By Brittney Le, Associate Editor
“The AAPI community, like many other communities, does not openly talk about violence or other internal challenges that we are facing,” Adelina Tancioco, a life coach and inspirational speaker, told AsAmNews. “The importance of saving face, although has its positive attributes, also contributes to the further silencing of undesirable experiences, including violence within the AAPI community.”
To help end community violence, an organization called AAPI Women Lead is holding the #ImReady Movement second annual conference on September 20 in Oakland, California.
“#ImReady2019 aims to highlight the intersecting issues impacting our communities, particularly self-identified women and girls,” explained cofounder Connie Wun. “One of the goals of AAPI Women Lead is to increase awareness around and to help end violence within and against our communities. We do this work in solidarity with other communities of color. This year, our conference theme is ‘Violence, Healing, and Solidarity.’”
Tancioco, a third-generation Filipina, is looking forward to this year’s conference after a wonderful experience last year in Berkeley.
“I had the honor of leading last year’s attendees in a meditation and when it was done, I opened my eyes to 300 AAPI women looking back at me,” she said. “I remember pausing to take that in, almost forgetting that the entire conference was looking to me for the next direction. I had never in my life, been in a room of that many AAPI women.
“Although I have spoken in front of audiences around the nation, this was the first time I felt understood, connected, and seen as a whole person by the audience.”
During this year’s conference, there will be two breakout times for participants to attend healing workshops.
“Because our pain and trauma is spread through our mind, body, and spirit, it is essential that wholistic healing is provided,” explained Tancioco. “Furthermore, the healing that is being offered, is healing indigenous to Asian and Pacific Islander ancestral land.”
Rosanna Chang, a Chinese American psychotherapist, will be providing an eight-minute guided meditation for conference participants.
“My hope is this meditation increases well-being by empowering people to connect back to their hearts, to invoke their ancestors for protection, to root themselves deeply into the earth, and to return to their bodies and breath,” said Chang, whose parents were part of the 1949 retreat from China to Taiwan. She is also contributing to the conference as a volunteer healing coordinator.
“I love supporting and promoting healers from all different heritages and healing backgrounds,” she added. “I believe in them and their offerings. It’s inspiring to witness folx reclaim their indigenous healing practices and then to see them offer it to their own community. This powerful form of activism is steeped in reciprocity; it’s equalizing and therefore liberatory.”
Chang’s experiences coordinating the healing room and working alongside cofounder Jenny Wun have given her a newfound respect for how much goes into logistics for such a big event.
“I look forward to seeing it ALL come together,” Chang said. “To see the vision and planning take form. To take pride in being part of our collective AAPI healing tribe. To witness the Ohlone and First Nations people be recognized as the original stewards of this land (opening ceremony as planned). To honor indigenous native Hawaiians and their fight for Mauna Kea. To celebrate the centering of us as collaborative leaders for all communities of color.”
When asked why it was important for her to get involved, Chang told AsAmNews that she “needed this conference growing up.”
“I still need this conference today,” she explained. “I continue to heal from internalized racism and patriarchy. Being involved gives me a chance to channel my rage, pain, and helplessness into creative empowering healing action. Being involved nourishes my heart and soul. Being involved nurtures my confidence and sense of purpose. Being involved connects me to other brilliant human beings. Being involved helps me experience belonging. Being involved helps me transmute my pain into beauty for humanity.”
Tancioco will be supporting the closing of the conference, encouraging attendees to speak out their offerings to support healing solidarity and their commitments to help end violence.
“This way all those in attendance feel and know that we are in the #ImReady Movement together,” she said. “While suffering in isolation breeds more suffering, sharing in community breeds healing.
“Domestic violence has been in my family for generations. As such, I know firsthand the effects that violence can have on your self-confidence, health, relationships and overall wellbeing,” explained Tancioco. “It is important for me to be a part of the APPI Women Lead and the #ImReady Movement for my own healing, the healing of the community, and the healing of my ancestors and future generations.”
You can learn more about Chang and Tancioco’s healing work on their websites:
Rosanna Chang: https://www.rosannachang.com/
Adelina Tancioco: https://www.surrenderedhealing.com/
Learn more about the conference here, and learn how to get involved with AAPI Women Lead, such as by sharing your own story. You can also follow AAPI Women Lead on Instagram for updates.
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