JULY 2021
The Next American Revolution AN AAPI & BLACK SOLIDARITY ZINE
ISSUE 001
JULY 2021
ISSUE 001
Preface "The only way to survive is by taking care of one another" - Grace Lee Boggs (1915-2015) Since the 1940s, Grace Lee Boggs's love and work for marginalized communities extends past racial lines and borders within the Chicago area. Together with her husband, James Boggs, they founded the National Organization for an American Revolution and later, on her own, created Detroit Asian Political Alliance, and Facing Reality. She wrote numerous books on her activist and philosophical work. She passed away in 2015 at the age 100. In a digital and hyper-political age of Black Lives Matter and Stop AAPI Hate, CCSF Collective members Kiana Gamboa and Eira Kien collaborated with Katie Quan from This Asian American Life to create this zine. We look to our students and community for guidance and support for multicultural solidarity. We honor and uplift the work of Grace Lee Boggs by bringing it into San Francisco Bay Area's present day. In this collection we also acknowledge how this work is not representative of all Black and AAPI communities - it is our hope for this to be a first step of many towards liberation. Inspired by the Boggs’ Detroit Summer program, involving youth in street cleaning, urban gardening, recycling waste, repairing homes, education, and outreach, and creating public art, all proceeds of “The Next American Revolution” will be donated to fund our collaborators, and Sisterhood Gardens located in San Francisco. To learn more, please check out their website at: www.SisterhoodGardens.org Together, we step into the next American revolution.
CCSF Asian American Studies Department
CCSF Collective CCSF Philippine Studies Department Chinese for Affirmative Action One Love Black Community SF Bay View National Black Newspaper This Asian American Life
Sponsored bY
Black San Francisco
table of contents PHOTOGRAPHY Freida L. Candido
pg 6 - 7
Nick DeRenzi
pgs 16, 17 21, 23
Glenn Mercado
pgs 26-28
Difenni Sarris
pgs 37, 40, 44
Katie Godowski
pg 41
POETRY Sun T
pgs 8 - 9
s.f.h
pgs 10 - 14
Tehmina Khan
pgs 35 - 36, 38 - 39, 45 - 46, 49
Dawn Angelicca Barcelona
pg 50
Molly Liu
pgs 52 - 54, 65
Emily Goes
pgs 42 - 43
WORDS Tiera Cummings-Scales
pgs 18 - 20
Alexis Reiko
pgs 22 - 24
Marquise Rosier
pgs 28 - 29
Pan Ei Khaing
pgs 31 - 33
Dayoung Lee
pgs 59 - 60
Shizune Seigel
pgs 61 - 63
VISUAL ART, CERAMICS, MUSIC pg 30
s.f.h
pg 34
Katie Quan
pg 47
Melissa Wang Alexis Reiko
pg 48
Elaine Chu
pg 51
Barnzilla
pgs 56 - 58
Shizune Seigel
pgs 61
PLAYLIST:
pg 55
BIOS:
pgs 66 - 77
RESOURCES:
pg 78
Freida L. Candido
BLM in Little Tokyo, LA
Black Lives Matter banner hangs from a fire escape in Little Tokyo, LA. 16
"I recognize and denounce all violence against my AAPI family members. I empathize with their suffering, devastation, and anguish. I stand in solidarity with the AAPI community against every form of racial or ethnic oppression. I honor the manifold contributions and history of the AAPI community. Our communities are stronger, safer, bolder, and more effective when we advocate for our human rights together."
Freida L. Candido
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
The
following
illustrations, action
pages
and
on
photography
AAPI
coordinated
contain
&
by
from
Black
CCSF
words, an
solidarity
Collective,
an
abolitionist art activism student-led group.
More background information is below: At
City
College
students to
the
nearly
and
of
of
shutting in
American
Francisco
community
threat
Studies
San
600
down
the
by
protested
potential
the
nation,
Studies
(CCSF),
only
layoffs
Philippine
cutting
33%,
and
due
African
potentially
cutting English As a Second Language by 53%.
On
May
Solidarity
6,
action
Collective
to
SF,
Collective,
Save
organizations Student
Bring
National Bay
Area
PUSO
Black
by
CCSF from
CCSF,
CCSF
Cantonese
and
as
California Student
Home,
SF
Newspaper,
united
&
students
Coalition,
Mumia
Black
AAPI
CCSF,
such
Union
an
organized
save
Anakbayan
US,
for
in
a
Black Action
Bay
and
Us
virtual
View 4
Us
press
conference, rally, and disruption to protect our education. At the disruption, we were joined faculty
by
community,
at
Trustee
house,
where
police
in
Collective’s
riot
we
op-ed
Tom
were
gear. to
students,
met
Please
and
Tempranos by
50
read
Trustee
-
100
CCSF
Temprano
and the board of trustees here: https://tinyurl.com/AAPIbTrustees
15
photo: Nick DeRenzi, 2021
16
17
Tiera Cummings-Scales Speech shared at the 5/6 AAPI & Black virtual press conference
I remember when I started school at 4 years old, and
I
experienced
a
moment
of
confusion
as
it
came
to
my
realization that not a single person in my classroom looked like me. There
was
an
instant
feeling
and
recognition
that
I
was
different,
but I didn’t understand why.
As
time
went
outcasting
on,
me.
I
began
Kids
asked
to
realize
and
that
made
my
jokes
differences
about
my
were
curly
hair
and dark skin. They didn’t want to talk to me. They had no interest in
playing
with
me.
And,
something
concerning
didn’t
understand
fully
it
became
myself why
that
their
obvious
they
that
didn’t
dislike
for
like.
me
there But
I
was
again,
existed,
so
I
internalized every part of their contempt for me.
At
the
age
Blackness,
of
4,
and
I
I
had
already
hadn’t
even
begun
known
to
it
despise
yet.
