Our Work

Small actions drive positive change.

Our Actions

2026 CA API Advocacy Day (May 18, Sacramento, Ca). AAPI Youth Rising will attend the 2026 CA API Advocacy Day. On this day, the Advocacy Coalition will help lead different events at the State Capitol to represent AANHPI Communities and Voices. RSVP Here.

AAPI Youth and Bolder Futures Summit (May 17 – 18, Sacramento, Ca). Join AAPI Data for the inaugural AAPI Youth and Bolder Futures summit. This summit will convene changemakers and students from across the state for interactive events focused on intergenerational futures-work and social innovation. At the summit, we will release a youth-authored vision for the future for AAPI communities, and engage in innovative workshops that build and strengthen intergenerational commitments. Attendees of this summit will be able to join the 2026 CA API Advocacy Day. For more information on the summit, please email info@aapiyouthrising.org.

AYR is highlighted in the SFFILM Schools a Doc Stories Program with Making Waves (November 6-10, 2025). Making Waves, the documentary following the AYR story, was selected for the SFFILM Schools at Doc Stories Program. San Francisco Schools at Doc Stories introduces K-12 students to high-caliber documentary storytelling and aims to showcase the art of filmmaking, develop media literacy, bring awareness to current world events, develop critical thinking skills and create an exciting learning environment outside of the classroom. To sign up to watch this film in your classroom for FREE, fill out the Schools at Doc Stories ticket orders online here.

Creating Spaces at the SF Asian Art Museum (November 8th, San Francisco, CA). AAPI Youth Rising joins Creating Spaces for a TAAF companion event at The Asian Art Museum featuring candid conversations on how childhood experiences shape our mental health and how to heal. Come hear AYR incoming Co-Executive Director Ethan speak and hear from journalist Lisa Ling. This community event will be open to all generations, bringing together youth, parents, and elders. Follow @creatingspacecommunity on Instagram for event updates and reach out to info@aapiyouthrising.org or creatingspacecommunity@gmail.com to RSVP. AYR leaders, stay tuned for speaking opportunities.

United Against Hate Art Week: As part of UAHW (October 19–25, 2025), AAPI Youth Rising is hosting a Virtual Art Week and joining UAHW for the 3rd year in a row! Callie and Eloise, AYR Middle School leads for this initiative, invite everyone to submit artwork—whether it’s digital, poetry, or physical creations—that reflects why it’s important to stand united against hate. To submit, email info@aapiyouthrising.org with the title of your artwork + short artist statement of what the art represents and why it’s important to stand united against hate, a photo of the artist/AYR Chapter member (YOU!), and your name.

TAAF AAPI Youth Mental Health Summit (November 7th @ 9AM – 6 PM PST, The Commonwealth Club, San Francisco, CA) This summit will bring together community leaders, educators, funders, and mental health experts to confront the urgent challenges facing AAPI youth. Informed by TAAF’s 2024 Beyond the Surface report. This is an invite-only event. Please mark your calendars and AYR Members interested in attending save the date—and email info@aapiyouthrising.org for a spot.

Silicon Valley Film Festival (October 20-26th, Sunnyvale, CA) AYR is excited to join Silicon Valley Film Festival for the second year in a row! This year, we’re screening the documentary that follows the AYR story: “Making Waves” by Jon Osaki and Josh Chuck.

AAPI VOICES: Interview with Kevin Kish, Director of California’s Department of Civil Rights (October 12, 2025) AYR’s David Siu interviews the Director of California’s Department of Civil Rights about CAvsHate.org, and AAPI Youth Rising’s ongoing multi-year partnership with the state’s first non-emergency hate-reporting hotline. Learn about how Kevin found his career as a civil rights attorney and hear about his Quaker roots, among many interesting facts!

Making Waves: features AAPI Youth Rising (October 2, 2025 at the APIAHF Voices Conference) Making Waves will make its Washington DC premiere on October 2nd at the APIAHF Voices Conference and George Washington Law School.  Here’s info about the screening: Click here to register for the APIAHF Voices Conference or here to RSVP for the GW Screening Hosted by AALEAD and APALSA.

The Commonwealth Club: Creating Citizens Youth Advisory Committee BALLOT LIVE!! (October 31, 2025). Hi AYR! We’re excited to share that we’re teaming up with the Commonwealth Club of World Affairs for the 2026 California Youth Agenda Conference! Do you have an issue you care about? Do you want to see it discussed at our 2026 conference? Fill the ballot out here and make sure to say you heard about it through AAPI Youth Rising! Last year, AYR co-director Ethan Su joined Mina on a panel with Michelle Meow during United Against Hate Week. For 2026, could the speaker be you? Stay tuned!

Special Meet & Greet with Dr. Shirley Weber, California Secretary of State (Saturday, September 27th from 3:30–5:00 PM in El Monte, CA). This is a rare opportunity to meet one of California’s top leaders—Dr. Weber is the third-highest constitutional officer in the state, behind the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and previously served as Chair of the State Budget Committee. You can learn more about her background here: Secretary of State Website and Dr. Shirley Weber. Email info@aapiyouthrising.org if you are an AYR leader and want to attend.

AAPI History Survey: One of our chapter leaders, Evelynn Leung, is conducting a survey to learn more about people’s awareness of AAPI history, how it is taught in schools, and how it may affect identity and cultural understanding. Evelynn is currently an 11th grade student and wants to raise awareness about how the lack of AAPI history in classrooms can affect students’ sense of identity and belonging, leaving them feeling unseen, underrepresented, or facing bias. Fill out her survey here.

APPLY for the Act to Change Youth Ambassador Program! (Due date: September 21 @ 11:59 PM ET).  Nominate here: https://forms.gle/w4MiRnbiLSxxUsUk6

Making Waves at the 23rd Oakland International Film Festival (September 18 @ 4-6pm PST, Grand Lake Theater). Join AYR at the historic Grand Lake Theater for an East Bay screening of the documentary featuring the original AAPI Youth Rising board! The filmmakers documented our group right when we had just formed. Learn about our early days teaching our history lesson at Black Pine Circle school in Berkeley, CA and the struggle for ethnic studies across the country.

AYR + CAvsHate: California Civil Rights Department PRESS RELEASE (September 17, 2025) AYR is a grant-funded partner organization of the California Civil Rights Department for CAvsHate.org, California’s first non-emergency hate reporting hotline. New data from CA vs Hate shows that people all across California are reporting hate and getting support! In our state, you’re not alone. In 2024, the hotline got nearly 1,200 reports of hate. We’re proud to be a partner and provide support. Check out the Partner Press Release here.

Mina joins CA Attorney General Rob Bonta, Assemblymember Mike Fong, Senator Scott Wiener and other community leaders on why the hotline is important:

“Young people face bullying in schools, fear of school shootings, fear for immigrant communities and our families, and a mental health crisis impacting Asian American youth, unlike one we’ve ever seen. During this time of increased violence and political extremism, it is all the more important that young people have a place to report through CAvsHate.org. We need culturally responsive resources supporting us, guiding us, and helping us feel empowered to stand up to hate-fueled violence so that we have the future we deserve.”

CA vs. Hate Hotline (September 17, 2025): The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) today released new statistics demonstrating ongoing demand for support and resources through California vs Hate, the state’s first-ever multilingual statewide hotline and online portal that provides a safe, anonymous reporting option for victims and witnesses of hate. In 2024, CA vs Hate received nearly 1,200 reports of hate across nearly 50 different counties.

1990 Institute Youth Symposium (September 6, 2025 @ 9-4pm PST, College of San Mateo, San Mateo, CA) AYR joined “Roots & Wings: Celebrating Asian American Youth” presented by the 1990 Institute for a day of workshops for over 300 young people and community members. AYR’s Mina Fedor spoke at the opening panel alongside former Labor Secretary Julie Su, Boba Guys’ founder Andrew Chau, Love in Taipei author Abigail Hing Wen, and Other Bets Director at Alphabet’s Steven Kan. In the afternoon, AYR’s Mia Fung moderated a panel on Art & Media and Mina lead a break out session on Activism and Advocacy. We also met AYR’s Virginia Chapter Leader Callie de Smet. Check back soon for recordings of the event!

OCA-APA Advocates: Asian American Achievement Awards (September 6, 2025 @ 6pm PST). At the 2025 Award gala, the AYR leadership team was honored by Congressman Kevin Mullin (D-CA15), Senator Josh Becker (CA-13), San Mateo County API Foundation, the Alameda County Assessor’s Office, and Councilmember Juslyn Manalo (Daly City, CA) for building a national youth platform. AYR leaders Mina Fedor, Charlee Trenkle, Jaslene Lai, Anna Hill, Cooper Hong, Maxwell Wong, Matthew Sugiyama , Ethan Su and Mia Fung were honored for contributing to the community in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

Making Waves Encore Screening by JCYC (August 16, 2025 @ AMC Kabuki Theater, SF). Join filmmaker Jon Osaki, AYR’s Mina Fedor, and Dr. Russel Jeung, the founder of Stop AAPI Hate, as they discuss Making Waves: The Rise of Asian America. The film explores the vital role of ethnic studies in redefining the narrative and promoting service to Asian American communities across the country. From the birth of ethnic studies at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State to present-day movements, Making Waves documents the stories of Asian American activism and efforts to lift up ethnic studies as a strategy to address present and future waves of anti-Asian hate.

Letter to Congress: Do Not Reinstate the China Initiative (July 23, 2025) AYR joins Stop AAPI Hate and partner organizations urging members to strike language directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to effectively reinstate the National Security Division (NSD)’s “China Initiative” in the Joint Explanatory Statement (JES). This problematic language would direct the DOJ’s National Security Division to reestablish an office dedicated to countering espionage and influence efforts against perceived threats from the PRC. In reality, this JES provision would target scholars, scientists, and academics with any perceived connections with China. We urge our leaders to remove this section and oppose any reinstatement of the “China Initiative” or any iterations.

AYR joins Senate Bill S2547 by Make Us Visible NY (July 1, 2025) Make Us Visible NY wanted to share an update about the inclusive history bill that they have been advocating for in NY – Bill S2547. As a reminder, this bill would require the teaching of Asian American, African American, Native American, and Latinx American history in all K-12 schools in NY state.

AYR joins the 8th Annual United Against Hate Week by United Against Hate (October 19 – 25, 2025) UAHW is a week of action where local leaders, community members, youth, and local agencies mobilize against hate. In previous years, partners have hosted United Against Hate convenings, movie screenings, networking and dialogue events, and rallies.

AYR joins the 5th Annual Teach Truth Days of Action by Zinn Education Project (June 8, 2025, 2-3pm PST) Erasing history paves the way for ethnic, racial, and religious nationalism. When you censor the history of social movements, you make citizens feel like they have no agency, and so it’s an anti-democratic education. — Jason Stanley

AYR joins hundreds of events nationwide in support of our right to learn our histories. The future of democracy and justice requires students to defend teaching people’s history. Join us to defend the freedom to learn. #TeachTruth. AYR is excited to join the Zinn Education Project’s 5th Annual Teach Truth Days of Action for a national Teach-In of the One Day of AAPI History Lesson on June 8, 2025 from 2-3pm PST. More info here. Register by emailing info@aapiyouthrising.org. AYR leaders interested in presenting, email info@aapiyouthrising.org.

