our mission
working towards racial justice by building API community, lifting API voices, and celebrating API identities
our vision
a Middle Tennessee where Asian & Pacific Islanders are connected and thriving.
our values
1
Collectivism
We prioritize the connections between ourselves, our community and the world around us. We work for long term collective wellbeing over short term, individual gain.
2
Radical Transparency
We view being open and honest as key to being accountable to our community. We are committed to transparent operations and sharing our financial statements and internal decision-making processes.
3
Justice & Equity
We center racial justice and equity in our work knowing that ending oppression is only achieved through solidarity. We stand with historically marginalized communities, including those discriminated by race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, national origin, and class.
4
Belonging & Kinship
​We nurture relationships in our immediate and wider communities. We create inclusive spaces where people can be their authentic selves.
5
Joy
We unapologetically embrace being Asian and Pacific Islander. We share and celebrate our unique cultures through storytelling, events, and the arts.
our history
API Middle Tennessee emerged out of community conversations that started in 2019. The organization was officially incorporated as a 501(c)(3) public charity in 2020.
What is API?
Asian and Pacific Islanders
We recognize that there are different terms -- none of them perfect -- that are used to encompass the multitude of Asian and Pacific Islander identities. While not everyone may identify using this term, when we use API, we refer to people with ties to the geographic regions of East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia (the Indian Subcontinent), the Pacific Islands and Native Hawaiians.
