Dr. Grace Yeh speaks about the importance of knowing our histories as #AsianAmericans, but also the necessity of responsibility & care for other communities of color & indigenous peoples. #Ethnicstudies
I also love learning about Dr. Yeh and her work, like the "Filipino Love Stories" project to highlight immigrant lives on the central coast: sanluisobispo.com/news/local/art…
Dr. Yeh talks about the history of #AsianAmerican studies, of ethnic studies, highlighting the solidarity in the early movement & work of the TWLF, their demands & that #ethnicstudies wasn't just about diversity & multiculturalism but power & empire
Dr. Yeh reminds us that #AsianAmerican is a collective socio-political identity. She reminds us of the resistance to the term "oriental" by Richard Aoki -- we are not rugs to be stepped on. #Ethnicstudies
She notes racism & #microaggressions that are part of our unique #AsianAmerican experiences: COVID-19 racism, "your English is so good," "where are you from?" "What are you?" #ethnicstudies
Dr. Yeh then asks a series of questions that highlight complex trajectories of the #AsianAmerican diaspora & #PacificIslander experiences, histories so often left out of US narratives #ethnicstudies
Side note: I totally resonated with the idea of studying English & literacy as a form of resistance to the "your English is so good" & #modelminority stereotypes that emphasize #AsianAmerican strength in math/science
These conversations matter. On an individual level, we internalize beliefs about who we are & our belonging, on the interpersonal level, in our interactions w/ others & on the institutional level, through discriminatory policies against #AsianAmericans#Ethnicstudies
Side note #2: I really need the transcripts for these live events. There is so much knowledge being dropped here & though I know most of it, I'd love to share it all w/ you & am only getting bits & pieces #AsianAmerican#Ethnicstudies
Who does the nation belong to? Who belongs on this land? Our collective imagination has been stolen by pervasive dominant narrative we have been fed since birth in the US. As POC, we need to expand our collective imagination & reclaim our narratives #AsianAmerican#ethnicstudies
Whew, Dr. Grace Yeh in what @TonyThurmond says is a "drop the mic" moment. Such truth. She ends w/ urging us to recreate our society on pillars of care, creativity & justice. POWERFUL. I'm so moved by this #AsianAmerican#ethnicstudies forum.
👏👏👏YES!!! A student asks when we should start talking about #AsianAmerican histories & #ethnicstudies -- Dr. Grace Yeh says: "Preschool, maybe Kindergarten if they're not in preschool" (in age appropriate ways). Couldn't agree more!
Side note: we do this at home thr representation on our bookshelves (w/ our 5yo & 14yo), conversations abt #AsianAmerican#Latinx & multiracial stories, histories & contemporary issues, language & power inc our own family’s stories & histories
Karen @korematsu reminds us that if we learn more about our histories, we can find strength. It's important to know history if we want to make changes to stop repeating the past #AsianAmerican#ethnicstudies
Karen @korematsu -- We need to know about the histories of mass incarceration. We need to know about each other's cultures & histories so we don't make the same mistakes. Her father decided to fight bc he believed in this country & the constitution #AsianAmerican#ethnicstudies
"If you know your own story, you can appreciate other people's stories. These stories are important, not only for ourselves, but for all Americans....for citizens & non-citizens" -- Karen @korematsu#AsianAmerican#Ethnicstudies
Wow, I didn't realize that Fred @korematsu had a federal prison record for FORTY YEARS after his arrest as part of Japanese mass incarceration, a record which went on to prevent him from getting his real estate license & could have prevented him from voting in many states
Nor did I know about the vilification that Fred @korematsu faced from the Japanese American community prior to his conviction being overturned in 1983 out of fear that association w/ him could lead to retribution. #AsianAmerican#Ethnicstudies
But after his conviction was overturned, @korematsu used his experience to speak about the importance of voting, of knowing our histories, of bridging communities #AsianAmerican#EthnicStudies
Interesting 1st student Q about finding contemporary #AsianAmerican role models v. looking towards organizations. Karen @korematsu says that it's an individual journey to find stories we resonate w/; we have to look to our communities to find who can represent us.
