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China Earthquake Donation
Online donation through Chinese Association of Greater Detroit (www.cagd.org)
Donations through checks:
• Payable to CAPA/Sichuan Earthquake Relief Fund Mail to CAPA, “Sichuan Earthquake Relief Fund”, P.O. Box 407, Northville, MI 48167
July 08, 2008 at 02:50 PM in Current Issues | Permalink
June 02, 2008 at 10:58 PM in Current Issues | Permalink
Current Issue:
Attorney General Opinion No. 7210 that issued on December 27, 2007:
Only a permanent resident is eligible to receive a driver's license in Michigan.
The below letters show that the Michigan Governor and the MEDC (MI Economic Development Corporation) CEO Jim Epolito are quite aware of the problems caused by AG Cox's opinion and trying to find solutions.
February 03, 2008 at 10:23 AM in Current Issues | Permalink | Comments (0)
From: "info" <info@apiavote.org>
Subject: APIAVOTE CALLS FOR SUPREME COURT TO STRIKE DOWN INDIANA VOTER ID LEGISLATION
Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2007 23:37:26 +0000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Christine Chen, Executive Director
November 19, 2007 202-223-9170
APIAVOTE CALLS FOR SUPREME COURT TO STRIKE DOWN
INDIANA VOTER ID LEGISLATION
WASHINGTON, DC – Today leaders of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote(APIAVote), a non-partisan non-profit civic engagement organization, addressed the United States Supreme Court's consideration of an Indiana law that requires voters
to present photo identification at the polls.
APIAVote has joined two amicus briefs filed by the Asian American Justice Center(AAJC) and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) with theSupreme Court against Indiana's restrictive legislation on voter identification. Both of these amicus briefs urged the Court to strike down photo identification requirements, citing their unconstitutional discriminatory impact on Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters. The constitutionality of Indiana’s voter ID requirements is being challenged in two cases, William Crawford v. Marion County Election Board and Indiana Democratic Party v. Todd Rokita. Oral arguments are scheduled to be presented on January 9, 2008. In addition to Indiana, several other states have enacted similar legislation which could be impacted by the Court's ruling.
"Many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are low income, limited-English speaking, and elderly voters. Instituting photo identification requirements at the polls creates unnecessary barriers that make it harder for our communities to exercise the right to vote," stated Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) and APIAVote Board member Gloria T. Caoile.
EunSook Lee, Executive Director of National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) and APIAVote Treasurer noted: "There have already been longstanding calls for uniform and appropriate training for election day poll workers. These new identification mandates will undoubtedly lead to more confusion and opens the doors to cases of discrimination against minority voters by well-meaning poll workers navigating unnecessarily cumbersome election rules.
"No evidence exists to prove there is a widespread conspiracy to commit vote fraud," emphasized Bill Kaneko, board member of APIAVote. "Voter ID is a costly action to address a non-existent problem. At little or no cost, most voters can offer signatures and sworn affidavits to prove their identities.”
"Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have waited generations to gain a voice in the political process," said APIAVote Board Chair Vida Benavides. "The ability to vote in this nation's elections is one of the most fundamental rights that our Constitution affords. Our pursuit of liberty and democracy is at stake."
The Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) is a national non-partisan, nonprofit organization that encourages and promotes civic participation of Asian Pacific Islander Americans in the electoral and public policy processes at the
national, state and local levels.To update your email address or to place a request to be taken off the listserve, please email updates@apiavote.org. Thank you.
APIAVote
1666 K Street NW, Suite 440
Washington, D.C. 20006
TEL: (202) 223-9170
info@apiavote.org
www.apiavote.org
November 22, 2007 at 01:52 AM in Current Issues | Permalink
Breaking News: ABC Agrees to Open Doors to Filipinos
In a letter to Jon Melegrito, Communications Director of NaFFAA, the ABC Senior Vice President of Diversity, Mr. Robert Mendez, agreed to explore a program that might help increase opportunities for Filipinos at ABC. This was in response to my PerryScope article, "Desperate Housewives' Wake Up Call to Filipinos," which Mr. Melegrito forwarded to Mr. Mendez.
