Congressional Gold Medal Awarded to Nisei Veterans

Posted on 4th November 2011 in community, events, history, politics

From Senator Dan Akaka's Facebook photo album

The JACL today issued a press release on the Congressional Gold Medal ceremonies held this week for the veterans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the 100th Infantry Battalion, and the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) of the United States Army, who served valiantly during Word War II.

The veterans were honored on November 2 in Washington, D.C. as they were collectively presented with the Congressional Gold Medal. Over 300 veterans were in attendance to accept their replicas of the medal. The veterans, widows, next of kin of deceased veterans, family members, and friends attending the festivities numbered more than 2,500.

The 100th Infantry Battalion was comprised of servicemen from Hawai’i. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was largely made up of Japanese American young men (Nisei, or second generation citizens of the United States) who were incarcerated with their families in the camps in which over 110,000 people of Japanese descent were held after the beginning of World War II.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, which paved the way for the camps to be established There were others in these units who were not interned because their homes were in various inland states. The MIS served primarily in the Pacific theater and were credited with shortening the war with their language expertise and service.

These brave and patriotic young men who faced severe racial discrimination and prejudice served willingly to defend their country, the United States of America. In spite of the challenges, the 442nd were exemplary and became the most highly decorated unit for its size and length of service in the history of the United States military.

At the end of World War II, President Harry S. Truman stated of the Nisei soldiers, “You fought not only the enemy, but you fought prejudice and you won.”

The National Veterans Network (NVN) is a coalition of Japanese American veteran and civic organizations which came together in 2008. Their chairperson is Christine Sato-Yamazaki. The NVN was responsible for putting together the events in Washington, D.C. with the assistance of PSA, an event planning and project management company.

All the organizations which comprise the NVN were heavily involved in the planning and execution of the three days of festivities to honor the veterans and their families.

“The JACL was honored to be a participating organization in this historic occasion,” said Floyd Mori, National Executive Director of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) and a member of the NVN steering committee.

“We revere the Japanese American veterans of the 442, 100th, and MIS who served courageously during World War II and to whom we owe a great deal. They made the world a better place for all Japanese Americans in subsequent years. We will be forever grateful for their sacrifice and dedication to life and liberty. They suffered untold ridicule, discrimination, bigotry, and hardship, but they triumphed. The veterans are most deserving of this long overdue honor.

“We are also grateful to the Japanese Americans who served in various others branches of the service. Thanks to the members of Congress, the United States Military, the NVN, the sponsors, and all others who made the Congressional Gold Medal events possible as well as to all the volunteers who assisted and all who attended to make this a memorable occasion.”

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Mike Honda: Let’s Make Every School as Good as the ‘Good Schools’

Posted on 8th March 2011 in politics

Congressmen Michael Honda (D-CA) and Chaka Fattah (D-PA), the leading Congressional advocates for school funding equity, recently hailed the Department of Education’s appointment of Commissioners who will launch and serve on the Equity and Excellence Commission.

Honda, a former teacher and local school board member who has represented Silicon Valley in California for the past decade, introduced legislation, joined by Fattah, to authorize the Equity Commission. Honda launched the effort to fund the Commission in 2009.

The commission, first proposed and advanced by the two Congressmen in 2009, has been tasked with studying, and recommending solutions to, inequitable school finance systems and their effect on student achievement.

The 28 commissioners appointed by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan bring a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and opinions and represent the full political and educational spectrum. They include the leaders of both major teachers’ unions, business leaders, school district officials, civil rights advocates and former Republican Illinois governor Jim Edgar.

Robert Teranishi is one of the Commissioners. An Associate Professor of Higher Education at New York University and Co-Director for the Institute for Globalization and Education, Dr. Teranishi’s research is broadly focused on race, ethnicity, and the stratification of college opportunity. His work has been influential to federal, state, and institution policy related to college access and affordability.

The Equity Commission’s first meeting was on February 22 at the Department of Education in Washington. They will now hold public meetings, town halls and hearings across the nation to allow commissioners to gather information that inform their recommendations. The commission will report to the Secretary of Education, who will share the report with Congress, in May of 2012.

“All our children should have an equal opportunity to achieve prosperity, not just those at the top,” said Congressman Honda. “Closing our achievement gap, however, is not just about those at the bottom. It is about making sure that every working and middle class neighborhood has a world-class school.”

“We have known for years that equal opportunity is a fallacy in our public schools,” continued Honda. “As poverty increases in our schools, our scores steadily decrease.”

