Week 8

Robert Zhu
A02

In What Asian Americans Are Bringing to Campus Movements for Racial justice, Putterman talks about the view other ethnic groups have towards Asian participation in student activism, and how this stigma affects Asians in creating their own movement. The common view is that Asian Americans don’t participate in these movements, and this creates a divide among people of color. However, Asian Americans are standing in solidarity with people of color like standing for the Black lives matter movement, while also voicing their own concerns for racial injustice. In the article, Putterman noted that although Asian Americans make up a large population of some universities, they are not the face of the school and not a part of the school even if they reached a numerical majority. I agree with this because even in our school at UC Davis, I rarely see Asian Americans in the covers or faces of student representation in school posters and pictures. I noted this when I got my admission acceptance for UC Davis along with a welcoming handbook, and as I flipped through the pages, I remember thinking “where are the Asians”.

Question: What external factors may inhibit Asian Americans from participating in public social movements/ protests?

Beyond Activism: Four Decades of Social Justice" explores the growth of the Asian American civil rights movement.

References:

Hutchison, P. (Director). (2014, November 22). Beyond Activism: Four Decades of Social Justice. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ1Nu7fu30U