New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. with honorees and co-sponsors at his Asian Pacific Island Heritage celebration in Manhattan on Wednesday, May 9, 2007. Pictured (l to r) are: Peter Koo, President, Flushing Chinese Business Association; Noriko Hino, Founder/Executive Director, NY de Volunteer; Eric Ng, President, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association; Thompson; Kum Bok Kaye Min,  President, Queens YWCA; Tieh-Chi Ho, Owner, T.C. Ho Architects; and, Libertito Pelayo, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Filipino Reporter.

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New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. hosted his sixth annual Asian Pacific Island Heritage celebration on Wednesday, May 9, 2007. The celebration was co-sponsored by Asian Americans for Equality, Asian American Federation of New York, Chinese American Planning Council and the Korean American League for Civic Action.

“Since the city’s earliest days, New Yorkers with roots in China, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, the Philippines and many more Asian and Pacific Island nations have come to New York, seeking opportunity and success, a safe haven, or simply a better life for themselves and their children,” Thompson said to several hundred attendees at the Emigrant Savings Bank building on downtown Manhattan. “Tonight, we celebrate the quest for success in all its forms, and the many pioneers from all chapters of our city’s history who made improving life for others an important part of making their own dreams come true.”

Thompson added, “We salute our honorees, New Yorkers who are leaders in their chosen fields and leaders in the community, who show us the true meaning of success in all that they do.”

The night’s honorees were:

• Noriko Hino, founder and executive director of the NY de Volunteer (NYdV). She has led the nonprofit organization with strong leadership and clear vision. Thompson praised her ability to inspire and motivate people with her “charismatic personality and strong drive,” which enabled Hino to build a strong team of core staff and board members to drive the organization and its mission forward over the past five years.

• T.C. Ho, owner of T.C. Ho Architects. In addition to several other projects, Ho designed and engineered the statues of Confucius and Lin Ze Xu in New York City’s Chinatown. Ho is the president of the New York Viet-American Lions Club, is a consultant of the International Leadership Foundation and former vice president of the New York Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

• Peter Koo, President of the Flushing Chinese Business Association, is also the owner of local Queens pharmacy, Starside Drugs. He serves as Chairman of the Asian Job Service Employer Committee, a board member on Community Board 7 in Queens, the LaGuardia Community College Foundation, the Chinese Unit of the American Cancer Society, and the Downtown Flushing Business Improvement District.

• Kumbok Kaye Min, President of the Queens YWCA. Thompson noted that she has dedicated most of her life to ensuring that people have access to all opportunities. Min is Vice President at North Fork Bank, and has served 25 years in the New York City banking industry. Min became the nation’s first Korean-female branch manager in 1984. She has spearheaded initiatives to improve bank offerings, including providing a secured credit card to help customers establish good credit. She also has voluntarily taught the financial literacy program at Operation Hope.

• Eric Ng, President of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. Ng has been a community leader for more than 10 years, and has served as President of Hoy Sun Ning Yung Benevolent Association, Chinese Freemasons, Hip Sing Association and Eng Suey Sun Association. He currently presides as President of the World Eng Family Benevolent Association. During his term as President of the CCBA, Ng has solidified relations between the CCBA and various City departments and agencies to solve many ongoing problems in Chinatown. Thompson lauded Ng’s efforts to establish better channels of communication with government.

• Libertito Pelayo, publisher and editor-in- chief of Filipino Reporter. Educated at Far Eastern University in Manila, Philippines, he was heavily active in the journalism and was a reporter for the Manila Times and a correspondent in South Vietnam during the Vietnamese War. He is a member of the New York Press Club, the Asian American Journalists Association, the Filipino American Media Association, and a former member of the United Nations Correspondent Club.

The New York Chinese School performed at the celebration.

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