DEAR EDITOR: The noblest of American dreams is that of equal opportunity. Thus far, Asian Americans have been denied that dream. Ample statistics show that we have been denied equal opportunity in the workplace. We are given less pay for equal work and one-third the opportunity of all other Americans to rise to the top.
Presidential candidates Sen. John Kerry and Ralph Nader want to include APAs in that dream. President Bush does not.
Kerry and Nader have promised in writing to enforce Executive Order 11246 for APAs. Bush has not, after repeated prompting by the leadership of 80-20 and many of you who sent faxes and e-mails.
After four years of quiet, diplomatic effort to get Bush and Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to open up opportunities for APAs and seeing no action, 80-20 must express utter disappointment in the Bush administration.
We urge all APAs to tell their friends and relatives about the irresponsible policy decisions of those two individuals. 80-20 is now considering initiating a class action against the U.S. Labor Department.
When EO11246 is enforced, in 10 years there will be an increase of 6,500 APA administrators in universities alone. When all domestic institutions are taken into account, the enforcement will benefit about 1 million APAs directly. The ripple effect will benefit all APAs.
S.B. Woo
80-20 Initiative
Newark, Del.
I Don’t Know Gays
DEAR EDITOR: S.F. Assessor- Recorder Mabel Teng’s comments have ignited a firestorm and outrage among the Chinese community. The respected Chinese newspaper in San Francisco, Ming Pao, reported on Aug. 13 that she said, “If you would observe carefully, every family in the Chinese community must know at least one homosexual among its uncles, aunts, children and friends. They just do not like to speak up.” Not among our Chinese community! That is insulting to the tens of thousands of Chinese who live here. It is a total exaggeration and fabrication, and some in our community would like to challenge her to prove it.
Scores of surveys show that no more than 2 to 3 percent of our population is gay and/or bisexual. How then can every family know a gay person, let alone the more traditional Chinese family? To claim so is to mislead the public. It is an old tactic by radical gay activists to picture themselves as everywhere in order to gain more sympathy and funding.
Raymond Kwong
San Francisco, Calif.
YFAT To Dragon Boat
DEAR EDITOR: Upon reading the Aug. 5 issue of AsianWeek, I stumbled onto a well-written article about Youth for Asian Theater by my old schoolmate, Lauren Yee. Seeing young APAs like her making a difference in people’s lives gives me a strong sense of motivation.
Even though Lauren goes to Yale University with straight A’s while I go to City College of San Francisco without those grades, we have something very much in common. She started Youth for Asian Theater, while I, on the other hand, started CCSF’s first dragon boat team.
There are 23 members on the team, and right now we are practicing every Saturday for a big race in September. Dragon boat racing is the fastest growing Asian sport in the United States. Just in the Bay Area alone, thousands of APAs and people from other ethnic groups have joined this team sport.
Danny Lam
San Francisco, Calif.