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      Council of Asian Pacific Americans
              
             November/December 2016 Newsletter
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Updates from the Council of Asian Pacific Americans 

CAPA News & Updates
President's Message


Seasons Greetings!

A big thank you to all the members, sponsors, advisory board, the board, the leaders of the Asian Pacific American organizations, family and friends for making this another successful year for CAPA and your support over the past two years.   Together, we succeeded in achieving our mission of uniting the Asian Pacific American Community with the community at large through culture, education and community service and highlighting our motto diversity is our strength.

This year along with our signature events, the Splendor of the East, where we showcased the Sights and Sounds of Asia and the Leadership Summit which focused on Speaking Powerfully with Minimal Stress we embarked on new initiatives as we marked our 15 year anniversary milestone.  AsiaFest in collaboration with NAAAP was held in Royal Oak and was a great success thanks to the help we received from our member APA organizations. This year we also received a grant from the Michigan Humanities Council to work on a documentary capturing the stories of the first and second generation Asian Immigrants in Michigan. Harsha Nahata is working hard on the project. Our Youth Committee Chair, Ricky is also taking CAPA's mission to the school diversity councils and appointing CAPA representatives in schools. Please support our young, enthusiastic volunteers and leaders in their efforts to promote diversity and enhance CAPA's role in the community.

As my term of two years (2015-2016) has come to an end, I hand over CAPA's leadership to a new executive board. My congratulations and best wishes to Angela Wang Beasinger (President), Sharon Dow (Vice-President), Yoshiko Babcock (Secretary), Ngoc Do (Executive Director), Jeffrey Vedua (Treasurer) and their team of board of directors.  This year two of our valuable BOD will be stepping down from the board: Arcie Gemino and Becky Tungol. Thank you for your contributions in making CAPA a success. Thank you to all those who attended our end of year party which also recognized out past presidents and the growth of CAPA over the past fifteen year. A short history and pictorial timeline follows.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and best wishes for 2017!


Best Wishes,
Aneesa I. Rashid, Ph.D.

CAPA's History

In 2000, the idea of creating a Pan-Asian American cultural organization in Michigan emerged among Asian Pacific Americans to celebrate  Asian Pacific American Heritage Month . The seed money for the organization was raised from DTE.  The Council of Asian Pacific Americans was formed on February 17, 2001, and the first Splendor of the East was held at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts in May 2001.

CAPA History

CAPA Milestone: 15 Years.   Over the past 15 years CAPA has had the honor of having Michigan leaders like Governor Rick Snyder, Governor Jennifer Granholm, Senator Debbie Stabenow, Senator Hoon-Yung Hopgood, Senator Sandra Levin, House Representative Stephanie Chang (a former CAPA board member), House Democrat Leader Sam Singh, Dr. Virender Moudgil and many leaders of the community attend CAPA events as keynote speakers and recognize the contribution of CAPA to Michigan in promoting diversity. Mumtaz Haque and Sook Wilkinson, our past presidents have been publicly recognized for their contributions to the community.  


Recent Events
CAPA Statewide Leadership Summit Attendees Learned Strategies for Speaking Powerfully
From Arcie Gemino, CAPA Fundraising Coordinator 

2016 CAPA Statewide Leadership Summit
2016 CAPA Statewide Leadership Summit

A dynamic speaker and workshop presenter Sachi Koto led a successful Statewide Asian Pacific American Leadership Summit hosted by the Council of Asian pacific Americans (CAPA) and sponsored by General Motors at the GM Vehicle Engineering Center on October 22, 2016. Sachi is an executive coach with an extensive experience in the areas of communications, public speaking, leadership, executive presence, accent reduction, media training and diversity. With more than 30 years of experience on air, she worked as an anchor at CNN, Japan cable TV Network in Tokyo and other media outlets.
 
CAPA President Dr. Aneesa Rashid with the assistance of Executive Director Farah Ahmed along with the Steering Committee composed of CAPA Board and Advisory members put together a session that included a welcome  breakfast, opening  speech by CAPA advisory Board Chair and GM Global Diversity Manager Julie Xiong, workshop on the topic of Speaking with Power by Sachi Koto, closing speech by Michigan Senator (District 6) Hoon-Yung Hopgood, formal networking lunch, MAPAAC address by Dr. Jamie Hsu and table topic discussions by Networking Ambassadors which included Director Bing Goei, Dr. Ernie Mac, Andrew Humphrey, Dr. Sook Wilkinson, Henry Tanaka and Dr. Jacoub Mansour along with board members on topics of interest to the APA community. Leaders from several organizations participated in the discussions. 
 
