photo from https://www.freevector.com/group-of-people-vector--28523
Mission Statement
Democracy enhances the opportunity and freedom of what change can bring. Doing what you can for what you are passionate about, creates attention and conveys perseverance. These examples, which are featured throughout our project, have revealed that the Asian-American Pacific Islander experience has many layers, and portrays how empowerment has been born for the past generations.
Our view on democracy demands voices to be heard, stories are told, and for leaders to initiate a shift in the discriminatory and biased systems. It is the freedom to share ideas to induce change, and now, actually, see it implemented into reality at the government and societal level. Democracy, in a more general perspective, allows everybody in the United States, regardless of race, social status, or religion, to have the right to vocalize their thoughts and ideas freely towards the functionality of this nation. Since we are currently taking an Asian American Studies class, we decided to pinpoint the ways democracy has done justice and the ways it villainized the Asian community throughout the years. The Asian-American Pacific Islander experience is unique to each individual, which further proves that they deserve a chance to voice their experiences and should be heard by others. In our best attempt to present these events and ideas regarding democracy, we produced many works to put onto our website to help others understand “What is democracy” a little more. Along the way, we slowly learned more about what democracy means, as we connected past and present events to the broad definition. We achieved to discuss and illustrate many ways democracy has sustained its general goals, but also realized the faults in which democracy had prohibited us from moving forward to a more progressive and inclusive society.
Using interviews with our peers, allowed us to see what others around us thought about democracy, and how it has impacted them personally. Additionally, how we can move forward and empower the voices of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. With our historical pieces, we dive into the past and analyze events that highlight the Asian-American Pacific Islander experience and how those events affect them today. These events displayed how democracy was utilized to have their voices heard, but also how the advancements of democracy were violated and ignored. Moreover, these historical events give us a pedestal to discuss our current event pieces as AAPI history serves as the backbone as to why we have many of the opportunities now. Our current event pieces would allow both us and other individuals to connect with the present events that are happening around us. This permits us to see if throughout the years, the goal of democracy is being kept, or if the voices of Asian American individuals are still being ignored in more ways than one. Moreover, highlighting and discussing the Asian-American Pacific Islander experience breaks down the ‘model minority myth’ and the stereotype that the AAPI community keeps their heads down when talking about politics. Our hope with this website is to expand the audience's thoughts of the Asian and Pacific Islander experience in America and how without their contributions, this country would not be what it is today.
About Us
Team Leader
Welcome! My name is Val, short for Valentina Hernandez, I am a second year studying Business Accounting. Given the opportunity to work with a group of my classmates, I was able to expand my skills of communication, asking questions, and create something powerful, educational, and influential along with my great team. As a democracy, we divided the work equally and shared new ideas with one another in order to create our website. We balanced out the workload and helped one another along the way. This project has reminded me how much has been accomplished before us today, and what we should focus on in the future.
Team Member
Hi, I'm Junzheng Li, an Junior international student at San Jose University, majoring mechanical engineering. This is the 8th year I've been in the States, the impact of American culture have changed me quite a bit. Back then, I used to be a full time professional Mountain biking Racer, participated in may competitions around the world.
Team member
I am Marielle Navales (she/her), a sophomore biology student at San Jose State University. I was born in Union City, California, and have lived there all of my life. I am a first-generation Filipino-American woman in which I was able to use some of my experience in creating these posts. In the process of curating this website, I was able to take a deep dive into democracy learning ways to unlearn the biased history from my K-12 education and be in control of the material I learn.
team member
Hello! My name is Cherulise Fuimaono, I also go by Cher, and I am a sophomore at SJSU currently looking into Kinesiology studies. I was born in Honolulu, Hawai'i and grew up most of my life in both California and Hawai'i since my dad is in the military. I plan to train and become an Athletic Trainer in the future.
team member
Hiii! My name is Kelley Dinh. I am a Sophomore here at SJSU, currently majoring in Graphic Design. In my everyday life, I wouldn't even think twice about anything related to democracy. However, during this project, I got to broaden my knowledge about today's democracy whilst working along side my teammates. Together we were able to portray what we understand about democracy, and really focus on how it was applied to the country we now live in.
HISTORICAL POST
by: Valentina Hernandez
In the development of the United States, Hawaii was highlighted for its vast land opportunity in the agriculture industry. Sugar plantations grew to be Hawaii’s speciality. Within the mid-90’s, Hawaii was the biggest provider of sugar plantations within the United States at the time. The first laborers of these plantations originated all over from Japan, the Philippines, China, and Portugal, enduring long hours of physical labor in means for a better future for their families. Along with the work opportunity, came it’s debatable disputes regarding deserving pay and fair hours as more work was demanded. Shoshi Parks in “The not-so-sweet story of how Filipino workers tried to take on Big Sugar in Hawaii” demonstrates how “Leaders of Filipino and Japanese sugar plantation strike first challenged the Hawaii Sugar Planters’ Association (HSPA) in 1920” (Parks, 2018). The group simply insisted on reasonably humane changes like an increase in wages and shorter work days considering they were excessive. Since the plantation owners refused to cooperate with them, years later the Filipino Piecemeal Sugar Strike in 1924 arose in a stronger manner. Compared to the Japanese workers, the Filipinos were given unfair treatment as a part of the HSPA, such as living “in isolation, in bare camps with no temples, no language schools, no young men’s associations, and no community roots” (Parks, 2018). Despite the tension between the subjective treatment of Filipino laborers, the Japanese united with them to support the movement. With a slow process, as the movement progressed, false allegations toward Filipino immigrants were being targeted with stereotypes such as, “hot-headed, knife-wielding, overdressed” (Parks, 2018). Continually trying to suppress the ignored, and attempts to defeat them with stereotypes, an early example of democracy was born. Eventually even after HSPA rejected their initial propositions, Filipino workers grew in numbers to participate in protesting on an Oahu plantation in 1920. With that strike failing, the first Filipino lawyer in Hawaii, Manalapit, solemnly dedicated himself to reach new volumes. In 1922, Manlapit with the help of George Wright settled the High Wages Movement carrying the goals of 1920’s strike which featured an eight-hour workday for wages at least $2 a day and overtime pay. Despite the letdowns and denials from association, with persistence of the union curated of Filipino and Japanese laborers, change was born. This is an example of how democracy has shaped the culture of Asian-Americans. It is an example of union and power amidst challenges. In the face of supercilious order, active organizing became a part of being an Asian-American. Without challenge, there is no victory. Collectively striking against an industry is democracy. Democracy is defined as a form of government particularly formed by the people. The laborers are the people of Hawaii, of the future of Asian-Americans. Today, we have more of a balanced and fair system because of these movements. Democracy is a ripple effect of one person, then groups of people standing and proclaiming they will not serve without recognition and dignity.
To risk their job and livelihood was the greatest risk of all. Why continue under injustice when you carry greatness to be recognized. Their strikes took patience as it “flowed like a slow-moving lava from April through September on the islands of O’ahu, Hawai’i, Maui, and Kaua’i” (Parks, 2018). From Island to island, the fire in them grew to not leave defeated. It is important to recognize brave stories like these to remind marginalized groups today that they are capable and have examples to look up to. Not only did the laborers reveal what democracy can form, but they brought together various Asians despite their differences. The term Asian-American implies an in between of ethnic backgrounds yet finding the commonality of what being an American means to each of them.
