A celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States
By
Ricky Ly of TastyChomps.com
Each May, during Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we celebrate the history and achievements of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) across our Nation. This year has been particularly difficult for the AAPI community with many businesses and families dealing with the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as increases in anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents across the nation.
Throughout our history, AAPI communities who have been integral in building our nation – from building the Transcontinental Railroad to starting local businesses, to serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic as health care providers, first responders, teachers, and other essential workers.
Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have also endured a long history of injustice — including the Page Act of 1875, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the incarceration of Japanese American citizens during World War II, the murder of Vincent Chin, the mass shooting of Southeast Asian refugee children in 1989, and the targeting of South Asian Americans, especially those who are Muslim, Hindu, or Sikh, after the national tragedy of 9/11. It is clear more must be done to defeat hatred, foster inclusion, advance equity, and root out racial injustices.
Today, over 70 million people are displaced as a result of conflict, violence, persecution, and human rights violations. Half of them are children. Rotary International quote: We refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. Rotary projects provide training that fosters understanding and provides communities with the skills to resolve conflicts.
시카고한인로타리클럽에 오신것을 환영합니다!
Aboutour neighbors. Rotary Club of Chicagoland Korean Northbrook (RCCKN) is a Rotary Club in District 6440, the home district of Rotary International (RI) and the only Korean (one of 9 official languages of RI) speaking bi-lingual Rotary Club east of Mississippi in the U.S.A. The Club actively participates in numerous service projects, local and international, and provides support and funding for RI projects like "End Polio Now."
Brief History of the Club: In 2008, thanks to the hardworking organizers such as Dr. Sung Wun Kim and Mr. Won Yoon, the Club was born. Mr. Dong Kurn Lee, Chair of the Rotary Foundation 2013-14, Past RI President and an honorary member of RCCKN and his friend, Dr. Byoung I. Suh, Founder of BISCO, provided much needed encouragement for the effort. Many business/community leaders and professionals from Chicagoland Korean-American community joined as charter members with enthusiasm and for the good cause.
We are supporting their recent project. Scheduled to have opened last April, Café Voca will be located in the Y's lobby and serve coffee, other hot beverages, and packaged snacks. "The Korean Rotary Club and the Y identified a continuous unmet need for employment for individuals with special needs within the community, particularly the Asian American and Pacific Islander population in the northern suburbs," explained the NSYMCA's Special Services Coordinator Ellen Mirochnick. "Our ultimate goal will be to achieve gainful employment for our participants."
As a humanitarian organization, peace is a cornerstone of our mission. We believe when people work to create peace in their communities, that change can have a global effect.
By carrying out service projects and supporting peace fellowships and scholarships, our members take action to address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, discrimination, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.
Our commitment to peacebuilding today answers new challenges: how we can make the greatest possible impact and how we can achieve our vision of lasting change. We are approaching the concept of peace with greater cohesion and inclusivity, broadening the scope of what we mean by peacebuilding, and finding more ways for people to get involved.
Rotary’s Four Roles in Promoting Peace
Rotary and its members are:
Practitioners: Our work fighting disease, providing clean water and sanitation, improving the health of mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies directly builds the optimal conditions for peaceful societies.
Educators: Our Rotary Peace Centers have trained over 1,300 peace fellows to become effective catalysts for peace through careers in government, education, and international organizations.
Mediators: Our members have negotiated humanitarian ceasefires in areas of conflict to allow polio vaccinators to reach children who are at risk.
Advocates: Our members have an integral role as respected, impartial participants during peace processes and in post-conflict reconstruction. We focus on creating communities and convening groups that are connected, inclusive, and resilient.
Share the message that “Rotary creates environments where peace can happen.”
The 2021 Virtual Convention will be better than ever, opening more innovative opportunities to learn and to engage with the family of Rotary, near and far. You’ll be able to network in virtual lounges, meet new partners in service, and join fun activities with Rotary members from around the world. This event is open to all Rotary members and participants from 12-16 June 2021.
Registration fees are as follows:
Promotional rate: US $49* through 11:59:59 (Chicago time - CDT) 7 May
US$65 - 8 May through 16 June
*Registration must be paid in full between 16 April and 7 May to receive the US$49 rate.
Registration is also now open for the Rotaract, Youth Exchange Officer and Inter-Country Committee preconventions, which will be held 10-11 June 2021. The cost of each preconvention event is US$20. Both the convention and preconvention events include access to the virtual House of Friendship.
Please note: Cancellations and refunds for registrations or associated events will be accepted through 11:59:59 (Chicago time – CDT) 31 May 2021. The cancellation fee is 20% of the registrant’s total fees paid. No refunds will be given after 31 May.
