Meet Chinese American Corrine Tan, American Girl's doll of the year.

Opinion

When they were little girls, my daughters were not into playing with dolls for very good reasons.

One: We did not want to limit their imaginations to play with “girl” toys or “boy” toys.

Two: There were no dolls that looked like them. We did not want them thinking that in order to be beautiful you had to have blond hair, blue eyes and a super-thin, unrealistic waistline.

Thank goodness, this generation of Asian American children have options.

A new doll, which debuted Thursday on Good Morning America, is Chinese American Corrine Tan. A Colorado resident, she loves hitting the slopes, being a big sister to Gwynn and training her new puppy Flurry to be a search and rescue dog.

In her story, written by award-winning author Wendy Wan-Long Shang, Corinne is a Chinese American girl living in Aspen, Colorado, with her blended family.

Through her stories -- which are filled with fun, outdoor adventures -- readers will learn about how Corinne gains courage to speak up when faced with xenophobic comments and how she advocates for positive change.

"What I really hope is that there is some part of Corinne's story that makes readers feel seen, whether it's because they are Asian American, or because they're part of a blended family, or because they love skiing," Shang said. "I think when readers feel seen, they realize that they matter and their experiences matter, and that they are meant to be the stars of their own stories!"

American Doll's Corrine Tan has a little sister, Gwynne.

To further tell Corinne's story in an authentic and accurate way, American Girl partnered with a team of advisers that include Jennifer Ho, a professor of ethnic studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder and president of the Association of American Studies, and William Wei, a Colorado state historian and professor of modern Chinese history at the University of Colorado, to weigh in on Corinne's experiences and stories.

To create the doll, American Girl designers consulted with the author and advisers on several exclusive features, including Corinne’s hair style and color, skin tone, and newly designed eyes. American Girl used a team of experts to bring Corrine and Gywnne to life:

• Lori Spence: Ski patrol director at Aspen Highlands Ski Patrol and avalanche dog trainer
• Professor William Wei: Colorado State Historian and professor of modern Chinese history at the University of Colorado Boulder
• Professor Jennifer Ho: Professor of ethnic studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, president of the Association of American Studies, and an anti-Asian racism expert
• Greta Gessele: Certified figure skating coach who started skating competitively at the age of six and an Aspen native with deep local knowledge
• Angela Liu: American Girl digital marketing manager and diversity task force member Bringing Corinne and her stories to life is a beautiful 18-inch doll, featuring brown eyes and long, straight black hair with turquoise highlights.

To help amplify young voices like Corinne’s, American Girl is partnering with AAPI Youth Rising (AYR), a student-led nonprofit that’s bringing awareness to the rise in xenophobia against Asians in America and calling for positive change through education. To support their mission, American Girl is donating $25,000 toward their ONE/180 pledge, which asks schools and teachers across the country to include at least one classroom lesson about Asian American and Pacific Islander history and culture during the school year. Today through December 30, 2022, customers can donate to AYR at americangirl.com and at American Girl retail stores nationwide.

To learn more about AYR, and read an in-depth interview with the organization’s 13-year-old founder, Mina Fedor, head to the American Girl website.

American Girl is also partnering with AAPI Youth Rising, a student-led nonprofit that's bringing awareness to the rise in xenophobia against Asians in America and calling for positive change through education. American Girl is supporting AYR's ONE/180 pledge by donating $25,000 to the nonprofit to ask schools and teachers across the country to include at least one classroom lesson about Asian American and Pacific Islander history and culture during the school year.

While Corinne is not the first Asian American doll American Girl has created, it is the first featured so prominently. In 2017, the toy manufacturer put out Nanea, a Hawaiian doll and Z. Yang, a Korean American doll.

In this era of anti-Asian hate and a cry for inclusion, Barbie, the most popular doll line in the world, have purposely included AAPI dolls including dolls modeled aftere tennis star Naomi Osaka, Olympic gold medal snowboarder Chloe Kim and a Filipino American doctor who treats COVID-19 patients.  

The trend for diversity is not wholly altruistic. Marketers and manufacturers are catering to a changing marketplace where AAPI consumers have been recognized as a valuable and profitable market niche for producers of clothing, appliances, cars, homes, travel and toys.

“We created Corinne to be a positive role model our fans can look up to and learn from as we all work toward a world where everyone is treated fairly and with respect," said Jamie Cygielman, general manager of American Girl.

