On May 18, 2021, cities, states, elected officials, influencers and community groups are commemorating the third annual National Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Day Against Bullying and Hate, led by anti-bullying nonprofit Act To Change. AAMPLIFY is committed to ending bullying and hate in the AAPI community and is proud to join this movement.
National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate is part of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) and marks the birthday of Vincent Chin. In 1982, Chin was falsely blamed for the layoffs in the auto industry, and brutally murdered in a hate crime. His murder fueled a national Asian American movement; one that must continue today, in light of the rising xenophobia and hate crimes surrounding COVID-19.
America has a long history of anti-AAPI racism and violence. This brutal history of discrimination includes the Chinese Exclusion Act, Japanese American internment camps, colonization of Hawaiian islands, post 9/11 stereotyping, and use of the “model minority” myth - all of which portrays AAPIs as the “perpetual foreigner”, and evokes feelings of hate and xenophobia against the community.
Every day, kids of all ages suffer from being bullied online and in schools across the country. In the AAPI community, this problem is often compounded by cultural, religious, and linguistic barriers that can keep these youth from seeking and receiving help. And certain AAPI groups – including South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Micronesian, LGBTQ, immigrant, and limited English proficient youth – are more likely to be the targets of bullying. Bullying of Asian American (1) students is more prevalent than in other racial groups. 4 out of 10 Pacific Islander (2) students face bullying.
This issue is now exacerbated by COVID-19. People of Asian descent are being blamed for the virus and targeted in verbal and physical attacks. There have been nearly 4000 cases (3) of reported anti-Asian discrimination within the last year. Elderly (4) members of the community have been slapped, punched, burned and beaten on the streets. Two (5) mass shootings in 2021 have taken the lives of 10 Asian Americans. (6) 1 in 4 Asian American kids reported being bullied (7) due to COVID-19.
We publicly denounce all bullying and hate against the AAPI community, and stand in solidarity with Act To Change and more than 200 community partners to encourage the public to foster dialogue, share resources, and end bullying and hate.
This November, California voters will have the opportunity to decide on Proposition 15, also known as the Schools and Communities First Initiative, which will reclaim $12 billion per year for schools and local community resources. A coalition of people-powered organizations across California is fighting for Prop 15 to bring resources and power back to our schools and communities.
We challenged the AAMPLIFY cohort of 2020 to campaign and educate their network around Prop 15, which was extremely challenging given the global pandemic. Our summer program was completely virtual this year, but the students rose to the challenge as you’ll see below!
For the official account regarding Prop 15, check out: @schools1stca
What the students did
Our students worked in small groups of 4-5 over the course of simply a few weeks, while balancing the start of the Fall semester to advocate for Prop15. All our students made up their own small group name. Note many of them have to do with food! Here we are going to share the corresponding links to each student group’s project, which was hosted on Instagram, or a website. We also shared with our readers a few snippets from their last day presentation and some “lessons learned”.
Sweet Tooth Small Group: (Iris Li, Aidan Liang, Annie Kim, Sri Anbarasan, Jeshlyn Prasadi) Instagram link: @aamplifyforprop15 “We chose students and their families as our main target audience… We wanted to educate our target audience about what Proposition 15 would achieve and how they could support it.” Lessons learned: “Regardless of our age, we have the capability of spreading awareness. I believe this itself was a win.”
Salty Snaccs Small Group: (Adrianna Zhang, Fiona Vuong, Nancy Deng, Arielle Mendoza, Grace Nguyen) Instagram link: @prop15awareness - Infographic “Worked with teachers for interviews and got their endorsement for Prop15, while getting the attention from our peers and answering questions they had” Lessons learned: “Constantly talking with our family group on progress and providing ideas and advice to each other.”
Rocking Broccolis Small Group: (Taylor Chin, Louis Ng, Brian Wen, Katelyn Chan, Sonya Nguyen) Instagram link: @yesprop15 “Our account was shared multiple times, 100s of views… with views from many different schools” Lessons learned: “We learned ways of spreading awareness for a cause that we support.”
