Asian American Issues [December 2020]

An update on issues of concern to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and activism on the Stanford campus.

The nation elected its first female, Black and South Asian vice president, Kamala Harris, currently a California senator. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, immigrated from India to the United States, where she was a cancer researcher and civil rights activist. Her father, Donald Harris, from Jamaica, is professor emeritus of economics at Stanford University. Gopalan and Harris met as student activists at UC Berkeley.

The election saw increased Asian American voter turnout, with much higher rates of early and absentee voting in major battleground states, compared to 2016. Political observers suggested that Asian Americans might swing key races, with an estimated “third of all AAPI voters liv[ing] in the 10 most competitive states.” Ultimately, the majority of Asian American voters supported Biden (63%) to Trump (31%), according to an NBC News Exit Poll, while a CNN survey showed Biden (61%) to Trump (34%).

However, the label of “Asian American” includes more than 19 different ethnicities, so the reality is more complicated. As noted in Vox, “AAPI voters’ alignment with the political parties varies quite significantly, with a high proportion of AAPI voters identifying as unaffiliated.” (More survey data here at AAPI Data, broken down by ethnic group.) While the majority of Asian Americans overall voted for Biden, some ethnic communities appeared to shift toward Trump, with motivations partly rooted in geopolitics as well as culture. “What is surprising is that I would have expected a noticeable decline in the percentages [of Asian American votes] given Trump's xenophobic and anti-immigrant rhetoric”—especially during COVID—but that repudiation of the president didn’t happen, observed UCLA Professor Paul Ong.

Part of the problem is that “Asian American” can be a nebulous term, and statistics are rarely disaggregated by ethnic community. Language also poses a barrier to accurate polling. Despite increased outreach to Asian Americans by presidential campaigns in 2020 (see initiatives from Biden and Trump), spending was focused “only in the last six weeks of the election cycle,” according to Janelle Wong of AAPI Data. “This is typical and has been the case our whole lives. No one pays attention to Asian Americans until the weeks before an election...Consistent, long-term investment could make a difference, but it's just not the way that campaigns operate.”

Writing in The New York Times, Jay Kaspian Kang calls for a more nuanced approach to connecting with Asian American voters. He suggests many first-generation immigrants may not identify with the “Asian American” label—they have priorities other than representation in media and national institutions, which is largely a concern of younger (frequently second- and third-generation) Asian Americans. He advises against treating Asian voters as a “monolithic” bloc, and warns against “taking them for granted.” New political alignments may be needed to cultivate the support of the country’s fastest-growing racial/ethnic group—the AAPI population grew from 11.9 million in 2000 to 20.4 million in 2015, or an increase of 72%. Of particular relevance, people of Asian descent also represent the fastest-growing group of eligible voters.

In California, there were divided views among Asian Americans on Proposition 16, which would have allowed race and gender-based affirmative action in the state. The proposition was ultimately rejected 57.2% to 42.8%.

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus sent a letter to the Biden campaign asking that AAPI appointees make up at least 7% of the Cabinet, in reflection of the community’s share of the overall population. Congresswoman Judy Chu told NBC Asian America that a failure to appoint anyone from the community would send a “terrible message that being inclusive does not require including AAPIs.”

Charles Yu, a Taiwanese American author, won the 2020 National Book Award for the novel “Interior Chinatown”. His humor-laden take features an Asian protagonist—also Taiwanese American—who is “relegated to background roles such as Generic Asian Man, Silent Henchman, and Delivery Guy” in a Hollywood television production. According to Yu, the book explores how “Asians have been excluded...from being Americans for decades.” Transcending parental pressure, Yu transitioned away from a 13-year career as a corporate lawyer to become a full-time writer of novels, screenplays and short stories.

Asian American Studies Working Group

In response to student activism, Stanford created the Asian American Studies major in 1997. However, alumni are often surprised to learn that more than 20 years later, the Asian American Studies Program still has no full-time, tenured professors of its own; and certain critical courses have been offered only on an occasional basis. The Program is striving hard to meet tremendous student demand, but alumni must join their voices with those of students, staff and faculty to help create a stable home for Asian American Studies at the university.

To lend your support or simply to learn more, you are invited to join the Asian American Studies Working Group, an initiative of the SAPAAC Advocacy & Education Committee. Please e-mail asianamerican.workinggroup at gmail.com for an invitation to attend our next Working Group meeting.

