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Thanks to Angry Asian Man for the info:

Here’s the deal. The Asian American and Pacific Islander community needs quality affordable health care. One in six Asian Americans and one in four Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are uninsured. Even with coverage, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders experience disparities in health outcomes and quality of care.

On Wednesday, August 19th, the Asian American Justice Center, the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, and the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum will be hosting a national AAPI Call-in Day to support health care reform. The AAPI Call-in Day will give members of the AAPI community the opportunity to raise their voices together to tell Congress to support quality affordable health care for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders:

Call your Senator and Representative on August 19th and ask them to:

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Cross-posted from Asian Pacific Americans for Progress:

About four hours ago, I arrived at the Pittsburgh airport, ready for a weekend of education, networking, and activism known as Netroots Nation 2009. Begun just a few years ago under the moniker Yearly Kos, Netroots Nation is now the premiere annual convention in the country for online progressive activism. It’s an event that has given everyday people, young and old, the opportunity to make their voices heard. Because of the success of the organizing model that has transformed American politics in the last few years, including the election of President Barack Obama, a guy like me who started blogging at his parents’ kitchen table in Texas now has the opportunity to speak about the issues facing our country directly with US Senators, White House advisers, and more.

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From Sarah Palin’s imaginary “death panel” to Sen. Grassley’s crass manipulation of Sen. Kennedy’s terminal cancer, the sheer audacity of the anti-health care propaganda machine has been staggering. With so many of us self-employed or working in small businesses, Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders have one of the highest rates of uninsured and underinsured in the country. Meanwhile, those of us working in larger companies know the competitive edge we lose to firms around the world who are not saddled with the onerous cost regime for health care we have here.

With Americans paying the largest portion of our income in the world for health care for increasingly lower quality and breadth of coverage, it is well past the time for reform. Fight back against the irresponsible scaremongering and spread the truth and get a Reality Check on health care. Educate your family and community on why Obama’s health care plan with a robust public option will cut costs, increase options, and improve care for all Americans.

For more information on what you can do, go below the fold for a message from Kalpen Modi and how to contact your Member of Congress.

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Nominate Your College or University Today!
Co-sponsored by Asian Pacific Americans for Progress and Angry Asian Man

Do you think your campus has what it takes to be on this list? This is a call out to all you current college students, recent college grads, and even faculty and staff… if you think your campus community is a great place for AAPI students to earn their bachelor’s degrees and to cut their teeth as progressive AAPI community leaders, fill out the nomination form by 11:59 pm, Pacific on August 28, 2009. Our panel of reviewers will then evaluate your submissions. If your campus is one of the best, it will be featured in September on both Asian Pacific Americans for Progress and Angry Asian Man, and you’ll win some priceless bragging rights!

Everyone who submits a nomination by the deadline will be entered into a raffle to win a DVD copy of Vincent Who? and 5 Blacklava t-shirts. So get those nominations in by August 28!! If you have any questions, contact spamfriedrice@apaforprogress.org.

For more information on Asian Pacific Americans for Progress, go http://www.apaforprogress.org

For more information on Angry Asian Man, go http://www.angryasianman.com

Now that Mark Keam has clinched the Democratic nomination for Virginia State Delegate from the 35th District, it’s time to work to keep Virginia blue and beat the GOP in the fall. The Asian American Action Fund will be hosting an awesome fundraiser for Mark featuring numerous Asian American leaders, including former Sec. of Transportation and Commerce Norman Mineta, Survivor winner Yul Kwon, former Assistant Sec. of Energy (and fellow Texan!) Robert Gee, and former Vice Chair of the EEOC, Paul Igasaki.

If you in the Northern Virginia area this coming Monday, drop by and give Mark a few bucks to keep the Democratic wave going in Virginia!

Details below the fold.

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For the last several months, American journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling have been confined by North Korea. They were detained while reporting on North Korean refugees along the Chinese-North Korean border. They were recently sentenced to 12 years hard labor by a North Korean court for illegal entry into the country and unspecified “hostile acts,” but yesterday, North Korean state media announced their pardons. Their release was secured after months of negotiations by members of the Obama Administration, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, journalism groups such as Reporters Without Borders, and former Vice President Al Gore, founder of Current TV - Lee’s and Ling’s employer. President Bill Clinton’s unannounced visit to North Korea yesterday sealed the deal.

For Lee’s and Ling’s family and friends, their colleagues in the free press, and us here at Asian Americans for Obama, this wonderful news has been long awaited. With tense and unprecedented events unfolding all over the world from Iran to Xinjiang, China to Honduras, we are reminded of the importance of the press to advancing the truth. Lee’s and Ling’s ordeal is a powerful example of why the Founding Fathers believed that little is more threatening to tyranny than a free press. As Justice Brandeis once wrote, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” and these two courageous reporters were anathema to the oppressive regime in North Korea. Our thoughts will continue to be with them until they are safely back in the arms of their loved ones in the United States.

Laura’s sister Lisa has been a tremendous inspiration to us here at AAFO, and we still remember fondly our time with her here in Austin last March. We’re thrilled that she could share in yesterday’s welcome news.

Go below the fold for a statement from President Obama on the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee.

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