Action Corner

What action will you take?

Ready to take action? Here’s some inspiration. Do you have actions to highlight? Contact info@aapiyouthrising.org! AAPI Youth Rising believes in…

• Fighting for inclusive education
• Promoting safer and healthier communities
• Uniting against hate of all forms through civic engagement, coalition building and raising our youth voices.

Tell Congress: Restore the Voting Rights Act

The Supreme Court disastrously undermined the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder in 2013, opening the door for states and counties to enact restrictive voting laws and policies. The result? The racial turnout gap — the difference in voter participation between white voters and voters of color — grew twice as fast in places formerly protected by a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act as in the rest of the country.

This cost hundreds of thousands of votes from voters of color in the last federal election alone. Without action, our democracy will suffer.

Americans of color deserve the same access to the ballot box as white Americans. The John Lewis Voting Rights Act would protect voters from discrimination and strengthen our democracy. Congress must restore the Voting Rights Act now. Sign here.

San Francisco International Film Festival: Schools at Doc Stories

As part of SFFILM’s Schools at Doc Stories, teachers and students from around the world can sign up to watch the film Making Waves: The Rise of Asian America online from November 3-10th! To sign up to watch this film online and check out the rest of the program, visit the ticket order form here. Mina speaks alongside the producers of the film for the Q&A!

In this urgent and deeply resonant documentary, Making Waves: The Rise of Asian America traces the powerful legacy of Asian American activism — from the 1968 student strikes in California to the present-day fight against anti-Asian hate. Making Waves builds a compelling case for education as resistance. With clarity, compassion, and a strong intergenerational focus, the film amplifies the ongoing struggle to define Asian American identity on its own terms. 

No to the SAVE Act

The SAVE Act is a dangerous attempt to make it harder for millions of eligible Americans to register and vote.

A faction of extremist lawmakers is pushing the SAVE Act, a dangerous anti-voter law designed to make it harder for millions of eligible Americans to register and vote.

This legislation would require strict proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, documents that millions of Americans don’t have access to.

Requiring every citizen to provide a passport or birth certificate in person to register or update their voter information would impact all of us, but would especially impact working-class Americans, older voters, women who’ve changed their last name, and those who’ve lost essential documents due to natural disasters.

This isn’t about protecting elections, it’s about silencing voters.

Sign the petition tell your representatives to vote NO on the SAVE Act!

5th Annual AANHPI Mental Health Day

On May 10, 2025, AAPI Youth Rising, NAAPIMHA, cities, elected officials, community organizations, and businesses are commemorating the fifth annual National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Day, a national day to raise awareness around mental health in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Day takes place at the intersection of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. This year, the bicameral resolution declaring May 10th as AANHPI Mental Health Day will be introduced yet again in Congress with AYR signing on. At the state and local level, AA & NHPI mental health advocates and organizations from 20+ states, counties, and cities have submitted proclamation requests. NAAPIMHA will be joined by over 110+ community partner organizations to center and support AA and NHPI mental health in communities nationwide.

AAPI Youth Rising joins NAAPIMHA, the National Asian American Mental Health Association, alongside over 50 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander-serving (AANHPI) organizations released a coalition statement in response to recent, widespread staffing, funding, and infrastructure cuts at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and their immediate and long-term impacts on AANHPI mental health. We speak about cuts to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Office of Behavioral Health Equity (OBHE), and the Office of Minority Health (OMH). Read the Press release here. Take additional action all month long here.

Supporting SB 1301 in Arizona

Make Us Visible Arizona, alongside a grassroots coalition of 30 AANHPI organizations & supporters, has been leading efforts in their state to require the integration of AANHPI history in K-12 schools. Their bill SB 1301 is led by Republican Senator John Kavanagh and co-sponsored by Democrat Senator Brian Fernandez. SB 1301 passed the Republican-controlled Senate with bipartisan support on 03/03 and passed out of the House Education Committee last week.

