DNC: Day 4 of Diary of A Hillary Volunteer - Now is our time!

Rep. Judy Chu of California.

By Nick Lee
Reprinted from AsAm News

MY THIRD DAY at the DNC began with the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Caucus, where elected officials kept driving home the theme, “Now is our time”. Secretary Julian Castro gave stirring remarks that stressed the importance of the AAPI electorate and their role in the new minority-majority country that America will become. To me, this signifies a new generation of politician. One who knew not only how to communicate with his own community, but also with other communities of color. The AAPI and Latino communities have many important issues in common, such as immigration, and I hope that politicians like Castro are the beginning of a greater understanding, kinship, and collaboration between communities of color.

One of the major highlights of the evening events was a short video segment on the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) followed by speeches from the members. The video referenced back to major historical injustices wreaked on the AAPI community including the Chinese Exclusion Act and the unlawful incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. These examples are significant because in each instance the government failed to protect its AAPI citizens because of their race. Both the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese/American incarceration are incidents where xenophobia enabled our government to strip its citizens of the fundamental rights of citizenship such as due process and birthright citizenship because of their ethnic background.

RELATED: Diary of a Clinton Volunteer - Day 1,  

RELATED: Day 2 -Diary of a Clinton Volunteer - Message to Sanders supporters

RELATED: Day 3 - Remembering Joe Mantano

What struck me about the remarks from the members of Congress was how almost each one broke some kind of barrier and all were elected within my short lifetime. Mazie Hirono is the first AAPI woman senator, Judy Chu is the first Chinese/American woman in Congress, and Bobby Scott is the first Filipino/American elected to Congress from within the continental United States. Its incredible to me that thinking back only two decades ago, none of the members who spoke were in Congress and there were only a sparse number of AAPIs in Congressional history. This imparted a real sense of how far the community had come in gaining political power and how this election could be the next step towards advancing on those gains significantly.

Though President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Senator Kaine had rousing, celebratory speeches, the most emotionally charged event of the night for me was seeing one of the mothers of a victim of the Orlando Pulse shooting speak. Christine Leinonen mourned her son Christopher and decried the scourge of gun violence, pledging to support Hillary as her son had done before his death. She memorably said of her son, “his paternal grandparents were born in a Japanese internment camp. So, it was in his DNA that love always trumps hate.” This powerful testimony alone showed why it is so important that Hillary Clinton wins in November. A young Asian American man like myself was killed for being LGBT, and every member of Congress that has voted to protect assault weapons and the killers who them openly endorsed that killing.

RELATED: AAPI passionately participating at the DNC

RELATED: Asian Americans help shape Democratic Party platform

RELATED: AAPI delegates take the stage; a moment of pride 

RELATED: Reactions to President Obama's patriotic speech 

For a community whose history has been marginalized for as long as AAPIs, to have your history and community referenced and validated on such a large, national stage is so important. Republicans like to make the case that Asian/Americans are natural conservatives since many own small businesses and they are the “model minority,” wealthy, and well-educated. However, it makes no sense to me how this could ever be true once one knows the truth of our history. Our community has only ever become stronger by increasing progressive values, not decreasing them. Through struggle for recognition and rights we have lifted ourselves from the shadow of our own history and are edging towards the mainstream.

The politics of today’s Republican party are far distant from the party of Lincoln and are now much more closely aligned with the policies of Chinese Exclusion and Japanese internment camps. Donald Trump’s Muslim-ban policy’s closest cousin is the Chinese Exclusion Act, showing that he is a poor student of the history of the AAPI community. Additionally, his approval of Japanese/American incarceration in WWII, despite no evidence that Japanese Americans were disloyal to America, shows that he has failed to learn from America’s past mistakes. As we move towards the election, AAPIs should keep this in mind when they consider their choice in the voting booth.

(Nick Lee, a member of Chinese Americans for Hillary, will be sharing his thoughts all week with AsAmNews readers.)

