Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2009
In our ongoing commitment to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, KCET and Union Bank honor four local heroes of the Asian Pacific American community for their dedication and commitment to enrich the lives of others.
2009 Heroes
Kerry N. Doi, Social Services
Under his leadership as President and CEO of the Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE), Doi has helped countless economically disadvantaged people become self-sufficient and has positioned PACE as a leader in addressing problems of poverty and economic
inequality in minority, ethnic and immigrant communities. Learn more.
Akira Hirose, Business
Renowned Chef and Owner of Maison Akira, a Pasadena-based restaurant that serves
French cuisine with a Japanese influence, Hirose has graciously donated his time and culinary delights to various community and charitable events. Learn more.
Stephen Christopher Liu, Community Activism
Liu's work as Founder & Chairman of the Asian Professional Exchange (APEX) has helped
bring a unified sense of community to the 9,000+ members it serves by providing a platform
for young professionals to explore new career paths, meet peers and leaders who impart insights from their experiences, and collaborate on projects that impact the community. Learn more.
Dr. Gay Q. Yuen, Education
As a pioneer in bilingual education for more than 30 years, Yuen's expertise has been instrumental in improving the educational experience of children who immigrate to California. She is currently a Professor of the Charter School of Education at California State University, Los Angeles. Learn more.
View our Past Heroes
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I hope this application is not too late. I saw two differnt submission deadline dates. I only came across the website today. Regardless, I strongly believe that Helen Ota is a Local Hero. It is hard to place her in one category because she does so much. I hope that you will agree with my and 100's of other people's opinion of this remarkable woman. She volunteers her time throughout the year for numeroous organizations while maintaining her job as an Executive Assistant for Center Theatre Group.
Thank you for sponsoring the award, but please do not forget our Pacific Islander community. We have very strong and active Samoan, Tongan, Chamorro, Marshallese and Micronesian communities throughout California, but all of those are relegated to the "Other Asian/Pacific" category. Just one of these Pacific Islander communities, the Samoan community, has produced such accomplished people as Troy Polamalu, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Junior Seau, Konishiki (the great Sumo champion) and many others. I have proudly nominated Sai Momoli, a Samoan American who has devoted his life to community service, to be a Local Hero in the community activism category. Thank you.