Items
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Racism
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2022-06-10
Pride is back — and more expensive than ever
This is a news story from The Washington Post by JD Shadel. Due to the last two years of Pride Month remaining virtual due to COVID, some changes have been made along with it. Included in the changes since COVID are leadership ones in Philadelphia and London after allegations of their Pride leadership having racism and transphobia. The rising inflation has made it so summer travel is more expensive than before. Things like hotels, plane rides, and other modes of transportation cost more than they did before COVID. One change that has been brought about because of COVID is the rise of virtual events. Groups like NYC Pride, Capital Pride and Pride Amsterdam will have online streaming available. The NYC Pride March and the LA Pride March will be available on Hulu. Another debate that has changed since COVID are questions about "pinkwashing" in which a company will recognize Pride for profit, while not donating to any LGBTQ organizations. Some of the corporations in the past that have used Pride merchandise to sell things during Pride month while contributing to anti-LGBTQ organizations have been heavily criticized recently. Overall, COVID has contributed to changes in how Pride is celebrated. -
2022-04-22
The Shanghai Lockdown. Seen from Another Angle
This is a screenshot of an article from globalresearch.ca about looking at the most recent Shanghai Lockdown. Yet, the article does not talk about the Shanghai lockdown until maybe halfway through the article. It goes on a tirade about how the 2002-2004 SARS outbreak went after the "Chinese race" and how it became an early trial for China before COVID. Then the author states that China has "mastered the disease" and managed to reopen its economy by the end of 2020, which leads to the conclusion that China's economic growth hardly suffered during the newest outbreak. The author asserts that China will surpass the U.S. economy in 3-4 years and then launches into a world history lesson about Cold War politics. The author tends to wander in the article, going from pandemic skepticism on vaccines sterilizing women, being lied to the government, or having HIV ingredients. Then somehow, Ukraine has virus labs...I don't know. Somehow, Russia is involved in this article, but I'm not sure why. I don't know how this is supposed to persuade its audience because the author goes all over the place with his points. I suppose skeptics will like the fact that the vaccine is being questioned here? Personally, I don't even understand why skeptics would want to read this because I think they would lose even more brain cells from just trying to read it. I think this article is just a gigantic mess and it makes my brain hurt. I find myself just not understanding a single thing that is being written in this article. I don't understand why anyone would even understand or like this article. It literally makes absolutely no sense and there are even typos in it. The look of this website and article makes me want to run my virus protection at least three times because I feel like they're going to infect my computer with a Trojan horse. -
2022-03-31
'A Cry for Help': More than a Third of High Schoolers Report Poor Mental Health During COVID, CDC Study Finds
This is a story from USA Today by Adrianna Rodriguez. This is about the mental health in teens during the pandemic and how it has affected them. The CDC study that is cited says that 44% of high schoolers reported feeling persistently sad or helpless during 2021. Over half of the students surveyed were reported to have experienced emotional abuse from a parent, with 11% saying they have experienced physical abuse. Nearly 30% of students reported a parent or another adult in their house had lost a job. In a demographics breakdown, LGBT students reported more suicide attempts and poorer mental health than their counterparts. One third of students say that they have experienced racism. This article is meant to help show the impact COVID has had on people and the way lockdowns have impacted high schoolers specifically. -
2020-06-03
Take the Pledge
I regrets speaker's name but remember the impact of her words at the Black Lives Matter protest held in Anderson, South Carolina. This speaker talked about the importance of peace and understanding when joining arms with brethren and allies during pivotal times. I remember her walking off the platform and wishing I could her more. Overall, her speech was fierce, firm, and empathetic to us and the cause. Her call to action by asking the audience to take a pledge embodies to true spirit and essence of Black Lives Matter protest. -
2020-06-08
Racism like Public Health?
