Being An Ally: A Guide to Asian Support
As we have witnessed over the past few weeks, the increase in anti-Asian violence has proven the urgency for unifying to fight against racial injustice. This is especially important within the music industry as Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists, such as BTS, are forging their way into the American mainstream music scene. It is necessary that the industry do all it can to advocate for this community and solidify their place within music and this country. With bridging divides at the forefront of our mission, JV Agency wanted to provide you with a guide to supporting the AAPI folks around you.
Understand Their Experiences and Our Shortcomings
It is vital to understand the structures that allow for violence and racism to persist. There are many resources that address racism and violence, from pieces of literature to podcasts. Bonus points if you are checking out the works of AAPI and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) folks! Here are some resources that you can check out to orient yourself in this conversation:
Podcasts & Articles
The Takeaway’s podcast segment, “Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, Anti-Asian Violence Spikes Across the U.S.”
If you don’t know much about what is going on, this 20 minute podcast is a wonderful place to start. The host, alongside guests Chris Kwok and Russell Jeung touch on a variety of topics, from the Asian-American response to COVID-19’s influence on this surge of violence.
Asian & Asian-American representation in the music industry, an article by From The Intercom.
Li-Wei Chu, the author of this article, sent out an impromptu survey to his Facebook friends to gauge their knowledge of Asian/Asian American music. From the survey results, he discusses the lack of diversity among listeners and ways we can address that.
Self Evident: Asian America’s Stories ,which highlights the stories in Asian Americans and what exactly it means for them to claim America today.
This podcast is an informal way to witness the Asian American experience, the good and the bad. Episodes like ‘Hate Goes Viral’ touch on the more serious experiences, such as racism in a COVID world while their most recent episode ‘Saving the Seeds’ talks about the Asian American affinity for fruit!
Academic Texts
Myth of the Modern Minority: Asian Americans Facing Racism by Rosalind S. Chou and Joe R. Feagin
Through the telling of Asian American experiences with racism, this text dismantles the model minority myth and discusses how it perpetuates racism against Asian American communities.
We Gon’ Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation by Jeff Chang
In this work, the title inspired by the Kendrick Lamar lyric, Chang looks at the history of race and the struggle of minority communities to reach a place of racial justice. This is an honest conversation about what we are doing wrong, despite thinking we are doing right.
Yellow Peril!: An Archive Of Anti-Asian Fear by John Kuo Wei Tchen and Dylan Yeats
If you’re looking for a history that is more media focused, this is the perfect read. Yellow Peril is an archive of anti-Asian media, ranging from pop culture to politics. Recounting this history of anti-Asian sentiment allows us to better understand how to unlearn these ideas.
Contribute Your Resources and Energy
One way to provide immediate support is by donating your resources to these communities. There are many credible organizations that are taking donations to be distributed to support AAPI people. If you can’t contribute money, there are also opportunities to volunteer your time!
Donations will help the organization continue to run their Stop AAPI Hate Reporting Center which aims to track anti-Asian crimes across the United States
Hollaback! And Asian Americans Advancing Justice free bystander and de-escalation trainings
Being a good ally means standing up for those who cannot and should not have to do so themselves. Their free training provides you with the skills and knowledge to contribute to the issue at the source.
It is important for Asian communities to have the resources to safely address mental health. Donations will be contributed to providing tangible mental health services and resources for the Pan-Asian community.
A donation to the Asian American Arts Alliance will help fund the alliance’s efforts, such as running their media channels and providing workshops for Asian American artists.
This Communities Against Hate report form is to be filled out in the event of you experiencing or witnessing a hate crime. This is a tangible way to contribute to documented experiences and provide supporting evidence for calls to action.
Support AAPI Creators
A great way to show your solidarity is by supporting the works of AAPI creators! Here are some of our favorite AAPI musicians that you can listen to:
Phum Viphurit, indie singer songwriter with mellow yet energetic vibes
Rina Sawayama, a versatile pop queen with a twist of R&B, punk and club beats
Yaeji, bringing the heat with house music that has electro pop and hip hop influences
88rising, the largely Asian collective with a wide range of artists and sounds
Raveena, an R&B/Soul powerhouse who has co-headlined a festival with H.E.R
Run River North, the folk trio with a mesmerizing cover of Mr.Brightside
Listen and Learn
Above all, it is important to put the voices of those affected at the forefront. Actively listening to the stories and experiences of your AAPI friends and family is the best way to really understand what they’re going through. This is also a great time for you to ask how you can help. While we’ve put a lot of resources out, each person will vary in the type of support they need. It is helpful to directly ask questions such as , “What can I do to support you?”. This puts you in a better position to collaborate and be a more effective ally! At the end of the day, the road to being an ally will not be perfect. You might make some mistakes but the thing that matters most is that you are trying: to educate yourself, to contribute your energy, and to be a better friend.