Asian Americans for Obama

New Hillary and Obama Joint Response Ad

Hillary and Barack work together for the same goals!

Bay Area Filipinos for Obama Launch National Effort to Swing Voters in Support of Obama: Kick Off Event on Aug. 19

(SAN FRANCISCO) – With more than 4 million Filipino Americans living in the United States, pinoys can be the difference in November’s presidential election. Filipinos for Obama will target Filipino Americans in key battleground states like Nevada and Virginia to help swing support towards Senator Barack Obama, help him win those states, and put him into the White House.

The cost to attend the launch party is free, but a donation of $25 or more to the Obama campaign when people RSVP at this site or on the evening of the event, will enter attendees into a raffle for a signed copy of Senator Obama's book, "The Audacity of Hope.”

The honorary Host Committee includes Kamala Harris - San Francisco District Attorney and Co-Chair of California Women for Obama, Hydra Mendoza - San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s Education Advisor, Ray Buenaventura - President of the Filipino American Democratic Club of San Mateo and Delegate to the DNC, and Henry Manayan - President of the Filipino-American Democratic Caucus of the California and former mayor of Milpitas, amongst others.

When:      Tuesday, August 19, 6-8pm
Where:     Zebulon Restaurant and Bar, 83 Natoma Street, San Francisco

To reserve your space at this event, RSVP here today.  Filipinos for Obama buttons and t-shirts will be available at the event.

For the Indians in the US, it's striking a chord—Obama is 'one of us'

The Shared Past
For the Indians in the US, it's striking a chord—Obama is 'one of us'
ASHISH KUMAR SEN

Indians In Obama

Team Neera Tanden was in Hillary's team, now Obama's domestic policy director

Preeta Bansal was with Obama from the very start, is a senior policy advisor Hari Sevugan is a top staffer in the communications department

Madhuri Kommareddi is Obama's deputy policy director The Asian-American Finance Committee's co-chair is held by several Indians, including Vinod Khosla and Swadesh Chatterjee

Read more at Outlook India.com

Meet Obama's Legislative Director Chris Lu

Chinese-language daily World Journal profiles Chris Lu in their April 20, 2008 edition.  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

Lu is also quoted on Obama's 'wonkishness' in this November 2006 article in the Washingtonian.

Korean American Volunteer Talks Obama on Korean TV

Ryan Kim, a passionate grassroots volunteer who has worked to get out the vote for Sen. Obama in NY, NJ, and PA, was featured on a Korean news program discussing the Democratic contest along with a Clinton supporter.  The piece aired on Feb. 4 on MKTV, which broadcasts in NY, NJ, CT, and PA.

I don't speak Korean, but I'm told that this isn't the most in-depth piece in terms of its analysis and discussion of the candidates, but it's exciting to see the Asian American community focusing on the race.

For more of Ryan's videos featuring Korean supporters of Obama, visit his YouTube page here.

Racialicious' Carmen Van Kerckhove on NPR

One of my favorite bloggers, Carmen Van Kerckhove from Racialicious was recently on NPR in a roundtable discussion with Gustavo Arellano from Ask a Mexican, and Frangela from VH1's Best Week Ever.  The discussion, found here, is one of the most on point yet down right hilarious analyses on race and the elections.  Carmen represented an Asian American voice.

Thanks Carmen for reminding the NPR listeners about McCain's racist use of "the G-word" in reference to Asians, specifically Vietnamese.  Some might say that it's ok for McCain to call his Vietnamese captors with a racial slur, but Frangela commented that it would be wrong for her to call white people "crackers" because her ancestors were slaves.  Great point!

