Term 2: Waiting Game Dear Asian Youth, I don’t know if any of you have watched college decision videos, but I sure have. I used to stay up watching those videos - as a senior writing college apps, they were a source of motivation, comfort, and enjoyment. I dreamed of getting into college ED1 without having to worry about my senior year. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 safety precautions and rejection from my ED1, I can’t go out with friends and celebrate my senior year, and there is no comfort in being rejected from my dream college. My Term 1 just ended. The last of my grades got sent off to college. Now, I’m left with tons of time. Well, what should I do with that time? I can’t go to any restaurants or shops because of COVID-19 restrictions I will obviously abide by. My friends are in different states right now because they are attending school virtually. I started to appreciate my time alone immensely because I’m able to simply relax after classes. I comb the internet for ways to connect with friends virtually, looking for games to play via Facetime. I want to just press fast forward and get my other college decisions, but because I can’t I might as well spend my quality time wisely. If you’re wondering what to do with your own time and finding yourself stuck, spend it on yourself. As much as you might like to resume pre-COVID activities, that’s impossible until the whole country is safe. Maybe pick up a hobby like cooking (I have) and learn cultural dishes (look up lobster yee mein if you want a recommendation of food to cook). I also have found myself watching several streamers and YouTubers late at night: you know which ones. I’ve hopped on the trend of watching Korean cafe vlogs and mukbangers like Sangyoon and Sulgi. The thing is, after you hand in college applications, it’s like you are missing something in your life. It becomes so ingrained in your everyday that once you finish, you forget that it’s in the hands of another now. So, just spend your time the way you want to and play the waiting game with me. Sincerely, Ella Cover Photo Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/710583647426548183/

Dear Asian Youth, My mother’s hands are heavy Like fabric soaked in tepid water Prayers lace the gaps of thin worn fingers Strength etches into fragile feminine hands She told me once Of a searing hot morning Sweaty tanned bodies pressed flush together They paddled in the sweltering heat Water creeped up a wooden boat The lukewarm liquid soaking her toes Relief then panic seeped into slender ankles Small childlike hands clasped together Calloused pads gripped the edges of bony knuckles Perhaps fearful her prayers would slip through Her fingers like salty water through timber Quiet desperation infused her words Cries of help drifted in the afterglow of the rising sun Like a broken piece of wood on the ocean’s edge Struggling to keep afloat It travels further from my fingers Feet stuck in the sandy grains of an island I am left to watch. But now she is here by my side Prayers buried in the soft flesh of her palm Grown cold in the stillness of the water Instead my whispers of “Thank you” warm in her hands - Feileen Li This piece involves a story my mother once revealed to me about her past prior to her arrival in America. My mother was one of what are known as the “boat people.” She was a refugee who fled the Vietnam War by boat. During her escape to America, there was a time when the boat she was on began sinking. She was ultimately rescued, but this story is something that I will never forget. I would like to place emphasis on the last two stanzas of my poem. I will never be able to completely understand the struggles that my mother went through, and it will never be my place to claim these struggles as my own. I hope that people understand that my mother’s (and any immigrants') experiences should never be generalized and that this poem is not a representation of what she endured. This poem is simply about my appreciation for my mother’s inner strength and her existence in my life today. Cover photo source: https://geographical.co.uk/people/the-refugee-crisis/item/1112-vietnam-s-boat-people

Dear Asian Youth, Hostile architecture, also known as defensive architecture, is the use of architectural elements in public spaces to influence the behavior of living beings and ensure that individuals only use public spaces for their intended purposes. One common example of hostile architecture is placing spikes on trees to prevent birds from resting on the branches and defecating on the cars below. Spikes such as these are also commonly placed on benches to prevent loitering and skating, and many benches themselves are made on an uncomfortable incline to serve the same purpose. By preventing loitering, hostile architecture discourages drug drops and pushes out the homeless (CNN). These eyesores, which somewhat resemble medieval torture methods, allow hostility to permeate public spaces. But proponents are quick to argue that the government funds hostile architecture in an effort to keep public places safe and enjoyable for everyone. While this argument is valid to an extent, it is also important to consider people