Dear Fellow Chinese Americans*,
I write this with a heavy heart and the future of our fruitful existence in this
country as a minority population in mind. Whether it is college admission for our children, welfare benefit for our seniors, and equal treatment before the law, there are no free lunches. One does not get benefits handed to you on a silver platter. You do not automatically get what you deserve but what you are willing to fight for.
Many of the welfare/benefit we and our seniors enjoy today are won on the lives and broken head and limbs of the African American some 50 years ago. Those of you watched the Selma march commemoration on TV know. Jewish Americans with only half of the population of Asian Americans has a political action committee, AIPAC, that operates with an annual budget 670 (yes, six hundred seventy) times larger than the Asian America counterpart, the 80-20 Initiative (67 million vs 100K per year). This is what I hope to bend your ears for just a couple of minutes of your time.
I have been working continuously with 80-20 since day one 16 years ago and have witnessed the many accomplishments she has brought about for our population. These you may know and can find on her website. No need for me to repeat them here.
A year ago, 80-20 launched a campaign of raising an endowment of five million dollars in five years, called the SELF fund, for the organization to insure her long term survival. Sad to say, today the total raised is way behind schedule. The Board of Donors of the SELF fund, which is a group of 15 individuals charged with the task of helping the SELF fund raising, and in which I am a member, realize that while you can lead a horse to the water, you cannot force the horse to drink the water. As a group, Chinese Americans are not poor. But if 80-20 cannot raise fund successfully, then either she is not doing a worthy job or our message is not getting through. Thus, the board of donors decided to conduct an experiment. We voted that"each of us shall do our best to raise $2800.00 in the next two weeks (from 3/11-3/25) for the 80-20 SELF fund". Thus, I am asking you to consider donating to 80-20 whatever you can immediately. Write a check or make a pledge payable to the "80-20 Educational Foundation, SELF fund" now.
As an added insurance that we don't waste your contribution, if 80-20 fails to reach her fund raising goal, we shall return your donation in full. And sadly 80-20 most likely will go out of existence. There is no use to linger on if the population does not support it even in a minimal way.
As a supporter, I have done my part according to our leader, S.B. Woo, that is, donate till it hurts. I sincerely hope you can do whatever you feel appropriate. Many thanks for your time and consideration.
Larry Ho
(Emphasis added by S.B. Woo)
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S.B. Woo, a volunteer
President, 80-20 Asian Am. National Educational Foundation, Inc.
* Prof. Ho is raising money from his Chinese Am friends in Lexington, MA. So he used 'Dear Fellow Chinese Americans". 80-20 serves all Asian Ams.
Post Script
As a result of Prof. Ho's letter, donations poured in. He wrote a "thank you" letter to donors, which ended with
". . . . At my age to know that another generation of responsible and responsive Chinese Am volunteers are ready to take over not only warms my heart but also enables me to state - " I shall die a very happy man". Larry Ho"
80-20's Top 10 Accomplishment, published 3 years ago.
