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From YouTube: NAAAP Press Conference - 8/22/23
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A
A
I
am
really
honored
to
be
in
this
role
as
mayor
of
the
city
for
about
a
year
and
a
half
now
and-
and
it's
just
been
a
really
exciting
moment
of
seeing
our
communities
come
back
together
after
some
very
challenging
years
and
seeing
all
the
different
threads
of
our
culture
and
Heritage
and
Community
highlighted
in
what
we're
trying
to
build
as
a
city.
So
as
I
think
many
folks
know.
A
Today.
I'm
really
excited
to
follow
on
that
momentum
by
thanking
the
National
Association
of
Asian
American
Professionals
for
choosing
Boston
to
host
their
National
Convention
too,
which
will
kick
off
right
here
in
our
city
on
Thursday.
This
is
the
largest
Asian
American
Professional
Network
in
the
country.
It's
one
that
has
had
an
impact
and
continues
to
have
an
impact
right
here
in
Boston,
with
an
incredibly
strong
and
growing
local
membership.
A
The
fact
that,
even
in
just
a
span
of
one
summer,
we
have
two
leading
National
organizations
dedicated
to
advancing
and
uplifting
communities
of
color
choose
our
city
as
the
place
to
host
their
annual
Gatherings
and
chart
a
course
for
the
future
is
not
a
coincidence.
It's
a
testament
not
only
to
the
work
that
we
are
proud
to
be
doing
here
at
the
city
at
city
of
Boston
and
City
Hall,
but
to
the
work
more
importantly,
that
our
communities
have
been
doing
a
long
time
in
our
neighborhoods.
A
This
has
been
happening
for
generations
and
we
carry
so
much
history
here
in
the
city.
It's
often
history
that
is
told
from
a
rather
narrow,
Viewpoint
outside
of
Boston
and
in
the
the
public
narrative
or
in
the
mainstream
entertainment
world
or
Focus.
But
the
fact
is
that
there
are
stories
of
democracy
and
community
building
and
Innovation
and
activism
spanning
hundreds
of
years
in
our
city
that
reflect
every
thread
of
culture
in
the
in
the
fabric
of
Boston.
A
When
I
first
came
to
Boston,
didn't
know
anyone
and
was
feeling
incredibly
homesick
as
a
college.
Kid
just
kind
of
dropped
off
here
had
never
really
been
away
from
home.
In
my
family,
the
first
place
that
I
went
was
Chinatown
and
there
was
a
sense
of
not
only
familiarity
but
immediate
family.
That
is
how
I
think
we
see
so
much
of
our
city,
whether
it
is
Little
Saigon,
Nubian,
Square,
Little,
Italy
in
the
North
End,
or
just
about
any
of
the
the
cultures
that
I
represented
East
Boston
and
the
the
Latin
quarter
in
Jamaica
Plain.
A
A
Together
in
the
coming
days,
people
within
our
community
will
gather
in
Boston
to
address
crucial
questions
like
how
do
we
build
solidarity
between
Asian
communities
and
black
communities?
How
do
we
build
a
more
expansive
understanding
of
our
shared
identities
to
be
inclusive
of
intersecting
experiences
from
members
of
the
lgbtq
plus
Community
to
transracial
adoptees?
These
are
some
of
the
events
and
themes
and
and
conversations
that
will
be
created
so
that
everybody
can
not
only
talk
about
your
own
identity
but
understand
and
learn
and
grow
together.
A
I
also
want
to
encourage
everyone
to
attend
two
events
that
are
free
and
open
to
all
members
of
the
public.
There
will
be
a
Makers
Market
happening
this
Thursday
from
5
to
8
PM,
which
will
showcase
many
of
our
amazing
local
aapi
businesses,
one
of
whom
we'll
hear
from
in
a
little
bit,
and
there
will
also
be
a
career,
fair
happening
on
Friday
afternoon
from
noon
to
5
PM
with
employers
across
Industries
career,
coaching
and
free
professional
headshots.
All
in
one
place,
both
events
will
be
taking
place
at
the
Sheridan
Boston
hotel
in
Back
Bay.
A
B
Thank
you,
meru
hi
y'all,
my
name
is
harizell.
I
am
the
chapter
president
of
the
National
Association
of
Asian
American
professionals
I'll.