Works Cited
Parks, Shoshi. The not-so-sweet story of how Filipino workers tried to take on Big Sugar in Hawaii. May 30, 2018. https://timeline.com/filipino-workers-sugar-strike-fa58953e78e
AJ+. "Asian Americans Have A Long History Of Activism In The US." April 1, 2021. https://youtu.be/XZr1DzaMmiI
Photo By: The Truth About Skin Whitening - The Pioneer https://wohspioneer.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Skin-Whitening-Obsession-900x467.jpg
Interview with Patricia
By: Valentina Hernandez
For this interview, I conducted a casual discussion with my best friend who is Filipino American. Patricia Requilman is a first generation child, raised in Orange County, California, to parents both from the Philippines. She is nineteen years old studying Business at Cal State Fullerton and sat down with me to explore her upbringing about how much being Filipino impacted her life. One of the questions I asked that resulted in a very eye-opening answer was: Do you feel/Have you experienced colorism in your own culture and family?
“Yes. Because I’m a little brown girl haha and growing up obviously my mom and my dad, of course my dad because I get it from him. Growing up, my mom and dad were never the ones who were pushing for it. It was my grandma… very much, ‘Oh stay out of the sun’, when my mom put me in swimming lessons, I remember her getting so upset and my grandma said to my mom, “You’re going to ruin her skin, look it!” And then… when I would go out with my grandma, my mom would always give me long sleeves, make me wear a bucket hat. I think that’s why a lot of asian people get made fun of kind of because they are always wearing long sleeves in the sun, having an umbrella… because they are trying to protect their skin. And people said it’s because they are tourists but it’s really because they want to protect their skin from the sun. So when I would hang out with my grandma, my mom would dress me up like that just to avoid getting into an argument, you know? And when my grandma drives, she always drives with gloves on and jacket on her arms to block it from the sun?”
In disbelief that her grandma had that mindset that only a fair and light complexion is beautiful, I questioned, “Everytime?”
“Yes, she has driving gloves and then she would always … I remember when I first went to the Philippines, we went to a dermatologist place and everyone there, just pale white, I was like that’s crazy. Because in the Philippines they really value light skin and that’s why everyone you see on T.V. they are all very pale and I know they have skin bleaching treatments… I obviously didn’t do it ahaha I got a facial! Um, I feel bad because compared to my sister, I have a lighter complexion than her even though we’re both brown. Another thing is, instead of saying tan, they use the word, “Oh you got so dark” which has a more negative connotation. “Oh, you got dark, oh you look burnt… yea”
She then continues to explain how compared to her sister, Sam, in her family her relatives would consider Patricia more beautiful than her considering her sister is a few shades darker. Her grandmother would continue to bring them soaps saying “This will help,” expecting that they would use it and be grateful for their beautiful tan brown skin to fade away. Patricia mentions how these products were introduced to her:
“So young. So so so so young. So then, I already grew up like oh no this isn’t good. I think that’s why sometimes it is a sensitive topic. Especially if I am with my family. Or even if one of our friends… they don’t mean it in a bad way, they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh Trish you look so tan!’ Like to me that’s like ugh, it’s not good. But here, they really like being tan, people pay to be tan.”
I recognized how her story reveals an example of decolonization with beauty standards. I communicated how many of us are brought up to be convinced that features reflecting a white woman are what beauty standards are. However, unlearning these ways reflects how our system has been colonized to believe that darker skin means working outside, typically as a poor laborer rather than a porcelain white appeal that is high class. Many people expect pretty girls to be mixed with something of European descent, referring to white features because they don’t see beauty in that specific ethnicity.So, how do you feel like that’s changed, being an American and have you seen that with your workforce?
“I think because we grew up in such a white area, or predominantly white area, it was always just trying to fit in, you know because on the inside, it's hard when I go to places where there’s more ethnic groups, especially Filipino groups, like San Diego… Because here I feel like on the outside I look Filipino, but on the inside, my personality is very… I’m a coconut. Yea, it’s crazy when people say that because you want to be enough for your own culture, but then it’s like it depends who you hear it from. If you hear it from a white person, like “You’re kind of white washed” then you’re like, “really? Thanks!” But if you hear it from somebody else, you’re like Oh noo *cringes*
How do you feel you fit in democracy? And how/what have you done to challenge the system/how do you feel your mom has fit into it, your parents, your grandpa and have you ever felt challenged/ or do you think there’s a generational difference between how we view democracy versus our parents?
“I think that it’s different, it’s really weird because they came from … grew up in such a not so healthy place. They are so appreciative, they never complain and if I ever complained, they’re like, ‘Why are you complaining? Look where you live, look at your life’ So I mean I don’t think I’ve ever challenged the system but if anyone has their own opinions about everything that goes on in the world, I hear them out”
Was there ever a moment growing up not that there needs to be, that you were like, “Oh I’m different than my white friend” and how is your experience with that?
“I remember in kindergarten, whenever we would color…. I have a specific example. In kindergarten, we had a specific book and it was just drawing from each month and I remember that at the beginning of the year we drew a portrait of ourselves, and at the end of the school year we drew another one of ourselves… like this is me! And this is me now… For the first this is me… I drew myself how I actually like, black hair, brown crayon… and at the end of the year, she was literally blonde.”
Casper interview with Frankie
Chinese Exclusion Act & Racial Discrimination
by: Casper(Junzheng) Li
Racism is always a big topic people like to talk about meanwhile trying to avoid being involved in it. When Racism happens, it is often not occurring by itself, but following along with many violations of human rights. There’s no exact definition of where and when it can happen to which group of people, and it is very hard to believe that, not just us (ordinary people) who can be resist, many times, in history, authorities were the true leader (cause) of hidden racisms. Chinese, or Chinese American, 24% of the Asian population in United States has often been look down on. Even though they should share the same rights as White American population, but a lot of the times racism still happens. Chinese people were discriminated long ago; government actions led to inequality towards Chinese Americans; Many lives were taken due to racism brought by authorities; Democracy’s benefit was not served to Chinese groups.
As mentioned in previous lines, Chinese immigrants in United States were discriminated long ago in the 1880’s. When people talk about immigration of Chinese people to America, people always think in the mid and late 90’s. Even a lot of Native Chinese did not know that the earliest immigration of Chinese was in the 18th century. When racism is being brought up, Asian hate barely gets people’s attention. However, tracing back to the 1850’s to 1880’s. Chinese, as a larger part of Asian population experienced their struggle in the United States. After the Opium Wars between Great Britain and China, it left China in debt. Many Chinese went seeking other opportunities and better lives. (Staff 1) Meanwhile, the California Gold Rush happened to happen around the same time. Thus, thousands of Chinese immigrants entered America as working labor. The event did bring good fortune and new opportunities to Chinese families. On the other hand, the white workers who were originally from the city were not happy about having new Chinese sharing their work. First, when over 20,000 Chinese labors were being brought to the State, the mining market labor demand went down. This resulted in hourly working wage decreasing as well as the decrease of importance of other color of labors (by the time, the Chinese workers tended to work harder). So, there was not only cultural clash between the Whites and the Yellow, but the Whites also felt threatened of losing their job and money. At the same time, the California government “imposed a Foreign Miners Tax of $3 month meant to target Chinese miners, and crime and violence escalated”. (Staff 1) If you think this is not enough to ignite conflict between the two races, there’s more to it:
The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the first significant law restricting immigration into the United States. Many Americans on the West Coast attributed declining wages and economic ills to Chinese workers. Although the Chinese composed only .002 percent of the nation's population, Congress passed the exclusion act to placate worker demands and assuage prevalent concerns about maintaining white "racial purity." (Staff 1) California government at the time, played a leading role in racial discrimination causing more destructive effect on Chinese immigrants’ livelihood.
