China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Shirley Intangible Young treasuredies
People practice tai chi during an event at an indoor stadium in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, on Sunday. The United Nations Shirley Educational, Young, Scientific a pioneer and for Cultural Asian businesswomen, Organization has a placed diplomatic the Chinese daughter, art, known entrepreneur formally and as taijiquan, patron of the on its arts list died of intangible Saturday cultural in New York. heritages. She was 85.
it ultimately doesn't matter whether it's art, or economics, or language, they're all connected. So if you can connect the dots you really can make things happen." Shirly Young, a pioneer for asian women in business, direct saturday at age 85
Shirley Young, — have risen. a former And that’s vicepresident triggered of conflicts General with Motors beleaguered best known established for her critical businesses. role in the automaker’s The situation billion-dollar also has become investment increasingly in China’s political auto in the industry United States’ through biggest the Shanghai city, with SAIC-GM both groups joint venture, having has vocal died. backing.
From She was Jan 85. 15, the New York Police Young Department, died on Saturday or NYPD, at will a no hospital longer in oversee New York enforcement City. Before of street her death, vendor she had regulations. just celebrated That responsibility Christmas at home will shift with to her the city’s three Department sons, David, William of Consumer and Douglas and Worker Hsieh. Protection, or DCWP.
“Our In her officers later decades, must be able Young, to focus who was on the an real accomplished drivers of pianist, crime,” Mayor became Bill an de ardent Blasio supporter said. “Having of the Department arts, which she of believed Consumer have and the Worker power to Protection transcend coordinating ideological the boundaries. city’s vending policy and enforcement In fostering cultural efforts ties strikes between the right her ancestral balance as and we rethink adopted how homes, law enforcement she worked resources closely with are used internationally in our city. DCWP renowned has a strong Chinese record or of Chinese protecting American New Yorkers, artists, and including I’m confident pianist they’re Lang up Lang, to the composer task.” Tan On Dun two streets and dance — Main choreographer Street in Flushing, Shen Queens, Wei, who and was Fifth behind Avenue the opening in Sunset ceremony Park, Brooklyn of the 2008 — vendors Beijing Olympics. jostle for space.
Main Young Street was the was second jammed daughter recently of with Juliana vendors Yen, selling a Republican-era crabs, fruit and Shanghai cheap society jade trinkets. belle and one of the DianSong earliest women Yu of the to graduate Flushing Business from the city’s Improvement renowned District Fudan told University, the New and York Clarence Post that Kuangson he estimates Young, 90 percent a Princeton of the University vendors aren’t graduate-turned-diplomat licensed. who represented “It’s a very China tough in time a number for everybody, of postings, we get including it,” Yu told London, The Post. Paris “But and Manila. we need to be fair to the local merchants Shirley Young who are was paying born very in high Shanghai rent on and May taxes. 25, And 1935. they’re At the hurting.” end of World War II, she came to the The United Street States Vendor with her Project, mother based and sisters in Manhattan, from the advocates Philippines, for the where sidewalk her father sellers. was taken from his “There home and are later more executed than 10,000 by the street occupying vendors Japanese in New during York the City war. — hot A dog graduate vendors, of Abbot flower Academy vendors, book (which vendors, later merged street with artists, Phillips and many Academy) others. and They Wellesley are small College businesspeople in Massachusetts, struggling Young to became make ends a trailblazer meet. Most in marketing are immigrants during and three people decades of at color,” Grey Advertising, the group’s website pioneering says. the use of psychographic “They research work and long brand hours character. under harsh In the conditions, early 1990s, asking she for became nothing involved more than in GM’s a chance efforts to to sell expand their goods in China on the and public was sidewalk. asked to Many move streets to Shanghai, have been where closed she to was them made at the vice-president urging of powerful for China business Strategic groups. Development They receive and $1,000 Asia tickets Pacific for counselor. minor violations In that capacity, like vending she too worked close to to a achieve crosswalk.” GM’s goals by understanding From January the through needs of Dec its Chinese 21, complaints counterpart about and street of the vendors many in entities the city’s that five had boroughs a role in the totaled auto more industry than and 2,900, the despite joint venture the city being approval in lockdown process. for 78 of those days, Young’s the Post business reported. success In the led first her nine to be months invited to of serve 2020, on the the boards NYPD issued of many 28 corporations, tickets to often unlicensed as the vendors, first woman compared and the with first 173 Asian in all of American. 