AAARI Spotlight Spring 2017

AAARI Celebrates 15th Anniversary, Honoring Outstanding Asian American Alumni and Leaders of The City University of

L to R: Joyce Moy (AAARI-CUNY), E. Alberto Vill- Hon. Doris Ling-Cohan, NYS Supreme Court Justice man (HAKS), Interim President Vincent Boudreau & Alumna, Brooklyn College/CUNY (City College of New York/CUNY), Aziz Ahmad (UTC Associates), Savio S. Chan (US China Part- ners) & Lily Hui (Raich Ende Malter & Co.)

12/8/16 - This was a special year for AAARI as we public lecture series, conferences and seminars, and celebrated our 15th anniversary as a university- the production and dissemination of original re- wide scholarly research center that focuses on poli- search. The Institute published a report in May 2016 cies and issues that affect Asians and Asian Ameri- on Asian American representation at CUNY and cans. Over 350 guests attended the festive annual Higher Education, highlighting a noticeable lack of gala fundraiser and celebration at Jing Fong Res- representation of Asian Americans in leadership taurant in ’s Chinatown. positions throughout CUNY. The Institute will address the issues outlined in the report in the coming year Gala honorees included Justice Doris Ling-Cohan of by spearheading a CUNY Asian American Alumni the New York State Supreme Court (Leadership association and leadership initiative to provide net- Award); Husam Ahmad, Chairman & CEO, HAKS working, mentoring, and professional development (CUNY Distinguished Asian American Alumni Award); opportunities for Asian American alumni and others. and Kevin Park, Undergraduate Student, Hunter College (CUNY Thomas Tam Scholarship Award). A major contributor to the gala , in addition to the generous donors who purchased tables, was Dr. Student awardees of the Chynn-CUNY Ethics & Mo- Pearl Tam, sister of the late Dr. Thomas Tam (co- rality Essay Contest, which focuses on the topic of founder and first AAARI Executive Director). Tam virtue, were Ferima Haidara, NYC College of Tech- donated $35,000, with a challenge for matching nology (Best Essay), Joseph Mallo, Hunter College funds to AAARI for the CUNY Thomas Tam Scholar- (1st Runner-up), and Ashley Matos, Brooklyn College ship. Five percent of the matching funds were raised (2nd Runner-up). during the gala event.

Joyce Moy, AAARI Executive Director, gave a brief URL: www.aaari.info/2016banquet.htm overview of the Institute’s accomplishments over the past 15 years, including programs such as AAARI’s Outstanding Asian American Alumni of CUNY

AAARI has begun a compilation of a list of outstanding Asian American alumni of CUNY whose remarkable achievements demonstrate leadership and excellence so that others may be inspired to follow in their footsteps. They serve as role models for the next generation and beyond.

The first edition was released at AAARI’s 15th Annual Gala. This list is a work in progress, and will be expanding over the coming years. In addition, AAARI will be spearheading a CUNY Asian American Alumni association and leadership initiative to provide networking, mentoring and professional development opportunities for CUNY Asian American alumni and the community.

If you are a CUNY alumnus or alumna, please let us know by e-mailing us at [email protected] along with a brief bio and contact information.

URL: www.aaari.info/notes/2016OutstandingAlumni.pdf

AAARI Releases Fourth Issue of CUNY FORUM

10/6/16 - AAARI's fourth issue of CUNY FORUM focuses on how Asian American Studies, as a radical education initiative begun forty-years ago, can become a "change- creator," providing a counter narrative to what is al- ready known or practiced. Here, East Coast scholars, activists, artists and institutions, through their work and research bring critical transcultural perspectives and un- common meanings to both voice and practice.

The 152 page journal (Volume 4:1, Fall 2016 to Winter 2017, ISSN: 2329-1125, $15.00) features three sec- tions, each examining through essays, commentaries, and research: 1. Transcultural Voices; 2. Asian American Stud- ies; and 3. Research & Reports

URL: www.aaari.info/cunyforum/

CUNY FORUM is also available for purchase at the Mu- seum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre Street, Manhat- tan, NY. New York State Assembly District 65 Candidates Forum

8/14/16 - AAARI co-sponsored a NYS Assembly Dis- trict Candidates Forum held at the Chinese Consoli- dated Benevolent Association in Manhattan’s China- town. Joyce Moy, AAARI Executive Director, co- moderated the forum with Susan Lerner from Common Cause - NY. Candidates Alice Cancel (Incumbent), Don Lee, Gigi Li, Paul Newell, Yuh-Line Niou, and discussed critical issues affecting Chinatown and the .

