THIS MORNING, MEET SOME OF THE
EMERGING LEADERS IN A NEW
MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE.
>> WE ARE FURIOUS.
>> SOUTH-ASIAN HATE, ENOUGH IS
ENOUGH.
>> Reporter: FROM NEW YORK TO
LOS ANGELES, HOUSTON TO CHICAGO,
RALLIES TO STOP ASIAN HATE
FILLING STREETS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
THE AAPI COMMUNITY ACTIVATING
AFTER A STRING OF UNPROVOKED
ATTACKS TARGETING
ASIAN-AMERICANS.
>> WE HAVE TO STAND UP FOR OUR
PARENTS, FOR THEIR GRANDPARENTS.
>> Reporter: AND A NEW
GENERATION IS LEADING THE WAY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING
OUT TODAY AND SUPPORTING THIS
CAUSE.
>> Reporter: ASHLYN IS JUST 13
BUT ALREADY USING HER VOICE.
TURNING HER FOCUS FROM FASHION
DESIGN TO STOPPING ASIAN STOP,
AFTER SEEING ATTACKS ON ELDERS
IN HER SAN FRANCISCO AREA
COMMUNITY.
>> LIKE THE BLACK LIVES MATTER
PROTEST, I TOLD MY MOM I WANTED
TO DO A RALLY.
SHE SAID, OKAY.
THAT’S HOW I BECAME AN
ACCIDENTAL ACTIVIST.
>> Reporter: ANGELA’S MOM, WU,
WAS BORN IN HONG KONG AND CAME
TO AMERICA WITH HER FAMILY AS A
TEEN.
WHEN YOU WERE HER AGE, HAD YOU
GONE TO YOUR MOM AND SAID, I
WANT TO DO A RALLY, WHAT WOULD
SHE HAVE SAID?
>> PROBABLY, OH, YOU SHOULD
FOCUS ON YOUR STUDIES.
YOU’RE A STUDENT.
YOU’RE 13.
THAT’S WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING.
>> Reporter: WHAT WAS THAT LIKE,
TO SEE SO MANY DIFFERENT
GENERATIONS SHOWING UP AFTER
YOUR DAUGHTER PUT THE CALL OUT?
>> IT’S JUST SO SURPRISING.
WE HAVE ALL BROKEN OUT OF THE
CHAINS, THE BAGGAGE OF WHAT OUR
CULTURE SAYS.
BE QUIET, PUT YOUR HEAD DOWN.
ALL OF US THOUGHT, YOU KNOW
WHAT, THAT’S OVER.
WE HAVE TO COME OUT AND SPEAK
NOW.
>> LOUD AND PROUD
ASIAN-AMERICAN.
>> Reporter: AN ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL MUSIC TEACHER AND THE
ONLY ASIAN-AMERICAN EDUCATOR AT
HER BROOKLYN PUBLIC SCHOOL.
WHEN DID YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF
AS AN ACTIVIST?
>> 2016.
MORE BLACK AND BROWN CHILDREN
WERE KILLED FROM POLICE
BRUTALITY.
THE EFFECT ON MY COMMUNITIES
AFTER BREAK WAS HEARTBREAKING.
>> Reporter: SHE HONED HER
VOICE, OVERCOMING CULTURAL
BARRIERS OF HER OWN.
>> WE’VE BEEN TOLD THAT WE DON’T
MATTER, THAT WE ARE SILENCED,
THAT WE ARE A MINORITY.
>> Reporter: WHAT DO YOU THINK
OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT KIDS
AND PARENTS IN THE
ASIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY ARE
HAVING AROUND ACTIVISM THAT
NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE?
>> I THINK, AT LEAST FOR MY
PARENTS, THEY’RE GRAPPLING WITH
THE IDEA OF ME SPEAKING OUT.
THEY’RE NOT BIG FANS OF IT, TO
BE REALLY HONEST, BUT I AM SO
LUCKY TO BE HERE, WHERE MY
PARENTS HAVE SACRIFICED SO MUCH.
AS A RESULT, I HAVE TO SPEAK OUT
FOR THEM.
>> Reporter: HER EXAMPLE HAS
BEEN POWERFUL.
YOU CAN SEE IT DURING THE
SURPRISE RUN-IN WITH A STUDENT
SHE CAUGHT FROM PRE-K TO FIFTH
GRADE.
HE IS NOW TALLER THAN SHE IS.
>> HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL,
WHEN STUDENTS GIVE YOU A HUG
LIKE AMAZING.
IT IS HONESTLY EVERYTHING I WANT
THEM TO REGULAR, NOT, LIKE, THE
CONTENT I TEACH, BUT JUST HOW I
MAKE THEM FEEL, I HOPE.
>> Reporter: IT’S THE YOUNG
STUDENTS SHE’S HOPING TO
INSPIRE.
>> YOU ARE WORTHY OF SAFETY,
RESPECT, AND LOVE!
>> Reporter: BY SHOWING THEM HOW
PEOPLE OF DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS
CAN COME TOGETHER AND FIGHT
RACISM.
DOES THAT GIVE YOU HOPE?
>> SO MUCH HOPE.
IT IS INCREDIBLE TO SEE THE
POWER OF THEIR VOICE.
WHEN I SEE KIDS CONNECT WITH
EACH OTHER ABOUT THIS, I FEEL
TRULY HOPEFUL ABOUT THE FUTURE.
>> Reporter: ASIAN-AMERICAN
ACTIVISTS ARE ALSO RAISING MONEY
TO FIGHT RACISM.
>> ACTIVISM IS ALSO
PHILANTHROPY.
IT IS DONATING MONEY.
ACTIVISM IS PARTICIPATING.
>> Reporter: SHAW IS THE
PRESIDENT OF THE ASIAN-AMERICAN
FOUNDATION, A NEW NON-PROFIT
THAT’S RAISED $250 MILLION TO
SUPPORT AAPI ORGANIZATIONS AND
CAUSES OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
>> I BELIEVE THERE IS NO GREATER
TIME THAN NOW TO WORK TOGETHER
WITH ALLIES IN OTHER COMMUNITIES
TO CREATE AN AMERICA THAT IS
MULTI-CULTURAL AND THAT LOOKS TO
THE FUTURE AND CREATES A COUNTRY
WE ALL WANT TO BE A PART OF AND
ALL WANT TO LIVE IN.
>> IT’S REALLY REMARKABLE.
THE $250 MILLION RAISED BY THE
ASIAN-AMERICAN FOUNDATION WILL
BE USED TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS
THAT ARE FOCUSED ON STOPPING
HATE, DEVELOPING RESEARCH, AND
EDUCATING THE PUBLIC IN PUBLIC
SCHOOLS ON ASIAN-AMERICAN
HISTORY.
THIS IS THE LARGEST
PHILANTHROPIC COMMITMENT BY
ASIAN-AMERICANS THAT’S FULLY
FOCUSED ON THE AAPI COMMUNITY.
IT COMES AT AN IMPORTANT TIME.
>> LEARNED A LOT, TOO.
>> INSPIRING WOMEN.
>> WE HAVE MORE STORIES LIKE
THIS.
JOIN TODAY ALL DAY AT 11:00