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How does our (as a nation) pre-conceived stereotyping of Asian Americans and their journeys affect their livelihood?

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How are Asian American identities portrayed through literature and other means?

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What connections might we see between Asian American identity stereotyping and the stereotyping of other minorities in America?

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SL.11-12.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

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W.11-12.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

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W.11-12.8 Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

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Anchor Text: The Best We Could Do: By Thi Bui

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Anchor Text: The Best We Could Do: By Thi Bui

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This story, either defined best as a graphic novel or illustrative memoir, takes a deep and uncensored look into the journey of a family as they immigrate into America from Vietnam. Told out of synchronous order, this story pulls the reader back and forth across various dilemmas, such as forced childhood trauma and the logistics of immigrating. This story is, at its core, a story of necessary survival and the wounds that come from it.

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Asian American artists' take on culture and identity: A New York Times Article

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Asian American artists' take on culture and identity: A New York Times Article

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What a better way to understand a modern scope of Asian American experience than through the perspective of 11 Asian American artists? Their quick blurbs are unique, and each contributes to my appreciation in their own way. One important takeaway- that many of these experiences revolve around pride of their identities and upbringings- not on their deficits.

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We asked 11 illustrators of Asian descent to create a self-portrait, reflecting on their heritage, their stories of immigration and how they identify as an Asian-American.

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This website, the link into a documentary, focuses on the uprising of Vietnamese nail salons across the U.S. It shows us how these men and women came into their own in America, and how they managed to find a niche for their identity and culture in a harsh environment.

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This story is about much more than one boy. It's about identity and mental disorders, and how they can affect a growing teenager. Darius doesn't feel like he belongs anywhere, whether in America or Iran and tied together in a nice little bow with his clinical depression, Darius has to find his own way through life.

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Much like the documentary source, this article from nbcnews takes a look at Vietnamese nail salons. What it does differently is take action in calling attention to the COVID crisis and how this group was adversely effected by the closing of retail and services.

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It also stung, Vietnamese manicurists said, when the governor made repeated but so far unsubstantiated claims that California's first case of community transmission happened in a nail salon. The assertion caused them to worry about not only the racist backlash it might spark - the group Stop AAPI Hate has tallied more than 2,500 reports of anti-Asian discrimination since March - but also the long-term effects on their livelihoods.

"How devastating as an industry for him to say that without any clear data, without any clear science," Nguyen said. "It rocked consumer confidence." (The governor's office didn't respond to requests for comment.)

A majority of California is in the most restrictive tier, including Orange, Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties, home to the three largest Vietnamese populations in the state - leaving most nail salons closed. That's true, as well, of Pham's home, Marin County, and she is stuck wondering when, or whether, her job will resume.

She's tried to find work at other salons, but to no avail. And the longer she goes without work or adequate unemployment benefits, the more anxious she becomes.

Pham is among the 91 percent of manicurists who applied for unemployment insurance during the pandemic, according to a recent survey by UCLA and the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative. The study also found that, because of language barriers, lack of awareness and other obstacles, over 40 percent of those workers needed help to do so.

The California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative offers such assistance. In addition to helping workers file for unemployment benefits, it distributes protective equipment, creates Vietnamese-language safety training videos and reopening guidelines and manages a COVID-19 response care fund. Since May, it has given $250 micro-grants to over 250 manicurists, according to program coordinator Vu Nguyen, 90 percent of them Vietnamese women.

Pham hopes she can earn a living wage again soon, but the possible risks weigh heavily on her. "I'm so scared to go back to work," she said. "I want the money to pay all my bills, my rent, my food, for everything. I want to go back to work, but I'm worried."

Health and safety are major concerns among manicurists, said Winnie Kao, a general counsel at the Asian Law Caucus, which has been fielding questions from employees. Much of their apprehension stems from whether they can count on the public to do its part to keep them safe, especially if a customer refuses to wear a mask. "Unfortunately, there are customers who think their own comfort and entitlement to a manicure or pedicure is more important than the safety of the workers, owners, and other customers in the salon," Kao wrote in an email.

A majority of employees say they want to go back to work. But in a population that was already vulnerable before the pandemic, with 76 percent classified as low-wage workers (more than twice the national rate across industries), it's likely that many believe they don't have much choice.

The pandemic, according to the UCLA-California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative study, has only highlighted and magnified the need for better support systems and labor protections. Three in 4 manicurists' pre-coronavirus earnings fell below $600 a week - less than unemployment wages under the expired CARES Act. And undocumented workers ineligible for such programs, Kao said, are stranded without any adequate safety net.