My daughters have grown up to be complex, capable and strong women. They are my best friends. It will be interesting to see how today's youngsters -- with role models in the media, sports and entertainment and imaginative toys reflecting their ethnicity -- grow up in an increasingly diverse and demanding world where so much will be expected of them, and, in turn, they will expect so much. Let's hope the opportunities will open up even more and tolerance towards people who are different continues to grow.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and reviews from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd

ALSO: I'm not getting any kickbacks for this article, but if you're interested, the Corinne collection is available at americangirl.com and at all American Girl retail stores on Jan. 1. The doll is not cheap. The doll + book set is $110.

Congress must take the next step in creating a national museum telling the AANHPI story

Rep. Grace Meng pushes for a national museum for AANHPI

One of the first things Congress will tackle when they return to the Capitol in 2022 is the issue of an Asian Pacific American museum.

The proposal championed by Rep. Grace Meng, D-NY, would create the first national museum dedicated to preserving the history, culture and accomplishments of Asian Pacific Americans.

Meng (D-NY), Vice Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, announced that she sent a letter to the Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee requesting that he hold a committee vote on her legislation.  

“The story of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) is interwoven within the history of America, but frequently our history is forgotten or ignored in the greater narrative of American history,” the letter said. “That is why we urge you to markup this bill as a first step to creating a national museum dedicated to the history and culture of AAPIs. 

"Our experiences – both good and bad – provide an opportunity for us to celebrate our accomplishments, honor the challenges we have overcome, and press forward toward a more perfect union.”

Meng asked Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) to make her bill the first measure that the panel takes up in January 2022. If the legislation is approved by the Committee, it would then head for a vote on the floor of the House. 

 

The New York lawmaker's request follows her appearance earlier this month before a Natural Resources Subcommittee hearing where she testified in support of her bill. The hearing also included supportive testimony from journalist Lisa Ling and Stop AAPI Hate Co-Founder Dr. Russell Jeung. The House Natural Resources Committee is the panel that has jurisdiction over this issue.

 

Entitled the “Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act,” Meng's legislation would create a panel of individuals with various expertise in museum planning or APA research and culture to look into the viability of establishing, maintaining, funding and operating such a facility in the nation’s capital, possibly as part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the world’s largest museum and research complex. 

If there is one thing that could come out of this pandemic and the anti-Asian hate that has marred the past two years, it is a growing awareness among AANHPI about their history and the necessity to share that history with the rest of the nation to remove the onus of being the perpetual foreigner and that AANHPI have been part of the making of the United States.

Illinois has already realized the importance of educating the general llpublic of the history and contributions of the AANHPI by making it part of the state's public schools K-12. New Jersey is also awaiting the signature of its governor for a similar mandate.

Even if Meng's bill is ultimately passed by tCongress, it would likely be years before a national museum of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders opens for visitors. It took 13 years after Congressional approval before the National Museum of African American History and Culture could open its doors in 2016.

"Museums are gateways to learning about ourselves, our communities, and our history. They provide space to memorialize the accomplishments of ancestors, learn from the past, and be inspired by the richness of where our country can go," stated Meng's letter.

 

"The history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is filled with immense contributions and sadly embedded with stories of disenfranchisement," Meng wrote. "From the thousands of Asian immigrants who helped build vital pieces of U.S. infrastructure, to the thousands who were denied entry and citizenship because of immigration laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act, AAPIs have shaped and been shaped by America for generations."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and reviews from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd

NY governor signs bill to make AANHPI "invisible no more"

 A woman holds up signs during a Rally Against Hate to end discrimination against Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders in New York City,

A bill signed last week by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul mandates that any state agency collecting data about ethnicity or ancestry will have to discard the overly broad "Asian American" category and break it down to specific ethnicities and nationalities.

In the future, state departments will have to have data on Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, Laotian, Cambodian, Bangladeshi and Hmong communities as well categories for Pacific Islander groups, including Native Hawaiians, Guamanians, Chamorros and Samoans.

The new law signed by Hochul on Dec. 22 was hailed by AANHPI community groups that have pushed for data disaggregation for over a decade. As the AANHPI community has grown, the fastest growing group in New York, so has the community's needs. AANHPI make up about 6% of New York, or almost 2 million, most of whom are concentrated in New York City, according to teh 2020 Census.

