"action, power, influence: profiles in courage" (cause leadership academy 2011 group research...

7/29/2019 "Action, Power, Influence: Profiles in Courage" (CAUSE Leadership Academy 2011 Group Research Project)

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Politics as a Tool of Inuence

Compilation of Case Stdies

Action,Power,InuenceProles in Courage

Andrew Angeles

Sungwoo Chon

Connie ChuRebecca Han

Ellen Hou

Anh Thu Tran

Matthew Wong

Alexander Zou

2011 CAUSE Research Project


2/32

2 foreword

forewordThe CAUSE interns are proud to present the 2011

research project, a compilation of case studies of

prominent individuals ranging from local politicians

in Southern California to state ofcials. In addition

to this compilation, the CAUSE interns have em-

ployed social media, like Facebook, Twitter, and the

CAUSE website, in an effort to share the case stud-ies and project our message.

The number of Asian Pacic Islander (API)elected ofcials is rising. Today, there aremany examples in our federal, state, and

local governments. As a community we havemade signicant progress, yet there is somuch more we can do. The purpose of thisproject is to encourage political participationin the Asian American community. Throughthese case studies, we hope to motivate andinspire Asian Americans to become moreinvolved in our government. Politics

determine the rules and norms that mold ourreality, and we owe much more to ourselvesand to each other than to sit back and let thepolitical process unfold without our input.

sincerely,2011CAUSEInterns


3/32

3table of contents

table of contentsForeword ..................................2

Case Studies

Sukhee Kang .........................6

About the Case Studies ............4

Mike Gin ...............................8

Miller Oh .............................10

Steven Ly .............................12Leland Yee ...........................14

John Chiang ........................16

Ronald Lew ........................18

Jeremy Yamaguchi .............20

Fiona Ma ............................22

Gary Yamauchi ...................24

Tam Ngoc Tran ...................26

Call to Action ..........................28

About the Interns ....................30


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about the case stdiesOur case studies run the gamut, from statewide ofcials to local city council-members. Yet they all have one thing in common: the experience of being an

Asian American in the United States. Below are the individuals whose stories

serve as models for others to follow.

4about the case studies

Position: Mayor of IrvineEducation: Korea University

Ethnicity: Korean

SUKHEE KANG

Position: Mayor of Redondo Beach

Education: University of Southern CaliforniaEthnicity: Chinese

MIKE GIN

Position: City Councilmember of Buena Park

Education: University of California, Los Angeles

Ethnicity: Korean

MILLER OH

Position:Mayor of Rosemead

Education: University of California, Los Angeles

Ethnicity: Chinese

STEVEN LY

Position: California State Senator, District 8

Education:UC Berkeley (Bachelors), San FranciscoState University (Masters), University of Hawaii (Ph.D)

Ethnicity: Chinese

LELAND YEE


5/32

5about the case studies

Position: 31st California State Controller

Education: University of South Florida,

Georgetown University Law CenterEthnicity: Taiwanese

JOHN CHIANG

Position: U.S. District Court Judge

Education: Loyola Marymount University,

Southwestern University School of Law

Ethnicity: Chinese

RONALD LEW

Position: Mayor Pro Tempore of Placentia

Education: California State University, Fullerton

Ethnicity: Japanese and Caucasian

JEREMY YAMAGUCHI

Position: Speaker Pro Tempore, California State As-sembly; California State Assemblymember,12th DistrictEducation: Rochester Institute of Technology,Golden Gate University, Pepperdine UniversityEthnicity: Chinese

FIONA MA

Position: Mayor of Alhambra

Education: Gardena High School

Ethnicity: Japanese

GARY YAMAUCHI

Position:Immigration Reform Activist

Education: University of California, Los Angeles; Ph.D

candidate at Brown University

Ethnicity:Vietnamese

TAM NGOC TRAN


6/32

Today, Irvine, California is

about as close to an urban

utopia as one can nd in the

United States. In fact, in 2008,

Money Magazine ranked Irvine

as the fourth best place to live in

the country, and last year the FBI

named Irvine as the safest big

city in the country. Furthermore,

Irvine is among the company of

the wealthiest and most edu-

cated cities in the United States.

And the man at the helm of this

metropolitan wonderland is themayor, rst-genera-

tion Korean-Amer-

ican Sukhee Kang.

Upon rst glance,

Sukhee Kangs story

doesnt seem to pro-

vide for a natural seg-

ue into the mayorsofce. After earning

his bachelors de-

gree at Korea Univer-

sity in Seoul, Kang

immigrated to the United States.

Like many immigrants of his gen-

eration, Kang had no intention of

entering the realm of Americanpolitics, let alone heading a major

American city. After all, he was an

immigrant who had little familiar-

ity with the new people and cul-

ture that surrounded him. He had

neither experience in politics nor

an established political network

in which to ground a potential

political career. For immigrants

like Kang, politics was not the

prioritymaking a living was.

But there are often certain inci-

dentstipping pointsthat gal-

vanize people to action, that trig-

ger the latent leadership qualities

of seemingly ordinary citizens.

Sukhee Kang was one of those

seemingly ordinary citizens, and

his tipping point was the 1992

Los Angeles Riots. Kang notes,

The 92 incident

wasa wake-

up call to me.

The 1992 riots

devastated many

communities within

the City of Los An-geles, resulting in

dozens of deaths,

over a billion dollars

in property dam-

age, and worldwide criticism and

mockery of Los Angeles. The Ko-

rean-American community was

particularly hard hit. The Korean-

American community not onlysuffered severe property losses,

but also fell victim to systematic

injustices perpetrated by faulty

legal and governmental systems.

As a Korean American himself,

But there are oen cer-

tain incidentstipping

pointsthat galvanize

people to action, that

tigger the latent leader-

ship qualities of seemingly

ordinar citizens.

SUKHEE KANGpolitical eureka!