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AAPI leaders respond to this week's shootings in Dallas, Louisiana and Minnesota

ASIAN/AMERICAN leaders joined the rest of the nation in expressing their heartfelt sadness following the horrendous police shootings that left five police officers dead and several more injured.

California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris

 “I pray for the officers who lost their lives tonight, for their grieving families and our law enforcement brothers and sisters in Dallas,” said California Attorney General Kamala Harris whose mother is Indian American and father is Black. “Last night’s unspeakable violence reminds me of these words from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. 

“Violence only increases distrust and anger. I know firsthand that the relationship of trust between law enforcement and the communities we are sworn to serve is reciprocal. We honor the courage and sacrifice of law enforcement as we continue the important national dialogue around reforming our criminal justice system.”

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee also shared his thoughts this morning.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee

“This morning our hearts are heavy following the recent violence that has impacted communities across the country. We can and must stand against violence–violence against young men of color, violence against law enforcement officers and violence against our communities as a whole. We need to come together, have meaningful conversations about change and work together towards peace.

“In these sad times, when it seems nearly everyday we are greeted by more killing and more reason to grieve, we must remember what is right and what gives us hope. It is the bold, but peaceful protestors in the Black Lives Matter movement across the country who seek a safer, more perfect union through speech, the many brave police officers — such as those in Orlando — who unselfishly rush to save lives, and our San Francisco police officers who showed this week that reforms can take hold and the sanctity of life can be upheld. ”

Prior to the sniper incident last night in Dallas, Asian American Advancing Justice called on law enforcement nationwide to deescalate the situation.

“With their deaths, more than 500 people have been killed by police in 2016, and as a nation, we must find immediate and effective solutions to address practices of racial profiling and excessive use of force by law enforcement officers. We are facing an epidemic of African American fathers, sons, mothers, and daughters who are dying at the hands of police in this country. It must stop.

"As the nation’s leading legal and civil rights voice rooted in Asian American communities, we stand together with communities of color in the fight to end systemic police brutality. As the facts of each case surface, we ask the U.S. Department of Justice to not only investigate the fatal shooting of Mr. Sterling but also to investigate the shooting and death of Mr. Castile.

“In addition, we call for state and federal government leaders to act swiftly and decisively to implement policies, procedures, and legislative actions that address racial bias and profiling, police misconduct, and end excessive police use of force.

“We need law enforcement to commit to tactics that de-escalate or disarm, not result in more loss of lives in our communities of color. We want to ensure the motto “to serve and protect” rings true for all of our communities.”

Bill Yoshino, Interim Executive Director of the Japanese American Citizens league issued this statement: 

"In 1982, a federal commission issued its report on the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans. The report was titled Personal Justice Denied to remove the anonymity from an outrage perpetrated against a group. It happened to men, women, and children; people with names who lived ordinary, and for some, extraordinary lives.

"This title aptly describes the events of the past several days where the killing of two black men has again raised the specter of a society that continues to devalue black and brown lives. Alton Sterling, a black man, was killed by police in Baton Rouge, LA. Philando Castile, a black man, was killed by police in Falcon Heights, MN. The U.S. Department of Justice will investigate the killing of Sterling, and the Minnesota governor has called for a similar investigation in the killing of Castile.

"According to a database created by the Washington Post, 509 people have been shot and killed by police in the United States this year, over half of whom are people of color. Although we acknowledge and respect the difficult situations that law enforcement officials often find themselves in, we also question what appears to be an excessive use of deadly force, particularly against black men. JACL has stated before that it is impossible to understand these deaths outside the context of a society that rests upon deep foundations of anti-black racism; a society where structural racism works to economically, emotionally, and physically devastate people and communities of color.

"We must do better than to simply express outrage, as these expressions by themselves leave communities of color with the impression that racism and excessive force have no end. These communities will not tolerate it, nor should we. We cannot simply reiterate our emotions each time these incidents occur. JACL remains committed to the struggle for racial equity and will continue to work alongside our partners in the pursuit of institutional change because our own historic experience obligates us to do no less.