A multi-cultural coalition of 31 AZ-based organizations has signed a public letter in support of SB 1301.  Organizations include those representing the Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino, Micronesian, Marshallese, and Palauan communities + Arizona Students Association, Asian Corporate and Entrepreneur Leaders, and the Phoenix Indian Center, which is the oldest American Indian non-profit organization of its kind in the United States.  The Black Phoenix Organizing Collective has affirmed its support and will be soon adding its name to the letter.

It is anticipated that SB 1301 will pass in the House and make it to Governor Katie Hobbs’ desk for either her signature or veto. AAPI Youth Rising will join Make Us Visible on a National AANHPI letter addressed to the Governor in support of SB 1301

2023-2024 Annual Report of the Commission on the State of Hate

The 2023-2024 Annual Report of the Commission on the State of Hate was released today. Download it here.

The Commission on the State of Hate was established to assist California with monitoring, preventing, and responding to hate. Based on research, consultations with experts, and public input, the Commission recommends—on an interim basis at this time because the Commission’s work is ongoing—19 policies and three sets of tools to combat hate. This second Annual Report explains each recommendation along with the supporting evidence. It also includes a detailed review of the state of hate in California and a summary of the Commission’s key activities from July 1, 2023, through May 31, 2024.

The report includes the following interim tools to assist communities and governments with combatting hate violence:

• Eight evidence-based guiding principles for designing and implementing public messaging campaigns to prevent and reduce hate
• A research framework for use by local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and others interested in measuring patterns and trends in hate and its impacts
• Five evidence-based guiding principles for designing and implementing hate prevention programs in schools

HR 6408/9405 in Ways and Means text

On September 20, 2024, AAPI Youth Rising joined a coalition of 354 civil liberties, religious, reproductive health, immigrant rights, human rights, racial justice, and educational organizations spearheaded by the ACLU and wrote the House of Representatives and urged opposition to H.R. 9495. The diverse group expressed deep concerns about the bill’s potential to grant the executive branch extraordinary power to investigate, harass, and effectively dismantle any nonprofit organization — including news outlets, universities, and civil liberties organizations like ours — by stripping them of their tax-exempt status based on a unilateral accusation of wrongdoing.

The House Ways and Means tax bill includes the language, so now please reach out to your Ways and Means members urging them to strip the language out of the bill by 2:30pm, May 13th, 2025.

Wellness During Election Season Virtual Mental Health Space Offerings

NAAPIMHA is offering two different FREE virtual election season spaces for folks looking to process their thoughts, emotions, anxieties, and center their mental health during this election season in the form of:

1. Facilitated Wellness During Election Season Listening Sessions with mental health professionals on select Wednesdays around key election dates/events at 4-5 pm PT/ 7-8 pm ET via Zoom on the following upcoming dates. Register for all upcoming sessions here!
   • Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024
   • Wednesday, October 30th, 2024
   • Wednesday, November 6th, 2024
   • Wednesday, November 13th, 2024
   • Wednesday, Jan 15th, 2025
2. Monthly Vote for Wellness Check-in Spaces on the last Tuesday of the month (skipping December 2024) at 4-5 pm PT/ 7-8 pm ET via Zoom on the following upcoming dates. Register here!
   • Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024
   • Tuesday, Nov 26, 2024
   • Tuesday, Jan 28, 2025

Mobilize the AAPI Vote: get PAID!

We need your help! APIAVote and our local partners are aiming to contact over 1.7 million AANHPI households of voters throughout the month of October. Phone banking will be done virtually from the comfort of your home, but we require that you have a laptop/computer, internet access and a phone.

Register here!

Youth VOTER Registration

Get ready to supercharge your activism with APIAVote’s exciting series of training sessions! We’re offering a unique opportunity for young activists to dive into grassroots organizing and gain essential skills for making real change. Our virtual sessions are packed with valuable insights, expert guidance, and strategies that will empower you to take action in your community.

Register for one of our virtual sessions here!

2024 United Against Hate Week

For the second year, AYR joins state and local leaders to stand United Against Hate (UAH). We reject hate of any kind and believe that building a safer and more equitable world starts by working together. AYR’s Youth Art Takeover will happen every day during the week of September 21-27th. If you have art/writing that you would like to submit, email info@aapiyouthrising.org by September 15th. We will also feature your work on our website!

