The Next American Revolution

JULY 2021

The Next American Revolution AN AAPI & BLACK SOLIDARITY ZINE

ISSUE 001

JULY 2021

ISSUE 001

Preface "The only way to survive is by taking care of one another" - Grace Lee Boggs (1915-2015) Since the 1940s, Grace Lee Boggs's love and work for marginalized communities extends past racial lines and borders within the Chicago area. Together with her husband, James Boggs, they founded the National Organization for an American Revolution and later, on her own, created Detroit Asian Political Alliance, and Facing Reality. She wrote numerous books on her activist and philosophical work. She passed away in 2015 at the age 100.

In a digital and hyper-political age of Black Lives Matter and Stop AAPI Hate, CCSF Collective members Kiana Gamboa and Eira Kien collaborated with Katie Quan from This Asian American Life to create this zine. We look to our students and community for guidance and support for multicultural solidarity. We honor and uplift the work of Grace Lee Boggs by bringing it into San Francisco Bay Area's present day. In this collection we also acknowledge how this work is not representative of all Black and AAPI communities - it is our hope for this to be a first step of many towards liberation.

Inspired by the Boggs’ Detroit Summer program, involving youth in street cleaning, urban gardening, recycling waste, repairing homes, education, and outreach, and creating public art, all proceeds of “The Next American Revolution” will be donated to fund our collaborators, and Sisterhood Gardens located in San Francisco. To learn more, please check out their website at: www.SisterhoodGardens.org Together, we step into the next American revolution.

CCSF Asian American Studies Department

CCSF Collective CCSF Philippine Studies Department Chinese for Affirmative Action One Love Black Community SF Bay View National Black Newspaper This Asian American Life

Sponsored bY

Black San Francisco

table of contents PHOTOGRAPHY Freida L. Candido

pg 6 - 7

Nick DeRenzi

pgs 16, 17 21, 23

Glenn Mercado

pgs 26-28

Difenni Sarris

pgs 37, 40, 44

Katie Godowski

pg 41

POETRY Sun T

pgs 8 - 9

s.f.h

pgs 10 - 14

Tehmina Khan

pgs 35 - 36, 38 - 39, 45 - 46, 49

Dawn Angelicca Barcelona

pg 50

Molly Liu

pgs 52 - 54, 65

Emily Goes

pgs 42 - 43

WORDS Tiera Cummings-Scales

pgs 18 - 20

Alexis Reiko

pgs 22 - 24

Marquise Rosier

pgs 28 - 29

Pan Ei Khaing

pgs 31 - 33

Dayoung Lee

pgs 59 - 60

Shizune Seigel

pgs 61 - 63

VISUAL ART, CERAMICS, MUSIC pg 30

s.f.h

pg 34

Katie Quan

pg 47

Melissa Wang Alexis Reiko

pg 48

Elaine Chu

pg 51

Barnzilla

pgs 56 - 58

Shizune Seigel

pgs 61

PLAYLIST:

pg 55

BIOS:

pgs 66 - 77

RESOURCES:

pg 78

Freida L. Candido

BLM in Little Tokyo, LA

Black Lives Matter banner hangs from a fire escape in Little Tokyo, LA. 16

"I recognize and denounce all violence against my AAPI family members. I empathize with their suffering, devastation, and anguish. I stand in solidarity with the AAPI community against every form of racial or ethnic oppression. I honor the manifold contributions and history of the AAPI community.

Our communities are stronger, safer, bolder, and more effective when we advocate for our human rights together."

Freida L. Candido

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

The

following

illustrations, action

pages

and

on

photography

AAPI

coordinated

contain

&

by

from

Black

CCSF

words, an

solidarity

Collective,

an

abolitionist art activism student-led group.

More background information is below: At

City

College

students to

the

nearly

and

of

of

shutting in

American

Francisco

community

threat

Studies

San

600

down

the

by

protested

potential

the

nation,

Studies

(CCSF),

only

layoffs

Philippine

cutting

33%,

and

due

African

potentially

cutting English As a Second Language by 53%.

On

May

Solidarity

6,

action

Collective

to

SF,

Collective,

Save

organizations Student

Bring

National Bay

Area

PUSO

Black

by

CCSF from

CCSF,

CCSF

Cantonese

and

as

California Student

Home,

SF

Newspaper,

united

&

students

Coalition,

Mumia

Black

AAPI

CCSF,

such

Union

an

organized

save

Anakbayan

US,

for

in

a

Black Action

Bay

and

Us

virtual

View 4

Us

press

conference, rally, and disruption to protect our education. At the disruption, we were joined faculty

by

community,

at

Trustee

house,

where

police

in

Collective’s

riot

we

op-ed

Tom

were

gear. to

students,

met

Please

and

Tempranos by

50

read

Trustee

-

100

CCSF

Temprano

and the board of trustees here: https://tinyurl.com/AAPIbTrustees

15

photo: Nick DeRenzi, 2021

16

17

Tiera Cummings-Scales Speech shared at the 5/6 AAPI & Black virtual press conference

I remember when I started school at 4 years old, and

I

experienced

a

moment

of

confusion

as

it

came

to

my

realization that not a single person in my classroom looked like me.

There

was

an

instant

feeling

and

recognition

that

I

was

different,

but I didn’t understand why.

As

time

went

outcasting

on,

me.

I

began

Kids

asked

to

realize

and

that

made

my

jokes

differences

about

my

were

curly

hair

and dark skin. They didn’t want to talk to me. They had no interest in

playing

with

me.

And,

something

concerning

didn’t

understand

fully

it

became

myself why

that

their

obvious

they

that

didn’t

dislike

for

like.

me

there But

I

was

again,

existed,

so

I

internalized every part of their contempt for me.

At

the

age

Blackness,

of

4,

and

I

I

had

already

hadn’t

even

begun

known

to

it

despise

yet.

