Our Flag Project Spreading Like Wildfire

Our flag project is spreading like wildfire. This e-mail has 3 sections: A) Mainstream Media Attention B) Tip of the Iceberg in Individual Actions, & C) Spreading like Prairie Fire Among Organizations.

It takes an image to replace an image. 80-20 is helping to create a positive image for the APA community. See in particular Section A) on Mainstream Media Attention.

If, unfortunately, there was to be another Congressional Hearing denigrating the loyalty of APAs, 80-20 will bring photos, video tapes, articles of seas of flags to present a counter-balancing view. However, a positive image may not be enough to stop some politicians from smearing APAs to advance their own career. For them, there is always the APA group-political-clout that 80-20 has carefully nurtured for the past 2.5 years. We may just resort to a bloc vote against those politicians who continue to smear us.

A) Mainstream Media Attention

Coverage includes Newsweek Magazine, LA Times, Plain Dealer (largest paper in Cleveland, Ohio) and South China Morning Post of Hong Kong.


B) The Tip of the Iceberg in Individual Action

By now hundreds of individuals have e-mailed to say that they've bought a flag, or installed a holder, or asked their friends and relatives to do the same, or asked the local ethnic radio station to make announcement of 80-20's flag project on July 4th. The standard political guess-timate is that for every one who takes the trouble to call or write an original letter (as opposed to, say, signing a pre-written post card), there are 40 persons thinking the same thoughts or doing the same things. So what 80-20 has seen through its e-mails is but the tip of the iceberg. Check it out for yourself on July 4th.


C) Spreading Like Prairie Fire Among APA Orgs.

 1) Washington, D.C.
 Hank Chao, Exec. Director of Ch. Consolidated Benevolent Assoc., CCBA,
e-mailed:
 "I decided to donate 20 flags, so does Mr. Thomas Jao the President of
 CCBA Washington D.C. Mr. Jao will also personally contact every
 merchant in D.C. Chinatown to support this event; and, I will install
 the flags for all merchants."

"I also contacted three Chinese news paper about your event. They all
strongly support your event, and willing to pass the information to
readers in Washington D.C. area."

 2) Washington, D.C.
 Republican Asian American Alliance joins the FLAG project:
 "Members of the Republican Asian American Alliance will be
 encouraged to fly our American flag on July 4, especially
 in the nation's capital area. Your good idea is greatly
 appreciated." John J. Tzeng (for RAAA)

 3) Manhattan, New York
 American Legion Post of Chinatown, NYC has just resolved to plant
 1200 flags in Chinatown, NY.

 4) Monterey Park, CA
 Mayor Frank Venti, a person of Italian descent, e-mailed:
 "I will be more than happy to ask our residents in Monterey Park to fly
 the American Flag on the Fourth of July. As you may know 62% of the
 population of Monterey Park is Asian. GREAT IDEA!!!" Mayor Venti

 5) Fremont, CA
 The Citizens for Better Community, CBC, an Affiliate of 80-20, will join
 a parade on July 4th. The entry will feature traditional Chinese Lion
 Dance .... "HOWEVER, in support of the 80-20 initiative, there will be
 large groups of Ch. Ams. who are either members of CBC, the Fremont
 Chinese School, or a local Chinese American Boy Scout Troop, carrying
 and waiving American flags as they walk down the parade route."

 6) Oakland, CA
 Richard Mak, President of Oakland's equivalent of CCBA, will hold a
 Flag Raising Ceremony on 7/4 in Chinatown inviting the Mayor and
 City Councilmen. He walked the Chinatown area with Tim Chen, 80-
 20's Special Asst., and asked merchants to display flags. 700 paper
 flags are printed and will be given to merchants to post on their store
 windows this weekend.

 7) Contra Costa, CA:
 Chinese American Political Association, CAPA, an Affiliate of 80-20,
 resolved:
 "The first 200 Asian Americans who supply a receipt demonstrating to
 CAPA that they have purchased an American flag by July 4, 2001, will
 be reimbursed up to $10 per family. The sole condition is that they
 must fly their flags on the three above mentioned national holidays."

