Our Chicago: Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

We spoke with the leaders of two organizations working to empower Chicago’s Asian American neighborhood. Grace Pai is the chief director of Asian People Advancing Justice Chicago, which is marking a serious milestone: 30 years within the metropolis. It started in 1992 because the Asian American Institute, a coverage and analysis centered group. Pai mentioned the group has developed since then.

“Initially we centered on issues like movie festivals, symposiums, we printed a bunch of stories in regards to the Asian American neighborhood and our variety,” Pai mentioned. “And we have developed since then to essentially focus and heart on constructing energy for the Asian American neighborhood.”

She mentioned Asian People Advancing Justice now does a number of work on “coverage advocacy and methods change to affect points which might be impacting Asian People.”

Pai mentioned that features schooling fairness, immigrant rights and language entry. And over the past two years, harassment and violence in opposition to Asian People has been on the rise.

“2020 was just the start, sadly,” mentioned Pai. “And that was a full 12 months earlier than the Atlanta shootings occurred, earlier than the FedEx taking pictures in Indianapolis that actually impacted the Sikh neighborhood there and so you realize I believe sadly although we have been actually reeling in that second of Could 2020 we did it escalate and worsen all through 2021.”

To combat again in opposition to harassment and discrimination, Asian People Advancing Justice Chicago is providing Bystander Intervention coaching for neighborhood members.

Our Chicago: Half 2

As that is occurring, Chicago is on the cusp of getting its first-ever Asian American majority ward. It is one thing that has been many years within the making, mentioned Grace Chan McKibben, government director of the Coalition for a Higher Chinese language American Neighborhood. She mentioned going from zero Asian American wards to 1 is essential symbolically.

“As a result of Chicago’s Chinatown is among the only a few, probably solely, rising Chinatown in the US the opposite cities are additionally trying to us making historical past and watching and cheering on,” she mentioned, including that it displays the rising inhabitants. Asian People are the fastest-growing demographic in Chicago and Illinois, making up about 7% of the state’s inhabitants.

For extra info on bystander intervention coaching:

https://www.advancingjustice-chicago.org/what-we-do/bystander-intervention-trainings/