A Non-Asian Solidarity PSA
A Non-Asian PSA:
In light of some people being determined to show their ass in the wake of #AntiAsianHate here is are some tips to help you not do that:
- an appropriate response to someone mourning is "I see you". Center them, not yourself
- Focus on the pain of *Asian people*, not your relationship to *Asian produced objects*. No one gives a fuck about you driving a Hyundai
- Asians have long dealt with being invisibilized yet othered in this country. The hypervisibilty that's happened in the last year is jarring
- Racial bypassing is a thing many of us do that makes us complicit in more subtle forms of anti-Asian violence. Don't be that person who says "This is sad but let's move onto talking about...." because this is you participating in their invisibilizing & complicating them sharing
- The MAJORITY of you do not possess the empathy or range of skills to come alongside this ethnically diverse population to talk about racial identity in the US. If you can't fluidly speak about US imperial function, war, Christian colonialism, assimilation, & internment, hush.
- This isn't your moment to shine and try to tell Asian folks what to do and how to feel. What's happening to them & in their communities is dizzying, terrifying, challenging, & unspeakably hard. Tragedy presents opportunity to consider what solidarity looks like, not criticism.
- In the same ways many of us are confronting our own generational trauma, know that your Asian sibs are doing it too. You are likely not privy to these convos & don't know what they entail because you might lack relational proximity to see. Trust that folks are doing their work
- There's a lot you can say but one of the most important things you can offer is letting Asian folks know that you see them and their pain. There is a lot of loneliness and isolation you can combat because what led to the #atlantaspa shootings didn't happen in a silo overnight
- Stop asking Asian people for things in this moment. That includes but is not limited to prayer, support, education, instructions on what to do, labor to unpack your internalized white supremacy (white ppl) or racialized bias/tensions (BIPOC), resources, energy. Give them space
- Actually as you're able, give Asian folks things according to your capacity. This includes money, snacks, hugs if they're in your covid bubble, parking lot hangs, calls/texts if they're your *actual* homies you talk to regularly, meals, prayers/good energy, presence, cards...
- Don't let people minimize anti-Asian violence or spin convenient, patently false narratives letting white nationalism & supremacy off the hook.
Even when tension exists btwn Asian & Black folks/other POC, look to see who *actually* benefits from the power & scarcity fights
- Don't do that thing where you ask Asian kin for labor/extraction of their experiences for free.
There are folks who do this work and if you give them money, they will provide a service from which you can benefit. It's transactional but appropriate so hire Asians doing the work