ALSO IN THIS FEATURE:
[ 21 Years of News and History | Letters to the Editor | Comments from the Community About AsianWeek | Frank Wu | Emil Guillermo ]

1. San Francisco Now Receiving 100’s of Boat People Weekly (August 23, 1979)

John Ta Chuan Fang established AsianWeek, a national weekly English-language newspaper covering Asian American issues. “The time is indeed right for this generation of Asian-Americans to be acknowledged for the highly productive and influential citizens…we are,” said the first editorial. “AsianWeek will contribute to this process, not only by bringing essential news to its readership, but also, for the sake of the young, by remembering our Asian-American roots, recognizing the achievements of today’s leaders, and creating a forum for the communication of ideas between all Asian-Americans.”

Its first front-page story depicted the struggle of Southeast Asian refugees, arriving at Travis Air Force Base from camps in Malaysia.

“The story is very simple: the life in Vietnam is too hard, so we must leave and look for freedom.” (Lipnhan Chen)

2. Peking Duck Wars (March 11, 1982)

Assemblyman Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) introduced legislation to permit the sale of Chinese roast duck, though its preparation didn’t conform to then existing law, which required restaurant foods to be kept or displayed at temperatures not higher than 45 degrees or lower than 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

“It seems ridiculous that government should waste money telling Americans how to cook food when Chinese have been preparing roast duck for 5,000 years, and hope to do so for another 5,000.” (Art Torres)

3. Newsweek Tags Asians as a ‘Model Minority’ (February 10, 1983)

Rise in APA Youth Crimes Refutes ‘Model Minority’ Myth (June 12, 1992)

Newsweek dubbed Asian Americans the model minority, pointing out that Asian Americans’ average family income was the highest of any ethnic minority group and had the highest level of education of any American group. The story also pointed out, however, that “language difficulties, limited job opportunities and fear of assimilation still keep them together—and culturally segregated in many areas, without access to health and social services.

Nearly 10 years later, the city of San Francisco reported an increase in gang-related incidents involving Asian American youth, belying the model minority myth.

“You won’t believe the number of people outside of this community that believe in the storybook notion that Asian kids don’t have any problems, that as long as you let us into the schools, and we are allowed to open our books, we will succeed. The fact is Asians just like any society come in different sizes with different problems.” (Leland Yee, San Francisco Board of Education Commissioner)

4. Class Action Suit Filed in Internment Case (March 17, 1983)

Reagan Signs Redress Bill (August 12, 1988)

Japanese American Community Asks: ‘Where Do We Go After Redress’ (April 7, 1989)

President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which offered reparations to the over 110,000 Japanese American interned during World War II. The fight for redress unified Japanese Americans, but less than a year after the bill passed, some asked what the next step would be in moving the community forward.

“Hopefully [redress] has lifted the burden of weight from Nisei who felt compelled, for whatever reason, perhaps subconsciously, to hold back and keep themselves quietly immersed in their own community.” (Cressy Nakagawa, JACL national president)

5. Killers Stalked Vincent Chin (April 28, 1983)

1,000 Detroit Asians Protest Sentences (May 12, 1983)

Killer Goes Free (May 8, 1987)

In 1982 Ronald Ebens, a disgruntled white autoworker, and Michael Nitz, struck and killed Vincent Chin using a baseball bat. Ebens, who blamed layoffs in the auto industry on the Japanese, mistook Chin for being Japanese. Judge Charles Kaufman accepted Ebens and Nitz’ pleas of reduced manslaughter charges, and let the pair off with 3 years probation and a fine of $3,720 each.

In 1984, Ebens was found guilty of violating Vincent Chin’s civil rights and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. However, five years of angry protests that united the Asian American community turned to quiet disbelief on the day a jury acquitted Ebens of those charges. He never spent a day in jail.

“It made a very nice story that on a warm night in Detroit an unemployed auto worker blamed a Chinese American for auto plant layoffs and beat him up with a baseball bat. But it was a fairytale.” (Frank D. Eaman, Ebens’ defense attorney)

“It’s devastating. Everyone is really depressed. But I think everyone here has agreed that to let it go now would be ridiculous. We have to move forward or else it’s a waste of effort. There’s a hell of a lot more we have to do to show that Asian Americans have concerns that have yet to be met.” (James Shinomoura, attorney and member of American Citizens for Justice, a Detroit-based Asian American coalition that formed to press the case against Ebens.)

