Our Mission: In 1985, President Ronald Reagan remarked, “There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect.” In the 21st century, AAPIConnect builds cross-cultural bridges to open up our minds to one another, recognizing that only through learning from those with whom we are different can we build a better country—and world—for all.
About Us
We’re a youth-led, nonpartisan and nonprofit organization dedicated to defending the civil rights of Asian Americans, combatting anti-Asian hate, increasing Asian American political representation and remembering Asian American history. Here are some of our accomplishments so far:
Organized a conference at the U.S. Capitol to commemorate the Chinese Exclusion Act with 100+ fellow organizations and 450+ ticketed attendees
Hosted free speaker events with 200+ participants
Arranged a senior scam stopper with Asian Americans Advancing Justice — Los Angeles
Advocated for the passage of bills that require Asian American history to be taught (California State Assembly Bill 1354), impacting 6 million+ students
GET INVOLVED TODAY!
We are proud of the advancements we have made for the AAPI community, but our work is far from done. Join our organization as we strive to continue connecting the public with AAPI culture and civic engagement! There are several great opportunities to get involved:
Become a Chapter President
Join Our East-West Penpal Fellowship
Attend our Upcoming Events
Youth Essay Contest Results
Congratulations to our youth essay contest winners.
Renee Ngai
Ilakkiya
Elizabeth Cho
Samantha Choi
Our Work and Advocacy
Below you will find pictures from our 2023 advocacy trip to Washington, D.C., where we worked with Republican and Democratic lawmakers to combat anti-Asian hate and recognize Asian American history. Click the button to see more of our work.
Rep. Judy Chu, Calfornia’s 27th District Chairwoman, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa - Co-Sponsor, Senate Resolution 653, celebrating AAPI contributions
Rep. Grace Meng, New York’s 6th District - Vice Chairwoman, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
Rep. Young Kim, California’s 40th District Chairwoman, Indo-Pacific Subcommittee, Foreign Affairs Committee
Key Milestones
December 5, 2023
AAPIConnect was honored to organize, participate in and speak at the Conference on Social Progress Since the Repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act 80 Years Ago, held in Washington, D.C.
July 24, 2023
Thank you to everyone who joined us to hear from our first guest speaker, Stewart Kwoh, J.D., Founding President of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California!
June 14, 2023
Read the letter we wrote to Senator Josh Newman, Chair of the California State Senate Education Committee, in strong support of Assembly Bill 1354, which would advance the teaching of Asian American history in California’s schools!
In addition to writing to Senator Newman, our team spoke with members of the Senate Education Committee and their staff to urge that they support the passage of AB 1354.
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A Note on Nonpartisanship
We work with leaders from across the political spectrum to advance the interests of Asian Americans, who are very politically diverse. Our leadership team and membership comprise Republicans, Democrats and independents, and we welcome individuals of all political persuasions to join our organization.
In a contentious election year, we pledge to remain committed to our nonpartisan character. While individual members of our Board of Directors may choose to involve themselves with political campaigns, as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, AAPIConnect neither endorses political candidates nor engages in any campaign-related activity in compliance with federal law.
After all, the cause of Asian American visibility is not — and ought not be — a partisan issue.
This statement was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors on March 2, 2024.
For centuries, America has epitomized freedom, hope and opportunity for people from all over the world.
A recent unprecedented surge of anti-Asian hate, however, has ignited debates about whether we as a country can truly live up to our founding values.
Waving the flags of their adoptive country and chanting slogans like “Stop Asian Hate,” Americans of Asian descent across the country sent a rallying cry against hate and intolerance: that Asian Americans deserve to be visible in their homeland, where they are just as American as everyone else.
The Asian American community’s fight for justice is a deeply American struggle—one that seeks to realize the ideas upon which America was founded: that all people are created equal and deserve access to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.