Smithsonian exhibit about WWII internment camps travels to Arizona

ASAM NEWS

A Smithsonian exhibit on the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans opened in Phoenix, Arizona Sunday (Jan. 27), reports AZ Central.
The walk-through exhibit entitled Righting A Wrong: Japanese Americans And World War II will “bring heart-wrenching personal stories, fascinating documents, stunning photographs, and engaging interactives to audiences across the nation,” states the Smithsonian website. “Embracing themes that are as relevant today as they were 75 years ago, the exhibition takes a deep look at immigration, prejudice, civil rights, heroism, and what it means to be an American.”

Arizona was home to two incarceration camps, both located on tribal reservation land. The Gila River War Relocation Center, on the Gila River Reservation south of Phoenix, held more than 13,000 Japanese Americans. At the Poston Relocation Center on the Colorado River Reservation south of Lake Havasu, 17,000 people were held. Both camps were open from 1942 to 1945.

The exhibit will be open through April 7, 2019 at the Arizona Capitol Museum. From there the exhibition will go to Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, followed by Minnesota, Utah, and New Mexico.

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AAPI VOTE 2018: Indian American candidate eyes November after losing bid for Arizona congressional seat

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Dr. Hiral Tipirneni, center, and her family watched the election results for Arizona's Congressional District 8.

AS EXPECTED, the GOP won the deeply conservative Eighth Congressional District in Arizona but instead of high-fives, there was concern because the Democratic candidate made great inroads in a district that Donald Trump won by 21 points in 2016.

Debbie Lesko, a former state senator, was able to top Democrat Hiral Tipirneni, a physician, in Arizona's special election for the 8th Congressional District. With most of the vote counted, Lesko led Tipirneni 52.6% to 47.4f%.

Tiipirneni, encouraged by the narrow margin of her loss, said that she will challenge Lesko this November.

Lesko, who served as state legislature for the past nine years, was supposed to win. The single-digit victory in a district that Donald Trump won by 21 points and which there were twice as many registered Republicans than Democrats, raises serious concern for the race for U.S. Senate in November.

RELATED: Indian/American candidate's moment of truth

Republicans poured $700,000 into Lesko's campaign to help bolster her chances and to ensure that the deep Red district stays in the GOP hands after a series of defeats in Alabama, Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Big-name Republicans like Rep. Paul Ryan came in to campaign for her.

The race had become a referendum on Donald Trump. Lesko supported Trump's policies on immigration, taxes and health care; Tipirnene ran a Democratic campaign that stressed government-supported health care and saving social security and Medicare.

Her near-upset may show Democrats a route to victory in November when voters decide a replacement for U.S. Senator Jeff Flake.

As of this writing, Tipirnene had not conceded into the early Wednesday, holding onto hope long after the networks had called the contest for Lesko.

Considering the unexpectedly thin margin, one has to wonder what would have happened if the Democratic Party had given Tipirnene the same kind of support. The Indian/American physician, who never ran for public office before, actually raised more money than Lesko, had a more enthusiastic ground game and almost pulled off the upset.

Lesko will occupy the seat for the remainder of the term. That means she must run for re-election in November to keep it. That means Tipirnene will get another chance.

Tipirmeni confirms that she will run against Lesko this November. She tweeted this message this morning at around 10:30 a.m., April 25:

(UPDATED: 3:30 p.m., April 25, 2018 rewritten to reflect Tipirneni's intention to run in Nov.) _________________________________________________________________________________

AAPI VOTE 2018: Indian American candidate's moment of truth today in Arizona

Tuesday is the Big Day for Hiral Tipirmeni, right, and Debbie Lesko.

ON THE EVEN of a special election in Arizona's Congressional Eighth District, newcomer exudes confidence even though she's a Democrat in an overwhelming Republican district that hasn't elected a Democrat since 1980.

"I think there are a lot of recent elections to suggest that conventional wisdom doesn't necessarily apply," said Hiral Tipirmeni, who is running for office for the first time. "There's a lot of enthusiasm in our base. We have a large chunk of independent voters that I think are very persuadable, and frankly there are Republicans who are feeling very disaffected."

The Indian/American physician has come from obscurity to pull even with her Republican rival, Debbie Lesko, who has been the district's representative in the state legislature since 2009.

The April 24 contest has become a referendum on Donald Trump. 

Lesko backs three of biggest issues on Trump's agenda: dismantle government health care, build a wall on Arizona's border with Mexico, cut taxes for the top 1% and corporations and cut social security and Medicare to pay for those tax cuts that would raise the national debt.

Tipirmeni is pushing an expanded Medicare plan that would allow people as young as 50 to enroll to opt-in to Medicare coverage, and opposes building a wall with Mexico while boosting enforcement through technology and drones and adding Border Patrol agents. She also supports tax cuts -- for the middle class --  and would protect Social Security and Medicare.

