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My Turnby Maileen Hamto |
 |
Jaime Lim, left, publisher of The Asian Reporter, and June Arima Schumann, co-chair of the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon, spoke at the first Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce event.
From The Asian Reporter, V19, #45 (November 17, 2009), page 6.
Bringing communities together
Listening to community leaders speak about social corporate responsibility last week, I was struck by the wealth of history and experience present among our diverse communities in Oregon. The occasion was the first quarterly event of the Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce (APACC) of Oregon and Southwest Washington. It featured two community leaders who have served as beacons for Asian communities for many years.
June Arima Schumann, a founding director of the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center (ONLC) and co-chair of the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO), spoke about the importance of citizen engagement in ensuring our society works for all people. Coming of age in the 1960s against the backdrop of black America’s struggle for civil rights, she acknowledges that experiences in activism and civic involvement left a lasting impression on her life’s work.
Schumann’s leadership of ONLC ensured the growth and sustainability of many of the center’s programs that focus on the preservation and sharing of the history of Japanese Americans in Oregon. Although she retired recently, she remains active in a host of local organizations; chief among them is her leadership of the APANO board, a statewide advocacy group.
Schumann noted the work of APANO on different fronts, from understanding issues of urban ecology and impact on Asian and Pacific Islanders (API) to leading a discussion on healthcare reform. She lauded the efforts of both APANO and APACC to bring Pan-Asian community members and professionals together to work toward common goals.
Jaime Lim, publisher of The Asian Reporter, talked about how a Filipino community newsletter evolved into the largest English-language Asian newspaper in Oregon. Providing a local source for news about Asia, the publication serves an important community function in linking local API communities.
Lim credited his son, Jason, for championing an initiative to provide college scholarship opportunities for local API students through The Asian Reporter Foundation. Since its inception in 2003, the foundation has facilitated the awarding of more than $800,000 in scholarships to hundreds of students.
"I love this country. America has given me and my family so much. It’s my way of giving back," he said.
As a member of the APACC board of directors, the fact that many community leaders converged at the recent APACC event tells me a lot about the overwhelming desire to build coalitions of mutual benefit and support among our diverse Asian Pacific Islander American communities. The new chamber of commerce evolved from another business group that primarily served as a networking hub. It seeks to build on the growing network of API professionals and business owners intent on promoting cultural and business relationships.
"As a relatively young organization, APACC already has brought together many representatives from different types of businesses to create support for economic development and to ensure the growth of our business community and state," said Peter Sabido, an intellectual property attorney who is serving as APACC’s first president. "Our goal is to bring together people from all types of businesses to create support for business development and to ensure the prosperity of our diverse Asian Pacific American communities."
Barely a year old, APACC has a tall order to fill. At its inaugural event, advisory board member Peggy Ross, the governor’s director of affirmative action, issued a number of challenges to the board, among them: identifying how to bring solid business advice such as finding opportunities to raise capital for small businesses and assisting businesses on how to work with both local and state government.
APACC is your chamber. What we’re able to deliver to the community is only as good as the input we receive. We invite members of the community to check out one of our events, which are scheduled at various venues throughout the Portland metropolitan area. The next event — a potluck holiday celebration with area API groups — is scheduled for Saturday, December 19 from noon to 2:30pm at the East Portland Community Center and Pool, located 740 S.E. 106th Avenue. Reservations are requested by December 15. To learn more about the holiday celebration, click the "Events Calendar" link at <www.apacc-or.org>. To get involved with APACC, e-mail <info@apacc-or.org>.