All

I

myself

knew

for

was

my

that

I

wanted to be lighter. The majority of the students in my class at the

time

were

of

Asian

descent,

and

they

were

all

fair-skinned.

I

used to find myself wishing I could have the skin and straight hair of the other girls, as the boys in the class continually pointed out to me that I wasn't as pretty as them. The narrative that I, as a Black girl, was ugly for my dark skin, continued throughout my years in school.

When

I

was

in

6th

grade

when

two

students,

one

of

them

an

Asian girl, made a class family tree and they called me the dog of our family.

18

I

didn’t

know

it

then,

but

looking

back

now

it

was

the

epitome

of

Anti-Blackness, and I had to figure out how to deal with that at 10 years old.

To me, at that young age, and because of my experiences, being of

Asian

descent

was

equal

to

being

white.

In

my

incorrect

and

uneducated mind, I was truly convinced that the Asian community despised me as a Black person, and were better than me, due to what

I

perceived

as

their

proximity

to

whiteness.

Not

until

a

teacher in high school, who cared enough to teach both Black and Asian history and oppression, did I realize how wrong I was in my thinking.

Education

concerning

both

our

communities

freed

me

from

the

teachings and oppression of anti-Blackness, and it enlightened me to the model minority myth and the way it erases the history of Asian-Americans and diminishes the anti-Asian racism that's been taking place in this country since the beginning. This myth is also dangerous Asian

because

community

it

drives

which

a

wedge

effectively

between prevents

the our

Black

and

inter-racial

solidarity.

The model minority myth isn’t the result of Asian people being better than Black people, Asian people hating Black people, or Black people hating Asian people-- It’s the result of white supremacy.

19

White

supremacy

doesn't

just

want

our

two

communities

to

despise each other, it needs our communities to turn against one another because it knows together, we can take it down.

This

is

why

wouldn’t

education

have

been

is

able

important. to

Without

recognize

the

an

education,

troubles

of

I

white

supremacy, the oppression that Asian-Americans face here in the United

States,

the

world's

antiblack

racism--

I

would’ve

continued

to be reluctant to stand in solidarity with the Asian community.

By

going

robbing

through

both

with

Black

and

the

cuts

Asian

at

CCSF,

students

of

the

trustees

will

be

their

histories,

stories,

and opportunity to educate in order to end white supremacy.

These

cuts

are

an

attack

on

our

communities,

which

tell

us

students that our voices and stories do not matter. It's telling our professors that work hard to help us learn about who we are and grow into something we were told we could never be, that what they do for our people doesn't matter. But, all of this does matter.

Like many others: I found my voice at this college, I now recognize my power, and I finally understand that my skin and gender do not mean smart,

I

cannot

we

be

deserve

successful. to

be

Black

respected

and for

Asian

who

people

we

are,

—

we

our

are

voices

should be heard, we matter.

20

CCSF students, faculty, and community take to the streets in the Castro District towards Trustee Tom Temprano's house, where they were met with police in riot gear.

Photos: Nick DeRenzi, 2021

21

Alexis reiko yonan Spoken at the 5/6 AAPI & Black rally at Mission High School

My

name

is

Alexis

Japanese/Assyrian member.

My

Reiko

Yonan,

woman,

maternal

City

I

am

a

College

grandparents

third

generation

student are

and

mixed

CCSF

survivors

of

race

Collective Japanese

Internment during WW2, & my mother was the first in her family to put herself through college and went on to spend over 40 years working as a special she

education

was

forced

teacher

into

in

early

the

California

retirement

due

public to

school

“budget”

system,

issues

before

similar

to

what we students and faculty are currently facing here at CCSF.

College

education

income

person

had

like

always

me;

the

felt

completely

daunting

cost

of

out

higher

of

reach

for

education

a

low

seemed

like an impossible barrier. For years I thought about returning to school but couldn't

afford

to

pay

for

books

and

tuition

and

still

pay

San

Francisco

rent. The Free City College program in 2017 granted me a second chance at the education I always dreamed of - I felt so at home, taking classes and

building

students

-

I

community had

finally

with

such

found

my

an

amazing

place.

Free

and

diverse

access

to

group

classes

of

and

facilities for students like us (and by us I mean BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, & LOW INCOME members of the community) are integral in the accessibility of higher education.

Which

brings

essential and

us

to

the

community

Gender

Studies,

issue

of

programs ESL

the like

classes,

proposed Ethnic and

600+

Studies,

programs

layoffs LGBT for

and

and

cuts

to

Women

students

with

disabilities. Make no mistake, the cuts happening here at CCSF are 100% a race and class issue. It is time for all of us to stand in solidarity with one another to take back our education.

22

photo: Nick DeRenzi, 2021

We

cannot

let

the

board

of

trustees

at

this

school

continue

to

make

decisions that hurt the most marginalized members of our community, we

cannot

allow

them

to

erase

our

histories

and

our

stories

(this

is

white supremacy at work!!). It’s scary and exhausting to be a person of color in this country and I want to encourage people not to buy into the model

minority

myth

or

any

other

divisive

tools

and

tactics

of

white

supremacy. Calls for extra policing in the face of anti-Asian violence do nothing but disproportionately harm Black and brown communities.

We need to instead uplift and amplify the voices of our BIPOC brothers and sisters, and look out for one another to help keep us all safe.

We keep us safe. It is important now more than ever for us to abolish and defund the police and fight for free education for all.

Our Free Community College Resolution passed through the SSCCC in March.

This

resolution

calls

for

the

Student

Senate

for

California

Community Colleges to develop an action plan for free tuition through alternative funding in collaboration with Black, indigenous and people of color

and

include

a

statement

relevant studies and education.

in

support

of

Ethnic

Studies,

other

23

To support any initiatives, campaigns and reforms that advocate for free education,

to

redirect

funding

for

police

and

military

towards

universal

education, and advocate for Ethnic Studies and other relevant education initiatives.