 8) Milpias, CA
 "To mark the Flag Project and to commemorate the alliance between
 AAPPI & the Asian American Times, you are invited this Fourth Of July
 to a reception with Congressman Mike Honda:
Date: July 4, 01, Time: 4-6 PM, Venue: Mayflower Restaurant"
Kim Singh, Director, Asian American Public Policy Institute, AAPPI

 9) Cupertino, CA
 "Here in Cupertino CA we are doing more than flying the US flags. For
 the first time, we will have an all Chinese-American singing group
 standingonstage leading the Patriotic Sing-along for the local July 4th
 celebration." David Fong, Cupertino, California

 10) Cleveland, Ohio
 "I have sent letters to all the Chinese restaurants in Northern Ohio
 asking them to flying the American flag on 4th July. Asian American
 News have published your message on June 15 issue in English and will
 publish it again on June 27 in Chinese."
Tenax Corporation, Anthony Y. Yen

 Volunteers will be visiting APA merchants this weekend to post
 100 paper flags.

 11) Houston, TX
 "Spread words to hundreds of non-e-mail supporters;
sell, install and hang flag for stores; &
a big July 4th Celebration at the Chinese Community Center, with the
Joint Chinese College Alumni Assoc." Jenny Yang, Houston Chapter

It Takes Image To Solve Our Image Problem

Creating seas of flags on July 4th in well-known APA localities, and flying a flag in front of your own house wherever you may live, is catching on faster than 80-20 has anticipated. See the great response from everywhere, particularly in Calif. where 40% of APAs reside.

1) Community Response
 The incoming president of Oakland, CA's equivalent of "Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Society" -- well-established, fairly conservative business association composed of 13 organizations, Mr. Mok stated publicly that he selected 80-20's flag project as his immediate top priority project and promised a sea of flags in Oakland's Chinatown.

 In addition, two large well-established and respected organizations, Chinese American Political Assoc. (CAPA) of East Bay, CA and Citizens for a Better Community (CBS) of Fremont, CA are presenting plans to their respective boards to support the flag project on July 4th.

 Immediate past Commander of The American Legion Post of Chinatown, NY, Frank Gee, e-mailed to let us know that his Post will be putting up flags in Chinatown, NY.

 Am. Legion Post 50, Phoenix, AZ may be supporting out flag project through the help of Edward Yue.

 Simon Cheng of Cupertino is working with his community association to get its 400 households to fly flags.

2) Media response
 The World Journal's West Coast edition which circulates in CA, OR and WA give 80-20's flag project top headline coverage twice last week in page B1, plus a number of articles and a very supportive commentary by a popular columnist, the Gold-Mountaineer. The World Journal is the large nat'l newspaper in the Ch. Am community.

 Two radio stations in LA, KWRM 1370 and KAZN 1300 are broadcasting 80-20's call to fly a flag on July 4th as a public service to the community. In addition, the stations are doing hours long interviews centered about the 80-20's flag project.

 TV stations in SF are covering 80-20's flag project.

 Cherie M. Querol Moreno, Publisher and Editor of Philippines Times e-mailed to promise "passing the word."

 Chun Wa Commetary, a paper published by The Vietnamese-Cambodian-Loatian Association of Ethnic Chinese promoted 80-20's flag project as a top headline on its June 15, 2001 issue. The Association will soon be an Affiliate of 80-20.

 The Daily Breeze, a community paper in Greater LA, promoted 80-20's flag project.

 The Plain Dealer of Cleveland, Ohio, a mainstream paper, is interviewing 80-20 about its flag project. The arrangement is made via the good office of Ray Chen, editor, Asian America News of Ohio.

 Indian Am and Filipino Am supporters are contacting radio stations in Houston, TX and Chicago IL respectively to make announcements of 80-20's flag project.

 Don't get us wrong, we are not expecting seas of flags all over the nation this July 4th. Before installing a flag holder on a brick store fronts, landlord permission to drill, city ordinance, and building codes are all practical problems that need to be solved. However, there is no doubt in our mind that in 3 years there will be seas of flags on July 4th in Little Saigon/ Chinatown/ Little India/etc. Doubts about our loyalty as citizens will decrease. Together, we shall overcome.

Please do your part.

