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Wishing you Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year from SCADA!
ID: Beach background with snowman made of sand wearing red Santa hat and bow tie. On top of flyer is a strand of light bulbs and colored ornaments. Text below the ornaments say: “Happy Holidays! Wishing you a new year full of peace and joy.” Next to the snowman is a green wrapped present with yellow ribbon.

Happy 75th Anniversary of 🇰🇷South Korea’s Independence (August 15, 1945) from the Japanese colonization. It is known as Korean Liberation Day.

Happy 73rd Anniversary of 🇮🇳 India’s Independence (August 15, 1947) from British Raj

Yesterday, Pakistan celebrated their 73rd Anniversary of 🇵🇰 Pakistan’s Independence (August 14, 1947) from the British rule. Happy Independence Day!

Come and watch the live streaming on June 30.
Click one of the links below:
http://cad1906.org/facebook
http://cad1906.org/YouTube

Independence Day in Philippines (Araw ng Kasarinlan) - One of the most significant dates in the Philippine's history is Independence Day because it marks the nation's independence from the Spanish rule on June 12, 1898. Filipinos celebrate it annually on June 12.
Credit: www.keepincalendar.com
📸: The Philippine Reporter

Video Gallery

ID: Ida Mojahedi, Deaf Filipino woman, with shoulder length black hair and black glasses frame. She wears olive cardigan and a black top. She is sitting down and behind her is a black curtain.
Video Transcript:
Hello, hope you’re doing well. The holidays are coming soon and we are thrilled to announce a holiday giveaway! It includes a SCADA t-shirt, SCADA keychain, 1-year SCADA membership (if you’re already member you’ll get a year extended to your membership), and a $10 Amazon gift card. To enter, share a video no more than 1 minute and 30 seconds or type in the comments, a story of your favorite holiday memory. You must also be located in the U.S.! Deadline to submit your entry is on Friday, December 11. 5 winners will be selected and announced on December 13 at noon PST. Make to share your video and comments below this post! We look forward to hearing your stories and thank you for supporting SCADA and good luck!

ID: Ida Mojahedi, Deaf Filipino woman, with should...

Saving Face - SCADA proudly presents a Roundtable Discussion with three local Deaf Asian Americans, who will navigate and share their personal experiences and perspectives on various topics related to Deaf Asian communities including the concept of “Saving Face”.
Link to transcript:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CwaiR_Kka5TN6pdIV1g9VNm4miNu-SKNn3cfhkhztz8/edit?usp=sharing

Saving Face

SCADA proudly presents a Roundtable Discussion wit...

Congratulations message from SCADA's President - ID: Ida Mojahedi, Deaf Filipino woman, with shoulder length black hair and black glasses frame. She wears black shirt. She sits in the corner with red wall with white curtain on the right side.
Video Transcript:
Congratulations Class of 2020, of all ages from k- college. You made it! As you face challenges during the difficult times, we SCADA want to show our support and excitement on your special day! We know that it’s unfortunate that you don’t get to walk on your graduation day. We are proud of you and your hard work. Tomorrow will be a brighter future thanks to you. You did it! Together we will build a better future for our community. You have a new exciting life ahead of you! We wish you the best on your next adventure!

Congratulations message from SCADA's President

ID: Ida Mojahedi, Deaf Filipino woman, with should...

