California Couple charged with human trafficking, wage theft

Amarjit and Balwinder Mann are accused of human trafficking. 

An Indian American couple has been charged with human trafficking for locking a man in a liquor store, where he worked 15 hour shifts, seven days a week, slept in a storage room, bathed in a mop bucket, and was never paid.

The husband and wife, Amarjit and Balwinder Mann, both 66, are accused of threatening the victim with deportation if he told the truth to law enforcement. The Manns face charges of labor human trafficking, witness intimidation, and wage theft involving a total of four victims. 

“Slavery officially was abolished in 1865,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “Tragically, we are seeing examples of it in 2020. My Office will prosecute anyone to the fullest extent of the law who practices this kind of criminal and inhumane exploitation.”

The suspects, residents of Gilroy, Calif., were arraigned Nov. 9. If convicted of the felonies, they could face prison time.

An investigation estimates that the suspects had stolen more than $150,000 in wages from the victim and three other employees. The Manns engaged in predatory recruitment of their workers from India and lured them with promises of travel and financial independence. 

In late February 2020, an Alcoholic Beverage Control inspection discovered the victim at M&M Liquors located on Westwood Drive in Gilroy. The agent contacted a man who appeared to be living in a small storage room in the back area of the store – a major red flag for human trafficking. 

Agents noted a thin mattress lying over milk crates, an office desk contained folded clothes in each drawer. On top of the desk there were pots and pans for cooking and next to the desk, there was a mop sink with a faucet approximately three feet off the ground and a shampoo bottle. Investigators later learned the victim was bathing from the mop sink. 

The store where the victim was forced to work.

The investigation further concluded that the man had flown from India in 2019 expecting to travel to the U.S. with the couple. Instead they took his money and passport and put him to work without pay or a key to leave the liquor store at night.

The victim, whose name was not revealed by authorities, eventually mustered up the courage to leave the store and flee to a safehouse, with the help of human trafficking advocates. He wrote an affidavit about his situation, in which he said he continued to work for the Manns because he had no other options, and did not want to tell his family back in India what had happened to him. While entrapped, according to the affidavit, the victim was allowed to leave the store just once: to go to the San Jose gurdwara on New Year’s Day.

Three other men – two who worked at the liquor store and one who worked at the market across the street - told agents that they worked marathon hours and were paid a pittance. One said he had no idea about the concept of a minimum wage.

Serious Oscar talk for Steven Yeun, 'Minari'

Movie director Lee Isaac Chung, left, and the cast for his film "Minari," let by Steven Yeun are being touted as possible Oscar nominees.

It's winter and the U.S. is in the middle of a pandemic, but that is not stopping Hollywood from launching it's campaigns for the Academy Awards. For the first time, there is serious buzz about an Asian American film that could have a huge impact on the Oscars.

Actor Steven Yeun's sensitive and deep role in the motion picture Minari has been hailed as an Oscar-worthy performance. 

If nominated, Yeun would be the first Asian American nominee for Best Actor. Two other actors of Asian descent have been nominated in that category: Yul Brynner, who was born in Russia and citizen of Switzerland, in The King and I and Ben Kingsley of Great Britain in Gandhi and House of Sand and Fog.

For Yeun, whose breakthrough role was in the popular TV series The Walking Dead, he told Deadline that the script that “captured a feeling of what an immigrant experience is like.”

The movie, he says, captured the feeling of what a family is like, of what marriage feels like, what growing up in a religious household feels like … there are so many things that I could relate to with Isaac,” Yeun said in a Deadline interview. “I hadn’t seen many tellings of stories of the other done in a way that wasn’t idealizing them or romanticizing them or needing them to be afflicted by some external force that validates their existence.”

The critically acclaimed movie Minari, depicting the cultural adjustment of a Korean  American family that moves from Los Angeles to rural Alabama in the 1980s, is also making critics' lists for a potential nominee for Best Picture. 

In addition, Yeun's costars are also being praised for their work. Yeri Han might get a  a Best Actress nod while Alan S. Kim, Will Patton and Yuh-Jung Youn are potential nominees for the supporting acting categories.

With all the praise being lavished on the film, it is not surprising that its director, Lee Isaac Chung, is also being recognized for his directing and original screenplay.

The Oscars, the awards given by the Academy for Motion Pictures, Arts and sciences has been criticized for favoring big-name studios over indepdent produced films and being swayed by the studios-driven campaigns for their products and actors.

Independent distributor A24 is willing to go to bat for Minari as its next big Oscar contender. The movie has set the release date for Minari for an awards-qualifying run in New York and Los Angeles this December before a wider release beginning in February 2021. 

With over 80 titles under it's belt and its commitment to underserved audiences, A24 has received 25 Academy Award nominations, several prestigious industry wins, and their films have landed at the top of countless year-end lists. Its top films include another Asian American movie, The Farewell, which was snubbed in the Oscar's acting and directing categories despite critical and box office success.

Contrary to popular belief, not every actor in Hollywood is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, which awards the Oscars, Actors have to be invited to join the Academy, which is still overwhelmingly older and white males despite recent efforts to diversify its ranks.

