AsiaXpress.com's coverage of the 2008 APIA Vote Presidential Town Hall

Mike Honda and the APIAVote board

2008-05-17T18:34:00.001-07:00

American Idol's Camille Velasco

2008-05-17T18:24:00.000-07:00

Beau Sia

2008-05-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

Beau Sia rocked the crowd.

Seriously, they're back on stage

2008-05-17T18:09:00.000-07:00

McCain speaks

2008-05-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

... or not.

Apparently "Saturday Night Live" is more important than APIAVote.

Some in the crowd are leaving. Some of the press is, too.

California Assemblyman and former UC-Irvine grad Van Tran is explaining McCain's background. The crowd seems restless.

Taxes
McCain will cut taxes. Make Bush cuts permanent. (more of the crowd is leaving)

Provide individuals with incentives to buy insurance.

Southern border is now secure. Illegal immigration is under control.

Tran says, "We must preserve the American dream."

Examining Obama

2008-05-17T17:40:00.000-07:00

Loud, loud cheers for Obama after his speech. Let's see what McCain will garner. Crowd appears to be heavily Democratic.

Next speaker is another endorser of Obama.

Obama speaks

2008-05-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

Barack is hard to hear.

He thanks APIAVote folks, UC-Irvine and a few other folks. Connection is horrible, though.

Obama grew up in an AAPI state. Calls himself a Pacific Islander.

"I am living a multi-racial, multi-ethnic dream of American."

"America has become more diverse. It wants to become more inclusive."

"The most important thing I want all of you to know is that I consider myself to be one of you."
Continues by talking about building a better for our children and grandchildren, and living the American dream.

Healthcare
- We have put forth a Universal healthcare program to be implemented before the end of first term

Immigration
Says he's been a leading voice of immigration reform? (Couldn't hear. Bad audio)
Wants family reunification program.

Education
Dispells high performance from APIAs
Says many are finding difficulty throughout system
$4,000 for every student, every year

Discusses Filipino veterans equity bill. Is for it.

Healthcare System
Our doctors are currently testing less frequently.
There are language barriers.
Insufficient numbers of interpreters.
Make sure that there are various nurses and doctors coming from under-represented groups. (brings this up with scholarships)
Increase taxes on everyone making more than $200K/year to subsidize universal healthcare

If elected, what will your admin do to support the U.S. commitment to reconciliation with native Hawaiians
Acknowledges violations, history of neglect, consequences
Strong supporter of Native Hawaiian reorganization act (loud cheers)

Immigration issue
Strong advocate for comprehensive reform
Been a long standing supporter for helping immigrants (loud cheers)
"Help project a different image of what America is, one that is inclusive"
It is a legitimate political issue, but is exploited
Urges minority orgs to work together to revamp immigration laws
Need to break logjam of immigration

(author's note: strange how Obama is actually answering questions when Hillary left right away after her feed)

Voting reform
Build on record as civil rights lawyer
Current voter ID laws unfairly target minorities, seniors
Will sign into law that will banish unfair voting laws
Increase number of systems to help minority voters

Admin include senior level AsAms?
Yes
"Nobody has a better track record on this issue."

Waitin' for a call

2008-05-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

Next person is calling. Not sure who it is...

My bet's on McCain. Who wants to go against me?

//You should've. It's Obama.

Clinton speaks

2008-05-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

Hillary is on via satellite.

"This is a perfect time to host this forum -- May is Asian Pacific Heritage Month."

I've worked for many years with the AAPI community.
Affordable healthcare
Civil rights
Education system
Strengthen middle class
That's just beginning

Just granted Filiipino Vets equality act

Met with all sorts of people in the community.

Plugged website.

Honored and greatful.

Immigration reform
Needs system that is fair. Puts undocumented immigrants on track for citizenship. Reunite families.
1.5 million Asians caught in backlog.
Current immigration laws are badly in need of reform.
Undocumented immigrants will earn a path to legalization.

