AAPI Heritage Heroes 2022

Our AAPI Heritage Heroes special celebrates unsung AAPI organizers, activists, and community leaders in a dynamic program spotlighting their remarkable stories.

AAPI Heritage Heroes was a special created by the hands of our community, for our community, by The Asian American Foundation. TAAF AAPI Heritage Heroes is a creative, inspiring program that centers six heroes from our diverse community and shares the stories of their work, their world and their wish for the future of our people.

In six short films, each directed by inspiring AAPI auteurs, we’ll dive into the world of the honoree, exploring not only their contributions, but the AAPI culture that made them. Woven together by celebrity presenters, comedy musical performances, the TAAF AAPI Heritage Heroes special will be a celebration of the ‘everyday extraordinary’ heroes in our lives. Heritage Heroes are people who illuminate the world. They power our communities and light the way forward. These are the people who face the darkness and just say, no.

If you’d like to nominate a hero or suggest a director please email info@taaf.org.

With Special Appearances By:
Ian Alexander
Ella Jay Basco
Miya Cech
Nathan Chen
Sherry Cola
Auli'i Cravalho
Manish Dayal
Chelsea Handler
Jeannie Mai Jenkins
MC Jin
Daniel Dae Kim
Liza Koshy
Lisa Ling
Simu Liu
Chella Man
Sunita Mani
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan
Leo Sheng
Jay Shetty
Gloria Steinem
Karrueche Tran
Rain Valdez
Ming-Na Wen
Michelle Zauner
Meet the Heroes
From Steel to Glass, then Medals
by Julian Kim and Peter S. Lee
From Steel to Glass, then Medal
by Julian Kim and Peter S. Lee

Justin Phongsavanh is a Laotian American Javelin Throwing Olympian who has managed to lead with bravery under difficult circumstances.

In 2015, Justin was shot by a mentally ill veteran who attacked Justin and his friend in a McDonald’s parking lot. The incident left Justin paralyzed from the waist down. After the incident, Justin felt he had two options…. To either kill himself or live life to the absolute fullest and attain all of his dreams. He did just that. Justin went on to win the Bronze Medal in Javelin Throw at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. Justin not only attained his dreams of being in the Olympics, but he is also a positive force in his community. He regularly talks to school children about disability and diversity inclusion. Adopted at a young age after his biological parents were incarcerated, Justin is also committed to supporting adopted children who suffer trauma.

Notes from the Filmmaker

We are filled with tremendous pride, respect, and joy when we see a member of the AAPI community showcasing excellence while representing our country on the international stage. It's a win for our community, and Justin brought us that win. But he's so much more than an accomplished athlete. His personal history is an example of a person living life to make the world a better place than he found it.

The way Justin champions AAPI representation and diversity inclusion through his accomplishments is just one aspect of his service to the AAPI community. What's critical is his drive to look around and give back. Justin found success in things he does well but he's making sure that he's bringing others with him. That's a hero in our book. Our job as storytellers is to advocate for our community. We believe that we need to document Justin's story to honor his contributions and help amplify his mission because it's so important to be inspired and see examples of others overcoming challenges and, importantly, taking care of others.

— Julian Kim and Peter S. Lee
Jebby Productions

About the Filmmaker

Julian Kim and Peter S. Lee are a filmmaking duo from Flushing, Queens, New York. They’ve been friends since high school, bonding over love for Starcraft, Linkin Park, spicy deli beef patties and iced coffees even during frigid New York winters.

But it was their passion for filmmaking and shared mission to tell relatable stories that bloomed into a working partnership. Their collaborative filmmaking approach in narrative short films, documentaries, and other video projects eventually allowed them to create "Happy Cleaners", their debut narrative feature-length film about their Korean American immigrant experience. Embraced by audiences for its authentic storytelling, the film garnered numerous honors at various film festivals, including "Emerging Filmmaker Award," and "Audience Choice Award.” The film’s reception further fuels the duo’s ambition to depict meaningful stories that are for all audiences.

