Meet our Grantee-Partner: Kundiman
Mission: Kundiman is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing generations of writers and readers of Asian American literature.
Kundiman was founded in 2004 to facilitate the creation of new literary work, foster mentoring relationships, and address challenges facing Asian American poets and writers. The organization creates an affirming space where Asian American writers can explore the unique challenges of the new and ever-changing diaspora through art. Kundiman sees the arts as a tool of empowerment, education, and liberation, of proactively addressing its legacy to the future.
Challenges facing Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) writers include limited access to resources, lack of visibility, and geographical and cultural isolation. By fostering the mentorship and community that many writers need, Kundiman shifts the literary landscape toward more equity and inclusion.
Many AAPI writers come from lineages that include violence and trauma. Kundiman creates spaces where those histories, personal and collective, are respected and discussed. Kundiman recognizes that history and experience are not separate from writing and inform a writer’s unique voice. The organization operates under the belief that out of those stories come beauty, humor, and transcendence.
Kundiman Fellows at the 2023 Retreat
Kundiman felt like it showed up at the perfect moment for me—after a long period of isolation I felt called on to remember what it might be like to trust in connection, and I was rewarded for it at Kundiman, surrounded by open, generous, curious writers. When you’re marginalized, it can be hard to feel like you belong, and the retreat made space for that, too. No one was asked to leave anything behind. A real gift: the time at the retreat, the care shown to the fellows, the sweetness of new conversations. Thank you!
—Niv Sekar, 2023 Fiction Retreat Fellow
Kundiman’s programs seek to build community, nurture writers and readers, and ensure Asian American stories reach broad audiences throughout the United States. These programs include the following:
- Retreat: Kundiman’s signature retreat is held annually in the Bronx, New York, and focuses on providing a close-knit artistic community to support AAPI writers as they hone their craft and develop as writers. It was modeled after Cave Canem: A Home for Black Poetry retreats and was guided by Cave Canem’s founders in its early days.
- Classes: Kundiman offers classes for AAPI writers and writers of color to nurture their writing practices, deepen community, and learn from instructors of color. Kundiman’s in-person classes have covered food writing, multiracial identity, and more. A series of online classes are offered in both craft and workshop format. Scholarships are available to those who wish to participate.
- Public events: Kundiman hosts public events throughout the country, connecting audiences to AAPI literature, uplifting writers, and connecting writers to their audiences to stories that translate contemporary social, political, and cultural issues into intimate exchanges.
- Regional groups: Kundiman’s regional groups host over 40 events annually in 10 regions, including readings, workshops, salons, mentorships, and mini-retreats. The regions include the Northeast, Midwest, South, Mountain West, Southwest, Northern California, Southern California, Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, and an international group. Regional Groups unite AAPIs to address unique needs in each region.
Hazem Fahmy, Kiran Bath, Wo Chan, and Elmo
Tumbokon after a reading
Accessibility is a core part of Kundiman’s programming design. Receiving a fall 2022 Equity in Verse from the Poetry Foundation has helped Kundiman increase accessibility measures through the continuation of online craft-based workshops to reach audiences more broadly. ASL interpretation and live-captioning are provided for both virtual and in-person gatherings to ensure that access needs are met. Funding also enabled Kundiman to hire additional full-time staff, increase staff pay to match median New York City salaries, and provide more comprehensive healthcare and benefits to staff.
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