JFK Jr. and Asian Americans
by Emil Guillermo

When John F. Kennedy Jr.’s plane went down, weekend editors went on a frantic, short-staffed mission, digging through the archives for pictures of John-John in short pants. They were more successful than the Coast Guard. It wouldn’t be long before all the media would be saturated with news about yet another tragic Kennedy passing.

The nostalgic Kennedy images trigger off certain memories for Asian Americans. Older community members may see the image of JFK Sr., and are reminded of how different America was during his presidency. Back then, civil rights was barely a dream. And who hasn’t by now seen the photograph of John Jr. inside a desk at the president’s feet, playing the role of First Son.

Here’s what I -- as a young boy about his age, growing up in cold, foggy San Francisco -- wondered about John-John: How could he stand being paraded around in shorts?

But I choose not to be too nostalgic in considering the life of JFK Jr.

Instead, I choose to go amok. Have you ever imagined JFK Jr. as an Asian American?

John F. Kennedy Chang. John F. Kennedy Kim. Sure. Why not? I’ve been thinking about it because the Kennedys are an ideal model for Asian American empowerment.

When the Irish first immigrated to America, they were “ghettoized” and ostracized. Though it’s hard to believe now, the discrimination in America was such that the Irish weren’t even considered white.

But as history shows, a slow evolution began. The Irish began moving up the ranks in city politics, and ethical consideration aside, the Irish emerged as vital players.

The Irish dynamic is about immigrant numbers. It was present in key cities of a region and that translated into power. And then the inevitable occurred. The Irish were transformed. Not only were they empowered, but they became white.

Asian Americans don’t have the European thing happening for us. Being white is not a real option. But we have the numbers, the income and the success. In some instances, we’re being treated as if we were white. Look at Lowell High.

But America has no skin color. Or at least ideally, it shouldn’t. Beyond race, America is about shared values. It’s about notions of freedom and individuality, the things that honor differences. And it’s about all the things that bring us together -- issues like family and education.

We’re really not far away from a major shift in how America looks at Asian Americans. After all, we’re becoming a larger part of America itself. But the evolution will occur even faster once we begin to change the way we look at ourselves. We’re not ornamental figures. We don’t have to be white. But we are at the point where we must begin to assert our role in the mainstream of public life.

There are Asian Americans in elected office. In Hawaii, Gov. Ben Cayetano leads a legislature that is well populated by Asian Americans; on the mainland, there’s Gov. Gary Locke in Washington, and Congressman David Wu in Oregon. But Hawaii aside, some analysts see the latter examples as indicative of the future of Asians in politics. To win, they say, an Asian must appeal broadly and cast off the Asian label.

I don’t buy it. I think Asian Americans, because of core values, have crossover potential. And in places like California, where the Asian American population is growing, the 2000 election could be a real harbinger of Asian American power.

With 30 percent of its population Asian American, San Francisco has three Asian Americans on the Board of Supervisors. But the real intriguing possibility is the notion of a mayor. Leland Yee, a supervisor, is banging the drum for his candidacy.

Whether it’s Yee, or someone like him, this could be our time, not just in San Francisco, but all over California.

Which brings me back to JFK Jr.

The big question to hound him, especially in recent years, was the one that went, “When are you going to get into politics?”

In 1995, he started George magazine, his foray into the periphery of politics. He told NBC News: “I think anytime you go into politics, it’s like the military. You have to be prepared to sign on for it, and sign on for the long haul. And you better make sure the rest of your life will accommodate that decision. I have a few years to make that decision.”

He never got to the decision, but many of us are faced with the same choice. We may not have the money, the good looks or the fame, but who does? The call to be a “public Asian,” is waiting to be answered.

JFK Jr. once said, “You really have to have an animating idea to run for office.” Is there any more animating an idea than being a voice for the newly empowered?

All this learned in a weekend of searching for a lost plane. Instead of waxing the nostalgic, look forward, use the tragedy. For instance, it’s irrelevant now to ask what might have been with JFK Jr. in politics. But for Asian Americans, it’s still an open question filled with possibilities.

The answer will come not only from individuals, but also from our community. Like the search for a lost plane, it’s an urgent matter. For all the inroads we’ve made, Asian Americans as a political force are still presumed dead in America.