Kathy Wu Brady (she/her/hers) | Chief Operating Officer | Catchafire (New York, NY).
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For many years, our nation has recognized Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, and more often than not, I’ve celebrated it the exact same way each year. Most times, I’ve shared mini history lessons or experiences that have guided me with my children—passed down from my parents or grandparents—and we collectively learn more about our Asian culture and heritage. But this year, my focus was different—it was heavy in reflection.
On one end, I was in awe at the rise in Asian representation within entertainment. From Pixar’s Turning Red, by creator and Chinese-born Canadian Domee Shi, to Marvel’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, I am excited my children can see stories with people who look like them on the big screen. But on the other hand, with more national awareness surrounding Asian hate, this year, alongside our regular festivities, I focused on Asian representation within the advocacy and civil rights space, and even sometimes the lack thereof.
Our strengths may look and feel different—but we are stronger together.
For me, growing up as a first-generation Chinese-American, advocacy, in any capacity, was not on the list of expected values and behaviors. Like in many Asian immigrant households, I was taught to work hard, honor my elders, support my family and nestle in assimilation; that a good model citizen encompasses a particular level of strength to silently endure, and sometimes even suffer through, the injustices that come their way.
But when I engage in conversations with others in the nonprofit and philanthropic space, particularly BIPOC leaders, I realize that this strength can look and feel different. Collectively, we all share in this strength and use it as a coping mechanism to deal with the inequity and injustices we experience individually. I realize that each community has an identity that is worthy on its own and that we are stronger when we work together. Community building and advocacy do not lie within one identity; they lie within our collective efforts and shared commitments and understandings.
To make an impact, it's crucial to push past discomfort.
As leaders in the social impact space, we have the unique privilege and task of bringing communities together. Whether we are connecting grantmakers to grantees or providing resources directly to the communities that need them most—we are each responsible for our ability to make these connections equitable. While it is never light work, and we're not always successful in doing so, there is almost always an instance where we have to push past discomfort to reach the desired outcome.
In our continued act of pushing forward and through our discomfort, I've found there is always a reward. There is always something that we can take away that makes us better people, better conveyors and better stewards of our communities. Just as these rewards exist in our professional world, applying this philosophy and lens to our inner beings can be just as rewarding. Pushing through the discomfort we experience in self-reflection and surveillance can help us to become better advocates for humanity.
Find inspiration in new norms and perspectives.
This year, I want to challenge my fellow Asian Americans and Pacific Islander nonprofit leaders to not only honor the past but to find inspiration in new norms and perspectives that might not have been part of your upbringing. Be inspired by the Sally Chens, Chanchanit Martorells, Nury Turkels and other AAPI voices of the world. Let our celebration of AAPI Heritage Month serve as a reminder that there is much inner work to be done, and there is no end-point in personal growth and self-reflection. Let us embrace advocacy as a continued journey, as a reminder that while everyone doesn’t have to move together at the same pace, we can’t leave people behind, and that as leaders striving to make social impact, it is our duty to bring others alongside the journey.
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