The Four Elected to Represent You
by melani sutedjaWhy your new execs did not attend the APAC API Forum
Ah, the partisanship never smelled riper.
By the time you read this, you probably know and are celebrating (or really pissed) over who won the ASUC Executive and Senate seats – but ask me three weeks ago, and I wouldn't be able to guess. All that jazz about John Moghtader's recall either completely turned off potential voters, or further disaggregated the API community into their respective "CalSERVE" and "Student Action" niches.
So in lieu of the mass phonebankings, the ideologies, and the friend/classmate/floormate-from-freshman-year loyalty, the question of "who do you vote for?" was really: "who do you trust?"
Enter, the APAC ASUC Election Forum. Put on by the Asian Pacific American Coalition, it was supposed to be a space for candidates to flesh out their stances on issues ranging from concerns about increasing student fees to sexuality. Its purpose was to help Asian and Pacific Islander students make an informed decision when voting.
With around 27 guests scrunched in the front rows of 145 Dwinelle, the event was a cozy and personal affair. CalSERVE Academic Affairs Vice President candidate Isaac Miller discussed the need for townhall discussions in light of the IAS restructuring, while DAAP Presidential candidate Ronald Cruz emphasized the need for the student body to organize collectively. Yet, the real issue on everyone's minds that night was obvious – where were Student Action candidates Will, John, Tu, and Dani?
During the break, one audience member vocalized her anger with the Student Action's failure to show up. "Our community's already a minority," said senior Laura Thammovang. "I am completely insulted that Student Action didn't come. Everybody's got midterms, stuff to do. I spoke to John Tran and to folks, but I had very important questions about my organizations. Just recognize that they're not here."
The facilitator then acknowledged the white elephant in the room. "Student Action withdrew from the forum," he said. "They rejected the invitation. They stated a reason but asked not to make mention."
THE CONTENTS OF AN EMAIL
Thanks to the alleged snub, the internet was set ablaze that night with angry facebook tags in both protest and defense of the party. Others confronted the candidates themselves when they fliered on Sproul.
"I was walking to class when Will came up to me to ask if I voted," said Junior Linda Vu. "I asked him why didn't he or the other Student Action candidates show up to the APAC Forum. He said he injured his leg so he couldn't come. But he looked fine to me. And when I asked about the other SA candidates, he said they could not show up because of prior arrangements."
Talking to the candidates themselves painted a different story of what happened.
They said the APAC forum was fundamentally biased from the outset, and because they did not agree with how the forum was run, they did not wish to attend.
"We received an email that clearly shows CalSERVE received individual invitations to this event, since the email sent to us was also sent to calservecoordinators@gmail.com and senatemanagers@googlegroups.com, which are clearly calserve list serves," said newly elected Academic Affairs Vice President John Tran.
He also said that though the election forum was to determine which candidates can best represent the community, the APAC forum was biased against Student Action because the endorsements of APAC had already been promised to CalSERVE.
"All three of the APAC facilitators are clearly partisan because they are actively involved in guiding certain CalSERVE candidates," said John Tran.
Candidates said they wanted their reasons for not attending to be out in the open, and did not know why facilitators did not make that clear at the forum .
Newly elected Vice President Tu Tran was more blatant in his sentiments, especially after friends from REACH! and Berkeley Cambodian Student Association forwarded him the e-mail. He said organizations such as the Berkeley Teo-chew Assocation and Asian American Association did not even receive invitations.
"It didn't make sense for us to show up. It was a biased space." said Tu Tran. "I didn't have an injury, but I didn't want to show up."
A former-supporter of CalSERVE Presidential candidate Van Nguyen, Tran acknowledged the partisanship present within the API community. "The API comes together – just not during elections," he said. "The parties jockey and fight for votes, it's the nature of the election and you're never going to change that. It's just dangerous when an organizing body like APAC starts to align with one party heavily. Chances are you're going to divide the API community even more so."
Yet APAC facilitators asserted that despite the logistics of how the e-mail was sent, the candidates should have come to the event to acknowledge the API vote.
Jenalyn Soto, the external affairs coordinator of APAC, said that though candidates accused the organization of lacking outreach and representation, the very first listserve contacted for the purposes of this event was the UCBAPAC listserve – which includes AAA, VSA, APATH, and other API communities.
"As Spring 2008 AAA External Vice President, I have made it my personal mission to outreach to AAA and ensure their inclusion in the APAC listserv and space," she said.
In response to Student Action's allegations that the forum was skewed against them, APAC officials said the candidates should have used the event to extend an overture of friendship to traditionally oppositional spaces.
"Many of the students present at our forum were swing voters, willing to hear the rationale for both sides before casting a ballot," Soto said. "In fact, our coalition is equally split between ‘progressive’ and ‘conservative’ party lines, with our largest member organizations falling into ‘conservative’ affiliations – and still SA called the coalition and this event ‘partisan.’"
Supporters, like senior Fong Tran, also remain adamant in their sentiments towards what they call a snub.
"Two of the candidates are running on an API platform and for them not to be present in a forum for the most all-encompassing API space on campus – APAC – it is a rejection of their duties as a representative," he said.
A DIVIDED VOTE
Now, I can go on and on with the "he saids" or "she saids." But by the end of the day, we've already gotten our elected slate whether you like it or not.
I can make it a point in this article to blame APAC for not being upfront with the audience and admitting some fault, or I can blame Student Action from not trying to outreach at this event, but it'd really be superfluous to do so.
With more than half of the Senate and two of the Executives being of API descent, the only thing we can do is hold the folks that you've elected into office – whether Student Action, CalSERVE, or Independent – accountable to the needs of the community. Will being a part of APAC now be painted as being anti-Student Action? To take it even further, will any of the Student Action candidates represent the voices and needs of marginalized students if a situation arises, or will their voices be ignored because of their possible APAC-affiliations?
There have been beautiful creations that have conjured out collaborations, such as the API Issues Conference or Rock the Vote, though arguments in Fi Comm meetings has still yet to get everyone out by 1 a.m.
Bypassing petty group loyalties – though it makes me the more cynical that I used the exact same phrase in last year's hardboiled article – I think there are some chances at reform. CalSERVE Senator Mary June Flores and Student Action Senator Sarah Cho have collaborated this year in working towards initiatives concerning the API community. Let's see more of that rather than news of another potential recall.
So this article will end on an unsettling note. All you folks whose candidates got in – because you agree with the ideologies, you are in the same sorority as a candidate, or you were just pissed at the recall – see what they will do you for you, especially on a campus that thinks you are overrepresented, perpetually foreign, and at times, exclusive.
The ASUC candidates and organizational members I talked to from both parties complained about how spaces on campus are partisan, so let's see if our new leaders can walk the walk. God forbid the Daily Cal will emerge with a new ASUC scandal- let's leave it to Dalai Lamas, retired police chiefs, and the always beloved frat-night-gone-wrong to make the headlines. To the new slate: the ball is in your park.