Archives

A person stands slightly facing the viewer's left, with their fist raised up. The foreground has the words "Stand with Us" and the background contains bright florals.

We Are More | AAPI Art & Stories

We Are More is an art series which seeks to break down tired worn out cliches and stereotypes of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and forge in its stead a brilliant, multidimensional identity that encompasses the resilience and range of AAPIs. Featuring dynamic visuals, bold typography, and human stories, this art series consists of seven free digital posters. In May 2021, this series was on view in Times Square, New York City, in partnership with Times Square Arts; subsequent installations appeared in Boston and other cities around the United States.

The website also features stories from Asian Americans and a discussion guide based on 20 hand-selected prompts and inquiries from the We Are More campaign, designed to facilitate discussion and exploration of the AAPI experience. This guide is freely available to educators, activists, and allies. Website visitors are also welcome to submit their own stories.

illustrated image of hugging

CPA San Francisco | Tips for Holding Space

Developed in March 2021 by the Chinese Progressive Association in San Fransisco in March 2021, “Tips and Reminders when holding space to support others” was created to support CPA staff who were supporting our Chinese immigrant and youth grassroots members struggling with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The information presented in this document can be utilized by and for all people in need of support and a listening ear.

Read the document below in English and Chinese.

A cover reading "Behind Closed Doors: White Supremacy and the Roots of Anti-Blackness Among Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities"

Behind Closed Doors | Part 2

This four-part webinar series took place from December 2022 to March 2023. It was hosted by the USC Price School and its Center for Inclusive Democracy, the California Black Freedom Fund, the Latino Community Foundation, and the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund.

Part two of these moderated sessions explored the entrenchment of racism in U.S. politics, and its impact on political power and representation in communities. Titled “Behind Closed Doors,” these sessions served as a public space for open and challenging conversations examining the nation’s entrenched relationship between racism and politics, a situation recently brought further into the spotlight by the secret recording of a meeting of Los Angeles City Council members making racist remarks. 

Watch the full video below, or click here to watch the webinar highlights.

Moderator:

Mindy Romero, Founder and Director, Center for Inclusive Democracy, USC Price

Panelists:

  • Claire Jean Kim, Professor, Political Science School of Social Sciences, UCI
  • Gloria Medina, Executive Director, Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE)
  • Tracie Stafford, Vice-Chair, Northern California, California Democratic Party Black Caucus Executive Board; Founder and CEO, Stafford Consulting Group, LLC
A cover image reading: Behind Closed Doors: How the Los Angeles City Council Recording is a Case Study in the Exercise of Political Power through Racism in the U.S.

Behind Closed Doors | Part 1

This four-part webinar series took place from December 2022 to March 2023. It was hosted by the USC Price School and its Center for Inclusive Democracy, the California Black Freedom Fund, the Latino Community Foundation, and the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund.

The first part of these moderated sessions explored the entrenchment of racism in U.S. politics, and its impact on political power and representation in communities. Titled “Behind Closed Doors,” these sessions served as a public space for open and challenging conversations examining the nation’s entrenched relationship between racism and politics, a situation recently brought further into the spotlight by the secret recording of a meeting of Los Angeles City Council members making racist remarks. 

“The leaked recording in Los Angeles was just the tip of an ever-present iceberg, providing a very public example of just how deeply rooted racism is in our electoral system and overall power structures,” said CID Director Mindy Romero. “It’s time to have more candid, elevated and open discussions about these realities and what can be done to meaningly address them moving forward.”  

Watch the full video below, or click here to watch the webinar highlights.

Moderator:

Mindy Romero, Founder and Director, Center for Inclusive Democracy, USC Price

Panelists:

  • Manuel Pastor, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity and Turpanjian Chair in Civil Society and Social Change, USC Dornsife
  • Odilia Romero, Executive Director, Comunidades Indigenas en Liderazgo (CIELO)
  • Erika D. Smith, Columnist, Los Angeles Times

CMSI | Report on Representation and Documentary Filmmaking

The Lens Reflected is an independent research project of the Center for Media & Social Impact (CMSI), under the Center’s Documentary Power Research Institute. It specifically examines race, gender, and topics in documentary films between 2014 and 2020.

Under the direction of Principal Investigator Caty Borum and Lead Researcher Paula Weissman, the CMSI research team for this study included David Conrad-Pérez, Aras Coskuntuncel, Kimberly Reason, L Cedeño Miller, and Natacha Yazbeckl. CMSI’s Varsha Ramani served as operations director and publication manager. Olivia Klaus created the report design. The study was shaped and facilitated in collaboration with Sonya Childress (Co-Director, Color Congress) and Ani Mercedes (Founder/CEO, Looky Looky Pictures).

Read the report below.

Red background with TV in the middle with prominent faces.

Define American & USC | Report on Immigrant Representation on Television

Define American, with USC Norman Lear Center’s Media Impact Project, presents the third television impact study: Change the Narrative, Change the World: The Power of Immigrant Representation on Television. 

Define American looked at the portrayal of immigrant characters on 79 scripted television shows that aired between July 2020 and June 2022 and surveyed viewers on how four immigration storylines shaped their attitudes toward immigrants in the real world. 

The findings? Immigrant representation on television has shifted in important ways — both positive and negative — since 2020. 

Read the report here or below.

A collage of colored stripes reading "Funding Narrative Change" and images including a man in front of a video camera, the Hollywood Sign, and a protestor.

Convergence Partnership | Funding Narrative Change, An Assessment and Framework

The Convergence Partnership commissioned the groundbreaking report, Funding Narrative Change, An Assessment and Framework, the first ever to focus exclusively on the narrative change funding landscape. The report’s authors propose a framework for funders and practitioners to shift narratives via mass culture, mass media, and mass movements. It’s a must read for funders and practitioners who want to ensure greater efficacy in their narrative change efforts. Access the report here and watch the recordings below:

Recording: Funding Narrative Change for PRACTITIONERS 10.25.22

Recording: Funding Narrative Change for FUNDERS 10.27.22

Stop AAPI Hate | The Blame Game: How Political Rhetoric Inflames Anti-Asian Scapegoating

Released during the 2022 midterm elections, this report by Stop AAPI Hate analyzed the harms of scapegoating on Asian and Asian American communities. Spotlighting how political rhetoric has been consistently employed, over decades, to hurt Asian communities, this report also emphasizes the contemporary anti-Chinese rhetoric which results in the targeting of Asian Americans.

The report finds that perpetrators of hate acts towards Asian and Asian Americans are repeating rhetoric they hear from candidates and and elected officials blaming China for public health crises, for economic downturns and for national security concerns. Subsequently, it offers recommendations for political candidates, community groups, and individuals who want to put an end to this alarming trend.

Read the report below. As a part of the report’s release, Stop AAPI Hate co-founders were joined by Representatives Judy Chu and Grace Meng, and Executive Director of the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund EunSook Lee at a press conference to discuss how candidates can engage in discussions about foreign countries and communities of color without harming the people they are intending to represent. Watch a recording here.

Ginger Roots: The Beginning graphic

VAYLA | Ginger Roots

Ginger Roots is VAYLA New Orleans‘ storytelling program, with which they aim to uplift community through personal narratives. Intended as a collective healing space for AAPIs to reclaim power, bodies, and stories, the name pays homage to community ancestors and diaspora and speaks to a reclaiming of identity.

Developed by VAYLA’s Reproductive Justice interns, the zine contains music recommendations, poems, essays, family stories, recipes, health resources, and ways to become involved with the organization.

See the zine here.