Here’s how we’re uniting. How will you? Since 2017 UAHW brings together state and local leaders, community members, activists, and many others to stand United Against Hate. Plan an action of your own by checking out the toolkit. Here’s how you can join AYR during this commemorative week:

• Stream the United We Stand Summit hosted at the White House. Hear from community leaders and government officials and President Biden on how we can all counter hate-fueled violence and foster unity.
• AAPI Youth Rising United Against Hate Art week. We’re sharing AYR art all week long! Check out our Instagram @aapiyouthrising for more!

California vs. Hate – Report Hate

Did you know that you’re never too young to stand up to hate? Are you bullied in school? Do you need someone to talk to? Call 833-8-NO-HATE. It’s anonymous and there are tons of resources to support you! All kids deserve to feel safe in their homes, communities and schools. And the first step for feeling safe is asking for help.

Free support is available to victims and witnesses who report hate. CA vs Hate is not affiliated with law enforcement and your report can be made anonymously, regardless of immigration status. Your voice matters in the fight to reduce hate. Join us in our mission of making California a more safe and inclusive place for all. Report at www.cavshate.org.

America’s Field Trip

AYR is proud to join the official launch of “America’s Field Trip.” This nationwide scholastic competition invites students to express their thoughts on what America means to them through art, poems, essays, or videos. Notably, 75 first-place awardees from each age group and along with their designated chaperone will be provided with free travel, lodging, and access to unforgettable field trip experiences at select historical and cultural sites across the country. Imagine a private tour of the National Archives in D.C. or a behind-the-scenes visit of the Statue of Liberty! Second-place awardees will receive $500 cash awards, and the submission deadline is May 17th. More info here. 

Free the Pill Day – May 9th

Free the Pill Day is celebrated every May 9 in recognition of the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the first birth control pill on that day in 1960. This year, we celebrate the first Free the Pill Day with a birth control pill available over the counter in the US!

Join us on Thursday, May 9 to honor this milestone, amplify evidence-based information about Opill, and highlight the need for continued work to support equitable access—including advocating for full insurance coverage, low- and no-cost options, and availability in stores and online without barriers. Share this post and tag: #FreeThePill, @free_the_pill!

CSU and UC Lunar New Year (AB 2883)

AAPI Youth Rising submits a position letter in support of AB 2883 which seeks to establish Lunar New Year as an official holiday at California State Universities (CSU) and University of California (UC) campuses. You can write to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education in support. See our letter here. Submit your position letter here.

Access to Birth Control Act

AAPI Youth Rising joins as a signatory organization for the Access to Birth Control Act reintroduced by Sen. Booker’s office on April 18, 2024. The Access to Birth Congtrol Act ensures patients seeking FDA-approved contraception, including emergency contraception and medication related to contraception, can access it in a timely manner and not be prevented from doing so by a pharmacy. We hope you will join us in endorsing the bill. Reach out to your Senators now to encourage support.

Change.org petition to reinstate empaty and anti-bullying

Members of Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania’s School Board decided to cancel an assembly schedued at Mountain View Middle School. The assembly was set to feature Act to Change’s Maulik Pancholy who leads the organization’s anti-bullying efforts. This decision to cancel his speaking opportunity was made solely because he is openly gay with one board stating that “…he is proud of his lifestyle, and I don’t think that should be imposed on our students.” The cancellation of the assembly sends a harmfull message to all students. We stand with all the students in asking for reinstating the assembly with Maulik Pancholy. Sign the petition, started by Cumberland Valley community member to reverse the school board’s decision and reinstate Mr. Pancholy’s presentation on empaty and anti-bullying.

Financial Literacy

April is Financial Literacy Month. So, AYR is partnering up to provide some resources you can share and check out to learn to avoid scams and fraud.

