TOOL KIT FOR
CHALLENGING ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER (AAPI) HATRED
INTRODUCTION At the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, we are committed to teaching the history of the Holocaust and advancing human rights to combat prejudice, hatred, and indifference. The principal way we fulfill this commitment is through education. We offer a diverse group of programs that engage with the history we focus on in our permanent exhibition. With hatred against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) on the rise, we must offer the tools and means to help people better understand AAPI identities, history, and the impact of hatred against AAPI communities today. As a history museum, our role is as a convener in the community, engaging in meaningful discussion of current issues rooted in our understanding of the past. Through this tool kit, we provide some of our resources and share information from other trusted sources. It is our great hope that this will further our community’s education and understanding of this important topic.
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TOOL KIT FOR CHALLENGING AAPI HATRED
WHAT DOES AAPI MEAN? AAPI
stands for Asian American and Pacific Islander. This abbreviation encompasses all people of Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander ancestry who trace their origins to countries, states, jurisdictions, and/or the diasporic communities of these geographic regions. AAPI describes a diverse and fast-growing population of 24 million Americans (7.3% of the U.S. population) that includes approximately 50 ethnic groups stemming from more than 40 countries and speaking more than 100 languages. In the 1960s, the pan-racial and pan-cultural identity of Asian Americans was formed among college students in San Francisco inspired by the African American Civil Rights Movement. By the 1980s, the U.S. Census Bureau created the new identity category Asian Pacific Islander. In 2000, Asian and Pacific Islander became two separate racial/ethnic categories acknowledging the very different experiences of these two distinct groups.
Stop Asian Hate March, Time Square .Photographed in New York, NY USA on March 21, 2021. Photo courtesy Sam Cheng
The media and wider public began using the identity term AAPI more in early 2021 in response to the significant increase in reports of violence and discrimination against members of the community. AAPI hatred has been linked to the rise in racist and anti-Asian xenophobic rhetoric during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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WHAT IS XENOPHOBIA? Xenophobia is the dislike of or prejudice against people from different cultures or heritage. It commonly stems from fear of that which is perceived to be foreign or strange.
Xenophobia The prejudice or discrimination against a person from different culture or heritage, usually foreign. Driving Factor: A xenophobic person fears the other person because they are perceived as strange or foreign.
Xenophobia
VS
Racism The prejudice and discrimination against a person based on their race. Driving Factor: A racist person sees the other group as a lesser race or human beings.
Racism
While similar, it is possible to be xenophobic and racist: “I fear Asian immigrants and feel true Americans are superior.”
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TOOL KIT FOR CHALLENGING AAPI HATRED
STATISTICS ON AAPI HATRED In response to the alarming escalation in xenophobia and bigotry resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the AAPI Equity Alliance (AAPI Equity), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University launched the Stop AAPI Hate coalition on March 19, 2020. This coalition tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Since its founding, Stop AAPI Hate has delivered frequent national data reports. A recent report tracking statistics from March 2020 to September 2021 includes the following information: • More than one in five Asian Americans (21.2%) and Pacific Islanders (20.0%) have experienced a hate incident in the past year. • Verbal harassment (62.9%) and shunning (16.3%) continue to make up the biggest share of total incidents reported. • Physical assault (16.1%) comprises the third largest category of total reported incidents followed by online harassment (8.6%). • Civil rights violations account for 11.3% of total incidents. • Texas has the 4th highest number of incidents (3.8%) behind California, New York, and Washington. You can read the full report HERE For more information on AAPI demographics and hate crime statistics, visit: • AAPI Data • The United States Department of Justice
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GENERAL TIPS AND SOLUTIONS • Learn about AAPI communities, their histories, and contributions to our society. • Understand and discuss the impact of xenophobia. • Listen and support victims when they tell you that they have been targeted because of their AAPI heritage. • Speak up when you see or hear AAPI hatred, discrimination, and xenophobia. • Share accurate information and counter misinformation about COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. • Report AAPI hate incidents or crimes to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (call 1-800-CALL-FBI) or Stop AAPI Hate.
