Reflecting on the Importance of Black History Month for Asian Communities

The Asian American Educators of Howard County (AAEHC) are proud to support Black History Month. One way we want to uplift Black History Month is by highlighting the commonalities between the groups. Celebrating famous Blasians, or people of Black and Asian heritage recognizes the diversity within both racial and ethnic groups. Vice President Kamala Harris is a prime example of someone who is able to uplift both groups.

The history of Black and African Americans and Asian Americans in the U.S. have common touchpoints and struggles; they are complex and riddled with conflict resulting from minoritized groups pitted against one another, rather than joined in solidarity. However, in truth, solidarity between the two groups struggles has not been easy and takes intentional work. Chang (2020) in his article From “Illmatic” to “Kung Flu”: Black and Asian Solidarity, Activism, and Pedagogies in the COVID-19 Era, writes about global efforts to promote Black and Asian solidarity, specifically in countries who were formerly colonized by European nations.

In this country, the myth of the “Model Minority” of Asians has orchestrated a false notion of Asians having higher proximity to Whiteness, and thus some Asian groups distancing themselves from solidarity work for racial justice. With greater awareness about our human connectedness, and the recognition of how the passage of the Civil Rights Act supported greater immigration from Asian countries, more solid efforts have been made to ensure Asian communities work with African American and Black communities. This video A Conversation About Black & Asian Solidarity, showcases an amazing panel discussing the challenges and hopes for Black and Asian Solidarity. We, as AAEHC, look forward to having the conversation within our community so we can look inward and authentically build solidarity with communities of color and advance humanity.