Let political forces serve the Chinese community - 6 Decade in a Glimpse (Pius Lee Autobiography 10)

Chapter 13: Let political forces serve the Chinese community

In my 60 years in America, my greatest impression about politics is that there are two things that are more important to politicians than anything else: votes and campaign contributions. Only through active participation in politics can increase the political power of the Chinese community.

While I was busy with my career, I still found time to organize the Chinatown Night Market and the 14-day Chinese New Year Street Fair on Stockton Street. We need to fight for our legal rights and volunteer our time to make changes to the law. All these works require support from our politicians.

As I helped them raise money and seek their votes, we also built a good relationship. When it is time that we need their help, they are there for us. We need merchants with the financial means to support politicians. We need influential individuals and political groups in Chinatown who are willing to raise money to support our candidates to make things happen.

In Chinatown, many non-profit groups are not able to take part in politics nor political campaigns due to the law. I hope that after I retire, wealthy entrepreneurs should team up with merchants to raise money for politicians from different parties.

For example, if a group of 10 people can raise about $5,000 individually, each time there will be about $50,000. Only this way, we can exert influence in the mainstream political arena.

What I emphasize is that political candidates need "Two Things'', votes and campaign contributions. I have helped many political candidates to raise campaign funds, and built long-term relationships with politicians. When a community faces unfair treatment, I can turn to politicians for help.

Although there is no guarantee that donations will get results, if we don't get involved, we will be ignored.

Finally, I might as well encourage our younger generation to become active in politics and run for public offices to protect the interests of the Chinese community in San Francisco, especially in Chinatown.

Postscript

It has been 86 years. The past is fading away. Every time when I look back on the roads that I have travelled, I get emotional. I believe that each person's life has several critical turning points. It comes down to whether you are prepared for them, grab the opportunity, and insist on following through. I agree with the notion that direction determines the future.

60 years ago, when I came to San Francisco, my life began to take root in Chinatown. I have witnessed and experienced the evolving journey of the Chinese community in America, and the rise and fall of Chinatown.

As I enter my retirement, I try to organize some of my thoughts and share with everyone. Putting out modest ideas may result in encouraging others to come up with valuable tools. I hope I can instill in the young generation this wisdom: When you drink water, think of its source. This concept will help them better serve the Chinese community.

The 1965 immigration law in the United States has been extremely crucial in empowering Chinese Americans because it allowed parents, brothers and sisters to immigrate to America through family reunification. Every time I attended a presidential candidate fundraising event, I made sure I took advantage of the opportunity to seek the candidate's commitment to keep immigration reuniting families intact.

In 2013, The U.S. Senate voted to do away with the current law on immigration through family reunification (1965 version). I found it extremely unfair to the immigrants, especially the Chinese immigrants. I asked then California State Senator Leland Yee to take a lead in opposing any changes to the Family Reunification Act and urged him to send a letter from the State of California to the President and each Senator and Representative in Congress of the United States before the House would vote on the legislation.

As a result, the House of Representatives voted down the Senate's version. I believe that the California state legislature's decisive action played a very positive role in preserving the pro-family immigration law. It retains immigration visas for parents, brothers, and sisters, who would continue to reunite with their loved ones, empowering the Chinese community so that it would grow and prosper.

However, the call for eliminating pro-family immigration did not end there. In 2018, then President Donald Trump, claiming that immigrants would create a burden on society, openly supported cancelling family immigration visas. In his reply to my letter, he said, "...Moreover, I continue to press Congress to end the visa lottery and extended-family chain immigration..."

I believe that a similar immigration crisis like this will continue. It is incumbent upon our Chinese immigrants to get involved in politics, actively vote to support candidates, and protect our rights.

This book is written through oral transcripts and printed in both Chinese and English editions. For record keeping purposes and adhering to facts in history, I try to use news reports and photos as much as possible.

I want to thank my family's longtime support. I am thankful for Governor Gavin Newsom, California Treasurer Fiona Ma, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, and former Mayor Art Agnos for for their letters of preamble.

This book is written and compiled by Mr. Weijiang Huang, translated by Mr. Ben Chan.

Author Pius Lee on May 28, 2023 in San Francisco

(Wind Newspaper’s reprint of the entire book ends.)

Editor's Note: Community leader Pius Lee retires in 2024 after advocating for the community in many ways for 60 years. He has recently released his autobiography book, 6 Decades in a Glimpse, as his personal memoirs for his friends and families, not for sale. Mr. Lee shares his book with community members by being reprinted in Wind Newspaper's weekly issues starting #186 in April 2024.