What does the world look like as reported on the pages of California's growing ethnic newspapers? PNS for two years has monitored the Chinese-, Spanish-, Vietnamese-, Japanese, Arab-language news media as well as English-language newcomer and native-born ethnic press published and/or distributed widely in California. Every month PNS has released a digest of select items. This week, we're sending two samples of a column of gleanings we will publish weekly in 1999, compiled by PNS and written by Emil Guillermo, executive producer and host of PNS's New California Media weekly TV show. Just as the alternative news media connected the disaffected populations in the 1960s, so in the 1990s the ethnic media connects the new ethnic majority communities of California -- to one another and to the larger public forum. We hope you will find the column an intriguing window into the new California. (Second of two columns)

THE RULE OF LAW WINS

Li Wen-chung, writing in the Chinese-language World Journal (San Francisco edition), says the process in the Senate will be "a long trek with a lot of surprises along the way." Clinton's lying exposes deep structural flaws in the American political system, Li writes. "Clinton's impeachment is not the result of an ideological or party struggle but a struggle between right and wrong, the rule of law and rule by individuals. Now right and wrong have been made clear and the rule of law has won out."

NO SURPRISE -- AND PROBABLY NO CHANGE

The Lianhe Zaobao in Singapore writes: "The impeachment vote in the House came as no surprise for anyone who has been following the American political scene for the last few weeks. It was pretty clear that the Republicans care for nothing except getting Clinton out of office.

"To thwart this the White House used every imaginable legal stratagem. Of course Clinton couldn't say he suddenly decided to bomb Iraq in order to delay the impeachment vote in the House. But it's quite evident that most Republicans in the House believe this.

"Ever since Clinton entered the White Houses, he's gone through lots of storms. Not only has he come out unscathed but his standing with the people has gone up and up. The main reason is that the US has been quite prosperous , and a lot of voters attribute this to White House leadership.

"No doubt Clinton is a master politician. And he shines when he uses his will and flexibility to fight the stormy currents pressing in on him."

JAPAN'S STANCE ON IRAQ ATTACK

As for the attack on Iraq, Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun reported Japanese Foreign Minister Takamura Masahiko clarified the country's position: Support for the Anglo-American bombing raids, he said, was aimed only at getting rid of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. He emphasized that the American request for support "did not include the overthrow of Saddam Hussein."

ARAB PRESS SEES MIXED MESSAGES

As-Sharq al-Ausat (London) complained of mixed messages from the United States. President Clinton has stressed success in the strikes against military and political targets, it reported, while American officials say privately their aim is not overthrowing Saddam Husssein but rather "intensive containment." 

In a commentary, Fehmi Howeidi -- an Egyptian known for his moderate Islamist stance -- wrote "It's OK to kill Muslims except during Ramadan." Watching the Iraq bombing on TV, Howedi said, was like watching a football match.

NOT CRIMINAL, JUST RUN OF THE MILL DEPORTEES

Tough new INS laws are supposed to target immigrant criminals for deportation. But the majority of deportees still tend to be people simply seeking economic opportunity -- at least in the Korean community.

The number of Koreans deported from the US has increased 41 percent in the last fiscal year, up from 122 to 172, according to the Korea Times (San Francisco). The number of criminals actually decreased. Most of those deported had overstayed their visas.

ASIAN ON THE GRIDIRON -- A NEW PIGSKIN HERO

Vietnamese newspapers, Calitoday and Thoi Bao papers, are celebrating the emergence of a real American hero -- Vietnamese American linebacker Dat Nguyen of Texas A&M. Dat, who is 5-foot-11 and weighs 221 pounds, was named winner of the 29th annual Lombardi Award as the nation's top collegiate lineman. He set a record for tackles at Texas A&M.

Dat's parents fled Vietnam in 1975 with his five brothers and sisters and Dat, the sixth child, on the way. He was born in a refugee camp in Arkansas before the family moved to Texas.