The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders launched a public awareness anti-bullying campaign today. Bullying is a problem affecting children of all races and cultures, but for many AAPI youth, bullying takes on racial or religious overtones. In addition, AAPI youth face obstacles to seeking help including linguistic, cultural and religious barriers.
Some facts from the campaign:
- A 2014 report by the Sikh Coalition found that 67% of turbaned Sikh youth in Fresno, CA, experienced bullying or harassment.
- A 2013 report by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Foundation found that 50% of AAPI students in New York City public schools reported experiencing some kind of bias-based harassment, compared with only 27% who reported such experiences in 2009.
- A 2012 survey by the Council on American-Islamic Relations found that 50% of Muslim American students in California public schools reported experiencing verbal or social bullying because of their religion.
A toolkit is available online with resources available in 7 languages: English, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Urdu and Vietnamese. There’s even a playlist of empowering songs by AAPI artists.
CAAM is a supporting organization for the campaign. Use the hashtag #ActToChange to show your pledge in standing up against bullying.
Charlotte Hornets NBA player Jeremy Lin shares his experiences and some advice. “Don’t let somebody else tell you who you are or what you can or can’t do…Understand what makes you such a unique and special person.”
