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It's that time again! We are looking for advisors and coordinators for @sli.cyi. Send inquiries and/or applications to board@cyinyc.org. More info can be found on our website.

Today, we celebrate the life and triumphs of Corky Lee, the Undisputed *Official* Asian American Photographer Laureate. Corky was an ardent supporter of Chinatown Youth Initiatives. Not only did Corky contribute to our fundraisers, memorialize our events, and give his time to speak with and mentor our youth, he built a foundation for the next generation of Asian American activists. His unwavering pursuit for photographic justice, capturing Asian America from Vincent Chin to Peter Yew and beyond, will serve as a foundation to fuel young activists for decades to come. CYI, Chinatown, and all communities will always miss your wit and wisdom. Rest In Power, dear friend.

Thank you SO MUCH for helping us raise $3,380 in less than week! We couldn’t have done this without YOUR contribution and support! With all the challenges that we faced in 2020, we are more grateful than ever to have our CYI family and friends to count on. Your generosity has actively helped grow and evolve a community of Asian American youth leaders to carry on CYI’s legacy of inspiring youth to push their stories to the frontlines of the conversation through hands-on engagement and by amplifying their voices.

NYC’s Chinatown was created in the late 1800s as a refuge for survival. Chinese immigrants from the rural parts of the Canton area first arrived on the West Coast in the mid-19th century eager to escape overpopulation, famine, and poverty. However, due to the violent anti-Chinese movement fueled by white anxiety over jobs, many Chinese immigrants were driven to head to NYC. Repelled by external discrimination, Chinese immigrants clustered together in a few core streets — Mott, Pell, and Doyers — that eventually expanded into Chinatown. Those streets became their refuge, a place where they could restart their lives and create a community in this new country where they called home. Today, Chinatown is still a place of refuge for many and a place of resistance. After having survived large scale events like 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy, this year, Chinatown faced Covid-19. The combined impact of the economic toll on the low-wage worker industry, which is heavily populated by our immigrant communities and the xenophobia perpetuated by the Trump Administration devastated the Chinatown community in NYC. CYI’s work with immigrant, Asian populations and the day-to-day experiences of our members, our families, and our communities are at the intersection of this impact. As a community, we have had to look inward and ask, “How can we pivot our businesses to the digital world? How can we support one another during this time of rampant anti-Asian racist? What is the future for our Chinatown community? How can we actively challenge gentrification and its displacement of working-class residents?” These questions are a glimpse of the kinds of conversations our youth at CYI are having. At CYI, we work to empower NYC youth with the knowledge and skills necessary to address the needs of Chinatown, Asian Americans, and other underrepresented communities. By providing a safe and supportive environment, CYI works to build a legacy of leaders who strengthen awareness of self-identity and community issues through project initiatives. This is why we are asking for your help this #GivingTuesday. With $2020, we can support our college and high school youth staff and young professional advisors

LAST CHANCE! There are 24 HOURS LEFT for you to make a donation to #cyireimagined to support the Chinatown community and our youth staff in recognizing the emotional and personal commitment in education and empowering Asian American youth. Help us meet our $2,020 #givingtuesday goal for our #summerstipendfund! We can’t do it WITHOUT YOU. Donate NOW to the #cyireimagined campaign on Venmo (@cyinyc) using our QR code or CYInyc.org/donate.

Over the last 17 years, CYI has partnered with some of New York City’s most talented organizations and individuals to instill confidence in our youth and empowerment the #nycchinatown community. Building the leaders of tomorrow and improving our community are goals seldomly accomplished quickly or individually. Such goals require consistency, an enduring patience and the helping hand of others. CYI is proud to have a long-standing partnership with @OCA-NY and several other youth organizations on the Hate Crimes Prevention Art Project (HCPAP), a multicultural project that uses art as an activism tool. As the needs of our community and youth change over the years, so to have our partnerships. While COVID-19 prevented CYI from holding an in-person Chinatown Beautification Day this past summer, we were able to reimagine the work we could do with our community partners digitally. This year, CYI teamed up with @welcome.to.chinatown, various community organizers (Judy Lei, Ying Yu Situ, Xiaowen Liang, Ariana Li) and Democratic Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou to connect local leaders with 180 of the city’s youth to discuss pressing issues such as helping local businesses, the Black Lives Matter Movement, and political activism. In addition, CYI has begun a meeting partnership with the @wowprojectnyc; we hope to make an even bigger impact in 2021. Please consider supporting us in our efforts to reimagine our organization, our community and all the opportunities we can provide to our youth. You can donate to the #cyireimagined campaign on Venmo (@cyinyc) via our QR code ↗️ or cyinyc.org/donate. And follow us on Instagram (@cyinyc), Twitter (@cyinyc) and Facebook (https://www.Facebook.com/cyinyc/)

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