Back to the Future: REMEMBERING OUR ROOTS from AAJA National Convention 2010 Program Booklet

OPENINGRECEPTION

WEDNESDAYAUGUST4 | 7-9 PM

THE HIGHLANDSHOLLYWOOD,6801HOLLYWOODBOULEVARD,4TH FLOOR

TheconventionofficiallykicksoffatAAJAs OpeningReceptionfeaturing localguests,food,drinksandscheduledspecialguestappearances.

AAJAinvitesyouto LosAngeles-the citywhereitall beganin 1981 JoinfellowAAJA membersandfriendsfromacrossthe countrywhowillcometogetherfor an eveninghonoring thevisionandfortitudeof theAAJAsfoundersandotherAsianAmericanmediapioneers. Amongthefoundersscheduledto attendareTritia Toyota and Frank Kwan bothformerlywith KNBC-TVNews;and Bill Sing, NancyYoshihara,andDavidKishiyamaallformerlywithThe LosAngelesTimes.Thisyear'sopening receptionshowcasesthethemeandsetsthetenorfor "Backto the Future"-recognizingthe pastandtakingthe lessonslearnedforwardintoa newageof energy,innovationandingenuity.Joinour Masterof CeremoniesBen Fong-Torres,avirtualRenaissanceMediaManwhopioneeeredinbothprintandbroadcastmediaduringtherevolutionarycounterculturalcivilrighb-embattled1960s,incelebratingthetrialsandtriumphsofAAJAsfoundeEandananayofAsianAmericanJoumalismpioneers.By recognizngandhonoringtheseAsianAmericantrailblazersinjournalism,curentandnewgenerationsofAsianAmericanjoumalistswillbeableto makeevengreatercontributionstothequality,valueandrelevanceofjoumalismathomeandabroad.gEEPAGE26FoRspEGraLsEcfloNHoNoRTNGAAjA

REMEMBERINGOUR ROOTS!THE FOUNDERSOFAAJA AND PIONEERIiIGASIAN AIUIERIGAI{JOURIIALISTS ('I925-1975)

Apioneerisonewhoopensupanareaorpreparesaway.Apioneerissomebodywhodoessomethingforthefi61tifteorisoneofthefirsltoreachagoal,aterilorycaeate agenre,whobreaksthrougha barrier,blazesatrail,orhelpsopenthedoorsforotherstogothroughwherenooneofthekkindhasgonebefore.ThefollowingAsianPacifc Americansljstedhere,whoseheritageincludesthecontinenlsofAsia,AmericaandtheislandsofthePacificOcean,arepioneersinU.S.joumalism.Theyarefirstoflheir kindtopracticejournalismprofossionallyforaU.S.newsorganizationorqeateajournalisticvehicleusingtheEnglishlanguageinthesoralledmainstreamnewsmedia feld,addressingethniccommunitiesorasa@nsciouscounteroralt€mativetothemainstream.Thepioneerchercarewdte6,reporters,photographers,photojournalists, f|mmakers'motionpictureandt€|evisioncamerapeop|e,f|mandvideoodilors,radio-1elevisioncommunityandpub|icafairsprodu@rsoron-airhosts'editorialcaon|sis' pfodUcers'directors,copyedilors,make-upeditors,assignmenteditors,co|umnists,walcor€spondents,fo|gncorGsponde editors,tapeeditors,pressop€lators,broadcastengineers,nelworkcorlespondents,on-airbroadcastnewsanchors,newsdirectols,publishers,mediaowners,

