About AAS

About us

The AAS competition is organized and spearheaded by Silicon Valley Community Media (SVCM), a 501c3 non-profit, has produced thousands of creative film and digital media projects for over a decade and has proudly celebrated our diverse culture through hundreds of events.



Join us as a volunteer

What?

Asian American Stories is an annual video contest aimed at celebrating the diversity and experiences of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.


Our first inaugural Asian American Stories (AAS) Competition was held in May 2024 to celebrate and recognize AAPI in our local community by Silicon Valley Community Media. With the theme “All of Us Belong Here.” We had 72 submissions from individuals, students, and organizations. The contest was a great success and highlighted the tremendous diversity of our AAPI heritage. During the competition, we honored video creators, distributed $20,000 in awards, and hosted over 450 attendees and 40 partners at the event gala. A tremendous community esprit de corps was created, including a heightened sense of belonging and collective identity. This year’s 2025 competition’s theme, “My Gift to America,” will feature AAPI excellence and our unique contributions to our country. With your support, we aim to make this year’s competition even bigger and better!

Why?

Our Mission is to empower and unify AAPI and ethnic leaders by using media and communication to bridge the gap between AAPI and other communities across the United States. Your support will continue SVCM’s legacy of:

  • Amplifying Asian American Voices
  • Fostering Unity, Inclusion, and Community connections
  • Combating Anti-Asian Sentiment
  • Championing Pan-Asian Initiatives
  • Celebrating Asian American Heritage
Tell the Stories

To tell the stories of Asian American contributions both to the Asian American communities and to the mainstream.


Bring Together

To bring communities together. Promote diversity, racial justice, and equity. Stop the hate.



Cultivate Connections

To foster informational exchanges amongst ethnic Asian Americans who hardly know each other or have never worked together on a pan-Asian project.

Enlarge Influence

To unite KOL (Key Opinion Leaders) to join efforts and work together to enlarge the AAPI Influence Sphere.



Who?

We are Silicon Valley Community Media Asian American Stories

  • Committee Members: 
    Diana Ding, Joel Wong, Arthur Jue, Gerrye Wong, Babara Why, Chin Lin, Amy Zhao, Liyan Zhao, Alex Liu, Tami Nguyen, Grace Zhang, Liang Cheng, Sylvie Nguyen, Jihong Huang.
  • Judges: 
    Joel Wong, Chair, David Louie, Sandy Close, Don Orozco, Richard Flanders, Tony Shyu, Mattie Scariot, Lisa Gillmor, Piyush Malik, Elpidio Estioko, Beverly Molina.
  • Youth Ambassadors

Ethan Guan, Sophia Cheng, Michelle Ahl, Sylvie Nguyen.

That's us

How We Do

Contest Details: 


Two Divisions: Youth (Ages 12 - 18); Adult (19+)

  • Entry Requirements: Submit a one-minute video & a 150-word essay by March 15, 2025. The video must be in MP4 or MOV format, under one minute, and the essay written in English.
  • Theme: “My Gift to America” should showcase uplifting and inspirational stories of Asian Americans and their contributions to society.
  • Submission Instructions: Digital files (not YouTube links) should be sent to Silicon Valley Community Media (SVCM).


Submission Period:

January 15 - March 15, 2025.




Contest Rules:


  • Open to journalists, influencers, content creators, organizations, and everyone desiring to share Asian American stories in the U.S.
  • Content must be original and relevant to the theme. Use of external material requires      proper permissions.
  • By entering, participants grant SVCM permission to distribute videos across various media platforms.
  • Judging will focus on inspiration, storyline, creativity, and technical skills. The Judging Committee's decision is final.

 

Judging & Awards:

  • Prizes: 1st Prize (2); 2nd Prizes (2); 3rd Prizes (2); People’s Choice - $1,000.
  • Judging Criteria: Inspirational content (3 pts), storyline (3 pts), creativity (2 pts), and production/technical skills (2 pts), evaluated on a 10-point scale.


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