"The foregoing in no way diminishes the outrageous shootings in Dallas last evening where it is reported that 12 officers were shot, leaving 5 dead. Confronting racism in America does not conflict with an admiration for the courageous work of law enforcement officers who, in the face of danger, protect the public in a manner that respects the law. We mourn the passing of DART officer, Brent Thompson, and the other officers whose names are yet to be released."

Asian/American representatives in Congress also responded to the recent shootings in Dallas, Louisiana and Minnesota via their social media sites. 

Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Virginia, who is African/Filipino/American, issued this statement:

"Less than a month after the mass shooting of club goers in Orlando, the Nation has witnessed yet another mass shooting. This time the targeted victims were police officers, who put their lives on the line each and every day. Last night’s shooting is especially tragic in that this ruthless, coordinated attack occurred as Dallas police officers were seen interacting collegially with peaceful protesters – the type of interaction we strive to see between law enforcement and the communities they are sworn to protect.

“These senseless and inexplicable acts of violence are a painful reminder that we all must work harder on efforts to build trust between law enforcement and our communities. We are all someone's parent, child, and neighbor, and we must strive to see and respect the humanity in each other. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fallen officers.”

Rep. Ted Lieu, D, Los Angeles, issued this statement:

“The killing and wounding of law enforcement officers in Dallas, and the wounding of civilians, were depraved, senseless, criminal acts. While we do not yet know much about all the possible shooters, this attack is a poignant reminder that our law enforcement officials put their lives on the line every time they put on a uniform. My grandfather was a police officer and I greatly respect the service and protection that law enforcement provides on a daily basis. My heart goes out to all those affected by this tragedy. As we continue to learn more, I urge my fellow Americans not to let these events divide our communities. Let us respond to hate with love, to violence with peace, and help heal our nation.”

(AsAm News and Views From the Edge contributed to this report.)

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Historic sit-in ends in House of Representatives

UPDATED: 1 p.m., June 23

THE HISTORIC SIT-IN in the chambers of the House of Representatives ended a few minutes ago (June 23).

Hundreds of supporters outside the Capitol cheered the Democratic House members as they walked down the steps. The Congress members' hair was a little unkempt and their suits a bit rumpled, they smile and waved. The demonstration ended the way it began, with the words of civil rights icon, Rep. John Lewis.

"We are going to win. We are going to win. The fight, the fight is not over. This is just one step. When we come back here on July the 5th, we are going to continue to push, to pull, to stand up and if necessary, to sit down or sit in," he said.

He then strongly urged people to vote in the November election.

"The vote is precious. It's almost sacred," he said. "No one but no one can afford to stay home on election day. We got to get out there and do it and turn our country around and build a community of love and hope."

Dozens of the legislators spent the night in the chamber finding space on the floor or in the seats. They awoke to see the hundreds of supporters who spent the night outside on the steps of the Capitol.

The unprecedented action which drew the support of AAPI members of the House and Senate began yesterday morning at the urging of Rep. John Lewis, the civil rights icon in order to get the GOP-controlled chamber to vote on two gun control billls in the wake of the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida two weeks ago which killed 50 people.

RELATED: AAPI lawmakers join sit-in in the House for gun-control legislation

Many of the Democratic lawmakers spent the night in the chamber with aides bringing in pillows, blankets and food. Someone in California bought a dozen pizzas and had them delivered to the House members.

To hear what Rep. Mike Honda (D-Silicon Valley) has to say about this historic action, click here.

Ultimately, the Democrats didn’t get a vote. And even if they had, it wasn’t likely that the bill would have passed. But the sit-in galvanized the party and showed the public where the Democratic Party stood on the gun issue, with millions watching the protest on their computers, tablets and smart phones.

Our thanks go the Asian/American lawmakers who joined the sit-in and spent the night using social media to let the world know what was going on in our nation's Capitol.

