Some of you might have heard of 80-20, and possibly have mixed feelings about this organization. I have been involved in 80-20 for almost 20 years. I have been a life-time member for about 15 years.
When I was in Ohio, we worked together to establish several local chapters of 80-20. In my observation, 80-20 is the most impactful Political Action Committee (PAC) among all the Asian American organizations in the advocacy of equal opportunities and civil rights for us.
I wholeheartedly invite you to join or rejoin this most influential organization.
Professionally, I have been teaching a few cross-cultural courses. For example, one of the courses I taught at a university was Asian and Asian American Experience and Perspectives. The first anti-immigration act was passed in 1882—i.e., the Chinese Exclusion Act. In 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, ultimately relocating and interning 120,000 Japanese men, women and children who were American citizens.
What can we learn from these cases?
History may repeat itself. Immigration is politics, and ethnic or racial politics means racial and ethnic power. As an effective PAC, 80-20 definitely helps to fight for our rights and equality politically in the United States.
It is true that some of our new Asian American immigrants are very successful in education, business and STEM areas – Science (including physical and medical sciences),Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, but we still experience implicit bias or covert racism. Our children still have fewer opportunities of being accepted into top private or public colleges or universities.
Though many of us are often perceived as good and competent employees, we cannot avoid the glass ceiling effect. That is, we are less likely to be appointed as part of top- or senior-leadership teams, in comparison to European American women or African American men. Sometimes, as good STEM staff members, we are negatively stereotyped as techno-slaves.
What shall we do?
To change the negative stereotypes about Asian Americans and to gain equal opportunities, we have to get more active in mainstream American public and political affairs. No one fights for us except ourselves. Joining and rejoining 80-20 is one of the most influential ways to get involved in mainstream American public and political affairs.
Yueh-Ting Lee
80-20 life-time member
