It's Time For The African-American Community To Step Up For Our AAPI Brothers and Sisters
We are stronger together...
It’s no secret that the relationship between the Asian and Black communities hasn’t always been smooth. Tenous, contentious, and adversarial too many times.
Amplified in the inner cities where many of the businesses and services are owned by Asian Americans – many of whom don’t live in the community.
But this isn’t the whole story, and far from telling the truth of the history between the Black and AAPI communities in their united fight for representation, inclusion, and above all else – respect and acknowledgment.
What the Black community sees is business owners taking their profits with them when they leave for their suburban homes, and leaving those in the Black community feeling taken advantage of when the dollars they spend are not put back in.
Major businesses, corporations, and chains often refuse to invest in areas with a population and demographic that has a history of being undervalued, underestimated, and unappreciated.
Couple that with Black Americans who are either poverty-stricken or due to inequities in lending and systemic racism, are unable to get the financial resources needed, to invest in and rebuild the communities they live in.
It can be extremely frustrating to those who want to strengthen their power and community with black-owned businesses and investments.
From grocery, convenience stores, and markets. Nail salons, spas, retail, and restaurants. Asian immigrants of all backgrounds have frequently been the ones to fill the gap.
This is a trend we have seen enacted in cities and states across the country. Cultural differences, coupled with a lack of communication, there has been an air of resentment from the black community for whom they consider to be people coming into their community and taking money from its residents.
Adding insult to injury is someone bringing in a business to your community that you were denied the ability to do. But blacks have failed to understand that if not for that Asian investment, they wouldn’t have those services at all.
That, and it isn’t the AAPI community’s fault – nor should it be.
Not their fault for the racist and discriminatory practices of the banks that use redlining and other racist practices to deny African-Americans access to venture capital.
To not have them at all would only push access to badly needed resources like food and groceries, further away. It is also important for those in the black community to understand where the animous is coming from. Why the black community tends to see them as intruders, not allies?
With this history, it is not surprising that many of the attacks on the AAPI community have come from blacks themselves.
When you take into account that many Asian-owned businesses are in the black community, it’s no less disturbing or disappointing.
You have two communities that have been discriminated against and marginalized –who are in close proximity and have frequent interaction.
A constant contention with each other, and one side going so far as to perpetrate acts of violence on the other instead of coming together with a shared understanding that our communities and cultures need one another.
We have shared values and more in common than we realize.
Both sides (can’t believe I used that term) can learn from one other and need to communicate better with and protect each other.
We are stronger together.
It is time for the black community to put our racist and stereotypical views, rhetoric, and behaviors aside and stand in unity with our AAPI brothers & sisters.
This includes accountability from those in entertainment as well.
Just recently, amidst the increase in anti-Asian hate crimes, popular rapper YG, and his label were asked to drop a line from a song on a previous album that encouraged the break-in and robbery of an Asian-American family.
This type of rhetoric only fuels the fires of hate and animosity by Blacks toward Asian Americans, and it needs to stop. It’s unacceptable, and can no longer be tolerated, excused, justified, or ignored.
We need each other. Especially if we are going to survive this time of division and hate.
We need to unite if we hope to move forward as a country. Take care of each other and use our collective resources and power to ensure that our children have a safe and secure future in a country that is becoming increasingly violent and fearful. Open the lines of communication with each other and build a bridge to a better understanding.
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