DNC: A moment of pride: AAPI lawmakers represent

OH, MAN! Lump-in-the-throat time. Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus shared the stage at the Democratic National Convention today (July 27). But before they were introduced, a video that was both a tribute to their predecessors including Senators Patsy Mink and Daniel Inouye and Rep. Norman Mineta and a record of their achievements through the years.

For a lot of Americans, this may be the first exposure they've had on Asian/American and Pacific Islander history. 

Rep. Judy Chu, California, had the best line, "We've came from being marginalize to becoming the margin of victory" in key swing states like Virginia, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Chu is the first Chinese/American woman elected to Congress. Several of them stood at the podium to say why they are supporting Hillary Clinton. 

Diversity and inclusion seems to be the theme this afternoon at the Philadelphia conclave. It's hard to believe but it was only 37 years ago before any AAPI lawmakers walked Washington's marbled halls. Today there are 13 representatives and one senator.

"Today, we have a voice."

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DNC: Day 3 - Diary of a Hillary vounteer; remembering Joe Montano

Volunteers at the AAPI Media Team pause for a moment of silence in memory of Joe Montana.

By Nick Lee
Reprinted from AsAm News

THE DEMOCRATIC National Convention (DNC) is a place where you wake up early to work, push it to your physical and intellectual limit all day and then stay up all night watching speeches, going to parties, or sometimes both. Every night you go to sleep late and wake up tired. It is exhausting, yet eye-opening all at once.

Though our team is close to twenty people, the work is close and collaborative. Each day, our irrepressibly cheerful leader Toby Chadhuri works hard to make sure that even though we all have a lot of work to do, we share a detail about our day, our night, or our personal lives. His motto is, “if you have to work with each other, you have to know one another.” He lives by this motto by taking the time to answer our questions no matter how big or small, a kindness rarely seen in any work space and least of all in the fast-paced world of politics.

This lesson has already proved to be incredibly valuable, particularly when we learned we lost a colleague that was supposed to work the Convention with us. Joe Montano, a veteran of many great campaigns and efforts to effect positive change in our society, passed away suddenly over the weekend. Though he had fought fiercely throughout his life for the Democrats, he had never experienced a Democratic National Convention before in his life. Philadelphia was set to be his first one.

RELATED: Diary of a Clinton Volunteer - Day 1,  

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

Joe Montano

Though I was not close to Joe, he was one of the first people who truly welcomed me to DC. I met him at a networking event for AAPIs and he agreed to meet at a local restaurant. There he answered all the boring, silly questions that many recent college grads in DC have about getting a job, getting involved in politics, and how to move from an internship into full-time employment. Even though he was much older than me, he spoke with youthful enthusiasm about his work bringing people together on campaigns, moving from battleground state to battleground state to fight for the Democratic cause. Every now and then, there was a glimmer in his eyes that paired with his frequent grin showed the raw energy and passion that fueled his work.

Like many 22-year olds, I took this opportunity for granted and we fell out of touch until we reconnected volunteering for Hillary a few months ago. I remember he exclaimed to me as he rushed out the door to another event, “we need to get out there and do more than phone bank, we have to knock doors and meet people so she can win Virginia!”

RELATED: AAPI passionately participating at the DNC

RELATED: Asian Americans help shape Democratic Party platform

The news of Joe’s passing weighed heavily on all of the Media Team when we found out Monday morning. Just two weeks ago we had met at the DNC headquarters in DC and performed an exercise to get to know each other. The exercise consisted of writing down the ten lenses through which we see the world through on a piece of chart paper, and explaining why they were important to us. I learned that Joe grew up as a Navy brat, that he was very close with his siblings, and that he felt strongly about being a Virginian. These small details, no matter how insignificant in the moment mean so much to me now that I know he is gone.

