nwasianweekly.com
Jan. 12, 2008

Lead the way

Hey, have you noticed it’s a presidential election year? Maybe if you’ve watched TV or listened to the radio or talked to your bus mate for more than, oh, two minutes, the topic might have come up. It’s a little ridiculous, how the primaries keep creeping earlier and earlier. But the constant coverage, the more than yearlong campaign trail, the billions of dollars spent by the candidates, they all underscore an obvious point: Picking the leader of our country is important business.

But it seems, too often, that people choose their leaders hastily, that they spend more time deciding which color sweater to buy than learning which candidate has the best platform. And we’re not speaking solely of the president. All our national leaders matter; they have a huge impact on our day-to-day business.

Asian Americans are commonly perceived to have substantial economic and academic power, but little political or cultural power. That’s why we’re eager to see the Asian American community fully participate in the political process this presidential election year. As local organization Raising Our Asian Pacific American Representation, or ROAR, put it, “The 2008 elections will be a watershed moment for the API Community in Washington State. Not only will voters select a new U.S. president, but other key offices and significant initiatives will be on the ballot. If we make our voices heard, we can shape our own future.”

We have high expectations of America’s Opportunity Fund, a political action committee founded by former Gov. Gary Locke and former Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta. The committee’s mission is to “to provide opportunities for candidates, and communities of color, to participate fully in the electoral process at the federal and statewide level.” At a recent luncheon in Seattle, Locke and Mineta emphasized that America’s Opportunity Fund will focus on supporting candidates at higher-level offices. While it’s important to encourage candidates of color in the community, we’re also at a point when we need to think on a grand scale.

Asian Americans differ from other minorities in this country in that we don’t have well-known spokespeople. African Americans have Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Henry Louis Gates Jr. and even popular celebrities like Oprah. When there is an issue affecting the African American community, the media knows immediately who to turn to for commentary and reaction. These spokespeople might not represent everyone in their community, and they are certainly not infallible, but they are leaders, and they are willing to stand up and stand out.

We are fortunate to have many fine local and community leaders. They are the foundation of a strong political presence. But we also need spokespeople of a national caliber. In this new year, in this presidential election year, let’s focus on identifying and supporting Asian American leaders at a national level.

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Northwest Asian Weekly • P.O. Box 3468 • Seattle • WA  98114
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