An AP article says shame on Asian Americans

Associated Press sent out an article entitled " Unlike Hispanics,
Surging Asian Population Lacks Political Clout ." Although it didn't say "Shame on Asian Americans, " to me it certainly implied it.

Hopefully, APAs will recognize that our lack of political clout
is a shame on us. Lacking political clout is a big reason why
a law, EO 11246, that is supposed to break the glass ceiling for all
Americans was NEVER enforced for APAs. It means that we failed to secure equal opportunity for our children.

How come we are so impotent?

Here are some reasons. Our focus on personal benefits rather than
community benefits is one reason. For example, our rich people give tens of thousands of dollars for a handshake or a photo with a famous politician or a possible later appointment rather than to APA political organizations. Even our political activists have focused on their respective turf concerns rather than APA unity, the bedrock of political clout. Another reason is that our support for politicians foolishly depends on their titles and likelihood to win the next election, NOT by how much they have served our community. In other words, we might have been too selfish for our own good.

80-20 is normally positive and optimistic. However, every once in a while we need to look at our own shortcomings in order to build a brighter future.

The article ended with a quote from S. B. Woo, 80-20 President: "To have one minority ignored by the political establishment is not healthy."

Let's vow to erase that shame. Help our community to help
ourselves. If you like 80-20's message & its fierce determination to
establish political clout for APAs, JOIN US.

Using a credit card, visit
http://www.80-20initiative.net/membership.html or
http://www.80-20.info/membership.html.
PERSONAL checks are payable to "80-20 PAC", mailed to:
Jing-Li Yu 80-20 special Assistant
P.O. Box 527340 Flushing, NY 11352-7340 .
Write down your E-MAIL address & PHONE no. on the BACK of the
check. Basic membership is $35; Family (2 voters) is $50, Life
Membership is $1,000. Student membership is $15.

The nice article was written by Genado C. Armas, & was carried by
many mainstream papers. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5462183/
In the Chinese American community, the article was carried by The
World Journal as a front page, top headline story.
http://www.80-20initiative.net/WJ040720.jpg

Easiest Way to Register & Vote. SAVE!

For US citizens only! Are you registered to vote? Only 52% of eligible APAs are registered to vote, compared to 70% for the entire US. Two types of citizens need to register: (1) those who've never registered, and (2) having registered but have moved to a new address. Please fulfill your obligation as a citizen and an educated person.

Here is the EASIEST WAY to register to vote! It will be the most meaningful 10 minutes you'll spend in your life for your offspring.
GO TO: https://ssl.capwiz.com/congressorg/nvra/ (If the letters appear in blue, put your cursor on it and click once. You'll be on page 1 to register. If the letters have the same color as the text, then copy and paste it to your browser. Hit return or enter, you'll be on page 1.)

On page 1, you download Adobe Acrobat, if you don't already have it. The downloading is free & automatic. Then go to the map and click on your state. That leads you to page 2.

On page 2, fill out the form: check each square box on top and fill in required info next to blanks with a red *. Click once on each of the (instructions) written in red to help you fill out the correct information. For "Choice of Party," your choice is Republican, or (Independent /Decline) or Democrat. For most states, if you want to vote in the primary, you must choose either Dem. or Rep., although some states (e.g. CA) allow independents to vote in EITHER party's primary.
Click on (Instructions) next to Choice of Party to find out what choices you have. After you have filled the required information, go to the bottom of the page to click on the "Preview My Voter Registration" to go to page 3.

On page 3, you proofread the information, then click "Get My Application" or download at the bottom of the page. Please be patient, it takes a while to download. But it is a LOT FASTER than going to someplace to register.

On one of the down loaded pages, there will be the address for you to send your application to.

Upon receiving your application, your state will mail you a voter registration card. YOU NEED TO FILL THAT OUT AND MAIL IT IN. Only then are you truly registered. Note that registering to vote is ALWAYS A TWO-STEP PROCESS, whether you register via a website
or travel to a registration place.

GO TO: https://ssl.capwiz.com/congressorg/nvra/ NOW! BE A REGISTERED VOTER!!! Be one for your children's and grand-children's sake.

When the "Voter Registration Card" comes, you may want to choose to vote Absentee. That is you can VOTE BY MAIL instead of going to a polling place. It is again the easiest way!!!

Most states allow it. About 20 days before Nov. 2, you will receive a ballot on which you may check whom to vote. Put the ballot in an envelope, sign on the back side of the envelop, mail it and you will have voted. You will have fulfilled you sacred duty as a citizen and TO YOUR CHILDREN, AS AN EDUCATED PERSON.

SAVE this e-mail & forward it to your relatives & friends. Thank you.

A Community Without 80-20 to Serve You

What if 80-20 vanishes from our community? Just consider the loss of two of the its current projects:
(1) Introducing a Communal Tradition To Display Flags on July 4th, &
(2) Breaking the Glass Ceiling for AsAms at the grass roots level.

Do these current projects bring benefits to our community? Do they ease the struggle for our next generations?

(1) Introducing a Community Tradition To Display
Flags on July 4th:

These radio stations have been broadcasting 80-20's message to display a flag on July Fourth for about 2 weeks already:
In Los Angeles:
1230 AM, in Korean, 1370 AM, in Mandarin,
1480 AM, in Vietnamese, 1430 AM, in Cantonese,
1300 AM, in Mandarin,
In San Francisco:
1400/1450 AM, in Cantonese, FM 96.1, in Mandarin,
In NYC:
1480 AM, in Cantonese, FM 104.3 (subs. only), in Mandarin

In addition, 4000 flags have been sent by 80-20 to those who requested them. When combined, these project have cost 80-20 about $60K over the last 4 years. Result? Displaying flags on July 4th & identifying enthusiastically with our great nation is becoming a COMMUNITY TRADITION.

(2) Breaking the Glass Ceiling for the Working AsAms

Everyone talks about the glass ceiling. How many organizations have done something to BREAK the glass ceiling for YOU.

In the 2000 election, 80-20 requested in writing to presidential candidates for the historic first AsianAm cabinet member. Our political system responded. There have been 3 cabinet positions since. However, only our elite have benefited through that effort.

In the 2004 election, 80-20 aims to break the glass ceiling for the glass roots. John Kerry & Ralph Nader have already promised in writing to enforce a very powerful existing law (Exec. Order 11246) for AsAms to help us win EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN RAISES, PROMOTIONS, & IN RISING TO THE TOP. http://www.80-20initiative.net/preselect.html.

Can you visualize our community without 80-20? Would you pay your membership as the insurance money to make sure that 80-20 will be there to serve you, when you are in need?

Using a credit card, visit
http://www.80-20initiative.net/membership.html
Using a PERSONAL check, payable to "80-20 PAC", & mailed to:
Jing-Li Yu 80-20 special Assistant
P.O. Box 527340 Flushing, NY 11352-7340 .
Write down your E-MAIL address & PHONE no. on the BACK of the check.

Basic membership is $35; Family (2 voters) is $50, Life Membership is $1,000. Student membership is $15. Citizenship or permanent residency are required. Membership dues are NOT tax deductible. Thank you. Please do your share.