Thirteen-year-old Piedmont resident Mina Fedor is one of five finalists for Time’s “Kid of the Year” award for her work as an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) activist. She will be recognized by Trevor Noah on Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. during a TV special on Nickelodeon.
On the website for her group AAPI Youth Rising, Fedor explains how she got involved in this cause:
I spoke about the rise in xenophobia against the AAPI community due to COVID-19 at my school assembly at the beginning of the pandemic back in 2020, at a time when no one was talking about this issue. After a year of witnessing the increase in anti-Asian sentiment and violence towards my community, I decided to take more action. Originally I had a little idea to hang a sign in support of the AAPI community over the I-80, one of the busiest intersections in CA.
On March 28, 2021 community members representing the diversity of the Bay Area came together in solidarity with the AAPI community. Originally, I had hoped for 70 participants. To my surprise, over 1,200 participants joined the crowd. On a bright and sunny day, we heard from many brave youth as we raised our voices. A first grader even spoke up! We then marched to the SF Bay Pedestrian Footbridge and hung our signs on the overpass while we heard motorists honk in support. It was an inspirational day for all of us. In that moment, we realized that even as middle-schoolers, we can make a difference. These small actions add up.
AAPI Youth Rising is an organization composed primarily of middle-schoolers that aims to “take small actions to make positive change in our communities.” The group encourages supporters to sign the ONE/180 pledge in support of at least one day of AAPI history + culture during the school year.
AAPI Youth Rising has also been selected as the partner organization for the American Girl Brand’s Girl of the Year Doll, Corinne Tan.
Congratulations to Mina! It takes vision coupled with action to make change. Great to see someone so young taking steps in that direction.