Campaign also invites community members to submit their own stories to help foster cultural understanding, empathy, and connection

SEATTLE, WA, UNITED STATES, May 4, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The increase in anti-Asian racism and xenophobia this past year has opened deep wounds in the AAPI community and served as a painful reminder of the persistence of discrimination. Today, in honor of AAPI Heritage Month, @OurStoriesAreYourStories (#OSAYS) is launching a media campaign to showcase some of the leading AAPI voices in the greater Seattle area and to amplify the experiences of community members who contribute their stories.

The main goals of the campaign include: supporting the AAPI community to remind them they are not alone and that they are seen; and illuminating the AAPI experience to dispel misconceptions and celebrate the representation from such a wide range of cultures. AAPI community members descend from more than 50 countries, representing five generations to recent immigrants. The OSAYS campaign aims to replace hate and ignorance with empathy and understanding to bring people closer together in our shared humanity.

The video series will feature local leaders, including Doug Baldwin, Gary Locke, Lana Condor, Dr. Vin Gupta, Yuji Okumoto, Hollis Wong Wear, Lauren Tran, Praju Tuladhar, Jack Thompson, Jordan Nicholson, Ultimate Frisbee gold medalist womxn, Harold Taw, and Suzana Olmos. In one of the videos, Baldwin, a former Seahawks football player, shares fond memories of the aromas and flavors of the food his Filipina grandmother made. Other videos will take people on similarly personal journeys.

The campaign (www.ourstoriesareyourstories.com) grew out of a conversation five weeks ago between a group of AAPI women, who now lead the project as its volunteer executive team. They have intentionally brought together a nearly 100% AAPI production crew along with AAPI-led design and social media agencies. The Wing Luke Museum serves as the fiscal sponsor of the campaign and will be preserving the video stories as part of the museum’s oral history archives. The executive team includes Mari Horita, Seattle Kraken; Katherine Cheng, Expedia Group; Maya Mendoza-Exstrom, Seattle Sounders FC; Mimi Gan, Mi2Media; and Betti Fujikado, Copacino Fujikado. Fujikado says, “Five weeks ago, this was an idea dreamed of by five AAPI women. Now, it’s an honor to share the expansiveness and complexity of our AAPI community through the joy of storytelling.”

The campaign is made possible through generous support from a handful of social justice minded businesses, foundations, and individuals, including Microsoft, Amazon, Alaska Airlines, Nordstrom as well as Seattle Kraken, Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle Seahawks, and Seattle Mariners.

Share #OurStoriesAreYourStories

People can show their support by sharing AAPI story videos and amplifying AAPI voices on their social media using @winglukemuseum, @OurStoriesAreYourStories, and #OSAYS. The OSAYS toolkit includes details about making videos and ways to share. Learn more at www.ourstoriesareyourstories.com. Supporters can also make a gift to the Wing Luke Museum in financial support of this campaign by entering “OSAYS” when donating at wingluke.org.

Betti Fujikado
Copacino Fujikado
+1 206-949-6775
bfujikado@copacino.com
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn