Senator Obama's Asian American supporters are making the news all over the country. Here are articles, op-eds, letters to the editors, and other features by and/or about Asian Americans for Obama. Please download and distribute. If you have any more to add, please contact Angelica Jongco at angelicaforobama@gmail.com.
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Obama Victory Good for the Philippines, Manila Times, September 9, 2008
In this interview, Georgia and David McCauley,of Democrats Abroad in the Philippines, speak to how Barack's presidency would benefit Filipinos and the many Americans living in the Philippines. Ms. McCauley was a close friend of Barack's mother and knew the candidate from when he was a boy.
Coverage of AAPIs at the DNC
Check out this article on Asian Americans at the DNC, in New American Media, World Journal, and Hmong Today.
"At the DNC, A First for Filipino Delegates", New American Media
Videos from the DNC AAPI Caucus on Aug. 25 courtesy of NIKKEI VIEW blog.
Official Campaign AAPI Video
ABC7 Local Bay Area News Report on Asian American Voters Gaining Power, Aug. 25, 2008
Report on how AAPIs are gaining influence as demonstrated by Congressman Mike Honda and State Controller John Chiang earning speaking time at the convention. Also gets opinion of some local AAPIs, Henry Manayan (Chair of California Filipino American Democratic Caucus) and Nancy Caleebo (San Mateo Volunteer).
Obama's Bro-In-Law Taking It All In Stride, Aug 23, 2008, The Hamilton Spectator
A question and answer session with Konrad Ng, Barack's brother-in-law and advisor to the campaign on AAPI field strategy. Konrad and his wife Maya addressed the AAPI Grassroots Strategy session hosted by APA for Progress, Asian Americans for Obama and South Asians for Obama and the AAPI Caucus at the DNC.
Outlook India Interviews Barack Obama, July 21, 2008
In this one-on-one interview Senator Obama talks about a range of issues, including what distinguishes him from John McCain on foreign policy:
[W]hether I am at an international summit or travelling the world, I will speak not just as someone who mastered my brief, but also as someone who has a grandmother who lives in a village in Africa without running water and indoor plumbing. I will be a president who works to strengthen our relations not just with world leaders, but with the world's people.
Barack's Indonesian-American Sister Maya Soetoro-Ng on the Campaign Trail, June-July 2008
MSNBC posts an AP story on Maya's outreach to Asian American voters here.
Philippine News reports from a rally with Oakland youth.
AsianWeek reports on SF volunteer appreciation breakfast featuring quote from Barack supporter Grande Lum.
World Journal and Epoch Times Cover AAPI Vote for Change Outreach, May 11, 2008
NYC Asian American outreach efforts covered by World Journal. I'm told the actual number of voters registered by AAPI outreach was over 100. View photo (Alvin Lin, pictured) and article here.
Download 20080511_world_journal_vote_for_change_article_translated.pdf
Epoch Times article here.
Maya Soetero-Ng on Guam's News Talk K57, Apr. 26, 2008
Check out this update on the race in Guam featuring a discussion with Maya here.
World Journal Profiles Obama Legislative Director Chris Lu, Apr. 20, 2008
Chris Lu was Barack's Harvard Law School classmate and serves as a trusted advisor on the campaign and in his Senate office.
Download world_journal_profile_of_chris_lu_chinese.pdf
Download translation_of_world_journal_article_on_chris_lu.pdf
Calif. Obama Delegate Roger Hu Featured in World Journal, Apr. 15, 2008
Roger Hu, a dedicated volunteer for the Obama campaign, gained the most votes for Obama delegate in California's 14th Congressional District. He was first drawn to politics by the espionage case with Wen Ho Lee.
Read the article in Chinese.
Read English Translation: Download translation_world_journal_article_roger_hu.pdf
Calif. Obama Supporters Debate on Sing Tao Chinese Language Radio, Mar. 28, 2008
Obama supporters Roger Hu, Albert Wong, and Darcy Paul debate Clinton supporters in Mandarin on Sing Tao radio. Listen to Part 1 of the debate here starting at 12 minutes. Then listen to Part 2 here.
Download the article in Sing Tao Daily:
Download SingTao-Obama-HRC-SupportersDebate-3.28.08-Chinese.pdf
The AAPI Community Responds to Obama's Mar. 18, 2008 Speech on Race
- Vincent Pan, Executive Director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, Mar. 25, 2008, Op-Ed in The San Francisco Chronicle
- Phil Tajitsu Nash in AsianWeek, "We Have a Dream"
- Anne Cardenas Branigin in Philippine News, Mar. 26, 2008, "The Audacity of a Speech"
Obama's Exclusive Front-Page Interview with World Journal, Chinese-Language Daily, Mar. 1, 2008
Click on images below to enlarge.
Download world_journal_front_page_3.1.2008 - Chinese.pdf
Download world_journal_page_2_3.1.08 - Chinese.pdf
English Translation: Download interview_with_barack_in_world_journal_march_1_2008_translation.pdf
Download world_journal_front_page_3.1.08 - English transl.pdf
"Why Asian Americans in Ohio and Pennsylvania Should Support Barack Obama," Op-Ed by California Assemblyman Ted Lieu in the Erie Chinese Journal
Great perspective on why AAPIs should support Barack Obama from the California assemblyman who grew up in Ohio. Rep. Lieu is the Chair of the California Asian American Legislative Caucus. Keep reading ...
