I wanted to take a moment to recognize that the pandemic has created increased racism, violence and harassment toward Asian Americans. You may have seen this in the news or may have personal experience with this. The recent event in Atlanta further demonstrates this heartbreaking trend. This has affected me personally because I care about Skinner North's AAPI students and families, and because of a racist attack on the Chinese American father of my close friend.
These events reinforce the importance of our belief as a community of the imperative of inclusion, anti-racism and support for one another. This includes actively interrupting any racist, anti-Asian, Asian American, Asian Pacific Islander and xenophobic narratives. These narratives and attacks have a direct effect on the mental health and wellness of our students and families. We stand in support and in solidarity with our students and families who identify as Asian, Asian-American, Asian Pacific Islanders.
We encourage you to talk to students and others about this. Below are some resources to help this or find support. Please reach out to me if you or your family members need support.
Sincerely,
Katie
To learn more ways to interrupt and respond to Coronavirus racism go to:
https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/how-to-respond-to-coronavirus-racism.
Learn More about the Historical Context of Anti-Asian American Racism (Resources Reshared from Diversity Committee Summer Workshops):
Asian Americans and Racial Justice: Historical Context Slides
Problematic Statements and Questions
More Allyship Resources:
For Grown-ups:
Anti-Racism Resources to Support Asian-American, Pacific Islander Community
Suggested Children's Books:
Young, Proud, and Sung-Jee: A Children's Book on Fighting Anti-Asian Racism During Covid-19 (PDF version of the book + helpful caregiver tips at the end)
The Name Jar
A Different Pond
Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story
They Called Us Enemy
American Born Chinese
Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh
Resources from the Asian American Psychological Association:
Stop AAPI Hate Reporting: https://stopaapihate.org
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Tracking Hate Stories: https://www.standagainsthatred.org/
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Hate Crimes Task Force and Pro Bono Legal Resources: https://www.napaba.org/page/HateCrimeResources
Infographics and accompanying videos for helping AAPI families talk to children and teens exposed to anti-Asian bullying and harassment (developed for COVID-19 but also relevant now): https://division45.org/division-45-task-force-on-covid-19-anti-asian-discrimination-and-xenophobia/
Asian American Mental Health Collective directory of APISAA therapists: https://www.asianmhc.org/apisaa
AAPA Division on Practice list of COVID-related mental health resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GrseILJlOFiNOzeQT3X3aizokL-M4NvXp7vCP4W-jm8/edit?ts=5e88c7b1
Free bystander intervention training to stop anti-Asian/American and xenophobic harassment: https://www.ihollaback.org/bystanderintervention/
Diversity Discussions
Our Month's Diversity Discussion Topic is Teaching Kids to be allies. Talking about issues of race is important to do with students. These resources help give guidance on this. Thank you to the Diversity Committee for putting together this information.
Teaching Our Kids To Be AlliesMany of us want to be allies to our friends, neighbors, and families who are Black and Brown, but it can be overwhelming to know where to start – and what is an ally anyhow? Explained simply in this article, “An ally is someone who is willing to stand up for what is right and has your back if you’re being treated unfairly because you are different.”
While there’s a whole lot more unpacking about what goes into being an ally on all levels, this is a good place to start for kids. Aim for your book selections to reflect the diversity of our communities and be inclusive of other cultures. When doing arts and crafts, be intentional about the array of skin tone crayons, markers, and construction paper that you make available.
For more ideas about allyship, please check out the links below:
How Kids Can Be Allies
How to Raise Kids to be Allies
What White Children Need to Know about Race