For Immediate Release

Contacts:
Joanne Curran (213) 236-5017
Joanne.Curran@uboc.com
          
Michelle Suzuki (310) 444-7115
michelle@msc-pr.com

Cathy Williams (323) 953-5243
cwilliams@kcet.org

KCET AND UNION BANK CELEBRATE
LOCAL HEROES AT ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION ON THURSDAY, MAY 21

Los Angeles, CA—[May 19, 2009]—Recognizing May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, KCET and Union Bank have teamed up once again to present the 6th Annual “Local Heroes Awards” at a special event for the honorees, their guests and key community constituents, including leaders in business and education. The event will take place on Thursday, May 21, at KCET. The awards are presented to individuals of Asian Pacific heritage who have inspired others and enriched their communities, improving the quality of life for all. In addition to the awards ceremony, the festivities will include live entertainment and a post-ceremony reception.  This year’s honorees are:

• Community Activism: Stephen Christopher Liu, Founder/Chairman of the Board, Asian Professional Exchange (APEX)
• Business: Akira Hirose, Owner/Chef, Maison Akira
• Social Services: Kerry N. Doi, President & CEO, Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE)
• Education: Dr. Gay Q. Yuen, Professor, California State University, Los Angeles—Charter College of Education

“Union Bank is proud to honor the commitment and passion these individuals bring to their communities,” said John Stephan, Union Bank senior vice president and market president for the Los Angeles region. “Truly unsung heroes, the honorees have tirelessly paved the way for the next generation in the areas of business, education and community service.”

“KCET proudly continues its tradition of celebrating local heroes,” says Al Jerome, KCET president and CEO. “We congratulate this year’s honorees and offer gratitude for their dedication and commitment to making a real difference in the lives of people throughout our city.  We are pleased to team up with Union Bank in acknowledging the achievements of all our honorees.”

The desire to inspire is what makes Stephen Christopher Liu a local hero.  A highly accomplished entrepreneur, financier and strategist, Mr. Liu is dedicated to making a difference and helping organizations and individuals maximize their potential.  Liu founded the Asian Professional Exchange (APEX) in 1993, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about and to Asian American through community service, fellowship, charitable fundraisers, cultural events, professional networking and education seminars.  As Chairman of the Board and with more than 9,000 members, Liu has created a legacy of fostering a sense of responsibility and community for Asian Americans throughout Southern California.  Liu also founded Drinks ‘n Chatter (DnC), which started as a small social gathering of friends and has turned into an informal series of charitable mixers, raising thousands of dollars for local Asian Pacific organizations.  Through his work in the community, Liu continues to educate generations of Asian American professionals and instill in them the values that place community above self.

Born in Kyoto, Japan, Chef Akira Hirose has dazzled patrons since 1998 at his Pasadena restaurant, Maison Akira.  Serving traditional French cuisine with a unique Japanese flair, Maison Akira has received rave reviews from local publications and has received Zagat’s excellent rating year after year.  Hirose trained for eight years in France, and before opening Maison Akira, worked at many prominent restaurants, including the world-renowned Tower Restaurant, formerly located in downtown Los Angeles.  In fact, while at Tower, Hirose had the honor of preparing a special luncheon for the Emperor and Empress of Japan and 100 guests on their first and only official visit to the United States.  In addition to serving up delicious delicacies, Hirose has and continues to volunteer his time, money and culinary skills to many local organizations and events, both within the Asian Pacific community and throughout Los Angeles.

In today’s tough economic times, any community would be fortunate to have a leader like Kerry N. Doi.  Doi serve as the president & CEO of the Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE), a community development organization that provides assistance with employment, small business ownership, affordable housing, early childhood education, energy conservation and efficiency and other services.  As one of its original founders, Doi’s dedication to economic and social justice has brought clients one step closer to becoming economically independent.  Last year alone, PACE assisted an astounding 44,000 low-income families through its various programs.  An active board member of several community organizations and recognized across Los Angeles as a true leader, Doi continues to transform lives through empowerment of individuals, families and businesses.

Dr. Gay Q. Yuen has dedicated her life to bilingual education, empowering teachers and children with the voices they need to fully participate in American society.  As a new transplant to the United States from Hong Kong at the age of six, Yuen faced many difficulties and frustrations as a child, mostly due to the major language barrier, and it was these experiences that led her to pursue a career devoted to education.  One of the first Cantonese bilingual teachers in Southern California, Yuen is regarded as a leading authority of bilingual education, second-language development and minority education.  Yuen currently serves as a professor of teacher education at California State University’s Charter College of Education and spends much of her free time volunteering and fundraising for many Asian/Pacific community organizations.