Mental Health Awareness Month Vlog - Mental Health Awareness Month Quotes Transcript
Video Transcript:
Ida: May is Mental Health Awareness Month. What’s the purpose of it? It is to raise awareness about mental health, fight stigma, provide support, educate the public, and advocate. It’s important especially today with the uncertainty with COVID-10 and quarantine. We, SCADA, want to support and encourage one another, so we have tips for you!
Kimberly: It’s important to remain mindful, especially during these times. Breath and notice how you feel, make time to care for yourself, reach out to others and stay connected, and don’t hesitate to seek help. Here are some positive quotes you can remind yourself everyday.
Lan: “My thoughts become my reality.”
Grace: “I take the time to care for my body, mind, and spirit.”
Ginny: “I have people who love and care for me.”
Sarah: “I love myself for who I am.”
Christine: “I will not worry about things I cannot control.”
Laura: “I choose to forgive and let go of anger.”
Leo: “I believe in myself and my goals.”
Derrian: “I’m allowed to relax and self care.”
Lan: “How I feel matters.”
Grace: “I am enough.”
Ginny: “I choose to let go of my fear.”
Sarah: “I deserve happiness.”
Christine: “Today, I will learn and grow.”
Laura: “I will come through this challenge with a better understanding of myself.”
Leo: “It is okay if I make mistakes.”
Derrian: “I know my worth.”
For more information, please visit these websites:
http://www.deafcounseling.com
http://www.nationaldeaftherapy.com/connecttoheal

Mental Health Awareness Month Vlog

Mental Health Awareness Month Quotes Transcript V...

AAPIHM: Q&A with Leang Ngov - Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are doing a series of interviews with AAPI deaf individuals from different cultural backgrounds. We ask a variety of questions such how they identify, what their unique stories are, and what advice they have for the Asian Deaf community.
***Notes:
Book mentioned in the video- "Cambodia History: Cambodian History for the Young Generations," by Soy Taing
More books recommended by Leang Ngov:
1. The Illustrated Guide to Wildlife of Cambodia; Paintings and Text by students from the Liger Learning Center in Cambodia [this is in bilingual - Khmer and English]
2. Khmer Sayings by Khmer Community Development [not sure where to buy this because I bought this in Cambodia]
3. A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979) [publishing company: Documentation Center of Cambodia]
4. Modern Literature of Cambodia. Edited by Teri Shaffer Yamada
5. Half Spoon of Rice: A Survival Story of the Cambodian Genocide, written by Icy Smith and illustrated by Sopaul Nhem [this is older children’s picture book]
**
Transcript:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z0rq9VlCAvBrp5WVe8kEKww-7n8zEbZJ-8Ehdgwcfoc/edit?usp=sharing
ID: On the left side- Leang Ngov, Deaf Khmerican womxn with long brown hair, wears brown top. Behind her is an off white/tan wall.
On the right side- Kimberly Han, light-skinned Korean American woman with medium brown hair and red glasses sits in front of light purple wall. She wears tan sleeveless top.

AAPIHM: Q&A with Leang Ngov

Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander He...

