Dealing with Discrimination in the Workplace

Do you know how to deal with discrimination in the workplace? If
not, here are helpful questions and answers.
The three questions are:

1. What is the first step if you suspect discrimination against you based
on national origin or race?
2. How to find a lawyer, if EEOC agrees with you?
3. Will life be easier if it is a class action suit?

For answers, go: http://www.80-20initiative.net/discwatch.html .
For your convenience, a text version is appended at the end of this email
so that you can save it for yourself, or forward to a friend.

Have you signed a petition against Rep. Coble's statement yet, GO
http://80-20.info/cgi-bin/s NOW! Do your share of our struggle!


Join 80-20 in 2003 ! 80-20 provides you with the kind of
help you need.

Basic (1 vote) -- $35
Family (Two names to get 2 votes) -- $50

Any US citizen or permanent resident can be a member TODAY
using a credit card, visit
http://www.80-20initiative.net/membership.html ,
http://www.80-20.info/membership.html.
PERSONAL checks are payable to "80-20 PAC", mailed to:
Jing-Li Yu
80-20 special Assistant
43-34 Union St., Apt. 6-d
Flushing, NY 11355-7042
Write down your E-MAIL address & PHONE no. in the BACK of the
check. Thank you.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -




***** 80-20's Advice To Those
Who suspect Discrimination In The Workplace *****


1) WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP IF YOU SUSPECT DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST YOU BASED ON NATIONAL ORIGIN OR RACE?

If you suspect that, your first step should be to file a complaint
with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). You can
file a complaint by contacting your local EEOC office in person, by
phone, or by mail. Such a list can be found at:
http://www.eeoc.gov/teledir.html . You may call toll free at: 800-669-
4000 for more information if a field office is not close to where you live.
However, charges must be filed within 180 days of the discriminatory
act. You can find more information on the EEOC web site at:
http://www.eeoc.gov/qs-employees.html . If you can afford it, you may
also contact a lawyer to guide you through the EEOC process. See the
next question, if you need help in finding a lawyer.

2) HOW TO FIND A LAWYER, IF EEOC AGREES WITH YOU?

If the EEOC deems that your complaint can be subject for a
lawsuit, then you may want to file a private or class-action lawsuit. In
that case, you will want to find an attorney who can assist you on a
contingency basis, which means he will only collect a fee if he wins a
settlement or a case in court. When you win the case, you may be
awarded both compensatory damage and punitive damage. The
amount of compensatory damage is normally not large. It may
include the salaries you've lost and the lawyer's fees. The amount of
the punitive damage could be very large, if the discrimination is
blatant and malicious. A lawyer working on a contingency basis,
normally takes one third of the award.

A list of Asian American lawyers can be found at the NAPABA
(National Asian Pacific American Bar Association) web site,
www.napaba.org if you join as a member. Or you can use the law
directory on http://directory.findlaw.com/ for free. Pro Bono services
can be found at: http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/probono/home.html

Often you may need a lawyer who is familiar with the laws of
your state or locality. You can look up the yellow pages in your
telephone book, under "lawyer." There will be hundreds of names
there. Don't be fazed by that. Look for those lawyers who have ads in
the yellow page that specifically list discrimination as one of their
preferred areas of practice. You'll find out that the number of such
lawyers is quite small. Call some of them to find out if they'll handle
your case on a contingency basis. Tell them that you've already
contacted EEOC, and that it deems that you may have a valid case.
Most lawyers do not take a case on contingency basis unless EEOC has
already done the first layer of screening.

WILL LIFE BE EASIER IF IT IS A CLASS ACTION SUIT?

Most lawyer are more willing to take a case, if you have a
"CLASS ACTION" suit. A class action suit requires a minimum of 15
plaintiffs. If you have many colleagues who have been laid off on
suspected "racial or national-origin grounds," then you have a much
stronger case. You will also be subject to a lot less personal scrutiny
&/or attacks by your company. If there is any possibility of finding
15 persons to form a class action suit, it will definitely be worth your
effort. The plaintiffs in the "class" do not have to be named, so you
do not have to convince your colleagues to join the suit.

One Day It May Be Too Late

Have you signed the petition regarding Rep. Coble's statement?
He raised the specter that internment of entire peoples with NO
evidence of individual guilt may be justifiable. 80-20's position
is that such is NEVER justifiable.

