What people said
We’re just starting conversations about community issues that launched at our inaugural event, “What Will People Say?”
Issue #16
Hi all —
They say jitters are a good thing. Good for you for putting yourself out there! Fear is part of the process! Beena kept pacing around her apartment Saturday night, waiting for Red, White and Brown’s first event to start. It’s never not scary.
We were nervous ahead of our Feb. 20 event, our night of staged readings and discussion about the South Asian American community. What if no one comes, what if a technical snafu means the whole Zoom crashes, what if we didn’t make enough contingency plans? Mostly, we wondered what you would say. Would we disappoint you? Were we respectful enough?
It soon became clear that our community is hungry for spaces like this. People want stories about themselves. Ours touched on academic achievement, special education diagnoses, romantic relationships, parents and the idea of being with someone who isn’t South Asian. You can watch the plays here on YouTube. You can share how they resonated with you in this Google Form.
We had predicted that after hearing stories about our community, people would share their own experiences with us. They did. And they got personal, talking about pressures children face and relationships in the Zoom chat.
While there are spaces on social media platforms like Reddit that have these sorts of conversations, putting faces and voices to anonymous IDs felt more authentic and approachable — something many of us are craving during this time of social distancing.
Lots more to discuss ahead.
Thanks for joining the conversation,
Beena Raghavendran (@thebeenster)
Vignesh Ramachandran (@VigneshR)
Co-founders of Red, White and Brown Media
Black History Month
Historian Anirvan Chatterjee highlighted some important historical context about Black and South Asian American communities during this milestone month. As Chatterjee notes: “Without the Civil Rights movement, South Asian America as we know it might not exist.”
Chatterjee also highlights his fascinating website about the history of South Asian and African American solidarity.
ALSO: This month is yet another reminder of roots of anti-Blackness in South Asian communities. We corralled some resources together for Anti-Racism Daily’s newsletter last month — but highly recommend reading and sharing the South Asian American version of the Letters For Black Lives project.
Words Have Consequences
Hate crimes and incidents have continued against Asian Americans throughout the country. There’s been a marked uptick since the pandemic began, largely attributed to the racist rhetoric used by influential folks — like Donald Trump — referring to the coronavirus by its geographic origin.
Vignesh spoke with Texas resident Bawi Cung, who was shopping with his family at a Sam’s Club when they were attacked by a stranger who thought that the Burmese American family was spreading the coronavirus to the community. Cung and two of his young children were injured. It’s a devastating example of why words matter — and how hateful rhetoric has real consequences for everyday people.
The incidents follow a similar pattern to what happened after 9/11, when Middle Eastern, Arab and South Asian Americans were targeted, according to John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC.
Check out the story on PBS NewsHour, where Asian American leaders are calling for more action to address the hate.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who was born to Indian immigrants in Philadelphia, says it’s important to not just understand hate crimes but also acknowledge and address incidents that don’t make the news — harassment, aggression or other acts of exclusion, and the feelings that motivate those actions.
“We have to have a broader conversation in this country about what does it mean to face harassment, racial epithets, aggression that we would never tolerate in the workplace, but of course are part of the public sphere … that may not rise to the level of a crime but that do infringe equal citizenship and make people feel as outsiders,” Khanna said.
Getting the Vaccine
We’re gradually hearing about more folks getting the COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. But unfortunately, not everyone is yet sold on getting it — even though medical experts strongly recommend Americans get it when they have the opportunity, in order to slow the spread and achieve eventual herd immunity.
That’s why researchers at Rutgers University and California State University, East Bay want to understand what barriers South Asian Americans might be facing about the vaccine, so information can be better tailored for our communities.
If you’re interested, check out their anonymous survey.
In the meantime, hope you stay safe (and masked!).
Your Thoughts
Please send a WhatsApp message to 646–481–3221 or email us to share your feedback, story ideas or anything else you’re thinking about these days:
Red, White and Brown sparks conversations about culture and politics in the United States through the lens of South Asian American race and identity. Please tell your friends and family to subscribe to this newsletter and follow the latest posts on Medium.