fleets of inquisition hurl osier baskets of woven sacrilege on our shores— alas! in bungalow rifts, sniffing the talc that you feed me, you set my skin ablaze. from your ivory lips drip pride, from ours: shame. we all burn under the same scorching sun, we all bleed blood of the same hue, but what happened to our kinship, brother? do not travesty me. from my golden lotus feet, backed against the silent willow, i stand, arms open. still here. eurocentrism is quaint. This piece connects to the century of humiliation and the opium wars. While it reveals such dark times in Chinese history, this poem is about reclamation and Asian American pride, for we are "still here." Biography: Amy Liu is a 16-year-old poet based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who is passionate about leading social activism via print and braille poetry. Her work has been featured by Her Culture, National Braille Press, and more. You can find her on instagram at @amyyliuu.

Dear Asian Youth, When I was growing up, I fantasized being a Disney princess. I loved how each princess had their own set of core values, a cute animal sidekick, and a handsome prince to accompany them wherever they went. The princesses were classy and kind but also feisty and outspoken. They overcame their challenges. They found a way to get what they wanted. I wanted to acquire their lives of grandeur and exuberance into mine. I’d beg my mom and dad to go to the Disney store and on the rare occasion, they would say yes! My mom would haul my younger brother and I to the local mall in the morning and wait outside until it was open to get my Disney princess and crown. I would run to the princess aisle and spend 10 minutes figuring out which dress to get. Mom said to only get one because it was quite expensive so I had to make it count. I’d make my way towards each one, enthralled by the bright colors, glittery fabric and poofy skirts. After 10 minutes of intensive decisions, I finally settled on Cinderella. I loved all the Disney Princesses but Cinderella was always my favorite. I fell in love with her fair skin, blue eyes, and slim figure. I tried replicating it as a kid. I would walk down my local Walgreens to the makeup aisle, pick up the lightest foundation and smear it all over my arms and face, erasing the melanin off my skin. “Look how pretty I am.” I would say, taking a glance at the mirror. “I look exactly like Cinderella.” Looking in that mirror, I was already internalizing inherent racism with the need to grow into a society that didn’t accept my beautiful tan skin. I declined my own ethnicity to feel validated in anothers. One that wasn’t even my own but I was forced to grow up in. And I caved in. I grew up hating my skin color. I wouldn’t let the sun touch me in fear of being too dark. I refused to take photos in the summer because I was too tan already. Neon colors that brought out how tan I was I avoided. The need to be society’s Disney princess was in the forefront of my mind. This is what privilege society views today as beautiful. White beauty is seen in the magazines, the billboards, the makeup aisles, in movies, and overall culture. We see it everyday in the whitening products in the makeup aisle: skin lightening masks, brightening BB cream, skin lightening pills. The “Cinderella effect” or so they call it is an intersectional, antagonizing weapon used against minorities to shield their own skin for the benefit of the whites. The “beauty” of the white color turned into a dominant power that imbalances the system to degrade and dehumanize people of color. People of color cannot be beautiful because it takes away the “beauty” of the white color; they do not hold the power. However this is the reality that many BIPOC girls face as they step in the world. While there is some representation—Jasmine, Mulan, Pocahontas, Moana and Tiana in Disney—none of them get the popular recognition, merch and branding as their fellow princesses. It is also, like 8 year old me, so internalized that white is the only acceptable form of beauty that it’s hard to look up to any other because we see it everywhere. BIPOC girls can’t help but feel caught up in the dichotomy of what is beautiful if they are forced to live in a body that society tells them is “exotic” or “obscure”. Cinderella is not only the model of Disney but also society. She is the representation of white privilege that has been embedded into the system. So while it's important that we’ve now acknowledged this privilege or what caused us to think this way, we need to change the narrative on what society deems as “beautiful”. With this, comes action. Buy from companies that have a diverse array of BIPOC. Start following BIPOC creators, listen to their stories, educate yourself on different cultures and find beauty in it. Realize that while it is different from yours, it doesn't make it less beautiful. In the end, every girl just wants to be called beautiful, strong, and independent. Have the future generation of kids see an array of all different shapes, sizes, and colors of what beauty really is. Having an Asian girl look into the mirror and see that her skin is beautiful and that she too can be a Disney princess, just the way she is. - Genesis

March 13th, 2020. Three police officers quietly line up in front of an apartment in the South End of Louisville, Kentucky. Inside, an African American couple, Breonna Taylor and Kenneth Walker, are asleep in bed, unaware of what is outside their door. Officers Brett Hankinson, Jonathan Mattingly, and Myles Cosgrove were recently handed a no-knock warrant to search the apartment in connection to a narcotics investigation. A judge had signed the warrant, since police believed that the apartment had been used to receive packages containing drugs. A little past midnight, the officers lined up behind the door, allegedly knocking first, and then used a battering ram to break down the front door. They were met with gunfire from Kenneth Walker (a legal gun owner), who fired his gun in self defense, fearing for his and his girlfriend’s life. One of the officers was struck in the leg and the other officers returned fire, discharging almost 20 rounds, hitting Breonna Taylor eight times. She later died at the scene: she was unarmed, posed no threat to the officers, and was asleep in her bed. Police later searched the apartment and found no drugs. A 911 call that was later released reveals Walker’s cries for help while on the phone with dispatchers stating, “I don’t know what happened… someone kicked in the door and shot my girlfriend.” Walker was later arrested and charged with attempted murder of a police officer. Subsequently, these charges were dropped and the officers have been placed on paid administrative leave pending investigation. Breonna was an EMT who worked between two hospitals helping with the coronavirus response in the city. Her mother said she had big dreams for the future. She recalled to The Courier Journal, “She has a whole plan of becoming a nurse and buying a house and then starting a family.” All of which were abruptly cut short that night. Breonna’s story went mostly untold for months. Her boyfriend remained in police custody charged with attempted murder of a police officer. The Taylor family filed a lawsuit against the police department for “wrongful death, excessive force, and gross negligence.” After all, how could three officers serving a no-knock warrant end up shooting a woman who posed no threat and was asleep in her bed eight times? The officers involved in the case claimed that they had announced themselves upon arrival and only broke down the door after there was no response. They also claimed that they only fired after being shot at. However, the lawsuit alleges that police did not identify themselves and that Walker thought someone was breaking in. Neither Taylor nor Walker have a criminal history, nor history of drug use. For months, no action was taken. The police who had shot Breonna were free, Kenneth Walker was still charged for attempted murder, and the Taylor family mourned the death of Breonna, while the nation was struggling with one of the biggest health crises in decades. On May 25th, 2020 the world was shocked and polarized over videos of the killing of George Floyd by the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. As the video surfaced, many people began to protest against excessive police violence and brutality plaguing the nation. Black Lives Matter, a movement started in 2013 over the murder of Treyvon Martin, recently began to regain momentum over what had happened to Floyd. Angered over centuries of unaddressed oppression, racism, and violence against the Black community, more and more people began to speak out against racism and racial violence in the United States. Breonna’s story began to spread and pressure began to mount in Louisville as activists, attorneys, and civilians began to question how an unarmed black woman who was asleep in her bed ended up dead at the hands of police. Nearly two months later after her death, Breonna’s story started to become a popular reference to the