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Balitang America: Filipinos Unite for Pinoys Running for CA Senate

April 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The below is a reposting of “FILIPINOS UNITE FOR KABABAYANS RUNNING FOR CA ASSEMBLY” about Rob Bonta who we endorse as candidate for the California State Assembly District 18 (Alameda, Oakland, San Leandro). We also note the segment on Balitang America about his campaign.

FILIPINO UNITE FOR PINOYS RUNNING FOR CA SENATE

By Henni Espinosa, ABS-CBN North America Bureau

April 13, 2012

OAKLAND, Calif. – It is a political feat Filipinos have yet to achieve. No Filipino has ever won the California assembly or senate seat. But all that could change this coming June election.

Three Filipinos are runing for the assembly seat in different districts — Alameda Vice Mayor Rob Bonta, Lathrop Vice-Mayor Chris Mateo and the Alameda County Status of Women Commissioner, Dr. Jennifer Ong.

Having three Filipinos vie for higher office has brought Republicans and Democrats together for a common cause: Get them elected.

Last night, the Asian Pacific Islander Public Affairs Association hosted a town hall debate featuring Bonta and two other candidates from his district, Abel Guillen and Joel Young.

Filipino community leaders from both Republican and Democratic parties were there to support him.

Charito Benipayo, API State Chair for the Republican Party said, “I believe he can do it and he can represent Filipino Americans.”

Fel Amistad, Chair of the FilAm Democratic Club of San Mateo County said, “Our community should be behind him.”

The Manila-born Filipino-American is the current Vice-Mayor of Alameda. Throughout his career in public service, the 40-year old Bonta said he has advocated for California’s public schools, fought to prevent layoffs of firefighters and police officers and foster economic development.

Bonta, candidate for the 18th Assembly District said, “It is an exciting time to break once and for all a glass ceiling that’s been there for far too long and I’m hoping to do that with the support of the entire Filipino community.”

But other non-Filipino candidates like Joel Young said, it may not always be about the same ethnicity. He said, “I certainly feel that as long as someone is coming to the table, with their heart and coming to the table with their mind, then they can adequately represent a whole diverse group of people.”

For politicians, the Filipino community could be a goldmine of votes. There are an estimated 300,000 Filipinos in the San Francisco Bay Area and neighboring counties, ranking second to the Chinese in total population among API communities.

There is power in Filipino American votes. Reports show that in the last 12 years, California’s registered voters increased by 1.3 million, all from ethnic groups.

You may contact Henni Espinosa at henni_espinosa@abs-cbn.com for more information.

Filed Under: 2011-2012 Campaign, California, The Editors

21st Asia Business Conference at Harvard Business School: Rising Tide: Asia Lifts the World

April 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Asia Business Conference at Harvard Business School: 21st logo: Rising Tide: Asia Lifts the World

Asia Business Conference 2012 invites all Asian American Action Fund member and fans to the 21st annual Asia Business Conference at Harvard Business School. It will be held on Saturday, April 14.

This year’s conference theme is “Rising Tide: Asia Lifts the World.” As advanced economies around the world continue to recover from the Global Financial Crisis, Asia’s consumers continue to drive global demand in everything from commodities to the travel industry. Benefiting both emerging homegrown champions and established multinational firms, driving retail expansion and cross-border dealmaking, the tastes and spending of 2.3 billion Asian consumers are now central not just to the region but to the direction of global business, law and markets. Join us to hear what prominent business leaders from Asia are thinking about these important issues.

Confirmed keynote speakers include:

  • Mr. Jose Isidro Camacho, Vice Chairman of Credit Suisse Asia Pacific and former Secretary of Finance of the Philippines
  • Mr. Richard Cashin, Managing Partner of OneEquity Partners
  • Mr. Yongmaan Park, Chairman of the Doosan Group
  • Mr. Vishal Bali, CEO of Fortis Healthcare

Panel topics will include Capital Markets, Energy, Entrepreneurship, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Healthcare, Private Equity, Project Finance, Urban Design, Technology and more.

