Everyday ways to be an ally to AAPI people
1 min readMar 22, 2021
- Communicate with us. Say “thank you” when we hold the door open for you. Say “excuse me” when we’re in the way. Say “good morning” when we walk by your driveway.
- Don’t make assumptions about our families. Maybe we are in a mixed-race couple. Maybe we are in a same-sex couple. Maybe our children don’t look like us. If you’re in a public-facing job, use neutral language, like, “How many are in your group?” or “I need one form completed per family,” instead of “Table for 4?” (just because there happens to be another Asian couple behind us) or “Is this your husband?” (he might be a stranger, or my uncle — gross!).
- Don’t cut in front of us when we’re standing in line. Yes, this happens ALL THE TIME.
- If you’re in entertainment or media, don’t make jokes at the expense of AAPI people. As an example, there is an episode of Modern Family where a character muses if Lily, a baby adopted from Vietnam, can pronounce her own name.
- Be aware that some well-intentioned compliments make us feel marginalized or objectified. Don’t tell us that we speak English well. Don’t tell us that we’re “tiny,” “slender,” “petite” or “cute.”