Welcome to the Supporting Our AAPI Communities Toolkit!

The term “AAPI” refers to all people of Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander ancestry who trace their origins to countries, states, jurisdictions, and/or diasporic communities of these geographic regions. In 2020, approximately 24 million people identified as Asian alone or in combination. That same year, an estimated 1.6 million people in the U.S. identified as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone or in combination. According to the 2020 Census, 5.1 million people in the U.S. identify as Asian alone, or in combination population of Chinese, except Taiwanese, descent. The Chinese (except Taiwanese) population comprises the largest Asian group, followed by Asian Indian (4.5 million), Filipino (4.1 million), Vietnamese (2.2 million), Korean (1.9 million), and Japanese (1.6 million).

There is a long and diverse history of AAPI communities in the U.S. Despite progress, members of various AAPI communities in the U.S. continue to face discrimination and encounter structural barriers. In addition, since 2019, members of AAPI communities have experienced an “alarming increase in hate crimes specifically targeting individuals who identify as Asian.” Since 1992, the United States has observed the month of May as Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month to recognize the histories, cultures, and achievements of these communities, including those of Native Hawaiian communities.

For decades, AAPI Bruins have been actively involved in the UCLA community, and AAPI alumni have contributed to the Native American and Pacific Islander Bruins Rising Initiative, which aims to provide a comprehensive approach to furthering equity and inclusivity through efforts to diversify and support UCLA student, faculty, and staff populations.

The AAPI community at UCLA is home to a diverse and engaged population, proudly championing a wide variety of nationalities, ethnicities, and cultures. Centering these voices and important perspectives helps ensure all members of our UCLA family are treated with dignity and care, paramount to the mission of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).