Asian Americans United

AAU EXISTS SO THAT PEOPLE OF ASIAN ANCESTRY IN PHILADELPHIA EXERCISE LEADERSHIP TO BUILD THEIR COMMUNITIES AND UNITE TO CHALLENGE INJUSTICE. AAU'S ARTS AND CULTURE WORK CREATES SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH ENGAGING COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN: BUILDING LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY, REALIZING COMMUNITY MEMBERS' INHERENT ARTISTIC AND CREATIVE POTENTIAL, AND BUILDING PRIDE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE. AAU'S YOUTH WORK EXISTS SO THAT THE YOUTH BECOME INDIVIDUALLY, SOCIALLY, AND POLITICALLY AWARE; EXERCISE THEIR VOICE; AND PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVE STRUGGLES FOR JUSTICE. THROUGH THIS WORK, WE CREATE LEADERS WHO SUSTAIN, FIGHT FOR, AND GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITIES.

SEE SCHEDULE O AAU FACED OUR SECOND YEAR OF LIVING WITH COVID-19 BY CONTINUING TO ADAPT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITIES. AS WAS THE CASE LAST YEAR, AAU'S CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TEAM WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN PROVIDING COVID RELIEF, RESOURCES, AND VACCINATIONS -- STARTING AND OPERATING AN IN-LANGUAGE VACCINE PHONE HOTLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO DISTRIBUTE ACCURATE VACCINATION INFORMATION TO PHILADELPHIA'S ASIAN COMMUNITIES RESULTING IN HUNDREDS OF CALLS AND MORE THAN 75,000 VIEWS, AS WELL AS BY PROVIDING VACCINATIONS TO OVER 2,500 COMMUNITY MEMBERS. IN ADDITION, AAU DISTRIBUTED PHILADELPHIA WORKER RELIEF FUNDS TO WORKERS EXPERIENCING HARDSHIP WHO HAD NO OTHER SOURCE OF RELIEF, AND DISTRIBUTED THOUSANDS OF MEALS TO FAMILIES OVER THE SUMMER SO THAT CHILDREN DID NOT GO HUNGRY. TO FURTHER BUILD OUR COMMUNITY, AAU'S CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TEAM WORKED WITH THE AAPI PA POWER CAUCUS TO DESIGN AND CARRY OUT THE FIRST-THAT-WE-KNOW OF COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE SURVEY OF API COMMUNITIES TO LAY THE FOUNDATION TO BUILD A STATEWIDE API PLATFORM. VOLUNTEERS AND CANVASSERS MADE MORE THAN 16,000 PHONE CALLS, 10,000 TEXTS, REGISTERED 150 NEW VOTERS, AND SUPPORTED CITIZENSHIP APPLICATIONS, GREEN CARD RENEWALS AND U AND T VISA APPLICATIONS. IN TANDEM, AAU'S IMMIGRANT RIGHTS CREATED KNOW YOUR RIGHTS INFORMATION FOR THE COMMUNITY, WHILE ADVOCATING FOR HUMANE IMMIGRATION POLICY AND SUPPORTING DETAINED COMMUNITY MEMBERS BY CONNECTING THEM TO LEGAL SUPPORT. AS AAU SERVED OUR COMMUNITY BASE, AAU ALSO WORKED TO PROVIDE A COLLECTIVE VOICE AND CONSTRUCTIVE MEANS OF CONTENDING WITH THE GROWING AND CONSTANT INCIDENTS OF ANTI-ASIAN VIOLENCE OUR COMMUNITY EXPERIENCED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRAGEDY IN ATLANTA THIS PAST SPRING, AAU ORGANIZED A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL IN CHINATOWN WHICH WE FOLLOWED UP BY OFFERING ONLINE GATHERINGS AND TEACH-INS DISTILLED FROM HARD WON STRUGGLES FOR JUSTICE THAT AAU HAS LEARNED FROM OUR DECADES OF EXPERIENCE COMBATTING ANTI-ASIAN VIOLENCE IN PHILADELPHIA. BECAUSE OF THOSE EXPERIENCES, AAU RECOGNIZES THAT HEALING TAKES TIME BUT THAT BUILDING SPACES FOR PEOPLE TO CONNECT, NURTURING THE NEXT GENERATION WHILE LEARNING FROM THE EXPERIENCES OF ELDERS, AND VALUING AND CELEBRATING CULTURAL HERITAGE TO BRIDGE DIVIDES BETWEEN GENERATIONS, ETHNICITIES, AND LANGUAGES, IS TRANSFORMATIVE AND REGENERATING. TOWARDS THAT END, AAU CONTINUED TO WORK ON EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT ISSUES FROM THE MACRO TO THE MICRO, WORKING TO SECURE PUBLIC LAND FROM THE CITY'S LAND BANK FOR COMMUNITY USE AS WELL AS GROWING VEGETABLES AND HERBS USED IN COMMUNITY COOKING IN AAU'S INCH BY INCH COMMUNITY GARDEN THAT WERE FREELY SHARED WITH VOLUNTEERS AND AAU'S SUMMER FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM. WE CELEBRATED OUR COMMUNITY AND CAME TOGETHER IN PERSON FOR OUR 26TH ANNUAL MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL FEATURING PERFORMANCES AND A TRADITIONAL LANTERN PARADE WITH A THEME OF ANTI-ASIAN VIOLENCE AND FAMILY REUNIFICATION WHERE AAU JOINED WITH MILPA, NEW SANCTUARY MOVEMENT AND OTHERS TO PROTEST ICE'S CONTINUING DETENTION AND DEPORTATION OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, AAU CONTINUED TO BUILD OUR YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS, OFFERING DIVERSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO LEARN, CONNECT, AND GIVE BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. YOUTH INTERNS TOOK PART IN A 9-MONTH INTENSIVE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, WORKING CLOSELY WITH AAU ADULT STAFF AND: JOINED THE PILOTS COALITION TO FORCE LOCAL PRIVATE NON-PROFIT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE OF TAXES IN THE CITY - SUBSEQUENTLY UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA COMMITTED TO GIVE 100 MILLION TO FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION; WORKED WITH GRADUATE STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA'S SCHOOL OF DESIGN TO COMPLETE THE CHINATOWN PROPERTY LAND USE SURVEY TO UNDERSTAND HOW OWNERSHIP AND DEMOGRAPHICS HAVE CHANGED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS; DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS WITH SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND CREATED BUSINESS OWNER PROFILES TO AID THE BUSINESSES; LAUNCHED A NEW AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR ENGLISH-SPEAKING ASIAN AMERICAN YOUTH; AND SUMMER PROGRAM YOUTH CONDUCTED A SURVEY AMONG THEIR PEERS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND SCHOOL REOPENING NEEDS THAT WERE SHARED WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICIALS.