Asian Leaders Alliance Newsletter #19
By Julie K. Ea; Edited by Brian Pang
Author’s Note: Today, we are saddened to learn about the passing of Davian Nguyen, the co-owner of Jackfroot, an Asian news media & entertainment company. We send our condolences to Davian’s family and friends. There is no current obituary or information on a public celebration of life but we will share updates. We encourage everyone to take time for themselves and reach out for help when they need it. There are now many organizations focused on Asian-American mental health — if needed, we will connect you with a practitioner.
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Hello ALA -Welcome to our first newsletter of 2023. As we start Women’s History Month, we want to look back at the many events that have occurred and look forward to many more to come.
Reflecting on 2023 thus far, we acknowledge the shootings Monterey Park, CA and Half Moon Bay, CA as well as the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. These tragedies have profoundly impacted our community and we’ve included continued ways to help the victims and their families further below.
We also want to recognize and celebrate our successes, from the awards sweep for Everything, Everywhere All at Once and the visibility it has provided to the many contributions of Asian women in our community and the impact that they’ve made.
2023 has already been a challenging year but our community continues to rally together. ALA will continue to serve the community as a platform that equips and empowers Asians, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and allies to develop as leaders in the workplace and communities, to advocate, serve, and drive collective impact through E/BRGs and partner organizations.
Additionally, a very happy Holi to everyone who celebrates! We hope you have a joyous celebration!
Join ALA
ALA as a platform, enables connections and collective impact and is open to all. Join our community on Slack and the Event Portal to directly interact, share, and uplift each other across ALA.
Support Monterey Park, Half Moon Bay, and Turkey/Syria
Like many of you, we were devastated by the events that occurred in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay where 17 lives were tragically taken. We continue to mourn the loss of:
Asian Leaders Alliance stands by our community as we collectively mourn the lost lives of:
Valentino Marcos Alvero, 68
Hongying Jian, 62
Yu Lun Kao, 72
Lilan Li, 63
Ming Wei Ma, 72
My My Nhan, 65
Diana Man Ling Tom, 70
Muoi Dai Ung, 67
Chia Ling Yau, 76
Xiujuan Yu, 57
Wen Tau Yu, 64
Yetao Bing, 43
Qizhong Cheng, 66
Marciano Martinez Jimenez, 50
Zhishen Liu, 73
Jingzhi Lu, 64
Aixiang Zhang, 74
Jose Romero Perez, 38
ALA supported the nationwide rallies and vigils that were organized in January and February (including the SF vigil). The GoFundMe for Monterey Park raised over $1 million and is no longer accepting donations. The Monterey Park Community Healing Fund has been created and continues to accept contributions from the community and business. The Half Moon Bay Victims Fund remains live and is still accepting donations, for those who have the means to contribute monetarily.
Additionally, we would like to draw attention to the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria that have impacted tens of thousands of people. This GoFundMe page has been created with different ways to help the families and victims. There are individual campaigns that GoFundMe has verified as well as links to larger organizations that are supporting efforts.
If your company matches donations, consider applying if you’re able to donate!
Workplace Justice
Coqual, a global, nonprofit think tank and advisory group that addresses bias and uncover barriers to advancement for underrepresented populations in the workplace, released a report on “The Erasure and Invisibility of Pacific Islander Professionals.” The 16-page report disaggregates “Asians as a monolith” by separating sub-ethnic groups to East Asian, South Asian, and Southeast Asian. Some key highlights include:
- Two-thirds of Asian and Asian American professionals say ongoing violence has damaged their Mental Health
- Asian and Asian American professionals are 17% less likely than White professionals to say they’ve received a promotion at their current company
- Asian and Asian American professionals experience perpetual foreigner microaggressions more frequently than White and Black professionals
- Companies can use Coqual’s Audit, Awaken, Act framework to address many of these issues.
See the full report for more detailed information.
Upcoming Events
Ascend Inspiring Across Generations (IAG) — March 10; 2pm PT
Join Acend NorCal and Accenture as they celebrate International Women’s History Month. Topics will include: Empowering AAPI Women and Pan Asians to Ascend: Breaking Barriers, Celebrating Achievements, and Charting a Path to a Brighter Future.