Maya Soetero-Ng, Obama's Sister, in UK Times, Mar. 2, 2008
Maya speaks about her big brother Barack, life on the campaign trail, and their multicultural family. Click here to read.
Obama's Op-Ed in India Abroad, Feb. 29, 2008
Barack writes, "I will be a President who draws upon the energy and expertise of the Indian-American community."
Download obama_india_abroad_oped_2.29.08.pdf
"More Hope, More Promise," Op-Ed by Sonal Shah in Indo-American News, Feb. 29, 2008
Click here to read.
"Barack Obama: A Candidate Whose Time Has Come," Op-Ed by Prof. Ronald Takaki, Feb. 26, 2008
Takaki, a professor of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley and author of A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America, writes: "A leader of vision, Obama has reached for the ties that bind -- Lincoln's 'mystic chords of memory', seeking to unite us as a diverse people belonging to one nation."
Download ronald_takaki_oped_2.26.08.pdf
"Obama Greets Filipinos on People Power Day," Asian Journal, Feb. 26, 2008
Asian Journal reports on Senator Obama's statement on People Power and Filipino Veterans Equity. Read article by clicking here. Read Obama's full statement: Download obama_statement_on_people_power_and_filipino_veterans_equity_act_2.25.08.pdf
Coverage by the Associated Press in various outlets globally: MSNBC, The Honolulu Advertiser, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the International Herald Tribune,the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the North County Times of California, and one of the largest networks in the Philippines GMA News.
Front Page Interview in World Journal with Barack's Brother-In-Law, Konrad Ng, Feb. 24, 2008
World Journal is a nationally-syndicated Chinese-language paper.
Download world_journal_konrad_ng_interview_2.24.08 - Chinese.JPG
Download english_transl. - Konrad Ng - World Journal - 2.24.08.pdf
Click on the image below to enlarge.
Maya Soetero-Ng Featured in NY Times Magazine, Jan. 20, 2008
Maya, Barack Obama's sister, answers questions about their family, what living in Indonesia taught them about Islam, and their multicultural background.
Download maya_soeterong_ny_times_magazine_1.20.08.pdf
"The American Dream," AAPI Grassroots Ad Running in Korea Daily and Korea Times
This independently funded advertisement appears from February 20-26, and contains a statement of endorsements from AAPI community leaders across America. (Currently in Korean. English translation will be available shortly).
Download korea_times_ad_feb_2008_korean.pdf
Download korea_daily_ad_2.20-26.08.JPG
Download americandreamad_2.18.08 - English Transl.pdf
"Why Obama Is the Best Change Leader," Op-Ed by Dr. Benham Tabrizi in Korea Times (Texas), Feb. 22, 2008
Dr. Tabrizi, a notable expert on organizational change management, is a best-selling author of the book Rapid Transformation and works extensively with Silicon Valley Top Executives.
Download tabrizi_koreatimes_2.22.08 - Korean.pdf
Download tabrizi_korea_times_2.22.08 - English.pdf
"Why I Changed from Clinton to Obama," Op-Ed by Prof. Grace Yoo, Korea Daily, Feb. 22, 2008
Grace J. Yoo is an associate professor at San Francisco State University in the Asian American Studies Department. She is trained as a medical sociologist with research interests in health care access and uninsured Asian Americans. She writes: "Obama's health care plan is about affordability which truly gives uninsured Americans options." Read the original piece in Korean by clicking here.
Download graceyoo_oped_korea_daily_2.22.08 - English Transl.pdf
Asians for Obama! Editorial in AsianWeek, Feb. 21, 2008
AsianWeek writes about Obama's overwhelming support among AAPIs in Hawaii: "Obama has brought tangible hope to all Americans. The reality of Asian
American support for Obama presages the destiny of this country. Within
our lifetimes, most Americans will be people of color, including the
president of the United States." Keep reading ...
Click on the image below to enlarge.
Op-Ed by Susan Ahn Cuddy in Korea Times (Texas), Feb. 19, 2008
Susan Ahn Cuddy is a Korean American pioneer; daughter of Dosan Chang Ho and Helen Ahn, the first Korean married couple to immigrate to the United States in 1902.
Download susan_ahn_cuddy_oped_korea_times_texas_2.19.08 - Korean.pdf
Download susan_ahn_cuddy_oped_korea_times_texas_2.19.08 - English transl..pdf
"Obama's Better Judgment on the Iraq War," Op-Ed by Anthony K. Lee in Korea Daily (Texas Ed.), Feb. 18, 2008, page A-2
Author Anthony Lee is a San Francisco lawyer and Harvard Law School classmate of Barack. The photo of Barack and Anthony was taken at the first Obama campaign fundraiser in San Francisco in February 2007
Download anthony_k_lee_oped_korea_daily_2.18.08 - English Transl..pdf
Click on the image below to enlarge.
