There is this Spanish feminist group called "Mujeres de Asia (Women of Asia)" that is led by three white Spanish women.

Not "ABOUT Women of Asia" but "Women OF Asia."

You can all see how this is problematic.

https://twitter.com/Nyftys/status/1329092079465631744?s=20

User @Nyftys pointed out in that thread that the naming is inexcusable, and was surprised that despite being tweeted out in October, nobody ever called them out. (Seriously, wtf)

Neftis rightfully pointed out that White people cannot appropriate the realities of Asian women. She got pushback, claims that "you can be an academic and study it, of course you can talk ABOUT it!"

(yeah, you can, but you're still not "OF Asia")

You can be an academic expert in the field you're talking about, but if you're not part of that community, then you're just an observer. Know your place.

Seriously.

Sit the fuck down.

And here I have received permission to translate a wonderful thread from Spanish to English. https://twitter.com/Nyftys/status/1329165368699605002?s=20

"1) It's a lie that there are no Asian women who have specialized academic backgrounds who can talk about how women live in those 49 countries, and if they do indeed exist, that none of them can speak Spanish."

"2) You want to talk about the History of Asia because that's your specialty? Awesome.

But don't mix up 'talking about history' with 'talking for these women.'"

"Feminism is activism led by and for women. If you want to talk about feminism and Asian women, I don't care about your studies if you're watching those realities as a mere spectator."

"I've had a bunch of students from 'Asian Studies' tell me that oh my, of course they know what they're doing! But taking the lived realities of WoC and turning them into essays has a name, my darlings, and it's an ugly one."

"They've also mentioned wanting to collab with Asian women in the future.

I've seen that more times than I'd like to, and it's called 'pornographic drama.'"

(Sachi's note: never head of this term before but I love it)

"Not even I, biracial as I am, would have the guts to talk about the social realities of my dad's country because I'm just a spectator. Even when I've talked to natives who have treated me as a fellow Japanese woman."

"I am very aware that we do not present a unified front when talking about racism, especially not feminism. But I am very aware that there are many Asian people and Asian feminist women WHO CAN SPEAK SPANISH who have a lot to say..."

"... whether with or without a university degree. Do you really think you need a diploma in Asian studies for an Asian woman to talk about the sexism in their countries and their own lived experiences?

GTFOH."

And this, everyone, is why representation is important. This is why cultural appropriation is unacceptable.

And this is why white people holding a diploma need to know that studying someone's realities and living these realities are completely different things.

Oh and PS to anyone out there who wants to talk about the realities in Japan for women in Spanish - encantada, hablo español (i català!).

UPDATE: https://twitter.com/Ishikawa_Sachi/status/1331517044496318464?s=20