Dear Asian Youth, During the first Vice Presidential debate, Pence addressed concerns that Trump wouldn’t condemn neo-Nazis with the statement, “President Trump has Jewish grandchildren, his daughter and son-in-law are Jewish.” Yikes. This type of defense has been used so often as a way to deny accusations of bigotry, but why doesn’t it work as one? The reasoning behind this is clear: people who deem a certain group of people as inherently inferior wouldn’t willingly become friends, share a meal, or enter a relationship with them, right? How could a person who is voluntarily exposed to certain groups be biased against those same groups? Living among a diverse group of people is supposed to bridge divides between them, but building meaningful relationships within these groups can still be difficult. Befriending African Americans doesn’t mean you had a tough conversation about race. Having a gay cousin doesn’t mean you understand their unique experiences. Without these honest conversations that give you an accurate idea of how these factors—like race, sexual orientation, gender, just to name a few—affect them every day, there is only room for a superficial relationship. If you don’t make an effort to understand the struggles that person faces, you cannot exploit them as a defense mechanism against your bigotry. Furthermore, having a Black friend is not a get-out-of-jail card for you to use when you say something racist. Having a relationship with people of color doesn’t shield you from having racist tendencies. In a study done by Daniel Effron, an Associate Professor of Organisational Behavior at London Business School, he found that when we feel threatened by an accusation of bigotry, we overestimate how our previous non-racist actions—like befriending people of color—indicates our non-racist characters. First, participants were influenced to make a “non-racist” choice, like selecting a white, rather than a Black suspect as the criminal. Next, some were shown “threatening” statements that compared Blacks unfavorably to whites, for example, “Most blacks are more likely to be criminals than whites”, and others were shown “non-threatening” statements unrelated to race. Participants then rated how much their initial selection of the white suspect was indicative of their non-racist attitudes. Participants who faced the threatening statement believed that their selection of the white suspect was far more indicative of non-racist attitudes than those who faced the non-threatening statement. However, in follow-up experiments, people did not believe selecting the white suspect was a sign of non-racist attitudes. Effron found that when their racial tolerance is being questioned, they overestimate how much a previous action signifies their tolerance. Interestingly, he also found that people often see this overestimation of that action’s significance as a sign of prejudice. This conclusion is nothing we don’t already know. But it does imply that when you are accused of intolerance, it can be more harmful to defend yourself by citing a certain action. Because while you see your action as a reasonable defense against prejudice, others can recognize that you are misinterpreting the significance of it. If someone accuses you of bigotry, reflect on your actions—or inaction—that led to that judgment. And if they truly misjudged you, you shouldn’t feel the need to claim the “Black Friend” defense. Your actions should speak for themselves. Cover Photo Source: Mashable

Dear Asian Youth, Millions across the nation watched in horror as Amy Coney Barrett uttered the words: “I, Amy Coney Barrett, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.” And just like that, in a matter of minutes, the gradual stripping of women’s rights began: LGBTQ+ rights, health care rights- Our rights. My rights. The rights of the generations to come. Everything that RBG worked for is being washed away, like a tsunami crashing onto shore, a tsunami of hate and privilege We see the clock of our nation turn backwards- days...months...years...decades… America’s past history overtaking us. This is not the woman we want to represent us, And definitely not the woman we deserve. And we have every right to complain. The Instagram account @angryasianfeminist created a post that sums this up perfectly: “Women in powerful positions isn’t inherently feminist especially when they use their power to harm more marginalized women.” ACB is not a sign of women empowerment, ESPECIALLY when she advocates for so many things that go against what we have fought for for so long: She believes the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, an act that provides millions in the nation with health insurance and protects those with preexisting conditions. She referred to abortion as barbaric and is a clear supporter of making it illegal, not only limiting our choice as women but our reproductive rights as a whole. Her confirmation creates a court dominated by conservatives, meaning that there may be multiple devastating effects on the LGBTQ+ community, ranging from same-sex marriage to other current protections. She is not a firm believer of climate change, stating that a global issue that has been proved by science is controversial. Though her track record is a bit cloudy regarding immigration, that doesn’t excuse her from the fact that she has previously voted on a policy that makes it more difficult for immigrants to enter and live in this country. And the list goes on. Is this the representation we needed? Is this who we are supposed to call our “Empowering queen”? “Strong savior”? “Feminist icon”? ACB instills fear and terror inside of us, rather than encouragement and strength. This is not who we want to decide and represent Our rights My rights The rights of the generation to come. And we will not let ACB wash away our progress Our work Our voice. - Julianne Tenorio Cover photo source: https://apnews.com/article/ruth-bader-ginsburg-chicago-womens-rights-us-supreme-court-courts-2671c24ddc972989ef44b5cd88461b1d

Every national holiday has history behind it. Nine times out of ten, we grow up learning each holiday’s significance in history class or the media; however, the stories we hear belong to “American” history, or how America has portrayed events to pose the country in a favorable light. There are always several sides to a story, and with the arrival of November, Thanksgiving is a holiday with multiple perspectives and meanings according to different cultures. Thanksgiving is widely known as a peace holiday between the English pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native Americans, enjoyed by a feast of food offered by both cultures. The peace between the colonists and the Wampanoags would not last long however, as less than a generation after the first Thanksgiving in 1621, the tranquility between the two sides would be destroyed in several fights for territorial control. In 1620, the Pilgrims arrived in Massachusetts; they were English religious dissenters hoping to start a new life in the New World where they could freely practice their religion. Little did they know, their religious freedom would come at the cost of aboriginal liberty for centuries to come. The