February highlights
Year of the Dragon Lunar New Year Art show artists, St. Louis
Happy New Year! The Very Asian Foundation (VAF) had a tremendous start to the Lunar New Year with new programming while sponsoring other groups from around the country.
From the Year of the Dragon Art Show to an "Adoption Fantasies" panel, we’re listening to you and working to fill in gaps as a journalist-based non profit. We know your story matters where you live,—at your school and workplace and places where you spend most of your time.
Check out our limited Year of the Dragon merch — created by Michelle Rigell and Claire Nipper. They are our newest board members, and we’re so happy to welcome their energy and talent!
Here’s a look at what we’ve done in recent weeks:
Launched an anti-bully book list with Act to Change — Many Asian American and Pacific Islander kids and youth yearn to see themselves in the characters they read about. Check out our May Book Project scholars’ picks to support our youth!
Entered the Year of the Dragon with a Year of the Dragon Art Show — Special thanks to the Duane Reed Gallery for allowing us to bring in world-renowned Asian American artists together in St. Louis, MO. The exhibit was curated by artist Michelle Rigell with the intent of establishing a Midwest Asian art show in the years to come. Many thanks to our artists: Sam Chung, Steven Young Lee, Jiyong Lee, Aya Mori, Harumi Nakashima, Marina Peng, Michelle Lee Rigell, Ria Unson, Victor Wang, Kensuke Yamada, Sunkoo Yuh, Yingxue Zuo, and more.
Held a powerful "Adoption Fantasies" panel co-hosted by the University of Illinois and VAF, featuring transracial adoptees and scholars Dr. Kimberly McKee (Adoption Fantasies) and Dr. Sara Docan-Morgan (In Reunion). Both scholars are experts in critical adoption studies and discussed their new books — from the fetishization of Asian adoptees to exploring transnational Korean adoptees and the communication of the family. Special thanks to our lead May Book Project scholar Dr. Sarah Park Dahlen for convening our discussion.
Many thanks to all those who came out and supported Asian American and Pacific Islander comedians in Santa Monica, CA at The Crow! This Joysauce special was a one-night-only event called One Mic Stand. Please support these wonderful comedians: Ana Tuazon Parsons, Dante Chang, Ethel Tan, Ali Malik, Mitch Narito, Dylan McKeever, Erick Esteban, Ivy Le, Nina Gosiengfiao, Sarah Afkami, Lin Sun, and Peter S. Kim! And thank you, Joysauce!
Community building in San Francisco — Thank you to Asians Are Strong and Asian Women Are Strong for allowing us to serve the community by serving on an inspirational panel, From Pain to Power. Our co-founder Michelle Li was able to share her story about the origins of our foundation. We are never surprised by the strength and tenacity of Asian women, and we specifically loved reconnecting with legendary journalists Helen Zia and May Lee. Please support their work with The Vincent Chin Institute and Shoes Off Inside with MKT.
Special shoutouts to the Decatur Lunar New Year in Georgia and AAVed, the Mid-Atlantic Union of Vietnamese Student Association (MAUVSA), Arbeiter Brewing’s Lunar New Year celebration featuring FAWK, and New York Times bestselling author Yangsze Choo for her book talk with our own VAF ambassador Ruth Kim.
May Book Project book drop and reading assembly, near Los Angeles
May Book Project launches its second giving season
We are now in the second giving season of The May Book Project, an Asian American youth literature project for all readers.
In its inaugural year, we donated to 80 schools and impacted nearly 50,000 students across 14 states including Washington, D.C. We were even honored by the FBI for this vetted, high-quality book list, rubric, and community guide. This year, we hope to reach new states and help students see themselves in the places it matters most. To us, it’s more than books, it’s about belonging, mental health, and education. It was inspired by high school students in St. Louis who told us they asked their schools for more AA and NHPI books and were ignored. No longer.
The sun came out for the Very Asian Foundation’s May Book Project in LA! In celebration of the Lunar New Year, we had the privilege of reading to over 400 kids, donating over 100 books to two amazing LAUSD schools, Castelar Elementary School in Chinatown, and Delevan Drive Elementary School in Eagle Rock. One kindergartner exclaimed “That looks like me!” when she saw one of the donated book covers. Several students enthusiastically nodded and smiled while listening to "Cora Cooks Pancit" by Dorina K. Lazo.
Youth need to see themselves reflected in books; this is why we love donating AAPI books to schools and libraries! We are so grateful to our partners at East West Bank led by Jessica Castillo, Community Engagement Manager, and Travis Kiyota, SVP of Global Affairs, and our amazing book readers actor Rich Ting (catch him in Warrior on Netflix), CBS correspondent and VAF Advisory Board member Jo Ling Kent, and Gloo Books publisher Karen Chan.
We are always looking for community partners and corporate sponsors to support The May Book Project all year round. Reach out to us! books@veryasianfoundation.org
Upcoming events and important dates to remember:
March TBD: Announcement coming for Creators Microgrant program applications
April 26: Literacy and Beyond Night in Shakopee, MN for May Book Project
We look forward to seeing you throughout the spring! Thank you for all of your continued support!