Grace Nicolette, vice president, Programming and External Relations of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, wrote recently that her observation from working in philanthropy for more than 15 years “is that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are often left out of conversations around race, either purposefully or by neglect.”
There have been numerous conversations in our sector where I’ve encountered arguments that AAPIs are somehow not considered people of color, or that countering anti-AAPI racism should not be an explicit part of DEI and anti-racist work. This has to stop.
Nicolette adds she speaks for herself “and many AAPI peers who are tired of seeing our communities targeted while at the same time being excluded or erased from conversations and efforts that advance the cause of racial equity. It’s past time for philanthropy to “walk the talk” and do better.”