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In This Issue:
AACG Candidate Night on Thursday, September 16, 5:30 pm
9/11 Story - Betty Ann Ong (鄧月薇), an American Hero
Statement of Solidarity from the Asian American Leaders Table On 9/11
Felicity Tao Honored at Cincinnati Compass Event
AACG Candidate Night on Thursday, September 16
The 2021 Election is November 2nd. Asian American Commerce Group (AACG) is hosting a candidate night with the support of Asian Pacific American Public Affairs Ohio (APAPA Ohio) and Ohio Chinese American Association (OCAA). Meet candidates for Congress, state and local offices, and let them hear our voice! Network with AACG, APAPA Ohio and OCAA members, community leaders and elected officials.
List of candidates participating:
Mike Carey, Representative to Congress
Allison Russo, Representative to Congress
Megan N. Kilgore, City of Columbus Auditor
Nick Bankston, City of Columbus Council Member
Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, City of Columbus Council Member
Shannon Granville Hardin, City of Columbus Council Member
Ajmerri Hoque, City of Dublin Council Member
Imran M. Malik, Dublin City Schools Board of Education Member
Nidhi Satiani, Upper Arlington City Schools Board of Education Member
Ted Sun, Dublin City Schools Board of Education Member
This is a Free, In-Person event with food and drink provided. However, registration is required.
Date and Time: Thursday Sep 16, 2021, 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
Location: Otie's Tavern & Grill, Second Floor
5344 Center Street
Hillard, OH 43026
Contact Information: Shyam Rajadhyaksha, srajcolumbus@outlook.com
Registration: https://members.aacg.org/events/details/aacg-candidates-night-61
9/11 Story - Betty Ann Ong (鄧月薇), an American Hero
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Betty Ann Ong (鄧月薇) was flying from Boston to Los Angeles to meet her sister before heading off for a long-awaited vacation in Hawaii. But within minutes of takeoff, five hijackers on board had overtaken the cockpit and blasted mace into the cabin. Instead of heading southwest, the Boeing 767 turned toward New York City.
Ong, 45, had been an American Airlines flight attendant for 14 years. As chaos ensued, she acted on instinct. From the back of the plane, she called the airline’s reservations center in Raleigh, North Carolina, and described the mayhem abroad.
“The cockpit’s not answering,” she said in a steady voice. “Somebody’s stabbed in business class and — I think there’s mace — that we can’t breathe. I don’t know, I think we’re getting hijacked.”
Ong became the first person to alert authorities to the deadly events that would occur that day. Over the next 20 minutes, she relayed critical information about the identity of the hijackers and led air traffic controllers to land every plane flying over the U.S. Then the line went silent as American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center’s north tower, killing all 81 passengers and 11 crew members.
In 2004, a four-minute tape of Ong’s call was played at the 9/11 Commission, where she was declared a national hero. Her “duty, courage, selflessness and love,” the panel’s chairman said, may have saved an untold number of lives.
Watch the videos of Betty Ann Ong (鄧月薇)’s brother and co-worker remembering her here and here. Read more about Betty’s heroic actions and the 20-year anguish suffered by his family here and here. Read our WeChat article about Betty Ann Ong (鄧月薇) in Chinese here.
Statement Of Solidarity From The Asian American Leaders Table On 9/11
As a network of local and national Asian American organizations that convened in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Asian American Leaders Table have been working together to address the rise in anti-Asian violence.
In the days, weeks and years that followed 9/11, while the nation was embroiled in rescue and recover efforts, we also witnessed an unprecedented rise in hate violence, bullying, profiling and workplace discrimination targeting members of South Asian, Arab, Muslim and Sikh communities. In addition, government policies instituted in the US and abroad as part of the War on Terror led to war and torture, surveillance and profiling, and detentions and deportations.
Many innocent Americans became a collateral damage of the government’s overreach under the guise of national security, much similar to the recent sufferings by Chinese Americans under the Department of Justice’s troubling “China Initiative” program, which showed how the government failed spectacularly in performing its responsibilities to protect American citizens in recent the trial of former University of Tennessee at Knoxville professor Dr. Anming Hu, who the federal judge overseeing the case acquitted of all charges.
Read the solidarity statement and links to more resources here.
Felicity Tao Honored at Cincinnati Compass Event
Felicity Tao, President of the Greater Cincinnati Chinese Cultural Exchange Association (GCCCEA), a community leader that has been actively promoting Chinese culture, community service and racial justice in Cincinnati, was recently honored with a Community Leader Award at the First Annual Cincinnati Rhythm event hosted by Cincinnati Compass.
Driven by her commitment to community service work, Felicity Tao recently joined Greater Cincinnati Foundation as Senior Director, Marketing. Also recognized at the event include Evans Nwankwo (Business Leader), Daniel Rajaiah (Rising Star) and Alfonso Cornejo (Legacy Award).
Cincinnati Compass is a collaborative project of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, City of Cincinnati, and more than 65 community partners who believe that immigrants and refugees are key contributors to a strong regional economy and a diverse, vibrant community. Cincinnati Compass advances economic and cultural inclusion of immigrants and refugees to enhance the overall vibrancy and economic growth of the Cincinnati region. It advocates for social and economic inclusion; connect individuals and organizations to resources and to each other to build capacities and opportunities; and promote and celebrate the cultural and economic contributions of new Cincinnatians.
Be well,
Ohio Chinese American Association
Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Ohio
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