Native Americans who inhabited the area known as Plymouth Colony, were also unaware of the amount of change that the European colonists would cause to their beloved Turtle Island (what the European colonists called America). In fact, the Wampanoags opened their arms to the Europeans and taught the struggling colonists how to survive during the harsh winters and dry summers. The Indigenous taught the Colonizers how to grow crops, build shelters, and hunt for food. A strong relationship was built between the two groups, and Thanksgiving was celebrated the next year, a way of establishing harmony between the two groups for the years to come. Another version of the American Thanksgiving is owed, “to the fact Massachusetts colony governor John Winthrop declared a day of thanksgiving to celebrate colonial soldiers who had just slaughtered 700 Pequot men, women, and children in what is now Mystic, Connecticut.” (Business Insider). Alternate interpretations of holidays like these are what fueled the internalized racism that destroyed empathy in the face of an increasingly popularized America. However, the recount of the Pilgrim and Wampanoag Thanksgiving has also instilled White prejudice for the Native Americans and a disregard for natural human rights in the event’s following years. Wampanoag chief, Massasoit, was an ally to the colonists in negotiating a trade deal with them and supporting them against enemies like the French and other local tribes. While the harmony between the Wampanoags and the Pilgrims at the time was welcome, it soon faded as more European settlers arrived in the colonies. Soon, the Native Americans realized that they were rapidly being pushed westwards, and even more so, over 90% of Native Americans died because of what the colonists called the “Indian fever,” when in reality it was the Europeans who brought disease into the colonies. When Massasoit’s son, Metacomet (also known as King Philip by the English), inherited Wampanoag leadership, the once strong rapport between the Natives and colonists was slowly breaking. King Philip’s War proceeded to take place as numerous of Metacomet’s men were executed for the murder of interpreter, John Sassamon. A series of raids followed these executions, and the New England colonies declared war in 1675 against the Wampanoags. Many Native tribes were turned against the Wampanoags by the colonists in fear of getting murdered like the Wampanoag men, and subsequently, Metacomet was shot and killed in the final battle of the bloody war. Those who supported him were either executed or enslaved. And to show dominance, the colonists impaled Metacomet’s head on a pole and displayed it in Plymouth for 25 years, the son of the very man that had welcomed them into the New World with open arms. Several other battles and wars would be fought in consequence to the Native population rapidly depleting, including an increase in Indigenous territorial struggles. In less than a few centuries, the Native American population of around 60 million reduced to 6 million, and little to no reparations have been made by the American government to attempt to fix the vast damage that has been done to the Aboriginal community. Furthermore, there is a great amount of hypocrisy that exists in the current American system, where many are against immigration policies. The reality is that in America, -excluding Native Americans- every single person in the United States is either an immigrant or the relative of an immigrant. Immigration built the country to what it is today, and the fact that the majority of Americans are living on stolen land should not be overshadowed by people who feel entitled to ownership of the US territory, when in truth, they were the ones who colonized it. This Thanksgiving, when you sit down for a meal with the people you love and say grace, pray for the safety of all people. It is of great importance to learn from the wrongdoings of the European colonists and cherish every culture, and to prioritize empathy in every situation. Cover Photo Source: Yahoo News

Warning: This Article Contains some movie spoilers Dear Asian Youth, A couple of weeks ago, Netflix released the movie Over The Moon, a heartfelt modern take on an age-old Traditional Chinese Story. The movie follows the main character, Fei Fei, as she builds a rocketship to the moon to prove to her family that the Moon Goddess Chang’e (嫦娥) is real. Now to be honest, when I first watched the film, I was a bit unsure how to feel about it. With the controversial release of the Live-Action Mulan a few months ago, I was honestly very wary of any Asian story being told by an American production company. From the elimination of several characters from the original animated film to the fact that a majority of the production team was non-Asian, Disney had left a bad taste in my mouth for American’s wanting to tell BIPOC stories and myths, so I decided I needed to do further research into this film. Quite honestly, I was pleasantly surprised when I dove into the casting and development for this film. In the English voice cast, there were several familiar actors who had been in previous films featuring Asian characters, most notably Ken Jeong, Phillipa Soo, John Cho, and Sandra Oh to name a few. While the film was produced and released in part by Netflix studios, it was made in collaboration with Pearl Studios, a Chinese Production Company. Knowing this helped me gain some confidence in the fact that there was careful research and work put in to ensure proper representation within the film as well as the cast and crew. I began then to do a deeper dive into the scriptwriting process, and film’s development. While the original animation was written for an English script, I was pleasantly surprised to find how much attention to detail was put into translating the story as well. An article by South China Morning Post stated, “Since the movie takes place in China, Pearl Studio wanted to make sure the Chinese-language version would meet the expectations of its viewers. The Pearl creative team began working on translating the script over a year before the movie was finished, a sharp departure from the way most productions are dubbed.” The article dives into the major attention to detail put into the story and actions of the characters. The film’s creators wanted to ensure that the script garnered the same reactions from Chinese audiences as it did American. This went from adjusting the language in translations, to even how the characters behaved. A quote from the executive producer Hank Abbott stated, “We found it was really important to drive home the emotions. In English, we could be a little more nuanced about some points, but when we tested them in Mandarin we learned at times we needed to be a little bit more explicit.” The film went through numerous screen tests to ensure that even the smallest detail wasn’t left out. In terms of the visual animations and settings, production crews spent a lot of time traveling through China, specifically in the village of Wuzhen (乌镇) not too far from the city of Shanghai. One of the film's producers Peilin Chou describes the process in a video where she describes going door to door and asking to see people's