We Must Act: Solidarity + Racial Justice Now!
Supporting AAPI Educators and Students
About
Every day is a good day to fight for racial justice. Saying #StopAsianHate isn’t enough: we need to actively show it in our work toward anti-racism on personal, structural and institutional levels. We are grieving and we are outraged at the increased acts of violence against Asians and Asian Americans. Together, we must continue the call for justice. Join us to commit to anti-racism work every day.
Racism
- Because racism is a highly organized system, it operates on an individual and institutional level.
- Individual: Comments, looks, talking over people, dismissing ideas and other interpersonal behaviors.
- Institutional: Policies, practices and unwritten norms as well as the ways people uphold these practices.
We Want to Know
We want to know what you think!
- What does anti-AAPI racism look like on an individual level at your school/district?
- What does anti-AAPI racism look like on an institutional level at your school/district?
- What is the history of racism in the US….California…..your community?
- How does the history of racism manifest in public education?
- How are you working and teaching to support AAPI educators and students?
- How are you making your classroom a more racially just space for all students?
- How can we commit to anti-racism in our everyday lives — not just when there are violent acts and deaths?
Webinar & CTA Coverage
Speaking Out
CTA Statement
California Educators Condemn Violence Against Asian American Community
California Teachers Association President E. Toby Boyd issued this statement mourning the lives lost in Atlanta, Georgia in a string of violence against Asian American women, and the recent acts of violence against Asian Americans across the nation:
President's Message
Our Home Should Be Safe
Home should always be a safe place, but it hasn’t been lately for nearly 21 million Asian Americans facing a rising tide of racism.
NEA Statement
NEA President Becky Pringle’s statement on mass shootings in Atlanta
We must come together to demand safety and justice for the AAPI community
Washington—NEA President Becky Pringle issued the following statement in response to the increasing violence against the AAPI community. The most recent violent attack involved the murder of eight people, including six Asian women, by a white man in Atlanta.
“Whatever the color of our skin, the language we speak or where we were born, we all want to safely move through our communities without fearing for our lives or loved ones. The violence against our AAPI communities, especially AAPI women, is rooted in long-standing anti-Asian discrimination in this country. This trend of targeted hate against our friends, families, and communities has turned even more frequent and deadlier over the past year. Our communities are shattered and afraid.
“All of us are safer when we collectively address hate and bias, and recognize how when we work across racial differences we are stronger. However, certain politicians aim to distract and divide us with hateful rhetoric, then look the other way while white supremacists grow their ranks to the point where violence by white men against AAPI, Black and brown people is normalized. The victims of this most recent murderous attack have had their lives and dreams stolen and the grief extends across the nation.
“Together, through our grief, pain and anger, AAPI, Black, brown and Indigenous people have been organizing and fighting back against racial terror and violence towards and in our communities.
Most immediately, NEA is demanding that:
- AAPI communities be represented and heard at the local, state and federal levels as immediate needs for safety and care are being discussed and determined.
- Policymakers address the impact that the easy access to gun purchases has on our safety.
“And, we as educators respond when we see or experience hate incidents, provide education from the earliest grades on the histories of our diverse communities to ensure Asian Americans, and all Americans, are seen as equally integral to American history and American society. The NEA stands with and for all of the families coping with their loss, and joins them in demanding justice.”
Letter to the White House on rising hate crimes against the Asian American community
NEA President Becky Pringle urges the Biden Administration to lift up, support, and protect the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
CTA Local Chapters & Affiliates: Statements, Resolutions, Committees & More
How is your local chapter or affiliate working toward anti-racism and supporting your AAPI students, educators and communities? Share with us and email CTA Equity and Justice Department at ejd@cta.org
Caucuses
The Pacific Asian American Caucus of the California Teachers Association exists to advocate for Asian and Pacific Islander educators, students, and communities both within the organization as well as in society at large. Membership is open to any CTA member interested in the issues facing these students and communities regardless of ethnicity. The caucus meets at CTA State Councils as well as at many CTA conferences to discuss issues and bring forward solutions.
Caucus members advise, educate and lobby CTA State Council of Education and the CTA Board of Directors on issues of concern to the varying caucuses. Membership in CTA caucuses is open to all CTA members.
Take Action
Resources
- Race, Religion and Politics: The complexities of being Asian
- Asian American Racial Justice Toolkit
- APALA’s Resource Guide on Anti-Asian Violence
- Anti-Asian Violence Resources
- 30 Revolutionary Asians and Pacific Islanders to celebrate for API Heritage Month
- How to respond to Coronavirus racism in the classroom
- It’s race, class and gender together: Why the Atlanta killings aren’t just about one thing
- Stop AAPI Hate National Report
- Asian American Education Project’s Teacher Training Workshops
- Angry Asian Man Blog
- Characteristics of white supremacy culture
- Humanizing Asian Americans in the Classroom Through Children’s Literature
- Supporting Arab American Students in the Classroom
- Racial Justice in Education Guide
- Addressing Anti-Asian Racism in the University
- Can Majority-White Teachers Unions Be Anti-Racist?
