Lessons Learned from Participating in the Political Process (part 2 of 3)

by S. B. Woo

And the good news is that we have similar organizations in the Chinese 
American community.   C-100 (Committee of 100) is one.  C-100 is a 
significant organization, that in all likelihood will get better and more 
important.  OCA (Organization of Chinese Americans) and CACA (Chinese 
American Citizen Alliance) are other such organizations.  The 80-20 
Initiative is yet another.   C-100, OCA and CACA are all tax-exempt, civic 
organizations, that may not legally engage in political activities such as 
fundraising or endorsement.   They are the so called 501 (C) (3) 
organizations.  80-20 is a political action committee (PAC) that bears the 
disadvantage of not enjoying the tax-exempt status but may legally work 
for or against any politician during election time or any other time.
Being able to legally work for or against any politician is a "MUST" 
weapon for any minority community that is STILL seeking equity in a truly 
democratic nation like the great USA.  Anyone in politics will tell you: 
leverage is the currency of politics.  In less scholarly language, it is 
carrots and sticks.  In practical terms, it is to speak softly, to think 
rationally, to analyze the interests of your friends and foes carefully, 
to come up with  win-win scenarios if at all possible, but always carry a 
big stick.

To appreciate the potential power of a non-government organization that is 
registered as a PAC, you need only to be reminded of one fact, and seek an 
asnwer to a question that I'll pose on you.   The fact is that the total 
population of the Jewish American community is only 6 million, only 2.5% 
of nation's population.   The question I pose is,  "Why is it that nations 
in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America all feel that Israel has 
overdone it in the recent Mid-East flareup, but the U.S. is still strongly 
pro-Israel, especially our elected officials?"

Ponder the answer to my question for a moment, and you'll appreciate the 
potential political power of non-government organizations that are 
registered PACs.   However, powerful as AIPAC maybe, it can not do it all. 

It must work with elected officials such as Senators Diane Feinstein, 
Babara Boxer, Joe Lieberman, and non-Jewish elected officials.  It must 
work with appointed officials which in the past included Supreme Court 
Justice Arthur Goldberg and Cabinet members like Blumenthal, Kissinger and 
Albright.   In other words, the three different approaches to political 
involvement:  to seek elective offices, to seek appointments, and to 
strengthen the non-goverment organizations combine to help win and then 
secure the civil rights of minority communities, particularly the small 
ones.   The three approaches MUST work together to achieve the maximum 
impact.  Let me, in ending, analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each 
of the three and illustrate how they complement each other.

First, elected officials:

Their strengths lie in their authority to pass legislation which may in 
turn direct the immense resources of the government to help achieve the 
rightful aspirations of a minority community.   Examples are affirmative 
action, Headstart, anti-hate crime programs.  Their weakness is their 
vulnerability every two or four years, when they face elections.  Hence, 
elected officials are NOT likely to take on groundbreaking, truly 
meaningful issues, because such issues imply risks which may adversely 
affect their NEXT elections. Mind you, just because an issue is right, it 
doesn't imply risk-free.   Treating all Americans as equals is certainly 
right.   However, until 1965, itwas political suicide to advocate treating 
blacks as equals.   During WWII, when the civil rights of Japanese 
Americans were abrogated, did you remember any courageous political 
figures speaking up against it? Even today, speaking out for the civil 
rights of Arab Americans may be unpopular.