AAPIHM: Q&A with Jason Hoang - Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are doing a series of interviews with AAPI deaf individuals from different cultural backgrounds. We ask a variety of questions such how they identify, what their unique stories are, and what advice they have for the Asian Deaf community.
ID: On the left side- Jason Hoang, light skinned Deaf Vietnamese American male with hair combed to the left, wearing solid black t-shirt The background from left to right: houseplant with pot, horizontal blinds, a bed w/ pillows fixed, and an inspiration quote canvas hanged on the wall.
On the right side- Leo Samaniego, light brown skinned Deaf Filipino American with black buzz cut hair and wearing a solid light gray t-shirt. Background is matcha green wall.
Video Transcript:
LS: Hello, I’m Leo Samaniego. I am SCADA’s secretary and social media manager. What are we doing today? We’re celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Month (AAPI) by interviewing different Asian Deaf individuals. Right now, we have a special guest with us here. Do you mind introducing yourself to us?
JH: Hello! Yes, my name is Jason Hoang (signed “8” with middle finger flicking on the left side of his chest). I’m a fitness trainer and content creator.
LS: How are you doing? Doing well?
JH: I’m doing great! Right now, the coronavirus has us in quarantine so we have no choice but to stay home.
LS: Yeah, I got my head shaved because of being in quarantine!
JH: I can see that! First time that I’ve seen you like that!
LS: Okay, let’s get things rolling! Are you ready for questions?
JH: Yes, bring it on!
LS: Okay, first question. How do you identify yourself? And how did that identity impact your career and overall life?
JH: To answer your first question, I grew up thinking that I’m an American, period. When I started traveling, I discovered my Asian identity. I learned that I have a lot of identities involved, like being Asian American, but that is a broad answer. To be more specific, I’m Vietnamese - my parents were born and raised in Vietnam, Hong Kong, Chinese, and Deaf American. All of these make up my identity. For the second question, did you ask how my identity-
LS: Yes, how it impacted your career and overall life?
JH: Yes, really I grew as a skinny weak ass kid. Many people viewed me as that kid who was skinny and underweight. I thought I wanted to be masculine, but this damaged my confidence because others kept bringing me down. So over time, I started working out because I wanted to look like the men that you see in the media, such as Black, White, and Latino individuals who were perceived as masculine. This made an impact on my career because of the building pressure from society as a fitness trainer because Asians in this generation have to work two or three times harder, and don’t get a lot of media representation, especially showing us as masculine.
LS: Definitely
JH: We’re assumed to only be weak, nerdy, or intelligent. The lack of masculinity should be a serious discussion in the media.
LS: Stereotyping Asian as nerds.
JH: Right!
LS: Yes, but it’s interesting how you found your identity. There’s no right time in finding your identity, but it is important you find your identity no matter how early or late. That’s all that matters.
JH: That’s right.
LS: Moving on. What was your relationship with your family like growing up and now? And how do you think they have impacted your choices and experiences?
JH: Really, I was the only Deaf member in the family, meaning my family was especially protective of me while growing up. They always said no to me going out or walking by myself on the streets. I felt restricted and dependent on my family. I had never learned how to become independent. This led to me feeling limited; I wanted to experience new things and travel, but my family said no. I was persistent in wanting to travel for experience. I had to! So, when that happened, I learned a lot about myself. I realized how limited I was because of my family always saying no. I understand that my family cares and wants to protect me, but at the same time, I have to learn on my own, by making my own mistakes and learning from them as life goes on. That realization impacted me greatly, and now I’m learning how to communicate with my family. It’s not one-hundred percent perfect since it takes time to communicate little by little to become open-minded. My Asian family is usually close-minded, so I’m learning how to take things step by step.
LS: I kind of feel that it’s a standard among Asian culture.
JH: Why’s that?
LS: Most tend to be close minded, especially the older generation. The new generation-
JH: Right, because we have to respect our elders. Elders always think they are right, but that might not always be the case.