All
I
myself
knew
for
was
my
that
I
wanted to be lighter. The majority of the students in my class at the
time
were
of
Asian
descent,
and
they
were
all
fair-skinned.
I
used to find myself wishing I could have the skin and straight hair of the other girls, as the boys in the class continually pointed out to me that I wasn't as pretty as them. The narrative that I, as a Black girl, was ugly for my dark skin, continued throughout my years in school.
When
I
was
in
6th
grade
when
two
students,
one
of
them
an
Asian girl, made a class family tree and they called me the dog of our family.
18
I
didn’t
know
it
then,
but
looking
back
now
it
was
the
epitome
of
Anti-Blackness, and I had to figure out how to deal with that at 10 years old.
To me, at that young age, and because of my experiences, being of
Asian
descent
was
equal
to
being
white.
In
my
incorrect
and
uneducated mind, I was truly convinced that the Asian community despised me as a Black person, and were better than me, due to what
I
perceived
as
their
proximity
to
whiteness.
Not
until
a
teacher in high school, who cared enough to teach both Black and Asian history and oppression, did I realize how wrong I was in my thinking.
Education
concerning
both
our
communities
freed
me
from
the
teachings and oppression of anti-Blackness, and it enlightened me to the model minority myth and the way it erases the history of Asian-Americans and diminishes the anti-Asian racism that's been taking place in this country since the beginning. This myth is also dangerous Asian
because
community
it
drives
which
a
wedge
effectively
between prevents
the our
Black
and
inter-racial
solidarity.
The model minority myth isn’t the result of Asian people being better than Black people, Asian people hating Black people, or Black people hating Asian people-- It’s the result of white supremacy.
19
White
supremacy
doesn't
just
want
our
two
communities
to
despise each other, it needs our communities to turn against one another because it knows together, we can take it down.
This
is
why
wouldn’t
education
have
been
is
able
important. to
Without
recognize
the
an
education,
troubles
of
I
white
supremacy, the oppression that Asian-Americans face here in the United
States,
the
world's
antiblack
racism--
I
would’ve
continued
to be reluctant to stand in solidarity with the Asian community.
By
going
robbing
through
both
with
Black
and
the
cuts
Asian
at
CCSF,
students
of
the
trustees
will
be
their
histories,
stories,
and opportunity to educate in order to end white supremacy.
These
cuts
are
an
attack
on
our
communities,
which
tell
us
students that our voices and stories do not matter. It's telling our professors that work hard to help us learn about who we are and grow into something we were told we could never be, that what they do for our people doesn't matter. But, all of this does matter. Like many others: I found my voice at this college, I now recognize my power, and I finally understand that my skin and gender do not mean smart,
I
cannot
we
be
deserve
successful. to
be
Black
respected
and for
Asian
who
people
we
are,
—
we
our
are
voices
should be heard, we matter.
20
CCSF students, faculty, and community take to the streets in the Castro District towards Trustee Tom Temprano's house, where they were met with police in riot gear. Photos: Nick DeRenzi, 2021
21
Alexis reiko yonan Spoken at the 5/6 AAPI & Black rally at Mission High School
My
name
is
Alexis
Japanese/Assyrian member.
My
Reiko
Yonan,
woman,
maternal
City
I
am
a
College
grandparents
third
generation
student are
and
mixed
CCSF
survivors
of
race
Collective Japanese
Internment during WW2, & my mother was the first in her family to put herself through college and went on to spend over 40 years working as a special she
education
was
forced
teacher
into
in
early
the
California
retirement
due
public to
school
“budget”
system,
issues
before
similar
to
what we students and faculty are currently facing here at CCSF.
College
education
income
person
had
like
always
me;
the
felt
completely
daunting
cost
of
out
higher
of
reach
for
education
a
low
seemed
like an impossible barrier. For years I thought about returning to school but couldn't
afford
to
pay
for
books
and
tuition
and
still
pay
San
Francisco
rent. The Free City College program in 2017 granted me a second chance at the education I always dreamed of - I felt so at home, taking classes and
building
students
-
I
community had
finally
with
such
found
my
an
amazing
place.
Free
and
diverse
access
to
group
classes
of
and
facilities for students like us (and by us I mean BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, & LOW INCOME members of the community) are integral in the accessibility of higher education.
Which
brings
essential and
us
to
the
community
Gender
Studies,
issue
of
programs ESL
the like
classes,
proposed Ethnic and
600+
Studies,
programs
layoffs LGBT for
and
and
cuts
to
Women
students
with
disabilities. Make no mistake, the cuts happening here at CCSF are 100% a race and class issue. It is time for all of us to stand in solidarity with one another to take back our education.
22
photo: Nick DeRenzi, 2021
We
cannot
let
the
board
of
trustees
at
this
school
continue
to
make
decisions that hurt the most marginalized members of our community, we
cannot
allow
them
to
erase
our
histories
and
our
stories
(this
is
white supremacy at work!!). It’s scary and exhausting to be a person of color in this country and I want to encourage people not to buy into the model
minority
myth
or
any
other
divisive
tools
and
tactics
of
white
supremacy. Calls for extra policing in the face of anti-Asian violence do nothing but disproportionately harm Black and brown communities.
We need to instead uplift and amplify the voices of our BIPOC brothers and sisters, and look out for one another to help keep us all safe. We keep us safe. It is important now more than ever for us to abolish and defund the police and fight for free education for all.
Our Free Community College Resolution passed through the SSCCC in March.
This
resolution
calls
for
the
Student
Senate
for
California
Community Colleges to develop an action plan for free tuition through alternative funding in collaboration with Black, indigenous and people of color
and
include
a
statement
relevant studies and education.
in
support
of
Ethnic
Studies,
other
23
To support any initiatives, campaigns and reforms that advocate for free education,
to
redirect
funding
for
police
and
military
towards
universal
education, and advocate for Ethnic Studies and other relevant education initiatives.
