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Kerry Speaks Out in First-ever Interview With Asian American Press

By Samson Wong and Kathleen Richards | AsianWeek.com
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Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry was in the Bay Area last Friday for a fundraising event in San Francisco and a town hall meeting at Westmoor High School in Daly City. About 300 supporters gathered for the town hall meeting where Kerry discussed consumer protection and creating a stronger middle class.

During his political career, Kerry has had a tenuous relationship with the Asian American community. On the one hand, he has been a vocal supporter of civil rights issues and pushed for tougher laws against hate crimes. He has advocated for an immigration policy that supports families and has provided additional funding for minority-owned businesses.

Yet Kerry’s antiwar history has strained his relationship with the Vietnamese American community. In addition to promoting diplomatic relations with Hanoi, the senator blocked a bill against human rights violations in Vietnam. According to a Cali Today poll released in July, 90 percent of Vietnamese Americans said that they will be voting for President Bush.

In his first-ever interview with the Asian American press, the lanky Massachusetts senator sat down with AsianWeek Editor-In-Chief Samson Wong to discuss some pressing issues for the APA community.

AsianWeek: Last month about 30 Asian American media outlets expressed concern about the outreach being done, in light of your campaign spending $3 million in the Latino and African American community. What kind of progress has your campaign made toward Asian American outreach?

Sen. John Kerry: We will be spending it. I know we have plans to do it. We have been working with [Congressman] Mike Honda and other leaders in the community to figure out when and where it’s best.

AW: During your town hall meeting, you talked about a “housing trust fund.” From the standpoint of the Asian American community, there are a lot of homeowners, but it’s become much more of a challenge especially here in the Bay Area with median housing prices [of more than $500,000].

JK: There are a number of different avenues for housing. There are some good existing programs in housing. The section 8 housing, the [section] 236, the different programs in HUD today, which this administration has not been particularly involved in supporting.

But more importantly, we’ve got to get additional revenue into some of the incentives that create low- and moderate-income housing. It’s not doing the things we do. I’ve been a big believer in housing. I don’t think housing is simply [about] housing. Housing is education policy. Housing is drug policy. Housing is community building.

AW: Just weeks before the Democratic National Convention, a Vietnamese American was killed in Boston, presumably as a result of a hate crime. And then not too long ago, [in San Francisco], there were five [Asian American] teenagers who were assaulted by a gang of youths. What can you as president do to prevent these [hate crimes]?

JK: Pass hate-crimes legislation, number one. Number two, hire an attorney general who is viewed as nonpolitical and enforcing the law strictly according to the Constitution. Guarantee we have enough cops on the streets to help maintain order … and have a president who speaks to America’s best instincts — [who] doesn’t try to divide people on racial lines, doesn’t attack affirmative action, doesn’t try to rile up people’s emotions, but appeals to the diversity that makes America who we are. And I intend to do that.

AW: Since Ronald Reagan’s presidency, the number of Asian American appointments in the White House has been steadily increasing. President Clinton made the breakthrough of appointing Norman Mineta as cabinet secretary. Of course, on the other side, there was Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki …

JK: They didn’t treat [Shinseki] very well.

AW: No. And his [congressional] warnings are still haunting us.

JK: I find that disgraceful. I think they dishonored General Shinseki in a disgraceful way. His advice was correct. His advice was honest. No professional military officer should be shunted aside because they give their honest opinion in a [partisan atmosphere].

AW: Along those lines, this current administration has appointed quite a few Asian Americans to the White House. And I believe there have been 20 to 23 Senate-confirmed presidential appointees. What can you say about your administration, as far as the number of Asian Americans?

JK: I am determined, and I have always had that diversity in all my staffs as a senator, as a lieutenant governor, as a prosecutor. I’ve always had a policy of proactive outreach for diversity. I think my campaign right now is the most diverse presidential campaign in history, without question.

AW: On a personal note, I believe that one member of your family adopted an Asian American?

JK: Yes, my sister adopted a young Chinese girl when she was 3 years old. And she’s now, gosh, almost 7. My sister went to Guangzhou in China. She spent three weeks and brought her back from China. … It’s a shame that they put a premium on boys. … [My niece] has a good home and a good life. And that’s what’s important.