By Cecilia Bahnson For decades, activists and educators have been working to address the striking lack of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) representation in history. AAPI Heritage Month, which takes place during the month of May, gives us the opportunity to confront a difficult history, celebrate the AAPI community, build a more inclusive future, and hear what this month means to our own Crescent Valley students. The successes of Asian and Pacific immigrants have often been overlooked because of the “model minority” myth, and their struggles have been dismissed as ramifications or byproducts of other issues. Not only does this discredit nearly 6% of the United States population, but it also erases many acts of violent discrimination and racism against the AAPI community. During AAPI Heritage Month, we can honor the incredible accomplishments and recognize the past and present day struggles of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. It is also important to remember that Asia extends FAR beyond China and Japan, and includes everywhere from Mongolia to Vietnam to India to Singapore. The legislative founding of AAPI Heritage Month began in 1977 when New York Reps. Frank Horton introduced a resolution that would declare the first ten days of May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. Senator Daniel Inouye introduced a similar resolution that same year, but neither of these resolutions passed. A year later, Reps. Horton presented a revised version of his resolution, which was passed by the House and the Senate and signed by President Carter in 1978. So the first week of May became Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. However, Horton’s resolution did not state the Heritage Week as an annual celebration, so every year the President proclaimed its existence for that given year. In 1990, after more than a decade since the original resolution, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week was extended to the entire month of May. May was chosen in memory of first known Japanese immigrants who arrived in the United States on May 7, 1843, as well as the Chinese immigrants who were the backbone of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The extension of Horton’s resolution should be largely credited to Jeanie Jew and Ruby Moy, Horton’s Chief of Staff. The two women played a huge role in the efforts to create national public recognition for the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the United States. Jeanie Jew in particular was driven by her personal experiences as an Asian American. Her great-grandfather, M.Y. Lee, was a Chinese immigrant who worked on the transcontinental railroad but suffered greatly and was never recognized for his role in American history. Through Reps. Horton and his sponsors, Jeanie Jew and Ruby Moy were able to designate the entire month of May as Asian American Pacific Heritage Month in 1990, and see it become a permanent annual commemorative month in 1992. In recent months the United States has seen a swell in anti-Asian racism and many people view this as a relatively new issue, fueled by the rise of COVID-19. In reality, violence and racism against Asian and Pacific Islander communities has existed systemically throughout history. But because of the exclusive and white-washed nature of many history curriculums, we rarely have any in-depth conversations about anti-Asian regulations in the US beyond the Japanese internment camps during WWII. In reality, the United States has a very anti-Asian history, specifically in the country’s immigration policies. In the late 19th century, a rise of xenophobia (prejudice against people from other countries) from white Americans in the San Francisco bay area led to the institution of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. This was the first law in US history to exclude immigrants based on their race. The act was originally supposed to be in place for only 10 years, in order to control the amount of Chinese laborers migrating to the US. Instead, the policies were strengthened and stayed in place until 1943 (61 years later), when the Magnuson Act allowed a maximum of 105 Chinese immigrants per year. However, this new and very limited “Asian inclusion” was used to undermine other forms of activism and served only to increase the US as a global, interracial power. Asian American, African American, and Indigenous voices were smothered by the United States claiming to be and being seen by the international community as a racially inclusive nation, despite the fact that hardly anything had changed for the non-white communities who were already at an economic and environmental disadvantage because of racist systems and assumptions. Another example of deeply rooted anti-Asian racism in history is the American colonization of the Philippines in the early 20th century. Essentially, the United States was at war with Spain and Spain had control of the Philippines… so the United States defeated the Spanish presence in the Philippines and took control of the island nation with little regard for the natives who had been fighting for independence for years. This was an effort by the United States government to gain economic power through presence in the Pacific Ocean. US officials in the Philippines were extremely disparaging towards the natives, claiming that their bodies were “unclean and uncivilized.” The US government saw Filipino people as a threat to the country’s economic growth, and they used that excuse as well as their idea that islanders carried “festering tropic diseases” to continue the US colonial rule until 1946. There are also the everyday microaggressions that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders experience. Microaggressions are indirect and subtle acts or remarks of discrimination. But as we have seen with the rise of COVID-19, these little remarks can easily turn to violence. The “model minority” myth is so ingrained in our culture and society that it allows these microaggressions and acts of anti-Asian hate to be overlooked by those who are not directly affected. It indicates that Asian and Pacific communities do not have any reason to complain or fight for equity and security. The model minority myth characterizes Asian Americans as a “polite, law-abiding group who have achieved a higher level of success than the general population through innate talent and immigrant endeavours.” While this myth may seem to have some advantages, it does much more harm than good. It erases the unique differences between individuals and wipes out the diversity that exists so beautifully among Asian and Pacific American cultures. The model minority myth is dangerous in that it restricts what it means to be Asian. It tells people that if they do not fit into the strict boundaries of the “model minority,” it is because of some failure or deficiency on their part. It also ignores the differences between Asian cultures that can be detrimental to the security of a community or family, for example the model minority myth