Dear Asian Am. Workers in Silicon Valley (AWISV):
The bad news is you face a low glass ceiling, perhaps lower than those faced by other AsAms in the nation. The good news is 80-20 can help. Interested? Please read the rest of the letter and assess carefully. It involves not only your pragmatic interest but also your dignity.
ASCEND, a good non-profit AsAm org, reported recently that it did a study using "previously confidential 2013 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission data, now released by Google Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., Intel Corp., LinkedIn Corp. and Yahoo Inc. Although Asians make up 27.2 percent of the professional workforce at these five companies, only 13.9 percent of executives in the professional workforce at these companies are Asians."
The data may imply that AsAm workers in Silicon Valley have only 1/2 or (13.9/27.2= 51%) the chance of rising to the top, when compared with other workers.
That report created some excitement among many AWISV who've never heard of the "glass ceiling" against AsAms. It is, however, very old news to 80-20. Way back in 2004, using EEOC data and the same methodology, 80-20 proved that AsAms nationwide, not just those AWISV, have only half the chance to rise to the top in private industries. Indeed, in 2206 EEOC's Chief statistician, Ron Edwards, verifies our findings in writing. See the footnote in green below.
Examine the chart below. Compare the heights of the white bars, and compared with the national average, shown in a blue dashed line. AsAmsnhave the least chance -- 1/2 (0.54) of the national average.
Indeed, 80-20 bought a full-page ad in 2006 in Washington Post to expose the lack of equal opportunity for Asian Ams in private industries, universities and the federal government.
80-20 has the Track Record in Lifting the Glass ceiling
In 2006, 80-20 called a press conference in LA declaring its goal to increase the number of "life-tenured AsAm federal judges". In 2008, it respectfully requested Presidential candidate Sen. Obama to set that as a "top priority", which he answered with one word, "YES!" Behold how things have changed!
Not only did the number of such judges TRIPLE, the ranks climbed. There were no AsAm Appeals Court judges in 2006, we have FOUR today! Want to work with 80-20?
There Is No Free Lunch.
You'll need to help back. Then and only then will we succeed.
AWISV could be the first subgroup in private industries to win equal opportunity to RISE to the top.
1) What is a necessary condition before 80-20 will focus on AWISV?
Help 80-20's SELF (Self Empowerment Long-term Fund) reach its goal of raising $1 million per year for 5 yrs by Oct 25, 2015*. Otherwise, 80-20 PAC will most likely disband and it'll not be there to fight for you in the 2016 presidential election. Playing hard to get? No! Most of 80-20's old volunteer war horses, who wanted to retire a long time ago, will retire if SELF fails. They'll hang on a little longer to hire and training new young talents if and only if SELF has the money to enable them to hire the top quality people.
2) Why AWISV?
SV has the most FAVORABLE battle conditions for winning equal opportunity.
(1) Numerical advantage and concentration: AsAms have more than 50% of SV's tech jobs, although the average in the big companies like Google, H.P, ..,etc. is only 27.2%. Striking concentration of AsAms!
(2) Leadership: There are many known AsAm leaders with courage and organizing ability in SV,
(3) Financial ability to help 80-20 back: Tens of thousands of AWISV can afford to donate $100 per yr. for 5 yrs or more to 80-20's SELF.
(4) Tech companies are more enlightened and forward looking: Google has already committed "$150 million To Diversity"
(5) Presidential primaries in CA helps: During primary fights, the presidential candidates, uncertain of nomination, are most willing to listen to voters. CA has a lot of votes; SV a lot of $$. Every presidential election is a GOLDEN opportunity for minorities, when they use their bloc votes to induce the next president to help them become equals. That's how 80-20 tripled the number of AsAm federal judges, using the 2008 election. It used the CA primary between Obama and H. Clinton to induce Obama to say YES!
80-20's political know-how, practiced by the capable & selfless local AsAm leaders, will get our community organized for this push. We'll spare you the details.
(6) One subgroup of AsAms will inevitably win equal opportunity before others, no matter how we plan the battle. So we ALL need to work our hearts out to help this plan succeed.
An Empirical Test
This plan will succeed, IF AND ONLY IF AWISV and all AsAms will respond greatly. If you like this battle plan, PASS THE WORD and DONATE*. If the donation is weak, 80-20 will go back to square one or simply die, after Oct.25, 2015. Do your share to make every AWISV aware of this news.
To fight or not to fight? It involves not only your pragmatic interests but also your dignity. Your donation urges us to fight. You inaction tells us that you'd rather suffer.
S. B. Woo, a volunteer for the past 16 years
President, 80-20 Asian Am. National Educational Foundation, Inc.
*If SELF fails, all donations will be returned in full. I and all other old war horses don't benefit from a penny of your money.
From: "RONALD EDWARDS" <RONALD.EDWARDS@EEOC.GOV>
Subject: Re: Odd Ratios Calculations
Date: April 12, 2006 at 1:29:30 PM EDT
To:
Dr. Woo,
Your calculations are consistent with mine. We often use white males as a comparison group because just using whites would include women who we also suspect may suffer from discrimination. They might be thought of as diluting the comparison group. But I've seen it all different ways and understand your use of total whites.
Thanks. Ron
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