Onward Toward Greater Visibility
Dear Friend,
We’ve made great strides in increasing the visibility of Asian American, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) in the public sphere—from the business and entertainment sectors to schools and government. But visibility isn’t the end goal—it’s just the beginning. At a time when the diversity of American narratives is being challenged, TAAF remains committed to ensuring that our communities are seen and heard.
In this newsletter, you’ll discover the ways we are driving our mission forward—from the exciting new features and content in our AAPI History Hub, built to empower educators and students alike, to our new Heritage Month toolkit which will encourage celebration of AANHPI cultures and businesses in May and beyond. Finally, two more films in TAAF’s Heritage Heroes series were released on Prime Video. Both short documentaries spotlight the resilience and power of TAAF’s AANHPI Community Partners, and the importance of supporting and advocating for each other. Don’t miss the newest story from our partnership with The New York Times Asian American Women Are Redefining the ‘Old’ in Grandmother’s Gold.
Let’s continue working to break down barriers to representation and inclusion, and uplift our community’s voices for everyone to hear.
In solidarity,
Norman Chen
CEO, The Asian American Foundation
EDUCATION
TAAF expands AAPI History Hub with new features and lesson plans
Last year, TAAF launched the AAPI History Hub, a first-of-its-kind online educational platform designed to provide K-12 educators with access to high-quality curricular resources covering Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history. TAAF believes the incorporation of AAPI history into K-12 schools fosters a greater sense of belonging for young people who do not always have the opportunity to see themselves mirrored within traditional curricula. And with a growing number of states mandating the inclusion of Asian American history in K–12 curricula, educators need vetted, standards-aligned resources to effectively teach AAPI history across all grade levels.
We’re excited to announce that today we've expanded the AAPI History Hub’s content library and features. We’ve added more than 50 high-quality lesson plans, educational guides, and classroom tools from leading education partners and school districts such as Asian American Voices for Education, AAPI New Jersey, Diversify Our Narrative, Sikh Coalition, and the New York City Department of Education. And the over 320 lesson plans are all searchable in the Resource Directory, where users can easily explore what’s new and find the resources they need. We have also added three new features:
- A new Professional Learning page with a curated list of workshops, training programs, and virtual learning opportunities for educators seeking to strengthen their approach to AAPI history.
- A new AAPI History in Action page spotlighting experiential learning—from museums to musicals—offering ways to connect students and communities to lived AAPI experiences.
- The upgrade also includes an interactive education landscape map, created in partnership with Committee of 100, which tracks state-level policies and standards around AAPI and ethnic studies as well as a list of advocacy organizations to get involved. These tools are accompanied by Groundswell: Asian American Youth Making Waves, a short film that highlights young people who are leading the movement to bring AAPI stories into the classroom.
The AAPI History Hub is a collective project funded by The Asian American Foundation and co-created with key partners and contributors, including The Social Studies Accelerator, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago, The Asian American Education Project, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, and The DataFace.
RESOURCES & REPRESENTATION
Meet the AANHPI Toolkit!
Ahead of AANHPI Heritage Month, we've put together a comprehensive toolkit to spotlight the many ways you can celebrate, uplift, and honor AANHPI communities and cultures. Learn about the most diverse and rapidly growing population groups in the United States, or explore the best that AANHPI arts and culture have to offer. Whether you're planning an event, want to get more involved in the community, or just want to celebrate the joys of AANHPI culture—start your planning with the AANHPI Toolkit.
NARRATIVE CHANGE
New releases in TAAF’s Heritage Heroes series
Two films look at local communities standing against anti-Asian hate.
Director Nik Dodani’s short film Houston Rising tells the story of what happens when a megachurch pastor's racist sermon rocks Houston’s immigrant communities. The Asian American community unites with fellow immigrants across the city—from the streets of Asiatown to restaurant kitchens to City Hall—continuing a deep-rooted tradition of multicultural solidarity in the American South. Houston Rising features TAAF’s Houston Anti-Hate City Partners, made up of Boat People SOS, Daya Houston, and Tahirih Justice Center.
In Yuan Fen: Finding Each Other, director Georgia Fu chronicles the events following an off-duty Seattle police officer and his wife’s racial harassment of their Chinese American neighbors in 2022. Four women across generations unite to fight for justice. The film showcases TAAF Anti-Hate City Partner Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC) Seattle.
In TAAF’s Heritage Heroes series, AANHPI filmmakers and their AANHPI crews highlight everyday heroes who are making a difference for our communities. Having AANHPI artists bring these stories to light ensures that our lived experiences are presented authentically and with care. Stream Houston Rising and Yuan Fen: Finding Each Other now on Prime Video!
Gathering Journalists & Storytellers
This past weekend, TAAF had the privilege to once again join Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS), and Enfranchisement Productions to cohost the 3rd Annual AAPI White House Correspondents Brunch in Washington, DC. Not only did we honor the AAPI White House and National Correspondents, we also celebrated the important role that journalists play in ensuring that our narratives and stories are brought into homes every day. Thank you to our emcees, esteemed journalists Vicky Nguyen and Chris Nguyen. We are incredibly grateful to 2025 James Beard Awards finalists Chefs Danny Lee and Scott Drewno of The Fried Rice Collective, who designed an extraordinary menu for our attendees, as well as our food/beverage partners including BŌKEN sake, Mrs. Bakewell’s scones, Party of Snacks popcorn, Pricklee Cactus Water, Trăm Phần Trăm syrups, Sanzo sparkling water, and Yoju soju cocktails. We are grateful to our sponsors National Education Association, Johnson & Johnson, CBS News and Stations, Fox, Scripps News, Future Friends, Love, Bonito, and Very Asian Foundation.
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
TAAF is honored to build towards safety, belonging and prosperity with our community partners and AAPI Giving Challenge partners.
Meet our partners by clicking the image below to learn more about their work.
CONVENINGS
TAAF in Community
TAAF was excited to participate in the AAPI Rising: Identity, Resilience, and Leadership Summit at the University of Minnesota on April 21. The event was put together by TAAF community partner CAPI USA.
For the third year in a row, TAAF was proud to support and attend the Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education (APAHE) Conference and AANAPISI Preconference Institute, which took place April 9-11. The event brought together over 1,500 students, faculty, and administrators from across the country to Oakland, California. We were honored to help create space for educator leaders to share thoughtful, impactful strategies to advance belonging, equity, and opportunity for low-income AANHPI college students.