Foundations and Futures

Today, Foundations and Futures & the UCLA Asian American Studies Center honors the life and legacy of Yuri Kochiyama — a visionary activist whose work helped shape the foundations of Asian American activism, ethnic studies, and cross-racial solidarity movements across the country.

Yuri Kochiyama was born Mary Yuri Nakahara on May 19, 1921 in San Pedro, California. She became one of the most iconic figures among Asian Americans dedicated to community activism and liberatory social change. As a young teen, her family was imprisoned along with 125,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. While at the Jerome, Arkansas concentration camp, she helped found the Crusaders with other women to support Japanese American soldiers sent to fight for the US military. Her ethical humanitarianism was rooted in Christianity and evolved after the war as she developed close relationships with key figures in the Civil Rights, Black Power and anti-war movements in New York City from the 1950s. She married Bill Kochiyama and they raised six children, eventually settling in Harlem where they grew their activism. Over her lifetime, Yuri committed herself to many movements, including support for political prisoners, Ethnic Studies, Japanese American redress and reparations, and organizations like Asian Americans for Action.

We welcome you to explore the richness of her life and legacy in Foundations and Futures: https://www.foundationsandfutures.org

Additional resources include the UCLA Asian American Studies Center’s digital exhibition and collection: https://learn.aasc.ucla.edu/kochiyama/

Happy Birthday Yuri 🌟

Our crowdfund is live! Help us activate Foundations and Futures into high school and college classrooms around the world 🌍

Foundations and Futures makes accessible, community-focused scholarship available to students, educators, and life long learners. Every donation helps expand educational access, support ongoing research and storytelling, and ensure that Asian American and Pacific Islander narratives remain visible, documented, and celebrated.
By investing in this work, you are helping protect histories that have too often been overlooked while creating opportunities for deeper understanding, representation, and connection. Together, we can continue building a future where our collective stories are preserved for future generations 📚✨

Donate to our crowdfund, and help us reach our goal (we are 30% there): https://crowdfunding.ucla.edu/project/49932

Share with friends, family, and your community members!

As we recognize and celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, join us for Foundations and Futures: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Reclaim Our Narrative. In partnership with the American Federation of Teacher’s (AFT) AAPI Taskforce, this webinar introducers a powerful digital curriculum designed to bring AAPI histories into every classroom. Hear directly from educators on how they used Foundations and Futures in their classrooms to spark meaningful discussions and deepen students’ understanding of history, identity, and belonging.

📆 Monday, May 18th
⏰ 7:00pm to 8:00pm (Eastern) / 4:00pm to 5:00pm (Pacific)
📍 Virtual, register here: https://calendly.com/cmacahilig/foundations-and-futures-reclaiming-our-narrative

See you all there!

Last week, we celebrated the launch of Foundations and Futures — a groundbreaking Asian American and Pacific Islander multimedia textbook. Developed by the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, this Asian American and Pacific Islander Multimedia Textbook includes 50 chapters, 1,500+ media assets, and 250+ ready-to-use lesson plans. This project is designed to transform classrooms into spaces of empathy, critical thinking, and change!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for an evening of conversation, community, and reflection as we marked this important milestone. From powerful remarks by contributors and community leaders to the shared commitment to preserving and uplifting our stories.

This launch is only the beginning. 💛 We hope that Foundations and Futures can offer you a wealth of resources about Asian American and Pacific Islander histories. Happy AAPI Heritage Month 🎉

What chapter are you excited to explore? 📖🔍

Last week, we celebrated the launch of Foundations and Futures — a groundbreaking Asian American and Pacific Islander multimedia textbook. Developed by the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, this Asian American and Pacific Islander Multimedia Textbook includes 50 chapters, 1,500+ media assets, and 250+ ready-to-use lesson plans. This project is designed to transform classrooms into spaces of empathy, critical thinking, and change!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for an evening of conversation, community, and reflection as we marked this important milestone. From powerful remarks by contributors and community leaders to the shared commitment to preserving and uplifting our stories.

This launch is only the beginning. 💛 We hope that Foundations and Futures can offer you a wealth of resources about Asian American and Pacific Islander histories. Happy AAPI Heritage Month! 🎉

What chapter are you excited to explore? Comment below! 📖🔍

We are excited to announce that Tasi of One Man Band will be performing at Reclaiming Our Narratives: Presenting Foundations and Futures on May 9, 2026.

Toefa’atasi Fogavai was born and raised on the island of American Sāmoa before moving to Hawaiʻi at the age of 12. His love for music began at a young age, deeply influenced by his parents—especially his father. Despite having very little, music became a way his father kept the family connected through difficult times. Some of his fondest memories are the nighttime jam sessions, when the family would gather together in a dark house lit only by an oil lamp. Through those moments, music became both a source of comfort and a joyful escape during hardship. Fogavai’s passion for performing comes from the sense of freedom and joy he experiences while playing instruments and singing. In those brief but lasting moments, music allows him to escape the struggles of reality. He continues to pursue music with the hope that others, too, can find comfort, healing, and escape through his performances.

