Statements

Mission

API Middle Tennessee is an Asian and Pacific Islander-serving organization working towards racial justice by building API community, lifting API voices, and celebrating API identities.

Background

API Middle Tennessee began when a few Asian and Pacific Islanders started meeting in 2018 to discuss the needs of the local API community. These meetings led to the incorporation of a nonprofit organization in 2020 with a three-pronged mission. First, our goal was to create connections through regular community building events. Second, we set out to lift up the voices of Asian and Pacific Islanders through local advocacy and highlighting local community members and small businesses. Finally, our organization wanted to unpack API identities by recognizing the diverse cultural histories of people that identify as API. Central to this mission is racial justice and we recognize that our own liberation is achieved through solidarity with other BIPOC-led organizations and communities that have been historically and systemically neglected.

Impact

Since being found in 2020, our organization has faced a pandemic and rising levels of anti-Asian hate which led to the Atlanta Spa Shootings in 2021. Despite that though, we have been able to host monthly community building events that highlight local API chefs and artists, published a report voicing our community's current needs, and helped bring AAPI books to school libraries.

Needs

API Middle Tennessee's work in the next year will continue to focus on creating connections and sharing culture. Funds will help us further our outreach in the region. We are currently raising funds for a Community Listening Project that will help us identify the needs of our community. The marginalization of Asian and Pacific Islander communities is often tied to being made invisible so this process will give a voice to the issues we face. This process is also important because Asian and Pacific Islander discourse at the national level if often focused on coastal regions, which are vastly different contexts from the American South.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy  - Minority Rights
Secondary Category:	Arts, Culture & Humanities  - Arts & Culture
Tertiary Category:	Human Services  - Ethnic/Immigrant Services

Areas Served

TN - Davidson

TN - Montgomery

TN - Rutherford

TN - Williamson

TN