About AAJA New York
AAJA New York is the New York chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Asian American and Pacific Islander journalists and advancing fair, accurate coverage of AAPI communities.
Founded in 1987 by Jeannie Park, AAJA New York serves journalists, students, editors, producers, freelancers, media leaders, and storytellers across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. As the association’s largest chapter, we create space for AAPI journalists to build careers, find community, and shape the future of media.
Today, AAJA New York reaches more than 500 active members and 2,500 newsletter subscribers. Our members work across print, digital, broadcast, audio, documentary, nonprofit media, higher education, communications, and independent journalism.
Our Vision
AAJA New York aims to be a civic, cultural, and professional home for AAPI journalists. We believe journalists of color need more than networking. They need access to decision-makers, support at every career stage, opportunities to lead, and a community that understands the pressures of working in media today.
Our vision is to make AAJA New York a model for what a modern affinity journalism organization can be: a chapter that advocates for better representation, connects members with major media and cultural institutions, and builds lasting community through storytelling, mentorship, culture, and public service.
Our Mission
AAJA New York supports the national mission of AAJA by working to:
• Build community and professional support among AAPI journalists.
• Help students and early-career journalists enter and grow in the industry.
• Advocate for fair, accurate, and nuanced coverage of AAPI communities.
• Create direct access to editors, newsroom leaders, cultural institutions, and media organizations.
• Support journalists through mentorship, programming, scholarships, and peer networks.
• Strengthen the presence and leadership of AAPI journalists in media and beyond.
What We Offer
AAJA New York supports members through year-round programming, partnerships, and community events, including:
• Career panels, newsroom visits, and professional development workshops.
• Conversations with editors, reporters, producers, critics, authors, and media executives.
• Events with leading media and cultural partners, including The New York Times, ESPN, NBC, Asia Society, NYC Department of Education, The Met, CUNY, NYU, the Korean Cultural Center, TAAF, and others.
• Community gatherings such as mixers, book talks, screenings, walking tours, wellness events, karaoke, trivia, dim sum meetups, and member socials.
• Scholarships and fundraising initiatives that support students and early-career journalists.
• Opportunities for members to meet collaborators, find mentors, pitch ideas, and grow as leaders.
What Makes AAJA New York Distinct
AAJA New York brings together three core strengths:
Advocacy
We continue AAJA’s long-standing work of pushing for stronger newsroom diversity, better representation, and more accurate coverage of AAPI communities.
Access
We connect members with major media, cultural, civic, and educational institutions that can help open doors in an increasingly difficult industry.
Community
We create spaces where journalists can build real relationships through culture, food, art, storytelling, wellness, and shared experience.
