API Forward Movement

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Los Angeles, CA
API Forward Movement

We are cultivating healthy, long-lasting, and vibrant Asian and Pacific Islander communities through grassroots organizing.

Forward: With the current state of our country and the new administration, we are faced with leadership that wants to move us backward--to roll back the rights and access we have fought so hard for in the name of racial, social, economic, and health justice. We are challenging this affront with a clear emphasis on pushing forward. Pushing forward to protect the basic rights of our diverse, immigra

nt families and beloved communities. Pushing forward to expand those rights and enhance access to the resources we all need to live healthy, vibrant lives in empowered communities. We want to be forward in our approach to advocacy and justice, and to support everyone in looking forward, with hope, to a better tomorrow. Movement: Localized, grassroots organizing in our Southern California API communities is the foundation for our work because we are committed to building movements for healthy change. We want to continue fusing advocacy, education, and leadership development, so that the people who are directly impacted are the people driving not only the conversation, but also the change. And for us, as a health justice group, movement means getting both physically and politically active. When we hike, bike, walk or roll together, we aren’t just exercising--we are also actively facilitating one another’s growth to become local health activists who are part of a larger movement for healthier communities. Our new mission is clear: Forward Movement is here to cultivate, healthy, long-lasting, and vibrant Asian and Pacific Islander communities through grassroots organizing. This identity honors the work we have already been doing--working with API community members throughout Los Angeles County, Orange County, and beyond to increase access to healthy foods and healthy environments--and conveys our ongoing commitment to tackling, as organizers, the root causes and systemic issues that inform our ability to live healthy lives.

09/03/2026

On Tuesday (June 30th), the MYARC cohort was immersed in the pilot Transit to Trails (T2T) initiative, an effort to make nature accessible by public transit 🚍☘️. We first met at the South Pasadena Metro Station, where we utilized LA’s public transit system, the Metro train (), to get to Memorial Park Metro Station in Pasadena. Then we hopped on a shuttle, the proposed T2T connector, that took us straight to Switzer Falls trailhead for a peaceful hike through the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument (SGMNM).

Through this module, we learned about the Transit to Trails (T2T) initiative, which aims to connect communities to green spaces by providing public transit access directly to trailheads and cultural sites along the foothills and into the SGMNM. This initiative helps break down transportation barriers, ensuring that everyone has equitable access to the outdoors, particularly those without a car. While hiking, we gained a deeper appreciation for the natural green spaces around us and recognized how beneficial it would be to have full access to them without transportation obstacles. This experience reminded us why it’s so paramount to support initiatives like T2T that ensures more people can experience the bountiful benefits of nature.

We concluded our module with an opportunity for the youth to provide input on the T2T initiative where they shared wonderful ideas and feedback to support its success. Special thank you to the Nature for All team for guiding us through the day. Follow us to get updates on T2T!

09/02/2026

🌱👩‍🌾 Last month, our young gardeners rolled up their sleeves to help care for the school garden by spreading mulch around the garden beds. Along the way, they learned how mulch helps protect the soil by holding in moisture and keeping plant roots cool during the summer heat.

The garden also became a sensory adventure! 🌿 Students picked and smelled a variety of edible plants—including scallions, tomato leaves, and shiso—to discover how different scents can hint at the flavors of the foods we eat.

To wrap up the lesson and cool off on a warm day, everyone enjoyed a refreshing cup of homemade Vietnamese mint iced tea—a delicious way to celebrate the flavors growing right in the garden! 🍵💚

08/31/2026

✨ APIFM Sustainer Highlight ✨

Meet APIFM Sustainer Alex Tsao, whose support is grounded in a deep belief in community care 💛 Alex first connected with APIFM through friends on our Advisory Board. As he learned more about our work, he was drawn to the many ways APIFM supports and cares for our community, from youth programs and food distribution to language assistance and so much more.

We’re so grateful for Alex and all of our Sustainers who make this work possible 💚 Swipe through to learn more about what inspired him to become a Sustainer, and join Alex in sustaining our community by becoming a monthly supporter at apifm.org/sustainers

08/27/2026

✨ Throwback Thursday ✨

On Thursday, June 25, the MYARC cohort visited the Santa Fe Dam Compost Hub to learn from the team about composting, food systems, and how to recover food waste in our communities 🧑‍🌾🌽.

The amazing LA Compost team led an inspiring lesson on the environmental impact of food waste. Throughout the module, we learned that composting is an extremely effective way to protect the environment by reducing food waste in landfills and lowering harmful methane emissions.

Community composting, in particular, serves as a powerful tool for environmental justice. It helps prevent waste from disproportionately polluting other neighborhoods, often low-income communities and communities of color, and instead keeps the compost local, returning valuable nutrients to the soil and replenishing the very communities where that waste was generated.

By shoveling, sifting, and watering compost, the youth were able to support LA Compost’s mission and give back to their community. They were also able to explore the site to gather inspiration for their impact project videos and completed a creative compost vision activity.

Thank you to for this meaningful volunteer opportunity and guiding us on our composting journey 🙏!

