When it comes to media coverage of the #BlackLivesMatter struggle, Asian Americans rarely enter the picture.
A blog published in Bustle by Melanie Schmitz says that needs to change.
The hashtag #AsiansforBlackLives has been bubbling beneath the surface on Twitter and , according to Schmitz, shouldn’t be ignored because what happens to one can happen to others.
“This sense of camaraderie and brotherhood Asian Americans can give to black Americans stems from the recognition that [individuals like] Trayvon Martin could just as easily have been ‘Tranh Van Minh’ [and that] any Asian could easily have fallen under the historically ingrained system of ‘othering’ George Zimmerman clearly used to make his decision,” said Dan Truong, Op-ed columnist for the Huffington Post.
#Asians4BlackLives Shows Solidarity Among Groups (via @bustle) #BlackLivesMatter http://t.co/sLi9xXSFHK pic.twitter.com/cdGUMcnsQW
— Melanie Schmitz (@MelsLien) August 12, 2015
Asian Americans are now the fastest growing minority in the country. This would not have been possible without the passage of the immigration act of 1965.
I vouch to film, speak, and share anything I see that is an injustice #BlackLivesMatter #Asians4BlackLives
— Christina Seo (@meowseo) July 22, 2015
Those Asian Americans who recognize the Black community’s role in passing this legislation have found commonalities between the struggles of Asian Americans and those of the Black community.
Celeste Faison & Sydney Fang talk about #blacklivesmatter, multiracial #solidarity & #asians4blacklives @Seed_Change pic.twitter.com/q0gUlX0HY8
— Timmy (@timmyhlu) July 17, 2015
While Asian Americans and Blacks have had their differences, Schmitz says “understanding the roots of the Civil Rights movement may allow Asian Americans to further bind themselves to the #BlackLivesMatter cause going forward.”
You can read about specific examples in history of Blacks and Asians working together for the benefit of all in Bustle.
