Senuki's #StopAAPIHate Blog

Although I have never personally faced the injustice of AAPI hate to myself, a plethora of my peers and very good friends are a part of the community. It disgusts me to know that people are being attacked and discriminated against because of their race and ethnicity. When I moved to Syosset in the 6th grade, I always believed that I was in an accepting and diverse community, especially coming from a predominantly white elementary school. My expectations were ruined when finding out about an AAPI hate influenced attack that happened at one of the local middle schools. I was baffled that students, so close to where I went to school, would perform such an act to harm an AAPI student because of his race. What angered me the most, however, was the school's response. In an email sent to parents, the school called the incident a, "teachable moment," and "will further discuss the consequences for the students." Similar to my friend's complaint to the principal when being called ISIS, the school took almost little to no initiative in order to make sure their students are in a safe and accepting community. It makes me wonder when the school will finally take the responsibility of their students, and enforce unbreakable rules to ensure the safety of the diverse community they have constructed. I strongly believe that without the proper punishments to those who have performed injustice in a school setting is a crucial part in creating an accepting mindset. We can't expect to deplete AAPI hate from our community without teaching the next generation, thus I am adamant to make change alongside eGirl Power to ensure an accepting school setting for all students.