Amidst Covid-19, the documentation of the police killings have been manifested into comparisons with the world-wide pandemic. These comparisons reflect the ongoing disparities between Black Americans and systemic racism. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation takes to Twitter to try to support this comparison but faces a backlash from a fellow BLM support who argues that the comparison is invalid based on the different progress the BLM protest and quarantine had made. I felt like this was important for me to post because I feel like it shows an effort from BLM supporters to combat the racism within our culture by arguing that society must view and address racism as a public health issue. Yet, the tweet continues to evolve as ironic as the lack of regards Americans have for coronavirus policies and laws continues to grow everyday. Base on how events go, we might regard the validity of this statement to be false down the road. -
2021-09-15
A Story From A Chinese Immigrant In The US
I will share my story that is about racism because of Covid-19 -
2020-12-22
The Virus Is Showing Black People What They Knew All Along
In this article, author Patrice Peck discusses how black Americans are dying of COVID-19 at 1.7 times the rate of whites. In her words "19,000 Black people would still be alive if not for systemic racism." -
2020-12-22
How COVID-19 Hollowed Out a Generation of Young Black Men
This is a fascinating and heartbreaking article about the struggles of young black men and health inequity brought to light by COVID-19. The difficulties of systemic racism are costing young black men their lives. -
2020-12-01
Five Experts Reflect on the Health Equity Implications of the Pandemic
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Blog published this article which contains the words of 5 different experts on health inequity during the pandemic. -
2021-07-10
Manzanar
As a historian, US History teacher, and mother of two Asian-American children, I make a point to expose my children to all aspects of America’s history: good, bad, and ugly. Thanks to COVID, we had the opportunity to show the kids one of the country’s ugliest moments - Japanese internment. The desolate desert in the middle of our home state is an area I had never driven through before COVID, despite having lived in CA my entire life and being (supposedly) 8th or 9th generation Californian on my dad’s side. However, there is no way I’m putting my family on an airplane during a pandemic, which limits vacation options. So into the car for an eight hour drive to Tahoe. A drive that goes right past Manzanar, the Japanese American World War II concentration camp. Unlike last year, when we made the same drive for the first time in my life, the exhibits, buildings, and visitor center were open with masks and social distancing. As we stood in the barrack in the 106 degree temperature, I told my kids to never forget how uncomfortable they felt and to consider the fact that they were feeling awful from the heat as tourists. I told them to imagine living in this heat as a prisoner though you committed no crime except having ancestors from Japan. They may be young, but they are old enough to understand human rights. Visiting Manzanar was overwhelming. I am not a very emotional person, but I was taken aback by the fact that this history is so recent. My best friend’s dad was born in Tule Lake, where Japanese-Americans who refused to take the forced loyalty oath were sent. That is only one generation before mine. Seeing and experiencing second hand through family and friends the hatred directed toward Asian-Americans during this pandemic made the experience in Manzanar extra raw. Though I refuse to thank COVID for anything because I think that’s a bit tone deaf for all who have lost and suffered during this pandemic, I am grateful that the circumstances that led us to drive to Tahoe instead of fly led us also to a place of reflection on prejudice and race, especially in the climate of today. -
2021-06-14
Anti-racism advertisements at Times Square
These are two photos of anti-racist advertisements I saw in Times Square on June 14, 2021. One is an advertisement on a digital advertisement board that says "#NOHATE AGAINST JEWS" in white text on a blue background, while the other is a poster on the side of a garbage receptacle that says "FIGHT THE VIRUS NOT THE PEOPLE #STOPASIANHATE", made by artist Zipeng Zhu. -
2021-04-24
Racist attack in Edmonton
On April 16th 2020, a 14 year old 8th grade student named Pazo was brutally attacked by seven white students. This attack was entirely racially motivated, they screamed slurs at him, beat him mercilessly, taunted him. They dragged him, choked him, and recorded their actions which they posted on social media. They attacked Pazo because of the colour of his skin, Pazo has stated after the attack that this assault has "made me afraid to wear my own skin." This is more than unacceptable, this is disgusting. As the post stated, these 'kids' gave Pazo a concussion, memory loss and a blood clot in his chest; he could of easily have been killed. What's worse, is there was no action taken by the school, which called this brutal hate crime a "altercation" by the school board. Ontop of this, the post states that the Edmonton Police also refused to investigate this assault, turning away the boy's family twice. This assault would of likely been swept under the rug if it were not for the pushback of the community, and the outrage generated by the presence of the video online. With the growing pressure from the public, the Edmonton police service are being demanded to investigate this assault, which again is only made