6sukhee kang


7/32

Kang felt compelled to act. The

LA Riotswas my inspiration

to get involved in the Korean-

American community, he says.

Kangs latent leadership had

been triggered, and he had be-

gun his impressive journey as a

community advocate and pub-

lic servant. In 1993, at the rec-

ommendation of a friend, he

joined the board of the Korean

American Scholarship Founda-tion, where he would eventu-

ally serve as President in 2002.

Kang also became involved in

the Korean American Demo-

cratic Committee, achieving the

position of President. Through

his participation in the com-

munity and local politics, Kang

gained recognition as one who

was able to bring dissimilar peo-

ple together for progress, and

those around him urged Kang

to run for elected ofce. Kang,

after much thought, decided to

run for a seat on the Irvine City

Council, which he narrowly won

thanks to a robust fundrais-

ing effort and a tireless door-

to-door grassroots campaign.

The rest, as the adage goes,

is history. Sukhee Kang would

be reelected to City Council in2006, elected Mayor in 2008,

and reelected to the May-

ors Ofce in 2010. Currently,

Kang is embarking on a cam-

paign for a seat in Congress. If

elected, he would be the only

Korean-American in Congress.

What makes Sukhee Kangs story remarkable is that it trulyembodies the rags-to-riches ideal in the political sense. Kangarrived in California as a Korean immigrant who has now po-sitioned himself to be a serious contender for a Congressionalseat. He was inspired to political activism out of anger towardsthe injustices that his fellow Korean-American immigrantshad suffered. He had no political background to give him aninitial boost; instead, he relied on his personal conviction that

an entire communitys voice could not be ignored in the main-stream political world. When asked his reason for enteringpolitics, Kang simply responds, I wanted to do good for thecommunity. He relied on a strong coalition built on trust andgood old-fashioned hard work to propel him to his current po-sition. I [strongly] believe that if you put in one hundred per-cent of your effort, then the result is always there, he says.

perspective

7sukhee kang


8/32

MIKE GINa te statesman

8mike gin

Mike Gin is not your typi-

cal Republican. He is

progressive. For ex-

ample, Gin strongly supports

the pro-environment agenda. He

is gay. Gin was married to his

spouse in 2008 when same-sex

marriage was legal in California.

He espouses the Tea Party, pre-

ferring to work across the aisle to

reach pragmatic solutions. Gin is

also Asian American, one of the

few minority elect-ed ofcials of the

Republican Party.

Today, Mike Gin

is the mayor of Re-

dondo Beach, a city

with a population

of approximately

66,000 people.

Throughout his life, Gin

has always had an interest for

politics. In high school, he was

elected student body presi-

dent. Gin was also elected to

the student senate at the Uni-

versity of Southern California.After moving to Redondo

Beach, Gin became a charter

member of the historic preser-

vation commission in 1989. Over

the years, he continued to be

involved in the Redondo Beach

community, serving on com-

missions that dealt with archi-

tecture, land use, and planning.

In 1995, Gin threw his name

in the hat to become a member

of the City Council. It was an

opportunity I was interested in at

the time, he said. Despite bat-

tling against three better known

opponents, Gin won the election

with about 60 per-cent of the vote;

thereby, avoiding

a run-off election.

Since 2005,

Gin has been

mayor of Redondo

Beach. As mayor,

his main focus

has been to bring

the community together. Gin

wanted to create an environ-

ment where our residents and

stakeholders in the community

feel they can take ownership

of issues. As a result, Gin has

been a major proponent of citi-zen task forces. For example, in

2005, the Redondo Beach har-

bor had an algae bloom prob-

lem. Under Gins leadership,

I wanted to bring

a dierent voice to

the debate, a voice of

problem-solving and

solutions


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million- the estimated number of U.S. residents of Asian descent.17.3

perspective

9mike gin

a water quality task force was

established.

Frustrated with partisan poli-

tics in Washington, D.C., Gin ranfor the seat of U.S. Congress-

woman Jane Harman this year.

I wanted to bring a different

voice to the debate, a voice of

problem-solving and solutions,

Gin said. Had he won, he would

have been an independent and

progressive Republican. Gin

said, I would cast votes and

make decisions on what I felt

would work best for our district

and work across the aisle rather

than have hard ideological posi-

tions that very frankly dont ad-

dress the needs of our nations.

Gin, the youngest and only

son in his Chinese family,named his parents as his role

models. He said, They always

made sure the needs of myself

and my sisters were provided

for. While his parents are no

longer with him, Gin expressed

his gratitude what they taught

him: the importance of educa-

tion, working hard, and having

good relationships with people.

As for his identity of being an

Asian American elected ofcial,

Gin said, Its part of who I am.

The story of Mike Gin is truly remark-able. It was because of Gins passionfor politics and his community that hedecided to make a run for elected of-ce. Perhaps, what is most important,

is Gins realization that politics requiresworking with your enemies, or thosewho you disagree with on the issues.Whether you are a Democrat or Re-publican doesnt matter, what mattersis what you can do for the communi-ty as a whole. That is essentially whoMike Gin is. His willingness to work

with those across the aisle showsthat he is a true American statesman.

Source: 2010 Census Brief Overiew of Race and Hispanic Origin h://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-02.pdf


10/32

Miller Ohs story is the sto-

ry of an ordinary Asian-

American. He wasnt

anybody special; he didnt have

connections to inuential gures;he didnt have family members

with a background in politics. I

never thought aboutpolitics;

Im not a politician, he says

when interviewed.

Mr. Oh was simply a

normal person who

one day, exasper-ated by the citys

interference with his

business, decided

to do something about it. Today

he is serving as the rst-ever

minority City Councilmember in

the Orange County suburb Bue-

na Park, a city where three outof four residents are non-Asian.

