Mohinee Sharma A02 Week 10

One of this week's final readings, "Academics Awaken: Power, Resistance, and Being Woke," concludes the Fight the Tower book and does a great job of wrapping up the purpose of ASA 2. Through this conclusion, Valverde and Dariotis focus on using research as a means to create movements, educate others, and become "woke." Similarly, a major theme in this course has been on this concept of "wokeness" which emphasizes educating oneself on the inherent truths about society and using this to take action against the injustice that is present all around us. Specifically, Asian American women have been succumbed to challenging experiences within academia which were discussed throughout this book. By becoming woke, many of these women and their allies have fought back against their oppressors by refusing to adhere to the model minority myth and sparking movements. However, becoming woke does not just entail overthrowing those in power, but it also means changing the inner workings of academia. For instance, we need "to create a new kind of academy built not by hands raised as fists to beat down but by hands clasped together in "fierce alliances" (Valverde & Dariotis, 2019). In order for change to be implemented, communities need to come together. Considering all that is happening right now, my question is: How can Asian Americans best stand in solidarity with our Black brothers and sisters?


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References

Valverde, K. -L. C., & Dariotis, W.M. (2020). Fight the tower: Asian American women scholars resistance and renewal in the academy.  New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.