8Asians | An Asian American collaborative blog

• 0:00:00 – 0:04:30 – Pledge of Allegiance, Moment of Silence for Joe Montano (Northern Virginia Regional Representative for Senator Tim Kaine), Welcome – DNC AAPI Caucus Chair Bel Leong Hong
• 0:04:30 – 0:08:10 – Amy Dacey, CEO of the Democratic National Committee
• 0:08:10 – 0:15:45 – Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro
• 0:15:45 – 0:21:55 – United States Deputy Secretary of Labor Chris Lu

• 0:21:55 – 0:49:15 – Panel – “Our Voice. Shaping and Delivering Our Message.”
  • Richard Liu, APIAVote Board Member, MSNBC  – moderator
  • Bing Chen, digital media entrepreneur
  • Greg Cendana, Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)
  • Olivia Chow, Deputy Director of Digital Communications, 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee
  • Toby Chaudhuri, Vice President, Strategic Communications and National Partnerships at Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

• 0:49:15 – 0:52:25 – California State Member of the Board of Equalization Fiona Ma
• 0:52:25 – 0:57:35 – California State Treasurer John Chiang
• 0:57:35 – 1:00:00 – California State Assemblyman Evan Low
• 1:00:00 – 1:03:00 – Stephanie Murphy, Democratic candidate for Congress (7th Congressional District, Florida)
• 1:03:00 – 1:12:20 – Commissioner on the United States Commission on Civil Rights Karen Narasaki
• 1:12:20 – 1:14:55 – Theresa Mah,  Illinois Representative, 2nd District (first Asian American to serve in the Illinois State Legislature – starting in January 2017)
• 1:14:55 – 1:17:35 – Helen Gym, Philadelphia City Council Member
• 1:17:35 – 1:22:55 – Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (D-IL, 8^th District), candidate for Senate
• 1:25:10 – 1:31:45 – Mini Timmaraju, National Women’s Vote Director at Hillary for America
• 1:31:45 – 1:34:10 – Michigan State Representative Sam Singh (D-East Lansing)
• 1:34:10 – 1:38:20 – Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office Michelle Lee
• 1:38:20– 1:42:40 – AAPIs running for public office
• 1:42:40– 1:53:50 – Senator Mazie Hirono  (D-Hawaii)
• 1:53:50– 1:56:15 – Koustubh “K.J.” Bagchi, Director of AAPI and Small Business Engagement, Democratic National Committee
• 1:56:15 – 2:02:05 – Hillary for America AAPI Outreach Director Jason Tengco and group selfie

• 2:02:05 – 2:08:30 – Panel – “On Being Involved”
  • Dilawar Syed, entrepreneur, Silicon Valley executive
  • Erika Moritsugu, Assistant Secretary, Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
  • Francey Youngberg, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Engagement at U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and HUD representative to the White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders.

• 2:08:30 – 2:10:45 – Closing Remarks – DNC AAPI Caucus Chair Bel Leong Hong

Continue reading →

Master of Ceremonies – Cynthia Gouw

Speakers:

• 0:00:00 – 0:01:20 – So Jun Lim, Korean American Association of the Washington Metro Area
• 0:01:20 – 0:03:10 – Bob Nash, Bob J. Nash & Associates
• 0:03:10 – 0:05:45 – Congresswoman & Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Judy Chu (D-California, 32nd Congressional District)
• 0:05:45 – 0:09:20 – James Lee Witt, Head of Witt Global Partners and former FEMA director
• 0:09:20 – 0:12:30 – Andy Toy, Philadelphia AAPI Community Leader
• 0:12:30 – 0:13:40 – Mike Fong, Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees
• 0:13:40 – 0:14:17 – Congressman Ted Lieu (D-California, 33rd Congressional District)
• 0:14:17 – 0:16:05 – Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-New York, 6^th Congressional District)
• 0:16:05 – 0:18:25 – Raja Krishnamoorthi, Democratic candidate for 8th Congressional District of Illinois
• 0:18:25 – 0:20:25 – William Tong, Connecticut House of Representatives from the 147th district
• 0:20:25 – 0:22:40 – DNC AAPI Caucus Chair Bel Leong Hong
• 0:22:40 – 0:25:15 – Mark Keam,  member of Virginia’s District in the House of Delegates, District 35
• 0:25:15 – 0:26:45 – California State Treasurer John Chiang and candidate for Governor of California 2018
• 0:26:45 – 0:28:20 – Deputy Secretary of Labor Chris Lu
• 0:28:20 – 0:30:05 – Mayor Garden Grove, California and Democratic Congressional candidate (California, District Bao Nguyen
• 0:30:05 – 0:31:35 – Kevin Kamenetz, County Executive of Baltimore County, Maryland
• 0:31:35 – 0:34:30 – Moment of Silence – Black Lives Matter
• Peter Van Do, Director of the Pan-Asian American Community House at the University of Pennsylvania
• Melody Lam, Co-Director and Founder, Philadelphia Asian Pacific American Youth Assembly (PAPAYA) an former Mid-Atlantic Coordinator, East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU) and former Co-President Temple University Asian Students Association
• 0:34:30– 0:35:20 – Mabel Chan, Philadelphia AAPI community leader, Joy Tsin Lau Chinese Restaurant
• 0:35:20– 0:37:05 – Chairwoman California Board of Equalization & Candidate for California State Treasurer Fiona Ma
• 0:37:05 – 0:39:25 – Theresa Mah,  Illinois Representative, 2nd District (first Asian American to serve in the Illinois State Legislature – starting in January 2017)
• 0:39:25 – 0:41:00 – Sheriff of Philadelphia Jewell Williams
• 0:41:00 – 0:42:20 – Josina Morita, Cook County Board, Illinois
• 0:42:20 – 0:43:10 – Democratic National Committee
• 0:43:10 – 0:45:08 – Filipino Americans for Hillary
• 0:45:08 – 0:46:30 – Congressman Mike Honda (D-California, District 17)
• 0:46:30 – 0:48:40 – Helen Gym, Philadelphia City Council Member
• 0:48:40 – 0:49:30 – Ronald Joseph, Temple College Democrats
• 0:49:30 – 0:50:18 – Final Words – Andy Toy, Philadelphia AAPI Community Leader

