API Leaders Gather in Opposition of Prop 8
By Jordan Ikeda
Rafu Staff Writer
Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008

Asian Americans against Prop. 8 stage public events in Little Tokyo and San Francisco.

Photos by JORDAN IKEDA/Rafu Shimpo
Judy Chu, chair of the State Board of Equalization, speaks at a press conference in the Democracy Center.

Opponents of Proposition 8, which seeks to eliminate gay marriage in California, protest in Little Tokyo on Thursday.

Thursday, at press conferences in San Francisco and Los Angeles, Asian American leaders and organizations came together in opposition of Proposition 8, the Nov. 4 ballot measure that would eliminate the right of same-sex marriage in the state of California.

The press conference in San Francisco, hosted by award-winning scholar and journalist Helen Zia, was organized by Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) and was held at the CAA in Chinatown.

In Los Angeles the press conference, hosted by actor and long-time community activist George Takei, was organized by API Equality-LA and Asian Pacific American Legal Cen­ter (APALC) and took place at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in Little Tokyo.

“Brad and I were married right here,” said Takei who told The Rafu that his marriage to Brad Altman at the Democracy Forum a little over a month ago was a landmark event in his life. “We chose this forum because it is the ideal of democracy that made our marriage possible…Particularly as an Asian American, I am mindful of the long history of how Asians and Asian Americans have fought and struggled against and overcome discrimination to be full, equal Americans.”

Leading up to the press conference, a crowd of people acted as a living billboard to that same ideal and marched down First Street carrying signs that read “Vote No to Prop. 8 Unfair and Wrong” while loudly voicing their objection to the measure.

“We want to show by bringing together this amazing group of Asian Americans that we are broad, diverse and really deep in our opposition to Proposition 8,” said Karin Wang, of APALC & API Equality-LA who moderated the event.

Along with Takei, the list of API speakers included California State Controller John Chiang; California Board of Equalization Chair Judy Chu; California State Assem­blymembers Ted Lieu, Fiona Ma, Mike Eng, and Warren Furutani; Loma Linda University Religion Professor Julius Nam; South Asian Network Executive Director Hamid Khan; Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council President Dennis Arguelles; and actor John Cho of “Better Luck Tomorrow” and “Harold and Kumar.”

“Chinese Americans were the subject of the worst discrimi­natory laws in California,” said Chu. “I find discrimination against the Chinese community offensive. I know that I do not want the same kind of marriage hysteria to be leveled against others in California. If I expect full and equal treatment to be given to me, then it is my responsibility to ensure that there is full and equal treatment for others.”

Cho, the son of immigrant parents, spoke of his newborn baby and the rights he wants to ensure for his child. Jay Chen, board member of Hacienda-La Puente Unified School District, reassured voters that nothing has or will change in school curriculum due to gay marriage. Furutani, when given the platform to speak, grew passionate and called for those in opposition of Prop 8 to get angry that there are those who would whole-heartedly question and take away freedom and equality.

“Existing law in California prohibits the government from discriminating based on race, gender or sexual orientation,” said Lieu. “At the same time, there is nothing in the law that prevents churches from continuing to maintain their own religious practices and policies. Proposition 8 would turn this fundamental distinction between the government and religion by elevating religious doctrine which would oppose same-sex marriage over governmental laws that prohibit discrimination. That is wrong. We live in a democracy, not a theocracy.”

“As the brother of a pastor, I know how important religious freedom is and can assure you that under no circumstances would churches be required to change their current policies,” said Eng. “Contrary to misinformation that is circulating, no church in California is at risk of losing their tax-exempt status.”

Proponents of Prop 8 have stated that maintaining the defi­nition of marriage as between a man and a woman and protect­ing children at school from being taught about gay marriage which would undermine the meaning of what marriage is, are the main reasons behind the push to get this measure passed (www.protectmarriage.com, www.supportprop8.com).

“We are here to tell you that Prop 8 is about one thing: tak­ing away rights from people in our community,” said Wang. “What it is not about is schools and churches. We want the community to understand what is fact and what is fiction.”

“Our history as Japanese Americans has been our struggle to expand equality, to become full, whole American citizens,” Takei told The Rafu Shimpo. “To me, it is astounding that there are Asian Americans that seem unaware of that history and now are advocating for hate and discrimination. Proposition 8 must be defeated.”