Mr. Oh was born in South

Korea in 1957, just after the

Korean War. Like many fel-

low immigrants, he didnt vote

or pay attention to political

news, concentrating instead

on his business and his family.

However, motivation came

when the stubborn bureaucracy

of Buena Park collided with his

business. When I need some-

thing, when I need help, they

[the city employees] couldnt

helpthey just punished me,

he states. I couldnt accept it.In December 2009 he made up

his mind to run forofce.

When Mr. Oh decided to run

for City Council, he like many

people had no

idea how to start.

This difculty was

compounded bythe fact that he

was an immi-

grant, less famil-

iar with the norms and cus-

toms of the United States.

He eventually found out what

to do by asking questions and

talking with people. First was

Charles Kim, President of the

Korean American Coalition, who

directed the businessman to

Fred Smith (now mayor of Buena

Park). The future mayor gave Mr.

Oh much-needed advice and

contacted Josh Chebat, a man

deeply involved in city politics.

Mr. Oh hired Josh Chebat as

his campaign manager a key

I never thought

about...politics; Im not

a politician.

MILLER OHan average joe

10 miller ohmillion- the estimated number of Califoria residents of Asian descent.Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census Redisticting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summar File, Custom Table 3, h://2010.census.gov/news/press-kits/redisticting.htl

5.6


11/32

step: He brought me a cam-

paign plan for three months,

day-by-day. So I followed ev-

ery single step that he asked

me to do. I walked 8,000

houses, and I attended any

event in the city 6 months pri-

or to the November election.

Another step involved court-

ing the senior vote. Every single

week, Mr. Oh says, he went to

the Buena Park Senior Cen-ter to greet and meet every-

body. At that place 300 to 600

seniors show up every day. It

paid off; three weeks before

the election, the president of

the senior center endorsed him.

That was huge, Mr. Oh states.

There were other endorse-ments. Mr. Oh received the sup-

port of all the former Council-

members. He did this by arguing

that as the Korean population

is growing every single day,

an individual who could rep-

resent and communicate with

the community was necessary.

As a rst-time politician, Mr.

Oh encountered some difcul-

ties during the campaign. The

letterhead the candidate used

came under scrutiny, as did the

place in which he lived and even

his age. At the time, he says, no-

body thought I could make it.But Mr. Oh did make it. The

candidate took 16.2% of the vote,

second to only Elizabeth Swift.

This was enough to ensure his

election to the City Council. Not

bad for an ordinary Asian-Amer-

ican businessman who had had

no interest in politics until today.

Remarkably, Miller Oh has succeeded in getting elect-ed in a city in which Asians are still very much in the mi-nority. Buena Park, according to 2010 Census gures,is 26.4% Asian-American. That Mr. Oh still was electedin a city with three out of four residents being non-Asianspeaks to his skill at appealing to a diverse electorate.

Mr. Ohs example shows that anybody with the will anddedication has a chance of becoming elected. You donthave to have a long history of political activism; youdont have to be a second-generation Asian-Americanborn in the United States; you dont have to speak Eng-lish perfectly. All you have to do is to take a chance.

perspective

11miller oh


12/32

STEVEN LYpaving the ftre

12 steven ly

For many young adults,

politics is never a topic of

open discussion within a

social atmosphere. It would be

more acceptable to talk aboutthe latest trends in technology

or reality television shows, rath-

er than discuss upcoming cam-

paigns or issues that are affect-

ing the state budget. For those

who do get involved and run for

an elected position, they do so

at a much later age.Mayor of Rosemead,

Steven Ly, is an ex-

ception to this rule.

Steven Ly has al-

ways been interest-

ed in the politics and

played a very active

role in his commu-nity at a young age.

He views politics as

a way to effect change- posi-

tive change- in the community

and to truly make a difference.

Politics is a way to better your

community through your own

philosophy- whether youre a Re-publican or Democrat, Ly said.

Ly always knew he would be

involved in politics, but never

thought he would run for the

position of a public gure or an

elected ofcial. He stated that

he would have done the behind

the scenes work or kept it as a

hobby. His young age was actu-

ally one of the reasons why [he]decided not to run for [city coun-

cil] for a really long time. Even

with a background in politics, a

B.A. in Public Policy and Politi-

cal Science, Ly still felt uncom-

fortable running for an elected

ofce, due to the fact that [he]

was so young.

After much en-

couragement from

community mem-

bers, Ly decided to

run for the Rose-

mead City Council.

Citizens of Rose-

mead felt that Lywas like the Son

of Rosemead. [He]

grew up in Rosemead, lived in

the city since the age of three,

attended all the local schools

and remained deeply involved

the community. Even throughout

college, he worked on local is-sues such as building a Walmart

Superstore in the city. Citizens

felt that Ly was one of the few

people who fully [understood]

the community and knew all the

He views politics as away to aect change-

positive change- in

the communit and

to tly make a

dierence.


13/32

The percentage gowth of U.S. residents of Asian descent beteen the 2000 and 2010censuses, which was more than any other major race goup.46

Steven Ly is an extraordinary example foryoung adults to be politically active. Atage 24, he never thought of running foran elected position, yet he defeated theodds, ran a successful campaign, andwon. In March 8, 2009, Ly made history.He feels that it is absolutely importantto be involved in politics, whether itsattending city council meetings, read-ing the newspaper, or even speaking tocity council members on a regular ba-sis. Speaking as a young adult himself,

Ly continues to engage other youth tobecome more politically active throughpublic speeches, community events,and providing support for those organi-zations that focus on youth leadershipdevelopment. Ly also participates ina number of community organizationshimself, such as Boys State and Stu-

dents Advocating to Voter Empower-ment (SAVE), to help educate youngergenerations about politics and the im-portance of becoming politically active.

perspective

3steven ly

issues affecting the community.

