August 20th, 1999
NEW GROUP TO TAKE “AACTION”
FOR DIVERSITY ON TV NETWORKS
The Asian American Coalition for Total Inclusion On Networks (AACTION) has been formed to work in solidarity with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, the Screen Actors Guild and other organizations committed to diversity in television programming, both on screen and behind the scenes.
AACTION was organized by Jack Ong, a Santa Monica actor and activist. Ong is co-chair of the EEOC Asian American caucus of SAG and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists; executive director of The Dr. Haing S. Ngor Foundation; and the Asian chair of the We Won’t Be Ignored coalition.
AACTION has participated in strategy conferences including one hosted by Kweisei Mfume, president of the NAACP, in Baltimore.
“Our AACTION plan challenges the networks and advertisers to immediately adopt policies and hiring practices which result in TV programming that reflects the true diversity of our American scene,” Ong said. “That scene includes men and women of all colors, ages, cultures, sexual orientation and physical abilities. It is imperative that American network TV present a true picture of our country in the new millennium.”
The leadership core of AACTION includes actors George Takei, Tzi Ma, Julia Nickson, Elizabeth Sung and Patty Toy, attorney Daniel M. Mayeda, actor-writer Ken Narasaki, AFL-CIO vice president Sumi Haru, Karen Narasaki, executive director of the Washington, D.C. - based National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium, East West Players, Nosotros, Visual Communications, and members of the We Won’t Be Ignored coalition.