Asian American Action Fund Jan. 09 Recap

Asian American Action Fund Online Newsletter
Volume 9, Number 3, February 3, 2009
For more, visit www.aaa-fund.org.
Send comments to info@aaa-fund.org.
Subscribe and unsubscribe info below.

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1. AAA-Fund Endorses Dr. Judy Chu
2. Should Immigrants Be Allowed to Run for President?
3. Watch AAA-Fund Event: Panel on Immigration
4. National Day of Service at Union Rescue Mission
5. Obama\\\'s Inauguration and Asian Americans
6. Instant Runoff Voting Wins More Support
7. A Fortune in Cookies
8. Opportunities with AAA-Fund

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1. AAA-Fund Endorses Dr. Judy Chu

Asian American Action Fund has endorsed
Dr. Judy Chu in the special election to
fill the expected vacancy in California\\\'s
32nd Congressional District. Dr. Chu
seeks to replace outgoing Congressmember
Hilda Solis, who is poised to become
the Secretary of Labor in the Obama
Administration.

Express your support and help elect
Dr. Chu into Congress:
http://www.actblue.com/contribute/entity/21630

Learn more about Dr. Chu:
http://www.aaa-fund.com/?p=1372

*****************************************
2. Immigration Poll

An immigrant\\\'s son was just sworn in as our
44th President. Should immigrants be allowed
to run for president? Make sure your voice
is heard in AAA-Fund\\\'s latest poll.

After voting, see how others voted.

Survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=0YwGTVfo07v7w4XOfcLerA_3d_3d

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3. Watch AAA-Fund Event: Panel on Immigration

On January 15, 2009, AAA-Fund, in conjunction
with Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and
the UCLA Labor Center, hosted a panel discussion
on \\\"IMMIGRATION REFORM: WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN 2009?\\\"
The panel was held at the UCLA Center for Labor
and Research Education and featured

* Bill Ong Hing, Professor, UC Davis School of Law
* Hamid Khan, Executive Director, South Asian Network
* Sookyung Oh, Immigrant Rights Project Coordinator, NKASEC
* Lourdes Galindo and Matias Ramos, Graduate Interns, UCLA Labor Center
* Victor Narro, Project Director, UCLA Labor Center
* Sara Sadhwani, Immigrant Rights Project Director, Asian Pacific American Legal Center

Videos are available at the AAA-Fund website:
http://www.aaa-fund.org/press/2009jan15.php

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4. National Day of Service at Union Rescue Mission

In Los Angeles and Washington, DC, AAA-Fund
and its volunteers showed their spirit for
service by volunteering at Union Rescue
Mission and Asian American-LEAD:
http://www.aaa-fund.com/?p=1328.

View photos and stories from Los Angeles:
http://www.aaa-fund.com/?p=1355.

*****************************************
5. Obama\\\'s Inauguration and Asian Americans

From an era of self-responsibility to an
era of community, blogger John Delloro
reflects on Obama\\\'s inaugural speech and
what it means for the present and future
of Asian Americans:
http://www.aaa-fund.com/?p=1351

*****************************************
6. Instant Runoff Voting Wins More Support

As we head into the 2009 Los Angeles
elections, the list of Instant Runoff Voting
(IRV) supporters keeps on growing.
Here\\\'s a rundown of all LA candidates
who have endorsed IRV: Bill Rosendahl,
Ed Reyes, Wendy Greuel, Eric Garcetti,
Angela Reddock, Nancy Pearlman,
Carmen Trutanich, and David Vahedi,
as well as Congressional candidate Judy Chu.

Read how LA\\\'s current election system
works absent of IRV:
http://www.aaa-fund.com/?p=1335.

*****************************************
7. A Fortune in Cookies

Read a whimsical column extolling the
virtues of fortune cookies. The LA Times
piece features Kenny Yee, a civic leader
who\\\'s Vice Chair of the Center for Asian
Americans United for Self-Empowerment (CAUSE).

Story: http://www.aaa-fund.com/?p=1374

*****************************************
8. Opportunities with AAA-Fund

* AAA-Fund is providing financial as well as
other forms of support to APA candidates from
around the country. Here is one of our sponsors:
www.aaa-fund.org/features/feats_woo.php
Please contact info@aaa-fund.org if you would
like to be featured as one of our AAA-Fund Sponsors.

