(Cross-posted from aapidemocrats.com)

Voting can be an intimidating experience for Americans with limited English proficiency, who may face discrimination and disenfranchisement. Attorneys and law students with language skills can help protect the vote at the polls on Election Day, by signing up at: http://my.democrats.org/page/content/voter_protection_signup.

If you are interested in helping with limited English proficient and Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, please write “AAPI VP Task Force” in the “other” category after the language selection.

Help Recruit Bilingual Volunteers in Key States:

The DNC National Lawyers Council is assisting in recruiting Asian American, Pacific Islander, and bilingual attorneys and law students for voter protection activities. If you are interested in joining these recruitment efforts, contact Anna Chu or Van Luong, co-chairs of the AAPI Voter Protection Task Force at the DNC National Lawyers Council, at anna.l.chu@gmail.com or loung_van@yahoo.com. Our target states are California, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

Key Contacts:

Anna Chu
Co-Chair, AAPI Voter Protection Task Force
DNC National Lawyers Council
415-246-8138
anna.l.chu@gmail.com

Van Luong
Co-Chair, AAPI Voter Protection Task Force
DNC National Lawyers Council
luong_van@yahoo.com

Democrat Ami Bera is running a strong campaign against incumbent GOP Congressman Dan Lungren of California’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes most of Sacramento County, all of Alpine, Amador and Calaveras counties, and part of Solano County.

Elk Grove, Calif.-resident “Bera has been an Associate Dean for Admissions at the UC Davis School of Medicine and was the former Chief Medical Officer for the County of Sacramento,” wrote India Journal in an article last Friday, which included a Q&A with Dr. Bera.

More than having a strong chance at unseating an incumbent Republican Congressman, Dr. Bera is running against an elected official with a shameful track record of opposition to civil rights and issues important to people of color.

Almost 25 years ago, a coalition of Asian American individuals and organizations formed to oppose Lungren’s appointment as Calif. state Treasurer, citing his voting record as “anti-minority, anti-civil rights, anti-women, anti-poor and anti-elderly,” the Los Angeles Times quoted Donald K. Tamaki, a San Francisco attorney and spokesman for coalition. “He is a radical, an extremist on many positions.” (See the full article pasted below.)

A quarter-century later, Lungren’s been taking pay raises, double dipping into tax funds and plagued by ethics issues.

Visit Dr. Bera’s website and find out how you can be a part of firing Dan Lungren from Congress.
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Cross-posted from Reappropriate:

The Washington Post is running a series called “Voices of Power” wherein top White House staffers are interviewed about their positions in the Obama administration. Today, the Post published video and a transcript of their conversation with Chris Lu, who, as Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary, is one of the most prominent Asian Americans in the White House.

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Cross-posted from APAP, by Curtis Chin:

Here at APAP, we’ve reported quite a few times on the number of South Asians running for Congress this election cycle. It’s a stellar group including announced candidates physician Ami Bera in CA-03, Iraq War Veteran Manan Trivedi in PA-06, State Senator Raj Goyle in KS-04 and attorney Ravi Sangisetty in LA-03, as well as rumored candidate Reshma Saujani in NY-14. Now it seems like others are noticing this trend as well.  From the Washington publication Roll Call, we have the article “Indian-Americans Priming the Pump.” (hat tip to Gene Kim for pointing this out.)

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Video of the signing ceremony and Diwali celebration added below. Interviews with AAPI guests and Administration officials at the event now available from AAPI Momentum.

Cross-posted at APA for Progress

Link to the executive order that restores the White House Advisory Commission and Interagency Working Group to address issues concerning the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

THE WHITE HOUSE 

Office of the Press Secretary

___________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                      October 14, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

AT AAPI INITIATIVE EXECUTIVE ORDER SIGNING

AND DIWALI EVENT

East Room 

3:46 P.M. EDT

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, good afternoon, everybody.  Please be seated.  Welcome to the White House.  I’m glad you could join us today as I proudly sign this executive order reestablishing the President’s Advisory Commission and White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders.

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Cross-posted from APA for Progress:

Boston City Councilor Sam Yoon may not have made it to the second stage of the mayoral election in November, but don’t count him out yet. In a historic move, Yoon will be campaigning with Michael Flaherty on an innovative “joint ticket” with Flaherty for Mayor and Yoon for Deputy Mayor.  The “unusual partnership,” announced this morning at City Hall by the candidates, is believed to be a first, according to the Boston Globe.

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By Keith Kamisugi, Curtis Chin and Mike Fong

October’s Filipino American History Month is an opportune time for other Asian American communities to evaluate our progress in supporting the efforts of Filipino Americans in achieving fair and more equal representation for their community in politics.

One glaring fact demonstrates why this issue is ripe for discussion: no Filipino American has ever been elected to the California State Assembly, a body representing a state that is home to approximately 60 percent of Americans of Filipino heritage.

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Friends:

Thanks for joining this afternoon’s call. Some of you may already have this, but for others, attached please find the AAPI Health Reform Action Guide. The packet is designed as an outreach tool, not a policy piece, and accordingly will help answer some of the outreach-related questions that you may have asked in the last several weeks, or on the call today.  

Best,

Kalpen Modi
Associate Director
White House Office of Public Engagement

Tomorrow, Wednesday, September 2, The Office of Public Engagement will hold an AAPI Conference Call on Health Insurance Reform with Tina Tchen, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, Mike Hash, Senior Advisor in the White House Office of Health Reform, and David Simas with the White House Communications Office.On the call we will give an update on health insurance reform and the AAPI community.

Please join us:

Title: AAPI Health Reform Call
Date: Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Participant: (800) 230-1074
Start Time: 12 noon EDT

Kalpen Modi
Associate Director
White House Office of Public Engagement