Nike Ching of Voice of America Radio China recently interviewed Obama transition team executive director and Cabinet Secretary-Designate Chris Lu. You can see an article in Chinese on the VOA News website, as well as download an MP3 of the interview.

If anyone is interested in helping to translate the article and interview for Asian Americans for Obama, please contact us at info@asianamericansforobama.com.

There’s a nice interactive photo gallery at the New York Times Magazine featuring 52 of Obama’s top advisers, aides and incoming administration members, including Eugene Kang, Pete Rouse, Dr. Steven Chu and General Eric Shinseki. The photos are taken by Nadav Kander and include an audio explanation of the process of photographing everyone. In particular, pay special attention to the book that Eugene Kang is holding - that’s the book that contains the numbers of all of the people that Obama called throughout the campaign, written in Eugene’s own hand! There’s also a great anecdote about David Axelrod wanting to pose with a cookie in his hand, but the picture that made it into the gallery was a non-cookie one because the cookies didn’t look real enough.

Read the Editor’s Letter about the idea behind the shoot and view the photos here (click on the word “People” and an arrow will appear).

Title: Be the Change Indus Inaugural Party

Pranna, 79 Madison Ave.
On the corner of 28th St.
NYC

Doors open at 7
Complimentary Hors-D’oeuvres
Live Music - DJ, Percussions & Drums
No cover with RSVP

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SAALT and Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project (DVRP) for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

Volunteer with SAALT and Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project (DVRP) for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January 19)

As part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, come out and help educate the South Asian community in Washington, DC about important issues such as domestic violence. Volunteers will reach out and visit local South Asian businesses to inform them about domestic violence and available resources such as DVRP.

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MLK Service Day with GO/LA

Please join GO/LA and bring your friends to these MLK Service Day Projects in your corner of Los Angeles. Sign up now - space is limited! Projects below can be completed from home, work, over the weekend and on MLK Day! Be the change.

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On behalf of YLFO, I’d like to invite the members of Asian Americans for Obama to join us this Sunday night for our Late Night Inaugural Party.

Here are the details:

10 pm - 1 am
Sunday, January 18th
Old Ebbitt Grill (and attached office building atrium)
Open Bar, Hors D’Oeuvres
Featuring performances by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and Jackie Greene
Tickets: $100

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Warm Your Hearts at the Pearl Presidential Gala

Mandarin Oriental Hotel - 1330 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024

AAPI community members attending the Pearl Presidential Gala are encouraged to donate 400 warm-up kits (hat, gloves, and socks), toiletry kits (toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant) and snack packs to the homeless in Washington, D.C. Organizers are also asking the Gala attendees to donate $3 per kit at the Gala with the goal of collecting enough funds to distribute 1000 kits total. “Warm Your Hearts” distribution to the homeless will be done around Valentine’s Day. For more info, visit www.pearlgala.com

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) conducts an exit poll of AAPI voters after every national election. This year’s was the largest ever, with nearly 17,000 voters surveyed. AALDEF’s press release with the summary of their results is posted below.

According to the poll, the Democratic Party’s strength among AAPIs continues to grow, with registered Democrats enjoying a 58% to 14% party registration edge over Republicans. As with other communities, a large number of AAPI voters were first time voters - nearly one-third. As noted in previous polls, Obama won AAPI voters by a nearly 3 to 1 margin, but even more astoundingly, an astonishing 87% (!) of American born AAPIs voted for Obama. The longer the citizenship tenure of an AAPI voter, the more likely she was to vote for Obama. Go below the fold for the entire press release and more details.

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Join Asian Americans for Obama/Latinos for Obama and South Asians for Obama to deliver food to the Homebound Elderly

Please join NY Asian Americans for Obama, Latinos for Obama and South Asians for Obama for a special community service event.

We will be working with City Meals on Wheels to deliver food to homebound elderly residents in Queens.

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