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AAPI lawmakers join Democratic House members in sit-in for gun control action

FINAL UPDATE: 11 p.m. EST, June 22, 2016

Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) called on his fellow Democrats to stage a sit-in in the House chambers this morning
(June 22) for a vote on gun control measures. 

WHOA! We have a Capra-esque moment developing this morning.

Georgia Rep. Rep. John Lewis, the heart, the soul of congressional Democrats, is leading his colleagues in a sit-in for a vote on gun safety legislation. You won't see it televised, because the Republicans controlling the House also control the cameras. C-SPAN, however, began broadcasting live feeds from House members using Facebook and Periscope to capture the speeches by the protestors. To watch the sit-in live, click here.

The lawmakers were acting in response to the June 12 mass shooting at a Florida nightclub that killed 49 people, and to votes on Monday that failed to advance four gun control amendments.

In the speech, Lewis said, "Sometimes you have to do something out of the ordinary. Sometimes you have to make a way out of no way. We have been too quiet for too long. There comes a time when you have to say something, when you have to make a little noise.  When you have to move your feet. And this is the time. Now is the time to get in the way. The time to act is now. We will be silent no more. The time for silence is over."

Asian/American representatives were quick to use social media to let the world know what was happening. Rep. Judy Chu, (D-Ca), who joined the sit-in in its early hours, tweeted this out:

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who led the talking filibuster to force the votes in the Senate earlier this week is on the House floor in solidarity.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) held a press conference essentially saying that the Party leadership supports this action. She tells Democrats that the public is not being allowed into the galleries to see their protest. Democrats chant "SHAME!" "It's the People's House!" Also, the Sergeant at Arms has told members to stop sharing photos and video from the floor.

If you have a Democratic senator, call his or her office and urge them to join Rep. Lewis and Chu and Sen. Murphy. Also call your Democratic House representative and urge them to join. The Capitol switchboard number is (202) 224-3121, and they will connect you.

It looks and feels like an inspirational scene from motion picture director Frank Capra's classic Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, when Lewis got up to the podium and launched his passionate appeal:

Mr. Lewis: Mr. Speaker, I will ask that all of my colleagues join me on the floor. On occasion, Mr. Speaker, I have had what I call an executive session with myself. For months, even for years, I wondered what would bring this body to take action? What will finally make congress do what is right? What is just what the people of this country have been demanding, and what is long overdue? We have lost hundreds and thousands of innocent people to gun violence, to tiny little children, babies, students and teachers, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, daughters and sons, friends and neighbors . And what has this body done? 

Mr. Speaker, nothing. Not one thing. We have turned deaf ears. We have turned deaf ears to the blood of the innocent and the concern of our nation. We are blind to a crisis. Mr. Speaker, where is the heart of this body? Where is our soul? Where is our moral leadership? Where is our courage? Those who work on bipartisan solutions are pushed aside. Those who pursue commonsense improvement are beaten down. Reason is criticized. Obstruction is praised. Newtown, Aurora, Charleston, Orlando. What is the tipping point? Are we blind? Can we see? How many more mothers, how many more fathers need to shed tears of grief before we do something ? We were elected to lead, Mr. Speaker. We must be headlights and not taillights. We cannot continue to stick our heads in the sand. Deadly mass shootings are becoming more and more frequent . Mr. Speaker, this is the fight. It is not an opinion. We must remove the blinders. The time for silence and patience is long gone. We're calling on the leadership of the house to bring commonsense gun control legislation to the house floor.

Give us a vote. Let us vote. We came here to do our job. We came here to work. The American people are demanding action. Do we have the courage? Do we have raw courage to make at least a down payment on ending gun violence in America? We can no longer wait. We can no longer be patient, so today we come to the well of the house to drum the need for action. Not next month. Not next year. But now. Today. Sometimes you have to do something out of the ordinary. Sometimes you have to make a way out of no way. We have been too quiet for too long. There comes a time when you have to say something, when you have to make a little noise. When you have to move your feet . This is the time. Now is the time to get in the way. The time to act is now. We will be silent no more. The time for silence is over. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It looks like the House members are in for the long haul. Sen. Mazie Hirono and her staff came by with much needed sustenance.

