|
Mayor, Challenger Seek API Support at CAPITAL Meeting
On March 8, 2008, CAPITAL welcomed both Sacramento's two-term incumbent Mayor Heather Fargo and former NBA All-Star and 2008 Mayoral Candidate Kevin Johnson to share their visions for Sacramento and tell why Sacramento's API communities should support their respective candidacies for Mayor of Sacramento. A story in the next day's Sacramento Bee described the visits but left out CAPITAL's name. Remember that you read it here and that, as CAPITAL Chair Dr. Sonney L. Chong said, "information is power."
Mayor Fargo said, "I have been a frequent visitor to CAPITAL and value our working relationship. CAPITAL is a critical voice for the Asian Pacific Islander organizations and community and I look forward to another opportunity to speak about any issues regarding the City, as we always have." Challenger Johnson also looked to the future and said he is "honored to appear in front of CAPITAL as they represent respected leadership in Sacramento. I look forward to a long term relationship with CAPITAL." For their part, Sacramento's API communities look forward to further dialogue with candidates who are sensitive to API needs and concerns.
New CAPITAL Calendar Page
See the new look of the CAPITAL Community Calendar by clicking on this link: http://sactocapital.wordpress.com. The new page uses "blog" technology that enables Kazuyo Morishita, as the keeper of the CCC, to maintain the Calendar page herself. That means a more timely calendar for you on the CAPITAL website! To give Kazuyo your calendar items or comments, email her at CapitalCalendarGirl@hotmail.com.
Two APOA and CAPITAL Activists Promoted!
Trang To has been appointed a Captain in the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. Captain To has worked with CAPITAL's Public Safety Liaison through the Citizens Academy, My Sister's House, OCA's Hate Crime Conference, and CAPITAL Foundation's Prism Project. He has done outreach to the Muslim and GLBT communities, strengthening the relationship between law enforcement, API community and cross communities. Trang serves as one of three CAPITAL Executive Committee Members-at-Large. He is the first Vietnamese American in California to attain this rank.
As President of the Asian Peace Officers Association (APOA), Trang led a collaborative effort of persons in the API community, law enforcement and the legislature to ensure the confirmation of the first Asian female POST Commissioner, Sergeant Lai Lai Bui. A trailblazing leader, Trang was instrumental in forming the Northern California Asian Peace Officers Political Action Committee, providing a political voice for Asian peace officers and associations to gain recognition, power, and influence.
Brian Louie has been appointed a Deputy Chief in the Sacramento Police Department. Deputy Chief Louie has been a sworn officer with SPD since 1983. He rose through the ranks, earning the rank of captain in 1999. Brian has worked closely with CAPITAL's Public Safety Liaison through his work with Citizens Academy, OCA's Hate Crime Conference, and innovative projects of the police department to build bridges with the API community and the criminal justice community. Brian is also a board member of the Asian Peace Officers Association and representative of the police department for My Sister's House and CAPITAL Foundation's Prism Project. He is the first API Deputy Chief ever appointed in Sacramento.
Congratulations, Trang and Brian!
Sacramento Hosts OCA National Convention
The Organization of Chinese Americans had a very successful 29th Annual National Convention from June 28 through July 1, 2007, at the Sacramento Convention Center and the Sheraton Grand. CAPITAL is very proud of the Greater Sacramento OCA chapter and its president, Linda Ng, for all the persuasion they did to bring the convention here. For further information, visit www.ocasacramento.org.
Rape Victim Asks: Come Forward, Identify Serial Rapist
In a press conference at the Sacramento Police Department, a courageous young Asian American victim of the "Nor Cal Rapist" took the unprecedented step of going on television to ask anyone who may have seen him to call the police at 433-HELP. She asked for the man's friends, coworkers and family to turn him in to authorities. She also asked for any other victims, of no matter how many decades ago, to report the assaults on them to the authorities.
"There are times I went, 'I don't want to do this. I don't want to tell people I'm a rape victim.' But I told myself, 'this is something I have to do because this guy is a serial rapist,'" she said.
Numerous Sacramento API community leaders flanked the victim as she told the story of the sexual assault. CAPITAL and its member organizations were there in force. Police Chief Albert Najera and Asian Peace Officers Association (APOA) president Trang To spoke in her support, praising her courage in coming forward. Also there to support her were local elected leaders including Assemblyman Dave Jones, Vice-Mayor Rob Fong and Yolo County Supervisor Mariko Yamada.
