On the evening of May 25, 2007 at the Ocean Star Seafood Restaurant in Monterey Park, nine members from LACAAEA attended the first annual Asian Pacific Heritage Dinner sponsored by the Asian Pacific Probation Association (APPA). 

APPA originally celebrated with an annual holiday celebration dinner in December but it was decided by the current APPA board to celebrate Asian Pacific Islander (API) Heritage Month with a dinner rather than having a holiday celebration dinner. LACAAEA has been a major supporter of APPA since a handful of API probation officers met in Alhambra after work hours 15 years ago. Past president of LACAAEA, Howard Takata was instrumental in advising the first APPA president, Ernie Takemoto, to organize APPA.

In 1992, the Probation Dept. had approximately 4,000 probation officers employed but less than 60 API probation officers. The other two major ethnic groups were represented by the Mexican American Correctional Association and Black Probation Officers Association and made requests and demands for their constituencies. Asians were not being represented and because there was no employee association representing the Asians, Asians were not even recognized by the department.

After the initial meeting in Alhambra in 1992, APPA was formed using LACAAEA as a model and several conversations with Howard Takata. APPA received some major assistance from APALC (Asian Pacific American Legal Center) and Kathy Imahara who had won a major case for Los Angeles Police Departments’s API police officers for fair and equal recruitment and promotions of APIs. APPA received some assistance from Kathy Imahara who represented APPA at several meetings with the department and the other employee associations. Due to APALC and Kathys efforts, APPA was able to receive some notoriety and a voice in the recruitment of API’s in the community. APPA was also able to bring to the attention of the department some of the issues and needs of the API community. APIs continue to be under represented but since 1992 the number of API probation officers has more than doubled and recruiting in the API community has increased. APPA has not only been active in recruiting in the API community but has provided information and services to the API community and families dealing with youth gang problems and drug issues. Seminars, workshops, counseling sessions are conducted in the community to assist parents and the various agencies to hopefully alleviate these problem areas.

APPA’s Asian Pacific Heritage Month Banquet is to honor and celebrate the accomplishments of individuals and organizations that have assisted APPA in working with API individuals and families and to be proud of their API heritage. Many notable politicians and community leaders were present at the dinner including Special Guests: Vice Chair, State Board of Equalization Judy Chu, Police Chief Jones M Moy of Monterey Park, Police Chief  David Lawton from San Gabriel Police Department, Deputy Chief of Staff Royal Thai Police, Senior Deputy to Mike Antonovich Jay Gomez and various organizations and associations, including Local 685, too numerous to remember. We were treated to a wonderful 10 course Chinese dinner by Ocean Star Seafood Restaurant and the keynote speech was eloquently presented by Robert B. Taylor, Chief Probation Officer, Los Angeles County Probation Department. Chief Taylor is a newly appointed department head and LACAAEA will be honoring him and several other new department heads at a Meet and Greet on June 28, 2007. Please plan on joining us at this event. The Association would like to cordially invite you to attend our monthly meetings and become more involved with supporting and organization which has been in existence for over 30 years.