To
have
the
performance
Student based
Centered
funding
Funding
and
make
Formula
steer
assessments
away
on
from
how
this
funding has affected vulnerable student populations
And
to
ensure
that
ALL
students,
regardless
of
immigration,
resident,
and citizenship status are included in this tuition free program
I
do
also
want
members
who
to
add
that
approved
we
made
these
effigies
layoffs
and
of
the
program
board cuts
of
trustees
because
we
want everyone to remember the faces and names of those responsible for
enacting
racist
and
classist
policies
that
do
nothing
but
harm
the
people in our community.
You all came out here for a reason today and we have some amazing community
organizations
and
speakers
lined
up.
If
any
of
the
things
we’re saying resonates with you please feel free to reach out and get involved,
we’re
stronger
together
and
could
always
use
the
extra
support.
24
A CCSF student is backed by community as they confront the police at Trustee Tom Temprano's house. Photo: Anonymous, 2021 25
these are the voices of
Damien Posey, CCSF alumni and US 4 US Bay Area founder.
d
Angela Savage, Korean and indigenous Taiwanese writer recites her poem Revolutionary Imagination.
26
Nube Brown, editor of San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper .
Win-Mon Kyi, from Resist US-Led War, and CCSF PUSO (Philippine-US Solidarity Organization)
photo: Glenn Mercado
the next american revolution
27
Marquise Rosier Spoken at the 5/6 AAPI & Black rally at Mission High School
photo: Glenn Mercado Solidarity
with
the
Asian
American
and
Pacific
Islander
community
is
important, and also solidarity with the activists and workers of CCSF as they fight against the attempt of our government to underfund critical programs and fail us as it intends to. You can see it plain as day here, America
claims
to
care
and
be
concerned
for
Asian
life
that
is
experiencing an uptick in hate crime, yet America and more specifically CCSF tried to cut course offerings in Asian studies like the Cantonese program
and
Philippines
symbolically
care
while
community.
Mumia
studies.
continuing
Abu-Jamal
It to
is
especially
take
about
hypocritical
resources
whom
I
am
from
the
hoping
to
to
AAPI share
some information with you today, understood this very well. He wrote many we
times
need
many
of
to us
about
how
succeed failing.
this
are
This
failure
is
intentional.
intentionally
pushes
us
How
underfunded,
closer
towards
a
the
resources
which carceral
leads
to
system
that is extremely overfunded.
28
Education was historically underfunded to create a pipeline to prison for people of color and primarily black people, it continues to be underfunded in order to perpetuate this pipeline. Mumia Abu-Jamal wrote about this many
times;
discussing
how
after
the
civil
war
which
saw
the
black
people free from slavery; the system was confronted with a problem of providing
public
schooling
for
black
people.
America
knew
it
had
this
problem on its hands, and the system never really did anything to meet this
need
described
as
was
the
lack
classrooms people
of
for
reflected of
black
color
has
and
resources
people.
documented
and
materials
Underfunding
always
been
an
in
how
needed
programs
intentional
our to
that
way
to
ancestors
have are
proper
critical
to
economically,
politically disenfranchise them and then strip them of any real rights and reduce them to laborers. Mumia Abu-Jamal taught me this, and I’m sure CCSF does not even have many programs in place to introduce you to Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Let me introduce you to Mumia Abu-Jamal. He is an elder who became a target of the state as soon as he decided to resist. Mumia was one of many black/brown/red/asian/worker activists who were targeted by the government’s COINTELPRO program. He sits in prison after going through a kangaroo court where judge, Albert Sabo who presided over the case, used
racist
allowed even help
tactics
white
said, them
to
jurors
within
kick
with
earshot
(prosecutors)
black
racist of
a
“fry
jurors beliefs
court
the
out to
of
the
serve
on
stenographer,
nig***”.
Mumia
jury
and
the
jury.
that
he
continues
knowingly The is
to
judge
going
write
to
and
share his incredible knowledge and insight from within the belly of the beast,
he
deeply.
continues
Everyone
advocating
for
to
teach
should
him
us
know
and
all
as
our
about
our
elders
Mumia
elders
should
and
who
be
are
and
we
doing
still
love
their
with
us,
him
part
in
being
dehumanized and exploited by this white supremacist patriarchal settler colonial
state.
Visit
https://letmumiaout.com/
and
follow
the
steps
by
calling Governor Tim Wolf, DA Larry Krasner and following the script. This keeps
Mumia’s
name
alive
and
keeps
hope
alive,
as
we
continue
to
remind Philadelphia of its crime and its hypocrisy.
Love you all.
29
s.f.h, Pan-unity, 2021 Background photo: Andre Moura
30
Pan Ei Khaing Speech shared at the 5/6 AAPI & Black virtual press conference
My name is Pan Ei Khaing and I grew up in Myanmar under a military regime
that
took
over
the
power
in
1988,
and
dragged
the
development of the whole country down to a least developed country in
the
world,
inhumane
especially
military
coup
our
education
seized
the
system.
power
again
And
and
now,
that
detained
our
democratically elected civilian government.
I
moved
to
newcomer
the to
US
the
a
year
US,
ago,
right
everything
before
was
the
difficult
pandemic.
for
me,
As
a
especially
Language and Culture but becoming a student at City College indeed helped
me
a
lot
more
than
I
can
imagine.
According
to
my
classes
experience, we are not only learning English but also many other kinds of
knowledge
such
as
culture,
understand each other, gain
empathy
and
traditions,
morality,
etc.,
that
help us to create a better society,
respect
for
other
communities,
make
us
help us to
make
us
realize
how to develop our personal and professional skills. Most importantly, those lessons definitely helped me get a job for my living and I would like
to
highlight
that
my
teachers
are
not
only
teaching
English
but
also teaching us many important Life Lessons.
