Category Archives: news

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) blog, blog, diversity, news, politics

Emil Guillermo: Pope’s historical address to Congress? Not “State of the Union,” I call it a “State of the Soul” address; Four icons, and a big shout out for climate change activists.

 

Moved by the pope as I live tweeted.

Francis  mentioned four American icons: Lincoln, MLK, Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton.

Congress cheered the first two–but seemed in the dark about the two Catholics mentioned.  Day was a legendary journalist and activist for the poor. A lay person who is now being considered for sainthood, Day fought for social justice issues in a completely self-less way.  In many ways, Francis in his ways, is much like Day. Merton  was a Trappist monk who encouraged openness, dialogue. And that was the hopeful idea of Francis to Congress–that there is a way out of the divisive, polarizing politics of the day, that could lead us to a consensus for the common good.

Rep. Ted Lieu of California described the  room as electric when the pope was introduced. Lieu, a climate change activist, was encouraged by the support the pope’s urging that something must be done to protect the earth, “our common home.”

Read my story on NBC News.com

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) blog, blog, diversity, Filipino, news, politics, race

Emil Guillermo: Pope Francis will see how Asian American his U.S. flock has become

Alighting from his papel plane, Pope Francis gets a little wind in his face. But it shouldn’t stop him from seeing just how Asian American his U.S. flock has become.
Filipinos at 2.2 million are the largest Asian American group of U.S. Catholics. But the smaller groups like the Burmese Americans, a growing refugee community are growing throughout the U.S.
The pope was smiling when he saw the president at Andrews Air Force Base. No doubt the Iran deal that the pope helped broker will come up.  But as the pope mixes with the politicos, I think his June encyclical on global warming and the call for a new politics that protects what he calls “our common home,”  will make it into his comments before Congress and the U.N.
As for tonight, he gets to rest. Maybe he’ll watch the season 2 premier of “Fresh Off the Boat”?
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) blog, blog, diversity, news, race

Emil Guillermo: Viola Davis, Andy Samberg, and the most Asian Face time at the Emmys—from Veep star Anna Chlumsky’s husband?

 

Viola Davis’ speech becomes the new cry of all actors of color.

Even Asian Americans.

successpermfotb

Indeed the only thing that separates us all  from crossing the line is opportunity.

Then we break  out the ” success perms.”

Davis  said, “You cannot win an Emmy for roles that simply aren’t there.”

But even when there are a few  roles for us,  you can’t win.

Or you can win what I call the “Invisible Emmy.”

I would have given an “Invisible Emmy”  to Randall Park and Constance Chu of “Fresh off the Boat,” this year.

I wrote about it in an AALDEF piece earlier this year.

(You can also read about the incredible Asian American who has won so many Emmys —for his off-camera work).

For this year’s broadcast, Davis was the highlight for me, but props to Berkeley’s Andy Samberg too. He  had a nice soft edge in his opening monologue.   Good enough to be invited back, I’m sure,  but edgy enough to sting. “Most diverse Emmys” joke, so “racism over,” was funny and stinging enough for the bosses in the crowd. So ABC hires more Asians this year and Fox dumps Mindy. Hollywood logic.

Maybe next year with season two of “Fresh Off the Boat, ” and the premier of “Dr.Ken,” we’ll  see some Asian Americanwinners?

I hope. But I doubt it.  Cable and the web give the latitude to explore real themes that make for award-winning shows.  The broadcast networks would never run more than watered down versions of the winners. But maybe Asian Americans will be flavor of the month next year?

On the Emmy broadcast, the most face time for an Asian American was likely Shaun So’s celebratory reaction to “Veep” winning for best comedy.  So is married to Veep co-star Anna Chlumsky and the camera caught them both at length  because they were sitting behind Julia Louis-Dreyfus and her husband Brad Hall.

That’s our diversity moment! #Typical.

The story of the invisible. But not for long.

 

 

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Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) blog, blog, diversity, news, politics, race

Emil Guillermo: My scoop on Sherry Chen; After spy charges dropped, her employer, the National Weather Service, still wants her fired; See the documents here. And Scoop No.2: Federal spy charges against Temple University’s Xiaoxing Xi to be dropped, sources say.

Chenletter

Sherry Chen, 59,  whose given name is Xiafen, is the Chinese American scientist who was accused of spying in 2014.

Then in March 2015, after pleading not guilty, the charges were dropped. “Prosecutorial discretion,” was the official reason given by the federal prosecutors.

But life was still on a yo-yo for Chen, who was left dangling on paid leave, but not on the job.

This week we found out what her employers at the National Weather Service want to do.

Fire her.

The spying  charges (related to use of another’s password to gain access to sensitive material on dams and reservoirs) have been dropped against her. But now  Chen has been given notice at her job, and could be gone in 30 days.

Here is the first graph of the letter.

chenletter2

Chen may still fight this personnel matter. But  once the taint of “spy” is placed on you, even as an allegation, it’s unlikely you’ll ever return to your same government workplace.

The government denies any racial profiling on Chen was involved.

But she continues to pay a price despite the dropping of all espionage charges against her.

Read my story for NBCNews.com’s Asian America site.

The story that ran 9/9/2015, also includes the scoop that the feds are dropping the spy charges against Temple University scientist Xiaoxing Xi.

New York Times posted “breaking story” on Temple prof on 9/11/15.