Vanessa Leung and Anita Gundanna, Co-Executive Directors of the Coalition of Asian American Children+Families, said in a statement:

"Asian American communities across New York State embody much diversity in ethnicity, and also in experiences of poverty, immigration, and in languages, cultures, and histories. For too long, the systemic erasure of the inequities within the Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities has resulted in failed policy responses. With the passage of this bill through the Assembly and Senate, we are one step closer to dispelling the model minority myth and providing a better understanding of the real challenges facing New York's fastest growing population.

"Such data is critical to ensuring that Asian American communities across NY State are better understood and provided the resources and services needed to recover and heal from the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the recent increase in anti-Asian violence."

Community advocates united to form the Invisible No More Campaign to lobby for the disaggregation bill.

The wide disparities within the broad Asian American communities masks the needs of those groups who are on the low end of the economic scale, hides the health needs of different ethnicities and erases housing woes and poverty experienced by many Asian American groups and political representatives.

"Asian Americans are not a monolith. Our communities are the most impoverished but receive the least help, often due to the lack of culturally appropriate services or language access," state Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou, who sponsored the bill, said in a statement.

“As New York continues to face the devastation caused by the COVID-19 public health crisis, it is essential that the needs of all of our communities be understood and met," said Senator Julia Salazar, who led the effort in the state senate. "For the diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in New York this cannot be accomplished without detailed data that recognizes and respects the experiences of the numerous groups that make up the AAPI communities. This law takes a bold step towards making that possible."

“For too long and too often, NYS has broken down data by race/ethnicity for other communities, but has completely omitted Asian Americans - often categorizing us as simply ‘others,’ said Rep. Grace Meng, who in 2011 first introduced a bill asking for the disaggregation of AAPI data.

"Without this broken down data, it has been very difficult to assess where the greatest needs are and to properly match language needs with populations who need the most help such as which students and their families need which types of language resources, which types of resources are needed to provide help to address mental health, which communities suffer from which chronic illnesses, etc.

"Even as Asian Americans, we don’t know the true extent as to who needs help the most. If we truly care about our Asian American community, we have to make sure that no one is left behind and no one is invisible, especially the poorest and most vulnerable amongst us," said Meng. "The amount of funding that has gone towards helping the AAPI community has for too long fallen drastically behind the rate of population growth, and this law will finally help us bridge some of that gap and provide long overdue resources and funding to our community.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and reviews from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd

NJ schools on the cusp of establishing Asian American and Pacific Islander curriculum

New Jersey is the latest state to consider including Asian American and Pacific Islander history lessons in the classroom.

With strong lobbying by the state's Asian Americans, both houses of the New Jersey legislature have passed a bill mandating that Asian American history be included in school curricula. Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to sign the bill into law very soon.

“I remember growing up, I did not see in my education the history of Indian Americans or a lot of Asian Americans. And we’ve made these improvements as it relates to Black Americans, Latino Americans, LGBTQ. I think it would be appropriate to do for AAPI also,” said state Sen. Vin Gopal (D-11), the Senate bill’s primary sponsor. “And I think it helps when kids are growing up, they can see in their textbooks, people that look like them, and it helps them on their own story.”

“What I didn’t learn was about people who look like me, those who were from the AAPI community that have had significant contributions to our great country we live in today,” Gopal said. “I am proud to sponsor legislation that can help kids who look like me know that they can be anything.”

Assemblyman Raj Mukherj, who led push for the bill in in the Assembly, emphasized the importance of the bill following the increase of anti-Asian hate since the start of the pandemic.

“Hate comes from a place of ignorance, and if we can educate our young people about the Asian American immigrant experience, about our history, we will not only be teaching them, but we will be building empathy,” Mukherji said.

New Jersey’s Asian population grew faster than any other large ethnic or racial group, according to figures released by the Census Bureau.

New Jersey's AAPI population exploded by 44% according to the U.S. Census. About 1.05 million New Jersey residents, or about 11% of the state, identified as Asian, either whole or in part. In 2010, only 725,726 identified as Asian in.

Kani Ilangovan, the Indian American founder of AAPI education advocacy group Make Us Visible New Jersey, which lobbied for the education measure, said the bill affirms a sense of belonging in the U.S.

“It’s very sad, but during the pandemic, there’s been a huge rise in anti-Asian violence, and we feel education is the best antidote to hate,” he said.

Illinois mandated the inclusion of Asian American history in K-12 grades earlier this year. California also passed a measure this year for an ethnic studies requirement  for graduation that will go into effect for the class off 2030.