AYR joins this year’s Free the Pill Education Day (June 3, 2025) We will join this year’s Hill Education Day to educate members of Congress on how they can be champions in combating mis and disinformation about OTC birth control, expanding affordable and equitable access, and upholding scientific integrity and accountability within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Interested in joining – rsvp here.

AYR partners with Britannica School (May 2025) We are excited to be included in this year’s AANHPI Heritage Month landing page for Britannica Schoo!

AYR presents at Joy Culture Foundation (May 31, 2025, 3:45-5:15pm PST) Mina brings the AYR lesson to elementary and middle school students for a workshop celebrating AAPI Heritage Month through education with Joy Culture Foundation.

AYR highlighted on First Stop News! (May 30, 2025) We’re honored to be recognized by First Stop News, a news show that covers breaking news and current events with explainers and kid-centric stories.

AYR’s Blog is a TOP 45 Asian American Blog on the web: FeedSpot (May 30, 2029) Honored to be recognized as one of the Top 45 Asian American Blogs on the web. We’re excited to join the list of the best Asian American blogs from thousands on the web.

AYR partners with American Girl for AANHPI Heritage Month 2025! (May 15, 2025) Three years ago, AAPI Youth Rising first partnered with American Girl to help launch the first Chinese-American Girl of the Year Doll, Corinne. Check out our updated partner page celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month where you can read about the founding of AAPI Youth Rising and listen to AYR x American Girl’s Making HERStory with Mina, World Champion figure skater Alysa Liu, and creative director Ellen Kim.

FOX KTVU interviews the directors of “Making Waves” feat AYR (May 26, 2025) Hear from director Jon Osaki why ethnic studies and AYR’s work are more important now than ever.

Act to Change Day Against Bullying and Hate (May 17, 2025) Join AYR’s Mia, Matthew and Ethan in NYC for Act to Change’s 7th Annual Day Against Bullying and Hate! Mina is mentoring the 5th graduating class of Youth Ambassadors and they will showcase their work in ending bullying across communities. Shout out to: Aliza, Kaelyn and Zoe for their projects on topics ranging from the model minority myth to artists fighting against the stigma surrounding AAPI mental health! We’re excited to celebrate their work! Mia F. from AYR will present her project too! More info here.

Documentary featuring AAPI Youth Rising Bay Area Premiere (May 10, 2025) We are so excited to be featured in Making Waves – directed by Jon Osaki and Josh Chuck. Join us at CAAM Fest, the nation’s leading showcase for Asian and Asian American talent in film. Making Waves is a timely, thought-provoking documentary about how ethnic studies – and specifically Asian American Studies (AAS) – dramatically influenced and empowered a generation. Mina, Charlee, Max and Jaslene join the post-screening reception for a Q&A. Get tickets here!

Asians Are Strong: Our Heritage 5K Fun Run and Our Wellness Festival (May 10, 2025 @ 11am, Portsmouth Square, SF) AYR’s next wave of leadership’s Ethan Su speaks at the Wellness Festival alongside RAM’s Angela Tang who we met at a White House Initiative on AANHPI event in 2024. Bring your families to run at 10am, and hear Ethan and Matthew speak at 11am! Register here.

Teaching One Day of AAPI History at Chandler (May 7, 2025) Chapter Leader Eloise will teach at Chandler on May 7 from 2-2:45PM. Contact info@aapiyouthrising.org if you are interested in helping out!

Napa County Office of Education (May 29, 2025) Sienna Yoo presents again to the Napa County Office of Ecucation for AAPI Heritage Month! We’re so proud of Chapter Leader Sienna and her continued work with the county.

AAPI Youth Rising Podcast Launch (May 15, 2025) AYR’s Maxwell Wong launches AYR’s first podcast! Stay tuned with interviews with AANHPI creators, policy makers and more!

2025 California AANHPI Advocacy Day (April 28, 2025, Sacramento, CA) The Asian Pacific American Public Affairs Association is hosting the 2025 California AANHPI Advocacy Day with over 200+ participant organizations, including AAPI Youth Rising. Organized by Asian Pacific American Public Affairs (APAPA), the event represents the largest statewide AANHPI advocacy mobilization since the Stop Asian Hate movement. Registration is now open here.

AYR joins the San Francisco Public Library to celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month (April 27, 2025) Join AYR as we celebrate the APIA Biography Project, now reaching its 12th anniversary, will be honoring Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) children’s book authors and illustrators this year.  In addition to learning activities, games, and book displays, storytellers Oliver Chin (Awesome Asian Americans) and Tracy Huahn (Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School) will host “Meet and Read” sessions.  There will also be a scavenger hunt with prizes for the first 50 children ages 12 and under.

Senator Hirono invites AYR to Student Roundtable (April 23, 2025) Mina is proud to join a round table of 6 student leaders to share perspectives on federal funding cuts to education programs, how dismantling the U.S. Department of Education may impact them and students in general, and how AYR is encouraging peers to get involved and take action. Press Release.

The Commonwealth Club of World Affairs: 2025 California Youth Agenda Conference (April 18, 2025) Mina moderates the “climate change” breakout panel and is proud to share that AYR partner Free the Pill’s Yevanit Reschenchtoko joins the “reproductive rights and health” panel.

USC AANHPI in Power Conference (April 17, 2025 @ USC, Los Angeles, CA) Hosted by the USC Political Student Assembly and AANHPI Women in Politics / EmpowerHer (AWPE), and sponsored by AAPI Youth Rising, this event will feature a powerful panel of former AAPI Elected officials and current elected moderating the evolving role of AANHPI in politics. Panelists include Hon. John Chiang, Former CA State Treasurer and Controller, Hon. Betty Yee – Former CA State Controller, Candidate for CA Governor. RSVP here (required).

2025 Asia Game Changer West Awards Gala (April 11, 2025) AYR is invited to attend a celebration for AANHPI game changers. In 2023, AAPI Youth Rising was named as a Game Changer. This year, we’re honored to celebrate: Andrew Ng, a globally recognized leader in AI from the Bay Area, Phyllis Kao, a record-breaking auctioneer at Sotheby with Bay Area roots, and Daniel Dae Kim, for his work supporting AAPI talent in the arts, television, and film 

California’s Civil Rights Department Commission on the State of Hate (April 1, 2025) AYR is excited to announce another term as a grant-funded partner organization with CAvsHate.org, California’s first non-emergency hate-reporting hotline.

AYR joins Free the Pill’s initiative on Opill distribution subgroup (March 27, 2025) Mina joins the kickoff meeting for a group of those dedicated to distributing Opill through bulk donation programs. AYR is a proud leader in reproductive justice campaigns like the first over-the-counter birth control pill.

California’s Civil Rights Department Commission on the State of Hate (March 26, 2025) The Commission on the State of Hate is holding a public meeting on March 26, 2025, at 9:00 AM via Zoom. The agenda includes discussing the 2024-2025 annual report and hearing an informational presentation by Dr. Jeannine Bell on best practices for enforcing hate crime laws. The meeting is open to the public.

Mina’s feature in a webinar with Not in our Town’s March Webinar (March 26, 2025) This webinar will focus on how communities can build and strengthen relationships to support United Against Hate efforts. Mina will be sharing insights from AAPI Youth Rising’s Art Takeover campaign and leading a small group discussion. The session will spotlight successful youth-driven initiatives and explore how art can be used to engage young people, amplify their voices, and mobilize communities for social change. It will also encourage stronger partnerships between students, schools, and the broader community.

Stop AAPI Hate’s Community Town Hall (March 18, 2025) AYR is invited to this event on Tuesday, March 18th, at 4:00 PM PT to discuss Trump’s Mass Deportation plan and how advocates, organizers, and directly impacted people are fighting back against it. Stop AAPI Hate will be joined by be joined by some amazing guest speakers from Adhikaar, Asian Prisoner Support Committee (APSC), National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), and United We Dream, to learn about the threats of deportation on the various members of our community and to discuss ways we can fight back against Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda and share resources for the community. Register here and help promote Stop AAPI Hate’s post!

AAPI Youth Rising and “Making Waves” at SXSW EDU (March 5, 2025) Documentary “Making Waves” featuring AYR joins South by Southwest EDU!

AAPI Leadership Summit (February 21, 2025) Mina and Matthew will be attending the 2025 AAPI Leadership Summit of the California Asian American and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus (AAPILC) and the California Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs (CAPIAA) as a panel speaker.

OC Mental Health & Wellbeing for Diverse Communities “Stand Against Hate” (January 16, 2025). Mina will participate as a panelist during the January 16, 2025 virtual 90-minute webinar titled “Stand Against Hate” for the collaborative partners of the OC Mental Health & Wellbeing for Diverse Communities.

WHIAANHPI Convening: A Community of Partnerships (January 10, 2025) AYR is attending this event, where they will highlight key milestones, including progress made on implementing the goals of the White House Initiative and recommendations of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

Free the Pill’s Comment (December 20, 2024) The final version of Free the Pill’s Comment on the Biden Administration’s proposed rule for enhancing coverage of OTC preventive services will be sent out the comment to coalition members today for them to sign onto with a deadline of December 20. More information will follow on when this comment has been posted to the Federal Registrar!

First NYS AAPI Commission Meeting (December 12, 2024) The first meeting of the New York State Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission will be a great opportunity to show everyone how important getting AANHPI history required in our schools is. If you are able to make it to the meeting, please register here and contact info@aapiyouthrising.org!

Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association Holiday Mixer (December 7, 2024) Contact info@aapiyouthrising.org if you’re interested in attending this event. We hope to see you there!

UAHW Community Convening (December 4, 2024, 3PM PST) Join CA vs Hate, alongside UAHW partners and other community members, on Wednesday, December 4 at 3 PM PST for an upcoming workshop: Community Recaps and Reports. This is an opportunity to reflect on UAHW’s collective efforts this year and start planning for an impactful UAHW in 2025. Register here if you are able to make it.

Take Action to Oppose Nonprofit Targeting (November 20, 2024) The bill (HR 9495) would allow the executive branch to strip the tax status of nonprofits by simply labeling them as “terrorist supporting.” While this may seem reasonable, we already have laws in place that penalize organizations for providing support to terrorists. In reality, this bill would grant the executive branch sweeping power to undermine news outlets, universities, advocacy organizations, and more based on unilateral accusations – all without due process.

Uniting Against Hate & Defending Our Communities (November 18, 2024) From the rise of racial profiling to inhumane mass deportations, the next Trump administration poses a serious threat to our rights, freedoms, and safety. Join Stop AAPI Hate and special guests as we discuss how we can fight back and forge a more united, equitable path forward for our communities. This event is open to the public and will provide an opportunity for community members to gather and learn about the hate-fueled, extreme policies that our communities could face under the next Trump administration, and how we can unite and mobilize in opposition to Trumpism. Register here.

AAPI Youth Rising is featured in the upcoming documentary Making Waves: The Rise of Asian America. The documentary is about impact of Asian Americans in the US and the importance of inclusive education, such as Ethnic Studies. Board members Anna, Charlee, Jaslene, and Mina were interviewed and filmed for the documentary during their teaching at the Black Pine Circle schools last March. Be sure to check it out when it comes out and watch the trailer here!

AYR will be included in a book chapter on advocacy and policy change in the 2nd edition of the Asian American Psychology textbook (edited by Dr. Alvin Alvarez, Nita Tewari, and Michi Fu, co-authored by Dr. Grace Chen, Dr. Sherry Wang, Dr. Anne Saw, and Manju Kulkarni. Here’s the info on the first edition. The textbook should be published by Routledge next fall.

