Take Action: Demand That Your Senators Support Southeast Asian American Students through AANAPISI Funding

Kayhlia Yang is a current student at UCLA and a recent graduate of Irvine Valley College, an AANAPISI community college in California. Kayhlia transferred to IVC after a year at a different institution because of the opportunities that IVC’s AANAPISI programs could offer her.

“AANAPISIs are important because they allow for Asian American students, like myself, to come together and feel a sense of belonging,” Kayhlia said. “This space has allowed me to build relationships I know will last a lifetime. ANAAPISIs allow for there to be a community-based foundation for Asian American students who need that … and witness what higher education has done for others.”

Kayhlia says that being a part of the AANAPISI program at IVC made a huge impact on her academics, career goals, and her Asian American identity. Last year, she applied to seven University of California campuses to continue her studies- – and was accepted at all seven!

just days from today. These programs are critical to the success of underserved students of color and low-income students, including many Southeast Asian Americans who are first in their families to attend college. Despite this urgency to renew funding, Congress has yet to pass a reauthorization of these programs. The House of Representatives approved a two-year renewal last week through the but the Senate is refusing to take up the bill. Funding for Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs) expires on September 30 —. These programs are critical to the success of underserved students of color and low-income students,. Despite this urgency to renew funding, Congress has yet to pass a reauthorization of these programs. The House of Representatives approved a two-year renewal last week through the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act