2023 Unity Dinner

Massachusetts AAPI Commission’s 15th Annual Unity Dinner

Date: May 6th, 2023

Time: 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Location: Edward Kennedy Institute

About the 2023 Unity Dinner

On May 6th, 2023, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission (AAPIC) successfully held the 15th Annual Unity Dinner at the Edward Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate.

As a night of recognizing AAPI achievement, celebrating AAPI cultures, and building a shared AAPI network, the 2023 Unity Dinner gathered over 240 representatives from all over Massachusetts, from an incredibly diverse range of organizations, entities, and demographics.

Additionally, the first-ever recipients of the Unsung Heroes Awards, who served as leaders and trailblazers in their local AAPI communities, were recognized at the dinner.

Unsung Hero Award

CONNIE S. WONG

Connie Wong has led outstanding work as the Deputy Commissioner for Labor Relations, Human Resources, and Legal Affairs for the Boston Fire Department. Connie has been instrumental in diversifying the ranks at the Boston Fire Department, which historically had a dismal track record for diversity, particularly for women and from amongst the Asian American Pacific Islander community. Connie devised strategies and developed policies to increase outreach, recruitment, hiring, and retention of minority and women firefighters. Her multi-pronged approach included creating a Teen Academy summer program targeting Boston high school students from underrepresented communities, utilizing a unique language skill certification process within the civil service procedures, and creating a Fire Cadet program specifically for the Boston Fire Department to create an alternative non-veteran pathway for young Bostonians aged 18-25 years old. Under her leadership, the diversity of each recruiting class was near or exceeded 30%. She increased the number of AAPI firefighters fourfold, hiring the first Asian American female firefighter in the history of the Boston Fire Department. Connie’s work has significantly impacted AAPI’s representation within the BFD.

REV. DR. KO KO LAY

Rev Dr. Ko Ko Lay, a pastor of Burmese Christian Church in Lowell, Massachusetts, is an invaluable leader and servant of the community. Originally from Myanmar, he started serving the Burmese Christian community in 2014 while attending a theological seminary in Boston. Under his leadership, the church has become one of the liveliest community centers in Lowell, with various programs and activities targeting children and youth. Rev Dr. Ko Ko Lay provides the community with spiritual and emotional support and physical assistance. He volunteers to translate for non-English speaking families, liaises between Lowell public schools and Burmese parents, and advocates for tenants’ and workers’ rights. He provides not only spiritual and emotional support to the Burmese families but also offers physical support. He and his family live in the neighborhood where many Burmese families reside, and he makes himself available to anyone, regardless of their religious or ethnic background. He actively participates in more extensive community activities and is greatly loved and respected by Burmese community members.

SHAINA LU
Shaina Lu is a passionate connector who profoundly cares about the AAPI community in the Greater Boston Area. Despite her humble nature, Shaina has made a significant impact through her various community art projects, including leading the creation and restoration of the Chinatown mural. She has also created posters and infographics for several public good organizations and helped start an Asian Food Pantry during the pandemic. Shaina is a natural community organizer and has been a driving force behind many successful initiatives, such as moderating the Malden Neighbors Helping Neighbors Facebook group and supporting the Red Oak After School and Summer Program at BCNC. Additionally, she has been a family liaison for the Chinese-speaking population at Eliot School. She helps young artists by providing guidance on college and art school applications and connecting them with various arts opportunities. Shaina is also an activist who has organized protests to call for the resignation of a Malden City Councilor who wore a costume mocking Asian women. Overall, Shaina is a glue that helps to pull all the pieces of a community together. Her invaluable insight and dedication have significantly impacted the AAPI community in the Greater Boston Area.

JINYOUNG & SARAH NAM

Master Nam and Ms. Sarah are nominated for their exceptional work establishing several taekwondo schools as community centers in Western Massachusetts. Beyond providing martial arts instruction, they have created spaces for low-income families to access before and after-school care, meals, arts and crafts classes, homework assistance, and transportation through a voucher program. During the pandemic, they went above and beyond to celebrate their students’ achievements by driving to their homes and creating supportive environments. Their transformative impact in Greenfield, Springfield, and Chicopee has been crucial for underserved communities, and they continue to focus on providing services for those who cannot typically afford them.

