About

Our Mission

We cultivate healthy, long-lasting, and vibrant Asian and Pacific Islander communities through community-centered engagement, education, and advocacy.

Our Vision

We want a world where Asian and Pacific Islander communities – and all communities of color – have full power to access good health and a healthy environment.

Get to know us

Our Team

API Forward Movement is driven by advocates who are passionate about health equity, the environment, food access, and social justice. Our core staff collaborates closely with community members, organizational partners, youth activists, researchers, and other local leaders on a daily basis. We believe in doing the work collectively!

Naeomi is a Community Engagement Coordinator for the Food Roots Nourish team at APIFM. She is a recent graduate of California State University, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health…

Duke (he/him) works to ensure a healthier community through advocacy, community engagement, and service. In the future, Duke hopes to eliminate chronic diseases that continue to burden the population. Prior to joining APIFM, Duke worked in corporate wellness as a team lead…

Kevin Cortes (he/him) is a Distribution Coordinator on the Food Roots team. He handles sales as well as the deliveries for the program. Every week, Kevin communicates with the local…

Louise “Isa” Fonua (she/her) is a Community Health Worker at APIFM. Recently graduating with her Masters in Counseling from CSULB, Isa has always had a passion for community work. As a Community Health Worker, she has…

Heng Lam Foong (she/her) co-directs APIFM with Kyle Tsukahira. She brings to the organization over 25 years of experience in nonprofit management, community engagement and policy advocacy…

Juan Hoos (he/him) is Distribution Coordinator I under APIFM’s CalFresh Health Living (CFHL) team. He collaborates with food rescue organizations such as…

Pamela recently joined the team as a Community Engagement Coordinator and is excited to connect community members with the CalFresh program. Fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English…

Jean Park (she/her) is a Program Coordinator for Water is Life & Nature for All projects. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jean is inspired by community-led efforts and initiatives focused on…

Leah Perez (she/her) plays a multi-faceted role at APIFM as a Community Healthcare Worker (CHW), Enroll LA team member, and early childhood educator. She joined the team during the pandemic since witnessing the magnitude of negative impacts within the Pacific Islander community…

Freddy Ramos (he/him) is a Program Coordinator for APIFM’s CalFresh Health Living (CFHL) team. He is dedicated to addressing food insecurity in Los Angeles, CA. With a passion for social justice…

Cecilia Su’a (she/her) is a program coordinator at APIFM with the Sustainable SGV program. Since graduating from UCLA in 2021, she has been actively involved in various non-profit organizations and social services…

Esther (she/her) is a Program Coordinator on APIFM’s Sustainable SGV team for Clean Air SGV, Environmental Justice Summer Institute and Nature For All programs…

Christopher Tenorio (he/him) is the Program Coordinator for Food Roots Nourish’s Community Health project at APIFM. Born in Guam and originally from the Bay Area, Chris found himself in Los Angeles in 2017 in order to…

Papu Togafau (he/him) is a Community Health Worker at APIFM. Originally from San Bernardino California, Papu has been in LA for the last 9 years where he got his degree in sociology at UCLA. He has worked primarily in community outreach nonprofits revolved around…

Kyle Tsukahira is currently a Co-Director at Asian Pacific Islander Forward Movement (APIFM). Kyle has over nine years of experience in leading community-based programs focused on health equity, food access, and environmental justice for Asian & Pacific Islander (API) communities in Los Angeles…

Amelia (she/her) is passionate about working to improve health equity and provide quality care for underserved communities. Since graduating from UCLA, she has worked with various Pacific Islander COVID-19 response…

Lyna focuses on culturally responsive programming centering on healthy food access, nutrition education, healthy cooking, and community gardening. She leads farm-to-school initiatives…

Peggy Wang joined SSG/APIFM in 2022 as a Community Engagement Coordinator with the Enroll LA team where she engages easily with community members to inform and help qualified persons to enroll into the CalFresh program. Peggy is…

Clarissa (she/her) is a Community Engagement Coordinator for APIFM’s Sustainable SGV team. Based in Alhambra, Clarissa is a cheerful and enthusiastic individual who is passionate about creating healthier…

As the Senior Policy Coordinator of the API Forward Movement’s Sustainable SGV program, Jeshow Yang works to empower local residents to positively impact the SGV communities. Collaborating with the residents and elected officials, he focuses on…

Advisory Board

Our highly active advisory board provides vision and fundraising support across our work. Their energy and dedication help drive us!

Jessica is currently a climate advisor with the Natural Resources Defense Council and works intimately with the City of Los Angeles on vehicle electrification and mobility projects. Prior to this,…

Passion for APIFM: Ranko has been a long-time supporter of APIFM’s work and is especially passionate about access to local, fresh produce by API families. She has learned a lot from APIFM’s continued…

Passion for APIFM: Kathryn was introduced to APIFM through the Board Leadership Program (BLP) and was immediately drawn to the organization’s mission. She loves that APIFM provides such a wide…

Jocelyn Estiandan, MPH, serves a Health Program Manager of the Integration Unit within the Office of Planning, Integration, and Engagement at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH)…

Passion for APIFM: Michael is passionate around health and an active lifestyle. He believes the API community in the Los Angeles area should have access and support to achieving a…

Passion for APIFM: Avisha shares APIFM’s passion for promoting wellbeing for all by providing access, education, and opportunities…

Passion for APIFM: I was introduced to APIFM through the Board Leadership Program (BLP). I loved the mission of this organization which serves the community by…

Passion for APIFM: Daphne is excited to be a part of APIFM because of her passion for health and wellness as it contributes to active living. She strongly believes in…

Passion for APIFM: I first knew about APIFM’s amazing work on improving food access through Food Roots Harvest – which is an area I am especially passionate about…

Passion for APIFM: I first was introduced to APIFM through its Community Supported Agriculture program and loved the fresh produce and ability to support local Asian farmers. I’ve also been…

Passion for APIFM: Alex recently learned about APIFM and immediately resonated with the mission to help uplift API community…

Passion for APIFM: I love that APIFM introduces healthy living and sustainable life skills to our community. It’s such necessary and critical work that often gets overlooked…

Donors & Supporters

This work would not be possible without the generous support from people who believe in the work we do. We thank you!

APIFM Sustainers

Over 45 individuals who give monthly to support APIFM’s work in the community!

Foundations

Beim Foundation
Butterfly Equity Foundation
California Community Foundation
Chinatown Firecracker Run
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
City of Hope – Community Benefits
Community Catalyst
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Liberty Hill Foundation
Resources Legacy Fund
The California Endowment
The Greenlining Institute
Weingart Foundation

Government

California Air Resources Board
California Department of Food & Agriculture
California Environmental Protection Agency
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
US Environmental Protection Agency

Nonprofits

Active San Gabriel Valley
Asian American Pacific Islander Equity Alliance
Council for Watershed Health
Nature for All

Education

California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Los Angeles
Garvey Elementary School District
KYCC Kids Town Preschool
Occidental College
Pepperdine University
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Southern California

Business