New York, NY (February 17, 2023) — AAPI Victory Fund, Committee of 100, the Council of Korean Americans, and the Japanese American Citizens League today released the following joint statement after co-organizing the first-ever Lunar New Year Celebration held at the residence of the Vice President.

“In the midst of growing hatred and violence against the AAPI community, it’s been a blessing to be able to come together and celebrate traditions and holidays of such deep meaning, particularly with friends at Committee of 100, Council of Korean Americans, and the Japanese American Citizens League – with whom we look forward to growing in partnership,” said Brad Jenkins, CEO and President of the AAPI Victory Fund. “We also thank Vice President Kamala Harris for opening her home to our community to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The AAPI Victory Fund wishes all a prosperous new year.”

“On behalf of Committee of 100, we want to thank the AAPI Victory Fund, Council of Korean Americans, and the Japanese American Citizens League for collaborating on a celebration of the Lunar New Year. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the Korean American and Japanese American communities towards shared goals and visions,” said Zhengyu Huang, President of Committee of 100. “We look forward to working together to combat xenophobia, racism, and violence directed at the AAPI community and to celebrate the vibrant AAPI cultures as part of American culture.”

“We are grateful to the AAPI Victory Fund, Committee of 100, and the Japanese American Citizens League for their collaboration and commitment to making our joint Lunar New Year event a success. We are especially thankful to Vice President Kamala Harris for honoring Asian Americans and graciously opening her residence to us,” said Abraham Kim, Executive Director of the Council of Korean Americans (CKA). “The event was an inspiring first step towards our shared vision of strengthening AANHPI collaboration across boundaries, celebrating our cultures and identities, and tackling the difficult challenges that Asian Americans face. We look forward to furthering this collaboration and continuing to strive for greater cooperation to ensure the well-being of all of our communities.”

“While the Asian American experience is rich in its diversity, there is so much that we share which made the opportunity to co-host the Vice President’s Lunar New Year Reception with the Committee of 100, Council of Korean Americans, and AAPI Victory Fund particularly special,” added David Inoue, Executive Director of the Japanese American Citizens League. “We look forward to further building on both our shared and unique experiences to collaborate across the spectrum of Asian and other communities that make up the rich fabric of our country. Just as the Lunar New Year brings a sense of hope, we look forward to a bright future working together in solidarity.”

About

AAPI Victory Fund can be found at https://aapivictoryfund.com/

Committee of 100 can be found at https://www.committee100.org/

Council of Korean Americans (CKA) can be found at https://councilka.org/

Japanese American Citizens League can be found at https://jacl.org/

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