NCAAT Marks 10 Years of Building Asian American Civic and Political Power in North Carolina

North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT) marked a decade of organizing, civic engagement and leadership development on Saturday, August 29, 2026 bringing together community members, elected officials, advocates and supporters for NCAAT’s 10th Anniversary Gala.

Held under the theme “Rooted in Heritage. Rising Together,” the celebration reflected on NCAAT’s growth from a conversation between its founders in 2016 into a pan-Asian organization working to strengthen civic participation and political representation across North Carolina.

WRAL anchor Renee Chou served as master of ceremonies. The evening featured keynote remarks from comedian, writer and activist Jenny Yang and North Carolina Senator Jay Chaudhuri, as well as cultural performances by Learn Bhangra and the Triangle Montagnard American Organization.

The anniversary highlighted the growth of Asian American political representation in North Carolina over the past decade. When NCAAT was founded, there were two Asian American elected officials statewide and none serving in the North Carolina General Assembly. Today, there are 15. Thirteen elected officials representing state and local government attended the anniversary celebration.

Since its founding, NCAAT has registered 13,000 voters, knocked 141,000 doors, made 363,000 calls and sent 989,000 texts. The organization has also partnered with 69 high schools and universities and trained 435 high school organizers, developing a pipeline of young people engaged in civic life.

Those efforts carry particular significance in North Carolina, one of the nation’s most closely contested battleground states.

For Koneru, however, the numbers tell only part of the story. ”Every door was a conversation. Every phone call was a relationship. Every text was someone saying, ‘You matter.’ Every voter registration was someone deciding that their voice belongs in our democracy.”

Koneru recalled how she and co-founder Ricky Leung discussed what was missing for Asian American communities in North Carolina a decade ago; they eventually settled on a defining word for the organization: Together.

“Before there could be power, there had to be belonging,” Koneru told almost 200 attendees. “Before there could be representation, there had to be relationships. Before there could be victories, there had to be trust.”

The anniversary celebration was made possible with support from Gold Sponsors Aetna and Put NC First; six Community Sponsors – AKG, CAFA NC, Alliance for Youth Organizing, Margaret Wong & Associates LLC, Blueprint NC and Tarang; and individual sponsors Shruti Parikh, Parul Shah and Ricky Leung.

See event photos and learn more about NCAAT at its 10-year mark here.

While the evening celebrated a decade of progress, its focus ultimately turned toward what comes next.

“Our first decade was about building a movement,” Koneru said. “The next decade is about changing the political map.”

For NCAAT, that next chapter means expanding participation, developing new leaders and continuing to build a North Carolina in which Asian American communities are not simply represented, but help shape the state’s future.

As NCAAT enters its second decade, the organization is inviting more North Carolinians to become part of that work – by staying informed, participating in their communities and voting.

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