One of the most unforgettable lessons is when we have two special guests’ African American ladies in our class and we discuss about their life
experience,
their
perspective,
the
discrimination
they
have
been
suffering way too long ago until present. It was a really touching and inspirational moment for me. Then consequently it enlightened me to think deeply about racism and discrimination in my home country.
31
In
Burma,
we
also
have
many
ethnic
groups
and
its
diversity.
But
majority is Burmese people and I’m a Burmese. Then I’ve realized that how
we
took
happened
in
the
our
Burmese
privilege
surrounding
which
and
we
many
of
considered
inequality
as
a
that
culture
and
tradition, and most shockingly, we were growing up with the systemic racism
by
channels
the and
propaganda.
Burmese
military
newspapers
They
that
manipulated
coup. the
We
had
military
even
in
the
only
2
coup
state
used
school
text
own
them books,
TV for we
learnt about the things that they want us to see. No media freedom, no justice, no human right and democracy, the saddest thing I realized is that we don’t even know ourselves we are losing our freedom, losing our basic human rights.
We were so blind.
That blindness led me to feel biggest regret and guilty in my life after the
terrorist
killing
many
military
coup
innocent
took
civilians,
over
the
raiding
the
power, homes
the at
coup days
has
and
been
nights,
burning down the entire villages, etc. We just see how evil, brutal the Burmese military coup is but our brothers and sisters, the other ethnic groups including Rohingya have been suffering of this terrorized fascist military
long
time
ago
and
most
of
Burmese
people
kept
silent
and
didn’t care to pay attention to their problems and suffering, including me. Not because of we agreed with terrorist military coup, because we couldn’t able to access the news about the real ground situation but I know it is just an excuse and it’s all about my ignorance.
32
Martin
Luther
King
said
“Injustice
anywhere
is
a
threat
to
justice
everywhere”. I was too late to practice as the meaning of that quote. Now we had to pay the price for our ignorance.
I
can’t
change
what
I’ve
done
in
the
past
but
I’m
truly
so
sorry
to
our
brothers and sisters. And I decided that I’m not going to make the same mistake again.
When I learnt about Black Lives Matter movement, I totally feel it coz we are sharing the same ground. And I supported as much as I can such as sharing
the
black
own
business
within
our
friends
to
support
their
businesses.
I know that we, AAPI and African American community have to unify and fight back together in this to stop this chronic discrimination, racist attack and gain back our human rights and equality. This is the time we have to show same
our
solidarity
goal.
We
and
have
speak
each
out
other
about
now,
each
we
can
other
until
make
the
we
reach
better
our
change
together. We fight we win!
Above all, I believe education is the key to change the bad things to be the good
ones.
Thus,
if
the
education
is
not
within
our
reach,
we
cannot
prevent the tragic events that we will be ashamed to our next generation. CCSF is playing a major vital role for all of us. I’m very grateful to CCSF and my
great
done
for
teachers
there
immigrants
like
for
all
me.
the
support
Without
a
and
contributions
second
thought,
they
CCSF
is
have really
helping and changing our lives which also indirectly helps the city and its society.
So,
these
600+
layoffs
are
definitely
going
to
impact
our
futures,
our lives and benefits of the whole community & society. Because of my classes, I gained such valuable mental and physical benefit, got a job, pay the taxes, gave back to the community. Please I beg all of you, the decision makers to keep the classes because we have nowhere to go and study and our future is in your hands. Thank you so much.
33
Katie Quan, In Unity There is Survival, 2021.
34
Tehmina Khan
35
36
Photo: Difenni Sarris, 2021
37
38
39
Photo: Difenni Sarris, 2021
40
Photo: Katie Godowski, 2021
41
"What does justice demand " by Emily Goes For awhile I considered my success to occur cuz I was a token. But I awoke and slapped myself across the face and spoke “Why do I view myself through these white settler myths?” I moved from trying to join their table and use my bandwidth to start decolonizing race. What is my history of place? How do I move through this world with humility and grace?
Not “sit down, you’re white passing.” But, “let’s stand up together, forever. Cuz this is a life long project.”
Before any grace, I wanted to be angry and make white people feel bad for me.
But hold up! “I need all of my skills All of my control, All of my powers.... And anger doesn’t provide any of that” Use bidirectional conversations as combat.
My life is golden but the sun won’t shine if I keep holdin that my trauma, that your trauma, that even those that level their privileges trauma is played through a white narrative.
42
"What does justice demand" By Emily Goes
Being comparative with our trauma creates tension
and people ask for comprehension of tension between Black and brown. But step down and back because that tension is not between brown and Black. That tension is white supremacy... Let’s bond together to unlearn and unpack whiteness and its impact. That shit’s golden.
We can’t disregard race because that erases our history of place. We talk about race, race, and race and race, But we gotta slow down and heal. In this capitalist world it’s not ideal to sit but don’t you deserve to prioritize yourself?
Fly from oppression and limitation to freedom and liberation. We have the ability to heal We have the ability to claim We have the ability to live life likes its golden, golden. The possibility of diversity within our democracy is no longer a question, I now understand.
For me, this can happen everyday if I ask myself - what does justice demand.
