CAUSE Newsletter:The September Issue

Women in Power Annual Luncheon 2013, Leadership Academy Internship Program, ARound Table Conversation with CA State Labor Commissioner Julie Su, and more!

Greetings!Welcome to the September Issue of the CAUSE Newsletter! This month's special newsletter iscomprised of recaps from all of our summer programs: the Women in Power Annual Luncheon,the Leadership Academy Internship Program, and the Round Table Conversation with CAState Labor Commissioner Julie Su. Additionally, there are recaps of happenings outside of CAUSE, such as Board Chair CharlieWoo's acceptance of Asian Pacific Community Fund's Philanthropy Leadership Award andExecutive Director Carrie Gan's participation as a panelist at the Minority Media andTelecommunications' (MMTC) "Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference" inWashington, D.C. Last, but not least, we would like to thank all of our summer volunteers and Ms. Grace Hsieh,former Director of Programs, for their time at CAUSE­­ we couldn't have had such a successfulsummer without them!

***We hope that you enjoy this month's newsletter. We invite you to learn about upcoming events andopportunities to get involved!

Sincerely,

Your Friends at CAUSE

Women in Power Annual Luncheon 2013

Over 300 guests were in attendance at this year's Women in Power Annual Luncheon, held on July26th, which featured two stellar keynote speakers: former U.S. Secretary of Labor HildaSolis and CA State Attorney General Kamala Harris. Continuing our theme of empowering acommunity of women that is built on leadership, inspiration, and mentorship, this year's luncheonfocused on encouraging young minority women to pursue careers in politics and public service.

Faces of Women in Power

Row 1 (l­r): Kimberly Freeman, Director of Community Relations, Southern California GasCompany; U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu; and Anne Shen Smith, Chairman and Chief

Executive Officer, Southern California Gas

Row 2 (l­r): Julia Gouw, President and Chief Operating Officer, East West Bank; MariaContreras­Sweet, Executive Chairwoman and Founder, ProAmerica Bank; and Debra Wong

Yang, Partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and former U.S. District Attorney

Row 3 (l­r): Marcella Low, Public Affairs Manager, Southern California Gas Company; VannaTran, Public Affairs and Government Relations, The Nielsen Company; and Hilda Solis, former

U.S. Secretary of Labor and Eugene Eng, Vice President of External Affairs, Verizon

Not Pictured, but in attendance:

The Honorable Holly Fujie, Superior Court Judge, County of Los AngelesCecilia Glassman, Executive Director, Los Angeles Police FoundationYuko Kaifu, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications, Union BankJan Perry, Interim General Manager of the Economic and Workforce DevelopmentDepartment and former Councilmember, City of Los Angeles

Words of Wisdom from our Keynote Speakers:

Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis with U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu

Hilda Solis: "I'm here to tell you to be inspired about your role, whether you want to take politicaloffice or not, whether it's working in the private sector, nonprofit charitable organization or in

education, start looking at what avenues are available and take advantage..."

CA State Attorney General Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris: "You must understand and know that when you have the thoughts that you doabout the way the world works... even if you're not surrounded by a large group of people thatcan see, hear, or understand what you're saying ­ push on through and don't listen to 'no.'"

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Photos and Videos:Women in Power Annual Luncheon 2013

PhotosView more photos from ourevent by visiting our Flickrpage. Feel free to downloadand share your photos on theweb. If you are uploading toFacebook, be sure to tag us(search for CAUSEEmpowerment)!

Video OverviewClick here to see a videooverview of the Women inPower Annual Luncheon2013.

Keynote SpeechesFor inspiration and words ofwisdom, look no further. Wehave created full­lengthvideos of both Ms. Solis' andMs. Harris' keynotespeeches. After watching, besure to share them with yourfriends and colleagues!

