The Language of Violence #StopAAPIHate
Since the pandemic has started, we have seen a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes all over the U.S. Those in the Asian American community are grappling with their own people being targeted for these hate crimes. In a powerful essay, our volunteer Long looks into the moments where he was personally targeted, his reactions to the rise in the hate crimes, and his journey of moving forward from the language of violence.
Manicure Memoir: Reflecting on the History of Vietnamese Nail Salons
If you want a manicure or pedicure at a nail salon, the salon is most likely Vietnamese-owned. In fact, more than half of nail salons in the United States are run by Vietnamese women and men. And this is not a coincidence. For APIDAHM, our volunteer Mila dives into the history behind Vietnamese nail salons, how the Vietnamese community made an impact on the beauty industry, and what it all means to Mila in terms of her Vietnamese identity.
One Last Monster: Exploring Independent Animation With Gene Kim
As we've explored previously on our blog, APIDA representation in animation is still a work in progress. But beyond onscreen representation, what is the APIDA representation behind-the-screen? In her next blog post, our volunteer Veronica interviewed Gene Kim, a Korean-American writer, animator, storyboard artist, and filmmaker, who directed the animated short film, One Last Monster. In their conversation, Kim shared his filmmaking process, the challenges of strengthening diversity in the animation industry, and the the opportunities creators of color have in independent animation.
Hepatitis Awareness & Mental Health Awareness Month
May marks a time to celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander American culture and heritage with fellows Americans throughout the country. However, it is also a time to generate conversation and awareness for viral hepatitis and mental health illnesses. Learning more about these illnesses are important to tackling the stigma and discrimination associated with them.