Pennsylvania

Ongoing – Marketing/Outreach Chair Caspar Wang, communicates with multiple colleges around the country to secure conference bids for ECAASU 2011

Saturday April 25^th, 2009 – Board of Directors member Calvin Sun, travels to Columbia University to facilitate workshops on “Asian Americans in the Media” and “Asian American Student Leadership” at their inaugural Crossroads High School Conference

Saturday May 2^nd, 2009 – Conference Crossover Meeting at University of Pennsylvania

Saturday August 1^st, 2009 – Board of Directors member Calvin Sun, travels to New York University to facilitate workshops on “Asian Americans & Sex” and “Shmoozin’ & Boozin’: Social Networking Etiquette 101” at CYI’s (Chinatown Youth Initiative) inaugural Youth Leadership Conference

Saturday September 12^th, 2009 – ECAASU National Board Retreat in New York City

Thursday September 24^th, 2009 – Board of Directors member Calvin Sun, authors a statement of denunciationagainst MTV for racially insensitive portrayals of South Asian dance and its community in the Season 3 “Bollywood Challenge” episode of America’s Best Dance Crew

October 2009 – Board of Directors revises ECAASU Mission Statement and Bylaws.

Friday October 9^th – Saturday October 10^th, 2009 – Board of Directors member Calvin Sun, travels to the University of Florida to deliver the keynote address at SERCAAL (Southeast Regional Conference of Asian American Leaders)

Co-Vice Chair Eugene Mok, and Student Issues Advocacy Chair Clara Ng-Quinn, join Calvin in leading a conference icebreaker and mixer.

Calvin also facilitates 4 workshop sessions on “Asian Americans and Sex” and “How to Walk, Talk, and Dress Like a Baller: Social Networking Etiquette” and performs at the closing ceremony: ECAASU at SERCAAL

Saturday October 10^th, 2009 – National Chair Tiff Su, Outreach Chair Caspar Wang, co-Vice Chair Michelle Horikawa, and Communications Chair Kayleigh Huang travels to Northeastern University to facilitate a workshop on Asian American student leadership at BAASIC (Boston Asian American Student Intercollegiate Conference).

They also organize a general dinner and mixer for conference delegates afterwards. Over 50 people attend.

Saturday October 24^th, 2009 – ECAASU travels to New York City to organize a mixer, free dinner, and afterparty for local Asian American student leadership in the area. Over 60 people from 15 colleges attend.

Monday October 25^th, 2009 – Board of Directors member Calvin Sun, travels to Rutgers University to facilitate a workshop on “Asian American Sex & Sexuality” as part of the Asian Student Council’s speaker series. Over 100 people attend.

November 2009 – Student Issues Advocacy Chair Clara Ng-Quinn, begins to author an ECAASU Hate Crimes Packet as a how-to guide in dealing with incidents of hate crimes on a collegiate campus. This project is still ongoing.

Saturday November 7^th, 2009 – ECAASU travels to Washington, D.C. to organize a mixer, free dinner, and afterparty for local Asian American student leadership in the area. Over 30 people from 10 colleges and high schools attend.

December 2009 – Civil Rights Advocacy Chair Derek Mong, authors an ECAASU Census 2010 Informational Packet

December 2009 – Civil Rights Advocacy Chair Derek Mong, initiates a partnership with APIAVote. In this partnership, APIAVote and ECAASU create a scholarship where students from all over the country are able to attend the ECAASU National Conference for Census 2010 training with all expenses paid

December 2009 – Rutgers University “Native Tongue” interviews Board of Directors member Calvin Sun

Monday December 14^th, 2009 – ECAASU UPenn Conference Bid Team member Justin Ching, authors a statement that demands more dialogue to prevent racial tension regarding the racially-motivated hate crimes against Asian American high school students in Philadelphia.

Tuesday December 29^th, 2009 – Civil Rights Taskforce Advocacy Chair Derek Mong, authors a statement of denunciation against the racially-motivated hate crimes against Asian American high school students in Philadelphia

February 2010 – Board of Director members revises ECAASU Conference Bid Guidelines, with updates including ECAASU National guaranteeing nearly full financial support for the annual National Conference.

