Civic Leadership Forum Silicon Valley Sends a Message: "We Are All Americans!"

All communities of color suffer if the root cause of hate crimes remains unaddressed, publishes dingdingtv.com

Santa Clara California - September 15, 2022 —

Asian hate crimes continue to rise, and all communities of color suffer if the root cause of violence remains unaddressed. What can legislators do to implement systemic change? What are some of the Asian cultural traits can contribute to making America even greater? How can minority communities embrace their differences and work together to empower themselves?

These questions were put before the elected officials participating in the panel at the Civic Leadership Forum Silicon Valley, "We Are All Americans!" - Stop the hate series. The purpose of the forum was to call on community members to come together to demand systemic changes, build bridges through understanding, and appreciate and embrace people's differences. The event was held on June 11th in South San Francisco and gathered over 200 attendees.

Ding Ding TV, Silicon Valley Community Media, and American TeoChowFoundation organized the event. Diana Ding (founder of Silicon Valley Community Media and Ding Ding TV) moderated.

Several elected officials attended the event: Nancy Tung (former Deputy California Attorney General, Deputy District Attorney, Alameda County, District Attorney’s Office), Lily Mei (Mayor of Fremont, California State Senate Candidate), Yang Shao (Fremont City Councilmember), Sheng Thao (Oakland Councilmember, Oakland Mayor Candidate) and Raymond A. Buenaventura (Daly City Vice Mayor).

Diana Ding posed each of the panel participants a question. All drew from their personal and professional experience when answering.

Lily Mei talked about cultural traits the AAPI community can contribute to making America an even greater country. She spoke about strength and unity through the lens of her mum's philosophy - one chopstick is easy to break. But a bundle is harder to break because they are together and united. Mayor Mei states: "This isn't about AAPI history, it is about American history, and we are a part of the fabric that makes it so rich."

Raymond A. Buenaventura spoke about how minorities can unite and empower themselves. He stated, "We need to understand that we cannot go at this alone and we are better off with allies. It is our mission to find common ground we have with each other as a way to build alliances. He went on to say, "It is vital to understand other cultures and have a plan to work together. When we work together toward a common goal, everyone benefits."

Nancy Tung discussed what legislators could do to create a systemic change. Likewise, she talked about what lawmakers could do to address the root causes of violence that impact communities of color. Yang Shao discussed the pros and cons of Asian Americans being called the Model Minority. Sheng Thao talked about discrimination and her suggestions on how to handle it.

Willie Brown (former Mayor of San Francisco) spoke about the panelists and their ability to put their message in place in five minutes. He expressed hope the forum's video presentation would be made available to school children across the country.

Joel Wong composed the poem "All of Us Belong Right Here!" He read his poem to mark the beginning of the event and echo the theme of the forum, "We Are All Americans!". In part, it reads:

"America can lead the world

Because we’re from every part of our world!

Let’s stay united and be of good cheer

All of us belong right here!"

Ding Ding TV and Civic Leadership USA created Civic Leadership Forum in 2016 to provide a platform for the next generation of the AAPI community and empower them to participate in civic engagement and leadership. Likewise, the forums aim to create a national network of AAPI civic-minded organizations and have them and their leaders work in unity.

Over 2,000 elected officials, community leaders, students, and parents have participated in the events. The forum's content reached over 200,000 people in the Silicon Valley Bay Area and the United States.

The Stop The Hate campaign is made possible with funding from the California State Library (CSL) in partnership with the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (CAPIAA). The views expressed on this website and other materials produced by Ding Ding TV (SVI Channel) do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the CSL, CAPIAA, or the California government. Learn more at www.dingdingtv.com/stopthehate or capiaa.ca.gov/stop-the-hate.

About Ding Ding TV:

Silicon Valley Innovation Channel, Ding Ding TV, is the first Chinese internet TV in Silicon Valley and the creator of the Civic Leadership Forum Silicon Valley.

Contact Info:
Name: Diana Ding
Email: Send Email
Organization: DingDing TV
Address: Santa Clara, CA, 95051
Phone: (408) 244-8883
Website: http://www.dingdingtv.com/stopthehate

Release ID: 89081670

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