who are negatively affected by hostile architecture, namely the homeless population. Though I believe people should feel safe in public spaces, placing ugly spikes and curved benches is evidently a short-term solution that does little to solve why so many are forced to seek refuge in public spaces in the first place. This is especially relevant considering that the funds directed towards hostile architecture could be used to improve homeless shelters. Even in cities with funded homeless shelters, many feel safer in public places than in these shelters. In an interview by NPR of David Pirtle, member of the Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau and the National Coalition for the Homeless, Pirtle states that one of the reasons many refuse to stay in shelters,”is that you hear a lot of terrible things about shelters, that shelters are dangerous places, that they're full of drugs and drug dealers, that people will steal your shoes, and there's bedbugs and body lice. And yeah, unfortunately a lot of those things are true.” While Pirtle makes sure to let NPR know that this isn’t the case for all shelters, he conveys that most simply provide a location for people, many of whom are dealing with various issues, with little regard for their safety and well-being. As a result, many opponents of hostile architecture point out that the government should focus on solving these issues, to ensure that less people feel the need to resort to staying in public places. This was exemplified in 2019 when Iowa City administrators were criticized for replacing benches with ones that have armrests in the middle to prevent people from being able to sleep on these benches. The new benches cost Iowa City 150,000 dollars and it took even more money to actually replace the benches (The Daily Iowan). Another example is Philadelphia’s Love Park’s 26 million dollar renovation in 2018 that was meant to make the park more accessible and inclusive. But once unveiled, it was clear that the new curved and slotted benches divided by metal bars were made to prevent people in need from sleeping on these benches (INSP). Again, this is a somewhat understandable course of action by the government, as it further ensures the safety of families and small children who wish to enjoy the park. However, 26 million dollars is a sum of money that could have genuinely benefitted local homeless shelters and improved the quality of life for everyone, not just a small group of people. In March and April of last year, over 22.2 million people were laid off in response to the pandemic, contributing to an alarming rise in homelessness. These current events further reveals the cruelty of hostile architecture. Not only are more individuals facing economic instability, but shelters consist of large groups of people which increases the potential risk of COVID-19. Now, more than ever, is the time for our government to invest in these marginalized communities. Of course, this is a much more difficult solution than the temporary benefits of hostile architecture, and there is an argument to be made for ensuring the safety of public spaces for everyone. But, I don’t believe these more aggressive tactics are fair, as they only promise the safety of certain groups while ostracizing others. - Lora Kwon Cover Photo Source: Indesign Live

the skin on my hand is plump. etched warnings on my palms, blisters on my fingers yet my hands are soft— dark but human, the world is what gave birth to me yet the world doesn’t accept me. the skin on my face is youthful, dried tears create a halo around the brittle bags sunken under my bloodshot eyes yet my irises hold innocence purity and patience is what i allow to guide my gaze for i know what hatred looks like coming in the form of another who treats me like the other. i’ll be another other forever. i couldn't be like them. for i am not one of them this soil i share with them doesn't work to mend me, it tears me apart breaks my tanned skin until bloody white flesh can satiate them the burdens i bear are far from common for a child of my age i am unbalanced, my outer youth scarred by the aged evil of the world scars of youth feel different on ethnic skin. - Aqsa Mahmood This poem is a story of that struggle, the bloody battles I'd fight for liberation I didn't understand the meaning of until recently. Liberation: No longer posing to be perfect for certain crowds. The speaker is going through the growing pains of learning of racism within her country, of understanding that her inside doesn't matter, because her outside has already been judged before she could speak. As a first-generation Pakistani-American teen, I am all too familiar with the struggle of finding identity in a country that claims you are its daughter, but gives you the importance of an outcast. I spent my preteen years struggling to grasp the perfect balance of both the West and the Southwest, trying to grapple just who I am supposed to be versus what I am expected to be. I felt as though I was putting on an act in front of different groups-- the 'cultured daughter' in front of my family, and the 'white on the inside' girl at school. Yet these two polar parts of me composed me; I am Pakistani