Moy and Lerner asked questions concerning afford- able health care, housing, and education; rising com- L to R: Joyce Moy (AAARI), Alice Cancel mercial rents; challenges for small businesses and (Incumbent), Don Lee, Gigi Li, Paul Newell, workers’ rights; and other questions pertaining to the Yuh-Line Niou & Jenifer Rajkumar candidates’ record and positions on key issues.

The forum, organized by APA Voice, was co-sponsored by AAARI. Members of APA VOICE include Asian Americans for Equality, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, Chinese American Planning Council, Chinese Progressive Association, Korean American League for Civic Action, MinKwon Center for Community Action & OCA-NY Asian Pacific American Advo- cates.

Forum partners included the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, Asian American Bar Association of New York, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, CAAAV-Organizing Asian Communities, Common Cause New York, Educational Alliance, Hamilton Madison House, and University Settlement.

Baruch College Alumna Elected Lower Manhattan’s First Asian American NYS Assembly Member

11/9/16 - Yuh-Line Niou, Baruch College/CUNY Alumna MPA 11, was elected as NYS Assembly Member for District 65, representing Lower Manhattan, which includes Chinatown, the Lower East Side, Battery Park City, and the Financial District.

As the former Chief of Staff to Flushing Assemblyman Ron Kim, also a Baruch College/CUNY MPA Alumnus ‘05 and the first and only Korean American to serve in the NYS Assembly, Niou has the experi- ence to serve the large Asian American constituent population resid- ing in her district. Niou is the first Asian American to represent China- town and the Lower East Side in the New York State legislature.

Assembly Member Niou is featured in AAARI’s Outstanding Asian American Alumni of The City University of New York. AAARI Joins Queens Community Organizations to Address Hate Crimes

L to R: Mariela Herring, Bureau Chief/Assistant District Attorney, Gang Violence & Hate Crimes Bureau, Queens DA’s Office; Rama Issa, Lead Advisor, NYC Commission on Human Rights; Sapna Raj, Assistant Commissioner, NYC Commission on Human Rights; Mark Magrone, Deputy Inspector, NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force; Honorable Robert Capers, U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of NY BP; Jesse Sligh, Executive Assistant District Attorney, Queens DA’s Office; Michael Brovner, Assistant District Attorney, Queens DA’s Gang Violence & Hate Crimes Bureau; Joyce Moy (AAARI-CUNY) Founding Advisor, Borough President’s Queens General Assembly

8/3/16 - Joyce Moy, AAARI Executive Director, delivered closing remarks at the Queens District Attorney Hate Crimes Forum sponsored by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. Over 50 diverse community organizations gathered together at the standing room only event held at Queens Borough Hall in Kew Gardens to discuss the role of law enforcement when a hate crime occurs, and what can be done to protect the community.

The forum was attended by leaders from Asian American, Muslim, African American, Jewish, Latino, LGBTQ, and other organizations with the goal of disseminating the information to the diverse communities of Queens. Speakers included Borough President Melinda Katz, Executive Assistant District Attorney Jesse J. Sligh, U.S. Attorney Robert L. Capers, and many others from law enforcement and the NYC Commission on Human Rights.

Moy commented on what could be done by each and every individual to begin the process of eliminating bias and hate, noting the current national discourse. She pointed out that everyday gestures such as events she observed just that morning of an African American worker who stopped what he was doing to help a disabled passenger board a train, and a Hispanic man who offered his seat to young children of a Muslim family, were not just a matter of good manners, they were acts of little kindnesses that showed respect, and the value of a person. Gestures like this each and every day would go a long way to changing mind- sets of those who observe them, and receive them.

