Happy Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

Sarah Nguyen, MD, is a dedicated clinician-educator and currently an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at University of California, Los Angeles, the Director of Residency Mentorship and Professional Development, and the Associate Director of the Integrative Psychiatry Clinic at UCLA.  She completed her Adult Psychiatry Residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center in New York and a fellowship in Geriatric Psychiatry at Yale University.  Dr. Nguyen loves teaching and mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows and has received multiple awards for her outstanding work, including the Outstanding Medical Student Teaching, the Clinical Attending Teaching Award, and a Kindness Award.  Her clinical interests include mood, anxiety, and cognitive disorders in adults and older adults, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and family systems therapy. She uses a combination of these techniques in her teaching and practice.

Jennifer Tu, MD, is currently a psychiatry resident at UCLA Semel Institute. She received her MD from Duke School of Medicine and Master of Theological Studies from Duke Divinity School as a Theology, Medicine, and Culture fellow. She graduated from Harvard College with a B.A. in Neurobiology and Global Health/Health Policy. In 2016, she was selected to be a Luce Scholar in Taipei, Taiwan, where she learned about and researched caring for people with dementia.

Jennifer is committed to promoting mental health and wellness, preventing suicide, and advocating for antiracism particularly among minoritized communities, through her vocation as a physician and identity as a Chinese American. 

A child of immigrants, Jennifer grew up hearing about her parents’ stories of survival during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and has worked toward reconciling their stories of loss, immigration, and resilience with her own. She is passionate about building human connections across generations and hopes to address transgenerational trauma through her career in mental health and advocacy in communities.

Meachelle Lum is a first year medical student at the David Geffen School of Medicine. She grew up in the Bay Area and attended UCLA for college. Her passion for medicine is rooted in mental health advocacy and bridging health disparities in the AAPI community. During her free time, Meachelle enjoys journaling, volleyball, and spending time with family and friends.

Janice Cho, MD, is a second-year psychiatry resident at UCLA. She majored in Human Biology and Spanish at Pitzer College and studied abroad in Nepal, Ecuador, and Spain. After college she spent a year in Belgium as a Fulbright scholar in a yeast genetics lab engineering yeast strains for breweries and chocolate companies. She then went on to medical school at Wake Forest in North Carolina, where she quickly realized that she missed everything about California (family, friends, food, and weather). Following medical school, she spent a brief period as a surgical intern at UCLA, during which time she suffered from depression and anxiety. With the help of some incredible UCLA psychiatry residents and fellows, she made the switch from surgery to psychiatry and has never looked back! She is passionate about physician wellness, AAPI Mental Health, and her work with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Westside LA to educate the greater community on mental health conditions. As a second-year resident, she worked alongside Elizabeth Stephens, the NAMI WLA Program Coordinator, to bring NAMI WLA Peer Support Groups into the inpatient unit at Resnick. In her free time, she enjoys rooting for all LA sports teams, hiking with her dog Melby, playing the piano, attending concerts, and baking treats for her co-residents. 

Monique Trinh (she/her/hers) is a first-generation college student and professional with a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of California, Riverside. She began her career as a Groundwater Analyst for Tetra Tech, an Environmental Engineering company, and pivoted into Healthcare in 2009. Since then, Monique has held roles on the clinical side (front and back office) from 2009-2012 before switching to the administration side in 2012. Currently, she is a Progam Manager for the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Department at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer. She is responsible for managing key Department projects and programs involving quality and quality management, including but not limited to Lab Stewardship, Quality Improvement, and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Her priority is identifying the root cause of problems and implementing change to create and sustain systems and processes that will benefit the patients, staff, faculty, trainees, and students she supports. She is also the Co-Chair of the Quality Leadership Committee for Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. 

