Chinese-Americans Protest Richardson Cabinet Post

Barack Obama is set to name New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson as Commerce Secretary Wednesday, pleasing those who wondered why there were no Latinos in his Cabinet. But not everyone is happy:

In a move bound to create political tension between Latinos and Asian-Americans, a group of Chinese-American activists in Silicon Valley has launched a nationwide grass-roots movement to fight President-elect Barack Obama's nomination today of Bill Richardson as commerce secretary.

The group is upset at the New Mexico governor for his handling of the nearly decade-old case of Taiwanese-American Wen Ho Lee, a former nuclear scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory. U.S. officials once suspected Lee of giving nuclear secrets to China when Richardson was President Clinton's energy secretary.

The Chinese-Americans say they realize that challenging the nomination of Richardson, 61, the nation's most high-profile Hispanic politician, will ruffle the Latino community, many of whose leaders felt he should have been named secretary of state instead of Sen. Hillary Clinton.

But the Chinese-American group insists that Richardson's refusal to acknowledge making serious errors in the case makes it a moral imperative to oppose his nomination to Obama's Cabinet. They say their criticism of Richardson has nothing to do with him being Latino but everything to do with his lack of judgment in the case.

"This was the major Chinese-American civil rights case in the last 30 years,'' said Albert Wang, a Fremont physician. "And there was a feeling among many Chinese-Americans, particularly in Silicon Valley, that Bill Richardson did a lot to promote the notion that all Chinese-Americans are potential spies.''

Meanwhile, top Latino lawmakers are saying they will be disappointed if Richardson is the only Hispanic member of Obama's Cabinet.

Read more about Bill Richardson's Cabinet post.

Comments

[Oxonian2001]

I don't believe in selecting minorities and women for the mere sake of representation. (Just at look at far that got us with W: Condi? Elaine Chao? Please!) That said, I don't think there's anything wrong with some of us--whether Asian, African-American, Latino/a, native American-- wanting just a little "representin'." Just for the record, I was the one of the few women in my circle supporting Obama during the primaries; most of my friends, colleagues, and students--who were white women--were originally Hillary supporters. They were thrilled that there was finally a woman running for president! Did I hold it against them? No--because I understood how it must have felt wonderful for them to support another woman. So is it wrong for Asian-Americans to wish for an Asian-American in the cabinet? No: especially since a good majority of us did vote for Obama. Many of us campaigned actively and blogged for him. As such, I, for one, do hope that he can find a qualified person of Asian ancestry.

[JeanPaulSatire]

I guess I'm just slow because I'm not sure how this (SUCCESSFUL!) prosecution of an individual was transmogrified into a civil rights issue for an entire ethnic group.

What evidence is there that, had the suspect been of a different gender or ethnicity, s/he would have been treated differently in any way?

[Girl28]

Wait a minute. Do people expect Obama to turn his cabinet into the Rainbow Coalition just because of his race? This isn't about pleasing every single group that voted for the Pres. Elect. It's also not about affirmative action. I don't want my future president making appointments in order to repay favors or appease anyone. Just pick the best people for the job. We are a nation in crisis, enough of this nonsense.

[ghenry]

Okay Obama, as I asked before, where are the Asian-Americans and the native Americans in your Cabinet?

[tavote08]

Get a grip... At least let the man finish his appointments before you start with the finger pointing. If you voted for him you should at least give him a chance to break his promise and not condemn him before the process is even finished.

[vedder110]

Give me a break. Are you seriously advocating Affirmative Action for the cabinet? I think Bill Richardson is great and would have been a better Secretary of State than Clinton, but that has absolutely zero to do with him being Latino. Why should race be a factor at all? I would expect cabinet positions to accurately reflect the makeup of the population.

Check the Census Stats:

White - 77.1
Black - 12.9
Latino - 12.5
Asian American - 4.2
Native American - 1.5

[kj11]

your numbers don't add up because the white category includes Latinos--- hispanic origin can be white, black race

[JeanPaulSatire]

According to madeupstat­istics.com­, approximately 6.4% of Americans are a**holes, and of those, approximately 83.2% are incompetent. Thus, incompetent a**holes comprise approximately 5.3% of the US population, putting them ahead of Asian-Americans, population-wise.

