FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 28, 2022
ARTISTS, LEADERS AND ALLIES OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN NATIVE HAWAIIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITIES CELEBRATE AT AJSOCAL’S 39TH ANNIVERSARY GALA
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) hosted their 39th anniversary Gala with a vibrant celebration on Thursday, October 27th, 2022 at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) in Little Tokyo.
Over 500 guests—including API artists, leaders and allies—gathered to uplift the evening’s theme, “UNITED: ART IN ACTION”, to celebrate the power of AANHPI creativity and expression in its social justice movement. Highlights of the evening were the Joseph Ileto Courage Award presented to Jamie Yancovitz—CEO and founder of SurvivalArts, dedicated to protecting and healing victims from violence through indigenous arts. The gala celebrated the outdoor JANM exhibit and flash card series An American Vocabulary: Words in Action by Audrey Chan and jason chu. Chan and chu are fellows of the Artists at Work program, a collaboration with JANM.
Among artists in attendance were: Audrey Chan, visual artist (ARTISTS AT WORK), jason chu, hip hop poet (ARTISTS AT WORK), Paget Kagy, actor (BIG SHOT), Sueann Han (FOUR BROTHERS), Cheryl Koh, singer/songwriter (CRAZY RICH ASIANS), Mei Melancon, actor (THE L WORD), Kelly Li Mi, actor (BLING EMPIRE), MAX WANG, cinematographer (ANIMAL WORLD), Samuel Ameen, cinematographer (MY NAME IS LOPEZ), Kevin Tancharoen, director (MORTAL KOMBAT), Kevin Tran, actor (GREATEST BEER RUN EVER), Ciara Riley Wilson, actor (LA’s FINEST), Anthony Dominici, executive producer (LEGO MASTERS), Rich Kim, director (MASTERCHEF), Grace Lee-Toumanidis, executive producer (SPARKING JOY WITH MARIE KONDO), KiKi Yeung, comedian (CRAZY WOKE ASIANS), Yoonj Kim, actor/producer (TAKEPART LIVE), and Bao Nguyen, director (BE WATER).
Among leaders of the AANHPI community were: Connie Chung Joe, CEO, AJSOCAL, Rob Bonta (CA ATTORNEY GENERAL), Denise Dador, correspondent (ABC7 News), Hon. Mike Eng (former CA STATE ASSEMBLY), Hon. Mike Fong, (CA STATE ASSEMBLY), Hon. Ernest Hiroshige (LA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT), Stewart Kwoh, API civil rights attorney (AJSOCAL), Hon. David Ryu, former LA City Councilmember, and Ileto Courage Award Honoree Jamie Yancovitz (SURVIVALARTS).
Among AJSOCAL Board of Directors in attendance were: Paul Chan (BIRD MARELLA), Vincent Gonzalez (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAS), Peter Huh (PACIFIC AMERICAN FISH COMPANY), Jackie Jackson (ECHO GLOBAL LOGISTICS), Joon Kim (COMCAST), Phillip Lee (JAMISON SERVICES), San San Lee (LAW OFFICE OF SAN SAN LEE), Jade Leung (THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY), John Lim (LIMNEXUS), Olivia Samad (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON), Sandy Sakamoto (LIMNEXUS), Anne Shintaku (MICROSOFT), Nita Song (IW GROUP), Vanna Tran (NIELSEN), Spring Wang (54 Green Street Realty), Calista Wu (CALISTAR), and Jack Yeh (Sidley Austin).
Performances included: Farishtey, Bhangra dance group; St. James’ School, Korean drummers, and DJ Gingee, Filipina American percussionist/vocalist.