— Visit www.sapaac.org/issues-advocacy for other editions of Asian American Issues

Asian American Issues [June 2020]

An update on issues of concern to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and activism on the Stanford campus.

(Video) Stanford University students marched from campus to Palo Alto City Hall in June 2020. Source: Stanford Journalism

Black Lives Matter Continues: Demonstrations continue across the United States, to affirm that Black Lives Matter and to challenge pervasive anti-Black racism, police brutality, and systemic violence. Nationwide protests sprang up following the murder of an unarmed Black man, George Floyd, by a Minneapolis police officer. His death was captured on video for an agonizing 8 minutes and 46 seconds. It was the latest in a string of deaths to cause public outcry, including Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and more recently Rayshard Brooks, among many others.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets across more than 2,000 American cities to make their voices heard. A month later, The New York Times suggests that BLM has mushroomed into “the largest movement in U.S. history.” The effort has gone global, reaching Great Britain, continental Europe, Asia and Australia, as other societies confront their own struggles with racism.

In these challenging times, Stanford groups, including the Asian American Activities Center and Asian American Students Association, have made statements and produced resources for the Stanford community to express solidarity and to take action. The ASSU Senate, students and faculty have also raised the issue in op-eds in the Stanford Daily. Alumni such as Senator Cory Booker (‘91 AB Political Science, ‘92 AM Sociology) have spoken out forcefully. On June 7, a coalition of Black student groups organized a march to Palo Alto City Hall. (Video) All these resources are gathered here on the SAPAAC website.

The protests have spurred Asian Americans to grapple with anti-Black racism; to educate ourselves on a history that includes civil rights, solidarity, contention and activism; to challenge the model minority stereotype that perpetuates inequality; to speak out and spark discussion among different generations of AAPI communities; and to take action in our own lives.

In 2009, students at Stanford University commemorated the twentieth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre

Remembering Tiananmen Square: On June 4, activists worldwide commemorated 31 years since peaceful pro-democracy protests were crushed in Beijing, China. In the spring of 1989, students and city residents had peacefully gathered in Tiananmen Square for several weeks (resource from National Geographic) to demonstrate for reforms, greater freedom, and less corruption, until military tanks were sent in, causing many deaths. SAPAAC members shared their memories on the SAPAAC Community platform, discussing where they were when they first heard the news of the massacre. Some were students on Stanford campus at the time, and felt deeply affected by what happened to their peers. (See historical photos of Chinese students in The Atlantic). A replica of the Goddess of Democracy statue stands in San Francisco’s Chinatown.

Last year, the Hoover Institution hosted a retrospective on Tiananmen and Dr. Amy Zegart of Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies shared her thoughts on the events of 1989.

More recently, Zoom, a listed company headquartered in California, banned the accounts of U.S.-based Chinese activists, who had organized a remembrance of Tiananmen, creating an uproar in Silicon Valley. The company, which was founded by Stanford alumnus Yuan “Eric” Zheng (MBA ‘06), later apologized for this action.

Signs commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in White Plaza (2009)

Fossil Free Stanford: Hundreds of students and faculty and the ASSU have called for Stanford University to divest from fossil fuels, a key contributor to climate change that threatens the planet. Stanford alumni added their voices to the efforts, including publishing an op-ed in the San Jose Mercury. Fossil Free Stanford initiated a sit-in on the Quad in 2015 that received international coverage, in hopes of securing a pledge from Stanford, and students’ efforts were renewed this school year.

In fall 2019, the entire UC system announced its decision to divest from coal, oil, and natural gas companies, and by May 2020 had successfully done so. Georgetown University also made an announcement in February 2020, and Oxford University recently decided it too would divest from fossil fuels, joining more than half of UK universities that have already made the pledge.

On May 28, the Faculty Senate chose not to endorse the non-binding ASSU resolution calling for divestment, which prompted Prof. David Palumbo-Liu to write an op-ed calling this a “shame.”

Meeting on June 12, the Board of Trustees decided that Stanford will not divest, but committed to accelerating the campus transition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. A week later, the Vatican called on Catholics to divest from fossil fuel companies.

Later in June, the Academic Council revisited the matter, with many faculty in support, though it did not have a quorum to vote.

Celebrations: Katherine Toy (‘91 International Relations, ‘95 AM Education), currently Executive Vice President at Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to the State Park and Recreation Commission.