SHALEEN SHETH

Shaleen Sheth is a socially conscious young professional based in Boston who has been actively involved in community service since 12. She graduated with honors from Babson College, majoring in business and finance. She co-founded Women Who Win, a non-profit organization that amplifies women’s voices worldwide through story-telling, skill-sharing, mentorship, and networking. As a Co-CEO, she scaled the organization to over 20k members in 80 countries, with support from institutions such as Bank of America, Linkedin, and Akshaya Patra USA. She is an Advisory Council Member for Saheli Boston, supporting South Asian domestic violence survivors, and was appointed to the Young Professionals Leadership Council for Akshaya Patra in 2022. Shaleen received a citation from the Massachusetts State Government for her leadership in women’s empowerment. Her mission is to use media and technology to uplift the voices of women and minorities globally.

MARIA ISABELLA CAMPOS

Maria Isabela Campos is a former member of the AAPI’s commission first ever youth council. Born in the capital of the Philippines, Maria grew up with a love for her Filipino heritage and an appreciation for the rich history of Asia. She immigrated to the United States, carrying over her passion for culture, and was shocked to see the discrimination and lack of diversity that plagued her county. After overcoming the adversity and the hatred she received, Maria relearned to love her identity as a Filipino and became determined to help other Asian youths reclaim their identities.

Going on to become a distinguished scholar of her high school and a community member, Maria was part of the AAPI Commission’s Youth Council, a group of high-achieving and dedicated leaders that worked to advocate for Asian representation and the problems Asian youth face today. She spoke at the AAPI Youth rally held last year at Boston Common to highlight the importance of Asian youth in their communities. Maria also performed at the previous Unity Dinner, helping celebrate the accomplishments of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders around Massachusetts. In the fall, she hopes to combine her academic interest in medicine and her devotion to representing minorities at UMASS Lowell, where she received a prestigious annual full tuition award.

Speakers

CAMBRIDGE MAYOR SUMBUL SIDDIQUI

Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui served her third term on the Cambridge City Council and her second as Mayor of Cambridge. She immigrated to the United States from Karachi, Pakistan at the age of two, along with her parents and twin brother. Raised in Cambridge affordable housing at the Rindge Towers and Roosevelt Towers, she attended Cambridge Public Schools.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in public policy from Brown University, Mayor Siddiqui worked as an AmeriCorps fellow at New Profit, a then Cambridge-based organization focused on improving social mobility for families. She later obtained her J.D. from Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law and returned to Cambridge to practice as a legal aid attorney with Northeast Legal Aid.

During her tenure as Mayor, Siddiqui prioritized increasing affordable housing, supporting local businesses, improving Cambridge Public Schools, and guiding the city through the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the crisis, she launched the Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund, raising over $5 million to support individuals, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations. She also initiated Cambridge RISE, one of the nation’s first guaranteed income pilot programs.

As chair of the School Committee, Mayor Siddiqui championed equitable access to education for Cambridge families. She expanded scholarship funding for low-income children to attend high-quality preschools and introduced initiatives like the Children’s Savings Account program and the Early College Program. Throughout her leadership, she remained committed to making Cambridge a more equitable and civically engaged community.

STATE AUDITOR DIANA DIZOGLIO

Auditor Diana DiZoglio served as the 26th Auditor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, beginning her first term on January 18, 2023. She was dedicated to advancing Massachusetts by promoting transparency and accountability in state government.

Before becoming Auditor, DiZoglio was a State Senator for the 1st Essex District, a State Representative for the 14th Essex District, and chief of staff to the president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts. Her decade-long service on Beacon Hill equipped her with the insight and resilience needed to collaborate with elected officials, labor organizations, community advocates, stakeholders, and working people across the Commonwealth’s cities and towns.

