Korean American Leaders Play Major Role at MMCA’S Inaugural 'Sheroes in Media' Awards Gala, Increasing Korean Representation in American Mainstream Media
New York, NY -- Korean American leaders played a prominent role in the Multicultural Media & Correspondents Association’s “Sheroes in Media” Awards Gala on March 31, 2021, Wednesday evening, honoring an extraordinary group of seven women leaders leading media associations promoting diversity in media.
One of the “Sheroes in Media” was Michelle Ye Hee Lee, President of the Asian American Journalists Association, and reporter at the Washington Post's national team, covering State Department and diplomacy. Starting this August, she will become the Washington Post’s Tokyo bureau chief, overseeing Japan and North and South Korea.
“Too often these crises where we are forced to confront systemic racism are seen as a short-term problem, but when the dust has settled, it falls back on us (women, people of color, women of color) who are underrepresented in leadership positions to fend for ourselves,” Michelle Lee said. “What I would like to see is an industry-wide public commitment with real accountability measures to show that they are truly willing to prioritize diversity, inclusion, and equity top-down from the existing leadership.”
Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), who made history by becoming one of the three Korean American congresswomen, also gave remarks during the event: “Women deserve a voice at the table, and you are all helping to tell the important and diverse stories that both reflect and inform the communities we serve,” Congresswoman Kim said. “As women, it’s all up to each of us as we break our own barriers to pave the way for future generations of women and girls.”
The star-studded event’s platinum sponsor was the Naeil Foundation, an organization founded by successful second generation to increase Korean American representation and elevate other under-represented groups. The Foundation supported KA Vote, which was made up of first and second generation Korean American organizations to increase Korean American vote during the 2020 Elections, and recently funded the distribution of Award-winning Minari, and the Worldwide Vigil honoring the victims of the Atlanta shooting that killed eight people, including four Korean women. The event included a moment of silence to honor the victims during the program.
The event was co-produced by Hannah Kim, who served as Asian American Pacific Islanders Communications Director in the Biden campaign and Chief of Staff/Communications Director to former Congressman Charlie Rangel, a champion of Korea in Congress and Korean War veteran.
“As a founding Board Member of the MMCA, I was proud to feature many Korean Americans in the program. In Congress and during the Biden campaign, and in anything I do, I work hard to make sure that diverse voices and faces are represented in the mainstream media. It’s so important that our stories are told by us,” said Hannah Kim, who also organized the Worldwide Vigil and serves the Korean community as the Vice President of External Affairs for the Korean American Association of Greater New York (KAAAGY).
“I was very proud to see these second generation Korean American leaders bring our community’s issues and presence into the spotlight. It is so important that we continue to support our future generations to succeed and represent the best of our community. As president of the second largest Korean American community in the United States I will keep building alliances with other communities and make sure we are not only serving the needs of Korean Americans but also to ensure we are in the room where important discussions take place,” said KAAGNY President Charles Yoon, who was invited to the event as a special guest to the virtual cocktail reception for VIPs before the program started.
Other prominent individuals joining the event to congratulate the women were Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Rep Mark Takano (D-CA), Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Rep. Val Demings (D-FL), and Rep Judy Chu (D-CA).
The event was co-emceed by Alicia Menendez and Richard Lui, both anchors of MSNBC. It featured an award ceremony, entertainment by Latina comedian Gina Brillon, and performance by singer Deborah Bond, followed by a roundtable discussion with all of the honorees.
Full list of honorees are:
Julie Burton, Executive Director, Women’s Media Center
Heather Cohen, Board Chair, Alliance for Women in Media
Francine Compton, President, Native American Journalist Association
Michelle Lee, Chair Asian American Journalists Association
Nora Lopez, President, National Association of Hispanic Journalists
Lisa Matthews, President, National Press Club
Dorothy Tucker, President, National Association of Black Journalists
ABOUT MMCA:
MMCA is a nonpartisan/nonprofit organization leading a call to action to increase media diversity. In just its fifth year, MMCA has become a trusted convener and facilitator of thought leadership, resource and information sharing, and strategic engagement between multicultural media stakeholders, tech and media decision-makers, policymakers, and private entities committed to increasing the percentage of diverse media stakeholders and content. http://www.mmcadc.org; @mmcadc on all platforms.
