Paul Fong
Encyclopedia
Paul Fong (born August 5, 1952) is a Democratic
California State Assembly
member from California's 22nd State Assembly district
. Prior to being elected to the assembly, he served as a Foothill De Anza Community College District Trustee.
, Sunnyvale
, Cupertino and portions of Santa Clara
and San Jose
which are all located in Santa Clara County.
On February 14, 2011 Fong cosponsored a bill with Jared Huffman
, California Assembly Bill 376, to make it illegal to possess, distribute, or sell shark fins, unless for research or commercial purposes.
In the primary, Fong defeated Santa Clara City Councilman
Dominic Caserta, Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Anna Song
and Cupertino Mayor Kris Wang
. In the November 4, 2008 general election he beat his Republican opponent Brent Oya by 76.2% to 23.8%.
, a practice which involves cutting off the tails and fins of living sharks, which are then thrown back into the ocean to die.
The primary use of shark fins is in shark fin soup
, an expensive delicacy which because of its high cost was in former times restricted to being consumed by the Chinese aristocracy. With increasing availability of shark fin in modern times, shark fin soup is now often served on special occasions such as weddings and banquets, and is available in many Chinese restaurants. Fong, who was born in China, says, "Anything that is unhealthy, that the culture is practicing, we should stop doing it. We used to bind women's feet
and that was unhealthy for the woman". Hawaii's former first lady Vicky Cayetano
draws a similar comparison: "shark fin soup is about as cultural as bound feet." However, State Senator Leland Yee
argues that the bill constitutes "the wrong approach and an unfair attack on Asian culture and cuisine... rather than launch just another attack on Asian American culture, the proponents of the ban on shark fin soup should work with us to strengthen conservation efforts."
AB 376 was approved by the California Assembly on 5/23/11 by a vote of 65 to 8.
Similar laws have been enacted in the states of Hawaii
, Washington, and Oregon
, and in Guam
and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
.
A member of China's National People's Congress
has submitted a formal written proposal to that Congress that shark fin be banned in the People's Republic of China
.
A poll commissioned by the Monterey Bay Aquarium
found that 70 percent of the Chinese-American voters surveyed favored making it illegal to sell or distribute shark fins.
, the Humane Society of the United States
, WildAid
, Sierra Club California
, California Academy of Sciences
, California Coastal Commission
, Defenders of Wildlife
, Environmental Defense Fund, Food Empowerment Project
, Natural Resources Defense Council
, and The Nature Conservancy
.
Opponents of AB 376 include Asian Food Trade Association, Chung Chou City, Inc., Oriental Food Association, and Stockton Seafood Center. Generally, opponents include shark fin fisheries, traders, and processors, and Chinese restaurants that serve shark fin soup. Opponents have hired two lobbying
firms, Lang Hansen O'Malley & Miller and Sloat Higgins Jensen & Associates, to guide their campaign against AB 376.
Fuller lists of the proponents and opponents are found in the Analysis of AB 376 released by the California State Senate’s Committee on Natural Resources and Water.
Basketball player Yao Ming
has campaigned for the shark fin ban; he filmed a public service announcement in San Francisco promoting the banning of shark fin soup.
Two Chinese-American candidates in the San Francisco Mayoral race, David Chiu
(President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors) and Phil Ting
(the Assessor-Recorder of the city and county of San Francisco), have come out in support of the shark fin ban. Betty Yee
(member of California's State Board of Equalization
) also endorses AB 376.
The San Francisco Chronicle
and the Los Angeles Times
have both printed editorials endorsing AB 376.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
member from California's 22nd State Assembly district
California's 22nd State Assembly district
California's 22nd State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is represented by Democrat Paul Fong of Sunnyvale.-District profile:...
. Prior to being elected to the assembly, he served as a Foothill De Anza Community College District Trustee.
22nd Assembly district
The district includes the cities of Mountain ViewMountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
, Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
, Cupertino and portions of Santa Clara
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
and San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
which are all located in Santa Clara County.
On February 14, 2011 Fong cosponsored a bill with Jared Huffman
Jared Huffman
Jared Huffman is the assemblyman for California's 6th State Assembly district, which includes all of Marin and southern Sonoma counties...
