Asian/Americans condemn SCOTUS ruling against Obama's immigrant plans

Protestors outside the Supreme Court in Washington D.C.

By Louis Chan
Reprinted from AsAm News

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S executive order protecting millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation and allowing them to work has been blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The justices deadlocked 4-4 and that means the Texas appeals court ruling blocking the plan remains in affect.

"For more than two decades now our immigration system, everybody acknowledges, has been broken," Obama said. "And the fact that the Supreme Court wasn't able to issue a decision today doesn't just set the system back even further, it takes us further from the country that we aspire to be."

Obama’s plan known as the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) would have allowed parents of American citizens or permanent residents to apply for the program. It would affect almost 4 million people.

RELATED: Ruling may impact 400,000 in California

The justices who voted against DAPA acknowledged the president had the authority to prevent the deportation of individuals, but objected to the blanket protection DAPA offered.

“As a national civil rights organization that advocates for fair immigration policies, we strongly supported the president’s immigration actions that would have provided relief from deportation and employment authorization to almost 1.5 million undocumented Asian immigrants in this country,” said Margaret Fung, executive director of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund to AsAmNews. “While the Court’s 4-4 decision is a setback that has delayed the hopes of millions of undocumented immigrants and their families, we will explore all options in continuing the fight for immigrant rights.”

RELATED: Asians are part of the immigration debate

“The anti-immigrant forces and the Supreme Court are ignoring a clear truth,” said Grace Shim, executive director of the MinKwon Center. “Enforcement and deportation cannot solve the broken immigration system. Congress has repeatedly failed to enact large scale immigration reform, most recently in 2013 when the Senate passed a comprehensive reform measure but the House refused to even consider it. The Obama administration has also not been able to deliver on its initial promise of comprehensive immigration reform and has provided relief for a very select populations of DREAMers through his first executive action.”

The Supreme Court Justices who voted. 

“Each day these programs are delayed means that millions of immigrants and their families are left to live with fear and uncertainty,” said Sally Kinoshita, deputy director of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, which leads Ready California. “Today’s Supreme Court decision denies valuable members of our communities the opportunity to live and work without the constant risk of being torn from their families while more fully contributing to their local economies. When and if these programs become available, we are determined to help eligible Californians realize the full benefits of these critical immigration benefits and prepare for eventual immigration reform.”

According to Ready California,the original DACA program launched in 2012, continues to be available to more than a million qualified applicants and is not affected by the Supreme Court decision. Eligible undocumented immigrants can continue to apply for and renew DACA in order to access its many benefits, including a temporary reprieve from deportation, access to a work permit, and a social security number.

“I believe we are stronger together. When we embrace immigrants, not denigrate them. When we build bridges, not walls,” said presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. “That is why, as president, I will continue to defend DAPA and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), and do everything possible under the law to go further to protect families. It is also why I will introduce comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship within my first 100 days. Because when families are strong—America is strong.”

“Among the things America, its history and its people has really taught me: You don’t give up. You move forward. You fight on," said Jose Antonio Vargas, founder of Define America and an undocumented immigrant himself.

"By definition, immigrants are resilient, resourceful, courageous people. We will not give up. I will not give up.”

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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AAPIs react to Supreme Court's ruling upholding affirmative action's goals

By Louis Chan
Reprinted from AsAm News

By a 4-3 majority, this morning (June 23) the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the use of race in admissions at the University of Texas as constitutional.

The case was filed by Abigail Fisher, a white student, who alleged the university passed her over for admissions in favor of less qualified minority students.

"The Court’s affirmation of the University’s admissions policy does not necessarily mean the University may rely on that same policy without refinement,” Justice Kennedy wrote. “It is the university’s ongoing obligation to engage in constant deliberation and continued reflection regarding its admissions policies.”

RELATED: AAPI groups file briefs in Fisher vs. Texas case

Only seven justices participated in the decision because Justice Elena Kagan recused herself due to her participation in the case when she worked as Solicitor General.

The seat of the late Antonin Scalia remains vacant because the Republican Senate majority refuses to put up the nomination of Justice Merrick Garland for a vote.

RELATED: Asians & affirmative action

“We are pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledges the continued need for affirmative action policies that make it possible for students of all backgrounds, including many historically disadvantaged Asian American and Pacific Islanders, to access higher education and create a stronger country through their contributions to a diverse society,” said Mee Moua, president and executive director of Advancing Justice | AAJC to AsAmNews.

Affirmative action has divided the Asian/American community with second and third generation Asian/Americans generally in support of it, and first-generation immigrants, primarily Chinese/Americans, opposed.

