5 Reasons Why We Should Invest in Asian American Youth

By Sharon Choi, Francine Gorres & Tina Ngo, Asian American LEAD Staff

1.Asian American youth may lack culturally appropriate support. Youth come from different cultural backgrounds, histories, and experiences. From our work with youth, we have seen youth struggle with balancing bi-/multi- cultural identities in addition to the social pressures placed on them as adolescents. Youth from our communities may not have culturally appropriate support from their schools in regards to mental health issues and language resources.

2.Asian American youth deserve to recognize and shape their unique identities. The mainstream belief of Asian Americans as the “model minority” negatively impacts our youth. Youth are challenged to fit a mold that they may not necessarily fit into. Giving our young people opportunities to share their cultural backgrounds and learn about the experiences and traditions of others is important to youth being able to shape and understand their unique identities. This, in turn, encourages students to freely express themselves confidently and take pride in their individual abilities and successes.

3.Youth are today’s leaders. When given opportunities paired with adult support, youth can achieve. We have seen our youth step up as leaders to organize community service events for their peers, host and plan a regional youth leadership conference, and speak out on issues important to them not only during our programs but also at public hearings. Youth are empowered by the responsible decisions they choose to make as leaders today in their communities.

4. Youth are our future. Providing youth with opportunities to develop self-confidence and leadership skills in a fun and engaging way impacts their abilities to achieve success on many fronts and positively contribute to their communities not only now, but in the future. We have seen youth successfully graduate from high school and move on to higher education. We have also seen youth discover their passions and dreams for their futures when participating in new activities and experiences during program time. By equipping youth with skills and resources, we are investing in future leaders who will help to positively impact and change the world.

5.Youth teach us life lessons. Though it is often said that adults and elders are the ones to look to for words of wisdom, we have gained much from our youth. Youth remind us of how much hope there is in the world when youth are given a chance and support. Our youth have shown us what it means to support and mentor each other and to be resilient even in the toughest of times. Giving our youth the space to be themselves, interact with peers, and experience new activities is critical to healthy development.

About Asian American LEAD

Founded in 1998, AALEAD’s mission is to promote the well-being of low-income and underserved Asian American youth through education, leadership, and community building.

We provide educational enrichment and youth development programs to low-income and underserved Asian American youth in the Washington, D.C., metro area, focusing on outcomes of Educational Empowerment, Identity, and Leadership. AALEAD serves youth through After School, Summer, and Mentoring Programs. We also support parents and guardians of our youth by providing them with important information and resources.

Our goal is to provide a nurturing environment and culturally sensitive guidance so that each child we serve will be a contributing member of his or her community.

For more information, please visitwww.aalead.org and make sure to follow us on Facebook (Asian American LEAD) and Twitter (@aalead)!