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Poster Board

  • Message ID: #5
  • Subject: How do you measure your career success?
  • Date: 2007-04-04 
    Dear S.B.:
    Thank you for sending me the e-mail regarding 80-20 Educational Foundation. It is a great idea to educate all Asian Americans about the absolute standards concept and I want to congratulate you on this initiative. 
    I agree with you about unity, low statistics on "achievement", higher bar on admission to colleges/universities, and many others.  These are important issues need to be addressed and educated to all AsAms.  On the other hand, I think we also need to educate and promote all AsAms' willingness to serve the community.  We have traditionally low voting rate, lack of participation in our communities even in the education field.  We also lack the interest in learning American culture.  Yes, most of us are educated but in science and engineering fields.  We don't understand or care about different education system and don't know (or don't want to know) how to work with the system to make changes.  I went back to school in education only because I feel I don't have enough knowledge and skill and theory to support me to be a board member of a charter school.  Now, after few years of learning, I am better equipped with idea of background, issues, theories, and policy making process and be able to make a difference.

    Yes, we should continue to fight for our own rights but at the same time we should also self examine ourselves to find out what do we need to participate and improve.  Many of us have no experience or idea how to do fund raising, assisting campaign activities (whether political or civic or others), even conduct a sensible discussion or debate.  These are few shortcomings I think we need to conquer (at least for myself).  If this foundation can set up a blog (there are many free blogs available) for all interested AsAms to join and discuss, it perhaps is a good start.

    Thank you again for you continuous effort and dedication for AsAms.

Best Regards,
Tommy,
    
     
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Subject: How do you measure your career success?

     
       This is my first communication with you as the President of 80-20 
    Educational Foundation.  I'm no longer the President of 80-20 PAC.  The 
    focus of my messages will shift from political actions to educational 
    endeavors.  However, the goal will be the same -- urging AsAms to strive 
    on and become an equal partner in the shaping of the American Dream. 
       See if you approve of my first attempt below.  Post your feedback by 
    visiting   http://www.80-20educationalfoundation.org/posterboard.html. 
    It will help me and be read by other 80-20 supporters. 
       For today, let's talk about "How Do You Measure Your Career Success?" 
       Most of us are smart, well educated, and have good work-ethics.  How 
    come statistically AsAms still face a very low glass ceiling at work?  So few 
    AsAm Federal and State judges?  Our kids face a higher admission bar? 
       The apparent reason is that we lack political maturity and unity.  The 
    real reason is that we use the WRONG STANDARD to measure our career 
    success.  Let me illustrate. 
       Something in our culture has induced most of us to measure our 
    career success by a RELATIVE STANDARD.  We compare our own 
    career achievement with those of our best friends, closest relatives, 
    classmates and colleagues.  With such a standard, when some of them are 
    more successful than us, we feel like failures in comparison.  With that 
    frame of mind, can we ever succeed in networking?  No way.  We will not 
    help "them," because we will be failures in comparison. Naturally then, 
    "they" will not help us. 
       Do you agree that climbing ladders in America depends heavily on net- 
    working?  Do you agree that the best persons to network with will be your 
    best friends, closest relatives, former classmates and former/current 
    colleagues? 
       We need to adopt an ABSOLUTE standard of measuring our career 
    success -- a standard adopted by most Americans of non-Asian extraction.  
       What is the absolute standard?  How would that help?  
       In an absolute standard of measuring career success, one sets a goal e.g. 
    "within x years I want to achieve a particular career goal."  One then 
    joins or establishes a network while sharing one's career ambition with 
    members of the network asking for help and helping back.  In such a 
    relationship, the successes of one's friends/relatives/colleagues become 
    one's own power base to achieve career goals.  The more successful they 
    are, the more they are in a position to help YOU succeed.  
       When AsAms switch from a relative to an absolute standard of 
    measuring career success, we, as AsAm individuals, will begin to work 
    together.  If AsAm organizations begin to set absolute standard for its 
    organizational achievement, AsAm organizations will begin to work 
    together, which will lead to unity within our community.  UNITY IS POWER.  
    Power is what we need to eliminate the glass ceiling and higher admission 
    bar. 
       Post your feedback & comments please.  It's time that Asian Americans 
    discuss openly our stupid relative standard of measuring success.  The 
    price for it is a splintered community, meekly and helplessly accepting a 
    low glass ceiling for ourselves and a higher admission standard for our 
    kids.  
       In addition, a relative standard is a self-imposed limitation on one's 
    own career.  An absolute standard frees you from that limitation and 
    the consuming jealousy. 
     : 
    PREVIEW for next email: "How to switch to an absolute standard & win." 
    ANNOUNCEMENT:  S. B. Woo will keynote an AAJA/NAAAP banquet on 
    May 19 in Philadelphia.  Topic: Group Political Clout.  Email 
     aajaphilly@yahoo.comfor more information.