* Whether or not you want to be a featured sponsor,
your financial assistance is urgently needed TODAY
so that we can continue to encourage the political
empowerment of APA candidates. Please go to our
website at http://tinyurl.com/8tx2fq and give
whatever you can afford. Thank you so much!

Advertise with AAA-Fund

* Promote your organization and events on our
website and blog. See our media kit:
http://tinyurl.com/a72u4b.

##########################################
To subscribe to the AAA-Fund Newsletter,
send an email to info@aaa-fund.org
and type \\\"subscribe\\\" in the message line
To stop receiving the AAA-Fund Newsletter,
send an email to info@aaa-fund.org
and type \\\"remove\\\" in the message line.
AAA-Fund, 707 H Street, NW, #200, Wash., DC 20001
##########################

February Asian Avenue Magazine Updates

Check out our February news, events and articles at www.asianavenuemagazine.com or pick up this month's AAm in stores now!

• Our cover story takes a look at the current trends in plastic surgery amongst Asian Americans and unveils the cultural motivations behind them, with interviews from several reputable plastic surgeons.

• Happy Valentine's Day this month! We hope you enjoy our unique Valentine's Day feature sharing fun activities to do in the Denver and Boulder area you don't want to miss!

• Miss Asian American Colorado applications are now available at www.missaaco.com. We are already underway with the second year of the one-of-a-kind leadership program for young Asian American women in Colorado. Please help spread the word!

• AAm welcomes President Obama and congratulates the Asian American Pacific Islanders who have been appointed into leading roles in his Cabinet.

• CALLING ALL NOMINATIONS for Asian American Heroes in Colorado in celebration of Asian Heritage Month (May)!

Selected recipients of the 2009 Asian American Hero of Colorado award will be featured in the May cover story. We encourage you to nominate deserving friends, family members, neighbors, teachers and community volunteers.

Download the nomination form here:
http://asianavenuemagazine.com/apa-heroes/

• February Event Calendar:
Lots of great events this month you don't want to miss...

- Free taijiquan (tai chi) Classes with the Taoist Tai Chi Society
- OCA/JACL's Annual Chinese New Year Banquet
- CU-Boulder's “Xuan Tren Pho” Vietnamese New Years Culture Show
- “Year of the Ox” Celebration with the Sister Cities Kunming Committee
- NAAAP Colorado Asian Employee Resource Groups Round Table
- Vietnamese Tet Gala by University of Denver’s VSA
- Noh: Pathos Behind the Mask Performance
- Colorado Multicultural Career and Internship Fair
- Asian Youth Programs Presentation by APDC
- Pandas International 9th Annual Chinese New Year Dinner
- 10th Annual Multicultural Conference on Breast Health
- Day of Remembrance Event at DU
- “Culture Shock: A Multi-Cultural Talent Showcase” at CU-Boulder

All of the events are listed here: http://asianavenuemagazine.com/event-calendar

Cheers from Asian Avenue magazine
"A New Mix to Life"

Not a Tasty Cookie at All

Agh, I saw this pocky-gone-wrong-cookie-snack on Angryasianman's site. I just knew that ONE day, there will be some horribly misspelled/offensive snack. I love food, but this doesn't sit well with me. It's manufactured by Want Want China Holdings Limited.

For people wondering, gook is the offensive term and actually, Sen. McCain has used it to describe his enemies during the Vietnam War. So why is it offensive? Well, wikipedia has a WEAK definition of it (except for mentioning the g word is like the n word for African Americans) and even 'cited' an apology made by Sen. McCain by AsianWeek. Exactly, not the best reference. In any case, here's a way better definition of the word.

1. n. [1920s+] (orig. US military.) a derogatory term for foreigners, especially south-east Asians, e.g. (in chronological order of use) Filipinos, Japanese, Koreans, and Vietnamese.

If I can find a photo I took some time ago, I purchased a snack called "Crack Sandwiches" and had Asian American pop singer, Coco Lee on the packaging. And yes, it was tasty and no, there was no crack.

