At the end of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, together with State Assembly Member Grace Lee, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, and Congressional Representative Daniel Goldman, jointly hosted a celebration of Asian Pacific American “Change Makers” at the Manhattan Surrogate’s Court on May 30. The event aimed to recognize five outstanding Asian Americans from the political and community sectors.
The five individuals honored that evening were Kevin Kim, Director of the New York City Small Business Services; Justin Yu, Democratic Leader of the 65th Assembly District; Raymond Tsang, former Chairman of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association; Alena Victor, Program Director of the non-profit organization “Womankind”; and the late Don Lee, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Pine Bough House Community Service Center who passed away at the beginning of May.
Borough President Mark Levine, in his speech, expressed his satisfaction in sharing stories of successful individuals from the Asian American community with society beyond discussions on anti-Asian hate and the impact of the pandemic on Chinatown businesses. He pointed out the increasing Asian population in New York City and his optimism as a representative of Chinatown’s elected official to continue participating in community development.
Justin Yu highlighted the approximately 22 million Asian Pacific Americans in the United States, including those from East Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific Islands. He expressed his joy in seeing Borough President Mark Levine’s efforts in valuing the Asian Pacific American community and pledged to continue advocating for their welfare on a daily and monthly basis. Raymond Tsang noted that celebratory events like this can inspire the Asian Pacific American community to become Change Makers, and he expressed his gratitude to the award recipients who contribute to the community.