This Writing Contest Is Helping AAPI Youth Explore Their Identities, Fight Racial Injustice *

Tanish Gaglani never thought of himself as a whole person. He felt disconnected from his cultural roots ⁘ a feeling that was only worsened by social isolation when the pandemic hit in 2020 and the years after, when he was just 11 years old.

It wasn⁘t until Gaglani began exploring his deepest feelings through writing that he finally started to reconnect with those lost parts of his identity, an accomplishment underscored by him winning the first place prize from Make Noise Today, a literary arts competition.

Gaglani, now 15 and attending high school in Palo Alto, says that writing has become a powerful tool that allows him to embrace his own roots and reclaim his cultural identity.

The contest was established by Long Beach-based communications company Intertrend in partnership with nonprofit Creative Class Collective in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month in 2020 ⁘ in hopes of providing AAPI youth with a platform to combat racist rhetoric, explore their identities, and reconnect with their heritage.

Each year, the organization hosts a nationwide callout for high school students to creatively express themselves through prose, performance, and visual arts ⁘ and highlights those works in an annual exhibition.

This year⁘s exhibition, which showcased selected original, first-person nonfiction works from 70 high school students nationwide, kicked off on Thursday, June 13, at the Billie Jean King Main Library with a special theme: ⁘Amplifying Heritage, Empowering Futures,⁘ an exploration of how their heritage has made them who they are today.

⁘We are honored to see such an incredible representation of Asian American youth and we were so moved by their written, performance and graphic expression of cultural appreciation,⁘ Make Noise Today⁘s executive director Michael Vitug said in a press release. ⁘By reflection on what ties them to their cultural roots, these talented students encourage other members of their generation to share their own stories and maintain this rich culture.⁘

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