CACF’s 2022 Catalyst for Change Awards Gala Celebrates The Growing Leadership Of The AAPI Community

CACF's Catalyst for Change Awards Gala attracted a full house on Monday evening. (Photo credit: Lia Chang)

NEW YORK (November 15, 2022) --275 advocates, civic leaders, and supporters gathered at Manhattan’s Edison Ballroom Monday for the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF)’s annual Catalyst for Change Awards Gala. The organization’s Catalyst for Change Award celebrates leaders in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community that exemplify CACF’s commitment to the nation’s children and families.

This year’s Catalyst for Change honorees were entrepreneur and community advocate Dave Lu and distinguished professor and writer Dr. Kevin Nadal. A veteran in the technology industry, Dave Lu is also an executive producer of the acclaimed documentary “38 At The Garden,” which chronicles the impact of Jeremy Lin’s iconic Linsanity run in 2012. He most recently started a movement with his letter condemning hate crimes against Asians that was later signed by over 8,000 prominent business leaders and influencers. The letter was published as a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal and has led to the launch of Stand with Asian Americans, a non-profit organization committed to fighting discrimination against Asian Americans. Dr. Kevin Nadal is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at both John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Graduate Center at the City University of New York. He has published over 100 works on multicultural issues in the fields of psychology and education and is the author of ten books including Filipino American Psychology; That's So Gay: Microaggressions and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community; Microaggressions and Traumatic Stress; and Queering Law and Order. 

CACF's 2022 Catalyst for Change Awards honorees Dave Lu (left) and Professor Kevin Nadal. (Photo credit: Lia Chang)

“Seeing so many of our community members and supporters in person once again was incredibly inspiring – especially as we celebrated the growing leadership within the AAPI community.  The support and funds raised from our gala attendees will allow CACF to continue to build collective power and advocate on behalf of AAPI New Yorkers. CACF is committed to ensuring that New York’s budget reflects the diverse and growing needs of our community, particularly when it comes to strengthening mental health and providing access to culturally accessible health care,” said CACF’s Co-Executive Directors Anita Gundanna and Vanessa Leung. “We are also so grateful for this year’s Catalyst for Change honorees, Dave Lu and Dr. Kevin Nadal, whose support and advocacy for our community make all of us stronger.”

CACF's Co-Executive Directors Vanessa Leung (left) and Anita Gundanna. (Photo credit: Lia Chang)

In their remarks accepting their awards, both Lu and Nadal took a moment to celebrate the power of community and the importance of creating spaces where AAPI voices can be heard.

“Thank you CACF for this tremendous honor tonight. I only wished I had CACF growing up – to teach me in getting the tools, to use my voice effectively, to be a leader, to be an activist,” said Dave Lu. “Just to know that CACF is fighting for Asian Americans to be seen and included is a really big deal, especially for the youth, because I hope that the next generation has it a lot easier than we had it, and I hope that we can invest in them and raise them up to be leaders.”

Dr. Kevin Nadal noted that he has been aligned with CACF’s policy positions for years, especially regarding the Coalition’s Invisible No More campaign and its advocacy for New York State’s new data disaggregation law. “Thank you so much for recognizing not just my work, but recognizing all who I am and who I stand for. It’s not just me receiving this award. Oftentimes when I am recognized, I think to myself, ‘how amazing is this organization for recognizing not just me as an individual but who I represent?’ – I’m a queer, brown Asian, y’all, and in a lot of spaces, even Asian American spaces, we don’t get a lot of recognition.”

One of the highlights for CACF this year has been our burgeoning partnership with former New York Knicks star Jeremy Lin and the Jeremy Lin Foundation. In January, CACF’s Asian American Student Advocacy Project became the first New York City nonprofit chosen as the beneficiary of Lin’s “3 for Hope” campaign, in which the star’s foundation donated $500 to ASAP for every 3-pointer he hit with the Beijing Ducks that season. Lin and his team also visited our ASAP Youth Leaders in June, an event that is still excitedly discussed by our students to this day.

“When I visited ASAP’s youth leaders earlier this year, I was instantly impressed by their pride in their AAPI identity – which was so unlike what I experienced as a teen myself. Growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, it never felt cool to be an Asian American and I never felt seen either by pop culture or at school,” said Lin. “That’s why talking with the Youth Leaders about their experiences and goals was inspiring and made me think about how important it is to have spaces where AAPIs can come together and work towards our shared goals.”

Broadway star Shoba Narayan performed two songs at Monday's Catalyst for Change Awards Gala. (Photo Credit: Lia Chang)

The ceremony was emceed by two longtime friends of CACF, journalist Ernabel Demillo and "Sesame Street" star Alan Muraoka. Featured performer Shoba Narayan, who currently stars as Princess Jasmine in Disney's "Aladdin," dazzled the audience with a two song performance that included a rendition of “Dear Theodosia” from Hamilton and the uplifting anthem “Rise Up” by Andra Day. Before her performance, Narayan spoke about how her own advocacy in the theater world led her to feel a personal connection to CACF.

“As the child of Indian immigrants myself, I know how important it is for the needs of AAPI children and families to be understood and seen. And as an Asian American actor working in an industry that still has far to go in terms of diversity, I know firsthand how powerful it is to have spaces where our community can come together and raise our voices and share our stories,” she told the audience after her performance. “CACF has shown time and again that we are stronger when we come together to push for meaningful change and I am thrilled to be here to support CACF as they continue that journey.”

The night’s live auction served as both a major highlight of the gala and as a showcase of the talent of our community. Led by auctioneer Christine DeCastro, items up for bid included  a personal chef experience by ‘Iron Chef’ star Jehangir Mehta, tickets to Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway and a meet and greet with star Shoba Narayan, and a Saks 5th Avenue shopping spree and consultation with a personal stylist.

Emcees Alan Muraoka and Ernabel Demillo. (Photo Credit: Lia Chang)

Photos from Monday’s Catalyst for Change Awards Gala can be found here. Please credit photographer Lia Chang in all usages.

For more information, please contact Lakshmi Gandhi, CACF’s communications coordinator at lgandhi@cacf.org.

Auctioneer Christine DeCastro is one of the only female Asian American auctioneers in the country. (Photo Credit: Lia Chang)