REPORT AN AAPI HATE INCIDENT
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TOOL KIT FOR CHALLENGING AAPI HATRED
TIPS FOR EDUCATORS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS • Train staff on inclusive practices, including how to provide culturally responsive instruction and classroom engagement. • Advocate for ethnic studies to increase representation of AAPI within U.S. history and celebrate their achievements. • Embed discussions focused on AAPI history, culture, and heritage in all subjects in the classroom. • Ensure that AAPI Heritage Month (May) is recognized and practiced throughout your school. • Provide outreach support to reduce barriers related to reporting, especially for families that may not be familiar with school procedures and reporting on bullying/discrimination. • Share social emotional learning skills and behavior expectations concerning xenophobia (e.g., “I celebrate and appreciate differences.”) • Dispel myths and misinformation about COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. Schools should remind students not to include geographic locations in the naming of new human infectious diseases. • Report incidents of AAPI hatred or xenophobia to local law enforcement, The Texas Education Agency Equal Education Opportunity Office, and/or Stop AAPI Hate.
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TIPS FOR EDUCATORS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS Museum Resources: • Classroom Lessons: • Breaking Barriers in the Big Sky: Maggie Gee (grades 6-12) • Civil Rights and Civil Discourse: Vietnamese Fishermen’s Association v. KKK (grades: 6-12) • AAPI Heroes in the Sky: Magie Gee and Hazel Ying Lee (grades: K-2 and 3-4) • Flipgrid - AAPI Upstander Collection: Students can help build our database of AAPI Upstanders. They will research an AAPI Upstander in history, create a video, and post it to our AAPI Upstander Collection Flipgrid. • Classroom Resources: • Xenophobia vs. Racism Infographic • Education Programs: • Understanding Unconscious Bias • What is an Upstander? • Public Programs: • Crucial Conversations: Challenging AAPI Hatred • Courage and Compassion: The Stories of Japanese Americans during World War II • Human Rights Past & Present: 80 Years since Japanese American Internment • Yellow Peril to Model Minority: Asian Americans in the United States • Professional Development: • Candy Brown Holocaust and Human Rights Educator Conference • Inspire Upstanders – Elementary School Professional Development
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TOOL KIT FOR CHALLENGING AAPI HATRED
TIPS FOR EDUCATORS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS Other Resources: • Smithsonian APA Learning Together: This site from the Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center serves as an online venue for educational content featuring interviews with AAPI community experts and members, links to community-created educational resources, book recommendations, classroom discussion ideas, and more. • Asian Pacific Heritage Month: This joint production of the Library of Congress, National Archives, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Art Gallery, National Park Services, Smithsonian Institution, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum provides primary resources ready to use for the classroom. Educators can browse ready-to-use lesson plans, student activities, collection guides, and research aids. • Asia for Educators: This resource site for teachers was developed by Columbia University’s East Asian Curriculum Project (EACP), a national initiative devoted to supporting education about Asia at the secondary and elementary school levels. Focusing primarily on China and Japan, the site features teaching units, lesson plans, primary-source readings, resource lists, bibliographies, and more. • Asian Americans Advancing Justice: The Asian Americans K-12 Education Curriculum seeks to inspire a deeper understanding of the history, current experience, and future trajectory of our nation’s fastest-growing demographic group through relevant and engaging lessons plans and activities. Important content and themes explored in the series are used to teach concepts while meeting national content standards. • NCTAsia ClassApp: Explore short classroom-applicable video presentations available from National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA). Each “app” focuses on a timely topic or “best practice” presented by an NCTA consulting scholar, seminar leader, teacher alum, or author. • Anti-Defamation League – Challenging Anti-Asian Bias and Acting as an Ally: This site provides resources for students, schools, and classrooms to start conversations about AAPI communities and tips about how to act as an ally when you see or experience bias and injustice. • Learning for Justice – Addressing Anti-Asian Bias: These resources from Learning for Justice help you teach the historical precedents for this moment, introduce ways for students to recognize and speak up against coronavirus racism, and start conversations with even the youngest learners about recognizing and acting to address injustice.
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TIPS FOR STUDENTS • Learn about AAPI history, culture, and heritage. • Do not share misinformation or popular memes that reinforce anti-AAPI prejudice and hatred. • Start an open dialogue with your parents, caregivers, and teachers about AAPI hatred and how it impacts our community. • Get engaged in your community. Look for volunteer opportunities that expand your knowledge of AAPI culture and heritage. • Listen and show support to friends and fellow students when they speak about being victims of AAPI hatred. • Report incidents of AAPI hatred to your a parent, caregiver, teacher, or other adult.