possible through the pressure of the people. Furthermore, the lack of action and attempts to nullify the significance of this assault by the principal and the school board has resulted in students and teachers pushing for the forced resignation of those accountable, such as the principal and superintendent. Other social media platforms have stated that this is not the first time the principal of the school has played down similar incidents; which has left students feeling vulnerable. This cannot continue, these students must be held accountable - Albertans need to understand that white supremacism is a very real problem, and it is not going anywhere by ignoring it. As we have seen throughout the pandemic, events such as this are a rarity - we only know of the severity of the attack and the response of our education institutions because this attack was recorded and circulated online. -
2021-03-29
Street Art Destroy Racism – Collection of anti-racist art
Racism is a virus, a sickness we need to fight and eradicate together! ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻 I will never understand, but I stand with you. This portrait is based on a powerful photo by @futurehackney taken during the Black Lives Matter protests in London. This mural will definitely stay for a while – a reminder that inequalities and injustices happen every day, tearing countless lives and families apart, and that the fight against racism and discriminations can never stop. -
2021-04-20
Biden and Harris speak after Chauvin verdict
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris speak after a jury found Derek Chauvin guilty of all charges in the murder of George Floyd. "A Measure of Justice is not the same as Equal Justice" President Biden and Madam Vice President Harris talk about social justice, racism, history, and plans moving forward. -
2021-03-22
March to Stop Asian Hate
Nearly a week after eight people were killed at spas in the Atlanta area, hundreds gathered to remember the victims and call for an end to hate towards Asians in a year that has seen an uptick in attacks against members of the community. People attending a rally New York City's Columbus Park Sunday, pictured above, told CNN they came out because they are tired of dealing with discrimination and hope the tragedy in Atlanta will spark change. When asked why she attended, Angela Eunsung Kim said, "'Cause I'm Asian, and I'm a woman, and if I don't stand up for myself then no one else will. So that's why I'm here." -
2021-03-23
"Asian and Black Americans experience racism differently. But we need to unite against hate"
In this editorial in the Los Angeles Times, Black female staff writer Sandy Banks poses the question "Now the question is: Can we join together and move forward, with white supremacy — not each other — as the enemy?" She reflects on the years of tension in Los Angeles between the Black and Asian American communities. However, she sees a common ground between the two communities in light of the anti-Asian racism and shooting of six Asian women at the hands of a White male, whose crimes were justified by a police spokesperson who was found later to have made anti-Asian social media posts. -
2021-03-21
‘Asian-American businesses are dealing with two viruses’
Reeling from racist incidents, many are hurting financially during COVID-19. The Atlanta-area spa shootings of eight people, six of whom were Asian women, have drawn renewed attention to anti-Asian incidents that have grown in frequency during the pandemic. As documented incidents of harassment, assault and discrimination against Asian Americans have escalated during COVID-19, many groups within the community have also faced heightened financial strain. Advocates say it’s beyond time to acknowledge and take action on both. -
2020-09-17
'You have Chinese virus!'
The Stop AAPI Hate Youth Campaign, which interviewed nearly 1,000 young Asian American adults across the country about their experiences with racism during the coronavirus pandemic found that 1 in 4 Asian American youths experience racist bullying. Discrimination in the form of physical and verbal attacks often also include questioning the identity of Asians as American, with statements such as "go back to where you came from." -
2020
Asian American Experiences of Racism during COVID-19
Over the past few months, the rise in xenophobic actions, racism, and violence against the AAPI community have been on the rise. Mainstream and fringe social media have perpetuated stereotypes and have scapegoated Asians as the cause of COVID-19. This rise in race and ethnically motivated hate happens alongside police brutality and anti-Black racism. Educators and parents should educate themselves and open conversations with their children and students about anti-racism. -
2020-07-01
Many Black and Asian Americans Say They Have Experienced Discrimination Amid the COVID-19 Outbreak
About four-in-ten U.S. adults say it has become more common for people to express racist views toward Asians since the pandemic began. Asian and Black Americans are more likely than other groups to report negative experiences because of their race or ethnicity since the COVID-19 outbreak began. -
2021-03-24
Hate Crime at "Stop Asian Hate" Rally
At a "Stop Asian Hate" rally in Los Angeles over the weekend, a man yelling racial slurs drove his car through a red light to target Asian and Pacific Islander protesters in a crosswalk. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and is another example of the rising incidents and attempted incidents of violence against the AAPI community. -
2020-07-18
My dream is to help change the world for the better what's yours?