Global Women Asia’s upcoming Women in STEM Award Ceremony and Reception (November 9, 2024) AYR joins GWA (Global Women Asia) for an unforgettable evening at the inaugural GWA Women in STEM Groundbreakers Award Dinner. Come and celebrate the remarkable women leading the charge in STEM worldwide, and meet the GWA 2024. This event will be at 5pm in the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. AYR’s Taryn and Camille will attend and write a post about it soon. Stay tuned!

Act to Change Youth Ambassador Program (November 1, 2024) AYR leaders were a part of the inaugural YAP class. Join the next class to learn how to lead. This year, Act to Change has expanded the program to be a school-year-long experience, offering even more resources, connections, and opportunities to help you create real, lasting, positive impact. Learn more and apply here.

32nd Asian American Achievement Awards Gala – Organization of Chinese Americans, Inc. (October 26, 2024, South San Francisco, 6-9pm PST) Mina and Charlee represent AYR as a proud OCA San Mateo partner at the 32nd Award Gala. We will be honored with a community partnership award after collaborating on many events: The Angel Island Immigration Station Tour and Storytelling workshop, AAmplify Summer Program, UC Berkeley College Tour Program and multiple policy sign-on opportunities. Thank you OCA!

AYR Youth Leadership Board Meeting (October 20, 2024, East Bay CA) The AYR Board, Board-in-Training members, and committee leads met to discuss upcoming events such as the Equity in Mental Health Symposium at the College of Marin, the inaugural summit for Teach AAPI, and Global Women Asia’s upcoming Women in STEM Award Ceremony on November 9th. Additionally, we broke the news that AAPI Youth Rising is going to be highlighted in an Ethnic Studies textbook published by Gibbs Smith Education. We had a great time eating snacks and discussing new changes to come to the organization. Subscribe to our newsletter here to learn more details about upcoming events and recent actions!

Advocating for NY K-12 AANHPI History Requirement (October 2024) We are proud to partner again with Make Us Visible and more than 125 NY-based organizations in supporting New York spearheading an organizational sign-on letter urging the state legislature to adopt a K-12 AANHPI history requirement! Click here to learn more about this advocacy for inclusive education in New York and support Make Us Visible NY by signing on here.

TeachAAPI Youth Summit “Roots & Routes: Making Your Mark” (October 26, 2024) Themed “Roots & Routes: Making Your Mark”, TeachAAPI’s inaugural summit is a partnership with Gold House and will feature speakers and panelists Bobby Hundreds, Payal Kadakia, Amy Liu, Ellen Chen, Ted Wu, Ron Escopete, Sherry Cola, Tiffany Yang, and Gold House panelists: Sean Malto, Twaydabae, and Pia Barlow, as well as a networking fair targeting the latest opportunities and trends. Students can take this one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn about themselves AND connect with leaders,creators and innovators who are there just for you. This is an event unlike any other speaker event or career fair you’ve attended, don’t miss out! Register here.

From the Ground Up from Hate Is A Virus (October 17, 2024) This project started with a question: “What inspires the people who inspire us – the ones who not only care, but do something about it?” Based on months of interviews with changemakers and community members, we developed From The Ground Up as a framework to guide individuals on their journeys to become better informed and more deeply engaged with social impact.

Equity in Mental Health Symposium at College of Marin (October 16, 2024, College of Marin, 1:40-3pm PST) AYR’s Taryn and Johann lead a workshop at the 3rd Annual Equity in Mental Health Symposium at the College of Marin. Mina led a youth panel at the 2nd Annual symposium. This will be AYR’s second year leading a panel at the symposium. Stay tuned for our blog post re-capping the event!

Voting for Ethics in the 2024 Election (October 9, 2024) The panelists will explain how ethics should be central to voters’ assessment of campaigns and candidates and the ways in which electoral campaigns have changed in the past few years, including the issues of truthfulness, integrity, and the responsible use of generative AI in campaigns.

AAPI Youth Rising Highlighted in Upcoming Ethnic Studies Textbook (October 2024) AYR is honored to be included in an Asian American ethnic studies textbook program for high school students, published by Gibbs Smith Education, Editor Jenna Tait. 25,000 print copies and 15,000 digital copies will be published in two languages. We are proud that our story will be shared in classrooms nationwide.

AYR TX Chapter Leader Hana Parker’s article (October 3, 2024) Hana Parker, AYR’s Southlake Texas Chapter Leader, published an article about finding her voice and presenting the AAPI Youth Rising lesson to her classroom. Congrats Hana!

Visit California vs Hate At An Oakland Roots Game (September 29, 2024) CA vs Hate will also be popping up at the Oakland Roots game on Sunday, September 29 at 3 PM. The Oakland Roots is a purpose-driven men’s soccer team that seeks to harness the magic of Oakland and the power of sports as a social force for good. Find more information here!

AAPI Youth Rising meets with Senator Mazie Hirono (September 27, 2024, Washington D.C.) AYR is excited to meet once again with Senator Hirono who has served as a United States Senator from Hawaii since 2013. Senator Hirono is the first elected female senator from Hawaii, the first Asian-American woman elected to the Senate, the first U.S. senator born in Japan, and the nation’s first Buddhist senator. Senator Hirono is an inspiration to all of us at AYR and has mentored the group since the very beginning. Read about her latest actions here.

Act To Change is collaborating with Warner Bros. Discovery‘s Asian employees for their Impact Day (September 27, 2024). The Warner Asian Voices Elevated (WAVE) group is hosting two sessions for any youth who are interested in learning more about careers and professional journeys in the entertainment industry on Friday, September 2.

AYR meets with Senator Hirono (September 27, 2024, Washington D.C.) AYR is honored to meet with our hero Senator Hirono for a discussion about mental health, gun violence, reproductive justice and more. Check out our blog posts about the meeting here.

White House Initiative on AANHPI Policy Summit in Washington, District of Columbia (September 26, 2024, 9:30am-5pm EDT, Washington D.C.) AYR’s Mina and Matthew speak at the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) Policy Summit on the the “Youth Changemakers: AANHPI Youth Mental Health Convening” panel from 2:40-3:30pm ET. The Summit will bring together the AA and NHPI community with federal agencies to uplift policy advancements made in the President’s Advisory Commission on AANHPI and the White House Initiative on AANHPI’s priority issue areas. More info here, agenda here, register here.

Joint Community Forum on Inclusive Justice: Addressing Hate and Upholding Civil Rights for People with Disabilities (September 26, 2024). The California Civil Rights Council and the Commission on the State of Hate are hosting a joint community forum on Thursday, September 26th in the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and virtually by Zoom. Speakers will include: Eric Harris, Dr. Karen Nakamura, and Greg deGiere! Members of the public will have the opportunity to make comments after the presentations. Join via Zoom here.

Election Misinformation & Disinformation Webinar (September 24, 2024, 12:00 PM) It’s crucial to stay informed and learn how to navigate the complexities of the digital landscape. This timely and informative webinar will delve into strategies for identifying, understanding, and countering misinformation and disinformation that directly targets and impacts the Asian American community during the election period.

The Commonwealth Club of California: United Against Hate Day (September 23, 2024) AYR’s Mina and Ethan speak at the Commonwealth Club of California with producer Michelle Meow on the “Navigating Our Differences through Civic Engagement” panel alongside Bay Area elected leaders and CUAV during the United Against Hate Day Summit. Join us for a free half-day summit marking United Against Hate Day, part of United Against Hate Week. The week is a call for local civic action to stop the hate and biases that threaten the safety and civility of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities. The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation’s oldest and largest public affairs forum. Stream the Summit here.

United Against Hate Week: AYR’s Youth Art Takeover (September 21-27, 2024) For the second year, AYR joins state and local leaders to stand United Against Hate. 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. AYR’s Hudson and Eloise lead this year’s UAHW action. 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! 

We are joining United Against Hate Week (September 21-27, 2024) alongside hundreds of partners of CAvsHate including the California Civil Rights Department for our 2nd year. Middle school lead Hudson Lee is spearheading the AAPI Youth Rising art takeover event that week. We will share art from AYR chapter leaders about identity and why it’s important to celebrate our diversity. If you’d like to submit art, email info@aapiyouthrising.org with your art or writing. We will also highlight past contributions to our blog with credits for artists who are submitting work.

United Against Hate Week Launch Press Conference (September 20, 2024). We’d like to invite you to join us for the kickoff press conference for UAHW on Friday, September 20 at 1 PM PT at the Watts Historic Train Station in Los Angeles! Find more info and RSVP here!

Teacher’s Workshop on Asian American Identity (September 18, 2024 ) The 1990 Institute is hosting an upcoming Teachers Workshop focused on the impact of immigration on the Asian American community! Visit this document to find out more information.

United Against Hate Week Webinar (September 14, 2024) Alongside California vs Hate, residents, community organizations, and government agencies from across the state will band together and take action to stop the hate that threatens our state. Please join us at our next United Against Hate Week webinar on Wednesday, September 4 at 4 PM PST. Hope to see you there! RSVP here.

Blasian Book Fair (September 14, 2024) Make Us Visible Florida is partnering with Blasian March, Inc. to host the first Blasian March Book Fair in Florida. On September 14, 2024, from 1pm-5pm at “A Perfect Union Gallery” at the West Oaks Mall. We will offer the community free literature of all genres and ages from Black, Asian, and Blasian authors at the Blasian March Book Fair, as a means to better build Black-Asian solidarity through shared storytelling between marginalized communities. We hope to see you there!

Community Research Briefing: Mobilizing Young AAPI Voters in Orange County (September 12, 2024) Hosted by Asian American Futures, AAPI Next Generation Leadership Institute, and VietRISE, this briefing will share findings from the research that is informing our ‘OC Votes Family Style’ initiative to mobilize young AAPI voters in Orange County, who make up a growing, significant voting bloc in Orange County. Hope to see you there! RSVP here.

TAAF AAPI History Hub Launch (September 10, 2024) The AAPI History Hub is an ongoing collective project funded by The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) and co-created with key partners and contributors including AAPI Youth Rising. Launched by @taaforg, the #AAPIHistoryHub provides a dynamic, easy-to-use database of vetted, classroom-ready resources including lesson plans, activities, articles, books, films, and other digital tools designed to help teachers foster belonging and inclusion in class. We are grateful for their collaboration in making AAPI history, together.

Alliances for a Healthier Generation: AYR resources translated into Spanish (Sep 9, 2024) Excited to announce that AYR’s resources available at Alliances for a Healthier Generation will be translated into Spanish!

Urgent: Oppose the Revival of the China Initiative (September 9, 2024) AYR joins a coalition letter led by Asian American Scholar Forum, Stop AAPI Hate, Asian Americans Advancing Justice. The China Initiative, intended to address national security, led to racial profiling and unjust prosecutions of Chinese American scholars and researchers. Though it was terminated in 2022, proposed legislation like H.R. 1398 and H.R. 9026 threatens to revive it under a new guise. The Biden administration found the initiative ineffective and discriminatory. Reinstating it would harm Asian American communities and undermine fairness. Join us in opposing these efforts and protecting the rights of all scholars. Check out more information on our Action Corner.

Oakland PRIDE Parade (September 8, 2024, 11am PST, Oakland, CA). AYR’s Mia, Ethan, Reed and Max marched alongside the CAvsHate.org float for PRIDE Parade Oakland!

