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IT'S ASIAN WISCONZINE'S
16TH YEAR!!
16TH YEAR!!
| VOL. XVI NO. 12 DECEMBER 2020 |
We have a new look, not only to reflect our magazine's warm focus on issues we care about, but also to highlight that season
in Wisconsin where beautiful colors of nature change to signify a future rebirth.
On our 16th year, we're rebooting, hoping to continue our work with greater enthusiasm and lots of inspiration.
Take this new journey with us and together, let us explore news and ideas that would help us get more informed and our minds
more active.
We are dedicating this new rebirth to our beloved supporters and readers in Wisconsin and beyond!
in Wisconsin where beautiful colors of nature change to signify a future rebirth.
On our 16th year, we're rebooting, hoping to continue our work with greater enthusiasm and lots of inspiration.
Take this new journey with us and together, let us explore news and ideas that would help us get more informed and our minds
more active.
We are dedicating this new rebirth to our beloved supporters and readers in Wisconsin and beyond!
Editor's Corner/Over a Cup of Tea
Proud to have Kamala Harris as U.S. Vice President
Proud to have Kamala Harris as U.S. Vice President
Heidi M. Pascual
Publisher & Editor
2006 Journalist of the Year
for the State of Wisconsin
(US-SBA)
Publisher & Editor
2006 Journalist of the Year
for the State of Wisconsin
(US-SBA)
People of color have so much to celebrate with the victory of Joe Biden as president of the United States and
Kamala Harris as vice president! Harris is the daughter of an Indian mother and Jamaican father, so she is both
Black and Asian. She hits our history books for setting firsts that make us proud -- 1) First woman vice president
of the United States; 2) First South Asian American senator in US history; 3) First woman of color to be elected
vice president of the US; 4) First African American woman elected district attorney of San Francisco; and 5) First
woman, first African American and first Asian American to serve as California's attorney general. We are truly
grateful that America chose a woman of color to help lead this great nation forward.
Kamala Harris as vice president! Harris is the daughter of an Indian mother and Jamaican father, so she is both
Black and Asian. She hits our history books for setting firsts that make us proud -- 1) First woman vice president
of the United States; 2) First South Asian American senator in US history; 3) First woman of color to be elected
vice president of the US; 4) First African American woman elected district attorney of San Francisco; and 5) First
woman, first African American and first Asian American to serve as California's attorney general. We are truly
grateful that America chose a woman of color to help lead this great nation forward.
| Francesca Hong Runs for the 76th Assembly District: The Home Stretch Part 2 of 2 By Jonathan Gramling |
In one of her recent interviews, Harris credited her late mother for raising her as a woman always ready to find solutions. "I was raised that, when
you see a problem, you don't complain about it, you go and do something about it," Harris said.
Asian cultures generally boast of very strong women in their households, decision makers who make things happen, and molders of youth’s
character that make them productive citizens. We can name a few Asian Indian women who became their countries’ leaders, including the
famous Indira Gandhi.
As daughter of immigrants of color, Harris’ family definitely experienced lots of challenges that initially discriminated against people like them,
including laws that effectively excluded them from acquiring citizenship and enjoying rights and privileges of Euro-Americans. It was truly the
victory of the civil rights movement that liberated people of color from “bondage” and helped them occupy better positions in the American society.
That’s probably the reason Harris chose Martin Luther King Jr. Day, when she announced her presidential campaign last year. Her campaign
colors (yellow, red and blue) were also a tribute to the campaign of Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman to run for president from a
major party.
As the vice president of the United States of America, Harris is expected to push several of her position on very important issues that are of
interest to all. The following are some of them:
1) Covid-19--Harris wants the government to listen to scientists and experts before deciding on how to proceed.
2) Race and policing -- Harris has called for the rooting out of racial discrimination; participated in protests in Washington, D.C. after George
Floyd’s death; and met with Blake's family in Wisconsin after Jacob Blake’s shooting.
She wants to create a national excessive force standard and a database to track cops who use excessive force. Together with Biden, Harris also
wants to end cash bail and private prisons.-- READ MORE
you see a problem, you don't complain about it, you go and do something about it," Harris said.
Asian cultures generally boast of very strong women in their households, decision makers who make things happen, and molders of youth’s
character that make them productive citizens. We can name a few Asian Indian women who became their countries’ leaders, including the
famous Indira Gandhi.
