Tell us about yourself.   

My name is Cheng Ung (黄美清). My family is ethnically Teochew Chinese, but my parents were both born and raised in Cambodia. They lived through the Cambodian genocide, where an estimated quarter of the population (approximately 1.5 to 2 million people) were killed through mass executions, starvation, disease, and forced labor. In the aftermath, my parents made the difficult decision to leave their families behind and escape to Thailand in hopes of making it to a refugee camp. My parents and older brother (an infant at the time) ended up living in a Red Cross refugee camp for almost five years before they were resettled in the United States. They eventually made their way to Los Angeles, California, where I was born and raised. 

I always tell my parents’ story because their story has completely shaped who I am as a person, personally and professionally. Their story taught me about sacrifice, love, and persistence, but also how the trauma that a person experiences shapes them, their families, and their communities. I am the product of my family, culture, and community who have nurtured, challenged, and ground me in everything I do.  

How did you get into philanthropy?  

Similar to other children of immigrants, I had no idea philanthropy was a viable career path. My first exposure to philanthropy was during undergrad when I was deeply involved in a volunteer young adult and youth-led organizing nonprofit where I helped raise grantmaking dollars and experienced the power imbalance and dynamics within funder-grantee relationships. 

That experience taught me the critical need for Black, Indigenous, and people of color with lived experiences from community to be in the decision-making roles within philanthropy. I then had the opportunity to work at my local community foundation for five years, first in grants management and then in a programmatic role focused on education. As someone who is a very proud Angeleno, I loved working in a foundation in a role where I could advocate and support grantmaking focused on the community and place I consider home. It ingrained in me the importance of deep listening to the wisdom of community partners and leaders, and that trust and relationship building is critical and takes time.  

I am grateful to bring that experience alongside my personal background to Irvine as a member of the Priority Communities team working in deep relationship and partnership with communities as they create local economies that work for all residents.  

What does Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month mean to you?  

This is a month to celebrate the stories, achievements, and contributions that AAPI communities have made to this country and this state. It is also a recognition that while the AAPI community is incredibly diverse, we are typically thought of as a monolith which strips us of our individual and unique cultures, our stories, and the different barriers and challenges each community faces. It has personally been an interesting year to reflect on AAPI Heritage Month in the aftermath of the Monterey Park shootings, the increased hate against AAPI communities, and the continued marginalization and invisibility of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in this country.  

Foundation funding designated for AAPI communities only accounts for .20% of all U.S. grantmaking. Alarmingly, funding designated specifically for AAPI communities has declined since peaking at .60% in 2002 and 2009, even as the Asian American population recorded the fastest population growth among all racial and ethnic groups in the country.  

As a Chinese Cambodian American woman in philanthropy, I feel a personal and professional responsibility to step into my leadership and power to not only uplift the stories and needs of AAPI communities but to ensure that more resources go directly to AAPI, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color-led organizations, communities, and leaders. This includes cross-racial movement building and solidarity that is critical as we imagine and build a thriving and just world.