Democrats reach out to AAPI voters; name its AAPI Political Director

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John Santos is interviewed by Baliitang America TV about his recent appointment.

Recognizing the critical role Asian American and Pacific Islander voters will play in the 2020 elections, the Democratic National Committee has named a veteran political and media specialist as its liaison with AAPI communities.

John Santos was promoted to be the Asian American Pacific Islander Political Director. He was named to his new position along with African American Political Director Cyrus Garrett, and Native American Political Director Theresa Sheldon.

The trio join previously named hires Rural Political Director Libby Schneider, Labor Political Director Tucker McDonald, and Interfaith Outreach Director Dr. Derrick Harkins.

“Diversity and inclusion have always been the strength of our Democratic coalition,” said DNC Chair Tom Perez. “Now more than ever we will need a strong team that can harness the energy and excitement in our base communities to elect Democrats up and down the ballot. I am confident that the team we are building at the DNC is ready to build the coalitions we need heading into one of the most important elections of our lifetimes.”

In his new position, Santos will develop and promote the DNC’s outreach efforts to AAPI communities. 

“To me, it’s all about how do we mobilize the community, right? How do we make sure Asian Americans, Filipino Americans, are voting? And what I see is the DNC right now is the party that’s really committed to doing that,” Santos told Balitang America.

He will also serve as the liaison to the Veterans and Military Families Council. Most recently, he served as the DNC’s Western Regional Press Secretary and AAPI Media Director. Previously, he served in the U.S. Army as the Deputy Press Secretary for the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve during a year-long deployment in Kuwait and Iraq. Additionally, he previously served as the Health Policy Assistant Director for the American Legion and Chair for Communications at KAYA: Filipino Americans for Progress.

Politicians rarely target their outreach toward Asian Americans. Compared to the national average of 53 percent, only 31 percent of Asian Americans reported being contacted by candidates or parties in 2012.

The 2018 midterm elections that the Democratic National Committee invested heavily in the Asian Americans, said Santos. He said the DNC registered Asian Americans to vote, ran in-language print ads and put Asian American organizers on the ground in competitive congressional districts such as traditionally conservative Orange County in California.

Based on the results, Santos said these efforts “paid off.”

In the 2014 midterm elections, 49 percent of Asian American voters backed a Democratic House candidate, according to exit polls. In 2016, 65 percent chose Hillary Clinton over Trump. By the 2018 midterms, that number shot up to 77 percent.

Asian American voters have been trending Democratic even more under Trump, even though 40% of the voters are not registered with either party. Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies have pushed turned off the AAPI electorate, the majority of which is still first and second generation immigrants.

That voting trend could have massive implications for 2020: Not only are they one of the fastest-growing voter demographics, they’re also an increasingly pivotal one in battleground states like Virginia, Nevada, and Arizona.

According to AAPI Data, Asian American voters already make up more than 10 percent of the eligible voting population in California and Hawaii, and more than 5 percent in a slew of other states including Nevada, New Jersey, and New York.

“Building a team that reflects the diverse coalition that we need to win back the White House and the Senate is one of our priorities,” said DNC Political Director Muthoni Wambu Kraal. “I am proud of the diversity of our staff, and we are lucky to have Taylor, John, Cyrus, Theresa, Libby, Tucker, and Derrick leading our efforts in laying the groundwork to victory in 2020.”

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Constance Wu gets real about Twitter storm

CONSTANCE WU

ASAM NEWS

Riding high after the success of Crazy Rich Asians, Constance Wu came crashing back down to earth following social media backlash over her negative comments about the renewal of Fresh Off the Boat.
She opened up about what she learned from the incident in an interview with the Los Angeles Times and admitted her initial reaction to possibly losing a movie role she had coveted was overdramatic

“I had this moment of heat where I got upset because I had to give up a job I had been looking forward to and had been chasing for a while,” she said to the Times.

Wu revealed for the first time that the role she had to give up because of her commitments to Fresh Off the Boat was a “not Asian-specific” part in a play, not in a movie as many had wrongly assumed.