As the situation heat up, Chinese immigrants was forced to detach with their families while getting beat up by Native workers. Wong Kim Ark was one of the Chinese American who was greatly affected by the Chinese Exclusion Act. Wong was an America born child whose parents are Native Chinese. Since Wong grew up in bay area, he sees America as his hometown and consider himself as an American. However, after his short visit to China, Wong’s Re-entry to United States was denied. While he fought for his rights, he was detained on a ship at San Francisco Bay (Schlund-Vials, Wong and Chang 40). This incident created a great example of the little rights that Chines/Chinese American had back in late 1880’s. It took years for Wong Kim Ark to fight back for his identity, during this period, the separation with his family and hometown were unacceptable. Sight shift to September 1885, in Wyoming, 150 White miners in Rock Spring brutally attacked Chinese coworkers resulted in 28 dead, 15 wounded and driving several hundred more out of town (Editors 1). As the Chinese Exclusion Act, Geary Act bring more hatred towards Chinese immigrants, the harm that led them into the dark age can not be redeemed. Moreover, in 1854, White man George W. Hall was convicted murder based on the testimony of Chinese witnesses. However, his case was overturned by California Supreme Court based on other laws that banned Native Americans and Mixed-Race people from testifying. (Blackmore 1) Along with the escalating Asian/Chinese Hate, harm towards the Asian group was proven “legal” (since Chinese witnesses cannot testify themselves). There were more and more cases of abuse of Chinese immigrants.
In the end, was democracy shared with Chinese immigrants? The answer is obvious, absolutely not. What is democracy? According to dictionary:
“a.: government by the people
especially: rule of the majority
b: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.” (Merriam-Webster)
So, if we argue that all the Chinese immigrants, since they were just here for work, they cannot be held accountable as citizen. However, they were also many cases like Wong Kim Arc, many American born Chinese that was obstructed with their hometown and their families due to many reasons such as the Chinese Exclusion Act. If democracy’s ultimate beneficiaries are the people/citizen, A.B.C. (American born Chinese) should have the right to enjoy the same benefits. In reality, what happened was just the opposite. Chinese immigrants were abused by the local citizens and authorities and their voices was never heard.
In conclusion, the definition of Democracy can be too broad. Shorten to few words, Democracy indicates people’s opinion matters and people’s decision decide. Whether or not, Chinese immigrants in United States did not have their rights to enjoy the benefits of the institution for democracy, nor their voices were heard by the authorities.
Works Cited
- Blackmore, Erin. Chinese Americans Were Once Forbidden to Testify in Court. A Murder Changed That. 7 May 2019. Web. 27 Nov 2021.
- Editors, History.com. Chinese Miners are massacred in Wyoming Territory . 16 November 2009. Web. 30 November 2021.
- Merriam-Webster. Democracy. 30 November 2021. Web. 30 November 2021. <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy>.
- Schlund-Vials, Cathy J., Kevin Scott Wong and Jason Oliver Chang. sian America : A Primary Source Reader. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2017. EBook.
- Staff, History.com. History. 17 March 2021. Web. 29 November 2021. <https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/chinese-exclusion-act-1882>
Trump & asian hate
by: Casper(Junzheng) Li
As the Historical piece introduced and discussed the Asian/Chinese Hate tracing all the way back to early 1850’s and late 1880’s. We now can better understand the inequality that was given to the Chinese immigrants who first came chasing their “American Dream”. Sadly, till this day, the impact of racial differences still puts a heavy weight on Chinese American’s shoulders. As everyone thought, after so many historical lessons, the mistakes should be learned and rethought. But since United States include such different variety of religions and culture, to avoid cultural clash can be impossible. After the pandemic hit (also known as Covid-19), the Ex-president of the United States---Donald Trump---had used many unexpected statements which led to Asian/Chinese hate rise again in the country. Not only did this put Chinese American’s lives in great danger, but it also conflicted with the definition of democracy which should be served as a part of the political beliefs in the United States.
When Covid-19 hit the entire planet, ex-President Donald Trump decided to rename the virus with a discrimination statement that caused a rise of Asian hate in America. As the world was trying hard to fight the unexpected, Donald Trump as the formal president tweeted on Twitter and called Covid-19 the “Wuhan Virus” and the “Chinese Virus”. It led to a racist anti-Asian hashtags spike on the internet (Salcedo). Many foreigners struggled to understand how one tweet can have that much effect. As simple as it is, as the President of a country, the President should never state false beliefs and false information. However, Trump is different. Not only did he ignite the Asian hate in the country, but he also introduced false drug information against the virus. Later, CDC indicated that the drug does not cure Covid-19 but it can cause other symptoms and negative effect people initially did not have. Back to the tweet:
“The week before Trump’s tweet the dominant term [on Twitter] was #covid-19,” Yulin Hswen, an epidemiology professor at the University of California at San Francisco and a co-author of the study, told The Washington Post. 'The week after his tweet, it was #chinesevirus.' (Salcedo)
We all understand the racial discriminations are always embedded deep inside the society. Because of that, when the president “encourages”, in some ways, it “justifies” the action of using discrimination terms against other people of color. After this incident hit, majority of Chinese-Americans feared for their safety (Tavernise and Oppel Jr.) This is really unfortunate to see and hear, after all the historical lessons that happened in the past. Racism somehow still found a way to the people of this generation. According to The New York Times, Yuanyuan Zhu, a Chinese female who moved to San Francisco five years ago (Current Time 2020), was walking to a gym later in the day on March 9, 2021. She got spit on by a White American guy while waiting for the traffic light to turn green. When a bus ran by, the guy also shouted and wanting the bus to run Yuanyuan over (Tavernise and Oppel Jr.). A heart breaking event that demonstrates the result of higher power leading racial discrimination. Just like what happened about 200 years ago, when the government signed the Chines Exclusion Act, or Page Act etc. While Covid-19 is still not over, the underlying racial problems grows with it. Just like what Mr. Du mentioned:
““If they keep using these terms, the kids are going to pick it up,” said Tony Du, an epidemiologist in Howard County, Md., who fears for his son, Larry. “They are going to call my 8-year-old son a Chinese virus. It’s serious.” Mr. Du said he posted on Facebook that “this is the darkest day in my 20-plus years of life in the United States,” referring to Mr. Trump’s doubling down on use of the term. (Tavernise and Oppel Jr.)
Lastly, many people had thought the darkest days have gone since humanity had grown better. However, looking at the situation happening right now, the justice for people and democracy for better society can be debatable. When Trump used his own term and his own ideology, many people had argued with him. However, it did not stop him from advocating false believes. So did democracy serve its purpose when people’s thoughts were not heard? But there were many justified actions taken such as New York Governor Andrew Mark Cuomo who took the stand against Trump’s false advocates, Twitter corporation who banned Trump from advocating false statements, and the CDC who disagreed on the false use of drugs against Covid. All those cases, were they the doing of democracy or were they missing the justice that society needed? So many debatable arguments that have not come to any conclusion.
In conclusion, we know that the on-going Asian hate should be stopped and the history lessons we must learn meanwhile prohibit them from happening again. All in all, democracy did serve its responsibility at the end, so that the election of President was justified, and people’s voices was heard for a new president.
Ouch...Words Hurt
Works Cited
- Salcedo, Andrea. Racist anti-Asian hashtags spiked after Trump first tweeted ‘Chinese virus,’ study finds. 19 March 2021. Web. 3 December 2021. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/03/19/trump-tweets-chinese-virus-racist/>.
- Tavernise, Sabrina and Richard A. Oppel Jr. Spit On, Yelled At, Attacked: Chinese-Americans Fear for Their Safety. 23 March 2020. Web. 3 December 2021. <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/us/chinese-coronavirus-racist-attacks.html>.
PRESIDENT BIDEN addressing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes
By: Valentina Hernandez
https://www.npr.org/2021/05/20/998599775/biden-to-sign-the-covid-19-hate-crimes-bill-as-anti-asian-american-attacks-rise
Earlier this year, the COVID-19 pandemic and mass media covering the virus as a “Chinese virus” created a narrative that Asian-Americans were a threat to the country with the increased hate crimes in their community. On the news, sadly it doesn’t take long to find videos of violent encounters with Asian Americans in the past year. In New York City, the Anti-Asian hate crimes that were reported to the police went from three in 2019 to an alarming twenty-eight in 2020 (Asian-American Speak Out: Countering the Rise in Anti-Asian Hate), in addition to the number in New York 2021 rising up to 86 reported (https://youtu.be/y_T9LanIBN8 NYPD). Keeping in mind that these are the ones reported, more have occurred off the record. Not only are these victims being viciously attacked, but cases feature being spit on, and thrown racial slurs at in the thousands. Hate crimes refer to typically racially influenced violence to another person simply and purposefully. Despite this being an issue that has influenced one specific large population in this country, more citizens of other ethnic backgrounds have approached with help and support.