Keep
that
to
nap
for
short,
in
addition
to
the
chapter
presidency
role,
I
am
also
the
queer
son
of
Chinese
immigrants.
I
was
born
and
raised
here
in
Boston
in
the
Chinatown
community,
so
this
convention
is
very
special
to
me,
I'm
here
at
Knapp
we
are
a
non-profit
organization
that
cultivates
and
empowers
Asian
and
Pacific
Islander
leaders
through
leadership,
development,
professional
networking
and
community
service.
B
We
are
driven
by
our
work
to
bring
Asian
American
from
all
backgrounds
together
and
aspire
to
raise
the
bar
of
what
it
means
to
lead.
Since
our
Inception
41
years
ago,
our
National
Organization
has
create
professional
spaces
for
those
in
the
API
community,
Through
scholarships.
For
example,
we
have
our
future
leader
scholarship
here
in
Boston
that
has
delivered
over
a
quarter
million
dollars
to
well-deserving
high
school
students
from
underrepresented
and
underprivileged
backgrounds.
B
This
year
we
started
the
first
most
influential
Asian
American
Pacific
Islanders
list
here
in
Boston
to
celebrate
and
recognize
all
those
who
have
served
our
community,
and
we
have
also
built
communities
of
belonging
for
our
API
professionals,
including
our
parents
and
caretakers
Community,
our
women's
community,
and
we
started
the
pride
chapter
for
the
lgbtq
plus
Community
four
years
ago,
where
Boston
was
the
founding
chapter.
In
addition,
we
are
launching
our
first
Asian
adoptees
Unity
program
this
year
at
our
convention
here
in
app
we
create
communities
and
we
build
leaders.
B
That
is
why
this
year,
we
have
chosen
Boston
to
host
our
convention
because
I
know
because
I
was
born
and
raised
here
that
we
are
an
inclusive
City
and
a
city
of
Visionaries,
so
without
hesitation.
I
am
just
excited
to
have
everyone
here:
I'm
excited
to
bring
people
across
the
nation
to
gather
our
convention
and
really
showcase
the
best
in
our
city
and
showcase
the
best
in
our
community.
So
please
join
us
with
with
that.
I
want
to
introduce
our
convention
director
and
also
a
dear
friend
of
mine,
Sharita
versanovable.
C
Thank
you,
Harris
hi
everyone.
My
name
is
Sharita
rasanaval
and
I.
Am
this
year's
Chief
convention,
director
of
the
National
Association
of
Asian
American
professionals?
The
2023
nap
convention
will
take
place
here
in
Boston
on
the
24th
to
26th
at
the
Sheraton
Hotel.
Our
convention
theme
is
unifying
Visionaries.
The
theme
stems
from
this
idea
that
anyone
can
be
a
Visionary,
regardless
of
where
they
come
from
their
background,
career
or
industry.
C
A
Visionary
is
anyone
that
has
the
ability
to
see
beyond
the
present
and
imagine
a
brighter
future
for
themselves
and
their
Community.
We
have
invited
the
top
change
makers-
Trailblazers
innovators,
all
across
the
country,
to
our
city
here
in
Boston,
and
we
have
also
invited
local
community
leaders.
C
We
want
to
do
this
because
we
believe
that
it's
time
that
we
all
collectively
put
Asian
voices
at
the
table
as
someone
who
was
born
and
raised
in
New
England
to
an
immigrant
Thai
family
I've
longed
for
a
sense
of
belonging
and
community
I've,
never
seen
anyone
in
a
position
of
power
that
I
felt
like
I
could
identify
with
growing
up
nap.
Boston
has
provided
that
Community
for
me
and
is
where
I
was
able
to
find
mentorship
among
leaders
who
I
felt
like
I
could
identify
with.
C
In
addition
to
our
convention,
we're
hosting
New,
England's,
first
unified
API,
Founders
and
funders
mixer
tomorrow
from
6
to
8
PM,
we're
also
hosting
a
Makers
Market
on
Thursday,
from
5
to
8
pm
to
Showcase
all
API
vendors
and
businesses,
and
we're
also
hosting
a
diversity
career,
fair
from
1
to
5
PM
on
Friday,
so
that
we
can
continue
to
showcase
the
talent
that
we're
able
to
bring
to
our
convention.
And
we
are
concluding
with
a
celebratory
gala
where
we
will
be
awarding
our
NAB
100
award
to
significant
API
leaders.