Last night, Hillary made history. I rooted around the floor of the convention for half an hour looking for one of the few and precious signs passed around labeled “History” so I could cherish the moment. However, I do all this with the knowledge that history was only made because of the work of fighters like Joe. Individuals that rise to the challenge of creating the environment necessary to successfully nominate the first ever woman candidate of a major party for President of the United States. To know them is a gift, and to fight to complete their life’s work is a gift to their memory.

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

DNC NOTEBOOK: AAPI participants passionately involve in the political process

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

REP. TULSI GABBARD (Hawaii) did get her moment at the Democratic National Convention when she nominated Sen. Bernie Sanders for President.

RELATED: Tulsi Gabbard thrust into the spotlight

Gibbered was vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and butted heads with chair Debbie Wasserman Shultz, who was forced to resign because of the hacked emails sealed by Wikileaks showed that she was not neutral during the primary campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Gabbard resigned her DNC position last February so that she could work on the Sanders campaign and was instrumental in making inroads in the AAPI community on behalf of her candidate.

TODAY, WEDNESDAY

Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Rep. Judy Chu (Calif.) , is is slated to speak Wednesday, iin the 4 p.m.-6 p.m. EST time period.

In addition, there are meetings, caucuses and networking among the AAPI in attendance in the morning.

HISTORY MAKING 
MAKING Hillary Clinton the presidential nominee was historic and that needs to be celebrated, no matter what your political persuasion.

Another historic event occurred that none of the mainstream media has covered. In the preamble of the Democratic Party's platform, Filipino/American labor organizer Larry Itliong got mentioned. Is this the first time an Asian/American was mentioned in any party's platform?

Written into the preamble:

"And we know that our nation’s long struggle with race is far from over. More than half a century after Rosa Parks sat and Dr. King marched and John Lewis bled, more than half a century after César Chávez, Dolores Huerta, and Larry Itliong organized, race still plays a significant role in determining who gets ahead in America and who gets left behind. We must face that reality and we must fix it."

“There is no question that this platform is the most inclusive of the AAPI community in history,” said Christopher Kang, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans national director.

RELATED: GOP's new Southern Strategy with immigrants in the Willie Horton role

292 AAPI DELEGATES

Diversity was not the official theme during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, but one can't help but notice how many more people of color are in attendance in comparison to the Republican convention held last week.

Hillary Clinton’s campaign told Fusion that 292 of the 4,766 DNC delegates are Asian American; 2,887- or over half of this year’s delegates are women. African/American men and women account for 1,182 delegates (compared to 18 at the RNC) while 747 are Latinos and 633 are LGBTQ-identified people.

RELATED: Diary of a Clinton Volunteer - Day 1,  

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

HEROIC SURVIVOR

IMA MATUL gave a moving presentation of her story of being lured from Indonesia with offers of a job but instead she became a victim of sex trafficking. She credited Hillary Clinton for making human trafficking an issue for the United States. She survived her ordeal and is now an advocated helping other victims of human trafficking.

RELATED: AAPI delegates, electeds, celebrities meet at the DNC

LOBBYING
MEMBERS of KAYA: Filipino Americans for Progress have been in Philadelphia to advocate for “progressive solutions to issues affecting the community” before party organizations, leaders and elected officials attending the convention.

These issues include improving the lives of Filipino World War II veterans, comprehensive and humane immigration reform, affordable health care for all, access to high-quality education and protection of civil rights.

In May, KAYA endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for president because of her “commitment to the Filipino American community, particularly in her support for equity for Filipino World War II veterans and comprehensive immigration reform,” the group’s press statement said.

“We believe that America can only be stronger together,” said Romeo Ymalay, KAYA national co-chair. “The future of our country will be much brighter if we treat each other with respect, ensure that we lift each other instead of tearing each other down, and give all Americans a seat at the table.”

 MEDIA

Elaine Quijano hosted a CBS segment at the Democratic National Convention.

