【時報訊】在Moonrise 旅館的屋頂上，數十位亞美青年專業協會（YAPA）的會員們相約一起欣賞日落美景，度過了一個快樂的周日傍晚。豪華的酒店與這個非營利組織一同，於09年春季亮相聖路易地區：Moonrise旅館舉辦了精彩的開幕式，而YAPA也完成了密州的社團註冊手續。
YAPA協會的成員由聖路易地區的亞美青年組成，該協會會長張維德Peter Chang，聖路易出生長大，但之後久居臺北和洛杉磯地區，曾在台北和洛杉磯地區工作，由於曾經就職於洛杉磯的一家亞裔非營利組織，所以十分熟悉非營利組織的運營。
YAPA會長張維德表示：“大型的城市一般會表現出更多的文化多樣性，並且會設立很多代表少數群體利益的社團。當我回到聖路易時，感覺這個地區缺失了這些東西。”他和他聖路易地區的朋友們進行了一次長談，認為需要建立一個能夠增進亞美社區互動性的社團。Peter解釋，社區通常以文化族群進行劃分。協會的公關Ashley Hoang補充表示，目前已經有很多社團以這些劃分方式建立起來，但是還沒有一個專門針對具有亞裔背景的專業青年的社團。YAPA協會的成員目前有韓裔、亞裔、菲律賓裔以及臺灣裔美國人。Hoang是中國人與越南人的後裔，出生於Granite City。
YAPA協會有四個部門： 文化教育、專業發展、社區服務和社交網路。據瞭解，該協會計畫在每個月的第三個星期四在聖路易市的不同地點舉辦“快樂時光活動”{Happy Hour}，最近一次的活動即在Moonrise旅館屋頂觀賞日落的活動。
在社區服務方面，YAPA與Dillon International有合作關係。Dillon是一個負責從亞洲地區跨國收養兒童的代理機構。YAPA邀請該組織中的父母及其被收養的兒童一起參加近期在Ballwin舉辦的野炊燒烤活動。一位收養了韓國兒童的家長Bum Yong Kim認為，能夠通過這次野炊活動和協會成員交流在聖路易的生活經歷，是一件非常令人愉悅的體驗。他說，“目前有很多針對第一代移民的亞裔組織，但是卻沒有一家為第二代移民成員開設的組織。這些成員急需一個管道去建立和鞏固彼此的人際交流。”
張維德會長表示YAPA計畫為Dillon舉辦籌資活動，同時願意向這些用英語交流的家庭提供幫助。幫助的形式很可能是建立一個“大哥哥／大姐姐”輔導項目，YAPA成員可以為這些生於亞洲的孩子們組隊進行輔導。
在專業發展方面，YAPA計畫組織一系列講座活動，第一個講座的內容是在經濟蕭條的當下給人們提供投資建議。張會長認為，目前有多個企業加盟社團，為這些講座的時效性提供了保障。近期即將舉辦的講座將介紹Tony Eng，他是一個專業舞蹈攝影師，同時他本人也是一個經驗豐富的舞蹈演員。
專業發展方向主要針對年齡在20-30歲左右的會員，並且目前已經發展為擁有近170個成員的團體。該團體於近期將開始向會員收取小額的年度會費。對於聖路易地區具體將會有多少人加入YAPA，張會長表示目前還不清楚，預計人數會占聖路易市和郡亞裔居民總額的百分之二。
據了解，目前有意入會的人士中，很大一部分是在這裡深造的國際學生。他們在聖路易地區很難找到一份工作。協會力圖一方面幫助他們學習美國文化，另一方面和當地企業協商，增加他們雇用這些學生的可能性。此外，協會還會盡力搭建平臺，為不同年齡的亞裔華人提供更多的文化交流機會。
YAPA協會對於聖路易地區公共活動的籌辦頗有貢獻，在聖路易紅雀隊近日舉辦的“亞太裔傳統之夜”活動中，由於票房銷量過少，紅雀隊曾一度打算取消該活動。YAPA成員勸服紅雀隊不要放棄活動籌辦，並且積極協助紅雀隊通過教會、工商企業、中文報紙以及其他機構向社區各界發佈活動資訊及爭取支持。通過YAPA的努力，棒球之夜最終以165個觀眾購票參與而圓滿結束。
New outlet for St. Louis' young Asian-Americans
On the rooftop terrace of the Moonrise Hotel , more than a dozen members of the Young Asian-American Professional Association (YAPA) watched the sun setting during a recent weeknight happy hour event.
