Silicon Valley Impressions Winter2018

Silicon Valley

Impressions

WINTER 2018

A magazine for the Silicon Valley community: with love, compassion, and gratitude!

Women in Silicon Valley

Interview with Laurie Smith Santa Clara County Sheriff Fiona Ma Chairwoman, Board of Equalization Cecile Currie CEO of CONCERN, El Camino Hospital

Articles:

Disruption: Melting Gender Bias in Power Dynamics

Gender Equality Movie Review: War For the Planet of Apes

Napa Fire Exclusive Footage and more ...

ISBN 978-0-692-40495-9

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CONTENTS 4 Editorial: 2017, Can Mars and Venus Work Together on Earth? - By Ling Ling Kulla 5 Women in Silicon Valley: Our Sheriff Wants You to Join!

An Interview with Laurie Smith 10 Disruptions: Melting Gender Bias in Power Dynamics

By Eli Ram 14 Buck’s Restaurant 15 Solar Eclipse 16 NAPA Valley Fire. How to Help 20 Life as a woman politician, we have to work harder Interview with Fiona Ma 24 Gender Equality in Workplace By Marc Kulla 28 Women in Healthcare Interview with Cecile Currie 30 Movie Review -War of the Planet of the Apes

By David D. Chen-Zhang

SVI SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS

Our Magazine can be found at the following locations. For a complete list of distributors please visit www.siliconvalleyimpressions.com

Cover page photo: First day at the Police Academy Courtesy: Santa Clara Sheriff’s Department

Subscription To receive a copy of our magazine at your house please subscribe online at: www.siliconvalleyimpressions.com Silicon Valley Impressions,20111 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite #280, Cupertino, CA 95014. info@OpenSocietyMedia.com Don Sun | Publisher Ling Ling Kulla | Editor James Gong | Chief Photographer Eeli Ram | Staff Writer David D. Chen Zhang | Staff Writer Ragini Sangameswara | Graphic Designer

Advertise with us Please send inquiries to: info@opensocietymedia.com or call (408)202-1080

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the writers and interviewees. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher.

Copyright notice: No part of this publication and/or website may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior written permission of the publisher. Permission is only deemed valid if approval is in writing. Silicon Valley Impressions owns all rights to contributions, text and images, unless previously agreed to in writing.

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Editorial: 2017, Can Mars and Venus work together on Earth?

O n April 27, 2017 Taiwanese

writer Lin Yi Han committed suicide at age 26 after her first, and last novel “The First Love Paradise of Fang Siqi.” Her novel depicts the mental struggles of a young girl who is raped by her private tutor at age 13. Whenever Fang Siqi became ashamed of her relationship with her tutor and wanted to leave, he would recite beautiful poems and tell her romantic stories.

The young girl later fell in love with him and their relationship continued in the complex lovehate-disgust-dependent manner.

After Lin’s suicide, her parents made a public statement, saying that the novel was based on Lin’s painful experience in her teenage years from which she had suffered severe depression. Lin consulted many authorities about the rape and assault, but the only advise she received was to be silent. The authorities told her that if she were to tell anyone in public, she would be blamed for it.

In a TV interview, Lin discussed the episodes of depression she experienced during and after writing the novel. She hopes to share her experiences to help prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future. She said in the interview that the cruelest massacre in the world is not war, but the rape and assault happening to young girls by men much older than them on a daily basis. She says that war survivors are encouraged to write

stories about their experiences, the public will remember and prevent similar experiences. But Lin was sure that the painful experiences she writes about will continue to happen in Taiwan and in the world.

In October 1991, in the U.S., an African American law professor Anita Hill testified against Clarence Thomas before an allmale panel that the then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas had sexually harassed her. Hill said: “You even had courts that said, ‘Well, these are personal matters and not any matter that the law has any business dealing with.’”

Many people discredited Hill, but her testimony opened the window for progress.

Since then, many women started to speak up against men who have sexually assaulted them.

Bill Cosby, Bill O’Reilly, Roger Ailes and Harvey Weinstein and other mighty figures continue to fall. Star companies like Uber and Google have fired more than 20 employees for behaviors of sexism.

Silicon Valley Impressions magazine dedicates this issue to women before us who have spoken up against sexual assaults. Without their pioneering work, we would not have been here today. We are also excited to bring interviews from women in different professions who have thrived regardless of the circumstances and we are happy to report: not all workplaces are created equal!

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Women in Silicon Valley: Our Sheriff Wants You to Join!

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Women’s Day 2017 at the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Department

Silicon Valley Impressions Magazine (SVI): You have served with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office all of your career, winning five elections, and serving 20 years as Sheriff. What is it like being in law enforcement, quite a male-dominated place as a woman?

Sheriff Laurie Smith (LS): I’ve been the Sheriff for almost 20 years, but I’ve worked for the agency just over 44 years. When I started in law enforcement, if you were a woman you were not equal to a man. The men were Deputy Sheriffs. My title was Deputy Sheriff Matron. We went to the same academy, we carried a gun, but we were paid less.

In the ‘70s, there was a Federal court lawsuit; the County settled the lawsuit and women became equal to men, including equal pay.

SVI: You got paid less but did it affect how you get promoted?

LS: As a woman, you could only get promoted in the women’s career pathway; you couldn’t get

promoted in the men’s group. You would go from Matron to Senior Matron, where in the men’s group they would go from Deputy Sheriff to Sergeant. There were distinct classifications for promotions.

After the court settlement, two years into my career, I became a full Deputy Sheriff and was paid the same as the men.

Back then a lot of people didn’t believe that women should have equal access to the same jobs as men. Anti-discrimination laws had passed, but the stigma remained that women could not be a law enforcement officer. Women were seen as not strong enough; they’re not big enough; women can’t do the job, etc. Now we see women doing very well in law enforcement.

of me that really had the guts to challenge the status quo, they filed a lawsuit because it was right, but it was quite divisive at the time.

There were a lot of people who didn’t believe women should be police officers, they didn’t like the fact that we filed a lawsuit, and in that time we relied on each other for strength. I really credit the women before me for helping me reach my position today.

SVI: Can you share with us how much less the pay was?

LS: The pay was 15% less for women than the men. After the lawsuit, women got equal pay status and we also got some back pay. At the time, I thought I was rich. I made a $1,000. $1000 in 1975 was a lot of money.

SVI: How does it feel to be the first woman elected Sheriff in California.

SVI: During your 44 years of service, you must have seen all the transition and be part of the change.

LS: Really, I’m just fortunate in my timing. When I started I was one of the least senior women police officers involved in the lawsuit. It was the women ahead

LS: It was really good for me to see the transition, and sometimes I tell that story to the younger generation of deputies. The deputies we hire now don’t realize

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that there was a time, not too long ago, when women weren’t allowed to do the job. I think people are much more accepting now. Today, society accepts that women can do the job as well as a man. They judge a person based on their skills instead of their gender.

It’s good that we have moved past that deep-seated bias that previously existed, but I would like to see the ranks of women in law enforcement continue to grow.

SVI: What is the percentage of women in your department today?

LS: We have about 18% and that’s higher than most law enforcement agencies. Most law enforcement agencies have around 13% or 14% women. My goal is to attract more women into law enforcement. It’s truly a great profession, a career that has many rewards, and a profession that benefits from a female’s prospective.

SVI: If women want to be police officers, do you think it’s easy for them?

LS: Absolutely, we’re always looking for great, well-qualified women. The testing process is difficult and long for everybody.

There is a written test and a physical agility test, a very thorough background investigation, we run criminal history, a polygraph exam, a psychological test, and a medical test. It takes a long time, but if you are an outstanding person with good qualifications you will absolutely pass. Without question some of our best and brightest in the agency are women.

SVI: What skills or passion do you think women need to do well in this field?

LS: Women can do absolutely

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Lunch at the Police Academy

anything that a man can do in this job. We’ve had women on the SWAT team, we’ve had women homicide investigators, and there are no limitations. The good thing about this organization is whatever you have a passion for we probably have a job for you. If you like working with kids, we have school resource officers in the schools.

If you like doing investigations we have openings, we also have a lot of specialty task forces. If you want to work as an undercover cop, we have that opportunity too. It really comes down to what is your passion, and most likely there is a law enforcement channel to pursue.

I believe women can excel in any of the law enforcement positions.

SVI: So do you think the future is very open for women in law enforcement?

We are driven to get women applicants into our agency because we really value the skillset women bring to the profession. We know they do a great job, and we need to make our agency reflective of the community we serve. In Santa Clara County, about 49 percent of the workforce is made up of women, so our current 18 percent is not good enough.