Healthcare
How to finally close the gap.
Provide $50 mil for culturally competant program.
Pledges to make sure affordable healthcare is available to all Americans.
People will not lose their coverage if they can't afford it.

Foreclosure
Increasing access to federally backed loans
First of prez candidates to support financial reforms to help families
Call for stimulus package to refinance programs
Goal is for all Americans to have access to affordable housing

Include senior level Asian Americans on staff
Will have commitment to have a diverse staff
Committed to hiring and promoting qualified AAPIs throughout the government. Make sure that AAPIs have strong voice and role in her administration.

Education needs of all AAPI communities
Can't take one-size-fits-all approach
Measure student achievement on individual level will help all students

Speeches

2008-05-17T16:40:00.001-07:00

After some sponsors spoke, Norman Mineta re-energized the crowd.

Hillary Clinton's coming up.

... eventually. There's a lot of butt kissing right now.

Kaba Modern

2008-05-17T16:14:00.001-07:00

Samoan Dance

2008-05-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

Gary Yamauchi

2008-05-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

Councilman Yamauchi, of Alhambra, Calif. encouraged the Asian vote.

Korean Drum Troupe

2008-05-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

Seriously

2008-05-17T15:42:00.001-07:00

Check out AsiaXpress.com's review of their CD.

Author's note

2008-05-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

This may be one of the coolest things I've ever been to.

2008-05-17T15:29:00.001-07:00

Spoken Word

2008-05-17T15:19:00.000-07:00

UCLA students perform acapella

2008-05-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

Students at UC-Irvine perform skits, dances

2008-05-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

APIA Celeb Sighting: Tamlyn Tomita

2008-05-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

APIAVote field plan targets

2008-05-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

APIAVote field plans targets on ground voter strategies. Cali, Nevada, New York and other large Asian popluation states already have a presence from APIAVote.

Colorado is a potential field expansion.

APIA Town Hall (.com)

2008-05-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

Michael Matsuda talks about website that focuses on political issues concerning the APIA communities.

http://www.apiatownhall.com

Power of Our Votes

2008-05-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

Melany de la Cruz-Viesca, assistant director of UCLA Asian American Studies Center

According to the 1980s, Latinos were in the same situation Asians currently are.

Are we the next sleeping giant?

In the top-10 states, there are going to be some key battlegrounds such as Nevada, Virginia.

24.1 percent of adult Asian Americans are born citizens.

29 percent of Asians were registered to vote in 2006

33 percent of Asians voted in 2006

Daniel Ichinose, project director of the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center
427,000 Asian American registered voters (11 percent of all registered voters) in Los Angeles
209,000 Asian American registered voters (11 percent of all registered voters) in Orange County

Data shows that Asian American political participation has greatly increased over the past eight years.

Janelle Hu, board member of APIAVote
Explains the origin of APIAVote -- it began as a grassroots campaign out of a nationally recognized AAPI organization.

Talks about how APIAVote has been about to build over the course of the past electoral cycles. Plans on growing to do more about issues relating to APIA communities in non-election years.

Lunch talk

2008-05-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

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.

LGBT Civil Rights

2008-05-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

- Marriage Equality
- LGBT couples need full recognition
- Legislation recently passed in Cali.

Education

2008-05-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

- UC Berkeley Asian Pacific Student Association
- Disaggregate data for Asian Americans and Pacific Islands on UC application forms
- AB 295 - Ted Lieu
- AB 540 - students do not have access to financial aid
- Deportation of students nationwide
- Budget cuts and access to financial aid
- Concern about rising enrollment fees
- Cuts to East Asian Languages and Culture programs and classes
- Asian American Studies and Ethnic Studies are getting cuts
- Governor proposing cuts

Recommendations
- Access to education
- Outreach and retention
- Stop ICE raids
- Keep contacts between Little Manilla and other API orgs.