IT WAS good to see Elaine Quijano given a spot on the CBS schedule. Prior to joining CBS, Quijano was a general assignment reporter for CNN, based in Washington, D.C. where she covered stories involving the White House, the Pentagon, and the Supreme Court. 

Back in 2006, she was CNN's White House correspondent during the George W. Bush administration. The Filipina/American journalist also worked for CNN Newsource, the network's affiliate service, and was part of the round-the-clock coverage of the September 11th terrorist attacks. She subsequently reported from Kuwait City in 2003 before the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Before joining CNN, she was a general assignment reporter for WFTS-TV in Tampa, Florida. She also worked as a reporter for WCIA-TV in Champaign, Illinois. 

Quijano has a degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

REPRESENTING

I LOVE the roll call vote during which each delegation gets a moment to brag about their state. One of my favorites was the 11-member delegation from the NortherN Marianas. They were decked out in flowered crowns and leis. Nine votes went to Sanders and two went to Clinton.

DNC: Asian/Americans help shape the Democratic Platform

THE 2016 DEMOCRATIC PARTY Platform may have made history. For perhaps the first time, an Asian/American was specifically mentioned in the Platform of any major American political party.

Filipino/American labor organizer Larry Itliong was included among the other labor  and civil right leaders in the recognition that race "still plays a significant role" in determining equity and opportunity.

UFW co-founder Larry Itliong

The specific paragraph reads:

"And we know that our nation’s long struggle with race is far from over. More than half a century after Rosa Parks sat and Dr. King marched and John Lewis bled, more than half a century after César Chávez, Dolores Huerta, and Larry Itliong organized, race still plays a significant role in determining who gets ahead in America and who gets left behind. We must face that reality and we must fix it." 

“There is no question that this platform is the most inclusive of the AAPI community in history,” said Christopher Kang, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans national director.

Last month, the National Council of NCAPA testified before the Democratic National Convention Platform Drafting Committee, providing recommendations for how the Democratic party platform could address the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.  Yesterday (July 25) the 2016 Democratic Party Platform was ratified, and it adopts many recommendations from NCAPA and its member organizations.

 “It adopts our overarching priorities that would resonate throughout government: a theme of inclusion; an understanding that data should be disaggregated to fully address AAPI needs; and a belief that government services should be culturally and linguistically appropriate.”

“This platform does even more than adopt dozens of our recommendations that would significantly improve the lives of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,” Kang continued.  

“As the Preamble recognizes Larry Itliong’s contribution to the labor movement and struggle for racial justice, it gives voice to our story and our history. From top to bottom, this platform demonstrates that AAPIs have been and always will be woven into the fabric of our nation.”

Additional recommendations made by NCAPA and its member organizations that were adopted include:

• Ending systemic racism and condemning divisive rhetoric and hate speech;
• Ending discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability;
• Ending racial profiling that targets individuals solely on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin;
• Pushing for comprehensive immigration reform and fixing family immigration backlogs;
• Restoring the Voting Rights Act, ensuring that election officials comply with provisions mandating bilingual materials and voter assistance, and supporting early voting and same day voter registration;
• Preserving and enhancing the integrity and accuracy of the Census and the American Community Survey;
• Ensuring that all Americans have access to quality health care—regardless of immigration status, expanding Community Health Centers, and recognizing the importance of treating mental health;
• Securing reproductive justice;
• Supporting self-governance and self-determination of Native Hawaiians, honoring the people of the territories, and addressing unique Pacific Islander health care challenges;
• Supporting a higher minimum wage, pay equity, and workers’ right to organize and join unions;
• Closing the racial wealth gap, including for certain AAPI subgroups;
• Expanding programs to prevent the displacement of existing residents, especially in communities of color, reforming the tax code to be more equitable for all, and supporting small businesses, including improved access to capital;
• Reforming the criminal justice system, including the discriminatory treatment of AAPIs; and
• Supporting stronger gun control

(As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, NCAPA does not support or oppose political candidates or parties. It works with both political parties to educate them about issues of importance to the Asian/American and Pacific Islander community.)

