This Heartbreaking Comic Shows Exactly Why We Need Asian-Black Solidarity Against Police Brutality

By Sameer Rao Mar 15, 2016

The protests around ex-NYPD officer Peter Liang’s conviction for killing Akai Gurley and the emergence of #Asians4BlackLives show the importance of solidarity between Asian- and African-American communities. A recent comic from an Asian-American educator and cartoonist further illustrates the important role that fighting anti-Black racism in Asian-American spaces plays in the war on state violence.

Kayan Cheung-Miaw‘s "Dear Brother," the English version of which you can read in full here and below (there’s also a Chinese-language version), depicts the relationship between an Asian-American sister and brother as the brother grows from a fun-loving youth to a hardened police officer caught up in the shooting of an unarmed Black trans youth. The comic’s panels show the increased distance between siblings on divergent life paths as it becomes clear how close they are to people whose behavior perpetuates White supremacist social structures. It’s a scenario that may be familiar to many readers, including those who don’t identify as Asian-American. Here’s the full comic: 

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According to a bio sent to Colorlines, Cheung-Miaw comes from a family of garment and restaurant workers. She worked as a labor and community organizer for eight years, leading a campaign that netted an historic $4 million settlement for 280 restaurant workers. She’s currently working on a graphic memoir about her mother and grandmother. 

"Dear Brother" appears in "APB: Artists Against Police Brutality," an anthology whose sale proceeds support the Innocence Project, a legal advocacy organization on a quest to exonerate wrongfully accused and convicted peoples. Click here to purchase the anthology. 

(H/t Salon, KQED News)  

Note: Post has been modified to include full print of "Dear Brother."