, California Assembly Bill 376, to make it illegal to possess, distribute, or sell shark fins, unless for research or commercial purposes.
2008 election
Fong entered the race to succeed term limited Democratic Assemblywoman Sally Lieber who is also the outgoing California State Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore.In the primary, Fong defeated Santa Clara City Councilman
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
Dominic Caserta, Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Anna Song
Anna Song (politician)
Anna E. Song serves as California's first female Korean-born elected official, having originally been elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Education in November 2000. Song served as Board president in 2004, and she won overwhelming re-election to a second four-year Board term that fall...
and Cupertino Mayor Kris Wang
Kris Wang
Kris Wang is an American politician who served as the mayor of Cupertino in 2007 and 2010. She was born and raised in Taiwan and came to the United States to pursue higher education...
. In the November 4, 2008 general election he beat his Republican opponent Brent Oya by 76.2% to 23.8%.
2010 election
Fong won re-election in November 2010 by beating Republican Eric "Shooter" Hickok and Libertarian T.J. Campbell. Fong received 67 percent of the vote, Hickok received 27 percent and Campbell received 6 percent.Shark fin bill
Fong introduced Assembly Bill 376 (AB 376) which would ban the possession, sale, and distribution of shark fins, with some exceptions. Proponents of the bill seek to discourage shark finningShark finning
Shark finning refers to the removal and retention of shark fins and the discarding of the rest of the fish. Shark finning takes place at sea so the fishers only have to transport the fins.Shark finning is widespread, and largely unmanaged and unmonitored...
, a practice which involves cutting off the tails and fins of living sharks, which are then thrown back into the ocean to die.
The primary use of shark fins is in shark fin soup
Shark fin soup
Shark fin soup is a popular soup item of Chinese cuisine usually served at special occasions such as weddings and banquets, or as a luxury item in Chinese culture. The shark fins provide texture while the taste comes from the other soup ingredients.There is controversy over the practice of shark...
, an expensive delicacy which because of its high cost was in former times restricted to being consumed by the Chinese aristocracy. With increasing availability of shark fin in modern times, shark fin soup is now often served on special occasions such as weddings and banquets, and is available in many Chinese restaurants. Fong, who was born in China, says, "Anything that is unhealthy, that the culture is practicing, we should stop doing it. We used to bind women's feet
Foot binding
Foot binding was the custom of binding the feet of young girls painfully tight to prevent further growth. The practice probably originated among court dancers in the early Song dynasty, but spread to upper class families and eventually became common among all classes. The tiny narrow feet were...
and that was unhealthy for the woman". Hawaii's former first lady Vicky Cayetano
Ben Cayetano
Benjamin Jerome "Ben" Cayetano served as the fifth Governor of the State of Hawaii from 1994 to 2002. He is the first Filipino American to serve as a state governor in the United States.- Early years :...
draws a similar comparison: "shark fin soup is about as cultural as bound feet." However, State Senator Leland Yee
Leland Yee
Leland Yee is a California State Senator in District 8 which represents the western half of San Francisco and most of San Mateo County. Prior to becoming state senator, Yee was a California State Assemblyman, Supervisor of San Francisco's Sunset District, and was a member and President of the San...
argues that the bill constitutes "the wrong approach and an unfair attack on Asian culture and cuisine... rather than launch just another attack on Asian American culture, the proponents of the ban on shark fin soup should work with us to strengthen conservation efforts."
AB 376 was approved by the California Assembly on 5/23/11 by a vote of 65 to 8.
Similar laws have been enacted in the states of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, Washington, and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, and in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
.
A member of China's National People's Congress
National People's Congress
The National People's Congress , abbreviated NPC , is the highest state body and the only legislative house in the People's Republic of China. The National People's Congress is held in the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, capital of the People's Republic of China; with 2,987 members, it is the...
has submitted a formal written proposal to that Congress that shark fin be banned in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
A poll commissioned by the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is located on the former site of a sardine cannery on Cannery Row of the Pacific Ocean shoreline in Monterey, California. It has an annual attendance of 1.8 million visitors. It holds thousands of plants and animals, representing 623 separate named species on display...
found that 70 percent of the Chinese-American voters surveyed favored making it illegal to sell or distribute shark fins.
