I Am Who I Say I Am
I Am Who I Say I Am
How Re-Learning Mandarin Helped Me Challenge My Internalized White Supremacy
There is a lot of distance to cover in my attempt to speak my way back towards my Chinese culture. I don’t think I’m ever going to learn enough Mandarin to build all the bridges I need to understand every aspect of my parents’ experience coming to this country. Many things will likely remain unspoken and I think I’m at peace with that.
When the News About Attacks on Asian Women is More Than a Journalism Project
The violence in Atlanta is a harsh symbol of the dangerous realities that Asian women, in particular, are subjected to. It is during this time more than ever we face the uncomfortable truth of the forced victimization of Asian women-before we forget their names and another headline rocks us back into painful remembrance.
Collective Grief and Self-Forgiveness as a Movement
The horrific shooting in Georgia has created an intensely collective grief in the Asian American community. The fears and anxiety from the events leading up to this massacre suddenly turned into an explosion of sorrow and anger. And shame and guilt, too, because of who 6 of the victims were—Asian women in a low-wage, stigmatized industry.
Becoming Asian American
Being “Asian American” has to mean something more than how white America has seen us—as an invasion, as corruption, as a wedge to deny the struggles of Black and Brown people. “Asian American” was born from decades of activism for racial justice, for inclusion, and for the dismantling of white supremacy, and our survival depends on continuing that legacy.