About Us

TAAF is promoting safety, fostering belonging, and advancing prosperity for AANHPIs everywhere.

Founded in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate and violence, TAAF is reversing the longstanding under-investment in our community and addressing the root causes of hate and discrimination.

Our Mission

To serve the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in their pursuit of belonging and prosperity that is free from discrimination, slander, and violence.

Our Vision

An America where opportunities to participate in all aspects of society are equally accessible, and individuals and communities are not rendered invisible, nor singled out for false stereotypes, discrimination, or hate on the basis of race.

Our Values

Impact

We work strategically to achieve meaningful impact with the communities we serve.

Growth

We embrace a culture of learning and feedback that acknowledges mistakes and leverages them for positive change.

Integrity

We hold ourselves to our commitments, recognizing that true impact takes time.

Inclusivity

We collaborate with our community partners and across racial groups to ensure that diverse perspectives inform our work.

Gratitude

We recognize that we stand on the shoulders of our predecessors to lead with humility.

Our Founding Story

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have called the United States of America home for over two centuries. The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) is stepping up to protect our fundamental right to belong and prosper, free from cycles of discrimination and violence.

From the first recorded settlement of Filipinos in 1763 escaping imprisonment aboard Spanish Galleons in New Orleans, and throughout each succeeding wave of immigration from Asia and the Pacific since then, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have fought and endured in our struggle to be valued by American society.

Despite our AAPI communities' remarkable success and vital contributions across social, economic, and political realms, progress towards greater national acceptance and belonging continues to be threatened by unchecked cycles of xenophobia and race-based violence.

The time for change is now. The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) believes that a better America is not only possible but necessary.

Even as the fastest growing ethnic group in the country, AAPI communities are severely underfunded. We are consistently denied opportunities for professional advancement. Our most vulnerable are overlooked and violently assaulted daily.

We want to close the vast AAPI economic and influence gap. Our board has made the largest philanthropic commitment in history focused specifically on AAPI communities—and this is just the beginning.

We serve the 23 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who strive to build on the promise of America and create a future that we—and the next generation—deserve. Every single one of us is part of the American story—and The Asian American Foundation is here to stand up for us all.

“Have come, Am here.”

Jose Garcia Villa — Celebrated Pilipinx immigrant and poet.

We were founded to solve for systemic issues facing our communities.

3.5x

Population Growth

Asian Americans have the fastest growth rate of any major racial or ethnic group, 3.5x faster than the overall U.S. population. The U.S. Asian American population grew from nearly 12 million to over 20 million from 2000 to 2012, a 72% increase. AAPIs are the 3rd largest demographic in America.

Source: Pew Research

8.7x

Income Gap

Among all ethnic and racial groups in the U.S., Asians have the biggest income gap between the top 10% and the bottom 10%. AAPIs near the top of the income ladder had 8.7 times as much income as AAPIs near the bottom.

Source: Pew Research

1 in 4

Experience Hate Incidents

Despite having been in the U.S. for over 250 years, 1 in 4 Asian Americans have experienced a hate incident and 64% have been asked, "Where are you really from?"

Source: Axios

0.2%

Underfunded

Of all groups of color, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities receive less than 0.2% of foundation giving and less than 1% of corporate philanthropy.

Source: AAPIP

Board Members

Joseph Bae

Co-Chief Executive Officer, KKR

Board Co-Chair, The Asian American Foundation

Joseph Y. Bae is Co-Chief Executive Officer of Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts (KKR), a global investment firm with over $500 billion in assets under management.