Youth Violence

2008-05-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

- Policy recommendation
- California and federal levels have focused on youth violence prevention, but no focus on API youth
- Sexual harassment in schools
- Need anti-bullying policies
- Positive impacts of healthy marriages
- Asian Americans got NO funding from federal agencies from the initiative

Immigration 2

2008-05-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

(Arafa Vohra, advocate for community empowerment of South Asian Americans Leading Together)
- 2.5 million South Asians in the U.S.
- H1B visa holders, family-based immigrants. Temporary workers, undocumented
- Long wait to be reunited with famiies
- 11 year wait for a green card
- South Asians face greater delays in green card or citizenship processing post 9-11
- Puts community members in limbo
- USCIS & FBI have put policies in place to process applications, but need to be vigilant on enforcement

Immigration

2008-05-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

- Not just about border issues
- 15.5 million APIAs in the U.S.
- 60 percent of Asians and 4 percent of Pacific Islanders are immigrants
- 20 percent are foreign born
- Immigration backlogs - waits of more than 20 years
- Lack of medical attention to detention centers
- Due process violations
- Greater hurdles to accessing services due to language minorities
- Voter ID - APIAs are more likely to have to show ID when going to the polls

- Recommendations
- Thank CAPAC for leading charge on family-based immigration
- Support H.R. 5882 - address family backlog

Transportation issues

2008-05-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

- Policy recommendations on the state of transportation and impact on Asian-American communities.
- Inequity and anxiety around bus transportation, light rail
- Seattle, St. Paul, San Francisco
- St. Paul Central Corridor project - threatening the Hmong community in St. Paul
- Ensure equitable transit development for all
- Stretch ourselves to include transportation policy in our advocacy
- Transportation is lifeline to livelihood, especially for those who are most in need

Filipino Vets

2008-05-17T11:37:00.001-07:00

- NAFVE, SF Veteran's Equity Center, SOMCAN
- Senate Veterans Benefits Act
- Restore status and benefits for Filipino vets
- 1946 Recission Act
- Bill passed in the senate. Being voted on soon in the House.
- Still doesn't provide full pension benefits
- Revoke the Recission Act
- Equal and full benefits for Vets
- Proposing amendmentw to give full benefits to veterans living outside of the U.S.

Foreclosures

2008-05-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

- Support the Neighborhood Stabilization Act
- Support S. 5818 and H.R. 3221
- funding for outreach, organizing
- Flexible funding to respond to the crisis in our communities
- Cali is significantly impacted by foreclosures
- $25,000 offered to homeowners by the Federal Home Loan Banks of San Francisco. Asking financial institutions to match it to save families from foreclosure.

Issues from the community

2008-05-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

(Missed a few minutes looking for AAA batteries.)

Various leaders are bringing up issues that pertain to their communities, from seniors in Chinatown looking for more subsidized housing to Pacific Islanders looking for better healthcare.

Japanese American group in Chicago discusses healthcare access for older Asian Americans. Brings up that highest rate of suicide is among Asian-American women.

Native Hawaiians: Native Hawaiians being sued in federal courts -- continually being challenged.
- Not only attacks on Native Hawaiians. Has broader implications
- Urge congress to provide federal recognition to Native Hawaiians
- Urge support for S. 310. It will come up forwill come up for cloture vote
- Native Hawaiians as a separate identity

Pictures with Mike Honda

2008-05-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

Mike Honda

2008-05-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

"Norm is the first in many, many things. One of our responsibilities is that he doesn't end up being the last."

"In Asia, there are no Asians. ... In China, you say whatever your ethnicity is."

"Asian is probably a U.S. phenomenon. ... We became homogenized and disappeared."

"We've become scholars in our own history. ... We need to continue this kind of study."

"Asian-American studies should be a full-blown degree."

"That knowledge will let us become better Americans."

"Today we have new arrivals. Those children and those adults don't have the knowledge of the history of this country. ... To understand that is to understand the culture of this country."

"It's important for us to connect with other communities in this country."

