Author’s Note: I wrote this newsletter two weeks ago on Sunday, January 31st before I came across devastating news about what is happening to the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.
Hello Juliet! I really appreciated the list of resources you shared about AAPI identity. I was especially surprised when you mentioned that the Santa Anita Race Tracks used to be the place for Japanese internment.
Adjacent: I came across a Tiktok (https://www.tiktok.com/@navajorocks/video/7062107155595398447?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id7045451743782864389) today that talked about why Native American reservations are located in "deserts" where there are no resources. Turns out, these places used to have a lot of water...until the forces that be like government and corporations came in and depleted the resources. It's heartbreaking to learn about this history now. On the other hand, I'm glad that our education now extends to the internet and platforms like TikTok are giving grassroots creators/educators a place to be discovered. Sadly though, the TikTok creator fund is infamous for not paying much and that's why people are turning to Youtube.
A lot of these educational resources are made based upon "passion" and for the public good, but I would love to see more BIPOC labor being paid one day. Another issue I have seen is even within the "community", people are not paying. Youtube creators Fung Bros once posted in the Facebook group Asian Creative Network (ACN) asking for ghost writers for their book...offering a very meager sum of money that was a SLAP in the face, considering their platform. They mentioned "exposure" as a form of payment 🤨All of this has led me to reconsider what "activism" can look like. I understand representation is a form of activism, but I no longer look to it as the end all be all because we can very easily elevate AAPI creators that implement shady practices like those I just mentioned.
Hello Juliet! I really appreciated the list of resources you shared about AAPI identity. I was especially surprised when you mentioned that the Santa Anita Race Tracks used to be the place for Japanese internment.
Adjacent: I came across a Tiktok (https://www.tiktok.com/@navajorocks/video/7062107155595398447?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id7045451743782864389) today that talked about why Native American reservations are located in "deserts" where there are no resources. Turns out, these places used to have a lot of water...until the forces that be like government and corporations came in and depleted the resources. It's heartbreaking to learn about this history now. On the other hand, I'm glad that our education now extends to the internet and platforms like TikTok are giving grassroots creators/educators a place to be discovered. Sadly though, the TikTok creator fund is infamous for not paying much and that's why people are turning to Youtube.
A lot of these educational resources are made based upon "passion" and for the public good, but I would love to see more BIPOC labor being paid one day. Another issue I have seen is even within the "community", people are not paying. Youtube creators Fung Bros once posted in the Facebook group Asian Creative Network (ACN) asking for ghost writers for their book...offering a very meager sum of money that was a SLAP in the face, considering their platform. They mentioned "exposure" as a form of payment 🤨All of this has led me to reconsider what "activism" can look like. I understand representation is a form of activism, but I no longer look to it as the end all be all because we can very easily elevate AAPI creators that implement shady practices like those I just mentioned.