Asian American Womens Political Initiative Inc

Our names are Victoria Chandra, Alice Cheng, Emma Downs, Daisy Wang, and Emily Zhang. Living as Asian American women during the crisis of COVID-19 has required us to protect ourselves and make sacrifices. One of us had to close her family’s Chinese restaurant for the first time in 30 years, a business built from the blood, sweat, and tears of her non-English-speaking immigrant parents. Another one of us experienced a racialized encounter, glared at with fear and disgust by a passing woman covering her mouth with her hands. The rest of us have our guard up, staying inside with the fear that even the smallest action in public, like wearing a mask, could put us at risk of a racist confrontation. 

We are not alone. Asian businesses across the U.S. are suffering as Americans purposely shun them. Chinese restaurants are empty. Asians walking down the street are called disease-carrying foreigners, blamed for a virus that has never been a product of one race. In fact, in the US alone, there have been “at least 1,000 hate crimes incidents being reported against Asian Americans” according to Representative Judy Chu. Meanwhile, our president actively encourages the ostracization and harassment of Asian individuals by using rhetoric such as the “Chinese virus” to racialize the disaster. Leaders and institutions have not only overlooked low-income families of all backgrounds during this emergency, but are failing Asian communities who need their help now more than ever.

In light of this crisis, we are asking for your help in supporting the Asian American Women’s Political Initiative (AAWPI). AAWPI is the country’s first and only political leadership organization for Asian American womxn, dedicated to training and empowering a future generation of female Asian leaders who will advocate for equity, justice, human rights, and economic stability for all communities. As members of the 11th cohort of AAWPI’s State House Internship program, AAWPI has taught us how to use our voices and skills in state government to advance tangible, systemic change for marginalized communities. Now, AAWPI needs your help so other Asian womxn can do the same.  

Crisis calls for collaboration, unity, compassion, and support. Please join us in supporting AAWPI so that AAWPI can continue its State House internship program and train future Asian American womxn leaders who will fight for the security of all communities. If 20 people from each of our networks contribute $25, our fundraising goal will be in reach. Any donation is appreciated and every amount will help us fund the next generation of Asian American womxn in politics. 

Thank you for your support. 

All the best, 

Victoria Chandra, Alice Cheng, Emma Downs, Daisy Wang, and Emily Zhang

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The Asian American Women’s Political Initiative (AAWPI) is the country’s first and only political leadership organization for Asian American womxn, working to ensure that Asian American women and the Asian American community have a voice in their government. AAWPI was founded in response to the government and public discourse’s disregard and dismissal of issues facing Asian American womxn in the areas of mental health, women’s health, and domestic violence, partially resulting from a lack of Asian American representation in government. Despite being one of the fastest-growing minority groups in the United States, less than 1% of state legislators across the country are Asian American womxn. As a result, AAWPI works to ensure that Asian American womxn and the Asian American community have a voice in government. Learn more about AAWPI at: https://www.aawpi.org/