Dec19

ASIAN AMERICAN SOLIDARITY STATEMENTS AND ARTICLES IN SUPPORT OF #BLACKLIVESMATTER

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There are many exciting conversations happening about race in the world these days and I’d like to encourage all of us to be in it. Whether it be in the streets, at the dinner table, community forums, or the check out line at the grocery store now is a time to talk AND listen. Below is an excellent resource from www.Seeding-Change.org that I thought I would share.

Karen

ASIAN AMERICAN SOLIDARITY STATEMENTS AND ARTICLES IN SUPPORT OF #BLACKLIVESMATTER

With the grand jury non-indictment of the police killings of Mike Brown and Eric Garner, Asian Americans across the country have been on the streets expressing our solidarity and having the deep and necessary conversations in our community. From San Francisco/Bay Area, Los Angeles to Madison, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Providence and DC, Asian Americans have been showing up and busting up the “model minority,” which is used to maintain white supremacy, anti-blackness and capitalism. We need a Model Minority Mutiny. We compiled the statements and articles on Asian Americans in solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter as a resource and tool for activists and organizers.

Thank you to Ellen Choy and Christine Cordero for the suggestion to do this and helping us compile this list. We’ll keep this updated as much as possible. Please send us any statements or resources that we have missed. We plan to keep this up-to-date as much as possible. Email us at: linda@cpasf.org

WHY #BLACKLIVESMATTER?

STATEMENTS

ARTICLES

REFLECTIONS

TUMBLRs/Facebook/Storify Pages

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY

RESOURCES ON ALLYSHIP

Photo Credit: “Your Asian Wasn’t Quiet”

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Dec19

Boston #APIs4BlackLives Solidarity

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Interested in catching the dialogue in Boston? https://www.facebook.com/events/323219587866345/?pnref=story

AARW (Asian American Resource Workshop) and NAPAWF Boston are co-sponsoring a dialogue this Saturday December 20th from Noon-2PM at CPA, 28 Ash Street, Boston.

Building off AARW’s Annual Meeting on over-policing and criminalization in our communities, we want to open up space to talk about solidarity work with Black communities around policing, state violence, and criminalization.

For more information check out this Facebook link.

Karen

Sep16

Sharing our Stories as Asian Women

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Every year we host what we call our ‘Creative Retreat’. It’s a time for us to get together and share stories, poetry, jokes, body tricks, other talents or skills that don’t often get shared. Sometimes people teach a dance move, demonstrate a magic trick, or sing a song.

This year we focused on taking 3-5 minutes to share something related to our identities. What we presented was real and deep. We shared about what it was like to be 12, about our families and grandmothers, clothing or dances we were raised with or from our cultural backgrounds, our immigration stories, what it was like to be our age, our quest to find ourselves, and what it was like to learn the ‘lies’ our families told to survive.

Participating in this process is always a challenge for me. I still struggle with deciding what part of my story is ‘valid’ or ‘worthy’ of being told. Especially as 3rd generation mixed Chinese/Japanese heritage woman, I have often been told that I was not ‘Asian’ enough. It took me years before I realized that I was perfectly Asian American — I couldn’t have a better story. My story was absolutely what ‘Asian American’ looked like. I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s with Charlie’s Angels on TV and my white step mom fed us Hamburger Helper or tuna casserole for dinner. I had chow fun when I went to visit my grandparents. That is what being Asian American was like for me.

Sharing our stories helps make visible our challenges and triumphs. It’s an opportunity to share the questions we face and the paths we take. The Genki Spark is hosting our first open mic for Asian women. Everyone is warmly welcome to attend.

What: Speak Your Genki: Asian Women’s Open Mic

When: Thursday October 9, 2014, 6:30PM-8:30PM (door open at 6PM)

Where: East Meets Words Bookstore, 934 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA

Asian Women Interested in Signing up? Don’t be shy. Contact Payal@TheGenkiSpark.org or let us know when you arrive.

Please RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/speak-your-genki-asian-womens-open-mic-oct-9-2014-tickets-13046673953

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

 

 

 

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Genki Sister — Karen

Sep11

What Makes You GENKI?

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Genki is the Japanese word that means,

HAPPY, HEALTHY, VITAL, FULL of LIFE.

At this year’s Boston Pride Festival, we asked folks what makes them “genki” (happy, healthy, and full of life). We got responses from, family and friends, hugging, to self-acceptance and pride. Check it out! What makes YOU genki??

 

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Check out our FACEBOOK ALBUM for more photos.

–Genki Sister Karen

Jul19

Meeting IPC Kodama Japanese Drum Team from New Zealand

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I have to say it — I think we have met our New Zealand Genki brothers and sisters! Today we had the honor of meeting IPC Kodama  Japanese Drum team from New Zealand and they took my breath away. They came to the US for the first time to play at the World Taiko Gathering and performed a 10 minute set at the ‘Nooner Jam’ concert. Being from New Zealand they combine both Japanese and Maori cultures and it was extremely powerful. Their fighting spirit brought tears to my eyes.