DNC: Day 2 of a Diary of a Clinton volunteer - A message to Sanders supporters

Actress Constance Wu of 'Fresh Off The Boat' spoke to the AAPI people at the Democratic National Convention.

By Nick Lee
Reprinted from AsAm News

AS A VOLUNTEER, I knew we would hit the ground running the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), but I was not entirely prepared for exactly how fast. We started work at 9 am and after a short meeting we headed straight downstairs to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Caucus, essentially a rally for the AAPI Democrats in attendance at convention. Armed with an iPhone and the Periscope app, my job was to get as close as possible to the stage and livestream the event without my arm giving up on me. This gave me a front row view to the speakers and their messages to the AAPI community.

The best way to describe the atmosphere at the AAPI Caucus was one of excitement, excitement at the prospect of a new day for AAPI visibility in this election. For many of the local delegates and volunteers from around the country, seeing so many AAPIs in one room that are equally passionate about politics must have been an uncommon occurrence. Congresswoman Judy Chu’s favorite line that “we are going from being marginalized, to becoming the margin of victory,” was received with cheers and applause from the collection of delegates and supporters who gathered around.

RELATED: Diary of a Clinton Volunteer - Day 1

Congressman Mike Honda also delivered powerful remarks that celebrated how far the party and our community had come by speaking directly to AAPI historical experiences. He proclaimed, “If we had a [Democratic] party like we have today, I would have never been sent to [the internment] camp. If we had this Democratic Party back in the 1880s we would not have had the Chinese Exclusion Act. If we had parties like this, with our sentiment, Native Americans would have a better break, Native Hawaiians would have a better break.”

Nick Lee

Constance Wu also spoke out about the growing power of AAPI choice from her perspective as an actress on the hit sitcom Fresh Off The Boat . She attributed the rise of new shows prominently featuring Asian Americans as a product of increasing Asian American power. “This shows that Asian American voting and attention matter,” she explained. “They would have never picked up those other shows if our show hadn’t garnered a large audience that was really hungry for that content.”

Being in that room, surrounded by dozens of other AAPIs who were equally excited about a Democratic victory in 2016 helped lend credence to the theme of the Caucus: “Our Time Is Now”. There is a hunger in the AAPI political community to be legitimized in the eyes of the media, government, and larger political sphere. In the words of Congressman Ami Bera, “We’re a rising electorate. This is a coming of age election for the AAPI community. Let’s make 2016 our year.”

Later on that night, I received credentials to see some of the brightest superstars of the Democratic Party speak. Even though I have called DC home for two years and hardly blink when I see a Congressman, I was left mesmerized by the power that they brought to the arena. Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Michelle Obama all laid out powerful progressive visions of an inclusive society formed on tolerance, justice, and fairness; a vision that appealed to my liberal instincts and did not shy or back away from issues.

RELATED: AAPI delegates, guests & elected meet at the DNC

However, what spoke to me most powerfully from the evening was seeing a crying Bernie supporter on the Jumbotron, as her candidate spoke fervently about the need to support Hillary in November. In that moment, I saw myself in her eyes and realized how hard all of the Sanders supporters present must have worked to try and get their candidate the nomination, and also how incredibly disappointing it must be to never reach your highest ambition. I thought back to those late nights spent making phone calls to strangers and striving to get Hillary the nomination, and remembered that they must have done much of the same.

Even though I still strongly believe Hillary would be the best president, I sympathized with the Bernie camp and their struggle to try and enact their vision of progressive change in America. Today reinforced the notion that the goals and ambitions of a Clinton presidency are far more similar than they are different from Bernie’s. Bernie’s campaign slogan “A Future to Believe In” spoke to me, because I felt that last night was an important step in healing the differences of the past and uniting in a common goal. I am looking forward to working with Bernie supporters going into November, where we need their passion and hard work to ensure that there is a future that we can all believe in.(Nick Lee of Chinese Americans for Hillary will be sharing his thoughts all week with AsAmNews readers.)