The bias built into the voting has tilted the Oscar winners to white movies and performances by familiar white actors.

Last year's Best Picture award and Best Director Oscar went to the Korean movie Parasite. Those awares were the exceptions, not the rule. Minari is an American-made film about a uniquely American topic.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this is news sprinkled with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions.

Tech tycoon accused of paying bribes for son's admission to Harvard

HARVARD

Harvard University's fencing team was coached accused of accepting bribes.

A high-tech executive is accused of bribing a Harvard coach in order to get his sons into Harvard University.

The former fencing coach at Harvard College and a Maryland businessman Jie “Jack” Zhao were arrested Monday (Nov. 16) and charged with conspiring to secure the admission of the businessman’s two sons to Harvard in exchange for bribes totaling more than $1.5 million.

Peter Brand, 67, of Cambridge, Mass., and Zhao, 61, of Potomac, Md., were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery. Brand will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston. Zhao made  his initial appearance in federal court in Greenbelt, Md.

Brand’s and Zhao’s plan to circumvent the college admissions process ended up backfiring on both of them. "Now they are accused of exchanging more than $1.5 million in bribes for their own personal benefit,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.

The scheme was intended to gai admission of Zhao's two sons to Harvard by recruiting them to join the men's fencing team coached by Brand. Brand was fired last year.

Their arrest comes more than a year after The Boston Globe reported that Brand sold his home for nearly double its assessed value to Zhao. Prosecutors say Zhao also paid for Brand’s car and made college tuition payments on behalf of Brand’s sons.

It is alleged that in or about May 2012, Brand told a co-conspirator, “Jack doesn’t need to take me anywhere and his boys don’t have to be great fencers. All I need is a good incentive to recruit them[.] You can tell him that[.]” 

In February 2013, as part of the alleged scheme, Zhao made a purported donation of $1 million to a fencing charity operated by a co-conspirator. Zhao’s older son was admitted to Harvard as a fencing recruit in December 2013, and matriculated in the fall of 2014. Shortly thereafter, the charity passed $100,000 on to the Peter Brand Foundation, a charitable entity established by Brand and his spouse. Thereafter, Zhao began making payments to, or for the benefit of, Brand.

In total, Zhao made $1.5 million in payments to Brand, or for Brand’s personal benefit, even as Brand recruited Zhao’s younger son to the Harvard fencing team. 

Zhao allegedly paid for Brand’s car, made college tuition payments for Brand’s son, paid the mortgage on Brand’s Needham residence, and later purchased the residence for well above its market value, thus allowing Brand to purchase a more expensive residence in Cambridge that Zhao then paid to renovate. Zhao’s younger son was admitted to Harvard in 2017. 

The complaint alleges that Brand did not disclose the payments to Harvard when recruiting Zhao’s sons.

“Jack Zhao’s children were academic stars in high school and internationally competitive fencers who obtained admission to Harvard on their own merit,” defense attorney Bill Weinreb said, according to the Washington Post. “Both of them fenced for Harvard at the Division One level throughout their college careers. Mr. Zhao adamantly denies these charges and will vigorously contest them in court.”

In a similar statement, Brand’s attorney, Douglas S. Brooks, said: “The students were academic and fencing stars. Coach Brand did nothing wrong in connection with their admission to Harvard. He looks forward to the truth coming out in court.”

The charge of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Zhao's case is not related to the highly publicized cases in which Hollywood celebrities and other China-based billionaires through an admissions consultant  bribed university officials to get their children into higly selective United States universities with fake test scores and/or athletic credentials.

AALDEF Survey: AAPI voters impacted election outcomes in battleground states

 

The Asian American and Pacific Islander electorate has been a difficult demographic to define because of it's vast diversity of cultures, nationalities, religions, languages and physical appearances.

Because of the great variance, political campaigns have historically overlooked the AAPI communities and concentrated in easier-to-reach blocks of voters. As result, campaigns neglect them, polls ignore them, and they are invisible to mainstream media.

Nationwide, there are about 11 million AAPI voters representing about 23 million people. However, in 2020, it is evident that AAPI communities have concentrated in specific districts, cities and states  making their votes critical for campaigns who take the time and resources to reach out to them.

There has also been a lack on data about the voting habits of AAPI communities. The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), is one of the few groups -- besides API Vote and AAPI Data -- bothering to gather data on the increasingly impactful AAPI communities. Last week, the AALDEF released new data from its exit poll of 5,424 Asian American voters in 13 states and Washington, DC, noting the importance of the Asian American vote in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada.

Following is the AALDEF press release.

AALDEF Executive Director Margaret Fung said, “Asian Americans, especially new voters, were part of the record turnout of communities of color in the 2020 elections. Asian American voters played an important role in close races in several battleground states, and our voices must not be overlooked in the political process.”

RELATED:

• America asks itself - Who are we?
• AAPI vote for Biden 2 to 1
• Georgia to determine control of Senate

Since 1988, AALDEF has conducted multilingual exit polls in Asian American communities on Election Day. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the upsurge in voting by mail, AALDEF volunteers approached voters in Nevada and Florida during the early voting period and in all other states on Election Day, November 3, 2020.

