Racism in the United States

[Adi1008]

I wanted to share this piece, which was particularly eye-opening for me. It's an open letter written by Dr. Tyrone B. Hayes, a professor at UC Berkeley, that describes some of the discrimination he's faced as a Black man in academia. Dr. Hayes is an accomplished scientist, but a Black person should not have to be Harvard-educated to deserve fairness in life.

[Booknerd]

5 months ago, George Floyd's death, captured on video, set off a fury of protests about the presence of racism in the United States. Today, we remain in a pandemic unlike any other in a century, and perhaps it is no surprise it affected Floyd too, who weeks earlier, had contracted COVID-19. In effect, he had been choked twice: a knee from the outside, and a virus from the inside. This is what a pandemic looks like.

Nobody wanted the pandemic. Before the shutdown of schools everywhere, it was going to be our season, where we finally made states, where we finally got to meet a forums friend in real life for the first time, where we finally earned that medal! But while we may have lost last season, the seasons come and go, and thus last spring replays this autumn, as Science Olympiad springs back to life. We are human, and we are a resilient species.

And from our resilience, we can choose to replay something else very differently—the course of human history. We enter this autumn with a much more acute knowledge of racism in America, and with new pandemic-safe tournaments, the barriers to participation have been lowered to having Internet at home. From every crisis springs opportunity, and now more than ever, we have the amazing potential to rewrite our teams' futures—one where we can be proud of our team for standing against racism, and for creating better STEM leaders. So, I'd like to re-open discussion: what are you doing to empower change in our schools and teams? What's working? What's not working? What questions do you still have?

You're also always welcome to talk about what you've been reading :)

[Giantpants]

5 months ago, George Floyd's death, captured on video, set off a fury of protests about the presence of racism in the United States. Today, we remain in a pandemic unlike any other in a century, and perhaps it is no surprise it affected Floyd too, who weeks earlier, had contracted COVID-19. In effect, he had been choked twice: a knee from the outside, and a virus from the inside. This is what a pandemic looks like.

Nobody wanted the pandemic. Before the shutdown of schools everywhere, it was going to be our season, where we finally made states, where we finally got to meet a forums friend in real life for the first time, where we finally earned that medal! But while we may have lost last season, the seasons come and go, and thus last spring replays this autumn, as Science Olympiad springs back to life. We are human, and we are a resilient species.

And from our resilience, we can choose to replay something else very differently—the course of human history. We enter this autumn with a much more acute knowledge of racism in America, and with new pandemic-safe tournaments, the barriers to participation have been lowered to having Internet at home. From every crisis springs opportunity, and now more than ever, we have the amazing potential to rewrite our teams' futures—one where we can be proud of our team for standing against racism, and for creating better STEM leaders. So, I'd like to re-open discussion: what are you doing to empower change in our schools and teams? What's working? What's not working? What questions do you still have?

You're also always welcome to talk about what you've been reading :)

I guess I can get things started. Granted, I'm not a student or affiliated with a team, but I have gotten involved with a Diversity & Inclusion group that the company I work for has started. At the moment, the group is predominantly white individuals who are older than me, so I am hoping to be able to bring forth discussions and points of view that may be new to some people.

By this token, one actionable item that some of you could do to empower change is to talk about diversity and inclusion with your coach(es). It may be something they're open to, but may not be actively thinking about. Planting that seed could get you a valuable ally in trying to improve inclusivity in science.

[jimmy-bond]

In light of the recent attacks in Atlanta, I just wanted to share a few thoughts and resources about anti-Asian racism.

As you may have heard, nearly 4000 hate incidents were reported to Stop AAPI Hate from March 2020 to February 2021 - and this is only a fraction of the total number that actually occurred. While the pandemic has exacerbated these sentiments, anti-Asian racism is certainly not new.

Asian Americans have had a long and impactful history in the United States. Unfortunately, despite their significance, these stories are often barely taught in typical history curricula. Essentially the only Asian American history covered in my classes was a short section about the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese internment camps, and a mention of the discrimination South Asians and Arab/Middle Eastern Americans faced after 9/11. It wasn't until I started searching for more information on my own that I learned about just how much Chinese Americans contributed to the Transcontinental railroad (and were purposely excluded from the famous Promontory Point picture), or the leadership of Larry Itliong and many other Filipino Americans in the Delano grape strike, or the brutal murder of Vincent Chin in 1982. Asian Americans have always faced racism in the US, but in spite of this, have managed to survive and leave their mark on this country’s history.

