Asian Pacific Islanders for Black Lives

Fresno State Asian Pacific Islanders is taking a stand in supporting the Black Lives matter.

“I am very committed to doing my part to ensure that Fresno State is a welcoming and inclusive campus where all students, staff and faculty and thrive,” said Dr. Jody Hironaka – Juteau.

Dr. Hironaka – Juteau, professor and Associate Dean in the College of Health and Human Service at Fresno State, helped lead discussion on the 9th in the Henry Madden Library about the importance of API supporting Black Lives.

Dr. Hironaka – Juteau regularly presents at conference on topics such as culture and diversity.

“In order to do so, it is important to understand how we can best support each other,” said Dr. Hironaka – Juteau, “this understanding comes from listening to and learning from each other.”

Even though, as Dr. Hironaka – Juteau mention she wants to help ensure that Fresno State is welcoming, Fresno State is lacking ability to say so itself.

“The school is not doing a great job with spreading the support for any ethnic group,” Shai Chang said, “only recently, President Castro sent out an email showing some type of solidarity and support to immigrants.”

Due to that matter, the Asian Pacific Students organization at Fresno State, held within the Cross Cultural and Gender Center, joined hand with the African American Programs and Services to help bring this event into full effect to students and faculty.

Chang, sociology student with Peace and Conflict studies minor, help arranged this event.

“I want to see more from organizations on campus showing up to support one another,” said Chang.

Chang said, due to the lack of the announcement made from the university, students are unaware that “as a whole they are in support of any ethnic group.”

The university’s lack of support system causes these matter to be in the hands of organizations held within the campus’s club and organizations.

“The Cross Cultural and Gender Center is working on increasing solidarity and support on campus,” said Chang.

“The President’s Commission on Human Relations and Equity has provided opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to work together to create a learning environment which foster respect and equity for students,” said See Xiong, “the Cross Cultural and Gender Center does cross cultural collaborations and programs and services offered by the center are open to all students.”

Xiong, a graduate student in Student Affairs and College Counseling, has done many works in trying to bring awareness or light to many a few related matters such as the exhibit known as the Hmong 40 Story, also help arranged this event on the 9th.

Black Lives became an important matter all around the nation after Trayvon Martin was shot and killed about five years ago.

The Black Lives Matter movement campaigns against Violence and systemic racism toward the black community.

Martin was just one of the many lives that were taken from injustice in the United State.

This movement became the starting activist movement after Martin’s death.

After Martin’s death, followed a list of other innocent black death that was causes due to cop brutality or injustice ruling.

Black lives matters way before Martin and all those whom were taken away due to brutality starting five years ago when Martin was killed; it had always been a serious and sensitive.

“The United States has a long history of brutality against people of color,” said Xiong.

Ever since Martin’s death, the past years has consisted of many protests all around the nation, even here in Fresno, CA.

It wasn’t just black supporting black when it comes to this specific matter. There are a small percentage of other minority communities that are linking arms in protests.

Many of other ethnic backgrounds have taken part in this matter to help spread awareness of the unfair cop treatments and injustice that surround among the black community within the past years.

“We are here because we recognize that API and black communities also have a history of resistance together,” said Xiong, “from Yuki Kochiyama and her friendship and work with Malcolm X, Grace Lee Bogg and Jimmy Bogg and the establishment of ethnic studies which was fought for and won by a diverse group of students including black and Asian students groups at San Francisco State.”

This isn’t just a matter for API at Fresno State; this is a matter for API everywhere looking to help and be an ally to any of those who need it.

In 2016, NBC News writer, Frances Kai-Hwa Wang wrote, “Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community leaders have been adding their voices to those in the Black Lives Matter movement this month, arguing for solidarity.”

In that same article, Gregory A. Cendana, executive director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, said "As AAPI allies and co-conspirators, we won't stand complicit in this system that disproportionately discriminates, devalues, and brutalizes folks who are unapologetically Black.”

The API here on campus wants to help bring an awareness to Fresno State’s students to understand that they are not alone when it comes to the Black Lives, or related matter.

“It is important that the Asian Pacific Islanders supports one another in their times of need,” said Chang.

“The API for Black Lives Matter event was one of many events at Fresno State,” said Dr. Hironaka – Juteau, “where members of our campus community are provided with the opportunity to do just that: to listen and to learn from and with each other.”

But that does not mean others outside of API can show their supports.

These events allow other to understand that we, of different backgrounds, are here to listen and are really to help and be an ally.

At the event, there were representatives from a few of the clubs and organizations on campus that came to show their support for this issue alongside with the API.

Dr. Hironaka – Juteau said events like this would help students “gain greater insight into how [they] can be a better ally to individuals who identify as Black African or African American.”

“It is important for us to understand and accept that diversity surrounds us,” said Chang.

Injustice issues can occur in any communities. That is why it is important to make sure to understand and build ally with one another.

“Hearing personal stories is critical in opening dialogue and supporting each other as allies,” said Dr. Hironaka – Juteau, “the more we know, [and] the better we can do in supporting one another.”

“To understand our privileges,” said Chang, “once there, we can understand more about equality and equity.”

One other event that occur on campus annually that help bring in awareness about being ally with each other within the minority communities is the Hijab Challenge.

Events like such allow others to dive into their fear and understand from other’s life and their perspective.

This helps others to understand that we can indeed be ally with one another regardless of our race and belief.

The Cross Cultural and Gender Center on campus is trying their best to organize events to allow students and faculty to understand these issue that is among us.

Black Lives has been the topic of majority’s news stories for many years, it is really up to us, as people of colors, to really help one another in time of need such as this.

To understand and to allow others to know that we in fact can be ally to them, as they are to us.

API for Black Lives is to show that they are not alone in this matter and specifically on this campus.

Even though the event on the 9th did not attract less students and faculty than wanted, again due to lack of announcement support, those who came were able to hear from speakers and engage in discussion among each other to why this supporting one another in time of need is important.

“I hope that Asian Pacific Islander students hear the perspectives and stories of their Black peer and they are able to reflect on their own experiences,” said Xiong, “rather similar or difference. I hope that they leave the event feeling that there are much work to do if we want justice for all.”

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For more information, please contact:

Dr. Jody Hironaka – Juteau (559) 278 – 68707

Shai Chang (559) 278 – 4435

See Xiong (559) 278 – 4435