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DNC: AAPI delegates, guests and elected officials have a pre-convention meeting

PRIOR to the start of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia today (July 25), APAIVote hosted a briefing and reception.

Presenters at the briefing about the social and political trends of the AAPI community, included: 

• Greg Cendana, Institute for Asian Pacificl Leadership and Advancement, who talked about the workforce, unionization  and criminal justice;
• Sayu Bhojwan of the New American Leaders Project, who discussed pipeline development for AAPI elected officials;
• Christopher Kang, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, sharing the issues facing the AAPI community today;
• Mee Moua of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice sharing information on presidential voting guides.

The reception followed and included celebrities such as Constance Wu and members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

DNC: Ken Jeong makes an appearance

COMEDIC ACTOR Ken Jeong, star of the sitcom Dr. Ken, was featured in a funny video skit during prime time of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia He played a Donald Trump supporter spouting the common beliefs about Republican nominee for President,  Trump's promise to bring offshore  corporations and jobs back to the U.S.

As he discovers that all of Trump's products were made in other countries, his bubble bursts.

The video, "Donald Decoded," was produced by Funny or Die.

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DNC: Diary of a Clinton supporter, Day 1

Nick Lee volunteered for the Hillary Clinton campaign.

By Nick Lee
Reprinted from AsAm News

MY NAME IS NICK and I am 23-years old, a fourth-generation Chinese/American, and a proud Democrat. This blog will cover my journey through my first Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Philadelphia and also the first time my party has nominated a new candidate for president in my adulthood. During the Convention, I will be volunteering my time with the AAPI Media Center, a part of the larger DNC press operation.

One of the most interesting aspects of my work organizing and my first night at the DNC has been the diversity of volunteers in our Democratic AAPI community. The ethnic background of volunteers ranges from Chinese to Hmong, Indian to Indonesian and everything in between all striving towards a common goal of electing Democrats around the country.

RELATED: AAPI delegates, guests & elected meet at the DNC

Growing up Asian/American, it becomes evident from an early age that inclusive spaces like these are neither easy to create nor easy to maintain. I feel very privileged to be a part of this even though I feel like I have much less experience than many others.

My introduction to politics was early, since my father was a political appointee in the Clinton administration. However I, like many others in my peer group, had my coming of political age when Obama was elected president in 2008. Seeing a person of color as president for the first time in high school was an edifying moment where I realized that there was a potential for a person who looked like me to rise to the highest levels of government.

As a part of AAPIs for Hillary, I have met many other passionate volunteers whose journey began much earlier than mine did. Some of the very first to welcome me on board were people that worked with my father two decades ago in the Clinton White House. It is impressive to me that these people are still on the frontline nearly 16 years later, and still striving to assist and train the younger generation like myself. Not all were as lucky as I was to have politics as casual dinnertime conversation, and I look up to those individuals especially because their passion is so organic and real. 

RELATED: Tulsi Gabbard thrust into the spotlight at DNC

It seems like Hillary’s slogan “Stronger Together” is especially true of the Democratic AAPI community. Not only is our DNC crew diverse in our ethnicities and languages, but also in our backgrounds and the way and time we came to belong to the Democratic party. With all this diversity, it can be surprising that we work well together, but what I am realizing is that many of our stories are more similar than different. Many of us wanted to create easier lives for immigrants like our ancestors and ourselves. Many of us were brought into the fold by relatives, friends, or significant others. It is personal for us, and I am glad to be surrounded by this energy going in. I am extraordinarily excited for day one of the DNC, wish me luck!

(Nick Lee will be sharing his thoughts all week at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.)

DNC: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard thrust into the spotlight

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

UPDATED, 4:20 PST to include opening gavel ceremony without Debbie Wasserman Shlultz, chair of the Democratic National Committee.

