Newsletter Fall 2012

www.causeusa.org

UPCOMING EVENT: CAUSE-OCEAN Entrepreneurial Speaker Series

CAUSE Social Media

Stay connected with us!

CAUSE Job Opportunity:

Do you have experience in event/program planning or know of anyone that does? CAUSE is currently seeking an individual to fill its Director of Programs position. For more information, please click here. Interested and qualified individuals are encouraged to email their resume and cover letter to Carrie Gan, CAUSE Executive Director, at carrie@causeusa.org with 'CAUSE Director of Programs Position' as the subject line.

Call for Volunteers!

CAUSE is seeking volunteers to help with the execution of our many programs. If you have any of the following skills, we'd love to have you volunteer with CAUSE to make a difference in the community: Graphic design Event planning Press and media relations Social media Knowledge of local politics AV and computer knowledge Photography and videography Team building/leadership capabilities Program andcurriculumdesign Grant writing Other (we gladly welcome volunteers with all skills and backgrounds) In addition, we are in need of translators (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Cambodian, Thai, etc.) who can assist with voter education and voter registration.

You are cordially invited to the inaugural CAUSE-OCEAN Entrepreneurship Series event, Trade Secrets, Economic Espionage and Other Perils of Doing Business with China with special guest Brian Sun, Partner at Jones Day and distinguished trial lawyer specializing in complex business litigation and white-collar criminal defense. Event Details: Date: Tuesday, September 18, 2012 Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Location: Empress Harbor Seafood Restaurant 111 N. Atlantic Blvd. #350 Monterey Park, CA 91754 Parking: There will be free parking at the restaurant plaza located on the northwest corner of Atlantic Blvd. and Garvey Ave. Ticket Information: $25 per person (includes dinner). Tickets are available for purchase here:http://causeoceanbriansun.eventbrite.com. We are also offering a special 20% discounted rate for those wanting to purchase a table of 10, please email Sophia Islas at sophia@causeusa.org for further information. About the Program:

If interested in volunteering, please email info@causeusa.org.

CAUSE In the Media

Whether they are citing from a blog or highlighting a community event, both the ethnic and mainstream press frequently feature CAUSE and its relationship with local communities.

Feel free to check out our media hits and learn a little more about what we do from another point of view! If you read about us from an articlethat is not already posted on our website,please let us know!

We are proud to announce that OCEAN (Organization Chinese Entrepreneurs Advisory Network), a successful organization that was formed in the '90s to promote entrepreneurship among the Chinese American community, is partnering with CAUSE for this Entrepreneurship Speaker Series. The CAUSE-OCEAN Entrepreneurship Series is designed to help the next generation of entrepreneurs and business owners by providing opportunities for business education, networking, and mentorship. The series is a wonderful opportunity for entrepreneurs and business owners to network with esteemed leaders in the Asian community and the broader geo-social arena. This program is supported by East West Bank. Brian Sun's full biography:

It Is Now Easier Than Ever to Vote!

With the goal of inspiring and preparing every eligible citizen to vote, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen provides a just released New Voter page, where you can get information on how to register to vote, sign up to vote by mail, locate your polling place, prepare to vote for the first time, and get answers to your questions about voting.You can also find election-related materials and voter hotline assistance, in six additional languages , including Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog and Vietnamese.

Check it out!>>>

Brian Sun has earned a national reputation as a distinguished trial lawyer in complex business litigation and white-collar criminal defense. He has successfully litigated cases against some of the nation's top trial lawyers. His cases have included representing Dr. Wen Ho Lee in his successful civil suit against the U.S. government, former Clinton fundraiser Johnny Chung, and former Orange County Sheriff Michael Carona. Brian is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and was named in 2005 by Lawdragon Magazine as one of America's 500 leading lawyers.

CAUSE welcomes anyone interested in giving back to the community, whether it is through volunteer work, donations, or sponsorships. Please help us help the community. Contributions of any kind make a difference!