Would it then be your position that Obama's cabinet should include at least one incompetent a**hole? Shouldn't the fact that Bush's cabinet had an over-abundance of them argue against their inclusion at all in the new administration?

[rosal]

OMG! At this rate all the problems the country is facing will never get solved. Everybody seemes to have their little issues. It amazes me somebody would want the job as president. I truly hope everybody calms down and unite for the good of our country.

[whit4brains]

Seems there is one group or another who has issue with every person who gets appointed to anything these days.

Guess it's true you can't make everyone happy.
I like Richardson and am glad he is getting a position in the Obama administration, but I respect their right to protest if they desire.

[Bulbul]

Why John Kerry did not get the position , would have been an excellent choice.
Kerry probably would have won in 2004 had he chosen Biden .

[hortonhearsawho]

Wet Noodle Whinning...

[lylo]

I thought that China and Taiwan were different countries.
If that is the case, why are the Chinese-Americans all peeved about what is happening to a Taiwanese-American? Isn't it offensive to lump everyone who looks vaguely similar in the same group? At least, that's what the Chinese-Americans led me to believe.
So shouldn't it be Taiwanese-American groups who are angry, or Asian-American groups? Why the heck would the Chinese-Americans care?!

[JasonY79]

All human beings should care.

"Mfume opened his keynote address by recounting the legend of a Greek philosopher who, when asked by a king when justice would ever come to Athens, replied: "Justice will never come to Athens until all of those who are not injured are just as indignant as those who are."

[Petey131]

From this Latino to those Chinese-Americans: BRING IT ON!

[JasonY79]

This story has nothing to do with Richardson's race. Why do you assume that it does?

[hortonhearsawho]

Yet they realize it will ruffle feathers....

[Harrygton]

and do you really think that if Richardson was Chinese American they would be demonstrating against him being made Secretary of Commerce? If you answer yes, you are a fool!

[Active]

Ugh. Judas disgusts me.

[Littledog]

NM politicos call him Mr. Pay-to-Play because he fired 2800 state employees the first day, replaced them with political appointees and then :"encouraged" them to pay $3000 per year toward his campaigns. The biggest source of his campaign funds it was reported were these "exempt" state employees and contractors who got contracts with NM--like a behavioral health company uniformly NOT recommended by the professionals but who were overridden by the Gov.s folks. This is a man who took the security detail away from his (female) Lt. Gov (who covered his job for months while he ran for prez) because he was upset with her. Good luck Commerce Dept. At least he will be comfortable with the pay-to-play "ways" of Mexico, where he was raised and here in D.C. Troopergate fired one guy--he fired 2800, no matter how good they were, for his own interests, not for his State's well-being. Mike L.

[NoMercy]

Beard... needed

[SteveDenver]

Boy Republicans have it easy: Appoint a bunch of Anglos, then throw in a couple of obvious tokens and you're done. Yep, Richardson screwed up with the scientist and I hope he straightens it out. Meanwhile, Pacific Islanders are waiting for one of ours to get in the cabinet. Maybe as official Hukilau host or Secretary of pit barbecue. Enough with the racial factions, MY BLACK PRESIDENT can appoint anyone he deems intelligent, qualified, and leadable. I've hated the politics of the last 8 years and I'm jumping with joy inside for the future.

Just when you thought life under Bush couldn't get any worse... And before all you moderates and conservatives jump on the not-his-fault bandwagon: he is in the "decider's" seat and the bus is going over the cliff.

[caywen]

I'm Taiwanese-American, and to other Taiwanese-Americans and Chinese Americans, GET OVER IT ALREADY.

[care4mypeeps]

I think we need to open the dialog with those disaffected Taiwanese-Americans so that they can talk out their pain before the confirmation hearings begin. To tell any group of people to just get over it shows and insensitivity that can only fuel the flames.

[RIP2]

White people have been saying 'get over it' by their behavior for hundreds of years. Power concedes only to power.

[amazingdays]

Read Richardson's book for his side of the story.