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By Denise Wong
I first learned about 80-20 Initiative through no effort of my own. One day last year, I simply started receiving e-mails from a certain S.B. Woo who briefly yet powerfully articulated the goals and accomplishments of the organization, urging the reader to consider the current political status of Asian-Americans and all that could be done to improve our lot in the realm of equality and justice. This initial e-mail and those that followed at first left me simultaneously disconcerted and encouraged. Disconcerted because in spite of the fact that I was a junior at Princeton University with aspirations in the arena of political science and a member of an active Asian American community on campus, I had never seriously applied my academic pursuits in terms of my identity as a Chinese American and explored the venues in which I could personally play a role in altering public policy for my ethnic community. Encouraged due to the persistent optimism of Dr. Woo and those at 80-20 to increase the exposure of this organization to a truly national scope and to cultivate support for their passionate mission for equal opportunity and political empowerment.
Starting from virtually nothing but the dream for a different future for Asian Pacific Americans (APAs), what was began in 1998 by co-founders Dr. Woo and Chang-Lin Tien has over the course of four years become an influential organization with a solid foundation of over 650,000 supporters. 80-20 has demonstrated its growing political clout in many instances. The dismantling of the glass ceiling over APAs in the Federal government through the appointment of Norman Mineta and Elaine Chao in December of 2000 can be attributed to the significant role played by 80-20 in advocating to the Bush Administration the need for an APA cabinet member. 80-20 also successfully pressured Abercrombie & Fitch to pull a new line of T-shirts featuring derogatory portrayals of Asians off the market in April of 2002. The most recent and exciting development is Democratic presidential hopeful Governor Howard Dean's agreement to deliver the keynote speech at a September luncheon hosted by 80-20 in L.A. with a possible appearance from President Bush, making for an unprecedented and potentially historic event. I cite these particular examples of 80-20's successes as a clear demonstration of not only the necessity of an organization like 80-20 to serve the interests of the APA community, but also the power and effectiveness it has cultivated across the nation to give APAs a voice.
My discovery of 80-20's vision for APAs and what it could do to benefit me and the APA community has led me to reevaluate how I see myself as an Asian American as well as what kind of role I can play in achieving equality and justice for me and my fellow APAs. While 80-20's energetic dedication to addressing at a national level many of my personal concerns as an APA has provoked an abstract awareness of the potentials of cohesion and activism in the political process, the opportunity to work as a summer intern for this organization has linked my academic interests and personal development in a more intimate manner. I am experiencing first-hand not only the inner-workings of a political organization but how these mechanisms can have positive and powerful consequences, results that affect my future and the lives of future generations of APAs. I am at this moment making my own small contribution to the aspiration for equal opportunity and political empowerment for APAs.
My time with 80-20 has been short, but this much I know. The progression towards APA cohesion and activism in the American political process to achieve equality and justice is long overdue. The mounting influence of 80-20 is highly promising not only for me as I embark in the real world to pursue my career goals but also for the APA community nationwide. The road has been paved for the protection of APA interests, but there is still much to be accomplished in the realm of political empowerment. I can only hope to be able to personally contribute enough in ensuring that the voice of APAs is heard across the nation and enhancing our political clout through my work with 80-20 and in venues beyond.
About author:
A native of Columbia, Missouri, Denise Wong is a senior at Princeton University. She is a member of 80-20 Initiative and a Chang-Lin Tien Summer Fellow. 80-20 is a national, nonpartisan, political action committee dedicated to winning equal opportunity and justice for all APAs through a SWING block vote, ideally directing 80% of our community's votes and money to the presidential candidate of the political party endorsed by the 80-20. Hence, the name "80-20" was created. For more details, visit
http://www.80-20initiative.net. If you have any questions, please contact Denise Wong at (573) 449 8695 or
dwong@princeton.edu.
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