Forging a Path of Power and Justice: Honoring the 2025 Changemaker Award Recipients
On October 2, 2025, Asian Americans Advancing Justice — AAJC will host the American Courage Awards, a night dedicated to honoring the brave leaders who stand at the forefront of the fight for justice, equity, and civil rights.
This year, we are thrilled to present the prestigious Changemaker Award to two remarkable grassroots organizations whose work is a testament to the power of transformative community advocacy: Asian Americans United (AAU) and Asian Texans for Justice (ATJ). Their fearless dedication is not just about defending communities; it’s about actively building a future where Asian American voices are heard, involved, and respected.
Asian Americans United: A Legacy of Unyielding Resistance in Philadelphia
Born from a moment of crisis in 1985 — a time of rising anti-Asian violence — Asian Americans United emerged as a living force for justice in Philadelphia. For 40 years, it has become a cornerstone of community, a champion for youth empowerment, and a guardian of cultural heritage.
We rarely get a stronger opportunity to showcase how storytelling and narrative change can make the difference in advocacy as clearly as AAU demonstrated through their monumental victory last year. They mobilized a broad coalition of elders, youth, and allies to defeat a billionaire-backed plan to build a sports arena in the heart of Philadelphia’s Chinatown. This wasn’t just a fight to save buildings; it was about saving, caring, and affirming a whole community identity. The campaign declared with one voice: “We are not a blank space on a map. We will not be erased.”
Through powerful storytelling and strategic organizing, AAU protected more than a physical space; it safeguarded a legacy of resilience, culture, and joy. The narrative change work of AAU revealed the value of Chinatown — showcasing its importance to the entire community, getting people to value Asian Americans as part of the city’s social and cultural fabric, and galvanizing people to fight back in a true “David vs. Goliath” situation.
From fighting anti-Asian violence to nurturing youth leaders, AAU is a living example of what it means to use narrative and storytelling to build power from the ground up and to protect, nourish, and uplift a community in the face of injustice.
Asian Texans for Justice: Seizing Power in the Lone Star State
Across Texas, the burgeoning Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population is ready to step into its power — and Asian Texans for Justice is leading the charge. Serving more than 1.9 million Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Texans with a mission to connect them to civic action, ATJ is actively building the political and personal power necessary for a more inclusive and representative future.
In a state where policy decisions have historically marginalized communities of color, ATJ is building the infrastructure to ensure Asian Texans are not just present, but leading. They have taken on critical battles, from opposing discriminatory land laws that echo historical xenophobia to launching multilingual voter outreach campaigns.
ATJ has called out harmful rhetoric, stereotypes, and pushed back against anti-Asian violence in 2020 and 2021 that left the community feeling vulnerable. Recognizing that these, and many other issues, have deep impact on the community, ATJ is committed to ensuring AAPI Texans have a growing voice and presence in the state.
Whether developing the next generation of AAPI leaders or forging statewide and national coalitions, ATJ is creating space for bold belonging and transformative civic power.
Their message is an unapologetic declaration: Asian Texans are here, and our voices will not be silenced.
Why We Champion Them
AAU and ATJ embody the powerful diversity of the AAPI experience. While their communities and geographies differ, both organizations are founded on deep listening, intergenerational organizing, and courageous advocacy. They don’t just react to crises; they are proactively building the future. They protect what matters most — and they forge a path for what comes next.
Join us in celebrating these extraordinary leaders at the 2025 American Courage Awards on Thursday, October 2, in Washington, DC.
Let us honor those who build movements, fight displacement, and expand democracy. Let us celebrate those who show us what’s possible when we rise together.
Visit AmericanCourageAwards.org to learn more about the event and current or past honorees.