While waiting for the Republicans to return, in the late afternoon and early evening, several Democratic senators joined the sit-in support. Among them were: Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Chris Coons (Del.), Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Al Franken (Minn.), Tim Kaine (Va.), Bill Nelson (Fla.), Cory Booker (N.J.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Dick Durbin (Ill.), Chris Murphy (Conn.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.) and Mazie Hirono (Hawaii). Presidential candidate and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joined late in the afternoon.


The Republicans gaveled the meeting to order at 10:05 p.m. to vote on unrelated matters. C-SPAN began broadcasting again showing the Democrats still sitting in front of the podium. During the voting, the Democrats chanted, "No Bill, No Break," and "No Fly, No Buy." 

Around 10:30 p.m. EST, the Democrats began singing "We Shall Overcome."

As of this Final Update today, the drama in the House chambers continues into the night. 

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For more news about Asian/Americans & Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.

Accused as spies, Asian/Am scientists still suffer repercussions even after charges dropped

Spy charges vs. Sherry Chen and Prof. Xiaoxing Xi were dropped but their ordeal continues. 

Reprinted from AsAm News

MORE THAN a year after charges were dropped against two Chinese/American scientists falsely accused of espionage in two separate cases, both remain haunted by their ordeal.

Their cases were profiled in a CBS 60 Minutes report last Sunday and the two have also given recent interviews to the Wall Street Journal and Philly.com.

“We cannot get rid of the thought that the FBI is reading every one of our emails and listening to our phone conversations to find something,” Xiaoxing Xi , 58, said to Philly.com. “I am determined to move on, but that’s there.”

Xi lost his temporary chairmanship of the Physics Department at Temple University after the charges, but remains as a professor. He still struggles to sleep at night.

Unlike Xi, Sherry Chen was unable to get her job back following her suspension from the National Weather Service and has since been fired for the same issues raised in the since dropped Justice Department complaint.

The Wall Street Journal reports she has filed a discrimination suit against the Commerce Department.

“The victim isn’t only me–it’s also our agency,” she said. “I have a lot of work unfinished. My [forecasting] model really saves people’s lives”

“If you took out the China connection, neither of those cases would have ever been brought in a millions years,” said Peter Zeidenberg, an attorney who represented both Chen and Xi. “Everything that has a China connection is scrutinized in a different way.”

Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), points out in a press release that what happened to Xi is not an isolated incident. Within the last 18 months, Chinese American scientists Guoqing Cao, Shuyu Li, Sherry Chen and Xiaoxing Xi have emerged in a string of cases in which espionage-related cases were brought forth and later dropped – without explanation.

“Their lives were turned upside down simply because they were emailing while being Asian American,” said Chu in the CAPAC release that noted the Department of Justice’s new oversight policy in regards to national security-related cases, yet questioned its efficacy. 

“The public is still being denied any investigation explaining why there appears to be a pattern of singling out Asian Americans by federal law enforcement … I demand that the Department of Justice launch a full, independent investigation into the cases of these wrongfully charged individuals. I also look forward to hearing directly from Attorney General (Loretta) Lynch regarding DOJ’s new policy to provide greater oversight on espionage-related cases, and the Department’s plans to avoid such egregious missteps in the future.”

It’s difficult for Chen and Xi to shake their experience from their conscious.

“I see dangers all over the place,” said Xi. “I think I sound very annoyingly paranoid when I talk to my colleagues because I tell them, ‘You better be careful, what you’re doing is dangerous.’ ”

Forty members of congress have called for the Justice Department to conduct an investigation into racial profiling of Asian Americans. So far, Attorney General Loretta Lynch has not responded to the request.
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President Barack Obama to keynote the Asian/Pacific gala; Hillary Clinton accepts invitation

Shortly after taking office, President Obama met with leaders of the Asian-American Pacific Islander communities.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA will be the keynote speaker during the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies’ (APAICS) 22nd Annual Awards Gala Dinner. 

