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The Yappie is your must-read briefing on Asian American and Pacific Islander power, politics, and influence — fiscally sponsored by the Asian American Journalists Association. We’re always looking for opportunities to collaborate and want to hear from you.

Send questions, tips, ideas, press releases, and more to [email protected].

If you're interested in joining our team, email [email protected].

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Welcome to The Yappie

Informing and empowering AAPI communities

The Yappie is your must-read briefing on Asian American + Pacific Islander power, politics, and influence — fiscally sponsored by the Asian American Journalists Association. Every week, we give you a comprehensive rundown of policy news and activism affecting AAPI communities, with updates from Capitol Hill and beyond. Subscribe now.

Our Mission

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities are among the fastest growing populations in the United States and play a critical role in our nation’s future. Yet they continue to feel ignored by both ends of the political spectrum and excluded from important policy conversations.

We believe that AAPI communities are empowered when they are informed, and that as the political landscape continues to evolve, no elected official should take our votes for granted. Furthermore, issues impacting AAPIs are more important than ever—and we simply need better ways to share information, tools, and resources. That’s why The Yappie aims to:

  • Track the work of AAPI advocacy organizations and AAPI elected officials, as well as other efforts to civically engage AAPI communities
  • Uplift original writing and reporting by AAPI journalists and publications
  • Create and distribute resources for AAPI students and interns pursuing careers in policy/public service, journalism, and communications
  • Demonstrate that AAPIs deserve a strong voice in the national conversation, and that issues like immigration, housing, labor, data privacy, and poverty are AAPI issues
  • Bolster civic engagement among certain AAPI populations that are traditionally uninterested in policy and public service. Subscribe now.

Your Questions, Answered

“Yappie” stands for “young Asian professional.” 

  • Used as early as 1987 (from what we could find) and popularized in the 2018 Wong Fu miniseries “Yappie,” the term is generally used to describe a rising generation of youth who pursue "safe" jobs and financial stability.
  • Some perceive yappies as oblivious to the issues facing greater AAPI populations, and the broader and older categorization of “yuppie” is associated with a host of socioeconomic stereotypes.
  • However, the term "Yappie" also encapsulates the debates within the Asian American community around racial identity, socioeconomic expectations of immigrant families, the “model minority” myth, and political apathy — all topics that we are eager to explore.

We are committed to operating with integrity. Our purpose is to inform and serve the community, and we deeply value the trust of our readers.

Accuracy: Our coverage and analysis should be well-sourced and presented in clear, precise language. Reputable sources include, but are not limited to, interviews, legal documents, academic journals, and trusted news organizations.

Transparency: We serve in the community interest, and we will be honest about what we offer. We strive to be accountable to our readers, and we will openly acknowledge mistakes and work to correct them.

  • Inaccurate information contained within stories must be corrected and/or clarified, and a note must be placed on the top of a story explaining the error.
  • At times, a note may be placed on the top of a story to reflect new information or to clarify information. Changes for clarity, spelling or style do not require a correction note.

Attribution: We give credit where credit is due. All quotes and information are to be attributed properly and clearly.

  • Quotes or information provided directly to, or obtained by, a Yappie team member must be noted as such by using the words “tells The Yappie.”
  • Quotes or information taken from other outlets for context must be attributed to that outlet with the words “[outlet] reports” or “tells [outlet],” along with a link to the article. In newsletters, we will include the name of the outlet’s writer or reporter in the description.

Plagiarism: Plagiarizing–passing off another person’s work as your own–will not be tolerated under any circumstances and will result in immediate termination upon review.

Respect: We will be respectful and open-minded in communicating with sources, stakeholders, interested parties, and our readers.

The Yappie is a not-for-profit newsroom fiscally sponsored by the Asian American Journalists Association and supported by individual donors, grant funding, and philanthropy.

  • Donors and sponsors play no role in our journalism, and there is a strict firewall between funders and The Yappie’s newsroom. Our storytelling, planning, and execution may be impacted by specific grant requirements, but we are not beholden to any person or entity.

