CAPAA’s Local Hero Award recognizes leaders across Washington state that have contributed to the advancement of AA-NH/PI communities in their local jurisdiction. Nominations are made by current CAPAA Commissioners, then approved by the Executive Committee, for presentation at the following Board meeting. We had two awardees presented at our Spokane Board meeting– you can read their bio below. Congratulations to Jimmy Jacob and Linny Dee!
Awardee #1: Jimmy Jacob, nominated by Commissioner Kiana McKenna
Since 2018, Jimmy has been serving as a Community Health Worker at CHAS Health, where he supports the Marshallese and Pacific Islander communities throughout Spokane County.
Jimmy’s work includes advocacy, home visits, patient scheduling, and resource navigation– all helping individuals and families access the healthcare and community services they need. Jimmy is dedicated to building trust, bridging cultural and language gaps, and improving health outcomes through direct support and community engagement.
Awardee #2: Linny Dee, nominated by Commissioner Ping Ping
Linny is a local Spokane photographer and videographer. She creates a large variety of content with a focus on advocacy and social equity. She’s an advocate for AAPI history in K-12 schools and beyond. She strongly believes that awareness of racism and inequity prevents it from repeating itself. In an effort to educate herself, she has taken excursions to the Minidoka Incarceration Camp in Idaho, Pendleton Oregon’s underground tour, the Angel Island immigration center in San Francisco, CA, and is a frequent visitor to the Wing Luke museum in Seattle, WA.
She was born in Xiamen, China, and was adopted and raised in Cheney, Washington. As one of few students of color in school, she faced large amounts of racism before leaving for the East Coast in search of a more diverse education. She then returned to Washington to attend The Evergreen State College, where she studied Asian American history and film with the goal of educating people on past injustices done to the Asian American community. She is currently working freelance, where she has been the official photographer and videographer of Lunar New Year, AANHPI Heritage Day, and past Diwali celebrations. She has recently completed a documentary about Spokane’s Historic International District.