Former U.S.Secretary of LaborHilda SolisCA State AttorneyGeneral KamalaHarris

Leadership Academy Internship Recap

Leadership Academy Interns with U.S. District Court Judge Ronald S.W. Lew and Directorof Programs Grace Hsieh

This year, we were fortunate to have hosted a group of nine extremely talented students in ourLeadership Academy internship program. Throughout the course of eight weeks (from June 17th toAugust 9th), the interns not only worked at their respective legislative offices, but also participatedin professional development workshops with esteemed members of the community, attendednumerous networking events, and tackled a group research project. The intensive internshipprogram closed off with a trip to Sacramento, where the interns participated in the AnnualLegislative Leadership Conference. They met with legislative officials who took them on a tour ofthe state capitol and spoke candidly to them about their experiences of working as elected officials.Soon after their trip, the interns were congratulated for their successful completion of the programat their graduation ceremony. Monday Workshops:

Interns shown with U.S. District Court Judges Dolly Gee, left, and Ronald S.W. Lew

The interns came together every Monday and met with an elected official or community leader whospoke to them about careers, college, internships, politics, and issues regarding the Asian PacificAmerican community. Examples of guest speakers include, the Honorable Dolly M. Gee, U.S.District Court Judge, Central District of California; the Honorable Ronald S.W. Lew, U.S. DistrictCourt Judge, Central District of California; Lou Correa, State Senator, California Senate District 34;Winston Wu, past president and active member, Chinese American Citizens Alliance (C.A.C.A.);Charlie Woo, Board Chair of CAUSE and CEO of Megatoys; John Chiang, State Controller, State ofCalifornia; Ron Wong, CEO and Founder, Imprenta Communications; Terry Hara, Deputy Chief,Los Angeles Police Department; and John Kobara, Executive Vice President and COO, CaliforniaCommunity Foundation. Want to learn more about the Monday Workshops? Check out our intern blogs here. "API Internship Day at the Capitol" in Sacramento (August 5th­August 6th):

A Visit to the State Capitol:The interns met with a variety of speakers and participated in panels for "API Internship Day at

the Capitol."

Throughout their time in Sacramento, the interns met with panels of speakers, who discussedeverything from public policy to lobbying. On a legislative panel, the interns learned first­hand theexperiences of the legislative staffers. They also heard from various advocacy and lobby groups.The students took advantage of the intimate setting of the forums to ask the speakers about thelegislative process, issues concerning the API community, political careers, and specificlegislations.

After the forums, the interns were able to meet a plethora of elected officials and capitol stafferswhom they had communicated with via phone or email the past eight weeks. Some notable electedofficials whom the interns were able to have a one­to­one sessions with to discuss their researchproject included: CA State Senator Lou Correa, CA State Assemblymember Ed Chau, CA StateAssemblymember Paul Fong, CA State Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez, and CA StateAssemblymember Al Muratsuchi.

The interns were also given a private tour of the CA Senate Floor by Senator Lou Correa, who tooktime out of his busy schedule to speak to the interns for an hour and half. CA StateAssemblymember Jimmy Gomez also took the interns on a private tour of the Assembly Floor andpointed out where each of the Assemblymembers sat during session.

Graduation Ceremony:

Graduation Day: (L­R): Jonathan Chen, Chee "Danny" Kwan, Edward Truong, Tanya Edmilao, Director of

Programs Grace Hsieh, Executive Director Carrie Gan, Director of Communications Sophia Islas,Lauren Richardson, Kim Yamasaki, Christine Sun, Katrina Lei, and Jimmy Tran

U.S. District Court Judge Ronald S.W. Lew served as the keynote speaker for the LeadershipAcademy Graduation, held on August 9th. In his speech he encouraged the interns to never losesight of pursuing their passions in whatever endeavor they chose to take on in the future. He leftthem with words of wisdom that guided him throughout his career, which was a partial quote fromSocrates: "hear courteously, answer wisely, consider soberly, and decide impartially." Words from interns about the Leadership Academy internship program:

"I can't express how grateful I am to have been part of this life­changing program. I feel likeI've grown more in these past 8 weeks than I did during my entire 12 years of education. Inshort, it's been an invaluable and unforgettable experience." ­ Christine Sun, RisingFreshman, University of Pennsylvania

"The CAUSE Program has undoubtedly changed my life. I am thankful to CAUSE for seeingthe potential in me and allowing me to grow both personally and individually." ­ KimYamasaki, Rising Junior, University of California, Los Angeles

"I can honestly say being a CAUSE Intern made me a stronger person and with thisstrength I know I can take on any challenges that may come on my way to a successfulfuture. I wish everyone could share this experience." ­ Tanya Edmilao, Rising Senior,University of Southern California