In March of 2009, Steven Ly

ran for councilmember in the

City of Rosemead. After a toughcampaign against an incumbent

and a school board member, Ly

won a seat on the Rosemead

City Council by an astonishing

25 votes and became the young-

est councilmember in history of

Rosemead. This was an amaz-

ing accomplishment for the API

community, as well as an inspi-

ration for younger generations.

As for the future, Ly wants

to nish his term as mayor andcontinue making an impact on

the city. At the age of 26, this

is just the beginning of his jour-

ney. He will surely be an inspi-

ration for many years to come.

1

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census Redisticting Data (Public Law 94-171) Su mmar File, Custom Table 3, h://2010.census.gov/news/releases/operations/cb11-cn123.htl


14/32

LELAND YEEshaering the glass ceiling

14 leland yee

The number of Asian

Americans in elected

ofces throughout the

state of California is climbing.

On November 8, yet anotherglass ceiling may be broken.

The person who became the

rst speaker pro tempore of

Asian descent is now compet-

ing to become the rst elect-

ed Chinese American mayor

of San Francisco.

That man is

none other than

California State

Senator Leland Yee.

Yee, whose

launch in politics

was in response to

ensuring challenging curricu-lum for his children, was rst

elected to the San Francisco

Board of Education in 1988. As

a school board member, Yees

goals were to improve schools

and instruction. His lasting leg-

acy there: preventing a program

that helped immigrant kids to

ease the transition from their

old homes to new homes from

being cut. According to Yee,

the program gave immigrant

children teachers who could

speak the childrens primary

language and who understood

the history and culture of the

newcomers. As a result of his

opposition to closing the pro-gram, a number of education

centers, Latino Education Cen-

ter, Chinese Education Cen-

ter, and the Filipino Education

Center continue to exist today.

Over the years, Yee con-

tinued to rise in

California politics.In 1996, he was

elected to the San

Francisco Board

of Supervisors. Six

years later, in 2002,

Yee was elected

to the State As-

sembly. In his rst year as a stateassembly member, Yee was ap-

pointed to the leadership team

and served as the rst Asian

American speaker pro tempore.

In 2006, Yee was elected to

the State Senate. One of Yees

most signicant pieces of leg-islation was a bill to ban the

sale of violent video games to

minors. He said, parents should

have more of a say over

what our kids learn and play.

On November 8,yet another glass

ceiling may be

broken.


15/32

percent of Asians tred out to vote in 2008 up 4 percentage points om 2004. Atotal of 3.4 million Asians voted.48

Leland Yees rise in local and state poli-

tics has been a long, steady climb. Yee,who probably never intended to runfor elected ofce, has achieved whatfew Asian Americans have been ableto achieve. His accomplishments, ofwhich there are many, came about asa result of his dedication to his work inwhatever elected capacity he has held.

Yees continued presence in Americansserves as a positive testament to all,especially to the growing Asian Ameri-can community. His continued suc-cesses show that truly, anybody, canachieve what was once thought of asthe unachievable. The Asian Americancommunity should be proud to have

such a role model in the political realm.

perspective

1leland yee

A psychologist, Yee says

these violent video games

are harmful to kids. Un-

fortunately, his law was

deemed unconstitutional

by the U.S. Supreme Court.

This year, when then-Mayor

Gavin Newsom resigned to be-

come Lieutenant Governor, the

San Francisco Board of Su-

pervisors appointed Ed Lee to

become interim mayor. Lee be-

came the rst Chinese Ameri-

can mayor of San Francisco.

We are making tremendous

progress in representation,

Yee said in response to the his-

toric moment. However, the

one we have never been able

to achieve is mayor, he added.

That position is what Yee hopes

to call his on November 8.

5

Source: Voting and Registation in the Election of November 2008 h://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/voting/cb09-110.htl


16/32

JOHN CHIANGa position of power

1 john chiang

Most dont really know

what the state control-

lers job is, but in the

middle of June 2011, people dis-

covered how powerful this po-

sition is. The chief scal ofcer

actually handles disbursements,

money, cash, unclaimed prop-

erty and more. He is essentially

our states accountant. June 15

marks the constitutional deadline

of the state budget. Every year

the California legislator struggles

with devising a budget on time.The budget has been

notoriously know to

be months late, but

in 2011 it was dif-

ferent. California

Democrats passed

a budget on time in

order to avoid pun-ishment. The year before Califor-

nians voted on and passed prop

25, which allowed legislators to

pass a budget with a mere ma-

jority, but if it was not passed

by the deadline pay would be

withheld. Therefore lawmakers

wanted an on-time budget; theproblem, however, was that the

rst budget they passed was not

truly balanced rather, it used

a variety of tricks and gimmicks

to create the appearance of a

balanced budget. The governor

Jerry Brown swiftly vetoed the

rst budget passed leaving Cali-

fornia without a nancial plan. In

2004, Californians made it illegal

for legislators to pass or a gover-

nor to sign an unbalanced bud-

get. Does this dilemma meet the

standards to withhold pay of leg-

islators? Even though lawmakers

passed a budget on time, does

it really have to be balanced?

John Chiang is the states

controller and is responsible forissuing the pay-

checks of govern-

ment employees.

Chiang made a de-

cision that forced

lawmakers into ac-

tion. Chiang used

his judgment to try

and better the community. Chi-

ang saw that a balanced bud-

get was necessary. Chiang sus-

pended the pay of legislators.

