Our Programs
AFI’s efforts are currently invested in three programming areas: Hate Crime Victim Support, AAPI Safety Advocacy, and AAPI Awareness. Each of these branches of programming seeks to accomplish our primary goals of stopping injustices and decreasing the number of AAPI-related hate incident, and uniting the communities of New York.
Hate Crime Victim Support
Since AFI’s inception, we have provided support to individuals who have been impacted by hate crimes, as well as their families. This has taken the form of helping to connect families with legal or mental health support, amplifying crowdfunding campaigns, raising funds for medical bills, and supporting families in their time of grief. Concurrently, we are working tirelessly on a database of AAPI hate crimes in New York City, to be utilized in making an interactive hate crimes map, which will be a vital resource for our community. Funding for this branch of programming will be allocated to hiring caseworkers to aid impacted individuals and their families in their time of need, and towards operating costs that help keep this service running.
Awareness & Education
AFI seeks to approach ending injustice through multiple pathways, including raising awareness about the issues faced by the AAPI community and their history in the US, and through platforms like roundtables and web panels. This area of programming aims to educate the general public about the rich and varied experiences of AAPIs through our educational events and advocating for the inclusion of AAPI history in classrooms.
Rallies, Activism, and Capacity Building
AFI hosts events and actions such as: rallies, memorials and vigils, to broadcast AAPI issues into the mainstream. By elevating AAPI voices, we hope to ensure that AAPI demands are met for the betterment of all of New York City. Our approach to activism is both reactive and proactive, as we seek to expose and castigate the crimes that have already been committed, while simultaneously addressing the root cause of these crimes, and advocating for the appropriate changes that will prevent them from happening in the future.
Outreach
In connection with City Relief, AFI is dedicated to bridging the gaps between the AAPI community and the homeless community around NYC, but more specifically around Chinatown. By providing basic necessities and resources to the local homeless population, we hope to build a strong rapport and create mutually beneficial solutions.