Even though her social media following has grown to 1 million, she admits she didn’t realize the enormous power and responsibility that comes with that.

“I’m not beating myself up for it, because I know me,” said Wu. “But I don’t think I realized that people were paying so much attention to my Twitter.”

The self-described “fiasco” propped up rumors that Wu acted like a diva on the set. She says her fellow actors have come to her support.

“It was moving to me how many people from the show reached out to me, and even on set … to say, ‘Just so you know, we love you and we know who you are, and you didn’t deserve any of that stuff.’ Because they also know that I’m an actress — I can be dramatic.

Wu will co-star with Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B in Hustlers, which hits the screens Sept.13.

“I know some people were like, ‘Constance demanded top billing.’ No, the script had me as the lead. But it’s a juicier story to say the other stuff.

“I am grateful for my entire career,” she said. “But the fact that my career has been historic shouldn’t necessarily be a call (to say to) me, ‘You should be so lucky’ — it should be a call to pay attention to the fact that this kind of thing shouldn’t have been historic. Me getting to play a fully human experience as an Asian American, that shouldn’t be historic. But it is. 

"Let’s talk about the system, not whether or not I deserve to be in it and how I need to feel about it.”

Wu says she’s learned and predicted there will be no further social media “blow ups” from her.

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TGIF Feature: Trailer out for Intersections' first episode "Don't Get Pregnant"

ANDREA BARRICA

With the provocative title of "Don't Get Pregnant," the first episode of the online Intersections series should be an attention-getter.

Intersections is an original series by NextDayBetter that explores the untold stories of who Filipinos are becoming across the diaspora.

The first episode will fature Andrea Barrica, a resident of Oakland, CA, who, as a sex educator, will explore the concept of hiya, or shame, in the Filipino community.

Barrica is the CEO and founder of O.school, a judgment-free media platform to learn about sexuality and pleasure.

The episode will premiere Sept. 3 and the next new four episodes will become available every two weeks, thereafter until Nov. 12.

NextDayBetter is a new type of media and storytelling platform for diaspora communities. Through storytelling and community activation, it tells the untold stories of migrant communities across the globe and call them to action to solve today’s greatest challenges.

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US Open Tennis: Osaka will go against crowd favorite

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Naomi Osaka is defending her US Open crown this week.

No. 1 seed Naomi Osaka has not exactly rolled over her opponents in the early rounds of the U.S. Open but she played well enough to reach the third round where she will be tested by 15-year phenom Coco Gauff.

Osaka, 21, the first Asian American woman to be ranked No. 1 in tennis, is back where she first earned her top spot last year by defeating Serena Williams in the finals.

Osaka had to take three sets to defeat Anna Blinkova in a hard-fought first round Tuesday (Aug. 27) but had an easier time gainst Magda Linette in the second round before defeating her 6-2, 6-4.

In the third round, Osaka will face current sensation Gauff. who overcame World No.112 Timea Babos after two hours and 21 minutes of play, becoming the youngest woman to reach the last 32 

The match on Saturday is being billed as the start of what could be long rivalry between the two young players.

Osaka, who has dual citizenship, plays for Japan even though she lives and trains in the US. She will have to overcome the partisan crowd who will likely favor the  140th-ranked, young American who will come in as the underdog.

The partisan Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd chanted and cheered for the teenager during and after the match. "Being American, playing in New York is amazing," said Gauff in a live TV interview after the match. "I knew obviously I was going to be the favorite, especially after Wimbledon, but also being American. [But] I didn't think it was going to be like that."

The soft-spoken Osaka won't be without her own following. On Thursday, Kobe Bryant and Colin Kaepernick were cheering her on. “I don’t know; it’s just funny to me. You know, last year compared to this year there is no way, like, Kobe would sit in my box,” giggled Osaka,

Gauff is already the youngest player to reach the third round of the US Open since Anna Kournikova in 1996, nearly eight years before Gauff was born.