Though the lawmakers passed

a budget on time, Chiang saw it

as unbalanced and it did not t

the requirements. Chiang said, It

comes out with my signature andif it comes out with my signature

I have to make sure that it is le-

gal. Salaries were withheld forc-

ing lawmakers to collaborate and

make cuts into the budget. The

You never do

anyhing you

believe is wrong

6


17/32

million- the number of businesses owned by Asian-Americans in 2007, an increaseof 40.4 percent om 2002.1.5

Chiang served as chief of staff to BradSherman, a member of the California

Board of Equalization. When Sherman de-cided to run for U.S. Congress and wassuccessful, this left his position on theboard of equalization open. State law saysthat whoever is chief deputy shall dis-charge the position until the governor putsup an appointment. People told Chiang togo after that position because it is one ofthe 12th highest ofces in the state. Heinitially didnt want to do it. Chiang com-mented I was always interested in socialjustice, so I said Okay, Ill give this a go.Continuing on to the Board of Equalizationput Chiang into a position to run for statecontroller. As state controller Chiang ndsthe most rewarding part of this job is thatyou help people. However, he nds that

the most challenging part is trying to edu-cate the public. He nds that involvementis essential because everything govern-ment does has an impact on your life.

perspective

1john chiang

governor was pushed into nu-

merous meetings to consider the

budget. Legislators were angered

and irritated by Chiangs decision.

On June 30, Jerry Brown

signed into law a new balanced

budget of the state of California.

This was a rarity. This was the

second time in a decade that an

on time balanced budget was

passed. The balanced budget

was signed just two days shy of

the new scal year. This allowed

legislators to receive their pay

one again. Those two weeks of

deliberation, bickering, and panic

paid off with a balanced budget.

Chiangs decision gave the statehope to try and get out of a nan-

cial crisis. Without his decision

to suspend pay, the budget may

have been late by months. Legis-

lators had to cooperate with the

governor to create a necessary

budget. This would not have been

done so quickly without the Con-troller John Chiangs decision.

7

Source for the statements referenced in this section, unless otherise indicated: 2007 Surey of Business Owners via American FactFinder h://factnder.census.gov/home/sa/main.htl?_lang=en


18/32

RONALD LEWan early tailblazer

1 ronald lew

When it comes to one

of the rst trailblaz-

ers in the Asian Pa-

cic Islander American com-

munity, the Honorable RonaldS.W. Lew is by far one of the

most inuential.

Lew is more than

just notable for his

prestigious job

in 1987, he was the

rst Chinese Amer-

ican judge ever

to be appointed

as a Federal Dis-

trict Judge in the

continental U.S.

For Lew, his fa-

ther proved to be

the greatest inu-ence on his life and

motivated his ca-

reer path. His father

immigrated to the U.S. from

China at the time that the Chi-

nese Exclusion Act emerged.

As a result, it took many years

until the family began raisingchildren in the U.S., with the

future judge born as one of

nine. As an Asian American

who grew up in the 1940s and

1950s, Lew faced tremendous

discrimination and confronted

crime that his community in-

stilled on its own, paving his fu-

ture as an attorney and leader.

Though the Chinese com-

munity in Los

Angeles was

very tight-knit,

even Lews fam-

ily members and

friends knew this

isolated way oflife was not sus-

tainable. This

would be no way

for them to sur-

vive long-term,

especially as mi-

norities continued

to face prejudice.

Lew has said,

Since law is the

key to this inte-

gration [between our com-

munity and the greater com-

munities in America], I started

working immediately withcommunity groups to help at

integration in the eld of law.

After being drafted into the

U.S. Army, Lew began to prac-

tice law, not only for his fathers

Since law is the key to

this integation [be-

teen our communit

and the geater com-munities in America], I

stared working imme-

diately with commu-

nit goups to help at

integation in the eldof law.

8


19/32

The number of single-race Asian militar veterans. About one in threeveterans was 65 years and older.158,183

As a Federal District Court Judge, Lew exemplies a power-ful, inuential Asian American. His father may have inspiredhis path, but he ultimately stuck with it because he loved thesubject eld. Judge Lew notes, It was a different era. Wehad to struggle to exist, that [was] the key. His statementrings true; todays generation is living in a much more pro-gressive age. Albeit all the advancements achieved, muchimprovement still needs to be made. Judge Lew said, We

are so far ahead from where we were in the past, but we stillhave a lot of problems... try to make a difference and createa greater consciousness for fair play and equal opportunity.

perspective

1ronald lew

dream, but also because he

wanted to see an Asian in-

volved in public service. He

wanted to bring about the in-

novation his parents talked

about, that the immigrants

had to be reliant on the greater

community and begin to trust

their new environment. Start-

ing off at the City Attorneys

ofce, Lew continued to climb

in the ranks, later serving as an

appointed judge at L.A.s Mu-

nicipal and Superior Courts. In

particular, Lew had to deal with

the crime that was rampant

in his Chinese community, as

gangs emerged and preyed

on their own residents, and he

worked to convince people that

the foreign court system could

be of help. He remained exten-

sively involved in API commu-

nity organizations, also looking

to the court as a way to act for

the publics interest. Since his

appointment from President

Reagan in 1987, Judge Lew

continues to serve on the fed-

eral bench in the Central Dis-

trict of California, and most re-

cently, took the time to ll in for

the late Arizona Federal Judge

Roll, who was killed in the

2011 Tucson shooting, prov-

ing he is an API that is never

afraid to make an impact.

9

Source: 2009 American Communit Surey h://factnder.census.gov


20/32

JEREMY

19and counting

20jeremy yamaguchi

Elected as a city coun-

cil member of Placentiain 2008 at the age of 19,

Jeremy Yamaguchi is one of the

youngest elected ofcials in Cal-

ifornia and the youngest in Or-

ange Countys history. Further,

Yamaguchi ran in a race with six

candidates for three open seats

and he received the highest to-tal vote count. The

question becomes

how did he do it?

If you talk with

Yamaguchi, the rst

thing he will tell

you is that he did

not intend to get

involved with poli-

tics. Instead, what

Yamaguchi did, was

get involved with the commu-

nity through his volunteer work.

