Very Asian Foundation

THE VERY ASIAN FOUNDATION'S MISSION IS TO SHINE A LIGHT ON ASIAN EXPERIENCES THROUGH ADVOCACY AND CELEBRATION.

THE VERY ASIAN FOUNDATION'S MISSION IS TO SHINE A LIGHT ON ASIAN EXPERIENCES THROUGH ADVOCACY AND CELEBRATION. THE ORGANIZATION ACCOMPLISHES THIS BY RAISING MONEY FOR ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, AND PACIFIC ISLANDER (AANHPI) GROUPS AND ISSUES, AMPLIFYING DIVERSE STORIES AND EXPERIENCES, PROVIDING EDUCATION AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND HOSTING COMMUNITY BUILDING EVENTS SUCH AS FILM SCREENINGS, PANEL DISCUSSIONS, AND COMMUNITY MIXERS THAT FOSTER PRODUCTIVE DIALOGUE AND PROMOTE CULTURAL AWARENESS, UNDERSTANDING, AND APPRECIATION.

THE MAY BOOK PROJECT IS AN ASIAN AMERICAN YOUTH GUIDE FOR ALL READERS THAT LAUNCHED IN MAY 2022. INSPIRED BY STUDENT'S CALLS FOR GREATER ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, AND PACIFIC ISLANDER (AANHPI) REPRESENTATION IN THE MADE BOOKS AVAILABLE TO THEM, THE MAY BOOK PROJECT PROVIDES A FREE TOOLKIT, RESOURCE GUIDE, AND BOOKLIST OF ABOUT 250 BOOKS OF HIGH-QUALITY, VETTED ASIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE. THE VERY ASIAN FOUNDATION THEN GIVES FREE BOOKS TO AT-NEED LIBRARIES. VAF HAS WORKED WITH LIBRARIES IN ATLANTA, CHICAGO, HENDERSON, NC, LOS ANGELES, MILWAUKEE, NEW YORK, SEATTLE, ST. LOUIS, AND ST. PAUL AND HAS HUNDREDS OF REQUESTS IN QUEUE. IT'S BEEN EMBRACED IN EACH STATE BECAUSE THIS PROJECT EMPHASIZES CHOICE AND CELEBRATION.

THE VERY ASIAN CREATORS FUND AIMS TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES TO ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, AND PACIFIC ISLANDER (AANHPI) INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE MAKING A CAREER PIVOT INTO A CREATIVE FIELD AND PROVIDE A LAUNCHPAD TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS AND MAKE AN IMPACT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND SOCIETY. THE VERY ASIAN CREATORS FUND ALSO INCLUDES THE IDEA THAT, BY AMPLIFYING THE VOICES, STORIES, AND PERSPECTIVES OF AANHPI CREATIVES AND BY PROVIDING A PLATFORM FOR THEM TO SHARE THEIR WORK, THIS GRANT PROGRAM CAN HELP CHANGE THE REPRESENTATION AND NARRATIVES IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY, BY PROVIDING A SPACE FOR MORE DIVERSE AND UNDERREPRESENTED VOICES AND PERSPECTIVES TO BE VISIBLE. BY PROVIDING MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, THE ORGANIZATION HOPES TO ALSO HELP DEMYSTIFY THE CAREER PIVOT PROCESS AND DEBUNK MYTHS HINDERING INDIVIDUALS IN PURSUIT OF THEIR CREATIVE CAREERS, BY PROVIDING REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS AND MADE IT. THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO EMPOWER AANHPI INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION INTO A CREATIVE CAREER AND TO PROMOTE REPRESENTATION AND DIVERSE NARRATIVES IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY, WHICH WILL HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT ON THE COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. WHILE THE PROGRAM ITSELF DID NOT START IN EARNEST UNTIL 2023, THE ORGANIZATION BEGAN RAISING FUNDS FOR THE PROGRAM IN 2022.