We are looking for women willing to serve the community. We recruit good, quality people and foreign language skills are highly desired. So I’d like to focus on Asian language skills and growing women in our police force. We currently have 13 different certified languages spoken in our office.

SVI: Do they start with the police academy?

LS: I do everything I can to encourage women to get into law enforcement. The future is bright for women in law enforcement. We direct recruitment efforts toward women specifically, including hosting symposiums for women applicants. We teach women tips to be successful on the physical agility test, and get female applicants in discussion forums with female deputies so they can quickly dispel questions or concerns about the career.

LS: Yes. All police officers start through a six-month police academy. You have a choice, you can either go into law enforcement, meaning in the patrol car, or you can go into the corrections side. The correctional academy for the jail side is about four months, instead of six months.

Opportunities for promotion are available on either side because we have a lot of people assigned to the jails too.

SVI: What do you enjoy the most

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about your work?

LS: The people that make up our agency, the wonderful people we serve in the community, we’ve got the best people. We make very good cases. We do good investigations. I’m really proud of the organization.

SVI: What don’t you like about your work? What do you like the least about it?

LS: When I was hired, I was a cop, I worked in a patrol car, and I did investigations. Now my job is mostly in the office. I miss being in the field, I miss being a cop on the street. I wasn’t hired to be an administrator, I was hired to be a cop and I miss it daily.

SVI: Will you run next year?

LS:Yes, I will. June of 2018 is my next election.

SVI: There are people, your political opponents, who have cited some problems in the Sheriff’s Department and in the jail and then you told them that you’re doing things to reform that. What are you doing to reform?

LS: We had a major incident in the jail in 2015. We had an inmate die under suspicious circumstances and we did the investigation ourselves.

We arrested three of our correctional deputies for the inmate’s murder.

They were recently convicted in Superior Court. In the aftermath, I put together a big reform package to ensure this never happens again, I identified things we needed to change, and we are currently well into the reform package. We think the transformation has been great.

SVI: The newspaper said that you went to Costco and bought some surveillance cameras.

LS: I’ve been asking for cameras for a long time. Then they told me it was going to take four years and 20 million dollars. I said, “Wait a minute, I have two cameras at home that I bought for $199 each, what’s wrong with that?” I saw a system at Costco which included 15 cameras, I went and bought them with my own money to get the process started. We installed them, now we have cameras everywhere. I only bought the first set, the County bought the rest.

SVI: After you installed the camera was there any incidence since then?

LS: That was reported in the media. The day after the cameras were installed we had a big fight, everyone was fighting exactly where my cameras were installed.

The media later asked me, “Did you stage the fight?” No, I didn’t.

I don’t know if they were kidding because what would it take me, would I have to walk over and talk to inmates and say, “By the way, can you fight because I got these new cameras?” It was absolutely ridiculous. The camera captured the fight and we could see who did what to whom.

We recently had an attempted murder; two inmates had knives, handmade knives in the jail and began stabbing one person. What we were able to see in the cameras, we identified the two people who were suspects in the stabbing.

What we were also able to see is that many other inmates in the area blocked the exits. They were acting as security while people were stabbing each other. We got criminal charges against them too for assisting in the attempted murder.

The person they were stabbing is in for murder. One person doing

the stabbing is in for a double murder and the other person doing the stabbing is in for an attempted murder. We have one deputy assigned to that area and there were 40 to 60 people out, most of them are murderers. That’s scary for our staff, our staff has to be exceptional.

SVI: How do you train your people so then they become the best?

LS: Not only do we hire the best but then we actually run our own Sheriff’s Office Academy. Our police academy is in Morgan Hill. We train law enforcement agencies from all over the Bay Area. We have the best instructors and I actually serve on the Police Standards and Training Commission that regulates law enforcement training. I was first appointed to this commission by Gray Davis then Arnold Schwarzenegger and then Governor Jerry Brown.

By running our own Academy, we regulate and control training standards. We also provide a lot of extra trainings to keep our deputies at their best. I believe training is so important to safety of the staff and the community. That’s one of the areas we’ve definitely increased the number of hours in the past several years. We’re doing a lot of our own training because our instructors are excellent.

SVI: What is your one message for women in Silicon Valley?

LS: We welcome women to join our agency and the sky is the limit to their success in law enforcement! The career pays well, the benefits are wonderful, but most of all you will feel an indescribable reward when you help people on a daily basis.

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Disruptions: Melting Gender Bias in Power Dynamics Eeli Ram By

Wow! Is it just me or have

you noticed a brighter spotlight on gender equality in the news? Sparked by controversial statements and behaviors, the conversation takes many different forms. This year alone, a diverse collection of stories caught our attention, such as the appearance of the ‘fearless-girl’ sculpture facing the Wall Street bull, gender discrimination court cases, and candid statements from a high-tech employee. Could it be that these types of stories will launch a disruption and culminate in melting workplace gender bias?

Only time will tell. For now, let’s take a look at the recent incident that riveted our attention on the predicament women face in Silicon Valley high tech. Then we will take a closer look at the experience of women working in the field of computer science. This article ends with recognizing how workplace diversity may serve to optimize results.

The conversation regarding high tech workplace diversity exploded last July with the release of the memo by James Damore, a former Google employee. While interpretations of this person’s perspective may be provocative and possibly divisive, the document serves as an invitation to review the gender boundaries reinforced here in Silicon Valley and open our minds to the reality that we need to recognize the nuances of these boundaries. When I read his memo, it made me start thinking about what changes might be made to

make working in high tech better for women, men, and the corporate bottom line. In order to get a better understanding, I spent some time interviewing women working in the field of computer science to hear their story of integrating the male-dominated fraternity of programmers both in the classroom and in the workforce. Within the narrow scope of this research, I found recurring themes such a good education, a sense of belonging and personal fearlessness as attributes required to sustain a career in CS. Often the stories of women in CS reveal a male-dominated experience in the classroom and with professors. In one personal story, a CS professional described her experience being one of two women in her undergraduate class.

She described missing out on the informal discussions during lunch, in the dorm and other non-classroom settings. Because she was at the top of her class, she gained a formal respect, yet she regrets being excluded from these informal learning settings.

The male-dominated experience may explain the decline of women getting degrees in computer science and the decline when entering the high tech workforce.

In the U.S., since the mid-1980s there has been a steady decline in the proportion of women represented in computer science. In 1984, 37.1% of CS degrees were awarded to women. Then by 2011 fewer than 12% of CS bachelor’s degrees were earned by women. Fewer CS degrees earned by women mirrors the decline in women’s representation in the computing and information technology workforce which has been falling from a peak of 38% in the mid-1980s. A National Public Radio report in 2013 stated that about 20% of all U.S. computer programmers are female. So we see fewer women studying CS and, in turn, fewer women entering the field of CS. I was talking with a woman who as a college sophomore took a computer programming course for the first time and, hey, turns out she was good at it. She consistently scored nearly 100% on all of her assignments and ultimately got an A in the course. When asked what motivated her to take the class she replied, “I needed to solve a highly complex scheduling problem for an on-campus organization. I didn’t have enough time in the day to field the hundreds of email inquiries I was getting, and the only answer was to automate the process.” Necessity was indeed the ‘mother’ of invention.

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Many women mentioned their realization that using CS to solve real-world problems made studying computer science very attractive. This point reminded me of comments by Daniela Gonzalez, a member of the Stanford Women in Computer Science organization.

She thinks computer science is represented poorly and that keeps both women and minorities from entering the field. “I think that the way that computer science is portrayed in society needs to change. Because it’s kind of seen as this thing that’s either just for left-brained people who just want to spend their time holed up in a room coding a bunch of numbers or making video games, which is cool but that’s only one part of CS,” she said. “I think of the most interesting parts of computer science that maybe aren’t isn’t talked about quite as much is the fact that it can be used to solve all of these really important problems in the world.”

The point is that computer science is relevant to a wide range of fields of study and one might say foundational to a better understanding of our future world. For example, at Stanford, there are 65 undergraduate majors, and almost half of them recognize computer science as fulfilling graduation requirements, and today 90% of graduates take at least one CS course. It seems we are on the path towards integrating CS as an option for the many and not just a few. Perhaps this mindset will help integrate diversity into the field.

Hiring and retaining a diverse workforce in high tech fields such as computer science seems like a straightforward mission statement.

For example, Google is one high tech company which spends millions of dollars annually to do just that. Yet the numbers of female computer science hires within this

company remains under 30%. In fact, the most recognized high tech companies such as Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Intel, Microsoft, and Google reveals under 30% for female employees. Why is this?