Berry Loops Small Group: (Claire Tao, Taylor Matoba, Ariana Lacson, Jessica Lin) Website link: https://prop15awareness.weebly.com/ “We know that not everyone has social media, so when we want to reach older voters, we figured a website was the best way to go.” Lessons learned: “Collaborating on a real-world project even in the midst of COVID”
Hydration Homies Small Group: (Abby Lam, Eason Tang, Shilpa Suresh, Bethany Yeung, Caitlyn Wong) Instagram link: @studentsforprop15 “We reached over 600 views on one reel, and 272 interactions over the course of a month. We had a lot of strangers that ended up following us, which was a big success.” Lessons learned: “We gained an understanding of Prop15 and how it could affect small businesses, and we also realized as students we could have an affect.”
Cheese Small Group: (Kathleen Wong, Kolby Tram, Charlene Chein, Jesse Huang, Kaya Bui) Instagram Link: @students4prop15
“Spreading awareness on Proposition 15, educating our friends and family and sharing this topic on Instagram. We chose to utilize artistic elements to provide facts and statistics because it would be able to capture the eye.” Lessons learned: “This was the first time any of us took on an advocacy project and it was a great opportunity to learn how to advocate for a cause.”
See here for an interview of teachers that the Salty Snaccs group conducted all virtually! They all support Prop 15. It was amazing to see teachers from all over the Bay Area speak out about this important proposition.
The Summer 2020 Program and What Changed
Like the rest of the world, AAMPLIFY was hit with the uncertainty that a global pandemic brought on. We were forced to adapt our annual summer program in a number of ways: i) shifting fully online to Zoom sessions and ii) adapting the current curriculum to occur over the course of 10 weekends. Obviously any educational experience is preferred to be in person, but we found that adapting to Zoom was easier then we anticipated. Students were understanding of the situation and any technical difficulties. We were able to overcome any space limitations by expanding our student pool to ~30 students this year, more than doubling some of our previous year’s cohort sizes. Adapting the curriculum was streamlined with the help of everyone on the AAMPLIFY team. We opted in for PowerPoint presentations and breakout rooms to help facilitate participation. We also had the luxury of easily inviting guest speakers to come since it was as simple as sending them a Zoom link. Special shoutout and thanks to Frank Huang, Daphne Chen, Angel Tseng, Jeantelle Laberinto, Senator Scott Wiener and Jenny Lam who came and spoke during AAMPLIFY sessions. In addition, we hosted a webinar on Prop16 in the midst of the summer to provide a means for students and young adults to learn more about Affirmative Action and why it is important. For those that missed the webinar, you can check it out here! In addition, see our blog post for more resources on this important topic: here.
What’s Next
We’re excited to begin our college admissions mentorship program over the next few months. If you’re interested in joining as a college admissions counselor, or learning more about it, please reach out to us!
Thank you to those who joined our teach-in on Sunday, September 20th about Prop 16's restoring affirmative action and what it means for Asian Americans. Check out the full recording to learn more.
As an organization working to support college opportunity and equity for Asian American communities, AAMPLIFY supports Prop 16 to help level the playing field for AAPI, Black, Latinx, Indigenous communities and women, and build equal opportunity for all.
Thanks again to our speakers for presenting and engaging in a thoughtful discussion:
Mei Tam, student leader and former AAMPLIFY Program Leader Mei is in her 4th year at UCLA pursuing a major in Psychology and a minor in Asian Americans studies. As someone who has had the opportunity to attend higher education, she is an advocate for creating equal access and equal opportunity for people of color to pursue their passions and interests.
Jonathan Loc from Asian Students for Affirmative Action Jonathan Loc is an organizer for Asian Students for Affirmative Action. He recently graduated from UCLA and plans on enrolling in a Masters in Public Policy program next fall.
