Today is the Day to Join DAY!
BY REBECCA ZHANG '22
A couple of months ago, I found myself mindlessly scrolling through the morning email (because, yes, I’m that person who reads every single one). Sandwiched between the “Tech Tip of the Week” and AP Exam information, a bolded header leaped out at me—“Join AB’s New Club: Dear Asian Youth.” And so, on a lonely Friday at 5 p.m., I clicked on that enticing Zoom link and found myself staring at a group of teens who looked like me.
Given that Asian Americans constitute 35% of the ABRHS student body, several other clubs centered around Asian culture—including the Korean Language and Asian Culture clubs—are already well-established. However, DAY is the first group dedicated to Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) activism. Following the rise in Asian American hate crimes, DAY President, Arianna Roberts, founded the group as a means to “spread awareness about discrimination against Asian Americans.” Since December, DAY has concurrently shared multiple Instagram posts and planned several projects centered around the AAPI community. But more importantly, DAY has also fostered a safe environment for sharing personal stories, from lighthearted ones like favorite Lunar New Year traditions to more sobering issues, including racist microaggressions experienced at AB.
Indeed, DAY members detailed their experiences of minimal Asian representation in the AB history curriculum. Having only experienced the China unit in eighth grade and the India mini-project in World History, group members advocate for an increased focus on Asian history and culture. Though members acknowledge that each course must satisfy set curriculums, they argue that the time spent on Asian countries often serves to glorify a Western agenda. The China unit, for example, focused primarily on the rise of communism and censorship while only mentioning culture in passing. By redirecting the administration's attention to the prevalence of Asian history, DAY strives to highlight a myriad of themes, identities, and often forgotten histories, teaching students to be better global citizens.
Though this project is still in its early stages, Dear Asian Youth members have reached out to AB history teachers and have conducted independent research on current curriculums. After releasing a survey on their Instagram, DAY found that 70% of respondents strongly agreed that learning about other cultures in class affected their perception of that racial group. With a diverse curriculum, DAY aims to build a community with a stronger, more nuanced understanding of all cultures, because, as Roberts argued, when “our struggles, our achievements, our culture is forgotten, [we] can feel invisible.”
However, overlooking Asian discrimination remains a common trend at AB. On the same Instagram survey, a student rebutted that Asian history isn’t particularly relevant to ABRHS students. DAY members pointed out the ignorance and racism behind this statement, as it overlooks the large Asian population at the school while diminishing their culture as inferior to that of White people. Such comments only highlight the necessity of DAY’s campaign—with a more inclusive history curriculum, raise awareness to the microaggressions that Asian Americans face.
One example is the model minority myth in which all Asians are stereotyped as educated and successful and thus evade the problems of a “real minority.” Club Advisor Ms. Byun observed that “many Asian students feel like they have to be successful,” and as a result, questioned whether “[Asians] feel like they can explore other clubs and opportunities that fully express themselves, other than the ones that the world assigns to them.”
With the large Asian population, the lack of an Asian activist club for many years parallels this argument. In addition to denoting hard work and success, the myth also encourages apolitical behavior and silence. As highlighted in the largely underreported pandemic-spurred attacks, Asians often hesitate to share their racist experiences. And despite AB’s racial diversity, underlying discrimination still persists. During a recent DAY meeting, members shared the racism they faced at AB. Roberts remembers feeling overwhelmed because of “how widespread a problem it is.” She recognizes that the issue stems from “a general unawareness that Asian students even suffer from racism at AB,” which ultimately leads to the silence and inaction surrounding these important issues.
Though difficult, important conversations like these remain imperative to combating racism, especially bias that often goes unnoticed. While AB’s Dear Asian Youth is still a relatively new group, they have already successfully created an environment where students feel comfortable enough to discuss heavier topics. When people find the courage to speak out about injustice, conversations evolve into initiatives, and initiatives invoke real change. Activism isn't the result of lofty speeches or an occasional social media repost. It begins with tough conversations about societal stigmas, and DAY strives to achieve that.
Given that Asian Americans constitute 35% of the ABRHS student body, several other clubs centered around Asian culture—including the Korean Language and Asian Culture clubs—are already well-established. However, DAY is the first group dedicated to Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) activism. Following the rise in Asian American hate crimes, DAY President, Arianna Roberts, founded the group as a means to “spread awareness about discrimination against Asian Americans.” Since December, DAY has concurrently shared multiple Instagram posts and planned several projects centered around the AAPI community. But more importantly, DAY has also fostered a safe environment for sharing personal stories, from lighthearted ones like favorite Lunar New Year traditions to more sobering issues, including racist microaggressions experienced at AB.
Indeed, DAY members detailed their experiences of minimal Asian representation in the AB history curriculum. Having only experienced the China unit in eighth grade and the India mini-project in World History, group members advocate for an increased focus on Asian history and culture. Though members acknowledge that each course must satisfy set curriculums, they argue that the time spent on Asian countries often serves to glorify a Western agenda. The China unit, for example, focused primarily on the rise of communism and censorship while only mentioning culture in passing. By redirecting the administration's attention to the prevalence of Asian history, DAY strives to highlight a myriad of themes, identities, and often forgotten histories, teaching students to be better global citizens.
Though this project is still in its early stages, Dear Asian Youth members have reached out to AB history teachers and have conducted independent research on current curriculums. After releasing a survey on their Instagram, DAY found that 70% of respondents strongly agreed that learning about other cultures in class affected their perception of that racial group. With a diverse curriculum, DAY aims to build a community with a stronger, more nuanced understanding of all cultures, because, as Roberts argued, when “our struggles, our achievements, our culture is forgotten, [we] can feel invisible.”
However, overlooking Asian discrimination remains a common trend at AB. On the same Instagram survey, a student rebutted that Asian history isn’t particularly relevant to ABRHS students. DAY members pointed out the ignorance and racism behind this statement, as it overlooks the large Asian population at the school while diminishing their culture as inferior to that of White people. Such comments only highlight the necessity of DAY’s campaign—with a more inclusive history curriculum, raise awareness to the microaggressions that Asian Americans face.
One example is the model minority myth in which all Asians are stereotyped as educated and successful and thus evade the problems of a “real minority.” Club Advisor Ms. Byun observed that “many Asian students feel like they have to be successful,” and as a result, questioned whether “[Asians] feel like they can explore other clubs and opportunities that fully express themselves, other than the ones that the world assigns to them.”
With the large Asian population, the lack of an Asian activist club for many years parallels this argument. In addition to denoting hard work and success, the myth also encourages apolitical behavior and silence. As highlighted in the largely underreported pandemic-spurred attacks, Asians often hesitate to share their racist experiences. And despite AB’s racial diversity, underlying discrimination still persists. During a recent DAY meeting, members shared the racism they faced at AB. Roberts remembers feeling overwhelmed because of “how widespread a problem it is.” She recognizes that the issue stems from “a general unawareness that Asian students even suffer from racism at AB,” which ultimately leads to the silence and inaction surrounding these important issues.
Though difficult, important conversations like these remain imperative to combating racism, especially bias that often goes unnoticed. While AB’s Dear Asian Youth is still a relatively new group, they have already successfully created an environment where students feel comfortable enough to discuss heavier topics. When people find the courage to speak out about injustice, conversations evolve into initiatives, and initiatives invoke real change. Activism isn't the result of lofty speeches or an occasional social media repost. It begins with tough conversations about societal stigmas, and DAY strives to achieve that.