To

have

the

performance

Student based

Centered

funding

Funding

and

make

Formula

steer

assessments

away

on

from

how

this

funding has affected vulnerable student populations

And

to

ensure

that

ALL

students,

regardless

of

immigration,

resident,

and citizenship status are included in this tuition free program

I

do

also

want

members

who

to

add

that

approved

we

made

these

effigies

layoffs

and

of

the

program

board cuts

of

trustees

because

we

want everyone to remember the faces and names of those responsible for

enacting

racist

and

classist

policies

that

do

nothing

but

harm

the

people in our community.

You all came out here for a reason today and we have some amazing community

organizations

and

speakers

lined

up.

If

any

of

the

things

we’re saying resonates with you please feel free to reach out and get involved,

we’re

stronger

together

and

could

always

use

the

extra

support.

24

A CCSF student is backed by community as they confront the police at Trustee Tom Temprano's house.

Photo: Anonymous, 2021 25

these are the voices of

Damien Posey, CCSF alumni and US 4 US Bay Area founder.

d

Angela Savage, Korean and indigenous Taiwanese writer recites her poem Revolutionary Imagination.

26

Nube Brown, editor of San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper .

Win-Mon Kyi, from Resist US-Led War, and CCSF PUSO (Philippine-US Solidarity Organization)

photo: Glenn Mercado

the next american revolution

27

Marquise Rosier Spoken at the 5/6 AAPI & Black rally at Mission High School

photo: Glenn Mercado Solidarity

with

the

Asian

American

and

Pacific

Islander

community

is

important, and also solidarity with the activists and workers of CCSF as they fight against the attempt of our government to underfund critical programs and fail us as it intends to. You can see it plain as day here, America

claims

to

care

and

be

concerned

for

Asian

life

that

is

experiencing an uptick in hate crime, yet America and more specifically CCSF tried to cut course offerings in Asian studies like the Cantonese program

and

Philippines

symbolically

care

while

community.

Mumia

studies.

continuing

Abu-Jamal

It to

is

especially

take

about

hypocritical

resources

whom

I

am

from

the

hoping

to

to

AAPI share

some information with you today, understood this very well. He wrote many we

times

need

many

of

to us

about

how

succeed failing.

this

are

This

failure

is

intentional.

intentionally

pushes

us

How

underfunded,

closer

towards

a

the

resources

which carceral

leads

to

system

that is extremely overfunded.

28

Education was historically underfunded to create a pipeline to prison for people of color and primarily black people, it continues to be underfunded in order to perpetuate this pipeline. Mumia Abu-Jamal wrote about this many

times;

discussing

how

after

the

civil

war

which

saw

the

black

people free from slavery; the system was confronted with a problem of providing

public

schooling

for

black

people.

America

knew

it

had

this

problem on its hands, and the system never really did anything to meet this

need

described

as

was

the

lack

classrooms people

of

for

reflected of

black

color

has

and

resources

people.

documented

and

materials

Underfunding

always

been

an

in

how

needed

programs

intentional

our to

that

way

to

ancestors

have are

proper

critical

to

economically,

politically disenfranchise them and then strip them of any real rights and reduce them to laborers. Mumia Abu-Jamal taught me this, and I’m sure CCSF does not even have many programs in place to introduce you to Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Let me introduce you to Mumia Abu-Jamal. He is an elder who became a target of the state as soon as he decided to resist. Mumia was one of many black/brown/red/asian/worker activists who were targeted by the government’s COINTELPRO program. He sits in prison after going through a kangaroo court where judge, Albert Sabo who presided over the case, used

racist

allowed even help

tactics

white

said, them

to

jurors

within

kick

with

earshot

(prosecutors)

black

racist of

a

“fry

jurors beliefs

court

the

out to

of

the

serve

on

stenographer,

nig***”.

Mumia

jury

and

the

jury.

that

he

continues

knowingly The is

to

judge

going

write

to

and

share his incredible knowledge and insight from within the belly of the beast,

he

deeply.

continues

Everyone

advocating

for

to

teach

should

him

us

know

and

all

as

our

about

our

elders

Mumia

elders

should

and

who

be

are

and

we

doing

still

love

their

with

us,

him

part

in

being

dehumanized and exploited by this white supremacist patriarchal settler colonial

state.

Visit

https://letmumiaout.com/

and

follow

the

steps

by

calling Governor Tim Wolf, DA Larry Krasner and following the script. This keeps

Mumia’s

name

alive

and

keeps

hope

alive,

as

we

continue

to

remind Philadelphia of its crime and its hypocrisy.

Love you all.

29

s.f.h, Pan-unity, 2021 Background photo: Andre Moura

30

Pan Ei Khaing Speech shared at the 5/6 AAPI & Black virtual press conference

My name is Pan Ei Khaing and I grew up in Myanmar under a military regime

that

took

over

the

power

in

1988,

and

dragged

the

development of the whole country down to a least developed country in

the

world,

inhumane

especially

military

coup

our

education

seized

the

system.

power

again

And

and

now,

that

detained

our

democratically elected civilian government.

I

moved

to

newcomer

the to

US

the

a

year

US,

ago,

right

everything

before

was

the

difficult

pandemic.

for

me,

As

a

especially

Language and Culture but becoming a student at City College indeed helped

me

a

lot

more

than

I

can

imagine.

According

to

my

classes

experience, we are not only learning English but also many other kinds of

knowledge

such

as

culture,

understand each other, gain

empathy

and

traditions,

morality,

etc.,

that

help us to create a better society,

respect

for

other

communities,

make

us

help us to

make

us

realize

how to develop our personal and professional skills. Most importantly, those lessons definitely helped me get a job for my living and I would like

to

highlight

that

my

teachers

are

not

only

teaching

English

but

also teaching us many important Life Lessons.