AASPI: Call to Serve Open Board Positions

CALL to SERVE
Open Board Positions

ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT SUICIDE IN ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES?

WILL YOU ANSWER THE CALL TO SERVE AS A LEADER?

DO YOU HAVE THE DRIVE TO MAKE POSITIVE CHANGE?

The Asian American Suicide Prevention Initiative (AASPI) is
interviewing leaders to serve on our Board of Directors. A 501(c)(3)
organization, AASPI's mission is to reduce suicide in Asian American
communities in Illinois. We do our work through public education,
training, and sensitive community-based research.

Whom are we seeking? We are looking for individuals who are
concerned about Asian American suicide prevention, will commit
their time to AASPI, and will support the growth and development of
our programs.

What will you gain as a leader in AASPI? You will gain meaningful
leadership experiences that will help you grow professionally and
personally. You will build upon your skills and make connections to
the diverse Asian American communities.

Mentoring and professional networking is also part of the leadership
experience in AASPI. To be a great leader, you must learn by doing,
and by doing it well! AASPI has been transforming itself to serve the
Asian American community in the Chicagoland area. Our leadership
team today is strong and talented, and we work together to reduce
the stigma addressing suicide through education & dialogue.

Come and be a part of our leadership team to make a deeply
meaningful and impactful change in our community for the better.
We are looking for serious and real leaders who have passion and
enthusiasm for positive and lasting change.

Please send your resume and/or CV, along with a brief cover letter,
to aaspichicago@gmail.com by Monday, March 16, 2009. For more
information, please contact Jae Jin Pak, President, at
jaejin.pak@gmail.com .

The Asian American Suicide Prevention Initiative (AASPI) is a non-
profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to reduce suicide in
Asian American communities in Illinois by:
• Reducing the stigma addressing suicide through education &
dialogue;
• Identifying, developing & implementing culturally competent
models for suicide prevention, postvention, and intervention;
• Advocating for culturally competent services;
• Conducting and supporting respectful & sensitive community-
based research;
• Serving as a source of information and resources on Asian
American suicide; and
• Encouraging the acceptance of mental health as a part of
community heath, viewing depression and other mental illness as
health issues to be discussed with clinicians.

Board Roles and Responsibilities
Board Members meet monthly to discuss, strategize and implement
initiatives to achieve our mission. Board responsibilities include:
• Serving on one or more of the following committees:
Communications, Fundraising, and Programs;
• Providing input, guidance and advice on events and projects.
• Building networking relationships for AASPI to support our
mission.
• Supporting AASPI financially (at a level to be determined by
each individual member).

Desired Qualifications
• Works effectively with a broad-based peer group and can
represent AASPI externally.
• Has excellent strategic and interpersonal skills.
• Has a strong interest in serving the community.
• We welcome applicants with a wide variety of professional skills
and experience, including but not limited to event planning, fiscal
management, fundraising, mental health care services,
organizational development, research, and web design.

Please send your resume and/or CV, along with a brief cover letter,
to aaspichicago@gmail.com by Monday, March 16, 2009. For more
information, please contact Jae Jin Pak, President, at
jaejin.pak@gmail.com.

Upcoming Book Signings and Discussions at the Hull-House

Jaclyn Friedman Book Event at Hull-House on 2/19
Kim Bobo at Hull-House on 2/20

Read below for more info on both programs!

Yes Means Yes!: Visions of Sexual Power and a World Without Rape

Thursday, February 19
12-1pm
Jane Addams Hull-House Museum
Residents' Dining Hall
800 S. Halsted

Yes Means Yes! Visions of Sexual Power & a World Without Rape is a groundbreaking new look at rape, edited by writer and activist Jaclyn Friedman and Feministing.com founder Jessica Valenti. The anthology tries to move beyond "no means no" to connect the dots between the shaming and co-option of female sexuality in our culture(s) and some of the ways rape is allowed and encouraged to function.

At this program you'll hear from and get to talk with Jaclyn Friedman and one of the book's fantastic contributors, Hazel/Cedar Troost.

