Anti-Asian/AAPI Racism Resources for Coloradans

Some folks have been asking me how they can educate themselves about the history of anti-Asian and AAPI violence and racism and ways they can get involved at a local Denver/Colorado level. Here are some resources I recommend.

Colorado groups, organizations, training

• Free anti-racism course from CU-Boulder
  • Co-taught by Professor Jennifer Ho, a teacher of Ethnic Studies
• Denver Asian American Pacific Islander Commission (DAAPIC)
  • Meets every 3rd Wed of the month and meetings are open to the public (their Facebook page post updates on meetings, rallies, resources)
• Colorado Asian Pacific United (CAPU)
  • A coalition of Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders, creatives, and allies in Denver
• Asian Avenue magazine
  • Insta, Facebook page post updates on events, meetings, resources
• Denver Queer Asians
  • A queer AAPI meet-up building community in Denver
• CORE
  • Facebook page post updates on events, rallies, meetings, resources
• Slant’d
  • Community and literary publication celebrating Asian American artists and creatives, co-founded by Colorado resident Katerina Jeng
• Denver Asian Collective’s Book Club
  • Dedicated space for Denver’s Asian community to celebrate and honor the Asian experience
• Denver AAPI Community calls to action
  • Links to great resources and groups in the Denver/Colorado community and ways to get involved

Other US groups, organizations, training

• Stop AAIP Hate
  • Coming at you from SF, they are gathering facts and information about the increase in AAIP violence.
  • Donate!
• Welcome to Chinatown
  • Based in NYC, great resource for what’s going on in the Big Apple and fundraising for NYC’s Chinatown community which has been disproportionately impacted during COVID.
  • Find them on Insta as well.
• Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) in NYC
  • Premiere org in the US that is collecting and documenting the experience of Chinese in America.
  • They had a huge fire in Jan 2020 that destroyed a substantial portion of their irreplaceable archives – donate to their recovery!
• Asian American Federation
  • Based in NYC, the largest umbrella leadership organization in New York serving diverse Asian American communities.
  • They have a great, easy-to-understand Safety Resources page.)
• Pearl River Mart
  • Iconic NYC store selling all sorts of Asian housewares, gifts, snacks, and clothing.
  • They have a Support Chinatown collection of clothing and accessories w/ proceeds going to the community.
  • Find them on Insta too!)

History

• Denver Office of Storytelling documentary Reclaiming Chinatown
  • Learn about the historic Chinatown that once stood in Downtown Denver and the legacy of the city’s longtime Chinese residents

• PBS documentary Asian Americans
  • 5 hour doc available to stream FREE on their website
  • Originally aired in May 2020
• Amache.org
  • Information about Granada War Relocation Center, where American citizens of Japanese heritage and Japanese immigrants where wrongfully imprisoned in Granada, Colorado during WWII
• CPR News article with some personal stories about anti-AAPI hatred.
• CPR News article on the history of the anti-Chinese race riot of 1880 in Denver
  • Understand what’s wrong with the language/perspective of the commemorative plaque that is on 20th Street
• History Colorado Museum article “Immigration to Colorado: Myth and Reality”
  • Contains a lengthy section about the lives of Chinese immigrants and their decedents in Colorado
• Rocky Mountain PBS video covering the downtown Denver anti-Chinese race riots.
  • Understand why the Denver Asian American Pacific Islander Commission (DAAPIC) has been trying to provide better historical information and context about Denver’s Chinatown area (today’s LoDo)

• Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) in NYC has a video with a brief history of anti-AAPI violence in the US:

• Wyoming PBS documentary on Chinese Massacre, Main Street Wyoming:

Know of a great resource I missed? Please let me know in the comments!

Art

• “Home” by Kyoto Takenaka – The Los Angeles-based artist includes recordings of how people have spoken to them while out in restaurants, bars, and clubs