My dream is to help change the world for the better what's yours? -
2021-03-21
Ilhan Omar Thread on Current Border Policy
People who lack empathy to imagine circumstances outside their own two feet is what we’re dealing with. A bunch of folks who have never left America, let alone their own state. If they did it was to the “big city” and their understanding of American politics is that it’s a game and they don’t want to lose. They don’t know why they’re playing they just don’t want to lose. They have no faith in anything other than the American myth of pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps. How do we lead a horse to water who isn’t thirsty? Focus the herd towards the water and the stubborn horse will eventually drink -
2021-03-13
Love Our Communities
There are different events happening today - thanks to the organizers across the US for your work. We’ve been learning alongside LA in particular - THANK YOU to all of the organizations + individuals who’ve been working SO hard to make today happen. We love our communities + we are building collecting power. Hope you join this movement. #InSolidarity @ccedla NAME CHANGE: In an effort to amplify our message of solidarity, we are no longer using “Stop Asian Hate” in the title for this event. CCED recognizes that the emphasis on hate crimes limits the scope of the conversation, implying these attacks are merely isolated racist attacks + that policing is the solution. Hate crime legislation funds surveillance but does not actually change the material realities that working class Asian Americans live in. Anti-Asian violence is tied to the collective struggle of BIPOC under white supremacy. We’ve provided some reading materials in our link in bio for folks to learn further! . . Join our communities THIS SATURDAY 3/13 @3:30PM @jamuseum in Little Tokyo (in person or via livestream!) for “LOVE OUR COMMUNITIES: BUILD COLLECTIVE POWER”--a grounding, healing space in the wake of anti-Asian Violence. Meet, collaborate, and build with grassroots organizations doing direct work in Los Angeles Asian American communities. Artwork by Cynthia Yuan Cheng @cynthiaycheng Organized by: Chinatown Community for Equitable Development @ccedla Ktown4BlackLives @ktown4blacklives Tuesday Night Project @tnproject Nikkei Progressives @NikkeiProgressives Sunday Jump @thesundayjump API Equality LA @apiequalityla Kabataang maka-Bayan / Pro-People Youth @kmb_la Progressive Asian Network for Action (PANA) Palms Up Academy @palmsupacademy J-Town Action and Solidarity @jtown.action.and.solidarity Hosted by: The Japanese American National Museum @jamuseum **Masks required. Double masking encouraged. Social Distancing required per CDC Guidelines** ADA accessibility + streaming details to be announced. Check out the FB Event Page @ccedla link in bio. [image description - more info on @ccedla page at comments] -
2021-03-16
We Are Not Your Jokes, Your Vacation Spots, of Your Toys
To all of our community members who are hurting and angry, please take time and space. Be easy on yourselves and each other. We will do the same. To our teammates, thank you for checking in. We are grateful. Please continue to work with us + each other to end violence against Asian and Pacific Islander women, girls and gender non-conforming communities. Tonight we are talking about the Asian women massage parlor workers who were killed - but we work for all of us. In solidarity. To everyone else, we hold the entire racist and misogynist system + culture accountable (and that’s only the tip of the iceberg). We are not your jokes, your vacation spots, or your toys. Take care, community. We need you. End this violence. In pain and outrage, AAPI Women Lead [retweet- @jennyyangtv Asian women are your punchlines Sex workers are your punchlines Kung flu is your punchline You fucking did this] #aapiwomenlead #intersectionalfeminism #insolidarity -
2021-03-20
If This Ain't the Energy You're Coming At
Repost from @hownottotravellikeabasicbitch Repost from @hownottotravellikeabasicbitch • If this ain’t the energy you’re coming at: — •Anti-Blackness •Stolen land •Asian hate crime •Deportations •Kids in cages •US imperialism •Islamaphobia •Anti-Semitism — Then I don’t want it. — If you can’t see how all these movements are connected & how every attack on one of us is an attack on us all, then I can’t help you. It’s only unity for me. — Speech by Isabel Kang from @krclaorg, originally posted on @aapiwomenlead. -
2021-03-17
A Reminder of the Realities of the Asian Women in My Life
On my way out to work today, my sister told me she loved me. It was an "I love you" filled with fear and uncertainty. I felt her words echo in my chest and I still feel them ringing in me as I write this post. Every Asian woman that I know and care about has experienced being undermined, fetishized, and harassed for being an Asian woman. For several of my close friends, this has led to sexual violence. I think that is why yesterday’s mass shooting targeting Asian massage parlors hit so hard for me. In his own words, he wanted to “eliminate the source of his temptations.” It takes a lot more than " being at the end of your rope" or “having a really bad day” for someone to commit such a heinous crime. Believing Asian women are submissive and hyper-sexual, calling covid “kung-flu” or the “china virus”, and taunting Asian women with “me love you long time” has real consequences. It dehumanizes Asian women and makes them objects. Objects are easier to harass, sexually assault, and kill. We can not dismiss racism, misogyny, and xenophobia against Asians anymore. Lives are at stake. -
2021-01-26
The 2021 Social Justice Outlook
