Dear Aunty & Uncle: Let’s Talk About Solidarity

Dear Aunty & Uncle,

Last time, we talked about Black Lives Matter.

Now, some of you may be thinking “this isn’t even about us, so why should we care about all of this?”

And I understand that it can be difficult to see why we should make an effort to do more if it doesn’t seem to be affecting us or our lives. So today, let’s talk SOLIDARITY.

SOLIDARITY & ALLYSHIP

When we say we want to stand in solidarity with black people, it means we want to stand up for what is right and support the black community’s voices, concerns and lives.

Even though we are not a part of the black community, and do not understand their struggles, we want to be allies who listen, learn and help fight to create the change they want to see for their communities.

So why should we stand in solidarity and be allies like Rahul?

We’re Fighting for Humans’ Lives

As we discussed in previous posts: black people are not getting the resources or support they deserve, black people are still facing injustices today, black people are living with the consequences of systemic racism, and black people are dying.

But they deserve to be heard, they deserve love, and they deserve our support.

Because just like us, they are human and their lives matter.

Black Americans’ Efforts Paved the Path for South Asian Americans’ Successes

The “Land of the Free,” “Land of Opportunity,” “Melting Pot,” or any other reason our families decided to come to the United States for, was made possible by Black people. Protests and movements during the 1950s & 1960s, along with riots that occurred after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination (similar to the things we see happening today that are making some of us uncomfortable) led to the creation of laws and policies that gave South Asians things such as:

South Asians came to America even before all of this was possible, as laborers, or workers. But, for all of those years before Black people tirelessly fought during the Civil Rights Movement, South Asians were not truly accepted into this country, not treated fairly, seen as “undesirables,” not allowed to own land, not eligible for citizenship, and denied many of the rights we enjoy today.

As we learned in a previous post, the land we live on today was taken away from people of color, and this nation was created in ways that used people of color to help white people become more rich and successful.

However, black activists in the 1950s and 1960s made it possible for all people of color to enjoy the rights, liberties and happiness we may take for granted today.

South Asian and Black Solidarity

Despite what we are taught, South Asians and Black/African Americans have a long history of standing up for and supporting one another (beyond just Martin Luther King Jr. following the principles of Gandhi).

Take a look at this Secret History of South Asian & African American Solidarity (at least scroll through and look at the images if you don’t want to read the whole thing): https://blackdesisecrethistory.org/

As Asians, we have also faced the realities of racism, such as with post 9/11 fears. South Asians around the country have been harassed, hurt, and killed because of people’s anger towards, or stereotypes of, people who look like us. Think back to when you told your wives not to wear a salwar kameez in public, told your sons and daughters not to wear their paggs and hijabs to school, or shaved your own beards off before going out in public.

We were terrified to live in this country because of our appearances, our clothes, and our culture. We were terrified because of the color of our skin.

We were scared and we wanted people to help us make that fear end.

Black people have been asking for this same support to put an end to the cruel attacks their communities have consistently been facing for so many years now. So they can dress how they want, look how they want and be who they truly are without fearing for their lives.

A post by a Bangladeshi restaurant owner last week, standing in solidarity with black lives and getting justice:

Although we are all impacted in different ways by race, racism, and the current events happening today–we all need to come together for basic rights, human lives, and doing what is right.

We need to stand in solidarity and keep practicing allyship to witness what we all came to this country to experience: the freedom to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness–for everybody, regardless of the color of their skin.

Thank you again for another great discussion! There’s a lot of history behind all of this, so try to take some time to let it all sink in. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about your concerns of “how they are doing this to themselves, because look how far we’ve gotten as minorities” and the differences between being born into Oppression vs. choosing to Immigrate to a country.💕