In light of the events of September 11, 2001 - we have highlighted organizations that are monitoring the unfortunate hate crimes that have occurred against Asian Pacific Americans that "look" like Arab Americans.

SOUTH ASIAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION (SAJA)

SAJA was established in March 1994 with 18 members. They now have 800+ journalists of South Asian origin in New York and other cities in the US and Canada as members.

South Asia (defined by SAJA as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives) and that many South Asians look like Afghans. Afghans are not Arabs, and -- at the same time -- in many of their Islamic practices and beliefs, are distinct from South Asians, including the 400 million Muslims in South Asia and the South Asian diaspora.

They are a professional networking group for journalists with the goal is to foster ties among South Asian journalists in North America and improve standards of journalistic coverage of South Asia and South Asian America.

They are not a political advocacy group, do not take stands on the politics of South Asia and (as a journalists organization) are nonpartisan. Their focus in on journalism in South Asia and South Asian America, and not the individual nations of South Asia.

The South Asian community (about 2 million in the United States -- Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, Parsis, Jews, Buddhists, Jains) has been affected in many different ways (i.e. injured, dead, missing, rescue workers, etc.

INDIAN AMERICAN CENTER FOR POLITICAL AWARENESS

Their mission is to increase awareness in the Indian American community and encourage participation by the Indian American community in the American democracy.

History - Organization was founded in 1994 by the publishers of India Abroad, the largest circulating Indian American newspaper in the United States.

IACPA has made an effort to insure that policymakers and the media understand the impact of legislation on the community. In so doing, the Center has joined with other APA coalitions/resources like the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.

CURRENT EVENTS

Check out the info listed below are current events that are occurring in our communities. Visit the "Message Number" to obtain detailed and specific event information.

Films

The purpose of this section is the following:
OPPORTUNITY
to discover more about our dreams
UNDERSTANDING
our fears and our hopes and
UNCOVERING
invaluable and missing information

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
A national and historic tragedy that affected the Asian Pacific American and the general public.

VIETNAMESE NEWSPAPER
English section of the Orange County-based Viet Tide explores topics shunned by traditional Vietnamese papers such as abortion, drugs, homosexuality, interracial dating. These are not issues discussed in most Vietnamese American families.

The English-language section is a medley of opinion columns, news briefs, poetry and an open discussion forum called "Heart to Heart," all contained inside the new but more traditional Vietnamese-language newspaper that features conventional news stories on politics and national and world events.

Tide is published by the company that also owns Little Saigon Radio, a longtime fixture in Orange County's Vietnamese American community and named after the Westminster neighborhood that serves as its commercial and cultural hub.

APA'S GROWING POLITICAL CLOUT
Asian American elected officials statewide have swelled from 106 in 1980 to 503 in 1998 (compiled by the Public Policy Institute of California) that didn't include Carol Liu of La Canada Flintridge and Judy Chu of Monterey Park that (with Wilma Chan of Oakland and George Nakano of Torrance) formed California Legislature's largest Asian American caucus ever.

Prominent APA politicians include Joaquin Lim (Walnut city counilman and heads the 33-member organization of Chinese American Elected Officials), Lisa Yang, West Covina Mayor Benjamin Wong, Rep. Mike Honda, Annie Yuen (1st minority person elected to Arcadia's school board), Arcadia Councilman Sheng Chang (Arcadia's first elected Asian American), Matthew Lin (1st minority elected to the San Marino City Council), Monterey Park Councilman David T. Lau and State Board of Equalization member John Chiang,

The number of Asian American officeholders remains small: 6% statewide. The number of Asian Americans among registered voters in California has climbed to 6%--up from 3% a decade ago--but is still the lowest rate of any ethnic group. But once registered, they are frequent voters and they have logged successes at the polls.

Nationwide, the number of elected and appointed officials in the Asian Pacific American political roster is 2,200, up from 700 two decades ago.

Population growth is helping to fuel some of these gains. Asian Americans account for 13% of California's population and are the state's fastest-growing minority group. It is a population that has doubled every decade since immigration restrictions were eased in 1965.

EPISODIC APA PROGRAMMING
M2SF has developed an episodic television series based in San Francisco, entitled "Grant Avenue, San Francisco." Michael Ching, Michael Gene Sullivan, Samuel Sheng and Feodor Chin of M2SF developed the hour-long episodic format. Click HERE and go to message #246 for specific details.

Jacqueline Kong's AAMD presents the "first Asian-American Sitcom on the Web" that show focuses on the Lee's, a Chinese American family struggling to survive in the restaurant business. They own and operate two businesses: The Lotus Garden, your typical take-out joint that's been serving chicken chow mein since World War II; and the all new "Okey-Dokey Karaoke Bar," their newest get-rich-quick brainstorm, complete with sushi bar, exotic drinks, and your favorite musical hits. Click HERE and go to message #245 for specific details and HERE to view the program.

ETHNIC NEWSPAPERS
California, with its large and diverse immigrant population, has one of the most vibrant ethnic media scenes in the country. New California Media, a coalition of ethnic publishers and broadcasters, counts more than 200 publications among its members.

KoreAm Journal, a 11-year-old English magazine for Korean American based in Gardena, has been addressing social issues that frequently have been off-limits in the Korean-language media. Pan-Asian publications such as A. Magazine and Yolk have leaned more toward Hollywood than Ho Chi Minh for subject matter.

REVISED DISTRICTS HINDERS APA'S
Revised districts in Southern California's San Gabriel Valley (Monterey Park, Rosemead, Alhambra and San Gabriel) hinder Asian Pacific American and other ethnic minorities. Critics say the proposed changes carves up the San Gabriel Valley and prevents Asian Americans from gaining power.

Important since the Asian American and Pacific Islanders are the fastest-growing minority in California and constitute 13% of the state's population. There are now four Asian Americans in the Assembly--a record--but none in the Senate.

Opponents include Kathay Feng (L.A. attorney representing the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans for Fair Redistricting). Alan Clayton (demographer for the California Latino Redistricting Coalition), Joel Szabat (Chinese American CEOs of the Silicon Valley),

CHINESE RAILROAD WORKERS HONORED
On September 5, 2001 - 3000 immigrant were Chinese laborers honored for their efforts in completing the Southern Pacific Railroad and San Fernando Tunnel north-south line 125 years ago.

Ceremonies were held at the site of Lang Station, the depot where thousands celebrated the completion of the line on Sept. 5, 1876.

Attendees included March Fong Eu, Irvin Lai, Eugene Moy and Joe Bonino.

CHINA ENTERS WTO
Trade accord is reached when Beijing agrees to a series of economic changes with the official vote will come in November. The final issue holding up the deal was a dispute between the U.S. and Europeans over entry to China's insurance market.

To join the WTO, China has agreed to a formidable set of painful economic changes that will require the closure of thousands of state-owned firms and create new competition for its beleaguered farmers. Those measures include the lowering of tariffs, the opening of its financial markets and the end of government support for its heavily indebted state-owned sector. Specifics of the agreement were not released.

As a WTO member, China will be forced to strengthen its legal system and abide by international rules protecting intellectual property. For the first time, foreigners will be allowed to get involved in lucrative areas such as trading and trucking that have been reserved for Chinese government firms. They also will be allowed to own as much as 50% of telecom companies.