Pham is afraid that all her employable skills and training are for an industry that may never fully recover. And her fear is far from unfounded, said Nguyen of Nailing It, who also runs Advanced Beauty College. It's estimated that 30 percent to 50 percent of nail salons shuttered during the pandemic will stay closed permanently.

"The industry won't look like before," Pham said, adding that she's not sure what other job she'd do to make a living. "I just want a normal life. ... That's all."

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Vietnamese nail salon workers face a triple COVID-19 toll after being left behind in reopening

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It also stung, Vietnamese manicurists said, when the governor made repeated but so far unsubstantiated claims that California's first case of community transmission happened in a nail salon. The assertion caused them to worry about not only the racist backlash it might spark - the group Stop AAPI Hate has tallied more than 2,500 reports of anti-Asian discrimination since March - but also the long-term effects on their livelihoods.

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While oriented towards an older, more mature audience, Bao Phi is a poet that isn't afraid to speak the truth. His works, compiled into this short collection, speak out about the ostracization he encounters as an Asian American living in our country

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I find that analyzing two different works from the same author provides the reader with a deeper understanding, so when looking for good supplementary pieces for the anchor text, this stood out to me. Written from the same author of Song I Song, Bao Phi, and Illustrated by Thi Bui, who wrote our anchor text The Best We Could Do, this picture book has it all for me. You definitely don't have to read either of those previous works to appreciate the beauty of this story though.

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Eyes that Kiss in the Corners: By Joanna Ho

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Eyes that Kiss in the Corners: By Joanna Ho

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Tempered towards a younger audience, this story focuses on the importance of self acceptance through identity. Our main protagonist is making loving connections to her family because of the shape and color of her eyes, a distinctly genetic Asian feature that may otherwise be viewed in a negative light [unfortunately :(]

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This novella, much like our anchor text, tells the story of a young Asian as he is forced out of his homeland and immigrates to America. This story, though largely focusing on racism, trauma, and abuse, also leads to discovery as our protagonist finds his place within a world of Punk Rock and literature. Though it can be humorous at times (bonus points for the title pun), this story is definitely worth a read.

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In an article from time, Eric Nam spoke about how difficult it would be to make it as an Asian American musical artist in America. This interview is pretty telling of his story.

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Eric Nam Made It as a K-Pop Star. Now He Wants to Make It Back Home in America

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The artist talks to TIME about his new album, 'Before We Begin,' and improving Asian-American representation in the American music industry.

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Eric Nam is a modern day kpop star, but before that, he was a young boy looking to make his way as an artist in America. This is one of his many songs that he's written and sung in English- his native language, and the language which he had to abandon in his songwriting because of his need to begin his career in Asia.

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Eric Nam (에릭남) - 'Congratulations (Feat. Marc E. Bassy)' MV

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One of the most powerful forms of media and art in this generation is music. Our youth show statistically that hip hop and rap are among the most influential music forms, and in this TED Talk, Akala compares the art of rap to the art of Shakespeare. The connections are clear and quite mind boggling.

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Hip-Hop & Shakespeare? Akala at TEDxAldeburgh

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This piece of art, along with others, is the work of Felicia Liang, a Tawainese artist whose work shows the clear influence of Asian American living. This particular piece displays Chinatown storefronts in aesthetically pleasing ivory and red color scheme. Felicia Liang has an Etsy store that's full of pretty amazing art!

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Similar to "Congratulations", this is one of Eric Nam's more popular songs... This piece, however, is written and spoken in Korean. Nam's identity and his story are as unique and diverse as his songs...

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Asian Doesn't Start with an A+: a TED Talk by Olivia Lai

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Asian Doesn't Start with an A+: a TED Talk by Olivia Lai

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This TED Talk, told from the perspective of an Asian teenager, focuses on the effects of being labeled as a "model minority". She speaks of the pressure of being stereotyped as a perfect student, and how the view of her heritage as a grade lays the foundation for a stressful and distracting upbringing

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Asian Doesn’t Start with A+ | Olivia Lai | TEDxPhillipsAcademyAndover

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The website says it all. Asian American injustice is clear and present in modern America unfortunately. This website is a clear space for discussion and advocacy for the spread of knowledge and the removal of xenophobic harassment.

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We use legal advocacy to influence key civil rights issues that have significant impact on Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and immigrant communities. Support our litigation campaign.

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Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC: Home

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We use legal advocacy to influence key civil rights issues that have significant impact on Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and immigrant communities. Support our litigation campaign.