Fifth State Senate District Candidates Debate from Harry/Silver Wave Productions on Vimeo.

This video highlights the symposium for the District 5 State Senate Candidates, Garry Guan (R) and Curt Thompson (D), at St. James Lutheran Church, Norcross, GA, October 11, 2010.

A Symposium for State Senate Candidates D-5, GA from Harry/Silver Wave Productions on Vimeo.

A NPR StoryCorp recording of a conversation between Garry Guan, and his Cmapaign Treasurer, a long time friend, Bill Decatur as part of the American Oral History project for the U.S. Library of Congress. Click to hear the story in MP3 or MPG4.

A New Voice for Georgia from Harry/Silver Wave Productions on Vimeo.

Bob Griggs's comment on our campaign in his article of "All Dressed Up, With No Tea Party to Go To: Primary 2010 Wrap-up" on Tuesday.
"Guan received 2,172 votes in a heavily Democrat district while the incumbent Democrat received only 1,802. Anything can happen in the general election, but Tuesday's result shows that Guan has a legitimate opportunity to turn the 5th into a GOP-represented district...." More detail

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Thank you for coming out today. I think you’ll agree with me, this year presents challenges unlike any we’ve faced in the past. I know we’re up to the task, but it’s going to mean making tough choices... together.

One of the first challenges is to acknowledge that the Georgia legislature needs the input of ever sector of its diverse population, including Asian-Americans. Nearly three percent of our state’s population looks like me. In Gwinnett County, my home, it’s nearly ten percent.

That's hundreds of thousands of Asian-Americans working every day to make Georgia stronger while they make a life for themselves and their families. So, how many Asian-Americans are their under the Gold Dome? Representative Charlice Byrd of Woodstock counts Chinese amongst her proud heritage. But, that’s it. This year, two Asian-Americans are in the running to try to shape laws that are fair for all Georgians, [myself in the state senate and BJay Pak over in the house.] It’s a tiny number, but it’s a start.

Do we need an Asian perspective here in the South? What do you think? When it comes to convincing China and other nations of the value of not only locating new businesses here in Georgia... and bringing new jobs here to Georgia... but also buying goods from Georgia... what face will we show the world?

I for one hope we Georgians show many faces, in a glorious variety of colors. The same faces, in fact, that I see all along Buford Highway and Old Norcross Road, Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Jimmy Carter Boulevard. The same faces I see in our schools, learning the languages of the world and preparing to do business with nations across the globe. The same faces who reflect Georgia rich cultural diversity. The same faces who will be stars on the world stage far into this new century.

As the father of two beautiful kids, I think a lot about what will happen to Georgia 30, 40, even 50 years from now. I know that what we do now will affect us for decades to come. I also know that opportunities available now will not be here for long.

We have to watch our budgets carefully. We must carefully manage our state’s water resources. We must ensure that our neighborhoods are safe, and attractive to new business. We must ensure that our schools are constantly improving. Only when lawmakers are doing these tough jobs can Georgia hang out a big sign to the world: "OPEN FOR BUSINESS."

I hope you'll allow me to take a moment and tell you why I am passionate about helping all Georgians realize their full potential. I come from a suburb of Harbin, China. We call it "The Pearl Under Swan's Neck." It's a lovely image. But, I have to tell you... along with a pearl, that swan wears long underwear. Winters get down to 40-below! As a teenager, I spent my winters in a labor camp. Instead of chasing girls - because that was forbidden! - I worked from dawn until dusk, getting just enough food to work, but also getting all the propaganda the Communist Party could throw at me. As a young man, I believed what the Party told me. We all did. Then, the day came when my eyes were opened... and I saw the devastating lies of big government. And as I looked around for the very first time in my life, I saw one distant nation that understood the value of the individual. One country allowed each and every one of its citizens to succeed. And I fell in love... with America.

I would love to tell you all about my journey to this country. For now, let me tell you this: my ticket here was education. My love of this country is deeply routed in the belief in the founding principles of this great nation. And I will live, and fight, and if necessary die to defend every one of those opportunities for myself... for my children... and for all Georgians.

I am a husband, a father, a businessman, and since September 27, 1999... the proudest American that Harbin, China has ever produced.

Come November, it’s not enough to click Democrat or Republican. It’s not enough to trot out the same tired ideas. We are going to need a new perspective, a new approach, and new solutions. I’m Garry Guan, and I’m asking for your support so I can bring my skills to work for you in the Georgia senate. With your help, I want to be a new voice for all of Georgia.

