Our Mission + History
AAPI Youth Rising is a student collective of 200+ chapters across 35 states and counting. We believe in the power of small actions.
Our collective teaches the untold histories of Asian Americans nationwide. Our platform provides youth with many ways of getting involved: through taking legislative action, participating in art activism, public speaking, and teaching in classrooms.
Our Work
We developed a lesson about the untold stories of Asians in America that we volunteer to teach to classrooms nationwide.
- Sign our ONE/180 Pledge. Pledge dedicating just 1 day out of the 180 educational days we receive during the school year to AANHPI history + culture.
We raise our voices.
We have been heard at the White House, Congress, the President’s White House Initiative on AANHPI, the California Civil Rights Department, local school board meetings, community gatherings, and the global stage. You can read about our speaking engagements here.
In 2023, the California Civil Rights Department named AYR as a community partner to develop and launch California’s first non-emergency hate reporting hotline: CAvsHate.org. We participate in United Against Hate Week, PRIDE parades across the state and many affiliate events. We have also worked with Right Our Story, supported by California’s Mental Health Commission.
- The White House Initiative on AANHPI. AYR presented to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders: Commission Subcommittee for Health.
- Testimony to the White House Forum on AANHPI, the California Commission on the State of Hate, the City of Berkeley, the City of Los Angeles’ Commission on the Status of Women, the Orange County Health Care Agency, the FDA, and more.
We create.
Our blog showcases op-eds, art, and poems that celebrate our diversity. We consulted on the Wells Fargo San Francisco AAPI Heroes mural in Chinatown. For United Against Hate week, we organized a virtual student art showcase. We organized student art shows in support of ethnic studies mandates. We’ve even been the subject of local art! Check out the unveiling of Twin Wall’s mural here.
- AYR Blog, Events, Art Corner, Op-Ed Corner, AAPI Art History Corner, and more.
We take small actions.
Many of our actions have been signed into law.
Our youth committees lead teach-ins, social media, art, writing/op-ed/blog, and legislative action. Our AYR Action Corner addresses issues ranging from hate crimes, gun violence, and reproductive justice to mental health. We support legislation, we show up for public hearings, submit written comments, sign on as a supporting organization, submit position letters and more. Through civic engagement, we drive positive change.
- We have successfully advocated for AAPI History mandates and ethnic studies bills across the country.
- We continue to support legislation like the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act, the Teaching Asian Pacific American History Act, and the National AANHPI Mental Health Day.
- We partner with research initiatives to provide youth insight and data for research about youth mental health, wellness and safety.
Honors (select):
- President Biden honored AYR Founder Mina Fedor at the United We Stand Summit held at the White House. You can stream the summit here.
- U.S. House of Representatives (2025), California State Senate (2025), City of Daly City (2025), County of San Mateo (2025), California State Treasurer (2023), City of Berkeley Proclamation (2022),
Grants (select):
- American Girl selected AYR as the 2022 Girl of the Year Partner Organization for the first Chinese American Girl of the Year, Corinne Tan.
- California Civil Rights Department invited AYR to develop, launch, and monitor CAvsHate.org, California’s first non-emergency hate reporting hotline.
Media (select):
- TODAY Show, Washington Post, Good Morning America, CBS Evening News, Teach For America, “Together As One” by Soul of a Nation, and many others.
- Documentaries like “Making Waves” share our story. “Soul of a Nation” highlights Mina’s story.