The land remembers,
and we remain—
not just those of us that have stayed or left,
But because we are a part of the land—
despite all that has happened and come what may—
We are rooted in community, always.

In the midst of the 20th anniversary of Katrina—
we also remember countless named and unnamed storms since and before that have anchored communities together by these shared experiences.
Community is and always will be those who choose to practice the discipline of hope. Such hope requires not only all that has been seeded in resilience but also solidarity in building across time, space, and agendas.

Throughout the years, we have evolved from a community center to many iterations of community solutions—
this is thanks to each and everyone of you that has supported us in every form.
Our organization as it stands is rooted as an archive of changes and a story lab for young leaders as we focus on storytelling as a leadership model and culturally integrated form of deep power building. We build not just for now but for cultural vestiges that branch out into the future and across borders.

Our shared experiences teach us that preparedness is not just about anticipating anxieties and the future, but anchoring in our resilient narratives and proven strengths as diverse voices for the next generation of AAPI Rising.

Continue to follow us here and subscribe to our newsletter for more updates.
Access our restorative justice zine at vayla-no.org/restorative-justice-zine-2025
Continue to support our work here.
Share our stories at rootingstorms.org

May we continue to honor each other in grief, power, and community through remembering and learning together.

In solidarity,
Dr. Jacqueline Thanh, DSW, AM
Executive Director, VAYLA New Orleans