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Today is the start of Asian Pacific American Heritage month, and I ask you (everyone not just AAPIs) to do at least one action. It’s been a tough year for AAPIs. Hear Us, See Us for who we are. I made this #AAPIHeritageMonth guide with ideas to do. Please share. #APAHM 
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WATCH: I often get asked how to learn about AAPI history. I’ll admit I don’t know as much as I should too. Please set aside time to watch this PBS series on the history of Asian Americans. AAPI history is American history, for all of us to learn(2/20) https://www.pbs.org/weta/asian-americans/
READ: There are a lot of good books and people should recommend others. One that is really informative about Asian American history is Erika Lee’s THE MAKING OF ASIAN AMERICA (3/20) https://www.amazon.com/Making-Asian-America-History-ebook/dp/B00P434BMQ
As for novels, ON EARTH WE’RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS, is so powerful. THE SYMPATHIZER is on my list and I've heard great things. My wife strongly recommends Charles Yu’s INTERIOR CHINATOWN. What other novels do people recommend? (4/20) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41880609-on-earth-we-re-briefly-gorgeous
LISTEN: I’ve looked for something I can listen to as I run errands. I’ve really enjoyed this Asian American History 101 podcast. It’s so sweet that it’s a father/daughter team and they talk in personal terms about they learned and discovered.(5/20) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/asian-american-history-101/id1542547846
SHORTER READS: If you got time between zoom meetings, read these articles
-Why AAPI history hasn’t been taught in schools http://tinyurl.com/y2dnfaa4
-Mae Ngae on racism embedded. http://tinyurl.com/pzt23x7n
-Riveting essays by Cathy Park Hong (6/20) https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/minor-feelings-and-the-possibilities-of-asian-american-identity
-Why AAPI history hasn’t been taught in schools http://tinyurl.com/y2dnfaa4
-Mae Ngae on racism embedded. http://tinyurl.com/pzt23x7n
-Riveting essays by Cathy Park Hong (6/20) https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/minor-feelings-and-the-possibilities-of-asian-american-identity
CONFRONT:
AAPI history makes us confront the deep racism perpetrated like the Chinese Exclusion Act. This video give detailed overview.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/chinese-exclusion-act/
@GeorgeTakei wrote graphic novel about his time surviving Japanese internment.(7/20) https://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/arts/2019/08/25/george-takei-talks-they-called-us-enemy-memoir-graphic-novel-childrens-museum-indianapolis/2115502001/
AAPI history makes us confront the deep racism perpetrated like the Chinese Exclusion Act. This video give detailed overview.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/chinese-exclusion-act/
@GeorgeTakei wrote graphic novel about his time surviving Japanese internment.(7/20) https://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/arts/2019/08/25/george-takei-talks-they-called-us-enemy-memoir-graphic-novel-childrens-museum-indianapolis/2115502001/
JOIN: Bookmark Friday May 21 at 8pm ET for the SEE US UNITE FOR CHANGE event hosted by actor @kenjeong Will feature prominent AAPIs in music, comedy, film etc on MTV and online. Should be a lot of fun! (8/20) https://www.yahoo.com/amphtml/entertainment/ken-jeong-host-mtv-asian-160039155.html
VISIT: If you want to browse an online museum, go to the Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Collection. I like “Our Stories” collection highlighting Native Hawaiian/Pacific Island cultures
https://smithsonianapa.org/
Museum of Chinese in America https://www.mocanyc.org/ (9/20)
https://smithsonianapa.org/
Museum of Chinese in America https://www.mocanyc.org/ (9/20)
FUND: I have a new initiative I’d love your help on to identify and recruit young AAPIs to run for office. We need govt that looks a lot more like the rest of America. http://inourhandspac.com/
GoFundMe has page that splits funds to top AAPI orgs. https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate (10/20)
GoFundMe has page that splits funds to top AAPI orgs. https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate (10/20)
PATRON: Support AAPI small biz including great asian restaurants in your area. We all know small biz were hard hit by pandemic, and many AAPI-owned businesses suffered disproportionately, and some endured racism targeting them due to COVID fears.(11/20) https://www.travelandleisure.com/food-drink/restaurants/yelp-launches-asian-owned-aapi-business-category
COOK: Consider cooking one night this month (great way to learn about culture of food). One blog I’ve used to try and recreate my mom’s cooking is MyKoreanKitchen. What other recipes do you love? I’m going to try to learn a good Indian curry. (12/20) https://mykoreankitchen.com/bulgogi-korean-bbq-beef/
ENJOY: After your meal, watch a film like Oscar winner MINARI. That film felt so real to me, including ways my parents disciplined me as a boy by making me stand with hands raised. Captures a definitively American story of resilience and family.(13/20) https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/14/asian-american-belonging-minari-andy-kim/
RALLY: Keep an eye out for rallies and gatherings in your area during AAPI Heritage month. Lots of in-person and virtual events. Some good ideas on the Asia Society website here (14/20) https://asiasociety.org/asian-americans-building-america
THANK: AAPIs have been at frontlines of COVID fight. 1.4 million healthcare workers are AAPI (8.5% of total health care workers). More than 1 in 5 (or 195,000) physicians/surgeons are AAPI. 1 in every 11 nurses is AAPI (348,000) https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/05/19/asian-american-discrimination/ (15/20)
LIFT UP: This video project lifts up incredible stories of extraordinary women. Some of these are Asian American women who have lived amazing lives with great contributions. https://unladylike2020.com/explore/?ull_profile_identity=asian-american
Lift up these stories of AAPI innovators. 16/20) https://www.pbs.org/articles/2020/05/aapi-history-spotlight-saluting-stem-pioneers/
Lift up these stories of AAPI innovators. 16/20) https://www.pbs.org/articles/2020/05/aapi-history-spotlight-saluting-stem-pioneers/
TRAIN FOR ALLYSHIP/SOLIDARITY: AAPI Heritage Month isn’t just for AAPI community. And the lessons we can learn about standing up against hate help us stand against racism in all forms.
-- https://advancingjustice-la.org/what-we-do/direct-services/helplines
-- https://www.atask.org/site/get-help/multilingual-helpline.html
-- https://stopaapihate.org (17/20)
-- https://advancingjustice-la.org/what-we-do/direct-services/helplines
-- https://www.atask.org/site/get-help/multilingual-helpline.html
-- https://stopaapihate.org (17/20)
KIDS: I’m a dad of two baby boys. I can’t wait to read to them these Asian American kids books. I love for them to read books with characters that seem like reflections of them. And these books seem really cute. I ordered a bunch. Like a lot. (18/20) https://www.parents.com/fun/entertainment/books/asian-american-books-for-kids/
REGISTER TO VOTE: As we embrace AAPI heritage this month, we must commit to strengthening our democracy to protect our diversity. Register to vote and get others, especially younger Americans, to register (19/20) https://www.vote.org/
SHARE: Share this list with friends, family, colleagues. Share and reply here with other ideas that aren’t listed. And I’ll be sharing a lot more over this month, so follow if you’d like to receive updates. Happy #AAPIHM ! #AAPIHeritageMonth (20/20)
! #AAPIHeritageMonth (20/20)
