2001
13 NEW MEMBERS OF PRESIDENT'S
ADVISORY COMMISSION ON ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS
Dr. John B. Tsu, of Milbrae,
California, is the Chair of the Commission. Dr. Tsu is a life-long educator
who is currently a Regent for John F. Kennedy University in Orinda, California.
He has been a professor of Political Science, Asian Studies, and Multicultural
Education at Seton Hall University, the University of San Francisco, and
the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he was a visiting
scholar. In 1988, he joined the John F. Kennedy University, where he established
and directed the school's Asian Pacific Institute. In the 1950s, he was
a leading advocate for the teaching of Asian languages in public schools,
and he has been a pioneer of increasing Asian participation in mainstream
American politics at the national, state, and local levels. In 1989, President
George H. Bush appointed Dr. Tsu as Co-chair of his Presidential Personnel
Advisory Committee. In this capacity, Dr. Tsu recommended more than 150
Asian Americans for positions in the Bush-Quayle administration. Born
in the Jilin Province of China, Dr. Tsu was educated in Japan and received
his LL.B. degree from Tokyo University. He came to the United States in
1950 to pursue graduate studies and received an M.A. degree from Georgetown
University and a Ph.D. from Fordham University.
Dr. Lupo T. Carlota,
of Lakeland, Tennessee, is the President and Founder of the Medical Acupuncture
Research Institute of America, an institution of higher learning dedicated
to the study, research, and development of modern scientific acupuncture.
Dr. Carlota has been widely recognized for simplifying the study of acupuncture
by western medical practitioners and has received numerous accolades for
his scientific research and publications on the subject. In 1993, Philippine
President Fidel V. Ramos awarded Dr. Carlota the "Pamana Ng Bayan" (Legacy
of the Nation) award, the country's highest honor in recognition of exemplary
service performed by Filipinos living overseas. Active in the Filipino
American community, he has served as President of several organizations
including: the Association of Philippine Physicians in America, the nationwide
organization of the 25,000 Filipino American doctors serving in the grassroots
communities across the United States; the Philippine Medical Association
of Tennessee; the National Filipino American Council, a hub organization
for Filipino Americans; and the Filipino American Empowerment Movement.
In 1993 he was elected Vice Mayor of the City of Lakeland and also served
on the city's Board of Commissioners. Dr. Carlota earned his Doctorate
of Medicine in 1960 from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. After
immigrating to the U.S. in 1965, he completed an internship and a psychiatric
residency in Cleveland, Ohio, and Warren, Pennsylvania, respectively.
Mr. David B. Cohen,
of Los Angeles, California, is a partner in the law firm of Sidley Austin
Brown & Wood. In May of 2001, Mr. Cohen was nominated by Congressman Eni
F.H. Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa) and appointed by Secretary of Labor
Elaine L. Chao, to serve as Chairperson of the Special Industry Committee
for American Samoa. This committee is charged with reviewing economic
conditions in the Pacific region and establishing minimum wage rates for
American Samoa. Mr. Cohen is also a member of the Board of Directors for
the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging and previously served on the
board of the Samoan Federation of America, Inc. In 1992 he was awarded
a commendation from the late Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn
for his dedicated service to the local Samoan community, and he also received
the Samoa Mo Samoa award for community service from Samoa International
Magazine. Mr. Cohen is the co-author of two books, Business and Its Legal
Environment and Modern Business Law. He previously taught business law
at California State University, Long Beach. Mr. Cohen earned a joint J.D.-M.B.A.
degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was selected
for law review, and the Wharton School. Mr. Cohen also received M.A.,
B.A. and Bachelor of Applied Science degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ms. Mary M. Ling,
of Toluca Lake, California, came to the United States in 1968 and has
worked in a variety of fields including public affairs and international
business. She was the founder of Fu-Kang International, a firm based in
Taipei, Taiwan, which aids foreign investors, primarily from Hong Kong
and Taiwan, to invest in small businesses in the United States. She served
as the firm's President from 1995 to 1999. Prior to that, she served as
Director of Public Relations for the Law Offices of Hogg and Benson in
Los Angeles. Ms. Ling is a member of several community groups including
the Republican Women's Federation, the Chinese Lion's Club of Los Angeles,
Chinese Americans for Self-Empowerment, and the Taiwanese Women's Association.
She is the proud mother of two daughters: Lisa, co-host of ABC Television's
talk show The View, and Laura, a producer of documentary films. Ms. Ling
received her B.A. degree from Christ College.
Representative Barbara Marumoto,
of Honolulu, Hawai'i, is a member of the Hawai'i House of Representatives.
She represents the 17th House District, a residential neighborhood near
Diamond Head. Rep. Marumoto was first elected to state office in 1978,
after she served as a delegate to the Hawai'i Constitutional Convention.
