Photo by Salangsang for AJSOCALCO/REX/Shutterstock
Pictured above is Brandon Tsay (left) and his sister Brenda (right) with their grandparents (middle), Steve and Joyce, who founded Lai Lai Ballroom.
Written by: Katrina Nguyen, Social Media Analyst
“My family and I are proud to open our doors to welcome you during AAPI Heritage Month alongside AJSOCAL and all of OUR neighbors, friends, families and elected officials… We encourage you to stay and watch all the performances then get onto the dance floor yourselves,” said Lunar New Year hero Brandon Tsay and his sister Brenda.
This past Saturday, AJSOCAL honored AAPI Heritage Month with “A Community Dance” in partnership with Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in Alhambra where the gunman responsible for killing 11 people in a nearby Monterey Park dance hall was disarmed by Brandon Tsay, whose family owns Lai Lai Ballroom.
Lai Lai has been at the center of the Alhambra community for over 30 years. When it opened in 1992, Lai Lai prided itself on being the first ballroom dance studio in the region with a floor larger than 2,400 square feet. The studio has been in the family for three generations starting from Brandon’s grandmother, Joyce Tsay.
For many, with the rise of anti-Asian hate, many seniors felt vulnerable and the dance studios were their place of comfort.
Pictured above is AJSOCAL CEO Connie Chung Joe and staff along with Brandon Tsay and Dancing with the Stars’ Kateryna Klishyna and Ezra Sosa.
“They [The Tsay Family members] don’t want Lai Lai Studio to only be remembered for tragedy… They want to remember the celebration, the beauty of ballroom dance and the strength of our community. It’s an uplifting event that focuses on our community and our strength, not dwelling on the tragedy and the sadness and the grief that it brought all of us,” said Connie Chung Joe, CEO of AJSOCAL.
“I really think that this dance event here today rekindles the joy and the festive nature of dance,” said Brandon Tsay.
Brandon was acknowledged for his bravery with a Certificate of Recognition presented by LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis.
(LEFT TO RIGHT) FIRST ROW: Monterey Park Community Healing Fund Hon. Bryant Yang, Monterey Park City Treasurer Amy Lee, Monterey Park City Councilmember Yvonnie Yiu, Hon. Mike Eng, Monterey Park Councilmember Vinh Ngo, Mayor of Alhambra Adele Andrade-Stadler, U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu, CEO AJSOCAL Connie Chung Joe, Mountain View School District Board Member Cindy Wu, Lunar New Year victim’s daughter Kristenne Reidy, Monterey Park Councilmember Henry Lo, Lai Lai Ballroom and Tsay Family members: Steve, Joyce and Brenda Tsay, Lunar New Year massacre witness Lloyd Gock, Comedian Joe Wong, Lunar New Year Hero Brandon Tsay, Lunar New Year massacre witness Nikon Lou. SECOND ROW: Supervisor Hilda Solis’ Justice Deputy Esther Lim, Former Monterey Park Mayor Hon. David Lau, Monterey Park Mayor Pro Tem Thomas Wong, CA Assemblymember Mike Fong.
This free dance event in San Gabriel Valley celebrated joy and healing in the AAPI community with live performances, dancing, kids’ activities, food, a DJ and more!
With special guest comedian Joe Wong and dance performances featuring Dancing with the Stars’ Kateryna Klishyna and Ezra Sosa, you could feel excitement and joy filling the dance floor. Among those performing included: Millie and Paul Cao, Maks Kapitanchuk, Manon & Kanon Iwata, Pavel “Pasha” Balykin and Charmeen Wing, Vlad Ogurtsov and Kristi Semochko, and Afeenix Rising, a Latin/Hip Hop Dance group from Granada. At the end of the program, community members were encouraged to take to the stage and dance the evening away.
Special thank you to all of our sponsors since, without them, none of that would have been possible!
Event partners included: Mayor of Alhambra Adele Andrade-Stadler; Alhambra Councilmembers Katherine Lee and Jeff Maloney; Alhambra Chamber of Commerce; Asian Pacific Community Fund; Asian Youth Center; Big Time Affairs; Chinatown Service Center;
Additional support was provided by Lai Lai Ballroom, Panda Restaurant Group, Phoenix Food Boutique, Big Time Affairs, Bopomofo Café, Yang’s Kitchen, Courtyard Marriott Monterey Park, Granada LA, Home Depot Monterey Park, Tochi Snacks, Studio 7 Graphics, Top Shelf Vocal, Writer/Producer Ed Lee, Producer Kelley Parker and DJ Curtis Toyota.
About Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California
AJSOCAL is celebrating its 40th anniversary throughout the year of 2023 with a series of events that gather the community, amplify the forces of good and propel the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) movement forward. The anniversary builds upon the milestones of social justice that unified Asian Americans upon AJSOCAL’s founding in 1983. The non-profit is the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for AAPI. AJSOCAL serves more than 15,000 individuals and organizations every year. Through direct services, impact litigation and policy advocacy AJSOCAL focuses on the most vulnerable members of AAPI communities while building a strong voice for civil rights and social justice. More info is at AJSOCAL.org
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photo credit: Photo by Salangsang for AJSOCALCO/REX/Shutterstock