Indigenous Pacific Islander Asian American (IPIAA) Healing Sessions
The big question / How might we...?
How might we heal ourselves in order to show up better for our Black colleagues at the County?
How might we forgive ourselves and be accountable for privilege and perpetuating anti-blackness inside and outside the organization?
Type (project or consultation):
Project
When:
Spring/Summer 2021
Process/what we did:
In early 2021, we hosted six 90-minute sessions with County staff identifying as part of the Indigenous Pacific Islander Asian American (IPIAA) community with the goal of healing and taking accountability for our own community’s anti-Blackness. The topics included:
- The rise of anti-Asian hate crimes, its impact and our strength
- Our ancestral history
- Our journey of getting here and now
- Invisibility as IPIAA
- Our history/timeline
- Diversity of IPIAA identities
- Community building with each other and other BIPOC
We co-created these topics and agendas with members of the group using creative approaches such as drawings, writing prompts and small group reflections.
Outcome/Impact:
We shared stories, built relationships, shared food and dreamt up the next steps. We even visualized our sessions.