A brief overview of the workshop focused on speaking powerfully with minimal stress and taught summit participants the principles and role playing strategies that will help improve their communication skills, leadership potential, confidence and ability to understand people which ultimately allows non-native English speakers the ability to assimilate into the American society and business world more smoothly. The workshop stressed the significance of acquiring good public speaking skills in securing a better job, raise in salary or promotion as well as its impact on a job interview and performance review. One component of the workshop focused on tips for fundraising. A surprise for the session was making the role-playing contest real through a generous award of $1,000 by Julie Xiong, adding excitement. This resulted in two student organizations sharing the award. Again, thank you to Julie for GM's generous support! The consensus on the Summit was that was a phenomenal success.

CAPA Members and Community Leaders Celebrated Holiday Season and 15 Year Anniversary
From Ngoc Do, CAPA Board of Director 

On the evening of Wednesday December 7, 2016, CAPA held its Annual Holiday Party at the historic Edward Hotel and Conference Center in Dearborn. It was a celebration of  this year's triumphs such as the Leadership Summit featuring Sachi Koto, AsiaFest at Royal Oak's Farmers Market and volunteer efforts at the local soup kitchen. Who could forget our signature event Splendor of the East - Sights and Sounds of Asia?! 
 
This year also marked a significant 15 year anniversary of CAPA's mission of uniting Asian Pacific Americans and the community at-large through culture, education, and community service. We honored those who have been so instrumental in our growth and success over the years and welcomed new guests and members who will help to continue it. 

Thank you to all who lend countless hours of creativity and talent, contribute both financial and emotional support - none of this would be possible without you.
 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 
 
Upcoming Events
CAPA Hosts Splendor of the East 2017 on May 13, 2017
From Sharon Dow, CAPA Vice President


Save the Date!

The Council of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA) will host its popular annual signature event, the "Splendor of the East" on May 13, 2017. The event will showcase the extraordinary talents from several different Asian Pacific American communities. The "Splendor of the East" has been an exotic collaboration of music and dance where the East meets the West capturing diversity through traditional and contemporary composition of artistry. Please save the date for this exciting event on May 13, 2017. 

For more information about the 2017 Splendor of the East, please visit www.capa-mi.org or contact sharon@capa-mi.org.

SOE 2017 Audition:

Time: Sunday January 15, 2017 from 2pm to 4pm
Location: Troy Community Center - Studio B/C, 3179 Livernois Rd,
               Troy, MI 48083
Title: Splendid Asian Festivals 2017
Contact: sharon@capa-mi.org
CAPA Project: Connecting Asian American Immigrant Communities
From Harsha Nahata, CAPA Board of Director


This holiday season, ask your parents and the elders in our communities the questions you always wondered about their journey to the United States.

Our Stories, Our Voices

Funded by a grant from the Michigan Humanities Council, the Council of Asian Pacific Americans is collecting stories from Asian American immigrant families and bringing together generations to understand each other and our roots through storytelling.   If you are an Asian American immigrant family with youth ages 16 and up,  participate in our project! Sign up for a one-on-one interview or host a group conversation.
  
Visit our blog at ourstories-ourvoices.com and follow our journey on Instagram @ourstoriesourvoices.   These conversations have been reflective and healing for families and your generous support will help us to hold this experience for as many communities as possible.   You can contribute to our work at: https://www.gofundme.com/our-stories-our-voices .   Contact voices@capa-mi.org if you have any questions.
 

CAPA Scholars Award is Open for 2017 Applications
From Chunchun Tang, CAPA Education Committee Chair


The Council of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA) is proud to call for applications for the 2017 CAPA Scholars Award. The application deadline is January 31, 2017.  The highly selective and prestigious scholarship is intended to propel the educational advancement of APA youth in Michigan and to foster youth involvement and leadership in the APA Community.
 
Qualifying applicants include full-time high school seniors who will attend an institution of higher education in the State of Michigan and who will continue to reside in Michigan. In addition, eligible candidates must be of an Asian Pacific American (APA) heritage and are willing to serve on CAPA's Youth Committee to give back to the APA community. At least one of the eligible candidate's parents shall also be a member of CAPA. The awardee(s) will receive a $1,000 Scholars Award at CAPA's Splendor of the East reception on May 13, 2017. The recipient(s) will be identified by CAPA's Education Committee, which will base its selection upon the applicants' potential to provide outstanding APA leadership and/or community service to the state of Michigan.
 
To apply for the 2017 Scholars Award, eligible candidates must complete an application form.  Please visit www.capa-mi.org/scholars-award to download the application form.  Completed applications must be submitted by email to scholarsaward@capa-mi.org on or before January 31, 2017.
 