New Jersey's community advocates believe that the education is key to remove the onus of the "perpetual foreigner" from Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

That point was driven home in November when four Asian American teenagers were beaten on a light-rail train. A bystander, an older Asian American teen, who tried to intervene was also beaten and had to be hospitalized.

Murphy has to sign the bill into law before the current legislative session ends Jan. 10, 2022. The Governor's office does not comment on pending legislation, however, in the past, he has shown his support for the AAPI community during the current epidemic of hate directed at them. On Nov. 10, he created the Asian American Pacific Islander Commission to address the needs of the AAPI community and the hate they are encountering, especially since the start of the pandemic.

“As the fastest growing ethnic group, our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community is a key part of the great diversity in our State,” said Murphy in a statement. “While we celebrate the important contributions they make to our society and economy, we also recognize the challenges they encounter to access economic resources and opportunities. With today’s bill signing, this newly created commission will represent this diverse population and ensure to advocate on behalf of AAPI throughout New Jersey.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and reviews from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd

Vietnamese American member of Congress not running for re-election

SCREEN CAPTURE / FOX

Rep. Stephanie Murphy will be leaving the House of Representatives.

The lone Member of Congress who hails from Vietnam will be leaving the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022.

"I've decided not to seek another term in Congress. Serving Central Florida has been the honor of my life, but it's also been incredibly challenging for my family and me," Murphy said in a tweet last Monday, which also featured a video announcement of her plans.

Murphy, 37, a moderate Democrat who has represented her district for five years, is one of the leading moderates of the Democratic Party and currently serves as co-chairwoman of the moderate caucus, Blue Dog Coalition.

Murphy, first elected in 2016, is the first Vietnamese American woman — and second ever Vietnamese-American person — elected to Congress.

Murphy and her family immigrated to the United States when she was only 1-year old. Her parents fled communist Vietnam by boat and were rescued by the U.S. Navy at sea. Murphy’s parents worked blue collar jobs during the day and cleaned office buildings at night to support her and her brother.

After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Murphy joined the Department of Defense, leaving behind a promising career as an economic advisor. She attributed her decision to enter public service to wanting to protect the country that rescued her family from sea.

The mother of two young children, Murphy said she hopes “to open a new chapter in my life, one in which I can spend a bit more time with my family.”

"I think it's hard for people in politics and especially in Washington to understand that someone at my age would quote unquote, retire ... without having some sort of scandal or without fear of losing a reelection or without, immediately running for another position or job,” Murphy told Politico. “But really, right now I need to be with my family.”

Just last Spring, she was mulling over a run for the U.S. Senate to represent Florida. She dropped those plans when her friend and fellow Democrat Rep. Val Demings announced her intention to run for that Senate seat.

Although known as an economic moderate, she will work the rest of her term trying to pass a version of President Biden's Build Back Better plan and continue the investigation by the Jan. 6 committee. 

“While I continue to have reservations about the overall size of the legislation — and concerns about certain policy provisions that are extraneous or unwise — I believe there are too many badly-needed investments in this bill not to advance it in the legislative process,” she said in a statement about that vote. “I will work with my Senate colleagues to improve this bill, and I hope to vote on — and enact — a more streamlined version of the bill once it returns from the Senate.

Although she didn't mention it her announcement, as a co-chair of the House's Jan. 6 committee, she has received an uptick of death threats to her and her family.

In an interview with Politico announcing her departure, Murphy did not rule out a run for a different public role in the future: “We’ll have to see what happens in the future.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and reviews from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd

California AAPI communities could come out as winners in redistricting

For better political presentation, district maps must be redrawn every 10 years.

ANALYSIS

In large part, the California's Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities won most of their arguments to keep AAPI communities intact in the new district maps for political representation at all levels -- from school boards to Congress.

On December 20, 2021, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission voted to approve maps for new Congressional, state Senate, and state Assembly districts, shaping who gets to vote together for elected representatives that will fight for their needs, interests, and aspirations. 

Nearly one-third of the state’s 52 new congressional districts would have a majority of Latino citizens of voting age under the new maps, according ot he L.A. Times. That’s an increase of three districts even as California lost a seat for the first time in its history because of a suspected undercount by the U.S. Census.

