The Next Generation Is Already Leading: How AAPI Youth Are Reimagining Civic Engagement

By YUE YU

Asian Youth Liberty League

When people talk about the “leaders of tomorrow,” they usually mean young people. But if you spend any time around the members of the Asian Youth Liberty League (ALLY), you’ll see something different: the next generation isn’t waiting for tomorrow. They are already leading today.

I’ve seen it happen in high school classrooms, library meeting rooms, and even bustling bake sales. Whether it’s registering voters in the summer heat, moderating a policy competition on Zoom, or organizing career panels that draw students from across the city, ALLY youth are redefining what civic engagement looks like, and they are doing it before most of them are even old enough to vote.

Founded by High Schoolers, for High Schoolers

ALLY began in 2016 when a group of students saw that the AAPI community’s political voice was too quiet in moments that mattered. Our founders, still teenagers at the time, didn’t wait for someone else to fix it. They built an entirely student-run nonprofit to train young Asian Americans to think critically, speak clearly, and lead effectively.

In those early days, ALLY had no social media, no formal board, and no budget. Today, we have grown into a multi-state network of chapters from California to Michigan. We have hosted more than 50 events, registered hundreds of underrepresented voters, and raised thousands of dollars for causes from COVID-19 relief to anti-Asian violence donation drives.

But numbers only tell part of the story. The real impact is in the people.

Civic Engagement Before You Can Vote

Take Avery Hexun, a 15-year-old in our Irvine branch. She is a Student Council member, a Latin Club representative, a Science Olympiad coach, and the president of a youth investing club. Through ALLY, she has found what she calls her “found family,” a space where she can bring her passions into the community, whether that is teaching middle-schoolers science or making financial literacy accessible to her peers.

Avery may not have a ballot in her hand yet, but she is already shaping the civic life of her school and city.

Or consider Qi-Mei “Jamie” Tang, whose love of the board game go led her to national tournaments, youth leadership roles, and ultimately to ALLY. Jamie understands that civic engagement is not only about politics, but also about building spaces where young Asian Americans can connect with their heritage, share their stories, and strengthen their communities.

These stories are not outliers; they are the norm here. Every summer, our members plan and execute their own events, from policy writing and “artivism” competitions to speaker panels with professionals in law, medicine, AI, and public policy. They choose the topics, run the logistics, and learn by doing.

Meeting the Moment

We also teach our members how to respond to the big, complicated issues of our time. When the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, we published a statement that did not shy away from nuance. We acknowledged why some in the AAPI community saw the ruling as a win, but we also pointed out how our community has been used to undermine other people of color and why diversity benefits us all.

Then we took it a step further by committing to an annual Race and Identity workshop so that our members can explore these questions in a safe, informed space.

This is the kind of civic engagement young people are hungry for: not just being told what to think, but being given the tools to understand, discuss, and act.

Why Youth Leadership Matters

Skeptics sometimes wonder what teenagers can really do in civic life. The truth is that the habits and networks they build now shape a lifetime of participation. A student who moderates a candidate forum at 16 is more likely to run for office or manage a campaign at 26. A high-schooler who leads a voter registration drive learns how to organize volunteers, communicate across differences, and navigate public institutions.

In ALLY, we have seen alumni go on to work in mayoral and Senate offices, become civil rights lawyers, and advocate for justice in healthcare and education. They did not wake up one day as leaders; they were given the chance to lead early and often.

Bridging Generations

For the AAPI community, youth civic engagement is also about bridging generations. Many of our members are the children of immigrants. They navigate two worlds: the traditions of their families and the realities of American civic life. By creating spaces where youth and elders can work together, we strengthen the whole community.