Together We Are More
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Dear Friend,
Just over a week ago, to celebrate our fourth anniversary, we welcomed over 1,500 guests at our annual TAAF Heritage Month Summit in NYC. What better way to close out Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month than to spend two days in the company of inspiring AANHPI leaders, artists, innovators, and advocates. Through insightful conversations, networking—and of course, celebration—we witnessed firsthand the collective power and joy of our community. The theme of this year’s Summit was “Together We Are More,” and we asked our attendees to finish the sentence and help us set the vision for our community. I firmly believe that together, we are more powerful.
You’ll read about all the highlights and takeaways from Summit in this issue, as well as some of our latest initiatives. May was a busy month at TAAF. We are very excited to introduce our TAAF Cities initiative to promote safety and economic prosperity, which we launched first in Seattle. We also released the second volume of our Fighting to Belong! graphic novel series, and so much more.
“Together We Are More” has real meaning to me. When we come together and build community, we’re not only multiplying our impact, but we’re raising visibility for all AANHPIs. Because whether you’re breaking barriers onscreen, leading the way in the boardroom, serving our youth or elders, or just embracing your identity as an AANHPI person in America, you’re making a difference for those who might not have felt visible before. In the words of TAAF Awardee and Oscar-nominated actress, Stephanie Hsu, "Everything I am is built from everyone who came before me, and everything I am becoming is for everyone who will come next."
In solidarity,
Norman Chen
CEO, The Asian American Foundation
SAFETY
TAAF Cities launches in Seattle
TAAF is deepening our impact in cities across the country through a new initiative: TAAF Cities. Our New York and Seattle Safety Studies show that many AANHPIs do not feel safe in everyday spaces, including in their own neighborhoods and on public transit. Grounded in research and community input, TAAF Cities aims to spur historic public and private investments that strengthen cities with large AANHPI populations. We’re driving place-based change through cross-sector collaboration, and building public-private coalitions across government, business, and the community.
To launch TAAF Cities, we were in Seattle to announce the Chinatown-International District Ambassadors Program with the Mayor’s Office, the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area, Amazon, and other partners. Teams of trained, culturally competent Safety Ambassadors are working to improve the day-to-day experiences of all people residing and working in the district—including Japantown, Chinatown, and Little Saigon. Made possible through a combined $1 million investment from TAAF and the City of Seattle, these Safety Ambassadors will walk block to block to assist small businesses, welcome visitors, and foster a safer and more vibrant neighborhood.
Our goal is to create sustainable change. Working together with coalitions like this one, we can strengthen neighborhoods, empower business owners, and build cities where everyone belongs.
BELONGING
Celebrating community at TAAF’s Heritage Month Summit
On May 21 and 22, we gathered for TAAF’s fourth annual Heritage Month Summit at Chelsea Piers in New York City. The waterfront location featured panoramic views of the Hudson River, while the inside of the venue beautifully lifted up the unity of our community through art and culinary experiences. From inspired cuisine prepared by 33 top AANHPI chefs to a curated marketplace featuring the latest designs from Asian American entrepreneurs, we celebrated all that our rich and diverse cultures have to offer. The centerpiece of the room was a cube adorned with powerful visions and aspirations from our community partners sharing the collective power of “Together We Are More.”
On Day 1, panelists discussed the greatest challenges facing AANHPI communities and highlighted various initiatives, including those led by TAAF, to build safety, belonging, and prosperity. Moderator Amana Nawaz dove deep into these issues with Ishan Bhabha, Mona Kafeel, Jordan Lee, and Jennifer Wu. We also introduced our TAAF Cities initiative with a panel featuring Sharon Tomiko Santos, Tuyen Than, Peter Tomozawa, and TAAF’s own Chief Programs Officer, Georgette Bhathena, addressing the need for a safer, more inclusive Seattle. Dr. Russell Jeung dove deep into the (mis)perceptions of Asian Americans revealed in our 2025 STAATUS Index.
We were also treated to an intimate fireside chat with Juju Chang and Lucy Liu, who spoke about her journey and the power of creative reinvention. In a fireside chat with Shruti Ganguly, Poorna Jagannathan shared the challenges of creating authentic South Asian characters and stories in Hollywood. Vicky Nguyen moderated a discussion on reclaiming narratives for Southeast Asian Americans 50 years after the fall of Saigon. In the evening, our TAAF Awards Dinner honored those who have broken barriers and raised visibility for the community. This year, we honored changemakers Lucy Liu, Vivek Ranadivé, and Stephanie Hsu. Congratulations to these very deserving awardees! This year's spirits sponsor Diageo featured specialty Johnnie Walker and Don Julio cocktails throughout the Summit & Awards Dinner. Special thanks to OpenTable for supporting this year's Awards Dinner culinary program, and to Baccarat for the crystal awards.
Day 2 of Summit started with an exciting panel on AANHPI representation in sports with Pablo Torre, Vivek Ranadivé, Samantha Tan, and Joe Tsai. A discussion with Jonathan Dacula, Kevin Ha, Anusha Nadkarni, Dr. Jenny T. Wang, and Tati Gabrielle addressed the urgent challenges facing AANHPI youth, and a fireside with Stephanie Mehta and Anjula Acharia touched on building bridges between Hollywood and South Asia. Kristian “Krit” Fanene Schmidt of PEAK moderated a panel including Rocket Ahuna, Dr. Mālia Kaʻaihue, Aisea Laungaue, and Shar Tui’asoa, tackling how Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander narratives can be reclaimed through bold storytelling and cultural leadership. Shanelle Kaul was joined by Lea Salonga, David Henry Hwang, Francis Jue, and Diane Paulus for a discussion on creating space for AANHPI artists on Broadway, along with Darren Criss and Shoba Narayan who performed an unforgettable surprise duet of “A Whole New World.” We ended our time together with our annual TAAF AAPI All-Star Basketball game, in partnership with BSE Global and Apex for Youth, at the Barclays Center, engaging in friendly competition with our friends at Apex for Youth.
