Senator Bernie Sanders came down from the mezzanine, where he was seated with his family, to join the delegation from Vermont on July 27, 2016.
After all the states cast their nomination votes, Vermont’s voice (Bernie Sanders) called for a suspension of the rules to nominate Hillary Clinton by acclamation. The roaring thunder of hundreds of thousands filled up the entire Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia during the second day of the Democratic National Convention, giving this writer goosebumps.
Genevieve Jopanda, chief of staff to Fiona Ma, burst into tears after Hillary Clinton gave her acceptance speech the following day.
“When Hillary accepted her nomination, I threw my hands up in the air and cheered at the top of my lungs “YESSS!” And as my hands came down, I burst [into] tears. My body transformed as the sacrifice of my father leaving my mom and two brothers behind in the Philippines to pursue something better in America flashed before me. Because of his sacrifice, I was born and raised in America and allowed the opportunity to work on policy that positively impacts our community with AB199 (Fiona Ma) instead of harvesting rice in the fields or drying fish above the dirt road in my family’s farm village in Iloilo. Her nomination is our country’s biggest defense and maintaining the line so we don’t go backwards,” Jopanda shared.
Contrast that to early centuries ago when Abigail Adams — the second first lady of the United States of America, the wife of President John Adams (1797-1801), and the mother of John Quincy Adams, sixth US president— who was keenly aware of how women’s patriotism was the least desired aspirations among women of the 18th century.
“Patriotism in the female sex is the most disinterested of all virtues. Excluded from honors and offices, we cannot attach ourselves to the state of or government from having held a place of eminence. Deprived of a voice in legislation, obliged to submit to those laws [our property is subject to the control and disposal of our partners], which are imposed upon us, is it not sufficient to make us indifferent to the public welfare? Yet, all history and every age exhibit instances of patriotic virtue in the female sex; which considering our situation equals the most heroic of yours,” as written by Cokie Roberts in “Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation,” 2004.
Fast forward to the 21st century’s front-row witness to Hillary Clinton’s presidential nomination, Loida Nicolas Lewis, a philanthropist and New York delegate, whose patriotism and political involvement are her passions.
“The DNC was beyond my expectations: the eloquence of Cory Booker; the passion of Michelle Obama; the folksy storytelling of Bill Clinton; the persuasive arguments of Joe Biden; the surprising logic of Tim Kaine; the indomitable spirit of Pres Obama; the soft charm of Chelsea; the tour de force that is Hillary Clinton,” Nicolas Lewis said.
Fil-Am delegates to DNC, a 33% increase
Forty-four years ago, Larry Itliong, a Filipino-American labor leader, who worked alongside Cesar Chavez to form the United Farm Workers, attended his first DNC in 1972.
“My only regret is that there were only 15 Fil-Am delegates at the 2016 DNC Convention. Although in 2012 in Charlotte, there were five Fil-Am delegates, “ Loida Nicolas Lewis noted.
America is home to about 4 million Filipino Americans, which should merit by now, more than 15 Fil-Am delegates to the DNC.
Clinton may have shattered the glass ceiling, but for us, Asian Americans, the ceiling is bamboo, which must be constantly uprooted. It compels us, Asian Americans voters, to assert ourselves as engaged patriotic citizens to vote during every election.
If we skip the exercise of our voting rights, rely on polls and others to vote, we fail to protect our families, our community interests and our self-interests. We need to vote for ourselves to hold the line and to protect our families from going backward in acquiring opportunities.
A grandmother articulates why she supports Hillary
I ran into a grandmother, Joselyn Geaga-Rosenthal, a business woman who ran for LA City Council years ago. She shared:
“My admiration for Hillary started in 1992 when I was a delegate to the DNC. I was a Bill Clinton delegate. I went to a special session during which Guillory and Hillary delivered speeches. She was talking about important issues about women’s rights and civil rights, but most notable was her advocating for affordable childcare. This was not a sexy topic at that time. I clapped with such vigor but was so disappointed to see only a handful of other people clapped with me. Hillary and I are both products of the sixties generation.
