To Be Heard: Asian American Pacific Islander Voices
As a Filipino-American, I have been a community organizer for the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community since 2006. We have been fighting to have our voices heard as the same as other marginalized groups. I’m writing this during May, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. It is a month to celebrate the achievements of Asian and Pacific Islanders in the United States. But, this celebration comes during a global pandemic that has led to a rise of violence and racism towards Asian American Pacific Islanders in the United States. According to Stop AAPI Hate, from March 19, 2020, to March 31, 2021, there have been 6,603 incidents an increase of 150% from 2019.
Myths Are Not Facts
Myth
AAPI are the model minority for immigrants to be successful in American.
Fact
Model Minority Myth: some Asian groups are perceived to be overly successful in economics, education, and health. This inaccurate perception that Asian immigrants do not struggle stems in part from a 1966 New York Times article comparing Japanese Americans to Black Americans. In addition to perpetuating structural racism, the Model Minority Myth drives a wedge between minority groups by insinuating that “if this group can be successful, why can’t you?” It also ignores the vast disparities of economics and education within the AAPI community.
Myth
AAPI are highly successful in leadership roles in corporate America.
Fact
Bamboo Ceiling that prevents AAPI from obtaining executive and C-suite positions in companies due to the stereotypes that AAPI are not assertive enough or have leadership qualities hence in 2011 less than 1.5 percent of CEOs of Fortune 500 are AAPI descent. The Model Minority Myth creates a paradox for AAPI, in the sense of being perceived as successful yet still being “othered” with persistent questioning like “where are you really from?” For too long AAPI women have been hypersexualized and objectified while AAPI males have been demasculinized as inept in media that foster the stereotypes of gender roles.
Voices to Actions
It took the present climate with the incidents of discrimination, assaults, and murder for AAPI to raise our collective voices and finally be heard by the mainstream media. It was through social media campaign with the hashtag #StopAAPIHate and utilizing social media platforms like Clubhouse to address the issues and find ways to foster solidarity with other marginalized groups for support and best practices. I want to highlight two AAPI activities that have created Stop AAPI Hate as a national hub to report incidents and provide resources. Locally, you can support the San Diego API Coalition.