As daughter of immigrants of color, Harris’ family definitely experienced lots of challenges that initially discriminated against people like them,
including laws that effectively excluded them from acquiring citizenship and enjoying rights and privileges of Euro-Americans. It was truly the
victory of the civil rights movement that liberated people of color from “bondage” and helped them occupy better positions in the American society.
That’s probably the reason Harris chose Martin Luther King Jr. Day, when she announced her presidential campaign last year. Her campaign
colors (yellow, red and blue) were also a tribute to the campaign of Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman to run for president from a
major party.
As the vice president of the United States of America, Harris is expected to push several of her position on very important issues that are of
interest to all. The following are some of them:
1) Covid-19--Harris wants the government to listen to scientists and experts before deciding on how to proceed.
2) Race and policing -- Harris has called for the rooting out of racial discrimination; participated in protests in Washington, D.C. after George
Floyd’s death; and met with Blake's family in Wisconsin after Jacob Blake’s shooting.
She wants to create a national excessive force standard and a database to track cops who use excessive force. Together with Biden, Harris also
wants to end cash bail and private prisons.-- READ MORE
STATEMENT: CAP President and CEO Neera Tanden
on the 2020 Election
on the 2020 Election
Washington, D.C. — Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for
American Progress, released the following statement today on the 2020
election results:
It is now clear that Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA)
have won the election and will serve our country for the next four years as
president and vice president of the United States. Their victory was powered
by one of the most diverse coalitions in history, with stunning apparent
victories from Georgia to Arizona to the Midwest.
This is a truly historic election. More Americans voted in this election than in
any other, and President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris have
received more votes than any other presidential ticket in the history of our
country. For the first time, we will also have a woman of color and a
daughter of immigrants ascend to the second-highest office in the land.
Americans have chosen to relegate Trump’s toxic legacy to the past and,
instead, bring about a new government that seeks to unite people rather than
divide them as well as one that more closely reflects the diversity of the
American people. Voters chose a progressive vision, one that is in favor of
a strong and united coronavirus response; an inclusive economy; more
affordable and accessible health care; better infrastructure; and climate
resilience. That more progressive vision also seeks to finally address the
bleak history and continuing challenges of racial injustice and inequality.
All of us at the Center for American Progress and CAP Action are ready and
willing to do everything we can to rise to that challenge and to work toward
a stronger and brighter future. In the meantime, we must take stock in the
next few months, we must ensure a seamless and peaceful transition of
power, and we must prepare for the work ahead. -- READ MORE
American Progress, released the following statement today on the 2020
election results:
It is now clear that Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA)
have won the election and will serve our country for the next four years as
president and vice president of the United States. Their victory was powered
by one of the most diverse coalitions in history, with stunning apparent
victories from Georgia to Arizona to the Midwest.
This is a truly historic election. More Americans voted in this election than in
any other, and President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris have
received more votes than any other presidential ticket in the history of our
country. For the first time, we will also have a woman of color and a
daughter of immigrants ascend to the second-highest office in the land.
Americans have chosen to relegate Trump’s toxic legacy to the past and,
instead, bring about a new government that seeks to unite people rather than
divide them as well as one that more closely reflects the diversity of the
American people. Voters chose a progressive vision, one that is in favor of
a strong and united coronavirus response; an inclusive economy; more
affordable and accessible health care; better infrastructure; and climate
resilience. That more progressive vision also seeks to finally address the
bleak history and continuing challenges of racial injustice and inequality.
All of us at the Center for American Progress and CAP Action are ready and
willing to do everything we can to rise to that challenge and to work toward
a stronger and brighter future. In the meantime, we must take stock in the
next few months, we must ensure a seamless and peaceful transition of
power, and we must prepare for the work ahead. -- READ MORE
The Time Is Now To Create a White House Office for
Racial Equity
By Danyelle Solomon and Lily Roberts
Racial Equity
By Danyelle Solomon and Lily Roberts
| The First 100 Days: Toward a More Sustainable and Values-Based National Security Approach |
Francesca Hong, running as a Democrat for the 76th Assembly District in
November, is a virtual shoo-in to be the next representative from the
area, although she has a Republican challenger, due to the demographic
and political makeup of the district, which covers much of the isthmus
area.
Hong is not a politician. She is a worker and a small business owner.
And her positions on the issues affecting the 76th district reflect that
perspective.
