Nonprofits Encouraging Asian Americans to Flex Political Muscle

Several analysts have noted that the political participation of Asian Americans in Nevada, North Carolina and other key battleground states that have seen dramatic increases in their Asian populations may well be pivotal this election cycle. Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) President and Executive Director Stewart Kwoh points out, in a report on Asian American voting in the 2008 general election in California’s Los Angeles County, that Asian Americans are “often overlooked in deliberations over swing states and swing votes. Yet the face of America is changing in part because of us…Challenging that invisibility requires us to change. It requires us to become more politically engaged.” Kwoh, whose stint as board chair for The California Endowment made him one of the first Asian Americans to be board chair of a large U.S. foundation, hopes to see more “voter engagement efforts to strategically target those least engaged in our communities, moving them toward becoming more active participants in the political process.”

Among those rallying Asian Americans to flex their political muscle next month is KAYA: Filipino Americans for Progress, which recently released a get-out-the-vote PSA. The spot, featuring Filipino American celebrities, encourages voter registration and awareness in the Filipino-American community, the second largest Asian group in the U.S. You can see it here:

“We need to make sure that our rapid population growth translates into increased electoral participation,” KAYA National Co-Chair Genevieve Jopanda told the Asian Journal. “Voter registration and voter turnout is the only way to ensure that the right leaders who make decisions about our livelihood, safety, and the future of our community get elected into office.”

As Asian Americans find their collective voice, both political parties ought to take heed. The Asian vote may be the small margin that wins the race.

Originally posted on Nonprofit Quarterly Nonprofit Newswire, October 15, 2012.

Political Endorsement Reveals Rift in Filipino Community

September 15, 2012; Source: Boston Globe

Last week, the Filipino American Families of America in Politics (FAFAP), a new group in the Filipino-American stronghold of Nevada, endorsed Republican U.S. senatorial candidate Dean Heller and in the process revealed fissures in the Filipino community.

Some Filipinos have protested Heller’s endorsement, arguing that FAFAP does not represent the community. Democratic challenger Rep. Shelley Berkley’s campaign said Heller’s camp is exaggerating FAPAP’s size and importance.

As their numbers increase in Nevada, Filipinos and Asians in general have been courted by both political parties, which compete for increasingly narrow margins. Since 2000, the Asian community has grown 116 percent in Nevada and Asian American and Pacific Islanders now count for 8.4 percent of the state’s population.

The National Federation of Filipino American Associations, citing U.S. Census figures, reports that of the more than 3.4 million Americans of Filipino descent in the U.S., close to 100,000 call Nevada home.

Luke Perry and Ceasar Elpidio, founders of FAPAP, ignored criticism and were not concerned about the possible rift they are causing within the Filipino community. They argue Heller has been a staunch advocate for World War II Filipino American veterans and their families. The issue of proper compensation and recognition for the veterans’ military service is a crucial one for Filipino Americans.

It remains to be seen if FAPAP will be able to deliver the Filipino vote to Heller and the Republican Party. Filipino Americans, like other Asians, tend to lean Democratic.

Originally posted Nonprofit Quarterly Nonprofit Newswire, September 18, 2012. Also on the Huffington Post, September 19, 2012.

Landmark Gathering of Filipino-American Leaders in D.C.

Filipino-American leaders from across the country convened for a series of meetings in Washington, D.C. Friday.

The landmark gathering began with the first-ever White House briefing for the Filipino-American community. Participants heard from goverment officials about what the Obama administration has accomplished on issues of importance to the Filipino American community. Representatives from various federal agencies, including the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and Homeland Security, and the Small Business Administration spoke at the event.

The briefing was followed by panel discussions on the state and future of the Filipino community, and culminated with the celebration of Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) a solid ally who retires after 36 years of service in Congress.

The series of events was organized by a group of Filipinos in government, advocacy, and research in tandem with Kaya DC. The organizers sought to mobilize participants and raise the visibility and influence of the second largest Asian group in the United States.

