I met Ms. Amy several months ago when she came into the studio to talk about the Dragon Boat Races that the Asian American Cultural Center was sponsoring on Lady Bird Lake (still weird calling it that). When I received an email from her assistant inviting me to the Center for tea and Chinese food, I figured I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity, especially since she called me “Dear Report Friend.” I met her there last Tuesday, we talked about her recent trip to China, and then she said she had something very important to tell me about.
There’s no doubt that you have heard of all of the recent natural disasters in different parts of Asia. From the Myanmar Cyclones to the tragic quakes in China to the Typhoon in the Philippines that killed hundreds when it capsized a ferry, the Far East has been hit hard by tragedy.
Ms. Amy, being from China herself, first wanted to talk about the quakes. She told me about her fundraising efforts to raise the money needed to rebuild one of the many collapsed schools in the region hit by the tremor. She beamed as she spoke about the opportunity to “adopt” that school, having her students and theirs correspond as a kind of cultural exchange. But Amy wants to do more, so she came up with a plan.
She had already been planning an event highlighting various Asian artists, including traditional dance, singing, and musical performances from a host of Asian countries. The event was going to be free, open to the public as an opportunity to share Asian culture with the people of Austin. But then tragedy struck, repeatedly, and Ms. Amy saw the opportunity to give back to those who have been affected by the disasters.
So now the name and aim have changed. The event, “You Are Not Alone,” takes place this Saturday at The Long Center, and all proceeds will go to the aid efforts in China, Myanmar, the Philippines, and, yes, the American Midwest. “I heard on the news today that the American Red Cross was going to have to borrow money to help the people affected by the flooding. I couldn’t believe it!” That was Amy’s response, and her desire to bring together these two different cultures was evident in the way her face lit up.
Amy Wong Mok is the Executive Director of the Asian American Cultural Center, but her students and her staff call her Ms. Amy, and she said I could call her that too, her ”Dear Reporter Friend.”
Tickets to the event, which are under the name “Rebuilding Hope, Rebuilding Lives,” Are available HERE, and are only 10 bucks.
What: “You are not Alone”, a benefit performance for the survivors of the earthquake in China, the typhoons in the Philippines and Myanmar, and the flooding in the Midwestern United States
Where: The Dell Hall at the Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 West Riverside Drive, Austin, Texas
When: Saturday, July 19th, 1pm-4pm
Who: The Asian American Community Partnership, the Asian American Cultural Center, the Long Center for the Performing Arts and the Asian cultural community.
Why: To aid the survivors of recent natural disasters in Asia, the Pacific and the U.S.
Admission: General Admission and Ticket is $10 each
Program: Taiko Drums, Bamboo Flute, Hawaiian Dance, Chinese Dance, Indian Dance, Korean Dance, Filipino Dance, Japanese Dance, Beijing and Cantonese Opera, Guzhen (an ancient Chinese instrument), Shaolin Wushu Demonstration, Lion Dance, etc.
Regular readers of the Inside Austin blog know that this is a blog about local issues and the local organizations and individuals addressing those needs. But when I was invited to the 
