FROM WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCEMENT TO ETHNIC STUDIES APPROVAL: ADDITIONAL ACTIONS FOR ASIAN AMERICANS
BY CHRISTINE KIM
The White House on March 30 addressed a series of actions in response to attacks and harassment Asian American and Pacific Islander communities have increasingly confronted over the past year.
In the wake of the Atlanta shooting earlier this month which killed eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent, and the 65-year-old Asian American woman who was violently kicked to the ground by a man near Times Square, the administration’s initiative follows the consistently rising number of hate crimes in the AAPI community.
The measure, which builds on the January’s Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islands in the United States, provides a half-dozen new actions. President Biden and his administration condemns and denounces acts of racism, xenophobia, and intolerance against AAPI communities, the White House said.
In addition, the Justice Department will establish a cross-agency initiative to address anti-Asian violence, which will include a new interactive hate crime website to ensure transparency in hate crime data, as well as nationwide civil rights training for state and local law enforcement.
With the recommendations from the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force committee, President Biden will work with the committee to mitigate anti-Asian xenophobia and provide health equity for specific Asian American communities, including Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian communities who have disproportionately been affected by COVID-19.
The Department of Health and Human Services will also provide a $49.5 million grant program for community-based services helping AAPI survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. This includes culturally sensitive services for survivors who face additional barriers to services, such as language barriers. The National Science Foundation will spend $33 million dollars on research to prevent and address bias and xenophobia.
The White House on March 30 addressed a series of actions in response to attacks and harassment Asian American and Pacific Islander communities have increasingly confronted over the past year.
Educators, civil leaders, arts and humanities institutions, and families will be provided a virtual library of resources to explore Asian American history and celebrate contributions of Asian Americans to the country.
Although the announcement has garnered support from Asian American communities and addresses necessary steps forward, imperative changes won’t happen overnight and will need everyone’s participation, according to Asian American leaders. This includes partnering with like-minded grassroots organizations, activists, and leaders as well as legislators to foster legislation and deliver educational changes.
“We have the opportunity now and we need to take action to push the media whether it’s television, radio, written newspapers, or publications to publish these stories about what’s going on right now about the anti-Asian violence,” said Karen Korematsu, the daughter of late Japanese American civil rights activist Fred Korematsu and founder of Fred T. Korematsu Institute. “But more importantly support the stories of those organizations that are trying to do the work on the ground to make the difference.”
Korematsu understands what fighting for justice in the face of adversaries looks like.
Her father was a positive role model and his legacy displayed how one person can make a difference. During World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which authorized the removal of individuals of Japanese ancestry into mandatory internment camps. Fred Korematsu, 23, objected and challenged the orders. As an American citizen, he knew his constitutional rights and believed the order was unconstitutional.
He appealed his case to the United States Supreme Court on March 27, 1943. The court decided the order was justified during circumstances of “emergency and peril.” It wasn’t until 1981, almost 40 years later, that a pro-bono team from San Diego uncovered evidence that the U.S. government presented false information to the Supreme Court in Korematsu’s case. His case was reopened.
“When my father re-opened his Supreme Court case, this wasn’t just for himself or his Japanese American community. He wanted justice for all Americans because of our civil liberties,” Korematsu said. “Our democracy is fragile; we need to keep working to protect it.” She remembers her father’s advice to protest without violence, otherwise others won’t listen.
The ethnic studies model will help marginalized communities gain agency to share their own stories and learn about their histories.
Parallel to the tangible steps initiated by President Biden’s administration, Korematsu is continuing the legacy of her father to speak up against racism and injustice. This involves educating the youth about not only the hegemonic narrative but also about the diverse history of the ethnic groups that this nation is composed of.
On March 18, 2021, the California State Board of Education adopted an ethnic studies model curriculum for K-12. While voluntary for districts to adopt, the two largest districts, Fresno Unified and Los Angeles Unified indicated they will require ethnic studies courses for graduation.
Korematsu, as executive director of Fred T. Korematsu Institute, worked tirelessly with other community leaders to draft a design ready for approval. With its inclusion of the Black Lives Matter movement and the rise in anti-Asian racism, the model curriculum is adopted at a crucial time for the nation. The ethnic studies model will help marginalized communities gain agency to share their own stories and learn about their histories.
“Young people want to see themselves in history. That’s important because a lot of them feel so disconnected,” Korematsu said. “It’s important to know our American history, our California history so that we can be better citizens. We will have the tools and the knowledge to be civically engaged.”
Whether it is the White House announcement or the State Board of Education of California approving the ethnic studies curriculum model, these are pivotal victories for the Asian American community.
But the work continues. “So my goal is to live to 100 because I feel there’s a lot of work to do,” Korematsu said. “Being an American in this country means to support citizens and non-citizens.”
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Christine Kim is a graduate student at USC Annenberg pursuing her Master of Science in Journalism. She is participating in a foreign affairs reporting class taught by Professor Phil Seib, a collaboration between the Pacific Council and the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Pacific Council.