NEW YEAR. NEW SOCIAL JUSTICE OUTLOOK. 2020 will be remembered for the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide civil unrest spurred by killings of unarmed Black men and women by police officers. With a new president in office, what will social justice look like in 2021? Get your questions ready and join the conversation tonight at 7:30 p.m. on NBC 6 Voices with Jawan Strader on the NBC 6 Facebook and YouTube pages. -
2020-04-22
Understanding the Corona Virus Through the Lens of Racial and Social Justice
The Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy and the Social Justice Initiative host a conversation on the Coronavirus Pandemic through the Lens of Racial and Social Justice. Moderated by Barbara Ransby from the Social Justice Initiative, panelists include Dr. Linda Rae Murray, Aislinn Pulley from Chicago Torture Project, Ald. Rossana Rodriguez, Ald. Jeanette Taylor, Detention Watch Network's Gaby Viera and Reyna Wences from Organized Communities Against Deportations. This program was edited by CAN TV -
03/14/2021
Trisha Vaughn Oral History, 2021/03/18
Trisha Vaughn is the CPT Supervisor for a large Bay Area community hospital. In her spare time, Trisha hosts a podcast with her daughter, is an avid writer, and she is starting a small apothecary business to sell her skin care creations. In the oral history interview, Trisha shares how she has navigated through Covid-19 in both her personal life, and as an essential worker. She reflects on staying motivated and helping the people in her life stay motivated thought these hard times. Trisha describes how the social injustices and civil unrest in response to police brutality during the pandemic has affected her and those around her and about how the urgency of the pandemic has overshadowed the injustices faced by people of color across the nation. -
2021-03-17
Heavy hearted and defeated
The rise of anti-Asian crimes has been a focal point of my predominantly Asian and Latinx community, and has increased to a point where our local police are trying to send out messages of reassurance and solidarity. But this isn’t something that comes out of nowhere. It has been bubbling under the surface as long as Asian Americans have lived in this country. The Chinese Exclusion Act, barring Asian citizenship, miscegenation laws, land laws, internment camps, the murder of Vincent Chin, hate crimes against Southeast Asian refugees, the stereotypes, the cheap sitcom jokes and potshots, the dual embrace and distaste of the so-called “model minority.” A year ago, as COVID-19 began to infect our everyday life even prior to shutdown, many of my students recounted racism they faced at the grocery store or other public places, as Asians were made the scapegoat of the pandemic. This racism was not happening in the Midwest, it was happening in diverse Southern California. How many times this year have I had the conversation with students, family, and friends about the otherness that is associated with being Asian in America? As half of an interracial marriage with an Asian partner, I have seen first hand the comments. Going to Disney World and having my husband joke that he had seen one and a half Asians that week, himself and my daughter - and seeing the stares. Comments from Disney World or airport employees who stared at us and said in a off putting tone, “you must be from California or Hawai’i,” to which I shot back with “why, because we’re so happy and relaxed?” They didn’t crack a smile. Or my husband’s best friend, who in medical residency in Kansas City was approached in a Panera Bread with a man saying “whaaa, you want to fight Bruce Lee” and being asked by his medical resident roommates to translate Ninja Warrior for them because he “knows Chinese” (he’s third generation Japanese American). The friend in grad school in Michigan who, while walking down the street, was met by women who held the corners of their eyes and chanted “ching chong, ching chong.” Never once has anyone repeated the question “where are you from” when I tell someone I am from California. My Asian American husband is always asked at least twice. Also from California, when he responds to the simple question of where is he from with “California,”there is always the tone change and the slowed down, “No, where are you FROM?” Because the underlying, uncomfortable reality is that apparently if you’re Asian, you can’t be “from” America. Your identity is forever a hyphen. But this was not part of the public conscience until recently. With the rhetoric of leadership that continually blamed China for COVID-19, using ethnically offensive names, the acts of racism my students were experiencing in March have evolved into full fledged violence and crime, peaking yesterday with a shooting. Here we are in another moment when COVID-19 has uncovered the ugliness that lies beneath the surface in a country that calls itself a democracy. A country where the police spokesperson tried to explain away the targeted murder of eight Asian women yesterday by saying the Caucasian male shooter was having a “bad day.” No justice, no peace sounds hollow when you wonder if there ever will be either. -
2021-03-17
Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans On the Rise, Hate Is a Virus
