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Council of Asian Pacific Americans
April/May 2016 Newsletter
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President's Message
CAPA has been bringing Asian Pacific Americans together with the community at large through culture, education and community services for over fifteen years. CAPA's signature events including the Splendor of the East (SOE) continue to showcase the growing strength of the APA communities and their increasing contributions to Michigan's economy, culture, diversity and vitality. Your support for our initiatives and events such as the Splendor of the East is greatly appreciated. Last year you joined us at the SOE as guests witnessing the different wedding customs and the traditional and exotic wedding outfits of Asia and the Pacific. This year we invite you to come as tourists and travel with "Tom" on a fascinating journey to experience the Sights and Sounds of Asia! This is an extraordinary collaboration from countries like China, India, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Polynesia, Taiwan and other non-Asian Pacific countries all one stage. Come celebrate the Asian Pacific American Heritage month with us on May 14, 2016 and join us for the VIP reception and show which starts at 5:30 pm.
Best Wishes,
Aneesa I. Rashid, Ph.D.
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Prominent Leaders Join Advisory Board
CAPA is proud and honored to w
elcome new Advisory Board member, the Detroit-based Asian American artist and graphic designer Dominic Pangborn. Dominic has expertise and extensive experience in leadership and community service. He will help to enhance and strengthen CAPA's pursuit of uniting Asian Pacific Americans and the Michigan community at large through cultural, education and community services.
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| Dominic Pangborn Artist and graphic designer |
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Congratulations
Mumtaz Haque from CAPA Advisory Board, has been recognized as one of 2016's 25 Most Powerful Women of Detroit by Walker's Legacy! Mumtaz has provided incomparable inspiration, civic relationship, mentoring and more to the Metropolitan Detroit community where she lives. She is also a business-minded professional or entrepreneur who embodies the Walker's Legacy mission.
Sharon Dow from CAPA Board, has been awarded the 2016 Michigan International Professional Award by International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit. Sharon received the awards that represents her cultural background, with emphasis on her achievements as an immigrant who has made significant contributions in her professions where she has worked hard to enhance unity and understanding in our global community.
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| The Soup Kitchen was held March 26 at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries in Detroit |
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| The Taste of Asia - Korea was held March 30 at the Dae Jang Keum in Troy |
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| The MAPAAC Anti-Bullying Forum was held April 16 at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Ann Arbor |
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CAPA Splendor of the East 2016:
Sights and Sounds of Asia
Saturday, May 14, 7 - 9 p.m.
Ford Community & Performing Arts Center
15801 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI
General Admission:
$20
Youth: $10
VIP Package: $100
CAPA SOE 2016 Update
From Rachna Kumar, CAPA Culture Chair
Excitement is building up as we get closer to the Splendor of the East 2016 to be organized on Saturday, May 14th 2016 at 7PM at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, MI. Marking the Asian Pacific Heritage month, we have unprecedented number of teams that are performing on the CAPA stage, each representing a diverse range of dancing styles, musical instrumental abilities that would transport you to the journey into the enchanted east. "Sights and Sounds of Asia" where each performance is going to showcase the rich cultural heritage, diversity and the history of an Asian landmark. The CAPA cultural committee is energized under the new Artistic Director Ning Xue who is a dancer and a dance instructor with years of experience behind her.
SOE Chair 2016, Rachna Kumar is excited how Ning's vision and creative guidance is taking the SOE to greater heights.
Ning Xue, a choreographer and professional dancer from China, has 35 years of experience in teaching Chinese folk dance, traditional dance and classical dance. She has a Master's degree in music education from Oakland University and has been a regular guest dance instructor at the University of Michigan's Dance Department in Ann Arbor. She has founded the Chinese Dance Troupe of the Art School in 1997.
Under Xue's leadership, the dance troupe has seen great success in SOE and international festivals since 2000. They have made enormous contributions to the American-Chinese cultural exchange in the Michigan area. Xue was art director of SOE in 2007 and has supported this event every year. More specifically, she has rich experience in performance, stage organization and background lighting.
Kumar is happy to report that CAPA SOE 2016 has a total of 17 performances, each representing an extraordinary amalgamation of traditional and contemporary arrangements that will leave the audience spellbound with its intriguing cultural influences and history on stage. Join over 125 performers who will take you on a tour around the Asian subcontinent. This year's presentation is a vibrant celebration of the cultures such as China, India, Philippines, Japan, Laos, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Asian Pacific and more.
CAPA President, Aneesa Rashid is excited for the theme of this year's SOE that she hopes will facilitate an education about the destinations less known or new destinations/places to see and explore. Our presentation will be culminating with a Jazz performance from Detroit. Rachna Kumar is overjoyed at the idea of this year's SOE paying tribute to the land we all made our new home. So tighten your seat belts and get ready to become a world traveler. Enjoy the sights and sounds of Asia with us. CAPA is ready to celebrate its diversity and culture with all of you.
Ticket prices are: VIP package, $100; and general admission, $20 and Youth under 18, $10. For ticket reservations, interested individuals or parties are asked to visit the CAPA website at:
www.capa-mi.org.
For details, contact Rachna Kumar 248-835-2528 or rachna@capa-mi.org.
