Anti-AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) violence has trended upwards since the start of the pandemic, and exponentially surged in 2021. Our Asian American community, including our students, educators, and members of the Get Schooled team, are experiencing a wide range of emotions- from fear and anxiety, to anger and exhaustion.

Protecting our Asian communities means being a vigilant neighbor and speaking up if you see something that's not right. It means using our voice and platforms to amplify these issues, and challenge inaccurate information or hate speech. It means treating others with respect and kindness.

We encourage you to learn more about how to be an ally to our Asian American community. We’ve compiled a free list of resources to read, watch, listen to, and follow to learn more. Together we can stand up against racism.

*Note - All links below will open in a new window.

Books

Reach out to your local library for their book recommendations (make sure to ask how to access them - many libraries have expanded their online resources during the pandemic). Here are a few recommendations to get you started:

• The Life and Rediscovered Work of the Author of No-No Boy; edited by Frank Abe, Greg Robinson, and Floyd Cheung
• The Sympathizerby Viet Thanh Nguyen
• Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
• Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir by Eddie Huang
• San Jose Public Library’s Anti-AAPI hate collection
• Chicago Public Library- Books about Racism and the Asian American experience
• Los Angeles Public Library’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month collection
• DC Public Library’s Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month collection

Free movies/videos

• Asian Americansis a 5-part PBS series about the history of identity, contributions, and challenges experienced by Asian Americans.
• Documented follows award-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas after he outs himself as an undocumented immigrant from the Philippines in the New York Times Magazine.
• The Grace Lee Project is a movie that breaks down the typical stereotypes of Asian American women and explores the different identities of women named Grace Lee.
• Right to Be ___ (Formerly known as Hollaback!) is a movement to end harassment in all its forms. They offer free weekly harassment training on Zoom, as well as free bystander intervention training.

Podcasts

• Dear Asian Americans tells the stories of Asian Americans across the country to inspire and celebrate the Asian American community.
• Asian Enough is a Los Angeles Times podcast that invites special guests to explore different Asian American backgrounds and histories within the U.S.
• Code Switch is hosted by journalists of color with conversations about race and how it impacts every part of society from politics, to pop culture, sports, and everything in between, on NPR.
• Asian American History 101 is hosted by a father-daughter duo that explores the food, history, and culture of different Asian American communities in the U.S.
• Modern Minorities is a podcast focused on the careers and lives of Asian Americans through the lens of race and gender.

Social Media accounts:

• Stop AAPI Hate
• Kimsaira
• Kimmy The Pooh (NBC Journalist)
• Sikh Coalition
• Right To Be
• Dear Asian Youth
• The Indian Feminist
• The Queer Muslim Project

This list only scratches the surface of resources about AAPI history and culture in the United States. We believe that the work Asian-American creators do to bring awareness toward these issues helps combat bigotry and violence. We highly encourage you to dig deeper into the history, culture, and lived experiences of Asian American folks to become a better ally.