Malia Kuo

A note from the editors

Welcome the Yale Daily News’ special issue celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander communities! We are incredibly excited to present a mix of reported content and thoughtful personal essays as well as multimedia and artwork. Read the print edition of the issue here.

Over the last month, our reporters looked into the AAPI advocacy in New Haven and Connecticut, and talked to graduating Asian seniors about their theses and athletic careers. We saw cultural shows, talked to experts on how Asian identities influence health care and looked into the state of Korean studies at Yale. In our featured article, South Asian students speak about the struggles of finding community on campus. 

From the opinion section, hear from first year Kala’i Anderson in a column about the conflation of Pacific Islander experiences with those of Asian Americans and his navigations of communities on campus. Plus, read the Asian American Students Alliance’s co-moderator Resty Fufunan’s thoughts on political activism and boba liberalism.

Additionally, look forward to hearing from Dean Joliana Yee and several students from the Asian American Cultural Center on a special soon-to-be released podcast episode; see our photographer’s beautiful essay on Chinatown; our featured WKND article explores how Asians have shaped the YDN’s newsroom. Also, read thoughtful pieces about struggling with an Asian name and the exciting new animated movie “Turning Red”.⁠

We recognize that this work is neither complete nor perfect; the News must continue to strive towards greater breadth and depth in its reporting on AAPI communities and spark further conversations in the newsroom about how we value the work of people of color. For this issue in particular, we acknowledge our failure to adequately reach out to various communities included under the AAPI umbrella — including but not limited to Pacific Islanders, Southeast Asians, South Asians and Central Asians as well as Asians in the wider New Haven community — and thank members of those communities who worked with us to contribute to the issue. 

What it means to be Asian, Asian American, AAPI or APIDA — or even celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month — is an ongoing conversation nationwide, and we understand we aren’t getting all of it right. If you have feedback about the way we produce special issues, or would like to contribute to a future issue, please contact us at editor@yaledailynews.com.

We hope you enjoy the work we’ve produced and share it with your communities. Most of all, we hope this issue prompts further discussion about AAPI experiences both at Yale and in our newsroom. 

Thank you to the desk editors and managing board as well as our photographers, copy editors, designers, business team, tech team and illustrators for the work they put into this issue. This special issue is dedicated to the AAPI alumni of the News who have come before us. The work produced here is part of an ongoing process to include more voices at the News, highlight underrepresented communities and better reflect the issues important to our readers. 

Anjali Mangla ’24, SciTech editor

Hamera Shabbir ’24, SciTech and Sports staff reporter

Isaac Yu ’24, University staff reporter and Production & Design editor

 

Access the full special issue here.

Read the 2021 Celebrating Asian Communities special issue here.

Read some of our top stories from the last year related to the AACC and other Asian community members at Yale:

Marvin Chun, first Asian American dean of Yale College, reflects on term

Mary Li Hsu ’80, who nurtured Asian American life at Yale, dies at 63

South Asian Society puts on spring arts showcase

“Dreaming and Organizing”: AACC event explores the history of the center

Graduate students navigate cultural center opportunities

AACC makes room available for MENA students

A look inside the Tina E. Yeh Fellowship, which supports AAPI advocacy work

PODCAST: Full Disclosure: The Implications of Anti-Asian Hate

PODCAST: Silhouette E2: Arden Yum on Asian-American Identity, Internalized Whiteness, Expressing Creativity

ANJALI MANGLA
Anjali Mangla is a Science & Technology Editor for the News. She previously covered the intersection of STEM and social justice. Anjali is a sophomore in Ezra Stiles College planning to study Neuroscience, Global Affairs and Global Health Studies.
HAMERA SHABBIR
Hamera Shabbir covers golf and fencing for the Sports desk and the School of the Environment for the Science and Technology desk. Originally from California's Central Valley, she is a sophomore in Branford College majoring in Environmental Studies.
ISAAC YU
Isaac Yu was the News' managing editor. He covered transportation and faculty as a reporter and laid out the front page of the weekly print edition. He co-founded the News' Audience desk, which oversees social media and the newsletter. He was a leader of the News' Asian American and low-income affinity groups. Hailing from Garland, Texas, Isaac is a Berkeley College junior majoring in American Studies.