PRESS RELEASE

Six Star Thrower Awardees named

California's Linda Mabalot, Guam's Congressman Robert Underwood, Hawaii's Ah Quon McElrath, New York's Esther Silver-Parker, Texas' Mamie Moy, and Seattle, Washington's Dr. Ruby Inouye

These six were selected from across the nation to receive the Asian Pacific American Women's Leadership Institute Star Thrower Award. The Star Thrower Award honors people who tirelessly contribute their time, compassion and leadership and who have made a difference in their respective Asian communities without the limelight.

The Star Thrower was written by Loren E. Eiseley who talks of the day when he was walking along a sandy beach where hundreds of starfish had been washed up on the shore. He noticed a boy picking up the starfish one by one and throwing them back into the ocean. Observing the boy for a few minutes, Eiseley asked what he was doing. The boy replied that he was returning the starfish to the sea, otherwise they would die. Eiseley asked how saving a few, when so many were doomed, would make any difference whatsoever? The boy picked up a starfish and as he threw it back said, "It"s going to make a lot of difference to this one."

The six honorees will be presented with the APAWLI Star Thrower Awards at a luncheon which occurs during the APAWLI Summit, April 6-8, 2001. The APAWLI Summit will bring together 300 Asian and Pacific Island women at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Seattle.

The Asian Pacific American Women's Leadership Institute (APAWLI) is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to the enhancement and enrichment of leadership skills for Asian American and Pacific Island women through education, networking and mentoring. APAWLI believes that effective and ethical leaders continually move beyond established paradigms to create new and better visions and connections - both personally and professionally. APAWLI helps build a sold base for ethical leadership through understanding inner self, gaining knowledge of one's own identity, culture and history.

It is through occasions such as the APAWLI Summit and more specifically to the Star Thrower Awards that APAWLI is able to highlight the accomplishments of our Asian communities' unsung heroes.

Biographical sketches of the Star Thrower Honorees are attached.

Mamie Moy

Mamie, with a love of her profession and the subject matter, Chemistry, has been teaching students of all ages. Mamie's efforts expand to students at the University of Texas where she is employed; through community wide science days for students that she organizes; and with school districts, providing chemistry experiments for elementary, middle and high school students.

Mamie understands and knows the value of catching students at a young age to peak their interest in the sciences to build a pipeline for engineers, doctors, scientist and biologists. She's gone out of her way to help students with lower income with scholarships and jobs. Mamie is also known to take the time to teach teachers chemistry in a fun way to eliminate the fear of science, chemistry and physics.

Her contribution to our community is through producing high quality students that contribute positively to our society by improving the quality of life. Mamie has earned many awards from the American Chemical Society, Education System, Society of Engineers and many more.

Dr. Ruby Inouye

Dr. Ruby attended the University of Washington Medical School for two years before the outbreak of WWII. Her medical education was interrupted when she was one of the approximately 7,500 Japanese Americans from the Seattle area relocated to the Minidoka Internment Camp in Idaho. However, she persevered and was allowed to leave the Camp to continue her education at the University of Texas, one of seven Japanese students accepted to University at that time.

Dr. Ruby returned to Seattle and started her practice in the 1950's. Dr. Ruby had a long, accomplished career, caring for many of the Issei (first generation Japanese Americans) throughout their entire lifetimes. Her concerns for the Iseei and her desire to care for them as long as possible in part prompted her decision to continue working until 1995 when at age 75, she retired.

Dr. Ruby's accomplishments do not stop at her amazing medical career. She is also a tireless volunteer, role model and leader in the community. She is very active in her community church. Dr. Ruby played a key role in the establishment of Issei Concerns and in the creation of the Seattle Keiro Nursing Home in 1976. But in her quiet, unassuming manner, she has continued to serve the community by volunteering at Intergenerational Day Care Center and sewing dozens of handcrafted items for to sell for fundraising purposes.

Ah Quon McElrath

Ah Quon McElrath has dedicated her life to social change. Even at 85, lifelong underdog AQ continues to find new issues to tackle and enemies to vanquish.

In the 1930's and 40's, she was closely associated with the ILWU and volunteered to sign up dockworkers. She is credited with impressing upon the male-dominated union leaders the need to look beyond salary issues and to go after standard-of-living improvements like occupational safety, ethnic equality, health care and education.