mass injustice against Black people: an African American EMT who was shot in her sleep by police while her boyfriend was arrested and charged with attempted murder of a police officer. People began to organize around Breonna, making calls, and signing petitions. On May 26th 2020, Kenneth Walker had the charges against him dropped. Although he was again free, this only brought little justice to Breonna. While protest and riots consumed Minneapolis, pressure mounted to arrest the officers involved in the killing of George Floyd. On May 29th, ex-officer Derek Chauvin was brought into custody and charged with 3rd degree murder (voluntary manslaughter), which has since been elevated to 2nd degree (Intent to kill, but not a premeditated murder). The arrest of Chauvin and the officers present while Floyd was murdered ignited more and more discussions on why the same hadn’t happened in Louisville. On June 11th, the Louisville City Council unanimously passed “Breonna’s Law,” which bans no-knock warrants like the one that resulted in Breonna’s tragic death. Louisville mayor Greg Fischer voiced his concern about the warrant and “wholeheartedly [agreed] with Council that the risk to residents and officers with this kind of search outweighs any benefit” (New York Times). In addition to banning no-knock warrants, Breonna’s Law requires police to wear body cameras while conducting searches to prevent rash threats or shootings as the actions of officers will be witnessed by other authorities. Amidst the Black Lives Matter Movement and protests for Breonna’s killers to be charged, the government and citizens alike sympathize with the 26 year-old’s family, continue the fight against police brutality, and honor Breonna with this new law. The no-knock warrant, which aims to decrease recreational drug possession and usage, was included as a part of federal enforcement for the 1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act. In most cases, police use a “quick-knock approach” upon entering premises for conducting searches; however, the abruptness of a no-knock search is meant to limit the amount of time a person has to hide evidence of drugs or be in a position to physically threaten police officers. In theory, no-knock warrants are to be carried out only in extremely precarious surroundings, yet they have become almost common for raids. 20,000 or more no-knock searches are carried out per year, with 10% of them involving a judge approving a no-knock search when officers only ask for a regular warrant. An arrest warrant gives officers permission to arrest the person/persons named in the warrant. Permission is marked by the signature of a judge. A no-knock warrant, too, must be signed by a judge in order for officers to carry out the surprise raid. 1962 court case Ker v. California referenced the Fourth Amendment’s protection against illegal searches by ruling a no-knock warrant based on assumptions of drug possession as lawful. 30 years later in the case Richards v. Wisconsin, the court determined that officers have “a reasonable suspicion that knocking and announcing their presence, under the particular circumstances, would be dangerous or futile, or that it would inhibit the effective investigation of the crime.” (Justia US Law) The specific circumstance which would involve such an unannounced search is described as “dangerous.” However, numerous no-knock warrants of less dangerous scenarios have also been conducted; some with the intent to prevent destruction of evidence, resulting in deaths of civilians such as Breonna Taylor. Banning the no-knock warrant not only prevents possible miscommunications, but also lives from impulsive violence. Breonna’s story brings up a major division between the justice system and city governments. When Breonna’s law was passed, numerous questions were brought up on how a law could be named after Breonna while the police officers that murdered her still walked free. All three officers, Jon Mattingly, Brett Hankinson, and Myles Cosgrove, were placed on administrative leave, while officer Brett Hankinson was only fired over his use of deadly force. Fired. A big reason why so many officers are able to get away with inhumane and illegal acts of violence is qualified immunity. Qualified immunity is a legal immunity first introduced in 1967 by the U.S. Supreme Court to protect law enforcement officers from liability while on the job (mostly pertaining to just FBI agents). The law prevents a victim from being able to file a lawsuit against law enforcement officials in unclear legal situations where the officers supposedly acted in “Good Faith.” Since 1967, the doctrine has been modified several times, expanding what falls under “qualified immunity.” The 1982 Supreme Court case Harlow v. Fitzgerald ruled that police officers were protected under qualified immunity. It was again expanded in 1987 in the case Anderson v. Creighton, which ruled that law enforcement officers could be protected under qualified immunity when conducting a search in violation of the Fourth Amendment (protection against unreasonable search and seizures). In 2001, the case Saucier v. Katz created a two step test for determining whether an officer was protected by qualified immunity in a lawsuit: 1. First, a court must look at whether the facts indicate that a constitutional right has been violated. 2. If so, a court must then look at whether that right was clearly established at the time of the alleged conduct. This test was later expanded in the 2009 Pearson v. Callahan case to say that the test can be applied, however, it gave courts more discretion on whether to use the test or not. This allowed for qualified immunity to be declared more easily in the justice system. The case also ruled that "[a]n officer conducting a search is entitled to qualified immunity where clearly established law does not show that the search violated the Fourth Amendment." The slow but incredible expansion of qualified immunity over the years has given an unprecedented amount of power to law enforcement agents, including police when on the job. This is a clear example of corruption when law enforcement agents can violate citizens’ constitutional rights while the justice system simply turns a blind eye. How can police officers enforce the law when they in turn aren’t necessarily required to follow it themselves? It is a perplexing moral dilemma that leads to the unjust violence, jailing, and murder of US citizens. This could not be exemplified more by the fact that Kenneth Walker was arrested and charged with attempted murder for shooting an officer in the leg out of self defense. Meanwhile, the three officers who shot Breonna Taylor eight times still walk free today. Sadly, only by witnessing such tragedies have people been filled with outrage and drive for reform. We know that systemic racism exists when we think about racial stereotypes. Why are Black people labeled uneducated and poor? Why is there such a significant welfare gap between Black and White communities? White America was built upon the institution of slavery that ran so deep even after slavery was abolished that Blacks - after centuries of oppression - continue to be marginalized, discriminated against, and judged solely for their skin color. The Black Lives Matter Movement, dedicated to anti-racism advocacy, was created in 2013 following the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by a gunshot wound at the hands of a police officer he had a physical altercation with. Since then, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Troy Robinson, Breonna Taylor, and countless more have been killed due to racial police brutality. Despite the inception of such a powerful movement 7 years ago, officers in police brutality cases have only recently been called to their long due responsibilities today, starting with Officer Derek Chauvin. Breonna Taylor’s case remained silent for two months following her death. No footage of her death was obtained given the sudden situation and her killers remain unprosecuted today. But we have the power to change that. As rallying cries for Breonna’s killers to be charged ring across the nation, the enactment of Breonna’s law in Louisville, Kentucky marks the start of change amid the 26 year old’s unjust death. Though officers involved in Breonna’s death have yet to be charged and prosecuted, voices of all races and ethnicities have united in demanding justice for Breonna through protests, social media, petitions, conversations with loved ones, letters to the Kentucky Police Department, and more. The passing of Breonna’s Law in Louisville has been met with immense support and calls for other 49 states to follow suit. Even if qualified immunity and claims of self defense prevent officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Harrison, and Myles Cosgrove from being prosecuted, we must continue to say her name, share her story with our communities, protest, and demand justice for Breonna Taylor. - Josie and Chris Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/article/breonna-taylor-police.html https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/11/us/louisville-breonnas-law-no-knock-warrants-ban/index.html https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/qualified_immunity https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/crime/2020/06/10/breonna-taylor-shooting-louisville-police-release-incident-report/5332915002/ https://www.yalelawjournal.org/article/how-qualified-immunity-fails#:~:text=Defendants%20raised%20qualified%20immunity%20in%2037.6%25%20of%20the%20cases%20in,the%20defense%20at%20that%20stage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-knock_warrant "Deadly police raid fuels call to end 'no knock' warrants" https://www.louisville-police.org/35/LMPD-Transparency https://www.louisville-police.org/349/Officer-Involved-Shooting-Investigation- https://www.npr.org/2020/06/15/876853817/supreme-court-will-not-re-examine-doctrine-that-shields-police-in-misconduct-sui https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqQa_0gM6hg

