will.i.am Supports 100,000 Strong Initiative

 On Monday, Black Eyed Peas musician, will.i.am, joined with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Americans Promoting Studying Abroad (APSA) at the Mendez Learning Center in Boyle Heights. They announced the partnership between the city of Los Angeles and the 100,000 Strong Initiative to promote studying abroad in China.

will.i.am encouraged the students to “Go out there, collaborate, dream,” said the singer, who grew up in Boyle Heights. “Make a plan to execute, to come back home and tell your cousins, your nephews, your tias, your tios, your abuelitas, everybody, just what you’re learning. They’re going to be proud of you. ‘Oh, mija, I’m so proud of you.’ You need to do that. Let’s not mess around. Let’s go.”

will.i.am, who is a goodwill ambassador for the initiative, will headline a concert in Beijing on Dec. 17 to raise money to support the program. McGiffert said it will cost between $5,000 and $6,000 to send the students from Mendez to Beijing for six weeks.

The singer said China’s middle class is expected to grow tenfold to 700 million in a decade. “Do you know how much 700 million people is? Are there 700 million people in America?” will.i.am asked. “No. Think about it. Our middle class is real fragile. In 2020, their middle class will be more than Americans.”