On Visioning Anti-Racism: Behind Austin's Stop Asian Hate Rally
On April 17, 2021, our team joined the rally to #StopAsianHate in Austin, Texas.
Alongside 1,000 community members, partners and friends, we stood on the lawns of Huston-Tillotson University to hear from leaders across Central Texas on their vision for anti-racist communities—each calling on us individually and collectively to work toward a culture that actively condemns anti-Asian hate and racism of all kinds.
Leading up to the rally, we took a minute to touch base with some of the organizers (many of which are bbatx friends and collaborators!) about their goals, what supporting the AAPI community can look like and the vision they have for our collective future.
꩜ Here’s what the organizers had to say about the purpose of the rally—and what we can all do next.
Photo via Spectrum News
1. What's your vision for anti-racist culture in our communities?
Anti-racist culture should look like everyone realizing they have a stake in this fight. Anti-racism begins when we can recognize that white supremacy relies on the divisions between communities of color to remain in power. It's up to us co-laboring, co-agitating and collectively dismantling racism.
2. How can we continue to support the AAPI community post-rally?
You can continue to support the AAPI community in these four ways:
Contribute to mutual aid/ support groups for Asian seniors.
If you speak another language, training to be VDRs and have voter registration drives in your local AAPI community.
Digital literacy training with new immigrants or older Asians so they can access city systems.
Supporting AAPI makers and businesses.
3. What do you want the future of Texas to look like?
There are a lot of elected officials and activists who want to just show up and look like they're doing the work, we'd like to see a future where our leaders and elected officials DO the work and actually support our communities. It's about caring after the rally even after it leaves your timeline.
Say hello to the organizers behind the rally, too. ✰
Meet Ashley Cheng, Lily Trieu, Pooja Sethi, Rio Renaud, Saatvik Ahluwalia and Sabrina Sha.
who: ASHLEY CHENG
Ashley Cheng grew up in Austin, on the floor of her parents’ Chinese restaurants. Currently, she’s the co-founder of Rouser, a creative civic engagement company, named a 2019 Organization of the Year by the Travis County Democratic Party. In 2020, she was their Anne McAfee Rising Star and a Tribeza Magazine Person of the Year.
In addition to working as a communications strategist and marketer for the movement, she co-hosts The Rabble (@TheRabbleTX), a Texas politics podcast leaving a trail of cupcake crumbs to the pearly gates of civic engagement. While completing her master's in social work at the University of Texas at Austin, she volunteers with Hospice Austin, Asian Family Support Service of Austin, Asian Pacific Islander Public Affairs, and the performance art organization Fusebox.
She also serves as a National Committeewoman of the Democratic National Committee and beloved dog mom to Eleanor Roooosevelt.
who: LILY TRIEU
Descendents of Vietnamese refugees, Lily Trieu grew up in the diverse community of Houston, TX and has been an Austin resident for over four years—not including her stint as a student at UT Austin. After spending nearly ten years in the private sector, she has rededicated her career and work in the space of K-12 education, nonprofits, and civic engagement.
Lily currently works as the Director of Public Affairs at a national education nonprofit, working to support education policy that will enhance equity and opportunity for all Texas students. She currently serves on the City of Austin’s Library Commission and is an active volunteer for youth and arts organizations across Austin. Lily also serves on the board of New Leaders Council, Asian Democrats of Central Texas, and the Ballet Austin Guild.
who: POOJA SETHI
As the daughter of immigrants, Pooja Sethi learned the importance of hard work early on. In 2012, Pooja founded the non-profit South Asian Austin Moms (SAAM) because she wanted to help women who faced discrimination at work. Pooja also started an immigration law firm in Austin where she did extensive pro bono work for immigrant women who experienced family violence and domestic assault. In 2018, the Syracuse College of Law awarded her the Frank Morris Racial Justice, Civil & Human Rights Award and in 2020 Lone Star Victims Advocacy Project gave her an award for her work on immigration issues and family separation.
She has served on the Mayor’s Task Force on Racism and Systemic Inequities, Office of Police Oversight Task Force, and the City of Austin Climate Plan Steering Committee. Pooja also currently sits on the Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission (AAQOL). She was part of the planning committee for the 2020 Austin Women’s March. The community recognizes her unwavering voice for change. In 2019, she was the first Asian woman to receive the YWCA Great Austin Woman of Color Leading Change Award. She was also recognized as 2019 Activist of the Year by both the Travis County Democratic Party and the Capitol Area Democratic Women, and a nominee for DivInc Community Changemaker award in 2020. In 2021, Pooja was nominated for Activist of the Year by the Austin Chronicle and awarded Champion Attorney Serving Minority Communities by the Travis County Women Lawyers Association. Finally, Pooja serves on the Institute of Diversity and Civic Life Board, the Texas Gun Sense Board, and has been featured on Fox News, PBS, and KXAN speaking about immigration and women’s rights. In her spare time, Pooja enjoys baking cookies with her son Jai and her husband Vivek.
who: RIO RENAUD
Rio Renaud is a visual designer specializing in graphic design, typography, direct mail development, and social media content creation. Rio grew up an army brat, moving from state to state throughout the U.S. When her family was stationed in Ft. Hood, she took her first ever high school trip to Texas’s Capitol and was captivated by Austin’s vibe.
She earned her BFA in Design at the University of Texas at Austin, and has been working in the creative and political scene in central Texas ever since. She loves branding, beaches, and boba. When outside the office, you can catch her trying to maintain her DuoLingo streak.
who: SAATVIK AHLUWALIA
Saatvik Ahluwalia is an award-winning digital marketer who is the Digital Strategist at Progress Texas and Austin Asian Communities Civic Coalition. Saatvik is also on the executive boards of Asian Democrats Central Texas, New Leaders Council Austin, Indian American Coalition of Central Texas, and the Community Advancement Network's Community Council.
Saatvik was born and raised near Boston, Massachusetts, and moved to Austin for his wife's pediatric residency program. They might be having their first child as you read this! He has won a Platinum MarCom Award, received public-speaking awards through Toastmasters International, competed in multiple Bollywood dance championships, and you can read about his work in the Boston Globe, Austin American-Statesman, and other publications. He was also profiled in the book "Those Immigrants!: Indians in America: A Psychological Exploration of Achievement" by journalist Scott Haas.
who: SABRINA SHA
Sabrina Sha is the daughter to Taiwanese immigrants. She’s a Houston transplant who’s lived in Austin since 2018. A former public auditor and anthropologist,Sabrina’s professional and personal objective is to help those who don't have a seat at the table get one, by helping them build the resources they need to amplify their voice to tell their story.
She is presently a political fundraiser having previously worked for almost every race up and down the ballot. She is the president of Asian Democrats of Central Texas, the precinct chair for Cherrywood neighborhood, current Finance/ Fundraising Co-Chair for the Travis County Democratic Party and a former bbatx Committee member. In her spare time, find her scheming with her familiar, Binx.
LOOKING FOR MORE RESOURCES?
The APAPA (Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs) is a grassroots organization that serves Austin through civic engagements and community services. You can learn about and support them here.
You can also read our resource guide on personal and professional next steps for anti-racism work here.