43
Photo: Difenni Sarris, 2021
44
45
46
Melissa Wang, Grow Together Thrive Together, 2021 47
Pegasus, 2018
Dragon Bowl, 2021
alexis reiko
ceramics by
48
49
Dawn Angelicca Barcelona
50
Elaine Chu, The Only Way to Survive is by Taking Care of One Another, 2021 Photo: Cece Carpio 51
Molly Liu Wuther I wanted to live or love I wanted to die it’s beautiful but you don’t have to look up to it it’s ugly but you don’t have to look down to it I can only do to you what the willow tree do to the spring but not what the spring do to the willow tree I can only follow but not be followed because death is not here death is not in the room death is free out to the world but it’s just a stranger to you for you had chose to forget, forgive and be always wondering my past poems about my fiction and my old beliefs my present poems about my hometown and my new reality
52
the me outside of my eyes is still me the world inside of my brain is still the world and they’re like two eyes of the cross-eyed dog trying to look for something I’m safe in this room I’m safe in this universe I feel even more lonely when I’m in infinite space even though I’m physically less lonely than be bounded in a nutshell you’re so small in this universe yet you’re so big to the others around you like a butterfly changing back into into a coconut heart
53
New Songs The whale is his dead body Inflated by the sea Looking at me in the eyes One day, in their marriage, My father said he cannot love. All others including himself. She did not buy it. Until much later. /drown by my love/ like cactus in the water, or a tortoise in the laughter of a young mockingbird green tea powder, coconut milk, mochi flour all in one glass bowl /with a tail of banana fish/
54
55
Barnzilla
What is this? Listen here: soundcloud.com/barnzilla/what-is-this
(Verse) Yo what is this why you do that You act like you winning about it this is where we lose at 'Cause mothafuckas like you wanna make our faces blue black Real shit 100 show you where the truth at Treat us like a group of punks For nothing you'll tell us get on our knees or get on our tums What makes them really think that we are so dumb The guys in the midnight blue we can't trust Another body caught over there Another soul just got snatched over here Another year old person went missing where Got washed up over there at the Pier What happened to my homie what happened to my son What happened to my favorite and my decent loved one What did somebody do to him what has that person done Does anybody know anything anyone He fought somebody at the water that was his own color That was his own race that was another brother And fight each other for what we should be brawling with them The pigs who don't care so they just cut our life so slim More down so many of us left to go Cutting our time short too flexible Turning every piece of meat into a vegetable Down and out to the ground they pick the bones 56
return the favor Listen here: https://tinyurl.com/RTFbarnzilla
(Verse 1) A cold side effect i feel it on my jaw I feel it on my neck i feel it oh my gosh He's gonna pay too he's gonna pay a pop Resend everything that just had me knocked off Of my balance and then a nigga shouted Because of the pain i went thru i was ouching Laid down below i was grounded He slid to my mood just to wreck it then he ralphed it Got house rounded Show off yo head where keeping it at I'm looking for you don't comfy better keep you a mask You're just as poison as the alcohol they pour in a flask I always hated homework but i think I'll like this task Kiss your honey goodbye tell her I'll see you next week You're taking a trip to something that begins with a E Oh boy that stinks oh boy reaks The word retaliation is calling me (Chorus) Dealing with this cold danger Beefing with this cold stranger Cooking with this strong anger Fasho now or later I'm gon' return the favor I been dealing with this cold danger Beefing with this cold stranger Cooking with this strong anger Fasho now or later I'm gon' return the favor
57
(Verse 2) Written on my to do list I'll get it done Who's this to knock a nigga and have him stunned What's yo deal with me What kinda skin is you really tryna peal with me And not seal with me Picked the wrong fight MR. hit em in the kisser Give him a blister you make a terrible fight picker Dumb shit terrible decision The stunt that he pulled made a nigga crazy driven (Bridge) Mhmm Oh my sweet goodness This nigga been up to something he shouldn't Mhmm Don't buy that bullshit If this nigga begs me to stop the retribution Don't buy that bullshit carry on To kicking him in his ass and scare em off Sweep his feet to the floor regret it not Annihilate that nigga on the spot (Chorus) Dealing with this cold danger Beefing with this cold stranger Cooking with this strong anger Fasho now or later I'm gon' return the favor I been dealing with this cold danger Beefing with this cold stranger Cooking with this strong anger Fasho now or later I'm gon' return the favor
58
Kids Will Be Kids? Dayoung Lee, June 2021
This is a story of stupid, nerdy Asian kids doing stupid, nerdy things. We
were
at
a
high
school
version
of
a
pub
quiz,
and
we
had
to
give
names for each member to account for points. Someone had the idea of
going
by
"Obama"
for
the
day,
and
another
(I
can't
remember
who
exactly) follows suit with "Tyrone."
It's blackface of a kind. Proposed as a joke, blackness the punchline.
What was funny about it? The fact that it was a nerdy Asian kid giving up
his
Saturday
history,
taking
to
on
a
show
how
"badass,
much
gangster"
he
knew
name
to
about
hide
geography
the
fact
that
or we
were kinda lame? Or am I reading too much into it 10 years after the fact, after scrolling through years of woke Twitter? Was it just a stupid reply that felt less and less funny as the day went? Did I find it funny at the time
or
was
I
indifferent?
Should
I
have
had
the
words
to
understand
why it wasn't funny at all, would I have had the courage to call it out? I'm not sure.
It
goes
to
System
show
wants
how
us
to
even
as
believe.
kids
we
Cathy
already
Park
Hong,
ingested in
Minor
all
the
shit
Feelings,
the
writes
"Children are cruel. They will parrot whatever racist shit their parents tell them
in
private
in
the
bluntest
way
imaginable."
What
would
our
immigrant parents know about "Tyrone"? But if it wasn't our parents, it was TV shows, it was YouTube videos, and our own lack of filter. All the derogatory
words
I
heard
in
my
coddled
life,
I
heard
most
of
them
in
middle school between boys shouting at each other down the hallways. But then again, maybe grown-ups don't need the words because they have
qualified
immunity,
environmental
injustice,
a
myriad
of
other
institutional racism, and, not least of all, an army of devil's advocates.
59
I
dread
hearing
about
similar
stories
or
worse,
but
sadly,
I
wouldn't
be
surprised to hear them. It can be so hard to talk to each other. We grow up
in
separate
neighborhoods,
references
to
keep
apart.
us
shared
misunderstood?
food
But
and
can
Hearing
with
slurs
different
music,
staying
common on
cliques, within
ground
public
preferring the
be
transportation
lines
found
the
easy
drawn
in
directed
at
to
feeling us?
