Comments on: The challenge for Asian community organizations: Will the same old banquets grab the next generation of AAPI leaders? http://www.nikkeiview.com/blog/2009/11/15/the-challenge-for-asian-community-organizations-will-the-same-old-banquets-grab-the-next-generation-of-aapi-leaders/ Gil Asakawa's Japanese American perspective on pop culture, media and politics Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:24:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Gil Asakawa http://www.nikkeiview.com/blog/2009/11/15/the-challenge-for-asian-community-organizations-will-the-same-old-banquets-grab-the-next-generation-of-aapi-leaders/comment-page-1/#comment-212625 Gil Asakawa Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:49:52 +0000 http://www.nikkeiview.com/blog/?p=2022#comment-212625 Hi Anna, that's too bad, about your example. I think when that happens (and I an think of national organizations that suffer from the same sense of decay to a great extent), the younger members might do better by just starting a new organization with a fresh vision and clearer, more modern mission. That way they won't be burdended by the baggage of the previous organization. Hi Anna, that’s too bad, about your example. I think when that happens (and I an think of national organizations that suffer from the same sense of decay to a great extent), the younger members might do better by just starting a new organization with a fresh vision and clearer, more modern mission. That way they won’t be burdended by the baggage of the previous organization.

]]> By: anna123 http://www.nikkeiview.com/blog/2009/11/15/the-challenge-for-asian-community-organizations-will-the-same-old-banquets-grab-the-next-generation-of-aapi-leaders/comment-page-1/#comment-212571 anna123 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:10:54 +0000 http://www.nikkeiview.com/blog/?p=2022#comment-212571 Thanks for your kind suggestions Gil Asakawa. Um...I was for a short time a member of a particular organisation that i wont name here (but its very established, over 70 years old, and now receives funding from government grants) and what i saw there was pretty disappointing, and frustrating. Its was so pathetic, they didnt have their youth idealism or energy/drive to change the situation, always saying ""we should do this, we should do that"" but they are performing for outsiders, not empowering their community. The leadership was old, decrepit, their building was rundown, old, yet they were not interested in improving their situation, only enriching themselves and holding onto their own sense of power. I felt sorry for the second generation of members (the few members of men and women in their thirties) who had absolutely NO power in the organisation at all, and also the third and fourth generation of members, young people from 10-25yrs who had no political activism aspirations at all, only interested in joining to take advantage of the free facilities on offer at the hall. Even then, total paying membership was only around 200 people, only 20 of those were in their thirties and around another 20 were twenty or younger. The rest of the members were in their 50's or older. And they werent powerful people in their fifties either, they didnt have strong networks to other organisations, they had no money, (most were pensioners who joined because they didnt have anyone at home to talk to, and they could play chinese chess or mahjong at the hall with other old people) they couldnt even organise( /or didnt want to )simple demonstrations of support for the AA community here. Each year the older members are dying, and no new members are being recruited to replace them. Last financial year only 2 people joined, while 7 people decided not to renew their membership/or were unable to since they passed away. Those two new members were me and my friend. I joined as i was interested in what these guys could do, my friend joined because of me. In other words they didnt have the ability to market themselves, i specific sought them out after reading an old article that mentioned them on the net, and that was because i was already interested in AA issues. At the end, my friend and i decided not to renew our membership, we left in disgust(well my disgust, and her apathy). When a system is so weak , so pathetic, yet so corrupt and divided, with no long term vision, and the administration is filled with small minded individuals interested in petty office politics talking about this person, that person, instead of doing work, Its better to just start anew. Why try to save a rotting, decaying , sinking ship, with corrupt officers, an shortsighted captain, squabbling crew, when you can build a brand new ship from scatch? One with vision, honesty, and true drive to better their community? its harder to start from scratch, but maybe more truthful too..... These organisations will be extinct within 1-2 decades, maybe new groups will form to replace them, the path chosen by AAs will be more apatheic and assimilationist with out the vision to do anything...... Thanks for your kind suggestions Gil Asakawa. Um…I was for a short time a member of a particular organisation that i wont name here (but its very established, over 70 years old, and now receives funding from government grants) and what i saw there was pretty disappointing, and frustrating. Its was so pathetic, they didnt have their youth idealism or energy/drive to change the situation, always saying “”we should do this, we should do that”" but they are performing for outsiders, not empowering their community.

The leadership was old, decrepit, their building was rundown, old, yet they were not interested in improving their situation, only enriching themselves and holding onto their own sense of power. I felt sorry for the second generation of members (the few members of men and women in their thirties) who had absolutely NO power in the organisation at all, and also the third and fourth generation of members, young people from 10-25yrs who had no political activism aspirations at all, only interested in joining to take advantage of the free facilities on offer at the hall. Even then, total paying membership was only around 200 people, only 20 of those were in their thirties and around another 20 were twenty or younger. The rest of the members were in their 50’s or older. And they werent powerful people in their fifties either, they didnt have strong networks to other organisations, they had no money, (most were pensioners who joined because they didnt have anyone at home to talk to, and they could play chinese chess or mahjong at the hall with other old people) they couldnt even organise( /or didnt want to )simple demonstrations of support for the AA community here.

