Above: photo by dannydanphoto.com
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Above: photo by dannydanphoto.com
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Acting Surgeon General Kenneth P. Moritsugu was honored at Asian & Pacific Islander (A&PI) Wellness Center’s celebration of its 20th anniversary of providing services to API communities. The event, held on May 19 here, also marked the 3rd Annual National A&PI HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

            The Center also unveiled a photo exhibition, “LenScape.” The exhibit chronicles the lives of five Asian Americans living with HIV in the San Francisco Bay Area. Using photography to create this intimate collection of visual storytelling, the five artists represent a rich cross-section of the diverse A&PI communities in terms of ethnicities, gender and sexual orientations.

This event honors the federally endorsed 3rd Annual National A&PI HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, initiated by the Center as part of The Banyan Tree Project, a national campaign to fight HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination in A&PI communities.  The program also included appearances by Al and Jane Nakatani, authors of Honor Thy Children, and former NFL Player Esera Tuaolo.

            LenScape’s opening was followed by the Center's 20th anniversary celebration and annual fundraiser, HIV Matters: Looking Forward. The event also underscores the agency's commitment to sustaining and expanding efforts to address the constantly increasing impact of HIV/AIDS on A&PI communities.

Award presentation

The program, emceed by community icon Tita Aida and Energy 92.7's Fernando and Greg, will include award presentations and entertainment by local and national celebrities.  The Center honored Surgeon General Moritsugu for his unwavering support and national promotion of National A&PI HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

Remarked Lance Toma, LCSW, A&PI Wellness Center executive director: "It's imperative to eliminate health disparities affecting our communities of color through education, via social marketing campaigns, such as The Banyan Tree Project. We must encourage A&PIs to have an open dialogue about getting tested for HIV and encourage others to do the same."

Other honorees included Alejandro Diesta and Melenie Eleneke for their leadership and visibility in the ground-breaking HIV Stops With Me campaign, and The California Wellness Foundation for recognizing the critical link between HIV health and employment services.  Special appearances by Al and Jane Nakatani, Esera Tuaolo and the Men of Asian REDefined Calendar 2007 made for an exciting evening.

The A&PI Wellness Center is the largest nonprofit in North America focusing on sexual health and HIV/AIDS in A&PI communities. With three sites in the Bay Area and a staff fluent in 20 languages, the Center delivers programs regionally, statewide, and nationally, and collaborates with community based organizations throughout the Asia Pacific Region.