Asian-Americans v. the Democratic National Committee

Singled out for investigation because they gave generously; singled out because they have surnames that sound Asian; singled out because even if they're fourth-generation Californians, they can so easily be labelled as outsiders...foreigners...suspects...

For the Democratic Party to conduct an investigation that targets donors based almost exclusively on race is shocking. Even more disturbing is that this story's been largely ignored and the biased investigation hasn't been widely condemned. Somehow headlines alleging illegal contributions from Johnny Chung, John Huang and a fundraiser at a Buddhist temple have resulted in an assumption that all Asian-American donations are tainted. Thus, if the generous check sent to the Democrats during the last political season was signed with an Asian last name, that donor was most likely subject to a humiliating investigation -- interrogation about citizenship, phone calls asking for bank and credit records and threats to publicly return the contribution unless the donor complies, effectively drumming a sector of the electorate out of a new position of power in a party which has long measured influence by the size of a check.

Responsible members of the California Democratic Party and the ACLU have condemned the national party's action. In the meantime, we have a bitter reminder of the danger of leaving unchecked a powerful political organization to engage in race-based scapegoating.

Guilt by association and racial classifications aren't useful tactics to clean up political corruption; rather they harken back to some of our nation's worst moments, and drive away new voices in the political arena.

With a perspective, I'm Dorothy Ehrlich.

Dorothy Ehrlich is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Northern California.