CNN anchor kicks off APA Heritage Month

On Tuesday, CNN's HLN news anchor and correspondent Richard Lui highlighted IU’s early observance of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, a celebration of history and presence of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

The Asian Culture Center observes APA Heritage Month a month early each year, in order to encourage campus and community involvement during the semester.

Serving as the kick-off of this year’s celebration activities, Lui’s lecture at the School of Journalism brought his take on the importance of intercultural skills as a professional journalist.

Melanie Castillo-Cullather, director of the ACC, said one of the goals in observing APA Heritage month is to “raise awareness of the contributions and accomplishments of people of Asian descent.” 

“We thought we should invite someone who is not only successful in his field of discipline but someone who can serve as an inspiration to our students.” Castillo-Cullather said.

Lui began his discussion on understanding multiculturalism by relating his personal life and family history.

His grandfather immigrated to the U.S. illegally in the 1920’s and started his new life in San Francisco.

But it was not until 1975 that Lui’s father learned his real family name was Wong instead of Lui which appeared on his father’s faked immigration documentation.

Using his grandparents’ early story, Lui illustrated understanding of cultural backgrounds and said he really wanted to emphasize “it is important to understand a story and what’s behind it.”

While taking intercultural understanding to the professional level, Lui shared his experience as an international news correspondent while reporting overseas.

“Our objective is to get details, context and profiles,” Lui said. “The bottom line issue when you are covering things that beyond your culture, you have to try hard to cross cultural barrier to get the story.”

Lui said being able to understand intercultural skills is necessary even when looking for a job.

“When I go out to look for jobs,” Lui said. “I am looking at ones that can not only can develop my intercultural skills but also showcase them. I always try to find practices to understand them better.”

Intercultural skills were not the only ones that made Lui a success, he also was in the business world for 15 years.

“Before I joined Channel NewsAsia in Singapore,” Lui said. “I practiced my interview skills and some other business-related knowledge in business school at Michigan and later on in various management capacities such as Citibank.”

Lui said what he learned in business helped him a lot when he switched to journalism later because he found “there are a lot of overlaps between them.”

As for his suggestions for journalism students, Lui made them simple and straight.
“It’s always interesting to argue, but to make sure it’s just a point of view, not an opinion,” Lui said.

However Lui said opinion shows have their place.

“They are at least fun to watch,” he joked.

Castillo-Cullather said the ACC really appreciated what Lui brought to the APA Heritage Month.

“Richard Lui is the person and we are grateful to the School of Journalism for making it possible for Richard to come to IU,” Castillo-Cullather said.

“The story that he told about his family mirrors the history of Asian immigration to the United States. I think his message about gaining an appreciation for cultures from family, school, work and personal choices is appreciated by those who came to tonight’s lecture.”