Asian American Student Center sponsors first political panel

While former Gov. Michael Dukakis was campaigning for political office in 1962, he hit a roadblock when people discovered his ethnicity.

"It was absolutely inconceivable in 1962, when I was first elected to the Massachusetts legislature, that a Greek-American could be elected governor of Massachusetts," Dukakis said. "In those days it wasn't in the ethnic and political current."

Dukakis told his story to about 50 members from the Asian-American community and Northeastern students and staff June 7, who gathered in the Curry Student Center for a panel discussion with four Asian- American politicians. The panel, the Asian American Student Center's first public event, covered issues minority politicians face today, including differences between ethnic groups, political ideology and difficulties uniting diverse communities.

Asian Americans are the largest community of immigrants of any ethnic group in the U.S., as 70 to 80 percent of Asian Americans are immigrants, said Paul Watanabe, director of the Institute for Asian American Studies.

Greer Tan Swiston, a candidate for the Newton Board of Aldermen, said all four Asian-American politicians, trying to represent immigrant community members, have different points of view they bring to the table.

"We're all really different, but we're here as Americans," Tan Swiston said. "In our society in America, I think that in order for us to provide what is best for all the children in the U.S., we need everybody to bring their perspectives and approaches to all these different issues so that the opportunity of what's available for people in this country is there."

Watanabe said a person's political ideology gives insight into his or her core views of society and politics, and asked what the panelists' political ideologies were.

For Ramesh Advani, chairman of the Norfolk Board of Selectmen, his political ideology centered around individual freedom.

"I believe that that one particular aspect of value has allowed me to flourish in a society into which I wasn't born and in which I did not grow up," Advani said.

A government that protects children was part of Sam Yoon's political ideology. Yoon is a candidate for the Boston City Council.

"There is an idea that both sides of the political spectrum can latch on to and that is the idea of a child," Yoon said. 

When asked how to unite a community that was so diverse, Tan Swiston said focusing on similarities and acknowledging that everyone is different is the way to unite.

"It's not just about unifying Asian Americans, it's about unifying all the Americans, which are made up of many, many different ethnic groups," Tan Swiston said.

Dukakis said in his opening comments that today's society is a more open, more tolerant and more welcoming society.

"There is no reason at all why ethnic and racial minorities should not be in power and engaged and doing everything they can to achieve what I was able to achieve," Dukakis said. "There's absolutely no reason in this day of age that the Asian-American community should not be a full partner in the politics of this community, this state, this country."

He concluded with the advice to get into the business of serving others.

"Sure it's tough, sure it's difficult, anything that's worthwhile is tough and difficult. But the satisfaction of fulfillment, of being in a position where you can make a difference in the lives of our fellow citizens, is like nothing I know in this world," Dukakis said.