Scholarship Recipients Top Row (l­r): Chee "Danny" Kwan, shown with Mr. Mike Eng and Director of Programs GraceHsieh, received the Mike Eng Scholar Award; Kim Yamasaki, shown with Southern CaliforniaEdison's Tammy Tran, Field Representative for U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu Enrique Robles,

and Grace Hsieh, received the Southern California Edison Scholar Award

Bottom Row (l­r): Christine Sun, shown with C.A.C.A. members Thomas Wong and Albert Lu,and Grace Hsieh, received the C.A.C.A. Scholar Award; and Tanya Edmilao, shown with

CAUSE Board Chair Charlie Woo and Grace Hsieh, received the Woo Family Scholar Award

Research Project:

U.S. District Court Judge Ronald S.W. Lew with a copy of the intern research project

"Those Who Serve: A Report on Asian American/Pacific Islander Service Members" focuseson the importance of documenting issues that Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) servicemembers currently face, such as hazing and its effects on the mental health of veterans. Throughboth statistics and case studies, this project calls upon government officials, community leaders,and research organizations to further study the issues with which AAPI service members areconfronted. It can be downloaded and read here. Back to top

Photos, Videos, and More:CAUSE Leadership Academy Internship Recap

PhotosGet an inside look of ourinternship program with thefollowing photo sets:

Kickoff LuncheonWorkshops andEventsSacramentoGraduationCeremony

VideosCheck out videos from ourinternship program:

Kickoff LuncheonGraduationCeremony

Press HitsFor news coverage on ourinternship program, take alook at our press hits:

SCPRChina PressChina Daily USA

A Round Table Conversation with CA State

Labor Commissioner Julie Su

On August 16th, CAUSE presented "A Round Table Conversation with CA State LaborCommissioner Julie Su." Featuring Ms. Su, the round table focused on how labor laws andregulations affect the community. Moderator and CAUSE Board Chair Charlie Woo also guided thediscussion toward best practices for small businesses, protection of employee rights, and careerdevelopment for young professionals interested in working in state government.

Video Recap: A Round Table Conversation with CA State Labor Commissioner Julie Su

Understand labor laws, regulations, and policies to prevent being in violation of the law. For moreinformation about worker's rights and labor laws, please click here. Back to top

Photos and More:A Round Table Conversation with CA State Labor Commissioner Julie Su

PhotosCheck out photos from our Round TableConversation with CA State LaborCommissioner Julie Su by clicking here.

In the PressClick the following for press coverage from ourevent:

LA18 China Press

Board Chair Charlie Woo Honored with thePhilanthropy Leadership Award at APCF Gala

CAUSE Interns Christine Sun, Kim Yamasaki, and Tanya Edmilao with Charlie Woo at theAPCF Fundraising Gala

On July 31st, CAUSE Board Chair Charlie Woo was honored with the Philanthropy LeadershipAward at Asian Pacific Community Fund's (APCF) 7th Annual Giving for All SeasonsFundraising Gala! Please join us in congratulating him for all his efforts of supporting the APIcommunity. The APCF chose to honor Mr. Woo for his many decades of philanthropic activities, support of the

API and other communities, and success as an Asian American business leader. Among hisgreatest accomplishments is the revitalization of the industrial areas of Los Angeles andredevelopment of the surrounding neighborhoods. He has served in numerous leadershipcapacities of many nonprofit organizations including APCF's affiliate agency Asian RehabilitationServices (ARS), Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE), and the LosAngeles Area Chamber of Commerce. Back to top

Executive Director Carrie Gan Speaks atMMTC's Access to Capital and Telecom Policy

Conference

On July 9th, Executive Director Carrie Gan participated as a panelist at Minority Media andTelecom Council's (MMTC) Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. Alongside Hon. Cathy Sandoval, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission; JanayeIngram, DC Bureau Chief, National Action Network; Hilary Shelton, Director, Washington Bureau,NAACP; and Jason Lagria, Senior Staff Attorney, Asian American Justice Center, Ms. Gan paneledthe Civil Rights Roundtable entitled "How the Nation's Civil Rights Organizations Can Win theRestoration of Minority Media and Telecom Ownership." Moderated by S. Jenell Trigg, (Partner atLerman Senter), the panel focused on the discussion of the impact of the U.S. Supreme Courts'latest rulings that effect diversity in communications, the need for Adarand Studies, and thedevelopment of a plan of action to promote minority business in a race­neutral legal environment. For a recap of the conference, click here. Back to top

