#StopAsianHate

My heart has been very heavy with all that I've been seeing in the news lately. As if covid numbers weren't bad enough to track, now I've turned conversations with my husband to "Have you heard about this attack in CA? Have you heard about this attack in NYC?" It only infuriates me and makes my blood boil when I hear that these are mostly cowardly attacks on vulnerable elders. How low are you going attacking a petite grandma? Do you realize how easy it is to cause fatal harm as we've seen with the death of Vicha Ratanapakdee? 

I've always been proud to be Asian. 80s baby growing up in the 90s - all that Azn Pride! (if you know, you know). Even more proud when I hear native Cantonese speakers compliment me - that I don't have an accent despite being ABC (born and raised in America). I willing spent 12 years of Saturdays going to Chinese School instead of watching Saturday morning cartoons so I can call myself literate in Chinese reading and writing. All the Mandarin I know, completely self taught courtesy of Mainland Chinese drama The Pearl Princess and numerous Taiwanese dramas. My music playlist ? 90% Cantopop.

I only wish my children will share the same enthusiasm as I did growing up, as 1st Generation Chinese American, in the culture where our ancestry roots came from.  I hope they never feel discourage or even worse ashamed to be Chinese American. I know I never did, but that doesn't mean I haven't done silly things like enunciating my English to show off my Brooklyn accent so that the person throwing a racial slur at me knows I speak without a foreign accent. 

I will never understand why there can be hate against my entire race - especially in Asian populated states like New York and California - where every 9th person you see would be Asian. Why is it all of a sudden you haters can't coexist with someone who has a different skin color or ethnicity? Why you would believe hurting a petite tiny 60-70 year old grandmother would be a right thing to do?  

I don't want to understand you - but just want to continue to educate you - that hating someone for their skin color is wrong. Raising awareness for AAPI to stop Asian hate is only to remind you that if you think that way - it is WRONG. You don't have to love everyone you see, but you also don't need to act out on your hate.

#stopasianhate

 
Love,

Melissa

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