New Fund Launched: Anti-Racism Response Network

The current global pandemic has been devastating to low income communities of color — exacerbating and exposing longstanding inequalities across a range of systems. For Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), the framing of the virus as a “Chinese” enemy and foreign threat has created a new platform for the enduring plague of xenophobia and racism manifesting in COVID-19 inspired racial slurs, discrimination, and acts of violence. Furthermore, while some forms of relief and services are now gradually reaching individuals, core constituencies that make up the AAPI community — immigrants and refugees, Limited English Proficient, low income families, and seniors — are being left out.

Recognizing the AAPI groups are on the frontlines of meeting emerging community needs while also empowering them to become civically engaged, the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund established the Anti-Racism Response Network Fund. In June, one-time grants were made to 37 local and state AAPI groups in 20 states totaling over $1.5 million in grants to date. In the coming months, AAPI groups will be coming together to support a coordinated strategy that threads together local and national efforts that are tracking and responding to anti-Asian violence to ensure that the hardest-to-reach AAPI communities are included and that vital information and resources are available to support follow-up action in local communities across the country. Coinciding with the Fund’s formation, the global uprising for justice and radical transformation sparked by the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and so many others at the hands of police amplifies the criticality for AAPI groups to link their battle against racism and xenophobia with the uplifting of pro-Black awareness and policies.

This anti-racism response network currently includes 37 AAPI community organizations from across the country.

• • Adhikaar (NY)
  • Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta (GA)
  • Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago (IL)
  • Asian Americans United (PA)
  • Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (CA)
  • APACEvotes (WA)
  • Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (OR)
  • Asian Pacific Environmental Network (CA)
  • Asian Services in Action (OH)
  • CAAAV-Organizing Asian American Communities (NY)
  • CAPI USA (MN)
  • Center for Pan Asian Services (GA)
  • Chinese for Affirmative Action (CA)
  • Chinese Progressive Association – Boston (MA)
  • Chinese Progressive Association – San Francisco (CA)
  • Cia Siab, Inc. (WI)
  • Coalition of Asian American Leaders (MN)
  • eMgage – Florida (FL)
  • Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (CA)
  • Filipino Advocates for Justice (CA)
  • Freedom, Inc. (WI)
  • Hana Center (IL)
  • Hmong Innovating Politics (CA)
  • Korean Resource Center (CA)
  • Mekong NYC (NY)
  • National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (DC)
  • National Tongan American Society (UT)
  • New Mexico Asian Family Center (NM)
  • New Virginia Majority Education Fund (VA)
  • North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NC)
  • OCA – Greater Houston (TX)
  • Providence Youth Student Movement (RI)
  • Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment (MN)
  • Rising Voices of Asian American Families (MI)
  • Southeast Asian Coalition (NC)
  • VAYLA (LA)
  • VietLead (PA)

The AAPI Civic Engagement Fund thanks the following donors for making the Anti-Racism Response Network Fund possible: Ford Foundation, Groundswell Fund, Susan Sandler Fund, Unbound Philanthropy, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional thanks to the Four Freedoms Fund and the State Infrastructure Fund for aligned funding support that expands the number of groups able to join the network.