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Dao-Yi Chow Wants Asian Americans to Interrogate Their Privilege
Black-Asian solidarity is the only way to dismantle systemic racism
On a recent Zoom call to address the lack of diversity in the STEM field, a small group of educators and scientists (and myself, a fashion designer — go figure) were tasked with coming up with new ways to help introduce real-world applications of science and math to the next generation. The conversation was aimed at identifying and creating specific career opportunities for BIPOC students.
For clarity, one of the organizing members wanted to make sure we were all aligned as to whom BIPOC actually included. For instance, a Black or Latinx student studying abroad would certainly be qualified, but would a Chinese American student graduating from Yale be considered for the program?
The question caught me off guard. Being Chinese American, I’ve always naturally considered myself to be a person of color. But I acknowledge that many people may not see me as such, including other Asians.
My hesitancy spoke volumes to the current state of the AAPI community, the #StopAsianHate movement, and the enduring “other-ism” we’ve faced since the first wave of Chinese immigrants landed on the West Coast of the United States in the 1850s. Amidst the rising violence…
