The Asian American Foundation

The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) is a national foundation dedicated to building a safer, more inclusive future for Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Founded in 2021 by a group of prominent Asian American and Pacific Islanders in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate and violence, TAAF is focused on reversing the longstanding under-investment in the AAPI community and addressing the root causes of hate and discrimination. This project grant provides support for TAAF’s narrative change initiative, with a special focus on supporting high-profile events and convenings that bring together decision makers from media and entertainment to engage them in new ideas and strategies that, ultimately, will improve AAPI representation in mainstream news, media, and entertainment.

The Asian American Foundation’s (TAAF) mission is to serve Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in their pursuit of belonging and prosperity that is free from discrimination, slander, and violence. TAAF officially launched in May 2021 with the largest philanthropic commitment in history focused specifically on the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. TAAF’s key priorities are initiatives in the areas of anti-hate and belonging, data and research, narrative change, education, cross-racial solidarity, and unlocking resources for the AAPI community nation-wide. With this award, TAAF supports implementation of the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act, a state law that ensures every public school student in Illinois receives a unit of Asian American history.