Over 1,200 professionals gather in Los Angeles to celebrate 10 years of impact and growth of the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) at their annual National Convention

CARLSBAD, Calif., Oct 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Asian Real Estate Association of America hosted its 10^th annual National Convention at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on Sept. 19-21. This year's Convention highlighted achievements of the Asian American community and connected the attendees, who numbered over 1,200, to their immigrant roots. One of the highlights of the event was the release of a commemorative 10^th anniversary short film at the organization's Keynote Luncheon. The film traced AREAA's roots to the Asian American struggles in the United States to integrate into the mainstream economy and society.

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Allen Okamoto, one of AREAA's Founding Chairs, remarked, "The film was deeply moving for me because it wasn't too long ago that we were on the outside looking in. Today, with AREAA's important work, that has changed. But we must always remember the past to appreciate the future. We still have a long way to go to ensure sustainable homeownership for the AAPI segment of the population."

A number of influential speakers and industry leaders joined AREAA this past weekend in celebrating the organization's continuing strides in affordable homeownership for the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, a group that represents the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. Tan Le, who is the founder and CEO of Emotiv Lifesciences, was the keynote speaker at the convention's general session. Le shared her poignantly moving immigration journey from Vietnam to Australia and the struggles that come with assimilating into a new culture.

"I think Le's story resonated with the audience during the event," stated Kathy Tsao, AREAA's 2012 National Chair, "A lot of our members either have their own immigration stories or have grown up hearing the stories of their parents or grandparents. It is still very important to bring the immigration stories of the Asian American to the forefront of our organization."

Award-winning journalist Lisa Ling was also among the guest speakers at the event. Ling, who is currently an executive producer and host of OWN's Our America, widely recognized for her role in co-hosting ABC's hit daytime program The View, moderated a moving discussion with AREAA's past chairs about the foundation of the organization and the obstacles that came along with it.

As part of this year's event, the conference boasted a robust selection of intriguing and valuable real-estate sessions that boosted professional development tracks with an increased emphasis on global and luxury real estate markets. The National Convention program consisted of 25 breakout sessions covering a wide array of topics in these fields as well as default transactions, commercial real estate, and technological innovations that can be applied to the real estate industry.

The 2013 AREAA National Convention also highlighted the installation of Ivan Choi as the organization's 2014 National Chair during Saturday's Installation Gala. Jim Park, AREAA's Immediate Past Chair, remarked, "We are very excited to see what Ivan will accomplish as the 2014 Chair. With his emphasis on leadership development and membership outreach targeted at individual Asian cultural groups, we are optimistic about the future and what the association will accomplish in the years ahead."

In addition to these events, the convention's program highlighted and celebrated Asian American culture and accomplishments at various special events at the convention including an international reception and the organization's first ever Asian-inspired fashion show. The National Convention also hosted a competition called the Dragon's Den where contestants could pitch their innovative ideas to a host of industry professionals. The event, sponsored by Better Homes and Gardens and Inman News, saw Boubou Guiro receive the $10,000 prize for his video listing engine presentation. 

For more information about the National Convention as well as the organization, visit www.areaa.org.

CONTACT: Michael Kelly, 760-918-9162, mkelly@areaa.org

SOURCE Asian Real Estate Association of America