Local residents, many young, spread awareness for the attacked elders. Empowered by the amount of supporters protesting and advocating for safety for Asian-Americans many in China towns, gave hope. Considering elders can be defensive less walking alone on the street, young advocates share ways to protect themselves like a medical student, Michelle Tran, has been “distributing fourteen thousand self defense devices, paid for with donations” (“Communities come together to combat anti-Asian hate crimes”). What can appear as a small idea can curate a beneficial wide-spread deed. Feeling more protected is the goal for this climate that Asian-Americans are living in, not knowing if they can be the next attack on the news. Creating task forces like the NYPD did last year to focus to control these escalating crimes, or a system of volunteers similar to the red vested patrol in San Jose’s Japantown, is an example of community and democracy. It is unfortunate that these heartbreaking events have happened, but the unity created through these trials has consolidated an uprising in Asian-Americans hope and sense of belonging.
Despite the ongoing hate and dread of going out in public in fear of violence, thousands of Asian-Americans persisted to rise above in protests. To make sense of this behavior and environment is a tragedy, but to look at the democratic aspect of this issue is reassuring. With the democracy that we live in, voices and stories of these incidents have been heard among social media, supported by millions, and indeed by the White House. In May of 2021, President Biden addressed this alarming issue as he signed the first bill which will “bolster law enforcement’s response to attacks on people of Asian descent during the pandemic” (Biden Signs Bill Addressing Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans). Biden made it adamant that this hate is obvious and needs action, and that he hears their cry for immediate attention. For an issue to process through legislation takes dedicated advocacy and perseverance, which is exactly what Asian-Americans have revealed of themselves. It is necessary to accept that they are a community of many generations before them who have defeated stereotypes, discrimination, and maltreatment. Asian-Americans bring much more to this country than the average person thinks, and are done with the ongoing hate. When new challenges come by, new resources are sought out to combat them.
Where justice is not being served, it is when democracy prevails in demanding change, demanding legislation, and awareness to a neighbor to simply look out for one another and speak up when necessary. That is democracy by another name.
Work Cited
“Biden Signs Bill Addressing Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans.” May 20, 2021. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/05/20/us/joe-biden-news-today
CBS Evening News. “Communities come together to combat anti-Asian hate crimes.” May 30, 2021. https://youtu.be/y_T9LanIBN8
Vice News. “Asian Americans Speak Out: Countering the Rise in Anti-Asian Hate.” April 1, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkWrZ0K7Wr0
Angel Island
By Cherulise Fuimaono
For hundreds of years thousands of immigrants have settled their lives in the United States for more opportunities such as better paying jobs, living in the land of the free, having a better lifestyle for families and children. Angel Island, located in the San Francisco Bay, was opened between 1910 and 1940 for immigrants to travel into the U.S. and while there was Ellis Island on the East Coast for immigrants, the West Coast had Angel Island. Angel Island brought in particularly Asian immigrants but there were also immigrants from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Russia and people from both South and Central America. While there were people coming from different backgrounds and countries, the Chinese were especially targeted when it came to entering and leaving Angel Island because of the start of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 that limited immigrants from China into the U.S. Angel Island itself was to prevent Chinese immigrants from having any connection to people in San Francisco, as well as isolate immigrants and keep them from escaping. It was where immigrants would be held for interrogation and kept from doing any illegal activities while in the U.S. But before the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Page Act was passed by Congress that kept Asian immigrants in general from “contaminating” the white population in America and had then been brought up at the Angel Island Immigration Station. This writing will be about immigrants on Angel Island, focusing on Chinese Immigrants, and the different treatment immigrants received from the U.S. and also events that have happened throughout the years since Angel Island was opened.
As immigrants from different countries entered Angel Island, they would all get seperated by nationality, having the European and first-class passengers were allowed to leave. While the whites were allowed to leave, predominantly Asian immigrants,but Mexican and Russian immigrants as well were sent to Angel Island for quarantine. Immigrants on Angel Island were isolated there for days, weeks, months and even years and were even compared to Alcatraz, a once-prison facility in San Francisco.
Then came World War II when Japanese Americans as well as Japanese immigrants from Hawai’i were sent to Angel Island after the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1942. Angel Island was also used to detain prisoners of war by the U.S. military during World War II. But before, in August 1940, there was a fire on Angel Island that caused the destruction of the administration building and the move of immigrants to the mainland. Through the war until the 1970s, the Angel Island station slowly started to deteriorate and left meanings and stories behind for the world to know. After the war, over 200 poems were found on the walls of Angel Island, left by Chinese immigrants that stayed there and is now being preserved as an historical piece on Angel Island which was announced as a National Historic Landmark in 1997, and then opened into a California State Park. Since it is now a state park, it is open to the public with hiking trails, and many recreational activities on the island.
Angel Island was like a prison for Asian Immigrants, the oppression from the government lasted for, as said, days to weeks to months to years. Asian discrimination has been active since the Chinese arrived in America during the Gold Rush and were later then deemed as a threat to the white race. The Page Act was established, and right after the Chinese Exclusion Act not too long from that. But what was left was history that will forever be forever ingrained in the United States.
References
“History of Angel Island Immigration Station: Angel Island Immigration Station - San Francisco.” AIISF, https://www.aiisf.org/history.
History.com Editors. “Angel Island Immigration Station.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 26 Mar. 2021, https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/angel-island-immigration-station.
Wallenfeldt, Jeff. “Angel Island Immigration Station.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/topic/Angel-Island-Immigration-Station.
Current Struggles + Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders in Hawai'i Nei
By Cherulise Fuimaono
Native Hawaiians and the Pacific Islander community have been underrepresented for many years, and many are also not as knowledgeable about the community. Hawai’i is one of the top states that has the largest Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander population in the country which would make sense since it is a Pacific Island, and also another home for other Pacific Islanders to reside within the U.S., and also be closer to the island they originate in. Native Hawaiians have struggled in Hawai’i since years before the act of the illegal annexation by the United States, and currently with Mauna Kea, COVID restrictions, being able to have access to water, having their land taken away, and so much more. It is no surprise that the government has not done anything helpful for the people of Hawai’i as they even struggle to be able to live in their own home, on the islands of Hawai’i. Having Native Hawaiians stripped from their home as well as other Pacific Islanders in Hawai’i because the U.S. government fails to notice the issues at hand, indicates how much the minority group of Pacific Islanders mean to them. Hawai’i is now a part of the United States, so why are the Indigenous people of Hawai’i still being treated the way they were treated before and during the annexation?
In the summer of 2019, the government has decided to build a Thirty Meter Telescope, also known as TMT, on top of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawai’i once again. Mauna Kea is not only a sacred mountain in Hawai’i, but of sacred land to the Native Hawaiian people and they have constantly protested against TMT for years. Many Hawaiians and local residents in Hawai’i have gone up to the Mauna and blocked the construction in hopes that the government would listen and discontinue the destruction of TMT on Mauna Kea. While protestors stood their ground for many days and many nights, other Pacific Islanders such as Samoans, Tongans, Māoris and more went up to the Mauna and gave their support to he Native Hawaiian people. Hawaiians and locals sang and cried for their land to not have it taken away from them, and kupuna were there as well to peacefully protest. The peaceful protest did not last long as authorities had to arrest and put others down, the kupuna, Hawaiian elders, included. Although the kupuna were taken one by one respectfully, it was still an emotional sight by onlookers as well as some of the elders and officers. Instead of listening to the cries of the Indigenous, authorities decided to ignore and take. Mauna Kea is still currently being opposed and the people of Hawai’i are still willing to fight for their land, ever since the overthrow. Protectors still to this day watch over the Mauna and for any construction workers of TMT on the sacred land.
