Asian Leaders Alliance Newsletter #14 — ANHPI Heritage Month & Give in May
ANHPI Heritage Month & Give in May
by Jimmy Hua on May 4, 2022
May is Asian, Native Hawaiʻian, and Pacific Islander (ANHPI) Heritage Month. Many of us are busy with programming for May. This month is important to us because it is a time which has been dedicated to our community so that we can highlight our community. To highlight, uplift, and share about East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, North Asian, West Asian, Native Hawaiʻian, and Pacific Islanders.
There have been many good discussions happening within the ALA family. And also many leaders sharing with each other, ideas, plans, events, and collaborations with each other. Feel free to participate in the sharing. When we uplift each other, we uplift our community.
A few places and resources for us all:
- #anhpi-heritage-month — Slack channel sharing ideas for ANHPI Heritage Month
- #asianerg — Slack channel to talk about topics regarding to Asian ERGs.
- https://bit.ly/join-ala-slack — To join the ALA Slack Workspace, if you are not already a member of it.
- ALA Community Portal — A platform where you can find and share events! This event shared, is from the community for the community. And you can share all of these events with your members! Just think of it as the Eventbrite for the ANHPI community across the globe! And if you don’t want to create an account, you can find the events here.
May is also “Give in May”, which was started by the Asian Pacific Fund in 2020. Asian Leaders Alliance, Asian Pacific Fund, and Ascend have teamed up to help promote “Give in May”.
Everyone, please donate and encourage your employers to donate to ANY ANHPI nonprofits during this.
Asian Leaders Alliance will be highlighting different nonprofit organizations through our social media and through our Slack Workspace (if you haven’t joined, join here). We encourage you to get your employer and your peers to donate to any ANHPI Nonprofit that you want to support. And if you don’t have one that you would like to support, you can either ask a fellow leads in the ALA Slack or you can pick one of the NGOs that signed up to be part Asian Pacific Fund’s Campaign
If you donate through another method than through Asian Pacific Fund’s site, feel free to email us to let us know how much you or your organization donated to which nonprofit at leadership@asianeleadersalliance.com. We would love to keep a tally of how much impact our collective community is able to make.
We want to hear from you! And have a chance to win something yummy!
To help us foster collaboration across Asian Pacific Islander Employee Resource Groups (ERG) and civic organizations to spur positive, long-term, and inclusive community impact we are looking to you for feedback.
Please take this 5-minute survey from the Social Responsibility squad for a chance to win a case of Lunar Hard Seltzer.
TOP STORIES
One year of Stand with Asian Americans
by Brian Pang on April 26, 2022
In March, Stand with Asian Americans turned one year old. One year since many of us business and community leaders signed a pledge to help support the ANHPI community.
While SwAA was formed as a response to non-ideal circumstances, it is important to recognize and acknowledge the progress and impact we’ve made as a community.
On behalf of SwAA, we invite you to help us measure our collective impact by taking this short survey, and would appreciate you sharing it along with this LinkedIn post widely through your ERGs and your personal networks. Let’s leverage our collective community power, to push up our message around the world to all business leaders, elected officials, allies, and to also help uplift our own.
Thank you for all that you do, and for taking the actions above.
Featured ALA Partner: Jeremy Lin Foundation
by Stephanie Hsu on May 4, 2022
At the Jeremy Lin Foundation, we believe that the future of the AAPI community hinges on how we best take care of our most underserved communities. The Foundation supports >22,000 overlooked AAPI and other BIPOC youth. JLF partners with grassroots programs that are deeply embedded in the community to serve low income AAPI and cross-racial youth by addressing the full-range of barriers faced (ranging from food insecurity, parent education, mental health and youth empowerment).
>80% of AAPIs have been bullied, AAPI youth have the highest suicide rates, and increasing poverty levels, but only 1% of corporate foundation funding goes towards AAPI causes.
Watch Lost For Words, written, produced, and directed by Jubilee Media to learn more about JLF’s recent work.
To support overlooked AAPI youth and cross-racial youth programs, please learn more here. Jeremy covers all the operating costs of the Foundation so 100% of your contribution goes directly to youth in need. Contact: shsu@jeremylinfoundation.org
A note from Brian Pang (Jeremy Lin superfan):
There is a new Jeremy Lin documentary, “38 at the Garden“, premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 12th. Watch the trailer here and keep an eye out for how we, members of ALA, can support the wider release in June.
Act to Change Hosting United We Heal Virtual Event
by Brian Pang on May 4, 2022
In 2019, Act To Change spearheaded the inaugural National AAPI Day Against Bullying+Hate on May 18, in honor of the birthday of Vincent Chin. This year marks 40 years since Vincent Chin was murdered in a brutal hate crime. May 18, 2022, would have been his 67th birthday. 40 years later, anti-AAPI sentiment still persists in our society. Anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 339% in 2021.
May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. The AAPI community has the lowest help-seeking rate of any racial group, due to a lack of awareness, and linguistic and cultural barriers.