“As a result of community engagement, California has two majority Asian American districts ... as well as 16 Asian American influence districts, where Asian Americans make up 30% or more of eligible voters," said an analysis by a collaborative of Asian and Middle Eastern advocates. 

One of the big wins for the AANHPI community in the San Gabriel Valley west of Los Angeles. The heavily Asian-American cities of Alhambra, Monterey Park and Rosemead, which were initially placed with a larger Latino district have been joined with the Asian-majority cities of Arcadia, San Gabriel, San Marino and Temple City.

Redistricting maps are not final until the commission takes a final vote on Dec. 27. But Asian American leaders expressed optimism that the west San Gabriel Valley district would stay intact. Legal challenges are expected.

After record-breaking participation in the Census, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities and Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) residents throughout the state mobilized to have their preferences heard by the nonpartisan  commission fighting to keep their ethnic communities and neighborhoods intact, which should benefit Rep. Judy Chu who represents the 27th Congressional District.

AANHPI communities could retain their influence in the San Gabriel Valley.

If those cities stay together, that should  also open the possibility for an AAPI candidate for the state's Assembly.

Over the past year, dozens of community and civil rights organizations have worked together in the AAPI & AMEMSA State Redistricting Collaborative to capture their communities’ diversity and interests and develop responsive and equitable district maps. Community members and voting rights advocates participated in over 30 online workshops and coordinated with other statewide organizations, including the Black Census and Redistricting Hub, MALDEF, and the IVE Alliance, led by the Advancement Project, to develop map proposals that empower communities of color as well as communities enduring the impacts of economic and environmental injustices.

The Collaborative issued the following analysis after the final map was revealed:

“AAPI and AMEMSA communities represent nearly 20% of California’s population, the fastest growing among all racial and ethnic groups in the state. Through local and statewide organizing, community members affirmed the bedrock importance of an independent redistricting commission: residents have a platform to share what unites their neighbors and communities and learn from each other to identify district lines that empower those most often disenfranchised and underrepresented by partisan mapping.

“As a result of community engagement, California has two majority Asian American districts and 49 majority Latino districts, as well as 16 Asian American influence districts, where Asian Americans make up 30% or more of eligible voters. As the Commission explored big changes to California’s districts, our communities spoke up to make sure they and their neighborhoods were not divided and that they were in districts with communities who have shared interests and priorities.

“Now that the lines have been set, we and our community partners will continue to work for fair and accessible elections and to increase engagement from California’s diverse and growing AAPI and AMEMSA electorate.”

"As the Commission finalizes its maps, the AAPI & AMEMSA State Redistricting Collaborative continues to talk with community members about what new district lines mean for their civic power and advocacy. While these discussions continue, Collaborative members have identified several highlights as a result of communities’ engagement in redistricting as well as some areas of concern where the Commission maps split or divided communities.

"Sacramento Valley: Supported by AAPI FORCE and Hmong Innovating Politics, among others, communities of interest in Elk Grove and Vineyard were kept whole and with Sacramento County-based districts at all levels of government. With the support of CAIR-CA, Afghan and Syrian refugee communities in Arden-Arcade and Carmichael were also kept whole at all levels of government, a testament to the importance of listening to community testimony that details where they live as opposed to relying on official neighborhood or city lines.

Daly City's Filipino community mainly stayed intact.

"Bay Area: AAPI communities of interest in San Francisco, including Chinatown, Japantown, Richmond, Sunset, Excelsior, Visitacion Valley, Portola, and Bayview, were kept whole at all levels of government. 

"Daly City was also kept whole and with nearby Filipino American communities. Pacific Islander communities in south San Mateo County were kept together at all levels of government for the first time. 

"With the support of Asian Law Alliance, Collaborative members advocated for a near-majority Asian American Congressional district made up of Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Cupertino, Berryessa, Milpitas, and south Fremont. 

"At all levels of government, Centerville, home to a large Afghan community, was kept whole. In San Jose, the Collaborative worked to reduce splits to Little Saigon when a new Latino Voting Rights Act district led to changes to the San Jose Congressional map. 

"AAPI communities and other working class communities in Union City and Hayward were kept together at all levels of government, and with San Leandro at the Assembly level. In Oakland, Korean and Yemeni communities of interest and Asian refugee communities of interest were kept whole at all levels of government.

"In the Senate map, community members remain concerned that the Commission has drawn San Leandro into a Contra Costa County-based district and out of an Alameda County-based district. San Leandro is diverse, with many lower-income residents, and should be with other cities along the 880 corridor.