One of the most unforgettable lessons is when we have two special guests’ African American ladies in our class and we discuss about their life

experience,

their

perspective,

the

discrimination

they

have

been

suffering way too long ago until present. It was a really touching and inspirational moment for me. Then consequently it enlightened me to think deeply about racism and discrimination in my home country.

31

In

Burma,

we

also

have

many

ethnic

groups

and

its

diversity.

But

majority is Burmese people and I’m a Burmese. Then I’ve realized that how

we

took

happened

in

the

our

Burmese

privilege

surrounding

which

and

we

many

of

considered

inequality

as

a

that

culture

and

tradition, and most shockingly, we were growing up with the systemic racism

by

channels

the and

propaganda.

Burmese

military

newspapers

They

that

manipulated

coup. the

We

had

military

even

in

the

only

2

coup

state

used

school

text

own

them books,

TV for we

learnt about the things that they want us to see. No media freedom, no justice, no human right and democracy, the saddest thing I realized is that we don’t even know ourselves we are losing our freedom, losing our basic human rights.

We were so blind.

That blindness led me to feel biggest regret and guilty in my life after the

terrorist

killing

many

military

coup

innocent

took

civilians,

over

the

raiding

the

power, homes

the at

coup days

has

and

been

nights,

burning down the entire villages, etc. We just see how evil, brutal the Burmese military coup is but our brothers and sisters, the other ethnic groups including Rohingya have been suffering of this terrorized fascist military

long

time

ago

and

most

of

Burmese

people

kept

silent

and

didn’t care to pay attention to their problems and suffering, including me. Not because of we agreed with terrorist military coup, because we couldn’t able to access the news about the real ground situation but I know it is just an excuse and it’s all about my ignorance.

32

Martin

Luther

King

said

“Injustice

anywhere

is

a

threat

to

justice

everywhere”. I was too late to practice as the meaning of that quote. Now we had to pay the price for our ignorance.

I

can’t

change

what

I’ve

done

in

the

past

but

I’m

truly

so

sorry

to

our

brothers and sisters. And I decided that I’m not going to make the same mistake again.

When I learnt about Black Lives Matter movement, I totally feel it coz we are sharing the same ground. And I supported as much as I can such as sharing

the

black

own

business

within

our

friends

to

support

their

businesses.

I know that we, AAPI and African American community have to unify and fight back together in this to stop this chronic discrimination, racist attack and gain back our human rights and equality. This is the time we have to show same

our

solidarity

goal.

We

and

have

speak

each

out

other

about

now,

each

we

can

other

until

make

the

we

reach

better

our

change

together. We fight we win!

Above all, I believe education is the key to change the bad things to be the good

ones.

Thus,

if

the

education

is

not

within

our

reach,

we

cannot

prevent the tragic events that we will be ashamed to our next generation.

CCSF is playing a major vital role for all of us. I’m very grateful to CCSF and my

great

done

for

teachers

there

immigrants

like

for

all

me.

the

support

Without

a

and

contributions

second

thought,

they

CCSF

is

have really

helping and changing our lives which also indirectly helps the city and its society.

So,

these

600+

layoffs

are

definitely

going

to

impact

our

futures,

our lives and benefits of the whole community & society. Because of my classes, I gained such valuable mental and physical benefit, got a job, pay the taxes, gave back to the community. Please I beg all of you, the decision makers to keep the classes because we have nowhere to go and study and our future is in your hands. Thank you so much.

33

Katie Quan, In Unity There is Survival, 2021.

34

Tehmina Khan

35

36

Photo: Difenni Sarris, 2021

37

38

39

Photo: Difenni Sarris, 2021

40

Photo: Katie Godowski, 2021

41

"What does justice demand "

by Emily Goes For awhile I considered my success to occur cuz I was a token.

But I awoke and slapped myself across the face and spoke “Why do I view myself through these white settler myths?”

I moved from trying to join their table and use my bandwidth to start decolonizing race.

What is my history of place?

How do I move through this world with humility and grace?

Not “sit down, you’re white passing.”

But, “let’s stand up together, forever.

Cuz this is a life long project.”

Before any grace, I wanted to be angry and make white people feel bad for me.

But hold up!

“I need all of my skills All of my control, All of my powers....

And anger doesn’t provide any of that” Use bidirectional conversations as combat.

My life is golden but the sun won’t shine if I keep holdin that my trauma, that your trauma, that even those that level their privileges trauma is played through a white narrative.

42

"What does justice demand"

By Emily Goes

Being comparative with our trauma creates tension

and people ask for comprehension of tension between Black and brown.

But step down and back because that tension is not between brown and Black.

That tension is white supremacy...

Let’s bond together to unlearn and unpack whiteness and its impact.

That shit’s golden.

We can’t disregard race because that erases our history of place.

We talk about race, race, and race and race, But we gotta slow down and heal.

In this capitalist world it’s not ideal to sit but don’t you deserve to prioritize yourself?

Fly from oppression and limitation to freedom and liberation.

We have the ability to heal We have the ability to claim We have the ability to live life likes its golden, golden.

The possibility of diversity within our democracy is no longer a question, I now understand.

For me, this can happen everyday if I ask myself - what does justice demand.

43

Photo: Difenni Sarris, 2021

44

45

46

Melissa Wang, Grow Together Thrive Together, 2021 47

Pegasus, 2018

Dragon Bowl, 2021

alexis reiko

ceramics by

48

49

Dawn Angelicca Barcelona

50

Elaine Chu, The Only Way to Survive is by Taking Care of One Another, 2021 Photo: Cece Carpio 51

Molly Liu Wuther I wanted to live or love I wanted to die it’s beautiful but you don’t have to look up to it it’s ugly but you don’t have to look down to it I can only do to you what the willow tree do to the spring but not what the spring do to the willow tree I can only follow but not be followed because death is not here death is not in the room death is free out to the world but it’s just a stranger to you for you had chose to forget, forgive and be always wondering my past poems about my fiction and my old beliefs my present poems about my hometown and my new reality

52

the me outside of my eyes is still me the world inside of my brain is still the world and they’re like two eyes of the cross-eyed dog trying to look for something I’m safe in this room I’m safe in this universe I feel even more lonely when I’m in infinite space even though I’m physically less lonely than be bounded in a nutshell you’re so small in this universe yet you’re so big to the others around you like a butterfly changing back into into a coconut heart

53

New Songs The whale is his dead body Inflated by the sea Looking at me in the eyes One day, in their marriage, My father said he cannot love.

