In the semester’s final Presidential Colloquium on May 5, President Kathy McCartney was joined by Professor Jennifer Ho from the University of Colorado Boulder. Ho discussed the escalated violence against Asian Americans throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and broader issues of race and racism.
Ho’s presentation took place during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, also at a critical moment of increased violence toward the Asian American community. The derogatory terms “Kung Flu” and “Chinese Virus” in reference to COVID-19 are examples of anti-Asian racism and xenophobic rhetoric surrounding the pandemic.
Ho noted the misconception that anti-Asian racism is not new, and subsequently reviewed its history in the United States. She highlighted that “Anti-Asian racism has been happening since Asian people have entered into the United States,” citing examples including the Chinese Exclusion Act, incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, and racism against South Asian and Muslim Americans post 9/11.
Ho used a metaphor of a coin when considering Asian American stereotypes. When “yellow peril [is] on one side of the coin, the opposite side of that coin is the model minority myth.” Yellow peril is the fear and hate of Asians, rooted in xenophobia. The model minority myth is different in its façade of being a compliment. But, as Ho emphasized, the concept of a “model” racial minority harms Asian Americans and other minorities in its overgeneralizations and inaccuracies. She pointed specifically to the model minority myth as another justification people use for anti-Black racism, as it inherently classifies Asian Americans as better than and consequently in competition with Black Americans.
Anti-Asian and anti-Black racism are related in other ways too. Ho pointed to white supremacy as the common root, an ideology ingrained in the U.S. from its foundation. In order to push back against white supremacy, Ho encouraged being actively anti-racist and welcoming constructive criticism in order to improve. She compared anti-racism work to exercising a muscle: a long-term commitment to practicing anti-racism, despite some discomfort at first, until the muscle is stronger.
Professor Floyd Cheung, the Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, told The Sophian that “Jennifer Ho gave one of the most accessible and incisive talks I’ve ever heard about anti-Asian racism and its roots in white supremacist ideology.” He pointed to the connection between the colloquium and the College’s work Toward Racial Justice, a collaborative effort involving student organizations at Smith.
One student leader, Dieungoc Nguyen, also shared with The Sophian the importance of hearing Professor Ho speak and having the perspective of Asian American women when addressing racism in the U.S. Nguyen noted that while the news has been showing more of the realities of anti-Asian racism, it is not news to her and her mom, especially when working at their nail salon in Houston. She explained that she saw her mother in the victims of the recent Atlanta shooting.
As president of the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), Nguyen initiated a conversation about the increased violence against Asian Americans, but found it a difficult one to have. She and her peers began planning a series of two events to address anti-Asian racism, working closely with a diverse group of fellow students to continue this conversation. The first event on April 2 focused on storytelling, and the second, which will be held over Zoom this Friday, May 14, is a discussion on taking action and addressing questions from the Smith community. As the semester ends and students disperse, Nguyen hopes the momentum in the fight against anti-Asian racism will continue.
As Ho expressed in her presentation, “all of us can choose to be anti-racism advocates.”
More information about the student-run event addressing anti-Asian racism will be available soon on Instagram and the Smith Social Network. Ho’s presentation slides and many other resources can be found on Office for Equity and Inclusion’s antiracist resources page.
Very excite;)