On June 1, 2020, I launched a pre-order for t-shirts and totes featuring original artwork to help raise awareness in the wake of George Floyd’s unjust death. Together, in less than two weeks, we raised over $500 which was donated to Black Visions Collective, an organization that utilizes donations to further transformative justice principles, develop Minnesota’s black leadership, and promote the truth that all Black Lives Matter.

In anticipation of Juneteenth—an annual holiday on June 19th that commemorates the emancipation of slavery in the United States—and in recognition of the continual work needed to dismantle systemic racism, I am revitalizing the same artwork from a year ago and repackaging my design into BLM acrylic pins, prints, and stickers. My hope is that by wearing an acrylic pin or displaying a print or sticker through this second installment of the Wear Your Mind initiative, it invites continued conversation, continued awareness, continued action and continued compassion.

Pre-order for the acrylic pins and prints will be from 6/1/21 to 6/6/21 (stickers will be available year-round) with the goal of all orders arriving before June 19th. 25% of proceeds from the acrylic pins, prints, and stickers will be donated to Black Visions Collective.

The following are resources that I have found helpful:

Journal articles:

1. An Existential-Humanistic Perspective on Black Lives Matter and Contemporary Protest Movements. Read here.

   (This is a broad overview of the BLM movement, protests, and privilege)

2. Racial Disparities in Fatal Police Shootings: An Empirical Analysis Informed by Critical Race Theory. Read here. (This provides a synopsis of the Critical Race Theory and its application to public health issues)

3. Advancing Health Equity by Addressing the Social Determinants of Health in Family Medicine (Position Paper). Read here.

   (This outlines the social determinants of health that contribute to societal inequities)

Books:

1. Critical Race Theory: An Introduction, Second Edition by Richard Delgado

Websites:

1. Black Lives Matter (official movement page). Visit here.

2. Black Visions Collective. Visit here.

3. Race Forward Research Reports. Visit here.

4. Resources for Exploring Systemic Racism. Visit here.

5. Milner Library Illinois State University Systemic Racism Resources. Visit here.

Instagram accounts:

1. @blklivesmatter

2. @blackvisionscollective

3. @antiracismdaily

4. @readaboutracism

Donation history:

I contacted Black Visions Collective and they are unfortunately no longer accepting donations. Instead, $46.00 was donated to the Advancement Project on 6.25.21. You can view the donation receipt here.

*25% of all BLM sticker proceeds will continue to be donated.

Disease does not and will never discriminate based upon skin color or national origin, yet the recent hateful, violent, and xenophobic actions against Asian Americans bely this fact. COVID-19 has illuminated the deep-rooted anti-Asian sentiments that are and have been pervasive in America for too long. So, in actuality, there is no “recency” to this disease racialization; rather, the pandemic has highlighted the stark re-emergence of the practice of Asian “othering:” the stereotype that Asian Americans are perpetual foreigners and by virtue of being foreigners, they are inherently “dirty” and “diseased.”

When will Asian Americans be able to stop having to prove their patriotism? That their phenotypic Asian ethnic appearance is not linked to foreignness? Despite immigrant or generational status, Asian Americans are somehow never perceived as truly American. I am horrified, angry, and heartbroken that racially charged hate crimes have been committed by citizens of this country, let alone against fellow Americans. Because Asian Americans ARE Americans.

Tragically, it isn’t surprising that xenophobia has erupted at the heels of COVID-19, as this story has been told and retold in our history. We are witnessing the repetitive narrative of America using minority populations as convenient scapegoats in times of crisis.

The Xenophobia Collection is the first of many installments of the Wear Your Mind initiative. I am proud that this collection is a reflection of my heritage and person and allows me to support the Stop Asian Hate movement that will hopefully one day not have to exist.

To try to make an even bigger impact, I am increasing the donation to hateisavirus.org to 25% of the proceeds of all of the remaining products (3% of proceeds donated from 3.19.21-4.5.21). You can read more about hateisavirus.org here.

The following are resources that I have found helpful:

Journal articles:

1. The Anxiety of Being Asian American: Hate Crimes and Negative Biases During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Read here.

2. Anti-Asian Hate Crime During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Exploring the Reproduction of Inequality. Read here.

3. Anti-Asian racism, Black Lives Matter, and COVID-19. Read here.

Further reading:

1. How to Respond to Coronavirus Racism. Read here.

2. What Is the Model Minority Myth? Read here.

Instagram accounts:

1. @sendchinatownlove

2. @stopAAPIhate

3. @racismisavirus

4. @stopdiscriminasian

Webinar:

1. Unapologetically Asian by Cori Dioquino (hosted by Johns Hopkins University) on March 24th from 6:30-8:00pm. If you missed the webinar, here are two books she suggested: “The Making of Asian America” by Erika Lee and “The Myth of the Model Minority: Asian Americans Facing Racism” by Rosalind S. Chou.

Donation history:

$66.00 was donated to Hate is a Virus on 4.27.21. You can view the donation receipt here.

*Donations will be continually made until all products are sold.