"We are present in every state. In this gathering, we want to extend our politics ... and creating this network and ... draw this network closer together so that there is ... no one in this nation who won't know about our wants, our needs."

"Today our population has increased from 1996 to 2006 by 17 percent."

Honda poked fun at the Republicans, saying their presidential candidates all looked the same while the Dems had a diverse group of individuals.

Words from Norm Mineta

2008-05-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

Former Rep. Norm Mineta, D-Calif.

"When we think about where we are compared to where we were 20, 30 years ago. It’s big."

"All of us have mentors and so that’s what our job is. That’s our responsibility. "

"When each of us go up that ladder of success, we reach down and help others go up that ladder of success … if we don’t do that, we’re not leaders."

"Many people say that the United States is a melting pot. ... I think of this country as tapestry. We have yarn of different colors. Each of those yarns are vibrant ... each of them is strong, they bring their art, religion, language. ... They don't lose their identity. Woven together, they make for a strong whole."

"It's not an easy struggle. Two steps forward, one step back ... but we have to persevere."

Mineta said that he is going to the University of Washington tomorrow to be the commencement speaker for the Japanese Americans who didn't get their diplomas because they were interned in WWII.

Words from Michael Drake

2008-05-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

UC-Irvine Chancellor Michael Drake talks about his school and what they care about.

"Very, very proud" that Janet Nguyen and Van Tran were elected to public positions.

Words from Linda Vo

2008-05-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

Linda Vo, chair of UC-Irvine's department of Asian-American studies, speaks about the population of Asian students at the school.

Vo said more than 55 percent of incoming freshman class is Asian.

"Our campus represents the changing face of Orange County. You wouldn’t see it as the changing face if you watch TV."

Quick blurbs from the opening from Gloria Caoile

2008-05-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

Gloria Caoile, board member of APIA Vote

"Some were to say that this is history. Some were to say that this is herstory. I say, this is our story."

"The more prominent we become, the more sensitive policy makers become to our issues."

"Let no one ever tell that being different from is less than. ... Diversity is our strength. ... We are all strong in our individual communities. But as one Asian Pacific Americans, no one can bend us."

Culture shock

2008-05-17T08:28:00.001-07:00

UC-Irvine's student body is predominantly of Asian descent. It's kind of weird seeing so many Asian Americans in one place.

7 a.m. is so early...

2008-05-17T07:10:00.001-07:00

... especially with only four hours of sleep.

Goin' back to Cali

2008-05-17T01:19:00.000-07:00

It's about 2 a.m. here in Newport Beach, Calif. and I'm sitting in my cushy room at the Radisson
Hotel.

I'm a little tired, a little fatigued. Still doing some last-minute tweaks to my laptop for tomorrow's jam-packed day. (Note to self for next time: buy more memory -- or a MacBook Pro).

But my minor efforts are nothing like what the folks over at the APIA Vote room, or HQ as they dubbed it, are doing. From getting everyone to be on the same page of the day's agenda to making sure that the visual presentations are ready, they're working on the final preparations for tomorrow right now.

What's frustrating, however, is the fact that none of the candidates will be in attendance during the town hall. All three will answer questions, but none will physically be in Irvine.

Let me explain, Hillary Clinton is going to be beamed in via satellite. Though she's not there, at least she'll be seen. That's something that can't be said of the other candidates.

Both Barack Obama and John McCain will answer questions over the phone.

(Uh-huh.)

Wow, are Obama and McCain even trying?

In this digital age, it's not difficult to do a live video feed. There are so many different types of software out there to do this. Heck, I'd even settle for a Skype or AIM video chat.

Why don't they want us to see what they look like when they talk? They went onto World Wrestling Entertainment via video, but they won't appear in front of us APIAs?

Bah, whatever. Maybe they'll surprise us with a visit tomorrow.

Something to look forward to: Performances by Kaba Modern and Beau Sia!

And with that, it's off to bed for my 7 a.m. wake-up call. Hopefully the APIA Vote folks will end up getting some sleep, too.