The NABEA Member Meetup in New York City, hosted by Chelsie Alexandre and Cecil Brooks, was a wonderful evening of connection and community. Attendees, both familiar faces and newcomers, came together to share experiences, build relationships, and engage with fellow Black professionals and students interested in Asia.

NABEA member Tamorie Mayweather led an engaging exploration of Taiwan's renowned Healthcare System (台灣全民健保制度). Drawing from her expertise in international affairs and her experiences studying Mandarin in Taiwan, Tamorie provided valuable insights into the system's structure and impact.

The NABEA Conversation with Kirsten Keels as a powerful and thought-provoking session. As a Princeton graduate and Fulbright Korea Scholar, Kirsten shared her experiences advocating for marginalized communities abroad, focusing on the challenges BIPOC and Queer individuals face in South Korea’s nightlife scene. She also highlighted the community-led efforts to create safer, more inclusive spaces.

The May NABEA Korean Language Group (KLG) session with facilitator Ademola Adeyemi! was a great experience! The focus of the session was on Hobbies & Interests (취미 이야기), creating a supportive, round-robin style environment where participants could comfortably share their experiences and learn from each other.

We hosted a session led by Chong Zhao, an experienced educator with over 20 years of expertise in guiding students and families toward achieving their educational goals.

This session explored the unique challenges and considerations faced by Chinese international students in the U.S., particularly during the Trump era. Chong shared her expertise, drawing from her extensive career as an English teacher, Executive Principal of a bilingual private school, and her work with students from diverse cultural and academic backgrounds.

We hosted a NABEA Conversation with Regge Life! Attendees stepped into the world of international filmmaking with acclaimed director and educator Regge Life, whose groundbreaking career has spanned film, television, and theater across the U.S. and Japan.

NABEA hosted its first-ever meetup in Seoul, South Korea—an exciting new step in growing our global community. Whether attendees were longtime expats or newly arrived in Korea, this event provided a chance to connect with fellow Black professionals and students interested in Asia.

NABEA's May DC Member Meetup at Wunder Garten was a wonderful success as we kicked off summer together! Thank you to everyone who attended.

This April’s NABEA Chinese Language Group session was a great time! Our Open Discussion and Happy Hour offered a relaxed and friendly setting for members to connect, mingle, and practice their conversational Chinese skills.

Facilitator Ademola Adeyemi led NABEA’s first Korean Language Group Session!

During the session, attendees took time to get to know one another, shared their wants, hopes, and goals for attending, and began building a supportive community to embark on the journey of learning Korean.

NABEA member Ademola Adeyemi led a presentation as we explored a revolutionary approach to language learning in The Language Learning Shortcut: Mastering Comprehension.

We hosted a roundtable discussion, presented in partnership with the George Washington University Institute for Korean Studies (GWIKS), featuring professionals Chadwick Eason, Danielle Fallin, Seth Joyner and Kayla T. Orta. They shared their career journeys, experiences working in Asia, and practical advice for emerging Asia experts.

NABEA’s Chinese Language Group explored the impact of Trump’s tariffs on China with facilitator Ruddy (Ashley Rudianne)!

The NABEA DC community got together for an unforgettable night of karaoke!

Thank you to everyone who joined us and made it such a fun and memorable night. We could not have done it without your amazing energy and voices!

NABEA member Vincent Jenkins led a presentation as we examined the importance of protecting user data in a digital age in Securing the Future: A Discussion on Cybersecurity and Data Privacy.

We hosted NABEA’s Chinese Language Group Session (virtual), where we explored the topic: American TikTok Refugees Flock to RedNote (美国“TikTok难民”涌入中国小红书) with facilitator Obi Eneh!

We held our first NABEA Conversation of 2025, led by NABEA member Tamorie Mayweather where we explored the fascinating world of Taiwan’s healthcare system in Health for All: The Innovations and Impact of Taiwan’s Healthcare System.

NABEA and the Black China Caucus hosted a lunch meetup in Atlanta! Hosted by Cole Walker and Tamorie Mayweather, this meetup was all about bringing people together. Everyone connected and shared stories, all while enjoying some good food. We were thrilled to see everyone there and appreciate all who joined us!

We kicked off 2025 with our first virtual happy hour, bringing together NABEA members from both the United States and Asia to celebrate the Lunar New Year — the Year of the Snake!

Attendees joined in wearing their favorite New Year outfits or festive background images, creating an evening filled with laughter and connection. Wishing everyone prosperity and joy in the year ahead!

恭喜发财 | 새해 복 많이 받으세요 | Chúc mừng Năm Mới

We hosted our inaugural DC Holiday Potluck, celebrating the end of the year with our fellow NABEA members from the Washington DC metropolitan area.

Everyone brought delicious dishes to share and wore their best ugly holiday sweaters. It was truly a night filled with great food, good company, and unforgettable memories!

NABEA Conversations are back by popular demand! This week, we dived into the world of the Chinese video game industry in a discussion led by Chelsea Anglin titled, The Transformative Cultural Power of Chinese Wuxia Video Games. This engaging discussion left our members inspired and eager to explore the intersection of culture and gaming, setting the stage for more exciting NABEA Conversations in the future!

Career Pathways in Asia: Panel & Mixer was an enlightening evening that bridged the gap between seasoned professionals from NABEA and students in Georgetown University's MA in Asian Studies (MASIA) program.

Our happy hour was a success! Members from around the world joined for a relaxing evening of smiles and laughter. Members spoke about everything from automatic trash cans to the results of the recent elections and everything in between.

Co-hosted by the Korea Foundation USA and the National Association for Black Engagement with Asia, the event offered an enlightening networking dinner and presentation that explored transpacific connections between Black liberation struggles in the United States and anticolonial movements in Korea. This event featured a keynote presentation by Dr. Jang Wook Huh, Associate Professor of English at Seoul National University, titled, Echoes of Resistance: "Afro-Korean" Relations in the Twentieth Century.

NABEA partnered with National Committee on United States-China Relations to offer an exclusive information session to our members about the Public Intellectuals Program, which is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of China specialists.

NABEA hosted a second New York meetup for members across the New York tri-state area.

We kept the good times rolling with our first ever Atlanta member meetup! Members came from the Greater Atlanta area and surrounding cities to meet other NABEA members in their area.

The NABEA Tokyo community met at the Mori Art Museum for an exclusive, private tour of the “Theaster Gates: Afro-Mingei” exhibit by museum curator Hirokazu Tokuyama. This remarkable installation blended Black and Japanese cultures using ceramics, architecture, and music to create a profound cultural encounter.

Our back-to-school happy hour at La Cosecha in D.C.’s Union Market District was our most engaging yet! Despite the rain, members came out to connect with the rest of the NABEA Community.

NABEA came to the Big Apple! To bring our members together from across Greater New York, we hosted a casual afternoon mixer in Brooklyn. Members came together at Spritzenhaus 33 where Alex Foote, Tyrell Walker, and Chadwick Eason hosted members for lively Asia-related discussions.