6. Thank God, Buddha (March 29, 1985)

In 1979 Haing S. Ngor fled the Khmer Rouge and his homeland Cambodia. Six years later he became the first Asian American to win an Academy Award for his role in the Killing Fields, a film that brought to light the tragic saga of this war-torn country. Ngor, himself, was tortured under the Khmer Rouge regime and many of his family members were killed.

“[The scenes were] not real enough for me, not bad enough for me, not painful enough for me.” (Haing S. Ngor)

7. Activists Hit Hollywood Over Year of the Dragon (August 23, 1985)

Community leaders launched an aggressive publicity and protest campaign in an effort to eliminate the entertainment industry’s stereotypical depictions of Asian Americans. Protestors were particularly outraged with the Year of the Dragon’s depiction of Asian women.

“Cimeno’s (the director) attempt at sensitivity toward Asian Americans is negated, especially the image of Tracy Tsu, who was supposed to be a powerful woman but instead was a victim of definite machismo.” (Cynthia Gouw)

8. Natividad May Spark ‘Unity Among Filipinos’ (September 27, 1985)

Irene Natividad was 36 when she was elected chair of the National Women’s Political Caucus in 1985. She was credited with having been one of the first catalysts for Filipino American unity.

“…we could rally national support behind her in the Filipino American community if she decided to run for office.” (Alice Bulos, community leader)

9. Onizuka Killed in Space Tragedy (January 31, 1986)

In 1984, atronaut Ellison Onizuka addressed a group of sanseis and told them, “You are part of the Japanese spirit and courage which have helped to build a great nation. What a tribute you are to the sacrifices of your parents and grandparents…It is with great confidence that I entrust to you our country’s future. For as upright young Americans of principle, integrity and honor, truly believe you are capable of meeting the challenges of the 21st century.”

Two years later Onizuka, the first Asian American astronaut, died when the Challenger space shuttle exploded.

“We will mourn, but we will continue to push for progress in space. The best memorial to the sacrifices made by those in the space shuttle Challenger would be to strive to continue their heroic efforts.” (Congressman Norman Mineta, D-San Jose)

10. Killer Opens Fire on Asian Children (January 20, 1989)

Violence shook the town of Stockton, Calif., and reverberated across the nation when Patrick Purdy gunned down school children, many Southeast Asian American, at Cleveland Elementary School. Five children were killed and 30 other people were wounded.

“Some of the parents think that white people don’t like them—they think maybe there are too many [refugees] in Stockton and some have expressed that it was just like when the Communists took action, like during the Vietnam War.” (Pheng Lo, director of the Lao Family Services)

11. Chang Wins French Open (June 16, 1989)

Michael Chang made history when he became the first Asian American male ever to win a grand slam event in tennis. The then 17-year-old Chinese American beat Sweden’s Stefan Edberg 6-1, 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

“I want to be able to keep on going and do even better.” (Michael Chang)

12. Historical First: Asian Chancellor at U.C. Berkeley (February 16, 1990)

When the U.C. Board of Regents of the University of California selected Professor Chang-Lin Tien as chancellor at U.C. Berkeley, he became the first Asian American to head a major U.S. university. A native of China, Tien was recognized internationally as an expert on heat transfer technology. He began his academic career as a professor at U.C. Berkeley in 1959.

“This will be a historic first, sort of symbolic. But Tien is very capable—he’s not getting this just because he is an Asian American.” (Don Nakanishi, UCLA Asian American studies professor)

13. Bad Economy Blamed for Japan-Bashing (June 12, 1992)

San Francisco community leaders met to discuss the ongoing problem of racial discrimination against Asian Americans often spurred by the poor economy and the frustration of lack of jobs.

“I don’t care how much we learn about each other. If there are not enough jobs to go around, it doesn’t matter.” (Ron Takaki, U.C. Berkeley ethnic studies professor)

14. The City Riots Over King Case, Providing Fuel to Racial Tensions (May 8, 1992)

The not guilty verdict and subsequent acquittal of four Los Angeles Police Department officers charged with the brutal beating of Rodney King, sparked riots in Los Angeles. Hundreds of Korean American owned businesses were damaged, burned and looted. In the aftermath, racial tensions worsened, especially between African Americans and Asian Americans.

