Visual Resources: Tips for Conversations Around Anti-Asian Violence
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in summer of 2020, there’s been a rise of anti-Asian violence reported by the media. The visual resources below offer higher education professionals some tips and suggestions on how to talk about anti-Asian violence to different constituents including students, colleagues, supervisors, and family members. The transcript to the visual resources can be found at the bottom of this page.
Transcript for Visual Resources:
Conversation Tips about Anti-Asian Racism
Slide 1 - Title Page
Tips to consider when engaging in conversations and actions about anti-Asian violence for higher education professionals
Created by www.linkedin.com/in/markckf
Slide 2 - Content Preview
Tips when engaging in conversations with…
students, student organizations, or student staff | 3/9
departmental or cross-functional colleagues | 4/9
supervisors or upper leadership | 5/9
family members | 6/9
Beyond Conversations: Actions for…
Asian groups | 7/9
Non-Asian groups | 8/9
Resources on Instagram
Accounts to consider following | 9/9
Slide 3 - Conversations with Students
Don't confine Asian students & their experiences with anti-Asian violence. They are more than just victims of racism
Don't tokenize Asian students and assume they always need support. Create space for them to be able to ask for support if that is what they need
Collaborate with counseling services to create optional remote or in-person drop-in spaces that encourage Asian students to process recent & historical anti-Asian incidents
Check-in on your Asian and non-Asian BIPOC students, student organizations, and student staff
Engaging in culturally competent empathy, active listening, & advocacy during remote or in-person meet-ups; avoid emails or impersonal connections
Reflect on why you engage in conversations with students. Is it because it will benefit and support them or because it will make you feel better?
Slide 4 - Conversations with Colleagues
Say no to racial gaslighting. Anti-Asian violence should not be minimized nor belittled
Forge strong relationships across minoritized racial communities and create systems of support
Include Asian communities in racial justice conversations and movements to help reshape perceptions and understandings of racism in the U.S.
Check-in on your Asian colleagues and provide genuine support and care when needed
Encourage colleagues to acknowledge and address multiple issues, communities, and experiences at once. They don't have to choose between supporting Black or Asian communities. It can be both
Drive non-Asian colleagues to learn more about the multiple facets of Asian cultures. There are many resources on the internet for self-education
Slide 5 - Conversations with Supervisors
Request that supervisors acknowledge and denounce anti-Asian violence and provide support
Demand increased multi-dimensional visibility and awareness of racial climate impacting Asian and non-Asian BIPOC communities
Request that there is a focus on recruitment, retention, and support resources for Asian staff, especially in upper leadership
Call on supervisors to continuously be supportive beyond this moment. Anti-racism work is a journey
For BIPOC communities experiencing violence, allow yourself to ask for flexibility & understanding
Ask for disaggregated data when collecting information about Asian communities. This will help better understand the multiple experiences within the Asian diaspora
Slide 6 - Conversations with Family Members
Ask your family members if they are aware of the rise in anti-Asian violence, especially consider educating family members who are non-native English speakers
Ask how Asian family members are doing and how they are coping with the rise in anti-Asian violence. Provide resources to process emotions and feelings
Ask what is being proactively done to ensure safety in case of experiencing anti-Asian violence
Do not allow conversations around anti-Asian violence to lead to anti-Blackness sentiments. Keep preventing & mitigating anti-Blackness in our conversations and actions
Consider seeking support outside of traditional family structures if they aren't supportive or responsive to your needs
Slide 7 - Beyond Conversations: Actions for Asian Groups
Check-in on each other, we're all in this together
Protect elders & preserve cultural traditions
Educate Asian non-English speakers about what is going on and racial climate in the U.S.
Learn about active bystander and conflict de-escalation skills. Free training offered through ihollaback.org
Report anti-Asian hate incidents through stopaapihate.org
Take care of yourself; process; heal; do what is best for yourself
Slide 8 - Beyond Conversations: Actions for non-Asian Groups
Educate yourself on racial climate, in the U.S. and abroad, as it relates to Asian communities
Check-in on Asian colleagues without assuming they are looking for support
Safely intervene when witnessing subtle or overt anti-Asian violence. Free training offered by ihollaback.org
Donate money and time to grassroots and/or community organizations doing racial justice work, especially in regions with high anti-Asian violence
Amplify Asian voices, narratives, and experiences, especially in predominantly white spaces
Learn about the history of Asian discrimination and other challenges faced by these communities
Slide 9 - Follow on Instagram
@AAPIWomenLead
@AdvancingJustice_AAJC
@AsiansForMentalHealth
@DearAsianYouth
@MichelleKimKim & @VisionAwaken
@RepresentAsianProject
@UnapologeticallyAsian_
... and many more!