Osaka, who was born in Japan, temporarily lost her No. 1 ranking after being eliminated in the early rounds of the French Open and at Wimbledon.

Osaka, who appears more relaxed since her emotional press conference after her Wimbledon loss, is looking forward to the first match with Gauff. Gauff talked about how nice Osaka had been to her when they met at the Miami Open when she was 13.

"Obviously (Osaka is) an amazing player," said Gauff, who is composed beyond her years. "She's defending champion, she's won two Slams. She's No.1, she's only 21. We're both pretty young, but I'm a little bit newer to the game. So I'm just curious to see how my game matches up against her. Obviously I want to win. I just want to enjoy it, have fun, enjoy the battle. We'll see how it goes."

“She’s super sweet — I would love to play her,’’ Osaka said of Gault. She'll get her wish Saturday.

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Bangladeshi national pleads guilty to smuggling people into US at Mexico border

A Bangladeshi national who lived in Monterrey, Mexico, pleaded guilty for his role in a scheme to smuggle people to the United States for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain.

With the plea on Tuesday (Aug. 27), Moktar Hossain, 31, admitted that from March 2017 to August 2018, he  brought Bangladeshi nationals into the US at the Texas border in exchange for payment. 

Hossain operated out of Monterrey, Mexico, where he housed aliens before sending them on the last leg of the journey to the US. Hossain paid drivers to transport the Bangladesh natives to the  border, and gave them instructions how to cross the Rio Grande River.

“Human smuggling is a national security threat,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s plea makes clear that defendants who smuggle illegal aliens across the United States border for profit should expect to face the consequences in a United States courtroom.”

The guilty plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

Hossain's arrest spotlights the increasing number of would-be border crossers coming from other parts of the world. Gurpreet Kaur, a 7-year old girl from India died from heat exhaustion earlier this year attempting to trek through the harsh desert environment.

This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-Laredo, with assistance from HSI offices in Monterrey, Houston, Calexico, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Marshals Service. 

The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns.

This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys James Hepburn and Erin Cox of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

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Eddie Huang will direct coming-of-age film

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Restaurateur and author Eddie Huang will add 'movie director' to his resume.

ASAM NEWS

Author and chef Eddie Huang will enter the world of directing for the first time with a coming-of-age film set in contemporary New York City, Deadline reports.
The movie, Boogie, which is also written by Huang, tells the story of a young Chinese American basketball phenom who struggles to balance the expectations of his immigrant family and his own dreams to play in the NBA. 

Newcomer Taylor Takahashi will play Boogie, while Pamelyn Chee (Prescient, Beyond Skyline) and Jorge Lendeburg Jr. (Spiderman: Far From Home, Love, Simon) are set to co-star.

Huang, the son of Taiwanese immigrants and chef and owner of the acclaimed restaurant  Baohouse, said a lot of his existing work has presented the Asian American experience “like a triumphal arch.”

“Planet Asia needed me to stand out here with my two arms up, but I’m in my Purple Phase now,” Huang said in a statement Monday. “Boogie is the reflection of my ancestor’s spirit and values as I’ve always felt them navigating me through this American life.”

Huang’s debut screen project will be produced and domestically distributed by Focus Features.

“[Huang] lays waste to expectations and shapes the ground of our culture with every new endeavor he embarks upon, and we couldn’t be any more proud or excited to a part of bringing his voice to the world,” Focus chairman Peter Kujawski said. “Hold on tight and watch what he does here.”

Huang's 2013 memoir, "Fresh Off the Boat," of growing up as part of an immigrant family was translated into the TV series with the same name.

Despite the groundbreaking nature of the show featuring an Asian American family, he was dissatisfied with the sanitized version of what he felt was "his" story. Huang left the series after the first series over creative differences. 

He subsequently hosted a series of travel/food shows, Huang's World, on the Vice network, and Cheap Bites on the Cooking Channel.

In an interview on CBS' Sunday Morning, he explained that in almost everything he does, he tries to smash the model minority myth imposed on Asian Americans. 

