Reflections from Our AANHPI Heritage Month Storytelling Workshop
- Thania Trieu
- Jul 3
- 4 min read
May 8, 2026 · Let Her Shine × MOAPIA × Washington English Center
There is something that happens in a room when a woman decides to tell her truth out loud.
The air shifts. People lean in. And something that was invisible — a story, a voice, a piece of someone's identity that had been waiting quietly in the wings — finally steps into the light.
That is exactly what happened on May 8th at the Washington English Center in Washington, DC.
A Room Full of Courage
In celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Let Her Shine partnered with the Mayor's Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA) and the Washington English Center (WEC) to host Amplifying AANHPI Voices Through the Art of Storytelling — a two-hour workshop designed to do exactly what the name says.
And the room showed up.
Students, community members, allies, advocates — people from across the city came together to listen, to learn, and ultimately, to speak. Some had never shared their story publicly before. Some had carried their story quietly for years, unsure it was worth telling.
By the end of the afternoon, every single person in that room knew differently.
The Voices That Led the Way
Two extraordinary women opened their hearts as our featured speakers — and the room was never the same after.
Wenning Gao, a student and volunteer at the Washington English Center, shared her journey of living as a Chinese minority in Japan for over a decade — a story of hiding where she came from, slowly losing herself in the process, and the long, quiet road back to being able to say with pride: "I'm from China."
It took her more than ten years to find those three words. She offered them to the room as a gift.
Nhat Rost, Community Outreach Specialist at MOAPIA, shared a story that began inside the very walls of the Washington English Center — where she herself was once a student, learning English and building a new life after relocating from Vietnam with her husband in 2017. Standing in that same space years later — now advocating for the AANHPI community at the city level — she reminded everyone in the room that growth happens quietly, step by step, and that your voice matters even before you feel completely ready.
Both women came in not knowing how their stories would land. Both left having changed the room.
What We Practiced Together
This wasn't a lecture. It wasn't a panel. It was a full experience — built around three doorways: Voice. Story. Leadership.
Through live coaching demonstrations, participants learned two foundational tools:
The Voice — how speed and volume transform the way a story lands. The same sentence delivered three different ways tells three completely different stories. When you slow down, you tell the room: this matters. And it does.
The Body — through Virginia Satir's communication stances, participants felt the difference between shrinking, overreaching, and standing fully in their own presence. The Leveler stance — grounded, open, direct — became the invitation of the afternoon.
I have something worth saying. That was the line every person in the room spoke out loud. Together.
Then came the writing. Using the Moment → Meaning → Message framework, every participant crafted their own story — some for the very first time — and shared it in small groups with the people beside them.
The room that had been quiet and a little nervous at 2:30 was alive, connected, and full by 4:00.
What People Are Saying
"I never thought my story was important enough to share. Today I realized it was the most important thing I could have said."
"I came for the English practice. I stayed for everything else."
"This was not just a workshop. This was a reminder of who I am."
The Gratitude We Carry
None of this happened by accident. It happened because of people who believed in it.
To the Washington English Center — thank you for opening your doors and your community to us. This partnership felt like home from the very first conversation. And it shows: WEC has invited Let Her Shine back to bring more storytelling workshops to their students, faculty, and volunteers — the next chapter begins July 28, 2026.
To Mr. Ben de Guzman and the Mayor's Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs — thank you for your commitment to ensuring this community is seen, heard, and valued every single day. Not just in May. Always.
To Wegmans — thank you for the generous food donation. Community truly is better when we're fed.
And to Yaritza and Hoang — you worked behind the scenes, and it did not go unnoticed. You are the heartbeat of what makes events like this possible. We see you. We honor you.
This Is Only the Beginning
AAPI Heritage Month may be one month on the calendar. But the work of amplifying voices — creating spaces where people feel safe enough to speak their truth, brave enough to be seen, and empowered enough to lead — is a year-round commitment.
Let Her Shine exists for exactly this.
If you were in the room on May 8th — thank you for showing up, for listening, for sharing. What you did that afternoon was not small. It was leadership.
If you weren't — we'd love for you to be part of what comes next: more workshops, more events, more spaces built for voices ready to be heard.
Because here is what we know to be true:
Your story is someone else's permission slip.Your voice matters.And when she shines — generations rise.
Stay Connected
Follow Let Her Shine for upcoming events, workshops, and community stories.📧 Join our mailing list at lethershine.org📱 Instagram · Facebook · LinkedIn @lethershine
Comments