Is it a “pipeline” issue meaning there simply are not enough CS educated females available?

The downward trend by women graduating with a CS degree does support this theory that there just aren’t as many women available to hire. Women received 23 percent of CS bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2004 and just 18 percent in 2014.

Fortunately, there are exceptions to this trend. For example, Harvey Mudd College, with a near 50/50 gender split in CS, now acts as a role model for other colleges.

Perhaps lack of women in CS is a “retention” issue meaning that once a female CS professional is hired, the high tech environment is not providing the necessary components for retaining women and following them up the corporate ladder. Compassion, collaboration, conversation are elements held in high regard when talking with CS women professionals. Women have the innate ability yet may feel inferior and unwelcome due to subtle differences. The impact of these differences is influential during college and in the workplace.

Initiatives such as Tech Trek, Intel’s She Will Connect Program, and National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) are working to encourage young girls to enter STEM fields.

A leader in this field is the founder of Girls Who Code, Reshma Saujani, who stated

that this “organization that focus on technical skills, confidence building, and connections to professional role models show that it’s possible to get more women involved in computer science, but there is still a lot that needs to be done. We find that there’s a huge importance in building community and building sisterhood.” A sense of belonging for all employees may benefit the corporate culture and bottom line.

A hopeful, symbolic step forward arrived with the “Fearless Girl,” a bronze statue of a young girl placed in March of 2017 directly across from the “Charging Bull,” the three-decades-old Wall Street icon.

She seems to fearlessly challenge barriers starting with hiring practices clear through demanding positions in the corporate boardrooms. Modeling fearlessness would break down the barriers holding students back. Fearless in raising your hand. Fearless when expressing your ideas. Fearless in following your pursuit of knowledge. This thought process carries into adulthood. Findings from an internal study carried out

by Hewlett-Packard show that men apply for a job if they meet 60%

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My Fifty Years of Love and Life with Margaret - Hsing Kung Margaret was in my life for fifty whole years, until fall of 2017, we said goodbye ......

• Life Partnership

be with her. Six months later, she came to Berkeley to join me.

In the summer 1967, Ifor saw Margaret Kung Celebration of ofLife Margaret for first time. I was a new Margarete and I have quite differ-

student on campus at the Univerent personalities. She was lively, sity of Texas at Austin, playing outgoing and decisive. I admired 懷念莫兆藹 table tennis with a group of classher strong personality and learned mates. Margaret joined us with her from her on how to make decisions, brother. She was about to enroll at and how to be firm and humble at UT Austin at that time. I was imthe same time. She was the greatest mediately attracted to her: she was in my life.

Saturday October 7, 2017 at 10 blessing am lively, generous, straightforward LIMA Sunnyvale Mortuary and hearty, yet with a slightly difIn 1970, we were engaged. She 1315 Hollenbeck Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94087my wife in the followferent temperament. From that day became on, we were together as a couple Followed

by Burial service ating year. At that time, I was a Ph. for fifty years.

D student.

We lived in a student Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery at: dormitory. With an MBA degree, 22555 Cristo Rey Los Altos, 94024 found a job and supported Margaret grew up Dr, in Taiwan and CAMargaret graduated from Providence Uniour family and my PhD study for versity. She has an older brother, the next three years. In 1974, I got Charles, and three younger brothmy PhD degree and started my ers, Michael, Steven and Osa. Mar- professional career as an R&D garet was their favorite sister! As engineer at Hewlett and Packard’s charming as Margaret was, many Optoelectronics Division. Margaret young men adored and wanted to was working for several high-tech hang out with her. I knew she’s the companies in the area, including right girl for me. I tried very hard Avantek, Wyse and others. to win her heart. I became her boyfriend and we were together almost Our life was peaceful and happy, every day for two years at Austin. and we decided to have children.

When I received my Master’s deTen years into our marriage, in gree, I left Austin for UC Berkeley 1982, Angela was born to our small to pursue my PhD degree. In the family. Immersed in the joy of first winter break, I missed her too having Angela as our family’s new much so I rode a greyhound bus member, another change took place for two and a half days to Austin to in our life – in 1983 I was invited to

join SDL’s founding team, so I left HP. Margaret worked in the technology industry for many years, and had developed strong business insight. She was my most important adviser and support for my entrepreneurial adventure. She gave me sound business advice time and time again.

• Community Service As Angela entered elementary school, Margaret got involved in the local school district. Her successfully involved the Chinese American community with the school district to support Measure A campaign. She also taught at the Silicon Valley Chinese School.

With her outgoing personality and uncanny wit, she was a popular teacher. The students loved her. She later became the principal of the school.

To promote Asian Americans in politics, Margaret helped local politicians in their campaign efforts. She was the campaign manager for Michael Chang’s first successful city council campaign.

We hosted many congressional fundraising events in our house for Congressman Mike Honda and other Asian American politi-

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cians. One of the most memorable events we hosted at our home was the fundraising event Congresswomen Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee initiative. Former President Bill Clinton was our VIP guest for the event. Margaret was a gracious and lovely hostess representing the Asian American community. She made our guests comfortable and relaxed, they complimented her for being a wonderful hostess.

Margaret and I were very involved in our local Rotary Club, and traveled with Rotarian to China and Taiwan to help with the elementary schools. We are active leaders in Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs (APAPA) and worked hard to encourage Chinese American participation in civic affairs.

• Adding Colors in our Life In 1996, Margaret started to study water color painting with Professor Cao Daging, a well-known artist from mainland China. She had unique appreciation of and perspectives about arts. In my opinion, she was a talented artist, and her art work reminded me of many happy

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times in our life. She also enjoyed gardening. We spent hours together in the garden nurturing the plants.

Under her gentle and loving care, the flowers bloomed vibrantly. In the beauty of these flowers, I see my lovely Margaret.

out and enjoy dinner together, or go to San Rafael to see our daughter‘s family and our granddaughter. We enjoyed each and every moment when we were together.

To cultivate a common sport interest, she began to learn how to play golf. Later, she encouraged me to play golf. She had “the most natural swing” and was an exceptional golfer. In the past fifteen years, Margaret and I traveled together twice a year across the U.S. and Canada to play golf with 20 families of husband-and-wife golfers.

We were the only family in which the wife played better than the husband.

One of the happiest moments came when our granddaughter Lillet was born in June, 2017. We were overjoyed. On September 2, 2017, we had a party to celebrate Adeline’s two-year and Lillet‘s two-month birthday. Margaret prepared ginger and red eggs, and talked to our guests in high spirits. It was an enjoyable and cheerful party. As it turned out, this was Margaret’s farewell party. She had cancer complications and experienced rapid discomfort. We rushed her to the hospital. After one week of observation at the hospital, my Margaret passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family.

• Fighting Cancer In November 2016, Margaret was diagnosed with gastric cancer.

When we received the shocking news, she did not give in; she was not afraid, and she didn’t complain.

Step by step, she received the treatment. However, her response to chemotherapy was severe, and it was very painful. Some days, she felt weak and tired. Other days she was in good spirts, we would go

• Celebration of Life

My dear Margaret, as I bid my farewell to you, our five decades of love and life together will stay in my memory forever. I will celebrate my life with you each remaining day of my life.

continued from page 11 ... Disruptions: Melting Gender Bias In Power Dynamics

of the qualifications, while women apply only if they meet 100% of them. Recognizing the fearless component to work engagement would be a useful step towards formulating techniques when approaching the CS field.

Diversity within the workplace is a notable goal because diverse workgroups will optimize results.

Dr. Scott Page, Professor of complex systems, political science, and economics at the University of Michigan, supports this point of view. Dr. Page has written a book,

The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies. He describes how we think in groups-and how our collective wisdom exceeds the sum of its parts. Why can teams of people find better solutions than brilliant individuals working alone? And why are the best group decisions and predictions those that draw upon the very qualities that make each of us unique? The answers lie in diversity--not what we look like outside, but what we look like within, our distinct tools and abilities.

Leaders such as Apple CEO Tim Cook have stated that if the U.S. tech industry doesn’t solve its gender imbalance issues, America will lose its lead in tech. Amidst the news pundits and short news cycle, the initial reaction to stories about gender equality is a spirited back and forth. It would be a shame if this period is short lived and we lose interest in the debate.

Hopefully, the conversation will continue and real success may be measured as we implement a strategy for success.