Honda said the goal should be simple: “To make every school as good as the schools in our wealthiest communities.”

“This commission comes at a critical time in our fiscal history as a nation. Now, more than ever, we are compelled to use scarce public resources efficiently and effectively,” said Fattah, an innovator and advocate for education reform who proposed the Commission concept at a meeting with the President on Feb. 26, 2009. “We know that there is no more prudent investment in the nation’s growth and prosperity than the education of our young people.”

Fattah, from Philadelphia, praised the work of Equity Commissioner Eric Hanushek, a Hoover Institution Fellow, who calculated that simply increasing the educational attainment of the nation’s lowest performing students would add $72 trillion to GDP, as well as a 2009 McKinsey report that found that the achievement gap has the economic effect of a permanent recession.

“The proof is there: Educational achievement will key our economic recovery,” Fattah said. “This is more than a question of fairness and equity, this is about the nation’s economic future.”

The Equity Commission is charged with collecting data, analyzing issues and obtaining broad public input on strategies for the federal government to increase educational opportunity by improving school funding equity. It will also make recommendations for restructuring school finance systems to achieve equity in resources and further student performance, especially for students at the lower end of the achievement gap.

Download this PDF of an op-ed by Congressman Honda in a recent issue of American Educator magazine.

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Calif. API Policy Summit 2011 Accepting Workshop Proposals

Posted on 29th December 2010 in community, politics

The California Asian Pacific Islander (API) Policy Summit is searching for a variety of groundbreaking skills building workshops and trainings that will provide community members the tools to address the broad range of issues impacting API communities. The API Policy Summit will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center on May 2 – 3, 2011.

If your organization would like to facilitate a workshop at the California Asian Pacific Islander Policy Summit on the morning or afternoon of May 2, 2011, please download and complete this form. Workshop proposals are due by January 20, 2011.

The goal for these workshop sessions is to advance our community’s political, social, and economic well-being by providing participants with an expanded skill-set and knowledge for effective advocacy and organizing. Priority will be given to workshops that equip participants with the knowledge to navigate effectively through local, state, and federal systems. We are looking for workshops that, as a whole, will:

  • Equip participants with concrete and tangible skills that can be applied to their respective fields, such as making linkages between program implementation and policy advocacy.
  • Reflect the diversity of the API community, including race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, language and geography.
  • Highlight issues impacting the API community, including representation from a wide array of disciplines, fields, populations, and sectors.
  • Facilitate linkages among diverse areas to strengthen common goals in public policy advocacy.
  • Utilize innovative training methods, including audio-visual presentations, small group discussions, mock trainings, role playing, and other “hands-on” project formats.

If your organization would like to facilitate a workshop at the California Asian Pacific Islander Policy Summit on the morning or afternoon of May 2, 2011, please download and complete this form. Workshop proposals are due by January 20, 2011.

Please email or fax completed applications and materials to Andrew T. Medina at:
Fax: (916) 319-3628 Email: Andrew.Medina@asm.ca.gov

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AALDEF 2010 Exit Poll of Asian American Voters Shows Strong Approval for Dems in Northeast, Support for Republican Govs in the South

Posted on 4th November 2010 in politics

While Asian Americans strongly supported Democratic gubernatorial candidates in New York Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, Asian American voters in Georgia and Texas mirrored the broader electorate by favoring Republican candidates for Governor, according to preliminary results of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) exit poll released today.

AALDEF conducted the five-state multilingual exit poll of over 3,500 Asian American voters in collaboration with 30 national and local community groups, the largest nonpartisan poll of its kind in the nation.

The 2010 exit poll was conducted in five states with large or fast-growing Asian American populations:  New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Texas and Georgia.  The five largest Asian ethnic groups polled were Chinese (42%), South Asian (25%), Korean (17%), Filipino (6%), and Vietnamese (3%).  Among those polled, 60% of Asian Americans were registered Democrats, 19% were not enrolled in any political party, and 14% of Asian Americans were registered Republicans.

In the traditionally Democratic northeastern states of New York and Massachusetts, Asian Americans voted overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates Andrew Cuomo in NY (Cuomo-82%, Paladino-13%) and Deval Patrick in MA (Patrick-84%, Baker-14%).  Cuomo won the election 61% to 34%, and Patrick was re-elected with a 6-point margin, 48% to 42%.  In New York, AALDEF’s exit poll was conducted at 18 poll sites in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn.  In Massachusetts, AALDEF polled voters at 4 sites in Boston and Lowell.

