Film Screening, Live Music & Reception in Honor of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Wednesday, May 25, 2022 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 

A Thousand Pebbles on the Ground, a short film by Japanese Filmmaker Toko Shiiki Synopsis: Roger is a medical lab technician near Philadelphia working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic; he is Chinese-American and facing rising anti-Asian sentiment. He’s grieving the loss of his father, but he loves to perform and make people laugh.

Q&A with Ms. Shiiki will follow the screening (running time: approximately 25 minutes).

The event will also feature live music by Erik Santos (musician, composer, and Associate Professor of Composition and Performing Arts Technology at the University of Michigan), sharing his father, Rosendo Santos’ music and personal story of moving to the US from the Philippines.  At age 11, Rosendo Santos started composing band marches, instrumental and vocal scores, and Catholic masses. He was later named a UNESCO scholar and received the Composer of the Year Award. In Manila, he was Composer of the Year in 1956 and 1957 and won 12 prizes consecutively in composition contests. Most recently, he received the title of “The Philippine Composer of the Century.”

Registration includes light appetizers from Mei Japanese Restaurant and two drink tickets. (Beverage Sponsor: Asahi Super Dry).

Open statement from Midwest USA Chinese Chamber of Commerce

Dear Community Leaders,

solidarityThe Asian American communities are gravely saddened and concerned about the recent sharp increases in attacks and violence on law-abiding, hardworking Asian Americans. Asian Americans traditionally love this great country of ours. They are proud to contribute, to help build this  great country and serve in the armed forces of this great nation.

The Asian American communities are deeply concerned about the lack of safety these days and call for actions to return to civility and treat each other with respect, dignity, and equality, for which America is proudly known and standing.

Regards,

Lee Wong, US Army (retired) with over 20 years of active-duty service (24/7) to the nation
Chairman of the Board
Midwest USA Chinese Chamber of Commerce (fka. Greater Cincinnati Chinese Chamber of Commerce)


The following organizations and persons endorse the above statement:

