A Reflection On Asian Americans’ Political Resistance

When I started my freshman year at UD in Fall ‘24, I was beyond excited to join the APIDA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American) community here. Planning for college in high school, I was eager to finally escape the predominantly white community I was surrounded by. Despite UD’s PWI status, I knew that anyone of any background could find community here. So when it came time for the Involvement Fair, I ran to all of the Asian RSOs I could find. Since then, participating in these RSOs has been an amazing experience for me – the clubs are phenomenal at cultivating fun and cultural events. While I am happy with UD APIDA, I felt that our community is missing something. We put on sensational artistic performances and celebrate the cultures of our homelands, and we enjoy our casual time together drinking boba, playing Valorant, and attending raves. However, I have observed that our youth seldom give attention to the issues that we experience as Americans. Coming to UD, I was motivated not only to find a community I could socialize with, but also to find an opportunity to engage with my Asian American identity. Thus, I question not only UD APIDA’s, but also all Asian Americans’capability to cultivate social and political change. 

With the prevalence of protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during Donald Trump’s presidency, I have observed a loud silence from Asian Americans. And Asians have not been excluded from xenophobia at all – in fact, no racial, ethnic, or national background is exempt from this. There are countless Asian immigrant deaths in ICE detention centers, including 32-year-old Chaofeng Ge, 46-year-old Parady La, and 59-year-old Lorth Sim. National outrage was sparked by Renee Good and Alex Pretti’s murders. 

We also should not forget the history of the Asian immigrants who helped build this country, as all other immigrants did. From the Chinese Exclusion Act to the Japanese Internment, Asian Americans have persevered. Our history is complex, and we must acknowledge and carry its legacy. 

However, we are being held back by an issue that Asian Americans are guilty of: “neutrality”. 

I quote neutrality as it is complicit towards oppressive systems rather than being truly neutral. We act neutral due to our decision to assimilate with white Americans. The model minority is very much a myth, but we ourselves choose to be in proximity to whiteness. Despite the model minority myth perpetuated on Asian Americans, we conform to Western culture’s expectations 

because we want to be approved by those in power, who are systemically white. In context, pro-ICE Asian immigrants could be praised by white Americans for immigrating “the correct way”, encouraging assimilation into Western culture. It should not be that we choose to use our privilege to submit to the systems in power, but instead use our conditional proximity to whiteness to help marginalized peoples. As a youth, we are privileged enough to relax on social media and purchase the little things we love, but we turn a blind eye to what’s happening right outside. Young Asian Americans have that power to make a change, but we have not seemed to figure that out yet. Our silence as a community has only shown tolerance to the oppressors in power. The fight should not be limited only to the underrepresented, who have continuously raised their voices to be shut down.

I am writing this as a call to action to the UD APIDA community. I believe that we have a lot of potential to make a difference both on campus and in Delaware. A few APIDA RSOs at other universities have started to address recent issues, whether it be by providing resources or donating to charity. Plentiful ideas can be laid on the table for UD: spreading awareness, historical GBMs, collaborating with activism groups, anything helps! These don’t have to be big protests, and we shouldn’t go all out with everything. These ideas should also be engaging and not just presentations. I give credit to the FSA Mental Health GBM and the APSA History of Boba GBM, as some ideas we can inspire ourselves from, as their GBM structures give both the opportunity to learn and interact. For the Asian American youth, the best steps we can take are to recognize our history of justice and activism and reflect on how we can help now. We have been resistant throughout history, and we still can continue to be.