For more information:

Filed Under: 2011-2012 Campaign

Marion Barry Won’t Apologize for Anti-Racist Comment

April 6, 2012 By 2 Comments

crack job Marion Barry Got to do something about those Asians

To add some context to Organizations Condemn Councilmember Marion Barry’s Statements Regarding Asian Businesses, the quote is

We got to do something about these Asians coming in and opening up businesses and dirty shops,” Barry said. “They ought to go. I’m going to say that right now. But we need African-American businesspeople to be able to take their places, too.

(Marion Barry Asian Remarks Create Stir; Mayor, Council Colleagues Condemn Comments)

Read more on the story at

Now for my personal take. Naturally, I’m also personally outaged at Barry’s hateful remarks. His dangerous and hateful remarks, especially as a publically elected DC Councilmember is pathetic. That says something about those who elected him, too, in case a pass.

Speaking of a pass, his friends and supporters say that his years of service to the city means he should get a pass. Yeah right, stirring up racial hatred gets a pass? Come on, ridiculous, I don’t need to write out my thoughts on that. Even more arrogantly, they demand an apology from the media. Don’t pull a Palin, Barry.

The DC Office of Asian Pacific Islander Affairs which Barry helped to create and that he as Mayor was a proponent of hiring AAPIs into DC government are commendable BUT for him to target a community, regardless of whether it’s ours or any other, and to speak hatefully and prejudically requires not just an honest apology but punishment. Don’t be fooled by the exterior. I’ve written for years about those who use something to excuse their personal flaws, like Christians who abuse Christianity to hate gays. We know better. Barry’s drug-wheeling, corrupt, woman-using self speaks for itself.

Don’t elect such hate-filled types this election like his supporters did. Do your research. If you’re unable or too lazy to research yourself, then post a comment here and we’ll do it for you. We enjoy such work. Progressives believe in an inclusive, diverse, and progressive America which works together to solve problems with all parties at the table to create a meaningful resolution. Not the politician with the cheapest soundbyte.

– Richard Chen

Filed Under: 2011-2012 Campaign, Anti-AA Violence, Civil Rights/Liberties, Richard Chen, States

Organizations Condemn Councilmember Marion Barry’s Statements Regarding Asian Businesses

April 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The AAA-Fund is a signatory to the “Organizations Condemn Councilmember Marion Barry’s Statements Regarding Asian Businesses (April 5, 2011):

Organizations Condemn Councilmember Marion Barry’s Statements Regarding Asian Businesses (April 5, 2011)

by Public Demands Marion Barry Apologize to APA Community on Thursday, April 5, 2012 at 8:51pm ·
http://bit.ly/aapi-mbarry
As members of local and national organizations committed to advancing and protecting the rights of individuals of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in the United States, the undersigned organizations condemn District of Columbia Councilmember Marion Barry’s recent remarks regarding Asian-owned businesses at a campaign event in Washington, DC. On April 3, at his Ward 8 primary election victory party, Councilmember Barry made the following statement, “We got to do something about these Asians coming in and opening up businesses and dirty shops … They ought to go. I’m going to say that right now.” Given Councilmember Barry’s previous commitment to civil rights, we are particularly disappointed by these comments. While Councilmember Barry has recently indicated that he was “sorry for offending the Asian community,” we call upon him to provide a sincere apology and ensure meaningful engagement with our communities to improve the well-being of all individuals in the District.

Councilmember Barry’s statement is of serious concern because it undermines the notion that developing the District of Columbia’s economy and neighborhoods is in the interest of all communities, regardless of national origin or ethnic background. Numerous institutions, from small businesses to non-profit organizations, as well as individuals, provide vital services and job opportunities, contribute their tax dollars, and engage in civic and political life within the city. Within the District of Columbia, according to 2007 data, Asians own 5.9% of businesses, joining other communities in strengthening the economy. Rather than acknowledging and appreciating the contributions that Asian businesses, alongside other racial and ethnic communities, have made to the city, Councilmember Barry’s remarks appear to fan the flames of racial divisions and imply that Asian Americans are not invested in developing a robust economy that benefits all residents.