Her extracurricular activities involve serving as Interim Vice Chair of the UCLA Health InspirAsian Affinity Group and a mentor for the UCLA CHR Staff Enrichment Program, UCLA CHR Professional Development Program, and LEAP Foundation. She is also a 2023 Master of Healthcare Administration Candidate from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Most importantly, she is a devoted wife/daughter/sister/funtie, and a mom to Isis, a 17-year-old beagle mix rescue. 

Jerome Crawford provides strategic guidance, advising, and decision-making partnership with the Chief Medical and Quality Officer and oversees operations improvement support for UCLA Health. Mr. Crawford has over 30 years of experience at UCLA Health and is a ’95 graduate of UCLA.

In the Spring of 2021, Bee Kong rejoined the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region as Regional Volunteer Services Officer (RVSO) and a member of the senior leadership team. Bee first came to the American Red Cross as a youth volunteer in 1998 at the then-Greater Long Beach Chapter and became a full-time employee in 2005 after graduating from UCLA. During the past 25 years, Bee has served in various roles on the Los Angeles Region team from managing volunteers to organizing youth programs. He also worked on the national Volunteer Services team for the American Red Cross Headquarters in Washington D.C. from 2017 to spring 2021 as a recruiter, actively searching for highly skilled volunteers to support American Red Cross' nationwide corporate departments.

Bee currently resides in Torrance with his wife and 2 children. 

Kenneth Mejia is the City of Los Angeles’ 20th City Controller, elected in November 2022. Controller Mejia oversees a team of more than 160 employees who conduct independent audits, manage the City’s payroll and spending, report on the City’s finances, and provide City metrics and data online.

The City Controller is the elected paymaster, auditor and chief accounting officer for the City. Along with the Mayor and City Attorney, the Controller is one of three offices elected every four years by citywide popular vote.

In 1878, the position was created as the City Auditor, becoming an elected office in 1889. The 1925 City Charter changed the name of the position to City Controller. In 2000, a City Charter update granted the Controller the power to conduct performance audits of City departments, allowing an examination of departmental effectiveness.

Controller Mejia is a lifelong Angeleno, born in Sylmar and raised by a single mother who immigrated to the US from the Philippines. He graduated from Woodbury University in 2010 with a B.S. in accounting and earned his CPA license in 2013. He’s the father of two corgis, Killa & Kirby. He’s the first AANHPI Citywide elected official in Los Angeles. 

David K. Yoo is Vice Provost of the Institute of American Cultures, and Professor of Asian American Studies & History at the University of California, Los Angeles. He was the lead editor for the Oxford Handbook of Asian American History, and author or editor of nine books. Professor Yoo served as the senior editor of Amerasia Journal, and currently is a series editor for Oxford University Press, the University of Hawaii Press, and the University of Illinois Press.

Professor Yoo has been a Senior Fulbright Scholar (Korea) and a recipient of fellowships from the American Council on Education, the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, and the Huntington Library. He has been active in many professional organizations including the American Studies Association, and the Association of Asian American Studies. Professor Yoo is also the recipient of the Hoshide Distinguished Teaching Prize at UCLA. His community involvement includes serving on the boards of the Korean American Scholarship Foundation and previously the Little Tokyo Service Center.

Stephanie H. Yu (she/her) is a Clinical Psychology PhD candidate at UCLA. Across her research, clinical, and advocacy work, she is passionate about mental health equity and reducing mental health disparities for racial/ethnic marginalized groups. Her community-engaged research focuses on culturally-responsive adaptation and implementation of evidence-based practices in public systems of care serving marginalized communities. Her research also focuses on understanding and mitigating the impact of individual and systemic racism and discrimination on well-being outcomes in minoritized communities. Finally, Stephanie's advocacy work extends to advancing initiatives towards greater equity, accessibility, and anti-racism in academia and higher education overall. 

Advancing Justice Through Data Equity

Wednesday, May 3, 9:30 am - 11 am ET/6:30 am - 8 am PT
Zoom

On May 3, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research Director Ninez A. Ponce, PhD, MPP, will be featured on a panel of distinguished community leaders and researchers at the White House Forum on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. 

