| | | | | Dear Friends, May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, a time to honor our history and reflect on the challenges and opportunities facing our community today. With rising de-globalization, ongoing U.S.-China tensions, and continued questions around identity and belonging, it is an especially important moment to invest in our youth. They are navigating a world that is more complex, more interconnected, and more demanding of cultural fluency than ever before. That’s why the 1990 Institute is proud to build on the tremendous success of last year’s inaugural Roots & Wings Youth Symposium. On September 19, we return with an even bigger and more dynamic event – more speakers, more breakout sessions, and more opportunities for young people to connect, learn, and lead. Inspiring breakout sessions include “Career Pathfinders” conversations and a new “Life Skills” workshop. Register for this free event through the link on our website. Our goal is simple: empower Asian American youth with the confidence they need to shape a more informed and empathetic future. Thank you for supporting the next generation of leaders who will carry our stories forward. Victor Young
1990 Institute Board Chair
SUPPORT THE 1990 INSTITUTE DURING AANHPI HERITAGE MONTH This month, we’re proud to participate in the “Give In May” campaign. If you are able to make a charitable donation of any amount to help support our work – including free programs like the Youth Symposium – we would be deeply grateful. Don’t forget to explore past newsletter issues and subscribe for all the latest news. |
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| Help young people find their voices and achieve their potential through our annual Roots & Wings Symposium and other youth-oriented programming. Every donation, no matter the size, helps strengthen our work for AANHPI communities. You can make your tax-deductible donation here. Thank you for your support. |
| | | THE ROOTS & WINGS YOUTH SYMPOSIUM IS BACK — SEPTEMBER 19, 2026, at the College of San Mateo! This is a premier one-day, in-person event dedicated to the holistic growth of Asian American youth (ages 14–21). We believe it takes a village and welcome students, parents/guardians, and educators to join us in the San Francisco Bay Area for this highly immersive event. We’ve designed tailored tracks for each group to help foster open dialogue and shared learning experiences. Our mission is to help our youth lead with authentic confidence. Building on last year’s theme of inspiration, our 2026 program – “Empowerment through Community Collaboration” – supports the "whole child." Back by popular demand, the 2026 event will include: - Opening Trailblazer Panel: Insights from inspirational leaders. Open to all attendees.
- Career Pathway Conversations: For youth.
- Dedicated Learning Tracks: For parents/guardians and educators.
- Fun: Food, entertainment, giveaways, and more!
New for 2026: - Interactive Life Skills Workshop: Practical tools for youth.
- Joint "Psychology of Money" Track: Learn about the impact of money. For parents/guardians and youth.
- Community "Dinner Table" Conversation: Closing session brings everyone together to connect, reflect, and share through intergenerational conversations.
- Educator and Parent/Guardian Collaboration: New joint conversation sessions!
- Complex Technology: Addressing the impact on our future.
Register Now! This event is free and open to the public. Our first giveaway: the first 60 youth registrants who sign up by July 31 will be eligible to receive two tickets to the San Francisco Giants game on September 21, 2026, at Oracle Park! (Tickets will be distributed at the end of the symposium. You must be present to claim.)
PRESENTING THE FIRST ASIAN AMERICAN MULTIMEDIA TEXTBOOK — The 1990 Institute is a proud community partner of this resource for high school and college students and the general public. - Developed by the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, “Foundations and Futures” is a bold new multimedia textbook that places AAPI experiences at the heart of the American story. It is comprehensive and freely accessible online.
- Our Advisory Council member Russell Jeung, professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, wrote the chapter titled "Asian Exclusion: Aliens Ineligible to Citizenship."
- Russell Jeung was an advisor for our video “Exclusion: The Shared Asian American Experience,” which he uses in his teaching.
- We attended the launch of the textbook at UCLA on May 9, a celebratory event to explore history, culture, and our shared connections.