In collaboration with Chinatown Youth Initiatives and South Asian Youth Action, selected artworks from the OCA-NY Hate Crimes Prevention Art Contest were on exhibit to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the murder of Vincent Chin. In 1982, Chin, a Chinese American, was attacked by two white autoworkers who thought he was Japanese, blaming Japan for the loss of jobs in the American auto industry. AAARI Presents the Asian American Leadership in CUNY and Higher Education Report to CUNY's Academic Council

9/16/16 - Ron Woo, AAARI Board Chair, and Joyce Moy, AAARI Executive Director, presented the findings of the CUNY Asian American Leadership Initiative’s report, Asian American Leadership in CUNY and Higher Education, to the CUNY University Academic Council. The report detailed the lack of Asian American repre- sentation in the ranks of CUNY's leadership positions, particularly as chief academic officers, or in positions that impact education policy and the direction of the university. This is despite the fact that Asian Ameri- cans comprise over 20 percent of the university's students, 12 percent of faculty, and 15 percent of 's population.

Woo and Moy, presented the report at the invitation of Dr. Vita Rabinowitz, CUNY Executive Vice- Chancellor and University Provost. The Council is comprised of chief academic officers and provosts from all of CUNY's campuses. A number of the Council members were surprised at the lack of Asian American representation in CUNY's leadership structure. Others indicated that their campus had one or two Asian Americans in leadership positions, and others expressed an interest in learning more. Dr. Robert A. Ptachick, CUNY Senior University Dean for the Executive Office & Enrollment, responsible for the Office of Executive Search and Evaluation, requested a list of resources and recommendations to help expand the pool of Asian American applicants.

AAARI will continue to work closely with the Academic Council, the Central Office and the college cam- puses to create a pipeline, create opportunities for professional development, and expand the pool of Asian American applicants and other underrepresented groups for executive and leadership positions at CUNY.

Full Report: www.aaari.info/notes/16-05-09CAALIReport.pdf

Chinese American Genealogy Conference

10/16/16 - The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) in Manhattan’s Chinatown hosted their inau- gural Chinese American Genealogy Conference. The two-day event offered a series of comprehen- sive workshops, presentations, and one-on-one con- sultations with expert practitioners of Chinese gene- alogy in America.

AAARI sponsored a session on, “Hoisanva: The Chi- nese Dialect Spoken by Most Chinese in America 1849-1965,” by speaker Gene M. Chin. Over the course of a decade, Chin painstakingly translated and digitized his clan’s genealogy record and cre- Gene Chin discusses his genealogy website and ated a family genealogy website. In the process, the different tones in Hoisanva. Chin developed a system of romanization for the Toisanese dialect of Chinese.

URL: https://is.gd/Keg10g Teaming Up to Help Low to Moderate In- come New Yorkers Access CUNY Services

10/7/16 - Joyce Moy, AAARI Executive Director, participated on a panel at a ConEd sponsored event, “Advocacy Today, Language, Literacy and Culture: Opportunities to Access Services for Low- Moderate Income and Immigrant New Yorkers.” Moy’s panel focused on opportunities to access CUNY services for low to moderate income New Yorkers. Free services include legal clinics at the L to R: Joyce Moy (AAARI-CUNY); Barika X Wil- CUNY School of Law such as Elder Law, Immigration liams, Deputy Director, Association for Neighbor- Law, and Domestic Relations, job training programs hood Housing Development; Christian Gonzalez- in technology and healthcare, English as a second Rivera, Senior Researcher, Center for an Urban language, job placement, small business technical Future; and Robert R. Buck, Section Manager, Con assistance, free arts and cultural performances, and Edison free sports and athletic activities such as swimming open to the community.

