FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2022
Press contact:
Stephanie Ong, [email protected]
Alexis Meisels, [email protected]
AAPI Civic Engagement Fund Launches National Project to Raise Visibility for AAPI Leaders in Public Discourse
‘AAPI Speaks’ Includes a Talent Bank of Grassroots AAPI Organizers and Leaders
LOS ANGELES – The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Civic Engagement Fund launched AAPI Speaks today, a national effort that aims to elevate the viewpoints, perspectives and solutions of grassroots AAPI organizers and leaders. This resource includes a public, searchable database of diverse AAPI speakers who can share, present and engage on timely and critical issues of importance to AAPI communities. This resource will be invaluable for media outlets and conference and event organizers seeking to ensure representation of diverse AAPI perspectives, especially that of leaders who are on the front lines of solving problems with the community.
“AAPI communities have become more active and engaged, yet our stories are often sourced from just a few people,” said Bo Thao-Urabe, Senior Director of Programs and Strategy at AAPI Civic Engagement Fund. “With AAPI Speaks, we strive to uplift the diverse voices of grassroots organizers and leaders who have on-the-ground experience and can share their communities’ challenges and successes as they’ve worked for justice and change.”
AAPI Speaks launches with 28 leaders who represent the Pacific Islander, Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, Cambodian, Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Muslim, Khmer, Japanese, and Korean American communities. The leaders are experts and work in different geographies across the country. The AAPI Civic Engagement Fund plans to keep growing the pool of leaders featured through this new resource and will provide training, technical assistance and support for the speakers.
“I joined AAPI Speaks because it’s an opportunity to elevate our narratives and share stories about our communities that are created by and for us,” said Tavae Samuelu, Executive Director of Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC).
Leaders in AAPI Speaks are experts on a broad range of social justice issues, such as voting rights, immigration, economics, climate, housing, health equity, education, gender equity, criminal justice and LGBTQIA+. To learn more about AAPI Speaks or to book a speaker, go to movementhub.org/speakers.
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About the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund
The AAPI Civic Engagement Fund was established in 2013 with the mission to foster a culture of civic participation within AAPI communities by supporting the growth of AAPI groups as organizational-movement and power-building leaders that achieve specific policy, systems, and transformational change. It holds the vision that AAPIs must be an integral part of strengthening America’s democracy, in advocating for improving the quality of life for all, and in creating vibrant multiracial communities. www.aapifund.org. On Twitter: @AAPIFund.