[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 160 (Thursday, November 13, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2351-E2352]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN MEMBERS ARE SEPARATE FROM OUTSIDE GROUP

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT T. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 13, 1997

  Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw the attention of my 
colleagues to an organization that calls itself the Congressional Asian 
Pacific American Caucus Institute [CAPACI].
  It is my understanding that this group was formed in the Spring of 
1995 to promote Asian-American involvement in politics, and members of 
the Asian Pacific American Caucus were put on the board of directors 
without their knowledge or permission. Realizing this, in March 1996, 
nearly every member of the Asian Pacific American Caucus signed a 
letter to Ms. Francy Lim Youngberg, executive director of the 
institute, removing our names as board members and clarifying that, 
while we may share the goals of the institute in promoting political 
involvement by Asian Pacific

[[Page E2352]]

Americans, we are not affiliated with the organization, nor are we in 
any way responsible for their actions or statements.
  I point this out to my colleagues because it is reasonable to assume 
that an organization that calls itself a congressional caucus institute 
would be associated with or answerable to the congressional caucus or 
its members. In fact, I have had many conversations both on and off 
Capitol Hill in which people refer to this group as your institute, 
meaning mine.
  It is obvious to me that the most effective way for this group to 
avoid this kind of confusion in the future is to change its name, 
removing any stated affiliation to the Congress or the Congressional 
Asian Pacific American Caucus. Indeed, the caucus' chair, our colleague 
Representative Patsy Mink, has requested such a name change both 
verbally and in writing. Yet to this day the organization continues to 
use the misleading name creating more confusion.
  Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier, I wish to do no harm to any outside 
organization pursuing laudable goals such as those espoused by this 
particular group. However, in light of the fact that this group 
continues to represent itself in a misleading manner, I feel it 
necessary to state for the record that the Congressional Asian Pacific 
American Caucus Institute, despite what the name would indicate, is not 
affiliated with the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus or the 
Congress in any way.

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