Lunch talk

Floyd Mori, chair of National Council of Asian Pacific Americans

Mori talks about the power of the APIA vote. Talks about how it changed the senator race in Virgina, pushing Jim Webb over incumbent George Allen after Allen's "macaca" comments.

Marguerite Ro, NCAPA Health Committee

Talks about affordable insurance, language access and health issues that are prevalent in our communities.

"Unless we speak out and we speak out at the community level to our city council ... state reps ... we are about building the APIA health movement."

Doua Thor, NCAPA Education Committee

Talks about "Model Minority Myth." Talks about the lack of Asian-American history taught in schools, lack of teachers. Talks about problems in public education systems. Talks about adult ESL.

Karen Narasaki, NCAPA Civil Rights Committee

Told story about how white voters in New York breezed through the polls while Asian-American voters were asked to prove their identity. "They were told, 'You Oriental guys are taking too long to vote.'"

"This Supreme Court has done more damage to civil rights than any other Supreme Court before."

Urges audience to call congressmen to make sure Filipino War Vets Equity Act passes.

Says media lacks coverage of what Asian Americans are looking for when they vote. Only thing she saw from the media was the California primaries where because Asians voted more for Hillary, the must hate black people.

Side note:
The crowd has seemed to have subsided over the course of lunch.