Our organizations are also extremely concerned that remarks such as these can perpetuate stereotypes of Asians taking jobs away from other Americans, which can fuel racism and animosity towards community members. In fact, individuals of Asian descent are frequently blamed for the economic woes that this country has faced when perceptions are fostered that our community is thriving in this economy at the expense of other minority communities with whom we work and live alongside.

In light of these concerns, we call upon Councilmember Barry to provide a meaningful apology and officially retract his statement; refrain from engaging in harmful rhetoric regarding Asian and other immigrant communities; and develop meaningful relationships with our communities in the District of Columbia to understand the contributions and challenges of community members. Our organizations also view this as a prime opportunity to work with Mayor Vincent Gray and Councilmembers on the “One City, One Future” initiative. We look forward to proactively identifying next steps that we can take together to continue to create more diverse and growing economy for all residents.

Local Endorsing Organizations
Asian American LEAD (AALEAD)
Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington DC Area
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance – DC Chapter (APALA-DC)
Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC)
Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Co
DC Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Caucus
KhushDC
Korean American Drycleaners Association
Korean American Grocers Association of Greater Washington DC (KAGRO-DC)
Many Languages One Voice
National Organization of Vietnamese American Leaders of Greater Washington DC
Network of South Asian Professionals (NetSAP DC)
South Asian American Bar Association – DC (SABA-DC)
Washington Area Liquor Retailers Association (WALRA)

National Endorsing Organizations
APIAVote
Asian American Action Fund
Asian American Justice Center, Member of Asian American Center for Advancing Justice
Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS)
Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF)
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)
Council of Korean Americans
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC)
National Asian Pacific American Center on Aging (NAPCA)
National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse (NAPAFASA)
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)
National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD)
OCA
Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
Southeast Asia Action Resource Center (SEARAC)

For further information or inquiries, contact Sapna Pandya, Executive Director of Many Languages One Voice at or 202-621-0001.

Join their Facebook Page to get updates on this coordinated campaign and for more on the story.

Filed Under: 2011-2012 Campaign, Anti-AA Violence, Civil Rights/Liberties, Local Politics, States, The Editors

SEIU Endorses Mark Takano for Congress

April 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: The SEIU has joined us in supporting Mark Takano for Congress!

Mark Takano Endorsed by Service Employees International Union

Riverside, California – Mark Takano’s campaign for Congress today announced that his candidacy has been endorsed by the Service Employees International Union, one of the most active and important organizations in America’s labor movement.

“Mark Takano is a teacher who was born and raised in Riverside County and is grounded in the real concerns of our communities,” said Barbara Washington-Knight, an SEIU member and registered nurse from Moreno Valley. “We need good jobs, educational opportunities, affordable and secure healthcare, and clean air and water. It’s time to send someone to Congress who will tackle the real issues. We’re proud to endorse Mark in his run to represent the 41st District in Congress.”

SEIU Locals within the 41st Congressional District represent thousands of hardworking Californians, including nurses, librarians, teachers, engineering technicians, service workers and members of other professions. SEIU is the fastest-growing union in North America.

“I am proud to have the endorsement of SEIU. As a candidate for Congress, I am running to be not only a representative of my community in Washington, but an advocate for the issues that matter most to local families. SEIU’s priorities — improving education, expanding access to health care, and creating good-paying jobs for hardworking Americans — are shared by families throughout the Inland Empire,” said Mr. Takano.

Since entering the race for Congress last year, Mr. Takano has won the support of more than a dozen labor organizations, including the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Communications Workers of America, the United Steelworkers, and the International Union of Operating Engineers amongst others.

A lifelong resident of Riverside, Mark Takano was elected to the Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees in 1990 and won re-election to the board in 1995, 1999, 2004 and 2008. He is the longest serving current board member and one of the longest serving Democratic elected officials in Riverside County.  As a trustee he has championed reform of secondary education, emphasizing Early College High Schools and more opportunities for career and technical education. Takano has worked as a classroom teacher in the Rialto Unified School District for the past 23 years.

The newly created 41st Congressional District includes the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, Perris and Jurupa Valley.  The district has a 7% voter registration advantage for Democrats. Barack Obama carried the district by a 20% margin in 2008 and Governor Jerry Brown won the district by 12% in 2010.

