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3 St. Louisans Talk Growing Presence, Influence Of Asian Pacific Americans In Region

Anna Crosslin (at left), Harold Law (center) and Bret Narayan joined Thursday's talk show.
Evie Hemphill | St. Louis Public Radio
Anna Crosslin (at left), Harold Law (center) and Bret Narayan joined Thursday's talk show.
Anna Crosslin (at left), Harold Law (center) and Bret Narayan joined Thursday's talk show.
Credit Evie Hemphill | St. Louis Public Radio
Anna Crosslin (at left), Harold Law (center) and Bret Narayan joined Thursday's talk show.

For native St. Louisan Bret Narayan, April was a big month. The first-term 24th Ward Alderman was sworn into office and is believed to be the first-ever Asian Pacific American to serve on the city’s governing board. And with May being Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Narayan is partnering with the Office of the St. Louis City Recorder of Deeds to celebrate the contributions of some of his fellow citizens.

He joined Thursday’s St. Louis on the Air alongside Anna Crosslin, president and CEO of the International Institute of St. Louis, and Harold Law, who first came to the United States in 1956 as a Chinese refugee and has since played integral civic roles in the local Asian American community.

They talked with guest host Sharon Stevens about the many contributions of St. Louis’ thriving Asian Pacific American community and also delved into some history as well as current challenges and opportunities.

Listen to the discussion:

Related Event

What: St. Louis’ First Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration

When: 6 p.m. Monday, May 6, 2018

Where: St. Louis City Hall Rotunda (1200 Market St., St. Louis, MO 63103)

(Registration required)

Have a question or comment about the growing presence and influence of Asian Pacific Americans in our region? Tweet us (@STLonAir), send an email to talk@stlpublicradio.org or share your thoughts via our St. Louis on the Air Facebook group, and help inform our coverage.

St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. “St. Louis on the Air” producers Alex Heuer, Evie Hemphill, Lara Hamdan and Jon Lewis give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.

Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org.

Copyright 2021 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio.

Evie Hemphill joined the St. Louis on the Air team in February 2018. After earning a bachelor’s degree in English literature in 2005, she started her career as a reporter for the Westminster Window in Colorado. Several years later she went on to pursue graduate work in creative writing at the University of Wyoming and moved to St. Louis upon earning an MFA in the spring of 2010. She worked as writer and editor for Washington University Libraries until 2014 and then spent several more years in public relations for the University of Missouri–St. Louis before making the shift to St. Louis Public Radio.