Congratulations to AARP’s Asian American Pacific Islander Heroes

Inspired by his father’s service and sacrifice as a World War II soldier, Melegrito wept when he learned that the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Act had passed. Pulling out a small photo of his father, he said, “Dad, we finally did something for you.” 

Denny Chan – Staff Category

Facing language and income obstacles, many Asian Americans find themselves struggling to gain access to the health care and other services they need and are entitled to by law. Denny Chan, an attorney with Justice in Aging, a legal advocacy nonprofit in Los Angeles, is determined to break down these barriers. While still in law school at University of California, Irvine, he founded the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, tackling issues confronting Asian American communities. He has since committed his career to public service as a community lawyer, battling poverty and language-access problems, and protecting the rights of all low-income older adults. 

Never far from Chan’s mind is his maternal grandmother, whose difficulties with language mirror those of so many of the individuals he is determined to help. Chan explains that she sometimes has trouble understanding even jargon-filled Chinese, her native language, let alone English, which she doesn’t speak at all. 

“I think about how people like her need services but encounter unfair barriers because of their age, language, and/or income,” says Chan. He considers it his job to find ways to help them navigate health care and other service systems, especially the labyrinth of Medicare and Medi-Cal. His unflagging efforts aim to empower people like his grandmother, making certain that they are not left out of the conversation.

Videos for the other eight nominees are available to view:

• Linh Nguyen
• Shree Gurusami
• Lisa Hou
• Linda Huynh
• Angela Wan
• Johnny Chen
• David Ung
• Carrie Morita