We wrapped up the day by re-grounding ourselves in the community visions the youth shared when they first applied to the program, reminding us of the purpose and passion that brought us together in the first place. ✨

08/25/2026

Last month, our Community Health team returned to Long Beach for another successful produce distribution with Hope United Methodist Church! 💚🥬

With the summer heat on the rise, we distributed cooling kits made possible through generous funding from Royal Business Bank (RBB). ☀️🧊 Each kit included a cooling towel and hand-held fan to help community members stay safe during the hot summer months. We are grateful to RBB for supporting this effort and helping us provide resources that can help prevent heat-related illness!

Community members also received fresh vegetables and eggs, making the distribution a wonderful opportunity to support both nutrition and summer heat safety. Thank you to RBB and Rev. Dr. Sione Tu'ipulotu for helping us support the Tongan congregation and surrounding community! ❤️

08/21/2026

Planning your fall calendar? 🍂 Make sure to add the APIFM Friendsgiving "FUN"draiser Run/Walk to your list! 🏃‍♀️ Come run, walk, or cheer us on at beautiful Whittier Narrows while supporting APIFM’s work to strengthen food access, advance environmental justice, promote community health, and empower youth. ❤️

📍 Whittier Narrows Area D Parking Lot
750 Santa Anita Ave, South El Monte, CA 91733
🗓️ Sunday, November 15, 2026
🏁 Race Start: 8:00 AM
🎽 Bib Pick-Up: 7:00AM – 7:55AM

🏃 Race Distances: 5K • 10K • 15K • Half Marathon
🎟️ Registration: $40 for all distances (optional $10 more for a special race day shirt)

Secure your spot at apifm.org/2026fundraiser or head straight to the link in our bio to join us for a fun morning while giving back to the community! ❤️

08/19/2026

On July 11th, APIFM’s Sustainable SGV Coalition held its second meeting of the year at the Langley Senior Center in Monterey Park to discuss community priorities, learn the steps taken by San Gabriel Valley Progressive Action (SGVPA) to ban data centers in Monterey Park, and introduce members to the Nature For All movement.🌳

During the meeting, participants raised concerns about issues like air pollution, extreme heat, food insecurity, and lack of third spaces. Members were given the chance to brainstorm and share their input on actionable solutions to address these local concerns. Some proposed solutions included planting more trees to expand tree canopies, introducing more cooling centers, increasing access to affordable supermarkets, and creating cleaner public spaces.

After discussing community priorities, SGVPA presented their campaign to ban data centers in Monterey Park. Some key strategies included leveraging social media to spread awareness, community protests, and public pressure to sway city leaders’ opinions.

In addition, members had the opportunity to sign a petition urging Congress to continue protecting and funding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the greater Angeles National Forest amid ongoing threats to public lands from the Trump administration. 🗻 To learn more and sign the petition, click the link in our bio. 🔗(Select you were referred by APIFM!)

From local to national advocacy movements, our meeting highlighted that when we organize, collaborate, and elevate community members, we can build collective power to create a better environment for our communities!

08/13/2026

Check out this month's Taste of Home in Alex’s Home!

“Chump Dumps” aka Cantonese wontons, pronounced wàn tān, is a Cantonese dish that is known for its savory meat filling wrapped in a very thin dough wrapper made of flour and eggs. Wontons are also called dumplings, as they’re one of many types of dumplings. "As a 4th grader, instead of calling them wontons, I would call them “Chump Dumps” for fun."

Check out the link in our bio to read Alex’s story and others like it!

08/11/2026

APIFM recently joined fellow Butterfly Equity Foundation grantees for a Grantee Gathering, where grantee organizations connected and learned about current statewide policy developments and what it means for the communities we serve. The gathering included a presentation on updates regarding H.R. 1 and its implications for CalFresh, as well as broader issues related to food and nutrition security, economic development, and environmental sustainability. 🌱

The gathering also created space for participants to reflect on their policy goals and identify opportunities to strengthen their capacity. It provided a valuable opportunity to share perspectives, exchange ideas, connect with organizations navigating similar challenges, and build on how we can continue advocating for healthier, more equitable food systems. 💚

08/06/2026

Water is life, and climate-resilient neighborhoods are the future! 💧🌱

For Water 1, the MYARC cohort headed over to Peck Water Conservation Park to connect with our partners Henry Mitchell and Justin Lano at Amigos de los Rios (). Our advocates dove into a "Water 101" crash course led by APIFM’s Water is Life (WIL) team before taking a guided tour of a local nature-based water capture project.

The youth explored how green infrastructure can completely transform urban concrete spaces into living, climate-resilient landscapes that protect our groundwater and our health. The day was packed with hands-on activities, from testing water quality and identifying native plants to learning exactly how bioswales protect our local watershed. We even got to connect it back to our own roots by looking at local greening transformations, like APIFM’s WIL Fremont Elementary School project! 🏫🌿

Thank you so much to the team for hosting us, grounding us in watershed health, and inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards! 🌍🌊

Address

905 East 8th Street
Los Angeles, CA
90021

Telephone

(213) 553-1800

Website

http://www.apifm.org/, https://linktr.ee/forwardapi

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