WHEN the emails from Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Shultz became public indicating her favoritism towards Hillary Clinton's candidacy, the spotlight turned to Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii).

Gabbard resigned last February as the vice chair of the Democratic Party and joined the campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders. Rumors that circulated seemed to infer that she had differences with Wasserman because the DNC chairwoman was not as neutral as the she claimed.

She also felt that limited the candidates to six debates was a disservice to the American public. The Democrats eventually relented on this last topic and scheduled more debates as the primaries remained contested until June.

Because of the email controversy swirling around her, Wasserman announced her intention to resign after the Democrat's convention. When the gavel officially opened the DNCC, the gavel was held by the Mayor of Philadelphia instead of the DNC chair in order to avoid the chorus of boos that was certain to greet her by the delegates in the hall.

The revelations surrounding the leaked Democrat National Committee emails seem to confirm Gabbard's alleged position and the Hawaii congress member was thrust into the spotlight.

Last month, with Sander's concession, the independent-minded Gabbard continued to advocate for reforming the selection process for the Democratic Party.

Gabbard, the first Hindu woman elected to Congress, name was tossed about as possibly becoming chair of the DNC but she quickly quashed that speculation. Even if the position was offered to her, she said she would not accept it.

Since Hawaii's delegate majority went to Sanders in the primaries, it appears that Gabbard will have a highly visible role at the Democratic National Convention that was started this afternoon in Philadelphia.

Race enters California's Senate campaign

President Barack Obama throws his support to California Attorney General Kamala Harris.

CALIFORNIA ATTY. GEN. Kamala Harriids' bid for the U.S. Senate got a major boost with the endorsement of  both President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

Harris' opponent in the November election, Rep. Loretta Sanchez's first reaction seemed to imply that race was a factor in Obama's endorsement.

Rep. Loretta Sanchez

In an interview over with the Spanish-language Univision channel, Sanchez was asked her response to the signifiant endorsement. She said in Spanish that Obama and Harris are longtime friends, then added: “She is African/American. He is, too.”

Sanchez backtracked on her interview statement saying she never meant to say race was a factor in the endorsement. In a prepared statement released yesterday, the Orange County congressional representative said, “I would think the Leader of the Democratic Party would be focused on defeating Donald Trump and supporting Democratic Senate candidates against Republicans.”

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article90672302.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article91430872.html#storylink=cpy

Harris's mother is from India and her father is Jamaican/American. If elected, Harris would become the first Indian/American to win a Senate seat.

In his endorsement statement, Obama said:

Kamala’s experience has taught her that if you’re going to give everybody a fair shot, you’ve got to take on the special interests that too often stand in the way of progress. As Attorney General, she fought the big banks that took advantage of homeowners across the country – and she won. She cracked down on transnational gangs exploiting women and children – and she won. She took on big for-profit colleges that were swindling students and leaving them with a lifetime of debt and a worthless degree – and she won. She took on big oil companies to defend California’s beautiful coast and its landmark law to fight climate change – and she won. Her leadership helped ensure the right of all Americans to marry the person they love. And throughout her lifetime as a prosecutor, Kamala Harris has been a leading voice for criminal justice reform, challenging old dogma and insisting we be “smart on crime” by ending mass incarceration.

Harris led Obama's campaign effort in California in 2008 and was considered a candidate for the U.S. Supreme Court to fill Antonin Scalia's seat after his death.

It is not the first time that Sanchez's statements have put the candidate in hot water.

After the San Bernardino shootings earlier this year, she said “anywhere between 5 and 20 percent” of Muslims “ have a desire for a caliphate,” and that they are “willing to use and they do use terrorism.” When Muslim American groups criticized the comments, Sanchez said she was speaking in global terms, not about U.S. Muslims. But she has stood by her statement.

Last Spring, while speaking to Indian/American Democrats, she commented that she though she would be speaking to Native Americans and during her speech she tapped her hand to her mouth to imitate the whooping sounds associated with the stereotype of Native Americans.

