Lower Moreland学区董事会亚裔候选人James Lee专访：多元、平等及包容是个漫长的过程

Candidates across the political spectrum are working overtime as election day nears. Community members are under the microscope more than ever before about their response to diversity, racism, and bias against marginalized communities. In the township of Lower Moreland in Montgomery County, slightly northeast of Philadelphia, candidates are eager to voice their platforms.

Hate crimes have surged this past year, especially against the Asian community. As an advocate against local anti-Asian hate crimes, Dr. James Lee resolved to run for school board. Lee is second generation Tainwanese immigrant, physician, and father of two children in the Lower Moreland School District. Lee spoke with Metro Chinese Weekly to address issues affecting parents, children, and community members, and offered his plan to address these issues on the K-12 level.

Lee grew up in a multicultural setting. He accessed the rich cultural heritage of his parents through schooling and his mother’s homemade dumplings, one of his favorite meals to this day. He also grew up speaking English and going to school with American friends without the same type of diverse background. With two Taiwanese parents, Lee emphasized the fact that at times he felt as if he was living in two worlds.

“Being a second generation Asian American is unique. You’re caught between I think two different cultures. You have your parents who I’m sure are very strongly in line with what country they may have come from and the cultures that they’re trying to pass along to you while at the same time as a second generation [immigrant] growing up in the US, Philadelphia area, you’re learning and adopting what’s around you.”

A topic that continually arises as a response to hate crimes against marginalized groups is the proposition that Critical Race Theory (CRT) should be taught in schools as a form of a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training.

CRT in relation to social tensions surrounding issues of diversity and racism has been a hot topic among local school board elections, with districts around the country torn between whether CRT is an appropriate topic to be taught in schools, or whether it’s a way to engrain race and division into young students. CRT is commonly misdefined by scholars, politicians, and community members as a teaching of race as an oppressors vs. victims scenario where white children are the “oppressors.” This raises alarm bells for many, as they believe kids will grow up believing they are either responsible for the actions of their ancestors or indebted to others due to the color of their skin. As for Lee, he believes CRT is a framework that belongs in post-secondary education, not in K-12 schooling. “It’s a methodology for examining legal, systemic issues. It’s not an ideology, it’s not an indoctrination. As such it’s meant for graduate level students, PhD level students...it has never been meant for kids.”

However, Lee is an advocate for DEI teachings in grades K-12, and believes there can be some overlap in the themes of the teaching. “I don’t think CRT is synonymous with the effort to have more culturally responsive and inclusive teaching. That to me is still a vital and important goal to be striving for.”

Lee has been a member of Lower Moreland’s DEI Council since its inception in February 2021. As a member of this volunteer Council, seatholders along with parents and faculty of the district work together to address the changing culture in schools. The Council aims to improve communication between community members and schools, develop appropriate curricula to incorporate DEI in schools, and encourage administrators to examine biases, hire more diverse faculty, and respond to social changes taking place within the community. Lee reflects, “This is a long process...involves a lot of communication between [the] community, the school board, administration, and students as well.”

Currently, the Lower Moreland district has an Asian student population of approximately 17.8%. However, personnel do not mirror this diversity. The district lacks diversity among teachers, school board members, and administration officials. The Lower Moreland District’s diversity rating falls at 0.35, which is significantly less than the state’s average of 0.53. School diversity ratings are calculated by the racial makeup of a school district on a scale of 0-1 and are considered highly diverse the closer the rating is to 1. In Lower Moreland, the score reflects a low diversity rating. When taking into consideration hate crimes against the Asian community in the Greater Philadelphia Area and around the country, schools with high percentages of marginalized students such as the Lower Moreland District need to step up to the plate to protect students physically and emotionally.

Anti-Asian hate crimes are nothing new, but they severely escalated since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Former President Donald Trump repeatedly referred to the pandemic as the “Chinese Virus.” Top administration officials, even Mr. Trump himself, used racially divisive terms like “Kung Flu.” In the City of Brotherly Love, a disturbing display of anti-Asian hate is on the rise. Last summer, attorney Stephen Kulp was walking in center city when a man passing by began to follow him, yelling racial slurs at him until Kulp was finally pulled away by a friend. This incident was not an isolated event. In schools, Asian children have been victims to both emotional and physical bullying or fights by non-Asian peers.

Lee, who has been a proud supporter for the Stop Asian Hate movement, has attended rallies and protests such as one organized in Chinatown this past spring as part of the National Day of Action Against Asian Hate. He now hopes to inject his strong advocacy into the school board to support not only Asian students, but also the entire study body.

As a practicing physician and a father of 2 children currently enrolled in the Lower Moreland District, Lee is aware of common medical issues students face. He understands the pressure they face through extracurriculars as well as the drive to maintain strong grades, develop social relationships, and get adequate sleep. He is also aware of dangerous social media challenges promulgated by school-age children through platforms like Tik-tok. One troublesome example of this, the Devious Lick Challenge, encourages kids to steal soap dispensers and other sanitary products from school bathrooms, causing disruption and unsanitary practices in schools. “This points to the power and impact of social media in general. Why is it of such importance and impact on young minds?” Lee wants to help students understand the consequences of potentially destructive social media activity.

Having grown up  within a melting pot of cultures amidst a divisive environment, Lee advises young students in the same situation to acknowledge how fortunate they are to be raised with exposure to their parents’ traditions and experiences, and at the same time to share their American childhood experiences with their parents as well. Lee believes family members sharing their experiences will bring equity and understanding to both generations. Empathy, acquired through personal experience during a multicultural childhood, is the engine that powers Lee’s campaign. To learn more about James Lee and his platform, visit electjameslee.com.