Jerry Vattamala, AALDEF Democracy Program Director, said “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we dispatched more than 400 volunteers to polling places, interacting with voters in English and nine Asian languages through paper surveys or by providing voters with QR codes to complete the surveys online.”

Among all Asian American voters polled:

• Asian Americans favored Joe Biden over Donald Trump by a margin of 68% to 29%.
• There was no gender gap between Asian American men and women, with 67% of women and 66% of men voting for Biden and both groups supporting Trump at 31%.
• The only ethnic group to favor Trump were Vietnamese American voters, by a margin of 57% to 41%.

The breakdown of voters by ethnicity was as follows:

First-Time Voters, Political Party, Nativity, English Language Proficiency, and Gender

• 27% were first-time voters; 73% were not first-time voters.
• 14% were registered Democrats; 16% were registered Republicans; 27% were not enrolled in a party; and 3% were enrolled in another party.
• 27% were native-born U.S. citizens; 73% were foreign-born naturalized citizens.
• 7% were limited English proficient (LEP); and 63% spoke English well.
• 52.9% were Female; 46.7% were Male; 0.4% Non-Binary.

BATTLEGROUND STATES

Pennsylvania

• Asian Americans decisively chose Joe Biden over Donald Trump by a margin of 63% to 36%.
• All Asian ethnic groups supported Biden over Trump, except for Cambodian American voters (50% for Trump and 45% for Biden) and Vietnamese American voters (73% for Trump and 27% for Biden).
• Among voters not enrolled in any party, the breakout was 56% for Biden and 40% for Trump, and among voters affiliated with other parties, 54% for Biden and 39% for Trump.
• First-time voters supported Biden by a wide margin, 62% to 36%.

Georgia

• Asian Americans decisively chose Joe Biden over Donald Trump by a margin of 62% to 36%.
• In the U.S. Senate races, Asian Americans voted for Democratic candidates over Republicans by a margin of 61% to 34%.
• All Asian ethnic groups in the state supported Biden over Trump except for Korean American voters (60% for Trump and 39% for Biden).
• Among voters not enrolled in any party, the breakout was 63% for Biden and 30% for Trump, and among voters affiliated with other parties, 60% for Biden and 20% for Trump.
• First-time voters supported Biden by a wide margin 61% to 36%.
• Asian Americans decisively chose Joe Biden over Donald Trump by a margin of 85% to 13%.Michigan

Michigan

• In the U.S. Senate race, Asian Americans voted for the Democratic candidate over the Republican by a margin of 85% to 9%.
• All ethnic groups overwhelmingly voted for Biden, with 100% of both Arab and Pakistani American voters supporting Biden and 0% supporting Trump.
• Republican voters in Michigan crossed over much more frequently than voters in other states to support Joe Biden and did not vote along party lines as in other states (64% for Trump and 21% for Biden).
• Among voters not enrolled in any party, the breakout was 63% for Biden and 33% for Trump; and among voters affiliated with other parties, 67% for Biden and 33% for Trump.
• First-time voters supported Biden by an overwhelming margin 89% to 15%.

Nevada

• Asian Americans decisively chose Joe Biden over Donald Trump by a margin of 57% to 40%.
• Unlike other swing states, voters not enrolled in any party did not favor Biden over Trump, voting 46% for Biden and 46% for Trump.
• First-time voters supported Biden over Trump (63% to 37%) by wider margins than non-first-time voters, 53% for Biden and 42% for Trump.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this is news sprinkled with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions.

Georgia On My Mind: AAPI voters could decide who will rule the U.S. Senate

NPR

ANALYSIS:

Asian American voters played a key role in battleground states, according to exit polls taken during the Nov. 3 elections, according to an analysis by a an AAPI advocacy coalition. They can again play a crucial role in Georgia's Jan. 5 runoff elections for U.S. Senate.

Georgia's two senate  runoff between the GOP's Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock and Republican Sen. David Perdue against Democratic challenger Jon Ossoffs could determine which party will have the majority in the U.S. Senate during Joe Biden's first term as President starting Jan. 20, 2021.

Bloomberg News quoted  Sam Park, the first Asian American Democrat elected to the Georgia General Assembly: “There’s a saying that the Asian American community has gone from being a marginalized community to being the margin of victory.That could be very true here in Georgia.”

New data released by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) noted the importance of the AAPI vote in Georgia and three other battleground states: Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nevada.

“Asian Americans, especially new voters, were part of the record turnout of communities of color in the 2020 elections. Asian American voters played an important role in close races in several battleground states, and our voices must not be overlooked in the political process,” said AALDEF Executive Director Margaret Fung.

Except for the Vietnamese and Hmong communities, all other Asian ethnic groups and nationalities voted overwhelmingly for the Democratic ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris over the Republican incumbents Donald Trump and Mike Pence.

The four states in the survey, which for voted for Trump in 2016, flipped and went Democratic earlier this month.

The states were among the last counted and their electoral votes pushed Biden-Harris over the top, giving him enough electoral votes to proclaim the Democrats victors in the closer-than-expected presidential contest.