Cali Obama Supporters on Chinese-Language Radio

Supporters of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton debated live in Mandarin last Friday, March 28, on Bay Area Sing Tao radio, 96.1 FM. Roger Hu, Albert Wong, and Darcy Paul represented Obama. I met Roger, a computer chip designer, at a lunch with AAPI Obama supporters at the California Democratic Party Convention. He was part of a team of enthusiastic Obama supporters that attended Camp Obama in Chicago. He helped open the still-functioning Palo Alto office and is running for a pledged delegate spot for Obama in the highly competitive Congressional District 14. Elections for the coveted seats are on Sunday, April 13, 2pm at a location in your district.

Download the article in Sing Tao Daily:
Download SingTao-Obama-HRC-SupportersDebate-3.28.08-Chinese.pdf

Listen to Part 1 of the debate here starting at 12 minutes. Then listen to Part 2 here.

Anne Cardenas Branigin: "The Audacity of a Speech" in Philippine News

Pinay columnist Anne Cardenas Branigin writes of Obama's speech that it "wasn't just the audacity to discuss race in a thoughtful and meaningful way that was exceptional." But that "[m]ost importantly, the speech rang true."  What I really appreciate about this piece is that she offers her unique perspective as and Asian American woman, a Filipino immigrant, someone who is privy to closed conversations among friends of different racial backgrounds, and also as an enthusiastic participant in a Southern black church.  Read her column here.

Historians for Obama

I was a history major in college and have always had a strong love of the subject.  I think my dad probably was responsible for sparking that interest; he's a huge history buff and used to tell me bedtime stories about Chinese history.

So I was heartened to see this fabulous group endorsement of Obama by dozens of well-respected historians around the country:

Our country is in serious trouble. The gap between the wealthy elite and the working majority grows ever larger, tens of millions of Americans lack health insurance and others risk bankruptcy when they get seriously ill, and many public schools do a poor job of educating the next generation. Due to the arrogant, inept foreign policy of the current administration, more people abroad mistrust and fear the United States than at any time since the height of the Vietnam War. Meanwhile, global warming speeds toward an unprecedented catastrophe. Many Republicans and overwhelming numbers of Independents and Democrats believe that, under George W. Bush, the nation has badly lost its way. The 2008 election thus comes at a critical time in the history of the United States and the world.

We endorse Barack Obama for president because we think he is the candidate best able to address and start to solve these profound problems. As historians, we understand that no single individual, even a president, leads alone or outside a thick web of context. As Abraham Lincoln wrote to a friend during the Civil War, "I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me."

However, a president can alter the mood of the nation, making changes possible that once seemed improbable. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation and kept the nation united; Franklin D. Roosevelt persuaded Americans to embrace Social Security and more democratic workplaces; John F. Kennedy advanced civil rights and an anti-poverty program.

Barack Obama has the potential to be that kind of president. He has the varied background of a global citizen: his father was African, his stepfather Indonesian, his mother worked in the civil rights movement, and he spent several years of his childhood overseas. As an adult, he has been a community organizer, a law professor, and a successful politician - both at the state and national level. These experiences have given him an acute awareness of the inequalities of race and class, while also equipping him to speak beyond them.

To read more, click here.

All in the Family

Maya Soetoro-Ng featured in New York Times Magazine. Barack Obama's sister talks about their mother, what living in Indonesia taught them about Islam and being free to choose your race.
Download NYTMag_maya.pdf

Si Se Puede Cambiar in the Austin Chronicle!

United for Obama's Si Se Puede Cambiar music video is getting a lot of attention from voters and the press.  The Latino-Asian American coalition group's project is getting mentions in Texas press and has been played on Telemundo stations across the state.

The Austin Chronicle had high words of praise:

Andrés Useche Sings for 'Change' (the Obama Kind)

 

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Andrés Useche

photo care of www.virb.com/useche

We freely admit to having teared up at the end of a recent Obama campaign ad, so it goes without saying that we were just about wrecked by a four-minute-long Spanish-language music video promoting cross-cultural support of Barack titled "Si Se Puede Cambiar (Yes We Can Change)".

The video was originally intended for Spanish-speaking Texans but, as with seemingly all things in life, this one's gone viral – netting a national audience and 50,000 hits in three days.

