CONNECTIONS: “Asian Americans for One City” MEET-UP

Photos and text by Mary Tablante

It’s happening all over the D.C. metro area: young Asian American professionals using social media to network, meet and find ways to advance their careers or just make friends. Making connections is one of the ways political Washington works; it’s one of the ways the business world works, too. And now the AAPI community is expanding its reach with a unique hybrid of social and professional mingling. Some of the events are pan-Asian; others focus on specific segments of our community.

This month we begin an occasional series on these meet-ups by focusing on a networking event in mid-December called Asian Americans for One City. Professionals, business owners and consultants from diverse backgrounds gathered Dec. 16 at Burma Restaurant in D.C.’s Chinatown, sponsored by Friendship Archway Network, a project of the group Asian American Professionals of D.C. which states is purpose as “actively bridging cultural, digital and other divides.” The meet-ups are held every month, connecting AAPI professionals with people of other backgrounds, co-sponsored by Allies Building Community, Inc., a non-profit umbrella organization bringing together civic minded organizations.

For information, visit www.meetup.com/AsianAmericans.