  • Adam Hayden, Seeds of Peace / Kids4Peace
  • Aarti, Noah, & Zoe, junior high school students with Kids4Peace Cincinnati
  • Alfonso Cornejo, President, Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA
  • Allison Reynolds-Berry, Executive Director, Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center
  • Bakhtavar Desai, President, Zoroastrian Association of Ky, OH, & IN
  • Bao M. Nguyen, Asian American Cultural Association of Cincinnati 
  • Barry E. Cobb
  • Bleuzette Marshall, PhD, VP for Equity, Inclusion & Community Impact, University of Cincinnati
  • Brent Cooper, President & CEO, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
  • Bryan Wright, Executive Director, Cincinnati Compass
  • Carla D. Walker, CEO, think BIG strategies
  • Cathy Heldman, Regional Director, American Jewish Committee
  • Charleston Wang, Interethnic Council of Greater Cincinnati, Asian American Hour WAIF 88.3 FM
  • Charmaine McGuffey, Sheriff, Hamilton County
  • Chip Harrod, Board Chair Michael Hawkins, Tamie Sullivan, and Tammy Bennett, EquaSion
  • Chris Burns, City of Montgomery Diversity and Inclusion Committee
  • Cincinnati Regional Coalition Against Hate
  • Cynthia Cummins, Brueggeman Center for Dialogue
  • Daniel B. Cunningham, CEO, Long-Stanton Group
  • Daniel J. Hoffheimer, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
  • Denise Driehaus, Hamilton County Commissioner
  • Dr. Amir Izhar, Board Chair and Henry Hane, Executive Director, Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati
  • Eliot K. Isaac, Police Chief, the Cincinnati Police Department
  • Eric H. Kearney, Esq., President & CEO, Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce
  • Felicity Tao, Greater Cincinnati Chinese Cultural Exchange Association
  • Geneva Blackmer, Program Director, the Interfaith Center at Miami University
  • Helen Rindsberg, President, Cincinnati Asian Art Society.
  • Inayat Malik MD, Past Board Chair, Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati 
  • J. Neri , Executive Director, Greater Cincinnati Native American Coalition
  • Jackie Congedo, Director, Jewish Community Relations Council of Cincinnati
  • Jaipal Singh, CHAATRIK Architecture
  • James Buchanan, Board Chair, Interfaith Cincy and Foreign Policy Leadership Council
  • Jan Armstrong Cobb, EquaSion and A Mighty Stream
  • Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, Cincinnati City Councilmember
  • Jeff Liu, President & CEO, Fuyao Group North America
  • Jessica Baron, EquaSion
  • Jill P. Meyer, President & CEO, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber
  • Joseph A. Hinson, President & CEO, West Chester ▪ Liberty Chamber Alliance
  • Joe Mallory, President, Cincinnati NAACP
  • Justin Kirschner, Associate Director, Jewish Community Relations Council
  • Kazuya Sato, President, Cincinnati Chapter Japanese American Citizens League
  • Koji Sado, Board President, and Anne Golden, Executive Director,  Japan America Society of Greater Cincinnati
  • Kristin Burgoyne, Executive Director, RefugeeConnect
  • Lynn Tramonte, Ohio Immigrant Alliance
  • Majid Samarghandi, CEO, Triton Services Inc
  • Malcolm and Priscilla Dunn
  • Margaret A. Fox, Executive Director, Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati
  • Mark Jeffreys, CEO 4Sight and Cincinnati City Council Candidate
  • Marlaina A. Leppert-Wahl , Ph.D., Wilmington College
  • Marvin Cunningham, President, Long-Stanton Mfg.
  • Marvin Frank Thomas, Sr. Presiding Bishop, Second Episcopal District Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
  • Mary A. McDonald, Mayor, City of Trotwood
  • Mary Carol Melton, Festival of Faiths Steering Committee
  • Michael Howard, CEO, Nichefire
  • Mitchel Livingston, VP Emeritus and Professor, University of Cincinnati
  • Michele Young, Cincinnati AJC Black Jewish Table of Understanding
  • Michelle Harpenau, Executive Director, World Affairs Council & Michele Mansfield, Board Chair, World Affairs Council
  • Miriam Jackobs, Women’s Interfaith Network of Cincinnati
  • Paige Williams, Dear Art Academy of Cincinnati Students, Faculty, Staff, Board of Trustees and Alumni
  • Pastor Henry Zorn, Lutheran Church of the Resurrection
  • Pastor Nicole Kelly, Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Anderson Township
  • Paul M. Booth, Cincinnati Office of Human Relations
  • Patrick Lonneman, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
  • Peng Zhang, Society of Chinese American Professors & Scientists
  • Rabbi Gary P. Zola, Past President, MLK Coalition of Greater Cincinnati
  • Rabbi George Barnard, Northern Hills Synagogue
  • Rabbi Karen Thomashow, the Greater Cincinnati Board of Rabbis
  • Rabbi Meredith Kahan and Board President John G. Cobey, Rockdale Temple
  • Rebecca Newlin, Board Chair, the Interfaith Center at Miami University
  • Rev. Heather Buchanan Wiseman   St. Thomas Episcopal Church
  • Rev. P. Marshall Wiseman   Christ Church Cathedral 
  • Rev. Paula M. Jackson, the Church of Our Saviour/La Iglesia de Nuestro Salvador
  • Rev. Stacey Midge, Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church
  • Rick and Zeinab Schwen
  • Roula Allouch, member of EquaSion and CAIR
  • S. Nemat Moussavian, M.D., EquaSion and the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati
  • Samina Sohail MD, Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati
  • Shakila T Ahmad, Allergy & Asthma Specialty Center
  • Sharline Martin, President of the Board, Indian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
  • Sikh Community of Greater Cincinnati
  • Stephan Vance and Dr. Deborah Vance, Baha’i Faith and EquaSion
  • Teresa M. Davis
  • Terrie Puckett, Executive Director, the Grail in the US
  • The Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust and Humanity Center
  • Umama Alam, EquaSion 
  • William Madges, Faculty Director, Edward B. Brueggeman Center for Dialogue, Xavier University
  • Yvette Johnson-Hegge, Executive Coordinator, YWCA Cincinnati
  • Zejiang Yang, Sichuan-Chongqing Friendship Association