houses for an accurate portrayal of the town in which the movie is set. Which brings me to the actual story. The movie is considered a modern take on a very old Chinese legend. To understand the context here's a brief summary of the legend. There are many subtle variations to the story of Chang’e, however, at the center of the story is the fact that Chang’e was married to a legendary archer named Hou Yi (后羿). Hou Yi was given an elixir of immortality from the gods for his heroic deeds but refused to take it since he was given only enough for one person. This is where the legend varies, some say Chang’e drank the potion out of defiance of her husband, some say it is out of unfortunate circumstances to protect her husband. Yet she drank the elixir, became immortal, and rose into the sky to live on the moon. She now lives there forever alone with a Jade Rabbit who joined her on the moon, while her husband died a mortal on Earth. From a very traditional perspective, some aspects of the movie can seem to stray from the original legend. The Story begins with the main character Fei Fei, whose family owns a shop where they sell mooncakes. Her mother would tell her the story of Chang’e as a young child (with a few comedic additions) and about her everlasting love for her husband Houyi. After the loss of her mother, four years later we find Fei Fei still clinging onto the Legend of Chang’e and the idea of everlasting love between her father and mother. Upset at a family dinner after finding out her father was engaged to another woman, Ms. Zhong, and annoyed by her soon to be stepbrother, Chin, Fei Fei decides to build a rocket to the moon to prove that Chang’e is real and in some way stop her father from getting remarried. After constructing a rocket-powered by fireworks, Fei Fei manages to almost escape earth's gravity before realizing that Chin had snuck aboard. As the rocket starts to fall back to earth they are both suddenly rescued by two flying lions who carry them to the moon. This is where we are introduced to the world of Lunaria and the goddess Chang’e. When we arrive, Chang’e is doing a musical performance with her backup dancers the Lunettes (a set of walking and talking Mooncakes). There Fei Fei meets Chang’e and is able to take a photo with her. However, at that moment Chang’e takes the photo and says that Fei Fei cannot have a photo until she is given “the gift.” Full unaware of what “the gift” is, Chang’e announces a competition between all the citizens of Lunaria (a bunch of colorful blobs) to find the gift. Whoever brings it to her first shall be granted one wish. Through trials and tribulation, Fei Fei goes off alone with a group of biker chicks (literal chickens on bikes) to find the gift at the crash site of her rocket. At the crash site, she discovers the doll given to her by her mother. She also meets another character named Gobi, a green glowing creature. This is when the Biker chicks betray her and speed off with the doll. Chasing after them, both Gobi and Fei Fei find themselves in a field of giant space frogs. Hopping aboard one of them to try and catch up to the bikers, Gobi and Fei Fei bond as she learns more about the Goddess. After catching up to the bikers, several events ensue which leaves the doll destroyed, and the bikers to scatter. Hopeless, Fei Fei and Gobi take a moment to recollect, when Fei Fei realizes that the gift wasn’t a doll, but a piece of Jade hidden in a mooncake given to her from Ms. Zhong. Rushing back to the palace, Fei Fei meets up with Chin, and gives the jade piece to Chang’e who uses it to bring back Houyi. However, as Chang’e and Houyi embrace, Houyi begins to fade as he tells Chang’e that he cannot stay and she must move on. Chang’e then falls into a deep sadness causing Lunaria to disappear into darkness. Fei Fei steps in to try and save the goddess, however, sees a vision of her mother in the dark, and then too, collapses into sadness by the goddess. The goddess, surprised by Fei Fei, shows a softer side, as she tries to console her and tell her how she must move on. Through a really touching series of songs, they both face the struggle of loss, and the power of love, and the importance of finding new love around them. This is when they both accept the death of their loved ones and, in moving on, restore Lunaria back to life. The movie ends with the Lions bringing Chin and Fei Fei back to earth, where we fast forward some time to another family dinner where Chin and Ms. Zhong has become a part of Fei Fei’s family and she has come to accept and love them as her own mother and little brother. The film touches on so many important themes of love, loss, family, and friendship. All while also telling an ancient Chinese legend. While the movie may stray from traditional depictions of traditional stories, I believe this is the true power of this movie. The way it tells a touching story while engaging audiences with catchy songs, and comedic characters. The attention to detail in representing Chinese culture, both in the depiction of traditional clothing, art, and the painting of the scenes, to the little idioms that Fei Fei’s grandfather would tell in passing. Which brings me to another important point. Honoring the culture and story. While the topic of Disney’s Mulan is a topic of hot debate for some, I believe that Disney made several key mistakes in honoring the story and culture, as well as being aware of the politics surrounding modern china that disturbed many Asians both in the US and abroad. From not having any Asian representation in the production crew to the fact that there were no Chinese subtitles. Also, the controversies surrounding the political stances of some of the actors and filming locations left many to wonder if much of the work done was all performative. This is probably why I was pleasantly surprised by Over the Moon. I think it went above and beyond to honor the stories and cultures that it represented. The time spent screen testing to ensure that Chinese Audiences had the same experience as western audiences. The sheer amount of research to ensure accuracy in all the details from the depiction of the village, food, and clothing. The film creatively told an ancient Chinese legend, but modernized it to engage youth in both the US and abroad, while including universal themes of love, loss, family and friendship. This is where the power of the movie takes shape. Over the Moon bridges a cultural gap, especially in times where there is a lot of division in the world. Building a story based on themes of the human experience that can be understood no matter where you're from, while also collaborating with Pearl Studios in China to depict a culturally accurate and detailed movie that honors the cultural origins of the movie's story. As a person who grew up never seeing Asians or Asian stories in tv shows, cartoons or movies that weren’t seemingly mocking or subtly racist and dehumanizing, Over the Moon was a step above. It felt so incredibly empowering to be validated in my own culture, and that a story from my own culture was being told, to audiences that likely have never been told this story anywhere else. Sources: https://mythopedia.com/chinese-mythology/gods/chang-e/ https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3106859/over-moon-netflix-animated-feature-brings-traditional https://medium.com/age-of-empathy/mooncake-day-cd38cd50226d https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/10/10118456/netflix-over-the-moon-voice-cast-actors https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/嫦娥 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_the_Moon_(2020_film) https://www.weareresonate.com/2020/11/interview-peilin-chous-over-the-moon-shows-the-impossible-is-possible/ Cover Photo Source: Hollywood Reporter