• You can use an interactive dashboard to see trends and find out about top reports in your metro area, state, and around the country at ftc.gov/exploredata
• Education and Training issues: Advice for choosing a college or vocation school, paying for school, and avoiding fake degrees and other scams
• Information on Online Privacy and Security
• Anatomy of an Imposter Scam
• The FTC has consumer alerts you can receive via email; the latest one is on Influencers: Spot a job scam
• They also have consumer education materials on How to Spot, Avoid, and Report scams in multiple languages, including Chinese, Hmong, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese
• You can help protect your community by reporting fraud, scams, and bad business practices at ReportFraud.FTC.Gov

2024 AAPI Bullying Survey

Act To Change is calling on AAPI youth to fill out their 2024 survey, conducted in partnership with the Bullying Prevention and Mental Health Promotion Lab at the University of Maryland, College Park. Your stories will help empower our community, and create anti-bullying policies to keep all youth safe from bullying, racism and harassment.

In 2021, they published the first Asian American Bullying Survey Report in partnership with NextShark and ADMERASIA. The report showed that 80% of #AsianAmerican youth reported having experienced bullying. And only 38% out of those told an adult about bullying. Bullying of AAPI youth is astonishingly normalized, and your voice will help us create a world where all youth are celebrated and empowered.

Your input helps us identify similar bullying patterns and take action to end bullying. One survey participant will receive a free Apple iPad!

Amplify Voices, Promote Women’s Wellness: Elevating Asian Communities in Civic Engagement

NAAPIMHA (The National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association) is hosting a Vote for Wellness Initiative event: “Amplify Voices, Promote Women’s Wellness: Elevating Asian Communities in Civic Engagement” in Boston on April 18th, 2024 at 6:30 PM at the Cambridge Foundry. This event is free but we ask that all attendees register here.

Action Alert: Amicus Brief on Anti-Asian Doctrine

AYR signed on to AAJC’s amicus brief in Department of State v. Muñoz at the U.S. Supreme Court. This case arose when a noncitizen who is married to a US citizen was denied a visa, and considers whether the courts can review that denial. This is also known as the doctrine of consular nonreviewability. The brief highlights the anti-Asian origins and dangerous impacts of that doctrine, and calls for the Court to reject it.

Act to Change 6th Annual National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate

Act To Change is rallying the nation – including cities, elected officials, influencers, and community organizations – around the 6th Annual National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate.

May 18, 2024 would have been Vincent Chin’s 69th birthday. Chin’s life was cut short four decades ago in a hate crime where two men brutally attacked him just because he looked Asian. Join us in LA and RSVP here for the 6th Annual National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate!

Monitor Dis-And Misinformation

APIAVote monitors and analyzes disinformation trends as they pertain to voting rights, elections, democracy, anti-Asian hate, narratives about our communities, and narratives originating from our communities. Check out their disinformation guide here. Check out in-language voter info here.

Mental Health Now

Stand up for mental health by urging your lawmaker to become a Mental Health Now Candidate. Click here to send a pre-written email and ensure mental health remains a top priority. Check out more AAPI mental health resources here.

No-Fly Case at the U.S. Supreme Court

AAPI Youth Rising signs on as a partner organization for an amicus brief filed in the United States Supreme Court on December 20, 2023 by Asian Americans Advancing Justice and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP (“Willkie”) in support of the respondent Yonas Fikre in the case Federal Bureau of Investigation, et al. v. Yonas Fikre, No. 22-1178, on appeal from Case No. 20-35904 (9th Cir.).

Asian American Resource Center Annual Report

In this Annual Report, AARC (Asian American Resource Center) mentions the myriad of youth, adult, and senior-level programs that they host to help facilitate the exploration of Asian-American history and uplift Asian-American creatives in the Austin community.

This organization has also held several exhibitions that allow Asian-American artists to express their struggles and experiences as Asian Americans. They also provide volunteer opportunities that allow community members to help Austin become more educated on Asian culture and language. – by Hana Parker (TX)

National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association – Vote for Wellness Initiative

AAPI Youth Rising joins NAAPIMHA’s Vote for Wellness Initiative which is a voter engagement campaign supporting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities to get out the vote while centering their mental health and well-being during Election season.