Produced by filmmakers Eric Byler (AMERICANese) and Annabel Park for United for Obama, an Asian-American and Latino organization, "Si Se Puede Cambiar" features singer-songwriter Andrés Useche woefully asking (in Spanish) "What did FEMA do after Katrina?" and "What was the purpose of this war?", played out over black & white photos of flood victims and the commander-in-chief in that dumbass flight suit. Oh, and Kal Penn, too! We're sold.

- Kimberley Jones

What's the Latest News?

To keep track of the articles, op-eds, letters to the editors, and other features related to Asian Americans for Obama cropping up in the media, we've added a new feature:  the Media and Press link under Supporter Toolkit on the right side menu of this webpage.

Just a sampling of the featured articles include:

1) Senator Obama's Op-Ed to Run on Feb. 29, 2008 in India Abroad
Barack writes, "I will be a President who draws upon the energy and expertise of the Indian-American community.

2) "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.

3) "Why Obama Is the Best Change Leader," Op-Ed by Dr. Benham Tabrizi (organizational change management expert) in Korea Times, Feb. 22, 2008

4) Op-Ed by Susan Ahn Cuddy, daughter of first Korean married immigrants, in Korea Times, Feb. 19, 2008

5) "Obama's Better Judgment on the Iraq War," Op-Ed by Anthony K. Lee in Korea Daily, Feb. 18, 2008, page A-2

In the upcoming days, we'll be adding new content.  Please send Angelica Jongco pdf's or links to articles, op-eds, and letters to the editors that you think should be featured.

The Filipino Channel: AAPIs for Obama Party with Kelly Hu

January 29, 2008 - San Francisco

Here's a video clip of AAPIs in San Francisco celebrating our support for Obama from Balitang America, The Filipino Channel's nightly news program, with viewers in the U.S and the Philippines. 

The story begins at 00:40 sec. and includes soundbites with pinay San Francisco school board member Hydra Mendoza, actor Kelly Hu, and community organizer Dexter Ligot.  You can really get a sense of the energy in the room--and who's that lively woman leading the Fired Up cheer?

Balitang America's youtube site has ongoing Fil-Vote 2008 election coverage, including SuperTuesday coverage featuring some Fil-Am supporters for Barack Obama in Illinois, including Aurora Austriaco, who ran for the State House last fall in the 65th District.

Grace Lee Boggs on Barack Obama

Shortly after college, I started really searching for Asian American she-ros - Asian American women I could turn to as I struck out in the world as an educator and progressive community activist.  I was delighted to learn about Grace Lee Boggs, realizing that there is an amazing legacy of progressive, Asian American feminist leadership. 

Just like me, she is the daughter of Chinese immigrants.  From her biography on the Boggs Center website:

Grace Lee Boggs is an activist, writer and speaker whose more than sixty years of political involvement encompass the major U.S. social movements of this century: Labor, Civil rights, Black Power, Asian American, Women's and Environmental Justice.

Now I'm even more excited to share that Ms. Boggs believes in the "authenticity of Obama's leadership"!!
Check out her opinion that was just published in the Michigan Citizen (Feb. 24-Mar. 1, 2008).

"Out of his experiences as a community organizer and his dialectical/historical appreciation of movement building in the U.S., he is asking us to become active citizens, builders of a new America that all of us will be proud to call our own." - G. L. Boggs, 92-year old civil rights activist, writer, daughter of Chinese immigrants.

And back in January, she also wrote a column and entitled it, "Living for Change: MLK and Obama."

Obama Reggaeton Music Video

I've had the MP3 of this fun reggaeton Obama song from the folks at Amigos de Obama for a while, but I just saw the music video of it today.  Great song with a great beat - just makes you want to shake your booty!  (Yes, I said booty.)

