A Warning! Don't repeat our mistakes

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -- George Santayana

Our community is unfortunately politically relatively immature. We may have an inordinate fraction of people who are really eager to get a government office without a commensurate sense of justice, integrity and obligation to the Asian Am. community.

Don't Let such people take over

We've seen such people in the past. When the community was in trouble e.g. the Asia Gate of 1997, they hid. When there was work to do e.g. winning equal opportunity and justice for Asian Ams., they were too busy. When we needed to mobilize the Asian Ams. in battleground states
to get a bloc vote for Obama, they sat idle. Indeed some of those folks were the same ones who got the entire Asian Am. community into deep trouble in the 1996 fundraising scandals. However, when there are appointments, these same people come out and want to take over. :-(

How To Learn a Lesson From the Past

I am not seeking any appointment nor will accept any*. So I don't have the turf motive. I just want our community to examine our mistakes of the past and NOT repeat it. It may be that we want to discuss

1) how our community allowed those mistakes to occur,
2) why did people hide and not fought for our community when things got tough, and
3) what kind of people our community should be supporting to represent us, instead of just letting the greedy and the selfish take over again.

We've had bad political role models

We have also had bad role models -- people who were in high government positions & who would not care if Asian American enjoy equal opportunity or not. They considered themselves the high class Asian Americans and are loath to hear our grievances. They should follow President-elect's urging: CHANGE.

Stopping the bad apples

Our community has politically matured a great deal, partially owing to the e-newsletters of 80-20 PAC and 80-20 Educational Foundation. But many of the rotten apples may not hear us, because they have such a different value system from the rest of us. Because they are greedy,
they are also very aggressive.

This e-newsletter is a clarion call to let these folks know that we'll not sit idlely by. They need to show their awareness of and willingness to address the grievances of our community first.

Do your share to nominate the good folks

Do your share to nominate the good folks. The best way to block the bad folks from getting office is to come up with our own good nominees. President-elect Obama wants an open government. So please take time to nominate the good folks. To write to the Transition Team, click on http://www.80-20initiative.net and then "Send your view to the Transition Team."

"People who don't work for good government deserve to be ruled by those are worse than themselves." Source Unknown

Yearning for you to do your share,

S. B. Woo
President, 80-20 Educational Foundation, Inc.

* An irrevokeable promise by me to the community since 1999.

Transition Team & Empowerment‏

80-20 Educational Foundation's (EF) press release of a few days ago reported to you that it has achieved its 2008 election goals. They are:

1) to help elect a President who shares Asian Americans' rightful concerns in equal opportunity and justice. Please recall the written commitment by President-elect Obama to the Asian Am. community through EF.

2) to have input into the Presidential Transition Team (TT) so that incoming high level appointed officials will share the rightful concerns of Asian Americans. 3 Asian Ams are in the transition groups (TT & its Advisory Board) of 28 persons. Two are top leadership of the TT.

EF has worked with the TT, and things are proceeding smoothly. In a correspondence with EF, Chris Lu, Executive Director of the TT said,

"The fact that President-elect Obama has asked Pete Rouse and me to assist with the transition planning is an example of his strong commitment to including Asian Americans in his administration."

One main focus of EF is to ensure that the next Secretary of Labor is committed to enforcing Exec. Order 11246 for ALL Americans. Currently Asian Americans are left out of the enforcement, unlike all other Americans.

When that law is enforced, YOU, indeed every Asian American, will be greatly empowered. The number of Asian American managers is estimated to double from the current 500,000 to 1,000,000 in private industries, universities, and the Federal government, over a period of 10 years. Let's assume that each promotion represents a pay increase of $5,000 only; the combined increase in salary income will be $2.5 billion dollars. If parts of that sum flow into the Asian American related businesses, every Asian American will benefit including those in Korea- /Japan-/India-/Filipino-/Vietnam- and China-town. Bear in mind that a rising tide raises all ships. Above all, we become equal citizens and will enjoy increased opportunities to contribute to America.

Our members are those who really made the above possible. Will you join them in helping 80-20 please? Thank you.

Respectfully yours,

S. B. Woo
President, 80-20 Educational Foundation, Inc.

Our real battle begins!

Because of you, Obama won & we are a giant step closer to enjoying equal opportunity.

However, YOUR battle to win equal opportunity for YOU & YOUR children does NOT end with Obama's victory. It begins!

Q1 in 80-20's questionnaire to presidential candidates Obama & Biden is:

"If elected, will you direct the Labor Secretary to hold public hearings regarding the validity of the huge amount of statistical data strongly suggesting discriminatory practices against Asian Americans in workplaces today?" *

"YES," answered our President- & Vice President-elect.

Rise, therefore, Asian Americans! We need to get ready for those public hearings! We need superb witnesses to testify before the hearings.

We already have

a US Senator,
a Congressperson,
a Former Dean of a Law School,
a scientist, and
a labor expert with EEOC experience

on our list of witnesses.

We need more, however. Again, we come to YOU for help.

If YOU know Asian Am. witnesses who have won court cases involving the glass ceiling, please let me know sbw@udel.edu . Those individuals know first hand how painful it was to be denied the opportunity to live to the maximum of their ambition and ability. They also know how punishing the court procedure was in suing against an American company.

Now these same individuals can be our community's heroes and e. Working with 80-20, they can relieve the 14 million Asian Ams. of that kind of pain & suffering, while making America a "more perfect Union."

A year ago, did we think Obama could beat Clinton and the become then first black US president?

If Obama can win, we can be equal citizens of the USA. All we need to do is "To sustain, plan well & be DOERS!"

If you have time, please give time. If you have money, DONATE. Go
http://www.80-20educationalfoundation.org./donate/donate.asp. Donation to 80-20 Educational Foundation is tax deductible.

Because of you, we will win the next battle -- "the battle of the public hearings."

Respectfully yours,

S. B. Woo
President, 80-20 Educational Foundation, Inc.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
* If you are wondering what happens AFTER we've won the "battle of the public hearings," please read questions 2 and 3:

Q2: If the data were shown valid, will you issue a directive to the Labor Department asking it to focus on enforcing Executive Order 11246 on behalf of Asian Americans, since in the past similar efforts have already been made on behalf of women and other minorities?

In other words, if and when we win the "battle of the public hearings," we'll finally get to enjoy the protection of the law that all other Americans have already enjoyed. Now do you believe that YOU have been and are still second class citizens until we win this battle?

Q3: Two years after you have issued the directive described in Q2, will you meet with a group of Asian American national organizations, put together by 80-20 and the Labor Department, to review the progress in extending equal opportunity to Asian Americans?

In other words, 80-20, being utterly dedicated to winning equal opportunity for you, has gained President Obama's promise to review the progress together. This review will provide the pressure for due progress.

For the complete reply, click HERE.