3 things asian-americans can do
Re: George Floyd and the protests ablaze in our nation
I too have been asking myself what can I do?
I too feel at a loss.
I too feel uninformed.
I too feel guilty for going on with my life relatively unaffected.
I too feel…too many things.
That said, here are 3 things we can do:
Discuss - Start with your friends, then try your family. Some starter questions include “What do you think of what’s going on right now?” or linking a news article and asking for their opinion after. While this seems like a tiny step, remember your voice can reach places others can’t.
Learn - Commit to learning something new about the experience of being Black in America. Here is a reading list, here is an informative documentary (13th) and here is a list of social accounts to follow.
Donate - Here is an organization that proposes police reform policy (in association with #BlackLivesMatter) and here is a long list of local bail funds. *I’m not an expert on nonprofits or bail funds, but believe organizations that enact policy change will make better use of my $ than a throwaway purchase.
Things not to do:
Be oblivious
Stay silent
Convince yourself this does not concern us and therefore you “should not get involved"
Involvement doesn’t always look like physically joining a protest. There is a time and place for each our of collective skills & energies and we will in fact need all of those to confront this.
At the end of the day, doing something - even reading a quick post to understand a new perspective - helps.
This is going to be a long process and we’re already in it just as much as the next hyphenated American over. Whether we like it or not.
Recognize your role. Do your part. Time to show up.