In my PerryScope article I proposed a win-win solution to the imbroglio created by the September 30, 2007, episode of "Desperate Housewives" in which a character said, "Okay, before we go any further, can I check those diplomas? Because I would just like to make sure they are not from a med school in the Philippines." Instead of a lawsuit and boycott which have been suggested by many community leaders, I recommended that we should instead be proactive -- not reactive -- and put together an agenda that would give long-term benefits to our community such as jobs, education and other initiatives. I indicated that we should convince ABC to open employment opportunities to Filipino-Americans at all levels -- actors, directors, producers, newscasters, and executives at ABC and its affiliates.
Mr. Mendez's letter said, "You asked about the possibility of exploring a program that might help to increase opportunities for Filipinos at ABC. I am wondering whether you might be interested in helping to organize a meeting in Washington, DC, where my staff and I can meet with Filipinos who are interested in pursuing careers in television and want access to direct information about our many talent development programs. It would be a wonderful opportunity for ABC to deepen the talent pool with candidates from the Filipino community." The complete text of Mr. Mendez's letter can be downloaded below.
Mr. Melegrito sent me an email and said, "ABC listened to the points you raised in your column and here are the results: a) written confirmation that ABC has deleted the ugly scene from the DH Sept. 30 episode, b) a long-term relationship with the FilAm community that will open doors to Filipino Americans and enable them access to positions in ABC as writers, directors, producers, including an internship & training program. We expect implementation of this special outreach program within 3-4 months as a demonstration of ABC's commitment." The complete text of Mr. Melegrito's email is reprinted below.
The name of the game is "win-win" and that's what have been achieved. Both the Filipino community and ABC would benefit from it. It would give Filipinos a presence in one of the major networks in the United States. And the benefits would be long-lasting and irreversible because once Filipino talents are used in ABC programming the other networks would follow.
All the best,
Perry Diaz
Editor, BALITA USA
October 09, 2007 at 11:30 PM in Current Issues | Permalink
Filipino Americans Demand Apology From
'Desperate Housewives' Producers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2007
Contact: Jon Melegrito, 202-361-0296
The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) is demanding an apology from the producers of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" over an episode that aired on September 30 disparaging medical practitioners who were trained in the Philippines.
In condemning the racially-biased and culturally insensitive remarks, NaFFAA National Chair Alma Kern also points out the need for cultural awareness training among Hollywood writers, producers and actors. "It is outrageous that in this day and age, popular media continue to demean and insult Filipinos in America," Kern says. "For more than one hundred years, we have made valuable contributions to this country, not only as health professionals but as child care providers and home care givers. These dedicated, diligent and competent workers do not deserve to be slandered and stereotyped in such a prejudicial manner if only to evoke laughter."
In the ABC-produced episode, Terri Hatcher's character (Susan) was reacting to her gynecologist who suggested that she might be hitting menopause. "Can I just check those diplomas because I just want to make sure that they are not from some med school in the Philippines," Susan replied.
Kern notes that when President Reagan was shot by an assassin in 1981, Filipino surgeon Jorge Garcia was among the doctors who attended to the wounded president. Ret. Admiral Connie Mariano, a proud Filipino American, was former President Bill Clinton's personal physician. "In both cases, the White House was obviously confident in entrusting the care and well being of the most powerful person in the world to Filipino doctors."
This is not the first time that popular media have cast negative aspersions on Filipinos. A few years ago, comedienne Joan Rivers made fun of Filipinos by calling them dog-eaters. An episode in a popular sitcom, "Frazier," several years back caricatured Filipino women as mail order brides. In each of these instances, the networks apologized in response to the outpouring of condemnation across the country.
"Clearly, these purveyors of popular culture weren't serious about their apologies and think they can get away with these insults," Kern states. She has called on all Filipinos and Filipino Americans to be vigilant by soundly rejecting these racial slurs and stereotypes and take appropriate action promptly: "I encourage you to sign on to petition campaigns, write and call ABC's corporate offices, their local affiliates and advertisers, and let them know that we will not tolerate this despicable practice of stereotyping and racial profiling at its worst."
The ABC Corporate Mailing Address:
ABC, Inc.
500 S. Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-4551
(818) 460-7477*
Address of the producers of Desperate Housewives:
Desperate Housewives
Touchstone Television
100 Universal City Plaza
Bldg. 2128, Suite G
Universal City, CA 91608
East and west coast ABC corporate offices:
ABC, Inc.
77 West 66th St., 13th Floor
New York, NY 10023
ABC, Inc.
500 Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521-4391
Directory of local ABC affiliates: http://abc.go.com/site/ca.html
National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA)
email: press@naffaa.org
phone: 202.986.1153
web: http://www.naffaa.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Press Release
Washington D.C.
