PRSA and PRSSA to Host Diverse Dialogues Session on Xenophobia in the Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Community, on March 16

Building Bridges: Standing & Speaking Up Against Anti-Asian Racism Features Bill Imada, Cady Lang and U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng

NEW YORK, March 16, 2021 – The Asian American and Pacific Islander community is currently experiencing a strong wave of xenophobia, discrimination and assault. On March 16 (5:00-6:00 PM ET), PRSA and PRSSA will host a virtual panel to provide insight, guidance and share strategies on how communications professionals and college students can speak out and take action for themselves or on behalf of their organizations to bring awareness to the current situation. Register for the panel here.

“Close to 3,000 anti-Asian hate crimes were reported across the U.S. between March 19 and December of 2020, according to Stop AAPI Hate,” said Jeneen Garcia, Senior Vice President of Programs, PRSA. “When one is too many, that is a staggering number, and it is crucial that attention be paid and that solutions are found.”

Confirmed panelists include:

• Bill Imada is Chairman and Chief Connectivity Officer of IW Group, a fully integrated marketing communications agency specializing in the multicultural markets. For more than three decades, He and his team have served some of the top global firms and governmental agencies, including the CDC, Gilead, Lexus, McDonald’s, Nielsen, Netflix, Northwestern Mutual, Walmart, Walt Disney, Warner Bros, Wells Fargo, and many others. Bill’s areas of expertise include marketing, public relations, advertising, trans-cultural communications, and crisis management. He is a co-founding member of several national and regional organizations, including the APIA Scholars (formerly Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund), Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE), ACE NextGen, and the National Millennial and Gen Z Community, an organization that promotes civil discourse and civic engagement.

• Cady Lang is a writer and producer living in Brooklyn, by way of the Bay Area. She's currently a staff writer at TIME where she centers her work on how culture intersects with race and identity. She produced See You Next Time, a documentary about a Brooklyn nail salon that was an official selection of Sundance, Hot Docs, and AFI Docs. It's now streaming on the New Yorker. Her upcoming project, Barrio Chino Havana, focuses on the Chinese Diaspora in Cuba.

• U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng, serving her third term in the United States House of Representatives. represents the Sixth Congressional District of New York encompassing the New York City borough of Queens, including west, central and northeast Queens. She is the first Asian American member of Congress from New York State, and the only Congressmember of Asian descent in the entire Northeast. She is also the first female Member of Congress from Queens since former Vice Presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro. Congresswoman Meng is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and its Subcommittees on State and Foreign Operations, and Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies. Previously, she served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Small Business Committee.

Carolyn Lok, PRSSA President, and Haniya Shariff, PRSSA’S Vice President, D&I, will co-moderate the panel, which is part of PRSA’s Diverse Dialogues, a series of conversations with leaders and experts in Diversity & Inclusion that debuted in 2020. Through the series, PRSA and PRSSA members are provided with ideas and resources to begin the conversation with their leadership that will position D&I as more than a topic for the moment.                       

About PRSA
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the nation’s leading professional organization serving the communications community. PRSA is the principal advocate for industry excellence and ethical conduct and provides members lifelong learning opportunities and leading-edge resources to enhance professional connections and support them at every stage of their career. With nearly 30,000 members, PRSA is collectively represented by 110 Chapters and 14 Professional Interest Sections, and on nearly 375 college and university campuses through its student organization, the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). For more information, please visit www.prsa.org.

About PRSSA
The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is the foremost organization for students interested in public relations and communications. Founded in 1968 by its parent organization, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), PRSSA includes nearly 7,000 student members and advisers, and is active on nearly 375 colleges and university campuses, including in Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.prssa.org.

Media Contact:
Rod Granger
(212) 460-0307
rod.granger@prsa.org