L.A. Kicks Off Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Honorees, their families and colleagues, and city officials at the City Hall celebration. Wearing leis, from left: Board of Public Works Commissioner Joel Jacinto, honorees Raymond Chan and Estella “Nonosina” Reid, City Councilmember David Ryu, honorees Debra Fong and Mark Masaoka of A3PCON and Nanxi Liu. (MARIO G. REYES/Rafu Shimpo)

The opening of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the City of Los Angeles was officially commemorated and celebrated on April 22 at City Hall by Mayor Eric Garcetti, Council President Herb J. Wesson Jr., City Controller Ron Galperin, Councilmember David Ryu, Board of Public Works Commissioner Joel Jacinto, the Los Angeles City Council, and the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA).

At a presentation in the Council Chambers, DCA’s 2016 Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month Calendar and Cultural Guide was officially unveiled, and elected officials recognized and honored leaders in the Asian Pacific American community that embody the Los Angeles Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2016 theme of “We Are L.A.”

From creating small businesses and tech companies to playing major roles in entertainment, restaurants, music, culture, community service, and government, Asian Pacific American stories have long been a part of L.A.’s history and we will continue to be a big part of its future.

The following individuals and groups were selected for their major contributions to the city and the APA community: AC Martin and Korean Air, Raymond Chan, Justin Lin and Nanxi Liu.

• Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), a coalition of over 45 community-based organizations that advocates for the rights and needs of the Asian and Pacific Islander community in greater Los Angeles, with a focus on low income, immigrant, refugee and other disadvantaged sectors of the population.

• Raymond Chan, a licensed structural engineer, civil engineer, building contractor, and real estate broker with 30 years of experience with the city. Because of his innovative and collaborative leadership techniques to lead and direct the operations of five bureaus, approximately 1,000 employees with a $160 million budget, he was named “2013 Building Official of the Year” by the California Building Official Association.

• A.C. Martin, which is responsible for more than half of all major buildings erected in Downtown Los Angeles since World War II, and continues its tradition of leaving a lasting mark on the city’s skyline with the under-construction Wilshire Grand, which, upon completion, will be tallest building west of the Mississippi. Behind the project is developer Korean Air, which for more than 40 years has been a partner in the dynamic growth and development of Los Angeles. As one of the city’s largest foreign employers, Hanjin International and its parent company, Korean Air, have served as a gateway for trade and commerce. As one of the largest transpacific carriers at LAX, Korean Air connects the people of Asia and Los Angeles.

• Nanxi Liu, CEO and co-founder of Enplug, the leading open digital signage software. Enplug is used by Fortune 500 companies and small businesses to easily manage and distribute content on digital displays including interactive social media, dashboards, videos, news, and more. The software is used in stadiums, offices, hotels, and stores around the world in over a dozen languages. Liu was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and Fortune Magazine’s Top 10 Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs.

• Nonosina, which was established in 1965 by Estella “Nonosina” Reid in Southern California. Born in American Samoa and raised in Laie, Hawaii, she wanted to share her pride and love of her Polynesian heritage and ancestry, while carrying on the family legacy of performance. Nonosina has grown considerably throughout the past 50 years and shows no signs of slowing.

Left: Mark Masaoka, policy coordinator for A3PCON. Ten photos by Ichiro Shimizu (right), who is a Rafu staff member, appear in the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2016 Calendar and Cultural Guide. (MARIO G. REYES/Rafu Shimpo)

Heritage Month events are being held throughout the month of May. To see the schedule, visit http://apahm.lacity.org/. To access the complete APA Heritage Month Calendar and Cultural Guide online, go to http://culturela.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/APAHM-2016-Online-Guide.pdf.

The cover of the APA Heritage Month Calendar and Cultural Guide features a photo by Ichiro Shimizu.