Although I am a lifelong democrat, I learned that Hillary started as a Republican , like her father. She was President of the Wellesley College Republicans. But the times changed her and she became anti-Vietnam war, pro-civil rights, pro-women’s rights and campaigned for Eugene McCarthy, like I did when I was at UCLA. She delivered a fiery anti- war speech as her College’s commencement speaker.
As first lady, she fought for universal health care, for women’s right to choose, she was not about to just stay in the White House and bake cookies. She is my Eleanor Roosevelt for my generation, who has withstood attacks for 20 years from the right wing and from our own Democratic candidates. Against the advice of the State Department, when she was first lady, she went to China to the international women’s conference and spoke about the genocide against baby girls. Now she has challenged the NRA and fighting for gun control [safety measures.] I look forward to having her pave the way for girls who didn’t know they can be president of our country.”
Will America break the dominance of 44 male presidents in the White House?
Taking the words “all men are born free and equal” to heart, Elizabeth Freeman, a slave woman, sued to gain her freedom under the Massachusetts constitution in 1781. Thereby she liberated herself from slavery and soon, it was a precedent that led to the abolition of slavery in the state of Massachusetts, according to Cokie Roberts.
If you visit her tombstone, it reads, according to Cokie Roberts, “She was born a slave and remained a slave for nearly thirty years. She could neither read nor write yet in her own sphere she had no superior or equal. She neither wasted time nor property. She never violated a trust nor failed to perform a duty. In every domestic trial, she was the most efficient helper, and the tenderest friend. Good mother, farewell.”
Elizabeth Freeman is much like Dorothy (Hillary Clinton’s mother) who views herself as equal to anyone, and one who taught her daughter, Hillary, to stand up to bullies in her school.
Much like her mother Dorothy, Hillary performed her duties with exemplary excellence, that much of today’s Sec. of State John Kerry’s accomplishments have been paved by the hard work of Hillary, yet we hardly read about those details — the details of opening doors for negotiations, or the use of smart power, blending both diplomatic talks and hardcore sanctions against Iran to stop its nuclear power buildup.
“She does not fight us, she fights for us”
Much of our own implicit biases come from mainstream and specialty media that we must do due diligence to inform ourselves on how to vote beyond one issue, beyond what our faith tells us.
Just as there is a separation of church and state, we must inform ourselves as to which candidate mirrors our values.
Which candidate has served our community’s interests? Do you know what Hillary Clinton has done for your family or for your ancestors, for example?
Hillary’s progressive track record and public service have converged with our own Asian American values.
“Her lifelong fight and advocacy for children, families, the underrepresented, voiceless and most vulnerable in our society. She does not fight us, she fights for us. That is why I fight with her, for our children, our families, our communities, our country,” said former City of Cerritos Mayor Mark Pulido, who was an at-large alternate delegate for the convention.
Hillary has worked to provide 8 million children with health insurance, the precursor for the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as “Obamacare.” She has also opened many doors to diplomacy, when she visited 112 countries as secretary of state.
And she has, without any fanfare, without any flood lights of the media, just because she wants to do the most good, stood up for our Filipino-American World War II veterans. It prompted Melissa Ramoso, a delegate from Los Angeles who works for Rep. Ted Lieu, to share, “For this convention, I am carrying with me a picture of my maternal Lolo in his Philippine Army uniform. He was a Colonel during WWII and was denied his benefits and recognition. In college, I would attend the Justice for Filipino American Veterans annual marches. My lolo asked me why I am still fighting for him. He said, ‘I‘ll never get my recognition.’ He passed away in 2011 and his statement has never left me. When I heard that Secretary Clinton stood up on the Senate floor fighting for Filipino American and WWII veterans’ recognition, I knew she was standing up for my Lolo. No other candidate can say they have specifically done that for our community.”
