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Fiona Ma is the State Treasurer of California, the first woman of color, and the first woman Certified Public Accountant (CPA) elected to the position in the state's history.
She is also chairwoman of the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
This is the 30th year that AAPIHM has been nationally recognized, paying tribute to the experiences and enriching contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities to American society, history, and culture.
During AAPIHM, we recognize, honor, and celebrate the vibrant and diverse heritage of the AAPI community. While it is a time to reflect backward on our histories and stories, it is also an opportunity to take stock in today’s world and look forward, together, aspiring to create a better future.
Now more than ever, our AAPI narrative needs to be acknowledged and shared to build better solidarity across ethnicities, nationalities, and age groups. By unlocking and learning from our collective AAPI histories, we can challenge the unprecedented times we currently live in, and inspire our community to reshape a tomorrow that is stronger and brighter for generations to come.
In Korean, Sa-i-gu, or April 29, is a date that lives in infamy in the hearts of Southern California’s Korean American population.
It refers to the 1992 Los Angeles riots that occurred following the acquittal of four LAPD officers in the beating of Rodney King.
As part of the condemnation of the acquittal by Los Angeles citizens, the region experienced anarchic rioting that included ransacking and looting of hundreds of businesses in L.A.'s Koreatown.
Today, Sa-i-gu serves as a day both of remembrance as well as solidarity for the Korean American community.
Get your cape or your uniform on! April 28 is National Superhero Day, honoring all heroes, both real and fictional.
Heroes are the people we look up to, who inspire us and protect us. They are role models for children and teach them values and kindness.
And they’re pretty awesome and sometimes blaze trails for the next generation.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization proposed World Book Day as a day of celebrating the joy of reading for enjoyment.
The AWDB celebrates and ensures that World Book Day sends a powerful and positive message about books and reading through AAPI narratives and AAPI history.
Happy Earth Day!
The AsianWeek Database Project is thankful for all the work AAPI leaders and communities are doing to care for the environment,
Photo credit: @ffcommunityfarm
From the Archives: AsianWeek Special Edition
With the guidance and vision of AARP's Daphne Kwok, AsianWeek's special editions provide valuable and relevant resources and information. The AAPI initiative aims to help reach the nearly 6 million AAPIs age 50 or older.
Happy South & Southeast Asian Solar New Year! This holiday goes by many names with varying traditions across Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand - as well as parts of India, Vietnam, and China.
In many countries, a common element is the importance of water, which symbolizes cleansing in the New Year.
Throughout the AAPI community in the United States, Water Festivals are celebrated in dedication to the preservation, protection, and sharing of cultural heritages of the Southeast Asian Americans. These celebrates of water come with the blessings, food, crafts, performances, and dragon boat races.
Ramadan is the holy month celebrated by the Muslim community throughout the world and the Muslim AAPI community for 30 days.
It is a time for self-reflection, giving, and compassion, performing small deeds of kindness in the spirit of strengthening the betterment of one another for the greater good.
The greater goodness of many begins with one small action.
Let us maximize our collective efforts and think bigger, for the greater good of our families, our friends, and our community.
Ramadan Mubarak!
On This Date in History
April 11, 2003: Better Luck Tomorrow makes its U.S. premiere.
"Better Luck Tomorrow" (aka BLT) is an crime-drama indie film directed by Taiwanese American filmmaker Justin Lin. Featuring an all-Asian American cast, BLT centers on suburban Asian American high schoolers who explore a sordid world of crime beyond their mundane academic overachieving. Its innovative and magnetic storytelling and direction helped launch the career of Lin.
Today, BLT is admired for its trailblazing disruption of Asian American representation in Hollywood in ways that still resonate strongly today.
"BLT is unique in that it is truly an American story." - Philip W. Chung, AsianWeek, March 14, 2003.
Today, we spotlight social media accounts focused on addressing increased AAPI representation in communications, media, and entertainment.
This compilation is but a fraction of the growing list of support resources and events surrounding this important time within the AAPI community. If you see a resource missing from this list, please share below.
On This Date in History: March 29, 2017
The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 was signed into law, designating every March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
Today we honor Vietnam War Veterans Day, annually every March 29th, and we recognize the Asian American men and women who served the U.S. during the Vietnam War.
President Jimmy Carter issued Proclamation 4650, the first presidential proclamation, for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week
The proclamation came after a House Resolution introduced by New York Congressman Frank Horton and California Rep. Norman Mineta on October 5, 1978, to designate the seven-day period beginning on May 4, 1979, as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.”
In this official proclamation, Carter spoke of the significant role AAPIs have played “in the creation of a dynamic and pluralistic American society with their contributions to the sciences, arts, industry, government, and commerce.”