All others including himself.

She did not buy it.

Until much later. /drown by my love/ like cactus in the water, or a tortoise in the laughter of a young mockingbird green tea powder, coconut milk, mochi flour all in one glass bowl /with a tail of banana fish/

54

55

Barnzilla

What is this?

Listen here: soundcloud.com/barnzilla/what-is-this

(Verse) Yo what is this why you do that You act like you winning about it this is where we lose at 'Cause mothafuckas like you wanna make our faces blue black Real shit 100 show you where the truth at Treat us like a group of punks For nothing you'll tell us get on our knees or get on our tums What makes them really think that we are so dumb The guys in the midnight blue we can't trust Another body caught over there Another soul just got snatched over here Another year old person went missing where Got washed up over there at the Pier What happened to my homie what happened to my son What happened to my favorite and my decent loved one What did somebody do to him what has that person done Does anybody know anything anyone He fought somebody at the water that was his own color That was his own race that was another brother And fight each other for what we should be brawling with them The pigs who don't care so they just cut our life so slim More down so many of us left to go Cutting our time short too flexible Turning every piece of meat into a vegetable Down and out to the ground they pick the bones 56

return the favor Listen here: https://tinyurl.com/RTFbarnzilla

(Verse 1) A cold side effect i feel it on my jaw I feel it on my neck i feel it oh my gosh He's gonna pay too he's gonna pay a pop Resend everything that just had me knocked off Of my balance and then a nigga shouted Because of the pain i went thru i was ouching Laid down below i was grounded He slid to my mood just to wreck it then he ralphed it Got house rounded Show off yo head where keeping it at I'm looking for you don't comfy better keep you a mask You're just as poison as the alcohol they pour in a flask I always hated homework but i think I'll like this task Kiss your honey goodbye tell her I'll see you next week You're taking a trip to something that begins with a E Oh boy that stinks oh boy reaks The word retaliation is calling me (Chorus) Dealing with this cold danger Beefing with this cold stranger Cooking with this strong anger Fasho now or later I'm gon' return the favor I been dealing with this cold danger Beefing with this cold stranger Cooking with this strong anger Fasho now or later I'm gon' return the favor

57

(Verse 2) Written on my to do list I'll get it done Who's this to knock a nigga and have him stunned What's yo deal with me What kinda skin is you really tryna peal with me And not seal with me Picked the wrong fight MR. hit em in the kisser Give him a blister you make a terrible fight picker Dumb shit terrible decision The stunt that he pulled made a nigga crazy driven (Bridge) Mhmm Oh my sweet goodness This nigga been up to something he shouldn't Mhmm Don't buy that bullshit If this nigga begs me to stop the retribution Don't buy that bullshit carry on To kicking him in his ass and scare em off Sweep his feet to the floor regret it not Annihilate that nigga on the spot (Chorus) Dealing with this cold danger Beefing with this cold stranger Cooking with this strong anger Fasho now or later I'm gon' return the favor I been dealing with this cold danger Beefing with this cold stranger Cooking with this strong anger Fasho now or later I'm gon' return the favor

58

Kids Will Be Kids?

Dayoung Lee, June 2021

This is a story of stupid, nerdy Asian kids doing stupid, nerdy things.

We

were

at

a

high

school

version

of

a

pub

quiz,

and

we

had

to

give

names for each member to account for points. Someone had the idea of

going

by

"Obama"

for

the

day,

and

another

(I

can't

remember

who

exactly) follows suit with "Tyrone."

It's blackface of a kind. Proposed as a joke, blackness the punchline.

What was funny about it? The fact that it was a nerdy Asian kid giving up

his

Saturday

history,

taking

to

on

a

show

how

"badass,

much

gangster"

he

knew

name

to

about

hide

geography

the

fact

that

or we

were kinda lame? Or am I reading too much into it 10 years after the fact, after scrolling through years of woke Twitter? Was it just a stupid reply that felt less and less funny as the day went? Did I find it funny at the time

or

was

I

indifferent?

Should

I

have

had

the

words

to

understand

why it wasn't funny at all, would I have had the courage to call it out?

I'm not sure.

It

goes

to

System

show

wants

how

us

to

even

as

believe.

kids

we

Cathy

already

Park

Hong,

ingested in

Minor

all

the

shit

Feelings,

the

writes

"Children are cruel. They will parrot whatever racist shit their parents tell them

in

private

in

the

bluntest

way

imaginable."

What

would

our

immigrant parents know about "Tyrone"? But if it wasn't our parents, it was TV shows, it was YouTube videos, and our own lack of filter. All the derogatory

words

I

heard

in

my

coddled

life,

I

heard

most

of

them

in

middle school between boys shouting at each other down the hallways.

But then again, maybe grown-ups don't need the words because they have

qualified

immunity,

environmental

injustice,

a

myriad

of

other

institutional racism, and, not least of all, an army of devil's advocates.

59

I

dread

hearing

about

similar

stories

or

worse,

but

sadly,

I

wouldn't

be

surprised to hear them. It can be so hard to talk to each other. We grow up

in

separate

neighborhoods,

references

to

keep

apart.

us

shared

misunderstood?

food

But

and

can

Hearing

with

slurs

different

music,

staying

common on

cliques, within

ground

public

preferring the

be

transportation

lines

found

the

easy

drawn

in

directed

at

to

feeling us?

