ANALYSIS
2020 didn't turn out exactly the way I thought it would. A year ago when I wrote the post on 2020 predictions, I had no idea what was going to happen a few weeks later.
The coronavirus pandemic turned everything on its head, affecting every aspect of everyday life from education and work to family gatherings and vacation plans.
My prediction that it would be a breakout year for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders did come true, but not in the way I anticipated.
Yes, we had an upsurge in political activity led by having the unprecedented three Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders running for the Democratic nomination for President. And then Kamala Harris made more history by being picked as the first AAPI Vice President candidate for a major party,
Yes, the U.S. Census got a host of AAPI agencies involved in trying to get an accurate count of our communities. But it was not an easy count as the Trump administration kept putting up roadblocks to try to undercount communities of color.
Yes, it appears that AAPI were making headway in the entertainment world with the result of perhaps having two films with AAPI directors -- Minari and Nomadland -- being touted as Oscar nominees. A half-dozen other projects in the movies and television gave AAPIs more of a presence in America's cultural scene.
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KANLUNGAN About one-third of the deaths among U.S. healthcare workers were Filipino Americans. |
TOLL OF COVID-19
But all of that occurred in the shadow of the deadly virus that swept across the world and no one could have predicted the way the U.S. -- specifically the Trump administration -- fell flat on its face with the American response with lies, denial and race-baiting that resulted in almost 84 million coronavirus victims worldwide and approaching 2 million deaths due to the disease.
Americans, sadly, can truly say the USA is No. 1 in this deadly statistic: 20 million cases and 344,000 have died from COVID-19. (As of the beginning of the last day of the year.)
If one is looking for the silver lining in the pandemic (if you can call it that) is the credit that was finally given to the huge role Filipino health care professionals are playing in caring for the coronavirus patients. The price they are paying though is that as a group, they have contracted the disease and died from it in far greater numbers than any other ethnic group.
The unsung role of Immigrant doctors from China and South Asia -- especially in underserved urban and rural areas -- was finally acknowledged too. Without them, many small towns and hospitals serving the poor would not have the health care they need.
RISE IN ANTI-ASIAN RACISM
The coronavirus also exposed the racist xenophobia against anybody who looked Asian. The FBI said last winter that we should expect more attacks and hate acts throughout the year. Reports by community groups confirmed the unleashed racism harbored by Americans egged on by the White House by calling the pandemic the Wuhan Virus, Kung Flu or the China Virus.
Businesses in the nation's Chinatowns, J-towns, Little Saigons, Filipinotowns and K-towns plummeted putting the future of these ethnic enclaves -- already feeling the pressures of rising rents due to gentrification -- in further jeopardy. Many mom-and-pop entrepreneurs continue to suffer and have had to lay off workers or shut down -- some may never reopen.
Despite the dampening effects of the coronavirus, AAPI's persisted and having felt the impact of their collective power, may never be satisfied with playing second-fiddle again.
POLITICAL GROWTH
Most symbolic of the renewed activism and progress by AAPIs is having Kamala Harris named as Joe Biden's running mate. The California Senator along with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and entrepreneur Andrew Yang gave AAPIs an unprecented presences in the national political scene.
For many Americans who couldn't find American Samoa or Hawaii on the map, Gabbard may have been the first Samoan-Hawaiian-Hindu they've ever seen and to their astonishment, she spoke English. For many, what she said on international relations made sense and she went toe-to-toe against better known rivals during the Democrats' Primary drive.
Andrew Yang, a nonprofit entrepreneur, came out of nowhere to run in the Primary and outlasted better established politicians energizing young people and his talk about the fourth industrial revolution and his trademark vow of giving every adult American $1000 a month. What may have sounded like pie-in-the-sky promises during the Primary, now appear feasible with Congress' penchant for trillion-dollar gifts and tax breaks to large corporations and 1-percenters.
Yang, who never ran for public office before 2019, is now a national figure recognized by pundits and political entities. He is a voice that will not disappear soon. If he doesn't get a position in the Biden administration, he is mulling over a run for Mayor of New York City.
THE KAMALA EFFECT
The Oakland-born Harris, the daughter of a South Asian mother and Jamaican father, and her rise from a little-known first-term senator to the Vice Presidency is the stuff of storybooks. A tough-minded veteran of Northern California's political skirmishes, she knew when to soften her image with families and speak-one-on-one with little boys and girls. Her experience as San Francisco's District Attorney and her attempts to reform California's Attorney General's Office gave her a foundation that served her well on Capitol Hill.
She gained national attention with her proscutorial skill against Trump's nominees for the Supreme Court and Attorney General reducing well-versed nominees to stuttering and long pauses of silence. Would-be Attorney General Jeff Sessions, response to her questioning put her on the map. "I am not able to be rushed this fast, it makes me nervous."
But it was her early withdrawal from the Primary that surprised experts may have been her best move. By announcing her departure from the hot contest in December of 2019, she avoided the negative image of "losing," before the nation's first vote in Iowa, where polls showed her not finishing in the top three despite putting all her resources into the state.
She was able to also begin her charm offensive by healing the rifts between her and the Democratic Party and the other candidates running for President, especially with Biden's campaign. Her if-you-can't-beat-them, join-them strategy was no guarantee but with her primary goal of seeing Trump removed from the White House worked and impressed Joe Biden.
The results speak for themselves. By accepting the role of Vice President, Harris not only made history as the first AAPI in such a high-profile role in the incoming administration, she put herself in a strong position for a run for the top job in 2024 or 2028, whenever the 78-year old Biden decides to leave public life.