CAUSE to be Recognized as "Historymaker" by the

Chinese American Museum

CAUSE has been selected as a "Historymaker" for this year's 17th Annual HistorymakersAwards Gala, hosted by the Friends of Chinese American Museum (FCAM). This year's gala willtake place on Thursday, September 12th and will begin at 6:30 p.m. Alongside a group of extraordinary individuals, CAUSE is being awarded for making a significantand lasting impact on local and national Chinese American Communities through voter educationand registration, community outreach, and leadership development. CAUSE is pleased to acceptthe Excellence in Community Service award at this year's gala. We would like to thank everyone ­­ sponsors, volunteers, and friends ­­ for helping us achieve suchan award. For more information about the gala, please click here.

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CAUSE Summer Volunteer Appreciation

Dedicated Volunteers:Back row (l­r): Monica Lee, Kristina Lieu, Carrie Gan, Rick Zuniga, Christina Islas, Samuel

Mori, Sophia Islas, and Grace HsiehFront row (l­r): Jason Fong, Daniel Tsai, Albert Gianatan, and Maxwell Zhu

In addition to having Leadership Academy interns this summer, our office was also filled withvolunteers from a variety of educational backgrounds that ranged from the high school to graduatelevel. As one can see from this newsletter, our summer was packed with events and programs. Thesuccess of everything that CAUSE has done this past summer would not have been possiblewithout the dedication and determination of our volunteers, all of whom put in extra hoursthroughout their summer vacation to assist the staff with program planning and administrativeduties. As a token of appreciation, on August 19th, a small volunteer appreciation party was held at theCAUSE office for all of our volunteers. While not all of our volunteers could attend (most had toreturn to school), we would like to take the time to recognize them all:

CAUSE Volunteers ­ Summer 2013

Victoria BianJason Fong

Albert GianatanChristina IslasKhanh PhamLarry PhamMonica Lee Kristina LieuSamuel MoriKhanh TranDaniel TsaiWendy ZhengMaxwell ZhuRick Zuniga

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Special Thanks: Congratulations to Grace Hsieh on her New Role

with CA State Senator Mimi Walters

Congratulations, Grace!Sophia Islas, Grace Hsieh, and Carrie Gan

We're excited to announce that Grace Hsieh, now former CAUSE Director of Programs, hasaccepted a job as Field Representative and Internship Coordinator for CA State Senator MimiWalters in Irvine. Ms. Hsieh, who was a former Leadership Academy Intern (class of 2012), joined the CAUSE familyin October 2012 where she took on the role as Civic Engagement Coordinator. At this capacity, shehandled CAUSE's involvement in the highly successful "Your Vote Matters! 2012" campaign,recruiting 30+ volunteers to assist with phone banking and poll monitoring for the General Election.After the completion of the campaign, Ms. Hsieh became the Director of Program at CAUSE,handling both major events and internship/volunteer programs. In this role, she helped developCAUSE's first graduate level internship program that brought together international studentsstudying public policy and administration at the University of Southern California (USC). Theprogram, which is entitled the Civic Engagement Leadership Fellows (CELF) program, willcontinue on thanks to her efforts. Additionally, she coordinated this summer's Leadership AcademyInternship. We would like to sincerely thank her for her efforts and all of her hard work and dedication. Whileher bright and cheerful personality will be greatly missed at the CAUSE office, we are excited forher next chapter in life! Please join us in applauding Ms. Hsieh for her work with CAUSE andcongratulating her for her new role with Senator Walters! Back to top

September 24th: National Voter Registration Day

On September 24, civic­minded people and organizations across the United States will take partin National Voter Registration Day. California Secretary of State Debra Bowen invites you to joinin this nonpartisan effort to highlight the importance of democracy by encouragingyour community to register to vote. It's easier than ever to apply to vote in California with the Secretary of State's online applicationat RegisterToVote.ca.gov. Since the online system was launched in September of 2012, morethan 887,000 Californian's have used it to register to vote or to update their voter registrationrecord. Learn more about National Voter Registration Day at NationalVoterRegistrationDay.org. For moreinformation aboutvoting in California, visit www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting­in­california. Back to top

CAUSE Staff

Carrie Gan, Executive Director, carrie@causeusa.orgSophia Islas, Director of Communications, sophia@causeusa.org

Alex Phung, Director of Marketing, alex@causeusa.org

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