January 2021 Issue

Dear AAPIP Community,

Watching a nationally coordinated mob of white supremacists violently storm the Capitol just days into 2021 hardly warrants a cheery “Happy New Year!”. This event shocked but did not surprise us due to the growing agitation stirred by a would-be-dictator but soon-to-be-ex-president. Some, reeling in disbelief, defensively proclaim, “This is not America!” But in truth, this was an entitled, brazen display of white supremacy to forcibly and publicly invalidate the votes of communities of color and punish those that would support multiracial democracy. Sadly, “This is America.” In our piece, "Philanthropy, Is This Us?", we call on philanthropy to defend our democracy.

Despite the dramatic events that start our new year, AAPIP is ready for its fourth decade of work in philanthropy and we are grateful for your partnership to shape our sector in the likeness of social justice, and racial and gender equity. To give us a running start, we are excited to announce that AAPIP is growing! Please join us in welcoming Maya Iwata, our new Vice President of Partnerships who has served as Co-Chair of the New York Chapter and a founding member of a NY-based giving circle. Maya has served in various leadership roles in organizations including Race Forward, Partners for Dignity & Rights (formerly National Economic & Social Rights Initiative), and World Pulse. Read more about Maya here.

AAPIP's long-standing Membership Services Manager, Marnelle Marasigan, will be leaving AAPIP to pursue a PhD in Psychology - we thank Marnelle for her service at AAPIP and to AAPI communities and will miss her warm energy and positive spirit! AAPIP now has an opening for an Administrative Manager position. We are accepting applications on a rolling basis with hopes to fill the position by mid-February. While the position will be 100% remote, the preferred location for this position continues to be the Bay Area. Know anyone who might be interested? More information can be found here. Please pass this announcement along!

Last but by far not least, AAPIP is looking for new board members. Think someone would be a good fit for AAPIP’s Board of Directors? Nominate them here! Nominations will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. PST on Friday, January 29, 2021.

In Community,

The AAPIP Team

Philanthropy, Is This Us?

So, philanthropy - what now? How do we uphold our namesake, the “love of humanity”? Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.” Does philanthropy stand on the sidelines, simply shake our heads, and say, “This is not America!”? Or does philanthropy open its eyes and recognize how much work we need to do to build the America we want to live in?

Read the full piece

AAPIP Staffing Updates

Welcoming Maya Iwata, Vice President of Partnerships!

We are excited to announce Maya Iwata as AAPIP's Vice President of Partnerships. In this role, Maya will manage membership strategies and engagement to advance AAPIP's mission and reach. No stranger to AAPIP, Maya has previously served as a Co-Chair of the New York chapter and a founding member of a local giving circle. Having served in various leadership roles in organizations including Race Forward, Partners for Dignity & Rights (formerly National Economic & Social Rights Initiative), and World Pulse, she brings decades of experience working to promote social justice and human rights through a world view of abundance towards collective liberation. Please join us in welcoming Maya as she steps into this new role!

Saying Farewell and THANK YOU to Marnelle Marasigan, Membership Services Manager!

Our Memberships Services Manager, Marnelle Marasigan, has announced that she will be leaving AAPIP in March to pursue her PhD in Psychology at Meridian University. Marnelle has worn various hats at AAPIP for the past five years from administrative and executive support to chapter co-chair coordination to managing CRM data migration efforts. We thank Marnelle for her long service at AAPIP and wish her well on this new journey. We shall miss her effervescent grace and warm-heartedness as we work to identify a new colleague for a reconfigured role of Administrative Manager.

We're Hiring!
AAPIP Administrative Manager Position

Apply Here!

Call for Nominations!

2021 AAPIP Board of Directors

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CHANGE Unity Summit (Oct. 25-28)

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30 Years of Advancing Racial Justice

Since its founding in 1990, AAPIP has envisioned a more just and equitable society and has been a critical voice for advancing the full picture of racial justice - one which includes Asian and Pacific Islander communities. As our nation, and the world, reckon with the legacies of dehumanization and injustice, AAPIP is an important voice in philanthropy.

Your membership helps support AAPIP's work and centers you as an important part of the growing AAPIP community with special benefits!

Help us commemorate AAPIP's 30th anniversary by becoming a new member or renewing your membership!

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