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From singers to politicians to athletes, read how prominent leaders make a declaration below.
"Progress in our nation happens when everyday Americans get involved and come together to chart our country's course. It's that uniquely American character--enhanced by a rich diversity of beliefs and a deep reservoir of ideas--that has propelled us forward. As long as citizens of every party, every background, and every walk of life continue speaking out on the issues that matter to them and working toward the future we know is possible, our best days will always lie ahead." -President Barack Obama, Letter to DeclarASIAN Co-founders
"It was definitely a struggle to find my own identity as a first-generation Asian-American without a lot of representation in my neighborhood, or prominently in the public sphere. I think that’s what gave me a drive to relate to and help the underdog." -Andrew Yang, 2020 Presidential Candidate
"Even though I had a very happy, fortunate, and amazing childhood, I always felt like I wasn't part of mainstream society because I was Asian. I always told myself toxic things like how I had to work twice as hard as non-Asians to achieve the same results. I also feared people would not believe or accept the music I sang. -Katherine Ho, Singer of "Yellow" in Crazy Rich Asians
"My advice to today's Asian American youth is to experience as many things as you can before you get older. If you're interested in something, don't just talk about it: DO IT. Your sole purpose in these next 10 - 15 years of your life is to find out what you want to do for the rest of your life -- what makes you excited EVERY DAY to get up in the morning. If you can find what that one thing is, I think you've found success." -Benny Luo, Founder and CEO of NextShark
"It's not everyday you see a POC as a dancer. I know a lot of immigrant parents expect their kids to go into something that pays well, and dance likely isn't at the top of the list, but when you find something you love and follow that dream fearlessly, you will achieve success. I promise." -Jackie Aitken, Radio City Rockette
"I love everything DeclarASIAN stands for. It's not everyday that an Asian does comedy, so it's both terrifying and exciting to be breaking stereotypes. Recognizing Asian representation is an huge step in achieving that." -Olivia Sui, Comedian
"Growing up Asian isn't always the easiest... [But] they don’t know what they’re dealing with. Want something bad enough, and you’ll figure out a way to get it." -Lindy Li, Congressional Candidate
"For a better life with more freedom, joy, and overall increased effectiveness as a human being, take the time to unlearn the idea that worth is tied to performance and believe that you have incredible intrinsic value just the way you are." -Daniel Kim, Musician and YouTube Star
"Growing up, I never saw Asian-Americans on TV at all. It feels good to change that for a generation of kids." -Brenda Song, Disney Star
"I’m Japanese American. I was always too Americanized for Japan, but I’ve always been too Asian for the U.S. I’ve always been most comfortable around my Asian American friends. Because I grew up with it, I never really truly understood its value until I stepped out of it. Now when I talk to people who are Japanese American or Asian American, there is something so relatable to me about them, and I never understood its value until it was taken away from me." -Mirai Nagasu, Olympic Figure Skater
"Growing up as an Asian American in this society there were a lot of times where you feel isolated or out of place as an Asian. And growing up in White America that’s absolutely my experience. And I think that’s why I got into acting because I wanted to be anybody else but Asian. But motherhood has allowed me to realize how wonderful our culture is." -Ming Na-Wen, Voice of Mulan
"I hope the increase in Asian representation in film and TV isn’t a blip. I think that America is probably doing slightly better in terms of diversity, but I like to think that [the UK is] getting somewhere in terms of representation. In the 15 years that I have been acting, I have really yet to play a role that is not down to the color of my skin, so I can’t say that I have experienced anything like that yet, but I look forward to that day." -Katie Leung, "Cho Chang" in the Harry Potter Films
"I didn't have a lot of Asian friends growing up, so I didn't exactly fit in. Then I moved out to California and there's a ton of Asians here, but sometimes they'd get mad at me for not being Asian enough." -KT Tatara, Comedian
"It is only by educating ourselves about Asian mistreatment in American history that we can ensure that prejudice and discrimination that once stained our nation is never repeated. Let’s make sure that there are educational materials in our classrooms so that all Americans can learn about what happened." -Judy Chu, U.S. House of Representatives
"When I was growing up playing basketball, I didn’t see much color. I didn’t really think it made a difference. After I went through Linsanity, I learned the world wasn’t quite ready or didn’t know how to handle Asian-Americans, Asian-Americans in sports, Asian-American masculinity and a lot of different Asian-American issues." -Jeremy Lin, Basketball player
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Get Involved
Submit a Declaration