Asian Americans have often been called “the Model Minority,” reinforcing images of success that needs no support. But this label obscures the Asian American poor who live with the endless struggles for food, safety, decent housing and work.
LPF has signed on to support the new Poor People’s Campaign, carrying on the unfinished work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “King emphasized the need for poor whites, Blacks, Latinos, Asians and Native Americans to unite,” states the the PPC website history “Dr. King’s Vision: The Poor People’s Campaign of 1967-68.” Other PPC materials report that:
- Of the 140 million U.S. poor or low-income population, 7.6 million are Asian American (41.1 percent of U.S. Asians). (PPC website “Demands” section)
- Of the 41 million Americans who live below the federal poverty line, 10.1 percent are Asian American. (PPC Souls of Poor Folk, April 2018 Executive Summary)
- (But note that if you only saw the January 2018 PPC Fact Sheet and “New and Unsettling Force” Study Guide and Reading Materials, Asian Americans are missing among the poor or low-income groups named.)
I am not seeking to lift Asian American experiences of poverty above those of others. Rather, I am saying that the Asian American community is more diverse than many might think. A few links tell more:
- 7 Things About Asian-Americans You’ll Never Learn From the Mainstream Media
- Asian American seniors are often left out of the national conversation on poverty — Urban Institute
- Asian-Americans Have Highest Poverty Rate In NYC, But Stereotypes Make Issue Invisible — HuffPost
- National statistics on Asian Americans — Pew Research Center.
- Asian American Reflections on Martin Luther King Day — Race Files [focus on Korean War and militarism]
And there are Asian American activists who seek to work with others against poverty, racism, and related isms. Perhaps we have not been very visible as allies, but still we work like the boy throwing beached starfish on the beach back into the sea. When asked what difference it would make, he replied, “It makes a difference to this one.”
— Lily R. Wu, LPF Issue Communicator, New York City