Beginning in the 70's and continuing through 2000, A.Q. continues her efforts to help Hawaii's poor through the Committee on Welfare Concerns. The 90's brought A.Q. new challenges as a Regent for the University of Hawaii. In this role, she is the catalyst for social change in the education arena.

A.Q. believes that social change rests with individuals who have the courage to not insulate themselves from what is perceived as dangerous (i.e., visiting and talking with the homeless, or visiting areas with high crime) and are willing to see what is going on, so they can analyze the problem and come up with solutions. She also shares that in the matter of social change, every little bit helps. She also warns that progress is "a jagged line. You win some and you lose some, but if you get discourage, you might as well forget about the fight."

Linda Mabalot

Linda Mabalot is a Filipina American film maker and community activist. She is a founder of Visual Communications, an independent film studio that focuses on telling the stories of APIs. VC is one of the most highly regarded community-based institutions in southern California. Linda works quietly and diligently at the difficult task of finding resources, cultivating the creative talents of fellow film makers, and advocating for every opportunity for API stories to be preserved and told. She is a dedicated, no-nonsense woman who is respected by all those who have had the chance to work with her and under her guidance.

Linda produced and directed such projects as MANONG (1977), a documentary on the history of Filipinos in California; Executive Producer for MOVING THE IMAGE (1992, 1993, 1995, 1996) television series for the International Channel Network, Producer/Director of Hiroshima 20 Years Later (1996), and for the statewide touring photographic exhibit, HEADING EAST: California's Asian Pacific Experience (1998) for the California Sesquicentennial Commission and California State Library.

Linda advocates for the democratization of media in which communities control, own and produce their truthful images. Linda also believes that with access to the technologies and the delivery systems, the voices and stories from communities of color will have an impact to effect positive social change.

Congressman Underwood

While Congressman Underwood formally represents Guam in the U.S. House of Representatives, he truly represents all Asian American and Pacific Islanders across the United States. Serving his fifth term, Congressman Underwood has become the leading AAPI spokesperson on national political and policy issues of critical importance to our community. During the last two years he has served as Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus which consists of all the Asian American and Pacific Islander congressional representatives.

Congressman Underwood has been a leading advocate to enact broader hate crimes legislation. He has been a major voice against racial profiling - whether it is used for law or customs enforcement or job hiring. Congressman Underwood has been particularly passionate in advocating for the rights of Native Hawaiians and other indigenous populations. Perhaps it is because of his heritage, as a Chamoorro native, or perhaps it is because he has always guided his life and his actions to "do the right thing" and to represent those whose lives are usually unspoken about - he perseveres, he leads, he passionately fights - on behalf of entire AAPI community.

Congressman Underwood is the rare public servant whose commitment to high ethics and value based leadership inspires others to achieve their personal best.

Esther Silver Parker

Esther Silver-Parker has dedicated her professional and personal life to improving her community (African American) and the broader communities including: Asian Americans, Hispanics, Women, and the underprivileged.

Esther has a graduate degree in Journalism from Columbia University, the most revered Journalism school in the country. After graduating Esther worked for Essence magazine and then was recruited by AT&T. Esther started her career at AT&T at an entry level Public Relations position. Esther has held many positions at AT&T finally working up to her present position.

Fighting for herself as a minority employee and many others along the way. Esther has lead key initiatives within the company to create departments like Corporate Affairs that would build relationships with minority communities. She went to battle one-on-one with the chairman several times to fight for funding and a manager for each minority area. Esther has been the leader and strategic planner on AT&T's funding and relationship building with minority and underprivileged community. She has given her personal time to serve on the boards of: the International Women's Forum, Girl's Inc, 100 Black Women, and many others.

Esther has led education initiatives to decrease the digital divide resulting in millions of dollars being donated to schools across the country. Throughout her career at AT&T she has mentored many minority women and helped promote them into management positions. Esther has built relationships with key community leaders such as Jesse Jackson and Kwaisi Emfume as well as other political leaders. She has sat at the table and helped negotiate programs with national minority organizations to benefit these communities. Esther consistently uses her connections, time, and company resources to reach out and make a significant contribution to so many communities throughout her personal and professional career.