Celebrating API Month

Celebrating

our A.P.IA.P.IHERITAGEHERITAGE

by Hannah C. (11)

May is Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

To celebrate this year's API Heritage month, I along with the ROAR Zine team, put together this article to highlight to not only books and films/shows with API narratives, but as well as bring attention to the experiences of API students here at Stratford Hall from everything between joys and struggles of being a part of Asian/Pacific Islander diasporas.

Bolded titles can be found in our school's library!

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Chinatown Through a Wide Lens: The Hidden

Photographs of Yucho Chow by Catherine Clement (Gr. 6+) Flamer by Mike Curato (Gr. 6+) The Thing About Luck by Cynthia Kadohata (Gr. 6+) Trust No Aunty by Maria Qamar (Gr. 9+) The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen (Gr. 6+) Super Fake Love Song by David Yoon (Gr. 8+) Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman (Gr. 6+) The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi (Gr. 7+) Hunted by The Sky by Tanaz Bhathena (Gr. 7+)

FILMS TO WATCH:

Please forgive me for giving this section special attention, but these are all films I've seen and loved so I can't not gush about them. Only some of these portray the API diaspora experience. Since the films I included that fit into the 'foreign cinema' category tell LGBTQ+ stories, I thought "Hey, why not?" . That isn't to say queer films featuring Asian-American/Canadian characters don't exist, in all honesty I just haven't watched any yet! But I am looking forward to it. I hope you can take time to check out at least one of these films that are a part of growing collection of API heritage/Asian cinema films that I adore :]

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (एक लड़क को दखा तो ऐसा लगा) (2019)

India (Hindi), Gr. 7+

Tigertail (2020)

USA (English, Taiwanese Hokkien, Mandarin), Gr. 8+

Scarborough (2021)

Canada (English), Gr. 8+

Minari (2020)

USA (English, Korean), Gr. 7+ Moonlit Winter (윤희에게) (2019)

South Korea (Korean), Gr. 6+ Your Name Engraved 的名字) (2020) Herein (刻在你⼼底

Taiwan (Mandarin), Gr. 10+

Flee (2021)

Denmark (Danish, Dari), Gr. 8+

Boy (2010)

New Zealand, (English, Māori), Gr. 7+

The Joy Luck Club (1993)

Q&A with Stratford Hall

I surveyed a few of my peers about how their Asian identity and the experiences that come along with it. I will admit, the few grade 11 students definitely does not represent the entirety of the school's API student population. But nonetheless these are still the real feelings of the surveyed students. I hope that through reading the real thoughts of API students here at the school, it inspires you to advocate for your own API peers, or even find that these answers also reflect your own experiences.

Q: Has representation of your culture in media and pop culture progressed?

A: I believe Korean music and cinema has contributed in the deconstruction of negative representation in western media. More East asians are now being recognized in the film industry due to recent success from EA films. The popularization of this media has resulted in a way of providing asian representation in film and transcending common asian stereotypes.

Q: What struggles do you face because of your ethnicity/culture?

A: Mainly microaggressions from peers masked as a "joke, " especially when I was younger when these behaviours were normalized. A: A lot of the time I am subjected to racism and judgement based on how I look. This is very hurtful because I have been dealing with it for a very long time and have accepted that it is going to be something that happens to me wherever I go. However, I wish it wasn't because I don't want other POC kids to experience some of the things I have went through and hear some of the things that are said to people who look like us.

A: I think that representation for Singapore in particular in media has in some ways increased, for example with Crazy Rich Asians. However, for most people this is about the only movie that comes to mind, so it would be great to see media in general that represents the average Singaporean more accurately.

Q: What makes you proud of your heritage?

A: Something that makes me proud of my heritage is hearing about the struggles my family has faced while moving from India to Canada. Despite facing pressure to abandon their customs and traditions, they chose not to and to continue practising them with me and my cousins A: I am proud of my culture and my family and how hard my family has worked to become who we are today.

Q: Why do we need API Heritage Month? Especially when we are already encouraged to celebrate diversity everyday? Q: What is a piece of media that represents your culture, that you love?

A: Joy luck club. It is about immigrating to America and explains to people about the struggles and inequalities Asian women had to go through. It is quite inspiring and it also teaches people about Asian culture. A: Never Have I Ever is a really interesting TV show about an Indian teenager living in the US and parts of it include her struggle with connecting with her culture and fitting into the society that she is currently in. It highlights some of the very relatable issues that many POC youth face through an engaging platform.

A: I think we need an AAPI Heritage Month to celebrate the diversity that exists all around us! Not only in the student community, but just in Vancouver and Canada in general. I think that participating in API Heritage Month helps us to become more anti-racist and actively educate ourselves about the realities and super cool cultures that 1111are in our world.

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A: AAPI heritage month is important to celebrate as there are many achievements from the community to be celebrated. There is still progress to be made in breaking stereotypes however, by commemorating AAPI heritage month and learning its historical significance in a positive light more people may be educated on the topic :] A: I think API Heritage month is good to have because it explicitly shows Asian and Pacific Islanders living outside of these regions that they live in a place accepting of their heritage.