Asian American Federation Honors 4 Outstanding Individuals
at its 9th Annual Gala

New York � Tonight, the Asian American Federation of New York will honor four outstanding individuals for their achievements on behalf of the Asian American community. At its ninth annual Spirit of Asian America Gala, an array of politicians, community organizers and supporters of the Federation will gather at The Regent Wall Street to celebrate the work of this year�s honorees. The honorees include:

• Ralph Dickerson, Jr., President of the United Way of New York City. Dickerson has been at the helm of UWNYC for 15 years which has enabled him to respond to the emerging and unmet needs in many of the city�s diverse communities. His leadership has allowed him to make critical connections between human service agencies, those they serve, and individuals willing to help.
• Mallika Dutt, Executive Director of Breakthrough: Building Human Rights Culture. Breakthrough promotes an understanding of human rights and addresses four interrelated themes: supporting women�s dreams, enhancing sexual wellbeing and health, encouraging peace and religious harmony, and promoting racial, ethnic and caste equality. Breakthrough believes all of us as global citizens have a responsibility to ensure that all human beings can live with dignity.
• David Henry Hwang, Tony Award Winning Playwright. Hwang was honored with the Tony Award in 1988 for his critically acclaimed play, M Butterfly, and received a Tony nomination in 1998 for Golden Child. His most recent achievement was the Broadway musical, Flower Drum Song, which starred an all Asian American cast and was hailed as one of the best new musicals on Broadway.
• Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union. Romero has been Executive Director for 2 years. Under his leadership, the ACLU, Romero has steered the most successful membership drive in the organization�s 83-year history as well as raised concern about civil rights violations across the country.