and I am American. Upon this realization, I was able to feel as though I can mesh two parts of myself to create the 'authentic me'. Biography: Aqsa Mahmood is a budding young adult South Asian American poetess and author of "sour lemon fate". She has had her poetry published in various magazines, journals and anthologies since she was eleven years old, and continues to pursue her passion of writing as a nineteen year old university student. Aqsa's poetry ranges from many styles and subjects; she is currently studying human nature in literature and weaves her findings into her writing. Human influence interests her deeply, and she portrays her research in compelling, socially impactful and concise poetry. Aqsa aspires to pursue her childhood of being an author and strives to share her unique perspective on humanity with the world. Cover Photo Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/arts-entertainment/arts/news/addressing-colourism-art-1639339

Dear Asian Youth, “Orientalism” is a term that conveys how an exaggeration of differences between Asian and Western cultures is exploited to form a colonialist perspective of Asia that is exotic, backwards, and uncivilised. This idea of cultural superiority, which is intrinsically founded and exacerbated by race, has shaped modern Western discourse of Asian culture, people, politics and ways. It directly perpetuates Western cultural hegemony and dominance, with preconceived notions of morality. The emergence of COVID-19 has led to a resurgence of orientalist sentiments that has real, and often unsettling, consequences. Not only has it led to powerful racial attacks on East-Asian people, it has also impacted the very policies that governments utilise to fight the pandemic. Orientalism, at its core, is situated on the dynamic of ‘othering’, creating a superiority complex on which Asian cultures and people are judged. Anti-Asian sentiments have already been entrenched in the hostile climate of the US-China trade and techno war for decades, against the backdrop of the struggle between the West and China in pursuit of political and economic world domination. This realm of having a chief enemy in Asia sets the perfect stage for the escalation of orientalist ideals in the context of COVID-19. Another term that can depict this dynamic is the ‘Yellow Peril’, a metaphor for the concept that East Asia embodies barbarians who represent an existential threat to the West. The modern yellow peril prevails in an orientalist framework, and translates into xenophobia and Sinophobia; COVID-19 acts as its aggressor and facilitator. Anti-Asian rhetoric and sentiments as a result of COVID-19 is rife-- that is undisputable. The virus has become racialised, and it was inevitable ever since the word ‘China’ appeared in the lexicon field of coronavirus. Attitudes towards the origins of the disease itself displays orientalism: Chinese culture and cuisine is portrayed as primitive, whilst the barbarism of Western animal industries is simultaneously ignored. Its failed logic is demonstrated in how accompanying the assertion that eating animals akin to bats is uncivilised and wrong, unconventional foods such as snails, frogs, bears or deer are also eaten in the West. Zoonotic diseases, of which COVID-19 is a form of, is not exclusive to bats -- the 2009 swine flu pandemic was sourced from pigs. Beef, although almost ubiquitous in Western cuisines, comes from an animal that is sacred in India, but never has the cultural practice of eating beef come under scrutiny. Orientalism therefore facilitated the making of Chinese culture into a convenient scapegoat -- at times, even used in lieu of holding one’s own government accountable in combating COVID-19. Orientalism has also resulted in the often arrogant responses of multiple Western governments -- some that, under the lens of orientalism, should exist as the epitome of morality in its operations. Stringent measures and widespread compliance to curb the spread of COVID-19 were adopted by Asian countries, which partly stemmed from their respective cultures that prioritise collective wellbeing over individual needs. This manifested in practices such as common mask-wearing even prior to the pandemic, and does not belong exclusively to China but to East Asian cultures as a whole. If the degree of political freedom and democracy is the threshold on which Western governments judge suitable procedures to halt the virus, then an investigation into how democratic countries akin to South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, or Singapore controlled the virus would render the argument of ‘autocracy’ ill-founded. Not only did their governments take rigorous action in early days, their people complied, with a mutual consensus that individual freedoms and autonomy need to be balanced with collective obligations, especially in precarious times. Orientalism manifests as an unwillingness to learn and borrow effective practices from the East, as if it would be equivalent to displaying submission or defeat to cultures less civilised, less free, or less developed. It is illustrative of a deep-rooted bias that portrays the East synonymous to authoritarianism and barbarism, and