Writer: Siena Iwasaki Milbauer
CW: Discussion of gendered violence, and specific mention of the Atlanta shootings.
In the aftermath of the horrific March 2021 shootings in Atlanta, which left 8 people dead, 6 of them Asian women, mainstream scholars and media have (finally) cast a spotlight on the danger intertwined misogyny and racism creates for Asian American cisgender and transgender women, transgender men, and non-binary folks. This is something we have been experiencing in our communities for decades. So while it is a step in the right direction to see recognition of this issue become more widespread, naming the problem should be just the beginning of our work. The more crucial thing is, what do we do about it?
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so it is a very fitting time to think about the ways we can combat intertwined misogyny and racism. Here are some steps each of us can take to make a world that is safer for ourselves and our Asian community members:
Education and awareness may be the first step, but it is a very important one. The forces of misogyny and racism that Asian American cisgender and transgender women, transgender men, and non-binary folks face did not appear overnight. They have been cultivated and perpetrated for literally centuries.
Understanding this history is crucial to dismantling the power of these systems of oppression. This is especially true for allies in this fight, who have the duty to educate themselves about the ways they can assist their Asian American community members who are experiencing the lived pain of intertwined misogyny and racism.
There are numerous resources to help you learn about this issue. The sources for this article (listed at the bottom of the piece) all provide valuable information. Additionally, the following video could provide a solid starting point to kickoff your research:
Video CW: Mention of the Atlanta shootings, gender-based stereotyping, harassment, and violence.
–”NowThisNews” Interview with Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
Tragically, much of the gendered violence experienced by Asian Americans comes from within our own Asian communities. In order to truly make a world that is safe for Asian American cisgender and transgender women, transgender men, and non-binary folks, we have to confront the forces of patriarchy both within and without.
What can this look like in practice? For Asian folks who are vulnerable to gender-based discrimination and violence, it means unlearning internalized misogyny, building community with each other to create networks of support, and standing up against patriarchal dicrimination. For Asian allies, it means showing up in solidarity, and when appropriate, leveraging your privilege to create space and safety for marginalized community members.
For decades, Asian Americans have been left out of the conversation about race and racism in America. That time needs to be over. If we come together as individuals and communities, we can successfully obliterate the dangerous model minority myth, push back against racial gaslighting and prejudicial stereotypes, and claim our stories for ourselves.
As we push back against broad anti-Asian racism, we should also be aware that the intertwined impacts of racism and sexism mean the burden of prejudice falls harder on Asian American cisgender and transgender women, transgender men, and non-binary folks. According to a March 2021 report, out of the roughly 3,800 incidences of anti-Asian hate reported in the past year, 68% were experienced by women. It is important that in our movement for liberation, we center the perspectives of our marginalized Asian community members.
Something that this particular issue highlights is how deeply our fights for liberation are intersectional. By cultivating intersectional thinking within ourselves, we can approach the challenges that face us in more productive ways, and become better allies to folks who are engaged in connected anti-oppression work.
In our pain and grief, it can be easy to fall into destructive patterns of thinking that ultimately feed into the broader structures of oppression that hurt us all. For instance, as our Asian communities have faced a terrifying rise in anti-Asian attacks, we have seen attempts to use our pain to fuel anti-Black sentiments. This is a troubling development that we must resist. BIPOC solidarity, gender and sexuality solidarity, class solidarity: these are the paths which will lead us all to a brighter future, and we must work to cultivate them.
In light of the continuing rise in anti-Asian attacks, we want to inform our community that Stop AAPI hate has create a list of steps to take if you experience an instance of anti-Asian hate, or if you are a witness to an instance of anti-Asian hate and have the opportunity to intervene at https://stopaapihate.org/safety-tips/
Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) also has valuable resources at https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/anti-asian-hate
Local organizations that you can tap into in order to learn more and engage with these issues include us here at AAOP, CAAL MN, the SEAD Project, and the Youth Ethnic Studies Coalition
Chang, Ailsa, “For Asian American Women, Misogyny and Racism are Inseparable, Sociologist Says”, NPR, 19 Mar 2021. https://www.npr.org/2021/03/19/979336512/for-asian-american-women-misogyny-and-racism-are-inseparable-sociologist-says. Accessed 13 Apr. 2021.
Dabby, Chic; Poore, Grace, “Engendering Change: Transforming Gender Roles in Asian & Pacific Islander Communities”, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender Based Violence, Aug. 2007. https://s3.amazonaws.com/gbv-wp-uploads/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/09235701/Engendering-Change-API-GBV-2013.pdf. Accessed 14 Apr. 2021
Han, Yoonji, “Asian American women are speaking out against hate. Activists say that can mean fighting sexism and erasure.”, Insider, 30 Mar. 2021. https://www.insider.com/women-speak-up-against-anti-asian-hate-sexism-and-erasure-2021-3. Accessed 14 Apr. 2021.
Lang, Cady; Cachero, Paulina, “How a Long History of Intertwined Racism and Misogyny Leaves Asian Women in American Vulnerable to Violence”, Time, 7 Apr. 2021. https://time.com/5952819/history-anti-asian-racism-misogyny/. Accessed 13 Apr. 2021.
Tan, Jerrine, “The Atlanta Shootings Made Me Stop Gaslighting Myself”, Wired, 19 Mar. 2021. https://www.wired.com/story/opinion-atlanta-shootings-gaslighting-asian-women/. Accessed 14 Apr. 2021.
Yam, Kimmy, “There were 3,800 anti-Asian racist incidents, mostly against women, in past year”, NBC News, 16 Mar. 2021. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/there-were-3-800-anti-asian-racist-incidents-mostly-against-n1261257. Accessed 14 Apr. 2021.