Recently, we have seen numerous despairing events involving Americans of Chinese and Taiwanese descent being subjected to published attacks based on unsubstantiated narratives, which were highlighted in last month’s Los Angeles Times article by Russ Mitchell. Those targeted by these attacks include people well-known in the wider community, as well as many who have been friends and stalwart supporters of ASSC. One such person is the former Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti, who was part of Asia Society’s inaugural class for Asia 21 and is serving as US ambassador to India. Because of his awareness of Southern California’s position as the nexus of the Pacific Rim, he has consistently advocated for a broad range of ties with Asia, appreciating that it is always better to open channels of dialogue on multiple planes – business, political and cultural. Questioning the patriotism of those who pursue open communications in this way should not be acceptable to any of us.

The in-person program "Politics of Anti-Asian American Rhetoric" will take place on Wednesday, May 31 at 6 pm at the US Bank Tower Conference Center in downtown Los Angeles. Speakers will include: Manjusha (Manju) Kulkarni, Executive Director, AAPI Equity Alliance; Co-Founder, Stop AAPI Hate; Connie Chung Joe, CEO, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California; Congressman Andy Kim (D-NJ-03) with award-winning journalist Lisa Ling's moderation. Join us for this important conversation on the unfortunate epidemic of racism in the US.

Speakers:

Connie Chung Joe
CEO, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California

Connie Chung Joe, JD, is the Chief Executive Officer of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Prior to joining in August 2020, Joe served as the Executive Director of the Korean American Family Services (KFAM) for 11 years. Under Joe's leadership, KFAM nearly quadrupled its budget and staff, with culturally and linguistically responsive services to immigrant families, particularly those struggling with mental health, domestic/family violence, and acculturation stresses. Prior to joining KFAM, Joe was a public interest lawyer for seven years. She worked at the Housing Rights Center in Los Angeles representing clients in fair housing cases and the American Civil Liberties Union in Chicago working on immigrant’s rights, reproductive rights, post-9/11 racial profiling, police accountability and First Amendment cases. Joe received her BA in Spanish and International Relations from USC and her JD from Georgetown University Law Center.

Rep. Andy Kim
Representative D-NJ 3rd District

Congressman Andy Kim represents the Third Congressional District of New Jersey. Congressman Kim has dedicated his life to serving the country. He worked as a career public servant under both Democrats and Republicans, having served at USAID, the Pentagon, the State Department, the White House National Security Council, and in Afghanistan as an advisor to Generals Petraeus and Allen.

In the House of Representatives, Congressman Kim is working on an agenda to bring this country together and strengthen its national and economic security. He supports strong measures that boost our economy by investing in small businesses and innovation, creating fairness and opportunities for working families, and honoring America's promises to military families and veterans.

Congressman Kim and his wife are currently raising two little boys down the street from where he grew up.

Manjusha (Manju) Kulkarni
Executive Director of AAPI Equity Alliance
Co-Founder, Stop AAPI Hate

Manjusha P. Kulkarni (Manju) is the Executive Director of AAPI Equity Alliance, which serves and represents the 1.6 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles County. In March 2020, Kulkarni co-founded Stop AAPI Hate, the nation’s leading aggregator of COVID-19-related hate incidents against AAPIs.

Alongside fellow Stop AAPI Hate co-founders Cynthia Choi and Russell Jeung, Kulkarni has been recognized as an honoree of the prestigious TIME100 Most Influential People and Bloomberg 50 lists, and as a recipient of the 2021 Webby Social Movement of the Year award. More recently, she was awarded a spot on the 2022 Forbes 50 Over 50 list for her leadership in advancing the Stop AAPI Hate movement. 

Kulkarni's work has been featured in the New York Times, NPR and CNN, as well as in numerous local and ethnic media outlets. As part of her advocacy work on behalf of AAPI communities, Kulkarni has shared her expertise with countless individuals and entities including the Aspen Institute, the World Bank and the United Nations.

Kulkarni serves on the Board of Directors of LA Voice and is a member of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission and the California Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board. Kulkarni holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University and a Juris Doctor degree from Boston University School of Law.

Moderator:

Lisa Ling
Journalist, Television Personality, and Author

Lisa Ling is currently the host of This Is Life with Lisa Ling on CNN and has a new show on HBO called Take Out with Lisa Ling. Previously, she was a reporter on Channel One News, a co-host on the ABC daytime talk show The View, the host of National Geographic Explorer, and a special correspondent for The Oprah Winfrey Show and later hosted Our America with Lisa Ling on OWN.