Yee Backs Down on Acupuncture Bill After Korean Community Outcry
Editor's Note: This story was updated to reflect the new version of Senate Bill 628 that was approved on Monday. The bill would expand licensing to practitioners who work in traditional Chinese Medicine traumatology. The amended bill omitted the provision that would have changed the name of the California Acupuncture Board to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Board.
State Sen. Leland Yee bowed to pressure from the Korean community this week over a bill that would have put the word "Chinese" in the name of the state's acupuncture licensing agency.
The version of Senate Bill 628 that Yee introduced in February would have changed the name of the California Acupuncture Board to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Board, in addition to officially recognizing and certifying practitioners of traumatology, the treatment of injuries. On Monday, the Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development approved a version of the measure that was amended to keep the board's current name.
The legislation had met with strong opposition from members of the state's Korean community, who said the proposed name change ignored the fact that many Koreans continue to practice a similar form of medicine.
Soon after Yee's proposal was announced, the Korea Times reports, the Association of Korean Asian Medicine and Acupuncture of California gathered more than 3,000 signatures statewide to oppose the name change. During a meeting with Yee in early March, the group urged him to back away from the new name, describing it as "offensive" to Korean and other Asian communities.
In-soon Lee, the head of the association's Northern California branch, runs a private clinic in San Jose that administers traditional Korean medicine to patients. She said there are "over 50 members" in Northern California, all of whom run similar clinics. "They all participated in the petition opposing the name change," Lee said.
In defense of the bill, Yee had explained that the existing title of the board does not do justice to the range of treatment administered by licensed practitioners, including herbal remedies, massage therapy and dietary recommendations. Yee called on fellow Chinese-Americans to support the bill "to protect our culture."
Yee is running for mayor in San Francisco, a city that is roughly one-fifth Chinese. He lacks the support of influential Chinatown leader Rose Pak, who helped engineer the appointment of interim Mayor Ed Lee and has been trying to persuade Lee to run in November. Yee's decision in February to side with the Chinese community over environmentalists in opposing a ban on the sale of shark fin drew considerable controversy.
Chinese medicine practitioners have welcomed SB 628's expansion of licensing to fields beyond acupuncture. Three hundred supporters, mainly from the Bay Area, attended the committee hearing Monday in Sacramento. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the American Traditional Chinese Medical Traumatology Association hosted a news conference in San Francisco's Chinatown in support of the legislation.
If the measure passes, California will become the first state to license practitioners of traditional medical traumatology, according to the World Journal.
Ho Ying Heng, president of the American Traditional Chinese Medical Traumatology Association, told the World Journal that Leland Yee had visited China three times to learn more about Chinese traumatology. The bill's passage would mean a lot to the Chinese community and the traumatology industry, he said.
Iun Kang Cen, executive secretary of the American Traditional Chinese Medical Traumatology Association, added that the bill would give patients more protection, since the practice of traditional Chinese traumatology would be monitored by a government agency.
The traumatology provisions of the bill still stand, although large swaths of the text describing acupuncture as a part of traditional Chinese medicine have been excised.
"The Korean community and Korean acupuncturists should be completely fine with this," Adam Keigwin, Yee's chief of staff, said Thursday.
But some in the Korean community remain skeptical. In-soon Lee said she suspected Yee's willingness to change had more to do with his mayoral ambitions in San Francisco than with her group's concerns.
"If he makes a similar proposal in the future, we will be there to oppose it," she said.
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Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
seriously? must be a bunch of bored korean housewives. most all traditional asian medicines orignated from China anyway....not sure what they're whining about.
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
How many Korean acupuncturists are in parctice in the states? 10，20，50?
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
why waste our tax dollar on issue like name change bill????
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
Chinese is good for faking things. Every counterfeit should have Chinese name on it.
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
"Chinese is good for faking things"? Did you get that from Google translator?
How's about you get off the computer and go back to your TOEFL class.
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
Is this the same Leland Yee who was up in arms over a radio talk show host being culturally insensitive to the Chinese? Maybe Yee needs to take some of his own medicine...so to speak. As for the Koreans being upset about the name... they themselves use the use the Chinese name to describe Chinese medicine as practiced in Korea; 中醫學
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
It's called traditional Chinese medicine everywhere. Sure wasn't invented (and hardly even improved) in Korea!
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
Is this the same Leland Yee who was up in arms over a radio talk show host being culturally insensitive to the Chinese? Maybe Yee needs to take some of his own medicine...so to speak. As for the Koreans being upset about the name... they themselves use the use the Chinese name to describe Chinese medicine as practiced in Korea; 中醫學
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
Is this the same Leland Yee who was up in arms over a radio talk show host being culturally insensitive to the Chinese? Maybe Yee needs to take some of his own medicine...so to speak. As for the Koreans being upset about the name... they themselves use the use the Chinese name to describe Chinese medicine as practiced in Korea; 中醫學
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
WHO CARES
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
Oh Koreans...
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
That stuff never works. Chinese, Koreans or whatever. It's all a big scam!
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
This communist Chinese so called State Senator Leland Yee is a joke.
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
"why waste our tax dollars on issue like name change bill????"
Precisely.
The issue is not acupuncture, nor are 99.9% of the other Frivolous bills these lifetime politicians dream up while talking loud and saying nothing...
The issue is Too Many Politicians With Too Much Time On Their Hands. The issue - at its very core, is a Full-Time Legislature - and the imperative need to Dismantle that paradigm - Soon.
