Haruka, I didn't know you were such a talented writer in edition to being a talented photographer. I posed this question last night a durian club meetup - is there enough there to bind us together under the Asian American moniker? I think there is but what I'd argue is politically we are not bound. There are two movements happening among Asian Americans - one movement focuses on visibility and is racing to be white adjacent, and the other is focused on cross-racial solidarity and elevating everyone. Jay posits in Loneliest American: are you going to side with the oppressor or the oppressed? I know which side I'm on and I think the disconnect is that others have not quite made up their minds. I wrote this piece once Asian American Heritage month wrapped and it went viral on LinkedIn. It touched a nerve because I think people felt the divergence but couldn't quite name it: https://wnguyen.substack.com/p/the-crazy-rich-asians-movement
Wendy! Thank you for your thoughtful reply, and for doing the real work of securing accountability, not just access, for Asian Americans through SwAA. Your comment brought to mind this moment in Viet Thanh Nguyen's piece: “Today’s Asian Americans are being offered two paths: the radical future imagined by the Asian-American movement, and the consumer model symbolized by drinking boba tea and listening to K-pop.” I think it’s a stark illustration of the divergence you’re naming: between a politics of visibility and a politics of justice.
Haruka, I didn't know you were such a talented writer in edition to being a talented photographer. I posed this question last night a durian club meetup - is there enough there to bind us together under the Asian American moniker? I think there is but what I'd argue is politically we are not bound. There are two movements happening among Asian Americans - one movement focuses on visibility and is racing to be white adjacent, and the other is focused on cross-racial solidarity and elevating everyone. Jay posits in Loneliest American: are you going to side with the oppressor or the oppressed? I know which side I'm on and I think the disconnect is that others have not quite made up their minds. I wrote this piece once Asian American Heritage month wrapped and it went viral on LinkedIn. It touched a nerve because I think people felt the divergence but couldn't quite name it: https://wnguyen.substack.com/p/the-crazy-rich-asians-movement
Wendy! Thank you for your thoughtful reply, and for doing the real work of securing accountability, not just access, for Asian Americans through SwAA. Your comment brought to mind this moment in Viet Thanh Nguyen's piece: “Today’s Asian Americans are being offered two paths: the radical future imagined by the Asian-American movement, and the consumer model symbolized by drinking boba tea and listening to K-pop.” I think it’s a stark illustration of the divergence you’re naming: between a politics of visibility and a politics of justice.