Most of our funding comes from individual donors and grants:

  • In July 2022, The Yappie also received a microgrant from the Project Voice Fund as part of their 2022 Civic Impact Initiative supported by the Asian American Women's Political Initiative (AAWPI).

Note: Individual donations made through our Ko-fi page are not currently tax deductible. Under our agreement with the Asian American Journalists Association, The Yappie is an AAJA-sponsored project eligible for grants, and AAJA may accept tax-deductible contributions on behalf of The Yappie as we work to obtain IRS tax-exempt status.

  • For tax questions and details on making a donation through AAJA, please reach out to [email protected]. We encourage you to contact us prior to making a contribution of any amount.

We generally use the terms “Asian American and Pacific Islander” and “AAPI” unless specifically noted, and more nuanced language is applied to ensure proper representation.

  • We may also use “AANHPI” (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) in certain contexts, especially when it relates to federal data, programs, and research.

Our Team

Our all-volunteer team is made up of passionate young professionals who have worked in government, political media, and at some of the nation’s leading AAPI advocacy organizations. All bring unique experiences and connections that allow us to provide unparalleled coverage on what’s at stake for our communities.

LEADERSHIP

  • Andrew Huang is The Yappie's co-founder and chief executive officer. Originally from Livingston, New Jersey, he received his B.A. in molecular biology from Harvard College in 2022, and is currently pursuing an MPhil in international development at the University of Cambridge. Outside of The Yappie, he researches U.S.-China relations, particularly international trade and industrial policy, and has worked at the Council on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and Harvard Law School. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys spending time at the beach, watching Bob’s Burgers, and playing hours of Super Smash Bros. You can reach Andrew at [email protected].
  • Andrew Peng is co-founder and president of The Yappie, communications associate at OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, communications advisor at the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association. A San Diego, California native who was raised on the East Coast, he graduated from Rutgers University-New Brunswick in May 2021 with a B.A. in strategic public communication and political science. He previously interned with a variety of government agencies and nonprofits in Washington, D.C., including the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology and Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC. In his free time, he enjoys photography and eating soup dumplings. You can reach Andrew at [email protected].
  • Shawna Chen is The Yappie's editor-in-chief and a reporter for Axios. Her work has appeared in POLITICO, Palo Alto Weekly, and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Her investigative reports have uncovered racial disparities in tenure rejection, the complicated roots of youth mental health crises, and the unseen impact of Trump’s war with Chinese tech on small businesses. She is a proud member of the Asian American Journalists Association and an alum of Amherst College. In her free time, she enjoys consuming unhealthy amounts of boba, playing sudoku, and watching BoJack Horseman on repeat. You can reach Shawna at [email protected].
  • Note: To comply with applicable conflict of interest and ethics policies, Andrew Peng is not involved in The Yappie's editorial decision-making and has no influence on our coverage. The Yappie maintains a strict firewall between our editorial and operations teams, as well as between donors and The Yappie's newsroom. Additional internal rules, as adopted on April 20, 2022, are in place to ensure that our storytelling, planning, and execution are never beholden to any person or entity, and that all team members promptly disclose possible conflicts.

