WASHINGTON, DC – Six Asian American state legislators will travel to Japan as part of the 2018 Asian American Leadership Delegation (AALD) Program. The program will consist of a one-week trip from November 30 to December 8, when the Delegation will travel to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka to meet with Japanese political and government leaders, business executives, nonprofit leaders and academics to exchange ideas as well as create networks that can mutually benefit the U.S.-Japan relationship. AALD is funded by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and implemented by the U.S.-Japan Council (USJC), in collaboration with the National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators.
The AALD Program began in 2014, and 23 delegates have participated to date. The 2018 Delegation includes the following six Delegates. For four of them, it will be their first trip to Japan.
- State Delegate Mark Chang, Maryland General Assembly
- State Assemblyman Steven Choi, California State Assembly
- State Senator Michelle Kidani, Hawaii State Senate
- State Representative Fue Lee, Minnesota House of Representatives
- State Representative Theresa Mah, Illinois House of Representatives
- State Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, New York State Assembly
As part of the program, the delegates will speak at a panel discussion titled “Diversity in Leadership: The Journey of Asian American State Legislators.” Many of the delegates have followed non-traditional paths, choosing to become a politician after pursuing different careers. The audience will have the opportunity to learn about their personal choices, as well as the important role Asian American politicians play in their political arenas, especially in light of current events. Karen Kelley, Consul General – U.S. Consulate General, Osaka-Kobe, will moderate the discussion. Irene Hirano Inouye, USJC President, and Irene Kawanabe, Director of the National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators, will also join the symposium. This event will be held on Monday, December 3 at the Garden Oriental Osaka, from 4pm to 5:30pm. To learn more, please see the event webpage here.
To learn more about media opportunities, please contact USJC Director of Communications Shiori Okazaki at [email protected] or 202-223-6843. For more information about the program and to read the biographies of all six delegates, see: http://www.usjapancouncil.org/aald.