Museum Resources: • Flipgrid - AAPI Upstander Collection: Help build our database of AAPI Upstanders. Research an AAPI Upstander in history, create a cool video, and post it to our AAPI Upstander Collection. • Upstander Institute (ages 11-18) offers two distinctive sessions during the summer for teens to connect with the history in the Museum. • Museum Junior Board
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TOOL KIT FOR CHALLENGING AAPI HATRED
TIPS FOR STUDENTS (CONT.) Other Resources: • AAPI Youth Rising: AAPI Youth Rising is an organization composed primarily of middle schoolers. Their mission is to take small actions to make positive change in our communities. In March 2021, AAPI Youth Rising organized a 1,200+ person rally to bring awareness to the increase in xenophobia against Asians in America. • Act to Change: Unfortunately, many AAPI youth who are bullied face unique cultural, religious, and language barriers that can keep them from getting help. This non-profit works to address bullying, including in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. • #StandupforAAPIYouth: This project calls for all youth to adopt the Stand Up for AAPI Youth Campaign to inspire students to get to know and stand up for their classmates. • TikTok – Standing with AAPI Community: On this page, TikTok celebrates AAPI business owners and creators on TikTok and shines the spotlight on businesses that make an impact in our communities and in our lives. Also check out their AAPI Heritage Month page. • AAPI Youth and Heritage Instagram accounts: •
@DearAsianYouth
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@AAPIYouthRising
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@AAPIWomenLead
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@StopAAPIHateYC
Image courtesy of Tik Tok’s Honoring the Asian & Pacific Islander community page
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TIPS FOR FAMILIES AND CAREGIVERS • Start conversations with your children about AAPI heritage and culture, but also address the impact of AAPI hatred and xenophobia. • Talk to your children about the dangers of AAPI hatred and xenophobia on social media. • Explore AAPI culture and heritage, including through books, food, and films. • Empower your children to speak up to a trusted adult when witnessing AAPI hatred. • Report incidents of AAPI hatred or xenophobia to local law enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (call 1-800-CALL-FBI), and/or Stop AAPI Hate.
Museum Resources: • Camp Upstander offers programming on Upstander skills during Camp Chai at the Dallas Jewish Community Center. • Upstander Institute (ages 11-18) offers two distinctive sessions during the summer for teens to connect with the history in the Museum. • AAPI Reading List on page 17 • Crucial Conversations: Challenging AAPI Hatred
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TOOL KIT FOR CHALLENGING AAPI HATRED
TIPS FOR FAMILIES AND CAREGIVERS (CONT.) Other Resources: • Anti-Defamation League – Challenging Anti-Asian Bias and Acting as an Ally: This site provides resources for families to start opening conversations about AAPI communities and how to act as an ally when you see or experience bias and injustice. • Young, Proud, and Sung-Jee: A free children’s book on fighting anti-Asian racism during COVID-19. • National Association of School Psychologists – Countering COVID-19 Stigma and Racism - Tips for Parents and Caregivers: This article provides guidance and tips on how to counter COVID-19 stigma and racism as a parent or caregiver. • National Geographic – Talking to Kids About Xenophobia: This article provides tips and strategies on how to talk to your children about xenophobia. • The MGH Center – Asian American Racism & Mental Health Resources for Parents: The lists of resources can be overwhelming. The MGH Center’s mental health experts are evaluating and curating resources from around the web, carefully selecting those they feel provide high-quality, actionable support for mental health. • NPR – All Things Considered – How To Start Conversations About Anti-Asian Racism with Your Family: All Things Considered host Audie Cornish talked to Nicole Chung, an author and advice columnist for Slate, and Christine Koh, a neuroscientist and co-author of a book on parenting. They gave concrete tips for starting age-appropriate conversations with children, tackling dialogues about race with adoptees or adoptive parents, and dealing with discomfort around sensitive topics. • Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center – We are not a stereotype: The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center is proud to present We are not a stereotype, a video series for educators, by educators. This series explores and challenges the complexity surrounding the term Asian Pacific American, breaking it down into topics that span multiple timelines, geographies, and identities.
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TIPS FOR PROFESSIONALS • Address AAPI hatred through education and staff training. • Direct staff to specific resources and data points when AAPI hatred occurs in general or at your company. • Create policies and work environments that are inclusive to AAPI employees. Be aware of language barriers, important holidays, and recognize cultural differences and traditions. • Implement an anonymous reporting system where employees can privately and securely share safety concerns, AAPI hate incidents, and hate speech. • Report incidents of AAPI hatred or xenophobia to local law enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (call 1-800-CALL-FBI), and/or Stop AAPI Hate.