New York, New York
October 4, 2007
Reference:
Arnedo S. Valera, Esquire
Executive Director - MIGRANT HERITAGE COMMISSION ( MHC)
Migrantheritage@aol.com
www.migrantheritage.org
Rico Foz
Executive Vice-President - NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR FILIPINO CONCERNS (NAFCON) nafconusa@yahoo.com
FIL-AM COMMUNITY GROUPS MEET WITH ABC's EXEC MENDEZ IN NY TO DEMAND MORE CONCRETE MEASURES OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND DISCUSS NATURE OF APOLOGY
-PICKETS IN NEW YORK AND METRO WASHINGTON D.C.
ABC Television Network facing an impending picket and protest in front of Manhattan's ABC Studios on 77 West 66th Street, NY, NY, October 5 at 6 pm, and October 6 (noontime) at ABC Office, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209 (Metro Washington D.C .), agreed to meet with the Filipino-American Delegation led by NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR FILIPINO CONCERNS (NAFCON), PHILIPPINE FORUM AND the MIGRANT HERITAGE COMMISSION (MHC ). As mounting protests and international condemnation for the racial slur made by Actress Teri Hatcher in a scene with a doctor in Sunday's episode of "Desperate Housewives" where she remarked: "Okay, before we go any further, can I check those diplomas?Because I would like to make sure they are not from some med school in the Philippines."
Robert Mendez, Esquire, Senior-Vice President for Diversity and Talent Development of ABC NETWORK had a very cordial and pleasant telephone conversation with Arnedo S. Valera, Esquire, Executive Director of the Migrant Heritage Commission ( MHC) this evening and both agreed to meet in Trump Plaza Hotel in New York at 5 P.M. tomorrow, October 5th, four blocks away from the organized community picket led by NAFCON and PHILIPPINE FORUM. As a good faith gesture to the Filipino Community, ABC's Mr. Mendez assured Mr. Valera that the controversial episode will be edited and the scene permanently cut and never again be shown even in re runs, DVD set or any format for sale or rent. Likewise in exchange of goodwill with Mr. Valera, Mr. Mendez agreed to listen to the demands for more concrete measures of accountability to be presented by the Filipino-American Community panel group led by NAFCON, PHILIPPINE FORUM AND THE MIGRANT HERITAGE COMMISSION ( MHC). He further promised to seriously address all the demands and concerns of the picketing groups.
The picket in front of Manhattan's ABC Studios at 77 West 66th is supported by the following organizations : The New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, NAFFAA, Anak Bayan, Movement for Free Philippines, FILIPINOS FOR RIGHTS AND EMPOWERMENT ( FIRE), KABALIKAT and the SENTOSA NURSES.
The picket in Metropolitan Washington D.C. on Saturday, 6 October is to be led by the Philippine Medical Association of Metro Washington D.C. (PMAMW) and MD to be supported by various Fil-Am organizations, among them are the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) DC and MD and the MIGRANT HERITAGE COMMISSION ( MHC).
Rico Foz of NAFCON, Bernadette Llorin of PHILIPPINE FORUM, a representative of the medical community and Arnedo S. Valera, Esquire of the MIGRANT HERITAGE COMMISSION will lead the panel that will present the demands of the organized picketing groups to ABC Senior Vice President, Mr. Robert Mendez.
Among the demands to be presented are: ABC Network Broadcast Public Apology and not simply a one paragraph statement; Conduct a complete and thorough investigation of those responsible for writing the reprehensible and racial slur script line; ABC to conduct racial and cultural sensitivity programs for all employees ; ABC should make a categorical and unequivocal statement that it recognizes the significant contribution of Philippine Health Care professionals especially our doctors, nurses and other health care givers to the entire U.S Health Care System because of their competence and high quality of skills; A sincere and proper apology to the Filipino People and the nation and the Fil-Am community groups for disparaging and maligning the Philippine Educational System and the expressed racial prejudice to Filipino doctors and physicians; ABC will commit to make episodes and shows that will depict Filipinos and other minority groups as prominent positive role models of the community and that ABC agrees to support Filipino-American Community projects that will strengthen racial diversity and harmony in local communities and at the national level.
NAFCON promised to organize more peaceful ,continuous and sustained pickets and protests together with various Filipino-American groups and minority groups in the country until the demands are substantially met.
