Tracy's Blog on Asian Hate

Something that I've learned to greatly appreciate is having had the opportunity to grow up in predominantly Asian American populated schools and communities. This meant that at a younger age, I looked like most everyone else in the classroom, with the exception of a slightly tanner skin tone compared to most of my Asian peers. Considering these circumstances, it's still sad to say that I've indirectly experienced violence and hatred against my community many times in my life. I think when it first hit me was seeing cashiers being unrightfully frustrated with my mom whenever we went out. My mom is a kind and patient woman but she lacks fluency in English which is something that restrains her from being able to accurately and precisely explain her wants and needs. The hardship of seeing people being outlandishly rude and disrespectful to her because English is not her first language is something that has deeply affected me on a personal level. It's been harder since Corona and because of the rise in Asian hate crimes. I've been extra cautious about how these confrontations could harm my mom and other members of my community. Aside from that, I've also experienced the typical racist and stereotypical jokes that completely downplay me as an individual; the dog and cat jokes, a joke about my last name "Ding Dong" and the model minority myth of course. Although I have not experienced direct violence, my mom told me a story of how my late grandfather was punched in the face and called slurs in a disastrous encounter with a white man. I will always remember this moment and think about how he could've felt. Microaggressions, physical violence, and mental abuse against AAPI need to always be acknowledged.