
## Our Roots
There are so many 501(c)(3)'s - let alone non-profit organizations - in the world. All of them doing incredible things. 

Rochester Asian American Organization (RAAO) started as a small high school club with around 35 members, aiming to educate students about Asian culture and address the negative stigma towards minority groups, particularly the AAPI community. We hosted Mayo High School's first Holi celebration, which attracted over 50 participants, and organized other cultural events. As we grew, we established RAAO chapters in other schools across the county.

Darian, the co-founder, and I wanted to expand further. We partnered with the City of Rochester and the University of Minnesota to direct LinkBRT, a proposed 2.3-mile transit route in Rochester, MN, focusing on diversity. We also created RAAO Stories, interviewing local businesses to highlight family-owned and AAPI businesses and document the unique challenges faced by small business owners.

However, we realized that there were only two of us, and making a significant impact is challenging for just two high schoolers. Unlike larger organizations like Feeding America, the Red Cross, and Habitat for Humanity, which have extensive resources and reach, our capacity was limited. Nonetheless, our dedication and efforts laid a strong foundation for future growth and impact.

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:::photos
height: 500
photo: '/dandi.png'
caption: Darian and I at our highschool's club fair.
photo: '/zoom.png'
caption: One of RAAO's Zoom meetings discussing the LinkBRT project.
photo: '/holi.png'
caption: A picture of a few of us at RAAO's annual Holi celebration at Mayo High School.
photo: '/clubphoto.png'
caption: One of RAAO's highschool club chapters at Mayo High School.
:::

## Our New Ideas and Technical Focus

Recently, we have shifted RAAO’s focus towards technology.

I've been passionate about computer science for a long time. Whether it's developing computer vision AI applications, reverse engineering Google's ReCAPTCHA algorithms, or building toolkits to generate practice tests for Chemistry, I love to apply technology wherever possible.

I wanted to bring this passion to RAAO. By integrating my technical skills with our mission, I realized we could broaden our impact and support communities that often go unnoticed or lack resources. This transformation allows us to create innovative solutions and provide more substantial support to smaller communities that deserve more recognition and assistance.

We envision using technology to bridge gaps in education, mental health, and community engagement. For instance, we are developing [**Ethan**](/posts/ethan), an AI-powered mental health support application designed to offer immediate assistance to those in need. Additionally, we are working on educational tools that can help students from underrepresented backgrounds excel in STEM fields.

We want to work with existing organizations whos missions align with our own to further our goals. We are building the [largest mental health database in the midwest](/providers) -- backed by [Rochester Community Initiative's](https://www.rochinitiative.org/) survey data -- to deliver resources to communities that need it. We'd love to partner with other organizations, so please, don't hesitate to [reach out](mailto:ajaymisra1@outlook.com).

Our goal is to use technology to empower and uplift marginalized communities, ensuring they have access to the same opportunities and resources as larger, more recognized groups. By doing so, we aim to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for everyone.

Despite still being a small 501(c)(3), we aim to use technology to apply to larger groups of people while still providing dedicated support to those who need. 

If you are interested in helping our mission, please [consider donating](mailto:ajaymisra1@outlook.com). 

## Safety and Data Handling 
At Rochester Asian American Organization (RAAO), ensuring the safety and security of our users is paramount. Our commitment to protecting user privacy and handling data responsibly underpins all our initiatives. This section outlines the measures we take to safeguard user data and maintain the highest standards of security.

### Data Privacy and Security
**Zero-Retention Policy**: We operate on a zero-retention policy, processing messages and data in real-time and discarding them  after generating a response. In specific cases, we will not do these measures for the sake of safety. For more info on our practices, please contact us. No chat logs or message histories are stored on our servers after 24 hours.

**Anonymized Metadata:** We maintain anonymized metadata for service improvement and research purposes. This data is fully anonymized and cannot be traced back to individual users.

**End-to-End Encryption:** All communications are protected with end-to-end encryption, ensuring data transmitted is secure and unreadable by unauthorized parties.

Our data collection practices vary project to project and are specified on their respective pages. 

We also use security measures such as sentiment analysis, keyword triggers, pattern recognition, conservative thresholds, human oversight, regular audits, and continous learning for our system to stay as up-to-date, secure, and safe as possible. 

We never share user information with third parties. Data remains within our secure systems. Users are informed about data collection and use. Consent is obtained before any data processing. Users are fully aware and agree to our data handling practices.

### Other Safety Features
We recognize the scrutiny and stigma often associated with mental health applications. To address this, we have implemented a discreet exit feature on our sites and subdomains. At any time, you can press "x" on your keyboard or click the large red button in the top right corner to be immediately redirected to a random, inconspicuous website. This action will also remove RAAO from your browser history, ensuring it does not appear when you use the back arrow to navigate to previous sites.

If you have suggestions for any other safety features to put on our website, please let us know. 

## Miscellaneous Information

### Deprecated Resources

Some of our resources on our old site are great but, since switching to our new site, were lost in translation. Here are some of them: 

[Our Reading List](https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Gf6JpOt4zLxh17JjALzTnYAHyNbSrxVcv8yT_j_D5I/edit) (Last updated January 2023)

[Stories](/) 

### In the News
[Culture night at Mayo High School attracts students from several schools](https://www.kttc.com/2023/02/26/culture-night-mayo-high-school-attracts-students-several-schools/) from KTTC

[Artists unveil ideas for Rochester's Link Rapid Transit stops](https://www.postbulletin.com/lifestyle/arts-and-entertainment/artists-unveil-ideas-for-rochesters-link-rapid-transit-stops) from The Post Bulletin

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You can reach us by calling / texting us at (507) 218-1185 or send us an email at [contact@rochaao.org](mailto:contact@rochaao.org).

Our Purpose