Refugee Rights

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI Heritage Month) is an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States. 

My mom and dad holding me in their first apartment in Spokane, Washington.Every year during this time, I honor my refugee legacy by selecting local AAPI organizations to support.  It is through the hard work and dedication of these organizations that we can build thriving, safe and transformative communities.  When my parents came to the United States in 1978, the came with the bare minimum.  Both my parents switched off nights so they could go to night school and learn English. They worked hard growing food for our communities in the Central Valley, California and they raised all seven of my siblings and I to be proud Hmong Americans.  

I am hoping to raise $1000 towards MN8, an organization that works hard to support justice impacted people and their families.  MN8 was the first organization I knew of that actually won cases to free Southeast Asians from being deported.  They were also the first organization who provided supported folks for our brothers and sisters who had served their time but were yet still deported back to a country they didn't even know.  I am so proud of MN8 and in 2023, they became an official 501c3.  

You can learn more about their work here: Minnesota8.org

Why give?

- As a percentage of overall grantmaking, funding designated specifically for AAPI communities has declined since peaking at 0.60 percent in 2002 and 2009. (Source: Seeking to Soar: Foundation Funding for Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities - AAPIP Website)

- the most recent Diversity in US Startups report from RateMyInvestor found that of the $68 billion invested by the top-100 VC firms in 2018 and 2019, just 25% of all recipients were Asian business founders. AAPI entrepreneurs received a greater portion of the funds than those who were Black or Latinx, but much less than white founders, who received 77% of the entire transaction volume. This article describes a BCG examination of the kinds of biases AAPI communities face and strategies for dismantling them. (Source: Breaking Down Funding Barriers for Asian American and Pacific Islander Entrepreneurs | BCG)

My parents in front of their first car in the United State.

What is AAPI?

The AAPI umbrella term includes cultures from the entire Asian continent—including East, Southeast and South Asia—and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, there were about 20.6 million people of Asian or Pacific Islander descent in the United States. According to the Pew Research Center, AAPI people are a diverse and growing population that make up about 7 percent of the total U.S. population. AAPI Heritage Month 2024 will take place from Wednesday, May 1 to Friday, May 31.