Resources to educate and empower

above: a recent PBS Newshour lesson aimed at middle school, linked below
 

Dear All

It saddens me to have to write to you, again, in the wake of an escalation of hate crimes in the United States, most recently directed against the Asian community. 

While the news of this week's shootings is frightening and enraging, violent acts of hatred targeting the Asian community are not new. The sharp rise in anti-Asian racism and scapegoating connected to bigoted assumptions about COVID-19 virus has its foundations in the prejudice that birthed the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the creation of Japanese internment camps on American soil. Gordon students study these historical events in fourth and eighth grade, but we all have more to learn from these stories, and we all have a part to play in the continuing work of creating communities of inclusion and belonging.

In an effort to elevate Asian American voices, to bring visibility to the Asian American experience, to empower and support our Asian American students, and to educate ourselves, our Assistant Head of School Lynn Bowman shared these resources linked below. They cover allyship, fighting anti-Asian discrimination, and the history of violence against and resistance of Asian people in this country. These resources also speak to the diversity, beauty and joy reflected in the Asian diaspora.

Our thoughts are with the Atlanta victims and their families. To all in the Gordon community personally touched or terrorized by these recent violent acts, know that your Gordon family is holding you and standing with you.

Take care,

Noni Thomas López
Head of School

above: a few of the titles featured in Sixteen books that feature Asian American heroes and leads linked below

To explore

Stop AAPI Hate: A Resource Guide to Support the Asian American Community 
many links from Playbill, published yesterday, also includes theater organizations supporting the AAPI experience
 

To watch and to listen

We are Crying Out for Help: Actors and Activist Sound Alarm on Surging Violence 
from MSNBC in February

Asian Americans 
recent five-hour PBS documentary on history and culture of the community 

Asian Enough? 
podcast from the LA Times, features different guests representing the vast diaspora of the Asian experience

To read

Why this Wave of Anti Asian Racism Feels Different 
by Cathy Park Hong, published on Wednesday

Model Minority
from the Codeswitch podcast, an excellent primer on why this myth exists and how it is harmful

On Anti-Asian hate Crimes: Who is our Real Enemy? 
from Michelle Kim, a queer Korean American writer and activist. Follow her on Twitter and follow Amanda Nguyen, activist and founder of RiseNow, on Instagram

To teach

PBS Daily News Lesson from March 12th (before the Georgia killings)

Sixteen books that feature Asian American heroes and leads 

A much longer, annotated list of Asian American children's literature

Ms. Bowman adds: This is not an exhaustive list and in no way includes all of the diversity within the Asian experience. It is just a start! Feel free to forward me other resources at lbowman@gordonschool.org