Film Crew

DIRECTOR
Julian Kim

DIRECTOR
Peter S. Lee

NICE SHOES PRODUCER
Isabel Gomez

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Mike Fraser

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Nathaniel Pinheiro

COLOR BY
Nice Shoes

COLORIST
Phil Choe

FEATURING
Tamera Shinn

SOUND DESIGN
Zach Scheitlin

AUDIO MIXER
John Baker

EDITOR
Julian Kim

Come Together
by Shruti Ganguly
Come Together
by Shruti Ganguly

LAYA are an audacious group of New Jersey high school students who turned racist school bullying, tragic shootings, and feelings of not belonging into an opportunity to fight for AAPI history in NJ state school curriculum.

This story follows five high school students in New Jersey of Korean, Filipino, Indian, and Chinese descent who had a major role in passing a New Jersey state bill to include Asian American history in every school’s curriculum. The film will also feature Dr Kani Ilangovan of Make Us Visible, NJ who supported and guided the LAYA students to helping achieve their goals.

Notes from the Filmmaker

In this short mixed-media film, we follow a collective of high school students (LAYA) and a local organization (Make Us Visible NJ) as they come together to create a mandate for the AAPI curriculum in New Jersey public schools.

— Shruti Ganguly
honto88 | @shrutiganguly | @honto88

About the Filmmaker

Shruti Ganguly is a filmmaker and writer based between New York City and Oslo. Shruti was a member of Obama’s ECCO committee of 30 leaders and creators in entertainment, chairing its Asian Caucus, and is on the Creative Council for Emily's List. She has produced several feature and short films (including Spirit-winner H., and the Nora Ephron Prize-winner INITIALS SG) that have premiered at Sundance, Venice, Tribeca, Telluride, and Berlin.

Shruti is currently writing “Secret Daughter” for Amazon Studios, which will star Priyanka Chopra and Sienna Miller, directed by Cannes-winner Anthony Chen, and sold “DeathSpa”, a psychological horror about a bachelorette party that goes wrong to Sony Pictures International.

Shruti created “Flossy”, a half-hour comedy with writer/comedian Kerry Coddett, with EP Robin Thede, set up at Warner Bros, and she will be an EP and writer on the half-hour TV series “Brown Baby” (based on the eponymous memoir by acclaimed British novelist, Nikesh Shukla), which is in development with Bad Robot/Warner Bros and will star Himesh Patel.

Shruti has directed and produced branded content, short docs, music videos and commercials, ranging from clients like Nike, Netflix, Michael Kors, MUNCH, and so on, through her production company honto88, based in New York City. In the Fall of 2021, Shruti started a new company - Prism Entertainment - with producers Megha Kadakia and Priya Giri Desai to focus on high-quality, South Asian-focused film and TV content.

Previously, Shruti worked at NYLON, MTV, and Conde Nast, producing the CLIO-winning 73 Questions series. She is a co-founder of the Resistance Revival Chorus, a collective born out of the Women's March that brings together artists and activists to use music and joy as an act of resistance. Shruti is a published writer (Nevertheless They Persisted, Penguin) and a contributing writer for The Juggernaut. Shruti received her Bachelor's degree from Northwestern University, and went to NYU's dual MFA/MBA program at Tisch and Stern. She hails from India, by way of Oman.

Film Crew

DIRECTOR
Shruti Ganguly

PRODUCER
Polina Buchak

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Saniya Mirwani

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Chris Low

GAFFER / AC
Arnold Finklestein

LOCATION SOUND MIXER
Vera Quispe

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT / DRIVER
Anthony Morillo

POST PRODUCER
Rachel Kessler

POST ASSISTANT
Candace Mitchell

EDITOR
Dani Okon

COLORIST
Alexia Salingros

SOUND DESIGN + MIX
Evan Joseph

VFX / GRAPHICS
Dani Okon

They Call Me Suki
by Grace Evangelista
They Call Me Suki
by Grace Evangelista

Suki Terada Ports is an unstoppable Japanese American NYC elder who has been a tireless activist for the AAPI Community for decades. She has fought for Civil Rights in the 1960s, school integration, prison reform, female healthcare equality, HIV/AIDS prevention and support, and recently she actively opposed the Muslim Ban.

