Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is observed annually during the month of May to commemorate the contributions and achievements of the AAPI community. Its history dates to not long ago; the very first inspiration for an Asian/Pacific heritage month came from a former Capitol Hill staffer named Jeanie Jew, who proposed the idea …
She did everything right They remember her wrong Hand in hand, we would walk But skin could never block the talk To pull her from all familiarity, stripped of warm arms in winter, and throw her naked, exposed, shivering, into the antagonistic streets of social construct Then expect her to learn, to melt, to turn …
Growing up as a French and Chinese biracial kid, life was confusing. I didn’t know what was “normal,” or what should’ve been expected of me as a functioning member of society. Of course, my parents raised me to their cultural standards, beliefs, and practices, but going to school every single day and being reminded that …
Bleed red, I beg of you, who lays wreck to one and raises up another with silver tongue, forked Bleed red, I beg of you, who gathered oppression in a sewn-shut pocket, played mix-n-match with the collectibles, their portrayals Bleed red, I beg of you, who split apart brothers, each orphaned just the same but …
Poem: Not My Ally (The Model Minority Myth Divides Black and Asian Americans) Read More »
The studious Asian friend, the rich Asian, the “good immigrant” – all tropes Asian Americans introduced in the media as a way to drive a wedge between minority groups. The controversial term “model minority” refers to all minorities, but it is targeted, both politically and socially, to describe Asians. Through this erroneous conception, Asians are …
How Asian Representation in American Media Perpetuates the Model Minority Myth Read More »
Asian-American mental health needs to be destigmatized and treated as an actual issue. American school systems are excellent at using small band-aids to cover up large gaping wounds when it comes to students’ mental health. We have the occasional “mental health half-day,” only to be bombarded with homework and tests the next day. We are …
In the Dark: Mental Health in the Asian Community Read More »
Never in a million years would I think that I would be moving to a new country, a new school, during a global pandemic. As a Chinese student who grew up in Hong Kong, a diverse country with people from all over the world, it was a massive cultural shock when I arrived in America. …
Moving from Hong-Kong to America during the COVID-19 Pandemic Read More »
Cultural appropriation, according to VeryWellMind, is the use of objects or elements of a culture in a way that does not respect their original meaning, does not give credit to their source, or reinforces stereotypes and contributes to oppression (VeryWellMind). Some examples include wearing qipaos – a traditional Chinese dress often worn by Chinese women …
Cultural Appropriation – what it is and why it’s wrong Read More »
Stereotypes exist as a way to simplify and categorize information and to make sense of the world. However, these same stereotypes can be extremely damaging, especially when they are used to generalize people based on assumptions, whether or not those assumptions are true. The three most common stereotypes about Asians are: the model minority myth, …
By now, most people have probably heard of the term “model minority” at one point or another. The term is perhaps most commonly used in the context of race and is typically applied to Asians. It is an oversimplified view of the plethora of diverse and individually unique Asian American experiences that exist beneath the …
Not Your Model Minority: Reasons Why “Positive” Stereotypes are Bad Read More »
