RID Region 1 Representative Jason Farr, and President Jonathan Webb sat down for a discussion about the recent spotlight on Asian-American violence.
Webb: Jason, thank you for joining me. It’s so good to see you today.
Farr: Thank you for inviting me! I’m happy to have this conversation.
Webb: First off, let me thank you for being part of the RID Board, especially given the societal unrest going on. Your representation is even more important right now. Given that, I wonder if you could talk a little bit about you, your identity, and your heritage?
Farr: I’m a hearing individual. I grew up in a Filipino home. My mother’s side of the family is all from the Philippines and so I was raised with the good fortune of having the Filipino culture be a part of my life. My father happens to be mixed Indigenous and European.
Webb: I’ve traditionally signed what you just used that equates to the spoken word Filipino (F-circular motion in front of face). Not too long ago though, I was introduced to a variation that references the dominant shoulder. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
Farr: I actually haven’t seen that shoulder-based sign for a while, but there are several different signs from the Philippines that are actually references for provinces and not the nation itself.
Webb: Thanks for explaining that; that makes a lot of sense given all of the linguistic variation that exists there.
Webb: Society is becoming more aware of violence against those with Asian ethnicity, wether the abuse comes in the form of exploitation or in murder as we just recently experienced in Atlanta. Of course, the violence in general has been a long-standing occurrence here in the United States but it seems that people are finally becoming aware of what’s been a lived reality for so many Asian Americans. Given your identities and your awareness of the abuse, I wonder how all of the heightened attention has impacted you on a personal and professional level?
Farr: I’ve definitely been impacted personally in a couple different ways. I currently live in NYC and there are times that I “pass” for a different race and yet others, of course, can quickly identify who I am. So with the heightened attention it does raise the level of fear that we experience but I would say that I’m most concerned for family members and friends. I wonder how often they’re seen as “foreigners” as opposed to Americans. As you stated however, none of this is really new, except for the recent shooting. I think we’re accustomed to experiencing racism in a variety of ways but the shooting was a shock for us as it typically doesn’t show up in that manner. Certainly we deal with our fair share of marginalization, being mocked and ridiculed, but being shot isn’t the way that our communities have typically been targeted. In terms of work, I’ve noticed I’m being called more frequently for Asian related contexts and content. Of course, people with my shared identity aren’t always prioritized for non-Asian specific work which I think is a commonality amongst other marginalized communities. So yes there’s definitely been an impact personally and professionally, and I guess I would say that for me, its about fear of safety for my friends, colleagues, and consumers.
Webb: Thank you for sharing that. What has the impact been on the larger community? Are they organizing around these issues and if so, what does that look like?
Farr: It’s a great question. This idea of being Asian as a monolith is really a fallacy. I mean at the end of the day, half of the world’s population is Asian given the American definition of that race. There’s a wide variety and diversity of countries, cultures, and subsequent ethnicities that constitute the Asian-American identity. Some of the messaging that’s coming out from the community right now ranges from “do your very best to avoid trouble” to “if you’re being targeted then ask for help” -which is problematic because it holds the appearance of being helpless. For me, the messages that resonate the most are from the community organizers that are encouraging all of the different APIMEDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and Desi American) groups and subgroups to come together and be in solidarity. We’re being encouraged to protect one another and speak up for one another. That notion of solidarity seems to be the biggest thematic message coming out from our communities right now. This of course is not a new strategy. Calls for solidarity have often come out during our time in the United States when particular ethnicities are being targeted.
Webb: Thank you for sharing that. I’m also curious as to what’s going on in terms of allyship? When I think of my community, allies can be helpful and/or harmful. What do you see right now in terms of allies to these communities?
Farr: At times like these it becomes clear that there are some allies that know what it means to engage in allyship, while others don’t. I can only speak from my specific experience which is Filipino. The Philippines were colonized by both Spain and the United States. Like unto the colonization and occupation of our lands, allies will at times take over or occupy the narrative and that’s of course never helpful. We do expect allies to speak out, especially when they’re witnessing racism. We need allies to show up and be there in those moments. I think its important that allies demonstrate humility by asking what’s needed instead of just assuming, especially given the Asian-American identity is really constituted from a wide variety of cultures and ethnicities. I guess one thing that I would mention in particular is the yellow square icon that’s being used. I get that this is coming from a place of good intention but across social media we’re seeing this little yellow square as if it’s meant to support us. However, it does the very opposite. We don’t refer to ourselves as “yellow.” That notion of “yellow peoples” started in Germany a long time ago when there was an attempt to classify humans into racial categories. Of course, in that hierarchy white people were at the top, whereas Black individuals were on the bottom. Being “yellow” situated you somewhere in between. Because of that, the yellow square actually ends up serving as a symbol of racism as opposed to a symbol of allyship.
Webb: Yes, unfortunately we can see people who at times are anxious to do something and make a difference but inadvertently cause harm. And that’s not an excuse to do nothing, but rather its a call to check-in and ensure that you’re really doing something meaningful and helpful. In terms of allies and what your communities need from them, are there any resources you might suggest?
Farr: Honestly, I would say start with what you are most curious about. Expand your knowledge. We have a lot of AAPI (Asian-American Pacific Islander) who might be classified as social justice warriors. They’re out there leading the cause of equality for our colleagues, our consumers, and for the communities we serve. It’s important we recognize the cultures of the people we serve. I guess another strong recommendation would be to identify the AAPI/APIMEDA people in your network and seek their guidance. It’s important to know that what someone might learn in an allyship based workshop around marginalization of Black peoples might be different than what you would be exposed to in the context of APIMEDA communities. Racism shows up for different races in different ways. In the end, follow your curiosity and allow that to guide you.
Webb: Thank you for sharing that perspective. Speaking of resources, it appears RID’s CEC is going to be releasing a workshop on Asian identities for free.
Farr: Thats great to hear that’s happening, I actually took that workshop out of my own curiosity and was able to learn quite a bit myself. Again, because there’s so many different cultures and identities within the Asian race, there’s a lot for all of us to learn.
Webb: Thank you so much for sharing all of this with me and all of us today. Is there anything else you’d like to say before we wrap up?
Farr: I would just end with racism looks different for each of us. Some of us may not experience physical or direct abuse but may instead be marginalized and shunned, but it’s all racism. And so I hope that all of us remember at the end of the day, people are people and we all need respect.
Webb: Yeah I too hope that we can do a better job at protecting one another and caring for each other -both our colleagues and our Deaf communities. People need to know that they’re not alone and that they have others who will watch their back. That through care, and love, and kindness we can stand in solidarity.
Farr: Thank you again for this conversation, I hope this information is helpful.
#StopAsianHate