Five Stanford students have received the Boren Award for language studies overseas. One will study in Kazakhstan, another in China, one in Israel, and two in Taiwan.

Stanford Students Supporting Workers' Rights - Call for Action Under Pandemic

Students, faculty and staff are organizing to protect economically vulnerable members of the Stanford community. They have raised their collective voices to urge the university administration to exercise empathy in this pandemic by providing full benefits and pay to all service workers through the end of the school year.

Throughout the Spring, Stanford Students for Workers’ Rights have advocated for workers on the Stanford campus. Due to their actions, the issue has been covered in local, regional and national media. They have reached out to the alumni community and SAPAAC with the following information.

About the Campaign

“In its response to COVID-19, Stanford has laid off hundreds of subcontracted workers since March, refusing to pay all service workers and refusing benefits to protect them. For the subcontracted workers who are still employed, they are not offered paid sick leave and only had guaranteed pay until April 15, not through the end of the spring term. Stanford Students for Workers' Rights have demanded that Stanford guarantee pay continuance and health benefits for all service workers.

Stanford later stated on April 14 that they would commit to pay directly employed workers until June 15 and "support" income and benefits for subcontracted workers. 

However, on April 22, union representatives said that the administration's "support" has either been benefits without pay, legal counsel without pay, or simply nothing for different groups of subcontracted workers. Laid-off workers have not received pay since they were fired, and workers are still not receiving hazard pay or additional sick leave. Stanford is still not being accountable to its promises and commitment to its workers.”

How can alumni support by taking action? Stanford Students for Workers’ Rights and the broader coalition of faculty and staff supporting the campaign have suggested the following options for alumni willing to take part:

Join a No-Donation Pledge for graduating seniors, alumni, and donors to withhold donations until Stanford provides compensation, protection, and communication to all workers

Sign a Petition for Stanford to commit to pay continuance for all service workers through Spring Quarter

Visit a GoFundMe to support all laid off Stanford service workers at this time

Purchase a Sticker with all proceeds from sales going toward the fund to support laid off workers

Add your stories to a Form where the community shares service workers have positively impacted your life

You can follow the campaign on Twitter (@stanford_swr), Instagram (@stanfordswr) and Facebook (Stanford Students for Workers' Rights). You can also participate in their Twitter campaign with this guide.

Coverage in the Stanford Daily, Palo Alto Online and The Washington Post

[Open Letter to Stanford] Contracted workers deserve the same benefits as your ‘regular’ employees (Stanford Daily, March 23)
https://www.stanforddaily.com/2020/03/22/stanford-contracted-workers-deserve-the-same-benefits-as-your-regular-employees

Stanford, unlike other schools, stiffs its subcontracted workers (Stanford Daily, March 29)
https://www.stanforddaily.com/2020/03/29/stanford-unlike-other-schools-stiffs-its-subcontracted-workers

Stanford commits to pay continuation for regular employees through June 15 (Stanford Daily, April 14)
https://www.stanforddaily.com/2020/04/14/stanford-commits-to-pay-continuation-for-regular-employees-through-june-15

Following public pressure, Stanford reverses decision on pay for contracted service workers (Palo Alto Online, April 15) Undergraduate students led advocacy campaign for cooks, janitors laid off during the shutdown
https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2020/04/15/following-public-pressure-stanford-reverses-decision-on-pay-for-contracted-service-workers

Stanford’s stated support for subcontracted workers has been misleading, union says (Stanford Daily, April 24)
Julián, Joaquin Castro (‘96) join chorus calling for expanded worker protections
https://www.stanforddaily.com/2020/04/24/stanfords-stated-support-for-subcontracted-workers-has-been-misleading-union-says

Students, union say Stanford refusing to honor pledge to help displaced contract workers (Washington Post, April 28)
Student activists and union leaders say Stanford University is reneging on a promise to help laid-off janitors and dining staffers employed by independent contractors.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/04/23/students-union-say-stanford-refusing-honor-pledge-help-displaced-contract-workers

"Discrimination is an Occupational Hazard for Physicians of Color" says Asian American doctor

Dr. Crystal Zheng (‘10, MA ‘11), an infectious diseases physician at the Tulane University School of Medicine, reflects on practicing medicine during the pandemic and the racial prejudice that Asian American doctors, nurses, and patients have faced in these difficult times.

