Asian American |

Excerpt from "I Want the Wide American Earth." (Source: Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center)

Bhagat Singh Thind, the e-comic

September 16, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In conjunction with their traveling exhibition entitled “I Want the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story,” the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center released an e-comic book that provides snapshots of Asian American history: “I want the Wide American Earth: An Asian American E-Comic” is an illustrated adaptation of the “I want the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story” banner exhibition. Produced in collaboration with SI Universe Media, creators of the first-ever Asian Pacific American comics anthology, […]

Categories: Art, Civil Rights, Events • Tags: Asian American, Bhagat Singh Thind, comics, I Want the Wide American Earth, Pacific Islander, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

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(Photo: Steve Rhodes/Flickr. Source: Asian American Writers' Workshop))

Are Asians Trayvon Martin?

August 21, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, I.Y. Lee discusses the Asian American experience in the context of the murder of Trayvon Martin: We are highly educated but increasingly unemployed, growing in political clout but under-represented, examples of the American success story who have on occasion been beaten, tortured, and killed for our race. To move beyond this binary, Asian Americans must find a politics that, through solidarity and activism, breaks the de facto apartheid that creates it. Read more here. […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Hate Crimes • Tags: Asian American, Asian American Writers Workshop, George Zimmerman, I.W. Yee, Trayvon Martin

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President Barack Obama (source: White House)

President Obama recognizes history, challenges for AAPI communities

May 1, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In his proclamation to commemorate the month of May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, President Obama not only celebrates Asian American/Pacific Islander communities, but also recognizes the continuing challenges these communities have faced in this country: For many in the AAPI community, that story is one also marked by lasting inequality and bitter wrongs. Immigrants seeking a better life were often excluded, subject to quotas, or denied citizenship because of their race. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Events, Hate Crimes, Politics • Tags: Asian American, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Barack Obama, hate crimes, Pacific Islander, Pacific Islander Heritage Month, White House

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Asian Americans (source: New York Times)

The problem with “Asian American”

December 21, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

A recent article in The Economist discusses the complexities of the “Asian American” classification as a demographic category (via @sepiamutiny): But is the term “Asian-American” anything more than a convenient shorthand? The ancestral lands of the people it covers are home to most of the world’s population. Unlike the vast bulk of Latinos, Asian-Americans speak different languages and worship different deities from one another. Almost two-thirds of Latinos are of Mexican ancestry. But the biggest Asian subgroup, Chinese-Americans, make up […]

Categories: Reflections • Tags: Asian American

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Presidential campaigns speak to Sikh and Asian American issues

July 31, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Ten days ago, representatives of President Barack Obama and Republican candidate for president Mitt Romney participated in a town hall organized by APIAVote to speak to Asian American issues. Rep. Mike Honda, attending on behalf of the President, offered the Sikh greeting to acknowledge the community: Honda, a Democrat from California who is chair emeritus of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, gave a shout-out to the Sikh community before answering questions on behalf of the Obama campaign. “Saat Sri […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Events, Politics • Tags: APIAVote, Asian American, Barack Obama, Mike Honda, Mitt Romney, Presidential Town Hall, SALDEF, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Tim Davis

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Sikhs are the proud 1% – of Asian Americans

July 24, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The Pew Forum has released the second report based on their survey of Asian Americans. The first report, The Rise of Asian Americans, was an analysis of the survey data based on a variety of demographic metrics. The second report – entitled Asian Americans: a Mosaic of Faiths – looks at the survey data through the religious lens: When it comes to religion, the Asian-American community is a study in contrasts, encompassing groups that run the gamut from highly religious […]

Categories: Reports/Studies • Tags: Asian American, Asian Americans: a Mosaic of Faiths, Pew Forum of Religion and Public Life, Pew Research Center, The Rise of Asian Americans

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The stories that photos tell

January 13, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Julianne Hing, at The Atlantic, reflects on her own feelings about being an Asian American after seeing a black-and-white photo of Sikhs from 1945: Knowing that I have a history that is much bigger than my own small life makes me feel like I have the right to be in this country, and an obligation to defend my community and other people society would be more comfortable labeling perpetual unwelcome outsiders. View a higher resolution of this photo here. Similarly […]

Categories: Picture of the Day, Reflections • Tags: Asian American, Julianne Hing, Sikh Pioneers, The Atlantic

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Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Tag: Asian American

Bhagat Singh Thind, the e-comic

Are Asians Trayvon Martin?

President Obama recognizes history, challenges for AAPI communities

The problem with “Asian American”

Presidential campaigns speak to Sikh and Asian American issues

Sikhs are the proud 1% – of Asian Americans

The stories that photos tell