Fired Up and Going the Distance by Warren Fu

Asian American music video director Warren Fu (The Strokes, Aaliyah) has put together this masterful video which compares side by side the incredibly prescient statements made by Obama about the Iraq war in 2002, as well as Obama's connection to the Kennedy legacy of inspiring people to serve.  What this video highlights is the oft overlooked part of Obama's long standing opposition to the war - that not only was he opposed to it from the beginning, but he was opposed to it for all the right reasons.  Literally every single consequence he warned of has come to pass, and so his opposition stands out as not only principled, but a stunning example of his judgment, intelligence, and grasp of geopolitical realities.  Inspiring stuff.

Join - Super Bowl TV Ad

So I wasn't all that enthused about the Super Bowl today since my beloved Cowboys had an embarrassing end to their terrific season at the hands of the Giants, but I did get a terrific consolation prize.

The Obama campaign aired a commercial during the Super Bowl, which I think is a first for a presidential campaign (I'm not really sure, so somebody correct me if I'm wrong), and the opening scenes are of the rally in February 2007 in my hometown, Austin, Texas, which I also had the privilege of helping to organize.  In one of the shots, I can actually see some of my friends.

It's a cool, energetic ad, and really calls on all of us to take responsibility for the change we wish to see.  Check it out.

UCLA Law Professor and Korean American Jerry Kang Endorses Obama!!!

This is an editorial that will appear in the Korea Times in Korean on February 4 by AMAZING Law Professor Jerry Kang.  I once was on a webcasted panel with Prof. Kang in 2005 on Affirmative Action and Asian American college admissions.  I thought I did pretty well.  I called my parents in Massachusetts to ask how they thought I did.  My dad said, "Jerry Kang... WOW! He's amazing!  You should try to be more like him!"  Yes indeed!

Why Obama

In 1990, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I first saw Barack Obama.  On a cold winter's night, someone pointed him out, walking in the distance: "There goes the first Black President of the Harvard Law Review." 

I took notice.  Even as a first-year law student, I knew that the Harvard Law Review was the most prestigious law journal in America. Getting into Harvard Law School is not easy.  Making it onto the law review is incredibly difficult.  Being elected President is nearly impossible.  To win that position not only requires enormous
intelligence but a deep political sensitivity, to get conservatives, liberals, and moderates to join together behind a common cause.  This is why I'm not surprised that Obama has done so well despite his relative lack of political experience.

But Harvard pedigree is not why I'm voting for Obama.

As a Professor of Law at UCLA, I study race relations and civil rights, including issues that affect Asian Americans generally and Korean Americans specifically.  It comforts me that Obama taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago.  This means that he has a deep understanding of core constitutional values, such as checks-and-balances, due process, and equal protection of the laws.
This first-hand understanding that comes from being a teacher, who wrestles with students to think hard and independently, will be invaluable as our nation continues its endless war on terror.  Korean
Americans should not forget that in the name of "military necessity," we have done awful things to immigrants and racial minorities.   

But academic experience is not why I'm voting for Obama.

Indeed, my support is not even based on strict comparisons of voting records.  In terms of their votes, Obama and Clinton are far more similar than different.  So, why Obama?

I choose Obama because more than any political leader in recent memory, he has the potential to transform how we think and talk about race in America.  His biography-a father from Kenya, a mother from Kansas, raised in Indonesia and Hawaii--means that he understands what it means
to be different, to be an outsider, to be looked at skeptically by the mainstream.  We as Korean Americans also understand what it means to be different, to be misunderstood.  And we should welcome the possibility that the next President of the United States-the ultimate insider--might
share this understanding.

In 1992, April 29, I recall watching the small television in the lounge of Gannett House, the building that houses the Harvard Law Review.  I witnessed Los Angeles burn after the Rodney King verdict was announced. It was difficult to repress the tears.  Where were the police?  How could things have gotten this out of hand?  How could there be so much bad blood between Koreans, Blacks, and Latinos?  I felt deep frustration at how the mainstream media covered the crisis.  Where were the voices
of Koreans and Korean Americans?  Why weren't we being heard?  More than 15 years later, much has changed, but much has remained the same.

