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U.S. Humanitarianism and the Golden Muzzle of Model Minoritism
On May 20, 2020, St. Paul’s City Council passed a resolution condemning the Indian government’s Citizenship Amendment Act. St. Paul followed in the footsteps of Seattle and Cambridge, which had passed similar resolutions in February. Of course, St. Paul’s resolution emerged after Coronavirus had hit the United States, which begged the question: Why, in the midst of a global pandemic in which our nation was the epicenter, was a local city council in the United States putting time and energy into passing a resolution about a separate, sovereign nation?
Four days later, George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police officers was caught on video and the world woke up in a new way to Black Lives Matter. For many, understanding police brutality through this horrifying flashpoint event served as an entry point into unpacking and understanding systemic racism. Protests and dialogues emerged across the globe, with new, refreshed conversations about the long shadows of historic oppression on our streets and in our psyches. Interpretations and appropriations across the globe have been complex, confused, and often heated. Meanwhile, the Coronaverse continues spinning — economic depression looms, the broken health care system is cracking open, decisions about reopening schools are weighing on every district, community mental health is strained, job…