Paralleling the candidacies of Harris, Yang and Gabbard, or perhaps inspired by their campaigns for the highest office in the land, AAPI voters went to the polls in unprecedented numbers, spurred by registration drives and get-out-the-vote campaigns waged by community agencies. The AAPI vote proved crucial in swing states red states to blue benefitting Biden and Harris.
AAPI voted heavily for the Democrats not only because Harris was on the ticket, but because of Trump's anti-immigrant positions that threatens family reunification, educational aspirations and the dreams of becoming U.S. citizens.
The AAPI political excitement and energy generated by 2020 bodes well for the future as both and Democratic and Republicans are beginning to notice the AAPI vote in their outreach campaigns and the danger of ignoring this small but potent electorate.
An unfortunate byproduct of the coronavirus pandemic is the rise in anti-Asian acts, harassment and physical attacks. AAPI -- the majority of whom are first-generation immigrants -- finally get a tiny hint of what it means to be an African American, who must face racial bias baked into institutions as well as individual acts of hate.
ANTI-ASIAN ATTACKS RISE
Because of the origin of the virus and the insistence of Donald Trump and his top advisors to call the pandemic the China Virus, Wuhan Virus or the Kung Flu, coupled with attacks against China for its trade policies and targetting Chinese-born students and researchers allegedly stealing or buying U.S. manufacturing secrets and research, Trump's followers used that as permission to attack Chinese Americans and since they are unable to distinguish the differences between other Asian Americans, that included all AAPIs.
Racists shouted at AAPI, telling them to go back to their country when that country is the USA, pushed and punched them on subways, burned their houses of worship, slashed at them in stores and streets, one woman had her clothes set on fire in New York and generally made everyday experiences like going to the grocery or grabbing a cup of coffee an uncomfortable experience for Asian Americans.
Realizing that they shared the common enemy of racism and the emboldenment of white supremacists, most Asian Americans aligned themselves to the Black Lives Matter movement and were outspoken in their support for police reform, joining the demonstrations and marches protesting police violence.
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| NEVER HAVE I EVER |
POP GOES THE CULTURE
The success of Crazy Rich Asians in 2018 continues to ripple through the entertainment world.
While the edgy ruminations of Hassan Minhaj on his Patriot Act and the subtler but nonthreatening digs against racism in Fresh Off the Boat ended in 2020, new fare with AAPI stars and themes came in to take their places.
Awkwafina is Nora From Queens and Never Have I Ever are more outspoken about being Asian American than FOtB and unafraid to point out the differences that set Asians apart from other ethnicities and at the same time, in an understated way, show the similarities of human beings despite the color of their skin.
FOtB's six seasons may have opened the door for the new sitcoms, but Awkwafina and Mindy Kaling, the latter who wrote and produced Never Have I Ever, are not afraid to have their heroines break stereotypes. They are not the shy, retiring type but -- thank goodness -- resemble their creators' way of handling the slights of racism.
The same goes for Warrior, which took the action mantle from Into the Badlands. While Badlands existed in a dystopian, fictional world, Warrior takes place in the American West, circa late 1800s. Like the second-generation sitcoms, Warrior takes on racism head-on -- or should I say, with a quick fist and good roundhouse kick.
Wu Assassins, another 2020 entry on Netflix, is a martial arts series that takes place in the present day. Like Warrior and because it is more contemporary, the series confronts the slings and arrows of racism and makes sure the audience understands the evil nature of racial bias. Hopefully, Netflix grants it a second season.
On the nonfictional side, the 5-part series Asian Americans by PBS told the history of Asian Americans with never-before seen footage and subjects. It may not be compete enough for everybody, but it was the best attempt so far to show how Asian American history should be part of any story about America's growth.
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| TIGERTAIL |
Movies featuring AAPI actors and themes proved their crossover appeal and demonstrates the wealth of above-the-line and below-the-line talent that is just beginning to be noticed by studio heads.
To varying degrees of artistic and box office success, the following films released in 2020 opened the minds of Hollywood decision makers looking for new storylines and talent.
Tigertail, written and directed by Alan Yang (Master of None);
Yellow Rose, written and directed by Filipino American Diane Paragas;
The Half of It, written and directed by Alice Wu;
Mulan, Disney's live-action version of China's legendary woman warrior featured an all-Asian and Asian American cast;
To All the Boys I Ever Loved 2, based on the novels by Jenny Han and starring Lana Condor in the lead role may lead to a third film;
Hollywood featured Darren Criss portraying a Filipino American director introduced the legendary actress, Anna May Wong, played by Michelle Krusiec;
Over the Moon, Netflix's animated feature used an all-Asian all-star voice cast;
Minari, an Asian American film was written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung, may be up for some industry awards;
Additionally, Nomadland, directed by Chloe Zhao, may reap some Oscar nominations.
2020 sets up 2021 to be another year in which Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders will make their mark in the United States. With the turning of the New Year, the pandemic is still with us and it will take most of next year to get it under control.
Although Biden and Harris will be installed, they will be spending most of their efforts in undoing what Trump had wrought including getting the coronavirus vaccines to the most people quickly as possible, tamping down the rise of white supremacists, immigration reform, reform in the justice system and getting the economy up and running again.
Last year at this time, I said 2020 would be a momentous year for AAPI peoples. Although I couldn't foresee the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing bumbling response by the Trump administration and the anti-Asian attacks, I wasn't wrong; It was one helluva year.
EDITOR'S NOTE; A word of caution. This is an opinion piece. Readers should consult several sources of news to form their own opinion.
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