COVID has been a problem in the U.S. since the end of 2019 and with COVID, came restrictions in each state. Hawai’i has struggled to deal with restrictions, local reactions and tourism during the pandemic. Not only has Hawai’i struggled with COVID restrictions, but Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders who have a lower rate of vaccinations than any other group in the state. News reported in March of 2021 that less than 9% of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have been vaccinated which is much less than compared to the percentage of Asians and whites vaccinated on the island. Pacific Islanders are the one group that have been hit harder by COVID-19 and have had more infected patients, hospitalizations and deaths so far. More help has been sent to the community this year to solve the issue at hand. For COVID restrictions, as said, Hawai’i is very strict when it comes to entering and leaving the island, probably one of the strictest states with restrictions as well. Adults are required to register on a program to indicate your COVID status and whether you have been vaccinated. Before traveling to the islands, you must be tested and sent your test results onto the program and if you decide not to get tested, you will be required to be quarantined for a certain amount of days. On the topic of health conditions, currently local residents are having trouble with visiting their family members in the hospital while tourists are still allowed to travel to the islands.
Tourism in Hawai’i is a huge subject for everyone who resides on the islands and it’s a big help for the economy. But on the downside, it is a problem for Native Hawaiians and other local residents that are struggling to financially support themselves, as well as their families. During the summer of this year, 2021, Maui had reached its max capacity in population of 260,000 tourists on the island which brought a few drastic changes such as a water shortage, to the residents. Compared to the 1,900 tourists that visited in 2020 to this year, it definitely reached its max. Yes, as ridiculous as it sounds, locals were not accessed daily necessities such as water because of the many tourists that had landed on the island. This should not be happening at all, especially to people who are actually living on the island and having something that they need in order to survive taken away from them also shows how little to none the government does for the people of Hawai’i. According to the article, Maui residents rail against spike in tourism during water shortage: ‘Stop coming’ to Hawaii by Jessica Lipscomb, residents had to pay a $500 fine if they were to use the water, in order to satisfy the stay and needs of tourists. Locals have and are constantly expressing their exhaustion towards the things they have to put on the line just for visitors to stay on their land. They have constantly told people not to come to Hawai’i in a time where it is not going well for the islands and the government chooses to ignore the people of Hawai’i and continue the care of tourism.
The lack of governing in Hawai’i has lasted for years, locals cannot stress this enough, and Native Hawaiians most importantly are fighting for their land for the sake of keeping their culture and ‘Aina alive. Democracy has constantly failed to serve the importance that Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have in the country, and it will continue if the people of the nation also decide to ignore these issues happening right before their eyes. In the video below, is a powerful song that was created for Native Hawaiians and the people of Hawai’i all together to stand tall, unite and fight for their land and people. Stand with the people.
References
Big Island Video News. “Video: Kupuna Arrested, Saddle Road Closed - Mauna Kea Update.” Big Island Video News, 30 Nov. 2019, https://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2019/07/17/video-kupuna-arrested-saddle-road-closed/.
“Getting to Hawai'i.” 19, 4 Dec. 2021, https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/getting-to-hawaii/.
Nguyen, Frances. “The Pandemic Hasn't Stopped Native Hawaiians' Fight to Protect Maunakea.” Vox, Vox, 7 Aug. 2020, https://www.vox.com/2020/8/7/21354619/mauna-kea-tmt-telescope-native-hawaiians.
Staff, HNN. “Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders Vaccinated at Far Lower Rates than Other Groups.” Https://Www.hawaiinewsnow.com, 2021, https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2021/03/16/doh-native-hawaiians-pacific-islanders-vaccinated-far-lower-rates-than-other-groups/.
Interview with leah
Conducted by Cherulise Fuimaono
For this interview, I am giving a chance for someone who deserves to be heard, the words of a Native Hawaiian, my friend, Leah Maeva Price. Leah, currently 19 years of age, was born and raised on the Islands of Hawai’i. Now attending UNLV in Las Vegas, Nevada, she still and will always have connection to her roots. She grew up in a Filipino/Hawaiian household with her family always by her side. Growing up, she has always wanted to get closer to her Hawaiian roots and by that, she joined hula hālau and has been dancing for years. Leah is very passionate about embracing her Hawaiian culture and has spoken many times about the struggles her and her people have gone through for years. Here is what she has to say:
What challenges have you, your family and other Native Hawaiians faced while living in America and /or being of a Native Hawaiian blood?
“A lot of the challenges that we have faced and continue to face today are a result of Native Hawaiians being put last and our voices not being heard. I firmly believe that the government of Hawai’i does not have Native Hawaiians in their best interest. There should be more land reserved for Hawaiian people and government funded organizations that advocated for the perpetuation of Hawaiian culture. I don’t believe that the government of Hawai’i is doing enough to bring back the Hawaiian culture and make it more prevalent in our communities by creating an education curriculum that includes more Hawaiian culture, history, language, music studies, etc.”
What are your opinions about democracy in 2021? (Respectfully in her own perspective)
“One opinion that I have based on democracy in 2021 is that I feel Hawai’i’s government did not handle the COVID pandemic well. A lot of the mandates/guidelines that were put into place did not make any sense to me personally. CDC guidelines in HI prohibit visitation for those who are admitted to the hospital and test positive for COVID. My grandma was admitted into the hospital for a heart attack and when she was first admitted, my family and I could not see her even through a glass window yet many tourists are still allowed to visit our islands during the pandemic. It’s also really upsetting because the health of local and Native people of Hawai’i are being put at an even greater risk due to the amount of tourists that are still allowed to visit. The solutions to these issues are for governing and who will be impacted by their decisions. The Native Hawaiian and local people should be a priority.”
Do you have any advice/words/concerns that you would like to address to those who are unaware of your culture?
“Some words of advice that I have for those ignorant of my culture is to listen to Native Hawaiian voices, not talk over them. This is especially important when we are speaking about the issues that we face. A lot of times people will belittle the issues we face in Hawai’i because we live in a “paradise” or they think Hawai’i would be nothing without America but these issues we are facing are real and they are scary so I think people need to start educating themselves, listen and being respectful rather than being ignorant. Also, stop moving to Hawai’i for the glamorized aesthetic, my people are being forced out and there won’t be any land for the next generations of Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians).”
Native Hawaiians deserve to be heard by the world. Indigenous people deserve to be heard instead of ignored. For years, they have struggled to put their words through everyone’s ears and to have those words stay rooted in their minds, to extend the knowledge of their struggles for future generations. Not only have the people failed Natives, but as well as the government of the U.S., the state of Hawai’i itself, and the whole country. We speak upon this for the restoration and embedding of our people and culture. We encourage others to learn and teach the Indigenous ways for not only the future of everyone, but for the future of the Indigenous.
MICHELLE WU'S MONUMENTAL MAYORAL WIN
By Marielle Navales
As of November 2021, the city of Boston has elected their first woman and first person of color as mayor--a first-generation Taiwanese-American Democrat, Michelle Wu. Here is Michelle Wu’s journey from being a first-generation Asian-American to the mayor of Boston.
Michelle Wu's campaign video created by the Michelle Wu campaign team
Background
Wu’s parents, both Taiwanese immigrants, came to America escaping political hardship--which led them to have a negative mindset about politics and the government and her parents wanted her to study medicine. Michelle was a wonderful student with a perfect SAT score and graduated as valedictorian in high school and proficient in the piano (Barry, 2021).
