Professor Michelle King is an Associate Professor of History at UNC-Chapel Hill, specializing in Chinese gender and food history. She was born and raised in Michigan and her parents are from China by way of Taiwan. She has been a North Carolina resident for 17 years. I had the chance to meet Professor King at an event in Chapel Hill back in February and am excited to now share some of her story and exciting work — including her upcoming book! – Matthew Ng, NCAAT Senior Communications Coordinator How has being an Asian American in North Carolina shaped your work and your identity? What is uniqu ..read more

Written by UNC Chalkaa In the modern era of collegiate dance, the competitive journey of each DDN (Desi Dance Network) team toward Legends – DDN’s national dance championship – is not highlighted by its members’ talent or skill. Instead, it is forged in the culmination of South Asian artists’ creative efforts as they create a ten-minute set with a unique theme that follows a major pop culture storyline. Audience members and fans are drawn into the drama, holding their breaths as their favorite teams perform across ride each beat to the climax of their season – each a step closer to the pinnacl ..read more

Naomi Poesel is the lead guitarist for Babe Haven, an all-girl queer riot punk band. She recently moved to Durham, from Boone, N.C. During the day, she works as a behavioral technician with children who have autism. We got to talk about music, food, activism, and how she finds community as a 24-year-old creative living in Durham.  This interview was edited for length and clarity. So you’ve described Babe Haven as being about music, but also being about activism and making space for marginalized people. For you personally, how does that kind of show up, that intersection of activism and mu ..read more

Written by Anna, Fall 2023 NCAAT Youth Ambassador American history is a required part of high school for all students in North Carolina. Yet, for the 300,000 Asian Americans in NC, we wonder: is this our history? Is this truly our history, in a nation as diverse as America, when few to none of the important figures look like us? The existing curriculums that teach US history fail to represent the rich tapestry of Asian American history, leaving countless students questioning their place in modern American society. Amidst this gap in knowledge, one student in Wake County has taken it upon herse ..read more

Everyone here at NCAAT is devastated by the loss of life in Palestine and Israel. We are heartbroken by the killing of Israeli civilians by Hamas and by the killings, dehumanization, and human rights violations committed against Palestinian civilians by Israeli leadership. Members of our community have loved ones who are directly affected by the violence in Israel and Palestine, and we hold them in our hearts in this time of fear and grief. Everyone deserves to live in safety and without the threat of terror, loss, and suffering. We are writing to you today to address the Islamophobia, antise ..read more

Thursday, August 24, 2023 North Carolina Asian Americans Together is adamantly opposed to Senate Bill 747 and urges Governor Cooper to veto this harmful bill. Senate Bill 747, if enacted, threatens to disenfranchise thousands of Asian American voters across North Carolina, as well as other voters across the state. This bill, if enacted, would discount any mail-in ballots received after 7:30 p.m. on Election Day – even if they were postmarked and sent at a date prior to the election. Over 13,000 mail-in ballots would have been disregarded in the 2020 election under these circumstances. Asi ..read more

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that affirmative action programs at Harvard and UNC-Chapel Hill were unconstitutional. NCAAT strongly disagrees with this decision. For years, colleges have considered race as a factor in admissions to gain a full understanding of an applicant’s story and to create more inclusive and representative student bodies. The Supreme Court’s regressive decision will set back all marginalized communities — including Asian Americans — and further increase the education and economic divide. The perception that affirmative action does not benefit Asian Americans is ..read more

Written by Katie S., Spring 2023 NCAAT Youth Ambassador Each year, we all turn our attention to the big screens, searching for a movie, in hopes of catching a reflection of ourselves. It doesn’t have to be the big blockbuster theatrical performance of a lifetime – a movie with the right amount of intrigue woven into a heartfelt narration will suffice. But this past year, one particular film has captured worldwide attention: Everything Everywhere All at Once. Written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the story follows Evelyn Wang (played by Michelle Yeoh), a frazzled laundroma ..read more

We had the pleasure of EJ Masicampo, a community organizer, professor, and comedian based in Winston-Salem. Giselle, an NCAAT staff member, got the chance to have a conversation with EJ and delve into all that he does. Read on to learn more about what EJ has to say about the multiple identities he holds, as well as the importance of being engaged in your community and government. Giselle: Who is EJ Masicampo? EJ: My name is EJ. I’m a Winston-Salemite and a Filipino-American. I’m originally from the west coast, where my parents had me shortly after having immigrated here. I was the first on eit ..read more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 1, 2022 MEDIA CONTACT: Jimmy Patel-Nguyen | 919.335.6156 | press@ncaat.org Racist mailers sent by conservative right-wing organization target NC Asian American voters with disinformation ahead of 2022 midterms RALEIGH, NC – In the week leading up to the midterms, Asian American voters across North Carolina have been receiving hateful, racist mailers aimed at suppressing their vote and subduing the political power of the fastest-growing racial demographic in the state. While anti-Asian rhetoric has been prevalent since early 2020, this blatant piece of disinfor ..read more