Two artists whose work I adore with an important message for today and always. @juliakestnerdesigns (slide 1) and @colorsofhoney (slide 2). Caption is from @juliakestnerdesigns. Caption: Discrimination, racist attacks, and xenophobia against Asian Americans have recently been on the rise. My heart hurts seeing all of the hate crimes and violence perpetrated towards the AAPI community. Anti-racism must include Asian Americans. We cannot allow white supremacy to pit us against each other or let “oppression Olympics” distract us from the real problem at hand. We’re not each other’s enemy; white supremacy is. We can fight for liberation without turning to anti-Black rhetoric such as heavier policing or “tough on crime” justice. This kind of thinking does not bring us closer to our shared goal of equality and liberation. All it does is take us further away from our common goal of fighting against systemic injustices, and forces us to play into the us-versus-them mentality that pits us against each other. We are all victims of the same oppressive system. Just as our suffering is interconnected, so is our liberation. Our equality is irrevocably contingent on the liberation of ALL oppressed communities. Now more than ever, we need cross-community solidarity to fight for our collective healing and liberation. ✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 What we can do: -Amplify AAPI voices and stories -Speak out against all forms of racism and systemic injustice -Educate ourselves on the model minority myth, and how it was designed to create a wedge between Asians and other people of color in America -Learn about AAPI history -Donate to organizations committed to anti-racism To learn more, follow @stopaapihate @hateisavirus_ @ricefeed @teachandtransform @michellekimkim @jocekittyllama . . . . . #hateisavirus #stopaapihate #modelminoritymyth #standforasians #artistsagainstracism #racismisavirus #iamnotavirus #antiracism #dismantleracism #dismantlewhitesupremacy #insolidarity #fightforequality #endracism #westandtogether #intersectionalfeminsim #artmatters #activism #artforsocialchange #stopracism #stopthehate #equalityforall #istandwithyou #unitedwestand #nojusticenopeace #blacklivesm -
2021-03-13
University of Minnesota students rallied to demand community control of the UMPD
From the Instagram post: The city of Minneapolis on Friday agreed to pay $27 million to settle a civil lawsuit with George Floyd's family just weeks before opening statements were scheduled to begin for the former officer charged with his death. This payment marked the second multi-million-dollar payout for police actions in the past two years. According to MPR News, the settlement in Floyd’s death raises the total amount the city has paid to settle police officer misconduct cases to $71 million over the past two decades. Yesterday, University of Minnesota students rallied to demand community control of the UMPD, call out racism on campus, and stand in solidarity with the family of George Floyd. -
2021
Center for the Study of Racism, Social Justice & Health
COVID-19 TASK FORCE ON RACISM & EQUITY. The site looks at the science and humanity behind the Covid-19 Pandemic through a social justice lens. -
2020-06-09
Why Social Justice Is Central to Treating COVID-19
From article: Racism and classism create conditions where people of color, those living in poverty, and other marginalized groups have limited access to resources that affect health -
2020-11-30
Premier blames South Asian community for spike in Covid cases
This article was made in response to comments made by the premier of Alberta, Jason Kenny towards the South Asian community of Calgary. In particular, Kenny had attributed the social gatherings and “tradition” of the South Asian community being the cause for a spike in Covid cases throughout the province. His comments were viewed as an extension of rising anti-Asian racism throughout the province, which can largely be attributed to the rhetoric of U.S. president Donald Trump as a means to escape liability for mismanaging the pandemic response. The community he blamed in particular is traditionally working class, who are employed in much of the city’s service and logistical jobs which are essential to the province as a whole. From food vendors, taxi drivers, cleaners, city employees – the frontline workers, those who are exposed most to the virus. Even more so, Jason Kenny’s comments caused further anger as he was somehow unable to assign the same blame to the swaths of mask-less protestors who marched in large groups throughout the province in defiance of government mandates in the following week. I believe this artifact would prove useful to the collection of Social Justice, mainly it is another Canadian experience based in the growing racialization/politicization of the covid-19 pandemic, and the ways in which conservative governments have attempted to scape-goat their own failings onto vulnerable communities. As throughout the pandemic, especially in the Western World, there has been an unnerving attempt to racialize the pandemic. Such as placing the blame on Chinese people, then Asian people as a whole; similarly this extends to working-class communities who man the frontlines to keep society functioning as normal. These communities (in regards to Calgary) are primarily composed of new immigrants who were not born in Canada, by Jason Kenny blaming these people for the upsurge in cases, he is exemplifying a racist generalization towards the entirety of the South Asian community of Calgary. In regards to Canada, this item matters to display that our pandemic experience was no different in that it illustrated the stark racial divides throughout the province, once compared to the primarily white ‘freedom’ marchers (who were also in the company of fascist/white-supremacist organizations such as the Proud Boys, Sons of Odin) walked proudly through our cities mask-less with little to no government comments as similar to Kenny’s on the SA community. I want to add these to the collection of Social Justice, as articles like these were first spurned on by anti-racist activists who initially heard Kenny’s remarks. What followed shortly after was a provincial outcry directed towards the premier for his questionable history in regards to racism. Situations like these prove that there is systemic racism at work within the government of Alberta, as the government racialized the issue of Covid-19, while looking away from the predominantly white mask less marchers. -
