Dear fellow Asian Americans,
Martin Luther King, Jr. said "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice
everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied
in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all
indirectly."
How true that is. Our nation's prosperity and strength is undermined
when any of her people is held back or obstructed from achieving their
full potential.
Asian Americans (AsAms) comprise one of the fastest growing ethnic
groups in America, and represent over 5% of the US population. Yet in
2008, before President Obama took office, only 8 - a measly 0.93%
of the 864 US federal judges - were Asian American (AsAm)! And
not a single judge on the appellate (circuit) court is AsAm. All
of the 8 Asian American judges served at the lowest federal
district court level.
Could such a pathetic under-representation reflect a lack of qualified
AsAm candidates to be appointed for federal judgeships? Heck NO! Dept
of Labor statistics shows AsAms have an above-average representation in
the legal profession, at over 5.5%. Many distinguished AsAm legal
scholars serve as law professors and even deans at renowned law schools.
If AsAm were equitably represented in the federal judiciary,
we’d have around 45 federal judges instead of only 8!
It was not until 2006, when 80-20 Initiative took on the challenge to
reverse the gross underrepresentation of AsAms in the federal courts and
in upper management of the American workplace, that the tide finally
began to turn.
In 2008, 80-20 secured the landmark written commitment (see
http://www.80-20initiative.
then-Presidential candidate Obama to remedy the inequity faced by
AsAms. Since President Obama took office, he has taken concrete steps to
nominate more AsAm judges. If all of President Obama’s AsAm nominees
were confirmed by the Senate, we’d have nearly doubled the number of
AsAm judges to 15, with 2 at the appellate level. Judge Denny Chin of
New York became the first Chinese American appellate court judge earlier
this year. Viet-Am and Korean Am are among the judges and nominees.
The inequity AsAms face is not limited to the federal
judiciary. Dept of Labor statistics also confirm that compared
to national average, we have only 25% to 45% chance of rising to
management ranks in private industry and academia!! Yes, you
read the horrendous numbers correctly! Did you ever think that the glass
ceiling was THAT low and that the odds against us were THAT awful?
We have a LONG ways to go before equal opportunity and
justice is enjoyed by AsAm.
Fed up? Outraged? Then do your part by becoming a dues-
paying member of 80-20 Initiative TODAY. And get your fellow
AsAm to do the same. Together, we can fight more effectively
for equal opportunity. Isn’t your future and that of your children
worth much more $35 or $50/yr to insure?
You cannot find cheaper or more effective equality insurance
than the $35-individual $50-family annual membership
fee. Please join now at http://www.80-20initiative.net
I have been waiting for a long time to see more of my friends’ names
on the 80-20 membership roster. You and I both know whether you
are a dues paying member or not. I check that list regularly. Those of you
who are dues-paying members, I salute and thank you. If you are not
sure, check here:
http://www.80-20initiative.
80-20 dues paying members are a special breed who know it takes
more than lip service and moral support to get the tough job done.
They know that paying their dues is only the first step towards
enabling the far more difficult task of getting the government to
deliver on the promises. It is sad and a terrible shame that only
about 2,000 AsAm out of 700,000 actually pay their dues that are
essential to fund the challenging landmark progress that 80-20 is
achieving on behalf of AsAms. Remember to feed your
workhorse so it can keep working for you. Pay your dues NOW!
Thank you for doing your part in our collective fight for equal
opportunity and justice for all AsAm. Do it for yourself, your
children and your country. Do it NOW.
Thank you.
Ed
Dr. Edward Lin
Director
80-20 Initiative (http://www.80-20initiative.
Equal Opportunity and Justice for ALL Asian Americans
e-mail: elin at ingenious dot com
Encourage Inspire Empower
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of
others." "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
Mahatma Gandhi