“It means so much that President Obama will be joining us at this year’s APAICS Gala,” said Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), former chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and APAICs board member. 

“Whether keeping families together through his immigration executive actions, expanding healthcare to millions through the Affordable Care Act, promoting diverse candidates to the federal bench, or putting our economy back on the path to success, President Obama has been there for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We look forward to thanking the President for his leadership and honoring his legacy at this year’s gala, and welcome the opportunity to celebrate with him in May.”

Although all the presidential candidates - Republican and Democrat - were invited to the nonpartisan event, only former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton accepted. The campaigns of Clinton's Democratic rival Bernie Sanders and Republican hopeful Ted Cruz did not commit, and the campaign of Republican front-runner Donald Trump campaign responded that he was unlikely to attend, Floyd Mori, president and chief executive of the leadership network said.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich's campaign didn't respond.

There has been a lot of back-and-forth on the Internet whether or not Clinton's attendance is an example of pandering or not. Believe it or not - call it hiya (Filipino: embarrassment or shame) or "losing face," a value which shows up in almost all Asian cultures - a demonstration of respect is highly valued in Asian cultures - showing up indicates that you value (and respect) the people or organization that issued the invitation.

Alan Yang, left, and Aziz Ansari will receive the Vision Award for their
ground-breaking television show 'Master of None.'

The APAICS Annual Awards Gala Dinner is the premier event in Washington celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) stakeholders, community and business leaders, and the largest gathering of AAPI local, state and federal elected officials and appointees from across the country.

“It is an honor to have President Barack Obama participate in the 22nd Annual APAICS Awards Gala Dinner and share his legacy with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community,” said S. Floyd Mori, president and CEO of APAICS. “President Obama has demonstrated his commitment to the AAPI community and shares our determination in developing future opportunities for AAPI leaders.”

President Obama has often been described as the first Asian/American president since he was born and raised in Hawaii. He also spent a few years living in Indonesia, where his sister was born, with his mother and Indonesian step-father. He spends his summer vacations in his home state.

Also, in 2009, shortly after he took office, President Obama signed an executive order that restored the White House Initiative and President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to address issues concerning the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

Asian/Americans make up a small portion of the voters - but in certain states such as California and New Jersey which have their primaries on June 7, they have the numbers to influence the outcome of the vote.

Part of the evening program recognizes individuals and organizations for their contributions to the empowerment and advancement of Asian American and Pacific Islander community. The 2016 honorees are Congressman Xavier Becerra, Lifetime Achievement Award; Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, Vision Award; and Toyota, Corporate Achievement Award.

The event takes place Wednesday, May 4, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. ET at the Washington Hilton.
To purchase individual tickets or Table of 10, please click here or call 202-296-9200.

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For more news about Asian/Americans & Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.

Even a Marine can be bullied; bill introduced to track military hazing

FOR REP. JUDY CHU, this piece of legislation was intensely personal.

"Harry Lew was a Marine stationed in Afghanistan. One midnight, his peers took it upon themselves to administer what they called 'corrective training,' said Chu. 

"They berated him, ordered him to dig a foxhole, and forced him to do useless exercises carrying his heavy full-body armor and a 25-lb sandbag. They stomped on his back, kicked and punched him, and poured the entire contents of a sandbag onto his face and in his mouth. It lasted a full 3 ½ hours.

"Finally, 22 minutes after they stopped, Harry killed himself with his own gun. He was 21 years old. He was my nephew."

U.S. Marine LCpl. Harry Lew

"This is the fifth anniversary of the death of my nephew, and justice certainly wasn't served," said the Southern California congresswoman. "Of the three that were involved, two were let go without any punishment, and one was put into one month confinement. So it is time for the military to treat hazing seriously. Our men and women in uniform protect us and we must do what we can to protect them."

