June 9, 2022
Newsletter

Helen Zia at a Vincent Chin rally in Detroit in 1983, holding a sign that says "Oppose all racial attacks" - a message that remains just as relevant now as it was in the '80s. (Photo by Victor Yang/China Times. Courtesy of Vincent and Lily Chin Estate.)  

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

• Relaunching AAJA Studio
• A note from Helen Zia on Vincent Chin 40th anniversary commemorations
• Broadcast Snapshot in the news
• External Survey: Communicative Response to Anti-Asian Racism
• Kudos and On Our List

From AAJA-HQ: Defining Our AAPI Experts

AAJA Studio After its pilot in 2020, AAJA is proud to relaunch AAJA Studio, our AAPI speakers bureau that brings the perspectives and expertise of AAPIs to the forefront of newsrooms, storytelling and representation. We urge newsrooms to continue the important work of increasing diversity and inclusion year-round and for the long term. 

AAJA Defined In our latest edition of AAJA Defined, we talked to multi-talented writer, filmmaker and activist Curtis Chin on his documentary "Dear Corky," about the late Corky Lee. Check out our conversation on Corky's legacy and Curtis' process in telling his friend's story.

Internships and Fellowships Recipients 2022 We're proud to announce the following internship recipients for summer 2022: Daniel Lam is our NBC News Summer Fellow, Myra Wu is our ABC News/Alexa Valiente Memorial Internship Recipient and Justin Estuart is our ESPN/STF Intern. 

Dinah Eng Leadership Fellowship We relaunched our Dinah Eng Leadership Fellowship for mid-career journalists seeking leadership development opportunities. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

A Message from Helen Zia: 40th Anniversary of the Murder of Vincent Chin

June marks the 40th anniversary of the murder of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American man who was beaten to death in Detroit at a time of intense anti-Asian hate and recession. Initial media coverage of the murder ignored his race because most reporters knew almost nothing about Asian Americans or the racism AAPIs experience. Today, history is tragically repeating itself. 

To commemorate the legacy of Vincent Chin, the Asian American-led civil rights movement that emerged and its relevance to today, the Vincent Chin 40th Remembrance and Rededication has organized a series of events and conversations, taking place June 16-19 in Detroit and live streamed, and culminating in a national broadcast of “Who Killed Vincent Chin?” on Monday, June 20 on PBS.

This commemoration offers opportunities to identify ways in which people can collectively combat racism and bigotry. Vincent’s murder sparked the birth of the modern Asian American civil rights movement in a broad coalition across racial, ethnic and religious communities. If you or your colleagues are interested in covering this landmark anniversary and scheduling interview opportunities with key individuals, contact DKCVincentChin@dkcnews.com. Visit vincentchin.org for more info and to register.

Helen Zia is an author, activist and former journalist.

🗓 Upcoming AAJA Events

June 27 | The East-West Center | "Connecting in a Zero-Trust World" | The seventh International Media Conference will discuss how societies can collaborate to meet global challenges like climate change and a zero-trust world's effect on diplomacy and international relations. Maria Ressa is the opening keynote speaker. Register here.

June 30 | AAJA-SF/Bay Area & KQED Live | Hella Asian: "The Comeback" | AAJA-SF/Bay Area and KQED Live present an evening of live storytelling and performances, reflecting the experiences and creative voices of local AAPI journalists and communities. Writers, podcasters and other storytellers will celebrate the resilience of the AAPI community after two years of increased anti-Asian racism. These stories will center the unique intersections of AAPI identities that give shape to a Bay Area culture that is Hella Asian. Register here.

📓 News & Resources

news about AAJA MuckRack re-emphasized the importance of AAPI diversity and inclusion in broadcast journalism by citing AAJA Director of Programs and Partnerships Waliya Lari and referring to statistics from AAJA’s initial release of our Broadcast Snapshot.

op-ed Newsroom strategist and Teen Vogue contributor Alex Perry advocates the usage of Twitter and supports young journalists of color’s arguments that it is a tool and resource for networking and industry information.

style Angela Fu shares the AP Stylebook's latest updates, including 35 new disabilities-related entries and expanded guidance on they/them/their pronouns, for Poynter.

member feature OpenNews Co-Executive Director Sisi Wei shares her journey on exploring the gaps that exist in supporting journalists of color.

