AAPI Heritage Month

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in the United States. AAPI heritage month is a celebration of the accomplishments of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in U.S. society and culture; most often these lists are made up of AAPI doctors, scientists and those holding positions within the U.S. government. Rarely shared are the stories of those within the AAPI community who have stood up against racism and injustice which shaped a much fairer society, and those who have used the arts as a medium of change. The United States has a long history of extreme racists policies against its Asian and Pacific Islander citizens, and throughout the history of this country, these communities have fought back.

Just because the government puts all Asians in a box, doesn't mean you have to.

Reminder - Asia is a vastly diverse continent consisting of different cultures, races, and religions. It is the LARGEST continent in the world.

When you say "Asians"...

Are you referring to Central Asians (Tajiks, Uzbeks, etc)?

Or are you referring to South Asians (Bangladeshi, Afghan, Indian, Pakistani etc)?

Or do you mean East Asians (Chinese, Korean, Mongolian etc)?

South East Asians (Filipino, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese etc)?

West Asian (Iranian, Iraqi, Palestinian, Israeli, Turkish etc)?

When you say "Pacific Islander"...

Wait... did you even remember that AAPI stands for Asian American AND Pacific Islander? That includes some Indigenous folks, people of Fiji, the Polynesian Islands etc.

Specificity matters.

While we're celebrating AAPI Heritage Month, I'm asking that you please pause and consider:

Which people am I forgetting/washing over?

How have my biases influenced the way I speak about an entire continent plus some?

How might such a broad classification of people actually be a form of erasure, bigotry, and a mechanism for upholding white supremacy?

Artwork/art collage done by Heidi Kang for revival issue of Gidra zine, Photo Courtesy by Los Angeles Magazine. Read the article on Negra Bohemian here.