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More policing is not the answer -- it’s what got us here.
“Please support the local leadership of Asian Americans in Atlanta”
By ‘18 Million Rising Staff’’
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'Got U Boo' and Other Things to Leave in High School
Eddie Huang’s tweets show that he believes himself to be above anyone who dares challenge him and denigrates their opinions by implying that they are trying to ride on his coattails. It’s convenient for him to attack anyone who dares challenge his position as someone seeking attention or wanting to date him because this can also be a deterrent against other critics. And with this line of 'reasoning,' he can deflect attention from his poor communication skills and onto the person trying to ask an honest question. Read More
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The Meemao Monster
My daughter pointed to the television set. She was fascinated by Margaret Cho. Maybe she recognized someone that looked a little like her mother? Maybe she recognized someone that sounded a little like her mother when my Hmong accent grew thick? My daughter turned to me. She pointed back at the television. She said, “Meemao”…monster. Read More
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8 Things Mark Wahlberg Can Do To Atone For His Crimes
I’ve read a lot of feedback over the past couple of days about our petition to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to reject Mark Wahlberg’s pardon request. The most interesting feedback was the thought-provoking stuff: specifically, let’s assume, for sake of argument, that Wahlberg has changed in the past 25 years. If that’s true, what could Wahlberg do to earn our trust, blessing, and goodwill? Read More
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A Week of Queer South Asian Rage
We live in a nation that doesn’t value our lives. President Barack Obama insists that we live in a “nation of laws.” He’s right; we do. We live in a nation of laws where we, as people of color, as immigrants, are less than human. We are denied the right to be with our families, to feel safe in public space, to be American, to live. We are a nation of laws that do not protect us. We are a nation of laws designed to keep us out, to keep us scared, and to keep us running. Read More
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#BlackLivesMatter: No Indictment, No Justice
Despite incredible public outcry and over 100 consecutive days of peaceful protests in Ferguson, Missouri, no charges were brought up against an officer of the law for shooting and killing an unarmed person. Demonstrations expressing frustration, anger, disappointment, and sadness over this decision popped up all over the country last night. Our justice system, yet again, has failed Black America. It has failed America, period. Read More
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We Read: 'Who We Be' by Jeff Chang
People in my internet circles have been talking a lot lately about what white people think. Whether it's the Whiteness Project, the new video interview series from Whitney Dow, or Bill O'Reilly, who adamantly refuses to acknowledge that white privilege is even a thing, it seems like we're constantly critiquing, agonizing over, and scoffing at what white people think when it comes to race. For many young people of color, it's so readily apparent that they're wrong, even as people of all races are quick to claim a colorblind, colormute stance. Yet I'm pressed to find as much discussion about why these came to be dominant ideas about race and power. Read More
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Ferguson, Asian America, & Performative Solidarity: Showing Up, Staying Shown
What is more difficult to exercise than public performative solidarity is living into sustained, long-term solidarity that doesn’t exist in front of a television camera or behind a mic on a large stage. This is the challenge to us, Asian Americans. This is the opportunity to think hard and thoughtfully about resource redistribution; about shared powerbuilding that doesn’t rely on our lowest common denominators; about continuing to bring all we can to moments that demand our presence; and about finding other ways to address whatever shame or guilt we have about being the model minority wedge. Read More
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#FERGUSONOCTOBER: It's Time to Get Real, Asian America
Today, I’m getting into the car and driving 4 hours across the state of Missouri to participate in #FergusonOctober. I’m anxious, nervous, hopeful, and scared. To tell the truth, I’m intensely scared after Wednesday’s police-related shooting that ended in the death of Vonderrit Myers Jr., and which contributed to last night’s protests, tear gassing, and shameless police intimidation. Read More