FRED KOREMATSU EDUCATIONAL EVENTS — Fred Korematsu’s courageous stand against the unjust incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II became a landmark moment in the fight for constitutional rights. |
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|  | Join us on September 19 for a full-day, in-person event at the College of San Mateo. This event will feature multiple panel discussions and breakout sessions for youth aged 14-21, their parents/guardians, and educators – along with food, prizes, and entertainment. Register today! |
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| ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, & PACIFIC ISLANDER (AANHPI) NEWS UCLA online textbook gives voice to Asian American, Pacific Islander history and cultures | AP News - “Foundations and Futures: Asian American and Pacific Islander Multimedia Textbook” is the culmination of years of work by 100 contributors, from curriculum developers to illustrators. The 1990 Institute is a community partner.
Move over, K-pop? The hottest new Asian group could be from Indonesia | CNN - The Indonesia group No Na turned into an overnight sensation earlier this year after the music video for their song “Work” went viral, racking up more than 9.5 million listens on Spotify (and a similar number on YouTube) in just two months.
Former Hawaii Gov. George Ariyoshi, first U.S. governor of Asian American descent, dies at 100 | NBC News - George Ariyoshi, born to parents who immigrated to Hawaii from Japan, was a three-term governor who first rose to the position in October 1973. He said his decision to run for governor was influenced by a desire to break barriers.
Anthropology Professor Laura Ng receives $10,000 grant for Wyoming Chinatowns research project | The Scarlet & Black - A Grinnell College professor received a grant for a research project on historical Chinatowns in Wyoming – where immigrants who were employed by railroads during the mid-19th century once lived.
- In 1885, Rock Springs, Wyoming, was the site of one of the deadliest acts of anti-Chinese violence in U.S. history. Watch our short-form video on the Rock Springs massacre on YouTube.
Ahead of midterms, questions of affordability, freedom of speech, voter suppression plague AAPIs | Northwest Asian Weekly - AAPI Data found the main issues for many AANHPI communities are affordability and war/foreign policy, and climate change and fears over immigration and constitutional rights are additional concerns.
- Thu Nguyen, national director of OCA, highlighted that the First Amendment is under attack, as are voting rights after the Supreme Court severely weakened the 60-year-old Voting Rights Act last month.
U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS & CHINA NEWS The U.S. Is Running Dangerously Low on China Expertise | The Diplomat - Insights from Rosie Levine. executive director of the U.S.-China Education Trust (USCET). USCET’s executive chair is Julia Chang Bloch, a member of our Advisory Council.
- With challenges emanating from both sides, the number of Americans studying in China is in freefall (2,000 this year vs. 11,000 in 2019).
- USCET’s report on America’s China Talent Challenge includes actionable recommendations for reversing the decline.
- USCET launched a Resource Hub for U.S. Academic Travel to China with practical guidance.
As Trump attacks friends and foes, Americans are changing their minds about China | CNN - According to a survey released in April by the Pew Research Center, 27% of Americans now (vs. 13% in 2023) have a favorable view of China – reflecting a broad shift in sentiment, especially among Democrats and young people.
- It mirrors a greater curiosity toward Chinese culture and entertainment on Western social media, evident in recent trends such as “Chinamaxxing.”
Five things to watch as Trump goes to Beijing | Brookings Institution The U.S. once had a monopoly on rare earths. How it lost to China | NPR |
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| | USC U.S.-CHINA INSTITUTE — Seminar on China’s rise and global impact - K-12 educators are encouraged to learn more about China and its global reach in this five-week online course. It is aimed at equipping teachers to effectively incorporate China into their curriculum.
- Taught by Professor Clayton Dube, director emeritus of the USC U.S.-China Institute, a member of our Advisory Council, and frequent moderator of our Teachers Workshops.
- This seminar offers video presentations (1 hour/week), with the last session on June 4. Sign up today.
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| | Dim Sum - A Little Bit of Heart |
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| | | | 1990 Institute
P.O. Box 383 | San Francisco, California 94104
[email protected] www.1990institute.org Copyright 2026 The 1990 Institute. All rights reserved. |
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