AUGUST 24, 2022

Hello, everyone!

Last week at the Indian Independence Day parade in Anaheim, California, anti-Muslim slurs reportedly erupted from parade-goers as demonstrators gathered to protest Hindu nationalism and discrimination in India.

Protesters were armed with signs calling for the abolishment of the caste system and fascism in India, which angered those participating in the parade with some reportedly yelling “stupid Muslims” along with other nationalist chants.

Protestors planned to just walk through the event with their signs, aiming to question whose freedoms were granted that day in 1947, especially if those freedoms come at the cost of “active violence and targeting of Muslim, caste-oppressed communities, Christian communities, Sikh communities.” Shanelle Gulabi, one of the 14-15 protestors, explained that they did not have any expectations. Other protestors also attest that parade-goers suddenly starting to push and toss them around and proceeded to grab their signs and yell obscenities in Hindi and English, including “​​bharat mata ki jai,” which means, “victory for mother India,” a military chant that is aligned with Hindu nationalism and the silencing of Muslim and caste-oppressed groups.

While there weren’t any indications of their religious affiliations, assumptions that protestors were Muslim led to Islamophobic slurs and even interrogations into their heritage. Protestors were reportedly asked if they were Pakistani and were called terrorists. While the organizers of the parade deny the accounts of the protestors, adding that the protestors were scaring the children attending the event, the demonstrators claim that they were silent the entire time.

Spotlight 💡

Today, Google changed their logo in the U.S. and India to celebrate Anna Mani, an Indian scientist and entrepreneur. 

Born in 1918, Mani was an avid reader in her youth and a highly driven, successful scholar throughout her life, earning awards, scholarships and recognition around the world. She greatly influenced meteorological study throughout her career working in the Indian Meteorological Department in 1976 and at the United Nations World Meteorological Organization. For her work, she received the INSA K. R. Ramanathan Medal in 1987. She died in 1994 at age 83, but if she were alive today, she would be 103. 
 

...

Another woman who was highly influential in her field was Japanese photojournalist Tsuneko Sasamoto – who died on August 15 at 107 years old. 

Widely considered as the first woman in Japan to become a photojournalist, Sasamoto reported on many subjects throughout her life including General Douglas MacArthur and the everyday lives of coal miners’ wives. She advocated for a daily glass of red wine paired with a piece of chocolate to live a long life, explaining that “it's essential to remain positive about your life and never give up.”

Race in America 🌎

As the school year approaches in Illinois, educators are preparing for their Asian American history requirement.

Last summer, Illinois became the first state to implement an Asian American history requirement under the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History Act (TEAACH) for all students in public schools from K-12. While the Illinois state Board of Education will be enforcing the mandate by strictly surveying all schools for the first three years, the local government itself has limited scope.

Organizers from Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago urge parents, faculty and other community members to ask schools and districts how they will be fulfilling the requirement.
 

...

Mixed Asian Media Fest (MAM Fest) is returning with virtual programming in San Francisco and Los Angeles and in-person programming in New York City.

The event plans to run from September 14-18 to celebrate Asian creativity through submitted entries of art, dance, theater, film and more. The platform was created as a collaborative effort to build community through intersectional conversations of what it means to be a mixed individual in society.

In Other Asian News 🗞

On Tuesday, former Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak reported to prison to serve his 12-year sentence for a corruption scandal from two years ago.

After the nation’s highest court rejected his last appeal, his sentence was solidified for the disappearance of $4.5 billion from a government investment fund. For many, this is a historic moment. James Chin, a professor of Asian studies and expert on Malaysian politics at the University of Tasmania, explained that, “This is the first time a prime minister, or an ex-prime minister, has been found guilty of corruption and is actually going to jail.”

At the very least, this case’s unwavering decision in such a high profile case showcased the judiciary’s independence from political affiliations.

Human rights organizations in the U.K. are accusing British intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6 of endangering British citizens with the continued torture and unlawful arrest of Sikh blogger Jagtar Singh Johal. Johal is currently being accused of a “terror plot” against right-wing Hindu leaders.

The UN group that investigated the event labeled Johal’s arrest as “arbitrary” and based on “discriminatory grounds.” According to NGOs Reprieve and Redress, British intelligence shared information with the Indian government that led to his abduction in 2017. After Johal was kidnapped from his wedding, he was electrocuted on his genitals, nipples and earlobes until he signed a false confession. The organizations claim that MI5 and MI6 knew that Johal was at risk for torture, mistreatment and even the death penalty for his work as an online activist documenting the unfair treatment of Sikhs in India.

Redress Director Rupert Skilbeck is calling for a “full review of the way that the U.K government responds when U.K .citizens are tortured abroad,” and Johal’s legal representation is filing for a public apology and redress from the British government.

Food, Comics and Sports 📺

CNN compiled a list of 50 of the best street foods in Asia which includes some classics like banh mi from Vietnam, bubble tea (boba) from Taiwan, chili crab from Singapore, egg waffles from Hong Kong, and Jiaozi from China.

Some other standouts include falooda from Pakistan (cold noodle dessert), fuchka from Bangladesh (fried flatbread filled with spiced mashed potatoes) and kuih cincin from Brunei (a type of cookie) - there is a little something for everyone on the list so dig in!  
 

...

The Mexican American comic “El Peso Hero” featured a new issue highlighting the 1911 Torreón massacre, where 300 Cantonese and Japanese Mexicans were murdered by revolutionary Mexican forces. Told in a three-part story, it features character Enrique Chong, a Chinese Mexican special forces commander.

Comic writer Héctor Rodríguez says, “There is a long history of Chinese immigration to Mexico. But there is also a history of anti-Chinese movements, including deportations, expulsions and genocide. And this history has been forgotten or purposely put away.”
 

...

Saki Baba became the second Japanese winner in U.S. Women’s Amateur golf history. The 17-year-old bested Monet Chun of Canada on August 14.

What else is on our minds? 🧠
 

• Japan has ice cream bars that resist melting even after 30 minutes outside in the sun.

• Hayao Miyazaki has revealed some new hidden details and surprise facts about “My Neighbour Totoro.” 

• A boutique store in Japan is now offering handsome butlers to shop around with customers. 

• An Afghan refugee in New Mexico is facing another murder charge after killing a third Muslim man. 

• Boston held its first Southeast Asian theater festival, offering various plays in different languages.