| WI Organization for Asian Americans (WOAA) Fall Potluck Asian Americans in local media |
| By Heidi M. Pascual One of the most gratifying benefits of being a member of the WOAA (Wisconsin Organization for Asian Americans-Madison) is learning about current social and political issues, policies and programs being implemented by public figures occupying certain level of authority, meeting knowledgeable and experienced personalities, and of course, developing personal/professional bonds or gaining new friends. WOAA has been moving beyond the “learning” process for many years, as manifested by actively taking a stand on certain issues (such as the marriage amendment) through resolutions; bringing Asian American concerns and advocating for more representation of Asian Americans in the City of Madison, through quarterly meetings with Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, and participating with MATC Asian Council and Council of Color, among others. Its current chairpersons, Sharyl Kato and Lakshmi Sridharan, have been leading the group toward meaningful accomplishments the past two years. They challenge WOAA members to be politically engaged and socially active. Many of them are already “out there making a difference” but WOAA hopes to get ALL members truly visible. WOAA conducts regular quarterly discussions on various issues. The recent Fall Potluck focused on the topic of Asian Americans in the media. It was held at the home of Gina and Bob Cowell on November 13. Andy Choi, reporter and weekend anchor at WISC-TV3 (representing TV) and this writer (representing print media) introduced themselves, and reflected on the challenges of their profession. Katy Sai (Internet-based storybridge.tv) stopped by briefly to socialize with the group, but left early due to a family commitment. Andy Choi Andy Choi was born in South Korea but grew up outside Chicago. “It’s a Korean household,” Choi said, “but also a bilingual world. I had a Midwest Asian American upbringing.” Because he liked writing and telling stories, he took up journalism and got his degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and got his feet wet as Rock County reporter for one-and-a-half years. Choi admitted that while he’s aware of his cultural identity, he chose to follow the mainstream track. “In order for me to compete, I have to leave everything at the door,” he reflected. “I never think of myself as an ‘Asian reporter.’ But it’s a blessing and a curse because it’s sucking into my identity.” He stressed that it’s just a matter of embracing it and being comfortable with himself. “Just being myself in the best way posibble,” he smiled, “hopefully people would understand the image I’m trying to portray. Heidi M. Pascual This writer, being a WOAA member and known to everyone in the room except Andy Choi, offered a brief description of herself and why and how she started Asian Wisconzine. Unlike Choi who’s in the mainstream media, Heidi’s target audience is the Asian communities in Wisconsin Her challenges have been, she said, to get more article submissions, especially from WOAA members, subscriptions and advertising to be able to continue publishing the now glossy magazine. (Visit www.asianwisconzine.com and click on “About Us”) There was a lively Q&A afterward which focused on the “qualities” and “capabilities” of one working in the media. WOAA members were all excited to learn about Andy Choi’s newsroom experiences, particularly as they relate to his being “Asian American,” or person of color. It was great to know that Choi recognizes that “others” also see him as “different,” but he doesn’t make a big thing out of it. He just proves he does his job very well every day. |
| WOAA Chairs Sharyl Kato (l) & Lakshmi Sridharan (r) with Andy Choi |
| (L-R)Mari deMoya, Gina Cowell and Renee Moe |
| (L-R) Melba Jesudason and Ruby Paredes |
(L-R) Shree Sridharan & Paul Kusuda
| (L-R) Renee Moe, andy Choi, Peng Her) |
| (L-R) Shree Sridharan, Katy Sai, Lakshmi Sridharan, and Carmel Capati |
| Andy Choi |
| Atsuko Kusuda |
| Linda Park with Andy |
| Lakshmi with Yer Vang |