Her tenacity and passion make her a true AAPI Matriarch who has inspired generations of activists and leaders. Over the decades, Suki has woven a network of Asian American mentorship and empowerment.

Notes from the Filmmaker

Suki Terada Ports is not prone to whimsy. Born in the Harlem neighborhood where she still lives, we join her as she takes the bus downtown to a lunch where a conversation of action, identity, and belonging emerges between three generations of AAPI activists and storytellers. Nothing comes easy in this city of New York. Suki is proof of this. And yet, the air is full of possibility, drive, and, yes, what can be changed.

— Grace Evangelista
M.G. Evangelista

About the Filmmaker

Writer-director M.G. Evangelista was born in Manila and raised in the Bay Area. Their NYU thesis short film, FRAN THIS SUMMER, is an LGBTQ summer love story that premiered at Sundance Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Prize at Outfest before playing in thirty film festivals worldwide. Other short works, INA NYO, LA GLORIA, BLOOD HANA, and VR piece WATER MELTS, have also played internationally, including at Toronto's Inside Out, Rotterdam, Miami, and Palm Springs. Their debut feature film, BURNING WELL, currently in development, has just been invited to attend the renowned Torino Feature Film Lab 2022. It is a recipient of the Tribeca All Access grant, a WIF x Sundance Finance Intensive Fellowship, and an Array x Google production grant.

Film Crew

FEATURING COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTORS
Julie Azuma, Jess X. Snow, and Robert C. Winn

DIRECTOR
M.G. Evangelista

PRODUCERS
Simone Ling and Robert C. Winn

CINEMATOGRAPHER
Lorena Duran

EDITOR
Alan Wu

SECOND CAMERA
Daniele Sarti

SOUND RECORDIST
Alistair Farrant

SOUND DESIGN AND MIX BY
Sung Rok Choi

UPM
Ting Liu

TITLE DESIGN & ANIMATOR
Diana Torres

COLORIST
Stephanie Park

STILL PHOTOGRAPHY
Simone Ling, Ting Liu, and Robert C. Winn

ARCHIVAL MATERIAL PROVIDED COURTESY OF
Julie Azuma, M.G. Evangelista, Jim Hubbard (NYC Pride - CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), Japanese American Association of New York (JAANY), Corky Lee Estate, S.H. Nakazono, Suki Terada Ports, Jennifer Takaki (‘Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story’), Robert C. Winn

MUSIC
‘Airport' (Empty By Design OST) by Robert Ouyang Rusli
‘Searching' by Duce Williams & Ian Post
'Sleeper Valley' by Ardie Son

VERY SPECIAL THANKS
H.L. Doruelo, Vincent Gillioz, Tao Leigh Goffe, Sam Jung, Azadeh Khalili, Carmen LoBue, Terry McGovern, S.H. Nakazono, New York Women’s Foundation, Camille Emeagwali, Ashley Morse, Heidi Potter, Ben Shupp, Sasha Wijeyeratne, Chinatown mural team for ‘In the Future Our Asian Community Is Safe’ by Jess X. Snow in collaboration with W.O.W. Project NYC and Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, and Alice Kukui Noa, Louie, Mana and Rye

Justin Foronda: A HiFi Story
by Jason Park
Justin Foronda: A HiFi Story
by Jason Park

Founder Justin Foronda, born and raised in Historic Filipinotown, honors his roots through his passion for food, culture and music. From his eclectic background as a bboy, registered nurse and musician to his coveted family recipes he grew up eating, HiFi Kitchen is a melting pot of tasty nostalgic flavors and imagination.

Notes from the Filmmaker

In this energetic portrait of a film, we’ll explore Justin Foronda’s many passions, from serving up delicious meals at his restaurant, HIFI Kitchen, continuing to serve as a health care professional in the field of nursing, to discussing his passion for his Filipino heritage as a “hyphenate“ American—all seen through his philosophical lens of breakdancing.

