Asian Americans in Cannabis: Our shared history
“The U.S. Asian population is diverse. A record 22 million Asian Americans trace their roots to more than 20 countries in East and Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, each with unique histories, cultures, languages and other characteristics. ”
The term, “Asian American,” used as a social and political identity, was coined by in 1968, a year that shattered America. It was the fault lines of the Vietnam war, The Cold War, civil and human rights and the youth culture that defined an era. Derogatory terms were called out, it was a rejection of the all-encompassing label for all Asians as “Oriental”. The emergence of the phrase “Asian American” and the movements that led to its creation was the direct result of radical cross-racial and ethnic solidarity building in the 1960s. Before 1968, the creation of a pan-ethnic Asian identity did not exist in the United States, we were stereotypes created by the media, as an example non-Asian actors were cast as Asians, even then we were not “trusted” or even noticed to give a true representation of Asian Americans. Therefore the term “Asian American” was to galvanize Asian people to come together, acknowledge our shared histories, and fight for collective liberation.
Flash forward just over half a century and the top viewed series on Netflix are Korean, Boba shops are competing with Starbucks, US car companies were eclipsed by Toyota to Vice President Kamala Harris who shares East Indian heritage with her mother. In Cannabis we have made huge strides, many APIs are founders, CEOs, influencers, makers + creators, innovators, policy makers, cultivators, manufacturers and consumers.
Our entry into the industry was delayed by our cultures, many of us came from countries that accepted the US’s assertion that cannabis was illegal and dangerous, accepted it to benefit from being allied with the US. This permeated our societies, despite the fact that we had been using Ma or má (Mandarin pronunciation: [mǎ]), a Chinese word for cannabis, since the 4th century by Taoists).
When I entered the cannabis community and industry, I always looked for someone that looked like “me” as an ally and also, we would have the same historical touch points to share. I found very few that would even talk to me about their use and employment. I founded Asian Americans for Cannabis Education for that reason, to find, to write about and to create a community. We have been successful since that day in 2015 in gathering our “tribe” and the acceptance of cannabis. What appealed to most of us is its economics and a giant playground for innovation. Today more APIs are entering not only the ancillary but plant touching, we have innovative brands such as Stiiizy, Sundae School, Pure Beauty, Halal Hemp, Vessel Brands, Feeling Frosty (extracts), Tsumo Snacks and more have debuted in a crowded marketplace and thrived.
Cannabis has a long history, from medical use to being stigmatized and a plant branded as illegal as heroin. From this fraught history, we are now writing new pages in our history books – we look with optimism to the horizon by forging a path for many to follow.
Thank you “Women in Cannabis” for giving me space to tell our story.
Ophelia Chong
Founder
Asian Americans for Cannabis Education