LS: Yeah, I also feel like maybe since past generations went through difficult times, they don’t want us to go through that. That’s why they are always protective of us, so I understand that.
JH: Right.
LS: Okay, next question. We know that you enjoy traveling the world and experiencing different cultures; how has your Asian identity shaped your travels?
JH: How did my identity shape my travels? Really.. Well, for example, going to Mexico or Europe, I always found a way to get my fix of Asian food… It’s hard because they don’t usually match my preferences, but I’m really proud of my identity, my Asian culture. It’s who I am. I’m always motivated to learn about new cultures, but I feel most connected to my Asian identity.
LS: Interesting! So, who are some Asian individuals that you look up to and believe to be good role models, and why?
JH: To be honest with you, growing up, I had no role models.
LS: None?!
JH: There were only a few role models out there, like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. Yes, I sort of looked up to them, but I didn’t really feel that strong connection. The problem for me growing up was that I didn’t see enough Asian role models in the media. I didn’t see many then. But now, I look up to Jordan Yeoh, he is a fitness trainer on Youtube and Instagram. His work ethic is great and he’s so motivated about fitness and teaching so I love that. Also, Soo Hee Lee, who is an Instagrammer and published book author. She really made an impact towards research connected to food and fitness. Both Jordan and Soo Hee are Asian Americans, and I look up to them.
LS: I never heard of them before, I’ll check that out!
JH: Yeah, you should.
LS: Next, in what ways do you hope Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community will evolve over time? How do you think we could give back and support one another?
JH: Really, in my experience growing up, I didn’t really see a lot of Asian communities, so it was a really tough time for me. Really, I would like for our generation to look more up to and be involved in bringing both Deaf and Asian communities together. Meaning, we could give back by sharing our stories. I’ve recognized that many are scared to share their stories, though I don’t know why. Maybe some feel pressured-
LS: Yeah, it’s important to encourage it.
JH: Yeah, encourage it! It’s so important to share stories because those are my own experiences that I went through, and children can learn from these experiences and realize they’re not alone. It’s so hard to improve yourself when you feel alone; you need an entire community. One time, I went to a Latinx event with my girlfriend -she’s Deaf. I felt so inspired because many of them shared their stories. I was like, where’s my community and their stories? I don’t see any, like, what’s up? So, I think we should work on that. Sharing more stories, especially in the media, or making these types of events.
LS: Maybe you should set up one?
JH: Right, but it takes way more than just one person; we’ll need a collaborating team to ensure it’s successful!
LS: Yeah, I’ve also recognized that this year for AAPI, we have a lot more individuals speaking up, which is great.
JH: Yes! It should continue.
LS: Yes, all right, last question. Do you have any final thoughts or advice for the Deaf and/or Deaf Asian community?
JH: Yeah, I think if I could tell myself something as a kid twenty years ago, I would’ve said “be yourself.” I used to try to conform to stereotypes, like that I should be good at math or the piano or music -but I couldn’t because I’m Deaf. So, the stereotypes can be extremely limiting, but it’s important that you follow your dreams. Figure out what you want and go for it! It doesn’t matter if you don’t see any other Asian Deaf person doing it- like myself, being a content creator and personal trainer, there’s so few Asians doing that.
LS: Yeah, so true. It’s very rare.
JH: You don’t see any. But I pursued it because it’s my dream and my passion. If you follow through, it’ll make you really unique.
LS: One-hundred percent agree with that. Plus there’s so much expectations from parents like them wanting you to become a doctor or other esteemed careers, but it’s more important to follow your dreams.
JH: I know it’s a bit of a sticky situation deciding between following either your parents’ or your dream.
LS: Yeah
JH: It’s a hard decision, definitely easier said than done. But if you follow yours, you’ll be more happy. But yeah, that’s my advice.
LS: Yeah, I like that. Well, thank you so much and we really appreciate your time in doing this interview! I hope our audiences have learned something- I personally learned a lot from you during this interview.
JH: Yes, I’m really honored being involved in this interview too. Thanks!
LS: Thank you!

