Episode 1 – The Gift

Asian Counseling and Referral Service was born of the civil rights movement. Locally, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders worked to lift up the voices of the community, which was often overlooked and invisible because of the misconception that they were the “model minority.” Find out how a handful of social work students and community advocates came together to build the foundations for ACRS, setting it up to become the “epicenter of advocacy” for the AAPI community over the last four and a half decades, according to community advocate and former Seattle councilmember David Della.

Episode 2 – The Ideal

The Vietnam War and Fall of Saigon continue to capture the hearts and minds of Americans today as significant points in our nation’s history. Less well-known is the wider conflict that engulfed the neighboring Southeast Asian countries of Cambodia and Laos, and changed the lives of the various ethnic minority groups within those countries such as the Hmong, Mien, Khmu and others. Washington State was one of the few states that welcomed refugees from Southeast Asia, but there were very few services in the community for them. ACRS stepped forward to address the needs of this wave of refugees.

Episode 3 – The Letter

The ACRS community is a beautiful coalition of social justice advocates ranging from the “Friends of ACRS,” board members, staff and past staff, community and business leaders, elected and appointed officials, partners and collaborators, and volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. A “human collage of friends” share what ACRS means to them and why the work of the agency is important.

Episode 4 – Beauty

Everywhere you look at ACRS, you see signs of people going through their journeys of physical, emotional and mental healing: art therapy, film-making by youth, nutritious and culturally familiar meals, dance, exercise, embroidery and so much more. What lies beneath these outward signs of health and healing is even more remarkable: youth and elders alike are healing from war, geopolitical issues and the resulting trauma. They are healing from being disenfranchised, from the effects of isolation due to language and cultural barriers, and from having to leave their home countries to start a new life in a new land.

Episode 5 – Power of Youth

Youth are advocates and leaders at ACRS. They have played a vital role from the very beginnings of our agency. Over the last 45 years, students and other young people have joined us as volunteers and interns to stand up for and give back to our AAPI community. For many, their experiences with ACRS sparked a lifelong commitment to social justice and social service; some have returned to work for ACRS after completing their studies, while others have gone on to become community organizers, advocates, policymakers and social workers.

Episode 6 – Every Grain Counts

Each June, people of all ages from across the region and others from around the world come together to fight hunger in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community as part of a beloved tradition – Walk for Rice. Walk for Rice raises funds to support ACRS’ Food Bank and nutrition programs, and makes it possible for us to provide more than a million pounds of nutritious and culturally familiar foods like rice, tofu, noodles and fresh produce to more than 5,200 individuals and families in need every year.

Episode 7 — No Place Like Home

After decades of moving around in Seattle’s Chinatown International District when we outgrew each space that was lent to us, we settled into our current home on Martin Luther King Jr. Way S in 2008. It is a second home to many, and was designed to be a community gathering space infused with healing components like art and culturally representative architectural features. From feng shui principles to auspicious numbers, lucky coins in its foundation, a zen garden and dreams written on its beams, the building is full of the hope reflected in ACRS’ mission. This year, our building turns 10, and we are so proud to be able to share hope, opportunity and voice with community members every day at ACRS.

Episode 8  — Show Up, Stand Up

ACRS was founded during very serious times. Today, we find ourselves in very serious times once again. We are fighting for the very soul of our country and many of us are asking ourselves who we aspire to be as a people and nation. At ACRS, we believe that every individual has the power to make change in their own lives, in their communities and in the world. Our year-round civic engagement efforts lift up the voices of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and others we serve, so they can be seen and heard on the issues that matter most to them. ACRS will always be out there, raising our voices, keeping watch, and making sure it is known that we will not stand for anything that harms our community.

Episode 9 — Making a Difference

So many ACRS clients have experienced personal or global crises. They have fled harsh circumstances and have come to the United States seeking a better life. Our AAPI community is the most diverse and fastest growing population in the nation. This growth is fueled by immigration. We are part of a continuum; growing out of and firmly rooted in the social justice movement. Our 270 staff and 800 volunteers connect with clients through their shared experiences, cultures and languages to ensure access to the immediate services they need while working together to create a society in which so many of the challenges that our community faces can be eliminated so that advances can be made toward a more just and equitable society.

Episode 10 — The First One There

In this very first music video about ACRS, acclaimed AAPI musicians Daniel Pak and Geo Quibuyen perform an original song that looks at how ACRS came to be, what we have stood for over the last 45 years and our role in the community today.

Episode 11 — A Day in the Life of ACRS

On a typical day at ACRS, you can walk into a place that is a second home for many and welcomes everyone from youth to elders seeking hope, opportunity and voice. In this episode, you’ll hear from our new executive director, Michael Byun, and see some of our amazing staff who make our work possible. Thank you for joining ACRS in celebrating 45 years of community. We hope you enjoy this final video in our #ACRS45 series.