Viet Nguyen, Founder of EdMobilizer and Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford Viet is a first year MBA candidate at Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is passionate about education equity and serves as founder of EdMobilizer, an advocacy organization for first gen and low income students. He is a trustee emeritus of Brown University, a Fulbright and Knight-Hennessy Scholar, and was named one of Forbes 30 under 30 in Education.
Today we write to you in remembrance of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and countless others. We write to you in solidarity with Black communities across the nation.
We face the reality that is our deeply broken criminal law system. This system, like all of the well-established systems in America, is one built to diminish the power of minorities, especially Black people. Time and time again we witness the ways our government has institutionalized hostility towards Black individuals and communities. We condemn not only the recent wrongful killings of George, Breonna, and Tony, but also the recurring killings of Black people by the hands—and knees—of the police.
While the world has been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, Black communities, along with Latinx and Pacific Islander communities, have been disproportionately devastated by this virus. The recent acts of violence against Black people, together with the disparate effects of COVID-19 make it all the more urgent for Asian American communities to acknowledge the cruel realities experienced by Black America. This said, it is extremely salient to highlight that Asian American progress has only been possible because of the efforts made by Black communities during the civil rights movement. Without the earth-shattering work of Black civil rights activists, Asian Americans and other non-Black people of color alike would not have the liberties we enjoy today. It is our responsibility to speak out and stand up against police violence against Black communities.
To that end, AAMPLIFY commits to:
Matching donations to Anti Police Terror Project (@antipoliceterrorproject), TGI Justice Project (@tgijustice), Young Women’s Freedom Center(@young_women_free), Black-led Bay Area-based organizations that work to eradicate police terror in communities of color; to challenge and end the human rights abuses committed against transgender, gender-variant, and intersex people in California prisons and jails; and empower formerly incarcerated girls, women, and TGNC people, respectively. The AAMPLIFY Board will personally match donations up to $3,000.
Educating and creating space to confront racism and anti-Blackness in our families and communities. We commit to dismantling oppressive systems and combating anti-Blackness among Asian Americans by calling out and having dialogue about systemic and interpersonal racism whenever we see it. First and foremost, we are educating ourselves. We have compiled a list of educational resources and encourage everyone to pick at least one article to read (then pick another and another…): https://www.aamplify.us.org/resources
More broadly, we also vow to advocate for policy changes on local, state, and federal levels to support an end to police violence and militarization.
To our Black siblings: we acknowledge your pain, anger, and grief. We see you; we hear you. Above all, we are dedicated to leveraging our resources and privilege to fight for racial justice. Black Lives Matter.
I am an AAMPLIFY 2017 alumna and I’m a first-generation college student who immigrated to San Francisco from China in 2008. Though I initially struggled because I didn’t speak English, I was placed in a bilingual elementary program and learned quickly. Soon I began serving as a peer resource, translating for international students in middle and high school. In high school, I started volunteering as a translator at the Richmond District Neighborhood Center Food Pantry.
When it came time to apply for college, I began thinking about how to alleviate the financial burden of college tuition on my family. My parents were supporting my other two younger siblings, so I wanted to help by paying for my own tuition through the help of scholarships, grants, and work study jobs in college. During my senior year, I started researching and applying to scholarships. After months of persistence, I won 7 scholarships, earning $20,000 for college!
I participated in AAMPLIFY in the summer of 2017. Being part of AAMPLIFY changed how I viewed college and being AAPI in America. It strengthened me as a leader and taught me how to advocate for the AAPI community. Through personalized college admissions consulting, AAMPLIFY supported me and helped me with the process of transitioning to college. I also enjoyed the community I built through the program, where I met lifelong mentors and friends. AAMPLIFY is a big family where I can share my happiness and difficulties about education, careers, and just life in general. AAMPLIFY is full of resources and more importantly - AAMPLIFY was fun!
