• by Danielle Oster , Yesterday

Asian Americans often face cultural stereotypes and a pressure to conform to fit societal expectations, factors only exacerbated by a rise in anti-Asian hate following the outbreak of the COVID pandemic in 2020.

According to the 2025 STAATUS Index published by advocacy organization The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), just 20% of Asian Americans aged 16-24, and 23% overall, feel fully accepted for their racial identity. The survey of nearly 5,000 Americans also found that 38% of those aged 16-24 felt like they don’t belong in online spaces or social media platforms, with 35% reporting the same for their school or university.

TAAF has launched a new PSA campaign bringing the issue to life. The organization partnered with creative agency Wieden+Kennedy (W+K) New York for “Asian+American.”

“The ‘plus’ is about turning a negative into a positive. It’s about disrupting judgment, perception, and ill-conceived notions of identity. It strikes down barriers and broadens our understanding of who Asian Americans are and who we can be,” W+K New York associate creative director Kevin Kaminishi explained in a statement. “

The campaign centers around a 60-second “Beyond, Together” ad narrated by Emmy-award-winning actor Sandra Oh. “Beyond Together” was shot by Taiwanese-American director Sean Wang, whose 2023 documentary short film “Ni Nai & Wài Pó” was nominated for an Academy Award.

The PSA opens on a young girl named Kaisei explaining to her teacher how to pronounce her name. As the spot unfolds, it goes on to share stories of those struggling with feeling “too Asian,” “not Asian enough,” “too American,” or “not American enough,” before arriving at a celebration of dual identities exemplified by “Henna and high tops,” and “manga-loving skaters.”

In addition to the video, the national campaign also includes portraits taken by Chinese-American photographer Jingyu Lin, which will run across digital and OOH platforms. The national campaign culminates with an invitation for Asian Americans and allies to share their own “Asian+American” stories on social media with the hashtag “#AsianPlusAmerican.”

As part of the effort, TAAF is also partnering with anti-harassment education group Right To Be on expanding access to bystander intervention training through the launch of a “Train-the-Trainer” program designed to educate local leaders to deliver workshops in their own communities, with a stated goal of reaching 10,000 people in its inaugural year.

“For too long, Asian Americans have been made to feel like we must shrink, code-switch, or choose between identities just to be seen as American enough. Belonging begins with being seen and heard, and we hope this campaign sparks the kind of honest conversations that help us own, and celebrate, every part of who we are,” TAAF CEO Norman Chen said in a statement.