Tell us about your interest in the Asian American Arts Alliance:

“Well, I’m here to support Liliana [Chen] and this gala. I think it’s great that they’re recognizing some of the leaders in the community. You know this is important for us as a community to come together and really celebrate some of the milestones and achievements and strides we’ve been making. I think we need more of a presence whether it’s in the entertainment world, the political world, or in the media and this is one way to empower us and keep it going.

On Kal Penn as an actor:

“I’m a fan of Kal’s work. I think he’s a good actor and he has the ability to go back and forth between comedy and drama. There’s a sensibility about him that’s really genuine – it’s what I really like about him. He’s just doing some really good work to represent our community and I’m really happy for him. I’m glad he’s being honored.”

On the many celebs at the gala, the different careers they’ve had and the presence of Asian Americans in arts and entertainment:

“It’s growing, especially a lot more now than it was 20 years ago. Now we have some prominent faces – shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Lost – so we have a lot more strides to make but Hollywood is slowly catching up with what the world really looks like. We still have to show as a community that we are a marketable demographic and that we do have a voice, we do have an identity. But it’s going to take some time and it’s getting better.”