Recommended Reading: Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans (APIDA) Month

APIDA: "We use the term APIDA, which stands for Asian Pacific Islander Desi American, as a pan-ethnic classification that intentionally includes South Asians (Desi) as part of our community. There is a great diversity of identities and ethnicities encompassed under the APIDA umbrella, including East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander." (Who is APIDA? Northwestern APIDA Staff Affinity Group)

Disaggregation of Data: "Splitting large, general categories into more specific groups. When we are talking about race data disaggregation, for example, Asian Americans can be divided into cultural groups such as Hmong, Vietnamese, Lao, Chinese, Korean, etc." By disaggregating data, researchers and decision makers can determine "what variables actually help us understand how someone might access or experience a service, what types of outcomes we might expect to see from their participation in a program, and/or what types of resilience or assets they might have to help them cope in different situations." (Minnesota Compass - Race data disaggregation: What does it mean? Why does it matter?)

Intersectionality: A theoretical framework that describes the complex personal and systematic ways that discrimination impacts the lived experiences of people across several overlapping identities (across experience of race, class, religion, gender, sexuality, ability, etc). It was first coined within Legal Studies' Critical Race Theory and third-wave Black Feminism frameworks by lawyer and academic Kimberle Crenshaw over 30 years ago. Many activists speak of the importance of intersectional-understandings and values being central to wider justice movements beyond single-issue or identity camps (see the Intersectionality article linked below).

Intersectionality, explained: meet Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined the term 30 years ago, it was a relatively obscure legal concept. Then it went viral.

A People’s History of Asian America is "a series of thoughtful visual essays and explainers, hosted by Emmy award-winning journalist, Dolly Li, and Asian studies scholar and professor, Adrian De Leon. Each episode offers informed and empowering perspectives, helping to break down common microaggressions and racist stereotypes through the tools of ethnic studies. This series covers what your classic American school history textbook may not.”

The Roots of Anti-Asian Racism is a March 2021 report from Al Jazeera.