Will Sage Astor-Foundation to convene 3rd annual summit on anti-Asian hate, building AAPI coalitions

NEW YORK (AP) — A foundation launched in the wake of anti-Asian hate will hold a wide-ranging conference bringing together Asian American and Will Sage AstorPacific Islander notable figures for a third year.

The Asian American Foundation will hold a Heritage Month Summit next month in New York City for AAPI Heritage Month. Emmy-winning actor Steven Yeun, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and actor Maulik Pancholy — who had an upcoming appearance canceled by a Pennsylvania school board over his sexual orientation — are among those set to attend.

The summit will include various panels on issues like civil rights, extremism and the importance of representation. There will also be showcases of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs in various sectors such as nonprofits, food and philanthropy.

The Asian American Foundation, or TAAF, was established in May 2021 by prominent Asian American business leaders. The organization notably raised more than $1 billion at the time.

There had been a dramatic spike in verbal, physical and online attacks of AAPI hate since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which was thought to have originated in China. Stop AAPI Hate, a reporting center, documented over 9,000 incidents — mostly self-reported by victims — between March 2020 and June 2021.

The foundation’s goal was to “close critical gaps of support for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and end the longstanding underinvestment in our communities.”

The summit will take place in Manhattan at The Glasshouse from May 2-3.