Friday February 19^th – Saturday February 20^th, 2010 – National Chair Tiff Su, co-Vice Chair Eugene Mok, and Board of Directors members Allen Pan and Calvin Sun, travel to University of Pennsylvania to oversee final preparations for the 33^rd annual ECAASU National Conference

Saturday February 27^th, 2010 – Board of Directors member Calvin Sun, travels to University of Massachusetts – Amherst to facilitate 2 workshops on “Asian American Female Body Image” and “Shmoozin’ & Boozin’: Social Networking Etiquette 101” at 5PAN (5 College Pan Asian Network Conference)

Sunday February 28^th, 2010 – Board of Directors member Calvin Sun, travels to Columbia University to facilitate a workshops on Gender Stereotypes at the inaugural Break the Silence Conference. ECAASU also co-sponsors the event.

March 2010 – Board of Directors revises and creates a more thorough ECAASU National Board application

March 2010 – Board of Directors revises and creates a more thorough ECAASU Conference Bid application

Thursday March 4^th – Saturday March 6^th, 2010 – ECAASU National Conference at the University of Pennsylvania. Over 1500 people attend.

Saturday March 6^th, 2010 – co-Vice Chair Eugene Mok creates professional working relationship with Quest Crew for future performance opportunities.

March 2010 – National Chair Tiff Su creates professional working relationship with Far East Movement for future performance opportunities.

Monday April 5^th, 2010 – Board of Directors member Calvin Sun, will travel to Rutgers University to facilitate a workshop on “Shmoozin’ & Boozin’: Social Networking Etiquette 101” as part of the Asian Student Council’s speaker series.

Friday April 9^th – Saturday April 10^th, 2010 – Civil Rights Advocacy Chair Derek Mong, will travel to Ohio State University to facilitate workshops on “AAPIs, Census, & Elections: Upping the Ante on Political Empowerment” and “Fill In Our Future: Make AAPIs Count in the 2010 Census” with Jeanette Lee from the AAJC at the 2010 MAASU (Midwest Asian American Student Union) Conference.

Saturday April 10^th, 2010 – Board of Directors member Calvin Sun, will travel to Columbia University to facilitate a workshop on “Are Asian Americans Sexy?” at the 2^nd annual Crossroads Conference

Friday April 16^th – Saturday April 17^th, 2010 – Board of Directors member Calvin Sun, will travel to the University of Virginia to deliver the keynote address at the inaugural PURSUIT (Passionately Unite, Respect, Serve, Understand, Initiate Together) conference on social activism and global issues.

Calvin will deliver a separate keynote address at the closing ceremony of the DiAPAson Asian American Leadership Retreat at the University of Virginia

co-Vice Chair Michelle Horikawa will join Calvin in leading a conference icebreaker and mixer.

Calvin will facilitate 2 workshop sessions on Racial Profiling and Affirmative Action and will perform at the opening ceremony.

2 things:

and

Do it.

Advocacy, Events & Conference, Op-Ed, Press about ECAASU, Updates accomplishments, done, ecaasu, list, of, we've, what

Imagine this. It’s six in the morning and, like the other couple thousand kids in the city, you hit the snooze button a couple of times instinctively before finding yourself on the verge of being late to your first class. You get up and get ready for school, groggily nibble a slice of stale toast, and head out the door to your seven o’clock French class. Backpack pressed tightly against your school sweatshirt with lunch bag in hand, you stride quickly down the street, careful not to bump into anyone while overtaking the early-morning dog-walker. You know it will be a long day, but you also know that one day it will all pay off. You know that, if you work hard enough, anything is possible.

On the way to school, you encounter a gang of students—all bigger than you. You think about turning around, and, just as you do, one of the students elbows you in the face until your nose starts to bleed. Another punches you in the eye until it’s so swollen that you can’t see out of it anymore. You feel a knee to your stomach, a hard blow to your back. Soon enough, you are being kicked and stampeded on by a group of students, and all you can think about is why you had to get up that morning, but the thought doesn’t last long. Upon trying to open your eyes, you get a glimpse at the splattered blood, now seeping into the cracked pavement tiles. You try to yell for help, but nobody can hear your cries. All you can do is suffer and wait. All you can do is hope that it will be over so you don’t get a detention for being late to your seven o’clock French class. You mumble to yourself: pourquoi est-ce qui m’arrive?

