Asian American Praxis

a pocket of thoughts

[huffpost]

This Is A Reminder That Asian-Americans Are Not All The Same

A social media campaign challenges the model minority myth.

Watch the video here.

[thickdumplingskin]

On Our Radar: Are There “Fat” Asians?

Of course, we put the F word in quotes because, as we know at Thick Dumpling Skin, “fat” is a relative term.  But here is an article written by Jennifer Chen addressing the issue:

I’m a fat Asian girl. When I told a male Caucasian friend I was writing about how fat I am, he laughed. “You know you’re not fat.” I’m not fat to Americans. A quick Internet search for “hot Asian women” revealed this delightful article: “42 Seriously Hot Asian Women to Get You Through Monday” (you’re welcome). This photo slideshow reveals exactly what pop culture seems to think about Asian women and our bodies. We all have tiny size-two waists, slender legs, and perfectly straight hair. We’re always trying to take off our clothes. And when we sweat, we still look sexy. Although every woman is subjected to these same stupid standards of impossibly skinny waists, busty boobs, and twig-type arms, in Asian American culture, losing weight and being skinny is tantamount to getting good grades. First-generation Asian parents are just as proud of us when we graduate from a top university as when we shed serious pounds. At five feet tall, my large runner-type calves, stocky frame, and size-eight waist are equivalent to getting an F-minus on a calculus final (which I did).

Read the full article on The Bold Italic.

[papermagazine]

Where Are All The Asian-American Women In Aziz Ansari’s Master of None?

[asianamericanpraxis]

Yes. Call him out! Call him out!

[themarysue]

Marvel Comics’ Totally Awesome Hulk Will Be Amadeus Cho

When Marvel's Totally Awesome Hulk #1 arrives in stores in December, Amadeus Cho will be filling Bruce Banner's (ginormous) foot steps.

Totally Awesome Hulk will be the first time in history that Marvel will have a Korean-American lead character written and drawn by a Korean-American creative team.

[buttonpoetry]

If anyone’s eyes are slanted, it is America’s narrow view of how all Asians look the same.

FROM THE VAULT: Troy Osaki - “Legacy” (NPS 2014)

Performing for Seattle during prelims at the 2014 National Poetry Slam. Subscribe to Button on YouTube!

(via buttonpoetry)

[sketchshark]

How to talk to Asian women.

[descendants-of-brown-royalty]

Asian Americans Crowdsource Open Letter to Families: 'Black Lives Matter To Us, Too'

Currently available in English, the group is working to translate the letter into as many Asian languages as possible.

Hundreds of Asian Americans came together online to co-author an open letter to “Mom, Dad, Uncle, Auntie, Grandfather, Grandmother,” explaining #BlackLivesMatter and the importance of solidarity with African Americans and other communities of color.

Currently available in English, the group is working to translate the letter into as many Asian languages as possible — including Bengali, Bahasa, Chinese, Hmong, Punjabi, Tagalog, and more — by Monday, as well as create animated, video, and audio versions. (On Friday, a Spanish translation was also created and posted in the Google Doc.)

[asianamericanpraxis]

There are some critiques to be had, but this is something being done. I’ll leave it at that for now.

[18mr]

This year, Sons and Brothers is honoring the heroes and hundreds of individuals that have fought and continue to fight the injustices faced by our communities. Throughout this month, we will recognize their journeys and the ways in which they have made TODAY possible and are working to create a more just FUTURE.

In a time when oppression Olympics get a lot of play on our timelines and marginalized communities are not united, it’s important to lift up examples of solidarity like shero and ancestor Dr. Grace Lee Boggs,Ph.D.

Boggs was a published writer, activist, and philosopher born to Chinese immigrant parents in Providence, RI. Growing up in the early 1900s with a family that struggled economically was not easy. At one point Grace was sold into slavery but was able to escape. Boggs was able to attend Barnard College on scholarship and graduated in 1935; she later earned a doctorate in philosophy from Bryn Mawr College.

In the 1930s, Boggs began her political activism, notably working with activist A. Philip Randolph, who proposed the first March on Washington in 1941, and later in Chicago organizing communities against slum housing. Boggs was deeply involved in the Black Power movement and other Black issues. So much so, that Angela Davis once said, “Grace has made more contributions to the Black struggle than most Black people have.” In 2014, PBS debuted the documentary “American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs.”

Passing away just months after her 100th birthday, Grace had over 70 years of social justice work to her name. She devoted her life to labor and civil rights, Black Power, feminism and environmental justice movements. Throughout her life, Boggs inspired new generations to be innovative and think creatively to redefine revolution so that it could be always relevant in present day. Her legacy reminds us to come to this work with love, “Love isn’t about what we do yesterday; it’s about what we do today and the day after.”

Art by Shizu Saldamando (http://www.shizusaldamando.com/)

[asianamericanpraxis]

One of my heroes.