Even before the pandemic, Dr. Zheng observes:

“No matter my cultural identity or professional achievements, I am always shadowed by jokes about my eyes and questions like, ‘But where are you from from?’

In my first week as a medical intern, my supervising physician, also Asian American, overheard a patient refuse my care while calling me a racial slur. With a knowing hint of shared experience, he whispered, ‘You have to have thick skin to go into medicine.’

I now consider discrimination an occupational hazard for physicians-of-color. As a minority in this country, I quickly learned that ignoring racist microaggressions is an essential survival skill.”

Now, with the pandemic in full swing, she shares her concern about an increasing number of racist actions targeting Asians in the United States (which included a hate crime committed against two of her colleagues at Tulane):

COVID-19 has intensified my racialized experience as an Asian American. I have received taunts of “Coronavirus!” and been questioned about my infection status by Uber drivers. With President Trump fanning the flames of xenophobia by using the term, “the Chinese virus,” verbal and physical abuse towards Asian Americans have dramatically increased.

Nationwide, nearly 1,500 cases of discrimination towards Asian Americans have been reported in one month alone. Asian Americans have been abused on sidewalks, grocery stores, and subways. We have been denied services, yelled at, spat on, beaten, and stabbed. We have been discriminated against by our neighbors, our classmates, and even our COVID-19 patients. Like all healthcare workers on the frontlines, Asian American physicians and nurses worry about the risk of infection to ourselves and our families. Meanwhile, we simultaneously have to worry about a second and arguably more pernicious fear.

Read her article in full on New Orleans area’s first nonprofit, nonpartisan public-interest newsroom, The Lens:
I’m an infectious disease doctor and I’m afraid to go to work (and it’s not because of Coronavirus) (The Lens, May 5)

You can also read SAPAAC’s open letter to the White House about taking a stand to protect Asian Americans from coronavirus-related discrimination (SAPAAC.org, April 5)

Alumni Letter to the White House on anti-Asian sentiment during COVID-19 pandemic

Dear Mr. President:

We are the Stanford University Asian Pacific American Alumni community. The current coronavirus pandemic outbreak is causing much fear among the American population. In times like these, some citizens will, unfortunately, look to scapegoat others and direct anger and violence towards them.

Because the outbreak initially occurred in a major city in China, and spread from there to much of the world, some misguided people have already been mistakenly directing their fear and anger toward Chinese Americans, or Asian Americans in general (or even those simply perceived to be Asian). Numerous incidents of harassment and physical assaults on Asians have already occurred around this country.

In recent statements, you have frequently referenced the coronavirus as a “Chinese virus,” or a “China virus,” defending this label as an accurate depiction of the origin of the virus, and as a defense against the false claim that the U.S. military may have brought the virus to China. However, such rhetoric also encourages others to blame all people of Chinese ancestry, and even Asians in general, for the misery caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cites World Health Organization practices in naming new human infectious diseases, which suggests not formally calling diseases by geographic, country, cultural, or economic sector names, to avoid stigma against a specific population. As of March 25, 2020 the CDC itself stated: “Fear and anxiety can lead to social stigma, for example, towards Chinese or other Asian Americans...Stigma hurts everyone by creating more fear or anger towards ordinary people instead of the disease that is causing the problem.”

Racially-motivated harassment and violence against Asians in the United States has already repeatedly occurred, even during the mere infancy of the viral outbreak. As we head into the worst of the pandemic in the weeks to come, mass unemployment, hundreds of thousands of illnesses and hospitalizations, and potentially hundreds of thousands of deaths will occur here in the United States. In such trying and difficult circumstances, desperation and anger will increase exponentially, greatly elevating the risk of more frequent and more serious harassment and assault directed against Asians living in the United States.

We therefore ask you, Mr. President, going forward, to continue to no longer refer to the coronavirus as the “Chinese virus,” or the “China virus.” We are not asking for an apology, nor looking to assign blame for past racist incidents. Indeed, we appreciate your comments on March 23, 2020, condemning virus-related harassment of Asian Americans. We ask that you continue in this positive direction by actively discouraging misguided elements of our society from taking out their fear and anger on innocent Asians living in this country. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Stanford University Asian Pacific American Alumni

Many thanks to SAPAAC member Girard Lau, ‘81, for initiating this statement.