Make a Contribution Today!

CAUSE Advocates
Do you have a unique skill or talent? No matter your interests or skill, CAUSE has a spot for you in CAUSE Advocates, a group of dedicated volunteers who lead in planning, developing, and executing programs. If you are interested in joining, please e-mail info@causeusa.org, to get started today!Click here for the application and role descriptions!

Brian's practice covers a wide range of areas, including matters involving unfair competition, intellectual property disputes, entertainment litigation, executive compensation, and shareholder rights. His practice covers the full spectrum of business crimes, such as securities fraud, corporate internal investigations and fraud, tax fraud, bank fraud, FCPA investigations, technology transfer violations, fraud in government procurement, and public corruption prosecutions involving prominent elected officials.

Sponsorship Opportunities

In 2007 he was recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as amongst the "Best of the Bar in Los Angeles." Brian was also named "Defense Attorney of the Year" by the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Criminal Justice Section for 2003 and was awarded the 2003 "Distinguished Service Award" by the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association for dedication to pro bono work.

Do you want to get your company involved in supporting CAUSE? We welcome any sponsor who wants to support the local community! To get involved, please contact Executive Director Carrie Gan at carrie@causeusa.org. Click here to view our current and past sponsors. Make a Donation! CAUSE is a nonprofit organization and we appreciate any donation that we receive. Whether it is $5 or $500, you can be sure that your contribution will support our programs. To donate today, click here !

UPCOMING EVENT: A Dinner Conversation with Bill Schneider

Calling All Former CAUSE Interns and Staff Members!

IN THIS PHOTO: Former interns and CAUSE staff reconnected at the 2011 Alumni Reunion. [LEFT TO RIGHT] Director of Programs Carrie Gan, Board Chairman Charlie Woo, Andrew Angeles, Jean Guo, Ellen Hou, Rebecca Han, Kristina Lieu, Monica Lee, and Jonathan Lau. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Lau.

Are you a former CAUSE intern or staff member? CAUSE invites you to reconnect with other alumni! We would love to hear what you have been up to! CAUSE holds reunions and socials for alumni to reconnect and meet interns and staff members from the program's previous and current years.Send us an e-mail and we'll add you on the invitation list. If you are not a former intern or staff member, but know of anyone who is, please pass the message along!

Event Recap: Leadership Academy Graduation

You are cordially invited to A Dinner Conversation with Bill Schneider on the 2012 Campaigns, an event that features a former senior CNN political analyst and his perspectives on what you should look for in the upcoming general election. Event Details: Date: Monday, October 1, 2012 Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Location: Plum Tree Inn 913 N. Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90012 Parking: There is free validated parking available at the Plum Tree Inn on a first come, first serve basis. Other parking options include metered parking and various parking structures adjacent to the restaurant. Ticket Information: $20 per person, includes dinner. Please purchase your tickets here: http://causebillschneider.eventbrite.com . Limited seats available. Please RSVP by Wednesday, September 26th. Bill Schneider's full biography: Bill Schneider, a leading U.S. political analyst and expert on public opinion, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow and Resident Scholar at Third Way. He is also Professor of Public and International Affairs at George Mason University and a contributor to the AL Jazeera English network. Bill was CNN's senior political analyst from 1990 to 2009 and was a member of the CNN political team that was awarded an Emmy for its 2006 election coverage and a Peabody for its 2008 coverage. Bill has been labeled "the Aristotle of American politics" by The Boston Globe and Campaigns and Elections Magazine called him "the most consistently intelligent analyst on television."

We celebrated the commencement of our 21st class of Leadership Academy interns, Wajenda Chambeshi, Grace Hsieh, Kaitlyn Jeong, Krishnanand Kelkar, Gloria Kim, Lisa Lei, and Mary Zhou, on August 10th at the L.A. Chamber of Commerce. Special keynote speaker State Controller John Chiang kicked off the ceremony and imparted wisdom and words of encouragement to the graduating class. He stated that programs like the CAUSE Leadership Academy were crucial to not only shaping the next generation of leaders in the legislative realm, but shaping future leaders in general.