“Unfortunately, we’re still going to be dealing with multiple crises here,
the crisis of a worldwide pandemic, which is not going to be going away
by the time I’m sworn in and the crisis of racism that is a severe public
health crisis that the state needs to recognize and all lawmakers need to
recognize and reckon with,”
Hong said about the issues that will be most pressing when the state
legislature convenes in January. “And so I intend to put forth and push
for policies that enter equity and center care. What that means for me is
that we are looking at policies that are providing preventive measures
dealing with the root causes of systemic racism in the sectors of public
education, housing and living wages. So access to affordable housing,
access to affordable health care and health insurance as well as finding
sustained funding for k-12 education and making sure that these values,
which are very much bipartisan values across the state, deal with
problems that all families face. We as lawmakers have a responsibility
to address that. As I mentioned, public education and then really
revisiting raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, which based on
the last Marquette poll, over 60 percent of the state agrees with raising
the minimum wage. We need to receive and accept federal dollars to
expand Medicaid.” -- READ MORE
November, is a virtual shoo-in to be the next representative from the
area, although she has a Republican challenger, due to the demographic
and political makeup of the district, which covers much of the isthmus
area.
Hong is not a politician. She is a worker and a small business owner.
And her positions on the issues affecting the 76th district reflect that
perspective.
“Unfortunately, we’re still going to be dealing with multiple crises here,
the crisis of a worldwide pandemic, which is not going to be going away
by the time I’m sworn in and the crisis of racism that is a severe public
health crisis that the state needs to recognize and all lawmakers need to
recognize and reckon with,”
Hong said about the issues that will be most pressing when the state
legislature convenes in January. “And so I intend to put forth and push
for policies that enter equity and center care. What that means for me is
that we are looking at policies that are providing preventive measures
dealing with the root causes of systemic racism in the sectors of public
education, housing and living wages. So access to affordable housing,
access to affordable health care and health insurance as well as finding
sustained funding for k-12 education and making sure that these values,
which are very much bipartisan values across the state, deal with
problems that all families face. We as lawmakers have a responsibility
to address that. As I mentioned, public education and then really
revisiting raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, which based on
the last Marquette poll, over 60 percent of the state agrees with raising
the minimum wage. We need to receive and accept federal dollars to
expand Medicaid.” -- READ MORE
The COVID-19 pandemic has not only threatened the health and well-being
of hundreds of millions of people around the globe but has also triggered a
national recession in the United States and worsened the racial wealth gap.
Prior to the pandemic, the average net worth of a white family was 10 times
greater than that of a Black family and seven times greater than that of a
Latinx family. Black families and families of color were also less likely to
have health care coverage or access to comprehensive high-quality health
care and more likely to be occupationally segregated in low-wage jobs that
lack quality benefits. Now, amid an economic crisis, these families
continue to struggle to maintain some semblance of economic stability. The
pandemic has highlighted the protective power that wealth provides to
individuals and families; wealth not only makes it possible to purchase a
home, start a business, or put a child through school, but also provides
protection against an emergency. Unfortunately, in the United States, wealth
is unequally distributed along racial lines. The inequality that Black people
and communities of color face is the direct result of centuries of public
policy that infringed on all aspects of life. -- READ MORE
of hundreds of millions of people around the globe but has also triggered a
national recession in the United States and worsened the racial wealth gap.
Prior to the pandemic, the average net worth of a white family was 10 times
greater than that of a Black family and seven times greater than that of a
Latinx family. Black families and families of color were also less likely to
have health care coverage or access to comprehensive high-quality health
care and more likely to be occupationally segregated in low-wage jobs that
lack quality benefits. Now, amid an economic crisis, these families
continue to struggle to maintain some semblance of economic stability. The
pandemic has highlighted the protective power that wealth provides to
individuals and families; wealth not only makes it possible to purchase a
home, start a business, or put a child through school, but also provides
protection against an emergency. Unfortunately, in the United States, wealth
is unequally distributed along racial lines. The inequality that Black people
and communities of color face is the direct result of centuries of public
policy that infringed on all aspects of life. -- READ MORE
By the CAP National Security and International Policy Team
Introduction and Summary
The next president will be sworn in during an unprecedented set of
national crises—most urgently, a pandemic that has had a profound
effect on the daily lives of all Americans and has left more than 215,000
dead. With the nation still grappling with the educational, social, and
public health consequences of the coronavirus, the next administration
will take office during the worst economy since the Great Depression.