The swanky hotel and the nonprofit organization share this in common: They both announced themselves to St. Louis this spring (Moonrise with its grand opening and YAPA with its state registration as a nonprofit).
The association is promoting itself as an all-encompassing group for young Asian-Americans in St. Louis who have lived here their whole lives, moved away and returned, or recently arrived as students or employees.
Several of the people who started the group were born in St. Louis but have lived elsewhere. Peter Chang, a banker who is from St. Louis but lived in Los Angeles and Taipei before moving back here in late 2005, is familiar with Asian-based nonprofits, having worked for one in L.A.
"Having been in a bigger city that is much more diverse and has a lot more cultural offerings and organizations that are minority-based, I felt something was missing when I moved back here,§ said Chang, who is YAPA's general director.
He and his friends in St. Louis had long talked about the need for a group that could bring together the Asian-American community. Chang said that community often divides itself along ethnic lines. Ashley Hoang, the group's public relations and professional development director, added that there are organizations here geared toward particular ethnic groups, but nothing directed specifically at young professionals of all Asian backgrounds. The group already includes people who idenfity as Korean American, Chinese American, Filipino American and, as Chang self-identifies, Taiwanese-American. He was born in Granite City and has parents immigrated from Taiwan in 1969. Hoang is half Chinese, half Vietnamese.
YAPA has four objectives: cultural education, professional development, community service and social networking. It plans to hold a happy hour every third Thursday of the month at different locations around the city, as it did recently at Moonrise in University City.
For the community service component, YAPA already has partnered with Dillon International , a child-placement agency that focuses on international adoptions from Asia. The young professionals group invited parents and their adoptees to attend a recent BBQ and picnic in Ballwin. Bum Yong Kim, who adopted a child from Korea came to the picnic and the happy hour event. He said he appreciates the chance to talk to group members about their experiences in St. Louis.
"There are lots of Asian organizations for the first generation, but to have one for the second generation, to network and build friendships, is a real strong need," he said.
Chang said YAPA plans to hold events to raise money for Dillon, as well as to provide help to the English-speaking families. One possibility is a big brothers/big sisters-type mentoring program in which YAPA members would be paired with the Asian-born children.
On the professional development front, YAPA plans to hold a series of workshops, the first of which was on investing advice in the recession. Chang said there are a lot of entrepreneurs in the group, which made that topic all the more timely. An upcoming dance workshop will feature the instruction of Tony Eng, a professional dance photographer who is also an experienced dancer.The group is geared toward people in their 20s and 30s. It's free to join and is up to roughly 170 members. Chang said a small annual membership fee could be added soon. It's hard to say how many members YAPA can expect -- he cites data that 2 percent of St. Louis and St. Louis County residents are of Asian heritage.
Among the people who Hoang said have expressed interest are international students here to get advanced degrees and looking to expand their networks. Chang said these students often have trouble finding full-time work in St. Louis. One of his goals is to help them learn American customs and to get local businesses to consider hiring these students, some of whom bring with them a knowledge of the international business scene. Chang said he's also interested in helping to bridge the cultural divide between younger and older generations of Asian-Americans.
YAPA has already proven its ability to spread the word quickly about events. The St. Louis Cardinals recently held Asian Pacific Heritage Night, one in a series of heritage nights new this year in which the team invites people of different groups to the ballpark. Because of low ticket sales, the Cardinals were prepared to cancel the event. But YAPA members persuaded the club to give them time to help promote the event. Group members rallied people from churches, businesses, Chinese newspapers and other organizations to spread the word.
More than 165 people ended up attending the baseball night, and several YAPA members had their photo taken on the field before the game.
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