Combatting Anti-Blackness: Resources for the Asian American Community

We stand together with our Black siblings to fight for transformative change to a system that incarcerates, dehumanizes, and oppresses Black Americans. This compilation of resources is a starting point for education, discussion, and how to be effective allies in dismantling white supremacy and anti-blackness.

Full resource available for download.

Understanding the History between Black and Asian Communities

• The Asian American Response to Black Lives Matter Is Part of a Long, Complicated History (Time, 2020)
• The history of tensions – and solidarity – between Black and Asian American communities, explained (Vox, 2021)
• The Secret History of South Asian and African American Solidarity (Black Desi Secret History, 2020)
• The History of Solidarity Between Asian And Black Americans (NPR, 2021)

UN-Learn: Anti-Blackness

• How Asian Immigrants Learn Anti-Blackness From White Culture, And How To Stop It (Huffington Post, 2017)
• Studies show that white people drive anti-Asian hate. So why are the ‘solutions’ targeting brown people? (San Francisco Chronicle, 2021)
• Why the trope of Black-Asian conflict in the face of anti-Asian violence dismisses solidarity (Brookings, 2021)
• Virtual images show people of color as anti-Asian perpetrators. That misses the big picture. (NBC News, 2021)
• How Asian Americans Are Reckoning With Anti-Blackness In Their Families (Huffington Post, 2020)
• South Asians in the Perpetuation of Anti-Blackness (TEDTalk, 2016)

UN-Learn: The Model Minority Myth

• Can stereotypes ever be good? (TedTalk, 2021)
• The Truth About the Model Minority Myth and Anti-Blackness (Dear Asian Youth, 2020)
• ‘Model Minority’ Myth Again Used As a Racial Wedge Between Asians And Blacks (NPR, April 2017)

How to be an Ally

• 20+ Allyship Actions for Asians to Show Up for the Black Community Right Now (Medium, 2020)
• 30+ Ways Asians Perpetuate Anti-Black Racism Everyday (Medium, 2020)
• Allyship (& Accomplice): The What, Why and How (Medium, 2020)
• 26 Ways to Be in the Struggle Beyond the Streets (Beyond the Streets, 2014)
• How Asian Americans Can Help Fight Anti-Black Racism (NowThis, 2020)
• Allyship with NAACP LDF President & Director-Counsel & AAJC President John C. Yang
• (Washington Post, 2021)

How to Speak to Your Family, Friends, & Loved Ones

• Black Lives Matter Translated
• Letters for Black Lives: An Open Letter on Anti-Blackness (multiple languages)
• South Asians for Black Lives

Additional Readings on Race & Racism

• A Letter From Young Asian Americans, To Their Parents, About Black Lives Matter | Code Switch
• Anti-Asian American Racism from Boston University Center for Antiracist Research’s Anti Bigotry Convening (2022)
• Anti-Asian Racism in 2020 by Virulent Hate Project (University of Michigan, 2020)
• Asian Americans and the Anti-Racist Equity Agenda (Economic Policy Institute)
• Interview with Yuri Kochiyama: The Impact of Malcolm X on Asian-American Politics and Activism (1994)
• Anti-Black racism is making us sick (TedTalk, 2021)
• Racism from the perspective of a non-threatening black man (TedTalk, 2020)
• Asian-Black Solidarity Movements for Liberation (Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, 2020)
• Anti-Asian Violence and Black-Asian Solidarity Today with Tamara K. Nopper (Asian American Writers Workshop, 2021)
• Divide and Conquer: The Model Minority Myth and Anti-Blackness Post-War and Now (Tsuru for Solidarity, 2020)

Dive Deeper

Reading Lists

• Our Black History Month Reading List for Asian Americans | 18 Million Rising
• Black and Asian-American Feminist Solidarities: A Reading List | Black Women Radicals & Asian American Feminist Collective
• Children's Books by Black Authors | The Conscious Kid
• At the Intersection of Solidarity: A Reading List for Black and Asian Communities | Advancing Justice – AAJC

Resource Lists

• Asian Americans for Black Lives | Asian American Advocacy Fund
• Black Power, Yellow Peril: Towards a Politics of Afro-Asian Solidarity
• In Solidarity with the Black Community | Stanford Asian American Activities Center
• Public Safety: An Advocacy Toolkit for Fair, Safe, and Effective Community Policing
• Resources for BLM Movement | Asian American Organizing Project
• A BOLD Conversation with HAAPI

Previous resource list (Updated 2020): Resources for the Asian American Community on Anti-Blackness | Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC