| NAASCon News Digest - 10/26/08 |
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1. Thanks for making NAASCon 2008 a success! The conference got covered in Emory's newspaper, as well as a shout-out from Asian Cinevision's blog. More excitingly, attendees have been networking on their own to maintain the contacts made in the regional caucuses and the conference as a whole (thanks to Facebook). Join up! NAASCon Midwest Caucus: http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46747836153 NAASCon Southeast Caucus: http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=41873449571 NAASCon 2008 at Emory: http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=32057296482 ...and our own FB group: http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2205060269 2. VOTE! 3. Survey Shows Asian Americans Could Play Key Role in Presidential Election. "Next to Latinos, Asian Americans are the fastest growing share of the U.S. population. Currently, they comprise 5 percent of the population and, according to the researchers, will likely play a significant role in battleground states such as Virginia, Nevada and Washington, where they account for 5 percent or more of the population. Even in states such as Colorado, Ohio and Florida, where they are less numerous, Asian Americans may provide the margin of victory," states the 2008 National Asian American Survey. "41 percent of Asian Americans are likely to favor Obama, while 24 percent support John McCain. In battleground states, where either candidate could win on Election Day, Obama leads with 43 percent of Asian Americans supporting him and 22 percent favoring McCain." 4. "Black, White, Whatever" and "That One Bigot." Kelly Tsai, "Black, White, Whatever": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNU_Abkqryc --> and Kelly Tsai's website: http://www.yellowgurl.com Adriel Luis, "That One Bigot": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNwlJA_OAHo --> iLL-Literacy's site: http://www.ill-literacy.com 5. Asian Americans in California: No to Prop 8! If passed on November 4, Proposition 8 in California would reverse a state Supreme Court decision this past May that legalized same-sex marriage, and return the California Constitution to defining marriage as only between a man and a woman. The aforementioned National Asian American Survey revealed that 57% of likely Asian American voters in California opposed Prop 8, with 32% in favor and 11% undecided. Says My Diem Nguyen, UC Davis student affairs officer for Asian American Studies, "my sense is that the community recognizes that it is wrong to discriminate or unjustly take away civil rights from gay and lesbian people." Defend LGBTQ rights and say NO to Prop 8! http://www.californiaaggie.com/article/1681 Info on the efforts to vote down Prop 8 can be found here: http://www.noonprop8.com/ Also, check out folks like George Takei and John Cho speaking out against Prop 8 here: http://www.youtube.com/user/apiequalityla 6. Undocumented Asian Students Face Stigma. A recent report by the University of California Office of the President revealed that 40 to 44 percent of undocumented students in the UC system are Asian. Many of these students encounter financial woes and the social stigma of undocumented status, often seen as predominantly as a concern in Latino/a communities. "From what I can infer, students from Asian families enforce 'secrecy' for fear of being deported-this explains the fact that they have to be very guarded and careful," said Jere Takahashi, director of the Asian Pacific American Student Development Program at UC Berkeley. "They have fear that [if they speak up] it will lead to investigation and eventually deportation." 7. Protect the Yuri Kochiyama Lounge at the University of Michigan! The UM Housing Administration recently enforced space use restrictions in residence halls, which severely limits the ability of student groups of color to utilize Multicultural and Minority-Cultural Lounges located in residence buildings. The Yuri Kochiyama Lounge, named after the seminal Japanese American activist and organizer, and featuring furniture designed by renowned Chinese American architect Maya Lin, has served the APA student community for years. States the United Asian American Organizations, "We feel that in order for the University of Michigan to uphold its various statements on diversity, that the right of students of color to have a central space on campus must be upheld. Such spaces are essential to our development as a community and to our educational experiences as individuals." Read the statement and sign the petition! http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/yklounge/?e 8. Seven Columbia students assaulted. Seven students were assaulted in a series of five incidents near Columbia's campus (NYC) on the morning of Sunday, October 12. Five out of the seven victims were Asian in their late twenties to early thirties. One woman was sexually assaulted, and only one of the assaults involved the seizure of property. While we unhesitatingly decry such racially motivated violence, we also urge that words and actions do not become condemnations of working-class youth and/or fellow communities of color. http://www.angryasianman.com/2008/10/seven-columbia-students-assaulted.html 9. NYC Food Delivery Workers Win $4.6 Million in Back Pay. Following a long struggle for recognition and justice, 36 workers at the Saigon Grill restaurant in New York City have been awarded $4.6 million by a federal judge, compensating for back pay and overtime as far back as 1999. The workers were subject to egregious labor practices--paid fractions of the NY minimum wage, having their tips stolen by their bosses, and fined for unreasonable actions such as slamming the restaurant door too loudly, amongst other things. The victory resonates strongly for the struggles against exploitative labor practices in restaurants all across New York City. In solidarity! http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ia5fEQbyRLbha1VKchDsZNTe0ksgD93V9EOG0 For more info on the Justice Will Be Served! Campaign: http://www.nmass.org/nmass/justice/justice.html |
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