Ethnic Media Conference, Expo and Awards 2024 (August 27, 2024, 4-5:30pm PST, Sacramento CA) AYR is proud to join the Ethnic Media Conference, Expo and Awards – the most diverse event in American Journalism. Mina speaks on the afternoon plenary panel. California Attorney General Rob Bonta is the keynote speaker. The event will draw roughly 150 ethnic media representatives from across the state to meet with 100+ decision-makers from state agencies, the legislature, business, communications firms, media enrichment programs, NGOs, CBOs, and philanthropy.

CalCenter’s r(E)volution (August 27, 2024, 6-7pm PST, Sacramento, CA)  AYR’s Mina speaks at CalCenter’s r(E)volution’s event featuring notable local organizations and young people to discuss the future of youth organizing. CalCenter is dedicated to a long history of direct service and capacity building. Read about the event here.

NCAPA 2024 Policy Platform (August 5, 2024) AYR’s Matthew Sugiyama connects with the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans to see how AYR can support NCAPA’s 2024 Policy Platform.

AAMPLIFY & OCA-San Francisco are hosting their first College Opportunity Workshop and AANAPISI College Tour! (August 2, 2024) Join us for a college opportunity workshop to discuss the cultural and familial pressures & expectations that Asian American students face when it comes to their academic and career goals. Learn more and register now here. 

CA vs Hate virtual workshop on Reporting Hate and Bias (July 31, 2024 at 34pm PST) California Civil Right’s Department’s Becky Monroe, Chantel Bermudez and James Williams, JR. share how our communities can stand up to hate by planning an event for United Against Hate Week held on September 21-27, 2024. AYR is seeking youth leaders to attend and help plan our UAH Week event. If you’re interested and want to learn more, attend the planning meeting and RSVP here.

Project Fighting AAPI Microaggressions Community Forum (July 30, 2024 from 5-7pm PST at the Korean Education Center in Los Angeles, CA) AYR’s Irvine Chapter leader Grace Yang presents at Project FAM’s community forum organized by Korean American Youth Leaders in Training. Congrats Grace!

White House AA and NHPI Mental Health Convening Listening Session (July 24, 2024 1:30-4pm ET). AAPI Youth Rising’s Ethan and Soha speak at the White House “Centering Community Voices” listening session about youth mental health with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. They are joined by Board in Training (BITs) Camille, Taryn and Reed. The session brings together community leaders, mental health professionals, researchers and federal officials to discuss mental health challenges facing the AANHPI community. AYR is proud to represent the youth perspective. Thank you Kota Mizutani from the White House Office of Public Engagement and Krystal Ka’ai from WHIAANHPI for inviting us to share our youth perspective.

AAPI Youth Rising is proud to join the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans and request an increase in White House Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander funding. This letter was sent to the Labor, Health & Human Services and Education Subcommittees in both the House and Senate. June 26, 2024 

Board Meeting and AYR All Member Tour of the Asian Art Museum (July 14, 2024 at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, CA from 2-4pm PT) After our monthly board meeting from 2-3pm PT, all Bay Area AYR members are invited to join for an insider’s tour from 3-4pm PT of the SF Asian Art Museum thanks to the Chinese Historical Society of America!

PRIDE Parade (San Francisco: Sunday, June 30). AYR is marching alongside the CAvsHate.org float for PRIDE Parade San Francisco and Sacramento! Meet at 10:30am at the CAvsHate float (line up number is 033 and our Block area is J2 on Spear Street between Mission and Market Street) to begin marching at 11am.

OCA San Mateo Storytellers’ Tour of Angel Island (June 22, 2024, San Francisco CA) AYR is joining the OCA San Mateo Angel Island storytellers’ tour. Interested in joining? Email info@aapiyouthrising.org.

Free the Pill highlights our newly revised One Day of AAPI History Lesson in their AANHPI Heritage month celebration newsletter alongside a recap of the 7th annual Free the Pill Day on May 9, 2024. The Senate is expected to vote on the Right to Contraception Act during the first week of June. Stay tuned! Join FTP’s statement on racial justice here. Join FTP’s coalition of 200 members here.

Ethnic Media Services publishes AYR’s Matthew Sugiyama’s article (June 17, 2024) Congrats to our Legislative co-lead Matthew Sugiyama who wrote an article, “Asian American History is US History, So Why Don’t Schools Teach It?”.

Asia Pacific Fund Reclaiming + Redefining Our Mental Health (June 6, San Francisco, CA) AYR joins the summit. Interested in joining? Email info@aapiyouthrising.org.

AYR presents to our One Day of AANHPI History Lesson to El Marino School in Culver City, CA on June 4, 2024. Mina, Amelia Cheung (CA), and Johanna Villanueva (TX) present to El Marino School!

AANHPI Heritage Month Pleasant Hill Celebration (May 31, 2024 6-8pm PT, Winslow Center, 2590 Pleasant Hill Rd, Pleasant Hill CA 94523) Closing out AAPNHPI Heritage Month with the inaugural celebration in Pleasant Hill!

Join Alliance for Girls (AFG) for a Virtual Members Meeting on Wednesday, May 29th. AYR is proud to be a partner in the network of 120+ organizations. This meeting is open to all girls and gender-expansive youth. During our meeting, we’ll hear from Xochtil Larios, Youth Justice Coordinator at Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ). Plus, we’ll send everyone who registers for this event a $30 digital gift card so you can have lunch! Register yourself and share this opportunity with your friends today! 

California AANHPI Advocacy Coalition (May 23, 2024) AYR joins to mobilize the largest AANHPI coalition in Sacramento, since Stop Asian Hate, to elevate the stories and legislative priorities of our AANHPI communities. AYR’s Matthew Sugiyama joined the Advocacy Day and AAPI Youth Rising joins as a coalition & community partner group. Stay tuned for more. Check out the strategic plan here.

Senate Bill S5963A requiring AANHPI history in New York public schools, sponsored by John C. Liu (D) 16th Senate District (May 21, 2024) Super excited to announce that the NY bill requiring the commissioner to establish Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history and civic impact curriculum or instructions for school districts just passed the Senate floor! It’s now in the assembly. We just submitted our support letter and you can too by visiting here.

AAPI Youth Rising + Alliance for a Healthier Generation + KOHL’S CARES premieres our updated One Day of AANHPI History Lesson (Premieres May 16, 2024 and available on demand) In celebration of AANHPI Heritage Month + mental health month, we are proud to partner with Alliances for a Healthier Generation and Kohl for our updated One Day of AAPI History lesson produced by Healthier Generation!

White House Initiative on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander in Region 9 Northern California (May 15, 2024, from 12 pm – 1:30 pm PST at the San Francisco Federal Building). AYR joins the White House Initiative on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander in Region 9 Northern California at a Heritage Month Potluck Meet and Greet. Mina and Max meet federal agencies tasked by the Biden-Harris Administration to foster engagement with Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in Northern California.   

AAPI Youth Rising’s Albany, CA Chapter receives a commendation from the Alameda County Board of Supervisors on May 14, 2024! Congrats to Albany Chapter leader Charlee Trenkle and the entire Albany AAPI Youth Rising Chapter!

Napa County Office of Education (May 23, 2024, 12:00PM – 1:00PM) AYR makes an in-person presentation to the Napa County Office of Education about how we’re working towards change in our schools. Huge shout out to Napa Chapter Leader Sienna Yoo for her first time presenting for AYR!

One Year Anniversary of the launch of CAvsHate.org Press Conference (May 20, 10 am – 12 pm PST in Sacramento, CA and IG Live @calcivilrights) Mina speaks at the press conference celebrating the one-year anniversary of the launch of CAvsHate.org, the first statewide hate reporting hotline. AYR is proud of our partnership with the California Civil Rights Department for the launch of CAvsHate.org. Mina, Jaslene and Charlee represent AYR at meetings throughout the year. Press release here.

AYR Chapter Leader Zi Qing Li presents at Cultural Exploration Day, New York (May 20, 2024). Our chapter leader Zi Qing Li taught our lesson plan for NEST+M’s (New Explorations into Science, Technology and Math) cultural exploration day with her friends Emee (in a qipao) and Misaki (in a kimono). Check out our event blog post for more about the presentation! We’re proud of all our chapters for bringing our history lesson about Asians in America to classrooms nationwide.

AYR Chapter Leader Hana Parker presents our history lesson, Texas (May 20, 2024). Last week, our Southlake, Texas chapter leader Hana Parker brought our AAPI History lesson to her classroom! Congrats Hana on presenting to your school! Check out our events blog for pictures from the presentation.

Act to Change 6th Day Against Bullying + Hate (May 18, 2024 , 11AM to 4 PM PST, Rideback Ranch, Los Angeles) Every year, Act to Change rallies the nation against bullying on the National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate. May 18th honors the birthday of Vincent Chin, who was murdered in a racial hate crime in 1982, and to celebrate the resilience of our ancestors and today’s youth during AANHPI Heritage Month. AYR presented the 2024 Allied Organization Award to the California Civil Rights Department. AYR Legislative Committee Lead Matthew Sugiyama spoke on the Youth Ambassadors panel. More info here.

Check out the 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. Imagine a private tour of the National Archives in D.C. or a behind-the-scenes visit of the Statue of Liberty! Another America’s Field Trip contest for the 2024-2025 school year will begin in/around September 2024. Sign up here to receive updates!

White House Initiative on AA and NHPIs presents “Lasting Legacies: A White House Celebration of AA & NHPI Heritage & History” (May 13, 2024, 12:00PM – 3:30 PM (EDT) The White House and WHIAANHPI will convene over 1,000 AA and NHPI leaders on May 13 for a landmark celebration in Washington D.C. This landmark event in the heart of our nation’s capital will commemorate 25 years since the creation of the White House Initiative and the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. For the first time, current and former leaders spanning five presidential administrations will gather to honor this historic milestone and reflect on the progress AA and NHPI communities have achieved over the past 25 years. Stream here. See AAPI Youth Rising at 2:58:06.

Resolution Recognizing AANHPI Mental Health Day 2024 (May 10, 2024) AAPI Youth Rising is proud to join as an endorsing organization for the second year to a resolution recognizing May 10, 2024 as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Mental Health Day. House Co-Leads: Reps. Chu, Matsui, Strickland, Tokuda. Senate Co-Lead: Senator Hirono.

National Asian American, Native Hawiian & Pacific Islander Mental Health Day (May 10, 2024). May 10th is national AANHPI mental health day! AYR joins the National AAPI Mental Health Association as a Community Partner again this year as for AANHPI Mental Health Day.

AAPI Youth Rising presents to Micron ERG (May 8, 2024, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM PT). Mina presents the AYR story to Micron.

Free the Pill’s Hill Education Day (May 7, 2024) Register now to join AYR as we participate in virtual congressional visits to educate members of Congress about how they can play a role in supporting affordable access to contraceptives by ensuring that Opill and over the counter birth control methods are fully covered by insurance without a prescription or cost-sharing. Register here!

Asia Society’s National Chinese Language Conference (May 3, 2024, 9:00A AM – 5:00 PM PT at Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA) Mina spoke at the morning plenary session Voices of Change: Shaping AAPI Narratives for the Next Generation alongside Asian American Education Project’s Project Coordinator and Curriculum Developer Giannela Gonzales at the 17th annual NCLC conference. Sal Khan, Founder & CEO of Kahn Academy is the featured keynote speaker. The event took place at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA. Over 400 people attended in person and 300 attended virtually. 17k+ have attended over 16 years. Max and Cooper attended and Mina speaks here.

