We are heartbroken and enraged by the mass shooting in Indianapolis last week, and we send our heartfelt condolences to the loved ones, family members, friends, and community members mourning these tragically lost lives.
Now, in one of the biggest health crises in the modern age, COVID-19 has tested the world in many ways. People have been forced to accommodate by wearing masks and social distancing Also, the lockdown has led to a shutdown in the economy, leading to loss of jobs and slow growth. However, there has been some good to come out of the pandemic. People are now becoming more aware of issues such as health disparities, especially among Asian Americans.
I was drawn to further explore caste through a conversation I had with my former thesis advisor, Professor Sonalini Sapra, a Dalit feminist teacher-scholar, in the fall of 2020. We were meeting to pick a potential topic of research for my senior thesis. In the meeting, we discussed the new Netflix docu-series, “Indian Matchmaking,” pointing out several problematic elements of casteism, colorism, and sexism in the show. She expressed that it would be interesting to do an intersectional analysis on the show, exploring caste, gender, and colorism in the South Asian Diaspora.
As an East and Southeast Asian woman, I have been subjected to fetishization from men because of my race. Fetishization for East and Southeast Asian women can be also known as “yellow fever.” While this nickname is more recent, the fetishization of women like me has been around for a far longer time.
With heavy hearts, we recognize the violence facing Asian American communities, including the most recent incident in Atlanta yesterday. What happened yesterday has really struck an emotional chord with all of us here at NCAAT, and as a community, we witness and share in the collective grief and mourning during this time. Last night, eight…
COVID-19 vaccine is here, it is effective and safe. Having received my two doses, I can finally be assured that my seat belt is buckled while I continue to take care of my patients. Although I will still wear my mask, wash my hands carefully, and keep social distance, I know I am now protected against COVID infection, and most certainly against COVID-related severe illness. So, when your turn for the COVID vaccine comes up, I strongly recommend you get your COVID-19 vaccination too.
As a teen falling short one year of the age requirement for this year’s election, I find my role more crucial than ever to encourage those fortunate enough to vote. It’s this idea of civic engagement that drove me to take on projects that allow my voice to be amplified among potential voters. Instead of…
In the summer of 1999, a little over a year after I arrived in the United States after my adoption from China, I became a citizen. As a toddler, my parents dressed me up in a small, red-white-and-blue jumper, and I was told there were celebratory popsicles after my ceremony. My citizenship opened up a…
I am a first-generation Hmong-American due to the selflessness of my parents, who gave up everything that they knew in their homeland to immigrate to the United States, all for a better opportunity to provide for my siblings and me. For those who are unaware, the Hmong people are an ethnic minority within the Asian community, typically residing in Southeast Asia – my parents for example were born in Laos but lived in a refugee camp located in Thailand.
I’ve always thought of myself as a creative person, but you wouldn’t know that if you’ve encountered me during my undergraduate years. My time spent at UNC-Chapel Hill has been consumed by a deep dive into service, student organizing, and becoming involved with various political and civic engagement-related initiatives. Over the past three years, any impulse to write a story or poem was pushed down for the sake of “productivity” — with studying, work, or meetings always taking precedent. As I head into my final year as an undergraduate, I’m realizing what a misstep ignoring my creative impulses was. Storytelling provides so much opportunity for both expression and advocacy.
NCAAT’s blog is a chance for NCAAT staff and community members to write about topics relating to their passions, interests, and the Asian American community in North Carolina. The views expressed in NCAAT’s community blog posts are not endorsed nor condoned by NCAAT.