Georgia's flip is a tribute to the groundwork in registering voters by Stacey Abrams, a former member of the state's House of Representatives and who barely lost in her gubernatorial bid. 

None of the state's top-two vote-getters in the Senate races achieved more than 50% of the votes so by state law, a runoff is necessary. Survey findings may give an indication how Georgia's AAPI electorate will vote in the Jan. 5 runoff. 

The Asian American population has soared in counties surrounding Atlanta in recent years, drawn to the area by jobs in tech, science and medicine. The surge in AAPI voters -- almost a quarter million registered voters, or about 5% of the total voters -- have made them a critical demographic for politicians and marketers.

Highlights of the AALDEF survey of AAPI voters in Georgia:

• Asian Americans decisively chose Joe Biden over Donald Trump by a margin of 62% to 36%.
• In the U.S. Senate races, Asian Americans voted for Democratic candidates over Republicans by a margin of 61% to 34%.
• All Asian ethnic groups in the state supported Biden over Trump except for Korean American voters (60% for Trump and 39% for Biden).
• Among voters not enrolled in any party, the breakout was 63% for Biden and 30% for Trump, and among voters affiliated with other parties, 60% for Biden and 20% for Trump.
• First-time voters supported Biden by a wide margin 61% to 36%.

For the Presidential election, AAPI voters turned out in historic numbers. Despite facing a pandemic, hours-long lines at the polls, language barriers, and heightened fear and intimidation about voting, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities overcame unacceptable barriers to exercise their right to vote. 

Leaning heavily towards Democrats, the chief concerns of AAPI voters are in line with most other Democrats centering on economic issues income inequality and the call for higher taxes on the rich, pollsters say.

They heard the racist rhetoric from the White House and aware of the rise of attacks against their kids in school, the flagging economy shutting down their businesses and the toll the coronavirus has taken on healthcare providers.

Early voting was favored by many of elderly who had to overcome their fear of contracting COVID-19 in order to cat their ballots. 

"Being able to cast my vote with an absentee ballot means my voice still counts.” said 76-year-old Ok Hui Kim, who chose to vote absentee to decrease the risk of being exposed to the virus

The high vote total among AAPI can be attributed to an aggressive and unprecedented multi-lingual registration and get-out-the-vote drive. In the three months prior to the November vote, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta (Advancing Justice-Atlanta) dialed 92% of the estimated 238,000 eligible AAPI voters across the state. 

AAPI communities across Georgia showed up to vote early and began Election Day having already flexed our power - 50% of registered Asian American voters had already cast their ballots, increasing turnout by 141% since 2016. In Gwinnett County alone, there were three times more AAPI early voters than in 2016, over 30,000 compared to 9,500. Of those, 43% did not vote in 2012, 2016 or 2018, according to Advancing Justice. 

Besides having an impact on the Presidential and Georgia's U.S. Senate races, the huge turnout helped elect Marvin Lim, the first Filipino American to the state legislature. Lim won the primary with 62% of the vote and since the GOP didn't have a candidate to run against him, Lim's Nov. 7 victory was a foregone conclusion.

Lim will represent House District 99, an Atlanta suburb comprised of 85% minorities, 53% of whom are immigrants.

The nation's attention will be on Georgia this Jan. 5, 2021. Both Republicans and Democrats are mobilizing their people and devoting resources to the runoff contest. Already, 6e00,000 voters have requested absentee ballots, tweeted Abrams.

Georgians who didn’t get signed up in time to cast ballots in the Nov. 3 presidential election now have until Dec. 7 to register to vote in the Jan. 5 runoffs. Early voting for the runoffs starts Dec. 14 after a record of nearly 5 million Georgians voted in the general election. Qualified voters can register online with a valid ID through the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.

Democrats worry that without Donald Trump on the ballot to motivate anti-Trump voters, it will be difficult to energize Democratic voters for the Jan. 5 runoffs. Historically, conservative voters tend to turn out more in extra-inning contests.

Andrew Yang, a Presidential candidate during the Democratic primaries, said he'll be going to Georgia to help drum up excitement in the January election. “It looks like Democrats have an uphill climb in Georgia,” Yang told Yahoo Finance Live last week. “It seems like it’s because Democratic voters actually need a little bit more awareness raising to the fact that there is a special election on January 5, and conservatives are more plugged in to voting in Georgia.”

“The case to make in Georgia is exactly identical to the case that was just made with Joe at the top line,” continued Yang. He argues that the Democrats message should be getting a functional government.  “In this case, we need to deliver a Senate that will actually be looking to pass laws and not have a replay of Mitch McConnell being the obstructionist during the Obama years.”

 “AAPI communities are showing up at the polls and redefining what Georgia’s electorate looks like, said Stephanie Cho, executive director of Advancing Justice-Atlanta. "As the nation’s fastest growing population of immigrants eligible to vote, AAPI communities in Georgia will continue to grow in influence. We are only just beginning to come into our power. We will continue to show up and vote up and down the ballot for our issues, our rights, and our communities.” 

Who are the Asian Americans likely to be on Joe Biden's Cabinet?

Tammy Duckworth was sworn in by then-Vice President Joe Biden.