the West with progress, democracy and freedom, without any nuance to the story. The era of COVID-19 fueled by orientalism has resulted in racial attacks, hate crimes, and a resurgence of anti-Asian prejudice that arguably will prevail for a long time after the pandemic ends. Even more disturbing, is that the very mindset of orientalism has cost lives: many Western governments have prioritised individual liberty over a united obligation to reduce infections, politicised the practice of mask-wearing, and imposed lockdowns only when it was too late. Indeed, many discrepancies also exist; Western governments such as Iceland and New Zealand have also succeeded in obtaining effective ways to combat COVID-19. But it cannot be denied that among some of the world’s biggest superpowers, the consequences of orientalism is grave. - Jiaying Zhang Cover Photo Source: News Laundry

what have i remembered? in my seventeen years of life many things, surely walking on dirt roads in a summer haze with the people i love the split second of fear that crosses my heart before i enter a stage the triumph that radiates through me when i finish my performance the sweetness of my ice cream after dinner the gripping frustration that comes with lates nights spent over essays, homework, testing the warmth of falling asleep after laughing, smiling, and dancing until blisters lined my feet both the good and the bad what have i forgotten? many more things, surely how to solve differential equations what birthday presents i have gotten my friends the nightmares i had as a child what it felt like listening to sinatra for the very first time my grandfather’s voice looking at the world through a child’s eyes finding a story, an adventure in the most mundane things both the good and the bad what made me forget? and how sad it is that i have forgotten? that i cannot remember how i felt or what i thought just last monday the sensation of rushing through the streets downtown is as foreign as you are, to me that the warmth of your hand must always fade away that a shared lunch or dinner will blend into one of many that the sweet or salty or bitter or spicy flavors on my tongue will always be replaced by another that what i feel changes with every passing second how much of the blame can i assign to myself? should i point to my neurons? chastise them for firing just enough for me to miss a memory but not enough to remember what i miss should i point to my hopes, fears, and dreams? for choosing to hold onto this second and losing the next for clinging onto some victories or smiles or hugs or phobias or trials over another or do i feel anger and jealousy that i’ve caused myself to miss more memories than i’ve meant to that i want more memories than i can create that i have different memories than what i crave that my nights fixated on chemistry problems my weekends spent rushing from meeting to meeting my days spent in solitude are what make up my memories rather than living freely rather than simple walks to the grocery store or sipping coffee with others or falling into a dreamless sleep what can i do to remember more? this is perhaps the only good question i’ve asked in my seventeen years of life and first i thought many things, surely make your brain stronger, eat healthier, record everything in your journals but to me, there is really only one thing i can do: make memories that matter live my life with a child’s eyes create experiences that will stick, that will mean something to me forget the burdens enjoy life as it rushes by and jump into the current myself and trust that everything i love will find its place in time - Kaitlyn Fa Cover Photo Source: https://wsimag.com/culture/30643-the-features-of-mental-images-in-the-art-of-memory

My dear poet do you think that you are simply not up to par? You write poems by your bedside, ones that you are too anxious to show. But alas you wither away in tears when not a single soul propends towards the poems you compose. You tell yourself lies that your poetry feeds your passionate hunger for literature, but are you really that interested in what you attempt to offer? One sublime poem is all that you need to birth, to achieve the sweet validation you yearn. Where is that poem, that cash crop, that treasure trove? You’re washed up, My dear, you’ve become old. Fame is only temporary, there are many who deserve better. Why do you even attempt to fight? Why do you even try to be the best? When you pick up your pencil and start to write, What social norm are you trying to detest? You’ve read Dante, you’ve read Yeats, thinking that if you read them you will become them. Well let me tell you my dear poet, the only thing that you will ever write is your own story. There will be people in your life who will tell you to put down the pencil, but take my advice on this, never put down that damn pencil. Once you’ve let your poetic prowess become a tiresome pursuit, once you’ve become tired of what poetry has to offer, only then I suggest you put down your pencil, for you are no longer a poet, but rather a slave of a colorless society. You start to improve once you stop comparing yourself to others: when you stop thinking of what you could have been and what you could have done. And there is something beautiful in a person accepting themselves. And there is something terrible in a person who lives a life that is not theirs to live. You need to answer a question: The opportunities you pursue, who are you pursuing them for- yourself, or for another person? It does not matter if your dreams do not come true, but it does matter that you have the capacity to do as much as you have the capacity to dream. Let yourself be free of all standards, too many times you’ve hurt yourself for the gold. But you always forget that gold is malleable, gold is soft, and that you are tough, you are strong. Praise is temporary, but my dear poet, your words are eternal. Cover Photo Source: The Writing Cooperative

