November 2022
Native American Heritage Month
Dear AAPIPers,
As many of us prepare for the holiday season, AAPIP honors November as Native American Heritage Month. Long before Europeans came to these lands that are now commonly known as the United States, Native Americans stewarded the land with great care. We celebrate the rich and varied cultures, traditions, history, and societal contributions that are indigenous to these lands. Let's increase our knowledge of unique challenges faced by indigenous nations, and better understand how historical trauma such as colonization and genocide, have impacted Native peoples. And better yet, let's listen to the wisdom of the original stewards that hold important truths not just from the past, but also as a way forward.
As a follow up to the amazing Power in Solidary conference co-hosted by both AAPIP and Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) a few months ago, we thought you might be interested in a recent New York Times story about racial solidarity between a Japanese American family and a Native American tribe in Washington state. See the link below in the "What We Are Reading" section of this month's newsletter.
AAPIP has been busy! On a national level, we partnered with Pew Research Center on an interactive virtual discussion, "Being Asian in Philanthropy" with more than 50 participants sharing their own powerful stories. AAPIP also hosted a virtual meetup, "Filipino Americans in Philanthropy," building upon our first gathering at the Power in Solidarity conference. On a chapter level, AAPIP New York held a hybrid wrap up for the chapter's peer coaching pilot program, followed by an in-person event at the Ford Foundation. AAPIP Los Angeles worked in partnership with the Asian Pacific Community Fund to organize their annual van tour with nonprofits from the East San Gabriel Valley and at the Jeff Seymour Family Center. And if you are in Seattle, the Seattle chapter is hosting a membership event at Little Saigon Creative celebrating the end of the year with good company and good food on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 5:30pm! Thank you chapter leaders for doing your part in furthering the mission and work of AAPIP.
In community,
The AAPIP Team
|
| |
Upcoming Events
Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) - Seattle Chapter is excited to present Stories of Little Saigon, a panel conversation and year-end community gathering.
You are invited to join AAPIP Seattle Chapter for a community gathering of AAPI folxs in philanthropy at Little Saigon Creative celebrating the end of the year with good company and good food on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 5:30pm!
Our program will highlight local community leaders who will discuss the past, present, and future of the Little Saigon Neighborhood as well as the impacts of gentrification on the neighborhood and community.
WHEN: Thursday, December 8
TIME: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
LOCATION: Little Saigon Creative (Seattle's Chinatown International District)
1227 S Weller St Suite A, Seattle, WA 98144
*RSVP HERE*
* Space is Limited *
Presenters Include:
Minh-Duc Nguyen leads Helping Link’s all-volunteer workforce that hails from all over the greater Seattle area. Similarly, our clients come from neighborhoods throughout King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties. From young to old, Vietnamese to non-Vietnamese, our community is made up of everyone sharing their unique life experiences and perspectives with one another, allowing us to collectively build a space that is rich and diverse.
Leeching is the Vice President of Viet Wah Group, a grocery business founded by her father in 1981. She strongly believes in serving and supporting the community that has helped her family succeed. She is currently on the board of directors of ICHS Foundation (since 2015) and the Friends of Little Saigon (since 2021). A Seattle-area native, Leeching lives on the eastside with her husband, two young children, and dog Bingsu.
Valerie Tran (she/her) is the Operations Director for Friends of Little Sài Gòn (FLS) and is responsible for overseeing its daily operations and programs. Valerie works at the intersection of urban planning and public health to foster healthy, safe, and dignified neighborhoods. Before FLS, she was a consultant to neighborhood and downtown organizations throughout the country, helping them plan for greater cultural and economic vitality. She previously served on the board of FLS and the International Special Review District board, and she is currently council to Historic Seattle Preservation & Development Authority. Valerie has master’s degrees in Urban Planning and Public Health from University of Michigan.
This conversation will be moderated by AAPIP Seattle Co-Chairs:
There will be an abundance of Vietnamese food so come hungry!
Note: COVID Protocol - Little Saigon Creative requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination for all guests; masks are optional but encouraged while not eating or drinking. We are also requesting a pet-free and alcohol-free space.
If you have any questions, please contact
JulietL@Satterberg.org or Olivia@Perigeefund.org
|
In Case You Missed It
On October 26th, AAPIP and Pew Research Center hosted Being Asian in Philanthropy, a two-part webinar and community space. The space was co-facilitated by guest Neil Ruiz, Associate Director of Race and Ethnicity Research at Pew Research Center, and AAPIP Program Manager, Brandon Hadi.