AAPIHM: Q&A with Jason Hoang

Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander He...

ASL Storytelling - The last ASL Storytelling for the month is performed by member, Vita Vongsikeo, based on the children's book Thanking the Moon by Grace Lin. Enjoy!
ID: Vita, Asian woman, wears black top and silver hoops on her ears. Her hair is black with blue and green dye on her hair end. She stands in front of white wall on left side and white door on right side.
Video Transcript:
Hello! My name is Vita. I’m from Los Angeles, California. I will sign a story titled, “Thanking the Moon” and it’s written by Grace Lin.
The mid autumn moon glows in the sky. We go into the night to admire it. Ma-Ma prepares the nighttime picnic. Ba-Ba arranges the moon-honoring table. Mei-Mei plays with the pale green pomelo peel. Jie-Jie brings out the glowing lanterns. And I pour the round cups of tea. We all eat soft, sweet moo cakes. Then we thank the moon for bringing us together and send it our secret wishes. It peacefully watches over all of us...this night of the Mid Autumn Moon Festival.

ASL Storytelling

The last ASL Storytelling for the month is perform...

AAPIHM: Q&A with Amrita Booter

Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander He...

ASL Storytelling - The 2nd ASL Storytelling is performed by member, Paolo Luciano, based on the children's book Dim Sum for Everyone by Grace Lin. Enjoy!
ID: Paolo, Filipino man wears a black short sleeved button down black shirt and black glasses with hair combed. The background is gray.
Video Transcript: Hello everyone! My name is Paolo Luciano. My sign name is (showing my sign). What am I doing in this video? I’m here to tell you an ASL story. It’s Dim Sum For Everyone written by Grace Lin.
What is Dim Sum? It’s the Chinese tradition for family and/or friends to go eat together. It can be both for lunch or break aka brunch. Dim sum consists of small dishes with a variety of foods such as meat, vegetables, and many more.
At the green wallpaper of the book, it show a variety of items such as food and tools of what Chinese people use. A knife called cleaver cuts a lot of food to many pieces such as fruit, vegetables and many more. Steamnet (incorrect spelling for steamer) is used for food like wonton, dumplings can be steamily cooked to be ready for eating.
A family entered a crowded Chinese restaurant. The family inlcuded dad, mom and little girls. A little girl was fascinated at the huge aquarium filled with a school of gray big fishes.
Family sat in a big brown table. Dad seems very excited for food to be served. Mother helped her little daughter to take off her green coat. Girls are looking forward for their meals. This table is filled with white plates, chopsticks and tea cups. Dim sum has many little dishes.
Workers pushed different dim sum carts with a variety of dishes in each cart. They push carts passing by tables.
The lady pushed her cart around. The mother saw and called out to her. Ma-Ma picks little dishes of sweet pork buns. The lady brought them over and stamped their card receipt.
Another lady pushed a different cart nearby. The dad saw what he liked and got her attention. She brought her cart over. Ba-Ba (dad) chose little dishes of fried shrimp.
Jie-Jie wants turnip cakes. As she approaches to a worker pushing dim sum cart.
The little girl walked over to a cart filled with bowls of desserts. Mei-Mei wanted sweet tofu.
The girl like little egg tarts. They are yellow and sweet desserts filled on a purple plate.
The family had their table filled with plenty of foods to share, enjoy and eat together. They eat a little bit of everything.
Other tables also had a lot of plates of foods. Everyone enjoyed eating and laughing together. Dim sum parlors push around to serve more food and asked customers for orders. Busy all day!
The family felt full with their meal. Most plates were empty or have bits of food left. The family enjoyed their meal together. Now there are empty little dishes.
That’s all there is to the story! The point of this story is to cherish the time spent with family. No matter how small or big, always share!. Cherish family time together. Thank you for watching me. Bye!
#AAPIHM #ASLstorytelling

ASL Storytelling

The 2nd ASL Storytelling is performed by member, P...

AAPIHM: Q&A with Artist Christine Sun Kim

Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander He...

