This story was produced during ThreeSixty Journalism’s 2020 Digital Media Arts Camp, in partnership with the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota and Padilla. Health equity was the theme, with a focus on racism as a public health issue.
CAAL by ThreeSixty Journalism
Nick Kor is the organizer and movement builder at the Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL), an organization that brings together Asian Americans to build strong leaders within the community.
I helped create an interactive digital story about Asian Americans in Minnesota and resources that are available to them during the coronavirus pandemic amidst growing xenophobia aimed towards Asians. This is an important aspect to point out because racism affects how safe individuals feel.
I interviewed Kor about these issues, about what Asian American leadership looks like, and the changes local advocates can make in the community. He also spoke about how stereotypes like the model minority affect how others interpret the appropriate amount of assistance for Asian American communities. I learned more about the government’s involvement in encouraging individuals to report discrimination and how organizations like CAAL have been educating people through webinars and their advocacy.
The challenges of doing a project like this are planning what was necessary to tell a story that encompasses generations of diverse Asian Americans in Minnesota as well as being informative to the present. My biggest takeaway from this project was the graphic skills I needed to make this project engaging and interesting, which I hope readers will like! I want readers to consider how these issues aren’t far from home.
This story allowed me to research about the Asian American community in Minnesota and learn about their history here. It makes a difference to understand the layers of identity here in Minnesota and how we all live our individual realities, so I hope others will learn something new.