- Microaggressions don’t just hurt your feelings
- Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)
- People’s Collective for Justice and Liberation
- NAPAWF Atlanta
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Los Angeles
- Filipino Advocates for Justice
- AYPAL for youth
- Chinese Progressive Association San Francisco
- VietRISE
- Khmer Girls In Action
- Hmong Innovating Politics
- Pilipino Workers Center
- Desis Rising Up and Moving
- Asian American Advocacy Fund
- API Equality – LA
- National Queer Asian Pacific Islander American Federation Members
- Offer resources for the AAPI Community in GA
- Teaching Tolerance
- Zinn Education Project
- Rethinking Schools
Language Matters: Racial Justice Glossary
Anti-Racism: The active process of identifying and working toward eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies, practices, norms and attitudes, so that power is redistributed and moves toward equity. See an expanded definition here.
BIPOC: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The term “builds authentic and lasting solidarity among Black, Indigenous and People of Color, in order to undo Native invisibility, anti-Blackness, dismantle white supremacy and advance racial justice.” (Source: The BIPOC Project)
Colorism: First coined by Alice Walker, colorism is used to refer to within group and between group prejudice and/or discrimination in favor of lighter skin tones and against darker skin tones. It isn’t racism, however there is a clear relationship.
Covert Racism: A form of racism disguised and subtle, rather than public or obvious. Covert racism is woven into the fabric of society and erases BIPOC through seemingly passive methods and underlying messages. See microaggressions.
Critical Race Theory: Activists and scholars interested in studying and transforming the relationship of race, racism and power. Educators are encouraged to read books and work by critical race theorists.
Cultural Competency: Skill development for work across cultural lines. *Not* about access to resources, power and privilege. *Not* about systems.
Decolonization: Work toward undoing, dismantling the effects of the oppressor/oppressed regime or structures imposed by a colonial power. For a classroom, this can mean unlearning and removing oppressive curriculum, language, images, norms, etc. (Sources 1 2)
Diversity: Awareness and appreciation of difference. It’s *not* about access to resources, power and privilege. *Not* about systems and it’s often very vaguely used. Many schools and organization hyper-focus on this, and need to move beyond it.
Microaggressions: A statement, action or inference that is indirect, subtle discrimination against members of a marginalized group such as a racial or ethnic minority. An example might be saying “You’re so articulate” to a Black person (underlying assumption being, it’s surprising you can speak so well for a Black person.) Some folks may refer to microaggressions as “Your racism is showing.” (See video 1, video 2)
Optical/Performative Allyship: Solidarity that only serves at the surface level to lift up and provide a platform for the ally. Makes a statement but doesn’t go beneath the surface and is not aimed at breaking away from the systems of power that oppress. (Source: Latham Thomas) Folks should work to center the movement, not themselves.
School to Prison Pipeline: A disturbing national trend where children are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Most of these children are students of color, have learning disabilities and/or histories of poverty, abuse, or neglect. Instead of receiving additional educational and counseling support services, they are isolated, punished, suspended and pushed out.
Social Justice/Equity: Examines systems and history and how they impact individuals and looks squarely at access to resources, power and privileges, and asks “Who has it?” It’s about big picture and daily lives.
Racism: A system (consisting of structures, policies, practices and norms) that structures opportunity and assigns value based on socially constructed categories of people. It unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities and provides advantages and access to others. The system of racism does not allow the realization of one’s full potential because it denies access to resources, power and privilege.
Whiteness: Like race, whiteness is a social construct rather than an essential characteristic or biological fact; is used as cultural property, and provides resources, power and privilege to those who are considered white, pass as white, or are given “honorary” white status
White Fragility: Describes the disbelieving defensiveness that white people exhibit when their ideas about race and racism are challenged—and particularly when they feel implicated in white supremacy. (Source: Robin DiAngelo). “White tears” are a symptom of white fragility.
White Privilege: The resources, power and privilege provided to people who are considered white; an exemption of social, political, and/or economic burdens placed on BIPOC; benefitting from societal structuring that prioritizes white people and whiteness.
White Savior Complex: Refers to a white person who assumes that folks of color need their “help” and “saving.” We see this trope play out in the media, racist curriculum and histories, choices made about traveling abroad, foreign policy, organizational structures and more. (Sources: 1 2)
White Supremacy: A historically based, institutionally perpetuated system of exploitation and oppression of continents, nations and peoples of color by white people for the purpose of maintaining and defending a system of resources, power and privilege.