May is Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month - This year's theme is "Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity." As we continue to live into our call as reconcilers, let's continue to learn from, support, and be safe people for our brothers and sisters who still navigate a world rife with racism and hate.
RESOURCES:
  • Unity Collective Counseling:  www.unitycollectivecounseling.org 
    Asian Counseling and Referral Service:  www.acrs.org
    If you are a person of AAPI descent or their family member and are in need of extra support and counsel, Bethany has partnered financially with Unity Collective Counseling, a counseling service in Seattle working at the intersection of faith, race, and mental health. Unity Collective Counseling is led by people of color and their mission is, “transforming individuals, relationships, and communities through intersectional, integrative counseling, classes, and trainings.” Reduced rates are available. We’ve also donated to Asian Counseling and Referral Service, an organization devoted to “promoting social justice and the well-being and empowerment of Asian and Pacific Islanders—immigrant, refugee, and native born—and other vulnerable communities through multilingual, multicultural community-based services.
  • Asian American Christian Collaborative:  www.asianamericanchristiancollaborative.com (also be sure to check out their recommended resources page)
  • Asian Nation:  www.asian-nation.org
  • Implicit Association Test
    To dig into your own implicit bias, consider taking this test:  www.implicit.harvard.edu
RECOMMENDED BOOKS
  • Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans (Ronald Takaki)
  • The Making of Asian American: A History (Erika Lee)
  • Yellow: The Making of Race in American Beyond Black and White (Frank Wu)
  • Minor Feelings (Cathy Park Hong)
  • Chains of Babylon: The Rise of Asian America (Daryl J Maeda)
  • The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority (Ellen D. Wu)
  • Margins and Mainstreams: Asians in American History and Culture (Gary Okihiro)
  • American Born Chinese (Gene Luen Yang)
  • Invisible: Theology and the Experience of Asian American Women (Grace Ji-Sun Kim)
  • Beyond Colorblind (Sarah Shin)