Daily Dispatches

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visitingearth — Sun, 19 May 2013 12:25:05 -0400

A Thousand Names (Asian Heritage Month) // spoken word (by...

32flavors- — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:37:31 -0400

A Thousand Names (Asian Heritage Month) // spoken word (by jasonchumusic)

And so our distance grew like the silence
Like we were the aliens they had raised and carried inside them
And the air between us is thick, but we still bear their names
And each name carries stories that we rarely even claim
The sacrifices of a generation we sometimes can’t even stand
When we pick up the phone and hear their anxious demands
And honestly? Sometimes we curse them
Say they don’t get it, they’re so obsessed with curfews and grades
either the Ivy League or at least UCLA
Makin sure we play the violin, pushing us to earn a high paying wage
And we judge them saying they’re just playing a greedy and self-centered game

Not seeing behind them the stories with which they came
The villages they left, little sisters they couldn’t save
Traditions that they lost, the homes they gave away
In the hopes that their children would not go hungry to their graves
So today? We come bearing their names
A thousand generations lived in the lands they left
We come because we pray before they find their death
We can speak life into the world and that’s the legacy they’ll have left

knphoto: ASIAN AMERICAN DISNEY PRINCESSES:by Kim...

visitingearth — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:25:33 -0400

knphoto:

ASIAN AMERICAN DISNEY PRINCESSES:
by Kim (annakimskywalker) & Donnie (donniekompany)
11x17 inkjet prints

Most of us grew up watching Disney classics featuring the beautiful Disney princesses we all know and love. Disney was and continues to be a staple in the lives of many children. However, despite how much we admired these princesses, it was difficult relating to them because they didn’t physically represent us. Take a look at any Disney princess product and you will see the preference towards the White princesses, white washing of princesses of color (skin color, facial features, etc), and the shoving of these princesses to the side.

In the 76 years since Snow White was released, there have been 12 (soon to be 13) Disney princesses, only 5 of whom are women of color (Jasmine in 1992, Pocahontas in 1995, Mulan in 1998, Kida in 2001, and Tiana in 2009). It took 55 years to portray a woman of color as a princess, and these portrayals also came with problematic and inaccurate representations of their respective cultures & histories (not to mention Tiana was a frog more than half of the movie).

How are young APIA children supposed to believe in “happy endings” when we don’t see them happening to people who look like us?

All of the above was the inspiration behind this photoshoot. We believe physically showing some of our favorite princesses as Asian American women will allow us to build more of a connection with the princesses who weren’t women of color, but who still possess qualities we admire and/or see in ourselves.

**These are just 5 of the 15 we recently showed at our university’s Asian American Studies Expo.

Andrea as Sleeping Beauty
Henna as Belle
Cat as Cinderella
Young as Snow White
Jenny as Tinkerbell

Photography/lighting: Kim
Hair/makeup/wardrobe: Donnie
Editing: Kim & Rachelle

Seema Jilani: My Racist Encounter at the White House Correspondents' Dinner

32flavors- — Tue, 07 May 2013 21:50:04 -0400

Seema Jilani: My Racist Encounter at the White House Correspondents' Dinner:

Let’s stop this facade that we are a beacon of tolerance. I don’t need you to “tolerate” me. I don’t want you to merely put up with my presence. All I ask, all I have ever asked, is to be treated as a human being, that bigoted jingoism is not injected into every minute facet my life, that there remains at least the illusion of decency.

Despite being a native English speaker who was born in New Orleans and a physician who trained at a prestigious institution, all people see is the color of my skin. After this incident, I will no longer apologize, either for my faith or my complexion. It is not my job to convince you to distinguish me from the violent sociopaths that claim to be Muslims, whose terrorism I neither support, nor condone. It is your job. Just like when a disturbed young white man shoots up a movie theatre or a school, it is my job, as someone with a conscience, to distinguish them from others. It’s not my job to plead with you to shake my hand without cringing, nor am I going to applaud you when you treat me with common decency; it’s not an accomplishment. It’s simply the right thing to do. Honestly, it’s not that hard.

becausechocolatethatswhy: lovenerdeen: fairgroundsoldier: THIS...

