Chinese Club raises funds to support local AAPI organization

With an increase in anti-Asian incidents, Zhuo Wang, Chinese teacher at South View, Valley View, and Edina High School, knew that she and her students needed to do something to raise awareness. She connected with her student leaders in the Chinese Club and decided to host a t-shirt fundraiser to promote Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage month and support a local organization.

The club collaborated on a t-shirt design that reflects East Asian culture. The shirt color, red, is considered lucky in Chinese culture. The Chinese characters on the top of the shirt are translated in English at the bottom, reading “Edina Chinese language students.” The dragon is a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people who are worthy of it. The shirts were sold to students and families in the Chinese program at all three schools, and over $500 was raised to support The Coalition of Asian American Leaders. 

“Our student leaders, Cata Madrinan, Lily Nygard, and Sarah Mashaal, did a great job of designing and ordering the t-shirts, handling the payments, and finding a local AAPI organization to support. Without their hard work, this wouldn’t have happened,” said advisor Zhuo Wang.