Santa Clara County Honors Its Asian American Heroes
November 11, 2007
2007 Asian American heroes of Santa Clara County (from left): District 5 Supervisor Liz Kniss, Hema Alur-Kundargi, Sit Piu Fung, Dr. Lawrence Kwan, Nabuko Saito Cleary, Sumbul Ali-Karamali, Samreth Nuon, Michele Lew and Dan Kikuchi, during the Nov. 2 awards ceremony at the Quinlan Community Center in Cupertino. (Photo credit: Jennifer Simes)
CUPERTINO — Six Asian American community members and two organizations in Santa Clara County were recognized for their exemplary contribution and leadership at the Asian American Hero Awards, presented by Santa Clara County Supervisor Liz Kniss.
Conceived by Santa Clara County Supervisor Liz Kniss, the awards program is now in its seventh year of acknowledging members of the Asian American community for commitment to civic leadership, the arts, education, and health and human services, as well as honoring outstanding community organizations, families or teams.
“These awards aim to recognize individuals whose work and contributions have made a significant impact on the lives of Asian Americans in this county. There are a lot of them out there who need to be acknowledged for their hard work, and sometimes they get overlooked by big foundations and major award-giving bodies,” Kniss said.
Hema Alur-Kundargi of Cupertino, who was awarded in the education category for her efforts to inform the public about Indian traditions, said that it is always nice to be recognized for one’s hard work. “For me, it is like icing on the cake. This award encourages me to continue what I’m doing — educating people about Indian culture and promoting understanding between communities.”
Samreth Nuon, one of the awardees in the health and human services category, has worked with refugees and other Asian immigrants as a mental health counselor at Asian Americans for Community Involvement for more than 20 years. A survivor of the genocide in Cambodia, he has volunteered with the Cambodian New Life Association to help traumatized refugees from Cambodia transition to the United States. He is also part of the Citizenship Collaborative and is an active member of the Buddhist Society. Nuon called the award “very meaningful.”
“It inspires me to continue supporting and helping my fellow Cambodians and other Asian immigrants through my work,” Nuon said.
Two-time awardee Asian Americans for Community Involvement received this year’s outstanding organization award for its commitment to grassroots level services, civic engagement and community leadership. “This award is a testament to the dedication of our staff, board and volunteers, over the last 34 years,” said president and CEO Michele Lew.
Every year, the group provides services to about 7,000 low-income Asian immigrant clients, 21 percent of whom are Cambodians who live below poverty line. Lew added that the Vietnamese and Filipino communities also have higher poverty rates than other Asian communities.
“There is a myth that Asians living here in Silicon Valley are successful and have high incomes. The truth is, there are a lot of Asian families living below the poverty line in Santa Clara County that want vital social services attuned to their specific needs,” Lew said.
The organization’s current programs include mental health and primary health services, health education, HIV/AIDS prevention and testing, substance abuse treatment, a senior center, after-school programs, and English and citizenship classes.
Other leadership awardees included Dr. Larry Kwan of Los Altos for his work with the Valley Health Care for the Homeless Program, and Sumbul Ali-Karamali of Palo Alto for her work with children’s camp Hidden Villa. In the health and human services category, Sit Piu Fung of Palo Alto was also honored for his many years of volunteerism at Self-Help for the Elderly. Nabuko Saito Cleary of Los Altos Hills was given the award in the arts category for her support of the Community School of Music and Arts. The San Jose Buddhist Judo Club received recognition in the honored agency category.
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