Min had grown up thinking she was born into a role as a flawless daughter, and someday she would become a flawless daughter-in-law, wife, and mother. It turned out that she was none of these, yet she couldn’t see where she had fallen short.
This is an excerpt from "A Flawless Silence" by Yiyun Li, the main reading for AACRAO’s May Book Club, hosted by our Asian and Pacific Islander Caucus. Learn more here. The API Caucus chose this short story, accessible online, along with a collection of optional podcasts and journal articles which can be read or listened to in short installments -- a nice option for busy professionals.
With two new leaders taking the reins--Tricia Ryan, the Caucus Chair, and Lauren Kim, the Vice Chair--the API Caucus knows first hand how little time you have on your hands.
The goal for this month, which is Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month, is to expose to a range of themes that not only affect the API community, but all communities that can relate to the phenomenon of invisibility in our social, professional, and personal lives.
“Many publications on AAPIs in higher education mentioned the Model Minority Myth and neglected to account for the original purpose of the MMM—to maintain anti-Black racism and White supremacy,” observe the authors of one of this month's selections.
A reframing of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in higher education is needed. How do we, or our institution, address the needs of our AAPIs? Or do we even try to address their needs at all?
All of the podcasts and articles were chosen to help challenge how you consider your AAPI students and educators. Reserve your spot today for the Book Club discussion next Tuesday, May 26 and meet AACRAO’s API Caucus’s new leadership.