National ACE Business Leaders Advocate for U.S. Congressional and Senate Passage of TPP and TPA Legislation

Shau-Wai Lam, Chairman Emeritus of DCH Auto Group, Robert Gardner, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer Legislative Office, Chiling Tong, CEO ILF Foundation, Betty Lo, Vice President, Nielsen Community Alliances & Consumer Engagement and Mary Ho, China Millennium Council President meet with Congressional and Senate Leaders in Washington, D.C. to advocate for House & Senate passing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership TPP and renewal of the Trade Promotion Authority TPA legislation, representing the National ACE Asian/Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship New York State, New Jersey National Business Interests.

Rochester New York Heralds the Joint Origins of National Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Hon. Ruby Moy, First Asian American Pacific Islander professional working in the White House, as former Chief of Staff to Congressman Frank Horton from Rochester NY, Hon. Norman Mineta, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and founder of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus CAPAC and Mary Ho, China Millennium Council President at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. recount their historical efforts to proudly establish legislation and Presidential proclamation designating the month of May as Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

May 26, 2015 Washington DC – Thirty eight years ago, Representatives Frank Horton from Rochester NY (R-NY) and Norman Mineta (D-CA) introduced House Resolution 540 (Pacific/Asian Heritage Week) in Congress to proclaim the first ten days of May as Pacific/Asian Heritage Week now known as Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. May was denoted to commemorate the first Japanese immigrant to the U.S., and also to mark the anniversary of the completion of the trans-continental railroad, the majority of the tracks laid by Chinese workers. Subsequently President Jimmy Carter signed the Joint Resolution on October 5, 1978. In 1992, President Bush signed legislation into law designating the month of May as we know now as Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Law HR-5572 originally introduced by Horton and Mineta, was unanimously approved by both the House of Representatives and Senate during the 102nd Congress.

During the first ever White House Summit on AAPIs, U.S. Surgeon Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy M.D. was installed as the new co-chair of WHIAAPI. President Obama proclaims, “The rich heritage of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders spans the world and the depths of America’s history. Generation after generation, Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders have forged a proud legacy that reflects the spirit of our Nation. During AAPI Heritage Month, we honor the perseverance of those who courageously reached for their hopes and dreams in a new land, and we celebrate the important impact the AAPI community has made to our Nation’s progress…As we commemorate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we pay tribute to all those in the AAPI community who have striven for a brighter future for the next generation. Together, let us recommit to embracing the diversity that enriches our Nation and to ensuring all our people have an equal chance to succeed in the country we love.”

The Multicultural Edge of the Rising Super Consumer

Ken Sato, Business and Social Entrepreneur Owns and Operates Small World Foods and Mary Ho, China Millennium Council President at the iconic Wegmans Food Markets Headquarters located in Upstate Rochester New York, participate in the New York State Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council

Multicultural consumers are transforming mainstream U.S. marketplace business economy. Propelled by twin engines of population growth and expanding buying power, they are at the leading edge of converging demographic and social trends, redefining the increasingly diverse consumer marketplace. By understanding the cultural landscape that drives multicultural consumer behavior today, marketers and advertisers can anticipate future business market trends and forge long-term relationships with the most robust and fastest growing segment of the U.S. consumer economy.

THE NEW MAINSTREAM

  • African-Americans, Asian American Pacific Islanders, Latino Americans et al comprise 38% of the U.S. population with U.S. Census projections forecasting multicultural populations will become the numeric majority by 2044
  • 92% of the total growth in the U.S. population from 2000-2014 came from multicultural consumers
  • U.S. multicultural buying power is currently $3.4 trillion

MULTICULTURAL BUYING AND SUPER CONSUMERS

  • Super consumers represent top 10% of a category’s household consumers and drive minimally 30% of sales, 40% of growth and 50% of profits
  • Super geos are geographic regions and metropolitan areas with very high concentrations of Super Consumers of categories

CULTURALLY DRIVEN BEHAVIORS

  • 82% of multicultural heavy consumers actively use a smartphone vs 70% of non-multicultural counterparts
  • Multicultural heavy consumers are 32% more likely to be the stop segment of mobile users averaging 73 website visits per month and more likely to use an average of 46 apps per month

Adapted from Nielsen, An Uncommon Sense of the Consumer™ www.nielsen.com

 

 

