Led by community members who came together to respond to anti-Asian hate in the aftermath of the Atlanta spa shootings in March 2021, our grassroots nonprofit, which began as AAPI Montclair, has become a national model of the power of locally rooted Asian American organizing to plant and nurture the seeds of generational change.
At the state and national levels, AAPI New Jersey has worked in diverse, multiethnic coalitions to advocate for educational equity and inclusion, language access, immigrant rights, ballot reform, government transparency, and voting rights, among other policies advancing the welfare of communities of color, and partners with state agencies to help them better understand and serve AAPI communities. Our Teach Asian American Stories initiative (TAAS) supports public school districts across the state in incorporating Asian American history in their classrooms, connecting teachers with trainings and resources and building capacity through the TAAS Fellows program. AAPI New Jersey also supports victims of bias incidents and hate crimes with case management and referral services, organizes free upstander and self-defense trainings, and works to build full participation in our democracy in AAPI communities.
AAPI New Jersey’s work has included large-scale events to promote cultural awareness and understanding, including celebrations of Lunar New Year and Diwali that draw thousands of diverse attendees annually. Our rich calendar of year-round cultural programming includes events featuring AAPI authors, filmmakers, and artists, with past luminaries ranging from Michelle Zauner to Jeff Yang to Sheetal Sheth. Innovative youth and mental health programs help build community while destigmatizing mental health services and normalizing interactions with providers.
Through our work, AAPI New Jersey hopes to encourage structural change, build solidarity among communities, and fight for equity for all oppressed groups, while celebrating AAPI cultures.
Following the Atlanta spa shootings, Asian American families in Montclair begin to unite against anti-Asian racism in their schools and town.
First AAPI Montclair self-defense class
First Lantern Festival for Justice and Remembrance, a community gathering in remembrance of victims of racialized violence
Stop Asian Hate campaign launches in Montclair, providing local businesses with resources to support victims of street harassment and identify themselves as safe spaces.
First Light Up Montclair celebration of Diwali at the Montclair Art Museum is attended by 1,500+
New Jersey’s K-12 AAPI history mandate is signed into law, after advocacy by grassroots statewide movement.
First large-scale Lunar New Year celebration in Montclair is attended by 2,000+.
First mental health workshops for AAPI youth are piloted.
First Holi/Songkran Color Run
AAPI Montclair engages schools and cultural institutions in observing AAPI Heritage Month.
Launch of Teach Asian American Stories, an ambitious initiative supporting and accelerating implementation of NJ’s AAPI curriculum mandate
First nonpartisan Get Out the Vote efforts reaching NJ AAPI voters
Love Your Lunch campaign launches, teaching young children about cultural diversity, responding to bias, and food acceptance.
Launch of the TAAS Fellowship program, which aims to develop a pipeline of professional development providers for teaching AAPI history by training outstanding public school educators
AAPI New Jersey name is announced at first annual Luminary Gala
Milestone language access, data disaggregation, and domestic workers’ rights bills are signed into law, after advocacy by multiracial coalition.
AAPI New Jersey files first amicus brief, together with AALDEF and Advancing Justice, on significance of fair ballots in NJ for NJ’s Asian American community.
Asian American Coalition launches to support growth of strong ecosystem of grassroots AAPI organizations across New Jersey. Teach Asian American Stories graduates its first cohort of TAAS Fellows.
AAPI New Jersey hires its first Community Resilience Associate to expand work on mental health, health, and community outreach.
AAPI New Jersey launches a rapid response to the killing of Victoria Lee by Fort Lee police. Policy goals expand to include police accountability and alternative crisis response.
AAPI New Jersey conducts and publishes first nonpartisan candidate questionnaire for NJ’s federal candidates, together with GOTV efforts in major AAPI ethnoburbs and campus ambassador program
First cohort of high school students completes AAPI New Jersey’s first youth leadership program
In 2023, we formally changed our name to AAPI New Jersey to reflect the statewide priorities and activities that this group of committed community members and advocates now supports.
We continue to host events and programs in Montclair and invite you to explore this site to learn more about the diverse resources and opportunities we offer.
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