This week, I continue with the heroes of immigrants’ rights, education and presidential politics from my 30 years of political experience.
SAVING IMMIGRANT-FAMILY-REUNIFICATION RIGHTS: The 1965 Immigration Reform Act was the landmark bill that allowed an unprecedented number of Asians to immigrate to this country to make up for the decades of discriminatory immigration policies of the past. However there have been major efforts to modify the act by limiting the number of family members from Asian countries who want to join their loved ones in the United States. In the late ’80s, while the Kennedy-Simpson-Simon Immigration Reform Act was being debated in Congress, APIA organizations found that they were limited in their political clout and resources when it came to fighting the uphill battle of protecting these immigrants’ rights.
However, thanks to the expertise of professor Bill Hing and Stanley Mark of the New York Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a small group of activists — such as Ignatius Bau of the National Coalition for Immigration Justice; Howard Hom, a Los Angeles immigration attorney; the Hon. Gordon Quan; Yvonne Lee of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance; Melinda Yee of the Organization of Chinese Americans; and San Francisco’s the Rev. Norman Fong — had a plan to lobby Congress to protect immigrant-family-reunification preferences. And much to everyone’s surprise, this group succeeded in blocking the modifications.
Few people realize that the major reason why this group was successful was due to two individuals, John Huang and Maria Hsia. Their invaluable political relationships in Congress helped to open doors that were previously closed to the lobbying group. To ensure that it met face to face with politicians, Huang and Hsia personally escorted the group around the halls of Congress. The lobbying efforts resulted in changing the minds of many of them. Immigrant families who have since been reunited with their parents, children and siblings owe a debt of gratitude to the unsung efforts of Huang and Hsia.
The Key to Opportunity — Education: Whenever I am asked what the priority is for all APAs, I automatically reply, “Education, education, education.” Many of us take Asian American or ethnic studies for granted. We also have become used to prominent APA professors and administrators on college campuses and fair admission standards for applicants. However the many struggles to achieve all this took place only during the past 25 years.
Dale Shimisaki was at the forefront in helping to organize Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education to give APA educators a voice in both academia and the political world. Before APAHE was formed, college professors such as Ling-chi Wang, Don Nakanishi, Ron Takaki, Elaine Kim, Ron Kong, Audrey Yamagata-Noji, Sucheng Chan, Elaine Kim, Warren Furutani and the late Chang Lin Tien (UC Berkeley’s former chancellor) were the daring leaders who challenged academic institutions, seeking fair admission policies, unbiased tenure standards and curriculum programs that included Asian American or ethnic studies.
Breaking the Biggest Glass Ceiling: Participating in presidential campaigns is the biggest political game in this country. San Francisco’s own Tom Hsieh, who broke barriers within the structure of the Democratic National Committee, inaugurated me into this arena. Individuals such as Ginger Lew (of the Carter administration), Mo Marumoto (of the Reagan administration) and Clayton Fong (of the Bush administration) were among the first visible high-ranking APA appointees in Washington, D. C., during the ’70s and ’80s. They helped open doors and served as eloquent role models for so many who have followed in their footsteps in the Clinton and current Bush administrations.
This list of legends only represents a small sample of the many leaders who have made a difference during the past 25 years. The people mentioned are those I have personally worked with throughout my career, and to this day, their contributions continue to inspire me. I am reminded of the saying, “If you have succeeded, it is because others have failed before you, and if you have failed, it is so others can succeed after you.”