C
Who've
made
significant
contribution
to
our
community
with
over
700
attendees
70
Plus
speakers
and
six
Keynotes.
We
look
forward
to
unifying
these
Visionaries
and
raising
the
bar
of
what
it
means
to
be
a
leader
in
our
community
I'm
excited
to
introduce
Chef,
Irene
Lee,
one
of
our
speakers
and
local
Boston
celebrity
she's,
the
co-founder
of
Maymay
dumplings
and
James
Beard
award
leader
Award
winner.
Thank
you.
D
Thank
you
so
much
Sharita
and
thank
you
also
to
merwu
to
the
mayor's
office
team
and
Knapp,
the
local
and
National
organizations
for
the
opportunity
to
share
my
story
today.
My
name
is
Irene
Chang
Lee
and
I'm,
the
co-founder
of
Maymay
dumplings,
a
food
truck
turned
restaurant
turned
dumpling
Factory
in
South,
Boston
and
I'm.
Also
the
co-founder
of
prep
shift
a
coaching
Consulting
and
Workforce
training
business
that
supports
small
restaurants
in
Massachusetts
and
Beyond.
D
In
June
of
this
year,
my
sister
and
I
released
our
second
cookbook
perfectly
good
food,
a
totally
achievable
zero
waste
approach
to
home
cooking.
It
is
full
of
tips
and
tricks
for
saving
money,
reducing
waste
and
having
more
fun
in
the
kitchen.
Earlier
this
month
we
were
honored
to
see
the
book
featured
in
The,
New
Yorker
and
the
Washington
Post
and
I'm
delighted
to
present
the
book
at
the
nap
conventions
maker
Market
later
this
week.
D
I
grew
up
here
in
Boston
as
the
chinese-american
child
of
two
doctors
and
the
grandchild
of
immigrants
who
opened
a
Chinese
restaurant
because
it
was
what
they
had
to
do
to
survive.
In
2012,
my
brother
and
sister
and
I
opened
our
food
truck
meimei
Street
Kitchen
here
in
Boston,
not
because
it
was
a
means
of
survival,
but
because
it
was
an
opportunity
to
express
ourselves
and
to
do
what
we
loved
most
feed
people.
D
Our
food
was,
and
still
is
what
you
might
call
chinese-ish
with
influences
from
all
over
the
world
and
especially
New
England.
There
are
cranberries,
there
is
cheese,
and
while
Yelp
reviewers
have
helpfully
informed
us
that
this
is
not
authentic,
Chinese
food,
they
don't
even
speak
Chinese
in
there.
We
maintain
that
it
is
authentic
to
us
over
the
years
as
we
have
evolved.
D
We
produce
40
000
dumplings
every
single
week
and
now
sell
dumplings
at
farmers,
markets
and
teach
classes
instead
of
running
a
traditional
restaurant,
but
our
goals
remain
the
same
to
be
ourselves,
to
tell
our
stories
and
to
invite
our
guests
to
be
part
of
that
story.
Dumplings
included
my
day.
Job
at
prep
shift
now
consists
of
working
with
restaurants,
especially
businesses
that
are
smaller
than
mine.
That
can't
afford
traditional
Consulting.
D
Most
of
these
are
bypoc
owned,
independent
shops
with
razor
thin
margins
like
Tawakal
Halal
Cafe
in
East,
Boston,
Japanese,
Bakery
and
Audubon
Circle,
and
round
Head
Brewing
in
Hyde
Park.
These
are
the
businesses,
I
cannot
imagine
our
city
without
and
that's
what
motivates
me
to
do.
This
work
in
large
part,
it's
possible
because
of
our
colleagues
at
the
city
of
Boston's
office
of
Economic,
Opportunity
and
inclusion,
and
my
colleagues
at
prep
shift
and
I
are
really
really
grateful
for
this
collaboration.
D
What
ties
all
of
this
together
for
me
is
something
that
is
almost
as
Chinese
as
dumplings,
a
belief
in
abundance
and
generosity
across
my
businesses
and
even
in
our
cookbooks
sharing
is
a
critical
and
core
value.
We
do
not
keep
secret
recipes.
We
do
not
gatekeep
information.
We
even
published
our
profit
and
loss
statement
in
2020,
which
you
can
still
check
out
online
and
another
example
of
this.