Sound like the plot to the latest blockbuster movie? Maybe, but you would be wrong. In fact, the story just recounted became the norm for an unfortunate group of students at South Philadelphia High School. Sadly, on December 3, 2009, a gang of students viciously attacked twenty-six of their classmates over the course of a single school day. No arrests were made; only ten students were suspended. No formal charges were filed. The victims were all of Asian descent.

Read more…

Advocacy, Events & Conference, News & Videos discrimination, hate crimes, philly, racial, south philadelphia high schol, violence

Only One Hundred Days Left Until Census 2010!

Finals are over and the holidays are finally here! As we finish wrapping our presents and get ready to make those super-ambitious New Year’s Resolutions, don’t forget that there are only one hundred short days until Census Day! At ECAASU National, we urge you to remind your family, friends, and neighbors about the importance of this Census!

If you’ve suddenly forgotten why should you care about the Census, no worries! Remember that…

1. 1. Census participation is an important civil rights issue! Much like staying home from the polls on Election Day, failing to complete the Census severely restricts the growth and progress of our AAPI neighborhoods and communities.
2. 2. Census participation determines how federal funding for communities is allocated. Each year, over $300 billion dollars in federal funding is appropriated based, in part, on demographic information obtained from the census.
3. 3. Census results determine how you are represented in Congress. Results are used to calculate how many representatives from a state will serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.
4. 4. Government, businesses and community based organizations use census data to allocate money, resources and services for the community.

Our partner program with APIAVote, the Youth Census Advocacy Project (YCAP) has been gearing up for the Census by working on contacting campus groups, community organizations, and other AAPI organizations in preparation for our final push. We are currently preparing for pledge-drives (much like voter registration drives), phone-banks, public service announcements, and much more!

We encourage all Asian American campus groups to get involved in this important effort to combat the undercounting of the Asian American community! It’s easy to get involved! All you have to do is visit the YCAP campaign website at: http://www.apiavote.org/ycap and click on “How to Get Involved,” then fill out a quick form that will take no more than a minute.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at civilrights@ecaasunational.org.

Advocacy

Excerpts from Calvin D. Sun’s (ECAASU Board of Director) Keynote Address at SERCAAL

University of Florida

Saturday, October 10th

9:00 A.M. EST

Calvin Sun speaks at SERCAAL

SERCAAL might have made a terrible mistake by inviting me because I don’t belong here. How many of you are between the ages of 21 to 23? OK, half of you in this room probably are just as young as I am. Note that your keynote speaker before me was highly renowned new media designer and filmmaker, Lina Hoshino. She has been making films for 15 years; 15 years ago I was 7 years old and watching the Power Rangers. Your keynote addresses later today will be delivered by Jim Toy, longtime community activist since 1971 — which is 15 years before I even existed — and Dr. Sethna, the first person of Indian origin to serve as the President of an American University. Me? I’m just proud to be first person of Chinese origin to serve as mascot of my high school swim team. The Trinity Tunafish.

It just so happens that I’ve been incredulously asked to be one of your keynote speakers and all I can do is acknowledge how awesome you guys are — not as a mentor or an advisor 20 years ahead of you, but as a peer. You made a big step just by being here and you should all applaud yourselves for taking such an initiative.

. . .

I grew up in a predominantly Caucasian neighborhood in New York City. At home, I toiled under the strict Chinese values of my parents while at the same time I took on the lifestyle of American living. However, both sides still viewed me as the odd one out. I was the Americanized bastard son at home and I was the token Asian guy at school. To make matters worse, both sides thought my eyes were too small. I didn’t fit in anywhere and I was sad. Like a platypus. . . . Then high school where I transferred to Trinity School. I remember my first meeting with the Asian American club and saw that the only thing they did was have dinners and touch each other. In fact, the name of the group was the “Asian Appreciation Club.” What the hell are you supposed to do in an “appreciation” club? “Look, there’s Asian lookin’ folk here, let’s appreciate them!” Think how awful it was to be marginalized without having even a cool name for our club.

. . .

