Actor/Director/Activist Lou Diamond Phillips and U.S. Rep. Judy Chu Among Participants
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, LOS ANGELES, CA — October 16, 2024 – Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) celebrated their 41st annual gala last night at Vibiana in DTLA. Just weeks before the U.S. general election, the event brought together, in enthusiastic solidarity, nearly 600 Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders in civil rights, social justice, public office, business, entertainment and the arts. Among them were Actor/Director/Activist Lou Diamond Phillips (he/him), U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA 28th District) (she/her), Journalist/gala emcee David Ono (he/him). The evening’s atmosphere was a blend of reflection and celebration, honoring those who have fought tirelessly for the AAPI community. Speeches about AAPI power through voter turnout and voice in the upcoming election electrified the room.
Elaborating on the connection between anti-Asian hate and voter suppression, AJSOCAL CEO Connie Chung Joe (she/her/hers) remarked, “In just a few weeks, AJSOCAL will be deploying some 100 poll monitors into vote centers in LA and OC to demand that our right to vote be respected, in the languages we want and without fear, intimidation or hatred. We need to ensure AAPI votes are protected so that our political voice is heard. Our work moving forward will be driven by our power, not in reaction to fear.”
U.S. Representative Judy Chu kicked off the evening at the reception. Rep. Chu the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress, has worked with AJSOCAL on AAPI issues for over 40 years. During the formal program, the AJSOCAL 2024 Public Image Award was bestowed to esteemed entertainment executive/philanthropist/activist Fritz Friedman (he/him) for his commitment to AAPI representation by award-winning actor, director and activist Lou Diamond Phillips who spoke about his Filipino heritage and long-standing friendship with Friedman. Actor/singer Tia Carrere congratulated Friedman with a personal video greeting. Friedman accepted his award by saying, “I am humbled, thankful and proud since this recognition comes from an extraordinary organization known for its crucial work insuring equal justice for all AAPIs and other underrepresented groups.”
Journalist Denise Dador (she/her) reflected on the 25th Anniversary of the murder of Filipino American hate-crime victim Joseph Illeto and offered an emotional in-memoriam tribute to his mother Lillian Ileto for her anti-violence advocacy. The remembrance included performances by actors/recording artists Jennifer Paz (she/her) and Anthony Fedorov (he/him). The 2024 Joseph Ileto Courage Award, which recognizes unsung heroes, was presented to LGBTQIA+ activist Eddy Gana LCSW (they/them) by Executive Director of Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) Kimmy Maniquis (she/her/siya) and wife of the Inaugural Ileto Award honoree John Eric Swing, Ellen Rodriguez Swing (she). Gana spoke with fervor about identity and FilipinX. Gana and their wife performed a spoken word poem “ISANG BAGSAK” about solidarity across communities. Throughout the evening, music was provided by performers Jennifer Paz and her husband Anthony Fedorov and DJ Gingee (she/her).
Attending were members of AJSOCAL Board of Directors along with Sunset Magazine Editor in Chief Hugh Garvey, Island Pacific SuperMarket Owner Matias Ranillo III, Bank of America LA Market Executive Garret Gin, singer/rapper Alex Reid, artist Audrey Chan, Indie Rap Artist/Creative Producer Dan Matthews, rapper/activist Jason Chu, professor/memoirist Julia Lee, cartoonist/writer Lela Lee, novelist Claire Stanford and more.
*Photos from the evening can be found HERE. Video recap will be available 10/19/2024. *
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) is the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Founded in 1983, AJSOCAL supports over 15,000 individuals and organizations annually. By offering free legal help, engaging in impact litigation, conducting crucial research, and advocating for policy change, AJSOCAL prioritizes the most vulnerable members of AAPI communities while fostering a robust advocacy for civil rights and social justice. Offices are in downtown Los Angeles and Orange County, with satellite offices in Sacramento, ensuring accessibility for all. www. AJSOCAL.org
SPONSORS
Title Sponsor
Bank of America
Presenting Sponsors
Cadillac Island Pacific Market Sunset Magazine
Co-Chairs
| Alliant Bird Marella Capital Group Comcast NBCUniversal East West Bank Edison International | JPMorgan Chase Nielsen Pacific American Fish Company Plum Spring Company U.S. Bank UPS The Walt Disney Company | ABC7 |
Platinum
| Hon. Mike Eng Sidley Austin LLP Walter & Shirley Wang Foundation |
Gold
| Akin Blue Shield of California Cathay Bank Connie Chung Joe & Jeremy Joe GloBeam Health Net IW Group Jamison | Kaiser Permanente King & Spalding Liang Ly LLP Mayer Brown O’Melveny Robin-Hwajin Yoon Kim Foundation SMBC MANUBANK Turbo Charitable Foundation |
Silver
| Annenberg Foundation Bank of Hope California Community Foundation Century Housing Cooley LLP DLA Piper LLP Gaw Capital Advisors USA Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, GRoW @ Annenberg Kendall Brill & Kelly LLP Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis | Latham & Watkins LLP LimNexus LLP Loeb & Loeb LLP Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP Open Bank Red Boat Fish Sauce Sandy Sakamoto & Nolan Maehara Skadden Arps Steptoe Racial Justice Fund Taco Bell Corp. WilmerHale Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation |
Bronze
| Arnold & Porter Cedars-Sinai Crowell & Moring LLP Foley & Lardner LLP Kirkland & Ellis LLP | Martin Lee Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Rebel Hotel Company Sheppard Mullin Walzer Melcher & Yoda LLP Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites |
Community
| Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles Ballard Spahr LLP Berlin Packaging CARECEN Mark Chen & Avni Mehta Alan Dressler & Charmeen Wing DoorDash Faegre, Drinker, Biddle & Reath LLP Holland & Knight Grace Hu Korean American Bar Association of Southern California Little Tokyo Service Center | McDermott Will & Emery LLP Nixon Peabody LLP O’Tasty Foods Inc. Paramount Pictures Search to Involve Pilipino Americans Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association Stewart & Pat Kwoh Troutman Pepper Dahni Tsuboi & Pete Manzo UBS Victoria Pacific Trading Corp. Yang Law Offices |
General Operating Support Partners
| Arian Foundation Bill Tan & Shelly Ushio Carlos and Genevieve Cabanilla Fund Chung Intervivos Trust J.T. Tai & Co. Foundation | Law Office of San San Lee, Inc. Panda Restaurant Group The Takayesu Family Fund Southern California Gas |
In-Kind
| Big Time Affairs Esther & Mark Chinapen Chef Dora Furious Photographers Matisse Flowers | Mezcal 33 Nikaido Oita Mugi Sochu Sespe Creek Distillery Slow & Low Whiskey Vibiana |
MEDIA CONTACT:
Shari Mesulam
Shari@themesulamgroup.com
310-663-0056