I watch him, noticing his droopy eyelids and his white, frail beard dangling from his chin. Don’t look at him for so long, I scold myself. It’s rude. Still, as the New York City subway train screeches a mellow tune, I stare at him. He looks like a ghost, someone I’ve never really beheld before, a person who has nowhere to go but is still on a train going somewhere. As the train travels through a maze of darkness, splashes of graffiti kiss the walls, with words of hate written on every inch of the space I can see. The man takes out a small plastic bag filled with white powder from inside his pocket. To many of the other passengers, he’s another stranger, someone who would normally be shunned and ignored, but now, we can't help but keep our attention on him. With shrunken muscles and dark veins lying beneath paper-thin, ashen skin, he sits in the last subway car of the B Train, barely taking up a singular seat. An empty Coca Cola bottle has decided to sit next to the man, his only company. Everyone else has sat somewhere else. Far enough to keep distant, but close enough to watch. The driver presses down on the breaks, causing a screech that stings our ears. Sneakers and boots and flats slam down onto the grey floor as people stumble upon the pulsing force of the train, composing a cascading rhythm. As a platform slides into view, a light enters through the shaky glass windows as the train reaches its stop. ​7th Avenue​. People scurry in like hungry mice, searching for empty seats. Us strangers are scattered around the subway car, crafting a cluster of distinguishable people: a man with gelled back hair and a well ironed suit; a guitarist who desperately asks for money while everyone shyly says “no thank you”; a Latina woman with large headphones on, loud enough for me to listen to Dinah Washington across from her; and many others, of course, on their phones and sweating in the midst of the sticky, thick air. The man shifts in his seat, his dark nylon jacket rubbing against his back with worn, ripped grey pants covering enough of his bony legs. Inside the clear plastic bag, white powder is filled almost to the brim, along with what looks like a red coffee straw. The man brings it up to his right nostril and sniffs. My eyebrows raise. Whoever is in the train sits in silence, listening to the man’s breathing while we hold our own breaths, our eyes holding him in our gazes, interested. I wonder if each of us, strangers, are feeling the same way: pitiful, curious, judgmental, fascinated. The acknowledgment given to him is nothing but assessing glances. ​Let them stare, his actions say, continuing to inhale the drugs through the straw. Then he switches to the left nostril and repeats. Inhale. Sniff. Breathe. Inhale. Sniff. Breathe. He wrinkles his nose as if it has tickled him. His shoulders relax. “This stop is 59th Street on Columbus Circle,” the MTA train operator mumbles into the microphone. People begin to leave their seats, and I remain watching the accumulation of blurry figures become people as the train slows, the number 59 engraved with tiles on square columns across the platform. After the man finishes, he takes out a small orange prescription bottle and pops the cap open, with white powder in that plastic container, too. The man pours the remains from the bag into the bottle, spilling some out as he does so. It tumbles from the edge of the rim to his shirt and finally ends up littered on the floor. He sighs, wrinkles forming between his grey eyebrows as he wasted the amount for tonight. The train’s jolting stop makes people falter in their step, forcing unwanted pushes into the hands of each other, creating small, undesired connections. Again, people rush off the platform, and I stand up to get ready to finally breathe a little bit of fresh air. I guess it’s time to part. The man stays seated and a couple of people glance his way, including me. But still, none of us venture any further. Only our eyes will act. Cover photo source: Benz Thanachart https://petapixel.com/2012/11/06/photographer-snaps-surprised-reactions-after-words-shouting-on-subway-trains/

Dear Asian Youth, The white saviour complex. Whether it be through the big budget screens of the cinema or the charity trip offered to everyone at some point during their academic periods, there is little information that is accessible on this phenomenon, only examples that are hardly dissected critically and instead easily praised. The white saviour complex is seemingly everywhere and nowhere at the same time. The Hollywood industry loves to utilise the trope of the white saviour. The 2009 film ‘The Blind Side,' starring Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron, is a perfect example. The movie depicts a middle class white woman named Leigh-Ann Tuohy who takes in African American teenager Michael Oher and teaches him to play football in a biographical drama which, according to Holderbaum, “seemed to be the only film that people in mostly white populated suburbs could talk about''. Coyne claims that “what is most troubling about this film, to Oher himself’s disgust, is its revision of the truth, which belittles Oher’s competency and allows Tuohy to steal the show”, suggesting that the film itself was inaccurate and placed sole light on the white character. This is further supported with a quote from Michael Oher himself, reported by Payne for The Washington post: “Oher takes particular issue with the film’s depiction of him as a football novice until he was taken in by the Tuohy family, who is credited in the film as shaping Oher”. The story, struggles, and praiseworthy determination of the real Michael Oher is glazed over in a shiny package for a media culture which loves the idea of an angelic white woman possessing this omnipresent force that helps everyone around them- especially BIPOC people. ‘The Blind Side’ is an overarching example that helps us view the white saviour trope at its absolute core; it disregards the identity of the BIPOC in the film and covers it up with the fantasy of white people being saviours instead of what history actually reveals to us through western colonialism. Walsh believes that the white character’s “‘saving’ of the black character sustains the damaging ideology of white supremacy; embedding a subconscious hierarchy of race into the viewers’ minds”. This idea that white people are heroes and can only do good for BIPOC is a misguided concept and links back to the idea of ‘Manifest Destiny’, an American imperialist belief which entailed the destiny of ‘Americans’ to expand across Northern America. This belief was used to justify the genocide of hundreds of millions