Having an Asian American with dreams of becoming a pro-basketball player is a continuation of that goal. 

RELATED: Baller Jeremy Lin encounters on-court bias in the NBA

Views From the Edge contributed to this report.

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Man dies trying to rescue his dog

MICHAEL FERNANDEZ

It was a warm Saturday afternoon in Chicago. Michael Fernandez and his girlfriend were enjoying a leisurely walk in the park with his dog, Sora.

The 1-year-old pup fell into Chicago's Lincoln Park Lagoon and was having trouble getting back to shore. The Filipino American limo driver and his girlfriend, Ashley Sadefur, jumped into the water to rescue the struggling dog.

Sandefur "did try to get into the water, but because of the high weed content right here at the shore she (couldn't) get very far in,” Chicago Fire Department Deputy District Chief Jason Lach told WGN.

Sadefur and Sora were able to make it back to shore but Fernandez failed to surface. 

Authorities searched for several hours, but poor visibility, murky water and hazardous conditions in the lagoon, which is 18-feet deep in some places, caused rescuers to postpone their search until Sunday.

Divers were able to locate the body just after 1 p.m. Sunday, and his family later confirmed it was Fernandez's.

Members of the victim’s family are calling into question what they see as a safety issue at the park, WGN reported.

“There’s no safety features at all,” Arthur Fernandez, Michael Fernandez’s uncle, said.

“There’s no fences here, to keep kids and everybody from not falling into the lagoon,” he said.

The LIncoln Park lagoon.

The 29-year-old Michael Fernandez is the son of Katherine “Kandy” Fernandez-Palacios and Yalcin Atli.

Arthur Fernandez said his nephew and his dog were inseparable.

Family and friends of Fernandez set up an online fund drive at GoFundMe to help shoulder the expense of funeral service. They are trying to raise $10,000 dollars for the memorial.

His memorial visitation is slated on Friday, Aug. 30, at Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home in Cicero Avenue, Chicago.

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The body of Michael Fernandez was recovered Sunday afternoon following a 19-hour search, according to WGN-TV.

Fernandez is the son of Katherine “Kandy” Fernandez-Palacios and Yalcin Atli. Loving partner of Ashley Sandefur. He was a limo driver and a bodybuilder.

Family and friends of Fernandez set up an online fund drive at GoFundMe to help shoulder the expense of funeral service. They are trying to raise $10,000 dollars for the memorial.

As of Wednesday, they have collected $8,210 for the bereaved family.

“Michael was only 29 years old who lost his life in a way that no one could imagine. A young sweetheart that didn't have enough time to enjoy his life to the fullest, create his family, his life adventures. God took too early from this earth. Please help his family create a wonderful memorial for our dearest friend,MICHAEL FERNANDEZ,” the online fund drive read.

His memorial visitation is slated on August 30 at Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home in Cicero Avenue, Chicago.

Fernandez, a limo driver, dove into the lagoon, which is 18 feet deep in spots, to try and rescue his 1-year-old dog, which was struggling in the water, the news station reported. His girlfriend, Ashley Sandefur. also went into the water to try to save him. 

“She did try to get into the water, but because of the high weed content right here at the shore she [couldn't ] get very far in,” Chicago Fire Department Deputy District Chief Jason Lach told WGN.

The girlfriend and dog both made it out of the lagoon alive.

Members of the victim’s family are calling into question what they see as a safety issue at the park, WGN reported.

“There’s no safety features at all,” Arthur Fernandez, Michael Fernandez’s uncle, said. 

“There’s no fences here, to keep kids and everybody from not falling into the lagoon,” he said.

64-year-old Sikh man stabbed to death

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People at a vigil for Parmjit Singh lit candles.

ASAM NEWS

Parmjit Singh, 64, was brutally stabbed to death while walking in his neighborhood in Tracy, California on Sunday (Aug. 25), CBS Sacramento reports. Now members of the Sikh American community in Tracy are searching for answers.
Singh immigrated to the United States in 2016 to study the irrigation systems of the US. He leaves behind two children and three grandchildren.

