Dear Friend,

Fourteen years ago, during the 2011-12 NBA season, we witnessed an unprecedented event on the basketball court—the rise of “Linsanity.” Jeremy Lin rallied fans and inspired countless young people in AANHPI communities and beyond. While this was a great moment for Asian Americans in sports and popular culture, it was also notable for its rarity.

In the years since then, AANHPI representation in the sports and entertainment fields has come a long way. In this issue, you’ll read about the exciting opportunity we recently had to bring together and celebrate the growing number of Asian American athletes, coaches, owners and fans in the NBA. We’ve also continued to invest in the game changers of tomorrow through the third year of our Sundance Institute | The Asian American Foundation Fellowship and Scholarship, which supports AANHPI filmmakers at critical junctures in their careers.

By championing AANHPI excellence in sports and entertainment, we bring our mission to life—advancing safety, belonging and prosperity. Major sporting events revitalize ethnic enclaves, energizing fans across generations and backgrounds. Sports create shared cultural experiences, while film and television amplify our stories, strengthening inclusivity and pride. AANHPI game changers uplift our communities, and supporting them is a slam dunk.

In solidarity,

Norman Chen

CEO, The Asian American Foundation

PARTNERSHIPS

Celebrating trailblazers at the inaugural AAPI All-Star Reception

Photos from TAAF’s Inaugural AAPI All-Star Celebration during NBA All-Star 2025 (Left to Right): Juju Chang, Natalie Nakase and Clara Wu Tsai; Crowd during Jeremy Lin conversation with Pablo Torre; Yao Ming and Joe Tsai

On February 14, TAAF co-hosted the inaugural AAPI All-Star Reception, the first of its kind to celebrate AAPI trailblazers in basketball and other professional sports at The Asian Art Museum. It felt appropriate to host our first AAPI All-Star reception in San Francisco during NBA All-Star 2025, a city where our community has deep roots, and makes up 34% of the population.  

This was a monumental moment for the AAPI community, and one that has been a long time coming. In the words of Joe Tsai, TAAF Founding Board Member and Governor of the Brooklyn Nets & New York Liberty: “On the host committee, someone said: ‘this is the future of the NBA.’ And I said: ‘What do you mean the future? This is the present. It's currently happening. We've got people that own NBA teams. We've had coaches. We have people that work in the front office. We also have players. And if you think about it, this has never happened before.’"

As a community, we’ve broken barriers in sports like never before. Building on the momentum of early icons like Jeremy Lin and Michelle Kwan, AAPIs are not just winning in arenas, but in leadership and business roles as well. AAPI women have made particular strides in representation, breaking through dual glass ceilings of gender and race.

These accomplishments were celebrated and discussed in conversations with several of these “firsts”: Natalie Nakase, head coach of the Golden State Valkyries and the first ever AAPI head coach in the Women's National Basketball Association; Clara Wu Tsai, the first Asian American owner to win a WNBA national championship with New York Liberty; and Jeremy Lin, the first Asian American player to win an NBA championship. As trailblazers, they may not have had role models who looked like them in their fields, but they shared personal AAPI inspirations, as well as advice for persevering through the noise of naysayers.

In a room full of owners, fans, community leaders, and former players Yao Ming and Pao Gasol, the event was emceed by ABC News’ Nightline Co-Anchor Juju Chang and “Pablo Torre Finds Out” host Pablo Torre, and featured remarks from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie. Business and entertainment leaders including Joe Tsai, Jerry Yang, Vivek ​​Ranadivé (Owner and Chairman, Sacramento Kings), and Mark Tatum (Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer, NBA) also shared their reflections on the power of basketball. The AAPI All-Star Reception was a testament to the strength of the AAPI community in sports and leadership, and the possibilities that arise when we lift each other up.

Narrative change

Introducing the newest Sundance | TAAF Fellows & Scholars

TAAF and the Sundance Institute have partnered for a third year of the “Sundance Institute | The Asian American Foundation Fellowship and Scholarship”

This initiative supports Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) artists working in film and television. Artists at all stages in their careers need access to funding, professional development, and community building with like-minded creatives and mentors. Because whether they’re emerging artists or seasoned professionals, they’re all changemakers with stories to tell.

The Fellowship program provides six AANHPI artists with creative guidance, practical support, and a $20,000 unrestricted grant. The Scholarship includes a year-long artist development experience that offers mentorship from a Sundance artist alumnus, personalized career and project support, and opportunities to engage with Sundance staff and the broader creative community virtually and in person at the Sundance Film Festival.

Supporting the next wave of AANHPI artists is central to our mission of narrative change. We are grateful for the support of founding partners Panda Express and The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation whose vision made this program possible.

We can’t wait to see what these filmmakers accomplish, and where their stories take us.

Meet the Artists

Partner Spotlight

TAAF is honored to build towards safety, belonging and prosperity with our community partners and AAPI Giving Challenge partners.

Meet our partners by clicking the image below to learn more about their work.

Convenings

TAAF in Community

TAAF was excited to premiere Houston Rising, the latest film in our TAAF Heritage Heroes series, alongside the Bahá'í community in Houston on February 4. Director Nik Dodani’s short film features TAAF’s Anti-Hate Houston Network, made up of Anti-Hate City Partners Boat People SOS, Daya Houston, and Tahirih Justice. Stay tuned for its Prime Video launch!

On February 20th, TAAF, in partnership with KKR, brought industry leaders together for our third annual AAPI Employee Resource Group (ERG) Reception. The evening focused on advancing AAPIs in corporate America, and brought together a dynamic group of professionals—ERG leaders, corporate executives, and diversity advocates—who are committed to ensuring AAPIs are represented at all levels.

TAAF was honored to support the California AAPI Legislative Caucus’ Second Annual AAPI Leadership Summit on Feb 21 at Warner Bros. in Burbank, CA

TAAF was excited to continue our support of the annual South Asians at the Oscars party—an unforgettable event honoring South Asian creatives, trailblazers, and nominees rewriting the script in Hollywood. TAAF Board Member Shamina Singh co-hosted the event with Mindy Kaling, Bela Bajaria, Liza Koshy, Aasif Mandvi, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Nik Dodani, Pawo Choyning Dorji, Anita Chatterjee, and Shruti Ganguly.

ICYMI

AANHPIs in the news

When officials denied that he was a citizen, Wong Kim Ark took his case to the Supreme Court and won. Today, that decision is the focus of debate over who can be an American. READ MORE

Mindy Kaling becomes first South Asian woman to receive star on Hollywood Walk of Fame. READ MORE

In 'Love Hurts,' Ke Huy Quan finally gets his lead role. READ MORE

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