EDITORIAL

  • Meher Bhatia is a junior at Cornell University studying Communication and Environment & Sustainability with a special interest in policy. She is currently the Science Editor of her collegiate newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun, and has previously worked for award-winning publications like Living Bird and California Magazine. Meher is interested in reporting on climate change and issues that disproportionately impact AAPI communities. In college, she has also found a passion for audio journalism, creating a feature-series podcast on the outcomes of COP26. In her free time, Meher enjoys listening to new music, learning to play her electric guitar, and doodling on her skin.
  • John Camara is a recent graduate of Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS) with a BA in Economics and International Relations. Through his experiences, John has developed an interest in AAPI advocacy. In the summer of 2017, he interned with the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership and in 2019, he served as an Empowering Pilipino Youth through Collaboration (EPYC) Ambassador. John has also interned for nonprofits and public officials. Moreover, he developed an honors thesis analyzing the impact of ethnic enclaves on the wage outcomes of different Asian ethnic groups in California. In his free time, John likes to watch movies, play tennis, and hike.
  • Nysa Dharan is a student at the University of Pennsylvania studying Economics and English. Previously, she was assistant editor of SPARK magazine, an Austin-based creative publication, and her pieces have been recognized nationwide. She is interested in examining the economics of marginalized communities and inequalities. In her free time, she enjoys writing comedy skits, going on long walks, and testing different iced coffees.
  • Zeean Firmeza is a Filipina sophomore at Pomona College. She intends to study Public Policy Analysis with a Politics concentration and Asian American Studies. Education policy, building coalitions with other BIPOC groups, and re-imagining a liberated world are her passions. In her campus, she is committed in APIDA work and expanding Southeast Asian resources such as Tagalog language learning. Zeean works as an intern for her school’s Asian American Resource Center (AARC), Asian American Mentor Program (AAMP), and Kasama (Claremont Colleges’ Filipinx Student Association). She wrote multiple op-eds for The Student Life – shedding light to campus issues. In her free time, she loves gaming, going to concerts, and lounging in the beach!
  • Austin Huang is a student at Georgetown University, studying international politics and Asian studies. The son of Chinese immigrants, he hails from just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Having had experience with AAPI advocacy and organizing both in high school and in college, he is passionate about reporting on a wide range of AAPI political issues, as well as exploring how international politics and relations can impact Asian-Americans domestically. He is also an editor for The Hoya, Georgetown's largest student publication, covering sports and other campus news. In his free time, he loves watching bento-box assembly videos on YouTube and finding the best bottomless brunch deals in D.C.
  • Rachel Lee is a senior in Northern Virginia. She is the Editor-in-Chief of her school's magazine and her scientific research and writing pieces have been recognized nationwide. In her free time, Rachel enjoys playing the violin, traveling, and searching for new restaurants.
  • Preston Lieu is a sophomore at Meridian High School interested in journalism. He is the founder and owner of Newsian, a project devoted to increasing civic engagement for Asian youth, and he runs Dialogue & Discourse, a Medium publication reporting news and ideas worthy of discourse from bipartisan perspectives. As the Opinions editor for his school’s newspaper The Lasso, he enjoys writing critical essays and op-ed pieces and has medaled multiple times for the Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards. Preston loves debating, playing soccer, and eating Korean food. 
  • Katelyn Monaco is an educator whose goal is to provide a collaborative, equitable, and accessible educational experience for all students. Having worked for the Washington Pro Bono Council, NAKASEC, OCA-Asian American Pacific Advocates, and APIC-South Puget Sound, she has worked with diverse coalitions to build resources for under-served communities. In her free time, Katelyn loves finding new educational podcasts, spending weekends painting, and sewing her own clothes.
  • Katrina Pham is studying journalism and Asian American studies at Northwestern University. She’s an editor for Northwestern’s student publication, The Daily Northwestern, and she’s covered topics relating to Evanston’s city government, the local Latine community, and other campus news. Katrina is interested in reporting through a race and culture lens, and since coming to Northwestern, she’s found a passion for video journalism as well. Katrina is also a member of the Asian American Journalists Association and AAJA’s Video affinity group. Most recently she lived in Livingston, New Jersey, but she’s lived in Chicago, Illinois and Bellevue, Washington. In her free time, she loves to drink bubble tea (honey lemon jasmine green tea, 30% sugar!) and watch video game streamers on Twitch.
  • Edith Philip is a rising sophomore at Tufts University studying English and Economics with a minor in Asian American Studies. She is currently a Staff Writer for the Tufts Observer as well as a programming intern for the Tufts Asian American Center. Edith is interested in data journalism; the interdisciplinary field that combines her love for quantitative research and writing. At university she has found a passion for political education and organizing as well, and she has grown with the Asian American Resource of Boston. In her free time she enjoys practicing her Tamil, sitting outside in the sun, and reading books by South Asian authors.