Your Liberty (or what's left of it), is at stake -
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
Ahhhh, Koreans. Who cares what they think. China is a far more interesting country with a much warmer people. I have lived in both countries, and I have found that Koreans are selfish, hypocritical, and downright irritating to be around whereas the Chinese are genuinely kind hearted, diligent and downright open minded. Korean Americans tend to irritate me with their arrogance whereas Chinese Americans tend to interest me. For real, Koreans, get over yourselves. Nobody cares.
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
Chinese koreans there both racist aholes who cares.
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
We should rename all Asian Accupressure to Korean Whore house.
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
Traditional EASTERN MEDICINE is more appropriate. As a European-American and licensed acupuncturist for 20 years, I've studied Japanese, Korean, and TIbetan acupuncture and herbal medicine. All utilize similar philosophy, needles, cupping, and herbal formulas. Each has it's strengths and we can
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
The article is about a proposed name change. Why do most of you boil it down to which culture is superior? Does it make you sleep better at night knowing there are bigots just as ignorant as you?
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
The article is about a proposed name change. Why do most of you boil it down to which culture is superior? Does it make you sleep better at night knowing there are bigots just as ignorant as you?
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
How many Korean acupuncturists are in parctice in the states? 10，20，50?
I'd say a big fat zero.
Most Koreans are very decent people. But this is stupid, just as stupid as a few Koreans think Confucius isn't Chinese but Korean.
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
get a life --- stop caring your feelings on your shoulders and grow up....
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
why don't we stick a needle up yee's bleep and send him on a one way fact finding trip to china once and for all this time. maybe he can get a job making iphones for 50 cents a month and try not to commit suicide from the horrible slave conditions there in the advanced civilization of modern mainland china.
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
The idea of selling "chinese products" applies only to chinese, at substandard level. Only way to expand the medial benefits in U.S. should be "using general names".
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
adjust to USA society third worlders. asians, stop killing whales and sharks. still, that is head and shoulders above islam! still, you asians can be savage towards other animals (non-humans) too. your savagery towards humans appears to be a thing of the past, unlike islam.
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
Why everytime we talk on acupuncture, it needs to be Chinese? Could we stated Acupuncture, just simple and generic like that?
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
Perhaps you haven't met my Asian friend, Phock Yu.
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
the earliest archeological evidence of acupuncture is found in Germany, not China; but I'm sure Yee has no clue about that.
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
Just because Koreans practice it does not mean that it is not Chinese Traditional Medicine.
Anonymous
Posted May 6 2011
Who cares what the Koreans think
Anonymous
Posted May 15 2011
Acupuncture came from China not Korea. The senator is doing a good job.... go Leland Yee!!!!!!!
Anonymous
Posted May 31 2011
Sb628 is a trick to all licensed acupuncturists in California.
The main purpose of SB628 is not change the name of Acupuncture Board to TCM, TEM, TM - TKM, ---etc, Senator Yee just wanted to favor a certain small group people (traumatologists, they claimed they have the bone setting and fracture treating skills inherited from their ancestors, do not have any medical training or background, do not want to study even one hour at any message or Tui Na or acupuncture schools) to be legalized under Acupuncture board without study and taking Acupuncture Board examination.
In order to successfully passed this selfish and "killer's" bill, some stupid or smart people suggest Senator to tie the two things together, (change to TCM board and legalized traumatologists). Because majority Chinese acupuncturists will of course support TCM, Senator Yee just used TCM to exange for Chinese acupuncturists support for legalized traumatologists.
All of us, all of the California residents should all united together to oppose this "cheating" bill.
I doubt how this bill could pass two hearings at Senate already.
Put non educated people under acupuncture board, which would encourage all the lazy people to not study, they can claim they had skills from their ancestors and they claimed themselves as traumatologists, then they don't need to study, they don't need to pass examination, they will be
legalized to practice, to treat patients and claim insurance.
Let all united together, to oppose this bill. Please broadcast this message to the majority community and have the medical helping us to watch this illegal bill.
Please download the bill's text and read it carefully, then you will find out the trick.
Anonymous
Posted May 31 2011
Sb628 is a trick to all licensed acupuncturists in California.
The main purpose of SB628 is not change the name of Acupuncture Board to TCM, TEM, TM - TKM, ---etc, Senator Yee just wanted to favor a certain small group people (traumatologists, they claimed they have the bone setting and fracture treating skills inherited from their ancestors, do not have any medical training or background, do not want to study even one hour at any message or Tui Na or acupuncture schools) to be legalized under Acupuncture board without study and taking Acupuncture Board examination.
In order to successfully passed this selfish and "killer's" bill, some stupid or smart people suggest Senator to tie the two things together, (change to TCM board and legalized traumatologists). Because majority Chinese acupuncturists will of course support TCM, Senator Yee just used TCM to exange for Chinese acupuncturists support for legalized traumatologists.
All of us, all of the California residents should all united together to oppose this "cheating" bill.
I doubt how this bill could pass two hearings at Senate already.
Put non educated people under acupuncture board, which would encourage all the lazy people to not study, they can claim they had skills from their ancestors and they claimed themselves as traumatologists, then they don't need to study, they don't need to pass examination, they will be
legalized to practice, to treat patients and claim insurance.
Let all united together, to oppose this bill. Please broadcast this message to the majority community and have the medical helping us to watch this illegal bill.
Please download the bill's text and read it carefully, then you will find out the trick.
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