September 4, 2025
Newsletter

A mass shooting on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at Annunciation Catholic Church left two children, ages 8 and 10, dead and 21 people injured. Of the 21 injured, 18 are children between the ages of 6 and 15. The shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the back of the church. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz plans to call a special legislative session to consider tougher gun laws, including proposing a ''very comprehensive'' package that could include an assault-weapons ban.
(Photos by Richard Tsong-Taatarii / The Minnesota Star Tribune)

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

• Mark your calendars – AAJA's Advisory Board and Membership Meeting is on Sunday, September 7. RSVP here
• 📰 Hundreds gather in solidarity for south Minneapolis march after mass shooting
• VOICES stories are now available! Read them here
• 📓 How a required ethnic studies course drove a Filipino American to reconnect with her roots and community

From AAJA-HQ: Join us for AAJA's advisory board and membership meeting, read this year's VOICES stories

Advisory Board & Membership Meeting Join us for AAJA’s combined Advisory Board and Membership Meeting on Sunday, September 7 from 7-9 p.m. ET. This is an opportunity to hear updates, share feedback, and connect with AAJA leadership and members. RSVP for the meeting.

VOICES Want to read impactful stories from our 2025 VOICES fellows? This year’s cohort reported on critical issues ranging from arts and culture to criminal justice and immigration, producing work that amplifies underrepresented voices. Here are a few highlights:

• “Springfield rallies around Haitian community as threat of deportation looms” by Aditya Thiyag
• “From temple towns to Brooklyn studios: How kalamkari travels between worlds” by Amrutha Kosuru
• “Indian immigrants in Florida are growing old in ways their parents never did” by Riya Sharma, featured in the Tampa Bay Times
• “Formerly incarcerated Asian Angelenos face new fears with ICE” by Malcolm Caminero

Check out these stories on the VOICES website, and keep an eye out as we continue spotlighting more of the cohort’s work in upcoming newsletters!

Resources AAJA provides resources to journalists affected by recent layoffs. Some of our resources include consideration for waived membership fees and our career center that allows journalists to find job postings and connect with recruiters. Read the full statement here.

At #AAJA25, Northwestern Mutual advisor Hsin-Cheng Kuo led a session on Building Financial Security in an Unstable Industry, addressing caregiving, cultural expectations, and financial planning. Her message: financial wellbeing can align with your values and responsibilities through honest conversations, early planning, and small, intentional steps.

Key takeaways included planning for caregiving, discussing finances in relaxed settings, creating boundaries while honoring values, starting to invest at any level, and using money conversations to strengthen relationships.

Thank you to Hsin-Cheng Kuo and Northwestern Mutual for supporting our community with practical, values-driven financial insights. To learn more, connect with Hsin-Cheng Kuo here.

Sponsored Content

🗓 AAJA Events

Visit our events calendar on AAJA's website for more chapter events.

September 18 | AAJA-D.C.’s Happy Hour | Join AAJA-D.C. for an inaugural AANHPIs in Comms Happy Hour at Mandu from 5-8 p.m. ET.

👏 AAJA Kudos

• Frank Bi joins the fourth cohort of the News Product Management Certification.
• Stephen Jiwanmall started a new job as a lecturer of public relations at the University of Georgia.
• Delilah Brumer, JCal ‘23, and Teresa Watanabe are honorees for the 49th annual Distinguished Journalist Awards. 
• Katie Reuther, Srishti Prabha, and Zena Issa, Journalism Excellence Award recipient ‘25, were selected for the 2025 New Voices Public Radio program.
• Ira Gorawara, Jimmie and Suey Fong Yee recipient ‘25, started as a fall intern covering college football and men’s basketball for The Athletic.
• Tiffany Liou and Zack Tawatari received Sports Emmys from the Lone Star Chapter.
• Lance Wilhelm received the 2025 William C. Fyffe Memorial Award from the Northwestern University Medill School.
• Katrina Pham is a finalist in two categories for the 2025 Online Journalism Awards from the Online News Association.

On Our List 🌟📺📸📰🎧

• "Hundreds gather for south Minneapolis march in show of unity, hope after Annunciation attack" by Katie Galioto, with photography by Richard Tsong-Taatarii, The Minnesota Star Tribune
• “Children prayed for ‘a future filled with hope.’ Then the gunfire began.” by Hannah Knowles, Sheila Regan, Anumita Kaur, and Reis Thebault, with photography by Richard Tsong-Taatarii, The Washington Post
• "She Ran Barefoot Toward the Minneapolis School Shooting. Her Image Is Seared in Parents' Hearts" by Rosie Colosi, ft. Richard Tsong-Taatarii, TODAY
• “‘It’s just home’: Marianas Festival will share Pacific Island culture and heritage with thousands this weekend” by Amy Wang, Oregon ArtsWatch
• “A Detroit street is named in honor of Vincent Chin – his death mobilized Asian American activists nationwide” by Jennifer Ho, AAJA Studio Expert, The Conversation
• 🎧 “Memoir charts the history of land ownership in Hawaiʻi through family lineage” by DW Gibson, ft. Sara Kehaulani Goo, Hawai’i Public Radio
• “Lucy Liu’s Rosemead to get theatrical run in December” by Randall Yip, ELP ’95,  AsAmNews
• "China displays its military strength in a parade on the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII" by Ken Moritsugu and Huizhong Wu, Associated Press
• "Report: Clippers skirted NBA salary cap with Kawhi Leonard payment" by Baxter Holmes, ft. Pablo Torre, ESPN

AAJA Opportunities:

• Futures Fund | Donate to AAJA’s Futures Fund, an endowment campaign that will ensure that AAJA can pursue its mission as long as necessary.

External and Partner Opportunities:

Job Opportunities:

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