32flavors- — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:05:19 -0400

becausechocolatethatswhy:

lovenerdeen:

fairgroundsoldier:

THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION!

Greeting card turns children’s “Muslim” doll into “Terrorist” doll

The card features a photo of a Muslim doll with a Hijab (headscarf) that many Muslim women wear out of religious observance. The The talking bubbles placed on top of the doll’s photo read, “The Talking Doll, Pull string for message, if you dare,” and “She’ll Love You To Death! She’ll Blow Your Brains Out!” The inside of the card reads “Hope your birthday is a BLOW OUT!”

The card is produced by NobleWorks Inc. with credit for its design given to “Ron Kanfi” according to the company’s website, www.nobleworkcards.com. The motto of the company printed under their logo on the back of the card is “modern cards for modern people.”

Notice that nothing identifies this doll as a terrorist in the minds of the card designers other than that she wears a Hijab. Moreover, she – like many Muslim girl who choose to wear the Hijab – is a smiling, non-threatening normal-looking female wearing a pink Hijab and a flower-patterned dress. The unmistakable message behind the “humor” is that even the most peaceful looking Muslims are synonymous and exchangeable with terrorists.

To make matters more disturbing, the card is based on an actual doll designed by Desi Doll Company (www.desidollcompany.com) called “Aamina, the Muslim Doll.” The doll teaches kids religious greetings and sayings in Arabic with messages like “Assalamu Alaikum is the Muslim greeting, and it means peace be upon you” and “Let’s play together insha’Allah, insha’Allah means if God wills it.”

Contact the makers of the greetings card and let them know that you do NOT think that stereotyping Muslim women and girls is OK. Ask them if they would get a chuckle out of their daughters growing up exposed to messaging that criminalizes their basic identity for profit. (CAIR-Chicago has written an official letter to the company sharing its concerns.)

As always, be firm and polite.

NobleWorks Cards: 1-855-267-3163

He Who Eats Mud (local Chicago store that is selling the card): (773) 525-0616

This is beyond just stereotyping, this is Islamaphobia and racism. Portraying Muslim women as terrorists isn’t a stereotype because there’s no basis whatsoever for this “stereotype”. This is pure propaganda and hate speech.

when we wear the hijab we are visibly muslim which means every last islamaphobe out there sees a target. this stupid card encourages and validates something that puts muslim women and girls in danger.

paper marbling fill a tray with water. blow, fan, stir, dab,...

dyanaso — Sun, 05 May 2013 00:48:30 -0400

paper marbling

fill a tray with water. blow, fan, stir, dab, and drag paint or colored ink across its surface. put a sheet of washi paper on top to stain it with the floating art.

though called “turkish” paper marbling by europeans, this design technique was developed in east asia, central asia, and the islamic world. it is an important part of turkic, tajik, indian, and other asian and middle eastern cultures.

"Up to that point, we had been called Orientals. Oriental was a rug that everyone steps on, so we..."

kickstartheart — Fri, 03 May 2013 11:17:50 -0400

““Up to that point, we had been called Orientals. Oriental was a rug that everyone steps on, so we ain’t no Orientals. We were Asian American.””

- - Richard Aoki

The birth of Asian American identity springs from radical roots, anti-racism, solidarity with Black Power, and embracing the importance of self-definition. We need to remember the Asian American Political Alliance.

From their declaration in 1969:

DECLARATION OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN POLITICAL ALLIANCE, 1969
(http://instruct.westvalley.edu/kelly/History20_on_campus/Online%20Readings/asian_american.htm)
The Asian American Political Alliance is people. It is a people’s alliance to effect social and political changes. We believe that the American society is historically racist and one which has systematically employed social discrimination and economic imperialism, both domestically and internationally, exploiting all non-white people in the process of building up their affluent society.