of Native Americans. Many stories that inspire film and TV adaptations, such as the beloved children's novel ‘The Jungle Book’, date back to having European imperialist backgrounds and ideologies. Since its adaptation into a Disney film, ‘The Jungle Book’ has been criticised by many as the plot serves as a metaphor for British colonisation over India. Jackson states that “Mowgli the “man-cub” is portrayed as the larger nation for he is a human, though he has been raised by animals in the wild”, sending a subliminal message to the audience and readers that Britain is more civilised and of higher power and general status than India. Along with the novels blatant appropriation of Indian culture and people, the famed author of the book, Rudyard Kipling, has also been exposed as colonialist, racist, and anti-semitic. A prominent example of his work that also shows his problematic belief system is the poem ‘The White Man’s Burden’, in which he encouraged the American colonisation and annexation of the Philippines. The poem's title would later become a common saying which would justify the savage take over of the Philippines as an “imperial conquest”, which is deep rooted and sourced from the idea of ‘Manifest destiny’. Furthermore, Roisin writes that “the POC characters end up becoming props, which only perpetuates ideas of our otherness and unimportance”, highlighting the underlying and subconscious message that releasing white saviour movies and TV shows sends. It essentially normalises the already popular whiteness which is all over our screens and decentralises what the film or story is truly about: BIPOC. Mission trips that are sold to us through the idea that “it’ll look good on our CVs/ résumés” (which in itself is of dire need of self reflection) are also all too often used to further the white saviour rhetoric. As well as being used to further one's career and employability instead of out of the goodness of human experience, mission trips are also used for selfish gain in the form of an all too familiar Instagram post. The post is always emphasised by the hundreds of likes that follow and captions like “don’t want to leave this lil guy” or “obsessed”, much like UK TV reporter Stacey Dooley. This behaviour is problematic due to the lack of awareness of the fact that the people you are helping are actually human beings and not dolls or objects to be “obsessed” with. Furthermore, No White Saviours for medium writes that “if you are white and/or a foreign national coming to do some good… chances are you are entering into spaces where you hold a great deal of power and privilege that can be wielded for good or used to manipulate, coerce, take advantage of or exploit the very people you claim to want to help”. This brings attention to the importance of understanding your privilege and power before going on these types of trips. Unfortunately, this is something that many do not understand. Checking your privilege and recognising it gives you the ability to form true compassion and self awareness that is needed to take on such a life changing trip not only for yourself but also the people you are helping. Something that isn’t spoken about enough is the emotional stress that children from impoverished countries go through due to the individuals who go on mission trips. Imagine being a child from one of these countries and who is suddenly helped by people who give you everything you need out of what appears as good intentions. They care for you and you see them everyday for a month and then they abruptly leave. Can you imagine the grief-like emotions they experience? Although the genuine desire to help and do good is something that people who go on mission trips should be proud of, it’s worth considering that there are other options that are just as effective. Michelle C, who went on a mission trip herself when she was younger, writes that a short term mission trip essentially “ignores the long lasting consequences. Despite our good intentions, we’re actually promoting dependence rather than empowerment, perpetuating an unhealthy dynamic where the benevolent, rich foreigner is savior”. Handing out toys and bottles of water are only short term options. Poverty in countries is a complex subject and needs to be solved and changed rather than temporarily hidden away. What you leave a lot of the time when you go on mission trips is children with abandonment issues and your own sense of self importance which you can post for everyone to see. This is performative help. My point overall is that if you’re thinking of going on mission trips, then go ahead! (after the pandemic of course). Before you go though, please sit back and ask yourself why you’re wanting to go. If it’s mainly because of selfish reasons such as “it’ll look good on my résumé” or “so I can post it on my instagram”, perhaps sit this trip out. The people getting the help deserve to be helped by people who genuinely want to help them for their benefit, and not their own. Whilst you’re doing that, perhaps sit the new screening of ‘The Blind Side’ or ‘The Help’ 2.0 out as well. The white saviour narrative is seen all over Hollywood and doesn’t need more attention, as it’ll just provoke them to make more. If you’re still thinking of going on a mission trip after concluding that you want to go for good and true intentioned reasons, then think about other options that are just as effective (and not lowkey modern day colonialism disguised as performative good work). If you’re white, you don’t have to be the all seeing, omnipresent angel who is here to help people who aren’t superficially viewed like that. You can do more without having all the attention on you all the time. Writing Sources: https://movies.mxdwn.com/feature/a-critical-analysis-of-white-savior-films-and-why-you-should-avoid-them/ https://www.dailycal.org/2020/07/03/blind-to-the-other-side-flaws-of-our-favorite-sports-movies/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2015/06/17/michael-oher-says-the-blind-side-hurt-his-nfl-career/ https://exepose.com/2020/07/16/decolonising-hollywood-the-white-saviour-narrative/ https://writetheworld.com/groups/1/shared/30511/version/61463#:~:text=Disney's%20The%20Jungle%20Book%20includes,by%20animals%20in%20the%20wild https://www.teenvogue.com/story/hollywoods-white-savior-obsession-colonialism https://medium.com/@nowhitesaviors/what-we-can-all-learn-from-stacey-dooleys-white-savior-row-her-refusal-to-do-better-e30a2c6af0cc https://intentionaltravelers.com/problems-with-mission-trips/ Cover Photo Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/movies/22scott.html

