FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 9, 2024

Contact: Gia Vang | gia@veryasianfoundation.org

Four-time Olympian Alexander Massialas and fashion designer Ashlyn So to help donate diverse books to San Mateo-Foster City School District and San Francisco Unified School District.

When: Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 9 a.m.

Where: College Park Elementary, 715 Indian Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401

When: Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 2 p.m.

Where: John Yehall Chin Elementary School, 350 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133

SAN MATEO AND SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Two school libraries in the Bay Area will receive about 100 books written by Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander authors who center stories about AA and NHPI experiences.

The Very Asian Foundation (VAF) in partnership with AvalonBay are proud to deliver more than 100 books to two Bay Area school districts through The May Book Project. The project aims to help schools and libraries build and maintain robust Asian American youth literature collections for all readers. VAF and community partners provide funding to donate books to at-need libraries.

The project is inspired by St. Louis-based high school students who asked their schools for more Asian American literature during Asian Pacific Heritage Month in 2021 but were largely ignored.  Some students reported self-harm because they didn’t feel seen on district bookshelves and by their district.  The May Book Project is a vetted, high-quality, and free resource to help libraries support readers. 

The Very Asian Foundation’s Co-founder Gia Vang and advisory board member Christine Ni, as well as Avalon Bay volunteers will be on hand to deliver the books. Four-time Olympian Alexander Massialas and fashion designer Ashlyn So will be on hand to deliver the books and read to hundreds of students at two assemblies.  They will also be available for interviews

“We know how important it is for students’ mental health to be seen in places they frequent, places that matter to them like the school library,” said Vang.  “We are honored to help these students learn about themselves while giving libraries free resources to choose what works for them,” said St. Louis-based journalist and VAF co-founder Michelle Li.

“AvalonBay is a proud sponsor of the Very Asian Foundation and their project of providing schools and libraries a robust collection of Asian American literature for young readers. As part of AvalonBay’s Spirit of Caring, associates donate time in the classroom reading, handing out books and interacting with kids. We’re honored to support College Park Elementary in San Mateo and John Yehall Chin Elementary in San Francisco’s Chinatown this coming week,” said Eric Ostgarden, Vice President, Operations, AvalonBay Communities.

The Very Asian Foundation was founded in 2022 after a racist voicemail to broadcaster Michelle Li went viral and sparked a global moment of unity. VAF’s mission is to shine a light on Asian experiences through advocacy and celebration. Visit our website to learn more about the foundation and the May Book Project.