 

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Filed Under: 2011-2012 Campaign, California, Running for Office

Give Us Your 57 Cents

March 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Rep. William Tong

 

Today I’d like to make a personal plea for my friend William Tong, a proven leader who is seeking to become the first Asian American to hold statewide office in Connecticut.

This story began with 57 cents — the amount of money William’s father literally had in his pocket when he immigrated to this country.  William’s parents worked seven days in a week at their family’s Chinese restaurant, and William frequently worked alongside his parents.

By dint of their hard work and perseverance, William’s parents made it possible for him to attend Brown University and the University of Chicago’s law school — where he was taught by then-Professor Barack Obama.

Fast forwarding a few years, William was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives — the first Democrat to accomplish that feat in this district.

In just a few years, William persuaded his colleagues not only to create the state’s first Asian American Commission, but to pass the DREAM Act — which now allows all of Connecticut’s residents (including children of undocumented immigrants) — to qualify for reduced, in-state college tuition.

And now William is poised to make history (and mentioned in the same sentence with Jeremy Lin).  If he is elected to the US Senate, he would become only the second Asian American (outside of Hawai’i) to serve in the US Senate.

AAA-Fund is proud to support William’s historic campaign.

Please donate to William’s campaign, whether it be 57 dollars, $25.57, or your preferred multiple of 57 cents — his dad’s invaluable contribution to his campaign.

Together, we can do our part to help an outstanding leader serve our country.

Update:  Don’t wait to give to William!  Tomorrow’s (Mar. 31) a really important fundraising deadline, and everyone will be watching how he does.  By giving to William now, you’ll put him in prime position to pick up even more support for his inspiring quest to become one of the few to serve in the United States Senate.

– Gautam Dutta

Filed Under: 2011-2012 Campaign, AAA Fund, Congress, Democratic Party, Gautam Dutta, Grassroots Activism, Social Justice

New State Voter ID Laws Could Determine 2012 Election

March 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Uh oh. This is not good news. States across the country are enacting onerous laws that require voters to present identification at election polls. These laws are controversial and the DOL and advocacy groups are challenging them on legal grounds. Check out this clip of Tova Andrea Wang (Demos) and Ben Adler (The Nation) on Bloomberg Law.

Filed Under: 2011-2012 Campaign, Civil Rights/Liberties

AAAF Congratulates Tammy Duckworth on Illinois’ Democratic Primary Win

March 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Asian American Action Fund congratulates Tammy Duckworth for winning the democratic primary for Illionis’ 8th Congressional District. Duckworth will now run against Tea Party-backed U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh in November.

“We congratulate Tammy on her primary win and are excited to support her in November’s election,” said Gautam Dutta, Executive Director of the Asian American Action Fund. “Tammy has practical ideas for Illinois and she is a real American hero who has dedicated her life to serving the United States of America.”

AAA-Fund endorsed Duckworth when she first ran for Congress in 2006.

Tammy Duckworth has a long history of serving our country. She is an Iraq war veteran and after being awarded the Purple Heart in 2004, continued her service as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard. In 2009, Duckworth was appointed by President Obama as the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. In that role, she implemented many first in the nation programs to address Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, improve traumatic brain injury screening and reduce homelessness among Veterans.

As Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, Duckworth implemented the first in the nation program to combat PTSD and veterans’ homelessness.

Duckworth is passionate about getting Illinois residents back to work by investing in infrastructure, tax incentives for small to mid-size businesses, investing in education and modernizing schools and getting the budget under control while continuing to provide for struggling Americans.

“Tammy has proven herself time and again as a tireless advocate for veterans and the hardworking people of Illinois,” said Dutta.

AAAF endorsed both Duckworth and former Deputy Treasurer of Illinois Raja Krishnamoorthi for Illinois District 8.

“We also want to congratulate Raja on his campaign,” said Dutta. “Raja is a rising political leader and we look forward to supporting him in his future endeavors.”