OPINION:

Between now and Jan. 20 when Presidnt-elect Joe Biden will be installed, he will be  building his Cabinet, a cohort of trusted advisors. One thing for certain, his Cabinet will be a lot more diverse than Donald Trump's. Biden said that his administration will be made up of men and women who look like America.

There are several Asian Americans who might find a spot in Biden's inner circcle.

SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH: The Illinois senator was among the finalists for Biden's choices for Vice President. Duckworth, a decorated veterans of the Iraq war, has a compelling story as an immigrant.. She was a  helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army, losing both her legs when her copter was shot down.  Before turning to politics, she headed the Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs. While serving in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, she built a reputation as a strong advocate for veteran rights. She would fit in as head of Veterans Affairs or Secretary of Defense.

DR. VIVEK MURTHY: As soon as Biden's won the majority of electoral college votes, one of his first actions was to name the Indian America to head his coronavirus task force. Murthy served as the U.S. Surgeon General in the President Barack Obama administration so he and Biden already have a working relationship.

JULIE SU: California’s current Sec. of Labor and Workforce Development and a former California labor commissioner, she also served as litigation director at Advancing Justice L.A. and has spent 17 years of her career as a civil rights lawyer with a focus on protecting low-wage workers and immigrant victims of crime and human trafficking. She'd would make a good Secretary of Labor.

ARUN MAJUMDAR: Majumdar was the first director of DOE's flagship agency for innovation, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. A Stanford University engineering professor, he was named Tuesday to lead the Biden transition team for the agency. Observers said he would bring both scientific credibility and political expertise as the Secretary of Energy, which would be high profile position in a Biden administration's plans to transition to clean energy.

NEAL KATYAL: Katyal, who is currently professor of National Security Law at Georgetown University Law Center, served briefly as Acting Solicitor General of the United States during the Obama administration.  He also held the position while the Trump administration was trying to find their own person. Most recently, the Indian American has been an outspoken critic of the Trump administration policies. If he were to lead the Department of Justice, he would have a massive job of rebuilding a culture utterly destroyed by Trump and AG William Barr.

VANITA GUPTA: Another possible candidate for the DOJ or Homeland Security, Gupta left the public sector when Trump came into office, Gupta has kept her finger on the pulse of policy making, fighting against Trump's egregious violations of civil rights, as CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. In the Obama presidency, she served as Acting Assistant Attorney General and Head of the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division.

ANDREW YANG: By the time Yang left the Democratic primary campaign for POTUS, Biden began using Yang's vocabulary about a "third industrial revolution." Yang also was very active campaigning for Biden, attracting and exciting the young voters least likely to vote. Biden and Yang were often seen talking one-on-one after the debates. Biden reportedly told Yang that there would be a position for Yang in a Biden administration. A new cabinet position might be created to fit Yang's forward-looking ideas. Department of Innovation & Technology, anybody?

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this is news sprinkled with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions.

Young Kim helps turn Orange County purple

Young Kim will represent part of Orange County, CA in Congress.

The GOP comeback in California's Orange County succeeded in recapturing two of the four Congressional seats representing the county, once a bastion of Republican conservatism.

Young Kim narrowly defeated first-term Congressman Gil Cisneros, who in 2018 won the 39th District seat held for 26 years by Republican Congressman Ed Royce. Kim, an aide for Royce before winning a position in the state legislature, beat Cisneros with about 4,000 votes.

The demographics of the 39th has been shifting in recent years towards the Democrats who hold a slight edge in registration. That means, most likely, that some Democratic Asian Americans crossed over to vote for Kim.

In social media, Kim thanked her supporters. “I hope we can unite and move forward to address the issues that our nation faces.”

“As an immigrant … I know that the promise of America is alive,” she added. Kim doesn't agree with all of Trump's positions, especially in immigration.

Kim joins Michelle Steel, another Korean American Republican who won the 45th District from Rep. Harley Rouda earlier this week. The two Orange County women, together with Washington's Marilyn Strickland, a Democrat, as the first Korean American women in Congress.

“I’m sorry I won’t be able to continue that work in Congress this January,” Cisneros said in a statement.

“I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me,” he added, hinting that he might not be through seeking public office.

Miami Marlins new general manager breaks glass cieling for women

Kim Ng makes history as the Miami Marlins news General lManager.

If the new general manager of the Miami Marlins was a man, the news of the person filling the GM position would only be of interest to sports buffs and Marlins fans.

But the Marlin's new General Manager Kim Ng is making history as the first Asian American woman GM in Major League Baseball.

At 52, Ng has paid her dues with a 30-year career with the MLB, including 21 in the front offices of the White Sox, Yankees and Dodgers.

“All of us at Major League Baseball are thrilled for Kim and the opportunity she has earned with the Marlins," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. 

"Kim’s appointment makes history in all of professional sports and sets a significant example for the millions of women and girls who love baseball and softball," he continued. "The hard work, leadership, and record of achievement throughout her long career in the National Pastime led to this outcome, and we wish Kim all the best as she begins her career with the Marlins.”

"I entered Major League Baseball as an intern and, after decades of determination, it is the honor of my career to lead the Miami Marlins as their next General Manager," Ng said in a press release. 