More about Jaclyn Friedman
Jaclyn Friedman is a writer, performer and activist, and the editor of the brand-new book, Yes Means Yes! Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape. Her poems and nonfiction can be found in numerous publications including PW.org, PoetsAgainstTheWar.org (where her poem "State of the Union" was selected as a Poem of the Day), in the Underwood Review, and in the Lambda Award- nominated anthology Pinned Down by Pronouns. Her opinion column, "Where Your Mouth Is," was a popular monthly feature in Sojourner: The Women's Forum until the magazine's untimely demise in October 2002, and she produced a biweekly podcast by the same name, which can be heard on alternet.org. Friedman holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College and has received a 2001 Cambridge Poetry Award, a 2004 Sommerville Arts Council Grant, and a recent fellowship from the Vermont Studio Center. She has been a contributing writer for PopPolitics.com. To learn more, visit Jaclyn Friedman online.

This event is co-sponsored by The Public Square, Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, and Gender and Women's Studies at UIC.

Open to the public and free.
RSVP's requested at events@prairie.org or online
at 312.422.5580.

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Wage Theft in America: Why Millions of Working Americans Are Not Getting Paid- And What We Can Do About It

Friday, February 20
12-1:30pm
Jane Addams Hull-House Museum
Residents' Dining Hall
800 S. Halsted

During the recent sit-in by the workers at Republic Windows and Doors, wage theft in America grabbed national headlines, but it is far from being a new phenomenon. Every year, billions of dollars' worth of wages are stolen from millions of workers, a grand theft that exceeds every other larceny category on record annually, and in today's economy this crime affects more Americans than ever before. In her new book, Wage Theft In America: Why Millions of Working Americans Are Not Getting Paid- And What We Can Do About It, author and organizer Kim Bobo, Executive Director of Interfaith Worker Justice and co-author of Organizing for Social Change, (the best-selling manual on progressive organizing in print) offers an incisive handbook for activists, workers, and concerned citizens on how to prevent flagrant exploitation of America's working people, including a sweeping analysis of the crisis, hard-hitting statistics, and heart-breaking first-person accounts. Kim Bobo will give a talk based on her new book followed by a conversation with the audience.

This program is co-sponsored by Interfaith Worker Justice; Chicago Interfaith Committee on Worker Issues; Chicago Labor Education Program, UIC; the journal Labor: Studies in Working Class History of the Americas, Center for Urban and Economic Development, UIC; Work Race, Gender and the Urban World concentration in the History Department, UIC; Political Science Department, UIC; Latin American and Latino Studies, UIC; Jane Addams Hull-House Museum

Open to the public and free.
RSVP's requested at 312.413.5353.

Fellowships for Activists of Color

Fellowships for Activists of Color
Alston Bannerman Fellowship Program

The Alston Bannerman Fellowship Program, an initiative of the Center for Social Inclusion, is committed to advancing progressive social change by helping to sustain long-time activists of color living and working in the U.S. or its territories. The program honors those who have devoted their lives to helping their communities organize for racial, social, economic, and environmental justice. Fellows receive an award of $25,000 to take sabbaticals of three months or more for reflection and renewal. The sabbaticals may be used to explore new interests, travel, relax, visit with other activists, or do whatever the Fellows think is necessary to prepare for their future work. Applicants must have more than ten years of community organizing experience and be committed to continuing to work for social change. Both paid staff and volunteer leaders are eligible for these fellowships. The application deadline is March 31, 2009. Application guidelines and forms are available on the website listed above.

Giant Robot Art Show Opening - Deharavath

Art Show Opening

Deharavath 2
February 7 – March 4, 2009
Reception: Saturday, February 7, 6:30
Giant Robot Gallery
437 East 9th Street
Between 1st Ave. & Ave. A, in the East Village
New York, New York 10009
(212) 674-GRNY (4769) | grny.net

Giant Robot is proud to host Deharavath 2, a group art show featuring the work of Yukinori Dehara, David Horvath, and Sun-Min Kim.

Dehara’s hand-painted clay depictions of debauched salarymen, brutalized gangsters, happy monsters, and other unique figures stand about 5-inches tall. Although the pieces are detailed and glossy, the subtle and intentional flaws of the Japanese artist’s self-described “crummy” style project more humanity than horror, and are oddly sympathetic. His work has garnered a cult of collectors around the world, and is celebrated in books, stickers, and other merchandise. For this show, his subject will be “otaku.”