“Cicadas have been featured in literature since the time of Homer's Iliad, and as motifs in art from the Chinese Shang dynasty. They have also been used in myth and folklore as symbols of carefree living and immortality” Cicadas: In the dark, A place they call “home”, away from shadows where all is seen, I dream of green. Buried in soil, away from the light, I wait for the day where I can witness the sight of the sun on my wings. Against the crisp air when the night comes alive, my shell is viridescent for Summer has arrived. When I transform, I will please Apollo with my songs of ecstasy and people will follow. I wait for my sacred birth. Will the life before me subside into death when the birds pick me hollow, immortality finally at rest? - Cathay Cover Photo Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/528328600042762189/

Dear Asian Youth, Both are my identities. - Chris Fong Chew Cover Photo Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/06/us/coronavirus-race-artists-asian-american-identity.html

Dear Asian Youth, Textbooks have the potential to define what is and is not important in our country’s history for the students that use them, and they can have a major influence on the outlook that students have regarding certain political issues, and historical events. Students of all ages, though especially those attending middle or high school, are highly impressionable, and are likely to believe the majority of the contents of their textbooks and the information presented to them by their teachers. If a history textbook, either intentionally or mistakenly, reaffirms a racial stereotype, the students using that textbook might accept that stereotype, and apply it to situations in their own lives. If a history textbook chooses to portray an event in a positive or negative light, the students who use that textbook are likely to adopt the same impression of that event. If a history textbook omits a certain event or individual from its curriculum, students are less likely to ever learn about that person or event. Simple errors, inaccuracies and omissions in textbooks can affect society for years. In fact, incorrect and incomplete histories that have been taught to earlier generations are still affecting our world today. An incomplete or biased education will hinder students from understanding similar conflicts or events later in their lives. A lack of understanding about a certain period in history will result in ignorance, misunderstanding, and future conflicts. This is why it is so crucial that we call out any errors, omissions or biases we discover in textbooks, and spread awareness about the prevailing issue of inaccurate, incomplete and biased history textbooks. To further examine this issue, this article will present a case study on a particular textbook often used in American history courses. American Pageant is one of the most widely circulated United States history textbooks in our nation. It is often used in both Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, two highly rigorous programs designed for American high school students, and international high school students, respectively. At first glance, American Pageant looks like a perfectly acceptable textbook, discussing and analyzing various events in American history. Overall, it is a good textbook, and it does do a good job at covering many difficult events without implying any sort of bias. Its coverage of time periods that can be difficult to discuss, such as the Holocaust, is very well done. The authors do a good job at revealing and reprimanding the wrongdoings of certain presidents, such as Thomas Jefferson and his confirmed affair with one of his slaves, while still presenting the positive impacts and accomplishments of these leaders. The textbook even goes so far as to clearly label former President Andrew Johnson as “[sharing] the white-supremacist views of most white Southerners” (AP, 22), which is a notably progressive assertion on the part of the authors. However, there are a few prime examples in this textbook of minor, yet very impactful slips in diction, misuses of syntax, and in some cases, outright lapses in judgement that should not go unnoticed. Slavery in America is an integral part of our country’s evolution as a democracy and civil society, so it is a given that it should be a major theme of all US history textbooks. American Pageant does a good job at identifying the reasons for slavery, claiming