APA State Legislators Back Davis for Governor

Dems tout Davis’ record on APA issues

By Andrew Chow
AsianWeek Staff Writer

California’s Asian Pacific American state Assembly members last week backed incumbent Gov. Gray Davis’ re-election campaign, touting Davis’ record on APA issues before a backdrop of APA supporters.

But an APA spokesman for Republican challenger Bill Simon Jr. said APAs need to look beyond Davis’ staged gimmicks to see where his administration has failed.

The four Democratic Assembly members, along with state insurance commissioner Harry Low and Board of Equalization member John Chiang, espoused Davis’ achievements at a press conference in Sacramento on June 19. About 40 APA community members from throughout California stood behind Davis to illustrate the first-term governor’s diverse support.

“In four short years, Gov. Davis has accomplished what the Asian Pacific American community has tried to accomplish in California’s prior 148 years of history,” Chiang said, noting more than 200 APA appointments to administrative and judicial offices during Davis’ four-year term.

Davis has accomplished “a whole list of things,” said Assemblyman George Nakano of Torrance, who chairs the Assembly’s Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus. Davis provided funding for preserving APA history exhibits at three APA museums, Nakano said, and signed legislation to preserve the Japantown districts in Los Angeles, San Jose and San Francisco.

The governor also signed the California Civil Liberties Public Education Act, which funds education describing the Japanese American internment during World War II, Nakano said. “You can see that the governor not only recognizes the diversity of California, he makes certain the needs are met for the diverse population that represents California,” he said.

Davis has also supported children’s and health care issues, said the Assembly’s Majority Whip Wilma Chan of Oakland, noting a 500 percent increase in the number of APA children enrolled in the Healthy Families program during Davis’ administration. Davis has also increased funding for English-language instructional programs, said Assemblywoman Carol Liu of La Cañada/Flintridge.

Davis has been a staunch defender of civil liberties for APAs, said Judy Chu of Monterey Park, chair of the Assembly’s Select Committee on Hate Crimes. Davis added “national origin” to the state’s anti-hate crimes laws and created an APA anti-hate crimes program at the justice department, she said.

But, Simon spokesman Darrell Ng said, the governor’s administration has fallen short with regards to the state’s $24 billion budget deficit and last year’s energy crisis.

“When you look at the issues important to Asians and all Californians, [voters will] see issues where Gray Davis has failed,” Ng said. Even in the field of education, the governor has cut more than $700 million for the University of California system in his latest budget, Ng said.

Recent polls show Davis’ lead over Republican challenger Bill Simon Jr. has dwindled — with some showing it to be as little as 1 percentage point. Green Party candidate Peter M. Camejo pulls about 5 percent in those polls.

The polls also reveal that half of California voters give Davis “unfavorable” job-performance ratings, according to newspapers throughout the state.

“It’s [Davis’] mismanagement that has put this state into a financial quagmire, and the citizens of California recognize that,” Ng added.

Meanwhile Simon, who co-founded a family investment firm and served as an assistant U.S. attorney in New York, has received the endorsement of former State Treasurer Matt Fong and has created an Asian outreach initiative dubbed the “A-Team,” Ng said.

Ng also noted that Davis’ event in Sacramento “followed our event” a few weeks ago, when Simon joined APA supporters in Los Angeles’ Chinatown district. “It drew a ton of ethnic media — that’s actual outreach,” Ng said, adding that Davis’ APA press conference drew just two APA news outlets.

Still, Davis said he felt confident of APA community support, especially in a state where so many hardworking APA immigrants have readily achieved the “American dream.”

“This is a wonderful legacy that all of us have inherited, and all of us are working to preserve and enhance,” Davis said. “We have recognized that every citizen in this state deserves a seat at the table, a seat at our government. And I’m very proud that so many Asian Americans have distinguished themselves.”