Learn & Unlearn: Anti-racism Resource Guide

Original post on @saic.maffairs posted 4/3/2021.

Foundation: Power / Prejudice, Stereotypes, Discrimination

The roots & the rise of anti-Asian hate

Globally, communities of color have long faced hostility, racism, discrimination and been the target of violent crime. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread xenophobia and misinformation has unjustifiably placed blame on Asians for the spread of the virus. It’s important to distinguish fact from fiction. COVID-19 does not discriminate based on one’s race, culture, ethnicity, and nationality; “No single person or group of people are more likely than others to spread COVID-19.”¹ The hateful rhetoric surrounding COVID is largely the cause for this alarming increase in racialized violence against various Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islands communities. ²

We need to understand that this abhorrent rhetoric and scapegoating of minoritized groups isn’t new, it is only the most recent occurrence of a long-standing pattern of hatred targeting Asian communities. Anti-Asian sentiment long predates the Coronavirus pandemic, but has largely been unreported and unaddressed.³ We cannot begin to denounce anti-Asian discrimination without first understanding the cultural atmosphere that undercurrents the anti-Asian violence we see today. 

What follows are only a few of many resources to help gain a deeper understanding of anti-Asian racism, its roots, and its manifestations today. Use these resources to continue your journey of self-education and fuel your @stopaapihate. Let’s denounce racism, not just against AAPI communities, but in all its loathsome forms.

Quote

“As we continue to practice anti-racism and work toward more diversity and inclusion, individually and collectively, I hope that we can do just that and involve all groups in the discussion. We can’t call ourselves anti-racists until we acknowledge all marginalized people, including Asian Americans.” - Sharon Kwon

To Read: The History

• “On anti-Asian hate crimes: Who is our real enemy?” Michelle Kim, Medium, February 10, 2021 [Article]
• “Stop AAPI Hate National Report”, Russell Jeung, Aggie Yellow Horse, Tara Popovic, and Richard Lim, Stop AAPI Hate, accessed Apr 1, 2021 [Report]
• “The long history of anti-Asian hate in America, explained,” Li Zhou, Vox, 2021 [Article]
• “The long history of US racism against Asian Americans, from ‘yellow peril,’ to ‘model minority’ to the ‘Chinese virus',” Adrian De Leon, The Conversation, April 8, 2020 [Article]

To Read: Current Events

• “Animals and Epidemic Orientalism: Reconsidering the Taxonomies of COVID-19,” Rachel Wang, Justin Wong and Dayun Ryu, Far-Near, 2021 [Article]
• “I Will Not Stand Silent.’ 10 Asian Americans reflect on racism during the pandemic and the need for equality,” Anna Purna Kambhampaty, Time, June 25, 2020 [Article] 
• “This is what no one tells you about being Asian in America in 2021,” Sharon Kwon, HuffPost, 2021 [Article]

To Read: Actions You Can Take

• “68 Ways to donate in support of Asian communities,” The Strategist, New York Magazine, March 23, 2021 [Article]
• “What you can do to fight violence and racism against Asian Americans,” Vignesh Ramachandran, PBS, 2021 [Article]

To Research: International, National & Local Grassroots Resources

• Asian Americans Advancing Justice [Website]
• Stop AAPI Hate [Website]
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice: Report Now [Website]

To Listen

• When Xenophobia Spreads Like A Virus, Code Switch, 2020 [Podcast]
• A History of Hate, In The Thick, 2021 [Podcast]

To Watch

To Follow

StopAAPIHate @stopaapihate
Kim Saira @kimsaira

Self Care

• “A Mental wellness activity book for Asian Americans,” University of Connecticut’s Asian and Asian American Studies Institute, #IAMNOTAVIRUS campaign, and Asian American Literary Review [Workbook]

To Reflect

1. Have you heard or are you familiar with the term, “Model Minority?” How is this myth perpetuated? How does it oppress AAPI communities? How does it affect the oppression of Black, Brown, Indigenous and other People of color?  
2. Do you have worries talking to your family members? Why or why not? It may not be comfortable, but most learning moments aren’t. How can you talk with them about it?
3. Do you know that Asian refers to a multitude of identities, cultures, and experiences? The Asian experience is often misrepresented as one amalgamation. How were these stereotypes formed for you? How can you break them? 

To Act

• Share, participate and stay informed about how you can stop anti-Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islands Xenophobic harrasment through Bystander Intervention Training
• Find and follow grassroots movements starting with Stop AAPI Hate Act Now page
• Tell your story at StandAgainstHatred.org. 
• Stop the spread of misinformation. Remember that the Coronavirus does not discriminate based on race and ethnicity. Address inaccuracies by learning & sharing the facts (CDC)

Sources

1. "COVID-19: Reducing Stigma," Centers for Disease Control. June 11, 2020.
2. Hua Hsu, “The muddled history of anti-Asian violence,” The New Yorker. February 21, 2021
3. Liz Mineo, “The scapegoating of Asian Americans,” The Harvard Gazette. March 24, 2021