The forgotten community.
A marginalized group within a marginalized group, this resource guide will teach how to be an ally.
I recently finished the book that people, especially amongst the Asian-American community, have been raving about, a book praised for its honest, transparent, and raw essays on the Asian-American identity. It was the book that really opened my eyes, a book that I could finally relate to. Cathy Park Hong picks the ice deep with her thoughtful insights in my new favorite book Minor Feelings: An Asian-American Reckoning.
A quote that really stood out for me was in the “Bad English” chapter, in which Hong quoted Jess Row’s White Flights: “America’s great and possible catastrophic failure is its failure to imagine what it means to live together.” We can see it: the divisive society, in which Democrats and Republicans are constantly at war with each other; Black civilians storming the streets and demanding justice; the xenophobia that sprawled the world when the pandemic hit. This book was relatable, not just for the Asian-American, but for anyone who is a person of color or a child of immigrant parents - it covered almost everything.
Almost everything.
Intersectionality can be a difficult thing to cover, as each part of an intersection is complex and unique in its own way. Although Hong covered all the relevant experiences in Minor Feelings, she forgot to talk about another group that is often overlooked and forgotten: Asian-Americans with disabilities.
I was reached out to by Stephanie Fran this one morning, where I read her email that pitched a write-up about the Asian Americans with Disabilities Initiative (or, AADI), a non-profit that raises awareness and advocates for Asian-Americans that visible/invisible disabilities. They recently released a resource guide that educates and raises awareness on ableism, highlighting the Asian-American community because of its complex intersection.
I read about Jennifer Lee, the founder of the Initiative, and her story that inspired her to start AADI. Her story, as well as the story of other inspiring stories such as those of Megan Liang and Dennis Tran’s, introduced a part of the Asian-American identity that often gets ignored. What Asian-American person do you know also suffers from IBD? Or an Asian-American who’s missing a limb? It’s another conversation that gets overlooked, swept under the rug, or hushed like a taboo because of the '“model minority” we’re supposed to uphold.
The AADI Resource Guide, which you can easily download for free here, is a fourteen-paged guide that aims to teach readers about the intersection of ableism and racism amongst the Asian-American community and it particularly highlights the recent xenophobia during the pandemic.
“With 1 in 10 Asians identifying as disabled in the United States, there exists a significant population of Asian Americans with disabilities that lack the proper professional and cultural support necessary to navigate their dual identities. This intersection matters because of the ways in which the characteristics of Asian American identity and disability interact with each other in their respective communities. Within the Asian American community, there unfortunately remains a stigma against the disability community.” (page 8)
The first chapter of Minor Feelings does highlight the stigma of mental health within the community, when Hong was on a mission to find a therapist who will help properly address her concerns. But, alas, the mission amounted to nothing as a certain “self-hatred” persisted and she cannot get the help she needs. The cultural barriers in most Asian cultures prevents us from either finding specialized help, or admitting we need help.
Please read the Resource Guide that the team from AADI carefully and thoughtfully put together. It’s an important read, no matter who you are, whether or not you identify yourselves as Asian or someone with a disability. Unravel another path of learning and educate yourselves with essential resources to be an ally.