Together, they reflected on narratives from Pew Research Center’s Being Asian in America project, connecting them to their own professional and personal experiences as Asian Americans working in public opinion research and philanthropy. Over 50 attendees participated in the second-half of the program, splitting into small groups to build community and reflect on how their identities are seen, celebrated, and included in their philanthropic workplace. Participants had the opportunity to share how their institutions supported AA and NHPI communities through their grantmaking, and what gaps remain in terms of investing in AA and NHPI community wellbeing.
In the community space, participants expressed these key takeaways:
-
The ongoing need to educate the field about nuances impacting Asian Americans as a precursor for sustained investments in AA and NHPI communities, and how existing resources and Pew’s Being Asian in America project, would facilitate funder education efforts.
-
The lack of representation of Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders in leadership positions amidst louder calls for BIPOC representation.
-
Especially for Asian Americans working in settings where they are the only Asian American, the intensified responsibility - and tokenization - to simultaneously advocate for AA and NHPI communities and their own personal experience. There are stereotypes that even equity-minded institutions hold, preventing Asian Americans from being heard and taken seriously.
-
A persistent feeling that others invoke about not belonging - in this country, or within racial justice efforts.
-
Due to generational and migrational differences between Asian Americans and immigrant parents, the difficulty discussing the impacts of race and racism, including dispelling myths and dismantling stereotypes.
Community spaces like these are critical for supporting AA and NHPI philanthropic professionals in the fight against racialized oppression.
To be in the loop about future community spaces hosted by AAPIP, review your eligibility to become a member!
|
AAPIP-NY recently launched the chapter's first-ever virtual peer coaching pilot for AANHPI professionals in philanthropy in May 2022. This peer coaching pilot brought participants together to develop personal/professional skills to learn, grow, and increase support of AANHPIs. Unlike traditional mentoring/coaching, peer coaching acknowledges that everyone has wisdom to share and removes many of the barriers created by institutional hierarchies and power dynamics. This allows participants to build trust, have candid conversations, and more meaningful reflections. Nearly 40 AANHPI professionals from a diverse range of philanthropic institutions participated in this program.
|
AAPIP-NY also hosted an event at the Ford Foundation (with a virtual component) in November 2022 to celebrate the peer coaching program and to receive feedback on how to improve the program in the future and to participate in AAPIP-NY’s first in-person gathering to meet other AANHPIs in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector over refreshments and snacks. Twenty individuals from the AAPIP-NY network were able to join us for this event.
|
Filipino Americans in Philanthropy Meet-Up
On November 2nd, AAPIP hosted a virtual meet-up for Filipino Americans who work in the philanthropic sector. More than a dozen came out for the virtual event, with AAPIP Development & Membership Manager Kyla Alvarez and AAPIP Communications Director Edgar Hopida facilitating. Building on the first Filipino Americans in Philanthropy in-person meetup at the Power in Solidarity Gathering last June, this follow up celebrated October as Filipino American History Month. Participants shared and reflected on their own experiences as Filipino Americans working in philanthropy, both the challenges and opportunities.
For those who missed out on this meetup but would like to participate in future meetups with this group, feel free to contact Kyla Alvarez at kyla@aapip.org.
AAPIP-Los Angeles Tour of East San Gabriel Valley Nonprofits
On November 4th, AAPIP-LA in partnership with the Asian Pacific Community Fund scheduled a tour to explore the East San Gabriel Valley and the community nonprofits which serve this important but often overlooked part of Los Angeles. On their visit to the East San Gabriel Valley, they had two panels hosted outdoors at the Jeff Seymour Family Center.
The first panel focused on health and language access, which is particularly important among the many English as a second language Asian communities in this area. They also featured Empowering Pacific Islander Communities to highlight the role they played as community health intermediaries during the pandemic and the need for data disaggregation to highlight disproportionate impact on Pacific Islander communities.
The second panel focused on community wellness, featuring a community center that combatted anti Asian hate, an education nonprofit working with diverse families through the upheaval of the pandemic, and a grassroots parent group for families caring for a loved one with disabilities (most of whom were Chinese and English second language).
Nonprofits showcased:
- El Monte Promise Foundation
- East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center
- Foundations for Disabled Youth
- Chinatown Service Center
- Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation
- Empowering Pacific Islander Communities
|