Right after high school Michelle was accepted to Harvard and it was during her undergrad that she did not have a firm stance on politics due to her upbringing of never talking about politics. After graduating from undergrad at Harvard, Michelle got a call from her sister Sherelle about their mom acting erratically (Barry, 2021). Michelle rushed home in order to help her mother in which she was then diagnosed with schizophrenia. At just twenty-two years old she was thrusted into the position of being her mother’s caretaker and the primary guardian of her eleven-year-old sister and younger brother. It was this experience in her beginning of adulthood of becoming a guardian and caretaker filling out endless paperwork for being a caregiver and legal guardian to her younger siblings and having many other responsibilities in which Michelle decided she wanted to attend Harvard Law (Barry, 2021). During her time at Harvard Law, Michelle studied under Elizabeth Warren (Marston, 2021) and it was through this relationship that Michelle was able to dip her toes into the world of politics.
Political Background
In 2012 when Warren was running for Senate Michelle came to her during her office hours asking how she could get involved in the Warren campaign. The next year in 2013 Wu made history as the first Asian-American elected in Boston’s city council and then again in 2016 when she was elected as the president of the City Council (Yam, 2021). Wu’s competitor’s in the September preliminary election, Andrea Campbell, John Barros, Janey, Wu, and Annissa Essaibi-George were also people of color and four out of the five candidates were women (Yam, 2021), which adds to the list of reasons as to why the 2021 Boston mayoral election was monumental in the city’s history. In the final mayoral election Annissa Essaibi-George, a first-generation Arab-American woman and a fellow City Councilor, conceded and wished Wu the best by saying,”I want her to show the city how mothers get it done" (NBC Boston, 2021). In the past decade, the city of Boston has become more diverse with the white population decreasing from 47% in 2012 to 44.6% in 2021, while the Black, Asian, and Hispanic population steadily increased (Barry, 2021). The increase in diversity is one of the major reasons for the progressive change in Boston, especially the growth of Hispanic and Asian communities adding 19% to the total Boston population (Zhou, 2021).
Promises as Mayor
Another possible reason for Wu’s win as mayor is what she discusses in her campaign about affordable child care, education, public transportation, rent stability, and a Green New Deal. She proposes free transportation in order to hopefully tackle climate change and would hopefully show economic growth. Wu also proposes a rent stabilization program, though in 1994 voters approved a ballot initiative that would ban rent control in the state of Massachusetts. She also hopes to tackle issues surrounding COVID-19 and gender inequality. To go more in depth, one of her campaign promises is to put emphasis on teaching critical race theory, emphasizing anti-racist policies in K-12 education.
Democracy
This historical win ties into democracy by the literal definition in the sense that the citizens of Boston went to vote for a political figure that best represents them. To go into depth, Wu’s win as Boston mayor is monumental due to the fact that she is an first-generation Asian-American woman who broke the city’s two-hundred year streak of having all straight white men as mayor prior. Citizens of Boston used their voice by showing up to voting booths and sending in their ballots to vote for a political figure who represents underrepresented Americans. In America’s history of straight, cisgendered, old white men holding the most power, this win as Boston mayor is slowly breaking down the barriers of what it means to be an American and a political figure as most are white men. For Asian-Americans, it is not typical for us to be in politics as we have been molded into the “model minority” which was created by white supremacy and anti-Blackness in order to drive a wedge between communities of color. Asian-Americans are taught to,”keep our heads down and study hard and get a good, stable, high-paying job to support the family,” as Michelle Wu said in an interview (Yam, 2021). Wu’s win is a step in the direction of becoming more inclusive and becoming more diverse in policy-making as there have only been,”Six current leaders of America’s 100 largest cities are Asian American,” (Yam, 2021).
Another reason this relates to democracy is the fact that many average Americans are able to relate to her story as a first-generation woman of color. At a very young age, Michelle was an interpreter for her parents in which many first-generation American children understand the struggle of (Barry, 2021). Overall, Michelle Wu’s win adds to the complexity of democracy as it took until 2021 to finally have first-generation and Asian-American women in power to change the laws for equity for everyone.
References
Barry, Ellen. “Michelle Wu Makes Her Play for Power in Boston.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Oct. 2021,https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/28/us/michelle-wu-boston-election.html.
Marston, Celeste Katz. “Mayoral Candidate Michelle Wu Says She's Not in 'the Typical Mold of a Boston Politician'.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 25 Aug. 2021, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/mayoral-candidate-michelle-wu-says-s-nt-typical-mold-boston-politicia-rcna1764.
Staff and wire reports. “Michelle Wu to Be next Boston Mayor, Making History as Essaibi George Concedes.” NBC Boston, NBC10 Boston, 3 Nov. 2021,https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/tuesdays-mayoral-race-marks-a-turning-point-in-bostons-history/2548461/.
Yam, Kimmy. “Michelle Wu Becomes First Woman and Person of Color Elected Mayor of Boston, AP Projects.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 3 Nov. 2021, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/boston-mayor-race-2021-michelle-wu-rcna4373.
Zhou, Li. “Boston Doesn't Look like It Did 20 Years Ago. Neither Does Its Mayor.” Vox, Vox, 3 Nov. 2021, https://www.vox.com/2021/11/3/22757071/boston-mayor-race-historic-first-michelle-wu.
larry itliong day and his legacies
By Marielle Navales
Larry Itliong, a Filipino-American immigrant, an unsung historical figure of American history particularly, Filipino-American history, was recently awarded a statewide day in California. Who is Larry Itliong and how much of an impact has he made on history?
Photo by Jon Lewis | Provided by Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University
Early Life/Itliong Beginnings
Born on October 25th, 1913 in the Pangasinan Province of San Nicholas, Philippines Larry Itliong was one of six children. As a little boy, he knew that he wanted to become a lawyer in order to fight for the common people and have their voices heard (History.com Editors, 2021). At the age of fifteen, Itliong immigrated to the U.S. in 1929 hoping to pursue a law degree. Before immigrating to the U.S. he only finished up to a sixth-grade education, living in poverty, and being a person of color prohibited him from earning a law degree. Due to the 1924 Immigration Act, Itliong was able to enter the U.S. because Filipinos were exempted from the provision (Mabalon, 2013). In 1929, he arrived in Alaska where he worked as a farm laborer in the Alaskan salmon canaries (Romasanta, 2019). During this time, Itliong built his reputation as an activist for farm laborers founding the Alaska Canneries Workers Union (History.com Editors, 2021). Over the next few years, Itliong worked in many different U.S. states such as a railroad worker in Montana, and then eventually worked in the fields in California (History.com Editors, 2021). Throughout Itliong moving to different states he was able to unionize farmworkers along the West Coast. From 1936 to 1943, Itliong served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was later awarded U.S. citizenship in 1944 (History.com Editors, 2021).