David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim are best known for creating UglyDolls, the indie plush dolls that have gained a rabid worldwide following and sparked a movement of cool handmade toys. For this show, Sun-Min is preparing otaku-themed paintings and David is drawing a one-of-a-kind storybook--each page sold separately! (Parents and guardians should note that this is not an UglyDolls event, and will contain works intended for a somewhat more mature audience.)

The opening reception for the artists will begin at 6:30 on Saturday, February 7. For more information about the artists, GRNY, or Giant Robot magazine, please contact:

Eric Nakamura

Giant Robot Owner/Publisher

eric@giantrobot.com

(310) 479-7311

Not Eating Meat = Not Manly?

Long story short, a man is suing his former employer for laying him off because his boss found out he's a vegetarian and deemed his eating habits to be 'gay.'

He said his work at the Credit Agricole subsidiary had been going "great" until his boss discovered he was a vegetarian.

"Then everything changed drastically," Pacifico said.

Catalanello did everything he could to make Pacifico uncomfortable - including only ordering hamburgers and pepperoni and sausage pizzas for the weekly team lunches.

What kind of crap is this? If anything, being a vegetarian is very healthy and takes a lot of dedication! This guy's former boss has some personal issues (beef, haaaa...) and decided to offset his insecurities onto this vegetarian.

Source

Tokyo Joe: The man who brought down the Chicago mob

I read about this at Imprint Talk and I must say, why haven't I heard about this guy? I mean, he survived a hit that he was 90% sure that he was going to get shot in. Talk about a bad hit job. The 2 guys who did the hit job, well, they got hit and died before they were brought to court.

His history in Chicago stems from his work as a mob guy, ranking pretty high in running his "bolito" and boasted that when he was 90 years old, he'd be happy to talk about his bolito. Well, he died at the age of 84 and only in the past year, were files released on him. There's a film named Tokyo Joe, created by Japanese film makers on this Japanese American. I'd love to see it except that it seems like the film dates are in Japanese and IN Japan. I need to figure out a way to get around this.

Additional Source

Charlie Wheelan's Water Ad Amuses Me

By no means am I endorsing him because 1) I don't live in his district and 2) I haven't read his stances on issues important to me. However, I am amused by his youtube ad. He did say this on his website as to why he's running:

"I’m running for Congress in the 5th District of Illinois to replace Congressman Rahm Emanuel, who is resigning to serve as Barack Obama’s chief of staff.

Why? Well, the short answer is that as a policy guy, this seems like a unique time to “walk the walk.” I’ve been working on public policy issues ever since I graduated from college.

But given what is going on in the world, there is only so much anyone can do from the sidelines. Whether it is the financial crisis at home, or instability abroad in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, this is the time when good policy matters more than at any point in my lifetime.

But it’s also a remarkably hopeful time. Barack Obama will arrive in Washington with an amazing potential to change the trajectory of the country. But nothing about that will be easy. In fact, when the excitement of the campaign meets the reality of governing, we’re going to have some hard decisions to make. I’d like to be a part of that process."

This is also random, but he has a Facebook page, however, it's partially in Japanese???

Video after the jump.

Miley Cyrus Gets Slanty Eyed: Epic FAIL

I found out about this from Jossip.com. What the heck is this crap? Not only does she and her pals look out of their minds, there's some slanty eyed business.

I'm also glad to see that OCA issued a statement to TMZ in regards to this.

"The photograph of Miley Cyrus and other individuals slanting their eyes currently circulating the Internet is offensive to the Asian Pacific American community and sets a terrible example for her many young fans. This image falls within a long and unfortunate history of people mocking and denigrating individuals of Asian descent......Not only has Miley Cyrus and the other individuals in the photograph encouraged and legitimized the taunting and mocking of people of Asian descent, she has also insulted her many Asian Pacific American fans, said George Wu, executive director of OCA. The inclusion of an Asian Pacific American individual in the photo does not make it acceptable.

