Politics

By Jennie L. Ilustre   In a show of unity, coalitions of Asian American groups held nationwide rallies and issued supportive letters and public statements, urging a fair and just decision for former New York police officer Peter Liang, while emphasizing that all cops must be held accountable for their actions. Liang was convicted on Feb. 11 on charges of …

By Jennie L. Ilustre Historically, Asian Pacific Americans have overwhelmingly voted for the Democratic Party. But in the 2014 midterm elections, the door opened a crack: They voted 50-49 in favor of the Republican Party. Although Democratic advocates sniffed that it was just a one-point advantage, Mainstream America took notice. Politico newspaper’s top expert Alex Burns tweeted on election night, …

By Jennie L. Ilustre U.S. Army Major General Antonio M. Taguba retired on December 31, 2006, after 34 years of distinguished service to the nation. Since then, instead of one, he has been wearing many hats. He has dedicated his retirement to projects that honor veterans, guide seniors and their families, and inspire professionals and students alike to develop as …

By Jennie L. Ilustre   An Asian American advocacy leader said the much-needed national debate on the urgent issue of immigration reform has received a boost from Pope Francis, who made a historic visit to the U.S. last month, and from Donald Trump, the leading Republican candidate in the race for the 2016 presidential elections. Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC) Executive …

By Jennie Illustre Three on-going developments on immigration reform have Asian Pacific American advocates cheering on one hand, and urging persistence on the other.   One welcome directive by President Obama would fast-track, through parole visa, the family reunification of some 20,000 Philippine-based single and married sons and daughters with surviving World War II veterans who are Filipino Americans or …

News outlets recently began reporting on tensions between Asian Americans and African Americans in Baltimore, following the unrest after the death of Freddie Gray. Mee Moua, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, issued the following statement on behalf of four leading Asian American civil rights organizations, including: Advancing Justice | AAJC, Advancing Justice – Atlanta, …

Chiling Tong, Founder & CEO International Leadership Foundation In terms of voting behavior, 2016 will prove to be a very interesting presidential election cycle. In 1992, only 31% of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) voted for then-Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton. By 2012, over 70% voted for the reelection of President Obama. As we head into the 2016 presidential elections, Asian …

WASHINGTON, D.C. – OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates commends the U.S. Senate’s decision to not consider Senator David Vitter’s (R-LA) and Senator James Inhofe’s (R-OK) respective anti-immigrant amendments to the Justice For Victims of Trafficking Act. Yesterday, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act was passed unanimously by the Senate without considering Senator Vitter or Inhofe’s Amendments that affect …

Next year, the country will elect a new president. But next year is already here. Notice how candidates are already positioning themselves for the primaries and caucuses? It is urgent that now–not next year–is when all candidates must realize that American voters of Asian and Pacific heritage will play a major role in the 2016 elections. Republican Jeb Bush was …

  On March 11, 2015, leaders of Coalition of Asian American Democrats discussed with Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen about his candidacy for U.S. Senate and issues important to the Maryland’s Asian Pacific American communities.  Congressman Chris Van Hollen, the only member of the Maryland delegation on the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, discussed his extensive work in supporting small …

WASHINGTON — On March 9th 2015, the U.S. Senate confirmed Michelle K. Lee as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Lee is the first woman and person of color to lead the USPTO. “We congratulate Michelle Lee on her historic confirmation,” said George C. Chen, president of …

By Jennie L. Ilustre American lawyers of Asian ancestry and advocates, noting that most people find the latest immigration reform news confusing, recently underscored the need for accurate, up-to-date information efforts to prevent public misconceptions. “If you have any questions about immigration or immigration reform, make sure to get reliable information – whether from a community group like Asian Americans …

By Vanessa Wang Winning 69.9% of votes in the midterm election on November 4, Democrat Susan C. Lee is the first Asian American to win the Maryland State Senate. Lee received a total of 25,975 votes, defeating her rival, Meyer Marks. Susan Lee was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2002 to represent District 16 (Montgomery County) and …

This November, two Asian Americans were elected to local office in Maryland. Both are young and bring with them different backgrounds and experiences. Clarence Lam, a board-certified physician in preventive medicine at the the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health won one of three seats for District 12 delegate in Maryland. David Moon, a blogger and public advocate, won …

By Jennie L. Illustre Three stunning news greeted Asian Americans who stayed up late during the Nov.4 midterm elections, or woke up the morning after. First, many Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) from both parties made history at the federal, state and local levels. Second, there were more Asian American Republican winners than Democratic victors. Third, Asian Americans voters …

By Jenny Chen According to the 2014-2015 National APA Political Almanac, over 300 Asian Americans hold political positions at the state and local levels compared to the 13 Asian Americans who hold seats at the federal level. James Lai, an Associate Professor of the Political Science Department at Santa Clara University says that the increase in Asian Americans elected officials at the local …

Data from the Pew Research Center show that since 1998, about three in ten Asian-American eligible voters have cast ballots in midterm elections, a rate that lags far behind that of whites and blacks. In 2010, voter turnout among Asian Americans was 31%, a rate that trailed blacks at 44%, and whites at 49%. Even among the college-educated, Asian American …

By Anita Kinney “It’s a great time to be an Asian American in the District of Columbia,” Kishan Putta says. The Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) member spoke about his ambition to become the first Asian-American to hold a city-wide office in D.C., an achievement that he says would be a “historic first.” Putta is campaigning full-time for an at-large seat …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans Asian Fortune magazine’s column explores news, views and cues in the exciting political sphere. The column touches the three branches of the federal government, state-level political tidbits, little known historical facts, and on occasion, a dose of gossip.   APIAVote Joins Coalition to Protect Voting Rights As November’s general elections approach, the organization Asian and Pacific Islander …

  By: Mary Tablante   When D.C. residents go to the polls in November to vote for the new mayor, they will have to make a decision between Muriel Bowser (D), David Catania (I) and Carol Schwartz (I). Both Catania and Schwartz were previously registered Republicans who are running as Independents, and Bowser secured the Democratic mayoral nomination in the …

By Jennie L. Ilustre Election Day (November 4) will again show the rising trend of Asian American and Pacific Islander or AAPI candidates. Americans of Asian ancestry are running in top national races this year. They also figure in local, city and state campaigns. What makes this year exciting is that more new faces are joining seasoned candidates in the …

By Jenny Chen The race for the Virginia 10th Congressional district seat is shaping up to be an important one. Candidates DelegateBarbara J. Comstock (R), Fairfax County Supervisor John Foust (D), Bill Redpath (L), Dianne Blais (G), and Brad Eickholt (I) are all vying for a seat vacated by Senator Frank Wolf (R). An election filled with drama – dredging …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans Asian Fortune magazine’s column explores news, views and cues in the exciting political sphere. The column touches the three branches of the federal government, state-level political tidbits, little known historical facts, and on occasion, a dose of gossip.  Asian candidates face uphill battle in Los Angeles Although there are more than 4,000 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans Asian Fortune magazine’s column explores news, views and cues in the exciting political sphere. The column touches the three branches of the federal government, state-level political tidbits, little known historical facts, and on occasion, a dose of gossip.   D.C. street to be renamed after imprisoned Chinese dissident The U.S. House Appropriations Committee voted late June to …