Civic Leadership Forum Silicon Valley To Launch “All Of Us Belong Right Here” Music Video On Sept. 3rd – Lily Mei
Lily Mei Mayor of Fremont; Candidate for State Senate
On Sept. 3rd, Silicon Valley Community Media and Ding Ding TV launched the music video “All of Us Belong Right Here” as a part of the Civic Leadership Forum Silicon Valley. The music video is a collaborative community effort. Over 60 people participated in the making of the video, and 20 elected officials made an appearance. Joel Wong (the chair of National Asian Americans United) composed the lyrics and music. Ding Ding TV produced the video.
“All of Us Belong Right Here” is the first music video to promote diversity and the “Stop the Hate” campaign in Silicon Valley. Almost 70 people attended Civic Leadership Forum Silicon Valley at Ding Ding TV studio.
“All of Us Belong Here” affirms the message – each wave of immigrants into the U. S. brought something unique with them and contributed to the greatness of our country.
A panel followed the launch. It included:
- Lisa Gillmor (Mayor of Santa Clara)
- Lily Mei (Mayor of Fremont)
- Ken Fong (Founder and Chairman of Kenson Ventures)
- Jay Chen (President of the Board of Trustees for Mt. San Antonio Community College, Lieutenant Commander US Navy).
Joel Wong (the President of National Asia American PAC) asked each participant about the spike in Anti-Asian hate crimes and what they plan to do about it.
Lisa Gillmor (Mayor of Santa Clara and Candidate for Re-election) spoke about hateful rhetoric that started at the beginning of the pandemic and the rising number of Anti-Asian hate crimes targeting individuals and businesses. Mayor Gillmor called it a health crisis and a human rights crisis. She stated: “By working together in our city and standing in solidarity with our Asian American and Pacific Islander brothers and sisters, we can work to create a more just and compassionate society. This music video is the perfect bridge to connect all of us and remind us that we all belong here.”
Lily Mei (Mayor of Fremont and Candidate for Senate) stressed the importance of not just talking about Anti-Asian hate crimes but the need to take action. We cannot be a bystander but an upstander. She stated: “The only way to make a change is to be a part of it. You can’t make a change in something you are not involved in.”
Jeff Lee (the President of Wah Ying Club) spoke about his family’s personal experience with Anti-Asian hate crimes. His daughter was a victim of an attack when she was seven and again at 40 during the pandemic. Jeff Lee stressed the need to work together with other communities: “We need to bring back a healthy community of economic and social relations.”
Ken Fong (Founder and Chairman of Kenson Ventures) spoke of the guilt he feels as a businessman who used to think he didn’t have the time to get involved. But if we do not get involved, we become the problem and not the solution.
Jay Chen (President of the Board of Trustees for Mt. San Antonio Community College, Lieutenant Commander US Navy) spoke about Anti-Asian hate and how it is nothing new. He said: “This is a great country because of its diversity. The minute we start to make the strength of our country feel unwelcomed, our country will start to suffer.”
Community partners for the event included Kenson Ventures, National Asian Americans United, California State Library, Ethnic Media Service, CLUSA, Studio One, OneVetOnebote, Music Land School of Music, Jane Huang Dance Academy, American Chinese Youth Performing Art Foundation, American Teochow Foundation, and Cupertino Rotary Club.
Ding Ding TV and Civic Leadership USA created Civic Leadership Forum in 2016 to provide a platform for the next generation of the AAPI community and empower them to participate in civic engagement and leadership. Likewise, the forums aim to create a national network of AAPI civic-minded organizations and have them and their leaders work in unity.
So far, over 2000 elected officials, community leaders, students, and parents have participated in the events. The forum’s content reached over 200.000 people in Silicon Valley Bay Area and the United States.
This Civic Leadership Forum was supported in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.
Learn more at http://www.dingdingtv.com
