Emma Tang

Nadya Okamoto in conversation with activist, Emma Tang. Emma Tang is an 18 year old political youth activist and a first year at New York University. She gained recognition through her Instagram @intersectional.abc where she reaches millions of people per week. Her goal is to educate and motivate the public to take action through social media, by speaking out against racism and sexism, as well as promoting gun control and environmental advocacy. She is a former intern for a US Senate race and campaign manager for US Congress race as well as a former international figure skater.

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This week I sat down with Emma Tang to chat about being Asian American young women in 2020, growing up with the pressure to assimilate, and her impressive background as an organizer and activist via her Instagram platform @intersectional.abc.

Only this year, as a 22-year-old, did I really start to learn about the history of Asians in the United States – the restrictions on Asians not being allowed to immigrate to the US in the 20th century and Japanese internment. Over this summer, I also began working with accountability coaches who brought me to a new understanding of how the model minority myth around AAPI community was created by white-owned media and rooted in anti-Blackness.

Emma also shared how the model minority myth erases the diversity even within the umbrella of AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander), and how the model minority myth erases the inequality (wage gap) amongst different ethnic groups.

Continue the conversation with us on social media! 

@nadyaokamoto @intersectional.abc