Among those outspoken against affirmative action is 80-20, a political action committee, lead by former Delaware Lieutenant Governor S.B. Woo.

RELATED: A closer look at the complaint vs. Ive League schools

“Asian Americans on average must give 140 SAT points to white applicants,” said Woo this morning to AsAmNews. “It’s such a resounding contradiction that Fisher v University of Tex didn’t emphasize enough. If I had the money, it takes millions, I would challenge the university on exactly that point and work it on that point. Forget the Hispanics, forget the Blacks, just make a straight forward comparison between Asian Americans and White.

Woo pointed out the Supreme Court made it a point to say their decision does not mean the “University may rely on the same policy without refinement.”

“I’m not saying it's a victory at all,” Woo clarified. “It’s a victory for the current admission program. However, know what the court said. It requires refinement.”

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Say, what? President Rock?

Is Dwayne Johnson eyeing a new role as President of the U.S.?

AN ACTOR as President of the United States? How outlandish does that sound?

Oh, wait a minute. That's already been done, right?

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is not rejecting the idea after an article in the Washington Post said that he might actually win if he ran for president.

'I can’t deny that the thought of being governor, the thought of being president, is alluring," said the Samoan/American actor. "And beyond that, it would be an opportunity to make a real impact on people’s lives on a global scale. But there are a lot of other things I want to do first.'

Could this be the first nudge of the boulder that will start gaining momentum until it can't be stopped? The retired wrestler seemed very intrigued by the opinion piece written by The Washington Post, which supported his background and skill set as a good fit for the POTUS. So much so, that he actually commented back on it.

“I care DEEPLY about our county… and the idea of one day becoming President to create real positive impact and global change is very alluring," Dwayne wrote. "Buuuuut until that possible day, the most important thing right now is strong honest leadership from our current and future leaders of this country.”

Since the San Andreas actor is a registered Republican, the author of the piece, Alyssa Rosenberg, argues that since the party is desperate for nonwhite voters, The Rock could be a viable option.

This political speculation began earlier this month when the 44-year old Johnson hinted at the possibility of a career in politics in an interview with British GQ.

"I’ll be honest, I haven’t ruled politics out." he said. "I’m not being coy when I say that, but at the moment I am not sure."

The popular actor has mastered the first step in being a politician -- ambiguity.

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

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.

How would you cast the 'Crazy Rich Asians' movie?

A YEAR AGO, when news broke that a movie was being made from the novel Crazy Rich Asians, some people asked, "Where would you find enough Asians to play in that movie?" 

That's a silly question.

In response, The Hollywood Reporter did a piece about the perfect cast for the Kevin Kwan best seller .Heading the dream cast would be Constance Wu as Rachel Chu. 

Constance Wu as the All-American girl?

"Thanks to her breakout performance on Fresh Off the Boat, the rising star is quickly finding fans around the world," wrote THR. "Wu, a Virginia native and SUNY Purchase grad, actually has more in common with CRA's Asian-American heroine than with the immigrant mom she so hilariously plays on the ABC hit comedy, and she'd be able to portray Rachel's down-to-earth innocence as a normal girl suddenly thrust into the harsh spotlight of Singapore high society."

The role of Rachel is actually closer to the Virginia-born actress' real life than the immigrant mother she plays in Fresh Off the Boat.

Mark Chao would play Nicholas Young.  "In the past five years, the Taiwanese-Canadian actor has become one of Asia's most sought-after leading men and has the charisma and warmth to portray the reluctant Prince Charming at the center of Crazy Rich Asians," captioned the Reporter. "The So Young star, who is fluent in English, signed with UTA last year and is exploring his crossover options, starting with a principal role in Luc Besson's France-China co-production Warriors Gate."

THR thought of Joan Chen as Nicholas' domineering mother opposing the match between her rich son and the (gasp) American foreigner? 

And wouldn't it be something to see the sparks fly when Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's Michelle Yeoh as Rachel's single mom lock horns with Joan Chen's character? Wow!

Since director John Chu vowed he would forgo any suggestions that some of the characters be whitewashed (turning some Asian roles into Euro/American characters), if you were casting director, who would you put into those roles?

When asked who would be in his dream cast, Kwan told the Hollywood Reporter, "Personally I'd like Emma Stone to play every single role in the movie. (Laughs.) We'll just CGI her."

