Asian American Students Alliance

Our Mission:

Our organization seeks to provide a space to build Asian American political consciousness and to empower students to engage with their identity and community. Through cultural, political, and social programming and actionable projects, we are committed to mobilizing generations of Asian Americans to partake in a movement to advance racial justice, foster intercultural coalitions and solidarity, and create an equitable future for all communities who have shared historical struggles for liberation.

Our Activities:

East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU) Conference
Direct Service
The East Coast Asian American Student Union’s annual conference is the nation’s oldest and largest conference aimed to inspire and empower Asian American and Pasifika students. The theme for Yale's ECAASU Conference 2024 is Resistance in Joy, with sub-themes of Memory, Kinship, and Home. The phrase “Resistance in Joy” speaks to our refusal to have moments of joy stripped from us in the face of both internal and external challenges for the Asian American and Pasifika communities—our joy, in itself, is an act of
resistance.

Splash Class
Direct Service
We will be teaching high schoolers about histories of Asian American advocacy and cross cultural solidarity.

Chai Stand for Third World Sex Workers
Advocacy, or Activism
We plan to host a weekly chai stand on either Cross Campus or Bass Cafe (depending on weather) to educate students about Third World sex workers' issues, such as labor protections and legislation. Any funds raised will go toward the New Haven Sex Workers Collective.

Tendie Tuesday Teach-In: Voting
Advocacy, or Activism
We will host a voter registration session and teach-in about Asian American voting issues.

Postcards for Palestine
Advocacy, or Activism
We will be hosting a teach-in about Palestinian liberation in relation to broader Third World struggles for liberation and on why Asian American students should support the liberation cause and any associated humanitarian or political efforts. We will also be writing postcards to elected officials in New Haven, Connecticut, and attendees' respective home states to demand resolutions for ceasefire.

Public Testimony against Legacy Admissions
Advocacy, or Activism
We plan to take a delegation of our members to the Connecticut General Assembly in Hartford to deliver public testimony in support of a state senate bill that would ban legacy admissions.

Night Market
Fundraising
The Night Market is designed to emulate the intimate, lively ambiance of the popular urban night markets of Taiwan, with AACC affiliated organizations running their own stands of cultural foods, crafts, and other good/activities. The aim of this event is to raise money for New Haven mutual aid funds.

Pan-Asian Formal
Fundraising
The annual Pan-Asian formal is a night of pan-Asian joy and bonding. By inviting different cultural affinity groups to the event, the formal intends to create an open space of fun and community for all Asian people on campus. This year's formal was a fundraiser for the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, one of the most primary humanitarian organizations in Palestine, delivering crucial medical relief and humanitarian aid where it is needed most. Any donations went towards distributing blankets and toys to children in refugee camps, providing families of Gaza access to clean water and healthcare, and supporting PCRF’s food parcel initiative.

Student Leaders:

Yolanda Wang - Co-Coordinator/Co-President Michelle Lee - Co-Coordinator/Co-President Anh Nguyen - Co-Coordinator/Co-President Yamato Takabe - Co-Coordinator/Co-President