FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2023
Media Contact: Asian American Scholar Forum, media@aasforum.org
Washington, D.C–Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) is excited to announce they are now a member of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA).
NCAPA, founded in 1996, is a coalition of 47 national Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) organizations. Based in Washington D.C., NCAPA serves to represent the interests of the greater AANHPI communities and to provide a national voice for AA and NHPI issues.
NCAPA serves the broader AANHPI population, which includes East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander American communities. As a coalition, they fight anti-Asian xenophobia, advocate for a fair and humane immigration system, address health disparities, support wider access to higher education, and more.
AASF Executive Director Gisela Perez Kusakawa said, “We are honored to be a new member of NCAPA, a coalition that aligns closely with our mission to promote belonging and equality to our communities, and a coalition that has been providing a national voice in Washington, D.C. for the AANHPI community for almost 30 years . I have a long history of working with NCAPA to combat racial profiling and targeting of researchers and academics. We thank NCAPA and their membership, especially Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC for supporting and being in solidarity with the Asian American scholar community over the years. AASF is proud to stand alongside some of the largest and oldest AANHPI organizations in the country who have been trailblazers in driving policy work and advancing civil rights for our communities. We look forward to the work ahead together.”
“NCAPA is thrilled to welcome the Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) into our coalition,” said Gregg Orton, national director of NCAPA. “AASF has emerged as a leading voice for the Asian American scholar community, and their work to fight for the rights of Asian American and immigrant scientists, researchers, and scholars is essential for the advancement of our communities.”
“It gives me great pleasure to welcome AASF as a member of NCAPA,” said Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC’s president and executive director, John C. Yang.” Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC has supported AASF’s growth as a national organization and we are proud to partner with them in ongoing efforts to combat racial profiling of Asian Americans and immigrant professors, scientists, researchers and now as a new member of NCAPA.”
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Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) is a national non-profit that promotes academic belonging, openness, freedom, and equality for all. In response to heightened anti-Asian sentiments and profiling in the U.S., AASF has been a leading national voice fighting for the rights of Asian American and immigrant scientists, researchers, and scholars. AASF membership includes members from the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Science and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, in addition to past and current university presidents, provost, vice provosts, deans, associate deans and past and current department chairs.