Continue reading →

Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) &  Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) co-hosted the 2016 Presidential Election Forum on Friday, August 12th:

“Since 2008, the Presidential Election Forum has served as a forum for AAPIs to push for AAPI issues to be addressed and on the radar of campaigns and the media. In giving presidential candidates a space to directly address AAPI community members, leaders, and organizers, the Election Forum has become one of the few spaces geared specifically for candidates to speak directly to AAPIs, about AAPIs. “

This year, all four major party candidates were represented:

Attendees used social media and the hashtag #PowerUp to note the importance of having four presidential campaigns address the AAPI community — former President Bill Clinton represented Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, Utah’s Attorney General Sean Reyes represented Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, Libertarian presidential nominee former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, and Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein.

Continue reading →

Briefing

• 0:00:00 – 0:05:00 – Christine Chen, Executive Director, Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote)
• 0:05:00 – 0:12:30 – Gregory Cendana, Executive Director of Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and Institute for Asian Pacific American Leadership & Advancement (IAPALA)
• 0:12:30 – 0:12:30 – Christopher Kang, National Director, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)
• 0:12:30 – 0:24:35 – Christopher Kang, National Director, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)
• 0:24:35 – 0:34:35 – Mee Moua, President and Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC)
• 0:34:35 – 0:41:00 – Sayu Bhojwani, Executive Director, The New American Leaders Project
• 0:41:00 – 0:42:27 – Final remarks before Reception Kick-off later in the afternoon, Christine Chen, Executive Director, APIAVote

Almost four year ago in September 2012, I attended the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina and first met Christine Chen, Executive Director of Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), where she was being honored for her work as its founding Executive Director from 2006-2008 and returning in Janutary 2011 to serve again as its Executive Director.

Me & Christine Chen, Executive Director, Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote)

Since then, I’ve seen Christine many times during her visits in the San Francisco Bay area, as well as at this year’s APIAVote event at the 2016 Democratic National Convention – Briefing & Kick-off Reception. APIAVote is a national nonpartisan organization that works with partners to mobilize Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in electoral and civic participation.

Continue reading →

• 0:00:00 – 0:03:00 – Pledge of Allegiance, Welcome, Moment of Silence for Congressman Mark Takai (D-Hawaii, 1st District) – DNC AAPI Caucus Chair Bel Leong Hong
• 0:03:00 – 0:07:48 – Tribute to Congressman Mark Takai (D-Hawaii, 1st District) – Jadine Nielsen, DNC AAPI Caucus Vice Chair & delegate from Hawaii
• 0:07:48 – 0:17:20 – Congresswoman and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair, Judy Chu
• 0:17:20 – 0:28:15 – Congressman Mike Honda (D-California, 17th District)
• 0:28:15 – 0:34:25 – Congressman Ami Bera (D-California, 7th District)
• 0:34:25 – 0:44:30 – Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam)
• 0:44:30 – 0:50:15 – Congressman Xavier Becerra (D-California, 34th District)
• 0:50:15 – 0:58:00 – Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota)
• 0:58:00 – 1:05:10 – Mayor of San Francisco, California – Ed Lee
• 1:05:10 – 1:10:20  – DNC AAPI Caucus Chair Bel Leong Hong

• 1:10:20 – 1:25:40 – Panel 1 – “Seize the Moment”
  • Dilawar Syed, entrepreneur, Silicon Valley executive
  • Jenny Yang, Chair, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
  • Irene Bueno, consultant & formerly served in the Clinton administration
  • Professor Taeku Lee, University of California at Berkeley

• 1:26:50 – 1:32:00 – Congressman Mark Takano (D-California, 41st District)
• 1:32:00 – 1:38:25 – Raja Krishnamoorthi, Democratic candidate for 8th Congressional District of Illinois

• 1:38:25 – 1:58:45 – Panel 2 –“ Our Persona, Our Fight For Visibility”
  • Kesha Ram, candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, Vermont House of Representative
  • Constance Wu, actress, Fresh Off The Boat
  • Mark Keam,  member of Virginia’s District in the House of Delegates, District 35

• 1:58:45 – 2:00:32 – Final remarks – DNC AAPI Caucus Chair Bel Leong Hong

Continue reading →