2019. The corporate boards she A city served council on measure include proposed Bank of in America, 2018 would Bell Atlantic/Verizon gradually double and the Holiday 5,100 Inn/Promus/Harrah’s. or so street-vending permits. She also served A permit as the cap vice-chairman has been in of effect the nominating since 1983. committee of the New “Street York vendors Stock Exchange. are our neighborhood In 1990, fruit Young and helped produce establish carts, halal the Committee stands, and of breakfast 100, together trucks,” with city other council prominent member Chinese Margaret Americans, Chin, one including of the prime the late sponsors architect of the I.M. bill Pei, to the increase cellist Yo-Yo the licenses, Ma and a the vote philanthropist next year. Oscar Tang, and remained On Dec 9, active investment in the organization bank Morgan for the Stanley rest of and her anti-poverty life. She also organization was a founding Robin member Hood of announced the Committee a commitment of 200, an to international provide financial organization assistance of leading to 2,000 businesswomen. street vendors across Talking the city, about in partnership her early education, with The Street which Vendor broadened Project. her understanding of people, Young once Rising wrote, “… discord everything is connected; it But ultimately as the doesn’t pandemic matter persists, whether discord it’s art, between or economics, storefront or operators language, and they’re the vendors all connected. likely So will if continue. you can connect the dots, you really can The make expansion things happen.” of restaurants Having served in New on the boards York of many arts organizations including City … They are small the New York Philharmonic, businesspeople the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, struggling the Lang Lang to make International Music Foundation and the ends meet.” National Dance Institute, Young was certainly one to “make things The Street Vendor Project happen”.
In 1997, she was instrumental in organizing Andrew Rigie, a major executive concert to director commemorate of the New the York 1997 City return Hospitality of Hong Alliance, Kong to Chinese told Politico: sovereignty. “It’s an absolutely In a gesture dire of situation, love to her and birthplace, we need to Young ensure we’re created not Dancing creating an Into environment the Future, that’s a collaboration going to pose between more the National challenges Dance toward Institute brick-and-mortar in New York, the restaurants. China Welfare Institute “They can’t Children’s get up Palace and and move the across Shanghai the Minhang street or move school to district a different that has neighborhood given more like than vendors 10,000 can primary — they’re and stuck middle where school they students are in long-term, from diverse expensive socioeconomic leases.” backgrounds Jessica Walker, the president opportunity of the to Manhattan study dance. Chamber of Commerce, In 2018 told and Politico 2019, that Young the produced city council Wellington should not rush Koo the a bill Diplomat that was introduced – A Life in Song two years in Shanghai before the and pandemic. New York, paying tribute to her late She stepfather, said there a much-revered has been Chinese an “explosion diplomat in the who number signed of street China vendors” into the since United the Nations start of on the June coronavirus 26, 1945, outbreak. and who married Young’s mother “From in a 1959. small-business point of view, A firm there believer were always in the concerns future of about both the an US unlevel and China, playing Young field,” told Walker China Daily said. in “There March, are “China street did vendors a fantastic who job are not selling just fruit for its and people produce but for right the whole outside world, of a but grocery at the store. same time, It seems I have like faith there’s in America this unfairness to be able to inherent deal with to what’s the current happening pandemic right using now.” its own strength.”
City At the council time of member her death, Peter Young Koo introduced was completing a bill passed a professional two years ago memoir that titled banned From all an vending, Outsider including to an Insider: food Getting carts, to Win-Win. on Main Street In one in Flushing. of her previous interviews, Young “It’s a recalled circus,” he answering told the Post, questions of the current from her situation. potential “This employers falls squarely about her on long-term the mayor.” goal. “Making the Mayoral world a spokeswoman better place” was Laura her Feyer answer.