erases the fact that, on average, for every dollar a Chinese woman in America makes, an Indian American woman makes $1.20, a Pakistani woman makes $0.88, a Vietnamese woman makes $0.67, and a Burmese woman makes $0.52. The experiences of these groups and individuals are not the same, and the model minority myth invalidates all of their struggles and challenges. While it is very important to recognize the challenges and systemic hardships that the AAPI community faces, AAPI Heritage Month is also a time for celebrating culture, diversity, and success. Here are a few people to learn about and celebrate during the month of May-- people who have broken through stereotypes and made leaps and bounds in the progress of this country and the world, and who perhaps do not get enough credit for their actions. Josefa Llanes Escoda was a Filipina social worker who dedicated her life to social justice activism in the early 1900’s. Through her work with the American Red Cross, she was able to earn scholarships which allowed her to finish a master’s degree in sociology at Columbia University. She was a leader of the women’s suffrage movement and an advocate for women’s rights in the Philippines, and after collaborating with the Boy Scouts organization, she founded the Girl Scouts of the Philippines as a resource for young girls. Josefa Llanes Escoda also organized an underground network of volunteers to transport messages and essential items to war prisoners, families imprisoned in internment camps, and stranded students during WWII. She and her husband were eventually captured and executed in 1945. Yuri Kochiyama was a Japanese-American political activist from San Pedro, California. After the death of her father, Yuri Kochiyama and her family were sent to an internment camp in Arkansas for two years. When they were released, Yuri Kochiyama moved to New York and joined the growing fight for racial justice and human rights. She met Malcom X in 1963 and the two of them were essential leaders in the efforts to link political Asian American movements to Black liberation movements. Yuri Kochiyama was next to Malcolm when he was killed, and she carried his legacy and left her own mark through her constant advocacy for political prisoners and her fight for social justice. Kamala Harris is currently the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and has received ridicule from many conservative politicians because of her racially diverse background. Her father is a Jamaican-American professor and economist and her mother was an Indian-American scientist and leading researcher. Both parents were dedicated activists. Kamala made history in 2017 as the first Indian-American in the Senate and is the author of her memoir, The Truths We Hold: An American Journey. Here at CVHS we asked some of our own students and alumni what Asian American Pacific Heritage Month, AAPI representation, and AAPI recognition means to them. “AAPI Heritage Month is a time to celebrate all that Asian and Pacific culture is, not just what the world sees us as,” says one student. “We don’t have a ton of huge celebrations during May, but I do love that this month helps AAPI people to be heard and seen, and I’m hopeful that what we have to say will not only be heard, but listened to. Especially with all the Asian hate during the coronavirus, I want this month to signify change for AAPI communities.” Another Crescent Valley student says, “It’s pretty powerful what racial representation in media can do, especially for younger people. We spend all this time watching and reading about heroes, and it’s so important to be able to see people who look like me in a leading role. Seeing people who look like me on television in a way that’s not just a stereotype makes me believe that I can be successful and exist outside of those stereotypes.” “To me, AAPI Heritage month isn’t just a time to recognize the achievements and contributions Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made to this country but also a reminder of the immense work this nation has to ensure we don’t repeat the same mistakes of the past,” says Laura Jost. “The lack of cognizance surrounding the discriminatory and racist policies to the AAPI community deeply disturbs me and I think working to understand the roots and the intersectionality of a lot of these issues — past, present and future, is what AAPI Heritage month means to me.” This month is a time for recognition, celebration, and a push for a better future. We have the opportunity to combat historical and present-day racism, and to actively take the steps to educate ourselves and fight for equality and inclusion. Sources: Abrams, Zara. “Countering Stereotypes about Asian Americans.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, 2019, www.apa.org/monitor/2019/12/countering-stereotypes Blackburn, Sarah-Soonling. “What Is the Model Minority Myth?” Learning for Justice, 21 Mar. 21AD, www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/what-is-the-model-minority-myth Congress, The Library of, et al. Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2020, 2020, https://asianpacificheritage.gov/about/ Ghosh, Iman. “Visualizing the U.S. Population by Race.” Visual Capitalist, 25 Jan. 2021, www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-u-s-population-by-race/ “Kamala Harris.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2 Apr. 2021, www.britannica.com/biography/Kamala-Harris Leon, Adrian De. “The Long History of Racism against Asian Americans in the U.S.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 9 Apr. 2020, www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/the-long-history-of-racism-against-asian-americans-in-the-u-s “List of Countries in Asia.” List of Countries in Asia in Alphabetical Order, www.countries-ofthe-world.com/countries-of-asia.html “May 19, 1921: Yuri Kochiyama Born.” Zinn Education Project, 21 Feb. 2019, www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/yuri-kochiyama-was-born/ Moon, Kat. “The Story Behind Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.” Time, Time, 23 May 2019, https://time.com/5592591/asian-pacific-heritage-month-history/ Morales, Christine. “News.” Rutgers School of Social Work, 27 Oct. 2020, https://socialwork.rutgers.edu/news-events/news/filipino-heritage-month-social-worker-josefa-llanes-escoda NAPAWF. “Economic Justice.” NAPAWF, 2018, www.napawf.org/economic-justice Nguyen, Viet Thanh, et al. “How the Model Minority Myth of Asian Americans Hurts Us All.” Time, Time, 26 June 2020, https://time.com/5859206/anti-asian-racism-america/ Staff, Pacific Standard. “Why Are Asian Americans Missing From Our Textbooks?” Pacific Standard, Pacific Standard, 16 Mar. 2017, https://psmag.com/news/why-are-asian-americans-missing-from-our-textbooks YWCA Minneapolis. “20 Asian American and Pacific Islander Women to Know.” YWCA, 22 June 2020, www.ywcampls.org/all-our-voices-blog/20-asian-american-and-pacific-islander-women-to-know/ If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 3pm! 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