I encourage everyone to take the time to watch Asian Americans, a five-hour PBS documentary series that is now streaming for free: https://www.pbs.org/weta/asian-americans/watch/. This series covers many key events in Asian American history, exposing the discrimination Asian Americans have faced since they arrived in the US while celebrating their accomplishments and strength in the fight for justice. I remember watching this documentary with my family when it first aired last summer and learning so much about what it means to be "Asian American". As someone who identifies with this community myself, this was a hugely informative series, and I can’t recommend it strongly enough. For those in our community who identify as Asian American, this is an opportunity to explore your identity and learn about how we got to where we are today. For those who may not identify as Asian American, this is a chance to develop a deeper understanding of our community.

I'd also like to note that of the 8 people who were shot in the Atlanta attack, 6 of the people killed were Asian American women. In fact, 61%-68% of anti-Asian attacks reported in the news in 2020 targeted women (Borja). Asian American women have often been exoticized and subjected to racist and misogynistic stereotypes. As a male, I cannot speak for the lived experiences of Asian American women, but I (and the rest of us) can center their narratives. Here are just a few activists that you might consider following:

• Prof. Melissa Borja, a researcher with Stop AAPI Hate and a professor in the A/PIA studies department at UMich
• Prof. Erika Lee, an author and professor at the University of Minnesota
• Deepa Iyer, a lawyer and advocate with the Building Movement Project

What else can you do to support the Asian American community?

• Read more about Asian American history and activism (here’s a few lists I’ve found: https://www.vox.com/culture/22336712/an ... ading-list, https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/b ... can-books/) I’m still working on this myself - always open for any book club discussion!
• Don’t make “jokes” about “eating bats/dogs” or “ching chong” references, and avoid saying things like “Asians are all math nerds” or “there’s always an Asian better than you”. They are not, and have never been, funny. While these sorts of statements may seem harmless or even like a “compliment”, they are actually very damaging. They erase the hard work of each individual and treat Asian Americans as a monolithic group, when in reality, the Asian American community is an incredibly diverse group of people encompassing a wide range of cultural backgrounds and journeys. This also diminishes the struggles of marginalized groups within our community, whose voices are often ignored.
• Speak out against hate crimes and racist statements like the ones above when you hear them; Stop AAPI Hate has some good resources for this.
• Check in with your Asian American friends; this has been a tough time for many, and just hearing that your feelings and emotions are valid can make a big difference.

This is by no means a complete list - I'd love to hear what other people have been doing to cope and seek justice so we can all learn more, and I may add more as I continue to learn. Stay strong, and if anyone ever wants to talk about what's happening/complain/vent, I’m always here for you

[LittleMissNyan]

Last week's shooting in Atlanta has left lasting impacts on many of us. If you're seeking support or a way to express your feelings, please realize that you're not alone! There are places to get help or to talk to somebody:

• To chat with a trained volunteer about mental health hardships, text the word HOME to 741741. You can chat about anything you want, not just current events. As soon as you've sent the "HOME" message, you can simply start typing; no need to wait for them to respond before you send your next message.
• Asian Mental Health Project: https://asianmentalhealthproject.com/
• Resources I got from my university: https://aac.unc.edu/resources

avoid saying things like “Asians are all math nerds” or “there’s always an Asian better than you”. They are not, and have never been, funny. While these sorts of statements may seem harmless or even like a “compliment”, they are actually very damaging. They erase the hard work of each individual and treat Asian Americans as a monolithic group, when in reality, the Asian American community is an incredibly diverse group of people encompassing a wide range of cultural backgrounds and journeys. This also diminishes the struggles of marginalized groups within our community, whose voices are often ignored.

Person's post is extremely well-researched, and I even learned several new things I never knew before. I'd really like to re-emphasize this excerpt, because people don't always realize why it's really super, super important. It not only insults non-Asians as less intelligent by merit of race (when in reality, they are equally capable), it also lulls Asian-Americans with a false sense of security. This illustrates a broader point of racism—it can be a lose-lose game. It may have started as a way for one group of people to extract benefits over another group of people, and privilege continues to exist, of course, but there are also times where racism hurts everybody. That means that if you help out to reduce racism, then no matter your racial identity, you too will benefit. Everybody benefits from ending racism. This forum thread will remain open, and while we may not uncover the solutions, we can at least deepen our understanding. Together, we can make progress over racism.

Take care.

[Thenerdicat]

I mean, with the recent Asian hate crimes, I went to a few rallies where Asian people (mostly parents and professors) spoke out about the issue. It's really sad with what's been going on in the U.S. lately.