The Migrant Heritage Commission ( MHC) commends the collective efforts of several immigrant groups, organizations like Philippine Medical Assn, Philippine Nurses Assn, APPA and NAFFAA and individuals in the U.S , in the Philippines and our kababayans in other parts of the world who supported and signed a one line-indignation petition which garnered more than 65,000 signatures within 48 hours when it was posted by Mr. KEVIN NADAL , a Fil-Am college lecturer who lives in New York. MHC and the Filipino community also appreciate the support of the Philippine government and the media on this cause.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Desperate Housewives' Controversy Spur Joint Action; NaFFAA Coordinates FilAm Groups'Response
NaFFAA Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 8, 2007
Contact: Jon Melegrito, 202.361.0296
Washington, D.C. - After rejecting ABC's apology as inadequate, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) welcomes ABC's willingness to take additional steps in addressing the community's concerns.
Following the apology, which was issued on October 3 to the press by ABC's publicity department, ABC assured NaFFAA that immediate steps were being taken to delete the offensive scene from DVD sets, future airings and rebroadcasts of the September 30 episode of 'Desperate Housewives.'
"This is a necessary first step to back up ABC's apology," says NaFFAA National Chair Alma Kern. "In light of our community's outrage over the racial slur, we are determined to pursue reasonable measures to stop this kind of racial profiling in popular media."
In a telephone call to NaFFAA Communications Director Jon Melegrito on October 3, ABC Senior Vice President Robert Mendez said that ABC will "wipe out the offensive material from all Disney-ABC platforms as a good-faith effort to engage the Filipino American community in addressing your concerns." Mendez, who is the director of diversity strategies covering the Disney-ABC Television Group, also assured NaFFAA that he will look into the community's other demands, which include an on-air apology by the program's cast and crew and an explanation of how the offensive scene maligning Philippine-trained medical professionals got past the review process. "We also want to know what concrete steps ABC is taking to ensure that similar incidents don't happen again," Melegrito told Mendez.
In the same phone call, Mendez also noted a major concern - as expressed strongly in on-line petitions, statements from various organizations and e-mail exchanges - that ABC's programming does not accurately reflect the large number of Filipino doctors and nurses in the nation's hospitals. "Many of them are chief surgeons and head nurses," Melegrito told Mendez. "They should be portrayed for the kind of professionals that they are." Mendez replied that "this may be difficult to do because we can't dictate to the creative people what to write."
To formally discuss these concerns and other issues, Mendez met with Filipino American community leaders in his New York office on October 5. Led by NaFFAA Exec. Director Armando Heredia, the delegation included representatives from the Association of Philippine Physicians in America (APPA), Migrant Heritage Commission, the National Alliance of Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) and the Philippine Forum. A follow-up meeting with NaFFAA is slated this week in Washington, D.C. Leaders from the Philippine Medical Association, who staged a protest rally in front of ABC's affiliate station in Rosslyn, VA. will also attend.
At the New York meeting, Mendez reiterated ABC's commitment to delete the offensive scene from all Disney-ABC media. "This undertaking is very expensive, but we will wipe it clean because it is offensive to Filipinos and it undermines our commitment to diversity," Mendez said. "It pains us to the core that something like this escaped scrutiny because we have built-in controls. This slip was an anomaly, given the volume of programming that we do."
Prior to the New York meeting, NaFFAA facilitated a nationwide conference call with Filipino American community leaders from Los Angeles, Nevada and Washington, D.C. Among the participants were leaders from the Filipino American Services Group (FASGI), Philippine American Bar Association, Asian Pacific American Legal Center and Kababayan LA.
In addition to issues already raised with ABC, the participating groups also listed as an added demand a meeting with top ABC executives to secure appropriate apologies from the actual persons responsible and to get ABC's commitment that such racial slurs are not repeated in the future. To give ABC a chance to respond, the group agreed to hold off on any massive protest actions. "We were all unanimous in believing that this incident presents an opportunity for the Filipino American community to become more visible and exercise power which we almost never do," said Melvin N.A. Avanzado of PABA.
NaFFAA National Chair Alma Kern commends all the Filipinos and Filipino Americans for choosing to engage ABC, as demonstrated by the over 100,000 who signed the on-line petition and the hundreds of statements, phone calls and letters. "We have an opportunity to educate the major networks and the American public about who we are and the vital role we play in this country," she says. "I believe we can achieve significant short term and long term goals by pursuing a dialogue with ABC in a constructive manner."
