By STAFF

The Indianapolis Recorder was among this year’s honorees at the Asian American Alliance, Inc.’s (AAAI) 25th Anniversary Gala. The Recorder received the Pillar Award for the newspaper’s ongoing efforts to champion diverse community voices.

“The Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper is honored to receive this distinguished award. Throughout the newspaper’s history, it has been a ‘voice for the voiceless,’ acting as a champion for people whose stories are often overlooked. The Recorder is proud to have celebrated the Asian American community by sharing the rich culture with our readers as well as celebrating the achievements of business leaders and community advocates. We are grateful to be a part of telling the powerful stories from the Asian American community which are an inspiration to us all,” said Camike Jones, editor-in-chief of the Recorder.

Other organizations honored included AES Indiana, WISH-TV, Eli Lilly and Company, Barnes and Thornburg LLP and Indiana University – Indianapolis. Individual honorees included Gregory Wilson, executive director of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, Albert Chen, executive chairman of the board for the Telamon Corporation, Dr. Chao-Hung Lee, president of the Taiwanese Association of Indiana, Glen Kwok, executive director of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, Mayor Brandon Sakbun of Terre Haute and Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett.

AAAI “fulfills its mission through a series of programs that increase awareness of the Asian culture and build the leadership skills of Asian Americans in Central Indiana.”

On May 3, AAAI will kick off Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with an event featuring activities, video and a light and sound show on Monument Circle in Downtown Indianapolis. The kick-off event starts at 8 p.m.

Next, AAAI will host Asian Fest on May 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Indiana Historical Society. The festival is a celebration of Asian culture with dancers, food, henna, music and arts. A health fair and activities are open to attendees of all ages.

For more information on AAAI’s upcoming events, visit aaalliance.org.