The Very Asian Foundation celebrates AA+PI talent and accomplishments

After sharing the voicemail on social media and going viral, Li teamed up with Vang to found VAF, which focuses on shining a light on Asian experiences through advocacy and celebration.

One of those recent celebrations was the organization’s second annual Sunday Funday Luncheon, last month. The event was held in Bellevue, Washington, and only in its second year, raised a little more than $60,000—about $20,000 more than the previous year.

At the event, VAF highlighted its six Creators Grant recipients: MochiUnni founder Pa Houa Vang, filmmaker and artist Eunice Chen, chef Jayson Ramos, filmmaker Frances Rubio, music enthusiast Akiko Sampson, and educator Pa Nou Vue. Each individual received $1,000 to support their creative projects.

“I got the most emotional listening to the microgrant winners,” Li tells JoySauce. “Eunice Chen got emotional in her video, and I found myself with tears streaming down my face. I know we don’t provide the microgrant winners with life-changing money, but it is so meaningful to hear that the money we do give provides confidence and support they need to move forward with their dreams.”

In addition, JoySauce founder Jonathan Sposato was the event’s guest of honor.

“I was 100 percent flattered and gobsmacked by the honor,” Sposato says. “Michelle Li has always been someone who's done the hard work to support others, quietly adding value to others around her, and always so intelligent about AA+PI issues—that for her to honor me was nearly unbelievable.” He adds that it takes a village to make greater and more meaningful strides as a community and that he is essentially an avatar, representing all the people who have influenced, inspired, educated, and loved him.

Sposato says he loves VAF because the organization was born out of defiance. “An ‘eff you’ to normalized racism that continues to 'other' Asian Americans in their own country,” which aligns nicely with JoySauce as they both subvert the white-normative framework and flip the script in our favor.

VAF’s other work includes The May Book Project, which helps schools and libraries “build and maintain robust Asian American youth literature collections for all readers”—because as we know, representation matters, in all forms of media.

With VAF coming up on its third anniversary, Li can’t believe how the foundation has grown—and it all started with that one voicemail. “I think on a general level, it shows that people do want more opportunities to build community,” she says. “Having been a part of AANHPI groups for many years, I know there are groups with a long legacy of serving our communities. But it’s nice to also serve in a different way as a journalist-founded, grassroots organization…I am truly blown away by the outpouring of support and hope that people know we are humbled by it and always want to show up in the most meaningful way for folks.”