There is one way we, as a community, can speak right now for change. Some skeptics assume that Koreans will not vote for a Black candidate. But that is a ridiculous generalization.  For the Korean American community to vote for Obama-not simply because he is Black but because he is a remarkable candidate, in all his complexity and potential-would send a clear message rejecting any such politics of racial division. It would powerfully demonstrate that Koreans are a people not cabined by prejudice or parochialism. Our vote would be a soaring symbol for  change.

And who knows, after this African American has blazed the trail, maybe someday, someone whose biography reaches to the shores of Korea or Asia will follow Obama's footsteps.  I look forward to the day when that becomes possible.

Jerry Kang
Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law
2008 Jan 31
(to be published in Korea Times, Opinion Section, Feb. 4, 2008,
translated into Korean by Kyle Oh)

Breaking News: Las Vegas Review-Journal to Endorse Obama for President

The Las Vegas Review-Journal has announced it will endorse Obama in tomorrow's editorial:

"In Wednesday's Review-Journal, the editorial board recommends Democrats in the Saturday caucuses support the candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama. The board notes he is the most viable of the remaining candidates for the party."

Yay!

Obama's Iowa Victory Speech

Sen. Obama's victory speech from tonight has already been hailed by observers all over as a tremendous piece of oratory.  David Gergen compared him to Martin Luther King, Jr.  Eugene Robinson called it a "goosebumps moment."  Ezra Klein of the American Prospect, Matt Yglesias of the Atlantic, and David Brooks of the New York Times all gush about it.

Watch it for yourself.  For a high quality video feed, watch it on MSNBC here.

Kal Penn in Iowa

There's a great video on the Obama website of Kal Penn (Van Wilder, Harold & Kumar, Superman Returns, House) campaigning for Sen. Obama along with Olivia Wilde (House) and Megalyn Echikunwoke (The 4400).  They're really quite impressive and articulate about their reasons for supporting Barack.

Kal's a man after my own heart - he registered to vote the day he turned 18 and cast his first vote in a school board election.  We need more Asian Americans like him!

Op-Eds for Obama in AAPI Publications

Two terrific op-eds about Sen. Obama were published recently in AsianWeek and the Indian American:

http://www.asianweek.com/2007/12/15/the-man-and-the-moment/

http://www.safo2008.com/Media/Guest_Column-Indian_American.pdf

South Asian Columnist Endorses Obama in the Des Moines Register

Rekha Basu writes in the Des Moines Register why she feels this is Obama's moment:

Basu: Obama can heal divisions, win hearts and minds

I remember wishing Hillary Clinton would run. Not last January, when she announced, but before the 2004 election, when someone with her intellectual heft and stature was needed to stand up to the Bush/Rove/ Rumsfeld cabal and dismantle its agenda.

But Clinton didn't run then, and when she jumped into this year's race, days after Barack Obama, it was a different field and a different moment.

This moment belongs to Obama.

Read the rest of the article here.

Sen. Obama's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner Speech

With the Iowa Caucus just over three weeks away, I thought I'd post Sen. Obama's speech from the Iowa Jefferson-Jackson Dinner on Saturday, November 10.  His speech, focusing on the importance of this moment for our country and the need for change, has been credited with giving Obama new momentum and reminding Democratic voters just what is at stake in this primary contest.

So, before the holidays, I want to post this speech again so that we are all reminded of the gravity of this moment, this crossroads for America:      

Our Moment is Now

Sen. Obama's latest Iowa ad perfectly encapsulates the choice posed by the 2008 election - can we face the momentous challenges of our time by doing business as usual, or do we boldly embrace change and have faith that politics and government can work for all Americans again?