PARMJIT SINGH

According to CBS Sacramento, the attack happened Sunday around 9 p.m. in the area of Gretchen Talley Park.

Singh’s death has raised concerns for members of the community.

“How many people just go to the park for a walk? This could have been my relative, my uncle, my family member,” Jass Sangha, who helped organize a community meeting told CBS Sacramento. “Nobody deserves to die a death like that, no one deserves to see a family member stabbed.”

On Monday, police released footage of a man seen near the park during the time of Singh’s death, Huffington Post reports. Investigators are trying to find information about what this man may have seen. Members of the community are also offering a $1000 to identify the man caught on camera, CBS Sacramento reports.

Police presently have no suspects and said they are not sure if Singh's death was a hate crime.

"We don’t want to single out the fact that Mr. Singh was a member of a specific community," said Tracy Police Chief, Alex Neicu. "Mr. Singh was a member of Tracy’s community, and we’re all looking for answers. This is something that affects all of us equally."

Security cameras in the park were not operating. Police said the cameras haven't been working for several years despite signs advising park users that they are being monitored.

According to Huffington Post, an advocacy group called The Sikh Coalition says Singh’s death marks the seventh attack on an elderly Sikh man wearing a turban since 2011 in the Northern California area.

“We are deeply saddened by the death of this elderly Sikh community member,” the group’s legal director Amrith Kaur said in a statement. “As we look to learn more, we expect that local law enforcement will continue to investigate this case thoroughly, including the possibility that bias was a motivating factor in his murder.”

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Asian Americans make up largest ethnic group of University of California first-year students

The UC Berkeley campus is a favorite choice among Asian American college students.

This week, as first-year students attend their classes at the University of California's nine undergraduate campuses, they might notice that a lot of their classmates are Asian Americans.

Asian Americans will make up  the largest ethnic group, with 35% of the incoming class. Chicano/Latino students increased slightly as a proportion of admitted students from 33% to 34% percent. The proportion of white students stayed flat at 22%. The proportion of African American students also stayed flat at 5%, while American Indian students remained at 0.5%.

The University of California has offered an all-time record number of incoming students  for the 2019-20 academic year, including respectively the highest numbers of freshmen and transfer students in UC’s history.

“Yet another year of record-setting admissions underscores the tremendous interest in the world-class education at UC,” said UC President Janet Napolitano. “The best and the brightest young minds continue to make UC their university of choice, and I am pleased to welcome all of these remarkable students this year.”

The university admitted 108,178 freshmen out of a pool of 176,695 students, including a record number of Californians (71,655). UC also accepted 28,752 transfers from a pool of 41,282 students, including the largest-ever class from the California Community Colleges (26,700).

Admission of California Community College transfer students grew slightly to 26,700 students from 26,582 in fall 2018, in keeping with UC’s goal of enrolling one new California transfer student for every two new California freshmen.

The university’s transfer enrollment is expected to rise in the coming years from growing awareness of the UC Transfer Pathways program, which provides a roadmap of course preparation for the university's most sought-after majors, as well as the Transfer Admission Guarantee offered at most campuses.

“With UC Transfer Pathways, we expect to see even more Californians, especially first-generation college students and underrepresented minorities, enroll at UC and graduate in a timely manner,” said Han Mi Yoon-Wu, UC’s interim associate vice president and director of undergraduate admissions. “Our efforts to streamline the transfer process reflect not only our commitment to the state, but also to high-achieving, hardworking students who otherwise may not have found a home at UC.”

Students from historically underrepresented groups comprise 37 percent of admitted transfer students. Chicano/Latino students and white students comprised the largest ethnic groups at 31 percent respectively, followed by African Americans represented 5 percent of admitted transfers, while American Indians and Pacific Islanders made up nearly 1 percent of admitted transfer students.

Asian Americans make up 28 percent of the transferees.

