Honoring AANHPI Leaders at City Hall
On Wednesday, May 20, we celebrated Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at City Hall. We honored some of our friends and neighbors who have done extraordinary work in our communities. Read Alderwoman Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth’s full remarks below.
Good morning Mr. President, esteemed colleagues, special guests, and all of today’s honorees and their families. As one of two members of the Asian Caucus with Chair Nicole Lee, It’s an honor to stand here today to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the City of Chicago.
I think one of the most important things we can remember during this month is that the AANHPI community is incredibly diverse. We are a massive mosaic of immigration and refugee stories made up of dozens of countries, and 50 distinct ethnic groups who speak well over 100 different languages. We are multi-generational Chicagoans, healthcare workers, teachers, organizers, entrepreneurs, artists, public servants, and small business owners. And we are deeply woven into the story of this city.
Today, we’re honoring Asian Americans whose work often happens quietly—behind the scenes, in neighborhoods, community centers, schools, churches, cafes and organizing meetings. I have the pleasure of highlighting several of these honorees for AANHPI heritage month: Asian Americans who are helping keep communities safe, connected, and informed during difficult times.
People like Seri Lee, the Deputy Organizing Director of ONE Northside. During Operation Midway Blitz, when many immigrant families across Chicago were living in fear and uncertainty, Asian American community leaders such as Seri stepped up immediately. They organized Know Your Rights trainings. They helped families prepare emergency plans. They coordinated rapid response teams to verify ICE sightings and support impacted residents. They made sure seniors and families still had groceries, medication, and trusted people checking in on them.
Relational organizing work does not make headlines every day. But it matters deeply. And it reflects something I’ve seen over and over again in our neighborhoods: when people are scared, community organizers such as Seri help restore calm, provide clarity, and strengthen our resolve. Thank you Seri. Please stand to be recognized.
We also honor Dr. Kumar Ramanathan who is not only a Volunteer Leader at ONE Northside and Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago, but is also a political scientist at University of Illinois Chicago. His research challenges the tired stereotype that immigrant communities are politically disengaged. In fact, his work confirms something many of us already know from lived experience: immigrants care deeply about democracy and civic life.
His research found that even non-citizens participate in their communities at rates equal to citizens in many spaces, organizing, volunteering, advocating for neighbors, and showing up for their communities in meaningful ways. I also think it’s important to recognize that civic participation is not limited to voting alone. It’s people like Dr. Ramanathan who are helping shape the future of their neighborhoods every single day. Dr. Ramanathan, please stand to be recognized.
We also honor Andrea Chu. Not only is she the Midwest Organizing Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago, Andrea also founded Chicago Asian Americans for Environmental Justice, the only Asian American organization in the Midwest focused on climate and environmental issues. Because no matter who you are or where you live, environmental justice affects all of us—the air we breathe, the transportation we rely on, the health of our neighborhoods, and the future generations who will inherit this city.
Andrea Chu, you understand how deeply representation matters in those conversations. Thank you for not giving up on the strength of our diversity across languages, geographies and generations. Andrea, please stand to be recognized.
We honor another from the Great 48: Hina Mahmood, a neighborhood mom of public school kids and supporter of the arts and all things local. She is also the Executive Director of the Illinois Accountability Commission, whose leadership helped document the impact of federal immigration enforcement actions across Chicagoland.
Former Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino summed up the federal approach to operation midway blitz in saying: “We are going to turn and burn and we’re gonna go throughout Chicago with reckless abandon.” The commission’s findings raised serious concerns about racial profiling, excessive force, and the broader harm these operations caused to families and communities including fear that kept people from going to work, school, or doctor’s appointments. Hina’s statewide work on accountability reminds us that every person, no matter who they are or where they came from, deserves dignity and due process. Thank you Hina Mahmood for your ongoing work to protect human rights. Please stand to be recognized.
My final spotlight is for Yman Vien. With her father, she helped found the Chinese Mutual Aid Association more than four decades ago to support refugees and immigrant families arriving in Chicago. That work began in Uptown in the 48th Ward and continues across the city today through housing, workforce development, education, and social services.
CMAA has helped thousands of immigrant and refugee families build stability and opportunity here in Chicago. That legacy says something really powerful about this city: so many people who arrived here looking for support eventually became the people providing support to others.Thank you Yman. Please stand to be recognized.
That’s our Chicago story. As the first Filipina to serve in this chamber, I know how meaningful representation can be. But representation alone is not enough.
What matters is what we do with that representation. How we open doors wider for others. How we build trust across communities. How we protect people when they are vulnerable. And how we continue creating a city where everyone feels they belong.
So today, during AANHPI Heritage Month, I hope we celebrate not only culture and history, but also the service of organizers and advocates of immigrant families who have helped strengthen this city for generations. To all of today’s honorees: thank you for your leadership, your compassion, and your commitment to Chicago. And happy AANHPI Heritage Month