This is a site by Keith Kamisugi used to occasionally promote events, news and opinion about issues and organizations in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area.
foundasian.org launched in January 2010 to replace hapihour.org, which was a blog counterpart to the happy hour series called “(H)API Hour” that promoted progressive Asian American and Pacific Islander organizations, issues, events and people.
(H)API Hour was originally founded in 2000 by community activists Linda Li, David Chiu (now President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors), Khin Mai Aung, Monty Agarwal, Gavin Funabiki, Phil Ting (now San Francisco Assessor-Recorder), Jane Kim (San Francisco Supervisor) and Victor Hwang.
Since its first San Francisco event in July 2000, (H)API Hour has raised the profile of and thousands of dollars for AAPI nonprofits and issues, including: 1830 Sutter (Japantown Y), AABA CRC, AAJA (SF and LA), AATC, Angel Island Foundation, APALSA Conference, APAs for an Informed California/No on Prop 54, API Legal Outreach, API Wellness, Asata, Asian Law Caucus, Asian Neighborhood Design, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Asian Women’s Shelter, CAA, CCDC, Chinatown Beacon Center, Committee for Human Rights in the Phillipines, Community Educational Services, East West Players (LA), emPower/APIForce, GAPA, Hapa Issues Forum, Hyphen Magazine, Jackson Street Residential Program/Asian Focus Unit, JCYC, KEEP, KAC-SF, KSW, Lanuola, Locus, NAATA, Narika, OASES, Stop Oakland Chinatown Evictions.
(H)API Hour expanded to Los Angeles for several years. Our initial supporters and volunteers in Los Angeles included: Alice Lee, Catlin Nguyen, Diane Tanaka, Darrell Miho, Emmy Lam, Emilia Hwang, Evangeline Reyes, Laurie Sumiye, Herbert Hu, Jason Park, James Lee, Janelle Hamabata, Jhemon Lee, James Toma, Kevin Chiang, Richard Kim, Karin Wang, Lilly Rewruja, Ling-Ling Chang, Jack Wai, Marilyn Lin, Wendy Lin, Mauricio Hirano, Michelle Suzuki, Michelle Hu, Mike Fong, Joy de Leon, Satomi Furugaki, Sarah Park, Steve Chee, Wayne J Pan, Ellen Li, Yumi Higa and Young Hoo Kim.
The (H)API Hour events and hapihour.org are now both defunct. This site and a 1,000-plus address email list are still used to build awareness of Asian American and Pacific Islander issues.
Contact Keith at keith@keithpr.com.