By Randall Yip, Executive Director

(This story is made possible with the support of AARP)

Laughter, applause and some tears marked the retirement celebration of Stephen Gong, the outgoing executive director of the Center for Asian American Media and the man actress and emcee Tamlyn Tomita affectionately called the “CAAM man.”

Some 200 people gathered at the Chinese Culture Center in San Francisco Friday night, December 6, with some coming as far away as Washington, D.C. to join in the festivities.

Deann Borshay Liem, former executive director of the National Asian American Television Association or NAATA, the predecessor to CAAM before it changed its name, reminded the audience that Gong attended the founding meeting of NAATA and served on its board long before he joined the staff to lead the organization for some 18 years.

Gong, 72, is just the fourth executive director the organization has had in its 44-year history. He is also the longest serving. The others are founding executive director Jim Yee, Liem, and Eddie Wong.

“Thank you, Stephen, for carrying the vision forward from 1980 to 2024 and for positioning CAAM today as the preeminent advocate and producer of stories in film and media across the country. We will miss you and I hope you have a blast during retirement,” Liem said.

Gong thanked his two sons, daughter and wife Susan for attending and pledged to spend more time with them in retirement while still pursuing his passions – history, activism and culture. He pledged to raise money for CAAM and stay active in the community through his board work with the Chinatown Media & Arts Collaborative in San Francisco.

“My heart is completely full…It’s really hard to hear all of this,” Gong said in closing remarks about the night filled with tributes including many on video from such people as actress and Broadway star Lea Salonga, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu and the founder of the Hapa Project, Kip Fulbreck.

Donald Young, the director of program at CAAM hinted at Gong’s discomfort with the night when he said “Knowing what I know, Stephen, deep down, I don’t think he’s sure he deserves tonight,” said Young as he paused for a moment to compose himself as he unsuccessfully fought back tears.

“What I learned from Stephen is that goals should not necessarily be the end point, but rather how you go on the journey, who you go on it with and why – will immeasurably change things for the better. I will take those learnings with me.”

Dee Davis of the Center for Rural Strategies, who served with Gong on a committee at the National Endowment for the Arts to make funding selections, praised him for all the lives he has touched in the media and arts worlds.

“There are a lot of people out there who don’t know his name, who can’t pick him out of a line up. but they will have lived a real life, more creative life. They will have used these media tools to push this country towards its promise because of who Steve is, because of what he’s done, because CAAM gave him his shot,” said Davis.

Gong fought hard for the funding of AAPI media projects and was relentless in his pursuit. It didn’t go unnoticed by Kathyrn Washington, senior vice president of Television content at the Corporation of Public Broadcasting.

“Stephen, you’re a national treasure. Your intelligence, your honesty and general pain in the ass-ness,” she said to laughter. “That’s why I’m here. I was threatened…Your spirit of advocacy and dedication will continue to guide CAAM long into its future.”

Prior to coming to CAAM, Gong worked at the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive for 16 years. When he applied at NAATAS, some there weren’t sure if he was serious about joining their staff while others tried to let him know he was in for a real challenge.

Through it all, his love for filmmaking only grew larger.

“As I think of the future and these difficult times were in, the arts are a unique way to express our humanity and stories,” he said. “We can bring people together. We can change people’s minds. We can enlarge their lives, their capacity for empathy and compassion and so I have nothing but confidence for the future because that is something we have to hold on to.

Saxophonist Francis Wong, guitarist Goh Nakamura and the Grant Avenue Follies provided entertainment.

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