In a carefully-watched New York State Senate race, Democratic candidate Tony Avella unseated long-time Republican incumbent Frank Padavan in Senate District 11 in Queens.  Padavan had been criticized by community groups for his anti-immigrant positions.  According to a local poll conducted by AALDEF community partner MinKwon Center for Community Action, 89% of Korean American voters favored Democratic candidate Avella, and 11% of those polled supported Padavan.  Avella defeated Padavan by 53% to 47% of all district voters.

In Pennsylvania, among Asian American voters polled at 4 sites in Philadelphia’s Chinatown and Upper Darby, PA, 78% voted for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato, with 18% supporting Republican candidate Tom Corbett. Corbett won 54% of the Pennsylvania vote, with 45% for Onorato.

Asian American voter preferences in Texas and Georgia more closely reflected the broader state electorates that have traditionally favored Republicans.  Asian American voters favored the re-election of Republican Governor Rick Perry by a small margin (Perry-50%, White-48%); Perry was re-elected by a vote of 55% to 42%.  In Georgia, Asian American voters favored Republican candidate Nathan Deal (50%) over Democratic candidate Roy Barnes (46%).  Deal won the gubernatorial election 53% to 43%.  Asian American voters in Texas were surveyed at 7 poll sites in Houston and Sugar Land.  In Georgia, the AALDEF exit poll was conducted at 4 sites in the Atlanta area:  Suwanee, Doraville, Norcross and Duluth.

AALDEF also monitored almost 50 poll sites for compliance with the Voting Rights Act and Help America Vote Act (HAVA).  Volunteer attorneys checked the provision of Asian-language ballots, interpreters, signs and voting materials, which are required in certain districts; improper requests for voter identification, and whether provision ballots were offered to Asian Americans whose names did not appear on voter lists.  Examples of voting problems observed on Election Day included:

New York:

  • Widespread complaints about the illegible paper ballots in New York City, because Chinese/Korean characters and English-language fonts were too small
  • In Manhattan’s Chinatown, I.S. 131 had only English and Korean-language voting instructions available for the predominantly Chinese American voters at this site.
  • Asian American voters complained about rude conduct by poll workers at I.S. 131 in Manhattan’s Chinatown and P.S. 94 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn
  • Despite federal mandates under the Voting Rights Act, several interpreter shortages were reported, including at P.S. 20 in Manhattan’s Lower East Side (no Chinese interpreters; 3 required); P.S. 12 in Woodside, Queens (2 Chinese interpreters; 4 required)

Pennsylvania:

  • At Benjamin Franklin House in Philadelphia, an Asian American couple came to vote; the wife’s name was on the voter list, her husband’s name was not.  Poll workers turned away the husband and did not give him a provisional ballot, as required under HAVA.
  • At Lowell Elementary School in Philadelphia, Khmer and Vietnamese translators were not present at the poll site.  When Cambodian American voters asked for assistance, poll workers did not know what to do or referred them to some hotline without any instructions.
  • Also at Lowell Elementary School in Philadelphia, an Asian American voter needed her son to help her vote because she was limited English proficient.  She was told to wait over an hour until after several others voted.

The 2010 multilingual exit poll was conducted at 34 poll sites in 8 languages and dialects:  Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Khmer, Bengali, Punjabi, Urdu, and Gujarati.  AALDEF has conducted exit polls of Asian American voters in every major election since 1988.  In the 2008 Presidential elections, AALDEF polled 16,665 Asian American voters in 11 states. Copies of AALDEF’s past exit poll and election monitoring reports can be found at http://www.aaldef.org/publications/ under “Voting Rights.”

The co-sponsors of the multilingual exit poll and Asian American election protection project include: National: APIA Vote, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, OCA, South Asian Americans Leading Together.  New York:  Asian American Bar Association of New York, Asian American Studies Program–Hunter College, Chhaya CDC, Korean American Voters’ Council, Filipino American Human Services, Inc., Filipino American Legal Defense and Education Fund, MinKwon Center for Community Action, Muslim Bar Association of New York, National Federation of Filipino American Associations-Region One, SEVA, South Asian Bar Association of New York, South Asian Youth Action.   Pennsylvania: Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania, Asian Pacific American Law Student Association at UPenn Law, OCA Greater Philadelphia Chapter, Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation. Massachusetts: Asian Outreach Unit, Greater Boston Legal Services, Asian Community Development Corporation, Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts, Chinese Progressive Association, Mass Vote.  Georgia:  Asian American Legal Advocacy Center of Georgia, Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association, OCA Georgia Chapter.  Texas:  OCA Greater Houston.