NaFFAA-ABC Meeting in New York City 5 October 2007: (l-r) Disney-ABC Television Group Senior Vice President Robert Mendez, NaFFAA Executive Director Armando 'Doy' Heredia, Cristy Talangbayan, APPA Incoming President and past NaFFAA Pennsylvania State Chair Francis Talangbayan, APPA and NaFFAA General Counsel Reuben Seguritan. (NaFFAA file photo)
National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA)
email: press@naffaa.org
phone: 202.986.1153
web: http://www.naffaa.org
October 09, 2007 at 11:22 PM in Current Issues | Permalink
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June 15, 2007 at 08:22 PM in Current Issues | Permalink | Comments (0)
H. Sook Wilkinson, Ph.D
Chairperson
Governor’s Advisory Council on Asian Pacific American Affairs
Keynote Address
Fifth Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration at the Capitol
May 15, 2007
East Steps of the State Capitol
Lansing, Michigan
Why Asian Pacific Americans are important to Michigan and the US?
I’m standing here today as a proud Korean American and as an Asian American.
I truly consider this an honor to be among all of you this morning. As I look out over our audience, I see we have a diverse array of people from all walks of life and personal histories who have joined us on this very special occasion.
I see my colleagues from the Governor’s Advisory Council on Asian Pacific American Affairs and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. I also see some of our state’s and community’s most esteemed political leaders, social, cultural and academic leaders. I also see our next generation of leaders and everyday citizens
who have come to share this special moment for the Asian Pacific American community. I thank you all for attending today.
I want to extend a special Thank You to the Hon. State Rep. Hoon-Yung Hopgood. Rep. Hopgood is the Chairman of the important House Transportation Committee. He is also considered one of the most effective and innovative leaders on educational issues in the state. He has been an outstanding leader in ensuring that issues pertinent to our communities receive the attention they deserve. As soon as he won the election in 2002, he started this celebration at the Capitol. That was 5 years ago. As you can see, this celebration has grown in size and scope. Thank you so very much Representative Hopgood for your leadership.
Also, I want to thank to you, Rep. Hopgood, and the planning committee members for asking me to address this event today. This is an incredible honor. I also would like to acknowledge and thank all the political leaders from the House and the Senate who are co-hosts for this event. To have over 40 senators and representatives co-host this event is historic. My heartfelt thanks to all of you.
Like so many of you here today, I came to America as a young person, looking to stat a new life in a new country. My story may not be all that different from many of you.
As a new college graduate in Korea, idealistic with many ideas as to how the world should be, I decided to come to the U.S. Of course, it wasn’t that easy to find the right opportunity. Through the Peace Corps, started by Pres. Kennedy, I was offered a position as a teacher of Korean language to the Peace Corps trainees who were getting ready to go to Korea to serve as Peace Corps volunteers. When I came to the US, I had $100 in my pocket, and a promise of a job for 3 months. Not a very promising start by any measure. But I was just happy that I had the opportunity. I had no fear or worries about the future. That’s the beauty about being young and naïve. I’ve never regretted that decision and I’m very thankful for all the opportunities I’ve had.
I’ll tell you a little story about how naïve I was. On my very first day in America in 1970, I vividly remember landing at the LA airport all by myself with two huge pieces of luggage that we called Immigrant grow bags. I didn’t know how to navigate the airport to go from one terminal to another. I finally found a porter who could help me. I had heard something about a tipping system in the US. In Korea, we don’t have a tipping system. Out of my $100, I was trying to figure out how much would be the right amount to tip. In my head, I was converting Korean money to US dollars to make sure that it was a fair amount. Finally I arrived at a figure of 25 cents, a quarter. I was so proud of myself for figuring it out. I thanked the porter and put a quarter in his hand. He looked at it, looked at me, and without a word, gave me the quarter back. I thought it was so incredible. How did he know that I really needed that money more than he did! I thanked him profusely.
Fast forward this story to now, 37 years later. I had never imagined that I’d be standing in front of you, on the steps of the State Capitol, at an event such as this, delivering a keynote address. I know I owe this incredible honor to many people.
We are grateful to all of our community leaders who’ve worked diligently over the years to illuminate the growing influence and the needs of the APA community. However, it is the everyday citizens of our state, who go to school, or work, or stay home and raise our children – to whom this day – and this month - is really dedicated.