This personal look into Justin’s life exemplifies the idea that Asian Americans are never one specific thing, and the love of one’s community is a strong motivator for good.

— Jason Park
Website

About the Filmmaker

Jason Park has written, produced, and directed several short films that have played at international film festivals including BJ’s Mobile Gift Shop, which premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and is streaming on Mailchimp Presents. It is also part of the 2021 Sundance Short Film Tour.

Park is currently prepping for his first feature film, Transplant, a project he co-wrote and will direct, which will be produced by Nina Yang Bongiovi & Forest Whitaker at Significant Productions.

Park is a 2020 Sundance Feature Film Fellow. He is one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film” of 2021.

Film Crew

DIRECTOR
Jason Park

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Brandon Hoeg

PRODUCER
Elaine Tunnat

B-CAM
Jason Park, Elaine Tunnat

1ST AD
Alexander Han

LOCATION SOUND MIXER
Chase Yeremian

EDITOR
Zoe Kraft

MUSIC SUPERVISOR
Josh McCausland

COLORIST
Sam Howells

SOUND DESIGN
Austin Rowe, Khory Davenport

Chú Di Bien
by Hoàng Ngọc Hill
Chú Di Bien
by Hoàng Ngọc Hill

Thiện Nguyễn is a fisherman in New Orleans East, Louisiana. In 1982 he helmed a boat of 84 refugees from Vietnam to Malaysia, where he stayed in a large refugee camp for two years. Having been a seafarer in Vietnam since 1975, he was eventually able to find work at sea when he resettled in New Orleans. He now owns two big boats and has specialized for years in long line fishing: he disappears out into the Gulf for weeks at a time, with the help of one or a few deck-hands, returning with mainly bluefin tuna. We honor not only Mr. Thiện, but the entire community of fishermen who have continued to provide the country with Gulf Coast seafood despite the many environmental and political challenges they have faced, such as the BP oil spill in 2010.

Notes from the Filmmaker

Thank you to TAAF for giving us the opportunity to spend time with the fishermen and capture this very unique and special moment in the Vietnamese American story. Much of our time producing this work was spent in ways that allowed me and my producing partner Khai Nguyen to talk to our elders, hear their stories, understand more about how they got here, what they've been through, and get to know these heroes as they truly are. Coastal Louisiana has been through way too much and it seems to be more and more difficult to find hope for the communities who have, whether for a few decades or for generations, called it home. For me, observing, documenting and savoring the mere fact that Vietnamese fishermen are here and have been part of Coastal Louisiana's tumultuous story over the last three decades ... that's a full story in itself.

— Marion Hoàng Ngọc Hill
Marion Hill Visuals | Instagram

About the Filmmaker

Marion Hoàng Ngọc Hill is a Vietnamese-British filmmaker. Raised mostly in the U.K. and in France by a Mother from Saigon and a Father from Shropshire, Marion has found her own home in the American South: in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Marion has directed several short films and music videos, and her first narrative feature film Ma Belle, My Beauty premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and received the NEXT Audience Award. She is passionate about collaborative creative process and cultural nuance. Marion is currently writing and developing her second feature film, which centers three dynamic women of a Vietnamese family in New Orleans.

Film Crew

DIRECTOR
Marion Hoàng Ngọc Hill

PRODUCERS
Khải Nguyễn Rachel Witwer

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Marion Hoàng Ngọc Hill, Zac Manuel

MUSIC
Dylan Trần

EDITOR
Marion Hoàng Ngọc Hill

SOUND MIX
Marion Hoàng Ngọc Hill

COLORIST
Bradley Greer

POETRY BY
Trần Lê Khánh

READ BY
Amy Le

TRANSLATION
Bruce Weigl

STRING QUARTET NO. 1
on Việt Themes Composed & arranged by Dylan Trần

I. FISHING PERFORMED BY
Gabrielle Fischler, Kurt Munstead, Bruce Owen, David Rosen, Dylan Trần

II. SEEING CLOUDS REFLECTING IN THE LAKE PERFORMED BY
Roza Lachegyi

Kuleana
by Alex Bocchieri
Kuleana
by Alex Bocchieri

Police officer Mike Lambert in Honolulu goes above and beyond his law enforcement duties and consistently shows up for the tight-knit community.