Ng, a native of Indianapolis, is the second Asian American to lead an MLB franchise. Pakistani American Farhan Zaidi became the Los Angeles Dodgers GM in 2014 until 2018 when he became the  president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants.

“This challenge is one I don’t take lightly," Ng said. "When I got into this business, it seemed unlikely a woman would lead a Major League team, but I am dogged in the pursuit of my goals. My goal is now to bring championship baseball to Miami. I am both humbled and eager to continue building the winning culture our fans expect and deserve.”

Appeals court: Harvard's admission policy does not discriminate against Asian Americans

This photo of Harvard was taken before the coronavirus pandemic.

Harvard University did not discriminate against Asian American applicants in its admission process an appeals court ruled Thursday (Nov. 12), setting up a likely showdown at the Republican-packed U.S. Supreme Court.

The decision by the First Circuit Appeals Court  agreed with a district court ruling made that Harvard's use of race in admissions was legal. In September, U.S. District Judge Allison Burrough rejected allegations by some Asian American students who claimed the school systematically discriminated against them with its admissions policy, which considers factors beyond test scores to decide who gets accepted at the prestigious school

"The issue before us is whether Harvard's limited use of race in its admissions process in order to achieve diversity in the period in question is consistent with the requirements of Supreme Court precedent," Appeals Court Judge Sandra Lynch in the ruling. "There was no error."

"Today's decision once again finds that Harvard's admissions policies are consistent with Supreme Court precedent, and lawfully and appropriately pursue Harvard's efforts to create a diverse campus that promotes learning and encourages mutual respect and understanding in our community," said Harvard spokeswoman Rachael Dane . "As we have said time and time again, now is not the time to turn back the clock on diversity and opportunity."

The lawsuit against Harvard was raised by Students for Fair Admission. The group said it will probably appeal to SCOTUS. It will be the first affirmative action case for the new conservative-dominated court and newly installed activist Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

"While we are disappointed with the opinion of the First Circuit Court of Appeals, our hopeis not lost," Edward Blum, the anti-affirmative action advocate who leads SFFA said. "This lawsuit is now on track to go up to the U.S. Supreme Court where we will ask the justices to end these unfair and unconstitutional race-based admissions policies at Harvard and all colleges and universities."

SFFA's cause was hurt in the lower courts because none of the Asian Amerian applicants supposedly harmed by Harvard's admission policy did not want to testify in court. Harvard, in contrast, produced students of various ethnicities who spoke about the benefits of having a diverse student body.

More than 40,000 students applied to Harvard's undergraduate college this fall, and fewer than 5% were offered admission. Of those admitted, Harvard said 24.5% identified as Asian American, 14.8% as African American or Black, 12.7% as Latinx and 1.8% as Native American.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this is news sprinkled with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions.

Watsonville apologizes for 1930 riots against Filipinos

Sparked by the Watsonville riots, Filipinos were hunted and beaten.

The City of Watsonville passed a resolution Nov. 10 issuing an apology for the anti-Filipino riots that took place 90 years ago that started in the agricultural city. The resentment against Filipinos spread to other California towns and resulted in anti-Filipino laws.

Watsonville's resolution recognizes the many contributions of the Filipinos who were recruited  to the US to work on America's farms in the 1920s and 1930s.

The formal apology for the attacks against Filipino farmworkers was spurred by  the interest of younger Filipino Americans, many of whom are descendants of the farmworkers.

One of the farmworkers' descendants is Watsonville resident Roy Recio who spoke at the city council meeting.

“[They] came here in the 1920s and ‘30s to work the land… they were brought here as cheap labor,” he said. “They did the jobs that no one else wanted to do… 10 hours a day, hauling irrigation pipes, picking strawberries, making people rich. They sacrificed, they struggled and persevered to bring us here today.”

Recio helped establish the website, "Watsonville Is In the Heart" that is collecting family stories of the Filipino farmworkers.

White mobs, who accused Filipinos of stealing jobs and dating white women, hunted and beat Filipinos. In one incident, mobs shot at a farmworkers' bunkhouse, killing Fermin Tobera.

After the riots, a peace settled on Watsonville, and the Filipino American community became part of the city”s multi-ethnic mix. For many years, Filipino businesses flourished in the city. Their descendants became a vital part of the city's culture, economy and social life.

Among those who urged passage of the resolution was Manuel Quintero Bersamin, a former city council member who was also Watsonville’s first Filipino American mayor,

“There are a lot of old-time Watsonville names her,” at the council meeting, he said. “Filipino American names, but also white names, Latino names. It’s a wonderful thing. I want to thank the council for taking this on.”

Other speakers asked for the city and school district to establish a physical memorial or naming a school after a Filipino American.

Agriculture is still an important part of the economy of Watsonville, California.
Today, most of the farmworkers harvesting the area's produce are from Mexico.

