Chinatown Icons/ 华埠标帜

Designed by Rajiv Fernandez/ 设计师 Rajiv Fernandez

Words matter. Over the past year, we have seen the Chinatown community put at risk from anti-Asian rhetoric. Rather than focus on the xenophobic language, Catalyst Commission awardee Rajiv Fernandez spreads messages of positivity. Inspired by ShaoLan’s Chineasy, Rajiv’s designs use Chinese characters integrated with drawings to convey the impact of the words. These Chinese messages are paired with a single actionable word in English to empower AAPI communities. Rajiv notes “This is a way for both Chinese and English speakers to feel connected through a single message. The words chosen so far include ACTION, AMPLIFY, LOVE, UNITY” and more.”

Rajiv, in partnership with Think!Chinatown and The Creative Sanctum, will release 6 poster designs prior to the November 2021 election. Each design represents a community call to action. Read more for suggested actions and resources, including the creative inspiration behind each poster.

CC-Chinatown-Action.jpg

Add Oil (加 油) is a common phrase for encouragement in Chinese culture. It’s literal translation means to add oil or add fuel. For AAPI communities, who are now facing rising incidents of violence and xenophobia, it is time to add strength and action in countering these threats.

加油在中文里常被用来鼓励别人。眼下亚太裔社群正面临着愈发激烈的暴力及仇外情绪，这更是我们应该站起来加油反抗的时候。


Speak up loudly ( 大声呐喊) is a reminder to make sure you use your voice to make AAPI needs known. It is a reminder to fight against the invisiblity long faced by the Asian American community. Your voice is powerful, and when used loudly, amplifies and strengthens the power of the community

大声呐喊旨在提醒我们需要为我们的权力发声。亚太裔群体长久以来都被无视，我们需要去抵抗这种现状。你的大声呐喊是铿锵有力的，同时也会放大增强社群的力量。


良言一句三冬暖，恶语伤人六月寒。过去的这一年，我们见证了仇亚话术如何危及华埠社群的安全。然而，与其去聚焦这些仇外的“恶语”，Rajiv Fernandez, 作为Catalyst Commision的获奖人，将重心放在传播“良言”。受到晓岚创立的Chineasy的启发，Rajiv将汉字及绘画相结合，以彰显语言的力量。这些中文讯息与一个促人行动的英文单词相对应，以提高亚太裔的权力。Rajiv提到：“通过这个设计，讲中文及讲英文的人们会觉得他们是心意相通的。我目前选择的词是加油(ACTION)，大声呐喊(AMPLIFY)，XXX (LOVE), XXX (UNITY)及其它”。 


Rajiv将与心目华埠、The Creative Sanctum合作，在2021年11月的选举前发布6份海报设计。每一份设计都旨在促进社群行动起来。请参阅下面列出的行动指南及相关资源，包括海报设计背后的创意

 

Suggested Actions/行动指南:

  • Add oil to efforts to Get Out the Vote:/ 为选举加油，鼓励大家参与投票

    • Practice Rank Choice Voting with Dim Sum: In NYC, we will be having rank choice voting . This bilingual Chinese/English mock ballot simulates the experience of rank choice voting using a motivational and highly debated topic! / Dim Sum设计的Rank Choice Voting模拟演练：纽约市今年的选举将采取rank choice voting. 这个网站提供了一个中英双语的模拟选票，并在选票上包含了目前热门的话题，以帮助大家去模拟真实的投票情景

    • Be an Informed Voter: Make sure you know the basics of voting, including when, where, and how. More information on voting in NYC, from how and where to vote and to key voting deadlines can be found here.!/ 成为一个知情选民：确保你知道投票的时间、地点、方式。你可以在这个网站找到更多的相关信息

  • Amplify your needs by Voting and Speaking Up/ 通过参与投票及大胆表达自己的想法，为你的权益大声呐喊:

    • Choose Candidates that Support Your Needs: To add strength to your vote, choose candidates who will voice and support your community needs. Here’s a candidate voter guide to help make sure your elected officials work for your community needs. Then make sure your vote is counted by going to the polls! /将票投给那些支持你的权益的候选人：选择支持那些会为你的权益发声、行动的候选人，这样你的选票将携带更大的力量。这份选民指南可以帮助你去了解这些候选人。当然，也请确保在投票日去投下神圣一票！

    • Make Yourself Heard Beyond Voting: Contribute to the conversation on your community needs by speaking up. Consider writing an op-ed to amplify needed action for the Chinatown and AAPI community. Here’s are some tips and tricks from the Op-Ed Project./ 发声不止于投票：参与到社群的对话中，勇敢地为自己的权益发声。你可以通过写一篇评论文章来为华埠及亚太裔大声呐喊。你可以从Op-Ed Project的网站上找到相关的小贴士。

 

The work will be shared digitally and physically, including in neighborhood businesses, and as freely distributed stickers.