GOP 1982
The year of 1982 was a busy one for Esther. State Representative Randy Pennington was running for re-election from her district. Since he and his wife Paula attended the same church, Sagemont Baptist Church with Esther, she became involved in his campaign. However, Esther did not stay in that church long due to her commitment to the newly formed Houston Chinese Church. Meanwhile, Esther also supported Buster Brown’s reelection as state senator. They both were invited to Esther’s house for a Chinese-style Lunar New Year dinners in February 1981 and 82.
At that time, Texas was still predominately controlled by the Democrats; even though Governor Bill Clements was the first Republican governor elected in 1978 after more than 100 years of Democrat control, he lost his 1982 reelection bid. Besides campaigning for Clements’ reelection, Esther also supported George Strake, Jr., a Houston oilman, when he ran for Lt. Governor, but he lost the race as well. Later Mr. Strake became the GOP state chair and supported Asian Americans’ participation greatly with County GOP chairman, Russ Mather. Russ allowed Esther to use the county office for Asian/Pacific Americans’ planning meetings for special events.
In this era, it was nearly impossible to defeat any Democrat candidate in Texas. Esther also supported two more failed challengers. Mike Faubion was challenging the Democrat incumbent US Congressman. Esther hosted his first event for him and his wife Tamera at her home on Feb. 6, 1982. Vicki recruited Esther for Congressman Jimmy Collins’ bid for the US Senate. Esther arranged him to meet with the Asian-American leaders and newspaper publishers on April 11, 1982.
Yet, Esther was determined to turn the Blue state into a Red one and continued her efforts. Esther was elected as a delegate to the Senatorial district #11 convention on May 15, 1982 and delegate to the state convention in Austin, from September 10 to 11 after two years of active involvement in the party.
Under the National Republican Committee (RNC), there are several auxiliary and coalition organizations working in cooperation with the formal Party organization to bring specific groups of citizens into the Republican Party, such as women, young, college Republicans and National/Ethnic Heritage Groups Council (NRHGC). The NRHGC consisted primarily some European national and ethnics groups with a Chinese group headed by Mrs. Anna Chennault who was widow of General Chennault of Flying Tiger. This immigrant auxiliary group did not involve much within the grassroot Republicans, possibly due to language and cultural barriers. As a result, they were not much valued by the Republican National Committee (RNC). Esther was first asked about forming a state chapter in Houston, back to spring 1979.
Later, the Chinese group within NRHGC was extended into an Asian American group. Under the instruction and endorsement of Mrs. Chennault, the Asian American National Republican Federation (AANFR) was formed by Ben John Chen of New York City and officially chartered by the Republican National Committee Heritage Groups Council Convention in Washington, DC in June 1981. Mr. Chen was a wealthy and influential businessman in NY Chinatown but with very limited English proficiency.
In the summer of 1982 Esther founded the Texas Chapter of Asian American National Republic Federation (TAANRF) under AANRF. In order to reach out and empower more people as she did with OCA Houston Chapter, Esther only organized and founded the group but encouraged other people assuming the chairmanship. However, it was not an easy task to recruit Republicans from the Asian, primarily Chinese community. Traditionally, American born Chinese whose ancestors arrived in the US prior to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, were referred as Old Overseas Chinese (OOC). They tended to vote for Democrats rather than Republicans. Thus, it took a great effort for Esther to invite a Chinese American businessman, Bill Ong, from the Houston OOC community as the first chairman for TAANRF. She galvanized the new Asian immigrant groups who were more interested in Republican Party, including the Sikhs from India and Southeast Asian refugees. Meanwhile, she served as program coordinator for the officers’ inaugural ceremony/banquet with more than 500 attendees held at the Adams Mark Hotel, Sunday, October 24, 1982, 7:00-10:00 pm. She invited all the 1982 GOP statewide candidates and office holders. Mrs. Anna Chennault, a Chinese American Republican activist in Washington, DC was invited to speak for this inaugural event. The national chairman of AANRF, Ben John Chen, also flew in from NYC. Esther delivered an opening speech. This was the first time Esther met Mrs. Anna Chennault. Unfortunately, the TAANRF did not function well under the leadership of Bill Ong and his successors. (file:xtoNRHGC050489). Later, Esther had to assume the chairmanship when the young organizations ceased growing and began diminishing.
Since then, more Asian Americans have been involved than ever and got excited about Reagan’s reelection in 1984. They thought they were on the right track to attend the GOP national convention by participating in the NRHGC under the RNC. THEY DID NOT EVEN KNOW THE REAL PROCESS. Their enthusiasm to travel to Dallas for the convention in 1984 resulted in a painful lesson as outlined in section of GOP 1984.
As Esther’s GOP involvements developed, she was encouraged by Mr. John Wu, the highest ranking Chinese American appointee in the Reagan’s administration at that time, to pursue some Federal educational committees where she could share her expertise with policy makers.
