SEATTLE, Washington — Actress and UNICEF Ambassador Lucy Liu received the Visibility Award Aug. 2 at the Asian American Journalists Association annual conference here.
”Since 1981, AAJA has done more than elevate voices – you’ve protected them,” said Liu in her acceptance speech. “You’ve stood at the intersection of truth and representation, insisting that we are not footnotes in other people’s stories. W are the authors of our own.”
“At a time when the world still struggles to see us fully, AAJA has made sure we cannot be ignored. And you’ve reminded generations of AANHPI creatives that we do not need permission to exist in the frame,” said Liu, who received her award from AAJA President Nicole Dungca.
The 5 day event brought in over 1300 journalists from around the world to engage in lively panel discussions, workshops, and mixers.
Trailblazing journalists Janice Gin, Curtiss Kim, and Lloyd La Cuesta were also honored at the conference at a special reception on July 31 evening. Veteran journalist Helen Zia, founder of the Vincent Chin Institute, noted at a panel earlier that day that, when she was coming up in the field, few print or broadcast newsrooms had reporters of color. She herself manually typed out and sent over 100 query letters, and received only one response.
In one of the most powerful discussions, NBC News anchor Vicky Nguyen shared her story of coming to the US as a child and refugee from Vietnam. Nguyen is the author of “Boat Baby: a Memoir.” The panel was moderated by NBC News correspondent Ali Velshi.
Novelists Curtis Chin — “Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant” — and Parul Kapur — “Inside the Mirror” — were among the celebrities at the conference.
