Cyndi Chen as been working for the betterment of her community for as long as she can remember. Now, after years of volunteer work, Chen is the first administrator of the new Division on the Status of Iowans of Asian and Pacific Island Heritage. She started her job Friday, and she couldn’t be happier to get paid to do the things she’s been doing for years for free: work for the betterment of the Asian community in Iowa and make sure their issues and concerns are not overlooked.

How did your new position come about?

It did not come easily. It took the Asian and Pacific Islander community over 10 years to get this office established. Back in 2001 and 2002, we went to the legislature, and they were very supportive but the funds were not there. In 2004, we were able to get a commission established, the Commission on the Status of Iowans of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage within the state Department of Human Rights. This spring, we lobbied for funding, looking to find our supporters within the Legislature, and the new division was established.

Why was establishing this new office so important?

Our community is split into two groups. On one end, you have people, such as the Chinese, who came to Iowa in the 1860s. They came to advance their education and stayed here to raise their family. The second group dates back to the 1970s. Iowans opened their hearts and arms to welcome refugees from countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos. So we really have two distinct groups. Just take a look at those groups and see the wealth of knowledge about Asian cultures. We all know the 21st century’s economic focus is in Asia. So, it is a really great opportunity for the state of Iowa to really use what we have here to help Iowa businesses to develop opportunities in Asia.

Why do you think it took so long for the new office to be established?

By 2030, [Iowa’s] Asian population will exceed 125,000, which will make us the second largest minority in the state. But there is a cultural issue that keeps Asians from getting noticed. We see a lot Asian students having their problems overlooked because they are seen as advanced students. And culturally, we see teachers, police officers, government officials as authority. And we usually don’t challenge authority. We just move on. It’s a cultural difference. When we were pushing for the division, legislators told us they hadn’t heard from our people and apparently we don’t have a problem. They don’t hear because we see them as an authority and they should know the problems we are facing. We don’t squeak, so we don’t get the oil. It’s an educational process for our legislatorss as well. At work, we don’t complain, and we are often passed over for a promotion. We won’t call it a glass ceiling; we’ll call it a bamboo ceiling.

What are some of the big issues in the Asian community?

We’re dealing with model minority status. People think all Asians are good students, good at mathematics and are good workers who don’t complain. Quite often due to that perception, a lot of problems are being overlooked. And like I said, there are two distinct communities. On one side, median income among Asians and Pacific Islanders is higher, but our poverty rate is higher as well. On one side we have 42 percent of our population with bachelor’s degrees or higher, which is twice as high as the general public. But on the other side, we have a much lower high school graduation rate. One group came here for education; the other came here as refugees and did not have the opportunity for advanced education. They quite often must work more than one job to support their family.

How did you end up in Iowa?

I was born and raised in Taiwan. My dad always taught us we had to help people when we can. Even if we only had a dollar left, we still can share 50 cents. That is what I remember from my father and it’s in the back of my mind all the time. Getting involved is just a part of my life. When I was in college, I joined a group to go to orphanages and tutor orphans. I started teaching the Chinese language to foreigners and an organization I worked for had an exchange program with Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. So that’s how I ended up here. My original intent was just to teach a couple of years, but then I met my husband on campus. I got married in 1987, and that is the rest of my story.

What do you do in your free time?

I love reading. I love classical music and play piano. And I love to go to community events. We had a big party at our home in 2005 for the Chinese New Year. More than 250 people attended. We cooked for three days. When we were in Sioux City, the media came to one of our parties.