Candid Conversations With WAVE: How to Be a Better Ally to Our Neighbors
April 24, 2021 @ 10:00 am - 11:15 am
With Special Guests: The Honorable Kirk H. Nakamura, Judge, California Superior Court, and Susan Lew, President Asian Americans in Action
WAVE is unequivocally opposed to all acts of racism and hate as antithetical to our country, where we are told all are created equal. We must take action against the rise of hate crimes in Orange County—including families harassed in Ladera Ranch and white power rallies in coastal cities—and across the nation. Racism thrives when we do nothing while others are dehumanized and oppressed. We will not stay silent. We will be allies.
WAVE’s Candid Conversation series is based on Awareness, Understanding, and Action as fundamental steps to becoming better allies. The Social Justice Working Action Group launched Candid Conversations in 2020 to address racism and build inclusion in a safe environment.
Recent attacks against the American Asian Pacific Islander (AAPI) community reveal how deep-rooted, historical stereotypes can result in violence. We must help each other learn how to identify and address both explicit and implicit bias.
Register today, bring your friends, and join us on April 24th to better understand AAPI perspectives, and to take steps to become a better ally. We want to hear from you.
What questions do you have for our speakers? Email SocialJustice@wave4all.org
The Honorable Kirk H. Nakamura, Judge, California Superior Court
Raised here in Orange County, the Honorable Kirk H. Nakamura received a B.S. in Biological Science from UC Irvine in 1977 and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 1980. Judge Nakamura was appointed to the California Superior Court in 2001, after over twenty years in civil litigation, and served as Presiding Judge in 2019 and 2020. He has a long history of promoting equity in the legal profession. He served as president of the Orange County Japanese American Lawyers Association, the Orange County Asian American Bar Association, the California Asian Pacific American Judges Association (CAPAJA), and CAPAJA PAC. He also has received numerous awards, including the OC Asian American Bar Association Outstanding Service Award (2008) and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Trailblazer Award (2011), among others.
Susan Lew, President Asian Americans in Action
Susan Lew, MS, is a public health professional, by training, and currently works in the non-profit, philanthropic and advocacy spaces. As Executive Director of the Hsu Hwa Choa Foundation, Board Co-Chair of National Asian American Community Foundation, and President of the Asian Americans in Action, Susan’s role shift on a daily basis. Some days she’s a funder, some days she’s a fundraiser, and every day she’s an advocate for vulnerable and marginalized communities. Additional advocacy roles include: Board member of Community Action Fund of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, and co-chair of the Gun Safety Working Action Group of Women for American Values and Ethics (WAVE). Susan has a B.A. in Human Biology from Brown University and a M.S.in Public Health from Harvard University. Susan has experience in the health insurance industry, state departments of public health, and specializes in health communication and behavior change.