| APIA officials,
delegates, entertainers and activists gathered
on July 27, 2004 at the Boston Museum of Science
to honor the contributions of Asian Pacific
Islander Americans who have worked tirelessly
to bring the community to the forefront and
applaud the efforts of those currently working
to organize and mobilize voters to support
new leadership in the country.
Federal elected officials speaking at the
event included Sen. Daniel Akaka [D-HI],
the first elected Senator of native Hawaiian
ancestry; Rep. Madeleine Bordallo [D-Guam];
Rep. Mike Honda [D-CA], chair of the Congressional
Asian Pacific American Caucus; Rep. Steny
Hoyer [D-MD], who serves as House Minority
Whip; Rep. Bobby Scott [D-VA], the only
Filipino-American serving in Congress, and
Rep. David Wu [D-OR]. Mazie Hironi, former
Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii, introduced
a video tribute to the late Rep. Patsy Mink,
and a variety of state and community leaders
spoke to the audience.
Democratic National Committee Chairman
Terry McAuliffe and former White House communications
director Ann Lewis emphasized the importance
of the APIA community to the Democratic
Party and the party's commitment to the
community. McAuliffe noted that this year's
convention features twice the number of
APIA delegates from four years ago, making
it the largest APIA delegation in convention
history.
The evening was hosted by actor George
Takei, actress Tamlyn Tomita, and celebrity
chef Ming Tsai, and featured entertainment
from the jazz group Hiroshima and musicians
VariAsians. |
