From left, Subhash Kateel, Aarti Shahani, Nina Shahani and Maria Muentes of Families for Freedom. (Photo: Courtesy, www.unionsquareawards.org)

Sixteen Asian-American activists were among 43 New Yorkers representing 19 grassroots community organizations who were awarded Union Square Awards 2004, a press release said.

The awards, which were scheduled to be presented at a special ceremony in New York on Nov. 19, gives $50,000 to each community leader, bringing the total prize money to close to $1 million, it added.

The Asian American activists in the list are: Subhash Kateel, Maria Muentes, Nina Shahani & Aarti Shahani, co-founders of Families for Freedom (FFF), a nonprofit which provides support to immigrant communities affected by detention and deportation and raises public awareness about the deportation system and the erosion of immigrants’ civil rights; Linda Abad & Amanda Vender, co-founders of Damayan, an organization promoting the rights and welfare of Filipino immigrant workers, particularly domestic workers; Kristian Bello, Nilda Laguer, Lionel Ouellete and Hermon Getachew, co-founders of Urban Mana, an East Brooklyn community center addressing socio-economic inequalities by developing grassroots leadership to build long-term community solutions; Marlee Ford, Temitope Theresa Kuyoro, Tanesha Ingram, Jahra Lara and Jasmine Uribe, co-founders of Bronx PRYDE (Promoting Revolutionary Youth Development and Empowerment), a youth organization that prepares community leaders through training and community organizing; and Bryan Pu-Folkes, co-founder, New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), a cross-cultural organization using advocacy and public education to ensure that new immigrants are active, informed and influential in civic, government and public affairs.

The program realizes an anonymous donor’s dream to honor New Yorkers who show exceptional commitment to bettering lives and supporting organizations that have not received either substantial funding or public accolade, the release said.

The Union Square Awards is a project of the Tides Center funded by the Union Square Fund, Inc.

For 25 years, the Tides Center has provided services to nonprofit programs across the United States and is a member of the Tides family of organizations liked by a common mission — to actively promote change toward a healthy society, the release added.