In
how our moms are not to be messed with?
I'm nervous to share this story, but I share it in good faith. That it can be held and not hurt (so much), that it can reveal and build. Because when we build allyship between Black and AAPI communities, we need to make sure it's built on solid foundation. This means clearing away our own debris of
bias
and
stereotypes
we
inherited
from
generations
past.
Our
own
timidness. Maybe then, honesty can build trust. And with trust and work, we can grow our strength of voice. And then maybe, just maybe, see the lasting change that we desperately, desperately need.
To make amends you have to acknowledge the offence. I share the story not
to
atone—that
comes
in
marches
and
protests,
calls
to
politicians,
signed petitions, opened wallets, and hard conversations with our parents and even our nieces and nephews. I don't remember who exactly "Tyrone" was, but I know that he was my friend. And as a friend, now I know to ask "Do you really wanna do that?"
60
Shizue Seigel
\
Hunting Blackbirds “JAP HUNTING LICENSES ISSUED HERE”— anti-Japanese American hatred in California’s Central Valley is documented by a 1942 War Relocation Authority photograph. In the months after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, 120,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated. One victim of racial violence was George Yamasaki, my relative by marriage. George was a bright, ambitious Nisei, born in 1910 to Japanese immigrants in Santa Clara County. He dropped out of college in 1931 to marry his sweetheart, Kazue. His family grew faster than his Depression-era wages as a farm worker, so Kazue foraged for wild mushrooms and mustard greens to feed their four children. 61
After the US declared war on Japan in 1941, the Yamazakis were incarcerated in horse stables at the Santa Anita Racetrack and then shipped off to the Heart Mountain concentration camp in Wyoming. George and dozen other men were allowed to leave camp to harvest sugar beets outside the nearby town Cowley in 1944. As the workers stooped in the field, George was shot by a .22 caliber bullet that passed through several internal organs and lodged near his spine. The shooter was a local rancher’s son, who claimed he was “hunting blackbirds,” commonly used in the South to reference anti-Black violence. The jury acquitted him. George never recovered his health. When the family returned to San Jose, they were so destitute they had to live in a neighbor’s barn. George and his family clung to their deep Buddhist faith to sustain them. Like most of my extended family, they cultivated gratitude, not vengeance or fear. They let go of expectations and found joy in family, community and nature. But then, they lived in Santa Clara County, relatively free from overt racism. In San Joaquin County, other cousins were battered by entrenched and pernicious racism. Some survived, and even thrived, but others fell prey to depression, alcoholism, heroin addiction, homelessness and even murder.
62
open season • no limit Shizue Seigel
62
Skin I wake up seeing god talk to me: to human, roses are like dust to god, men are like that too I sleep reminding myself nobody is alone in dreams As sky is icily cold youthful eyes still looking for stars mom call it youthful ambition
63
I see skin cold skin rough skin dark skin light skin thin skin red skin thick skin tainted skin yellow skin cracked skin powdered one hiding from the crowd one sleeping on the street one crowding in the dark one staring at the office one jumping into the pool one becoming other I hope all dreams are kept in a safe place until they get wings to fly
64
The Next American Revolution Creators Ki Gamboa Pronouns: she/they
Ki Gamboa (pronounced as key) is a Filipino-American artist from
of
multiple
CCSF
mediums
Collective,
and
Anakbayan
a
student
San
activist
Francisco,
and
WeArePHST. Ki has taken the roles as lead designer & cover artist for the zine, collaging empowering photos of
community
members
that
were
taken
by
Glenn
Mercado.
By
understanding
the
parallels
of
the
Filipinx
and
Black struggles through ethnic studies, it allows us to continue to address and dismantle the problems that are constantly faced in white America.
s.f.h (Eira Kien) Pronouns: she/her
s.f.h
is
an
and
CCSF
abolitionist Collective
Vietnamese-Chinese
member.
She
is
a
artist
beginner
driven by earnesty.
To her, being someone from the AAPI community, AAPI
and
liberation
Black for
all.
solidarity Blackness
is
key
must
to be
achieve centered
alongside one's own communities.
65
Katie Quan Pronouns: she/her Website: www.ThisAsianAmericanLife.com IG: @ThisAsianAmLife
Born
and
Quan
raised
(she/her)
Chinese
in
San
is
a
Francisco,
third
American.
Katie
generation
Her
creative
platform, This Asian American Life gives voice
history,
community,
and
collaboration.
Black and Asian American communities have had a long history of solidarity. We have
been
differences about duty
our
to
taught and
certainly
similarities.
unearth
ancestors
about
us,
not
However,
these
before
our
stories. we
many
enough it
is
our
Like
our
must
work
together to create a better, more caring world for the future generation.
66
Photographers Freida L. Candido Pronouns: she/her
Freida
Candido
is
a
49-year-old
biracial
Black
and
white
woman
and
mother. She is from Virginia, and self-identifies as Black due to her reality and
experiences
growing
up
in
the
South
with
historical
Jim
Crow
impacts, where there was no distinction of being bi-racial. Freida was the president of the Ventura BSU, leading the group alongside Elijah Walker. She was a member of the California Black Student Union Coalition, and will be attending Columbia University.
Freida's
heart
is
for
advocacy,
human
services,
at-risk
youth,
trafficking
and human rights, alongside being a voice for the voiceless. She is part of the pathway to law school program, and is hoping to attend law school to do changes at the policy-making level.
Difenni Sarris Pronouns: she/her Website: 22tigers.com IG: @difenni
Difenni an
was
born
immigrant,
parents
at
journey
when
Music,
raised
she
she
first
was
visual
including
Clayton.
As
in
moved
Difenni
refreshing
musicans Gerald
19.
