Member Spotlight: Pandy Shen (3L)

Pandy Shen is a 3L and Co-President of APALSA from 2020-2021. Pandy studied English and Asian American Studies in undergrad at UT. Keep scrolling to read her story!

Race has always been central to my identity. I got involved in APALSA to lend my voice to those whose experiences as nontraditional AAPI have similarly been erased by the Model Minority myth. I grew up in Atlanta, and was on welfare for a lot of my childhood. I attended a predominantly Black elementary school, where educational inequalities were flagrant—most of the non-Black students were elevated into rigorous GT programs, starting as early as first grade. By high school, I had moved into a predominantly white, middle-class neighborhood in Texas, where I noticed that my own advancements in certain classes and extracurricular activities were impeded by my family’s inability to afford private tutors/lessons (a prerequisite to advance, regardless of skill) and transportation. When my family finally made it to a more socio-economically comfortable position, I understood the importance of race in our climb up the ladder.

As someone who has been lucky enough to see both sides of the coin, I want to use my privilege and position to highlight how the Model Minority myth simultaneously obscures and silences AAPI experiences (especially those of us who were/are still low-income) while leveraging that silence to hurt our brothers and sisters of other races. As a strong believer in unity, I hope to foster a real sense of community between not only APALSA members, but also members of other affinity orgs, particularly because AAPI occupy such a unique position as perpetuators of (especially anti-Black) racism. In an education system that’s steeped in racialization, it’s up to ethnic students to uplift each other and highlight our excellence.

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