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Chinese-American
Appointed To Charter Commission
From Sing Tao Daily
July 13, 2002.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg officially appointed Zhuo Zhou [Wellington]
Chen, an active member of the Flushing community, to the New York
City Charter Review Commission on July 12. Chen is the only Chinese-American
on the 13-member committee, which will determine by early September
what, if any, proposals to modify the City Charter should appear
on the November ballot.
In an interview, Chen said he hopes New Yorkers will give him active
feedback. He believes that, since he is on the committee, "the
other members will now think twice before suggesting any changes
that could hurt the Asian community." And, he added, "they
will be a bit more circumspect in what they have to say from now
on."
The 13 members of the commission, culled from the two dominant
political parties, come from the social service, education, finance,
law, and construction fields. Their combined knowledge and diverse
backgrounds will help them devise meaningful revision proposals.
"These 13 people represent the best of New York independence,
wit, and honesty. I believe that they will carefully consider what
requires improvement within the city, and if necessary, let the
people of the city decide on any proposals in November," said
Chen. In the coming months he will participate in public hearings
throughout the five boroughs to better understand what citizens
have to say before offering his own suggestions on amending the
charter.
The head of the commission, former police commissioner Robert.
J. McGuire, said that he was fortunate to be working with such a
learned, devoted group of individuals.
Chens specialties in construction, urban design, and education
will benefit the committee, Chen thinks. He has served as a trustee
of the City University of New York since June 2000, when he was
appointed by Governor George Pataki. Born in Taiwan, Chen has been
active in Queens affairs for many years. As a community board member
he contributed to the redevelopment of Flushing, while serving simultaneously
as a commissioner of the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals.
Currently, he is senior vice president of TDC Development Corporation,
which focuses on design and building in Queens.
Chen modestly explained that he was named to the charter commission
solely because an acquaintance active in the Chinese community had
been unable to serve and recommended him to the mayor instead. He
had learned of his appointment only two or three days before the
interview and said he did not yet have a deep understanding of the
commissions responsibilities. He mentioned that the commission
plans to resolve some voting issues.
Chen is interested in New York's voting regulations and how they
compare with those of other cities. A close observer of the voting
rights and interests of Chinese-Americans since the 1970s, Chen
says city authorities who have studied voting matters concluded
that New York Citys procedures differ considerably from that
of other cities. He would like to know which methods work best.
Chen believes that improving voting regulations is very important
in helping Chinese-Americans secure their rights and interests.
From the 19th century on, the United States maintained
a strictly anti-Chinese policy, a situation that improved only with
legislation passed in 1965. Nevertheless, due to a lack of vocal
advocates, the Chinese-American community still suffers from marginalization.
It was only last year that the first Chinese-American was elected
to the City Council. Chen hopes that the future will see more Chinese
candidates for political office, who would be better able to protect
community interests.
"I will carefully examine the studies that the authorities
have compiled before judging as to where the root cause of the problem
lies," said Chen. Some previous investigations may have been
based on incorrect premises, he said, so he will be sure to scrutinize
all of them.
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund executive director
Mei Qi Feng [Margaret Fung] said she was delighted at having a Chinese-American
on the Charter Commission, but maintained that charter revision,
especially where it concerns voting regulations, is a community
issue that demands a considerable amount of feedback. Hasty decisions
will hurt Asian-American voters.
Fung added that "it is a mistake not to allow New Yorkers
an adequate period of time for discussion. Quick changes to the
charter are a bad decision."
The commission has to submit its proposals for amending the city
charter in early September. At this point, time is the chief enemy.
Chen has informed City Hall of imminent plans to attend a conference
in Asia, but the administration appears unconcerned. He has yet
to receive notice of when the first meeting of the commission will
take place.
Margaret Fung said there is not enough time this year to take consider
voting issues. Two months is not enough time for people to participate
in hearings. The last charter revision meetings also took
place during the summer, when a lot of people were out of the city
and unaware of what was happening.
Although the city government believes that it has conducted enough
in-depth investigations into voting rights and interests, Fung argues
that "these studies are not wide-reaching enough in so far
as understanding the voting patterns of Asian-Americans is concerned."
The studies do not analyze the impact of current regulations on
Asian voters, leading to a "neglect of community needs."
In addition, Fung is concerned about the commissions deliberations
on whether or not to institute nonpartisan elections, which could
hurt Asian-American voters, as parties usually provide citizens
with to become acquainted with the views of different candidates.
Wellington Chen said he would retain an open mind and will accept
feedback from people in all walks of life. Citizens are welcome
to contact him by email at WellingtonChen@yahoo.com.
Translated from the Chinese by Kelvin Wu
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