TW: Police brutality, violence This summer, in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement and the surge of injustices surfacing on social media, one particular incident caught the national media’s attention: that of Mona Wang’s. On January 20, 2020, Wang, a nursing student, from Kelowna, British Columbia, suffered from a mental illness crisis and was subject to a wellness check (an in-person visit in response to a request relating to one’s mental health). Lacey Browning was the officer to report to the call and arrive on scene at Wang’s suite for a routine mental wellness check to assess the individual and their health. Surveillance footage revealed that Wang was dragged from her apartment by Browning, repeatedly punched in the face and pulled by the hair, resulting in the popping of her blood vessels in her sclera, bruises across her body, and immeasurable trauma. Despite the footage, Browning tells a different story in that she claims that Wang became violent and was “struck several times with an open palm” in order to control Wang in her moment of aggression. We conducted an online interview with Mona Wang to hear her story and perspective on events following her abuse. The RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) held a second press conference and expressed the need for nurses to accompany police in wellness checks going forward. With your experience as a student nurse, do you believe that this will be successful in de-escalating situations? And if not, what do you feel should be the appropriate measures taken during these situations? "I don't think that it needs a trained professional to have the common decency and compassion to be able to treat someone with respect; of course, it would be great if we had professionals who are trained on de-escalation skills. But I don't believe that it takes so much to empathize and to treat people like they’re human beings. I do wish that there was more de-escalation and relational practice training within the police force if they continue to answer these calls. As we know this isn’t the first time that something like this has happened and luckily I was able to come out alive. I was just looking at the past couple of months and so many Canadian people of color have been killed by the police for these mental health calls and that’s not something that should be normalized." Chief Supt. Brad Haugli stated that “accountability will be advanced as appropriate” as he acknowledged his concerns. Do you have faith in the justice system and believe that parties will be held accountable for their actions? "It's been so long and nothing really has been done, they haven’t really shown that this is an urgent matter or that this is a priority. It is very disappointing especially because I just want to get this over with. [Browning is] still employed and since then people have come out and said that she’s done similar things. There have been times where I’m just out in Kelowna and people come up to me telling me about their own personal stories with Browning. She has caused so much trauma to so many people, it’s insane that she’s still working. It shouldn't take the national media’s attention for something to be done. Truth is, I submitted and filed my lawsuit very shortly after everything happened and the RCMP was made aware of what had happened as well. But she was still in the same position and nothing changed until the media got a hold of the footage and that’s when they decided to put her on desk duty. It shouldn’t take that much to demote someone or for them to have some sort of accountability." With you speaking out about your experience, what do you want this generation to learn from your experience? "Take care of yourself. Reach out whether that's a friend or a teacher or a counselor, reach out and take care of yourself. If anything happens that you feel is unjust, you should speak out because if you keep that inside, nothing is going to be done." For the past eight months, Mona Wang has been doing so in speaking up about the injustice that she faced. She continues to be an advocate for mental health on social media and urges her supporters to raise awareness on related issues. Additionally, Wang has gone on to file a civil lawsuit against the RCMP, which has been “under investigation” for months. Mona Wang’s story has drawn parallels to countless others’ unfortunate relations with the police during wellness checks, especially people of color. Ultimately, this had led many to urge for the reform of police departments within Canada and the United States. The movement towards civic reform continues with leaders like Wang, and the steadfast support of allies. This piece is an interview with Mona Wang, a survivor of police brutality who has overcome trauma as well as becoming a leader in her community to speak up about the injustices that are present. Image credit: CBC

Dear Asian Youth, On November 4th, people around the world anxiously awaited news revealing who the next president would be. Amidst the chaos, nerves, and arguments that ensued, many of us have overlooked a major turning point in the fight against climate change. As of November 4th, Trump is following up on his promises from 2017 and officially withdrawing the US from the Paris Climate Agreement. The Paris Agreement was created in 2015 when hundreds of countries around the world came together in an effort to decelerate climate change. This was an overdue course of action, as climate experts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have been repeatedly making it clear that the global temperature rise must stay below 2.0° C. As a result, the Paris Agreement is based on the global understanding that we need to incentivize countries to stop burning fossil fuels and make strides towards a green economy. Otherwise, most countries will maintain their fossil fuels industry in order to gain economic advantages. For example, developing nations have contributed the least to the fossil fuel industry, yet a lack of infrastructure and resources means that people within these nations are facing the most severe consequences (MIT Press). It would be hypocritical to discourage these countries from using fossil fuels to give their economy the boost they so desperately need. On the flip side, global superpowers such as the United States and China need to both come to a mutual agreement to cut down on carbon emissions because any country that keeps burning down fossil fuels will have an economic advantage over the other. If nobody is willing to make sacrifices, then everybody will lose. The Paris Agreement understands and targets these issues accordingly. Firstly, the agreement heavily encourages developed countries to provide financial support to help developing nations achieve sustainability (NRDC). The current goal is to raise $100 billion by 2020, a number that is expected to rise within the next five years. The contributions that each country is expected to make is also dependent on their current wealth and ability to make these changes while maintaining equity. These are called nationally determined contributions, and they ensure that every country is placing forth an equal amount of commitment accordingly (UNFCCC). After establishing these individual goals at the start of the Paris Agreement, it was up to each country to figure out how to make these goals a reality. Though there was no technical penalty for failing to meet these agreed contributions, the Paris Agreement promised that nobody would economically fall behind during this transition. Most countries kept up with their promises due to an understanding that climate change will have irreversible global repercussions for centuries to come. Notably, China, a country that rivals the US in carbon emissions, has promised to level off carbon emissions by 2030 and