Don’t Build Reform on a Scapegoat

Suddenly, Asian Pacific Americans have been thrust to the forefront of presidential politics--unfortunately, in a light that is less than positive. Long after the election is over, Asian Pacific Americans will be affected by the stereotyping that has seemingly become the norm in the John Huang controversy.

A leading fund-raiser for the Democratic Party until recently, Huang has come under criticism over several large contributions, including $425,000 from Arief and Soraya Wiriandinata, legal immigrants from Indonesia, and donations from individuals associated with a Buddhist temple in Hacienda Heights.

While there is nothing wrong with legal permanent residents--people who hold “green cards”--giving money to political parties, Huang has been accused of “funneling” the funds from an overseas company through the Wiriandinatas. The money from people associated with the Buddhist temple may present problems because of possible violations of federal campaign laws regarding how donors are identified.

The Huang matter, however, has become much more than a issue of partisan politics. It has turned from a question of one person’s dealings into scapegoating of a racial minority group. Asian Pacific Americans, often stereotyped as foreigners who do not belong here, are again being seen as less than loyal.

Asian Pacific Americans, too, welcome campaign finance reform. All of us, though, should be troubled if the momentum for such an effort comes out of a perceived threat from Asian Pacific Americans or immigrants generally. After all, the U.S. subsidiaries of many multinational companies, whether European, Asian or Middle Eastern, regularly give money to political parties here. Recent reports indicate that European-based companies give more money than Asian-based companies. The Democrats and the Republicans alike have accepted these contributions.

From the beginning of the Huang controversy, race has played a role. As deputy assistant secretary in the Commerce Department, Huang was the highest-ranking Asian Pacific American in the Clinton administration before moving to the Democratic National Committee. He obtained contributions mainly from Asian Pacific Americans, not Asian foreign nationals, yet the controversy has been dubbed Clinton’s “Asian connection.” In a steady stream of articles as well as radio and television reports, the line between Asians and Americans of Asian heritage has been blurred, while the division between people with Asian faces or names and everyone else has sharpened.

Asian Pacific Americans who have taken an interest in government and public policy are outraged by reporters whose first questions are about where they were born, whether they are citizens, how long the have been in the country and where they get the money to make a donation.

Asian Pacific Americans have been criticized in the past for being apathetic about politics or isolated from our civic culture. Now that we are coming forward to give to our country, we should not be insulted by stereotyping. It would be unfortunate if the scrutiny of Huang creates a chilling effect, discouraging us from entering the political arena.

Overlooked in all the negative publicity is the genuine grass-roots work being done by Asian American community and civil rights organizations. Local organizations have held naturalization drives to ensure that eligible individuals become citizens. One coordinated national effort has registered 75,000 citizens to vote in the past two months.

The attacks on Huang ought to concern not only Asian Pacific Americans but all Americans who have hesitated to become involved in public life.

We can do better in three ways. All political parties should encourage the legitimate participation of Asian Pacific Americans as well as all immigrant groups; Asian Pacific Americans should continue to be part of the process and not be intimidated by this incident; and the media must stop stereotyping and lumping people together as foreigners. Whether Huang crossed the line only further investigation will tell, but the media, our political leaders and the general public should remember that race is not the source of what is wrong in political participation. Regardless of our individual political affiliations, Asian Pacific Americans must be able to take part in our democracy as equals and without being questioned about our right to do so.