The winter was a cold one so when it is a relatively warm day out, and an event is held indoors, it normally had better be worth missing the snippets of summer. Such was the day on February 7th, the day that ASPIRE (Asian Sisters Participating In Reaching Excellence) held its panel, but it was worth attending. The panel was called "Asian Women In Action: How They're Changing The World". The aim was to feature women who chose non-corporate jobs but are changing their community. Held at the Prudential center it was hoped that the panel would be interesting enough to make us tear our eyes from the spectacular views from the 49th floor. Gillette was kind enough to offer the location to be used for the panel session and offer products to be raffled off at the end of the session.

The three women on the panel were Dr. Gouri Banerjee: a professor of Information Technology at Emmanuel College and a social activist, Meizhu Lui: The Executive Director of United for a Fair Economy, and Betty Chu, M.Ed. - Betty is a second grade teacher at the Edgar F. Hooks Elementary School in Chelsea.

Dr. Bannerjee was the first speaker. She related that the 3 legs on which her foundation rested were family, community/volunteerism and education. She encouraged people to look to tackle aspects that may look more difficult. She considered that that would provide one the leverage in challenging times. Even though she started out studying for her MA and PhD in the Department of Geography but took courses in Information Technology. This was back in 1971 where it was fairly new and considered food for the brave-hearted. Unknowingly this helped Gouri years later when she was out of her job and was considering a career change. She advised women to work hard and to aspire to go beyond expectations. Acknowledging that the playing field is not leveled for people of color she noted that education would be a strong key help to rise above. The strength she obtains from the support of her family allows her to offer it to needy women who approach Saheli, the organization that she has belonged to since its inception.

Meizu Lui spoke next of her long and adventurous journey her present "troublemaker" self. Falling pregnant at an early age and being forced to give up education made her realise that she needed make something of her life to end the cycle of hopelessness. Her first experience was at a Dunkin' Donuts, where the boss thought that "Chinese people make good Dunkin Donut workers". She humored him by adopting a thick Chinese accent which lacked proper English and that landed her the job. At the end of the day the cash register was $24 short. There were 4 people working there, so the boss decided to split the amount between them. Meizu was furious that she had to pay for something she did not do, so after some researching she found out that what he did was illegal. She took him to court and won her $6 back. She lost her job but in return got a purpose to fight for. She continues to fight for those who cannot and has become the first women president of a union.

Betty Chu had her calling to be a teacher when she was very young. While the rest of her family chose to socialize at family gatherings, she was the self-delegated caretaker of the children. She shared with us that although teaching is not considered a highly paid job people who normally do are not in for the money. She also considered that in light of the instability in the workplace, teaching is a relatively stable job. She recalled how when most of her friends were laid off she still held her job, even though she amusingly confessed that they were getting more money in severance than she was in her salary. She continues to share her heritage with her predominantly non-Asian students and was impressed the day they wished her a Happy Chinese New Year.

Surprisingly it was quite a turnout, but maybe that may be attributed towards more people seeking avenues to seeking careers while still making the world a better place. The dot-com burst coupled with the recent corporate scandals has spurred many to try out new careers; of course the surge of lay-offs may have help force those decisions.

About

Dr. Banerjee:
Gouri presently serves as the Vice-Chair of Saheli, a Southeast Asian organization devoted to addressing domestic violence issues. She leads their Family Discord & Domestic Crisis Assistance program, and has been engaged as a core committee member of Saheli since its inception in August 1996. She is also actively involved in various parent's organizations and serves on the advisory boards of the Winchester Multicultural Network, the Triveni School of Dance in Brookline, and the Alma Liguae Academies in Cambridge, an organization devoted to low income Hispanic immigrants.

Meizu Lui:
Meizhu is committed to being a lifelong "troublemaker!" She was a Boston City Hospital kitchen worker for 20 years, rising with the rank and file to become President of AFSCME Local 1489. The local earned a reputation for militancy, tackling tough issues like maintaining affirmative action gains during lay-offs and returning Haiti's President Aristide to power. In 1993, Meizhu became an organizer for Health Care For All, building a multi-ethnic coalition which challenged Boston's health system to stop focusing solely on treating the diseases of the well insured. Meizhu is a long-time member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, a national organization well known in the Boston area for its participation in struggles for fundamental social change, against racism in all its aspects, and for a strong left. Her work has been honored by a variety of organizations, such as the YWCA, the Commonwealth Coalition, Rosie's Place (for homeless women), and the Randolph-Rustin Award for the Education of African American Workers from the Labor Studies Program at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, the Immigrant Workers' Resource Center, Mass Senior Action Council, and the Boston Women's Fund.

Betty Chu:
Betty is a second grade teacher at the Edgar F. Hooks Elementary School in Chelsea, MA. She earned her undergraduate degree from Boston University in Elementary Education and completed her Master's degree in Technology in Education at Lesley University. She has always had a passion and calling for working with children and social causes. She has been teaching for six years, but has worked with the homeless and elderly communities in New York and Boston for almost a dozen years. At school, she has spearheaded many school wide initiatives, co-chairs the Parent Involvement committee, is the Editor-in-Chief of the school newsletter, and serves as a mentor to new teachers. She is also currently a Board Member and Co-Chair of Professional Development for the Boston chapter of the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP). In her free time, she also volunteers regularly with non-profit organizations such as Boston Cares and the Special Olympics.

ASPIRE:
ASPIRE's mission is to help high school and college Asian American women explore career paths by building a strong base of professional and educational support through shared experiences and networking. Check out http://www.girlsaspire.org.

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