Because it is from there where leadership emerges; it is there from which our community gathers its strength. I owe this day to all of our mothers, fathers and relatives who came to this country to pursue a better life for their children. Or for some of us; even the parents who stayed behind in the lands of our birth, but sacrificed everything to ensure that we could receive the education needed to leave our homes and travel thousands of miles to this place called “America,” and create a new life for ourselves. The success of the APA community is something we all should take great pride in. It is a reflection not only of the fortitude of our community and our traditional commitment to our children’s success, but most importantly, it honors our parents and all of those who have sacrificed so much so that we might succeed. I wish my parents were here to hear me say this.
Still it is never immodest or vain to take a moment to reflect on some of the accomplishments and contributions our community has made to America and to this beautiful state of Michigan as we continue to grow in population and influence.
Indeed, we take pride in the fact that the State of Michigan now has more than 208,000 Asian Pacific American residents among its population. This represents more than 30 countries and major religions of the world including Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism, to name a few.
Nationwide (according to the latest U.S. Census reports) there are roughly 14.4 million people in this country who claim to be of Asian heritage. Between 2004 and 2005, we recorded the second highest rate of growth, right behind the Hispanics. The 3% growth over that period added 421,000 more people to the APA population.
By the year 2050 the U.S. Census projects that 33.4 million U.S. residents will identify themselves as single-race Asians. We would comprise 8 percent of the total population. That turns out to be a 213% increase between 2000 and 2050. What’s the projected rate of growth in the general population for that period? 49 %.
So, what does this mean in terms of US economy and businesses? Here’re some statistics.
It’s compelling to note that there were over 1.1 million businesses owned by Asian-Americans in 2002. That’s an increase of 24 percent from 1997, just over 5 years. This data is based on the Survey of the Business Owners of the Economic Census. The rate of increase in the number of Asian-owned businesses was about twice that of the national average for all businesses. These businesses together had an annual payroll of $291 billion and generated more than $326 billion in business revenues.
What type of business are they in?
Again from the Economic Census of 2002, about one in three Asian-owned firms operated in professional, scientific and technical services, as well as Other categories such as personal services, dry cleaning business, and repair and maintenance of equipment and machinery. Another third engaged in retail trade, healthcare and social services, and accommodation and food industry businesses. It’s interesting to take a moment here and see how Michigan compares to the overall US data.
In Michigan, out of 15,337 Asian-owned businesses, the largest number of them were in healthcare & social services (21%), next in Other category of dry cleaning, personal services, repair and maintenace (17%), and next in professional, scientific and technical services (15%). That accounts for more than half of the total number of businesses. The next categories of business were accommodation and food industry (10%), then, retail trade (10%) and real estate industry (6%). Michigan ranks 13th in the country in APA population and 14th in Asian owned businesses.
So what does this all mean for Michigan and the US?
It means with our nation’s rapidly growing ethnic population, the Asian Pacific Americans will be playing a linchpin role in our nation’s economic future. Right now, minorities – that means, Asian, Hispanic, and African Americans currently comprise less than a third, about 28%, of the U.S. population. By 2050, they are expected to increase to nearly 50%. And that current data and demographic projections show the growing size of the minority population, and reflects its increasing impact in the marketplace.
Nationwide, Asian, Hispanic, and African Americans collectively already control 18 percent of the nation’s disposable income. And the combined buying power of these three groups expanded from $629 billion in 1990 to $1.3 trillion in 2000.
By the year 2045, total minority purchasing power is expected to reach $4.3 trillion - accounting for 32% of overall purchasing power in the U.S. Savvy business leaders have already begun to network and invest in this burgeoning market.
With all that said, what contribution can we, you and I, make in this fast changing society as an everyday citizen?
These businesses need people to make things work at all different levels. They need us. We must be prepared to learn to work productively and creatively with individuals from a multitude of races and ethnic, religious, and cultural histories. Only in appreciating THAT fundamental fact will we be able to maintain America's global competitiveness in the increasingly diverse and interconnected world economy.
But equally if not more importantly, learning to appreciate and respect each other’s differences and cultures will also lead to better race and ethnic relations in our state and nation. So it is not merely in the best interest of our economy that we learn to work cooperatively with one another. Our social contract as Americans in one of the most diverse nations on this planet requires it of us.
It is not just a moral or economic imperative. Our very survival as a properly functioning and stable country depends upon it. And we - as citizens and leaders in our communities - have a special responsibility to our state and nation to help it grow and accept these changing realities in a positive way.
