By NPR | July 23 2009

Making history after coming a long way, Judy Chu sits down with National Public Radio to discuss the long road now behind and in front of her.

California Democrat Judy Chu last week became the first Chinese-American woman to enter Congress. Chu, 56, was sworn in Thursday and represents the 32nd Congressional District of California. In a special election to fill the congressional seat vacated by Labor Secretary Labor Hilda Solis, Chu won with nearly 62 percent of the vote.

The newly-minted Congresswoman talks about her journey from school board member to Capitol Hill and winning a district of majority Hispanic voters.

To listen to the full interview, visit NPR's site.

Press Release | July 21 2009

Looking at the role of Asian American voters in last year's election and understanding these results' larger implications.

Data on Asian American political behavior and policy preferences will be released in New York City on July 22, 2009. The National Asian American Survey, conducted in the fall of 2008, will be presenting new findings that highlight the importance of Asian Americans to the political process and to policy debates. They will discuss voter mobilization and turnout, political participation beyond voting, and also present findings on:

-civic engagement

-interracial attitudes and coalition polictics

-discrimination and hate crimes

-policy items like health care and immigration

The initial release in the fall of 2008 showed a majority of the Asian American eligible voters still undecided about their presidential pick. NAAS researchers documented the population's presidential preferences and the differences of opinion among its specific groups. The data also revealed the pivotal role Asian Americans could play in U.S. presidential races, given their significant presence in battleground states and swing states, and indications that, with a notable percentage of that population undecided, their vote was up for grabs.

DATE: Wednesday, July 22 , 2009

TIME: 5:00 - 7:00 pm

LOCATION: Seyfarth Shaw LLP, 20 Eighth Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10018-1405

For more information, visit www.apiavote.org.

By the Associated Press | July 21 2009

Passed on trade secrets said to be false.

China on Tuesday denied links to a Chinese-born engineer who was convicted in the U.S. last week of stealing trade secrets for China during his 30-year career at Boeing and Rockwell International.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a brief statement the charges against former Boeing Co. engineer Dongfan "Greg" Chung were "fabricated."

"The allegations about a Chinese person stealing trade secrets in the U.S. for China is purely fabricated out of ulterior motives," the statement said.

A federal judge in California found Chung guilty of six counts of economic espionage and other charges for hoarding 300,000 pages of sensitive documents in his home, including information about the U.S. space shuttle and a booster rocket.

Chung, 73, could face up to 90 years in prison at his sentencing, scheduled for November. His defense attorney said he planned to appeal.

The full article can be found here.

By Pia Lee-Brago for The Philippine Star | July 21 2009

Clarifying the terms of the ties between allies.

While President Arroyo’s meeting at the White House next week will be an opportunity for US President Barack Obama to reaffirm RP-US ties, a US think tank urged Obama to be “clear” about what he will say to his counterpart so it will not be interpreted as support for unconstitutional extension of her term or a change in the Constitution to allow her continued leadership.

Walter Lohman, director of the Asian Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation, said in his analysis “Time for the Administration to Turn to Substance in Southeast Asia” that Thailand and the Philippines are democracies whose people have the freedom to change their governments through the ballot box.

Lohman said a continued leadership of Arroyo, who is savaged in the press on a daily basis and every year she is put through the paces of an impeachment vote, will have destabilizing impact on the Philippines.

He said several factors tie the US more closely to the Philippines than any other country in Southeast Asia: a long, shared history of struggle, the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, current cooperation against terrorists in Mindanao, and even extensive family connections.

“President Arroyo’s meeting at the White House will be an opportunity for President Obama to reaffirm these ties. He should also be clear, however, that his respect for President Arroyo is grounded in the constitutional order of the Philippines and the office she holds,” Lohman said.

Read the full article at www.philstar.com.

News Release | July 21 2009

Recognizing an important bill that addresses literacy in immigrant communities and extends the opportunity for the growth of more English language learning classes.

The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) commends Congressman Mike Honda for introducing the Strengthen and Unite Communities with Civics Education and English Skills Act of 2009. The bill would provide much-needed assistance to populations that are limited English proficient (LEP), allowing these vulnerable community members to learn English, integrate more quickly and fully into American society and maximize their social and economic contributions to our society.

"This bill is extremely important for the Asian American community," said Karen K. Narasaki, president and executive director of AAJC. "Nationally, one in three Asian Americans is limited English proficient, and one in four Asian American households is linguistically isolated, meaning that everyone over the age of 14 speaks English less than very well."

In 2006, AAJC produced the groundbreaking report, Adult Literacy Education in Immigrant Communities: Identifying Policy and Program Priorities for Helping Newcomers Learn English. The report found that, as immigration to the United States has increased, funding for English language learning (ELL) classes has failed to keep pace with the growing demand for those classes.

The bill provides community-based solutions that will accelerate the integration of newcomers through increasing resources for English language acquisition, civics and basic education programs. The Bill also expands the capacity of schools and communities to respond to the demands of English language learners by ensuring adequate funding for schools and providing vital technical assistance to state and local communities.

To download the AAJC's report, and to get more information on the bill, visit www.advancingequality.org.