They did so at the expense of all of us. Uncontrolled capitalism has pushed all of the non-white people into a cosial position so that only manual jobs with subhuman pay are open to them. Consequently, we have been psychologically so conditioned by the blue-eye-blond-hair standard that many of us have lost our perspective. We can only survive if “we know our place” - shut up and accept what we are given. We resent this kind of domination and we are determined to change it.

The goal of AAPA is political education and advancement of the movement among Asian people, so that they may make all decisions that affect their own lives, in a society that never asks people to do so. AAPA is not an isolated group, and should never profess to be such. Its only legitimacy and value is in the effects it has on many people, not just a small group of people. In the same vein, AAPA is not meant to isolate Asians from other people; it is unhealthy as well as unwise to do such a thing. AAPA must constantly expand and grow, and reach out to other people and groups. At the same time, AAPA must meet the needs of its own members and deal with its own problems.

In the past political organizations have tended to subject themselves to rigid, traditional levels of structure in which a few make the decisions, present them to the body, and the body can vote either “yes” or “no.” This hierarchistic organization, however, is only a manifestation of the elite control, primidal [sic (pyramidal)] structure mentality in which you are not capable of making your own decisions, an idea drilled into you from the foundations of this society.

AAPA is only what the people make it. We have adopted a structure which better fits the needs and goals of our alliance, not a structure to which we have to adjust ourselves. Furthermore, there is no membership in AAPA in the strict sense of the word. There are workers who for common interests join together with one or more people to intensify the effectiveness of an action.

(via angryapihistory)

power, privilege, and everyday life.: A Week of Fear

32flavors- — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 01:42:15 -0400

power, privilege, and everyday life.: A Week of Fear:

microaggressions:

On Friday evening, after the second suspect in the Boston marathon bombings had been caught, President Obama took to a podium, and said the following:

That American spirit includes staying true to the unity and diversity that makes us strong — like no other nation in the world. In this age of instant reporting and tweets and blogs, there’s a temptation to latch on to any bit of information, sometimes to jump to conclusions. But when a tragedy like this happens, with public safety at risk and the stakes so high, it’s important that we do this right. That’s why we have investigations. That’s why we relentlessly gather the facts. That’s why we have courts. And that’s why we take care not to rush to judgment — not about the motivations of these individuals; certainly not about entire groups of people.

The thing is: people actually had jumped to conclusions, fueling both suspicion and violence across the country. Multiple social networks and communities on the internet began to conduct their own searches for suspects in photographs. Most of these “suspects” turned out to be brown people with bags. Some people were identified solely by color or by supposed nationality. Some people were identified by name, and their names spread publicly and quickly, without hesitation. Worst of all, real people were attacked. Subtle and open aggression powerfully shaped lives this week.

We know that the creation of unsafe conditions for people of color, immigrants, Muslims – among others – does not appear out of thin air, informed by rationality or reality. They are a product of power and fear. Every geopolitical event of this sort has put whole communities on edge, anxious about the backlash against them. And while hate crimes get documented, the more subtle interactions of fear and hostility can slip through.

All week, from the coming Monday to Friday, we hope to publish submissions of incidents related to the recent attacks experienced by South Asians, Muslims, immigrants, and people of color. For this, we are asking for your help.

If you have experienced an incident of this type, please submit your story to submissions@microaggressions.com. There are no limits on length or format. (Please put “week” into the subject of your email; they’ll be forwarded directly to editors, who will put them up as soon as they can.)

If you have not experienced an incident of this type, we ask that you share this with people you know. Use Twitter, Facebook, and any other social networks to spread the word!

Thanks for everything,
Editors

Teen stunned at portrayal as bombing suspect

kangalangaroo — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:37:00 -0400

“Barhoum’s father, El Houssein Barhoum, who moved his family from Morocco five years ago, said he is worried his son will be shot and also fears for his wife and two young daughters. He said he can’t go to his job as a baker in Boston.

“Right now, we are not secure,” he said. “So, the news (media), when they put something, they should be sure about the information.”

http://news.yahoo.com/teen-stunned-portrayal-bombing-suspect-214638314.html

I’m hoping you guys can share this in a post — thanks!

~ Thanks for passing this along, Tiff!

