We empower and champion the next generation of AAPI leaders to fight for their career dreams and win.
Asian American Dream (AAD) was founded in May 2021 to address the lack of mentorship, professional development, and career advancement programming for Asian American and Pacific Islander undergraduates. Additionally, due to the harmful model minority myth, there is a widespread misconception that all AAPI are inherently well-connected and well-resourced. However, the harsh truth is that AAPI have the largest wealth gap of any racial group with the top 10% of the income distribution earning 11x more than the bottom 10%. These two problems, exacerbate each other, making it extremely difficult for underserved AAPI undergraduates to locate and receive curated support when navigating their early career experiences.
Our strategy at AAD is to provide game-changing mentorship networks, professional development training, and career advancement opportunities for underserved (low-income, first-generation) AAPI undergraduates in New York City. Furthermore, we empower our students to unapologetically chase and achieve their unique vision of the Asian American dream – one that champions their lived experiences, career aspirations, and AAPI heritage. We recognize and celebrate the deeply heterogenous nature of the 76,000+ AAPI undergraduate community in NYC. Through employing strategic outreach efforts to low-income, first-generation AAPI undergraduates and the most marginalized and overlooked AAPI ethnic groups (e.g., Bhutan, Pacific Islands, and Uzbekistan), we strive to dismantle the model minority myth to make space for something much stronger and more enduring: AAPI kinship.
As a socio-economically driven nonprofit, we bridge the cultural divisions between higher-education institutions, leading corporations, and underserved AAPI undergraduates through our free curriculum by AAPI for AAPI. Our signature, Kin Mentorship Program unites underserved AAPI undergraduates with early-career, AAPI professionals from our partner companies. Our aim is to increase how empowered Kin Mentees feel as an AAPI to achieve their career aspirations, enhance their career readiness competencies (e.g., Career & Self Development, Leadership, and Equity & Inclusion), successfully complete their undergraduate education, and secure employment opportunities. More importantly Kin Mentees and Kin Mentors alike, forge bonds and cultural kinship through shared AAPI identity – all in the spirit of realizing, chasing, and achieving the Asian American dream.
Our strategy at AAD is to provide game-changing mentorship networks, professional development training, and career advancement opportunities for underserved (low-income, first-generation) AAPI undergraduates in New York City. Furthermore, we empower our students to unapologetically chase and achieve their unique vision of the Asian American dream – one that champions their lived experiences, career aspirations, and AAPI heritage. We recognize and celebrate the deeply heterogenous nature of the 76,000+ AAPI undergraduate community in NYC. Through employing strategic outreach efforts to low-income, first-generation AAPI undergraduates and the most marginalized and overlooked AAPI ethnic groups (e.g., Bhutan, Pacific Islands, and Uzbekistan), we strive to dismantle the model minority myth to make space for something much stronger and more enduring: AAPI kinship.
As a socio-economically driven nonprofit, we bridge the cultural divisions between higher-education institutions, leading corporations, and underserved AAPI undergraduates through our free curriculum by AAPI for AAPI. Our signature, Kin Mentorship Program unites underserved AAPI undergraduates with early-career, AAPI professionals from our partner companies. Our aim is to increase how empowered Kin Mentees feel as an AAPI to achieve their career aspirations, enhance their career readiness competencies (e.g., Career & Self Development, Leadership, and Equity & Inclusion), successfully complete their undergraduate education, and secure employment opportunities. More importantly Kin Mentees and Kin Mentors alike, forge bonds and cultural kinship through shared AAPI identity – all in the spirit of realizing, chasing, and achieving the Asian American dream.
MissionThe mission of AAD is to provide mentorship networks, professional development training, and career advancement opportunities for underserved Asian American and Pacific Islander undergraduates, with the goal of helping them achieve their unique vision of the Asian American dream.
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VisionAt AAD, we envision a world where all underserved Asian American and Pacific Islander undergraduates are aware of and have access to mentorship networks, professional development training, and career advancement opportunities to achieve their unique vision of the Asian American dream.
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