“Our dream for immigrant children is for them to be able to be their authentic selves without shame or fear.”
-We Are Chimmi
Hoa Huynh and Sunny Yoon bonded over their cultural pride and in overindulging in Asian cuisines, all of which led to the birth of their e-commerce store WE ARE CHIMMI. Their parents were refugees and immigrants to the United States who showed them the value of hard work in the face of adversity.
WE ARE CHIMMI, short for “We Are Children of Immigrants,” is a community-building platform that celebrates the immigrant community. They sell nostalgic, colorful accessories and statement shirts to express their cultural pride and donate a portion of sales to causes supporting immigrants and marginalized communities. They’ve raised funds for unaccompanied immigrant children as the Young Center was one of the recipients of their generosity.
Hoa and Sunny sat down with us to tell us why their business supports community efforts.
Tell us a little bit about how you learned about the Young Center?
When we started our business in 2020, we had a strong desire to give back to our communities amidst the social uprisings that took place that year. So we built a business model that incorporated a give back program. We committed to donating a portion of sales to support immigrants and marginalized communities in the U.S. and since then, we’ve donated to over 20 nonprofit organizations. But the Young Center was the very first organization we donated to. We discovered the Young Center when we started researching possible organizations that helped immigrant communities in the U.S. We learned about the Young Center’s commitment to advocating for the safety and rights of unaccompanied children and we knew we wanted them to be our first nonprofit to support.
Like the Young Center, we also believe that immigrant children are children and that children deserve to feel seen, heard and protected no matter where they come from.
What has your involvement been like?
We have partnered with the Young Center a number of times of the years as we have admired the important work that the organization is doing for unaccompanied immigrant youth. Like the Young Center, we also believe that immigrant children are children and that children deserve to feel seen, heard and protected no matter where they come from. We are so proud to have been able to donate to and promote the Young Center’s initiatives that help impact the safety of immigrant children and the fight for immigrant children’s rights. This work is even more important now than ever.
What is one thing you’d like everyone to know about the Young Center’s work?
The Young Center works to protect unaccompanied immigrant children in many ways but always in their best interests. Their work involves supporting unaccompanied and separated children to help reunite them with their families, influencing key decision-makers to drive policy change, fighting to protect the rights of immigrant children through strategic legal action, and so much more. The Young Center uplifts not only the children they serve but also inspires us to show up for our communities however we can.
What’s your dream for immigrant children?
Our dream for immigrant children is for them to be able to be their authentic selves without shame or fear. And for them to experience immense joy, make memories they’ll grow up cherishing, and to feel loved.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
The Young Center approaches their advocacy with compassion, empathy, and kindness, all of which we need more of in this world. We are honored to continue partnering with the Young Center and supporting their necessary and empowering work.