We hope you enjoyed our Asian Pacific American Heritage Month events! In May, we hosted 11 events and had broad participation from around the world. Our cooking classes (Korean Street Food and Filipino Chicken Adobo) were hugely popular - they had the highest turnout. Don’t forget to check out some of the other events we held - some of them are online on our YouTube channel and can be watched at any time. We look forward to seeing you at our other AAPI events!
June is Pride Month. To celebrate, our caucus will be exploring the intersections between AAPI and LGBTQ+ identities in partnership with the Global LGBTQ+ Caucus. We’ll be hosting a segment of the Pride Marathon on June 20 (more details below). And join us on June 25 for a Q&A session with Professor Amy Sueyoshi, Associate Dean of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University, on her work with the Seen and Unseen Exhibit, which explores the history of LGBTQ people in the Japanese American community before 1945. Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates on those events!
As we wind down from the Democrats Abroad Global Meeting last month, we will also begin developing tools to help country committees increase their outreach to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in their countries. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing racial group in the United States, and our votes can make the difference in states like Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Check out this page to get involved today!
Best wishes,
Cory J. Lemke and Emily Lines
News
COVID-19 hits Asian American employment especially hard
The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing recession have hit Asian Americans especially hard. Learn more about how the AAPI community has been affected and the lack of attention and research towards the economic effect of the pandemic on the AAPI community in the blog post from Ifung Lu.
In Case You Missed It: AAPI Heritage Month
"Slaysians" of Asian American Fashion and their Influence on Culture, Food and Activism
Sera Murphy, aka The Reoutfitter, presented an in-depth look into the SLAYSIANS - five fashion insiders Phillip Lim, Prabal Gurung, Laura Kim, Tina Leung and Ezra Williams - and how their group’s hashtag (#Slaysians) evolved from a love of fashion and food into activism for the AAPI community.
Learn about the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese Internment
"Perpetual foreigner" is a common term associated with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. This sentiment can be traced back to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which made it illegal for Chinese workers to come to America and for Chinese nationals already in the U.S. to become citizens, and is also associated with the establishment of Japanese Internment Camps (aka Japanese concentration camps) during World War II.
To better understand the history of the AAPI community in the United States, we have collected a few clips and articles that explain the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese Internment. Read more here.
Shuli de la Fuente-Lau, Founder of @AsianLitForKids
Shuli de la Fuente-Lau of @AsianLitForKids sat down virtually with Angela Chen from Democrats Abroad Lion City to discuss the intersection of children’s books, racial identity, and the anti-racism journey.
The concepts of “race,” “acceptance,” and “other” take seed at a young age. Learn about how the current progress in “diverse” kids’ book publishing is important in shaping today’s children, why Representation must be paired with Conversation, and which new children’s books you should be adding to your cart right now. Watch the video interview and find a list of recommended reading.
Recipes from Home
This month, we're highlighting a recipe from Steering Committee Member Ada Shen -- check out how to make Ada's Ginger Tea
Let's share the stories and recipes that remind us of home, that make you laugh, or that solve a problem! We’ll post them in the newsletter and on our website. If you have a video, even better – send us the link!
Events
Teatime in June
We’re holding our next community event for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders living abroad, with a focus this month on LGBTQ* and AAPI communities. Come get acquainted, swap stories, and find your community!
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
10am Vancouver / 1pm Washington, D.C. / 7pm Berlin
RSVP | Facebook
Senator Tammy Baldwin on the Equality Act
Hosted by Global LGBTQ+ Caucus
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
8:30am Washington, DC / 2:30pm Berlin / 9:30pm Tokyo
RSVP
Juneteenth Fundraiser: Let Freedom Ring!
Hosted by Global Black Caucus
Saturday, June 19, 2021
12pm Washington DC / 6pm Berlin
RSVP
The Half of It Discussion - Global Virtual Pride Marathon
Let’s talk about AAPI queer identity and Alice Wu's film The Half of It. A Netflix original movie, The Half of It received rave reviews from critics and tells the story of teenage Ellie Chu, who writes letters to her crush on the behalf of her classmate Paul in a queer retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac. As Paul and Ellie's friendship grows, the film explores the isolation of the intersection of queer and immigrant identity as well as the meaning of friendship. Stay tuned for more details!
Sunday, June 20, 2021
Global Virtual Pride Marathon begins 6am EDT
RSVP | Facebook
Seen & Unseen: Discussion with the Curators
Seen and Unseen is the first-ever exhibit focused on Nikkei (Japanese Americans) who were involved in intimate same-sex relationships or defied gender roles in the early 20th century. The exhibition is hosted by J-Sei, a multi-generational and multi-cultural organization with its roots in Nikkei values and culture.
Join us for a discussion with the curators Amy Sueyoshi & Stan Yogi about the development of the exhibition and its role in addressing the past and present struggles of queer and gender non-conforming Japanese Americans.
Thursday, June 24, 2021
10pm Seoul / 3pm Berlin / 9am Washington, D.C.
RSVP
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand: The Women’s Economic Forum
Hosted by Global Women's Caucus
Saturday, June 26, 2021
9am Washington, D.C.
RSVP
Meet the AAPI Caucus Team
Angela Chen, AAPI Caucus Events Working Group Member:
"Angela Chen is a California voter, and a member of the Events Working Group of the Global AAPI Caucus. She lives in Singapore with her husband and daughter, having arrived in November 2020 after five years in Hong Kong." Read more about Angela
Saehee Chang, Germany AAPI Caucus:
"Hi everyone! Greetings from Nürnberg, Germany.
I decided to volunteer for Democrats Abroad Germany AAPI Caucus because it is personal and important to me. As a naturalized Korean American from Wisconsin, I want to raise awareness of the challenges and issues that the AAPI community faces every day." Read more about Saehee
Wy Ming Lin, Germany AAPI Caucus:
"Hi! I'm Wy Ming (pronounced just like Wyoming, without the O 😉) and I am a New York voter originally from Brooklyn. I've lived all over Germany and have spent considerable time in Berlin, Cologne, and Leipzig, before settling down first for my Masters and now for my PhD in Tübingen." Read more about Wy Ming
