Grant to support mentorship for AAPI students

Nonprofit
Written By Adam Russo

The West Michigan Asian American Association (WMAAA) is the recipient of a three-year grant totaling $126,000 from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Office of Equity and Minority Health. The grant, part of the Minority Health Community Capacity Building Initiative, will help build WMAAA’s Asian American and Pacific Islander youth mentorship program that will address educational disparities within the smaller Asian communities.

The mentorship program will provide academic, social, and emotional support to high school juniors and seniors from diverse backgrounds, including Burmese, Bhutanese, and Nepalese communities. Trained mentors will work closely with students to ensure their successful high school graduation and to help them map out pathways to higher education or vocational training.

“This project will expand our outreach to the next generation of diverse Asian youths to guide and prepare them with their life’s choices,” said Minnie Morey, Executive Director, West Michigan Asian American Association.

The grant proposal was co-written by WMAAA Board Members Yilin Wendland-Liu and Romer Benitez with support from Morey and WMAAA Financial Officer Cora Hanselman.   

“This project can address systemic racism and condemn the ‘model minority’ myth, bringing truth of the educational disparities, diversity, and power to change within the AAPI communities,” said Yilin Wendland-Liu, Secretary of the Board of Directors, West Michigan Asian American Association. “I truly believe our AAPI youth can help shift the narrative when they are given the proper support and tools.”

WMAAA was formed in 2011 through the merger of the Asian Health Outreach Foundation and the Asian Professionals Organization. The nonprofit is committed to serving and advocating for the needs of Asian Americans in Michigan, with a focus on education, economic development, health care, and social justice.  

For more information about the WMAAA and its programs, visit https://www.wm-aaa.org/.

Adam Russo
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