Hosted by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI), the all-day forum will include breakout convenings, panels, and artistic performances to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. 

Ponce, who also serves as endowed chair and professor of health policy and management at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, will be part of the Advancing Justice Through Data Equity breakout convening held from 9:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m. ET/6:30–8 a.m. PT.

InspirASIAN Community Gathering

Wednesday, May 3, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm PT
Harman Gardens at Santa Monica Hospital (outside of cafeteria)

Come meet members of InspirASIAN, UCLA Health's AANHPI affinity group, to learn about our mission and upcoming events. Please RSVP to indicate what time you are able to join.

We will have boba, UCLA swag, and more!

This event is open to all UCLA faculty, staff, trainees, and community members. 

Community Somatic Activated Healing Session with Kim Saira

Thursday, May 4, 4:00 pm – 5:20 pm PT

Please join Kim Saira for her Somatic Activated Healing session dedicated to COMMUNITY AND THE PARADOX OF OUR ASIAN AMERICAN MENTAL HEALTH CULTURE. It will be a very special evening releasing together with the SAH method as a community, followed by a collective tarot and oracle card pull. If you are able to join, please register here. Below is an overview of the event:

4:05-4:45 = Somatic Activated Healing 

4:45-5:00 = Collective tarot + oracle card reading 

5:00-5:10 = Introspective journal prompts 

5:10-5:20 = Sharing and close

Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 

May 4-13, 2023

From their website: "In our continued work to create spaces for expression, engagement, and empowerment, Visual Communications is proud to present the 39th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) from May 4 to May 13, 2023. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Linda Mabalot’s (former VC Executive Director) passing. We are thrilled to rededicate our renewed work and upcoming Festival to Linda and her everlasting values. We continue to uplift Linda’s regenerative impact and cultural abundance to VC and our communities. The Festival’s Renewal towards joy and wellness reflect Linda's vision of creating community with Artists and Allies. "

Visit: https://vcmedia.org/festival 

Film screening: Free Chol Soo Lee (2022) 

Saturday, May 6, 7:30 pm PT
Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum (10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90024)

In-person: Q&A with filmmakers Julie Ha, Eugene Yi, activists Mike Suzuki, Jai Lee Wong. 

In 1970s San Francisco, 20-year-old Korean immigrant Chol Soo Lee is convicted of a Chinatown gang murder he did not commit. While Lee is fighting for his life behind prison walls, the Asian American community rallies to help free him, making him a symbol for a movement that unites people like never before. Combining rich archival footage, firsthand accounts, and narration drawn from personal writings, this poignant documentary paints an intimate portrait of the complex man at the center of a movement. 

Admission is free. Free tickets must be obtained on a first come, first served basis at the box office, where seating will be assigned.

For more info see https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/2023/05/06/free-chol-soo-lee

Co-Sponsors: UCLA Film & Television Archives, Asian American Studies Center

Chak De SoCal - Let's stay on the life pitch!

Saturday, May 6, 8:00 am to 2:00 pm PT
Cerritos Sports Complex, 19900 Bloomfield Avenue, Cerritos, CA 90703

Chak De SoCal is a collaborative initiative between Saahas for Cause, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health’s “Take Action for Mental Health LA” project & Southern California Youth Cricket Academy (SCYCA) in observation of Mental Health Awareness month in May 2023.

Event agenda:

8.00 am to 11.30 am: Cricket workshop by professional coaches of SCYCA for participants under the age of 18 (Register Here)                               

11.30 am to 12.30 pm: Lunch 

12.30 pm to 1.30 pm: A friendly Cricket game between adults - includes guests, parents, volunteers and audience.

9.00 am to 1.00 pm: Family friendly games and activities - includes Zumba, face painting, music for mind workshop, informational booth by Heartfulness Yoga, Henna, clay art for relaxation, interaction with a panel of therapists, dance therapy and more! 

