From the LA Riots to COVID-19, FACE Addresses Ongoing
Racial Discrimination Against Asian Americans
They say It’s too late to make friends when you need them. During this current Covid-19 and racial environment, the truth of this statement is even more evident. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been over 2200 reported hate incidents and attacks on Asian Americans. Closures of businesses and unemployment in our communities have been disproportionate with extreme hikes. In key communities including LA County, Asian Americans have had the highest death rates of any group. Yet such struggles of the Asian American community are rarely highlighted, if not marginalized or demonized. It is such times as these, when we need friends who see us and can hear us. In 2001, with many miracles, I started FACE, a national, award winning, faith-based organizations that has garnered over 700 partners from White House to Fortune 500 companies since 2001 and has implemented numerous initiatives that have helped numerous families with homeownership, affordable housing, financial literacy, employment, mental health, leadership development, at-risk youth programs and more. For the Korean American community, the importance of friendships was a lesson they learned the hard way during the 1992 Los Angeles Riots when over almost 50 percent of the billion dollar property damage were incurred by Koreans. Yet, they were left alone, with no friends to defend them or cry with them. Instead of being treated as victims, the community was demonized and revictimized.
As a Korean American, knowing our community was so much more than the negative soundbites of politicians and the news headlines was painful and a burden that I carried with me. Why didn't we have friends or allies to come along us in these moments of struggle? How can we change these false labels and narratives that are told of us? Why aren’t we recognized and valued and welcomed for our contributions? Why are we consistently missing at the decision-making tables? Few years later, I came to work for the prominent African American mega church, First AME Church, as a venture capitalist. Here I saw an extraordinary model that seemed to provide a solution to the burden I had carried from the LA Riots but also as a pastor’s daughter. Growing up, I saw my parents struggling to help respond to basic needs of my immigrant congregants such as for housing, jobs, healthcare in addition to their ministry of providing spiritual care. I wondered if there could be a better way. At First AME Church, I witnessed how churches can create partnerships with government and corporate entities by creating an affiliated nonprofit. Using this structure, the church’s offering was $3 million, but through our partnerships, we raised an additional $12 million! As a result, the church was able to increase their impact by leveraging the resources, expertise and network of their partners, hire experts and pay their workers, increase their influence and welcome, honor God, and be invited to decision making tables.
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