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WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday night, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) was honored at the Third Annual Multicultural Media Correspondents Dinner. The MMCDTM is an annual gathering of media influences, policymakers, and corporate advocacy executives to honor media industry luminaries of color and highlight the need for greater media diversity. The other honorees this year were: Cathy Hughes, Senator Dean Heller, Soledad O’Brien, Herman Cain, Beatriz Acevedo, Jeff Ballou, Vanessa Deluca, Dr. Ken Giami, Bakari Sellers, and Raynard Jackson. Rep. Chu released the following statement:
“I’m honored to receive this recognition along with so many other remarkable honorees. As both the Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and a co-chair of the Congressional Multicultural Media Caucus, I have long been fighting to elevate the voices of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other communities of color.
“I do this because I believe that our government and our media are at their best when they more accurately reflect the country we live in. But it has not always been easy. The lack of AAPI role models on and off-screen has affected entire generations of people, including myself, who did not even dare to dream to go higher. I never dreamed that I could do such things as run for office because I never saw anybody who looked like me in that position.
“But the good news is that today, things are changing so dramatically, with a number of all AAPI shows and movies coming out, and as AAPI actors move more into starring roles. I am so happy to be seeing the experiences of AAPIs and other previously invisible groups have their stories finally being brought to life.
“I know that we can breakdown stereotypes and promote greater opportunities in mainstream media and entertainment so that the faces we see onscreen and the talent behind the scenes truly reflects the diversity of our country.”