Filipinos have been in the U.S. since the 18th century but have remained mostly invisible at the highest levels of government, commerce, the military, and civil society. This gathering marks a new beginning for the next generation of Filipino-Americans who aspire to make a difference and be known not only as world-class singers or boxers but as national leaders.

Originally posted on the Huffington Post, June 26, 2012.

Few Filipino-American Nonprofits Getting Political

March 23, 2012; Source: MetroTrends Blog

The U.S. Census recently released a report that shows Asians as the fastest growing racial group in the nation. Individuals that identified as Asian, either alone or in combination with one or more other races, grew by almost 46 percent during the last decade, while those who identified as Asian alone grew by 43 percent. In contrast, the total population of the United States increased by less than 10 percent during the same period. The largest Asian American groups are those of Chinese descent (4 million), followed by Filipinos (3.4 million) and Asian Indians.

Clearly, Asians have been in the country for centuries; Filipinos built settlements in Louisiana as early as the 1750s and have been integral members of American society ever since. They have labored in Hawaii’s sugar cane plantations, picked vegetables in California, tended Washington’s strawberry fields, and worked in Alaska’s fish canneries. They now take care of the sick and elderly, educate America’s children, serve in the U.S. military, and help power commerce and industry.

Despite this long history and their considerable number, Filipinos remain largely politically invisible, particularly at the federal level. This lack of representation hinders issues relevant to the Filipino-American community from surfacing and getting addressed. This invisibility may partly be attributed to the lack of nonprofits that strive to give their constituents political voice and power. Of the over 700 identifiable Filipino-American incorporated organizations, 38 percent are classified as arts and culture nonprofits and 19 percent are faith-based. Less than one percent are classified as advocacy groups.  While other factors can help explain Filipino-American political invisibility, it is worth the community’s time to take stock of their nonprofits and consider what more they can do to get their voices heard.

Originally posted on Nonprofit Quarterly Nonprofit Newswire, March 27, 2012.

Filipino-American Political Invisibility and Community Organizations

Filipinos were living in Louisiana as early as the 1750s and have been integral members of American society ever since. They have labored in Hawaii’s sugar cane plantations, picked vegetables in California, tended Washington’s strawberry fields, and worked in Alaska’s fish canneries. They now take care of the sick and elderly, educate America’s children, serve in the U.S. military, and help power commerce and industry. Filipinos are also the second-largest Asian group in the United States,below Chinese.

Despite this long history in the United States and their considerable number, Filipinos remain politically invisible, particularly at the federal level. Only two members of Congress are of Filipino descent: Rep. Steve Austria of Ohio and Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia. President Obama’s Asian American presidential appointees are predominantly of East and South Asian descent. This lack of representation at the highest levels hinders issues relevant to the Filipino-American community from surfacing and getting addressed.

Ethnic community nonprofits can facilitate integration into the mainstream. Some strive to give their constituents political voice and power. A glance at Filipino-American organizations can help explain the group’s political invisibility.

The National Center for Charitable Statistics identifies over 700 Filipino-American nonprofits, not counting regional associations and congregations that are not readily identifiable as Filipino. Four in ten are classified as arts and culture nonprofits and two in ten are faith-based. This comes as no surprise because many ethnic organizations foster awareness and maintenance of native culture. Filipino-Americans also tend to be religious and predominantly Roman Catholic.

It is striking, however, that less than a percent of Filipino-American nonprofits are advocacy groups. These are the nonprofits that are vital to political participation and representation. This dearth, no doubt, contributes to the Filipino-American community’s lack of political presence and clout.

While other factors can help explain Filipino-American political invisibility, it is worth the community’s time to take stock of their organizations and consider what more they can do to get their voices heard.

Filipino-American Community Organizations by NTEE Classification

Source:  National Center for Charitable Statistics (IRS Business Master File)

 Originally posted on Urban Institute MetroTrends Blog, March 23, 2012.

