Today We Say It Loudly and Obnoxiously

dexiong li

16 Oct 201808:26

Summary

TLDRKrista Liu, president of the Silicon Valley Chinese Association Foundation, addresses a crowd in Boston, highlighting the changing role of Asian Americans in politics. She recounts the community's activism against SCA 5 in California, which aimed to reintroduce racial considerations in university admissions. Liu emphasizes the importance of breaking the model minority stereotype and making voices heard, urging for unity and equal education rights amidst a divided nation.

Takeaways

📢 Introduction: Krista Liu, the president of Silicon Valley Chinese Association foundation, addresses the audience in Boston, representing Californians who couldn't attend due to distance but supported the event financially.
🌟 Representation: Despite not being physically present, Californians and other Americans watching the livestream are acknowledged and celebrated for their support and involvement.
🤝 Solidarity: The speech emphasizes the unity among Asian Americans in standing together for their rights and making their voices heard.
🚫 Breaking Stereotypes: Krista Liu challenges the model minority stereotype of Asian Americans being hardworking yet apathetic to politics, highlighting their active engagement in the political sphere.
🔊 Historical Moment: The event is described as an important and historical moment for Asian Americans, marking a shift in their political participation.
🎓 SCA 5 Battle: The speech recalls the fight against SCA 5 in 2014, which aimed to reintroduce racial considerations in university admissions in California, showing the community's ability to mobilize against discriminatory policies.
💪 Empowerment: The victory over SCA 5 is highlighted as an example of Asian Americans breaking their silence and becoming loud and obnoxious to protect their interests.
🗣️ Voice and Rights: The importance of voicing out for equal education rights and against divisive policies is emphasized.
🌐 National Unity: The speech calls for unity among all Americans, urging Harvard to stop creating divisions and to uphold the social fabric of the nation.
🏆 Achievement and Discrimination: Despite their achievements and hard work, Asian American children are deemed lacking in positive personalities by institutions like Harvard, which is criticized in the speech.
🌈 American Dreams: The final message is one of asserting American dreams and the right to be loud and obnoxious in the pursuit of justice and equality.

Q & A

Who is Krista Liu and what organization is she affiliated with?
-Krista Liu is the president of a grassroots organization called the Silicon Valley Chinese Association Foundation.
What is the significance of the event where Krista Liu is speaking?
-The event appears to be a gathering or rally where Asian Americans are making their voices heard on important issues, such as equal education rights and challenging stereotypes.
What was SCA 5 and why was it controversial?
-SCA 5, or State Constitutional Amendment Number 5, was a bill in California that aimed to amend the state constitution to re-establish the consideration of race, skin color, and ethnicity in public university admissions. It was controversial because it was seen as a racially discriminatory agenda targeting Asian-American students.
How did Asian Americans respond to SCA 5?
-Asian Americans fought against SCA 5 by demonstrating, protesting, gathering petitions, and lobbying legislators. Their activism led to the defeat of the bill.
What change has occurred in the Asian-American community's political engagement according to Krista Liu?
-According to Krista Liu, Asian Americans have moved from being notoriously apathetic to politics to becoming loud and obnoxious, meaning they are now more actively engaged and vocal about their concerns.
What does Krista Liu suggest is the new characteristic of Asian Americans?
-Krista Liu suggests that the new characteristic of Asian Americans is being hard-working and loud and obnoxious, indicating a shift from their previous apathy and silence in political matters.
What advice does Krista Liu give to Asian Americans regarding their behavior?
-Krista Liu encourages Asian Americans to continue being loud and obnoxious in their advocacy, as it has proven effective in making their voices heard and challenging unjust policies.
What is the significance of the term 'model minority' in this context?
-The term 'model minority' is used to describe the stereotype of Asian Americans as hard-working, law-abiding, and high-achieving, but also passive and uninvolved in politics. Krista Liu challenges this stereotype by advocating for more active political engagement.
How does Krista Liu relate the fight against SCA 5 to the current situation?
-Krista Liu relates the fight against SCA 5 to the current situation by drawing parallels between the activism and vocal opposition to policies that she perceives as unjust, such as those she believes are being implemented by Harvard.
What is the main message Krista Liu wants to convey to Harvard?
-Krista Liu wants to convey to Harvard that all children deserve equal education rights and that the institution should stop putting a wedge between various groups and tearing up the social fabric of the nation.
What is the role of the Silicon Valley Chinese Association Foundation in this context?
-The Silicon Valley Chinese Association Foundation played a key role in the fight against SCA 5 and continues to be involved in advocating for equal rights and opportunities for Asian Americans, as well as challenging stereotypes and unjust policies.

Outlines

00:00

🎤 Introduction and Representation

The speaker, Krista Liu, introduces herself as the president of the Silicon Valley Chinese Association Foundation and expresses gratitude for the support of Californians who could not attend the event but contributed to the trip. She acknowledges the historical significance of the moment and asks the audience to cheer for those watching online. She then addresses the common stereotypes of Asian Americans as hardworking and politically apathetic, and shares her excitement about their active participation in the event at Copley Square, Boston. Krista reflects on a past movement against SCA 5 in California, which aimed to reintroduce racial considerations in university admissions, and how Asian Americans united to defeat it, marking a significant shift in their political engagement.

