After moving (again – Hi, East Kingdom!), I’m finally in a position where I can make an effort to start blogging again. The goal is still to do at least one post a month. I have three posts sitting in drafts right now, and I’ve pulled one SCA project off the backburner.
I wonder how pervasive the idea of giving and thanksgiving tied to this time of year is throughout human cultures. We tend to look inward to ourselves or our households when the temperatures drop, as a means of survival. But isolation isn’t good for us, so having community events that draw us out and together help keep spirits up. It’s one of the reasons why, despite it being a “minor” holiday, I enjoy Hanukkah. We’re literally getting together to light candles, play games, eat food, and have pride in who we are.
I’ve been thinking today about supporting community in the context of giving and giving back. Since my research for the past several years has focused on East Asia, I wanted to take some time to share some organizations doing work to support Asian-American communities, as well as some information to help unpack implicit biases, gain understanding, and help work toward making the SCA a more welcoming and inclusive space for everyone.
My brain runs on librarian software, so aggregating information and sharing it is what I do. I hope this helps. ❤️
EDIT: If you have additional resources you’d like to share, please feel free to reach out or leave a comment. Thanks!
Organizations
- National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (link goes to a list of member organizations)
- Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
- AAPI Equity Alliance
If You Only Read One Thing
Resources
- The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority by Ellen D. Wu
- Two Faces of Exclusion: The Untold History of Anti-Asian Racism in the United States by Lon Kurashige
- Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong
Articles and Bibliographies
- Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People by Helen Zia
- Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans by Ronald Takaki
- Challenging Anti-Asian Bias and Acting as an Ally from ADL.org
- How to take action against anti-Asian racism at work and in your personal life by Jennifer Liu for CNBC
- Tools and Resources to Address Anti-Asian Bias from the University of Illinois
- Unpacking Hate and Addressing Anti-Asian Racism and Violence by Robin Lally for Rutgers