AWARE Ohio

12/08/2025

UPCOMING EVENT: Why Pan-Asian Solidarity Matters 💫

Join Asian American legislators, scholars, and activists from across Ohio for a panel conversation about some of the most pressing issues facing Asian American communities in the state today. Speakers will discuss shared Asian American experiences and histories, current challenges, and how pan-Asian solidarity can bring our communities together and strengthen our voices statewide.

This event is free and open to the public.

🗓️ Thursday, January 15, 2026
⏱️ 7:30 - 9:00 PM ET
📍 Zoom

More information and Zoom link can be found at the link in our bio.

Panelists:

Dr. Tiffany Huang - Professor at The Ohio State University and scholar of race and immigration, particularly as these areas pertain to Asian Americans

Representative Dr. Anita Somani - State Representative for Ohio’s 8th House District (Dublin) and first South Asian woman elected to Ohio State Legislature

Carlen Zhang-D'Sousa, JD - Staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio, a leading civil rights organization

10/02/2025

OCTOBER 8 - 27: Come visit the Mason Public Library to view a pop-up exhibit about the Asian American Experience at Miami University!

Curated by Carver Spangle, a recent graduate of Miami University, this exhibit explores the history of Asian American experience at Miami University over the past 100 years through archival materials held by the Walter Havighurst Special Collections and University Archives.

The display is part of Documenting Asian American Histories in Ohio, a broader initiative to collect, preserve, study, and amplify the voices and contributions of Asian American citizens and diasporic Asians in the heartland of the United States. Through collaboration with local communities, educators, curators, and scholars nationwide, the project seeks to shed light on stories that have been overlooked in American history.

For more information, please visit the link in our bio or https://daaho.lib.miamioh.edu/

10/02/2025

10/02/2025

This past weekend more than a hundred Ohioans demonstrated outside the Statehouse against a pair of bills that could effectively outlaw some immigrants from owning land in the state.

10/02/2025

WTOL 11 covers the rally against Ohio House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 88 this past weekend

The controversial bill has drawn criticisms from many who describe it as xenophobia, while its sponsor cites safety and security.

09/27/2025

Thank you to all who attended the rally against HB1 and SB88 today! We will continue to fight for the rights of all immigrants in Ohio 📣

09/13/2025

Are you an Asian American high school student in Northwest Ohio? Join AWARE OHIO's first Asian American Youth Advisory Board Program! 🌟

The Youth Advisory Board is a unique opportunity for Asian American youth to gain community service and leadership experience. As a board member, you'll join a supportive and inclusive space where you can connect with other local Asian American youth, receive mentorship on college, careers, and leadership, and learn and discuss about key issues impacting Asian American communities—including topics such as racial/ethnic identity, discrimination, and representation. You’ll also have the opportunity to share your feedback on our work and inform a new nonprofit organization’s impact.

The Youth Advisory Board will meet monthly in-person in Perrysburg, Ohio from October 2025 through May 2026. Meetings will be from 2-4 PM on the second Sunday of each month.

To be eligible, you must be a current high school student, live in Northwest Ohio, and identify as Asian American (inclusive of all identities!). Sign-ups are open now through Sunday, October 5!

For more information and the link to sign-up, check out the link in our bio or https://bit.ly/awareohioyab

We hope you will join us for this exciting opportunity! 💫

08/18/2025

We are proud to introduce AWARE OHIO! 🌟

AWARE (Advocacy and Workshops for Asian American Rights and Empowerment) OHIO is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization founded in 2025 to empower first- and second-generation Asian Americans across the state through civic education, leadership development, cultural dialogue, and storytelling.

Our mission is to uplift Ohio's Asian American communities by strengthening civic engagement, amplifying community voices, and sharing both historical and present-day experiences of our community. We strive to raise public awareness of the issues that impact Asian Americans in Ohio and are deeply committed to building coalitions and fostering solidarity with other marginalized communities in pursuit of a more just and equitable future.

Originally founded as the Ohio Chinese American Council (OHCAC), our organization began as a grassroots coalition of Chinese American Ohioans united in opposition to HB1 and SB88, discriminatory legislation that threatened immigrant communities across the state. From that collective movement, AWARE Ohio was born, grounded in the belief that long-term empowerment comes through education, representation, and collective action.

Learn more about us at our link our bio + follow us to stay connected and receive updates on our upcoming workshops and advocacy efforts! 🙌

07/07/2025

New YouTube video out now! Produced by one of our steering committee members, this video shares how grassroots organizing has successfully prevented HB1 & SB88 from advancing out of committee before Ohio legislators went on summer recess.

Watch:

Please take a moment to sign and share our petition that sends objection letters to lawmakers.https://actionnetwork.org/letters/say-no-to-hb1-sb88/Please fol...

06/27/2025

More photos from our rally against HB1 & SB88 on Tuesday, June 25 📣

Take action to defend the rights of Ohio's immigrants by sending emails to your legislators urging them to reject HB1 & SB88. Link to send an email is in our bio.

📸 Photos by Paul Becker

06/26/2025

Photos from our rally against HB1 & SB88 on Tuesday, June 25 📣 We had over 300 protestors braving extreme heat to make their voices heard and demand Ohio lawmakers to reject HB1 & SB88. Our advocacy has successfully prevented these two bills from advancing out of committee before the legislators went on summer recess. We will continue to fight and organize to defeat these bills and ensure that the rights of all immigrant communities are protected in Ohio ✊

If you could not attend the rally and would like to support, you can take action by sending emails to your legislators urging them to reject HB1 & SB88. Link to send an email is in our bio.

📸 Photos provided by Phil Zhang.