Beyond the Myths & Monolith

#MinneAsianStories 2021

Moving Lives Minnesota (MLMN) interviewed Julia Gay (she/they) Communications and Marketing Coordinator at the Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL) to learn more about #MinneAsianStories 2021, a storytelling campaign sharing the stories of Asian Minnesotan community members

MLMN Can you tell us about #MinneAsianStories 2021 and the history of the project?

Julia: It started as a response to a realization that there weren't a lot of places for Asian Minnesotans to share their stories. CAAL wanted to create space for all the voices that make up the Asian Minnesota community. It's become an annual storytelling story campaign that is released during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. It's both a celebration of this month and the voices and experiences that make up this community. The only requirement to submit is that you are Asian and are Minnesotan.

In the past we've released a story a day, that's 31 stories in May, depending on how many we receive. We release them on our social media platforms, our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We also post the stories on our website and newsletter. This year, we are going to do a weekly roundup of stories every Friday.

This year we've opened it up to any creative reflection, be it dance, poetry, dance, we've had some visual art and photography submissions. That's exciting and gives people a way to reflect in whatever medium that resonates the most with them. We might start working with storytellers to record their stories as a way of honoring the oral traditions of Asian Minnesotans and I also think the voice can capture a power that written word can't always do.

MLMN: What is the theme of this year's #MinneAsianStories?

Julia: This year's theme is Beyond the Myths & Monolith. We really wanted to hone in on this moment, recognizing there's a lot that's been going on during COVID and how it has impacted our communities. This is an opportunity to reflect on this year.

This year, in particular, there has been a lot of focus on anti-Asian racism, not that it hasn't existed in the past, but it's really highlighted the issues of preconceived notions of the Asian American community and assumptions like the model minority myth or that we are all at similar levels of economic status and safety. We are trying to push against the idea that we are all the same.

MLMN: What kind of impact do you hope the project leaves on participating artists and your organization?

Julia: I hope that it's an empowering experience for storytellers, that they can share their story and be uplifted. I hope community members feel good to see their friends and family members being highlighted.

At CAAL (Coalition for Asian American Leaders), we are thinking strategically about how storytelling should be the people component of a lot of the policy and organizing work that we are doing. We do so much policy work and advocacy, so much of which is data-informed and driven by numbers, but when we look at the bigger picture, it is also about the people and voice. We are trying to weave this into the work we are doing around our priority issues in immigration, education, and economics.

MLMN: What are some reactions to the project you've heard from community members and participating storytellers in the past? 

Julia: This is my first year leading #MinnesAsianStories. I haven't been here for past iterations, but I would say in my interactions with community members that people are excited for this opportunity that there aren't other opportunities to do this. This is a unique experience, and the hope is that with #MinneAsianStories we are normalizing hearing about Asian Minnesotan stories in everyday life.

Some educators have started incorporating #MinneAsianStories into their curriculum, so they are using these stories with their students. So that's another way these stories can both get out to our communities and beyond Asian Minnesotans.

MLMN: Besides submitting a story, are there other ways for folks to participate?

Julia: Once you are a storyteller, we open the invitation to join our advisory group, that's a more involved role where we meet monthly or bi-monthly and plan #MinneAsianStories. One direction we are also exploring is a podcast. We are thinking about different ways to uplift these stories and get them out to more people. I'm also excited to explore future partnerships and other projects that could come out of #MinneAsianStories.

MLMN: Are there any upcoming opportunities or events where folks can watch or experience the project?

Julia: Join us on May 4, for our launch event. We are inviting a few of our storytellers this year to share their stories and we will also have time for attendees to reflect on the stories and share what resonated most with them.

Throughout the month of May, we also encourage folks to follow us on social media and follow our daily stories as we release them. Another way to get notifications is by signing up for our newsletter. We are also collaborating with the Dakota county library to do a #MinneAsianStories event later in the month.

Learn more about #MinneAsianStories

• To view past stories and stay tuned for the release of the 2021 stories, visit www.caalmn.org/minneasianstories.
• Follow CAAL on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as we release #MinneAsianStories throughout May.
• Sign up for the CAAL newsletter to get a weekly roundup of stories in May.

Contact Julia Gay at julia@caalmn.org if interested in being a future storyteller or volunteer