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 By Sunandita Santhanam

Usually, I would start with a picture of myself that captures how deeply I love my South Asian culture - but nothing I’ve taken this year encompasses how I feel or what I want to say - so here is a photograph that I love.

 

Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, Native Hawaiians, anyone that fits under the AAPINH umbrella, we are beautiful, amazing, rich with history and culture, and tradition. We are unique, and special, and deserve to be recognized for our existence. we should not have to be extraordinary to garner attention. However, in these times, we have been extraordinary and changed the world, transformed the system, and continue to question the status quo.

 

This year, the most important idea I want you to take is that we are not stereotypes of what you think Asians should look like, sound like, speak like, act like, or engage like. We are not all doctors, lawyers, or engineers. Our cultures are not all patriarchal and riddled with misogyny, contrary to the way we are perceived from a Western perspective. We are beautiful, extraordinary by existence, inspirational, budding with culture and experience and tradition and wisdom that you can’t even begin to understand.

 

We are smart, and resilient, and deserve to be recognized for our existence, contributions, communities, and cultures. We deserve a space in media, books, science, math, films, music, and art, to be seen and recognized as not just tokens for diversity, but pawns for stereotypes, caricatures, and side characters that are poorly written.

 

I want to see more women like me in films. I want to have role models that look like me. I want to be seen, heard, normalized and represented. I want my presence to be nurtured, nourished, and presented in such a way that women after me won’t think twice about seeing themselves on screen. As a filmmaker that is my dream.

 

Happy AAPINH Month! I love you even when it’s not AAPINH month. Thank you to the AAPINH role models who have paved the way, transformed the system, and fought for a seat at the table.

 

I am privileged, lucky, and so beyond honored! Thank you!

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