Helping Export Businesses Scale

10/19/16 - AAARI Executive Director Joyce Moy joined a panel of five other judges in the preliminary round of the UPS X-Port Business Challenge to select businesses with the most promising plans to scale their exports. Moy who has taught entrepreneurship and was the first Asian American Regional Director of a NYS Small Busi- ness Development Center, helped to select among the diverse contestants that will move on to a second round where they will present their pitches to a panel of ex- Joyce Moy (AAARI-CUNY) & Carmela Mam- perts, angel and venture capitalists for a prize of mas, Director U.S. Commercial Service – New $10,000 in export services from UPS. York, U.S. Export Assistance Center

Contributions of Korean American Business and Professionals to NYC

10/26/16 - The Korean Advocacy Council (KAC), NYC Comptroller Scott M. Stringer, NYC Council Member Paul A. Vallone, and AAARI, co-hosted a forum, “Korean American Businesses and Professionals: Contribu- tions to the Economic Growth of New York City," at Borough of Manhattan Community College’s Fiterman Hall. The forum brought together first and second generation Korean American business owners and lead- ers with city leaders to discuss issues of concern and to raise awareness about the many contributions of Korean American businesses to the economic growth of NYC.

Joyce Moy, AAARI Executive Director, presented data and critical analysis of the growing contributions of the next generation of these businesses to the Korean American Business Council of New York, Queens Chamber of Commerce, Queens Economic Development Corporation, representatives of the Korean Nail Salon Owners Association, among many other community members, city leaders, and stakeholders. Community Leaders and Elected Officials Rally in Support of CUNY Alumna Justice Doris Ling-Cohan

9/6/16 - Nearly 300 supporters gathered on and around the steps of City Hall in a call for justice for Jus- tice Doris Ling-Cohan, who, in an unprecedented decision, was disqualified for re-election in November 2016 by an independent screening panel.

Among the supporters were CUNY alumna and NYC Council Member Margaret Chin, Council Member Rosie Mendez, retired Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Emily Jane Goodman, several bar associations, gay-rights groups, and tenants-rights groups. Many believed that the decision was politically motivated and that discrimination played a role in the decision. The outcry of support and numerous testimonies on Ling-Cohan’s behalf providing evidence of her efficacy eventually resulted in the overturn of the decision, the restoration of her reputation, and her re-election to office.

As a historic figure, Justice Ling-Cohan became the first woman of Asian descent to be elected to the NYS Supreme Court in 2002. She is also known for being the first trial judge in New York State and third trial judge in the nation to rule in favor of Marriage Equality in the case Hernandez v. Robles in 2005, ten years prior to the Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage.

Justice Ling-Cohan was recently honored as the Leadership Award recipient at AAARI’s 15th Annual Gala. In her speech, she spoke about the power of leadership and community support. “As many of you know, my voice was attempted to be silenced this year; however, it is our collective voice that silenced those voices.”

Justice Ling-Cohan is also featured in AAARI’s Outstanding Asian American CUNY Alumni of The City Univer- sity of New York.

Changing Demographics of New York City Moy presented a discussion and facilitated a session about organizations can use data to build a case for 1/10/17 - Joyce Moy, AAARI Executive Director, stakeholders, government officials, funders, policy delivered two presentations about capacity building makers, and constituents to support their work. at the “We Are All New York: Changing Demo- graphics of New York City” event, sponsored by the URL: www.thecenteratjcrcny.org/fellowship/ Jewish Community Relations Council.

Betty Lee Sung Featured in The Women Who Made New York

11/1/16 - Joyce Moy, AAARI Executive Director, and Betty Lee Sung, AAARI co-founder and honorary board member, attended a kick-off launch event for the book, The Women Who Made New York, by Julie Scelfo, at Rockefel- ler Center’s Rainbow Room. The book dedicates two pages to Betty Lee Sung for her accomplishments and contributions to New York City.

Prof. Sung is also featured in AAARI’s Outstanding Asian American Alumni of The City University of New York.

URL: www.sealpress.com/women-made-new-york

Betty Lee Sung Honored at CUNY Graduate Center’s Inaugural Alumni Achievement Award

11/16/16 - Betty Lee Sung, AAARI co-founder and honorary board member, Chinese American scholar, author, and pro- fessor of the first Asian American Studies courses taught at the City College of New York/CUNY, received the CUNY Award at the CUNY Graduate Center’s inaugural Alumni Achievement Awards reception. Prof. Sung was recognized for her outstanding contributions as a scholar and role model L to R: Christopher Emdin (Columbia Uni- for students. During her acceptance speech, Prof. Sung versity Teachers College), Jacquelyn Days stressed the need for Asian American Studies at CUNY and Serwer (Smithsonian National Museum of cited the large Asian American student population at the African American History and Culture), various campuses. Betty Lee Sung & President Chase F. Rob- inson (CUNY Graduate Center) URL: https://is.gd/9ogmfO