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BUCK’S RESTAURANT S itting in an unpretentious and homey strip mall in Woodside is Buck’s of Woodside, a restaurant gained fame as a meeting place for venture capitalists and tech entrepreneurs. Since its opening on 1991, it was the hang out place for many Silicon Valley Tycoons before they lost their innocence.

Despite witnessing the wheeling and dealing of Silicon Valley, Buck’s restaurant kept its child-like playfulness and an out-ofthe-box image. Not only does it serve up hearty American food, its memorabilia galore offer a feast for the taste buds as well as for the eyes.

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“Music Unites: One Note at a Time”

The Cupertino Educational Endowment Foundation (CEEF) is an independent nonprofit corporation which bridges critical gaps in public education funding to enhance classroom programs and initiatives of the Cupertino Union School District (CUSD).

Since 1984, CEEF has granted over $18 million in private funds for the perpetual educational benefit of the 18,000+ students of the 25 elementary and middle schools of CUSD.

How You Can Help

1. Give. With your support we can ensure that all students in our community have access to the best educational opportunities possible. Donate online at www.ceefcares.org/donate.

2. Partner. All of us benefit from the strength and reputation

of our schools. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact us at director@ceefcares.org.

3. Get Involved.

M

Whether for a specific event or on an on-going basis, we welcome your help! Visit our website for information on volunteer opportunities at www.ceefcares.org.

Artwork by Vaishnavi Ramanujan, Miller Middle School, “Music Unites!”

usic provides a common language that brings people together and celebrates the human spirit.

Contact CEEF For more information about how to partner with CEEF, please contact us at:

Music also increases literacy and advances math achievement, engaging students to think critically, communicate effectively, and collaborate creatively.

Mailing Address 10301 Vista Drive Cupertino, CA 95014

Please help music thrive in CUSD by supporting the “Music Unites: One Note at a Time” Campaign, dedicated to raising funds for the TK - 8th grade music program district-wide. For additional information about the Campaign please go to: www.ceefcares.org/donate.

Phone: 408.252.3000 Ext. 61485 Fax: 408.351.7462 Email: info@ceefcares.org Facebook: facebook.com/ceefcares Twitter: twitter.com/ceefcares

Business Address 1309 South Mary Ave., Suite 219 Sunnyvale, CA 94087

SOLAR ECLIPSE AUGUST 21, 2017 PHOTO: KAREN YANG

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Photos by James Gong

NAPA VALLEY FIRE

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DO NOT DONATE GOODS, MONEY IS THE BEST HELP Send money donations to: • Redwood Credit Union, North Bay Relief Fund. 100% of the proceeds will go to fire victims. https://www.redwoodcu.org/northbayfirerelief • The Sonoma County Community Foundation’s Sonoma County Resilience Fund. http://www.sonomacf.org/sonoma-county-resilience-fund/ • GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/raise-funds/CAfirerelief SONOMA COUNTY VOLUNTEER CENTER (707) 573-3399

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The Rise of Downtown San Jose

Marian Chaney (408)805-6680 agentmchaney@gmail.com DRE # 01937247 (650)383-7388 www.MarianChaney.com

Your Realtor for Life!

It’s no secret that San Jose is final-

ly getting its turn. Being the capital of Silicon Valley, San Jose has a population of nearly one million and hosts numerous companies, most of which are tech. Downtown San Jose, the heart of the city, has been seen as a disappointment for many, especially in comparison to the recent rapid growth of San Francisco. Yet, recently people are upbeat and hopeful for a good reason.

As a realtor, two years ago many of my investor clients were collecting properties in Redwood city, Palo Alto, and Sunnyvale - mostly in peninsula areas. This year their eyes are mostly in neighborhoods of San Jose, like downtown, Willow Glen, Rose Garden, and Berryassa. Clearly, the investors have seen the rise of San Jose.

In an October event in Japantown, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo announced a 15-point housing development plan for the city, sending a clear message about downtown.

“This plan calls for doubling down on the downtown”. Liccardo said, “Much of the future housing should be directed into downtown, because higher-density projects could be more readily built in San Jose’s urban core.” “We want to really focus on transit-oriented development. Transit villages should be moved ‘to the front of the line’ in Besides Google, many other big the city approval process.” companies also have construction and expansion plans in or around There is no coincidence that this downtown San Jose. Adobe is douyear Google, the tech giant, rebling its headquarters, adding 3,000 vealed its expansion plan near Diridon Station. They have already employees. Amazon and Apple represent those who haven’t drawn as bought 20 parcels, paying $146 much attention but are quietly premillion. Google’s massive urban paring. Domestic and international village in downtown San Jose is developers are chasing developlikely to begin its construction ment opportunities in the downabout eight years from now, after town area. Full Power Properties, BART and high-speed rail conthe San Francisco-based company nections to Diridon Station are that’s affiliated with Guangzhou completed. This is probably one R&F Properties, a big name in the of the biggest real estate events Chinese real estate market, owns of Silicon Valley in 2017, and we have already seen investors, devel- three of the five high-rise projects opers, and consumers respond to it. now under construction in

downtown.

In the shadow of the city, where is the affordable housing for those who cannot afford the increasing cost of urban living? In the same October event, Liccardo proposed construction of 25,000 residential units over the next 5 years. “Our region does face a housing crisis; it is a crisis at all levels of income, one that affects our least affluent neighbors the most,” the mayor said. The governor and city council are leading a fast paced growth path in response to the housing crisis and seek to balance the needs of the city.

San Jose is now on the fast track of urban planning and development.

Investors, developers, government officials, and consumers are all lined up ready for its massive change. The transit-oriented development is the future; higher density and more housing are in urgent need. If you are interested in participating and learning how to grow your investment profile with the change of the city, contact me and I’d love to share some projects for you to join the investment too.

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2017 CBC Holds Banquet Celebrating the Successful Completion of International Studies Program On November 4, 2017, Pacific Time 18:00, Peking University - Shanghai Jiao Tong University - American CBC International Studies and some CBC students in the U.S. attended a welcome dinner held at Palo Alto Golf Course, Bay Coffee, home town of Stanford University!

Ms. Judy Chu, member of the U.S. Congress, due to a schedule conflict, was not able to attend our welcome dinner. Congresswoman Judy Chu has sent a congratulatory letter to the Chinese entrepreneurs at CBC University.

The welcome dinner was hosted

by Don Sun, Executive Director of AAGG, an Asian PAC organization.

Mr. Sun is also the chair of the planning commission in Cupertino City, Apple’s headquarters. Mr. Gilbert Wong, Board of Director for De Anza Foothill College (former Cupertino Mayor-two terms), Mr. Tom Pyke, Director of Constituent Service from Congressman Ro Khanna’s (17th district) office, and Mr. Gustav Larsson, Vice Mayor of Sunnyvale, attended our banquet representing local government in recognition of this international program and students. They handed out the Stanford-Berkeley-CBC international financial leaders certificate of completion for their studies.

Mr. Tom Pyke congratulates all Chinese entrepreneurs on their successful completion of their studies and welcomes Chinese entrepreneurs to study and explore business opportunities between U.S. and China. Mr. Gustav Larsson, Vice Mayor of Sunnyvale, California,

Community Business College Students and local community leader Gilbert Wong, Tom Pyke Field Director for member of Congress Ro Khanna’s office, Gustave Larsson

welcomed entrepreneurs from many nations in the world to invest in Silicon Valley. He also briefed the students on the investment environment and future developmental strategies in Silicon Valley.

Mr. Gilbert Wong, welcomed Chinese entrepreneurs from Peking University-Shanghai Jiaotong University-CBC University to visit and study in the United States.

Sunnyvale Vice Mayor Gustave Larsson and Community Business College Representative Yao Di S I L I C O N VA L L E Y I M P R E S S I O N S | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7

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life as a woman politician, we have to work harder Interview with Silicon Valley Impressions (SVI): What is like being a women politician?

Fiona Ma (FM): It is not easy being a woman in politics since this is predominantly a male territory, women have to work harder.

We have to prove ourselves more.

We have to be more assertive. We need to take credit when credit is due. But we also need to make sure other people don’t take credit for work that they did not do.

SVI: Can you give us an example where men and women are different?

FM: The reason we have less women in elected office is because women don’t self-select.

Most women, take a few times for community members or others to encourage them to run for office.

When they are asked to run, they always have to think about it. They have to go and talk to their families and assess. Men don’t go back and talk to their families normally, they just jump in.

SVI: Because women have more responsibility in the family?

FM: Well, I think it’s a self-

Fiona Ma

imposed responsibility that when women decide to run or do anything, women want to do a good job. If women don’t feel like they can give their 100%, women don’t do it. Because they don’t want to fail. They don’t want to look bad.

