The applications have been streaming in for our next round of Open City fellows. If you’re an emerging Asian American writer, consider applying and help spread the word about this wonderful opportunity. Fellows receive a $5000 stipend, one-on-one mentorship, workshops in narrative nonfiction storytelling, memoir, editorials, photo, and more,  24/7 access to the AAWW space, free membership to AAWW, not to mention a platform to publish all while working closely with seasoned editors. Our mentors and workshop leaders include writer Amitava Kumar, Emmy and Peabody award winning producer Sarah Kramer, CUNY photography director John Smock, and CUNY journalism professor Rebecca Leung. The deadline has been extended to Wednesday, June 4 at 11pm.

There are dozens of reasons to apply for this unique opportunity. Here are our top seven:

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1. Go behind the scenes.

Dying to figure out how stuff works? Delve deep into cultures and communities via interviews and gain access, maybe even to the kitchen of your favorite restaurant, all in the name of a great story…your story.

This past year, Eveline Chao introduced us to the vagaries of restaurant grading in NYC, and how it affects immigrant owned businesses throughout the city, especially Manhattan’s Chinatown: The Roast Duck Bureaucracy

2. Shine…

like an expert! Accrue skills and a portfolio that really stands out amongst peers and colleagues.

Esther Wang took us on a tour of the shiny metal adornments in Sunset Park’s row houses and how it affects historic landmarking in that Brooklyn neighborhood: All That Glitters…In Sunset Park

3. Represent the underrepresented.

This is our community and it welcomes new voices. Make your voice loud and clear.

Thomas Mariadason traced the history of stop and frisk incidents in Jackson Heights to the troubled history of community policing of non-white communities: A Tiger by the Tail, Part 1

4. Hang out.

AAWW is pleased to have a network of so many talented people. Hang out with your favorite novelist, poet, thinker, artist or DJ.

Rishi Nath and Nabil Rahman launched their series “Lyrics to Go,” a chronicle of the best contemporary NYC musicians working in and for our immigrant neighborhoods: Always Foreign, Always Brown

5. Stay connected.

Stay connected to your community by engaging with your community. Open City fellows draw inspiration from the lives of everyday people—a neighbor, a friend, a parent, a shop owner, a butcher.

Humera Afridi, in one of our most read pieces on Open City, took  us on a tour inside an organic, halal slaughterhouse and discussed the tradition with a father and son: When the Butcher Cries: A Visit to an Organic Halal Slaughterhouse

6. To put it simply: the long form. 

Connecting the dots is an academic practice. As an Open City Fellow, you’ll have the opportunity to dive into archives, personal accounts and the history of a community…maybe even the the history of US labor and politics in general.

E. Tammy Kim investigated NYC’s Work Experience Program (WEP), and the long running political and bureaucratic machine that’s made WEP the limbo it is today. This documentary style piece that reveals how these programs play out in the lives of those who depend on them: What Separates Welfare from Work

7. Gain exposure.

In 2013, Sukjong Hong’s ‘Beyond the Horse Dance’ highlighted the social commentary of Psy’s viral video “Gangnam Style.” Her sharp, insightful article went viral itself and was read by over 27,000 people, as well covered and linked to by the New York Times and NPR, increasing her visibility further: Beyond the Horse Dance

Apply today!