CACF and Friends Bid Farewell to Mitchel Wu

12/20/16 - After seven years as Program Manager at The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), Mitchel Wu re- ceived a fond farewell from colleagues, friends and many in the com- munity whose lives he has touched over the years. As the father of a newborn, Wu has decided to spend more time with his family, but plans to stay connected. He will continue to teach Asian American Studies at Hunter College/CUNY.

Among those present at the farewell reception were students, commu- nity members, and others in city government who worked closely with L to R: Mitchel Wu & NYC Council Wu. He received two proclamations, one from NYC Council Member Member Daniel Dromm Daniel Dromm (District 25), and another from the Office of NYC Pub- lic Advocate Letitia James. Hunter College Asian American Studies Program Awarded $1.7M AANAPISI Grant

9/21/2016 - Under the guidance of Jennifer Hayashida, Director of the Asian American Studies Program (AASP) at Hunter College/CUNY, the college will be receiving a $1.7M grant from the U.S. Department of Education through the Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) Pro- gram. The grant, awarded over the next five years, will address barriers to educational achievement for a large number of API students at Hunter College who are first-generation college students, immigrants or children of immigrants, or English-language learners (ESL).

Hunter College plans to develop, improve and expand academic programs and counseling services. This includes the development of new Asian American Studies programs and ESL courses, a leadership internship program, and better advisement and mental health services. According to Hayashida, “This grant comes with substantial benefits to our students, and serves as an important reminder to CUNY and Hunter of the importance of recognizing and supporting the CUNY institutions which qualify for AANAPISI designation, and the work we do to support all our students by offering them a critical Asian American Studies frame- work.”

URL: www2.ed.gov/programs/aanapi/awards.html

CUNY Conference Examines Dynamics of Racialization and the Future of Asian American Studies in NYC

12/9/16 - MAANY (Mapping Asian American New York) CUNY Faculty Research Seminar and A/P/A (Asian/Pacific/American Institute of NYU hosted an all-day conference titled, “Comparative Racialization and the Future of Asian American Studies in NYC” at Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College in New York City.

The conference was a response by the organizers to the recent increase in explicit acts of violence against Asian American and other racialized groups in the U.S. Scholars from within and outside of CUNY joined with activist Asian American or- L to R: John Chin (Hunter College/CUNY), Stanley ganizations and Asian American Studies programs Thangaraj (City College/CUNY), Ava Chin (College of and departments to examine how multiple catego- Staten Island/CUNY), Joyce Moy (AAARI-CUNY), An- ries of differentiation such as gender, sexuality, gela Reyes (Hunter College/CUNY), Margaret Chin class, and labor affect racial formations and ten- (Hunter Collge/CUNY) & Attendee sions between communities of color.

The conference keynote speaker was Allan Punzalan Isaac from Rutgers University, speaking on “Besides the Compartive: Rethinking Proximinity, Value and Time.” Prof. Isaac’s presentation commented on recent events including the election of Donald Trump as U.S. President, and campus protests against racism.

Joyce Moy, AAARI Executive Director, chaired a morning session on, “Comparative Affect, Violence, and Radicalizations,” comprised of speakers from Queens College/CUNY, Stony Brook University/SUNY, Princeton, and Harvard. Ava Chin and Ying Zhu Receive Fullbright Awards

6/9/16 - Dr. Ava Chin and Dr. Ying Zhu, faculty at the College of Staten Island/CUNY, each received a 2016-2017 Fullbright Award.

Dr. Chin, Associate Professor in the Department of English at the Col- lege of Staten Island (CSI), will travel to China to lecture on American journalism, focusing on food and popular culture. She will also use the trip to work on her memoir about her family roots in China.

Dr. Zhu will be conducting research in China, for her book, China, Soft Power, and The Great Narrator: A History of China’s Engagement with Hollywood. Dr. Zhu will examine two periods during which Hollywood dominated the Chinese market: one during China’s Republican era L to R: Ava Chin & Ying Zhu and one since 1994 when Hollywood reentered the Chinese market after decades of absence.