The Watsonville City Council approved the following resolution:

RESOLUTION NO.__________ (CM)

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE FORMALLY APOLOGIZING FOR THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE CITY'S RESIDENTS AGAINST THE FILIPINOS IN WATSONVILLE, PARTICULARLY IN THE 1920S AND 1930S, AND COMMENDING THESE FILIPINO NATIONALS AND THEIR CHILDREN, THE FILIPINO AMERICANS FOR THEIR NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PÁJARO VALLEY

WHEREAS, the United States having colonized the Philippines Islands in 1898, Filipinos were American Nationals from 1898 to 1935; and

WHEREAS, as Carlos Bulosan wrote in his book, America is in the Heart, the United States sent farm and fishing labor contractors to the Philippines Islands to recruit and contract with young Filipino male nationals to come to the United States to provide physical labor in Hawaii and California in the 1920s and 1930s; and

WHEREAS, thousands of young Filipino male nationals came to reside in the Pájaro Valley in the 1920s and 1930, in order to work to help their families left in the Philippines and by their manual and intellectual labor, they assisted in developing the agricultural and material wealth of the Pájaro Valley; and

WHEREAS,during this period, 1920 to 1950, there existed numerous governmental policies and laws that unjustly targeted the Filipino Nationals, including school segregation and anti-miscegenation Anti-Asian Land laws, tight quotas on Filipino immigration, even though the Philippines was under the sovereignty of the United States until the end of World War II in 1946; and

WHEREAS, locally, in Santa Cruz and Monterey County, Filipino male nationals faced discrimination and racism, until in 1930, racial tensions boiled over and led to the infamous “Watsonville Anti-Filipino riots” of 1930, which resulted in violence against hundreds of Filipinos and the terrible death of Filipino laborer Fermin Tobera; and

WHEREAS, these Anti Filipino riots soon spread to other cities including Salinas, San Jose, San Francisco, and Stockton; and

WHEREAS, the City of Watsonville has not acknowledged this terrible historic chapter in the City's timeline for ninety years; and

WHEREAS, the Watsonville City Council will finally act to sharply repudiate the shameful treatment Filipinos received, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s, in Watsonville and in Santa Cruz County; and

WHEREAS, the City of Watsonville would like to formally apologize for the actions taken by the City's residents and formally recognize the great contributions made by the Filipino American Community of the Pájaro Valley, including indelible contributions to the history of Watsonville, the state of California and the United States that include, but are not limited to, organizing the first Asian labor unions in the US, serving honorably in the Armed Forces, fighting for the United States in many foreign wars, co-organizing the United Farm Workers, and advocating for civil rights; and

WHEREAS, the majority of these Filipino nationals, many of who became naturalized United States citizens and continued to live in Watsonville and the Pájaro Valley, and they left thousands of descendants, many of who still live in the Pájaro Valley; and

WHEREAS, celebrating the great contributions of these Filipino nationals and their Filipino American children, provides the City of Watsonville with an opportunity to recognize the achievements, contributions, and history of these Filipino nationals and their children, the Filipino Americans, including endured hardships, including unjust working conditions, prejudice, and discrimination in our state’s and nation’s history.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA, AS FOLLOWS:

1. That the City Council, now after ninety years, formally apologize for the actions taken by the City's residents against the Filipinos in Watsonville, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s in Watsonville and commending these Filipino Nationals and their children, the Filipino Americans for their notable accomplishments and contributions to the Pájaro Valley.

2. That the City Clerk is hereby directed to transmit copies of this resolution to the Filipino American Community for appropriate distribution.

Filipino American named first runner-up for Miss USA

Miss Idaho, Kimberly Layne.

History was almost made earlier this week when two Filipino American pageant contestants came within a whisker of sweeping the Miss Teen USA and Miss USA competitions.

Ki‘ilani Arruda of Hawaii won the Miss Teen USA title Saturday in Memphis, Tennessee. Monday night on the same Memphis stage, another Filipino American, Kimberly Layne, was one of the two finalists for Miss USA. 

Idaho's Layne, wound up 1st runner-up in the Miss USA pageant. Asya Branch of Mississippi won the Miss USA crown and will represent the U.S. in the Miss Universe contest. If, for whatever reason, Branch is unable to compete, Layne would take her place. 

Layne, 26, was born and raised in southern Idaho. Her mother is from the Philippines and her father is Irish American.

“I’m from a rural community originally, and I grew up with all the animals around us,” Layne said. “My dad is from a farming family so he loved animals. Therefore, I loved animals and we always had animals. My dad was a medic in Vietnam, so I grew up being exposed to a lot of medicine concepts with him — I grew up with his anatomy textbooks and everything in our house.”

She graduated from Cornell University with honors in research. Currently, she studies at Washington State University pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, and a Master of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. In 2012, she represented Idaho in the Miss Teen USA contest.

She is passionate about health promotion and disease prevention, according to the Miss USA website. She also has dual citizenship for the Philippines and the U.S 

After the competition, Layne revealed on Instagram that she was honoring her father during the contest.

“Three words: I did it! My father’s military dog tags are beneath this gown. He is a 100% disabled, Vietnam veteran who used to travel, hunt, camp & fish. He couldn’t be in the audience last night because of his medical conditions and being immunocompromised but I brought him up there with me.”

After celebrating historic Biden-Harris victory, AAPI advocates gird themselves for next steps

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris proclaim their victory Saturday, Nov. 7.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders celebrated Joe Biden's triumph at the polls, but having Kamala Harris, the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants on the same ticket heightened the emotional and historic note to the history-making political victory.

