AAPI community update

 

	April 2007 DNC Chairman Howard Dean Meets with AAPI and Muslim American Community Leaders Download: Hi-Res | Low-Res Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean recently convened a series of roundtable meetings with Asian American Pacific Islander and Muslim American community leaders in Chicago, Illinois and Washington, DC. The meetings, which were held on March 15 and 20, are part of the Democratic Party's ongoing commitment to reaching out to voters in every community and every part of the country. In last year's successful elections, 62 percent of Asian Americans voted for Democrats and for a new direction for our country. Chairman Dean heralded the success of the Democratic Party in last year's elections, which would not have been possible without the strong support of the Asian American community. At the meeting in Washington DC, Governor Dean was joined by DNC Vice Chair Congressman Mike Honda, along with the Chair and Vice Chair of the DNC's Asian and Pacific Islander American Caucus, Bel Leong-Hong and Mona Mohib, respectively. "Thanks to Governor Dean's vision for the 50-state partnership and his continued outreach to all communities, we were able to win in many jurisdictions that were previously considered unwinnable," stated DNC Vice Chair Honda. "Having traveled to many states, I have heard nothing but praise for the 50-state partnership project." "The DNC's continued efforts to reach out to the Asian American community after the successful elections of 2006 show how committed the party is to not taking any vote or voter for granted," said DNC Asian and Pacific Islander American Caucus Chair Bel Leon-Hong. "Capitalizing on the gains of the last election the DNC will continue to reach out to the Asian American community as we gear up to elect a Democratic President of the United States and Democrats up and down the ballot." The meeting in Washington was attended by representatives from various organizations including the Asian American Justice Center, Asian American Action Fund, APIA Vote, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Filipino American Democrats, Korean American Coalition, Muslim Public Affairs Council, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development, and Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund. The Chicago meeting was attended by representatives from a number of groups and organizations including Asian American Advisory Council, Asian Pacific Americans for Progress, Center for Immigrant Resources and Community Arts, Chicagoland Nepali Pariwar, Filipino Civil Rights Advocates, Filipino Human Rights Coalition, Illinois Veterans Equity Center, Indo American Democratic Organization, Korean American Coalition-Chicago, Korean American Resource and Cultural Center, Organization for Chinese Americans-Chicago, and the University of Chicagos Center for Race, Culture and Politics. DNC Announces New Indo-American Leadership Council Co-Chairs Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean recently announced the appointment of the new Co-Chairs for the DNC's Indo-American Leadership Council. Dr. Mahinder Tak of Bethesda, MD, and Shekar Narasimhan, of Dunn Loring, VA, will serve as National Co-Chairs, while Sunita Gupta Leeds, of Washington, DC, will serve as Advisory Board Chair. All three have been appointed by Chairman Dean to lead the Council through the 2008 election cycle. Established in 2004, the DNC Indo-American Leadership Council is comprised of Indian-American professionals, entrepreneurs, activists, and community leaders who represent citizens of Indian descent across the nation. The council works to recognize the loyalty, dedication, and generous contributions of the Indian-American community to the Democratic Party, and to provide a platform for political engagement and a forum for the exchange of ideas for Indian-American Democrats. The new Co-Chairs take over from the current Chair, Ramesh Kapur, an entrepreneur from Boston, MA who helped create the Indo-American Leadership Council at the DNC in 2004. Under Kapur's leadership, the Council raised millions for the national Party and the Democratic presidential nominee in the 2004 cycle. "I'm proud to announce that Dr. Mahinder Tak and Shekar Narasimhan will serve as Co-Chairs of the DNC Indo American Council, and that Sunita Gupta Leeds will Chair the Council's Advisory Board," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. "Each of them is firmly committed to advancing the shared ideals and values of the Democratic Party and the Indian-American community. Each of them also understands the importance of encouraging and increasing the participation of the Indian-American community in our American democracy, and that we need the Indian American community not just at the table, but on the ticket. Under their leadership, the Indo-American Leadership Council will no doubt continue the great tradition begun by outgoing Chair Dr. Ramesh Kapur, and have a tremendous impact on helping elect a Democratic President and Democrats up and down the ballot in 2008." Brief Bios of New DNC Indo-American Council Co-Chairs: Dr. Mahinder Tak, Co-Chair Based in Bethesda, MD, Dr. Tak is a retired physician, formerly with the United States Army Reserve, and has been a long-time Democratic supporter. On the Board of Trustees for the National Museum for Women in the Arts, she is also one of the foremost collectors of Indian art and has lent pieces from her collection to the Freer and Sackler Galleries. Dr. Tak and her husband are also supporters of microcredit and women's development in India and elsewhere. Shekar Narasimhan, Co-Chair Shekar Narasimhan is a banker and CEO of a public company based out of Dunn Loring, VA. An active Democrat for years, Shekar became particularly involved in 2006 after the incident