Dear Asian Youth, On Tinder, there is this "big" swipe right feature called the Super Swipe. Regular swiping right secretly matches you with the other person, but when one Super Swipes, it's like enthusiastically matching with them. When the person who you super swiped sees your profile, there is a big blue star that supposedly signals the person that you are interested and triples your chances of being matched with in return. As reality-based as this feature is, who gets these “stars” in real life? Interestingly so, there is an unspoken hierarchy in online dating. According to a study conducted on heterosexual dating markets in multiple online dating services, white men and Asian women are considered the most desirable. This presents many questions, notably: why are Asian women perceived as the most attractive while Asian men sit “at the bottom of the dating totem pole”? To answer such a broad and complicated question, it can be seen that stereotypes have transgressed into the dating world. It was observed that Asian men and women expressed a similar desire to look for potential partners that are both of different or similar races, but, Asian men were twice as likely to remain single than their female counterparts. Oftentimes, Asian women are categorized as exotic, carrying special sexualities; invisible, lacking power or attention; submissive, agreeable and controllable; and delicate. On the other hand, Asian men were likely to be seen as unmasculine; geeky, unsociable, and nerdy; or naive, oblivious of how to act attractively. This notion comes from the idea that Asian men are workaholic and “overly smart”, derived from cultural tradition to be the best academically. In combination, they split Asians at opposite ends- neither for good reasons. For Asian women, racial bias can be coined in a term known as Yellow Fever. Yellow Fever summarizes the idea that women of Asian descent are geisha-like (quiet and sexually silent) or china dolls (dainty and beautiful). The concept objectifies them as docile and rather two-dimensional. Therefore, those with an Asian fetish often want acquiescent females. In all, the dating scape is much more open, because many are more likely to reach out to them, but at the price of racial prejudice and submissive stereotyping. Historically, many speculate the origins of Asian female fetishization occurred during World War II when the United States entered Asia. From there, sex industries boomed with thousands of women across the continent being coerced into prostitution to serve American soldiers. Unsurprisingly, this practice continued throughout the Korean and Vietnamese War, where 85 percent of soldiers sought after a sex worker at one point or another. From there, it can be conclusively drawn that many 20th century Americans’ first encounters with Asians was in a sexual manner, and many roots of this idea still hold today. Moreover, for Asian males, this unique issue means superficial bias before actual consideration of personality traits, or even physical ones. A 54-year-old Filipino-Canadian man, with almost 20 years of online dating experience, explained his observations overall as negative ones. He was primarily interested in Caucasian women, and would more often get no response to his messages. When he asked why it was because they simply weren't attracted to Asian men. Before an evaluation of anything else, his ethnicity was the deciding factor. However, after more time and the realization that he was more “American” than “Asian”, they felt a greater attraction and would reconsider him as a partner. To be even considered, one had to look more- as the hierarchy implies- Caucasian. The notion that "attractive" means "Americanized", like the colonizers that had once assimilated people, has created an immense impact on today's beauty standards. Besides that, though much of our “fair skin equals beautiful” concept comes from a white background, as an Asian community, there is a need for us to learn to be more inclusive of our characteristics. From my personal experience and the countless comments on my tanner skin tone when I visit China to see family, it is evident that there are stigmas that tear our community. Along that line is colorism, prejudice within a race based on skin color. This prejudice plays a huge role and encourages habits of skin bleaching and lightening creams. These products are known to cause dermatitis, mercury poisoning, and other detrimental side effects. Historically, lighter skin was representative of the upper-class of people who did not have to work in the Sun. Contrastingly, those with darker skin meant they worked long hours in the fields. As a society, while roles like this are decreasing, there is a need for progression to learn acceptance, both externally and internally. Despite the polarizing practices many carry, there are improvements underway. More or less, people are generally seeing one another as equals and many are proposing solutions to lessen racial bias in these apps. In an experiment run by OKCupid, it was found that when users were told the people in their algorithms were highly compatible, even when in fact they were not, they were more attracted to those they saw. The power of suggestion plays a big role in who we think we are suitable with. Therefore, by increasing diversity, there is a possibility of breaking down racial biases in a quiet manner. In addition, many have proposed the idea of ridding the option to choose racial preferences as a whole, as dating app Hornet has implemented. Furthermore, Japan-based app, 9Monsters, has its users grouped into nine categories of fictional monsters so that people look past race, ability, and economic status. Others use filters like political bias, education, and relationship history, that encourage users to seek attributes beyond the physical. As anyone can tell, there are many alternatives to choose from- race not needing to be one. It may be awhile before we, as a whole population, look past the superficial- but there is hope. For Asians and those of Asian descent, they can help break down ideas of bigotry and see past prejudice. - Allison

Dear Asian Youth, Food is not only a necessity for survival; it also serves a larger purpose in so many facets of our lives. When you want to catch up with a friend, you ask them to grab lunch. Special occasions are celebrated by going out for dinner. When someone loses a loved one, you support them by dropping off baked goods. Many of us can relate to Asian relatives calling to check in only to start the conversation with, “have you eaten yet?” Food not only nourishes our bodies, but it also nourishes our relationships with our families, friends, and cultures. Many of us grew up being teased about the food we brought to school for lunch because it looked different to our non-Asian peers. Some of us grew up being teased by our peers for “eating dogs”, taunted when we pulled out a thermos of fried rice, or mocked for smelling like garlic or curry. This type of food-related racism has only escalated. When the COVID-19 outbreak began, I was scrolling through my for you page on TikTok when I came across racist jokes about “LingLing” eating “bat soup.” I was disheartened to realize that the racism I experienced around food growing up has not gone away. In fact, it is directly a part of the larger anti-Asian sentiment that has unfortunately risen out of the current pandemic. Growing up constantly hearing this racially charged dialogue surrounding the food we eat, it can be hard not to feel a sense of embarrassment. But foods from our cultures do not need to be a source of shame. In fact, the foods our families prepare for us with care should be a source of pride! Through food, we get to know our histories and ourselves. In this column, we will delve into the histories and significance of all the mouth-wateringly delicious Asian American foods that fill our bellies, nurture our souls, and connect us to our heritage starting with the most basic: congee! Congee is prevalent in many Asian cultures and goes by many different names: jook, báizhōu, okayu, arroz caldo. Simply put, it