Summary

On July 22, 2025, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) unveiled its “Asian+American” campaign, a national initiative celebrating the multifaceted identity of Asian Americans by rejecting the false choice between being “too Asian” or “not American enough.” Central to the campaign is a 60‑second PSA titled “Beyond, Together,” narrated by Sandra Oh and directed by Sean Wang, offering a poignant exploration of identity pressures and the freedom to embrace dual heritage. Accompanying the film are striking portraits by photographer Jingyu Lin, set to appear across billboards, social media, and other public spaces.

TAAF cites 2025 STAATUS Index data showing only 23% of Asian Americans—and just 20% of those aged 16 to 24—feel fully accepted for their racial identity, and many have historically felt compelled to abandon aspects of their culture or language to fit in. In partnership with creative agency Wieden+Kennedy New York, TAAF aims to provoke an honest, identity-affirming dialogue and inspire pride through the hashtag #AsianPlusAmerican.

Beyond storytelling, TAAF is collaborating with Right To Be and Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) to launch a national “Train-the-Trainer” curriculum focused on bystander intervention in bias and anti‑Asian hate, targeting 10,000 participants in the first year. Norman Chen, TAAF CEO, emphasizes that true belonging begins with visibility and conversation. This campaign is designed to spark both.

Sahra Nguyen transforms cultural pride into powerful action. As the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, she saw how Asian stories and contributions were often overlooked, especially in industries like coffee. Instead of accepting that, she launched Nguyen Coffee Supply to uplift Vietnamese farmers, challenge industry bias against robusta beans, and bring authentic Vietnamese coffee to the forefront.

In high school, Sahra joined a group called The Coalition for Asian Pacific American Youth, which exposed her to Asian American studies, civil rights, and community activism. She majored in Asian Studies UCLA. After graduating, she moved to New York to pursue a career in writing and filmmaking. Having spent many of her working days in coffee shops, she noticed that Vietnamese iced coffees were becoming popular, but none were using coffee beans sourced from Vietnam. She felt this was not right and decided to tell this story. Eventually this led to her start her own coffee company. After five years, Nguyen Coffee Supply became the first company to bring 100% Vietnamese coffee to Whole Foods nationwide.

Sahra built a successful business from scratch while staying rooted in her values of equity, transparency, and representation. She didn’t wait for permission to lead. She created her own lane, using her voice to fight for inclusion. By sharing her heritage and advocating for change, Sahra empowers others to take pride in their identity and challenge the status quo. Her story reminds us that success can be purposeful, and that true leadership begins with honoring your community.