Asian Pacific Americans for Action is a campus group dedicated to Asian American activism at Cornell. Since 1972, APAA — formerly known as the Asian American Coalition — has pursued their mission of empowering and advocating for the Asian American students on campus. The organization was integral to the establishment of Cornell’s Asian American Studies Program, just one example of a rich history of meaningful change made on campus. APAA has held teach-ins, screened films and documentaries and collaborated with other minority student groups to continue working toward its goals of activism and justice. Day-to-day and year-to-year, APAA displays a commitment to social justice and fostering change. This semester, they are taking it a step further and will be publishing their literary magazine, Parallax, for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Established in 1991 as a socio-political journal, past Parallax issues have discussed migration, diaspora, political education and apartheid, among other topics. The pandemic put much of the world on hold, and Parallax was another of its victims. The last issue came out in 2019. But, having regained footing and determination, APAA is ready to dive in once more. This semester’s revival issue takes a broad stance: Radical APIDA Activism. In the words of Editor-in-Chief Grace Nivera ’27, the theme is “a tribute to the power, resilience and revolutionary spirit that has defined Asian American and Pacific Islander struggles for justice across generations.” Radicalism means embracing risk in ways that can be uncomfortable or stretch the boundaries of what is generally deemed “acceptable.” It can be difficult or intimidating to pursue a radical approach to activism, but it is also vitally important.
As an entirely student-curated publication, Parallax contains a variety of perspectives from burgeoning activists across campus. For the past three months, a talented team of student writers, designers, editors and artists have worked tirelessly to create a cohesive, impactful and wide-ranging literary magazine. Personal narratives, investigative articles, creative essays and current events think-pieces provide a strong array of subjects ranging from informational to intensely introspective. Because of the diverse backgrounds of the contributors, Parallax speaks to both individual and collective experiences across different Asian cultures. Through reviving Parallax, APAA seeks to fuel the fight for change on campus and contribute Asian American voices to it. This fight is especially important now, with a growing culture of apathy stifling potential activists. However, Parallax doesn’t just voice discontent and advocate for change, it is also deeply celebratory of the Asian American experience. The beauty and joy of connecting with your culture is something that can so easily be pushed aside when pursuing broader ideas of justice. In reality, it is all that goodness that activists are fighting to protect.
The symbol chosen to represent this issue — and adorning the cover of the magazine — is a phoenix. Representative of rebirth, there is no iconography more apt to the revival of Parallax. It serves as a reminder that, no matter what socio-political defeats we may suffer, advocacy will always be reborn out of the ashes. As long as someone cares deeply about what is right, and is willing to be a little radical about it, the spirit of activism will persist. So, too, has Parallax persisted, rising this semester out of the hiatus of the pandemic years; it has survived because of a real commitment to change. Rekindling Parallax shows that the students on our campus are ready and willing to share their voices, something that is becoming more and more important.
Parallax is bound to be a poignant read for anyone, not just members of the Asian American community. With many more issues to come in the future, APAA is aiming to forge bonds and break down borders, to share the message of Parallax with everyone. After all, social justice is a group effort; nothing truly revolutionary can be accomplished alone.
Asian Pacific Americans for Action can be found on Campus Groups or @cornellapaa on Instagram.
Melissa Moon is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at [email protected].