Why Asian Americans Are Not Your “Model Minority”
- Because 14% of Asian Americans live in poverty.
- Because we still face blockades and discrimination in the job market, a.k.a. the “bamboo ceiling.”
- Because America still looks at us like we’re “perpetual foreigners.”
- Because America still looks at us like we we’re the “yellow peril.”
- Because Asian American men are emasculated.
- Because Asian American womyn are exoticized and fetishized.
- Because a significant number of Asian American youth attend public schools that are under resourced and under privileged.
- Because gang violence plagues Asian American communities.
- Because Asian Americans lack representation in politics.
- Because a significant number of Asian Americans are undocumented.
- Because Asian Americans do more than get good grades.
- Because Asian Americans are not quiet, passive-aggressive, or submissive.
- Because Asian Americans raised hell during the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF).
- Because Asian Americans like Yuri Kochiyama and Richard Aoki were part of the Black Power Movement.
- Because Asian Americans had their own movement, the Asian American Movement.
- Because Asian Americans fought for workers’ rights during the United Farm Workers (UFW) Movement.
- Because Asian Americans stood in solidarity when there was no justice for Vincent Chin.
- Because Asian immigrant garment workers fought for equal rights when Jessica McClintock tried to deny them fair wages and a safe work environment.
- Because we have artists like Magnetic North and Blue Scholars.
- Because we are active in the LGBTQQIA community.
- Because we fought and are still fighting for a valid education.
- Because we are reclaiming our hystory and redefining our identities.
- Because Asian Americans are continuously organizing, mobilizing, and fighting for their communities and for our rightful place in this country.
- Because Asian Americans can fucking kick white supremist, nativist, racist, sexist asses.
- Because “model minority” is just a stereotype that attempts to cover the truth and use us as tokens.
(via fromonesurvivortoanother)