We’re proud to host the 4th annual national AAPI Day Against Bullying+Hate with the support of municipalities, elected officials, and partner organizations. Please join us for a day of commemorative activities and a signature virtual event.
It is more important now than ever that we stand up to racism, and protect our youth from bullying.
#ActToChange #DayAgainstBullying
Featured ALA Partner: Chezie.co
by Brian Pang on April 26, 2022
Co-founded by Toby and Dumebi Egbuna, Chezie is an all-in-one solution designed to help you build impactful employee resource groups. We help you easily and seamlessly track membership, events, budgets, and engagement, so you can focus on what matters — building inclusive communities so you can retain your talent. The name Chezie originated from the Igbo tribe of Nigeria, and translates to the verb: reflect: “The key to an inclusive workplace is the ability to reflect internally. That is, to ensure that your intentions match your outcomes.”
Learn more about Chezie on their website or by watching this NPR: How I Built This episode.
Right to Be & ALA — Bystander Intervention Training — Save the Date
by Brian Pang on May 4, 2022
With alarming rates of physical violence, xenophobia, still very prevalent in our communities, it is imperative for all of us & allies to be equipped with knowledge and techniques to be great bystanders and upstanders when witnessing incidents of hate. “Right to Be” formerly known as “HollaBack!” delivers great resources and training for Bystander Intervention & Conflict De-escalation. Right to Be also offers other types of anti-harassment training, which deserves to be uplifted and supported.
On May 10th, 3 pm PDT, ALA will host Right to Be and Advancing Justice — Asian Law Caucus to present a curated Bystander Intervention training session for ALA members and our wider networks.
More information and registration link coming soon. Please save the date, and please pull in as many people (including allies) as you can to attend this live training (it will not be recorded).
The physical and virtual safety of our communities depends on it.
Asian Justice Movement: Saigu 30 Commemoration
by Brian Pang on May 4, 2022
Thirty years ago, Los Angeles erupted in violence. Between 53–64 lives were lost, 2,000 businesses destroyed, and over a billion dollars in property damage incurred. Communities were pitted against each other, with the resulting violence destroying families, communities, and livelihoods. The Korean community incurred almost 50% of the $1,000,000,000 of property damage, witnessing the fragility of the American dream.
Three decades later, America continues to grapple with racism in policing. Asian Americans continue to be scapegoated and subjected to violence.
On April 29, events were held in Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Denver to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the LA Riots/Uprising, strengthen bridges between communities, and prevent violence.
Learn more by visiting https://saigu.org
Watch the replay of the online program and LA livestream here: Break the Silence: Saigu
A note: ALA & Chezie are co-developing a Black and Asian Solidarity resource guide, coming soon.
ALA Event — Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now
by Po On Yeung on May 4, 2022
ALA is in early-stage planning for an event featuring the authors of Rise:
Jeff Yang, https://twitter.com/originalspin
Phil Yu (Angry Asian Man) https://twitter.com/angryasianman
Philip Wang, Wong Fu Productions https://twitter.com/philipwang
Please lookout for more details and the registration link coming soon
Ascend Events
by Jimmy Hua on May 4, 2022
There are so many great events happening! Here are some from Ascend that you will want to check out!
- Tuesday, May 3, 2022; 10:00 AM — 11:00 AM PST: May Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month Celebration Apologies and Beyond: The Path to Allyship
- Tuesday, May 17, 2022; 7:30 PM EST: Celebrating Asian Resilience, Ingenuity and Talent
- Wednesday, May 25, 2022, 12:30–1:30 pm PT: Fighting the Stigma: Mental Health Among AAPIs Presented by Ascend and The Commonwealth Club
San Francisco Chinatown Tour with Post-Tour Happy Hour
by Ramon Tran Tang on May 2, 2022
San Francisco Chinatown has been established in 1848. It has been the most important and influential in the history and culture of North American Chinese immigrants. As of today, SF Chinatown has retained its own culture, identity, language, and tradition.
Come join us on this tour to learn about the rich history of Chinatown with none other than David Lei! David is a well-known historian of Chinatown who worked and grew up in San Francisco.
David is part of the Chinatown Revitalization Initiative in San Francisco Chinatown. He will talk to us about different initiatives that you and your ERG can be involved in. These initiatives will help make Chinatown stay relevant but also improve the neighborhood for all to visit and be part of the Chinatown community.
After the tour, we will have a networking happy hour session at Lion’s Den. Lion’s Den has graciously offered each person a drink voucher if they attend the tour.
Event Schedule
6 PM — 7 PM: Chinatown tour- Meet at Chinese for Affirmative Action,17 Walter U Lum Place, SF, CA 94018 in front of Portsmouth Square
7 PM — 8 PM: Happy hour at Lion’s Den
Bay Area- AANHPI Heritage Month Happy Hour Gathering
by Ramon Tran Tang on May 2, 2022
Join us and bring your ERGs, friends, and community to join us to celebrate AANHPHI heritage month! Come network and celebrate your culture and identities!