Your presence here today and continued work with all the various councils and organizations in the Asian Pacific American community, is a demonstration of your commitment to the positive growth of our state and nation.
Thank you very much.
June 13, 2007 at 06:00 PM in Current Issues | Permalink | Comments (0)
Stephanie Chang
As I look back to November 2006, of course there is disappointment in the outcome of the vote on Proposal 2. 58% of Michigan's voters last fall voted to eliminate important affirmative action programs in the State of Michigan by voting "yes" on 2. This may have dramatic impact on the future of many Michiganders, including myself and my future family.
However, I must say that I am extremely proud of the fact that Asian Pacific Americans came together and stood against rolling back progress, and stood up for equal opportunity and diversity. Last week, Glenn Magpantay, voting rights staff attorney at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, presented a report on the multilingual Michigan exit poll in the 2006 elections.
78% of all surveyed Asian Pacific American voters voted NO on Proposal 2. This is a huge testament to the never before seen APA community education effort on the truth about affirmative action and consequences of Proposal 2. This effort included multilingual phonebanks; outreach to houses of worship; forums/townhalls in Southeast Michigan, Ann Arbor, and West Michigan; mailings to voters; leafletting at large community events; and more. Real education efforts translate to real results.
What else can we learn from the report? This is a terrific opportunity to remind our elected officials what issues Asian Pacific Americans care about in Michigan. It is an opportunity to show that we can come out in numbers to vote overwhelmingly in one direction on important ballot initiatives. Also, it is time to address barriers to voting and increase language assistance!
As Asian Pacific American Heritage Month approaches, remember that we have contributed much to American society. By continuing to work together to educate community members about important issues, we can increase our participation in the political process and make real change happen.
Below is information from the AALDEF report (see http://www.aaldef.org/article.php?article_id=261), which speaks for itself.
"The Asian American and Arab American Vote in Michigan
On Election Day, November 7, 2006, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), with the help of several co-sponsoring organizations and more than 600 attorneys, law students, and volunteers, conducted a nonpartisan, multilingual exit poll of over 4,700 Asian American voters. The questionnaire was available in English and nine Asian languages. Voters were surveyed in 23 cities across nine states—New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Washington—as well as Washington, D.C.
AALDEF surveyed a total of 368 Michigan Asian American and Arab American voters. Respondents were surveyed in Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Hamtramck. Highlights of the findings include:
• Profile of respondents.
The four largest ethnic groups surveyed in Michigan were Arab (24%), South Asian (24%), Chinese (14%), and Korean (5%). Fifty-five percent (55%) were foreign born citizens. Fourteen percent (14%) had either no formal U.S. education or less than a high school education. Thirty-nine percent (39%) of respondents listed Arabic as their native language. Approximately one quarter (24%) of respondents were first-time voters.
• Respondents across all ethnic groups voted against Prop 2—the ban on state affirmative action programs.
Despite the myth that affirmative action policies put Asian Americans at a disadvantage relative to other racial minority groups, Asian American and Arab American voters voted to continue those policies. Seventy-seven percent (77%) of Asian Americans opposed Proposal 2 by voting “No,” while only 23% voted “Yes.” Eighty-five percent (85%) of Chinese voters and 84% of South Asian voters voted No on Prop 2. Three in four (75%) Arab American voters also voted against the ban. A 2006 report by AALDEF on Proposal 2 and Asian Americans is available online at http://www.aaldef.org/article.php?article_id=194.
• “Economy/Jobs” was the most important issue Asian and Arab Americans identified for 2008 Presidential candidates to address.
The three most important issues for 2008 presidential candidates to address were: Economy/Jobs (33%), Education (19%), and the War in Iraq (17%).
• Most Asian and Arab Americans are enrolled in the Democratic Party.
Two-thirds (66%) of Michigan Asian Americans and Arab Americans were registered Democrats, 25% were not enrolled in any political party, and 8% were registered Republicans. Nearly three out of four Arab American respondents (74%) were enrolled in the Democratic Party, 10% were registered Republicans, and 16% were not enrolled in any party.
• Asian and Arab Americans supported legalization of undocumented immigrants and reducing immigration backlogs, while they opposed making being undocumented a crime.
