The acceptance of K-pop lessens the underlying stereotypes surrounding these artists and groups — promoting that these musicians are not just passable and “cool for an Asian,” but accepted and cherished for tremendous talent and hard work.
Lahiri’s characters are complacent, not confrontational. Abiding, not rebellious. And emotionally stable, never unhinged. These characteristics perpetuate the notion that Asian-Americans are meant to blend in, be the “model minority,” not cause trouble, be apologetic, and passive – to sit in both pain and silence.
We need to shift the way we tell, praise, and mass produce stories about Asian-Americans. We have to illuminate and give space for minor feelings—the feelings of abandonment and anger and confusion that result from internal and external worlds constantly in conflict.
Sometimes I want to see myself represented not as a “minority” whose identity must be inspected but as a regular person — something Bollywood offers me.
Disney’s live-action “Mulan” could have been an amazing opportunity to bring Mulan’s story of empowerment to a new generation of young women and represent genuine Chinese culture, but instead, we got this movie.
When looking to see how to support the BLM movement in my rural community amidst continued police brutality, I saw a new approach: an emphasis on education and promoting conversations on topics such as privilege and local racial history.
While some street art may not appear political, when created by people dehumanized by the government, the politics are hard to avoid. The beauty of an amalgam of strangers banding together to fight for social justice evokes the same chilling inspiration that a massive Black Lives Matter mural might.
Societal responses to COVID-19 demonstrate how culture is a muscle of social interaction that, in addition to reverting to ingrained habits, also is capable of adapting to new struggles and pressures.
To remedy and prevent further harm against high school female debaters, the National Speech and Debate Association needs to foster an environment in which everyone can participate safely, starting with giving weight to students’ stories.
At the end of it all, I was drinking alone in my room with techno music on, but over the course of the evening I had engaged in conversations, albeit brief, with clubbers from around the world.
