Welcome friends, in recent weeks I have been hopeful for society, that things wil get better surrounding Covid-19. My parents are fully vaccinated and there has been talk about availability for Californians by May 1st. I am very optimistic that these conditions will improve for those who decide to get the vaccine. Though on another note, there has been increased hate crimes against the Asian population throughout the nation. It pains me to hear that 6 Asian people were killed in Atlanta due to a hate crime.
Personally, hearing more about the abuse some have chosen to inflict on the Asian community in the US is appalling. This issue hits close to home. So many people are being attacked due to their physical features, among other things, in this land that I call home. I was born here, as were my parents, as were my parents’ parents. All in all, as far as I see it I am ethnically of Asian descent, but my nationality resides in the U.S.
As a mixed race among the Asian community, I still get stopped by both those outside of the culture and those in it saying, “Where are you from?” My response is always the same, “I am from San Jose, California.” I have had moments of realization that I am not safe due to the color of my skin or the shape of my eyes and that’s terrifying to learn.
My most recent search on Amazon was for pepper spray and other protective measures. I have heard it from my parents and other Asian friends that this is a scary time for the community. It is tough to live in a heavily populated area and still have some sense of fear of those who are inciting such senseless acts of hate against the Asian community. I am worried for my parents, my friends, and others who are Asian by birth. When Coronavirus was first talked about by our former president, he referred to it as the “Chinese Virus.” That stemmed a lot of stigma towards the Asain community. In turn, there was a revolt by the Asian American community on social media with hashtags such as #IamNotAVirus .
It is a shock to experience in person. We were walking through downtown SF in the middle of the day when a woman started ranting at one of my friends the closer we moved towards her. Being SF, it’s not uncommon to engage with individuals shouting on the streets about nonsense. It is an entirely different experience when you realize she is railing at your friend directly, blaming them for the deaths of her family and shouting that the virus is “their people’s” fault. To be honest she was past us before we realized what she was even saying, but the feelings remained, anger, hurt, surprise. We were lucky in that it was nothing more than shouting, but the experience was sobering none-the-less. – Poly Guy 1
America is supposed to be a large melting pot of different cultures. But when I hear people that were attacked and their assailant saying something as rude as, “Go back to where you’re from!” I get upset because I am from the U.S. Some people are so quick to judge that because of the color of my skin or my physical features that I am from Asia. The fact is that I am Asian American.
From a historical standpoint, it has not been the first time that Asian Americans have been attacked due to ethnicity. My Japanese grandparents were forced into internment camp during World War II. They lost a lot of their possessions and after the war got a check from the government for their suffrage. A gesture that barely begins to make up for what they endured.
I hope that this soapbox we stand on helps people see that we are all human at the end of the day. For those who have ever been harassed due to their race, I see you, I get you. I hope that we can all call-out and fight against the xenophobia that is rising towards the Asian community.
-Always in Love, Poly Guy 1 & Poly Guy 2