Thank you to Chef Helen Nguyen of Saigon Social for her leadership of an incredible team of chefs, who crafted a memorable dining experience for our TAAF Heritage Month Summit and AAPI All-Star Basketball Game: Dan Ahn of Kimbap Lab, Jordan Andino of Flip Sigi, Trigg Brown of Win Son Bakery, Thao Bui of An Xoi, Monique Cadavona of Kalihi, Zhan Chen of Potluck Club/Phoenix Palace, Esther Choi of Mokbar, Chung Chow of Noreetuh, Dustin Everett of Fishcheeks, Richard Ho of Ho Foods, Bong Le Jo of 8282, Vijay Kumar of Semma, Daniel Le of Aquabest/Essex Pearl, Danny Lee of Anju, Eunji Lee of Lysee, Jihan Lee of Nami Nori/Postcard Bakery, Vincent Lin of Blue Willow, Peter Liu of O Mandarin, Thai Nguyen of Ramie, Trinh Nguyen of Ramie, Chintan Pandya of Dhamaka, Taka Sakaeda of Postcard Bakery, Chetan Shetty of Passerine, Danielle Spence of Win Son Bakery, Alexandra Sternkler of Cote, Eric Tran of Falansai, Lauren Tran of Banh by Lauren, Eric Valdez of NAKS, Duy Vo of An Xoi, Max Wittawatt of Bangkok Supper Club, Ross Yu of Ok Ryan, and Emily Yuen of Lingo.
We are grateful to our wonderful sponsors whose unwavering support made our 2025 TAAF Heritage Month Summit not only possible, but truly transformative: Airbnb, AlixPartners, Amazon, Baccarat, Baccarat Hotel, Bank of America, BSE Global, Citadel | Citadel Securities, Diageo, Don Julio, Fanatics, Genesis House, Goldman Sachs, Groombridge Wu Baughman & Stone LLP, JCPenney, Jefferies, Johnnie Walker, KKR, MacArthur Foundation, Major League Baseball, Mamava, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, Merck, Morgan Stanley, NBA, Nike, OpenTable, Palm Drive Capital, Panda Express, Stryker, Tatcha, United Airlines, Yahoo, and Zapleap.
Elevating Asian American culture at The New York Times Media Summit
TAAF joined The New York Times on May 6 to host “A Spotlight on American Culture Today,” marking the culmination of our Asian American culture article series. The event was hosted by Anna Martin and the talented journalists at The New York Times and featured appearances from comedian Aparna Nancherla, ballet dancer Chloe Misseldine, author R.F. Kuang, Chef Leah Cohen, and creator Joe Ando-Hirsh. Following insightful conversations on the intersections of identity and craft, the evening ended with a spectacular performance from Laufey, who captivated the audience with her signature blend of jazz, pop, and classical influences.
TAAF supported The New York Times in telling a series of stories on Asian American cultural influences and influencers. TAAF supported this initiative to share the diversity and depth of our cultures and heritage with broad audiences. By seeing our stories on pages, stages, and screens, we not only feel seen but learn time and again that our stories of joy, longing, struggles and triumphs resonate with many outside our communities.
We were so thrilled with how the series turned out—we could not be more grateful to The New York Times writers and editorial staff for the unique angles taken and the incredible diversity of the stories told.
Read The New York Times series here
Fighting To Belong! Volume 2 out now
On May 22, TAAF and Third State Books officially released Fighting to Belong! Volume 2. The second in a three part series, this unique and engaging graphic novel brings AANHPI history to life for readers aged 8-13. Volume 2 continues the journey of middle schoolers Padmini, Sammy, Joe, and Tiana and their guide, Kenji, as they travel through time and witness key moments in AANHPI history, from the 1900s through the 1970s. Writers Amy Chu and Alexander Chang, along with illustrator Louie Chin, did a fantastic job yet again. We were honored to have them sign copies of Fighting to Belong! Volume 2 at Summit.
TAAF began this project with Third State Books because growing up, many AANHPIs didn’t see themselves on stage, on screen, or in history books. And with the current popularity of graphic novels in the middle grades, the Fighting to Belong! series is a perfect way to introduce those important (but often forgotten) moments of AANHPI history to the next generation.
Get Fighting to Belong! Volume 2 now!
GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT
TAAF is honored to build towards safety, belonging and prosperity with our community partners.
Meet our partners by clicking the image below to learn more about their work.
CONVENINGS
TAAF in Community
AEG Futures event
TAAF was proud to support AEG Futures, a youth-focused event in Pasadena on May 14, organized by AEG and co-hosted with 88RISING, Goldenvoice, LEAP (Leadership Education For Asian Pacifics), and others. Local high school and college students experienced a full day of immersive programming around careers in music and live entertainment.
SALDEF Sikhs in Storytelling event
TAAF sponsored SALDEF’s 2nd annual Sikhs in Storytelling convening in Chicago, on May 11. The event brought together an incredible group of leaders, creatives, artists, activists and advocates.
APAICS gala
TAAF was proud to be a sponsor of the APAICS 31st Annual Awards Gala on May 13, in Washington, DC. The event is the largest gathering of AANHPI elected officials and government appointees at the federal, state, and local levels.