Photo credit: Marla Maritzer.

New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. with honorees and co-sponsors at his Asian Pacific Island Heritage celebration at Flushing Town Hall on May 5, 2009.  Pictured (back, l to r) are: David Chen, Executive Director, Chinese American Planning Council; Therese R. Rodriguez, Executive Director, Asian & Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS; Thompson; Henry H. Cha, President and Founder, Asian American Consumer Coalition of NY; (front, l to r) Wellington Z. Chen, Executive Director, Chinatown Partnership; Julie Azuma, Chairperson, Asian Women in Business and President, Different Roads to Learning, Inc.; and, Howard H. Li, Chairman and CEO, Waitex Group of Companies.

New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. last night honored six extraordinary leaders at his eighth annual Asian Pacific Island Heritage event.  The event was co-sponsored by Asian Americans for Equality, the 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, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, 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 at the event at Flushing Town Hall in Flushing Queens. “Tonight, we celebrate the outstanding contributions of New York City’s Asian American community; in all its depth and diversity. Our honorees represent many nations, and many professional paths. They are leaders in their chosen fields and in their community.”
 
Thompson presented the first award to Julie Azuma, founder of Different Roads to Learning and Chair of Asian Women in Business.  The Comptroller acknowledged Azuma’s dedication to helping parents of children with developmental disabilities.

“In recognition of her outstanding efforts to assist children with autism and other developmental disabilities, as well as their parents and teachers, it is my pleasure to present this award to Julie Azuma,” Thompson said.

Wellington Chen, Executive Director of the Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corporation, received the second award.

“In recognition of his outstanding contributions to New York City’s planning process, especially as it intersects with the particular needs of the Asian American community, it is my pleasure to present this award to Wellington Chen,” Thompson said. 

Thompson presented the third award to Kristy Nguyen, Executive Director of APEX, a non-profit group dedicated to the development of Asian-American urban youth.

“Having been close to immigrant communities and hard-working families throughout her life, she strongly believes that individual action, as well as community service, provides opportunities for rebalance and positive change,” Thompson said.  “In recognition of her outstanding advocacy on behalf of Asian American youth, it is my great pleasure to present this award to Kristy Nguyen.”

The fourth honoree was Howard Li, founder, Chairman and CEO of Waitex International, a warehousing business that began operations in 1981, that has grown to eight facilities on the East and West coasts.

“For his entrepreneurial success and dedication to the Asian community, Mr. Li was a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award in 2001 and was chosen “Businessman of The Year” by the Society of Asian Federal Officers,” Thompson said.  “In recognition of his outstanding work as an entrepreneur, and for his efforts to further the goals of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in business, it is my pleasure to present this award to Howard Li.”

The fifth honoree of the evening was Therese Rodriguez.

“Ms. Rodriguez is a long-time advocate for Asian and Pacific Islanders living with HIV/AIDS. Since 1997, she has been the executive director of the Asian & Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS Inc. Under her leadership, the coalition has developed a comprehensive range of integrated services including prevention interventions, bilingual case management, free HIV counseling and testing, and HIV primary care,” Thompson said.  “In recognition of her outstanding advocacy on behalf of Filipino Americans, as well as Asian and Pacific Islander Americans living with HIV and AIDS, it is my pleasure to present this award to Therese Rodriguez.”

The final honoree of the evening was Henry Cha, President of the Asian American Consumer Coalition of New York.

“While working to build his company, Mr. Cha has sought to become involved in other activities that would benefit his community in Queens. In 2007 and 2008 he served as a Chairman of the Board for the Korean American Association of Flushing, New York. There, he oversaw the activities of the entire Association, one of the largest ethnic communities in New York City,” Thompson said.  “In recognition of both his entrepreneurial success and his work on behalf of the Asian American community of New York City, it is my pleasure to present this award to Henry Cha.”

Students from the New York Chinese School performed at the event.

For photographs, contact Marla Maritzer at (212) 669-2597 or mmaritz@comptroller.nyc.gov.

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