A supportive audience looked on as 22 students from schools across Bergen, Essex, Passaic, and Somerset Counties eagerly presented their visions for the future upon graduating from AAPI New Jersey’s inaugural Youth Leadership Program on November 3, 2024.
The program aims to support the next generation of AAPI leaders by strengthening their sense of identity, building skills for advocacy and leadership, and empowering them to make tangible changes in their schools and communities.
According to Roslyne Shiao, Co-Executive Director of AAPI New Jersey and one of the leadership program’s facilitators, the organization received many more applicants than they anticipated, so they expanded the cohort to give more students a chance to participate.
The program was initially designed to teach students AAPI history that they didn’t learn in high school. “But then we realized we also wanted to help them find their voices and figure out what it is that they want,” said Shiao.
Antika Singh, Lead Curriculum Developer and Lead Youth Program Facilitator, created the program to be a space for inner contemplation that students may not get during their traditional school day. “I hope what they got out of this program is empowerment to choose a path or an interest that’s true to them,” said Singh.
Over six weeks, Singh and Shiao guided students as they developed projects on race, identity, intersectionality, systems of power, and systems of oppression. Participants were challenged to create realistic proposals that could be implemented into their own lives and schools. They were encouraged to choose concepts that spoke to them personally and ultimately pitched a variety of concepts ranging from murals and zines about current and historical events to photo essays and athletic development workshops for kids.
Justin Somashekara, a Montclair High School junior, was among the inaugural class of student leaders. His project proposal outlined a non-competitive athletic program that would allow AAPI kids to discover and learn how to play different sports.
“[Antika and Roslyne] really pressed me for my passions,” said Somashekara. “It was hard for me to figure out what I wanted to do and what I was passionate about. But then I realized, it was sports.”
Somashekara discussed how transformative playing sports has been for him throughout his life, while recognizing how few AAPI peers participated with him. He observed how many parents in his community place increased importance on academics, often at the expense of extracurricular activities.
“A lightbulb just went off and he was like, ‘I’ve never seen Asian Americans in sports. I was never encouraged to play sports,’” said Shiao. “I think it really clicked for him when we told him, ‘Of course you should do that.’ Kids should be able to see themselves doing everything.”
Nathan Fortt, another junior at Montclair High School who is Black and Korean, shared how he has often questioned where he fits in with society. A recording artist, producer, songwriter, and rapper, Fortt turned to music as a way to creatively explore his identity. He presented his idea to establish a socially-conscious record label that would empower young artists who want to express their feelings and explore their diverse backgrounds.
Fortt and Somashekara are just two of several students excited to take what they’ve learned in this program and create meaningful change.
Several students proposed school curriculum updates that would expand upon Senate Bill 4021, which requires K-12 New Jersey schools to teach about AAPI history and contributions. One pair of students who teamed up for their proposal pointed out that the history textbook they currently use in school was published and edited more than 20 years ago.
Lila Beckerman, a senior at Bernards High School, and Jessica Fu, a junior at Bernards High School teamed up to reevaluate their school’s curriculum and plan to present their findings to the school board.
“I think [this program] was a wonderful place for her because her school is predominantly white,” said Sujin Beckerman, Lila’s mother. “For her to have a community where she could hear perspectives of people who are like minded, was really helpful. And her being half-Asian, half-White, she’s always been seeking that side and wanting to learn more about this part of her.”
“You hear all these kids come from various perspectives, but all sort of similar stories about how it felt to be in such a minority in their school system and the challenges they all faced,” said Michael Beckerman, Lila’s father. “These kids impressed me with their strength and their courage. These kids are so inspiring.”
Several members of the cohort found inspiration from their own lives and families. Meera Mehta, a junior at Glen Ridge High School, proposed expanding on what she had learned about the Hart-Cellar Act (also known as the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965) by recording the stories of AAPI individuals who were able to immigrate to the U.S. because of the 1965 legislation. Joann Mattam and Kiera D’Souza, both juniors at Livingston High School presented a plan to offer youth-led workshops for Asian Americans that would create a safe space for students to explore and embrace their heritage.
“I learned how to listen to other people’s experiences. And rather than just talking about it, doing something about it,” said Nathan Fortt. “If you are a young Asian American who is aspiring to be a leader, who wants to learn public speaking, or group work, join this program. You will like it a lot and you will get a lot out of it.”