GOBINDBEHARILAL

LOUISELEUNGLARSON

LARRYTAJIRI

AH JOOKLEONGKU

HAISHENG"NEWSREEL"WONG

MAYDAYLOWALDEN

NORMANSOONG

ELLACHUN

CHARLESLEONG

LARRYNAKATSUKA

HOWARDYUEN

WILLIAMHOSOKAWA

CARLOSBULOSAN

WILLIAMGEE

DR.HERBWONG

JEN-CHUNGCHANG

TOMIKAIZAWAKNAEFLER

HARRIETMUNGEE

SHUREIHIROZAWA

MORGANLIKUNGJIN

KENNETHCYRILWONG

BRIJLAL

VINCENTTAJIRI

WILLIAMT.KONG

HENRYMORITSUGU

GEORGELUM

DOROTHYINGRUSSELL

SARAHPARK

JACKMATSUMOTO

SAMCHULIN

KYUNGWON(K.W.)LEE

WILLIAMF.WOO

ERNIEFLORES

JONWINGLUM

BILLKWON

CHINNHO

HENRYLORRENAU

KYOICHISAWADA

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}ioTos:(L-R)sUzANNEJoEKA|wITHwALTERcRoNK|TE&KEv|NMccULLoLJGH.KRoN.TV/coUR7EsYoFsUz4,vlvEJoE,<4/:sUsANALMAzoLsFExAM|NERNEWsRmMh963|coURsyo :.IRISTOPNERCHOWKPIX(1972YCOURIESYOFCHRISIOPHERCIOI'JALYOUNG/COURTESYOFALYO{,/IVG -,reyare|eade6inthei.fie|d.Theybreakthroughbar'iersofdiscrimination'Theyte||trestoriesaboutpeop|eandp|aces.Theys|vebupho|dthepdnc|p

:.d fr€odom.Addilionally,the listincludesthosewhowereoutspokenadvocatesandactiveagenlsfor changeinthe newsroomsand producisof u.S. mediaorganizalions, -_ s listofAsianAmedcanpioneersinjoumalismis notdefinitiveorcomplete.lt isa living,working,breathingdocument.We expecllo knowandhearof morepioneersas ^e contanueto explore,dis@verandle6maboutourcolleaguesandthecommunilieswe share.As thelimeframeforthislisiis 1925-1975,it representswhatwe knowat : s momentinlim€,withthe underslandingandexpectationthatthereare morepioneersto be discoveredandrecognized,includingthosefrome€riieraswellas latereras, :atlhis listwillgrowandendurcas morepioneersarefound,as wilnessescomeforthordocumenlationis unearlhed,Leslwe forgetthosewhocamebefor€us,letusnow :-aognize,praise,honorandcherishtheseAsianAmedcanpioneercinjoumalism,sungandunsung,lor lheircourage,visionandwisdom.

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(THEFOLLOWINGAREEXCERPTSFRO[/"COUNTINGON EACHOTHER:THEHISTORYOF THEASIANAMERICANJOURNALISTSASSOCIATIONFROM1981TO 1996"BYSTANFORD cHEN)

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Whena groupof SanFranciscoBayArea mediaworkersformedanorganizationln 1977 to encouragemoreequitableandaccurate portrayalofAsianAmericansinthemassmedia, itcaughttheattentionofa 19-year-oldstudentat nearbyStanfordUniversity.

Infact,thestudentinvitedBillWong,thefounderofAsiansinMass Media,to hiscampus,wheretheytalkedaboutmediaactivism.AMM, however,foldedafter1Bmonthsbecauseof lackof membersupport,but theideaof an organizationofAsianAmericanjournalistsstayedwiththe youngman.AftergraduationhewashiredbyTheLosAngelesTimes.He hadimpressedtheeditorswithhistalent,ambitionandthoughtfulness. ButBillSingwasnurturinga biggerdreamthatwouldeventuallycallon allhisabilitiesandmore.

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In 1981 , Sing,23,thoughtitwastimeto staftanorganizationforAsian Americanjournalists.He learnedfromAMM'sriseandfall.Hefollowed theprogressof thethen-six-year-oldNationalAssociationof Black JournalistsandtheLosAngeles-basedCaliforniaChicanoNewsMedia Association.Theideaswerein place,buthe neededothersto helpstart thegroup.A serendipitousstudentnightSingattendedat UCLAledto an introductionto KNBC-TVanchorTritiaToyota,oneof thecity'sstar broadcasters.(Atthesametime,ConnieChungwasa popularanchorat KNXT-TVin L.A.)ThethirtyishToyotathoughtSingwasa student.Almost everybodydidbecausehelookedlikea kid.

