AA History
When and why did Chinese people start immigrating to the U.S.?
After the Civil War and the abolishment of slavery, in the 1850s, the US needed a new form of cheap labor so they brought indentured laborers from Asia. 9/10 workers on the railroad were Chinese. The rest were Irish.
What is America's national language?
We don't have one!
What does A-VOYCE stand for?
Asian Voices of Organized Youth for Community Empowerment
When did Puritans first settle in Malden?
In the 1640s, Puritans settled in Malden on land originally belonging to the Pennacook tribe.
Smallpox and violence brought over by European settlers cut the Pennacook population nearly in half. Many Pennacook were displaced and relocated to nearby territories like Canada.
What is Reina's last name?
When did the term "Asian American" first get coined and where?
In 1968, students Yuji Ichioka & Emma Gee coined the term “Asian American” while forming the Asian American Political Alliance during protests with the Third World Liberation Front at UC Berkeley. Before this, there was no non-derogatory, unifying term for Asians in America.
How many languages exist in the U.S. today?
~430
How many workshops are you allowed to miss in A-VOYCE?
Maximum of 2 Tuesdays and 2 Thursdays. These absences include sick days.
What's the story of Parcel C in Chinatown?
In 1986, the New England Medical Center and Tufts Medical Center proposed a parking garage on Parcel C, a piece of land owned by the City of Boston. This would demolish the only public day care facility in Chinatown at this time.
After a year of organizing, Chinatown residents defeated the parking garage plan. Parcel C now houses an apartment complex and office spaces for multiple community organizations including ACDC.
What was our first workshop about?
Youth safety policy: remember that, as a youth, you have rights to feel safe in this space!
What was the Asiatic Barred Zone?
The Immigration Act of 1917 banned immigration from the "Asiatic Barred Zone."
This essentially restricted immigration from all areas of the Asian continent in which immigration was not already restricted and much of the Pacific Islands. An exception was the Philippines which was a U.S. colony. This was overturned in 1952.
When did Malden begin requiring transliterated ballots?
2016
Name three community guidelines
What was Urban Renewal and how does it relate to Boston?
In the 1950s, the U.S. government built highways for white people living in the suburbs, to be able to drive into the city for work. Many cut through predominantly minority neighborhoods.
This happened in Chinatown, when the state seized Chinatown land (Hudson Street) to make way for the Central Artery highway (I-9) and later the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Chinatown residents and merchants fought back and were able to minimize the damage on the community.
Still, construction not only demolished the homes of 250 families, but also brought noise and air pollution. Hundreds of residents were forcibly displaced to other areas such as Malden and Quincy.
What was "redlining"? What was its impact?
A common practice from the 1930s to the late 1960s. The U.S. government would color code land based on which racial group lived there. If white folks lived there, the land was coded blue or green and thus given the best ranking. If Black folks or immigrants lived there, it was colored red — the lowest ranking.
Businesses, banks, and developers made investments based on these maps. This meant that money and resources were poured into areas white folks lived, creating richer suburbs, and pulled out of where people of color & immigrants lived, creating poorer cities.
Who was Vincent Chin?
Vincent Chin was a 27-year-old Chinese-American in Detroit. In 1982, he was murdered by two white men who shouted, “It’s because of you we’re out of work,” blaming him for the success of the Japanese auto industry.
The men serve no jail time. Asian Americans protest their sentencing.
Why is Language Justice important?
Language is how we communicate!
Without language justice, folks who don’t speak the dominant language may not be able to access services, get support they need, or have their needs be heard since currently our system revolves around English.
and many more reasons...
What are the four D's?
Dive in
Dream Big
Design Together
Do it Again
What percent of Malden households speak an Asian or Pacific Islander language at home?
In 2021, 22% of Malden households spoke an Asian or Pacific Island language at home.
What is the Model Minority Myth and what are its consequences?
The MMM is a myth that states that Asian Americans are the "model" minority. It pits people of color against one another and creates a hierarchy in which Asian people are often represented at the top.
By putting people of color in competition with one another, the myth distracts us from striving together toward liberation for all. It also erases the very real everyday struggles of Asian Americans.
Choose 1:
1. What happened in the UNITED STATES V. TAKAO OZAWA case?
2. What happened in the UNITED STATES V. BHAGAT SINGH THIND case?
1. In this Supreme Court case, the Court rules that Japanese immigrants, being non-Caucasians, were not considered “free white person[s]” and thus ineligible for naturalized citizenship.
2. Thind, a migrant from Punjab, argues for citizenship claiming he is of the same Caucasian/Aryan race as the region’s original conquerors.
The Supreme Court ruled that Indians could claim Caucasian status but would not be considered “white” by the common man and thus are ineligible for naturalized citizenship.
What was the Babel Proclamation and why is it relevant today?
During and after WWI, due to anti-German sentiment, Iowa governor William Harding issued a proclamation that forbade people from speaking languages other than English in public (including on the phone!)
Similar xenophobic sentiments and bills continue to get pushed to this day!
Name 3 ways ACDC works with the Asian and Asian American community in the Boston Area.
1. A-VOYCE and youth programming like FATG
2. Real Estate: building affordable housing
3. Community Building: public community events, public arts, space activation
4. Financial Literacy: first-time home-buyer workshops
5. Matched Savings Programs
6. Resident Leadership Academy: A-VOYCE for adults!
7. Legislative Advocacy and Local Organizing
Who is Thy Chea?
In 2020, Thy Chea of Lowell, MA was the 4th Cambodian American to be allowed back to the US after being wrongly deported to Cambodia.
Many Southeast Asian Americans are targeted by immigration enforcement, often for crimes they are pressured to plead guilty to without knowing how it will impact their immigration status. Local organizations continue to fight for refugee justice.
How long is our collaborative Spotify playlist?
Hours or # of songs accepted
79 songs or 4.5 hours