A New Nightmare: Cambodian American Deportation Carries History’s Weight (Feature) Local and National Reports Document Sept. 11 Backlash (in National News) Airport Screeners Pick Up Final Paychecks (in Bay Area News) Ultimate Diversions: Inside the Twilight Zone (in Business) Mark Chung: American Soccer’s Coolest Man (in Sports) ‘Bollywood/Hollywood’ Celebrates Double Vision (in A&E) Emil Amok: APA Judge Grants Screeners Temporary Victory (in Opinion)

You Go Girl

“I’ve been waiting over 200 years.”

New congressional Democratic Party leader Nancy Pelosi’s words are tongue-in-cheek, but still incredibly true. Pelosi won an easy victory of 177-29 last Thursday to become the first woman leader of either party. The San Francisco congresswoman has always had a strong record in the House, focusing especially on HIV/AIDS, women’s health and human rights issues and her leadership, especially in these GOP-ruled times, is crucial. Pelosi deserves congratulations and support for breaking through the glass ceiling.

In fact, perhaps now would be a REALLY good time for you to contact Pelosi (sf.nancy@mail.house.gov) and tell her how important she is and how much you have faith in her. Pelosi, whose liberal bent has been criticized in the past week as something that will keep the Democrats down, is doing her best to stand with her President, perhaps a little too much. Pelosi voted against the congressional resolution authorizing force in Iraq and was against the new Homeland Security Department, but recently voted in its favor and vowed to support Bush if the U.S. goes to war with Iraq. While her diplomacy is part of what got her where she is today, we need a strong progressive leader in D.C. Nancy, don’t forget your roots!

Meanwhile, deportation continues to rock the Asian Pacific American community. While Sept. 11 has brought down the wrath of the Justice Department and the INS on South Asians and Filipinos, the Cambodian American community has been dealing with changed deportation laws since 1996. Last week, a nationwide day of action called attention to a number of Cambodian American youth who are waiting to be sent back to a country where their parents faced the nightmare of bloody genocide. Meanwhile, another 100 detained Pakistanis are scheduled to be deported on INS Air by the end of the month, according to Pakistani newspaper The News.

The destruction that deportation causes to entire communities makes these stories cross ethnic lines. If there was ever an APA issue to unite around, this is it.