* * * * * * * * * * *
 80-20 is a national nonpartisan Political Action Committee dedicated to winning equality and justice for all Asian Pacific Americans through a swing bloc-vote. For more details, visit http://www.80-20initiative.net

80-20 to Invest $50K to Erase APA's "Foreigners" Image

What if? What if, it were known across America that there were more flags on display in Koreatown/Chinatown/Little Saigon/Japantown ... on Independence, Memorial, and Veteran Days? What if, ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC picked up on it and routinely used those "seas of flags" as photo opportunities or special write-ups during our national holidays?

Will most of our compatriots still think of us as foreigners? No way!
 Can we turn this vision into reality? Yes, if we each do our share!
 80-20's Steering Comm. has appropriated $50,000 to propagate this symbolic message to America. As a start, APAs in CA and NY will soon hear a 30-sec radio ad in English, Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese. TV ads will follow.

***************** Draft Script for 30-sec radio ad *************

 Grandson (age 10): "Grandpa. My schoolmates think I'm a foreigner.
They said all people from Asia are foreigners."

 Grand Pa (age 75): "Sigh! It's a perception that will harm your
quality of life and career. But I don't have a way to
change it. I am sorry, grandson."

 Granddaughter (age 16): "I have a way! 80-20 says people will realize
that we are Americans, if they routinely see seas of flags in
Chinatown/koreatown/Japantown on Independence
Day. I just bought a flag. It costs 10 bucks."

 Grandpa: "Humm, interesting! Let's hang a flag in front of our house
AND our shop on July 4th. A visible, symbolic message changes
people's perception subconsciously. I agree with 80-20."

 Announcer voice: "Fly a flag on July 4th. Paid for by The 80-20 PAC."

 ******************

Want to read unsolicited e-mails supporting 80-20's "Little Things We Can do to Erase the "Foreigners" Image"?

A partial collage is shown below. Note that strong support came from every ethnic sector in the APA community.

*******************

 That's a wonderful idea! It's a shame it's needed, but a great idea
 anyway. Andy Park

 I like your suggestion and everyone should do it. Hanging a flag
 of the place or country you live in should be a natural phenomena.
Harilal Patel

 I agree with you and we are also doing just that. Spencer Sakai

 Only ignorant Americans (a small minority) think bad thoughts about
 any of their fellow Americans. However, your flag idea is a great way to
 reinforce the case that we are all in the same boat!! James Villa

 Thanks for the reminder. We will hang the flag outside our house.
Christine

 I will definitely do that for the coming July 4th. These are perhaps
 the little things that I have neglected over the years. Alex

 I will buy a flag for my house after work. Thank you. Keep up your
 great work on behalf of our community. Here's some good news. Did
 you hear about my father's mayoral election here in West Windsor, NJ?
 He beat the incumbent by the widest margin in history of our
 town. -Steve Shueh

 Good suggestion. As matter of fact, I do as a Korean-American. Thanks.
Thy Tim

 I am so impressed with your e-mail that I forwarded it to 20 fellow
 Asian American who have successfully overcome the barrier of
 prejudice and became a highly successful member of this WASP
 dominated society. Keep Up the Nobel work! Steven Sohn

 Gettin' a flag is a great idea! Thanks for the suggestion. Jon Wu

 I am for 80-20 initiative. Thanks for organizing it. - yuet yeh

 Thank you for your service for Asian Americans. GOD who created this
 whole world will richly bless you and your service. Peter

 It's very challenging and encouraging when I receive your E-mail.
 Many of them are full of energy and positive thoughts. Please continue
 to do it. Asian Pacific Americans' future is holding in our own hands!
We need to be awaken in politics for ourselves as well as our children.
Janie Chien

 Yes, I'll definitely hang up and display the Stars and Stripes even
 though it isn't the 4th of July! About time I reminded them who's also
 an "American," .... Warren Chang

 Excellent suggestions! I must behave like a citizen of the United States
 before I expect others to recognize me as ones. Chuan-Fu Wu

 I just saw your email about flag idea. It is great. ...
Catherine Anderson from Omaha, Nebraska

 Rudy, Thanks for forwarding the article (i.e. 80-20s recent e-mail)
 The article has a great ending, "seeing US flags flying in China Town."
 Thanks. We, the American Pacific Asian are the most wonderful people
 the United States could have. We were taught in our youth" to be loyal
 to our country." Ming-je Pan

