Model Minority Myth | Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics

In 2023, we’re partnering with five new Charity Pot partners that are working to improve the lives of Asian immigrants and citizens across the U.S. and Canada.

The past few years have seen a surge in racism directed at Asian Americans and Asian diaspora communities in Canada—with non-Asian people attacking them with both verbal and physical violence. Much of this xenophobia is rooted in what’s known as the model minority myth: in which “Asians”—as a generic, amalgamated and faceless group—are stereotyped as being inherently different than other people who live and make their home in North America. Along with a belief that all Asian people in North America are “forever immigrants”, regardless of their actual status within these countries. These two harmful myths seek to distance Asian people from fellow immigrants, residents and citizens—removing them from solidarity or support in an effort to dehumanize them and limit their organizing power.

To combat this, and in partnership with The National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC), we’ve identified five groups that push back against these attempts at oppression, and are allocating $10,000 to each to help fund their efforts to uplift Asian American and Asian Canadian communities, along with all marginalized people.

Introducing our five new Charity Pot partners

AFIRE

AFIRE, the Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrants Rights and Empowerment, is a Chicago-based and non-partisan grassroots group. Their goal is to organize Filipinx/a/os toward progressive change through immigrant rights, labor rights and civic engagement. Their values and beliefs are rooted in a need to support those most impacted by structural injustice. They seek to amplify the voices of those who have been silenced, including undocumented families, new immigrants and refugees, domestic and low-wage workers, seniors and youth.

AFIRE stands for those most impacted by structural injustice.

A group of AFIRE members stand and crouch in front of a camera in protest holding empowering signs that read ‘Language Justice Now’ and ‘AFIRE CHICAGO’.” height=

AFIRE organizes Filipinx/a/os toward progressive change through immigrant and labor rights and civic engagement.

A person in a winter hat stands in front of a gate holding a sign that reads ‘No to hate.”height=

AFIRE amplifies silenced voices.

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API Rise

API Rise was founded in Los Angeles in 2013 with the mission of addressing the stigma, silence and apathy around Asian and Pacific Islander peoples and the criminal justice system. Its founders come from a variety of backgrounds and saw their diversity as an inherent strength, allowing them to uplift the voices of the overlooked and oppressed across California’s prison system. Today, their focus includes providing peer support and mentorship networks for their membership, with the goal to educate and advocate for APIs to reveal the strength, resilience and diversity of their communities.

Hua Foundation

Hua Foundation is a nonprofit working on issues of youth empowerment, racial equity and civic engagement with members from the Asian diaspora—all on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), colonially known as Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Their mission is to strengthen the capacity among the Asian diasporic youth to empower them to imagine, design and participate in their futures while acknowledging the legacy of racism and discrimination that has impacted the lives of racialized peoples.

Korean Queer & Transgender National Network

The Korean Queer & Transgender National Network is a grassroots and volunteer-led group comprised of organizations, community formations and individuals across the United States. Their main goal involves working toward the quality, acceptance and liberation of all queer and trans people of Korean descent. They achieve this through an interconnected network that includes training, resources, discussion, projects and affinity spaces.

Woori Center

Woori Center works to organize Korean and Asian Americans on the topics of social, racial and economic justice in Pennsylvania. They strive to create a world in which all marginalized communities—including different races, genders, sexualities and more—can come together to create a more equitable society. They believe that the liberation of everyone is rooted in the liberation, first and foremost, of the most marginalized among us. Without that, we cannot achieve lasting systemic change.

These are just five of the groups that benefit every time you purchase a Charity Pot Body Lotion or Charity Pot Coin Naked Body Lotion. You can learn more about our Charity Pot program and the work we do here.