[robtrujilloart]

Kindred Journey 2-Iris Chang 

Iris was an award winning journalist and writer whose parents were both professors from Taiwan. She was born in the states and raised in Illnois. She worked for several newspapers as a journalist before becoming a writer. I believe researching articles, facts, and historical accuracy lead to her wanting to write the immense books she wrote about Asians and Chinese Americans throughout history. Her first book, “Thread of the silkworm” was about a Chinese Professor and named Tsien Hsue-shen who although brought incredible research and work to the United States, was unfairly targeted as a spy during the great “red scare” of the 1950’s in the U.S. “The Rape of Nanking”, her second book talked in depth about what Chinese women and men faced during World War 2 when the Japanese invaded the town of Nanjing. Her third book was titled “The Chinese in America” highlighted the struggles of Chinese Americans and conversely many Asian Americans in the US of being made to feel like the “other” or not truly American simply because they are Asian. While doing research last month I came across Iris and remembered seeing her books. Sadly, Iris took her own life after a serious bout with depression and overuse, maybe even misdiagnosis of prescription medication. I love the fact that she unapologetically wrote about stories that are not talked about enough in history. Even older Asian Americans sometimes have an attitude of being tough despite the struggles they faced, and she is one of many scholars highlighting the stories and injustices of her people and that of others. RIP Iris. 

Sources: Wikipedia, IrisChang.net

[asianamericanpraxis]

Wow Rob. Thank you for doing this and sharing.

[asianamericanpraxis]

[asianamericanpraxis]

So important. NYTimes chose some solid folks to speak about race and and racism. Especially loving the end when they speak about spectrums and interconnectedness of oppression.

[asianamericanpraxis]

naomi murakawa. watch. 

[destinyrush]

Naomi Murakawa on Black Lives Matter: Liberals, Guns & US Prison.

Laura Flanders take a look back at the coverage of the Black Lives Matter movement from its earliest days. Naomi said that the police don’t suffer from a deficit of procedure, that they suffer from an excess of power. Also, liberal procedural reforms are not going to change that, because liberals as much, if not more, have expanded our criminal code.

#BlackLivesMatter   #PoliceIncompetence

[queerandbrown]

this whole interview is really worth a listen

[asianamericanpraxis]

Naomi Murakawa. Kicking ass.

[funksflo]

New book. Read more here.

[fomysquad]

Thousands of protesters think the NYPD is using this Chinese cop as a scapegoat

Chinese Americans Protest Conviction Of NYPD Officer Peter Liang

Thousands accused he wouldn’t have been convicted if he were white.

[atane-deactivated20200604]

This is complete bullshit and shame on anyone supporting this nonsense. 

Chinese-Americans are really out here on the streets of NYC in the thousands protesting the rightful conviction of Peter Liang. Have they no fucking shame? This has got to be the most imbecilic gathering I have seen in a while. Congratulations on your anti-Black fuckery.

Seriously, this is so goddamn revolting. I guess they can mobilize, but only when justice is served and one of their own is the killer.

What’s justice here for these ppl out on the streets? Liang not getting convicted? So because of this white supremacist system in place that exonerates white officers who wantonly murder Black ppl, Liang is now a scapegoat because he was rightfully convicted? Fuck you. You should be fighting against a system that lets white murderers off the hook, not complaining that a Chinese murderer was rightfully convicted. Imagine the audacity to twist your mouth to talk about “two victims” here. Akai Gurley is the only victim here and he’s dead at the hands of a reckless cop who happens to be Chinese. Liang was rightfully convicted. 

I guess they realized that they ain’t white and white supremacy doesn’t have their best interests in mind. Surprise, you don’t have the complexion for the protection. It’s almost like they’re upset that they don’t get to shoot Black ppl with no repercussions like white ppl get to do. It’s only now they recognize “scapegoating.” This whole protest is a fucking joke and a spit in the face to Gurley’s family and Black people.

In conclusion, fuck this shit, fuck everyone out here “protesting”, fuck the community that supports this bullshit and fuck you too if you support it. 

[bankuei]

I swear to God.  We can’t get 10,000 Chinese Ams to protest for their own damn rights on immigration, or against white violence targeting Asian Ams, but they’ll roll up for the right to kill Black folks?!?

Did y’all think the Civil Rights Movement was Black people marching so you could have the rights to kill them like white people do?

[asianamericanpraxis]

The failings of our Asian American community. 

[funksflo]

Ma says war is a bird with a broken wing flying over the countryside, trailing blood and burying crops in sorrow.

le thi diem thuy, The Gangster We are all Looking For.  (via funksflo)

[20aliens-deactivated20200625]

HONG KONG. Boat people fleeing Vietnam just arrived in Hong Kong, having been rescued by a police launch. 1990. Ian Berry

[asianamericanpraxis]

WTF, some people are reblogging this on fashion blogs. Its fashionable to be refugees now?