Public Employee Press

Asian Heritage
Celebrating political progress

By GREGORY N. HEIRES

Hundreds of members and guests enjoyed the union's annual celebration of Asian Heritage Month on May 20. Organized by the DC 37 Asian Heritage Committee, the evening's theme was "Asian Americans in Mainstream Politics."

"Today's celebration has a lot of meaning for us, as we are celebrating mainstream politics in the United States and how far we have come," said Committee Chair Maf Misbah Uddin, who is DC 37's treasurer and Local 1407's president.

The two Asian American members of the City Council, Peter Koo and Margaret Chin, were featured speakers. "Even though I am a Republican, my heart is almost Democratic," Koo joked, acknowledging most of the people at the gala at union headquarters were to his left on the political spectrum. "It's the person that counts, not the party."

In her talk, Chin, a Democrat, blasted the Bloomberg administration. She blamed the service cuts and downsizing in Mayor Bloomberg's proposed budget on his support of tax giveaways to the wealthy. "We are going to fight hard to make sure essential services are kept and workers aren't laid off," she said.

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts paid tribute to Asian members for contributing to the strength and diversity of the union and urged activists to participate in the union's June 14 fightback demonstration that saw thousands of members and retirees hit the streets to demand economic, political and social justice.

Local 375's Ahmed Shakir, who heads the New York City Chapter of the AFL-CIO's Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Program Coordinator Bhagwatie Bhanu Dwarika of the DC 37 Education Fund, the committee's co-chair, and Roberts joined Uddin in honoring several guests that night. The honorees included Local 3's Lonway "Lenny" Moy, Deputy Public Advocate Reshma Saujani and former New Jersey Health and Senior Services Commissioner Dr. Poonam Alaigh.

The audience was treated to a scumptious meal and cultural program representing several Asian countries. "We need to make sure the union stays strong," said Moy, who denounced the national anti-union campaign orchestrated by right-wing interests. "All we want to do is provide for ourselves and our families."

The committee welcomes new members. Call Dwarika at 212-815-1684 to get involved.