I graduated from George Washington High School. I am starting UC Davis in the fall, double-majoring in economics and communication with the hopes of pursuing a career in international business.
Here's my guide for college scholarships.
What you need to prepare
1-2 letters of recommendation for scholarships that require one
Most recent high school transcript
List of volunteering experience, extracurriculars and leadership experience
List of Scholarships
Scholarships I won
Maisin Scholarship 2018 (Ongoing) (78 scholars): Acquired because I’m a first generation AAPI student coming from low-income household. 4 year program that provides financial support, academic and career counseling, internships and professional development opportunities and community and peer support.
Online application
GPA of 2.5+ to maintain scholarship
Letters of recommendation
Need to wait for others to submit the letter of rec
Proof of income - this scholarship targets first-generation, low-income students of color
Interview (phone) - by 2 Maisin staff or volunteers outside the program
Required attendance at events (3)
Scholarship money goes directly to University, $3,000 for 4 years for a total of $12,000.
Interview - 3 interviewers from the CACA, you are interviewed with other applicants.
$1,000 in scholarship awards.
Roy and Don Splawn Scholarship 2018
For California graduating high school seniors. Scholarship looks for dedication to school, family, and community (volunteering).
Online application
Letters of recommendation
No interviews (purely online application)
$1,000 in scholarship awards.
James E. Ballard Scholarship from United Educators of San Francisco 2018 (1 or 2) Offered to SFUSD graduates, selected based on essays written. Topics varies, some might ask about technology being bilingual, how to benefit community, ect.
Handwritten essay, length is ~1 page, college-ruled
Mail-in application.
Tip: the UESF offered 7 scholarships, all handwritten. Write for all 7 of them.
$2,000 in scholarship awards.
Based on studying more than 3 years of world language, and recommended by Chinese and Japanese teacher.
RFD/Garin Award at her high school, George Washington High School 2018, Camille Morishge Award. $1,000 based solely on teacher recommendations
MYEEP Scholarship 2015, awarded to 2 MYEEP volunteers from all MYEEP locations. $250 based on letter of recommendation and essay
Tips for interviews Here are the most common questions I encountered during my interviews and how you should prepare for them:
Tell me about yourself (brief, 1 minute self-introduction). Prepare a quick introduction about where you attend school, what you’d like to do in the future, and how this scholarship would help you.
What do you plan to do while in college? If you aren’t sure what exact career you plan to pursue, that’s completely fine - but think about HOW you plan to develop your passions in college (taking specific classes? An internship? An organization that looks interesting?).
Where do you see yourself in 5, 10 or 20 years? The interviewer doesn’t care about the specifics - you don’t have to know what title you’ll have or what city you’ll live in - this question wants to know what kind of leader you hope to be. Perhaps in 5 years you see yourself in a position leading a small team towards a project; perhaps in 20 years you see yourself working internationally.
What is your dream job, major, and interests? Be prepared to explain why, and remember - certainty is not as important as the reasons why you want to do something. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t positive you want to be a teacher, it matters that you can explain how you want to work with students in some capacity.
Why is college important to you, and what are your college goals? The interviewer knows you want to get good grades, internships, and then a job after college. You want to set yourself apart by being specific: perhaps you want to be a psychologist and know that college will allow you to take these courses. Perhaps you are the first person in your family to go to college.
What are your strengths and weaknesses, and provide examples of such. How will college help you with your weaknesses? Be honest about your weaknesses but control the narrative by explaining how you are improving in this area. Choose strengths you can control - for example, your mile time is not a good strength; your persistence and dedication to decrease your mile time is a good strength.
What is a leader, and what traits do you think they should have? Provide an example of your leadership skills. Focus on what your leadership style is (leading by example? charismatic?), and be prepared to share a story about how you’ve exhibited these qualities.
I hope this guide was helpful. If you have any questions or want more advice on the scholarships I applied to, reach out to me at sabrinaylynch@gmail.com.
