The Week in Review: April 20 - 27
Joshua Gao, a 24-year-old from Toronto, Canada, created Binko Chat along with friends Duy Ngyuen, Mogen Cheng, and Tristan Tsvetanov with the purpose to connect families despite language barriers. According to Binko Chat’s website, users are able to chat with one another in multiple languages as it “translates slang, idioms, colloquialisms, professional jargon accurately and fluently”. Like many 2nd-generation children of immigrants, Gao wants to be able to communicate with his parents and other family members despite a language barrier, which inspired his project.
The app was launched on March 29 and can be found on both the Apple App Store, the Google Play store. Currently the Asian languages supported by the app are Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Khmer, Tagalog, as well as other languages.
Back in Decemeber 2022, a video posted by Twitter user @RichLeePD went viral. The video shows Purdue University Northwest’s Chancellor Thomas Keon mocking an Asian accent at the college’s graduation ceremony. Viewers of the video were horrified by the racist joke and called for the resignation of the Chancellor, but as of now Keon has not resigned and will continue to serve his position until he steps down as Chancellor to a faculty-level position in 2024. Outrage of this decision comes from, not only the general public against Keon’s remarks, but other university officials at Purdue University Northwest and school faculty and officials across the United States.
Vincent Chin Institute Launched to fight hate – AsAmNews
The Vincent Chin Institute, a network made up of AAPI activists, was launched on April 26. The purpose of the Vincent Chin Institute implementation is to bring continuing awareness of anti-Asian hate, to fight for AAPI communities, and to work with outside organizations to educate the public about AAPI culture and issues. The institute is dedicated to the late Vincent Chin, a Chinese American who was brutally murdered during a time where anti-Japanese sentiment was incredibly present within the United States. Chin’s death also resulted into a solid structure of the Asian American movement as those AAPI and non-AAPI alike protested against injustice against the community.
The same day, Helen Zia, along with others, released the 2nd edition of the Vincent Chin Legacy Guide. The guide can be found in several different languages and is intended to be taught to K-12 schools in addition to educating the general public.
‘Endless record heat’ in Asia as highest April temperatures recorded | Climate crisis | The Guardian
This April, record heat temperatures have been recorded in several Southeast Asian countries, South Asian countries, and China. Bangkok, Thailand released a statement urging people to stay inside as the temperatures rose to 42 Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit) but felt like 54 Celsius (129.2 Fahrenheit) due to the humidity in the air. Many across Asia have been hospitalized due to the record-breaking heat. In Bangladesh, the surface of the road began to melt. Schools have also switched to distance learning to keep faculty, staff, and students safe from traveling in the heat.
As the temperatures continue to rise all over the world, several climate specialists have noted how poorer people within the regions will be affected most due to the reliance on agricultural business, and that the rise in heat is due to the man-made climate crisis.
Florida passes bill to teach AAPI history in schools – AsAmNews
On April 26, Florida passed HB 287, which proposed the mandate of teaching AAPI history in the K-12 school curriculum. The Senate passed the bill with an astounding vote of 113-0. The fight to instate AAPI history in schools has been advocated by Make Us Visible, a national organization that has helped several states pass bills into law similar to HB 287. The Florida chapter of Make Us Visible is led by Mimi Chan, who has fought for this moment for two years. Though this is a victory for the AAPI community, this decision comes after debate on Florida’s current curriculum in both K-12 and college-leveled classrooms. As mentioned in the AsAmNews article, Florida lawmakers rejected the addition of an AP African American course. Florida Governor Ron Desantis, who has been vocal against critical race theory, believes that “the course is a vehicle for a political agenda”. So, while we are able to celebrate the passing of HB 287, there is a lot to think about when it comes to the rejection of teaching Black American-focused history.