Back in the early winter of 2002, my older brother from the Bay Area sent me a trailer for Justin Lin’s Better Luck Tomorrow. With my crappy 56k modem — remember those days? — I waited 2 hours for a 5 minute trailer to load. And then I saw the images. Young Asian American faces, speaking fluent English and being tough. They were flirting, they were kissing, and they were in high school. I didn’t know what the movie was about and frankly I didn’t care. Here was a film with major American studio backing that was showing off young Asian American talent in non-stereotypical roles.

Within a week, I started hijkacking the Asian Appreciation meetings and started hyping up the film. I called up friends at other high schools and told them to rile up their local Asian American clubs. And if they could, they should talk to their friends and their friends of friends. In all of this, I learned that simple genuine enthusiasm will get people to listen, as long as you’re not drunk. Once they’re sold, they’ll start doing the work for you. Within 2 months, I had a list that plateaued at 300 high school and college students and a handful of New York City theaters wanting to do business with us.

I decided to settle for the AMC Empire in Times Square who offered us their biggest theater . . . but on the condition that we could sell out all 600 seats. If I failed, I would be banned from ever coming back. So did I tell the manager that I was a junior in high school and I had never done this before? You bet your [redacted] I didn’t. I took the risk and tried to figure out how I could fill the last 300 seats.

. . .

And on Saturday April 12^th, 2003, I can safely say 600 Asian Americans and their friends attended a sold out screening in Times Square. The director, Justin Lin, who now directs the Fast & the Furious movies and indie flicks like Finishing the Game, came out along with Sung Kang, Parry Shen, and Julie Asato herself.  And it was partly because of our screening and other similar efforts on the East Coast that Better Luck Tomorrow made the highest average ticket sales per screen than any other big-budgeted Hollywood film that weekend, including the Adam Sandler/Jack Nicholson hit Anger Management which opened on that same weekend. (and just to compare: Anger Management made $11,889 per screen while Better Luck Tomorrow made $27,751 per screen).

For a 16 year old high school junior, that night taught me two things. First, I didn’t do it because I consciously wanted to represent Asian American pride; before this I had no experience with Asian American issues. I did it because I just felt I had to. There was no other choice for me. I saw a cast that looked exactly me and I felt that was enough to become part of a groundbreaking movement. And it was after this screening when I knew for fact I identified myself as an Asian American and I was proud of it. The second thing? I learned that it doesn’t matter how old you are to get [redacted] done. Passion knows no age limits.

. . .

Each of us in this very room is capable of doing great things. By the very nature of being here, as part of an Asian American community, the chance for us to succeed is multiplied. The next Kal Penn or Helen Zia could be you, you, or you. All it matters is discovering that passion and seizing the opportunities. And I think that by all of you being here today, a little bit of that passion is coming out.

. . .

How many of you here identify yourselves as East Asian? Southeast Asian? How about South Asian? Notice that the proportions here are drastically skewed. It is the unfortunate fault of both the establishment and ourselves that we have come to accept the notion of Asian American to refer to really, East Asian American. Well, we NEED our South Asian brothers and sisters in this fight. Without them, we only hurt ourselves.

[In working with the South Asian American community] I got to discover many new ways of outreach and bridge building while promoting the goals of the Asian American sociopolitical movement. Diversifying the face of what it means to be Asian American only gains you even greater support because it grants a legitimacy to the fact that we’re not a self-interested or exclusive community. So to the South Asians, we told them: your fight is our fight.

. . .

I realized that by being self-exclusive, we lose potential allies that can tip the scales in our favor. That’s where student government came in. I admit, I ran for student government back when I was a freshman because I thought it was the cool thing to do. (But l was also a tool). When I got elected, I was pretty much the only Asian American on student council. I felt a little whitewashed at that moment, but instead of just going along with it, I decided to change the game. I fought hard to encourage other Asian American students to step outside of their shells and run for class president or vice president. Even though some of us may have negative attitudes about student government, being on it gains you constant, daily access to the University administration and allows you to send class e-mails to the entire student body. Do you know how much good work you can accomplish with that?

. . .

I was just one person and despite my efforts, being on student council still made me part of the establishment. How could fellow student activists trust me if I represented a University administration that historically were so neglectful of issues like ethnic studies? I don’t have a clear cut solution to this problem because there really isn’t any. They were right; the reason activism exists is because it highlights something unjust with the status quo that needs to be fixed. I was representing that status quo by being on student government. But at the same time, nothing can be fixed unless we have allies within the establishment listening to us.