In

how our moms are not to be messed with?

I'm nervous to share this story, but I share it in good faith. That it can be held and not hurt (so much), that it can reveal and build. Because when we build allyship between Black and AAPI communities, we need to make sure it's built on solid foundation. This means clearing away our own debris of

bias

and

stereotypes

we

inherited

from

generations

past.

Our

own

timidness. Maybe then, honesty can build trust. And with trust and work, we can grow our strength of voice. And then maybe, just maybe, see the lasting change that we desperately, desperately need.

To make amends you have to acknowledge the offence. I share the story not

to

atone—that

comes

in

marches

and

protests,

calls

to

politicians,

signed petitions, opened wallets, and hard conversations with our parents and even our nieces and nephews. I don't remember who exactly "Tyrone" was, but I know that he was my friend. And as a friend, now I know to ask "Do you really wanna do that?"

60

Shizue Seigel

\

Hunting Blackbirds “JAP HUNTING LICENSES ISSUED HERE”— anti-Japanese American hatred in California’s Central Valley is documented by a 1942 War Relocation Authority photograph. In the months after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, 120,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated.

One victim of racial violence was George Yamasaki, my relative by marriage. George was a bright, ambitious Nisei, born in 1910 to Japanese immigrants in Santa Clara County. He dropped out of college in 1931 to marry his sweetheart, Kazue. His family grew faster than his Depression-era wages as a farm worker, so Kazue foraged for wild mushrooms and mustard greens to feed their four children.

61

After the US declared war on Japan in 1941, the Yamazakis were incarcerated in horse stables at the Santa Anita Racetrack and then shipped off to the Heart Mountain concentration camp in Wyoming.

George and dozen other men were allowed to leave camp to harvest sugar beets outside the nearby town Cowley in 1944. As the workers stooped in the field, George was shot by a .22 caliber bullet that passed through several internal organs and lodged near his spine.

The shooter was a local rancher’s son, who claimed he was “hunting blackbirds,” commonly used in the South to reference anti-Black violence. The jury acquitted him.

George never recovered his health. When the family returned to San Jose, they were so destitute they had to live in a neighbor’s barn.

George and his family clung to their deep Buddhist faith to sustain them. Like most of my extended family, they cultivated gratitude, not vengeance or fear. They let go of expectations and found joy in family, community and nature. But then, they lived in Santa Clara County, relatively free from overt racism. In San Joaquin County, other cousins were battered by entrenched and pernicious racism.

Some survived, and even thrived, but others fell prey to depression, alcoholism, heroin addiction, homelessness and even murder.

62

open season • no limit Shizue Seigel

62

Skin I wake up seeing god talk to me: to human, roses are like dust to god, men are like that too I sleep reminding myself nobody is alone in dreams As sky is icily cold youthful eyes still looking for stars mom call it youthful ambition

63

I see skin cold skin rough skin dark skin light skin thin skin red skin thick skin tainted skin yellow skin cracked skin powdered one hiding from the crowd one sleeping on the street one crowding in the dark one staring at the office one jumping into the pool one becoming other I hope all dreams are kept in a safe place until they get wings to fly

64

The Next American Revolution Creators Ki Gamboa Pronouns: she/they

Ki Gamboa (pronounced as key) is a Filipino-American artist from

of

multiple

CCSF

mediums

Collective,

and

Anakbayan

a

student

San

activist

Francisco,

and

WeArePHST. Ki has taken the roles as lead designer & cover artist for the zine, collaging empowering photos of

community

members

that

were

taken

by

Glenn

Mercado.

By

understanding

the

parallels

of

the

Filipinx

and

Black struggles through ethnic studies, it allows us to continue to address and dismantle the problems that are constantly faced in white America.

s.f.h (Eira Kien) Pronouns: she/her

s.f.h

is

an

and

CCSF

abolitionist Collective

Vietnamese-Chinese

member.

She

is

a

artist

beginner

driven by earnesty.

To her, being someone from the AAPI community, AAPI

and

liberation

Black for

all.

solidarity Blackness

is

key

must

to be

achieve centered

alongside one's own communities.

65

Katie Quan Pronouns: she/her Website: www.ThisAsianAmericanLife.com IG: @ThisAsianAmLife

Born

and

Quan

raised

(she/her)

Chinese

in

San

is

a

Francisco,

third

American.

Katie

generation

Her

creative

platform, This Asian American Life gives voice

history,

community,

and

collaboration.

Black and Asian American communities have had a long history of solidarity. We have

been

differences about duty

our

to

taught and

certainly

similarities.

unearth

ancestors

about

us,

not

However,

these

before

our

stories. we

many

enough it

is

our

Like

our

must

work

together to create a better, more caring world for the future generation.

66

Photographers Freida L. Candido Pronouns: she/her

Freida

Candido

is

a

49-year-old

biracial

Black

and

white

woman

and

mother. She is from Virginia, and self-identifies as Black due to her reality and

experiences

growing

up

in

the

South

with

historical

Jim

Crow

impacts, where there was no distinction of being bi-racial. Freida was the president of the Ventura BSU, leading the group alongside Elijah Walker.

She was a member of the California Black Student Union Coalition, and will be attending Columbia University.

Freida's

heart

is

for

advocacy,

human

services,

at-risk

youth,

trafficking

and human rights, alongside being a voice for the voiceless. She is part of the pathway to law school program, and is hoping to attend law school to do changes at the policy-making level.

Difenni Sarris Pronouns: she/her Website: 22tigers.com IG: @difenni

Difenni an

was

born

immigrant,

parents

at

journey

when

Music,

raised

she

she

first

was

visual

including

Clayton.

As

in

moved

Difenni

refreshing

musicans Gerald

19.