"Central Valley: Hmong Innovating Politics and Hmong residents in Fresno successfully advocated for their communities to be largely kept whole and together within a Latino Voting Rights Act district, as the community wished. Throughout the redistricting process, Hmong community members noted that being together within that district would empower them due to shared interests and characteristics with their Latino neighbors.

Los Angeles'' Koreatown residents fought for their neighborhood to stay together.

"Los Angeles: Community members mobilized in large numbers to advocate for the Asian American community of interest in west San Gabriel Valley. At the Congressional level, the Commission listened to community voices and united west San Gabriel Valley. At the Assembly level, the Commission determined the Voting Rights Act applies to this area and drew a majority Asian district. In metro Los Angeles, Chinatown, Historic Filipinotown, Koreatown, Little Tokyo, and Thai Town are whole at all levels of government, reflecting residents’ definition of their neighborhoods. The Asian American community that spans the southern portion of Gardena and the northeastern portion of Torrance are also together at all levels of government.

"Still, while Carson residents, including the Filipino American community, repeatedly called for Carson to be kept whole at all levels of government and the Collaborative offered proposals to balance a wide range of interests, the Commission split Carson and these communities at the Assembly level.

"Orange County: Supported by OCCET’s leadership, community members in Orange County were able to advocate for improvements to their district maps. Cerritos and Artesia were drawn with south Buena Park, La Palma, and Cypress in Orange County-based districts, keeping AMEMSA communities together. 

"The community of Little Saigon in Garden Grove, Westminster, and Fountain Valley is together, and in the assembly and congressional maps, drawn with other inland immigrant communities. 

"The Korean American community in north Buena Park and northwest Fullerton is also kept together at all levels of government, as are the Pacific Islander communities in Garden Grove and immigrant communities in Irvine and Costa Mesa.

"San Diego: City Heights, which is an essential home for immigrants and refugees resettling in the San Diego area, was previously split into multiple districts at all levels of government. The new lines unite the neighborhood into single districts for Assembly and Senate, and bring more of the growing community into the Congressional district with the historic core of the neighborhood. The new Assembly lines also unite Linda Vista with other neighborhoods that form the major Asian community of interest in San Diego, including Claremont, the Convoy district, Kearny Mesa, and Mira Mesa."

The AAPI & AMEMSA State Redistricting Collaborative includes Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, AAPIs for Civic Empowerment Education Fund, Asian Law Alliance, Asian Solidarity Collective, AAPI Equity Alliance (formerly the Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council), CAIR California, Empowering Pacific Islander Communities, Hmong Innovating Politics, Jakara Movement, and Orange County Civic Engagement Table (OCCET).

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd

Holiday movies to cheer up the AAPI audience weary from the hate and pandemic

Filipina American Vanessa Hudgens stars, and stars, and stars in the Princess Switch movies
on Netflix. In case you're wondering, only the smiling one on the right is Filipina American.

It’s that time of year and Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders  need Christmas movies more than ever as relief from the hate and pandemic.

What with all the negativity that could affect the mental health of Asian Americans: anti-Asian hate incidents occurring around the nation, a mutating pandemic that keeps thwarting our scientists' best efforts (no thanks to the anti-vaxxers), a stubborn U.S. Senate who can't seem to overcome its partisanship depriving Americans of President's Biden's historic Build Back Better plan that could transform our society by helping the middle-class survive decades of corporate America's greed.

Who can blame anybody for wanting a little escapism? We can use some light fare offered by the seasonal holiday-themed movies that flood our entertainment platforms this time of year to take our minds off the events that could dampen our spirits.

Most of the offerings are romantic comedies, except for Harold and Kumar, which I included because of the stereotype-busting nature of its lead characters played by John Cho and Kai Penn.

Maybe you're a student home for the holidays or you're visiting family. It's cold outside and there's a fire in the fireplace and its time to curl up on the couch. You've earned it. So we've listed some of the movies that might appeal to Asian Americans and Pacific Islander audience who want to see casts that look like them.

Princess Switch, Princess Switch: Switch Again, Princess Switch: Romancing the Star:

It's Christmas so its time for Vanessa Hudgens appearing on Netflix. The three Princess Switch movies start as a variation of the "Prince and the Pauper" but throw in mistaken identities and love interests and its all harmless but enjoyable fun.  During the course of the trilogy, one of the three reveals her Philippines heritage. In the third film of the franchise, a third look-alike appears giving us more Vanessa.  The Princess Switch trilogy offers a healthy dose of charming, light-hearted, twin-swap fun and is delightful viewing for any hopeless romantic. The three movies are Available for streaming on Netflix.

