July 2025 Newsletter
Happy summer to our PAAWBAC supporters!
We hope you are practicing self-care and staying connected to your loved ones and your community during these tumultuous times.
The PAAWBAC Board is excited to announce the start of the PAAWBAC Young Leaders (PYL) program. We have recruited our initial cohort of three young API women to collaborate with the Board on community engagement, event planning, and fundraising. Short bios of the three, and our interview with one of them, appear below. Our aim is to help the PYLs grow their leadership skills while creating stronger intergenerational connections among the API women’s community in the Bay Area. Our PYLs will expand their knowledge and experience while ensuring that PAAWBAC’s 45-year legacy remains viable and relevant. They have already come up with some exciting ideas to broaden PAAWBAC’s reach.
Speaking of our 45 years of service, we are linking below to video of this year’s Asian Pacific Heritage Foundation’s awards ceremony, where PAAWBAC was recognized, along with three other longtime API organizations, for its service to the API community. The event happened this past May, and we are sharing this with you in case you missed our social media posts at that time. We are truly proud of this honor. (See us being honored at the 34:30 mark.)
Please save the date! On Thursday, September 25, from 5 - 7 pm, PAAWBAC is hosting Network 2025: Rising Together, in San Francisco. We are planning a somewhat structured event to maximize engagement and cross-generational conversation, with time for informal networking and enjoying light fare. More details to come.
Sincerely,
PAAWBAC Board of Directors
Spotlight Interview with PYL Yumi Nguyen by Board member Elsie Lum
Q: Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I moved to the U.S. from Vietnam at nine years old with my mother and older brother. I was nervous but excited about starting a new chapter in a new country. My family told me we could achieve the 'American Dream' here, though I didn't fully grasp its meaning until later in life. To me, the “American Dream” is having the opportunity to learn, grow, achieve significant milestones, and be happy.
Growing up in San Francisco, I moved often due to my family's changing jobs and living situations, attending multiple schools across the city. Along the way, I had the chance to meet many wonderful people through school, after-school programs, community volunteering, and summer internships.
Q: Who were some of your female role models as you grew up? What are some significant or important experiences or milestones?
During my junior and senior years of high school, I was fortunate to experience several life-shaping opportunities. I traveled to Washington, D.C. for the first time with my high school, and saw Helen Keller’s statue in the U.S. Capitol. As someone who also has a hearing impairment, her biography touched my heart, as an example that nothing is impossible.
Emily Murase, former Executive Director of the SF Commission on the Status of Women, has been a constant source of guidance since 2012, when I first worked with her as a high school summer intern in the Youth Works program. She sparked my passion for social change and addressing business and women’s issues.
Emily’s quote follows me when I need to make hard decisions: “When a door opens, take it as an opportunity that may not come up later.”
In 2017, I had the privilege of being mentored by Emily again as a PAAWBAC mentee. She exposed me to meetings, events, and initiatives focused on women's issues. The Gender Equality Challenge, hosted by the Department of the Status of Women, featured leaders from corporations sharing their approaches to addressing gender equality. Their insights inspired me to pursue a similar path to create positive change.
After high school, through the Youth Warriors Award Fellowship, I received training in leadership, public speaking, facilitation, and organizing workshops for other youth on how to communicate with city officials.
Through Emily, I was introduced to another mentor, Mary Jung, Director of the SF Board of Realtors. Since 2018, Mary has guided me in assuming a leadership role at the Welcome Home Project, a nonprofit organization that supports homeless individuals and families by providing essential household items as they transition into permanent homes.
Q: What drives you to your interest in AAPI women/communities?
As an Asian immigrant, a survivor of bullying and discrimination, and as a woman, I am passionate about advocating for gender equity and empowering API communities, especially API women. The stories of PAAWBAC’s Woman Warriors have inspired me to embrace my strength, and I hope to inspire and empower others to do the same.
The strong women leaders before us fought tirelessly to create better opportunities for our generation. I believe it’s now our turn to carry their fight forward and ensure their sacrifices were not in vain.
Q: What are your current and future life goals?
In my role as the Welcome Home Project manager at the San Francisco Association of Realtors, I am focused on developing a wide range of skills and taking on projects that align with my career goal of becoming an event planner.
I would like to thank PAAWBAC for the opportunity to join the PAAWBAC’S Young Leader group. I am thrilled to share what PAAWBAC contributed to the API women's communities and to share the inspiring momentum with other young women.