TAAF Staff Picks: April Yee
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It's time to hear from another TAAF Staffer on their recommendations for music, travel, AANHPI small businesses, and more!
Tell us what you do at TAAF, and where you're based.
I’m the Director of Education, which means I lead TAAF’s work to advance the teaching of AANHPI history in K-12 schools nationwide. I’m also excited about launching a new program this fall called the Thriving AANHPI Leadership Accelerator (aka TALA), which will support under-resourced college students in NYC and SF as they navigate their career paths and expand their definitions of success. I’m based in the Bay Area, but grew up in the Midwest and spent my 20s and early 30s on the East Coast.
What films or TV shows are you excited about right now?
At this stage in my life/our world, I can only bring myself to watch things that are uplifting! Plus I usually watch shows with my family, including my two kids ages 12.5 and 8.5. (IYKYK, those halves matter). Lately we’ve been enjoying Strange Planet, Abstract, Queer Eye, Finding Our Roots, and Wonder Years, after having binge-watched Young Sheldon, Everything Sucks, Steven Universe, and Blown Away. We recently watched the original Karate Kid I & II movies, and I was happy to see that they held up pretty well after 40 (!!) years.
Do you have a favorite book or author you're reading?
I just started reading Ocean Vuong’s new novel, because he is a poet-genius-mystic and his online interviews with Oprah and Tonya Mosely had me teary within minutes. My favorite book of 2025 so far is The Power of Bridging by john a. powell; it’s so relevant for our times and our work at TAAF. I try to read every word Tressie McMillan Cottom writes anywhere.
What song is on repeat on your playlist?
"Astral Plane" by Valerie June.
What's your top travel destination or bucket list vacation?
My top travel destination is any beach town where the ocean is warm, fresh fruit and seafood are plentiful, and flip-flops are acceptable dress code. My bucket list trip is visiting the villages where my paternal grandparents were born in Guangdong Province, China.
Any local AANHPI owned restaurants or small businesses that you recommend?
I live in Alameda, a little island across the estuary from Oakland’s Chinatown, where I am fairly spoiled by the abundant AANHPI food options. Some of my fave AANHPI owned spots include: East Ocean (classic dim sum hall that’s buzzing on the weekends), Spinning Bones (Michelin Guide listed, Asian inspired rotisserie spot with my favorite butter mochi cake), Peak (breakfast of champions: tom yum eggs, smoked duck benedict, fried chicken and waffles), Waki (high quality sushi, don’t sleep on the apps), Phnom Penh (their chicken soup cures a cold), Monkey King Pub (late night wings and crab fried rice), Town Tavern (awesome cocktails and bar snacks), Cookie Bar Scoop Shop (too many must-try options like egg tart and kalamansi), Lazybird Cafe (malasadas, congee, and matcha lattes to start your day), and Whisk Cake Creations (owned by my neighbor and author of The Ube Baking Book). I’m eager to try Fikscue, a new halal Texan-Indonesian BBQ spot that the NY Times ranked in the top 50 restaurants in America—but I haven’t been up to brave the line yet!
Stay tuned for picks from another TAAF staffer next month!