Student speaker F. Suavillo shares her own experiences feeling that she had to "whitewash" herself & shun her Filipino identity; speaks about erasure of #AsianAmerican contributions to the US. #Ethnicstudies must be available to young students.
There is so much lost when we grow up feeling like we don't belong. There is so much lost when we don't know our own histories & our family histories. There is so much lost when we feel ashamed of our own identities. #AsianAmerican#ethnicstudies
Update: I woke up in the middle of the night and saw a message from my sister. As expected, it’s been absolutely brutal. They shot into her house. And are in her street. The military is shooting randomly at any sign of life, trying to scare people into the streets 1/
In the streets, they will be arrested, shot or killed. My sister said someone in her neighborhood was killed and two of her friends were arrested. She is still safe but they are lying on the floor to avoid being seen because the military is still outside in the street. 😢 2/
As of a couple of hours ago over 150 have died just today. I’m sure it’s more now. Please continue to pray for her and her mom, the people and the country as they undergo this terrible violence and humanitarian crisis. 3/
Let me tell you, I am declaring being done w/ the shame spiral & apologizing for my #AsianAmerican identity. There's a lot of work to do as a community, but we can't do that work, if we can't acknowledge that shame is part of white supremacy that keeps us in our place (thread) 1/
First, I want to shout out Black feminist & linguistic scholars, including the fantastic @BlackGazePod convo w/ Dr. @aprilbakerbell. @DrPorcher & @dr_s_bertrand, your unapologetic stance that Blackness will save Black people reminds me to stand in my own truth 2/
Okay, and also shout out to the fantastic essay by @poetpedagogue that reminds me that we cannot abolish systems that promise us opportunity if we play by the rules until we conquer our own internalized oppressive mindset 3/
I am finally watching/listening to this week's @BlackGazePod conversation w/ Dr. @aprilbakerbell. From the intro, the idea of internalizing linguistic oppression. Whew! Thank you, @DrPorcher & @dr_s_bertrand for this!
Also, I see you @DrPorcher & @dr_s_bertrand. Knowing you, I could hear in your voices how hard it was to be present in this space with #BreonnaTaylor on your hearts & minds. Thank you for standing for #Blacklinguisticjustice in the midst of it all ❤️
Ironically, my TEDx talk on humanizing pedagogies comes out on a day when I had a real human moment. Sometimes we let our frustrations get the best of us & make assumptions about people that we need to keep to ourselves, but let slip out. 1/
In those most human of moments, when we are not at our best, we need to take responsibility for our words and actions, then show grace to ourselves. Grace doesn't make the words go away or excuse the impact, but continuing to stew doesn't help either. 2/
I know that I am very human, even as I conquer my inner desire for perfection. My wise dean @DrK_WhiteSmith reminded me today that we all stumble & sometimes, it takes a minute to recover, but we will not fall, because we have community to lift us up. 3/
Y'all do not understand how much I missed @BlackGazePod! 1/3 of the way through Episode 1 of Season 2 -- Protect Black Womxn. @dr_s_bertrand & @DrPorcher bringing it again! Also, shout out to @MauricePorcher for the sound effects. The claps though 👏👏👏 1/
This episode is just so powerful. Centering Black womxn means accepting & affirming ALL that they are: the brilliance, power & drive, but also the softness & humanity #ProtectBlackwomxn#BlackGazePodcast@BlackGazePod 3/
I didn't want to distract from Scholar Strike the last two days, so I didn't post the #blogpost I wrote yesterday, but it actually works out because I blogged today too & they are pretty nice companion pieces. Sharing them here with you 1/
"I believe in myself. I believe in the healing power of reflection and writing. I am learning, whose voices to listen to, when to listen and how to listen. I am learning how to make space for pain I don’t think I deserve. I am learning & growing & it is beautiful but painful." 2/