She introduced a bill on April 26 to require the Pentagon to track and make annual reports on the problem on hazing in the military. The Harry Lew Military Hazing Accountability and Prevention Act is named in honor of Rep. Chu’s nephew. It is cosponsored by Reps. Jackie Speier, Debbie Dingell and Ted Lieu. This bill would require the Pentagon to create a database of hazing incidents in the military and to submit an annual report on what is being done to stop hazing through training and response.

This follows a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released in February that showed that the Department of Defense lacks consistent data on military hazing incidents, and that servicemembers across branches are in need of better training to combat hazing. The GAO report was the result of an amendment Rep. Chu included in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 

Today, April 27, Rep. Speier, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, introduced the text of the Harry Lew Military Hazing Accountability and Prevention Act as an amendment to the 2017 NDAA during the Committee markup of the legislation. Reps. Chu, Speier, Dingell, and Lieu released the following statements:

“Hazing has no place in our military. It breeds fear and distrust within the ranks," said Rep. Chu.“The GAO report released earlier this year showed that the Pentagon’s guidance on hazing is unclear and imperfectly applied. Each military branch has a different standard for what qualifies as hazing, and oversight is rare. I believe that without an accurate system of tracking incidents, we have no way of actually knowing the full extent of the problem. Failure to implement clear anti-hazing policies is costing lives, and that is unacceptable. It is time the military treat this problem seriously. We must move this bill forward so that we can provide the protection and support our troops deserve.”

“We hear too many stories of hazing that harm soldiers’ mental health, can cause serious injury, diminish unit cohesion, and even cost lives,” said Rep. Speier. “Unfortunately, for all these tragic examples, we still lack a clear understanding of hazing and the military’s response. The creation of a database of reported incidents of hazing, implementation of surveys, and the implementation of new anti-hazing training are the least we can do to ensure progress is made to fight hazing.”

“I have been working with the Marine Corps on the tragic death of Private Raheel Siddiqui of Taylor, Michigan at Parris Island during boot camp,” said Rep. Dingell. “This was an intelligent, loyal, patriotic young Muslim man – and class valedictorian – who loved his country. Some are concerned that hazing may have been involved in the death of Private Siddiqui. NCIS is investigating the circumstances surrounding this tragedy, and their report will help provide the facts of what happened. We all have an obligation to bring more accountability to the system ... We owe it to those we’ve lost to take action to prevent more senseless tragedies from happening in the future.”

“As a former active duty officer in the U.S. Air Force and a current Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserves, I am proud to join Congresswoman Judy Chu as an original cosponsor of the Harry Lew Military Hazing Accountability and Prevention Act,” said Rep. Lieu. “Through enhanced reporting, tracking, and training, this legislation sends a clear message that hazing and bullying have no place in our military. Our brave men and women serving in uniform must be able to focus on the mission at hand knowing that the U.S. Armed Force’s anti-hazing policies do not exist on paper but are enforced."

The text of the bill can be found here.

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For more news about Asian/Americans & Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.

AAPI political candidates step into the spotlight

By Louis Chan
Reprinted from AsAm News

FROM THE Pacific Islands to Virginia, Asian/American and Pacific Islander candidates dot the political landscape in the United States.

Research from the Asian and Pacific American Institute of Congressional Studies found that 123 AAPI candidates are running for state or federal office in 2016. That total does not include the Hawaii State Legislature because the filing deadline there is June 7.

“Asian/American representation is on a steady upward path, in line with the growth of the Asian/American electorate,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan to AsAmNews. Ramakrishnan is a professor and associate dean of the School of Public Policy at the University of California, Irvine. “There is still a big gap between the Asian American share of the population and the Asian American share of Congress. Much of this gap is narrowed, however, when we look at the Asian American share of the voting population.”