ASL Storytime - The Good Buffalo ((Ang Mabait na Kalabaw) - In addition to our weekly newsletter, we are excited to share you content that will include storytelling, interviews, and more during AAPI month! One of our members, Emmanuel, signs the children's book, The Good Buffalo (Ang Mabait na Kalabaw) written by Virgilio Almario. Enjoy!
ID: Emmanuel, Filipino man wears black t-shirt. The background is a white wall.
Video Transcript:
Hello, everyone! My name is Emmanuel and the sign is (showing his sign). I want to share you a story, the nice buffalo. (Ang Mabait na Kalabaw) It’s written by Virgilio Almario. Note: carabao is buffalo in Philippines. Emmanuel signs the story AND descriptions of each picture.
The carabao is walking on the grass while the sun sets. The very good carobao eats quietly and looks at the smiling sun. The sun sets into nighttime. The very good carabao sleeps quietly while a bug flies by. The very good carabao walks by and spots a puddle. A frog jumps and lands on the rock. The very good carabao runs into the puddle and splashes away. The frog croaks and jumps away. The very good carabao is clean. The very good carabao walks and smells the flowers. The very good carabao likes beautiful things. The very good carabao walks through the trees and sees a pig’s back showing his curly tail. A deer peeks behind a tree. Two ducks peeks behind a tree. The very good carabao has many friends. The very good carabao says hello to his three friends: a pig, two ducks, and a deer. They play together. Even the dog and the cat join and play together. They are happy. A boy is sitting on cart full of apples and holds the reins to a very good carabao. He looks back and sees apples falling off the cart. The very good carabao works hard. A boy and carabao sees a tree with lemons. A boy wants the yellow lemons but he’s too short. The boy had an idea, he climbs on the carabao’s back and grabs a fresh lemon. The very good carabao is helpful. A boy milks the carabao and fills the bucket with milk. What did he do with milk? He hands milk out to the children. They were all happy and the boy pets the good carabao. The very good carabao is generous. The carabao is being hugged by her mom. The hen calls her chicks around the carabaos. The very good carabao is loving. The caretaker sings to the carabao while his little brother sits on the carabao’s back. Her caretaker loves her dearly. Many carabaos run toward her. That is why her fellow carabaos love her. The very good carabao runs up and down the hills. The very good carabao is always happy. The end. Finished! Thank you for watching and hope you enjoy this story. Love you!
#aslstorytelling #AAPI

ASL Storytime - The Good Buffalo ((Ang Mabait na Kalabaw)

In addition to our weekly newsletter, we are excit...

