Tips for AAPI Resistance
Download the PDF or jpeg at: http://bit.ly/2lswJhQ
Know History
Learn the history of AAPI organizers & struggles, like Yuri Kochiyama, Grace Lee Boggs, & Larry Itliong, and understand the criminalization of our communities from the Chinese Exclusion Act to the incarceration of Japanese Americans.
Support other movements
AAPIs are NOT a model minority and should not be used as a wedge group. As people of color, we need to support each other and campaign around the intersectionality of our identities against systems that commoditize our bodies for profit. Learn more about the Fight for $15, the Movement for Black Lives, the struggle of Native & Indigenous people, the need for environmental justice, to name a few.
Donate
While donations to national groups like the ACLU or Planned Parenthood are great, it’s the local grassroots AAPI organizations that will be the most impacted. Make a gift to local groups, like those in Grassroots APIs Rising and the Southeast Asian Freedom Network, to support local organizing.
Join a protest
Sign-on letters are great, but it’s time to take it to the streets. Join a local action near you. Keep yourself in the loop by signing up for activist listservs or keep a watchful eye for those events on Facebook!
Run for office
The 2016 Election cycle welcomed more members to the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Whether its in local, state, or federal government, in a local union, or community group, we need to build a pipeline of new AAPI leaders with groups like the New American Leaders Project.
Check sources
Make sure to check sources because we do not want to spread misinformation that instills fear into our communities.
Plan a workshop
Consider organizing a workshop to facilitate much needed dialogue on race. The Asian American Toolkit has a great curriculum and lots of great examples. See: www.asianamtoolkit.org.
Demand disaggregated data
A crucial part of resisting the model minority myth is knowing who it most greatly impacts. We need more disaggregated data ito see inequitable distribution of power and resources within the many ethnic groups that make up “AAPI.”
Contact your representatives
Your voice matters to your elected officials. Whether confirming a Cabinet nomination with a bad track record or a piece of important legislation that restricts immigrants, they are listening to you. After all, they are trying to get re-elected by their constituents. Find your representatives here at: bit.ly/FindMyElectedOfficials
Volunteer your language skills
There are 40+ Asian languages spoken in the U.S., and AAPI groups often need translators to make sure we have in-language materials for our communities. If you’re bilingual or multilingual, offer translation services to national & local groups. If you want to volunteer or if you work out an AAPI group in need of interpretation, fill out the form to be connected with a group here: bit.ly/AAPILanguageMatch.
Words matter
Words can make things seem normal. Try using “45” or “White House Occupant” instead of “President Trump,” and be mindful of how words translate power. Check out this awesome resource on phrasing by the Opportunity Agenda & Advancement Project: bit.ly/SocialJusticePhraseGuide
Be a woke consumer
Consumer activism is real. The next four years will be a hard fight between the 1% and everyone else. Make your dollar count as another way to voice your opinion, like #DeleteUber, boycotting Under Armour, or shopping at Nordstroms.
Listen to women, LGBTQ, & gender nonconforming people
Far too many staight white men have taken up places of authority. It’s time we listen to women, LGBTQ, and gender nonconforming people who have invaluable knowledge and experience to shape policy, organizing, and advocacy.
Use art
Very powerful tools, arts & culture are essential in how people express themselves, how communities are united and movement are built, & how to create space for learning and healing. Try your hand at poetry, music, or paint.
Practice self-care
Times like these can be very taxing on the body and mind. Make sure to take care of yourself, whether that be yoga, a nice dinner out, meditation, or a good book.
Learn the history of AAPI organizers & struggles, like Yuri Kochiyama, Grace Lee Boggs, & Larry Itliong, and understand the criminalization of our communities from the Chinese Exclusion Act to the incarceration of Japanese Americans.
Support other movements
AAPIs are NOT a model minority and should not be used as a wedge group. As people of color, we need to support each other and campaign around the intersectionality of our identities against systems that commoditize our bodies for profit. Learn more about the Fight for $15, the Movement for Black Lives, the struggle of Native & Indigenous people, the need for environmental justice, to name a few.
Donate
While donations to national groups like the ACLU or Planned Parenthood are great, it’s the local grassroots AAPI organizations that will be the most impacted. Make a gift to local groups, like those in Grassroots APIs Rising and the Southeast Asian Freedom Network, to support local organizing.
Join a protest
Sign-on letters are great, but it’s time to take it to the streets. Join a local action near you. Keep yourself in the loop by signing up for activist listservs or keep a watchful eye for those events on Facebook!
Run for office
The 2016 Election cycle welcomed more members to the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Whether its in local, state, or federal government, in a local union, or community group, we need to build a pipeline of new AAPI leaders with groups like the New American Leaders Project.
Check sources
Make sure to check sources because we do not want to spread misinformation that instills fear into our communities.
Plan a workshop
Consider organizing a workshop to facilitate much needed dialogue on race. The Asian American Toolkit has a great curriculum and lots of great examples. See: www.asianamtoolkit.org.
Demand disaggregated data
A crucial part of resisting the model minority myth is knowing who it most greatly impacts. We need more disaggregated data ito see inequitable distribution of power and resources within the many ethnic groups that make up “AAPI.”
Contact your representatives
Your voice matters to your elected officials. Whether confirming a Cabinet nomination with a bad track record or a piece of important legislation that restricts immigrants, they are listening to you. After all, they are trying to get re-elected by their constituents. Find your representatives here at: bit.ly/FindMyElectedOfficials
Volunteer your language skills
There are 40+ Asian languages spoken in the U.S., and AAPI groups often need translators to make sure we have in-language materials for our communities. If you’re bilingual or multilingual, offer translation services to national & local groups. If you want to volunteer or if you work out an AAPI group in need of interpretation, fill out the form to be connected with a group here: bit.ly/AAPILanguageMatch.
Words matter
Words can make things seem normal. Try using “45” or “White House Occupant” instead of “President Trump,” and be mindful of how words translate power. Check out this awesome resource on phrasing by the Opportunity Agenda & Advancement Project: bit.ly/SocialJusticePhraseGuide
Be a woke consumer
Consumer activism is real. The next four years will be a hard fight between the 1% and everyone else. Make your dollar count as another way to voice your opinion, like #DeleteUber, boycotting Under Armour, or shopping at Nordstroms.
Listen to women, LGBTQ, & gender nonconforming people
Far too many staight white men have taken up places of authority. It’s time we listen to women, LGBTQ, and gender nonconforming people who have invaluable knowledge and experience to shape policy, organizing, and advocacy.
Use art
Very powerful tools, arts & culture are essential in how people express themselves, how communities are united and movement are built, & how to create space for learning and healing. Try your hand at poetry, music, or paint.
Practice self-care
Times like these can be very taxing on the body and mind. Make sure to take care of yourself, whether that be yoga, a nice dinner out, meditation, or a good book.
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Report Incidents of Hate
If you experience or witness an act of hate violence or xenophobic political rhetoric, make sure to report these incidents online with one of our partner organizations:
If you're a lawyer and can donate your time and skills or know someone who needs assistance, consider organizations assisting immigrants and refugees, such as The International Refugee Assistance Project or the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
- South Asian Americans Leading Together's #TrackHate Campaign
- OCA's AAPI Hate Crimes Reporting Website
If you're a lawyer and can donate your time and skills or know someone who needs assistance, consider organizations assisting immigrants and refugees, such as The International Refugee Assistance Project or the American Immigration Lawyers Association.