We are sold out! Please join the waitlist for an opportunity to attend. We can’t wait to see you there!

Saturday, May 9, 2026
10:00am to 3:00pm (Check in begins at 9:00am)
UCLA Luskin Conference Center

Celebrate with world-renowned authors, engaging conversations, and live performances.

We are excited to announce that Kyodo Taiko will be performing at Reclaiming Our Narratives: Presenting Foundations and Futures on May 9, 2026.

Kyodo Taiko is the nation’s first collegiate taiko drumming team. Founded in 1990, we work to promote the art of Japanese American taiko drumming within the UCLA and surrounding communities, and instill within the community a sense of respect and understanding of the Japanese American culture. We perform as a team at many events around the UCLA campus and greater Southern California area. We also perform at UCLA NSU’s annual Culture Nights and host annual Spring Concerts on the UCLA campus. Kyodo has two meanings, one is “family”, and the other is “loud children”.

Join us at Reclaiming Our Narrative: Presenting Foundations and Futures on May 9, 2026 at UCLA’s Luskin Conference Center to celebrate the launch of the groundbreaking project — registered now (very limited tickets left!)

Saturday, May 9, 2026
10:00am to 3:00pm (Check in begins at 9:00am)
UCLA Luskin Conference Center

Celebrate with world-renowned authors, engaging conversations, and live performances.

Get your tickets now: bit.ly/40LTiT3 (registration closes tomorrow at noon)

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Check out upcoming events that our outreach team will be attending this May! 🥳 Including the launch of our textbook!

🗓️ 5/9/2026: Reclaiming Our Narrative: Presenting Foundations and Futures

🗓️ 5/14/26 - 5/15/26: The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) Heritage Summit

🗓️ 5/18/26: American Federal of Teachers Webinar

🗓️ 5/18/26: Exploring Foundations and Futures

Hope to catch your at one of our stops!

We are excited to announce that Naya Zamaana will be performing at Reclaiming Our Narratives: Presenting Foundations and Futures on May 9, 2026.

Naya Zamaana is UCLA’s Premier South Asian a ca****la team. The team was created in 2006 to celebrate the diversity of talent among South Asian youth in America. Our singers come from a variety of diverse musical backgrounds, from South Asian styles such as Hindustani and Carnatic music to Western styles such as pop, R&B, and rock. Our arrangements aspire to exemplify the distinct fusion of these cultures by blending both classical and contemporary South Asian music with modern Western music to create the unique blend that makes up our signature sound. Naya Zamaana’s repertoire strives to represent the diverse cultures of the South Asian diaspora by singing in languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, and Telugu. We believe that our unique style of arranging helps us achieve our goal of exposing the vast world of South Asian music to a wider audience, providing them with a truly one-of-a-kind musical experience.

Join us at Reclaiming Our Narrative: Presenting Foundations and Futures on May 9, 2026 at UCLA’s Luskin Conference Center to celebrate the launch of the groundbreaking project — registered now (very limited tickets left!)

Saturday, May 9, 2026
10:00am to 3:00pm (Check in begins at 9:00am)
UCLA Luskin Conference Center

Celebrate with world-renowned authors, engaging conversations, and live performances.

Get your tickets now: bit.ly/40LTiT3 (link in bio!)

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 🌟

To celebrate, we are launching Foundations and Futures: Asian American and Pacific Islander Multimedia Textbook! 💻 📖

Foundations and Futures: Asian American and Pacific Islander Multimedia Textbook is the most comprehensive collection of Asian American and Pacific Islander histories and perspectives available for free and online for high school, college, and lifelong learners.

Learn the past through the lens of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders because our history is your history. Understand how our lives are interconnected across the Pacific, Asia, and America. Explore the ways Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made and continue to make positive change in the world. This unprecedented resource covers over twenty Pacific Islander and Asian American peoples and communities. This textbook revolutionizes how we understand the complex world around us, including our place in it.

Join us at Reclaiming Our Narrative: Presenting Foundations and Futures on May 9, 2026 at UCLA’s Luskin Conference Center to celebrate the launch of the groundbreaking project — registered now (very limited tickets left!)

Saturday, May 9, 2026
10:00am to 3:00pm (Check in begins at 9:00am)
UCLA Luskin Conference Center

Celebrate with world-renowned authors, engaging conversations, and live performances.

Get your tickets now: bit.ly/40LTiT3 (link in bio!)