To support the Tammy for Congress campaign, please visit: http://www.tammyduckworth.com/

The AAA-Fund is a Democratic political action committee whose goal is to increase the voice of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders on every level of local, state and federal government in America. To achieve this goal, we address the chronic under-representation of Asian Americans and Pacific Americans (AAPIs) as campaign volunteers, campaign contributors, and candidates for political office.
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Filed Under: 2011-2012 Campaign, Democratic Party, Illinois, Running for Office

Obama nominates Dartmouth Pres. Jim Yong Kim for World Bank

March 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This is an exciting development – President Obama has nominated Korean American Dr. Jim Yong Kim to head the World Bank. Dr. Kim currently is president of Dartmouth University, and previous served as Executive Director of Partners in Health, providing health care to developing countries. Many of my friends in international development have only high praise for Dr. Kim, and he’s an inspired choice to head the World Bank. The current chair of the World Bank, Dr. Zoellick, is stepping down June 30th.

However, it’s not a certainty that Dr. Kim will be selected, as other countries have other offered up their candidates. And it’s notable that Dr. Kim is the first physician and anthropologist nominated to head the world’s international development agency. In fact, he has been breaking carriers his whole life, as he was the first Asian American to helm an Ivy League school.

While working with Partners in Health in Lima, Peru, in the mid-1990s, Dr. Kim helped to develop a treatment program for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, the first large-scale treatment of that disease in a poor country. Treatment programs for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis are now in place in more than 40 nations, according to Dr. Kim’s biography on Dartmouth’s Web site. He also spearheaded the successful effort to reduce the price of the drugs used to treat this form of tuberculosis.

“Jim is all about delivery and about delivering on promises often made but too seldom kept,” said Paul Farmer, a co-founder of Partners in Health, in an e-mailed statement. “I can think of no one more able to help families, communities and entire nations break out of poverty.”

Dr. Kim has the hands on experience that informs World Bank decisions, and the confidence of economists such as Jeffrey Sachs. I hope that his nomination is confirmed speedily. For a look at his light-hearted side, check out his star turn as Michael Jackson in Dartmouth Idol.

–Caroline

Filed Under: 2011-2012 Campaign, Caroline, Foreign Affairs

Wonkbook: Why the Republican budgets make the poor pay

March 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I’m a huge fan of Ezra Klein’s Wonkbook for it’s relevant and smart analysis on policy and Capitol Hill. From yesterday’s Wonkbook:

I don’t think Paul Ryan intended to write a budget that concentrated its cuts on the poorest Americans. Similarly, I don’t think Mitt Romney intended to write a budget that concentrated its cuts on the poorest Americans. But there’s a reason their budgets turned out so similar: The Republican Party has settled on four overlapping fiscal commitments that leave them with few other choices.

The Republican plans we’ve seen share a few basic premises. First, taxes are too high, and must be cut. Second, defense spending is too low, and should be raised. Third, major changes to entitlement programs should be passed now, but they shouldn’t affect the current generation of retirees. That would all be fine, except for the fourth premise, which is that short-term deficits are a serious threat to the country and they need to be swiftly cut.

The first three budget premises means that taxes and defense will contribute more to the deficit, and Medicare and Social Security aren’t available for quick savings. That leaves programs for the poor as the only major programs available to bear cuts. But now cuts to those programs have to pay for the deficit reduction, the increased defense spending, and the tax cuts. That means the cuts to those programs have to be really, really, really deep. The authors have no other choice.

In Ryan’s plan, for instance, revenues are approximately $2 trillion below the levels in Obama’s budget, spending on defense is about $200 billion higher, Social Security is unchanged, and Medicare is about $200 billion lower. So that’s approximately $2 trillion in lost revenues that need to be made up — and then Ryan reaches for more than $3 trillion in deficit reduction atop that.

So the cuts to programs that mainly help the poor are correspondingly deep. The $1.5 trillion the Affordable Care Act was going to spend on subsidizing health insurance for low-income Americans is gone. But then Medicaid and other non-Medicare health programs take an $800 billion cut on top of that. Education and worker training loses $200 billion. Income security loses $800 billion. These are huge cuts.

Read the full thing (and subscribe) here.

Filed Under: 2011-2012 Campaign, Economy, Republican Party, Running for Office
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