In the year 2020, we’ve swung wildly from dread and despair to hope. Yet at the heart of all of the calamity — the coronavirus pandemic and its economic repercussions, etc. — has also been a global call to unite and protect the values that make us all human. A call to our ancestors, who have made our existence possible. A call to build refuge for each other. A call for a more equitable future for all.

For over 25 years, Kaya Press has created space for books and authors from the Asian diaspora and nurtured this growing community of voices. Kaya’s books offer us a way to process the way we live, encourage us to be bolder, build empathy, and fuel our imaginations.

Kaya faced significant revenue loss this year as book distribution took a major hit this Spring at the start of the Pandemic, and unfortunately, we continue to suffer. We’re seeing a downturn in book sales, since we’ve relied on the curated hand-selling of our titles at festivals, conferences, and other special literary events in the past. But Kaya Press perseveres, and we’ve used the time working from home to voice our dedication to racial justice and to continue bringing out important books of the Asian Pacific Islander diaspora.

In the face of so much uncertainty, we’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done.

•  Mimi Lok’s debut short story collection, Last of Her Name, won the coveted PEN/Robert W. Bingham Award for debut fiction collections, and a 2020 California Book Award.

• Rajiv Mohabir’s translation of I Even Regret Night: Holi Songs of Demerara by Lalbihari Sharma won the Harold Morton Landon Translation Award from the Academy of American Poets, among the most highly esteemed poetry prizes in the United States.

• This Fall, Kaya published our very first Young Adult title, David Tung Can’t Have a Girlfriend Until He Gets Into an Ivy League College by Ed Lin, a highly anticipated book that David Henry Hwang calls “beautifully-observed and hilariously truthful.”

We are asking you to help Kaya Press survive and thrive in this time. Donate here!

WHAT YOUR SUPPORT WILL DO

• Build communities of Asian Pacific Islanders around the globe.

• Connect readers with cutting edge new and classic titles.

• Share vibrant stories with the next generation of readers.

• Generate book sales for Asian Pacific Islander writers.

• Host events that unites us for dialogue and dissent.

HELP MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN

Will you help us continue our work by making a donation here and help us reach our 2020 Fundraising Goal of $30,000? In these uncertain times, monthly donations ensure Kaya’s sustainability and let us focus on our mission. Until the end of 2020, donor Stephen CuUnjieng will match every dollar you donate to Kaya Press — doubling your support!

Would you commit to helping us nurture and provide the Asian diaspora with a vital platform for visibility by making a donation of $50, or more, to Kaya Press today?  We ask for your support today to help nurture Asian Pacific Islanders everywhere, by bringing our stories and perspectives to the forefront.

In solace and solidarity.

Kaya Press

P.S. This fundraising campaign is inspired by 2020’s renegade energy.