2020-05
Police Brutality and BLM
This presentation provides the history of police brutality towards POC, what led to the protests and the changes that being implemented -
2020-03
Racism during COVID-19 for minorities
The material presents racism during the Pandemic and how it has affected people from different racial communities like Hispanic Latinos, Asians, and African Americans. -
2020-03-23
Casual Racism Towards Ethnic Asian Diaspora
This is a short video where I asked my friend Nikko Guan to share her experiences with casual racism toward ethnic Asians at the beginning of the pandemic here in Melbourne, Australia. There was a lot of panic and misinformation surrounding the coronavirus, and a lot of people attributed the origin of the virus (Wuhan China) with the cause of the virus and harboured distrust toward anyone who looked remotely foreign or Asian. Some of my friends and acquaintances who were Asian but not even Chinese also reported similar experiences. It's especially pertinent as this also affected Asian diaspora who were born in Australia and may have never even been overseas, but are judged purely on their appearance. My friend in the interview had not been to China, or anywhere internationally, for many years. It's important that a global disaster that is the result of natural catastrophe isn't judged on malice for political or racial prejudices. -
2020-06-09
Social Justice and COVID-19
This article discusses how racism and classism conditions are just as important to fight for during COVID-19. Individuals of minority or impoverished backgrounds are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. This is due to lack of resources and opportunities. This article continues to explain how “social justice and human rights are at the center of COVID-19.” -
2020-06-18
St. Mary's Response to Racial Injustice: Email from President Thomas Mengler
The object is an email from St. Mary's University President Thomas Mengler recognized Juneteenth stating that campus will be closed that Friday, June 19th, 2020, for prayer and reflection on racial justice and racism in the U.S. In the email, President Mengler acknowledges the murder of George Floyd to reflect on during the summer of mass protests and the Black Lives Matter movement. The campus community is also called to action with upcoming initiatives to create an "anti-racist" university. Dialogue and action are said to occur and relate to the Mariniast belief and tradition to act for the common good. The email represents a significant time within our pandemic year, which was the death of George Floyd that influenced mass protests and greater momentum for the existing Black Lives Matter, demanding the police be defunded. The email portrays how St.Mary's as an institution has reflected on the national issue and its influence on Marianist culture and call to action. -
2020-05-26
NAACP Responds to George Floyd
I live just South of Minneapolis. The murder of George Floyd was horrific and brutal. It disrupted the community at multiple levels and it is still disrupting it months later. The official response of the local NAACP chapter is important to note. -
2020-06-02
Racism Caught on Cell Phone
This cartoon drawn by Michael de Adder was posted on Twitter in response to the murder of George Floyd being caught on cell phone camera. It highlights the racism that is seen by the majority of the public versus what minorities experience in their everyday lives. -
2020-06-01
Life During Covid-19 Digital Pop-Up Exhibition
Students in Dr. Michael J. Kramer's Digital Methods for Historical Projects seminar at SUNY Brockport share stories about one object from the spring of 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic, https://brockportkramer.com/covid19/. Alan Gowans—Getting Past Personal and Public Anxieties Carson Werner—The Day Baseball Stood Still Cecil Frazier—Double Standards Gilberto Diaz III—Memes of COVID-19 Education Jared Rosenberg—Diary From a Mini-tunnel Joe Lasky—The Twitch and the Rosary Jordan Aviles—Music and Other Necessary Items Joseph Massaro—Music as an Escape From (and Turn to) the New Abnormal Leslie Hoag—TikTok-ing History Connections Nate Mundt—Recognizing First Responders Ryan Gibbs—Am I Doing It Right? Samantha Symonds—Saving Lives or Saving the Economy? Sebastian Phipps—Living In a Twenty-First Century Pandemic Steven Willard—Brutal and Grim Realizations Will Secules—Bringing The Office Home -
2020-09-08
Disconnect from our Core Values
This assignment is part of the American Studies classes at California High School in San Ramon, California. -
2020-07-29
Can the No-tipping Movement Survive
Danny Meyer jumped on a movement before the pandemic to end tipping. Now he's abandoning that movement but Chef Amanda Cohen thinks that's a bad move. Tipping is based on all the things we try to get rid of in other businesses; racism, sexism, classism, ageism, ableism, and so on. Restaurant workers know servers get paid more than anyone else even if that pay in unstable and you get more money if your "attractive." All the benefits of getting rid of tipping are there and all the ugliness behind tipping, so why are we still tipping? Especially now when the pandemic has given the food industry a moment to stop, reflect, and change. -
2020-06-17
Aunt Jemima is getting a new name.
