Evergreen Valley College

Press Releases

February 22, 2008

For Immediate Release
Press Contact:
Alka Joshi
650-224-7580 cell
408-270-6413 direct
alka.joshi@evc.edu

Paul Fong Preaches What He Teaches and Gets Awarded For It

Paul Fong, Professor of Political Science at Evergreen Valley College, received a Human Relations Award from the County of Santa Clara for his decades of community activism

February 22, 2008, San Jose -- Paul Fong, once awarded Outstanding Faculty of the Year Award at Evergreen Valley College, will receive a Human Relations Award from the County of Santa Clara for his decades of community activism. On Friday, February 29, Fong will be honored at The County Human Relations Awards at the Wyndham Hotel in San Jose.

“With the the rich multicultural heritage of our students, faculty and staff, Evergreen Valley College is proud to acknowledge Paul Fong, who has worked with passion and zeal for so many of our citizenry and serves as an excellent role model,” says Dr. David Wain Coon, President of Evergreen Valley College. “He brings to his community activities the same positive energy he brings to his teaching here at Evergreen.”

From humble beginnings in the back room of his flower shop, which he turned into a hotbed of community power and grassroots politics, Fong has worked diligently for social justice. “I believe in and work to build the diversity of our community. I believe in multicultural democracy and practice it daily,” Fong says.

Among his accomplishments: Fong protested shock jock statements on behalf of the LGBT community; with AACI (Asian Americans for Community Involvement), he has helped to ensure that monolingual Asian seniors have a welcoming place where they can meet friends, learn English, and get a hot nutritious lunch; he has helped launch a free after-school program for Latino and Vietnamese youth from low-income families; Fong helped secure funding for a shelter for victims of domestic violence; with Community Housing Developers, Fong has provided low-income families with affordable housing in high-cost Silicon Valley. 

Michelle Lew, President and CEO of AACI, Asian Americans for Community Involvement, where Fong is Honorary Council Co-Chair, says “Paul is truly an unsung hero when it comes to the mentoring he has provided to hundreds of Asian American and other emerging community leaders.  He has selflessly played a behind-the-scenes role in encouraging Asian American and other students, young professionals, and community members to become active with boards, commissions, and elected offices.”

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ABOUT Evergreen Valley College

With student learning as its primary focus, Evergreen Valley College’s mission is to empower students to expand their human potential and to succeed in a global, multicultural society. The College, which sits on a picturesque 175-acre site in the eastern foothills of San Jose, provides access to comprehensive and flexible post-secondary education to prepare students of all ages and backgrounds for balanced and productive lives and to improve the workforce and quality of life in our community.