"It's so perplexing to see how casting in Hollywood is so defensive. I think audiences are much more accepting of casting choices," said Kwan as he got more serious. "When Crazy Rich Asians came out, there was initial interest from a producer who wanted to change [the heroine] Rachel Chu into a white girl. I tell that story to book clubs in suburban middle America and they go crazy: 'Why does Hollywood think we would want to see this movie with white people?' They don't need every film to be chock-full of the latest stars."

RELATED: John Chu - from the streets of NYC to Hollywood back lots

"There are so many missed casting opportunities in Hollywood. It's still very much a challenge, but I have faith in the talent pool not just of existing actors, but also of actors coming out of film schools in England, in Australia, who are Asian. My hope is that there will be equal representation in terms of Singapore stars, Hong Kong stars, Asian American stars, mainland Chinese stars — I would love for it to be like a dream team cast."

Crazy Rich Asians, the novel, proved that readers are attracted to good stories with interesting characters no matter what race they are. The movie has the potential to have the same impact for films. In that context, Crazy Rich Asians, the movie, could make a huge  statement to Hollywood decision-makers who have been reluctant to make movies with Asian/American actors in substantial, impactful roles.

RELATED: Asian Americans decry the practice of 'whitewashing'

If the movie is a box-office success, it would be a sea change, a culture-shifting event, in Asian/American history. Most certainly there would be a sequel. Already, China Rich Girlfriend, which was released last year is the second book in what is envisioned by the author as a trilogy.

Where would you find enough Asian actors? Indeed, that's a really silly question.

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

It's a bird! It's a plane. It's ... an Asian American! On superheroes of color

Cindy Moon becomes Silk, the first Asian/American female comicbook superhero, who's also socially awkward.

IT'S A BIRD. IT'S A PLANE, IT'S ... an Asian American Super-man, with all the powers of the original Superman, but his secret identity is Kenan Kong.

While most of the attention on diversity in the media has been centered on #OscarsSoWhite and #WhitewashedOut for the lack of roles for actors of color, the same question has been circulating around the comic book universe for a couple of years.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This topic has been extensively discussed for years at the Nerds of Color website and for a more in-depth analysis, I suggest clicking over to that site.

I don't read the comics as extensively or devotedly as I did when I was younger when I would walk the five blocks to our corner store and read the latest editions of comic books for free (A belatedly thanks to the tolerant owner of the Parkside Market.) to follow the adventures of Batman and Superman.

Super-man: Debuting in July

In college -- yes, college -- I discovered Marvel and the complicated characters of angst-ridden Spiderman, guilt-ridden Thor and the lonely Silver Surfer. The art and was amazing. The frames were like watching a movie with closeups, wide shots and quick cuts. They popped off the page.

Late night discussions during college (encouraged by a couple of beers) didn't always center around life, death, Vietnam or existentialism, sometimes  in half-seriousness, we'd weigh the probable fate of our superheroes.

When I became an adult and faced the realities of paying rent, paying off loans and putting food on the table, I lost touch with comicdom.

So while I was away ... the world of comics and superheroes drastically changed. Now, some of my favorite characters are on the big screen and in the comics themselves, superheroes of color have been introduced. A few are Asian/American  including the new Man of Steel and the Hulk.

Kenyan Kong joins a growing stable of superheroes of color, though many of them have been unable to grow beyond their mantles, according to cultural critic Keith Chow, founder of the cultural criticism site The Nerds of Color and editor-creator of the two "Secret Identities" collections.

RELATED: Kenan Kong is only part of the DC Comics 'Rebirth' of its iconic characters.

Marvel's current Hulk is Korean/American Amadeus Cho; African/American Sam Wilson is one of two Captain Americas; the Asian/American Cindy Moon is the female Silk with Spiderman-like powers,  Miles Morales is an Afro-Latino Spider-Man;; and the teenage Pakistani/American Kamala Khan is the current Ms. Marvel. But only the latter two have become very strongly associated with their superhero mantles, Chow said. 

"Now when you say Ms. Marvel, you're associating it with Kamala Khan and not necessarily ([the first Ms. Marvel) Carol Danvers," Chow told NBC News. "For a segment of the population, their Spider-Man is Miles Morales. That's a character that's not going away to the dustbin of history. "

"Super-man," (Can we do away with the hyphen already?) is being penned by Gene Luen Yang, a graphic novelist with a long list of credits including "American Born Chinese," which was nominated for Book of the Year in 2006. For the past year, he's been writing the Superman stories for DC Comics.

While most of the above reboots of traditional superheroes have been out for some time now, the new "Super-man" is set to debut in July this year.

None of the superheroes I read in the comic books looked like me - not that wanted to be a superhero, but the lack of Asian/Americans in the American pop melieu cut me off from what I considered to be my home. It reinforced the feeling that I did not belong nor was I a part of American society, my town, my school and not even in the make-believe world of comic books.

