Stopping Racist Attacks -- Unity Is Power

updated for 2004 election

You may recall that there were two racist attacks against APA candidates by their political opponents in the 2002 PRIMARY election. As a result, 80-20 announced a tough policy aiming to stop such attacks.

Resources were set aside. We mapped out tactics to punish such guilty politicians and their political consultants. S. B. Woo, 80-20 president announced:
"There is only one way to stop such attacks: when politicians and their consultants find out that a racist attack on any APA candidate anywhere in the nation means an invitation for 80-20 to come in and defeat them in either this or the next election."
Text of the original resolution, and where we ask APA candidates to consider finding ways to nicely make it known to their opponents, is found here:
http://www.80-20initiative.net/resolution0402.html .
Was the policy effective? Did similar racist attacks occur in this year's GENERAL election?

80-20 is proud to report to you that thus far its policy has proven to be 100% effective in the GENERAL election in 3 fronts:

First, The one and only candidate, Ralph Appezzato, who was explicitly named by 80-20 for alleged racist attacks on Alice Lai-Bitke in the PRIMARY election for an Alameda County Council seat, committed suicide recently. He and Alice were to have a run-off in the GENERAL election. Since he was deceased, Alice Lai-Bitke won easily by 71% to 29%.

Secondly and more importantly, no racist attacks on APA candidates were reported to 80-20 anywhere in the nation during the GENERAL election of 2002, except for one case.

Thirdly, even in that singular case where a Republican candidate, Karen Balderston, mounted a racist attack against her Democratic opponent, Swati Dandekar who is an Indian Am., in an Iowa House of Representative race, Balderston was immediately jettisoned by her own party. The Iowa GOP rejected Balderston by: (a) unlisting her from the Iowa GOP web site, and (b) yanking financial support and direct mailings assistance for her. In addition, the chair of the Iowa Republican party, Chuck Larson, said: "The recent statement by Karen Balderston is not acceptable and does not reflect the philosophy of the Republican Party or its leadership."

On election day, Dandekar won.

Since the 2000 election, the Republican Party has served APA interests well in two particular aspects. First, President Bush has appointed more APAs to significant federal level positions than President Clinton. Secondly, GOP's immediate rejection of its own candidate owing to her racist attack on an APA candidate was
exemplary. The Democratic Party may have some things to learn from the Republican Party in these aspects.

To induce both political parties to compete in serving the rightful interests of the APA community was the reason for 80-20's advocacy of a SWING BLOC VOTE. It seems to be working. UNITY IS POWER.

Update: NOT a single racist attack has been reported to 80-20 in 2002, 2003 or 2004.

Vote This Comming Tuesday

Vote this coming Tuesday.

If every registered APA votes on that day, the national % of APA voters may just be reported as 3%. How come? Because the number of non-APA voters will drop off significantly in any off-election year. However, if we vote, then an above 2.5% participation will be reported as the historic 3%. Will that increase our political clout!

The Asian-American Village web site, perhaps the most popular commercial site designed exclusively for Asian Americans, has launched its election week series, "APAthy to Action." The title of the series is a take-off from a new book, entitled "Click on Democracy: The Internet's Power to Change Political Apathy to Civic Action."

The first article of the series is:

Clicking to Democracy

New Book on Politics Spotlights APAs' Role in
Pioneering Online Activism

by S. D. Ikeda, Asian-American Village

Visit:
http://www.imdiversity.com/villages/asian/village_asian_american.asp

Vote this coming Tuesday. Thank you.

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Free Magazine subscription for 80-20 members

Mainstream Monthly, a new Chinese-language periodical of high quality, offers to all members of 80-20 a three month FREE subscription to its publication, and a special discount of HALF PRICE after the three free issues if you like it. Please click this link to get the free magazine: http://www.msmonthly.com/scripts/OrderForm.asp

The magazine has just done a cover story on 80-20's President, S. B. Woo, focusing on why he thinks 80-20 is so important. If you are interested in seeing how his wife Katy looks like, or how his life sized picture on the wall of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History looks like, go visit: http://www.msmonthly.com/