Thursday, December 08, 2005

A Spark Has Started a Prairie Fire!

A spark can start a prairie fire. 80-20 was the spark to win

equal opportunity in workplaces for AsAms. A prairie fire is
spreading! Here are two such instances.

Background Information

A few months ago, 80-20 publicized its letter to Labor Sec.
Elaine Chao. It revealed that government data showed that AsAms
were the most discriminated in workplaces:

"When compared with average Am. workers in the same
positions, Asian Americans have only 55% of their
chance to rise to the top rank in the private Industries (1.9
million AsAm workers), 41% of their chance in the universities
(70,000 AsAm workers), and 30% their chance in the Federal
government (86,000 AsAm workers).
"

80-20 asked Labor Sec. Elaine Chao to help the AsAms, since she is
legally designated & authorized to secure equal opportunity in
workplaces for ALL Americans. Thus far she has NOT replied.

A Spreading Prairie Fire

In spite of Sec. Chao's silence, in a democracy people have power.
80-20's discovery of the above statistics has started a prairie fire.

CASE 1: A Model Individual Stepped Forth
Dr. Kuan-Teh Jeang, an 80-20 member who works for the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), saw the 80-20 statistics. He wondered if
the same glass ceiling pattern exists in his own workplace. So he
asked NIH for the raw employee data and analyzed them. Behold,
glass ceiling exists.

12% of the eligible pool from which lab chiefs are drawn are
AsAms. 4.7% are lab chiefs! The dissemination of the data attracted
an article from a prestigious magazine, Science. Visit:
http://www.80-20.us/glassceilingscientists.html for an article:
"Asian Scintists Are a Major Presence in U.S. Biomedical Research
Labs. So Why Do So Few Hold Leadership Positions?"

Some Senior officials at NIH are paying attention. "There's
appearance of a glass ceiling, which is troublesome," says Michael
Gottesman, who heads NIH's intramural research program. "It makes
you wonder if there's an inherent bias."

CASE 2: A Prestigious Organization Helps to Spread the Fire
The Committee of 100, a prestigious Ch-Am organization, saw the
80-20-statistics. It wondered if they were valid. So it appointed a
committee to look into it. The committee reported back that AsAm
represented 6% of the workforce in university, however, only 1.5% of
the university presidents. That was reported in an article in The
World Journal on 11/19/2005. Visit
http://www.80-20initiative.net/glassceilinguniwj.html

Help spread the prairie fire. Ask for the report that your
workplace, whether university or private industry, submits annually
to EEOC with employees broken down to racial groups and ranks.
Document the glass ceiling in your own backyard.

YOU are not one to bury your head in the sand. YOU act.
You strive to improve you and your children's destiny! If 80-20 can
assist you in your statistical project, let us know. Also share your
success with 80-20. Together, we'll win equal opportunity in workplace.

80-20 is the spark! Will YOU please join 80-20 & spread the fire?
http://www.80-20initiative.net/membership.html (easy to use) or
http://www.80-20initiative.net/paypal.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.