The Asian American Federation (AAF) extended an invitation to students of FUSIA Communications' Cross-Cultural Internship Program (FUSIA/CCIP) for a thought-provoking roundtable lunch session. Hosted and conducted by AAF, the event touched Hong Kong and Singapore students from a plethora of fields. The discussion dealt with the many issues the New York Asian American community faces and the role AAF plays in addressing welfare and cultural disparity.

Students began the discussion with an examination of their expectations before and how they changed after arriving in New York. Opinions on the nuances of situational management moved freely amongst the group. Then Hong Shing Lee, AAF Chief Operating Officer, stepped in and guided the discussion, framing it with the ordeal Asian American immigrants had to live uprooting from their homeland to settle in a foreign one. The students already adjusting to a foreign land themselves, the emotions Asian American immigrants felt became that much more visceral and real to them.

To answer the needs of today's community, AAF employs a three-pronged approach: (1) Philanthropy and Grant-Making; (2) Policy Advocacy and Research; (3) Non-Profit Technical Assistance and Support. "We do not provide direct, individual client services. Rather our role is to unite our community, identify the causes behind the issues, and develop strategies to bring together the financial and human resources to address them. We are the only nonprofit organization in this country dealing with all three areas with a Pan-Asian perspective," said Lee.

"I was impressed with [AAF]'s attempts to engage multiple agencies under its umbrella. Its systematic approach and dedication to its mission made me realize that though Asians may be a minority here, they have a place to reach out to," said Lo Yuk Pui, a year 2 Professional Language Studies student of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Not only explaining AAF operations and its services, the discussion helped ease the worries of some students. "I was relieved to know that I wasn't alone readjusting to a foreign country. Mr. Lee shared with me the same experiences that the Asian immigrants faced, and I was glad that I could relate to them. I also gained an insight into how to deal with cultural adjustment," said Wong Yuk Chun, a year 2 Professional Language Studies student of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

"The professionalism of the Asian American Federation in dealing with its agencies amazes me. It may be a nonprofit organization, but it balances its corporate and community obligations. After hearing the interns' experiences here, I can feel the company culture and dedication and its passion to help the Asian American community. Mr. Lee has done a great job showing us the present situation and alleviating our concerns," said Nicholas Chan, a year 3 Marketing student of the National University of Singapore.

Asian American Federation: The Asian American Federation's mission is to advance the civic voice and well-being of Asian Americans. It collaboratively fosters philanthropy in the community, undertakes research to inform policies, and provides support to community service organizations. For more information, visit www.aafederation.org.