I probably consume more Asian-American media than the average person, but 2018 was undoubtedly a watershed year. From Crazy Rich Asians to Searching and Patriot Act, the visibility of Asian-American stories and individuals this year was vast and affirming -- while imperfect, it felt like a massive step in the "right direction." Of course, the road …
Asian police and the complicity of Asian Americans in anti-blackness
As my black and brown friends on Facebook express grief and horror at the recorded murders of #AltonSterling and #PhilandoCastile, the majority of my Asian/Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) friends' statuses are about the latest Pokemon Go release and basketball players. Don't get me wrong -- not posting about #BlackLivesMatter doesn't mean you are somehow anti-black …
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What racial masquerades show about our understandings of “diversity”
Rachel Dolezal, Vijay Chokalingam (Mindy Kaling’s brother, who became known after pretending to be black on medical school applications), and now Michael Hudson. Running through these racial disguises is a common, disturbing thread: the notion that racial identity — composed of all the nuanced struggles and complex interactions that come with navigating America as a racialized person — consists …
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No, #RachelDolezal can’t “be” black
Like, I'm sure, many others, I've been trying to articulate why precisely white woman Rachel Dolezal's claim to black identity is so problematic, particularly in the context of many people's ignorant comparison of the Rachel Dolezal story to that of Caitlyn Jenner's. I've read many thought pieces and seen videos, and though each have enlightening …
“Fresh Off the Boat” and the dangers of perpetuating anti-blackness
Note: SPOILERS COMING. Also, I refer to the actual Eddie Huang as "Real Eddie" to differentiate him from the young Eddie Huang played in the ABC show by the remarkable Hudson Yang. Let me preface this reflection with the fact that I am extremely appreciative and grateful for the long-overdue airing of a show like Fresh Off the …
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Nicole Zhao 