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UNFAIR SCRUTINY?
The Asian-American community and the U.S. political system March 21, 1997 |  
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Questions asked
in this forum:
Where is the hard evidence that Asian Americans were targeted? What has been the result of the campaign fundraising investigations? How do Asian Americans fare politically compared to Jewish groups and others? Will African Americans run into these same problems? How does the ethnic and racial composition of newsrooms affect the reporting? Additional questions and comments .
NewsHour Links
March 13, 1997:
Did China try to buy influence in the 1996 elections?
March 11, 1997:
The U.S. Senate decides how to proceed with campaign finance reform
October 24, 1996:
Ross Perot criticizes Clinton and Dole's campaign fundraising techniques.
October 21, 1996:
A report on the Lippo Group's connection to the White House.
October 18, 1996:
A discussion of what is legal and what is not in campaign fundraising
OUTSIDE LINKS
Chinese American Political Association
Asian-Americans should be celebrating their recent successes in American politics. Gary Locke has become the continental U.S.'s first Asian-American governor, Presidential and Congressional candidates attended Asian-American gatherings in record numbers, and there has been an increase in Asian-American voter registration.
But instead of feeling pride, many Asian-Americans are feeling singled out in a campaign fundraising investigation smacking of xenophobia and racism.
The controversy began early in the 1996 Presidential campaign when the relationship between President Clinton and James Riady, the wealthy Sino-Indonesian family that heads the Lippo Group, an Asian conglomerate became known. In a New York Times op-ed, William Safire called their association "the Asian Connection" and implied that the Riady family influenced U.S. policy to Indonesia. On top of that came allegations that DNC fundraiser John Huang, a former Lippo employee, may have violated federal campaign finance laws.
Whether the charges are true or not, Asian-Americans say they are being lumped together with Asian corporations and labeled as "foreigners" who have no right to interfere with the American political process.
Media coverage of allegations of questionable campaign contributions to the Democratic National Committee, and the investigation, which targeted individuals with Asian surnames, has sparked a wave of protest from a wide coalition of Asian Pacific American groups. They charge that Asian-Americans are being unfairly singled out and subjected to racially tinged hints questioning their loyalty. They warn that the unpleasant experience may put a damper on further participation in the political process.
The attention paid to the Asian-American community by the Clinton-Gore campaign was at first welcomed by individuals who had previously felt left out of policy-making decisions.
"I've lived in Washington a long time, 40 years, (and) nobody had every asked me for a large contribution," one Asian-American told the Washington Post. The individual went on to say, "Huang said Asian-Americans don't get involved in American policy. And he tried to tell me that I should participate."
But after the allegations against John Huang, and the ensuing investigation, many Asian-Americans again feel outside of the system.
"Now everybody asks us questions," said Richard Yeh, an executive of Kang Long Agriculture in South El Monte, Calif., whose company wrote a legal contribution for $12,500 at Huang's behest. "I think that no one now will want to donate when they are asked next time."
Our forum asks: What went wrong with the DNC's plan to get out the Asian American vote? Has the Asian-American community been treated unfairly? Did the press coverage add to the stereotyping? How can the U.S. political system be changed to encourage participation, and avoid alienation in the future?
Your question were answered by professor Frank Wu of Howard Law School, who has written several articles on Asian Pacific Americans' reaction to the John Huang controversy, and reporter Mark Hosenball, who has been covering the investigation for Newsweek Magazine.
Questions asked in this forum:
Where is the hard evidence that Asian Americans were targeted? What has been the result of the campaign fundraising investigations? How do Asian Americans fare politically compared to Jewish groups and others? Will African Americans run into these same problems? How does the ethnic and racial composition of newsrooms affect the reporting? Additional questions and comments .
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