is a rice porridge made by boiling rice in water until it disintegrates into a thick, soup-like texture. Congee has been around for what seems like forever. While some date it back to the Han dynasty, circa 206 B.C. to A.D. 220, others date it back even further to approximately 1,000 B.C., during the Zhou dynasty. Whatever the case may be, congee has stood the test of time and established itself as a staple of Asian diets. The only required ingredients are rice and water, but other ingredients such as poultry meats, beans, peanuts, and green onions can be added to give the dish more flavor and pizzazz. Congee was initially created to stretch a meal when there was not enough food to go around and it serves many purposes. It is often the first food that babies eat before they can chew solid foods. It also serves as a common remedy when you are feeling under the weather as it is warm, comforting, and mild on the stomach. Because of its versatility in the ingredients which may be added, congee can be made at any time with whatever you happen to have leftover in your fridge. My family is Cantonese, so we call congee by its Cantonese name: jook. I first ate jook when I was a baby, and I most recently had jook just last week, after my college graduation. Ever since I can remember, my grandpa has made a large pot of jook every year on the day after Thanksgiving. Why? Because what better way not to waste the giant leftover turkey carcass than to make it into a big delicious pot of comfort? My grandpa spent his early childhood in Guangdong, China before fleeing to the U.S. at the start of World War II when the Japanese military invaded his village. He often cites memories of his childhood in China and recalls never having enough food for the family. Each year for his birthday present, he got a chicken leg all to himself that he would keep under his bed for a week, taking a small bite every night so as not to waste it away too quickly. He used to tell me stories of his village’s “pet” pig, who would go around visiting all the neighbors and getting fattened up just so that the villagers could eventually slaughter him and divide the meat amongst themselves. After moving to the U.S., my grandpa grew up working in his family’s diner so that they could make ends meet. Although his life in the U.S. offered new opportunities, food security for his family was not much better than it had been in China. Making jook was always a sure way to stretch a meal and resourcefully utilize leftover ingredients. To this day, I have never seen my grandpa let a shred of food on his plate go to waste. Leftover rice, beans, and poultry always become jook! Today, I am lucky to say that food insecurity is not an issue for my family. With that, jook has taken on a new meaning for us. What once served as a necessary tool of survival now presents itself as a celebratory dish. When I eat jook, I am reminded of the day after a holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, when my aunties and uncles are still in town visiting us. The craziness of the holiday has died down, and we are left to spend quality time together over a fresh, steaming pot of jook. I am fortunate that the recipe for jook has continued to be passed down in my family through generations, as it is not only a delicious treat, but one that tells a story of generations of hard work and sacrifice that all led to the life I lead today as a proud, recent UCLA graduate. The day after my virtual graduation ceremony, I went to my grandparents’ house to return something they had forgotten. When I arrived, my grandpa had a fresh pot of jook made with his leftover chicken bones waiting for me to take back home. It was enough lunch for an entire week! I thought back to my grandpa’s childhood, when he felt so fortunate just to get a measly chicken leg for his birthday. I thought about the fact that my grandpa would save his chicken leg to make it last an entire week and the fact that now he made sure I had enough jook that this would never possibly be a concern for me. At this moment I realized that jook is more than just a Cantonese rice porridge; it is a tool of survival which has been adapted into a love language. It is a love language passed down from generation to generation, each adding new ingredients and bringing more significance. But no matter how many ingredients are added, how many holidays celebrated, how many names it goes by, jook is a dish from simple and humble beginnings with the potential to flourish into something so beautiful that it stands the test of time. What was once a source of embarrassment, I now see as a symbol of love and pride for my roots. So, next time someone tries to make fun of your cultural foods, tell them to STFU because our food is our history and we are proud of who we are. - Olivia

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to shame people for having a type or being more attracted to a specific race. I simply want to address the unhealthy fixation towards a group of people under a racial lens. Dear Asian Youth, Have you heard of the Yellow Fever? No, I am not talking about the viral haemorrhagic disease passed around by mosquitoes. Instead, I am referring to the social phenomenon in which white males develop an obsessive sexual preference for Asian females - also known as a fetish. Though this fetish is exhibited by all races, it is proven to be more prevalent amongst predominantly white communities. “Yellow Fever is not a preference. It’s a racial prejudice,” said Jessie Tu from The Sydney Morning Herald. Those with Asian fetishes are not attracted to Asian people as individuals, but rather attracted to a projection of “Asian-ness” they’ve placed on their targets. East-Asian females have stereotypically been labelled with adjectives such as submissive, delicate, obedient, exotic due to their traditional values and cultural representations in Western media. Fetishizers enforce this narrative of the “ideal East-Asian female” and construct fantasies of the perfect Asian lover. This is a reason why white individuals who are exposed to Western media have a higher probability of sexualizingAsians. The social disease of the Yellow Fever is not something new. In fact, it has quite a substantial historical background. Tracing back to the late 1800s, Victorian men who first visited cities in Japan were completely entranced by doll-like and subservient images of Geishas (female Japanese entertainers). Later on, in the early ages of Hollywood movies, Asian females were consistently casted for roles with heavy emphasis on their eccentric sexuality, for example, different roles played by Anna May Wong in 1930 Hollywood films. She portrayed a woman who lured people in with her servile and unthreatening appearance, using her sexuality as a weapon against men while concealing her domineering intents. Through observation, the greatest modern-day culprit of this societal problem is still the media. From musical performances to televised programs, a majority of Asian females have been exoticized and eroticized in a way that adheres to Western standards. To illustrate, Katy Perry's 'Offensive' Geisha Performance At American Music Awards serves as a prime example of western sexualization of asian cultures. In the performance, Perry is seen wearing a “sexier” version of a kimono (a traditional Japanese garment) before a Japanese-inspired backdrop with lanterns and cherry blossoms as she sings about unconditional love. Many have criticized Perry for appropriating Japanese culture while also promoting the idea of Asian females groveling for love. Aside from the heavy sexualization of Asian females, the enforcement of stereotypical characteristics also contribute to the growing Yellow Fever. In a New York Times editorial by Audrea Lim, she explains why many white males are more inclined to fetishize Asian women. “Asian women are seen as naturally inclined to serve men sexually and are also thought of as slim, light-skinned and small, in adherence to Western norms of femininity,” Lim writes. The idea of Asian women being less-opinionated, less-harsh, and less-resistant is something that feeds the ego of some white males. Shuruti Mukkamala and Karen L. Suyemoto from The American Psychological Association conducted a research project in which they compiled main stereotypes Asian American females feel discriminated against. A few prominent ones on the list include: exotic, a follower, submissive, cute, and small. However, unsurprisingly, many Asian females do not possess the aforementioned traits. This is not to denote anyone who does exhibit these characteristics, but rather to remind everyone that these labels are not definite for each individual Asian female. It places these women in a constrictive box of what they should and should not be like. Many individuals venture to find their partner with expectations of certain personality traits that come with the East-Asian ethnicity. If a person does not fit their cultural stereotypes, their partners are not entitled to feel disappointed or angry. These restrictive expectations can make people feel