Funding Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities: Setting the Context at a Pivotal Moment

Join Dr. Janelle Wong of University of Maryland, Asian Amerian Studies, Jonathan Tran of The California Endowment, and Kenji Treanor of the Stuart Foundation for a webinar panel discussion to kick off our series on critical issues facing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) learners and communities. Panelists will discuss the historical and contemporary forces shaping the racial position of AAPIs today, as well as highlight intra- and intergroup dynamics that must be understood to provide effective support to AAPIs in the current educational landscape. The webinar will conclude with an initial discussion about the role of education funders in ensuring equity and inclusion for AAPIs into the future.

This event is intended for members and other education grantmakers. There is no cost to attend this Grantmakers for Education program. Registration closes 15 minutes prior to the program time. Thank you for your patience; we review each registration in advance.

Speakers:

Jonathan Tran
Senior Program Manager
The California Endowment

Jonathan Tran is currently a Senior Program Manager with The California Endowment’s statewide Power Infrastructure team. Jonathan oversees The Endowment’s civic engagement, Democracy, narrative change and power building portfolio to empower Californians with the tools to improve community health for all.

Prior to joining the Endowment, Jonathan worked as the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center’s (SEARAC) California Policy and Programs Manager--serving as the organization’s lead California policy advocate and community organizer for the country’s largest Southeast Asian American population. Jonathan also worked in the California State Legislature, first as a Senate Fellow for State Senator Sheila Kuehl and then as a Legislative Aide for California Assemblymember Mike Eng.

Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Asian American Studies and Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. The son of Teo Chew refugees from Vietnam, Jonathan was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and currently resides in Sacramento, California.

Kenji Treanor
Director of Strategy, Effectiveness & Learning
Stuart Foundation

At Stuart, Kenji oversees strategy formulation and execution, grants and program activities, organizational learning and assessment, and communications. Inspired by his grandparents who were born on sugar cane plantations in Hawai’i and in Irish working class neighborhoods in Boston, and by his parents who completed college via non-traditional paths and worked in public interest fields, Kenji is committed to building a more inclusive and just society now and for generations to come. He was drawn to the Stuart Foundation because of its long history in supporting the holistic development of young people, as well as its vision for creating an equitable education system that elevates students’ assets and supports them to realize their fullest aspirations for themselves, their families and their communities.

Kenji had the privilege of previously partnering with nonprofit and education leaders through his roles at the Sobrato Philanthropies and The James Irvine Foundation where his experience as a grantmaker spanned early education, K12, and postsecondary education at the local, regional and state level – and included efforts focused on policy, practice, and public engagement. Kenji currently serves as a board member of the Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) Program and of Californians for Justice. He earned a B.A. in American Studies from UC Santa Cruz during the late 90’s in which multiple protest movements forever shaped his belief in activism to ensure fairness in public institutions, and he later completed a Master of Public Administration degree as part of a night/weekend cohort at the University of San Francisco.

Dr. Janelle S. Wong
Professor
University of Maryland

Dr. Janelle Wong received her PhD from the Department of Political Science at Yale University.  She is Professor of American Studies, Government and Politics, and a core faculty member in Asian American Studies at the University of Maryland.

Dr. Wong is author of Immigrants, Evangelicals and Politics in an Era of Demographic Change (2018, Russell Sage Foundation Press), Democracy’s Promise: Immigrants and American Civic Institutions (2006, University of Michigan Press) and co-author of two books on Asian American politics. Wong conducts research on Asian American political attitudes.  As a Senior Researcher at AAPI Data, she helped to design the 2020 Asian American Voter Survey and the 2021 AAPI Data/Survey Monkey Survey on AAPI experiences with hate crimes, discrimination and bias.  She has co-authored several amicus briefs, including in support of affirmative action.