In Solidarity

H/T to Angry Asian Man

Next Generation Voices is a new group that was established in response to the events that took place at the University of Colorado, Boulder when the student newspaper published an article entitled, "If It's a War Asians Want, It's a War They Get."

The first campaign of NGV is "In Solidarity," which encourages ALL individuals, regardless of race or ethnic background, to wear a tshirt on May 8 (take a pic and send it in) and voice your solidarity for social justice. Their website is impressive and their words are powerful, "Our story is our reason."

If you're unfamiliar with what is going on with college journalism, this is a great peak into the infuriating trends of young journalists who write articles deemed racist and offensive and then are spun as "sarcastic" and effective tools of "satire." Here's a quick summation of the article from NGV. Do you think this sounds like a tool of satire?

...[the article viewed as]...threatening with its “three-phase” plan for the organized persecution of people of Asian descent. It references starting war with “Asians,” capturing them with nets, herding and hog-tying them into captivity, and ultimately, “Americanizing” them by forcing them to eat bad sushi, play beer pong, speak only English, and replace their rice cookers with George Foreman Grills.

A whole editorial team gave that a thumbs up. These are the young folks who will be recording history and documenting the lives and perspectives of our times. These are our future journalists who didn't see any problems with publishing and distributing this manure.

Luckily, Next Generation Voices also represents the energy and ACTION in the face of hate spun as a joke; in the face of threats spun satire; in the face of weak apologies and diversity workshops. In their words:

Please visit OurSTORY to learn more about Asian-American history and why “herding Asians” is not humorous, as there are examples in our history in which this has happened. OurSTORY is OurREASON.

Lesson? The history of a people is their story and that is their reason. If you don't share or care to learn history, you will never understand the reason.

Solidarity - it's a powerful thing. It's also probably the best $12 you'll spend in May.