Dear readers,
We live in stunningly grim times compared to when the last Yappie briefing was published in February. Disease has claimed the lives of more than 100,000 of our fellow Americans. Millions more are out of work. Unrest is spreading. Cities have been set ablaze. And there is no clear end in sight.
But amid the rage and anguish, we must not lose sight of why this is happening. The coronavirus pandemic and yet another tragic death at the hands of the police have laid bare the failures of our political leaders to address systemic racial inequities.
At a time when our own community is facing a surge in anti-Asian attacks, we cannot turn away, stay silent, or be complicit in violence inflicted upon others. The multiple tragedies rippling throughout the country are inherently linked, and the consequences of injustice, oppression, and hate impact us all—but particularly Black Americans. The trauma being inflicted on their community is not new. In fact, it has always been their ‘normal.’
Our stories and struggles may be different, but we must do our part to confront white supremacy. On the last day of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we’d like to amplify some resources on how Asian Americans can support and stand in solidarity with the black community.
”I can’t breathe” was George Floyd’s last cry. Our hearts have been broken, but there is still so much work left to do.
—The Yappie Team
Resources
While many of these resources were reader-submitted and reviewed by our editors, we strongly recommend that you carefully inspect each link before taking action—especially if you are looking to make a donation. The opinions expressed in these resources are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Yappie team. If you would like to submit additional links, please email [email protected] or send a message to our Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
What you can read or listen to:
- “What I learned when I was attacked — and spared — because of my race at a Black Lives Matter protest” by Aaron Mak (POLITICO)
- “20+ Allyship Actions for Asians to Show Up for the Black Community Right Now” by Michelle Kim (Medium)
- “A Guide to Model Minority Myth” by Courtney Ahn (Instagram)
- “Letters for Black Lives,” an open letter project on anti-blackness (Medium)
- “Asian American Racial Justice Toolkit” via the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (PDF)
- “The Asian American Reply to Pandemic-Era Racism Must Be Cross-Racial Solidarity” by Kelsey Liu and Monica Hahn (Truthout)
- “Black and Asian-American Feminist Solidarities: A Reading List” by Black Women Radicals and the Asian American Feminist Collective (Black Women Radicals)
- “#BlackLivesMatter: Allyship and Support, the Round Up” by Evy Kwong and Jasmin Shim (Anchor FM)
Where you can donate and take action:
- “The Official George Floyd Memorial Fund” (GoFundMe)
- “Asian Accountability to Black People” (crowdsourced Google doc)
- “George Floyd Resource Compilation” (crowdsourced Google doc)
- “National #GeorgeFloyd Resource List” (crowdsourced Google doc)