AYR joins as a signatory to AB 2883 – CUS and UC Lunar New Year. Read our letter addressed to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education here. With approximately 40% of UC’s students and faculty populatio nand 16% of CSU’s student and faculty identifying as individuals of Asian descent, recognizing Lunar New Year as an official holiday not only is culturally inclusive but also aligns with the diverse demographics of these institutions.

Make Us Visible’s Kate Lee at AYR April All Member Meeting (April 24, 2024) So great re-connecting with long time mentor Kate Lee, co-founder of Make Us Visible. MUV has been instrumental in spearheading AAPI history mandates across the country. Stay tuned for our next speaker.

The “Uniters’ We the People” town hall conversations With these monthly talks AYR and the Uniters hope to inspire a citizen-led conversation on how our communities are standing up to the rise in hate-fueled violence in America. President Biden honored 16 civilian “Uniters” at the “United We Stand Summit” held in Washington D.C. on September 15, 2022 and we’re continuing to speak out. In April 2024, we held our first town hall and River Wind youth from the Arapaho Tribe spoke about their youth experiences as introduced by Uniter Jordan Dresser, Northern Arapaho Tribe (moderated by Uniter Carmina Taylor and Uniter Dawn Collins). AGENDA.

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

California Association of Asian & Pasifika Leaders in Education Annual (CAAPLE) Conference (April 20, 2024, Newport Beach CA) Mina is honored to receive the 2024 CAAPLE Youth Empowerment Award! CAAPLE’s founder Dr. Henry spoke with us last year on her podcast.

Asian Culture Fair at Camas High School, WA (5:00pm-8:00pm PST, April 5, 2024, Birch Street between 4th and 5th Avenue in Downtown Camas). AYR Washington Chapter Leader Keira Lee joins Camas High School senior and event organizer Fiona Zou at the Asian Culture Fair!

Asia Society Game Changer West Awards (April 4, 2024) As last year’s Game Changer West Award Recipient, AAPI Youth Rising joined Asia Society to celebrate the next Game Changers! Check out the ceremony from 2023 here: we were introduced by Professor Dr. Russell Jeung, founder of Stop AAPI Hate, and we were excited to see the entire Asia Society family and Dr. Jeung again in 2024!

AAPI Youth Rising signs on to Asian Americans Advancing Justice’s amicus brief in Department of State v. Muñoz filed with the U.S. Supreme Court.

AYR joins the We Stand United Against Hate Kickoff planning meeting (March 27, 3pm PT) Join us as our statewide coalition will be gathering to discuss activation plans and ideas for this year. As a partner group for CAvs.Hate, we’re excited to join planning for United Against Hate Week from September 21st to 27th. You will have the chance to hear from partners from across California and build relationships with other organizations looking to take action against hate. Register here to see how you can bring UAHW into your local community!

APICSouthPugetSound.org The Race Dialogue (10:00am-12pm PST, March 16, 2024) AYR’s Mina speaks on “The Race Dialogue” panel. The goal of this year’s dialogue is to discuss “Change the dynamics–what’s Power got to do with it”. 

Presenting AYR’s One Day of AAPI History to Black Pine Circle School (March 15, 2024) Mina, Anna, Charlee and Jaslene revisit middle-school Black Pine Circle in Berkeley, CA to teach our history lesson. AYR taught a full day of classes – 3 middle school and 3 lower school classes. BPC is where AAPI Youth Rising all began!

Presenting to Flintridge Preparatory High School in La Cañada Flintridge for B.R.I.D.G.E. (1:15pm-2:30pm PST, March 11, 2024) Members of AYR (Mina and Hudson) will be guest speakers presenting about about our organization for Flintridge Preparatory High School’s B.R.I.D.G.E. (Belonging, Respect, Inclusion, Grounded in Equity), their school’s diversity leadership council.

iCivics Civic Learning Week (March 11-15, 2024) Civic Learning Week unites students, educators, policymakers, and private sector leaders to energize the movement for civic education across the nation.

Seen&Heard (March 9, 2024, 6pm PT at Cass Ceramics in Albany, CA) Join us for the opening night reception for “Seen&Heard,” a community arts project platform and juried art show sponsored by Albany Community Foundation and Cass Ceramics.

Right Our Story x AYR Collaboration AAPI Youth Rising is proud to collaborate with the Right Our Story campaign. For bullying prevention month, we’re standing up to race-based bullying. Share your 1-min story by emailing us at info@aapiyouthrising.org to be highlighted across our social and Right Our Story (Youth Leadership Institute/California’s Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission). We’ll send you guidelines, instructions, and all the rest.

Teachers Workshop of 2024 on Asian American Identity: At the Intersection of Perpetual Foreigner and Pop Culture Trendsetter (4:00pm PST/7:00pm ET, March 6, 2024) AYR is a proud sponsor of the 1990 Institute‘s first 2024 teachers workshop, “Asian American Identity: At the Intersection of Perpetual Foreigner and Pop Culture Trendsetter“! Learn more about this exciting even on our blog post.

AYR Chapter Leader Matthew Sugiyama presents AYR’S One Day of AAPI History Lesson to middle schoolers in Moraga, CA! Congrats to Chapter Leader Matthew Sugiyama who taught our lesson to three middle school classes. He blogs about it here and writes that it’s crucial for us to share and learn about our experiences regardless of age.

Asian Women Are Strong (10:00am-4pm PST, March 3, 2024 at the Ferry Building, SF) For women’s history month, AYR joins Asians Are Strong for the second year of the Asian Women Are Strong event. Shout out to Max, Cooper, Ethan, Charlee, Jaslene and Mina for tabling. Read Jaslene’s blog post here. Last we tabled at the historic Ferry Building in SF and Mina spoke on a panel elevating female AAPI voices. You can watch a video about the event here and read about it here.

Unity in Diversity: Culturally Informed Mental Health Care for Asian Communities (5:00pm-7:00pm ET, February 29, 2024 at NYU Pless Lobby Lounge) Join us at NYU for their second event bridging research, practice, and community engagement. Dr. Lisa Suzuki‘s lab is working to understand the impact of race-based trauma in the Asian American community.

White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) Community Engagement Event (February 28, 2024 in Clark County, Nevada) Attendees can learn more about WHIAANHPI’s priorities and work, receive updates from Biden-Harris Administration officials on various federal programs and resources, and participate in a listening session with members of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

Orange County Mental Health & Wellbeing for Diverse Communities Panel (10:00am-11:30pm PST, Feb 22, 2024) Join AYR’s Mina on a panel about AAPI mental health needs. Funded by OC Health Care Agency (OCHCA) and the Center for Applied Research Solutions (CARS), OCMHWDC brings initiatives to promote wellness, reduce stigma of mental health, and improve access to mental health resources for diverse communities in Orange County.

Los Angeles Philharmonic: Beyond Volume: Music and Deafness, Symphonies for Youth (Feb 10, 2024) AYR joins the LA Phil for an interactive concert to elevate a multi-sensory concert that will explore alternative ways of engaging with sound through the music of Beethoven and others.

Free the Pill Steering Committee letter for affordable OTC birth control (Jan 31, 2024) AYR’s Mina joins as part of the Free the Pill coalition’s ongoing advocacy for equitable access to Opill (over the counter birth control). The Free the Pill’s Steering Committee sent a public letter to Perrigo urging the company to do everything they can to ensure an affordable retail price of no more than $15 for a 3-month supply of Opill.

CA vs. Hate Quarterly Meeting (February 1, April 25, and July 25, 2024) AYR joins the California Civil Rights Department for our quarterly meeting on the launch of CA vs. Hate, the state’s reporting hotline. Mina, Jaslene and Charlee join regular meetings.

The Justice For Vicha Ratanapakdee Foundation honors Grandpa Vicha Ratanapakdee (2:00pm-5:00pm PST, January 28, 2024 at the Asian Art Museum) We join the Justice For Vicha Ratanapakdee Foundation to honor the life and legacy of Vicha Ratanapakdee. We spoke last year at the street naming in San Francisco and this year, we celebrate the announcement of the renaming of a street in Los Angeles in honor of Vicha Ratanapakdee. This remarkable gesture is a testament to his enduring legacy and the profound impact of his life’s journey.

CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT: South Lake, TX (Jan 19, 2024) AYR Chapter Leader Hana Parker leads our South Lake chapter meeting and shared our one/180 pledge and circulated the pledge with the school’s history and geography teachers. Check out photos from their IG account!

The Asian American Foundation study on AANHPI Youth Mental Health (Jan 2024) Are you an AANHPI youth between 14-18yrs old? Participate in groundbreaking research about Asian American youth mental health. email: wchan@childtrends.org.

California AAPI Youth Association (CAYA) (January 2024) AYR Chapter Leader Dylan Reyes is launching a youth advocacy organization, the California AAPI Youth Association (CAYA) that will host conferences designed to empower the next generation of AAPI-changemakers through inclusive policy. AYR is excited to help support Dylan’s initiative as a partner organization!

NAAPIMHA’s Vote for Wellness Initiative (January 2024) AAPI Youth Rising joins NAAPIMHA’s Vote for Wellness Initiative – 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 providing voter education and voter registration support to AANHPI individuals with mental disabilities and/or the loved ones who support them and providing voter education through the lens of mental health education to inform AANHPI voters of candidate positions on mental health. Rock the Vote partner tools help with online voter registration at naapimha.org/register-to-vote and you can find several resources related to Voting for Wellness at naapimha.org/voteforwellness-resources.

Amicus Brief in FBI v Fikre before the U.S. Supreme Court (Dec 22, 2023) AYR joins as a signatory to Asian Americans Advancing Justice’s Amicus Brief in Federal Bureau of Investigation v. Fikre before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court’s decision will impact individuals’ ability to challenge their placement on the discriminatory, opaque No Fly List. The brief provides critical background on the Watchlist and No Fly Lists and specifically draws the Court’s attention to its discriminatory impact on Muslim and South Asian communities. AAAJ argues that given the lists’ lack of transparency and the resulting lack of accountability and potential for abuse of discretion, the government’s declaration is insufficient, and the Supreme Court should uphold the Ninth Circuit’s decision.

Free the Pill (December 4, 2023) AYR joins as a Free the Pill coalition member regarding the Biden Administration’s request for information on insurance coverage for over-the-counter products, including the OTC birth control pill. We join in advocating for OTC insurance coverage, without cost sharing or a prescription. You can check out the comments here at the federal register.

United Against Hate Week launch event (November 13, 2023 at 10:00am PT) We’d love for you to join Not in Our Town, the California Civil Rights Department, the City of Berkeley, and LA vs Hate for the launch of United Against Hate Week 2023, as we gather with community and government partners from across the state to galvanize a movement to stop the hate that threatens our communities. Returning for its fourth year, United Against Hate Week (Nov. 12-18, 2023) is a call for local civic action to stop the hate and implicit biases that are a dangerous threat to the safety and civility of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities.

California Commission on the State of Hate Forum (November 9, 2023 from 6:00-8:00pm PT at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles) The California Commission on the State of Hate, supported by the CA Civil Rights Department’s Community Conflict Resolution Unit hosts four public forums each year to address specific topics centered around hate crimes and incidents. AYR’s Mina, Jaslene and Hudson are honored to speak alongside several student groups about bullying, hate expressed on social media, and resources The meeting will be live streamed online and recorded for posting on the Commission’s website and YouTube. The forum is free and open to the public.

Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest (October 21, 2023 from 12:30pm-2:45pm PT) Mina joins Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest for the world premiere of Jean Shim’s “A Great Divide” starring Jae Suh Park, Emerson Min, Miya Cech and Ken Jeong . After the screening, join Mina who moderates the panel including Emmy-winning filmmaker Jean Shim, actor Emerson Min (Benjamin Lee), and actor West Mulholland (Hunter Drake).

AB 449 (Ting) Hate Crimes: Law Enforcement Policies (October 8, 2023) 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. Governor Newsom approved the bill on October 8, 2023!

Teaching Asian American Narratives through Literature” Teachers Workshop (September 27, 2023) AYR is excited to join the 1990 Institute as a sponsor for the 1990 Institute‘s “Teaching Asian American Narratives through Literature” Teachers Workshop with amazing speakers Noreen Naseem Rodriguez and Diana Liu. The workshop is free and open to the public! Register HERE!

Shifting the Conversation on AAPI Ethnic Studies (August 17, 2023) YR Media speaks with Mina about the importance of ethnic studies and how we can be advocates to communities other than our own.

Rotary Club of Saratoga (August 17, 2023) Mina shares the AAPI Youth Rising story with the Saratoga Rotary.

College of Marin: Equity in Mental Health Symposium (August 16, 2023) Mina speaks on the Uprising: Supporting Asian American and Pacific Islander Youth panel moderated by Dr. Lauren Servais. Join us for a 2-day symposium open to the public.

Katie Couric Media (July 26, 2023) Sophia Paley from Katie Couric Media shares the AYR story.

Teach For America (June 15, 2023) Check out AYR’s interview with Teach For America!

Ohio Statehouse Visit advocating for AAPI History Mandate (June 13, 2023) AYR’s Ohio Chapter Leader Abby joins OPAWL at the Ohio Statehouse to advocate for an AAPI History mandate! Email info@aapiyouthrising.org to join!

CNN: Kids aren’t always taught AAPI history in schools. These people are trying to change that. (May 31, 2023) Check out Jaslene and Mina’s interview with CNN.

Teach For America x AAPI Youth Rising TikTok (May 15, 2023)

TIMID Magazine (May 31, 2023) Hear about the 5th Annual National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate and how we celebrated our strength and our hope for the future.

Center for Law and Social Policy (May 31, 2023) Shout out to Landy Lin for recognizing AYR in her “AAPI Heritage Month, Transcending the Myth” article!

Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act (May 31, 2023) Did you know that suicide is the leading cause of death for 10-24 year old API from 2018-2020? Mental health stigma in our communities is real and we have to do something about it now. Join us in endorsing the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act introduced by CAPAC Chairwoman Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) and Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) for AANHPI Mental Health Day and National Mental Health Awareness Month. Organizations sign here. Individuals, write your legislators here!

Obama Foundation (May 30, 2023) Mina joins the Obama Foundation’s AANHPI Heritage Month affinity group panel.

Minnesota: Include AAPI History (May 28, 2023) 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.

Stop AAPI Hate Crimes Website (May 27, 2023) AYR Chapter Leader Kaleb Condez launches Stop AAPI Hate crimes website with a mission to educate on AAPI Hate crimes, share AAPI organizations and protect against racism.

San Francisco presentation of AYR’s ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY Lesson (May 26, 2023) AYR Board Leaders Charlee and Cooper lead a teach-in of the ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY Lesson to middle school students at Presidio Knolls School in San Francisco!

Galileo Camps (May 24, 2023) Thank you for recognizing AYR as an organization to support during AANHPI Heritage month and beyond!

Minority Business Review (May 25, 2023) MBR reviews AYR’s One Day of AAPI History Lesson campaign.

Pasadena presentation of AYR’s ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY Lesson (May 24, 2023) AYR’s Pasadena Chapter Leaders Hudson, Lucias and Eloise lead a teach-in to their middle school/elementary school classroom! Congrats to our youngest speaker Eloise!

Gainsight Fireside Chat (May 22, 2023) AYR Chapter Leaders Mei (Michigan) and Mimi (Oakland) join a conversation with the Gainsight team. Hear Mimi’s and Mei’s personal stories about how they are speaking out. Mimi writes about it here.

Alliance for a Healthier Generation (May 21, 2023) Join us and @HealthierGen to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Explore Healthier Generation’s collection of family and school resources to celebrate health in every generation including “How to Foster Self-Awareness When Challenging Emotions Arise“. Through newly launched educator resources, our ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY LESSON and Act to Change resources will reach 54,000+ school districts, 113,697 direct educator emails and more.

The United States Department of Justice: Remarks by Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke (May 18, 2023). AYR is so honored to be introduced by Assistant Attorney General Clarke. We couldn’t be more grateful for her words during the Fifth Annual National AAPI Day Against Bullying & Hate.

Choose Your Own Adventure May Newsletter (May 18, 2023) Mina, Saanvi (TX Chapter Leader) and Johanna (AZ Chapter Leader) join Choose Your Own Adventure May Newsletter and the Cassandra Report as we talk about what our hopes are for AAPI Youth Rising and what it means to be a youth adventurer.

Act to Change’s 2023 Allied Organization of the Year (May 18, 2023) AYR is honored to be named Act to Change’s 2023 Allied Organization of the Year! We celebrate the 5th Annual Day Against Bullying & Hate. Support of Act to Change’s anti-bullying movement helps the AAPI community become stronger, safer, and more visible. The gala was attended by special guests, awardees, and honorees, including Daniel Dae Kim, Kiran Ahuja, Daniel Martin, Bing Chen, Liz Kleinrock, Ryan Alexander Holmes, Sheetal Sheth, and more.

AYR Visits Senator Mazie Hirono (May 18, 2023) AYR visited Senator Hirono! We discussed the latest with the ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY lesson campaign and we learned more about how we can support the Teaching Asian Pacific American History Act, Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act (118th Congress) and more. Thank you to Hirono’s team for making this happen.

Featured in a Daily Californian Article “‘Stronger together’: Asian American Pacific Islander activists continue to address community issues“ (May 12, 2023) Thank you to the Daily Californian and shout-out to Matthew Yoshimoto for writing this wonderful article! Mina speaks out.

AYR presents to Harker School in San Jose (May 11, 2023) Mina presents to Harker School!

National AANHPI Mental Health Day (May 10, 2023) Join AYR in supporting a national resolution to set May 10 as the National AANHPI Mental Health Day. This year, the national resolution will be introduced again on May 10th, marking the 3rd anniversary of AANHPI Mental Health Day. Amidst a rise in anti-Asian racism and violence, it is crucial to celebrate and center the mental health and wellbeing of AANHPI communities nationwide. Write your representative to support this national resolution! AYR is proud to join as a partner organization with NAAPIMHA. Mina signs on on behalf of AYR.

Make Us Visible NJ (May 9, 2023) AYR signed Make Us Visible New Jersey’s open letter for the Inclusion of AAPI History on AP US History Exam. They reported to use that AAPI History was on the 2023 AP US History Exam! We show our thanks to the College Board and Educational Testing Services (ETS) for including the Supreme Court case United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 1898, and showing youth how Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders contributed to the formation of our country and the development of our citizenship laws.

AAPI Youth Rising joins community leaders and the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom in praising the launch of CAvsHate.org (May 9, 2023) Visit CAvsHate.org or call 833-8-NO-HATE for resources and to anonymously report acts of hate. Charlee and Ethan joined community leaders in speaking in support of California’s first-ever statewide anti-hate hotline. Mina provided comments to Newsom’s office and Ethan and Charlee joined for the launch and Jaslene, Charlee and Mina carry the Statement of Work for 2023. We are excited for the launch! Check out www.californiavshate.org.

Free The Pill Day (May 9, 2023) Free the Pill Day is celebrated annually to recognize the anniversary of the day the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first birth control pill in 1960. This year, it also marks the start of the FDA’s two-day advisory committee meeting to review the first-ever application for an over-the-counter (OTC) birth control pill! We are one step closer to FDA approval! Mina joins advocacy day on May 16th. Mina speaks to the FDA Advisory Committee on May 17th.

White House screening of American Born Chinese (May 8, 2023) AAPI Youth Rising invited to the screening of American Born Chinese at the White House! What an honor to hear President Biden’s advice on if one of us runs for office. And the incredible Ke Huy Quan inspires us all. Check it out here. Thank you White House for an experience of a lifetime.

Right Our Story, a project by California Mental Health Commission (May 8, 2023) Join AYR as we partner with Right Our Story during the Week of Action from May 7th to May 13th to take a stand against race-based bullying.

Phillip Lim’s “Bridging Generations” with Michelle Yeoh (May 6, 2023) Shout out to costume designer for American Born Chinese and Creative Director, Phillip Lim for putting together an amazing panel — including Michelle Yeoh! Mina spoke alongside Sophia Li (journalist), Phillip Lim, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Lee (photographer), Michelle Wie West (golfer), Chloe Flower (pianist and composter).

TAAF Heritage Month Summit and Celebration (May 5-6, 2023) AYR’s East Coast Chapter Leaders Meg Dimaano, Abigail Xiao join Mina at TAAF Heritage Month Summit & Celebration in NYC! Over 500+ leaders from across sectors are coming together to cultivate community, build relationships, and explore urgent issues and action steps surrounding representation, anti-hate, and education. We also get an exclusive sneak peek of Disney+’s hotly-anticipated American Born Chinese where Mina speaks alongside Michelle Yeoh and Phillip Lim.

AYR presents to Head Royce School (May 5, 2023) Shout out to AYR Chapter Leaders Miles, Isabelle and Alix who presented our ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY lesson in-person to Head Royce Middle!

American Counseling Association covers The White House Forum (May 5, 2023) For Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, the Biden-Harris Administration hosted a White House Forum at George Washington University. The second panel was moderated by Richard Lui, Anchor and Journalist with MSNBC/NBC News. He was joined by DJ Ida, Executive Director for National Asian American Pacific Islanders Mental Health Association, David Ko, CEO of the Calm App, Sahaj Kohli, founder of the Brown Girl Therapy, and Mina Fedor, Founder and Executive Director of AAPI Youth Rising. This panel discussed ways to move forward to foster change around mental health in AANHPI communities. Vice President Kamala Harris closed the forum by highlighting the achievements of the Biden-Harris Administration towards advancing equity, justice, and opportunities for the AANHPI communities. 

California vs. Hate Resource Line and Network (11:00am PST, May 4, 2023) In Sacramento, CA, AYR’s Charlee and Ethan (AYR Board Members) are honored to join the California Civil Rights Department in the official launch of the CA vs Hate campaign! California vs Hate is a new initiative to report and address hate across the state. Join AYR at the press conference featuring state and community leaders who are dedicated to combating hate. Jaslene, Charlee and Mina head up the work engagement.

AYR presents to Presidio Knolls School (May 4, 2023) Shout out to Mia Fung (SF), Maile (SF) and Ethan (AYR Board) for presenting to PKS in San Francisco!

White House AAPI Heritage Month Forum (May 3, 2023) Mina speaks on the “Supporting the Mental Health Care Needs of AA and NHPI Communities.” We are so honored to celebrate on May 3rd in Washington, D.C. The event, which is open to the public, will feature Biden-Harris Administration officials, groundbreaking artists, and community trailblazers. We had the honor of meeting VP Harris who spoke at the plenary session and we got a shout out from Senator Hirono on the main stage! Stream the 2023 White House Forum on AANHPI here! Read about the Forum here.