Some of the organizations he

has been involved with include

Placentia Neighborhood Watch,Placentia Heritage Parade and

Festival, Placentia Cultural Arts

Commission, Placentia Cham-

ber of Commerce, Placentia

Police Department, and the

Boy Scouts of America. Yama-

guchi came to realize that hiswork throughout the community

brought him closer to politics by

coming into contact with com-

munity leaders and the play-

ers in local government. It was

through volunteering that Yama-

guchi gained insight to how

the city operates. Therefore,Yamaguchi while

younger in age had

an edge over the

other city coun-

cil candidates.

Y a m a g u c h i

says that his need

to give back to the

community comes

from his family who

are community-ori-

ented. His father is a sergeant

in the citys police department

and his mother volunteers with

the citys neighborhood watch.

He lives by the statement thatthe greatest things in life arent

necessarily what you get in a

paycheck but the people you

meet and what you can take

back. As a result of his work

Yamagchi ran in a

race with six candi-

dates for three open

seats and he received

the highest total votecount.

YAMAGUCHI


21/32

Percent of the single-race Asian population that was under age 18 as of July 1,2009 while 9.6 percent was 65 or older.23.6

Jeremy Yamaguchi is a perfect exampleof how young adults can be politicallyactive and make a difference. Eventhough during his campaign, peoplequestioned whether he could do the jobof a city council member because of hisage, Yamaguchi has proved that age is

not a negative factor. When asked howto get young people active and involvedin politics, he suggested peer pressure.Not the negative connotation that thephrase has, but the act of young peopleand their peers learning and research-ing about the issues together and evengoing to vote together. He believes it is

essential to get young people politicallyactive because they pay taxes and liveunder the same rules and regulations ofgovernment that older Americans do.

perspective

21jeremy yamaguchi

and close ties to people in the

community, he was able to gain

support for his election. He had

name recognition because of

his visibility in the communityand the network of contacts of

people he met from his volun-

teer work with the city, nonprot

organizations, and the school

district. In fact, Yamaguchi has

a historic record of three thou-

sand community service hours!

At Yamaguchis swearing-in

ceremony, a reporter pointed out

that he was now his dads boss,

since his dad works for the city.

However, Yamaguchi was more

interested in getting to work for

the residents of Placentia. He is

currently nishing his rst-term

in ofce and plans to run for re-election in 2012. Outside of his

work for the city, Yamaguchi is

currently a senior at Cal State

Fullerton majoring in political sci-

ence with a minor in music. Af-

ter graduation, he plans to con-

tinue his education by attending

law school. Yamaguchi is un-sure of what his political future

holds, but dont count him out!

Source: Population estimates h://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.htl


22/32

FIONA MAchanging our views

The projected number of U.S. residents in 2050 who will identif themselvesas Asian or Asian in combination with one or more other races. They wouldcomprise 9 percent of the total population by that year.

40.6

22fona maSource: Population projections h://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb08-123.htl

One out of ten Asians has

hepatitis B. If there is

liver cancer in an Asian

family, it is probably from hepa-

titis B. When Speaker pro tem

of the state assembly Fiona

Ma rst found out that she in-

herited this silent disease from

her mother, she re-

members, I didnt

know what to say.

I didnt want to tell

anybody, but people

need to talk about

it. She rst started

talking about it ve

or six years ago,

and now consis-

tently puts the spot-

light on hepatitis B

in hopes of raising awareness.

Most dont understand that

hepatitis B is a blood born and

blood related disease. Through

education and awareness this

people can recognize that hep-

atitis B is not passed by touch

or breathing the same air. Masaw the stigma of having this

silent disease and wanted to

ght against it. She used her

position in politics to make May

2009 hepatitis B awareness

month in California. She also

used government to introduced

Assembly Bill 158, which tried

to get MediCal expanded for

those with chronic hepatitis B.

Mas work with

hepatitis isnt the

only way she has

utilized politics.The speaker pro

tem has also done

work on domestic

violence. Before

Ma got elected to

the San Francisco

Board of Supervi-

sors, she was at a press con-ference for a family. A young

woman in the Richmond district,

not far from where she lived, had

been brutally murdered in front

of her children. Ma thought,

How could our system fail

someone like that? The man

that committed the murder hadve different felony accounts

and he was still allowed out on

I didnt know what

to say. I didnt wantto tell anybody, but

people need to talk

about it.


23/32

Though Ma represents the most Asian population in SanFrancisco, getting the Chinese to vote was very hard. Votingmentality differs among Asian ethnic groups; in China, gov-ernment is not popular and so, Mas parents tried to dissuadefrom politics for seven and a half years. However, Ma ran for

the San Francisco board of supervisors and ran in the Sun-set District, realizing that education was essential to show whyyou elect Asian Americans. She had to show that we under-stand the culture and we are going to be there to ght for thethings that we care about. Ma also utilized direct targetingwith language through newspaper or TV. Language matters, soshe had eight different pieces of language. Every vote countsso she had to gure out a way to connect with the individu-als. Most Asians dont care or dont see the point, but educa-tion to make them realize that government does matter is thereal challenge. However, the Asian vote in her elections wasntthe only votes she had to have. Her goal was to get at least1/3 of the Asian vote and also get her share of other culturese.g. German, Italian, Hispanic. Ma utilized the strategy of con-necting with people in her elections and has been successful.

perspective

3fona ma2

the streets. Ma realized that

the system was a mess and it

had to be xed. She is now the

Chair of the Select Commit-

tee on Domestic Violence. She

authored and co-authored nu-

merous domestic violence bills,

from making it easier for judges

to give restraining orders to

re-allocating money to domes-

tic violence shelters. These

two issues are just a glimpse

of what the Assemblywoman

ghts for. She has an array of

matters that she is both pas-

sionate about and utilizes gov-

ernment to help x the system.


