Some ABCs of Identity: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

 

The simple truth is that each individual's identity contains a complex blend of factors, traits, and cultures.  

In the context of identity, "What are you?" is rude, invasive, insensitive, and outdated for too many reasons to list. People are not obligated to satisfy random strangers' and distant acquaintances' idle curiosity. 

Each one of the billions of people who exist is a unique individual. In the spirit of The Golden Rule let's study, respect, and celebrate each other's cultures and contributions. 

The umbrella term of "Asian" is as problematic as "African" and "Indian" with being rooted in the nomenclature of colonial imperialist oppression. Hundreds if not thousands of distinct cultures fall under each label. Educators, historians, public libraries and librarians, bookstores and booksellers are ready, willing, and able to recommend helpful resources for learning more about unfamiliar people and places and ways of existing.  

Some of my personal favorites among talented authors who also happen to celebrate their AAPI heritage are Sylvia Day (thanks for reminding me, Cavalcade of Authors!), Carla de Guzman, Mary E. Jung, Amita Murray, Alisha Rai, Sarah Echavarre Smith, Cecilia Tan, Sherry Thomas...  

AAPI = Asian American and Pacific Islander 

APIA = Asian Pacific Islander American 

BAME = Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic  

BIPOC = Black, Indigenous and People of Color 

BME = Black and Minority Ethnic 

Hawaiians 

LGBTIQCAPGNGFNBA = Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Intersex, Queer/Questioning, Curious, Asexual, Pansexual, Gender Nonconforming, Gender-Fluid, Nonbinary, Androgynous 

LGBTQUIA = Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Undecided, Intersex, Asexual 

Marshallese  

MENA = Middle Eastern and North African 

QUILTBAG, see LGBTQUIA  

Samoan 

Thanks to allacronyms.com for the assistance with abbreviations that were new to me.