AJPress photos by Klarize Medenilla
IN honor of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, community leaders and government officials of San Gabriel, California honored members and volunteers of an AAPI youth advocacy organization that seeks to foster multicultural connection.
On May 28, the Asian Youth Center hosted its 2nd annual AAPI Heritage Month Recognition Ceremony where the multicultural group of honorees shared their achievements and ideas for a more
The Asian Youth Center (AYC) describes itself as a “non-profit organization whose mission is to empower low-income, immigrant, and at-risk youth and families of all communities to overcome barriers to success.”
The May 28 recognition ceremony honored members of the Stop Hate Steering Committee, a consortium of local leaders that counsels the AYC’s community efforts to promote cultural diversity.
The committee itself is made up of individuals from high school students who’ve shepherded their own youth anti-bullying groups as well as older residents of the San Gabriel Valley who believe that the region, despite its rich diversity, has seen its fair share of racism and bigotry.
Billy Taing, a Chinese American who as a child fled Cambodia with his family to escape the violent Khmer Rouge, shared his story about being a troubled youth who got involved with gangs. For more than 20 years, Taing was incarcerated in the California prison system, where he witnessed the worst of human nature.
This experience ignited Taing’s decision to turn his life around and promote acceptance across all cultures, currently serving as co-director of API Rise. He also co-founded Black x API Solidarity, a group that champions unity between the AAPI and Black communities.
“A lot of people I serve are like me: those who want a second chance and deserve a chance to be part of the community,” Taing said, rejecting the model minority myth because AAPI youth “still need support.”
He said, “Serving my community is a lifelong process for me and I hope that others like me get to have a second chance. I’m very thankful for the work this committee is doing to accomplish that.”
Committee member Jeanne E. Raya, a fourth-generation resident of San Gabriel and businesswoman, shared that she believes that anti-discrimination work goes beyond educating one another about diversity, but that institutionalized measures that promote equality are also key.
“In my lifetime I can say I’ve experienced what exclusion feels like and what discrimination feels like even here in San Gabriel as a child,” she said, adding that discrimination is a “disease that constantly needs to be monitored and treated.”
“We need to be reminding ourselves of how important it is to be accepting and not just on a personal level, but to work toward policies that continue to work toward inclusion,” Raya said.
The San Gabriel Valley is home to dozens of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities and is widely known as a nerve center for Asians across Southern California. Religious centers, Asian-owned retail businesses, landmarks, and Asian cuisine color the region from Alhambra to Rowland Heights.
However, the ethnically diverse region was not immune to the scourge of anti-Asian hate and violence propped up by the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting elected officials and groups like AYC to double down on efforts to combat racism and discrimination.
A recent survey from Savanta Research found that 1 in 3 Asian Americans believe that anti-Asian hate is still surging.
Like other AAPI groups, AYC has also launched the Unconscious Bias and Allyship Training and Train-The-Trainer Program, which offers in-person and virtual training that “provides actionable steps to change our biases and become effective allies,” according to AYC.
The Stop Hate Steering Committee also spearheaded the Multicultural Art Popups, wide-ranging art installations and interactive activities designed to educate others about different cultures and customs of various API communities.
The Multicultural Art Popups is a series of art showcases that the AYC hosted at different community festivals across the San Gabriel Valley: the Cherry Blossom Festival in Monterey Park, the Play Day in San Gabriel, the Moon Festival in West Covina, and the Lunar New Year Festival in Arcadia. n