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, is a national organization that protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans.  By combining litigation, advocacy, education and organizing, AALDEF works with Asian American communities across the country to secure human rights for all.

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JACL Praises Ruling Overturning Prop. 8

Posted on 5th August 2010 in law, politics

The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) praised yesterday’s ruling that overturned California’s ban on same-sex marriage. U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker ruled that the California voter-approved ban violated due process and the equal protection clause under the U.S. Constitution.

Praising the ruling, JACL National President David Kawamoto stated, “The JACL welcomes this decision, which affirms an individual’s fundamental right to marry regardless of one’s sexual orientation. This ruling is about equal rights, as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, and confirms our nation’s commitment to fairness. While we know more legal hurdles lie ahead, this is one more step towards a just and inclusive society.”

The JACL has long supported marriage equality. In 1967, the JACL was an amici to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Loving v. Virginia, the seminal case that struck down anti-miscegenation in 17 states. In 1994, the JACL became a leader in this effort by becoming the first non-LGBT group after the ACLU to support marriage equality. When Proposition 8 was placed on the ballot in California, the JACL joined with API Equality to inform its members of the civil rights ramifications of this initiative, sponsoring programs and press conferences to educate the broader community that separate is not equal.

In his ruling, Judge Walker stated, “Moral disapproval alone is an improper basis on which to deny rights to gay men and lesbians. The evidence shows conclusively that Proposition 8 enacts, without reason, a private moral view that same-sex couples are inferior to opposite-sex couples.”

JACL National Director Floyd Mori stated, “Any union of a couple that is based on love, mutual respect, sacrifice and commitment should be afforded the same legal rights. The JACL is pleased with this decision. Discrimination against any group of people has no place in our society.”

SOURCE: JACL press release

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API Equality Groups Applaud Court Ruling Against Prop. 8

Posted on 4th August 2010 in community, law, politics

Today, federal district court judge Vaughn Walker ruled that California’s Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution in denying gay and lesbian couples the right to marry. Civil rights and advocacy groups, including Asian and Pacific Islander (API) organizations and leaders, praised the judge’s decision. Today’s win is particularly gratifying for those in the API community who have been at the forefront of efforts to gain marriage equality both in California and nationally.

“API Equality-LA and our partner, API Equality-Northern California, applaud the judge’s meticulous and carefully reasoned decision that Proposition 8 violates the basic constitutional rights of lesbian and gay couples,” said Doreena Wong, Co-Chair of API Equality-LA. “The judge’s conclusions add to the growing consensus in courts and legislatures across the country that no good reasons exist for continuing to exclude same-sex couples from marriage. Instead, the evidence and legal arguments showed that Proposition 8 harms loving gay and lesbian couple and their families, while helping no one,” added Heidi Li, API Equality-Northern California Steering Committee Member.

Judge Walker’s decision is important to Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs) in California, where the more than 66,000 APIs who identify as gay or lesbian comprise the largest community of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI) APIs in the United States, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law.

“Victories like today’s decision inspire important conversations about the harms of discrimination and the need for equality under law for all people,” said Tawal Panyacosit, Director of API Equality-Northern California. “But, we cannot rest on our laurels. These critical dialogues must continue, as we must also speak to the many other ways LGBTQI APIs are harmed by injustice, like Shirley Tan and Jay Mercado, a same-sex Filipina couple who face continued threat of separation due to an unfair immigration system. We know from our years of work educating the API community about these issues that it is these discussions within our own communities that changes hearts and minds.”

Added Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong, Director of API Equality-LA, “All across the nation, APIs have played an integral role in advancing the right of same-sex couples to marry-as plaintiffs, judges and witnesses in legal cases and as elected and community leaders in the court of public opinion. APIs personally know the history and impact of marriage discrimination and today, we cheer Judge Walker’s decision as being on the right side of history, where discrimination is overcome by justice and fairness.”

API Equality-Northern California is a coalition of Asian Pacific Islander (API) and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and Intersex (LGBTQI) organizations and individuals serving Northern California.  API Equality-Northern California is dedicated to empowering community members, advancing civil rights protections, and promoting respect and understanding for cultural and community diversity.

API Equality-LA is a coalition of organizations and individuals who are committed to working in the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities in Greater Los Angeles for equal marriage rights and fair treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families through community education and advocacy.