segregated or objectified. This raises a question: what is the difference between having a type and having a problematic fetish? When you are sexually attracted to an entire ethnicity because you believe all members have the same personality and behavior characteristics, you probably have a racial fetish. In a way, you are denying their identities as nuanced individuals. If you want your partner to have specific personality traits and lifestyle values, that’s completely fine. But it is harmful to have the mindset that your standards will be met because your partner is of a specific race. In its essence, to fetishize a human being is to objectify them to the point that they are divorced from their individuality. This is why it is important for us to acknowledge how dangerous and problematic this social disease of the Yellow Fever truly is. There are thankfully “antidotes” to combat this prevalent “disease.” As a society, we need to start by discontinuing confining racial stereotypes. This can be done through diversified representations in the media and or professional education about racial identity. We have to actively take the step to shift our mindsets and acknowledge the implicit racial biases that we don’t even realize we have. It is crucial to call out and oppose the enforcement of stereotypes on people and look beyond the generalizations and allow individuals to define their own identity. - Eva Zhong

I learned math before I could speak English. Somehow, this condemned me to years of judgement based on the angle of my eyes and the flatness of my nose, rather than the numbers and mathematics my family sought for me to learn. I was a preschooler, drowning under the unfamiliar words and letters being thrown at me, like drinking water from a fire hydrant. I found solace in the numbers I saw on the walls and in the books. I was at home, playing with the number magnets on the refrigerator while my grandfather taught me how to add and subtract. I found solace in him: his wisdom and his baritone voice speaking in the language I do understand. In a world where everything around me suddenly felt foreign, I found comfort in the numbers and order of operations. My family greatly respected a strong education to instill love for learning and good character. Somehow, you think that is not okay. I was in elementary school. I spoke English now, but something about me still felt wrong. I dreaded the books we read, I dreaded being called on by the teacher—I counted the people sitting ahead of me in class and rehearsed the paragraph in my head five times before it was my turn to speak. You claimed I was a “nerd” because I was better friends with numbers than letters and words. I think you called me a “nerd” not because of numbers and words, but the shape of my eyes and the color of my skin. I still sat at home on the phone with my grandfather, and I still found solace in the math problems he riddled me with. He promised me this was more than just math—but also how to think and question, and grow in this world. Somehow, you think that is not okay. I was in middle school. I still dreaded English. I felt at home in my pre-algebra and geometry classes—and you silently judged me. Don’t think I couldn’t see your condescending glances, couldn’t hear your silent thoughts. If I buried myself under books and novels, I was an overachiever—too Asian for you. If I didn’t bury myself under books and novels, I was a nerd because of my strong background in math—still too Asian for you. So I could only bury myself under those books and novels, hoping that becoming more familiar with the words would somehow deem me less of an outsider one day. Somehow, you think that is not okay. And I started to think you’ll always think I’m not okay, because I’d learned the numbers and the words and the only thing I hadn’t changed was my race and my blood. That’s the only explanation for why after all I’d done, you still thought that something about me is not okay. I am in high school. You still think I am an outsider, but now I don’t give a damn. The years spent riddling math with my grandfather and the secret hours buried under books have shaped me into a master of words and numbers. I realize my lifelong relationship with mathematics does not make me a nerd—it makes me an analytical problem solver, a logical thinker. A strong leader, a reliable mind in conflict resolution. Watch me as I take integrals faster than you can think. And after all my time spent with books and novels, I have fallen in love with words, too—and this newfound love for writing makes me a magician. Watch me as I hypnotize you with my words. And now I realize my grandfather sought to teach me more than math in those lessons, he taught me humility, perseverance, respect, and never-ending curiosity. You still think I am an outsider? You should be afraid. Because one day I will use those numbers and those words, and become a doctor, lawyer, scientist, teacher—a problem solver, a magician. Humble. Persevering. Respectful. Curious. I learned math before I could speak English. But your ignorance to the power of education blinds you. Watch me as I hold the world in my hands. And I think that is more than okay. - Yi-Ann

for most of my life i thought that my body was my own. my body was my flesh and my blood, Persephone’s temptation, a pomegranate path to freedom. it was my skin and my bone, with eyes, ears, and a mouth that took in a million breaths of fresh, sharp, glittering air. i walked the world as if i owned it, in the ecstasy of an endlessly blooming field of honeybees and lavender. i owed the world nothing. so i lived. then you came. taking away my pomegranate seed throne, leaving me in the hidden abyss of night with the toxins in your devastatingly sweet, deceivingly sleepy poppy seed and poison ivy touches. you didn’t know about the nightmares that came afterwards, right? you gave me a lover’s gentle touch, with the bite of a hissing, delusional black-lightning adder. and when you placed your hand on my back and my knee, my body and my entire being, was mummified. my brain hooked out of my nose, liver and lungs removed, with precision. the sacred bubble that had been taught to me since i was a child, created and popped with a single breath. all i did was stand still while you, the adder, nipped at my heels. and the only thing that remained: my tell-tale heart beating in confusion, with a roar of ruby red outrage and indignation. i did not welcome your touches, your unforgiving acts of so-called friendliness. there was no desire for them. and i had only one thought that was worse: could i be overreacting? that’s when i learned that my body was not my own. it belonged to the eyes of adders and men and unknowingly, i had let the river Lethe flow in. what a false path to Elysium i had been traveling. still, poisonings and bites can be healed, with time and love and strength. and the simple, constant remembering that my flesh, my blood, my skin, my bone, my body, could be recovered in all its noble, astrological glory. and my community, which heard me speak my cloud covered truths, and let the sun shine in the gaps. and my conviction, which became a love for myself, as free and destined, as those fated butterfly lovers. i reclaim this body as my own. i am FIGHTING to transcend out of my frightened, paralyzed state of being. and i know this body is my own. your touches have not been forgiven nor forgotten, but i will CONQUER them. - Kaitlyn

Dear Baba and Mama, We’ve had tough conversations in the past few weeks and we’ve butted heads in the midst of this fight for social justice. “You are young and haven’t seen a fraction of the ugly things we have seen.” “We lived through the Cultural Revolution and saw its horrors--there are some things you will never understand.” I want you to know that I do not respect or love you any less for the viewpoints you have because I know that as immigrants, you have faced obstacles I will probably never face in my lifetime. I know you fled from China with hopes of clinging onto your vision of the American Dream: democracy, education, ability to speak up in the face of oppression, and a better future. And I know that the current state of this country must feel so disillusioning, when the faults in our system are exposed and you feel like you have walked from one place of chaos right into another. I wish to educate you more on the history of minorities in this country, and its relationship with the Black Lives Matter movement. I recognize the ingrained opinions you have through no fault of your own, and it is in my hopes to ease some of your worries through this letter. Because the truth is that even as Asians, our history is tangled with Black lives and Black history. You have wondered why Black lives are receiving so much attention now, and why it seems like the attention is only focused on them—because as minorities, we too, have experienced much discrimination throughout American history. The attack on Vincent Chin: a man beaten to death in the 1980’s. We were once banned from immigrating to the United States. And during this COVID-19 