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CAPA 2016 Greater Detroit AsiaFest
The Council of Asian Pacific Americans and the National Association of Asian Professionals Detroit: Allies in the Production of 2016 Greater Detroit AsisFest
The Greater Detroit AsiaFest is a one evening, food and culturally themed micro-festival to be held on the evening of Thursday, July 14, from 6pm to 10pm, at the Royal Oak Farmers Market in downtown Royal Oak. The event will be unprecedented in that it will incorporate food from restaurants and caterers representing much of the Asian region - China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and India. We are seeking to include entertainment central to some of these areas in the form of music and dance. Our vendor shopping component will embody a wide array of products, services, crafters and artists - ideally with some portion thereof having cultural influences. Please visit
www.capa-mi.org or contact
aneesa@capa-mi.org for more event details.
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CAPA 2016 Statewide Asian Pacific Leadership Summit
In collaboration with other member organizations, Council of Asian Pacific Americans will host the 14th Leadership Summit on October 22, 2016. CAPA's Annual Leadership Summit focuses on building bridges and fostering growth within the Asian Pacific American Community and other organizations to bring about a positive social and economic change.
We encourage the participation of all community organizations. Please visit www.capa-mi.org for more event details in the coming months. Please contact aneesa@capa-mi.org if you wish to be a partner organization or sponsor to this event.
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We are creating a volunteer list of members who would like to attend events to which
CAPA is invited.
We will meet with you over coffee to give you more information and a presentation on CAPA's
activities and mission.
Please contact sharon@capa-mi.org or aneesa@capa-mi.org if you are
interested in being added to the list.
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Farah Ahmed, Executive Director
Farah Ahmed is an Operations Supervisor for DTE Electric, an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan. She received her B.S in Electrical Engineering from Wayne State University. Her prior experience includes strategic planning, communication and event planning.
Ahmed is actively involved with Women of DTE and the past marketing chair for Michigan Lean Consortium. She actively volunteers at the Michigan Muslim Community Council (MMCC) and DECA, an international association of marketing students.
Chunchun Tang, Education Chair
Chunchun Tang began her journey in the United States in 2007 when she came to Michigan for college education. Her profound appreciation for the English language and American culture drove not only her decision to study and live abroad, but also her commitment to majoring in English literature as a non-native speaker of the language. In addition to academic excellence, Chunchun was also highly involved as a student leader at Saginaw Valley State University. From serving as a Student Association representative to being a Resident Assistant, Chunchun found it her privilege and pleasure to help and advocate for her peers. On the other hand, a skilled public speaker and translator, Chunchun won the university-wide SIMS Public Speaking Competition twice in 2008 and 2009. From 2008-2012, Chunchun also acted as an interpreter for the Gerstacker Fellows during their annual educational exchange to East Asia. Through these positions, opportunities for professional growth arose as Chunchun navigated the transition from school to society. After graduating with honors in 2011, Chunchun worked for the University's English Language Program as an English as a Second Language specialist before starting her master's program at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in fall 2012.
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From New America Media
From the Pacific Islands to Virginia, Asian American and Pacific Islander candidates dot the political landscape in the United States.
Research from the Asian and Pacific American Institute of Congressional Studies found that 123 AAPI candidates are running for state or federal office in 2016. That total does not include the Hawaii State Legislature because the filing deadline there is June 7.
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A Conversation With Asians on Race
From The New York Times Opinion
In this installment of the "Conversations on Race" series for Op-Docs, Asian Americans talk about how stereotypes unfairly confine them - particularly the one that brands them a "model minority."
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Actor Aziz Ansari Among 2016 Honorees of APAICS Annual Awards
From India West
The awards program recognizes distinguished individuals who have made significant achievements and contributions to the AAPI community.
The 2016 awardees include Indian American
Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, who have been tapped for the Vision Award.
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Canton Township is need of people who want to work the election polls.
From Canton Township
The job requirements, the qualifications and the pay rate are outlined on the election worker flier. Workers become at-will employees of Canton Township in order to get paid. There is a packet of paperwork the needs to be filled out. A PDF of the packet is available, or you can download the necessary paperwork by visiting www.canton-mi.org , Government, Clerk's Office, Election Precinct Inspector, and the application link is on that page.
Training classes have been scheduled throughout the month of July. The Clerk needs to receive the completed paperwork as soon as possible so that new poll workers may pick a convenient day and time to take the required training classes.
For more information, please call Estelle Oliansky, Election Recruiter at (734) 748-2329, or the Clerk's Office at (743) 394-5120.
Mai Family Services 8th Annual Walkathon encourages walking to stop domestic violence in our community
From Mai Family Services
The Mai Family Services encourage you to put your best foot forward to end domestic violence in our community. Walk to Stop Domestic Violence on Sunday, June 19, 2016.
Please register today at
www.maifs.org
and invite your family, friends, and colleagues to do the same.
Place: Heritage Park, 24725 Farmington Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48336. Registration: 10:00 AM, Kick-off: 11:00 AM, Preregistration: $15/adults, $10/youth ages 18 - 10 and children under 10 are free.
2016 Health & Wellness Fair
From Philippine American Community Center of Michigan (PACCCM)
For promoting health maintenance and prevention of diseases, the community service program "2016 Health & Wellness Fair" sponsored by PACCM, PMAM, MAPAAC in partnership with CAPA, PNAM, NANAY, FCNA-MI and Asian Center and other allied health providers, will be held on May 14, 2016 from 9am to 1pm at PACCM. Featuring free health education and health screening services. Health screening and test procedures offered. Please contact Becky Tungol (248) 755-6119 for detail information.
PACCM - 17356 Northland Park Court, Southfield, MI
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