The Thomas Tam Scholarship is funded by an endowment established by the City University of New York in recognition of Dr. Thomas Tam’s contributions as a former member of the CUNY Board of Trustees, founding Executive Director of the Asian American / Asian Research Institute, and leadership in the Asian American community. The Scholarship awards $1,000 to an individual qualified undergraduate student that is currently enrolled at any of the twenty-one colleges within CUNY, Asian or non-Asian, who has demonstrated creativity in the communication of the concerns of the Asian American community in areas such as health, education, culture, media or advocacy/activism.
2022 Recipient ($1,000)
Kaitlyn Chan (Brooklyn College)
Project: Podcast and Newspaper Interviews with AAPI Activists
Kaitlyn Chan is a sophomore in Brooklyn College double-majoring in biology and psychology. Born and raised in New York City, she is incredibly passionate about combating anti-Asian hate and advocating for greater Asian-American representation in politics and media. From participating in Stop Asian Hate rallies to patrolling the streets of Downtown Flushing against acts of injustice, Kaitlyn is dedicated to taking action against anti-Asian prejudice and using her voice to empower Asian-American communities.
For her project, Kaitlyn interviewed AAPI activists and supporters about the actions that they were taking to combat the recent rise in anti-Asian hate; their experiences with discrimination, racism, and prejudice in school and the workplace; and their thoughts on the lack of Asian American representation in politics and media. She plans on writing articles in her college newsletter to raise awareness and creating more on-campus discussions about anti-Asian hate and discrimination; encourage students to stand up against racism; as well as take action to promote greater diversity, inclusivity, and representation both inside and outside of the classroom.
Kaitlyn is also working alongside other students to establish an Asian American-focused student organization at Brooklyn College. In the future, she hopes to attend medical school and volunteer with organizations like Doctors Without Borders, where she can help implement more sustainable health systems in third world countries and provide individuals living in rural and under-resourced communities with greater access to healthcare.
2022 Honorable Mention ($500)
Michael Tamsuriyamit (Hunter College)
Project: “Mabuhay, Little Manila!” – An AAJA Voices Short Documentary
Michael Tamsuriyamit is a New York-based multimedia journalist. He is a senior at the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College majoring in Media Studies with a Journalism Concentration. As a multimedia storyteller, Michael’s journalism work spans across all mediums and various beats (i.e. topics), including Asian Americans. Following the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings, Michael penned a timely story in BuzzFeed News about how three young Asian Americans were utilizing social media to respond to the nationwide surge in anti-Asian attacks throughout the pandemic. At CUNY TV, Michael was a contributing producer for the Emmy award-winning show “Asian American Life,” where he made his television debut interviewing notable Asian American trailblazers, including profiling the host of Delish’s popular “Budget Eats” YouTube show as well as a young Korean American athlete who comes from a family of Taekwondo champions.
For his project, Michael produced the short documentary entitled “Mabuhay, Little Manila!” under the guidance of the Asian American Journalists Association’s (AAJA) 2022 Voices Fellowship. The documentary serves to acknowledge and center the history, experiences, and ongoing legacy of the Filipino American diaspora in New York City, including last year’s co-naming of Woodside, Queens’ Roosevelt Avenue as “Little Manila Avenue.” Viewers meet Xenia Diente, a Filipino American public art administrator who led the grassroots campaign that helped make the street co-naming a reality. Viewers also meet Elizabeth Diente, Xenia’s mother, who during the 1960s came to the U.S. as one of countless Filipino American nurses who led and grew our nation’s medical centers. The film is unique in its utilization of an intersectional approach that chronicles the intergenerational lives and experiences of Xenia and her mother Elizabeth growing up in Woodside’s Little Manila.
Application Guidelines
2022 Scholarship Application Form (Download)
All currently enrolled CUNY undergraduate students are eligible to apply for the Thomas Tam Scholarship.
Display of communication of the concerns of the Asian American community can be in the form of written reports, film, video, new media techniques, and the development of performances or materials in the arts and sciences.
The following are the issues to be addressed in your application for the Tam Scholarship. Please be sure to cover all of the points in your application.
- Please describe your project in detail, be sure to tell us about the issue of concern to the Asian American community that the project is designed to address.
- Please explain how your project demonstrates creativity in communicating the concerns of Asian Americans in areas such as health, education, culture, media and advocacy.
- What are the objectives or goals of the project, i.e. what do you want to accomplish, or what impact or effect will it have? How will you know that it has been successful?
- How was the project implemented, or if in progress or a future project, please describe how it will be implemented?
- Is the project completed, is it in progress or is it a future project? (Note: Uncompleted/future projects will only receive partial scholarship award until they are completed.)
Scholarship Committee: Rose Kim, Lili Shi & Pearl Tam
Coordinator: William Tam
