REP. MARK TAKAI: On predecessors and future of Asian Americans in national politics

Freshman congressman Rep. Mark Takai is a 48-year-old veteran and father of two. Born on Oahu and a graduate of the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, Takai was first elected to the Hawai‘i State Legislature in 1994. He  worked with the late Rep. Patsy Mink and Sen. Daniel Inouye. He has served in the Hawaii […]

Limited English proficiency plays role in CA’s low voter turnout rates of Asians and Latinos

One in nine eligible California voters speaks only limited English, and many of them don’t know what help and services are available to them in the electoral process, according to a new report released by The Greenlining Institute in late February. In California, the voter registration and turnout rates of Asians and Latinos continue to […]

SELMA: Some personal reflections and recollections

I found it refreshing, the movie “Selma,” which recounted the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965 and thru a black lens. Not surprisingly, it met with some criticism from critics, amongst “whites,” principally. Simultaneously, watching “Selma” caused me to reflect on the road from disenfranchisement to enfranchisement that those of Japanese descent traversed in this […]