Asian Pacific American Heritage Month—APEX Celebrates 17 Years of Youth Empowerment

Honors Chef David Chang, Designer Phillip Lim and Illustrator Kam Mak with Inspiraiton Awards  

May, 12, 2009, New York, NY – May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and APEX is honoring three artist/entrepreneurs with Inspiration Awards at the APEX 17th Anniversary Benefit to be held on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at the beautiful Rubin Museum of Art in New York City.  APEX is proud to honor Chef David Chang, Designer Phillip Lim and Illustrator Kam Mak.  The Inspiration Award is one of the ways APEX heightens the awareness of the contributions of Asian Pacific Americans to our nation and features individuals who are positive role models for youth.  Inspiration Award recipients serve as ambassadors, embodying the diverse talents and interests of Asian Americans, as well as taking leadership roles in communicating the need for education and services for Asian American urban youth.  

In New York City, there are approximately 45,000 Asian American children living in poverty and more than 110,000 at low-income levels.  “Our honorees are beacons, calling upon society to recognize that poverty and lack of opportunity is not a color or ethnicity issue,” says Kristy Nguyen, Executive Director of APEX.  

APEX is one of the pioneering agencies in New York City to offer comprehensive mentoring and educational services to Asian American youth.  Since its establishment in 1992, APEX has served more than 3,500 youth from the five boroughs of New York City and has attracted more than 1,000 volunteers.  “We owe a great deal of our success to our volunteers, who are proof that effective public/private partnerships really can bring about positive change for our communities,” says Board Chair, Suyin So.

Each 2009 Inspiration Award honoree has brought integrity back to his chosen field by traveling a road true to his own heart:

David Chang, Chef/Owner, Momofuku Restaurants, who New York Magazine calls “radical”, truly understands the “back-breaking work” required in the restaurant business.  Since opening Momofuku Noodle Bar, the first Momofuku restaurant in 2004, Mr. Chang has been showered with honors by food industry insiders, including The James Beard Foundation.  Mr. Chang strives to be an egalitarian to his staff and his customers, offering great, elegant food, done right at fair prices. 

Phillip Lim, Designer/Founder, 3.1 phillip lim is a new American fashion icon, who has taken the industry by storm since earning the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent in 2007.  Mr. Lim embraces the question, “Why not?”  His incredible inventiveness contributes to his infectious positive outlook.  “I want to help young people see that what they dream is possible.  They can take their imagination and make it real, says Mr. Lim. 

Kam Mak, Illustrator is an artist and Professor at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), who wants to portray the truth in his objects.  He has shared the world of Chinatown and Lunar New Year with the world through his children’s books and popular Lunar New Year stamp series, a top-selling United States Postal Service series worldwide.  I hope My Chinatown will let the reader experience the journey of the life of a Chinese immigrant boy.  This book and the Lunar New Year stamp series allow me a platform to share my beautiful culture with everyone; and most importantly, I hope my art will empower Asian American youth in a positive way.

“Our honorees are examples to our students, helping them understand that individuality and integrity are important keys to success,” says Benefit Chair, Kathy Wong. “It’s important that students understand that being Asian American is not somehow already defined for them.”

###