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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 2020)
OPINION Page 6 n THE ASIAN REPORTER March 2, 2020 Volume 30 Number 4 March 2, 2020 ISSN: 1094-9453 The Asian Reporter is published on the first Monday each month. Please send all correspondence to: The Asian Reporter 922 N Killingsworth Street, Suite 2D, Portland, OR 97217 Phone: (503) 283-4440, Fax: (503) 283-4445 News Department e-mail: news@asianreporter.com Advertising Department e-mail: ads@asianreporter.com Website: www.asianreporter.com Please send reader feedback, Asian-related press releases, and community interest ideas/stories to the addresses listed above. Please include a contact phone number. Advertising information available upon request. Publisher Jaime Lim Contributing Editors Ronault L.S. Catalani (Polo), Jeff Wenger Correspondents Ian Blazina, Josephine Bridges, Pamela Ellgen, Maileen Hamto, Edward J. Han, A.P. Kryza, Marie Lo, Simeon Mamaril, Julie Stegeman, Toni Tabora-Roberts, Allison Voigts Illustrator Jonathan Hill News Service Associated Press/Newsfinder Copyright 2020. Opinions expressed in this newspaper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of this publication. Member Associated Press/Newsfinder Asian American Journalists Association Better Business Bureau Pacific Northwest Minority Publishers (PNMP) Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon MY TURN n Dmae Roberts APIs count! Correspondence: The Asian Reporter welcomes reader response and participation. Please send all correspondence to: Mail: 922 N Killingsworth Street Suite 2D, Portland, OR 97217-2220 Phone: (503) 283-4440 ** Fax: (503) 283-4445 News Department e-mail: news@asianreporter.com SUBSCRIPTION RATES (U.S. rates only) Individual subscription (sent bulk rate): q One year: $16 q Two years: $26 Individual subscription (sent first class mail): q One year: $24 q Two years: $44 Office subscription (5 copies to one address): q One year: $65 q Two years: $110 Institutional subscription (25 copies to one address): q One year: $125 q Two years: $225 NEW SUBSCRIBER / ADDRESS CORRECTION INFORMATION FORM: Subscriber’s name: Company name: Address: City, State, ZIP: Phone: Fax: E-mail: Mail with payment or Fax with credit card information to: The Asian Reporter, Attn: Subscription Dept., 922 N Killingsworth Street, Suite 2D, Portland, OR 97217-2220 Phone: (503) 283-4440 * Fax: (503) 283-4445 q q q For VISA, Mastercard, or American Express payment only: Name (as it appears on the card): Type of card (circle): VISA Mastercard Card number: Security code: Expiration date: Address of card: The last four issues of The Asian Reporter are available for pick up free at our office 24 hours a day at 922 N Killingsworth Street, Suite 2D, Portland, Oregon. Back issues of The Asian Reporter may be ordered by mail at the following rates: First copy: $1.50 Additional copies ordered at the same time: $1.00 each Send orders to: Asian Reporter Back Issues, 922 N. Killingsworth St., Portland, OR 97217-2220 The Asian Reporter welcomes reader response and participation. If you have a comment on a story we have printed, or have an Asian-related personal or community focus idea, please contact us. Please include a contact name, address, and phone number on all correspondence. Thank you. hen I was more active in public radio nationally as an independent producer, I distributed my own work and collected data about the stations that broadcasted my documentaries. The more stations that carried my pieces, and the greater my track record, the more likely I would garner future funding. While promoting Crossing East, an Asian/Pacific Islander (API) history series, I was told by station managers and program directors that they would not run the eight hours of programs because they didn’t have Asian or Pacific Islander listeners. I asked, “How do you know?” After more investigation, I learned APIs were not counted in Arbitron ratings (an audio broadcast ratings system that has since been bought by Nielson). To my knowledge, Asians are still not counted in the Nielson audio ratings. The reason? Our numbers are too small to be tallied. That’s just wrong. It’s important to be counted. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, along with indigenous communities, are often excluded and generally whitewashed culturally. Take, for instance, the recent Tilda Swinton fiasco. In 2016, Swinton took on the role of a Marvel Comic character that was originally an Asian monk in the Dr. Strange film. In February, it was announced that she was spearheading the tele- vision series adaptation of the 2020 Oscar-winning film Parasite. Instead of hiring Asian-American actors for much-needed representation on tele- vision, she would play the matriarch of an all-white family. Apparently, Asian Americans still don’t count when it comes to working on an adaptation of an originally Asian film. With the new coronavirus (COVID-19) scare, it seems the only time Asian Americans are noticed is when they cough. Yes, perhaps this is a bit of an exaggeration, but I’ve read stories about Asian- American students who were asked by their pro- fessors to leave classrooms even when white stu- dents also coughed. In addition, there are reports that Asian Americans travelling within the U.S. are being stopped and interrogated by airport security even when they are not travelling internationally. My point is that it’s important for APIs to be counted, not for racial profiling, but for the right reasons. It’s like being listened to. It’s a sign of appreciation and respect. Which leads me to the 2020 U.S. Census. Whoa, wild turn there? Not really. The U.S. Census has great importance to our communities. Here’s why. Data collected during the census helps guide real W dollars in federal assistance for the next 10 years. This information determines the amount of funding that neighborhoods, towns, and cities receive for schools, hospitals, roads, and other public spending. It also establishes the number of seats states have in the U.S. House of Representatives, so Oregonian voices can be heard in Washington, D.C. Nationally, the census also governs dollars for programs such as Medicaid, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), and Head Start. The U.S. Census is mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. That’s right, THE CONSTITUTION! Every person who lives in America needs to be counted every decade, regardless of age, ability status, sexual orientation, race, ethnic group, gender identity, or (and more importantly) citizenship status. Many immigrant and refugee communities may feel suspicious and fearful of the census because at one point the Trump administration tried to require a citizenship question on the form. It is not. And nobody should be asked about their documented status. No one. All surveys are confidential. Under federal law, census responses cannot be shared with any other federal agency until 72 years after the collection of the information. The Census Bureau is mailing and hand delivering census packets across the country with information about how householders can fill out the 2020 form. Some households in rural areas will be surveyed in person. APIs are the fastest growing demographic in the United States and have been historically under- counted. Locally, the Asian Pacific American Net- work of Oregon (APANO) is working to canvas all APIs and is especially seeking to provide services for under-represented communities such as Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders. To ensure all API demographics are recorded, APANO is training volunteer canvassers, hiring field teams to do outreach, and translating census materials into multiple languages. I hope all readers find time to fill out the survey. There is also an option to reply over the phone to 1-800-354-7271. To learn more about the census, visit Oregon Counts 2020 at <https://www.oregon2020census.gov>. To serve as a volunteer ambassador, be hired to work on the field team, or obtain help — especially with translation — visit <www.apano.org> or drop by the APANO office in person at 8188 S.E. Division Street in Portland. Remember, you count! Opinions expressed in this newspaper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of this publication.