Of those who gave an opinion, 79% of respondents said they favored creating a way for undocumented immigrants to legalize their status. Over two-thirds (68%) of respondents also said they opposed making being undocumented a crime. Additionally, almost nine out of ten (89%) of respondents said they favored reducing the amount of time the government takes to process paperwork for immigrants waiting to enter the country.
• The majority of Asian and Arab Americans have been affected by anti-immigrant sentiment.
About half (51%) of respondents said they had been affected by anti-immigrant sentiment in at least one of the following locations: at work, at school, or in a public location. Of those, close to half (45%) said they had been affected by anti-immigrant sentiment in public locations.
• Language assistance and translated ballots are needed to preserve access to the vote.
Approximately one in five (23%) Asian and Arab American voters expressed that they were limited English proficient. The majority of Bangladeshi American voters (52%) and over a third of Arab American voters (34%) were limited English proficient. One quarter (24%) of respondents identified English as their native language. Nearly half (45%) of respondents used interpreters to vote, and 35% used translated written materials.
• More than half of Asian American and Arab American voters encountered unlawful ID requirements.
The Help America Vote Act of 2002 requires that only certain first-time voters provide identification to vote. Yet 57% of those asked to show identification in order to vote were not required to do so under this federal law. At the Salinas Elementary School poll site in Dearborn, a “No Admittance Without ID” sign was posted outside the poll site. This contradicted the posted Michigan Voters’ Bill of Rights sign, which stated that voters have the right to vote in most instances without presenting any form of photo identification. "
April 18, 2007 at 11:41 PM in Current Issues | Permalink | Comments (0)
PRESS RELEASE
Sikh American Veteran Assaulted by Police Officer in Illinois
SALDEF calls for immediate probe into assault and the xenophobic,
anti-immigrant statements by police officer against bronze star recipient
Washington D.C., April 11, 2007 -- The Sikh American Legal Defense and
Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy
organization in the country, today called upon the Joliet Police Department
to investigate the actions of one of its officers when patrolling a local
neighborhood.
On Friday March 30, 2007 at around 3:00pm, Mr. Kuldip Singh Nag, a Sikh
American who was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in the U.S. Navy
during the first Gulf War, was at his home in Joliet, IL when a local police
officer noticed that a van parked on Mr. Nag's private property had expired
registration tags. Upon being confronted with this, Mr.
Nag's wife, Vera Kaur Nag, informed the officer that the van is parked on
their driveway and was inoperable.
Mr. Nag then came outside to answer the officer's questions regarding the
van. The Joliet police officer then demanded that Mr. Nag park the van
inside his garage and not on the driveway, to which Mr. Nag responded to the
officer that it was not possible and that regardless, the van is parked on
his private property and he has a right to park it on his driveway.
At this moment, the officer pulled out his pepper spray and attacked Mr.
Nag. As Mr. Nag screamed in agony, the officer removed his baton and
violently struck Mr. Nag numerous times until he fell to the ground. While
the assault ensued, the officer was reported by both Mr. and Mrs. Nag as
saying, "You f****** Arab! You f***** immigrant, go back to you f******
country before I kill you!"
Mr. Nag's wife and six year-old child both witnessed the violent assault,
which resulted in Mr. Nag immediately being admitted to the hospital where
he stayed for five days due to complaints of intense pain and head trauma.
Mr. Nag also received numerous bruises and a serious head injury which have
caused him to go blind for several minutes at a time
"This case seems to be a clear incident of police misconduct in Illinois,"
said SALDEF Managing Director Kavneet Singh. "We are horrified at the
anti-immigrant sentiment the officer allegedly used as he violently accosted
Mr. Nag, and further that his six year old son was a witness to this violent
assault. We call upon both Joliet and Illinois officials to investigate this
incident and for the Illinois community to stand in solidarity with Mr.
Nag."
SALDEF has garnered the strong support of the Illinois Sikh American
community and is currently working with The Chawla Group Ltd to represent
Mr. Nag in a criminal case brought on by the City of Joliet.
## END ###
About SALDEF:
SALDEF is a national non-profit civil rights and educational organization.
SALDEF's mission is to create a fostering environment in the United States
for Sikh Americans. SALDEF protects and promotes the civil rights of Sikh
Americans through legal aid, advocacy and educational outreach.
CONTACT:
Rajbir Singh Datta
info@saldef.org
202-393-2700 ext. 27
This message was sent by: Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund
(SALDEF), 1413 K Street NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20005
April 15, 2007 at 02:45 PM in Current Issues | Permalink
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