24/32

Gary Yamauchi began his

career as a professional

bowler of all things. Be-

ing an elected ofcial was one of

the last things on his mind. In

fact, he had no political ambi-

tions. But what he did have wasa call to service. Yamauchi was

very involved in the community

as a member of the Alhambra

Rotary Club, the West San Ga-

briel Valley YMCA, and the Al-

hambra Chamber of Commerce

and it was this fact that thrust

him into the localpolitical arena. Yam-

auchi himself calls

his path into local

government an un-

usual story. During

that time in Alham-

bra, the city council

was divided. Oneof the ve members

was hospitalized

and could not return

for votes. As a re-

sult, the council was

split two against two. It put the

city in a stalemate and no work

could be done. There needed to

be another council member to

break the tie. The council knew

that they would need to appoint

someone, but they had to agree

on a person together. Thus, the

city council looked to Yamauchi

who is extremely active in the

community and friends with all

members of the council. He was

asked by the council if he would

take the position and Yamauchiagreed. But before Yamauchi

could be appointed, the city

councilman who was hospital-

ized returned. However, this set

the stage for Yamauchi to run for

elected ofce. When the seat

for city council was open, Yam-

auchi ran on a plat-form of community

involvement and

service. Yamauchi

said that he wanted

to run for the city

council because he

believes that the

city council posi-tion is the highest

level of community

service. This was

his very rst elec-

tion in 2004 and

he won! He ran again in 2008

unopposed and was re-elected.

It is evident when you meetwith Mayor Yamauchi that he is

genuinely concerned about the

Not only was he ableto help Mimi, but it

showed him how

all these goups and

various organizations

in the cit are able tocome together for a

cause.

GARY YAMAUCHIom bowling alley to cit hall

24gary yamauchi

The percentage of single-race Asians 25 and older who had a bachelors degee or high-er level of education. This compared with 28 percent for all Americans 25 and older.

50 Source: 2009 American Communit Surey h://factnder.census.gov


25/32

people of Alhambra. He shared

a very touching story which he

views as one of his proudest

moments as an elected ofcial.

As mayor, Yamauchi started acampaign fundraiser for Mimi

Alvarez, a young lady with an

unknown disease in which she

cannot be in any form of light.

Nobody knew what Mimi had

and the only possible form of

hope was for her to travel to

Boston and meet with doc-tors there. Unfortunately, Mimi

needed to travel in a private jet

and have caretakers with her

because of her disease. Mayor

Yamauchi created the campaign

in order to raise funds for her

to travel to Boston. He called

the campaign Mimis Journey

of Hope. Yamauchi planned to

raise ten thousand dollars, but

with the help of the community

raised around forty thousand

dollars! He said that the best

part of this was when she re-

turned and he saw her outside in

the sun at an event. Yamauchi

got a little choked up when he

related how the family sent him

pictures of Mimi at the voting

booth voting for the rst time.

This was a denite highlight for

Yamauchi and one of the mostemotional times for him as may-

or. Not only was he able to help

Mimi, but it showed him how

all these groups and various or-

ganizations in the city are able

to come together for a cause.

As the rst Asian American

city council member in Alham-bras history, Yamauchi feels

the need to set a good exam-

ple as an Asian elected ofcial.

Yamauchi says that he needs

to be better than average and

a step ahead of other coun-

cil people, in order to help the

next Asian who comes along.Yamauchi hopes that people

will look at an Asian candidate

and say our last Asian coun-

cil member wasnt so bad, lets

give this candidate a chance!

Gary Yamauchi is an example of an individual who made thetransition from community service to public service, which in

Yamauchis eyes are essentially the same thing. He passion-ately supports Asian political empowerment and would like tosee all Asian Americans get involved in their own communities.The involvement in organizations provides an Asian presencewhich in turn could prompt others of Asian descent to becomeactive. It is from this group of active Asians that candidateswe need for elected positions in government will emerge.

perspective

2gary yamauchi 5


26/32

Almost unparalleled, the

issue of immigration in-

spires the ercest de-

bates and the loudest outcries.

Yet a surprisingly prominentface in the midst is that of a

young Vietnamese student, Tam

Ngoc Tran, who is described

as reserved but has empow-

ered thousands, even after her

tragic death. In a rather unique

situation, Tams parents were

rescued by the Ger-man navy after ee-

ing Vietnam as boat

people. During their

time in Germany,

Tam and her young-

er brother were

born, but the family

planned on reunit-

ing with relatives in

California. As Tam

once said about

this decision, af-

ter all, this was America. In

the hopes of being sponsored

for citizenship, they arrived to

the US when Tam was six, in

search of the American dream.

However, the family was de-

nied political asylum in the US,

while unable to return to Viet-

nam for risk of persecution and

refused entry back to Germany.

Without birthright citizenship,

Tam Tran was ofcially state-less. Lingering in immigration

limbo, they settled in Orange

County, where she graduated

from Santiago High School in

Garden Grove. She would go on

to earn her Bachelors Degree

from UCLA before pursuing a

Ph.D at Brown Uni-versity, but there

is no question that

Tam considers

herself a Southern

Californian through

and through.

In May 2007,

Tam testied be-fore a House Judi-

ciary Committee,

where she pas-

sionately advocat-

ed for the Development, Relief

and Education for Alien Minors

(DREAM) Act. For the budding

lmmaker and activist, this wasan unprecedented stage to ex-

plain the struggles of being an

I am lucky... to sharemy stor and give voice

to thousands of other

undocumented stdents

who cannot. But I know

that when I retr home

tonight, Ill become mar-ginalized once again.

TAM NGOC TRANcaliforia DREAMer

26 tam ngoc tranNumber of Asian Americans in the Califoria Legislatre.

11 Source: h://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/apilegcaucus/members.ht


27/32

undocumented student: to

be pressured to turn down pres-

tigious fellowships, to be forced

to make compromises so young,

to simply be used to thislos-ing things [she has] worked hard

for. While creating a path to

citizenship for striving students,

the proposed legislation was not

only a matter of using her college

degree to the fullest. It was also

a matter of a lifelong identity.

