04/13/2020
In response to what is going on in the Asian American community right now I’d like to share some very personal thoughts. Firstly it breaks my heart to see such hatred towards not just Chinese Americans but all asians in this country and around the world. The pure ignorance makes me frustrated and angry. I understand that people are scared and are looking for someone or something to blame, but racial slurs and hate crimes is not the answer nor is it beneficial.
I was born in China and adopted when I was 6 months old into a Jewish family. I grew up in a predominantly white and Jewish community in Boca Raton Florida. Growing up I struggled with liking my appearance and asian-ness, even though everyone had always shown me love, support and acceptance. I had never experienced personal prejudice but I truly wanted to fit in and not be Chinese as a child. 25 years later, I can now say that I’ve grown to love my asian characteristics and have wanted to connect more with my Chinese heritage. One thing I can confidently say is I am American. I may look like a foreigner but I and many other asian Americans who have grown up in this country share the same American defining traits as everyone else( competitive, individualism, hard working, directness and family oriented). We don’t need to prove our “American-ness” like Andrew Yang preaches. I’m sad that this country has once again, spread fear and false information towards a certain minority.
Now more than ever, I again feel ashamed, scared and embarrassed to be Chinese, something I’d hope to never feel again. If you see someone being prejudice towards asian Americans, please step in and stand up for us. Please share facts that it is not a “Chinese” virus and that we are not the problem. We are all suffering and don’t need anymore hatred, bigotry and polarization during these uncertain times. Here is a snipet of a longer experimental video I created to represent solidarity in my personal community against hate crimes and prejudice. Full video will be coming out end of this month. This is for those who have experienced prejudice, racial slurs and are suffering during these times. We will come out of this together stronger than ever!