pandemic, many of our Asian brothers and sisters lost their businesses to prejudice or were beaten in the streets. I understand any discomfort you feel towards the spotlight on Black Lives Matter, because to be banned from entering the country implies the malice in the ones who orchestrated it. You wonder why we should be supporting Black lives now; because if Asians were able to face our initial hardships and make it to where we are now, why can’t Black people do the same? We’ve worked our way to a “good reputation” (as stated in the “Model Minority Myth”). Why should we support them now? Where was our “special attention”? The fact is that we owe many of our freedoms, and maybe even our reputation today, to Black activists from the Civil Rights Movement in the 60’s. In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act banned Chinese laborers from immigration into the U.S. Not even fifty years later, the Immigration Act of 1917 banned all Asian, Mexican, and Mediterranean people, among many other ethnic groups, from entering the U.S. This was shortly followed by the Immigration Act of 1924; it created a quota which prioritized European immigrants and effectively made it impossible for Asians to immigrate, for the sake of “preserving the idea of American homogeneity” and to uphold the image of a “white America.” We were never even given a chance to exist in this country for more than a century. So how did we finally make it in? How did we go from not even being allowed to step foot into America, to becoming the “model minority” group? The answer is the Civil Rights Movement. In popular culture, the movement is often portrayed as more of a “Civil Rights for Black people” movement. But, it actually included much more than just Black people. Even though the people who led this movement were mainly Black activists, it was a fight for rights for all people of color, The grassroots founders of this movement, who inspired the rest of the nation to fight for equality and uplift the voices of minorities—including Black people, Hispanic and Latinx people, Asian people—were Black: Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks. The Civil Rights Movement’s incitement was marked when four Black college students sat down in a segregated lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, and ignored the “whites only” signs as well as the demands to move. This act of defiance towards segregation inspired the other acts that followed that you may have heard of, such as Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat, as well as Martin Luther King’s arrests. History books, news media, and popular culture like to say that it ended there: the Black community defied the Jim Crow discriminatory laws, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, and then America fixed its mistakes. Towards the end of the movement, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibited racial discrimination in voting. This, in legal terms, and according to the Constitution, means that no one can be denied the right to vote because of their skin color. This means that Asians, Mexicans, Mediterranean’s, Middle Eastern individuals—all people of color could no longer be denied the right to vote. It was just unfortunate that at the time the Voting Rights Act was passed, many other people of color (including Asians) could not immigrate into the U.S. yet. What America didn’t teach everyone is that the Civil Rights Movement did not stop there. In fact, the Civil Rights Movement gained so much momentum in the 60’s that it became much more than a movement for only “Black rights.” These activists wanted to tear down the idea of a “white America,” and fought for human rights in general. Shortly after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Congress then passed the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which abolished the quota and restrictions on immigrants based on race and country. This is when the second part of the story of Asians in the U.S. begins.This is the act that allowed Asians to immigrate into the country again. This is the act that welcomed Asians, Latinx, Mediterraneans, Jamaicans, Malaysians, Filipinos, etc… into America once again. In 1968, the 14th Amendment of the Constitution was passed. This amendment extended “equal protection of the laws” to all individuals of the United States, effectively stating that people of all colors in the U.S.--including Asians--were to be guaranteed the same types of protections. “You haven’t faced real oppression.” And it’s true; I haven’t faced the same oppression you faced in Asia, because legislations like these prevent us from reliving those shackles you sought to escape. Then in 1969, the 15th Amendment of the Constitution was passed. Many people view this as the Amendment which wrote into the Constitution African Americans’ right to vote.Once again, there is more.. The Amendment states that the right to vote cannot be denied based on race or color. This means that all people of color can now vote—including Asians and Hispanics and any other minorities newly admitted immigration into the U.S. And when you felt like you didn’t have a voice before across the ocean… this amendment gives you the voice in democracy you tried to fight for in China. As you can see in our history, much of the freedoms Asians have today are entangled with the history of Black activists fighting for human rights. I hear you when you say that you have faced racism and discrimination. I hear you when you say you have faced obstacles I can only dream of as you fought for a better life for me. And I cannot thank you enough for uprooting your lives in your home country for the chance of a better life for your children here. But it cannot be denied; we would not be here today if it were not for the battles that the Black community fought sixty years ago. It was the Civil Rights Movement, started and led by Black people, fighting for rights for all people of color, that allowed the Immigration Act to be signed, allowing Asians back into the country. It was the black community that fought for legislation leading to the 14th and 15th Amendment, which now guarantees us and all minorities the same protections the white people of America have had for centuries. Those Black people marched in the streets for the laws that helped us be here today. And then when Vincent Chin, a Chinese man, was murdered years later in 1982, and Asian Americans rallied to fight for justice—just as people are now marching for George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, and countless others—Black people joined us in those streets. They marched alongside us and joined the American Citizens for Justice—a civil rights organization for Asians. Then in 1984, the U.S. District Court finally sentenced the man who murdered Vincent Chin, marking the first time Asians had marched for justice for one of our own, and then was protected in court for it. Those marches that Asians organized in 1982 were inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, and sparked an interest in activism among the Asian community for the years to come. We were joined by the Black community, who had marched before in 1965 and knew what it was like, and who inspired a whole new generation of Asian activists to continue the fight for minority rights. Now, Black people need our help. Yes, Asians still face hardships. As do Latinx, Indigenous people, and so many more people of color. The Coronavirus-inspired xenophobia is just one example. But supporting the Black community in their fight doesn’t invalidate our struggles. We see you. We hear you. Other minorities face hardships, but as we fight for Black people now, others will fight for us, too. Racism is still prevalent today, including microaggressions on the basis of race. Even though on paper it says all minorities have the same rights, we still feel like outsiders through the little moments in our daily lives. You know this from the stories I tell of classmates mocking me about eating dog, asking me where I “really” come from. You know this from the times I came home crying in middle school, hating how my eyes looked. You know this from how much more effort you have to give in your workplace to progress as far as the white man in the cubicle next to you. But although the work isn’t finished, the Civil Rights Movement paved the pathway for a future in which everyone has equal lives regardless of their race. Black people were here for us before we were even allowed in this country; and now that they need support, we can only do our best to help them too. Stand with them for George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Elijah McClain, just as they stood with us for Vincent Chin. Just as they stood sixty years ago for us to be here today. Black lives matter. Because fighting for Black rights and Black justice now—just like in the Civil Rights Movement—is part of a larger movement in America to tear down systemic racism and fight for justice for all people of color, which includes Asians, too. Respectfully and with love, Your daughter.

