Montclair Resident Honored For Asian American Pacific Islander Month

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A Montclair resident was honored as part of an annual Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration in Essex County for 2023.

Montclair resident Linda Kow was presented with a commendation from the Essex County Board of Commissioners during this year’s event, which took place on May 17 at the Hall of Records in Newark. Parul Khemka of Livingston was also honored during the celebration.

The commendation for Kow reads:

WHEREAS, Linda Kow will be honored by the Essex County Board of County Commissioners during its Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration which will be held on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at the Hall of Records in Newark, New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, a child of Chinese immigrants, Linda Kow was raised in New York City, where she began 30+ years of volunteer and advocacy work in the areas of education, social justice, and community building; and

WHEREAS, Linda Kow is a co-founder of AAPI Montclair, a non-profit organization formed in 2021 to support the Asian American community and foster inclusion in the Montclair area. She was the organization’s first Board Chair and continues to serve as a Co-Chair for Education. An advocate for Asian American studies since she was a high school student, she was an early and steadfast partner in the campaign for the AAPI curriculum mandate in New Jersey and continues to be involved in implementation efforts; and

WHEREAS, Linda Kow’s volunteer service for schools, libraries, community organizations and her alumni association, including various leadership roles and the initiation of new programs, has made her a deeply respected member of her communities. Among the groups she has proudly served are the Chinatown History Project, ECAASU (East Coast Asian American Student Union), IMANI, MFEE (Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence, Montclair NAACP Education Committee, Montclair PTA Council, the National Audubon Society, and the YMCA of Montclair; and

WHEREAS, Linda Kow’s professional experience includes human resource management, training, program administration, and teaching. She has a bachelor’s degree in Human Development & Family Studies from Cornell University and a master's degree in Early Childhood & Elementary Education from NYU; and

WHEREAS, with curiosity and compassion as her proudest traits, Linda Kow has a passion for continually learning about issues that impact our ability to thrive, sharing that education and inviting others to learn and work alongside her; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Essex County Board of County Commissioners hereby commends Linda Kow for her service to the Asian American Pacific Islander community and communities at-large and congratulates her for being a deserving honoree during its Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that a copy of this Resolution be presented to Linda Kow.

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