Things have changed - are changing - for the better, I think. I'm sure there will be some Asian American kids reading about the adventures of this new crop of superheroes who will at last see characters who look like them. Today's superheroes are imperfect. They have flaws and often are dealing with the same feelings of exclusion and angst that young people of color, sometimes feel.  

Sana Amanat, the Marvel exec who created Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, recalled those feelings last week at the United State of Women summit at the Washington Convention Center. The Pakistani/American was on a panel focusing on diversity in the media, and she shared the stage with such other leaders as Gloria Steinem, TV’s Shonda Rhimes and “Muslim Girl” editor Amani Al-Khatahtbeh.

“When you grow up being very conscious of the fact that you are the ‘other,’ it cultivates a sense of uncertainty and shame within you that can take a long time to overcome,” Amanat tells The Washington Post. “My desire to be ‘white,’ while covert, fed a delusion in my self-identity that I only broke away from towards the end of high school and truly in college.”

With the introduction of Kamala Khan, Kenan Kong, Cindy Moon, Amadeus Cho and others not mentioned here, hopefully the AAPI kids reading the comic books of today won't have to be alone in the sometimes gut-wrenching search for identity. They'll have superheroes who look like them as guides.

Television and films have a ways to go to catch up with the comicbooks. For those two mediums, it is too easy and creatively lazy to recast superheroes to the default white guy. In the meantime, I've got a lot of catching up to do.

Kamila Khan, just your ordinary Muslim/American teenager struggling to fit in.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter or at his blog Views From the Edge.

After the Orlando mass shooting, a Muslim/American's appeal for unity goes viral

A MUSLIM/AMERICAN's Facebook post after the Orlando mass shooting went viral because he was donating blood for the victims and because of his moving appeal for compassion, tolerance and unity.

The morning of the shooting on June 12 after the details of the horrofic shooting that killed 50 people, including the shooter became known, Mahmoud ElAwadi went to an Orlando blood bank to donate his blood for the victims. 

He posted on his Facebook page a picture of his arm during the blood donation and explained why he did it.

ElAwadi, a Merrill-Lynch vice president, went on to explain why he thought the United States is the greatest country in the world.

Can Hillary Clinton win over Millennial Asian/American Bernie Sanders supporters

 

Hillary Clinton won the support of most Asian/American voters.

By Aswin Mannepalli
Reprinted from AsAm News

NATHAN LOWE is the son of first-generation Chinese/Americans who deeply identified with their Evangelical faith and the Republican Party.  His turn leftward began after his exposure to Asian/American and ethnic studies courses.  “I got involved in a local community organization that was formed to fight Walmart’s incursion into LA Chinatown,” he remembered.

He supports Senator Bernie Sanders for president and volunteers for his campaign. Nathan is part of a trend that sees young Asian/Americans lean further to the left than prior generations.

Professor Karthick Ramakrishnan analyzes AAPI politics and he finds that AAPIs younger than 35, just as the general electorate in their age group,  strongly support the Vermont senator.  An Asian/American voter survey commissioned by Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and AAPI Data found that while Clinton leads overall among Asian Americans with 33% support to Sanders’s 26%, Bernie has decisively captured the 18–34 share with 61% support.  Clinton has held leads among older age-groups.

“Young Asian/American voters’ strong support for Sanders is in line with their ideology—they are more likely than older Asian/Americans to call themselves liberal, and they are even more progressive than the general Asian American population when it comes to issues like raising the minimum wage and making college more affordable,” Professor Ramakrishnan of the University of California, Irvine and AAPI Data said summarizing the study.

Some of those Asian/Americans who support Clinton point to her pragmatism as the deciding factor in their vote.

“Hillary supports things like raising the minimum wage, protecting our environment, criminal justice reform, and campaign finance reform, but she is also pragmatic about the ways in which she wants to enact these goals,” said Sahil Mehrotra. A rising senior at the College of William and Mary, he co-founded a pro-Hillary student group on campus.

He acknowledges, however, that Hillary’s message is not immediately resonating with Sahil’s generation.  “In general,” he conceded, “I think my generation might be considered pro-Bernie.”

Professor Larry Shinagawa, former Director of University of Maryland ‎Asian American Studies Program said “many older Asian/Americans have long standing established relationships with the former Clinton and Obama administrations and this familiarity is the key driver of support for the Hillary campaign,”

Younger Asian/Americans, on the other hand, exist politically and economically outside of this structure and are more vulnerable and consequently attuned to changes that are reshaping American life.  “They are experiencing the fundamental transformation of America and feel that the challenges this post-modern society faces can best be addressed by Senator Sanders,” Shinagawa added.