  • Dhanika Pineda is a Filipina journalist passionate about human centered cultural storytelling. She is a recent graduate of the University of California, Irvine, where she earned B.A.s in Literary Journalism and English. She's the Features Editor at Kapwa Magazine, a Filipino cultural publication, and previously served as Editor in Chief at her campus newspaper. She is a strong proponent of ethical journalism and founded an alternative student publication during her tenure as EIC to fight censorship. She's previously worked to debunk misinformation at NewsGuard, to accomplish local storytelling at Orange Coast Magazine, and to support national education initiatives at the Smithsonian Institution. She was a 2023 Asian American Journalists Association VOICES Fellow and a proud alum of the Emerson Collective Youth Collaborative. In her free time, she enjoys reading (banned books!) and baking.
  • Sonia Prasad is a recent graduate of Williams College, where she earned her B.A. in political science with a concentration in international relations. She was an executive editor at her campus newspaper, the Williams Record, and studied journalism at New York University as a visiting student. Sonia also has experience with audio and video production. In the spring of 2022, she was selected for a student journalist advising cohort at WSJ Noted., a news and lifestyle magazine by the Wall Street Journal. Sonia grew up in northern Virginia and loves coffee, traveling, and animals.
  • Javan Santos is a proud CHamoru who was born, raised and educated in Guam. A University of Guam graduate, he is passionate about telling stories of the Pacific and its diaspora with The Yappie. He previously worked as a policy analyst for the Guam Legislature and currently serves as policy manager for The Climate Initiative. Javan enjoys listening to radio fiction podcasts, running, and cooking Pacific Islander desserts.
  • Naomi Vanderlip is a senior at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo majoring in English and Journalism, minoring in Spanish and Linguistics, and obtaining her Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Certificate. She was born and raised in the Bay Area. She became involved with journalism as a freshman in high school and has written for newspapers, produced television broadcasts and done audio work since then. She is passionate about solutions journalism, reporting on underrepresented communities and holding the powerful accountable. In her free time, she loves adding destinations to her bucket list, thrifting for hidden gems and scouring for the best boba in town.
  • Joshua Yang is a student at Princeton University, where he studies philosophy and computer science. A Palo Alto, California, native, he’s previously attended the Asian American Journalists Association’s JCamp program, the Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute, and was the 2020 Al Neuharth Free Spirit scholar from California; he was also published in Scholastic’s Best Teen Writing of 2020 anthology. Chat with Joshua about all things brown sugar boba, Hangul, and Ocean Vuong.
  • Mary Yang has been a writer for The Yappie since 2021. She has also worked for Inc. Magazine and Foreign Policy. Recently, she covered affordable housing and transportation policy on Capitol Hill as a congressional reporter for Medill News Service. Mary is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association, and she is based in Washington, D.C.
  • Wendy Ying Lau is a recent graduate of Cornell University with a BA in Government and Environment & Sustainability. She has previously interned as program manager and peer lead at Cornell’s Asian and Asian American Center (A3C), intern for New York Senator Timothy Kennedy, and facilitator for the 4-H Rural Storytelling Project. She currently works at TerraCycle. Wendy grew up in New York City, and she enjoys rewatching Friends, exploring new food locations, writing Yelp reviews, reading, and taking daily walks.
  • Samson Zhang has written for The Yappie since 2021 and studies Public Policy Analysis and Engineering at Pomona College. They are an award-winning data journalist who has covered Inland Empire labor organizing, police and carceral violence against AAPI communities and diversity issues in top journalism and higher education institutions. They have previously worked as an investigative fellow for AAJA Voices and Equity Lab reporter for the Sacramento Bee. Originally from New York, Samson is learning to love people and spaces in California.

OPERATIONS & FINANCE

  • Maya Chu is a senior at Iowa City West High School. She is the feature editor for her school's award-winning student publication, the West Side Story. Her work has been recognized by the National Scholastic Press Association and she was selected as Iowa's 2022 Al Neuharth Free Spirit scholar. When she's not writing, you can find Maya curating Spotify playlists, watching YouTube documentaries, or painting.

Contact Us

We’re always looking for opportunities to collaborate, and we’d love to hear from you on how we can improve our content to better serve the community. If you have any tips, ideas, press releases, opportunities, or questions, feel free to send a note to [email protected].

If you're interested in joining our team, please email Andrew Peng at [email protected].

For information on how to contact specific members of our team, click here.

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