Dearest Readers,
Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! We are pleased to announce the 2012 Asian American Heroes of Colorado. I applaud each of them for their contributions and achievements not only in the Asian-American community, but within their professions and line of work. A hero is defined as a person who is admired for courage or noble qualities and this year’s honorees truly exude such a definition. We invite you to join us on Saturday, May 26th at Kings Land Seafood for dim sum brunch and to honor the recipients at our fourth annual award ceremony.
Congratulations to Dr. DJ Ida, Executive Director of National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association; Sum Nguyen, President of Unified Vietnamese-American Council of Colorado; Dr. Suegie Park, clinical pharmacist and health professional; and Dr. Jaime Alonso Yrastorza, Founder of Uplift Internationale. The Young Asian American Hero Award—defined as under 35 years old—was awarded to Pakou Xiong, Hmong community leader and Asian-American activist. And lastly, the Lifetime Achievement Award goes to George Yoshida, retired social worker, war veteran, and Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer awardee. I am honored to have worked with each recipient in some capacity and look forward to sharing their stories with you in this issue.
This month, my calendar is full of events. That is when I know the Miss Asian American Colorado Leadership
Program is in progress. This year, 14 young Asian American women that represent seven Asian ethnicities are
participating in the program. We have already hosted several great events including a public speaking workshop
led by Krystal Than and a bonding event where we painted our own version of “the tree of hope”. I am
proud of our candidates as well as this year’s planning committee, comprised of past participants. Our finale
show will be held on Saturday, June 16, 2012 at the University of Denver. We hope you will come support the
talented young women in our community.
Our feature story highlights the top 100 companies for Asian Americans. In light of the recent unemployment numbers shared by the U.S. Department of Labor, it is evident that Asian Americans need to do their employer research in order to move their way to the top. Identifying employers that support diversity is key to success.
Lastly, Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! Celebrate by supporting local Asian businesses or attending the Asian and Asian-American celebrations around town. Hope to see you!
Annie Guo
President, Asian Avenue magazine
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