Museum Resources: • Crucial Conversations: Challenging AAPI Hatred • Programs for Professionals
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TOOL KIT FOR CHALLENGING AAPI HATRED
TIPS FOR PROFESSIONALS (CONT.) Other Resources: • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association – Anti-Asian Hate Resources: NAPABA has a nationwide network of nearly 90 affiliate organizations and is an intake provider for the Alliance for Asian American Justice. NAPABA wants to ensure that local communities have the tools they need to address hate-fueled attacks. It provides Combat Hate Crimes Toolkits, webinars, COVID-19 AntiAsian Violence Trainings, and pro bono legal assistance. • ListenFirst – 7 Ways Brands Can Speak Out Against AAPI Hate on Social Media: ListenFirst has identified the seven ways that brands can most effectively combat hate on social media. • U.S. Chamber of Commerce – Supporting AAPI Business Owners: AAPI business leaders share how the government and the public can support them. • National Asian Pacific Center on Aging – Self Assessment Tool for Organizations: This tool helps organizations raise their awareness, evaluate areas for improvement to increase inclusion, and track organizational change as they strengthen their work with AAPI older adults in their communities. • Paradigm – Understanding Diversity with AAPI: This article breaks down how businesses can understand the diversity within the AAPI community.
Screenshot from 7 Ways Brands Can Speak Out Against AAPI Hate On Social Media
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BOOKS FOR STUDENTS • Suki’s Kimono by Chieri Uegaki (grades: K-3, ages 6-8) • When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller (grades: K-3, ages 6-8) • Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho (grades: K-3, ages 6-8) • A Different Pond by Bao Phi (grades: K-3, ages 6-8) • ‘Ohana Means Family by Ilima Loomis and Kenard Pak (grades: K-3, ages 6-8) • My Name is Yoon by Helen Recorvits (grades: K-3, ages 6-8) • I am I.M. Pei by Brad Meltzer (grades: K-5, ages 6-11) • Priya Dreams of Marigold and Masala by Meenal Patel (grades: 1-2, ages: 5-6) • Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business by Lila Lee (grades: 1-5, ages: 6-11) • American as Paneer Pie by Supriya Kelkar (grades: 3-6, ages: 8-12) • The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi (grades: 3-6, ages: 8-12) • Measuring Up by Lilly LaMotte (grades: 3-6, ages: 8-12) • Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani (grades: 4-6, ages: 8-12) • A Long Pitch Home by Natalie Dias Lorenzi (grades 4-7, ages: 9-12) • Flying the Dragon by Natalie Dias Lorenzi (grades: 4-7, ages: 9-12) • Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai (grades: 4-7, ages: 8-13) • Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai (grades: 4-7, ages: 8-13) • Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata (grades: 6-9, ages: 11-15) • We Are Not Free by Traci Chee (grades 6-9, agers: 11-15) • Almost American Girl by Robin Ha (grades 8-12, ages: 13-18) • They Called Us Enemy by George Takei (grades: 8-12, ages 13-18) • American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (grades: 8-12, ages 13-18) Looking for more? Go to Imagination Soup’s 60 books on AAPI Representation.
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TOOL KIT FOR CHALLENGING AAPI HATRED
BOOKS FOR ADULTS • Strangers from a Different Shore by Ronald Takaki • A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki • All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung • Bengali Harlem and the Lost Histories of South Asian America by Vivek Bald • Bestiary by K-Ming Chang • The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla and Chimene Suleyman • Homeland Elegies: A Novel by Ayad Akhtar • Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong • No-No Boy by John Okada • Farewell from Manzanar by James Houston and Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston • This is Paradise by Kristiana Khakauwila • What We Are: A Novel by Peter Nathaniel Malae • Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White by Frank Wu • Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri • The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan • Be The Refuge by Chenxing Han • Two Faces of Exclusion by Lon Kurashige • The Making of Asian America by Erika Lee
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FILMS AND DOCUMENTARIES • Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision (1994) • Halmoni (2017) • Minding the Gap (2018) • Asian Americans, a PBS Documentary Series (2020) • The Claudia Kishi Club (2020) • Minari (2020) • Standing Above the Clouds (2020) • The Race Epidemic (2021) • Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir (2021) • #StopAsianHate Together PSA - Youtube
Want more? Explore Netflix’s AAPI Heritage Month selections. Minari © A24
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TOOL KIT FOR CHALLENGING AAPI HATRED
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