SAN FRANCISCO — KQED celebrates the diversity of the Bay Area community by commemorating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
During May, KQED Public TV 9 and KQED 88.5 FM schedule programs that focus on Asian Pacific American themes and issues. These programs are highlighted in a guide along with listings of community resources. Click here to download.
Every year, in partnership with Union Bank, KQED airs profiles of “Local Heroes” from the APA community. This year’s honorees:
• Evelyn Nakano Glenn is one of the country’s leading sociologists, and her scholarship on the intersectionality of race, gender, citizenship and labor is groundbreaking. She is a professor of gender and women’s studies and ethnic studies and the founding director of the Center for Race and Gender at UC Berkeley. Her books include “Forced to Care: Coercion and Caregiving in America”; “Unequal Freedom: How Race and Gender Shaped American Citizenship and Labor”; and “Issei, Nisei, Warbride: Three Generations of Japanese American Women in Domestic Service.”
• PJ Hirabayashi is a taiko artist, teacher, artistic director emeritus and founding member of San Jose Taiko, a nonprofit professional performing arts company celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2013. Based in the heart of San Jose’s Japantown, SJT is an active catalyst in its cultural preservation and contemporary vitality. Hirabayashi has helped guide SJT’s longevity through extensive educational and outreach programs, performances, collaborations, and national and international touring.
• David Lei is an accomplished entrepreneur with a deep-seated commitment to community development. In his 40 years of involvement with Bay Area nonprofits, Lei has volunteered his time for numerous charitable events and has served on the boards of organizations such as the Chinatown Community Development Center and the Asian Art Museum. Most recently, he co-founded the Chinese American Community Foundation to support donors who want to be resources for nonprofits serving Chinese American communities.
• Hyon-Chin (HC) Lee is the current executive director at The Link to Children (TLC), an Oakland-based nonprofit that provides early intervention programs at eight locations in Alameda County, and the Alameda County Family Justice Center. TLC strives to reduce stress and conflict in families and childcare settings. In her current role at The Link to Children, Lee has created momentum and opportunity for vulnerable children.
KQED also presents awards during the following heritage months: Black History, Women’s History, LGBT Pride, Latino Heritage, Disability Culture, and American Indian.