Recent polls indicate that Harris has a double-digit lead over Sanchez. Both are Democrats but Sanchez is hoping to woo Republicans who think that Harris is too liberal.

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After 'Fresh Off the Boat," Eddie Huang moves on with new book.

Eddie Huang's new book is about his search for identity and his cultural roots.

Reprinted from AsAm News

AFTER his first book, "Fresh Off the Boat,: the inspiration for the hit TV comedy series, life completely changed for Eddie Huang.

The celebrity chef whose memoir Fresh Off the Boat inspired the TV show recently released his latest book, "Double Cup Love, on the Trail of Family, Food and Broken Hearts in China." 

The outspoken Huang talked about the search for his identity in a wide ranging interview on CCTV.

Huang chronicles his journey back to China with members of his family and what he learned about himself and his identity during that trip.

“Race is a social construct,” said Huang to host May Lee on CCTV. “The idea of Chinese is different in China, in Taiwan, in Singapore, New York or LA. The only real definition of it that matters is yours.

“You have to figure out what it means to you. All those things that go into that social construct, which is race. You have to take control of it. Everything that was put in your head by somebody else or society and you allowed it to define you is not real. When you start to break it down, you can finally build yourself back up.”

Huang says he identifies as a Taiwanese, Chinese New Yorker that was touched by “perverted Orlando.” Race in America, he says, still has to get beyond Black and White. He said the controversy over Chris Rock's jokes about Asians on the Oscars shows just how far we still need to come as a society.

“Ninety-nine percent of what Chris Rock did that night was phenomenal. It was masterful,” he said. “But that joke about Asian Americans was terrible. It just shows someone as brilliant as Chris Rock has a blind spot.

He also points out he is very grateful for African/Americans for pushing the civil rights agenda that has helped all people of color.

“Black people laid a lot of the groundwork for civil rights, for us to start to understand what was happening to us because it happened to them. I gravitated toward it. I related to it. Even as a 5-year-old kid, I would watch Black movies. Listen to Black music.

Huang says its his duty to speak up and he’s never been afraid to do so.

“When people call you a chink in school, when people push you down. My parents didn’t come to America for this. I’m not the bottom of the barrel. I refuse to let you think that. I stuck up for myself, my family who I know who get the same treatment.”

"Double Cup Love" is published by Penguin Random House.

Huang also stars in a travel/food show on the Vice channel called Huang's World. Think Anthony Bourdain with Huang's unique perceptive. Some of the most touching episodes is when he visits Taiwan, where his parents came from, and his visit to China, where his parents' families came from. In both episodes he show's what he is talking about in the CCTV interview. 

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Comic Con panel will discuss Asian Americans in comics, movies

#Supe

IF YOU are in San Diego for Comic Con 2016, one of the highlights for Asian/American delegates is happening this Sunday, July 24. 

Super Asian America  will feature some heavyweight writers: Gene Yang (New Superman), Peter Shinkoda (Daredevil), Keith Chow (Nerds of Color), Sarah Kuhn (Heroine Complex), Christine Dinh (comics branding professional), and other comic book titans discuss the ever-evolving state of Asian Americans in media. Moderated by Mike Le of Racebending.

It should be a very interesting panel which will most likely touch on topics such as the #WhiteWashing of Asian characters in the movies and the growing diversity of comic books including Asian/Americans with super powers.   

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Viet refugee wins White House honor for her environmental work in the U.S.

A VIETNAMESE/AMERICAN woman was honored last week with the White House Champions of Change for Climate Equity Award for her work to end environmental racism and empower communities of color to join the fight against climate change.

“Winning this award is a great honor, and validates all the work we are doing to end environmental racism and prioritize solutions in frontline communities that are hit first and worst by pollution and climate change,” said Vien Truong, director of Green For All, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.

