APAICS | Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies

“Hawaii Five-0” Star Daniel Dae Kim to Host APAICS Gala Awards Dinner

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Washington, D.C. - The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) is pleased to announce that Daniel Dae Kim of CBS’s hit series “Hawaii Five-0” will host APAICS’s 17th Annual Gala Awards Dinner. The event will be held on Wednesday, May 4, 2011, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center located at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. The event entitled, Celebrating Our Legacy of Leadership: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Public Service will start with a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m.

President and CEO Gloria Chan stated, “Daniel Dae Kim has a history of playing his roles to encourage our community to be more politically and civically engaged. I’m thrilled that he will be able to join us for a week of celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander leadership in our nation this May.”

Today, over 16.6 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) currently live in the United States. The AAPI community is more civically and politically engaged than ever before. This diverse population has the highest percentage growth rate in the United States compared to other racial groups. By 2050, there will be 40.6 million U.S. residents identifying as Asian alone or in combination with one or more other races, to comprise over 9% of the U.S. population.

Even with this rich diversity, the AAPI community struggles against stereotypes that are perpetuated in mainstream media. Through the diversity of his roles on stage and screen, Daniel Dae Kim continues to break stereotypes of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. In characters ranging from the King of Siam, a Shakespearean hero, a social worker for the Chicago needy, to a counter-terrorist agent, his work has consistently transcended the historical barriers of race and stereotype.

Prior to starring as Chin Ho Kelly in “Hawaii Five-0,” Kim was best known to audiences for his portrayal of Jin on “Lost.” For his performance, he shared a 2006 Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble, and was individually honored with an AZN Asian Excellence Award, a Multicultural Prism Award and a Vanguard Award from the Korean American Coalition, all for Outstanding Performance by an Actor. In 2009, he was recognized with the prestigious KoreAm Journal Achievement Award in the field of Arts and Entertainment.

Born in Busan, South Korea and raised in New York and Pennsylvania, Kim discovered acting while a student at Haverford College. After briefly considering a career as an attorney, he decided to follow his true passion and moved to New York City where he began his work on stage. There he performed in classics such as “Romeo and Juliet,” “Ivanov” and “A Doll’s House,” as well as working with an improv comedy troupe. Despite his early success, however, he decided to deepen his dedication to the craft by studying at the Graduate Acting Program at New York University, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts.

Upon graduation, Kim’s film career began in earnest, with roles in “The Jackal,” “For Love of the Game,” “The Hulk,” “Spider-Man 2” and “The Cave,” as well as the Academy Award-winning film “Crash.” Most recently, he completed work on the independent film “The Killing Game,” starring Samuel L. Jackson.

On television, Kim has guest starred on numerous shows, including “CSI,” on the Network, “ER” and, for two seasons on “24” as CTU Agent Tom Baker. In 2008, he also starred in the Emmy Award nominated miniseries “The Andromeda Strain.” Kim has also lent his vocal talents to video games, creating characters in “Saints Row” 1 and 2, “Scarface: The World Is Yours,” “Tenchu” and “24,” as well as the animated television series “Justice League Unlimited” and “Avatar.”

In summer 2009,  Kim rekindled his love for the stage by performing the role of the King of Siam in the iconic production “The King and I” at London’s world-renowned Royal Albert Hall.

Though he spends time in Los Angeles and New York, Kim resides primarily in Honolulu, where he devotes his free time to a number of different charities and his family.

“Hawaii Five-0” airs Mondays at 10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.

 

About APAICS: 

The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) is a national non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting Asian Pacific American participation and representation at all levels of the political process, from community service to elected office. Founded in 1994 by former Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, APAICS serves as a resource to Congress and the general public on issues related to the political advancement of Asian Pacific Americans.

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