 That's a beautiful idea, thank you for sharing it with everyone.
Maya Rani Gupta

 That's a great idea. As the citizen of this country, we should be
 grateful for the independence the early American had fought for!. Reba

 I think the flag message is very important. ...parade ... And on the
 other side of the street, in a little knot, isolated, and looking very
 much as if they wanted to participate, was an APA family--clearly
 in front of their house. A flag on the house or the kids waving
 flags would have made a difference. Myrna Watanabe

* * * * * * * * * * *
 80-20 is a national nonpartisan Political Action Committee dedicated to winning equality and justice for all Asian Pacific Americans through a swing bloc-vote. For more details, visit http://www.80-20initiative.net

Audit and Expenditure Report on 80-20

The following is a very important report to you from 80-20.  80-20 is proud of how much money it has received from you; how it has spent it; and how it has used the money to create a small amount of political clout for the community.  Rome was not built in one day.  We still have a long way to go.  Thank you.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Contact Person: Yu-Chi HO

For Immediate Release
Subject: Audit and Expenditure Report on 80-20

The 80-20 PAC is proud to announce that it invited the most stringent audit upon itself, and received a clean bill of health. There are 3 different levels of audit. The most stringent level involves the independent verification of receipts and disbursements. The audit was done by O'Brein, Fitzgerald, Taylor, and Keaveney Accounting firm, located in Waltham, MA. The standard report from the firm is posted on 80-20's web site: www.80-20initiative.net.

Yu-Chi Ho, 80-20's Treasurer and a Harvard professor, said: "80-20 is aware of its immense responsibility to our community. We want to demonstrate to our community that an APA organization can be deeply involved in politics and yet be in complete compliance with the law of the land. Our community knows that 80-20 has the courage and political know-how to fight for our community. But 80-20 is clearly aware thst it is but a servant of our community. Our people gave us the money; we want to report to them our expenditures."

The 80-20 raised about $400K and spent about $300K. Detailed receipts and expenditures are available at the Federal Election Commission in 324 pages at a nominal cost. A breakdown of 80-20's expenditures since its inception is:

Salary 38%
TV, radio, and newspaper ads 25%
e-mailing cost 8%
Office expenses & equipment (computers, fax, stamps) 6%
Fundraising expenses in SF(1 event) & LA(2) 20%
LA Chapter Development 3%

Prof. Ho used 80-20's expenditure to illustrate 80-20’s structure and operation. "Our expenditure explains the strengths of 80-20 as a cyber space organization. There is no office rental, we only need computers. Salary is only 38% of our expenditure, although we currently have two full-time staff, one each in SF and LA. Most organizations spend 70% or more of its money on people. Note that our Steering Committee members, some working hundreds of hours per month for 80-20, are not paid."

"Our expenditure also shows how 80-20 focuses its resources on its primary objectives -- generating a bloc vote to empower our community. Hundreds of TV and radio ads were broadcast in SF and LA in Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean languages. They were on and off the air for a period of about 8 weeks prior to the presidential election of 2000. The first wave of ads told viewers what 80-20 was all about. The second wave urged APAs to vote as a bloc for Gore. 80-20 also leased an exclusive T1 phone line year-round for e-mailing. Even then it took 72 hours to finish e-mailing one SINGLE message to all of its 430,000 supporters. The combined power of our e-mails and political ads produced a historic bloc vote of 70 to 28 in CA for the Asian Am. community, that was verified by a national survey of the APA community, partially funded by The National Science Foundation. These two items consumed 32% of 80-20's financial resources, not counting the staff cost. At least 75% of our staff time was devoted directly to the historic creation of a bloc vote."
Prof. Ho also said, "About 3/5 of our war chest was raised through e-mail which has practically no overhead. Traditional fundraisers generate political momentum above and beyond the dollars raised, but unfortunately have large overhead."

Prof. Ho also announced that The 80-20 PAC has been incorporated with Delaware as a non-stock and non-profit corporation. He is looking for a volunteer in MA to assist him in bookkeeping for 80-20.

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 80-20 is a national nonpartisan Political Action Committee dedicated to winning equality and justice for all Asian Pacific Americans through a swing bloc-vote. For more details, visit http://www.80-20initiative.net