Sandra Oh Lends Her Voice to TAAF’s Push for Asian American Visibility

The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) just launched a new campaign reminding viewers that identity isn’t a choice between two worlds.

Unveiled this week, the “Asian+American” campaign is a national PSA created with agency Wieden+Kennedy New York and voiced by actor and producer Sandra Oh.

It aims to challenge outdated assumptions about Asian American identity and build a culture where dual heritage is something to celebrate, not hide.

At the heart of the campaign is a 60-second film titled "Beyond, Together," directed by Sean Wang, a 2024 Academy Award nominee who also participated in TAAF’s Sundance fellowship.

The short showcases a range of real individuals navigating the in-between space of cultural identity, layered with intimate visuals and Oh’s narration.

“Lending my voice on a message so close to my heart — one that represents my community — has tremendous meaning for me,” Oh said.

“I’m so honoured to be part of giving this message to the AAPI community and with the world.”

The project is rooted in stark statistics from TAAF’s 2025 STAATUS Index, which found that only 20% of Asian Americans aged 16–24 feel fully accepted in the U.S.

For TAAF CEO Norman Chen, that emphasizes how urgent it is for a campaign like this. 

“Belonging begins with being seen and heard,” he said.

To conclude his statement, Chen shared his hope that the campaign would spark honest conversations "that help us own, and celebrate every part of who we are." 

A Multi-Platform Effort to Redefine Belonging

The hero spot starts off in the classroom, where a young asian boy corrects his teacher on the pronunciation of his name. 

Kids chuckle in the background. 

The succeeding scenes depict the struggles of everyday Asian Americans, some of which feel they're not too Asian or not too American enough. 

Sandra then delivers a message of hope to the viewers: "Why bend and break to fit in a box that was never big enough to hold us?"

This message is addressed to all the manga-loving skaters, the Canto drifters, the brown eyes and freckle-faced, and more. 

She ends her monologue by calling the perplexity of Asian American identity as a superpower.

"We're not caught between two worlds. We're creating a new one," Oh concludes. 

Apart from the commercial, the campaign includes out-of-home placements, striking portraits by Jingyu Lin, and a digital-first rollout designed to spark emotional engagement.

The film and visuals all invite viewers to answer a simple question: “What is your Asian+American story?”

TAAF has also partnered with anti-harassment nonprofit Right To Be to launch a Train-the-Trainer program aimed at teaching local leaders how to conduct bystander intervention workshops.

Their goal is to equip 10,000 individuals in the first year to better respond to bias and harassment, especially in the wake of anti-Asian hate surges in 2020.

W+K New York’s creative team framed the “plus” sign in the campaign as a symbol of wholeness.

“It’s about disrupting judgement,” said associate creative director Kevin Kaminishi.

“We are a massive community, and it’s time that we celebrate in a way that carries the strengths of our heritage while embracing the freedom to redefine it.”

TAAF is encouraging Asian Americans and allies to participate by sharing their own stories on social media using the hashtag #AsianPlusAmerican.

The public storytelling push aims to reclaim visibility and connection, one story at a time.

Our Take: Can Identity Campaigns Create Real Cultural Change?

When efforts go beyond tokenism and give people space to speak for themselves, they spark change.

What works in TAAF's initiative is the balance between storytelling and grassroots empowerment.

I think pairing Sandra Oh’s voice with real community-led trainings builds trust.

Brands often talk about representation, and TAAF backs it with action.

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