By and large, the Democratic candidates have the right ideas for America and the right way to approach the issues.  But I believe that Sen. Obama is the only candidate who brings with him the promise of a deeper change than just the policy positions of the Executive or the laws on the books.  With Sen. Obama as President, we can heal the wounds at home and abroad that have been made by the destructive, divisive, and cynical politics of recent years.  He can show people that just because everybody can't get their way in politics, it doesn't mean that we can't value and respect each and every person.

With just 24 days until the first major contest in the race for the Democratic nomination, we have a choice.  I choose change; will you?

Oprah Stumps for Obama

This past weekend, Oprah Winfrey electrified audiences totaling nearly 70,000 people in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, including the largest political rally this year of 30,000 in South Carolina.  Audiences in Iowa and New Hampshire braved icy weather and freezing rain to hear Oprah speak with Sen. Obama.

Oprah, who has never endorsed in a presidential election before, inspired crowds with her passionate eloquence.  You can see some excerpts from Oprah's and Obama's speeches below:

http://www.barackobama.com/oprah

You can see a video of Oprah, Sen. Obama, and Michelle Obama's appearance in Des Moines below:

Nickelodeon Looking to Interview Obama Supporters Aged 12-16

Nick News on Nickelodeon is looking for teen supporters aged 12-16 of Sen. Obama to interview for an upcoming show on teens and the primary elections. They want to know why kids support a particular candidate, what issues are important to them and why, and why kids should care about the election even if they can't vote.

They want to have as diverse an interview pool as possible, so they're looking for some Asian American teen Obama supporters for the show.

If you or someone you know is interested, please contact me at asianamericansforobama@gmail.com for the reporter's contact information. Thanks!

Luntz Focus Group: Obama "Overwhelming" Winner of Last Night's Debate

According to GOP pollster savant and boy wonder Frank Luntz's focus group, Sen. Obama was once again the clear winner of last night's debate.  The focus group responded particularly positively to Obama's comments on rebuilding trust and ending the climate of fear.

Link to Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8ocKiHEzvM

Key excerpts (full transcript below):  Frank Luntz: When Obama challenged her for being secretive and compared what she was doing with the Clinton administration and Bush administration, he scored very high. The idea for Democrats is how are we going to change that and how are we going to rebuild trust. Now there is a second segment which Obama talked about which is ending the climate of fear. Once again he scored quite well on the dials... Incredible, positive. Therefore it was not surprising that when we ended the session our respondents overwhelmingly picked Barack Obama as the winner of tonight's debate... Clearly last night was a good night for Barack Obama.

Full transcript available after the jump.

Watch Brian Williams' Interview of Obama

Watch the full interview by Brian Williams of Sen. Obama here.

Obama Statement on Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

From Sen. Obama:

Chicago, IL - "I spent much of my childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia, and for most of my adult life, I've lived in Chicago, a city with its own vibrant Asian American and Pacific Islander community. So I join millions of Americans in celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month by honoring the many contributions this community has made to our country."

"Let's honor them by rededicating ourselves to the challenges we all have in common - whether it's protecting our civil rights, making college more affordable, or passing comprehensive immigration reform. And let's fight for affordable, high-quality health care, so we can cover the 2.4 million Asian American and Pacific Islanders who are currently uninsured. Finally, let's make sure that Asian American and Pacific Islanders are getting the pay and jobs they deserve by raising the minimum wage and investing in small businesses."

"This month, let's honor Asian American and Pacific Islanders by coming together to build a better future for all Americans."

The statement is availabe on the campaign website here.

Michelle Obama on Good Morning America

The first part of an interview with Michelle Obama aired today on Good Morning America, but you can still catch the second part tomorrow morning.

To read more about the future First Lady's interview with GMA anchor Robin roberts, click here.

Watch Obama on 60 Minutes

Senator Obama and his wife, Michelle, will appear in an interview with correspondent Steve Kroft on 60 MInutes tomorrow night, Sunday, February 11, at 7 PM EST/6 PM CST.

Get a little preview of the interview here.