If you’re in the Bay Area, the event is in-person with networking and a happy hour. There will also be a Virtual Stream of the panel discussion.
For more information or to RSVP, click here.
Always With Us Vigil — March 16
On the second anniversary of the Atlanta Shootings, we gather to celebrate our community’s strength and demand change. There will be in-person events in Atlanta, Denver, Detroit, New York City, and San Francisco. There will also be a virtual event. See https://alwayswithus.org.
- March 16th Toolkit will be updated with resources and key information to help Asian ERGs prepare for the anniversary.
- We encourage you to take the day off to mourn, reflect, process, heal, and participate in the events surrounding this.
Asians are Strong and Stand With Asians are hosting a local event on March 12. See their websites for more information/which city they will be in
See ALA’s Event Portal for more upcoming events
Partner Updates
AsAmNews — AsAmNews is a community of users interested in reading, learning and commenting on news, events, people & issues in the Asian Americans and Pacific Islander communities. Check out their website to learn more about what’s happening across our diverse communities and even consider contributing if you have a story to share!
NextShark — Sign up for SharkBites, a free newsletter from our friends at NextShark, published daily, curates the latest news serving Asian communities world-wide.
- About NextShark: NextShark is a leading source covering Asian and Asian American news including business, culture, entertainment, politics, tech and lifestyle. We strive to provide the best and up-to-date coverage for our communities all over the world.
- Please share widely through your networks, and sign up so that we, and our allies, can all stay updated on important news impacting our communities.
Woo Woo Company — Alice Hu is a Career Astrologer and the founder of Woo Woo Company. At her company, she facilitates wellness programming for organizations as a fractional Chief Mindfulness Officer, showcasing how mindfulness is a powerful tool for business. Alice offers both corporate AAPI programming and 1:1 career astrology sessions.
For AAPI programming, Alice can lead sessions like How to Release Generational Trauma, Activate Your Voice and Step into Your Power, Accessing Your Authentic Self to Feel More Confident and Empowered. See here corporate offerings here.
Alice’s 1:1 sessions leverages astrology to help creators and entrepreneurs redefine their identity, uncover what’s holding them back, and upgrade their mindsets to create aligned, thriving businesses. SATURN is a website that shows you that astrology can help you with next steps in your career or if you want to start a business. Get your free career astrology report here.
Act To Change — This nonprofit focuses on anti-bullying for AAPI youth and is looking for board members and an executive director! Check out their website for more information on the organization. They are also seeking corporate sponsorships for May 18 the National AAPI Day Against Bullying. See below for more information.
- Deck for Corporate Sponsorships (also attached)
- Deck for Individual Sponsorships (also attached)
Gold House Book Club — Sign up for Gold House’s Book Club where they curate a series of books virtual events to help API better understand their identity and culture. With the help of an esteemed Advisory Council composed of API writers, activists, and academics, they will release a reading list every six months based on an identity-driven theme.
Gold House Futures Network — Created to amplify, unify, and uplift the next generation of API creatives, entrepreneurs, and social impact leaders, the goal of the Futures Network is to provide support to take everyone to the next level. Applications are now open to join the network. See here to learn more or apply.
Let’s Go Yum Cha Again! — Alister Felix, Yenna Mariana
Take kids on another adventure through the sights, smells, and sounds of eating sweet dim sum!
Eat your way through another dim sum adventure filled with sweet treats and eats. Kids will learn about some typical dishes like egg tarts and will be able to order them on their own in no time. Read along and charm your child with the wonders of Chinese culture, food, and love.
Young and old, savory and sweet, this dim sum adventure is for everyone! Are you ready to order dim sum?
Purchase here
Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century — Alice Wong
One in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some disabilities are visible, others less apparent — but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. Activist Alice Wong brings together this urgent, galvanizing collection of contemporary essays by disabled people, just in time for the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act,
From Harriet McBryde Johnson’s account of her debate with Peter Singer over her own personhood to original pieces by authors like Keah Brown and Haben Girma; from blog posts, manifestos, and eulogies to Congressional testimonies, and beyond: this anthology gives a glimpse into the rich complexity of the disabled experience, highlighting the passions, talents, and everyday lives of this community. It invites readers to question their own understandings. It celebrates and documents disability culture in the now. It looks to the future and the past with hope and love.