The year of 1982 was a busy one for Esther. State Representative Randy Pennington was running for re-election from her district. Since he and his wife Paula attended the same church, Sagemont Baptist Church with Esther, she became involved in his campaign. However, Esther did not stay in that church long due to her commitment to the newly formed Houston Chinese Church. Meanwhile, Esther also supported Buster Brown’s reelection as state senator. They both were invited to Esther’s house for a Chinese-style Lunar New Year dinners in February 1981 and 82.
At that time, Texas was still predominately controlled by the Democrats; even though Governor Bill Clements was the first Republican governor elected in 1978 after more than 100 years of Democrat control, he lost his 1982 reelection bid. Besides campaigning for Clements’ reelection, Esther also supported George Strake, Jr., a Houston oilman, when he ran for Lt. Governor, but he lost the race as well. Later Mr. Strake became the GOP state chair and supported Asian Americans’ participation greatly with County GOP chairman, Russ Mather. Russ allowed Esther to use the county office for Asian/Pacific Americans’ planning meetings for special events.
In this era, it was nearly impossible to defeat any Democrat candidate in Texas. Esther also supported two more failed challengers. Mike Faubion was challenging the Democrat incumbent US Congressman. Esther hosted his first event for him and his wife Tamera at her home on Feb. 6, 1982. Vicki recruited Esther for Congressman Jimmy Collins’ bid for the US Senate. Esther arranged him to meet with the Asian-American leaders and newspaper publishers on April 11, 1982.
Yet, Esther was determined to turn the Blue state into a Red one and continued her efforts. Esther was elected as a delegate to the Senatorial district #11 convention on May 15, 1982 and delegate to the state convention in Austin, from September 10 to 11 after two years of active involvement in the party.
Under the National Republican Committee (RNC), there are several auxiliary and coalition organizations working in cooperation with the formal Party organization to bring specific groups of citizens into the Republican Party, such as women, young, college Republicans and National/Ethnic Heritage Groups Council (NRHGC). The NRHGC consisted primarily some European national and ethnics groups with a Chinese group headed by Mrs. Anna Chennault who was widow of General Chennault of Flying Tiger. This immigrant auxiliary group did not involve much within the grassroot Republicans, possibly due to language and cultural barriers. As a result, they were not much valued by the Republican National Committee (RNC). Esther was first asked about forming a state chapter in Houston, back to spring 1979.
Later, the Chinese group within NRHGC was extended into an Asian American group. Under the instruction and endorsement of Mrs. Chennault, the Asian American National Republican Federation (AANFR) was formed by Ben John Chen of New York City and officially chartered by the Republican National Committee Heritage Groups Council Convention in Washington, DC in June 1981. Mr. Chen was a wealthy and influential businessman in NY Chinatown but with very limited English proficiency.
In the summer of 1982 Esther founded the Texas Chapter of Asian American National Republic Federation (TAANRF) under AANRF. In order to reach out and empower more people as she did with OCA Houston Chapter, Esther only organized and founded the group but encouraged other people assuming the chairmanship. However, it was not an easy task to recruit Republicans from the Asian, primarily Chinese community. Traditionally, American born Chinese whose ancestors arrived in the US prior to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, were referred as Old Overseas Chinese (OOC). They tended to vote for Democrats rather than Republicans. Thus, it took a great effort for Esther to invite a Chinese American businessman, Bill Ong, from the Houston OOC community as the first chairman for TAANRF. She galvanized the new Asian immigrant groups who were more interested in Republican Party, including the Sikhs from India and Southeast Asian refugees. Meanwhile, she served as program coordinator for the officers’ inaugural ceremony/banquet with more than 500 attendees held at the Adams Mark Hotel, Sunday, October 24, 1982, 7:00-10:00 pm. She invited all the 1982 GOP statewide candidates and office holders. Mrs. Anna Chennault, a Chinese American Republican activist in Washington, DC was invited to speak for this inaugural event. The national chairman of AANRF, Ben John Chen, also flew in from NYC. Esther delivered an opening speech. This was the first time Esther met Mrs. Anna Chennault. Unfortunately, the TAANRF did not function well under the leadership of Bill Ong and his successors. (file:xtoNRHGC050489). Later, Esther had to assume the chairmanship when the young organizations ceased growing and began diminishing.
Since then, more Asian Americans have been involved than ever and got excited about Reagan’s reelection in 1984. They thought they were on the right track to attend the GOP national convention by participating in the NRHGC under the RNC. THEY DID NOT EVEN KNOW THE REAL PROCESS. Their enthusiasm to travel to Dallas for the convention in 1984 resulted in a painful lesson as outlined in section of GOP 1984.
As Esther’s GOP involvements developed, she was encouraged by Mr. John Wu, the highest ranking Chinese American appointee in the Reagan’s administration at that time, to pursue some Federal educational committees where she could share her expertise with policy makers.
