New York City and the country have faced an increase in attacks targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). As awareness of these attacks grew, a concerned group of AAPI citizens saw a need. In 2021, they organized and founded The Asian American Foundation (TAAF).

The mission of TAAF is to serve the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in their pursuit of belonging and prosperity that is free from discrimination, slander, and violence. It seeks to achieve this through five core initiatives.

First among these initiatives is Anti-Hate. In this, TAAF works to address anti-AAPI hate and violence and build safety and resilience in our community. One aspect of this effort is the AAPI Hate Tracker in NYC. This resource makes it easy to report any incidents and receive support. Solutions can be equally well-informed by creating a well-informed database of hate and bias. If you have an incident to report, you can do so here.

The next core initiative is Education. If a child grows up without representation in the curriculum, it affects them in adult life. TAAF is looking to expand on the Illinois Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act, which was the first to mandate teaching Asian American history in public schools.

As storytellers, the next initiative is dear to Broadway Stages' heart. Narrative Change strives to develop AAPI voices in storytelling, defeat harmful stereotypes, and celebrate AAPI narratives. To do this, it has created Lights, Camera, AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders), a directory of opportunities that support AAPIs in the entertainment and creative space.

Were you aware that AAPIs make up 18% of the City's population, but less than 6% of the City's budget was allocated for AAPI communities? The Resources and Representation initiative intends to help the many AAPI organizations long overlooked and disproportionately underfunded.

To date, TAAF has distributed $11 million in grants and sponsorships and pledged almost $65 million with their partners in the next five years. If you would like to support this 501(c)(3) organization financially, you can do so by clicking here.

Finally, with the conventional wisdom that 'knowledge is power,' TAAF has a Data and Research initiative. Using the information it gathers, TAAF empowers the AAPI with leverage in decision-making. One powerful example of their work is the STAATUS Index. This document tracks how AAPIs are perceived and treated in the U.S.

TAAF is a wealth of information and opportunities. We suggest you follow its Instagram and Facebook pages to stay informed of all that TAAF offers.

Broadway Stages is dedicated to the health and well-being of all our neighbors. So, we are deeply concerned when we hear about incidents of hate speech and attacks. We know that The Asian American Foundation is working to protect the AAPI communities and ensure they have a prosperous, vibrant future. And we are all the better for it.