Think Together stands in solidarity with the AAPI Community
Once again, inequities and injustices are on the news. It’s heartbreaking to see, and it starts bringing up the question of how many injustices have to happen before humanity learns?
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities have faced a long history of prejudice and discrimination in the United States. Over the last year, AAPI communities have been blamed for a virus they have little control over – just like the rest of the world.
The hate stops with you, with our communities, and with our nation. As humans, we aren’t born with prejudice, it’s learned.
It can be hard to unlearn prejudices, but it isn’t impossible. What it takes is introspect and mindfulness of your thoughts and actions, and being aware enough to stop, think, and learn.
From Carol Dweck’s book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success she writes “Mindset change is not about picking up a few pointers here and there. It’s about seeing things in a new way. When people…change to a growth mindset, they change from a judge-and-be-judged framework to a learn-and-help-learn framework. Their commitment is to growth, and growth takes plenty of time, effort, and mutual support.”
We hope that you are taking the time to listen and learn about what is happening in the AAPI communities and have collected some resources for you to start you down your path.
Parents and Educator resources for students:
- Swipe through this Instagram post from @diversifyournarrative to learn about Anti-Asian policies you may not have heard about.
- Learn more about Know Your Classmates (KYC) Social and Emotional Learning curriculum. KYC was created to address the challenge of how we, as educators, help middle school youth become more self-aware about their own family’s identity, traditions and culture while learning acceptance, inclusion, and respect for their classmates as well. (read more)
- NEA EdJustice on Coded Language
For adults (or for older students, discretion advised)
- A reading list to understand anti-Asian racism in America. (read more)
- Listen to this 8-minute clip on NPR.
Ways to donate and support:
- Visit gofundme.com/aapi for verified fundraisers
- Donate to support Stop AAPI Hate and help them document and track hate crimes.
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a nonprofit legal advocacy group organizing for protections for Asian American communities. Donate here.
Lastly, if you see something, say something. We all must stand up to hate and not stay silent. The time to be a passive bystander is over.
