Columns Making It in the USA What We Expect from Elected Asian-American Elected Officials
| What We Expect from Elected Asian-American Elected Officials |
When we help the right Asian-American elected officials (AAEOs), all Asian Americans (AsAms) benefit. Help the wrong ones, all AsAms shall get hurt.
When a wrong AAEO gets support from our community, other AAEO may imitate him/her. "Bad money drives away good money!"
What is expected of an AAEO? That is what our community needs to discuss and reach a consensus in order to achieve the kind of political cohesion necessary to win our basic rights like equal opportunity at work and to be appointed Federal judges. Here is my personal view.
What America Expects Of Its Elected Officials
Elected officials are expected to primarily serve those who live in their respective election districts. Hence AsAms living outside of an AAEO's district should NOT expect help from him/her. The life of any AAEO is tough enough. Don't make their lives even tougher. Let them focus on doing a good job for constituents in their own political district. That will still indirectly serve our long term interests.
Two Big Exceptions!
I) Those AAEOs who have raised campaign funds primarily from AsAms living within and without their election districts while emphasizing their Asian ethnic origin, have the obligation to share the concerns of all AsAms.
II) Those AAEOs who endorsed presidential candidates by becoming members of "Asian Ams for XXX" therefore playing up their ethnic connection have the obligation to persuade the endorsed presidential candidate to promote the rightful aspirations of AsAms.
Asian Americans Deserve these basic rights
AsAms deserve
1) to enjoy equal opportunity in workplaces by the enforcement of Exec. Order 11246 that is enforced for all Ams. except us, and
2) to have many more AsAm Federal judges -- currently only 0.6 % while the % of our population and lawyers is about 4.5%.
80-20 has asked all presidential candidates to give us those two promises.
See http://www.8020initiative.net/news/preselect2008.asp .
AAEOs who fall in the category of "Two Big Exceptions" and fulfill their added obligations are the right ones! Support them. We will soon publicize a list of such model AAEOs.
Your views and comments are most welcome via
http://www.80-20educationalfoundation.org/posterboard.html
Respectfully yours,
S. B. Woo
President, 80-20 Educational Foundation
Editor's Notes: Dr. Woo is a former Lieutenant Governor of Delaware and the prime mover of the 80-20 Asian Initiative, a Political Action Committee. He is recognized as one of the most-influential Asian-American voices in the American corridors of power.
Grateful Acknowledgement for $22,800 in the last 2 Weeks:
Woo's Foundation: $10,000 Henry and Valerie Lee: $ 2.000
Theodore Chen Vora, $ 1,000 Po-Zen Wong $ 1,000
Christine Mei $ 1,000 Philip Choong $ 1,000
Ting, Michael and Laura $ 750 Thomas C. Shen $ 500
Peter Chen $ 500 TzuFann & Jeannine Shao $ 500
William Tao $ 500 Susan and James Wu $ 500
Dongzi Liu $ 500 S. B. Woo $ 500
T. K. Chu $ 500 Soo Tang (pledge) $ 500
Loi Chi $ 300 Chang, Alec $ 250
Fred and Jane Wu $ 200 Ray Wu $ 200
Scott Xinhai Chai $ 100
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