AAPI candidates are running in 28 states, the North Mariana Islands, America Samoa and Guam. Democratic candidates outnumber Republicans by two to one with 24 Democrats, 12 Republicans, two libertarians and one independent running for Congress. On the state level, the gap between Democratic and Republican candidates is even greater with Democrats outnumbering Republicans 58 to 25.

Not surprisingly, the survey also reveals a gender gap with men outnumbering women 80 to 43.

One prominent Asian American women elected official is Rep Judy Chu (D-CA).

“Building a strong leadership pipeline for AAPIs is something that I have prioritized in my capacity as Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus,” she said to AsAmNews. “I hope that as more AAPIs see people like themselves in leadership positions, the more they will believe that they too have a place at the table.”

The number of Asian American voters is expected to grow by 107 percent by 2040, according to a study from the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge and APAICS. As the number of voters increase, so does their political strength. The number of AAPI candidates is increasing along with that voting power.

APAICS also released a map showing where all AAPI elected officials are located on the local, state and federal levels.

“We are not only showing up in densely-populated AAPI communities, but in new areas where AAPIs have not traditionally been represented in the political sphere,” said Floyd Mori, President and CEO of APAICS. “The database helps us understand to a fuller extent, the status of AAPIs holding political influence– including where our voices are most strongly represented and where there is still room for growth.”

Chu says she is encouraged that Asian Americans have become a “deciding demographic in key states like Virginia and Nevada. That means more candidates are paying attention to issues that matter to us. It also means we’re seeing more AAPI candidates running for office at all levels.”

Perhaps surprising to some, many Asian/American candidates are coming from districts that are minority Asian American. Ramakrishnan told AsAmNews it will be important for these candidates to reach out to other racial and ethnic groups, including African/Americans, Latinos and White voters if they are to succeed.

“We can’t just assume that the number of Asian/American representatives will automatically grow along with population growth,” he said. “Asian/Americans need to participate in much greater numbers than we are doing today, and our participation needs to be strong in midterm and elections as well as presidential elections. In fact, getting more involved in school board and local elections may be the best way for Asian Americans to steadily build their power base in order to gain visibility and influence, both the short and long term.

The APAICS Political Database is the first and only database of currently elected AAPI officials. The numbers are based on data as of March 21, 2016.

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NLRB sides with Asian/American nurses fired from California hospital

Nurses Vicki Lin and Aliysha Almada.

THE NATIONAL Labor Relations Board (NLRB) agreed Jan. 29 with two Asian/American nurses who filed a complaint against their former employer, Huntington Hospital, claiming they were fired for their efforts to unionize.

The decision by the NLRB means that Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California must now reach an agreement with Allysha Almada and Vicki Lin, or the NLRB will file a formal complaint that could result in a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge.

“Thank you Huntington Nurses for all your support over the past few months. It took a while to get here, but finally, justice has been served! I’m ready to go back to work and help us all gain the job security we deserve!" said Almada.

The hospital sounds like it is prepared to let the NLRB process proceed.

“We stand by our decision and course of actions — and believe they are in accordance with employment laws, our employment practices and in the best interests of maintaining patient safety and providing the highest quality of patient care,” said Derek Clark, Huntington Hospital’s spokesman.

RELATED: Filipina nurse goes to the White House to speak on workers' rights

Almada and Lin say they want to be reinstated with backpay for the months they spent without work. The two women were fired in August last year. 

In October 2015, Almada took her fight to the national level when she was invited to Washington D.C. to participate in the White House Summit on Worker Voice, where she met with President Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders.

"Firing workers because they choose to exercise their collective bargaining rights is not only appalling, but, as the NLRB decision shows, is also an egregious violation of federal labor laws," said Rep. Judy Chu, who supported the efforts of the nurses. 


“What happened to me can happen to anyone," said Lin. "We need union representation to protect our rights along with our patients. Nurses need job protection. We need someone to advocate for us.” 

For more news about Asian/Americans & Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.

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