We were lucky enough to meet and talk to them after Genki played our set at the ‘Lunar Jam.’ I think they loved us as much as we loved them. One of their members had bought our t-shirt and wore it to the concert 🙂 After our love fest, we had to take a group photo (of course) and as it turns out, they just as Genki as we are!

Check out their YouTube Channel or take a look at the VIDEO from the performance at the concert!

 

This group is genki all the way! Thank you Kodama Drum team for coming all the way from New Zealand!

Genki Sister — Karen

 

Jul15

Yuri Kochiyama: A Tribute by Teresa Reiko Perales

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“Don’t become too narrow. Live fully. Meet all kinds of people. You’ll learn something from everyone. Follow what you feel in your heart.”-Yuri Kochiyama

My heart is heavy as I give peace to a powerful freedom fighter, Yuri Kochiyama, who is now resting in power. I feel like many folks know her as the woman who cradled Malcolm X when he was assassinated, and though she was a good friend of his, she was so much more. Yuri Kochiyama and other women like Dolores Huerta, Angela Davis, and Betty Friedan, are leaders in the social justice and civil rights movements. However, most of American history doesn’t accredit the stories of these powerful women. We only hear about the men. So many women in America, led the progress of positive change, and built the foundation for us.

Yuri’s political work included school integration in Harlem, working for Puerto Rican Independence, working towards ending nuclear weapons, working to get reparations for Japanese Americans, and working to free and get rights for political prisoners. Yuri and her family experienced the injustice of racial profiling and were political prisoners along with tens of thousands of other Japanese-Americans who were sent to internment camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. She was one of the most visible Asian Americans to stand in solidarity with the Black community in the 1960s, to fight for equality. She spoke out against anit-Muslim discrimination, racial profiling, and Islamophobic attacks after 9/11. She is a true ally, standing up for others and working towards a common goal of human rights and justice.

I had the deep honor of spending time with her in her home in Oakland and in the community as she was accessible and active. The day I met her, I took her out to lunch and had a lot of emotions. I remember having to really focus on driving when she was in my car because it felt like a dream. We continued our talk in her home, surrounded by photos and messages of love, family, friends, and activism. She was so open about her journey and interested in learning about mine. I felt our hearts and spirits connect. She made me feel like she was just as inspired, motivated, and thankful by my commitment to social justice as I was to hers.

Throughout her life, she embodied what radical change-making looks like. Because of how she walked through this world, I am able to have pride in who I am as a Japanese, Mexican, queer, revolutionary, woman of color. I am able to speak my truths. I am able to push forward in this revolution and challenge myself to move beyond what we may even think is possible, even when it is exhausting. What I hold especially deep in me, is her allyship and commitment to building relationships and bridges with other communities, learning from our differences, and recognizing our commonalities as well. That this work is not just about one community, it is about learning from each other’s experiences, and uplifting ourselves as well as one another.

As we reflect on the life of Yuri Kochiyama and other women leaders who have passed on, may we honor them by learning more about them, the movement they made, and the foundation they built. Here is the trailer for the film, Mountains That Take Wing-Angela Davis & Yuri Kochiyama: A Conversation on Life, Struggles & Liberation, that tells stories that need to be heard:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJik3l2vb1g

May we recognize how we can be a part of creating the kind of communities and world that we believe in, because what we do now, impacts us today, and will be what we pass on to the next generations.

Thank you, Yuri. Thank you for being you and doing what you do. Thank you for the waves you and your generation made.

Rest in power, love, and peace, fierce one.~

 

 

 

Jun8

(Video) Tribute to Molly Kitajima

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A (video) Tribute to

Mary ‘Molly’ Kitajima

October 25, 1925 – January 25, 2014

 

 

Strong.
Spirited.
Resilient.

Just by looking at her, these may not be the first words you would use to describe Molly Kitajima.
Her small stature contradicts her monumental life.
But then you take a closer look.
Her face tells her story.
Each wrinkle is like a road she’s traveled in her life.
And then you notice the glimmer in her eyes.
It hints to the fiery and passionate personality within.

Molly reminded us to live life with a kind and generous heart, and to always, always stand for what you believe in. Battles large and small, she always fought for what was just, wanting to leave the world better than when she came.

<<audio>> “They’re saying don’t rock the boat. And I’m saying ‘what? why?’ Nobody knows about us being incarnated”
Molly lived through the Japanese incarcerations during World War II in Canada. Her family was relocated and forced to work on a sugar beet farm. She later moved to California and was very vocal in the Redress Movement, fighting to obtain restitution of civil rights for Japanese-Americans who were incarcerated by the U.S. government. Once the U.S. government offered an apology, Molly when back to Canada to start the Movement for Redress there.