On "NO MORE INTERNMENT," there can be no compromise
because Asian Americans are probably vulnerable, if God forbid, our
nation gets into a war with some of the Asian nations. Voice your
opposition now. One day it may be too late.

Although almost 3,000 persons have signed up in 5 days, an even
larger number is much preferred, because "effective politics depends on
large numbers." Politicians understands large numbers. Please do your
share. Go: http://www.80-20initiative.net/petition.html

"For the remaining few who slept through the drama of N.C. Rep.
Howard Coble's assault on history & minority .., here is the short
version ....." -- a most informative article by by S. D. Ikeda, Asian-
American Village. Read: On Coble: "It's the Leadership, Stupid!"

http://www.imdiversity.com/article_detail.asp?Article_ID=15132


Join 80-20 in 2003! 80-20 provides the "Group Political Clout"
that YOU & YOUR family need.

Basic (1 vote) -- $35
Family (Two names to get 2 votes) -- $50

Any US citizen or permanent resident can be a member TODAY
using a credit card, visit
http://www.80-20initiative.net/membership.html
http://www.80-20.info/membership.html.
PERSONAL checks are payable to "80-20 PAC", mailed to:
Jing-Li Yu
80-20 special Assistant
43-34 Union St., Apt. 6D
Flushing, NY 11355
Write down your E-MAIL address & PHONE no. in the BACK of the check.
Thank you.

******************************
UPDATE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS with 80-20, when anticipating a change.
******************************

Second Request to Do YOUR Share

Group Political Clout depends on YOU.

If YOU have already signed up at the following site and/or become a
member, please ignore this e-mail. Otherwise, PLEASE consider
doing YOUR share.

Please go: http://www.80-20initiative.net/petition.html
To sign your petition to the Republican leaders asking them to help
induce Coble's apology and resignation as Chair of the Homeland
Security subcommittee.

In 2 days, more than 1,050 signed up already. You can view the
current signatures, and their political affiliation breakdowns there.
Do it NOW. Thanks. :-)



Join 80-20 in 2003! 80-20 provides the "Group Political Clout" that
YOU & YOUR family need.

Basic (1 vote) -- $35
Family (Two names to get 2 votes) -- $50

Any US citizen or permanent resident can be a member TODAY
using a credit card, visit
http://www.80-20initiative.net/membership.html
http://www.80-20.info/membership.html .
PERSONAL checks are payable to "80-20 PAC", mailed to:
Jing-Li Yu
80-20 special Assistant
43-34 Union St., Apt. 6D
Flushing, NY 11355
Write down your E-MAIL address & PHONE no. in the BACK of the check.
Thank you.

******************************
UPDATE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS with 80-20, when anticipating a change.
******************************

Please Sign Up at the Petition Site

On account of popular demand, 2 special web pages are up.

(1) A "Petition to the Republican Leadership Signature Page:"
http://www.80-20initiative.net/petition.html

GO, GO, GO! Be the first ones to sign up. Then pass the address to
others. The faster the number of signatures pile up, the larger the
pressure on Congressman Howard Coble to apologize and resign as the
Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee.

Do let your children face the possibility of internment.

(2) A "Special Coble Web Page:"
http://www.80-20initiative.net/coble1.html

It provides (a) the reference to major events related to this
outrageous Coble statement, and (b) a link to a page where many short,
insightful, and even witty letters to the editors of Time and Newsweek
magazines.

80-20 just happened to be copied in by those authors. Many more
letters were sent without copying in 80-20, since we didn't ask for it.
You are still in time to write, since the date of both magazine is Feb.
17, 2003. Send to:
1) letters@time.com
2) letters@newsweek.com
Letters should include the writer's full name, address and home
telephone number. The Subject matter should be: Feb. 7, 03 Issue, the
Coble statement.

Join 80-20 in 2003! 80-20 provides the "Group Political Clout"
that YOU really need. There are 6 types of 80-20 memberships:

1. Basic (1 vote) -- $35
2. Family (Two names to get 2 votes) -- $50
3. Life** -- $1000
4. Family life** (two names to get 2 votes) -- $1,500
5. Honorary Life** -- $5,000
6. Honorary Family Life** (two names to get 2 votes) -- $10,000
** Membership names on permanent display on 80-20's web site. See
http://www.80-20initiative.net/donors_members.htm .