She has served in the legislature for over two decades and was House Minority
Leader from 1984 to 1986 and from 1998 to 2001. Her legislative efforts
focus primarily on pocket-book issues, such as: taxation, improving business
climate, promoting economic development, and advocating for better public
schools and higher education. Rep. Marumoto has previously served on several
federal advisory boards including the Small Business Administration's
Honolulu Advisory Council, the Department of Education's Intergovernmental
Advisory Council on Education, and the Department of Defense's Advisory
Committee on Women in Services. She is currently President of the Women's
Legislative Network of the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Rep. Marumoto holds a B.A. degree in Sociology from the University of
Hawaii.
Mr. Garry K. Ong,
of Phoenix, Arizona, is the President of G.O. Enterprises, which operates
pan-Asian restaurants in Phoenix. He is also President and C.E.O. of Great
Wall Enterprises, Ltd., a corporation that includes the Phoenix International
Trading Company and Travelink International and Consulting Services. Mr.
Ong serves in several advisory roles for the State of Arizona. He is a
member of the Asian Advisory Council for Secretary of State Betsey Bayless,
the Business Round Table for Attorney General Janet Napolitano, and the
Governor's Advisory Council on Aging. From 1993 to 1998, he served as
a board member of the Arizona State Chamber of Commerce and Co-chair of
its Economic Development Committee. Mr. Ong also served as Chairman of
the Small Business Administration's Region IX Advisory Council and has
been an active member of the Asian communities in Arizona for over fifteen
years. He was the past President of the Chinese United Association of
Greater Phoenix and one of the founding members of the Chinese Restaurant
Association of Arizona. In 1987 Mr. Ong was honored with the "Outstanding
Citizen" award from the Asian American Association of Arizona. Emigrated
from Hong Kong to the U.S. in 1962, Mr. Ong received his B.S. in Marketing
from Arizona State University.
Mr. Sunny K. Park,
of Atlanta, Georgia, is the C.E.O. of General Building Maintenance, Inc.,
a commercial facility maintenance service. He is also the President of
Global Sun Investments, Inc., a real estate investment firm, and the C.E.O.
of Hepatech Clean Room Services, Inc., a micro contamination service provider
for semi-conductor manufacturers. Mr. Park was the founder of the Good
Neighboring Campaign, a movement to improve the image of Asian Americans.
From 1990 to 1991, he led the Federation of Korean Associations of the
United States, and he currently serves as President of the Korea America
Friendship Society. Mr. Park serves on the Board of Directors for several
organizations, including: the International Vaccine Institute's Supporting
Committee, the Atlanta College of Art, the National Museum of Patriotism,
the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, and as a member of the Business
Executives for National Security (BENS). He is also a Deacon at the Community
Presbyterian Church in Tucker, Georgia, and contributes columns to the
Atlanta Journal Constitution. In 1990, the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
and the Atlanta Business Chronicle presented him with their "Small Business
Person of the Year" award, and the State of Georgia has twice recognized
him as "Outstanding Citizen." Mr. Park has completed independent studies
and attended the Kellogg Business School at Northwestern University.
Mrs. Michelle Eunjoo Park
Steel, of Palos Verdes, California, came to the U.S. in 1975
and has been an active leader in her local community. In the last decade
alone, she has served as a member of the California World Trade Commission,
the Los Angeles County Children and Family Services Commission, and the
Los Angeles Airport and Fire Commissions. Mrs. Park Steel is presently
the Treasurer of the Korean American Coalition and a Board Member of Brothers
and Sisters Unlimited, an after school program for African American youth.
In addition, she is the President of the Korean-American Republican Association.
An avid skier, she has won numerous competition awards and is a Board
Member of the Korean Ski Association. Mrs. Park Steel was born in Seoul,
Korea, and attended Nippon Joshi Dai (Japan Women's University). She received
a B.S. degree in Business Administration and Management from Pepperdine
University.
Mrs. Amata Coleman Radewagen,
a Samoan American and Native Hawaiian of Pago Pago, American Samoa, is
a member of the U.S. House Leadership Staff under Congressman J.C. Watts
(R-OK), Chairman of the House Republican Conference. She previously served
on the staff of the Dean of the Conference, Congressman Philip M. Crane
(R-IL), where her responsibilities included advising him on issues affecting
the Pacific islands. Earlier in her career, Mrs. Radewagen was on the
staff of Frank C. Carlucci, U.S.Under Secretary of Health, Education,
and Welfare. A breast cancer survivor, Mrs. Radewagen has dedicated herself
to educating island women on the importance of prevention and early detection
of the disease. She is the founder of the Samoan Women's Health Fund and
a member of the National Breast Cancer Coalition. Mrs. Radewagen has served
as a Democracy Trainer for the International Foundation for Electoral
Systems and the International Republican Institute, as an Advisory Council
Member of the Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council, and
as a Washington advisor to the American Samoa Power Authority. Raised
in Pago Pago, she has also resided in Honolulu, Saipan, and Guam, where
she received a B.A. degree in Psychology from the University of Guam.