Love Hard

Love Hard is a modern-day take on the Cyrano de Bergerac story, but instead of whispering sweet nothings to the would-be Lothario, it's a case of online catfishing. The film's outcome is predictable after the first five minutes but you can't help but root for the character played by Jimmy Yang (Crazy Rich Asians, Silicon Valley). The rom-com stars Nina Dobrev (Vampire Diaries) as Natalie, Jimmy O. Yang as Josh, the guy who catfished her, and Darren Barnet (Never Have I Ever) as Tag, who Natalie thinks is her dream match. Also features Harry Shum Jr. and Charles Melton. The 2021 film can be streamed on Netflix. 

Nina Dobrev must choose between two Asian American guys in 'Love Hard.'

Last Christmas

the movie debuted in 2019 after Henry Golding shattered the Asian male stereotype in Crazy Rich Asians with his sexy, charming, leading-man handsome portrayal of the film's Nick Young. After that movie, it was easy for casting agents to cast him in similar roles. In Last Christmas, he plays the handsome, equally-charming leading man again in this romantic boy-meets-girl film inspired by George Michael's hit "Last Christmas." Playing opposite Golden is Game of Thrones' Emilia Clarke, who portrays Kate, a frustrated Londoner who works as an elf in a year-round Christmas shop. It also stars Michelle Yeoh. The chemistry between the two attractive actors definitely works. Golden's role is not race-specific, but ... hell, his Asian features are clear to see.

The Christmas Bow 

The Hallmark film debuted in 2020 and stars Lucia Macarelli. The Korean American is a professional violinist who acts, not an actress who plays the instrument. She plays Kate, a promising musician whose lifelong dream of playing in the Rocky Mountain Philharmonic is put on hold by an accident. Reconnecting with Patrick, an old family friend, and his young cousin Gavin (Kenneth Cummins, “The Road Home for Christmas”), while recovering at home during the Christmas holiday, she finds love in someone who believes in her.

A Sugar & Spice Holiday

The predominantly Asian cast includes Jacky Lai, who plays Suzie, a rising young architect, returns to her small hometown in Maine for Christmas, where her Chinese American family runs the local lobster bar. Following the death of her grandmother, who was a star baker in their community, Suzie is guilted into following in her footsteps by entering the local gingerbread house competition. Everybody's favorite AAPI father Tzi Ma plays Suzie's dad and Lillian Lim plays the mother. Love interest is Billy, played by Tony Giroux, whose grandparents are from China. Lots of culturally specific references and moments in the Lifetime production.

'Sugar and Spice' could allude to the Asian touches to this movie like this
Chinese American holiday feast.

Holly & Ivy

Holly & Ivy follows Nina, a woman who finds out her fatal illness has returned, and she won’t be able to care for her adoptive kids. Her neighbor, Janel Parrish plays her neighbor Melody and offers to take the kids – Holly (Sadie Coleman) and Ivy (Piper Rubio) – to stay at her home. Handsome contractor Adam, played by Jeremy Jordan is the love interest but it is the strong performances by Chinese American actress Parrish and Nichols help convey the close friendship between the two women. Add the engaging portrayals by the two kids and before you know it, you'll find yourself emotionally invested in the character-driven Hallmark movie. Available on Apple TV or Amazon Prime.

Chinese American actress Janel Parrish stars in 'Holly & Ivy'

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas 

Tired of rom-coms and want a little zaniness for the holidays? A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas is a 2011 American buddy stoner comedy film directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson and written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. The sequel to Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), it is the third installment Harold & Kumar franchise, and stars John Cho, Kal Penn, and Neil Patrick Harris. The film follows estranged friends Harold Lee (Cho) and Kumar Patel (Penn) as they reunite to hunt for a Christmas tree. The characters created by Cho and Penn shatter the Asian nerd model minority stereotype, which I applaud heartily. The Harold and Kumar franchise launched the careers of  three actors  (including Neil Patrick Harris) who eventually become big stars. Join the irreverence on HBO Max and Prime.

John Cho, center and Kal Penn, right, are the central figures in this zany Christmas film.

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