Asian American, Native Haiwai’ian, Pacific Islander, & Desu Diaspora:  / Optional (Choose 2)

We have dubbed the numerous identity cultures originating in Asia and the Pacific Ocean as a diaspora. Diaspora is defined by the Oxford Language Dictionary (2024) as “the dispersion or spread of a people from their original homeland.”

Since the numerous wars the U.S. was involved in throughout the latter half of the 20th century, the population of Asian immigrants living in the U.S. spiked dramatically, especially following the legislation that allowed increasingly more refugees and qualified professionals into the country.

However, Asian people have been living and working in the U.S. since the early 19th century and more increasingly as the transcontinental railroad was built to connect the East and West Coasts. Despite the variety of talent, artistry, ingenuity, and labor provided by Asian immigrants and descendants of Asian people, xenophobia and racism have both affected the legislation and lives of Asian people across the nation.

Watch this video to learn more about identity.

Consider what you know about the Japanese internment camps, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, or the imperializing forces that have colonized countries in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Oceanic nations and islands. Consider what you know about #StopAsianHate in the wake of the 2020 pandemic.

How do you think this legacy of racist xenophobia affect millions of Asian people today?

Directions: Choose 2 articles to learn more about the Asian diaspora.

Basic Understanding:

Kaur, Harmeet. “Why Some Have Mixed Feelings about the Terms Asian American and AAPI.” CNN, 1 May 2023.

Kiang, Peter N. “Understanding Our Perceptions of Asian Americans.” Asia Society, asiansociety.org, Accessed on 13 Nov. 2023.

Ruiz, Neil G.; Shao, Sunny; Shah, Sono. “What It Means To Be Asian in America.” Pew Research, 2 Aug 2022.

Advanced Understanding:

Bharath, Deepa. “What is India’s Caste System? Is It Contentious in U.S.?” APNews, 20 Feb. 2023.

Fisher College of Business. “Bamboo Ceiling: When and Which Asian Americans are More Likely to Rise to the Top of Organizational Hierarchy.” Ohio State University, 17 May 2022.

Jose, Gaby. “My Experience Growing Up as a First Generation Filipino-American.” The Daily Aztec, thedailyaztec.com, 29 Oct. 2020.

Liu, Yuqing. “How Did Minnesota Become a Hub for Hmong People?” sahanjournal.com, 8 Sept. 2023. Contributed by Star Tribune.

Tu, Lucy. “‘ABGs,’ Affirmative Action, and Anti-Blackness in the Asian American Community.” Harvard Politics Review, 22 March 2021.

Wang, Claire. “Occupied by the U.S.: Wildfires Renew Native Hawaiian Call for Sovereignty.” The Guardian, 7 Sept. 2023.