that it “might have begun in America for economic reasons” but that “it was clear that racial discrimination also powerfully molded the American slave system” (AP, 4). However, multiple statements within the textbook, hopefully unintentionally, convey the message that slavery was somewhat justified. Chapter 1 of the textbook includes the following sentence: “Ironically, the introduction into Africa of New World foodstuffs like maize, manioc, and sweet potatoes may have fed an African population boom that numerically, though not morally, more than offset the losses inflicted by the slave trade.” (AP, 1) It is inappropriate to compare the introduction of new foods to the personal suffering and injustices that came with the slave trade. “Though not morally” is used to communicate that slavery was wrong, but the overarching message that this quote sends is that the slave trade may have been, in some way, less harmful than it actually was, simply because the net effect on the African population was not significant. The same sentiment is once again reinforced in chapter 5, with the statement that “eighteenth century America was a shining land of equality and opportunity—with the notorious exception of slavery.” (AP, 5) Slavery’s immorality is stated, but the significance of its presence in America is undermined by the fact that the writers convey that America could continue to be seen as a place with equality and opportunity, despite the fact that slavery is clearly antithetical to these two things. The theme of downplaying slavery continues when the authors state that “[Andrew Johnson] shone as an impassioned champion of the poor whites… although he himself ultimately owned a few slaves.” (AP, 22). Frankly, it’s a positive that the authors chose to even acknowledge that past presidents owned slaves, as many textbooks refuse to even do so. However, to make these acknowledgments effective, the transgression of him owning slaves should be further discussed and condemned. These quotes that severely downplay the issue of slavery, and the fact that a president at least tacitly endorsed the practice as a slave owner himself, are very harmful. They can make black students feel as though their ancestors’ struggle was somehow insignificant, and that it was justified because it led to an implied “greater good”. This is simply not true, and it is not acceptable for textbooks to advance this point of view. A similar theme is reinforced during the book’s discussion of colonization, as the authors downplay the significance of the wrongdoings of those known as the first colonizers of the New World (America). The book states, “the Spanish invaders did indeed kill, enslave, and infect countless natives, but they also erected a colossal empire, sprawling from California and Florida to Tierra del Fuego.” (AP, 1) The use of the phrase “did indeed” makes it seem as though the sins of the colonizers can be disregarded, because they were conducted in the context of fulfilling a larger goal. This quote essentially implies that the mistakes of the Spanish colonizers are overshadowed by the empire that they were able to build, upon formerly Native land. The Natives that were hurt by the actions of the colonists are completely disregarded, and essentially deemed unimportant. Imagine how a Native American student might feel reading this statement. Teaching students that it was somehow okay for colonists to kill and mistreat millions of Natives has the potential to make them feel justified in treating Native Americans in the same way today, as long as the ultimate outcome is a positive one. Furthermore, it reinforces a larger, incredibly harmful idea - that it is alright to do bad things if they lead you to achieving a larger goal. In my opinion, some of the biggest mistakes in this textbook pertain to Asian Americans. Throughout the text, the diction regarding to Asian Americans is highly problematic. When the book is discussing Chinatowns, it states that tongs (translated from Chinese into English as meeting halls) “counted the poorest and shadiest immigrants among [the] members [of Chinatown]” (AP, 23). Furthermore, it is claimed that Chinese immigrant workers “proved to be cheap, efficient and expendable,” before it is parenthetically explained that this interpretation of the immigrants’ expendability stems from the fact that “hundreds lost their lives in premature explosions and other mishaps” (AP, 24). Using adjectives such as “shady”, “cheap”, and “expendable” to describe hardworking immigrants that contributed an immense amount to American society is patently wrong. Granting the authors the benefit of the doubt, the use of “expendable” is explained, and it is unlikely that the use of “shady” was for the purpose of creating a negative implication. However, the children of Asian immigrants who are reading these words are likely to feel hurt; as a Chinese-American myself, I found the language of these quotations to be highly offensive. One quote that I found especially reprehensible is the following, taken from chapter 28 of the textbook: “Both powerful, Japan and America now became rivals in Asia, as fear and jealousy between them grew. To many Americans, the Japanese were getting too big for their kimonos.” (AP, 28). Blatantly mocking Japanese culture, the statement that the Japanese were “too big for their kimonos” is very offensive. Microaggressions like these are truly harmful. Students reading this textbook will see this quote, and are likely to feel as though it is okay for them to say similar things. This results in ignorance and can create racial conflict when those who are the target of these types of quotes try to stick up for themselves and their culture. Furthermore, it simply hurts the feelings of young, Asian students who are seeing their culture being made fun of in the textbooks that are being used in their schools. Unfortunately, there are even more questionable quotations in this book that concern Asian Americans. These quotes in specific have a recurring similarity that seems to cause them to reinforce a degrading association between Asians and negative events. During the book’s discussion of the Korean War, it is stated that “tens of billions of American dollars [have] been poured down the Asian sinkhole” (AP, 38). Furthermore, an economic crisis in the late 90s is labelled as an “economic ‘Asian flu’,” that is claimed to have “caused only a new sniffle for the robust American economy” (AP, 41). Both of these phrases, “Asian sinkhole” and “Asian flu”, are inappropriate. They create an association between Asia and its people and negative concepts such as a hole in the ground and a disease. Associating the entire Asian race with such negative things encourages non-Asian students to spread racist sentiments about the Asian race, and gives them justification for engaging in similar racism. Moreover, it begins to establish a bias in students against Asians. If a tragedy that developed in Europe was labelled as a “white virus”, people would be justifiably outraged. It is simply not helpful for these quotations to imply such negative things about an entire race, solely due to mistakes that are loosely related to the continent. Hispanic Americans, who make up the largest racial minority in our country, are barely mentioned throughout the entire textbook. Considering their impact on American history and culture, which is reflected in various parts of our society, this is a significant oversight and a slight to their role in our history. . In addition, LGBTQ+ Americans are scarcely mentioned throughout the book. Once again, considering their significant impact on American society, this is another large concern. The lack of emphasis on the contributions of both of these minority groups to American history can result in a harmful lack of understanding of these communities, and may contribute to them feeling as though their contributions are unimportant or insignificant. As stated earlier, this textbook is not entirely bad. It does an excellent job of providing examples of influential figures who identify as minorities, many of whom could possibly serve as role models for students of the same backgrounds. For instance, many noteworthy women are discussed within the book: Eleanor Roosevelt, who “powerfully influenced the policies of the national government” (AP, 34); Elizabeth Cady, who “demanded for women the right to own property, to enter the progressions, and, most daring of all, to vote” (AP, 40); and Carol Moseley-Braun, “the first African-American women elected to the U.S. Senate” (AP, 41). Small nods to important minority figures like these go a long way. They make students who identify with these figures feel validated, because they are able to see someone just like them be recognized and commended in a textbook. Minority students feel represented and recognized. The benefits even reflect on those who do not identify with these figures; when non-minority students learn that people of a certain group have influenced history, they are less likely to discriminate against those within those groups, or develop a bias against them. Instead, they will learn to be increasingly open, accepting and grateful towards minorities. It is clear that certain sections within American Pageant are in need of revision. Granted, the issues within the textbook are scarce, and those that do exist are short and often simply consequences of bad diction or syntax. However, such tiny indiscretions can potentially have harmful effects on the mindsets, actions and well being of the students that use the textbook. Not only is it crucial for future versions of American Pageant to address these passages, it is also important for the authors to ensure that they teach the histories of various minorities in a more complete and in depth manner. The same applies to all history textbook manufacturers nationwide. Inclusive education, which can be achieved through the use of increasingly comprehensive and representative textbooks, has been found to reap numerous benefits upon students and society. A clearer, more accurate picture of the history of our nation instills values such as open-mindedness, empathy and cultural sensitivity into future generations. A wider understanding of the different groups that make up our country will not only make minorities feel represented and valued, but will also lead to an overall more