ABC 7 Chicago presents ‘Our Chicago: Asian Voices’ hosted by Judy Hsu, Ravi Baichwal

CHICAGO (WLS) — In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, ABC 7 Chicago presents “OUR CHICAGO: ASIAN VOICES,” a program that shines the spotlight on Chicago’s Pan-Asian American community and the uplifting, fun and inspirational ways the community is leading the way in Chicago.

Hosted by ABC 7 anchors Judy Hsu and Ravi Baichwal from Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown, with contributions by reporters Eric Horng and Cate Cauguiran, the special airs three times:

Saturday, May 21, 6:00-6:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 22, 4:30-5:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 29, 2:00-2:30 p.m.

“OUR CHICAGO: ASIAN VOICES” is also available live and on demand at abc7chicago.com and on ABC 7’s connected TV apps including Roku and Amazon FireTV.

This edition of “OUR CHICAGO: ASIAN VOICES” kicks off with a Chicago first – a profile of the first Chinese American alderwoman, Nicole Lee. Lee now represents Chicago’s 11th Ward, a ward that has produced five Chicago mayors. She talks about the rich and diverse community in her ward, her pride in having grown up there and the gratification that comes with now being able to represent friends, neighbors and 11th Ward Chicagoans in city council.

“OUR CHICAGO: ASIAN VOICES” features the Chinese American Service League’s (CASL) dynamic new initiative, Change InSight. Change InSight analyzes, disseminates, researches and publishes data around the unique needs of immigrant communities, focusing on social determinants of health data. The data is invaluable in helping get important resources for the immigrant community.

Next, a look at how a married couple, Vinod Kalathil and Margaret Pak, are turning their pop-up restaurant, Thattu, into an official establishment space. They’re adding more unique dishes to their delicious southern Indian cuisine and hoping to bring more diversity to Chicago’s food scene.

Continuing the sampling of amazing Asian cuisine, the special spotlights Kasama to reveal how this quaint café became the only Michelin Starred Filipino restaurant in the U.S.

Luya Poetry is an organization aimed at giving people of color a space to express their emotions and heal through spoken word. Chris Aldana founded Luya in 2018 and chose the name Luya, a Filipino word meaning ginger. She thought the idea of ginger, often used in Asian cultures to heal, was the perfect sentiment for the healing process many artists and poets find at Luya.

“OUR CHICAGO: ASIAN VOICES” highlights the indomitable spirit of Jimmy Choi. Choi is a husband, father and an elite athlete, who even competed on “American Ninja Warrior.” He is also a person dealing with Parkinson’s disease. Living with Parkinson’s can be challenging at times, but it doesn’t stop Choi from raising funds and awareness for Parkinson’s research.

Next, Peng and Sou Hor get emotional talking about fleeing the Cambodian genocide with their five young children more than 40 years ago. Their harrowing journey was fraught with danger. When they finally arrived in Chicago with no money and no ability to speak English, they worked hard, persevered and maintained a giving spirit. They recall their journey to freedom and how they made the American dream come true for themselves and their children. Their five children include two doctors, two engineers, an attorney and a granddaughter who is a pediatrician.

Justyna Syska is the executive producer of “OUR CHICAGO: ASIAN INFLUENCES.”