Each year the older members are dying, and no new members are being recruited to replace them. Last financial year only 2 people joined, while 7 people decided not to renew their membership/or were unable to since they passed away. Those two new members were me and my friend. I joined as i was interested in what these guys could do, my friend joined because of me. In other words they didnt have the ability to market themselves, i specific sought them out after reading an old article that mentioned them on the net, and that was because i was already interested in AA issues.

At the end, my friend and i decided not to renew our membership, we left in disgust(well my disgust, and her apathy). When a system is so weak , so pathetic, yet so corrupt and divided, with no long term vision, and the administration is filled with small minded individuals interested in petty office politics talking about this person, that person, instead of doing work, Its better to just start anew.

Why try to save a rotting, decaying , sinking ship, with corrupt officers, an shortsighted captain, squabbling crew, when you can build a brand new ship from scatch? One with vision, honesty, and true drive to better their community? its harder to start from scratch, but maybe more truthful too…..

These organisations will be extinct within 1-2 decades, maybe new groups will form to replace them, the path chosen by AAs will be more apatheic and assimilationist with out the vision to do anything……

]]> By: Gil Asakawa http://www.nikkeiview.com/blog/2009/11/15/the-challenge-for-asian-community-organizations-will-the-same-old-banquets-grab-the-next-generation-of-aapi-leaders/comment-page-1/#comment-212338 Gil Asakawa Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:58:44 +0000 http://www.nikkeiview.com/blog/?p=2022#comment-212338 Thanks, Anna123... maybe you can get involved in some of these stagnating groups in your area, and shake things up! Sometimes just having someone taking charge and making some noise will attract a whole new membership to an organization! Thanks, Anna123… maybe you can get involved in some of these stagnating groups in your area, and shake things up! Sometimes just having someone taking charge and making some noise will attract a whole new membership to an organization!

]]> By: anna123 http://www.nikkeiview.com/blog/2009/11/15/the-challenge-for-asian-community-organizations-will-the-same-old-banquets-grab-the-next-generation-of-aapi-leaders/comment-page-1/#comment-212326 anna123 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:41:14 +0000 http://www.nikkeiview.com/blog/?p=2022#comment-212326 Great post, I''m a long time lurker of Nikkeiview, and had to de-lurk to comment on this insightful post. What is written in this post is 100% true!! in my area there are a few ""prominent"" AA organisations, but they are run by the oldies who have no idea how to adapt to the changing times/ or maybe instead want to prevent new blood entering and rising up which might threaten their own ""power"" in the organisation.... Theyve did alot of good work in the past, but now they are aging, not many new members are comming in, yet they seem happy to remain in this situation, stagnating, the whole time the younger generations arent even being cultivated to care . These organisations are destined to die out with their elderly leadeship and stagnate and decay from within.....unless they can adapt and have long term vision to continue the legacy of their work....I'd have to agree that the Obama political campaign is a good model to follow for modern activism..... Great post, I”m a long time lurker of Nikkeiview, and had to de-lurk to comment on this insightful post.

What is written in this post is 100% true!! in my area there are a few “”prominent”" AA organisations, but they are run by the oldies who have no idea how to adapt to the changing times/ or maybe instead want to prevent new blood entering and rising up which might threaten their own “”power”" in the organisation….

Theyve did alot of good work in the past, but now they are aging, not many new members are comming in, yet they seem happy to remain in this situation, stagnating, the whole time the younger generations arent even being cultivated to care .

These organisations are destined to die out with their elderly leadeship and stagnate and decay from within…..unless they can adapt and have long term vision to continue the legacy of their work….I’d have to agree that the Obama political campaign is a good model to follow for modern activism…..

]]> By: Karl Chwe http://www.nikkeiview.com/blog/2009/11/15/the-challenge-for-asian-community-organizations-will-the-same-old-banquets-grab-the-next-generation-of-aapi-leaders/comment-page-1/#comment-210850 Karl Chwe Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:46:46 +0000 http://www.nikkeiview.com/blog/?p=2022#comment-210850 Excellent post. As it happens, the Youth Strengthening Youth Program or YSYP, a program of the Asian Pacific Development Center, seeks to develop the next generation of Asian-American leaders. Graduates of my program are already taking leadership positions in various organizations in the area. Excellent post. As it happens, the Youth Strengthening Youth Program or YSYP, a program of the Asian Pacific Development Center, seeks to develop the next generation of Asian-American leaders. Graduates of my program are already taking leadership positions in various organizations in the area.

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