Pulitzer Prize Award Winning Journalist José Antonio Vargas states, “Our Equalities are Tied to Each Other” #EmergingUS #DefineAmerican

China Millennium Council President Mary Ho, Pulitzer Prize Award Winning Journalist José Antonio Vargas and ROC the film Entrepreneur Tom Crane at the University of Rochester Diversity Conference Discuss Social Equity, Inclusion and Diversity for a Modern America #EmergingUS #DefineAmerican

NYS LT Governor Kathy Hochul Reports Updates on 2015 Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council Program Initiatives

China Millennium Council President Mary Ho and New York State Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul Discuss the White House Initiative on Asian American Pacific Islanders WHI-AAPI Vital Business Presence and Issues Concerning AAPI involvement with the Upstate New York Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council and Governor Andrew Cuomo's 2015 New York Opportunity Agenda. AAPIs are the fastest growing minority group in America with enormous consumer impact, yet under-represented and overlooked in areas of leadership and governance.

City of Rochester Office of the Mayor, Del Smith, Commissioner of Neighborhood & Business Development, Mary Ho, China Millennium Council President and Ken Sato, City Design Lab CEO Review Submission Proposal for Urban Revitalization to boost Upstate New York's economic opportunity to foster innovation and entrepreneurship, strengthen communities and enhance tourism and quality of life. Sato is a city resident and operates an urban fermentory business.

Ambassador Cui Tiankai Honors U.S. Joint-Venture Innovation Leaders for Modern China

China Millennium Council President Mary Ho and Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai Reminisce Earlier Autumnal Visit to Upstate Rochester New York including Pumpkin Highlights at Wegmans Food Markets in Pittsford and the Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies CIMS at Rochester Institute of Technology

China President Xi Jinping’s newly appointed U.S Ambassador Cui Tiankai conveyed celebratory congratulations for the 40th anniversary of the earliest exchanges between China and the U.S. dating back to 1973, opening doors for long-term investments, advancing partnerships and promoting mutual good will. Notably, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and former U.S. Secretary of State, Dr. Henry Kissinger and U.S Trade Representative Ambassador Carla Hills shared their intriguing perspectives and modern insights.

Dr. Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State and Mary Ho, President of the China Millennium Council Enjoy Their Camaraderie at the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the first exchange between China and U.S. in 1973 arranged by the National Committee on United States - China Relations

Two leading China – U.S. joint-venture industry leaders were recognized and given tribute who included Alcoa CEO and Chairman Klaus Kleinfeld and IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond, whose modern stewardships in China will through their innovative technologies continue to enrich China’s modern growth and development.

Alcoa is the largest foreign investor in China’s aluminum industry and was named Top Green Company in China. Since 1993, Alcoa Bohai Aluminum Industries Company is China’s largest multinational company in the aluminum industry and invested more than $800 million. Alcoa’s founder Charles Martin Hall in 1928, founded the Harvard-Yenching Institute and supports scholarly studies between western and Asian countries, in particular China.

Mary Ho. China Millennium Council President and Klaus Kleinfeld, CEO and Chairman of Alcoa Inc., the Largest Foreign Investor in China's Aluminum Industry Discuss Sustainabiity and Best Practices for China

IMAX is expanding the modern movie-going experience in China and fostering collaboration with China’s film studios, bringing depth to the cultural cinematic interchange. Early on in 2001, IMAX engaged the Chinese movie-goer experience by providing a unique cultural exchange media platform and playing a key leadership role into the development of a large theatre network. IMAX also in conjunction with Chinese film studios brings the best of Chinese cinema within the country and throughout vast audiences globally.

Another renowned U.S. joint-venture pioneer, Walmart China opened its doors in 1996 and introduced to the Chinese the largest retail consumer store ranging from farm-fresh groceries to the emerging e-commerce retail business for their Chinese customers. Presently Walmart operates 396 stores in China and created more than 100,000 direct job opportunities with a vital sourcing presence in China and critical partnerships with 20,000 suppliers throughout China and internationally. Dedicated to serving their local communities, Walmart was awarded as one of the Top 10 Oustanding Corporate Social Responsibility Cases  of Chinese Enterprises by Business Value, a leading business journal in China.

Maggie Sans, Walmart Vice President of International Corporate Affairs and Mary Ho, China Millennium Council President Contemplate Chinese Customers' Preference Shopping On-Line Versus a Tactile Atelier Experience