#STOPASIANHATE VIRTUAL NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION & HEALING – 3.26.21 – HOW YOU CAN HELP?

Huge thanks to National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, a project of the Tides Foundation for creating Asian American Day of Action.

The worldwide vigil for the Atlanta shooting victims is broadcasting live tonight 3.26.21 at 7:30 p.m. EST right below.

SOME RESOURCES & LINKS FROM THE 1ST VIDEO – WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP TODAY & MOVING FORWARD:

#2 – Uplift and Educate – Your friends, families, followers by sharing articles about anti-Asian racism. Below are great ones to start off with.

Share my 2 posts and their videos that are right after this post: 1) Anti-Asian Racism & Bias – Past to Present and 2) The Model Minority Myth – What, Why, How?

Asian American Federation (@AAFederation): In light of continuing attacks and violence against Asian Americans, download @AAFederation’s Stay Safe from Hate booklet in 5 Asian languages with strategies to stay safe. Share with your families and friends. Download FREE here.

Helen Zia’s Washington Post Op-ed (@HelenZiaReal): “Targeting Asians and Asian Americans will make it harder to stop covid-19”: Read @HelenZiaReal op-ed to understand how the recent attacks against Asians and Asian Americans is a recurring theme in America, but that we can do better than this, and we have.

Annie Anlin Cheng’s New York Times Op-Ed: “What This Wave of Anti-Asian Violence Reveals About America”: Read Anne A. Cheng’s @nytimes Op-Ed to learn about the uncomfortable truth about how attention to nonwhite groups is only as pressing as the injuries that they suffered.

NPR interview with Dale Minami: Educate yourself! @DaleMinami gives a lesson about the long history of anti-Asian discrimination and racism in the U.S. on @npratc @NPR. From Chinese Exclusion to Muslim and Sikh discrimination after 9/11.

Li Zhou’s Vox article on The long history of anti-Asian hate in America, explained: “Forever Foreigners” read @liszhou explanation of how this stereotype has been used for over a century to exclude, discriminate, and enact violence against Asian Americans.

#3 – Support AAPI Social Justice Organizations Taking Action:

stopaapihate.org

advancingjustice-aajc.org

standagainsthatred.org

compassioninoakland.org

ihollaback.org

searac.org

napawf.org

apiavote.org

imreadymovement.org

asianamericandayofaction.com

#4 – Donate to The Victims’ and Their families HERE + 68 Ways to Donate in Support of Asian Communities.

#5 – Take a Harassment & Intervention Training HERE.

#6 – Diversify Your Sources – By interviewing and quoting Asian American experts. You can find many of them at The Asian American Journalists Association’s speakers bureau at AAJAStudio.org

Let’s do this! Thank you for caring and always in community,

Jenny

March 20, 2021March 31, 2021

THE MODEL MINORITY MYTH – WHAT, WHY, HOW?

What can we each do to dispel and not perpetuate The Model Minority Myth?

Thank you for caring.

In community,

Jenny

February 12, 2021February 16, 2021

What is Lunar New Year?

December 26, 2019December 15, 2020

First Filipina & Black Ballerina Lead in NYC Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’

Charlotte, you go girl! This is a momentous holiday season for 11 year-old Charlotte Nebres and for Asian Americans and African Americans. Charlotte is the first Filipina American and African American ballerina lead (playing heroine Marie) in New York City Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Finally.

Representation is consequential. It has conscious and subconscious, explicit and implicit effects, especially, for those that can identify with the lack of it.

“I saw her perform and she was just so inspiring and so beautiful,” Charlotte, 11, said. “When I saw someone who looked like me onstage, I thought, that’s amazing. She [Misty Copeland] was representing me and all the people like me.”

When Charlotte was 6, Misty Copeland became the first female African-American principal at American Ballet Theater. That, she remembers.

I too remember. I remember my vivid awestruck when I saw Asian American actor Dante Basco as Rufio in the movie Hook. He was the first person I saw on TV and in film that resembled me. For people of color to see individuals like them in positions of visibility, power, and success, it is incredibly validating for our identities, confidence, aspirations and affirming that we matter. We do matter. Charlotte you matter.

Not only was Rufio a main character but a fearless leader.

The firsts. Asian American Pacific Islanders are still underrepresented in many sectors. For example, actress Kelly Marie Tran who plays Rose Tico in Star Wars went from being the first Asian American and woman of color lead character in The Last Jedi (and in all of Star Wars) to controversially only having one minute of screen time in the follow-up film The Rise of Skywalker. Also, in stark contrast to his counterparts, data analyzed by Axios Media demonstrate the disproportionate lack of media coverage in comparison to polling numbers for Asian American presidential candidate, Andrew Yang. And for the first time in U.S. history, there are three Asian American Pacific Islanders running for 2020 presidency: Andrew Yang (Taiwanese), Kamala Harris (Indian and black), and Tulsi Gabbard (Samoan and white).

Actress Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico, the first Asian American and woman of color lead role in Star Wars. Photo courtesy of Screen Rant.

Rose Tico later removed from the original Star Wars merchandise designs.

2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang. Photo: Jeff Neira, Walt Disney Television.

Additionally, in every article I have read about Charlotte Nebres, the titles and body text consistently say “first black” ballet lead and neglect to say she is also the first Asian American ballet lead. Too often Asian American Pacific Islanders are left out, forgotten, a footnote or an afterthought; yet Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial and ethnic group in the U.S. Asian Americans are more than the harmful stereotypes: other, outsider, quiet, invisible, passive, meek, subservient, the model minority, good at math, terrible drivers. The list is endless.

Despite it all, Charlotte, you are positively challenging the misconceptions and false narratives of Asian Americans and African Americans. Thank you for overcoming the odds. Thank you for being the first. Your success is everyone’s success.