reduce carbon emissions per unit of GDP by 60 to 65%. Even though the disease, natural disasters, and changes in food supply that result from climate change will disproportionately affect lower-class citizens, it will eventually come around to impact us all. For a hot minute, the United States was doing really well. According to the Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2014, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per capita went down even though the population and economy as a whole continued to prosper. But the United States’ position as a global leader in fighting the effects of climate change is compromised by Trump’s decision to leave the Paris agreement. Even though the US is making strides towards improvement, the World Resources Institute estimates that from 1850 - 2011, the United States alone was responsible for 27% of the cumulative carbon dioxide emissions in the world, a percentage which is greater than that of all other countries. Yet now, the biggest contributor to climate change will be the only country of the 200 that joined the Paris agreement, to refuse to follow through on the promises to cut down on these emissions. By leaving the Paris Agreement, there will be nothing keeping our country responsible for cutting down emissions, especially considering the Republican Party’s repeated denial of climate change as an issue. And not only are carbon emissions in the US expected to grow as a result of this lack of accountability, but the United States is setting a terrible precedent for other countries. Luckily, all other countries have agreed to forge ahead without the United States, but using fossil fuels will give the United States a competitive edge and this incentivizes other countries to quit the agreement as well (NPR). Plus, the United States would no longer be providing developing nations with the support they need to achieve lower carbon emissions. But all hope is not lost as Biden has made his stance on the Paris Agreement very clear (NY Times). He has pledged to work his hardest to bring the US back into the agreement as soon as possible, even claiming that he has plans to do so by February 2021, just 77 days after his inauguration. Biden has also made claims of planning to spend $2 trillion over the course of his term to ensure that by 2035 coal, oil, and gas are no longer leaders in energy. Furthermore, he hopes that by the midcentury, the US economy will become carbon neutral. Individual states and businesses are also taking accountability and trying their best to help the US reach the lower carbon emissions that they originally promised. However, this task is made much more difficult without support from the federal government. It is really difficult to comprehend the importance of climate change. Sometimes the situation does not feel immediate, and the idea that we human beings have had such a terrifyingly large impact on the Earth is difficult to wrap our heads around. But climate change is very real and its effects are far beyond what we can even begin to imagine. It is very disappointing to see the United States turning away from an agreement that promises unity and global change when it could easily be one of the pioneers in this new era of sustainability. So, as we nervously watch the seats in government turn blue and red, hopefully, we begin to realize the gravity of the situation at hand in terms of how this election will affect the Earth as we know it.

The polaroids were blurred. It was a crisp day in December, when the air smelled like fresh wind and winter and the sun set barely after four, and you would have to get up with the light the next morning to shovel the snow out of the driveway. That’s the way Calgary was—snowy, quiet, fresh, and a little more snowy, three quarters of the year. The snow felt light in the mittens on my hands, and you told me to stay still as you took the photo. But I threw the cold, bundle of white anyway. The flash burst right as the cold mound left my little hands, and the camera captured my blurred body in my moment of ecstasy—but it didn’t catch the snow in your hair and the wet spot in your jacket and the smile creeping on your face at my mischief. The polaroid was blurred, but I was four and learned from you that the biting cold is no barrier to joy if I try hard enough to find it. It was a gloomy day in March, when the air felt heavy and smelled like rain and clouds and fresh dirt, and I put on a dress as deep blue as the ocean from a bird’s eye view. I braided my hair and sat for half an hour in front of my mirror, pondering my reflection. I never wore dresses because I heard people in the hallways whisper it was girly. But you bought me this dress, and I saw the look on your face when I hung it in my closet without taking the tag off. A part of me also knew that I never wore dresses because I was afraid I was not pretty enough. You knock on my door and walk in with the camera, excited to see me in the dress you said would make me look like a princess. The floor spun beneath me as I shot up and protested the picture, and the camera captured my adamant face that my poor appearance should not be documented—but it didn’t catch your sparkling eyes or mile-wide smile or pure ecstasy at the dress you picked draped on my body. The polaroid was blurred, but I was nine and heard for the first time that I was beautiful. It was a muted, wispy day in November, when the air smelled like falling leaves and morning fog and wet roads, and my feet crunched in the autumn grass whenever I walked across our lawn. I was buried under my covers and wiping tears off my face, and you sat on the edge of my bed coaxing me to go to school. You had a mug of hot chocolate in one hand and a bundle of crumpled, used tissues I had discarded in the other. In between hiccups and sobs, I cursed the people in my class for whispering terrible things about me. All of a sudden I see you pull out the camera, and I shout as I reach to block the lens. The flash blinded my sight and the camera captured my crumpled hair and devastation—but it didn’t catch your kind wisdom and cunning ability to let me see the light. The polaroid was blurred, but I was thirteen and learned from you that people can whisper when I am too good for them, too—but I forfeit that greatness if I believe what they say. Someday in the future, it will be my day to wear white, and you will be wearing a suit. And you will probably cry but tell me how beautiful I am, and I will probably laugh because I have heard it too many times now, from a different man. You will probably clutch my hand tight as you walk me down the aisle, and hold on to me a little longer before handing me over to someone else. And you will probably cry again as we dance after dinner, realizing that I will never be the same girl in the snow, or in the blue dress, or under the bed covers crying again. And as we dance, a polaroid will flash, and it will catch my smile at my future and your tears at who you are losing. The polaroid will be blurred, but I will be older and I will know then that I have found joy and that I am beautiful and strong—and you will not have lost me if you know that I learned it all from you: the first man I loved.