Tam stated: I hate lling outforms, especially the ones that

limit me to checking off box-

es for categories I dont even

identity with. Place of birth?

Germany. But Im not German.

Ethnicity? Im Vietnamese, but

Ive never been to Vietnam.

However, these forms never askme where I was raised or edu-

cated. I was born in Germany,

my parents are Vietnamese, but

I have been American raised and

educated for the past 18 years.

Three days after the 24 year-

old testied, Immigration and

Customs Enforcement arrested

her parents and brother as fugi-

tives from justice, though theyhad been regularly reporting to

ofcials for work permits. As

Tam temporarily went into hid-

ing, a movement of DREAMers

was sparkedRep. Zoe Lof-

gren and the public rallied for

the familys eventual release.

On a Saturday morning inMay 2010, Tam and Cinthya

Felix, her best friend and fellow

DREAMer, were hit in an auto-

mobile accident. By 6pm that

day, two extraordinary leaders

of immigration reform would be

lost. As the community reects

one year laterafter the DREAMAct reached its rst Senate hear-

ing in June and after the Cali-

fornia DREAM Act was signed

in Julywe see that the legacy

of Tam is still very much alive.

Tam Tran shatters the misconceptions about undocu-mented immigrantstheyre uneducated; they dont paytaxes; and they dont want to contribute to society. For thethousands who qualify for the DREAM Act, they look for thepassage of this bill to get a higher education, to contribute tosociety, and to fully use their talents to help their community.

perspective

2tam ngoc tran 7


28/32

28 call to action

call to actionThough you may not be interested in a career as a lawyer or anelected ofcial, these stories should spark a desire to become moreinvolved and aware of the government, its ofcials, and their poli-cies. No matter your eld of work, government impacts everything inyour life. Take ahold of the power and inuence you have as a rising,young API and act now. As our community struggles to improve,we need more to rise and help us grow and truly thrive, as a betterinformed, inuence-yielding, united people.

Dont be surprised by

an unwelcome change.

be informed

VOTE!And not just in the

general election;

vote in that City

Council election

nobody is payingattention to.

Tell them what you like and dont likeabout the community.

contactcommunity leaders

A small bit of assistance,

in a timely fashion, can

do tremendous good.

donateVOLUNTEERCommunities can

always use the help.

RUN

You never know,

you might just win!

FOROFFICE


29/32

2call to action

The calls that members of Congress receive aretheir number one way of judging public opinion.

contact your

get

Theres no telling what you can achieve

just by being involved.

involved

Its the only wayto achieve lasting

change.

stay in touch

9

member of Congress

Political participa-

tion requires rst-

generation immigrants

to realize that what

happens in America

is just as important as

what happens in Indiaor China. It requires

getting immigrants

to ll out ballots in a

language they arent

familiar with, and to

do this on a regular

basis, time and again.Change, to quote a

famous man, will not

come easy. But, with

the proper

strategies and institu-

tions championing it,

change can be done.

PARTICIPATE

We are so far aheadfrom where we were in

the past, but we still have

a lot of problems try to

make a difference and

create a greater con-

sciousness for fair play

and equal opportunity.-U.S. District Court

Judge Ronald S.W. Lew


30/32

meet the intersYear & School: Freshman at Univerisity of ChicagoOfce Placement: CA Senator Kevin De LeonRole of Projecxt: Project Lead, Staff Writer for FionaMa and John Chiang

Year & School: Junior at Princeton UniverisityOfce Placement: LA Public Works CommissionerPaula DanielsRole of Project: Community Relations Coordinator,Staff Writer for Sukhee Kang

Year & School: Sophomore at UC Santa BarbaraOfce Placement: CA Assemblymember Mike EngRole of Project:Design Editor, Staff Writer for Steven Ly

Year & School: Sophomore at UC San DiegoOfce Placement:CA Assemblymember Warren FurutaniRole of Project: Public Relations/ VolunteerCoordinator, Staff Writer for Judge Ronald Lew

3 about the interns

Andrew Angeles

Connie Chu

Sungoo Chon

Rebecca Han

Year & School: Graduate of Loyola Marymount UniversityOfce Placement: U.S. Congresswoman Judy ChuRole of Project: Social Media Coordinator, Staff Writerfor Gary Yamauchi and Jeremy Yamaguchi

Ellen Hou

0


31/32

Year & School: Sophomore at George WashingtonUniversityOfce Placement: CA Senator Lou CorreaRole of Project: Copy Editor, Staff Writer for Tam Tran

Year & School: Graduate of UC DavisOfce Placement: CA Senator Carol LiuRole of Project: Community Relations Coordinator,

Staff Writer for Mike Gin and Leland Yee

Year & School: Junior at Pomona CollegeOfce Placement: State Controller John ChiangRole of Project: Staff Writer for Miller Oh, Researched

Call to Action Information

1about the interns

Anh Thu Tran

Mahew Wong

Alexander Zou

We would like to thank the 2011 CAUSE Leadership

Academy sponsors Southwest Airlines, Southern California

Edison, Chinese American Citizens Alliance, and Mr. Nelson

Tan. We would also like to thank the CAUSE Board,

especially Charlie Woo, Chairman, and Carrie Gan, Director

of Programs. Both have put an incredible amount of

dedication and effort to empower the next generation of

leaders. As interns, we have had the opportunity to interactwith the API community and to develop as leaders. During

our meetings with community leaders and elected ofcials,

we have gained political awareness and insight into API

issues. Thank you for providing us with an invaluable and

unforgettable experience.

THANK YOU

3


32/32

CAUSE Leadership Academy

Center for Asian Americans

United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE)260 S. Los Robles Ave. #118

Pasadena, CA 91101

Ofce: (626) 356-9838

Fax: (626) 356-9878

A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

Mr. Nelson Tan

"action, power, influence: profiles in courage" (cause leadership academy 2011 group research...

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