Edit: For the argument that ACA-5 is unconstitutional, please refer to the Supreme Court decision Gutter v. Gullinger, which ruled that each admissions decision is based on multiple factors, and that University of Michigan Law School could fairly use race as one of them. The case reaffirmed the court’s position that diversity on campus is a compelling state interest for Michigan. Edit 2: ACA-5 is now a ballot measure, Proposition 16! Remember to register to vote and support Prop 16 this November! Dear Asian Youth, What is ACA-5? ACA-5, or the Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5, is a California constitutional amendment that repeals Proposition 209, which had prohibited the state of California from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, or nationality specifically in public education and employment. At first sight, Prop 209 seems to make sense - no one should be treated differently based on race, sex, etc. but the situation is complicated on the grounds that prop was specifically introduced to repeal affirmative action in UC schools. After Prop 209 was passed and ‘race-neutral’ admissions began, the likelihood of applicants from underrepresented groups being enrolled into at least once UC campus decreased by 7%. Most dramatically, the enrollment of underrepresented groups fell by more than 60% at Berkeley and UCLA campuses. The end of affirmative action in California led to a 1.4 percentage decline in all underrepresented applicants’ likelihood of earning a Bachelor’s degree. As the University of California President Janet Napolitano put it, "It makes little sense to exclude any consideration of race in admissions when the aim of the University’s holistic process is to fully understand and evaluate each applicant through multiple dimensions. Proposition 209 has forced California public institutions to try to address racial inequality without factoring in race, even where allowed by federal law. The diversity of our university and higher education institutions across California, should — and must — represent the rich diversity of our state." Recently, the University of California Board of Regents unanimously endorsed ACA-5. What is the controversy? There are a lot of myths surrounding ACA-5, so I will attempt to dispel them first before addressing more relevant reasons for opposition. First off, ACA-5 does more than just help minority students, it also has benefits for women and for minorities in businesses and employment. For example, this policy would allow California to have specific initiatives that help out Asian-owned businesses that been effected by COVID19-related racism, which is impossible under Prop 209. I have seen this statistic thrown around in social media: “the number of Asians able to attend UC colleges will be reduced from 42% to 12%” as a result of ACA-5. After thorough research, I cannot find any credible resource on where this ‘12%’ came from. I was able to track it down to an Instagram account called @asianstudentsatrisk (used to be named @asianstudentmatter), whose post stated “The ACA-5 bill will limit the number of Asian students that can get admitted into college. Only 12% of Asians can enroll into UC Universities. This means that less qualified students will take the spots of Asian students! This is racism!” While racism towards Asian-Americans does exist in many aspects of society, I do not think this counts. First off, when Prop 209 was introduced, the rate of admissions for Asian Americans at the University of California system has actually decreased, except for UC Riverside. Therefore, race-blind admissions did not help Asian-Americans as proponents of Prop 209 might believe. I also want to quell any worries by sharing that the Supreme Court has already made it illegal to use racial quotas or caps. ACA-5 will not, in any way, limit the number of Asian students admitted to UC schools. Furthermore, UC campuses take in 14 different factors of an applicant, including but not limited to GPA, socio-economic status, and special talents - race and ethnicity will just be introduced as two of the many dimensions of an applicant’s background. Meaning, you will not be denied admission because of your race. I would even say that ACA-5 will benefit many Asian-Americans as it allows Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders, statistically more underprivileged than East Asians, to be considered separately from the Asian monolith as race AND ethnicity become important criteria for consideration. The concerns raised by @asianstudentsatrisk are unfounded and frankly, the language used by the account is ignorant at best. It is incredibly insulting to automatically consider students who are non-Asian as “less qualified.” The account @asianstudentsatrisk has also put out another post using Harvard as an example of how affirmative action lowers the acceptance rates for Asian students. I want to point out that the article cited as the source for the information of the post is an opinion article and should not be regarded as journalistic evidence. However, I do think the article is legitimate in its concern at how exactly Harvard considers its minority applicants - just not in the way the writer thinks. I do not consider affirmative action as the actual reason why Asian-Americans are discriminated against in Harvard admissions, especially when there are more convincing alternative arguments. I think the problem with the Harvard admissions process is actually 1. implicit bias and 2. legacy enrollment. According to a 2015 Pew Research report, two Implicit Association Tests studies showed that 50% of white subjects tested held subconscious preferences for other whites over Asian Americans, and 48% of white subjects held subconscious preferences for other whites over African Americans. Therefore, the implicit bias of interviewers, teachers responsible for recommendation letters, etc. could be to blame for low personality ratings. The actual threat to fair admissions at Harvard is the strong preference for legacy applicants, who tend to be white. According to this research article from the Asian American Law Journal, more than 1 out 5 white applicants to Harvard 2010 and 2015 were legacies, and the number of white legacy students admitted to Harvard exceeds the number of African Americans, Hispanic, and Asian-American legacy students combined. Legacy admissions have essentially become “affirmative action for whites” (privileged white students, I might add) especially given that Harvard’s admissions program grants legacy applicants a 40% point boost over the much smaller 9% point boost for low-income students. Given the unlevel playing field, no wonder high-achieving Asian-Americans are not given a fair chance. Therefore, the situation of Harvard and the situation of the University of California are not equitable. Now, finally, we can go over more relevant concerns. Senator Ling Ling Chang, who represents District 29, offered this take: "I have experienced racial discrimination so I know what that’s like. But the answer to racial discrimination is not more discrimination which is what this bill proposes. The answer is to strengthen our institutions by improving our education system so all students have access to a quality education, and give opportunities to those who are economically disadvantaged. ACA 5 legalizes racial discrimination and that’s wrong." Fundamentally, I agree that America’s whole K-12 system needs an overhaul to better support its underprivileged students. Furthermore, I do worry that affirmative action is not enough, especially given that colleges might offer an intellectual rigor that students are not ready for. However, I am a firm believer that affirmative action is at least the right step forward. Underrepresented students should have a chance to improve their own circumstances. As colleges are crucial for students to receive quality training and to be career-ready, it is absolutely imperative that these colleges are open to underrepresented students. I have also heard of the argument that affirmative action should be based on economic status instead of race. For this, I have to say that the UC system already considers a student’s socioeconomic status. Furthermore, one’s race and ethnicity are integral parts of what one’s experience in America will be like: i.e., having to learn a new language, facing discrimination, etc. Racism doesn’t discriminate by class - wealthy and unwealthy minority students still experience racism. In order to have a holistic view of a student, how can you not consider their racial and ethnic background, especially since they are a part of one’s identity? Just as color-blindness is counterproductive as it ignores discrimination, race-neutral admissions do the same. Just as a reminder, under ACA-5, an applicant will not be denied admission just due to their race. Some have also considered policies like affirmative action to be a threat to meritocracy. In ideal circumstances, it is correct to believe that the ‘most ideal’ candidate should be enrolled. However, we do not live in ideal circumstances. America as a whole does not give equal opportunity to its citizens, making it very difficult for underrepresented students to reach the ‘idealness’ of more privileged students. Therefore, to not do anything and to keep Prop 209 perpetuates a cycle of barring opportunities to those that need it the most. Just as bandaging a wound won’t do much until you disinfect the wound first, we need to take active steps to right the wrongs of the past. How can we support ACA-5? I hope that I have at least presented compelling arguments. We can make sure that ACA-5 becomes a reality by signing petitions and contacting our representatives (this link provides a nice template, just change out ‘your organization’ to yourself and change the contact details as needed). You can also join and support organizations such as Chinese for Affirmative Action and Opportunity for All Coalition. The @asianstudentsatrisk account has also endorsed a petition on change.org to block ACA-5. If you have signed it, please consider revoking your signature (here are instructions on how to do so). Moving forward, I think it is important to keep a critical eye on ACA-5 once it is passed and to make sure it is implemented correctly. But above all, we really can’t afford ACA-5 to flop. - Kristina Yin More resources: National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education, http://care.gseis.