What the image really boils down to is that slanted eyes have a history with Asian Americans (and Asians internationally, in general). The history is that Asian Americans have been made fun of, mocked, demoralized, dehumanized, seen as foreigners in the history of the United States and at ONE point, EXCLUDED (1882 Chinese Exclusion Act) from immigrating to the United States. So what's my point? My point is that Asian Americans are not seen as Americans, that they're seen as EASY SCAPE GOAT targets for racial/social commentary in the eyes of mainstream society and that if you know someone who's Asian (i.e. that Asian American guy in the photo), who thinks that this kind of disrespect to themselves is "ok" to participate in and showcases that to others, it's not acceptable. If one looks at the past of Asian Americans in the U.S., there are newspaper comics demonizing us, degrading us, hurting us, lynching us.

Maybe to push it even further, this slanty eyed business also creates feelings of exclusion, disrespect, heightened negative self-conciousness, isolation, anger and sadness from Asians/Asian Americans.

There isn't any motive in this kind of work aside from idiocy.

Additional Source

More Asian Americans in Politics

This dropped by my inbox; more Asian Americans in politics, woohoo! My favorite links are at the end, where we see photos of the new staff posing before they tackle their new jobs. :) I learned some really cool factoids from the slides!

Gen. Shinseki: Lost part of his foot in a battle in Vietnam. Also told the Bush administration that they were wrong. Takes guts!

James Clyborn: I totally didn't know he was the majority whip for the house. AND! Highest ranking African American in Congress. OH HELL YEAH.

Eugene Kang: This dude miraculously works for Obama and he's 24. Bloody hell, I need to get on the ball to catch up with him career wise!

Steven Chu: He knows a lot about lasers and can give mental slaps to anyone who challenges him.

Reggie Love: I freaking love how his job is to literally by aid Obama. That's a lot of pressure there. Amazing! And he's super young too!

David Axelrod: Never ceases to amuse me. He's always pleasant and easy going. He also somewhat reminds me of the pillsbury dough boy.

-------------------

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are gaining more positions in the new administration and congress. Mainstream media is beginning to understand the potential of our community. The following are some recent media coverage about the political power of AAPIs.

Speaker Pelosi's Statement Following Electoral Ballot Count (APIAVote Deputy Director, Naomi Tacuyan and Program Coordinator, Alvina Yeh were invited as guests of the Speaker during the session)
http://speaker.gov/newsroom/pressreleases?id=0948

http://www.flickr.com/photos/apiavote/sets/72157612474865615/

Asian American Political Profile Rising in the US:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/01/18/us/AP-Asian-American-Politics.html

Asian Americans: A Growing Force in City Politics
http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/immigrants/20090120/11/2796/

NYT: Obama's People Photo Gallery (Features Pete Rouse, Senior Advisor; Eugene Kang, Special Assistant to the President; Eric Shinseki, Veteran's Affairs Secretary; and Steven Chu, Energy Secretary)
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/magazine/2009-inauguration-gallery/index.html

Sign the petition: Tell the CDC to Reverse the HPV Vaccine Requirement for Immigrant Women and Girls!

Please note that the petition deadline has been extended to February 13, 2009. Please circulate this email to your listserves.

Dear Friends:

Please sign the petition to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asking it to reverse the newly imposed Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination mandate for immigrant women and girls. To view and sign the petition, go to http://www.petitiononline.com/napawf/petition.html by COB Friday, February 13, 2009.

In response to the high number of individuals who wished to sign-on to the organizational sign-on letter to the CDC circulated last week, this petition was created to allow individuals to express their opposition to the mandate. The petition will serve as a follow-up to the organizational sign-on letter to the CDC that will be sent next week.

As you may know, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in 2007 recommended that Gardasil, the only FDA approved HPV vaccine, be administered to females ages 11 to 26 in the U.S. This recommendation became an automatic requirement for those applying for immigrant visas or adjustment to permanent residency status when the government updated its vaccination list in July 2008. U.S. citizens are currently not required to receive the vaccination, and yet it is mandatory for prospective immigrants. Although the HPV vaccine has been deemed safe and effective by the FDA, it is not designed to combat the types of infectious diseases that the immigration requirements are intended to address. Moreover, the vaccine is prohibitively expensive-costing a minimum of $360 to receive the three-dose vaccination in addition to over $1,000 in filing fees-making the mandate an undue financial burden for prospective immigrant women and their families.