The goals of the initiative are to increase voter participation within AANHPI communities by 1) providing voter education and voter registration support to AANHPI individuals with mental disabilities and/or the loved ones who support them and 2) providing voter education through the lens of mental health education to inform AANHPI voters of candidate positions on mental health.

SIGN UP HERE to be a Vote for Wellness Ambassador! Ambassadors join a community of fellow mental health advocates supporting their communities in engaging in voter registration, education, and spaces of wellness this upcoming year. Meetings start Jan 2024! Learn more: naapimha.org/vote-for-wellness

CA Commission on the State of Hate

AAPI Youth Rising joins the California Commission on the State of Hate on November 9th from 6pm-8pm PT. The meeting will be livestreamed and it’s open to the public if you’d like to attend in person. It’s especially important to come together right now. Hear from youth from AAPI Youth Rising (Jaslene, Hudson, and Mina), the Islamic Network Group, Black Youth Leadership Project, La Puente High School Dream Resource Center, Israeli-American Civic Action Network, Islamic Network Youth Group, and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84821291222, and/or 1-669-444-9171 and Meeting ID: 848 2129 1222

Japanese American National Museum, 100 N. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Support AB 449 (Ting): Hate Crimes – Law Enforcement Policies

AAPI Youth Rising joins 41 Asian American and Pacific Islander organizations and allies to support California Assemblymember Ting’s bill to combat the continuing wave of hate crimes in California. In 2018, the State Auditor found that “law enforcement did not adequately identify, report, or respond to hate crimes.” The major problem was the lack of adequate law enforcement protocols. AB 449 is a critical step in addressing hate crimes by requiring every law enforcement agency to adopt an extensive hate crime policy that every peace officer will be required to know and follow. To ensure accountability, every agency will be required to submit its policy to the Department of Justice to be checked for legal compliance.

AB 449 was approved by Governor Newsom on Oct 8, 2023!

Asian Texans for Justice

Asian Texans for Justice is a group of AAPI community organizers and activists who use policy advocacy, civic engagement, and coalition building to help tackle important issues of Asian discrimination and violence. They also appreciate the help of any volunteers who help make these events possible. 

They currently have two events in September: a Viet Culture Fest from 10am-7pm on September 16th that allows all participants to immerse themselves in Vietnamese culture as well as a Austin Mid-Autumn Festival from 3pm-7pm on September 24th that illustrates the beauty and origin of Vietnamese culture. They are also currently accepting any volunteers who are willing to help make these events possible!

Bias Response

Did you know that there are bias response hotlines made to help support people affected by bias crimes? Bias crimes are crimes involving discrimination due to ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and other factors which may cause someone to be discriminated against.

Bias response hotlines exist to help people understand and make decisions about what options they may take if they have experienced the effects of bias and discrimination. Bias hotline responders are usually trained in crisis intervention and bias response advocacy techniques, including assistance in reporting bias crimes to law enforcement.

If you believe you have been affected by bias and discrimination, you can search for bias response resources and hotlines within your state. This link offers general information on how to report a bias crime applicable to residents of any state.

Alliance For a Healthier Generation: How to Foster Self-Awareness When Challenging Emotions Arise

We’re all healthier and stronger when we can identify, share, and manage our emotions with the people closest to us.

In celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Healthier Generation and Kohl’s Healthy at Home are collaborating with Act to Change and AAPI Youth Rising to share ways to foster healthy social-emotional skills with your family by creating a new microlearning, How to Foster Self-Awareness When Challenging Emotions Arise.

Learn to understand, communicate, and navigate feelings and experiences as a family using this interactive resource. 

Act to Change empowers students, families, and educators by providing resources to become active anti-bullying ambassadors in their communities. AAPI Youth Rising is a student-led organization whose mission is to take small actions to make positive change in our communities. Begin your journey HERE!

Annual National Day Against Bullying and Hate

AAPI Youth Rising is a proud organizational partner for the Annual National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate. You’re never too young to make a difference. Join us in speaking out.

On May 18, 2023, anti-bullying nonprofit Act To Change is rallying the nation in commemorating the fifth Annual National Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Day Against Bullying and Hate. [Your organization name] is committed to ending bullying and hate in the AAPI community and is proud to join over 100 organizations and over 40 cities, states and jurisdictions in this movement.

