Sophia Li, a high school senior, recounted her story to a group of 15 middle and high school students.

She said she was walking in her school cafeteria when two boys called her a racial slur.

“It was the first time I was called that,” Li said.

She said she took a few moments to compose herself. Then, ultimately, told the school staff.

Luckily, Li said, they took action and suspended the name callers.

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“I genuinely think that if you don’t do anything and keep your head low and don’t respond, they will keep bothering you for fun,” she said.

Li’s story was one of several told at the first event for a new group, Rising Asian American Youth — or RAAY.

Parents Donald Lee and Tee Lee founded the group recently to provide an outlet for youth in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

They say they want RAAY to be a safe space for young people to talk openly about their identity and raise awareness about bullying.

Their son’s own experiences at school sparked the group’s creation.

“My son started middle school, and he was being bullied, and we didn’t know exactly how to address it,” said Tee Lee.

Racism still exists

She and Donald had both experienced racism while growing up in Florida. They expected things to be different for their kids as the community became more diverse.

But unfortunately, Tee Lee said, that wasn’t the case.

“Even though there is more diversity, it didn’t solve the issue of race … of racism,” she said.

Donald Lee said they had long conversations and came to realize that they couldn’t be the only ones dealing with this problem.

“He’s not the only one that’s getting bullied, and so how do we help these other kids get through it?” Donald said.

Tee Lee said they eventually started RAAY “to engage in that conversation about, ‘what does racism mean to them? What does the bullying mean to them? What do these derogatory name-calling terms mean to them?'”

The Lees wanted students to feel comfortable sharing their struggles. But they also wanted to celebrate the diverse range of cultures within the AAPI community.

Sharing their experiences

At the inaugural meeting, held at Brandon’s Event Space, Tee Lee shared that her parents are Vietnamese refugees. And, Donald Lee talked about being the son of Korean immigrants.

Attendees ate bulgogi, or Korean marinated beef, and homemade kimchi from Donald’s mom.

Eventually, students gathered in a half circle to share experiences of witnessing bullying at school or experiencing it themselves.

Heejin Ryoo, a licensed mental health counselor, facilitated the conversation.

After the event, Reina Campusano, a 7th grader, shared that she enjoyed being able to learn about other people’s cultures.

Campusano, who is Filipino and Dominican, said she hopes she can talk more about her own background at a future meeting.

Jordan Maningas, a high school freshman, said he’s witnessed bullying at school. But at RAAY, he was able to hear how his peers dealt with those situations in a calm manner.

He believes that building a good community like this can “make you a good person.”

“It’s spreading awareness,” he said, “and hopefully we influence each other to be better.”

While the first RAAY meeting was held in Brandon, Tee and Donald Lee say they’re hoping to find a more central location in Tampa for future events.

For information on RAAY, visit their website here.