. . .

I want to stress the danger of being too activisty to the point where you become blind to the opportunities that present themselves when they take the form of allies that will be surprisingly — part of the establishment. If you start drawing the lines in the sand, it becomes Us vs. Them. People can’t work together in that environment. Although sometimes that method is necessary if there’s no other recourse, most times it’s overly combative. So if you refuse to listen to people because of their titles or the organizations that they represent, you yourself will contradict everything that you’re fighting for. Nobody will want to hear you out; nobody will want to work with you. So you can yell loud and proud, but don’t forget to listen. Sometimes the unlikeliest of allies might be the opposition and sometimes it takes working with the opposition to change it from within.

. . .

The important thing to realize is that we are on the right side of history. But most importantly, we’re also on the same side. That includes other students of color, students of all religions, white students, yes even the South Asian students and student government. You can find a kernel of hope in each of these communities if you try. All you have to do is to appeal to their ability to listen, so they can empathize with our struggles as Asian Americans. Befriend them, party with them, buy them a beer, gain their trust, and then not only will they be willing to work with you, but they will want to work with you. And if all else fails, join their community and see what you can do from the inside. Run for student council, join the bhangra team, enlist in the Black Students Organization. Because we have the responsibility to take a proactive role in trying something out of the box when something isn’t working, because frankly, we got nothing to lose except our egos. And what better way to shatter a stereotype and prove our confidence when we become future Asian American leaders.

Another misconception of activism is associating it with constant negativity. You can protest something all you want, that’s great, but without making an equal effort in positively supporting Asian Americans, like their presence in the mass media, you’re gonna end up looking like a group of Debbie-Downers. People don’t like working with Debbie-Downers. We’d rather work with glue-sniffing teletubbies than Debbie-Downers. That’s because we’re all naturally drawn to enthusiasm of positive activism. And positive activism is still activism.

. . .

There are just so many ways to get involved without being so angry and losing 15 pounds. You just have to find those ways.

. . .

And for the minority of you out there who are at SERCAAL but don’t feel the activist vibes stirring within you, I’m gonna warn you all about the plagues of complacency. You all may be great leaders at whatever you do, but don’t forget you’re a leader because you’re serving a community, a constituency, a group of people, and never yourself. So what’s just as bad as an inability to listen to potential allies is the inability to care for the allies that we already have. Being aware of this, remember this quote by Peter Drucker: “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” That quote is so sexy I wish I could take credit for it.

. . .

So I like to impress upon you 3 things today: Find your passion, understand that potential achievements have no age limits, and think outside the box when working with communities outside your comfort zone. If we are able to stand united and commit to those ideals, our achievements will be remembered sooner than we think.

. . .

So to the ladies and gentlemen of SERCAAL: Know why you are here. Know that you are needed. Know that you are capable. You all have what it takes to do great great things. Our community is sorely in need of Asian American leaders like you. We can’t look anywhere else for help because the spotlights are on us. And we’re going to tell the world that we’re here and we’re not going anywhere.

I tell you this not as someone who’s a generation or two ahead of you, but as a companion who’s going through the exact same things as you’re going through. I’m right there with you, guys. So expect me to stay in the good fight. Because I hope to be working with all of you someday, maybe even as soon as tomorrow. And, I’m looking forward to that. Thank you SERCAAL so much for your time and thank you for having me!

Calvin Sun speaks at SERCAAL

Delivered by ECAASU Board of Director, Calvin D. Sun, at 9:00AM, Saturday October 10th at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.

Advocacy, Events & Conference, Fun Stuff, News & Videos, Op-Ed, Uncategorized, Updates

***TONIGHT, 6pm: “Asian Americans in Public Service” forum at Columbia University – Altchul Auditorium in the SIPA building on 116th Street and Amsterdam in Manhattan, NYC.

The Panel speakers are Kevin Kim, John Choe, Swaranjit Singh, Sandra Ung, and PJ Kim.

See you there!