Act To Change’s commemoration on May 18 is part of Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month and marks the birthday of Vincent Chin. In 1982, Chin was falsely blamed for the layoffs in the auto industry, and brutally murdered in a racial hate crime. He lost his life simply because he was Asian. Chin’s death launched the modern Asian American movement, and we’re proud to join Act To Change in continuing this movement. Take the Pledge Against Bullying here!

Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act

The AANHPI community faces a growing mental health crisis, including increased AANHPI youth deaths by suicide. And we aren’t seeking the help we need. This is due to intergenerational and cultural differences and stigmas about mental health that are unique to our communities. The statistics are real and to join as a signatory organization to the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act introduced by US Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) to the 118th Congress on May 30, 2023 and reintroduced by Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) and Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA). Email your legislators in support!

Minnesota: Include AAPI History

AYR’s Minnesota Chapter Leader Emma Yu launches a petition to collaborate with State rep. Patricia Mueller in effort to transform the Minnesota AAPI History bill into law. Take a minute and sign the petition.

Wix Page on AAPI Hate Crimes

AYR’s Chapter Leader Kaleb Condez launches a website to stop AAPI hate. Take a minute to check it out Kaleb’s new Stop AAPI Hate Crimes website and educate yourself on this topic.

Teaching Asian Pacific American History Act

Exciting news! Teaching Asian Pacific American History Act was officially reintroduced! Shout out to US Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joins Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) in reintroducing legislation to promote the teaching of AANHPI history in public schools. Write your legislators in support! See options for contacting Senators here! Find your district’s Representative here!Specifically, the act would:

• require grant applications from Presidential and Congressional Academies to include AANHPI history as part of their American history and civics programs
• encourage the inclusion of AANHPI history in national and state tests administered through the National Assessment of Education programs
• promote collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution’s Asian Pacific American Center to develop innovating programming regarding AANHPI history

Join Right Our Story

Right Our Story is a campaign to address race-based bullying. Racial stereotypes, mean jokes, and calling folks names has never been ok. But bullying happens so often and in so many different ways, it can start to feel almost normal.

Right Our Story is looking to change the narrative and we need your stories of bullying. You can share your anonymous story here. You can join the community and follow the movement!

Support resolution designating May 10, 2023 as National Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Mental Health Day

AYR joins as a Community Champion committed to celebrating National AANHPI Mental Health Day! In 2021, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) introduced the first congressional resolution to recognize May 10th as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Mental Health Day. This resolution calls upon Members of Congress to promote national awareness of mental health issues unique to the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community and urges State and local health agencies across the nation to improve the quality and availability of mental health services for this population.

This year, the national resolution will be introduced again on May 10th, marking the 3rd anniversary of AANHPI Mental Health Day. AYR is proud to join as a community partner in support. Write your representative to support this national resolution! See options for contacting Senators here! Find your district’s Representative here! Check out the latest status on state and city proclamations spearheaded by NAAPIMHA here!

Assault weapon legislation

Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Chris Murphey (D-Conn.) introduced a pair of bills on January 23, 2023, to protect communities from assault weapons. These bills come at the heels of the 6th mass shooting in California in 13 days. Assault weapons designed to kill as many people as quickly as possible have no business in our schools or our communities. The Assault Weapons Ban would ban the sale, transfer, manufacture, and importation of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and other high-capacity ammunition-feeding devices. This includes the gun used by a shooter on January 22 to kill 11 people and injure 9 more at the Lunar New Year’s celebration in Monterey Park, Calif. The Age 21 Act would raise the minimum age to purchase assault weapons from 18 to 21, the same requirement that currently exists in law for handguns.

Contact your Senators and ask them to vote in support of the bills. You can do this by sending them an email through their website and referencing the two bills below, or you can call their office too. With just a few minutes, you can share your opinion! Make sure to include your personal stories or opinions in your email to your Senators. 

