At PowerTools, we are enraged and heartbroken at the increase in violence, terror, and harassment against the Asian/American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. We recognize the terrorism and trauma embedded in each attack. We also know that these latest incidents are a part of a larger context of white supremacy that has plagued and shaped the United States since its inception. As we mark a year since the murder of Breonna Taylor with no justice, and a year since the inception of regularly-used xenophobic language around coronavirus, not only do we continue to educate ourselves to fight against white supremacy and the terror invoked against the BIPOC and AAPI communities, but we continue to support educators and school staff to do the same. Our goal is to help create more inclusive, anti-racist schools and classroom communities. We continue to work towards un-whitewashing the narrative. Please join us.

Here are some steps we can all take right now as educators and those who works with youth:

1) Educate yourself and your students about the rich, complex history of Asians in America. Highlight how AAPI helped build this country, how they’ve been oppressed by this country, and the amazing stories of resilience that abound. For a wide lens, we like PBS’ Asian Americans documentary series.

2) Build your awareness of biases against AAPI communities. Educate yourself on the current, horrifying wave of attacks against AAPI with an article like this. At the same time, recognize that America has a long history of perpetuating the racist thinking that propels these attacks. Try National Geographic’s America’s long history of scapegoating its Asian citizens or Business Insider’s The US has a long history of discriminating against Asians and once banned Chinese people from becoming citizens for 60 years.

3) Include Asian voices and images in your curricula. Are you teaching about Yuri Kochiyama when you teach about the Civil Rights era, for example? Are you including the stories of these amazing Asian American women forging space exploration or AAPI women like them when you honor Women’s History Month? Are your students reading books by Asian authors like these or these? Do you include images of Asian folks in your slide shows, your posters, your clip art?

4) Recognize the trauma that goes along with witnessing both the recent rash of attacks on AAPI community and the lack of action being taken. Check in on your Asian American Pacific Islander students and colleagues. And take care of yourself. These Mental Health Resources Were Created For the AAPI Community, and They're Available If You Need Help was recently posted by Popsugar.

5) Representation is key. Are students seeing staff and leaders that are from the AAPI communities?

6) Boost inclusion by ensuring that documents are translated before distribution and that all staff are using the phone translators available for interactions with family members and caregivers.

6) Be an “Upstander”. We really like, and our team is watching a Bystander Intervention Training called, Stop AAPI Hate: Towards Prevention and Solidarity . Join us.

Please share any additional resources, thoughts, and strategies. We’re in this together, we learn from each other, and it’s up to us to support and protect each other.