When will Asians finally be accepted as People of Color?

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, and in his honor, the Black students’ union sent out an email summing up MLK’s life, politics and legacy, along with a reminder of what we students can do. The email was sent to the Black students’ union email listserv and to the Latino students’ union listserv.

But not to the Asian students’ union listserv.

Why the resistance to including Asians as people of color? If it’s because somehow the issues Asians face aren’t as bad, then you’ve bought into the bullshit that the white patriarchy made up. 

The same oppressive forces that made the stereotype of blacks as welfare queens made the stereotype of Asians as the model minority. The same oppressive forces that made it acceptable to call people illegal made it acceptable to view Asian women as trophies superior to other women of color. 

What is with this house slave-field slave mentality? It only does the march towards an anti-racist, equal society a great disservice. Addressing our issues isn’t a zero sum game. Your issues are my issues, and my issues are your issues; the same broad strokes and basic paradigms apply to all of us and oppress all of us. By not including Asians in the conversation and in the movement because somehow our issues aren’t worthy enough and we’re not really people of color—that is oppressing a group based on their race. And you cannot work to solve race-based issues if you are participating in the oppression of another race. 

Seriously, people. What the fuck?

EDIT: What my title really should’ve been is “When will Asians finally be re-accepted as People of Color?” As I was reminded by RaceMash, Asians were considered People of Color…until the model minority myth was created. Though the history provides insight, it does not answer the question.

Also, on what it means to be Asian American, to me.