Looking Back, Moving Forward

Hi, my name is Luis Chen. I am deeply honored and energized to serve another year as your President of APAHA. As we look forward to the future, I want to first provide a brief overview of our successful journey in 2025.

Last year marked a critical milestone: the official launch and full implementation of the APAHA Board. We successfully transitioned from planning to execution, laying a strong, formal foundation for future growth and impact.

We established essential structures, including the creation of four key committees:

• The PR Team (Media, Marketing, and Public Relations) Committee

• The Fundraising Committee

• The Program Committee

• The Nomination Committee

Our visibility and engagement in the community were significant:

• We successfully co-sponsored two major cultural events: Kiki Yeung’s Crazy Woke Asians in March, and the Houston AAPI Film Festival in June, bringing high-quality Asian American comedy and cultural dialogue to our community.

• For the third consecutive year, APAHA proudly served as a community partner for the successful Filipino Street Festival in October, demonstrating our dedication to long-term collaborative efforts.

• During Asian Heritage Month in May, we hosted our annual gala and sponsored a cultural event at the Fort Bend County Library on the same day. Just one week later, we partnered with TAPA Houston to host an exciting Tailgate Party at a Houston SaberCats Rugby match.

You may have heard about the APAHA Luau. Due to significant logistical challenges with the facility and timing, we made a decision to reschedule the Luau for the third Quarter of 2026.

Now Focusing on 2026

Building on the strong foundation laid this year, APAHA is focused on two primary initiatives for 2026:

1. Strengthening Capacity: We will continue our efforts to recruit new board members throughout the year. If you are interested in being on the Board of Directors, please let us know.

2. Executing the Gala: To achieve a major fundraising goal, we are officially launching the Gala Committee in January 2026. 

Thank you again for your commitment to APAHA. I look forward to working with all of you to make 2026 our most impactful year.