Leading By Example
The month of March is filled with juxtapositions between celebrations and reflections birthed by tragedies. It is in this month that we observe March 8th as International Women’s Day, celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women; yet at the same time across the globe, we watch brave Ukrainian women escaping with their young and their old or taking up arms fighting for their country. As we also commemorate the month of March as National Women’s History Month, we acknowledge the fact that throughout history, women have had to pay the ultimate price of wars waged by power-hungry men. I would be remiss to not mention that a year ago in March we experienced the horrific Atlanta spa shootings that led to the tragic deaths of eight AAPI women. It is always the mothers, grandmothers, wives, daughters, and sisters who will have to pick up the pieces of the shattered lives.
Although the Stop Asian hate movement have awakened the AAPI community to speak out against the hate crimes, we are still dealing with the fact that majority of the attacks against AAPI women are still occurring. We can’t talk about this issue only when another AAPI woman is brutally murdered. Whether or not it’s labeled a hate crime, let’s face it, with 74% of AAPI women reporting to have experienced racism and/or discrimination this past year, the results are a sobering reminder on the current state of safety for AAPI women in the US (National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum). There needs to be a long-term commitment from the community and from those in positions of power to direct resources to address the issues that AAPI women face.
Model Minority
Rapper/Activist Jason Chu speaks hope and healing in a broken world, blending high energy performances with thoughtfully crafted lyricism.
Most recently, Jason's work has been presented on the National Mall in Washington DC (In America: Remember) and curated in the LA Dept. of Cultural Affairs virtual exhibition Reimagine Public Art: House and Home.
His music has been heard on Warrior (HBO Max), Snowpiercer (TNT), and Wu Assassins (Netflix). He has shared poetry at the Obama White House, been featured in the Chinese American Museum of LA, and presented at the Getty Center, Flushing Town Hall (with Joe Kye), and the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center (with Clairobscur Dance). Jason tours extensively, with hundreds of shows across the US and worldwide.
As an expert on AAPI identity and hip-hop culture, Jason has spoken and led workshops at UPenn, Dragon*Con, NYU, Yale, and beyond. He is a contributor to the St. James Encyclopedia of Hip Hop Culture.
Follow Jason at @jasonchumusic everywhere.
Congratulations Eddie!
After nearly a decade of exemplary performance in local government, our President, Eddie Yen has been promoted as the Assistant Executive Officer at the Executive Office of the Board of Supervisors, where he will oversee Technology, Planning, Legislation, the Assessment Appeals Board and Operations. This includes overseeing the Board operations.
The Executive Office manages technology, staffing, procurement and facilities, as well as the publication of information for the LA County Board of Supervisors, various County depts and the public. The office also oversees the Office of Inspector General and other County commissions, such as the Sheriff’s Civilian Oversight Commission, Office of Child Protection, Commission on Disabilities, and the County Equity Oversight Panel.
President’s Message
When I became president of this association over three years ago, our goals were to develop programs focused on networking and cultural appreciation. We were known to host wonderful banquets, Meet and Greets, annual Heritage Day and Fish Fry. Over the last two years LACAAEA (pronounced La-Say-Ah) has been on a journey to determine what benefits we needed to provide to add value to a LACAAEA membership.