Fortune Cookies and More

This week, I am saluting the ingenious idea of an Asian community in one of the states of this country. To me, this is why they call America the land of opportunity and possibilities. If you have the drive, the will and know how to work hard, then anything is possible. Well, kind of!

An Asian in the state of XOX saw a need for a center that catered to the need of this minority group. After numerous meetings and debates with the state and city and district authorities, a bill was created pending approval based on the results of the election on November 7, 2006. If the bill would pass, then the state would provide the funding to build the center and provide a certain annual budget for a fixed period of time.

To get enough votes for their bill, the Asian community needed to raise awareness of this bill, and the dire need for “yes” votes. But a minority group that did not have an extravagant campaign or a savvy lobbyist and enough monetary means to promote the idea was at its rope end, when a light bulb went on and an ingenious idea was formed!! The owner of the idea went to a printer and for $240.00 printed a batch of messages that are inserted into the fortune cookies in the Asian restaurants. On one side of the paper, the regular fortune was printed, and on the other side, instead of the customary lottery number, it said to vote for XOX (the bill). The message was inserted into the fortune cookies and was distributed throughout the state in every Asian restaurant that carried and distributed them. People did notice, because it did start a commotion and a debate about the legality of the nature of promotion. But in the meantime, the bill passed and the creation of the center is in full swing, thanks to the fortune cookies!

The way I see it, new ideas and creativity is the foundation of this new world that is about two centuries old. I can’t but wonder if this Asian person could have done the same in his own country. But then again, if he could, would he have been here?
On the other hand, if he were not living here, would there be a need for this center and all the brainstorming for a creative idea to fund it? The need is the mother of every invention. Either way, Kudos to the brilliant mind who saw vast potential in fortune cookies.