New York-based entrepreneur Julie Azuma was recently honored by the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans with the first annual Lotus Award for her long-term involvement in Asian-American community affairs, coinciding with the start of Asian Pacific Heritage during May in the United States.
Azuma, 63, a daughter of Japanese-Americans interned during World War II, has been active with CAPA for nearly 20 years.
"It's so thrilling," Azuma said of her award, noting she has always been a supporter of the organization's Asian Pacific Heritage festival. "I always loved the idea of the Asian-American community as a whole, not just Japanese-American, or Chinese-American, or Korean-American. All of us together — we create a voting bloc, we create a real force and energy within our community, and the nation."