40 years of Hello Kitty in two and a half minutes. You’re welcome. - Alice
Yesterday, Fred Phelps, Sr. Died.
Our friends at GetEQUAL posted this. And I had to repost it:
WASHINGTON, DC — Early this morning, Fred Phelps Sr., founder of Westboro Baptist Church, died in hospice care. GetEQUAL — a national social justice organization working toward the full equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Americans — issued the following statement in response to this news:
Fred Phelps Sr. passed away this morning, and we lift up his humanity especially as we know that his family is grieving his loss. Mr. Phelps caused very real pain and trauma for thousands of Americans, especially for those in the LGBTQ community but also for the families of fallen service members. It is our hope that those hurt by his words and actions will find healing. It is our hope that his family will one day find space in their hearts to recognize the humanity of LGBTQ individuals. And it is our hope that people across the United States commit or re-commit themselves to working toward equality and justice for all as a lasting legacy of Mr. Phelps’ life.
There will always be those who are so in pain themselves that they feel compelled to inflict pain on others. We re-commit ourselves today to loving those who hate us. We re-commit ourselves today to seeing the humanity in those who cannot or will not see it in us. And we re-commit ourselves today to working toward an America that is free of that pain — an America in which LGBTQ folks can live and love openly. On this day, we stand with our LGBTQ sisters and brothers across the country to say, with certainty, that we see that day over the horizon and that we will work until our hands bleed to bring about that day with a deep and abiding urgency.
Teenager evades security, climbs to top of World Trade Center
Talk about a security breach…
NYC officials are investigating how a 16-year-old thrill seeker slipped past security guards to ascend to the top of the (still under construction!) 1 World Trade Center building. -MTP
If you needed evidence that 80-20’s fearmongering on affirmative action is stuck in the past, here it is. Apparently S.B. Woo hasn’t been reading the news. For the past 50 years.
S.B. Woo and 80-20 don’t speak for all Asian Americans. Especially not when he’s saying crap like this. - CM
S.B. Woo and 80-20 don’t speak for all Asian Americans. Especially not when he’s saying crap like this. - CM
Laws banning abortion? BAD. Laws banning abortion based on stereotypes that racially profile women of color? SUPER BAD!!
Read more about Arizona’s HB2443 and efforts to stop it by the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) and the NAACP. -Alice
Jason Fong, right, with a Redondo Union High School wrestling teammate.
SCA5 raised the ire of some Asian American organizations who felt it would hurt Asian American applicants by decreasing the available spots on college campuses. Some, such as the 80-20 National Asian American Political Action Committee, have gone so far as to say that “SCA5 is a ‘Yellow Peril Act’, a 21st century version of the ‘Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882’, aimed specifically to impose a quota-like ceiling on the AsAm students… .” This sort of rhetoric might be effective in rousing up supporters, but it both misrepresents the intended purpose of SCA5, which is to work towards greater access for underrepresented groups in higher education, and minimizes the ugliness and racism of some aspects of U.S. public policy.
14-year-old guest blogger Jason Fong tells it like it is: young Asian Americans see value and justice in affirmative action.
You might be noticing that I’ve started signing our Tumblr posts, and that’s because Alice Wong & Mark Putterman are joining the team maintaining our Tumblr (and Facebook).
Learn more about Alice & Mark (and the whole 18MR crew). - CM
Writer Ankur Thakkar Tells a Bollywood-Inspired Story Through Twitter - The Aerogram
Writer Ankur Thakkar told a Bollywood-inspired story through visual tweets yesterday. Check it out.
Well-played. - CM
The painful story of 4-year-old Allison Liao’s death in a traffic accident raises the question: how can New York City better protect pedestrians? (And does de Blasio’s plan have what it takes to solve the problem?)
Listen at WNYC.org. - CM
Listen at WNYC.org. - CM
Triangle-Area Asian American Student Conference (TAASCON 2014!)
Registration for TAASCON 2014, the Triangle-Area Asian American Student Conference, is now LIVE! The theme is focused on identity and identity-formation - “SELF: Stories Empowering Love and Fortitude,” and we want you to be there on April 12, 2014. We have a phenomenal conference planned, but you have to act soon. By registering today, you will meet our 3 incredible keynotes, whose names will be released soon. You will also attend workshops on Asian American identity, politics, and culture. You will eat well and experience amazing performances. But most importantly of all, you will meet hundreds of college students passionately engaged with contemporary Asian America. Go here to register and take advantage of this incredible opportunity. Registration is free for all students and only $10 for non-students. We hope to see you there.
If you are interested in presenting a workshop, please submit your idea by 11:59pm, March 29, 2014 here.
Visit our website http://duketaascon.wix.com/2014 to meet this year’s conference board, and follow us on twitter @TAASCON2014 for updates!