Cal State LA celebrates graduates of APIs Mobilize Leadership Program
Students from Cal State LA and Pasadena City College complete five-week leadership program focused on civic engagement, identity, and community leadership.
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August 10, 2026 By Margie Low The next generation of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) leaders and other first-generation college student leaders took center stage at Cal State LA on Aug. 7 as students from Cal State LA and Pasadena City College (PCC) graduated from the Southern California APIs Mobilize Leadership Program. Hosted by the ROOTS Scholars Program (ROOted in Togetherness and Strength) at Cal State LA and the Division of Institutional Equity, Diversity, and Justice at PCC, the graduation ceremony celebrated students who completed a five-week summer leadership program designed to strengthen leadership skills, deepen civic engagement, and prepare participants for community leadership. This year’s APIs Mobilize Leadership Program is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Cal State LA and PCC that brings together AANHPI students to build community, explore identity, and develop leadership shaped by their lived experiences. Through interactive workshops, mentorship, and conversations with public officials and community leaders, students gain the knowledge, confidence, and professional experiences needed to become engaged leaders on their campuses and in their communities. Click here to view the full article. |
2020 Executive Director's Year-End Review
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Click the play button to watch the video
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December 28, 2020 The Mobilize Youth Leadership Programs in East Bay and Southern California had a record number of applications despite the coronavirus pandemic. Our virtual platform allowed us to expand our reach across the state and we’re proud to have been able to provide our Mobilizer Network with additional resources and training sessions to advance their leadership development. We are grateful for the support from all of our partners and we look forward to building more pathways for more Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders to take leadership roles! To learn more about our programs, check out our year-end recap video! "I’m extremely proud of the work we were able to accomplish by keeping our focus on the needs of our students. A record number of participants graduated from our youth programs and received scholarships during this challenging year, thanks to the support of our generous partners and sponsors. We are also grateful to our dedicated Board of Directors for their time and commitment in advancing our mission. This year has been a privilege for our Mobilize family and we look forward to creating more youth and AANHPI leaders in 2021.” - Annie Lam, Founder / Executive Director |
World Journal Graduation Feature
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August 11, 2019 World Journal covered our August 10, 2019 Southern California Mobilize Youth Leadership Program graduation. The students and our Mobilize College interns were recognized by Congresswoman Judy Chu, Assembly Member Ed Chau and more. Click here to view the full article |
NBC NEWS Feature
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In California, Asian Americans find growing political power April 19, 2018 By Agnes Constance NBC News mentions APIs Mobilize as part of the leadership development programs that help build Asian American representation. "Annie Lam, executive director of the League of California Cities Asian Pacific Islander Caucus and founder of APIs Mobilize, reaches out to high school students in areas with large AAPI populations and recently launched a training program to teach AAPI legislative staffers leadership and management skills. 'We all have our training programs to help build the bench. And that goes into the infrastructure building,' Lam said. 'APIs get elected, then they hire API staff, then we train them so that they move up in the ladder in the legislature.'" Click here to view the full article. |
Los Angeles Times HS INSIDER Feature
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APIs Mobilize youth program brings students closer to community August 10, 2017 By Omar Rashad “I was interested in Asian American Studies was because I identified with it,” said Lam. “I feel like I learned so much about myself, the history of our ancestors, the history of our community, and I identified a lot with the struggles.” It was being able to relate with that subject, that Lam decided to take more Asian American Studies classes and ultimately chose to major in Asian American Studies. Although she didn’t know what it would hold for her in the future, she did so because, “I had so much passion for it." Click here to view to full article. |
People's Daily Overseas Edition Feature
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APIs Mobilize's Summer Youth Leadership Program's Graduation Ceremony August 6, 2017 By Joe Zhou People's Daily Overseas Edition Click here to view to full article. |
Forbes Nonprofit Council Feature
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Three Ways to Mature Your Company's CSR Outlook June 27, 2017 By Kevin XU 1. Tell your tale. Leaders should use any means necessary to tell stories. Employees will see your passion if you share your own experiences and create a more emotional connection to the issue at hand. An example I like is APIs Mobilize, a California-based nonprofit that focuses on educating and cultivating leadership in the Asian-Pacific Islander community. The founder is particularly good at storytelling in a way that directly uncovers the origins of an issue and reveals how to best tackle the problem. On a more immediate level, use content to chronicle your life experiences. Whether it’s a more in-depth undertaking like a book or an ongoing narrative built in a blog, imagery and context help employees understand what they’re striving toward. Click here to view to full article. |