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Asian Americans have long been a part of this nation’s fabric. The presence of Asians in America has been recorded as early as the 1760s. However, our impact, stories, struggles, and contributions to the United States for three centuries have been relegated to the margins.
When asked, over half of Americans surveyed could not name a prominent Asian American public figure, according to a 2022 CNBC report. On the big screen, whether it be Hollywood, the sports field, or the news, Asian American faces are missing. Despite comprising 6.1% of the population, less than 2% of movies released in 2022 centered on Asian American stories; players of Asian American descent constitute less than 4% of any professional sports league; and Asian American members make up just 0.9% of elected leaders across all levels of government. Across 31 states totaling 7,386 legislative seats, there are just 152 Asian American state legislators, according to Axios.
When the public does not see Asian American faces in media and leadership positions, we are subjected to harmful characterizations such as the perpetual foreigner who lacks creativity and leadership. These stereotypes manifest into microaggressions that harm Asian American individuals and communities. These characterizations create barriers for Asian Americans to achieve economic mobility, inflict physiological harm on Asian Americans, and continue to perpetuate systemic inequality.
Discrimination and racist immigrant policy
To understand the origins of Asian American invisibility, an examination of U.S. history is necessary. The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act is an example of the erasure of Chinese Americans: It was one of the first major and absolute bans on an ethnic group and lasted for more than 60 years. Chinese immigrants hoping to immigrate to the U.S. for work experienced additional restrictions, such as limited access to bail bonds and required identification certificates to avoid deportation. Though the Chinese Exclusion Act was finally repealed in 1943 with the Magnuson Act, which allowed for a quota of just 105 Chinese immigrants per year, its lasting impact continues to be felt by Chinese Americans. The act intensified discrimination against laborers and increased difficulty in obtaining citizenship. As such, Chinese Americans struggled to achieve positions in media and the government, setting the stage for the lack of representation we see today.
The most visible example of racist policies is arguably Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942, which greenlit the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Over 100,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated, incarcerated, and stripped of their civil liberties at the internment camps, where they experienced harsh living conditions.
These laws are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of how Asian Americans have been systematically discriminated against throughout U.S. history, attempting to erase the Asian American presence in this country.
Asian American visibility
Asian Americans are American. Multiple concurrent efforts are needed to combat invisibility. Members of the Asian American community must become more engaged in many fields of work and service to bring to light our experiences and contributions. Private and public collaboration with local Asian American groups is crucial to increase representation. Government, nonprofit, and media associations must intentionally promote the Asian American community.
Education is another crucial tool for improving Asian American visibility. Recent research conducted by Maryland Delegate Chao Wu’s interns, including Lily Peng, reported that in Maryland’s curricula, Asian Americans were mentioned in just 5% and 33% of content topics in middle and high school U.S. history frameworks, respectively.
The majority of these references place the Asian American community in the context of war and conflict, which brings attention to the struggles and hardships of the community but fails to celebrate its achievements and successes. Changing narratives and including a representative version of Asian American history in school curricula is critical to avoid a self-fulfilling prophecy where low discourse is a barrier to change.
The struggle for Asian American visibility is a continuous effort by community members to uproot deep, systemic issues. As of now, seven states — California, Colorado, Illinois, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey and Oregon — have enacted legislation requiring the inclusion of Asian American studies in their K-12 curriculum.
With action happening now to uplift Asian Americans and diversify narratives about the community, particularly through education curricula, there is hope for a nation where Asian Americans are seen.
Lily Peng and Emma Lu are students at River Hill High School, and Eileen Wu is a student at Clarksville Middle School, Howard County, Maryland. Judy Zhou (jz711@georgetown.edu) is a student in the Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. Linfeng Chen (linfeng.chen@gmail.com) is a board member and Yun Lu (yun.lu@hcpss.org) is the vice chair of the Howard County Board of Education. Julie Yang (julie_yang@mcpsmd.org) is a member of the Montgomery County Board of Education, Maryland. Chao Wu (chao.wu@house.state.md.us) is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates District 9A and a former member of the Howard County Board of Education.
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