For more information about the 2017 Scholars Award, please write to CAPA Education Committee at scholarsaward@capa-mi.org.
 
CAPA Announcing Sponsorship of ACA Lunar New Year Banquet
From CAPA Communications and Association of Chinese Americans (ACA)
 
We are happy to announce that CAPA is a co-sponsor of the upcoming Association of Chinese Americans (ACA) Lunar New Year Banquet, celebrating the Year of the Rooster.   Featuring a ten-course gourmet Chinese banquet style dinner, entertainment, airline ticket (One domestic and one U.S. to Asia) auction as well as networking opportunities with local community representatives and government officials, the Lunar New Year Banquet will be held on Saturday, February 4th, 6pm at Golden Harvest Restaurant.  All CAPA members are welcomed to join this traditional banquet to kick off the year.  CAPA group rate $35 for CAPA members is available - contact us!

Saturday, February 4th, 6pm(check-in 5pm)
Golden Harvest Restaurant
6880 East Twelve Mile Road, Warren, MI 48092
CAPA Group Rate: $35
RSVP to CAPA by 1/25/2017: Sharon@capa-mi.org or (248) 421-3468
CAPA announcing Sponsorship of CAGD Chinese New Year Celebration   
From CAPA Communications and Chinese Association of Greater Detroit (CAGD)
 
CAPA is joining CAGD and many other community organizations to host the Chinese New Year Celebration - Guangdong Arts troupe performance on the February 11th 2017 The Government of Guangdong, which is the sister province to the State of Michigan, will use this opportunity to promote cultural and economic cooperation as well as strengthen the relationship between the two states/provinces while celebrating the Chinese New Year - the year of Rooster.  The celebration will start at  5pm  with a Dinner gala followed by spectacular performance with renowned artists from Guangdong China. The Chinese Consul General in Chicago, Hong Lei, Governor Rick Snyder as well as many elected officials, business and community leaders will join the event.   

Saturday, February 11, 2017
Dinner Gala 5pm; 
Art Performance 7:15pm
Ford Community and Performance Arts Center 
15801 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126
Ticket reservation: ticket@cagd-us.org
Professional Development Advice
If you were a car, what kind and how good? 
Musings of Dr. Jamie C. Hsu
 
Have you ever thought of yourself as a car? What kind of car would you be? And more importantly, how well would you be working?

If you are adventurous and fun loving, you might be a sports car with a convertible top to zip through a winding country road. Or, you might be a high performance car with a lot of energy and a daring spirit to take on challenges and competition. Some of you are more like a luxury limo living a glamorous and pampered life. My guess is that most of you are dependable sedans, dutifully carrying out your daily business without much fanfare. Of course there are always those big workhorse trucks and vans who haul stuff and people around with great capacity and heart.   

No matter what kind of car you are, the appearance and size are just part of you. To be a good car and person, you need a strong engine and driving force to motivate you. You need agile steering to maneuver through traffic and life. Dependable brakes and impulse control will keep you out of trouble. Good fuel and food can propel you forward efficiently. A sophisticated controller and brain will let you tackle the many challenges on the road and in life.  Sharp and clear mirrors and vision allow you to observe what is around you so you can enjoy the scenery and react to the unexpected.  And of course, a healthy and durable body will hold everything together for you, the car, to cruise through life elegantly.

When was the last time you had a good check-up on the internal workings of all the elements in you, the car?  Maybe it is time to do a thorough tune-up so you can be the car you want, have the performance you need, and live the life you deserve.

Wishing you can zip through life with fun, health, and success. 
AAPI News
DCBA 2017 Chinese New Year Gala   
From Detroit Chinese Business Association (DCBA)
 
Detroit Chinese Business Association (DCBA) Chinese New Year Gala will be held on February 11, 2017 in the beautiful Grand Riverview Ballroom at the Cobo Center, Detroit Michigan. We would like to invite you to join hundreds of prominent political, business and community leaders in welcoming a delegation of governmental and business forerunners from China to Michigan for the annual Chinese New Year Gala.  Governor Rick Snyder, who has dedicated significant time and energy to strengthening Michigan's connections with China, will serve as a keynote speaker.

Saturday, February 11, 2017, 5pm - 9pm
Grand Riverview Ballroom, COBO Center
1 Washington Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226
$350/person; $600/couple
Registration: info@dcba.com

CAPA Ambassadors Wanted
 
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 aneesa@capa-mi.org or sharon@capa-mi.org if you are interested in being added to the list.

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