Summer 2026 Donor Digest
NAVIGATE THIS PAGE
- Letter from our Co-Founders
- Featured Story: Defending the 14th Amendment
- The State of Anti-AAPI Hate
- Healing from Hate
READ THE FULL NEWSLETTER
A Letter from our Co-Founders
Dear Friends,
Because of your steadfast support, Stop AAPI Hate is meeting the moment in the fight for our multiracial democracy. In May, we announced the launch of Stop AAPI Hate Action, our new 501(c)(4) political and advocacy arm to mobilize AAPI voters. This milestone arrived just as one of our democracy’s foundational guarantees came under direct attack. Trump’s legal challenges threatened to strip citizenship from future generations, attacking protections that have stood since U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark in 1898.
Fortunately, on June 30, the Court upheld the 14th Amendment, protecting a 150-year-old cornerstone of American democracy first secured by Wong Kim Ark. Your generosity directly fuels our advocacy and community-building, powering the vital work that made this historic victory—and our ongoing fight—possible.
Yet, we know the xenophobic policies and hostile rhetoric remain a persistent threat designed to suppress our rising political power. With families still facing ICE raids and systemic scapegoating, we cannot afford to step back.
Your continued partnership makes this fight possible. With you standing behind us, Stop AAPI Hate Action will spend the next few months not just winning over voters, but building AAPI power as a lasting voting bloc. We will engage AAPI voters in key languages, hold leaders accountable, and hopefully shift the balance of power in Congress to protect our communities through its AAPI House Calls program.
Because of you, we continue to sustain Stop AAPI Hate’s core work – research, policy advocacy, narrative power, and survivor support – ensuring this foundational work remains central to our mission. Together, Stop AAPI Hate and Stop AAPI Hate Action are part of a broader multiracial movement fighting for an America that works for everyone.
In solidarity,
Cynthia Choi
Co-Founder, Stop AAPI Hate
Co-Executive Director, Chinese for Affirmative Action
Manjusha Kulkarni
Co-Founder, Stop AAPI Hate
Executive Director, AAPI Equity Alliance
Featured Story: Defending the 14th Amendment: A Historic Victory for Birthright Citizenship
On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a significant victory by upholding birthright citizenship, rejecting the administration’s attempt to dismantle this constitutional right. This ruling reaffirms that every child born in the United States is an equal member under the law.
For Asian Americans, this victory carries profound significance. The legal foundation for birthright citizenship was secured in 1898 by United States v. Wong Kim Ark, a Chinese American who challenged anti-Asian exclusion. Enshrined in the 14th Amendment, this right has allowed our communities to grow in size and political influence.
Norman Wong in front of a mural of his great grandfather, Wong Kim Ark, in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
We’re proud to share our involvement in the fight to protect birthright citizenship. From educating our supporters on the significance of the 14th Amendment to working closely with Norman Wong—a direct descendant of Wong Kim Ark to share his legacy, we’ve kept this vital history alive. We also collaborated with our coalition partner, Chinese for Affirmative Action, to sound the alarm on current threats in the media and host community panels to keep the dialogue going.
While we celebrate this landmark win, the broader threat to our communities remains. We must turn this moment into an opportunity to build AAPI power.
Learn more about this work here.
New Report on the State of Hate
Our latest State of Hate report, Closing Doors, Widening Harm: Persistent Hate Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in an Anti-Immigrant Climate, is here. Conducted in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago, this third annual nationally representative survey underscores the ongoing challenges our communities face.
Key findings from the new report:
- About half (49%) of AA/PI adults experienced a hate act in 2025 due to their race, ethnicity, or nationality — statistically similar to 53% in 2024 and 49% in 2023.
- 53% of AA/PI adults said they or an AA/PI person they know (e.g., friend, family member) were impacted by changes in immigration policies or anti-immigrant sentiment.
- Those who experienced hate in 2025 reported worse mental health than those who did not.
Healing from the State of Hate: How HOPE is Supporting Survivors
As highlighted in our State of Hate report, anti-AAPI discrimination fuels a severe mental health crisis. To combat this trauma, our Community Care team connects survivors with healing resources through HOPE (Healing Our People through Engagement).
Originally launched in California with the AAPI Equity Alliance, this culturally relevant program builds deep community connections. Supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, we recently expanded HOPE to Dallas, TX, in partnership with the Dallas Asian American Historical Society.
Turning individual pain into collective power, alumni have launched independent healing groups, a community podcast, and civic initiatives. As our next Dallas cohort prepares for this fall, a recent participant shared the vital necessity of this space:
“The talking and sharing and finding commonalities was so simple yet so vital. It’s important because being heard makes us feel seen and validated, and it makes us feel less alone, all of which are good steps to building and healing as a community.”
Donor Spotlight: Vickie Vo’s Recipe for Belonging and Action
Oklahoma City small business owner Vickie Vo connects community advocacy with culinary passion. Through her recent OKC Eggrolls AAPI Pop-Up fundraiser, she successfully raised $1,688 for Stop AAPI Hate.
As a first-generation Vietnamese American, Vickie found the call to action deeply personal. Facing threats of disenfranchisement and racial profiling, she chose to take a stand by blending cultural heritage with grassroots activism.
“Protecting birthright citizenship is about protecting fairness, equality, and the idea that America is strengthened by people from different backgrounds coming together,” she notes.
By investing in Stop AAPI Hate, Vo counters the “perpetual foreigner” narrative. Ultimately, her pop-up mixed the perfect ingredients—volunteers, vendors, and vibes—proving that grassroots action is Vo’s ultimate recipe for community safety and belonging.
Report Anti-Immigrant Hate
Stop AAPI Hate operates the nation’s largest reporting center, tracking over 13,000 acts of hate against AAPI communities. In addition to racism, you can also report anti-immigrant policies, threats of deportation, and other forms of anti-immigrant hate. Report it confidentially with this link.
We are able to continue our fight for justice because of our incredible community of supporters.
Your donation to Stop AAPI Hate helps us protect immigrant and civil rights, strengthen our research and data, and support local communities and push for better laws.
