AAPI History is American History – All Year Long
Know More to Do More
As we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this year, we can’t ignore the most recent years of stirred up hatred towards those of API heritage that have sparked the #stopasianhate movement. In real time and with detrimental consequences, we have seen and perhaps experienced the ramifications of racism, xenophobia and hate speech toward the AAPI community. Current events should underscore for us, as communicators, the real power of the spoken and written word, not to mention the use of or lack thereof API images.
As communicators, we need to inform ourselves about other cultures and communities by getting out of our comfort zones. In an effort to connect with and understand people who are different from ourselves as well as effectively communicate with the target audiences of our companies and clients, we must seek to know more and understand more. What can you do? You can get some insights on your own. Research, ask questions, talk to people from the community, be interested and inclusive and check your conscious or unconscious biases. Understanding others begins with a level of understanding of their perspectives, beliefs, heritage and true history in our country. To understand the history of and the treatment and depiction of Asians in the United States, watch this video.
Many want to know what they can do beyond making a social media post with #stopasianhate. You can give to verified organizations in support of the cause. But in order to be an ally, you must first understand the community. Just as other cultural groups have a wide diaspora, so too does the API community, and it is vast and complex. Here is an informative article from Good Housekeeping that can help you understand some background about the AAPI community before you embark on your own active homework.