Four Sacramento TV stations covered the event; their stories are at http://fox40.trb.com/news/ktxl-112006victim,0,6550872.story?coll=ktxl-news-1, http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=21707, http://www.kcra.com/newsarchive/10352708/detail.html# and http://cbs13.com/topstories/local_story_324103400.html. The victim's entire statement is available at the last web address. Asian American ethnic press and mainstream press representatives also reported the story.
Coverage includes a composite drawing and a surveillance photo of the suspect, described as a potbellied white male of 37-40 with spiked brown hair, driving a white 4Runner Special Edition with silver lower door panels. Law enforcement sources say they have the rapist's DNA and believe he is responsible for at least nine rapes in Northern California. Seven of the nine known victims are Asian American women. CAPITAL is working with APOA to put up a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
Why Serve on the CAPITAL Executive
Committee?
Education Committee Chair Tim Fong says: "As Director
of the Asian American Studies program at California State University,
Sacramento, I consciously sought out involvement with CAPITAL because
of its positive reputation in the Asian Pacific Islander community
in the Sacramento region. My participation on the CAPITAL Education
Committee is a great opportunity to bring important education issues
to the broader API community. As committee chair, I also participate
in CAPITAL Executive Committee meetings. It has been a wonderful
experience to work with such good hearted, dedicated, and hard working
individuals."
Health and Human Services Committee Chair Alice Chan says:
"Coming to America has helped unlock hidden potentials within
myself. By joining CAPITAL, I can utilize my potentials to serve
the community that I care for most. Most importantly, the experience
I gain from participating in the Executive Committee has enhanced
my self-development and has prepared me to meet more challenges
ahead in serving our community and in my own professional growth."
CAPITAL Shines Sunlight on Mental Health
APIs have a history of being ashamed of mental illness. NO MORE! The May 13 and July 29 CAPITAL meetings featured presentations aimed at bringing this hidden subject into the sunshine. In coordination with that meeting, this website put new Mental Health links on its Links Page. Take the two jumps from the top of the page to "Health Information, Mental," and "Health Information, Mental, Children and Youth." You'll find topics from the basic What is Mental Illness?, to scholarly papers, to stories from an API community mental health clinic, and a page with everything from Anxiety Disorders to Social Phobia. Check it out!
CAPITAL Gala Honors Chief Najera
The Second Annual CAPITAL and CAPITAL Foundation Black Tie Gala, held on June 24, featured the presentation of the Luke & Grace Kim "Profiles of Courage" Award to Chief Albert Najera of the Sacramento Police Department. Najera was lauded as "a visionary leader, with a history of community and service," who "has made Sacramento a better and safer place for our community." Dr. Luke Kim and Grace Kim, former leaders of the Sacramento area's Korean American community and former members of CAPITAL's Executive Committee, came back for the evening from Southern California to honor Chief Najera.
Also at the Gala, CAPITAL Foundation president Alice Wong and board member Dr. Jennifer Choy presented the Foundation's new Prism Project, a comprehensive effort to confront issues challenging API youth, promote mental health and prevent domestic violence in the API communities. For the next three years, the Prism Project will be "bringing to light the spectrum of needs in health, family and community." Watch this space and the CAPITAL Foundation Website for more about the Prism Project!
APIs 5, Police Unions 0!
At the State Senate Rules Committee hearing on March 8, the API community, Chief Albert Najera and their allies nationwide scored a decisive victory over their adversary in Sacramento Police Detective Lai Lai Bui's confirmation as a Police Officer Standards and Training ("POST") Commissioner. The Committee voted 5-0 to confirm Det. Bui as the first API woman ever to serve as a POST Commissioner.
The State Capitol hearing room was filled with police and deputy sheriffs in uniform, representatives from local, state and national Asian Peace Officers Association ("APOA"), and members of CAPITAL turned out to support Det. Bui. Eight police unions, members of
Police Officers Research Association of California ("PORAC"), in opposing Det. Bui, had called APOA a "social organization" not qualifying as a peace officer association under Penal Code section 13500. The Rules Committee's vote rejected that interpretation and implicitly recognized APOA as a peace officer association.
Those speaking in Det. Bui's favor included Sacramento APOA president Trang To and representatives of the Northern California APOA, National APOA, the Sacramento Police Officers Association, the National Association of Asian American Law Enforcement Commanders, and CAPITAL.
"This was a tremendous victory for Det. Bui, Chief Najera, APOA, CAPITAL and the API community," said Alice Wong, CAPITAL public safety chair.
