Asian American Coalition, Virginia Tech

Asian American Coalition, Virginia Tech We are a group of young Asian/Asian Americans who hope to build political consciousness, bridge communities, and help foster a critical social change.

The Asian American Coalition (AAC) @ Virginia Tech was inspired by other organizational efforts on campus, as well as our own personal drive to establish something that has a more meaningful impact in bringing together Asian American communities at VT. This group was created by Asian Americans and for Asian Americans. This means anyone who has origins/heritage in Asia (central, south, east, southe

ast, west). Our workshops are typically limited - unless noted otherwise - to those who identify as Asian American (including mixed folks), as we want to ensure that we provide a safe space to discuss and encourage critical thinking. Asians from under-served communities (mixed, disabled, lgbt/queer, undocumented, working-class, etc.) are absolutely welcome. We will do our best to sincerely consider recommendations and be self-critical, as well as try to prevent our intra-org dynamics from reflecting the status quo of social hierarchy.

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Our three basic goals are:

1. Educate, educate, educate. Our most important mission for Spring 2016 is to ensure that a political and social understanding of the world, as well as our own histories within the struggle, is made available to the Asian American populations at VT. Considering the limited courses here at our school involving Asian Americans from a critical ethnic studies perspective, we feel that (at this time) it is up to us to take action to start organizing and educating our people.

2. Build solidarity. A commitment to social justice also comes with a commitment to building genuine relationships with marginalized communities at broad. We know that our different (yet interplaying) racialized, gendered, classed, etc. histories have an immense impact on our personal and political lives. By laying a foundation in trust & accountability, we hope to resist in ways that challenge, rather than assimilate into, systems of oppression.

3. Organize a movement. Organizing comes with both learning, developing leadership skills, as well as pushing forth campaign goals. Through the first two steps, we aim to support causes that our allied groups take on, as well as developing some of our own. We hope to contribute to change by always challenging systemic oppression & the abuse of power - and, of course, empowering ourselves through education, community, and a movement towards liberation for all.

05/19/2019

Cities, elected officials, and advocacy groups rally around a day to fight hate in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and…

05/17/2019

The landmark ruling makes Taiwan's parliament the first in Asia to pass gay marriage legislation.

"The strike in itself also made it known that Chinese women workers organized actively for their rights and would not le...
05/17/2019

"The strike in itself also made it known that Chinese women workers organized actively for their rights and would not let ethnic ties with Chinese employers stifle their fight for economic justice. As a result, employers held back on wage cuts and withdrew their demand to take away holidays and key benefits. The strike paved the way for increased bilingual staff for workers, English classes and transportation services."

Beyond dim sum restaurants and new bubble tea and dessert cafes, historic sites of resistance line Chinatown’s streets.

"Because rigid radicalism induces a sense of duty and obligation everywhere, there is a constant sense that one is never...
05/15/2019

"Because rigid radicalism induces a sense of duty and obligation everywhere, there is a constant sense that one is never doing enough. In this context, “burnout” in radical spaces is not just about being worn out by hard work; it is often code for being wounded, depleted, and frayed: “I’m fu***ng burning.” What depletes us is not just long hours but the tendencies of shame, anxiety, mistrust, competition, and perfectionism. It is the way in which these tendencies stifle the capacity for collective creativity and change."

Can radical politics harbor a deadening conservatism?

"Race, not education, is the fuel for white flight. Some whites will simply avoid living near people of color, as has be...
05/12/2019

"Race, not education, is the fuel for white flight. Some whites will simply avoid living near people of color, as has been the case since the early 20th century. Parents would prefer a cut in education programs to having their children sit alongside children of color. Why else would whites flee the high-performing schools of Johns Creek for other high-performing schools in similar suburbs, except to get away from the Asians?"

If diversity is so important to liberal whites, why do they keep fleeing ethnically diverse suburbia?

"Earlier agricultural contributions from Asian Americans have largely been erased, while an overwhelmingly white back-to...
05/12/2019

"Earlier agricultural contributions from Asian Americans have largely been erased, while an overwhelmingly white back-to-the-land movement starting in the 1960s leaned into Asian vegetables and herbs (such as ginger) and food philosophies (such as Ayurvedic), and today’s “vegetable-forward” dining trends are dominated by white chefs. But farming and purveying produce with a focus on taste and quality have held strong for many Asian American-run food businesses."

Asian-Americans’ contributions to locally grown, sustainable produce have long been ignored, but these young farmers are trying to change that

"Consider the relative ease with which Western cis male tourists are able to travel... and when traveling is a cakewalk ...
05/11/2019

"Consider the relative ease with which Western cis male tourists are able to travel... and when traveling is a cakewalk to you, feeling entitled to it naturally follows. Travel marketing fuses travel “destinations” and the host women into one brand, so that the tourist is not only entitled to the land by design, but to its women. “In [tourism advertising] we will see that stereotypical gendered, s*xed and often racialized images of women are in many cases part of the tourism product itself,” summed Dr. Pritchard. This is part of what makes s*x tourism, trafficking, and abuse by Western male tourists more rampant and commonplace than any mainstream outlet has given it credit for."

Before you pack your bags, unpack your colonial privilege.

"“I get that you’re hurting, Monique,” Joanna says. “But the whole community is hurting.” She clearly believes the exter...
05/10/2019

"“I get that you’re hurting, Monique,” Joanna says. “But the whole community is hurting.” She clearly believes the external racism aimed at the Asian American community is more important than the intra-community prejudice I’ve experienced. To her, there is only one way to support the community, and it means remaining silent about its flaws."

It feels jarring to deal with “model minority” stereotypes in non-Asian American spaces while facing negative stereotypes within some Asian ones.

“You have people born in the States that are shooting up schools and they’re getting lesser punishments. You commit a sm...
05/08/2019

“You have people born in the States that are shooting up schools and they’re getting lesser punishments. You commit a small crime, and because you’re an immigrant you get punished harshly for it, and look at the results." “We prayed that something like this would not happen again to a Cambodian. ... Or anyone else.”

Sophorn San, a Cambodian immigrant who'd lived in Rhode Island from age 4, was targeted for deportation after pleading guilty to a gun charge at age 19.

"I used to dream of a simpler time, a Vietnam of thatch roof huts and banana leaves and lotus flowers. But this Vietnam ...
05/07/2019

"I used to dream of a simpler time, a Vietnam of thatch roof huts and banana leaves and lotus flowers. But this Vietnam only exists in my imagination. We must not romanticise a past that never was, or choose only to remember the innocence of our history. Spoiler alert: Nobody’s history is innocent. We must be brave enough to claim it all."

I used to dream of a simpler time, a Vietnam of thatch roof huts and banana leaves and lotus flowers. But this Vietnam only exists in my imagination. We must not romanticise a past that never was, …

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140 Squires Student Center
Blacksburg, VA
24061

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