&
a
in
Shanghai,
to
Queens
started
her
Berklee
impact
Grammy
China.
for
with
her
creative
College fellow
nominated
commercial
As
of
Jazz artist
photography
&
art director, she started documenting protests in the city during the pandemic in 2020. Her work of Anthony
Payne
was
recently
featured
on
Popsugar.
67
Nick DeRenzi Pronouns: he/him Website: NickDeRenzi.MyPortfolio.com IG: @nick.derenzi
Nick
DeRenzi
raised
is
Oaxacan
a -
Bay
Area
American
born
and
community
photographer, whose work meets at the intersection passion also
a
to
of
documentary
fight
long
for
time
and
communities.
member
of
his
Nick
the
is
Prison
Industrial Complex Abolition group Critical Resistance, and
is
a
has
a
recent
BA
degree
new
from
student
in
SFSU
CCSF's
Labor & Community Studies Department. As in
a
community
following
the
organizer leadership
Nick of
believes
impacted
communities is the only way to true selfdetermination between and
along
with
communities.
uplifting
solidarity
Radical,
organizing
is
creative
the
only
pathway to freedom!
Katie Godowski Pronouns: she/her
Website:KatieGodowski.com
IG: @KatieGodowski_photography
Katie Godowski is a Brooklyn-based photographer that is freelancing with NYC Protest Coverage, and UP Magazine. Her work has been featured in New
York
Magazine,
Time
Out
New
York,
alongside
B&H
Optics
photography contest.
68
Glenn Mercado Pronouns: he/him Website: linktr.ee/mugzee IG: @g.mugzee
Glenn is a Filipino-American artist, who grew up
on
unceded
Ohlone.
AAPI
Power!
It's
dismantle
land
and the
our
of
Black
Ramaytush
solidarity
way
racist
the
our
is
People
communities
governing
system
that
upholds white supremacy!
Poets Emily Goes Pronouns: she/her/any pronoun Website: EmilyAnneGoes.com IG: @EmilyAGoes
Emily Goes is a musical theatre performer, graphic designer, arts facilitator, and community and
organizer.
ancestors,
She
She
sends
wants
to
love
be
a
with
every
positive
step
impact
she to
takes
the
to
world
her
Lola
through
revolutionary means. Asian and Black solidarity is inherently present in her life's mission, justice free
in
as
she
works
demands. the
We
United
to
decolonize
share
States
a
and
history this
white of
has
settler
myths
oppression, always
and
trauma,
played
out
consider
and
what
struggle
through
a
for
white
narrative. We share a history, we need to claim our history, and we won't be able to do that truly until we unite in bidirectional, multigenerational grace and humility against white supremacy.
69
Sun T. Pronouns: they/them IG: @n777go_
Sun
T.
is
an
Philippines, and
Black
because
activist
based
in
solidarity it
is
convergence Marginalized
and San is
artist
Francisco.
important
through of
born
the
power
communities
that
to
in
the
Asian them
necessary
within we
the
will
find
our strength to overthrow white supremacy.
Dayoung Lee Pronouns: she/her IG: @DayleeFeels
Dayoung Lee is currently finishing up her Master's in English literature. Black AAPI solidarity is important to her because she has learnt so much as an Asian American from Black activists, scholars, and artists. She believes the AAPI
community
also
has
important
experiences
and
traditions
that
will
help dismantle systematic oppression. Both communities can only benefit from solidarity.
70
Molly Liu Pronouns: she/her Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100036465946639
Molly is a Chinese international student studying at College of San Mateo since
2019.
She
trusts
in
a
world
of
peace
achieved
by
mutual
understanding and respect of each other's privacy and safety, because of our differences not despite our differences.
Dawn Angelicca Pronouns: she/her website: shuffle.do/@dawnangelicca
Dawn
Angelicca
Francisco, Laguna
Barcelona
originally
Writers
National
born
and
Workshop
Alliance
on
is
Filipina-American
bred
in
Mental
a
in
San
New
Jersey.
Francisco
Illness
as
a
and
poet She
based
writes
volunteers
speaker
and
in
with with
support
San the the
group
facilitator for the BIPOC community. Dawn was a U.S. Department of State Fulbright Program Grantee to South Korea from 2014-2016 during which she served
as
magazine. Fulbright
the
Dawn
Korea
performed
Editor-in-Chief
her
has
been
Infusion, work
The
published
work
with
of
to
the
a
Fulbright
in
Quiet
calm,
Kearny
In
Korea
Lightning,
Between
Street
Infusion Killing
the
Hangovers
Workshop.
literary
The
Angel,
and
has
allyship
between the AAPI and Black community is important to her because she thinks
working
discrimination
together will
to
make
be
both
resilient of
our
in
the
face
of
communities
racial
tensions
stronger
and
and
more
influential.
71
Tehmina Khan Pronouns: she/her IG: @TehminaThePoet
Tehmina United
Khan
States.
is
an
She
African-American,
Indian
has
Muslim,
borne
Indigenous,
who
witness Latinx,
has
to
lived
her
systemic
Asian,
Arab,
whole
racism
and
life
in
the
against
her
African
siblings.
Though she was taught to keep her head down and work three times as hard as any white man, she could not stay silent and think only of herself and her family. We need to feel each other's pain and stand up for each other. Each community alone is not strong enough, but all of us together are a powerful majority that can imagine and build a society in which we all matter.
Writers Pan Ei Khaing Pronouns: she/her Facebook: www.facebook.com/Pan.Ei.Kg
Pan Ei Khaing is Burmese, and is from Southeast raised regime. end
of
in
Asia. Burma
Pan the
She
was
under
moved
February
to
the
the
2020
born
US
and
and
military by
the
studied
ESL at CCSF since then.
72
Marquise Rosier Pronouns: they/them
Marquise Rosier is a Haitian American/African American. AAPI and Black solidarity same
is
important
forces!