The big question is whether the enthusiasm on the ground is in the Democrats' favor; is it enough to overcome the huge Republican lead in voter registration? Almost three-quarters of the voters have already submitted their ballots by mail, typical of an older electorate. That means the majority of voters cast their ballots before the recent survey that showed the candidates in a dead heat.

Unfortunately for Tipirneni, 49 percent of those who have voted early so far are registered Republicans; only 28 percent are registered Democrats. Nearly 60 percent of the voters in early voting is age 65 or older.

It would be huge upset if Tipirmeni were to win. The GOP has poured money into Lesko's campaign to stanch the bleeding from recent losses in Alabama, Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Even if Lesko wins, if the margin of victory is less than 12 percent, the Democrats would see it as a victory because the District 8 election would set the stage for November when Arizona votes for someone to replace Republican Sen. Jeff Flake in the U.S. Senate.

The Arizona Republic, Phoenix's biggest newspaper, has endorsed Tiipirmeni over Lesko. The paper's endorsement editorial concludes: 

 "Although her stances reflect a Democratic agenda, Tipirneni touts a science-led, data-based approach to policymaking, which could help take the passion out of vitriolic debates over how to deal with entitlement reform or environmental programs, Or how to deal with gun violence, which she views as a public-health issue."

Arizona polls open at 7 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m.
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AAPI VOTE 2018: Asian American PACs, political leaders get behind Arizona candidate

DR. HIRAL TIPIRMENI

DESPERATE to turn the Blue tide overrunning conservative congressional districts, Republicans are spending big to help their candidate in Arizona defeat Democratic candidate Dr. Hiral Tipirneni.

Tipirneni, an emergency room physician, cancer research advocate, and candidate for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, announced Monday (April 2) that she earned the endorsements of Democratic Congresswomen Judy Chu, CA, and Grace Meng, NY, as well as ASPIRE PAC, AAAFund, AAPI Victory Fund, and the Indian American Impact Fund.

Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) comprise more than 6% of the U.S. population and are the fastest growing minority group in the country. AAPIs are leaders in business, medicine, technology, science, and academia. Yet from city halls to state houses, from courthouses to Congress, AAPIs are traditionally underrepresented.

“I am honored and humbled to receive such broad support so that I might add my voice on behalf of the West Valley to the growing AAPI chorus contributing a missing perspective in Congress,” said Dr. Tipirneni. “In truth, the issues facing AAPI communities, such as quality, affordable health care, excellent public education, and protected retirement security, are the same issues that all Americans care deeply about.”

Tipirneni, an emergency room physician, cancer research advocate and community leader, won the Feb. 27 primary special election by nearly 20 percent to advance to the April 24 special election.

The special election became necessary after Republican Rep. Trent Franks resigned because of sexual misconduct allegations arose.

Tipirneni won the special primary election, held Feb. 27 by 21 points. The special general election will be April 24. Ballots have already been mailed and early voting has officially begun.

The Cook Political Report rates the Arizona 8th as “safe” for Republicans, and Democrats seemed to write off the district after scandal-plagued former state senator Steve Montenegro lost last month’s Republican primary to former state senator Debbie Lesko.

Home to the original retirement community, Sun City, Arizona’s Eighth District is 41 percent Republican and 24 percent Democrat, with 35 percent independent or otherwise affiliated, according to recent numbers from the secretary of state. 

Even Tipirneni has portrayed Lesko as a heavy favorite. In a poll conducted by Lake Research Partners for Tipirneni’s campaign, the Republican held a 14-point lead, and 59 percent of likely voters in the district said that they approved of Donald Trump. 

However, affter GOP losses in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Alabama, it appears Republicans aren’t taking anything for granted. The GOP poured an additional $300,000 into Lesko''s campaign. 

Tipirneni has not been able to tap into the grass-roots fundraising that helped other Democratic winners, but she has 

This is the first time Tipirneni has run for an elected office. However, she has dedicated her life to serving her community, solving problems, and improving lives. She’s served the Phoenix area for more than 20 years as an emergency room physician, cancer research advocate and, most recently, on the board of directors of the Maricopa Health Foundation, which supports the county’s public health care delivery system.

She immigrated from India to America when she was three-years old with her family.  She grew up in Cleveland's working class suburbs. 

Following a childhood illness, Hiral was inspired to learn more about medicine. She eventually earned her medical degree at Northeast Ohio Medical University. A passionate problem-solver who thrives on working with a team, Tipirneni chose to pursue emergency medicine because of the wide variety of challenges it presented, and it allowed her to be the first point of contact for patients.
“Dr. Tipirneni would be a wonderful advocate for the communities of Arizona’s West Valley, and I would be proud to serve in Congress with her,” said  Rep. Meng. “Her professional background and personal experiences as a first-generation immigrant are sorely needed right now in our nation’s capital.”
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