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EVENT: Asian American Histories & Activism of the DMV: an Online Storytelling Panel

By May 20, 2020June 2nd, 2020No Comments

Scroll down for an event recap and local resource list!


To recognize Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month, NAKASEC VA is celebrating our local histories! Join us for an online storytelling panel about Asian American place-making in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) on May 28, 2020 at 5-7 PM, on Facebook Live, where we will hear from many local community leaders & advocates to learn about and be empowered by the histories & activism of various Asian American populations within our area. We honor the diversity of us as Asian Americans, and uplift the ways that our communities have harnessed their voices for greater power in the DMV.

Our panelists’ stories will answer questions such as:

  • Why the DMV, of all places?
  • Has my community moved around this area- what made them move?
  • What has activism/advocacy looked like for my people here?
  • Have political views/opinions of my local community changed over time?
  • What can our local histories teach us about our communities today?

There will also be Q&A! We look forward to learning about each other, with each other, and the panelists will share how YOU can get more involved with your community, as well as how you can support other APIA communities in our region (we have posted these resources below).

RSVP HERE This event has ended.

We’ll be revealing each panelist on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, up until the event day. Tell your friends about this event, and help us share it on Facebook and Twitter! Add this event to your Google Calendar by clicking here.

This event will be broadcasted on NAKASEC’s Facebook Live, and it is now posted for everyone to view. You do not need a Facebook account to view this video! Live captioning will be provided.

Contact Quynh at qnguyen@nakasec.org with any outstanding questions or accommodations you might need.

We can’t wait to be in community with you all!


The live broadcast of this event is now publicly available to view here!

Please help us improve our next events by filling out this quick (it takes less than 5 mins to complete) evaluation form! We appreciate any feedback that you have.

Here’s what we shared during our time together:

Community storytelling is a form of history preservation.

We heard stories from 7 amazing local community leaders & advocates about where their people are largely concentrated in the area, what about the DMV makes their communities’ experiences here unique, and how their communities’ political views, opinions, or general sentiments have differed or changed between generations.

As we heard about the diversity of us in aspects like faith, political beliefs, and power & ability to make decisions, we learned of the unique issues that each of our communities face, but we also pulled on common, recurring themes, including experiences of displacement, the need for affordable housing for all, and inspiring our youth to become advocates and leaders.

What’s next?

Panelists had also shared an action step that YOU could take today, or a few organizations you could plug into, to support your communities in the region (panelists’ contact info included, with consent, if you’d like to connect further):

Binh Ly: binhly2012@gmail.com

Darakshan Raja: darakshan@justiceformuslims.org, 202-627-0597

H.K. Suh: hksuh2003@yahoo.com

  • Send a memo to your House Representative (US Congress) to support House Resolution 152: Calling for a formal end to the Korean War as a step towards peace settlement in the Korean Peninsula
  • NAKA: National Association of Korean Americans

Jon Melegrito: jdmelegrito@gmail.com, 202-361-0296

Kate Shim: kate.yj.shim@gmail.com, 703-401-0398 (cell)

Krystle Canare: krystle@thebayanihancollective.com

Shani Shih:

A conversation about place-making cannot happen without recognizing Native American and Indigenous communities whose land that we as settler-colonialists currently occupy, so we’d like to uplift the International Mayan League, who advocates for Indigenous communities in the DMV. please consider donating or volunteering with them!

In addition to all the above, NAKASEC VA would also like to amplify Black and Indigenous organizations in Minneapolis that could use your monetary support, as well as local Black-led organizations protecting and advocating for Black lives.
As we recognize that our own struggle for racial equity is built from and cannot sustain without Black movements, we believe in, stand behind, and support Black wisdom and leadership. if you can’t join in the streets, you can join in other ways, from home, and if you’re able, donate at the links below:

Lastly-

Want to get involved with us?

Did you like this program? Are you interested in Asian American community organizing in Virginia, around issues such as health care, immigrant justice, language access, Census, and a more inclusive COVID-19 government response? Do you believe in Asian American grassroots power & inter-community solidarity work to make systemic change happen?

Join NAKASEC VA’s family of change-makers by becoming a member today! Membership dues start at only $50/year, or $5/month.
You can also just donate, email mbok@nakasec.org if you’d like to volunteer with us, or email qnguyen@nakasec.org to be added to our listserv!

Thank you so much, again, for being in community with us! Stay safe out there.

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