Advocacy, Events & Conference, Uncategorized, Updates

President Obama signed an executive order reestablishing the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders today, and he gave a little speech. Just read this, or at least watch his speech on this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VRb9lGjeFY

….If you have identified yourself as an Asian American all your life, you can’t help but be moved when he speaks about the importance of the AAPI community in the United States. It’s especially moving when he talks about the dangers of the model minority myth and how the data collection on our communities have been sorely limited. Never before have I heard something like this in recent memory on such a large scale.

More work needs to be done, yes, but this is truly a memorable step for us. Let’s not forget that we are currently riding a wave of progress and it’s our responsibility to get as much involved as possible. Don’t look back one day and feel like you missed out on a historic movement, especially when it was right in front of your face.

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT AAPI INITIATIVE EXECUTIVE ORDER SIGNING AND DIWALI EVENT

East Room

3:46 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Well, good afternoon, everybody. Please be seated. Welcome to the White House. I’m glad you could join us today as I proudly sign this executive order reestablishing the President’s Advisory Commission and White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders.

Now, when we talk about America’s AAPI communities, we’re talking about the industry and entrepreneurship of people who’ve helped build this nation for centuries: from the early days, as laborers on our railroads and farmers tilling our land, to today, as leaders in every sector of American life, from business to science to academia, law and more.

We’re talking about the creative energies of musicians like the singers Penn Masala — we appreciate them — who performed today. And we’re talking about the competitive spirit of athletes like Wat Misaka, who played for the New York Knicks back in 1947 — the first non-white player in the NBA — and who served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Mr. Misaka is here as well today and — where’s Mr. Misaka? There he is. Thank you so much. (Applause.)

We’re talking about the public service of leaders like Secretaries Gary Locke and Steven Chu and Eric Shinseki and the folks on stage with me today. And we’re talking about the courage and the patriotism and sacrifice of heroes like the members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team who served in World War II, including Terry Shima. Please give him a big round of applause. (Applause.) Mr. Shima is the Executive Director of the Japanese American Veterans Association, and we are grateful that he took the time to be here today.

Some of their families had been interned. Some had been interned themselves. But they still insisted on fighting for America, and went on to become the most highly decorated unit of their size in history.

And one member of the regiment, Private Jake Kirihara, whose parents were held in a camp here in America while he fought overseas, later said: “… even though this wrong was done to us, there was never any question whether America was my country. If America needed me to help, I’ll do it.”

So this proud tradition of service continues today in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the world, carried on by folks like Tammy Duckworth, my dear friend who’s here today. (Applause.) Tammy is a decorated member of our National Guard, a passionate advocate for our wounded warriors, who is now serving as our Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs at the Veterans Affairs Department. I’m proud to have her on board and pleased that she could join us today.

And on a personal note, when I talk about America’s AAPI communities, I’m talking about my own family: my sister, Maya; my brother-in-law, Konrad; my beautiful nieces, Suhaila and Savita; and the folks I grew up with in Indonesia, and in Honolulu, as part of the Hawai’ian Ohana, or family.

Our AAPI communities have roots that span the globe, but they embody a rich diversity, and a story of striving and success that are uniquely American.

But focusing on all of these achievements doesn’t tell the whole story, and that’s part of why we’re here. It’s tempting, given the strengths of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, for us to buy into the myth of the “model minority,” and to overlook the very real challenges that certain Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are facing: from health disparities like higher rates of diabetes and Hepatitis B; to educational disparities that still exist in some communities — high dropout rates, low college enrollment rates; to economic disparities — higher rates of poverty in some communities, and barriers to employment and workplace advancement in others.

Some Asian American and Pacific Islanders, particularly new Americans and refugees, still face language barriers. Others have been victims of unthinkable hate crimes, particularly in the months after September 11th — crimes driven by ignorance and prejudice that are an affront to everything that this nation stands for.

And then there are the disparities that we don’t even know about because our data collection methods still aren’t up to par. Too often, Asian American and Pacific Islanders are all lumped into one category, so we don’t have accurate numbers reflecting the challenges of each individual community. Smaller communities in particular can get lost, their needs and concerns buried in a spreadsheet.

And that’s why I’m signing this executive order today, reestablishing the advisory commission and White House initiative created by President Clinton 10 years ago. Because when any of our citizens — (applause) — when any of our citizens are unable to fulfill their potential due to factors that have nothing to do with their talent, character, or work ethic, then I believe there’s a role for our government to play. Not to guarantee anybody’s success or to solve everybody’s problems, but to ensure that we’re living up to our nation’s ideals; to ensure that we can each pursue our own version of happiness, and that we continue to be a nation where all things are still possible for all people. That’s the impact that our government can have.

