Breaking the Asian American Silence at a Time Like This: Lessons from Esther 4

Abstract

This contextual re-reading of Esther explores how Asian American individuals and communities can use their agency and voice to protect and uplift one another amid the global pandemic, systemic racism, and rising xenophobia. Anti-Asian hate and violence surged during the COVID-19 crisis in North America, culminating in the shootings in Atlanta on 16 March 2021, where eight people, six of them Asian women, were killed. In response, Asian American theologians and faith leaders began asking: How can we find belonging in this nation? How can we, as Asian American Christians, break our silence and raise our voices for compassion and justice? Turning to Esther 4, we explore how the Jewish community in exile embraced bicultural identities and how Mordecai and Esther used their agency to protect their communities in Persia. In conversation with Asian American reading of the Bible, immigration studies, and practical theology, this cross-disciplinary analysis and reflection highlight how the diasporic experience in Esther mirrors the struggles of Asian American faith communities and offer theological insight into seeking belonging and building solidarity in the midst of shared struggles.