The stress will make them feel that it’s not the right time.

When women run for office, people will ask, “Oh, do you have a family? Do you have kids? If women have small children, they will be asked “how are you going to do the job? How are you going to take care of your kids?” That’s the one barrier for women to run for office.

However, nobody asked men that.

I mean there are men in elected office that have six kids and people never asked them whether they can be a good father or whether they’re going to stay home and take good care of their children.

Fundraising is also a challenge for women running for offices.

Women are not trained to raise money. Women are not good at raising money because women are not brought up asking people for money.

Women also tend to think that if we work hard we will be recognized

and we will get the raise and the promotion we need to move to the next level. That’s not always true.

In business or in government, you really need a mentor to push you up the ladder. Men think they’re qualified for the job even if they’re not. They feel that they deserve to get paid more money always. We are brought up differently from men.

It is even harder for Asian women.

Asian women are taught to be quiet, be a good daughter, study hard, go to school and hopefully get a good job, get married and have kids. Asian men are taught to go out, get into a good school, get the best job, keep moving up the ladder. For Asian women, family comes first. So we’re taught to prioritize things differently.

Politics is an all-encompassing job.

It’s 24/7. For example, John Chiang, Betty Yee, Kamala Harris all are very hardworking politicians.

We all don’t have kids and we either got married late in life or we’re on our second marriage. Working in public service means that you put the public as your priority over your family and sometimes even over your own health. A politician is kind of like a priest. Your par-

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ish and God come first, and then everything else. Government and public servants are also like that.

SVI: You think women who have children tend not to get into politics?

FM: They tend not to get into politics. They tend to wait until their kids are older. For example, because in most households the women are the main caregivers at home. For women with children, it’s very difficult to have a political career. If she’s a single mom, it’s even more difficult.

Women politicians need to have a supportive spouse, usually wealthier so they can hire help or they have family members who can help. Otherwise, they will not choose to be a politician because politics is 24/7. The phone never stops ringing, there are events to go to all the time. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekends, holidays, Labor Day, MLK Day or any other holiday. There’s never been a day passed without anybody calls me to go to an event, birthday celebration, a parade, etc.

SVI: Have you experienced workplace discrimination because you’re a woman?

FM: Yes, politics is a man’s society. Most of the elected officials are men, most of the lobbyists in Sacramento are men, and they like to get together and smoke cigars, and go fishing, and play golf.

they don’t necessarily have a good reason. The reasons are usually different from a woman, maybe it’s about power; it’s about getting their name out there; it’s about helping their business expand. Women don’t do that. Workplace discrimination happens when we move up. Going from the local level to the state level, people always say “Well, why should we vote for them? Or what have they done? Or can they get elected? Can they raise the money? Who’s on their team?”

It’s all these questions instead of “Oh, I like Fiona, I’m supporting Fiona, I support her track record, I think she’s a good person.” It’s never like that, so the discrimination really happens as you keep running for different offices. You have to jump through more and more hoops before people will actually support you and get behind you.

SVI: What kind of skills do you think are necessary for women to thrive?

FM: I think you need to like people. You need to enjoy going to events and helping people. You have to be willing to call people back, you have to want to follow through with issues. If you’re one of these people that cannot be bothered, that you don’t want to answer phone calls after 6pm, you want your weekends to be off, etc.

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it is going to be very hard for you.

Because this is a people job.

To like people and like to be in the community all the time are important elements to succeed. Women also like to work together. I have fourteen staff members and eleven of them are women because we like teamwork. It’s about collaboration, it’s not about ego or who gets credit. We all share the workload and we all want to succeed together. You also need to be an extrovert and be energized by people, this is a good job for you. If you’re an introvert where people wear you out and you need a lot of off-time, this will not be an easy profession for you because the pressures will keep mounting. There are always people who ask you to help and you will always have things to do and places to go. The more you say no the harder it will be for you. You will have an opponent who is going to say that people never see you in the community.

If I want to stay in my position, I have to work hard every day and then my next race will be much easier. My first two races were hard. During my third race I didn’t have anyone running against me.

This one so far, I don’t have anyone running against me, but that’s because nobody’s going to outwork me.

Fiona Ma presenting certificattes to the graduating classs interns from the MaSquad

Women are usually successful running for local office first, Women usually run for a cause or an issue that they’re working on. Maybe it’s their kid’s school, medical care for the community, program for seniors, etc.

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SVI: What do you enjoy most about your work and what do you enjoy the least about your work?

FM: I like to campaign. Most people don’t like to campaign because you have to do precinct walking, making phone calls, raising money and then showing up and doing forums, debates, press conferences.

I like campaigning because I like putting together my team of volunteers. I like to meet new people and see new things. I don’t like to sit in an office behind a desk.

I don’t like to make cold calls, I enjoy that the least. I don’t like calling people I don’t know. The fundraising consultants always want me to put together a list for cold calling. I don’t like cold calling or knocking on doors at homes even though the fundraising consultants always want us to do that.

I like to meet people outside in public: at the parks, in front of the Muni stops, anywhere that’s a public space. I would introduce myself at shopping centers or supermarkets: “Hi, I’m Fiona Ma, have you voted today?” Or “I’m running for office,” I will hand people my flier and people can read it later.

Many times when I ring a doorbell, people usually just close their curtains and pretend they’re not home.

I don’t like to walk door-to-door or do cold call.

SVI: What advise do you have for young women who want to have a political career?

FM: I definitely think one should find a mentor who can provide guidance. One should start working on campaigns and work in a political office to understand the job.

It’s also an important consideration when choosing your spouse or your partner.I was very upfront with my ex-husband that I want to run for office. He was a consultant and he

Encouraging women lawyers to run for office, get involved in their community, and offering mentorship.

did not want to work a nine to five job going into an office every day because he traveled a lot. We went in knowing what we both wanted.

But when the reality hit and I actually got elected, and I was never at home, he didn’t like that. I think picking someone who understand politics, likes politics, wants to be your partner in politics is another important element of success.

SVI: Is your current spouse supportive of you?

FM: Yes. My husband is a firefighter. He’s also a public servant.

He works 10 days a month at the fire station. That gives me time to work. I work from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm every day.

In addition, he lives in Los Angeles and I live in San Francisco. I live with my parents now. My parents take care of the house and me and my three dogs. They help to move my car on street cleaning days. I pay my share of the rent and my dad pays all the bills.

I have a good relationship with my parents. I probably wouldn’t see them very much if I din’t live with them. They see me every three or four days a week. They know what I’m doing and I know that they are doing okay.

SVI: How often do you see your husband?

FM: I see my husband once a week for maybe two or three days.

He was working on a fire for two weeks. I didn’t see him for two weeks. He’s doing his job which is public safety, I have to understand as well. We both have jobs that are focused on the public and that’s why things work for us.

SVI: Then you agreed together that you won’t have children?

FM: Right. No children.

SVI: You also said you have to be firm. What do you mean by that?

FM: I think there are certain things that you can’t do. I’m not good at saying no. I will always say yes and that has created a lot of work for my staff because they have to prepare me, to drive me, and to staff me. Hiring good people is not easy. Because our political climate is competitive, the people you hire also need to be competitive. During an election, I need to make sure that my staff members are prepared and doing the best job they can.

Being independent and selfmotivated are also important to be successful. I like people who are self-motivated and have some political ambition too, because then they don’t mind working hard.

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Hunan - San Francisco Intellectual Property Rights Dialogue

Event Host Cady Yu (front row from right #4); Head of Hunan Delegation, Jian He (back center); Deputy Consul General Ren Faqiang (front from left #4)

Nov. 14th, 2017, Milpitas. A delegation from Hunan, China, lead by Jian He, President of Business Promotion Association, visited Silicon Valley, California for a ten-day visit with twenty people of business leaders and government officials from various counties and cities of Hunan province. The hosting organization in Silicon Valley is Hunan Business Association, president

Tong Wu and adviser Ms. Cady Yu told SVI magazine that US and China have entered into a new era working to promote better understanding of intellectual property right as well as building trust in technology and innovation.

Deputy Counsel General from the San Francisco office of the consulate of People’s Republic of China Faqiang Ren attended the IP Dialogue forum. He expressed his confidence in fostering stronger relationship between two countries and emphasize that the relationship among local Ren Faqiang shares business card with Douglas Frisbie communities and

Jian He addresses the delegation

local government branches will be even more important than the presidential visits between the two countries. He also confirmed to the audience that partnership between China and US will be strengthened by US president Donald Trump’s recent visit.

