Hold space for AAPI conversations
The following discussion guide is based on 20 hand-selected prompts and inquiries from the We Are More campaign, designed to facilitate discussion and exploration of the Asian and Pacific Islander experience. We’ve made it freely available to educators, activists, and allies who want to hold space for authentic conversations about and in support of the AAPI community.
Time: 15 - 45 minutes
Total group size: 4 - 40
Small group size: 2 (pairs)
Before starting, decide whether you want to focus the group on a single prompt at a time (can be more focusing and aligning) or have the group explore many different prompts (more variety during the group discussion)
(2 mins) Break your group up into pairs and assign them a prompt. Designate the person who has eaten most recently as Person A and the other Person B.
(6 mins) Have Person A read out loud the prompt and the topic. Have person A share for 2 minutes, switch to person B for 2 minutes, and offer a final 2 minutes of pair discussion.
(7 mins) Bring the group back and ask people to share any thoughts or reflections from their individual conversations.
Repeat with a new prompt (15 mins)
Prompts, Discussion Topics + Further Reading
Where do we go from here?
Actions to take in the face of anti-API bias and violence
When will we be welcome, not just included?
Interracial friendships are still rare in America
Three quarters of whites don’t have any non-white friends (washingtonpost.com)
How do we come together when there’s still so much pain?
The difficulties of healing when harm is ongoing
Cathy Park Hong on anti-Asian violence and unlearning internalized racism (vox.com)
Can I help shoulder your pain?
Supporting a community that’s hurting
Anti-Asian violence: Mental health check-ins on your friends isn't enough (theconversation.com)
When will you love us like you love our food?
The difference in treatment between Asian food and Asian people
How Americans pretend to love 'ethnic food' (washingtonpost.com)
When will you learn to tell us apart?
The link between faces and identity
Perspective | She’s Asian and female. But she’s not me. (washingtonpost.com)
When will you stop denying our humanity?
Ways in which Asian people have been dehumanized by society
The Atlanta Shooting and the Dehumanizing of Asian Women (newyorker.com)
When will you learn to say our names correctly?
The importance and sanctity of our names
The casual racism of mispronouncing an Asian person’s name (latimes.com)
When will we be safe?
Ways to create a feeling of security and protection
Compassion in Oakland: Hundreds Volunteer to Escort Elderly Asian Americans After Slew of Violent Attacks (diversityinc.com)
When will you see that we love this country too?
The history of API seen as being disloyal
Rep. Andy Kim On State Department Racism: 'My Own Government Questioned My Loyalty' (npr.org)
When will we get to be the boss?
How API professionals face the hurdles for advancement
The Overlooked Asian-American Glass Ceiling (fastcompany.com)
Someday we will speak without hesitation
A community learning to advocate for itself
Opinion: Asian-Americans must assume a louder role in fight toward racial progress (whyy.org)
Someday we will no longer harbor anti-blackness
A community grappling with its own racism against Black people
History and Asian American Response to Black Lives Matter (time.com)
When will you stop doing Asian accents?
How accents affect one’s outsider / insider status
The Soft Racism of Apu from “The Simpsons”
(thenewyorker.com)
When will we get a seat at the table?
The complexity of API representation in politics
Are Asian Americans the Last Undecided Voters? (newyorker.com)
When will we get to be the hero?
The dearth of API representation in mass media
“Maybe We Need To Get More Pissed”: John Cho On Asian-Americans In Hollywood (fastcompany.com)
Someday our stories will be told
Unpacking the authentic experiences of the API community
The real secret to Asian American success was not education
(washingtonpost.com)
Someday, our history will be taught
Telling the story of API’s in American history curriculum
Why the Asian-American Story Is Missing From U.S. Classrooms (time.com)
Someday we too will be American
The importance of citizenship to the API community
Asian Americans & Citizenship - Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) (google.com)
When will you stop turning away?
The impact of bystander intervention to support victims of harassment
Bystander Intervention Training to Stop Anti-Asian/American Harassment (hollaback.org)