Proponents and opponents
Proponents of AB 376 include the Asian Pacific American Ocean Harmony Alliance (APAOHA), Monterey Bay AquariumMonterey Bay Aquarium
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is located on the former site of a sardine cannery on Cannery Row of the Pacific Ocean shoreline in Monterey, California. It has an annual attendance of 1.8 million visitors. It holds thousands of plants and animals, representing 623 separate named species on display...
, the Humane Society of the United States
Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States , based in Washington, D.C., is the largest animal advocacy organization in the world. In 2009, HSUS reported assets of over US$160 million....
, WildAid
WildAid
WildAid is an international 501 NGO whose mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade. Rather than an issue of biology or culture WildAid views the illegal wildlife trade fundamentally as a matter of economics - of supply and demand....
, Sierra Club California
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
, California Academy of Sciences
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is among the largest museums of natural history in the world. The academy began in 1853 as a learned society and still carries out a large amount of original research, with exhibits and education becoming significant endeavors of the museum during the twentieth...
, California Coastal Commission
California Coastal Commission
The California Coastal Commission is a state agency in the U.S. state of California with quasi-judicial regulatory oversight over land use and public access in the California coastal zone....
, Defenders of Wildlife
Defenders of Wildlife
Defenders of Wildlife is a United States-based, 501 non-profit organization founded in 1947, "dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities." The organization is active in political interventions and lobbying aimed at protection of wildlife, and...
, Environmental Defense Fund, Food Empowerment Project
Food Empowerment Project
Food Empowerment Project is a volunteer-based non-profit organization that seeks to create a more just and sustainable world by recognizing the power of one’s food choices. The organization was founded in 2006 by lauren Ornelas.-Organization and mission:...
, Natural Resources Defense Council
Natural Resources Defense Council
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a New York City-based, non-profit, non-partisan international environmental advocacy group, with offices in Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Beijing...
, and The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
.
Opponents of AB 376 include Asian Food Trade Association, Chung Chou City, Inc., Oriental Food Association, and Stockton Seafood Center. Generally, opponents include shark fin fisheries, traders, and processors, and Chinese restaurants that serve shark fin soup. Opponents have hired two lobbying
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
firms, Lang Hansen O'Malley & Miller and Sloat Higgins Jensen & Associates, to guide their campaign against AB 376.
Fuller lists of the proponents and opponents are found in the Analysis of AB 376 released by the California State Senate’s Committee on Natural Resources and Water.
Endorsements
Chinese-born NBANational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
Basketball player Yao Ming
Yao Ming
Yao Ming is a retired Chinese professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...
has campaigned for the shark fin ban; he filmed a public service announcement in San Francisco promoting the banning of shark fin soup.
Two Chinese-American candidates in the San Francisco Mayoral race, David Chiu
David Chiu (politician)
David Chiu is the President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He represents District 3, encompassing the northeastern corner of the city, including Chinatown, North Beach, the Financial District, and Fisherman's Wharf.- Early Life :...
(President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors) and Phil Ting
Phil Ting
Phil Ting is the Assessor-Recorder of the city and county of San Francisco.Ting was appointed and later elected in 2005, becoming San Francisco’s highest-ranking Chinese-American official. He began his career as a real estate financial adviser at Arthur Andersen and CB Richard Ellis. Ting had a...
(the Assessor-Recorder of the city and county of San Francisco), have come out in support of the shark fin ban. Betty Yee
Betty T. Yee
Betty T. Yee （余淑婷）is a member of the California Board of Equalization.A native of San Francisco's Parkside district, Yee's parents hailed from the Canton region of China from which they immigrated in 1956. She worked in her family's neighborhood business while growing up...
(member of California's State Board of Equalization
State Board of Equalization (California)
The State Board of Equalization is a public agency charged with tax administration and fee collection in the state of California in the United States. The areas of authority of the Board fall into four broad areas: sales and use taxes, property taxes, special taxes, and acting as an appellate body...
) also endorses AB 376.
The San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
and the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
have both printed editorials endorsing AB 376.