&

a

in

Shanghai,

to

Queens

started

her

Berklee

impact

Grammy

China.

for

with

her

creative

College fellow

nominated

commercial

As

of

Jazz artist

photography

&

art director, she started documenting protests in the city during the pandemic in 2020. Her work of Anthony

Payne

was

recently

featured

on

Popsugar.

67

Nick DeRenzi Pronouns: he/him Website: NickDeRenzi.MyPortfolio.com IG: @nick.derenzi

Nick

DeRenzi

raised

is

Oaxacan

a -

Bay

Area

American

born

and

community

photographer, whose work meets at the intersection passion also

a

to

of

documentary

fight

long

for

time

and

communities.

member

of

his

Nick

the

is

Prison

Industrial Complex Abolition group Critical Resistance, and

is

a

has

a

recent

BA

degree

new

from

student

in

SFSU

CCSF's

Labor & Community Studies Department.

As in

a

community

following

the

organizer leadership

Nick of

believes

impacted

communities is the only way to true selfdetermination between and

along

with

communities.

uplifting

solidarity

Radical,

organizing

is

creative

the

only

pathway to freedom!

Katie Godowski Pronouns: she/her

Website:KatieGodowski.com

IG: @KatieGodowski_photography

Katie Godowski is a Brooklyn-based photographer that is freelancing with NYC Protest Coverage, and UP Magazine. Her work has been featured in New

York

Magazine,

Time

Out

New

York,

alongside

B&H

Optics

photography contest.

68

Glenn Mercado Pronouns: he/him Website: linktr.ee/mugzee IG: @g.mugzee

Glenn is a Filipino-American artist, who grew up

on

unceded

Ohlone.

AAPI

Power!

It's

dismantle

land

and the

our

of

Black

Ramaytush

solidarity

way

racist

the

our

is

People

communities

governing

system

that

upholds white supremacy!

Poets Emily Goes Pronouns: she/her/any pronoun Website: EmilyAnneGoes.com IG: @EmilyAGoes

Emily Goes is a musical theatre performer, graphic designer, arts facilitator, and community and

organizer.

ancestors,

She

She

sends

wants

to

love

be

a

with

every

positive

step

impact

she to

takes

the

to

world

her

Lola

through

revolutionary means. Asian and Black solidarity is inherently present in her life's mission, justice free

in

as

she

works

demands. the

We

United

to

decolonize

share

States

a

and

history this

white of

has

settler

myths

oppression, always

and

trauma,

played

out

consider

and

what

struggle

through

a

for

white

narrative. We share a history, we need to claim our history, and we won't be able to do that truly until we unite in bidirectional, multigenerational grace and humility against white supremacy.

69

Sun T. Pronouns: they/them IG: @n777go_

Sun

T.

is

an

Philippines, and

Black

because

activist

based

in

solidarity it

is

convergence Marginalized

and San is

artist

Francisco.

important

through of

born

the

power

communities

that

to

in

the

Asian them

necessary

within we

the

will

find

our strength to overthrow white supremacy.

Dayoung Lee Pronouns: she/her IG: @DayleeFeels

Dayoung Lee is currently finishing up her Master's in English literature. Black AAPI solidarity is important to her because she has learnt so much as an Asian American from Black activists, scholars, and artists. She believes the AAPI

community

also

has

important

experiences

and

traditions

that

will

help dismantle systematic oppression. Both communities can only benefit from solidarity.

70

Molly Liu Pronouns: she/her Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100036465946639

Molly is a Chinese international student studying at College of San Mateo since

2019.

She

trusts

in

a

world

of

peace

achieved

by

mutual

understanding and respect of each other's privacy and safety, because of our differences not despite our differences.

Dawn Angelicca Pronouns: she/her website: shuffle.do/@dawnangelicca

Dawn

Angelicca

Francisco, Laguna

Barcelona

originally

Writers

National

born

and

Workshop

Alliance

on

is

Filipina-American

bred

in

Mental

a

in

San

New

Jersey.

Francisco

Illness

as

a

and

poet She

based

writes

volunteers

speaker

and

in

with with

support

San the the

group

facilitator for the BIPOC community. Dawn was a U.S. Department of State Fulbright Program Grantee to South Korea from 2014-2016 during which she served

as

magazine.

Fulbright

the

Dawn

Korea

performed

Editor-in-Chief

her

has

been

Infusion, work

The

published

work

with

of

to

the

a

Fulbright

in

Quiet

calm,

Kearny

In

Korea

Lightning,

Between

Street

Infusion Killing

the

Hangovers

Workshop.

literary

The

Angel,

and

has

allyship

between the AAPI and Black community is important to her because she thinks

working

discrimination

together will

to

make

be

both

resilient of

our

in

the

face

of

communities

racial

tensions

stronger

and

and

more

influential.

71

Tehmina Khan Pronouns: she/her IG: @TehminaThePoet

Tehmina United

Khan

States.

is

an

She

African-American,

Indian

has

Muslim,

borne

Indigenous,

who

witness Latinx,

has

to

lived

her

systemic

Asian,

Arab,

whole

racism

and

life

in

the

against

her

African

siblings.

Though she was taught to keep her head down and work three times as hard as any white man, she could not stay silent and think only of herself and her family. We need to feel each other's pain and stand up for each other. Each community alone is not strong enough, but all of us together are a powerful majority that can imagine and build a society in which we all matter.

Writers Pan Ei Khaing Pronouns: she/her Facebook: www.facebook.com/Pan.Ei.Kg

Pan Ei Khaing is Burmese, and is from Southeast raised regime. end

of

in

Asia.

Burma

Pan the

She

was

under

moved

February

to

the

the

2020

born

US

and

and

military by

the

studied

ESL at CCSF since then.

72

Marquise Rosier Pronouns: they/them

Marquise Rosier is a Haitian American/African American. AAPI and Black solidarity same

is

important

forces!

