News concerning Asia and Asian Americans is increasingly becoming prominent mainstays within the media in the United States and abroad. Asia's economy is rapidly growing and its countries have become integral and influential members of the international community. It's an exciting time for the region and the Asian community in the United States but we are also standing at a pivotal juncture in its future.

In the United States, the Asian community, despite great growth, still faces barriers and challenges when it comes to reaching the levels that characterize mainstream America and even other minority groups. When one looks beyond to Asian nations, one sees that these issues are not just exclusive to America. The international Asian community is made up of 50+ ethnic groups and over 100 distinct languages and each group comes with their unique cultures and ultimately their unique problems.

With this diversity, it can be difficult for the various groups to work together to create an environment where the Asian community can flourish to its full potential. By facing and working together to solve its problems, the community can then move forward in achieving their fullest potential. As a group, Asians can take those multiple perspectives and meet any challenge because while we all come from different cultures, we share the common goal of improving the image and position of Asians in the United States and abroad. By working together we can accomplish much more than a single person- it is an exciting prospect!

You may be asking yourself, "What can I do? I'm only one person." But as one person you can choose to become more involved within a cohesive force that can work together to petition for increased awareness and work to maximize the use of the resources that are already available. There is great promise for the Asian American community and Asian nations. The vision of Asian Americans and Asian nations working together to further development and success is an exciting one and it is upon us to take action.