Asian Americans have been a part of American history since its inception. While they are not as well-known as other organizations, they have played an important role in shaping our country’s terrain and shaping it into what it is today.
The first Asian Americans arrived in America in 1607, when Captain John Smith rescued a shipwrecked sailor called Sin Tong. Chinese immigrants coming to work on farms in Virginia and Maryland in the 1700s were the earliest known arrivals. This was followed by Japanese immigrants transported to California in the 1800s to work on railroads.
In 1882, an anti-Chinese riot in San Francisco resulted in at least 50 deaths and millions of dollars in property damage. However, this episode resulted in the passing of legislation prohibiting Chinese workers from permanently entering the United States. The Chinese Exclusion Act was created in 1882 and stayed in effect until 1943, when it was overturned due to labour shortages caused by internment camps for Japanese American residents during WWII (McDonnell). Today, there are about 15 million Asians in the United States.
Asian Americans have lately become powerful, as demonstrated by the inauguration of Kamala D. Harris as the nation’s first female, Black, and Asian American vice president on January 20, 2021. Another is the former California senator Dianne Feinstein, sworn in by the first female Latina justice of the US Supreme Court, Elena Sotomayor. She is the daughter of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father. In 2019, Harris, technology entrepreneur Andrew Yang, and Hawaiian Representative Tulsi Gabbard became the first Asian Americans to compete for president in the Democratic Party. Gabbard is of Pacific Islander ancestry.
Despite their long history of prosperity in America, the Asian American community has experienced numerous hurdles in the last year. The emergence of white nationalism and hate groups targeting the Asian American population is the most prominent of them.
Because of its distinct cultural heritage and history as immigrants from all over the world, the Asian American population has been an easy target for white nationalists and hate groups. Numerous misunderstandings about this group can be dispelled by teaching all parties concerned about their history and culture, as well as how they vary from other civilizations.
Another issue that Asian Americans confront is a lack of representation in mainstream media, which has resulted in preconceptions about them being perpetuated in news reports and movies. As a result, some community members may have depression or anxiety problems due to feeling invisible. This problem can be solved by increasing diversity in media sources across all platforms (TV shows, movies, etc.).
Various concerns impact all races equally that influence minority communities: Minorities have greater poverty rates than whites; they experience discrimination when applying for jobs or housing; they face police brutality and abuse at higher rates than whites, and they have fewer prospects for progress since they cannot pay college tuition.
There appear to be several ways for Asian Americans to overcome the hurdles they confront. The first step is acknowledging that it is a systemic issue in our culture, not just an individual issue.
The second stage is to ensure that we are not focusing solely on race; we must also include class and gender issues. I believe that people should begin by collaborating and devising a strategy for addressing these concerns as a group rather than individually.
I believe that one option for individuals to start working together is to launch an awareness campaign to tackle these challenges in their areas. This would include educating young people on what they can do now to help reduce racial tensions and promote inclusion in our schools, workplaces, and homes; offering support to parents who want their children to grow up feeling included; and providing resources to those who feel marginalized because of race or ethnicity.
References
Bundiman, A., & Ruiz, N. G. (2022, February 16). Key facts about Asian Americans, a diverse and growing population. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/29/key-facts-about-asian-americans/
History.com Editors. (2021, March 22). Asian American milestones: Timeline. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/asian-american-timeline
The White House. (n.d.). Critical issues facing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/eop/aapi/data/critical-issues
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