Mina Fedor, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Saweetie and More Honored on Gold House’s 2023 A100 List (May 1, 2023) AYR’s Mina is honored to be named among Gold House’s 2023 Most Impactful Asians A100 list. The A100 List honors trailblazers across the industry who are at the forefront of what the organization calls the “new gold age.” Gold House celebrated honorees and announce several new initiatives at the second annual Gold Gala during AAPI month on May 6 in downtown Los Angeles.

Participate in a youth research study with the University of Southern California (May 2023). Join a study for 12-to-17-year-old adolescents of color to help us with developing a new tool to study the effects of discrimination and stress. Click here  

Cooper Grant Writing (May 2023) AYR Board: Cooper closed out taxes, financials and continues to seek out grant opportunities.

Charlee on Operations (May 2023) AYR Board: Charlee keeps us all together at AYR. She is the operations powerhouse behind all that you see. Questions about future events? email charlee@aapiyouthising.org.

Ethan AYR Lessons (May 2023) AYR Board: Ethan continues to schedule teach-ins and mentor the next generation of youth voices. Reach out to ethan@aapiyouthrising.org to schedule a teach-in.

Minnesota presentation of AYR’s ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY Lesson (May 2023) AYR’s Michigan Chapter Leader Emma Yu presents to high school (9th, 10th, and 11th grade classrooms with almost 200 students). Voices like Emma’s are the future. Check out her blog post!

NBC Kids Nightly News with Lester Holt (May TBD 2023) Mina joins NBC Kids Nightly News with Lester Holt. Stay tuned for air date.

Choose Your Own Adventure: May Newsletter (May 2023) AYR’s Mina, Soha, Mimi and Johanna are interviewed for the May Choose Your Own Adventure Newsletter!

One Day of AAPI History Teach-In with Head Royce (May 2023) Shout out to AYR Chapter Leader Miles (Oakland), Podcast Manager Isabel (Oakland) and Alix for presenting to Head Royce middle school!

Asia Society Northern California Game Changer West (May 2023) AYR is honored to accept Asia Society’s Game Changer West award from Stop AAPI Hate’s Russell Jeung. Listen to Mina’s speech about how everyone can be a game changer.

Jaslene on Website 2.0 (May 2023) AYR’s Board Member Jaslene spearheads all website communication. Stay tuned for AYR 2.0.

Gold House A100 (May 2023) Mina is named to the 2023 Gold House A100 list! Every May, the A100 List honors the 100 Asia and Pacific Islanders (APIs) who had the most impact on culture and society over the past year. The A100 is the definitive Asian Pacific award in the country recognizing those who have most significantly impacted American culture and society, as voted on by top organizations, leaders, and allies and is the only award of its kind to consistently receive mainstream coverage.

Encyclopedia Brittanica spotlights AYR! (May 2023) Super honored to be covered by Encyclopedia Britannica for the Asian American and Pacific Islander month issue of “BSchool News”! Mina interviews with the EB team.

Katz Media (May 2023) Mina is named an AANHPI Future Leader by Katz Media!

AAPISV presents 2nd Annual Cultural Festival (12:00pm-4:00pm PST, May 21, 2023) Join AYR at the Cupertino main library as we team up with AAPI Silicon Valley for their 2nd annual Cultural Festival! Through vendors, community organizations, and booths, our purpose of this event is to celebrate the cultural mosaic of Asian Pacific Island arts and music.

APIA Biography Project website features activities, videos, and resources (May 2023) “Wall of Fame” exhibits will also be showcased at the Children’s Center and Chinese Center. The first 50 children ages 12 and under will receive a goody bag upon completing a scavenger hunt at the Main Library. 

APIA (Asian Pacific Islander American) Biography Project How They Got There (April 30, 2023) The APIA Biography Project, a multi-community collaboration between the San Francisco Main Library and academic and community-based organizations, presents a family-oriented kickoff event for AANHPI Heritage Month. This year’s 10th-anniversary celebration turns the spotlight to distinguished APIA politicians and the election voting process.

Asia Society San Francisco (April 19, 2023) We are honored to be named a 2023 Game Changer West Honoree! Join us at Asia Society’s 25th-year Gala at San Francisco’s City Hall. Asia Society SF has always been a part of our journey and we are honored to be recognized in this way. Asia Society’s CEO Kevin Rudd first spoke with Mina as part of Asian Americans Building America in 2021 and we’re excited to celebrate with Asia Society SF once again!

AAPI History with AYR AZ Chapter Leader Johanna Villanueva (April 17, 2023) AYR AZ Chapter Leader teaches AAPI History! Cheers to AZ Keller Realty for spreading the word! Check out Johanna’s blog and read the “What You Should Learn About AAPI History” article here!

Youth Art Expo (12:00pm-6:00pm PST, April 15, 2023) AYR joins another E14 Gallery production! We’re excited to celebrate youth creativity in Old Oakland. join us for a creative outdoor market, food, music and performance – all by youth and for youth! Old Oakland at 9th and Broadway.

AYR attends 1990 Institute’s 2023 Teachers Workshop (March 22, 2023) AYR’s Board Members Jaslene Lai and Ethan Su present at the 1990 Institute Teacher Workshop.

Asians Are Strong Our Time (March 13, 2023) AYR joins Asians Are Strong for Our Time: an event celebrating AAPI Women at the historic Ferry Building in SF! Join us on Sunday, March 12th @ 3pm. Come see performances, hear from inspirational speakers, share great food and look out for Bay Area heroes! Mina will be speaking on a panel with Helen Zia, May Lee, Victoria Fu, CEO of The Chemist Confessions, and Michelle from Asians Are Strong will moderate.

Lafayette Elementary School and Richmond Afterschool Program in San Francisco (March 10, 2023) We learn just as much from teaching as we hope our students do! Today we spoke with 4th graders who engaged with us and asked great questions. Kudos to all the kids and Augustus Tagaro for running a great program! Shout out to Mina and Ethan for leading the teach-in .

AYR presents to The President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (March 2023) AYR had the amazing opportunity of sharing our story with the White House and the President’s Advisory Commission. Mina, Jaslene and Ethan provided our youth perspective on the barriers and challenges facing AA and NHPI youth as it relates to mental health and other health inequities that affect AA and NHPI youth.

Alliance for a Healthier Generation (February 2023) Read about our partnership with Alliance for a Healthier Generations in their Annual Report. Our partnership with AHG was such an honor and we’re excited to partner with AHG again in 2023!

The White House Initiative on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Commission (February 2023) Mina, Jaslene, and Ethan are proud to present to the White House AANHPI Commission about youth mental health. The Commissioners are interested in hearing about the youth experience and AYR’s mission and hopes for the future.

Mentoring.org (February 2023) Shout out to Mentoring.org for listing us as a resource for youth! Check out others too like Beyond Differences’ Stand Up for AAPI Youth Campaign. GLSEN’s AAPI LGBTQ Youth and Asian American Youth Leadership Empowerment and Development and Becoming a Better Mentor.

Make Us Visible PA (February 2023) MUVPA towards including our stories in PA curriculum. We are proud to support the network of national Make Us Visible actions around the country. Thank you for highlighting us and our organizational support of Make Us Visible.

CAAPLE Podcast (February 2023) Mina, Anna, Charlee, Johanna and Pritam join in a conversation with the California Association of Asian & Pacific Leaders in Public Education. We speak with Dr. Shana Henry about why it’s important to include AANHPI history in schools. Big shout out to Johanna and Pritam for their first podcast with AYR!

Remembrance of the 2-year Anniversary of Vicha Ratanapakdee (January 28, 2023). Ethan and other AYR members will attend the Remembrance event at the Justice for Vicha Mural (southwest corner of California St. and Grant Ave). All are invited to attend. 

Unity Walk at Tempe Beach Park, AZ (January 28, 2023) AYR’s new Chapter Leader Johanna is leading the way at the Unity Walk in Arizona! Cheers to Johanna for representing AYR as our new AZ Chapter Leader and for sharing our message that it’s important for all youth to come together!

Rotary Club of Los Altos (January 5, 2023) Mina shares the “Our Youth Voices are Rising” presentation with the Los Altos Rotary. Social media manager Athena also joined for Q&A.

The White House Lunar New Year Celebration (January 2023) Mina, Jaslene, Anna, and Charlee were invited to the White House to attend the first-ever large-scale AANHPI Lunar New Year Celebration at the White House.

Albany Superintendent Community Update (January 2023) Charlee is highlighted as one of the AYR founding board members invited to the White House for the Lunar New Year Celebration! Cheers to Mina, Charlee, Anna and Jaslene for this special honor!

University of Maryland School of Medicine (January 2023) The National Center for School Mental Health lists AYR and our ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY as an Interactive Resource.

Women in Politics and AAPI Youth Rising Collaboration (ongoing in 2023) Stay tuned for an exciting collaboration between AYR and WIP!

Girls Leadership and a national youth participatory research study on AAPI girls and gender-expansive youth (ongoing in 2023) AYR is proud to join as an Ambassador organization to the first-of-its-kind large-scale national research to study to learn and understand more how AAPI girls define leadership and their identities in relationship to leadership. Charlee leads this project.

The HEAL Act Mina speaks with the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum on ways to partner on the Health Equity and Access Under the Law for Immigrant Families act (HEAL Act). Every person should be able to get affordable health care, regardless of the status they have been granted in the U.S. Mina launches the Action corner and includes the HEAL Act.

Free the Pill (December 2022) Mina and Cooper join Free the Pill to discuss ways to partner on the first over the counter birth control pill. Mina launches the Action corner and includes Free the Pill.

Aurora Theater Company opens 31st season with world premiere of “Colonialism is Terrible, but Pho is Delicious” (November 18, 2022). Mina and Charlee speak at the Opening Night reception and panel with playwright Dustin Chinn. Kudos to Mina, Charlee, Cooper, Madison, Mimi, Aashi, and Anna for joining.

Asian Pacific America (November 13, 2022) Mina joins Robert Handa on “Asian Pacific America”. NBC Bay Area KNTV 11 and 6 p.m. on COZI TV (Comcast 186).

DIGNITY.US (November 2022) AYR joins a bipartisan project led by former White House domestic policy council directors who served under Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald J. Trump. Dignity.us is a citizens’ initiative to address hate-fueled violence in America. You can share your story now.

Changemakers Summit 2022 (October 29, 2022) Changemakers Summit is a national AAPI Youth Conference created in partnership with Act to Change, Hate is a Virus, and Stop AAPI Hate . The Changemakers Summit will take place virtually on October 29, 2022 from 10:00am – 3:00pm PST. Mina will lead a conversation with Teach for America’s Soukprida Phetmisy.

TimeforKids Your Job (Oct 25, 2022) TFK kid reporters and Mina hear about the future of the healthcare industry from U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. 

NBC Bay Area’s Asian Pacific America with Robert Handa (October 23, 2022) Mina speaks with Robert Handa about AAPI Youth Rising’s most recent actions

Asian Pacific Fund Gala (October 22, 2022) AYR is invited to speak at the Asian Pacific Fund Annual Gala. This year’s honoree is MSNBC/NBC News Anchor, Author & Director Richard Lui. Mina will speak about AYR’s ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY LESSON campaign and our recent teach-ins.

Time for Kids (October 19, 2022) Mina speaks with the CEO of Generation Citizen, a nonprofit group working towards lowering the voting age to 16.

