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By Mabel Pais
This May, honor Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month by joining a candid conversation about the challenges Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders face in the workplace and celebrate their professional achievements. This will take place at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on May 11. The event starts at 6 PM, doors open at 5 PM.
Event Details
What: Celebrating Asian American Trailblazers, Documentary film + Panel Discussion
When: May 11, Resource Tables & Doors Open at 5 PM
Film at 6 PM; Panel Conversation at 7 PM
Where: Chase Room, New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)
1 Center Street, Newark, NJ
Cost: Free
In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, there will be a candid conversation about the challenges Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders face in the workplace and celebrate their professional achievements. The PSEG Foundation Social Impact film screening will be “Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority,” a documentary. In 1964, U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink (D-Hawaii) was the first woman of color and Asian American woman elected to Congress.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month marks a time to celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans to American history, culture and innovation while also inspiring future generations to understand the critical importance of an inclusive community.
This month’s Standing in Solidarity program features a PSEG Foundation Social Impact film and a panel of accomplished leaders in business, media and government who will discuss the challenges they faced and their stories of resilience and leadership.
CONVERSATION
Opening Remarks: N.J. Senator Andy Kim will provide pre-recorded welcoming remarks.
Poetry: Michelle Myers, in partnership with Dodge Poetry, will open the program. She is an award-winning poet, educator and founding member of Yellow Rage, an Asian American female spoken word poetry group.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month marks a time to celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans to American history, culture and innovation. Learn from a panel of accomplished leaders who will discuss the challenges they faced and their stories of resilience.
PANELISTS
Moderator: Vani Krishnamurthy, Founder and Executive Director of Arts India US and a Trustee of Women@NJPAC.
Arts India US is an organization dedicated to building infrastructure for the U.S.-based Indian classical performing arts ecosystem – supporting artists in creating, sustaining, and showcasing new work, while strengthening the field as a whole.
Vani also serves as an Associate at Harvard University’s Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, where she oversees a national research initiative examining how traditional performing arts are discovered, evaluated, and programmed within U.S. presenting institutions.
Vani is a Trustee of Women@NJPAC, and she has worked with a number of major arts organizations in the past, including Lincoln Center, The Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Sackler Gallery at the Smithsonian, and World Music Institute.
As a U.S. Fulbright Awardee, she is a scholar of Indian dance history. While in India, she honed her 15-year study of classical dance by training with celebrated experts and performing around the country.
Panelists:
Alexandra Chang, Associate Professor and Associate Director of the Clement A. Price Institute and American Studies Program at Rutgers University–Newark
Chang organizes the Global Performance + Sound Lab (GPS*), directs the Decolonizing Curatorial and Museum Studies and Public Humanities Project, and is co-founder of “Asian Diasporic Visual Cultures the Americas” (Brill). She is the author of “Envisioning Diaspora: Asian American Arts Collectives” and editor of “Circles and Circuits: Chinese Caribbean Art” (Duke University Press).
A composer and acoustic/electric harpist, Chang co-directs the nonprofit Improv Spaces and performs with the Rock City Falls Trio. She is currently developing the immersive audiovisual project CURRENTS in residence at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, a collaborative interdisciplinary work exploring live performance and community engagement. Her upcoming solo and trio albums will be released in 2026.
Billy Kim, Senior Procurement Director for Mars Snacking North American, Army veteran and member of Ascend NJ
Before joining Mars, Billy held procurement and supply chain leadership roles at L’Oréal and Johnson & Johnson.
Earlier in his career, Billy served nine years in the United States Army in both enlisted and officer roles. As an officer, he led troops during two combat deployments and was honorably discharged at the rank of Captain. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Temple University and an MBA from Rutgers University.
He is a self-proclaimed foodie and active supporter of philanthropic causes. A committed member of the Rutgers alumni community, he regularly volunteers through mentoring, guest speaking, and building corporate engagement as part of the Alumni and Corporate Engagements Council.
Nancy Loo, Founder and President, Dumpling Diplomacy, Inc.
Dumpling Diplomacy, Inc. (https://dumplingdiplomacy.com) is a social enterprise that breaks barriers through food. Events. Workshops. Catering. Feeding those in need.
Nancy began her career in the financial services industry and served as a technology director for several NYC agencies. Prior to Dumpling Diplomacy, she was the principal of a technology firm which specialized in creating mission-critical, web-based solutions. Companies for which she’s developed projects include the Coalition for the Homeless, World Wildlife Fund, Thomson Reuters, Visiting Nurse Service of New York, and Elizabeth Arden.
Nancy holds a BS in Physics from Columbia University.
Bluesky: @dumplingdiplomacy.com
Hanna Mori, State Director, Office of U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Hanna has served in this role as State Director for the U.S. Senator Cory since 2019. In this role, Hanna oversees the day-to-day operations and staff of the Senator’s State Offices, located in Newark and Camden. Hanna is also responsible for shaping and implementing long-term strategic initiatives based on Senator Booker’s policy and advocacy priorities.
Hanna began working for Booker over a decade ago at his nonprofit organization, Newark Now, and then for his Mayoral Office in the City of Newark. In 2013, she joined Booker’s first U.S. Senate campaign, where she helped develop his federal policy platforms. After a successful campaign, Hanna joined Booker’s Senate staff where she has served in numerous roles over the years.
She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.
Amman Deep Singh Seehra, Assistant Director of the New Jersey Division of Family Development and co-founder of the ONE Project
Amman Deep Singh Seehra is a nationally recognized leading attorney and executive known for his passion for public service. He has dedicated his career to addressing food insecurity, overcoming racial and social injustice, and many other topics through policy, advocacy, and training for the past 25 years.
As the Assistant Director with the New Jersey Division of Family Development, Amman leads the State’s work related to Program Evaluation, which includes SNAP Quality Control and Management Evaluations for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), WorkFirst NJ (WFNJ), Child Care, and Emergency Assistance.
In 2014, Amman co-founded the ONE Project which is a non-profit organization designed to unite people from different faiths and backgrounds to address social needs in our community through volunteerism and education. His leadership has directed a team that has focused on issues of hunger, education, and social justice. Over the past 12 years, the ONE Project has hosted the annual NJ Hunger Project that has brought together 10,000 volunteers to package over 1,000,000 meals for low-income families in the area.
Amman has also volunteered with Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) for 25 years, including previously as the Northeast Regional Director and Chair of the Board.
Over the past few years, his advocacy work also led to the passage of inclusion of Asian American studies in the New Jersey curriculum, colorectal cancer awareness, and legislative recognition of Sikhs in NJ and other States across the country.
Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Education, Business, Spirituality, Health and Wellness, and Cuisine.
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