Chief Najera Educates CAPITAL Members on Taser, Acknowledges Profiles of Courage Award
The Taser, a "CED" or Conducted Energy Device that police use to incapacitate potentially violent subjects, draws unfavorable press coverage for reported injuries. Sacramento City Police Chief Albert Najera did an informative presentation to CAPITAL's member organizations on the Taser.
The Taser is a battery-powered weapon about the size of a handgun that shoots two metal darts, then runs electricity through two wires and the darts into the subject's body for five seconds. Five seconds gives the officer enough time to handcuff the subject. Chief Najera explained that the Taser is one of a few force options involving more force than the uniformed officer's verbal commands, but less force than the officer's service pistol. Other examples of nonlethal physical force available to police include martial arts holds, pepper spray and the baton. Chief Najera compared these with the Taser in their ability to control a subject and the chance of injury to the subject and to the officer. Martial arts holds, baton and pepper spray place the officer very close to the subject and endanger everyone present should the subject get hold of the officer's pistol. The baton, used to immobilize the subeject by breaking bones, is much more injurious to the subject than the Taser. Two local individuals have died after use of the Taser. Chief Najera said that the Coroner found the cause of death to be drug-related, not Taser related, in both cases.
Arguments against Taser abuse can be found on the American Civil Liberties Union's website at www.aclu.org//police/abuse/19977prs20051006.html. Chief Najera said that the Sacramento Police Department's website will soon discuss the Department's views on the Taser.
CAPITAL Foundation president Alice Wong announced the Foundation's choice of Chief Najera to receive its first Grace and Dr. Luke Kim Profiles of Courage Award. Chief Najera said that after reading Dr. Kim's biography he is very grateful for the award and hopes that he can measure up to the Kims' legacy.
CAPITAL Scholarship Recipient Featured
in the Bee
This Sacramento Bee profile is on one of the 97 scholarship recipients
honored at the CAPITAL scholarship awards dinner held on July 31,
2004.
Anita Creamer: Out of adversity, a career in law
By Anita Creamer -- Bee Columnist - (Published May 19, 2004)
The kids wouldn't stop. Night after night, they pelted the garage
doors with rocks. They painted gang graffiti on the garage, too.
Inside their house, Kou Lor's parents were frightened. It was 1989.
The Lor family had just immigrated to Fresno from Thailand, where
they lived for a decade after fleeing their war-torn native Laos.
"Hmong people are afraid of using the legal system,"
says Kou Lor, now 23. "I wanted my parents to call the police.
But they were afraid of retaliation."
The family lived on a rough side of Fresno - Chia Yee Lor and Vang
Mee Xiong and their six children, with another to follow in a year's
time. With no education, the parents worked on the strawberry farms
on the outskirts of town.
They had little grasp of English and even less knowledge of the
way America worked. By the time they sought help from the authorities,
the garage was a mess.
The story has a happy ending, one that would be expected by most
Americans but not by these rattled newcomers to a complicated, confusing
land. The police arrested the culprits, says Lor, and the nightly
barrage ceased.
"After that, I started thinking about the American legal system,"
says Lor. "In a neighborhood with a lot of crime, that's always
at the back of your head." On a breezy spring afternoon, Lor
is sitting outside a Starbucks in midtown Sacramento, taking a break
from his final exams at UC Davis' law school, where he's finishing
up his first year.
He's a UC Berkeley graduate, the first person in his family to
go to college. He's set an example: Three of his younger siblings
attend college now. His 14-year-old brother is still in high school.
Kou Lor's dream is to practice law in either Sacramento or Fresno,
where large numbers of the state's Hmong residents are concentrated.
His goal is both simple and complex: He wants to help the Hmong
overcome their lingering fears of the legal system, to help them
hurdle barriers of culture and tradition and seize hold of their
American rights and responsibilities.
"I want to be that bridge," he says.
Already, when he goes home on school breaks, he attends court with
Hmong who need someone to translate for them.
America may have been their promised land, but making a new life
isn't easy. Many times, it's left for the children of immigrants
- Kou's generation - to help them fully claim America as their own.
The Lor family still struggles. Kou's older brother and sister
never attended college, choosing instead to stay in Fresno. His
mother was diagnosed with cancer. His father left the fields to
work in a factory. Not long ago, he was laid off.
"I really wanted to show my younger siblings another way,"
says Lor. "Day in and day out, my parents would come back from
farming. There wasn't much money.
(continued . . .) |
