Our mission is to provide resources and support for the local Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander American community, and increase the visibility and representation of the Asian American diaspora in Evanston’s civic, cultural and community spaces.
WHAT?
A center where Asian American art, culture, stories and history can be researched, created, shared, performed, archived and preserved. This space will serve as the FIRST EVER in Evanston to serve the needs of our local Asian American community as a resource center and point of connection for outside social services, mental health, immigration, translation and legal services.
WHY?
10% of Evanstonians identify as Asian American yet there are NO spaces, services or supports in our city that meet their needs. Asian Americans have been in Evanston since the late1800’s yet there are NO documents, images, stories or artifacts archived to show that Asian Americans have been or continue to exist here. Asian Americans continue to be INVISIBLE and underrepresented in our city and this Center will be the first step towards combating the continued rise in anti-Asian hate and violence and preparing the harm that the Asian American community continues to experience.
HOW?
$690,000 will help us to:
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provide services for the local Asian American community that not only meet their culturally-specific needs, but also creates a sense of belonging for a community that has historically been ignored
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offer cultural programming that will raise awareness, education, and engagement in the rich diversity and intersections of the Asian diaspora through visual, musical, performance, language and culinary arts for the whole community helping to disrupt harmful stereotypes that perpetuate racism and injustice
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establish budget security until 2026 while we apply for grants and fundraise to build a sustainable Center that will serve generations to come.
For the past year, Evanston residents have been collecting ideas from the community on how the City should spend $3,000,000 of the ARPA fund. Those ideas were compiled to develop proposals for projects that the whole community can vote on. This process is called Participatory Budgeting! One of those proposals is to establish an
Asian American Art & Culture Center.
Come see us at one of the PB Expo's!
Sunday, September 10, 2023, 2-5pm
Fleetwood-Jourdain
1655 Foster St.
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Saturday, September 23, 2023, 2-5pm
Levy Center
3000 Dodge Ave.
