Tell Us Your AAPI Story

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month and WDET, in partnership with Detroit Public TV, is amplifying the voices of Southeast Michigan’s Asian American and Pacific Islander community by inviting them to have meaningful conversations and sharing their stories. We’ve heard stories ranging from an epic love tale to two friends growing up in a small town to an adoptee finding his birth mother in another country — and we want to hear yours for a possible story or be featured on our social media channels.

Here’s how to submit your story:

1) You can give us a call at 313-312-8805 and leave us a voicemail telling us your story.

In your message, please include the following:

• Your name
• The city you live in
• Your #AAPI story. Whether it’s about growing up in Michigan, learning how to cook from your grandmother, how you took up and created space as an Asian American in the workplace — what are the life experiences that have shaped your story? We want to know!

2) You can also record your own #AAPIStory. Here’s how to capture your own sound like a WDET reporter!

• If you have an iPhone, you can use the Voice Memo App pre-installed on your phone.
• If you have an Android, you may need to download a voice recorder app, such as ASR Voice Recorder, to record your message.
• If you have a Pixel, you can use Google Voice Recorder.
• You can also record on your computer using a program like Garage Band for Mac users or a free recording tool like the open-source Audacity.
• Once you’ve got your sound recorded, send it to us at digitaleditor@wdet.org.

Pro tips for recording:

• Make sure you are in a quiet space with lots of soft surfaces (carpeted bedroom, a closet full of clothes — if Ira Glass can do it, so can you — blanket fort, your car are all great makeshift studios).
• Keep it short (no more than 1 minute), sweet and simple!

You will find links to these conversations below as well as stories and educational resources throughout AAPI month. You can also follow along on our social media channels – @wdetdetroit on Instagram, @wdet on Twitter and @wdetfm on Facebook.

Conversations

“Our Life Together Has Really Been a Gift”

“It Was a Reckoning for Us”

How an Adoptee’s Search for His Birth Mom Fueled His Advocacy for Equality

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“We Have to Take a Stand”: Rise in Anti-Asian Attacks Sparks Calls to Action

The Detroit Murder That Galvanized the Asian-American Civil Rights Movement

This Young Asian American Activist Aims to Show Up in Solidarity for Communities of Color

Learn More

American Citizens for Justice

Detroit Public Television’s Asian Americans — The Detroit Story

Detroit Public Television’s May 19, 2021 Town Hall 

Rising Voices