Any US citizen or permanent resident can be a member TODAY
using a credit card, visit
http://www.80-20initiative.net/membership.html
http://www.80-20.info/membership.html .
PERSONAL checks are payable to "80-20 PAC", mailed to:
Jing-Li Yu
80-20 special Assistant
43-34 Union St., Apt. 6D
Flushing, NY 11355
Write down your E-MAIL address & PHONE no. in the BACK of the check.
Thank you.

******************************
UPDATE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS with 80-20, when anticipating a change.
******************************

CALL TO ACTION II!

Both Time and Newsweek quoted Rep. Coble in their latest issue!!!

Newsweek, p.25, "Perspectives":
" 'We were at war. They were an endangered species.'
North Carolina Rep. Howard Coble, on his belief that interning
Japanese-Americans during W.W.II was for their own protection"

Time, p.17, "Verbatim":
" 'Some were intent on doing harm to us, just as some of these
Arab Americans are probably intent on doing harm to us.'
Howard Coble, Republican Congressman from North Carolina
who heads a homeland-security subcommittee, saying he believes
it was not wrong to intern Japanese Americans during W.W. II"

The reports by both magazines were completely neutral. What
does it mean to Asian Pacific Americans?

If NO one writes in to the two magazines to point out the
fallacy of Coble's logic and his mistaken historical facts, Coble has
succeeded in flying his trial balloon. You and I are a giant step closer
to being interned, if our national security were to be threatened by
an Asian nation or nations.

If 10,000 e-mails arrive at those magazines' letters to
editor's inboxes, America will know that the Asian Americans are
politically organized. If enough of the very short, very astute, &
perhaps even humorous e-mails get published by the magazines,
Coble will be a giant step closer to apologizing sincerely and resigning
from the Homeland Security Subcommittee. We will have fulfilled
our generational duty to protect our children AND, in the same
process, have helped make America "a more perfect Union."

Are you up to the challenge? Will you write?

Anyone who gets a letter published by either magazine on that
topic will have his/her name greatly publicized by 80-20. We want to
greatly thank those persons who will have made a BIG, BIG
contribution to the security of all Asian Americans.

Where to send your e-mails?
Send to
1. letters@time.com (subject: Feb 17, Verbatim, p.17, Coble)
2. letters@newsweek.com (subject: Feb 17, Perspectives, p.25, Coble)
Letters should include the writer's full name, address and home
telephone number, title of piece and issue date.

Letters must be very short. Otherwise, they may not even get read,
much less published. Read the kind of letters that did get published to
get your inspiration. Visit: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030217-
421028,00.html
Please also try to get your non-Asian Am. friends to write.

The gauntlet has been thrown. Will you help meet our mutual
challenge? Send it today. TOGETHER, we shall overcome.

PS New York Times covered 80-20's position regarding Coble yesterday.
See the last two paragraphs of that article:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Congressman-
Japanese-Internment.html?ex=1046067166&ei=1&en=ed4e9078e369df4b

As soon as our supporters heard our call, they started firiing off responses! You can read some of the letters submitted to Time and Newsweek here.

VICTORY I!

THANKS TO YOU, we've achieved the first step. On Feb. 8, Associated Press reported: "U.S. Rep. Howard Coble said he won't apologize for comments ..." At about 4 p.m.Feb. 10, Rep. Coble apparently changed his mind and issued his "apology." See end of this e-mail.

Here is the time-line of events:

February 4: Coble Radio statement
Feb 5: JACL Press release and Honda reacts to Coble's statement.
Feb 7: Congressmen Honda, Matsui, and Wu write to Coble
Feb 7: Coble states he won't apologize (AP article on Feb 8)
source: http://newsobserver.com/nc24hour/ncnews/story/2183302p-2067371c.html
Feb 8 (3 p.m.): 80-20 sends out mass email, "Call to Action."
Feb 10 (10 a.m.): 80-20 issues follow-up, "Unsolicited Responses to
Call to Action." Huge number of faxes and e-mails pour into
GOP leadership's offices, thank to you.
Feb 10 (4 pm): Coble issues an "apology." See end of this e-mail
Feb 10: Petition put up by "various Members of the National Council
of Asian Pacific Americans." (first forwarded at around
midnight)

Together, we can overcome. 80-20 is not satisfied with the outcome.
Hence, if you haven't sent your faxes and e-mail to the Republican
Leadership yet, please do your share. The Coble quote made both
Time & Newsweek magazine. So think of its implications.

