Asian Americans Should Vote ‘Yes’ on Prop V
October 10, 2008
San Francisco voters will hold the future of many of The City’s Asian American students in their hands when they go to the polls on November 4. Proposition V would support the reinstatement of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps in the school district in a bid to reverse the phase-out of the during- and after-school program decreed by the Board of Education in 2006. For the sake of the Asian American students—who make up an astounding 70 percent of The City’s JROTC participants—voters should support Proposition V.
San Francisco’s parents and students have fiercely defended the JROTC program.
The 90-year-old program is nothing less than an institution in the San Francisco Unified School District and has been lauded by supporters and detractors of Prop V alike for developing character, discipline, self-esteem, responsibility and leadership among the cadets, almost 100 percent of whom go to college. The program has the support of 85 percent of students citywide, as well Parent Teacher Associations and principals at each of the seven affected schools.
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Critics of the program call it a recruitment tool for the military, although less than five percent enter the military and JROTC instructors are forbidden from recruitment. Only two of almost 1,500 cadets enlisted at the end of the 2007 school year.
The JROTC program is perhaps one of the most diverse and inclusive of all the district’s programs. Students of color comprise 90 percent of The City’s program. Seventy percent of The City’s JROTC instructors are African American males. Forty percent of its cadets are women, as are the majority of the cadet leadership. Even gay and lesbian students have attested that the program has given students, who have long felt like outsiders, a place where they can thrive.
The JROTC program is a must for the Asian American community. Traditionally, APAs have been taught the importance of academics, with leadership and philanthropy often overlooked. JROTC changes that, as many cadets volunteer for community improvement projects and learn teamwork and public-speaking skills.
Another added benefit of having it is its role in breaking the stereotype of Asians being quiet, nerdy and passive. Their training gives them an outlet to be loud, vocal and physical.
A resounding “yes” vote on the ballot will tell the program’s detractors—the Board of Education—that this program imparts and reinforces skills and qualities Asian American parents teach their children and prize themselves.
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3 Responses to “Asian Americans Should Vote ‘Yes’ on Prop V”
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Pro-JROTC folks would have you believe that only “two of almost 1,500 cadets enlisted” in the military, but that figure is so extremely low as to defy logic. Former Defense Secretary William Cohen said, “JROTC is one of the best recruiting devices we could have.” The military generals told Congress in 2000 that 30 - 40% of JROTC cadets nationally join the military (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JROTC). The local program uses the same curriculum with the same kind of Army instructors, so we should expect the same results. This is the goal of JROTC, to recruit our children into the Army. I was a 1st Lieutenant in JROTC at Galileo High School, and out of a group of my six friends (including me), 5 of us joined the military, and 3 went to Viet Nam. As for leadership, Army JROTC teaches the Army idea of leadership - blind obedience to authority. In other words, don’t think for yourself, just obey immediately. This will not help young people in today’s high tech, fast paced work environment, where you have to think creatively, on your feet, and out of the box. The only jobs military “leadership” trains you for are jobs where blind obediance is a plus, such as flipping burgers at McDonalds. Bear in mind that an estimated 30+% of our homeless population are veterans. This is not the place for young people to learn success.
Michael Wong you do know that wikipedia pages can be edited by anyone.
By the way I am a jrotc cadet and I have no intention to join the military, nor have I been influenced too.
They aren’t making me lie either.
I have no reason to, nor can they make me lie if I wanted too.
The fact that the armed service chiefs of staff testified to 30% or more of JROTC cadets going on to join the military is reliably sourced in the Wikipedia entry to the Hearings on National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 before the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, February 10, 2000. The Cohen quote that JROTC is “one of the best recruitment programs we could have” is likewise reliably sourced. Thus that anyone can edit Wikipedia does not discredit this information.