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Hetty Chang, with her parents Cathy and Frank Chang, outside Cerritos City Hall. Cathy and Frank are long-time Cerritos residents.
BY TAMMYE MCDUFF
The month of May was officially proclaimed Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month for the City of Cerritos.
Celebrations of the culture, traditions and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were held throughout the city.
NBC4 reporter Hetty Chang was selected by Cerritos Mayor Mark Pulido to be honored for her accomplishments and contributions.
“We really appreciate that Ms. Chang was able to be here this evening,” said Mayor Pulido, “she covered the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, Korea this year and considered that a highlight of her career. Thank you for being a shining star and representing the best of our community.”
Previously, Chang reported for the NBC stations in Reno and Las Vegas and LA CityView Channel 35. She has covered a number of memorable stories that have garnered national attention, including her coverage from the recent Las Vegas mass shooting, and the murder-manhunt for ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner.
Chang was recognized for her coverage of the OJ Simpson robbery case and her award winning exposé chronicling Nevada’s hard hit economy.
She also conducted one of Barack Obama’s last interviews before he won the 2008 presidential elections.
“This is a huge honor, because this is my home town,” says Chang, “in 1986 when the mid air collision occurred, the larger plane actually came down in my neighborhood. I remember being struck by the huge responsibility of journalists having to tell that very heartbreaking story. That is where my passion for journalism began.”
Chang is fluent in Mandarin and is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association, a nonprofit organization that encourages professionals to consider careers in journalism and news management.
She is a graduate from Whitney High School in Cerritos and received her BA in Sociology and Asian American Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Chang is an Emmy Award winning reporter for NBC4 Southern California.
She covers stories across the Southland with emphasis in the Long Beach and South bay communities.
Chang can be seen weekdays on NBC4 during the 5:00 pm, 6:00 pm and 11:00 pm newscasts.