The distribution of Asian American freshmen throughtout the nine campuses was uneven. At UC Irvine and UC Berkeley, for example, Asian Americans made up 48% and 44%, respectively. At UC Merced, Asian Americans made up only 28%.

The preliminary data includes applicants admitted from waitlists and through the referral pool. The data tables, which include campus-specific information for both freshmen and transfers, may be accessed here.

The UC system includes more than 280,000 students and more than 2 million alumni living and working around the world.

Jeremy Lin to play basketball for a Chinese pro-team

Jeremy Lin didn't quit the NBA, the NBA quit him. He signed with the Beijing Ducks yesterday.

ASAM NEWS

It’s official. Jeremy Lin has signed to play basketball overseas with the Beijing Ducks, reports ESPN.

The deal ends for now, his nine year career in the NBA.

The Ducks made the announcement today (Aug. 27), saying it was in the process of finalizing all the paperwork. No word yet on how much Lin will make although earlier rumors had him agreeing to a $3-million contract.

Last season he played for three different teams and earned $13.8 million, according to Spotrac. That’s just slightly less than the $14.9 million contract he signed with the Lakers in 2014-2015-his best year salary wise.

Back in July, the Harvard grad hinted that he would be leaving the NBA when he declared “the NBA has kind of given up on me.”

Lin has a supersized following on social media and is considered a rock star in China. “Beijing, I’m coming,” he declared on the Chinese social media app Douyin.

Today, he posted a picture of himself in wearing his new jersey alongside his brother, who signed with the Fubon Braves, who play in the same league. Jeremy Lin, although born and raised in California, speaks fluent Mandarin.

Lin last season became the first Asian American player to win an NBA Championship with the Toronto Raptors. Although he got little playing time in the playoffs, he averaged 7 points per game during the regular season for the Raptors. Over his nine seasons, he averaged 11.6 points per game and 4.3 assists.

In late July, during a @&A with fans in Taiwan, he became emotional while discussing his then-ongoing free agency: “I feel in some ways like the NBA has given up on me.”

He’s joining a team that has won three league titles in the Chinese Basketball Association and is considered a powerhouse. Former NBA star Stephon Marbury led the team to league championships in 2012, 2014 and 2015. Marbury, who retired at the end of the 2017-18 season, is now the head coach of the Ducks' rival team -- the Beijing Royal Fighters.

"I always knew my path would go through the CBA, solely because I knew how much of an honor it would be to hoop in front of all my Chinese fans," Lin said in his Instagram post. "I'm here now and there is more history to be made!.'

With Lin's departure from the NBA, Filipino American Jordan Clarkson of the Cleveland Cavaliers becomes the only Asian American player in the pros. At one time when both Lin and Clarkson played for the Los Angeles Lakers, the tandem formed the first all-Asian American starting backcourt.

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Conroversy surrounds Video Music Award . for K-pop

Black Pink (top) was nominated in MTV's new K-pop category, which was one by BTS (below).

As expected, BTS, the Korean boy band that has taken the US music industry by storm, won the award Monday (Aug. 26) night for best K-pop group for their song "Boy With Luv."

The group was the first awardee in the newly created category that has been shrouded in controverrsy since it was created last month by MTV Video Music Awards. BTS was not present to receive their award because its members were on hiatus after a grueling world tour.

On its face, it looks like the award was created so that BTS, the wildly popular group, and the other K-pop groups that are making the trip over the Pacific and playing to packed venues and having their music on the Billboard charts.

K-pop fans have been the most vocal in expressing their concern that the category was MTV's "suspicious at best and borderline racist," according to Variety.

By creating the brand new award, MTV is sneakingly appeasing the legions of K-pop fans and at the same time excluding the K-pop groups from the marquee awards like Video of the Year or Artist of the Year, say the fans.

BTS's impact on the US music scene in such a short time is undeniable. Variety points tout has "outpaced many American, Canadian and Australian nominees, who weren’t exiled to a nationality-based category. BTS outsold the Jonas Brothers, who’re nominated for Artist of the Year. And not only is the septet the first Korean group to debut with a No. 1 album on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, they’re also the first act since the Beatles to have three No. 1 albums in a 12-month period. That aside, 'Boy With Luv' broke all kinds of YouTube records, besting even Taylor Swift."

