Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) and the undersigned AANHPI philanthropic leaders stand united in our commitment to racial solidarity and educational equity in the wake of the Supreme Court’s appalling decision to effectively ban race conscious admissions policies in higher education. Underpinning the Court’s decision were two cases in which Asian Americans were used as a racialized wedge to roll back decades of progress and ignore the many racial disparities that exist today. As Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI), we reject and resist attempts to use our communities against other communities of color.
The Court’s decision is a significant step backwards and leaves systems with fewer tools to address the real and significant racial inequities that harm Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and other communities of color. While the legal and policy ramifications of the Court’s decision will take some time to unfold, the immediate consequence of this decision reinforces a race ignorant approach that pretends two centuries of discrimination and anti-Black racism have been suddenly resolved. We firmly believe that race and racial diversity still matter, and it is in our collective interest to join the fight to expand access to education.
While this decision is disheartening, AAPIP and AANHPI leaders in the philanthropic space remain committed to dismantling systemic barriers to educational equity and advancing a shared anti-racist agenda. We are committed to working with our network of grantmakers and philanthropic organizations, particularly with AAPIP’s sister organizations (ABFE, Hispanics in Philanthropy, and Native Americans in Philanthropy), on shared strategies to advocate for policy changes that address the root causes of inequity and invest our resources that acknowledges the shared struggles of Black, Latino, Native American, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
As AANHPI leaders in philanthropy, we start with this statement, and we pledge to work together toward a new reality where all communities can thrive. As demonstrated time and again, the work towards a more just democracy requires our full participation and we will use this moment to catalyze our communities forward.
In solidarity,
| Patricia Eng
President & CEO Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy |
A. Sparks
Executive Director Masto Foundation |
| Alice Hom
Executive Director CHANGE Philanthropy |
Bob Uyeki
Trustee San Francisco Foundation |
| Carol Cheney
CEO The Collins Foundation |
Carolyn Wang Kong
President & Executive Director Asian Pacific Fund |
| Catherine Chen
Trustee East Bay Community Foundation |
Cathy Cha
President & CEO Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund |
| Debbie I. Chang, MPH
President and CEO Blue Shield of California Foundation |
Debra Nakatomi
Trustee The California Wellness Foundation |
| Don Chen
President Surdna Foundation |
Eddy Zheng
Founder & President New Breath Foundation |
| EunSook Lee
Executive Director AAPI Civic Engagement Fund |
Fatima Angeles
Executive Director Levi Strauss Foundation |
| Fo-Ching Lu
President SYL Foundation |
Geri Yang-Johnson
Trustee The California Wellness Foundation |
| Jennifer Ching
Executive Director North Star Fund |
Jill Nishi
CEO Philanthropy Northwest |
| Joe Lumarda
Trustee The California Wellness Foundation |
Joy L. Chia
Executive Director Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice |
| Kenji Hakuta
Lee L. Jacks Professor emeritus Stanford University Graduate School of Education |
Kyung B. Yoon
President Korean American Community Foundation |
| Lori Villarosa
Executive Director Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE) |
Mariko Silver
President & CEO Henry Luce Foundation |
| Marissa Tirona
President Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants & Refugees |
Milton Chen
Former Chair Panasonic Foundation |
| Norman Chen
CEO The Asian American Foundation |
Paul W. Lee
Chair Asian Community Fund |
| Philip Li
President & CEO Robert Sterling Clark Foundation |
Phyllis M. Wise
Former Chancellor University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign |
| Priscilla Enriquez
CEO The James B. McClatchy Foundation |
Rajasvini Bhansali
Executive Director Solidaire Network |
| Raymond Colmenar
President Akonadi Foundation |
Reshma Shamasunder
Executive Director Asian American Futures |
| Rhea Suh
President & CEO Marin Community Foundation |
Richard Woo
Retired Foundation CEO AAPIP Member |
| Serena Moy
Executive Director Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation |
Sue Van
President & CEO Wallace H. Coulter Foundation |
| Surina Khan
CEO Emeritus & Advisor Women’s Foundation of California |
Taryn Higashi
Executive Director Unbound Philanthropy |
| Timothy HyoJun Kim
Executive Director Korean American Community Foundation of San Francisco |
Unmi Song
President Lloyd A. Fry Foundation |
| Vivian Tseng
President Foundation for Child Development |
*Organizations listed for identification purposes only
List in formation.