At the Intersection of Solidarity: A Reading List for Black and Asian Communities
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By Vivin Qiang and Louise Liu
As communities across the country observe and celebrate Black History Month this February, it is also a moment for deeper learning of our histories together. In recent years, a pernicious narrative of Black-Asian conflict has pervaded our communities and the media. From the 1992 Los Angeles Uprising, to the scapegoating of COVID-19-fueled anti-Asian hate on Black perpetrators, this narrative reduces the complex yet intertwined relationship between Asian and Black Americans and seeks to erase our long history of interracial collaboration, activism, and solidarity.
While tensions exist, we should not overlook the moments where our communities have stood alongside one another.
Our communities have always engaged and learned from one another, including many in the Asian American community who followed in the footsteps of pioneering Black leaders in the civil rights movement. In fact, the term “Asian American” was first coined in the 1960s due to inspiration from the radical activism of the Black Power movement. Asian and Black goals for liberation are intertwined, and we are united in our fight for racial justice. As Asian Americans, it is our responsibility to stand in solidarity with the Black community. This Black History Month, take a look at our picks on content that discuss Black-Asian solidarities, our interwoven narratives, and bridging the gap.
Short on Time? Read these Articles
- Nail Salon Brawls & Boycotts: Unpacking The Black-Asian Conflict In America by Tiffany Diane Tso
- On Vincent Chin and the Kind of Men You Send to Jail by Mark Tseng-Putterman
- A discussion of Asian and Black solidarity: ‘Wherever there’s a fight, that’s where I want to be’, A Filmmaker and BLM Leader Discuss Asian-Black Solidarity by Ada Tseng and Jessica Q. Chen
- The Impact of Malcolm X on Asian-Politics and Activism, an interview with Yuri Kochiyama
- The Secret History of South Asian and African American Solidarity by Anirvan Chatterjee
- The Memory of George Floyd Is Literally Fading Across America by Charles M. Blow
- 25 years after racial tensions erupted, black and Korean communities reflect on L.A. riots by Sarah Parvini and Victoria Kim
- How Asian Immigrants Learn Anti-Blackness From White Culture, And How To Stop It by Jezzika Chung
- Why the trope of Black-Asian conflict in the face of anti-Asian violence dismisses solidarity by Jennifer Lee and Tiffany Huang
Ready for a Deeper Dive? Pick up One of These Books
Fiction
- Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
- Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Non-fiction
- In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens by Alice Walker
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color
- The Karma of Brown Folk by Vijay Prashad
- Afro Asia: Revolutionary Political and Cultural Connections between African Americans and Asian Americans edited by Fred Ho and Bill V. Mullen
- AfroAsian Encounters: Culture, History, Politics by Raphael-Hernandez and Shannon Steen
In their Own Words (Podcasts/Interviews):
- The History Of Solidarity Between Asian And Black Americans | NPR
- Race in America: Allyship with NAACP LDF President & Director-Counsel Sherrilyn Ifill & Advancing Justice — AAJC President John C. Yang | Washington Post
- The LA Uprising, a generation later | Code Switch
- Black & Asian American Solidarity: Exchanging Ideas, Sharing History | Be Antiracist with Ibram X. Kendi
- National Day of Racial Healing: An MSNBC town hall | MSNBC
Craving More? Here are Additional Reading Lists:
Asian Americans Advancing Justice — AAJC has a mission to advance the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and to build and promote a fair and equitable society for all. Visit our website at advancingjustice-aajc.org.