Vien Truong

One of her landmark accomplishments is the passing of Senate Bill 535, a community reinvestment bill in California that created a polluters pay fund, which created the largest fund in history for low income communities to green up and to create economic revitalization for residents. In the last two years, it has directed over $900 million into the poorest and most polluted communities in California.

Truong grew up the youngest of 11 kids to a refugee family that fled from war-torn Vietnam. Her parents worked in the pesticide-ridden fields of Oregon picking strawberries. Later they worked at sweatshops, where she grew up in the heavily polluted region of Oakland, California, known as the “toxic triangle.” It is through these life experiences that Truong grew to understand the inequality and marginalization endured by disadvantaged communities.

“I’m privileged to be leading Green For All to create national programs that will prioritize low income communities and communities of color in the crafting of policy across the country,” said Truong.

The award comes as Truong continues to lead in climate equity efforts in collaboration with a coalition called the Clean Power for All Collaborative, which is mobilizing to make sure that the EPA’s first national initiative to regulate greenhouse gases is used as an opportunity to clean up and reinvest in polluted communities.

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

#WashingtonSoWhite: Paul Ryan selfie puts spotlight on lawmakers' staff diversity

IF WE WANT to increase the presence of Asian//Americans and other minorities in the marbled halls of power in Washington, we need to elect more minority politicians to office.

Short of that, we need to get more people of color in senior staff positions -- you know, the people who do the real work of governing, meeting with constituents, attending countless policy meetings in those back rooms on Capitol Hill, reading the pages and pages of bills, research issues and help shape the positions their bosses eventually takes.

According to a study published in December, “Racial Diversity Among Top Senate Staff,” found only 7.1 percent of top Senate staffers were nonwhite, and minorities represent approximately 35 percent of the U.S. population. 

Of the 336 people who hold top Senate staff positions, only 24 are people of color: 12 Asian/Americans, seven Latinos, three African/Americans and two Native Americans. 

“Each office — those of all 535 members of Congress as well as assorted committees and offices — hires its own staff, so there’s no centralized tracking of hires,” according to the Washington Post.

It also appears that Democrats are as guilty of this disparity as Republicans, according to the study. 

The workforce of Capitol Hill looks a lot like the selfie that House Speaker Paul Ryan took with a roomful of interns, most of whom are Republicans.

Ryan recently took a selfie with this year's crop of interns working for Washington's politicians and it underlined the problem -- you had to look really, really hard to find a person of color. Of over 200 interns in the picture, perhaps two of them were people of color. It is possible that number may increase if some of the interns pictured were white Latino/Americans.

The Instagram selfie created a firestorm on social media for its obvious lack of diversity.

Back to the Ryan selfie, RJ Khalaf, an intern for Democratic congressman Andre Carsonn, told USA Today that the photo included interns from both parties. 

The event was a speech for the Congressional Summer Intern Lecture series and students were selected by a lottery, Khalaf added. However, the July 14 seminar at the Capitol Building was arranged by the House Republican Conference and titled “Interns Today, Leaders Tomorrow,” according to the Daily Mail. The “overwhelming” majority of interns in attendance were Republican.

In response, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, (Texas) took a picture with hundreds of Democratic interns. Note the difference?

A pretty good number of the people who take make up the lawmakers' staff start their public service careers as interns. Most internships are unpaid positions. Therein lies the problem.

“If your parents are living paycheck to paycheck, how are you going to do (an unpaid internship)?” said Ross Eisenbrey, vice president of the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal think tank that focuses on labor and economic issues, in a July 5 interview with the New York Times.

 “It restricts access to jobs in government to a narrower group of people.” It skews the  perspective of people who are making policy. Staffers are human beings and like all human beings, they have a perspective based on their own life experiences that affect the decisions they make. If you've never gone to public school, never associated with communities of color, never had to work two or three jobs to pay for your education, never had to translate for your parents, never met an undocumented immigrant - your experiences are quite limited.

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