"The interns we have with this program this summer are outstanding, they're going to be leaders very soon," said CA State Controller John Chiang.

Event Recap: The NextGen Project Reception

Leadership Academy Graduation 2012

The interns gave a presentation based on their group project, which was the production of a 30-page booklet that covered redistricting in the context of the city of Los Angeles. The project specifically outlined California's recently renovated redistricting criteria and provided a case study that demonstrated how that criteria is in conflict with the recently re-drawn lines that split Koreatown into two. In addition to all the interns receiving graduation certificates, three interns were recognized for going above and beyond during their internship: Grace Hsieh received the CACA Scholar Award, Gloria Kim received the Tan Family Scholar Award, and Kaitlyn Jeong received the Woo Family Scholar Award. We would like you to join us in wishing our 21st class of interns the best of luck on their future endeavors. Congratulations once again to Wajenda Chambeshi, Grace Hsieh, Kaitlyn Jeong, Krishnanand Kelkar, Gloria Kim, Lisa Lei, and Mary Zhou!

"Those ahead of you did not break through the glass ceiling for it to just shut. You need to have continuous movement in order for that to affect change... if you don't do that, the glass ceiling comes right back up again," said Debra Wong Yang, Partner at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher and former U.S. Attorney, to a group of esteemed Asian-American lawyers and business professionals at the NextGen Reception Project on August 2nd. Set at the Jonathan Club in Downtown Los Angeles, the NextGen Project Reception brought together the next generation of leaders and veteran professionals in the realms of business and law to network and learn from one another. Featured, was a star-studded panel of individuals who have broken through the glass ceiling as API leaders in the field of law. Moderated by CAUSE Board Member Robert Yap, the panel featured the Honorable Dolly M. Gee, U.S. District Court Judge, Central District of California; Kenneth K. Lee, Partner at Jenner & Block LLP and former Associate White House Counsel; and Debra Wong Yang, Partner at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher and former U.S. Attorney. Each of the panelists spoke on their paths to success and gave advice for those wishing to follow in their footsteps, focusing on different issues and observations that they came across in their years on the job.

The CAUSE Leadership Academy is an eight-week program designed for high school seniors and college students with an interest in fields such as public policy, community advocacy, and politics. The program consists of placement in an internship with an elected office and work with fellow CAUSE interns on a project of their choosing. We would like to thank our sponsors, Southern California Edison (SCE), Southwest Airlines, Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA), Mr. Nelson Tan, and Mr. Peter Woo for helping make the Leadership Academy internship possible.

NextGen Project Reception 2012 Recap

Gee and Yang, who faced a dual glass ceiling as both women and minorities in their fields, spoke about how much harder they had to work at the beginning of their careers in order to battle the perceived stereotypes on young Asian American women. "Basically, what you have to do is not buy into the stereotype," said the Honorable Gee. "Don't show a lack of confidence, just show them that you know what you are doing and know your stuff. And all of those preliminary biases and stereotypes will melt away." Lee spoke on the much-needed participation of the API community in occupations in the fields of government and law, stating that there needs to be more APIs to take on roles in civics and politics. In the end, the panelists agreed that while they made great strides in their fields, it is still up to the younger generation to keep pushing forward. There are still glass ceilings and barriers that limit the API community. The NextGen Project is a program that was created in order to facilitate a forum where the API community could come together, support one another, and break barriers.

Contact Information
CAUSE Staff: Carrie Gan, Executive Director carrie@causeusa.org Sophia Islas, Director of Communications sophia@causeusa.org Address: 260 S. Los Robles, No. 118, Pasadena, California,CA 91101 (T) 626.356.9838 (F) 626.356.9878 (E) info@causeusa.org

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