Washington Post profiles Obama supporters Annabel Park and Dave Kumar, Feb. 10, 2008
Annabel is a filmmaker and activist who organized a group of AAPIs to volunteer for Obama before the Nevada caucuses and Dave is the founder of South Asians for Obama in Washington, DC. Read the coverage here.
"Why Obama," Op-Ed by Professor Jerry Kang in Korea Times, Feb. 5, 2008
Professor Kang is a scholar of civil procedure, race, and communications at UCLA Law School. His op-ed ran in Korean, and the English translation can also be downloaded here.
Download jerrykang_koreatimes_2.5.08 - Korean.jpg
Download jerry_kang_korea_times_2.4.08 - English Transl.pdf
Filipino American Obama Supporters Profiled in Balita (Los Angeles), Feb. 5, 2008
This article about Filipino American campaigners features Mario Bonifacio and Angelica Jongco. Mario is a four-year Iraqi veteran and California native, who returned home in May 2007 and almost
immediately threw his support behind Senator Obama. Mario is a full-time field organizer for the Obama campaign. Angelica is a San Francisco-based civil rights lawyer and member of Asian Americans for Obama.
Keep reading ...
AsianWeek Endorses Barack, Feb. 1, 2008
AsianWeek endorses Barack on the Sunday before SuperTuesday. Read the short and sweet endorsement here.
"A Lesson from My Father: Vote for Obama," Op-Ed by Wayne Nishioka in Nichi Bei Times, Jan. 31, 2008
Obama AAPI Volunteer Coordinator for Calif. CD 9 (Oakland) Wayne Nishioka writes: "At 94, going on 95, my dad is voting for Barack Obama. Why? Because he likes Obama's judgment and the fact that his multi-faceted life forces him to see life from many different perspectives ..." Keep reading ...
"I Believe in Barack Obama," Op-Ed by AJ Halagao in Philippine News, Jan. 30, 2008
Read AJ Halagao's letter in support of Senator Obama in the January 30, 2008 edition of the Philippine News,
which is the most widely circulated Filipino paper in the United States. Halagao, a Filipino American lawyer from Hawaii,
explains that Barack Obama has launched an “extraordinary campaign that
has been dynamic, dignified and painstakingly positive.” Keep reading ...
Op-Ed by Preeta Bansal in India Abroad, Jan. 30, 2008
Preeta Bansal, former Solicitor General of the State of New York, Commissioner and
past Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious
Freedom and former special counsel in the Clinton White House and
Justice Department, writes: "Senator Obama – through the multitude of his life experiences and the
calm, respectful style of his leadership – is someone who naturally and
instinctively bridges so many divides."
Download bansal_oped_india_abroad_1.30.08.pdf
The Filipino Channel Covers AAPIs for Obama Party in San Francisco, Jan. 29, 2008
Interviews with Kelly Hu, San Francisco School Board member Hydra Mendoza, and Community Organizer Dexter Ligot. Take a look at this high energy event.
"Obama, First Pinoy US President?" Column by Ben Pimentel in the Philippine Inquirer, Jan. 29, 2008
Veteran Bay Area journalist Pimentel writes: "Oh, all right, so he’s not Filipino. But he did live in Indonesia
which is close enough, right? He also grew up in Hawaii, a state where
the Pinoy community is huge and has even had a Pinoy governor.
And if the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison can claim that Bill Clinton was the first African American president, well, I should be able to
make a similarly wild claim about Barack Obama. I mean he looks Pinoy,
doesn’t he? He could very well be Pareng Barack."
Keep reading ...
"The Man and the Moment," Op-Ed by Eddie Wong in AsianWeek, Dec. 27, 2007
Eddie was the National Field Director for Jesse Jackson's 1988 campaign and a member of Obama's AAPI National Leadership Council. He writes that "Obama is the best person to meet the challenges of this historical
moment. He has shown a deep grasp of issues and, more importantly,
exhibited the ability to listen to other points of view and find ways
to build alliances across historic barriers." Keep reading ...
Rekha Basu: Obama Can Heal Divisions, Win Hearts and Minds, Des Moines Register, Dec. 19, 2007
In the weeks before the Iowa caucuses, Basu breaks with her editorial
board and writes: "This moment belongs to Obama." Read more here.
AAPI Canvass for Change in San Francisco Bay Area, Sing Tao, Dec. 15, 2007
San Francisco School Board Member Jane Kim, volunteer coordinator Linda Leu, and AAPIs for Obama Angelica Jongco and Rocky Choi pass fliers in Chinatown, after a day in which 60 volunteers canvassed throughout the Bay in Asian American neighborhoods.
"The Way to a Post-Racial America," Op-Ed by Hrishi Karthekiyen in The Indian American, Nov-Dec 2007
Karthekiyen is a D.C. based attorney and founding member of South Asians for Obama. He writes that Barack "alone has the ability to inspire a new generation of Americans -- regardless of race, color or national origin -- to approach our problems with a renewed sense of confidence in the collective talents of our country."
Download karthekiyen_oped_the_indian_american_nov_dec_2007.pdf
