Some of the questions raised were: Why must the council always worry about just one minority group (African Americans)? And, "The town should reach out to Asians to educate them about the political process."

My name is Larry Daquioag and my family (wife and two daughters, now grown) have lived in Chapel Hill since 1991. I have served on Chapel Hill's Housing and Community Development Advisory Board, the Human Services Advisory Board, represented Chapel Hill on the Triangle United Way Board of Governors, and served on Orange County's Personnel Hearing Board. I currently serve on AO-009 Local Board 023 of the US Selective Service Board. In the 2001 Chapel Hill election among the candidates for town council there was one African American incumbent and one Asian (Filipino) candidate, me.

I note my Chapel Hill service to show the answer to the way that Asians and any resident/citizen can educate themselves about the political process: namely serve on a town advisory board. Furthermore, serve on a board that deals with issues affecting Chapel Hill's African Americans, i.e. the Housing Advisory Board, and you will know why African Americans require and are due special consideration, including representation. I believe the history of African Americans make their situation and lives unique, especially in Chapel Hill, where we may try to do the right things but sometimes forget the underlying history.

Asians, and I include myself, need to get out of their comfort zones and see what the lives are like for not only African Americans, but also Hispanics in the area. My advisory board service has shown me the tremendous basic needs in both populations that should be addressed fully and completely before we worry about diversity Asian representation.

By the way, race (Asian or otherwise) was never an issue in the 2001 elections.

Larry Daquioag

Chapel Hill