In
May
of
this
year
to
celebrate
aapi
Heritage
Month
May
dumplings
created
a
dumpling
disloyalty
campaign.
D
We
are
fortunate
to
have
many
loyal
guests,
but
we
also
believe
that
there
is
enough
to
go
around.
Everyone
should
eat
more
dumplings,
but
they
don't
always
have
to
be
from
meimei.
So
competition,
in
my
opinion,
is
kind
of
boring,
but
collaboration
is
what
makes
life
really
fun.
So
we
challenged
our
guests
to
go:
eat
dumplings
at
eight
other
aapi-owned
restaurants
and
then
come
to
meimei
to
collect
a
prize.
D
We
had
more
than
75
participants
and
many
of
them
told
us
they
discovered
new
businesses
that
they
looked
forward
to
going
back
to
I,
also
think
back
to
our
food
truck
days
and
the
week
that
we
opened
more
than
10
years
ago.
Back
then,
the
permitting
process
was
a
little
tougher,
now
much
improved
and
we
reached
out
to
Patrick
Lynch
and
Ali
Fong,
an
incredible
Asian
American
entrepreneur.
They
were
the
owners
of
bond
me,
a
Vietnamese
inspired
food
truck,
and
we
asked
for
some
last
minute
advice
about
navigating
this
process.
D
Arguably
we
were
going
to
be
their
direct
competitors
and
even
the
name
of
our
business
would
lead
people
to
mistaking
us
for
one
another
for
years
to
come,
so
they
could
have
ignored
us.
They
could
have
told
us
to
go
away,
but
instead
they
wrote
back
a
600
word
email
with
lots
of
bullet
points,
answering
every
question
we
had
and
more.
They
signed
it
with
good
luck
with
everything
and
call
us
with
your
specific
questions.
D
So
today,
I
see
myself
as
a
business
owner
and
a
person
who
is
the
product
of
Acts
of
generosity
and
sharing
like
this
one.
My
life's
work,
I
think,
is
about
paying
it
forward,
holding
the
door
open
and,
if
need
be,
kicking
down
the
figurative
door
completely,
and
this
is
how
I
choose
to
understand
my
chinese-american
and
Asian
American
identity,
creating
good
food
and
good
outcomes
and
sharing
them
as
widely
as
possible.
E
E
E
That
would
allow
me
to
love
this
language
enough
to
play
with
it
and
to
tell
stories
and
build
worlds.
That
was
an
act
of
survival,
a
bid
for
belonging
and
after
graduating,
with
a
minor
in
creative
writing.
A
friend
of
mine
connected
me
to
the
then
executive
director
of
the
National
Association
of
Asian
American
professionals.
E
E
For
me,
it
was
a
decision
that
changed
my
life
as
a
young
writer.
There
is
nothing
more
exhilarating
or
empowering
than
to
discover
that
there
is
an
appetite
for
your
writing
as
a
young
professional.
There
is
nothing
more
exhilarating
or
empowering
than
to
discover
that
there
is
an
appetite
for
what
you
have
to
offer
and
nap
gave
me
that
opportunity
and
the
community
that
I
needed
to
be
able
to
do
the
work
that
I
always
wanted
to
do
without
it.
E
I
would
have
let
my
creative
writing
minor
become
the
punch
line
to
some
joke
about
not
having
gone
to
med
school
without
it.
I
would
not
be
here
today
the
son
of
a
Taiwanese
immigrant,
getting
to
help
a
daughter
of
Taiwanese
immigrants,
articulate
a
vision
for
a
Boston,
where
there
is
no
question
that
everyone
belongs.
E
A
So,
thank
you
so
much
I
also
want
to
just
recognize.
There
are
members
and
leaders
of
our
API
ERG,
employee,
Resource
Group
for
the
city
of
Boston.
Here.
Thank
you
for
all
that
you
do
and
City
councilor
Ed
Flynn,
who
has
been
a
great
Ally
and
represents
Chinatown
Was,
Here
I
think
he
had
to
step
out,
but
just
wanted
to
thank
him
for
for
being
here
and
for
his
support
as
well.
Any
questions
from
the
media,
good
good,
nothing
from
Mike,
perhaps
later
okay
sounds
good.
All
right.
Thank
you
so
much
everyone.