Welcome to AANHPI Heritage Month! To celebrate, some of NWLC’s AANHPI staffers wrote about recent moments of joy related to AANHPI communities and cultures. Enjoy!
Vibha Jain Miller:
Though this memory occurred some years ago, remembering it still brings me joy. I was privileged in the summer of 2015 to perform in a play with my daughter happening at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History that was part of an exhibit called Beyond Bollywood.
Vibha Jain Miller at the Smithsonian.
The exhibit presented pieces of Indian immigrant stories in America, dating from the 19th century to present day—laborers, politicians, moteliers, DJs, scientists, physicians, yogis, fashion designers, spelling bee and beauty pageant winners, Olympic athletes, tech executives, and more.
In our scene, set in our motel lobby, what looked at first to be a typical teenage daughter rebelling against her proud immigrant mom who believed she ‘fit right in’ and wanted to wear a sari to chaperone the school dance, turned out to be a story of a child protecting their mother from hate crimes and the violence against women of Indian origin taking place in the greater NYC and NJ area in 1987. The criminals were known as the ‘Dotbusters,’ shorthand for the bindis worn on the forehead by Hindu women. The daughter revealed that her mom’s best friend was hospitalized for violence she suffered, and the mom’s sense of safety and belonging was shattered.
Vibha Jain Miller at the Smithsonian.
This experience brought me great pride in showcasing to the public the many accomplishments and contributions—and hardships—of people of Indian origin in the US, offered deep lessons and personal connection with my daughter, my parents and my own upbringing, and offered community with a group of talented performers with vastly different life experiences who shared the commonality of culture and color. The joy was in our collective impact and deep connection as we told remarkable and unheard stories of courage.
Jackii Wang:
For Lunar New Year this year, I attended an event at DC’s 18th Street Lounge and I ended up in the Washington Post (am I famous yet?!). The party was cowboy-themed for Year of the Horse—yeehaw—and there was music spanning from Beyoncé (“Texas Hold ‘Em”) to a Cantonese version of “Dreams” from The Cranberries, lion dancing from a local DC group, and Filipino lumpia. The event was catered towards young Asian American professionals in the DC area and brought together folks from different backgrounds and ages to be in each other’s company, celebrate our shared identities, and dust off our dancing boots.
Jackii Wang and others featured in the Washington Post.
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