inclusive environment in the classroom. By acknowledging our country’s past mistakes, we can learn and grow stronger as a nation. Change can and should start in classrooms - within the textbooks that guide them. - Hannah While conducting a research project on the history textbooks used within my state, I discovered a number of quotations from a certain textbook that I found to be incredibly concerning. I wrote this article to spread awareness about the prevailing issue of inaccurate, incomplete and biased history textbooks that is widespread throughout American schools. Only by acknowledging our country’s past mistakes can we learn and grow as a nation. Change can and should start in classrooms - within the textbooks that guide them - which is why it is so crucial that we recognize the issue plaguing our countries' textbooks and aptly resolve the problem. Biography: My name is Hannah Cluroe, and I'm a half-Chinese high school student from Arizona, with a strong interest in politics and advocacy. I love writing because I feel that it serves as the perfect medium for me to express my views on a variety of issues affecting our world. You can find me on instagram at @hannahcluroe. Instagram: @hannahcluroe Cover Photo Source: Matthew Staver https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/8/26/20829771/slavery-textbooks-history

This piece is dedicated to A Thousand Years of Good Prayer by Yiyun Li. It takes five hundred years of prayers for strangers to pass by each other in this life, Popo arranges offerings on the family shrine. Oranges, apples and fluffy pink cakes. I stare at my ancestor’s red plaque, wondering if he's eating the food on the altar, nourishing his spirit in his afterlife. Popo prays for our future, my cousins' and mine. For our safety, our success, our happiness. I watch the ashes of the burning incense collecting into the pot. A mountain of ashes that is never emptied, years of fervent devotion condensed into a deep red bowl. It's said a thousand years of prayers are needed to be born into a good family. I look up into the cold ceramic eyes of the idol. Mother Kuan Yin, Mother of Mercy. Blocking out the screams and the shoves. It's about gambling this time. Bloody murder raging in veins, fire breathed into the room. I sit in front of the altar, paralyzed in fear. I wonder if popo prays to Mother Kuan Yin for peace, the same peace I pray for with my God. If popo stares helplessly into her beady eyes, the same way I cry while staring into Jesus's eyes. My migraine throbs against my temple as the screaming intensifies, more people join in the fight. The shrill tongues of Hakka lashing at each other. I start to hear sobs. I want to sob. Part of me is thankful I'm the youngest. I can pretend like nothing happened, that my words make no impact, that I will hold no obligation in this war and the next. I'll escape the moment I have an opening, as I usually do. I'll lie in my bed next to gugu and across popo. Listening to crickets and smelling the dung from our neighbor's pigs waft by. Wondering if reincarnation is real. If we were all horrible Buddhists, who performed horrible prayers. A short piece on the complex familial and religious relationships in Asian households. Biography: Joie is an American-born Malaysian Chinese college student. Her work mainly focuses on race, familial relationships and mental health in the Asian community. Instagram: @sadtinyasiangirl Cover Photo Source: Lion's Roar

i’d like to tell you about myself. silent, i sew— stitching together one’s once crooked nose, matching the girl’s papery skin where they meet, stapling them together with much care. tiny rivers of red cascade down her cheeks, yet as silent as a morgue the room remains. perhaps because this very room is what strips young girls of their playful souls— it is where they die once, to be reborn. no different do they feel, than before their encounter with Death. yet when they peer into the mirror, that’s when they realize; the reflection that stares back isn’t them. ---->cue fireworks of euphoria. lord! when they look for an elusive thing called happiness, they look no further than their local seamstress. why, oh why! must i stitch up their problems with a fragile thread, when the treasures they seek are hidden deep within them? "the seamstress" is a free-verse allegorical poem that features a seamstress, which is analogous to a plastic surgeon in modern society. This "seamstress" fixes girls' faces by "stitching" them up and fixing them and becomes increasingly frustrated as she knows that true beauty and depth lies in their character instead of their faces. I felt compelled to submit this to DAY as plastic surgery is something that is especially prevalent in Korea, as well as other Asian countries. Biography: Sena Chang is a Japanese musician, poet, and artist. In addition to writing poetry related mainly to her Asian heritage and Kafkaesque scenarios, Chang enjoys reading Haruki Murakami. Her most recent works have appeared or are forthcoming in Ayaskala Literary Magazine, Raised Brow Press, and The International Educator, amongst others. She tweets unprofessionally @senawrites. Instagram: @_senachang Cover Photo Source: Allure