(Swift won best Best Video and Ariana Grande won Best Artist.)

By those accomplishments, BTS should have been nominated in the prestige categories. BTS was nominated for Best Choreography, Best Collaboration (with Halsey) and Best Art Direction.  

Surprisingly, MTV says they were not aware of the controversy. In a statement, Bruce Gillmer, Head of Music and Music Talent at MTV International, said the addition of the K-pop category was meant to “reflect the rich pop music landscape.”

MTV's attempt to appease the fan base may have backfired based on the reactions on Twitter and the call for a boycott of the show.

“vmas thought adding bts in best group category will save the show but armys already decided to boycott it,” wrote a fan on Twitter.

“Is this supposed to be your attempt at acknowledging that you excluded the world’s top group from the main awards? Because it’s far too late for tokenism. I’ll still be voting for BTS and will happily be doing far better things with my Aug 26 than watching your outdated show,” wrote another.

For the full list of VMA winners, click here. 

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Report: Asian Americans willing to adapt to changing workplace

Technological changes in the workplace are increasing productivity and opportunities for some American workers, displacing others, and requiring many to develop new skills. 

Asian Americans appear among the most willing to embrace and adapt to the new workplace.

The unsettled workplace is occurring at the same time as demographic changes suggest that people of color will become the majority of the U.S. population between 2040 and 2050.

In light of these factors, the perspectives of people of color today about the future of work are critical.

The Joint Center’s new report, Racial Differences on the Future of Work: A Survey of the American Workforce, seeks to better understand how different racial groups perceive the changing nature of work.

Asian Americans tend to see technology as an opportunity than other ethnic groups and believe colleges and employers should provide retraining for the new workplace. Despite the willingness to grasp the future, Asian Americans also value job security.

The survey, which was conducted by Nielsen Scarborough, is the most extensive examination to date of race and the future of work. The survey seeks to understand differences and similarities across different communities in perceptions regarding changes in the workplace, the effect of technology on work, job security, training to acquire new skills, and preparing children for a changing economy.

Key Points from the report:

• While 38 percent of American workers reported “increased use of technology” on their job, only 12 percent noticed “more automation.” More White and Asian American respondents saw technological change than did Latino and African American respondents.

• A quarter of Latino workers reported moving from salaried to hourly work over the course of their current employment—more than twice the percentage of other racial groups. 

• Americans of all racial backgrounds are more likely to believe that technology provides more opportunity rather than less opportunity and/or worker displacement. Racial disparities exist, however. For example, 41 percent of Asian American workers see technology as creating greater opportunities, compared with only 24 percent of Black workers. African American and Latino workers are significantly less likely than White and Asian American workers to see technology as creating greater workplace efficiencies. 

• American workers value job security above other benefits, including pathways to new opportunities and paid training. However, Black and Asian American workers see job security as particularly important. About 40 percent of African American and 38 percent of Asian American workers ranked job security as the most important benefit offered by their employer. A relatively low number of African American and White workers—7 percent of each—prioritized pathways to new opportunities. Latino workers, more than workers of other racial groups, value retirement benefits and pathways to new opportunities. White workers were more likely than others to value healthcare benefits. 

• Workers are interested in employer-provided training. Respondents from all racial backgrounds were very interested or somewhat interested in participating in employer-provided training (85 percent of Asian American workers and approximately 70 percent of White, Black, and Latino workers). 

• A majority of respondents from all racial backgrounds are willing to invest some of their own money to obtain additional job training that could potentially advance their careers. However, the interest seems concentrated in spending $1–$2000 and declines significantly for higher amounts. A larger percentage of African Americans (24 percent) and Whites (19 percent) expressed an unwillingness to invest any of their own money in training than Latinos (15 percent) and Asian Americans (14 percent). Significant racial disparities in interest for spending one’s own money for training begin to appear at amounts over $500. 