The Post-Boston Islamophobic Hate Crimes Have Begun

32flavors- — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 22:53:14 -0400

The Post-Boston Islamophobic Hate Crimes Have Begun:

“We have been here before. Fueled by a hysterical demagoguery which has saturated the political climate, Islamophobic hate crimes have been a defining feature of life for South Asian, Arab, Middle Eastern and Muslim communities since Sept. 11.”

:(

punkrockmermaid: acid attacks in pakistan This literally left...

dyanaso — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:28:16 -0400

punkrockmermaid:

acid attacks in pakistan

This literally left me in tears.

“To JK Rowling, from Cho Chang” by Rachel Rostad

victoreric — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 18:58:58 -0400

“To JK Rowling, from Cho Chang” by Rachel Rostad

To (All) the White Girls Who Didn’t Get Into The College Of Their Dreams

my-aeipathy — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 18:09:22 -0400

To (All) the White Girls Who Didn’t Get Into The College Of Their Dreams:

I remember hearing about a girl from my first high school who also graduated in my year (’06). She didn’t get into the Ivy League school of her choice, but instead of going to one of the other schools that accepted her she walked around high school collecting signatures on a petition to prove to the college that their admissions department had made a mistake and that she deserved to be there. To be fair, it worked; the college let her in after receiving her petition. But I remember rolling my eyes and saying something about that being some “white people’s foolishness,” to my friends, because who does that?

Over the past few months the answer has become clear: White Girls Do That.

Chink’s Steaks Is Now Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop

32flavors- — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 11:31:05 -0400

Chink’s Steaks Is Now Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop :

Named for the original owner, Sam “Chink” Sherman, the name resonated for the man and not as a slur. But today, Groh says “it is very important to me, my family and the entire staff that we no longer inadvertently alienate anyone in the Philly community.

Judith Hill singing “What a Girl Wants” for the...

kickstartheart — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 02:10:49 -0400

Judith Hill singing “What a Girl Wants” for the blind auditions on the Voice. She’s Japanese and African American.

http://www.judithhill.com/

pennmww: Penn can be a tiring place that chips away at your...

32flavors- — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:43:03 -0400

pennmww:

Penn can be a tiring place that chips away at your confidence and self-worth, but please know this.

What's Wrong With the Term 'Person of Color'

32flavors- — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:47:11 -0400

What's Wrong With the Term 'Person of Color' :

Identifying as a person of color in solidarity with other people of color says ‘hey, my people have been oppressed by White people, maybe in a different time and space than your people, but we can work in solidarity.’ The identification needs to carry some degree of humility, and a deeper commitment to allyship . The POC umbrella is not an excuse to disavow the ways we benefit from various racial structures and sit idly by as our communities reap advantages from racism towards other people of color.

Black-Asian solidarity in the US, for instance, is hard to find and it will continue to be difficult to build if we continue to use the uncritical ‘POC’ label. Rather, we can use ‘POC’ as a way of reflecting on our different racial histories and building coalitions in our struggles and their difference. POC is a term for building solidarity between movements, not a movement in itself. That distinction is important.

Meet My Immigrant Mom

32flavors- — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:04:54 -0400

Meet My Immigrant Mom:

Submit your stories! :)

(via INFOGRAPHIC: The LGBT Undocumented | Williams Institute)

32flavors- — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:21:00 -0400

(via INFOGRAPHIC: The LGBT Undocumented | Williams Institute)

LGBT Undocumented People Disproportionately Younger and Asian, According to Latest Report

32flavors- — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:08:29 -0400

LGBT Undocumented People Disproportionately Younger and Asian, According to Latest Report:

Some of the key findings reveal that the actual number of LGBT undocumented people in the U.S. are disproportionately younger and Asian than the overall undocumented population. The percentage of Asian, LGBT undocumented immigrants is significantly larger than that of our straight counterparts. We are 15 percent of the LGBT undocumented immigrant population, as opposed to 11 percent of all undocumented immigrants. This is a critical sign that we need to increase our efforts to raise our voices for reform in our local communities and in Washington.