Perhaps the complicated calculus that underpins the voting decisions of Asian Americans can best be seen in the case of 80-20 Initiative’s decision to endorse Hillary Clinton for the Democratic primary.  The organization was founded by the 21st Lieutenant Governor of Delaware, Dr. S.B. Woo, and advocates for Asian/American causes.

“In my heart I liked Bernie’s candidacy more,” Woo,79, said. “But I worked very hard to get Asian Americans to vote for Hilary in the California primary, because 80-20 as a group decided that Hillary had the better likelihood to fulfill her promises to AAPIs than Bernie.”

“Hillary Clinton is the most qualified person to run for president in recent memory, and with her, we will be stronger together,”  said Mehrotra, the student at William and Mary College who started the pro-Hillary campus group.  That said, Sahil believes that Clinton will draw more support as the general election nears.  “I think that the level of excitement for Hillary from my generation is understated in general, and I’m excited to see it revealed in the coming weeks and months,” he predicted.

Interestingly, the popular Feel the Bern campaign slogan was popularized by an Asian American, Winnie Wong, who co-founded People for Bernie. Wong’s work is credited with bringing many new voters into mainstream politics. But will they stay?

Ramakrishnan isn’t so sure. He believes the implications for the Democratic Party and Asian America are still unclear.   “It remains to be seen whether many of these first-timers will continue to be involved, either with the Clinton campaign or in trying to push for progressive politics in the months and years ahead.”

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'The Freak' is back, fans cheer Tim Lincecum's comeback

Tim Lincecum fans came out to support their favorite Filipino/American baseball player.

By Louis Chan
Reprinted from AsAm News

TWO-TIME Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum made his debut as a Los Angeles Angel in Oakland not far from where he spent his first nine seasons as a San Francisco Giant.

Fans wearing Giant hats and number 55 jerseys greeted him with cheers as he walked on to the field in the bottom of the first.

Lincecum, whose mother is Filipino/American, pitched six strong innings allowing just four hits and one earned run to defeat the Oakland A’s 7-1.

“Pretty incredible, I wasn’t expecting that,” said Lincecum about the warm reception the fans gave him. “They came out today and showed their support. It’s nice being out here close to where I started and having my Bay Area fans here. Definitely made it few like a home game to me.”

Lincecum was making his comeback from hip surgery and four sub par seasons during which he went 39-42 with a 4.6 ERA. That’s a far cry from his Cy Young years when he routinely mowed down batters and earned the nickname of “The Freak” for his unorthodox delivery and long hair.

Much has been made of Lincecum getting a fresh start away from the critical eye of frustrated fans who adored him those nine seasons as a Giant. On this day, it was the Giant fans who helped to energized him.

“I was pretty lucky to have that kind of following out there today. Inning by inning and throughout the game. So if anything, it helped me. It helped my cause.”

Tim Lincecum wasn't overpowering but he did enough to win; 6 innings, 4 hits.

Phillipa Soo will star in new Broadway show

Phillipa Soo will be 'Amelie'

IT LOOKS more and more like that Phillipa Soo departure from Tony-winning musical Hamilton is a done deal with the announcement that she will assume the lead role in the musical version of Amelie, the 2001 French movie.

The Tony-nominated actress will play the lead role in the musical adaptation of the 2001 film, which made its world premiere with Les Miserables star Samantha Barks. It is a role that Soo originated during workshop development.

Amelie, adapted from the Oscar-nominated movie of the same name, will have its off-Broadway warmup run this winter and is expected to hit Broadway in January, A theater is yet to be selected.

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Chinese/American Soo was nominated for her Broadway debut role as Eliza Hamilton, the woman behind the man; but by the end of the show, she is front and center.

The Hollywood Reporter praised her "moving" performance and standout numbers: "'Helpless' measures up to the most irresistible pop songs about love at first sight in the way it captures the sheer giddiness and joy of a romantic thunderbolt, ... (and) Eliza's plea to Alexander to leave the battlefield and return to his family, 'That Would Be Enough,' is a heartbreaker."

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For Amelie, "Daniel Messe and Nathan Tysen have written clever, heartfelt lyrics and a rich, romantic score that is beautifully sung by Phillipa," said producer Aaron Harnick. "We are thrilled she is our Amelie."

"I am excited to step back into the shoes of this character," said Soo in a statement. "She is joyous, complex, and determined, in her own small way, to change the world for the better."

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