• Regardless of race, financial constraints were the most cited barrier to obtaining additional job training. Roughly 50 percent of the respondents from each racial group reported that financial constraints stood in the way of obtaining additional job training. The least cited barrier was feeling personally incapable of acquiring new skills. 

• Americans across racial groups generally see the federal government, individuals/families, and employers as bearing greater responsibility than schools and state governments for preparing the workforce for a changing economy. However, African Americans were more likely to believe that the federal government has the greatest responsibility, and they were less likely to believe that individuals/families bear the greatest responsibility. Whites and Asian Americans were more likely than African Americans and Latinos to believe that employers bear the greatest responsibility. 

• A significant majority of Americans support free college or training as a response to job displacement. African Americans (85 percent) expressed the highest support of this policy, followed by Asian Americans (78 percent), Latinos (75 percent), and Whites (70 percent). In addition, people of color favored a federal jobs guarantee and universal basic income as policy solutions to job displacement. 

• People of color have a significant interest in education and training. Asian Americans, African Americans, and Latinos were all more likely than Whites to be interested in obtaining education or training from all the provided options, including a college degree program, online college, community college, online training, a trade union, and a GED. 

• With regard to the most impactful steps schools can take to prepare children for the future economy, African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans were much more likely than Whites to prioritize teaching computer programming. Latino and White Americans were more likely than African Americans and Asian Americans to prioritize vocational training. African Americans and Whites were more likely than Asian Americans and Latinos to prioritize core educational subjects such as math, science, and language arts

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Progressive Indian American challenging conservative Democrat for Congress

Glen Rock Borough Councilmember Arati Kreibich 

A conservative Democratic congressman is being challenged because he has a pro-Donald Trump voting record, says his critics.

Two-term Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff) is being challenged by Glen Rock Councilwoman Arati Kreibich, who last month formally announced her bid for the Democratic nomination for Congress in New Jersey’s 5th district.

Like many recent first-time Democratic candidates, the 44-year old Kreibich was inspired to enter politics because of the election of Donald Trump in 2016.

The Indian American neuroscientist won a seat on the Glen Rock borough council in 2017.
Kreibich was born in India and moved to the US with her family at age 11. She became an American citizen at 19.

The  progressive grassroots organization Indivisible 5th has been critical of Gottheimer’s attempt to stake out a moderate record in Congress as chairman of the Problem Solver’s Caucus, had been putting out teasers about candidate for the last two months.

“He’s got one of the most pro-Trump records of any House Democrat in Washington, and when he comes home he refuses to explain his votes, hiding behind his position as a leader of the so-called Problem Solvers Caucus,” said Kreibich, a onetime Gottheimer supporter who says the incumbent Democrat has disappointed her.

Kreibich will be going against the Democratic Party establishment. The congressman already has $5,683,966 cash-on-hand.  NJ Gov. Phil Murphy has already endorsed Gottheimer for re-election.

Kreibich, a mother of two, embraces the progressive agenda including Medicare-for-all, the Green New Deal, free tuition at public colleges and universities, and wants Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump. 

According to the New Jersey Globe, Kreibach opposes Gottheimer’s efforts to roll back regulations she believes protect the nation against a financial crisis, and alleges the incumbent negotiated a backroom deal to provide billions of dollars to Trump to deal with immigration issues.

“When I talk to constituents, the anxiety, the worry that we have been feeling since the recession … that’s not a Democrat or Republican issue, that’s an everyday life issue,” she told the Globe. “We worry about how we’re going to pay for health care. We worry about student debt and our kids’ college tuition.”

A former speechwriter for Bill Clinton, Gottheimer won his seat by defeating a Republican incumbent but since joining Congress, he doesn’t have a leadership position. His main function in Congress, say his critics, is helping Republicans foil progressive initiatives within the Democratic Party.

“The challenges we’re facing feel so big and powerful that it’s tempting to give up, but we can’t look away. We have to fight,” Kreibich said in a post on her website.

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