80-20 is preparing for the long haul. We'll be working on this issue,
unless satisfaction is achieved, for as long as it needs -- all the way to
November of 2004 and beyond if necessary.

- - - -
Rep. Coble:

"In recent days, there has been considerable media attention and
interest surrounding comments I made on a morning radio call-in
show regarding the internment of Japanese Americans during World
War II and the implications of this policy in today's society. I regret
that many Japanese and Arab Americans found my choice of words
offensive because that was certainly not my intent.

The point that I was trying to make during the radio show was that
given the circumstances in which President Roosevelt found himself at
the time and the information that was available to him, he made a
decision which he felt was in the best interest of national security.
Today we can certainly look back and see the damage that was caused
because of this decision. We all know that was in fact the wrong
decision and an action that should never be repeated.

It is my sincere hope that this situation will be a reminder to us all
that while we have made great strides to improve diversity,
acceptance, and understanding since 1941, there is much work left to
be done."

Unsolicited Responses to Call to Action

Have you sent your fax or e-mail to the Republican leadership
regarding Rep. Coble yet?

If not, please do your share. See fax numbers and e-mail addresses
at the end of this e-mail. If yes, enjoy the following selected but
unsolicited responses to 80-20's "Call for Action." They are in two
categories:

(A) HOW SUPPORTERS CONNECT WITH 80-20:

" ... I REMEMBER THE INTERNMENT & it's not justified. Rep.
Coble says he was 10 when we were interned. I was 10 years old
when I was interned - as one book puts it: "A Child in Prison Camp" ...
The Rev. Timothy M. Nakayama, Priest, retired, Dem., Seattle, WA

... I support 80-20's position asking .... Yang-Xin Fu, M.D., Ph.D.
Dept of Pathology and Committee on Immunology, U. of Chicago

Here is a response (a form response from Speaker Hastert) ... thanks,
S. Nakamura

I agree with you wholeheartedly, having been harassed on the street.
The situation is frightening, indeed. ...... Som Somasundara

Thank you. What about communicating with Tom Ridge, Secretary of
Homeland Security? Betty Tomita

..... A leader like him will not only cause more ethnic and racial
tension within the country but will also destroy the harmony, peace,
dream and/or hope of many American citizens. Y-T. Lee, Ph.D.,
Chair and Professor, Department of Ethnic Studies, Minnesota St. U.

... Failure to do so will undo all the good will President Bush and the
Republican Party have built within our community ... Vo Nguyen, MD
& Sonia Lim, MD, Independent voters, Memorial Nephrology Assoc.

... He should be ashamed being the chairman of the Homeland Security
Subcommittee. ... Stanley P. L. Leong, MD, FACS (Registered as
a Republican), Professor of Surgery, Univ. of California, San Francisco

(B) WHY 80-20 IS SPREADING SO FAST -- from 300 to 600,000
supporters in 4.5 years

... I will do my best to make sure that your call to action is send to as
many Asian Americans and ... Dr. Gurminder Singh

... I am attending a Republican Dinner during which I plan to raise
this issue and demand Rep. Coble be hold accountable for his view on
the internment. Yuric Hannart

Excellent. We have included your letter in our web site, chiamonline.
org. You did a splendid job! Tze-chung Li, Ph.D., Professor and
Dean Emeritus, Dominican University

Can you give me more idea about your organization? Jagdish Shah

I forwarded to many others. ..... Mary

... I will do my part and forward this to my friends as well. ... Nancy

I am sending a check to be a member of the 80-20. I will also send
e-mail to the Republican leadership .... William T. Liu (Professor
Emeritus, The University of Illinois)

Thank you so much for your efforts on behalf of all minorities. If I
could be of any assistance in the future , please count on me.
Dinesh O. Shah

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Fax (preferred, more effective) or e-mail or phone the following leaders.

Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, R, IL:
Fax: (202) 225-0697, dhastert@mail.house.gov, Phone: (202) 225-2976

Rep. Tom Delay, R, TX, 10% of his constituents are APAs, Majority Leader
Fax: (202)225-5117, tom.delay@mail.house.gov, Phone: (202)225-4000

Andrew Card, Chief of Staff, The White House
Fax: (202) 456-1907

Governor Marc Racicot, MT, Chair of the National Republican Comm.
Fax: 202.863.8820, info@rnc.org, Phone: 202.863.8500

An example is shown below. However, please use your own words.

I support 80-20's position asking Rep. Coble to apologize and resign
as the chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommitt ee. A
leader like him threatens my sense of security for my family. It'll
affect how I'll vote in 2004.
Signature
Name, title, profession
Party, particularly if your are a Republican or an Independent
Postal address

*****
For a direct quote on Rep. Coble's statement on a radio show at: WKZL-FM
in Greenboro, NC. see an AP article reproduced at:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030206/ap_on_ *****

CALL TO ACTION!

In times of uncertainty, fear, economic turndown, and/or war,
people in general, politicians in particular, seek to scapegoat.
Minorities are usually the targets. That happened in WWII. Jews
were slaughtered in Germany. Japanese Americans were interned
-- a form of imprisonment, though not comparable to the Holocaust.

Politicians are scapegoating again. Two months ago, Sen. Lott
reminisced segregation. A few days ago, Rep. Howard Coble,
Republican, NC, said that he agreed with the internment of
Japanese Americans.

Coble said, "We were at war. They (Japanese Americans) were an
endangered species. For many of these Japanese Americans, it wasn't
safe for them to be on the street. ... Some probably were intent on
doing harm to us ...."

Truth or a lie? Let's see what a blue-ribbon government
commission** had to say in 1983:

"In sum, Executive Order 9066 (Pres. F.D. Roosevelt's order to
intern) was not justified by military necessity .... The broad
historical causes that shaped these decisions were race
prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership."

In fact, Coble's comment was spurred by a radio show caller, who
pushed for interning Arab Americans. Coble disagreed with that caller
because the U.S. isn't being attacked by "a sovereign nation." The
chilling implication is that he thinks internment may be ok if our
country is being attacked.

Can you be sure that only Arab Americans are in trouble? Could it
one day be Chinese Americans, Korean Ams., Pakistani or Indonesian
Ams. depending on where our nation is having conflicts? Rep. Coble
has power in a critical position. He is the Chairman of the Crime,
Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee.

Mind you, politicians scapegoat AND fly trial balloons. If
YOU sit back & do nothing, who knows what may happen.

80-20 supports Japanese American Citizens League's call for Rep.
Coble to apologize and to resign as the chairman of the Homeland
Security Subcomm. S. B. Woo, President of 80-20, has informed the
Republican leadership that how the Republican party handles this matter
will have a very strong impact on how Asian Americans will vote in the
presidential year of 2004.

80-20 is only as strong as you are! YOU MUST ACT. Fax
(preferred) or e-mail or phone the following leaders.

Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, R, IL:
Fax: (202) 225-0697, dhastert@mail.house.gov, Phone: (202) 225-2976

Rep. Tom Delay, R, TX, 10% of his constituents are APAs, Majority Leader
Fax: (202)225-5117, no e-address available, Phone: (202)225-4000

Andrew Card, Chief of Staff, The White House
Fax: (202) 456-1907

Governor Marc Racicot, MT, Chair of the National Republican Comm.
Fax: 202.863.8820, info@rnc.org, Phone: 202.863.8500

An example is shown below. However, please use your own words.

I support 80-20's position asking Rep. Coble to apologize & resign
as the chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee. A
leader like him threatens my sense of security for my family.
It'll affect how I'll vote in 2004.
Signature
Name, title, profession
Party, particularly if your are a Republican or an Independent
Postal address

No one who is for internment should be chairing the Homeland Security
Subcommittee. Act today to protect YOURSELF AND YOUR CHILDREN.

"The price for liberty is eternal vigilance." -- Thomas Jefferson.

** Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians,
which investigated whether the internment was based on military
necessity.