Anti-Asian Racism in the time of COVID-19 - Discussions about Anti-Asian Racism is not often discussed in our community. A collaboration of 8 Asian deaf womxn including our Vice President, Kimberly Han, is featured on this educational piece. For the full video please click the link below.
https://youtu.be/LELS_izhnag #iamnotavirus
[video description/transcript (by Leang Ngov):
Black background with white bold font text, centered, that reads, “Anti-Asian Racism in the Time of COVID-19
Black fade out
Black background with white bold font text, centered, that reads, “Content warning: Graphic Images and Descriptions of Violence”
Noel King is a deaf queer Korean-American adoptee cisgender womxn with black short hair. She wears a dark plum purple long sleeved shirt. She sits on a black plastic chair with white wall in the background.
“Dear friends, family and community. We need your attention.
With this COVID-19 pandemic happening right now, you know that viruses do not discriminate against people. But people can. We are seeing the rapid global spread of what?
Anti Asian Racism.
Means violence, bullying, assaults, harassments happening against Asian people, no matter if from China or not.”
background: light purple wall; Kimberly, light-skinned Korean American, wears black long sleeved sweatshirt and red glasses. Her long brown hair is in a ponytail. She is standing in front of a light purple wall.
“From schools, commutes to work, trips to the grocery store, Asian-Americans have experienced verbal and physical attacks with getting dirty looks, being coughed at, spat on, blocked from getting in motels, gas stations, getting services, Asian restaurants and businesses suffer huge loss of customers and money.
This is also called xenophobia (black font text that reads, “Xenophobia” is shown on upper left - this text pops up as Kimberly fingerspells the term and fades away) and sinophobia (black font text that reads, “Sinophobia” is shown on upper left - this text pops up as Kimberly fingerspells the term and fades away.
Means what?
Fear and hatred of foreigners, people from different cultures. A negative sentiment against China, its people, overseas Chinese, or Chinese culture.”
Background: Lina, a light-skinned Chinese-Taiwanese-American cis woman, appears in a solid black top. Her hair is pulled back in a low ponytail. She is seated on a stool (not shown in this video) with a white wall as the backdrop.
“Federal law enforcement/FBI recently announced a warning of hate crimes against Asian people that is increasing in the US. Online reports on racial & xenophobic attacks counted more than 1,000 incidents in less than two weeks. Also, there are estimates of an average of 100 per day all over the country, from LA to NYC to Texas. Surprising fact is that 61% of those reports were from non-Chinese people.
(cropped close up image of a SouthEast Asian male with his face stitched showed up in upper left - this image remains in the video as Lina retells this incident) In West Texas, a 19 year old teenager stabbed a Southeast Asian family members and slashed across their face, including a 2 year old and a 6 year old. Why? He thought the family is Chinese and infecting people with coronavirus.”
Nayo is a deaf queer Korean adoptee cisgender womxn with black short hair. She is wearing a black v-neck long sleeved shirt and is seated on a dark brown/black high stool in front of dark gray drawn curtains.
“A 16 year old Asian boy was bullied & physically assaulted by high schoolers in California and ended up in the Emergency Room.
(On the upper left, a cropped image that is split into two images is being shown. Left split is close up image of an elder Chinese man visibly distressed; right image of an elder Chinese man in black jacket and pants with light grey hat, holding a white bag in the middle of a couple of folks surrounding him) A 68 year old elder Chinese man was robbed, attacked and was struck in the back of his head in SF while collecting recycled cans.
(On the upper left, three images shown in one image is being shown. Left image is of male in black clothes in the subway and right image is of Chinese woman with orange face mask and black hooded jacket. In the lower image that is inbetween these two images shows the physical alternation between these two individuals) An Asian woman was attacked out of the blue and was kicked, punched & hit with an umbrella by a man in NYC at the subway station for wearing a face mask, calling her a “diseased bitch.”
(On the upper left, an image of three individuals surrounding a Filipno man in a store) A Filipino man in Bay Area California was harassed because he coughed at Target.
(On the upper left, an image is split into three images is shown. Left image is a close up image of the person holding a camera, while holding a sanitizer with another hand; with a partial view of an elderly Korean woman. Middle image is a close up image of an elderly Korean woman being harrassed. Right image is a close up image of a person holding a camera attempting to sanitize an elderly Korean woman within face distance) An elderly Korean woman was chased around and was told to “Sanitize Your Ass!”
(On the upper left, an image is of a screenshot from a night vision camera that shows a woman putting out a trash in front of the house with an assailant wearing a hooded jacket behind her and is pouring something on her. This image is shown as Nayo narrarates this incident) Just outside of her Brooklyn home, an Asian woman suffered burns on her face, body, and hands after an unknown assailant approached her from behind and poured an unknown substance over her head.
Many stories like this are happening all over US reported in various media. You know, this is not new?”
Janele, a Flilipina American womxn, is wearing a black long sleeve with her hair wrapped in a bun and strands of hair in front of her face. She is also wearing brown acrylic geometric earrings. Janele is signing with a light brown wall behind her.