Aunt Jemima the popular syrup and pancake mix is getting a new name. The brand which is based on a racial stereotype is getting a much-needed overhaul. -
2020-06
Tweets from Inside a Prison 6/7-6/13/2020 by Railroaded Underground
These images show the Tweets of a prison inmate using a contraband cell phone to let the public know what it is like inside the nations prisons during the coronavirus pandemic. This week he talks about the "racist violent system", George Floyd, wishes the momentum for change in policing and Black Lives Matter isn't lost, encouraging voting, #ClemancyNow, San Quentin in San Francisco, and being put in the hole after a prison guard handcuffed and kicked him in the face repeatedly. -
2020-07-09
She was watching another racist incident on a Vancouver bus. And then, something different happened
"As she boarded a bus Monday after a morning of classes at a downtown Vancouver campus, Tina Hoang was pleased to see that most passengers were physically distancing. "She sat down at an empty area near the middle of the bus. "But soon, a white man got on board and walked by a row of people who were all wearing masks, who all happened to be people of colour. "'Jesus Christ! Everyone is wearing a mask. It’s the f---ing Chinese virus,' he ranted loudly. "Hoang, who is 21, said she snapped at that moment after enduring months of dirty looks from people in Vancouver, which she attributed to scapegoating for the coronavirus outbreak." -
2020-07-07
"Anti-mask racist rant at T&T"
The caption accompanying the video reads: "My heart was broken and tears shed... 'I am Canadian'. When that guy shouted at him, he didn't know how to fight back, he kept saying 'I'm Canadian'. Obviously, Canada is his home! Where is our multiculturalism? Where are our national values? Even PM Trudeau called grocery store employees "heroes"! Why are heroes treated like this...? I don't understand... facts also prove that wearing a mask can help stop the spread of coronavirus. What did he/they do wrong? Just because he asked you to wear a mask? Ridiculous!" A video which has gone viral and prompted a police investigation which shows a middle aged man going on a loud rant varying from how he feels masks are bad for general health and how they impact his specific health, to how the virus was released on purpose and blaming it on people of Chinese descent in a T&T in Missisauga. T&T is a Canadian grocery chain specifically offering Chinese and other Asian goods and catering to Asian communities, though in recent years they have also gained some degree of popularity with Canadians of other backgrounds. In the video the man continues to advance on a masked, older male employee who is standing with his arms out, saying "where are your 2 metres?! Back away from me!" while moving forward. Several employees are gathered around asking the man to leave the store repeatedly while his wife, likewise unmasked, pulls on his arm in an attempt to deescalate. When the male employee's place of birth/citizenship becomes challenged, and the customer begins spouting off racist conspiracy theories the employee begins repeatedly yelling that he is Canadian, while attempting to get the man to leave. The customer does not mention until about halfway through the video that he has asthma and claims he will suffer and asthma attack should he wear a mask, but by that point he has made himself unwelcome and the staff tell him they reserve the right to have him leave regardless. Once again, the man's female companion is also not wearing a mask and gives no reason for this. The city of Mississauga does not currently have a bylaw or health order requiring masks indoors like Toronto, of which it is a suburb, but the T&T chain has an store policy requiring masks and has for nearly a month.