Please RSVP to info@saahasforcause.org or call 562-526-2508 for additional information.

Chinese American Culture Night (CACN)

Saturday, May 6, 7:00 pm PT
Royce Hall Auditorium (10745 Dickson Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90095)

CACN is an annual show at Royce Hall that celebrates Chinese-American culture through a combination of drama in theater and performances of traditional Chinese dance, modern hip-hop, lion dance, and wushu, or Chinese martial arts. The feature presentation is a student-written play featuring an all-student cast spanning many scenes. The scenes are interspersed with performances from student organizations like UCLA Wushu and ACA All Day, giving audience members a view of the full range of Chinese-American students’ passions on campus. CACN has been put on by the Association of Chinese Americans (ACA) since 1989 as a longstanding tradition to celebrate Chinese culture here at UCLA.

Visit: https://acabruins.org/cacn 

InspirASIAN Community Gathering

Wednesday, May 10, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm PT
RR Outdoor Dining Courtyard (by the Resnick entrance).                                                                           In the event it rains, the event will move to the B Level.

Come meet members of InspirASIAN, UCLA Health's AANHPI affinity group, to learn about our mission and upcoming events. Please RSVP to indicate what time you are able to join.

We will have boba, UCLA swag, and more!

This event is open to all UCLA faculty, staff, trainees, and community members. 

APAHM ON THE HILL 2023 PRESENTS: Radical Self Care

Wednesday, May 10, 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm PT
Rieber Fireside Lounge (Rieber Hall, 310 De Neve Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90024)

Come discuss mental health, healing and community care with panelists Cristine Vita, LMFT, Dr. Diane Gallo, Dr. Drea Letamendi, and Carmela Capinpin, MSW.

This event aimed for student communities and takes place on campus, though all are welcome to join! 

Koreatown, Los Angeles, Immigration, Race, the “American Dream” book talk by Shelley Sang-Hee  Lee, Professor, American Studies, Brown University

Wednesday, May 10, 5:00-6:30 pm PT
UCLA Haines Hall Room 220 (375 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095) 

Hosted by Professor Jennifer Chun, AAS/LS M119 Asian American & Pacific Islander Labor Issues

Register to attend at KoreatownLA.eventbrite.com

Sponsored by Asian American Studies Department & Center, Institute for Research on Labor and Employment - Labor Studies

AAPI Issues in Healthcare and the Community 

Friday, May 12, 12:30-1:30 pm PT
Geffen Hall Room B36, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (885 Tiverton Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90024)

Please join us, along with Dr. Paul Song and Lisa Ling, to discuss AAPI Issues in Healthcare and the Community, focusing on national healthcare trends and the rise in Asian hate crimes. Lunch is provided at 12 p.m. Event starts at 12:30 p.m.

Click to RSVP for the May 12 Event.

Sponsored by the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Dean's Office, Office of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and the AAPI Alliance. 

Due to limited space, this in-person event is restricted to faculty, staff, and students of the UCLA Health community.

Tea Time and Stories - AAPI Heritage Month Events at UCOP

Tuesday, May 23, 3:00-4:00 pm PT
Zoom Link:  https://UCOP.zoom.us/j/96756318615

We invite staff to share their tea and their stories about the tea they are sharing. 

APISA is excited to celebrate the AAPI Heritage Month at UCOP during the week of May 22. We welcome you to join us at our events to learn more about our community and celebrate with us. 

Conversation with Alfred P. Flores, author of the book, “Tip of the Spear, Land Labor and Militarism in Guam” - AAPI Heritage Month Events at UCOP

Thursday, June 1, 1:00-2:00 pm PT
Zoom Link:  https://UCOP.zoom.us/j/95789692184   

Dr. Alfred Flores is a n UC Alum, and Assistant Professor of Asian American Studies at Harvey Mudd College. Professor Flores’ research and teaching interests include U.S. empire in Oceania with an emphasis on diaspora, labor, indigeneity, militarization, oral history and settler colonialism in Guåhan. His research has appeared in Amerasia Journal, American Quarterly, Brill, Choice Magazine, Critical Ethnic Studies Journal, and Oxford University Press.

