This year marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence promised life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In May, New Breath Foundation will honor the movement leaders who continue the work of making those promises true for everyone at our annual awards ceremony and fundraiser. NBF’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, Maya Iwata, recently joined…
This March marks five years since the Atlanta spa shootings of March 16, 2021, when eight people — six of them Asian women working in massage spas — were killed. For We Got Us Fund grantee partner, Red Canary Song, a grassroots collective that has spent nearly a decade standing beside migrant massage workers and…
This past month, we spoke with Pajouablai Monica Lee, Director of Chapter Strategy and Engagement, from Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP), and Claudia Leung, New Breath Foundation Director of Programs. Both have deep ties to Minnesota and longstanding roots in organizing. Read on for their reflections and calls to action on how philanthropy can…
We begin the year with a conversation with NBF board member Doua Thor. As a former funder and long-time supporter of New Breath, Doua discusses what drew her to NBF, what sets it apart within the philanthropy sector, and how we can respond to this moment with intention. From Lived Experience to Lifelong Advocacy I…
This Year’s Challenges Looking back on 2025, it’s difficult to fully grasp the year. Our communities and our democracies have been harmed in ways that impact us all. In 2020, a virus was attacking humanity; this year, the attacks have been political, social, and ideological, unfolding both domestically and internationally. There’s been a constant cycle…
Across the country, families continue to face mounting threats of separation due to deportation, detention, and incarceration. Throughout our 2025 Giving Campaign: Keep Families Together, we’re highlighting several We Got Us Fund grantee partners – Asian Refugees United (ARU), ‘Ekolu Mea Nui, EMAC, KhAAG, and PrYSM – who have stood with their communities through moments…
This blog post is adapted from a speech delivered by Isabelle H. Leighton, New Breath Foundation board member, at the organization’s annual fundraiser in May 2025. It has been edited for clarity and flow. At New Breath Foundation, May is more than Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. It’s a time…
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S. wars in Southeast Asia. For many families, the aftereffects of war continue today in the form of deportations, displacement, and separation. In this setting, Minnesota 8 (MN8) has emerged as a powerful community-rooted organization defending Southeast Asian refugees’ right to stay, heal, and thrive. In this…
Founded and operated by formerly incarcerated Pacific Islanders, FOU (which stands for “Faatasiga O Uso,” or “The Gathering of Brothers” in Samoan) Movement is a We Got us Fund grantee that offers youth outreach, addiction recovery, and reentry support across Southern California. We sat down with founder and vice chairman Tino Luafalemana to talk about…
We sat down with New Breath Foundation’s Program Manager, Mari Yamagiwa, to reflect on their past four years with the organization. Mari shared what first inspired her path into movement work, how she supports grantee partners across multiple levels, and the importance of care and creativity in sustaining this work. Mari is based in Chicago,…