Master Jhoon Rhee,
of McLean, Virginia, is a world-renowned martial arts instructor with
over 60 affiliated Tae Kwon Do studios in the United States and 65 in
the former Soviet Union. A 10th degree Black Belt, Master Rhee has been
inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame and is regarded as the "Father
of Tae Kwon Do" in both the U.S. and the former Soviet Union. He is the
author of five books and received the Bicentennial Sports Award as the
"Martial Arts Man of the Century." Master Rhee was a Special Advisor to
the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports from 1985 to 1988,
and he served on the National Council on Vocational Education from 1988
to 1991. In March of 1992, President George H. Bush selected him to be
the 721st "Daily Point of Light." He has appeared in two films and is
a popular motivational speaker at seminars throughout the world. He has
trained numerous celebrities including Muhammad Ali, Tony Robinson, Jack
Valenti, and over 250 members of the U.S. Congress. Master Rhee, who emigrated
from Korea to the U.S. in 1957, was honored by the National Immigrant
Forum and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service as one of the
200 most famous immigrants in American history, alongside such individuals
as Albert Einstein and Alexander Graham Bell.
Mr. Joseph Ting,
of Houston, Texas, is the C.E.O. of West Plaza Management, an investment
and management company. In addition, he is the Vice Chairman of Metro
Bank, a community bank that serves the Greater Houston and Dallas areas.
In 1985, Mr. Ting founded Unitex Bags, Inc., a manufacturing plant based
in Houston. He is a member of the Houston Convention Center Hotel Corporation's
Board of Directors, the Asia Society of Texas Advisory Board, and the
Houston Taipei Sister City Board of Directors. In 1996, he joined with
City Officials to conduct business developments among Houston, Beijing,
Hong Kong, and Taipei. He also traveled to Panama to promote international
trade for the city of Houston. He has previously served as Executive Director
of the Texas Asian Republican Caucus and as Vice President of the Taiwanese
Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Ting came to the U.S. in 1977 after receiving
a B.A. degree in Economics from Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan.
He also earned an M.B.A. degree from the Florida Institute of Technology.
Mr. Bao Ky N. Vu,
of Atlanta, Georgia, is an Analyst and Portfolio Manager with A. Montag
and Associates, a private investment firm based in Atlanta. He is currently
the Secretary of the Vietnamese-American Public Affairs Committee, a member
of the Northlake Regional Hospital's Minority Advisory Board, and a member
of the Vietnamese Professionals Society. He previously served as the Vice
President of the Vietnamese Confederation of Georgia, helping to raise
funds for the organization, promote cultural heritage, and provide citizenship
classes for new immigrants. Mr. Vu also helped found the Atlanta Chapter
of the National Association of Asian American Professionals and serves
as Co-chair of its Professional Development and Community Service committees.
His family left Saigon prior to the collapse of South Vietnam in 1975,
and two years later, they resettled in the United States. He received
a B.S. degree from Georgia Tech and an M.B.A. degree from Georgetown University.
Dr.
Zachariah P. Zachariah, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been
a private practice physician since 1976. He serves as the Director of
Cardiology at Holy Cross Hospital, a nonprofit community hospital in Fort
Lauderdale, and as a Voluntary Professor at the University of Miami School
of Medicine. Presently, Dr. Zachariah holds several leadership positions
including: membership on the Board of Trustees of Nova Southeastern University,
Vice Chairmanship of the Florida Council on Economic Education, and membership
on the Advisory Council for the Pace Center for Girls. He was a member
of the Florida Board of Medicine from 1988 to 1992, and Chairman from
1990 to 1992. He currently serves as the First Vice Chairman of that board.
Additionally, Dr. Zachariah has served on the National Institutes of Health's
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council. He is a leading proponent
of improving heart-health through education, exercise, and even financial
incentives. Dr. Zachariah has received numerous awards for his humanitarian
work, community service, advocacy on behalf of children, and his leadership
in public health. The American Heart Association recognized him by establishing
the "Zachariah P. Zachariah Golden Heart Award," of which he was the first
recipient. He has also received the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge's
"George Washington Honor Medal," the "Ellis Island Medal of Honor," and
the "Ellis Island American Legends Award." Dr. Zachariah received his
medical training from the Armed Forces Medical College in India. After
immigrating to the U.S. in 1972, completed his postgraduate training in
Medicine at St. Joseph's Hospital in Patterson New Jersey.
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Click
on the appropriate below-listed section to discover the other events
that
occurred to the Asian Pacific American communities during the year of
2001.
