The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) has launched its Asian+American Storytelling Initiative, a program that provides grants and mentorship to creatives looking to tell stories about overlooked Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) figures, communities and moments in American history.
Courtesy of TAAF
The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the safety, belonging and prosperity of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, has launched its Asian+American Storytelling Initiative, a new grant and mentorship program for creatives looking to tell original stories about overlooked AAPI figures, communities and moments in American history.
Despite the significant role AAPI individuals and communities have played in shaping modern America, there is still a general lack of awareness around AAPI history. According to a 2024 TAAF survey, more than half of Americans couldn’t name a single famous Asian American. TAAF’s 2026 STAATUS Index found that 53% of American adults couldn’t identify a single major moment in AAPI history and that only 7% believe AAPI communities have “a great deal” of influence on U.S. culture.
To help address these misconceptions and broaden the public’s understanding of AAPI contributions to American history and society, TAAF partnered with the digital production company Wong Fu Productions earlier this year to launch The United States of Asian+America, a YouTube series spotlighting the AAPI visionaries and pioneers behind some of the country’s—and the world’s—most important innovations and cultural milestones.
AAPI changemakers interviewed so far as part of the ongoing series include YouTube co-founder Steve Chen, NBA champion Jeremy Lin, Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang, USB inventor Ajay Bhatt and many more.
The TAAF Asian+American Storytelling Initiative aims to build on the series’ momentum and turn it into a broader community movement by inviting storytellers to spotlight overlooked narratives, uncover new perspectives and cultivate a sense of belonging for the 25 million+ AAPIs living in the U.S.
Creatives nationwide who work in visual media are encouraged to apply, including filmmakers, journalists, artists, podcasters, animators and digital creators. Selected storytellers will receive a grant ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 and a one-on-one mentorship session with a member of TAAF’s selection committee. They will also have their work amplified across TAAF’s social channels and national partner network.
Submissions will be evaluated by a selection committee that includes Juju Chang, Emmy-winning co-anchor of ABC News’ Nightline; Michelle Khare, content creator and host of the award-winning docuseries Challenge Accepted; Dana Ledoux Miller, writer and director known for Disney’s Moana 2, Netflix’s Thai Cave Rescue and Disney Animation’s upcoming feature Hexed; Lisa Ling, Emmy-winning journalist, longtime host and executive producer of CNN’s This Is Life with Lisa Ling and former co-host of The View; Adrian Per, an award-winning director and content creator; Kitao Sakurai, director of the upcoming Street Fighter film who has previously helmed episodes of BEEF Season 2, Dave, and The Eric Andre Show; Philip Wang, content creator/filmmaker and co-founder of Wong Fu Productions; and Sean Wang, director of Dìdi and the Oscar-nominated documentary short Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó.
The TAAF Asian+American Storytelling Initiative is one of the organization’s most ambitious creative efforts to bring AAPI history to life and is just one example of TAAF’s broader work to increase AAPI representation across education, entertainment and everyday life.
“TAAF’s research has repeatedly found that much of the general public lacks personal connections with AAPIs and gets much of its information about our communities from social media, TV shows and movies,” said Norman Chen, CEO of TAAF. “That means media remains one of the most powerful tools we have to shape public understanding about our histories and lived experiences. By collectively uncovering and amplifying untold AAPI stories, we’re ensuring what people see reflects who we really are, and that our history and contributions are shared for generations to come.”
Creators interested in the TAAF Asian+American Storytelling Initiative can apply by visiting share.taaf.org/storytellers and submitting a proposal to tell the story of an important AAPI figure, movement or moment in U.S. history.
Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM EDT on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, and selected storytellers will be announced on November 2, 2026.
Submissions will be evaluated primarily on three core criteria: the originality, importance and depth of the proposed topic; the applicant’s vision and plan for bringing the project to life; and the applicant’s enthusiasm for telling the proposed story and preserving a piece of history for future generations.
Interested applicants can visit share.taaf.org/storytellers for more information on TAAF’s Asian+American Storytelling Initiative, including eligibility guidelines and application instructions.
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