Narrative Change

Overview

Social change requires narrative change, or a cultural shift in how everyday people and decision-makers see and perceive the world. Narratives have the power to shape how people view and perceive us, and in turn impact how policies are made and implemented, how resources are allocated, and how everyday people advocate for themselves and others.

We advance narrative change by challenging entrenched stories and stereotypes that block progress for our communities — such as the model minority myth, the yellow peril epithet, and the perpetual foreigner trope. We also shift attitudes of the general public by replacing these harmful narratives with stories that accurately and wholly portray the experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAs & PIs), make common cause with other communities of color, and mobilize support for a world that gives all of us the chance to thrive.

Narrative change is a strategy that shows up in all areas of our work. From our data and research, to our community engagement, to our advocacy campaigns, to our social media content, we strive to ensure the decisions we make and the language we use empowers and uplifts AA & PI communities — and all communities of color.

We uplift Asian and Asian American voices and experiences by ensuring our communities’ perspectives are included in news coverage on the local, state and national levels. This includes crafting opinion pieces, participating in media interviews, and partnering with industry leaders, influencers, and other partners to bring AA & PI stories to light. To date, Stop AAPI Hate has been featured or cited in tens of thousands of news articles from U.S-based and international media sources, playing a major role in bringing global awareness to the rise in anti-AAPI hate and the urgent need to confront it.

We speak to and with a diverse set of people, including elected officials and policymakers, students and educators, as well as business, entertainment, and nonprofit leaders. We use our platform to educate our audiences about the diverse histories, cultures, and achievements of AAs & PIs and move them towards solutions, attitudes, and actions that help our communities thrive. To date, our coalition has participated in hundreds of speaking engagements across the country — providing testimony before members of Congress and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and presenting to world leaders at the United Nations and the World Bank.