SOURCE: API Equality-LA

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Need Your Help: Time Running Out on Judge Ed Chen’s Nomination

Posted on 29th July 2010 in politics

As you may know, Judge Edward Chen was nominated to the federal district court in San Francisco by President Obama in August, 2009. His nomination has been now pending for nearly one year — he is the longest waiting judicial nominee under this administration. Despite being highly qualified, Judge Chen has been unfairly subjected to delay and obstruction.

More than 1,800 of you from across the country signed letters in support of Judge Chen — and this demonstration of support has made a difference.

But time is running out. It is important that Judge Chen be confirmed by the Senate before the August recess which could start the first week of August. Once again, we ask your support in urging the Senate leadership to schedule a vote on Judge Chen’s confirmation.

If you’ve already signed a letter of support for Judge Chen, please forward this email and ask others to visit http://fairjudges.net to sign the support letter. If you haven’t signed a letter, please visit http://fairjudges.net. Signing the letter online takes only a few minutes.

Judge Chen’s nomination is important. He would be the first Chinese American ever to serve on the district court that serves the diverse San Francisco Bay Area. And Judge Chen has a long history of public service and commitment to justice:

  • Judge Chen represented Fred Korematsu in Fred’s historic suit overturning his WWII conviction for refusing to comply with the Japanese internment order;
  • Judge Chen has represented victims of race and language discrimination and sought to protect civil rights throughout his legal career;
  • As a federal magistrate judge for the last 9 years, Judge Chen has earned a sterling judicial record and gained the support and respect of all sectors of the bar.
  • Judge Chen received the highest rating possible from the American Bar Association — unanimously well qualified.

Again, time is running out. It is important that Judge Chen be confirmed by the Senate before the August recess.

Your continued support is needed and appreciated.

Visit http://fairjudges.net and show your support by signing the letter today!

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A Fundraiser Across the Bay for Jennifer Pae on Aug. 5

Posted on 29th July 2010 in people, politics

Please join us on Aug. 5 at Mercury Lounge to support our friend and tireless community activist Jennifer Pae as she comes across the bay to help build her campaign for Oakland City Council District 2.

I’m proud to join an event host committee that includes David Chiu, Phil Ting, Fiona Ma, Steve Ngo, Angelica Jongco, Colbert Tse, Genevieve Jopanda, Gladys Soto, Keesa Ocampo, Lisa Le, Andy Wong and Zoe Dunning.

The event takes place on Thursday August 5, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Mercury Lounge, 1582 Folsom Street (between 12th St and Norfolk St), in San Francisco.

Suggested donation levels are $35, $100, $250 and $700. Contributions to Jennifer Pae for Oakland City Council 2010 (FPPC #1326068) are not tax deductible. Maximum contribution of $700 per contributor. For more information, visit http://jenniferpae.com.

RSVP via email at vote@jenniferpae.com. Or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=132435350131230

If you don’t know Jennifer, here’s in her own words why she’s running.  I hope you can join me in supporting her!

Jennifer Pae: Now is the time

Oakland faces significant challenges in unemployment, schools and safety. Budget decisions we make this year will impact our lives for years to come. So we need fresh solutions and leadership that brings a deep commitment to community into City Hall. My campaign is grounded in the belief that local government can better serve our basic needs and set up our community for long-term success. It’s possible for us to regain our faith in Oakland City Hall. With your support and investment in my campaign, I will champion a set of policy solutions that will help create a city that will make us proud.

I’ve been listening

I have spent months listening to the concerns of hundreds of parents, merchants, and community leaders in District 2, and we all agree that we face serious and deeply rooted problems. It is not surprising that Oakland residents have lost faith in their government.

I know we can do better, and I am prepared to help lead the way. I hope you will join me, and together, we will build a strong future for Oakland.

Bringing my national experience home

I grew up watching my mother, a first-generation immigrant who raised two children while working and studying to become a nurse, demonstrate what hard work and perseverance can create. Thanks to her success, I have been able to serve as a community organizer, public policy advocate, and an effective leader for change at the local, state and national levels. I served as President of a national organization where I worked closely with the White House, Department of Education, and Congress on key issues affecting education. I currently serve on the Oakland Community Policing Advisory Board and advocate for better public safety policies in our neighborhoods.

I’ll need your time and financial support to make this campaign a success. Please consider investing in our campaign for Oakland by making a donation and signing up to volunteer.

Your support will help us reach voters who want to believe in Oakland again.

Together we can,
Jennifer Pae

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