APISA is excited to celebrate the AAPI Heritage Month at UCOP during the week of May 22. We welcome you to join us at our events to learn more about our community and celebrate with us. 

Tsai, Yang, and Hui at the Movies at UCOP, Screening of  movie, Not Your Model Minority - AAPI Heritage Month Events at UCOP

Thursday, May 25, 3:00-5:00 pm PT
Zoom Link:  https://UCOP.zoom.us/j/98070693806    

The movie explores the myth and the intersections with past and present anti-Asian violence. The film reveals the ways the model minority has been used to create a wedge between communities of color, while also examining opportunities to build power towards addressing system racism in America.

APISA is excited to celebrate the AAPI Heritage Month at UCOP during the week of May 22. We welcome you to join us at our events to learn more about our community and celebrate with us. 

Challenges Faced by AAPI in Academic Medicine

May 25, 2023 at 5:30 p.m PT
Register for the Zoom Event

Augustine M.K. Choi, MD will discuss challenges faced by AAPI physicians and faculty in academic medical institutions. Dr. Choi is the former Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Read Dr. Choi’s opinion piece on CNN: Asian Americans face barriers and bigotry in medicine

Read Dr. Choi's JAMA article: Diversity in Leadership at Academic Medical Centers: Addressing Underrepresentation Among Asian American Faculty

Visit DGSOM Events page for more information.

AAPI Heritage Month: Film Screening “Not Your Model Minority” and Discussion with Filmmaker Jon Osaki

Watch the film trailer here.

With the great generosity of the filmmaker, Jon Osaki, UCSF APASA is able to offer the virtual viewing of the film to all UC members throughout the month of May to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month. To watch the film and the recorded Q&A session with Jon, please fill out the form below by each Friday (in May) at 2pm PST and you will receive the access by the same day at 6pm PST. 

A valid UC email address (except for UC alums) is required to receive access. The virtual film viewing is for personal use only. Please do not use it for other purposes or share or distribute the access information. 

Film distribution form: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/28a8aa42634443f1b712f1e8f0908344 

Events page with the same virtual viewing info: https://calendar.ucsf.edu/event/film_screening_not_your_model_minority_and_discussion_with_filmmaker_jon_osaki 

About the film & discussion: this documentary film will reveal ways the model minority myth that has historically been used to create a wedge between AAPI and other communities of color and perpetuate divisive narratives. The discussion with the filmmaker is a Q&A opportunity for in-person and online audiences to deepen the understanding of the model minority myth, how it is detrimental in creating partnerships amongst minority groups, and examines ways to build power and progress toward addressing systemic racism in the US.

About the filmmaker: Jon Osaki, a native San Franciscan and an award-winning filmmaker who has directed and produced promotional, educational, narrative, and documentary films. He is a long-time social justice activist who uses storytelling to educate, organize, and inspire action and his films has been screened at film festivals and community events across the country. His initial interest in film grew from his desire to share the stories of the Japanese Community Youth Council, where he has served as Executive Director since 1996.

About the sponsors: presented by UCSF Asian Pacific American Systemwide Alliance (APASA) and Office of Diversity and Outreach, this event aims to further UCSF Anti-Racism Initiative’s commitment in dismantling structural racism and the impact of bias by providing the opportunity to inform UCSF and UC-wide communities and its allies about the origins of the myth and the intersections with past and present anti-Asian violence.

Los Angeles City Department of Cultural Affairs
Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration

Download the 2023 Calendar & Cultural Guide: https://culturela.org/programs-and-initiatives/city-of-los-angeles-heritage-month-celebrations/