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Gender equality in workplace O

By

Marc Kulla

ften times in life we only see what is right in front of us and only hear what is said most frequently. Living in the Silicon Valley continues to be a mecca for many great advances to society, but it is the consumer-facing high tech companies that get the most visibility and the most attention when things go right as well as when things go wrong. There are clearly not enough women working in these companies, and the women in these companies are not earning what men doing similar jobs are earning. This statement seems to have become a mantra for the tech industry, a constant thorn in their side, as well as an important topic for women’s right movements across the nation.

there be equality across the board?

Should women and men truly be treated as equals regardless of the profession? I, along with the vast majority in public would say that women and men should be treated equally in the workplace. Outside of the workplace, it is hard to know if everyone would agree on equality in every area. Would all men of dating age think it’s appropriate to split all costs on their dates with women? Sure. Would all women?

Possibly. Would we enforce that clubs and bars offering free ladies entrance also require men to enter free? Would we agree that ½ of the time it is polite for a man to hold a chair or a door for a woman and the other ½ of the time it is polite for the woman to do it for a man?

However, as with all problems, we really do need to step back and see if the problem we are trying to fix is truly a problem or not. Should there be equal numbers of men and women in every industry? Should

Clearly in all social situations it is not a black and white answer. In the job market there cannot be a black and white answer either. No one would debate whether women and men should have the same

opportunities. This is clear. However, shouldn’t men and women have different interests that may lead to a disparity in the number of women and men employed in different fields? Let’s take a look at the top jobs that men hold in our country. According to the United States Department of Labor, the most common job for a man, based on the number of men holding the position, is a driver / truck driver.

However, the news has not been hilting this as an issue. CEO’s of trucking companies are not apologizing for the lack of women in their workforce, yet equality in this field would put the most women to work. According to the United States Department of Labor, the most common job for a woman is an Elementary or Middle School teacher. Once again, the Santa Clara County Office of Education does not issue press releases on how they are going to get more men into this profession and apologize for the disparity.

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Tech companies are falling over backwards with apologies as to why there is such a gender gap in their industry. However, the industry is ranked 8th as the top category for men to work in by numbers of employees. 8th! Not 1st or 2nd, but 8th. Why don’t we hear about gender equality in the others?

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, was published in 1992 and clearly outlined that men and women have fundamental psychological differences. Isn’t it also possible that men and women have different interests and passions for their career? How often do men complain that they don’t want to go to the mall with their partner? How often do women complain that they don’t want to watch any more sports on TV? Men and women are different, both holding their own passions and desires.

The lack of women in the tech industry, given that tech companies are doing everything they possibly can to attract women, could possibly be due to the sheer number of women applicants compared to men. Where are these women supposed to be coming from? According to the Bureau of Labor, the number of female Computer and Information Sciences undergraduate degree recipients has pretty much flat-lined since 2005.

Prior to that, it decreased from it’s high in the mid 1980’s. So, is the problem that women are not being offered jobs in high tech, or is it that women are not entering into college majors focused on computer science at a fast enough pace to keep up with men? Or is it even a simpler cause – many women are not attracted to this industry because it is not something they enjoy.

According to an NPR report, since

the early 1980’s there have been more women attending university than men. However, all majors do not have a higher percentage of women. Majors that have a higher percentage of women than men include Health, Education, and Social Work (approximately 80% women) and Art, Communication and Languages (approximately 70% women). Majors that are equally distributed between men and women include Math and Science, as well as Business. Computer Science and Engineering is underrepresented with only about 20% women.

The focus on the high tech industry is drastically overshadowing other industries in regard to gender number equality. Keep in mind that opportunities offered based on gender should be equal. However, it is the number of each gender working in a field that gets the press. Nursing and health aides, who comprise the second and fourth most common jobs for women are in dire need of male workers. It is a noble profession, has large earning potential, and has a physical component that men could add a lot of value to. However, men do not seem to be entering degree programs to hold jobs in this area. Does this once again boil down to genders having different interests and desires or are genders being blocked from entering certain careers?

When a man and a woman are in the same job, performing the same duties, with the same experience and the same output, they should be compensated equally. This should definitely be monitored, fought for, and brought public when it is not happening. However, to push society to have a 50/50 mix of men and women across the board in all professions seems to be an unrealistic demand given the different interests of men and women. Numbers aside, pay levels aside, could men and

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women just have different desires and satisfactions in regard to what career they pursue?

Let’s not forget the most important job for all humanity, past and present, spanning all cultures - raising children and guiding them to become compassionate, caring, and contributing members of society. Mothers or fathers who take this responsibility as their full time career should not be overshadowed, and their contribution to society should not be underestimated from those that choose to enter the workforce. According to Kim Parker and Gretchen Livingston of the Pew Research Center, “When it comes to caring for a new baby, 53% of Americans say that, breast-feeding aside, mothers do a better job than fathers; only 1% of Americans say fathers do a better job than mothers.” In addition, “among the majority of adults (59%) who say that children with two parents are better off when a parent stays home to tend to the family, 45% say it’s better if that parent is the mother, while just 2% say a child is better off if the father stays home.”

It is the different desires, strengths, and weaknesses that make men and women so unique.

Trying to homogenize a workplace based on sheer numbers of men and women may or may not be best for society. Focusing on the true desires of men and women, guiding them into careers that hold their interest, their passion, and their desire to succeed may produce better results. Let us also not forget that a woman or man who chooses child raising as a career should not be thought of as doing so because they could not get a job in a field that, based on numbers, is dominated by the other gender.

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S ILIC O N VA LLEYIM PRESSIONS.COM

On October 14, 2017, at Bay Café, and Palo Alto were panelists during the Step Up: overlooking the beautiful grounds of the second round of discussion. The forum Bay Area API Commissioners’ Palo Alto Golf Course, CLFF, APAPA, went smoothly and “API commissioners” Regional Civic Leadership Forum and Caycli held for the first time a joint as a brand name was established by one Saturday, October 14, 2017 event Step Up for Silicon Valley API of our attendees.

4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Wine Tasting 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Program Commissioners to honor for their 14, 2017, at Bay Café, overlooking the beautiful Onthem October of the Bay grounds Café CA 94303 services inPalo the community offer CLFF, Anna Eshoo, Ro Khanna, Fiona Ma, Alto Golfand Course, APAPA, and Caycli held for the first1875 Embarcadero timeRd,aPalo Alto, joint event Step them support in their futureValley political API Hsing Kung, AnthonyNg, well asthem for their services in the Up for Silicon Commissioners to as honor community and offer them support their future endeavors..

Saratoga MayorinEmily Lo, Fremont On Octoberpolitical 14, 2017,endeavors.. at Bay Café, overlooking the beautiful gr City Council Bonaccorisi, PaloCLFF, APAPA, and Caycli held for the first time a PaloDavid Alto Golf Course, Up for Silicon Valley After three months of preparation, “Step Alto Council member Greg TakanaAPI andCommissioners to honor them for their services community and offer them support in their future political endeavors..

After three months of preparation, "Step Up" event was successfully Up” event was successfully completed.

Sunnyvale City Council GustavatLarsson, On October 14, 2017, Bay Café, overlooking the beautiful grounds of the completed.

Our speakers overcame their time conflicts and family emergencies, Golf Course, and Caycli held for the first time a jointmade event Step Our speakers overcame their time Palo Alto shared their personalCLFF, storiesAPAPA, and offered Up fortoSilicon Valley Commissioners to honorRo them for their State services in the of event.

Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Congressman Khanna, Board conflicts to andour family emergencies, made be partners andAPI mentorsfor themonths API community and offer them support in their future political endeavors..

After three of preparation, "Step Up" event Equalization Chairwoman Fiona Ma in and CLF leaders Hsing Kung and Anthony Ng was success to our event.

Congresswoman Anna commissioners Silicon Valley. completed.

Our speakers overcame their time conflicts and family emer deliveredRoempowering to all API commissioners in Silicon Valley.

Eshoo, Congressman Khanna, State messages to our event. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Congressman Ro Khanna, S After three Anna months of preparation, "Step event successfully Equalization Chairwoman MaUp" and CLFwas leaders Hsing Kung and An Board of Equalization Chairwoman Congresswoman Eshoo issued Fiona completed. delivered Our speakers overcame messages their time conflicts andcommissioners family emergencies, madeVal empowering to all API in Silicon Fiona Ma and CLF leaders Hsing Kung to CLF, APAPA and CAYto ourproclamation event. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Congressman Ro Khanna, State Board of 70 API commissioners from Fremont, Losand Altos, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, San Ng and Anthony Ng delivered empowering CLI for organizing the event.