They
to
them
believe
because
white
we
are
supremacy,
all
dealing
settler
with
the
colonialism,
imperialism have and continue to effect the continents of Africa and Asia. We need each other so desperately to truly resist the forces that seek to keep us oppressed!
Tiera Cummings-Scales Pronouns: she/her
Tiera Cummings-Scales is a CCSF Collective member. AAPI and Black solidarity is extremely important to her for as a Black woman she has endured therefore,
countless on
many
acts levels,
of
anti-Black
she
can
and
racial
understand
discrimination,
much
of
the
pain
caused by the increase of Anti-Asian attacks on the AAPI community. She believes that now it is more important than ever to form strong unity between the two communities because both are suffering from and
tirelessly
working
to
combat
racism
and
anti-Asian
and/or
Anti-
Blackness, and together, our messages will be stronger and increase in power. Through solidarity, we can effectively end our common enemy, white supremacy.
73
Visual Art, Ceramics, Music Shizue Seigel Pronouns: she/her Website: www.ShizueSeigel.com
Shizue Seigel is a Japanese American writer and
visual
activism
artist
arise
whose her
and
rows,
ashrams,
and
marginalized
helping
tell
her
by
stories
with
creative
World
corporate
communities. stories
co-developing Black
of
War
experiences
community
1990s
years
family’s
incarceration Indian
25
women
in
II
skid
cubicles,
She in
began
the
mid-
HIV-prevention living
in
public
housing.
Barnzilla Pronouns: he/him Website: SoundCloud.com/barnzilla IG: @ChristianBarnes1998
Christian
Barnes,
or
Barnzilla,
is
African-
American. He was born in San Francisco and raised
in
Sacramento.
African-Americans to
him
one
life
because and
we
and
he
The
Asians
believes
shall
solidarity
spend
is
with
important
all
we
it
with
have
is
love,
a
high level of support and we stand with the people who go thru a lot of encounters with the police. His heart is with them forever. 74
Alexis Reiko Pronouns: she/her/they/them IG: @AlexisReiko
Alexis
is
mixed
a
race
Assyrian is
CCSF
Collective
woman
descent.
important
member
of
AAPI
because
Japanese
and
our
and
Black
ability
a
and
solidarity
to
unite
in
the fight against white supremacy at times feels like the only way forward. we need to protect and take care of one another.
Elaine Chu Pronouns: she/her Website: TwinWallsMuralCompany.com
Elaine Chu is a Chinese-American muralist born and raised in San Francisco. She graduated from the School of the Arts Highschool and received her BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.
She
has
worked
with
Precita
Eyes
Mural
Arts
Association
in
San
Francisco’s
Mission District for over a decade as the Director’s assistant, teaching artist and muralist.
Elaine
is
also
the
co-founder
of
the
mural
collaborative
Twin
Walls
Mural Company alongside her best friend Marina Perez-Wong. Since 2013 they have painted over 30 murals together.
Their murals are brightly colored and hyper-realistic, using symbology related to
nature,
women,
spirituality,
justice
and
community
to
manifest
changes
they wish to see in the world. Inspired by a long history of amazing women muralists
in
the
San
Francisco
Bay
Area,
Elaine
aims
to
continue
to
inspire
other young women to become future muralists and represent a strong and unique
Asian
Solidarity
is
supremacy learning Healing
American
important we
from
need
one
comes
to to
influence me heal
another
from
the
as
a
the
and
people,
in
the
Street
community
trauma
taking
in
care
uniting
to
artist
both of
art
AAPI
because
to
communities.
each
thrive
world.
other
and
we
finding
and
Black
fight
white
By
are new
growing, stronger. ways
to
nourish our bodies and spirits. 75
Melissa Wang Pronouns: she/her Website: www.MelissaWangArt.com IG: @MelissaWangStudio
Melissa
Wang
is
an
Asian-American
artist
whose
parents
immigrated
from
China and Taiwan. She received her B.A. in Literature/Writing from the University of California, San Diego and her M.A. in English from University of California, Davis. She
researched
and
taught
writing
and
science-fiction
literature
as
a
PhD
candidate at UC Davis before segueing into tech.
While
designing
for
major
global
companies,
she
noticed
environmental
and
social injustices being fueled at an unprecedented scale. Thus in late 2019, she began
full-time
art-making
as
a
means
of
pursuing
social
and
ecological
liberation.
Since then, she has exhibited at Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, CA; Torrance Art Museum with CA.
a
in
solo
Her
Los
exhibition
work
University’s
Angeles,
can
be
Center
for
at
CA;
and
Root
found the
the
de
Division
in
of
Museum
(Frank-Ratchye
private
Study
Young
and
Race
public
and
in
San
space)
in
collections,
Ethnicity
in
Francisco,
San
CA
Francisco,
including
Providence,
Brown RI
and
Facebook in Menlo Park, CA.
As a former academic who researched and taught Asian-American literature, it was
clear
that
the
field
would
not
exist
without
the
contributions
of
African-
American literature - as well as queer, Chicano, Native, disability studies, etc. This is
because
with
the
creative
struggles
There
are
ample
Some
paradigms
expression and
is
resilience
examples include:
Dr.
of
liberation of
Black
Martin
all
-
and
liberation
marginalized
and
Luther
Asian King
and
leaders Jr.
and
is
interconnected
oppressed
working
Thich
in
Nhat
groups.
solidarity. Hanh
and
Grace Lee Boggs and Angela Davis, whose interview in 2012 still aptly captures the
zeitgeist
of
radical
activism
https://www.radioproject.org/2012/02/grace-lee-boggs-berkeley/
today:
76
resources AAPI & BLACK CCSF Classes, Certificates and abolitionist resources
Go here for more information:
tinyurl.com/AAPIbCCSF
CCSF classes are FREE for SF residents.
77
THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR COMING TOGETHER IN BLACK AND AAPI SOLIDARITY.