Major Mike Lambert has been on the police force for 19 years. In his early years, he did as he was told… he forced homeless people to leave the streets with no other option. But over the years, he couldn’t accept this harsh reality, he had to do something more, so he created the HONU program (Homeless Outreach and Navigation for Unsheltered Persons) – an organization that provides temporary housing to the unhoused population utilizing a mobile navigation concept. Every 90 days a mobile shelter is built in a different area of the community to house the unhoused. It works for both the unhoused and the residents of neighbors because it is temporary and will move out of the location giving locals piece of mind and “spreading out the burden”. HONU teams also work with social worker and specialists to provide proper assistance to the unhoused in need.

Notes from the Filmmaker

Participating in Hawaiian culture does not have to be connected to traditional practices, like performing hula, reciting chants, or farming kalo. Culture can be an authentic everyday way of life, where you give back to Hawai‘i more than you take.

Hawai‘i Police Major Mike Lambert exemplifies these values. He works in a profession that can be very uncaring, and at its worst destructive, but instead of maintaining the status quo, he has chosen to be a leader in the community, helping the most vulnerable among us, and affecting change at all levels of the Police Department and State.

He is a role model for me and all Hawaiians who are compelled to give back to this land that sustains us, and in doing so he is helping to transform Hawai‘i into a shining example of a caring community for the rest of the world to see. I am honored to help tell his story.

— Alex Bocchieri
Website | Instagram

About the Filmmaker

I was born in the Hawaiian diaspora, and grew up knowing I had roots in Hawai‘i, but I didn’t always feel Hawaiian enough to claim my ancestry. Over the years, most of them now living in Hawai‘i, I’ve come to learn that participating in culture isn’t a birthright, it's my choice. I can show my Hawaiian ancestry on paper, but I can’t claim to be Hawaiian unless I am rooted in Hawaiian values, the most important of which is our responsibility to mālama, which means nurture that which sustains you. I am inextricably tied to Hawai‘i because this land provided for my ancestors, and so I have the kuleana, or responsibility, to do work that sustains this place, that gives back more than what I have taken.

Alex is a filmmaker who currently lives and works in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Film Crew

PRODUCED BY
1001 Stories

DIRECTOR
Alexander Bocchieri

SCRIPT BY
Catherine Mariko Black

SCRIPT BY
Alexander Bocchieri

EDITORS
Alexander Bocchieri

EDITORS
Johnathan Nguyen Walk

1ST AC/DIT
Kaeo Kepani

GAFFER
Zachary Tom

KEY GRIP
Ethan Mora

SOUND ENGINEER
Tobi Nova

COLORIST
Abraham Williams

STILLS PHOTOGRAPHER
Kristle Backe

TITLES
Kaho Otake

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Joshua Pokraka

FEATURING
Nainoa Lambert, Treston Putt, Khloe Lynn Wescott, Kaho’omaka Lambert, Nohealani Wescott, Arie Lambert, Keighton Putt

SPECIAL THANKS
Honolulu Police Department, Academy, Officers, and Recruits

Thank you to our sponsors
Program Sponsors
Production Team & Crew
Executive Producers
Kristen Wong
Brad Jenkins
Saj Patel
Co-Executive Producers
Neha Patel
Melvin Mar
Dan Mansour
Producer
Elle Kurata
Consulting Producers
Niki Ang
Sam Boyer
Todd Yasui
Associate Producer
Arya Govil
Executive Producers for FutureFriends
Chase Simonds
James Merryman
Directed by
Dyan Jong
Segment Director
Dan Mansour
First Assistant Director
Maria Astorga