👏 #AAJAKudos to...
Celebrate your achievements with us—tag @aaja on Twitter or let us know on Slack.

• Jennifer Kho, who is the first woman and POC to be the executive director of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Seung Min Kim, who is joining the White House team at The Associated Press.
• Alexis Timko, who is The L.A. Times' Ida B. Wells Society investigative intern.
• Serena Puang, who began covering arts and living at The Boston Globe.
• Kathleen Magramo, who is a breaking news writer at CNN International in Hong Kong.
• Ilena Peng and Anneliese Linder, who are AAJA-NY's 2022 Jeannie Park Convention student grantees.
• Susan Wong, who is joining NASCAR as a social media intern. 
• Yiwen Lu, who received the Headline Club Foundation’s 2022 Les Brownlee Memorial Scholarship.
• Don Yee, who started the inaugural Donald H. Yee fellowship program with the Los Angeles Chargers for AAPIs aspiring to work for the NFL.
• Stephen Jiwanmall, who is the new Director of Communications and Marketing at the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Pennsylvania.

Jiafei Yin, a journalism professor at Central Michigan University, seeks your help for a research project, “Communicative Response to Anti-Asian Racism,” by participating in a 10-minute online anonymous survey. This paper will be in a special issue of the Asian Journal of Communication. The survey is approved by CMU’s Institutional Review Board and prefaced with CMU’s consent form. Fill out the survey here.

On Our List: Member Bylines 🌟 📺 📸 📰 🎧

Follow us on Twitter @aaja for more works on our radar from the AAJA community.

• “Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas speaks out about backlash, future plans to compete” by Juju Chang, ABC News
• "EASTMEETSWEST: Journeys Along the Silk Road" trailer and Episode 1, ft. Michael Yamashita, produced by Farland Chang, now streaming on Prime Video
• "Amid the rise in anti-Asian hate, these pairs feel safer walking together” by Tsering Bista and Mito Habe-Evans, NPR
• “Suicides among college athletes have grieving parents and students calling for NCAA action” by Natasha Chen and Dakin Andone, CNN
• “The Atlantic Daily: When You Get COVID Again and Again” by Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic
• “Taiwan’s political divide fueled a gunman’s rage. It also splits my family” by Cindy Chang, The L.A. Times
• “AAPI scribes on Grey's Anatomy and Pachinko reveal what it's really like in the writers' room” by Clarissa Cruz, Entertainment Weekly
• One leaf at a time: Volunteers weave ‘Lei of Aloha’ for victims of Texas school shooting” by Hawaii News Now staff, Hawaii News Now
• “‘Fire Island’ Review: Joel Kim Booster centers the gay Asian experience” by Wei Tsay, VeryAsian
• “I’m an Asian American mom and an executive. This is what I’ve learned about successful leadership” by Lorrissa Horton, Fast Company

AAJA Opportunities

• Dinah Eng Fellowship Grant | Apply here | Deadline: Rolling
• N3Con Fellowship Grant | Learn about N3Con | Apply here | Deadline: June 15
• Mental Health Funding | Request funding here
• Photo Submissions for AAJA's 40th Anniversary | Submit here

External and Partner Opportunities

• Poynter's Power of Diverse Voices: Writing Workshop for Journalists of Color, directed by Tom Huang, is accepting applications. Apply by August 22. 
• On June 25, 50 AAPI nonprofit Asian American and multicultural organizations will have a Unity March across cultures, local and national community groups, business and political leaders. If you're interested in covering this, contact Paul Cheung (paulc@aaja.org).

Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser

You are receiving this email because you are an AAJA member or supporter. We recently moved to a different email server. If you previously unsubscribed, you can update your subscription preferences below.