They

to

them

believe

because

white

we

are

supremacy,

all

dealing

settler

with

the

colonialism,

imperialism have and continue to effect the continents of Africa and Asia. We need each other so desperately to truly resist the forces that seek to keep us oppressed!

Tiera Cummings-Scales Pronouns: she/her

Tiera Cummings-Scales is a CCSF Collective member. AAPI and Black solidarity is extremely important to her for as a Black woman she has endured therefore,

countless on

many

acts levels,

of

anti-Black

she

can

and

racial

understand

discrimination,

much

of

the

pain

caused by the increase of Anti-Asian attacks on the AAPI community.

She believes that now it is more important than ever to form strong unity between the two communities because both are suffering from and

tirelessly

working

to

combat

racism

and

anti-Asian

and/or

Anti-

Blackness, and together, our messages will be stronger and increase in power. Through solidarity, we can effectively end our common enemy, white supremacy.

73

Visual Art, Ceramics, Music Shizue Seigel Pronouns: she/her Website: www.ShizueSeigel.com

Shizue Seigel is a Japanese American writer and

visual

activism

artist

arise

whose her

and

rows,

ashrams,

and

marginalized

helping

tell

her

by

stories

with

creative

World

corporate

communities. stories

co-developing Black

of

War

experiences

community

1990s

years

family’s

incarceration Indian

25

women

in

II

skid

cubicles,

She in

began

the

mid-

HIV-prevention living

in

public

housing.

Barnzilla Pronouns: he/him Website: SoundCloud.com/barnzilla IG: @ChristianBarnes1998

Christian

Barnes,

or

Barnzilla,

is

African-

American. He was born in San Francisco and raised

in

Sacramento.

African-Americans to

him

one

life

because and

we

and

he

The

Asians

believes

shall

solidarity

spend

is

with

important

all

we

it

with

have

is

love,

a

high level of support and we stand with the people who go thru a lot of encounters with the police. His heart is with them forever.

74

Alexis Reiko Pronouns: she/her/they/them IG: @AlexisReiko

Alexis

is

mixed

a

race

Assyrian is

CCSF

Collective

woman

descent.

important

member

of

AAPI

because

Japanese

and

our

and

Black

ability

a

and

solidarity

to

unite

in

the fight against white supremacy at times feels like the only way forward. we need to protect and take care of one another.

Elaine Chu Pronouns: she/her Website: TwinWallsMuralCompany.com

Elaine Chu is a Chinese-American muralist born and raised in San Francisco.

She graduated from the School of the Arts Highschool and received her BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.

She

has

worked

with

Precita

Eyes

Mural

Arts

Association

in

San

Francisco’s

Mission District for over a decade as the Director’s assistant, teaching artist and muralist.

Elaine

is

also

the

co-founder

of

the

mural

collaborative

Twin

Walls

Mural Company alongside her best friend Marina Perez-Wong. Since 2013 they have painted over 30 murals together.

Their murals are brightly colored and hyper-realistic, using symbology related to

nature,

women,

spirituality,

justice

and

community

to

manifest

changes

they wish to see in the world. Inspired by a long history of amazing women muralists

in

the

San

Francisco

Bay

Area,

Elaine

aims

to

continue

to

inspire

other young women to become future muralists and represent a strong and unique

Asian

Solidarity

is

supremacy learning Healing

American

important we

from

need

one

comes

to to

influence me heal

another

from

the

as

a

the

and

people,

in

the

Street

community

trauma

taking

in

care

uniting

to

artist

both of

art

AAPI

because

to

communities.

each

thrive

world.

other

and

we

finding

and

Black

fight

white

By

are new

growing, stronger. ways

to

nourish our bodies and spirits.

75

Melissa Wang Pronouns: she/her Website: www.MelissaWangArt.com IG: @MelissaWangStudio

Melissa

Wang

is

an

Asian-American

artist

whose

parents

immigrated

from

China and Taiwan. She received her B.A. in Literature/Writing from the University of California, San Diego and her M.A. in English from University of California, Davis.

She

researched

and

taught

writing

and

science-fiction

literature

as

a

PhD

candidate at UC Davis before segueing into tech.

While

designing

for

major

global

companies,

she

noticed

environmental

and

social injustices being fueled at an unprecedented scale. Thus in late 2019, she began

full-time

art-making

as

a

means

of

pursuing

social

and

ecological

liberation.

Since then, she has exhibited at Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, CA; Torrance Art Museum with CA.

a

in

solo

Her

Los

exhibition

work

University’s

Angeles,

can

be

Center

for

at

CA;

and

Root

found the

the

de

Division

in

of

Museum

(Frank-Ratchye

private

Study

Young

and

Race

public

and

in

San

space)

in

collections,

Ethnicity

in

Francisco,

San

CA

Francisco,

including

Providence,

Brown RI

and

Facebook in Menlo Park, CA.

As a former academic who researched and taught Asian-American literature, it was

clear

that

the

field

would

not

exist

without

the

contributions

of

African-

American literature - as well as queer, Chicano, Native, disability studies, etc. This is

because

with

the

creative

struggles

There

are

ample

Some

paradigms

expression and

is

resilience

examples include:

Dr.

of

liberation of

Black

Martin

all

-

and

liberation

marginalized

and

Luther

Asian King

and

leaders Jr.

and

is

interconnected

oppressed

working

Thich

in

Nhat

groups.

solidarity.

Hanh

and

Grace Lee Boggs and Angela Davis, whose interview in 2012 still aptly captures the

zeitgeist

of

radical

activism

https://www.radioproject.org/2012/02/grace-lee-boggs-berkeley/

today:

76

resources AAPI & BLACK CCSF Classes, Certificates and abolitionist resources

Go here for more information:

tinyurl.com/AAPIbCCSF

CCSF classes are FREE for SF residents.

77

THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR COMING TOGETHER IN BLACK AND AAPI SOLIDARITY.