This past May, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) brought together leaders, creatives, entrepreneurs, athletes, and storytellers for its 2026 Heritage Month Summit, centered around this year’s theme: Asian+American Dream.
Cold Tea Collective’s Natasha Jung interviewed artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and changemakers to explore what the Asian+American Dream means today.
Their answers reflected a community redefining success on its own terms through representation, authenticity, cultural pride, and a commitment to creating opportunities for future generations.
The Asian+American Dream is finding strength in community
For creator Ryan Alexander Holmes, one of the most meaningful parts of the evening was simply being surrounded by community.
“I just love that there’s so many of us in one room,” he said. “We’re celebrating each other.”
For Canadian race car driver Samantha Tan, the summit was a powerful reminder of the strength found in community. Competing in a sport that remains overwhelmingly white and male, Tan described returning to spaces like TAAF as both energizing and empowering.
“It’s always so energizing for me and empowering to see how far we’ve come as a community,” she shared.
As one of the few Asian women in professional motorsports, Tan also spoke about her dream of becoming the first Asian woman to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the importance of becoming “the role model I never had.”
See also: F1 Academy and McLaren racer Bianca Bustamante is proudly Filipina
Reflections on our collective journey to America
The theme of possibility echoed throughout the summit. Actor and content creator Sam Song Li reflected on his mother’s journey after immigrating from China and how her pursuit of opportunity shaped his own understanding of the American dream.
“What makes America so wonderful is that this really is a country where you can have the same opportunities as anyone else,” he said.
Intention and reinvention as Asian Americans and Asian Canadians
Canadian creator Kenny Song spoke about the pride he feels representing Canada on an international stage.
At the same time, actor Harry Shum Jr. reflected on returning to the passions that first inspired him and continuing to reinvent himself through his work.
Music industry pioneer Sophia Chang encouraged attendees to embrace what makes them uniquely themselves: “Write down every single thing that you love about yourself,” she said. “The aggregate of that list is unique to you.”
Reclaiming our narratives for reimagined futures
For entrepreneur and investor Anjula Acharia, progress means reclaiming the narrative. Reflecting on the evolution of South Asian representation in entertainment and media, she noted that communities are increasingly telling their own stories rather than being defined by stereotypes.
“Now we’re writing our own story,” she said. “We can give a true representation of who we are, which is multifaceted.”
That sentiment resonated with media executive Jason Ve, who spoke about the growing influence of Asian culture in mainstream entertainment and the importance of creating the kinds of stories many of today’s leaders wished they had growing up.
“I believe that there is this great movement that Asian culture is also mainstream culture,” Ve shared.
Redefining our own Asian American dreams and shaping the future
Speaking with attendees throughout the day, one theme continued to surface: the Asian+American Dream is no longer about fitting into someone else’s definition of success.
It is about having the freedom to tell our own stories, celebrate our cultures, support one another, and build pathways for those coming after us.
From race tracks and film sets to boardrooms, kitchens, and media companies, the voices gathered at the TAAF Heritage Month Summit demonstrated that Asian excellence is not confined to a single industry, identity, or experience.
It is as diverse and multifaceted as the communities it represents, and it continues to grow stronger through solidarity, visibility, and collective action.
The United States of America turns 250 years old
As the U.S. reaches its 250th anniversary, the urgent question arises: will Asian Americans be included in our country’s story? TAAF’s newly launched storytelling campaign, The United States of Asian+America, spotlights Asian American firsts, inventors, and industry pioneers who changed our nation.
Each episode will feature an original interview with a trailblazer behind America’s biggest industries and cultural shifts, including YouTube co-founder Steve Chen, USB inventor Ajay Bhatt, rapper MC Jin, music executive Sophia Chang, culinary pioneer Martin Yan, and NBA champion Jeremy Lin.
