In light of the recent pandemic, we look forward to sharing positive stories about how our clients and community members are responding. We know this is a challenging time for many, and we are here to support you. We hope that by sharing these very brief stories, others will feel they are not alone. We encourage everyone to lift up one another and share their stories.
Photo by Auriza Ugalino for International Examiner
International Examiner is the oldest and largest nonprofit, pan-Asian Pacific American publication in the Northwest, and is committed to sharing APIA stories. This May, they’re releasing a special edition issue on COVID-19 and community resilience depicting how the APIA community has been fighting for our elders, our health, and our dignity during this difficult time.
“Our mission is to tell the stories of Asian Pacific Islander Americans. Especially in the age of COVID-19, this has become increasingly important, with a return of yellow peril. We’ll be having a special edition COVID-19 community resilience issue coming out in early May, depicting how the APIA community has been fighting for our elders, our health, and our dignity during this difficult time. The more our community does to act in a time of crisis, the more stories we will tell, thus the more empowered our community becomes by hearing those stories. Also, our financial model for ensuring our survival as an organization is strong enough, such that we don’t have to rely exclusively on one source of revenue. We have community partners who believe in us, who have been reaching out to support us. We have donors and subscribers who are new or long-time fans of the paper. We have a strong team of multi-talented individuals who are devoted to this organization. This reinforces even more so the idea that our paper has always been “small and scrappy” (as our Editor in Chief says). With so many people invested in the mission of our paper, we can get through anything.
I’ve only been working at the paper for a year and a half, so I’m now witnessing that the strength of our organization surpasses what I initially believed. We’re also learning not to take the expected for granted. None of this will ever be “done” – the norm never helped to serve those who are marginalized and in need in this community. We need to create a new norm that will help serve us all.
To other nonprofits in the community, I hope we can get through this together, and continue to support each other. I’m grateful towards organizations who have long supported us, and continue to do so during this time. Asian Pacific Islander Americans for Civic Engagement, or APACE, will be sponsoring our community response COVID-19 issue.
Our readers and our community are so special to us. We hope to continue returning in kind.”
– Auriza Ugalino, Photographer & Community Relations Manager at the International Examiner
Learn more about the International Examiner and how you can support the APIA community on their website: https://iexaminer.org/ Follow Auriza Ugalino on Instagram @aurizalynn.photo for more of their work.
We would love to hear how your organization has been adapting to provide services to your clients and how we can support you during this time. Please reach out to us online here.