March 28, 2021:

Navigating Anti-Asian Racism

I’ve been wrestling with the recent events and have been at a loss of words. I’ve wanted to write earlier, but it has just taken a bit longer to process.  My life experience, as an Asian American, knows the world to be a biased and unjust place, in which personal rights and privileges are distributed on an insidious caste-based system.  However, this reality has become so blatantly clear that I find myself in disbelief and sadness.  

It’s a sad, but true reality.  Discrimination and prejudice are at the foundation of American society.  How else could such a young nation rise so quickly to become one of the world’s greatest superpowers.  Simply put, it was built and continues to be built on the backs of the enslaved, the indentured, the immigrated, and the oppressed.   

All systems maintain a state of homeostasis.  Despite what anyone says, the American system is no different.  It is set up to maintain power for those in power.  It gives those desired privileges to those that look like, act like, and uphold dominant values.  Anything else is treated as a threat.  

It is not about radically upending the system, as governing bodies established through revolution are as bloody as the revolutions used to gain power.  Instead, we need a different type of revolution that does not use traditional revolutionary and dominating methods.  It is about creating alliances and forging a path towards a shared vision of reality.  

Communities of color have been pitted against one another for a long time.  We engage in an endless pissing contest.  We argue about whose oppression is greater.  We argue that our interests are the most important.  Not only does this lead to discrimination and violence, but it breaks down the impact of social movements.  When our efforts against oppression are divided, we all lose.   

I am reminded of the poem, “First they came…”, written by Martin Niemöller about the Holocaust. 

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Watching the recent YouTube videos of violence against Asian Americans and hearing about the “Slap an Asian” on social media has been heartbreaking.  Our elderly being attacked on their daily morning walks.  Our fathers assaulted in the subway returning back home as they cry out for help only to be met with complicit bystanders.  It has taken actual video footage to be believed.  This is nothing new.

In 1982, Vincent Jen Chin (陳果仁), a Chinese man, was murdered in Highland Park, Michigan.  He was celebrating his bachelor party when two white men, who yelled racial slurs at him, killed him.  They blamed him for the success of Japan’s auto industry and the reason why one of them was laid off.  The charges were bargained down to manslaughter resulting in a $3000 fine and three years on probation with no jail time.  The life of a minority only worth $3000. 

On a more subtle level, Asian Americans experience racial microaggressions on a daily basis.  Questions, ranging from “where are you really from?” to “how do you speak English so well?”, are a constant reminder that we don’t belong in America.  It creates a perpetual sense of not belonging and being a foreigner in our home country.  We begin to doubt our place in this nation, feel alienated, and question our social abilities.  What’s more is that asian Americans are stereotyped as the “model minority”, which furthers microaggressions.  It dismisses our struggles and breeds animosity against us from other minority groups.   

Here are a few prioritized steps in navigating anti-Asian racism (please see diagram above for visual):

1. Safety - Stay woke

   As Asian Americans, we do not have a concealable identity. The way we look gets interpreted by those around us, making us the target of stereotyping and implicit biases. It has never been 100% safe for us and it is important to not pretend that it is 100% safe. This is not to say that we need to live in fear, but rather stay alert and observant. Being minorities in America and coming from collectivistic roots, we have developed a greater ability to observe, quickly analyze the context, and notice the subtle indications in body language. Use this ability to stay aware so that you can manage potential threats by maintaining distance, move faster, and get to safety (i.e., your car, a public place, etc.).

2. Stay strong - Maintain self-esteem

   If it feels race-related, it is! This is about validating your own experience of a situation despite the opinions of others and uncertainty in the facts of the situation. Race-related comments and actions are most of the time extremely subtle and fly under the radar; however, they are no less psychologically damaging than more overt acts of racism. There are so many ways that our experiences of discrimination get dismissed. As an “invisible” and perceived “model” minority, others assume that Asians in America have it easy and that they have been given all of the privileges of white Americans. Do not allow these myths and doubts about the Asian American experience prevent you from validating your own experience. If we rely on the comments of authorities to validate our experience, we place our self-esteem in their hands. If we look to others to validate our experience of racism, we place our self-esteem in their hands. If it feels race-related, it is!
   
   There are plenty of stereotypes about Asian Americans. If we are not vigilant, it is easy to internalize these racist beliefs, which over time starts to become our own judgements about ourself. When you encounter these biases and negative messages from others, reaffirm your own personal strengths and the pieces of your culture that you value. If you need a reminder, connect with good friends and family members that can bring you back to your roots.
   
   Speaking of roots, it is a great time to learn more about your ancestry and strengthen your racial identity. We come from centuries-old, ancient blood lines that transcends the bounds of the American national culture created only 250 years ago. Pick up a book about your culture, talk to elders about your shared home country, and find the value in the ancestral line from which you descend.

3. Build Community - Come together

   We are stronger together and can build one another up. However, the Asian American community has not been great at creating Asian American role models and mentors. In contrast, many other minority communities have champions (e.g., MLK Jr., Malcom X, Bell Hooks, Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Anzaldúa, etc.), to which others look for guidance and to lead the way. We need to empower one another and help younger Asian Americans navigate the unique challenges of living in America. Questions about identity and navigating the social landscape are rampant. This is why it is important to build, mentor, and teach our communities so that they can pass the knowledge, awareness, and skills down to the future generations. We must engage in conversations with others about the lived Asian American experience. We must band together and build a shared voice to advocate for the needs and experiences of Asian Americans.

4. Allies - Vetting the allies from the alligators

   Allies come in all shapes and forms. They may look and act differently. They may not share the same experiences, identities, or worldviews, but they may listen, validate, and encourage exploration of our own. They may even hold internalized stereotypes about Asian Americans, but they will be open to listen and allow their perspectives to be challenged. These are the core qualities to look for when distinguishing the allies from the alligators (i.e., those that just want to take a chunk out of us).
   
   Building allies is the last step in this hierarchy because it requires a fine balance between protecting yourself and putting yourself out there. It is important to first keep yourself safe, maintain your self-esteem in the face of discrimination, and connect with communities that share similar experiences. From there, you will have a fine tuned instrument to vet potential allies. In the process of building allies, you must take calculated risks and step outside of your comfort zone. But it is important to not initially share the most vulnerable and difficult experiences you’ve encountered. Don’t put anything out there that depending on their response might wound your sense of self. Take your time to “test the waters” and create a litmus test that tells you if this is an alliance worth investing in. After multiple interactions, you now have the data to determine if they have the core qualities of an ally, or if you should start looking elsewhere.
   
   Building allies is an extremely important step. It allows us to build alliances across demographic lines, providing more momentum to change the culture around stereotypes and discrimination against Asian Americans. After all, it is relationships and experiences with people that are different from us that reshapes our worldview.
   

Thank you for your time in reading through this long winded post. Times are trying, but these events are nothing new. All of us have experienced some form of discrimination and this is the time to let those experiences grow us to be better, stronger, and wiser.