We need to make space for complexity in Asian identities

Asian representation has only recently begun to become more prevalent within Western media. However, even with an increase in visibility, representation remains deeply skewed and many Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voices continue to go unheard.

As a Kazakh adoptee, I’ve always felt caught in a liminal space. I didn’t grow up with an ‘Asian American’ or ‘Asian Immigrant’ experience, even though I fit into both categories. I didn’t speak my native language, grow up with Asian parents or see myself reflected in the dominant East Asian imagery that dominates the term ‘Asian’ within the United States. The monolithic story and use of the words ‘Asian’ and ‘Asian American’ made me feel like an outcast; something I knew other members of the AAPI community could relate to.

When I started my senior year thesis, I knew I wanted to highlight experiences that often fall outside the mainstream ‘Asian American’ narrative: non-East Asians, adoptees, multiracial individuals, immigrants and queer Asian students. I decided to centre my research on how these students made sense of their identities during the rise of the #StopAsianHate (#SAH) movement.

Our findings were both affirming and deeply frustrating: while the movement brought much-needed attention to anti-Asian racism, it continued to reinforce a monolithic idea of what being Asian means.

For example, some adoptees in our study found themselves relating to those within the movement, but struggled to connect with those actively involved in the movement as they did not grow up in Asian families. These participants, along with non-East Asian individuals, questioned whether the label ‘Asian’ even applied to them. From claiming adoptees are left out of the Asian American narrative to non-East Asian individuals describing how they do not feel as if they fit into the term ‘Asian’, there was continuous questioning of the monolithic narrative.

One major limitation was the absence of perspectives from Pacific Islanders – another group lumped in with ‘Asian Americans’ in US data, despite them facing distinct challenges and discrimination. ‘Stop Asian Hate’ is such a powerful message, but we must recognise how the usage of the term ‘Asian’ can still leave out AAPI individuals. If Asian hate is being recognised, then anyone who identifies as AAPI should be included in that conversation.

Who counts as Asian?

Our findings also showed a critique of the social justice movement. While #SAH was successful in advocating for those facing malice due to anti-Asian rhetoric, the movement continuously failed to include many Asian groups who faced hate.

After facing discrimination in a Kroger store parking lot, and later in Upstate New York, I was saddened to see the lack of advocacy for Central Asians during this movement. In our study, a Kyrgyz-identifying person shared similar experiences of hate and discrimination. The hate goes beyond just Asian individuals and was targeted at anyone who looked East Asian. Instead of uniting the wider Asian diaspora, the #SAH movement sometimes ended up centring the most visible and ‘acceptable’ forms of Asian identity.

What’s at stake here is much deeper than semantics. The question of ‘who counts’ as Asian determines who gets included in conversations about justice, who receives resources and who is protected. For instance, AAPI individuals in STEM fields are often viewed as over-represented, but that perception erases disparities and under-representation of groups like Hmong, Laos or Central Asian students. Some institutions are beginning to include a section recognising these disparities, but we still have a long way to go.

Representation remains vitally important. As someone pursuing a career in healthcare, I rarely see people like me reflected in academic programmes or leadership roles. That invisibility trickles down multiple systems. If we are not seen, we are not supported.

The current political climate in the United States has revived sentiments of anti-immigrant rhetoric, which we know from 2020 resulted in the #SAH movement. Regardless of a pandemic, the Asian community and other communities of colour are still at the forefront of blame culture. With education and diversity, equity and inclusion being jeopardised as well, it is important to recognise how communities of colour continue to face systemic oppression.

Broader conversations of inclusion

So, now what? In 2020, many AAPI individuals rallied around #SAH and there were finally important conversations surrounding anti-Asian racism. Five years later, we must continue to challenge the Asian narrative by reinforcing questions that many Asians have been asking: Who is left out of these movements? Who benefits from the term ‘Asian’?

I now describe myself not just as ‘Asian’, but as a Kazakh adoptee. I come from a resilient group of nomads affected by colonisation, land theft and cultural erasure – legacies that mirror other marginalised communities in Asia and across the globe. My ancestors resisted and now begin the hard work of decolonisation, which I continue to see in social justice movements.

With broader conversations of inclusion within Asian communities, we also have to confront the anti-blackness that continues to exist within them. Solidarity goes beyond a particular community and means standing against all forms of racial injustice even when it doesn’t directly impact us – something many of our participants discussed within our study.

#SAH sparked a much-needed conversation surrounding racism and discrimination impacting AAPI individuals. However, the work of dismantling anti-Asian racism must include dismantling the very idea that ‘Asian’ is a one-size-fits-all identity. To reach intercommunity solidarity, we have to make space for complexity, and for all voices that are still fighting to be heard.

Ilyas Gajarski is a master of public health candidate in healthcare management at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, United States. They recently graduated from Bates College with a bachelor of science in biochemistry and American studies. In collaboration with Dr Yun Garrison, they are set to publish their paper, “Asian American college students’ reflections on the #StopAsianHate Movement”, in the Journal of Race Ethnicity and Education.

This article is a commentary. Commentary articles are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of University World News.