with his son, S.R. Sidarth, a staffer with the Webb for Senate campaign, and former Senator George Allen. Following the incident, Shekar helped mobilize the Indian-American community, both in Virginia and nationally, to help elect Jim Webb and secure a Democratic majority in the Senate. Shekar is also actively involved with the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple, one of the largest Hindu temples in the country, and is the Founding Chair of the Campaign for Affordable Housing. Sunita Gupta Leeds, Advisory Board Chair Sunita Gupta Leeds, with her husband Dan Leeds, has been involved in Democratic politics for years. A software developer by training, she is now deeply involved with progressive non-profit causes particularly focused on education, is on three advisory boards related to education, and Co-Chairs The Enfranchisement Foundation, which funds charities that act as catalysts in breaking the cycle of poverty and ignorance, and charities that specialize in women's issues. As Chair of the Council's Advisory Board, Sunita will coordinate a network of Indian-American activists, community leaders, elected officials, and celebrities to support the fundraising and outreach work of the Council. CAPAC Members Alarmed by Firing of US Attorney Carol Lam The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) expressed concern over the seemingly political nature of former U.S. Attorney Carol Lam's firing, and sought answers from the Department of Justice through a letter signed by Representatives Mike Honda and Bobby Scott. CAPAC members made the following statements: Rep. Honda (D-CA): "While it is the Bush Administration's prerogative to hire and fire federal appointees, I am concerned about the apparent political nature of the firing of former U.S. Attorney Carol Lam," said Rep. Michael Honda, Chair of CAPAC. "Ms. Lam has served the American people well by successfully leading the corruption prosecution of former Congressman Randall 'Duke' Cunningham, a prominent San Diego Republican. Given the political corruption that we have witnessed in recent years, talented attorneys who are combating such misuses of power should be rewarded and not punished. Ms. Lam is only the second Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) female to serve as a U.S. Attorney. A decrease in diversity among U.S. Attorneys is an unfortunate consequence of her firing, which highlights the need for greater AAPI representation among our highest-ranked government attorneys." Rep. Scott (D-VA): "Ms. Lam was successful in investigating and prosecuting corruption, and public reports indicate that her performance was superior," said Rep. Bobby Scott, Chair of CAPAC's Civil Rights Task Force. "Her firing was only one of many that have caused congressional inquiries. To ensure confidence in our criminal justice system, it is crucial that the hiring and firing of our top federal prosecutors be conducted not only with integrity, but also with the appearance of integrity." REP. WU INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO SUPPORT ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER STUDENTS Legislation provides grants to higher education institutions serving low-income and underserved Asian American and Pacific Islander student populations On January 22, Congressman David Wu (D-OR) introduced the "Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions" bill that would provide grants to institutions of higher education for their efforts to improve and expand services targeting Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. Specifically, Congressman Wu's legislation will help institutions identify and assist low-income and underserved AAPI students. Similar programs currently only serve other minority populations. "The Asian American and Pacific Islander community has and will always be an integral and vibrant part of American society," stated Congressman Wu. "I am pleased to introduce legislation that will help foster further contributions by those members of the AAPI population that our educational system has neglected." Current law allows the U.S. Department of Education to provide similar financial assistance to institutions which serve African American, Hispanic, Native American, Alaskan Native and Hawaiian Native students. Higher education institutions serving large numbers of AAPI students have not had access to this financial aid in part because of socioeconomic assumptions that categorize a complex youth population of over three million as a homogenous, academically successful unit that is not in need of academic support systems. Congressman Wu's legislation is currently supported by 5 original cosponsors: Representatives Mike Honda, Neil Abercrombie, Jim McDermott, Betty McCollum and Zoe Lofgren. GET INVOLVED Connect with Your Favorite 2008 Presidential Candidate Through PartyBuilder No matter who wins the nomination next year, PartyBuilder will allow you to easily continue your work to help elect a Democratic president. That means the Democratic nominee can hit the ground running with the largest online network of support ever built. PartyBuilder combines some of our most powerful online outreach resources into one central place, where every Democrat can use them for free. It's a permanent part of the 50-state strategy and an integral piece of our plan for taking back the White House in 2008. Thousands of Democrats have already joined, including all of our presidential candidates. Their campaigns are waiting to connect with you: http://www.democrats.org/PartyBuilder08 To sign up for updates on AAPI issues from the DNC, including The AAPI Democrat, click here. To request consideration of your community event to be included in The AAPI Democrat, please submit to aapi@dnc.org.
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