A Look Forward and a Look Back

By the Editors

This issue of CAUSE & Effects looks at the future of Asian Pacific American (APA) empowerment and looks back at the travesty of Wen Ho Lee’s imprisonment. By doing so, we acknowledge all the vast possibilities that await our community in the years to come, but we also remember the many obstacles that remain (and never quite disappear).

As the cover article demonstrates, unprecedented success has finally come to the APA community. In 1942, Chinese in America were still not permitted to apply for citizenship, and Japanese in America were forced into internment camps. Sixty-four years (i.e., less than one lifetime) later, there are now hundreds of APA elected officials.

There is much to celebrate. One can imagine, in the not too distant future, the APA community breaking most remaining glass ceilings. It seems likely (if not inevitable) that there will be more APA U.S. Senators (like Fong, Hayakawa, Matsunaga, Inouye, and Akaka), more APA members of the President’s Cabinet (like Mineta and Chao), more APA state governors (like Ariyoshi, Waihee, Cayetano, and Locke), and – when one considers the large number of Asian Americans who have graduated from, or are presently in, law school, many of whom rank at the top of their class and who will have distinguished legal careers -- an APA member of the U.S. Supreme Court.

The emerging empowerment of APAs should not surprise. This is America’s grand pattern – immigrant groups work hard and then achieve great success. Other ethnic communities have traveled this path..

When John Kennedy first ran for election to the House of Representatives, few could conceive of an Irish Catholic President (as there was concern that such a President would be more loyal to the Vatican than to America). Now no one doubts that Irish Catholics are Americans.

When Mario Cuomo graduated from law school, he could not find a job in any of the prestigious Wall Street firms. But he became governor of New York. Another Italian-American, Rudy Giuliani, has become “America’s Mayor” and has a solid chance to become President. Today, two Italian-Americans sit as justices on the U.S. Supreme Court. Now no one doubts that Italian Americans are Americans.

If history is a guide, Asian Pacific Americans will almost certainly follow the Irish and Italians, and become fully accepted into this country’s political life. The future is bright.

But there is reason not to celebrate.

Ask Wen Ho Lee, accused by the federal prosecutors of spying for China, if he now thinks that America, especially America’s justice system, believes that Chinese Americans are Americans.

Who can forget the shocking description of Dr. Lee’s conditions in jail, as set forth in the words of the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, New Mexico, which prepared a petition protesting the government’s treatment of him: “Dr. Lee has been denied bail, jailed in solitary confinement, and subjected to harsh and cruel conditions which include the following: Dr. Lee is in chains, shackled hands and feet whenever he is taken from his solitary cell; he is chained during his one hour per week visit with immediate family so that he must shuffle and awkwardly lean to activate the intercom with manacled hands in order to speak through glass (however, during a mid-July [2000] visit his handcuffs were removed) while two FBI agents monitor and censor each word; Dr. Lee remains in ankle chains when working with his lawyers behind triple locked doors in a windowless room in a secured facility; Dr. Lee is not allowed any exercise, fresh air, or showers on weekends; the one hour of exercise weekdays he spends alone, and until recently in shackles, and he must forego any exercise or fresh air on days he meets his attorneys to prepare for trial; Dr. Lee’s telephone calls are extremely limited, censored and transcribed; he is allowed no television and limited reading material; his mail is delayed by months . . . .”

The federal judge in Dr. Lee’s case – as set forth in his court statement that is reprinted in this issue – came to regret Dr. Lee’s treatment and offered a stunning heartfelt apology in open court.

The conclusion of Dr. Lee’s case provides an appropriate opportunity to look back on his case.. In June of this year, Dr. Lee settled his civil lawsuit against the government for $895,000; five news organizations paid Lee an additional $750,000 to end the litigation so that they would not have to respond to subpoenas.

In the end, Dr. Lee spent 9 months in jail. Fifty-eight of 59 charges against him were dropped by prosecutors. As part of the plea bargain, the Executive Branch of the federal government was shielded from revealing information about the case to Dr. Lee and his attorneys. As part of the civil lawsuit settlement, the news organizations were shielded from revealing the names of their sources that leaked negative information about Dr. Lee. In other words, Dr. Lee has his freedom (and over $1.6 million dollars), but no access to the key information that led to prosecution.

And what does Dr. Lee himself have to say about his extraordinary journey? AsianWeek magazine, in 2002, in an article about a public appearance by Dr. Lee, reported, “Before he was jailed and branded a suspected spy, Lee admitted he seldom read newspapers and did not vote. He cautioned the crowd of largely Asian Pacific Americans in Los Angeles against repeating the same mistakes. ‘You should pay more attention to politics,’ he declared. ‘Speak out when you can. If you want people to respect us, you must respect yourself first.’”

In this issue of CAUSE and Effects, we take a look back at Wen Ho Lee’s case. He tells us forcefully to look forward and empower ourselves.

So we heed his words and roll up our sleeves – we must continue to register voters, educate our community, get out the vote, and – in doing so – respect ourselves as we win the respect of others.