      

[Thank you, ..... Good afternoon, everyone.]

You know, I like to call myself "The Ultimate Outsider." It’s hard to get much more "outside" than the countryside around Harbin, China. But, when it comes to the census, I’m happy to be counted.

We’re all enjoying this wonderful springtime weather here in Georgia. It’s springtime in Harbin as well. Soon, the temperature will be soaring all the way up... to freezing. You may have heard of Harbin’s Annual Ice Festival. It’s a big party, where they build an entire city out of ice. It stays frozen for months while people come from all over the world to visit it. Believe me, it stays frozen. In the winter, the temperature hits 20 or 30 below. When I was sent to the labor camp as a teenager, part of the morning routine was to get water from the river. You did that with a bucket... and an axe. We’d haul the ice back inside and slowly melt it over the fire so we could wash up. No running water in those days in the labor camp.

There were no modern highways in the rural areas near Harbin in those days, either, just dirt roads. We were sorely missing many of the vital services and infrastructure that help communities grow. Those civil projects and services are just some of the things the census helps provide to growing cities and counties, here in Georgia.

So, you might be asking yourself, "What difference does it make whether I fill out a census report. There are 300 million Americans, right?" Yes. That’s exactly it. There are 300 million people and only so many dollars to go around for these vital projects. How much money are we talking about? Well over 400-billion dollars in federal funds. Georgia needs those funds to grow and even to maintain the infrastructure that keeps things running. We don’t want to lose out just because someone didn’t want to break a sweat and spend ten minutes filling out a simple form.

The director of the Census Bureau [Robert Groves] recently told CNN that each form costs us taxpayers about 42-cents to process. But, when someone doesn’t send back his form, the Bureau has to send out a team to get the information. It’s the law. And that extra effort costs us taxpayers about 60-bucks each time!

Right now, some of you are saying, "Fine, fine, Garry. I’ll get around to it. It’s in a very important stack of mail that I keep on my kitchen table under last night’s dishes." OK, here’s the part that should get you worried: the last census was in 2000. Nationally, 67-percent of us returned the census form. That’s just two-thirds. According to the AJC, Georgia did even worse - 65-percent. As of last night, we were still well below 50-percent!

I'm going to quote the paper again: In 2000, 123,000 Georgians didn’t get counted. Think about that. "Hey you... you 123,000 people over there! You don’t count! Don’t look at me like that. You just don't count."

Think that didn't matter to all of us? Between then and now, Georgia lost out on more than 200-million dollars in federal funds. I don’t know about you, but 200-million dollars seems like a lot of money to me.

Enough numbers! What all those dollar signs really translate to is schools that never got built... and new roads that could be cutting time off your commute but aren't... because they don't exist. That 200-million dollars that didn't show up... means that your politicians had to take a long hard look at other options. You know which ones. If you’re a homeowner, you know. If you're a taxpayer trying to support a family, you really know. But, the loss of federal dollars didn't have to happen. And it doesn’t have to happen next time either.

You've got a form at home. It’s in that pile... somewhere. And you need to fill it out and send it back. Ask your friends. Make sure they’ve sent in their form. Blast out something on Facebook. Tweet about the census. Tell your followers Kim Kardashian told you to get on their case. Whatever it takes.

Because if you don’t, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself if you wake up one morning and the roads are full of potholes... or the schools are overcrowded... or you don’t have water, because the pipes have gotten too old and there’s no money to fix them. That is, unless you want to get up before dawn, hike out to the river and wash up. Hey, this is Georgia. The Chattahoochee isn't even frozen over.

I said a moment ago, I am happy to be counted. So, before I finish up here, I want to urge all of you, including my fellow Asian Americans, to make sure we all are counted. I have been privileged to take part in several voter registration drives. I’ve seen the difference it makes when everyone get involved. Make sure you are registered to vote. It’s quick and easy. You can do it online. I apologize, but I have to throw some more numbers at you. Between 1990 and 2000, the number of Asians living in Georgia more than doubled to over 177,000. The U.S. Census Bureau says that even two years ago, Asians made up a sizeable part of the population. In DeKalb County, it was more than four-percent. In Gwinnett County, nearly one in ten people are Asians. Imagine getting as many of those people as possible registered and out to the polls... so that come November, all the voices of Georgia are heard clearly. I think we can do it. I think we owe it to ourselves to do it.

Thank you for listening. My name is Garry Guan and I hope everyone will join me in filling out the census form and mailing it back... getting registered to vote... and then making our voices be heard!