Newly elected Congressman Derek Tran was back in the District Friday to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by speaking to a packed ballroom at the Cerritos Library’s Skyline room.
The 45th District Congressman suggested the cultural diversity of the nation was indeed its underlying strength in a speech to more than 100 community and business leaders.
“What makes this country great is our diversity,” Tran told the large group.
“It’s because we are a melting pot in this country where we can come together and celebrate each other, our heritage, our culture, and respect one another,” said Tran.
That’s what makes this country great,” he said.
“When I look across this room and I see so many young people, it makes me happy and it brings me so much joy,” he said, telling them his own rags-to-riches story.
“It was because of the determination of my family from the grit instilled in me by our community that allowed me to rise from poverty to the halls of Congress,” he said.
“We often say representation matters, and this has never been truer than at this very moment when diversity has become a taboo in many circles,” said Tran.
Nearly 40 percent of the voters in the 45th District are from the AAPI community, said Tran, who said “we owe it to the next generation” to celebrate the diversity and contribution of that community to the greatness of America.
“In this district, between restaurants and artistry, history, and cultural institution that we have is unparalleled in the world,” said Tran.
“The people in this room and this community are part of the reason that I am standing before you today as a veteran, a business owner, a laywer and now an American Congressman,” he added.
Seeing so many young people, Tran reminded them that serving others is still the most noble profession.
“There is a lot of youth in this group, and I don’t get to talk about enough about service, which is so important,” said Tran.
“I often talk about how my love of service got me to Congress. I talked about being in the military, and that is true,” he said, but Tran said his love of service began in high school.
Tran said he was in several clubs, including the Key Club, where he rose to the role of Lt. Governor and eventually had 10 new Key clubs formed.
“I was thinking we appreciate them for what they’ve done for our schools, setting up these school clubs and organizations that allow young youth to be able to test their leadership to gain valuable traits and character,” he said.
Tran later worked the room filled with political and business leaders of Asian American, native Hawaiian Pacific Islander descent.
In addition, he met with a group of young leaders that organizer Janet Keo Conklin, a city Council member from La Palama, had invited to attend.
“I wanted to make sure that we included the next generation in this event,” she said, which was the 2nd annual AAPI recognition event. She held last year’s event at the La Palma city hall.
Keo Conklin said she invited local volunteers from local high schools’ Key Clubs to attend the event, saying she wanted to “promote, elevate, and inspire our youth to lead with conviction and get involved in civic engagement.”
She and Mayor Frank Aurelio Yokoyama of Cerritos, the sister city of La Palma, co-hosted and emceed the event.