Mission Statement
We are An AANHPI Arts collective focused on community building.
WeOwnThe8th aims to build the AANHPI Arts community in Los Angeles in three ways:
(1) offering seminars and workshops from prominent members of the community
(2) providing networking opportunities for creatives that want to meet like-minded people
(3) offering a space to showcase works
We hope to raise up and amplify the next generation of voices in Hollywood so that they feel empowered to tell their stories.
History
WeOwnThe8th was founded in 2013 by Dante Basco and AJ Rafael. It started with a discussion: How do we push the needle with the talent that is coming up? They put together a group of the top YouTubers at that time (Ryan Higa, Kev Jumba, JK News, Tim DeLaGhetto) and a group of execs from different Networks and Studios. It was a mix of traditional media meeting new media. Word got out and soon after a community started to form. More people from other disciplines joined in and we became the collective we are today. Helping those new to the industry to get started and the giving the veterans an opportunity to share their knowledge and experiences.