This Happy hour will start when the San Francisco Chinatown Tour with Post-Tour Happy Hour is over. This event is the “Post-Tour Happy Hour” part of the event. If you attend the tour part, you will receive a free drink voucher, complimentary of Lion’s Den. So, please join for the tour and learn about the community that you all will be drinking in.
Gateway: Accelerate Your Career with Fabian J. De Rozario
by Ramon Tran Tang on May 2, 2022
“Accelerate Your Career” with Fabian J. De Rozario will be the next webinar in the Gateway Professional Development series. It is scheduled for Wednesday, May 18, 2022, 5:30–7 PM PDT (Cal-ifornia time),
What does it take to be fully successful in your career?
Are you working on the right things to advance?
Technical capabilities alone won’t propel your career or your business. Knowing and exhibiting the skills to navigate the workplace (or working with clients/customers) and influencing skills are just as important.
Attend this presentation and engage in an open and candid dialogue about the skills you need to be fully successful. The workshop speaker will share lessons learned in his four-career journey plus insights from his consulting work.
Do you have any dying questions that you want to be answered? Now is your chance to get our voice heard! There will be a question box in the registration link to enter your question.
Event information
When:
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
5:30 to 6:30 pm (PDT) Webinar + Q&A session
6:30 to 7:00 pm (PDT) Virtual Networking session
Where: Zoom
Moderator: NAAAP
Spotlight on ANHPI Mental Health Resources and the TransformAsian Conference
by Brian Pang on May 4, 2022
May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. Asian Americans have a disproportionately lower rate of seeking care compared to the general population. Conversely, suicide rates amongst Asian American men are highest compared to other ethnic groups.
The underlying causes of this disparity may be attributed to the cultural stigma of mental health, the model minority myth, shame caused by intergeneral trauma, language access, therapist incompatibility, and other barriers to entry.
As such, ALA would like to recommend the following resources, specifically for the AANHPI communities
- Asian Mental Health Project
- Asian Mental Health Collective
- Asians for Mental Health
- The Cosmos
- Asians for Mental Health
- Asian American Psychological Association
- Change Your Algorithm
On May 1st, the Asian Mental Health Collective hosted their 2nd annual TransformAsian: Breaking the Cycle conference. Hosted by the incredible Jeanie Chang, this conference featured powerful panels and healing spaces.
Sneak Peek: Authentic Indian Cooking with your Instant Pot with Vasanti Bhadkamkar-Balan
by Jimmy Hua on April 6, 2022
Looking for someone yummy to eat? Join us and cook with us while Vasanti shows us how to make Anda Curry, a classic Indian curry made by poaching eggs in a medium spicy, flavorful curry. This recipe comes straight from her book “AUTHENTIC INDIAN COOKING WITH YOUR INSTANT POT: Classic and Innovative Recipes for the Home Cook”. What is even better, this is right before lunch. So you can make this for lunch and feed those around you!
Join us for this session of Sneak Peek to get a preview and have a potential speaker for your next event!
Sneak Peek is a series by the Asian Leaders Alliance. The goal of this is to give you a “Sneak Peek” of a presentation that a nonprofit/organization would like to give to your employees. And if you see what you like, you connect with them and have them do the same and gear it to your audience. Guidelines have been established with the organization that is part of the series in the understanding of what is the expectations to and from ERGs.
5th Annual
Future CEO: Youth Summer Exploration Program
by Samantha Lee on April 2, 2022
ALA has been partnering with ERG to deliver summer youth programs for high school students from several key nonprofits (CYC, YMCA SF-Chinatown, SEADC) since 2018. The goal of the summer career exploration program is to connect youth with Asian professionals. Through workshops and discussions, we hope to help youth explore their own personal, educational, and career development. This year we are looking for companies to help host workshops virtually or preferably in person on-site.
We need your help!
- Host companies ( for virtual or in-person workshops. The workshop will be run by the nonprofits, you just need to provide volunteers to go through the workshop with the youth. And if it is hosted in person, have space and snacks for the youths at your company. )
- Nonprofit Leader ( coordinate with Host companies and nonprofits, working with nonprofits in any needs that would need to ensure the success of the program from an operational perspective )
- ERG Leader ( coordinate with Host companies and nonprofits, help recruit ERGs to get involved and get them prepared and understand what is expected)
- Marketing Leader (Help create marketing materials to attract youth/companies, plan and execute a kickoff and closing event, and other marketing/PR as needed )
Please contact me if you are interested: onesamanthalee@gmail.com
Being a member?
Join us! It’s free and has tons of resources for you and your ERGs. Share events, and connect with others!
https://www.asianleadersalliance.com/members.html
Community Calendar
Looking for events? Or want to share your events with the ALA Community? You can do that by going to our website and submitting the event. It will show up on our website and be sent to our members.
https://www.asianleadersalliance.com/community-calendar.html
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