Lunar New Year 2016: Empowering Asian American Voices

By: Lou Maningas Cabalona

 

As millions of people around the world celebrated the Lunar New Year, the Asian American Coalition of Chicago (AACC) marked the beginning of the Year of the Monkey with a festive Dinner Gala and Awards Ceremony celebration last February 6 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

The well-attended event, hosted by ABC-7 Chicago’s Linda Yu and Cary Chow of ESPN, was a coming together of leaders and representatives of the Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Pakistani, Thai and Vietnamese communities in Chicagoland, recognizing outstanding individuals who have made exceptional contribution to the Asian American community.

This years’ celebration recognized Ms. Tuyet Le, long-time Executive Director of the Asian American Advancing Justice of Chicago and Illinois Senior Senator Dick Durbin for their tireless advocacy work on behalf of all new Americans and immigrant communities.

The Coalition also awarded the 2016 Exemplary Community Service Awards and the Youth Who Excels Awards to two well-deserving leaders in each group. Dr. Mylene Ongos-Hilo, Doctor of Dentistry, a humanitarian and philanthropist, and Ms. Maia Rose Lasko, a Junior at Warren Township High School were among the distinguished awardees representing the Filipino community.

Opera Singer and Ms. Illinois 2014, Marisa Buchheit, officially opened the evening’s activities, singing the US National Anthem. On the significance of the event, she passionately shares, “I think the most important thing for us to do is embrace our own heritage and from that we can inspire from within by showing our pride and our culture. We have great food, great music, and so much to offer. By embracing that, we can enlighten others around us.”

Guests, Chinese American businessman Bob Yang and wife Lucy, who is of Filipino descent, attended the event for the first time. I was really impressed by this group,” Lucy shares. “We have been in the area for a long time since 1973 but we never became active in this,” almost implying they would have been part of more past celebrations if they knew what was in store for them then.

But the spectacle is not only appreciated in its novelty. AACC has after all done this successfully for the past 33 years.

“It’s a lot of fun. It’s my second time. It was great to see all the different Asian American communities coming together for one event,” says Cary Shoda, Artistic Director for A-Squared Theatre. “That, for me, is the best thing about it!”

Maricar Madrid Crost, a prominent figure in the FilAm community, an Immigration Attorney, and host of V81radio.com, makes it a point to be part of the celebration every year. She believes that, “this yearly event that brings the Filipino and Asian communities together is very important for the City of Chicago.”

Aside from the colorful cultural performances, auspicious ceremonies and rituals to ring in the new year, the event, which also serves as a grand reunion of community workers and guests, also hopes to impart an important message to everyone.

With the theme “Envision. Enlighten. Empower,” and the upcoming 2016 Presidential elections coming close, Chairman Karen Eng, CEO of CSMI, shares her advice on two important matters that she believes will help empower our people. “If you can vote, you should vote,” reinforcing that, “making the vote would help because that’s where we can affect change.”

In the same spirit, Dennis Cha, owner and operator of McDonald’s, who claims that the lunar new year celebration is his favorite event to sponsor, recalls what struck him the most this year. “We have heard several speakers telling us should speak out for what we think is right. We got the elections coming up so we really need to voice out what we believe in and get involved in our community because helping each other means we make our community better.”

Eng also called on the members of the community to encourage the younger folks, students, to mentor them to be more proactive in their life – something that Youth Who Excels Awardee, Maia Lasko lives up to.

Reflecting on her own path, she encourages young people her age to “be out there and get involved in as many things as possible and do their best to help.”

The good news is that the benefits are almost always, twoway. “Becoming involved in those types of organizations, you will learn much (and) you will have a great time learning.” Rich Frachey, a Board Member of Chinese American Museum of Chicago who is also actively involved in a number of other Asian organizations, encourages. “If they get involved in any of the organization within the community here, it will blossom to much broader things that will enrich their lives and the lives of (people in) the community.”

For some other community members and just as equally powerful, answering the call of empowering the community simply means amplifying our causes by doing what we do well.

Actor Ben Albovias, summarizes his commitment to a few words, “Participation, getting in the community, being involved and working on your craft.” In other words, according to fellow actor, Shoda,“Keep doing what you are doing, that’s what it is all about; finding whatever venue or outlet you can and put yourself out there. As Asian artists, it’s all about giving yourself a voice.”

As the Asian Lunar New Year looks forward to another year with the incoming host, the Pakistani community and with the number of engaged attendees growing to over thousands year after year, we can’t help but be positive our voice as an empowered Asian American community is becoming stronger than ever. ————

Catch About Face Theatre’s After All The Terrible Things I Do, by Filipino American playwright A. Rey Pamatmat, directed by Andrew Volkoff from March 18 to April 10, 2016 at the Theater Wit, 1229 W Belmont Ave, Chicago.

The intimate and gripping play explores the dark side of ordinary people, second chances, and the price of forgiveness with the meeting of a young gay writer (Colin Sphar) and a Filipina bookstore owner (Lisa Tejero). Tickets are available at www.aboutfacetheatre. org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or at the Theater Wit Box Office. ###

Louella Maningas Cabalona is a singer, actor, and a Manager at Sears Holdings. She is the co-founder of the Filipino Folk band, SamaSama Project, ILPRO (Illinois Philippines Recovery Operations) and is one of the inaugural delegates of the FYLPro Immersion program of the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC in 2012. She is passionate about sharing Filipino culture in the modern world and actively supports all outstanding Filipinos around the globe. If you would like to connect, email louellarose@gmail.com.

Louella and husband Baron Cabalona with Senator Dick Durbin attending the Lincoln Museum 10th Anniversary April 2015 in Springfield IL

Baron and Louella Cabalona at 2016 Asian Lunar New Year Celebration with the gorgeous Marisa Buccheit, Mrs. Illinois in 2014.

First time attendees, Bobby and Lucy Yang is happy to be part of an impressive gala event.

Chairman Karen Eng welcomes and addresses all guests. Photo by J.D. Lee Photography

 

Actors Colin Sphar and Lisa Tejero for About Face Theatre’s Chicago premiere of After All The Terrible Things I Do by playwright A. Rey Pamatmat, directed by Andrew Volkoff. Photo by Christopher Semel.