As part of KCET’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebration, KCET will broadcast specials and programs that honor the cultural and historical heritage of Asian Pacific Americans, including short video profiles of the honorees. For additional information about the honorees, including bios and online viewing of their video profiles, please visit http://kcet.org/local/community/.  Images and b-roll of the honorees are also available upon request. For a complete list of all Asian Pacific Heritage Month programs airing on KCET, please visit www.kcet.org.  Programming includes Globe Trekker “Micronesia,” Earth Factor Asia: Making a Difference, Independent Lens “Wings of Defeat,” Bolinao 52, Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority and the following:

Saturday, May 16
Globe Trekker “South Korea” (Midnight – 1:00 a.m.)
Ian Wright starts his trip in the modern capital of Seoul. From there he will head to the Kyongju province, home of the ancient Shilla dynasty that ruled Korea for over 1,000 years. He sees the famous Pulguska temple, one of the great sites in Asia. He continues south to the volcanic island of Cheju, a favorite spot for honeymooners and home to the famous sea-diving women, aged women who free-dive for abalone and sea urchins. While there Ian climbs the extinct volcano and explores the world's longest lava tube. He takes in the Korean War site of Inchon, has a quick visit to the eerie DMZ and ends his journey trekking and paragliding in Songsan National Park.

Tuesday, May 19
View from a Grain of Sand (10:00 – 11:00 p.m.) 
Combining footage, interviews and archival material, View From A Grain Of Sand is a thought-provoking, yet intimate portrait of Afghan women’s history over the last 30 years from the rule of King Zahir Shah in the 1960’s to the current Hamid Karzai government. Told through the eyes of three Afghan women, this documentary tells the story of how war, international interference and the rise of religious fundamentalism have stripped Afghan women of rights and freedom. Together with rarely seen archival footage, their powerful stories provide illuminating context for Afghanistan’s current situation and the ongoing battle women face to gain even basic human rights.

Wednesday, May 27
American Masters “Hollywood Chinese” (9:00 – 10:30 p.m.)
From the first Chinese-American film produced in 1916 to Ang Lee’s triumphant Brokeback Mountain nine decades later, “Hollywood Chinese” brings together a fascinating group of actors, writers, directors—and iconic film images—to examine how Chinese people have contributed to and been portrayed by an industry that was often ignorant about and dismissive of race. Moving far beyond the stereotypical and exotic images of Suzy Wong and Bruce Lee, such artists as Wayne Wang, Joan Chen, David Henry Hwang, Nancy Kwan and Amy Tan, among many others, share their experiences of being “the other.” Often humorous, sometimes maddening, but always inspiring, these storytellers and film clips from more than 90 films—some dating back to the 1890s—weave a rich tapestry and complex history.

About Union Bank 
Headquartered in San Francisco, UnionBanCal Corporation is a financial holding company with assets of $68.7 billion at March 31, 2009.  Its primary subsidiary, Union Bank, N.A., is a full-service commercial bank providing an array of financial services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, and major corporations.  Union Bank is California’s fifth largest bank by deposits.  The bank has 335 banking offices in California, Oregon and Washington, and two international offices.  UnionBanCal Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: MTU).  Visit www.unionbank.com for more information.

About KCET
KCET, the West Coast flagship station of PBS, is public television for Southern and Central California. KCET is watched by four million viewers a month in 11 counties, the largest broadcast reach of any public television station in the United States. National PBS series produced from the station’s Hollywood studios include four-time NAACP Award winner Tavis Smiley and the Peabody Award-winning series A Place Of Our Own and Los Nińos En Su Casa. Other KCET productions for PBS include Sid The Science Kid, a new series co-produced for PBS by KCET and The Jim Henson Company, and WWII Behind Closed Doors: Stalin, the Nazis and the West, a three-part series that shatters many myths about the war. Throughout its more than 40-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and children’s programs, its outreach and community services, and its Web site, kcet.org. KCET is donor-supported community television. More than half of the funds raised to support KCET’s operating budget come from individual support. For additional information about KCET productions, Web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit www.kcet.org.

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