By Joshua Wu and Joash Thomas
D
espite increasing incidents of anti-Asian discrimination, 2021 has also been marked by a number of significant AAPI political advocacy achievements. After announcing the appointment of a Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Senior Liaison in April, the Biden administration launched the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) to increase awareness and advocacy for AAPI communities. And in May, President Biden signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, a bipartisan bill expanding federal reporting and review measures to address anti-Asian hate crime and incidents.
There have also been noteworthy achievements outside the federal government. In May, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) flexed the financial power of AAPI philanthropy and partnership by announcing it had raised $1 billion to support AAPI communities. It also secured a White House meeting with senior officials and rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. There were also significant legislative wins at the state level. Illinois became the first state to mandate the teaching of AAPI history in public schools with the signing of the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act. And California allocated $156 million in the Asian Pacific Islander Equity budget within the state spending bill, the most any state has dedicated in its budget for AAPI communities.
While we celebrate these political and advocacy achievements, they do highlight how relatively few achievements there have been for AAPI Christians in churches and organizations. To discuss takeaways and lessons we can learn, I spoke with Joash Thomas about his reactions to these recent AAPI wins. Joash previously worked on political campaigns and legislative affairs. He currently works on advocacy and mobilization initiatives with International Justice Mission though the views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of his employer.
What was your first reaction to these recent AAPI wins?
Joash: While I am greatly encouraged by these developments, I also find myself feeling hesitant to celebrate this too soon. As someone who has worked in and around the legislative and political worlds my entire adult life, I know firsthand that it’s important to change laws and increase public representation. But it’s also going to require real heart and culture change for things to permanently change for good.
What downsides or potential negative consequences might arise from these recent achievements?
Joash: One of my big fears of Democratic party allies championing the AAPI community in a unilateral way is the risk of alienating other parties and voting blocs that aren’t invited into this allyship. I’d hate for the AAPI cause to get politically hijacked with only one US political party championing us. We must cultivate bipartisan allies to publicly champion us because this is a nonpartisan cause.
What can AAPI Christians learn from these advocacy achievements?
Joash: Generally speaking, we as the Church have a lot to learn from the Biden Administration’s leadership in elevating and dignifying AAPI voices. It should embarrass us that a secular group of government leaders is doing this better than the Church!
From an AAPI Christian perspective—something that I struggle with as an AAPI in majority white Christian spaces is this feeling that I have nothing unique to say or offer. Over the past few months, I have come to realize that this is simply not true! God has given each of us a voice and a unique perspective that our White brothers and sisters in Christ need to hear—a perspective that could be deeply impactive in their spiritual formation.
How can these political and advocacy achievements inform how AAPI Christians should speak up and advocate for our communities in Church spaces and organizations?
Joash: Something I’ve been reflecting on lately is the need to build new tables. Many majority white Christian spaces want our presence but not our perspective. So they build a separate, kiddie table for us, to help their public image and show “diversity,” but never quite invite us to the adults table.
Instead of waiting for an invitation to tables and institutions where we’ll never be fully seen and accepted, I’m convinced that it’s time for us to flip these kiddie tables and build our own AAPI-run tables in the kingdom. Something I want to get better at is coming alongside fellow Asian American brothers and sisters to build our own tables—tables that create safe-spaces for our people to come together, heal, marvel at our shared experiences and be formed in Christ’s image together.
We need to stop the constant pursuit of trying to “blend in” so we can achieve “the Asian American dream.” Instead of blending in, we should aspire to bring our full selves to the table—especially with the rich cultural heritages that God has blessed us with. God has gifted us with unique voices, experiences, pains, and perspectives—things that the dying Church in the West is in great need of.
Thanks Joash for your insights and reflections on how these achievements matter to AAPI Christians! As you point out, AAPI Christians have a long way to go and a lot to do as our Christian communities seem to lag behind secular political and civic institutions in valuing our voices, perspectives, and experiences. Is there an encouragement that you can share as we press on in the spaces and organizations we are embedded in?
Joash: It’s not by happenstance that we find ourselves in our current western ministry contexts. God has us where he has us for a time such as this. May we be faithful in seeking out why he has us where he has us and how he is calling us to bring our full selves—in a way that strengthens the Church and expands the kingdom of Christ!
Photo by Joshua Sukoff on Unsplash
Joshua Wu is a husband, father, pastor's kid, and social scientist seeking to faithfully reflect Christ in all aspects of his life. He has a doctorate in Political Science from The Ohio State University, works in data analytics for a global communications firm, and currently lives in Rochester New York with his family. You can follow him on Twitter @joshswu.
Joash Thomas is an Advocacy & Mobilization leader at International Justice Mission (IJM) North America. A Public Theologian at heart, Joash has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Georgia State University, a Master’s degree in Political Management from The George Washington University and is currently pursuing a ThM in Systematic Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary. He lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife, Valentina. You can connect with Joash on Twitter or Instagram at @JoashPThomas.