It’s the impact of a Small Business Administration that offers loans to Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs whose small businesses sustain so many communities around the country. It’s the impact of a Department of Health and Human Services that funds research on the diseases that disproportionately affect Asian American and Pacific Islander families. It’s the impact of a Justice Department that upholds the Voting Rights Act and its promise of language assistance and equal access to the polls. And it’s the impact of evidence-based research and data collection and analysis on AAPI communities — so that no one is invisible to their government.

All of that is the mission of this initiative and commission — to work with 23 agencies and departments across our government to improve the health, education, and economic status of AAPI communities. The initiative and commission will be housed in the Department of Education, and they’ll be co-chaired by Secretaries Arne Duncan and Secretary Gary Locke, both of whom have devoted their lives to promoting opportunity for all our citizens.

And I think it’s fitting that we begin this work in the week leading up to the holiday of Diwali — the festival of lights — when members of some of the world’s greatest faiths celebrate the triumph of good over evil.

This coming Saturday, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists, here in America and around the world, will celebrate this holiday by lighting Diyas, or lamps, which symbolize the victory of light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. And while this is a time of rejoicing, it’s also a time for reflection, when we remember those who are less fortunate and renew our commitment to reach out to those in need.

While the significance of the holiday for each faith varies, all of them mark it by gathering with family members to pray and decorate the house and enjoy delicious food and sweet treats. And in that spirit of celebration and contemplation, I am happy to light the White House Diya, and wish you all a Happy Diwali, and a Saal Mubarak. (Applause.)

(The White House Diya is lit.) (Applause.)

Now I’m going to sign this bill — sign this order.

(The executive order is signed.)

All right. There we go. (Applause.)

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One of my friends passed along an interesting article that appeared in the latest edition of the Economist. It’s a pretty quick and easy read, so definitely take a glimpse when you get a chance. It begins to touch base on why the census is such an important issue and how monumental the task of counting every American truly is.

http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13832403

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As the premier Asian American student conference and a longstanding national advocacy organization for the past 30 years, the East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU) has been responsible for highlighting the relevant issues and providing a voice to Asian Americans across the country.

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Check out these two Asian Americans:

Eric Shinseki is President-Elect Obama’s pick for Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He is a Japanese-American born in Hawaii, and also the first Asian American four-star general! A hearty congratulations and a pat on the back for our man Eric is in order.

Plus, he’s well known for testifying about the number of troops required to stabilize Iraq in Congress, then enduring Donald Rumsfeld calling him a fool and being forced to resign and retire ,and then sticking it to Rumsfeld as well as getting “I told you so!” bragging rights when he turned out to be right in the end. Power to you, my man.

Also, congratulations to Anh “Joseph” Cao, for winning the Congressional seat in Louisiana, 2nd district! He won in a district that is majority black, and he’s the first Vietnamese-American to be elected to Congress. Please raise your glasses to him, ladies and gents.

This liberal ECAASUer is, however, saddened that Cao is a Republican (*sniff* why can’t they all be perfect?), but then again, the alternative for that district is far worse. Former Rep. William J. Jefferson, who held the seat since 1991, was kind of a douchebag who loved his bribes after all.

So, cheers to seeing more Asian American faces in our dear ol’ federal government. We await more in the future. Obama, we’re watching you! (Watching lovingly, of course.)

And in more governmental gossip…not everything is going smoothly for Obama’s assembling cabinet. Bill Richardson, the Latino governor of New Mexico and former Secretary of Energy in Clinton’s administraiton, withdrew from Obama’s nomination for Secretary of Commerce. He cited an ongoing federal grand jury investigation as his reason that he fears will distract from Obama’s administration.

That’s all very nice and protective of Richardson and all, but does anyone else remember the Wen Ho Lee scandal? He was one of the oh so friendly people in the government who cruelly scapegoated Taiwanese-American Lee of espionage in 1999, and never really apologized for it afterward. Yeah, he’s not that nice and cuddly.

Lastly, happy 2009!

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