Walking through the Shanghai: Safe Haven during the Holocaust exhibit at the Holocaust Museum, I felt a mix of both surprise and awe, as it was the first time I had ever seen the history surrounding Jewish refugees in Shanghai. The exhibit was beautifully curated, following the stories of individual families as they sought shelter in Shanghai’s Hongkew District during World War II.
Following the exhibit, we had the opportunity to meet with people from the Jewish Federation, and we were able to get to know each other and discuss our thoughts on the exhibit over lunch. I sat with Nancy Yap, the executive director of CAUSE, and Zach Ritter from Jewish Federation. I was surprised to learn that Zach used to teach and do DEI work at the Claremont Colleges, where I currently attend school, and I especially appreciated how open he was to criticizing institutional policies he saw during his time there that negatively impacted marginalized students on campus. However, perhaps one of my favorite parts of the day was the panel discussion on Cross Cultural Relations with Zach, Nancy, Steve, and Jordanna Gessler from the Jewish Federation. The panelists emphasized that there exists so much diversity within both the Asian American community and the Jewish community, and can experience marginalization in similar ways. They conveyed the message that combatting institutions of power requires cross-community solidarity, and Zach brought up historical examples such as the Black Panthers finding ways to build coalitions with various local groups in the 1960s. One statement that Jordanna mentioned stuck with me for a while, as she emphasized that the Holocaust does not only represent pivotal moments in Jewish history, but rather pivotal moments in our shared human history; it shows us the ways that people can mobilize across the world to fight oppression and offer refuge, sanctuary, and love.
Our discussion with the panelists reminded me of the importance of solidarity when it comes to electoral politics, especially as it pertains to voting and redistricting. Last week, Nancy, the director of CAUSE, and Juily Phun, an Asian American studies professor and Nancy’s friend, talked about how CAUSE mobilized last year to change the redistricting plans that would have divided the San Gabriel Valley in half and lessened the impact of the AAPI vote. One question the panelists at the museum brought up was – “if I don’t show up for other communities in their time of need, how can I expect them to show up for my community later on?” An essential part of activism is not just advocating for one’s own passions and issues, but also developing the empathy to understand others and push ourselves out of our comfort zone to advocate for those who need us. When I think of my own educational and professional journey, I hope to keep this kind of advice in mind as we enter the next few weeks of the CAUSE Leadership Academy and eventually beyond.