Support Legislative Package Honoring Civil Rights Icon Fred Korematsu

U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Representative Jill Tokuda (D-HI) introduced a package of bills honoring civil rights icon Fred Korematsu. The bills, also introduced by Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Representative Mark Takano (D-CA), include a resolution establishing a national “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution,” the Fred Koreamatsu Congressional Gold Medal Act, and the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act. Fred Korematsu stood up for over 120,000 Japanese people who were forcibly relocated and interned during World War II. He spent his life fighting for justice and equality. Write to your Senators and Representatives to support these bills. Here are some organizations who wrote in support. See options for contacting Senators here! Find your district’s Representative here!

Make Us Visible Florida

Make Us Visible is a national movement of local communities coming together to advocate for the inclusion of AAPI history in the K-12 curriculum in every state in America! We advocate for our state legislatures to adopt this inclusion of state history into law.

MUSV FL Passed into State Law! Congrats to AYR Chapter Leader Colin Poon and the MUVFL team! This action is HAPPENING!

STATEMENT FROM MUVFL: There has been a lot of misinformation about the FL AAPI history bill. This was a two-year effort led by a multiracial interfaith coalition of volunteers. Our coalition included folks of all backgrounds, races, religions, genders, sexualities, ages, etc. In addition, for the past several years, Florida’s K-12 general statutes include Holocaust studies, women’s contributions, Hispanic contributions, and African American history (since 1994). 

With the support, guidance, and leadership of organizations reflective of the aforementioned communities, the AAPI history bill was able to successfully move forward. 

No legislation is perfect; however, this is a win for our diverse community. This is how we see it here in Florida, and it is unfortunate that the bill passage has been manipulated to become a national wedge issue. It was a united multiracial interfaith community-led effort through and through.

Citizens’ Answer to Hate-Fueled Violence

Dignity.us is a citizens’ initiative to address the rise in hate-fueled violence in America. We all deserve safer communities. You can share your ideas, testimonials, and suggestions at Dignity.us. Once this information gathering is complete, Dignity.us will turn these findings into a country-wide response. You can share your story here and make a difference every day by choosing hope! Big news coming June 2023. Stay tuned.

Immigrant Family Health Care

All people living in the U.S. should have a right to affordable health care. Unfortunately, immigrants face barriers when it comes to seeking care and they are often forced to pay for care.

The HEAL for Immigrant Families Act would remove some barriers to health care coverage for immigrant communities by removing a five-year waiting period for immigrants to be eligible for Medicaid and CHIP coverage, extending the same coverage to DACA recipients, and extending savings and tax credits to undocumented immigrants.

The HEAL Act was last introduced in the 117th Congress (2021-2023). In January 2023, a new Congress will be sworn in. The HEAL Act will be reintroduced later this year. Interested in learning about how bills are drafted and re-introduced to a new Congress? Join us at a Thursday working session with National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum NAPAWF. Email info@aapiyouthrising.org to join.

One Day of AAPI History Lesson

The ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY LESSON is a one-hour introductory lesson about the history of Asians in America. We volunteer to teach our lesson to classrooms across America. Read about our lesson at Teach for America. Our lesson launched in May 2022 and we have already taught thousands of students. You can sign up to have AYR join your classroom or organization here. Stream our FREE Lesson here.

ONE/180 Pledge

The ONE/180 pledge asks our schools and teachers to teach at least one day of Asian American history and culture during the school year. Out of the 180 instructional days that we receive, we’re asking for at least one day. Sign the pledge here!

Join AAPI Youth Rising!

Chapter Leaders pledge to bring our ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY Lesson to a classroom or organization. Ambassadors pledge to take part in one small action during the school year. Small actions add up to make a difference. Email us at info@aapiyouthrising.org or find more information here!

Legislative Advocacy

Contact your Representative or Congressperson about anything you believe in:

• Email your Representative about an issue important to you! Did you know that your member of Congress will write you back? Find your district’s Representative here
• Contact your U.S. Senator. See options for contacting Senators here
• Visit your Congressperson. Members of Congress have offices both on Capitol Hill and in their home state or district. Contact your member’s staff to schedule a visit
• Sign up for your elected officials’ newsletters
• Check out Congress.gov for information on legislative action