The next administration will also have to lead a nation badly divided—
one with little faith that government can be held accountable or
effectively address issues such as structural racism and economic
inequality. -- READ MORE
Introduction and Summary
The next president will be sworn in during an unprecedented set of
national crises—most urgently, a pandemic that has had a profound
effect on the daily lives of all Americans and has left more than 215,000
dead. With the nation still grappling with the educational, social, and
public health consequences of the coronavirus, the next administration
will take office during the worst economy since the Great Depression.
The next administration will also have to lead a nation badly divided—
one with little faith that government can be held accountable or
effectively address issues such as structural racism and economic
inequality. -- READ MORE
| The Trump Administration Treats Seniors as Expendable |
By Nicole Rapfogel
Amid a pandemic in which seniors have been
disproportionately infected and killed, the Trump
administration and its allies continue to fail at protecting
seniors’ health care access. By downplaying the COVID-19
pandemic and failing to act, and discounting the impact of
the coronavirus on seniors with preexisting conditions, the
Trump administration and its allies are letting down older
adults and those who love them. Meanwhile, the
administration continues to push for repeal of the Affordable
Amid a pandemic in which seniors have been
disproportionately infected and killed, the Trump
administration and its allies continue to fail at protecting
seniors’ health care access. By downplaying the COVID-19
pandemic and failing to act, and discounting the impact of
the coronavirus on seniors with preexisting conditions, the
Trump administration and its allies are letting down older
adults and those who love them. Meanwhile, the
administration continues to push for repeal of the Affordable
Care Act (ACA), which would cause seniors’ out-of-pocket premiums and prescription drug costs to soar, and
to punt on prescription drug pricing reform. In the middle of a historic health crisis, the Trump administration
has left seniors behind.
The Trump administration’s failed coronavirus response disproportionately harms seniors
The Trump administration “intentionally downplayed” the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and failed to
mount an adequate response to contain the spread of the virus. Seniors are at a heightened risk for severe
and life-threatening coronavirus complications, meaning that the administration’s failed response
disproportionately harms them. More than 160,000 seniors—those ages 65 and older—have died from the
coronavirus or related complications, making up nearly 80 percent of all coronavirus-related deaths in the
United States. President Donald Trump has taken this disparity as a sign that the coronavirus is no cause for
concern, rather than as a crisis for older people and their loved ones.-- READ MORE
to punt on prescription drug pricing reform. In the middle of a historic health crisis, the Trump administration
has left seniors behind.
The Trump administration’s failed coronavirus response disproportionately harms seniors
The Trump administration “intentionally downplayed” the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and failed to
mount an adequate response to contain the spread of the virus. Seniors are at a heightened risk for severe
and life-threatening coronavirus complications, meaning that the administration’s failed response
disproportionately harms them. More than 160,000 seniors—those ages 65 and older—have died from the
coronavirus or related complications, making up nearly 80 percent of all coronavirus-related deaths in the
United States. President Donald Trump has taken this disparity as a sign that the coronavirus is no cause for
concern, rather than as a crisis for older people and their loved ones.-- READ MORE
APIAVOTE CELEBRATES RECORD-BREAKING ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER VOTER TURNOUT
AMIDST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In light of the 2020 Presidential election, Christine Chen, executive director of Asian and Pacific Islander American
Vote (APIAVote) issues the following statement:
“This election saw a record-breaking number of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters turn out to vote for the next President of
the United States. As the vote counts are finalized, recent data from Catalist revealed a 310% increase in AAPI early voters from 4 million in
2020 compared to 1.25 million in 2016. The data also showed that in key battleground states, like Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Michigan,
Arizona, and North Carolina, AAPIs increased the number of votes cast by a larger percent relative to 2016.” -- READ MORE
AMIDST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In light of the 2020 Presidential election, Christine Chen, executive director of Asian and Pacific Islander American
Vote (APIAVote) issues the following statement:
“This election saw a record-breaking number of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters turn out to vote for the next President of
the United States. As the vote counts are finalized, recent data from Catalist revealed a 310% increase in AAPI early voters from 4 million in
2020 compared to 1.25 million in 2016. The data also showed that in key battleground states, like Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Michigan,
Arizona, and North Carolina, AAPIs increased the number of votes cast by a larger percent relative to 2016.” -- READ MORE