“Asians of diverse origins-from China, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, and Southeast Asia-continued to look to America as a land of hope, opportunity, and freedom.”
The President officially declared the week beginning on May 4, 1979, as the first Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.
However, the law did not designate the week as an annual celebration community organizations and advocates were required to submit new requests annually to have the bull reauthorized.
Holi is here! Often referred to as the “Festival of Colors,” Holi is a national holiday in India that is celebrated in the U.S and around the world to welcome the beginning of spring.
Popularly known for its bright and colorful powders, Holi signifies coming together to embark on new beginnings.
According to the lunar calendar, this year Holi is celebrated across March 28th and 29th.
Wishing everyone a happy and safe Holi!
She was born Mildred Sevilla in 1939 in New Jersey to Filipino immigrants.
After graduating college, in pursuit of a show business career, she changed her name to Sumi Haru on the advice of an acting coach who noticed almost all of the roles being offered to Asian American actors were for Japanese characters.
Haru had a few small parts in movies and television shows in the 1960s and 1970s, including the film "MASH" and TV series "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Hill Street Blues." Later, her focus became AAPI-related storytelling: her one-woman show, “Iron Lotus,” produced by the acclaimed East West Players writers’ workshop, was designed for audiences from university Asian American studies and women’s studies departments.
Yet, it was Haru's activism within numerous leadership positions that helped pave the way for AAPI actors to get more realistic representation in Hollywood. She co-founded the Association of Asian Pacific American Artists and the Screen Actors Guild's Ethnic Employment Opportunities Committee, the latter helped negotiate affirmative action clauses into contracts. In 1995, Haru became the first and only woman of color to serve as interim president of the SAG, and she was later elected as its first vice president and served on the SAG National Board.
Haru was a contributing columnist for AsianWeek for eight years, covering various national AAPI entertainment news. In 2012, she published “Iron Lotus: Memoirs of Sumi Sevilla Haru," spotlighting her illustrious journey championing Asian American representation in entertainment.
She died in October 2014 at age 75.
"I broke some glass ceilings. I’m sure the next generation of Pilipino Americans will push the bar a whole lot higher than I did.”
#StopAAPIHate
n the recent wake of surges in high-profile anti-AAPI hate, violence, and death, communities across the country have united to stand up against racism and racial discrimination. These communities of different backgrounds are coming together in support of one another to combat hateful rhetoric and acts.
For more information on individuals, organizations, and coalitions rallying together to show support of communities suffering from all forms of racism, please follow these accounts:
@asiansforblacklivesmatter
@asians4antiracism
@hateisavirus
@asiansforblacklivesco
@asianboard
@naacp
@aclu_nationwide
@stand.with.asians
AAPIs Making History:
Tammy Duckworth
In celebration of Senator Tammy Duckworth's 53rd birthday today, the AWDB honors her groundbreaking service to the United States both as a U.S. Army veteran and now as a government official. Her remarkable story of trailblazing accomplishments and continued leadership serve as inspiration for the AAPI community, women, and persons with disabilities everywhere.
AsianWeek Staff Spotlight: Gerrye Wong (columnist, 1989-2009)
The AsianWeek Database Project spotlights former AsianWeek columnist Gerrye Wong and her service to the Asian American community and beyond. Wong was a contributor for 20 years, covering Chinese American culture, politics, and history.
She currently has a community blog on Ding Ding TV online and is a guest columnist for Gentry Magazine. Learn more about Wong and her work at AsianWeek and read more of her recent writings at:
Gerrye's column: www.dingdingtv.com
AWDB: asianweek.com
For #InternationalWomensDay, the AWDB is spotlighting accounts and organizations that empower and champion AAPI women, recognize their achievements, and uplift the collective spirit of the communities they serve.
Follow these accounts to stay up to date.
Congratulations to Chloe Zhao, the first Asian woman to win the Golden Globe for Best Director for her film "Nomadland."
On February 28th, Chinese dictator Chloe Zhao became the first Asian woman to win the Golden Globe of Best Director for her film, “Nomadland.” She is just the second woman in history to win the award, last achieved 37 years ago.
The 38-year-old Beijing-born filmmaker further made history, also accepting the award for Best Motion Picture, Drama.
Zhao went to boarding school in London and completed high school in Los Angeles. She studied film production at New York University’s Tisch School of Arts. Her work includes a best first feature nomination at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and a prestigious Golden Lion award at the 2020 Venice Film Festival.
Zhao has also directed the Marvel Cinematic Universe film “Eternals,” set for release in November 2021.
At the AsianWeek Database Project, we believe our voices are most powerful when they come together.
With the recent onslaught of anti-Asian sentiment, racism and violence, we're spotlighting news organizations providing umbrella coverage of major national AAPI-related news and stories.
Follow these accounts to stay up to date.