Nonprofit Spotlight: Asian Immigrant Women Advocates


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In September 2021, PennyLoafer donors collectively gave to Asian Immigrant Women Advocates!

The Rundown

  • Years founded: 1983

  • Leadership: Executive Director, Young Shin, has been recognized as a pioneer and visionary leader with over 30 years of developing women leaders and supporting immigrant rights. Read more about the staff.

  • Issue they address: the disenfranchisement of asian immigrant women employed in the Bay Area’s garment, home care, hotel, assembly and other low-wage industries, and immigrant youth from low-income households.

  • What they do: develop collective leadership of immigrant women and youth to organize around better living and working conditions.

  • How they do it:

    • Education (english literacy, social justice);

    • Grassroots leadership development;

    • Collective action and organizing.

Why they were chosen

AWIA rocks. It’s a small, grassroots nonprofit that’s achieved a full list of accomplishments, including securing safer work environments and multilingual translation for safety-net programs. All its work has been “conceptualized, organized and carried out” by the immigrant women and youth they serve.

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↗️ At 7% of the population, Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group in the U.S. An incredibly diverse population, over 20 million people trace their roots back to more than 20 countries in East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

⚡ Knowledge is power. Understand how the “model minority” myth attempts to cover up a history of discrimination against Asian Americans.

🧑‍🏫 And while the Chinese Exclusion Act (not repealed until 1943) and Japanese Internment camps during WWII are often taught in schools, this article highlights 11 historical moments you may not know.

🚫 The increase in hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community since the onset of covid-19 have been particularly troubling – with more than 9,000 incidents logged since the start of the pandemic. One coalition to follow is Stop AAPI hate // instagram handle @stopaapihate.

If you enjoyed this and want to get involved, you can support the Racial Justice cause on PennyLoafer, starting with as little as $5/month. Each month, you’ll support and learn about a different nonprofit creating a more equitable world.