Fall 2018 — 5C
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Combating the
monolith: Part one
Asian/Pacific
Islander
American
Heritage
Month
celebrations have begun, and
while I am actively taking part
in celebrating A/PIA history, I
have also taken time to reflect
on my engagement with the A/
PIA community on campus.
A/PIAs are often subject
to narratives that paint us as
a monolith — a homogeneous
group
of
people
from
an
arbitrarily
drawn
region
of
the world. These narratives
constrain what we and those
outside of our circles perceive as
A/PIA, and they are — as I have
increasingly come to realize —
violently perpetuated not only
by the forces of white supremacy
but by our own communities.
The notion that all A/PIAs
come from similar classes and
cultural
backgrounds
paints
all A/PIAs as holding equal
privilege, entirely ignoring the
ethnic hierarchies that exist not
only in Asia, but in our Asian/
Pacific Islander communities
in the diaspora. The forces of
exclusion
and
elitism
these
dynamics create, however, go
largely unacknowledged.
This
is
despite
the
fact
acceptance in self-proclaimed
A/PIA spaces on campus often
necessitates assimilation into an
upper-class, mono-racial/ethnic
and East-Asian consciousness.
I have often felt the need to
qualify my presence in these
spaces
with
explanations
regarding my bi-ethnicity or
assertions that I am, in fact,
just as entitled to the label of
“A/PIA” as everyone else in the
room.
It has been a lifetime of these
qualifications that leads me to
this; it is so crucial that we are
able to confront the fact the
monolith is not only an idea that
is arbitrarily imposed on us, but
also a rhetoric that defines who
is recognized as a valid member
of this community. I feel this
every time I walk into an A/
PIA space where there is no
one of my skin color, my openly
bi-ethnic identity or my cultural
background. I feel it every time
we preach “unity” but fail to
vocalize the ways in which
intra-Asian/Pacific
Islander
imperialism has created tension
between us. I feel it every
time the notion of a unified,
invincible A/PIA identity masks
the realities of exclusion in our
community.
Thus,
“A/PIA
Heritage
Month:
Combating
the
Monolith” begins today. This
spotlight series will highlight
A/PIAs who may not necessarily
fall into the notion of what an
A/PIA is or should be. Though
this series will not paint a
comprehensive picture of all A/
PIA narratives, I hope that this
month we can begin scratching
the surface of a community that
harbors an immense diversity in
culture and experience.
My reflection is not indicative
of the thoughts, feelings or
convictions
of
those
who
will come after me. They are
simply my own. In this vein,
the stories you will hear over
the course of this month are
not ones that should be viewed
as
representative
of
their
respective
identities.
Rather,
they are individual narratives
that
have
developed
and
emerged from experiences just
as vivid, intimate and whole as
yours.
With that, I wish you all a
happy A/PIA Heritage Month!
Let us engage in the celebration
of the rich cultures and identities
that make up our community,
and let us strive toward an ideal
of unity that recognizes and
celebrates our difference.
PRIYA JUDGE
MiC Assistant Editor
Visiting the Newseum: The present and future
As a fourth grader, my
afternoon
routine
was
simple. After getting off the
bus, I’d make myself some
microwavable
macaroni
&
cheese and settle in with
a copy of The Detroit Free
Press. I’d usually start with
the sports section (no one
knew the Pistons like I did)
before moving on to the news
section, film reviews and,
finally, the comics. The day
the Freep stopped delivering
to my household was a dark
one and I unconvincingly
pleaded with my parents to
pay for the new, much more
expensive
special
delivery
fee.
My love of the news didn’t
stop as I grew older (even if
daily newspaper deliveries
did). In high school, I joined
my school paper and fell
in love with being on the
other side of the business.
While the readership was
small, I relished the power
of a platform and its ability
to shape conversation. This
led me to join The Michigan
Daily where I found my way
to Michigan in Color — the
section of The Daily dedicated
to uplifting voices of color.
However, as a member of
MiC, my rosy view of the
journalism industry began to
dim. MiC was founded because
The Daily lacked the voices of
students of color, which led to
the mischaracterization and
oftentimes racist depictions
of students of color. The
founders of MiC felt they
couldn’t
trust
journalists
to properly convey the real
experiences of people of color,
so they created a section
where we would write for
ourselves.
Fast forward to a week
ago. Since I first heard about
the
Newseum,
I’ve
been
intrigued. The museum is
intended as a testament to
the
First
Amendment
—
freedom of the press, speech,
religion and petition — and
its importance to a thriving
society. From my first steps
into the building, I felt the
weight
and
responsibility
the
press
puts
on
itself.
Famous
quotes
about
the
importance
of
the
First
Amendment, and the press in
particular, covered the walls
while
exhibits
contained
information and old news
clips explaining the role of
the press in the Civil Rights
Movement, the Vietnam War
and
uncovering
injustice
around the world. Highlights
included a timeline of front
pages of newspapers from
pivotal points in history and
the sobering memorial to
journalists murdered for their
work in pursuing justice.
The
Newseum
is
a
glorification of the press.
In these hallowed halls, the
press is always on the right
side of history — always there
to stand up for the rights of the
oppressed, always objective,
always the hero. However, I
take issue with this the lack
of nuance, and honestly, the
reality of the building. The
Newseum ignored one of the
tenets of good journalism:
Always tell the whole story.
For all the headlines the
Newseum
showcased
that
exalted
the
Civil
Rights
Movement, they missed the
ones decrying its protesters as
“troublemakers” or “rioters.”
The Newseum can cherry-
pick the front pages for the
ones that portray the press
in a good light, but it doesn’t
erase the harmful work that
has occurred and continues to
this day.
For its faults, I cannot
entirely dislike the Newseum
or the industry and values it so
lovingly portrays. The press
is a vital institution for a fair
society and historically it has
been a part of social change
and progress. However, for
all its virtues, members of the
media must come to terms
with the harm those same
actions can cause. For all the
Watergates
and
Pentagon
Papers journalism unveils,
it does not mitigate that the
news industry was the main
driver of associating Islam
with terrorism.
As the “first rough draft
of history,” the news often
shapes
what
and
how
people think. When the only
stories of people of color are
negative, how will society
react? When Black people
who march are rioters but
white people who march are
protesters, what will society
think? I want to be clear,
this isn’t a critique of the
Breitbarts of the world. This
is a critique of the New York
Times,
Washington
Posts,
and Michigan Dailys — papers
that strive for greatness but
either ignorantly or willfully
continue the marginalization
of vulnerable populations. It’s
easy to rest on the laurels of
journalism’s success, but we
cannot act like journalism is
immune to the racism, sexism
and bigotry that permeates
society.
The
press
often
acts
as
an
accountability
measure
for
governments
and corporations — it’s time
we shined that spotlight on
ourselves.
SAM SO / DAILY
The author standing in front of the Journalists Memorial
ASHLEY TJHUNG
Managing MiC Editor