“For more than 200 years, Asian Americans have been denied equal rights, experienced harassment, had their rights revoked, and imprisoned for no justifiable reason, physically attacked, and murdered. The last 20 years or so has seen Asian Americans become the fastest-growing targets for hate crimes and violence.
Throughout U.S. history, whenever there is a problem, political or economic like the public health crisis or, in wartime, there always seems to be the need for a scapegoat to unjustifiably blame and target with severe hostility. And, certainly, that's been the experience of Asian-Americans, Muslims, Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities.
Aside from being blamed, Black and Brown bodies have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. We need to acknowledge as well that more Black and Brown people are dying from COVID-19.”
Anna is a relatively light-skinned Filipino/Chinese/Taiwanese/Spanish queer cisgender deaf female immigrant with long, dark curly hair parted in the middle. She has on red lipstick and a gray v-neck sweater and is seated on a brown/black high stool in front of dark gray drawn curtains.
“Because of the stereotype of Asian Americans as quiet, weak, and powerless, more and more Asian Americans are victimized, not just today but for many, many years.
(On the upper left, an image is of a comic strip that demonstrates Uncle Sam holding up a government bill while kicking Chinese people, which were drawn as offensive caricature, off the cliff.) For example, Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was passed to forbid Chinese people from entering the country, and it lasted for a total of 20 years.
(On the upper left, an image of an older, faded black background with white handwritten text that reads, “x Get rid of all Filipinos or we’ll burn this town down) The Watsonville Riots of 1930 involved white men committing violent acts against Filipinos and killing Fermin Tobera.
(On the upper left, B&W image of Japanese Americans being imprisoned at the internment camps is shown here) During World World Two in 1942, about 120,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned in the internment camps for about four years.
(On the upper left, B&W image of Vincent Chin smiling for the camera is shown here) In 1982, Vincent Chin, a Chinese American was beaten to death by two White men who were enraged by the Japanese auto industry causing the closure of their car plants. They assumed Vincent is Japanese. They had no jail time at all.”
Background: light grey wall; Leang, Khmer-American womxn, is wearing a dark grey sweatshirt with medium length dark brown hair down. She signs as she is standing in front of a light grey wall.
“I am sure it is also happening to people we already know, and who are in the signing community.
The Covid-19 spread is already scary for everyone but in the last two months, with the increasing violence toward Asian Americans, is it justified to add additional fear in our lives as Asian individuals because the virus happened to be first discovered in China? Or because President Trump declared this disease to be called Chinese Virus or Kung Flu?
So how does attacking Asian people help stop the spread of the coronavirus?
Does blaming us for what is happening to us help you feel better?”
(this section has a brief compiled video clip, which shows an individual signing a word, to demonstrate this sentence: “No, I am not a virus.”)
Nayo: “No,”; Kimberly, “I am,”; Lina: “not”; Desiree: “a virus”; Anna: “No,”; Noel: “I am,”; Leang: “not,’; Janele: “a virus.”
The narrator, Desiree, is a Chinese-Vietnamese Deaf Amerian cisgender womxn with dark borwn long hair and she is wearing a black top with ¾ sleeves. Behind Desiree is a black background and she is sitting on her light grey chair.
“So there've been over 100 hate crimes reported a day against Asian Americans.
More than 260 civil rights groups demanded Congress to step up in countering this rise of violence. Means, we do need more leaders out there to take a stand in solidarity to defend the safety of Asian Americans’ lives. Our community must come together to raise the alarms about racism that is actually contagious and put a stop to it. Xenophobia will not make our communities safer. Listen to your doctor and public health officials.
When you see it happening in public, do you choose to be a bystander and turn your head away? It might be easy for you to dismiss racism when it does not impact you. But this is about people’s safety and it is affecting our lives.
We need to address Anti-Asian racism as a society.”
background: white wall; Korean-American female with short black hair and dark purple long sleeve shirt is sitting on dark brown chair.
“Remember, the danger is if we don't speak up for each other, the number of people being targeted is going to be expanding and if they don't intervene, that kind of violence or that kind of incident becomes normalized.
No, we are not the virus. Hate is the virus.
If you step up to put a stop to this to show that the harassment and attacks should not be tolerated, together we can move forward to heal as a safer and healthier community.”
(this section has a brief compiled video clip, which shows an individual signing a word, to demonstrate this sentence: ““With love / and hope / and justice / and solidarity,
Your Asian / friends, / family, / community””)
Kimberly: “With love,”; Lina: “and hope,”; Nayo: “and justice,”; Janele: “and solidarity,”; Anna, “Your Asian,”; Leang: “friends,”; Desiree: “family,”; and Noel: “community.”
(slowly fading to black with white font text for rolling credits which reads, “In order of appearance:
Noel King
Kimberly Han
Lina Hou
Nayo Lim Franck
Janele Alarcon
Anna Lim Franck
Leang Ngov
Desiree Duong.
*Thank you so much for your collaboration & participation in this video *
Dragon Grrrls Production
Written & Edited: Nayo Lim Franck
Anna Lim Franck
Leang Ngov
Lina Hou
© April 15, 2020]

Anti-Asian Racism in the time of COVID-19

Discussions about Anti-Asian Racism is not often d...