05:00

📣 Overcoming Stereotypes and Advocating for Equality

Krista Liu continues by emphasizing the change in the Asian American community's approach from being passive to becoming vocal and assertive. She highlights the importance of being loud and obnoxious in the face of injustice, contrasting it with the traditional advice of her parents to avoid conflict and maintain a low profile. Krista criticizes Harvard's decision to reject Asian American students despite their achievements, arguing that the students were deemed lacking in positive personalities. She calls on the audience to reject the model minority stereotype and to stand up for their American dreams. She concludes by thanking the attendees for their support in challenging Harvard's policies and for promoting unity in a divided nation, asserting that all children deserve equal educational rights.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Californians

Refers to the people from the state of California, as mentioned in the context of the speaker, Krista Liu, and her fellow board members representing the Silicon Valley Chinese Association Foundation. It highlights the geographical origin of the speaker and the support she has from her community, even though they couldn't physically attend the event.

💡Grassroots organization

A grassroots organization is a group that is formed by the members of a local community who come together to achieve common goals or address shared concerns. In the script, it refers to the Silicon Valley Chinese Association Foundation, which Krista Liu leads as president, emphasizing the community-driven nature of their activism.

💡Model minority stereotype

The model minority stereotype is a concept that portrays certain minority groups, particularly Asian Americans, as achieving success in a society through hard work and obedience to the law, often leading to a passive and non-confrontational public image. In the transcript, Krista Liu challenges this stereotype by highlighting the active political engagement of Asian Americans in fighting against discriminatory policies.

💡SCA 5

SCA 5, short for State Constitutional Amendment Number 5, was a proposed amendment to the California state constitution that aimed to allow the consideration of race, skin color, and ethnicity in public university admissions. The speaker, Krista Liu, and her community actively opposed this bill, viewing it as discriminatory against Asian Americans.

💡Asian Americans

Asian Americans are individuals of Asian descent living in the United States. In the context of the script, they are the primary focus of the speaker's advocacy, as she discusses their historical political apathy and the recent shift towards active engagement in public affairs and legal matters.

💡Political engagement

Political engagement refers to the act of participating in public affairs and the political process. It can include activities such as voting, lobbying, protesting, or advocating for policy changes. In the transcript, Krista Liu emphasizes the importance of Asian Americans becoming politically engaged to fight against discriminatory practices and to ensure equal rights.

💡Harvard

Harvard is a prestigious private university in the United States, often used as a symbol of higher education excellence. In the context of the script, Harvard is mentioned as an institution that has been accused of discriminatory practices in its admissions process, particularly against Asian American applicants.

💡Social fabric

The social fabric refers to the network of relationships and shared values that bind a society together. In the transcript, Krista Liu argues that divisive policies and actions by institutions like Harvard are tearing at the social fabric of the nation, undermining the unity and foundational principles upon which the country was built.

💡Equal education rights

Equal education rights refer to the principle that all individuals should have the same opportunities for education without discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or other factors. In the transcript, Krista Liu advocates for equal education rights for all children, emphasizing that no group should be unfairly advantaged or disadvantaged in the educational system.

💡Community support

Community support refers to the assistance, encouragement, or resources provided by members of a community to individuals or groups within that community. In the context of the script, community support is highlighted by the donations from Californians to enable their representatives to attend the event, showcasing the collective effort and solidarity within the community.

💡Activism

Activism refers to the actions of individuals or groups who are publicly and energetically advocating for political or social change. In the transcript, activism is exemplified by the efforts of Asian Americans to fight against discriminatory policies, such as SCA 5, and to make their voices heard in the public sphere.

Highlights

Krista Liu introduces herself as the president of a grassroots organization, Silicon Valley Chinese Association foundation.

She represents hundreds and thousands of Californians who support the event but couldn't attend due to distance.

The organization's board members and herself are present at the event, funded by generous donations from Californians.

Krista Liu calls for a cheer for the Californians and those watching the online livestream.

Asian Americans are characterized as hard-working and notoriously apathetic to politics.

Asian Americans are often seen as model minorities who keep to themselves and obey the law.

The speaker announces that Asian Americans are breaking the model minority stereotype by being present and vocal at the event.

The fight against SCA 5 in 2014 is highlighted as a turning point for Asian American involvement in public affairs.

SCA 5 aimed to consider race, skin color, and ethnicity in public university admissions in California, potentially disadvantaging Asian-American students.

Asian-Americans' response to SCA 5 included demonstrations, protests, and lobbying against the bill.

The Silicon Valley Chinese Association foundation was born out of the fight against SCA 5.

The speaker contrasts the past quiet and obedient Asian-American stereotype with their current loud and obnoxious behavior.

Asian Americans are now characterized as hard-working, loud, and obnoxious, a change from the traditional model minority image.

The speaker challenges the traditional advice of avoiding confrontation and being quiet, in light of the struggles faced by Asian Americans.

Harvard's decision to limit Asian-American admissions is criticized for not recognizing the positive qualities of the students.

The event aims to challenge Harvard and promote equal education rights for all children.

The speaker thanks the audience for supporting the Asian-American community and challenging divisive actions.

The event emphasizes unity and the importance of not tearing up the social fabric of the nation.