AAPI Allyship on Juneteenth

By Katie Nguyen Palomares

J

uneteenth celebrates what many refer to as a “second Independence Day” for our nation (Juneteenth Foundation ), marking a mix of freedom, injustice, and progress.

I am by no means a historian, but the basic history surrounding the origination of Juneteenth is that although President Lincoln had made the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, the freeing of slaves only applied to those in Confederate states that had already been liberated by Union soldiers. For a host of reasons, this resulted in many Confederate soldiers and slave owners migrating to Texas in a desperate attempt to avoid the Union’s reach. (You can read more about the details surrounding the history of Juneteenth here.)

On June 19th, 1863 - almost two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been made - when Texas finally fell to the Union, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued General Orders, Number 3, announcing: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”

As Asian Americans in this country, Juneteenth in no way “belongs” to us or is “for” us. Juneteenth is for our African American siblings to celebrate and claim. It’s part of their incredibly complicated history of their ancestors and story in this country.

However, Romans 12:15-16 does remind us to, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”

So no, Juneteenth isn’t our holiday. And at the same time…

Juneteenth should be celebrated!

“Solidarity is belonging to one another through an interconnected struggle that results in collective flourishing.” - Sandra Van Opstal, Chasing Justice Allyship Guide

Celebrating Juneteenth as Asian Americans means joining in the opportunity of celebrating justice and freedom rolling forth in our nation - particularly for fellow BIPOC siblings! It also means rightfully rejoicing with our African American siblings. 

Perhaps, as Asian Americans this Juneteenth, it can even serve as an invitation to…

• Join in the celebration of justice and freedom rolling forth in our nation, and…

• Make space for the celebration of our Black siblings without a sense of feeling left out, and…

• Do our own work to acknowledge and learn how we can advocate for our Black siblings in our local and national contexts, and…

• Lean into the history of African and Asian American communities being falsely pitted against each other, and…

• Learn from the rich history of African and Asian American communities actively doing the work of allyship and support for each other in the collective.

So on this Juneteenth, my Asian American siblings, I hope you are filled with joy as we celebrate the collective flourishing of God’s image bearers.

I also invite you to explore in your own context what it may mean to engage in true allyship and solidarity with the African American community around you.

A Blessing For You, On Juneteenth…

You have been blessed to be a blessing.
You have been blessed with golden skin.
You have been blessed with eyes to see
and ears to hear.
You have been blessed with hands to
strengthen what is weak, and
make straight paths
For all those who are in the margins.
You have been blessed to be a blessing
and friend
and advocate
and ally
for your family
for your community
for your African American siblings.
Amen.

Photo by Max Petion

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Katie is a Mixed Vietnamese/White pastor, writer, and activist in Austin. She works with Kingdom Capital Network as the Program Manager serving and empowering underserved Christian small business owners to make an impact in their communities, serves as a Reclaim Manager with AACC, and on the Content Team with Chasing Justice. She earned her M.A. in Christian Leadership from DTS and B.A. in English with teacher certification from Texas State. She also consumes books like they're chips, can often be found bouldering on indoor rocks with her husband, or enjoying a good cup of coffee and conversation!