“No person of color can feel as safe on the streets as they did before this verdict.” (Paul Igasaki, executive director of the Asian Law Caucus)

15. Washington Cheers Asian Pacific Americans with Heritage Month (May 14, 1993)

President Clinton signed a proclamation naming May as the official Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. However, celebration was tempered with the lack of appointments being given to Asian Americans.

“This is a great occasion to celebrate our Asian Pacific American heritage, but we also need to use this month to express who we are and what we want. During the recent presidential campaign, APAs raised over $4 million, one of the largest amounts from a single group. We all realized we were being once again tapped for our money, but this time we anticipated we would be tapped for our talent too.” (Congressman Norman Mineta, D-Calif.)

16. Healing with Hanoi (July 14, 1995)

After President Clinton established normal diplomatic relations with Vietnam, Vietnamese Americans were able for the first time to return to their homeland. It allowed others to set up businesses, and some traveled there to find wives.

“I’m very happy for personal, community and political reasons. I’ll finally be able to see the country where I was born…” (Vu-Duc Vuong, executive director of the Center for Southeast Asian Refugee Resettlement)

17. Making of a Monument (November 3, 1995)

At 21, Maya Lin won a competition to design a monument commemorating America’s most controversial war. When Lin designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., a V-shaped wall of black polished granite, she envisioned a great knife cutting into the earth. With the names of the war dead carved into the granite, the wall is intrinsically personal. Her thoughts were captured in a documentary film, Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision.

“I meant for people to cry. Memorials are about honesty and acceptance of death—only then can you experience a catharsis.” (Maya Lin)

18. Win Some, Lose Some (November 15, 1996)

Gary Locke became the first Asian American to be elected governor outside of Hawaii in a 19 percentage-point victory in Washington in 1996. Asian Americans comprised just 4 percent of the electorate.

“Gary was not relying on the Asian vote. He has broad appeal.” (Don Nakanishi, UCLA director of Asian American studies.)

19. Chief of Yahoo Links to Success (July 16, 1998)

As a student at Stanford University, Jerry Yang and his friend David Filo collected their favorite Web sites. That hobby turned into a multi-million dollar business and one of the most recognized names on the Internet.

“I am so lucky to enjoy what I do; I don’t plan on achieving certain goals in definite terms of time. I just know for myself, when I am contributing, I am happy.” (Jerry Yang)

20. Poster Protest Aftermath (April 8, 1999)

When Truong Van Tran placed a North Vietnamese flag and poster of the late leader Ho Chi Minh on his Westminster, Calif. video store, Vietnamese American communities nationwide united in protest. In their impassioned demonstrations, they revealed that the scars of war linger long after wounds heal.

“After 1975, millions fled and became boat people. We lost 300,000 at sea. For those people to have Ho Chi Minh’s picture displayed, it’s like someone waving a Confederate flag in a black neighborhood.” (Kiem Do, community leader)

21. The Bloody Legacy of Hate Crimes (August 19, 1999)

After opening fire at a Jewish community center in Granada Hills, Calif., white supremacist Buford Furrow, shot and killed Filipino American Joseph Ileto, who was making his rounds as a postal worker. A year later President Clinton signed a bill to name a post office in Chino Hills, Calif., after Ileto.

“My brother is a kind of guy that came into the room with always a smile on his face.” (Ismael Ileto, brother of Joseph)

22+. Wen Ho Lee’s Daughter Speaks Out (October 21, 1999)

Asian American Professors Call for Boycott of Energy Dept. (March 23, 2000)

Two months before Wen Ho Lee was arrested and indicted on 59 counts for mishandling nuclear secrets, his daughter, Alberta Lee described the torment of living under FBI surveillance. The Asian American community has been critical of the government’s treatment toward the Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist. Asian American studies professor Ling Chi Wang called Lee’s treatment the worst civil rights violation since the murder of Vincent Chin.

“[It’s] a really long, slow death…I’m never going to feel the same way about this country again.” (Alberta Lee)