Dispatches from the White House Forum on Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders

Dear friends,

This week I had the privilege of attending the White House Forum on Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders thanks to the invitation of my Hmong sister from another mister, Pajouablai Monica Lee . I look forward to recapping my dispatches from this event later on in this newsletter, but I would like first to tell you why it was so special to see Monica organizing this behind the scenes with her team.

Part 1: Different threads, same tapestry

Thread one: A patchwork of statistics

I’d be the first to tell you that we cannot brand and define people by statistics alone, but I do want to share some quick stats:

1. More than a third of Hmong Americans have less than a high school diploma (37.7%, according to California State University, Sacramento).
2. According to an NBC article, “about 60 percent of Hmong Americans are low-income and about a quarter live in poverty.”

These numbers are changing and improving--especially among Hmong women. However, they show how Hmong people (and many Southeast Asian people) are still misrepresented in the model minority myth. These numbers are a reminder that there is still work to be done on a cultural and systemic level if we want all members of the American populace to have the opportunity to live the American dream.

Thread two: The Monicas of the next generation

When I look at Monica, I see the promise of Hmong America. Monica is the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Outreach, White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. She is one of the core people at the helm of the conversation of AANHPI empowerment in America and the government. Hmong people typically have no choice but to be in the backseat of race, income, education and policy discussions. Monica represents a shift in our narrative and our statistics. I am so proud of her and the future Monicas in the making!

Thread three: Public and private sector representation

Earlier last week, Monica and I caught up over a late dinner. One of the things we talked about was how I never ran into other Hmong designers when I started in the field. However, I have been pleasantly surprised to see more Hmong people in design, media and communications over the last decade. This last year, I had the privilege of working as a coach with multiple Hmong designers. It felt like a beautiful full circle that wasn’t just a decade in the making... but generations in the making. I hope this is part of a more significant ripple effect across the Hmong community. May we show up and feel included and empowered across all public and private sectors.

Part 2: Dispatches from the White House Forum on Forum on Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders

Here are some of my favorite quotes and takeaways from the forum, which included an incredible lineup of guests including Lisa Ling, Bing Chen, Eric Nam, John C. Yang and Aaron J. Salā.

We know that AANHPI communities oftentimes refuse to seek mental healthcare, and when we do, it is at a time of crisis. It is an emergency time, but we want to get people to a place where it is preventative. Mental health is something we should take care of every single day... it's a human issue.

— Eric Nam

Eric is a well-known kpop star, but you may not know that he is also a mental health advocate (with a mental health app to boot). He touched on the need to bring this issue to light in our community. This was timely because May is both Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Teachers have to accept that students come with very different experiences. They need to allow those individual experiences to inform the collective success of the whole. That is an incredibly powerful thing, but something that the US is really, really bad at.

The US is bad at vulnerability in general. If the US would allow itself to be vulnerable, starting at the individual level, I think we would find that vulnerability provides the pathway for us to be much more when it comes to having authority, empathy and power. We're afraid when we should't be.

Soft power is grounded in listening, in contemplation and empathy. We need to reinvigorate ourselves in this spirit and energy. It is what will guide us into the future.

— Aaron J. Salā, Founder and CEO, Gravitas Pasifika

Aaron’s emphasis on soft power is a refreshing invitation to reframe how we should engage in community with one another. He reminds us of the deep wisdom of his lineage and region of the world.

It's not about finding our voices, but how we use our voices and our lived experiences.

I grew up as a midwestern boy on the outskirts of Chicago when and where there were so few Asian Americans that I was called chink. I literally got into fights for being Asian American. I'm not proud of it, but I am proud of it right now.

I am an undocumented so-called illegal alien. I found my path to citizenship through bipartisan legislation signed in 1986. As an advocate, I have the privilege of being here in DC to advocate for all of us to create change that we can all benefit from--to feel protected, more secure, more included in our society.

Democracy is not a spectator sport. It is a sport we must all participate in.

— John C. Yang

The tension in being Asian American (or NHPI) is that we claim an intersectional identity. Our unique ethnic and cultural upbringing is one half of the equation. The other half is the right and liberty to be American: to be patriotic enough to love our country and patriotic enough to question what needs to change to make our nation a more perfect and inclusive union.

I admire John and advocates like him, who are brave enough to talk about the lesions in our culture. I use these descriptions because that is how they feel to me, as someone who grew up with the optimism of the 90s and the realism of our present day.

The last two quotes will come from the evening’s last guest, Vice President Kamala Harris.

My origin story is that my parents were active in the Civil Rights Movement while studying at Berkeley. People can't always wrap their heads around that... but there's more clarity when you think about the [global] movement forward independence, such as India's movement towards freedom.

Independence is part of the origin stories of most immigrants. They have a deep knowledge and understanding of the power of government, the importance of democracy--and what happens when democracies don't exist, are not intact... and when there are oppressive regimes and corruption. It is not as though the immigrant story is that one where one comes here and has no knowledge and awareness of it (democracy). I think that's a really important point to acknowledge.

The Vice President’s commentary speaks for itself, especially in contrast to anyone who may think of immigrants as blank slates. Her last words remind us to be students of one another. What can we learn about one another’s origin stories? What would it be like if we listened before making assumptions first? We must go back to these questions and a spirit of curiosity to counter the AAPI discrimination and hate crimes that continue to fester across our country.

[On the topic of small business business week] Half of our workforce who works in the private sector either runs or works in a small business. There are many reasons to support them, and to ensure they have equal access to capital.

[As consumers] we need to support AANHPI businesses not just during heritage month or small business week, but throughout the year because when you invest and spend money at these small businesses... they take that money and give it to a friend or neighbor or another small business. It's how to make our community stronger.

This last point spoke to me as an Asian American small business founder. I am grateful that my community has wrapped its arms around me and that I have continued to build partnerships with fellow AANHPI business leaders and organizations. I look forward to expanding my circle and contributions over the years. Here’s where you’ll find me in the short term:

• May 10: I’ll be hosting a special tarot reading activation with RUN AAPI for their after-party following the APAHM Gala that the AAPI Victory Fund is hosting at the Kennedy Center.
• May 21: I’ll be joining the Asian Creative Festival’s Day 2 lineup of keynote speakers, thanks to the invitation of ?? Steven Wakabayashi . Our panel of keynote speakers will discuss the intersections between creativity, mindfulness and Asian American identities.

On your way out

This newsletter’s content was slightly different from my usual notes to you, but I hope it provided some helpful food for thought. My Hmong American and Asian American heritage deeply informs my work as a coach, storyteller, advocate and business owner. I hope this helps you understand more of my worldview.

As a coach, one of the questions I ask my clients is "What feels most pressing or urgent to you right now?" The concept of urgency can help provide clarity and a healthy approach to prioritization (so long as we prioritize an abundance mindset instead of a scarcity mindset).

My sense of purpose and optimism stems from my sense of urgency. Our society's rates of loneliness, isolation and mental instability continue to rise. Our political divisiveness and unrest also continue to be concerning. My work as a coach, storyteller and advocate is dedicated to a path of healing and connection with our inner and outer worlds. When I present, when I facilitate private and public workshops, when I choose which clients to conduct business with--and even when I do tarot reading--I keep these thoughts at the back of my mind.

I attend programs like the White House Forum on Forum on Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders to make sure I am educated and refueled to continue my life's work.

Thank you for listening and showing up to do your work in lockstep with me. May you continue to also pay attention to what feels urgent in your life as well!

Phim

PS Special S/O to Rochelle A. & Ginnie Lin (she, hers) . I look forward to dimsum and tea with the two of you. (;