After reading Hillary Clinton’s emails, Crooks and Liars managing editor Karoli Kuns came to realize: “I found a woman who cared about employees who lost loved ones. I found a woman who, without exception, took time to write notes of condolence and notes of congratulations, no matter how busy she was. I found a woman who could be a tough negotiator and firm in her expectations, but still had a moment to write a friend with encouragement in tough times. She worried over people she didn’t know, and she worried over those she did.”
What touched me was what Chelsea Clinton said, how she felt deeply valued and loved by her mother — a conscientious mother who before going on road trips, left Chelsea daily notes, stacked neatly in a special drawer.
How many moms do this, aside from leaving notes, also prepare meals for families when they leave town to work?
Seldom do you come across balanced observations, highlighting Hillary’s strengths, in parity with men’s strengths, as what Fritz Friedman, president of Fritz Friedman Co. and former senior vice president of worldwide publicity and corporate communications for Sony Pictures, shared.
“But perhaps what were most memorable were the oftentimes very poignant, and heart wrenching speeches by a mother who lost her only child in the Orlando massacre and, of course, the Khans’ speech about their son as well as Mr. Khan’s blistering attack on Trump. In contrast were the stirring speeches of President Obama and his wife Michelle, Joe Biden, President Clinton, VP candidate Tim Kaine and, of course, Sec. Clinton. Their message of hope, inclusion and greatness was in stark contrast to the Republicans themes of darkness, fear and bigotry.
But perhaps the proudest moment for me was seeing the Asian Americans Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Elected officials on that stage – the first time Asian Americans have ever took that big stage. And what a statement that optic made. AAPIs are being quickly acknowledged as a major political force in the US political process wielding extraordinary sway in such battleground swing states as Virginia, Pennsylvania and Nevada. I think it is safe to say that this is the moment for AAPIs – and Filipino Americans specifically – to become full partners in the American political process. God Bless America indeed!,” Friedman, who was a member of the DNC’s Standing Committee for Credentials underscored.
Clinton’s nomination is a personal upliftment for Gloria Pulido.
“I was so proud and honored to represent the Filipino-American community and California with my husband, Mark Pulido, as pledged delegates for Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. As a woman and a mother, it was overwhelming that in my lifetime and on my birthday – I witnessed the roll call vote that officially elected Hillary Clinton as the first female Democratic Presidential nominee,” Gloria Pulido said, a Clinton delegate and staff member to State Treasurer John Chiang.
And to Francey Youngberg, she sees Hillary as an inclusive president, one who will advance AAPIs.
“I was born to a traditional Chinese family in Iloilo and my father was the only son so they were very disappointed when I was born because I was not a boy. As I was growing up, they had no interest in me. My mother’s parents and extended family raised me, while my mother studied in the US. My Filipino/Spanish grandmother always believed in me and she didn’t set boundaries of what girls can and can’t do. So it was especially gratifying to me to see Hillary Clinton be officially nominated as the first woman presidential candidate of a major party. Having graduated from Wellesley (her Alma mater) I have been waiting for that moment since I was marching for the equal rights amendment in college. History was made at the DNC Convention last week and as she said, ‘When there is no ceiling, the sky is the limit,’” Youngberg shared.
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Footnote: To Asian Journal readers, my DNC Chronicles will be a three-part series of articles, inspired by my very first attendance of a political convention in the U.S. As a Filipina immigrant — born to a teacher and a labor government employee who was orphaned during WWII — who came to America with just $200 in her pocket, I was grateful to attend as one of the writers for the Asian Journal team, only one of the two specialty media outlets credentialed to represent Filipino Americans.
I have not thought of this as remotely possible, yet, here I am, now a grandmother who experienced her very first Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Philadelphia from July 25-28, 2016. Thank you, America!
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Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She has been writing for AJ Press for 9 years now. She contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium, Japan, Mexico and 22 national parks in the US, in pursuit of her love for arts.