. Posted by Sherrie Thai by Shaireproductions.com .
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. Posted by Sherrie Thai by Shaireproductions.com .
Stop Asian/AAPI Hate Poster Art. Free Printable File Download is available:
Stop Asian Hate: https://shaireproductions.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/StopAsianHate-Download.jpg
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
-Nelson Mandela
Someone asked me why Asian Americans haven’t spoken up against the racism they’ve experienced until now. We have, but no one listened.
While Asians have experienced racism in America since the 1800s, issues that were brought up, were often dismissed–that their experiences didn’t matter and were “statistically insignificant”. In other cases, some accounts of racism go unchecked and unreported due to fear/retaliation, language barriers, or thinking that it wouldn’t matter as nothing could be done. Even when speaking up, the suppression olympics and the Model Minority stereotype creates the notion that the Asian voices don’t matter, because of the false perception of financial success or white-adjacency, when some immigrant Asians struggle with poverty and are marginalized with lack of resources and support. When stereotypes and hate-based jokes spread, internalized hate festers, escalating into micro-aggressions and violence. This anti-Asian hate didn’t form only within the last year with the coronavirus hate-speech (blaming Asians for the virus), but it has added fuel which unfortunately, normalized overt racism. The portrayal of Asians in media/Hollywood have perpetuated racist stereotypes of being considered the enemy, perpetual foreigners, culturally interior, exotic fetishes, submissive, punchlines and during the past year, as a political pawn. Historically, Asians in America and immigrants have always been blamed for various misfortunes (leading to the Chinese Exclusion Act, lynchings, Japanese internment camps, murders, etc), and it seems that history is repeating itself. It’s unfortunate that it took multiple deaths through video footages for mainstream media and politicians to pay attention. However, with social media giving power to people to mobilize, there is more conversation on racial justice, and thus, more accountability.
We have to do better–speak up for what is right and to work towards a better future. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but this is a start. Words and actions matter. We ALL deserve to be here.
Steps to combat the hate:
-Educate Yourself
-Become an Ally
-Mobilize (speak up, volunteer, donate)
If you see racism on the streets, don’t be a bystander. @ihollagram (with support from @hateisavirus and @advancingjustice_aajc) have created Bystander Intervention Training.
-Combat racism with solidarity (interracial dialogue and understanding)
-Spread the love and support each other: Check in on the AAPI community/friends, have conversations, support AAPI-owned businesses, ultimately, be a positive force.
#stopasianhate #stopaapihate #standwithasians #hateisavirus #stopracism #asianamerican @acttochange
. Posted by Sherrie Thai by Shaireproductions.com .
This Chinese Takeout container graphic was created to raise awareness about the increased overt racism faced by Asians during these Covid times. Anti-Asian rhetoric from ignorant leadership has created pandemic scapegoating, igniting additional violence, and xenophobia. In Chinatowns within the US, small business owners’ loss of income has sometimes amounted to 90% due to the racism with joblessness at 80% (according to NBC), displacing community members with no where to go, especially with economic and language barriers. For Asian-Americans, the fear and anxiety is three-fold — from obtaining the virus, being targeted and losing their livelihood.
The Model Minority myth created by politicians and media (since the 60s) have hurt the Asian community as social and economic services have passed over community members in poverty, voices are silenced/dismissed, while pitting races against each other. As in the 60s with the civil rights movement, history has taught us that speaking out for our rights is a fundamental need. Promoting multiracial solidarity while building strong dialog/relationships between all communities is important to combat the hate. It is an ongoing work-in-progress, but one which we need to constantly nurture.
While times are tough, please support local businesses and consider the people behind the counter, especially when craving that delicious noodle dish or boba 🙂
Additional resources:
@hateisavirus_ : https://hateisavirus.org/
@advancingjustice_aajc : https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/
@stopaapihate : https://stopaapihate.org/
. Posted by Sherrie Thai by Shaireproductions.com .
Revisiting Bayon, Angkor Wat piece with an uplifting atmosphere, as a tribute to my grandfather, Lawrence, who recently passed at the ripe age of 100. He was a 2nd-generation Chinese born in Cambodia to a family of shipbuilders. In the 1970s, he escaped the Khmer Rouge genocide with nearly 20 other family members. After years in multiple refugee camps across Asia, a US military plane from Thailand brought them to the US. Lawrence then worked humbly as a janitor for the local Hotel Claremont. Following his retirement, Lawrence practiced and taught martial arts for 30 years, freely to anyone who had a desire to learn at the public parks by Lake Merritt Bart / Oakland Chinatown, eventually amassing 100 followers of different nationalities and was recognized by the city for his community service with a Citizen of the Year Award. Years later, when I told him that I was going to visit Cambodia, his eye glimmered with pride and excitement and I knew that his heart always remained there.
. Posted by Sherrie Thai by Shaireproductions.com .
I was saddened to read of the racial backlash on the Asian community during these perilous Coronavirus/ Covid-19 times, the discrimination and violence due to the xenophobia among global communities, heightened by so-called leaders who spoke out of ignorance, poisoning minds and propagating hatred. With the shelter-in-place, I read about the rise in domestic violence, the ousting of different peoples, and the widening the disparity between the have and have-nots.
When creating this piece, I thought about the Texas family who was stabbed while shopping by an ignoramus who thought they were Chinese, and infecting people. The drawing is also about the “intimate terrorism” of women who are enduring the cowardly actions of their abuser, of all those who are scared for their safety due to the actions of others.
This emotional drawing was inspired by the works of Kathe Kollwitz, “Death Seizing a Woman” and her powerful depictions of people dealing with poverty and war. I wanted to capture the fear and drama of the moment–the main figure running from the darkness surrounding her, while protecting her child. I was also inspired by Dion Lim’s reports and support on the Asian Community, and the fascinating activist works of Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom (chung.woolrim).
Posted by Sherrie Thai of ShaireProductions.com
Chinese Lion Dance is in honor of the Chinese/Lunar New Year, so many happy thoughts going out!
Like many of my recent pieces, this was created initially by hand with pen/ink, then scanned and cleaned up in Photoshop. I created the elements, primarily the lion and ground, separately (see Chrysanthemum Floral Design post), then collaged them together and added slight color highlights. I wanted to keep the colors of the lion very subtle, so the viewer could concentrate on the details of the patterns, rather than be distracted by lots of color. Red is the Chinese color of luck and the symbol in the top right represents happiness.
I’ve been meaning to create an illustration of Chinese Lions and the Lunar New Year is a great opportunity. They’re always so fascinating, especially after performing with a troupe with some folks in Oakland (many moons ago). I never tire of the tradition nor the pageantry.
