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Race in America 🌎
A new nonprofit founded in March, called the Dallas Asian American Historical Society, aims to collect and preserve the stories of Asian Americans.
Inspired by Korean American activist Dr. Suzanne Insook Ahn, philanthropist and a great changemaker in the Dallas area, Stephanie Drenka, the co-founder of the historical society, pushed to preserve her history. Drenka wanted young Asian advocates to have a collection of role models to reference and look up to after realizing that many amazing advocates stories could be lost to time.
This op-ed calls out white women for their complicity in reducing Asian women to one-dimensional, sexualized stereotypes in movies and TV.
Elaine Hsieh Chou takes her readers through an anthology of movies featuring Asian women pitted against white women or used as a plot device for white women leads. Problematic roles emerged after going through movies like Tina Fey’s “Mean Girls” to “Isn’t it Romantic” starring Rebel Wilson. Asian women are reduced to tropes like “the other woman,” “an aspirational goal” or “competition” without a care for the long and violent history that Asian femme bodies are tied to.
Chou begs white women on-screen and behind the scenes to consider Asian women and their humanity, but then again, she reminds the readers too that in the end, white women can’t save us either.
In Other Asian News 🗞
COVID-19 didn’t just expose holes in our healthcare system and pandemic preparedness; it also shows the severity of domestic violence and abuse around the world.
In China, women are trying to speak out about domestic violence again. Tang Ping, a mother of two, reported her husband to the police five years ago and has sustained abuse in her own home since 2014. She wants women across China and around the world to be unafraid to speak up about the gender-based violence that haunts them. Despite feminist movements heavily advocating for fundamental protections against domestic violence, there is heavy pushback against their cause. In addition to victim-blaming, those who decide to speak out also face verbal and physical harassment and abuse.
The U.S. has condemned the offensive statements made against Islam in India, joining the domestic and international outrage.
In a recent statement, State Department spokesperson Ned Price, expressed the U.S.’ position, confirming that they “condemn the offensive comments made by two BJP officials.” Price also reaffirmed that the U.S. was “glad to see that the party also publicly condemns those comments.” Price continued saying that the U.S. encourages India to promote freedom of religion and a respect of human rights.
In the midst of nationwide protests and international condemnation, the current administration has issued official apologies to quell the protest spreading across the country.
Travel 📍
Thinking of traveling to Thailand? We’d suggest you don’t visit the tiny island of Koh Khai Hua Roh.
Plagued by overtourism, the island’s single tree, the object of many tourists’ desires, has been severely damaged. This is only one of the many examples of overtourism causing serious and potentially irreparable damage to a nation’s environment. Hawai’i and many other islands are usually the main victims from issues brought on by tourism which includes violating land rights, environmental degredation, water shortages, housing crises and more. And, before anyone brings up the “tourism is a major industry” argument, try thinking about why people have resorted to depending on tourism in the first place.
A new bus service that will run from the UK to India will launch in April 2023. This trip will span 18 countries in 70 days, traveling a little over 12,400 miles.
The bus will run both ways, providing service from London to New Delhi and vice versa. Originally, the trip was planned to include guides, tours, visa fees and snacks but lockdowns in China continue to delay the project. The anticipated route, which passes through China, was inspired by the “hippie-trail” during the ‘60s and ‘70s, where Western individuals left their societies for India.
Personally, I wonder how much gas this bus will use.
What else is on our minds? 🧠
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