Vicha Ratanapakdee Street Naming Ceremony in San Francisco (October 1, 2022) AYR is invited to speak alongside SF politicians and civil rights leaders at the Vicha Ratanapakdee Street naming. Grandpa Vicha was brutally pushed down to the ground at the start of the pandemic. His family has continued to raise awareness about the violence targeting AAPI in America. Cheers to Mina, Jaslene, Cooper, Charlee, Max, Ethan, and Aashi for speaking out!

Alive and Free (October 2022) Mina speaks with Dr. Joseph E. Marshall, Jr., the Executive Director of Alive and Free, about her experience at the White House Summit on Hate and Violence. Check it out here!

#HateIsAVirus TikTok (October 2022) A day in the life of AAPI Youth Rising. 

Mochi Magazine (September 19, 2022) Mina and the AYR board joins in an interview with Mochi Magazine.

President Biden’s Remarks at the White House and Mina named a “Uniter” (September 15, 2022) Biden’s remarks at the “United We Stand Summit” mark the importance of coming togehter at this first-of-its-kind summit here in the White House pulling together bi-partisan support to stand united against hate-fueled violence.

The White House United We Stand Summit (September 15, 2022) Mina is named a “Uniter” by President Biden. She represents AYR at the White House for a full day summit addressing the increase in hate fueled violence. You can stream the entire summit here.

Asian Pacific Voices TV & Radio (August 2022) Mina joins Asian Pacific Voices for Episode 26 as she discusses her journey with AYR.

The Cameron House (July 19, 2022) Kudos to Mina, Maxwell and Charlee for presenting to middle schoolers at the Cameron House SF Community Immersion Program. The Cameron House is a SF institution. Established in 1874, it hosts many family-centered programs out of SF Chinatown. We were so excited to present our ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY lesson to these students! Thank you Cameron House for the opportunity!

AYR presents to the UPS Executive Team (July 19, 2022) Kudos to Mina, Maxwell and Charlee for presenting to the UPS Executive Team!

AYR presents to Accenture (July 12, 2022) Cheers to Mihika, Cooper, Mina, Angely, Maxwell and Soha for presenting!

Weil, Gotshal & Manges Law Firm (July 2022) AYR’s Mina, Charlee, and Aashi present to the Silicon Valley office. Thank you Karen Ballack for organizing!

Talking Story: Interview with Mina and Max (July 2022) Hear Pastor Gerald Chinen speak with Mina and Max about their AYR journey.

Changing Tides Podcast with Matthew Yonemura (July 2022) We first met Matt at the Act to Change event in May 2022. Mina, and Max connected with Matt to hear more about Changing Tides and our journey too!

Unity March (June 25, 2022) AYR joins as a partner organization to the Unity March. The Unity March is an Asian American multicultural event to advance socioeconomic and cultural equity, racial justice, and solidarity.

Asian Voices Podcast (June 17, 2022) Mina’s interview can be found at asianvoicesradio.com

AYR presents to Mattel (June 17, 2022) So great to be invited back to speak with Mattel. Jaslene, Angely, Mina, Soha for presented to Matel’s AAPI Employee Resource Group!

Make Us Visible FL (June 2022) AYR is proud to join as a sponsor to the Make Us Visible Florida petition to include Asian American history in K-12 education curriculum in Florida. Sign the petition now!

Washington Post (May 31, 2022) The Washington Post helps launch the ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY! Hear from Mina, Charlee and Max about the launch.

How to College First Gen (May 29, 2022) Thank you for listing AYR as a first place to start when unpacking AAPI identity and the model minority myth!

Soul of a Nation (May 27, 2022) Emmy Award-winning “Nightline” co-anchor Juju Chang explores wide-ranging themes, including conquering hate through education. Hear from Mina and the AAPI Youth Rising team on how we advocate for Asian American history to be taught in schools.

ABC News and Good Morning America (May 27, 2022) Juju Chang speaks with Mina and GMA about AAPI Youth Rising. See it here!

IG LIVE with Diversify Our Narrative (4:00pm PST, May 26, 2022) Join Mina as she speaks with DON about our ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY lesson. DON is launching their K-12 curriculum with OCA next month! Fun fact, DON lead the student coalition that AYR joined last year in support of AB 101, the CA ethnic studies mandate.

California Afterschool Network celebrates AAPI Youth Rising.

Scholastic Kids Press (May 20, 2022) We met with 7th grade Kid Reporter Elise Choi right after we taught our first classrooms in Los Angeles! Charlee, Max, and Mina spoke with Elise.

Los Angeles Commission on the Status of Women (May 20, 2022) Thank you to all the Commissioners for hearing about all our actions and how you can support AYR! Mina, Charlee, and Max joined in the meeting.

Good Morning America (May 19, 2022) GMA celebrates 14 changemakers in the AANHPI Inspiration List, including AAPI Youth Rising! See the announcement here.

Teach for America (May 18, 2022) TFA interviews Mina with Charlee, Anna, and Johann for the ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY lesson plan. You can find the Lesson materials at TFA!

Today Show (May 18, 2022) Savannah Sellars speaks with Mina, Aashi, and Charlee about our ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY lesson plan launch!

Act To Change is rallying the nation — including cities and states, community organizations, and influencers, community leaders and elected officials — to commemorate the fourth Annual National Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Day Against Bullying + Hate (May 18, 2022) We are proud to be a partner group again in 2022!

Healthier Generations + AYR Instagram Live (12:30pm PST, May 17, 2022) Mina join HG’s Daniel in a conversation about how families can get involved in supporting AAPI and inclusive communities. HG also highlights our ONE/180 Pledge!

CBS Evening News with Nora O’Donnell (May 11, 2022) CBS Correspondent Nancy Chen speaks with the AAPI Youth Rising Team about the ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY Lesson encouraging schools to teach Asian American history.

Cut Fruit Collective AAPI Heritage Month Community Fair (May 1, 2022) Charlee, Aashi, Mina, Cooper, Max and Johann tabled at the fair to collect signatures for our ONE/180 Pledge and also share our ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY lesson launch!

GMA Inspiration List: Celebrating AANHPI Changemakers (May 2022) Mina made the list of 2022 AANHPI Changemakers! Check out the inspiration list!

Catch Up Crew (April 29, 2022) Hear about AYR’s actions from Mina.

CCCSF + Wells Fargo Foundation AAPI Community Heroes Mural Project unveil (April 27, 2022) Mina spoke at the big mural unveil with Charlee and Aashi too! We helped select the AAPI Heroes depicted on the mural in SF Chinatown from over 7000 nominations submitted by students from all over the Bay Area. It reminds us of all the stories that need to be told about our AAPI histories and community heroes! Check it out here and a news story here!

AALEAD Virginia Annual Day of Service (April 12, 2022) Johann and Mina presented to elementary school and middle school students for Asian American Youth Leadership Empowerment and Development AALEAD Virginia’s Annual DAY OF SERVICE! It was great sharing our story with everyone!

Now this News (April 12, 2022) Mina joins Now this News and speaks about her hero and the legacy of Grace Lee Boggs.

Act to Change’s Youth Ambassador program (April 8, 2022) Anna, Charlee, Johann, Max, Mina joined Act to Change’s inaugural Youth Ambassador program. We met weekly for the past few months to learn how we initiate change in our communities. Our capstone project was an anti-bullying lesson that we are rolling out in the coming months. 

Teen Vogue (March 17, 2022) Mina speaks with Teen Vogue about how we’re finding hope.

Beyond Differences (Feb 3, 2022) Thank you for congratulating Mina! Beyond Differences youth leaders Zhi and Harita spoke at the AYR rally when we first came together!

Time Kid of the Year – Meet the TOP 5! (Feb 2022) AAPI Youth Rising’s Mina is honored to be named a Top 5 Finalist for Time Kid of the Year!

Girl Scouts – Daisy Troop Presentations (Feb 2022) Super fun being invited to present to Daisy Troops! We joined in on a lesson about xenophobia. Charlee and Mina loved meeting the daisies!

Dear Asian Youth Irvine (Feb 2022) Dear Asian Youth’s Irvine Chapter organized their first summit! It was such an inspirational day hearing from DAY’s founder Stephanie and also Desi Project. We had the best time, Also, Johann and Jaslene spoke out with AAPI Youth Rising for the first time!

Lead the Convo (Feb 2022) We joined Lead the Convo for their first Social Justice Fair! We connected with many youth groups and swapped stories on how to grow our organizations. Charlee and Mina presented.

Shine Global (Feb 2022) Mina spoke with Sean from Shining a Light.

American Girl Making Herstory (Feb 2022) In celebration of Corinne Tan, the first Chinese American Girl of the Year and Lunar New Year, American Girl is shining a spotlight on a multi-generational group of girls and women from the AAPI community. Mina Fedor, Team USA figure skater Alysa Liu, celebrated choreographer Ellen Kim, and Joanne Baik spoke out.

Good Morning America (Jan 2022) We announced the AAPI Youth Rising partnership with American Girl for Corinne Tam, the first Chinese American Girl of the Year Doll. Mina spoke alongside AAPI Youth Rising Team members.

Mattel – MADE (Jan 2022) Mina shared her story alongside American Girl’s marketing team, author Wendy Shong and Dr. Jennifer Ho with the Mattel AAPI ERG.

HumSub GlobalTEEN (Jan 2022) Mina and Charlee joined HSGT’s founder for their 6th interview.

Generation Change Podcast with Leo Finelli (Jan 2022) Mina and Maxwell joined Leo Finelli for a podcast interview.

NPR News and “Girl of the Year” (Jan 7, 2022) Mina introduces AYR’s partnership with American Girl. We are so proud to be the partner organization for Corinne Tan, the first American Girl: Chinese-American Girl of the Year.

AAPI Women Lead’s 4th Annual #ImReady2021 Movement Virtual Conference (December 11, 2021) Mina shared on a panel about youth action.

Changemakers Summit 2021 (October 2021) Mina, Aashi, Anna, Charlee, and Mila presented at a youth leadership panel. This was Act to Change’s 3rd Annual Anti-Bullying Youth Conference in recognition of National Bullying Prevention Month in partnership with Hate is a Virus, and Stop AAPI Hate.

CCCSF + Wells Fargo Foundation AAPI Community Heroes Mural Project (September 2021) Mina and Aashi served as youth judges for the AAPI Community Heroes mural project.

Diablo Magazine (August 20, 2021) Mina is named as a 2021 Agent of Change.

Asia Society Northern California – Future of Education Summit (July 29-30, 2021)
Mina spoke alongside HumSub GlobalTeen, Afghan Robotics and VIPKid. Cooper, Max, Harita and Shubb presented on the AYR Panel.

Boys & Girls Club + SAMSHA (July 2021) Mina, Mila, and Anna presented the Social Justice Unit for Empowered Voices.

Grantmakers for Thriving Youth (June 2021) Mina presented at the AAPI Youth on Safety, Belonging and Thriving webinar.

When YOUthVote Panel (May 2021) Mina presented at a youth voting rights panel.

DoSomething.org (May 2021) Mina included in the list of 10 Young Asian American and Pacific Islander Activists!

El Cerrito Human Relations Commission (May 2021) Mina and Charlee joined the Stop Anti-Asian Violence circle.

Asia Society: Asian Americans Building America (May 2021) Mina spoke with Asia Society’s CEO and Australia’s 26th Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Rallies

  • AAPI Youth Rising Rally in Berkeley, CA on March 9, 2021 – organizer