FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 11, 2023
Contact:
Liza de Villa Ameen, AJSOCAL, lameen@ajsocal.org
Elise Freimuth, LACHR & Cassia, elise@rcrestaurants.com
LISA LING & DANIEL WU TO BE HONORED WITH RUBY HERO AWARD AT THE AJSOCAL LA CHEFS RUBY TABLE GALA ON APRIL 24
The charity dinner features acclaimed AAPI chefs Bryant Ng, Niki Nakayama,
Carole Iida-Nakayama, Shirley Chung, Jenee Kim & Bugra Arkin, with proceeds benefiting
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California
2023 Ruby Hero Award Honorees Lisa Ling and Daniel Wu
LOS ANGELES, CA —Award-winning journalist, producer and television host Lisa Ling and celebrated actor, director and producer Daniel Wu will be honored with the Ruby Hero Award at Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) and Cassia’s LA Chefs For Human Rights (LACHR) gala on April 24, 2023, in recognition for their leadership and inspirational work in promoting the richness and complexity of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. The talented Jeannie Mai Jenkins, an Emmy Award-winning television host, producer and host of America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation, will emcee the evening. The gala will benefit AJSOCAL, the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for AAPI, and celebrate its 40th anniversary this year.
Lisa’s most recent work includes executive producing and hosting CNN’s This is Life for 9 seasons, as well as Take Out, which explored Asian American history through the lens of delicious Asian food in the U.S. Prior to moving to CNN, Lisa executive produced and hosted Our America on OWN, was the field correspondent for The Oprah Winfrey Show, a contributor to ABC News’ Nightline and the first female host of National Geographic’s flagship show Explorer. She got her start in journalism at 21, covering Afghanistan’s civil war for Channel One News, and is also the co-author of Mother, Sister. Daughter, Bride: Rituals of Womanhood and Somewhere Inside: One Sister’s Captivity in North Korea and The Other’s Fight to Bring Her Home that she penned with her sister Laura. In 2014, President Obama appointed Lisa to the Commission on White House Fellows, and she serves as an advisory board member for a number of charities and foundations.
Daniel’s activism in the AAPI community has been notable over the past few years. His bold voice and firm action helped strengthen the AAPI movement during the COVID-19 pandemic as incidents of hate and violence against Asian Americans surged. Since Daniel’s acting debut in 1998, he’s been featured in over 60 movies and is a dynamic, leading talent in the Chinese language film industry. He’s earned critical acclaim and accolades for his roles in City of Glass, One Night in Mongkok, New Police Story, Night Corridor and Like A Dream. Daniel’s writing and directorial debut in 2003 for The Heavenly Kings chronicled the formation of his band, Alive, and earned him Best New Director at the Hong Kong Film Awards, and Best New Director and Best Screenplay at the Chinese Film Media Awards, among gaining other recognition. He’s also known for his recent television work in HBO’s Westworld and AMC’s Into The Badlands, the latter of which he executive produced, and can be seen next in Disney+’s American Born Chinese. At the Asian World Film Festival in November 2022, Daniel was honored with the Bruce Lee Award, which is bestowed by Lee’s family to an outstanding martial artist.
“Lisa’s groundbreaking work as a journalist, producer, and author has been instrumental in raising awareness of human rights atrocities around the world, as well as bridging cultural divides here in the United States. Daniel’s illustrious career in film and television has earned him the respect from Hollywood to Hong Kong, and he’s used that influence to draw attention to the tide of violence against the Asian American community,” says LACHR Co-Founder, Cassia Co-Owner, and human rights lawyer Kim Luu-Ng. “It’s a privilege to be able to honor their incredible and inspiring accomplishments at this milestone gala with AJSOCAL, an organization whose work is more vital than ever.”
Since 2016, LACHR has raised approximately $1.1 million for local non-profits focused on human rights causes by uniting some of the city’s most celebrated chefs, bakers, entertainers and human rights advocates through a series of in-person and virtual galas and events. Due to the rise in violence and hate directed towards the Asian community over the past few years, AJSOCAL is this year’s beneficiary. Plus, Kim has a close connection to the organization, having served as their law clerk back in 2001. This past January, AJSOCAL led the Monterey Park Lunar New Year Victims Fund, which raised more than $1 million for direct victims of the shooting and is providing direct support to survivors, families and the community.
“For years in the region, AJSOCAL has been in the fight for social justice for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Anti-Asian hatred is an ongoing issue for which diverse voices and allies are vital to dismantle racism and inequality. The generosity from tonight will further ensure our ability to serve the community during times of crisis, throughout the year and forward into the future,” says AJSOCAL CEO Connie Chung Joe.
In addition to LACHR Co-Founder and critically-acclaimed Cassia Co-Owner/Chef Bryant Ng, this year’s dinner features some of the city’s most celebrated AAPI chefs—Bugra Arkin of the lauded Dolan’s Uyghur Cuisine, Jenee Kim from the iconic Koreatown Park’s BBQ, Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama from the two Michelin-starred n/naka and izakaya-inspired n/soto, and Shirley Chung, a two-time Bravo Top Chef finalist who is behind Ms. Chi Café. The evening’s Ambassadors for Justice include actors Yoson An (Mulan), Rosalind Chao (Mulan), Dawn Lyen-Gardner (Queen Sugar), philanthropist Krista Kleiner (former Miss Philippines), and Kelly Marie Tran (Raya and the Last Dragon), Emmy-nominated filmmaker Bao Nguyễn (Be Water), and university professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Sympathizer), and the heroic man who disarmed the gunman at the Lai Lai Ballroom in Alhambra, Brandon Tsay. A live musical performance by The Filharmonic, a beloved Los Angeles-based a cappella group of young Filipino-Americans will conclude the night.
Top sponsors for the event include Bird Marella, Chung Intervivos Trust, Nielsen, SoCal Gas, Plum Spring Foundation and Wells Fargo at the Ruby Level, Walzer Melcher & Yoda at the Flame Level, and Bank of America, Capital Group, Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation, Comcast|NBCU, Julia Gouw, Jamison, JPMorgan Chase, Mayer Brown, San San Lee, Pacific American Fish Co, Panda Restaurant Group, Linda Smith, Red Boat Fish Sauce and UPS as additional top-tier sponsors.
To make a direct donation to AJSOCAL or find out how to get involved, please visit their website.
About Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California
AJSOCAL is celebrating its 40th anniversary throughout the year of 2023 with a series of events that gather the community, amplify the forces of good and propel the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) movement forward. The anniversary builds upon the milestones of social justice that unified Asian Americans upon AJSOCAL’s founding in 1983. The non-profit is the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for AAPI. AJSOCAL serves more than 15,000 individuals and organizations every year. Through direct services, impact litigation and policy advocacy AJSOCAL focuses on the most vulnerable members of AAPI communities while building a strong voice for civil rights and social justice. More info is at AJSOCAL.org.
About Cassia’s LA Chefs For Human Rights
Founded by Cassia Co-Owners Kim Luu-Ng and Chef Bryant Ng in 2016, LA Chefs for Human Rights is a fundraising platform that benefits and increases awareness of local human rights causes that directly affect our fellow Angelenos. Since its inception, LACHR has raised approximately $1.1 million by uniting some of the city’s most celebrated chefs, bakers, entertainers and human rights advocates through a series of in-person and virtual galas and events. 100% of the funds have gone towards local non-profits, which include Program for Torture Victims to support medical care and legal services for refugees seeking asylum and The People Concern to feed and provide homeless individuals and families with temporary and permanent housing. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Cassia and the Rustic Canyon Family also donated hundreds of meals to The People Concern’s three interim housing sites in Santa Monica.
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