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FEATURE: Asians4BlackLives
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By Lena Chhay Asians 4 Black Lives explained Where do Asians fit in the movement idea that if minorities work hard enough Stopping police brutality ends the viofor Black lives? they can be successful, has caused some lence against all people, including Asians.
Rallies, vigils, and marches have ignited Asians to believe that struggling commuPolice accountability means when police across the country as Americans of all colnities of color “deserve” their unequal place attack any person unjustly, they will be ors demand justice for the Black families in society. These tensions have been exfired, charged, and jailed every time. who have lost their parents, children, or ploited to decrease assistance to Southeast Defunding the police means re-allofriends at the hands of police. The list of Asian, Black, and Latinx communities such cating budget from local police to social victims has been growing for years: George as in the cases against affirmative action. workers and mental health counselors— Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Atatipeople professionally trained in helping, ana Jefferson, and countless others. How does “Black Lives Matter” and denot attacking, those having a mental
Asians are not immune to racial injusfunding the police relate to Asian lives? health crisis. Asian-Americans are less liketice in this country. From the internment Asians are not immune to police brutally to seek professional mental health serof Japanese citizens, to Vincent Chin’s ity nor racial profiling. In the 1970s, police vices than other races; this re-allocation murderers serving no jail time, to the attempted to detain undocumented Chionly stands to help Asians. 1,900 reports of Asian-American discrimnese-Americans by stopping any Asian ination during the COVID-19 pandemic— person and asking for their immigration What can you do to help the movement Asian racism is alive and well in the US. paperwork. In January 2020, Mona Wang for Black lives?
Asians can both experience racism and was having a mental health crisis when a 1. LISTEN. Although this movement will perpetuate racism at the same time. Depolicewoman came to perform a wellness benefit all lives, Black lives have been disspite sharing a history of racism with Black check. Rather than showing empathy proportionately lost due to police brutalAmericans, anti-Blackness is unequivocaland de-escalation, Mona was assaultity. The Black community lives with ineqly prevalent in our community. ed, dragged out of her apartment, and uity in health, education, housing, income,
The model minority myth, the stepped on. and more. Empathize with their hurt, listen to their stories, and give them a platform to speak. Amplify their voices.
People gathered at Aurora’s municipal center in support of justice for Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old who died after an encounter with officers last August. Photo Credit: Lena Chhay
2. BE TEACHABLE. Educate yourself on Black history and activism. Understand that we must be actively anti-racist. This starts with you. If someone asks you to stop saying the N-word or repeating Black stereotypes, instead of getting defensive, ask yourself why you feel the need to say those things. Would it drastically change your life to stop? Some great resources include Asian Americans Advancing Justice, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, and Letters for Black Lives.
3. PUSH FOR CHANGE. Donate to organizations supporting Black lives. Attend a protest. Call or email your legislators, governors, senators, school boards, and district attorneys. Vote
for people who will end systemic racism, locally and nationally.
We should support Black lives because it’s the right thing to do. Doing good is not transactional. But to be clear, supporting Black lives will benefit us Asians, too.
Follow @APIDA4BLACKLIVESMATTER on Instagram for workshops about allyship and anti-Blackness in the Asian community.
Follow @APISRISING5280 on Instagram a local Asian American group committed to the collective liberation of people of color and dismantling structures of oppression.
COLORADO’S AAPI COMMUNITY SOLIDARITY STATEMENT
We are Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) organizations and community members in Colorado stating our unequivocal support for Black lives and the Black Lives Matter movement. We condemn the violence against Black lives and call on AAPIs to fight for Black communities.
Our history is replete with examples of racism in our systems, institutions and societal structures, resulting in the oppression of communities of color. These structures have created a racial wedge between Black and Asian communities as an intentional tactic to pit us against each other rather than working together to fight the systems of white supremacy. We call on our AAPI community members to build cross-racial solidarity and to take active steps to dismantle the institutional racism that spans across all aspects of American life.
Messages and posts of solidarity must include a deeper understanding of the issues and root causes of why we are in this terrible moment. This requires listening to the experiences of Black people, educating ourselves about the historical injustices in this country, and doing the work it takes to not only say we are allies, but actively live and breathe as one.
We commit to consciously listen to members of the Black community, while supporting their pain and frustration. We commit to acknowledging our own privilege and using them to tear down the institutions that have perpetrated racial inequities. We stand united in solidarity with the Black community. Signed by more than 150 Asian American Pacific Islander organizations and community members in Colorado To sign, go to tinyurl.com/coaapi4blacklives.