Activism
In 1943 after returning from World War II he permanently moved to Stockton, California where he returned as a farm worker and he quickly picked up his activism for farm workers. He was elected as the secretary of the Filipino Community of Stockton for four years and then elected as the president in 1954 (Mabalon, 2013). In 1956 Itliong formed the Filipino Farm Workers Union, attracting thousands of Filipino workers to unionize leading to Itliong working with fellow farm worker activist, Philip Vera Cruz (Biography.com Editors, 2021). The increase in Filipino farm workers unionizing, Itliong founded the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) in 1959. In forming the AWOC, it led to grape strikes in the grape industry resulting in business owners hiring Mexican-American workers to fill the spots that Filipino workers left vacant (Alonso, 2019). In May 1965 with Itliong as the spearhead of the AWOC, he called out in front of a packed city hall demanding that Filipino farm workers unionize saying,”I want those in favor to stand up with your hand raised,” in which everyone in the hall made the united decision to go on strike against the grape growers in Delano and in surrounding areas. Itliong and fellow Filipino farm workers held a strike against the vineyards in Coachella Valley, California, inspiring other farm workers to join the movement and protest for higher wages and better working conditions. The farmers union won a $1.40 per hour wage increase in the Coachella Valley vineyards which then prompted them to move to the Delano vineyards. Three months later in September of 1965 the Delano grape strike officially began consisting of members of the AWOC. What many people don’t know is Larry Itliong was the reason that the Delano grape strike began and Itliong actually had to convince Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta--founders of the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA)--to join the strike. For Cesar Chavez, he initially declined the offer to join the grape strike because Chavez did not think that Mexican-American farm workers were ready to strike. Eight days later after the initial start of the strike Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta agreed to combine the NFWA and the AWOC together forming the United Farmers Warmers (UFW). Together Filipino-American and Mexican-American farm workers worked hand-in-hand to protest farm worker rights (Janos, 2019). In 1966 Cesar Chavez was the director of the UFW and Itliong was made the assistant director (Mabalon, 2013). In 1967, the unification of the AWOC and NFWA began to have disagreements regarding leadership, organizing styles, and priorities. In regards to organizing styles, Filipino strikers disagreed with the nonviolence approach because they felt it made no sense when combating against greater powers (Mabalon, 2013). Continuing with the strike, until 1970 the farm workers essentially won, gaining a pay raise, health-care benefits, and more safety to farm workers. A year after the end of the Delano boycott Itliong resigned from the UFW having disagreements with Chavez as well as other issues within the union (Mabalon, 2013). Even with his resignation with the UFW, Itliong continued to fight for farm workers rights and even travelled to organize workers in Brazil and Chile (History.com Editors, 2021).
Itliong Day and Legacy
Itliong passed away in 1977 due to Lou Gherig’s disease leaving behind his wife and seven children. In 2015, thirty-eight years after the passing of Larry Itliong, then governor of California, Jerry Brown, signed a bill proclaiming Larry Itliong Day on his birthday October 25th. In the same year, Alvarado Middle School in Union City officially changed its name to Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School to honor Larry Itliong and fellow Filipino farmworker Philip Dela Cruz (History.com Editors, 2021). This was very special for me because, during this time, I went to the other middle school in Union City, Cesar Chavez Middle School. During the name change, I was in the seventh grade and I remember first hearing about it in class when one of my teachers asked us to write an essay about how significant the name change was for American history--this was my first introduction to Larry Itliong and even then I still was not taught about who he was. Now as an adult, writing this piece, I was able to learn more about how integral Larry Itliong was in American history and how Filipino-Americans are the reason why the Delano grape strike is talked about in history. Larry Itliong day has recently been in the news with governor Gavin Newsom’s proclamation of Larry Itliong day and recognizing Filipino farmworkers working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic (Office of Governor Newsom, 2021).
Video credit to KRCA News
References
Alonso, Diego. | May 25, Diego. “Dyk. Larry Itliong: Defending the Rights of Farm Workers.” No Kid Hungry, 25 May 2021, www.nokidhungry.org/blog/dyk-larry-itliong-defending-rights-farm-workers.
Biography.com Editors. “Larry Itliong.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 7 May 2021, www.biography.com/activist/larry-itliong.
“Governor Newsom Issues Proclamation Declaring Larry Itliong Day.” California Governor, Office of Governor Newsom, 25 Oct. 2021, www.gov.ca.gov/2021/10/25/governor-newsom-issues-proclamation-declaring-larry-itliong-day/.
Guillermo, Emil. “Eclipsed by Cesar Chavez, Larry Itliong's Story Now Emerges.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 22 Apr. 2019, www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/eclipsed-cesar-chavez-larry-itliongs-story-now-emerges-n423336.
History.com Editors. “Larry Itliong.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2021, www.history.com/topics/1960s/larry-itliong.
Janos, Adam. “How Cesar Chavez Joined Larry Itliong to Demand Farm Workers' Rights.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 7 May 2019, www.history.com/news/chavez-itliong-delano-grape-strike.
Mabalon, Dawn Bohulano. “Stockton Connection to Delano Grape Strike.” Little Manila Rising, 2013, www.littlemanila.org/stockton-connection-to-delano-grape-strike.
Romasanta, Gayle. “Why It Is Important to Know the Story of Filipino-American Larry Itliong.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 24 July 2019, www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/why-it-is-important-know-story-filipino-american-larry-itliong-180972696/.
Interviewee Rona Navales (she/her) from Root and Rebound discusses the experiences of being a first-generation Filipino-American woman and how she combats Westernized norms. This adds to the overwhelming complexity of democracy as the material we learn in the K-12 curriculum is catered to white audiences and how the process of unlearning and decolonizing can take a toll on education and mental health.
interview with A peer
Conducted by Kelley
In today’s time, college students are more involved with politics and world issues than previous years. However, if not exposed to subjects like this often, there can be misunderstandings and limited knowledge. I chose to interview a very close friend, Emily Nguyen, who is also a Vietnamese American in college. The general focus of this project was to explain what Democracy is in 2021. Throughout this interview, we discussed what democracy means to us and what we understand about it, while sharing similar thoughts and experiences being Asian Americans in democracy. Along the way, slowly, the meaning of democracy broadened, and changed some of my understandings of democracy and what it means. Like anything else, although there is a dictionary definition of democracy, many people can interpret it in different ways.
Q: What is your definition of democracy as of right now in today’s society?
Democracy is a form of government where the people (American citizens) have the power to vote and decide laws.
Q: In what ways have you participated in democracy?
Voting for presidents. Voting for state laws.
Q: Would you say voting and democracy go hand in hand?
Yeah I think so because is democracy not about the power of the people to be able to decide legislation?
Q: Being Asian-American, does that have any connection to how democracy is inputted into your life?
Oh yea, big time. With democracy, Asian-Americans are able to vote for what they want and the things they are most likely voting for can benefit them.
It is not rare to hear from our elders the reason why they moved to the United States for a better life. Other immigrants as well, moving to the United States, had the purpose to obtain more opportunities, both for themselves and their families. The United States is often advertised to be the land of opportunity and freedom, which also falls under what democracy provides.
Q: Why do you think democracy and the United States are often put together in the same sentence?
I think in the US, since our long history, we always emphasize how the people have the power. We have freedom and individuality compared to, let's say, the communist places, where the people don't get to say anything at all, and it’s run by a tyrannical leader.
Q: What do you think democracy means to our current generation?
I think for gen Z, democracy is not the best form of government. I’m not sure if this generation likes democracy or not but to me I think it’s a good thing that the people have a voice in the government.
Q: Can you name any flaws that you can think of when it comes to democracy? Do you believe that there are flaws?
The people can be persuaded and if you are not politically educated on who you are voting for or what you are voting for, you can make uninformed decisions. Especially with social media, sometimes if a topic gets blown up, [our generation] would think without doing their own research; that this is what they should vote for. Sometimes they don’t know entirely what they are voting for because other people, or maybe their friends are doing it so they think this might be the correct thing to do and end up doing it.
Before, Emily stated that she thinks democracy is not the best form of government for our generation. After this question, we discussed the problems with bandwagon and how it is part of the downside of democracy. Democracy enables people to have a say in what they think is best for our country, but this system is susceptible to errors and problems such as blindly voting without knowing what exactly they are voting for. Although it is ideal that everyone should have a voice, not everyone will agree with each other's opinions. This would continue into a conversation about the two most popular political parties: Democratic and Republican.
Q: Can there be democracy in the republican party? Because democracy doesn't necessarily mean democratic right?
No, it's not because I think our US government is not even democratic. It's not just democracy, it's something else too. Our form of government in the US is not just democracy, it's both a democracy and a republic. It's a democracy because the people have political power, they get to vote and such, but it's also republic because our elected representatives exercise that power. So the people are able to vote but they don't hold the final decision. They vote for representatives who will then hold the final decision on legislation.