Molly was an inspiration to us as A FIERCE WOMAN as well a taiko player. She started playing taiko at the age of 64, and continued well into her late 80s. She not only played taiko, but lead two groups, Onami Taiko and Heiwa Taiko, a grandma-only taiko group. Molly was a role model, reminding us that that life was yours to live and you could do anything at any age.

Members of The Genki Spark shared the stage with her at the Tule Lake Pilgrimage in 2012. She calmed our pre-performance jitters by advising us to “let let it all hang out.” It was an honor to share our spirit with her through taiko — She told us “You guys make me young all of a sudden.”
We were fortunate to have the honor of calling Molly our friend.

Please join us in celebrating Molly as we play “Nakama No Uta” a piece that Molly taught us about friendship.

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Narration by LeeAnn Teylan, Performed by members of The Genki Spark. Submitted by: Karen

Jun5

Being an Ally

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Last week The Genki Spark held a Skill Share for members on how to be an ally. With PRIDE just around the corner, this space was a perfect opportunity for a member to facilitate an activity, training, lesson on something they are passionate, knowledgeable, or strong in. I led this Skill Share as being an ally is something that I care a lot about, and work very hard to aspire to be.

Those of us at the Skill Share reflected on how privilege and oppression affect our daily lives. We also discussed traits of a good ally and a not so good ally.  Here’s what we came up with.  What do you think makes a good ally?

~Trisha

 

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We also completed two phrases to show how we feel about allies to us and how we can be allies to others.  Why do you think allies are important?

ALLIES ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE…

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I AM AN ALLY BECAUSE…


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May19

Honoring our Past, Present, and Future

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In honor of May being Asian Heritage Month, I thought I would share one way in which The Genki Spark honors our heritages.  For those of you that missed our Making Women’s History Event back in March, or you were so inspired and excited about it and can’t wait until next year’s event…here’s an “encore” of one of our new pieces debuted that weekend, “Honoring Past, Present, and Future.”

Below you will find the speaking parts of the piece and a video of our performance.  We at The Genki Spark honor and celebrate those that came before us as we continue their work for a happier, healthier, genki-er world.  We are excited for our future and the future we are creating for those yet to come.

Peace,

Trisha

PAST

Today we reflect on the experiences of our ancestors. As immigrants and minorities, the generations before us faced many challenges. Their stories of sacrifice and struggle include:

  1. Having to change their names because they were “too hard to pronounce.”
  2. Being forced to “speak good English,” abandoning the languages their families had spoken for generations.
  3. Being denied jobs or access to education.
  4. Working endlessly under exploitative conditions, building railroads, cleaning houses, picking crops.
  5. Forfeiting their professions or dreams in order to provide a better life for their families.
  6. Facing the burden of proving loyalty to a country that was at war with the homeland of their ancestors.
  7. Being expected to keep quiet and endure indignities because they were women.
  8. Being harassed or beaten for their skin color, race, religion, who they fell in love with.

Despite all this, the generations before us not only endured, they excelled. Their pride, strength, and courage enabled them to continue despite a society that tried to keep them down. They demonstrated resistance through organizing or simply trying their best to persevere day after day. Let’s honor the legacies of the men and especially the women who continue to inspire us.

Future

Today we envision the future.  The future we want to leave for our children, grandchildren and generations to come.  A future that honors those who have come before us.

What is this future we see?

A future that is just, equitable; where there is equal pay for equal work regardless of gender, race or religion.

A future that provides places where each of us can flourish, celebrating our unique strengths and talents; including opportunity for any girl who dreams of being president to do so!

A future where the media portrays women & girls for their strengths, skill and ability, not their hairstyles, bodies or sexuality.

A future where we fight through numbness and dumbing down to act with courage and conviction.

A future where women and girls leave competition and judgment aside to fully support each other.

A future where in the presence of strong women and girls men and boys find their strength and compassion

A future where we ALL listen to the needs and experiences of one another to empower healing, liberation, and positive change.

A future where each of us contributes to a healthy, sustainable planet,

A future where we live lives of hope, love and peace.

How can we create this future and carry on the legacy that has been given to us?  What can we do to create this future?

PRESENT

Today, we are in the present. The history of our past and the progression of our future, meets today, right now. Because we are interconnected.

This is our time. What are we going to do now?

The efforts of our past have contributed to progress. Today we still take on challenges including inequity, discrimination, and other forms of injustice. Every moment is an opportunity for positive change. Everything we do, what we say, every interaction, is important because what we put into the world, is a ripple effect that leads to what will come.

Because we are interconnected.

What are the choices you’re making now? When you do something or say something, are you thinking about the impact? How it might make the other person feel? How it might impact our communities? How it impacts the world? What we put out, even the little moments, matter.

What we do now is going to not only impact us, but will be what we pass on to our children, and our children’s children, which will continue to be passed on to future generations.

We invite you to join us, in spreading respect and peace in the world, with fierceness, so that our positive vibrations will spread and heal our communities and world.

We are interconnected.

Join us in making positive change, NOW.