Meet 10 Incredible AAPI Activists

We celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in the month of May. This commemorative month is a great opportunity for us to celebrate so many different cultures while also amplifying the voices of individuals in the AAPI community! As we celebrate this month, we want to take a moment to highlight and amplify the young activists who work all year long to raise awareness about issues impacting themselves and their communities. From speaking about sustainability to using music and art to reflect on personal experiences, these young people leading change are using their voices and talents to support the AAPI community.

Check out the work of these incredible young people and find out how you can amplify their work and the issues that they’re passionate about. Let’s celebrate AAPI Heritage Month and support the AAPI community together!

1. Aditi Mayer (she/her/they)

You may recognize climate justice activist (and past DoSomething member!), Aditi Mayer, from DoSomething’s See Us, Hear Us: Climate Justice campaign! DoSomething and Aditi teamed up to encourage young people to share how climate injustice impacts their communities and their visions for a greener future. Aditi is a storyteller who explores style, sustainability, and social justice. From degendering fashion to carbon-neutral shipping options, she encourages us to look at fashion from a new lens. The defining moment for her was the collapse of a garment factory in Bangladesh which led her to dive deeper into true sustainability and her South Asian identity. We couldn’t be more proud of Aditi!

2. Amanda Nguyen (she/her)

Nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize? Check. CEO? Check. Astronaut? Check. No one can stop Amanda Nguyen, the changemaker whose viral video in 2021 ignited worldwide coverage of anti-Asian hate crimes. This video was a pivotal moment for the Stop Asian Hate movement. Not only that, but she is the founder and CEO of Rise, a nonprofit organization that fights for the rights of sexual violence survivors worldwide. She also teaches grassroots organizing in her role and is able to reach millions of people worldwide. Her work is inspirational, important, and incredible!

3. Kristy Drutman (she/her/they)

Kristy Drutman is a youth climate activist focused on the intersection of diversity, media, and environmentalism. She created a podcast and media series called Green Brown Girl, where she interviews environmental leaders and diversity and inclusion advocates to discuss creative solutions to the climate crisis. Kristy also talks about how her identity as a Filipina relates to her work in activism. Something Kristy said that really caught our attention was, “Exploring your roots can be a truly healing and grounding experience as you are tossed into the fight for a livable planet. The AAPI community is not a monolith, and environmental activism is no exception.”

4. Hana Razvi (she/her)

After learning about how real the climate crisis is in high school, Hana Razvi decided to educate herself on environmental sustainability and take action to live more sustainably. As a young person herself, she believes it’s important for young people to take part in climate action because they’re the future and will be most directly affected by the crisis. In the past, she has discussed how her identity ties into her advocacy work and this is what she said, “My identity plays a huge role in my climate and advocacy work because I take personal experiences from my life and implement them into my activism. I allow myself to interact with friends and family members that have had similar experiences with environmental racism.” Environmental racism is real, y’all. If you want to learn more about it, check out our “See Us, Hear Us”: Climate Justice campaign and share your story!

5. Arin Siriamonthep (he/him)

As a child of immigrants, Arin Siriamonthep was taught that staying silent about issues meant staying safe. Now, Arin is the president of a social activist platform called Asians Speak Up. He’s a Thai-American artist, photographer, and magazine founder, and he now wants Asians Speak Up to do more than just collect stories and quotes. Arin’s goal is to be inclusive, creative, and transparent while spreading love. He wants Asians Speak Up to plan collaborative events such as rallies and peaceful protests and offer art-auction competitions to fund Asian Americans in the arts. Arin is going beyond words, he’s looking to take more action. We love this!

6. Nina Davuluri (she/her)

Nina Davuluri is doing it all. She’s a filmmaker, actor, activist, motivational speaker, and entrepreneur. She was the first Indian American and South Asian woman to be crowned Miss America in 2014 and she’s passionate about redefining beauty standards. Nina is currently producing a documentary called #COMPLEXion which discusses colorism globally. She serves on L’Oreal’s Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board and has been recognized by former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama for collaborating and launching campaigns such as “Let Girls Learn” and “Act to Change”- an anti-bullying White House Initiative for the AAPI community. She’s also an advocate for women in STEM, equality, and education. Is there anything Nina can’t do?!

7. Kevin Aipopo (all pronouns)

Kevin Aipopo is a community advocate, storyteller, student leader, and Pacific Climate Warrior. Their work is critical to the climate justice and climate liberation movement as they center their work around the intersection of ethnic identity and gender fluidity, ultimately, creating spaces for others. Kevin uses their platforms to challenge the status quo and uplift voices in their communities. Their use of poetry, education, and community organizing is especially influential and impactful.

8. Ruby Ibarra (she/her)

Songwriter, rapper, and artist, Ruby Ibarra, is a Filipina-American and an immigrant. She reflects on her personal experiences through her music and even sings many of her songs in Tagalog and Waray! She grew up in San Francisco surrounded by many cultures and found that what united everyone in her neighborhood was hip hop. She has been featured in Buzzfeed, NPR, and Huffington Post and has reached more than 1.4 million streams on Spotify in 2020. We love to see it, Ruby!

9. Anne Castro (she/her)

As a Filipina-American, artist Anne Castro has had experiences with stereotyping and microaggressions. After posting a drawing on Instagram that illustrates some of the things that she’s seen and heard, her art captured the attention of hundreds of thousands of people. She then turned her art into a series called “What Are You?” to raise awareness around racism and as a response to the rising hate crimes against the AAPI community. Check out her incredible art on her Instagram!

10. Selina N. Leem (she/her)

Selina N. Leem calls herself “the small island girl with big dreams” and she’s on a mission to save her country, The Marshall Islands. Melting ice in the North and South Poles has contributed to rising sea levels posing a threat to the Marshall Islands as well as other countries. Selina credits her grandfather with teaching her about how the climate crisis is impacting her country. She understands that this will affect millions of lives and that’s why she has been fighting to raise awareness of the issue. Her work is extremely important and shows us why we should speak up about the issues that matter to us!

The work that these young people are doing is so important and inspiring. But, there are so many more extraordinary AAPI activists leading impactful work in their communities. Let’s continue to uplift AAPI voices and learn more about other ways to continue supporting the AAPI community. Let’s Do This!