Paul Ong
Paul Ong is a professor of urban planning, social welfare, and Asian American studies. He is the director of the UC AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Policy Multi-campus Research Program, former chair of the UCLA Department of Urban Planning and former director of the Ralph and Goldy Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies.Ong is trained as an urban planner and economist, and is an expert on the labor market status of minorities and immigrants, displaced high-tech workers and work and welfare policies. He is involved in several projects including a study of Asian American civic and political engagement, California's housing policy, and the socioeconomic base of neighborhoods. Ong has served as an advisor to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the U.S. Small Business Administration, the National Cancer Institute, the California Department of Social Services, the state Department of Employment Development, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the California Wellness Foundation, and the Getty Foundation.
Outside the swing states
September 22, 2008
Life during the weeks leading up to the presidential election can be boring, and frustrating, for me as a Californian, as well of the millions residing outside the critical battleground states. When past elections and current polls can predict whe...
The Immigrant Vote
September 26, 2008
For me, the United States is a nation of immigrants, both ideologically and demographically. My parents, grandfathers, and numerous other relatives crossed the Pacific Ocean in search of the Golden Mountain. They and others born abroad have shaped...
The lure of D.C.
October 07, 2008
I became reacquainted with the seductiveness of Washington, D.C. last week when I journeyed east for several events. It has been decades since I lived there, but it still remains an extraordinary fascinating city for me. For political junkies and ...
The Missing Educational Component
October 17, 2008
Like millions of other Americans, the third and last presidential debate on October 15 reinforced our impressions of each candidate, provided additional policy details, and revealed more insights into the character of each. McCain did surprisingly...
The Rural-Urban Divide
October 22, 2008
It is hard to miss the rural-urban divide in the primaries earlier this year and now in the general election, with the media focusing on which candidate has the upper hand in one location or the other. This geographic dichotomy has political curre...
Asian American voter breakthrough
November 02, 2008
The 2008 presidential election is a watershed for the Asian American vote, at least in California. Of course, I fully acknowledge Hawaii's historical role in politically mobilizing this population as an effective voting bloc, and in consistently e...
An amazing night
November 05, 2008
Later, later. Later I will analyze the vote, interrogate the historical implications, and contemplate the upcoming societal and economic challenges.
Last night, election night was one of pure emotion, a warm embrace by an indescribable...
Obama's win provides us with three lesson in race relations
November 07, 2008
Was the election of Barack Obama a transformative historical moment? Maybe.
This ambiguous answer does not minimize the remarkable accomplishment of electing a person of color. The nation overcame what only a generation ago had been cons...