Equalization Chairwoman FionaCupertino Ma CLF leaders Hsing Kung and Anthony Santa Clara, in Mountain View, Saratoga, Palo Alto, Park and Milpitas delivered empowering messages toa all commissioners in Silicon Valley. messagesJose, to all API commissioners vice Mayor Darcy Paul also issued cer-APIMenlo 70 API commissioners from Fremont, Los Altos, Sunnyvale, Cup attended the event.

Those who could not come have shown their interests.

City Council Silicon Valley. tificate ofJose, appreciation to APAPA Silicon View, Saratoga, Palo Alto, Menlo Santa Clara, Mountain Park and M members and mayors from Saratoga, Fremont, Sunnyvale and Palo Alto were panelists Chapter. attended the event.

Those who could notand come haveCupertino, shown their API commissioners from Fremont, Los Altos, Sunnyvale, Saninteres during the second roundValley of 70 discussion.

The forum went smoothly "API 70 API commissioners from Fremont, Don Sun, Jerry Chen, Jeffrey Paulson, members and mayors from Saratoga, Fremont, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara, Mountain View, Saratoga, Palo Alto,attendees.

Menlo Park and Milpitas Palo Alto commissioners" as aJose, brand name was established byofone of Lai our Teresa during the second round discussion.

The their foruminterests. went smoothly and "A attended the event.

Those who could not come have shown City Council Los Altos, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, San A strong and supportive network has commissioners" as a brand name was established by one of our attende members and mayors from Saratoga, Fremont, Sunnyvale and Palo Alto were panelists Jose, Santa Clara, Mountain View, duringformed from the event and people look the second round of discussion. The forum went smoothly and "API Saratoga, Palo Alto, Menlo Park andMayor forward theasnext Stepupname forum.

Theestablished commissioners" a brand byBonaccorisi, one of our attendees.

Saratoga EmilytoLo, Fremont Citywas Council David Palo Alto Milpitas attended the event.

Those who excitement of the forum continued as Council member Greg Takana and Sunnyvale Council Gustav Larsson, shared SaratogaCity Mayor Emily Lo, Fremont City Council David Bonacco could nottheir come personal have shown their inter-andpeople talking until late nightGreg after the Council member Takana and Sunnyvale City Council Gustav Larss stories offered to be partners and mentorsfor the API commissioners Saratoga Mayor Emily Lo, Fremont City Council David Bonaccorisi, Palo Alto ests. Cityin Council members and mayors event has ended. their personal stories and offered toCouncil be partners mentorsfor Silicon Valley.

Council member Greg Takana and Sunnyvale City Gustavand Larsson, sharedthe API in stories Siliconand Valley. from Saratoga, Fremont, Sunnyvale their personal offered to be partners and mentorsfor the API commissioners Ana G. Eshoo Congresswoman 18th district

Ro Khanna

Congressman 17th district

Fiona Ma

Chairwoman of State Board of Equalization

In appreciation for your tireless giving of time, energy, and knowledge to our communities, CLF Foundation, APAPA Silicon Valley Chapter, and Chinese American Youth Community Leadership Institute (CAYCLI) would like to take this opportunity to celebrate the Asian Pacific Islander’s effort and contribution. We have invited distinguished guests to discuss opportunities beyond the commissioner and how to move forward.

This event is by Invite-only Don Sun at 408-202-1080 or email: book.sun@gmail.com Online registration: https://tinyurl.com/LeadershipForum-Tickets

Contact:

Event hosts: CLF

Foundation, APAPA, CAYCLI, Zenity Asset Management

About CLF: The CLF Foundation is a 501(c)(3) incorporated in Washington DC in 2013. It was the vision of Mr. Sandy Chau, chairman of the board. The

principal activity of CLF is to sponsor Civic Leadership Forums aimed at training Asian Americans to participate in the political process and our civic life.

The Forums are non-partisan and inclusive of all Americans regardless of ethnic group or country of origin.

Ch in es

e

can eri Am

h Community L ead Yout ers hip

In

te itu st

CAYCLI

in Silicon Valley.

Joel Wong and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo issued proclamation to commissioners CLFF APAPA to CLFF Congresswoman Anna Eshoo issuedand proclamation for organizing the event. Cupertino vice Mayor Darcy Paul also issued a for organizingAnna the event.

Cupertino vice Mayor Darcy Paul also issu Congresswoman Eshoo issued proclamation to CLFF and APAPA certificate of appreciation tocertificate APAPA Silicon Valley Chapter. for organizing the event.

Cupertino vice Mayor Darcy Paul Valley also issued a of appreciation to APAPA Silicon Chapter.

Step Up: Api commissioners

certificate of appreciation to APAPA Silicon Valley Chapter.

Don Sun, Ro Khanna, Fiona Ma, Hsing Kung, Anna Eschoo

Team from Cupertino planning commissioner

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SILIC ON VALLEYIM PR ES S I O N S . C O M

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• Individual tiles may be replaced when needed.

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High end resilient floors can have a look of stone or wood; it’s 100% water and termite resistent.

Carpet tiles are easy to install and very versatile in use. Practice a little imagination and thinking out of the box so you can have a floor covering that is uniquely yours.

brands for carpet tile and resilient products. We have many years of experience in floor covering product selection and installation.

We always update our knowledge of flooring design, technologies, and trends. Every floor we offer has more than surpassed our own high standards of performance and comfort. We not only care about choosing the best quality products, within the clients’ budget but also work with interior designers and provide on-site supervision to make sure that the floor preparation (a key to durability) and installation is perfectly done. “Only the best is good enough for you”. We stand behind our products and we guarantee that you will be satisfied.

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Home Flooring Plus specializes in floor preparation, installation, and after sales service of these two new floor coverings. We carry many good quality brands, including Patcraft owned by Warren. E. Buffett. Patcraft is one of the top S I L I C O N VA L L E Y I M P R E S S I O N S | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7

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Silicon Valley Impressions (SVI): You have been working at El Camino Hospital since 1985. Do you work a lot with women?

Cecile: Yes, over my time at El Camino Hospital I have worked with many female clinicians, volunteers, executives, physicians and support staff members.

WOMEN IN HEALTHCARE INTERVIEW WITH

CECILE CURRIER

SVI: Does El Camino Hospital have programs that focus on women’s health?

Cecile: The hospital offers a variety of programs and services that specifically address women’s health conditions. Our specialty programs include mother-baby, breast health, gynecologic and pelvic care, and menopause care. Our breast and uterine cancer outcomes meet or exceed national survival benchmarks at every stage of the cancer.

VICE PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE & COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES AT EL CAMINO HOSPITAL, CEO OF CONCERN: EAP

SVI: What kind of health concerns do you think women should focus on?

Cecile: Because of my background in social work, I think emotional and mental well-being is important areas for women to focus on. This has certainly been studied and written about. Often times, women are so focused on taking care of others – their parents, husbands or children – that they forget to take care of their own health.

In my role at CONCERN: EAP, I see many women in the workplace who are responsible for so much at home and take on many of the family duties. Women often aren’t getting enough sleep, they’re not exercising and they’re not taking care of their stress levels. This can result in exhaustion, depression, and significant sleep problems.

There’s research about the tremendous importance of sleep on your

There are certain phases in life when you can focus more on work, and then on family. Then in another stage, you can focus on the community and volunteering, contributing in a different way.

From an emotional and well-being perspective, women gain their strength through close relationships. There’s evidence that social connectedness and being part of a community, having friendships, and sharing feelings and experiences with your friends and family is very supportive and helpful. Many women do that well.

Close relationships matter a lot.

Women want to be connected to others, and I see this in my own social circle. Women make a real effort to stay in touch, to talk on the phone, to invite friends for dinner, and spend time checking in to see how their friends are. That’s something many women have cultivated throughout their lives. It’s a buffer against stress and isolation too.

Don’t let work stop you from having your social life, your family life, and your personal life. It’s so easy to let that happen.

SVI: It really lifts you up when you have spent time with friends.

emotional health, brain health, and your overall physical well-being. I see sleep affecting women a lot because they work hard at their jobs, and then go home and try to keep everything going.

There’s a false belief that one can do it all. It’s in our culture that you should try to do it all – be excellent at your job, invest in your family life, and volunteer in your community. In fact, this is extremely difficult for many people. It’s a standard that’s unrealistic.

