HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-06-12 - AACIProclamation
__________________________
Lydia Kou
Mayor
HONORING ASIAN AMERICANS FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
(AACI)
WHEREAS, Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI) was founded 50 years ago in 1973 by
twelve concerned members of the community in response to the growing unmet needs of Asian Americans in
Santa Clara County, and has since built a proud history of promoting health, wellness, resilience, and civic
engagement among marginalized communities; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Allan Seid and Mary Chan Seid hosted the founding meetings of AACI from their Palo Alto
living room and established AACI's culturally sensitive therapeutic services, including the Asian Women's Home
domestic violence shelter, as AACI's first executive director and administrative director, respectively; and
WHEREAS, Leo Lowe and Paul Sakamoto, both respected leaders in the field of education, lent their
credibility to AACI in its infancy, effectively shielding the organization from efforts to undermine its advocacy
for social change by being labeled as "subversive"; and
WHEREAS, Palo Altans Jeanette Arakawa and Eimi Okano co-chaired AACI's first Education Committee,
and went on to lead statewide advocacy efforts to enact landmark legislation that eliminated racist and sexist
content in public school instructional materials; and
WHEREAS, Robert “Bob" Kam and Nilo Sarmiento established and served on AACI's Affirmative Action
Committee, leading efforts to support Asian Americans who were being mistreated at their workplaces; and
WHEREAS, Paul Wong and Victor Wong used their experience as veteran community organizers to advise
AACI's early advocacy strategies, mobilize community members, and recruit clients for AACI services; and
WHEREAS, Edward Kawazoe and Connie Young Yu, both gifted communicators, led fundraising efforts that
were the cornerstone of AACI's long-term financial stability, and educated AACI members on the power of Asian
American visibility and the importance of documenting the histories of Asian Americans in Santa Clara County.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Palo Alto does hereby recognize and commend
the Founders of AACI for their 50-year legacy of service, inclusion, and advocacy, and for serving as a testament
to the power of community coming together for the common cause of strengthening the health, wellbeing, and
resilience of our diverse communities in Santa Clara County.
PRESENTED: June 12, 2023