Welcome to The Yappie
Informing and empowering AAPI communities
The Yappie is your must-read briefing on Asian American power, politics, and influence. Every week, we give you a comprehensive rundown of policy news and activism affecting AAPI communities, with updates from Capitol Hill and beyond. Subscribe now.
Our Mission
Asian American Pacific Islander communities are among the fastest growing populations in the United States and play a critical role in our nation’s future. Yet they continue to feel ignored by both ends of the political spectrum and excluded from important policy conversations.
We believe that AAPI communities are empowered when they are informed, and that as the political landscape continues to evolve, no elected official should take our votes for granted. Furthermore, issues impacting AAPIs are more important than ever — and we simply need better ways to share information, tools, and resources. That’s why The Yappie aims to:
- Provide a digestible summary of the policy and politics news affecting AAPI communities
- Track the work of AAPI advocacy organizations, efforts to engage with AAPI communities politically, and notable activity from AAPI elected officials
- Uplift original writing and reporting by AAPI journalists and publications
- Create and distribute resources for AAPI students and interns pursuing careers in politics/policy, government, and communications
- Demonstrate that AAPIs deserve a strong voice in the national conversation, and that issues like immigration, housing, labor, data privacy, and poverty are AAPI issues
- Increase civic engagement among certain AAPI populations that are traditionally uninterested in politics and public service
In line with our mission, we hope to collaborate with various congressional offices, political campaigns, the Republican and Democratic National Committees, and AAPI advocacy organizations to make their work more accessible to the public. Subscribe now.
Our Team
We aren’t your average AAPI newsletter or publication. Our all-volunteer team is made up of passionate students who have worked in government, political media, and at some of the nation’s leading AAPI advocacy organizations. All bring unique experiences and connections that allow us to provide unparalleled coverage on what’s at stake for our communities.
- Andrew Peng currently studies political science, strategic public communication, and entrepreneurship at Rutgers University — New Brunswick. He is dedicated to uplifting AAPI voices and recently interned at Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology. His words have appeared in the Washington Post, USA Today, Teen Vogue, and elsewhere, and he enjoys tweeting, photography, and eating soup dumplings.
- Shawna Chen is a student at Amherst College and editor-in-chief of The Amherst Student, which has broken news on hate incidents, protests against former Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the disproportionately higher rate or tenure denials for professors of color than white professors. Her work has appeared in POLITICO, Palo Alto Weekly and The Christian Science Monitor. In her free time, she enjoys drinking unhealthy amounts of boba.
- Sunjay Lee is a student at the University of Southern California, majoring in NGOs and Social Change with a minor in International Policy and Management. She strongly believes in the power of communications and messaging to create meaningful social change and previously interned at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center and the British Consulate-General of Los Angeles. Originally from Queens, New York, Sunjay enjoys listening to podcasts — true crime, news, politics, and short stories.
- Andrew Huang is a student at Harvard College concentrating in Government and Molecular Cellular Biology, with a secondary in Computer Science. He is interested in international relations and political economy and is conducting research on national security and the governance of post-Mao China at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation and the Kennedy School. He also manages alumni relations for the Harvard Advocate. Originally from Livingston, New Jersey, Andrew enjoys spending time at the beach, drawing and reading short fiction.
- Cheyenne Cheng is a student at the University of Florida studying psychology. She is passionate about AAPI advocacy and most recently interned at OCA — Asian Pacific American Advocates. On campus, she serves as the Project Coordinator for the Asian American Oral History Project, which seeks to document the experiences of Asian Americans in the South, as well as the Advocacy Chair for the Asian American Student Union. She has also been a former APIAVote ambassador and currently serves as the Mobilization Coordinator for the East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU). In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, journaling, and watching shows on Netflix.
- Kristie-Valerie Hoang is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles with degrees in Political Science and Human Biology and Society. While she was at UCLA, she was a newsroom manager of the Daily Bruin, where she led digital strategy. Her work has been recognized by the College Media Association, Society of Professional Journalists and California News Publishers Association. She was the Class of 2020 Commencement Speaker for UCLA and is currently working to better connect newsrooms with their communities.
- Giboom Park is a student at Northwestern University triple majoring in political science, international studies, and global history. She is interested in international human rights, with a focus in human trafficking and mass incarceration. On campus, she tutors incarcerated students at a local maximum security prison as a part of the Northwestern Prison Education Program, and serves on the Education Committee for the Northwestern University Community for Human Rights. As a proud member of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum and A Just Chi, she is also active in fighting for racial equity and AAPI political representation. Giboom is passionate about languages and can speak Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, and English; she is currently learning Arabic independently.
Our Name
The word “yappie” stands for “young Asian professional.” First articulated by the Fung Bros in 2013 and popularized in the 2018 Wong Fu miniseries “Yappie,” the term is used to describe the rising generation of Asian youths who pursue white-collar jobs and financial stability.
But the word has gained a negative connotation among those who perceive yappies as oblivious to the issues facing the greater AAPI community. Additionally, the broader and older categorization of “yuppie” is associated with a host of harmful socioeconomic stereotypes.
We believe that “yappie” needs to be redefined, and that pursuing educational and financial success does not necessarily entail civic and political apathy. In 2018, Plan A Magazine’s Oxford Kondō called for yappies “to wake up and get angry” and harness their energy to evaluate where Asian Americans stand in today’s society, writing:
“The awakened yappie voice is the voice I want to hear because it’s been more steeped in the lived Asian American experience.”
We agree — and with the right tools and information, yappies can be a transformative force that benefits the greater AAPI political movement. The Yappie aims to equip Asian American students and young professionals with the resources necessary to understand and empower our community.
A Note On Terminology
We generally use the terms “Asian American and Pacific Islander” and “AAPI” unless specifically noted, and more nuanced language is applied to ensure proper representation. We may also use “AANHPI” (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) in certain contexts, especially when it relates to federal data, programs, and research.
Contact Us
We’re always looking for opportunities to collaborate, and we’d love to hear from you on how we can improve our content to better serve the community. If you have any tips, ideas, press releases, opportunities, or questions, feel free to send a note to editors@theyappie.com.
If you are a student interested in joining our team, please email Andrew Peng at andrew.peng@theyappie.com.
