Media Advisory – Diversity Conference

April 05, 2006

Media Advisory – Diversity Conference

Reporters, photographers and camera crews are welcome to cover a conference on Friday, April 7, in Chicago that examines education and workplace diversity issues facing Asian Americans.

"Asian Americans and the Meaning of Americanism: Education and Workplace Diversity," is the title of the daylong seminar. The event is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Union League Club of Chicago, 65 W. Jackson Blvd.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Paul Simon Public Policy Institute and the Asian American Policy Coalition of Illinois are sponsoring the conference.

Pulitzer Prize-winning and nationally syndicated columnist Clarence Page presents the keynote address at 1 p.m.

Peter Nien-chu Kiang, professor of education and director of the Asian American Studies Program at Boston University, is the plenary speaker at 9:45 a.m., prior to the two-hour session focusing on education. Panelists for the session are former state Sen. Arthur L. Berman, who chaired the state senate's Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education for 16 years, and currently serves on the Governor's Education Accountability Task Force; Mark L. Keam, chief counsel to U.S. Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois; Jesse H. Ruiz, chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education; and Manual J. Medina, who has worked with Chicago Public Schools for more than 25 years in administration, professional development and multicultural education.

A session on workplace diversity begins at 2 p.m. Panelists are Kevin Bradley, director of diversity for McDonald's Corp.; Angela Ebreo, a research scientist and assistant director for research at the University of Illinois at Chicago's Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy; Arin Reeves, an adjunct professor at Northwestern University teaching on race and gender issues; and Andres Tapia, chief diversity officer with Hewitt Associates.

Community sponsors are Coalition for a Better Chinatown, Indo-American Center, Indo-American Democratic Organization, Japanese American Citizens' League, Organization of Chinese Americans – Greater Chicago Chapter, and the South Asian American Policy and Research Institute.

Contact Paul Simon Public Policy Institute Assistant Director Matt Baughman at 618/201-0082 for more information.