>>> THIS MORNING WERE
CELEBRATING ASIAN-AMERICAN
PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH
WITH OUR SERIES "WE BELONG".
>> A ALLY MAKI IS MAKING A
BIGHAM IMPACT IN HER COMMUNITY
BY CREATING A CLUB WHERE ALL ARE
WELCOME.
>> I REALLY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO
REDEFINE WHAT A CLUB CAN LOOK
AND FEEL LIKE AND SOMETHING THAT
IS KIND TO BE INCLUSIVE.
>> BORN AND RAISED IN WASHINGTON
STATE.
ACTRESS ALLY MAKI FELT LIKE SHE
NEVER FIT.
IN WHAT WAS LIKE GROWING UP
THERE IF AND AT SCHOOL.
>> MY MOM PUT ME IN ALL THE
CLUBS.
BROWNIES, BAND, PRETTY MUCH
EVERYTHING ACROSS THE BOARD.
AT THE END OF THE DAY I WOULD
ALWAYS QUIT THESE CLUBS.
I REALIZE AT THE TIME LOT OF
THEM DIDNT HAVE ASIAN-AMERICAN
THAT LOOKED LIKE ME THAT HAD
THAT SHARED SENSE OF IDENTITY.
>> GROWING UP.
ALLY, A FOURTH GENERATION
JAPANESE AMERICAN DID LOOK TO
TWO WOMEN SHE ADMIRED THE MOST,
HER MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER.
>> THEY INSTILLED ME WITH THIS
SENSE OF STRENGTH THAT YOU
REALLY CAN BE ANYTHING.
MY GRANDMOTHER WHEN SHE WAS 16
YEARS OLD, SHE WAS SENT TO THE
JAPANESE AMERICAN INTERNMENT
CAMP DURING THE WORLD WAR II.
WHILE MY GRANDFATHER WHO SHE WAS
DATING AT THE TIME WAS ACTUALLY
IN THE 442nd UNIT.
THE MOST DETECTED IN THE ARMY OF
ALL JAPANESE AMERICAN SOLDIERS.
WHILE SHE WAS INCARCERATED HE
WAS FIGHTING FOR THE COUNTRY.
I ALWAYS TAKE THAT STORY WITH
ME.
BECAUSE THEY NEVER LET IT DEFINE
THEM.
>> IN HER 20S SHE PURRED AN
ACTING CAREER AND MOVED TO LOS
ANGELES.
>> I REALLY TRULY BELIEVED I WAS
THERE VERY ALL AMERICAN GIRL.
ALL THESE HOPES AND DREAMS OF
LIKE I COULD BE THE LEAD GIRL
PLAYING THE CALIFORNIA GIRL.
AND IT WAS ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT
ALL OF THESE KIND OF BOXES WERE
INSTANTLY PLACED AROUND ME LIKE
NO NO NO, ARE YOU ARE NOT THAT.
YOU WILL PLAY THE BEST FRIEND.
YOU ARE THE NERDY GIRL OR THE
KUNG FU MARTIAL ARTS AND HAVE AN
ACCENT.
AND THAT WAS A BIG STRUGGLE FOR
ME.
>> IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS
WHERE QUITE OFTEN YOU KNOW IT IS
NOT AWARE OF YOUR DIFFERENCES
BUT YOU UNDERESTIMATE HOW MUCH
PEOPLE ARE ON THE OUTSIDE
PUTTING YOU IN THIS BOX.
>> YES.
ABSOLUTELY.
I REMEMBER JUST FEELING LIKE I
DONT KNOW WHO I AM ANYMORE.
AND I I DONT KNOW WHAT MY
IDENTITY IS.
>> FOR YEARS, ALLY YEARNED FOR A
SENSE OF BELONGING AND
SISTERHOOD.
IN 2018 SHE DECIDED TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
BY FORMING A DIFFERENT KIND OF
CLUB.
>> REPRESENTATION REALLY DOES
MATTER.
I REALLY JUST HAD THIS NAME.
I COULDNT GET OUT OF MY HEAD.
ASIAN-AMERICAN GIRL CLUB.
I DIDNT KNOW WHAT IT WAS GOING
TO BE.
BUT I WAS ON THE FLOOR OF MY
LIVING ROOM AND I WAS WITH A
COUPLE PEOPLE AND THEY WERE LIKE
JUST LAUNCH THE LOGO AND SEE
WHAT HAPPENS.
WE MADE AN INSTAGRAM, PUT OUT
THE LOGO AND NEXT MORNING OUR
INBOX WAS FLOODED WITH GIRLS
FROM ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
LITERALLY WRITING COLLEGE
DISSERTATIONS OVER NIGHT ABOUT
THEIR IDENTITY AND WHAT IT MEANT
TO THEM AND THAT WAS WHEN I WAS
LIKE OH WOW THIS IS REALLY
SOMETHING.
>> HI GUY, WELCOME TO THE CLUB.
>> ASIAN-AMERICAN GIRL CLUB HAS
LAUNCHED INTO A FASHION AND
LIFESTYLE BRAND WITH WOMEN OF
ALL AGES.
ALL LOOKING TO CONNECT AND
UPLIFT ONE ANOTHER.
>> THE MOST AMAZING THING FOR ME
I THINK IS SEEING THESE GIRLS
THAT DIDNT KNOW EACH OTHER NOW
BECOME BEST FRIENDS THROUGH IT.
>> WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO
HAVE CREATED SOMETHING IN THIS
COMMUNITY THATS BECOME SO
POWERFUL AND SO NEEDED?
>> IM JUST ABSOLUTELY SO BLOWN
AWAY.
THIS, YOU KNOW, WAS CREATED BY
US BUT IT IS MADE FOR ALL.
REALLY JUST WHAT WERE BRINGING
TO THE TABLE.
THIS IS WHO WE ARE.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THAT
LITTLE GIRL WHO WAS YOU IN
WASHINGTON AT THE TIME WHERE YOU
JUST FELT KIND OF ISOLATED?
>> I WOULD TELL HER THAT SHES
STRONG AND I WOULD TELL HER THAT
SHE ABSOLUTELY CAN DO ANYTHING.
ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE TO SAY
IS THAT WERE UNDEFINABLE.
THAT NO ONE CAN PUT YOU IN A
BOX.
AND THAT EVERYTHING IS AVAILABLE
TO YOU.
>> ASIAN-AMERICAN GIRL CLUB IS
ALSO COMMITTED TO GIVING BACK BY
PARTNERING WITH GROUPS THAT
AMPLIFY AND SUPPORT THE AAPI
COMMUNITY.
AND SHES TAKING OVER OUR THIRD
HOUR INSTAGRAM PAGE GIVING YOU A
BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK AT THE
GIRLS CLUB HEADQUARTERS.
IF YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE IN YOUR
CLASS OR HIGH SCHOOL AND LIVE IN
A PLACE WHERE IM FROM, WICHITA,
WHERE THERE ARENT VERY MUCH
ASIAN-AMERICAN GIRLS.
SHE JUST HIT SOMETHING WHERE
THESE GIRLS AND WOMEN JUST LOVE
IT.
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