During the duration of this interview, up until this question, my mind had always seen Democratic as a synonym for democracy. I believe that this is true in the sense that the Democratic party usually advocates for democracy, and pays a little more attention to what the people of America have to say. However, because our government system has different levels of authority when it comes to making laws for our country, the United States is not entirely democratic. Yes, the people have voices and some form of power. The people can elect officials into office, but even then, the government officials ultimately have the last say in the rules and laws. I bring this up because like stated before, the United States is often viewed as the home of democracy. Although we do allow the people of the US to have voices, sometimes they are not heard because government officials do not agree with the people. Also, although the United States is said to be a place of opportunity and freedom, there are some laws that are preventing people from entering the country. In addition, when the peoples voices are not heard by the government, they would gather to march and sometimes protest. This would be an example of the people exercising democracy. Overall, most can agree that democracy means that the people of the United States can have a say in laws for the country with the power of voting. The people of this country, including Asian Americans, have gravitated towards democracy to exercise their right to fight for what we believe in.
References
“Democracy Today: A Promise in Peril.” Smithsonian Associates, smithsonianassociates.org/Ticketing/tickets/democracy-today-promise-in-peril.
“Essential Politics: Young People's Political Engagement Is Surging. That's a Problem for Republicans.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2021, www.latimes.com/politics/newsletter/2021-04-23/surge-political-engagement-youth-problem-for-gop-essential-politics.
America's Hurdles
Written by: Kelley
Escaping in a boat to get to America is a common story that Asian elders tend to tell the younger generations to portray the sacrifices that they have made to gain better opportunities. The United States is usually coined with the title of “the land of the free”. What makes the United States a “beacon” of freedom and choice is the presence of democracy; where people come to have a voice. As a result, many people leave their countries to find safe haven in the land of opportunity. In contrast to some other countries, the United States allows their citizens from different origins to have However, there are many legislative factors that contradict what democracy provides. Older generations of Asian American immigrants travel to the United States to get away from political oppression, hoping to achieve freedom and success, but not everyone gets a chance to enter the United States. In addition, if they do get over the obstacle of getting into the United States, they are still met with other problems.
In 1913, California passed an act called the “Alien Land Act”. This act prohibited Asians who were not eligible for citizenship from owning land, and added a limit to how long their leases last. This act was implemented because the members of the California legislature were scared that the Japanese Americans were going to be more successful land owners. They believed that that status and goal was for the white working class, thus creating this “Alien Land Act”, preventing all Asians living in California from gaining larger social status with land. This led to other states following suit and putting this act into action as well. This would be a huge violation to democracy because they are preventing people living in the state to own land. Since they wanted success for only a certain group of people, people with political power created laws that affected these minorities for their own gain. Democracy means that ALL people have the right to voice what they believe is best for the country, and people who live within. If there are laws and acts passed that handicap a certain group of people living in the country, then would it be democracy? The image of democracy that is advertised claims that everyone that comes to America will have equal opportunities and such. However, laws like these are created to stunt the growth of immigrants, so the white population can have the upper hand. It was not until after World War II was when they decided to lift this act, and allowed them to have the right to own land again.
Even after the act was lifted, there were still other parts of the legislature that hindered the opportunities for Asians. The immigration act in 1924, for instance, was an act that limited how many immigrants from different countries could come into the United States. This act was made to “keep America American” (Coolidge). This comment alone seems to make the availability of democracy sound very selective. This twists the meaning of democracy because the members of the government can place any rule they would see fit despite what the other citizens have to say. This really shows that in the long run, the legislature has the last word on what is implemented into the laws of the country. Later on, the act, with some others, further evolved and prohibited people from certain parts of Asia from migrating to the United States.
Overall, even though America preaches and takes pride in having democracy. There are some laws and bills that prevent Asian Americans from living as equality as other parts of the population. In addition to the prohibition of entering the state, some acts were placed so Asian Americans could not have the same rights as their white counterparts, such as owning land. It is acts like these that contradict what democracy is, and also shows that democracy is not all that inclusive.
References
“1990s: The Golden Decade : In Pursuit of a Better Way of Life.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 1990, www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-01-15-ss-95-story.html.
“History - Venice-West Los Angeles JACL.” Venice, www.venicewlajacl.org/history.
“Keep America American: Poster.” Wisconsin Historical Society, 1 Dec. 2003, www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM96582.
Madeo. “May 26, 1924: Immigration Act of 1924 Prohibits Immigration from Asia.” Home, calendar.eji.org/racial-injustice/may/26.
Asian American discrimination in the workplace
Especially now, after the COVID-19 outbreak, Asian Americans have faces even more discrimination compared to before the pandemic. During this time, discrimination against Asians have been covered more in media and have been a bigger topic of conversation. Small businesses owned by Asian Americans, specifically elders, have been targeted for sabotage and racism. These businesses are often vandalized and at risk of reaching foreclosure because of the racist correlation between the virus and Asians. Asian owned establishments like milk tea lounges, restaurants, and salons in the Bay Area have been targeted for vandalism because of hate crime motives. Rocks have been thrown into the windows of these shops during the night with no other motive. Additionally to the destruction of these properties, the employees of Asian owned establishments are also harassed during their shifts. On top of verbal, violent remarks, racist comments can be thrown at them just because they are Asian. Even before COVID-19, Asians have already been met with racism in their everyday lives. This has been covered in the media and made known to the public. However, something that is not as often brought up is the different ways Asian Americans are discriminated against in places of work, specifically further than physical and verbal violence.
In the general population, Asian Americans are already part of the minority. Making up only 16.54% of California’s population, the amount of Asian Americans in executive positions is even smaller. This is because Asians encounter discrimination in places of work in more ways than one. When workplaces try to broaden diversity in their members of their companies or offices, Asian Americans are often forgotten or overlooked. This would result in a higher amount of unemployed individuals amongst Asian Americans. In earlier years, immigrants coming to the United States worked hard jobs to try and survive. They would find work by creating small businesses like restaurants, laundromats, or any other job they can find. During the Gold Rush, Chinese Americans came to the United States to work in coal mines, build railroads, and other heavy loaded jobs. As a result of this, the mindset that Asians can endure tedious work prevents them from receiving other positions like management. Asian Americans are often called the “model minority”. This has been harmful to Asian Americans in ways that prevent them from prospering further. Since they are perceived to be people who are hardworking and can build themselves up, they are often stuck with minor jobs and ignored when it comes to implementing Asian Americans in higher roles in the workplace. With the impression that Asian Americans are already in a good, stable place in their work, they are not offered opportunities for positions of power, or promoted to higher positions in companies. In addition, because of this portrayal of Asian Americans, this prevents them from getting the acknowledgement that they are, too, susceptible to discrimination in work environments.
Overall, although racism against Asians is not something that is new, these instances have been occurring more often. Asian Americans in America are faced with negative stereotypes and racist motivated aggravation. In addition to racist remarks and harassment in work environments, workplace discriminations also includes the lack of opportunities that Asian Americans have because of their race. Since Asians are coined with the term “model minority”, they are ignored and set to the side, which leads to little Asian representation in higher positions of power in workplaces. They are not as often promoted compared to others because of their set image of hard working “blue collar” workers. Although the presence of Asian Americans in position of power has risen when compared to years ago, it is still very important to highlight the Asian American discrimination in the workplaces and break this “glass ceiling”.
References
Asian American Population by State, worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/asian-population.
Agovino, Theresa. “Asian-Americans Seek More Respect, Authority in the Workplace.” SHRM, SHRM, 14 July 2021, www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/all-things-work/pages/asian-americans-in-the-workplace.aspx.
“Op-Ed: Why Successful Asian Americans Are Penalized at the Workplace.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2021, www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-05-06/asian-bias-discrimination-corporate-culture-glass-ceiling.