May 2026 | Bringing the Asian+American Dream to Life

Dear Friends,

The theme of our annual TAAF Heritage Month Summit this month was Together We Are the Asian+American Dream. As TAAF celebrates 5 years, I’ve been thinking about the progress we have made as a community to pursue our Asian+American dreams. While it doesn’t look the same for everybody, it’s about having the opportunity to achieve our full potential without giving away or hiding a part of ourselves. And that Asian+American dream could not have been better exemplified by those who spoke, attended, and were honored at Summit this year.

Through thought-provoking discussions and energizing conversations, we celebrated the diverse paths that our community members have taken to achieve their own versions of the Asian+American dream. From innovators in tech and entertainment to military veterans who have sacrificed so much for this country, we saw what America means to the AAPI community, and our integral role in shaping the America we know today.

Read on for some of the powerful highlights from this year’s Summit.

In solidarity,

Norman Chen
CEO, The Asian American Foundation

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NEWS

TAAF Heritage Month Summit Celebrates 5 Years of TAAF and the Asian+American Dream

On May 14 and 15, we brought the community together for our annual Heritage Month Summit at the Javits Center in New York City. This year’s theme, “Together We Are the Asian+American Dream,” centered stories of how the AAPI community has helped shape this nation and explored how we will continue to move forward together for the next 250 years. We reflected on how TAAF has grown and refined its purpose over our five short years, and looked back on both our impacts and our learnings as we plan for the next 250 years. We also celebrated the talent of our community through an inspired culinary experience led by over 30 of New York City’s top AAPI chefs, alongside a curated marketplace featuring goods from AAPI entrepreneurs and founders. Pioneering streetwear creative, Bobby Hundreds, designed a custom five-year anniversary bag for attendees.

TAAF Summit Day 1

The question of how we build safety, belonging, and prosperity for the AAPI community in the long term was addressed from multiple angles in the morning’s sessions. TAAF Board Co-chair Joseph Bae remarked upon the history of AAPIs not just pursuing their own ambitions, but helping others to achieve theirs: “The Asian+American dream has never been just about survival. It's about building something bigger than ourselves. And opening the door wider for those who come next.”

And in a fireside chat, author Min Jin Lee emphasized the collective power we hold to fight hate: “I don't feel like I'm a political activist. I feel like I'm just a witness. And I think if all of us are witnesses then it's quite powerful what we can achieve.” Another way to achieve safety and belonging is through cross-sector partnerships for a common goal, as illustrated in a deep dive into the TAAF Cities initiative that highlighted the Seattle Safety Ambassador program and the NYC Elevating Business Loans Program.

In an afternoon panel on authentic storytelling, we heard from Isa Briones, Hayley Kiyoko, Chriselle Lim and Harry Shum Jr. on their paths to representation. Kiyoko reflected on how she hoped her personal journey to self-love as a queer and biracial woman could open a path for others. Jeremy Lin, Paraag Marathe, Clara Wu Tsai and Joe Tsai shared their journeys to becoming leaders in the world of sports. Neal Mohan reflected on the way YouTube continues to center storytelling as the ultimate connector across cultures and nations: “YouTube's been around for 20+ years and our mission has been consistent throughout that time—which is to give everyone a voice and show them the world…there's no gatekeepers. There's nobody who's telling you that you look or sound the right way, wrong way, you're from the wrong part of the world. If you have a story, you can share it.”

TAAF Awards Dinner

In the evening, our TAAF Awards Dinner honored individuals who have broken barriers, and whose Asian+American dreams have inspired us. “Doors don’t close forever. Sometimes they just need the right people to kick them open,” remarked Ke Huy Quan, who was honored alongside fellow changemakers Neal Mohan, Sheila Lirio Marcelo, and Jeremy Lin. Congratulations to all the honorees!

TAAF Summit Day 2

At a time when the loyalty of AAPIs is being questioned, and when who counts as “truly American” is debated, our panel on AAPIs in the military reminded us of the incredible sacrifices that our community members have made for this country. Dr. Ravi Chaudhary spoke of the importance of diversity in the military. “I look at the next generation, I mentor many of them, and they come to me [and ask] ‘Hey, what's the secret to success in the United States military?’ The answer's always been: be yourself.”

A fireside discussion with Tan France explored his path to becoming an American, and the need for representation in entertainment to humanize us. We also highlighted the impact of AAPIs in fashion and beauty, where belonging is often measured by how comfortable we feel in our skin. In a conversation with Daniel Martin, Jason Wu and Jeanne Yang, Vera Wang reflected on the breakthroughs she’s witnessed in acceptance of Asian beauty. After a fireside chat and performance by pianist Chloe Flower, a panel including Andrew Yang, Neil G. Ruiz, Gunjan Banerji, and Katie Benner discussed current issues at the forefront of the news, from birthright citizenship to AI.

Native Hawaiian storytelling was celebrated in the next panel, where Auliʻi Cravalho, Ty Sanga, and Lāiana Kanoa-Wong shared their experiences. Kanoa-Wong emphasized the importance of taking back the power of storytelling: “For so long, others have been telling our stories, telling what Hawaii is, what Hawaiian people are like. For us to be able to be in a position to take it back is so critical.” Finally, a panel of Olympic medalists rounded out the day, as Suni Lee, Chuck Aoki, and James Williams talked about the immense pride and responsibility they felt in representing AAPIs on the national and world stages.

TAAF AAPI All-Star Basketball Game

We closed out our Heritage Month Summit with our annual TAAF AAPI All-Star Basketball game at the Barclays Center, in partnership with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment and Apex for Youth. It was an evening of friendly competition, community, and camaraderie. A special thank you to Joe and Clara Tsai for hosting this event for over 2,000 community friends and families.

Thank you to our 2026 TAAF Summit Partners

With Gratitude

We are also thankful to Chef Helen Nguyen of Saigon Social and Cô Lạc for once again assembling and leading an incredible team of chefs and culinary partners for our TAAF Heritage Month Summit. Thank you to Eric Sze of 886, Thao Bui and Duy Vo of Ăn Xôi, Danny Lee of Anju, Ashfer Biju of Baccarat Hotel, Max Wittiwat of Bangkok Supper Club, Lauren Tran of Bánh by Lauren, Ileene Cho of Cho’s Bakeshop, Vijay Bhardwaj and Chintan Pandya of Dhamaka, Yi Wei Huang of Double Crispy Bakery, Stevie Chu of Ekiben, Daniel Le of Essex Pearl/Aqua Best, Dustin Everett of Fish Cheeks, Sam Yoo of Golden Diner, Richard Ho of Ho Foods, Joseph Lee of Jean Georges, George Ruan and Wayne Cheng of Joji by Daniel Boulud, Tim Flores and Genie Kwon of Kasama, Can Ahn of Kimbap Lab, Jae Jung of KJUN, Eunji Lee of Lysée, Ken Chen and Jay Chen of Mojo East, Esther Choi of Mökbar, Eric Valdez of Naks, Chung Chow of Noreetuh, Jae Lee of Nowon, Zhan Chen of Potluck Club/Phoenix Palace, Queenie McFernandes of Passerine, Trinh and Thai Nguyen of Ramie, Mark Lee of Rokstar Chicken, Chintan Pandya of Rowdy Rooster, Ochi and Cedric Vongerichten of Wayan/Ma•dé, and Emily Yuen of Yingtao.