Anti-Asian bias | Ivy's PPD Blog

For the same reason I blogged in February about Lunar New Year, I am now blogging about Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.

I don’t normally post anything outside of the topic of postpartum depression–because, after all, this is a PPD blog– but as I mentioned previously, the spike in verbal and physical attacks on Asians in the U.S. has been a painful reminder of my experience growing up in a predominantly white area, dealing with racism much of my life and especially during my teenage years. Today, I live in a predominantly white area and participating in my town’s initiative to encourage diversity and inclusion within the community. If citizens of each community were to take part in such initiatives, our communities would be even better places to live! Racism comes from stereotypes that come from ignorance that comes from fear. Communication and information have the power to wipe away all of that! But it takes a unified effort from within each and every community. There should be a ZERO tolerance for hate and racism!

I helped my local diversity group to, once again, come up with information to share. I am honored to be part of the Advisory Council for that group, and that they adapted the information below to share with our community.

This blog post includes:

Reading list of books for all ages – Download here:

APAH Month Books

2. Q&A on how Asian/Pacific American Heritage (APAH) Month came about, the countries/territories that make up Asian and the Pacific Islands, and the population of Asian and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) that live in the U.S.

APAH Month Final 2021

3. All sorts of resources, including #StopAsianHate resources, historical resources, films, videos, resources for teachers, how to talk to kids about anti-Asian sentiment, and what the Model Minority Myth is.

APAH MONTH
RESOURCES

FILMS/VIDEOS:

PBS collection of more than 40 films available on WORLD Channel through your local PBS Station this May. Check your local listings for air times. If you miss them on TV (or they’re not available in your area), you can find them online here: https://www.pbs.org/specials/asian-pacific-american-heritage-month/
5-hour PBS film series: https://www.pbs.org/weta/asian-americans/. As America becomes more diverse, and more divided, while facing unimaginable challenges, how do we move forward together? Told through intimate and personal lives, the series will cast a new lens on U.S. history and the ongoing role that Asian Americans have played in shaping the nation’s history.

RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS:

HISTORICAL RESOURCES:

https://asianpacificheritage.gov/ – The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success.
https://www.loc.gov/collections/ansel-adams-manzanar/about-this-collection/ – Ansel Adams documented the Manzanar War Relocation Center in California and the Japanese-Americans interned there during WWII.
https://www.loc.gov/vets/stories/ex-war-asianpacific.html – Asian Pacific Americans made lasting contributions to America’s wartime efforts. Collected stories highlight their service from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq.
https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/asian-pacific-american-heritage-month – The National Archives holds a wealth of material documenting the Asian and Pacific Islander experience, and it highlights these resources online, in programs, and through traditional and social media. Including Chinese Exclusion Act, Japanese American Internment, Chinese Americans as perpetual foreigners, Annexation of Hawaii, etc.
National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/asian-american-pacific-islander-heritage-month.htm. Visit the site for fascinating of Asian American and Pacific Islander people and their contributions to U.S. history, as well as historical events in national parks or shared through NPS programs and partners.

THE RISE OF ASIAN HATE:
WAYS TO SUPPORT THE AAPI COMMUNITY

This past year has seen a dramatic rise in hate, bigotry and violence directed at Asians, Asian-Americans, and Pacific Islanders. In a recent report, Stop AAPI Hate documented 3,795 hate incidents in the past year. Verbal harassment and shunning were the most common, followed by physical violence. (For the full report, including individual stories, please read here.)

In response, individuals can take action, raise awareness, and lend their support to AAPI in your community and places of work. See below for how you can get involved and have an impact.

Report incidents. Stop AAPI Hate is a coalition of organizations tracking and documenting incidents of violence, harassment, discrimination and bullying against Asians and Pacific Islanders. They have also compiled safety tips and resources. To report an incident or learn more, visit www.stopaapihate.org.

Donate. Community groups across the country are working to fight anti-Asian discrimination and support AAPI communities. These efforts range from escort services in response to increased violence to business and neighborhood support.
- SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES
- “61 Ways to Donate in Support of Asian Communities”

Educate yourself. While the pandemic has brought an increase to AAPI hate, as well as more focus on it, there is a long history of anti-Asian discrimination in the U.S. Understanding this history helps those who are unfamiliar to better recognize signs of hate and speak out against it. To learn more, check out these resources:
- PBS: Asian Americans: History of identity, contributions, and challenges faced by Asian Americans.
- NPR: The History of Anti-Asian Sentiment in the US
- “Ignoring the History of Anti-Asian Racism is Another Form of Violence”, essay by Connie Wun, co-founder of AAPI Women Lead
- Anti-Defamation League: https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/asian-american-pacific-islander-aapi-heritage-month?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4cfC7ePg7wIVkYXICh2HUwJIEAAYASAAEgI0ffD_BwE
- Smithsonian:
  - Anti-Asian bias in our classrooms and communities, and how to address: https://smithsonianapa.org/learn/learn-archives/2020-04/
  - https://smithsonianapa.org/learn/not-a-stereotype/ – The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center is proud to present We are not a stereotype, a video series for educators, by educators. This series explores and challenges the complexity surrounding the term Asian Pacific American, breaking it down into topics that span multiple timelines, geographies, and identities. Here you will find educational videos and resources about migration, occupation, racial and gender identities, cross-community building, and how to support student learning on these topics.
- Learning for Justice:
  - Addressing anti-Asian bias: https://www.learningforjustice.org/the-moment/march-15-2021-addressing-antiasian-bias?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6MPq-e_37wIVEo_ICh07vAtUEAAYAiAAEgI67_D_BwE
  - Understanding the Model Minority Myth: https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/what-is-the-model-minority-myth

Educate your children about anti-Asian sentiment. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/talk-to-kids-anti-asian-violence-racism_l_6079c873e4b0bc5a3a56b4fb?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000098&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=us_asian_voices&fbclid=IwAR30lXQrId54c_59PUeb3IK6Mfen5JseD4nN4JbAFiOJKIyEG_qd5Glt6Sg

Intervene and stand up for others. What do you do if you see anti-Asian bigotry? Here are some resources to learn how to stand up with those targeted.
- Asian-American Foundation “Stay Safe from Hate” resource
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice is offering bystander intervention training. To register for specific dates, visit here