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/care-brief-raceblind.pdf California Legislative Information https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200ACA5 The Daily Californian: Berkeley’s News, “CA Should Pass ACA 5, end Prop. 209 https://www.dailycal.org/2020/06/18/ca-should-pass-aca-5-end-prop-209/ BallotPedia, California Repeal Proposition 209 Affirmative Action Amendment (2020) https://ballotpedia.org/California_Repeal_Proposition_209_Affirmative_Action_Amendment_(2020) Edsource, “In historic reversal, University of California regents endorse push to end ban on affirmative action” https://edsource.org/2020/in-historic-reversal-university-of-california-regents-endorse-push-to-end-ban-on-affirmative-action/633751 University of California, “The impact of Proposition 209 on under-represented UC applicants, and the effect of subsequent UC admission policies on URG enrollment” https://www.ucop.edu/institutional-research-academic-planning/_files/uc-affirmative-action.pdf University of California, How applications are reviewed https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-freshman/how-applications-are-reviewed.html The Washington Post, The Forgotten Minorities of Higher Education https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/magazine/wp/2019/03/18/feature/does-affirmative-action-help-or-hurt-asians-who-dont-fit-the-model-minority-stereotype/ Asian American Law Journal, Redux: Arguing About Asian Americans and Affirmative Action at Harvard After Fisher https://lawcat.berkeley.edu/record/1128862/files/fulltext.pdf The Civil Rights Project, Asian Americans and Race-Conscious Admissions: Understanding the Conservative Opposition’s Strategy of Misinformation, Intimidation and Racial Division https://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/research/college-access/affirmative-action/asian-americans-and-race-conscious-admissions-understanding-the-conservative-opposition2019s-strategy-of-misinformation-intimidation-racial-division/RaceCon_GarcesPoon_AsianAmericansRaceConsciousAdmi.pdf Pew Research Center, Exploring Racial Bias Among Biracial and Single-Race Adults: The IAT https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/08/19/exploring-racial-bias-among-biracial-and-single-race-adults-the-iat/

Dear Asian Youth, We sat on the rainbow carpet, and I was cross-legged on top of a red square while next to my three best friends. The entire fifth-grade class was listening to our teacher, Ms. Loderer, about the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King Jr. and segregation and discrimination – all things we thought were in the past when, really, they weren’t. Daniel, my friend’s crush, was too busy giggling with his friends to notice the seriousness of what we were learning, but I didn’t bother to tell him to be quiet. I wasn’t too familiar with the words “race” and “racism” either. Not yet. Then, Ms. Loderer demanded the class to stand up. Gathering into a circle, we watched the screen as she played the “I Have a Dream” speech for us. I was mesmerized by Kind’s low and rumbling voice, hypnotized by his words, words I can’t recall anymore, and inspired by his ability to be brave. He was speaking in front of hundreds and thousands of people, and I couldn’t help thinking that this was like a black and white movie from the past; history was history. Several months later “Do you know why it’s so safe in Hong Kong?” my dad asked. My sister, Erin, and I shook our heads. The Starbucks we were sitting in played a barely noticeable mellow tune – it was jazz, a symphony of beautiful brass instruments singing together, and also my favorite type of music – and I sipped on my iced tea, addicted to the sweet flavor. We sat at a tiny corner by the window as Erin and I admired the world of Hong Kong that we had yet to explore. Right as I was going to begin the sixth grade, my family had flown across the ocean from New York for my dad’s job a couple of days ago. The air was saturated with the scent of coffee grinds, but it was nice. Our dad turned to us after taking a gulp of his Americano. “It’s because there are no 흑인사람 here.” With my eyebrows scrunched, I repeated his last words in my head: 흑인사람 (heug-in salam). I understood what he meant, but I didn’t understand why he had said it. Glancing away from the plastic cup in my hands, I looked up at my dad. Erin glanced at me, confused. Her Korean wasn’t as fluent as mine. “What does that mean?” I sighed. “Black people, Erin.” “Oh.” We didn’t say much after that. Acting like nothing was wrong, my dad smiled at us and turned to read an article on his phone while Erin and I sat in puddles of personal thoughts we didn’t talk through. Why did he say that? we wondered. We unsuccessfully attempted to drown our confusion in the sugary, cold drinks in our hands. Discomfort crept into the back of my throat. Two years later I learned a lot about racism through books and movies. With The Hate U Give grasped within my gripping fingers, I read each page carefully. The entire room was silent, each student reading their own book, and my eighth-grade teacher sat by her desk typing. I knew of police brutality and the continuous racism that occurred against African Americans, but reading about it always made my heart heavy. As much as it was humiliating and embarrassing for me to say, I sometimes forgot about these ongoing issues because of living abroad. Starr was the main character, an African American girl living in a Black neighborhood but attending a white private school because the education there was better. I began to read the part where Starr’s parents had to give her children the “talk” – otherwise known as how to act around police. Always keep your hands where they can see them. Always obey their orders. Never talk back. Be respectful. Comply. For Blacks, calling the police could mean death. The sadness I felt was ineffable. And all the while, I felt helpless. One year later 13th. I stared at the title on my screen; the documentary was given as summer homework for my AP US History class. I was excited to watch it, especially as someone who loves history, but I dreaded the horrifying truth that was going to be revealed. And I didn’t even expect half of what I heard. The one hour and forty minutes flew by too quickly when I was learning something new every second of it. Each story made me fume, each rising number of incarcerated Black men made me furious, each interview made me astounded. The incredulous amount of existing racism wasn’t surprising to me – it was hearing the many more personal stories where injustice occurred in hundreds of harsher ways. We studied history to learn of the past, yet the racism that is intertwined in our lives now, especially for Blacks, didn’t just vanish according to our history textbooks. It has yet to be changed. I remembered my mom recommending the Netflix series about Kalief Browder, one of the boys mentioned by 13th. He was wrongly accused of stealing someone’s backpack, and instead of pleading guilty for a lesser charge, Browder wanted to go to trial. But the trial took three years to occur while his mental health deteriorated in the violent depths of Rikers Island. Violent footage in his jail cells was already enough for me to feel utterly frustrated. I laid in my bed, with my computer on my lap. And I pressed play. By the end of the series, I was in tears. Present Day “Things aren’t always so black and white, Hannah,” my dad told me while we were chewing on our lunch. We were discussing the systemic racism that exists unfairly intertwined around the world. “There may be two equally qualified candidates, one Black, and one white. Many will choose the white person because a white person makes the business look better. Does that necessarily make the person hiring a racist?” I set down my fork. “Well, you’re contributing to that racism.” My dad nodded. “Yes, you are. But that doesn’t mean that you are racist.” I shrugged, understanding his point but not completely agreeing with it. Contributing to racism is also an issue. “I’m just saying that there’s a grey area for a lot of these things. It’s not always that simple.” Yes, of course, issues are more than just a simple coin toss. Not quite sure how to respond, I just got up from the table and put my dishes away. I wished that I could understand more about what he was talking about and refute the statements that sat uncomfortably with me, but I couldn’t. By the time I went back into my room, I was scoffing at my dad’s words. But you can’t always stay in a grey area. Sometimes you have to choose between being the better person. And I think I know which person I want to be. - Hannah C.

if these words were to fill the void of the lost blood and frightened children, this poem are the souls of those who were too scared to speak up “go back to where you came from” cuts our throats leaves us in an alley so dark, where does the flashlight guide if we no longer want to go home the world consumed us and threw us up on the ground with our bodies limp, our souls soared into the sky and begged for the hands of others yet, we were left there, to die. Biography: Calista Ogburn is a Korean and Vietnamese American college student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County studying Public Health with a minor in Asian Studies. She has studied at International high schools overseas which has given her a global perspective. She relates her poems with women about identity and gender oppression, body image issues, and building the foundation of self-worth. To read more about the author and her poetry, visit: www.calista-ogburn.com.