Week 9 - Zoua Vang - ASA 2 A02

Zoua Vang

ASA 2 A02

Week 9 Theme: Solidarity Movements

Response:

In “Why Ferguson Matters to Asian Americans,” Soya Jung gives readers an understanding of why Ferguson does matter to Asian Americans.   She describes how she comes from a war in her own country, Korea.   Her people and country were constantly “controlled, occupied and threatened” by the war between the US and Soviet Union.  Her people and country expressed their han by protests against Japanese colonial rule, struggle for self-determination in the Korean War, and student protests against the government. This is not to compare with the issue that Ferguson faces but to characterize Jung and asian americans’ understanding to want “to defend, protect and express” their identities against things that would negatively affect their lives which would affect their identity.  

In addition, she points out that there is a normalization of black deaths that services the dehumanizing narrative of black criminality.  In other words, these deaths are used to support and continue the idea that blacks are associated with criminality and thus leading to stereotypes and higher rates of incarceration for blacks.   Asian Americans are given the label of the model minority which reinforces the idea of a problem minority, which black would be seen as.  So Ferguson does matter because if they are facing an injustice, we should also be standing up alongside of them.  

Image:

Question:  How do Asian American reject the label of Model Minority which reinforces the idea of a Problem Minority?  

References:

• http://www.seeding-change.org/asiansforblacklives/
• Jung, S. Why Ferguson Matters to Asian Americans. Race Files.  Aug. 20, 2014