URL: https://is.gd/U6rCLu

Neng-Fa Zhou and Students Win Media Lab Summit Grand Prize

10/22/16 - Brooklyn College Computer Science Professor Neng-Fa Zhou, and his students, Jie Mei and Jonathan Fruhman, won the grand prize of $10,000 at the NYC Media Lab Summit held at Columbia University. Their demo titled, “The Picat Language and its Application to Games and AI Problems: CUNY Brooklyn College,” demonstrated how Picat could be applied to game development and artificial intel- ligence problems.

URL: www.summit.nycmedialab.org/

Hiroshi Matsui Leads Belfer Team in Trailblazing Cancer Research

1/27/17 - Hunter College Bionanotechnology Professor Hiroshi Ma- tsui, is the lead author of a groundbreaking study published in Nano Letters, a prominent academic journal. Prof. Matsui’s article documents his Hunter lab’s discovery of a tiny new anti-cancer drug carrier, which promises to replace current drug-delivery methods and dra- matically improve treatment for metastatic osteosarcoma. Professor Matsui and other members of the Hunter team conducted the study in close collaboration with Weill Cornell Medical College.

URL: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b02577 Chinese America Through the Eyes of CUNY Alumnus Corky Lee

Corky Lee points out what “Chinese America On My Mind” is about, raising awareness of the little known history of Asian American activism and the everyday lives of Chinese Americans.

12/26/16 - Corky Lee, also known as “the unofficial Asian American photographer laureate,” exhibited 61 of his photos taken over 45 years, including the Asian American movement of the 70s and 80s, in his solo exhibition, “Chinese America On My Mind,” at the newly opened in Tribeca, Manhattan. The exhibition, which goes from December 7, 2016 to January 2, 2017, occupies Pearl River’s second floor art gallery space.

Over the course of the exhibition, Lee had hundreds of visitors, some from as far as France and Greece. Of the 255 responses in Lee’s guest sign-in book as to which photos visitors liked the most, 141 liked his civil rights images, and 114 liked his day-in-the-life cultural images. A photo of famed human rights activist Grace Lee Boggs, who died in October 2015 at the age of 100, topped the list of favorites.

Lee is a Queens College/CUNY alumnus and featured in AAARI’s Outstanding Asian American Alumni of The City University of New York.

NYC Comptroller Diwali Celebration

11/2/16 - New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer hosted a celebration for Diwali, one of the biggest holidays in Indian cul- ture and also known as the Festival of Lights, in the David Dinkins Building in Lower Manhattan. Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains worldwide. Honorees included India Home, Indo- Caribbean Alliance, and The Sikh Coalition. Dr. Neeta Jain, Dis- trict Leader for NYS Assembly District 25 introduced the Comp- troller. Entertainment was provided by Ajna Dance Company.

The City University of New York has a very diverse student population, of which thousands are of Indian and Indo-Caribbean ancestry. For information, see CUNY’s institutional data: https://is.gd/w2Z3is Asian American / Asian Research Institute City University of New York 25 West 43rd Street, Room 1000 New York, NY 10036

“Building the bridge between CUNY, and the Asian American / Asian community.”

Upcoming Events 4/28/17 3/17/17 Auto-Ethnography for the Stage and Page Exploring Queer Asian American Identity in Film Alvin Eng (Queens College/CUNY) & Muna Tseng Andrew Ahn 5/12/17 3/24/17 Consuming Gangnam Style: Nation-Branding in Lucky - A Novel (Book Talk) Koreatown, New York and Los Angeles Henry Chang Angie Y. Chung (SUNY Albany)

4/21/17 5/23/17 CCNY Study Abroad in India Program AAARI Annual Conference Amita Gupta (City College of New York/CUNY) CUNY Graduate Center

Phone: 212-869-0182 / 0187 Facebook: aaaricuny Fax: 212-869-0181 Twitter: aaaricuny E-mail: [email protected] iTunes: aaari URL: www.aaari.info YouTube: aaaricuny