I pour my heart into this foundation, cementing it into the world. I lay my life down, love by love and loss by loss. Sooner or later, there’s a house. A small house, compact and perfect for just me. It has four walls and a roof. Is it a house? A house it is! As time passes, I realize that I had forgotten windows. Nobody can see in, and I can’t see out. But what’s the purpose of a window anyway? Light is everywhere; lock the doors and go on with your life. One day, I walked through this little house of mine. I dragged my feet through my small residence, marking the hardwood floors. But my house is no place for a pair of dirty trainers or scuffed planks. I swing open a cabinet door, scrambling through the mess bolted to my walls. I reach for something as the lights go out, darkness infusing the vicinity. I reach to open the door, searching for the rusty handle with my fingers. I push down, aiming to swing the plank open, but the door stays in place, refusing to budge. I channel my focus into escaping, seeking whatever is outside these four walls and whatever is outside the very door that I locked so I can go on with my life. Suddenly, a slight cool rushes down my neck. A minuscule hum enters the atmosphere, but I make no note of it. And I persist, trying to escape. The slight cool becomes a pounding freeze. The minuscule hum crescendos into a screaming wind. And in a matter of seconds, these four walls tumbles into a pile of despair. If only I had windows. If only I had more space. If only I hadn’t locked the door. If only … I warily scan my surroundings. Not a single sign of devastation. Just a beautiful field and the sun kissing my skin. Light was indeed everywhere; I just had to let it in. So I began to work on putting back together what I started. The same cement foundation stood strong, but it now bolsters more than four walls. I have many walls that can hold more than just me. I have windows to let the light in. Windows to let people see into my home. Windows to let myself gaze at what’s outside. Windows to let the world in and out. My new house is a work in progress. But now, it’s not just a house; it’s a home. And as I let people in, I will continue to rebuild my life and learn to love again. Cover photo source: Louise Scott https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Castle-window-light/893603/3722286/view

a girl stands in front of george washington’s tomb knowing full well that all that remains is patriotic dust to her left is the caretaker, standing by the only witness to her reverence to her right are magnolia trees full snow blooms drowning in the jellied air sunshine breaking like glass through the leaves she decides to be alone, hushed, unmoving, at rest for the moment a chinese-american girl stands in front of george washington’s tomb cinching, clutching, clasping for america praying to love america enough to make it better in her gilded tears, cerulean blue dreams, and pacific-bound grail she remembers her family’s jade chains pulling themselves to a land of two-story houses, red-tinted accents, and a second child in ballet studios, music classes, drenched with paint, who only now realizes the sacrifice for each drop of gouache, each string plucked, each plié, while standing in front of a patriot’s last resting place a citizen of the united states of america stands in front of george washington’s tomb wondering if the first president ever built a nation with her in mind, she wonders if her right to claim her citizenship is like the tomb she gazes into so intently always ten feet away iron gated and shrouded in misty stillness she feels a string pulling her closer now livid, she goes to seize answers from the Father of a nation a single petal falls she claps her hands, lets tranquility raise its hand in greeting reminds herself of the solemn, splendid joy of sideway walks, bare feet on concrete, green lawns during a setting suburban sun of home cooked foods, hot chocolate warming her, snow settling the air and of standing in front of a tomb belonging to a mute Founding Father she is now demanding answers from herself a woman stands in front of george washington’s tomb a tourist group rushes in from the right they cut through the iron-bar silence, welders breaking her spell she walks away from george washington’s tomb overflowing with revelation claiming her new quietude she can hear her friends chattering on the horizon, and picks up her pace to join them, fully in the present, finally herself she passes goats and sheep grazing in peace their mouths a motor, steampowered she walks by, greets them as friends then continues her queenly stride she is reborn Cover photo source: https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/general-george-washington-17321799-169070

From vibrant songs to iconic titles, Bollywood has vastly impacted the South Asian community beyond solely arts and entertainment. Bollywood got its ‘B’ from Bombay, currently known as Mumbai, in the 70’s. However, the first Bollywood film was Raja Harishchandra in 1913. It was a silent film in black and white, and its success paved the way for the production of many more films to come. Source: Raja Harishchandra (1913) Alam Ara (1931) was Bollywood’s first sound film and Kisan Kanya (1937) was the first color film. As the Indian film industry progressed, India was gaining its independence from the British Raj, gaining full independence in 1947. Colonization was a major theme of Bollywood films prior to independence with some films focusing on the lives of the working class. Sources: Kisan Kanya (1937), Alam Ara (1931) As film evolved, music and soundtracks followed.. Dilwale Dulhiana Le Jayenge (1995) was the most successful film of the year and its soundtrack garnered enormous popularity. From tracks like “Tujhe Dehka To'' or “Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna”, DDLJ was extremely influential in the 90's. Source: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) The turn of the century into the 2000s allowed for Bollywood to reach a wider audience, specifically the West. Stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Kajol, Shahrukh Khan, and many more were rising stars in this era of Bollywood and gained major popularity and influence. For many Bollywood films, the actors grew a wider influence and drew in wide audiences from across the world. Bollywood still has a long way to go in order to accurately represent different ethnic and social groups in India. While the industry has been making progress in regards to introducing newer and relevant themes in its films, many harmful stereotypes and gender norms still remain. The Bollywood Industry has a wide influence on many communities, so more people should advocate for positive and proper representation. Editors: Alisha B., Luna Y. Sources: Baltimore, University of Maryland. Bollywood: A Glimpse Into India’s Evolution - University of Maryland Graduate School. https://www.graduate.umaryland.edu/gsa/gazette/August-2018/Bollywood-A-Glimpse-Into-Indias-Evolution/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2023. Bollywood | History, Movies, Actors, Actresses, & Facts | Britannica. 12 Mar. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bollywood-film-industry-India. “From Trans Villains To Colourism, Bollywood’s Representation Problem Continues.” Youth Ki Awaaz, 13 Mar. 2021, https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2021/03/indian-cinema-its-obsession-with-under-representation/. History of Bollywood - Indian Cinema History. http://www.historyoffilm.net/movie-eras/history-of-bollywood/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2023. VaishaliV29. “Evolution of Bollywood- from 1920’s to 2020.” International Journal of Research (IJR), 4 July 2020, https://internationaljournalofresearch.com/2020/07/04/evolution-of-bollywood-from-1950s-to-2020/.