Imagine a world free of racism with me
Chinese exclusion, Japanese internment, colonization of the Philippines, refugees from American wars in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and numerous hate crimes against Muslim and South Asian Americans after 9/11 and Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) people after COVID-19. These are just a few examples of the longstanding xenophobic and racist experiences of AAPI communities. Last week, we witnessed a massacre of eight innocent people: Daoyou Feng, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Paul Andre Michels, Soon Chung Park, Xiaojie Tan, Delaina Ashley Yaun, and Yong Ae Yue.
Six of the victims were AAPI women and this tragedy is a reminder to all of us that racism is not a Black and white issue. It affects all of us. As an Asian American who has been on the receiving end of racist violence, I truly believe that until we build narratives that include all of us, none of us will be safe from such violence.
My deep condolences go out to all of the families affected by recent anti-Asian hate crimes. Beyond raising awareness about such violence, we have to engage in deeper conversations and action around transforming the root causes of such behavior. At this moment, beyond donating to Asian American causes and attending protests to express solidarity with AAPI communities, you may be wondering how else can I help? How can I learn? And how can I heal?
On April 15th, I will be in conversation with my friend and elder Dr. Larry Ward at the Revolutionary Love Conference. REVLOVE 2021 is a four-day conference dedicated to exploring how society can imagine a loving future and thereby create a healthy and just world. In this conversation, we will give voice to the specific skills all of us need to heal our individual and collective racial traumas so we can actualize a beloved community. Using the principles of mindfulness and compassion, this conversation is our response to why white supremacist violence against people of color and white allies persists in our nation and how we can skillfully respond to it and transform it. Our session is thus aptly named, “Being More: From Self-Regulation to Co-Regulation so We Can Heal America’s Racial Karma and Co-Create the Beloved Community.”
I invite you to join us by learning more and registering here.
The time is now for all of us - regardless of our background and appearance - to galvanize together to imagine a society free of racism. I hope you will participate in this transformative conversation with Larry and me.