Harris, whose mother is from India, "broke one of the highest glass ceilings today by becoming the first woman, first Asian American, and first African American Vice President-elect in our nation’s history," said a statement from the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. 

"As the daughter of immigrants, she is a living example of the American Dream and a testament to millions of young girls across the nation that the sky is the limit." 

RELATED: AAPI celebrities overcome with joy

In a statement, the U.S. India Political Action Committee called Harris' election "one of the most inspirational days for young girls everywhere, especially Black and Indian girls. A victory for decency, class, truth, maturity and unity."

The U.S.-India Business Council e-mailed a statement to journalists congratulating  Harris and President-Elect Biden, calling their victory "truly a barrier breaking moment, and one that celebrates the diversity of America."

"America needed a leader who would be serious about solving the biggest health challenge of COVID and would set a positive tone in the nation and the world. Joe Biden is such a person and it is a big plus to have Kamala Harris as the vice-president to guide this nation towards the right direction,” said Dr Rajwant Singh, chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE) and Founder of EcoSikh.

Many  members of the AAPI communities noted that the Democrats' win was even more special considering the current administration's policies hurt immigrants and people of color.

"The last four years have been tough for Asian Americans, communities of color, and countless Americans. Starting with the Muslim Ban, President Trump’s policies made the poorest among us choose between feeding our families and a chance at a green card.," stated the Asian American Federation. "His policies also cut off pathways that brought immigrant families together and stoked the fires of racism that hurt us and our Black and Brown sisters and brothers, particularly during the pandemic."

For many, it was the first time that they took an active part in a political campaign and from their comments, the Biden-Harris campaign may be the launching pad for greater political participation.

"While this is a victory, we will not lose sight of the fact that representation alone is not power and that institutional systems have not changed," warns the Asian American Advancing Justice-Los Angeles statement. "There is still work to be done on issues that are essential to our community. We will work together to address anti-discrimination, immigration, human rights, healthcare access, voting rights and fair representation,"  

"Our Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander brothers, sisters, and siblings deserve equity, peace, and justice that are only achieved with true democracy ... Election 2020 fortifies our commitment to the individuals who need us. No matter what happens in the White House, we will not stop striving for civil and human rights for our people.”

Filipino Americans for Biden-Harris issued a statement Sunday: "As Filipino Americans and others are aware, the Biden victory marks not just the end of the campaign, but the beginning of the real challenge of uniting what has become a divided country. Filipino Americans will have a role to play in this effort as well, by supporting the work of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as they implement their plan to control the spread of the coronavirus, get supplies to front-line healthcare workers, revitalize the economy and provide parents, seniors, families and entire communities with the hope and resources they need to survive and thrive in the face of what has become a challenging world."

The National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, looking to the future and fearful that the conservative Supreme Court will rule against a woman's right to choose used the moment to look to the future and. asked Biden and Harris to balance the Supreme Court by adding new members.

"With the Supreme Court appointments of Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, Trump has created a supermajority on the court of justices who are opposed to our values and priorities," said the NAPAWF statement. "We’re done waiting for devastating decisions to come down that take away our ability to make decisions about the formation of our families, provide for our loved ones, and to even exist in this country without fear. It’s time to expand the courts.”

Stop AAPI Hate cautioned that despite the pending change of administrations, acts of hate agaginst Asian Americans continue to rise.

"Over the past eight months, Stop AAPI Hate has received reports revealing that Asian Americans have been the victims of thousands of racist attacks since COVID-19 began to spread in our country and continue to live in a climate of fear and discrimination that impacts their daily lives. These attacks have been exacerbated by anti-Asian American rhetoric pushed forward by elected officials, as well as by dozens of policies from the previous administration. 

"It’s vital that the incoming administration takes immediate responsibility for challenging and addressing the racist hate that is in danger of permeating our society and undoing the xenophobic policies that target the Asian American community,” continued the statement from Stop AAPI Hate.

"Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities have turned out in record numbers this election cycle to make their voices heard. And Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders have contributed greatly in their communities to make their voices heard in national politics, priorities and policies. In fact, our community turned out in historic numbers — by voting early, by mail or on Election Day," said the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum.

"The election of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris is a rebuke on the dangerous policies put forth by the Trump administration and will restore decency, productivity and progress to the White House," said the health advocates.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA, who released a video of her dancing on h"er front porch celebrating the Biden-Harris victory, stressed the importance of being active advocates of democracy.

“Today is so much bigger than these two individuals or one political party. Today is only possible because people across our state and throughout our country put aside cynicism, doubts and fears to step up, speak out and organize—not only for this election but for the past four years of the Trump presidency," she said.

 

“Our work is only beginning. Our task is to keep momentum high and to remember that without young people, people of color, progressives, working people and the most vulnerable turning out in record numbers and tipping us to victory in key states, we would not have won," said Jayapal. "We must now organize for people-first policies that make opportunity for all a reality, to finally reckon with white supremacy and anti-Blackness and to chart a course that never, ever leaves even one of us behind."