Good morning, Friends! It's #APAHM
or #AAPIHM
& I'm echoing friends who are quoting the amazing Sandra Oh that "It's an honor just to be Asian" today & everyday, this month & every month & also, since I have a platform, some thoughts 1/


While it's an honor to be Asian, particularly #AsianAmerican, I want to acknowledge my own relative privilege w/in the community as an ethnically Han, Taiwanese American, middle-class, well educated second generation cis-gender woman who is not visibly disabled 2/
These things are all important bc they position me in particular ways, often erased in larger conversations. While I embrace #AsianAmerican as a socio-political identity, it is a long process in becoming & understanding the nuance of pan-ethnic solidarity v. ethnic positioning 3/
This #APAHM
& in general, I am pushing towards learning about & centering voices often marginalized in larger #AAPI
discourse including those of my Pasifika, Southeast Asian & South Asian siblings. Ty to @KalaMendoza & @NaseemRdz for pushing my growth in this area 4/


In my work w/ @jungkimphd on #AsianAmerican educators, SE Asian & South Asian American educators spoke of their struggle w/ a sense of belonging under the larger Asian American umbrella, that they were not "the right kind" of Asian or "Asian enough" 5/
I'm also working on precision in my language. Thx to @spamfriedrice for this, to say #AsianAmerican when that's what I mean, or Asian diasporic peoples when speaking globally, or to be inclusive of Pacific Islanders when using #AAPI
as a term. 6/

Finally, bc of my own journey & my constant learning & unlearning, I am showing a lot of grace to those along the path. I am fortunate to have many teachers, here on social media & in my life who have given me a chance, in my 40s to develop greater racial awareness 7/
I had opportunities in my 20s that I did not take bc of my own internalized self-hatred having been both immersed in predominantly white spaces & frameworks. My criticality & racial awareness as an #AsianAmerican is a gift that I continue to fight for 8/
I will make ignorant mistakes, unintentional omissions, and missteps. And I will take responsibility for those. But I am grateful to all who have shown grace & kindness in their call-ins & who continue to push my growth. I hope to show the same grace to others learning 9/
ACTUAL finally, here are some of my #AsianAmerican siblings (not already mentioned in this thread) who I learn so much from daily: @YehCathery @readingspark @greenteanow @prof_ishimaru @rossinaliu @lipatel @pinayism @FlipProf @TheTeacherProf @MohitLingual @trantempleton 10/
Also, some amazing #AsianAmerican educators that I love: @minfucious @teachntransform @AnnaOz249 @shadow_uzumaki @poetpedagogue @msbonkinator @MsLiu_in_EDU @MrsGraceChoi @Phamtatorship @salesnrmn 11/
And a few of my favorite #AsianAmerican kidlit/YA authors who I love & fangirl: @DebbiMichiko @bottomshelfbks @Mike_Jung @PaulaYoo @AndreaYWang @kaokaliayang @soontornvat @IWGregorio @thebookiv @randyribay @lkblackburne @Sayantani16 @cblee_cblee @JoannaHoWrites 12/
I already see I'm missing folx so apologies if I missed shouting you out. There's a whole month for love. Thanks for reading
