Author Archives: Jaslene Lai

Presenting AYR to the Principal of Burlingame High School

February 8, 2023 | Earlier today, following another hate incident at her school, Jaslene had the honor to speak to the principal of Burlingame High School and present AAPI Youth Rising’s mission and achievements to her. Jaslene explained the effects educating people on the narratives of Asian Americans and other races and how said education is key to fighting racism found in all communities, including diverse ones like Burlingame High School. The values and beliefs of impressionable youth can be heavily impacted by their environment. With our goal to educate and speak up, AYR will continue to make safe spaces like Burlingame High School even more welcoming. Go panthers!

Partnering Alliance for a Healthier Generation

February 7, 2023 | We’re excited to continue partnering with Alliance for a Healthier Generation in 2023! Thanks to Alliance for a Healthier Generation for highlighting our One Day of AAPI History Lesson and our ONE/180 Pledge. You can read about our partnership in AHG’s Annual Report. Fun fact, AHG highlighted some cool authors last year and Jane Park, who dedicated her poem to us at our AAPI Youth Rising Rally, was selected by HG!

White House Lunar New Year Celebration

January 26, 2023 | Today, Mina (in spirit), Jaslene, Charlee, and Anna, had the honor of visiting the white house on behalf of AYR. They had the honor of hearing Elaine Tso, Dr. Biden, and the president all make speeches. The recent shootings have greatly impacted our community, making it even more important to lift each other up and come together. The president delivered an impactful speech on gun violence and the importance of lunar new year. After that, we met tons of awesome people, and Anna had a great chat with Belinda Lei, and even found a colleague of her mother’s. They got to explore a good 5 or 6 rooms, but the red and green room particularly were Anna’s favorites. She got to sit on the couch that Michelle Obama sat on famously, and spotted a Bierstadt painting from across the room and interrogated a random marine on whether or not another one might be in the building. After that, Charlee and Jaslene talked to Lee Wong, a retired army veteran who showed his battle scars on a TikTok video as a protest. Everybody there was so interesting, and we hope to continue communicating with them after today!

Breaking Stereotypes: “38 At The Garden”

“38 At The Garden” is a 2022 HBO documentary short that discusses the 2011-12 NBA season and its star, Jeremy Lin. Lin is an Asian American basketball player who formerly played for the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is now a player for the Chinese Basketball Association. The documentary includes testimonies from several Asian…

The Efflorescence of Immigration in the United States

The war in Ukraine has left governments scrambling to accept the incoming flood of refugees. Since the war started in February, 5 million Ukrainians have departed Ukraine, and about 15,000 Ukrainians have fled to the U.S. However, by allowing Ukrainian refugees to immigrate to the U.S. through the U.S.-Mexico border while forbidding Mexican immigrants…

The Sides to Affirmative Action and the Impact on Asian American Students

In the recent awakening of current news, the Supreme Court last week has reviewed two affirmative action cases that have placed Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at issue. Harvard University was accused of holding Asian American students to higher standards in the college admissions process, while the University of North Carolina…