THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 6, 1995 TAG: 9512050112
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Ida K. Chen broke the stereotype of Chinese-Americans, she told the Organization of Chinese Americans, Eastern Virginia Chapter, Saturday night.
``I didn't graduate at the top of my law school class,'' she said, to peals of laughter at the organization's annual banquet/awards ceremony at its center on Newtown Road.
Chen, 43, failed to mention that she graduated from Temple University with a bachelor's degree in journalism in only two years. She also received her law degree from Temple.
She later rectified her academic gaffe by becoming the first Asian-American woman to be elected a judge in Pennsylvania. She has presided in the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia since 1988.
Chen, who was born in Hong Kong and moved the United States as a child, was the keynote speaker of the evening. Her 30-minute speech to the crowd of about 100 was filled with humor and instructive anecdotes about her route to the bench.
Chen campaigned for her position following a judicial scandal that left vacancies in 1987. Being politically naive, she studied the state's constitution and discovered that judges are not bound by political parties. She ran as a Democrat - and Republican, too.
She joked about advice that she received from a politically savvy husband-and-wife team. One admonished her to ``never bend your principles.'' The other told Chen that she would ``have to do a lot of kissing up.''
Chen credited her support from disparate groups as the key to her win. That support included ethnic organizations as well as an endorsement from a gay and lesbian newspaper.
To a student's question about becoming involved in the political process, Chen stressed inclusionary, not exclusionary, representation. One may run and win as a minority candidate, she said, but ``you have to remember to represent all the people'' once elected.
Chen knows whereof she speaks. She worked as a trial lawyer for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for 10 years and handled claims of discrimination throughout the mid-Atlantic region.
At the banquet, she watched students receiving recognition for their academic and extracurricular activities and commented upon the emphasis on achievement in Chinese-American homes.
Her own parents aren't particularly impressed with her judgeship. Instead, ``They want to talk about my teaching,'' she said. Chen has lectured on ``Women and the Law'' at her alma mater since 1983. She was the first Asian-American woman to teach at a law school outside of Hawaii and California.
Shewling Wong, a director of the local organization, liked Chen's speech so much that she wanted to invite her back for the 10th annual banquet next year.
Wong was responsible for delivering Chen to the airport early the next morning so Chen could get back to Philadelphia and to work.
``I hear hundreds of cases each week,'' explained Chen, whose court adjudicates domestic and juvenile cases. ``I don't want to miss any time.''
She did have time for one more witty remark: ``Besides, I'll have to be re-elected.''
Unlike her initial campaign, her re-election only requires more ``yes'' than ``no'' votes.
Chen left Virginia Beach with more than a grateful audience: she presented a $100 check for the organization's youth program. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY EDWARDS
Ida K. Chen, the first Asian-American woman to be elected a judge in
Pennsylvania, spoke to the Eastern Virginia chapter of the
Organization of Chinese Americans in Virginia Beach.
by CNB