In response to the needs of Asian-American students, many national organizations have started to raise awareness and campaign for legislation addressing these issues. On a more local level, grassroots organizations are also advocating for and empowering Asian-Americans to enact change in their own communities. Many grassroots organizations are located in urban areas, especially on the West Coast, where there is a large concentration of Asian-Americans. These organizations not only address issues surrounding education, but also issues on immigration reform, worker’s justice, civil rights, etc. Since they serve a particular area and are often organized by people in the community,these organizations can truly understand the specific educational issues that need to be addressed. These groups often work on mobilizing youth to advocate for change, especially because these students may be the first in their families to go through the U.S. public education system.

With regards to education, grassroots organizations address a wide variety of obstacles that Asian-American students face in school. Some of these issues such as access to ELL services, the school to prison pipeline, and culturally relevant pedagogy are also pertinent to other students of color. In addition to these topics, grassroots organizations focused on Asian-American students also seek to address the “model minority” stereotype. Many of these organizations seek to raise awareness about this issue and advocate for the disaggregation of data by ethnicity in school reports in order to illuminate the differences in achievement among ethnic groups.

A rally for the “Every Student Matters” Campaign, started by Khmer Girls in Action⁴³

These organizations have achieved success on many levels, enacting both local changes in schools and pressing for statewide and national legislation. On a community level, many organizations have succeeded in having their voices heard by administrators and school board members to affect change in schools. For example, the Asian-American Parents Association has established quarterly meetings with the superintendent and staff of both the Cupertino and Fremont School Districts.⁶ On a statewide level, the campaigning efforts of Asian Americans United contributed to a settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice and the Philadelphia School District, addressing anti-Asian violence.⁷ Grassroots organizations have also succeeded in getting Asian-American youth interested and passionate about the issues that they face in school. Many organizations specifically focus on youth empowerment through after school programs, monthly retreats, and fostering student-led advocacy.

Despite these successes, grassroots organizations face many challenges in having their voices heard. Many people are not aware of the obstacles that Asian-American youth can face in public schools, and grassroots organizations may have a hard time reaching those outside of the Asian-American population. Additionally, the lack of funding is an ever present issue, as the youth development programs and services that these organizations provide take money to maintain.