California State Assembly Recognizes May 2016 as Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month
Members of the California State Assembly and the Asian Pacific Islander (API) Legislative Caucus joined Assemblymember Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park) in co-authoring Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 125, which declares May 2016 as Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month.
“APIAs have made significant contributions to the history of California and United States,” said Chau. “APIA Heritage Month serves as a time to honor this history and to recognize how APIAs continue to contribute to all aspects of our society.”
The California API Legislative Caucus celebrated the accomplishments of outstanding Asian Pacific Islanders in their respected professions. The 2016 honorees include the following:
“Fresh Off the Boat,” the first network sitcom to feature an Asian American cast in over 20 years, was honored for excellence in arts and entertainment. Accepting the recognition were Hudson Yang, cast member, and Melvin Mar, executive producer.
David Tsai, partner in Vinson & Elkins LLP’s San Francisco office and co-head of the firm’s Taiwan practice, was honored for excellence in Civil Rights. Tsai is committed to pro bono work, has successfully represented a number of API clients in immigration, and is responsible for the founding of numerous scholarships for API students.
Cathlyn Choi, TV personality, celebrity chef, and cookbook author, was honored for excellence in culinary arts. She is the host and producer of a popular PBS cooking show “Cathlyn’s Korean Kitchen,” the first and only Korean cooking show produced in English by a Korean chef in the US. She is also the creator of “Asian Voices,” the first regional TV show produced in English featuring Asian and Pacific Islanders in Southern California.
Dr. Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, full professor in the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University (SFSU), was honored for excellence in education. She has published books and articles that focus on the development of ethnic studies curriculum, and helped pass a resolution to have ethnic studies in all schools in San Francisco.
Vince Chhabria, federal district judge in the San Francisco Division of the Northern District of California, was honored for excellence in law. Chhabria was nominated by President Barack Obama on July 25, 2013, and confirmed by the Senate on March 5, 2014.
Dr. Paul Truong, cardiologist, was honored for excellence in health. Dr. Truong’s family resettled in the United States after the Vietnam War in 1975, and he is actively involved with the Vietnamese-American communities in California and Texas.
Bill Wong, political strategist, was honored for excellence in Public Service. Wong currently leads efforts to increase the civic engagement and political empowerment of the API community and dedicates hundreds of hours every year to the recruitment, mentorship, and advancement of API legislative staff.
Shuji Nakamura (B.E., M.S., and Ph.D.), electrical engineer, was honored for excellence in Science. He developed the first group-III nitride-based high-brightness blue and green LEDs, and is the 2014 Nobel Laureate in physics for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes, which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources.
Johnnie Giles, executive director of external affairs for Comcast Corporation and vice president of government affairs for Comcast Cable, was honored for excellence in business. A seasoned cable veteran with more than 20 years of industry experience, Giles was recognized in 2010 by CableFax Magazine as one of the “Most Influential Minorities in Cable.”
Thuy Vu, host of “KQED Newsroom,” was honored for excellence in journalism. Vu is a five-time Emmy award winning journalist, anchor and program host who has covered everything from presidential debates to culinary creations.
ACR 125 passed with 67 co-authors.