H

"l introducedmyself,"hesaid,"andsaidsomeof usat theTimeswereinterestedinformingthisorganization.She said,'Oh,really?'ltturnsoutshehadbeenthinkingaboutitaswell.Thatwashowitgotstarted."Theybecamethe leadersof the OriginalSixwhogottogetherin L.A.'sLittleTokyoServiceCenterto organizetheAsianAmerican JournalistsAssociation.TheotherswereDavidKishiyamaandNancyYoshiharaoftheTimes,TV producerFrank Kwanand DwightChuman,the English-sectioneditorof RafuShimpo,a "lndividualslocalJapaneseAmericannewspaper. areisloatedintheirownjobs,"Singsaid."AndIfeltAAJAcouldprovidean opportunityto networkand discusissuesandculturalproblemsthatwe couldnottalkaboutwithourwhitecolleagues.Wewantedto helpfind a wayto shareourcommonground."Thecamaraderie:ThatwasoneofthethingsSinglikedaboutAMMandwas hopingto builditwithinthisneworganization.Thereweren'tmanyAsianAmericanjournalistsin 198'1,andSingandotherswanledto ::!-act moreintothe business.Theywantedto encouragehighschooland collegestudentsto go intojolmalism. Theywantedto improvethe !€€nimageof Americansin the media."Therewas stilltoo muchstereotyping,a lotof insensitivily,"Sing said,echoingthe sentimentshe heardfrom r:urBjllWong yearcearliet AAJA,envisionedas a protessionaland educationalgroup,attracled50AsianAmericanjoumalistsat rioitrsfirstsocialevent.Kishyama, wasthe Times'Calendaredilorat thetime,was amazed.'There weremoreAsianAmericanjournalisb underone roofthan I everimaginedwere ln :-e businessWe all immediatelydrewstrengthfromoneanother,andthefeelingof isolationI hadfeltevaporatedovemight."

ne werea -iatbunchofSanFranciscoBayAreamediaworkerswhowerecollectivelyfrustratedwithnewsandmassmedia'sportryalsofAsianAmericans. wastheunifietSomeof usin 1977alsorecognizedlheneedformoreof usworkinginthenewsandmassmedia.Thegroupwasa mixtufeof :nntandbroadcastjoumalists,buddingmoviemake.s(directorwayneWangattendsomemeetingsandexpressedinterestinh;lpingout)andstudent ;rlivists.Inretrospect,therewasquitea -adbitofmediaactivism,amongAsianAmericansinlheBayAreaatthetime.ChineseforAffrmativeAction.which organizedsixtoeightyearsarlier,hada +iansmediacommitteethatadvocatedforbothmorehiresofAsianAmericansandfofbettercoverageandportryal. in MassMediatackledpolilicalissues,criticizedoffensivemediaportryalsofAsians,monitoredhowAsianAmericanissueswerehandledand :re-ssedforafiirmativeaction.Theconfrontationalstyledidn'tsitwellwithmemberswhoweremorecomfortablewitha professionalorganization. -ecallI onceI rattledthecagesata specialscreeningofanepisodeoftheTVseries,"HowtheWeslWasWon.'TheeDisodewastifled"ChjnaGirl,'and .as supposedtobeanauthentichistoryofChineseAmericansintheWest.Weweren'tnaive,butwewanteda prescreening,whichwegot.whenitwas "r6hedandasfolkswerbfilingout,Iseizedthemicrophoneandstarteddenouncingtheshow.Forthat,I Sangotmypiclureandsomeofmyremarksinthe tFranciscoChronicie'sSundayDatebook.Whilethis'mediamoment'golsomepressattention,itwasn'tenoughtopropelAMMtothenextlevel.But s gratiryingthatwhatwedidfora coupleofyearshadanimpacton BillSing,whothenhelpedlaunchMJA. ---+xcERprFRoM...rrrerwAsAsrANs

''There weremore AsianAmerican journalistsunder oneroof thanI ever imaginedwerein thebusiness.Weall immediatelydrew strengthfrom one another,andthe f-eelingof isolationI hadfelt evaporated overnight."

_BILL SING_ AAJA CO-FOUNDER

JOANNLEE,PH.D. JOANNEISHIMINE

BRUCEKOON

CURTISSKIM

FELICIALOWE

ROBERTHANDA

DWIGHTCHUMAN

PETERBHATIA

PAULSAKUMA

EMILGUILLERMO

LINDAYEF

RONALDC, PATEL KAIryTONG

GINNYPOONYAMATE

CORKYLEE

ALANFONG

LINDAYU

JONFUNABIKI

TEDSHEN

JUDGEJULIETANG

JANYANEHIRO

SERENACHEN

ANNIENAKAO

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