The Asian American Youth Leaders (AAYL) Program showcase on March 22 at the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center (SCCCC), titled "Timeless Ties: Mapping the Asian American Experience from Past to Present," featured presentations from eight Asian American high school students.
They shared their understanding of Asian American history and traditional recipes through digital presentations and posters, earning applause from guests and parents.
Yulan Chung, CEO of the SCCCC, highlighted the AAYL program's goal to educate students about Asian cultures, immigration history, and leadership for societal change.
Program Director Mary ( Back row, third from right) noted that the initiative began in the summer of 2022 as a five-day project and has since expanded into a year-round program.
The presentation was divided into two parts: The first part came from the Spring 2025 cohort in the Memory Mapping program.
Students used the book A People's Guide to Orange County as a resource to better understand Asian American history in Orange County.
The second part featured Elizabeth Chan’s "Tasting Traditional Recipes," a 2024 Community Engagement Fellowship winner project.
It highlighted immigration stories and how treasured family recipes change as a result of immigration and movement across continents.
Both programs showcase the strength and perseverance of Asian American immigrants, emphasizing the importance of community voices in preserving their history.
To develop communication skills, students were required to create a large poster and present a digital slideshow explaining their process, content, and insights.
While the topics were the same, each student shared unique perspectives based on their Asian heritage, making the presentations engaging and earning praise from the audience.
The students also mentioned that the project helped them better understand Asian culture and how to integrate into American society.
Some were accompanied by their parents, who were proud of their children’s work and presentations.
Irvine Vice Mayor James Mei （middle） highlighted that Asian Americans make up 51% of the city's population and emphasized the importance of the SCCCC in nurturing Asian American youth leaders and giving the community a voice.
Irvine City Councilmember Melinda Liu (right) said that by exploring the community, traditional recipes, and Asian American history, students gained cultural confidence and built strong community ties. She looks forward to their future contributions.
Scotty Hong (left), representing Mayor Agran, thanked the students for their hard work and efforts to promote unity in the community, wishing them continued success.