Please join us in asking the CDC to retract its listing of HPV as a required vaccination for immigrants in the revised Technical Instructions to the Civil Surgeons for Vaccination Requirements, which would eliminate the directive for civil surgeons to administer the vaccine to immigrant females ages 11 to 26.

We urge you to sign on to this petition to put pressure on the CDC to correct this unfair and burdensome requirement on immigrants. To learn more, please contact Nancy Chung at nchung@napawf.org.

The deadline for sign-ons is COB Friday, February 13, 2009.

Nancy K. Chung, Esq.
Reproductive Justice Fellow and Georgetown Women's Law and Public Policy Fellow
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum
6930 Carroll Avenue, Ste 506
Takoma Park, MD 20912
o: 301-270-4440
f: 301-270-1882
www.napawf.org

WWII Japanese American Internment Camps & Civil Liberties in Post 9/11 America - Dale Minami talk

/*On the anniversary of the signing of EXECUTIVE ORDER 9066*/

The Asian American Studies Program at Northwestern University is proud
to host

*DALE MINAMI*
Lead attorney in the U.S. Supreme Court case /Korematsu v. United States /
which overturned a 40 year old conviction for refusal to obey
exclusion orders aimed at Japanese Americans during WWII.

*"WW II Japanese American Internment Camps &
Civil Liberties Today in Post 9/11 America"

*Executive Order 9066 Poster*
**
Thursday ~ February 19th*

*12:30 - 1:30 Talk followed by Q&A
1:30 - 2:00 Reception, light lunch is provided
The McCormick Tribune Center Forum */(New Location!)/
(1870 Campus Drive, Evanston. IL)

/This event is free and open to the public//
/
*Minami* has been involved in significant litigation involving the civil
rights of Asian Pacific Americans and other minorities, including
/Korematsu v. United States/ , a lawsuit to overturn a 40 year old
conviction for refusal to obey exclusion orders aimed at Japanese
Americans during WWII.

He was also involved in Spokane JACL v. Washington State University, a
class action on behalf of Asian Pacific Americans to establish an Asian
American Studies program at Washington State University and Nakanishi v.
UCLA a claim for unfair denial of tenure which resulted in the granting
of tenure after several hearing and widespread publicity over
discrimination in academia.

Mr. Minami served as a member of the California Fair Employment and
Housing Commission. He has also served as a Commissioner on the State
Bar's Commission on Judicial Nominee's Evaluation, Senator Barbara
Boxer's Judicial Screening Committee which made recommendations for
Federal Judicial Appointments. In 1996, Minami was appointed by
President Clinton as Chair of the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund.

In recognition of his achievements, Mr. Minami has received numerous
awards including:
. American Bar Association's 2003 Thurgood Marshall Award
. 2003 ACLU Civil Liberties Award
. State Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award
. Honorary Juris Doctor degree from the McGeorge School of Law
. Designation of a dormitory at the University of California at Santa
Cruz ---"Queen Liliuokalani-Minami" Dormitory

/*This event is sponsored by the Asian American Studies Program & The
Center for Legal Studies at Northwestern University*/

/For information: Asian American Studies Program, Northwestern
University . Kresge Hall 1-435 . 1880 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 .
847.467.7114 . asianamerican@northwestern.edu

Happy February Everyone!!

Who spent their Sunday watching the Steelers vs. the Cardinals?! I did!! Well, I mostly had glazed eyes over the game, even though I have a fairly decent understanding of football. I was busy making some awesome spaghetti. Sorry, no pictures of it here. More photos of food to come up later this week though!


In any case, I'm really excited to hear about Michelle Obama's dress being designed by Jason Wu. Awesome! Such a classy outfit to fit a classy woman. And then the dress gets to be preserved by the Smithsonian Institution. Niceeeee! Great job, Jason! That's pretty cool. Now I'll have to find a way to get a dress from him or something. On a random note, interesting how the articles literally outs Jason in the first sentence. I heard from the grapevine that his extended family didn't know. Whoops!

Source