Irish Immigration Bill Raises Questions in Latino, Asian Communities

Irish Flag (Agnieszka Bernacka)

Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) recently announced that an immigration bill he filed last year was “about to pop.”

The measure, dubbed the Irish immigration bill, would qualify Ireland for the E-3 visa program which currently applies exclusively to Australian nationals. The bill would increase the number of work visas allocated to the Irish by 10,500 per year.

Brown’s measure has been added to a broader bill introduced by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) that would make it easier for high-skilled foreign workers to obtain work visas in the U.S. Schumer’s bill is a version of the Fairness for Highly Skilled Immigrants Act of 2011 (H.R. 3012) – which passed the House with broad bipartisan support in November.

Brown argued that this is a “no brainer” in his state where there is a strong demand for such a visa program because of “family and cultural ties.”

The senator, who is facing a tough re-election bid this November and stands to gain from the support of Massachusetts’ large Irish population, lobbied the powerful ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), to allow the piece of legislation to move forward and provide a legal pathway for Irish to come to the U.S.

“Supporters argue that the strong cultural ties between the US and Ireland should be recognized in immigration policy,” wrote Noah Bierman in the Boston Globe,  “especially as the Irish economy falters and thousands of skilled workers are clamoring for opportunity across the Atlantic.”

But why should the Irish get a special bill? Filipinos and Chinese have been in the United States since the 1700s, and the Philippines has had a “special bond” with the U.S. which continues to the present. The borders, citizens, economies, and politics of Mexico and the U.S. have been and will always be inextricably linked. Thousands of professionals from the Philippines, China, Mexico, and other nations also clamor for America’s promise of opportunity.

Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA), Immigration Task Force Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, does not believe any one nationality should be favored.

“I would not support Senator Brown’s standalone bill to add Ireland to the E-3 visa program,” he said.

The author of the Reuniting Families Act (H.R. 1796), Honda would rather see comprehensive immigration reform that addresses the family-sponsored and employment-based visa backlogs in many nations, rather than just one.

Michael Innis-Jiménez, a University of Alabama professor and expert on Latino and Labor issues said focusing on just one ethnic group won’t fill the high and low-skilled gaps in the American workforce.

“Although I admire Scott’s advocacy for an extremely vibrant and influential ethnic and national group within his constituency of Massachusetts, the underlying problem is that the immigration system needs a complete overhaul,” Innis- Jiménez said.

Roy Beck, executive director of NumbersUSA, a group that advocates for lower levels of immigration tossed race into the mix, arguing that measures like Brown’s favor white immigrants.

“They’re basically upset because they don’t have the special privileges that they once had,” Beck told the Boston Globe, referring to Irish advocates. “They have to share those privileges with Latinos and Africans and Asians.”

Innis-Jiménez, who is of Irish and Mexican descent, admitted that he thinks race is a factor.

“Sure, I think race is always in play with national-level U.S. immigration policy,” he said. “But I think it is a bit more complicated.  It is also about economic class and political clout.  Few Americans are going to complain about more white, educated Irish immigrants. Most of them will end up in the Northeast.”

Tamar Jacoby, President and CEO of ImmigrationWorks USA, a national organization that links 25 state-based business coalitions and advocates for immigration reform, is just glad that steps, albeit small ones, are being taken to address the fraught and complex issue.

“After five years of people in Congress, and especially Republicans, not willing to touch immigration at all, I’m very encouraged – and this isn’t the only bill – to see some Republicans taking small bites of the apple,” she said.

There’s no hard evidence that Brown prefers one color of immigrants over another. Jacoby argues that the impetus behind Brown’s measure is purely political. “It’s not because Scott Brown’s a racist,” she said. “It’s because he has Irish people in his state and he needs to get re-elected.”

But Brown’s tough stance against unauthorized immigration and opposition to the DREAM Act which mainly impacts Latinos, raises suspicion and protest from other ethnic groups that are as much part of America’s history and future as the Irish.