Connie Chung Joe, CEO, AJSOCAL remarked during the program, “To all of us here today, our job is to stand together, shoulder to shoulder, kick up dirt, and protect one another from attacks because we’ve got a multiracial democracy to protect. Thank you to our sponsors for supporting our organization and for all of you here tonight to celebrate with us.”
| Co-Chairs: | |
| Bird, Marella, Boxer, Wolpert, Nessim, | Jamison Services |
| Drooks, Lincenberg & Rhow, P.C. | LA Magazine/Pasadena Magazine |
| Cadillac | Pacific American Fish Co |
| Capital Group | The Walt Disney Company | ABC7 |
| Comcast l NBCUniversal | UPS |
| General Support Partners: | Diamond Sponsors: |
| Abbvie | Chung Intervivos Trust |
| Bank of America | |
| Panda Restaurant Group | |
| Southern California Gas Company | |
| Lionsgate | |
| NFL Foundation | |
| SoundCloud | |
| Platinum Sponsors: | |
| GRoW @ Annenberg and Gregory | Sidley Austin, LLP |
| Annenberg Weingarten | Telemundo |
| Law Office of San San Lee, Inc. | The Cabanilla Family |
| LimNexus LLP | Zwift |
| Nielsen | 54 Greene Street Realty Corp |
| Gold Sponsors: | |
| AEG – Anschultz Entertainment Group | Hanmi Bank |
| AI Oasis | IW Group, Inc. |
| Bank of America | Japanese American National Museum |
| Cathay Bank Foundation | Kaiser Permanente |
| Connie Chung Joe & Jeremy Joe | Latham & Watkins LLP |
| Del Rey Party Rentals | Morrison & Foerster |
| Edison International | MUFG Union Bank |
| Ernst & Young | SEIU 2015 |
| Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson | Sugar Plum & Co |
| Gibson Dunn |
| Silver | Bronze | Community |
| Anne Shen Smith | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP | Armanino |
| Baker McKenzie | Ballard Spahr LLP | Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles |
| Bank of Hope | Cedars-Sinai | California Catalyst |
| Cassia | Covington & Burling LLP | Century Housing |
| CBB Bank | Crowell & Moring LLP | Donald Jue |
| East West Bank | DLA Piper US LLP | EXPERT EFFECT |
| JP Morgan Chase | Foley & Lardner LLP | Grace Hu & Friends |
| Koreatown Plaza | Friends of Korea | Holland & Knight LLP |
| LA Business Journal | Gaw Capital Advisors USA | Honorable Mike Eng |
| LA County Supervisor, Hilda Solis | Golden One Credit Union | Jon M Mayeda |
| Long Family Foundation | Hawkinson Yang LLP | Knauf Maxwell Insurance Services |
| Mayer Brown LLP | Just Solution Law Group, APC | Korean American Bar Association |
| Microsoft | K&L Gates LLP | Koreatown Youth and Community Center |
| O’Melveny & Myers LLP | Kinecta Federal Credit Union | Leslie Furukawa |
| Open Bank | Kirkland & Ellis LLP | Liang’s Land LLC |
| Sheppard Mullin | LADWP | Little Tokyo Service Center |
| Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP | Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP | Martin Lee & Friends |
| SPECTRUM | Manufacturers Bank | O’Tasty Foods Inc. |
| Turbo Charitable Foundation | McDermott Will & Emery LLP | Paramount Pictures |
| United Way LA | Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP | Philippine American Bar Association |
| WilmerHale | Steptoe Racial Justice Fund | Plan C Agency |
| Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation | StoneTapert Insurance Services | Reed Smith LLP |
| Walzer Melcher & Yoda LLP | Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association | |
| Stewart and Pat Kwoh | ||
| The Asian American Drug Abuse Program | ||
| Verizon Foundation | ||
| William Lew Tan, Esq. |
###
CONTACT:
Liza Ameen, 213.241.0258, lameen@ajsocal.org
Shari Mesulam, 310.663.0056, shari@themesulamgroup.com
PHOTOS:
https://advancingjustice.smugmug.com/AJSOCAL-39th-Anniversary-Gala-Photos
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/t8psqvru35lknkd/AAAr5RBVjzjnX0ZcDv5GV4qda?dl=0
###
Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a national affiliation of five leading organizations advocating for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and other underserved communities to promote a fair and equitable society for all. The affiliation’s members are: Advancing Justice | AAJC (Washington, DC), Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus (San Francisco), Advancing Justice – Southern California, Advancing Justice – Atlanta, and Advancing Justice – Chicago.
