Hillary, AAPI women come together to fundraise against hate

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Tony Award-winner Lea Salonga

On April 21, 2021, Public Wise and Onward Together will host a virtual fundraiser (bit.ly/aapiwomenstrong) in support of the National Asian Pacific Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), a leading national organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls in the U.S.

#AAPI Women Strong: Organizing Beyond a Hashtag, brings together influential AAPI women, organizers and allies for an evening of solidarity. For the community to #StopAAPIHate, the individuals facing these challenges need to be supported and strong from the inside out. Topics of the evening will include self-care for the long run, how to be a good ally, and building a strong AAPI voting bloc.

In the wake of the Atlanta attacks, NAPAWF’s Executive Director, Sung Yeon Choimorrow has been one of the lead voices helping contextualize the racism, misogyny and hypersexualization Asian women face. Due to a larger presence in the media, Choimorrow and NAPAWF chapters have been subject to increased harassment. Funds raised from this event will directly support NAPAWF’s rapid response and power building work.

The Atlanta spa shootings on March 16, 2021 were the result of a long history of radicalized gendered violence of Asian women in the United States. While the anti-Asian rhetoric during the pandemic has fanned the flames, AAPI communities have been fighting this discrimination long before COVID. Since the start of the pandemic, nearly 70% of anti-Asian hate incidents have been directed at AAPI women. In order to truly #StopAsianHate, we need to support long term solutions like building up AAPI voter participation and a pipeline of AAPI women leaders.

#AAPI Women Strong: Organizing Beyond a Hashtag. With Margaret Cho, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Michelle Kwan, Padma Lakshmi, Lucy Liu, Olivia Munn, Lea Salonga, Christina Baal-Owens, Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Nina Reddy, Kristina Rodulfo

In 2020, Public Wise provided NAPAWF with a grant and funds+ support for voter education and voter registration. This event is a continuation of the funds+ support.

About Public Wise
Persistent and unyielding in our commitment to a just multiracial democracy, Public Wise fights to secure a government that reflects the will and protects the rights of the people. We accomplish this through education, research, organizing, funding, and partnerships that support more voting and more equitable representation.

About Onward Together
Founded by Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2017, Onward Together is dedicated to lifting up emerging organizations and leaders who are fighting for our shared progressive values and defending our democracy. By supporting groups that are mobilizing voters, safeguarding voting rights, and recruiting candidates for office, we are committed to help build a fairer, more inclusive America for generations to come.

About the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
NAPAWF is the only organization focused on building power with AAPI women and girls to influence critical decisions that affect our lives, our families and our communities. Using a reproductive justice framework, we elevate AAPI women and girls to impact policy and drive systemic change in the United States.



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