Moreover, America’s sordid history of excluding, and at times oppressing, non-European immigrants has left a bad taste in the mouths of ethnic minorities.

Despite appearances, the U.S. remains the land of opportunity and promise. Millions worldwide want the chance to come and toil for their American dream. We should have clear-eyed, reasoned, and fair policy that picks foreign workers based on what our economy demands not on country of origin. Most certainly not on the color of skin.

At any rate, this entire discussion may be moot. Politico reports that Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is opposing Brown’s pet bill out of concern that it could “hurt high-skilled American jobs.”  And this is an election year. No one will seriously attempt, much less pass, anything before November.

Originally posted on WNYC It’s A Free Country, February 23, 2012. Also posted on Feet in 2 Worlds and the Huffington Post.

New Jersey Universities Inaugurate Immigrant Presidents

October 15, 2011; Source: NJ.com | A. Gabriel Esteban, 49, became the 20^th president of Seton Hall University.  The first non-clergy to hold the post since the 1980s, Esteban is also the first Filipino-American head of a major U.S. university.  Nariman Farvardin, 54 and a native of Iran, was chosen as the seventh president of Stevens Institute of Technology.

Esteban arrived in California in 1988 and earned his doctorate in administration from the University of California at Irvine.  He had been serving as Seton Hall’s interim president when the board made the position permanent in January.

Farvardin came to the U.S. during the Iranian revolution and earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. He was serving as provost at the University of Maryland before taking over the reins of Stevens Institute of Technology.

Their stories are just two among the many immigrant tales of success born out of opportunity, hard work, and belief in the American Dream.

Farvardin, who barely spoke English when he first arrived, said, “I thank this magnificent and welcoming country for giving me a new home, for extending helping arms when I needed them, for allowing me to build a career in a way I could not have possibly built anywhere else in the world.”

Both men are examples of what good education can provide for immigrants and ultimately for the country. Esteban and Farvardin are responsible for steering the academic lives of thousands of students.

“In this country, maybe more so than anywhere else in the world, education has proven to be the great equalizer and allowed upward mobility,” Esteban said. “Education has become a symbol of hope.”

Education continues to be the path many see as the way to improving their fortunes and ensuring their children’s future, especially among those who give up so much to pursue the American Dream. Unfortunately, there are those who would deny deserving and hard-working immigrants the opportunity.

Perhaps the ascent of Esteban and Favardin will help remind all of us that immigrants do come to partake in America’s promise and also to help build a better future for all.

Originally posted on Nonprofit Quarterly Nonprofit Newswire, October 17, 2011.

Ethnic Group Capitalizes on Facebook

July 21, 2011; Source: The Asian Journal|

Organizers of the annual “Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York Awards” (TOFA-NY) decided to go viral this year. Voting for the awards will be conducted via Facebook. The group of multimedia professionals made the move because they “believe social media is crucial in getting the word out about the many personalities and organizations that have made us one significant and dynamic community in this part of the U.S.”

Nearly half of the U.S. population is currently plugged into social networks but Asian Americans are the most connected, with 62% of the population socially active online.

TOFA-NY marks Filipino American History Month in October and recognizes individuals and organizations that have positively raised the profile of the community. Among this year’s nominees are nonprofit leaders of New York area groups, including The Children’s Orchestra Society, Damayan Migrant Workers Association, Kalusugan (Health) Coalition and Barangay New York, an LGBTQ organization.

Over 100,000 Filipinos call New York home according to the 2010 Census though some believe that many more were not counted. The Empire State is home to about 1.6 million Asians and the Filipino community is one of the largest.

Ethnic associations and community-based nonprofits contribute to the vitality of ethnic communities. Harnessing technology and the Internet to reach the next generation of hyphenated Americans is essential to maintaining community identity and solidarity.

Originally posted on Nonprofit Quarterly Nonprofit Newswire, July 23, 2011.