On Solidarity: Expanding Black and Asian Narratives in English Language Arts Classrooms

• In Event: Building Racial Solidarity Across Black and Asian Communities in K–20 Education Beyond COVID-19

Abstract

When we look to Asian American history and movements, we must acknowledge the support that Black communities have given us and the various ways they have shown up for us to bring not only greater awareness to the issues in our communities, but also change across communities and beyond. When looking at our history of discrimination, we see that Frederick Douglas denounced the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. With the movement of Vincent Chin, “Roland Hwang and James Shimoura credit this multicultural coalition for helping to open doors for the ACJ” because Prosecutor William Cahalan “wasn’t interested in meeting a bunch of Asian American lawyers and community activists” (Yoo, 2021, p.126). It was through the strong support of Black organizations that allowed the Asian American community voices to be heard and paved the way for one of the largest Asian American movements. It is only through our coalition building and understanding of our similarities, complexities, and tensions between Black and Asian communities and histories that we can understand the deep-rooted effects of racism and White Supremacy that sows division between us. Racism in the form of the model minority myth that plagues the identities and experiences of Asian Americans and Black criminality stereotypes that have created deep-rooted harm and violence to Black communities need to be talked about, fought against, and heal together as two communities.

Now, through the experiences of COVID-19, Asian American communities have a reckoning to do with how we have been positioned in society and how we position ourselves in the future in the face of racial injustice. It is not just the responsibility of just Black and Asian communities building solidarity, but it is a strong foundational start in which we can yet again, in our living history bring awareness and to enact change for the generations to come. Racism through COVID-19 and police brutality is only a few of many forms of racism that has occurred due to systemic racism. The way we examine our roles and positionality is a responsibility that ALL Americans need to carry.

As an ELA teacher to predominantly Asian American students, the history and visibility of Asian Americans are lacking in not only the texts that we read, but also the history of solidarity with Black communities. Black and Asian communities can no longer be invisible in a continuum dialogue where there are only conversations about Black and White people. It is imperative in my role as an educator that my students unpack the detrimental identities that they have embodied at the hands of the model minority stereotype, learn about the similarities that they share with Black communities and understand Black people’s unique positions in America. It is not a racial oppression Olympics and this feeling needs to be understood in the context of white supremacy in action. It is my responsibility as an educator to help continuously diversify the narratives that we learn about ourselves and other groups of color to construct a more accurate web of all our lived experiences.

Author

• Diana Liu, Teachers College, Columbia University