Thread by @AndyKimNJ

When violence against AsianAmericans spiked earlier this year, I started to collect good news stories about the AAPI community. Initially this was just for me to help cheer up through tough times, but I was blown away by what I found. I’d like to share the list with you.THREAD

Early this year, we swore in the first Asian American Vice President. A few days before, I got to stand alongside @StricklandforWA and others in Congress to be sworn in as the largest number of AAPI members in history. 2/14 axios.com/asian-american…

AAPIs were elected to lead major American cities. Michelle Wu was elected Mayor of Boston, Aftab Pureval in Cincinnati, and Bruce Harrell in Seattle. Many more elected across state and local offices signifying a new generation stepping up. 3/14

https://twitter.com/andykimnj/status/1460691940706508805?s=21

My kids and I jumped for joy watching Suni Lee win the Gold medal! Jay Litherland and Erica Sullivan both swam to their first medals. Justine Wong-Orantes helped Team USA win first ever gold in women’s volleyball. Lee Kiefer won gold in fencing. 4/14

amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/08/19…

Olivia Rodrigo got 7 Grammy nominations and was named Entertainer of the Year. From Drivers License/TikTok to the White House, she became an icon that AAPI kids and aspiring artists can look up to when searching for inspiration on their own journeys. 5/14 time.com/entertainer-of…

Chloe Zhao won two Oscars for best picture and best director for Nomadland. She is the first woman of color and second woman ever to win best director. 6/14
npr.org/sections/live-…

Early this year, Simu Li became the first AAPI to hold a lead role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe starring as Shang Chi in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The movie quickly became a box office sensation with a sequel in development. 7/14
variety.com/2021/film/news…

A beautiful movie Minari told a tender story of a Korean American family seeking to find belonging. It resonated strongly with me and many others as it won awards including Oscar for best supporting actress. Here is an article I wrote about the film. 8/14 foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/14/asi…

Ji-Young, a new AAPI character on Sesame Street, was another positive addition this year. With a lot of hatred and vitriol being focused on AAPIs, I’m glad to see Sesame Street standing up and teaching the next generation compassion and tteokbokki. 9/14 apnews.com/article/sesame…

Communities all over the country came together to support Asian American businesses during the pandemic. Chinatown NYC was devastated at the beginning of the lockdown in 2020, but through the generosity of many, those businesses are coming back. 10/14
cnbc.com/amp/2021/05/28…

Lucy Koh was confirmed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. She is the first Korean American woman to become a federal appellate judge. There remain very few AAPI judges across the court system, but this is a promising step towards more equality. 11/14 thehill.com/homenews/58566…

In Illinois and soon NJ, AAPI history will be taught in schools. It shows our story matters and it is an integral part of American history. “Hate comes from a place of ignorance … we will not only be teaching them, but we will be building empathy.” 12/14
nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna9…

In Congress, we had a hearing to start effort to create a national museum for AAPI that could be part of Smithsonian. There are so many AAPI making history, it’s important we create a place that looks at ALL of AAPI history, past and present. 13/14
thehill.com/homenews/house…

There is no denying 2021 was a tough year, but I hope this list reminds you of how we move this country forward. Millions of AAPIs stood up this year to be heard and seen. Millions of other Americans stood by our side. Let’s keep this momentum going into 2022 and beyond. END