John Cho, Randall Park, Lisa Ling, Kal Penn And More Join Act To Change’s Virtual Anti-Racism Event

Dino-Ray Ramos
·3 min read

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The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) anti-bullying non-profit group Act to Change is hosting “United We Stand”, a virtual event calling for the end of racism and xenophobia. The livestream is set for May 18 at 4pm ET/1pm PT and will feature John Cho, Randall Park, Lisa Ling, Kal Penn and a roster of notable actors, advocates and elected officials.

May marks Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and specifically, May 18 marks the second annual AAPI National Day Against Bullying and Hate, which is the birthday of Vincent Chin, who was murdered in an anti-Asian hate crime in 1982. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a surge of anti-Asian hate crimes. Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council’s Stop AAPI Hate has received more than 1,900 reports of hate crimes against Asians since March. “United We Stand” is a call for communities to stand together against violence, xenophobia, and racism.

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“Our mission at Act To Change is to protect and empower youth within our diverse AAPI communities, including Asian American, Pacific Islander, Sikh, Muslim, LGBTQI, and immigrant youth,” said actor, author, and Act To Change co-founder Maulik Pancholy. “Act To Change puts together an annual national AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate to stand in solidarity and recommit to our movement. Sadly, COVID-19 has only exacerbated the xenophobia and racism that AAPI communities have always faced. It’s inspiring to see leaders and individuals from all over the country stand with us, honor the legacy of Vincent Chin, and pledge today and everyday, to stand up against bullying and hate.”

Nearly 200 organizations and more than a dozen cities across the country have partnered with Act To Change on AAPI National Day Against Bullying and Hate. Click here for more details and to register for “United We Stand”.

Below is the list of participants for the virtual event:

  • Maulik Pancholy, actor, author, and co-founder of Act to Change

  • New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray

  • Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06)

  • Tan France, TV personality, Queer Eye

  • John Cho, actor

  • Lisa Ling, journalist

  • Kal Penn, actor, comedian, and former associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement

  • Randall Park, producer, writer and actor, Always Be My Maybe and Fresh Off the Boat

  • Hudson Yang, actor, Fresh Off the Boat

  • Padma Lakshmi, food expert, author, and TV host, Top Chef

  • Helen Zia, author and activist

  • Poorna Jagannathan, actor, Netflix’s Never Have I Ever

  • Punam Patel, actor, Netflix’s Special

  • Michelle Lee, editor in chief of Allure

  • Celia Au, actor, Wu Assassins

  • Lawrence Kao, actor, Wu Assassins

  • Bing Chen, chairman of Gold House, general partner of AUM Group

  • Jose Antonio Vargas, founder of Define American

  • Kelly Hu, actor

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