DiZoglio’s humble beginnings, combined with her nonprofit and labor experience, helped her build strong connections with a diverse range of people. She began her public service in 2013 as a state representative for the 14th Essex District, which includes parts of North Andover, Methuen, Lawrence, and Haverhill. DiZoglio is a graduate of Wellesley College and Middlesex Community College and a lifelong resident of Methuen, where she was raised.

Her legislative accomplishments included passing one of Massachusetts’ first fully inclusive LGBTQ non-discrimination ordinances, securing significant investments in veterans’ benefits, advocating for immigrants’ rights, and implementing one of the state’s first certified age-friendly action plans.

Drawing on her extensive and successful career in local government, Auditor DiZoglio worked alongside Governor Healey to build a forward-thinking Commonwealth and foster communities that empower, include, and support all Massachusetts residents and those aspiring to make the state their home.

CHAIR OF THE AAPIC GARY CHU

Dr. Gary Y. Chu is the Vice President of Professional Affairs at the New England College of Optometry. He received his Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree from the New England College of Optometry in 1995 and his Masters of Public Health (MPH) in 2002 from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

He has been in practice and optometric education for over twenty-five years and is involved in the changing landscape of eye care, health care and public health during this span of time. Dr. Chu has been in the forefront of eye care innovations through the development of collaborative partnerships with health systems, federally qualified health centers, social service agencies, local and state government, school systems, health payors, ophthalmic industry and optometry employer groups.

Dr. Chu has been involved in issues of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging for over ten years and has served on the diversity and cultural competency committee for the Association of Schools and College of Optometry (ASCO) from 2011-2020. He is the founding chair of ASCO’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) SIG and was the Guest Editor for the Journal of Optometric Education’s theme issue on diversity and cultural competency in 2017. In 2021, he was presented the ASCO’s Dr. Jack Bennett Innovation in Optometric Education Award.

We were honored to feature virtual remarks from distinguished speakers as part of our celebration:

Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, the 73rd Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, shared a special message for the occasion. Sworn in on January 5, 2023, she joined Governor Maura Healey in making history as the first all-women executive team to lead the Commonwealth.
White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. This message featured Executive Director Krystal Ka’ai, Senior Advisor to the President and White House Secretary Neera Tanden, Deputy Assistant to the President and AA and NHPI Senior Liaison Erika Moritsugu, and Senior Advisor of the White House Office of Public Engagement Philip Kim.

Performers

“Unity Is Strength” Dance

Titled “Unity is Strength,” this dance was performed by young members of the Burmese community in Lowell, MA. The song accompanying the performance is widely sung in the anti-military resistance movement and carries a powerful message about the importance of unity across ethnic groups.

Kuchipudi (Indian classical dance)

Deekshita Madhalam, a senior at Quincy High School, has been practicing Indian Classical Dance since the age of six at Triveni School of Dance. Alongside her passion for dance, she has a strong interest in STEM and is actively involved in community service. She was also a member of the inaugural AAPI Youth Council until December of last year.

At our event, Deekshita performed Kuchipudi, a classical Indian dance form known for its graceful and fluid movements. Her piece depicted the story of Krishna’s victory over the serpent Kaliya, who had been poisoning the Yamuna River. Through the enchantment of his flute, Krishna mesmerized the serpent before triumphantly dancing on its head.

Fakateretere (Tahitian Dance)

Aaliyah Gonzalez, a 17-year-old from Chicopee, MA, comes from a long line of professional hula dancers. She has been dancing hula with her grandfather in Hawaiian shows since the age of four and became a professional hula dancer in 2021 with the guidance of her Aunty Merita.

At our event, Aaliyah performed Fakateretere, a Tahitian dance from Ahuroa. Unlike traditional Tahitian drum-based dances, this style is performed to vocals and string instruments. She beautifully conveyed the story through her movements, with her hand gestures representing different elements—such as raising her hands above her head to symbolize the wind.