Cecile: There’s a lot of research on the value of friendships. There was a wonderful campaign years ago by the Department of Mental Health in California. It was called Friends Can be Good Medicine and I love that phrase. It says so much. Having friendships and having people care about you and whom you care about, is healing and revitalizing.

Friends are a buffer against stress and actually improve your mood and your health. I think it’s really important that all of us pay more attention to the power of social connectedness.

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SVI: What do you do to take care of yourself?

Cecile: I spend time with family and friends. I like to be at home, to cook, to exercise and hike, to read and to even talk on the phone!

I think there are a lot of daily routines that are very nourishing – having a meal with family, taking care of your home, and being in your garden. Simple things that make people feel good because they are relaxing and tangible.

It’s wonderful to have art, music, and theater in our community. Supporting cultural life in the community is important to a well-rounded life. The vibrant world of music, art and theater can only happen if we support, attend and enjoy the arts.

To me this is part of an interesting life.

SVI: How do you identify talents in your organization?

Cecile: At CONCERN: EAP, when I hire employees I look for people who are intelligent and talented, hardworking, and think critically.

They may not always have a college degree or a master’s degree but they’re very capable and they can contribute a lot.

It’s important to recognize that there are employees at every level in the organization who really want to contribute and may feel that they can do more than they’re being asked to do. There is so much untapped talent. As a leader it is my responsibility to look for talent and commitment, and to invest in women’s professional development.

SVI: Have you experienced workplace discrimination as a woman?

Cecile: I have not. I have had many interesting and challenging op-

portunities but haven’t experienced discrimination. When I was younger, it never occurred to me that because I’m a woman my opinions would be less valuable than a man’s. We all need to develop the skills to speak up, articulate our position and stand our ground.

SVI: Do many women find working in health care rewarding?

Cecile: Healthcare is mission driven and I think many women are interested in contributing to the well-being of others. The world of healthcare is challenging, complex and requires so many diverse skills.

It’s our job to take care of people when they’re sick, to provide safe, quality care and to help build healthy communities. It’s a tremendously rewarding profession and every day there’s an opportunity to feel like you’re doing something truly worthwhile.

One aspect of my job I find most rewarding is overseeing El Camino Hospital’s Community Benefit Grant Program. We address community health needs by funding community partners. The programs we fund work to improve health by offering primary care and mental health services and risk reduction programs to undeserved community members.

SVI: What is the ratio between men and women working in El Camino Hospital?

Cecile: We have 74% female employees and 26% male employees.

SVI: You must enjoy working at El Camino Hospital. You have been there since 1985.

Cecile: Not only does El Camino Hospital provide exceptional, highquality healthcare care services, but it offers a collaborative, supportive

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place to work. One of the things that I’ve experienced at El Camino Hospital is the opportunity to take on different types of jobs and learn new skills. I’ve been able to grow professionally and take on more responsibility because it’s an organization that encourages employees to grow and develop.

When I started in 1985, I was a director of CONCERN: EAP, which is a subsidiary of El Camino Hospital. Over the years, I took on a variety of roles at the hospital including wellness, executive health, occupational health, and overseeing some clinical departments. I am currently the CEO of CONCERN: EAP and the Vice President of Corporate & Community Health Services at El Camino Hospital.

CONCERN: EAP is a premier global employee assistance services firm – supporting some of the most discerning, innovative and instantly recognizable organizations in the world, including many Silicon Valley Fortune 500 companies.

CONCERN helps their clients’ employees stay creative, calm and effective, even when dealing with set-backs, change and pressure.

Exceptionally skilled counselors, work/life services, and unique selfmanagement tools help them work through everyday challenges, life transitions and crises so they can be healthy, focused and resilient.

In both roles, I encourage others to take on projects that they may not know a lot about but believe they can learn. There’s always an opportunity to learn and take on a new big initiative or a new area of responsibility. I think one of best things I’ve done is to help people find passion for their work. It’s been a unique privilege to contribute to El Camino Hospital over all these years.

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W ar for the Planet of the Apes

(War) had its theatrical release in July 2017, and is the third and possibly final installment of the Planet of the Apes reboot series. Originally inspired by Pierre Boulle’s eponymous 1963 novel, the film’s storyline has significant departures; it is preceded by Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Rise) and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (Dawn), released 2011 and 2014, respectively.

The background story, as chronicled in Rise and expanded upon in Dawn and War, is fascinating yet conceivable. Rooted fundamentally in microbiological drama, the story is reminiscent of the zombie virus (e.g., World War Z (2013) and I am Legend (2007)) and the gene mutation story from the X-Men series. In the Planet of the Apes, the Simian Flu is a virus developed in a pharmaceutical firm by Will, a researcher, and released prematurely by the overzealous executive named Jacobs, who is one of the antagonists in Rise. Originally intended not only to treat Alzheimer’s disease but to increase cognitive function and intelligence in its recipients, it turned out, unfortunately, to be fatal to many humans.

At the same time, it is explained that due to differences in the ape’s immune system, the virus is harmless and, in fact, augments brain functioning in apes. Being contagious, it quickly spread across the world, affecting humans and apes on a global scale.

MOVIE REVIEW By

David D. Chen-Zhang

After watching the movie, the first thing that came to mind was that the scene in one prominent poster (below) never really happened.

Source: http://www.impawards.com/2017/ war_for_the_planet_of_the_apes_ver3_ xxlg.html, http://www.imdb.com/title/ tt3450958/mediaviewer/rm1755916800or https://www.foxmovies.com/movies/war-

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for-the-planet-of-the-apes has

a lower-

of War revolves around, or is in resolution version some way connected to, Caesar’s inability, though not unwillingness, I had expected there would be a to forgive. A debilitating traumatic culmination of the man-ape conflict event befell him and, unable to let in a decisive Waterloo-resembling it go, he is driven by anger, hate, battle, which the poster seems to pain and anguish to make irratiosuggest. In actuality, the poster ap- nal decisions and act impulsively. pears to be a collage of shots from In one scene, he would have died, independent scenes in the film. I by allowing himself to be shot am also doubtful if the situation point-blank. He had abandoned his can be described as “war”. Still no-killing mantra, shooting a man with no advanced weaponry and in the woods and wanting to leave medical advances, at least those on- the man’s daughter to die. Though par with that of the humans’, the clouded by emotions, he is aware apes are as it happens, driven into of his mental state, and accepts that hiding. Instead of warfare, it would he is “like Koba” (Koba was a dienot be an overstatement to describe hard man-hating ape that originally the current state of the apes as incited violence between humans “oppression” or “slavery”; a more and apes). Although, we see that in representative title could very well a defining moment, unbeknownst be “Oppression on the Planet of perhaps even to Caesar, Caesar, Man”. Indeed, quite a few apes althrough his actions, shows he is not low themselves to be used as “don- the same as Koba. keys” and willingly do the bidding of man, despite their presumably The counterpoint to all the darkhigher intelligence. For the apes ness is brought about by the innothat are not captured, it is as if they cence and kindness of a young huhave resigned to their hunter-gathman girl, who provides a moment erer lifestyle in the jungles, relying of serenity in a story of darkness on Mother Nature to do the work of wiping out the humans. Bomback, the screenwriter, claims to be influenced by Biblical events – thus, the state of the apes brings to mind the Israelites’ 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.

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that is seemingly purposeless. The movie soundtrack played in several of the scenes featuring the girl, setting the serene atmosphere. Some light humor is also introduced by an eccentric ape character called Bad Ape, although he is decidedly good-natured. Among others, these two characters provide the muchneeded extra dimensions.

Although dark, desolate and mostly devoid of the positive and hopeful outlook of the first film, the film is still powerful and the emotions are no less real. Caesar could not feel, or truly understand Koba, until this film. Initially Caesar and Koba represented the dichotomy of good and evil. One message here is that good and evil in its purest forms only exist in our imaginations. Perhaps we all have a Koba in ourselves at some point, in some capacity or under certain circumstances. And just like Caesar and Koba, there may be great and polarizing differences between many of us, we are very much alike, and have a lot in common.

Contrary to Rise, the debut of the series, where familial love, romantic love, and most importantly, hope, were the overarching themes, the pervading atmosphere in War is dark. In the first film, Will, the human scientist, was the protagonist; we saw Caesar (raised

by Will as his son and now leader of the apes) mostly through his actions, and we had little glimpses of his thoughts. Caesar has now decidedly taken on the role of the protagonist, and what we can remember was that Caesar is always angry or emotional. Much S I L I C O N VA L L E Y I M P R E S S I O N S | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7

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