RESOURCES

"We are a people who have been oppressed. And we are a people who contribute to oppression. That is our power and privilege. And responsibility to fight. This is our moment of reckoning. ...But we must stay open. For it is in our history of heart-breaks, we will find the ties that bind."

- Kim Miyoshi, Japanese Americans for Justice, June 9, 2020

Below is a list of websites and books and articles that have informed and inspired me as I have walked the journey of racial identity development as a person of mixed race Japanese descent. This is not a complete list, but I hope will provide some good entry points to the dialogue and more importantly, to action. Will you join me in doing this work?

BOOKS, ARTICLES, WEBSITES:
Dismantling Racism - A great starting point for understanding systemic racism, systems of oppression and white supremacy culture.

Asian American Racial Justice Toolkit - An excellent tool full of individual and group exercises and resources for Asian American identity work.

Minor Feelings, by Cathy Park Hong - An essential read for everyone. It is no understatement to say that this book changed my life. And is still changing it.

The Body is not an Apology, by Sonja Renee Taylor

How we Fight White Supremacy: A field guide to Black Resistance, by Akiba Solomon and Kenrya Rankin

Black Theology, and Black Power by James Cone

Healing Resistance, by Kazu Haga - An exploration of Kingian nonviolence as a path to healing societal injustices.

CodeSwitch - 'Model Minority' Myth Again Used As A Racial Wedge Between Asians And Blacks

CodeSwitch - All Mixed Up: What do we call people of multiple backgrounds?

The bill of rights for multiracial people
from Root, M. (1996). A Bill of Rights for Racially Mixed People. In The Multiracial Experience: Racial Borders as the New Frontier (pp. 3–14). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Ellie Yang Camp's resources centering Asian American experiences here.

ART & POETRY:
And this beautiful project on Hapa identity that moved me, personally, but which should be researched with a critical eye before purchasing the book. Food for thought for my mixed race, Asian/White friends.

It Began With a Page, a gorgeously illustrated children's book about Gyo Fujikawa's life and career.

The Humanae Institute photography project, challenging the idea of race.

Any poetry by Joy Harjo.

DIRECT ACTION:
Tsuru for Solidarity - a nonviolent, direct action project of Japanese American social justice advocates working to end detention sites and support front-line immigrant and refugee communities that are being targeted by racist, inhumane immigration policies.

Japanese Americans for Justice

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