Panel Discussion: The challenges facing Asian Americans and how can we work together to build a strong community

After Erika Moritsugu’s interview on September 24th at Commonwealth Club, Ding Ding TV hosted a panel discussion to follow up,  discussed the challenges facing Asian Americans and how can we work together to build a strong community.

• Critical Issues Facing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
• How to support Asian Americans each other

Date: Oct 6th, 2021    7pm   PST

Moderator:         

Diana Ding

Founder & CEO

Ding Ding TV

Hong Nguyen-Phuong

Co-Producer

Asian Americans Networks

Vandana Kumar

Founder & CEO

India Currents

Panelist:

Joel Wong

President

National Asian American United (NAAUnited)

Dennis Wu

Chair

San Francisco Community Alliance for Unity, Safty and Education

Peter Hsieh

President

Monte Jade West Science & Tech Association

Albert Wang

Board Member at Citizens for Better Community

Two Community Events Featuring Erika Moritsugu

Presented by SFCAUSE and the Commonwealth Club

September 24 & 25, 2021

SFCAUSE (San Francisco Community Alliance for Unity, Safety, and Education) and the Commonwealth Club were the proud presenters of two virtual events featuring Erika Moritsugu the Deputy Assistant and Senior AAPI Liaison to President Biden. This event was co-sponsored by over 40 AAPI, Technological/Business, and fellow minority organizations. It was a rare opportunity for our Silicon Valley and Chinatown communities in the San Francisco Bay Area to have a direct and intimate exchange of ideas with Moritsugu, the AAPI representative to the White House.

1. Friday, September 25, 2021, 7-8:00 pm PST – Challenges and Opportunities Facing Asian Americans. Moderator – Dion Lim

1. Saturday, September 26, 2021, 3-5:00 pm PST – Anti-Asian Hate & the Economic Issues Facing Our Chinatowns. Panelists: Carl Chan; George Q. Chen; Cynthia Choi; Annie Chung; Lily Mei; Vincent Wang. Moderator Nancy Tung.

Highlights of Challenges and Opportunities Facing Asian Americans: Erika was introduced by Even Lowe and the session was moderated by Emmy award-winning news anchor, reporter, and author Dion Lim from ABC7/KGO-TV in San Francisco. Erika started off with a litany of what the White House is doing, including: forming critical partnerships across all sectors to fight anti-Asian hate crimes; the Build Back Better Agenda to rebuild our economy, our infrastructure and a public transportation system to help lower income Americans; and ensuring the successes and advancement of the Asian American/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities.

The highlight of Biden’s accomplishment was the signing on May 20, 2021, the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act, in response to the rise in hate attacks against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) during the coronavirus pandemic. Erika’s statements were followed by a Q&A session moderated by Dion Lim. The conversation was very encompassing as both spoke from their personal experience and from their heart.

For more information please view the entire event @https://youtu.be/aSEVs3NU0-o and its Mandarin Simulcast @ https://youtu.be/laN78ouv5Sc)

Anti-Asian Hate & the Economic Issues Facing Our Chinatowns.

The panelists were Carl Chan; George Q. Chen; Cynthia Choi; Annie Chung; Lily Mei; and Vincent Wang. This was a most dynamic session ablely moderated by Nancy Tung.

• Carl Chan, President of Oakland Chinatown’s Chamber of Commerce, and a victim of a hate attack incident in April 2021
• George Q. Chen, Owner, Founder, and Chairman of China Live
• Cynthia Choi, Co-Executive Director of CAA, founding partner of Stop AAPI Hate
• Annie Chung, President and CEO, Self Help for the Elderly
• Lily Mei, Mayor, City of Fremont
• Vincent Wang, Chair, Ohio Chinese American Association

Each of the panelists spoke from their own background and from their own personal community involvement perspective as Asian American leaders/advocates. Their experience reinforced each other and they spoke in unity. Their unique experiences and their common theme created a synergy that was felt by the audience. Erika listened attentively and promised to bring our common experience and concerns back to the Administration. For more information please view the entire event @_______________.

Overall Take Away for the Two Programs:

• We are extremely pleased that the events were supported by over 40 organizations including those from the Jewish, African American and other minority organizations.
• Erika Moritsugu, is the AAPI representative and advisor to President Biden. She articulated Biden’s agenda and was willing to listen to our collective concerns from the leaders of our community.
• Many issues were raised and articulated, including Anti-Asian Hate, fate of the elderly and the economically disadvantaged, and especially how the China Initiative can hurt the US economic competitiveness.
• These are the first Commonwealth Club programs simulcasted in Mandarin and Cantonese. We hope that they will reach beyond English speaking audiences.
• We congratulate Dion Lim for her courage and persistence in relentlessly reporting Asian Hate crimes, for which we honored her with the Champion of Truth Award.
• We hope these events have galvanized our communities in the SF Bay Area.
• We thank Erika for her time and her ear. We are looking forward to her bringing our concerns to Biden’s administration and we look forward to having further conversations with her.

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Erika Moritsugu was appointed in April 2021 as the Deputy Assistant to the President and
AAPI Senior Liaison. She was selected to lead a newly formed Congressional team to lead an
enterprise-wide advocacy strategy, including economic and health justice. Erika also serves as
the Vice President at National Partnership for Women & Families and previously served under
Julian Castro in the Obama Administration as the Assistant Secretary for Congressional and
Intergovernmental Relations at the Department. of Housing and Urban Development

中文同传：拜登总统副助手，亚太裔高级联络专员Erika Moritsugu谈亚裔美国人面临的挑战和机遇

Thanks to our community partners: